Pic of my DT1

[nifty]

Ian, just not used to seeing the number 54!
Nifty

[Iain Cameron]

Nor me I had to run #154 at the Nats , felt wrong not having the 54 .

[firko]

Here's the bike that eventually led to the DT1...THE 1957 Yamaha YA1-Red Dragonfly 125.

[Stan S]

Here's the bike that eventually led to the DT1...THE 1957 Yamaha YA1-Red Dragonfly 125.

Hi Mark,
that's a great looking little Yamaha, I haven't seen one before.
It reminds me of when Phil Irving came to a Ballarat Rovers sportmans type night along with a couple of other high profile motorcycle celebrities.
Phil talked about his whole life involved in engine design and motorcycles. Part of the talk was about the early days of the Japanese two strokes. He said the Japenese had been great at copying (and improving in some cases) British and European two strokes but couldn't get their port timing right, producing very peaky unreliable hard to start engines.
He said he was asked by the Japanese to go and help redesign what they had built. He did this in I think he said the late 50's and early 60's with Yamaha If I remember correctly. He also had a long relationship with them in later years using their facilities with many projects he was working on including the Yella Terra head
and the Falcon cross flow head.
He also said tongue in cheek that he was disappointed that WW2 finished when it did because he was working for the British armed forces and his last project was an engine in a boat that could be dropped from a plane, submerged anyway up and still start reliably by paratroops. He said they had perfected it but never got to use them.
The only question I got to ask him was: do you think the two stroke is finished in motorcycling given all the new emission laws particularly in th USA and with the first multi cylinder 4 strokes winning that year at Daytona. His reply was there was still so much untapped development left in the two stroke it will never be finished but maybe put into moth balls for a while till someone gets on top of their emmission output.
He was probably the most interesting speaker that I have ever listened to.
(sorry for the thread hijack)

Regards Stan.

[vandy010]

this thing is just beautifull

count me in for being a tradgic!
i never even knew what an RT1 was when i first saw one but something just clicked inside of me and then ebay delivered this little baby,

the motor ran but very rough,
so with the help of some seat straps from the salvation army i took it for it's first ride dressed like this

and then with a little more shed time it morphed into this,

so after riding the bucking bronco and notching up my first ever in the whole of my life race win{Hoony saw it!}, i read a bit about the almighty frame lowering mod, yes Firko, you can take credit for that
so the motor was dropped 2" and an origional tank placed proudly upon it to look something like this,

i was very tempted to replicate the Capalaba Gararge paint shceme as i reckon it looks cool and may even go that way next time round, we'll see.
so then around that time a "Flat Biscuit" pipe was rolled up from an old 44 gallon drum

and now it looks like this


 

[firko]

Yo Vandy, I had a good look at your RT1 at either CD7 or the Conondale Nats (they sort of blend together in my head) and was pretty impressed by how well thought out it is. The only thing I'd change is the tank, I'd replicate those cool Capalaba Garage graphics. I wonder what the story is behind that?

[vandy010]

The only thing I'd change is the tank, I'd replicate those cool Capalaba Garage graphics. I wonder what the story is behind that?

yeah, it really was a tough decision Firko as that Dark Blue with Yellow sign writing really looked the goods.
if another tank lands in my lap down the track i'd like to do it just like that.
the tank was given to me in a parts~trade deal with another well known RT1 nut here in Brisbane and he did tell a bit about it at the time but i really would need to check back with him as to the real story.
very cool.
what a great thread

[firko]

I have a bit of an idea that this bloke might just happen to be one of us . That's a nice little collection but why no white tanker?
               

One of the things I'm enjoying with my excursion into the depths of DT1 building is to locate as many original GYT or DT1MX  parts as I can. Anyone who's ever tried to find an original GYT high mount front mudguard and the intricate mounting hardware will surely agree that this stuff is fast achieving holy grail status. I was recently lucky to locate the below bracket(s) for $50+$20 shipping off Marks Swapmeet. I've been looking for the little underneath bracket for years to match up with the other parts of the bracket I already had so to be able to get the whole enchilada for 50 bucks made me a pretty happy camper. All I need is another GYT front mudguard and I'll be able to convert my resto DT1 into a DT1MX.

[Wendell Clark]

When I started hacking up my DT1 I sold all those parts,f fender mount,fragile! front fender, airbox and so on to a restorer.
He liked them so much he bought my RT1 also. All those heads are cool and are great period pieces. Have any of you had a gyt dt1 head sent off to be squish and shape corrected? I am interested in hearing how well it worked, I still want to run on pump gas though.

That old little 125 is the coolest thing I have seen in a long time!

[Davey Crocket]

Sick puppies. .....you boys need to get a women or 5.

[IT400C]

Here's the holy grail for DT1 junkies....some of the six titanium frames built by Don Jones in 1971.

Or the sand cast magnesium clutch cover?

[vandy010]

Sick puppies. .....you boys need to get a women or 5.

always a work in progress Davey
always
given you're into the trick Yammie's Davey,
i thought you'd be in for something like that highly modified Cycle Torque bike.
go on mate,
you know you want to...

[Davey Crocket]

Thats just it Mic, you blokes are pushing the buttons.....and I need another project on the go like one armed paper hanger!!!

[bazza]

On  Tuesday nights at the Whalan community centre you can get help Firko = DT1aholics anomymous
Repeat after me "My name is Mark and i am a DT1aholic"

[firko]

On  Tuesday nights at the Whalan community centre you can get help Firko = DT1aholics anomymous
Repeat after me "My name is Mark and i am a DT1aholic"

I tried to get the local hall but the local Samoan Seventh Day Adventists had a block booking on it.