Homologation special

When Yamaha decided to take on the might of Harley-Davidson, BSA, Triumph and Norton on the US Flat Track scene in the early ‘seventies, it had the services of a talented youngster named Kenny Roberts to call upon. To be eligible under AMA rules, motorcycles had to be derived from genuine production models, and a minimum of 200 produced. To challenge the established players, more horsepower was needed from the XS1 twin, so Yamaha in USA set about producing a special 750 (actually 743cc). Whether 200 individual bikes were actually built is a subject of much conjecture. Some knowledgeable people say only around 50 were made, as the AMA inspection process never required 200 to be sighted at the same time. What is certain is that this is perhaps the most prized of all the XS twins, and can be identified by the ‘G’ stamped in front of the engine number, and the barrel having been restamped from 653cc to 743cc. One of these ultrarare models is currently being restored in Sydney for the owner by model specialists Geoff’s XS.