1968 Yamaha DT1
Almost single-handedly, the DT1 created a new category of motorcycle – leisure trail riding – at a time when there were plenty of trails and plenty of time to enjoy them. The single cylinder 250 was conventional, but extremely well executed, coupled with a chassis that was a quantum leap from anything previously produced in Japan. The Yamaha rapidly spawned dozens of similar designs from Japan, Europe and USA, and the DT1 itself soon had 125, 175 and 360cc versions within the DT stable. Yamaha also offered genuine race kits for several of the models, transforming them into more than useful weekend off-road racers that could double as weekday transport with very little work.