Identification of TY

[Shanek955]

I would appreciate some assistance with identification of a TY250 I have recently purchased. Frame and engine number is 434-003741. Can anyone confirm the model and year of manufacture or sale in Australia? It has been registered in NSW some time ago and I would like to register again. Speedo is in Miles per hour. Is this common for this model?

Shane

[David Lahey]

That number identifies it as the first model TY250, now called TY250A. In Australia and the USA they were first sold in late 1973 and for rego purposes are considered to be a 1974 model. I don't remember if my A model came with a MPH speedo or KPH speedo, but I have a few TY250 and TY175 speedos and some of them are KPH and some are MPH.
Being pre-1976 it should not need an ADR compliance plate to get road rego - well it wouldn't in Queensland anyway. I think the speedo will need to have KPH markings though.
To be a TY250B (1975 model), the frame number should start with 493 and engine number start with 434.
TY250C (1976) and TY250D (1977) have 493 as the frame and engine number prefix.

[Shanek955]

David,

Thanks for the information. The bike needs a little work to get going again but overall seems ok for a bike having it's 34th birthday this year. Do you have any idea how many were brought into Australia and how many are left? Time must have taken a toll on the numbers.

Shane

[David Lahey]

Shane
Sorry for the delay. I haven't been near the internet for days.
I don't know how many are left in OZ but I reckon it must be in the thousands by the number that still keep popping up from chook sheds and under houses. They are not all complete though - many have been cannibalised for parts.
Yamaha sold 30,000 TYs per year worldwide through the mid 1970s.
In Australia there are still 5-10 Yamaha TYs for every one of any other brand of twinshock trials bike which is about the same ratio as when they were new.
David

[dyan00]

Hi Shane.. There were approx 18600 TY250A models made, the early ones were scattered between Australia and NZ, the early ones came with the mph speedo, however, as yours in in the 3000's, it will have come with a kph speedo.. As David mentioned, there are still plenty of parts available for them, but the new parts are becoming very expensive.. Hope this helps.. thanks Col.

[Shanek955]

Hi Col,

Thanks for the info. I havent done anything with my TY yet but am planning to over the coming months. No doubt I will be back on this forum looking for more advice in the future.

Shane