1981 Yamaha DT175
Purchase Date: Spring 1988
I was thirteen at the time and this was the first motorcycle I'd ever driven.
It was a nice Saturday morning and my brother Bob asked me to come outside and help him with something. I stepped outside and the Yamaha 175 was sitting there. He simply said I could borrow the dual-sport for dirt riding as long as I was careful. My eyes lit up, I couldn’t wait to take it out riding. At the time, I didn’t even know how to ride a motorcycle. My brother briefly explained to me how to operate the controls and levers along with some basic maintenance tips.
The Yamaha DT175 has a 171cc, single cylinder two stroke engine. The DT has 16 hp @ 7,000 rpm with a top speed of 65.2 mph. The motorcycle has a six speed transmission with final chain drive. Fuel capacity is 1.85 gallons.
The first chance I had, I was out in the local forest area crashing into trees and falling into ditches learning how to ride. I did not wear a helmet or pads at the time and still have scars to show it.
The bike would come to life after a few strides after using the kick start with the choke pulled out and just the right amount of throttle. It would hold an extremely high idle for a minute even after the choke was pushed back in, but eventually calmed to a steady idle. I never questioned why it was sticking at the high idle; I just kept riding the bike. If I had that issue now, the carburetor would be in pieces in the ultrasonic tank ASAP.
The Yamaha is a two stroke with separate oil reservoir; therefore mixing oil and gas was not required. Top speed maxed out at about 60 mph on the straights. The dual-sport was small, nimble, and had enough power to get me anywhere I needed to go. Bottoming out was common on the DT with early model shocks.
I had friends with quads and motocross style dirt bikes back then and the Yamaha would always hold its own. This was the beginning of my long relationship with motorcycles.
It was a nice Saturday morning and my brother Bob asked me to come outside and help him with something. I stepped outside and the Yamaha 175 was sitting there. He simply said I could borrow the dual-sport for dirt riding as long as I was careful. My eyes lit up, I couldn’t wait to take it out riding. At the time, I didn’t even know how to ride a motorcycle. My brother briefly explained to me how to operate the controls and levers along with some basic maintenance tips.
The Yamaha DT175 has a 171cc, single cylinder two stroke engine. The DT has 16 hp @ 7,000 rpm with a top speed of 65.2 mph. The motorcycle has a six speed transmission with final chain drive. Fuel capacity is 1.85 gallons.
The first chance I had, I was out in the local forest area crashing into trees and falling into ditches learning how to ride. I did not wear a helmet or pads at the time and still have scars to show it.
The bike would come to life after a few strides after using the kick start with the choke pulled out and just the right amount of throttle. It would hold an extremely high idle for a minute even after the choke was pushed back in, but eventually calmed to a steady idle. I never questioned why it was sticking at the high idle; I just kept riding the bike. If I had that issue now, the carburetor would be in pieces in the ultrasonic tank ASAP.
The Yamaha is a two stroke with separate oil reservoir; therefore mixing oil and gas was not required. Top speed maxed out at about 60 mph on the straights. The dual-sport was small, nimble, and had enough power to get me anywhere I needed to go. Bottoming out was common on the DT with early model shocks.
I had friends with quads and motocross style dirt bikes back then and the Yamaha would always hold its own. This was the beginning of my long relationship with motorcycles.
Sale Date: Spring 1991