Yamaha YL1

Because its ownership came immediately after the terrors and horrors of a BSA SS80, perhaps I found it even better than it really was. But still... a mate had passed his car test and wanted to sell his Yamaha YL1, a 100cc two stroke twin. From the first ride, I realised that the YL1 was no ordinary bike. First gear acceleration seemed out of the world, like second, there was enough go to pull a wheelie.

The redline was at 8500rpm (this for a late sixties bike) which equated to 25mph in first, 40mph in second, 55mph in third and 70mph in top. The four speed gearbox had neutral at the bottom and the kickstart could be operated in gear with the clutch lever pulled in - handy if you stalled in traffic. On the road, the YL handled very well as it was light at 220lbs and shod with Avon Speedmasters which worked OK in all weather conditions, although l made sure to replace them long before. they were down to 1mm.

When I bought the YL it had done 10000 miles, the day I sold it two and a half years later it was 31000 miles. A new chain had been fitted when I bought it and this lasted 13000 miles (when it also needed new sprockets). The battery lasted throughout the time I owned the bike.

The bike, in its early Mark 1 form, was first imported in 1966. By October 1967 the Mark 2 was introduced. Mine was a '68 model. The main changes between models were autolube lubrication, exposed fork and shock springs, mirrors, different silencers and loss of the full chainguard. The electrical system was boosted from 6 to 12 volts. Imports of the YL1 stopped in March '69, perhaps because of the commuter styling.

The paint and chrome were of good quality except on the fork and shock springs which rusted quite badly and were eventually painted silver (which matched the stock mudguards). The alloy needed constant work to keep it shining.

I was able to ride many big British bikes at that time, but funnily enough I enjoyed riding the 100 just as much. Although top speed was only 70mph, it could whizz along at this speed for most of the time, vibration and trouble free. What was the point of running something like a Ariel VB600 single or BSA M21 when the Yam was just as fast and ultra reliable?

In heavy town traffic the bike was light, slim and confidence inspiring. The brakes really were first class. The front drum required care if it was not to lock up the wheel. Only on fast runs, two up, did they start to fade. Once, when a car pulled out, I slammed on the brakes and ended up sitting on the fuel cap whilst the pillion ended up where I sat. The longest trip I did was to London, some 270 miles from Helston. It cost six gallons of petrol and a half pint of oil. Fuel consumption under mild use was 100 to 105mpg, dropping to around 70 to 80mpg under hard use, although as the tank only held one and a half gallons this was a pain on long runs as was the seat after 125 miles.

After that 270 mile run my back felt it was in two parts and I must have looked like a bloody monkey trying to pull myself straight. Worst problem was a gearbox that refused to change out of second until it was taken apart by a dealer. It also blew rear bulbs at an alarming rate if the bike was revved excessively. I wish I could find more bad things to say about the Yam, but there it is. From 1968 to 1972 they were everywhere. Ten of my mates rode 100cc twins, and in any town you could see them parked. Around 1975 they seemed to disappear without trace. As with many of the early Jap bikes, once they got to a certain mileage everything wore out simultaneously and they self destructed. The engine was upgraded to the 125 spec which eventually emerged as the RD125. The YL1 is a bit of two stroke history that surely should not be ignored.

Philip Sully