|
Yamaha TR 3 350
TR 2 350 came in fourth, fifth, and sixth in its class.
The 1971 season was even better, with Gould riding officially
for Yamaha in the 250 and 350 classes. The company indirectly looked after
Charles Mortimer's 125 and the Finn Jarno Saarinen's 250 and 350. Gould did not
win the 250-class championship again. Read, with a private TD 2, beat him out of
the championship by only a few points.
Yamaha failed to win the 350-class championship that year. But
after Giacomo Agostini's first place with MV Agusta, nine of the first ten were
Yamaha TR 2s.
Although there were higher hopes than before for the Yamaha 125, the season was
something of a disappointment. But Mortimer's win at the Tourist Trophy and his
second place at the Spanish Grand Prix showed that the vehicle was catching up
with the competition.
The last successful season for the two-cylinder air-cooled
Yamahas was 1972. In the winter of 1971 Yamaha put on sale new models, the TD 3
and the TR 3. Their most important innovation was the six-speed transmission.
Private Yamahas chalked up several wins in 1972, but again they had a hard time
keeping up with the new official water-cooled motorcycles.
Motorcycle: Yamaha TR 3 350 Manufacturer: Yamaha Motor Co.
Ltd., Iwata
Type: Racing, replica Year: 1972
Engine: Yamaha two-cylinder, two-stroke, with cross-port distribution (five
transfer ports). Displacement 347.4 cc. (64 mm. x 54 mm.)
Cooling: Air
Transmission: Six-speed block
Power: 54 h.p. at 9,500 r.p.m.
Maximum speed: Over 140 m.p.h.
Chassis: Double cradle, continuous, tubular. Front and rear, telescopic
suspension
Brakes: Front, central drum, four shoes, four-cam; rear, central drum
|
