Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126653
()(') 00 0') C....h ben and an aluminum kickatartar add to the weight aaving•• True to Ita name, the TTIOO w .. an able ellder on .mooth .urfaca. • Vamaha's TTIOO at rut In Ita favorite setting - wide open spaces. The Yamaha follows current thought in frame geometry and bas a fairly steep rake. Combined with the nearly 300 pounds of the TT, it becomes a major handful in soft sand. The weight was apparent to all, but nobody rated it as a crippling sin. We rode on a variety of motocross uacks as wel1as the desert, woods and a nighttime enduro. Anytime there were large jumps or whoop-de-doos, the Yamaha's shortcomings came to light. Suspension at both ends probably is not progressive enough, but certainly not stiff enough. When landing from jumps where the TT came to earth on the uphill face of the nextjumpit bottomed with a passion. Otherwise, it performed quite well on a motocross course. With work on the suspension we would easily con. sider racing the TT in motocross. Cycle News' grass-roots racing coverage shows that the TTs are winning as high as the Intermediate ranks at night and day motocrosses around the country. Medium-sized whoops were handled in the desert as fast as 70 or ..80 mph, but giant rollers let the bike move around and want to swap. In the night enduro (though the headlight worked quite well), where the rider could not get ready for whoops, the word "tankslapper" gained new meaning. We went around the first loop at a good rate off speed the next morning and the bike handled all but the giant whoops well. After our days in the desert, the tires at both ends were worn out. The front from stopping the heavy machine on downhills and plowing in the sand and roc){s, and the rear from generous amounts of wheelspin. Drag races with a 490 Maico, a good one, showed the 600 faster to the top of the third gear and the Maico only slightly faster after that. The Yamaha didn't bring any thoughts to mind when we asked riders how the bike turned. It wasn't great, but it didn't bother anyone that much either. We found the Yamaha comfortable for riders in a variety of sizes for at leastBO miles a day. It performed well in most trail situations. It has a great enl{ine and a competent frame. The IT-like suspension components keep it from performing up to potential in the really rough going, but Yamaha has done an excellent job. Features abound on the 600. An engine crash guard of tubing, with rubber bumpers to protect the engine from i~ own guard, are a lightweight and necessary touch. Oil is no longer carried in the frame to feed the drysump engine. An oil tank sits low in the frame above the engine and keeps weight low• The lights at both ends are strong, and both wheels come off quickly for service. Clean air is easy to provide for the TT because the airbox is well designed and easy to maintain. And to top things off, the bike got good fuel mileage and was reasonably quiet. We had a problem, easily remedied, with a shifter that quit folding, tire wear and occasional cantankerous starting. The clutch casing vibrated loose and we lost some oil, but not enough to do any harm. It seemed an odd thing to come loose, but we had not checked the case bolts regularly either. Our bike ran well in altitudes ranging from sea level to 8000 feet. We cannot recommend the TT600 to every off-road rider. It is a big, heavy motorcycle. It is probably better suited to the rider that hits the tape measure and bathroom scale on the high side. Seat height on the TT is a shade lower tban most motacrossen, but when it starts to tip, it is good to have a firm footing. The consensus among our testers was that a prospective rider should not feel in- timidated by the power. There is a lot of power, but it was not a problem for any rider. We managed a lOO-mile weekend, over 50 of those miles in the dark, without undue fatigue. Our bike held up well to some severe terrain and use without a whimper. If you don't mind sacrificing a small amount of nimbleness for a bike that goes fast without fuss, and are willing to work a little on the suspenders before attempting warp speeds in the rough, you could do a lot worse than the TT600. • Specifications Engine Type ....•.................. Four-stroke, SOHC, four-valve single. Displacement 595cc. Bore x stroke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 95 X 84mm. Compression retio ....................•....................8.5:1. Starting ayatem . . . .. . . . .. . . . . .. . . .. . . . .. .. Primary kiclcatart. Ignition system Capacitor discharge. T...namiaaion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Five-speed. Carburetor : TKV27PV. Frame Type ......................................• " Front tire Rear tire High-tensile steel. 100/80 X 21. 140/90 X 18. Dimensions Wheelba : . . . . . . . . . . . .. 68.5 Inches. 31.8 Inch . Seat height Dry weight lclalmed) ....••...........211.8 pounds. Fuel capacity 2.9 gallona. Oil capacity 2.3 quarts. Suggested retail price ...................................• 2299. 17