Two-Stroke Survivor: 1966 Yamaha YL-1 Twin Jet
For being such a small displacement motorcycle, Yamaha’s new YL-1 Twin Jet 100 was one reliable and fun bike. This is my personal holy grail model as a Twin Jet 100 was my first bike as a kid, the one that I learned how to ride a motorcycle on. The seller has this 3,370-mile survivor 1966 Yamaha YL-1 Twin Jet listed here on eBay in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and they’re asking $3,000 or best offer. * Now $2,000 or best offer!
“The new Yamaha Twin Jet 100 is in a class by itself. It combines trim styling, amazing power, smoothness, and safety, all in one outstanding, reasonably priced machine.” So says a 1966 Yamaha YL-1 Twin Jet brochure. If this were an Oldsmobile, it may have been known as a 222 as it has two cylinders, two carburetors, and two exhaust pipes. It also has Yamaha’s famous Autolube automatic oil-injection system to ensure a perfect ratio of two-stroke oil to gasoline so no more mixing, less smoking, and about 1/3 less oil use than premixing.
I still have my original bike in a shed where I grew up, where it’s been for four decades! It’s a true barn find now and I’ve been meaning to get it out of there and get it on the road again for years. There’s no excuse for such laziness, there really isn’t. It’s parked next to my ’78 Yamaha XS750E, which has been in the same shed since 1986. Lazy, lazy, lazy. The YL-1 came out for the 1966 model year and they were made until 1971. I would have guessed this example was a 1967 model, but the seller shows a few ID numbers. The taillight doesn’t work, but I’m guessing it’s the bulb as it sounds like the brake light works.
Speaking of photos, I don’t know when I’ve seen a better range of photos. The seller really went all out on showing this one, taking the covers off to show the oil injection pump and the points, and the side covers, and taking the full gas tank and seat off to show the pressed frame. AAA+++ to the seller! They have even included a cold start video here on YouTube, and a starting/running/riding video here on YouTube. They say that it’s all original other than a repainted side cover and has surface rust only and they’re only the second owner.
There was a YL-1E with an electric start but this one is a kick-start model. Mine always started on the first kick, every single time. The horn button is on the left along with a switch for the rarely-seen signal lights. And I don’t mean rarely seen as in on every single road in America today, but rarely seen on a Twin Jet 100. The right side is the headlight switch for low and high beam on this 180-pound bike. We put a knobby tire on the back of the one my brother and I used to ride, along with a bigger rear sprocket for some trail riding around the two acres that we grew up on. We even made a trail through the woods and built a little wooden bridge over a creek. What great memories these little bikes churn up.
The engine is Yamaha’s tough and well-engineered 97-cc inline-twin, a two-stroke screamer with just under 10 hp and around 8 lb-ft of torque. They have roller bearings on the connecting rod journals and supporting the crank are four ball bearings. The transmission is a dead-stop four-speed, as in not a rotary (never-ending) model as on some other bikes. This one has neutral at the top and four speeds down. The clutch seems to be getting weak, according to the seller, but they say that this example runs great, has no leaks, and the gas tank, oil tank, petcock, and carbs have been cleaned or rebuilt. If this were an orange one I would be on my way to Winston-Salem. What was your first motorcycle?
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Comments
My Covid project was “restoring” a 1976 Yamaha RD200. Most parts can be found, either on various East Asian sites like Partshark, or on eBay. I even found a guy in PA who could have cooked up some expansion chambers for not a lot of money. I ended up selling it; kind of wish I hadn’t. Get it out of the shed, Scotty, and get to work.
Had a Suzuki K-15 “Hill-Billy” and put in on e-bay. Some guy in the UK was the high bidder and had the thing air freighted over. I didn’t ask how much that cost, but he really, really wanted it.
Yes, I remember these were the rage back in the day. Everyone HAD to have one. Of course by the time these were on the road I was into my Harley 45 and BSA 500 single. But the Twin Jet would probably beat both of them in the quarter mile.
But every once in a while one shows up. This one is a result of cleaning up a farmer’s garage out in the country. A guy was approached to clean up the place as it was going to be put on the market. He was entitled to everything he found. One of them was this red Twin Jet. I wouldn’t have turned it down either…
Did it again, sorry Scotty, had such a nice reply, that will never be heard. This site is going to lose me yet.
When?
Not so fast, that date hasn’t been set, so I’m assuming you have no trouble whatsoever posting comments? I apologize to Scotty, but I want to know before making any rash decisions,,
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE TROUBLE POSTING COMMENTS???
No worries, H, I just put in an extra comment and it got missed.
Howard, yes my comments often fail to show up, too. Recently I tried to watch one of the BF auction items on my desktop and got a message that my email address shows up as spam. Tried again on my phone and it went right through. I don’t get it either.
You have to give it some time,after hitting “post comment” and it goes thru.Also,need good email address
Your comments going out fine Howard.
First motorcycle was a cousin of this one – a 1972 Yamaha R5. Two-stroke twin.
It had no electric start and never needed it. I bought it at basically junk price – $200 – not having a clue; and after some close calls (stuck throttle cable; replacement ungodly expensive; and with no kill switch, not required yet) I sold it for what I paid for it.
I wish now I had it – except now I can’t ride it; medical issues.
The kick starting is brain-dead simple. Being a two-stroke, it’s not high compression; just fold out the lever and stand on it. If it’s at all close to proper tune, it’ll fire right up.
( nervously trying again) Just when I thought the comment thing was fixed, my comments still go to moderation sometimes. So,,,BRIEFLY, the Twin 100 to us Honda 50 riders, was considered a big bike. TWO cylinders, must be twice as fast, no? No, fact is, it was a poor handling, smoky slug, and the Honda 160 for $100 more, was a much better bike. The “Autolube” was novel, in that it eliminated mixing, but often poorly adjusted and oil quality then, still smoked profusely, I remember Twin 100s with oil dripping out the pipes. They were annoying and offensive to everyone but the rider. It’s a cool find, most of these were at the bottom of that big pile of motorcycles out back. In the 60s, 2 strokes were huge, every Asian maker, except Honda, who hated 2 strokes, had them, even the Italian jobs/ H-D, but the 4 stroke won out.
The EPA killed the two-smokers.
They had issues, sure – but the oil-injection systems that became standard, made fueling easy and reduced the smoking. Low maintenance was a plus, and you got more power for weight than a four-stroke.
Only three, or five, moving parts on those engines, and nothing to adjust. Crankshaft, rods, pistons. PERFECT for small, portable, light power.
But this battle was lost a long time ago.
Had a 66 Suzuki 150 Hustler with a 6 speed. Very quick bike and fun to ride.
the 350 Hustler could bury the big British twins of the day.
Interesting ad. He can rebuild a fuel system but can’t replace a light bulb?
Also, no battery because of brand preference?
Love those two strokes, had a RD125, DS7 and a RD 350 I built into a full cafe bike. My comments get posted 99%, love barn finds, brings back good memories having owned close to a hundred cars and bikes in my 74 years
First bike—1969 Yamaha DS6C street scrambler–upswept pipes,knobbies 250cc–rode it up and down the east coast–great fun back in the day!!!
So, the 2-stroke v. 4-stroke battle appears to be heating up again? I’ve owned both, but the 2-strokes are the spicier, more interesting of the 2 choices, all things being equal. I started out on a Honda CT70 and it was fun and dead nuts reliable… but moved on to a Yamaha Mini Enduro and that’s where the fun really started. Best bike for me was a new ’74 RD350. Crazy fun and it embarrassed much larger displacement 2-stroke road bikes
“The Widowmaker.” The RD 350 was just an updating of the R5. Mine was a 1972, and the only real difference was, front disc brake and reed valves.
Oh, and that kill switch by the throttle. The lack of one, nearly got me killed.
My first bike was a 1966 125 Wards Riverside (Benelli) single. Had a blast with that thing at 15. Sold it and bought a 1 year old 1975 900 Kaw when I was 19. What a stark graduation that was…
Rarer still is the Jet Twin 90….should have pulled that JT90 out of my buddies wrecking yard before he passed – had the cutest little chrome air cleaners. This one sold with an offer….looked like a nice one.
My first was indeed a 66 Yamaha YL1. Loved that bike in black on black, with a black seat.
Now have a Roadliner and 71 years old.
My first bike was a 1968 trail 90, first year for the switch to trail sprocket instead of taking off rear wheel and link on chain. My first 2 stroke was a Suzuki 380 ram jet , 6 speed if I remember right. 3 cylinders and it was a cruiser.
Did anyone else call them “wing-pings” back then … these and the Honda 50s, 65s, 90s, and Super 90s were ubiquitous around the small town in Louisiana where I grew up …
Auction update: someone made the seller an offer he/she couldn’t refuse, it’s gone.