1974 - 1975 Yamaha DT 175

Make Model	Yamaha DT 175
Year	1974 - 75
Engine	Two stroke, single cylinder, reed valve
Capacity	171 cc / 10.43 cu-in
Bore x Stroke	66 x 50 mm
Cooling System	Air cooled
Compression Ratio	6.8:1
Induction	Mikuni VM24SS 24mm slide type carburettor
Ignition	CDI, magneto type
Starting	Kick
Battery	6V, 4Ah
Max Power	16.5 hp / 12.3 kW @ 7000 rpm
Max Torque	8.8 Nm / 12 lb- ft @ 6000rpm
Clutch	Wet, multiplate type
Transmission	5 Speed
Final Drive	Chain, DID428SM. 117 links
Primary Reduction Ratio	3.23:1
Final Reduction Ratio	2.37:1
Gear Ratios	1st 33.55, 2nd 20.38, 3rd 14.42, 4th 11.50, 5th 10.09
Gearbox Sprocket	15 teeth
Wheel Sprocket	49 teeth
Frame	Welded, tubular, double cradle with single downtube
Front Suspension	Telescopic, oil damped
Front Fork Oil	146cc (4.9fl. oz.) per leg
Rear Suspension	Dual shocks
Front Brakes	Drum
Rear Brakes	Drum
Front Tyre	2.75 -21
Rear Tyre	3.50 -18
Castor Angle	60°
Dimensions	Length 2080 mm / 81.9 in Height 1120 mm / 44.1 in
Wheelbase:	1350 mm / 53.1 in
Ground Clearance	265 mm / 10.4 in
Seat height	845 mm / 33.27 in
Dry Weight	99 kg / 218 lbs
Fuel Capacity	7 Litres / 1.5 US gal

The DT175 was born in 1974, when the three-year-old, piston-port 175cc Yamaha CT3 Enduro was redesigned with reed-valve induction. In 1978, the frame was revised with a monoshock on the back similar to the YZ motocross line. The swingarm was replaced with a square-tube design two years later.

Americans may be forgiven for not being familiar with the DT175’s awesome longevity. EPA regulations banished it from our shores after 1981. But throughout the world, the DT175 has soldiered on, becoming a much-loved icon in the process. It was updated a bit here and there; a YICS intake plenum chamber (or “boost bottle”) was added in the mid ’80s, and a decent front disc replaced the feeble front drum in 1999. But overall, the the 2010 DT175 is remarkably similar to the ones that sat in U.S. dealer’s showrooms so many years ago. The larger DT250 has been out of production for years and the smaller DT125 has been replaced with a modern, liquid-cooled design.

The DT175 has always been a spunky, eager machine. It cannot handle supercross whoops or speed though the woods down a gnarled enduro single-track. But it has proven itself perfect for navigating fire breaks, Jeep trails, and untold thousands of potholed city streets, unpaved alleys and rural dirt roads. The entertaining but unintimidating power is just perfect for schoolboys learning the joys of two-wheeled freedom. Yet it is the bike’s ruggedness that set it apart.

At this very moment, DT175s are churning through deep African desert sand, chugging through muddy Scottish bogs, transporting doctors and preachers on solitary journeys to nearly inaccessible jungle tribes, criss-crossing Asian metropolises loaded down with hundreds of pounds of marketable goods, and ferrying entire families of three, four or more to neighboring villages.