85 TRI-Z production ?'s

[Groundworx]

I bought an 85 TRI-Z 250 about a month ago. I have had a couple of 250Rs and a tecate in the past. This is my 1st Z. I had a 2002 Raptor Limited Edition and sold it about year ago. I was looking on Ebay a week or so ago and I came accross TRI-Z that had the red frame and black plastic. I have seen these quite a bit. In this description, the seller said it was a "Limited Edition". Well, mine was originally red frame and black plastic. The guy I bought it from repainted the frame blue and the plastic yellow. Looks good from a distance, but it wasn't done right. I am going to tear it down to the frame this summer and rebuild everything. I am going go back with the red and black color scheme. I was really just wondering if it was really a "Limited Edition" like some of the current Yamaha models.

[XFR_Dozer]

yes it was . it just seems more of em survived so you see quite a few of them now in comparison

[Groundworx]

Cool, I wasn't aware that Yamaha was doing a "Limited Edition" bike back then. Does anyone know of a website or somewhere I can find a lot of info on the TRI-Z? (Besides 3wheelerworld.com) 8)

[CHAINSAW]

its not a limited edition.. its an 85 1/2 model. Someone heard from the cousin of a brothers wife that it was special.. so the rumor has spread. There is nothing "special" about it...

[Groundworx]

I have heard that too. I have actually even heard that the 85 1/2 is a limited edition bike. I would like to do some research on this and find out what the deal is.

[XFR_Dozer]

its not a limited edition.. its an 85 1/2 model. Someone heard from the cousin of a brothers wife that it was special.. so the rumor has spread. There is nothing "special" about it...umm. sorry Chainsaw but you are wrong. no matter what info you got those black bikes were a specific production run. i cannot remeber what the run was but since it was a SPECIFIC number of production models it is a limited edition.http://www.jordanandjennas.homestead.com/familypics.html on the back of the photo of that black one is dated 3/12/85 i had one of the first ones and dropped a sandscorcher motor in it from one of my yellow ones. anyhow i have no written proof or knowwhere to find any but i was told from a factory rep that it was a limited production run. thats all i have on this guys . gl in your search

[Groundworx]

Like I said, if anyone knows of a site or something where I can find out more on this, please post a link or email it to me. Keep posting replies too. I need as much info on these as possible.

[Jeb]

Yep, they were special edition Tri-Zs. As far as I know color is the ONLY difference. I have an old article where they do some hop ups on a red and black special edition 85 Tri-Z.

[CHAINSAW]

Im just going off of what a dealer told me. He said there is nothing special about them, they were a half year model is all. As far as a limited number of those.. hell, there was a limited number of every trike.

[Billy Golightly]

They were limited editions. Just like there is a LE Raptor with black plastics, LE YFZ450 with black plastics, LE Banshee that has black plastics. It was more or less just another color choice but they called it "Limited Edition"

[XFR_Dozer]

well we all know that dealers have all the answers. lol jk. most of em know squat about atvs except they take up alot of floor space. but my question to him would be just how many 1/2 model years have there been? its not standard practice to change a production model in the middle of a model year. that really doesnt make sense to me logically to say its an 85 1/2 but theres nothing special about it. ...... just a thought.

[CHAINSAW]

Well in that case,. if the limited edition models were so rare, then the 86s should be considered a limited limited edition.. lol Ive seen a hell of a lot more black n reds, then 86's. We have been trying to find some production figures for a while, but no one has come up with any. It would be cool to see how many of each were made.

[XFR_Dozer]

i also would be interested to see some production numbers on these. quite honestly i didnt know that there were that many black ones around. personally i wonder if they were all factory blacks or reproductions. im on the phone right now chasin down the production #s. ok my "contact" has been officially removed from my future who wants to be a millionaire phone a friend list. ive resorted to google lol. hope somebody else has a better idea

[Groundworx]

Thanks for the input guys. So was the white any yellow bikes just different color schemes that were available on either year? Then the black and red was only on the 85 1/2.

[XFR_Dozer]

no all 86s were red and white. only 85s gave you choice between black& red or yellow & black .speaking of the 86 plastics. how rare do those red airbox covers seem to be? i found one in very good condition but this guy isnt just giving it away.

[Groundworx]

I emailed a guy that I bought a bunch of parts off of. I asked him what he knew about the TRI-Z when it came to the production of the "Limited Editions". Here is his email.


Scott,
I can definitely shed light on it for you. I have had
several Tri-z's. I had 4 that were new. I used to race
them from 83-86. Here are the facts ( I am 100%
positive, I know this for fact) 83 was the first
production year ( although they were introduce in 82,
they were called 83's). 83-85 Tri-z's were available
in yellow & black. In 85 Yamaha introduced the black &
red colors as an option. They were not a special
edition. They are very easy to come by. Anyone that
says they were limited or special editions is making
it up or looking for extra money. In 86 Yamaha ended
the yellow & black color scheme & introduced the White
& red color scheme. This model came with a new 6 speed
tranny, redesigned fuel system, lower profile tires,
better compression & various other upgrades that
solved smaller issues(like stronger side case to
prevent the case from cracking at the kick starter.)
The black & red ones were still available. They were
called 86's too, but were still at 85 specs. They were
just overproduction carried over to the next year.
I used to be a licensed ATV safety instructor also. I
was employed by the SVIA(Specialty Vehicle Institute
of America). The "Big 4", Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki &
Suzuki all donated millions into a superfund, because
of concerns & law suits from 3-wheeler accidents, &
introduced the ATV Safety Institute, a division of the
SVIA. Anyone that bought a new ATV, anywhere in the
USA, was entitled to a free safety training course. I
was one of the Instructors. I taught 100's if not
1000's of people throughout all New York State. I
taught these classes right at dealerships.

This answered a lot of my questions. Mabey it helped someone else too. If anyone has anything to add to this please do.. I am planning on doing a rebuild within the next couple of months and this info would be very useful to me.

[XFR_Dozer]

hes full of it. 85 was the first production year and i got mine in october of 84. the fact that he said they made a 83 or 84 only shows his ignorance.... i would take any of his info with a grain of salt. if they sold any black ones in 86 they were just leftovers because they were no longer in production. its funny the guys you run into online. lmao just an extra thought, in 82 even the hondaguys would rather have a watercooled tri-z with better suspension than the 82 or 83 honda what a joke. in 82 , alot of guys were runnin modified 185s for cryin out loud. i know im ranting but this type of bs misinformation lights my fire. good day to all. :)

[Billy Golightly]

I would bet my life on the fact that there were no 83 or 84 Tri-Z (YTZ250). If such were the case, that means Yamaha would have had a watercooled 2 stroke before anyone else including Honda or kawasaki, and thats not true. The first watercooled 2 stroke was the 84 (Model year) Tecate. Then Honda and Yamaha both came out with watercooled 2 strokes as (85 model years). Its kinda general knowledge (Or I thought) that model years are usually available a few monthes before the year they are marketed as. IE, you can buy an 04 car, truck, motorcycle, dirtbike, quad, ect in the end of 03. This is just how it is.

[Groundworx]

85 was the oldest I have seen I have seen. I don't know much about them though. I kept up with the Hondas more than the Kawasaki or Yamaha trikes.

[Jeb]

Thanks Groundworkx for posting that garbage from your "source"!

I needed a good laugh. That's nothing against you at all, but that guy is way off. Yamahas Yellow Tri-Z was released in 84 as an 85 model.

I'll try to hunt up the article this weekend I have where they call the red and black one a special edition and scan it.

[Groundworx]

Well, like I said, I don't know enough about them to say if he is right or wrong. He has helped me a lot in the past and everything he has told me has been right so far. That is why I asked him.

I know that there is a search for 87s on this site. I know a guy here in town who says his brother has an 87 Z. His brother lives about 8 miles from me. I haven't been by to check it out yet, but it is supposed to be yellow frame with black plastic and yellow and black seat cover. It was supposed to be one of only 300-500 that made it off the container ship and out to dealers. He says he kept it in original and mint condition. If I make it out there to see it, I will take some pics of it and post them.

[XFR_Dozer]

lol ya id like to see pics of a y/b 87z. if you can confirm thats what it is ill give him 5 grand for it sight unseen.and give you 500 just for finding it. be sure to get a pic of the nubers stamped on the steering stem. gl

[Groundworx]

He said he just took out a loan against it for 5k. I haven't seen the bike so I don't know if it's true or not. If it is a 87, I can tell you he won't sell it....

I kinda doubt it is. I have rode with this guys nephew before and he never said anything about it, but I guess it is possible. I have never met the guy that owns it though. You can't tell me that the Honda and Yamaha produce some 87 model 2 stroke trikes. I am sure that the 87s were already being produced when the production was stopped. And of those, you can't tell me that some didn't slip out..

When I get a chance to take a look at it, I will get back with you. If it is a 87, you will owe me $500.00 :D

[XFR_Dozer]

ya i feel pretty safe with my 500 lol . but i never hedge if it comes to that. but you said" he kept it in original and mint condition" well the 2 color seat is clue one. no way thats original. plus yamaha was doin no major changes to 87 so it would have been red and white along with the rest of the bike. gl and i hope it is an 87 and if it is id really like to own it. but its probably another guy who got this third hand ,and just talks out of his netherregion .

[Jeb]

Here's the "special edition" mentioned in dirtwheels...

[Groundworx]

Thanks Jeb. I think you set a lot of this to rest with that artical. I just really wanted to know if there was anything special about my Z. After seeing that artical, I am really leaning towards rebuilding mine back the way it was. Can you tell me what magazine, year and month that artical came out of so I can try and get my hands on one. It looks like it says August of 85 Dirtwheels. Is that right?

[hrc200x]

This article isn't saying that the special edition black/red Z's came with those mods is it?

[Darius1502]

no its not...I would like to do those mods....can't read it too well.

[twgranger]

I think the mods are the same as the yamaha wrench port mods for the airbox and the carb.

[Groundworx]

lol ya id like to see pics of a y/b 87z. if you can confirm thats what it is ill give him 5 grand for it sight unseen.and give you 500 just for finding it. be sure to get a pic of the nubers stamped on the steering stem. gl

I may have found that a 87 TRI-Z. I have seen one pic of it and is from the rear. It is yellow and black. I have asked the owner; who refuses to sell it no matter what, to send me some more pics to post. I am not sure if it is or not. I will post pics if he send them.

[BigGreenMachine]

From what I've read in this post so far it seems like the mentioned black and red Z is a special edition and the yellow and black "87" is some guys handywork, probably just made the look he wanted by painting the frame and buying black plastics, very possibe.

Groundworx, is the seat cover a solid colour or is it multicoloured?

[XFR_Dozer]

it is supposed to be yellow frame with black plastic and yellow and black seat cover. It was supposed to be one of only 300-500 that made it off the container ship and out to dealers. He says he kept it in original and mint condition. my only contention was that it is a factory black and yellow 87. which is what i expect as he kept it "original and mint condition" i not only want to see the 87 , i want to see a factory black and yellow 87 z . I hope there was no confusion. Groundworx im just bustin your chops . all in good fun. I wasnt tryin to be malicious. I cant wait for the pics

[Groundworx]

Its all good. I was trying to get an interesting thread going. Some of the threads lately have pretty had nothing to do with anything.

This TRI-Z that I just wrote about isn't the one that is supposed to be in my area. I found this one on a collector site. Like I said though, you really couldn't tell anything from the pic. The owner just said that "it isn't for sale so dream on". (that statement kinda grabbed my attention and made me look into it further) After this guy told me about his brothers 87 Z, I thought I would search the net and see what I could come up with. That is one reason I put it in this thread. Like I said, I will post some pics if the owner get back to me.

I really couldn't tell what the seat looked like. The pic was from a distance and a rear shot. The multicolored seat cover is just what I was told. I never personally seen the bike that is supposed to be here.

Like you said, it's all in good fun. :twisted:

[Darius1502]

That airbox looks freak'in sweet....massive amounts of air are getting sucked in that baby!

[XFR_Dozer]

Darius , I have an aluminum one just like it except ive got a K&n filter. when i get back to michigan in a couple weeks ill post a pic . Thats the 1st mod thatshould be done to any Tri-Z imho

[Darius1502]

Man...where do I get one though....??????


If it were 86 I would be in 7th grade and would order one from Dirt Wheels but now I am 31 and have no idea where to get one....

...sometimes the 00's suck!!!

thanks for the tips man I am just kidding around....but tell me where I can get one!

[XFR_Dozer]

lmao darius we are the same age. only difference is i was racing my z in 86 lol. my airbox was a custom aluminum job by the guy that built the motor.

[Groundworx]

Hey XFR, if you have some, can you post of pics of it? I would like to get a box like that on mine too. Mabey if you post some pics, I might could build one. :rolleyes:

[XFR_Dozer]

i would be more than happy to post pics and a detailed drawing with specs. right now my bikes still in michigan and im here in florida for a couple more weeks.after i return though ill get that up for you guys np. :)

[Darius1502]

We are so lucky to have XFR_Dozer on here.

The guy was talking the talk and walking the walk in the heyday.

He has been a great help and asset here.

Darius

[XFR_Dozer]

Thank you very much , but I am the one thats lucky to find this corner of the web. Although I was fortunate enough to have some good bikes and test many other parts that never worked all that well , I always had a mechanic to do the actual work for me. As I undertake my own restoration project ,Im sure help from many of you will make my task easier. Maybe even possible. lol . Long live the trikes , their future isnt written yet.

[CHAINSAW]

We are so lucky to have XFR_Dozer on here.

The guy was talking the talk and walking the walk in the heyday.

He has been a great help and asset here.

Darius
kinda seems like yamaha version of MR ATC to me.. :rolleyes:

[Billy Golightly]

No need to be a smartass, Chainsaw.

[CHAINSAW]

who is being a smartass?? I was serious.

[J.D.]

HAHAHAH.....like a couple of kindergartners......

Kind off topic, but I just have to ask this question to XFR_Dozer.

I have a K&N clampon filter for my Z, and I tried it on, and there was no noticeable power difference between the clampon and the stock system. What gives?

Also, it seems to me that anything bigger than a stock 32MM carb is overkill for a Z, because I put a 34mm Flatside on, and no matter what I did I COULD NOT get it to run at wide open throttle, it would just bog. Any insights to these questions?

[XFR_Dozer]

dont know what to say about the filter. you should have noticed a somewhat" peppier" power band especially from midrange up. you sayin it bogs at full throttle with the carb sounds like a too rich main jet to me. 34 certainly isnt overkill. (i have a round 38 mikuni bored to 40 mm ). id check the carb out fully as well as the choke.( possibly sticking ? )if everything checks out id start puttting in smaller main jets till its right.i assume the bike runs just fine when you put the stock carb back on.