The Yamaha YZE 750 was a rally raid motorcycle produced from 1988 to 1991 with one specific purpose: winning the Dakar Rally. It succeeded in 1991 with the French rider Stéphane Peterhansel.
Yamaha YZE 750 at a glance
| Maker | Yamaha Motor Company |
|---|---|
| Class | Rally raid motorcycle |
| Production | 1988–1991 |
| Purpose | winning the Dakar Rally |
| Dakar victory | 1991 |
| Winning rider | Stéphane Peterhansel |
| Related production bike | XTZ 750 Super Ténéré |
| Later racing version | YZE 850T |
Based on one source (English Wikipedia); the source is short, so this page is shorter than usual.
History of the Yamaha YZE 750
The YZE 750 was built from 1988 to 1991 as a purpose-made rally raid machine. Unlike the showroom XTZ 750 Super Ténéré, it was designed around the demands of desert racing and the Dakar Rally rather than everyday road use.
The programme achieved its goal in 1991, when French rider Stéphane Peterhansel won the Dakar Rally on a YZE 750. That victory confirmed Yamaha’s strength in the desert and added to the reputation of the Ténéré name.
The YZE 750 was followed by the YZE 850T, which went on to win the Dakar six more times. The racing versions shared their name and desert focus with the production XTZ 750, but they were competition machines built in small numbers.
Design and features
- Purpose-built rally bike: designed for the Dakar rather than the road.
- 1991 victory: Stéphane Peterhansel won the Dakar on the YZE 750.
- Desert pedigree: the racing predecessor of the YZE 850T.
- Ténéré link: related in name and spirit to the XTZ 750 Super Ténéré.
Yamaha YZE 750 versions
- YZE 750 (1988–1991): the original rally raid machine.
- YZE 850T: later racing version with six more Dakar wins.
- XTZ 750 Super Ténéré: the production bike that shared the desert concept.
The YZE 750 is the racing relative of the XTZ 750 Super Ténéré. More models are in the Yamaha collection.
Sources
- Yamaha YZE 750, English Wikipedia: production years, purpose, 1991 Dakar victory
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