December 18, 2007
The saga of a “high riding” JT1 Mini-Enduro
What’s your creative re-use of vintage bikes?
By Tim Chelli, national manager for product compliance, Yamaha Motor Canada
My interest in motorcycles started with mini bikes – the Briggs and Stratton powered variety. The variety without suspension, transmission, clutches or brakes. Oh, they had brakes all right, a band wrapped around the rear rim hub that tightened as a lever was depressed when you stepped on the brake pedal!
That was around 1971, the same time Yamaha introduced the JT1, known as the Mini-Enduro (see ad here). Now, that was a real motorcycle! Not like the 1969 Z50 with its fold up handlebars… the JT1 was a miniature motorcycle! How cool was that!
I never did get one though… not until a generation later, when my son David was ready to ride. I retrieved it from a barn near Stratford, Ontario. Yes, a mouse had made a home in the airbox, and it needed a total restoration. Yamaha had all of the critical parts, though – even 20 years later.
David enjoyed that JT1, but eventually he outgrew it, so it ended up stored in the shed at our cottage for years.
Then, a couple of years ago my friend, Art (he has a background in the restaurant business where anything goes as far as décor) suggested I hang the JT1 minicycle from the ceiling of my cottage. That’s what I did, suspending it by chai
ns from the rafters, so whenever I enter the cottage, it reminds of the joy it brought my son and my never-ending desire for one as a youth. (See photo, right.)
Btw, the JT1 seems to have a real cult following. The Indy driver, Roberto Moreno, also had one as a youth, and I ended up meeting him at the Toronto Indy. Roberto got free tickets for my son and I, in exchange for some of the old parts we removed from our JT1 bike when we restored it.
Oh, and just so you know, my ceiling-art JT1 is not for sale! Long may it hang in the rafters of my cottage!
Where do you store your vintage bike(s)? Is one doubling as your coffee table? I’d love it if you’d send in your photos of unique reuses for bikes!
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Hey Tim – good plan for your JT1, but it’s a shame it’s not being used. Hope David had some fun and memories on his mini.
Where do I store mine – in the garage….. ready to go! All original except for an overbore, consumables like clutch levers and reeds. The bike brings back some memories.
Its fun to practice on a small bike. Look at Kenny Roberts’s race school – he teaches mostly on small bikes. It teaches finesse. (which rapidly changes to slow with old age) What about the new Pit Bike racing craze – its back!!!! Hm mm – the 110?
I still have my GT1 (same as the JT) that we have owned since new.
Yamaha Canada used the GT model for the in-famous “learn to ride” program that I co-ordinated in my youth.
I rode my GT80 to work many times – to the Fred Deely building (Yamaha’s first building here) – down the 427 highway – right thru the thick of Toronto. Somebody wants me to stay alive – for what reason…I haven’t found out yet.
Road racer, Steve Baker – and myself, raced every time we happen to be at the BC office together. Competition was on GT’s and JT’s in Yamaha’s BC back parking lot. We had a nice pylon course set up.
Fun MX racing on GT’s – awesome – our weight of about 160 (then) didn’t hurt them at all. A dude in BC was making race pipes for the JT and GT – I bet it added about another ¼ more HP.
Norman Greff – your old distributor form Chicoutimi Quebec gave me a trophy for the longest front wheel wheelie at a local competition there – I used a GT80.
And on and on
Thanks for the memories…..Yamaha
“Great story Bob and you’re right, many a skill has been honed on small displacement motorcycles. A missed shift can mean having to play catch up, whereas a missed shift on a large bike simply means wicking up the throttle.
TC”
December 24th, 2007 at 12:43 pmHello Tim, We attended an SAE moto tech Web-meeting the otherday.
Great idea for the little GT1. The Trials training Center in TN has a Bultaco trials bike in the living room. Great for conversation.
I’m with Bob Hogg, you should take that thing down and take it to the ISDT Rider Reunion in Athens Ohio in October ’09.
It will be right at home with all the other enduro bikes and all the riders.
Just show it off if you don’t want to ride it.
Cheers – Jim j
Hi Jim
Yes, the little JT1 is still hanging in the living room, but haven’t been to the cottage all winter, getting spring fever!
Tim
March 19th, 2009 at 11:40 amHello, this is my very first try at posting on a blog. Not even sure what a blog is, but this is where my search took me.
I am an avid collector of Vintage Yamaha Snowmobiles and need to find information on a Yamaha motorcycle.
My first exposure to motorized sports was with a Yamaha Mini Enduro.
Now here is where it gets fun. I am trying to find out what year and model it might have been.
I know it was either 1971 or ’72. It was 60cc, color was red and white and it had a headlight and tailight.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Skip, if you had the serial number, we could easily answer your question. A little Google search provided me with a couple of helpful links. Check’em out:
http://yamahaminienduro.com/services
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/epic_mcy/1971_minienduro_small.aspx
Any of those bikes resemble your little old Yamaha?
DanBro
July 13th, 2009 at 11:22 amIt sure looks like the Red and White unit in the picture on the first site.. Whats the difference between a JT 1 and JT 2? Also, difference between a JT1 and JT1L ?
I am trying to remember this stuff from memory. Unfortunately I can’t find any pictures. I am 51 years old now, and I had this bike around 1972 or ’73.
Skip, unfortunately, I wasn’t born until a decade later, so I really can’t tell you what the difference is between the JT1 and JT1L, but after I did a little Googling, I found some helpful links:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081026141816AAvhJzy
http://www.motorcycleforum.com/archive/index.php/t-74363.html
I believe the “L” stands for “light,” as the JT1L comes equipped with a head and tail light. Hope that helps!
DanBro
July 15th, 2009 at 3:36 pmWell I was able to find the one and only picture that we have of my Yamaha bike. Its a head on shot which really helped.
July 24th, 2009 at 10:08 amAccording to one of the links you provided, mine had painted forks which makes it a 1971, i.e. JT1.
Mine also had had a head and tail light, which if my understanding is correct, I had a 1971 JT1L.
Thanks for all your efforts in helping me.
Skip
i have one i would like to sell they are great little bikes, i had one as a kid it was my first bike, comes with the original pink slip runs great works great and overall its in above average condition
“Hey Tony, good luck with the sale, I’m sure you’ll make somebody happy, like you say they’re great little bikes!
Tim
October 17th, 2009 at 8:10 pmWhat a great idea, hanging the bike! These are truely works of art and we loved them as kids because it was the first ever scaled-down version of an adult bike. The neighbor kid across the street, from where I grew up, got a new ’71 like yours (red and white) and the next year I bought a JT2. In ’72 they went to 2 colors, JT-1 was burnt orange metalic with the yellow accent striping and lights, and the JT2 was yellow with black stripes and no lights, just a white plastic number plate at the top of the forks. I still have the color sales brochure from 1972. Thanks for showing people you don’t have to ride them to keep them from becoming junk out in the back of the barn.
October 31st, 2009 at 3:15 amOoooops! I blew it. I just looked over my old brochure and found mine was called the JT2 MX. The JT2 was the burnt orange version with lights. So the JT1 must’ve been the 1971 red and white 60. Sorry!
October 31st, 2009 at 3:28 amAnyone know where I can get a carb for a JT1 or even some internal parts like a slide, idle adjustment pin & screw etc.
Please call Larry at 404-386-0461
Thanks
November 19th, 2009 at 12:40 pmi have a JT1L (either 1971 or 1974?) for sale,asking $400 or so
February 9th, 2010 at 6:38 pmit is the only small motorcycle i know of, actual clutch etc..
I have a 1971 JT1 – the ooriginal 60cc mini enduro without a light. I have the original sales receipt and manual. My dad paid $348 for it and gave it to me for Christmas when I was 10. It’s in pretty rough shape – I ran the heck out of it but it still runs. What do you think it is worth now?
Hi Mark,
May 18th, 2010 at 10:53 amWow, what a find! What’s it worth? Whatever someone’s willing to pay! Nowadays it’s a pretty easy proposition with the ease of advertising on the internet with e-bay, Craigslist and Kijiji. Throw out some feelers and give it a try, I’m sure somebody’s looking for it!
Tim
Do any of you still have a JT-1 for sale? I got mine for my 12th birthday in 1971, and it started my moto-obsession. I’ve had plenty of bikes since then, but nothing has ever replaced that feeling of the old JT-1. Thanks, ron. rcoldon@mail.com
August 10th, 2010 at 8:49 pmIt was about 1976 before finally got to ride it but it was worth it,Boy what kick in the pants to ride it again,1971 JT-1 no finer.
September 13th, 2010 at 10:38 pmCan someone point me towards where I can get parts for a Yamaha I’m trying to get running for my daughter. On the engine block it is stamped JT1 034354. It is a single color like a burnt orange. I’m not sure if this was the oringinal color or not. Both fenders have a mini mudder logo on them. Are there still shop manuals around for these? Thanks for any help.
Rick, you’ve never had it easier to find old parts, the Internet is a powerful tool, fire up Google and start checking e-bay. I’m confident you can find what you’re looking for.
September 26th, 2010 at 6:17 pm