1971 YAMAHA DT1 MX FACTS
WHAT THEY COST
The suggested retail price of the 1971 DT-1 MX was
$895. Our featured bike was ridden once, down the alley
behind the Chicago, Illinois, Yamaha dealer that it was
first sent to. Today, a restored 1971 DT1 MX would be
valued at $6000.
MODELS
In 1971, Yamaha had a full line of motocross bikes,
including the motocross 125cc AT1 MX, 250cc DT1 MX
and 360cc RT1 MX.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Given that the AT1, DT1 and RT1 were not true-to-life
motocross bikes but warmed-over dual-purpose machines,
it is hard to find a box-stock original. Collectors want original parts, even though a DT1 front fender now costs $250.
PARTS SUPPLY
The best source for older Yamaha parts is Speed and
Sport at (570) 784-6831 or www.speedandsportinc.com.
(including holes for the taillight). The most attractive thing
about the DT1 MX was its $895 price. Serious motocross
racers never considered the DT1 MX when it came to
choosing a race bike, but entry-level dirt bikers were
attracted to the low price and large dealership network.
Remember that this was three years before Yamaha
would build its first serious YZ250A motocross bike.
In the hands of a capable tuner, the DT1 could be
turned into a potent weapon, and Yamaha hired the
Jones Gang—father Don and sons Gary and DeWayne—to
develop the DT1 MX. Using the DT1 MX as a starting point,
Gary Jones won the 1971 250 National Championship and
would retain it in 1972, while Marty Tripes would win the
Superbowl of Motocross on one. The Joneses started a
hop-up business built on selling high-performance race parts
for the DT1, and Gary would go on to win four 250 National
Championships for Yamaha, Honda and Can-Am.
The Yamaha DT1 was the last dual-purpose-based bike
to ever win major professional races; from this point on, it
was purpose-built race bikes.
