1989 Yamaha TDR250

When Yamaha engineers started the TDR development project in 1985, they decided to place upon themselves the task of creating a new concept motorcycle that would break away from the racer-replica trend of the 1980s. Yamaha was looking for a new type of motorcycle, with their key idea being to reemphasize the fun aspect of motorcycling. Working on the premise that the TDR should be capable of being ridden on all types of surfaces practically and enjoyably, they had to build a motorcycle that prioritized acceleration, manoeuvrability, handling, stability and braking. In short, a motorcycle that enables the rider to extract maximum driving enjoyment from all uses in all types of conditions. To build such a motorcycle whose performance envelope should encompass the various conditions as envisaged by Yamaha was not going to be an easy matter, for the simple reason that TDR was to be the first of its kind, indeed a completely new and fresh concept!

The development team at Yamaha considered how to best approach the project, deciding that as this motorcycle had to combine road and off-road features in a new way, they should start by reassessing the positive and negative aspects of road and off-road bikes. To do this, they chose a novel method by taking their TZR25O, RD25OR, DT200R and XT 225 Serow motorcycles to Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. They considered Hokkaido to be a perfect testing location because of its European-like climate and variety of roads, highways, secondary mountain routes, green lanes and off-road areas. They rode the TZR25O on green lanes to see how it reacted to such conditions, and the Serow 225 on a highway for many hours to see how the riders reacted. Naturally riding in such conditions meant that they experienced discomfort to a greater or lesser degree. The Individual experiences were discussed, the main theme being how to create comfort to achieve their envisioned dual-purpose motorcycle. Finally, a consensus was reached and TDR’s technical concept was fixed. The new motorcycle was to be engineered to be almost equal to TZR25O in terms of driving capability, whilst also being a good match for DT or XT models in its off-road manoeuvrability. In achieving this, the engineers considered TDR would be the “Ultimate Dual”

In 1988, the Yamaha TDR250 was finally unveiled to the world. Just before its official launch, a TDR250 prototype was entered into the Pharaoh’s Rally, a gruelling desert race held in Egypt over 11 days and covering some 4,800 km. The bike took the win in the prototype class and just as the news broke, the production model went on sale. The bike was produced in Japan through the years of 1988 to 1993 and was only sold in Japan and France, with Japan having a 249cc model and France having a slightly less powerful 239cc model. The bike was very popular and one of the coolest adventure bikes of its time, and truly stood in a category of its own as a truly innovative and impressive motorcycle.