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Ebay Roberts Rep for sale
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My friend Ray Abrams owns the TZ750 that Kenny actually rode at the Indy Mile
![]()
For those who don't know the whole story of the TZ 750 project, there
were 6 frames built by Doug Schwarma at Champion Frames with 5
complete bikes being built and raced. Those fearless young men who
rode them were Kenny Roberts, Rick Hocking, Skip Aksland, Randy Cleek
& Steve Baker. Ray's TZ was the first bike actually completed and Rick
Hocking rode it at Ascot. The TZ 750s didn't last long before they
were outlawed. The bikes were to be returned to Yamaha for
destruction. Some how, most survived. Steve Wright (Author of the
American Racer books) owns the bikes that were ridden by Kenny & Steve
Baker. Bud Aksland still has Skip's bike. The last we heard was that
Randy Cleek's bike was now a street tracker in Canada and Ray's is the
one that is missing.
About 15 years ago, Kenny came to Ray with the sixth frame and the
glass and suggested that he put it together. These pieces were those
that were originally slated to be on a second bike. He had purchased
one motor that turned out to be a dog when he got really lucky and saw
an ad in Cycle News for a brand new 1975 TZ 750 motor. The motor was
as advertised and the gentleman even took the dog in on trade. That
bike is the bike that Kenny rode at Indy in 2009. He did take a few
liberties when building it so that the bike now has modern rim widths
and tires which make it better handling and more controllable. This is
the same bike that has also been ridden by Scott Parker and Jay
Springsteen in exhibitions.
Ray's final entry into National racing came in 1980. With some help
from Kenny, Ray built a TZ 350 in a Champion Flattrack.Com Community -
Flattrack.com FireBoard Forum Component version: 1.0.4 Generated: 11
November, 2010, 20:22 Frame. At the time with the Harley's being so
strong, he couldn't get an expert to ride the unproven bike. So he
settled for a number of juniors. The bike was ridden by John Gennai,
Billy Scott, Bruce Hanlon & Bob Cunnington. Both Billy Scott & Bob
Cunnington were very successful on the bike. Billy & Bob won 3 junior
nationals combined on the bike (eating up XR 750s on a mile) before
the AMA banned that bike as well. The bike is now part of Ray's
collection.
Ray has been very fortunate in his tuning career to work with some of
the best young riders that the sport of dirt track has ever seen:
Kenny Roberts, Jimmy Odom, Rick Hocking, John Gennai, Mark Brelsford,
Scott Brelsford, Gene Romero, Eddie Mulder, Roger Goldthwaite, Mike
Yarn, Elbert Turner, Jimmy Filice, Keith Mashburn, Elliot Schultz, Bob
Cunnington, Bruce Hanlon, Bob Self and many many more continuing
today.
As Ray always says, a great rider can make a decent tuner look
awfully good.
For those who don't know the whole story of the TZ 750 project, there
were 6 frames built by Doug Schwarma at Champion Frames with 5
complete bikes being built and raced. Those fearless young men who
rode them were Kenny Roberts, Rick Hocking, Skip Aksland, Randy Cleek
& Steve Baker. Ray's TZ was the first bike actually completed and Rick
Hocking rode it at Ascot. The TZ 750s didn't last long before they
were outlawed. The bikes were to be returned to Yamaha for
destruction. Some how, most survived. Steve Wright (Author of the
American Racer books) owns the bikes that were ridden by Kenny & Steve
Baker. Bud Aksland still has Skip's bike. The last we heard was that
Randy Cleek's bike was now a street tracker in Canada and Ray's is the
one that is missing.
About 15 years ago, Kenny came to Ray with the sixth frame and the
glass and suggested that he put it together. These pieces were those
that were originally slated to be on a second bike. He had purchased
one motor that turned out to be a dog when he got really lucky and saw
an ad in Cycle News for a brand new 1975 TZ 750 motor. The motor was
as advertised and the gentleman even took the dog in on trade. That
bike is the bike that Kenny rode at Indy in 2009. He did take a few
liberties when building it so that the bike now has modern rim widths
and tires which make it better handling and more controllable. This is
the same bike that has also been ridden by Scott Parker and Jay
Springsteen in exhibitions.
Ray's final entry into National racing came in 1980. With some help
from Kenny, Ray built a TZ 350 in a Champion Flattrack.Com Community -
Flattrack.com FireBoard Forum Component version: 1.0.4 Generated: 11
November, 2010, 20:22 Frame. At the time with the Harley's being so
strong, he couldn't get an expert to ride the unproven bike. So he
settled for a number of juniors. The bike was ridden by John Gennai,
Billy Scott, Bruce Hanlon & Bob Cunnington. Both Billy Scott & Bob
Cunnington were very successful on the bike. Billy & Bob won 3 junior
nationals combined on the bike (eating up XR 750s on a mile) before
the AMA banned that bike as well. The bike is now part of Ray's
collection.
Ray has been very fortunate in his tuning career to work with some of
the best young riders that the sport of dirt track has ever seen:
Kenny Roberts, Jimmy Odom, Rick Hocking, John Gennai, Mark Brelsford,
Scott Brelsford, Gene Romero, Eddie Mulder, Roger Goldthwaite, Mike
Yarn, Elbert Turner, Jimmy Filice, Keith Mashburn, Elliot Schultz, Bob
Cunnington, Bruce Hanlon, Bob Self and many many more continuing
today.
As Ray always says, a great rider can make a decent tuner look
awfully good.
It will be interesting to see what it sells for. Not really a replica but still an interesting bike.
I still have one that's mostly original so I didn't chop it up. Had it since 1976 and rode it on the street for years. Titled it as a "750 Yamaha".
Another guy in my area bought Mike Cone's TZ750 and it came with enough spares to build an extra engine so he is thinking about doing a flat tracker. Think he paid around 25k.
I still have one that's mostly original so I didn't chop it up. Had it since 1976 and rode it on the street for years. Titled it as a "750 Yamaha".
Another guy in my area bought Mike Cone's TZ750 and it came with enough spares to build an extra engine so he is thinking about doing a flat tracker. Think he paid around 25k.
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Give me wood! :woot:
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Larry, small world, how long have you known Ray (and Co.)? We just (2 months ago) had dinner with Ray, his daughter, Eddie, Ron Wood, Dale Lineaweaver, Dave & Paul Bostrom and a few others. It was a gas listening to the bullsheet get piled higher and higher! I stopped by his shop earlier this week as I was in the area, ton of firetrucks about, seems Neil Young's warehouse burnt down with a ton of cars, guitars etc, sad. We'll see him again in a few weeks in San Mateo for the show, you gonna be there?
Semper Fi! :rockon
-Rocky-
Semper Fi! :rockon
-Rocky-
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6,827 Posts
I've known Ray since the 2005 when Doc Wong hosted the Tony Foale seminar...
Yes I want to go... I've contacted Connor Barr about a display gig to promote
Laguna Seca but so far no reply... its either that or I'll go either Sat or Sun
with friends... no hard plans yet... what are your plans???
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5,440 Posts
I'll be there with Dale (Lineaweaver) and possibly Ron Wood. BMW had Dale build their Flat Tracker, and they'll be showing it at the show, PM me and we'll hook up.
Semper Fi! :rockon
-Rocky-
(We'll also be at the Dirt Bag Challenge (Dirtbag Challenge) tomorrow, maybe I'll see ya there.)
Semper Fi! :rockon
-Rocky-
(We'll also be at the Dirt Bag Challenge (Dirtbag Challenge) tomorrow, maybe I'll see ya there.)
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