Cool CUSTOMER
In 2017 I got a call from my old friend Michael, a man with a great talent for sniffing out old bikes. ‘Are you interested in a 1977 Yamaha DT250?’ he says. Apparently it’s been in a shed for many years, a non-runner in a sorry state. As a serial bike restorer it’s just my sort of thing. Of course I say yes.
A year later, the collapsing old shed has been emptied enough to reach the bike, which is duly dragged out. Snails have been living under the tank and there’s ivy growing through the frame. A little research tells me it’s a matching numbers Yamaha DT250B, 1976 model year. The owner had bought the bike new on 9 July 1977 from AW Mayle and Son of Bletchley; I know this because the original Yamaha guarantee and service book are still there under the seat.
After covering about 4500 miles, the owner took the bike off the road and it was never taxed again. The clocks, indicators, headlamp and tail light were taken off and stored so the bike could be buzzed around a
