If you long for the small-displacement fun dirt bikes of yore, here's a piece of news that might make your day. Even though it was not confirmed officially as an upcoming product, a reinterpretation of the old-school Yamaha DT400 might be the next member of the Sport Heritage family.
Yamaha Europe's Product Manager and supervisor of Iwata's recent neo-retro bike programs Shun Miyazawa hints that a small-displacement member of the Sport Heritage is not exactly such a wild artifact of the imagination.
Miyazawa says that with neo-retro machines derived from the MT-09 and MT-07 adding to the retro-ised XJR1300, a small-displacement bike to complement the range is an idea worth taking into consideration.
The DT series has been, for around two decades, one of the strongest pieces in Yamaha's line-up, with entry-point machines fit for learners, and those packing superior displacement for scrambling around more seriously in the dirt. Replaced by the WR models, the Yamaha DT bikes are still held in high regard by classic motorcycle lovers.
The SR400 could serve as a platform for the DT heir machines
Regardless of whether the new machine will adopt an SR- or a DT-based moniker, one thing seems certain, and that is that it will not be a two-stroke bike. Like all the Sport Heritage bikes, the potential new member of the family will be derived from an existing platform, and that is the current SR400.
The SR400 is already in the neo-retro game, and even though its 23 hp, 27.4 Nm (20.2 lb-ft) engine may be less punchy and dirt-aggressive than the old DT one, it could be a legit successor of a "heritage" machine.
Frankly, we are inclined to believe that Yamaha is already working on such a revival of the DT400. Other manufacturers, such as BMW and Ducati to name just two, are already taking bold steps in the small-displacement segment, and it looks like the reactions are more than favorable for such bikes.
After the jump, you can watch a small walkaround video of a 1975 Yamaha DT400 that was up for grabs.
Google News