The YANKEE was born between the end of the 60s and the first 70s and had a very courteous adventure.
Mr Taylor, an importer of BULTACO and OSSA in America. Was convinced that the all-terrain motorcycle based on OSSA technology could meet all the challenges at the ISDT.
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History
The first YANKEE 500Z off-road came out in 1971. Destined for the trail circuit under Engineer Eduardo Girò and OSSA and pilot Dick Mann.
An off-road motorcycle for riders who have no problem walking their bike on rough paths or remote exploration.
The YANKEE 500Z was a robust and powerful engine built to accommodate large wheels and knobby tires and endure rugged terrain. The reliability and durability of the Yankee 500 won over many fans.
When Eduardo Giró designed the engine concept, he wanted to make it versatile for both the streets and the open road.
He joined two single-cylinder, two-cycle, air-cooled engines that created a torquey twin with a common crankshaft and cases.
Although this engine was initially designed for Europe’s challenging road race courses, riders can also use it on dirt.
The YANKEE suffered a short career, appearing on the market in 1970. The engine was powerful but bulky and extremely hard to use at off-road events. This, with a delay in production, ended the YANKEE career soon.
The YANKEE was, in many ways, the forefather of all modern motorcycles in appearance, layout and structure. In addition, it was a modern machine with record sales during the late ’70s’.
However, John Taylor must be given credit for having seen the future as regards the increase in engine capacity and dimensions since today; it seems normal to speak of considerable powers and weights that were unthinkable at the time.
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Future
The YANKEE 500Z was also a desirable motorcycle due to its particular style! But like many motorcycles, it only had a short life on the market. Today it is appreciated by motorcyclists and recognized as a real icon of classic motorcycles.
For this reason, the YANKEE brand returns to the market, always with a 500cc twin-cylinder, but today obviously, with four strokes and a philosophy of non-demanding off-road use, a TRAIL or Scrambler type motorcycle.
YANKEE will be a success for two reasons. Firstly, the Chinese manufacturers are so diverse that one could have asked oneself why to take on the risk of making a new motorcycle when there are already so many suppliers worldwide.
The answer is in the formula, which seems more than simple: YANKEE, stylists and designers, American brand and market at the end of 2024?
via Obderdan Bezzi
