In June 1967, "Cycle World" published this unique feature about the very first Yamaha 350 cc racer.

The Yamaha Z608, as it was called, was a prototype, built by Japanese engineers and Yamaha US staff to participate in the Daytona 200 miler. Two machines were built and ridden by Mike Duff and Tony Murphy. Mike qualified 8th fastest amongst all the big bikes and had it not been for a broken gastank, could have placed very high. 4 Machines more were built later for the Daytonaraces. Cycle World called the bike "TR-1", but it was very different from the European TR1 some 20 years later!

Yamaha Z608 350 racer 1967

"Cycle World" tested Tony Murphy's bike and said that it was "probably the best, most difficult to ride, racing machine, ever devised by man"

You can see that this machine,in contrary to the YZ608, still has standard YR1 frontforks with the shrouds still on. Also the carburetors are the TD1B type with separate floatchambers (Amal 276 type 30 mm Mikuni's) Even the kickstartershaft is not removed.