Again Yamaha used their experience and after the rotary valves on the Yamaha 0W54 now the V-four layout of the famous 250 cc RD05A was used for the new Yamaha 0W61 in 1982. The same reasoning as in the 1960's led to this change. Yamaha wanted to make a smaller bike with better handling. The carburetors and rotary valves were mounted between the cylinderbanks (60 degrees "V"), a method still used today. The rearsuspension unit was mounted square on the driving direction and the suspension travel. The frame was a pre-Deltabox type. Kenny Roberts used the bike for the first time on the Salzburgring and set a personal record with it.

Yamaha 0W61, second half 1982