I’m down to two Hondas and two Yamahas, but it’s like choosing a favorite child to choose a favorite motorcycle or motorsports maker. I can’t do it, although I tend to sway towards Yamaha, in general. Their cars are great! Wait, why don’t they make cars?! This 1985 Yamaha YT125N Tri-Moto can be found listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Brockville, Ontario, Canada, and the seller is asking $1,600 ($1,159 U.S.). Here is the original listing, and thanks to Jack M. for the tri-tip!
Brockville, Ontario is in a beautiful area, halfway between the capital city of Ottawa, Canada and Watertown, New York, right on the St. Lawrence River. Or the St. Lawrence Seaway, as we called it growing up in Duluth, MN. I have to believe it’s a great place to ride something like this Yamaha ATV off-road somewhere out in the woods or a field.
For a Facebook listing, the seller did a fantastic job with a lot of really nice photos. I’m getting weird vibes as this storage place looks like one where I have a couple of storage units filled with weird toys like this ATV. Although I don’t officially have a fun ATV, more of a working ATV. Yamaha made the Tri Moto from 1979 through 1987, and this example looks superb in the photos.
There was a small Tri-Zinger 60, then the Tri-Moto 125, a Tri-Moto 175, a Tri-Moto 200, and a Tri-Moto 225. Honda had already locked up the three-wheeler market by the early 1970s, so Yamaha was late to the game. We’ve seen two Yamaha Tri-Motos here on Barn Finds (written up by some tall, skinny goofball), so they must not show up for sale as often as Honda’s three-wheelers. The seller says this Tri-Moto has been in storage a long time, but they don’t say how long.
Without taking the “plastics” off, you can’t really get a good photo of the engine on a Tri-Moto compared to a Honda, but the seller did a nice job with the photos, including this one of the chain case, which looks almost like new. The engine is Yamaha’s 123-cc two-stroke, reed-valve, air-cooled single-cylinder with Yamaha’s famous Auto-Lube oil injection and just under 8 horsepower. A 5-speed manual with an auto-clutch sends power to the rear wheels. With it being in storage so long, I was worried that it wouldn’t be running, but they say it’s running and driving, so that’s a great sign. This looks really nice for $1,159 U.S. bucks to me, but shipping from Canada would be a huge bummer. Are there any Yamaha fans out there?
Nice D mobile .
Keep the insurance policies up-to date.
You know,,,when you get a divorce, you separate yourself from more than just the ex-wife, you divorce families. In the late 80s, early 90s, while still married, we did a lot with my ex’s sister and husband. Had tons in common, he was the guy I went to Nashville with in his K5 Blazer. Missed out on their entire lives. They had 2 kids also, and the husband bought a Tri-Zinger for his son, about 8 years old then. I think the 1st thing my ex-nephew did, was run over his foot with the back tire with a possible injury. To be honest, I don’t recall him riding it much after that, a familiar ring with these and what I suspect here as well. It’s been said many times( by me) safety is what you make it, if you go nuts, like jumping out of an airplane or a Kawasaki triple,, you’re just tempting fate,,and tempt we did.
Now,,,as an old man, this kind of thing once again is on the radar, it could be easily towed behind the Jeep, to get WAY back in the hills. Simplicity being the attraction there, aside from a tire issue, 99% chance you will make it back.
Like all these vintage Asian products, parts are iffy, and a “parts bike” is recommended, but a cool find.