YAMAHA 250 TZ 5F7

Certificate n°G8813A

In 1982, a Frenchman – Jean-Louis Tournadre – entered the 250cc World Championship with two customer Yamaha racing bikes. One was loaned by the dealership Auvergne Motos, the other purchased by an influential sponsor. Facing the factory riders of Kawasaki, Yamaha, Pernod, MBA, Armstrong, and Chevalier, the family team didn't seem to have much of a chance of winning. But thanks to meticulous preparation by Jean-Louis and his father, the TZ-Js improved in performance and reliability. Primagaz, Castrol, Michelin, as well as Nava and Ségura, supported the venture. Jean-Louis Tournadre won the French Grand Prix at Nogaro, boycotted by favorites Anton Mang and Carlos Lavado, and then throughout the season, he demonstrated great consistency. He is the only one to finish all 12 Grand Prix, including eight podium finishes, racking up valuable points. Crowned at the final GP in Hockenheim with a single point lead over Anton Mang and his Kawasaki, Jean-Louis Tournadre becomes, nine years after Dieter Braun, one of the very few privateer riders to become World Champion. This machine is one of the 2 motorcycles originally prepared.