270° crank — TRX did it first (with TDM)
1996
Yamaha's 1996 TRX850 (and TDM850 Mk-II same year) were the first Yamahas with the 270° parallel-twin crankshaft — V-twin firing intervals from a parallel-twin layout. Now industry standard (MT-07 CP2, MT-03, R7, Africa Twin, Triumph 660 triples). The TRX showed Yamaha could do this in a sportbike chassis.
Why nobody bought it new
79bhp price problem
TRX850 launched at £6,499 in 1996 — same money as a Honda CBR600F (95bhp), Kawasaki ZZR600 (99bhp), Yamaha YZF600R (100bhp). Buyers wanted top-end power for sportbike money; the TRX's mid-range torque punch wasn't enough. Killed 2000 in tepid sales. Now appreciated as the smart-engineering sleeper.
Real cost trajectory
−24% real
£6,499 TRX850 in 1996 (£13,000 today). Used market 2026: £2.5-4.5k clean. The 'cult café racer with parallel-twin punch' niche is well-served by Triumph Thruxton, Ducati Scrambler — but the TRX is the cheapest path. Properly undervalued.
vs MT-07 / R7 in 2026
Bigger engine, character
MT-07 (689cc, 73bhp): smaller, lighter, cheaper. TRX850 (849cc, 79bhp): bigger, heavier, more torque, more old-school feel. Both 270° parallel-twins. TRX appeals to riders who want '90s analogue character; MT-07 to riders who want modern minimalism.
Cheapest way in
£2.5k
A clean TRX850 from 1996-1998. 79bhp 270° parallel-twin, half-fairing, clip-ons, that classic café-racer-from-Japan feel. Pay attention to carb sync, reg/rec, fork seals, aftermarket exhaust quality. Cult bike — rising values.
Rider aids count
0
TRX850 had nothing — analogue dials only. No ABS, no FI, no electronics. Pure 1990s Japanese sportbike experience.
What it became
MT-07 / R7
The TRX850's 270° parallel-twin philosophy became the basis for Yamaha's CP2 platform — used in the 2014+ MT-07, 2022+ YZF-R7, 2014+ Tracer 7. 30 years of Yamaha 270° parallel-twin success started with the TRX850.
