Yamaha 175cc Ct1c Enduro
YAMAHA 175cc CT1C ENDURO
CYCLE WORLD IMPRESSION
A Nimble, Street-Legal Mount For The Casual Dirt Rider
VERSATILE. Maneuverable. Quiet. That's Yamaha's latest CT1C Enduro. And suspension modifications have improved handling to the point that casual dirt riders will have difficulty faulting it.
Wheelbase is fairly short at 50.6 in. There’s more than enough ground clearance (9.1 in.), as well. Put these two facts together and the 175 Enduro’s design emphasis on low speed trailing over rough ground becomes evident. Sharp turns around trees, climbing over logs and negotiating narrow, rocky washes are easy on this machine.
When it comes right down to it, about the only flaw for trailing or enduro work is a tendency to wheelie when attempting steep hills. Lengthening the swinging arm a few inches might cure this, but then the CTIC would be less nimble, less of a slow-speed handler.
Handling is quick, super quick in the 40to 60-mph range. Although the CTIC will get up to 65 mph or so in fire roads, top speed in sandwashes or up hills is considerably less. The rear end doesn’t hop around as much over hoopdee-doos or washboard surfaces because the rear shock absorbers (now five-way instead of three-way adjustable) have been improved. Fork damping is better too. In fact, the suspension on our test machine works as good as anything in its price range.
Ride at speed, however, is a bit choppy if compared to a professional enduro mount, and the handlebar/seat/ footpeg relationship is a bit cramped for even short riders. Nevertheless, the CTIC is not overly tiring to ride for long distances and the wide, heavily padded seat is one of the most comfortable on the market. One of our young friends uses his CT1 for daily transportation, and then rides and finishes high in an occasional weekend enduro.
Spring-loaded, rubber-covered footpegs are a nice touch. The rear brake lever also deserves mention, as it has a heavily knurled outer edge and is designed in such a way that it will not clog with mud.
The CTIC’s 171-cc single-cylinder, five-port, two-stroke engine is not really a powerhouse-some expansion-chambered 125s will out-accelerate it in a drag race —but its 15.6 bhp at 7000 rpm is certainly adequate for trailing or enduro work. And, unlike some of its unsilenced competitors, the CTIC engine is extremely flexible. It will idle along indefinitely without protest or loading up, and still revs freely to its indicated 8000-rpm redline.
Bore and stroke of the unit is 66 by 50mm. Compression ratio is 6.8:1, and a 24-mm Mikuni carburetor delivers the fuel. As before, the air cleaner box contains an oiled, polyurethane foam element.
The crankshaft rides in two ball bearing main bearings. A roller bearing is fitted to the big end of the connecting rod assembly and a needle bearing is used at the top of the rod. The cylinder barrel features a bonded steel liner, and an intake port injection autolube system is standard equipment.
A gear primary transmits power to the five-speed, constant mesh transmission through a wet, multi-disc clutch. A primary kick-starting system is used which allows the machine to be started in any gear—certainly a handy feature for trail riding.
Gears are nicely spaced for the engine’s power characteristics, and shifting is positive. Overall gear ratios are low enough for serious trail riding, yet are acceptable for non-freeway highway travel as well. The primary gear reduction is 3.895:1 and the internal gearbox ratios are as follows: 1 st, 3.181:1; 2nd, 2.000:1; 3rd, 1.368:1; 4th, 1.000:1; and 5th, 0.800:1.
As before, the engine is silenced by a high-mounted muffler/spark arrester. The unit is held into the exhaust port collar by two stout springs which run between the pipe and the cylinder barrel. Double-springing the muffler/ spark arrester to the exhaust port collar is a good idea.
The engine is housed in a double toptube, double cradle frame. The upper, large diameter toptube passes from the steering head to the forward portion of the subframe that supports the seat and provides the rear, upper shock mounting points. At its junction with the subframe, the toptube curves downward behind the engine and terminates at the rear engine mount. Two downtubes pass from the steering head, and cradle the engine. A bash plate is welded to these downtubes.
The swinging arm is cross-braced and its pivot points are located outside of the frame members. A rubber pad, located just to the rear of the left swinging arm pivot, prevents the chain from chafing on the pivot. The chain guard is rubber-mounted.
A hinged seat provides access to the small six-volt battery and electrical wiring. It is interesting to note that two lighting systems are present. The large, rubber-mounted t a i 11 i g h t /stoplight operates directly off the battery. This enables them to be left on when the engine is not running-a legal requirement. The headlight, and instrument lights, on the other hand, get their power directly from the AC flywheel magneto.
Instruments are rubber-mounted and have a rubber lip to reduce glare. Both the tachometer and speedometer faces are black with white numerals. The speedometer houses a separate, resettable odometer, but the speed scale goes unnecessarily to 100 mph. It would be preferable to have fewer, larger numbers on the speedometer scale. The ignition switch is located conveniently between these two instruments.
A sturdy, chrome-plated luggage rack also comes with the bike. It is held in place by the upper shock mounting bolts and by the rear turn signals. The turn signals are mounted fairly unobtrusively, but the front units, clamped to the handlebars, look like an afterthought.
The rubber-mounted, 1.9-gal. gas tank is painted gold, as is the 1.3-qt. autolube tank and headlight assembly. Fenders are wide and provide plenty oí clearance for the 3.25-18 front and 3.50-18 rear trials pattern tires.
The CTIC looks sturdy. Its weight of 223 lb. with a half tank of gas supports this impression. It is an ideal mount for the person who wants more flexibility and a more tractable performance than a 125, without the extra bulk and cost of a 250. Retail price is S625. \Q\
