Two-Stroke Terror: Johnny Cecotto's 1978 Factory Yamaha 0W31

Formula 750 began as a simple idea: let big-bore bikes rooted in street machinery race against each other, rather than relying only on purpose-built racers. The class gave manufacturers a way to showcase large-displacement engines on the track, and factory teams took it seriously.

Johnny Cecotto's 1978 factory Yamaha, known by the designation 0W31, sits at the center of that story. Yamaha's two-stroke machines of the period carried a reputation for sudden, aggressive power delivery, and the headline on this feature, "Two-Stroke Terror," leans into that wild-tempered image. For a rider, taming a bike like that was as much about nerve as technique.

The machine also reflects how quickly racing engineering moved in the late 1970s, when two-strokes were pushing the limits of what a race engine could do. Cecotto's association with the bike makes it a notable piece of Yamaha's racing history.

The source material available here is brief, so this piece covers only the broad context. For specific lap results, engine details and the riding stories behind the machine, the original feature is the place to read more.