Yamaha Owners Love Their Vintage Visions

By Bud Wilkinson

Just like with movies and TV shows, some new motorcycle models become hits with consumers while others flop and disappear quickly. Occasionally, a long-forgotten relic that was a slow seller and only had brief life on the showroom floor will develop a cult following or be sufficiently unique to become collectible. Most others simply remain rarities that are admired by a few worshipful riders. Yamaha’s XZ550, dubbed the Vision, is one example of a bike with a short shelf life that owners still adore. It was only sold during the 1982 and 1983 model years, and two area owners have been enjoying theirs for years.

Jason Morris and Pam Tolhurst with their Yamaha Visions

Pam Tolhurst of New Hartford got her red 1982 Vision, with an add-on fairing that became standard on 1983 models, in April 1984. It replaced a 1982 Honda V45 Saber. Tolhurst and her husband, Neil, were living in DeKalb, Ill. at the time. “The reason I like it is because it has heaters,” she said, referring to deflectors in the lower fairing that allow engine heat to be directed either on to or away from the rider’s legs. “I wanted something to protect myself more,” she said.

Jason Morris of Harwinton, who got his black 1983 Vision nearly 20 years ago, likewise likes the protection as well as the bike’s looks. “It’s unique.  Nothing else out there rides like it or looks like it,” he said. “It came right out of the crate with a nice factory fairing that has hot and cold vents that really work.”

Shaft-driven and powered by a 553cc V-twin motor, the Vision “didn’t sell very well because of cosmetics and pricing,” said Neil Tolhurst. While more than 10,000 of the 1982 model were sold, sales dropped to between 2,000 and 3,000 for the 1983 model, Morris reported. The main reason was price. The original owner of Morris’ bike paid $3,060 from Nichols Motorsports in Manchester. Much larger bikes could be had for the same amount.

Not helping sales was the fact that the 1982 Vision also had a quirk known as the “Vision stumble.” It would stutter when the throttle was applied upon takeoff. “It used to hesitate when you turned the gas on,” Pam Tolhurst confirmed. The problem was fixed by the bike’s second year, while an intake system modification helped solve the problem on Tolhurst’s machine.

Yamaha did do a lot to promote the bike. Morris has old magazines that have ads for the Vision. The April 1982 edition of “Cycle World” contained a four-page centerfold that touted a 9,500 rpm redline and a lean angle of 49 degrees. A March 1983 issue of “Cycle Guide” had an ad showing a revised redline of 10,000 rpm, which is what the bike’s tachometer actually displayed, and a 48-degree lean angle. Morris, who is an aggressive rider, has tested the high lean angle. “If you scrap the pegs, you’re really off the tires,” he said.

Morris summed up the Vision, saying “it’s a compact bike. It’s good for what it is. The original ad claimed it’s not for going fast, it’s for going around corners.”

“I like the fairing and I like the way it looks,” said Pam Tolhurst, who does have some complaints about the Vision. “I don’t like how heavy it is (467 pounds). It’s very top-heavy. I’ve fallen over many times standing still,” she said. The confession comes from someone who has ridden for more than 30 years and who even spent six years as an instructor.

The bike’s saving feature, though, is the wind deflectors.  “We’re out riding at night, it gets cold and he wants to switch (bikes),” said Tolhurst of her husband, who has a 1983 Yamaha RZ350, a 1969 Norton Commando Fastback and a 1978 Honda CB750 among his rides.

Morris has no plans to sell his Vision, but Tolhurst could be talked into a trade after having hers for 27 years. “We would like to get something to replace it – based on age and a desire to get something different,” said Neil Tolhurst. While Pam may be tired of its top-heaviness, Neil added, “I’m a little tired of trying to fix the carburetion.”