1973 YAMAHA RT1 360 RESTORED WITH GYT HIGH PERFORMANCE KIT

1973 Yamaha RT1 360 – Frame-Up Restoration | GYTR Performance Kit | Ken O’Connor Crank | 4,657 Original Miles
Guys—if you’ve been hunting for the RT1, stop scrolling. We’ve restored a lot of Yamaha 360s over the years, but this is the one we put the most time, money, and effort into—by a wide margin. It’s not just beautiful; it’s got real, factory-backed performance hidden inside.
This 1973 Yamaha RT1 360 received a full, no-shortcuts frame-up restoration, and then we went a step further with a genuine Yamaha GYTR (GitKit) performance racing cylinder and head—raising compression, improving porting, and delivering a massive horsepower increase over stock. These bikes were mild enduros from the factory; this one will loft the front wheel in all three gears.
🔧 Restoration Highlights (Frame-Up)
Completely disassembled to the frame: engine out, wheels off, tank and bodywork removed
Frame, swingarm, frame rails, brake components, and hardware repainted/restored
Original wheel set with new tires & tubes (front and rear)
Front & rear brakes fully rebuilt: new cables, new shoes, polished backing plates
Forks rebuilt and restored with polished lowers and new fork boots
Original headlight, gauges, bars, levers, and switchgear retained and in excellent condition
Fuel tank restored inside first, then repainted with new graphics
New fuel petcock, new seat cover (foam excellent), wiring fully sorted
Original factory exhaust sandblasted, refinished, and preserved (chrome in great shape)
All lights and turn signals work perfectly
Original toolbox present (rarely still with these bikes)
New gold drive chain
4,657 original miles
The bike presents beautifully. The paint was done a couple of years ago and shines like new. If we’re being extremely picky, there’s a very minor clear-coat texture blemish—barely noticeable and pointed out only for full transparency. Otherwise, it’s stunning.
🔥 The Real Magic: Engine & Performance
This is where this RT1 separates itself from the pack.
Genuine Yamaha GYTR “GitKit” racing cylinder & head
More aggressive porting
Higher compression
Dramatically increased horsepower
Brand-new Wiseco piston, rings, wrist pin, circlips, top-end bearing
All new gaskets and seals throughout
Carburetor rebuilt
Stock intake and exhaust retained
👉 Runs quiet and civilized on the street—but the foundation is there if you ever want to add a race pipe and bigger carb
We didn’t stop there.
The engine cases were split and the crankshaft sent to Ken O’Connor—widely regarded as one of the best big-bore two-stroke crank builders in the country.
Completely rebuilt, balanced, and blueprinted crank
All new bearings and seals
Smooth, strong, and built to handle serious power
This is the first Yamaha 360 we’ve ever done a full crank-up rebuild on. Most don’t need it—but this is a valuable 53-year-old classic, and we did it right. The result is essentially a remanufactured engine, ready for anything you want to throw at it.
🏁 The Bottom Line
Mechanically, this is the nicest RT1 360 we’ve ever had through the shop. Period. The level of restoration and engine work here represents a six-figure labor and parts investment when you add everything up—frame-up cosmetics, drivetrain, crank rebuild, performance kit, sourcing parts, and doing it the right way.
If you want:
A museum-quality classic
With real, factory-certified Yamaha performance
That’s already fully built, sorted, and ready to ride or collect
…your ship just came in.
📞 Questions? Call us at 860-454-7024
This is one tuning-fork Yamaha that’s tuned to the nines—a true big-bore two-stroke ripper with the looks and the muscle to back it up.
Thanks for watching.
God bless America.

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Filmed + Edit by Tyler Merullo

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