Both bikes are very loud. The silencer length is tuned slightly different. They look very similar, but will not interchange.

  From these photos it is hard to tell how different the ergonomics actually are. When you actually sit on them, its a different story. The YZ was the slimmest bike available due to the monoshock design. But when compared to the OW, it almost feels cumbersome.  The OW tank has a much slimmer profile, and overall the bike is narrower as well.

   Both bikes are fitted with the optional pop rivet overfender. The YZ's looks real cool but the one on the OW, just has that works prototype look. The side panels on both bikes are fiberglass, but again, the works panels are very thin and light.

  In summary the difference between these two bikes is much more than meets the eye. The attention to detail on the works bike is staggering when comparing it the the production model. There is no comparison. The works bike did everything a lot better. The factory riders at that time, had bikes that were way better than any production bike. Whether it be foot peg height or seat height, each rider had the choice of many parts to tailor the bike to his needs. They also had a wide variety of engine displacements, pipes, suspension components and other performance parts to choose from.  Plus they had an army of engineers that were constantly improving the bike as the season progressed. As far as bikes go, the privateer didn't stand a chance. The gap was just too big and the factories were spending a lot of money on development during this era. In the long run, we all benefited because our production bikes got better each year.

  This was my 1975 YZ250B. Living on wages that wouldn't feed a family of parakeets, I spent every penny I had on this bike. It was a great bike and I finally turned pro on it. Number 243 was my 1975 AMA pro number. I even tried the Pro-fab external fork spring kit it. The pipe that is on it in this photo was custom made by Tim McCool, the owner of T&M in Santa Ana California. There is a reward for any info leading to the purchase of this bike.

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