![]() The motor was originally developed for European road courses but they were also looking for versatility both on and off road. But this post is about the Yankee Z500, which is basically two OSSA 250’s mated together. Now you know enough about OSSA to get you laughed out of any motorcycle trivia game. Here in the United States, OSSA was popular in Flat Track racing, National Champion and racing legend Dick Mann won the 1969 Santa Fe National ShortTrack aboard an OSSA he helped develop…cool huh? After the death of their racer, OSSA withdrew from roadracing and focussed on Trials. Herrero was killed at the Isle of Man in 1970. In the late 1960’s Eduardo Giro (grandson of the OSSA founder) developed a Monocoque framed road racer that in the hands of Santiago Herrero won four 250GP’s. ![]() OSSA was primarily known for its Trials and Enduro bikes but also had some relative success in both Moto-Cross and Road Racing. Up until the mid to late 1960’s American Desert Racing was dominated by Triumph, BSA, and Harley Davidson…big, heavy, single and twin cylinder bikes from Britain and here at home, then came the Europeans with their light weight two strokes and literally and figuratively left everybody in a cloud of two stroke smoke and dust.Husqvarna,Bultaco,Montessa,OSSA,DKW,Penton,KTM…the list goes on. The only Moto-Sport America can lay claim to is Desert Racing. Europe was the international base for all things motorcycling…Moto-Cross, Enduro’s, Trials and Road Racing. It was also a time that Moto-Sport was growing. At that time a lot of motorcycle companies got into the business of making (or importing) smaller two stroke motorbikes…BSA, Yamaha and even Harley Davidson. OSSA actually started out making movie projectors in the 1920’s, motorcycles didn’t come along until after World War Two. A quick history here…isn’t that part of the charm of this blog? ![]() Not too many people are familiar with OSSA motorcycles much less Yankee. ![]()
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