Very interesting specimen... Seems very original but with obvious 68 ingredients. Exhaust and handgrips are of later design. Pearl white with small tacho but. What happened here? Did it slip behind the couch in the factory for a few months before being finished. Thoughts???

that is a 1969 model, it has a 1969 vin number on the frame. it has a real 1968 speedo and tach on it. either someone put on some 1968 parts on a 1969 model DT1 or who knows. wish I can see the vin number on the engine.

the vin number is not even the very early 1969 DT1-15xxx number but the later DT1-25xxx. I have a 1969 engine case that is in the 25XXX range and it has the 4 bolt magneto cover. the 1968 models and the very early 1969 DT1 has the 2 bolt magneto cover.

Bigdog,
I messaged owner couple of days ago he stated engine VIN matches frame VIN.
Bike also appears to have '68 headlight bucket, HL ears & chrome front fork covers. I believe this bike would've had amber reflectors on FF chrome cover. Obviously oil tank & fuel tank have '68 paint scheme.
Similar to a 69/68 dt1 frankenbike I bought recently.
Thanks,
swm

Yet this example seems to have the 2 hole magneto cover!
The head looks 68 also !

There are far more experienced experts than me out there when it comes to what's "original"...

That said, I can say from my experience that back in those days manufacturers sometimes did release a bike with "last year" parts on it... And in the 1960's, "last year" didn't mean as much as it did in the 1970's. Often the same exact bike was sold for more than one year without even a color change.

It could have been Yamaha had some 68 spares on the shelf and decided to use them up on a few bikes later in 69? I would not doubt that possibility for a second. I don't think anyone will ever know for sure.

I think the explanation is simpler than that. Having been a factory production manager I have an alternate view . The spare parts theory has merit yet does not take into account the need for a spare parts inventory. For example a two hole flywheel cover would have been required for years to come. Spare parts are not used up but rather put into spare parts inventory.
Another consideration is that the the vins numbers are stamped post production in blank frames an engine cases to simplify the production process.
What I think this bike is a 68 built spoil .
It has not passed inspection and may have had a major flaw.
The dept that rectifies the spoils also would have had a production schedule to keep up with. This bike was put into the too hard basket . Having the later hand grips and exhaust would have been a simple post production procedure . Once it eventually passed inspection it was stamped and sent out. I think this bike is legit and a rare oddity!

K&J,
Of course I may be wrong but when I save/zoom on pic of head appears to be 2 plug head due to slanted fins where 2nd plug installs.
Enjoying this thread as I have an early '69 dt1 w/many '68 parts installed & still have couple of parts TBD if original to bike or added later with the '68 parts.
That said I'm having fun learning the many nuances of these old badge bikes!
Thanks!!
swm

You may be correct on the head I couldn't see to well on my phone. At work having fun "train spotting " over this bike. The grey ears with the holes for the blinkers would be highly unusual for the United States also..

I wonder if the magneto cover was removed it would have 2 bolt holes in the engine case or does it have 4 of them?

the 2 bolt magneto cover will bolt right up to a case that has 4 screw holes.

I have a 1969 DT1 engine case with 25xxx serial number and it has 4 screw holes for the magneto cover. I can post pics of it if need be.

I think it is a 1969 DT1 frankenbike with some 1968 DT1 parts on it.

there was a service page from Yamaha detailing when they switched over the 1969 model to the 4 screw mag cover. the very early 1969 models had the 2 screw mag covers on them and later in the model year they came out with the 4 screw design.

don't take this as gospel or anything but I think they switched over in the 18xxx to 20xxx range.

if I had the money, I would love to have this bike and put the 1968 stuff on a 1968 DT1 that need them and restore this bike as a 1969 model DT1 with the correct 1969 parts on it.