“Fizzie” Fever: How the Yamaha FS1-E Became the Two-Stroke Soundtrack to 1970s British Youth Culture

Reading time: 4 min | Word count: ≈ 800

1. 1971: The Law That Created a Legend

UK Road Traffic Act 1971 let 16-year-olds ride "mopeds" ≤ 50 cc, ≤ 30 mph, fitted with pedals.

Yamaha's answer: FS1-E – the "E" stood for England – a rotary-disc-valve 49 cc two-stroke that looked like a real motorcycle, not a bicycle with an engine bolted on.

Dealers took deposits before the first crate landed; six-month waiting lists were normal by 1973.

2. Specification Sweet-Spot – 49 cc, Pedals & 4-Speed

Spec	Figure
Engine	49 cc, air-cooled, rotary-disc-valve, 2-stroke
Power	4.8 bhp @ 6,500 rpm (restricted)
Gearbox	4-speed (early bikes had 5, dropped to satisfy UK law)
Brakes	110 mm drum F/R; DX model 1977 added disc front
Weight	68 kg wet – lighter than a modern 125 cc scooter
Tank	6.5 L – tartan paint scheme on 1975-76 models
Top Speed	45 mph (72 km/h) de-restricted; 31 mph on paper

Pedal-drive: left crank flips 180° to become foot-rests; chain links to main drive – legal, but "harder work than pushing" once seized.

3. "Sixteener Special" – Why Every 16-Year-Old Wanted One

• Cheaper insurance than a 50 cc motorcycle – L-plates legal at 16.
• Looks – sporty tank, mag-style wheels, race-plastic rear hugger – fooled teachers into thinking it was a 125.
• Tuning potential – de-restricted pipe, 16 mm Mikuni, 6-port barrel mods saw 60 mph on the clock – warp speed when your previous ride had pedals.
• Social currency – "Fizzie" key-tag = instant credibility in the school bike shed.

Sales: ≈ 200,000 UK bikes 1973-1983 – Yamaha's best-selling model in Britain until the DX100 arrived.

4. Mods, Tunes & Tartan-Tank Paint – The Fizzie Sub-Culture

Friday-Night Ritual

• Remove baffle with dad's 10 mm spanner.
• Up-jet to 70; clip needle on 3rd groove.
• Mask number-plate with gaffer tape for "speed runs" on the bypass.

Visual Mods

• Tartan tank stickers (copying 1975 Yamaha GP colours).
• Chrome café-screen, drop-bars, sissy-bar – accessories sold at Halfords.
• Twin amber spot-lights – drew police like moths, but looked cosmic.

Soundtrack

Ring-a-ding two-stroke scream at 8,000 rpm became the soundtrack of 1970s suburbia – neighbours knew you were home before you hit the driveway.

5. From Bedroom Wall to TV Screen – Fizzie in 70s Media

• 1976 – Tomorrow People (ITV): teen hero zips across London on red Fizzie – first moped chase on British TV.
• 1977 – Top of the Pops background dancers arrive on three tartan Fizzies – Yamaha supplied bikes as product placement.
• 1978 – Grange Hill storyline: "Tucker Jenkins" buys a de-restricted pipe, gets nicked by PC – public-service warning wrapped in teen drama.
• Print: SuperBike magazine 1978 cover – "Fizzy: 50 mph for £50 mods" – taught a generation basic carb tuning.

6. Decline & Collectability – From £300 New to £10k at Auction

• 1983 – UK 30 mph restriction enforced, power dropped to 2.5 bhp – fun factor died, sales plummeted.
• 1984 – Yamaha YB100 (four-stroke) launched – cleaner, quieter, but soul-less; Fizzie production ended 1985.
• Today – survivors < 10,000; concours 1976 tartan model sold £10,350 at H&H Classics 2021.

Ten-year price curve: £1,500 (2012) → £10k (2021) – 566% appreciation, beating classic Minis.

7. Quick-Fire Owner FAQ – De-Restrict, Oil-Mix, Spares

Q1. How do I de-restrict without machining?

Remove baffle, up-jet to 70 main, drop needle one groove, advance timing 2 mm – 50 mph indicated on 16" wheels.

Q2. Oil ratio for stock motor?

20:1 with mineral two-stroke oil; synthetic can be 25:1 but check plug colour.

Q3. Where do I find NOS tartan tank stickers?

Yamaha Heritage (Netherlands) – €45 set; pattern matches 1975 GP bike.

Q4. Pedals frozen solid – fix?

Cam & shaft assembly seizes; soak in diesel, tap out with drift, re-grease with copper-slip.

Q5. Will DVLA accept frame-only restoration?

Yes – original V5 + dating letter from Yamaha UK; frame number must match log-book.

8. Trivia Thunder – 5 Things Only a Fizzie Rider Knows

1. Speedo optimistic by 12% – 45 mph indicated = 39 mph GPS.
2. Neutral light only works when brake-light bulb is good – same 6 V circuit.
3. Toolkit plastic case melts if you rest it on exhaust while jet-changing.
4. Side-stand spring is interchangeable with 1976 RD350 – junk-yard gold.
5. James May bought his Fizzie from Richard Hammond – Top Gear full-circle.

Bottom Line

The Yamaha FS1-E was never just a moped—it was a rite of passage, a mechanical passport from childhood bicycle to adult motorcycle.

In the 1970s UK, freedom smelled of Super Two-Stroke oil, sounded like 8,000 rpm ring-a-ding, and looked like tartan paint streaking past the chip-shop.

Today, grown-ups with grey beards pay £10,000 to buy back that memory—proof that you can't put a price on youth, but if you could, it would be pedal-start.