Update 8.31.2012: As the season winds down, the price drops again to $19,800. Links updated. Thanks Mike, -dc
Update 7.23.2012: Last seen in May, this bike is back on eBay with a lower buy-it-now of $22,800. Links updated. -dc
Location: Pompano Beach, Florida
Mileage: 5 factory miles
Price: $26,800 BIN
We throw out collector alerts and call bikes museum pieces here at RSBFS on a fairly regular basis. And that’s because we post up some killer bikes. Not everyone agrees with our assessments of course, but that’s part of the fun. Well, here we have a collector/museum piece if there ever was one. The seller describes it as maybe the only brand new Yamaha RZ350 Kenny Roberts left in the world. That may or may not be true, but it’s possible. And that my friends is a big deal.
This looks like the real deal. A bike that was bought by some crazy Kenny Roberts/Yamaha enthusiast and brought home immediately for living room display. There are certainly a few bikes I would like to have done that with (NSR, TZR, RGV, 851, the list goes on) and apparently that’s what happened to this one.
Here’s the sellers words-
1985 Yamaha RZ350 KENNY ROBERTS RZ 350
CARSFROMFLORIDA a unique internet dealer in Florida specializing only in clean, certified Florida driven vehicles is proud to offer to the world this BRAND NEW – NEVER USED 1985 YAMAHA RZ350 KENNY ROBERTS EDITION SPORT BIKE!!!
– PROBABLY THE LAST ONE IN THE WORLD IN BRAND NEW CONDITION
– MUSEUM OR COLLECTOR
– LIVING ROOM KEPT
– HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE
– FANTASTIC INVESTMENT
– ALL BOOKS
– THIS IS A MUST SEE!
***1985 YAMAHA RZ350 KENNY ROBERTS EDITION***
THIS IS YOUR ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO OWN A KENNY ROBERTS EDITION THAT IS LIKE NO OTHER IN THE WORLD!!!
***ONLY 5 FACTORY DRIVEN MILES ON THIS RZ350***
THIS INCREDIBLE MACHINE WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND WENT DIRECTLY TO THE OWNERS LIVING ROOM, WHERE IT HAS BEEN KEPT, CARESSED AND LOVED FOR OVER 25 YEARS!!!
CARSFROMFLORIDA is just simply proud, to introduce a simply amazing, RZ350 Kenny Roberts Edition Sport Bike that is just simply…A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
Look at the pictures of this pristine machine and you can almost feel the wind at your back! Built to turn and burn, the major components are tucked in and high, allowing the RZ to be leaned over quite far before anything scrapes the asphalt. You have never experienced anything like this ever…we promise.
Presented to the world in an incredible like new condition, with complete books, this highly collectible RZ350 signed Kenny Roberts Sport Bike could also be one of the best performing assets in your portfolio!
And more pics for you to scrutinize-
So now you’ve seen the photos, read the description and contemplated the only 5 factory miles on this bike. A stunning example by all accounts. So let’s talk about the elephant in the room (or post) as it were.
The seller is asking $26,800 for this bike.
That’s a lot of cash for most folks (even rich folks, I think). So is this bike worth it? If it was proven beyond any doubt to be the last brand new RZ350KR on earth would it be worth it?
I don’t know. I’m just bringing you the bike. If you wish to play in this world and have the means, jump over to the auction and make your play.
-RN
I had just been discharged from the Marine Corps in June 1984 and was heading home on my new BMW R100 and stopped at a Yamaha dealer. There on the showroom floor was a new Kenny Roberts for sale. If I had the money then I would have bought it. I think the price was 3500!!
If those 5 miles are not documented somehow, then ANY cable driven speedo bike with outrageously low mileage claims is to treated as suspect.
The sheer number of early “exotics” and other “desirable” bikes that used to get ridden with disconnected speedo cables was vast. Especially during dealership demo rides for friends of the owners.
Hell, people would disconnect the speedo cables of their “regular” bikes to let miles climb slower.
Great piece of history and great heritage bike – and as a previous RZ350 owner, 2 stroke fan and 500cc GP fanatic I will say this bike is interesting, but at $26,000 a very poor investment choice 🙂
I drool every time I walk in the place ..
there is no investment. 26 is the cap. hard pressed to get 10 for it. wonder what it will really sell for
No way will he get close to the asking price. I agree with RC45, unless you can document 5 miles I would be suspect it was ridden with a disconnected Spedo cable.
I don’t see how this is an “investment” though it may be rare at 5 purported miles, these bikes are not that rare and even a badly damaged or modified RZ can be brought back to show room condition for way less than that.
this is HILARIOUS. so optimistic.
Way too much, yeah its very nice! The BIN price is 22.8K now. I am a buyer at 6K
Well , you know what even though 26 K is optomistic …. I really hope he gets his price . People that have kept and sat on rare bikes and not put any mileage on them should be rewarded ! Think about it : It is more torturous to not ride a nice bike and only look at it than actually riding it at least evry so often .
I just picked up a lovely 85′ VF1000R yesterday . I thoroughly enjoyed my ride home on it . It was a blast ! And yet now it will sit for sometime as wher I live it costs $1100 per year to plate a Sportbike ….even a 27 year old bike such as that falls into that category ! Gotta love the government !
Horrible investment! Absolutely horrible…
Presuming it is indeed a machine that has had zero service (other than being pushed around a shop or showroom floor for 28 years), it would be a huge waste of money for me.
A week after picking it up, I’d have to pop that cherry.
Then I’d have just another RZ with 3500 mi on it. 🙂
for ~$24K 🙁
@RC45: while you’re right to be suspicious about mileage claims in general, c’mon. You really think it’s possible that somebody disconnected the speedo, put on a couple of thousand miles, and now offers a bike as 5 actual miles? A dealer with a business reputation to hold, no less? You can’t hide things like brake rotor wear, paint and seat wear at rider contact points, cable feel, engine wear. Sure, footpeg/shifter/tire rubber can be replaced, but real use will always be apparant close up.
It’s unused.
“@RC45: while you’re right to be suspicious about mileage claims in general, c’mon. You really think it’s possible that somebody disconnected the speedo, put on a couple of thousand miles, and now offers a bike as 5 actual miles? A dealer with a business reputation to hold, no less? You can’t hide things like brake rotor wear, paint and seat wear at rider contact points, cable feel, engine wear. Sure, footpeg/shifter/tire rubber can be replaced, but real use will always be apparant close up.
It’s unused.”
Yes – yes I do think people/dealerships and owners do this. I have witessed such actions over the years. Many times. Let’s just take ,y RC45 #20 that I sold in 2004. Since then, 6 owners have had the bike and it has moved between 5 states, yet collectively all 6 have only put 60 miles on the bike.
Really? If youu and others are this gullible then I have some beach front property for you in Wyoming.
Another trick I witnessed back in the 80’s was to buy a duplicate speedo cluster, insatll and keep the delivery cluster with a hundred or so miles on and then re-install that cluster when the bike was fraded/sold as a year old low miler.
Look at that upper triple clamp, you can see where the key ring has chipped the paint. This RZ350 has been ridden. I do nto believe the dealership sellign this RZ is the original owner, so they are simply “going by that sellers word”.
IOW they can claim plausible deniability as a valid defence.
This bike is not a “5 miler”. Hell, it might not even be a real KR 😉
Not that I’d ever consider this bike, but if I was inspecting it in person, I’d bring a strong led flashlight and look REAL close everywhere, underneath especially. I’d find out the truth close up. And if the seller agreed, and it came down to cash money, I’d simply pop off one carburetor and reed cage, rotate the engine, and have a nice look at the intake side piston skirt for wear. You can’t disconnect that!
I am sure we can all agree on one thing; this is a motorcycle.
And, I’d remove the spark plugs and shine that same mini-led on top of the piston domes. There’s either nothing there from only 5 miles claimed use, or there’s carbon. They’re not going to fool me!
Not this one again. LOL
Not even worth talking about. Hope the owner likes this thing as he will have it a long time. Pretty funny actually.
I watched this bike sell on eBay late last year/early this year and it sold for $12,100.00 I was going to send the link in to you back then but I forgot.
[…] Nearly ten-five for a RZ350 seems a bit excessive on the face of it (not quite as excessive as the RZ with only 5 miles offered for $20k), but this seller has done a very good job laying out the details of the ride. And […]