Looking like a modern take on the wildly popular RZ350 two stroke, the 1991 Yamaha R1-Z somehow never made it out of Japan. That’s a shame, too, because the R1-Z sports a too-sexy-for-my-fairing steel trellis frame and the powerplant from the TZR250 race replica.
1991 Yamaha R1-Z for sale on eBay
Sneaking in under 300 pounds dry, the little smoker makes fantastic use of the 45 horsepower that was de rigeur among JDM quarter liters of the time. With as much time as TZRs spent on race tracks, waking an R1-Z up likely wouldn’t be a challenge.
This R1-Z shows quite nicely, and comes with a clear Washington State title, so putting it on the road in your home state shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. It does have marks in keeping with its age, and some pitting on the fuel filler cap, but the paint looks very nice. We are particularly fond of the “INDIVIDUAL SPORTS” graphic on the tank. Note the pillion seat.
From the listing:
INTRODUCTION:::
You are looking at a 1991 Yamaha R1Z. The Yamaha R1Z was legally imported from japan and now has a legal Washington State clear title. Yamaha r1z is a very rare unique blend of race inspired two stroke motor put into a open café inspired trellis frame. The R1Z was a bold move for Yamaha at the time and way ahead of the styling trend; the motor used in the R1Z is identical to the tzr250 parallel twin motors of the same time period so the R1Z is a very quick 250cc naked sport bike. This particular R1Z has very low 9300 miles (14,900 kilometers), and the bike is mostly all original and in good shape. But please feel free to read more about the specifics of this bike and see the pictures for detail. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. U.S. and International bidders are welcome to bid on this motorcycle but must arrange shipping themselves…
BODY:::
The body work is in great condition, all of the painted body work is near perfect with the exception of some very small rock chips on the front of the gas tank as can be seen in the pictures. The frame is in great shape with no major scratches or nicks and the motor is nice and clean. Overall the body is in very good condition for its age.
MECHANICAL:::
The bike runs and rides perfect, and it shifts smoothly through all 6 gears. The carburetor was recently cleaned and adjusted, and a full service tune-up was performed which included new, spark plugs, chain, air filter, brake pads, oil change, and brake fluid flush. All of the lighting and electrical components work as they should.
CONCLUSION:::
This is a great opportunity to buy a very rare nice and clean 1989 Yamaha R1Z. These bikes were never imported into the USA and very few were exported outside of Japan to any other countries so it is a very rare Yamaha model. If you need any additional pictures or have any additional questions please feel free to email us. Domestic & International buyers are welcome to bid but must arrange the shipping themselves. However we will be glad to assist with any loading of the motorcycle. We have helped with the shipping of motorcycles across the country and overseas for other customers in the past. Please feel free to bid as long as you make the shipping arrangements.
Bidding on this beast is just south of $2,200 with nine days left in the eBay auction. Does this stir your inner oil burner? Let us know in the comments below.
Link isn’t working?
Thanks for the heads-up, Riot. It’s fixed now. Enjoy!
Never heard of these, but so glad you featured it here. “Rare” indeed (at least in USA), this thing looks like a hoot. Love the clean lines and standard riding position – this would be so much more fun on most roads than the repli-racers, similar to the TDR (which suffers from a case of the uglies but would still be a great ride). If only it was a 350… Still, whoever buys it is going to have a really fun ride. God I hope the Japanese copy KTM and start injecting 2 strokes so we can have them back on the street!!!!!!
Sweet looking bike!
Love this R1-Z. I remember seeing this model in a “news from Japan” column in Cycle World in the early ’90s and thinking it was a great looking machine – that one had clip-on bars. GLWTA to the seller!