While most small-displacement bikes these days are relatively simple, economical singles and twins, the Yamaha FZR250R spec sheet reads like a much bigger machine: aluminum beam frame, four cylinders, four valves per cylinder, dual 0verhead cams, an EXUP exhaust valve, and a six-speed gearbox. That adds up to a claimed 45hp and 18 ft-lbs of…
Obviously, the first-generation Yamaha R1 isn’t particularly rare in terms of production numbers: this revolutionary sportbike turned the category on it’s ear, offering big power in a middleweight package, and it sold well as a result. I’m posting this one up because, unlike most of the R1s you’ll find on eBay and Craigslist, this one…
With a wheelbase just over three feet, Tonka truck sized wheels and a wet weight that sneaks in four pounds lighter than I am, the 1988 Yamaha YSR 50 set out to make the very most out of the smallest package possible. They were, for better or worse, glorified mopeds, albeit with proper clutches and…
Most of the time, I try to walk the straight and narrow with my posts, sticking to highly-strung, fully-faired speed demons and racetrack refugees. But sometimes my obsession with the weird and rare gets the better of me and I just have to post stuff like this Yamaha MT-01, even if it’s coloring outside the…
When it comes to RSBFS, the most popular category for our readers seems to be the quarter-liter two stroke arena. The 250s make up the most often requested, clicked on, and likely purchased machines, and it’s not hard to see why. For those who prefer a pure, unadulterated GP racer with handling that would embarrass…
It’s pretty common for cars in the USA to get evocative names like “Cougar” and “Charger” or components with nonsensical, but cool-sounding names like “Vortec” or “Jetfire.” In the motorcycling world, the reverse seems more common, since today’s bike was known as the Yamaha YZF1000 here in the USA while overseas it was the “Thunderace,” big…
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…
Update 9.29.2017: SOLD! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc Today’s Featured Listing Yamaha TZR250 comes to us from our neighbors to the north in Canada. This 1KT/2MA/2ME was the very first iteration of Yamaha’s little sportbike, and helped to define the 250cc class. If you’re not familiar, these little quarter-liter sportbikes were packed with big-bike…