While not particularly sport bike-like and definitely less rare than many unicorns posted on this site, the RSBFS staff nonetheless flocks to the unique – if not a bit porky – Yamaha GTS1000. A gem of the sport touring set with its own rabid following, the GTS stands out due to the RADD/Parker front suspension.…
I co-opted Jaguar’s old motto for that headline, but it does seem to apply to the short-lived Yamaha YZF1000. Known in some markets as the “Thunderace,” the YZF1000 was quickly superseded by the class-breaking R1, but it was an open-class motorcycle in the GSX-R1100 and ZX-11 mold, offering handling, reasonable comfort, and real-world performance. Weight…
The late 1980s’ prevailing ideas about greed, money, partying, and the blessed individual weren’t always reflected in the vehicles people drove — the Chrysler LeBaron wasn’t exactly haute couture — but when they were, stand back. The early iterations of the Yamaha FZR1000 reflected the big-hair-and-cocaine era like few others, with a high-contrast red-and-white speedblock…
Update 8.30.2019: This bike has SOLD! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc For as plentiful as bikes like this 1987 Yamaha FZR1000 were in their day, it’s becoming increasingly rare to see them pop up on the local Craigslist, as time and the squiddly behavior they enable take their toll. But nice ones are still…
The Yamaha’s R1M’s crossplane crank inline four makes 197 claimed horsepower. The brand-new, heavily revised BMW S1000RR supposedly makes 205. The new Ducati Panigale V4R? 221 horsepower. Where will it end? These bikes are technological marvels, with relatively minimal mass, power that would trump a world superbike machine of just a few years ago, and…
One of the things I love about Italian bikes and cars is that, no matter what, they look like the vision of one person, not a committee. Sure, there may be the occasional stylistic misstep, but oddballs like the Alfa Romeo Milano and Bimota Mantra make a statement, and you can feel the passion in…
Update 3.11.2019: This bike has SOLD! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc For the money, 1990s Bimotas offer some pretty incredible bang for your buck. Obviously, a more modern machine of equal value will be faster, as well as more reliable and practical, but if the goal is to own something different, something exotic, and…
Over in the comments sections of another post, we’ve been debating the relative merits and values of some of the priciest motorcycles, but it’s still possible to find something cool, collectible, and very competent if you’re on a limited budget. It’s not one of Yamaha’s fastest sportbikes, but this first-generation FZR1000 might be their most…