Posts tagged as “Kenny Roberts”

1985 Yamaha RZ350 Kenny Roberts with Five Factory Miles!

Published August 31, 2012 by Rem

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

18 Responses.

Mailbag, Weekend Edition [SB8R, RZ350 Project, RS125 Track Bike, Nico Bakker, CB1000F, FZR400

Published August 25, 2012 by Dan

Here are the best from this week’s mailbag. Thanks for all your emails and enjoy the weekend!

Dan starts us off with this Bimota SB8R for sale in Los Angeles. Just under 1000 miles and current accepted bid is $8525. What are the chances this is pulled just before the end of the auction…

Greg passes along this very cool 1980 Yamaha TZ350 Nico Bakker! Available in Florida for $16k.

Jason sends us this Yamaha RZ350 project he spotted in Minneapolis for $1600.

Anthony spotted this Honda RS 125 track bike for just $3k in Pennsylvania.

While I’m a big fan of these I’d normally pass for RSBFS. But it’s so clean and lovingly photographed! Just 12k miles and just $3500 for this Honda CB1000F in Colorado. Thanks Tom!

Here’s a great looking FZR400 for sale in the Hudson Valley for $4500.

Performance never gets old: 1975 Yamaha TZ700/750

Published July 27, 2012 by Mike

For Sale: 1975 Yamaha TZ700 T750

Regardless of age, high-performance never goes out of style. And while this is a 37 year old comparative dinosaur next to many of the modern machines posted on RSBFS, it still looks fast and purposeful – and ready to rip your arms out of their sockets when it hits the pipe!

The TZ series were Yamaha customer race bikes, allowing privateers access to *almost* the same machinery as “factory sponsored” riders. The factory boys probably sat on the same base motorcycle as the privateers, but were often assisted by trick parts and the latest developmental gadgets. Still, many a professional rider turned laps on TZ machines, and their contribution to motorcycle roadracing cannot be denied. Unfortunately, very few of the racebikes survive in any period correct semblance and prices are rising fast on quality hardware.

From the seller:
YAMAHA TZ750 TZ 750 700 TZ700
Serial number 409-100118

Rare and hard to find Yamaha TZ750
The serial number indicates this TZ750 is an early 1975 model,
still with the 700cc top end.

The 1975 production began with serial number 409-100101,
indicating this bike was in the first 20 bikes produced that year.
Possibly meaning that the bike was originally assigned to a factory-supported
team in the USA, Asia or Europe.

Perhaps this bike was originally assigned to Steve Baker,
Johnny Cecotto, Gaicomo Agostini, Gene Romero, Kenny Roberts
or another factory supported rider.

Almost impossible to find with the original top end.
The 34mm Mikuni carbs are properly marked with the “409” designation,
indicating the carbs were made for the early TZ750, A, B or C

Tank equipped with a quick-fill option. The tank conversion workmanship looks to be
either factory or a VERY professional conversion.

Wire spoke wheels appear original.

Attractive paint on tank, seat and fairing.

The cases have no serial number, not unusual for a factory bike.

The providence of any racebike is often a murky affair. The seller insinuates that this bike might have been ridden by one of the greats, but that is not a documented fact. The point is that documented race history turbocharges the price on any collectable racebike. Still, this is an undeniably clean example of one of the classic GP machines of the day.

I can’t decide if this super-sano example is a $34,500 find (as per the BIN) asked by the seller, or a $20k bike with a $15k detail job – I’m not sure the last meal I ate was served on a plate this clean! Two strokes are notorious for burping out schmutz on every possible surface – which is part of their charm – so to see this bike in such a restored state is really a nice treat. Other interested parties seem to agree, as spirited bidding has taken this bike over the $22k mark with reserve still in place. Do yourself a favor and check out the pics on this one: click here to jump over to the auction. Enjoy!

7 Responses.

Rolling Stock: 1985 Yamaha RZ500

Published June 21, 2012 by Mike

For Sale: 1985 Yamaha RZ500

Update 6.20.2012: Back on eBay and it looks like for the last time as it’s now no reserve. Thanks for the heads up Jared! Links updated. -dc

Update 3.8.2012: Mileage is now stated as 9300 miles and buy-it-now dropped to $15k. -dc

Hot on the heels of Ian’s post on a modified RZ500 comes this beautiful survivor. How many stone stock RZ500s do you find in the States? Those who have looked will tell you – not many. Perhaps it is because so few RZ500s made it to the US in the first place (Yamaha never officially imported it, so all are grey market bikes), or maybe, as Ian stated previously, RZs tend to be on the receiving end of heavy modifications. Any way you slice it, a stocker from ’85 is definitely a rare find.

This particular bike looks good in the pictures, has the stock chambers, retains the dinky 16″ front wheel (inspired by GP technology of the day) bolted up to 37mm forks (equally dinky by today’s standards), and offers the solo seat cover (a passenger pillion is hidden beneath). All the reflectors are in place, and the turn signals have not been cut down or otherwise modified. From afar, this looks to be a showroom RZ500.

From the seller:
This is a 1985 all original Yamaha RZ500. has a Canadian title and is in South Florida. Not a big problem to title in States as it is considered an antique. Is in great shape with low miles. A real classic eye catcher.

So the BIG question is what is a 1985 RZ500 sporting 30,035 miles on the clock worth? Values on these bikes have been all over the place, but mostly on the up. We have seen lower mileage examples offered at $20k, but no real evidence of them selling at that level. This particular bike is being offered with a starting bid of $9,500, and a BIN set at $18,000.

This bike just hit the market, and interest has been relatively low at the time of this writing (zero bids). The opening ask is not out of line with the bike’s value, but perhaps bidders have been scared off by the BIN? For more info and details, click the link and jump over to the auction. This is a good looking example of a rare breed. Good luck!

11 Responses.

Clean ’84 Yamaha Kenny Roberts RZ350

Published June 13, 2012 by Rem

Location: Cayce, South Carolina

Mileage: 17,850

Auction: $6,950 BIN

These RZ350’s keep popping up for sale and getting written up here on RSBFS. There’s a good reason for that of course. Not only is the RZ350 an actual fully legal two stroke street bike in the U.S., it’s also part of U.S. sportbike history, being connected to one of the greatest motorcycle racers in American history. Of course, I’m speaking of Kenny Roberts. A legend for sure. So this bike really has a lot going for it. And, frankly, to get what this seller wants for it, it needs a lot going for it.

Here’s what the seller says-

1984 YAMAHA RZ 350 .

SERVICE AND MAINTANCE UP TO DATE

NEW TOP END ,CLUTCH, ALL SEALS,CARBS CLEANED AND ADJUSTED. LESS THEN 4000 MILES AGO. BIKE IS TIGHT:)

Miles of 17,850 do not reflect rebuild at 4000 miles ago. and over the last 3 yrs all the work done , seals,bearings , chain and sprockets,rubber prouducts tires, etc

FACTORY PIPES AND K&N FILTER.

BIKE IS SUPER CLEAN, NO DINGS OR DENTS OR RUST.

ADULT OWNED AND MAINTAINED.

ALWAYS KEPT INDOORS!! NO RAIN EVER!!

PRE-MIX. 32-1 and I will include the 5 gallon Pre Mix Bottle

THIS IT TRULY A GREAT EXAMPLE OF AN YAMAHA RZ350 AND THEY ARE GETTING HARDER TO FIND IN THIS CONDITION.

And all the pics-

Threw in a photo of King Kenny, just so you know what he looks like.

So this thing looks to be in great original condition. The seller highlights all of the recent maintenance work that hopefully has this machine in top running condition. The rebuild work will help take care of concerns over the mileage. Everything else looks good.

The only other issue out there is the price. The seller is looking for what would have to be considered top dollar for this bike. Yes, they are rare and hard to find in good condition. And there’s a good bet that they’ll continue to increase in value. But the question is: How much will you pay right now. Today.

Well, you have to decide. But you should entertain the fantasy at least, and check this bike out!

-RN

3 Responses.

Collector Alert! Yamaha RZ350 with Only 561 Miles up for Grabs!

Published May 6, 2012 by Rem

Location: Marysville, Washington

Mileage: 561. Seriously.

Price: $9,900

If you’re putting together your dream collection of historic sportbikes, or a stellar Yamaha collection, or a Kenny Roberts museum, then you need to look at this bike. Here you have the opportunity to own a true collector’s bike. All original except for the battery (understandable) and only 561 original miles – this is something special.

The bike is listed on Seattle Craigslist. Here’s what the seller has to say-

This motorcycle is a RZ350 NC Kenny Roberts Signature Edition. It only has 561 miles on it!. Everything is original, except for the battery. I am the second owner and have had it for five years. I have ridden it only a few miles while I have owned it. Everything is in good running condition. Motor compression is great, all electronics work. Carbs have been gone thru and all fluids have been changed gas tank is rust free. The brakes are in good shape too.

Call or email me for more information. I can send more photos if you need. If you are looking for a bike to put in your living room this is the one!

And more pics for you-

I’m sure most everyone who follow RSBFS knows that a legal two stroke bike in the U.S. is as uncommon as it gets. These bikes were only imported for ’84-’86, making their numbers here even smaller. And finding one with mileage as low as this and as original makes those numbers even smaller still.

So if you’re a collector and have been looking for the right RZ350, you may have found it in this one. There’s not much to say for this bike. It speaks for itself. The seller is asking a serious price, but then again, when you have something like this, prices can certainly climb.

If it’s time to start or add to your collection, go check this listing out!

-RN

6 Responses.

Titled Champ: 1985 Yamaha RZ500 with title

Published April 23, 2012 by Mike

Update 4.22.2012: First listed in January, the seller has come way down on price to $6500 buy-it-now. Getting closer to what those in the comments suggested for value. Links updated. -dc

For Sale: 1985 Yamaha RZ500

Todays two stroke wonder is yet another re-bodied RZ500. There seems to be a run on these models lately! Do I hear anybody complaining? I didn’t think so.

The standard RZ500 was released in the early 1980s as a replica of the GP racer piloted by the legendary likes of “King” Kenny Robers and “Steady Eddie” Lawson. It was a V-4 design, and featured liquid cooling, YPVS valve in the exhaust port and four separate exhaust chambers all poking out of the bodywork at the rear.

Today’s example has been modified from stock with the addition of new bodywork, fresh paintwork and some performance mods (such as aftermarket expansion chambers). There is no doubt that the new skins look clean and the painwork is indeed bright and sunny. Am I seeing some Swedish influence here?

From the seller:
1985 YAMAHA RZ500.

As you can see these aren’t the original body parts. The two rear pipes that are tucked in under the seats are also not the stock heavy pipes with heat guards but rather they are competition expansion chamber pipes. The Fiberglass body parts are of competition design but not sure where they came from. Shortly after I purchased the bike, I spent literally $2500 addtional for the fiberglass restoration (not major) and professional painting. The colors and design were my own and I worked with the guy who actuall did all the work.

Shortly after this was done (up in MD) I moved to Florida and would be better off with something practical for daily use. These are rare and the chances are too great for this to get stolen if I attempt to use it as a daily driver. Also note that I would not recommend using this in traffic jams where your are stopped with no air movement through the radiators. This bike has an extra radiator installed in front of the standard radiator instead of the stock forced air electric fan that would turn on when the coolant temp reaches a certain level. No problems with overheating unless you sit there in dead heat of summer with no air movement. This modification does appear to be professionally done but I’m not the person that did it. Also note that the Odometer is in kilometers and not Miles. So 40,000 km = less than 25k mi. Also I am fairly certain the engine was rebuilt just before I received it because of the claim of the previous owner that parted with it before he was able to complete his restoration. I can’t say this is 100% true because I did not tare the engine down to confirm it to be true. However, I can say that it runs stronger than what I would expect for a bike with 25k mi.

I believe this bike was set up for actual racing but I can’t imagine it was ever raced when you feel the motor compression. These bikes were also kick start and not electrical start. They were designed for professional moto GP and The United States of Dictatorship hates to let people have any real fun so when they were first allowed into the US back in 1985, our wonderful government (I say that with the utmost extreme sarcasm) stopped the import of these at the end of 1986. I can’t say how many are still legal in the US but this one is and it’s in South Florida. Clear title in hand (still MD tags with MD title). Remember I just moved recently so no funny business.

So looking at the good: Here is a relatively rare two stroke model never officially imported into the US. It looks reasonably clean and has some mods to help keep performance up to date with more modern machinery. 25k in mileage is not necessarily a detractor here, as a stroker has less complicated needs in terms of maintenance and fewer parts when it comes to rebuilds.

There may be potential downsides hidden under that pretty new bodywork, however. As with all bikes posted here, it is our recommendation that you do your homework and ask the seller lots of questions and request lots of pictures. While it is unknown on this particular bike, paintwork and skins are oft replaced as the result of damage. On the other hand, we have seen some nice hot-rodded RZs lately and this one might have been modded with intent – not out of necessity.

The seller has a $10k OBO number on this particular bike. For more info and details, click the link and jump over to the auction. Good luck!

14 Responses.

Yes, another Yamaha RZ350 “King” Kenny Roberts Edition (’85)

Published February 2, 2012 by Rem

Location: Ashville, North Carolina

Mileage: 3,439

Price: Auction, currently $4,200 with a reserve

There seems to be a run of Yamaha RZ350’s lately on RSBFS. Like for instance this one just posted by our fearless leader, Dan. Like the others, this one is a Kenny Roberts edition, a rare two-stroke sportbike brought to the U.S. market. And I’m sure everybody here knows about Kenny Roberts and his stellar career in Grand Prix racing. A true American racing legend. These are cool bikes and it’s great to see clean examples out there for people to take home.

Here’s what the seller has to say-

Beautiful low mileage Yamaha RZ 350 with 3,439 original miles. Bike has expansion chambers matched with Tommey mufflers and runs great. The paint and bright work are in excellent condition and the guages are clear and in perfect working order. Bike has on a set of new Dunlop Arrowmax tires. Please note the many detailed photos as this machine is in overall excellent condition and is a blast to drive.

And some more pics-

This looks to be a clean, low-mile example. The seller doesn’t provide a lot of description except to highlight to expansion chambers and pipes. The rest of the bike appears stock and in good shape. You may want to ask more about the condition and the maintenance history so you know exactly what you’re getting into. Low mileage bikes are great but not running a bike (or car) can have issues of its own.

There are plenty of bids so far and these usually go in the $5k range. So we’ll see where it lands. But if you missed out the other RZ350’s recently posted or this one is near you, negating shipping, or you just like them, then go check this bike out.

-RN

2 Responses.