Description
Please Note: This bike is being relisted due to a non-paying bidder. That bidder has been banned from participating in future auctions, and Iconic sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience.
Additional photos are available here for your perusal.
The 1990s were defined by three sportbikes – the Honda CBR900RR, the Ducati 916, and the Yamaha R1. Honda’s CBR900RR started the revolution by being 76 pounds lighter than its lightest competition. Soon after, Ducati released the 916. It was technically competent with fuel injection and even an adjustable steering head angle, but it’s best remembered just for being one of the most beautiful motorcycles of all time. In 1998, Yamaha released the R1 and wiped the floor with everyone else – it was the lightest and most powerful literbike available and you had to work hard to find a dealer with one in stock.
The basic specifications are 150 horsepower, 419 pound dry weight, and a 2.96 second 0-60 time, per MCN. Those are all impressive numbers, but the design of the drivetrain is what made it all possible. Yamaha was able to make the engine/transmission much smaller by vertically stacking the transmission shafts.
Further space was saved by putting the water pump inside the engine cases. The packaging let Yamaha shorten the wheelbase and still lengthen the swingarm, which made the R1 feel like a 600cc bike but with 1,000cc power.
For more on the R1 and what made it special, check out this article on Sport Rider/Cycle World. Or for a buying guide geared towards used R1s (with notes like it’s “getting hard to find a clean one.”), check out this article on Motorcyclist magazine.
This example is VIN: JYARN01200004683. It came to Iconic as an import from Japan; prior history is not known.
The odometer shows 53,933 kilometers (33,512 miles).
Maintenance:
In preparation for the listing, the seller had us change the oil and oil filter, replace the top triple clamp, clean and sync the carbs, flush the brakes, service the chain, and install new Michelin Pilot Power 2CT tires with date codes of 3919 and 4322
Olly did the work, he notes the following in his condition report:
Tire Years – Front: 2019; Rear:2022
Tire Life – Front/ Rear: 100%, New
Tire Pressure -Front/ Rear: 36PSI
Brake Life – Front/ Rear: +50%
Hydraulic Fluid – Front/Rear: Ok
Engine Oil – Level: Ok; Quality, New
Coolant – Level: Ok; Quality: Ok
Low Beam: Ok
High Beam: Ok
Parking Light: Ok
Turn Signals: Ok
Tail Light: Ok
Brake Light: Ok
Plate Light: Ok
Killswitch: Ok
Horn: Ok
Battery: 12.6V
Test Ride: Bike operates as intended
We also sent out the tail section to Brian of B.K.M. Creations to touch up some rash and repair a crack.
Modifications:
Red tinted windscreen.
Frame sliders (the fairings have been cut to accommodate them).
Tank pad.
Red brake lines.
Battery tender lead.
Inside of the tank:
The sale includes two keys, the original owner’s manual, and the factory tool kit.
Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album up top for all known cosmetic blemishes. Here is a selection:
Currently located at our facility in Santa Monica, California (please make an appointment for an inspection), this Yamaha is offered on a clean Oregon title. Please note that as an import, this bike lacks certain compliance and emissions stickers that the state of California would require to transfer a title. Have any R1 stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
