Hey, it's a Yamaha!

[Red9]

I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea but it's one of the bikes I swore I would someday own.

'93 FZR 1000 EXUP with 24,000 kms, completely stock other than front brake lines and included rare solo rear seat cowl (not shown). And brand new Pirellis.

Of course the wife isn't too happy with me...
I was supposed to be out looking at a new ride for her and this just happened to follow me home.
(third time in the past year this has happened... strangest thing... )

Now if it will only quit raining!!!!

[vmxwinn]

That thing is CLEAN!!!!

[Benno #03]

Very Nice. I like it a lot.

[NJRZ350]

Wow! It's clean. Great bike. Comfortable with plenty of power and very stable. Just a little heavy when compared to today's bikes, but so what. And for the record I love the FZR1000/YZF1000 EXUP engine. I owned a '92 back in the day and currently own a '97 YZF1000 as well.

[Red9]

Yes, it is heavier than todays bikes. With a full tank of gas you're looking at around 510 pounds. But I have to admit (and maybe this is just my age showing), I kind of like a little more weight and that was actually a part of my decision making process.
I have a few friends who ride newer 600's and the few times I've been out with them, they get blown around on the road same as me on the RZ.
I'm hoping the EXUP won't be so bad.
Hell my Ultra weighs almost 900lbs!

Love the look of your YZ.... again maybe my age showing or whatever but I like the bulkier looking full-faired style of yesteryear. No a big fan of some of the newer rides. They remind me of angry insects!
Plus in my opinion it is hard to beat the colour schemes from the late 80's and 90's.
I really wanted the blue, red and white combo. Would have also taken the black, red and white... classic Yamaha colours.

[L.B]

Always lusted after one of these,esp the earlier 750's.Nice buy you got there bloke

[graham heise]

Nice pick up red9. Looks very clean and with low k's. You won't have any trouble with the motor and they are a very stable machine. Added bonus is they are a supurb two up bike so maybe the wife will warm to it. I owned the 600 version of this bike, loved it to bits. I still own a black and silver thunderace with low k's. I'll never sell it. Graham

[Red9]

Any pictures of your Thunderace Graham?
I'd love to see it. Pretty rare machine around these parts.

NJRZ350 thanks for the kind words and the photos of your FZ and the YZF. How many kms on the '97? Do you get out on it often?

[NJRZ350]

...
NJRZ350 thanks for the kind words and the photos of your FZ and the YZF. How many kms on the '97? Do you get out on it often?

The '97 currently has 28k miles (or about 45k km). However, it's in really nice shape as I was able to source some tail panels when I first got it to replace the stock ones which had been damaged by a bungee cord over the years. Also as you can see I had the wheels powder coated white instead of the stock black. Harder to keep clean, but IMHO they look so much better. Also red fender replaces black fender. Again IMHO it looks better. Never quite understood the black fender on the bike. I don't ride it that often since I have 3 other bikes, but it's fun to take it out on a Sunday morning

[p51bombay]

Pretty sweet looking ride, I had an 87 back in the day but that 91-92 flush headlight is about the best looking of the FZR's.......not sure I'd term they comfortable, but then I'm never ridden a 92 version - my 87 sure wasn't. Traded that in on an 89 FJ1200 which I wish I had kept, in fact I'll be putting up the Harley Ive spent the last three years customizing and most likely look for another FJ1200. Anyone want a very cool Super Fat Glide?

[This old RZ]

Yep I spoke with the owner about that machine...As a former owner of a 89. That is one ,very very nice bike!!! I had a 89 dual light EXUP..in the classic R/W/B..very similar to the OW01 bodywork. But I like that particular bike and style as the one pictured by the owner, as I have never viewed a later model version FZR1000 in America with that paint scheme and graphics, it really is by far the best looking paint ...by a long ways .
That motor really is a stump puller, I honestly believe it should be able to match any current 600 in any acceleration contest, hell they were clocked at 170mph...STOCK back in 89-90. Nothing even came close until the R1 almost 10 years later that's how good the engine /chassis and handling were. Sure its big, and wouldn't handle as briskly as the newer machines but I'll vouch for certain that FZR will out handle a RZ350 and is FAR more stable as well. It was the 1st production "sportbike", there were no superbikes then to have a 5.5 wheel, the 1st with radials, 1st with a delta box swingarm, and 1st with the EXUP mated to the 5 valves per cylinder engine design.

You read a lot of Monday morning quarterbacks claiming the 5 valve didn't do anything...they don't know what there talking about, that motor was the TOP DOG even with less displacement than the Suzuki GSXR1100 and faster than the CBR900 or any of the others for a solid 6 years span.

However much Id hate to change anything on such a original beauty..I'd ditch the mirrors, remove the passenger footpegs and add a factory solo seat cover.. OOPs and a slip on pipe.....lol
Boy would I like to have that machine

[Red9]

Thanks RZ.
The info you provided helped solidify my decision and made me much more comfortable with the purchase.

Hmmm powerwise... I was out saturday with a friend on his 05 CBR600F4i, who last year loved walking away from me on the RZ, joyfully calling it my Weedwhacker...
Yesterday I had the pleasure of coming up with the name 'Evinrude' for his machine after pulling hard on him a number of times on the hwy, leaving him in my 'wake'.

At hwy speeds, unless he was keeping it right on boil, if we both nailed it at the same time, I pulled him hard. The torque of the FZR even in the top two gears at legal speed is amazing. You can't keep from laughing inside your helmet at the incredible rush and how the fricking thing just keeps pulling like a freight train.
Now, if he kept the revs up and we nailed it, the difference was much less, though I still pulled him almost every time . Put it this way, even he was "amazed at the amount of torque the old fat pig produces."

From a stand still there was no contest, at least with either of us aboard the Honda... Neither of us could launch the damn thing worth a shite without the front wheel pointing skyward and threatening to come over. It revs so damn quickly and into the powerband. You would really need to practice, practice, practice to attain any level of competency.
The Yamaha on the other hand with 80 pounds more weight and a much longer wheelbase (don't know the exact number), just requires you to lean forward, hang on and pray the rear tire maintains traction.
If I had a helmet cam would you believe just a tick over 120kph in first gear out of a 20 year old machine?

Handling quite frankly has surprised the hell out of me. (Maybe partially because I'm used to the weight of my 07 Ultra and used to having to muscle a heavier machine around a twisty).
I would have to agree and say it certainly feels as though it would outhandle my RZ on anything but possibly the tightest course. It's so stable and planted and actually feels light and tossable at speed. At any rate the much stiffer frame, geometry and much wider rubber certainly instills acres more confidence than the RZ. And if by chance an RZ were able to keep up, the EXUP would leave it miles behind between the bends.

The Honda on the other hand is in a much different league altogether and shows what a leap forward the last 20 years have been in the suspension and frame department... What a frickin machine. A very competent rider on an RZ COULD NOT keep up to a mediocre rider on the Honda. And a great rider on the FZR would have the same NO CHANCE!
The damn F4i only weighs 374 pounds and has 110hp! It sticks to the road like shit to a blanket. Keep the revs up and it's a missle. Totally blew my mind. I was taking offramps at speeds just slightly slower than I used to attain in my S2000.

So.... sorry for being long winded but I believe I am still on a bit of an adreneline (sp?) high.

In summary, the FZR was the bike I dreamed of back in the day and I can't imagine what a machine it would have been to ride against it's natural rivals...
Against the F4i, I like the extra weight of the EXUP and the amount of torque ALWAYS available. The Honda actually reminded me of the RZ in how often you found yourself shifting to keep it in the powerband. I also like the extra weight of the EXUP. ( I know, I know...) But I'm getting old and ....the crosswinds have very little effect on the 'porker.'
By the same token, honestly the Honda is simply mindboggling. Unbelievable machine...
Makes me wonder what a Yamaha 500 two-stroke could have been like today if they'd thrown the same amount of development money towards it...