Buying an older R1

Back in the day I had a 2001, the last of the carbureted models.

I had a real job; but also was involved in a used motorcyle/truck dealership. We were essentially wholesalers, dealer to dealer sales; some private owner sales. Motorcycles were mostly Harley's and crotch rockets.

Anyhow: I rode a 2001 YZF-R1, for my personal ride, one year. When we got it; it already had the transmission problems repaired.

The YZF-R1 is an awesome bike.

Now let's keep this in perspective, it was an 2001 and the year was 2002. So the newer bikes are a generation ahead of these.

But still, the R1 is a great bike, that is capable of much more than most riders. If you want a powerful motorcycle; that bike will fill your needs. There is always something faster/better; but for around 2k ; nothing better.

 

So do you think the champion edition is worth anything if i were to fix it up? Any more than a normal r1 of this vintage?

 

I would say Yes to that. How much, that takes in a lot of factors; but a special model always has more appeal.

 

Yeah what I'm finding is the top asking prices for clean ones is about 4 grand. So I need to figure out how much plastics are gonna be

 

Check http://www.nicecycle.com/2000-2001-Yamaha-R1-Fairing-s/2336.htm


I have a 07 R1 I bought this summer it was down once I'm 2nd owner and it was pretty much all fixed except a few scratches and extremely low miles. That is gonna be my winter project. I'm gonna do all new fairings, graves full exhaust, PC V, and re do the brakes. It's a bug for sure.

 

Here's the pics of the damaged plastics:







That headlight one is the one that bothers me the most personally, I feel like it's the most noticeable.

Check this out though:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Injection-M...amaha|Submodel:R1&hash=item35cceedc13&vxp=mtr

Those look like the exact fairings that are on it right now. So it's had at least one set of ebay plastics on it. I bet if you took that tank bra off the original stripe is under it. I can't seem to find champions edition fairings for it anywhere, which I'd like to put on it if I were to fix it up and sell it.

I also am in touch with the Police Chief from the town it was wrecked in and they are working on pulling the police report for me. I'll post pics if he sends me any, of course being as high tech and advanced as all our government offices are they want me to spend 2 weeks filling out a form, mailing it to them, and waiting for them to mail me back a copy of the report. So I requested we use email instead, we'll see what they come up with today.

I was mistaken earlier, found out this morning that I would be owner number 8. The current owner has only had it about a month and still hasn't titled it in his name.

 

If you mean you can't find anywhere to purchase them, as I mentioned, bikebandit.com seems to have all the Champions Edition OEM plastics. Worth a look. I've bought from them before.

http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycles/2001-yamaha-bike-parts/o/m145831#sch131403

 

Holy shat you can get a whole set of ebay fairings for the cost of one of those panels. I was hoping to find some cheap replicas haha. Those would only be worth it if this was like the last one of these on earth. It says Champions edition but I'd be curious if it actually is that fairing design or if those are the normal OEM ones and it just lists that they'll fit the champ. Hard to tell if this thing will be worth money some day if I hang onto it, I've heard so many stories from old guys that had an old camaro or GTO or something that they sold back in the day for nothing and are kicking themselves now. I doubt this will end up like those but you never know.


I filled out the report release thing for the cops, I think they're working on pulling it for me right now. I really wanna see the wreck pics. I'm leaning harder and harder towards pass but still wanna see the pics and have the roommate ride the thing and check it out. If nothing else, he gets a joyride on a bike that from what I've read is an absolute monster. He has a Buell Firebolt, so is used to torque but I've never seen him lift the nose up like I've seen videos of these things doing.

 

If you want the bike to be a true special edition, you're going to pay a premium for special edition parts. That's why the previous owner put standard plastics on it, he found out they were a fraction of the Champion Edition plastics. Make sure the tank is the correct Champion Edition tank, if not I'd be willing to be a new CE tank would be upwards of $500 on it's own.

 

From what I've read through these 3 pages:

1. With 7 owners and the fairings, 2nd set mind you bashed all to hell, this bike has been treated worse than your average rental car.

2. Value of the Champions Edition, without the original or matching fairings, is kind of like having a vintage muscle car without matching numbers...a collector won't be too impressed and I don't think there will be much value added as a collector. Right now even sourcing good SV (2nd Gen) fuel tanks is becoming hard for racers due to dwindling parts supply....and they didn't change from 2003-2010...How lucky do you feel on a 12 year old bike that has gone through many generation changes over that time span?

3. If the dealer offered him $1900, he should take the money and run. In that condition, the fact it's a 12 year old motorcycle, wreck history (some not reported I imagine), and mileage (with unknown history of servicing) it doesn't need to become your problem.

 

Check out that link he posted...

Side panels= $463 x2 = $926
Headlight Fairing = $722
Front fender = $140
Rear Fender = $90
Tank = $930
Tail Fairing = $440

So ~ $3200 ish to get it looking factory again.

Fuck that haha

 

I'm thinking the same thing. Oh well, it was worth checking out haha

 

I'm with everyone else, if you put non-OEM plastics on it, even if they do say "Champion's Edition", it's worth no more than it is now with normal fairings...as someone who is buying a special edition, I would want the OEM plastics on it, not replicas.

I think you answered your own question...from a value standpoint, to put OEM correct plastics back on it, it doesn't really work. If you really wanted a 2001 R1 Champions Edition to keep forever, it might be worth it. But like I said, the fact that someone went so cheap reparing what could be a really cool bike would be enough to steer me away.

 

I wouldn't wanna make the investment in OEM plastics if I wasn't sure that that if I hung onto it it'd appreciate in value over time because of it. I'm not getting the feeling that I'd recoup my investment from it, plus we can pretty well assume it's been beaten worse than a red headed step child mechanically having had 7 owners

 

I think you're making the right decision.

 

Just told the seller to take the dealers money and run haha. I decided it wasn't even worth having my roommate pull it all apart to inspect it, it was just gonna confirm what we all speculated.

They have the police report pulled though and are supposedly sending it to me. I'll update this thread with pics of the wreck it was in if I ever get it. Thanks for everyone's input

 

Finally heard back from the police chief, he was cool and just pulled the photos for me so I didn't have to pay for the full police report. Here they are, looks like the guy smashed headfirst into a chevy:







Wear your helmets kiddos



I think I made the right decision here, he hit that thing with some speed and I'd bet money that the frame is bent in the front where the steering shaft passes through it. He'll still have it when I get back to school, he texted me yesterday and said he made his truck payment without selling it so I'll check it out in person in January

 

id personally stay away from that. you might be looking at a frame replacement.

 

I already passed on it but the chief finally sent the pics so I thought I'd share

 

Yikes! You definitely made the right call walking away from that. I wouldn't trust that thing unless I was able to completely strip it down and give it a good once over.