Simply Stunning Yamaha R1 50th Anniversary LE For Sale
Built to commemorate Yamaha’s 50th anniversary and finished in yellow ‘Speed Block’, the LE is a bit of a Holy Grail for R1 fans
Built to celebrate 50 years of motorcycle production, the 2006 Yamaha R1 LE is a bit of a unicorn to fans of the ground-breaking sports bike.
With just 500 produced, examples don’t come along very often, and are normally found on exclusive auction sites dedicated to special motorcycles. Not today though, as we’ve found this tidy one deep in the quagmire that is Facebook Marketplace, which is extremely surprising!
The bike is serial number 138 in the run of 500, and with just 2,700 miles on its bores, it looks to be in beautiful condition. All the 50th LE models were finished in the iconic yellow and black ‘Speed Block’ colour scheme, inspired by the America Grand Prix racing hero ‘King’ Kenny Roberts. And there is more than a slap of paint and some decals that define the model. The LEs also get a host of tasty parts to help elevate the riding experience over the already high-performing (for the time!) R1.
Starting at the front of the bike, the front fork is a 43mm fully adjustable Ohlins item, which is mated to a fully adjustable Ohlins piggy-back rear shock absorber. Braking is taken care of by a pair of radially-mounted Nissin calipers and 320mm discs at the front, while a single piston Nissin item works on a 220mm disc at the rear. The wheels are a set of oh-so-retro 17″ Marchesini forged items, that are finished in that beautiful gold anodised colour which sets off the yellow perfectly!
Mechanically, the engine of the bike is as is found on the stock R1 of the era, meaning you get a liquid-cooled 998cc DOHC inline-four, featuring electronic fuel injection, electronic ignition, 45mm throttle bodies - with motor-driven secondary valves - and a four-into-two exhaust system which exits beneath the seat.
So there is the good stuff, now for the bad bit… Unless you live in Connecticut USA, you’re going to have a hefty delivery bill. That said, the bike is offered at $17,000, and considering these bikes can change hands for well over $20,000, we think it’s a bit of a bargain!
Check out the full advert here.
Find the latest motorcycle news on Visordown.com
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
