Last month, we brought you the story about the 1992 Yamaha FZR600RD Vance & Hines Special Edition with less than a mile on the odometer that sold on Bring a Trailer for $18,000. Well, in a striking moto-manifestation of the concept that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, yet another 1992 Yamaha FZR600RD Vance & Hines Special Edition sold this past Tuesday on BaT. The second one had 64 miles on it and hammered at a slightly less eye-popping but still eye-watering final bid of $13,000.
Author Riley Sager wrote in his book “Lock Every Door” that “one time is an anomaly. Two times is a coincidence. Three times is proof.” You want proof that magenta, yellow, and black Yamahas are making a strong comeback?
For the past several years, Yamaha’s “Yard Built” initiative has inspired custom bike builders to create unique and breathtaking one-off motorcycles based off the Tuning Fork Company’s retro-style “Sport Heritage” lineup of motorcycles. Renowned builders from across the globe have applied their skills, expertise, and creativity to elevating Yamaha’s Sport Heritage bikes up a notch or three in style and individuality.
With Yamaha Europe’s XSR900 GP as a starting point, the 2024 Yard Built project focused on the theme of “Back to the Paddock,” which was an homage to some of Yamaha’s legendary racebikes of the 1980s and 1990s. From the iconic blue-and-white “speed block” livery of Christian Sarron’s 1984 250cc Grand Prix World Championship-winning TZ250L to the legendary livery that Noriyuki Haga and Colin Edwards sported on their 1996 Suzuka 8 Hours-winning YZF750, some truly stunning bikes were created.
For its own interpretation of the Back to the Paddock theme, Yamaha UK was inspired by the Vance & Hines Yamaha FZR750RR OW01 that Eddie Lawson raced to victory in the 1993 Daytona 200. A four-time 500cc Grand Prix World Champion, Lawson had already won the Daytona 200 in 1986 aboard a Yamaha FZ750S. But then, seven years later, ironically with the number seven competition number on this bike, Steady Eddie repeated history at Daytona, this time aboard a Yamaha OW01 resplendent in Vance & Hines’ stunning magenta, yellow, and black livery. For Lawson, it was the final motorcycle road racing victory of his storied career.
Per Yamaha’s Yard Built styling parameters, no cuts or welds to the frame are permitted on the creations. The designers are encouraged to make use of bolt-on parts and accessories in order to demonstrate how easy it is to customize Yamaha’s Sport Heritage models. Already equipped with a stock upper fairing, the “Eddie Lawson” XSR900 GP features Yamaha’s accessory “Racer Pack,” which adds a lower fairing, a license plate holder to sharpen up the rear, and a special XSR-branded Akrapovič exhaust system.
But, it’s that magenta, yellow, and black paint that really makes the bike a blast from the past.
So, all told, that’s two Vance & Hines Special Edition Yamahas sold on BaT and one Yamaha XSR900 GP done up to look like Lawson’s 1993 Daytona 200-winning Vance & Hines Yamaha OW01. Might we see a pair of magenta, yellow, and black Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glides on the Mission King Of The Baggers starting grid at Daytona this coming March?
Your move, Terry Vance.
