Nice Price – 1993 Yamaha GTS1000

Reader David N sent me a link to this bike saying that it was the cheapest example he’s ever seen. I have to say the same, and it doesn’t look to be in bad shape at all! The GTS1000 is a fascinating bike – I used it as an example of a motorcycle that was ahead of its time for my recent Smart Money article for Motorcyclist magazine. In that story I mentioned that you’d probably need $5,500 to put a good one in your garage. The seller of this bargain just wants half of that for this high-mileage example.

The GTS1000 was full of technology that would not make its way to most bikes for years to come, including fuel injection, ABS brakes, and most importantly, the RADD front suspension designed by James Parker. This suspension was able to isolate braking from damping, leading to increased performance in both aspects, as well as more stability.

Unfortunately, the extra cost required for all this innovative technology was high and consumers weren’t ready for it. The bike was a commercial flop, though it did sell for a few more years outside of the US. Like many poor-selling, technologically advanced bikes, owners are very passionate and have developed communities to keep these bikes alive. Parts are still available for the front end, and the rest of the bike is straightforward enough. Yanked from the FZR1000, the Genesis engine was detuned but still made triple digit power. This bike gives you all the fun of a rare, quirky bike, but without the support-related drawbacks. You can use it everyday, and that’s one of the reasons why Bike magazine called it the ‘coolest of rare motorcycles’ ever made.

This example is said to be completely stock with a rare factory option of Krauser bags. It’s got some scratches and a lot of miles (over 72,000), but nothing unreasonable for the age. It has a recent oil change, new tires, air filters, and brake pads. The sale will include the factory service manuals and the seller says that the bike “runs and rides all day”.