Post Sale Update: after being relisted, this little Yamaha sold for $2,200 on eBay.
Japan enjoyed some weird 50cc bikes in the 80s, and some of the weirdest were the baby choppers like Suzuki’s OR50. Yamaha’s entry to the market was released in 1983 as part of a promotion for the “Midnight Special” cruiser line. They called it the RX50, and certain dealers received one of these RX50’s to sell or raffle off to bring customers in the doors. Very few made it to the US, which makes it surprising that one of them has been customized to the degree that you see here. Though it’s been styled to look like a mini cafe racer of sorts, the cruiser underpinnings show themselves in places like the front wheel.
As the seller notes by copying from one of my previous posts about the RX50, the two-stroke drivetrain was plucked from a YSR50. Basic specs were 7.5 horsepower, a top speed of about 55 mph, and a wet weight under 200 pounds. I have to assume that this modified example weighs even less.
This example (VIN: JYA23H001DA007257) has been “freshly transformed” by a shop called Retro Rebuilds. Everything is said to work and I like the monoshock conversion, but I’m curious what the market is for customized 50cc bikes. I don’t see a license plate or tail light but I’d sure hope that this custom keeps the street legal status of the original. Find this RX50 custom for sale in Rockford, Michigan with an unmet opening bid of $1,800 or a BIN of $1,900