What to look for
There are still some good examples of 1998 Yamaha YZF-R1s for sale but people are catching on to the notion that this is a genuine classic machine. Most bikes for sale will have the kilometres north of 40,000. This will mean you’ll likely have to give at least a major service and get the valve clearances checked to make sure everything is hunky-dory. Models with sub-30,000kms are getting vary rare, and if you find one expect to pay a lot more. The big thing to look for is crash damage, and non-standard paint. If the bike you’re looking at has a “custom” paint job, chances are it’s because it has gone down the road, not because the owner wanted a different colour (for the record 1998 YZF-R1s only came out in red and white – the one all collectors want – or Yamaha Racing Blue). Check for damage around the bars, levers, fork legs, swingarm ends – all the usual places. Also check the steering head bearings for looseness – sloppy bearings are a sure sign of excessive wheelies and hard landings. A dodgy gearbox can also be the result of wheelies and bad landings, so check if the bike jumps out of gear, especially second gear. EBay is a great place to source aftermarket bodywork and you can still find genuine brand new bodywork there if you look hard enough. Yamaha dealers still have selected stock of 1998 R1 parts, and there’s plenty of internet forums on the machine to give you hints and tips to get the best out of them. Also check for any signs of the dreaded ex-racebike – look for any areas that have been lock-wired like drain plugs and brake caliper bolts. ■