FZR-R: YAMAHA FZR750R (OW01) SUPERBIKE

[weeksy]

https://www.bikebound.com/2024/02/08/fzr750r/

[KungFooBob]

It's a rare, top of its game (at the time) homologation special superbike... but the RC30 was sooo much prettier.

[Supermofo]

I think there is a purposeful brute like look to the OW01 that makes it look just right. For me it's similar to the Ducati 888 which I prefer to the 916.

[Yorick]

I do like the Yamaha designs and paint schemes of that era

[Jody]

I saw a guy at Cadwel Park with one of them several years ago.
The only person I've ever seen hand wash their bike after a trackday! Then he very vearly dropped it off the ramp while loading it in his van. Fortunately I was close enough to rush over and help him.

[Taipan]

Back in the day my bikey mates worshipped these bikes. To me it's just another generic sportsbike.

[MyLittleStudPony]

Beautiful. More special than an RC30 in some ways.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I had a test ride on one and bought a YZF750R for the same price (£5500 in 1996, the YZF was 1993, the OW01 was 1989), it wasn't a very nice road bike, the YZF was better, it was mostly the flat slide carbs, but the close ratio gearbox and riding position didn't help.

[Skub]

I like to see bikes like this and the RC30 7RR etc,but they don't fire me up enough to own one.

[mangocrazy]

I never really 'got' the looks of the OW01 and for a race bike they always looked big and heavy - not sure if they actually were. As KFB says, the RC30 was just so much better looking (and also sounded better).

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I never really 'got' the looks of the OW01 and for a race bike they always looked big and heavy - not sure if they actually were. As KFB says, the RC30 was just so much better looking (and also sounded better).

They weigh less than an RC30, they certainly don't feel heavy to ride, from memory they're the same weight as an early GSXR750.

[Yorick]

I was in and around the BSB paddock late 80s and saw all this lot close up.
One year Honda brought out special carbs for the RC30.
10 grand, but everybody had to buy a set or be left behind.
The whole way through, my pal stayed on GSXR750s and did OK. At one time he held Cadwell Park outright lap record, so they still went well.

[Bustaspoke]

As a Yamaha fan I think it looks great
I've never eally understood the swooning over RC30's & for road use I'd take a YZF750 over either of them.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I was in and around the BSB paddock late 80s and saw all this lot close up.
One year Honda brought out special carbs for the RC30.
10 grand, but everybody had to buy a set or be left behind.
The whole way through, my pal stayed on GSXR750s and did OK. At one time he held Cadwell Park outright lap record, so they still went well.

Can I be weird and say I prefer the handling of a cradle framed GSXR750 to a lot of beam framed bikes.

[weeksy]

Can I be weird

It wouldn't be the first time for you

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Peter Day is the man with lots of OW01s, he had 10 in 2001 (when I chatted to him at a track day) including a couple of Bellegarda WSBK bikes.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

They aren't great road bikes, they also cost £13,000 in 1989, which was a lot of money, I was offered a new one in 1994ish for £7000, and when I test rode a 1989 one in 1996 it was £5300, the same as I paid for a 1993 YZF750 (I think new YZFs were about £9000 at the time), bikes were expensive in the mid 90s, 4 years later I paid the same money for a 2 year old R1.

[Yorick]

My first GSXR1000 in 2001 was £8,500. They'd just come out and had to haggle hard to get that price.

[Yorick]

I remember some racers were putting FZR1000 engines in and did quite well

Terry Rymer fair flew round Mallory

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

The EXUP is a better road bike than the OW01, the YZF750 is a better bike than either, road or track (if you include the SP for track)