Marlboro Bikes

RZ-RD-RZV.... and everything in between

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rubberfingers
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Marlboro Bikes

#1 Post by rubberfingers » Thu Jul 08, 2010 5:04 pm

Hi guys

I have just got back the info I asked the DVLA for on my bike. Looks like it was supplied by Paggets in 1986 and was registered in Dayglow Orange colour - so I presume it was an original Marlboro colour bike. The bike was changed to be 'white' in the early 1990's so I am guessing the owner at the time had a spill and it was cheaper to replace the panels with standard ones rather than repair the much rarer Marlboro ones (or he just got bored with the colour!)

Does anyone know how many of these Marlboro bikes were actually produced?

Andy
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jackson.40
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#2 Post by jackson.40 » Fri Jul 09, 2010 12:52 pm

Hi Andy,
That`s a hard question to answer,i have spoke to Dream Machine and my contact at Yamaha UK today.There are so many myths about these bikes ,i will research these bikes and post up the true facts if anyone is interested?.Between 50 and 200 bikes have been talked about.
Cheers Steve

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#3 Post by rubberfingers » Fri Jul 09, 2010 1:11 pm

jackson.40 wrote:Hi Andy,
That`s a hard question to answer,i have spoke to Dream Machine and my contact at Yamaha UK today.There are so many myths about these bikes ,i will research these bikes and post up the true facts if anyone is interested?.Between 50 and 200 bikes have been talked about.
Cheers Steve
Hi Steve

I knew you would be the man to reply! Would be interesting to know what the actual history of them was (even though mine is not in these colours anymore)

Andy
RD500
TZR250 2MA
TZR250 3MA
TDR250
YZF600R
DT125RE
XS750E
DTR125
FZ1

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#4 Post by bryanbengal » Mon Jul 18, 2011 1:30 pm

the orange fades fairly quick, and looks rubbish after a few years so that could have been the reason, or maybe just wanted origonal paintjob.
81 German bitza 350LC YPVS

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#5 Post by jackson.40 » Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:22 pm

I am still working very hard on the story behind the Marlboro bikes and making good progress.I have received more info this week which has moved things forward.As there is so much miss information about these bikes i want to get the true facts before i do a post on them.

If you think you have a original marlboro bike and would like me to check my machine register than please PM me your bike details and i will check.

Regards Steve

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#6 Post by Andrew » Sun Aug 14, 2011 7:20 am

Steve
Was it similar with Gauloises Yamaha painted bikes?
My bike was originally bought from Japan and came in Gauloises colours (RZV in '86)
Andy (UK)
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#7 Post by jackson.40 » Thu Aug 18, 2011 1:49 pm

Hi Andrew,

Never seen a Gauloises rzv500r before,must be something an owner or dealer did in Japan.

I have contacted Yamaha France for info on a Sonauto bike i have but they have no records before 1992 :sad: .I don`t have much info on the Gauloises bikes,but it was just Yamaha trying to off load unsold stock.

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#8 Post by rztom » Fri Aug 19, 2011 12:18 am

jackson.40 wrote:Never seen a Gauloises rzv500r before,must be something an owner or dealer did in Japan.
Agreed.... as far as I know there never was such a "special" offered from the factory....

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Andrew
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#9 Post by Andrew » Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:14 am

rztom wrote:
jackson.40 wrote:Never seen a Gauloises rzv500r before,must be something an owner or dealer did in Japan.
Agreed.... as far as I know there never was such a "special" offered from the factory....
Were the Marlboro bikes from the factory???
Andy (UK)
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Ronnie
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#10 Post by Ronnie » Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:45 am

I don't think they were. I'm sure it was a Yamaha UK idea through Dream Machine. Couldn't have been dealer specific as many dealers had them.
I'm also sure Steve will clear it up! :grin:

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#11 Post by jackson.40 » Mon Aug 22, 2011 12:51 pm

Spot on Ronnie :cool:

I hope to tell the full story one day.

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#12 Post by Andrew » Tue Aug 23, 2011 9:19 am

Steve & Ronnie

My RZV was bought by myself, new (or so I was told), in Dec 1984 from Linex Yamaha in South Africa with 200Km on the clock (this Km reading is also shown on my original buying invoice).

The bike was already in Gauloises colours.

Linex Yamaha told me they received the bike already in the Gauloises colours, and the 200Km on the clock is because the bike was used for promotions (the Sarron brothers were racing the Gauloises 250 & 500 at the time). Linex also informed me it was built in 1983 but had been standing at Yamaha Japan before they imported it. I've been biking all my life and can tell you, from the state the bike was in when I bought it, the 200Km looked very genuine.
Here's the strange thing, the registration papers, which are also original Yamaha Japan papers, show the bike colour as Blue. It might have been painted before it was registered. But I was always under the impression the factory painted it. The paint job was very good with no signs of the original RZV paint scheme (you can normally see with cracks and things if a bikes been resprayed).
I suppose it could've been sprayed straight off the production with the factory knowing it was going to go straight to a dealership to be used as a promotion tool.

Another strange thing that's always baffled me is the bike has no engine number??? Just a blank plate where the engine number should be.

The bike is well modified now after 25+ years of ownership, as things go and accidents happen, and 2 years racing, but I'll post up a picture of it before I crashed and wrote off most of the original fairings. (But I still have them up in the loft)

Or, what now looks like the truth..... Yamaha France (or anyone else) bought the bike new, painted it, kept it for 6 months until they knew the Saron brothers were not going to do anything special, and then sold it to Linex in SA. :sad:

:cool: Whatever, it's still a great bike that will hopefully be in the family for many years to come. I've promised my Daughter, if she has a son, it'll be passed onto him. If not, it goes to the grave with me LOL!!!
Andy (UK)
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#13 Post by jackson.40 » Tue Aug 23, 2011 11:29 am

Hi Andy,

Is there a frame number?.

This will clear things up.

Steve

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#14 Post by Andrew » Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:35 am

yes 2373
Andy (UK)
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#15 Post by Ronnie » Wed Aug 24, 2011 1:40 pm

2373? is that all? :smt017

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