1965 YAMAHA YM1 305CC

The Yamaha YM1 was the flagship of the marque's sports bikes in the 1960s, with its 305cc two-cylinder air-cooled engine being the largest two-stroke of its kind in the world. It was the first Yamaha twin to feature Autolube automatic lubrication driven by a gearbox pump. Only having been made for a short period during the 1960s, the bike is now rare and collectable. The vendor describes this example as in ‘superb restored condition’, with it having been bought from and then rebuilt for a total of £10,500 in 2017, for a well-known Yamaha two-stroke collector. It has come from a collection of classic bikes. Although built in 1965, it was used abroad before coming to the UK in 1996 and being registered here in October 2013. Just two previous registered keepers are noted on the V5C. Its last MoT expired in August 2017, having been tested the previous year at an indicated 38 miles (it should be noted that, at its MoT test in August 2013, the mileage was 18,119 miles, but for the test the following year, the mileage recorded was 38 miles). As an historic bike, it no longer requires annual testing, however. The odometer now shows 63 miles. The history folder includes the current and past V5Cs and MoT certificates from 2013 and 2014 and documentation from the import and registration of the bike. The vendor informs us that, with new tyres, battery, plugs and filters, plus the carbs cleaned, the machine runs very well. Some spare sets of keys are also included.     

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