Description
At a glance:
Model: Yamaha FZR1000 Genesis
Year: 1987
Engine: 997cc
Mileage: Approx. 27, 262 miles total (27, 032 original clocks, 230 new unit)
MOT: Passed May 2026 with no advisories
MOT expiry: May 2027
Front end: 2012 Yamaha YZF-R1 14B conversion
Instrumentation: KOSO RX2N+ digital cockpit
Included: Spare set of fairings/ plastics
For sale is my 1987 Yamaha FZR1000 Genesis, an extensively refurbished and sympathetically modified example that retains the original Genesis engine and core frame while incorporating a substantial number of later Yamaha components and upgrades.
I bought the bike in 2023 and the main restomod programme was completed at the start of 2026. The work focused heavily on the mechanical, chassis, braking and electrical side of the motorcycle, rather than attempting to create a factory-original concours restoration.
The most significant upgrade is the complete 2012 Yamaha YZF-R1 (14B) front-end conversion. This includes the 2012 R1 fork assembly, top yoke, front wheel, front brake discs and front brake calipers. The calipers were fully refurbished as part of the build.
The bike is also fitted with 50mm high-rise clip-on handlebars and a KOSO RX2N+ GP Style digital cockpit with blue display and 10, 000rpm scale. The original clocks showed 27, 032 miles when the KOSO unit was fitted. The new display has since covered approximately 230 miles, giving a current total mileage of approximately 27, 262 miles.
At the rear, the shock absorber was replaced with an OEM Yamaha unit in excellent condition. The rear brake caliper was fully serviced, refurbished and powder coated, and the rear brake master cylinder was replaced with an OEM unit in near-new condition.
Bearings and seals were updated or replaced extensively throughout the motorcycle as part of the wider rebuild.
With the exception of the core engine frame, most suitable metal components, including the subframe and numerous brackets and associated parts, were removed and black powder coated. The rear swingarm has also been extensively polished/ refinished.
The engine itself has been cosmetically refreshed, including repainting and the replacement of numerous older bolts and fasteners with new hardware.
The electrical system was also gone through carefully. Wiring and circuits were inspected and tested, a new battery was fitted, and a number of sensors were replaced where required. No electrical issues were identified during testing.
The bike is fitted with a Micron exhaust setup/ muffler can, which suits the overall period-restomod character of the bike and gives it a particularly strong sound.
The seat has been recovered/ refinished and a new screen has been fitted.
The fairings have been custom DIY painted rather than restored to an original Yamaha colour scheme. They present well overall, but as expected on plastics of this age there are light age-related marks, wear and imperfections in places. I would describe the bodywork as good and honest rather than concours-perfect. A spare set of fairings/ plastics is also included, giving the next owner the option to repaint, restore or further develop the cosmetic side of the bike if they wish.
The motorcycle passed its MOT in May 2026 with no advisories and is MOT’d until May 2027.
All photographs used in the advert are recent, taken within the past year, and accurately represent the bike as it currently stands.
This is not a completely original collector’s FZR1000. It is a well-developed restomod that combines the character of Yamaha’s original 1987 Genesis superbike with a much later R1 front suspension, wheel and braking package, modern instrumentation and extensive mechanical, electrical and cosmetic refurbishment.
It should appeal most to someone who wants a distinctive and usable early FZR1000 that has already had a considerable amount of work carried out, rather than someone looking for an untouched factory-original example.
What drew me to the FZR1000 Genesis in the first place was the combination of old-school superbike character and genuine significance in Yamaha’s history. The early Genesis has a presence that newer bikes simply do not have: big, mechanical, purposeful and unmistakably of its era.
When I bought this bike in 2023, I did not want to turn it into something unrecognisable. The aim was to keep the identity and character of the original FZR1000, but improve and refresh the areas that would make the biggest difference to how the bike looked, felt and presented.
That is what led to the 2012 Yamaha YZF-R1 14B front-end conversion. For me, this is one of the things that makes the bike stand out. It is still very clearly a 1987 Genesis, but the later Yamaha front suspension, wheel and braking hardware give it a much more modern and purposeful stance. I particularly liked the idea of keeping the conversion within the Yamaha family rather than mixing together unrelated components.
The same approach carried through the rest of the build. Rather than focusing purely on superficial modifications, a lot of the work went into the less visible parts of the motorcycle: bearings, seals, brakes, suspension, wiring, sensors, fasteners and refinishing components that had inevitably aged over nearly four decades.
That is probably what I am most proud of about the bike. It was never intended to be a quick cosmetic makeover. The aim was to create something that felt considered and complete.
Visually, I also love the contrast between the black powder-coated metalwork, polished rear swingarm, custom-painted bodywork and the later R1 front end. The KOSO digital cockpit and high-rise clip-ons add a more modern element without taking away from the character of the original bike, while the Micron exhaust gives it exactly the sort of sound and presence I think an FZR1000 should have.
For me, the appeal is that it sits somewhere between a classic and a restomod. It still has the engine, core chassis, shape and personality of an early Genesis, but it has been developed into something more individual.
There are plenty of original FZR1000s out there for someone who wants a factory-correct example. This one is different. It is for someone who likes the idea of an early Yamaha superbike with a later R1 front end, modernised controls and instrumentation, extensive refurbishment and a strong visual identity of its own.
My favourite thing about it is probably that combination: it still feels unmistakably like an old-school FZR1000, but it looks and feels like a bike that somebody has genuinely thought about and developed rather than simply preserved.
It has been a very personal project, and I think the next owner will probably be someone who sees the bike in the same way I did: not as something that needs to be completely original to be interesting, but as a distinctive piece of Yamaha history that has been given a second life.
