2010 Yamaha R1 LE: $2,000 More For Some Paint And A Fake Signature

Available starting January 2010, Yamaha is releasing another Limited Edition R1, this time featuring the race livery of Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP race bike. Before you run out to your local Yamaha dealer though, you should know a couple things:

First, the Rossi Race Rep comes with a price tag that’s over $1,200 more than the rest of the 2010 Yamaha YZF-R1 model line (raven, blue/whie, and pearl white), and for that extra cash all you’re getting is the re-painted fairing, and a fuel tank with a replica of Valentino’s signature on it.

Secondly, you might be surprised to learn that on top of that price premium, the 2010 R1 costs $800 more than the 2009 R1, despite the fact the R1 goes virtually unchanged for the 2010 model year.

For those not good with numbers, those combined prices put the 2010 Yamaha R1 LE costing over $2,000 more than this year’s current YZF-R1, and all it has to show for it is a paint job that sells another company’s product.

Say what you will about Ducati’s Nicky Hayden LE 848 Superbike, at least they knew what paint costs, and had Nicky personally hand-sign each bike.

Technical Specifications of the 2010 Yamaha R1 LE Rossi Replica for Those that Care:

Source: Yamaha