I’ll start off by saying that I really struggled to find conclusive sources of information on this bike, but apparently Yamaha offered a special edition of the 50cc Newport scooter that was marketed to women in the most stereotypical way possible – they made it pink, added fringes to the seat, and slapped a basket on the front. It did not sell well, but a Yamaha shop owner suspected it might be a future collectible so he snapped one up and used it as a centerpiece in his family’s dining room.
This example is well preserved, partially thanks to the fact that it has less than 14 miles on the odometer. The seller notes there is “slight evidence of having been bumped into and likely sat on by the children of the family but it didn’t appear to have left the dining room since its placement in the early 1970s”. Every part is claimed to be original, including the tires. Per the seller, the Lady Yamaha variant was only built for two years. The only official proof I could find was this image of a period magazine ad, but it’s too small to read anything besides “For Ladies Only – The Lady Yamaha”:
When the seller acquired the bike, he cleaned the fuel tank, rebuilt the carb, and replaced the fuel lines, batter, and spark plug. The bike actually had 10.4 miles when he bought it, but he brought the odo up to 13.8 by test riding it once he had brought this Lady Yamaha back to riding condition. The sale includes the owner’s manual, dipstick, tool kit, shop manual, and a letter of authenticity from Yamaha USA. Because the bike has been in storage for so long, it is now out of the Oregon DMV system and it’s being sold on a bill of sale only – you’ll have to source a title yourself.
Find this rare Yamaha for sale in Covallis, Oregon for $3,300 here on Craigslist.
This bike-uriousity brought to you by Bob K!