2-19-23 Update: 14 months later, this Yamaha is back up for sale on eBay (though it’s crossed the country and is now in California) with an opening bid of $4,100. As dnaj points out in the comments, this doesn’t look like a factory crate that Yamaha would have used, but it’s still an interesting find and I’m curious to see where the bidding ends up. You can find it here on eBay.
When Yamaha first offered the Yamaha Virago 250 in the US, they actually called it the Route 66 (between 1988-1990). They were never standouts dynamically, but this one deserves special mention as it’s still in the original crate!
The Virago 250 usually doesn’t capture my attention, though it should be noted that it was capable of nearly 80 miles per gallon. In addition, the drivetrain has ended up in quirky machines like the SRV250.
This example (VIN: JYA2UJE07KA022906, Engine #: 2UJ-022933) was built in October of 1988. The odometer shows just 0.7 miles, presumably from a test ride at the factory in Japan 30+ years ago.
Find this Yamaha for sale in North Hills, California with an unmet opening bid of $4,700 here on eBay.