Number 101

[Assen]

I allways thought there were 100 LE-Classics made. But i read on Facebook that the total sum was 101?
Any ideas if this is true? If so, why did they not stop at 100?

Thanks, Jannes

[Ian]

I heard there were 105! Maybe they got the hang of it and carried on...

Mr Negus of this parish will know. I'm sure he'll be along shortly.

Ian

[johnbirchjar]

Many summers back I too heard the number was 105,J.B.

[Richard Negus]

Sorry about the delay!
Officially there are, or were, 100 examples numbered LE001 to LE100.
But the prototype Classic, numbered PP001, used for testing and brochure shots, still survives in a private museum in Germany. That bike is the one with a very thin seat and a slab-sided fuel tank.
There were also two other "Classics" made for Murayama Motors in Japan after the LE series had been completed that had IP2 fuel tanks, a seat to match, and IP2 side panels. They didn't sell and came back to the factory to be converted into Classic lookalikes. I think one went back to Japan but don't recall what happened to the other. They both carry IP2 engine/chassis numbers in the 3*** series.
I can't trace the numbers of those two bikes in the assembly records though; does anyone have that information?

[Assen]

Thanks Richard,
So the 101 number is correct. 100 official LE numbers and the prototype. The rest, although they look like a Classic, have the wrong numbers to be a official Classic, and are in fact replica's.

Thanks, Jannes

[Richard Negus]

Hi Jannes,
That's correct - although I learned long ago that my memory doesn't always reflect what actually happened and someone else may have a more accurate 'truth'.
R.