Old School, Yamaha YZF-R1 2001

The year was 2005 when I first fell in love with this bike, I bought her with 14 000km on the clock. Sold her to a friend about a year later with 18 000km. Then in 2013 looking for something to race, my friend offered it back to me for a reasonable price.

I looked at the bike parked up in his garage. Neatly covered, which I was happy to see. When I saw her she was pristine, as she was when I sold her five years earlier. I turned the ignition on and was astonished! The bike only had now 19 000 km on her. My friend looked a little embarrassed and confirmed, he just didn’t have time to ride her. I was grateful it turned out this way and the deal was done.

I took her home, installed a new battery and some sticky tires on her. I pulled the mirrors off, installed a steering damper and set up the suspension for the track. Ripped off the original exhaust tail piece and threw on a stainless steel, very angry free flow, home made exhaust pipe. Some go faster stickers and a race bike was born.

Two and a half race seasons on her and she managed to consistently give me second, third or fourth place in our national championship with the only carbureted bike on track and of course budget race tires and no tire warmers.

I competed on her in an international one hour endurance race in Zimbabwe and with South Africa in attendance and about 30 riders. She got me to fifth place after I erroneously chose a hard rear tyre which was sadly costing us time every lap! It was nevertheless a great experience. Most riders came to look at the R1 being the only carbureted bike and the fact she wasn’t wearing slicks, but merely a set of road tyres.

These were the days we all remembered. Where we would meet new friends. Rubbing shoulders on track into turns and swopping paint was the order of the day. How we miss the old days, good people, genuine friends and great memories. An African adventure, now but a fond memory.