1989 Yamaha Xv 250 Route 66 Edition on 2040-motos

Yamaha Virago tech info

Type:Cruiser Engine Size (cc):250 For Sale By:Private Seller

Moto blog

Isle of Man TT 2012: Supersport TT Race 1 Results

Padett’s Honda racer Bruce Anstey won the first Monster Energy Supersport TT race of the 2012 Isle of Man TT by a mere 0.77 seconds over rider Cameron Donald. The race could have been even closer if Gary Johnson, another Honda rider, hadn’t run out of gas on the final lap. Before he ran out of fuel, Johnson was in the mix with Anstey and Donald with just 0.62 seconds separating the three riders.

I can die happy!

As an eighteen year old Kenny Roberts was my bike racing God.  I loved Barry Sheene but as a Yamaha FS1E rider I always wanted the little American to win simply because his bike resembled mine.  The coverage of Grand Prix in the late seventies was sketchy but I clearly remember watching the epic Sheene/Roberts battle unfold at the Silverstone GP on my council estate telly.  The Dutchman, Wil Hartog was hanging in there for a while but as the laps unfolded it became a two way battle with Sheene looking favourite to win.  Sheene lost the most time as the pair lapped a certain George Fogarty so my hero Roberts eventually won by just three hundredths of a second.  I’m not sure what happened next but being a Sunday we would no doubt be skidding around later in the day at the Pines chippie pretending to be Roberts and Sheene.  Fast forward thirty four years and a boyhood fantasy came true as I headed out on Chris Wilson’s 1980 Roberts machine for the Barry Sheene tribute laps at last weekend’s Moto GP.  It crackled into life instantly and felt as sharp as any of the more modern 500s I used to race.  The temperature gauge had a maximum marker on 60 degrees so to begin with I was nervous as it didn’t move but being a hot day (although still keeping my hand on the clutch) I convinced myself it wasn’t working.    The bike felt tiny, not helped by the fact I only just squeezed into my 1989 Marlboro Yamaha leathers.  It still felt rapid though as I played out the 1979 classic in my head while getting tucked in down the Hanger straight.  Steve Parrish was also out there on one of Barry’s 500cc Heron Suzukis so we did our best to copy the famous last lap at Woodcote Corner where Sheene came so close to winning his home GP. As a lad I would have said the chances of me riding round Silverstone on a GP winning Kenny Roberts machine were zero, but in the words of Gabrielle, dreams can come true!

Retirement is rife but thankfully not for Vale

The racing season may be over but the winter nights will surely fly by as we watch reviews, debate events of 2012 racing and relish the excitement that lays ahead in 2013. Unfortunately retirement seems to be popular right now so with major names leaving BSB, WSB and Moto GP things will never quite be the same. I’m still in shock that Casey Stoner has decided to head back home for a spot of fishing.