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Moto blog

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!

Yamaha Donates Star Bolt To True American Heroes Auction Hosted By Kenny Roberts

In support of the Yamaha True American Heroes Weekend–the fundraising event taking place this weekend at Kenny Roberts’ legendary ranch in Modesto, California–Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., has donated a 2014 Star Bolt to the Benefit Auction that is a featured event during the weekend. The announcement was made by Bob Starr, General Manager of Communications for Yamaha’s Motorsports Group. Our own Kevin Duke made it out to the event in 2012, where he had the chance to ride with some of the sport’s biggest legends.

Live from the launch of the Yamaha FZ8

THAT, MY FRIENDS, is our test rider's transportation to the 2010 Yamaha FZ8 launch in Marseille. Today, Jon Urry will endure 700 miles in a bazzed-up Ford Transit with other UK bike journalists, thanks to the infamous cloud of volcanic ash that's turning our skies a worrying shade of crystal-clear blue. So check back later for Jon's updates on their progress to southern France.