Nico's stories - Yamaha R1 turns 25: the wonder
Few motorbikes have been as revolutionary in the history of motorcycling as the Iwata's supersport 1000: the R1 appeared in 1998, thrilled motorcyclists with its explosive performance, and has magnificently evolved over time, gathering success in SBK and Endurance. At Bologna's Auto e Moto d'Epoca, a meeting with three personalities who know how to tell it best
Marco Riva, Peppo Russo and Luca Cadalora. Three friends of ours, three personalities with close ties to Yamaha. The first has been a passionate manager at Yamaha Motor Italia since '98, MotoGP General Manager Operations for twelve years and today a consultant for the Yamaha Racing Heritage Club project; the second is the well-known tuner who has worked with many unforgettable riders starting with Fabrizio Pirovano. Finally, the three-time world champion from Modena is an admirer of the R1 for what the 1000 Yamaha can offer in terms of fun and training on the track.
At Bologna there was also the new GYTR Pro, the special R1 produced in only 25 units just to celebrate the anniversary: it is the bike that collects the best technological solutions derived from the winning experiences in SBK and Endurance. Marco, Peppo and Luca paint us this Yamaha adventure from their point of view. The common denominator is the R1 and passion, of course, but it's also nice to discover that the Japanese management holds the Italians in high regard and that the 1000 Yamaha was Cadalora's liaison with Valentino Rossi. A few laps of the track for fun, and the proposal to become a personal coach...
