To appreciate the present, one must understand the past. To appreciate what we have now, we must understand from where it all came. Is it possible to go back and relive that past? Most would suggest it is not, but I did, in the summer of 2007. I relived the past in all its glory; I even relived many events that were not so glorious.
Shortly into the New Year an email arrived in my in-box from Ferry Brouwer. Ferry is the managing director of Arai Helmets, Europe, and the driving force and owner of the Yamaha Classic Racing Team (YCRT) out of The Netherlands. He asked me to join his team for the 2007 season. I would ride alongside Chas Mortimer, Rodney Gould, Dieter Braun, Jos Schurgers, Svend Andersson, and select others periodically invited to ride Ferry's bikes. The first event would be the Isle of Man TT Races. For personal reasons, I wasn't planning on going to the 2007 Centenary TT. I thought about Ferry's invitation, but before writing back to say thanks, but no thanks, Ferry sent me another email that changed my mind.
Because of Yamaha's past involvement in the TT, the Japanese factory wanted to participate in the historical aspects of the Centenary, and agreed to send over two bikes from its museum. One bike to be run during the popular Lap of Honour on the Monday of race week, and the other in a new event called The Parade of Champions on the Friday. Yamaha wanted me to ride both of these bikes. I could not refuse the offer and immediately replied to Ferry saying yes.
The two bikes were to be the 1968 RD05 four-cylinder 250 two-stroke that had won numerous world titles in the late 60's, and the 1965 RA97 twin-cylinder 125 two stroke, raced to numerous GP victories in 1965 and 1966. My anxiety at riding these two bikes grew proportionate to my excitement. I am no longer 26 years old; the passage of time has been kind to me, but there are limits. I began an extensive exercise programme. Rider vanity too added more driving force. I didn't want my performance on the bikes to be a pale representation of what used to be, and wanted to at least look like I was comfortable on the bikes. With a lap of 61 km, the Isle of Man TT is not a racecourse to take lightly.
As the TT approached, another email from Ferry mentioned that the team was also contracted to ride at the Belgium Biker's Classic at Spa Francorchamps the first of July, and the Classic Sachsenring a week later. The two bikes from Yamaha, unfortunately were for the TT only, but a TR2 350 Yamaha twin production racer from Ferry's arsenal of machines was available to me for both Spa and Sachsenring.
"Going to be an interesting summer," I said to myself. But no sooner had I said it, another email from Ferry arrived saying he's just finalized arrangements for the team to ride at the Salzburgring in Austria two weeks after Sachsenring and Schotten in Germany, three weeks after Salzburgring.
Any more events and I'll be as busy as we were in the 60's, I thought. A month later came another email from Ferry saying he had procured Oschersleben, a racetrack not far from Hannover in Germany, for a 4-hour test period the middle of May. Ferry wanted me there.
And so began a hectic summer of travel and more fun than an aging grandmother deserves. It was like old times, arranging travel expenses with race organizers, making flight arrangements and developing an itinerary. New team leathers were being made, Arai Helmets prepared a new helmet to be painted with my own personal design, I acquired a new set of riding boots, thanks to Ducati and I doubled up on my exercise programme. Progress with physical fitness came slowly, but there was progress nonetheless.
"What do you have to worry about," responded Ferry in a reply to an email I sent him expressing my concerns. "They're only parades. You're suppose to wave and have fun."
"We're out there because we're competitive," I replied. "Wear racing leathers, on a proper racing bike, paint a white line on the road in front, then drop a flag? We're racing; it's in our nature, like trying to stop a cat hunting birds. As for waving at people, no bloody way. Not on late 60's and early 70's Yamaha two-stokes. Piston seizures and crankshaft failures are too common to dare take my fingers off the clutch."
I flew over to Oschersleben where I tested three bikes, the 350 TR2 Yamaha air-cooled twin, which ran great, a slightly over-bored 350 Yamaha twin, which seized a piston starting my second lap, and a 350 four-cylinder Yamaha Special fitted with an Italian Morbidelli two-stroke liquid-cooled engine...
... MMM
To read more of this shortened article, be sure to pick up this issue of Motorcycle Mojo Magazine. Current Issues are available at Chapters/Indigo and other fine newsstands across Canada and by subscription. Previous issues are available in the Mojo Store.
