Ex-Michael Rutter, Ian Duffus
1999 Yamaha 998cc 'R71' V&M Superbike Racing Motorcycle
Registration no. not registered
Frame no. *JYARN04 1000002252*
Engine no. *N503E-015099*
•Tuned by V&M Racing
•North West 200 winner with Michael Rutter in 2000
•Raced by Ian Duffus at the Macau GP in 1999

Renowned British tuning firm V&M Racing (now Valmoto) have been associated with the Yamaha from its earliest days. The firm was founded in 1982 by Jack Valentine and Steve Mellor, and in its early years concentrated on furthering Jack's highly successful drag racing career (ten national and three European championships in seven years). In 1990 the firm changed tack and began supplying tuned engines to factory supported race teams and others. It became a fully-fledged racing team in 1994.

The machine offered here was built by V&M for its roads campaign. Yamaha's radical R1 had established itself as the Superbike top dog on its arrival in 1998, instantly making the opposition look bloated and slow. At the same time, Yamaha abandoned the 750cc road-bike category while simultaneously introducing a limited edition 750cc homologation special for the World Superbike Championship: the R7. The R7 was built with dimensions and geometry similar to those of Yamaha's YZR500 Grand Prix racer and is known as one of the best handling motorcycles ever made. Ever since then, enthusiasts have sought to combine the grunt of the 1,000cc R1 with agility of the R7, some even going as far as to shoehorn the R1 motor into the R7 frame to create the so-called 'R71'. However, that is far from the only interpretation of the R71 concept, some being R1s wearing R7 bodywork. In the UK, with Yamaha's approval, QB Carbon created the limited edition R71 SPS, which incorporated an R7 rear sub-frame and tail.

Jack Valentine's take on the R71 is similar, featuring an R7 fuel tank and a special rear sub-frame to support the R7-type tail. Other notable features include 'kit' cams, pistons and gearbox; gas-flowed cylinder head; AP Racing front master cylinder; Öhlins forks; and Brembo brake callipers.

This machine was raced with some success in road races by Michael Rutter and Ian Duffus, arguably its finest achievement being Rutter's wins in the Superbike race and the main event at the North West 200 in 2000, beating team-mate David Jefferies into 2nd place on both occasions. It had previously been ridden by Ian Duffus, finishing 3rd in the Superbike class at the North West 200 and 6th at the Macau Grand Prix in 1999. Signed by Jack Valentine and Steve Mellor, the machine comes with a file consisting mainly of photographs.
Footnotes:
As with all Lots in the Sale, this Lot is sold 'as is/where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness, and originality prior to bidding.