Lot details
Registration No: N/A
Frame No: T.B.A.
Engine No: SL35D0630043
cc: 998
MOT Expiry Date: N/A

Steve Hislop rose to prominence both as a TT rider and short circuit racer during the 1990's. In the course of his career he secured 11 TT victories, the most memorable being in 1992 when he fought his great rival Carl Fogarty for the duration of the Senior TT to take victory. He was also the first rider to achieve a 120mph lap of the Mountain Circuit. The short circuits provided him with equal success, he won the British 250 title in 1992 and the British Superbike Championship in 1995 and 2002 together with a host of individual race victories and placings. Unfortunately his racing career was interrupted by a horrific accident at the Brands Hatch round of the 2000 British Superbike Championship, the injuries of which threatened paralysis or death.

2002 saw him secure his second British Superbike Championship title riding for the Monster Mob Ducati team and in 2003 he returned to contest the championship astride a Virgin Yamaha. Tragically, he was killed on the 30th July 2003 in a helicopter crash near his home town of Hawick.

1998 witnessed the introduction of Yamaha's premier sports bike, the 998cc R1. Conceived from the outset to offer race track handling and performance the emphasis was placed on keeping the machine as compact and light as possible. The 20 valve, four cylinder liquid cooled engine offered 150 hp at 10,000 rpm, which combined with the machines featherweight build and focused nature placed it at the top of the super sports league both on the road and the track. The 2000-2001 machines were a refinement of the 1998-99 models with modifications being made to improve the machines suitability for long distance work without compromising its sporting nature. For 2002/03 series a new hydro formed alloy frame was introduced, christened "Deltbox III" by Yamaha. The construction technique used in the manufacture of the new frame significantly reduced the number of welds needed resulting in a stronger unit. The engine remained largely unchanged, although a new titanium exhaust system of a 4 into 2 into 1 configuration was adopted. The machines styling was altered with the rear end being "sharpened up"

The machine offered is one of the full factory Yamaha YZF R1's supplied to Team ENG 943 Virgin Yamaha for Steve Hislop to ride in the 2003 Championship and has been verified by Yamaha BSB team motorcycles specialist Pete Beale.

The machine is to the full factory specification with Ohlins front and rear suspension, OZ 16.5 inch wheels, a full titanium Akrpovic exhaust system, factory specification engine, race factory specification radiator, Brembo discs and callipers, an Ohlins steering damper, Harris fork yokes and an electronic gear shifter.

It is finished in the Virgin Racing livery and is described by the vendor as being in excellent cosmetic condition and excellent, fully working, running order.