The Yamaha Racing Heritage Club (YRHC) has announced an exciting schedule for 2024, featuring the Sunday Ride Classic, Dijon Motorcycle Legends Cup, Veterans Motocross des Nations, and the Yamaha Racing Experience at Jerez. Legendary racers like Valentino Rossi, Giacomo Agostini, Jonathan Rea, Alessio Chiodi, Johnny Cecotto, and Christian Sarron will participate, showcasing Yamaha’s rich racing history.
Launched in 2021, the YRHC aims to celebrate and share Yamaha’s heritage with younger generations. It offers owners the chance to register their bikes, become members, and participate in various events throughout the year. The YRHC not only focuses on the machinery but also reunites legendary riders with the iconic bikes on which they achieved their greatest successes, alongside Yamaha’s current racing talent.
In its inaugural year, the YRHC celebrated Yamaha’s road racing success by attending events like the ASI Motoshow in Italy and the CRMC Classic Motorcycle Festival in England. Highlights included Wayne Rainey’s emotional reunion with his 1992 YZR500 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. In 2023, the club expanded its program to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the YZ Motocross bikes.
For 2024, YRHC plans to commemorate several historic anniversaries, including the 60th anniversary of Yamaha’s first World Championship by Phil Read, the 50th anniversary of Agostini joining Yamaha, the 40th anniversary of Sarron’s 250cc World Championship, and the 25th anniversaries of the YZF-R7 debut and the YZF-R6’s first WorldSSP victory.
Celebrations kick off with Agostini and Sarron at the Sunday Ride Classic at Circuit Paul Ricard on May 18-19. They will join Johnny Cecotto for the Coupes Moto Legende at Circuit de Dijon-Prenois on May 24-26. The YRHC will also feature prominently at the Yamaha Racing Experience in Jerez on July 3-4, headlined by Valentino Rossi and Jonathan Rea, alongside current WorldSBK riders like Andrea Locatelli and Remy Gardner.
The year will conclude with the Veterans Motocross des Nations at Foxhills, UK, from August 22-25, starring Alessio Chiodi and a display of historic Yamaha off-road bikes.
Owners of classic Yamaha race bikes are invited to join the YRHC, which is open to bikes from Grand Prix racing (1955-2003), World Superbike (1985-2009), and motocross (pre-1998), as well as Paris Dakar machines raced in Africa before 2007. This inclusive club offers a unique platform for enthusiasts to connect, share knowledge, and celebrate Yamaha’s illustrious racing legacy.