Some like blondes, while others prefer brunettes. It's not so cut and dry when it comes to redheads of course, but we all tend to agree they're nuts. Similarly, the bling boys like their chrome and the racers love performance-but in the end the customs we encounter are all pretty crazy too.
Our lovely R1 mated with an R7 and came out completely kooky (in the good "wild in bed" sort of way), and this ultimate high-performance package has the ability to get anybody with a pulse pretty heated.
"This ultimate high-performance...
"This ultimate high-performance package has the ability to get anybody with a pulse pretty heated."
Its inspiration comes from a bike that had a short lifespan but a big influence on the racing world-Yamaha's R7. The race bike enjoyed short-lived success on the world racing stage, but has been revered by many as one of the most beautiful race homologation specials ever built.
Logic can sometimes backfire and take an ironic twist, and in this R1's case it seems to have done just that.
In the end, the build cost nearly twice that of a $30,000 R7 (if you can even find one), but from what we can tell his hybrid would leave the original R7 begging for mercy on the street.
Owner Rick Grosse isn't a catalog king who one day decided to bling out his bike with shiny parts. As a motorcycle parts manager he knows his business, and one look at his ride proves he definitely had a plan.
 Gilles rearsets look as fast...  Gilles rearsets look as fast as an inanimate piece of metal can. |  A beefy AP Racing caliper...  A beefy AP Racing caliper helps slow the aluminum Hi Point wheel. |  As if one fill hole isn't...  As if one fill hole isn't enough, this carbon-fiber tank doubles it up, endurance-racer style. |
"When I saw the R7 for the first time in street trim all I thought of was my 1000cc engine between its frame rails with all those nice race parts to ride on. I've always been into race replicas as they have been more purpose built for the serious canyon carver or the guy who can't seem to stay off the track. I have never been a wanna-be or the guy who says he's got something cool but doesn't.
"The body and paint alone...
"The body and paint alone cost more dough than most people's daily riders."
"I put my money into a real good thing to make it better. Putting everything I like in one bike seemed more feasible than just going out and trying to buy the bike that I replicated."
What looks strictly like a high-performance racer actually has some beauty marks on it. After stripping down the frame, subframe and $5000 Harris quick-change swingarm, they were sent out for a powdercoat job that left them with a 20 percent gloss-black finish-much better than the raw aluminum look. Then it was wrapped in QB Carbon and Sebimoto carbon-fiber bodywork that was treated to a smart paint job by Exotic Bodies with race decals from Fast Signs.
The stock aluminum gas tank didn't match too well with the upgraded bodywork though, so Rick fixed that with a carbon-fiber twin-fill endurance tank. We did a quick cash tally and determined that the body and paint alone cost more dough than most people's daily riders-think in the neighborhood of $9000!
Introduced in 1999, the R7...
Introduced in 1999, the R7 was one of the most exclusive and expensive race homologation bikes ever produced. The initial run of only 500 units meant that even if you could afford the $32,000 price tag you weren't likely to get your hands on one after the proper race teams snatched them up. The model was discontinued in 2002 after limited success in the World Superbike Championship, but is still highly appreciated.
This bike certainly offers a lot more than meets the eye, and some of the hidden goodies are also the most trick. A data logger data-acquisition system and World Superbike-spec race radiator from Yoyodyne are concealed from the untrained eye, as well as Gilles GP triple clamps and Braketech oversize rotors.
The motor is far from stock too, of course, and internals include a Graves cam and adjustable sprockets, while flat-slide carbs with Ivans needles get the juice flowing. It ultimately fires out of a Graves titanium exhaust, but don't get your hopes up because it's a factory race part that you need connections (and a lot of green) to score.
The high-performance list runs as deep as Yamaha's race history, and Rick's labor of love is arguably as attractive as any stretched and slammed showbike on the scene.