Just days after being ridden to a fantastic seventh place in the Superstock TT by James McBride, the Yamaha R1 was up for sale.
Kettering’s McBride had to buy the machine just one week before the Centenary running of the Isle of Man TT after a deal with another team fell through.
The first time he even sat on the machine was just moments before tearing down Bray Hill on the first night of practice.
McBride and his JV Racing team enjoyed a successful TT, finishing all four races in the top 20, and claiming two top 10 finishes using the R1 and an R6. However, with the festival over, the R1 is up for sale to help fund McBride’s racing for the rest of the year and the R6 has been returned to Shaun Harker.
At the moment McBride is without machinery for 2007.
He said:
‘I really don’t know when my next meeting will be as the R6 has gone back to Shaun Harker whilst I had to put the R1 up for sale as soon as the TT finished in the hope of getting some money back.’
‘At this moment in time I have no bikes to go racing, but am desperate for my season not to finish in June and would love to be out at the likes of the Southern 100, Ulster Grand Prix and Macau Grand Prix.’
‘I set out at the beginning of the year to finish in the top 10 at the TT so to have done that in two of the races is very satisfying and I feel that I am riding better now than ever before.’
‘It would be a great shame not to be able to build upon my results and improve even more at the aforementioned circuits so if anyone is able to help at all, please get in touch as I would be incredibly grateful.’
McBride thanked Andrea Martin of Leyford Construction, Mick Foster of Michael Thomas Associates and Shaun Harker for supplying the R6, and his local bike shop, Ape Accessories, for their support.
During the TT he finished seventh in the Superstock race, 10th in the Senior, 18th in the Superbike and 19th in the Supersport. His fastest lap, a 124.011mph in the Senior, made him the 16th fastest rider of race week and the 24th fastest ever around the Mountain Course.
Phil Wain