Elsewhere in this issue we document some of the history of two incredibly long-lived and important motorcycles — the Yamaha R1 and Suzuki Hayabusa — but I’d like to indulge in a little personal history with both bikes.
The R1 was one of the first world launches I attended. It was in magazine, Jeremy Bowdler, signed me up to be Johnny on the spot. I managed to make my way to the hotel Yamaha was using as its base, a magnificent old place on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. On the morning of the launch I was simply told, “Those guys [local journos] know where the track is, just follow them.”
