Yamaha Past Masters – we meet one racer and his machine

The Yamaha Past Masters is a race series where it’s not just the machines maturing in age. And the rules are pretty simple – find an old Yamaha RD250 or 350LC, RD350 YPVS, TZR250 or even a TDR250, throw lots of money at it, and then race it. It’s a well supported series running under the British Motorcycle Racing Club (BMRC or Bemsee), and that thrives on the love of two stroke fumes. (Tempted? Check out prices on ebay)

Just a few miles from my current base of operations, I discovered a Yamaha RD350 YPVS and a rider that’s ready to do battle in the 2014 championship. So having made friends with the 50-something year old rider, Neil, I popped round for a chat and some Jaffa Cakes.

Racing under the noble banner of ‘Farkham Hall’, Neil’s office is split between his website business and a Yamaha workshop, with a handy pub next door! Life doesn’t get much better – until you find out he’s based in a village with its own brewery, vineyard and scenic location on the banks of the River Wye. Having invested in 1,000 Farkham Hall T-Shirts, Tintern’s fastest classic Yamaha owner has shifted 5 so far – hopefully sales will pick up during the racing season!

Upon arrival I found Neil preparing his YPVS bodywork for a fresh coat of paint, the tourists heading  for Tintern’s famous abbey ruins looked on in amazement as he sanded down the race fibreglass  outside his work life on the pavement. His RD350YPVS started life in Brazil; it’s one of the last R  models, loathed by purists, loved by racers.

Not much of that original bike remains, thankfully. The  engines been tuned to keep it within the classes bhp limit, with KR1S pwk28s feeding the premix in to the  ported barrels. Gibson provide the exhaust pipes, and a mismatch of parts make up the chassis. The Triumph  TT600 four pot calipers are a direct fit!

Like all race bikes development is always in progress, next up  is to replace the ignition system, meanwhile an old LC coil replaced the knackered YPVS one.

Neil took up racing after hurting himself playing rugby, and I didn’t want to question his logic.  With the season’s opener at Brands a week away he was busy doing last minute jobs, like finding the  foldable chairs and counting his 995 Farkham Hall T shirts! Meanwhile here are some more pics…