- The legendary Yamaha YZR500 and the iconic Britten will run live at Ruapuna in January.
- Kiwi racing legends Aaron Slight and Dennis Charlett will ride the machines.
- The appearance coincides with the opening of the John Britten Museum in Christchurch.
There will be no shortage of noise, nostalgia and raw mechanical theatre at Ruapuna later this month, with two of the most iconic motorcycles of the modern era set to fire up at the New Zealand Grand Prix.
As part of the opening round of the Star Insure New Zealand Superbike Championship on January 31–February 1, fans will be treated to live demonstrations of the legendary Yamaha YZR500 and the world-famous Britten V1000 — both ridden by New Zealand racing royalty.
Former World Superbike star Aaron Slight will climb aboard the YZR500 that carried fellow Kiwi Simon Crafar to a memorable 500cc Grand Prix victory in 1998. It will mark the first time the high-revving, four-cylinder two-stroke has taken to the Ruapuna Raceway circuit — and Slight is promising to make the most of the moment.
“It howls. It screams — and I love it,” said Slight, describing the unmistakable soundtrack of the YZR500.
The bike will be one of two YZR500s on display in the Legends Garage across the weekend. The second machine, recently restored by Paul Treacy, was previously raced in the 500cc World Championship by Australian ace Garry McCoy.
Sharing the track with Slight will be multi-time New Zealand champion Dennis Charlett, who will demonstrate the Christchurch-built Britten — a motorcycle that not only rewrote engineering rulebooks in the 1990s but also put New Zealand firmly on the world racing map.
The sound of the Britten’s distinctive V-twin has been described in many ways over the years — from “lovely and silky” to “chilling” — and its appearance at Ruapuna comes at a fitting time, coinciding with the opening of the John Britten Museum in Christchurch this February.
To mark the occasion, a number of free passes to the new museum will be given away during the event, adding another layer of incentive for fans to attend what is already shaping up as a special weekend.
With two of the most significant race bikes of the 20th century sharing the same circuit — and ridden by two of New Zealand’s most respected racers — the New Zealand Grand Prix at Ruapuna promises to deliver an unforgettable slice of motorcycling history, both heard and felt.
More information and tickets are available via the New Zealand Superbike Series website. Click HERE to get them.
