The magazine for classic Japanese motorcycles

Hello... November 2011

From dirt track, through early Superbikes to 250  GPs and then on to three world titles on the most difficult machines to ride of all – 500 GP two-strokes, Rainey has ridden them all and it’s an absolute pleasure to have a motorcycling legend such as Wayne as our guest of honour.

Rainey first burst into the UK’s collective biking consciousness in 1987 during the Trans-Atlantic Match races; in hard-core fairing bashing action with US team mate Kevin Schwantz. On page 54 Rainey talks us through those early days and some of the highlights of his racing career.

The bike Rainey rode in those match races was Honda’s VFR750, our cover bike this month. After Honda’s first V4 engine issues (explained in detail on page 66), the VFR was to be the machine to rescue a tattered V4 reputation. Okay, so the VFR may not have the following of the GSX-R. They’ve been seen as the soft option, but today they’re cheap yet reliable and, well, far more comfortable than their GSX-R competition from back in the day. Maybe I’m getting old, but a Rainey replica VFR would make a cracking winter project...

Enjoy the mag.

Ben Wilkins,
Editor