The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Yamaha R1 Street Tracker from Gregg’s Customs

By

Yamaha R1 Street Tracker from Gregg's Customs
Yamaha R1 Street Tracker from Gregg's Customs

You know what a Yamaha R1 is all about, high power, cutting edge technology for the track and even though it’s not unusual for the custom guys to stretch the swingarms and mount 300 rear tires, it’s a track weapon, through and through. Well, suppose the track you have in mind is a one mile dirt track, then what? Obviously you need to look elsewhere, you could start with a Harley Sportster like many do or maybe an old XS650, those are popular, but if you’re Gregg DesJardins, you take a closer look at that R1 and start removing parts to see what’s underneath.

Yamaha R1 Street Tracker from Gregg's Customs
Yamaha R1 Street Tracker from Gregg's Customs

Gregg sent me some photos of his latest project, unveiled at the Indy Museum this past Friday to Kenny Roberts and Yamaha at the Yamaha Party. It’s a 2009 Yamaha R1 turned into a tracker. The tank has been cut down a lot, a new titanium subframe was fabricated, one of Gregg’s swingarms was installed, lots of handmade pieces were worked up and then it was given a high end paint job in the old Yamaha colors. The result, a one mile tracker with performance that will make you sit up and take notice.

Yamaha R1 Street Tracker from Gregg's Customs
Yamaha R1 Street Tracker from Gregg's Customs

With R1 power and a sit up style, nice wide bars and light weight, a guy could go prowling around for one of those V-Twin style trackers and surprise ’em. Overkill? Not at all, it’s just what you need for a little fun.

Gregg says the bike is for sale, if someone is interested. He’s asking $40k but is willing to entertain serious offers.

So what do you think? Could the R1 become another street tracker platform?

Yamaha R1 Street Tracker from Gregg's Customs
Yamaha R1 Street Tracker from Gregg's Customs

Link: Gregg’s Customs
Related: Hellion by Gregg’s Customs
Related: Rockstar Hayabusa
Related: Suzuki B-King Custom

Comments

  2. I very much like when a builder uses traditional Colors to tie into a brands heritage. The Iconic Yellow with Black will always be associated with racing Yamhas in my mind. The new Blue just does not work for me!

  4. Could the R1 become another street tracker platform?

    I don’t know about that, but it certainly looks the business! I like it a lot =)

  5. @Tin, I definitely agree on the colors, they look great. I guess Yami decided on a switch after years and years of battling with Suzuki in yellow. Most other colors were the domain of other brands, so the switch made sense from a branding perspective.

    This bike is great!

  6. It appears ‘street tracker’ is the new name for Streetfighter. Nicely done but there’s something inherently wrong with an inline 4 tracker. What next? a GSXR thou motorcrosser (wait a sec… didn’t I see one of those a few weeks ago?! 😉 )

  7. By heck that is a good looking machine. Is that a larger front wheel or just an optical illusion? I think you could even make it UK street legal with a front mud guard, chain guard, LED brake and turn signals without spoiling it. I really like the look of the CCM FT710 and other flat trackers but as people have taken R1’s round the world this may actually be the bike that would allow you to have a one bike garage!

  9. From what I have read about the new R1 motor, yes this could run the mile and then some.

    Looking forward to seeing a lead shoe get this sideways

    Great work.

  10. I’ll be the first to say it then…. Ewww! Sorry, just cant dig this thing. Neat concept. Definitely different. Cool in its design, but uglier than 4 day old roadkill.

  15. Brilliant execution. Uses all of the high-tech wizardry available today, yet pays tribute to the heritage and glory of past heroes who have contributed to what motorcycling was, and is today. It looks more gold than yellow to me, but that could just be this old man’s eyes. I could certainly see myself gettin’ in a whole lot of trouble riding it! Nicely done!

    I think Kenny might get a bit misty eyed if he saw this bike. That, or he might think “Uh-oh! Here we go again!” I remember KR’s TZ-750 flat track bike. What a beast!

    This is my first post to this forum. I stumbled accross it while goofing off at work (again). It is probably one of the best sites of this type I have ever seen. We can agree to disagree about what we think here, but it actually seems like the people who post are intelligent as well as respectful and not a bunch of A**holes as in some other sites. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good jab, or to flame someone every once in a while, but for the most part, I stay neutral. God bless and FTW to all.

  17. Looks very nice… It’d be great to get old King Kenny to take a few photo-op laps on it, and see if its as evil as his TZ750.

  19. I’d love to ride this bike… but something just looks *wrong*; I can’t put my finger on it. Perhaps a little lowering is in order.

    Either way, it’s a hell of a beast!

  20. Very Very cool. I think to most it probably looks a bit short for its height so a bit of lowering my be in order. For a street tracker it doesn’t need a ton of suspension travel. This is better than the fairing factory version as far as the cool factor!

  21. the open trellis style shape at the front front end of the “tank” is awesome! I’ve been dreaming up motorcycle bodywork in the style of a skeleton watch, and this is a terrific example of suggesting form without requiring a big solid piece of material to take up space…

  24. This is another great bike produced from GC’s..thanks for motivating us all to customize our own creations!

  25. Never thought i’d say this about a custom litre bike but that back wheel looks a little weedy. And the tank seems a bit tall.
    Thats all my constructive criticism, can i have a go on it now?
    I promise I’ll bring it back…….in at least one piece

  26. it needs teh front of the airbox cover put back on….besides that is screams “arest me know and take me to jail…..”

  27. the frame is too wide it raises the whole look of the bike. i dig the street tracker look but have seen others that hit the target a little better.

  31. Ahh, nice work…
    I’m thinking those are 19 inch wheels. Being a mostly dirt guy, 17 inchers have just never looked right to me.

    As far as weight goes, the R1 is pretty light (about 175kg), not much more than a 650 KLR, and this one is probably lighter than the original machine, so it should be tossable. I remember seeing pictures years ago of Kenny Roberts sliding a VMax around a dirt oval with the Yamaha high muck-a-mucks watching.

    To me, the bike looks great, but I hope someone will thrash it about and scuff it up a little. I always thought my motocross bikes looked better after twenty motos than they did when still in the showroom. A few dents, scratches, knobby tracks on the swingarm, the paint scuffed down to bare metal in places, pop rivets holding plastic together… those things told the history of the bike, and me too I guess.

  32. Scary little number, I like it. I think ragging on it because it wouldn’t be a contender on the actual mile is missing the mark somewhat – it’s a flat-track ‘styled’ bike, not a flat-track racing bike. You could fit a tiny tank and call it a ‘trials’ style bike… I’d love to hear the cross-plane motor through that tiny pipe : )

  34. I love it. 100% badass bike! Too bad they made the Harley Davidson monopoly decision right after Roberts show HD what was up in the 70’s. That decision alone ruined a perfectly good Grand National series. IMHO.

  35. I want to race it at stockton mile on 16 &17 oct in cale the mad miler at 160 docwtthe backstraight way hardcord maico mike cool