Rare Bird

RARE BIRD

Anthony Gobert's YZF-R7 Superbike

A JAPANESE SUPERBIKE with an Australian rider as an American Flyer?

Consider this: After the factory’s withdrawal from the World Superbike Championship at the end of the 2000 season, Yamaha USA’s YZF-R7 Superbike is now one of three such beasts being campaigned at top level in the world. And as World Superbike (and likely the AMA) move toward more production-based 1000cc rules, the classic 750cc four-cylinder Superbike epitomized by the ultra-trick R7 is set to disappear from racetracks forever.

In the meantime, Yamaha’s Anthony Gobert con-

tinues to work miracles in extracting the utmost from this soon-to-be-retired homologation special.

While longer tracks showed that even with new motor parts the R7 was still short on top-end power compared to the mighty lOOOcc Honda RC51, a new Öhlins gas-charged fork and latestspec shock held the promise of improving what has always been one of the strengths of the R7’s fully tuneable chassis: handling.

“The thing I like about the R7 is that it’s really good through the twisty stuff, so I can make up significant time,” says Gobert. “And it’s

American FLYERS

brakes, too.”

Witness cut-and-thrust Fontana, where Gobert took a battling win in the first race. But that’s been the only truly shining moment this season, with the worst of it coming at Road Atlanta in Georgia, where Gobert hit the pavement during a practice session.

“It was my backup bike, and I wasn’t even going out there for a lap time,” said

Gobert. “I went out, and the bike didn’t feel too good. I thought T should go in,’ but decided, ‘Oh, I’ll just do three laps, then get back on my preferred bike.’ Two comers later, I was down.” The crash didn’t damage the R7 too badly, but the 27-year-old broke his lower right leg so severely it ultimately required surgery and extensive physical therapy. As a

result, he missed the next rounds, and was highly unlikely to be ready to race at Laguna Seca, for either AMA or World Superbike, the latter for which he had been given a Wild Card slot.

A disappointment for the talented Australian.

“I see a future for me on the world scene,” he says. “My goal is to be world champion and that hasn’t

changed.”

No one was slated to fill in for him, either. We even asked if one of CW s speedy staffers could have a go, but the answer was no.

Eh, it’s not so bad. Once rules render the R7 obsolete, just think how cheap you’ll be able to pick one up. Slap on a little street gear, a license plate.. .now there ’s an American Flyer.

-Mark Hoyer