Motorcycle specifications YamahaYZF 750 R7 OW-02 Bol d'or replica 2000 The divine symphony

Some of the bikes featured on MP are real favorites, and this Yam' is in a class of its own. It's perhaps my favorite. You'll have to forgive my sometimes relative objectivity. But don't worry: this exceptional machine has made and will continue to make many motorcyclists dream. This bike, this emotion, this fantasy, is a limited series of Yamaha 750 YZF-R7s, the "Bol d'Or replica".

Why this bike? It's a story of passion, guts and competition. Grab a glass of Ricqlès, sit back and let's take a dip (I insist) into the not-so-distant past. We arrive in Magny-Cours on Sunday, September 17, 2000. It's nearly 3 p.m. Honda RC 45s and VTR SP-1s, Kawasaki ZX-7 RRs and Suzuki 750 GSX-Rs roar around the circuit. And then, right at the top of the timesheets, an R7 OW-02 takes victory in the 64th Bol d'Or. The Yamaha Motor France team and its riders Jean-Marc Delétang, Fabien Foret and Australian Mark Willis will have taken the most fabulous Superbike Yamaha of the 750 era to the top step of the Endurance podium.

A few months later, Yamaha decided to mark the occasion with a special series of R7s (and R6s). It was time to mark the occasion. This YZF designed for WSBK is already rare and very expensive. For the Bol d'Or replica, only 20 examples are planned. They receive the same decoration as the n°17 machine that won the event, plus a number of remarkable extras. Sold at the same price as the original version (179,980 francs), it gains an Akrapovic titanium silencer, quick release plates on the swingarm, an Ermax racing bubble, and a symbolic mark on the frame. Rather than affixing a numbered plate to the fork crown, as is customary, Yamaha has chosen to apply a gold cut to the right-hand aluminum spar with the name of the event and the number in the series.
In the photo on this page, you can admire the n°1, which belonged to Jean-Claude Olivier. Quite a symbol. Special thanks to Hubert Rigal for providing us with these photos, which are impossible to get enough of.

Prestigious and exclusive, the R7 Bol d'Or replica wasn't just another sports car. Owners were invited to take possession of the car at MG Compétition, the home of the renowned Martial Garcia. This is where the Yamaha bikes in the official Endurance program were prepared, in the Haute-Savoie region not far from Geneva.

Time has passed. Modern Superbikes have come a long way in terms of power and electronics. Yet this R7 remains a bewitching sports car. With its razor-sharp chassis and insane engine, it imprisons riders and enthusiasts alike with delicious thrills and gripping efficiency. The Deltabox II frame featured a GP500-style swingarm, inverted forks, steering damper and Öhlins rear suspension. Inside, the 749 cm3 4-cylinder engine used titanium connecting rods and valves (20 in all), as well as 2 injectors per cylinder. And this princess didn't offer her virtues so easily. The beauty offered just 106 horsepower right out of the box. To honour her, the racing kit was necessary, and released 160 horsepower of pure power. It was also one of the very few sports cars to feature adjustable footpegs and an Endurance-type fuel tank with a dedicated space for Zenith valves. Racy and racing through and through.

Today, Hubert Rigal has turned his hand to researching and selling exceptional motorcycles. His website - https://www.classic-motorbikes.com/ - lets you dream a little more. There was an R7 for sale a while back. And also a Pope T16, an MV-Agusta 850 Monza, a Bimota YB3, a BMW Rennsport RS54, a Matchless G45... The place is well worth a visit.

M.B - Photos Hubert Rigal and Yamaha France