During the fifth round of the Motoamerica road race championship Wayne Rainy, a honorary round drove on the illustrious circuit of Laguna Seca on a specially prepared XSR900 GP. Rainy was given the unique tailor -made XSR900 GP from Yamaha Motor Us, who had made the bike in close collaboration with Yamaha Motor Europe.
It was the third time Rainey was driving a Yamaha motorcycle since the 1993 accident, which put an end to his racing career. All the while the racing legend has remained faithful to the Japanese manufacturer and since his accident he only rode on Yamaha.
After the European debut of the XSR900 GP, in which Wayne Rainey was celebrated in the introduction video, Wayne would receive one of the first models produced. He and the Yamaha Motor Europe team, however, continued to dream and thought of how Wayne could ride on the motorcycle that was designed after the example of the motorcycles with which he had raced in the past.
Made with the genuine goal of assisting him on his journey back on two wheels, an adapted tribute has been compiled to celebrate Yamaha’s deep and historical relationship with the former Grand Prix driver and current Motoamerica president.
The unique, specially built XSR900 GP model is equipped with Yamaha’s Automated Manual Transmission (Y-Amt), the semi-automatic transmission that many manufacturers have suddenly focused on in recent years. In addition to the application of Y-AMT, the XSR900 GP is also provided with various adjustments to support Rainey with a stable, sturdy seating position.
The XSR900 GP, inspired by Rainey’s championship-winning machines, has been adapted with a black Deltabox style frame for an aggressive and stealth-like aesthetics. Black wheels have also been added for a streamlined and targeted look, which completely imitates the aesthetics of Rainey’s familiar YZR500.
The model was officially handed over to Rainey during a honorary event organized by the circuit at Laguna Seca Raceway on 11-13 July, during the fifth round of the 2025 Motoamerica championship. The Paraderonde, led by the 3-time world champion on the XSR900 GP and together with various drivers, legends and motorcycle agents of the California Highway Patrol, provided a memorable showcase of Yamaha Motoren and Technology that weekend.
The Paraderonde marked Rainey’s first return to the historic Laguna Seca Raceway since the US Grand Prix in 1991, where he took the pole position for a passionate home crowd, dominated the race and won the victory with a 6.9 second lead.
Rainey’s last public performance on two wheels took place in 2022 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where Yamaha Motor modified his title -winning YZR500 from 1992 by moving the rear brake and gear lever to the steering wheel to meet his individual driving needs.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.