By Will Burgess

To the world, he is known as The Doctor, a legend of the MotoGP circuit of our time, Valentino Rossi wrapped up an incredible legacy this year with the Yamaha Petronas Racing Team.

To celebrate his storied career, Yamaha Racing Europe has produced a special R1 GYTR VR46 Tribute bike in association with Rossi, to present to the nine-time world champion at the One More Lap event at EICMA 2021 in Milan, Italy.

The VR46 branded bike sports upcoming 2022 GYTR spec parts as well as unique features that are a direct result of Yamaha’s WorldSBK development, culminating in the highest spec R1 GYTR ever produced for track day usage.

Having made his debut 26 years ago, Rossi rose to become the most prominent figure in MotoGP history, producing some of the most mesmerizing and memorable performances that influenced and inspired an entirely new generation of motorcycle racing stars. 

To celebrate the legendary career of arguably the biggest star to grace the sport, comprising nine world championship titles across the MotoGP, 250cc and 125cc classes, 115 wins, and 235 podiums over 425 race starts, Yamaha has prepared to gift Rossi this unique R1, donning a special livery produced by his long-time helmet designer and friend, Aldo Drudi.

The bike uses some unique components borrowed from WorldSBK development, including a full carbon fiber rear subframe and carbon fiber fairing kit, in addition to an increased tank capacity of 22L, all designed with weight saving in mind.

The Brembo brakes have been developed with substantial stopping power for a consumer-grade motorcycle, while the high performance REX 140 Marelli ECU with a dedicated wiring harness produces world class power delivery.
Of course, the cherry on top for this bike is the one-of-a-kind Grazie Vale dashboard screen.

Yamaha Motor has not yet released specs for this motorcycle, but expect to hear more when the bike is presented to the public at EICMA later this week.

Will Burgess is a journalist with Adrenaline Powersports Mag