Give Niall Mackenzie £4k and he’d be hunting for a ’98 R1
1998 Yamaha YZF-R1
Triple BSB champion, former 500GP factory rider, proud Scot and father to BSB riders Taz and Taylor, Niall Mackenzie’s life has always revolved around bikes. When not annoying the neighbours riding around the flattrack course he built with his lads in the garden (wife Jan gave up a 33% stake in the lawn...), Niall commentates for Eurosport and BT Sport, instructs on track, is half of Mackenzie Hodgson Insurance and looks nervous in various pit garages as his sons battle on track. So what bike would Niall (grudgingly...) spend his hard-earned cash on? “I’m fascinated by RD350LCs, mainly because the Pro-Am series was pivotal in my career but the problem now is that they are just far too expensive. So once I’ve satisfied my twostroke cravings the next thing I type into the search is ‘1998 R1’. “In 2018 I was looking for something to restore and Taz, who was racing an R1 in BSB, rode a bike in anniversary colours at Brands Hatch. I just looked at it and went ‘I need a red and white 1998 R1’, so I hit eBay and bought one.
“In 1998 I was invited on the launch of the R1 at Cartagena.
After a ‘spirited’ ride we got to the circuit and I was let loose. I thought Yamaha were mad to launch a litre sportsbike at such a twisty track but it really highlighted just how strong and gutsy the R1’s motor was. “Back in the day everyone wanted the blue bike as it was classier but nowadays it is the red/white that is sought after so I’d look out an honest and tidy blue example to go with my red/ white one, which would set me back about £3500-£4000 where a minter is £5000. A word of warning though, don’t get too hooked on originality or you might end up buying a set of OE rubber brake lines from America for over £50 like a Scottish exBSB champion I know...”