GTS1000 TT racer!
Legendary TT racer and Yamaha franchise owner Steve Linsdell converted a superheavyweight (280 kilos wet) tourer into a super-fast TT racer in the mid-1990s. His GTS went on a huge diet, losing around 100kg, meaning the bike was now a lithe (well, lither) 180kg. The 1002cc Exupbased motor had to go, due to TT racing regs, meaning that a kitted YZF750 motor was slotted in (minus a weld or two). Power was around 120-130bhp. Why choose the GTS to go racing? Steve says: “I like racing oddball bikes and after riding the GTS1000, it was so stable and soaked up the bumps that I thought it would go well around the island.” Indeed it did. He took eighth in the 1994 F1 TT then backed that up a year later with a superb sixth in the F1. Ahead were the works RC45S of Steve Ward, Nick Jefferies, Joey Dunlop and winner Phil Mccallen. Simon Beck was the sole twin-interloper on a Ducati. Impressive stuff, but if you think that’s weird, Steve was also the man who raced a Yamaha XJ600 to third place in a Isle of Man proddie race in 1986…