Australian Motorcycle News - June 21, 2018

Giz a squiz

Congratulations Brad, you’ve
scored a beaut Motul cap and T-shi
valued at $35, kindly supplied by o
mates at Link International.

Send an image and details abou
your two-wheeled pride and jo
to [email protected]

Giz a squi

Send us your ridevia email, to

[email protected], if you’re a

carby and points kinda person, pop a

pic and relevant info in the post

to Readers’ Rides, PO Box 20154,

World Square, NSW, 2002

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Rider Brad Bakker

Bike 2006 Yamaha YZF-R6

He says I have quite a

relationship with my R6. In 2008,

I purchased a used 2006 model

in Cairns to use as a trackbike.

I was racing an Aprilia RS125

up at the Mako Track where I

seriously caught the track bug

and, after returning from the

2007 MotoGP at the Island on my

YZF-R1, I was truly inspired.

I sold the R1 and RS125,

leaving me only with the YZF-R6,

which I rode to Phillip Island for

the 2009 MotoGP. At that stage,

the bike was white/red in 50th

Anniversary colours.

I moved to Adelaide and

started doing trackdays. I learnt

that white is diffi cult when

covering up dodgy repairs, so I

painted the whole thing black.

I only ever won one race, got

a couple of podiums, and did

a trackday at Phillip Island, in

the fast group, which are all

memories I will never forget.

I left Adelaide in 2012 and

sold the R6 to a mate, who two

years later gave it back to me for

nothing! I rode it to the MotoGP

in 2015, painted the tank 50th

Anniversary yellow and got

fairings to suit. Last year, at

the same time as my wife fell

pregnant, I was out for a ride

on the R6 and spun a big-end

bearing. The quote to fi x it was

$4500, so I thought I’d have a

crack at fi xing it myself.

My son was born in July 2017,

and was often asleep against

my chest while I was working

on the engine. The rebuild was a

complete success, the R6 is back

on the road, and the engine feels

stronger than before.

Bikes come and go, but I

suspect this one will be in my

garage for a very long time.

We say Nice one, Brad! Good

job! And in the blink of an eye,

your son will arrive home with

a shiny new L-plate, and the R6

will mysteriously become his

possession, along with all of

your workshop tools, favourite

magazines and any money you

leave lying around.