60 PERFORMANCEBIKES.CO.UK|MARCH 2018
E’VE ALL SEENroad-going Yamaha
YZR500 replicas using RD500 motors,
but none benefit from the attention to
detail that Jerry Woods has lavished on
his stunning creation. Not only did he
gain unprecedented access to the
machine it is based on, but he also went
above and beyond in terms of keeping it authentic.
Every single component on this glorious special has
either come directly from Yamaha’s Iwata factory or
been built by Jerry himself in his shed. Well, aside
from the rear brake master cylinder set-up...
“I’ve always had a penchant for two-strokes and
with that came a hankering to build a proper YZR500
replica, but there were two things that really triggered
this project’s start – my brother building an RGV500
rep using an RG500 motor in an RGV250 frame and
seeing Niall Mackenzie’s actual 1991 YZR500 race
bike in the flesh,” explains Jerry. “I didn’t want to get
involved in my brother’s project as he is mechanically
useless, so that was out of the question, but I was still
insanely jealous of his bike. Then, when Niall’s 1991
Sonauto arrived in the reception at work, and I had to
walk past it every day, I knew I just had to build one...”
It’s not every workplace that has a genuine factory
YZR500 on display in its reception area, so it is worth
pointing out that Jerry’s employer was actually
Yamaha UK. A helpful fact when it comes to gaining
unprecedented access to a GP bike, especially if you
also happen to be their Technical Advisor...
“I got in touch with Niall and asked if he minded if
I wheeled the bike into the training workshop and
ripped it to pieces to take dimensions and
photographs,” said Jerry. “Amazingly he said, ‘No
problem at all, go for it’ – so that’s exactly what I did.”
Having stripped the tank, bodywork and seat unit
off the bike and photographed it from every
conceivable angle, and measured anything that could
bemeasured,Jerryhadafarclearerideaofhowits
mechanicals worked and how the bike was put
together. Now he could finally start his YZR500
project, but far from make it easy, Jerry gave himself
astrictstipulationwhenitcametoparts.
“The plan was to make the replica as near asDash
The dash has a rev counter and temperature gauge, but also a
GPS-operateddigitalspeedoasthereisnospeedopick-upon
the bike. The RD has a cable-driven speedo pick-up in the front
wheelwheretheR1hasanelectricaloneonthegearbox–
neither of which are now on the bike! The clocks are mounted
in a Yamaha diesel marine engine’s instrument’s bezels as they
have ‘Yamaha’ stamped on them...‘FAR FROM
MAKE IT EASY,
JERRY GAVE
HIMSELF
ASTRICT
STIPULATION
WHEN IT CAME
TO PARTS’
SPECIAL/YAMAHA SONAUTO YZR500
Brackets
Jerrymadeallthebike’s
brackets and mounting
points himself using a
hacksaw and files as he
didn’townalathewhenhe
was building the bike. Now
that’s dedication...