Forget the R7 Cup for a moment, do you remember the R6 Cup" Of course you do. It?s one of the most famous one-make series ever to grace a BSB paddock. And one of the most successful. Particularly if you?re to count the subsequent success of its alumni, who have gone on to win British championships, world championships, TTs and even MotoGP races. If you can?t remember it, let me remind you what it was all about. It was a bunch of kids (18 ? 25 year olds) on Standard Yamaha YZF-R6s, on bog-stock road tyres, racing for the chance to win a BSB contract with Rob McElnea?s Virgin Yamaha Superbike team.

Not only was it great to watch, it developed and demonstrated the talents of plenty of up-and-coming riders. That was until it was canned at the end of 2007. And despite a handful of good one-make series in the meantime, the success of the R6 Cup has never been repeated. There was even an R1 Cup, that ran for a few years, but it never took off in the same way. So maybe the time has come to reintroduce the Yamaha one-make series, with the all-new (well mostly new) Yamaha R7. An affordable one-make series with a sensible prize at the end of it. It doesn?t necessarily have to be a superbike contract. It could be a superstock or a supersport bike. Or a sponsorship package. It just needs to be something that will attract the best riders to the grid.
Great minds

And as it happens, I?m not the first person to think of this. It was announced yesterday that, not only will ...