San Bernardino, CA: Dunlop Motorcycle Tires is proud to announce the creation of a one-off custom Yamaha FZ1 fitted with the all-new Roadsmart tires. The bike was created by well-known racing entity Graves Motorsports and will be auctioned off for the benefit of Doug Henry. A multi-time national motocross champion, Henry suffered an injury during a Supermoto race in 2007, and is now fighting back to overcome partial paralysis from the waist down. Also aiding Henry in this fight is the Road 2 Recovery Foundation, who will be managing the auction of this special machine following the Summer X Games.
Introduced earlier this year, the new Roadsmart tire utilizes Dunlop's Multi-Tread compound technology to deliver remarkable wet-weather performance, exceptional mileage and sport bike handling. Since its introduction, the Roadsmart has taken the sport-touring category by storm, thanks to its exceptional sporting capabilities.
"Building this bike is a real labor of love for me," says Chuck Graves, President, Graves Motorsports Inc. "I'm proud to be able to do something to assist Doug in his recovery, and I also enjoyed creating a bike that I would personally love to own for street riding. A race-tuned Yamaha R1 would be a bit too much for the street, so I took a Yamaha FZ1 and tweaked the chassis for sport handling and also increased the power output. The end result is a bike that is very comfortable, but still delivers lots of excitement."
Graves outfitted the FZ1 with a modified crankshaft, cylinder head, transmission and slipper clutch from a Yamaha R1, plus a tuned Graves exhaust system, Dynojet Power Commander and a race-style speed-shifter setup. Premium Ohlins suspension components grace front and rear, with a specially valved, fully adjustable Type 46 rear shock and a Road & Track Front Fork delivering a plush ride plus unparalleled control. Radial-mount front brakes with 320mm rotors replace the standard items, and adjustable footpegs, Pro Taper Henry-bend handlebar and Ohlins steering damper add to the package. A sharp eye will detect numerous other detail changes that clean up the bike's profile, giving it more of a naked bike look, and custom paint, Marchesini wheels and Dunlop Roadsmart tires round out the package-all of which will go to the highest bidder.
"It is truly a privilege for Dunlop to take part in this project on behalf of Doug Henry," said Dunlop Vice President Mike Buckley. "Doug is a genuine hero and a racing legend in our motorcycling community, and we are honored to lend him and his family our support as we give them our best wishes."
More details about the Road 2 Recovery auction will be posted soon on the Dunlop Web site (http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com) and the Road 2 Recovery Web site (http://www.road2recovery.com).