YZR500 & Britten to take centre stage at Ruapuna

Whole lot of noise going on

There promises to be a lot of howling and screaming amid a chilling rumble at Ruapuna later this month.

Two of the most iconic motorcycles of the 20th century will be part of the entertainment at the New Zealand Grand Prix – opening round of the 2026 Star Insure New Zealand Superbike Championship – in January 31-February 1.

They will be ridden by two New Zealand motorcycle racing legends – Aaron Slight and Dennis Charlett.

Slight, the former World Superbike Championship star, will be demonstrating the Yamaha YZR500 that took fellow Kiwi Simon Crafar to a world championship grand prix win in 1998.

It will be the first time an extremely rare high-revving four-cylinder two-stroke YZR has taken to the Ruapuna circuit and Slight is keen to leave an aural experience.

"It howls. It screams," says Slight, "and I love it."

It will be one of two YZR500s on display in the Legends Garage. 

The other bike, recently restored by Paul Treacy, was previously raced in the 500cc World Championship by Australian Garry McCoy.

Sharing the track with Slight will be multi New Zealand champion Charlett, who adds the Christchurch-built Britten that achieved international success during the 1990s to his extensive "logbook" of bikes ridden.

The distinctive twin-cylinder Britten tone has been variously described as "lovely and silky", through to "an amazing sound that sends chills through you."

The appearance of the Britten coincides with the opening of the John Britten Museum in Christchurch in February.

A bunch of free passes to the museum will be given away at the event, so get your tickets now.

https://www.nzsuperbikeseries.co.nz/iconicmotorbikesgp