Rumors of a new Yamaha R9 have been percolating for a while, but there’s been no official word from the Japanese marque… yet. The theory is that Yamaha is planning to transplant the magnificent 889 cc tripe-cylinder engine from the popular MT-09 into a sportbike—as they did with the YZF-R7. But some Yamaha devotees are growing impatient.
Seb Hipperson is so tired of waiting for the factory Yamaha R9, that he’s literally taken matters into his own hands and built his own R9 prototype. We hope Yamaha’s designers are taking notes because it is glorious.
Based in London, Seb is a full-time fabricator focusing mainly on furniture, but often dabbling in other interests. He’s also a motorcycle enthusiast, customizer, and racer—hence the burning desire to see the R9 concept come to life.…