ONE of the most prestigious prizes in motorbike racing is up for grabs this weekend with the 2019 edition of the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race kicking off on Sunday.
Though only a third of the length of the round-the-clock Bol d’Or and the Le Mans 24H, the Suzuka 8 Hours is often highlighted as the blue riband round due to the influx of local specialists on a grid of predominantly Japanese-manufactured models.
In short, if you are riding a Japanese machine and you win right in front of the industry’s biggest bosses – and we’re talking the actual BIG boss of Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki – then you have a job for life…
Now, for 2019 the general public can get their hands on a bit of ‘8-Tai’ (as it is also known) history themselves with the first annual Suzuka 8 Hours Auction which collects a number of beautiful domestic and international collectible motorbikes.
It’s a modest collection in terms of numbers, but the quality here is high if just for some exclusivity value.
The standout for us is a 1988 Suzuki GSX-R750R ‘TT-F1 Racer’ decked out in the recognisable blue and white of Konica Minolta branding. A works model as raced in 1988, this example has a TT-F1 spec engine under the surface and is currently at a starting price of 5,000,000 Yen (around £37,000)
We’re also drawn to a special 2018 Katana-R 1000 which has been fettled by former BSB front-runner and Suzuka 8 Hours veteran Yukio Kagayama. Equipped with a GSX-R1000 engine, this edition puts an original steel frame onto a Katana ‘silhouette’ to create a visually striking machine. It’s ready to race and there is little like it on the road, which explains why it is also starting at between 4,000,000 and 5,000,000 Yen (approx. £30,000 to £37,000)
Other standouts include a few Hondas complete with recognisable red, white and blue branding, a four-valve 1981 Ducati 851 Racing – which has the highest estimated bid of £46,000 to £52,000 – and even a 1934 Verocette MAC350.
You can view the entire lot right here…
