Superbike team unveils special Kenny Roberts-inspired Yamaha R1 for night race
The Yamaha DMR Racing team, supported by Yamaha Motor Italia, revealed special Kenny Roberts-inspired R1s that went racing at Misano as part of the CIV Racing Night event.
The Yamaha DMR Racing Team, which currently competes in the CIV Italian Speed Championship, used last weekend’s annual Racing Night event at Misano to showcase two Kenny Roberts-inspired R1s, mimicking the livery found on the 2026 XSR900 GP.
You might like to read our Yamaha XSR900 GP review.
This is the same XSR900 GP livery that was also displayed at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed, which took place earlier this month. However, the DMR Racing Team revealed its own take on the Roberts-inspired livery, which in-turn produced one of the sweetest-looking R1s in recent times.
The CIV Racing Night event traditionally featured one race over the course of the weekend which was courtesy of a night race on Saturday. However, the 2026 edition gained an extra race across all classes. The Roberts-inspired livery was used exclusively in the Superbike class by former WorldSBK rider Alessandro Delbianco, and team-mate Manuel Margarito.
The famous Yellow ‘Speed Block’ livery is one of the most iconic liveries associated with the Japanese manufacturer, and Roberts, who remains one of the brand’s most legendary racers.
The livery harkens back to many eras of racing and is most symbolic of the 1978 season, when Roberts won the 500cc world championship on the Yamaha YZX500. Roberts became the first American rider to win the premier class title.
Since that era of racing, Yamaha has reinvented the livery on several occasions, although the most notable edition was arguably the 2006 Yamaha R1 Limited Edition model, which was a clear nod to the colours used by Roberts.
Speaking about why the Yamaha DMR team chose to run a special Roberts-inspired livery at Misano, Andrea Colombi, Country Manager of Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. in Italy, said:
“There are colours that, for every motorcycling fan, immediately evoke emotions, challenges and great victories. With this livery we want to pay homage to Kenny Roberts and one of the most iconic pages in Yamaha history. It is not just a tribute to our past, but a way of remembering that the racing spirit that made Yamaha great lives on today, in every race and in every new challenge.”
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
