Rumors of a The new Yamaha R9 has been around for a while but there’s been no official word from the Japanese brand yet… The theory is that Yamaha is planning to inject the amazing 889 cc 3-cylinder engine from the popular MT-09 into a sports car — as they did with the YZF-R7. But some Yamaha followers are growing impatient.
Seb Hipperson was so tired of waiting for the Yamaha R9 to ship that he literally solved the problem himself and built his own R9 prototype. We hope the designers of Yamaha will take note because it is so glorious.
Based in London, Seb is a full-time fabricator who focuses primarily on furniture, but often learns more about other interests. He’s also a motorcycle enthusiast, a customizer and a racer—so he has a burning desire to see the R9 concept come to life.
He told us: “I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one getting impatient while waiting for Yamaha to put its lovely ‘cross-plane’ trio into a race-appropriate chassis and bodywork. “The vision I had in mind was influenced and inspired by the two-stroke Yamaha GP bikes of the 90s, like the TZ250 and YZR500, combined with the design of current Moto2 racing bikes.”
The project started with a sponsored Yamaha MT-09 motorcycle, which was then eerily relegated to absolute basics. After that, Seb started to build a custom frame set for the MT-09 factory. Using a rack from a Yamaha TRX850 as a foundation, he TIG welded together an elegant lattice-shaped steel frame to form the surrounding R9.
Technically, Seb welded the three frames together, because it took a bit of trial and error to achieve the right geometry and aesthetics. The swingarm is from a Ducati 749, the rear suspension link is from Corse Dynamics and the shock absorber itself is a custom-built part from Mupo Race Suspension in Italy.
Seb put together a set of Ducati Panigale front forks, but not before he upgraded them with Bitubo internals. Next up are five-spoke alloy wheels from an Aprilia RSV Mille, along with Brembo brake calipers at both ends.
Once the chassis rolled into place, Seb turned his attention to the bodywork. The MT-07 has plastic plates on the hidden fuel tank and some other important parts, but none of those will work as Seb had in mind. So he wrapped the chassis with foam blocks and started shaping his R9.
After the parts are formed, Seb uses foam to mold the fiberglass. The front fenders, aprons, belly panels and rear end are all hand-sculpted from fiberglass. Tanks are a two-piece affair; Fiberglass airbox at the front, with aluminum fuel tank at the rear, complete with integrated sight glass.
The bike’s shape is perfect and it’s easy to forget that you’re looking at a one-off special rather than a classic factory superbike. There are a lot of carefully considered details, such as the muscle car-inspired air vents on the airbox. It’s not just there for display—it directs air to the air conditioning box, as well as the vent in front of the windshield.
With over 110 hp on the accelerator and throttle response second to none, the MT-09 is as lively as they are. But Seb still adds a few non-invasive mods to make sure it runs strong and smooth. For starters, the ECU has been illuminated on a generator to get maximum performance from the custom airbox and exhaust system.
The exhaust itself consists of Lextek mufflers and Arrow mufflers, with a custom hose connecting them together. Other race-specific modifications include thumb levers for the rear brakes, front brake lever guards, and a collision bobbin. Clip-ons, aftermarket levers and GPS-based speedometers round out the spec sheet.
Seb’s Yamaha R9 would be impressive enough wearing nothing but a coat of primer, but he wrapped it in a coat of paint to push it into the stratosphere. It’s hard to argue with Yamaha’s iconic red, white and black ‘speed block’ design, and the raw aluminum fuel tank gives the build a prototype factory vibe.
Seb didn’t just build this to look good, though. He’s spent a season challenging it on the track and he plans to take it to races. That’s why the only light on the entire car is a small LED taillight that’s suitable for the track.
If an official Yamaha R9 is coming, it will likely be announced at EICMA later this year. But in our opinion, Yamaha should just take Seb’s offer of his design, add lights to it, and put it into production.
Seb Hipperson Instagram | Image of Sam Napper
