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Johnny Cecotto Yamaha sale
Legendary rider's machine is with
Bonhams
September 25, 2026,
by Guy 'Guido' Allen
Johnny Cecotto's 1978
Formula 750 World Championship OW31 Yamaha is being
offered for sale via Bonhams in the UK.
Bonhams description of the machine says, in part: "Formula 750 was conceived as a class for production-based machines, and Yamaha’s customer TZ750 gave privateers the world over the means to compete in it. The OW31 was something else entirely. Yamaha’s own racing archive describes it as 'a factory machine designed for competition in the World F750 and Daytona 200'.
"The works OW29 engine
in the YZR500 Grand Prix chassis, with the magnesium
and titanium components largely absent from the
production bikes, and with its power ultimately raised
to some 160hp.
"It was built in very
small numbers solely for Yamaha’s contracted riders –
Steve Baker took the 1977 title on one, and Johnny
Cecotto and Kenny Roberts fought out 1978 on them,
with Cecotto emerging the victor.
"Johnny’s Yamaha
OW31 remained in garage storage for more than 20
years before its resurrection at Monza in October
2000, where, at the invitation of Italian
motorcycle magazine, Motociclismo, he agreed to
ride it once again, 22 years after winning the
Formula 750 World Championship."
The pre-sale
estimate is Au$415-565,000 (US$290-400,000,
GB£220-300,000, €255-350,000).
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