Cooley-rep next for XR69 man

The re-creator of the Suzuki XR69 ‘80s-style works racers which stormed this year’s Manx classic is about to start on his next project – a replica of this glorious classic Yoshimura Suzuki endurance racer.

John Sims of Silverstone-based Trident Engineering, which historically based its business on Triumph and BSA triples, sprang to greater prominence this year by producing a hugely successful series of replicas of the early 1980s, GS1000-powered works F1 XR69.

Available in both road and race trim, and featuring reconditioned, over-bored GS1000 engines, a handmade chassis and replica bodywork created from moulds taken off Mick Grant’s original, 1982 racer, Sims replicas were the stars of this year’s Manx Classic, with Michael Dunlop dominating the Senior Post-Classic event and raising the lap record to 118mph. 

Now Sims is turning his attention to his next recreation – the Yoshimura liveried endurance racer version of the XR69 as campaigned by the likes of Wes Cooley, Ron Pierce and Graeme Crosby in the early 1980s.
 
John plans to start work on the first bike at the end of November and his hoping to be competing at specialist endurance meetings next year. He says Michael Dunlop and Guy Martin have show interest in racing the stunning bike, and have already had preliminary chats with John.

“It would be a dream team,” Sims told MCN. “Can you imagine those guys riding the same bike. They’ve both sounded interested when we last chatted. It’d be spectacular – what a team that would be!”

Read the full story in this week’s MCN, on sale Wednesday 3 November.