As the 2026 ZYN British Superbike Championship season gets underway, Yamaha Motor UK has announce a series of plans in celebration of 30 years of BSB, including the revival of an iconic winning-livery of Yamaha’s past which will be adapted to Brad Ray’s 2026 McAMS Yamaha R1 for the weekend’s races in Round 5 at Brands Hatch in July.
Yamaha currently stand as one of the most successful manufacturers throughout the championship’s history, amassing a total of ten championship titles since 1996, thanks to Niall Mackenzie (x3), Leon Camier, Tommy Hill, Josh Brookes, Tarran Mackenzie, Brad Ray, and Kyle Ryde (x2). In addition, Yamaha has accumulated a total of 208 British Superbike victories over this same period.
Through a combination of cutting-edge engineering, consistent rider talent, and decades of development, Yamaha motorcycles have remained a regular contender at the front of the grid, contributing to many unforgettable moments across the modern era.
Former McAMS Yamaha rider Jason O'Halloran currently holds the record as Yamaha’s most successful rider in the domestic series, securing 26 victories during his time in blue. With the 2026 season approaching, title contender and current McAMS Yamaha R1 rider Brad Ray sits just six wins shy of matching that milestone, having already amassed an impressive 12 victories during his 2025 campaign alone.
Yamaha is diving deep into three decades of BSB race-winning and championship-conquering machinery to unearth one iconic livery - set to be reborn on the current McAMS Yamaha R1 at the iconic Brands Hatch venue in July.
Yamaha will run a series of polls on their social media channels over coming weeks, before deciding on which iconic livery of the past to resurrect. The coming weeks will also see multiple race and championship winning faces appear on Yamaha Racing UK’s social media channels, featured within exclusive interviews that reflect on the manufacturer’s victory-rich history.
In a further extension of Yamaha’s heritage-inspired activity across the weekend, a parade lap will also take place over the weekend 18/19 July at Brands Hatch. The lap will invite Yamaha owners to take to the Grand Prix circuit, alongside a host of familiar Yamaha bikes and faces that have proudly shaped the past 30 years of British Superbike Championship history.
With exciting momentum building behind the scenes, the focus now turns firmly towards the season opener at Oulton Park in early May. Officially supported team, McAMS Yamaha, return to action with Brad Ray in the R1 saddle, with Danny Kent and Rory Skinner forming the Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha line-up, and Christian Iddon spearheading the fight for SENCAT Racing.