After riding an RG500 prior to getting the GSXR750, the GSXR felt a bit tame. Don't get me wrong, it was a true Race Replica bike, it was quick and very well-mannered and I did enjoy my time with it, but it just didn't have the absolute madness of the RG had. Having had the GSXR for a couple of years it started to feel a tad slow so it was time for a change.

The Genesis had been out for a few years already and had received very positive reviews. It was just about to be replaced with the EXUP derivative which meant the Genesis models were getting discounted. So I popped into Eddy Grimstead’s in Ilford in 1988 and got this one new for a very good price and also got a good traded in price on my 1986 Suzuki GSXR750 .

It had pretty much been a choice of either getting the GSXR1100 or the Yamaha FZR1000. Having test ridden both, my preference was the Yamaha. The Suzuki was far bigger and faster but seemed far less manoeuvrable or as well behaved as the Yamaha. Wanting to do more than just go in a straight line, the Yam won hands down.

The bike was very quick for its time, leaps ahead of the GSX750 on power and braking yet felt not much bigger. The overall engineering of the bike was excellent. Like many Yamahas I've had, it never let me down and coped with the abuse I regularly chucked at it. Looking back, it's one of those bikes I wish I'd kept.

Didn't make any significant modifications to this one.

I liked just about everything about the bike but somehow got convinced that the newer EXUP version would be better so after 18 months traded it in for an EXUP version.

According to DVLA the bike is still recorded and last change of V5C was in 2025, but no MOTs recorded which means not had one in at least 20 years and it's on SORN which suggests it's either in a collection or lost to time.