John Kocinski negotiates the potholes at the old Bryar Motorsports Park in Loudon, New Hampshire, at the AMA Superbike race there in 1986. Kocinski and Jimmy Filice were teammates in Yamaha’s first factory Superbike effort. The Yamaha Superbikes were under-developed and had a tough time against the dominant Hondas, although Eddie Lawson did come back from GP and win Daytona on one. Kocinski finished 10th at Loudon and ninth in the series that year. Yamaha did not race a full schedule that season, citing development issues with the bike. After his GP and World Superbike career Kocinski would return to AMA Superbike 14 years later to race with Vance & Hines Ducati in 2000.
John Kocinski on the factory Yamaha FZ750 at Loudon in 1986. (Larry Lawrence photo)
Rider Files 
I took my WERA rider’s school at Bryar in ’85, in the rain, on a borrowed 500 Ascot, borrowed leathers. Got through it in one piece.
Great website you’ve got here… The mid-80s were an interesting time for American roadracing. Thanks for helping me relive it.
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Funny how technique changes with equipment. I think the asphalt patches give it a ton of credibality and make it a better more authentic picture somehow.
Kocinski’s quite a talent. I remember watching him run away from some decent competition in the 96 “Speed Triple Challenge” in Daytona. It stood out to me because I was riding one of those at the time as my Streetbike and I was flabergasted at how fast he went on that ill handling heavy pig of a bike. Well at least the first generation models were anyway…
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