Stuart Cooper passes another rider en route to winning the very first road race at the then newly completed Gateway International Raceway. It was a special 100 K race held on the track, parts of which were still under construction. Unfortunately I believe this is the only photo I have of Cooper’s very special Yamaha. Believe it or not this is a Yamaha Vision. You remember the mild-mannered little 550cc liquid-cooled v-twin sport touring bike Yamaha made in the early ‘80s. I can assure you Cooper’s Vision was anything but mild mannered and by the time the builder was done with it, very little of the original Vision was recognizable. It was one very fast motorcycle. I remember it blowing by this first generation Suzuki GS Superbike like it was anchored to the track. Cooper blew everyone away at Gateway that day. He actually scored a few podiums in AMA Battle of the Twins on the bike and in March of 1984 he went down to Daytona and simply dominated the CCS Bike Week races, winning every class he entered on the Vision. If anyone knows anything else about this special machine, or has more detailed photos I’d love to see them. I wonder if it still exists today?
Stuart Cooper (No. 57), riding his very unique Yamaha Vision-based Battle of the Twins bike, passes another rider at the debut road race at Gateway International in April of 1985. Cooper easily won the race that day to give him the distinction of being the first rider to win a race at Gateway. His road racing machine was quite possibly the fastest Yamaha Vision ever built. (Larry Lawrence photo)
Rider Files 
It had a custom trellis frame, very Ducati like, and the shaft drive was converted to chain drive, the thing was beautiful, and Stuart was a fast rider, super nice guy too.
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I recall Dean Joas of Sheboygan, WI winning the AMA BOTT Lightweight national championship on a Vision back in the mid 80’s. I also heard rumors it wasn’t near 550cc but no one ever checked. 🙂
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I helped Deano back then it was 630cc i think, both bikes had weber carbs.
I was at Gateway for that race, Stuart bike was really fast, his Vision without the custom frame was super fast.
I got pictures of that one.
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THE “750 YAMAHA VISION” THAT STUART COOPER RODE IS STILL ALIVE LIVING UPSTAIRS IN MY SHOP AT MY HOME. WE BUILT THE CUSTOM FRAME BIKE AROUND A “BORED AND STROKED WITH A FULL RACE CAM” VISION ENGINE (SOUNDS LIKE A HOT ROD FORD FLATHEAD). WE USED A MOLDEX CRANKSHAFT, CARRILLO RODS AND JE PISTONS. YAMAHA GAVE US A SET OF HEADS AND INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT WERE DEVELOPED BY DICK MANN OF BROCKTON, MASS. (NOT “THE” DICK MANN).THE CARB WAS A DOWNDRAFT WEBER LATER REPLACED BY A HILBORN MECHANICAL FUEL INJECTION WITH THE PUMP DRIVEN OFF THE END OF ONE OF THE CAMS. THE CHASSIS WAS INFLUENCED BY A BIMOTA FRAME FOR A KAWASAKI RACER. THE ENTIRE BIKE, TANK, SEAT, EXHAUST AND ENGINE WERE BUILT IN MY HOME SHOP IN MEMPHIS, TN. THE RACER USED AN AIR OVER OIL SUSPENSION WITH A CYLINDER MOUNTED UNDER THE CHASSIS WITH AN ACCUMULATOR THAT CONTROLED “SPRING” RATE AND DAMPENING. IT WAS A SIMILAR SYSTEM THAT WE USED SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER ON A BEVEL DRIVE 750 DUCATI DIRT TRACKER. WE ALSO DID THE HEADS AND ENGINE FOR DEAN JOAZ’ LIGHTWEIGHT TWINS VISION. I DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT THE DISPLACEMENT RULE WAS FOR HIS BIKE, HOWEVER, I ASURE YOU THAT IT WAS LEGAL. CHEATING DOESN’T PROVE ANYTHING ! STUART IS STILL AROUND AND STILL A GREAT GUY. THANKS FOR THE INTREST IN A PROJECT THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN. THE RACER WAS BUILT BY EDDIE WILBANKS, RON WIGINTON, JOHN GILBERT AND A LOT OF OTHER FRIENDS. THANKS AGAIN, EDDIE WILBANKS, EADS, TN.
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The Vision was waaaaay ahead of its time, but never sold well and only came to the US in ’82 & ’83. It had DOHC, 4 valves, liquid cooling, mid-sized V-twin, low rise “handlebeams”, a fairing with adjustable hot or cool air ducts for your legs, and sleek angular looks. I remember a few being raced, too. It’s become something of a cult bike with Vision lovers all over. We bought a new one back then for my wife and it is still her street bike 30 years later. Have a look here –
http://www.ride-ct.com/?p=2505
http://ridersofvision.net/
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Wow Eddie! Thanks so much for the detailed description of the Vision. What a great racing bike.
That day in St. Louis Stuart started off sort of slow, letting his slicks come up to temp. I just remember my jaw dropped about lap two or three when he started wicking it up. It was so fast and looked like it handled really well. And the sound it made was quite amazing too.
You guys took a Clark Kent motorcycle and turned it into Superman on two wheels. You should be proud of that bike. Yamaha should have that thing on display somewhere.
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Eddie,
By the way someone posted this photo on the WERA BBS. Is this Stuart’s bike? It looks very similar.
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Eddie and Larry will you post more pictures of the Vision?
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Stay tuned.
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Babe DeMay famous flat track racer and tuner, Kenny Roberts was 1 of his flat track riders, built a competitive Vision flat tracker
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but I just remembered DeMay’s was a 550 Vision. Kenny Roberts, Dick Mann and Mert Lawill teamed up to build 750 Vision flat trackers with Jim Filice and Mike Kidd as riders but they weren’t competitive.
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A few years ago, there were a couple of Visions being raced on the AMA pro dirt track series. They were built by Babe DeMay and sponsored by Memphis Shades.
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THE YAMAHA DIRT TRACKERS KIDD AND FELICE RODE WERE BASED ON VIRAGO ENGINES NOT VISIONS. THE VISIONS BABE BUILT WERE FROM THE SAME PARTS STASH THAT THE ROAD RACER WAS BUILT FROM. THE FIRST FRAME BABE HAD WAS BUILT FOR A DIRT TRACKER SOME YEARS EARLIER. THE ORIGINAL REASON FOR THE TWINS ROAD RACER WAS TO DEVELOPE THE ENGINE FOR DIRT TRACK..THERE HAD TO BE 25 750 CC ENGINES AVAILABLE IN ORDER TO GET APPROVAL FOR DIRT TRACK, THERE WAS NOT SUCH A REQUIREMENT FOR BOTT. WE HAD THE 25 ENGINES IN STOCK FORM AND WANTED TO TEST OUR UP-SIZING BEFORE WE BUILT ALL 25 (BORED, STROKED, FULL-RACE CAMS) HOT RODS !
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cool, thanks everyone for correcting my posts, brains cells fading rapidly!
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YES DEVON, THE CELLS MAY BE FADING, HOWEVER, THAT CAN BE EXCUSED SINCE THEY HAVE SEEN AND ENJOYED SO MUCH ALONG THE WAY. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR ALL THAT I HAVE SEEN AND DONE IN MY LIFE, NUFF SAID—-
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I bought the Vision Dean Joas rode to the 1986 BOTT LW national Title back in 1988. I still have the bike.
As per the rules, the engine cases and crankshaft had to be stock, however, the bore could be increased.
The final cyl dimensions were 89.5mm bore and the stock 55mm stroke. The bike had the stock frame and bodywork with Ceriani 38mm forks, Fox rear shock, Kosman floating front rotors with Spondon calipers. The rear wheel was an EPM magnesium 18×4 wheel, with a 18×2.5″ Dymag front. It also was fitted with a FZ750 front fairing.
I ran the bike in CCS races for a few years and then had to put it away due to my job. Still have the bike and have recently freshened up the engine with new pistons and liners from Eddie.
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1984 at Daytona in the Wednesday CCS Bike Week Supertwins race he ran away and hid from the rest of us. I was on the front row with him (randomly) and finished 2nd on the CycleSmith GS1000 BMW but the Vision was only a vision..he had disappeared into the distance.
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