In June 2022, living MotoGP legend Wayne Rainey made his first-ever appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. While Goodwood events often feature racing champions and heroes of years gone by, Rainey also rode his 1992 championship-winning Yamaha YZR500 at the event, alongside fellow racing legends (and contemporary competitors) Kenny Roberts, Kevin Schwantz, and Mick Doohan.
While it was undoubtedly a treat for all the racing fans that either came to Goodwood or else have watched videos from the event since that time, it also came as an extremely pleasant surprise to Rainey himself. As he explains in this video, he never expected to be riding his 1992 championship-winning bike ever again. Although the machine had been living out its life in a museum, Yamaha worked to make it happen, as part of a project that took about three years to complete.