As Yamaha Motor marks its 70th anniversary in 2025, its racing legacy is defined not just by the machines it has built but by the people and stories that have shaped its history. This is one of those stories: a race bike that links a family across three generations and unites two of Northern Ireland’s greatest sporting legends.
The connection began in the 1970s. Joey Dunlop, a young and fiercely determined Northern Irish rider, was at the beginning of a career that would eventually make him one of the greatest road racers of all time. He had caught the eye of John Rea, a passionate motorcycle racing fan from a working-class background who had built up a successful haulage firm. John saw something special in his compatriot and, keen to support young riders, decided to set up a team and sponsor him. In 1975, Dunlop joined Rea Racing and an iconic partnership was formed.
That belief was soon rewarded. In 1977, Dunlop claimed his first Isle of Man win in the Jubilee TT riding a TZ750, the production racer that dominated the era and allowed privateers to compete against factory machines. Three years later, he rode a TZ750 to a landmark victory at the 1980 Classic TT, famously beating the leading works bikes of the time. From that point, Dunlop’s legend only grew as he went on to win 26 TTs, five Formula TT World Championships, 13 North West 200s, and 24 races at the Ulster Grand Prix to cement himself as one of the all-time greats in road racing.
But Dunlop’s influence extended far beyond the racetrack. His humanitarian work, personally delivering aid to hospitals and orphanages across Eastern Europe, revealed a humble man who left a lasting impression on everyone who met him, including John’s grandson, Jonathan Rea, a future six-time FIM Superbike World Champion.
“My grandfather was a huge motorbike fan, and he helped kickstart his career,” Jonathan recalls. But the connection between the two families runs even deeper: Jonathan’s father, Johnny, also raced against Dunlop, and although they were rivals on the track, the two families were close and spent a great deal of time together.
Jonathan looks back fondly on his childhood and will never forget the impact Dunlop had on him and motorsport in general: “Joey was one of the greatest road racers that ever lived. I grew up in motorcycle paddocks when Joey was still racing alongside my father… and thousands and thousands adored him, not just here in Northern Ireland but worldwide.”
When Dunlop tragically died in a racing accident in Estonia on July 2, 2000, the news sent shockwaves through the sport and beyond, serving as a poignant reminder that he was more than just a rider. He was a national hero and an icon.
Inspired by his family and riders like Dunlop, Jonathan always knew he wanted to race, an ambition that was nurtured and encouraged by his beloved grandfather. He was only a child when John died, and while his recollections of his grandfather are faint, what he does remember has stayed with him.
“I think I was six… maybe seven, when my grandfather passed away, so my memories of him are very vague,” he explains. “Speaking to people in motorsport who knew my grandfather, they talk fondly about what an amazing man he was,” Jonathan adds. “But I do remember him telling me, and it was something I held on to throughout my career, that I would be a world champion one day.”
The unshakeable belief of his grandfather, combined with the support of his father, set him on the path to becoming the most successful WorldSBK rider of all time, winning six consecutive titles from 2015 to 2020. Now 38, Jonathan rides for the Pata Maxus Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team and is still driven by the same hunger and ambition as he looks to add to his record-breaking tally of 119 race wins and 263 podiums.
The tragedy is that John passed away before he saw his grandson achieve his dreams. “My father didn’t get to see Jonathan win any of his championships,” reflects Johnny, “thinking of what my father said at the very start, that he would make him a world champion. It’s hard to believe now he’s a six-time world champion.”
While John never got to see his grandson’s success, the connection that they shared all those years ago, during Jonathan’s formative years, lives on through the bike that he bought, which was made famous by Dunlop: the 1979 Rea Racing Yamaha TZ750.
The very machine that powered Dunlop to a career-defining win at the 1980 Classic TT still belongs to the Reas. Its history is deeply intertwined with the family. More than just a machine, it’s a link between generations, and the next connection would come through Johnny himself, a successful racer who competed on it during the 1985 season.
“It was my father who bought the bike for Joey, and the history of that bike is unbelievable,” says Johnny. “I rode it for a year, and I won a lot of short circuit races on it. I’d say it probably has more wins than any other bike in the world.”
Yet its importance to the Reas goes far beyond racing. Lovingly maintained, it embodies cherished memories as well as its historical significance. As Jonathan states, “I’m incredibly proud that this bike remains inside the family. It is part of our family heritage.”
In 2025, the story came full circle as Jonathan was invited to ride the TZ750 his grandfather had bought nearly five decades earlier, at “Joey 25,” a memorial event in Ballymoney commemorating 25 years since Dunlop’s passing. The occasion marked the completion of a remarkable journey, a link across three generations of the Rea family, all connected through one extraordinary machine. Riding his grandfather’s bike, Jonathan took part in a special parade through Dunlop’s hometown, alongside other bikes from Dunlop’s career, in front of fans, family, and fellow racers.
It was a fitting tribute to a true legend of the sport, and a profoundly emotional experience for Jonathan: “It was really, really nice. Not just for me as a rider to be involved in the event, but also for Joey’s family. I’m sure for fans and for the local town of Ballymoney as well.”
But it was not just about one world champion paying his respects to another; it was deeply personal. As the smell of two-stroke oil filled the air, Jonathan was taken back to his youth. To the days spent growing up around racing, among riders like Dunlop and his father, and to the lasting influence of his grandfather, whose enduring faith all those years ago set him on his path to success.
Moments like these are rare, yet when they do occur, they embody the heart of motorsport and serve as a powerful reminder that the true spirit of racing lives not merely in the results but in the people, relationships, and passion passed down through generations.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Ballymoney. As Johnny watched his son take to the streets on the same machine he once raced, the one his father had bought and that Dunlop made famous, the emotions overwhelmed him. “To see him ride that bike was unbelievable,” he said. Holding back tears after the parade, Johnny reflected on what it would have meant to John: “If my father were looking down, he’d be a proud, proud man.”
