Wednesday, July 29, 2009

1996 Helmets : 125 cc



1996 History

Valentino Rossi started his Grand Prix racing career in 1996 for Aprilia in the 125cc category on the Aprilia RS125R. Rossi had mixed success in his first season; he suffered numerous crashes and failed to finish five of the season’s races – Rossi crashed out of four races and suffered one mechanical failure. Rossi saw this season as a learning experience and quickly built up his skills and by August 1996 Valentino Rossi secured his first victory at Brno in the Czech Republic. Rossi managed to finish the championship in 9th place with a total of 111 points, collecting two podiums and one pole position during the course of the season. 

The Sun & Moon Helmet

1996-side-1

In the 1996 125cc Championship, racing for Aprilia, Rossi firmly established the Sun and Moon motif as his design trademark. The sun and moon would continue to feature in almost all of Rossi’s motorcyle helmets, but this first helmet is where it all began.

Aldo Drudi designed the graphics and the helmet featured a huge red sun on the right hand side with a cartoon face at it’s center. The yellow background on the right of the helmet fades to black at the centre and the night time design then dominates the left hand side of the helmet featuring a huge cresent moon. Rossi’s number 46 is placed in the center of the helmet just above the visor. Rossi has often said that the sun and moon reflect the two sides of his personality.

1996-side-2

The back of the helmet featured a cartoon condom and Japanese lettering that translated as “Go Rossifumi”. Rossifumi was one of Valentino’s very first nicknames and was a reference and tribute to fellow rider Norifumi Abe.


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About Vale

Valentino Rossi, (born February 16, 1979 in Urbino), is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with 8 Grand Prix World Championships to his name. According to Sports Illustrated, Rossi is one of the highest earning sports personalities in the world, having earned an estimated $34 million in 2007.

Following his father, Graziano Rossi, Rossi started racing in Grand Prix in 1996 for Aprilia in the 125cc category and won his first World Championship the following year. From there, he moved up to the 250cc category with Aprilia and won the World Championship in 1999. He won the 500cc World Championship with Honda in 2001, the MotoGP World Championships (also with Honda) in 2002 and 2003, and continued his streak of back-to-back championships by winning the 2004 and 2005 titles after leaving Honda to join Yamaha, before regaining the title in 2008.


Random Pics

Rossi 46 black by valentinorossi.
 He has always raced with the number #46 in his motorcycle grand prix career. Rossi has stated that the original inspiration for this choice of number was the Japanese "wild card" racer Norifumi Abe whom he saw on television speeding past much more seasoned riders in a wet race. He later found out that it was the number his father had raced with in the first of his 3 grand prix career wins, in 1979, in Yugoslavia, on a 250c Morbidelli. Typically, a World Championship winner (and also runner-up and third place) is awarded the #1 sticker for the next season. However, in a homage to Barry Sheene (who was the first rider of the modern era to keep the same number, #7), Rossi has stayed with the now-famous #46 throughout his career. The text on his helmet refers to the name of his group of friends: "The Tribe of the Chihuahua," and the letters WLF on his leathers stand for "Viva La Figa," Italian for "Long Live Pussy." He has so far escaped any sanctions or ultimatums that he remove the letters because the "W" in "WLF" represents the two "V"s in "ViVa". Equally obvious is his success at escaping any disciplinary action from the FIM or Dorna for having the letters so brazenly on the front neck area of his leathers. He traditionally also incorporates his favorite color (fluorescent yellow) into his leather designs. Though Rossi won the MotoGP title six times he never put the number 1 on his motorcycle representing the World Champion, instead staying with his famous "46". But Rossi has worn the #1 reserved for the reigning World Champion on the shoulder of his racing leathers.