The ex-Katja Poensgen
1994 Yamaha TZ125 Racing Motorcycle
Frame no. 4JT-000297

Born in Mindelheim, Germany in 1976, Katja Poensgen became the first woman to score points in the Grand Prix 250 class when she finished 14th at Mugello in 2001. Katja's motorcycle racing career began in 1992 when her father, an employee of Suzuki Germany, took her to the Calafat circuit in Spain. There was a training school for novice riders, and the bored teenager decided to give it a go - and was hooked. The following year she raced in the German Junior Championship, which she would go on to win in 1995. There were, inevitably, several crashes, the most severe of which happened during winter training in January 1997 at Calafat, resulting in her being out of action for some six months. She soon bounced back, winning the American Grand Prix Singles Championship in 1998 riding a Ducati Supermono to become the first woman to win an international motorcycle race series. She later raced for Alstare Suzuki in the European Superstock Championship and competed in Grand Prix racing for two years (2001 and 2003) on both occasions in the 250 class.

The Yamaha TZ125 offered here was entered by Francesco Villa's 'Villa Motori Racing Team' and prepared by Francesco himself. Katya competed on this machine in the Italian Championship (CIV) in 1995/96 and in a couple of rounds of the Speed European Championship.