Colin Edwards Auctioning Historic Riding Gear

Henny Ray Abrams | June 14, 2011

Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Colin Edwards is giving you a chance to own a piece of history. And not just a piece, but a whole set.The “Texas Tornado” is auctioning off the complete set of riding gear he wore onto the podium after finishing a heroic third in last Sunday’s rain-drenched British Grand Prix at Silverstone, “the week after I busted myself up.” And fellow Yamaha riding Texan Ben Spies is also auctioning a set of his riding gear.Edwards’ donation includes his black and green Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Spidi leathers, his Arai helmet, and Sidi boots and gloves. Spies has donated a set of his original Alpinestars factory leathers, boots and gloves. The winning bidders also get a pair of weekend 3-day general admission passes including paddock access to the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, July 22-24 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and hotel room for Friday through Sunday, July 22-24. And the riders will personally autograph the riding gear.On top of which, the winning bidder of Edwards’ gear will get invited to a future 4-Day Edwards Experience at the Texas Tornado Boot Camp, a $2250 incentive.

“Whoever buys my crap comes to the Boot Camp,” he said, and the crap will be well worn. “I’ve worn the hell out of the stuff that’s being auctioned and it’s about time to change,” he said. “The boots will have carbon dust all over them, same with the gloves. The helmet’s a specially-fitted Arai rain helmet. All of it’s going to be stuff from Silverstone.”Edwards estimates the retail cost of the gear to be over $4000 -that doesn’t include the Boot Camp gift – and he’d like to see the auction soar past that number.The auction benefits Feed the Children, Yamaha Motor Corporation’s corporate charity.The Silverstone podium was one of the highlights of Edwards’ long and distinguished career. Nine days earlier he was ready to fly home after shattering his collarbone practicing for the Catalunya Grand Prix north of Barcelona. The next day he had surgery to plate and screw the collarbone and he was ready to ride. Race officials had other thoughts and he was forced to sit the race out, ending his string of 141 consecutive starts that dated back to his MotoGP debut aboard the flawed Aprilia Cube at Suzuka in 2003.With not even a week’s rest, Edwards called on his considerable experience to ride his Yamaha YZR-M1 to a valiant third in England, racing with a broken collarbone and, more grievously, damaged ribs that made it impossible to breathe, move on the bike, or do anything.

“My ribs are killing me,” Edwards said a day after arriving at his home in Texas. “Collarbone’s perfect, have no problem with my collarbone. I’ve done more today than I did the last 10 days, because I was laying on a couch in my motorhome, laying on a plane for 10 hours. Today I was jumping in a pool with the kids and driving them around town.”Edwards explained that he’d separated the muscle from his ribs on his right side and that the muscle “turns around to my spine when I move. It’s just jacked.” As to when it might be healed, he said, “It’s just time, time to heal itself.”But there’s no time to rest. This weekend Edwards will host a group of riders and some special guests for a Two-Day Edwards Experience at the Texas Tornado Boot Camp; the crew from SPEED’s “Wind Tunnel” with Dave Despain will broadcast from the camp.The auction will be conducted on eBay beginning June 14 and will continue through June 20. To place your bid please visit the links below:Colin Edwards MotoGP Racing Gear PackageBen Spies MotoGP Racing Gear Package