Sabre Sports had been offered a slot in the 250 cc World Championship midway through the 1999 season, to replace the Docshop 250 team.
Unable to lease a V4 from any manufacturer, the team decided to build its own bike around a 1994 YZR500 (OWF9) engine, a version generally regarded as one of the best of the YZR designs.
The season started well with Shane getting some good results but unfortunately at the Qatar GP he was knocked off by Max Biaggi and broke his arm.
With Sabre being the last 500cc team to join the World Championships a grid place was not offered for the following year.
Johan Stigefelt was contracted to ride the Sabre during 2001 and put in some good performances, regularly being the best privateer in the field.
The Sabre V4 was later used at the Macau Grand Prix in November 2002 where rider Chris Palmer scored 14th position, after qualifying in 20th.
In 2003, World Championship Motorsports used it for three races (ridden by José David de Gea) in the 2003 season for World Championship Motorsports after FIM banned the team's original Harris-built motorcycles on engine grounds, until new engines were ready for the Portuguese Grand Prix.