Yamaha had several generations of of GP legends on-hand yesterday to celebrate the company’s 50th Anniversary of Grand Prix racing. Current Yamaha team riders Jorge Lorenzo, Ben Spies, Colin Edwards, and Cal Crutchlow rubbed shoulders with Kenny Roberts Sr., Eddie Lawson, and Wayne Rainey.

Listening to the group trade stories, comparing past with present, along with giving insights on where the sport was headed was quite an experience. Yamaha had more up its sleeve though, and true to its Laguna Seca tradition, released another bit of video gold in time for the Red Bull US GP at the Californian track. Double bonus points for a Fabio cameo, watch the bar on GP comedy get raised after the jump.

Yamaha must be picking up on the idea that any video with Colin Edwards is motorcycling gold, even when it’s hocking the Yamaha Extended Service warranty plan (well…sort of). While definitely not the company’s finest, and bleeping out Colin Edwards sort of defeats the purpose of why you’d put the plucky MotoGP rider in a video in the first place, as far as commercials for warranty plans go…this one has to be our favorite.

Though the writing could use some work, and editing things down a bit might have helped as well, we still like a number of the gags in this video, which is set at the Texas Tornado Boot Camp. A Shake Weight gag, reserved room for Dani Pedrosa, and the answer to what shooting a .50 cal has to do with riding await you after the jump.

If we told you that Colin Edwards was known for his colorful language and straight-shooting assessment on life, it would probably be the understatement of the year. As it is, the Texan Tornado has carved out a lively on-stage/track persona for himself that resonates with the lowest common denominator that resides in all motorcycle fans. Likable, truthful, and unabashed, Edwards is a fan favorite in the MotoGP paddock, one of our favorite riders to talk to in the premier series.

One of the highest ranking privateer riders, Edwards unfortunately saw his 141 MotoGP race start streak come to an end in Barcelona with the Catalan GP, but the American rider was back in the saddle the very next race at Silverstone (finishing on the podium we might add). Admitting to taking pain-killers during the Friday sessions, a groggy Edwards elected to forgo meds on Saturday, and in-between sessions he was back to his usual tricks, entertaining British race fans at an event for the venerable motorcycle charity Riders for Health.

Seven minutes in length, a sober Colin Edwards said plenty to get himself in hot water around the paddock, but you’ll have to wait until the end to see what got him in trouble with his wife Alyssia. Asked about the incident later, Edwards retold what he said to his loving wife, “Honey, I’m a comedian. I was just looking for a laugh, if you know what I’m saying. I had no aspirations to do anything I was saying. It was just cracking a joke.” He continued saying, “she knows I’m a ding-dong sometimes and say stupid shit.”

We hope Colin won’t have to spend too much time on the couch when he gets back to the US, check the video out, and for bonus fun, a response video after the jump.

The ups and downs of racing are sometimes quite amazing. After breaking his collarbone at Catalunya, Colin Edwards had his flights booked to return home and skip the British GP. But he felt well enough after his operation to pin the break that he stayed. Seeing his teammate, Cal Crutchlow, break his collarbone in qualifying, Colin then went on to claim a podium for the beleaguered Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team.

Boss Herve Poncharal told me when I congratulated him in the paddock that yesterday he’d been ready to commit suicide (not literally of course), and a day later he has two riders on the box, as Bradley Smith snagged second place in the Moto 2 race. Congratulations to all the Tech 3 folks!

The nice British weather could only hold-out for so long at Silverstone this race weekend, as MotoGP came to the English track for the British GP. Accordingly, Sunday’s MotoGP race was soaked to the bone with rain, as Casey Stoner took his pole position for the day’s start.

Followed by Marco Simoncelli and Jorge Lorenzo respectively on the front row, the weather showed the potential to make it anyone’s race…that is of course as long as “anyone” doesn’t include Dani Pedrosa and Cal Crutchlow, both of whom could not compete because of broken collarbones.

Speaking of broken collarbones, Colin Edwards was set to race, just a week after breaking his at Catalunya, though his teammate was gutted about being unable to race in front of his home crowd after crashing in practice.

With two riders out of MotoGP right now because of shoulder injuries (Dani Pedrosa & Colin Edwards), the number of riders in the premier class has dropped down to just 15 expected to compete at the British GP. With that news comes pressure from Dorna for the teams to find replacements, and with a limited talent pool, the usual suspects are being bandied about. One of the people on the short list is former-GP rider John Hopkins, who raced for Rizla Suzuki at the Spanish GP in Jerez after Álvaro Bautista broke his femur at Qatar and was unable to compete.

If there’s a Cal Ripken Jr. of MotoGP, it would have to be the Texan Tornado himself, Colin Edwards III. For the past 141 MotoGP races, the American has been on the starting line come Sunday morning (and Saturday morning if it’s for the Dutch TT).

This weekend’s race at Catalunya would have been Edwards’ 142nd GP start, but medical officials were not too keen on Colin’s idea of gridding-up with the MotoGP field, and doing a single lap to maintain his streak (CEIII broke his collarbone on Friday). Thus, Edwards’ record for consecutive GP starts will have to stand at 141 races.

There’s something about collarbones in MotoGP right now, as American Colin Edwards broke his right collarbone today, under changing conditions at the Catalan track. With rain coming on early in the day, MotoGP riders got a break on weather, and were able to run slicks in the last part of the Free Practice session. Taking a lap on the slick tires, Edwards came in to change bikes, and on his out-lap, was caught-out on cold rubber, and landed heavily on his shoulder in Turn 5. Unfortunately for the Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider, his collarbone has been confirmed as broken, and he will have to sit out the Catalan GP and very likely the British GP next week.

After the crash, Edwards was taken to the Dexeus Institute Hospital in Barcelona, where he will undergo surgery performed by Dr. Xavier Mir, who has previously treated Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo. With the Silverstone round only a week away, it seems almost certain that Edwards won’t return to MotoGP racing until Assen at the earliest for the Dutch TT, though a later appearance could be possible. No word yet on replacement riders, though it will be tough to find one with World Superbike racing at Misano next weekend as well.

If you’re reading this post, then you are already too late to own a Yamaha YZF-R1 with MotoGP replica bodywork. For starters, the bikes were offered by Yamaha France, making local delivery here in the US a little challenging, even if you could pony up the €15,999 ($22,750) asking price. Second, race replica R1′s were gone almost immediately after being offered on the French website. If the price seems a bit steep, consider the fact that the machine would be delivered in person at the French GP by its appropriate MotoGP rider (there’s also a bit of Yamaha and team swag involved in the purchase price).

If you’re a die hard Lorenzo, Spies, Edwards, or Crutchlow fan, this opportunity by Yamaha France would probably be a once in a lifetime moment, but what we think is really special is that Yamaha left the Japanese support stickers on the bikes’ livery, not only drawing further ties to the MotoGP machines, but also noting a point in time that changed Japan, the world, and the motorcycle community…good stuff. More photos after the jump, but be forewarned that the yellow and black Tech3 paint scheme is extra drool-worthy on the R1.

Testing concluded today in Estoril, with MotoGP teams getting another day to sort out their 2011 race motorcycles on the Portuguese track. The day was perhaps most anxiously awaited by the Ducati Corse squad, who brought out new chassis parts to address the issues with the Ducati Desmosedici GP11. Feedback from both Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi was positive about the changes, and the Ducati Corse team seems to be heading down the right course of softening up the GP11.

“It was a positive test because the new updates were immediately better. The bike was more sensitive to changes made to the front, which makes it easier to work on a setup that works better for me,” said an upbeat Valentino Rossi. “I realized that as soon as I got on the bike and then, over the course of the following hours, we constantly progressed. We also had an engine with a slightly smoother power delivery that I liked a lot.”

“We’ll start using it when the rotation plan allows it. I liked the tyres that Bridgestone had us try, they seemed very good. Of course the other riders also made great progress, and the less positive about today is the gap to the front on my best lap. Anyway, everything that the Ducati technicians brought worked, and that means that we’re on the right path. We have to continue working, but today’s test gives us confidence.”