Yamaha Archives - Page 63 of 69

Racing

Valentino Rossi Says Another 3 Years of Racing

By Jensen Beeler 03/16/2010 13 Comments

The subject as to where Valentino Rossi will race in the future and finish his career has been a subject of much speculation, and seems to endure through the seasons. As usual we’ve already seen the speculation that Rossi may drive a Formula 1 car for Ferrari, or join Ducati for a perfect storm of corse italiano. Rossi usually likes to fan the rumors by staying non-committal, but in a recent interview with Motosprint Magazine, the nine time World Champion Valentino Rossi revealed that he would like to stay in racing for another three years, likely ending his career with Yamaha.

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News

Ride A Yamaha in the Palm of Your Hand

By Jensen Beeler 03/15/2010 6 Comments

Yamaha has gotten on board with this amazing new age device called “the iPhone”. You may have heard about this crazy thing that kids are using, and perhaps even seen a segment about it on 60 Minutes. Helping fuel the addiction, Yamaha’s application brings riding a Yamaha street bike or dirt bike into the palm of your hand…we think. Our Japanese is admittedly not so good…as in, no one here at the A&R office speaks it.

Despite this setback, we’re fairly certain the idea behind this iPhone application from Yamaha has to do with reving a make believe motorcycle with one’s closed hand, and pretending that an YZF-R1 or YZ450F is blowing your hair back, all while wearing a black Alpinestars glove. If that’s still not clear, check out this video after the jump for a demonstration of how to use the iPhone application from various angles and riding modes. You can download the application and try it your self here.

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Banter

Ben Spies and Eddie Lawson Talk About Training, Teamwork, 500cc Bikes, & Pissing Off the Japanese

By Jensen Beeler 03/15/2010 1 Comment

For the third and final installment of its One on One series with Ben Spies and Eddie Lawson, Yamaha asks the riders about their competitive nature both in training and on the track, the teams that supported them in their endeavors, what its like to ride the 500GP bikes, and Eddie leaves us with a closing story about some of his old antics. Like the second part of this series, this video is a nine minute insight into a top-level racer’s mindset, and speaks to the hard work that goes into being a champion. Watch it after the jump.

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Bikes

2010 Yamaha Fazer8 ABS – Also Officially Official & With Anti-Lock Brakes

By Jensen Beeler 03/12/2010 1 Comment

Along with the 2010 Yamaha FZ8, Yamaha Europe has finally officially released the 2010 Yamaha Fazer8 ABS. The 800cc cousin to the FZ8, the Fazer8 gets the obvious anti-lock brake treatment as the name implies. Drawing on styling cues from the larger FZ1, the FazerOcho distinguishes itself by what lies beneath its exposed motor. As was rumored, the Fazer8 borrows from the FZ1’s 998cc motor’s stroke length, making up the smaller displacement with a smaller bore diameter (68mm down from 77mm). Check out the full technical specifications and photos after the jump.

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Banter

Ben Spies and Eddie Lawson Talk Competitiveness, Fame, & Being A World Champion

By Jensen Beeler 03/09/2010 1 Comment

After what felt like a thinly veiled R1 commercial in part one, Yamaha has released the second installment of its One on One series with Ben Spies and Eddie Lawson. The two famed Yamaha riders talk about what makes a professional motorcycle racer tick, including their competitive nature, reaction to fans, and being called a Champion. We’d say the first clip is a pass, but this second video is pretty insightful, and worth the 7 minutes of your time. Video after the jump.

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News

Yamaha Gets Particular About ‘Fazer8’ Nomenclature

By Jensen Beeler 03/02/2010 6 Comments

UPDATE: The 2010 Yamaha Fazer8 ABS has officially been released.

It would seem that Yamaha Motor Europe is getting a little particular about what people call their new 800cc naked street bike. Dubbed the “Fazer8” by the tuning fork brand, Europeans seem to be more comfortable calling the new Fazer by the previously agreed upon naming method: the FZ8 Fazer. “Whoa, wait, slow down there padre!” says Yamaha.

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Racing

Yamaha Sticking to 800’s in 2012?

By Jensen Beeler 02/26/2010 2 Comments

With the announcement that MotoGP would “allow up to” a 1000cc format in 2012, there was a hinting that manufacturers would be allowed to use their current 800cc machines in the coming years. The provision comes from the concern that another switch in engine rules will mean another financial blow to the teams that have already spent so much time developing their 800cc race bikes. We’ll skip the economic dissertation on what a sunk cost is, and go straight into the news that Yamaha will reportedly not make the jump to 1000cc’s, and instead continue to use its 800cc M1 in 2012.

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Bikes

2010 Yamaha Fazer8 Revealed

By Jensen Beeler 02/25/2010 5 Comments

UPDATE: The 2010 Yamaha Fazer8 ABS has officially been released.

Here’s another bike we’re not likely to see in the United States, the 2010 Yamaha Fazer8. Yamaha has been teasing us with the Fazer8 and its more naked variant, the FZ8 for several months now, and now the tuning fork brand has finally shown the Fazer8 in all its glory.

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Bikes

2012 Yamaha XT1200Z Super Ténéré

By Jensen Beeler 02/24/2010 19 Comments

UPDATE: Pricing abroad for the 2010 Yamaha XT1200Z Super Ténéré looks to be £13,500 & €15,000, with some variation because of individual country tariffs.

With its latest bike the Yamaha XT1200Z Super Ténéré, Yamaha is stepping up its game and getting serious about the adventure-tourer motorcycling segment. The Dakar inspired Super Ténéré is a ground-up production for Yamaha, making it the first Japanese manufacturer to get serious about this emerging (and very profitable) market segment.

With 1,199cc under the hoood, the XT1200Z Super Ténéré is aiming its sights on the class-leading BMW R1200GS and new-comer Ducati Multistrada 1200. The powerplant features a parallel twin motor with four valves per cylinder, and makes 108hp @ 7,250 RPM and 84lbs•ft @ 6,000 RPM. Read more about the Yamaha XT1200Z Super Ténéré after the jump.

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Racing

Fiat-Yamaha Erects a Wall in the MotoGP Garage

By Jensen Beeler 02/08/2010 6 Comments

After debuting the 2010 Fiat-Yamaha MotoGP team and the new(ish) YZR-M1, news came out that the Fiat-Yamaha team, like many other teams before them, will not be sharing data between its two riders, effectively erecting a wall in the Fiat-Yamaha garage. The news was confirmed by Masahiko Nakajima, MotoGP Group Leader and Fiat Yamaha Team Director, that there will be no sharing of data between the two riders this year as they battle for the MotoGP Championship once again. The issue has already made its first divide, as Lorenzo and Rossi have expressed very different sentiments on the topic.

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News

Italian Sales Figures Show Insight into FZ8

By Jensen Beeler 02/03/2010 8 Comments

The announcement of the 2010 Yamaha FZ8 left many Americans confused as to why the Japanese company would release a 800cc version of it FZ1 naked streetbike. While Yamaha hasn’t confirmed the FZ8 will be coming to the US in 2010 (all the information to-date has come from Yamaha EU), abroad the battle in the 800cc middleweight slot has become increasingly contentious, and more importantly Yamaha’s presence there surprisingly non-existent.

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