Now that Ben Spies has taken the points lead in the World Superbike Championship, Yamaha feels comfortable releasing the secrets behind “Elbowz’s” success on tracks he’s never seen before.
Walking us through his process, this is a rare insight into the mind of a motorcycle legend in the making. Check the video after the jump for the interview with Spies, and comments from his fellow Yamaha riders from the MotoGP series.
It’s official, Yamaha announced today that Ben Spies will remain in World Superbike with the Yamaha factory team for the 2010 season. However in 2011, Spies will move up to MotoGP series, where he’ll join a Yamaha satellite team (likely Tech3 Yamaha).
According to Italian website Motosprint, Stiggy Racing will be trading in it’s Honda CBR1000RR’s next year for a pair of shiny new Yamaha R1’s. This surprising manufacture swap seems to center around the financial issues Yamaha (and the rest of the motorcycle industry) is facing with cut backs in racing, and will add a second “supported” Yamaha team to the WSBK series in 2010.
MotoRevue is reporting that the 2010 Yamaha FZ1, like the 2010 Yamaha R6, will not be updated with the R1’s cross-plane crankshaft. The FZ1 is a shining example of Reaganomics, getting the trickle down technology of the YZF-R.
So, it comes with some surprise that we hear that it won’t get the MotoGP inspired crankshaft, but never fear loyal Fazzer owners, it does seem that the FZ1 will get some love in the next two years.
We’re happy to be the first to report that after much adieu, Jorge Lorenzo and Yamaha Motor Company have finally signed a one-year extension to Lorenzo’s current rider agreement, meaning the Spanish rider will ride next year again as Rossi’s teammate for Fiat-Yamaha.
Based on the Yamaha Road Star, Roland Sands did the business on this piano bike for the AMD World & European Championship of Custom Bike Building.
With a 110 cubic-inch motor that has been worked on by Patrick Racing, the RenStar is not only capable of being a daily rider, but also capable of blowing away any takers at traffic lights. Around a turns might be harder though, with a 240 tire on the back, but hey…it looks good right?
The folks at the biker build-off didn’t think so, but we do. Pictures after the jump.
Rumors are already flying about the 2010 Yamaha R6, which is due for an update this next model year. One of the prominent theories is that that supersport would inherit the cross-plane crankshaft found in the current R1 liter bike. While Yamaha has officially been quiet on this matter, R1 project leader, Toyoshi Nishida, has pretty much ruled out the possibility of that technology trickling down to the 600cc bike. However, it does seem certain that the new R6 will tip the scales at a paltry 385 pounds or less…wet.
It’s doom and gloom today. The motorcycle industry continues to be slogged on the nose like a near-sighted proctologist, as exports from metric manufacturers declined by 65% this June from 2008’s figures. This drop comes after May only showed a 58% loss over last year’s numbers, showing an escalation of the problems for the motorcycle industry, instead of the beginnings of an abatement. For those who aren’t keeping score, 2009 so far has sold 25% less units than 2008, with the crunch hitting the hardest as sales normally would pick up during the summer.
With Jorge Lorenzo’s contract up at the end of this season, rumors are beginning to make their way through the MotoGP paddock about where the Spaniard will be racing next season. While Lorenzo has stated he would prefer to stay at Yamaha, he has also stated that he “knows what he’s worth.” For anyone playing MotoGP silly season, that’s an open invitation to assume that offers from Honda could have potential of becoming true.
While in Laguna Seca for the US GP, Fiat Yamaha riders, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, along with Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders, Colin Edwards and James Toseland, stopped by the Yamaha North America corporate offices for a little press stop and corporate tour.
Wanting to make the most out of the trip, Yamaha put together a video that reveals the secret to their riders’ success.
In Annecy-le-Vieux, France, near the Swiss border resides builder Ludovic Lazareth. This French mechanical artisan has built a number of one off motorcycles, trikes, and cars, and his latest take on the Yamaha FZ1 just recently caught our eye.
The bike design, as you can see for yourself, is all hand done, angular, aggressive, and edgy. But, we especially like the Mini Cooper S supercharger that has been fitted to the FZ1 motor. No word on how much power its putting down, suffice it to say though, it’s enough. The FZR Compressor can be yours, like many of Lazareth’s creations, for only €40,000 ($56,000).