BLACK Yamaha FJR Motorcycles, page #55

Moto blog

Colin Edwards Joins Forward Racing CRT Squad for 2012

Colin Edwards will join the Forward Racing team to compete in the 2012 MotoGP season as a Claiming Rule Team entry. Edwards, known as a good development rider and an even better quote machine, is the first rider to officially sign on with a CRT. Forward Racing may be more familiar to some race fans by its former name, Hayate Racing, the outfit that ran the Kawasaki ZX-RR with Marco Melandri in 2009 after Kawasaki pulled out of MotoGP racing.

Win tickets for Donington Park BSB

The Showdown for the MCE British Superbike Championship kicks off next weekend at Donington Park (9-11 September) as the circuit hosts the start of the three round fight for the title between the top six riders. We've teamed up with Donington Park to offer ten pairs of weekend tickets (worth £30 each). To be in with a chance of winning head to Facebook.com/Visordown and answer the question.

Zero Announces Canadian Dealer Network

Zero Motorcycles announced its expansion into Canada with a network of nine dealerships. The announcement follows the launch of Zero’s U.S. dealer network in July.

Wayne Rainey to Appear at Misano for First Time Since Career-Ending Crash

Wayne Rainey will return to the Misano circuit for the first time since he suffered a career-ending crash that left him paralyzed from the chest down. The Sept. 5, 1993 crash at the circuit then-known as the Circuito Internazionale Santamonica brought a sudden end to what had been an incredibly successful Grand Prix racing career.

MSF Begins Year-long Real World Motorcycle Safety Study

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has started what it calls the first-ever naturalistic study of motorcycling, with 100 motorcycles equipped with data logging equipment to record real-world riding situations over the course of a year. The information will valuable data that will help shape the MSF’s rider education and rider training program and other safety initiatives. “Our priority with this research is to observe the participants on a day-to-day basis,” says Dr.

Yamaha Celebrating 50 Years of Racing at Indianapolis Grand Prix

Yamaha announced a slate of activities for the Aug. 26-28Indianapolis Grand Prix to mark the manufacturer’s 50th anniversary of Grand Prix racing. While Yamaha factory racers Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies wearing the special red and white 50th anniversary livery, race fans can purchase matching 50th anniversary gear and other merchandise and souvenirs.

Kenny Roberts R1 Auction Nets $87,000 for Charity

The one-off GYTR-equipped Yamaha YZF-R1 ridden by “King” Kenny Roberts at this year’s U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca was auctioned for $87,000. Roberts and late night television star Jay Leno were the special guest auctioneers for the R1 at Mecum’s Motorcycle Auction in Monterey, Calif.

Simon and Leo

If you are a track day regular this year, you may well have bumped into former racer and friendly Kiwi, Simon Crafar. I first met him in Malaysia in 1990 when he was riding for a Yamaha dealer team, sweating his way round circuits like Shah Alam and Johor Bahru but with a long term plan to make it onto the World scene. And he didn’t take long as after riding for Honda in the UK in 1992 he moved to WSB in 1994 and enjoyed success with both the Honda and Kawasaki factory teams.

Yamaha to Open Plant in Pakistan

Yamaha is reportedly planning to open a new manufacturing facility in Pakistan. According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, Yamaha would invest $150 million in the new 50 acre facility, to be located in Karachi, Pakistan’s main seaport and financial hub. The plant would produce motorcycles for the Pakistani market, as well as models to be exported to other Commonwealth of Independent States nations.

Yamaha Reports Q2 2011 Results

A drop in net sales, an appreciating yen and the fallout from the March 11 earthquake and tsunamis in Japan contributed to a 4.6% drop in profit for Yamaha Motor Co. over the second quarter of 2011. Over the quarter ended June 30, 2011, Yamaha saw a 5.9% drop in net sales compared to the same period in 2010.Yamaha reports sales of 344.5 billion yen (US$4.48 billion) over the second quarter, compared to the 366.3 billion yen (US$4.77 billion) reported in the same quarter in 2010.