Yamaha Road Star Motorcycles in OSHKOSH, page #53

Moto blog

Yamaha Motor USA to Swallow Up Yamaha Canada

Yamaha’s board of directors has voted in transfer all shares of its Canadian subsidiary to its American subsidiary, a move which would give Yamaha Motor U.S.A. responsibility over the entire North American market. The proposed transfer, set to begin in December,  will make Yamaha Motor Canada a subsidiary of its American counterpart.

Recall for 2009-2011 Yamaha V-Max

Yamaha is issuing a recall campaign on certain 2009-2011 V-Max power cruisers due to a potential risk of oil pump malfunction. According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, abnormally high oil pressure can build up within the oil pump of certain Yamaha V-Max models. The high pressure may force the washer on the oil pump shaft against the oil pump housing, causing oil to stop pumping through the engine.

2012 Yamaha YZF-R1 Video Featuring Ben Spies

Yamaha has released a new video of the 2012 YZF-R1 featuring MotoGP racer Ben Spies taking the new bike with Yamaha’s 50th Anniversary limited edition livery to a track day. Spies who won the 2009 World Superbike Championship on a Yamaha R1 so he is obviously very familiar with the sportbike which will now be available with a seven-level traction control system. Spies appears a little bored as the other riders learn the layout of the track and when they get to the track, he calmly waits while they take off around him before dropping the hammer and showing them how it’s done.

Mythbusters to Compare Emissions of Cars Versus Motorcycles

Are motorcycles more environmentally friendly than cars? Ask most people that question and their initial response would probably be “yes” because motorcycles are more fuel efficient, and they release less CO2.  But is that the whole story? MythBusters‘ Jamie Hynerman and Adam Savage are going to find out on the Emmy-nominated show’s fall season premiere, Sept.

Motorcycle Thefts Down 11.2% in 2010

Motorcycle thefts in the U.S. are down for the fourth consecutive year in 2010,  according to a report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. There were 49,791 reported motorcycle thefts in 2010, an 11.2% drop from the 56,093 thefts reported in 2009.

Pipewerx's new Slash Cut slip-ons

Pipe Werx, the British performance motorcycle exhaust company, has added a new product to its range – the Slash Cut Trim. Priced at only £79.95, delivered, the Slash Cut Trim easily bolts on with its supplied mounting clamp and spring to the catalytic converter in place of the heavy standard exit pipes on Yamaha’s R6 (2006-2011) and Suzuki’s GSX-R600/750 (K8, K9, L0). With the main aim of reducing weight and improving aesthetics on these machines, the Slash Cut Trim does give a marginal increase of throttle response and exhaust note.

Kenny Roberts Rides 1980 Yamaha YZR500 Around Laguna Seca [Video]

Kenny Roberts is a true icon of motorcycle roadracing, being the first American to win a 500cc world title, then collecting two more before he moved on to team management. “Without Kenny, we might not be here,” said Colin Edwards, former World Superbike champion and current MotoGP rider, in the below video. “He was the godfather that brought us all over to Europe and showed us more or less that it was possible.

D'you cover your front brake with a finger?

Bumped into a riding instructor last weekend. Not literally, though, I'm pleased to add.  The road had been closed by a big accident and we'd all been forced into the same coffee/petrol stop together. He had one pupil with him on a 125 Yamaha custom thing.

50th Anniversary Yamaha Special Edition R1? Yes Please!

When Yamaha unveiled its 50th anniversary edition red and white livery for its M1 MotoGP machines in May, one question came immediately to mind: when can we get the special edition R1? The red and white design was created to celebrate Yamaha‘s 50th year in Grand Prix racing. Yamaha factory racers Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies debuted the livery at the Assen round in June, which saw the American Spies nab his first a career MotoGP win.

James Toseland Announces Retirement from Racing

Two-time World Superbike Champion James Toseland announced his immediate retirement from motorcycle racing due to a debilitating injury to his right wrist. Signed with the BMW Motor Italia racing team, Toseland has been limited to just seven of 20 races in this season’s WSBK Championship due to the wrist injury initially suffered during a private test at Spain’s Aragon circuit in March. After undergoing an operation for the injury, Toseland made two attempts at returning to racing, first at the Miller Motorsports Park round in May and again at the Silverstone round in July.