Yamaha Xs-750 Cafe Racer. No Reserve!! No Reserve!! on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Yamaha “Dark Side of Japan” Teases New Model Launching June 11 – Video

Yamaha has released a video teasing a new model it claims “is about to change the sport motorcycle world.” The video, called “The Dark Side Of Japan“, reveals little detail about the new model but promises all will be unveiled June 11. The video includes images from Japan’s vibrant nightlife and lively sub-culture,with youths in costume and exotic hair and makeup dancing in clubs. The new model will reflect this side of Japan, with Yamaha calling it a “new kind of brutal animal”.

Yamaha Reveals YZR-M1 50th Anniversary Grand Prix Livery

Yamaha marks its 50th year in World Championship Grand Prix racing this year, and what better way to celebrate the anniversary than with a special edition livery? The special edition WGP50th Anniversary Yamaha YZR-M1 livery reaches back into Yamaha’s past for its classic red-and-white colors inspired by its first factory team in 1961. Reigning MotoGP Champion and current points leader Jorge Lorenzo and 2010 MotoGP Rookie of the Year Ben Spies will ride the special edition WGP50th Anniversary livery on their Yamaha YZR-M1 racebikes at the June 25 Assen round and the July 24 U.S.

Rainy BSB tests are nothing new

THE combination of bad weather in the UK and a European testing ban means that most BSB teams will now start the season with very little track time. This sounds like a disaster for the top teams but history has proved this isn’t necessarily true and it sometimes doesn’t matter how much pre season preparation has taken place.  Back in 2002 Sean Emmett won on the IFC Ducati at the opening Silverstone round after first riding it in unofficial practice the same weekend. Steve Hislop took the other win on Pauls Bird’s well sorted Ducati. More recently in 2009, Leon Camier took an untested new model R1 Yamaha to victory at the Brands Hatch opener after GSE took delivery of the bike just the week before. Sylvain Guintoli won the other race on a well developed, well tested Crescent Suzuki. You could argue if no one has had testing then it is a level playing field but you have to feel for riders moving up to the superbike class in the world’s toughest national series.  Tyco Suzuki’s PJ Jacobson is one such rider but having spent some time with him over the past few weeks he seems to be taking it all in his stride. It may be the confidence of youth or maybe the fact he has won in every other class he has entered in his short BSB career, but I suspect he fancies at least standing on the Superbike podium at Brands (He also does a bit of ice racing which is not dissimilar to the this year’s UK testing).  The testing ban was implemented with all the best cost cutting intentions and if it had been any other year in the past decade all would be well. The teams may be feeling frustrated but the fans should be excited. With so many unknowns, the 2013 BSB opener at Brands Hatch could be the best ever!