2013 Yamaha V Star 950 Tourer on 2040-motos

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2009 Yamaha R1 Reviewed!

Get the Flash Player to see this player. After much speculation and anticipation regarding the 2009 YZF-R1, MO finally got some seat time in the recently updated numero uno. After hearing much about this new “Cross-plane crankshaft” technology, we were ready to write it off as media hype and PR propaganda, but it turns out that the Yamaha R1 has actually tightened the gap between MotoGP technology and street applications.

Yamaha to Cut Motorcycle Production in 2009

With mounting inventories coupled with a drop in demand, Yamaha will be cutting its motorcycle production in Japan by 24 percent this year or to about 260,000 total units; one newspaper reported this would be a 40-year low for the manufacture. Yamaha plans to cut production for motorcycles and other products by 30 percent in the Americas, 20 percent in Europe but will maintain production levels in Asia where demand has not dropped off. The company is forecasting its group sales to fall 22 percent with an operating loss of about $300 million.

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.