2001 Yamaha Wr 426 on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Motorcycle Live and a few of my favourite things for 2013

There is lots of shiny new metal on show at Motorcyclelive this year but for me it’s the new Triumph Daytona 675 that steals the show.  We’ve been starved of brand new models in the Supersports segment for years but for me the latest Trumpet has made the wait worthwhile. And if its performance matches its looks then I reckon the 2013 bike of the year is a foregone conclusion.  The sleek curvy nose contrasts perfectly with the more pointy angular rear end and new side mounted silencer. It is lighter, more powerful and revs harder with much work on on mass centralisation to further improve handling.  Few of us have a whole lot of spare cash these days but £8899 for the standard model seems a fair price for such an awesome bike. That said I’d have to consider selling the granny and granddad to find the extra £1700 for the 675R.  Available early next year, and surely the perfect all round track day tool, this beauty comes with upgraded suspension, brakes, ABS, a quickshifter and some nice carbon detailing. The white 675R on display at the show looked even better in the flesh than previous images I’d seen so be careful or you might find yourself handing over a deposit. With no money left from the Triumph stand you’ll need your six special numbers to come up for my second favourite show item the AGV Pista GP Project 46. Although road legal this extremely light, full carbon helmet is designed especially for racing with a huge field of vision, extensive ventilation and superb ergonomics. It also comes with earplugs which suggests there may be some compromise in the noise department but it is still an incredible piece of engineering. At £799, this special Pista is also an incredible price but there will only be one hundred available and Raceways Yamaha reckon they are going fast.        

Yamaha Champions Riding School To Debut One-Day “Day Camps” This August

On August 13, the Yamaha Champions Riding School, at New Jersey Motorsports Park, will debut its new one-day clinic. In addition, YCRS will head an N2 Track Days SED or “Skills Enhancement Day” on August 12. After eight successful two-day programs in the past four months, the YCRS Day Camp is being put into play and being paired with the proven success of the N2 (formerly NESBA) SED.

A MotoGP rep for under £100?

OK, so it's only for kids, but the new Yamaha M1 WGP 50th Anniversary Balance Bike is still quite cool. Aimed at kids between 2 and 6 years old, it's the same Kiddimoto superbike design that's been around for a few years, and costs the same as the standard Kiddimoto. Which means you effectively get the special graphics and Yamaha branding free of charge.