2004 Yamaha Yz125 on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Stoner explains the tank slapper

Casey Stoner looked all set to win at Motegi, after translating his pole position into an early race-lead. But coming over the crest on the back straight his bike momentarily lost control in a tank slapper. Regaining composure the championship leader was forced to pump his brakes to get the pads back in place, with the rear-wheel bouncing in the air he ran out of time and space to make the 90 degree right hander and was forced to run into the gravel.

Day 12 Dakar 2014: Despres Wins Day, Coma Maintains Overall Lead, Barreda Falls Out Of Contention – Video

The penultimate day of Dakar 2014 saw a dramatic change in the overall standings which could make for an exciting final stage tomorrow. Today, however, Yamaha Factory Racing rider Cyril Despres took his second special stage win of 2014 and his 33rd career win for Dakar. Coma, despite taking a 15 minute penalty, finished second for the day, maintaining his overall lead.

Yamaha Focusing on Developing Model Platforms

Following the success of its MT platform, Yamaha says it will continue to develop new models based on shared platforms, allowing for a choice of multiple models while reducing overall costs. Speaking in a presentation on the company’s business operation, Yamaha Motor President Hiroyuki Yanagi reiterated the strategy of developing multiple models sharing the same engine and frame. Honda has followed a similar strategy with its NC models, seeing the platform evolve to include the CTX700 and NM4.