Yamaha YZ Motorcycles in Springville, page #38

Moto blog

Retirement is rife but thankfully not for Vale

The racing season may be over but the winter nights will surely fly by as we watch reviews, debate events of 2012 racing and relish the excitement that lays ahead in 2013. Unfortunately retirement seems to be popular right now so with major names leaving BSB, WSB and Moto GP things will never quite be the same. I’m still in shock that Casey Stoner has decided to head back home for a spot of fishing.

A breath of fresh air

Dean Benstead's air-powered bike project, O2 Pursuit, which we spoke about a year ago, seems to have come along nicely since. Here's a video of the Australian's rotary air compression-engined Yamaha WR250R being taken out for a spin. Apparently it can hit 87 mph and cover more than 60 miles on a scuba-tankful's worth.

Yamaha Reports Q3 2012 Results

Yamaha‘s North American sales were up over the first nine months of 2012, representing the lone bright spot in the company’s third quarter report. North American consumers purchased 51,000 Yamaha motorcycles (including scooters and ATVs), for a 13.3% increase from the 45,000 units sold in the opening nine months of 2011. North American sales translated into 30.7 million yen (US$382 million) in revenue for Yamaha, a 15.0% increase from the first three quarters of 2011.

Colin Edwards Punks Ricky Carmichael and Ashley Fiolek in Progressive International Motorcycle Shows Promo – Video

Oh that Colin Edwards. The Texas Tornado been the industry’s go-to personality for funny videos. Edwards has gone on a Man-cation with Ben Spies, put Yamaha Extended Service agents through boot camp and starred in his own feature in MotoGP’s official video podcast. The latest hijinks from the Clown Prince of the MotoGP paddock is the first in what looks to be a series of videos in support of the 2013 Progressive International Motorcycle Shows tour.

Motorcycle.com Adds a New Editor

While some moto publications are cutting back and constricting, Motorcycle.com is proud to announce the addition of a new editor to our masthead. MO readers, meet Jon Langston, our new Associate Editor. I knew Langston was a cool cat when I first met him at the Harley-Davidson Blackline unveiling in January 2011.

US Motorcycle Thefts Down 6% in 2011

Americans reported 46,667 motorcycle thefts in 2011, a 6% decrease from 49,791 stolen motorcycles in 2010, reports the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Despite the drop in reported thefts, the non-profit organization representing nearly 1100 property and casualty insurance companies says the theft rate still averages out to one motorcycle stolen every 11 minutes in the U.S. The numbers were published in the NICB’s 2011 ForeCAST Report which examined theft reports as well as recoveries.

How to murder an HP2 Sport

Some bikes and cars should be left entirely stock; left unchanged from the way the factory intended them to be. In purchasing them you should understand that. I could produce a list of vehicles that should be taken off the owner if they modified them in any way but I'll save you the boredom.

Intermot 2012: 2013 Yamaha FZ8 Announced

Along with the announcement of the updated 2013 FJR1300A, Yamaha also announced that its naked middleweight roadster, the FZ8, has received a handful of updates for 2013. Key among the modest improvements is revised EFI programming for smoother, snappier throttle response, and front suspension is now full adjustability. The fork has new preload and rebound adjustments atop the fork legs, while a new compression damping adjuster is located at the bottom of the fork.

Intermot 2012: Yamaha Unveils Crossplane Triple Concept

Yamaha announced it is developing a new three-cylinder engine using a crossplane crankshaft inherited from the company’s YZR-M1 MotoGP bike and its YZF-R1 sportbike. Yamaha says the new Triple will play an important role in the company’s future. The Japanese manufacturer unveiled a concept sculpture with the new three-cylinder engine at the 2012 Intermot show in Cologne, Germany.

Magneti Marelli to Supply Electronics System to MotoGP Teams

It’s no secret that promoter Dorna Motorsports has been trying to push a standardized electronics control unit for teams in the MotoGP World Championship. The lack of a top-tier electronics package has been one of the biggest challenges faced by MotoGP’s claiming rule teams, and a spec ECU would narrow the gap between the CRT bikes and the factory prototypes. The manufacturers competing in the series, Honda, Ducati and Yamaha, understandably are resistant to the idea considering the effort they’ve put in to develop their electronics systems.