Our own Kevin Duke is currently in Tokyo, he will be attending this years Tokyo Motor Show and will be giving us an update tomorrow.  Kevin will surely get to see this Yamaha hybrid concept with his own eyes but for now we have a introduction video for you.

The Star Motorcycles VMax is the most powerful production streetbike in mass production. On October 25, 2009, a few VMax enthusiasts will be tearing up the dragstrip at Sacramento Raceway Park. The event is open to all www.starVmax.com and www.rswarrior.com members.

You’ll realize how cheesy that headline is after watching the pretty rad video that Yamaha has released.

Yamaha’s new motocross bike has taken a radical new approach.  The engine is backwards.

Yamaha’s reason for doing this is to shift the heavy end of the motor more to the center of the motorcycle to make it more agile and responsive.  Slanting the cylinder also made for a straighter pathway for the air intake at the front of the bike.

Of course you can read about many more details and features of Yamaha’s YZ on Motorcycle.com where they just wrote a preview for it this week!  There’s also a bunch of photos to go through if you just don’t feel like doing any reading.

Check out the rest of the post for Yamaha’s official video on the 2010 YZ450F and also why I mention sketching (also, see if you can understand any of the equations that are scribbled down throughout the video)

In the world of motocross, this year’s most highly anticipated machine is Yamaha’s all-new YZ450F. All kinds of crazy rumors about the bike have spread across the internet, and there’s some real doozies out there. In this video from Yamaha, multi-time motocross and supercross champ James Stewart debunks some of the crazier rumors, with special guest appearances by Valentino Rossi, Ben Spies, Colin Edwards, James Toseland, Jorge Lorenzo and TV personality Erin Bates.

What, you mean it’s not powered by a 1.2-gigawatt flux capacitor?

Motorcycle.com will get a chance to see the new YZ this week in a private unveiling, and we’ll unleash full details when the embargo ends on September 8. Stay tuned!

Hit the jump, watch and learn.

Brought to you by YamaTube, here is a demo video of the redesigned 2010 Yamaha YZ250F.  With a plethora of new features and improvements, the highlight has to be the new bi-lateral aluminum chassis.  The 2010 Yamaha YZ250F is much improved out of the corners and overall handling, Yamaha has also improved power over the entire powerband.  MSRP to be announced Fall 2009.

Hit the jump to see the the bike in action and another video that explains all of the new goodies.

What is the cheapest scooter? We’ll show you! Cheap doesn’t mean bad, in fact due to tremendous competition in the 2009 market scooters are better and more affordable than ever! This list will give you a good idea as to what kind of scooter you can get for as little money as possible. Also, the find a better price link will put you in touch with dealers in your area. Of course there is always the full catalog of 2009 scooters on Motorcycle.com – in case you don’t find what you are looking for here. Now, go find a scooter for your crazy self!

Yamaha Motor Europe has recently posted up on YouTube a delightful video about their riders.  Their secret for being so good at what they do is that they totally immerse themselves in Yamaha by working at the Yamaha offices.

Hilarity ensues.

James Toseland works the mail room, while Colin Edwards does security, quoting Eric Cartman from a 10 year-old-South Park episode.  Jorge Lorenzo is washing windows and Valentino Rossi is working the front desk.

Check the rest of the article for the full video.  It’ll brighten your day.

Our sister site, ATV.com, is ready to give away the Yamaha Raptor ATV they’ve been customizing over the last few weeks.

They took a base Yamaha Raptor 250 valued at $4,499.00 and modified it into an $8,000 beast!  Why they just don’t keep it in the office to use for coffee runs is beyond me.

They’ve slapped on new air filters, mufflers, new alloy wheels, new tires, front bumper and grab bar, skid plates, nerf bars, new grips, new seat cover, new plastics, and more!

PHEW!  That’s a heck of a lot of stuff thrown on!  AND you also get a couple hundred dollars worth of Shift riding gear thrown in!

Check this machine out:

Head over to ATV.com for a chance to win this puppy!

To see how they did it, check out their 6 part series on upgrading their Yamaha Raptor.

Yamaha Raptor 250 Project – Part 1
Yamaha Raptor 250 Project – Part 2
Yamaha Raptor 250 Project – Part 3
Yamaha Raptor 250 Project – Part 4
Yamaha Raptor 250 Project – Part 5
Yamaha Raptor 250 Project – Overview

And let’s not forget the review:
2009 Yamaha Raptor 250 Review

Yamaha Motor Europe have just posted a new video up on Youtube about their Yamalube motor oil and why you should use it on your Yamaha products.  They are pretty damn convincing or very good at brainwashing!

The video is pretty educational, explaining how motorcycle engines and car engines are very different, what a motorcycle engine really needs, and why Yamalube is very well suited for the job.

Various graphs, charts, shots of scientists making oil, and the accented British narrator have further convinced me that I need to get Yamalube and perhaps even be adding it into my morning bowl of cereal.

So who is using Yamalube and how much more is it then regular motor oil for your motorcycle?  The Yamaha website only teases me with a “TBA” next to how much this stuff costs.

See the rest of the article for their 5 minute and change video on why Yamalube is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Alright, maybe this isn’t for everyone, but I thought it was obscure enough to warrant some interest to any motorcyclist.

TEZZMIN, a senior member over at the R6MessageNet forums, has posted a nice How-To on removing an ‘03-’04 Yamaha R6 ’s Air Induction System.

What does the AIS do?

“AIS takes clean air from the air box where it is distributed and pulled (under vacuum) past the reed valves and in to the exhaust port where it mixes with
the unburned fuel and ignites @ 1200 degrees it in the exhaust header. ” (quote by 04UpInFlames). Well said.

If you get allot of deceleration popping with a slip on or full system this removed will help reduce it. The AIS helps the bike put out “cleaner” emissions. That’s why a “racer” would have no need for it and if you get a after market pipe some choose to remove it.

Did you get all that?

Even if you don’t own a 2003-2004 Yamaha R6, it’s interesting to see how it’s done.  hit the jump for more pics.  Head to the thread to see the details and see the 11 pages of posts that followed.