The story leading up to the opening round of the 2013 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike season was whether anyone would be able to keep up with defending champion Josh Hayes. After all, the Monster Energy Graves Yamaha rider dominated the competition last season winning 16 of 20 races including a string of 10 in a row.

The season-opening round at Daytona International Speedway appeared to start on script with Hayes qualifying in pole position. But when the real racing began, the plot began to veer off course for Hayes due to mechanical problems.

Hayes was off to a good start in Race 1, but he may have pushed too hard for the lead, damaging his clutch. Hayes slowed down considerably on Lap 5, ceding the lead to his teammate Josh Herrin with Yoshimura Suzuki‘s Martin Cardenas close behind. Cardenas was a close second just 0.135 seconds behind. Formost Insurance Pegram Racing‘s Larry Pegram finished 7.539 seconds back on his Yamaha R1 to complete the podium. Continue Reading »

Three-time and defending AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Champion, Josh Hayes (above right), and 2012 AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Rookie of the Year, Josh Herrin, are ready to debut new livery on their Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha YZF-R1 next week in Daytona. Joining them are 2012 AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike race winner, Cameron Beaubier, and 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport race winner, Garrett Gerloff, on their Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha Daytona SportBike YZF-R6s.

The four riders and their machines recently completed a photo session at Yamaha’s U.S. headquarters in Cypress, California, where they were joined by a quartet of Monster Energy and Yamaha Extended Service Umbrella Girls. It was a “tough day” for Josh, Josh, Cameron, and Garrett under those hot lights, but nobody said professional motorcycle road racing is easy. Continue Reading »

Today, Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, has announced its U.S. road racing teams to compete in the 2013 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Racing season, which kicks off in March at the famed Daytona International Speedway.  Continue Reading »

Monster Energy Graves Yamaha‘s Josh Hayes has clinched his third consecutive AMA Superbike title with his record 14th win of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The win in the second race of the Miami round was the 31st of Hayes’ career. It followed a rare misstep in Race One which saw Hayes crashing after clipping a curb on the third lap. Hayes settled for a 12th-place finish, ending his record winning streak at 10 victories.

Hayes responded for Race 2 with a come-from-behind effort, erasing a 15-second deficit to take the win ahead of Attack Performance Kawasaki‘s Steve Rapp and Jordan Suzuki‘s Ben Bostrom. Continue Reading »

GA_googleFillSlot("MCL_com_Pre-Roll");

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

With the first round of AMA Pro Road Racing at Daytona now in the books, it’s clear to see this season is going to be exciting in all classes. Entries were healthy in all classes at Daytona, with the prediction that this trend will continue throughout the season. Of course, with more riders comes the need for more protection. Head protection in this case. For 2012, Bell is stepping up to the challenge and sponsoring five riders. Continue Reading »

Josh Hayes and Blake Young picked things up where they left off by trading wins at the 2012 season-opening AMA Superbike round at Daytona International Speedway.

Reigning champion Hayes of Monster Energy Graves Yamaha took the first race handily, leading almost right from the start of the 15-lap race for the win. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Young, who finished second to Hayes in the 2011 AMA Superbike Championship, responded by taking the second race, but only by a slim 0.002-second margin.

Continue Reading »

If you live in the southern California area and are attending the Progressive International Motorcycle Show at the Long Beach Convention Center this weekend, Dec. 9-11, do everything you can to make it Friday before 5:30 as three of Yamaha’s best and brightest stars will be on hand to meet and greet fans, as well as pose for pictures. Continue Reading »

Yamaha released a video looking back at Josh Hayes’ 2011 AMA Superbike season culminating with his second consecutive championship.

The video takes a round-by-round look back at the season as Hayes and his Yamaha R1 duked it out with essentially a phalanx of Suzuki GSX-R1000 riders led by seven-race winner Blake Young.

Highlights include the hard-fought duel between Hayes and Young at Mid-Ohio, Hayes and Tommy Hayden swapping the lead on the final lap at Laguna Seca and the title-clinching finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
Continue Reading »

Josh Hayes will make his MotoGP racing debut at the Nov. 6 Valencia Grand Prix in Spain as an injury replacement for fellow American Colin Edwards.

Already set to test the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 M1 after the season-ending race, Hayes was a logical choice to ride in Edwards’ place. Edwards will be sidelined with injuries sustained in the crash at the Sepang round that claimed Marco Simoncelli’s life.

Continue Reading »

Two-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes has been invited to test Colin Edwards’ Tech 3 Yamaha YZR-M1 at the MotoGP post-season test.

Tech 3 principal Herve Poncharal told MCN Hayes will get to ride a few laps on the Yamaha M1 Nov. 7 at the end of season test at Spain’s Valencia circuit.

Hayes won the 2010 and 2011 AMA Superbike champion with the Graves Yamaha team, which is sponsored by Monster Energy. The energy drink company also sponsors the Tech 3 MotoGP team, making Hayes’ invitation to the test natural fit.

Continue Reading »