This past weekend, Brammo arrived to Sonoma Raceway in Central California ready to do battle. Only this time the electric sportbike manufacturer would be trading blows not with other electric bikes, but with their ICE counterparts at the second round of the American Federation of Motorcyclists series — one of the oldest club racing organizations in the country. 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 »
The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) has released an updated list of motorcycles homologated for the 2013 Superbike, Supersport, and Superstock racing season. Notable additions include the new BMW S1000RR HP4, the MV Agusta F3 and the Superbike-spec Ducati 1199 Panigale R.
To qualify a production-based racebike for FIM homologations, manufacturers have to meet certain production thresholds. Manufacturers must first produce 125 units ahead of a homologation inspection. After that, manufacturers have to produce a minimum of 500 units by June 30 and 1000 units by December 31 of the current year, and a minimum of 2000 units by the December 31 of the following year.
Production counts include both ABS and non-ABS versions of the same model, and at least 250 units of each version have to be produced. Production models must also be available for sale in either the U.S., Europe or Japan by the end of April of the current year to qualify. 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 »
We reported earlier today Yamaha Motor USA unveiled new colors and graphics for its 2013 YZF-R1 and YZF-R6. Mechanically unchanged from last year’s models, Yamaha‘s two sportbikes each get three color options including a “Team Yamaha” blue and white model.
What Yamaha isn’t offering to its U.S. customers is a new “Race-Blu” livery, introduced today at Misano for the upcoming MotoGP round. Yamaha factory racers Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies will race this weekend wearing the Race-Blu livery on their leathers and on their YZR-M1 racebikes.
The Aldo Drudi-designed two-tone blue and matte gray color will also be offered on European versions of the R1, the R6 and the entry-level YZF-R125. These three models are just the beginning however. Yamaha says the Race-Blu series will be an integral part of Yamaha’s lineup for future model years as well. Continue Reading »
Those of you hoping for an updated Yamaha YZF-R6 will have to wait for at least another year, as Yamaha announced the 599cc sportbike is returning for 2013 unchanged except for new colors and graphics.
Yamaha last updated the R6 in 2008, equipping it with the company’s Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake (YCC-T) variable-length intake system. The lack of any significant updates to the 2013 R6 must be disappointing to Yamaha fans, especially as the color updates were announced the same day Kawasaki is expected to reveal a new 636cc ZX-6R.
The 2013 color options are Matte Gray and Rapid Red with Pearl White, both for $10,990, as well as a Team Yamaha Blue and White version for $11,190. Expect the 2013 Yamaha R6 to arrive in dealerships in October. Check after the jump for a full gallery of images. Continue Reading »
The 2012 Daytona 200 delivered another fairy-tale finish with underdog privateer Joey Pascarella and the Project 1 Atlanta team fending off a pack of three other racers to win by a slim 0.048 second margin.
Competing in just his first Daytona 200, 19-year-old Pascarella from Victorville, Calif., held the lead for 41 out of 57 laps to finish first ahead of a last year’s winner Jason DiSalvo while Cameron Beaubier squeezed by 2010 Daytona Sportbike Champion Martin Cardenas in a photo-finish to take third.
For the Project 1 Atlanta team, the win marked a dramatic turnaround from a let down in 2011. Despite finishing third in the 2011 Daytona 200 with rider Jake Zemke taking the pole, the team was unable to secure funding to continue the rest of the season. The team came back this year with little funding – Pascarella’s YZF-R6 doesn’t even have a Yamaha logo on it – with its main goal to raise awareness for the March of Dimes children’s charity.
Tommy Hayden has signed on to race in the 2012 Daytona 200 for the Graves Yamaha team as an replacement for injured rider Garrett Gerloff.
Gerloff broke his right femur in the first Daytona Sportbike class practice session for the Daytona 200, leaving Yamaha little time to find a replacement. Hayden had raced for Yamaha before, and those old ties reconnected quickly in time for the season opening race.
“The last thing a rider wants to do is replace an injured rider,” says Hayden. “But, I rode for Yamaha a few years back, and they have always treated me like a special member of their family. I couldn’t be happier to be back!” Continue Reading »
Chaz Davies has captured the 2011 Supersport World Championship, completing a triumphant return to the series for Yamaha.
Davies, the 2008 Daytona 200 winner, finished the Magny-Cours round in sixth place, giving him an insurmountable 35-point lead over Hannspree Ten Kate Honda‘s Fabien Foret with one race remaining.
The championship comes in Yamaha‘s return from a one-year absence from the series. Yamaha withdrew from World Supersport competition after winning the 2009 title but returned this year. The one-year hiatus did not appear to be a problem for Yamaha or the YZF-R6.
