Leaderboard
Popular Content
Showing content with the highest reputation since 11/29/2012 in News
-
Whilst the dirt and the tarmac require very different machines to be competitive Yamaha retains the same philosophy of development in both areas, exemplifying the company’s spirit of development in the quest to create not only Championship dominating machines but also innovation for the customers of the future. Akrapovic The 2013 YZR-M1, the M1 standing for ‘Mission One’, is the latest incarnation of an incredible machine that first broke cover in 2002 as MotoGP made the move from 500cc bikes. Yamaha’s design philosophy has continued to move forward and evolve at the cutting edge of design off-road, most notably with some serious ‘forward’ thinking. When the current engine design development reached its limits Yamaha stepped outside the box and made a bold move. A revolutionary design change saw rearward and backward facing cylinders move the mass centralization, bringing the heaviest part of the bike closer to the middle for flickability. The development doesn’t stop in Japan; Yamaha is very flexible in its approach to the advancement of the YZ off-road machines. A partnership with Michele Rinaldi in Italy started in 1992 has earned numerous victories and consistently class leading bikes. In 1995 the Yamaha Rinaldi Research and Development program (YRRD) was founded, developing race-winning parts for the then two-stroke machines. Working to maximise the regulations in the racing class that opened up different possibilities for development, Rinaldi were able to develop a completely new crankcase for the YZ450F, gaining valuable performance benefits at the track during the 2001 season. The collaboration to develop race-winning machines delivered Yamaha the first ever four-stroke world title in 1999 with Andrea Bartolini and is further exemplified by Stefan Everts total domination over six seasons from 2001 to 2006, including four back to back YZ450FM titles. Everts has since been joined by David Philippaerts who stormed to Championship victory in 2008 on the YZ450F. YZ450F Yamaha’s cutting edge design philosophy in racing remains very much focused on benefit not just on track but for future customers on the road. The OWP3 M1 engine developed for the 2004 MotoGP season featured the crossplane crankshaft for the first time. Valentino Rossi won the opening race with the bike at Welkom in South Africa, going on to win the title with a further eight victories. The MotoGP legend would cement the M1’s place in history with a further three premier class world titles. Current world champion Jorge Lorenzo would then add another two titles to this, giving Yamaha six MotoGP titles in the last ten years. Between them they helped Yamaha make history, taking the triple crown of rider, team and manufacturer titles for three consecutive years from 2008 to 2010. The YZR-M1’s technology has filtered to Yamaha’s production machines and the YZF-R1 appeared in 2009 with the crossplane crankshaft technology. American rider Ben Spies took Yamaha’s first World Superbike Championship victory with the new R1 in the same year, crowning the development journey from MotoGP prototype in 2004 to production dominance in 2009. For a full range of photos from this unique photo shoot please check out http//www.yamaha-racing.com/Racing/motogp/photo/1 point -
Fitting new tyres Basically, there is little difference between fitting a motorcycle tyre and fitting any other sort. The real skill comes in knowing what to look for and knowing how to accomplish the tyre change without later endangering the rider or damaging the bike. Most riders should know how to take out a wheel but there are still many who don't. There is a potential for enormous damage to be caused if this is done badly. Modern wheels can be delicate and very expensive things; they can have coatings on them that can be damaged, torque settings can be critical and great care must be taken with the brake mechanism. If there isn't a mobile fitter or a mechanic who can get out to you, you really need to know how to get the wheel out and put it back properly. It would pay to find out how to do this and, if your bike has only got a side stand, you may also be wise to invest in a paddock stand for your garage. One-wheeled bikes don't tend to last too long on side stands! Magnesium and alloy wheels can be a problem when removing tyres. They can bend and distort if not handled carefully. The experts use the proper equipment to ensure no damage is caused. When fitting a tyre (especially tubeless) it is important to ensure the bead line is visible around the whole of the circumference. It may be necessary to put a bit of pressure into the tyre to do this (usually you hear a pop when the bead locates) then adjust it back down. However it is critical that the pressure is not excessive or the tyre could explode. You should use a 'cage' when blowing up tyres if at all possible. While the wheel is out This is the time to have a look at the bits you can't always get at. For example the rim should be inspected for damage or rough edges, wheel bearings can be checked for play and spokes can be cleaned and checked for tightness. Balancing tyres Modern tyres are fairly well balanced right from the start (when properly fitted) but it is still advisable to have the front wheel balanced to get rid of any lingering vibration. These days this can be done at the same time the tyre is fitted. There was a time when it was no good balancing a wheel until the tyre had suffered a bit or wear! Properly equipped motorcycle tyre fitters will have access to a balancing machine and it really is advisable to spend the extra couple of quid getting them to use it. Running in new tyres This is really important. The number of riders who have crashed on new tyres is legion. Tyres need to be 'run in' before they should be expected to cope with hard riding or braking. The first 50 to 100 miles is critical. Ride smooth and slow for this period and your tyres will perform at their peak for the rest of their lives. Information kindly supplied by ATS Euromaster1 point
