Alex

The third round of the FIM Cross Country Rally World Championship on the island of Sardegna took place over five days of special stages covering a total of 1600km with over 800km of special stages. The route took the 74 competitors from Alghero to Arborea, Chia and Sa Itria before finishing in San Teodoro. Having announced the new partnership with Yamaha just last week, Despres used the rally to get to grips with the YZ450F based machine and get used to racing again having not competed since the Dakar in January. Despres was quick to show the potential of the Yamaha in Sardegna, completing the first day of the five-day competition in second position, just 55 seconds behind the leader. Botturi was also on the pace, riding a standard WR450F with only minor modifications to suspension, fuel tank and exhaust, he finished the day in third overall behind Despres and just over a minute from the leader. The second day of two special stages saw strong performances again from the Yamaha pair with Botturi leading overall and Despres in third just 58 seconds behind. The second stage of the third day saw both Yamaha riders overcome a time loss after a mix up at an assistance point. Despite the setback Despres fought back to complete the day second overall with Botturi again behind in third. Botturi shone on day four, making up for lost time on the first stage the Italian was a potential stage winner until running out of fuel metres from the finish line. He made up for it by winning the second stage of the day. Despres was unfortunate to fall on the fourth day and bang his head but was able to continue, losing some time but holding third position overall. Botturi saved the best for last, taking his Yamaha WR450F to the top of the final day’s standings with a lead of 1’22 seconds to secure fifth overall in the Rally. Despres was just over two minutes behind in fourth position, confirming fourth overall, just 11 seconds off third place on the podium. Italian Yamaha rider Andrea Mancini finished the final day in fifth position, making it three Yamahas in the top five standings. Cyril Despres “To be perfectly honest I was a little bit surprised to have finished second on the first day after just one day’s competition aboard my new Yamaha– it certainly wasn’t on the programme! My priority was just to get a feel for the bike and get used to racing again after not having ridden a bike in anger since January. Of course I’m a racer at heart and so never happier than when competing and then there was the pleasure of discovering the YZ450F. Of course I am disappointed to have missed the final podium by just 11 seconds but over five days that’s nothing, a couple of micro-errors of navigation. But as they say in this game, ‘that’s rally-raid’, there are always plenty of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’. At least I can console myself with the knowledge that I didn’t make many mistakes yesterday and was able to fight hard all the way to the end. For me the rally was lost a couple of days ago and here, once you have given away time, it’s very hard to pull it back again. Looking at the bigger picture, the really positive aspect of these last five days has been how good I have felt on my new bike. I’d only done a few practice hours on the Yamaha YZ450F before coming here but now I have a much better understanding of how the machine functions and coming away from Sardegna my impressions are extremely positive. Obviously there is plenty of work still left to do on our Dakar bike but both the Yamaha’s engine and chassis are really strong and those are the essential ingredients of any bike. Now we will go back to France and start getting ready for next month’s Rally dos Sertoes which is an event much closer, both geographically and in format, to the Dakar and therefore a much more useful open-air laboratory.” Alessandro Botturi “I am satisfied, I did all I could, I cannot complain for anything or ‘give blame to bad luck’. The final day was especially a good day; I expressed myself during the race and those who wanted have seen it. At the end I was pushing a lot, and a slide with such a pace can happen. Congratulations to the winners, Marc, Paul and Joan, who earned their successes. I raced this Rally thanks to the team GB Spare parts, the extraordinary mechanical and strategist Franco Picco and Yamaha Italy who made the WR450F available. I still have something to complete here, and next year I will be here to settle.” Credit yamaha-racing.com Click here to view the news

Jorge Lorenzo, 1st “The conditions and the circumstances were good for us and I didn't make a mistake, I made my best performance even if the conditions were much hotter than this morning. We are still struggling so much when the conditions get hotter. Anyway the key of the race was in the middle where I improved my riding, I was able to brake later with less fuel in the tank so I was able to improve the lap time by two tenths, from this moment Dani gave up a little pace and I could get away and win the race, more or less like last year. It’s very special; I won the last three years here so this track is magic for me and very positive for Yamaha. It also reminds us to keep working on the bike as at the tracks which are not so flowing like Mugello we will struggle. I’m very happy to give this win to Yamaha Motor Racing President Shigeto Kitagawa because this was his last race here in Grand Prix, as he will retire. He has done a great job for the team in the last years and it is a big loss for us. I hope he will enjoy the different life he will have. Our president Yanagi-san is also lucky for me, I won the 2010 Championship in Malaysia when he was there on the track and again today a victory with his presence.” Valentino Rossi, DNF “Unfortunately in the start I had a problem with the clutch spinning and I lost two or three positions. Then I was attacking because we had a good pace and I was fast. On the second corner I was on the outside already in front of Bautista. For me, from the inside he opened the throttle to close the line so he doesn't lose another position but I was already in front so he came to me and took me on the boot. I was lucky because it was a bad crash and I arrived at the wall but I’m ok. We will try next week in Barcelona, but it is a pity because firstly it is Mugello and secondly I think we could have done a good race and maybe arrived on the podium.” Crutchlow storms to majestic Mugello podium Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow stormed to a second successive podium in 2013 after a fantastic late attack in today's Italian MotoGP race was rewarded with a richly deserved third position. The British rider quickly seized fourth position from former Monster Yamaha Tech 3 teammate Andrea Dovizioso on the second lap, but leading trio Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez had already established a lead of over one second. Crutchlow showed tremendous fighting spirit and blistering speed in the second half of the 23-lap race to superbly cut into a big advantage held by Pedrosa and Marquez, who were locked in an exciting battle for second. The 27-year-old's stunning charge paid off when Marquez was unfortunate to tumble out of second with just three laps remaining, just as Crutchlow was sizing up an attack on Pedrosa. With a brilliant third place secured to follow up his career best second in Le Mans last time out, Crutchlow called off his pursuit of Pedrosa to collect 16 priceless World Championship points that consolidated his fourth position in the rankings. Award for the bravest and most courageous ride of the day went to outstanding rookie Bradley Smith, who demonstrated amazing determination to bounce back from two heavy crashes ahead of the fifth round of the Championship. Nursing a nasty left hand injury after a heavy fall in Friday's FP2, Smith suffered another bruising crash during this morning's warm-up session. Way below his peak physical condition, it seems nothing can knock the 22-year-old's confidence and he showed he has desire and determination to match his talent by riding his YZR-M1 machine to a heroic top 10. Smith, who will undergo skin graft surgery in San Marino to repair damage to his left little finger tomorrow (Monday), finished in ninth position and he will now begin a period of rest and recuperation to be in the best physical condition for the next race in Catalunya. Cal Crutchlow, 3rd "I am really happy to be back on the podium because Mugello is one of the blue riband races on the calendar and that makes it feel a bit more special. It is an awesome result and I have to pay a big tribute to my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew who did an incredible job this weekend. I've not felt comfortable on the bike but today they gave me a package that was really competitive. In the second half of the race I was really strong and consistent and I could see for the last 10 laps I had the pace that was bringing me closer to Dani and Marc. I was in a really fast and consistent rhythm but I hate to be gifted a podium like that. I'm sorry Marc crashed because he was doing an amazing job again but to be honest I felt I could have caught Dani and taken third anyway. When I saw Marc crash I slowed down to not risk losing a second podium in a row, which is a fantastic achievement for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and me. I'm fourth in the Championship, top non-factory rider again, so it has been another great way to finish the weekend and continue our very strong start to the season." Bradley Smith, 9th "To be honest ninth position was obviously a really good result considering the circumstances of today. This morning's crash was the last thing I needed, so to be able to go the whole race distance with just one mistake was positive for me. I had a lot of problems with my left hand as well as with my wrist and it was magnified with Mugello being such physically demanding track. So I believe I did a really good job. It would have been good to beat (Aleix) Espargaro at the end but considering the whole weekend I should be satisfied with another top 10 result. After a very difficult weekend for my body I just need to rest as much as I can to put me in the best possible condition for Barcelona. We still learned a lot during these tough days, especially from the big crashes, but I suppose that's all part of the game on my way to becoming a better MotoGP rider." Click here to view the news

It'll be cheating but I'm sure it'll be all right ;-)

Yay! Finally!

Top billing went to Yakhnich Yamaha Motorsport’s Sam Lowes in the World Supersport class. The young British rider shot to pole position in Saturday’s qualifying with a blistering 1'38.375, making it three from three for the 2013 season so far and his seventh career pole. The race itself saw Lowes and rival Kenan Sofuoglu contest a tight two-man battle for the lead, the riders swapping lead repeatedly and rarely more than 0.3 seconds apart over the 21-lap run. Lowes saved the best for the end, taking the inside line through the final chicane on the final lap to take victory on his Yamaha YZF-R6. The result puts Lowes in third position, just nine points away from Fabien Foret at the top of the standings. Sam Lowes “I always enjoy the battle with Kenan and Fabien. The team and Yamaha really deserved this; they’ve given me a really fantastic bike all year so thank you very much to everyone. I think Kenan and I tried many things on the last lap so I’m really happy to come out on top.” MTM Racing Team Yamaha’s Gauthier Duwelz took his second consecutive pole position in qualifying on his R6 with a 1’42.255. Guwelz dominated the entire session, the Belgian rider consistently dropping his time in response to any potential threat. Duwelz’s teammate Adrian Nestorovic was also clearly enjoying the challenge of the Assen circuit on his R6, wrapping up qualifying just 0.222 seconds behind the pole sitter. The incident packed race proved to be a hotly contested duel between the two teammates at the front with Duwelz ultimately emerging the victor after a decisive move on the final lap. The result keeps Duwelz firmly at the top of the Superstock 600 standings. MTM Yamaha Team Owner Ludo van der Veeken “It’s been a really positive weekend, very successful. After the practices we discussed with both riders about our race approach. There were no team orders but we expected both riders to ride fairly and take no high risks to overtake a teammate if the other is clearly faster. Both riders rode very professionally, and we are very proud of the 1-2 results. Now we have to stay focused, it’s nice to win both first races but it’s a long season.” Source: yamaha-racing.com Click here to view the news

Welcome aboard mate. Fazers are a great bike, no problem with your bike choice :-)

Hi Grave, PM sent.

It was mission accomplished for Bradley Smith in the 21-lap race as he gained priceless experience by guiding his YZR-M1 machine home to his first point scoring finish in his rookie campaign. Opting to run Bridgestone’s hard compound front tyre for the first time all weekend, Smith gradually built up his confidence and an impressive charge in the second half of the race saw him set a personal best lap of 2.06.415 on the penultimate lap to finish in 12th position. That was 0.3s faster than his best qualifying lap and the confidence and experience gained this weekend means Smith heads to Jerez next month optimistic that he can battle for a maiden top 10 finish. Cal Crutchlow, 4th “I’m very pleased and we did a better job than any of us expected before we arrived in Texas. With no testing here I was worried that it would be more of a struggle and the fire in the garage on Wednesday meant we couldn’t do any of our normal preparation work. So to finish fourth and be behind Marquez, Pedrosa and Lorenzo is a great achievement for all of us and I want to say a massive thanks to my crew. We qualified well and I rode very well in the race and the most pleasing aspect was my consistency. Unfortunately I ran wide while trying to pass Bradl but I managed to fight my way back through and I was running the same speed as Lorenzo for a long time and that gives me a lot of confidence to take into the next few races. I’m giving it my all and I’ll never give up and I think this weekend again we showed how competitive the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 package is. Now we go to Jerez and I was quickest at the winter test a few weeks ago, so it is going to be another big battle that I’m excited about.” Bradley Smith, 12th “I am really happy to finish the race because what I learned over a full race distance was priceless. I ran the hard front tyre on the advice of Bridgestone and while it was definitely the right choice, it took me a few laps to understand how it was working. The last thing I needed was to push too hard and make another mistake like in Qatar but the best thing about the race is I got faster and faster. I was quicker as in qualifying on the penultimate lap of the race, and that’s a sign of how much better I was riding the bike. I am learning more and more about the bike on each lap and I can go to Jerez now confident that I can be even more competitive and the goal will be to get closer to the top 10. Finally I can’t praise my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team enough. After the garage fire on Wednesday night it really put everybody on the back foot, but we all rallied round and it is nice to see both Cal and I finish in the points to reward their hard work." Herve Poncharal – Team Manager “That was a very good first race here in Texas and Cal did an amazing job. He was in a very hard battle in the early laps and after he ran off the track his recovery was fantastic. He was back on his pace immediately and he brilliantly passed both Bradl and Bautista, even though it was clear that they had a very competitive package at this track. What was very impressive was the way Cal pulled away and he was able to run the same pace as Lorenzo in front of him, which is not an easy task and something he should be really proud of. Bradley also had a good race and he did exactly what he had to do after the crash in Qatar. He was calm at the beginning but once his confidence grew he got faster and faster and at the end he was as quick as a lot of those inside the top 10. This will give him a big boost and also the experience he is lacking, so we can look forward to an even stronger challenge from him in the next few races. Cal and Bradley did an awesome job but so did the whole Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. We didn’t test here and that put us at a disadvantage and after the fire on Wednesday night our preparations were far from ideal. So to get this result in a crucial race for Yamaha and Monster Energy is extremely satisfying.” Click here to view the news

Having started form eighth on the grid, Valentino Rossi got involved in an early fight with the mid pack, including riders Crutchlow and Stefan Bradl, eventually bettering the German rider to move up and hold on to sixth place to the finish line. Rossi had to contend with a vibration from his front brakes during the race and had battled all weekend to find the best setup for the demanding circuit. The result places him in fourth place in the overall standings with 30 points, 3 behind Dani Pedrosa in third. Jorge Lorenzo, 3rd “Yesterday we were so far from Marc and Dani but this morning in the warm up we found something. The hairpin corners we normally take in first gear we made in second so it improved a lot the feeling and the acceleration, but it was not enough. Just a little bit more, maybe two tenths quicker and I could have fought with Dani and Marc. Today third position was the best we could do. I want to congratulate Cal who didn't give up until the end and also Marc, he’s the youngest rider in history to win a Grand Prix; he is a phenomenon. It’s an important day for me; I never thought to get this unbelievable number of podiums so today is a magic day. Time flies very quickly, it seems like it was just yesterday that I got my first victory, which was my first podium in Brazil in 2003 ten years ago and now today my 100th.” Valentino Rossi, 6th “This is a difficult track for us. We expected to do better, but I had a lot of problems in the race because I had a problem with the brakes. I had a vibration in braking because I lost one part of a disc so this didn't help. We knew that we had to defend here; we know that when we cannot attack we need to try and arrive in the top five but today it was sixth. The balance of the first two races is positive and we arrive in Jerez optimistic for the next few races as the tracks are better for us.” Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager “This was our target, to be on the podium. To be honest to be just three seconds behind the lead is very nice. When you are ten seconds behind and you finish third you are quite happy but if it’s just three seconds you think you might have been able to get a bit more. Apart from that we must be very pleased with the result, to be on the podium was our target and that will continue to be our target for the next couple of races. We struggled a lot here and everyone could see our competitors were strong; we had it the other way round in Qatar. Let’s hope at the end of the season that the balance is in our favour.” Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director “We knew since the beginning that this race was going to be really tough for us but I think the team has worked really well and we could manage it in the best way. To finish third, with only three second gap to the leader is for me really good. Jorge did a really intelligent race without a lot of risk. Now we are going back to Europe where the circuits are more suitable to our M1. Vale’s team worked really hard to try and fit the bike to his riding style; they improved the bike through each practice. Unfortunately we made another step from the warm up to the race that didn't work as we expected. He also had a vibration on the front from his brakes. I think we are leaving Austin in a really good shape and we are really looking forward to the Jerez race.” Click here to view the news

Sure looks good

Just put a YZF sticker over the blade ;-)

Have you tested the new switch? The stand is definitely going all the way up and engaging the switch? Have you tested this with a multimeter? Or just bypass the switch and see if it's still doing it. Check that the shift rod isn't touching the switch. It really sounds like a side stand issue.

Welcome aboard Ron, you have some nice bikes there.

Very nice bike :-)

I use Kaspersky and never have any jssues

No worries, happens to all of us :-)

I've never even thought about that. I'll have to have a play with the templates and add it to the to do list. Cheers

I've run some tests and can't replicate any problems. Perhaps it's a local computer issue, eg your computer/browser. Are you able to send a screenshot with the day entered and the exact error?

The tapatalk app doesn't show ads. It's a paid for app, we don't get any commission for people using it. We've just set up the functionality as there has been a few requests for its use. I know ads are a pain but it's people clicking on these who support the forum. This bus why we're trying to limit/remove ads where possible for pro members and have more of them for guests.