Alex

You can also view the 2013 team launch album containing images of both Lorenzo and Rossi and their 2013 YZR-M1s. The team will be in action for the next three days for the final pre-season test at the Jerez circuit. Regular daily updates can be found on Yamaha-Racing.com Click here to view the news

The Factory team will now re-join the rest of the MotoGP paddock back in Europe for the next Official IRTA test at the Jerez De La Frontera Circuit in Spain on the 23rd March. Jorge Lorenzo, 3rd; Best lap time (at 3pm local time): 2'04.664 - 17 Laps “I feel better today, especially in the last run before the lunch break, we changed the set up of the bike and we improved some tenths so we are closer to the fastest riders, but not as much as we would like. We were too soft in the suspension to start with, we made it harder and in this track it works. These two days that we are here I think is enough to get a good idea of set up and riding style. The fans will like MotoGP here, it is going to be a great show. We have been trying different set ups of the bike, no new parts, just playing with the set up, changing the suspension and forks and in the last run I improved half a second with set up changes. We still don't have enough grip on the rear so we can’t lean over with confidence which is why we are further behind than in Sepang. I am adapting my riding style every lap a little for the track. In the main straight we are at 340kmh/h which is an amazing speed; when you have to brake and put your helmet up the wind is very strong so it’s difficult to be stable.” Valentino Rossi, 5th; Best lap time (at 3pm local time): 2'05.518 - 29 Laps “The feeling with the track improved today, we started to work on the bike to improve the difficult points, especially in the three very hard braking areas where it is important to have good stability. It’s also very important to have grip on the edge through the hairpin to have speed along the straight. It looks like you can make a big difference in the slow parts here. The chicane part in turn two is very technical and difficult as it is blind; you have to go a bit with memory. Step by step we improved a lot from yesterday but have some disadvantage compared to the other guys so we need to put all the sections together. The target was to come here and try to understand the track and try to be ready for the race. Our competitors are able to accelerate faster than us from the hairpin and they have a bit more grip on the edge compared to us so these are the areas where we have to work, in the flowing parts we are not so bad. The track is good, a very classical ‘Tilke’ track, I like the fast parts, turn two and turn ten especially. There is lots of hard braking and it is very wide so good for overtaking. The long right before the last two lefts is also good. Its fun and not too hot like it is in Sepang so it's a good place to make a motorcycle race.” Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director “First of all I would like to remark that it has been a good idea to come here. Yesterday we were able to download a lot of data from both riders; that has permitted us to find a much better set up. Today the results we got are quite promising and we are leaving Austin with a lot of useful data. We are expecting different conditions for the race but the test has been successful. We are now looking forward to the Jerez test which is important as we will decide there how to start for the season. The test here was organized by Honda to cover three days but we knew from the beginning that two days would be enough for us. The target was to allow the rider to get used to the circuit and get as much data as possible for our Japanese engineers.” Test Result at 3pm local time (-6GMT): 1 - Marc Marquez (SPA) Repsol Honda - 2'04.363 2 - Stefan Bradl (GER) LCR Honda MotoGP - 2'04.640 3 - Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Yamaha Factory Racing - 2'04.664 4 - Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda - 2'04.686 5 - Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha Factory Racing - 2'05.518 High resolution images from today's action in Texas can be downloaded directly from www.yamaha-racing.com Source: www.yamaha-racing.com Click here to view the news

Jorge Lorenzo, 4th; Best lap time (at 3pm local time): 2:07.388 “I think it’s very important to come here and learn the track. I haven’t learnt 100% of it, I need more laps to learn my lines, but for the moment it’s a very beautiful track which is very complete with every kind of corner. In the beginning it was difficult to understand the lines but I have improved 22 seconds from the first lap today, that means it's a hard track to learn and a difficult track to go to the maximum on. I think it helps more than some other places to have this extra time. I think three or four practices before the race will not be enough to understand it so some of the riders who didn’t come here will have a little disadvantage. The wind has been a little bit of a problem, especially on the longer straight where you arrive over 340kmhr, you feel a lot of unstable feelings. Almost all the track is tricky, there’s some very hard braking and also tight hairpins. The first sector is flowing but it is very hard to find a good line because it’s blind. We’re getting used to the track but also trying to solve a problem at maximum lean where we don’t have full confidence. We have to change the setting a bit to make it better. The tarmac is not perfect with only four bikes on it to clean it so it’s difficult to understand if it’s very grippy or not. It’s hard to know if it will be much better at the race weekend or just a little bit.” Valentino Rossi, 5th; Best lap time (at 3pm local time): 2:07.924 “I really like the track, my first impression is that it is beautiful. It’s very flowing with a lot of fast corners and a lot of change of direction; it is fun on the bike! There are three hairpins that are very tight; this is better for Formula 1 overtaking, but for us they are a bit slow. In general the track is good. There is some downhill and uphill and first braking zone is very good. We have to understand which tyre to use, but the asphalt surface doesn't have any rubber on it at the moment so there is not so much grip at the moment. The uphill at turn one helps to stop the bike, which is beautiful. For me turn two is the best though and after you enter into the chicane which is very similar to Silverstone. The straight is very long, which is maybe good for overtaking. The city is great, the atmosphere is very good so I think it is a very good place for a race. Its very important to have this time as the track is so difficult, the are a lot of blind corners where you have to understand where to brake. We will continue to work on the line to understand the track and also to increase the rear grip on the bike as we suffer in acceleration. The first feeling is positive. It’s important for MotoGP to have a third race in America, we have a lot of good riders from the USA so it’s right to be here.” Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director “It was definitely a good idea to come here. The track is very difficult to learn, I think it is really special. We are working hard to get a base setting but the most important point is for the riders to get used to the circuit. We’ve started with our base set up from Sepang and we’ll modify it for this circuit. We are on schedule and we will continue working until tomorrow night. If we gather all the information required then we won’t stay for Thursday.” Test Result at 3pm local time (-6GMT): 1 - Marc Marquez (HRC - Honda) - 2:05.620 2 - Dani Pedrosa (HRC - Honda) - 2:06.140 3 - Stefan Bradl (LCR - Honda) - 2:07.307 4 - Jorge Lorenzo (YFR - YAMAHA) - 2:07.388 5 - Valentino Rossi (YFR - YAMAHA) - 2:07.924Yamaha Get Back To Business Texas Style Austin (Texas, USA), 12th March 2013 - Update at 3pm local time (-6GMT) Yamaha Factory Racing were back on track today with Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi enjoying their first ever Circuit of Americas (COTA) experience. The Yamaha riders were at the new track in Texas for day one of the three-day private test. The first sessions were dedicated to learning the track, both Lorenzo and Rossi focusing on understanding the complex 5.5km circuit which has 20 corners and an elevation change of over 41 metres. Jorge Lorenzo, 4th; Best lap time (at 3pm local time): 2:07.388 “I think it’s very important to come here and learn the track. I haven’t learnt 100% of it, I need more laps to learn my lines, but for the moment it’s a very beautiful track which is very complete with every kind of corner. In the beginning it was difficult to understand the lines but I have improved 22 seconds from the first lap today, that means it's a hard track to learn and a difficult track to go to the maximum on. I think it helps more than some other places to have this extra time. I think three or four practices before the race will not be enough to understand it so some of the riders who didn’t come here will have a little disadvantage. The wind has been a little bit of a problem, especially on the longer straight where you arrive over 340kmhr, you feel a lot of unstable feelings. Almost all the track is tricky, there’s some very hard braking and also tight hairpins. The first sector is flowing but it is very hard to find a good line because it’s blind. We’re getting used to the track but also trying to solve a problem at maximum lean where we don’t have full confidence. We have to change the setting a bit to make it better. The tarmac is not perfect with only four bikes on it to clean it so it’s difficult to understand if it’s very grippy or not. It’s hard to know if it will be much better at the race weekend or just a little bit.” Valentino Rossi, 5th; Best lap time (at 3pm local time): 2:07.924 “I really like the track, my first impression is that it is beautiful. It’s very flowing with a lot of fast corners and a lot of change of direction; it is fun on the bike! There are three hairpins that are very tight; this is better for Formula 1 overtaking, but for us they are a bit slow. In general the track is good. There is some downhill and uphill and first braking zone is very good. We have to understand which tyre to use, but the asphalt surface doesn't have any rubber on it at the moment so there is not so much grip at the moment. The uphill at turn one helps to stop the bike, which is beautiful. For me turn two is the best though and after you enter into the chicane which is very similar to Silverstone. The straight is very long, which is maybe good for overtaking. The city is great, the atmosphere is very good so I think it is a very good place for a race. Its very important to have this time as the track is so difficult, the are a lot of blind corners where you have to understand where to brake. We will continue to work on the line to understand the track and also to increase the rear grip on the bike as we suffer in acceleration. The first feeling is positive. It’s important for MotoGP to have a third race in America, we have a lot of good riders from the USA so it’s right to be here.” Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director “It was definitely a good idea to come here. The track is very difficult to learn, I think it is really special. We are working hard to get a base setting but the most important point is for the riders to get used to the circuit. We’ve started with our base set up from Sepang and we’ll modify it for this circuit. We are on schedule and we will continue working until tomorrow night. If we gather all the information required then we won’t stay for Thursday.” Test Result at 3pm local time (-6GMT): 1 - Marc Marquez (HRC - Honda) - 2:05.620 2 - Dani Pedrosa (HRC - Honda) - 2:06.140 3 - Stefan Bradl (LCR - Honda) - 2:07.307 4 - Jorge Lorenzo (YFR - YAMAHA) - 2:07.388 5 - Valentino Rossi (YFR - YAMAHA) - 2:07.924 Click here to view the news

It could be setup at time of sale, but we'll see how we get on. If needed at a later stage we'll have to setup some type of feed I suppose with Bikesure so they can check online. They're sending through the FSA regulations so will have a good check through. Someone from Bikesure will be signing up within a few days and will answer any questions here.

You don't need to prove anything over the phone, it's a dedicated number just for the club. In the event of an accident though I am manually contacted by the insurer to check that the membership was current. I'll need to work on the membership language now to clarify the memberships, but hopefully people will be more willing to support the club officially now that they are hopefully going to save a fair bit of cash on their insurance ;-) Next up, USA and AU insurers...

Should probably update that to the new one ;-)

Any questions please post here: http://yamahaclub.co...a-club-members/ Click here to view the news

Bikesure offers a wide range of schemes to cover most aspects of Club-discounted policies including: Discounts for members – up to 25% Limited mileage discounts, Multi bike policies, Cover for accessories and leathers, Agreed value cover, Cover for imported bikes, Free legal expenses, Classic to customised and Trike insurance. Call FREE for a quote on the dedicated Yamaha Owners Club line:- 0800 089 0225 Click here to view the news

The Yamaha Owners Club has partnered with with Bikesure Insurance to be able to offer some fantastic offers to our UK members. As a specialist insurance provider, Bikesure has become synonymous with competitive rates and excellent service. Having purchased your dream bike, Bikesure aims to take the hassle out of obtaining insurance cover. With discounts up to 25% available for members, Bikesure offer discounted policies, as they recognise the needs of the dedicated biker. Bikesure offers a wide range of schemes to cover most aspects of Club-discounted policies including: Discounts for members – up to 25% Limited mileage discounts, Multi bike policies, Cover for accessories and leathers, Agreed value cover, Cover for imported bikes, Free legal expenses, Classic to customised and Trike insurance. Call FREE for a quote on the dedicated Yamaha Owners Club line:- 0800 089 0225

Bikesure Insurance Services – club discounted policies to UK Yamaha Club members.... The Yamaha Owners Club has partnered with with Bikesure Insurance to be able to offer some fantastic offers to our UK members. As a specialist insurance provider, Bikesure has become synonymous with competitive rates and excellent service. Having purchased your dream bike, Bikesure aims to take the hassle out of obtaining insurance cover. With discounts up to 25% available for members, Bikesure offer discounted policies, as they recognise the needs of the dedicated biker. Bikesure offers a wide range of schemes to cover most aspects of Club-discounted policies including: Discounts for members – up to 25% Limited mileage discounts, Multi bike policies, Cover for accessories and leathers, Agreed value cover, Cover for imported bikes, Free legal expenses, Classic to customised and Trike insurance. Call FREE for a quote on the dedicated Yamaha Owners Club line:- 0800 089 0225. Any questions please post here: http://yamahaclub.com/forums/forum/54-bikesure-insurance-services-discounts-up-to-25-for-yamaha-club-members/

Team mate Rossi opted to spend the remaining day continuing work on bike set up, the Italian still looking for the optimum mix of traction and balance on the YZR-M1, especially as tyre wear increases. The Italian wrapped up his second Sepang test in fourth position, just 0.07 seconds behind his teammate. Jorge Lorenzo - Laps 56, Time - 2'00.992 “The practice was wet at the beginning of the day so we exited and tried the bike on the wet. It wasn't bad, I made the fastest wet time but when the track became dryer it was never the same as yesterday. It was much more slippery and so harder to equal yesterday’s time. We made a complete simulation, it was a little worse than I expected because we had some problems with the front tyre in braking; it didn't give me much confidence so I slowed my pace a little. The conditions were extreme this time so it was harder to equal the simulation we made in the first Sepang test.” Valentino Rossi - Laps 61, Time - 2'01.062 “This test at the end is positive because we are in fourth place and not so far from the front. We are struggling a little more than the first test though; we were unlucky and suffered a little electrical problem that lost us some time and some other little problems. We tried to improve our performance and we fixed some problems but not all. The balance is positive; we have had another three days with the bike, and ridden more kilometres to take the bike back to the top and closer to the limit. Now we are looking forward to Austin.” Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager “Sepang test two has come to an end and we are quite happy with the result, we tested everything we had to. We completed the long run today under very hot circumstances which was one of our aims because it is very difficult to keep the pace and know what can happen after ten or 11 laps here. We have a lot of data and I think we are getting to where we want to be. Of course the season hasn't started yet so we still hope to find more improvements.” Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director “It has been a successful test for us. In terms of speed, data and race pace for sure we are still missing some things but the direction is good and I think if we have to judge after first two tests the package is really good. Now we are looking to Austin, it is important to go there and get some valuable data so we can prepare for the race as best as possible. The riders and team have been extremely professional over the test, working hard through very hot and humid conditions.” Crutchlow and Smith leave Sepang positive after successful test Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith ended a successful three-day test at the Sepang International Circuit on a high note after the British pairing both finished inside the top 10 on the final timesheets. Heavy rain that fell this morning gave the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team duo the chance to complete a handful of laps on Bridgestone's rain tyres, with Crutchlow completing nine and Smith seven laps before the track started to dry out in extreme heat. The morning rain had a clear impact on grip levels for the remainder of the final day, with both Crutchlow and Smith unable to better thei r pace from the second day's action in Malaysia. Crutchlow completed a total of 59 laps today to set a best time of 2.01.094, which put him in sixth position and less than 0.1s away from the top three as he worked on improving corner entry performance on his YZR-M1 machine. A best time of 2.00.907 set yesterday meant Crutchlow finished fourth fastest on the overall leaderboard. Smith completed an exhaustive testing schedule today, the 22-year-old building up his knowledge by using a range of different settings on his YZR-M1 machine to set a personal best time of 2.02.070. That time placed him 10th on today's timesheets and he managed to reduce the gap to the leading group to just over 1.7s. Smith was 10th overall at the conclusion of the second Sepang test courtesy of a best lap of 2.02.023 set on the only full dry day of the test yesterday. Cal Crutchlow - Laps - 59, Time - 2'01.094 “I am leaving this test in a positive frame of mind because I am fourth overall and although I was only sixth quickest today I actually think I could have been fastest. When everybody was pushing hard for a fast lap time at the end of the day I got held up on every lap but I am not worried about that. We have worked very hard this week to improve our package and today we gained more valuable information. I still lose a bit in the braking area and rolling into the corner. We tried to improve that but made the braking worse. But when we make the braking better we have no grip. So it is finding a compromise. We tried two different settings on the different bikes and one was better for braking and the other one was better for grip, so we need to find the best of both and put them together. I am not that far off the top three and they are all on factory machinery, so that is encouraging. To be fourth overall is very positive and I definitely think we are in the mix. My target was to be close to the factory guys and we are not too far away.” Bradley Smith - Laps - 64, Time - 2'02.314 “I leave this second test in Sepang positive because I know a lot more about the bike when I first got here. I sat in the garage when everybody was in time attack mode at the end and pushing for a fast lap on a new tyre. It is not that I didn't want to go for the lap time but we are just trying to go step-by-step at the moment and look at the bigger picture. I still don't believe that we have a base setting for me to ride but at least we have a direction of which way I prefer. Luckily for us it is towards the way Andrea Dovizioso went last year and that's positive because we have got a whole load of data and experience from working wit h him. This is only day two of really modifying the set-up of the bike, so in terms of development we still have a lot to do. I would say we are in a lot better position now than I was at the last test although we haven't gone faster. Now I am looking forward to working on the YZR-M1 at a different track when we go to Jerez for the final test.” Test Times 1. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 2m 0.562s (Lap 41/57) 2. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 2m 0.643s (54/54) 3. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory (YZR-M1) 2m 0.992s (23/56) 4. Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha Factory (YZR-M1) 2m 1.062s (60/61) 5. Alvaro Bautista ESP Honda Gresini (RC213V) 2m 1.078s (13/43) 6. Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 2m 1.094s (57/59) 7. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda (RC213V) 2m 1.309s (7/46) 8. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP13) 2m 1.650s (35/44) 9. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Team (GP13) 2m 2.070s (23/53) 10. Bradley Smith GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 2m 2.314s (46/64) 11. Andrea Iannone ITA Pramac Racing (GP13) 2m 2.566s (46/52) 12. Michele Pirro ITA Ducati Test Rider (GP13) 2m 2.773s (36/38) 13. Randy De Puniet FRA Aspar (ART CRT) 2m 2.863s (44/45) 14. Ben Spies USA Pramac Racing (GP13) 2m 3.055s (31/33) 15. Katsuyuki Nakasuga JPN Yamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1) 2m 3.154s (24/32) 16. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 3.155s (37/42) 17. Wataru Yoshikawa JPN Yamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1) 2m 3.257s (22/26) 18. Aleix Espargaro ESP Aspar (ART CRT) 2m 3.423s (18/45) 19. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB (ART CRT) 2m 4.066s (33/57) 20. Colin Edwards USA Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 4.102s (21/42) 21. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Avintia (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 4.512s (15/51) 22. Michael Laverty GBR Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM CRT)* 2m 4.546s (21/24) 23. Lukas Pesek CZE IodaRacing (Suter-BMW CRT)* 2m 4.674s (32/33) 24. Danilo Petrucci ITA IodaRacing (Suter-BMW CRT)* 2m 4.686s (18/36) 25. Claudio Corti ITA Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 4.718s (48/51) 26. Yonny Hernandez COL Paul Bird Motorsport (ART CRT) 2m 4.722s (46/47) 27. Takumi Takahashi JPN Honda Test Rider (RC213V) 2m 4.749s (63/65) 28. Bryan Staring AUS Honda Gresini (FTR-Honda CRT) 2m 5.313s (15/40) * Control ECU. www.yamaha-racing.com Click here to view the news

Yakhnich Yamaha teammate Vladimir Leonov had an unfortunate start to his season, the Russian lucky to escape with only an elbow injury after coming off in the high-speed final corner, turn 12, on the third lap of the race when a rival fell in front of him. The race had been reduced to 15laps after safety concerns on tyre life. The Championship will move next to the Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain for round two on the 14th April. Sam Lowes, 2nd - +1.899secs “Sofuoglu restrained me during the whole race, forcing me to cover the gas. He knew that if I could overtake him he couldn’t win. It's a great start to the season, the bike is great and the team are working really well so I believe we can fight for the win!” Vladimir Leonov, DNF “I had no luck in Phillip Island. During the morning warm up my bike was very fast but from the beginning of the race I was in traffic. De Rosa fell in front of me in a fast turn and I had no room to move so there was no chance to avoid a collision. We will go to Aragon and continue our work.” Claudio Corsetti, General Manager, Yakhnich Yamaha Motorsport “We have two fast riders, Sam is very hard and goal-seeking. He dominated the whole weekend and tried to win from the start. Sofuoglu has admitted he has only one rival, Sam Lowes! I am upset for Vladimir as he could have been in the top five, but we go to Aragon knowing we can fight for the Championship title.” Race Results - 1. Kenan Sofuoglu TUR Mahi India Kawasaki ZX-6R 23m 32.480s 2. Sam Lowes GBR Yakhnich Yamaha YZF-R6 +1.899s 3. Michael van der Mark NED Pata Honda CBR600RR +6.771s 4. Fabien Foret FRA Mahi India Kawasaki ZX-6R +11.095s 5. David Salom ESP Intermoto PonyExpres Kawasaki ZX-6R +12.076s 6. Luca Scassa ITA Intermoto PonyExpres Kawasaki ZX-6R +12.943s 7. Andrea Antonelli ITA Go Eleven Kawasaki ZX-6R +23.968s 8. Lorenzo Zanetti ITA Pata Honda CBR600RR +24.536s 9. Massimo Roccoli ITA Pata by Martini Yamaha YZF-R6 +24.782s 10. Jack Kennedy IRL RivaMoto Honda CBR600RR +24.809s 11. Vladimir Ivanov RUS DMC Lorenzini Kawasaki ZX-6R +32.825s 12. Luca Marconi ITA PTR Honda CBR600RR +33.028s 13. Roberto Tamburini ITA Suriano Suzuki GSX-R600 +33.065s 14. Mathew Scholtz RSA Suriano Suzuki GSX-R600 +34.067s 15. Alex Baldolini ITA Lorini Honda CBR600RR +34.993s 16. Mitchell Carr AUS AARK Triumph Daytona 675 +38.271s 17. Josh Hook AUS Team Honda CBR600RR +43.352s 18. Kev Coghlan RUS DMC Lorenzini Kawasaki ZX-6R +45.430s 19. Nacho Calero Perez ESP PTR Honda CBR600RR +48.398s 20. Matt Davies AUS PTR Honda CBR600RR +51.343s 21. Christian Iddon GBR ParkinGO MV Agusta F3 +52.541s 22. Imre Toth HUN Team Toth Honda CBR600RR +53.273s 23. Eduard Blokhin RUS RivaMoto Honda CBR600RR +1m 30.957s 24. Sherian Morais RSA PTR Honda CBR600RR +4 laps Not Classified 25. Roberto Rolfo ITA ParkinGO MV Agusta F3 13 laps completed 26. Dino Lombardi ITA Pata by Martini Yamaha YZF-R6 12 laps completed 27. Kevin Curtain AUS Yamaha Racing YZF-R6 4 laps completed 28. David Linortner AUT PTR Honda CBR600RR 3 laps completed 29. Raffaele de Rosa ITA Lorini Honda CBR600RR 2 laps completed 30. Vladimir Leonov RUS Yakhnich Yamaha YZF-R6 2 laps completed 31. Fabio Menghi ITA VFT Yamaha YZF-R6 2 laps completed 32. Luca Salvadori ITA Pata by Martini Yamaha YZF-R6 1 lap completed 33. Alex Schacht DEN Team Toth Honda CBR600RR 1 lap completed Source www.yamaha-racing.com Click here to view the news

The Japanese Yamaha engineers will now take the valuable data gained back to Japan to work towards the second Sepang test in a few weeks time. Jorge Lorenzo - Laps 58, Time - 2'00.429 “I think these three days have been positive for us. We tried many things and some of them were good. We need to reconfirm again in another track but here we were able to improve a little bit. I was able to make a simulation this afternoon, the first one I’ve done in Sepang in my GP career. I felt strong physically, mentally and riding so it was good. The other riders are also really strong so it promises to be an interesting season.” Valentino Rossi - Laps 55, Time - 2'00.542 “I’m very happy, all three days were very good. We worked hard on the bike and improved day by day. The third day was the best, we were able to stay less than half a second from pole position and the lap time is higher which is interesting. Today we finished third in the standings which is theoretically the front row so I’m very happy with this first test.” Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager “The whole test has been quite positive and we finished today finding two directions for the rest of the season. Also Jorge’s long run this afternoon was quite consistent, I think that was one of our tasks we were aiming for, to be fast is one thing but to be consistently fast is what it takes to win in racing. Overall we are pretty satisfied, both Jorge and the team worked really hard in these hot conditions, we’re looking forward to coming back to see how we can improve even more.” Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director “This has been a really important and positive test. We have been able to work really well and our Japanese engineers have a lot of data so they are really happy. We can go home pretty satisfied and the engineers can continue working on the project, we will see what we can do in a few weeks. Jorge has been very consistent and fast throughout the test in many different circumstances so we are very pleased with him. On Vale’s side he removed a lot of weight from his shoulders, I see him very happy because he is finally back riding a bike that he enjoys, which is what he was looking for. I can’t say more than that!” Crutchlow and Smith conclude successful Sepang test British duo Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith set the fifth and eighth fastest times at the Sepang International Circuit today to conclude a successful start to the MotoGP winter testing schedule for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. A best time of 2.00.734 ensured Crutchlow finished inside the top six on each day and after improving his pace by over a second throughout the test he finished in fifth position on the final timesheets. Having made improvements with corner entry rear grip yesterday, Crutchlow turned his focus to working on his pace an d consistency on worn tyres today, and he was satisfied with the progress to finish 0.634s away from Dani Pedrosa's best time. Rookie teammate Smith produced another fantastic performance and included in his 48-lap stint was an impressively fast and consistent full race simulation, which he completed in searing heat and humidity on the hottest day of the test. The 22-year-old has made a seamless transition from Moto2 to the heavier and more powerful YZR-M1 machine and his race simulation gave him priceless information on where he can improve when the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team returns to Sepang for a further three-day test later this month. Smith ended with a best time of 2.02.093 today, which was within two seconds of the quickest pace set by Pedrosa and he was only a second away from the top six. His fastest time at the test was yesterday's 2.01.931 that secured him the eighth quickest time overall. Cal Crutchlow - Laps - 53, Time - 2'00.734 “It has been a very positive week and I am where I expected to be and that's right behind the top four factory bikes. I can't really ask for more than that and I'm pleased with my lap times because my bike is almost identical to the bike I rode last year. Today I was doing a lot of laps on old tyres and trying to stay consistent and I've improved. I also feel like I've made good progress in improving on the brakes, so it has been a productive test and good to be back on track after the winter break. I've built up my confidence each day but it is obvious that 2013 is going to be incredibly tough. There is some amazing talent on really good machinery but I am really looking forward to it. I'll be ready to give it 100% as always and come the first race in Qatar I'll be ready to challenge. Credit to Bradley as we ll because he has done a fantastic job this week. This was his first proper test in MotoGP and he has got faster and more confident each day. I have been very impressed with him and it is going to be good being his teammate this season.” Bradley Smith - Laps - 48, Time - 2'02.093 “I am really happy with the way this test has gone and my lap times and final position have already given me a lot of confidence. I didn't come here with any expectations but to be eighth is where this bike needs to be. I am still not getting all of the potential out of the YZR-M1 but I am gaining in confidence with every lap I complete and it has been mission accomplished in terms of coming here and understanding how the bike needs to be ridden. I still need to be a lot smoother but I am happy to be within two seconds of the fastest time. I knew that was possible but the hard work starts now to close that gap even more. The race simulation was amazing to build up my experience but it was seriously hard work. It was the hottest day and it is very physically and mentally demanding to ride a MotoGP bike at that pace over a long distance. It is hard to concentrate but the best thing was on the last lap I did a 2.02.9 and my best lap was a 2.02.5. So I was consistent and while I need to be faster, I'm really happy to be leaving this test having learned so much. I need a good sleep now to digest all the information I've taken on but already I can't wait to be back on the bike here later this month.” Sepang Test Times - Day Three: 1. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 2m 0.100s (Lap 4/44) 2. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory (YZR-M1) 2m 0.429s (4/58) 3. Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha Factory (YZR-M1) 2m 0.542s (43/55) 4. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 2m 0.636s (32/54) 5. Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 2m 0.734s (5/53) 6. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda MotoGP (RC213V) 2m 1.003s (14/43) 7. Alvaro Bautista ESP Honda Gresini (RC213V) 2m 1.502s (29/48) 8. Bradley Smith GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 2m 2.093s (43/48) 9. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Team (GP13) 2m 2.184s (19/49) 10. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP13) 2m 2.277s (37/38) 11. Katsayuki Nakasuga JPN Yamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1) 2m 2.616s (12/21) 12. Aleix Espargaro ESP Aspar (ART CRT) 2m 2.628s (37/47) 13. Andrea Iannone ITA Pramac Racing (GP13) 2m 2.864s (17/32) 14. Kosuke Akiyoshi JPN Honda Test Rider (RC213V) 2m 3.082s (14/28) 15. Michael Laverty GBR Paul Bird Motorsport (ART CRT) 2m 3.874s (40/47) 16. Randy De Puniet FRA Aspar (ART CRT) 2m 4.066s (38/38) 17. Wataru Yoshikawa JPN Yamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1) 2m 4.137s (5/18) 18. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 4.211s (31/37) 19. Takumi Takahashi JPN Honda Test Rider (RC213V) 2m 4.288s (37/46) 20. Danilo Petrucci ITA IodaRacing (Suter-BMW CRT)* 2m 4.531s (32/34) 21. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB (ART CRT) 2m 4.766s (57/61) 22. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Avintia (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 4.940s (43/45) 23. Claudio Corti ITA Forward (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 5.107s (13/37) 24. Lukas Pesek CZE IodaRacing (Suter-BMW CRT)* 2m 5.321s (39/40) 25. Yonny Hernandez COL Paul Bird Motorsport (ART CRT) 2m 5.580s (14/43) 26. Bryan Staring AUS Honda Gresini (FTR-Honda CRT) 2m 5.970s (38/41) 27. Colin Edwards USA Forward (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 6.141s (38/41) * Control ECU. Source www.yamaha-racing.com Click here to view the news

Born out of a strong belief by both Ferry and Yamaha that the iconic machines of the past should not just be on display but also play a part in keeping Grand Prix history alive by running on track, the last ten years has seen the team entertain thousands of racing fans both modern and historical. Unique Yamaha machines such as the 125 cc RA31A and 250 cc RD05A works four cylinders of 1968, the 750 – two stroke (OW31), the 1979 GP500 championship winning YZR500 and numerous other legendary bikes were ridden from the Isle of Man TT to Spa Francorchamps and countless other classic events by living legends. Riders including Giacomo Agostini, Steve Baker ,Phil Read, Dieter Braun, Michelle Duff, Pentti Korhonen, Carlos Lavado, Rodney Gould, Chas Mortimer, Jos Schurgers, Svend Andersson, Akiyasu Motohashi, Tommy Robb, Kel Carruthers, and not to forget Kent Andersson have all taken to the tracks on their glorious machines. The team and riders were also a key element in Yamaha’s celebration of 50 years of Grand Prix racing in 2011, putting on a special display at the Assen TT for the MotoGP fans. Ferry’s relationship with Yamaha goes back many years to the 1960s as a mechanic for the Japanese manufacturer’s first Grand Prix World Champion, Phil Read and the legendary Jarno Saarinen. He remained a close part of Yamaha’s early racing days before moving on to found and grow Arai Helmet Europe. He was the organizer of the 1998 Centennial event at the Assen circuit, and from organizing that came with the idea to create a running classic team for demonstration purposes. This team grew and changed, becoming more and more Yamaha until by 2004 it had become purely Yamaha and shortly after resulted in a program officially supported by Yamaha Motor Europe and the head office in Japan. The success of the team, the incredible machines and the participation of the legends who rode them originally owes to the dedication of Ferry and his close relationship to Yamaha. Those wishing to see the team in action one last time can catch them at various events during the coming year, with the farewell event being at this year’s Classic TT on the Isle of Man from the 23rd to 26th August. A number of the special machines from the team are under discussion to be taken over by Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd in Japan to become part of their historic collection. Ferry Brouwer - Owner, Yamaha Classic Racing Team “It’s a truly sad moment bringing this incredible project to a close. It has been a fantastic experience, working with both the beautiful, iconic machines, Yamaha and these really special riders. We’ve been running a classic racing team since the 1998 Centennial Event, then from within the Centennial team it became the Yamaha Classic Racing Team. It may seem like not so many years have passed but we have achieved so much and been seen by so many that we have much to reminisce about already!” Shigeto Kitagawa – Responsible for External Affairs, Motorsports Development Division Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd & Yamaha Motor Racing President. “We know that there is nothing which continues forever in this world, there are no words to say how surprised I was to hear that the Yamaha Classic Racing Team will come to an end this year. The passion with which Ferry filled YCRT after he established it in 2002 and up to the present, and the great efforts offered to the world of classic racing are immeasurable. We deeply appreciate that Ferry dedicated more than ten years of his life as a brand ambassador for Yamaha and a witness to the great history of motorcycle racing, we will be proud of him eternally. To be honest however, I cannot stop imagining the day when he will return unexpectedly to this racing world because his racing spirit is not considered to like the quiet life so much for a long time. Thank you very much Mr. Ferry Brouwer for all your efforts!” Andrew Smith - Vice President Sales & Marketing Operations, Yamaha Motor Europe “It’s difficult to imagine a season of racing activities for Yamaha without Ferry and YCRT being involved. They have become in recent times so much a part of our company representing both our history and the equally important link to the present day! Ferry and the whole YCRT team’s genuine enthusiasm and commitment to our company and brand has been an inspiration to not only Yamaha employees throughout Europe but also our factory in Japan. At the same time they have reignited the “memories“ of ex–racers and fans both past and present of what racing used to be – the unique excitement , smell and of course the sound. On behalf of Yamaha and all race enthusiasts we would like to say a big ‘Thank You’ to Ferry and all members of YCRT, thanks for the great memories and please be assured you will always remain part of Yamaha. Enjoy your next challenges!” 2013 Event schedule at present: April 27th-28th, Stafford Show, Stafford, UK June 1st-2nd,Coupe Moto Legend, Dijon, France June 15th-16th ,Retro-Moto Legend, St-Cergue , Switzerland July 6th-7th ,Bikers’ Classics, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium August 10th-11th , Schotten Grand Prix, Schotten, Germany August 23rd-26th Classic TT, Isle of Man Click here to view the news

Wow small world. I trained with Dave in Brighton for about ten years before he moved up North to teach the England team full time. Then I trained with Jess Lavendar in Brighton and Simon Staples in Billingshurst. Since moving to Sydney though I haven't started training again, amazingly there aren't any good instructors in the city which I can get to. The advantage of Sydney though is that there are lots of wrecks, so I dive these with my trusty rebreather.

Noise, that'd be great thanks. Ha this is exactly my problem ;-) I actually studied graphic design but I've ran out of creativity these days. Awesome thanks Paul, I'll likely take you up on that some time Sach has also sent me someone, I'd like to see a few peoples work before deciding. Happy to pay but it'll need to be mates rates.

Here's a review of the 2013 Yamaha YZF-R1. http://yamahaclub.com/_/reviews/2013-yamaha-yzf-r1-motorbike-review-r777

I'm hoping to find a experienced graphic designer who's passionate about bikes who'd be interested in a little bit of work for the club. To design a few banners, posters etc. Anyone interested or know anyone?