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French Special: MotoGP kit for Yamaha R1 and R6 
Yamaha France will be supplying its motor heads with YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 models featuring a kit which transforms them in street legal replicas of the Yamaha M1 raced by Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo in the MotoGP Championship. The kit is only available in France in a limited edition of only 35 units and it includes the full MotoGP-style fairing, gas tank cap, and graphics. Also, the bikes feature only the rider seat for extra truthfulness. And you haven’t even heard the best of it. The kit can be adapted to a variety of new or used Yamaha R1 and R6 models so the price will be influenced by as much or as few elements of the kit you need to buy in order to have your bike look like Rossi’s. Full story
The secret behind the 2009 Yamaha R1 engineTo understand better the real benefits of the revolutionary inline-four engine that powers the 2009 R1, the manufacturer has created a video explaining the technology behind it. No, not this one! The combustion torque is produced when the air-fuel mixture explodes, rotating the crankshaft. But when a piston isn’t pushed by the force of the blast, the crankshaft is still rotating due to inertia of the crankshaft. This generates inertial torque which is bad for linear power out of the corners. It also affects composite torque, which is a combination between the previous two so that is why Yamaha needed the crossplane crankshaft engine.
2009 Yamaha YZF-R1
Full story 2009 Yamaha YZF-R1 adYamaha has just introduced its 2009 YZF-R1 top supersport model with the intention of becoming a class leader. That means a lot of engineering refinement, something that would normally make the difference, but the 2009 Honda CBR 1000RR ABS is also in for new business so we would have to analyze this aspect closer and try not to call it a par. Stay tuned for a review on the 2009 YZF-R1 and enjoy the latest Yamaha ad which showcases the new model.
World’s first electric Yamaha R1 retains its sporty velleities
Most riders show themselves retained in what concerns approaching the electric alternatives that have been created so far, but maybe this last will make a difference as it is built to meet the best of both worlds. Still able of challenging you to skid your knees at every turn, but not polluting a bit, the AC inductance Yamaha R1 could make a career in this business. Definitely not comparable with a Yamaha engine, the 550amp 84v electric engine provided by AC inductance manages to develop a decent 54HP and 81ftlbs of torque. Planned to be produced and expected to sell in decent numbers, the bike will rely on its 8.1 kW lithium iron phosphate battery pack which can keep it going for a range of100 miles. With these numbers on the table, the electrically-powered R1 can do 100mph and comes as a green solution for riders who are willing to lose the emissions, but not a bike’s sporty feel. I do not see how that is possible as a bike’s sporty attitude is being generally given by its engine, but I have to admit and congratulate this significant step further.
In expectancy of the 2009 Yamaha R1
It is a well known fact that the Yamaha R1 is Honda’s CBR1000RR nightmare and it seems that in 2009 nothing will change in the fight for the 1000cc Queen. We have the recently-launched Fireblade and the R1 plans on coming strong from behind and it will stand out as the awesome combination between the heavily-improved R6 and the M1 MotoGP bike. But this is no newness. Yamaha has tried this thing before on the R6 and this is the first time the power to weight ratio is expected to be so good on the R1. So what comes new is the weight reduction as close to the one of an actual 600cc bike (the R6) and a horsepower number close to 200 (inspired on the M1). The fly-by-wire throttle and the race-inspired exhaust should also not miss this perfect harmony. As you can see in the picture, design features also make you think at the “youngster” and at the “racer” so who knows, maybe the next R1 model will sort things out between Honda and Yamaha. This competition goes a decade back when the R1 was first introduced and got a big slice of CBR’s target public. It was a big punch in the nose for Honda, who had dominated the scene with the ‘90’s models of its well known Fireblade.
The most "agile" Yamaha R6 around
When being the proud owner of a Yamaha R6 and having too much spare time it is strongly recommended that you jump on your bike and hit the road. What you’ll be trying to avoid is turning your motorcycle into the strange thing posted above. That is only if not riding withroup of choppers – like this guy apparently does – and trying to weaken your bike’s cornering abilities by mounting a 300mm rear tire together with the rim and swingarm supporting it. I’m not saying it doesn’t look like a tractor (if that was the plan), but was this really necessary? And we’re not even talking about a Hayabusa.
Valentino Rossi on the 2008 Yamaha R6The MotoGP star is always enthusiastic about testing Yamaha’s new releases, especially the supersport wonders, the R1 and R6. This time it enjoys going to the racing track in a Fiat 500 for testing the R6 and giving us a feel of what a blast the new model is.
2008 Yamaha YZF-R15
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