INSIDER T h e o f f i c i a l Ya m a h a r a c i n g m a g a z i n e
INSIDER The official Yamaha racing magazine
Winter 2004 Issue two
Special collector’s edition
Superheroes Special champion’s edition featuring: Everts, Rossi, YZR-M1, Rainey
INSIDER 2
INSIDER 2
INSIDER 3
INSIDE... 16
Pitlane New models, new signings, all the latest news and features from the world of Yamaha
24
The M1 files Mat Oxley brings us the most in-depth feature yet on Yamaha’s world championship winning YZR-M1 MotoGP machine
36
32
The Superheroes Cover story - Insider pays tribute to Yamaha’s champions of 2004
Superstars of superbike From Pirovano to Haga, Insider looks at the greats of Yamaha’s superbike programme - and a return to the series in 2005
Cédric Melotte Yamaha’s rising motocross star has suffered more than his fair share of setbacks on his way to the top. But now he’s ready to take on the world next year and told Insider how he intends to do it
42
48
Rainey Days Grand Prix legend Wayne Rainey won three world titles in the Nineties. We tracked him down to relive the memories of his glorious career
52
2004: a season to remember Insider reviews a memorable season in all major classes with a 14 page special featurea
66 Standings A statistical round-up of the 2004 season in Yamaha’s officially entered race classes
4 INSIDER
INSIDER 5
, t n e m e it c x E by d re e w po e If you’r ! a h a m a Y by d re e w o P e ’r u o y Yamaha! Riding his Yet another title for Nicolas Rius and erstock class of the GP1300R, The Fighter won the Ski Sup ng style. European Championship in commandi ent and exhilaration Join The Fighter and enjoy the excitem ose from the of winning every time you go out! Cho amazing 2005 WaveRunner line-up.
INSIDER Editor Paul Taylor
Welcome to the second edition of Insider, Yamaha’s official racing magazine. Incredible! That’s probably the only word I can use to describe Yamaha’s 2004 season. We knew at the start of the season that we faced an extraordinary
Creative director Tom Jacobs
challenge in MotoGP this year. In truth, we didn’t expect to win the first race of the season in South Africa and we probably didn’t dare to think that we
Design/production Peter Henneman
would be celebrating one of the most spectacular championship victories ever.
Additional design Bas van den Biggelaar
Make no mistake, this was not a normal championship victory and Valentino has elevated himself further into legend. Everyone involved in the MotoGP
Proofreader Kim Renfrew
project rose to the task. We are rightly very proud of our achievements and
Distribution Isabella Marcis
programme. For me personally, it is very special to work with these people. Stefan Everts won a record eighth
everyone at Yamaha has worked so hard to bring this success to our racing
Publisher Yamaha Racing Communications by
motocross world title, his fourth in a row with Yamaha, yet I am still in awe each and every time I watch him race. Stefan holds every record in the world of motocross but his hunger to win is so much that you could be
Contributors Paul Barshon, Graeme Brown, Steve Bruhn, Paolo Carrubba, Matteo Cavadini, Jonty Edmunds, Kel Edge, Gary Freeman, Martin Gelder, Gold & Goose, Mark Graham, James Hodgkins, Henk Keulemans, John McCrea, Mat Oxley, Gordon Ritchie, Olivier Weidemann, Massimo Zanzani
forgiven for thinking that he is a teenager lining up for his first Grand Prix. We also had the pleasure of winning
Printing Habo DaCosta BV, Vianen, The Netherlands
race classes. Racing is an important part of Yamaha’s past, present and future and our champions from this
Insider is produced on behalf of Yamaha Motor Racing BV by Yamaha Racing Communications, a service of p’zaz Communications, Hoogte Kadijk 61hs, 1018 BE Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Telephone +31 20 625 6539.
world titles with Stefan Merriman in enduro and Yamaha GMT94 in endurance. These guys don’t get anything like the same attention in the media as Stefan and Valentino, but I can assure you that they worked every bit as hard for their success. We’re also looking forward to 2005, which is Yamaha's 50th anniversary year. As you will read elsewhere, Yamaha will have an official entry in the Superbike World Championship, giving us a presence in all major year are not only a great example to the generation of racers who will follow them, they are also a great example to all of us at Yamaha, whatever jobs we do. I’m delighted that we’ll be working with all our champions again in 2005, but before we look forward too much, I hope you enjoy looking back on a memorable 2004 in this issue of Insider.
Reproduction of any text, photograph or illustration in this magazine is prohibited without permission from the publisher. While care is taken to ensure that the content of Insider is accurate, the publisher cannot accept any liability for errors or omissions. ©2004 Yamaha Motor Racing BV
Laurens Klein Koerkamp European Racing Operations Manager Amsterdam, The Netherlands, December 2004
Contributors
FX High Output Cruiser
FX High Output
GP1300R
www.yamaha-marine.com
GP800R
FX Cruiser
FX
XLT1200
VX Deluxe
XL700
VX Sport
SJ700
John McCrea
Mat Oxley
Award winning artist and illustrator John is the man responsible for the stunning cover on this issue of Insider. The Irishman admitted that he loved the challenge of turning our 2004 champions into comic book heroes, even though Stefan Everts gave him a few sleepless nights!
When Insider got an invite to test Valentino Rossi’s championshipwinning YZR-M1 there was really only one man for the job. Enter MotoGP’s finest journalist, TT winner and all-round good bloke Mat, who not only got to experience the M1 first hand, he also persuaded the engineers to take the fairings off for his feature on page 24.
Gary Freeman
Matteo Cavadini
Ol’ Redeye’s been in Belgium for this issue of Insider, where he met up with Yamaha’s motocross star Cédric Melotte at the historic Namur circuit. Check out the results on page 42.
Matteo has been the Yamaha Motor Italia squad’s official photographer for many seasons. Therefore it was somewhat fitting that he was on hand to send us the sensational first pictures of new signing Andrew Pitt riding the R1 he will campaign in next year’s Superbike World Championship. INSIDER 7
Doctor in the house They said it couldn’t be done. Some said that Valentino Rossi wouldn’t win a race, let alone the championship after switching to Yamaha. But the Doctor proved them wrong, winning nine rounds en route to the MotoGP title. Contenders to the crown form an orderly queue here. P ICTURE : PAUL B ARSHON 8 INSIDER
INSIDER 9
Desire How badly do you want to win? That’s the definitive question, whether you’re going for your first league championship or your eighth world title. Stefan Everts is still hungry for success. On the pegs, nose over the front fender, throttle pinned, shock completely compressed. The King wanted his eighth alright. PICTURE: MASSIMO ZANZANI 10 INSIDER
INSIDER 11
The art of engineering Being beautiful doesn’t win any prizes in MotoGP… but if it did we’re sure the YZR-M1 would still be a world champion! P ICTURE : P AUL B ARSHON
12 INSIDER
INSIDER 13
Tyre torture It could be a vintage year for the Superbike World Championship in 2005. A number of high profile teams have signalled their intention to return to the series next year, among them an official entry from Yamaha Motor Italia. Two days into the first test and new signing Andrew Pitt’s already giving the Pirellis on his new R1 a hard time‌ should be a good one. PICTURE: MATTEO CAVADINI
14 INSIDER
INSIDER 15
Pitlane
YAMAHA MOTOR ITALIA go into their superbike campaign with a world champion on their books, in the form of chef Karol Teruzzi! Karol won the championship’s ‘Cook of the Year’ competition, held during the final round of the 2004 season. Organisers FGSport laid on an end-of-season party for the paddock and 15 chefs from the teams prepared buffet style catering for the guests. A 15-strong jury comprising journalists, photographers and VIPs including championship boss Paolo Flammini, was also presented with a dish from each team. Karol’s ‘Rollé di Manzo Con Spinaci e Scampi’ beat stiff competition from fellow Italians Kawasaki Bertocchi and Ducati Fila.
Second coming After a four year absence, Yamaha returns to the Superbike World Championship in 2005 with Yamaha Motor Italia and the awesome YZF-R1 YAMAHA MOTOR EUROPE’S officially-supported Yamaha Motor Italia squad will switch from the Supersport World Championship and enter a two-rider team in the 2005 Superbike World Championship. Yamaha’s Italian distributor has been one of the most active teams in the history of the Superbike World Championship. Between the inauguration of the series in 1988 and 1994, Yamaha Motor Italia, under its former name of Belgarda, financed and managed its own superbike programme – taking several race wins and regularly finishing in the top five in the championship. In 1995, when Yamaha decided to make an official entry into the championship it was only nat-
ural that the factory team was based at the Yamaha Motor Italia workshops. Yamaha withdrew from the series at the end of the 2000 season, after Noriyuki Haga finished second in the championship, to concentrate on development for the YZR-M1 MotoGP project and explore new four-stroke technologies for the benefit of future production models. Between 2001 and 2004 Yamaha Motor Europe focused its attention on supporting the YZF-R6 entry in the Supersport World Championship. Australian rider Andrew Pitt has been signed to take one berth in the team and recently gave the bike its first run in a three-day test at Valencia in
Quick news YAMAHA MOTOR GERMANY will run Australian aces Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes in the 2005 Supersport World Championship. With Yamaha Motor Italia switching its focus to the superbike class, the experienced German squad will be Yamaha’s sole official team in the
Get the gift
class, and they’re pulling out all the stops to regain the title they last won in 2000. Parkes, 22, joins from the Ten Kate Honda team and
Spain. “I’m excited to be involved with this project,” said the 28-year-old. “We had a really positive test in Valencia. We all expected to have to deal with a few gliches but surprisingly we got in a lot of laps without any problems at all. It’s the first time with a new bike and new tyres so you’re just trying to learn as much as possible. We’re all happy because we thought it would be a harder day but we were able to make good
progress working on the mapping and playing around with the suspension a bit. Even at this early stage I’m confident that we’ll have a good bike at the start of the season.” The 2005 Superbike World Championship begins at the Losail circuit in Qatar on 26 February. For the latest news on Yamaha’s superbike programme visit www.yamaha-racing.com/ superbike
WONDERING WHAT TO buy a loved one for Christmas? Want some exclusive Yamaha merchandise not available in the shops? Why not go online and visit Yamaha’s racing giftshop? The Yamaha Motor Giftshop expanded its range for 2004 with a range of new lines including official Valentino Rossi merchandise and a selection of items only available in Europe through the online store. The giftshop is also the only place to buy the official Yamaha Racing collection by Alpinestars, although stocks of several items are going fast. Delivery is available within selected countries of the European Union, and all prices shown are inclusive of postage and packing. To view the range or place an order, visit www.yamaha-motor-giftshop.com
is seen as one of the most talented young supersport riders in the world, having finished second in this year’s rankings. Curtain, 38, stays with the team for a second term after finishing sixth this season. DANISH RIDER BRIAN Jorgensen will join Belgians Stefan Everts and Cédric Melotte in the Yamaha L&M Motocross Team next season. Everts and Jorgensen will race in the MX1 class, while Melotte will compete in MX2. “If you want to win a world title you need to be on the best bike and with the best team,” said Jorgensen, 29, a former European champion. “This team is known for its total dedication and has had a lot of success in the past.” YAMAHA IS AGAIN producing a range of road race and motocross kitparts for 2005. Yamaha
Vale’s new bike
Engineering Corporation (YEC) has produced the parts to turn the YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 into racers,
THIS IS VALENTINO Rossi’s new bike. No, not his 2005 MotoGP machine, but the special edition Yamaha R6 designed by the man himself. The world champ has a real passion for graphic design, so when Yamaha invited him to get his crayons out and come up with a design to display at the Intermot show in Munich he jumped at it. The result is this: the R46. Black on one side, yellow on the other, it features graphics including Valentino’s famous sun and moon as well as his famous number 46 logo and signaINSIDER 16
ture on the tank. Such was the reaction from Yamaha that they felt Valentino’s R6 deserved more than just to be displayed at a show – so with the rider’s blessing the ‘Rossi’ model will go into production for a limited run early next year. The production R46 will also feature the carbon fibre Termignoni exhaust of the show machine. The bike itself has undergone a significant revamp for the 2005 season, with a number of new and improved features to benefit both road and track riders. The most notable changes being at the front
end, which for the first time is graced by new 41mm upside-down forks fitted with the latest MotoGP derived radial caliper brakes and new profile tyres. The result is an R6 that stops and turns better than ever before, while under the skin a revised fuelinjection system features larger throttle bodies and a new ECU to liberate three more horsepower and a more linear power delivery than the previous model. Don’t worry if Valentino’s paint job isn’t up your street, the 2005 YZF-R6 also comes in black, blue and red colour options.
while Yamaha Rinaldi Research and Development (YRRD) has used its experience from the factory motocross project to develop kits for the YZ125, YZ250F and YZ450F motocrossers. Full information on both ranges is available at the new Yamaha racing parts website: www.yamaha-racingparts.com
INSIDER 17
Arrivederci Andrea
Pitlane
YZ revolution Six years after turning the off-road world on its head with the introduction of the YZ400F four-stroke, Yamaha’s engineers have switched their attention to the two-stroke range and created the lightest motocrossers ever seen. Insider found out more by speaking to the engineers behind the project. CREATING THE LIGHTEST ever production motocrossers was the target project leader Takayoshi Fukuda set his team for the 2005 YZ125 and YZ250. “Reducing weight is a major part of improving performance,” he said. “That’s why Yamaha put a lot of effort into weight reduction: besides aluminium you will also find we have a number of titanium parts on the YZs as well. Steel has its own merits, like a good amount of flexibility, but with aluminium the strength is the lightness and we wanted to make the most of it. A sense of competition provides a good part of our motivation: our aim was to build the world’s lightest motocross frame and we succeeded in that.” Working with aluminium brings its own manufacturing problems, so Fukuda took a holistic approach to design and
manufacture the new machines. “It is important to achieve precision in the welding because even the shape of each welding bead affects the
the designers decide on the specifications and our job is to translate them into a manufacturing process,” he added. “But with the YZ project there was
final strength. We realized it would be important to work closely with manufacturing and they were involved from the first stages of design.” This new approach was appreciated by engineer Masatoshi Miyamoto. “Usually
constant discussion about structure and processing methods right from the beginning. Some of the debate got pretty heated and I can’t remember a project ever being this intense, especially in the debates about weld specifications.”
Everts hits the road
18 INSIDER
YAMAHA’S WORLD MOTOCROSS champion Stefan Everts had his first outing on a road race machine when he rode his friend Jurgen van den Goorbergh’s world supersport YZF-R6 at Monza in Italy. “One of the main differences with my bike is the power range,” said Everts. “I am not used to those high revs. Typically my bike will rev to around 8,500rpm - 9,000 maximum. I tried to shift with the clutch, but that did not work at all. Riding it is a big kick. It sounds great and
Yamaha has been developing aluminium framed GP bikes since 1987, when it produced the YZM500, but 2005 is the first time that such a machine has gone into full-scale production for sale to the public. “Work began in the summer of 2002,” confirmed Takehisa Katsura, a veteran of numerous development programmes for the factory machines. “We entered the first prototype in the last round of the All-Japan championship in October 2002 and at the end of that year took the prototype to America for testing. The initial responses were not good. The test riders said that it felt stiff and unnatural. I remember feeling depressed on the return trip. In order to get the strength we initially thickened the upper and lower halves of the main frames. This increased the longitudinal ridigity and gave the
I’m really impressed by the power. One of the mechanics showed me the datalogging and I was doing 252kph down the straight – that’s the fastest I’ve ever gone on two wheels. Finding the right lines was not that hard. You first have to choose your braking points and then decide on the riding line. I was quite cautious when cornering and my position on the bike was not perfect. I’ve got no plans to go road racing after I finish in motocross, but it was nice to have this opportunity to ride the R6.”
stiff feeling the riders complained about. Our development problem became how to reduce this longitudinal rigidity while maintaining strength.” The team came up with a 13-part frame using several types of aluminium. “Extruded stock is used for the lower half of the main frame, while forged aluminium, which has more flexibility, is used for the upper half,” continues Katsura. “These are welded together to create a frame with the right balance of rigidity and strength. We have now taken the handling strengths of the YZ series and refined the overall performance. The lighter handling should result in less fatigue for riders. I think it will exceed the expectations of the customer.” With a compact new engine featuring a new cylinder head and piston, revised port shape,
timing and a six-speed closeratio transmission as well as the aluminium frame, the YZ125 comes in under the FIM’s weight limit of 88kg. At 96kg, the YZ250 also gets under the magical FIM weight limit previously only breached by expensive factory machines. But it’s not just the twostrokes that have been improved. As you’d expect from the company that pioneered the current generation of four-stroke off-roaders, the Grand Prix winning YZ250F and YZ450F four-strokes haven’t been forgotten about and get a host of chassis and engine changes to improve the already impressive riding characteristics. For more information on the 2005 YZ range visit: www. yamaha-motor-europe.com
Merriman: Different class
ITALIAN MOTOCROSS LEGEND Andrea Bartolini has announced his retirement from Grand Prix racing. Bartolini was largely responsible for the development of Yamaha’s latest generation four-stroke machines. He rode the exquisite YZM400F prototype in 1997 and 1998, and he lifted the world title on the production YZ400F version in 1999. Bartolini was one of the top 250 riders when he was chosen to ride Yamaha’s first four-stroke for the 1997 season. “I went to Japan to test this new bike and I had already heard they wanted to race the 500cc championship with this 400cc bike. I thought they were crazy… but that was before I rode it!” Bartolini immediately posted fast lap times and won four GP heats in 1997 and five in 1998. Injuries denied him a shot at the title – in particular a broken femur which caused him to miss the final three rounds of the 1998 season. However, all that was to change in 1999 when Bartolini kept clear of injury to steer the YZ400F to its maiden title. “I’m still particularly proud of that season,” says Bartolini. “I was very consistent and I won seven heats. Beating Peter Johansson and Joel Smets for the title was a great achievement for me. I still consider the YZ400F as my bike, because I spent so much time with it! My test work has given me a great insight in the complete process of development. You have to appreciate all the effort that goes into turning a brand new bike from a prototype into a race winner.” Even more than a gifted development rider Bartolini was also very fast and consistent, having won 15 GP victories in all three classes. In 2003 he switched to the 125cc class to lead Yamaha’s charge with the new YZ250FM, finishing third overall. Even this season, at the age of 35, Bartolini claimed a podium finish at the Swedish Grand Prix. After 18 years of GP racing Bartolini looks forward to a new chapter in his life. Spending more time at home with his family is probably one of the best rewards. “We have two babies and I would like to see them growing up.” However Andrea will stay involved in racing next year, taking on a role as test rider for Yamaha. “Setting the bike up and together with the engineers making it better has always been a pleasure. Some riders don’t have the right feeling to give feedback or to help solve problems. For me this comes very naturally. Many times I have been to Japan to test and never saw it as a burden like some riders would. To work with and learn from these talented technical people was not only valuable for my career: I also made some good friends along the way.” Read the complete story at: www.yamaha-racing.com/mx2
ENDURO E1 WORLD champion Stefan Merriman will switch to the larger capacity E2 class next season, remaining with the UFO Corse Yamaha team but trading in his WR250F for a WR450F. The Australian rode the machine in competition for the first time at this season’s International Six Day Enduro in Poland, where he took the overall win. You can read an interview with Merriman at: www.yamaharacing.com/enduro1
INSIDER19
Pitlane
MT- 01
Hailed by many as the most significant new bike for 2005, this Yamaha MT- 01 was the star of the recent Intermot show in Munich.
ORIGINALLY UNVEILED AS a concept bike at the 1999 Tokyo show, MT-01 takes a new slant on the performance road bike concept: combining a pure sports chassis with an incredibly torquey 1,670cc V-twin engine to create a class all of its own. Dubbed by many journalists as the natural successor to the legendary V-Max, the reality is that the MT-01 creates a new category all of its own – the ‘torque sports’ class. The MT-01 was a project of pure passion
20 INSIDER
for the engineers and designers who created it. Ignoring the marketing men, they aimed to build something different, something that would fire the imagination of the biking public. The inspiration was the Japanese term Kodo, which is a difficult term to translate but which roughly means pulse or soundbeat – or rather the sensation created by the beat. That may sound like marketing bluster, but it’s only when riding the MT-01 that it all
starts to make sense. Raw and animalistic, the big V-twin creates a soulful feeling unlike any other bike on the market. Despite its street fighter style, MT-01 is a pure sports bike, featuring fully-adjustable upside down forks and radial brakes lifted directly from the class-leading R1. Yamaha’s patented CF Aluminium Die-casting technology has been used to produce a lightweight frame. In addition to the sportsbike
handling, the V-twin motor is fitted with Yamaha’s patented EXUP system to thump out 90hp and an amazing 150Nm of torque - at just 3,750rpm. As MT-01 is all about the expression of one’s individuality, Yamaha is also producing a range of accessories for the bike. The MT-01 pictured above features the stage two kit designed for circuit use, one of three tuning kits aimed at road and track day riders. Visit www.mt-01.com for more information.
www.yamaha - motor- acc.com
Pitlane
Diamond in the dirt Fifty up for The Fighter IT’S NOT JUST on two wheels that Yamaha riders have enjoyed a successful season. Frenchman Nicolas Rius, universally known as The Fighter due to his uncompromising style, clinched his 50th major title in the world of personal watercraft racing with victory in the runabout superstock class of the European championship on a Yamaha GP1300R. After winning all that France and the rest of Europe could offer, Nicolas, now 30, moved to America in 1995 to take on the world’s best racers. “I had nothing but my racing licence,” he says. “I didn’t even speak a word of English but if you want to be the best then you must ride with the best.” Rius’ theory worked as he went on to lift the prestigious IJSBA world title nine times and the UIM world title three times. Add in 15 European titles, five American national championship wins, numerous French and Belgian victories and it’s easy to see how he is rated as one of the alltime greats. “My partnership with Yamaha has been a great success,” he adds. “The Superjet 700 and GP1300R are fast and reliable and it is great that the people at Yamaha Motor Europe and Yamaha Motor France share the same passion about personal watercraft and racing that I do.”
To mark Rius’ remarkable success, Yamaha and Rius Racing have teamed up to launch a limited edition GP1300R available from authorized Yamaha Waverunner dealerships. This Rius Racing replica takes the standard 170hp GP1300R
as a base but features a parts package for increased performance and a special Rius Racing graphics scheme. Surf over to www.yamaha-motor-europe.com\rius for more information on Nicolas and the limited edition Waverunner.
GO TO ANY motocross race and you’ll see lots of women. Usually they’re the ones making tea and nursing the rider’s bruised egos. After all, motocross is a man’s game. Right? Wrong! Meet French racer Livia Lancelot from Legna, south of Paris. Livia’s parents Bruno and Dany are both lifelong bike enthusiasts and it was almost inevitable that she would catch the racing bug after the three-year-old received a PW50 for her Christmas. Lancelot, now 16, is one of the most promising female riders in Europe. This September she rode in the highly competitive Women’s Motocross Association (WMA) in America. With support status at many AMA National events, a large prize fund, good media coverage and serious sponsorship, women’s racing is taking off in the States. Indeed WMA is almost turning into an unofficial women’s world championship with riders from all over Europe, Japan and Australasia competing. The YZ125 mounted Lancelot showed great promise running against the fastest women in the world. Despite several crashes she took sixth in the first heat and third in the second to claim fifth overall, a fine result for a 16-year-old. “The level is very high in America,” Livia says enthusiastically. “A lot more girls are riding there so naturally the competition is harder, and the image of girls racing is more positive as well. “Motocross is a tough sport and it’s a bit unusual for girls to ride,” Livia explains. “There are advantages to being a girl. It opens up a lot of doors. The best girls are starting to make some money with racing, but the series is only in its first years of existence. As racing gets more serious it’s harder to combine with school, but I don’t mind putting in the effort because
I realise how important it is to get a certificate. Until now my dad has been my coach and my mechanic but to make another step forward we probably need to hire someone who rode at the highest level. And the combination dad and coach is not always easy either.”
OK, SO WE at Insider are paid to say nice things about Yamaha, it’s our job, but even we were blown away when we saw this little beauty at the Intermot show in Munich. Who’d think that a 250cc single could create such a stir? But the Tricker is so groundbreaking that it genuinely defies categorisation. The carbon-framed Air Tricker was one of three minimalist Trickers developed for the European market and according to the designers it’s “inspired by the excitement of X-treme sports… to perform tricks no other bike can do.” It’s like a BMX with an engine and frankly we think it’s the coolest thing we’ve ever seen: if this doesn’t get kids onto bikes then we don’t know what will. Currently the standard Tricker is on sale in Japan only, although Yamaha Motor Europe is looking at introducing a European version. Please say yes, Mr. YME… and send the first one down to our office!
the Fortuna Yamaha Tech 3 team in next year’s MotoGP world championship. Xaus, from Barcelona, was this year’s MotoGP rookie of the year, finishing 11th overall. Elias, 21, is one of the brightest young from the 250 class, where he finished fourth in 2004. CHAD REED CLAIMED victory in motorcycling’s richest race when he won the $100,000 US Open invitational supercross at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in October. It was the Australian's second consecutive success in the prestigious event and a debut win for the aluminium framed 2005 YZ250. Reed won both nights to take a comfortable overall victory. THE VALENCIA CIRCUIT in Spain is the venue for next year’s Yamaha Race Training (YRT) programme. YRT is a free of charge course open to Europeanbased riders racing an R-series machine at national level upwards. It consists of a day’s classroom tuition from Yamaha’s Japanese and European management to help
ACCE
53-2802
riders and mechanics get the most
SS
out of their machines and the YEC
AREA
-94398-
Join the club!
SPANISH HOT SHOTS Toni Elias and Ruben Xaus will race YZR-M1s for
talents in GP racing and moves up
ALL
Dear Santa…
Quick news
S
339363
-61
kit parts followed by two days of practice on the circuit. It takes place between 21-23 March. Visit www.yamaha-racingparts.com for further information. WORLD CHAMPIONS STEFAN Everts and Valentino Rossi made end-of-
IF YOU’RE READING this then you are probably a member of Insiders, Yamaha’s free-to-join club for racing fans. But if you’re not (and we say why not!) then here is a quick reason why you should become a member. Launched at the end of 2003, Insiders gives its members exclusive content at www.yamaha-racing.com including forums, downloadable photography and competitions that have seen members win VIP tickets to race meetings, Yamaha clothing, rider memorabilia and even a
set of Valentino Rossi replica Dainese leathers. Insiders members can also receive race and news reports by email. European Insiders also get a copy of this very magazine sent to their door while all members, regardless of where they live, can read and download the magazine from the Insiders website. Membership is free and with many more benefits planned for 2005 we’d say that you’d be mad not to join. Visit www.yamaha-racing.com/insiders to register.
season visits to Yamaha’s Japanese headquarters. The champions were met by company president Toru Hasegawa who showed them around the facilities and introduced them to the staff. Mr. Hasegawa also presented both men with commemorative certificates.
INSIDER 23 22 INSIDER
It’s been a long and s ometimes YZR-M1 p hard road, owered Va b lentino Ro in motorcy ssi to the g ut Yamaha’s cling this y reatest priz ear. Mat O the machin e x le y e m t o find out et the men W :M O what it tak P :P es to get M behind B otoGP glor y OR DS
24 INSIDER
AT
XL EY
IC TU RE S
AU L
AR SH O N
INSIDER 25
-One missionYamaha’s mighty YZR-M1 conquered bike racing’s greatest prize in 2004, thanks to a certain rider called Valentino Rossi and more than four years of determined development work from the factory’s race department. SINCE THE M1 first roared into action at Yamaha’s Fukuroi test
configuration and firing interval. Valentino immediately preferred
track in late 2000 the bike has evolved into the ultimate MotoGP
the four-valve, uneven firing engine. We always knew that four
weapon, combining massive but usable horsepower with the
valves give a milder taste, while five valves give a sharper taste.
sharpest-handling chassis on the grid. All it needed was for Rossi
That’s why our supersport bikes like the R1 have five-valve heads,
to make the most of those characteristics and dominate the 2004
for a more exciting feeling, while the FJR1300 tourer has four-valve
world championship, winning more than half of the 16 races.
heads for a milder feeling.”
MotoGP raised the stakes in motorcycle racing. From the outset
uneven firing order applies power pulses to the rear tyre in a more
the fastest, most powerful race bikes the world has ever seen.
effective way. No one is exactly sure why but the most popular
Top speed and peak power aren’t the most vital factors in achieving
theory suggests that uneven power pulses give the rear tyre time
MotoGP success.
to regain traction between each salvo. Rossi described the new
Throughout the last four years Yamaha has stayed true to its
Mildness and sweetness are obviously relative terms, but when
bike, a motorcycle designed around the rider that acknowledges
you’re dealing with 240 horsepower you want those 240 horses to
user-friendliness as the surest way to race-winning performance.
be as friendly as possible. That’s why Yamaha switched to four-valve
The 2004 M1 is the embodiment of that concept. The three main
heads, even though it initially cost them some peak horsepower.
performance factors – engine, electronics and chassis – all under-
By May’s French GP Yamaha had equipped Rossi with a more
went significant changes for last season with a single object – to
powerful four-valve, uneven firing order engine, which was fast
make the machine more usable in any race situation.
enough to propel him to 339kph at June’s Italian GP where he won
engine configuration (allowing a short wheelbase and ideal weight distribution) the 2004 M1 engine was internally very different. The
26 INSIDER
Autumn 2000 Codenamed OW-M1 (Mission One) the first prototype undergoes shakedown runs at Yamaha’s Fukuroi test track.
December 2000 First test outside Japan. Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa ride the bike at Sepang in Malaysia.
engine as “more sweet” than the 2003 M1.
original Mission One concept: to produce a totally balanced race
Although Yamaha stayed faithful to its favoured inline-four
9 April 2000 FIM announces new regulations allowing prototype 990cc four-stroke machines into the top class of Grand Prix road racing from the 2002 season.
The four-valve heads offers a calmer power delivery while the
it was obvious that the new breed of GP four-strokes would be
the first of a hat-trick of victories that put him on course for world championship glory. In addition to internal engine improvements Yamaha also worked
biggest change was switching from five-valve cylinder heads and
hard to help Rossi put all the power to the ground by developing
even firing intervals to four-valve heads and uneven firing intervals.
the M1’s electronic systems – EMS (engine management system)
“We started work on this engine during the autumn of 2003,”
which includes TCS (traction control system) and ICS (idle control
reveals M1 project leader Masahiko Nakajima. “For winter testing
system). The factory forged new links with F1 electronics experts
we built four engines with four different combinations of valve
Magneti Marelli who supplied hardware and operations systems,
March 2001 OW-M1 tests at Phillip Island in Australia with John Kocinski hired as a development rider alongside Japanese tester Norihiko Fujiwara.
April 2001 M1 project officially announced. Bike designated YZR-M1.
INSIDER 27
while Yamaha created its own software applications.
rear tyre, that’s much more important than power itself. So the
The 2004 TCS is more intelligent than the previous system.
first thing we changed was the engine, using different combustion
It manages traction via engine and wheel slip ratio to control
timing, then the next step was to increase horsepower. Of course,
wheelspin according to tyre wear and track conditions. “We have
when you increase power you lose a little of the power delivery,
worked hard to get a very natural control from this system because
so we are always looking at optimising combustion timing to
it’s not good if the rider can feel the electronic control,” adds
get better traction, it’s never perfect! Our current priority is
Nakajima. “TCS helps the rider improve his speed out of the corners.”
(to improve performance at) lower rpm, high rpm is okay at
“Last year when I was thinking about MotoGP I realised that engine horsepower isn’t the most important factor in achieving
the moment.” The latest ICS (which controls combustion torque to assist the
victory,” said Masao Furusawa, Yamaha’s technology develop-
M1’s slipper clutch in maintaining rear-end stability during braking)
ment division manager. “The reality is good power delivery to the
is also smarter than its predecessor, taking real-time inputs
that adapt to changing track conditions and increasing tyre wear.
ssi o Ro in t n Vale
Chassis development followed a similar theme – to improve rider
“I first tested the M1 in January, and after the first half of the first day I understood that things would be more difficult with the Yamaha, compared to the Honda. But then the feeling began to arrive. Like Jeremy (Burgess, crew chief) sometimes says, the bike is a tool, so we have to work to get the best out of the tool. So when I have a problem, then we come up with an answer. If we have a problem with the front end, we modify the front end. It’s like mathematics! “The biggest improvement in the 2004 bike was the ‘big bang’ engine, which I first tried during my second test with the bike at Sepang in February. I immediately found that engine very good to ride but also very slow. When the second engine arrived (for round three at Le Mans) things improved a lot – the bike was fast on the straight but also good on driveability. “The key point in the 2004 championship was the three wins we took in a row – at Mugello, Barcelona and Assen. Sete (Gibernau, Honda rider) was already in very good shape going into those three races but we were able to beat him anyway. That’s when I began to think we could win the championship. We always knew it was possible to make a good result this year. From working with my team I knew I could be fast everywhere if I didn’t make any mistakes but my original idea for the 2004 season was a top-three finish. When I moved to Yamaha the target was always to put the M1 on top, but I had a two-year plan to solve some of the bike’s problems and then take it to the top. To do that in the first year was fantastic, so I have to thank everyone in my team and at Yamaha.”
17 June 2001 Factory tester Norihiko Fujiwara becomes the first man to ride a four-stroke MotoGP machine in public when he rides two demonstration laps at the Catalan GP in Barcelona.
28 INSIDER
September 2001 First M1 goes on display to the public at the Milan Motor Show.
7 April 2002 First race. Carlos Checa finishes third at a wet Japanese GP in Suzuka.
feeling, allowing riders to attack the corners with more confidence
technology available in Yamaha, to
and thus greater speed. “We are also working to find the perfect
become much more scientific and not so intuitive.
compromise between chassis agility and stability,” confirms
“Valentino has given us a lot of things, first of all his really good
Furusawa. “It’s always difficult to find this compromise. You can
riding skill - his extraordinary riding skill. Second, he has a very
always make the bike stable by using a long wheelbase but for
smart brain. When he feels something on the bike he explains the
agility you need a short wheelbase, and I think we have the shortest
problem, not in engineering terms but in a way that’s easy to
wheelbase in MotoGP, which is why our bike is more agile than the
understand. And if we don’t understand, Jeremy Burgess ‘translates’
others. But stability also has something to do with engine character
into engineering terms. And Valentino also brings a good emotion
– our 2003 bike was pretty unstable but in 2004 it wasn’t bad.”
and enjoyment to Yamaha and to the fans.”
The 2004 M1 chassis was therefore softened to reduce lateral
But even though the M1’s MotoGP mission has been accom-
rigidity for better feedback into turns and lazier slides out of turns.
plished, Mission One doesn’t end here. Yamaha and Rossi are already
Then engine hangers were added either side of the engine to main-
testing a new and improved M1 for the 2005 season, while the
tain the chassis’ vertical and twist rigidity, for good braking control
factory’s race department work even further into the future, using
and sharp steering. The under-slung, truss-style swingarm (introduced
the latest kinematics technology to ensure that Yamaha keeps winning
at the end of 2003) also features less lateral rigidity and also helps
on the racetrack, so you keep winning on the street. “In the past we used some engineers only for racing,” confirms
lower the M1’s centre of gravity. The result of all these changes was a supremely agile and usable
Furusawa. “This was okay on the 500cc two-stroke era, but now
motorcycle from which Rossi was able to extract maximum performance.
I want to select the best people to build a good race bike, then
“I jumped into the MotoGP programme in June 2003,”adds
replace them every five years, so all our engineers get some
Furusawa. “The team was suffering from having been beaten, so my
education at the racetrack. “I want to make our MotoGP race
first target was to reorganise. My target was to combine all the
department a place for education of our engineers.”
15 June 2002 Max Biaggi takes his YZR-M1 to pole position at the Catalan Grand Prix.
25 August 2002 Max Biaggi gives the M1 its first race win at the Czech Grand Prix in Brno.
INSIDER 29
-Riding Rossi’s rocketMat Oxley rides Valentino Rossi’s title winning YZR-M1 and discovers that it’s superbly user-friendly but intimidating nonetheless “So Mat, you do realise there are six gears?”
which keeps the front end down under
steering comes from a combination of
full-on acceleration. The Yamaha picks up
aggressive steering geometry, a centre of
the front but it doesn’t rear up and smack
gravity that feels higher than you’d expect
you in the face like some MotoGP bikes.
and the shortest wheelbase on the MotoGP
Rossi’s engineers reckoned they worked
grid. In fact Rossi’s crew raised his M1 by
hard to cure time-wasting wheelies during
20mm to aid turning and then lengthened
practice for the Valencia GP, adjusting
the wheelbase to maintain overall chassis
engine management to tame the ignition
balance, so the 2004 M1 is slightly longer
at certain rpm in certain gears. They also
than the 2003 version.
softened up the suspension, so the rear would
The M1’s agility has always been its
Valencia’s short main straight like a bullet
absorb the weight transfer and the front
strong point, but it needed someone like
out of a gun, a flashing red light telling
wouldn’t bounce off the tarmac so quick.
Rossi to use it to serious winning effect.
you to shift every time you hit 14,500rpm.
Into the corners the M1 drops onto its
Perhaps a mere mortal like myself could
And while you’re busy working the gear
side like a 125. To a mere mortal it maybe
use more of the M1’s capabilities with a
shifter, you’re suddenly barrelling into the
feels a little nervous, but Rossi can use
little more time and confidence. But since
daunting first turn. During the race Rossi’s
that knife-edge steering to his advantage,
I have neither the time nor the confi-
M1 had reached 312kph down the start-
diving inside rivals pretty much whenever
dence, all I can do is wobble around and
finish. I didn’t get close to that, but it still
he feels like. The M1’s lightning-quick
worship from afar.
felt quick enough to me. But the M1’s brakes scrub off speed too panic. That’s the thing – you might be out of your depth but this bike is too good to let you down. It’s the same TELEVISION LIES. ALL last summer I sat and
But is it fun? Kind of. Maybe. It’s not
cannot feel violent to a mere mortal of a
accelerating out of corners – the M1’s
watched Valentino Rossi perform miracles
easy to enjoy yourself when you’re con-
motorcyclist. But it’s a very special kind of
easy power delivery and that fat Michelin
on his Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha YZR-M1,
stantly disappointing yourself – braking too
violence, a restrained violence, it’s a knock-
rear slick keep you safe. And if you get
making it all look so smooth and easy. But
early, accelerating too late, consistently
out punch wrapped up in a silk glove.
too greedy with the throttle, the M1’s
thrown into the middle of the maelstrom
failing to use more than perhaps 50 percent
The M1’s ‘big bang’ engine with its
TCS (traction control system) will look
the MotoGP reality is very, very different.
of this machine’s astonishing capabilities. If
uneven firing order (nicknamed the ‘growler’
after you. Not that I ever felt it click into
Smooth and easy from the comfort of your
there is fun to be had it’s all about getting
to differentiate it from the even-firing
action; hmmm, I wonder why? But I did
armchair becomes violent and very, very
off on the crazy G-forces as the carbon
‘screamer’ motor of 2003) is as user-friendly
feel the slipper clutch keeping things
noisy on the racetrack. Riding a handful of
brakes bite and the 240 horsepower engine
as a road bike’s, building revs with perfect
neat and tidy into turns. The ram-type
laps of the tortuous Valencia GP circuit on
kicks in. After those few laps my wrists
linearity. There’s no doubt that it’s much
slipper makes the clutch slip on the over-
Rossi’s title-winning M1 is like being
were aching, I was drenched in sweat and
easier to control than the screamer M1
run to keep the rear from kicking out
thrown into a washing machine and put on
my brain was totally frazzled. And my best
(what you hear is what you get, so the
sideways. Not that I was pushing it that
a fast spin for five minutes. Things happen
lap was 13 seconds slower than Rossi had
screamer is mean and nasty, the growler
hard but I could feel the clutch lever
so quick that you barely know where you
managed on his way to winning the previ-
calm and friendly), at least until you hit the
slackening every time the slipper forced
are, and your brain struggles to keep up as
ous day’s Valencia GP…
start-finish and open the throttle fully for
the clutch plates apart.
you’re thrown into the next corner while you’re still thinking about the last one.
21 February 2003 Test rider Norick Abe rides experimental M1 featuring Öhlins twin shock rear suspension system, a four-into-one under seat exhaust system, an inverted rear swingarm and an experimental Deltabox chassis at the IRTA test in Jerez. 30 INSIDER
The M1 is definitely intimidating. There’s no way that a 240 horsepower motorcycle
the first time. Then the insanity begins. Two hundred and forty horses suck you down
30 March 2003 2003 model M1 unveiled with sleek new bodywork, new exhaust system and a fuel injection system to replace carburetors of the 2002 version.
24 January 2004 Valentino Rossi tests four prototype M1s in debut test at Sepang, including new 16-valve engine.
I also appreciated the anti-wheelie system
Jeremy Burgess
quick for my senses to descend into total “Before 2004 the M1 wasn’t as bad as some people said. I believe it was nearly there but they failed to nail it consistently from one track to the next. I’ve never believed that ‘this is a Yamaha or Honda track’ thing, all that means is that one or other of the bikes isn’t set up properly. My first endeavour was to create a bike that was more usable. “The Yamaha is a very good handling motorcycle. It steers well too – the RC211V probably has a heavier engine with more reciprocating parts, plus the crank runs the other way. But during preseason testing we realised that we weren’t getting enough weight transfer to the front or rear, so we ended up raising and lengthening the chassis. We identified early on that our braking distances were too long because we weren’t getting the weight onto the ‘top’ of the tyre so we lifted the bike. This also helped turning in longer corners because it gets the weight further inside. Of course, if you go higher you need to go longer for the overall balance. If you go high and stay short the bike will be very unstable. “Mid-season Yamaha came up with a new chassis, with less adjustability. We’re never going to move the steering head angle, so you may as well take away that adjustment. Without the adjustment collars you get an advantage during hard braking at the bottom of the stroke. It’s only a marginal difference but it helps at tracks like Donington where you’re heavy on the brakes. Also without the head collars the chassis will be marginally lighter. “At the beginning of the season we’d start every weekend with pretty much no data. We would get through four sessions, get the gearbox sorted, the suspension more or less sorted and the right tyres identified, but we’d still drag one major problem with us and that was the rear suspension, which we’re still working on really hard. Later in the season, once we had better information from each race, we seemed to get there more quickly, so we’d arrive at the major problem sooner and get a little more time to work on that.”
(part of the engine management system)
18 April 2004 Valentino Rossi wins the opening Grand Prix of the season at Welkom, South Africa.
17 October 2004 Rossi crowned world champion after scoring his eighth victory of the season at Phillip Island.
3 November 2004 Valentino Rossi tests development M1 at Valencia in preparation for the 2005 season.
INSIDER 31
32 INSIDER
INSIDER 33
STARRING YAMAHA’S 2004 CHAMPIONS
2004 was a great year for Yamaha. It was a year when our engineers developed the fastest and most powerful bikes ever, when our teams worked longer, harder and were more focused than ever before. Of course, we couldn’t have done it without the riders. Whether they were going for their first title or their eighth, they all showed the spirit needed to be a winner, to be a champion, and turned their dreams into reality. So thank you to all our superheroes… we’re looking forward to more of the same in 2005!
UFO Corse Yamaha Bike: WR 250F • Races: 16 • Wins: 13 Podiums: 15 • Points: 385
Mach 1 Motorsports Bike: YZ450F • Races: 17 • Wins: 6 Podiums: 9 • Points: 346
Sometimes it’s hard to believe that Stefan Merriman can be such a fierce competitor. With a permanent grin on his face, the Aussie is just such a nice guy, but when the helmet goes on Merriman transforms from Bruce Bannerman to the Incredible Hulk. A full-on style that’s part motocross, part trials and pure Merriman he’s the world’s most spectacular enduro rider who can destroy even the toughest obstacles with his WR250F.
Heath Voss is an example of fulfilling dreams through hard work and dedication. A relative latecomer to the sport, Voss turned pro after just four years and worked his way through the ranks as a privateer. Running a four-stroke YZ450F for the Yamaha US-supported Mach 1 team, Heath confirmed his superhero status as early as December 2003 when he battled through the mud at the opening round in Seville, Spain. A sensational late run included rounding out the campaign with four straight wins to become a deserved champion.
34%&!. -%22)-!. %.$52/ 7/2,$ #(!-0)/.
Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team Bike: YZR-M1 • Races: 16 • Wins: 9 Podiums: 11 • Points: 304 The Doctor may be the coolest guy on and off the track, but this year he also proved that he has unrivalled dedication and the courage of a lion. His defection from Honda to Yamaha is perhaps the bravest move in the history of racing. The guy had five world titles to his credit. But that wasn’t enough. Rossi wanted a challenge. So he put his reputation on the line and joined Yamaha, a company which hadn’t won the top prize in bike racing for 12 years. The Doctor was the final piece Yamaha needed to win. Because his passion, drive, determination and talent was infectious.
3%"!34)%. ')-"%24
7),,)!- #/34%3
(%!4( 6/33 7/2,$ 350%2#2/33 '0 #(!-0)/.
$!6)$ #(%#!
Yamaha GMT94 Bike: YZF-R1 • Races: 6 • Wins: 2 Podiums: 5 • Points: 169 If every champion rider has a great team behind them, then the opposite is true in endurance. For the boys in the GMT94 garage were magnificent, consistently producing the slickest pit stops and preparing an R1 with 100 percent reliability. That Checa, Costes and Gimbert were so fast and reliable on the track was the clincher of Yamaha’s first endurance world title.
6!,%.4)./ 2/33) -/4/'0 7/2,$ #(!-0)/. 9!-!(! '-4 %.$52!.#% 7/2,$ #(!-0)/.3 Yamaha Factory Race Team Bike: YZ250 • Races: 16 • Wins: 9 Podiums: 16 • Points: 355
34%&!. %6%243 -8 7/2,$ #(!-0)/. Yamaha L&M Motocross Team Bike: YZ450FM • Races: 32 • Wins: 13 Podiums: 26 • Points: 688 Smooth riding S72 is the most tactically brilliant rider of all time and has burned his name forever into the history books. So why this year did he lift his record eighth motocross world title with all the desire of a 21-year-old? Why does he get up each and every morning to train like an animal and why does he risk it all every other weekend when there’s nothing to prove, everything to lose? Because he’s a champion, that’s why.
34 INSIDER
Aussie Reed jumped higher and further than anyone else to lift the most glamorous crown of all: the AMA Supercross Championship. His career path has been stellar. From vice-champion in the 250cc motocross world championship in 2001, through 125 supercross champ in the States in 2002 to the World Supercross GP champion in 2003. This year he won the ultimate prize in his profession but does the journey end there? For Reed the challenge just begins: one is never enough, it’s the champion’s way.
#(!$ 2%%$ !-! 350%2#2/33 #(!-0)/.
Team Lorenzini by Leoni Bike: YZF-R1 • Races: 9 • Wins: 4 Podiums: 7 • Points: 169 Renzi’s season-long battle with team-mate Gianluca Vizziello was gladiatorial at times. The pair swapped paint on their R1s all year long and even when Vizziello looked like he had it all sewn up, Alfonsi never stopped believing and discovered what it takes to be a champion.
5 4 2
1
3
6 7
DID YOU RECOGNISE THEM?
,/2%.:/ !,&/.3) %52/0%!. 350%234/#+ #(!-0)/.
1 Valentino Rossi 2 Stefan Everts 3 Stefan Merriman
As one of the world’s leading comic book artists, Irishman John is no stranger to working with superheroes, which is why Insider asked him to pay tribute to Yamaha’s champions of 2004. Such was the quality of the illustrations that we asked him to do the front cover featuring his interpretation of all the riders as well! We hope you got them all, but if you need some help, you could always check the key at the left. Find out more about John’s work at: www.johnmccrea.com 4 Yamaha GMT94 5 Chad Reed 6 Heath Voss 7 Lorenzo Alfonsi
INSIDER 35
From Pirovano in 1988 to Haga in 2000, Yamaha has had more than its fair share of entertainers in the Superbike World Championship. And as they prepare to return to the series after a four year absence, Insider looks at the men and machines that made the championship great WORDS: PAUL TAYLOR PICTURES: KEL EDGE
AND
GOLD&GOOSE
WHEN YAMAHA MOTOR Italia’s new super-
In many ways it is fitting that it is
Championship roared into life at Britain’s
through dealer and distributor backed teams.
He won three of the four races he entered,
Goddard and Kevin Magee all won their
Despite not having a truly competitive
the first coming at round five of the series
first world superbike races on OW-01s
in Sugo, Japan.
supported by their national distributor.
bike team lines up on the grid for the
Yamaha Motor Italia, Yamaha’s Italian dis-
Donington Park circuit on 3 April 1988. The
opening round of the 2005 Superbike
tributor, which has been charged with run-
regulations brought together production-
bike in that first year (the FZ750 was a
World Championship in Qatar next
ning the new entry. Under their old name
based sports bikes from all the leading
four year old design in 1988) a hitherto
February, it will mark Yamaha’s return to a
of Belgarda they supported many riders
manufacturers – 750cc four-cylinder bikes
unknown Italian ex-motocrosser named
FZR750R, better known as the OW-01. This
in this period, taking eight wins on his
series that has a special place in the hearts
and ran their own team from the first year
and 1000cc twins. Frames and engine casings
Fabrizio Pirovano flew the Yamaha flag,
bike was designed with the sole purpose of
Belgarda-backed machine and finishing
of fans worldwide, a series with more than
of the championship, in 1988, until 1995,
had to remain stock, although the suspen-
finishing 1988 as vice-champion on his FZ,
racing and provided this early generation
runner-up in 1990. Two other riders won
its share of characters and a series which
when Yamaha entered a full-factory squad.
sion and engine internals could be tuned.
winning at Le Mans in France. He wasn’t
of privately-entered superbikers with a race
world superbike races on OW-01s – Pascal
Yamaha’s first winner in the class though,
winning machine out of the crate. Guys
Picotte and Tom Kipp shared a win apiece
that honour went to a certain Mick Doohan.
like Terry Rymer, Michael Dowson, Peter
at the 1991 Canadian round which was
looks set to rise once again in popularity as manufacturer support increases. 36 INSIDER
The brainchild of former American racer Steve McLaughlin, the Superbike World
Yamaha’s participation in the early years was, like most other manufacturers,
For 1989 Yamaha introduced the
Pirovano was again the top Yamaha rider
INSIDER 37
by Fogarty was a key factor in building the profile of superbike racing, especially considering how bland the PR dominated world of Grands Prix were at the time. It wasn’t just Fogarty at it. The media loved superbike. And so did the fans. Haga also captured the public’s imagination in a way that no Japanese rider has done before or since. Traditionally Pirovano and the FZ750 of 1988. Amazingly they won at Le Mans
Japanese riders come to Europe as quiet,
The men Fabrizio Pirovano Piro was a former Italian 125cc motocross champion who switched to tarmac in 1986, at the age of 26, winning the national superbike title the following year. Pirovano had what could best be described as an unconventional road racing style. Carrying high corner speed wasn't high on the agenda of the hard as nails wee man from Biassono, who would normally out brake all his rivals and wasn't afraid to put in some motocross style overtaking moves or get involved in a fist fight for good measure. A demon in the wet, superbike folklore has it that a rival once described him as crazy, a description Piro took as the ultimate complement. Yet, despite his hard man reputation Fabrizio was a typical Italian gentleman whose total of 10 wins includes two doubles at Monza, making him Yamaha's second most successful superbike rider, behind Noriyuki Haga.
studious types. Not Haga. Here was a guy with more bling-bling than a rap artist. He liked to eat curry, drink beer and party like an animal. He had the biggest motorhome, the biggest attitude and said what he thought. The fans loved him, and the fact that he was a spectacular rider just added to his X factor. With Haga in the mix, superbike was a championship bubbling over with personalities, plots and sub-plots. The 1999 season was one of change for Scott Russell and the YZF750 at Brands Hatch 1998. The American was nothing if not an entertainer
Terry Rymer and his OW-01 won in New Zealand in 1989 and 1990
Yamaha. The YZF750 was pensioned off and replaced by the high-tech YZF-R7, while the team switched exclusively to
boycotted by the series’ regular riders.
among the fastest bikes on the grid and
season he won at Sugo and took a podium
Michelin tyres after a season of running
both rookie riders took podium finishes.
on his only other world superbike outing,
Russell on the French rubber and Haga on
early Nineties. Good media coverage and
However 1995 ended in tragedy when
at Sentul in Indonesia, to earn a full ride
his preferred Dunlops.
the emergence of a new generation of
Nagai was killed in a freak accident at
alongside Russell for 1998.
superbike stars like Scott Russell, Carl
Assen. As a mark of respect the team with-
Despite the YZF750 starting to show its
Fogarty and Aaron Slight saw the series
drew from the final two races of the season.
age, Haga was the revelation of the season.
his first win, at the technically demanding
Superbike racing became big news in the
step up a gear as the manufacturers
The team regrouped for 1996, with
It was to be a difficult year of development. It took Haga seven races to score
Three wins in the first four races saw him
Albacete circuit in Spain, but the mid-
entered full works teams. In 1993 Yamaha
Wataru Yoshikawa joining Edwards. Despite
lead the early stages of the championship
season was beset with retirements, causing
introduced the YZF750 to replace the
their inexperience, Edwards finished fifth
and he finished his debut season sixth
Nori-chan to end the year in seventh –
OW-01 and Pirovano took one to victory
and Yoshikawa ninth. Former champion
overall, with a final tally of five wins
with just one other podium finish (third
in Portugal that year to finish fourth in
Russell joined Edwards for 1997 and fin-
matched only by Aaron Slight and
at Brands Hatch) to his credit. Team-mate
the championship.
ished sixth in the championship. Edwards
Pierfrancesco Chili.
Vittoriano Guareschi came up from super-
In 1995 Yamaha entered a full-factory
had a nightmare year, spending most of it
It was around this time that the champi-
sport and finished 10th in the standings
team for the first time with American
on the sidelines with an arm injury. The
onship reached its peak of popularity. Lest
youngster Colin Edwards II and Japanese
one bright spot was the emergence of a
we forget it was the series which starred a
hotshoe Yasutomo Nagai, who had taken
brilliant talent called Noriyuki Haga, a 22-
certain four-time world champion (whose
operation for the new millennium.
his YZF750 to a podium finish at Sugo the
year-old Japanese who was to become for-
name shall remain Carl Fogarty) who
Guareschi rode a kitted R7 under the
year before. Run by Yamaha Europe, the
ever linked with Yamaha’s superbike pro-
named his pet pigs Scott and Aaron after
Yamaha Belgarda banner in preparation
team was based at the Belgarda workshops
gramme. Haga had won the prestigious
his closest rivals and announced to the
for the proposed (but never implemented)
in Italy and had the full backing of the
Suzuka Eight-Hour race with Edwards in
world that he kept a cockroach called
kit bike rules of 2001. Haga was Yamaha’s
Yamaha Motor Company in Japan. The year
1996 and had finished second as a wild-
Colin, a tribute to Mr. Edwards apparently.
sole factory entry on a full works R7. With
showed great promise. The YZF750 was
card at Sugo that same year. The following
Certainly the love-or-hate attitude invoked
the superbike rules of the time giving a
38 INSIDER
with a best of third in Austria.
Michael Doohan Universally known as Honda’s five-time 500cc GP world champion, it is less well known that Doohan had a short but spectacular spell in world superbikes and was actually Yamaha's first winner in the class. The Australian was part of Yamaha's Australian distributor team, contesting their national championship, when he made wild-card appearances at Sugo in Japan and at his home round in Oran Park. Those four races brought three wins, the only blip in his record came at the first race in Japan, when he crashed while leading comfortably. After remounting and climbing back up to third, he crashed again as he signalled his arrival to the rest of the world. That was in 1988. The next season Doohan moved to GPs and the rest, as they say, was history.
Yasutomo Nagai The champion that never was. Yasutomo Nagai was born in Koshigaya, just north of Tokyo, and like so many Japanese starlets started his racing career on pocket bikes. His first road race came in 1986, at the age of 21, and he was signed as a Yamaha factory rider in 1989. Nagai came to prominence outside of Japan when he set pole position and claimed a podium finish as a wild-card at the 1994 world superbike round at Sugo. That year he also won the Bol d'Or on a Yamaha Motor France YZF750, making him a natural candidate to race alongside Colin Edwards in the new-for-1995 factory team. Nagai proved to be a revelation and was lying fourth in the championship until his untimely death as the result of an accident at Assen on 10 September. What was a seemingly innocuous fall as he slid down on another rider's oil turned to tragedy as Nagai's bike dug into the ground, flipped up and struck him. Yasutomo never regained conciousness and died in hospital two days later. He was 29-years-old.
Colin Edwards The Texas Tornado blew onto the world stage in 1995, as one of two riders chosen to represent Yamaha in the newly-formed official factory team. The American came to Europe as one of his country's brightest young talents with a grooming in the tough American championships. After winning the 1992 American 250 title on a TZ250, Edwards switched to superbikes with the famous Vance & Hines Yamaha team. His form in 1994 brought him to the attention of the factory, who offered the 21-year-old hotshot a contract for the following season. Three years with the factory team were blighted by injury but undoubtedly the highlight was 1996, when he finished fifth overall and won the Suzuka Eight-Hour race with a certain Noriyuki Haga. Later went on to win the championship twice, riding Hondas in 2000 and 2002, and for 2005 Edwards returns to the Yamaha fold as part of the factory MotoGP line-up.
Scott Russell If ever there was a rider to personify the spirit of superbike, that rider is Scott Russell. The enigmatic glamour boy from Georgia in the good ‘ol US of A, Scott still holds the distinction of being the only man to win the Superbike World Championship on an across-the-frame four-cylinder bike, which he won on a Kawasaki in 1993. Russell joined Yamaha in 1997 after a season and a half in 500cc Grands Prix. Although the results were not stunning (sixth in 1997 and 10th in 1998) he did take his YZF750 to wins at the historic Daytona 200 both seasons.
Yamaha slimmed down its superbike Noriyuki Haga For many people Haga wasn't just a Yamaha world superbike rider, he is the Yamaha world superbike rider. The Samurai of Slide, aka Nitro Nori, rode into superbike at a time when the series was challenging GPs for popularity and added another dimension to an already personality packed paddock. Nori-chan made his debut as a wild-card at Sugo in 1996 and made an immediate impact by finishing second. He was drafted into the factory team at the end of 1997 and was a permanent fixture until the programme ended in 2000. Three wins at the start of the 1998 campaign turned him into the fans' favourite and Haga became the first Japanese rider to gain a worldwide audience. Fans loved the way he would throw the YZF750 sideways into the corner, but just as much they loved his carefree attitude to life. In total he's scored 11 wins on Yamahas, with a best championship position of second in 2000.
INSIDER 39
The machines FZ750 1988 The FZ750 was the star of the Cologne motor show when it was unveiled there in 1984. Featuring the world's first five-valve production engine (three intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder) it provided the basis for the privately entered Yamahas in 1988, the championship's first year. Although not the most race-orientated bike on the grid, Fabrizio Pirovano won at Le Mans on his FZ and finished second in the championship while Mick Doohan won three races on higher-specification FZ750R. The R was a rare homologation special and the first Yamaha road bike to utilize a Deltabox chassis, which it shared with the FZR1000. Fast fact: Bimota used the FZ750 motor in their YB4EI, the bike that won the first ever world superbike race at Donington Park in the UK on 3 April 1988.
FZR750R (OW-01) 1989 - 1992 While the FZ750 was a road bike turned racer, the FZR750R was an out and out race bike turned into a roadster for homologation purposes. It drew heavily from the works machines that competed in the old Formula One class and the racing heritage could clearly be seen from the OW designation, the code usually reserved for Yamaha's factory machines. The FZR750R was an expensive limited production model brimming with race features including a 20-valve, parallel four-cylinder engine with titanium connecting rods, flatslide carburetors and a close-ratio gearbox. Few found their way onto the road. Most owners fitted the optional race kit and headed for the race track, although quite a few ended up as museum pieces. Fast fact: Carl Fogarty set a lap record of 123.61mph (198.93 kph) on a OW-01 at the 1992 Isle of Man TT, a record which stood for seven years.
YZF750SP 1993 - 1998 In 1993 Yamaha moved away from pure homologation specials like the OW-01 and produced two versions of the new YZF750. The YZF750R was the bike that set new standards on the road while the YZF750SP was broadly based on the standard bike but featured a number of race-orientated features like a close-ratio gearbox and flatslide carburetors to provide a competitive base upon which racers could add a race kit and carry out further tuning. The SP version was also the base for Yamaha's factory effort and a stalwart of national and world superbike championships throughout the Nineties. Fast fact: Niall Mackenzie won three consecutive British superbike titles between 1996 and 1998 on a YZF750.
YZF-R7 (OW-02) 1999 - 2000 If the YZF750 had been a road bike first and a racer second then the YZF-R7 was a return to the days of the pure homologation special. The R7 was designed with one aim - to win races. And it did, in two years of competition it took a total of five race wins in the hands of Noriyuki Haga. Like 1989's OW-01, the R7 also wore a factory OW designation. The Deltabox II chassis mimicked that of the YZR500 Grand Prix machine and the specification was dripping with top-of-the-range parts. The fuelinjected 20-valve, four-cylinder engine featured numerous titanium parts and was fitted with a slipper clutch as standard. Despite its almighty specification and race winning performance the R7 was retired from world superbike competition at the end of the 2000 season as Yamaha concentrated on the YZR-M1 MotoGP programme. Fast fact: Just 500 YZF-R7s were produced and sold worldwide. The minimum number required to homologate the machine under FIM superbike regulations.
YZF-R1 2005 Although the third-generation R1 has yet to make an official debut, several private entries showed tremendous potential throughout the 2004 season, with James Ellison finishing fifth at Brands Hatch and Sebastien Gimbert taking a brace of fourth places at the final round in Magny Cours. Although produced first and foremost as a road machine the R1, now eligible under rules allowing 1000cc fours into the championship, produces 180bhp in standard form, more than the factory bikes of 2000. Fitted with the YEC racing parts available to all racing customers, figure increases to around the magic 200bhp mark. Fast fact: The third-generation YZF-R1 won both the Endurance World Championship and European Superstock Championship titles in 2004, its first year of competition.
Nori Haga brought a certain attitude to superbike racing
Yasutomo Nagai flies in Austria
capacity advantage to V-twins, 750cc four-cylinder machines, even those as
time is now right to return to the series.
forums at our website to see the affection
members worked in the Yamaha factory
“Our MotoGP programme is now firmly
with which Noriyuki is still held by our
team. So, actually the change for our team
technically advanced as Yamaha’s YZF-R7,
on track and since we last competed the
fans. That affection for Noriyuki is also
is not as big as it looks. We already have
struggled to overcome the 250cc deficit.
regulations have been changed to allow
held by us at Yamaha, which is why, along
experience at this level and the bike is very
Despite this, Haga displayed the hunger
four-cylinder 1000cc sportsbikes to enter
with his stunning performances on the
strong, as we saw from the privateer riders
and style that made him so popular and
the championship,” he explains. “FGSport
Ducati this year, we would like him to
who entered the series on R1s last year and
came to within a whisker of taking the
have informed us of their intention to keep
ride for us in 2005. We know he will give
also the performances in endurance and
2000 title. A narrow defeat to eventual
the regulations stable and they are contin-
100 per cent and fit into the team.”
superstock. Yamaha also has a very good
champion Edwards in the season opener
uing to further improve the series as a
at Kyalami in South Africa was followed
whole, including the marketing, broadcast-
the controls of one of the team’s R1s next
of these, and also work closely with both
by a comfortable victory in race two.
ing and the number of rounds.
season and the man charged with the day-
our own suppliers and Yamaha Europe to
But it was to be a controversial season
“For us as a manufacturer it is important
Australian rider Andrew Pitt will be at
range of R1 kit parts and we will use many
to-day running of the squad is ex-racer
develop the bike further. For example we’re
for Haga. A doping test at the opening
to race the products we sell and one of
Massimo ‘Maio’ Meregalli, who ran the
already using a Magneti Marelli engine
round found him to have over the sub-
superbike’s main attractions is that the fans
Yamaha Motor Italia world supersport team
management system which is very similar
scribed limit of the naturally occurring
can really get involved. They can see the
between 2002 and 2004. It’s a challenge
to the one being used on Yamaha’s
ephedrine in his body. Further wins at
bikes that they ride everyday being raced
that Meregalli and his team is looking for-
MotoGP bike.”
Hockenheim, Valencia, Laguna Seca and
on the circuit.
ward to and, although they are not under-
Assen kept him in contention for the title
“Strong personalities have always been a
And while the medium-term objective is
estimating the challenge, he believes that
to win the championship, Klein Koerkamp
but the news came just before the final
major part of our superbike programme.
the team has all the experience required to
is realistic about the aims for 2005. “It’s
race that he was to be docked 25 points
When I first became involved in superbikes
switch from the 600cc class.
going to be difficult for anyone to predict
and banned from the last round. That put
we had Scott Russell, a real larger than life
him second in the standings, a disap-
character. Then, of course, it was Noriyuki
possibilities with tuning and setting up the
all the Japanese brands will be represented
pointing end to one of the champi-
Haga who was the star. At times it was
bike (when compared to supersport),” he
and Ducati will obviously be strong as well.
onship’s most thrilling seasons. Just weeks
quite unbelievable just how popular he was
says. “But Yamaha Motor Italia has been
It will be an exciting season and our target
after that last race, Yamaha announced it
but that was part of the superbike culture
involved in world superbikes between 1988
is to be fighting for race wins in the second
was pulling out of superbike racing to
that, just as with Scott, allowed him to be
and 1994, when I rode for them for a few
part of the season and challenge for the
concentrate on development of the YZR-
himself. You only have to look at the
seasons, and also many of our current staff
title in 2006.”
“Of course with superbike there are more
what will happen this season. It looks like
M1 MotoGP project. With Haga and Yamaha going to GPs for 2001, superbike fans never got another chance to see one of the sport’s most spectacular pairings go for the title that narrowly eluded them in 2000. Until 2005, perhaps? According to Laurens Klein Koerkamp, Yamaha’s European racing manager, the
40 INSIDER
INSIDER 41
Sweden 1993: Fabrizio Pirovano leads Giancarlo Falappa (hidden), Scott Russell and James Whitham
“Five years ago I wanted to walk away but now I’m determined to become world champion” When Cédric Melotte lost his father at the age of 19 he almost gave up on his dream of becoming motocross world champion. Now, five years on, Cédric has been transformed from a struggling privateer to a Yamaha factory rider, GP winner and a favourite for the MX2 crown in 2005. WORDS: TOM JACOBS PICTURES: REDEYE
42 INSIDER
AND
MASSIMO ZANZANI
INSIDER 43
CÉDRIC MELOTTE’S WIN at last year’s 650cc
scored two titles in the hotly contested
life was focused on becoming a champion.
Grand Prix in Namur was an eye-opener
Belgian 125 championship and one German
Everything I knew in motocross I had
to many - including the team managers
125 title. However his speed did not always
learned from my dad, I figured that I
who started clamouring for the 25-year-
translate on the world stage, where he
would not have made him happy by
old’s signature.
showed only flashes of brilliance. Cédric
throwing everything away. I picked up
In the end it was Michele Rinaldi who
experienced first hand that being destined
where I left off and my determination
secured the promising Belgian to race in
for greatness and actually achieving it are
grew stronger. It even meant taking some
the MX1 class for the factory Yamaha L&M
worlds apart.
distance from my mother. She wanted to
Motocross Team. One year in and it has
When the outside world measures progress by results and relates them to age
at the time I could not accept that. Of
Melotte stunned the paddock by taking a
it only added to the pressure for the rider
course all of it has changed my outlook,
convincing win at the opening round in
from the historic citadel town of Namur in
but I’m not the only person to go through
Zolder and finishing seventh overall despite
Belgium. “I think everybody is fooled by
hard times. Unfortunately suffering is part
a serious back injury and a dislocated hip
age,” he smiles, “because it’s a very tempting
of life. If you’re lucky it just takes a long
that ruled him out for a chunk of the season
way to measure progress. Michele Rinaldi
time before it touches you.”
and riding through the pain barrier in the
made me see that every career is different,
With a new mentality and a surprise
closing rounds.
that you should look at the circumstances
move to the 500 class, Melotte’s career
why you have not done as well as you
took off in a new direction for 2001.
FROM ALESSANDRO PUZAR, Donny Schmit and
“Cédric is very ambitious and hungry but I think
class last year and I think that’s why they
could. In my case it was clear that I did not
One of the youngest riders in the class,
Bob Moore to Andrea Bartolini and Stefan
there is still a lot to learn for him. He has lost
underestimated me,” he says. “That was
have the right people to support me, I had
he proved a revelation, finishing 13th
Everts, Yamaha’s motocross team manager
some time in his career and now with the right
short-sighted because Vico and Smets were
a severe injury breaking my ankle and I lost
that year and 12th in 2002. ”Back then
Michele Rinaldi knows how to get the best out
support he is making up for it. He is smart so I
fighting for GP victories when the class
my dad at an early age…”
my results could have been a lot better
of his riders. With eight world titles as a team
think he will pick up on all the things he experi-
”A lot of people looked down on the 650
was regarded as strong! But I have to admit
A former racer himself, Cédric’s father
The boss’ view
because out of 12 GPs I had five DNFs
manager to his name, in addition to one as a
enced this year. For example Cédric could ride
that I even surprised myself in Zolder. In
got him into motocross at the age of four.
because of injuries or technical problems.
rider, he’s perfectly placed to comment on
with almost anyone. He could follow the highest
fact I did not know what to expect before
Marcel Melotte was the driving force
But switching to four-strokes was a
Cédric Melotte’s progress. “I was pleasantly
rhythm when fighting for the lead with Everts
the season. After that my confidence grew
behind his son’s career until he was killed
masterstroke for me. It’s also a very good
surprised by Cédric this year,” explains Rinaldi.
or Coppins. However one of the most important
move physically, I broke my left foot and
“He has shown terrific speed and delivered more
abilities to develop is how you manage a race.
therefore I’m a little bit lazy to shift. Of
at the beginning of the season than I had
Searching your own limits when you ride by
course you don’t need to shift that much
expected from him. He made a remarkable
yourself, always controlling your bike and
on a four-stroke. From the very first time
progress from when he started working with us
setting up race tactics are fundamental. We
I liked the four-stroke feeling.”
until he had had his first injury in May. I know
have talked a lot. Riders should be aware that
that Cédric had worked with a physical trainer
getting top results is not only about their bike
“Only as time went by did I learn what it takes to be a professional rider”
44 INSIDER
help me, taking the role of my father, but
proved to be a fruitful relationship.
and I knew it was possible to win. In
in a freak accident while reshaping the
Valkenswaard I only lost the GP because
family’s practice track in 1999. That tragic
The breakthrough, of course, came in
Everts had a better result in the second
event nearly ended Cédric’s racing career,
2003 with that first Grand Prix win and
before, but his condition was not that great
and racing. It’s also how you approach the com-
race. If it had not been for my injuries I
although strangely he’s not afraid to talk
third in the championship – on a privately
when he came to us. That is why we gave him
petition, training and how you deal with stress,
probably would have had another win.”
about this black period, hoping his experi-
entered bike. The pressure of working with
training schedules and developed clear goals to
injury or bad luck. Being a champion is a way of
Since bursting onto the GP scene in
ences can help others. “At that point I really
a factory team and being in the shadow of
aim at. The first time he went cycling with Carlo
life and I think next season will be very interesting.
1995, Melotski had matured in all aspects
wanted to quit. Dad was always there and
the great Stefan Everts did not hurt
(Rinaldi) he was knackered! But Cédric is a
The pressure for him will be completely different
of his life. In 1996 the French-speaking
he had done everything to get me where I
Melotte’s results this year, but for 2005 all
strong guy and with the right training he
in MX2. People did not know what to expect
Belgian was picked up by Sylvain Geboers
was. Not only had I lost the most impor-
eyes will be on him when he moves to lead
improved quickly. A couple of weeks later on
from him this year but he is one of the favourites
for a support ride with the factory Suzuki
tant person for my sporting life, I also lost
Yamaha’s programme in the MX2 class.
their second bike ride, Cédric showed Carlo
next season. It is a luxury problem because he
team, where great things were expected
my father. I simply wanted to walk away.
“I have an YZ250F to train on at home and I
his back wheel.” Rinaldi smiles and adds: “Of
did well this season. From our side we will offer
from him. “I was a little too young back
The bike did not work, I lost my appetite
don’t know why but I always have faster lap
course Carlo is twelve years older and not a
Cédric the best possible support technically: in
then to realize that you have to take
and had nobody to talk to. I lost interest in
times on it, so I was delighted when Michele
professional racer...”
the tuning of the engine, preparation of the
everything seriously,” reflects Melotte.
racing and started going out to clubs. After
proposed that I go and ride MX2. It is a
“Only as time went by did I learn what it
a couple of weeks I knew this was not me,
gamble but I’m really confident. To win the
physical preparation, Rinaldi spends a lot of
him through the championship. The challenge is
takes to be a professional rider.” Melotte
it was not my life. From an early age my
MX1 title next year would perhaps be
time on the mental strength of his riders.
big, but I’m confident in his abilities.”
Apart from working on the bike settings and
bike and so on. And step by step we will guide
INSIDER 45
asking a bit too much of me at this time in
I knew straight away that this was the girl
after year, you see how steep the way to
my career, so to go to MX2 with this level
I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
your goal is and only then do you know
of support is the best option. As a 125 rider
We met through motocross. She knows about
how tough this sport really is. I’m not
I never had the best equipment and it was
the sport and how hard it is. When Sara
world champion, but I’m getting closer to
always hard for me to make good starts but
started coming to races, she immediately
my goal. I absolutely want to win at least
now with a factory bike my expectations
took it very seriously and encouraged me
one world title or I would be very disap-
are high. This is a dream opportunity.�
to make the most of my talent.�
pointed. I would like to look back and know
Getting CĂŠdric to pose for our photo
The mature CÊdric’s new approach has
that I did everything to reach that goal.
shoot doesn’t take much effort. Not only
been reflected in his results, however he
That is also the reason why I forced myself
does he love the attention, he’s feeling
is the first to admit that he owes a lot to
to race when coming out of injury. On one
right at home at our location around the Citadel of Namur. Often compared with Monaco in F1, ‘the Citadel’ is the most
“It motivates me to do well for my son. I want him to be proud�
prestigious event on the motocross calendar. Namur is a motocross institution, a
Rinaldi. “I was really proud to sign with
hand I often think about the consequences
motocross mad country’s celebration of the
Yamaha as they are the most prestigious
of riding injured, because surely it’s not
sport. It’s also the place were Melotte grew
team in world motocross. It fired me up
good for your body. After a talk with
up as a kid and, of course, where he won
and made me push the limits because I felt
Michele he would put a different perspec-
his first Grand Prix. Even now he still lives
that I could not let them down. Michele
tive to it, and I will change my mind.
near the city with his wife Sara and their
has a strong personality and knows what it
Rinaldi can build me up and he’s a master
baby boy Matteo. CĂŠdric sees his family as
takes. He became world champion although
in boosting my confidence. My results
a driving force in his career: “It motivates
he was not working in the best circum-
have not been great during those last races
me to do well for Matteo. I want him to
stances. Running your own team and racing
of the season, but I don’t think it was a
be proud about his dad. How cool would it
at the highest level takes a special kind of
lost cause. I have a long term plan with
be for him when people remind him later:
person. He does a lot more than managing
Yamaha and it’s great to know they are so
‘when you were three or four years old
the team and providing his riders with
supportive of me. Part of that plan will
your dad won this GP there?’ Sara has been
material. He has worked miracles for me.
eventually see me move back to MX1, so
really important from the beginning. She gave me the stability that I needed and 46 INSIDER
“I had the idea that once in my life I wanted to become world champion. Year
ÂœĂŠ `ÂˆĂ€ĂŒ]ĂŠ “Õ`ĂŠ ÂœĂ€ĂŠ Ăƒ>˜`ĂŠ ÂˆĂƒĂŠ ĂƒĂŒĂ€ÂœÂ˜}ĂŠ iÂ˜ÂœĂ•}Â…ĂŠ ĂŒÂœĂŠ LiĂŠ >ĂŠ ĂŒÂ…Ă€i>ĂŒĂŠ vÂœĂ€ĂŠ Â˝ĂƒĂŠ 7ÂœĂ€ÂŽĂƒÂ?ÂˆĂŒiĂŠ 8ĂŠ ĂƒÂŤĂ€ÂœVÂŽiĂŒĂƒÂ°ĂŠ /Â…iÞÊ >Ă€iĂŠ ĂŒÂ…iĂŠ Â?ˆ}Â…ĂŒiĂƒĂŒĂŠ ĂƒiÂ?v‡ VÂ?i>˜ˆ˜}ĂŠĂƒÂŤĂ€ÂœVÂŽiĂŒĂƒĂŠ>Ă›>ˆÂ?>LÂ?i°Ê/Â…iĂŠÂŤ>ĂŒiÂ˜ĂŒi`ĂŠÂşĂƒÂ˜ÂœĂœy>ÂŽiÊ`iĂƒÂˆ}Â˜ĂŠ ÂˆĂƒĂŠ Ă•Â˜ÂˆÂľĂ•iĂŠ ĂŒÂ…>Â˜ÂŽĂƒĂŠ ĂŒÂœĂŠ VÂœÂ“ÂŤĂ•ĂŒiÀÊ >ˆ`i`ĂŠ >˜>Â?ĂžĂƒÂˆĂƒĂŠ >˜`ĂŠ iĂ?ĂŒiÂ˜ĂƒÂˆĂ›iĂŠ ĂŒiĂƒĂŒÂˆÂ˜}°Ê ĂŠ “>ÂŽiĂƒĂŠ Âş >VĂŒÂœĂ€ĂžÂťĂŠ ĂƒÂŤĂ€ÂœVÂŽiĂŒĂƒĂŠ >Ă›>ˆÂ?>LÂ?iĂŠ vÂœĂ€ĂŠ ĂŒÂ…iĂŠ ÂŤĂ€ÂˆĂ›>ĂŒiiÀ°
the experience gained now will be of great benefit to me.�
*OEVTUSJFQBSL ;XJKOBBSEF # (FOU 5FM 'BY F NBJM TFSWJDF!ED BGBN DPN
INSIDER 47
Wayne Rainey’s place in the history books is guaranteed thanks to three straight world titles in the early Nineties. And, while the American may no longer be a fixture in the GP paddock, he’s still just as eager to shoot straight from the hip as he ever was WORDS: MARK GRAHAM PICTURES: HENK KEULEMANS
48 INSIDER
INSIDER 49
First Grand Prix win - Donington Park 1988
Wayne’s last world title -1992
WAYNE RAINEY AND Yamaha are inextricably
Wayne’s battles with fellow American Kevin Schwantz (34) were legendary. Here they are at the 1992 British Grand Prix at Donington Park
Old and the new: Wayne and Valentino Rossi earlier this year
But it was the Schwantz/Rainey rivalry in
massive spinal injury to run the Team
If you want to win you need the best guy
YZR-M1 perform where other riders some-
up with old sparring partners Schwantz
on the bike. Yamaha decided to win.
times struggle. This is what gives a three-
and Doohan and see for himself the energy
time world champion the utmost admiration
and fight of the current Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team.
linked. Even after the dreadful injuries he
particular that went way beyond even the
Rainey Yamaha 250 squad in 1994 – six
suffered at Misano on 5 September 1993
vicious norm of Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
months after he nearly died.
ended his riding career, the resilient
It had begun back in America when the
In 1995 Rainey attacked the 250 class
things possible for Valentino. This time the
for a current six-time champ – now with
Californian has run Yamaha Grand Prix
pair raced superbikes, and when it was
with Tetsuya Harada and Kenny Roberts
factory has really stepped up to the plate.
four consecutive titles in the big class.
teams, and now races Yamaha-powered
unleashed on Europe with a fresh zeal, it
Junior. Wayne was desperate to pass on
Now they’ve really decided to race, to beat
Perhaps the only area where Wayne feels
again when I came back,” he said. “Racing’s
karts on tracks close to his Californian
was almost out of control. “He was the
his consummate knowledge of racing and
Honda. Valentino made the right decision
there are no parallels between himself and
not my life any more. When you come back
home. He’s still right in tune with the
only guy I’d deliberately run into through-
winning, and carried on with the team
to come here. I knew what it was like to
Rossi is in terms of the level of competition
you forget that everybody remembers you.
triple-tuning forks.
out my racing career,” said Wayne. “And he
until 1998, although the master found the
But even the three world championships
was the only guy who ever deliberately ran
art of teaching more difficult than expected.
he won for Yamaha in what is now regarded
into me. We raced so hard that we didn’t
“I’d been thinking about racing and what
as the most intense period of premier class
even know there were people watching us.”
I wanted to do about it, so this was a way
Grand Prix competition, the early Nineties,
This went on race after race, season after
“I think Yamaha’s commitment has made
“I knew the emotions would flood in
But I knew as soon as I got on the plane to
“Racing consumed my whole life. My way of doing things was my life, it was what I thought about all the time.
for me to try and find out how it really
go home I’d leave the emotions there. “Racing consumed my whole life. My way of doing things was my life, it was what I thought about all the time. I worked
only tell part of the story. He was on
season. And the comparative statistics from
felt. I didn’t think it through, I just did it.
race against Honda when the commitment
they each faced. “I thought Nicky Hayden
on every area of my performance. The way
course for a then unprecedented fourth
1988 to 1993 between the two are revealing.
I thought I could pass on my thinking to
wasn’t the same. Now they’ve put everything
and Colin Edwards would be much closer.
I used my eyes, and how I would think
title until that fateful day in Italy, but it’s
In 87 Grands Prix, Rainey won 24, Schwantz
other riders. But I found out you can’t
into it.
Max Biaggi couldn’t beat Sete and I
about different types of situations in different
the way he went about his winning, the
23. Rainey 69 front row starts, Schwantz
explain it. Unless the rider’s willing to go
thought he’d be much closer to Valentino
types of races. Each race was always different.
intensity he brought to the competition,
66. Rainey 22 fastest race laps, Schwantz 23.
out and be world champion, it’s not going
than he ever did on a Honda. He has to
than he was.” But when a fierce fighter
I had plans for every race and that plan
and the resulting memorable battles with
In the world title stakes it was Rainey by
to happen.”
think about it a lot more and that’s why
gives an accurate and pithy assessment it
would start as soon as the previous race
sworn rivals that resonate most strongly.
three to one. The only category where
“Valentino’s riding harder on a Yamaha
There were to be no more Yamaha world
he’s the only guy who could have made
carries a lot of weight. “He’s different from
finished on Sunday. When you’d won a
No one who saw Rainey take on Kevin
Wayne was comprehensively outscored was
champions in the premier class after Wayne
this jump. That takes huge commitment.
past champions because he’s an entertainer
race you’d never dwell on it, it was a total
Schwantz, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Gardner
in crashing. He had only four race crashes,
– until this year – and when asked about
Valentino’s strong mentally and that’s a huge
too. But when he puts his helmet on he’s a
commitment thing.”
will ever forget the electric pre-race
Schwantz 12. Then came Misano.
his successor he is typically candid. “When
advantage especially at the end of a race.”
full-on racer.”
atmosphere or the explosive on-track action as these giants clashed. 50 INSIDER
After that Wayne elevated himself to a higher level yet again by coming back from
Yamaha really decided to go beat Honda,
Rainey always managed to make his
they knew they had to get the best rider.
YZR500 work, just like Rossi can make the
Rainey came back to the Grand Prix paddock at Barcelona in June this year to hook
And even Mr. Commitment himself appreciates the effort made by Rossi and Yamaha this season. INSIDER 51
2004: a season to remember
There’s more than just MotoGP in Yamaha’s racing programme and over the next 12 pages Insider takes a class-by-class look back at a memorable 2004 season on and off the road
52 INSIDER
INSIDER 53
The Doctor’s orders “Could it really happen?” That was the question on every MotoGP fan’s lips at the start of the 2004 season. “Could Valentino Rossi win the championship after switching from Honda to Yamaha?” Well, “yes” was the answer - and rather emphatically as it happened WORDS : G ORDON R ITCHIE P ICTURE : PAUL B ARSHON
IT’S NO OVERSTATEMENT to say that Yamaha has just enjoyed one of the most momentous seasons ever in Grand Prix racing. Valentino Rossi’s victory in the MotoGP championship, riding the awesome YZR-M1, has been far more than just another year, just another series, just one of many since the start of it all in 1949. The culmination of Yamaha’s racing pedigree and Rossi’s often transcendent talent has delivered the series win with one race in the 16-round world championship to spare. It’s been a remarkable 12 months in the relationship between Rossi and Yamaha. Last year’s Australian Grand Prix was full of intrigue, as the world waited for the official news that was rumoured to be broken any day. Rossi, a five-time world champion and three-times winner in the premier class, was leaving his long term employer Honda to take up a new challenge with another one of racing’s big hitters – Yamaha. The determination of everyone involved was evident from the beginning of their partnership. Not only was Yamaha running Rossi, it was doing so with his crew chief Jeremy Burgess, who had helped him to his trio of premier class titles. With everyone within the entire Yamaha racing effort fired up to an intense level of determination and expectation the world first saw the combination at work after the winter testing curfew was ended at Sepang in January. In these high-tech days of multi-adjustable chassis, endlessly tuneable engines and potential technical blind alleys, Rossi’s first exposure to the Yamaha YZR-M1 was, quite simply, one of the most impressive debuts of any new rider, in any new team. The inline four-cylinder M1 had proven to be a winner in the past, but with Rossi at the controls, Team Director Davide Brivio, Burgess and the entire team staff providing the immediate backup, and Yamaha redoubling its development programme, the result was the best
54 INSIDER
time of the entire Sepang tests. All this against the main rivals the team would face for the rest of the year. After one more Sepang and two Phillip Island test sessions the M1 had evolved from race winner to genuine championship contender, partly thanks to a change in engine firing order. The last pre-season test of the year, the official IRTA outing at Catalunya, was another minor triumph, as Rossi set the fastest lap in the official timed session, which netted the rider a BMW car and the team a degree of self-confidence that would carry them to the first race of the year at Welkom in South Africa. The result of that race has already gone down in Grand Prix legend. Rossi won the race from the front, proving to be so overcome with emotion that he had to stop out on track to collect his thoughts, kissing the front of his machine before rejoining the ecstatic pit crew back in the garage. It was now evident that Rossi and the M1 would surely be major factors in the championship, from first race to last. But was the championship itself too much to ask in the most competitive year in MotoGP history? The next two events, at Jerez and Le Mans, netted fourth places, before a three race winning streak that reasserted Rossi’s championship challenge. His main rival was shaping up to be Sete Gibernau, but the first real reversal of either’s season was lying in wait for them at Rio. Rossi and Gibernau both fell and each left South America with no additional points. For Rossi, a hard fought fourth in Sachsenring, showing restraint as well as resolve, was followed by a superb win at Donington Park, the Yamaha once more clearly demonstrating that it could propel Rossi to victory irrespective of the type of circuit. At Brno in August, after a short summer break, Rossi was second behind Gibernau, but a return to
competitive action at Estoril in Portugal was the scene of another Rossi win, the sixth of the year. Second in Japan, behind local stalwart Makoto Tamada, Rossi was about to show that even though he may make things look easy, they seldom are at this level of the sport. A controversial decision to relegate him to the back of the grid at the inaugural Qatar GP, after his grid spot was treated to make it grippier, saw another shift in the sands of fortune. Rossi charged up the field only to fall while in the top five. Suddenly a 39-point lead had become a 14 pointer, and the championship took on a whole new complexion with Gibernau’s win. In fact Qatar was a bad day all round for the Yamaha riders, although Norick Abe scored his best result of an otherwise disappointing season. He finished seventh in the middle east on his way to 13th in the standings. Yamaha’s other two representatives in MotoGP also had a season of mixed results. Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri lay fourth and fifth in the standings after six rounds, Checa finishing second in France and Melandri third in Catalunya and The Netherlands, but a dramatic downturn in form saw them end the year seventh and 12th. In Malaysia, at the Sepang circuit that Rossi had tested at so successfully, the updated and continually improving M1 powered Rossi to his seventh win of the year, a record equalling performance from man and Yamaha machine in a single season, putting Rossi 30 points ahead, and the Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team on their way to winning the team’s world championship. With a win at Phillip Island, his fourth straight win at the Aussie track he loves so much, Rossi clinched a memorable title, Yamaha’s first since 1992. Another win at the season-ending Valencia confirmed the domination in a season that history will surely classify as timeless.
INSIDER 55
Hunger strike With every record worth having already in his pocket, did Yamaha’s Stefan Everts really have the motivation to take an unpreceedented eight world title? Looking back, only a fool would have bet against him WORDS : TOM J ACOBS P ICTURE : G ARY F REEMAN
TO SUMMARIZE ANOTHER motocross season dominated by Stefan Everts is challenging, simply because superlatives have run dry after eight world titles. Everyone knew it would take an army to stop this perfectly-tuned winning machine because Everts and the Yamaha L&M Motocross Team had a bomb-proof package going into the fourth year of their partnership. Stefan’s extreme fitness and legendary riding skills combined with the mighty YZ450FM, although there was an army of challengers to push the Belgian master from his throne: from the French double world champion, and last year’s runner up, Mickael Pichon, to reigning 125 and 650 world champions Steve Ramon and Joel Smets. The background of this fierce battle was the much anticipated return to the roots of the motocross world championship. Welcome back to a two-race format and a credible 16-race calendar, that saw riders compete in one overseas event (Sun City, South Africa) and return to one of the sport’s most important countries, the United Kingdom. After a string of impressive pre-season performances Everts seemed set for a carefree and relaxed start of the season. A crash one week prior to the opening GP in Zolder proved otherwise and left Stefan with his traditional early season blues. The 31-year-old legend would have to start his title defence with bruised ribs and an injured back. Typical uncertainty about the performance of rival riders and bikes also raised the expectations of the fans and fired hopes of an open championship - especially after the first race. Before the season there had been a frisson
56 INSIDER
of doubt about Everts’ new team-mate Cédric Melotte. Melotte simply shut all critics down by claiming a convincing GP win on the demanding and technical Zolder track. Even more surprising was the fact that Cédric was still a comfortable second in the championship after the sixth Grand Prix. By then Everts had taken control of the championship, his position strengthed by the injuries and inconsistency of his competitors. Just before the seventh round at the Gore Basin circuit on the Isle of Wight, Everts’ closest rival descended into injury hell as well. Melotte sustained a severe back injury during a training crash, but he decided to fight the pain and participate in the next races. To make things worse Melotski got sidelined after he dislocated his hip in Neeroeteren. It was hard to pick the fastest rider for the second half of the MX1 season. Both Everts and Pichon picked up their share of victories, but while the French ace showed stunning speed at times Stefan could play it cool. With a comfortable lead over Pichon, it was only a question of when, rather than if, Stefan would wrap up title number eight. For emotional effect Ballykelly turned out to be perfect. Father Harry had captured his first world title exactly 20 years before in Ireland and was Stefan’s girlfriend not called Kelly? Ironically, the only time when Everts lost control was after the title had been decided. The Belgian displayed a temper-storm after Pichon aggressively ran into him during the second race in Sun City. Stefan, generally known as a sportsmanlike rider and role model for the sport, immediately apologised and had his
revenge by leading Team Belgium to victory at the Motocross of Nations in Lierop.
Motocross MX2 World Championship HAVING ROMPED TO nine GP wins on his way to a dominant MX2 world title win, KTM’s Ben Townley firmly fulfilled the high expectations placed on him. Yamaha’s highest finisher in the class was Italian teenager Antonio Cairoli. The YZ250F-mounted Cairoli claimed the unofficial rookie title without opposition. Despite having never scored a single championship point in previous years 18-year-old Antonio racked up several milestones in no time. The Yamaha De Carli rider went from strength to strength, going from top five scores, to podium finishes and even his first overall GP win in Namur. Threetime 125 world champ Alessio Chiodi bounced back after an injury-plagued start of the season to take fifth at the end, behind the surprising Stephen Sword. Andrew McFarlane showed flashes of brilliance, but several injuries kept him down in final standings. However the Australian did take one overall win at the Yamaha dominated Italian round, topping an all Yamaha MX2 podium with Claudio Federici and Chiodi in a meeting that also saw Everts win the MX1 Grand Prix. Italian veteran Andrea Bartolini had a disappointing last season in GP racing due to injury, but scored one last podium in Sweden. GP racing will also say goodbye to Marnicq Bervoets, the loyal Yamaha rider who will possibly go down as the best rider never to win a world title.
INSIDER 57
A game of two halves Supersport racing has always been among the most competitive in the world. 2004 was no different from usual - at least in the battle for second WORDS : PAUL TAYLOR P ICTURE : G RAEME B ROWN
YAMAHA COULDN’T HAVE planned a better start to the 2004 Supersport World Championship. After round two of the series in Phillip Island, the R6 riders held the top three positions in the championship. Yamaha Motor Italia team-mates Jurgen van den Goorbergh and Fabien Foret had romped to a one-two finish in the opener in Valencia, while Yamaha Motor Germany’s Kevin Curtain slotted in behind the Italian-backed duo after finishing second at his home race, where he had led virtually all the way before being pipped to the line by wild-card Joshua Brookes. Alas, it was to be a mirage in a season where Honda’s Karl Muggeridge swept all before him to the title. He took his first win of the year at a wet round three in Misano, with Curtain and Van den Goorbergh second and third to retain the championship lead. This was the start of Muggeridge’s domination. Indeed it was Foret who was to hand the Aussie his only other defeat of the season. The Frenchman endured a nightmare mid-season when he failed to score in the three races after Phillip Island, but his win at Silverstone was the best race of the year by far as he traded places with Muggeridge and Parkes – taking the lead on the final lap with a typically brave overtake. Foret was less fortunate in the next race, when he suffered a broken ankle at Brands Hatch, but it was typical of the hardman from Angoulême that he rode the remaining races, broken limb and all. Curtain too, must have walked under several ladders after the Misano race. A crash and a mechanical failure in the next two races ruled him out of the title hunt, but the experienced Australian never gave up and was one of the few
58 INSIDER
riders guaranteed to take the fight to Muggeridge at every race. Although he wasn’t to win again, Van den Goorbergh ultimately ended the year as the top Yamaha rider – in third. The Dutchman’s consistency proved a major asset in what was just a ten round series, only failing to finish once, and although the early season fire seemed to be extinguished when Muggeridge went on his roll he kept racking up top six finishes to stay in mathematical contention until the penultimate round. Muggeridge wrapped the series up with a round to go after Van den Goorbergh suffered his only racing crash of the season in Imola. For a championship which has seen so much drama in its short but spectacular lifespan the 2004 edition was, in truth, a little bit dull by the standards of this normally explosive series. Historically supersport has been a closely contested affair with multiple race winners from all the manufacturers. This year Muggeridge won all but three races with Honda and Yamaha well ahead of the other brands in the manufacturers’ standings. The series’ switch to Pirelli control tyres also brought in problems, affecting some riders more than others. While the tyre options were the same for all, not everyone found they were able to change their riding style or get their bikes set up for the new rubber. No one suffered more than Yamaha Motor Germany’s Christian Kellner. After five years riding Dunlops developed to suit the R6 he struggled more than most and by the end of the season his confidence was shattered. He looked a shadow of the proven race winner he is, finishing 13th overall with a best of fifth at Monza.
Both Yamaha Motor Italia and Yamaha Motor Germany brought in guest riders to swell the ranks in the later stages of the season. The Italians approached former champion Andrew Pitt as a possible replacement for the injured Foret, but when the Frenchman decided to race on regardless the team ran Pitt on the bike that Japanese rider Tekkyu Kayo raced in Oschersleben. Pitt’s performances were strong throughout, finishing third despite a controversial last corner tangle with Curtain at Assen and following it up with a brace of sixths to finish 12th overall in the standings. Yamaha Motor Germany also brought in an Australian to race at the last two rounds. Craig Coxhell rode well and finished seventh in France.
European Superstock Championship YAMAHA ENTERED FOUR riders in the supporting European Superstock Championship for virtually stock 1000cc bikes. Armed with the latest YZF-R1, they swept to the top four places in the championship with Lorenzo Alfonsi taking the honours after his Lorenzini by Leoni team-mate Gianluca Vizziello missed the final two races with a hand injury sustained in an off-track incident. Between them the Italian pair won all but one of the nine races. Yamaha Motor Germany’s less experienced pair of Kenan Sofuoglu and Didier van Keymeulen took the next two placings and showed real promise as the season progressed. In fact, such was the dominance of the R1 that the four Yamaha riders filled 22 of the 27 podium slots available during the season.
INSIDER 59
GMT lasts the distance With an untried bike in the new YZF-R1, Yamaha’s officially supported GMT94 team started 2004 as second favourites for the Endurance World Championship. Would they prove the bookies wrong and take Yamaha’s first title in this prestigious class? WORDS
AND
P ICTURE : M ARTIN G ELDER
THE 2004 ENDURANCE World Championship was won and lost as much in pit lane as on track. French team Yamaha GMT94 are one of the slickest and most experienced in the endurance circus and this year they managed to find an elusive mix of performance and reliability from riders David Checa, William Costes and Sebastien Gimbert and from their third-generation Yamaha YZF-R1 World endurance features six different race lengths - from 200 mile sprints to 24 hour marathons - and sees teams representing thirteen different manufacturers racing Superbike, Super Production and Stocksport class motorcycles for a single FIM sanctioned championship. Yamaha GMT94’s season began at the Assen 500km race with a second to main rivals Suzuki Castrol. Although they only missed first place by 28 seconds and set the fastest lap of the race, the team left The Netherlands determined to improve their performance. The second round was new territory for all the competitors, a six hour race at Zhuhai in the People’s Republic of China. Despite having to make one more fuel stop than Suzuki Castrol, GMT94 kept the pressure on and took first place after the Suzuki crashed in the closing laps of the race. Round three was the Albacete 12 Hour night race. With the circuit floodlit and bikes running their own lights, the race pace proved to be little different between day and night, leading to a closely-fought and incident packed race. GMT94 were forced to settle for second place behind the Suzuki, but held their championship lead going
60 INSIDER
into what is still regarded as the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world. The Suzuka Eight-Hour race brings its own unique challenges to the world endurance competitors. As well as the stiflingly hot and humid weather conditions, the level of competition is a notch higher with the entry of full-factory Japanese wild card entries. Despite this only being their second trip to Suzuka, GMT94 were the first of the championship regulars and the third points-scoring team to cross the line. The Oschersleben 24 Hour race was always going to be crucial to their title chase. With fifty points available to the winner, there was no room for error. After somehow squeezing a gruelling testing schedule into the three weeks between the Japanese and German races, GMT94 arrived at Oschersleben in a mood of quiet determination. GMT94 led most of the practice and qualifying sessions but were pipped to pole position by Suzuki Castrol’s Vincent Phillipe by a mere 0.143 seconds. Team manager Christophe Guyot remained confident for the race however, knowing that his riders were more evenly matched than the Suzuki squad. The make-or-break nature of the race forced Suzuki to fit a fullsuperbike specification engine to their bike, and this would eventually prove to be their undoing. Nine hours into the race their GSX-R1000 engine blew as they battled for first place with GMT94 and their championship hopes were over. GMT94 took their second win of the season by a comfortable margin, with the R1s of Yamaha Austria
and Endurance Moto 38 taking second and third place respectively. With the championship won in Oschersleben, Yamaha GMT94 finished second to Suzuki Castrol in the final round of the championship at Vallelunga after a race-long battle with Endurance Moto 38 and 2003 world endurance champions Yamaha Phase One. Yamaha R1s took three of the top four places in the final championship standings, and GMT94 finished the year with a 58 point lead in the championship. They also won the unofficial world endurance constructors championship for Yamaha, with at least two R1s on the podium at every round except Suzuka. A 100 percent reliability record is a remarkable achievement for such a competitive endurance season and the performance of the team’s YZFR1 was only matched by the closeness of the three riders; at Oschersleben Checa, Costes and Gimbert were able to lap within a tenth of a second of each other, giving a vital strategic advantage to team manager Guyot. Unlike other classes of road racing, GMT94 concentrated on improving fuel efficiency rather than outright power and the developments made here allowed them to stay out longer between pit stops as the season progressed. By concentrating on slick pit work the team were able to take full advantage of the outright speed advantage of the riders - a true endurance victory in a championship becoming more competitive every year.
INSIDER 61
Merriman’s mission It was all change in the World Enduro Championship this season with a new structure, new organisers and new machines from rival manufacturers. In the end though they couldn’t stop the Yamaha WR250F from taking its fourth straight world title WORDS : J ONTY E DMUNDS P ICTURE : PAOLO C ARRUBA
FOLLOWING RADICAL RE-STRUCTURING the World Enduro Championship became a much more professional and easier to understand series in 2004. And with the help of UFO Corse Yamaha team riders Stefan Merriman and Bartosz Oblucki it was also a hugely successful one for Yamaha. Nobody knew exactly what to expect at the start of the eight round 2004 World Enduro Championship. Aiming to bring the sport in-line with other motorcycling disciplines, the FIM’s plans to make the championship more professional and easier to understand, the series changed almost beyond recognition. The new look WEC saw two-stroke and fourstroke machinery compete head-to-head for the first time ever, in the newly introduced Enduro 1, Enduro 2 and Enduro 3 classes, which replaced the five championship structure of years gone by. The series started in Spain in early March before traveling to Portugal, France, Italy, Sweden and Slovakia. Then, after taking a three month summer break, the final two events, held in Greece and Germany, saw the crowning of the 2004 world champions. Providing excitement and drama at each stop of its journey through Europe, the 2004 WEC
62 INSIDER
series will be remembered for the outstanding performances of Yamaha rider Stefan Merriman. Joining the Italian-based UFO Corse Yamaha squad at the end of 2003, Merriman, the feared and respected enduro performer, started the season as favourite to claim the Enduro 1 world title, the new combined category for 125cc twostrokes and 250cc four-strokes. And he didn’t disappoint. Starting as he meant to go on with a winning ride on the first day of the opening round in Spain, Stefan went on to record 13 day wins out of 16. In doing so he claimed his fourth world championship, and strengthened Yamaha’s position as the manufacturer of the WEC’s most successful 250cc four-stroke – the WR250F claiming its fourth successive world title. Not only winning the Enduro 1 world championship, Yamaha riders Merriman and his team-mate Bartosz Oblucki from Poland also came within just four points of claiming a championship onetwo. With Oblucki holding the runner-up spot for the majority of the season following a championship-long battle with Italy’s Simone Albergoni, only a disappointing day-one result at the final round in Germany stopped him placing in second to Merriman. The UFO Corse team also entered
the experienced and hugely popular Mario Rinaldi and his fellow Italian Simone Tonelli in the Enduro 1 category. They finished seventh and 15th overall in the points standings. With Yamaha focusing its efforts on the Enduro 1 class, Finnish riders Juha Salminen and Samuli Aro claimed the Enduro 2 and Enduro 3 world championships respectively for Austrian manufacturer KTM. But Yamaha’s enduro successes in 2004 weren’t just limited to the WEC. With the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) taking place prior to the final two rounds of the WEC, Merriman, his team-mate Bartosz Oblucki and Yamaha claimed the lion’s share of silverware as they dominated the event. With Merriman switching to the Enduro 2 class and Yamaha’s WR450F, the Australian claimed not only the E2 class victory but finished the grueling event as the best individual performer. With Oblucki topping the Enduro 1 category Yamaha stamped their mark on the Polish event in no uncertain terms, finishing as the dominant manufacturer and making 2004 a year to remember… for all the right reasons.
INSIDER 63
AMA Supercross
Double glory for Yamaha Yamaha put out one of its most formidable supercross line-ups ever in 2004. Chad Reed and Heath Voss didn’t disappoint by painting the AMA and world championships a YZ shade of blue WORDS : PAUL TAYLOR P ICTURE : S TEVE B RUHN CHAD REED FULFILLED a childhood ambition by winning the AMA Supercross Championship in 2004. The 22-year-old Yamaha star was the sensation of the indoor motocross season, winning 10 of the 16 races to become the first Australian and only the third foreign rider to beat the Americans since the series started back in 1974. Reed has been the hottest property since busting onto the US scene in 2002, when he won the 125cc west coast supercross title but ironically, his season almost got off to a disastrous start when he injured his shoulder while playing pool at home! That caused him to miss December’s trip to Europe to defend his Supercross GP World Championship, although he was fit enough to win the opening round of the American AMA series the following month. Once again there were two supercross championships in 2004: the traditional American series taking place at huge stadia throughout the States and the Supercross GP World Championship which was contested simultaneously at most AMA rounds but also included two rounds held in Europe.
64 INSIDER
Only those riders who made the trip across the Atlantic were eligible for the world crown, but most of those who travelled to Seville’s Olympic Stadium probably wished they hadn’t. Torrential rain meant virtually every rider crashed and more than a few bikes gave up the ghost in one of the muddiest races in history. When the supercrossers headed back to the States for January’s opener in Anaheim Yamaha’s official team got off to a perfect start with Reed, David Vuillemin and Tim Ferry filling the podium on their YZ250s. Reed’s greatest strength was his consistency. With the man who was expected to be his closest rival, Honda’s Ricky Carmichael, sidelined through injury it was Kevin Windham who stepped forward as Reed’s main title challenger on another Honda. After a difficult opening race, Windham hit back with a victory in round two. Windham kept the pressure on Reed throughout the season and went into the last race with a mathematical shot at the title after Reed was docked 25 points for a fuel irregularity. But with a second place in the Las Vegas final, Reed main-
tained his 100 percent record of finishing on the podium and, more importantly, joined his hero Jeremy McGrath in the record books as an AMA supercross champion. With 10 wins out of 16 races Reed was undoubtedly a deserved champion. Frenchman Vuillemin finished fourth in the overall standings with a couple of second places to his credit, although Ferry had a season to forget thanks to a nasty wrist injury that effectively ruled him out after round two. In the Supercross GP series it was the Yamaha US-supported YZ450F four-stroke rider Heath Voss who emerged as the champion after a strong run of results in the second half of the season. Voss had ploughed through the mud in Spain, in what must go down as some of the worst conditions ever for a supercross race, but ended the year on a high with four straight wins to overhaul Damon Huffman in the championship race. The 26-year-old Minnesota resident also finished seventh in the AMA series in what was the best season of his career to date.
INSIDER 65
2004 championship standings
Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13
Bike Country Yamaha ITA Honda SPA Honda ITA Honda BRA Honda USA Honda JPN Yamaha SPA Honda USA Ducati ITA Kawasaki JPN Yamaha ITA Yamaha JPN
Pos Rider
Bike
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Yamaha Honda Honda KTM Suzuki Suzuki Yamaha Honda Honda Honda
Stefan Everts Mickael Pichon Joshua Coppins Steve Ramon Kevin Strijbos Tanel Leok CĂŠdric Melotte Brian Jorgensen Ken de Dijcker Yoshi Atsuta
Pos Rider
Bike
1 2 3 4 5 10
Yamaha Suzuki Yamaha Yamaha Suzuki Yamaha
Yamaha GMT94 Suzuki Castrol Team Endurance Moto38 Yamaha Austria Suzuki Jet Team Yamaha Phase One
Pos Rider
Bike
1 2 3 4 5 7 15
Yamaha Honda Yamaha KTM TM Yamaha Yamaha
Stefan Merriman Simone Albergoni Bartosz Oblucki Petteri Silvan Richard Larsson Mario Rinaldi Simone Tonelli
Bike
1 2 3 4 5 7
Yamaha Honda Honda Yamaha Suzuki Yamaha
Chad Reed Kevin Windham Mike Larocco David Vuillemin Nick Wey Heath Voss
Country Points
BEL FRA NZL BEL BEL EST BEL DEN BEL JPN
688 620 564 475 457 356 345 294 259 224
Country Points
FRA FRA FRA AUT FRA GBR
169 110 104 100 56 35
Pos Rider 1 Karl Muggeridge 2 Broc Parkes 3 Jurgen van den Goorbergh 4 Sebastien Charpentier 5 Lorenzo Lanzi 6 Kevin Curtain 7 Fabien Foret 8 Stephane Chambon 9 Max Neukirchner 10 Katsuaki Fujiwara 12 Andrew Pitt 13 Christian Kellner
Bike Country Points Honda AUS 207 Honda AUS 135 Yamaha NED 130 Honda FRA 120 Ducati ITA 82 Yamaha AUS 69 Yamaha FRA 66 Suzuki FRA 64 Honda GER 63 Suzuki JPN 55 Yamaha AUS 36 Yamaha GER 30
Pos Rider
Bike
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 15
KTM KTM Yamaha Kawasaki Yamaha Kawasaki Yamaha Honda Yamaha KTM Yamaha Yamaha
Ben Townley Tyla Rattray Antonio Cairoli Stephen Sword Alessio Chiodi Mickael Maschio Andrew McFarlane Carl Nunn Patrick Caps Aigar Leok Claudio Federici Andrea Bartolini
Pos Rider
Bike
1 2 3 4 5
Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha Suzuki
Lorenzo Alfonsi Gianluca Vizziello Kenan Sofuoglu Didier van Keymeulen Riccardo Chiarello
Country Points
NZL RSA ITA GBR ITA FRA AUS GBR BEL EST ITA ITA
622 506 447 397 385 343 329 298 295 285 281 190
Country Points
ITA ITA TUR BEL ITA
169 160 104 90 89
Country Points
AUS ITA POL FIN ITA ITA ITA
385 306 302 284 223 188 93
Country Points
AUS USA USA FRA USA USA
355 346 310 271 204 194
Supercross GP
Pos Rider
Points 304 257 217 165 157 150 117 117 117 83 75 74
MX2
AMA Supercross
66 INSIDER
Rider Valentino Rossi Sete Gibernau Max Biaggi Alex Barros Colin Edwards Makoto Tamada Carlos Checa Nicky Hayden Loris Capirossi Shinya Nakano Marco Melandri Norick Abe
Pos Rider
Bike
1 2 3 4 5 10
KTM Honda Honda KTM Honda Yamaha
Juha Salminen Paul Edmondson Arnau Vilanova Alessandro Botturi Valtteri Salonen Andrea Beconi
Pos Rider
Bike
1 2 3 4 5
Yamaha Honda Suzuki Yamaha KTM
Heath Voss Damon Huffman Tyler Evans Ryan Clark Grant Langston
Country Points
FIN GBR SPA ITA FIN ITA
372 320 275 241 224 167
Country Points
USA USA USA USA RSA
346 322 276 230 228
There is no such thing as victory juice, it is not that easy.
Join Insiders to know the real reasons of our racing success at