EXUP Worldwide

The following is from Yamaha...

2009 Yamaha WSB riders Ben Spies and Tom Sykes enjoyed a successful two day test at Portimao with their new team. The riders used the time to start on the development of the all-new 2009 Yamaha YZF-R1 race bike.

Day two saw the riders lapping on the all-new for 2009 Yamaha WSB R1. The new 998cc bike, featuring a high tech powerplant closely linked to the M1 MOTOGP bike, is currently at the very beginning of its development for the 2009 WSB season and is still relatively close to production specifications. However with the 2009 production R1 crossplane crankshaft engine and a unique uneven firing order giving linear torque and greater traction rider Ben Spies was able to come within two tenths of the race lap record set by Troy Bayliss during the inaugural race weekend two days previously.
Troy Bayliss = 1'43.787
Ben Spies = 1’43.9

test bikes look so damn bad-ass...

Nice to see Yamaha going for some young guys,
as an Aussie i am a huge troy corser fan, but lets face it, i don't think he was ever going to win another WSBK title

It is important to get the young talent signed up, and once in the fold, put them where you need them

perhaps a Yamaha moto gp squad in the future: Lorenzo, Tosland, Spies and Sykes, all young hungry riders for the post Rossi era

stan

Those shark gills on the tank look menacing--I like it.

Yeah great to see some young talent coming up, though I am a bit disappointed to see Haga go to Ducati. It's a good move for Haga, but I would of loved to see him win a championship on a Yamaha--he was due.

Any word yet on who Yoshimura/Rockstar is picking up to replace Spies in AMA Superbike?

Kontoboy

Kontoboy wrote:Any word yet on who Yoshimura/Rockstar is picking up to replace Spies in AMA Superbike?

Yamaha announced their AMA Superbike team (Ben Bostrom and Josh Hayes). I have not seen any announcements yet on the other AMA Superbike teams.