Yamaha YZR-M1
Encyclopedia
The Yamaha YZR-M1 is an 800 cc motorcycle specifically developed by Yamaha Motor Company
to race in the current MotoGP series. It succeeded the 500 cc YZR500
by the 2002 season
and was originally developed with a 990 cc engine. Since then, the YZR-M1 has been continuously developed into several iterations.
was the first season which allowed 990 cc 4-strokes to be raced alongside 500 cc 2-strokes. In a change from their V-4
YZR500
, Yamaha designed the YZR-M1 (for "Mission One") with an inline-4
engine, in order to have a longer swingarm
and shorter wheelbase
. Also, Yamaha wanted to preserve the superior handling of the YZR500, so the M1's engine was designed to fit in a chassis similar to the YZR500's. The M1 was outfitted with an electronic engine management system that controlled the engine braking
endemic to 4-strokes.
The M1 was test-ridden and developed by Max Biaggi
, John Kocinski
, Norihiko Fujiwara and Kyoji Namba throughout 2001. It was raced in the 2002 season by Biaggi and Carlos Checa
on the factory team, and towards the end of the season M1s were also provided to Norifumi Abe
, Olivier Jacque
and Shinya Nakano
. In 2003
, the engine went from carburetion
to fuel injection
, and the Engine Management System was changed to the Idle Control System.
Biaggi achieved 2 wins in 2002, and placed second in the final standings as did Yamaha in the manufacturer's championship. In 2003, M1 riders were Checa, Alex Barros
, Olivier Jacque
, Marco Melandri
, Shinya Nakano
and Norifumi Abe
, and there were no wins and Yamaha came in third in the manufacturer's championship.
signed a two-year contract with Yamaha, reportedly worth in excess of USD$6 million per season, in a move that was described by the press as "biting off more than he could chew". It was widely felt not only by his critics and media pundits, but also by many fans, that even he would not be able to bring the struggling YZR-M1 up to the level of the hereto all conquering Honda RC211V
. A well publicised increase in the pace of development of the Honda machine over the winter season fuelled expectation that a Honda RC211V
in the hands of riders the calibre of Max Biaggi
and Sete Gibernau
would have no problem in retaining the World Title for Honda.
Meanwhile, Rossi wasn't the only defection Honda had to contend with; Jeremy Burgess
(crew chief for Rossi at Honda), along with the majority of his long established crew, were convinced by Rossi to join him at Yamaha. This was a shrewd move, and was cited by Rossi in his autobiography as being instrumental in providing him with the strong basis necessary for launching an attack on the Championship with the YZR-M1.
During 2003/2004 winter testing, Yamaha stepped up to the plate by pulling out all the stops in their collaboration with Rossi and Burgess. Through a systematic regime of innovation and testing, they sought to refine the M1's traditionally strong traits such as good braking and quick handling (which impressed Rossi), and marry them with good balance and transition to power. Working closely with Rossi and Burgess, Yamaha engineers under YZR-M1 project leader Koichi Tsuji experimented with a number of engine modifications in an attempt to fix the power delivery, and finally it was decided to go ahead with a four valve per cylinder head configuration (as opposed to the earlier five valve head), with a specially refined cylinder firing order. This turned the straight four cylinder engine from a traditional "screamer", where the power pulses are spaced equally (every 180 crank degrees) in the four stroke cycle, into a so called "long bang"
engine where the power pulses are grouped unevenly across the cycle (270-180-90-180). This firing order mimics that of a V4 engine while maintaining the desirable engine packaging of a traditional inline four cylinder. These developments significantly improved the torque characteristics of the engine, and coupled with slight changes to the position of the engine in the chassis, made the M1 much easier to control at the limit of adhesion while exiting corners. After a frantic winter of development and testing, the team showed the world that they had made a significant step in the right direction, when Rossi and the M1 won the BMW car at the 2004 pre season IRTA test at Catalunya, by posting the fastest lap of the open session (similar to normal race qualifying).
With the traditional first race of the season at Suzuka
off the list due to safety considerations, the 2004 season started at Welkom
in South Africa
. In a quite remarkable race, Rossi came through to claim the victory, not only silencing his critics, but becoming the first man in history to win two GPs back to back with two different manufacturers. Rossi would go on to claim 8 more GP wins on his way to win the 2004 Championship, with a tally of 304 points. Honda riders Sete Gibernau
and Max Biaggi
took second and third with 257 and 217 points respectively.
The 2004 season would therefore unfold to give Rossi the opportunity he had sought; to prove that it was his talent rather than just the bike that had won him his championships. In so doing, he also achieved one of the great coups in the history of Motorcycle Racing.
The YZR-M1 and Rossi partnership continued to dominate in 2005, when the Championship was won by a massive 147 point margin over Honda rider Marco Melandri
in second place.The 2005 M1 was hailed by insiders to be a great race bike, it illustrated that Yamaha with input from Rossi had created a race bike to beat the others quite easily. Rossi would go on later to say that the 2005 M1 was the greatest bike he has ever ridden.
The 2006 season
proved a little more problematic for Yamaha, with the M1 suffering from chatter from the very first race of the year. It would be a recurring problem for all Yamaha riders in the first third of the season, and was thought to be a function of three major winter season developments; namely a significant hike in engine power, a new stiffer chassis and a new construction of Michelin
tyre with an even stickier compound and revised profile. Because all three developments occurred almost simultaneously, the usual meticulous testing of one development at a time was compromised and it would take much of the early season to understand and overcome the problems.
This setback for Yamaha and the YZR-M1 was largely responsible for Valentino Rossi's mediocre season start in 2006, manifest by poor qualifying performances and a brace of bad luck, he also suffered a wrist injury mid season, which added to his woes. In the final third of a memorable season, the M1's problems were virtually eradicated, and Valentino Rossi turned in a string of performances that would close down a large points gap on Championship leader Nicky Hayden
aboard the Honda RC211V. It was only in the final race of the season that the M1 and Valentino Rossi were beaten by just five points and Yamaha relinquished the Championship back to Honda in the hands of Nicky Hayden
, who only won two races that season. Hayden would later state that Rossi deserved to be champion, but luck and DNF'S cost him the championship. Valentino Rossi would win 5 races in 2006 to Nicky Hayden's 2, a fact that was well played during the off season.
to reduce the ever increasing speeds of the 990 cc bikes (capable of well in excess of 210 mph (340 km/h)); therefore the YZR-M1 would continue in 2007 in 800 cc form. In post-2006 and in 2007 pre-season testing, the new 800 cc equipped YZR-M1 (along with other 800 cc MotoGP bikes) has been paradoxically quicker straight out of the box than the 990 cc version of the M1. This is by virtue of later, harder braking, quicker handling, higher corner speeds, and more controllable traction, and as the 2007 season got under way, the 800 cc YZR-M1 was expected to get quicker as its development continued.
The chatter that plagued the early 2006 YZR-M1 has been eliminated in the switch to 800 cc. While the Main sponsor for the Official Factory Yamaha Team has switched from Camel
with their distinctive yellow and blue livery, to that of The Italian Motor Manufacturer Fiat
. The team will run initially in a blue and white colour scheme and has hinted at the unusual intention of running a variety of colour schemes throughout the season.
on the Ducati.
Valentino Rossi
in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009
Jorge Lorenzo
in 2010
66 races won:
2002 Biaggi 2
2004 Rossi 9
2005 Rossi 11
2006 Rossi 5
2007 Rossi 4
2008 Rossi 9, Lorenzo 1
2009 Rossi 6, Lorenzo 4
2010 Lorenzo 9, Rossi 2
2011 Lorenzo 3, Spies 1
Yamaha Motor Company
, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
to race in the current MotoGP series. It succeeded the 500 cc YZR500
Yamaha YZR500
The YZR500 was the Yamaha Motor Corporation’s entry for 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing between the years of 1973 and 2002.- Successes :...
by the 2002 season
2002 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2002 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 54th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. The season consist of 16 races, which started with the Japanese Grand Prix on 7 April and ended with the Valencian Community Grand Prix on 3 November....
and was originally developed with a 990 cc engine. Since then, the YZR-M1 has been continuously developed into several iterations.
2002–2003
20022002 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2002 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 54th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. The season consist of 16 races, which started with the Japanese Grand Prix on 7 April and ended with the Valencian Community Grand Prix on 3 November....
was the first season which allowed 990 cc 4-strokes to be raced alongside 500 cc 2-strokes. In a change from their V-4
V4 engine
A V4 engine is a V form engine with four cylinders and three main bearings.-Automobile use:Lancia produced several narrow-angle V4 engines from the 1920s through 1960s for cars like the Lambda, Augusta, Artena, Aprilia, Ardea, Appia, and Fulvia....
YZR500
Yamaha YZR500
The YZR500 was the Yamaha Motor Corporation’s entry for 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing between the years of 1973 and 2002.- Successes :...
, Yamaha designed the YZR-M1 (for "Mission One") with an inline-4
Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
engine, in order to have a longer swingarm
Swingarm
A swingarm, or "swinging arm" is the main component of the rear suspension of most modern motorcycles and ATVs...
and shorter wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
. Also, Yamaha wanted to preserve the superior handling of the YZR500, so the M1's engine was designed to fit in a chassis similar to the YZR500's. The M1 was outfitted with an electronic engine management system that controlled the engine braking
Engine braking
Engine braking is where the retarding forces within an engine are used to slow a vehicle down, as opposed to using an external braking mechanism, for example friction brakes or magnetic brakes....
endemic to 4-strokes.
The M1 was test-ridden and developed by Max Biaggi
Max Biaggi
Massimiliano "Max" Biaggi is an Italian motorcycle racer and winner of the 2010 World Superbike Championship. Throughout this racing career, he has won the 250cc World Championship four times, and finished as runner-up in both the 500cc and MotoGP championships...
, John Kocinski
John Kocinski
John Kocinski is a retired Grand Prix motorcycle road racer whose successes include winning the 1990 250cc World Championship, and the 1997 Superbike World Championship title.-Early years:...
, Norihiko Fujiwara and Kyoji Namba throughout 2001. It was raced in the 2002 season by Biaggi and Carlos Checa
Carlos Checa
Carlos "Charlie" Checa is a professional motorcycle road racer and winner of the 2011 Superbike World Championship. After racing in 500cc and MotoGP for over a decade, mostly on Honda and Yamaha machinery with and without full manufacturer support, he moved to the Superbike World Championship on a...
on the factory team, and towards the end of the season M1s were also provided to Norifumi Abe
Norifumi Abe
Norifumi "Norick" Abe 阿部典史 , or ノリック・アベ , was a Japanese motorcycle road racer who was previously a 500 cc/MotoGP rider.-Biography:...
, Olivier Jacque
Olivier Jacque
Olivier Jacque is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.He was second in the 250cc European Championship in 1994, before moving on to the 250cc World Championship. He achieved a top ten finish in the points standings every year he competed...
and Shinya Nakano
Shinya Nakano
is a retired Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Superbike rider. He is not related to the former Formula One racer Shinji Nakano.-Early years:...
. In 2003
2003 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2003 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 55th F.I.M. Road racing World Championship season.-Season summary:Defending champion Valentino Rossi won his 3rd MotoGP championship in 2003, winning 9 races, highlighted by his win at Phillip Island where he was given a 10 second penalty for...
, the engine went from carburetion
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
to fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
, and the Engine Management System was changed to the Idle Control System.
Biaggi achieved 2 wins in 2002, and placed second in the final standings as did Yamaha in the manufacturer's championship. In 2003, M1 riders were Checa, Alex Barros
Alex Barros
Alex Barros is a Brazilian motorcycle road racer. After a long career in MotoGP, for 2006 he moved to the Superbike World Championship...
, Olivier Jacque
Olivier Jacque
Olivier Jacque is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.He was second in the 250cc European Championship in 1994, before moving on to the 250cc World Championship. He achieved a top ten finish in the points standings every year he competed...
, Marco Melandri
Marco Melandri
Marco Melandri is a motorcycle road racer currently racing for the Yamaha World Superbike Team. Melandri is also a former 250cc World Champion in 2002...
, Shinya Nakano
Shinya Nakano
is a retired Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Superbike rider. He is not related to the former Formula One racer Shinji Nakano.-Early years:...
and Norifumi Abe
Norifumi Abe
Norifumi "Norick" Abe 阿部典史 , or ノリック・アベ , was a Japanese motorcycle road racer who was previously a 500 cc/MotoGP rider.-Biography:...
, and there were no wins and Yamaha came in third in the manufacturer's championship.
2004/2005
Valentino RossiValentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi, , is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – seven of which are in the premier class.Following his father, Graziano Rossi,...
signed a two-year contract with Yamaha, reportedly worth in excess of USD$6 million per season, in a move that was described by the press as "biting off more than he could chew". It was widely felt not only by his critics and media pundits, but also by many fans, that even he would not be able to bring the struggling YZR-M1 up to the level of the hereto all conquering Honda RC211V
Honda RC211V
The Honda RC211V was developed in 2001 by HRC to replace the Honda NSR500 because regulations for the World Championship motorcycle road racing class were changed drastically for the 2002 season. Two-stroke engines were as before limited to and 4 cylinders, but four-stroke engines were allowed...
. A well publicised increase in the pace of development of the Honda machine over the winter season fuelled expectation that a Honda RC211V
Honda RC211V
The Honda RC211V was developed in 2001 by HRC to replace the Honda NSR500 because regulations for the World Championship motorcycle road racing class were changed drastically for the 2002 season. Two-stroke engines were as before limited to and 4 cylinders, but four-stroke engines were allowed...
in the hands of riders the calibre of Max Biaggi
Max Biaggi
Massimiliano "Max" Biaggi is an Italian motorcycle racer and winner of the 2010 World Superbike Championship. Throughout this racing career, he has won the 250cc World Championship four times, and finished as runner-up in both the 500cc and MotoGP championships...
and Sete Gibernau
Sete Gibernau
Manuel Sete Gibernau Bultó is a former Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. His racing career spanned two different eras of motorcycle racing, beginning with the two-stroke-dominated period prior to the 2002 season, and the four-stroke MotoGP era...
would have no problem in retaining the World Title for Honda.
Meanwhile, Rossi wasn't the only defection Honda had to contend with; Jeremy Burgess
Jeremy Burgess
Jeremy Burgess , is an Australian motorcycle racing chief engineer, having worked with three world champions: Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan and Valentino Rossi. He was also a mechanic on Freddie Spencer's team when Spencer won the 500cc World title in 1985...
(crew chief for Rossi at Honda), along with the majority of his long established crew, were convinced by Rossi to join him at Yamaha. This was a shrewd move, and was cited by Rossi in his autobiography as being instrumental in providing him with the strong basis necessary for launching an attack on the Championship with the YZR-M1.
During 2003/2004 winter testing, Yamaha stepped up to the plate by pulling out all the stops in their collaboration with Rossi and Burgess. Through a systematic regime of innovation and testing, they sought to refine the M1's traditionally strong traits such as good braking and quick handling (which impressed Rossi), and marry them with good balance and transition to power. Working closely with Rossi and Burgess, Yamaha engineers under YZR-M1 project leader Koichi Tsuji experimented with a number of engine modifications in an attempt to fix the power delivery, and finally it was decided to go ahead with a four valve per cylinder head configuration (as opposed to the earlier five valve head), with a specially refined cylinder firing order. This turned the straight four cylinder engine from a traditional "screamer", where the power pulses are spaced equally (every 180 crank degrees) in the four stroke cycle, into a so called "long bang"
Big-bang firing order
A big bang engine is an unconventional motorcycle engine designed so that most of the power strokes occur simultaneously or in close succession. This is achieved by changing the ignition timing; sometimes in combination with a change in crankpin angle. The goal is to change the power delivery...
engine where the power pulses are grouped unevenly across the cycle (270-180-90-180). This firing order mimics that of a V4 engine while maintaining the desirable engine packaging of a traditional inline four cylinder. These developments significantly improved the torque characteristics of the engine, and coupled with slight changes to the position of the engine in the chassis, made the M1 much easier to control at the limit of adhesion while exiting corners. After a frantic winter of development and testing, the team showed the world that they had made a significant step in the right direction, when Rossi and the M1 won the BMW car at the 2004 pre season IRTA test at Catalunya, by posting the fastest lap of the open session (similar to normal race qualifying).
With the traditional first race of the season at Suzuka
Suzuka Circuit
, Suzuka Circuit for short, is a motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Mobilityland Corporation, the subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd..-Introduction:...
off the list due to safety considerations, the 2004 season started at Welkom
Welkom
Welkom is a city in the Free State province of South Africa, located 160 kilometres northeast of Bloemfontein, the provincial capital. Welkom received municipal status in 1961 and was declared a city in 1968 on the 14th of February...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. In a quite remarkable race, Rossi came through to claim the victory, not only silencing his critics, but becoming the first man in history to win two GPs back to back with two different manufacturers. Rossi would go on to claim 8 more GP wins on his way to win the 2004 Championship, with a tally of 304 points. Honda riders Sete Gibernau
Sete Gibernau
Manuel Sete Gibernau Bultó is a former Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. His racing career spanned two different eras of motorcycle racing, beginning with the two-stroke-dominated period prior to the 2002 season, and the four-stroke MotoGP era...
and Max Biaggi
Max Biaggi
Massimiliano "Max" Biaggi is an Italian motorcycle racer and winner of the 2010 World Superbike Championship. Throughout this racing career, he has won the 250cc World Championship four times, and finished as runner-up in both the 500cc and MotoGP championships...
took second and third with 257 and 217 points respectively.
The 2004 season would therefore unfold to give Rossi the opportunity he had sought; to prove that it was his talent rather than just the bike that had won him his championships. In so doing, he also achieved one of the great coups in the history of Motorcycle Racing.
The YZR-M1 and Rossi partnership continued to dominate in 2005, when the Championship was won by a massive 147 point margin over Honda rider Marco Melandri
Marco Melandri
Marco Melandri is a motorcycle road racer currently racing for the Yamaha World Superbike Team. Melandri is also a former 250cc World Champion in 2002...
in second place.The 2005 M1 was hailed by insiders to be a great race bike, it illustrated that Yamaha with input from Rossi had created a race bike to beat the others quite easily. Rossi would go on later to say that the 2005 M1 was the greatest bike he has ever ridden.
2006
2006 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2006 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 58th F.I.M. Road racing World Championship season.-Season summary:The 2006 MotoGP season was one of the closest battles and most thrilling in recent memory in which Honda's Nicky Hayden didn't claim the championship from Valentino Rossi until the...
proved a little more problematic for Yamaha, with the M1 suffering from chatter from the very first race of the year. It would be a recurring problem for all Yamaha riders in the first third of the season, and was thought to be a function of three major winter season developments; namely a significant hike in engine power, a new stiffer chassis and a new construction of Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
tyre with an even stickier compound and revised profile. Because all three developments occurred almost simultaneously, the usual meticulous testing of one development at a time was compromised and it would take much of the early season to understand and overcome the problems.
This setback for Yamaha and the YZR-M1 was largely responsible for Valentino Rossi's mediocre season start in 2006, manifest by poor qualifying performances and a brace of bad luck, he also suffered a wrist injury mid season, which added to his woes. In the final third of a memorable season, the M1's problems were virtually eradicated, and Valentino Rossi turned in a string of performances that would close down a large points gap on Championship leader Nicky Hayden
Nicky Hayden
Nicholas "Nicky" Patrick Hayden , nicknamed the The Kentucky Kid, is an American professional motorcycle racer, who won the MotoGP World Championship in 2006.-Beginnings and AMA Championship:...
aboard the Honda RC211V. It was only in the final race of the season that the M1 and Valentino Rossi were beaten by just five points and Yamaha relinquished the Championship back to Honda in the hands of Nicky Hayden
Nicky Hayden
Nicholas "Nicky" Patrick Hayden , nicknamed the The Kentucky Kid, is an American professional motorcycle racer, who won the MotoGP World Championship in 2006.-Beginnings and AMA Championship:...
, who only won two races that season. Hayden would later state that Rossi deserved to be champion, but luck and DNF'S cost him the championship. Valentino Rossi would win 5 races in 2006 to Nicky Hayden's 2, a fact that was well played during the off season.
2007
Regulations again changed for the 2007 season with the capacity of MotoGP machines reduced to 800 cc in an effort by the FIMFédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme is the governing body of motorcycle racing. It represents 103 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regional continental unions....
to reduce the ever increasing speeds of the 990 cc bikes (capable of well in excess of 210 mph (340 km/h)); therefore the YZR-M1 would continue in 2007 in 800 cc form. In post-2006 and in 2007 pre-season testing, the new 800 cc equipped YZR-M1 (along with other 800 cc MotoGP bikes) has been paradoxically quicker straight out of the box than the 990 cc version of the M1. This is by virtue of later, harder braking, quicker handling, higher corner speeds, and more controllable traction, and as the 2007 season got under way, the 800 cc YZR-M1 was expected to get quicker as its development continued.
The chatter that plagued the early 2006 YZR-M1 has been eliminated in the switch to 800 cc. While the Main sponsor for the Official Factory Yamaha Team has switched from Camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
with their distinctive yellow and blue livery, to that of The Italian Motor Manufacturer Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
. The team will run initially in a blue and white colour scheme and has hinted at the unusual intention of running a variety of colour schemes throughout the season.
2008
The 2008 YZR-M1 was regarded as the best all round bike in MotoGP. Rossi won the 2008 Championship by a record margin and dominated podium finishes all season. Team mate Jorge Lorenzo managed a first ever Rookie win on the M1 at the Portuguese GP and had 6 podium finishes. Many along with Rossi have said that the YZR-M1 was the best bike of 2008 season, something that was well proven during the heated battles Rossi had with Casey StonerCasey Stoner
Casey Stoner is an Australian professional motorcycle racer. Born in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia and raised in Southport, Queensland, Stoner raced from a young age and moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a racing career...
on the Ducati.
Successes
5 World Championships won:Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi, , is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – seven of which are in the premier class.Following his father, Graziano Rossi,...
in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009
Jorge Lorenzo
Jorge Lorenzo
Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero , is a Spanish professional motorcycle road racer. He is the 2006 and 2007 250cc World Champion, and the MotoGP World Champion...
in 2010
66 races won:
2002 Biaggi 2
2004 Rossi 9
2005 Rossi 11
2006 Rossi 5
2007 Rossi 4
2008 Rossi 9, Lorenzo 1
2009 Rossi 6, Lorenzo 4
2010 Lorenzo 9, Rossi 2
2011 Lorenzo 3, Spies 1
Specifications
| Yamaha YZR-M1 (2010) Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Engine type: | Liquid-cooled, in-line, 4-cylinder, 4-stroke with 16-valve DOHC |
| Displacement: | 800 cc |
| Ignition: | Magneti Marelli with adjustable mapping - NGK spark plugs |
| Fuel System: | Fuel injection |
| Lubrication system: | Wet sump - Motul Oils |
| Data recording: | 2D |
| Maximum power: | Around 147 kW |
| Maximum speed: | In excess of 380 kilometres per hour (236.1 mph) |
| Transmission | |
| Type: | 6-speed cassette-type gearbox, with alternative gear ratios available |
| Primary drive: | Gear |
| Clutch: | Dry multi-plate slipper clutch |
| Final drive: | Chain |
| Chassis and running gear | |
| Frame type: | Twin-tube aluminium delta box frame, multi-adjustable steering geometry, wheelbase, ride height, with aluminium swingarm |
| Front suspension: | Fully adjustable Öhlins inverted telescopic forks |
| Rear suspension: | Braced aluminium swingarm with single Öhlins shock and rising-rate linkage |
| Front/rear wheels: | 16.5 inch front, 16.5 inch rear, available in a variety of rim widths |
| Front/rear tyres: | Bridgestone slicks, intermediates, wets or hand-cut tyres. 16.5 inch front, 16.5 inch rear |
| Front brake: | Twin 320 mm carbon discs with radial mounted four-piston Brembo calipers |
| Rear Brake: | Single 220 mm ventilated stainless steel disc with twin-piston Brembo caliper |
| Weight: | 148 kilograms (326.3 lb), in accordance with FIM regulations |
| Fuel capacity: | 21 litres, in accordance with FIM regulations |