2000 Yamaha V Star on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Ben Spies talks MotoGP

TECH 3 Yamaha man Ben Spies gives a fairly in-depth interview about Mugello MotoGP, his championship hopes and his riding style with On The Throttle TV. The multiple AMA superbike champ, who's racing for the first time on many of the MotoGP tracks, reveals he spends most of Friday practice learning the circuit, while others are focusing on set-up and fast lap times. Spies fan or not, it's well worth a watch.

Yamaha Focusing on Developing Model Platforms

Following the success of its MT platform, Yamaha says it will continue to develop new models based on shared platforms, allowing for a choice of multiple models while reducing overall costs. Speaking in a presentation on the company’s business operation, Yamaha Motor President Hiroyuki Yanagi reiterated the strategy of developing multiple models sharing the same engine and frame. Honda has followed a similar strategy with its NC models, seeing the platform evolve to include the CTX700 and NM4.

Are Motorcycles Safer With Antilock Brakes?

A new report says riders with ABS-equipped bikes can dramatically reduce the chance of a fatal accident. The study compared fatality rates among riders on bikes that have antilock brakes, and it found that death rates were 38% lower on motorcycles equipped with the optional ABS systems compared to non-ABS bikes. In 2005-2006, the fatal crashes per 10,000 registered motorcycles without antilock brakes was 6.6.