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INSIDER
The official Yamaha racing magazine Winter 2008/2009
Issue eight
Born from MotoGP The GP derived 2009 YZF-R1
Number One Rossi takes another world title
Nac-Nac Cairoli’s signature move
The Young Guns Yamaha’s new signings get ready for business
Philippaerts A champion at home
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Pure combustion
torque
Inertial torque
eliminated
www.yamaha-motor-europe.com
Born from
MotoGP
The new YZF-R1 uses a revolutionary crossplane crankshaft with
MotoGP-style (uneven) fi ring order. This, combined with a slipper
clutch and a D-mode Map that works in association with the
YCC-T using a 32-bit ECU, creates a 1:1 relationship between the
throttle input and the engine’s output to the rear tyre. Add to this
the YCC-I (Yamaha Chip Controlled-Intake), redesigned lightweight
die-cast aluminium Deltabox frame with truss-type swingarm
for ideal rigidity balance and a 190/55R rear tyre and you have a
new level of cornering performance, together with outstanding
traction. A newly styled aerodynamic outer skin and twin projector
headlights complement the feel of this new supersport bike.
Visit your local Yamaha dealer now for details.
INSIDER
Publisher
Yamaha Motor Europe NV - Racing Division
Production
Yamaha Racing Communications
Editors
- Dennis Sol, Gavin Matheson,
Adam Wheeler
Yamaha Motor Europe NV - Leon Oosterhof
Design
Alphonso de Wilde
Contributors
Milagro, Alexphoto, Photozac
Yamaha Racing Communications,
Hoogte Kadijk 61hs, 1018 BE Amsterdam,
The Netherlands.
Telephone: +31 20 62 56 539.
E-mail: office@yrc.nl
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
can not accept any liability for errors or
omissions.
© 2008 Yamaha Motor Europe NV
Win
a Yamaha
2008
Insider photo
spread!
For more details
browse to page 37
Welcome to the eighth edition of Insider
Dear Insider,
As you can see we’ve chosen a slightly different route for our winter 2008/2009 edition of the
Insider magazine. To be able to bring our season review to a wider audience we have gone digital!
Being online hopefully means that not only is your copy of Insider accessible wherever you are,
but it’s also easier for you to share with those who may enjoy some spectacular imagery of the
racing year as well. We’re really keen to know what you think about this new format, and
would be delighted if you could take a moment to register your opinion on the web-poll on
Yamaha-racing.com.
What a year it’s been! Yamaha has experienced great success in 2008, we’re incredibly proud to have
won a staggering three rider world titles, both road and off-road premier classes and numerous
European crowns, proving beyond a doubt we’re the best in both worlds. From the supremely
talented force that is Valentino Rossi in MotoGP to our youngest hero of the future, Loris Baz in the
Superstock 600 Championship, we’ve been taking the fight to the competition and come out on top.
Our new recruit in the premier MX1-GP motocross category David Philippaerts triumphed in a tight
and exciting MX1-GP season to continue our excellent tally in the dirt and German women’s racing
sensation Nina Prinz proved to be not only the quickest female rider in Europe on her R1, but also
showed-up more than a few boys in the process!
2009 should be another exciting year for us with young new riders across the board in the Yamaha
family ready to take up the challenge. In World Superbike we are joined by American hotshot and
3-times AMA Superbike champion Ben Spies, and partnering him will be British Superbike (BSB)
sensation Tom Sykes. The team will be running the all-new-for-2009 YZF-R1, a ground breaking
machine whose development has benefited enormously from Yamaha’s experience in MotoGP and
World Superbike. As I’m writing this the World Superbike team are in South Africa on their second
test with the machine, where they are proving to be quick enough to run at the front of the pack
already. Also stepping up from BSB we have Cal Crutchlow joining the Yamaha World Supersport
team, and for AMA Supercross we welcome one of the fastest dirt racers in the world in the shape
of superstar James Stewart who claimed every single chequered flag of the ’08 AMA motocross
season.
For now I wish you all the best for the winter and hope you enjoy this new, visual feast that is our
season review. I’m sure like me you’re looking forward to the racing getting under way again soon
and we look forward to seeing you trackside in a few months’ time.
Laurens Klein Koerkamp
Division Manager, Racing Division - Yamaha Motor Europe NV
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YFZ450R
Designed to compete.
Built for the track.
Ridden by winners...
The No1 racing ATV just got even better
How do you improve on a winning racer like the Yamaha YFZ450? Fuse an advanced
lower profile hybrid aluminum chassis with a blazingly fast fuel-injected engine, refined
steering geometry with state of the art wide-stance competition suspension and the
result is the YFZ450R. Anyone can race. A few will win. But only one can dominate.
www.yamaha-motor-europe.com
INSIDE...
Still got it
The Yamaha Classic
Racing Team prove
yesterday’s legends are
still alive and kicking
24
28
14
26
Young Guns
The low-down on the
new talent signed up
by Yamaha for next
year’s racing action
6
18
A Prinz Amongst Men
Meet Nina Prinz,
Yamaha’s top female
rider and the fastest
woman on two wheels
in Europe
Still at the top
Share in the glory as
Rossi gets back on top
with his sixth MotoGP
title
M1 to R1
From Rossi to you
Cairoli’s Nac-Nac
The MX-2 hotshot
defies gravity to show
us how to pull off his
signature trick
34
A Champion at home
Find out exactly what
a world champion does
when he gets home
and kicks back
38
Standings
A statistical round-up of
the 2008 season across
all classes
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Not only was
the YZR-M1 the
dominant motorcycle
of the 2008
MotoGP championship
but Valentino Rossi was
once again top of the crop for the
eighth time in his career. 16 podiums
and 9 victories signified a remarkable
return to form for the Fiat Yamaha Team
in what was a recordbreaking
year for Rossi;
surpassing the great
Giacomo Agostini’s win
total and overtaking
Angel Nieto’s mammoth
haul of Grand Prix rostrum
finishes. At Valencia
for the final round of
eighteen, his third position
equalled his own
podium record in one
season and also made
him the highest point
scorer ever.
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Date with Destiny...
A phenomenal first season for David Philippaerts as the Yamaha Monster Motocross
Team saw the young Italian steer the YZ450FM to the team’s eighth title in
ten years and their fourth MX1-GP crown from the past five seasons. His moment
of truth came in an emotion-drenched home Grand Prix in front of family,
friends and many fans for the final round of the year. 2008 was only
Philippaerts’ second campaign in the Motocross World Championship’s
premier category and he led the series for 11 of the 15 rounds, taking
2 wins and 7 podiums.
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Enduring success...
Aubert’s title victory in
The 2008 World Enduro
Championship saw an epic
struggle between the UFO
Corse rider and multichampion
Juha Salminen.
Aubert – 2007 runner-up –
managed to beat the Finn
across a wide diversity of
terrain and a seven month
series. He picked up 5 wins
from 16 days with his
Yamaha WR450F and
enjoyed his first crown by
recording a perfect 100%
record of podiums.
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Stars of Europe...
You could be forgiven for thinking it was a one-manufacturer
race for most of the European Championship this year.
The ‘track dominating’ YZF-R6 and YZF-R1 machines were
clear winners in the European Superstock 600 Championship,
the European Superstock 1000 Championship and
the European Women’s Road Racing Championship.
Angel Rodriguez romped to victory in the European
Supersport 600 class, showing a clean pair of heels to his
fellow racers. This was echoed in the European Superstock
1000cc class where Carmelo Morales proved the YZF-R1 still
has what it takes to win, not only that he was one of no less
than six Yamahas to make the top ten in the final standings.
Riding the same YZF-R1, German rider Nina Prinz was so far
ahead of the competition in the Women’s Championship it
seemed like she was running her own race at times.
Yamaha’s nurturing of the talent of tomorrow shone
through when 16-year old French superstar in the making
Loris Baz clinched the title of the European Superstock 600
Championship on his R6 machine. The success also marks
a validation of Yamaha’s YEC Racing Parts, easily accessible
performance upgrades which give your machine the edge to
get to the front of the pack. YEC Racing Parts are for
closed-circuit use only. If you want to see what you can add
to your Yamaha, simply go to www.yamaha-racingparts.com.
12 INSIDER
Carmelo Morales
Angel Rodriguez
Angel Rodriguez
Loris Baz
Nina Prinz
Loris Baz
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Still got it
The Yamaha Classic Racing Team (YCRT),
born out of passion for racing heritage,
is aimed at conserving Yamaha’s history
from their early golden years of road
racing. Ferry Brouwer, former Yamaha
factory mechanic from 1968 to 1973
for riders such as Jarno Saarinen and
Phil Read, runs the Yamaha supported
team. The machines are the real stars,
some of them painstakingly restored
production machines, all in mint
condition and completely original.
Examples include the unique YZ634
350cc 2 cylinder 2 stroke bike and the
500cc YZR500 OW45 GP ridden so
successfully by Kenny Roberts in 1979.
The displayed bike on the right, the
OW23, is considered by some to be the
grandfather of the YZR-M1 and was
the most advanced bike of its time.
It was ridden into the history books by
legendary Yamaha rider Giacomo
Agostini, a champion who’s incredible
record of victories and race success was
only recently eclipsed by current
MotoGP star Valentino Rossi. Yamaha
Classic Racing Team riders form an
incredible roll call of those glorious
racing days, including Dieter Braun,
Svend Andersson, Michelle Duff,
Giacomo Agostini and Chas Mortimer.
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PaIRING uP
A gripping 2008 season for both Troy Corser and Noriyuki Haga as the Yamaha riders
battled it out for the top spots in the standings. Finishing the season a respectable 2nd and
3rd respectively in the championship, they were the highest ranked four cylinder bikes.
Corser impressed as always with an incredible 13 podium finishes over the year, whilst
‘Nitro’ Nori was an ever-present threat to eventual World Champion Troy Bayliss, taking
11 podiums of which seven were race victories, including two double wins.
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M1 TO R1
FROM ROSSI TO YOU
Yamaha’s YZR-M1 was the inspiration
for the 2009 YZF-R1. Here’s how the
technology that has powered Valentino
Rossi and his M1 to three MotoGP World
Championships has revolutionised the
performance of the latest YZF-R1.
YCC-T
(Yamaha Chip
Controlled Throttle)
YCC-T’s 32-bit ECU
adjusts throttle
valve opening every
1/100th of a second
to deliver astonishing
controllability, even
when the rider may
open the throttle too
suddenly. YCC-T’s
ultra-rapid processing
power gives the R1 an
optimum torque curve,
with ignition timing
mapped separately
for each cylinder for
perfect combustion.
D-Mode Map
R1’s D-Mode Map transforms the riding experience
by offering you three different performance maps,
easily chosen via a handlebar switch: Standard mode
delivers optimum all-round performance, A mode
features sharper engine response and B mode offers
a softer throttle response.
Twin injector fuel injection
On road and racetrack, achieving excellent performance
requires having excellent performance available at all
times. That’s why the YZR-M1 and the 2009 YZF-R1 feature
secondary injectors to improve medium- to high-rpm engine
response for stunning acceleration.
Crossplane crankshaft
Yamaha’s crossplane crankshaft MotoGP engine dramatically improves feel,
so riders can intimately feel what’s going on at the rear tyre which allows
faster, safer corner exits. The R1 uses the same uneven firing order technology
for better, confidence-inspiring performance on road and racetrack.
The YZR-M1 is Yamaha’s 340km/h development laboratory
for its supersport programme. The big idea behind the M1 is
that much of the technology that Valentino Rossi and his fellow
Yamaha MotoGP riders develop on track can ultimately be used
by Yamaha’s supersport project to create better motorcycles for
you, the street rider. It’s a vital combination of Yamaha’s Art of
Engineering and Art of Racing philosophies.
The latest embodiment of these philosophies are the
crossplane crankshaft and D-Mode Map that revolutionise the
performance of the 2009 YZF-R1.
Rossi has used a crossplane crankshaft engine to win three
of the past five MotoGP World Championships and score no less
Slipper clutch
The M1’s slipper clutch allows riders to enter corners aggressively – untroubled by
instability caused by excessive back torque – because to get through corners fast
you need to enter fast! The R1’s slipper clutch does the same job, helping to keep
the machine nice and stable during aggressive downshifting.
YCC-I (Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake)
Not all R1 technology comes from the M1. Sometimes you,
the street rider, get technology that even Rossi doesn’t have!
The R1’s electronically controlled, variable-length intake
funnels allow the engine to operate at its best at all rpm, a
servomotor seamlessly adjusting the intakes for maximum
performance at both low- to mid-rpm and high-rpm.
than 37 MotoGP race wins. It is genuine Yamaha-developed
technology that transforms supersport performance in the most
rider-friendly way.
The D-Mode variable mapping is another MotoGP-derived
technology you will feel and appreciate every time you ride.
D-Mode Map allows you to tailor performance to road conditions,
weather conditions, even your mood! Once again, it’s Yamahadeveloped
technology that takes supersport performance
another giant leap forward.
These are just two of the stunning new features on the 2009
YZF-R1, a machine which uses more MotoGP-derived technology
than any previous R1.
Aluminium Deltabox frame
Yamaha pioneered the Deltabox
frame in premier-class GP
racing and the latest YZR-M1
is acknowledged as the besthandling
MotoGP bike. The 2009
YZF-R1 Deltabox frame features
a combination of extruded,
die-cast and gravity-cast
sections to create an ideal
rigidity balance for a handling
character that allows the rider
to make the most of the extra
grip afforded by the crossplane
crankshaft engine.
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20 INSIDER
“ It’s like having two engines in one.
The torque is so smooth when you roll
on the throttle. You’ve got power,
constant power so it’s not going to spit
you. That gives you confidence which
helps you get out of the corner that
much faster. It’s a killer on the track and
it’s a better streetbike at the same time.”
- Colin Edwards -
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22 INSIDER
Yamaha is at the cutting edge of MotoGP technology. The factory’s YZR-M1 is
now acknowledged to be the best bike on the MotoGP grid, which is why it not
only won the 2008 riders’ title for Valentino Rossi but also the constructors’
crown for Yamaha and the team’s prize for Fiat Yamaha.
M1 DEvElOPMENT:
MOTOGP AT ThE CUTTING EDGE
The inline-four M1 is the best bike because it works so
well for the rider. When there’s more than 200 horsepower
available, the machine needs to be as rider-friendly as possible
to allow the rider to fully exploit the engine performance.
That is Yamaha’s man-machine interaction philosophy in a
nutshell.
Last season Yamaha made huge strides forward with
performance, increasing horsepower by 12 per cent and
torque by eight per cent, thanks largely to improved
combustion and reduced friction (with the new pneumaticvalve-spring
engine). Yamaha also developed improved
aerodynamics to reduce water and oil temperatures by up
to 15 degrees for better reliability. And the factory’s MotoGP
engineers transformed the electronic management systems
with state-of-the-art vehicle dynamics software that helped
the bike win ten of 18 races.
“The biggest improvement was engine power, we improved
a lot our top speed and also our acceleration,” says Rossi.
“The second step was the electronics, we improve a lot all
the systems for engine-braking control and traction control,
so you can feel the rear tyre very well. The chassis was also
better, so now you feel very connected to the front tyre, you
understand what the front tyre is doing.”
Electronics are currently the most fascinating area of
MotoGP technology. And Yamaha is leading the way in this
vital field with a new engine-management system which
uses two gyroscopes to measure the bike’s lean angle and
radical Yamaha vehicle dynamics software which calculates
tyre contact patch and delivers exactly the right amount of
torque at any lean angle.
The latest M1 engine-management system can make
even the best rider in the world a better rider, by delivering
computing power that can outperform the human brain. The
M1’s traction control works so well now that it is always
one step ahead of the rider, as Rossi’s crew chief Jeremy
Burgess explains: “If the rear tyre spins up it may take the
rider 0.3 second to react, whereas the electronics react in
microseconds, so they are much, much safer.”
Tech 3 Yamaha’s Colin Edwards is also hugely impressed
by the factory’s latest electronics that have allowed Yamaha
riders to change the way they attack corners and thus
improve lap times.
“We used to have to run a huge arcing line and stay on
that arc, now you can go in kinda hot, hammer it, pick it up
and go,” says Edwards. “If you’d told me three years ago that
I could go into a corner, then spin it at full lean and pivot
the bike, I’d never have believed you. Sure, you’d do that
occasionally, by accident, but nowadays it’s every corner, the
level of the electronics has gotten so high.”
Rossi agrees: “With the new electronics, the bike is so
easy to ride.” And, like we said, that’s what it takes to win
in MotoGP.
Masao Furusawa:
“ We never
stop development
in MotoGP”
“At Yamaha we have always recognised that
MotoGP is not only about racing – it is also an
advanced research and development arena for
future Yamaha supersport bikes, that’s why it is so
important to us. When we achieve good results, we
know that our work will benefit the bikes we sell to
customers, that’s one reason we were so happy to
win the 2008 MotoGP World Championship.
Our MotoGP and supersport staff groups
work very closely together. The supersport group
ride the YZR-M1 to experience and analyse its
performance. They also have frequent discussions
with the MotoGP group about how they can use
MotoGP know-how to improve the R1. Also, some
staff from the MotoGP group have been moved
to the supersport group to help this transfer of
technology. Rossi wasn’t specifically involved in
development of the R1, but the good work he does
on the M1 helps supersport development.
Many supersport bikes only look the same as
MotoGP bikes, but the latest YZF-R1 is closely
related to the M1 because it uses the same
crossplane crankshaft configuration which gives
it a very specific engine character. It was a simple
thing to decide that the R1 supersport bike would
benefit from the M1’s crossplane crankshaft
concept.
Of course, we realise that not all MotoGP
technology can be transferred to supersport bikes
like the R1 and R6; for example pneumatic-valve
systems and carbon brakes are technologies which
I believe will remain racetrack technologies.
We never stop development in MotoGP, we
always want to make the M1 a better bike, with
more features. And we hope that what we learn
in MotoGP will help us to keep improving our
supersport machines.”
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aPrinz
aMONGST
24 INSIDER
2008 was the year in
which German Nina Prinz
proved beyond doubt she
was the quickest woman in
Europe. Winning the 2008
European Women’s Road
Racing Championship with
ease, the German
Superbike (IDM) round in
Hockenheim proved to be
the highlight for her, not
content with beating all
her fellow female
competitors, Nina qualified
fastest of all classes,
including the men, and
went on to finish 5th
overall… a terrific
achievement indeed.
In her own words:
“ Hockenheim was the best moment for me, seeing
my name at the top on pole position. I think for a
lot of women it is really important to have a female
racer as an example to encourage them to try riding
for themselves. I suppose for me it’s like a game,
and I want to win it! I love my sport and I love
riding bikes, nothing can beat this. I love the feel
of competition, it’s always good to be beating
someone else. I hope that many women will follow
me in joining this great sport!”
INSIDER 25

2005 and 2007 MX2-GP World Champion Tony
Cairoli was unlucky to be robbed of a chance at
a third world title onboard his Yamaha Red Bull
De Carli YZ250F when he suffered a knee injury
at the Grand Prix of South Africa this year. The
flamboyant Sicilian is one of the most popular
riders in the FIM Motocross World Championship
and here explains his signature move…
The Nac-Nac is hardly a new way of playing to
the crowd but the process of dragging his leg off
one side of the bike is a mark of showmanship
special to Cairoli.
26 INSIDER
“I have been doing this trick a long time, in 1999
was when I started to pull it off with an 85cc
machine,” he reveals. “I took the Nac Nac because
I was a big fan of Jeremy McGrath and I was
always looking for any videos or pictures of him.
Like most young kids I wanted to copy one of the
stars.”
Cairoli insists the Nac Nac was not a simple skill
acquisition at first. “It was quite hard to learn
actually and I did crash a few times at the
beginning but now it is really easy and it is almost
ten years that I have been doing it. The Nac Nac
can be done in different ways, for example when
you do a whip at the same time, but this is
difficult,” he adds. “I prefer to keep it the same as
Jeremy did and place the bike on the other side
of my body.”
So, how does he do it?
“Well, the gear you are in or the speed you are
going does not matter too much, although
obviously the higher you go from the take-off
then the easier it is to do and you can be more
relaxed about it. When you are on the ramp you
have to push a lot on the bike and as soon as you
take-off then you have to begin to put your
weight onto one side of the bike. You start moving
as soon as you are in the air. When you feel
balanced on one side, then you drag your leg
back and across the saddle. You get into position
and look across to finish it! Coming into land you
need to put a bit more weight over the front of
the bike so it is easy to get the leg back across.
Although on some smaller jumps I have kept in
on the side and landed with just one leg on the
bike; this is not so simple though!”
CAIROlI’S
NAC-NAC
INSIDER 27

ThE
YOUNG
GUNS
For 2009, the Yamaha teams
welcome fresh young talent
to their family.
WSB - BEN SPIES
WSB - TOM SYkES
28 INSIDER
Besides an all-new for 2009 YZF-R1,
the Yamaha World Superbike Team also
sees American AMA Superbike Champion
Ben Spies sign up to replace departing
rider Noriyuki Haga. Spies has seen
incredible success in his career so far,
a three time AMA Superbike Champion
with consecutive title wins.
Teaming up with Spies is young British rider
Tom Sykes. Sykes has been a strong contender in
the BSB Championships, Rookie of the Year in 2007,
he went on to finish a respectable fourth in the
2008 Championship with no less than 11 podiums
and three victories. He also impressed with a strong
wildcard ride at the 2008 Donington WSB round,
finishing on the podium.
Also stepping up to the world stage from BSB
is British hopeful Cal Crutchlow, taking the ride
of Australian Broc Parkes in the Yamaha World
Supersport Team. Crutchlow gave an outstanding
performance in the 2008 BSB season, finishing
third in the championship with a decent 12 podium
finishes and two victories.
With the acquisition of the reigning AMA Motocross Champion
James Stewart, Yamaha can feel hopeful of their chances of
retaining the AMA Supercross title come early 2009. This 22 year old
from Florida is already a multi-title winner in the USA and has
impressed since swinging his leg over his L&M San Manuel YZ450F
with high profile indoor victories in Las Vegas and Bercy, Paris.
Stewart is without doubt a fantastic and exciting newcomer to the
Yamaha ranks for the American domestic SX and MX seasons.
WSS – Cal CRuTChlOW
aMa-SX - JaMES STEWaRT
INSIDER 29

2008
was another year where
Yamaha proved it had
all the right ingredients to
dominate in MotoGP.
2008 World Champion
Valentino Rossi was flawless.
In taking the fight to arch
rivals he proved to be not
only a fantastically talented
rider, but also a strong mental
warrior, outwitting the
championship contenders on
the track and in the mind.
After a blistering start to the
season Jorge Lorenzo suffered
setbacks after some
unfortunate incidents.
However when on-track the
young Spanish rider gave
110% and claimed the Rookie
of the Year title and finished
fourth in the championship
despite missing races.
Texan Colin Edwards had a
good first year with the Tech
3 Yamaha team, finishing a
respectable seventh in the
championship.
Team mate James Toseland
showed great determination
in his first year and was a
constant presence in the mid
pack, fighting for the points
and finishing the year in 11th
place.
30 INSIDER
Spectacular overtaking at Laguna Seca
Blistering start of the season for the Rookie of the Year
Toseland had a challenging year adopting to the YZR-M1
INSIDER 31
Edwards completed a magnificent all-Yamaha podium at Le Mans

32 INSIDER
The Yamaha World Supersport team had a tough season in 2008.
Broc Parkes finished 4th in the championship, having one victory, two podium
finishes and an outstanding six pole position starts. French rider Fabien Foret also
took one race win from the season, three podiums and a pole position start.
His 6th place in the championship was an impressive placing considering a serious
accident at Brno, whilst running second in the standings, put him out of contention
for much of the latter half of the season. Foret stays with the WSS team for 2009
and is joined by young British rider Cal Crutchlow. The race proven YZF-R6 remains
the same for 2009 and the team itself, led by ex-GP rider Wilco Zeelenberg, heads
into the new season unchanged.
FIGhTING PhYSICS
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34 INSIDER
A champion
at home
2008 MX1-GP World Champion David Philippaerts let Insider take a look
around his almost-finished new home in Borgosesia, just north of Milan.
When the 25 year old isn’t training hard or travelling to the 16 rounds
that make up the Grand Prix series he spends time with his girlfriend Alice
and two dogs at this quiet retreat…
4.
1. 2.
4. 3.
1. Dancing with the Wii: “We bought a Nintendo for the house this year and it is good
fun but I am very competitive. If I am losing a game then I also tend to lose interest!”
2. Sorting out the emails: “Alice looks after my website and also answers emails. She is a
big help for many things and I would be lost without her.”
3. In the garage: “Like many riders I keep things from my career whether it is number
plates, helmets or trophies. I also like to be tidy so the place for the practice bikes and
tools is always clean.”
4. With the car: “Alice brought me a radio-controlled car for my birthday last year and
I have become a fan of these toys. Sometimes the weather is not the best where
we live but taking the car out for a spin is good fun.”
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36 INSIDER
Art
The
ofDesign
Extending the theme of the Art of Design, Yamaha
teamed up with MCN in the UK to offer its readers a
once in a lifetime opportunity to design the fairings and
leathers for riders Troy Corser and Noriyuki Haga.
The chosen winning design would then be produced by
Yamaha and used for the races at the Donington round
of the World Superbike Championships. Yamaha was
overwhelmed by the number of creative entries
received, however there could only be one winner. Ben
Leeves design stood out from the start with its simple
yet bold monochromatic imagery of the riders faces on
the fairings. A panel of judges including the riders
themselves had no hesitation in giving it the top spot.
Following the race Yamaha kindly donated the unique
leathers to Riders For Health where they were auctioned
to raise money for the charity.
To celebrate this eighth edition of Insider, Yamaha are giving Insider members
the chance to win one of the amazing photo spreads that make up this online
magazine. Simply send an email to insider@yamaha-racing.com with your
full contact details, stating clearly which spread you would like to win.
Three lucky Insider members will be chosen at random in mid January to
receive their spread. The images will be professionally mounted on canvas to
make a memorable souvenir of the 2008 Yamaha racing season. Good luck!
Win
a Yamaha
2008
Insider photo
spread!
INSIDER 37

38 INSIDER
Pos Rider Bike Country Points
1 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 373
2 Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 280
3 Daniel Pedrosa Honda SPA 249
4 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha SPA 190
5 Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 174
7 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 144
11 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 105
Pos Rider Bike Country Points
1 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 460
2 Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 342
3 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 327
4 Carlos Checa Honda ESP 313
5 Max Neukricher Suzuki GER 311
19 Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 51
28 David Checa Yamaha ESP 12
29 Sebastien Gimbert Yamaha FRA 12
Pos Rider Bike Country Points
1 Andrew Pitt Honda AUS 214
2 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 164
3 Joshua Brookes Honda AUS 162
4 Broc Parkes Yamaha AUS 150
5 Joan Lascorz Honda ESP 121
6 Fabien Foret Yamaha FRA 111
12 Massimo Roccoli Yamaha IT 58
21 Eugene Laverty Yamaha GBR 20
24 Hudson Kennaugh Yamaha RSA 17
26 Angel Rodriguez Yamaha ESP 14
30 David Salom Yamaha ESP 9
Pos Rider Bike Country Points
1 Brendan Roberts Ducati AUS 147
2 Maxime Berger Honda FRA 140
3 Alessandro Polita Ducati ITA 137
4 Xavier Simeon Suzuki BEL 136
5 Michele Pirro Yamaha ITA 102
8 Freddy Forey Yamaha FRA 62
10 Claudio Corti Yamaha ITA 57
16 Sylvain Barrier Yamaha FRA 22
Pos Rider Bike Country Points
1 Loris Baz Yamaha FRA 147
2 Marco Bussolotti Yamaha ITA 134
3 Gino Rea Yamaha GBR 132
4 Patrick Vostárek Honda CZE 121
5 Dan Linfoot Yamaha GBR 117
European Women’s Chiampionship 1000
1 Nina Prinz Yamaha GER
championship standings
MX2
Pos Rider Bike Country Points
1 David Philippaerts Yamaha ITA 509
2 Steve Ramon Suzuki BEL 495
3 Ken De Dycker Suzuki BEL 490
4 Jonathan Barragan KTM ESP 455
5 Joshua Coppins Yamaha NZL 446
14 Aigar Leok Yamaha EST 164
Pos Rider Bike Country Points
1 Tyla Rattray KTM RSA 636
2 Tommy Searle KTM GBR 613
3 Nicolas Aubin Yamaha FRA 406
4 Shaun Simpson KTM GBR 394
5 Rui Goncalves KTM POR 380
6 Antonio Cairoli Yamaha ITA 357
11 Manuel Monni Yamaha ITA 277
15 Davide Guarneri Yamaha ITA 181
22 Zach Osborne Yamaha USA 77
23 Alessandro Lupino Yamaha ITA 75
24 Evgeny Bobryshev Yamaha RUS 71
28 Matteo Bonini Yamaha ITA 48
Pos Rider Bike Country Points
1 Chad Reed Yamaha AUS 365
2 Kevin Windham Honda USA 352
3 Andrew Short Honda USA 281
4 David D Millsaps Honda USA 278
5 Josh Hill Yamaha USA 228
7 Nathan Ramsey Yamaha USA 173
Pos Rider Bike Country Points
1 Mika Ahola Honda FIN 375
2 Ivan Cervantes KTM ESP 364
3 Simone Albergoni Yamaha ITA 301
4 Marc Germain Yamaha FRA 284
5 Maurizio Micheluz Yamaha ITA 224
6 Cristobal Guerrero Yamaha ESP 185
Pos Rider Bike Country Points
1 Johnny Aubert Yamaha FRA 361
2 Juha Salminen KTM FIN 353
3 Alessandro Belometti KTM ITA 259
4 Rodrig Thain TM FRA 226
5 Antoine Meo Husqvarna FRA 222
7 Fabrizio Dini Yamaha ITA 196
European Supersport 600
1 Angel Rodriguez Yamaha ESP
European Superstock 1000
1 Carmelo Morales Yamaha ESP
2008
David Philippaerts
World Champion
MX1-GP
2008
Johhny Aubert
World Champion
Enduro2
2008
Chad Reed
Champion
AMA-SX
1 1
1
World Leader in Iridium Spark Plug Technology
0.4mm center electrode
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Better performance
on track and on the road
Rider: Fabien Foret
DENSO is offi cial sponsor of the Yamaha World Supersport Team.
+ Acceleration
+ Durability
+ Performance
- Consumption
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INSIDER 39

40 INSIDER
Grizzly 550
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