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The 2016 Yamaha YZF-R1 Is Ready for WSBK Duty

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Yamaha is headed back to the World Superbike paddock, and it is not taking any half-measures in doing so. As such, the Japanese manufacturer has retained the talents of Sylvain Guintoli (World Superbike Champion, 2014) and Alex Lowes (British Superbike Champion, 2013), with the highly regarded Crescent Racing running the factory-backed team.

Officially debuting the team today in Spain, along with Yamaha’s other racing programs, the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team should be a potent package for the pinnacle of production motorcycle racing, and we expect strong results from them, right off the bat.

This is because the new Yamaha YZF-R1 had an entire year of honing at the national level, where in the USA it won both the Superbike and Superstock 1000 classes in the MotoAmerica racing series, and in the UK Josh Brookes took the BSB Championship victory as well.

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Bikes

Super Hi-Res Photos of the 2016 Yamaha YZR-M1

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Debuting today in Spain, the Yamaha Racing factory MotoGP team took the wraps up the 2016 Yamaha YZR-M1 race bike, and debuted its team, which features riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi.

Seemingly, not much has changed to the Yamaha YZR-M1, though the bike now features 17″ wheels and Michelin tires. Yamaha’s spec-sheet (full listing, after the jump) is sparse on specifics as usual, and thus is vague on its details – horsepower is listed simply as “over 240hp” for instance.

Indeed, most of the changes to the Yamaha YZR-M1 reside beneath the fairings, with perhaps the most important changes coming to the M1’s ECU, which is now a spec Magneti Marelli unit that runs the unified team software.

Coming to terms with the new electronics package will be the biggest hurdle for teams in 2016, though the different characteristics of the Michelin tires will prove to be a challenge as well.

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Products

Bell Developing Helmet with Integrated 360° Video Camera

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Are you ready for another post about helmets, especially one with integrated technology? Sure you are, Sparky – and you will be happy to learn about this collaboration between Bell Helmets and a company called 360fly.

Like the Nikon KeyMission video camera, 360fly’s system captures everything around the rider in 4k video resolution, and then creates a video that can be viewed from an immersive virtual-reality perspective.

Thanks to a built-in GPS, altimeter/barometer, and accelerometer, the 360fly system is capable of overlaying telemetry data into its video, among a variety of other features. What really separates the unit from the rest though is what is in the pipeline from 360fly.

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Products

Nikon KeyMission Action Camera Offers 360° 4k Video

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Here is a fun fact: pretty much every regular photographer you see on Asphalt & Rubber swings a Nikon camera for their craft – even this lowly author. This is probably because Nikon and Canon are the big names when it comes motorsport photography, so the odds workout pretty well on that account.

We have another reason to like Nikon’s cameras though, as the iconic photography brand is keen on getting into the action camera market.

Hoping to give GoPro et al a run for their money, Nikon at CES this week entered wearable video camera market with the Nikon KeyMission.

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Bikes

Make a Scale Model of the Yamaha YZF-R1M, Out of Paper

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Yamaha’s paper craft creations are always amazing pieces of work, and each one seems to surpass the prior, which is certainly saying something. The latest creation from Yamaha features the company’s crown jewel: the Yamaha YZF-R1M.

We cannot imagine the patience that goes into creating a paper 1:5 scale model like this, but artist Nobutaka Mukouyama must certainly have it in spades.

Yamaha calls Mukouyama-san’s latest creation an “ultra-realistic” version of the R1M paper craft, and warns that it is no small-undertaking to complete. We believe them.

Photos of a completed paper Yamaha YZF-R1M are after the jump, and if you want to tackle this project yourself, you can download the necessary files right here.

If any A&R readers finish one of these bad boys, please send us photos of your work!

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Bikes

Honda RC213V-S Delivered to First Customer

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Look at the smile on this guy’s face! That’s the smile of the first person on planet Earth to take deliver of their new Honda RC213V-S street bike.

The first example of the €188,000 “MotoGP bike with lights” goes to Mr. John Brown, a Brit who owns and runs a Honda motorcycle dealership in Manchester, and is also an avid collector of Honda motorcycles.

Honda says that other customers will begin to take receipt of their RC213V-S motorcycles after the New Year.

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MotoGP

Rating the Riders: Valentino Rossi

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Valentino Rossi, Movistar Yamaha, 2nd, 325 points – Score: 9.5

British MotoGP commentator Julian Ryder has one cliché he uses about Valentino Rossi all the time. “Never write Valentino Rossi off.” It may be a cliché, but in 2015, Rossi showed once again why clichés exist.

At the age of 36, he was past his physical prime, and not capable of keeping up at the front. Twenty seasons of top level racing had dulled his desire to compete.

Two seasons at Ducati and a poor return to Yamaha proved he was past his prime. With more money than he will ever need for the rest of his life and a fashion model girlfriend (who rides motorcycles), there was nothing to fire his motivation.

The VR46 racing team was proof Rossi was looking to his retirement, not another championship.

There was at least some truth in all of those statements, voiced by pundits and fans across the world. But they overlooked one crucial fact: you can never, ever, write Valentino Rossi off.

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MotoGP

Rating the Riders: Jorge Lorenzo

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Jorge Lorenzo, Movistar Yamaha, 1st, 330 points – Score: 9.5

All year long, everyone – engineers, journalists, pundits, other riders (with the possible exception of Valentino Rossi, for obvious reasons) – said the same thing over and over again: “Jorge is faster, but Valentino is more consistent.”

The statistics bear that out: Jorge Lorenzo led for 274 of the 448 laps raced this year, a fraction over 61%. He also had five poles and six fastest race laps, second only to Marc Márquez. Jorge Lorenzo was just plain fast in 2015.

This should be no surprise. After a difficult 2014, Jorge Lorenzo took this season deadly seriously. Last year taught Lorenzo that the cost of not being fit at the start of the season was defeat, and he has no taste for that.

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Event

At the Yamaha Wall of Champions Induction

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What makes a champion? Is it talent? Desire? Drive? Today we had an opportunity to learn about those things from the champions themselves, as Yamaha closed out their year-long 60th Anniversary celebration by inducting twelve members into the Yamaha Wall of Champions.

The celebration occurred at Yamaha’s headquarters in Cypress, CA with much of Yamaha’s senior leadership team present. Four of the inductees came from the motocross and supercross side of the house, two were ATV champions, and six prefer the slick tires of motorcycle roadracing.

Yamaha used this ceremony as an opportunity for its employees to celebrate the holiday, to give back to the community, and to enjoy some time with factory racers, both past and present.

The mood was festive and spirits were high. A band comprised of Yamaha employees added to the festive atmosphere and a couple of food trucks ensured that everyone was well fed.

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Bikes

Praëm SP3 – A Modern Take on the Honda RC-51

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What you are looking at it is perhaps the most unique Honda RC-51 we have ever seen. For those who know their Hondas, and are paying close attention, this particular bike used to be a Honda VTR1000SP1 – though it has gotten more than a once-over by the crafty hands at French upstart Praëm.

If you are familiar with the work of Holographic Hammer, then the Praëm SP3 should look stylistically familiar, as its the product of Sylvain & Florent Berneron – Sylvain being a former BMW Motorrad designer, while Florent has a background in aeronautics and mechanics.

Tasty bits on the Praëm SP3 includes Öhlins suspension, Rotobox carbon fiber wheels, Brembo brakes and carbon discs, and other pieces from Rizoma.

We think the item that most people will be interested by though is the Praëm SP3’s fairings, which aren’t made of metal sheets, but instead a countless number of wires that have been pulled taught over a backing and frame. The effect is certainly an interesting one.

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Pocher 1:4 Scale Model of the Ducati 1299 Panigale S

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Italian scale model maker Pocher is known for its exquisite work, and the company specializes in making high quality 1:8 models of some of the finest cars ever to grace the open road.

Looking for a new challenge, Pocher has expanded its line to include motorcycles, the first of which is the Ducati 1299 Panigale S that you see above.

At nearly a foot long, and fitted with real rubber, metal, and plastic pieces, this isn’t just some tiny hobbyist kit, but instead a true collectible that has been engineered to be as close the Panigale S as you can be, at 1:4 scale.

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