http://www.yamaha-motor-europe.com/http://www.yamaha-motor-europe.com/Images/logo_tcm26-11392.gif10734 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:38:36 GMT Yamaha Motor Europe NV. Monster Energy Yamaha's Zach Osborne stands on the edge. The American is the sole waver of the Stars and Stripes in the FIM Motocross World Championship and after nearly four years as part of the Grand Prix circus the 22 year old is staring at his last possible chance to lay his hands on an MX2-GP world title. The fact that the Virginian has factory status as part of Yamaha's six-rider-strong assault on both FIM Motocross World Championship categories in 2012 is further indication that Osborne is on the threshold of something very promising indeed. Yamaha Racing Monster Energy Yamaha began their 2012 motocross campaign today (Sunday) with victories and podium results at the Valence International near Lyon in France and the Mantova Starcross in Italy. The meetings represented the first events in what will be a seven-week pre-season build-up to the FIM Motocross World Championship on Easter Monday in Holland. Arnaud Tonus (pictured) captured two moto victories to win the MX2 class on his YZ250F for the second year in a row at Valence. Yamaha Racing The Swan Yamaha team has today (Monday) confirmed that World Superbike sensation Noriyuki Haga will be completing their line-up for the 2012 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship as he permanently replaces the injured Ian Hutchinson for the forthcoming season. Fans' favourite Haga is famous for his flamboyant riding style with much of his World Championship success in the past powered by Yamaha. Yamaha Racing Across the frozen seaside at Le Touquet Jean-Claude Mousse took his Yamaha Racing France Les 2 Roues Yamalube YZ450F to victory in a bitterly cold three-hour sprint to record his third success in the 37th edition of the prestigious beach race. The Frenchman made an excellent start and was leading the field by the fourth of ten laps. He survived a moment of drama when he was hit and pushed to the ground by another competitor but was able to remount and defend his advantage to the chequered flag. Yamaha Racing The Yamaha Factory Racing Team today completed the first test of the 2012 season at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies spent the three track days working to develop the base set up of the 1000cc YZR-M1 ahead of the second Sepang test in one month's time. The riders and engineers focused on the balance of the M1 chassis along with improving the electronics package to gain the optimum performance from the increased horsepower. New Bridgestone tyres were also assessed ahead of the upcoming race season. Yamaha Racing You can now find a short video online from Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis reflecting on the start of the 2012 MotoGP season. The video was recorded in Malaysia, midway through the first Official MotoGP Test of the year at Sepang. You can find the video in the MotoGP video section on Yamaha-racing. Yamaha Racing Yamaha Factory riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies continued to show promising form today in the second day of the Sepang test, the first official 1000cc MotoGP test of 2012. Having spent yesterday getting back into the rhythm of riding, today was spent focusing on comparative testing in a number of areas. The team worked to gather data to optimise the balance of the 2012 YZR-M1 chassis whilst also working to refine the power delivery of the increased engine capacity through electronics and power delivery. Yamaha Racing MotoGP 2012 finally got underway today with the first of three days of testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. Yamaha Factory riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies took their first ride on the 1000cc YZR-M1 since last year. Both riders blew the cobwebs off quickly and settled down to an impressive pace, Lorenzo proving to be the fastest man on track with his team mate always close behind him. The focus for the first day was to get back into the swing of riding and also to establish a good base set up. Yamaha Racing Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. has entered into contract with JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan). The agreement welcomes the oil and energy company as a new Official Sponsor of Yamaha Factory Racing's premier class Team competing in the MotoGP World Championship. Yamaha Racing For the second year in a row Yamaha dominated the Quad category of the Dakar rally, sweeping the final podium and claiming every stage of the 9000km trek through Argentina, Chile and Peru. Alejandro Patronelli defended his crown ahead of his brother Marcos and fellow Argentine Tomas Maffei. Yamaha Racing Yamaha filled a place on the podium of the world's toughest and most prestigious rally for the second year in succession as Portugal's Helder Rodrigues claimed third position overall on his WR450F Rally. The 32 year old pushed through almost 9000km from Buenos Aires in Argentina to Lima in Peru via Chile in fourteen days and thirteen stages of the 33rd edition of the Dakar. Yamaha Racing Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies kicked off their one day visit to Jakarta this morning with a special visit to meet potential racing stars of the future. They shared some of their valuable knowledge with up and coming racers in the Indonesian Yamaha R Series Cup as part of a unique Yamaha Coaching Clinic. The MotoGP stars gave tips on rider positioning, cornering and overtaking to the delighted local riders. Yamaha Racing Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo kicked off 2012 yesterday with a visit to New Delhi. The MotoGP star was in India for a personal appearance at the Auto Expo to meet both racing fans and the national Indian media. Lorenzo also took time in the afternoon to visit the impressive Budh International circuit, a potential newcomer to the MotoGP calendar in the not too distant future. Yamaha Racing The 33rd Dakar rally is firmly on the return leg as the riders and drivers of this historic and prestigious competition will soon dip into Peru for the first time since the rally shifted continents and head onwards through almost 4000km to reach the finish line in Lima. Yamaha Racing As 2011 draws to a close it marks the end of a successful partnership between Yamaha's Factory MotoGP Team and PETRONAS. The integrated Malaysian oil and gas corporation came onboard with Yamaha in 2009 and has enjoyed a hugely successful three year relationship. Yamaha and PETRONAS have been privileged to share in two consecutive Triple Crown MotoGP victories, in 2009 and 2010. Yamaha Racing Wayne Rainey will forever be remembered as one of Yamaha's greatest stars in an era of the FIM World Championship Grand Prix where talent, technology and speed combined to create some of the most captivating seasons of racing seen in the sport. As a three time 500cc world champion between 1990 and 1992 Rainey's mastery of steering the ferocious two-stroke machines and his unrelenting determination to always be the best mark him as one of the principal figures of a phase in which names like Lawson, Doohan, Gardner, Schwantz, Kocinski and Mamola entertained millions worldwide. Yamaha Racing The months and weeks of preparation for some of the bravest off-road riders in the world will shortly come to a head when the 34th Dakar Rally sets off from Buenos Aires for the 9000km two week race, regularly dubbed as one of the toughest in the world. Yamaha will count on a fine representation of 40 riders from the 188 entrants of the motorcycle class and over half of the 32-strong Quad category once the clock starts on New Years day. Yamaha Racing Yamaha have been fortunate to see some of the greatest and most talented road racers in the history of the sport throw their legs over the formidable machinery from Iwata and none more so than 'Steady' Eddie Lawson, who claimed a total of three 500cc World Championships with Yamaha and helped evolve Yamaha's two-stroke technology during the 1980s. Yamaha Racing Monster Energy Yamaha rider David Philippaerts took to the track last week for the first time in four months. The 2008 FIM MX1 World Champion completed his first training outing after suffering breaks to both wrists in an accident while practicing for the Grand Prix of Czech Republic in the first week of August. The soon-to-be 28 year old has been following a comprehensive and carefully planned rehab and recovery process and was relieved and excited to see that the first ride near his home in Borgosesia went extremely well. Yamaha Racing This Venezuelan was one of the colourful characters in the Grand Prix paddock during the early 1980s at a time when the sport was maturing but retained a sense of fun thanks to the antics and attitudes of men like Lavado, Sheene, Nieto and Lucchinelli. It was the 350cc world championship win by another Yamaha star, Johnny Cecotto, - the first Venezuelan triumphant in Grand Prix - that spurred Lavado in his road racing ambitions. The young man from Caracas made an instant impression on his debut at the highest level as he took a TZ250 to 2nd place at his home Grand Prix in 1978. Yamaha Racing Yamaha's Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/yamaharacingcom reached the 100,000 'likes' mark three weeks ago and continues to build an avid following. The collection of fans and online users of the site has increased thanks to its diverse coverage of racing classes, news, competitions, photos and videos, charity auctions of racing collectables and updates connected with the 'tuning forks' emblem found on motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles hitting the tracks and trails around the globe. Yamaha Racing An exciting season finale in Doha, Qatar saw the Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone team with riders David Checa, Kenny Foray and Matthieu Lagrive power their YZF-R1 to the finish line and snatch their first victory of the year and as a consequence earn the third place overall in the 2011 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship. Yamaha Racing Yamaha will see out the remaining weeks of a memorable 50th year of Grand Prix racing with a comprehensive display of their achievements and history on the track for British and French audiences. Visitors to the Motorcycle Live Show in Birmingham and the Motorcycle, Scooter, Quad Show (Le Salon de la Moto) in Paris will be able to roll back the years and memories with the presence of the Yamaha Anniversary Expo; in the UK from November 19th-27th and in France from November 30th-December 4th. Yamaha Racing Notable achievements on circuits around the world have led to creation of a formidable set of 2012 YEC Racing Parts for Yamaha YZF-R1 and R6 motorcycles that are now available to order in Europe through the first of three distribution windows; the first deadline being November 30th for delivery by March 2012. Yamaha Racing As if managing the Bike It Cosworth Wild Wolf Yamaha World Motocross Team wasn't enough for Steve Dixon, this August will see the return of the British Grand Prix, Organised by the Winchester born motocross enthusiast. Yamaha Racing