Our Racing Heritage - 1980 - Yamaha Motor Europe

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1980 - 1989

With his then-unique riding style – hanging off the motorcycle in corners – “King Kenny” Roberts won an historic third consecutive 500cc Grand Prix World Championship to kick off the 1980s.

In 1980, responding to the competition’s ever-lasting efforts to outperform Yamaha, the first YZR500 fitted with an aluminium frame (0W48) and a variation (0W48R), which gave the two outer cylinders of its in-line 4-cylinder engine rearward facing exhaust ports, were introduced. Thanks to Kenny Roberts’ outstanding rider ability and the manufacturer’s ceaseless technological innovation, Yamaha could retain its premier class throne. However, the competition was not far behind.

As a countermeasure to the competitor’s efforts, Yamaha released the YZR500 (OW53) in 1981, with the 0W48R’s engine on an aluminum frame along with the YZR500 (OW54), which was powered by Yamaha’s first square-four engine. Unfortunately, unforeseen mechanical problems and several no-shows due to Kenny Roberts’ poor health conditions at that time saw him fall out of championship contention.

Yamaha’s V4 made it's debut at 1982 Austrian GP. #3 Kenny Roberts on the front row.
Realizing that the era of the in-line 4-cylinder engine was over, Yamaha was thirsty for a radical change and new possibilities. In 1982, Yamaha went on with two versions of the YZR500. One of them was the YZR500 (0W60) - an advanced version of the 0W54, powered by a rotary disc valve-inducted square-four engine.

Kenny Roberts and Barry Sheene, who previously accompanied Roberts in 1981, promptly secured a 1-2 finish at the opening Grand Prix World Championship round in Argentina, thus highlighting the high-development level of the new model. The alternate version, the YZR500 (OW61), which debuted at the Austrian round in Salzburgring that year, was the first 500cc GP bike with a V4 engine. This was an ambitious project featuring nonconformist experimental technologies developed by Yamaha.

These included twin crankshafts with a small amount of front-projecting surface area, a newly configured frame that eliminated the under-looped section and a horizontal mounted rear suspension unit. The project faced numerous difficulties, but Yamaha could not afford to halt their challenge to pursue new innovations.

That year, Kenny Roberts, who switched between the two YZR500 versions depending on the need, ended fourth in the championship. Graeme Crosby, who only rode the 0W60, finished second overall. Although Yamaha missed the title that year, there was no denying that these superbikes marked an important turning point that greatly influenced Yamaha’s future technological advancements.
#7 Barry Sheene rode three seasons for Yamaha 1980-1982.

Eddie Lawson in his first year of the 500cc Grand Prix World Championship, 1983.
The YZR500 (OW70) of 1983 featured a powerful, compact V4 engine mounted on the revolutionary aluminum Deltabox frame. The new bike could outperform Yamaha’s rivals from 1982, Suzuki. However, another challenger emerged – Honda. Both Kenny Roberts (for Yamaha) and Freddie Spencer (for Honda) battled fiercely for the title with the championship fight coming down to the San Marino finale. Although Kenny Roberts won this race, he fell two frustrating points short of the title. He later announced his retirement from the Grand Prix World Championship.

Eddie Lawson, replacing “King Kenny”, rode the V4-powered YZR500 (OW76), which sported a crankcase reed valve induction system, known for its excellent engine start-up performance and serviceability, and went head-to-head with Freddie Spencer’s V4 Honda. This time it was Eddie Lawson who won the 500cc Grand Prix World Championship in 1984, marking a fifth title for Yamaha.

Unfortunately, the next year Yamaha lost the title again to Honda with its much-improved V4, although Eddie Lawson (Marlboro Team) and Christian Sarron (Gauloises team) finished a respectable second and third place on their YZR500 (OW81).

In 1986, Yamaha had five riders on improved YZR500 (OW81) machines – Eddie Lawson, Christian Sarron, Rob McElnea, Rand Mamola and Mike Baldwin. All five finished in the top six of the riders’ championship, with Eddie Lawson claiming the title. In the process, Yamaha won its first constructors’ title in 11 years.

Due to some setbacks, Yamaha finished the 1987 season with Randy Mamola ranked second and Eddie Lawson third. In 1988, Eddie Lawson reclaimed the riders’ title again, while future star Wayne Rainey showed his potential. Although Rainey did not manage to claim the riders’ title the next year, the American did add three race victories to his name, boosting his confidence. 1989 was also the year that Yamaha installed a data logger on the YZR500 to collect various data – throttle position, engine rpm, vehicle speed, wheel spin and suspension stroke – while it was running. This device contributed greatly to further develop Yamaha’s racing expertise.
1988: #3 Eddie Lawson – who won the 500cc title three times – and his successor # 17 Wayne Rainey.

Wayne Rainey (left) took his first win at the 1988 British GP. His signature style: blasting off from the start, setting a blistering pace, and riding to win out in front.

Carlos Lavado, who took his first world title on the TZ250 in 1983, switched to a YZR250 in 1986
In the 250cc class of Grand Prix World Championship, although the majority of riders used the Yamaha TZ250, they were gradually less present on the podium in the late 70s. Also, despite efforts to increase the bike’s competitiveness (monocross rear suspension and disc brakes in 1976, frame and swingarm from Kenny Roberts’ YZR500 in 1979) the factory and factory-supported teams continued to struggle.

To create a higher revving, more powerful engine for the 1981 TZ250, the 54 x 54 mm bore and stroke cylinder inherited from the TD-3 was altered to a shorter stroke. The model also featured a new, specially designed Yamaha Powered Valve System (YPVS), which eliminated dips in the torque curve. The TZ250 had taken a big step forward.

French upcoming rider Jean-Louis Tournadre took advantage of these changes in 1982 and gave Yamaha its first 250cc world title in almost a decade. In 1983, Yamaha achieved the riders’ and constructors’ titles with Carlos Lavado, repeating that in 1984 for the third consecutive time with Christian Sarron. Regretfully, the improved competition halted Yamaha’s growing streak of titles, despite Yamaha’s efforts in 1985, 1986, and 1988 to upgrade the TZ250’s competitiveness.

Meanwhile, concurrent development saw the creation of the YZR250 (0W82) factory machine using a V-twin engine with a simultaneous firing configuration and twin crankshafts, built as a prototype during advanced development for the YZR500. The YZR250 was entered in both the 250cc Grand Prix World Championship and the All-Japan Road Race Championship in 1986. In the 250cc Grand Prix World Championship, Carlos Lavado secured his second riders’ title, while Shinji Katayama clinched the All-Japan Championship.

In the following years, riders Luca Cadalora, Juan Garriga and Jean-Philippe Ruggia, racing continuously refined versions of the YZR250 were consistently among the front-runners. In 1990, the YZR250 featured a 90-degree V-twin engine with a single crankshaft and coupled-force balancer, which would lead Yamaha to another successful challenge for the 250cc Grand Prix World Championship title.

Due to upheavals in the other Road Racing classes at the end of the 70s, the Endurance World Championship began in 1980, with 1988 marking the start of the World Superbike Championship. In the US, the AMA-F1 regulations for the Daytona 200 imposed limits of carburetor diameter on 2-stroke machines, including the Yamaha TZ750, and in addition allowed 4-stroke 1,000cc bikes to run together with 2-stroke 500cc GP racers.

At the 1980 Daytona 200, where these new regulations were first implemented, it was the TZ750, ridden by Patrick Pons, that won the race. The following year, the TZ750 demonstrated total domination and claimed the top nine places.

A total of 133 bikes entered the 1982 Daytona but it was Graeme Crosby on a YZR750 (0W31) that emerged victorious. Furthermore, in 1983 and 1984 Kenny Roberts rode the YZR700 (OW69) – a modified version of the YZR500 (OW60) – to victory which gave Yamaha its 13th successive Daytona 200 win.

In 1985, Daytona 200 was moved from AMA-F1 to the Superbike class, which used 4-stroke production bikes (750cc or under). That year, Yamaha was not able to participate due to preparation issues. However, Eddie Lawson rode the FZ750 (20-valve, DOHC) to victory – Yamaha’s first major win with a 4-stroke machine.

In Japan, the F750 was replaced by a new 500cc class established in 1981 as the premier category of the All-Japan Road Race Championship. The Yamaha YZR500s, Honda NR500s and Suzuki NGT500s lined-up on the grid for races that were as hotly contested as those in the Grand Prix World Championship, but finally it was won by Keiji Kinoshita on a Yamaha TZ500 production racer. The following seasons saw a constant battle between the Yamaha and Suzuki riders, with both manufacturers coming out on top throughout.

The Suzuka 8 Hours race became part of the Endurance World Championship in 1980. Yamaha entered this race for the first time in 1984 with a machine based on the XJ750E, ridden by Yamaha riders Hiroyuki Kawasaki and Shinichi Ueno. The next year Yamaha dream team Kenny Roberts and Tadahiko Taira entered the race on the 20-valve FZR750. Despite their overwhelming lead in the race, victory was lost due to mechanical failure. But finally in 1987, Kevin Magee and Martin Wimmer brought Yamaha’s first-ever Suzuka 8 Hours victory. The following year, Wayne Rainey and Kevin Magee scored a dominant second win.

In off-road racing, entering the 1980s, Yamaha contested three classes – 125cc, 250cc and 500cc, the latter being the primary focus. In this decade, Yamaha clinched six riders’ and three manufacturers’ titles, proving to be a powerful competitor not only in road racing but also in motocross.
1987 Suzuka 8 Hours: changing brake pads during tyre change took too long. Therefore, #21 Kevin Magee on YZF750 had to stay out as long as possible

Yamaha’s first title came in 1981 with British rider Neil Hudson winning the 250cc riders’ championship on the YZM250 (OW50). The year after, under leadership of team manager Mikkola, Danny LaPorte on the YZM250 (OW57), the last 2-stroke of the air-cooled models, became the first American to win the 250cc Motocross World Championship and also brought Yamaha its second manufacturers’ title.

In 1983, after the newly developed bottom-link type monocross suspension was installed on the YZM500 (OW64), Swede Hakan Carlqvist clinched the 500cc title by merely seven points. Despite various efforts, Yamaha was not able to claim results of any significance in this class and in 1988, ended its participation. 250cc bikes over time demonstrated speeds superior to their larger-engined brethrens and also became the preferred choice due to the rising concerns about the environmental impact.

Jacky Vimond – 1986 250cc Motocross World Champion – winning 11 of 24 motos across 12 rounds
Back in the 250cc class, rising star Frenchman Jacky Vimond, was crowned World Champion in 1986, as Yamaha received the manufacturers’ title.

In 125cc, Dutchman John van den Berk emerged victorious in a closely fought championship, becoming Yamaha’s first-ever 125cc Motocross World Champion in 1987. The following year, after stepping up to the 250cc class, he claimed his second world title, riding the YZR250M.

In the AMA 250cc Supercross Championship it was Mike Bell who won the 1980 riders’ title and in the AMA National Motocross Series, Broc Glover, who moved up to the 500cc class, was crowned the 1981, 1983 and 1985 champion, while Rick Johnson won the 1984 title on a production YZ250.

As motocross gained in popularity, riders switched teams more often. Losing promising riders due to this, Yamaha became less competitive in the majority of classes in the latter half of the 1980s. This lack of competitiveness would exert a significant influence in the 1990s.

During the 1980s, trial bikes were repopularized and in 1987, Yamaha rider Atsushi Ito claimed Yamaha’s first All-Japan Trials Championship in 13 years on the TY250R, a production trials competition machine equipped with a linked-type monocross suspension. He went onto win the title again in 1988 and 1990.

Jean-Claude Olivier (left), French Yamaha importer and who later became President of Yamaha Motor France, on a XT600 Ténéré in 1985. He saw in the very first model, the XT500, the “Adventure” potential.

In 1983, the Paris-Dakar Rally was officially recognized by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), seeing Yamaha offer full-scale support to its entries. The XT500, which demonstrated reliability and outstanding performance in the early events of this rally, steadily evolved into the modified XT550, XT600 and XT600 Ténéré. Although these bikes would on occasion compete for the overall victory, it became evident that the exiting single-cylinder engines lacked power to match the new large-displacement, 2-cylinder machines of its competition. Yamaha, with rider Jean-Claude Olivier – an executive of the French Yamaha importer Sonauto, entered the 8th Paris-Dakar Rally with the DOCH 20-valve, 4-cylinder FZ750 Ténéré and ended the race in 12th place. Inspired by such passion, Yamaha developed the single-cylinder YZE750 Ténéré (OW93) factory machine to enter the race in 1988 and the (OW94) for the following season. Both years, Italian rider Franco Picco came within reach of victory but fell agonizingly short and ended in second position. Although no victory, the developments paved the way to a glorious new era.
Following his 1979 win, #50 Cyril Neveu won the 2nd Paris-Dakar Rally in 1980 on a modified XT500.

Liquid-cooled, 4-cylinder FZ750 Ténéré; incredible power and 30kg heavier than the XT600 Ténéré. Its full potential could not be realized.

Source information and imagery:

Spirit of Challenge – Sixty Years of Racing Success by Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

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