The new 2009 Yamaha M1

by Aussie YZF R6 Thu Oct 23, 2008 6:03 am

Updated electronics but no carbon fibre for 2009 Yamaha M1
Thursday, 23 October 2008
Yamaha´s Masao Furusawa has given an insight into the key developments for the 2009 M1, but does not foresee a switch to carbon fibre frame any time soon.

Improving on the best bike of the season is always a tough task, and expectations are high for the 2009 Yamaha M1. The new prototype will make its first appearance on track at Valencia as part of Monday´s post-race test, following on from a postponed scheduled first run-out for 2008 MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi after his title win at Motegi.
Yamaha´s Executive Officer of Engineering Operations and one of the driving forces behind the development of the M1, Masao Furusawa pinpoints cornering speed –a problem mentioned by Rossi on numerous occasions- as one of the key focuses of next season´s bike.
`The first year of the 800cc bikes we missed something in the horsepower of the engine. This year we caught back up with the competitiveness,´ says the Japanese executive. `Next year we will be expecting a little bit more and also upgrading the sophisticated electronic system to get faster in cornering.
`We´ve changed a lot of things about the engine so far. Especially with the balance between the power and the fuel efficiency. That was a problem in the first year.´
MotoGP rivals Ducati have made clear that they will use a carbon fibre frame for their 2009 project, but Furusawa is unconvinced by the composite´s potential benefit for the Yamaha machine. He describes carbon fibre as `very nice material for reducing weight, but really hard to adjust. It´s not so flexible, and for this reason I don´t want to use it for the M1.´
Also open to flexibility is the time scale between the passing down of new developments to the Tech 3 Yamaha satellite outfit. This year Colin Edwards and James Toseland have received upgrades only a short time after factory riders Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, a setup that Furusawa would like to see continue next season with the unchanged lineups.
`There will be a little delay in the Tech 3 team getting the developments, but I would like to keep them on the same bike as the factory team,´ he comments.
Furusawa will accompany Shigeto Kitagawa (Senior Manager Technical Development) and Masahiko Nakajima (Fiat Yamaha Team Director and 2008 YZR-M1 Project Leader) in giving a presentation of the current MotoGP machine at the Valencia circuit on Friday.

I can't wait to see how it performs on monday and hopefully it's kick ass!

by tammerz Thu Oct 23, 2008 6:04 am

Aussie I am so glad you are here! We needed a mans touch on some of these threads!

i didnt mean that sexually btw, you dirty minded girls!

by Aussie YZF R6 Thu Oct 23, 2008 6:09 am

No worries Tammy besides I have no were else to go! Sad

No seriously I only really chat we all you guys and I don't think apart from Maree everyone else is left. Laughing

If they ban her that would really sucks because she was there as well as in the original forum.

by tammerz Sun Nov 09, 2008 6:41 pm

MotoGP » Inside Yamaha's 2008 YZR-M1.
Sunday, 9th November 2008

2008 Yamaha YZR-M1 technical presentation.
At the season-ending Valencian Grand Prix, Fiat Yamaha Team director and YMC MotoGP group leader Masahiko Nakajima gave a technical presentation (pictured) about Yamaha's triple title-winning 2008-spec YZR-M1.

The presentation was split into four sections: '2007 Review', 'YZR-M1 Development Concept', '2008 YZR-M1 Developments and Results' and 'Summary of 2008 Season'.

The main findings for each section, and accompanying diagrams, are shown below...
2007 Review

Rossi only managed four wins and eight podiums during the 2007 season, leaving the Italian third in the riders' world championship - his worst ranking ever in 500cc/MotoGP and lowest title position since his first season of 125cc grand prix racing in 1996.

Rossi was once again the only M1 rider to win a race and Yamaha was only third in the constructors' championship, behind Honda and Ducati. In terms of results it was Yamaha's worst season since 2003, before Rossi arrived.

A review of the 2007 YZR-M1 highlighted the following weaknesses:

1) Lack of engine performance and reliability, specifically:
*Poor acceleration and maximum speed.
*High water and oil temperature.

2) Hard to manage fuel consumption, caused by:
*Poor Air-Fuel ratio on the track.

3) Difficulties in matching the (all Michelin) tyres to the chassis, resulting in:
*Lack of balance between front and rear grip/braking and turning.

YZR-M1 Development Concept

The YZR-M1's development goals were to:

1) Enhance maximum tyre performance.
2) Maximise engine power.
3) Minimise fuel consumption.

This was to be done by:

1) Chassis: Optimise geometry and rigidity
2) Engine: Less friction and better combustion
3) EMS (Engine Management System): Vehicle dynamics oriented

2008 YZR-M1 Developments and Results
Chassis Developments:

1) CLICK HERE to see a diagram showing how Yamaha optimised the M1's basic bike dimensions.

2) CLICK HERE to see a diagram showing how the frame of the YZR-M1 was changed to improve braking and cornering characteristics. The 2008 frame was stiffer until torsion and vertical loads, but less stiff under lateral loading.

3) CLICK HERE to see a diagram showing how the aerodynamics of the YZR-M1 were changed to improve oil and water cooling. This resulted in more consistent engine performance and improved reliability.

Engine Developments:

1) CLICK HERE to see a diagram showing the main engine changes for the 2008 YZR-M1 compared with the 2007 version.

2) CLICK HERE to see a diagram showing the main improvements in engine performance. The pneumatic-valve system (first introduced during 2007) reduced the weight of the valve-system by 40%, lowered the amount of spring force required and allowed for a higher valve lift.

Engine losses due to friction were reduced by optimising the piston and ring, changing the crankshaft diameter, using a new centre oil feed lubrication system and changes to surface treatments.

The above modifications resulted in a 12% increase in maximum power and 8% increase in maximum torque, compared with the 2007 engine.

3) CLICK HERE to see a diagram showing the increase in maximum speed and reduction in fuel consumption, for each track present on both the 2007 and 2008 world championship. The biggest top speed improvement was 16 km/h at Qatar, while the M1 was over 10km/h faster at four other circuits. The biggest drop in fuel consumption was a 13% improvement at Estoril.
EMS Developments:

1) CLICK HERE to see a diagram showing how Yamaha's EMS (Engine Management System) used real time vehicle dynamics to optimise torque delivery.

Summary of 2008 Season

The 2008 YZR-M1 achieved all its racing objectives, winning the riders', constructors' and teams' MotoGP World Championships.

The YZR-M1 took victory in ten out of the 18 rounds - nine wins for Rossi (Bridgestone tyres) and one win for Jorge Lorenzo (Michelin tyres) - and a Yamaha rider finished on the podium at every race. The 2008 YZR-M1 concluded the season with 10 wins, 24 podiums and 7 pole positions.

In brief, Yamaha improved maximum tyre performance due to:

1. Chassis dimensions being modified to suit the tyre.
2. A new EMS [Engine Management System] strategy to maximize tyre performance using vehicle dynamics.

Yamaha's work to maximise engine power and minimise fuel consumption resulted in:

1. Engine performance being improved by 12%.
2. Fuel consumption being improved by 6%.

by tammerz Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:27 pm

Poncharal: `Not one part of new M1 is the same as 2008 bike´
Tuesday, 20 January 2009

Tech 3 Yamaha boss Herve Poncharal is looking forward to seeing his riders test the new YZR-M1 at Sepang early in February.

The new 2009 Yamaha M1 236368_Tech+3+boss+Herve+Poncharal+in+the+garage-1280x960-dec1.jpg.preview

The new 2009 Yamaha M1 236368_Tech+3+boss+Herve+Poncharal+in+the+garage-1280x960-dec1.jpg.preview

Frenchman Herve Poncharal previews the 2009 campaign with motogp.com, explaining the aims and objectives of the Tech 3 Yamaha satellite outfit this season, ahead of the second year of competition with Colin Edward and James Toseland representing his team…

Q. `Tell us about your pre-season testing schedule and whether you will be using the new 2009 YZR-M1 at the first test in Sepang.´
A. `Our team has just come back from Japan where we had what we call our `assembling schooling week´. Our team was there with the Fiat Yamaha crews learning how to assemble the new bike and they were all very impressed. The new bike looks like the 2008 one but there is almost not even one part which is the same. Everything we saw, although it was only static, is going in the right direction and we think this is what we need to be even better than in 2008.´

`So we have got the new M1 and we have just finished assembling the four bikes in Japan. They will be shipped to Malaysia now and our first winter test with the new model will be 5th-7th February in Sepang.´

Q. `What are your goals in the 2009 campaign?´
A. `The 2008 season was a really good one for us. We were fourth in the championship and the best independent team in the classification. We were in front of two factory teams, so this is something we are really proud of and I think for 2009 our target must be to try and achieve the same thing. That won´t be easy because I think everybody is working really hard and we expect strong challenges from the other independent teams.´

`From the riders´ perspective our aim is to have one of them in the top five. Colin almost did it last year. With the new mono-brand tyre rule and the fact that now James knows all the circuits both of them should be more competitive and closer to the front. We had a pole position and podiums in 2008 and pole position is a very difficult thing to do, but why not again? With no more `qualifiers´ like before maybe things will be more open. But especially with the podiums, we would like to see Colin up there again and we are dreaming of seeing James get his first MotoGP podium in the 2009 season.´

Q. `Do you expect to see an improvement in results this year?´
A. `We are always looking to get better and to improve. But before saying that we are going to improve, which looks a bit pretentious, I think we have to remember that at the moment everybody, every factory and every team, is working hard in his own place, to try to be competitive. Before we have the first test altogether to really judge how much each participant, factory, team and rider has been working through the winter and at which level we are, it is quite difficult to make predictions.´

`Of course I would like us to perform even better then we did in 2008. I think both Colin and James are working really hard on their physical conditions. Yamaha, I know from what we saw last week when we were assembling the new bikes, have been working very hard and they are still working hard. But the opposition will be doing the same too, so let´s wait a little bit before we make any real predictions.´

Q. `Do you see 2009 as a make or break year for both Colin and James, given their respective ages, their current contracts and the competitiveness they face in MotoGP?´
A. `Nothing goes on forever in life, especially in sport and in MotoGP. Both James and Colin are now on one year contracts. Colin was due to leave MotoGP at the end of 2008 but because of the great season he had he managed to get one more year and maybe he is going to be even better in 2009 and will therefore still be with us in 2010. That is what I hope. James has been discovering MotoGP and has had to overcome a lot of problems, learning new tracks, getting used to a new bike and a new format of racing. He did really well when you have all that in mind. But clearly both of them are under a lot of pressure to perform, like we are and like everybody is in MotoGP.´

`We are expecting from Colin that he will continue at the level he is and maybe be even better. We are expecting a major improvement from James and I think he is capable of it. It is difficult to reach the top and both of them are at the top level in their sport, but sometimes it is even more difficult to remain there. They know the game and it is a tough environment, but this is the life, you want to be there and you have to prove that you are worth being there. I am quite sure James is going to have an incredibly exciting 2009 season. I have been talking to him recently and he is working a lot on his physical condition, he is highly motivated. So I can´t see why we won´t get the results we are looking for, but of course we also know that there are some young riders knocking at the MotoGP door and our riders know that too. Our riders understand that we need to get podiums.´

Q. `Do you think we will see satellite riders winning races in 2009?´
A. `I think everybody wants to see more and more competitive racing and the new tyre regulation is going to help the racing to be closer for sure. We saw that through 2008 season the tyre factor created some breaks (gaps) in some races and took away the chances of some riders in some races. Everybody will now be on the same specification and the same quantity. We were testing that in Jerez in November and all of us, every rider, team manager and crew chief that I spoke to, were happy, even the ones who had previously been negative about the rule change.´

`So I think this is going to help us to be more competitive and I think if you look at all the riders on the grid everybody is very, very strong. We (Tech 3 Yamaha) should be in a position where if we improve a bit from last year, when we had a lot of front row starts and we had podiums, then why not? James and Colin have the dream, the absolute target to try and win a race, so let´s hope that an independent team is going to win a race and let´s hope it is going to be us. This is not completely unrealistic, sure it will be tough as the factories have the best means, the best riders, but it has happened before and hopefully it will happen again in 2009.´

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