2001 Yamaha Yz250 on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Lorenzo Signs Two-Year Extension with Yamaha

Two-time MotoGP Champion Jorge Lorenzo has signed a contract extension with Yamaha to see him race on the company’s factory team through the 2016 season. The signing comes as no real surprise, following similar two-year contract extensions for teammate Valentino Rossi and Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa. Ducati also confirmed it would field Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone next season, so unless Lorenzo wanted to spend a season or two developing Suzuki‘s or Aprilia‘s new prototypes, Lorenzo’s only option for a factory ride was to re-sign with Yamaha.

Tapout Themed Yamaha R1 Unveiled at UFC 129 Fan Expo

The Ultimate Fighting Championships recently held the largest event in its history in Toronto and the folks at Tapout decided to use the occasion to unveil a 2011 Yamaha R1 project bike. The bike was designed Toronto’s Flat Out Industries. As you may expect, it prominently features Tapout logos all over the bike, including on the wheels, along with a pretty sweet red, black and white color scheme.

OEMs Plug into Electric Bikes

KTM introduced its prototype electric motorcycle earlier this week, and electric bike manufacturer Zero Motorcycles almost immediately responded by opening sales on its 2009 Zero X dirt bike (look for our review of the 2008 model next week!). But these two companies aren’t the only ones exploring the possibilities of electric-powered motorcycles. In September, Japan’s largest industrial information journal Nikkei Business Daily reported that both Honda and Yamaha have set target dates for launching their own electric-powered motorcycles.