Factory Bike Friday: Stewart's JGR Yamaha

smrscott
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Tustin, CA US
2/17/2012 4:39pm Edited Date/Time 2/18/2012 8:56am
A look at the JGR YZ450F that is on its wheels

Link here
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DrSweden
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2/17/2012 5:22pm
Cool. Why don't they just use Honda front wheel and axle when using Showa? Sounds easier than doing the Showa to YZF specs?
roughneck
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Jefferson, OR US
2/17/2012 5:39pm
Maybe they should have left it alone..don't seem to want to stay rubber side down..Huh just saying
Outsider
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2/17/2012 5:49pm
The shocks are designed and built by one of JGR's NASCAR shock builders.

Wonder if that's part of the problem...

The Shop

jonjon714
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2/17/2012 5:55pm Edited Date/Time 2/17/2012 5:56pm
Well hell...too many electronic gadgets on that bike. It's pretty obvious he keeps hitting the eject button on accident.
Xeno
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2/17/2012 5:56pm
DrSweden wrote:
Cool. Why don't they just use Honda front wheel and axle when using Showa? Sounds easier than doing the Showa to YZF specs?
You're right, they should use a Honda front wheel and axle. Along with the rest of the Honda.
Big
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2/17/2012 6:09pm
They do absolute everything possible to get the Yam behave as the 09 model maybe? Many top pros absolute hate the new yambike. especially outdoors. One french rider even refused to ride to the finishline in a ama race from good position. Even though he had good knowledge in the team. They couldn't make the Yam suitable for him. Whatever they did. I personally spoke with high-level Yamriders and they loved to have the 09 back. (Ive heard that about Honda 08 also from a few of course =)
Lightning78
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2/17/2012 7:24pm
"One quarter cup factory yamaha...." Yup that sounds about right for the level of involvement yamaha is giving their top tier team and rider ..... And they wonder WHY the bike isn't working and nobody wants to ride it hmmmm me thinks me sees a pattern here. I'm of the opinion now that the bike will never get where it should've been by now simply because of the lack of effort yamaha gives to their factory team. Satellite or not that is yamaha's marquee team and they created one of the most advanced "revolutionary" bikes then abandoned it right after its release when it obviously needed a lot of help, Honda fixed their bike ..... Most all "new" models don't start off perfect out of the crate and especially this one for how radically different it is ..... One has to wonder where that bike would be today from its release if yamaha actually did some r&d aside from "reprogramming" or changing the clutch actuator arm
Lightning78
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2/17/2012 7:28pm
By now I think they should just dust off reed's last works bike and have James ride it .... I seriously do not even in the least bit think that bike would be at a disadvantage in sx .... The tracks are too small for 450 sized hp. Funny how 2 stroke 500's didn't last too long in the stadium if at all when those bikes were making 60 plus hp. They figured it out then .... I truly believe that a factory or jgr (in this case) yz250 2 stroke with leaded gas would be more of a threat than he is right now ... Just an opinion not a hate fueled rant
Lightning78
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2/17/2012 7:30pm Edited Date/Time 2/17/2012 7:42pm
Honda found a way to get 56hp out of what was considered unanimously the weakest 2 stroke 250 engine in the class in stock form....ok now I'm gonna take a breather ...Carry on

Actually I have one more morsel I want to throw out there ..... Has anyone noticed how much smaller the sparse for the frame are on the yamaha compared to all the other aluminum framed bikes? I kind of wonder if the frame is flexing in a negative way .... Makes sense a little since bikes with less than rigid frames for sx are known for doing wildly unpredictable things that put the rider on the ground. Travis Preston said that about his factory ktm it would flex and boom! It would just go bananas...James has echoed the same problems he was having when he was at l&m not knowing what happened when he crashed or the bike would do the strangest things and boom he's on the ground again. When I watch James riding that bike its pretty clear he can't go "crazy balls" on that bike and I've never seen James ride so timid ever in his career and I don't think its a coincidence.
pete24
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2/17/2012 7:35pm
if i was going to show the world my bike the godamm seat cover would line up with the rest of the friggin graphics
RMT
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Lake Forest, CA US
2/17/2012 9:25pm
Who wrote that article?? They show those trick Kite wheels and then say they have to machine a special lower so they can run Yamaha wheels??? WTH is he talking about. He also thinks an O2 sensor is some trick part. Big whoopee. My stinking SXS has one and so does every POS car built with fuel injection. Big deal. Does he think they are going to carry a Dyno in the back of the factory rig so they can get the mixture right??? That shock looks an awful lot like a Penske (not that you can really tell by this pic) but I think they are handmade. I would bet the guy that makes them has a lot of time working with Penske shocks.
AUS_Twisted
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2/17/2012 10:52pm
pete24 wrote:
if i was going to show the world my bike the godamm seat cover would line up with the rest of the friggin graphics
I agree, if it was my bike or design it would piss me off. Either fix it or change the seat cover without the white stripe, just have it with blue and black sides or something, does not flow well at all.
bullpen58
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Fresno, CA US
2/17/2012 11:25pm
That bike is such a POS. It ruined James Stewart's career of crashing.
smrscott
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2/18/2012 12:09am
He is talking about JGR had to machine fork lowers for the SHOWA fork to run a YZ wheel - How many Yamaha's come stock with a Showa fork or how many Yamaha teams run a Showa fork? Most teams do not run O2 sensors on the race bike - if they can collect data they can change mapping and tuning between practice sessions. The O2 sensor could also switch the system from a Open Loop to a close loop system - yet I think this is more of a data collection tool.
Some people ask odd questions just to make a post.
mxtryon231
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2/18/2012 2:46am
I wish we could see James on RV, Chad, or Metty's bike and see just how different his results would be.
jtomasik
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2/18/2012 2:52am Edited Date/Time 2/18/2012 2:52am
The solution is replacing the carbon fiber silencer cap with an aluminum one.

Q.E.D.
2/18/2012 5:08am
By now I think they should just dust off reed's last works bike and have James ride it .... I seriously do not even in the...
By now I think they should just dust off reed's last works bike and have James ride it .... I seriously do not even in the least bit think that bike would be at a disadvantage in sx .... The tracks are too small for 450 sized hp. Funny how 2 stroke 500's didn't last too long in the stadium if at all when those bikes were making 60 plus hp. They figured it out then .... I truly believe that a factory or jgr (in this case) yz250 2 stroke with leaded gas would be more of a threat than he is right now ... Just an opinion not a hate fueled rant
I agree.
mxtech1
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2/18/2012 5:14am
RMT wrote:
Who wrote that article?? They show those trick Kite wheels and then say they have to machine a special lower so they can run Yamaha wheels...
Who wrote that article?? They show those trick Kite wheels and then say they have to machine a special lower so they can run Yamaha wheels??? WTH is he talking about. He also thinks an O2 sensor is some trick part. Big whoopee. My stinking SXS has one and so does every POS car built with fuel injection. Big deal. Does he think they are going to carry a Dyno in the back of the factory rig so they can get the mixture right??? That shock looks an awful lot like a Penske (not that you can really tell by this pic) but I think they are handmade. I would bet the guy that makes them has a lot of time working with Penske shocks.
I would like to see you take just one of those custom parts and make it work on a stock bike. Either you have no appreciation for technology and trying to push the envelope or you just felt like being an asshole.
mark_swart
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Chapin, SC US
2/18/2012 5:20am
DrSweden wrote:
Cool. Why don't they just use Honda front wheel and axle when using Showa? Sounds easier than doing the Showa to YZF specs?
Xeno wrote:
You're right, they should use a Honda front wheel and axle. Along with the rest of the Honda.
What Xeno said!
englishman
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2/18/2012 5:23am
If you need a light to tell you your bike is warm enough to ride ..............hmmmnn O.K
indy_maico
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Indianapolis, IN US
2/18/2012 5:29am Edited Date/Time 2/18/2012 5:31am
RMT wrote:
Who wrote that article?? They show those trick Kite wheels and then say they have to machine a special lower so they can run Yamaha wheels...
Who wrote that article?? They show those trick Kite wheels and then say they have to machine a special lower so they can run Yamaha wheels??? WTH is he talking about. He also thinks an O2 sensor is some trick part. Big whoopee. My stinking SXS has one and so does every POS car built with fuel injection. Big deal. Does he think they are going to carry a Dyno in the back of the factory rig so they can get the mixture right??? That shock looks an awful lot like a Penske (not that you can really tell by this pic) but I think they are handmade. I would bet the guy that makes them has a lot of time working with Penske shocks.
The shocks that JGR use are built by JRI.

JRI is owned by Jeff Ryan. He worked for Fox, but also Penske for years. If you look at his bio page, most of those championships he mentions comes from his days at Penske Shocks.

http://www.jrishocks.com/ourteam/bio.cfm
harescrambled
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2/18/2012 5:40am
All the trick parts and money thrown around won't win races if the rider can't keep it off the ground....just sayin'.
umagumadog
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GA US
2/18/2012 6:05am
James Stewart's race bike is one of most trick bikes in the pits with all sorts of electronics, data acquisition, and unique performance components. I wonder if the data acquisition software talks back to you like an iPhone 4s: “Yes James, I have found 7 places you have hit the ground this year, many very close to this location.”
Woohoo
Drfletcher
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Cumming, GA US
2/18/2012 8:20am
Its not the bike - but they do need to put an air bag on it for James. And maybe a tuff block warning sensor.
TbonesPop
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2/18/2012 8:35am
Drfletcher wrote:
Its not the bike - but they do need to put an air bag on it for James. And maybe a tuff block warning sensor.
Agree, James' problems aren't the bike. And in addition to air bags and tough block sensors, they could add curb checkers, bumpers, and turn signals. The bike is extremely cool and I love the innovation JGR brings to the sport. i wish people could appreciate it for what it is and not use it as another excuse for Stewarts results.
mj731
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2/18/2012 8:37am Edited Date/Time 2/18/2012 8:43am
bullpen58 wrote:
That bike is such a POS. It ruined James Stewart's career of crashing.
I think his career of crashing looks to be right on track.

Is it possible that it isn't the actual bike that's the problem but what's in his head? Maybe in his head he thinks the bike is the problem and no matter what they change on the bike he has it in the back of his head that the bike just wont work.
mxtech1
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2/18/2012 8:56am
I wish some people could see past Stewart and realize JGR is so much bigger in the grand scheme of things than just one guy. The things they are doing with the bike takes so much knowledge, engineering, and fabrication power. It seems like you guys all want to bash the team because they are doing their own thing and not building a bike from bolt-on aftermarket parts like every other non-factory team. Every factory team utilizes all the same equipment while they do their testing that you see on this JGR race bike. I think JGR is smarter for leaving the testing equipment on the race bike because they now have more physical data to analyze instead of just relying on rider feedback.

Here's my question...

If JGR was using a different bike, say Honda, that's proven to work good, do you think they would still be doing the special things they are with the Yamaha? Or is all their work in vein to try a dial in a so called "sub-par" Yamaha?

My idea is that regardless of the bike, I feel with the types of people JGR employs, it's in their nature to test, develop, and be creative with their technology and tools to better a product regardless of how good it works.

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