Tonus will be the first rider to race the 18 Yamaha

It's a little bit interesting that the factory riders wont be the first to ride the bike. I wonder what that means for Cooper, or if the fact that the nationals bikes have to be homologated it won't be a problem?

The factory guys are working hard to get the bikes where they want them before racing. When the bikes/teams are ready homologation won't be a problem.

I'll get some shots of it on Saturday and try to remember to post em up.

2 seconds faster per lap

"While the works version of the MY 2018 YZ450F is still in development, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing riders Romain Febvre and Jeremy Van Horebeek are expected to debut the 2018 YZ450FM later this year."

Are they waiting for the US team to get ready with homologation because they want both full factory teams on the 18 bike at the same time?

The full factory GP teams are able to rig together one off prototype bikes tailored to thier individual rider and track situation. Does the commercial marketing really have anything to do with the year "model"?

Yep wrote:

The full factory GP teams are able to rig together one off prototype bikes tailored to thier individual rider and track situation. Does the commercial marketing really have anything to do with the year "model"?

I was just thinking that Yamaha would want Webb, Febvre and JVH on the bike at the same time?

Febvre been working on his 2017 too hard this year to get it working that i don't see him starting to test 18 model anytime soon. MXGP they can run any parts they want as US they need to use production based frame and motor.. I think they want. I don't see what 2018 model will give to MXGP team that been allowed to run prototype frame and motor all year.

Yep wrote:

The full factory GP teams are able to rig together one off prototype bikes tailored to thier individual rider and track situation. Does the commercial marketing really have anything to do with the year "model"?

Motofinne wrote:

I was just thinking that Yamaha would want Webb, Febvre and JVH on the bike at the same time?

That would be a marketing dept issue I would think since Webb's bike would be the product closes resembling the bike on the US showrooms. The GP bikes have blue plastic in common with the public available bikes. The 2018 models are already in the USA.

Yep wrote:

The full factory GP teams are able to rig together one off prototype bikes tailored to thier individual rider and track situation. Does the commercial marketing really have anything to do with the year "model"?

Motofinne wrote:

I was just thinking that Yamaha would want Webb, Febvre and JVH on the bike at the same time?

Yep wrote:

That would be a marketing dept issue I would think since Webb's bike would be the product closes resembling the bike on the US showrooms. The GP bikes have blue plastic in common with the public available bikes. The 2018 models are already in the USA.

Both GP teams are privately owned while the US team is owned and operated by YMUS. I think the main problem relates to each crews comfort in running the bikes with or without certain goodies. The US team I think is having more of a problem of not having a lot of parts of the bike they think they need...while we've seen these two GP teams operate with bikes that have trick parts but are also willing to run many production parts if needed (such as Rinaldi running production forks and shocks for a few seasons).

Considering the bike hits showroom floors in about two weeks and is already public knowledge, marketing would love to have him out racing on it.

Yep wrote:

Not blue

Optional color.

The Rinaldi frames Everts ran were absolute works of art, 2nd only to the Aprilia frames during thier dabbling in the GPs.

Yep wrote:

Not blue

ML512 wrote:

Optional color.

I like it !

I think my dealer already has them on the showroom, unless it was a 250f in white that i saw...

ML512 wrote:

Both GP teams are privately owned while the US team is owned and operated by YMUS. I think the main problem relates to each crews comfort in running the bikes with or without certain goodies. The US team I think is having more of a problem of not having a lot of parts of the bike they think they need...while we've seen these two GP teams operate with bikes that have trick parts but are also willing to run many production parts if needed (such as Rinaldi running production forks and shocks for a few seasons).

Considering the bike hits showroom floors in about two weeks and is already public knowledge, marketing would love to have him out racing on it.

ML, why do you think the 18 bikes are "delayed" for Webb, Febvre and JVH? Both Webb and Febvre have had massive issues with the setup on the 17 bikes, Febvre even went back to the 15 settings.

RonJon wrote:

I think my dealer already has them on the showroom, unless it was a 250f in white that i saw...

Most likely a 250f. According to Yamaha I won't have any on our floor until the first week of September (East coast).

Motofinne wrote:

ML, why do you think the 18 bikes are "delayed" for Webb, Febvre and JVH? Both Webb and Febvre have had massive issues with the setup on the 17 bikes, Febvre even went back to the 15 settings.

I honestly think it has to do with parts availability with a "factory" effort...Yamaha not wanting them to race the bikes until certain things are ready...such as cylinder heads, works suspension, triple clamps, clutches, etc.

RonJon wrote:

I think my dealer already has them on the showroom, unless it was a 250f in white that i saw...

billyg371 wrote:

Most likely a 250f. According to Yamaha I won't have any on our floor until the first week of September (East coast).

2 local dealers here are supposed to have them this week. I haven't checked up yet, but that's what I was told two weeks ago

ML512 wrote:

Both GP teams are privately owned while the US team is owned and operated by YMUS. I think the main problem relates to each crews comfort in running the bikes with or without certain goodies. The US team I think is having more of a problem of not having a lot of parts of the bike they think they need...while we've seen these two GP teams operate with bikes that have trick parts but are also willing to run many production parts if needed (such as Rinaldi running production forks and shocks for a few seasons).

Considering the bike hits showroom floors in about two weeks and is already public knowledge, marketing would love to have him out racing on it.

Motofinne wrote:

ML, why do you think the 18 bikes are "delayed" for Webb, Febvre and JVH? Both Webb and Febvre have had massive issues with the setup on the 17 bikes, Febvre even went back to the 15 settings.

ML512 wrote:

I honestly think it has to do with parts availability with a "factory" effort...Yamaha not wanting them to race the bikes until certain things are ready...such as cylinder heads, works suspension, triple clamps, clutches, etc.

The Factory GP bikes of Febvre, and JVH are full on works bikes, what they learned from that over the last 2 years has gone into the 2018 production bike, just like the old days, they will get the 2018 factory bike at the end of the season, and develop that in winter testing , for 2018... Webb's bike has to run to US rules , which restrict frame modes, motor mods and all sorts of other stuff, so he will never be on the same bike.

Tonus on Simpson are Yamaha supported stock bikes, with modifications, and suspension changes etc, run by Wilvo, and Yamaha are keen to get the bike out there , Simpson is injured , i imagine Tonus has tested the 2018 prototype already and is happy enough to go with it.

mattyhamz2 wrote:

2 local dealers here are supposed to have them this week. I haven't checked up yet, but that's what I was told two weeks ago

There's been production delays since then. Delivery dates have been pushed back 1 month.

Motofinne wrote:

ML, why do you think the 18 bikes are "delayed" for Webb, Febvre and JVH? Both Webb and Febvre have had massive issues with the setup on the 17 bikes, Febvre even went back to the 15 settings.

ML512 wrote:

I honestly think it has to do with parts availability with a "factory" effort...Yamaha not wanting them to race the bikes until certain things are ready...such as cylinder heads, works suspension, triple clamps, clutches, etc.

philG wrote:

The Factory GP bikes of Febvre, and JVH are full on works bikes, what they learned from that over the last 2 years has gone into the 2018 production bike, just like the old days, they will get the 2018 factory bike at the end of the season, and develop that in winter testing , for 2018... Webb's bike has to run to US rules , which restrict frame modes, motor mods and all sorts of other stuff, so he will never be on the same bike.

Tonus on Simpson are Yamaha supported stock bikes, with modifications, and suspension changes etc, run by Wilvo, and Yamaha are keen to get the bike out there , Simpson is injured , i imagine Tonus has tested the 2018 prototype already and is happy enough to go with it.

Yep

ML512 wrote:

I honestly think it has to do with parts availability with a "factory" effort...Yamaha not wanting them to race the bikes until certain things are ready...such as cylinder heads, works suspension, triple clamps, clutches, etc.

philG wrote:

The Factory GP bikes of Febvre, and JVH are full on works bikes, what they learned from that over the last 2 years has gone into the 2018 production bike, just like the old days, they will get the 2018 factory bike at the end of the season, and develop that in winter testing , for 2018... Webb's bike has to run to US rules , which restrict frame modes, motor mods and all sorts of other stuff, so he will never be on the same bike.

Tonus on Simpson are Yamaha supported stock bikes, with modifications, and suspension changes etc, run by Wilvo, and Yamaha are keen to get the bike out there , Simpson is injured , i imagine Tonus has tested the 2018 prototype already and is happy enough to go with it.

Yep wrote:

Yep

Yep?

Motofinne wrote:

ML, why do you think the 18 bikes are "delayed" for Webb, Febvre and JVH? Both Webb and Febvre have had massive issues with the setup on the 17 bikes, Febvre even went back to the 15 settings.

ML512 wrote:

I honestly think it has to do with parts availability with a "factory" effort...Yamaha not wanting them to race the bikes until certain things are ready...such as cylinder heads, works suspension, triple clamps, clutches, etc.

philG wrote:

The Factory GP bikes of Febvre, and JVH are full on works bikes, what they learned from that over the last 2 years has gone into the 2018 production bike, just like the old days, they will get the 2018 factory bike at the end of the season, and develop that in winter testing , for 2018... Webb's bike has to run to US rules , which restrict frame modes, motor mods and all sorts of other stuff, so he will never be on the same bike.

Tonus on Simpson are Yamaha supported stock bikes, with modifications, and suspension changes etc, run by Wilvo, and Yamaha are keen to get the bike out there , Simpson is injured , i imagine Tonus has tested the 2018 prototype already and is happy enough to go with it.

Obviously the GP Team can run some stuff we can't here, but Michelle also runs some pretty darn stock stuff in some regards. Back to what I said though, there's many parts that are different on the 18 and neither Rinaldi nor YMUS have some of the goodies they'd normally run on a race bike.

Arnauds new ride.

Motofinne wrote:

I was just thinking that Yamaha would want Webb, Febvre and JVH on the bike at the same time?

Febvre talks about his start of season struggle and a little about the new bike in this interview (Google trad sorry), it was just a week or two ago I think:


https://translate.google.fr/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=fr&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mx2k.com%2Ffr%2Fgrand-angle%2Finterview-romain-febvre.html-1&edit-text=

Febvre had success on the 2015 bike , is was quite mild compared to how others had it set, his SM background means he understands that feeling fast doesn't mean fast, and last year and this, he struggled, he has gone back to a gentler setting that he can ride harder and it shows , he is much better than he was and is back to being towards the front. . Malin eluded to the way the bike sounded in either Russia or Portugal I think, that it was much different to JVH's bike. .