The Yamaha Factory Racing duo of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo unveiled their perspective MotoGP YZR-M1 prototypes in 2014 before nearly 4000 members of the Yamaha family at the 3S Dealer meeting in Indonesia last Friday.
Both riders arrived in Jakarta on Thursday, meeting with media and members of the Indonesian Yamaha community. They also met with Governor of Jakarta, Joko Widodo, spending some time cycling with him ahead of the unveiling.
Following the unveiling, Rossi and Lorenzo commented on the events of the two-day visit in Indonesia. They also spoke of the upcoming 19-round 2014 MotoGP season, which begins at Qatar on 23 March.
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Racing YZR-M1 MotoGP) says: “It’s always great to come to Indonesia. The Indonesians are the best fans in the world, with a lot of passion for MotoGP and the Yamaha Factory Team, even though they have no races in their country.
“The expectations for the coming season are very high. My target is to try and do better than last year, be more competitive and fight for the podium every weekend. I am sure our bike will be very competitive again. It was already very good last year and Yamaha engineers were able to develop it further through the season therefore I expect a lot from my new M1 and I am sure it will get even better during the season.”
Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing YZR-M1 MotoGP) says: “I like the new bike a lot, it’s very smart and elegant with more white. It’s not just the colour though; I’m excited to see what’s inside the bike in Sepang!”
“My expectations for this season are very high. This winter I had an operation to take out the metal plates in my shoulder so I’m a bit lighter but I’m also a bit fatter after Christmas! I am training hard to lose some kilos and I will try to start the season well like last year and be straight onto the podium. This will be important to get points and gain confidence to keep going through the season. Our rivals will be tough but I think if we’ve improved in some areas then we have a good chance to win the title again.”
Lorenzo joined Yamaha Factory Racing in 2008, and finished fourth overall that year behind teammate Rossi. He then finished second or better every year, including his two titles (2010, 2012).
Yamaha Factory Racing
YZR-M1 Specs
Engine – 1000cc liquid cooled inline four-cylinder with crossplane crankshaft
Chassis – Aluminium twin tube delta box with multi-adjustable steering geometry Aluminium swingarm
Transmission – Six-speed cassette-type gearbox with alternative gear ratios available
Wheels – MFR Forged Magnesium 16.5 front, 16.5 rear
Brakes – Brembo, two 320mm carbon front discs, two four-piston calipers. Single stainless steel rear disc, twin-piston caliper
Power – Over 240 horsepower – 176KW
Suspention – Ohlins upside down front forks and Ohlins rear shock, all adjustable for pre-load and compression , rebound damping
Tyres – Bridgestone, 16.5 inch front, 16.5 inch rear, available as slick and wet tyres
Weight – 160 kg. In accordance with FIM regulations.
– www.yamahamotogp.com
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