Needless to say, our customer relations team receives some “interesting” feedback from past, present and future Yamaha owners. It could be someone looking for general tech support, or someone is upset because the rear tire on their 1973 DT3 is already worn out … it’s never a boring job, that’s for sure.
More recently, one of our agents helped provide some tech specs to a then-and-now Yamaha rider named Lynn. As it turns out, Lynn endured some eerie coincidence on her new bike. (Looking at her pics, she’s also attained some wisdom in regards to proper riding gear )
Thanks for sending me the detailed tech specs for that DT200. I am comparing it to what I currently have, the WR250R, which was the bike that replaced the DT200. I never thought I’d be able to come close to replacing that beloved DT, and to be honest, when I bought the WR and was riding it home, I got goose bumps. Not because I was on a flashy new bike (well, that was kinda part of it) but because of the day and time I took possession. It’s REAL creepy.
I bought that old 1986 DT200 brand new in Penticton; I was 19 and had saved up from working a whole winter up at the ski hill in Kelowna. I absolutely LOVED that little bike. Roll forward to 11:30 AM, Oct 23, 1988. I wrote off my poor bike after an old lady failed to yield and decided to cut in between me and the truck in front of me. Bike was totaled. All I have left of that memory is a picture of me on it when I was camping at Christina Lake in the Kootenays.
I had always wanted to get another bike like the one I had. Life took me different places and I never got the chance to get another, even though I kept my eyes open for that year of bike. Nothing. I ended up with an old 1977 Honda XL 250 that was a heavy tank of a bike, and didn’t enjoy it near as much (I still have that old bike)…in fact it never even could be compared. I had numerous street bikes, the last one being a 1995 Suzuki RF600R. Stupidfast bike. It was a scream to ride, but every time I’d go past a trail off the road I’d want to explore it. NOT a good thing on a sportbike.
I then went onto the Yamaha site and saw the WR on there. I had looked at the WR250 years before, but because it wasn’t street legal I never took a second look. I read up on the R that others own, and the responses were incredible. A new bike, basically a dirt bike you can ride on the road rightout of the crate. I immediately thought of my old DT, and HAD to take a ride on one. I had to wait for a demo day in order for that to happen, but once I rode it, I was hooked. I felt I had finally found a replacement, even if the damned thing was so high I couldn’t touch the ground. That was in July, 2008. A month later I sold the 600.
Roll forward to Oct 23, 2009. I’ve got the paperwork in my hands, my gearon and anticipating my first ride on my brand new 09 WR250R. The salesman had managed to get in the very first ‘09 in BC, right after the dealer demo that was held in Whistler, just for me. They hadn’t even been released to the public at that point, but he apparently knew someone and pulled a few strings. So at 11:30, I am on my new bike and riding down the highway. It was then that it hit me, and why I felt a cold shiver run the length of my spine. When I got home, I found the paperwork from the accident on the old DT. Check this out:
Oct 23, 1988 11:30 AM : 1986 Yamaha DT200S written off Oct 23, 2008 11:30 AM : 2009 Yamaha WR25R ridden off the showroom floor.
Last 2 numbers on the VIN are 23.
20 years later to the exact date and time, I have replaced something I never thought I ever would.
Sorry if I’ve bored you with this, but what you’ve done really means a lot to me. I’m going over the spec sheets for both bikes, and besides the difference of the DT being a 2-stroke, the two bikes are very similar in a lot of ways.
Again, I thank you for doing this for me. I’ve sent along some pics, just for comparison. One of me when I was on the old DT (well it was maybe 5 months old there), me on the new WR250R, and the WR after I went to work and modified it.
What do you think? Is this all coincidence? Or was Lynn meant to be back on a Yamaha dual sport?
THE QUESTION:
Hugh Hutner: I ride with a number of other riders on various brands of bikes, but one day, at the cafe, we notice that the five guys who ride the R1 are all left handed. The other day we had a woman rider on an R1 join the ride from one of our affiliated social groups, and she is left handed.
So we have ages ranging from 30 to 60, both genders, all different years of R1, ethnic backgrounds are german, malaysian, chinese, african, thai and russian jew (hey, this is Vancouver, eh) and occupations range from low tech to professional. So the question is: what is it about the R1 that makes it the choice of lefties?
THE ANSWER:
Bryan Hudgin: Hello Hugh!! Since I’m the PR specialist, customer service sent me your email and what a great message it was! It actually got me thinking about the people who work here. You guessed it, I’m also left handed. Both VP’s and the President are as well. There seems to be a disproportionate number of staff that I talked to that are left handed.
I’m thinking we can put this to the test on our Facebook page and the 2000+ Yamaha fans we have on there. If you have Facebook, look for us at http://www.facebook.com/YamahaMotorCanada. We’ll ask the question later today and see what kind of response we get. Something like, “Do Left-handers prefer Yamaha?” and we’ll point to your informal data as the catalyst.
As a side note, I did come across this while looking for the breakdown of handedness amongst general populations. It seems like the intelligent choice is Yamaha? Maybe it has something to do with right brained people preferring the colour blue? Maybe it’s because left handers are the only ones in their “right” minds? [laughs]. Have a great day, Hugh.
Two Pakistani researchers explored the effect of handedness on the intelligence level of students. The sample included an equal number of left-handed and right-handed students drawn from various universities in Pakistan, altogether 150 subjects. Subjects were assessed for both handedness and intelligence.
The researchers found no significant difference in intelligence between subjects from various educational levels, but they did find that left-handed subjects were significantly more intelligent than right-handed subjects. Results were published in the January 2007 Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology
Our “My Yamaha Photo Contest” is well underway, with submissions coming in from all over Canada, and in reference to nearly every one of our product lines … still missing some sweet pics of sporty sport boats though.
For those of you who don’t know, the Photo Contest is being run on our Facebook page. It’s easy to enter; all you need to do is become a fan of our page, upload some sweet pics and hit “submit now” on the Contest page …
Ben Spies and his YAMAHA Italia Team celebrate their first ever World Superbike Championship.
It’s a question that has troubled experts and bench racers alike since the beginning of motorcycle racing: is it the rider or the bike?
Anyone with some racing background and experience, obviously says it’s the rider who ultimately determines the results. Sure, equipment is important – you need reliability, performance and confidence – but a good bike can only take you so far. A team is a valuable asset as well, but at the end of the day, it’s the rider turning the throttle.
[In the tune of "Bicycle Race" by Queen.] “Dan Pecora wants to ride his motorcycle … he wants to ride his bike…. ” And he wants to ride it a lot! So who is Dan Pecora? He’s your average Joe kinda guy who really, really likes to ride motorcycles, and after reading an email of his where he marveled at some new Yamaha models, I decided to call him up for a few words on the blog….
Well, after my successful first race weekend I was officially hooked. I was very happy with my performance. The only thing that frustrated me was the horsepower difference from my current bike to the newer bikes of the other front runners. When we hit the back straights, I was being left behind, and it took everything I had to push harder and carry more speed than the others into every corner to regain back that difference, only to lose it all over again down the back straight and have to repeat everything all over again. The decision was made to get a newer bike and upgrade–I needed more HP….
Last week we featured a video tour of the Team Toyota Yamaha OTSFF pits and rig. Today, we’re introducing you to the racers, Kevin Lacombe, Tony Kasper, and Royce McLean. It’s a pretty unique combination we have between these guys.
Lacombe, who finished on the podium in both classes last year, is obviously our flagship rider and is the most capable of taking down the green goblin, Jordan Szoke. Flanking him is Minnesota’s Tony Kasper, an accomplished racer in AMA racing and snocross, and 14-year-old phenom, Royce McLean.
Learn a little more about these racers by watching the video below …
After distracting security guards with shiny things and cute puppies, Bryan Hudgin and I managed to sneak into the pits of Team Toyota Yamaha OTSFF at the opening round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championships in Calabogie, ON. Get a feel for what it’s like to be “factory” by watching the video below …
Along with our road racing team, we’ll also be following Team Toyota/Yamaha/Red Bull/Blackfoot/Fox Racing at some nationals (which kick off this weekend in Kamloops, BC), so stay tuned for some behind the scenes action from those guys as well. And if there is anything specifiic you’d like to see, hear or smell, let us know and we’ll plug it into the script.
Well, it only took 25 years and 24 days, but I finally enjoyed my first, live road race. I know, I know … I should have sealed the deal much earlier, but with my past duties at RXC, my weekends were always tied up at the MX track.
Fortunately, with this swanky new job at Yamaha Motor Canada, I had the opportunity to attend Calabogie Motorsports Park on May 24 for the opening round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championships.
The trip started out in Marmora on Sunday morning, where I was picked up by Yamaha’s PR Specialist, Bryan Hudgin, in James Stewart’s truck of choice, a Toyota Tundra. During our two and half hour journey from Marmora to Calabogie, Bryan and I exchanged stories about college, road trips (we both shared some very eventful ones from our respective stays on the CMRC National MX tour, but we’ll save those for another column), and what it all means. Deep stuff, for sure [laughs].
We arrived to the track shortly after ten o’clock and received a rather unwelcoming welcome from the front gate people. It seems that our VIP badges, Yamaha wear, and heavily labeled truck weren’t enough to warrant us access to the pits. Instead, we were asked to drive down into the gravel pits and park with the public. Nice!
Other than their staff not recognizing ‘big wigs’ when they see them, Calabogie is a welcomed addition to the series. This was only Calabogie’s second year as part of the national circuit, but will probably remain on the schedule for many years. They have an impressive facility that features a 5 km track, 5-star chalet overlooking the front straight, and pristine landscape. In my very limited knowledge of RR, I thought that the track didn’t cater to the spectators very well (I know, it’s not MX …) but I’m sure the racers love the long and fast layout, and the many unique sections and corners.
Rather than explaining every detail of my experience, let’s take a look through some pics instead. As always, feel free to offer some feedback. Maybe share with us your first road racing experience??
Quigley Down Under? No, unfortunately, Tom Selleck didn’t make an appearance in Calabogie, but some really fast dudes did on street bikes. This section was pretty cool to watch from; it was the final corner before the finish and we saw some pretty exciting passes coming out of it. It’s kinda neat driving into the track, too. You’re driving down these back roads, in between gravel pits, feeling like you’re in the middle of nowhere, and then, all of sudden, you climb over this huge hill and see a brand new racetrack. Just neat is all….
New kid in the class For 2009, we’ve partnered with Andre Laurin and his OTSFF Motorsports Group (who we also work with in snocross racing) to attack the Superbike Championships. While some pundits are skeptical regarding our new alliance/team and experience, our potential was easily visible in Calabogie. We found the podium in both classes with our veteran leader, Kevin Lacombe, and newbies, Tony Kasper, and Royce McLean, showed signs of brilliance in their first Canadian road racing debuts. And once we have more time on the all-new YZF-R1, and the riders adapt better to its new power delivery, look out!
The Calabogie crowd Since this was my first road race, I really can’t really say what a good crowd is, but here’s how I normally define a good crowd at a MX race. Let’s see if Calabogie makes the grade:
1. Fans interacting with racers – check.
2. Lots of attractive girls – check.
3. Lots of attractive girls who don’t pay any attention to me – check.
4. Fans surrounding the track – check.
5. Fans eating cheeseburgers and consuming beers without shirts on – check. (And nope, for once, I actually did have a shirt on.)
Boy Wonder
I’ve seen a lot of young, accomplished Canadian MX riders graduate into the pro ranks far too early (I still think our system needs to be reworked) that end up falling apart because they can’t deal with the pressures of pro racing. No matter how well you do in amateur stuff, it doesn’t mean anything when you line up against the men.
However, Alberta’s Royce McLean is a little different than most of the young guns that I’ve come into contact with. The 14-year-old is a naturally gifted rider, who also knows how to overcome the pressures and distractions as well. McLean was never shook all weekend. He ran competitive lap times and never lost composure anywhere – on or off – the track all weekend.
While he was shooting for a top-5 finish in the 600 class, McLean settled for a 7th behind veteran Steve Crevier, and fellow Yamaha supported rider, Andrew Nelson. He even signed up for the Superbike class for extra track time to work on his bike setup, and managed to finish just outside the top-10 in 11th. Not bad.
Keep an eye on this kid as he gets more track time and experience against the pros….
Kasper “The Ghost” and “Smiley” Nick Two more new faces at the Canadian races and under the Yamaha tent are Minnesota’s Tony Kasper (left) and Nick Cristofaro (right). Kasper has had some good results in AMA Pro Racing, and is also a top snocross racer, while Nick, who hails from Brampton, is a former MX technician for the OTSFF team and also enjoys working out and playing soccer.
Kasper’s weekend didn’t go as planned after sliding out on his R6 in the 600 final while running fifth. His goal was to finish on the podium, as he knew that would surely make Nick smile for the first time in 2009. Just hassling you, Nick.
I’ll let you create the caption for this one….
Good luck to Team Toyota Yamaha/OTSFF, and to everyone who will be trying to be beat them, at Round 2 in Montreal on June 11-14!
Is there really such a thing as a “free ride?” There is at Yamaha’s Motorcycle Power Tour events! (Although, our goal is that participants will realize the features and benefits of our bikes and eventually purchase one … but in the meantime, the ride’s on us.)
On Sunday, May 10, just over 40 riders signed up to test ride some of our finest motorcycles at Kelly’s Cycle Centre in Hamilton, Ontario. Those in attendance got to try out many of our Star series cruisers, including the all-new V-Star 950, sport models like the YZF-R1 with its new cross-place crankshaft, and we also had some scooters on hand for those looking for a fun, safe and quieter ride.
The crew at Kelly’s put some real aggression and enthusiasm into the event, and we were thrilled to see that reflected by the riders who put all of the bikes through their paces in every demo session. In fact, our team was showing off “guns” the size of Ron Burgundy’s after filling up the fuel tanks so much! Kevin, Chris, Orton, and Aaron of the Power Tour staff made sure that the day ran smoothly and on time, and they even captured some of it on film. You can watch it below….
And just to clarify, we’re pretty sure that the comment from the guy in the R1 testimonial (“It has, absolutely, God awful power …”) is actually a compliment. He was probably just a little nervous being behind the Yama-Tube lens (don’t fool yourself, it’s not easy being on the big screen) and mixed up his wording. But who knows, maybe that could be our new catch phrase for the 2009 YZF-R1?!?
Joe from Hamilton isn’t the only rider who had a memorable time with the R1. Click here to read a review of a Suzuki rider who has fallen for the all-new R1.
Anyhoo, we appreciate all of you who stopped by Kelly’s for the demo ride and enjoyed our new models.
So where is the next stop on the Power Tour? Find out by visiting Yamaha-motor.ca. Don’t be shy, get out to your local demo ride and answer the question that everyone is asking, “What kind of Yamaha are you?”
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when they see them, Calabogie is a welcomed addition to the series. This was only Calabogie’s second year as part of the national circuit, but will probably remain on the schedule for many years. They have an impressive facility that features a 5 km track, 5-star chalet overlooking the front straight, and pristine landscape. In my very limited knowledge of RR, I thought that the track didn’t cater to the spectators very well (I know, it’s not MX …) but I’m sure the racers love the long and fast layout, and the many unique sections and corners.
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