Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126899
~ B ~ (Above) Yoshim ure GSXR750-besed Superbike hes dry clutch . six-speed close-retio trensm ission; reck-end-pinion repleces clutch pushrod. Yoshimure Superbike uses 36mm f1et-slide Mikuni cerbs end Yoshimure exheust system; bodywork is stock. By John Ulrich When the Dayto na 200 leaves the starting grid on March 9, it will be a battle of m o torcycles and tuners as much as it will be a baule of riders . Three teams with j ap an ese factory backing will face off. incl uding Suzuki- sponsored Yoshimura R&D of America a n d th e in-house teams run by American Honda Motor Co. and Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A. World Champion Freddie Spencer leads th e charge for Honda, backed up by Superbi ke Cha mpion Fred Merkel, and former Superbike Champ io n Wayne Rainey. Kevin Schwantz, who won three Superbike rounds last year and beat Merkel twice, is Yoshimura's main ma n ; Mike Bal dwin signed a co ntract with U.S. Suzu ki to ride anothe r Yos himura Suzuki bu t then signed a nother contract wi th Yamaha; af ter negotiations between Yamaha and Suzuki, Baldwin was released from his first contract to ride a Yamaha , although not without a lot of hard feeli ngs. Yoshimura of j apan is brin ging in j a panese Formula One Champion Satoshi Tsujimoto to join Schwantz. O n February 19, we photographed . Spencer's VFR750F·based Superbike at Team Honda headquarters in Carso n, California. O n February 20, we shot Schwantz 's GSXR750 Superbike a t Yos hi mura R&D of America in C hino, Ca lifornia. According to Team Honda 's Udo C eirl, th e company is hoping to have H o nda Raci n g Corporation (H RC) eng ine and chassis race part kits available for privateers by th e en d of March or early in April. Included in the kits , if all goes according to p lan, will be suspensio n parts, wh eels , a n aluminum radiator, an d th e usual performance parts suc h as ignition, ca rbs, ea rns, 'e tc. An exact list of parts included wa s not a vai la ble a t press' ti me .' U n less th e U.S. dolla r co ntinues to" slide aga ins t the japanese yen in exchange ra te, bo th kit s shou ld be ava ila ble for about $ 10,000. Yoshimura, mea n whi le, has engi ne kit s a vaila ble for th e GSXR750 for $6645. incl uding cams, valve springs, cam cha in, ca m chai n ten sion er, pi stons, CDI, ex ha us t system, footpegs Keyebe 40mm forks with brace, 18-inch Dymeg with 12.2-inch steinlessdiscsend duel-piston celipers. (Above) Yoshimure reinforced swingerm with ventileted cast-iron disc end magnesium celiper. Reer wheel is 4 .00x18. front wheeI2.75x18. To reech the minimum weight of 390 pounds. Yoshimure poured molten leed into GSXR750's low er freme tubes . Note eluminum cetch tenk,ove, countershett~ " . t l r {, ," " ' 1l l',!iI \. l' , Ie ' III f \ II, i. 'i I , ~ ~( I r f ' " j' / 11 111 ) ,I I • ~ 1