Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

be favored to grab the lead of next year's World superbike series when it kicks off at Phillip Island in March, as well as a serious contender for the '97 title on a season-long basis. Because, certainly, once Edwards makes the breakthrough and starts winning at the world level, he stands to make a habit of it. With Colin re-signed for his third year on the works Yamaha team run for the Japanese factory by its Italian subsidiary Belgarda, and joined next season by none other than former World Champion Scott Russell, you've got to believe Yamaha is ready for '97. As well as Colin II's growing maturity as a world-class rider, and his knowledge of the circuits in his second World superbike season with the Yamaha team, two other factors have been mainly responsible for the successful season he enjoyed together with his new teammate, former Japanese Superbike champion Wataru Yoshikawa, ninth in the final points table after a midseason wrist injury. Yoshi-san in fact scored Yamaha's first lap record of the. season at Laguna Seca, a stunning performance on his debut at such a difficult track, which underlined the enhanced ridability of the '96 YZF750 - followed two rounds later by its first pole of the season, at SentuJ courtesy of Edwards. One of these ingredients was the successful reorganization of the Yamaha Europe-directed team, with Davide Brivio taking over as team manager, former Ohlins suspension guru (and exworks Yamaha superbike rider) Anders Andersson hired,. away from Ducati to take care of suspension, and ex-Yamaha/ Cagiva 500cc GP race engineer Fiorenzo Fanali given much greater responsibility, assuming overall effective technical control of the whole operation, while the Japanese engineers concentrated on intensive R&D back home in Japan. With Belgarda's engine wizard Beppe Russo working closely with them, and Dunlop tire development now back on the pace after the '95 Kobe earthquake (and it's worth remembering that Dunlop isn't involved at all with four-cylinder 500cc GP racing, so all its big-bike R&D is concentrated on superbikes), the result has been an integrated, focused operation that is a credit to all concerned and a model for other teams - as well as a big step up from last season's less happy, more disjointed effort. Edwards is in no doubt as to where the credit for this much better team spirit is due. "Davide Brivio's the biggest asset to the team compared to last year," Edwards says. "He works· like a dog, takes care that everything gets done, and if it isn't, he insists. But at the same time, he's not pushing himself forward he makes sure guys like Fiorenzo and Anders, who are the top people in their fields, real experts that make the difference between winning and losing, they're the ones he pushes to the front and makes certain they can do their job. And it's a real good family feeling here at Yamaha, now, plus the Japanese guys like Taka Suzuki and now Kobayashisan, who've been trading off corning to races, have been working really hard, and it's paid off, as the end of season races showed. That's why I'm staying here next season. I won't get treated any better than at Yamaha, and they really, really want to win. They know I can, in terms of abili ty - and now I'm certain they can too. Watch us next year!"· Okay, the works Yamaha team is a happier, more effective setup than before, but what else has made the dif- (Right) Yamaha homologated two carb sizes - 39 and 41mm Kelhln fiat-slides - to allow the team to suit the power to short or long tmcks. (Below) Part of Colin Edwards II's new riding styling is an altered riding position that sees the bars both lowered and swept back more. ference? Well, the second ingredient is a surprise package - and that's the allaround improvement in the YZF750's performance this season. More than most, I can appreciate the scale of Yamaha's achievement in refining the bike so much, after having tested Colin's cornet at Mugello a year ago. The speed king of the superbike class, the '95 works Yamaha came complete with light-switch power delivery, razor-€dge handling and frankly erratic tire choice dlused by the slowdown in Dunlop's post-Kobe tire development, all contributing to making this one of the more intirnid'

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