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KTM· SHAYNE KING
Shayne King wheeled out the lone
factory two-stroke at Mantova, and it
wasn't coincidence khat mechanic Hendrik Nolting turned the steering askew
before we took the snaps. KTM has been
playing with steering-head angles and a
new frame, and it most definitely didn't
work on Saturday in Italy, as the front
wheel on full depression made contact
with the silencer and hooked Shayne off.
The Kiwi is using the POS system this
year, as well as WP upside-down forks,
while the pipe was made at the factory
rather than by SPES, who have allegedly
been experiencing production difficulties
since moving the operation to Germany.
Nissin brakes are also fitted and may
replace Brembo on the '99 production
range. Similar systems have been fitted
to Japanese 250cc GP bikes for a couple
of years, but an alternative ignitioncurve system for use to the first turn
(which means King can start in third and
does not need to shift right to the turn)
has been incorporated this year. A control light is fitted next to the headstock.
King's bike is a 368, but the dimensions
are not standard; King's engine has a
longer stroke. The bike pictured went
through tech right on the class limit of
224.4 pounds, but probably had air in
the tires to make that; the other bike
went through at 228.8 pounds.
YAMAHA - ANDREA BARTOLINI
Yamaha has been hard at work
through the winter. The four bikes went
through tech at 225.5 or 226.6 pounds, so
they are right back on the limit again
after gradually getting heavier until they
were regularly around 231 -2 by the end
of last summer, even without the battery
for the electric starter. That particular
device has been abandoned now. Much
of the additional weight added during
last year carne from the larger radiators
(double the volume of those fitted initially) needed to combat overheating,
but significant use of lighter metals and
compounds has counteracted that. The
engine has been overhauled and both
the bark and the way it pulls out of turns
and up hill5 prove that it is much more
powerful than last year's model. The EXUP exhaust valve, taken from the company's Superbike range, undoubtedly
plays a significant role. The most sensatiooal development, however, is the dial
on the headstock which enables the rider
to alter the ignition timing during the
race flo ~ power fade in the later
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wIiiiIe Pelis
