Inside Max Biaggi's Yamaha YZR500
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, - - - -. . he next time you see Max Biaggi's Yamaha YZR
cartwheeling through the gravel trap at a 500 Grand
Prix, the repair bill is likely to be more than the price of your
house.
A smashed set of bodywork will cost almost $14,500, while
a pair of exhausts fetches the same price. It's not surprising, though,
as Biaggi's bike is one of the most exclusive on the planet.
It's also one of the least known. Well, it was until Yamaha granted
Britain's Motor Cycle News (and, consequently, Cycle News) access
to the Marlboro pit garage to see the bike totally stripped for the first
time ever.
Rough estimates put its cost at about $1.07 million, but that's not
taking into account the millions spent in ~eveloping the thing in the
first place, keeping it going for a year's racing or indeed its star
rider's wage demands - said to be around $4.2 million a season.
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AUGUST 15, 2001 •
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If you take the time to count them all, our main picture
reveals everyone of the YZR's 1000 components. Yet the
finished article still only weighs 288 pounds. Once the various
nuts, bolts and carbon-fiber fairing panels have all been
designed, it still takes four months from start to finish to build
one complete bi~e for the four-time 250cc World Champion. But
what a bike.
It has taken Biaggi to a fast-closing second place overall in this
year's World Championship and is the bike on which he won both
the French GP and the recent German GP.
Seeing as Yamaha has adopted an open approach about its new
four-stroke GP bike, we decided to try our luck and ask Biaggi's
team boss Geoff Crust whether the generosity extended to the twostroke. Seemingly, it does, and here he lays bare the secrets of the
firm's ultimate motorcycle.
