Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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IN THE WIND P32 YAMAHA RETURNS TO WSBK S hortly after the Jerez race weekend Yamaha confirmed its expected 2016 return to the official World Superbike ranks with its already successful race platform in Endurance and Na- tional racing—the YZF-R1. With some real success for the 2015 R1 in the domestic and international races, some questioned why Yamaha would want to come back to World Superbike at all. "Now we now need to do the next, logical step," Road Rac- ing Project Manager for Yamaha Motor Europe, Andrea Dosoli explained. "All of the job done so far this year will be an important base for the World Superbike machine; all of the experience we have gathered will be used as a base for the new bike." The World Superbike team will be a co-operation of Ya- maha's technical base of racing operations in northern Italy and the existing Crescent Racing team setup, based in the South of England. Yamaha will do all the R1 tech development, corporate communications, and provide the machinery. Crescent will be in charge of logistics, team staffing for the most part, on-track activities and some budget. Yamaha looks after the rider choices and contracts. Pata, currently the title spon- sor of the Honda World Su- perbike setup, will be the new Yamaha title sponsor. The rider line-up is as strong as any available, with the vastly experienced 2014 World Cham- pion Sylvain Guintoli and the talented 2013 British Superbike Champion, Alex Lowes. Lowes has been scoring podiums whenever his Suzuki package has allowed him for the past two years. Guintoli has raced or been a develop- ment rider for everything from completely analogue 500cc V4 two-strokes to electronics laden MotoGP and World Superbike machines, before winning the big Superbike title in dramatic last race fashion. The new team, or at least the new bikes in World Superbike trim, will have a run out after the end of the season, according to Dosoli. "The exact dates are yet to be confirmed, but you will be able to have a first look at the new bike and team around the third or fourth of November in the south of Spain." Gordon Ritchie SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO REOPEN CLEAR CREEK! B ack in 2008, the off-road community lost the battle to keep the Clear Creek Management Area in central California open for recreational mo- torized use. Since then, the BLM has reopened portions of the area to the general public, but only for non-motorized activities. However, thanks to California Representatives David Valadao (CA- 21), Sam Farr (CA-20) and Jeff Denham (CA-10), we now have an opportunity to get the area re- opened for OHV use. The Representatives introduced H.R. 1838, a bill that would designate 75,000 acres in the Fresno and San Benito Counties as the Clear Creek National Recreation Area (NRA) and would also Yamaha looks to return to former glory—the World Superbike title—as earned by Ben Spies in 2009. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE