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/628182
IN THE WIND P24 WRAPS OFF FOR 2016 YZR-M1 IN BARCELONA D efending MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo and teammate Valentino Rossi took the covers off their new 2016 machines at the annual team launch in Barcelona on Monday January 18. Once again presented in Movi- star colors, the bikes look almost identical to the machines the team and riders used to secure the triple crown (team, manufacturer and rider) in 2015, although much has been changed underneath, with 17-inch Michelin tires re- placing the 16.5-inch units from Bridgestone, and the control ECU that comes into effect this season. The new machine will debut at the Sepang test on February 1 with the fuel tank mounted under the seat in an effort to find the optimum weight distribution to match the new Michelins. Rossi himself believes that due to the in- tense nature of the championship last year – one in which he and teammate Lorenzo were the only ones in the title chase – Yamaha is now "a little behind" the likes of Honda and Ducati, who have already tested the new Michelin tires and control ECU together at Valencia and Misano last year. "The situation is that Yamaha did the new tank and bike to try and understand how to use the Michelins that we used from 2008," Rossi said. "Moving the weight distribution for the Mi- chelin tire. But they don't know, like us. It was just one idea. Now for the first test in Sepang it will be very, very important to decide the way, to see if the 2016 prototype is better than our correct bike." SUZUKI DEBUTS SEAMLESS SHIFT GEARBOX E cstar Suzuki has debuted their seamless shift gear- box at a private test at Sepang in Malaysia in the hands of team rider Maverick Viñales. Suzuki was the last of the major manufacturers to bring the gearbox technology to the racetrack, which reduces the traditional 'thud' associated with gearshifts by engaging the next gear with the current ratio still in use. The advantage is smoother acceleration and a more stable chassis. The test also saw Suzuki test out the standardized ECU that will debut across all teams in MotoGP this season. "We had a very interesting test in Sepang, with the seam- less gearbox that we spent some time waiting for during the season," Ecstar Suzuki team manager Divide Brivio told Brit- ish publication, MCN. "Now it's ready, and although we only had Viñales as (Aleix) Espargaro was injured, the feeling from it was very positive, and we can see a big improvement, a big help, from his performances. "We've continued to get more experience with the Michelin tires, as well as testing for the first time with the 2016 unified software. We still have a lot to do with it – a lot to learn – and we need to find the right pa- rameters and adjustments. But we've started now, and we've already got some very good data for our engineers to work on over the winter break." CN All smiles at the team launch, let's see how long that lasts in 2016! PHOTOGRAPHY BY YAMAHA RACING No times were released from Malaysia but Viñales has reportedly already seen improved speed with the new gearbox. PHOTOGRAPHY BY SUZUKI RACING