Yamaha Motor Monthly Newsletter

Transcription

1 Yamaha Motor Monthly Newsletter The 2015 YZF R1 pure supersport model strengthens the link with the YZR M1 MotoGP machine more than ever before Spotlight: The Unique Style of Yamaha in the R-Series December 15, 2014 (Issue No. 24)

2 The Unique Style of Yamaha in the R-Series The Ideals, Technology and Design of the R-Series Among the objectives Yamaha Motor set down in its three-year medium-term management plan announced in 2013 was Pursuing the unique style of Yamaha. To achieve this, the company is building on the original and innovative concepts, outstanding technologies with superior performance and functionality and design that expresses Refined Dynamism that it has accumulated since the company s founding. At the same time, Yamaha is moving forward with its tradition of unique Monozukuri (engineering, manufacturing and marketing) that fuses these elements and creating new Kando* that moves the hearts of as many customers as possible. Among the representative products that embody this ideal are the supersport motorcycles of Yamaha s R-Series that with the addition in 2014 of the 250cc YZF-R25 for markets including Indonesia and Japan and the 320cc YZF-R3 for North America, Europe and other markets consists of six models ranging from 125cc to 1,000cc. In this issue, we introduce the unique style of Yamaha, focusing particularly on how it is embodied in the concepts, technology and design ideals of the YZF-R1 flagship model that has continued to undergo improvement and product maturation over the 15 years since its original release. *Kando is a Japanese word for the simultaneous feelings of deep satisfaction and intense excitement that we experience when we encounter something of exceptional value. Concept: A Quest for Excitement in Riding The quest for pure sport riding will inevitably lead to racer-like performance and styling. If you add the torque and power of a 1,000cc engine, what could be more exciting? The first-generation YZF-R1 was realization of that concept In Japan in the 1950s, when the motorcycle was still a utility vehicle for shortdistance transportation or carrying goods, Yamaha Motor developed and marketed its first motorcycle, the YA-1, as a sports model with high performance, high quality and a new level of design excellence. Ever since this very first step as a motorcycle manufacturer, Yamaha has always pursued cutting-edge and highly unique Monozukuri. Along the way, we pioneered new market segments and product Yamaha Motor Monthly Newsletter 2

3 categories with models like the DT-1, the first full-fledged off-road sports bike, and the RZ250 that epitomized the appeal of 2-stroke sport bikes. Then in September 1997 at the Milano Show in Italy (EICMA), Yamaha unveiled the firstgeneration YZF-R1. It was a model developed to be a true and purebred supersport bike that swept aside all previously held conceptions of the category. The large-displacement supersport models of the day were mainly 750cc machines built with an eye on World Superbike competition and 1,000cc machines designed for utilizing their added engine power for good performance in high-speed cruising. With the YZF-R1, however, Yamaha s aim was nothing short of building an entirely new, ultimate supersport machine that wed 1,000cc power with the light, agile cornering performance of a 750cc race bike. To begin with, what does supersport really imply? In order to establish a concept that would serve as an answer, everybody on the development team for the YZF-R1 project traveled to Europe and spent plenty of time riding on the Autobahn in Germany, on a variety of city streets as well as mountain roads. That experience led us to an answer we could accept: it s not the bike running the roads, it s the rider running the bike on the roads. A model that gives us the unmatched excitement of riding in full control of the machine was the supersport bike we were after, says the Project Leader for the first R1. Nothing defines the appeal of a true supersport bike better than the exhilaration of zooming through the twists and turns of a winding road on a machine you re in complete control of. The first YZF-R1 was a machine that we built with all the performance and functions necessary to do that, and without compromise, he concluded. The first-generation YZF-R1 had a newly developed lightweight and compact 1,000cc in-line 4-cylinder engine with an excellent balance of torque and power, and was mounted on a chassis built around an aluminum Deltabox II frame which reflected feedback from the YZR500 GP racer of the time as well as a short wheelbase design and a long swingarm. This combination gave the first-generation R1 light, agile cornering performance with incredible control that outpaced even 750cc models, winning it fans around the world. The other motorcycle manufacturers quickly responded to this Yamaha success with their own similar The fundamental qualities of all Yamaha supersport models are light weight, compactness and high performance. In addition to pursuing those qualities without compromise, the first YZF-R1 was designed with both a short wheelbase and long swingarm Whether they will be used in races or not, Yamaha s ideal supersport model is one that general riders can enjoy riding to their hearts content. That is why the first YZF-R1 was built with winding mountain roads like this in mind models that eventually propelled the superbike racing displacement standard of 750cc up to 1,000cc. Then, in line with changes in the market, the latest 2015 model has been developed aiming for performance and characteristics as close as imaginable to a full-on racing machine. The new R1 has taken tremendous steps forward in terms of power, lightness and speed. Nonetheless, within this evolution, there is one thing that hasn t changed: it is not about just being fast. The new YZF-R1 still retains the essence of the original concept that gave birth to it; a riding experience that gives the rider the unmatched excitement of being in full control of the machine. Yamaha Motor Monthly Newsletter 3

4 Technology: Outstanding Manufacturing Technology Developed through Yamaha Traditions The 2015 model YZF-R1 is a product of the quest to build the fastest machines on the circuit, but at the same time it is designed and engineered throughout to provide the true excitement of riding that is its Yamaha pedigree. This new R1 utilizies a concentrated mix of technologies to achieve a high power output as well as agile handling that responds exactly as the rider intends. For example, the engine the first of Yamaha s core competencies adopts a crossplane crankshaft and lightweight, high-strength fracture-split (FS) titanium connecting rods. This engine achieves greater combustion efficiency and reduced horsepower loss while also reducing weight and enabling a more compact design. The chassis consists of a newly designed Deltabox frame with optimal rigidity balance, cast magnesium wheels and an aluminum fuel tank to further reduce weight. Another of Yamaha s core competencies is electronic control technology. The new R1 adopts a revolutionary 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). The IMU uses sensors to detect machine pitch, roll and yaw and motion in the forwardbackward, up-down and right-left directions and automatically controls five riderassistance functions, such as traction control and slide control. It contributes to improving the bike s as well as the rider s performance. These technologies function in combination with the various other systems created by the Yamaha development engineers to bring out the 2015 model YZF-R1 s inherent performance and functionality. Among all of these parts and technologies, three that are particularly noteworthy are the FS titanium connecting rods, the cast magnesium wheels and the aluminum fuel tank. These key parts not only determine the performance of the new engine and the suspension and what the riding position will be but they also represent the very latest embodiments of Yamaha s cutting-edge manufacturing technology. Titanium and magnesium are metals with outstanding lightness, strength and rigidity, but they are also expensive and difficult to process and machine. This goes for aluminum as well; shaping parts with sharp corners or bends from a thin sheet aluminum and joining parts with high-precision welding are extremely difficult tasks. Although that may not be such a problem when manufacturing small lots of special parts, it has long been considered an incredible challenge to make these materials viable for use on mass-production motorcycles. Nonetheless, the staff long involved in advanced research and development in this area at the manufacturing divisions of Yamaha Motor headquarters took on the challenge of developing mass-production methods for these three components to answer the requirements of the 2015 model YZF-R1 development project. Through concerted efforts and much trial and error, they succeeded in combining the strength, rigidity, machining precision and quality materials on par with racing parts with the durability, cost effectiveness and massproduction viability needed for a production model. The diligence they brought to this task is a reflection of the proud craftsmanship of artisans in Japan s traditional crafts. It is a tradition steeped in attention to detail in utilitarian products, making them easier to use and beautiful at the same time. It prizes ongoing research and persistence in the honing of one s techniques. Historically, the city of Iwata where Yamaha Motor headquarters is located and the Hamamatsu area are places that developed as Monozukuri towns, with a high concentration of craftspeople proficient in a range of disciplines. A close look at the wheels on the 2015 model YZF-R1 will reveal the name of the The beautiful, high-precision cast magnesium wheels on the 2015 YZF-R1 are marked with the name of the town where the factory they are manufactured is located: MORIMACHI JAPAN Yamaha Motor Monthly Newsletter 4

5 town where the factory they are manufactured at is located: MORIMACHI JAPAN. It stands as an ensignia of this proud tradition of craftsmanship. Design: Expressing the Essences and Evolution of R-DNA Under the Brand Slogan of Revs Your Heart, Yamaha Motor is constantly bringing all kinds of innovation to its Monozukuri. In the area of product design as well, Yamaha captivates users and helps create vibrant lifestyles through unparalleled beauty and dynamism under its Design Philosophy of Refined Dynamism. The four parts of the Design Vision aimed at achieving it are: Awakening Passion - Innovative designs that stimulate passion and fuel emotions; Lasting Integrity - Yamaha's solid integrity is designed to endure; Elegance in Motion - The beauty of Yamaha lies in agility and dynamism expressed in motion; and Brilliant Beacon - Yamaha lights up every corner of our lives and experience. The new YZF-R25 250cc global model released in July 2014 is one of the latest examples of the R-DNA design concept based on Refined Dynamism. It features styling that commmunicates the excitement of a supersport model at a glance, a relaxed and slightly upright riding position and an impressive design on the crankcase side of the bike that emphasizes the sporty performance of the engine and more. These elements all express the essence of its product concept of A superbike you can ride every day. There are many other design details and elements that it inherits from the higher-grade 1998 YZF-R1 YZF-R6 and YZF-R1, such as the distinctive front mask with its sharp twin-eye headlight design, the sharply rising tail section, the mass-forward body lines that emphasize the forward-leaning machine attitude and the highly aerodynamic body cowls. From the exterior form of the YZF-25, one can sense that this is not simply a scaled-down model, but a 250cc, 2-cylinder supersport model that 2014 YZF-R25 Yamaha has developed with the same integrity as the rest of the R-Series models. On the other hand, the 2015 model YZF-R1 the latest embodiment of the series flagship has a stronger racing orientation than ever, while continuing the iconic trait of an intrepid twin-eyed look with its position lights. The headlights themselves are more compact and positioned as if to be hidden below the cowling YZR-M1 The new R1 s styling has progressed to a refined state that is closer than ever to that of the YZR-M1 MotoGP machine. It combines the spirit of the R-Series tradition with the will to constantly innovate. The harmonious fusion of these two inherently opposing values opens a new page in the history of the R-Series, and has perhaps become a revealing blueprint of Yamaha Monozukuri YZF-R1 Yamaha Motor Monthly Newsletter 5

6 Message from the Editor In August 2013, I began my duties as the Editor of this monthly newsletter covering Yamaha Motor from a variety of angles. But, my tenure as Editor has come to an end and I will be moving to a different department at the end of this year. I want to thank each and every one of you for reading the Yamaha Motor Monthly Newsletter. I myself have learned a great deal in producing these newsletters, and every month presented new surprises for me. I truly hope I have been successful in communicating some of the unique aspects of Yamaha Motor to you all. Taking over as Editor is Ryoko Ota, and I hope you will continue reading this newsletter as she takes my place. Mariko Saito My name is Ryoko Ota, and I m looking forward to taking over as the Editor of the Yamaha Motor Monthly Newsletter. The theme for the newsletter next year will be the core of Yamaha Motor. I and the rest of the editorial staff will do our best to bring you content that we hope will create more and more fans of Yamaha Motor. Please look forward to our upcoming issues! Ryoko Ota Global PR Team, Public Relations & Advertising Division, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd Shingai, Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan TEL FAX [email protected] *Prior to any use of the article(s) and photographs contained within this newsletter, please contact me. Yamaha Motor Monthly Newsletter 6