In what seemed like a scene out of a action movie, a Thai cop chased down a hit-and-run suspect on a Yamaha R1 in Phang Nga, Krabi Province.
Ao Lueak Police Chief Col. Kritsanat Wongklaharn said that they received a call by the Phang Nga police that a pickup truck was fleeing to Krabi after a hit-and-run incident. The Ao Lueak police set up a checkpoint but the truck broke through the roadblock at Na Nuea.
A Yamaha YZF-R1 rider saw what happened and offered a policeman to jump on the back. The other policemen followed behind.
The pair on the R1 managed to chase down the truck and the policeman shot the front tyre but the former kept going. The policeman fired more warning shots and the driver was eventually stopped by police at the Seaboard Road in Krabi.
Drug tests on the 21-year-old suspect was came up positive. He told his captors that he had had an argument with his wife prior to the rampage.
He was subsequently charged with driving under the influence of drugs, driving with disregard for others’ safety, driving through stop signs and reckless driving.
The biker should receive a medal, in our opinion.
Lewis Hamilton crashed during his track outing. He later posted his about love for two wheels and a request to visit Valentino Rossi’s ranch.
The five-time and current Formula 1 champion rode during a special track day at Jerez. Hamilton was riding a specially-prepared all-black Yamaha YZF-R1 alongside World Superbike riders Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark. The event was organized by the Pata Yamaha World Superbike Championship squad and British track day company No Limits.
However, Hamilton had a small crash at Turn 5 but was lucky to walk away from it.
He posted a few messages on his Instagram account the next day, admitting his love for motorcycle racing. But he stressed that he had no plans to switch over to two wheels.
“Miss riding the superbike already. FYI I’ve always loved two wheels more than four. Always wanted a motorbike since I was a kid however I am super grateful my dad got me a kart. But current new love is out on track on my bike.”
“I have the highest regard and respect for these motorbike riders. It’s a much different discipline however [it] require[s] some of the same basics such as time, patience, fearlessness, focus, agility and risk taking – all of which make a sport exciting.”
“And yes, I’d love to race bikes. But these guys are on another level so I think I’ll just enjoy riding and testing the limits on track.”
Hamilton concluded his post with this message: “Valentino Rossi I need to come to the ranch asap,” he said.
The Briton is no stranger to the world of motorcycles. He is the ambassador for MV Agusta who created the F4 LH44 and Brutale 800RR LH44 special models in tribute to him. He spent two days lapping around a racetrack in California with Cal Crutchlow. He even said he will join MotoGP in 2018 but later admitting that it was an April Fool’s Day prank.
Sick couple of days in Jerez ???@alexlowes22 @mickeyvdmark @PataYamahaWSBK @MonsterEnergy pic.twitter.com/1uIwgmKx7r
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) December 2, 2018
When Honda innovated and used the “seamless” transmission it their MotoGP bikes a few years back, other manufacturers scrambled to produce their own. Now every MotoGP bike uses the transmission. We remembered when Yamaha was struggling to develop their own “seamless” gearbox during the 2014 Winter Test at the Sepang International Circuit. Jorge Lorenzo had pushed for his then team to debut it quickly as he was opinion that the system helped with stability during braking.
Well, now it’s Yamaha who had filed a patent for a similar system to be fitted to the YZF-R1.
The design for such a gearbox is complex but the idea is to deliver a seamless flow of power, even while shifting gears, hence the name. A quickshifters, on the other hand, actually interrupts power transmission momentarily when another gear is selected.
As an in-depth explanation will take something shorter than a thesis, we’ll be brief.
The seamless transmissions in MotoGP use a large number of pawls inside gear wheels that lock and unlock gears like ratchets, allowing two gears to be engaged at the same time. With the slower gear is freewheeling on the pawls, power from the engine is uninterrupted.
Truth is, there are a couple transmission systems on road bikes that transmit power without interruption – the CVT in scooters and Honda’s proprietary dual-clutch transmission (DCT) which is used in the Africa Twin, X-Adv, NC750, VFR1200 and Gold Wing among others. But these are different to the seamless gearboxes used by MotoGP bikes.
Yamaha’s design avoids the extra weight of Honda’s DCT and uses the normal hand-controlled clutch and foot-operated gearchanges. But just like its MotoGP counterpart, two gears are briefly connected during upshifts and downshifts. You may think it’s something like DCT but using gears instead.
While the benefits of seamless transmission may be negligible on the road except for bragging rights, it will may certainly benefit the Yamaha YZF-R1 in World Superbike racing.
The road technology is still in patent stage, so let’s hope to see it in production sooner or later.
The WorldSBK scene just got more interesting with the launch of the 2018 Yamaha YZF-R1 which is going to be used by the PATA Yamaha Official WorldSBK team. Together with coveted riders Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark, the duo is set to take the 2018 season by storm. (more…)
Akrapovič has released one of the greatest tribute videos for all the 2017 superbike models with their latest aftermarket exhaust line.
In the video, Akrapovič highlighted their latest Evolution line which comes in either carbon or titanium for the selected superbike models.
The amazing soundtrack features the latest 2017 Kawasaki ZX-10R, Yamaha YZF-R1, Honda CBR1000R Fireblade, Ducati 1299 Panigale, Aprilia RSV4, Suzuki GSX-R1000 and BMW S 1000 RR all fitted with some Akrapovič love.
While we’re sitting at our desks in front of the computer or lying in bed scrolling through our phones, we are bombarded with so many things making their way to the viral section of social media. While they’re all for fun, exhaust experts Akrapovič has released a spine-tingling tribute video in what we feel is one of the best made videos of the century. (more…)
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