YZR-M1 History: 2004-2016
2005 model | 990cc YZR-M1 The fastest, most beautiful machine
2006 model | 990cc YZR-M1 A machine plagued with "chattering"
2007 model | 800cc YZR-M1 The first 800cc lays foundation for consecutive titles
2010 model | 800cc Faster, smarter and more beautiful
The story of Valentino Rossi and YZR - M1 begin in 2004. The engine he (VR46) chose
from among the prototypes he first tested was the one he called a
"sweet" engine. That was the word he used to describe the engine feeling,
and it can be used to describe the relationship between Rossi and the M1
machine, as he went on to win four MotoGP championships in seven years with it.
The end of the 2010 season brought an end to this love story, as Rossi moves on
to a new challenge with another manufacturer next season. After two years with another team , Rossi returned with Yamaha (2013) develop the YZR-M1 until 2016 season. Here's a brief history of the YZR-M1 alongside Valentino " VR46 " Rossi
2004 model | 990cc YZR-M1 Yamaha's first MotoGP champion
machine
There had been a number of issues with the 2003 race
machine. It did however have a very good chassis and excellent handling. These
strengths were carried over into the 2004 machine. The biggest development
issue this year was the engine. In order to make up for the weaknesses of the
in-line-4 with single-plane crankshaft, the wheelbase had been shortened on the
2003 machine. Unfortunately that led to a lot of crashes and falls due to the
reduced road-hold in the front wheel. To deal with this problem, a full-scale
review of the engine was undertaken. Several prototypes were prepared and the
spec that Valentino chose was also the one that I consider the best.
The weakness of that spec, however, was its power
performance, and in dealing with that problem we focused our development
efforts more on power development characteristics rather than sheer engine
power output. Due to the adoption of a crossplane crankshaft on that 2004
model, it produced smoother and somewhat gentler power development
characteristics that greatly improved rear wheel traction. That is the
character that Valentino had initially described as "sweet." The
adoption of the in-line-4 with crossplane crankshaft as the engine format for
the 2004 M1 thus solved many of the problems we had with the 2003 machine. As a
result, we were able to win the championship. In that sense, 2004 was a year of
dramatic change for us.
2005 model | 990cc YZR-M1 The fastest, most beautiful machine
We were able to agree 100% with Valentino's opinion. The
2005 YZR-M1 was the most competitive machine of all. In 2005, a complete review
and revision of the gear drive for the camshafts improved the engine character
greatly and reduced power loss. This gave the machine excellent power
development and engine power output. The chassis achieved almost an ideal
state. The 2003 machine had been given a short wheelbase in order to achieve
sufficient traction, but the 2005 wheelbase was considerably longer. Compared
to the machines of the rival manufacturers, that wheelbase was still short,
however. Overall, I believe the 2005 machine had good handling agility and a
high level of stability, improved power performance and power development characteristics
plus optimum traction.
2006 model | 990cc YZR-M1 A machine plagued with "chattering"
Ideally, the 2006 machine should have been an improvement on
the 2005 model, but it became a machine plagued with a "chattering"
problem, as Valentino pointed out. In 2004, development efforts had focused on
improving engine power development, while in 2005 we worked mainly on the
chassis. In 2006 our focus was on reviewing and improving the EMS (Electronic
Control System). The chattering problem emerged because the rigidity balance of
the chassis had been lost in the process. We spent half the season working on
this problem. In the meantime, we had fallen far behind in the title race and
appeared to have lost the chance for another consecutive title. Going into the
season opener, the 2006 model seemed to be performing well. When the racing
started, however, he had a hard time keeping up with the competition. All in
all it was a very tough season for Yamaha.
2007 model | 800cc YZR-M1 The first 800cc lays foundation for consecutive titles
The regulation change to 800cc displacement automatically
led to a drop in power. Lack of power was constantly an issue for us and, as in
years past, we placed top priority on power development characteristics in our
development efforts. The second priority was maximizing cornering speed and
stability. This was particularly important because of the reduced engine power.
More sophisticated EMS control functions became the key. Feeding the engine
more fuel would have been another option, but the new FIM regulation reduced
fuel tank capacity from 22 to 21 liters that season. This resulted in even less
power than initially expected. Nonetheless, our competitors came out with very
powerful machines that left us far behind in the opening round at Qatar. This
year's spec ended up being one that provided us with more issues than results.
2008 model | 800cc YZR-M1 A machine revitalized by tire and
EMS advances
Learning from the failures of the 2007 season, dramatic
progress was made with the 2008 spec. It that sense, it can be likened to the
2004 model. To improve power performance within the 21-liter fuel restriction,
we focused on reducing power loss. From this year's engine a pneumatic valve
system was adopted. This succeeded in boosting top-end revs and reducing power
loss at the same time. Changes were also made in the crankshaft lubrication
system to further reduce power loss. The sum total of these changes made the
2008 model M1 a very good machine.
Furthermore, as Valentino has explained, the switch to
Bridgestone tires led to major revisions in the machine geometrics. As we
mentioned earlier, the wheelbase on the 2003 machine was very short, and that
was true again with the 2008 spec. The introduction of the crossplane
crankshaft had already improved rear-wheel traction and lightened tire wear.
Now, in order to improve traction even more, we moved the machine's center of
gravity further to the rear. This was achieved by shortening the rear arm.
Although this reduced weight distribution on the front wheel, the performance
of the Bridgestone front tire used this year was so good that it provided
better front tire performance than in 2003 despite that load reduction. All of
this made the 2008 machine the best Yamaha had fielded in recent years.
2009 model | 800cc YZR-M1 Big progress made in EMS
This was again a year that saw major advances in EMS
sophistication. Building on the progress made since 2006, this brought the EMS
control functions to a nearly ideal state. The control system had reached the
point where it functioned as a "smart brain" that enabled smooth and
constant communication with the rider. Input from the many sensors positioned
in vital parts of the machine enables simulations that are processed in real
time by the machine's CPU and compared dynamically against data gained from the
constantly changing running conditions, on wet and dry tracks and in hot and
cold temperatures. This sophisticated control function made the 2009 model a
highly competitive racer.
2010 model | 800cc Faster, smarter and more beautiful
