That two wheel drive Yamaha 450 isn't doing too badly but might suffer a bit when it hits the open dunes where the big twin KTM will likely come into it's own. Oh and on four wheels Schlesser's home made two wheeled buggys are making the big budget factory teams of Mitsubishi, Nissan and BMW look decidedly sad too. The guy calling to the crowd trying to get a new radiator was a laugh, and he got one too. Looking forward to seeing more of it. -- Deevo Geraldton WA, The Nanny State (® Corks) http://members.westnet.com.au/mckenzie
I thought they've banned the twins? Yamaha used to have a parallel twin back in the 90s and I think it dominated for quite awhile (with some French guy, can't recall his name this morn).
Wasn't that the Tenere with the FZR1000 shoehorned in? If twins had been barred then BMW wouldn't have had the event history they've had already I would think. -- Deevo Geraldton WA, The Nanny State (® Corks) http://members.westnet.com.au/mckenzie
Apparently the 2 wheel drive system has given the bike an extra 10% on its top end speed in sand as well, so there's a good chance it'll still be up there. Cheers Kevin Gleeson Imagine It West Hobart Tasmania Australia www.imagine-it.com.au
Yea I think it was 4 cyls that were booted, there was a frog on that tenere with that engine ... it went like the powers of piss...
Wasn't an FZR1000, it was a Super Tenere, which as a production bike started out as a 750cc twin, the last ones raced were enlarged to 850cc; Pretty much the engine that went into the TDM 850 and later modified into the TRX850. If they could punched it out to 1000cc they would have. The guy you're thinking of would be Stephan Peterhansel, now racing Mitsubishis I think(did for a while anyway). There was a rule change to remove the twins(Yamahas) dominance and bring other manufacturers back. Then the KTM started winning. It wasn't a ban but some other restriction, cant remember the detail. Al
We've all got different recollections 'cause I thought it was an FZ750 bored out to 900 and with trail-bike suspension.
Simon Pavey is racin in it, he was in our club, 57th at moment I think on a BMW 650.. GO SIMON YOU UGLY BITCH
I see another Aussie did well in last night's stage too. Pity about the guy on the 450 Yam having such a rough run though. Still it was only a short stage, should make up ground today. -- Deevo Geraldton WA, The Nanny State (® Corks) http://members.westnet.com.au/mckenzie
Yes, the 80s successes (Auriol, Rahier sp?) were all boxers and I think they reappeared around 2001 alongside the f650 variants.
I remember reading about the FZ900 four--I seem to recall the rules being changed to ban more than two cylinders,as the fours were too fast. Postman Pat
Heres what i found about the FZ900, It must be a Pat plot! http://www.tomrawlinson.com/Motorcycles/1987/Nicyam.htm Al
