Yamaha YZR500
Appearance
This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(October 2010) |
1975 Yamaha YZR500 (OW23) | |
Manufacturer | Yamaha Motor Company |
---|---|
Production | 1973–2002 |
Predecessor | Yamaha YZ634A |
Successor | Yamaha YZR-M1 |
Engine | two-stroke OW23:494.7 cc (30.19 cu in)inline-4 OW54:498.5 cc (30.42 cu in)U engine OW61:498.5 cc (30.42 cu in) 60°V4 OWK1:494.7 cc (30.19 cu in) 70°V4 |
Bore/stroke | 54 mm × 54 mm (2.1 in × 2.1 in) 56 mm × 50.6 mm (2.20 in × 1.99 in) |
Power | OW23:66.2 kW (88.8 hp) @ 10,500 rpm |
Related | Yamaha TZ750 |
TheYamaha YZR500was a 500ccGrand Prixracing motorcyclemade byYamahafrom 1973 through 2002.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Wayne_Rainey_at_Hockenheim_%281989%29.jpg/220px-Wayne_Rainey_at_Hockenheim_%281989%29.jpg)
Racing history[edit]
The YZR500 was ridden by championship winnersGiacomo Agostini(1975),Kenny Roberts(1978,1979,1980),Eddie Lawson(1984,1986,1988) andWayne Rainey(1990,1991,1992).
Phillip McCallenwon theMacau Grand Prixin 1996.
Chronology[edit]
Year | Model | Constructors' championship |
---|---|---|
1973 | 0W20:Liquid-cooled,inline-4,two-stroke engine,chromolyframe. Yamaha’s first 500cc factory bike won from the outset at the first round of the1973 season,ridden byJarno Saarinen. | 2nd |
1974 | 0W23:Yamaha’s first machine created specifically for 500cc racing. Yamaha won their first 500cc constructors' championship with it and in 1975Giacomo Agostinirode the0W23to a world championship as well as giving Yamaha their second 500cc constructors' championship. | 1st |
1975 | 1st | |
1976 | For 1976 as the factory Yamaha team was dismantled, the 0w23 was handed to Venemotos for Johnny Cecotto, but Cecotto soon discarded the 500 because it was obsolete compared to the factory Suzuki and even to the RG Mk1 production racers. | 2nd |
1977 | 0W35:Changes were made to the valve intake system,stroke ratio,andcarburetor. | 2nd |
0W35K:Introduction of Yamaha’s Power Valve System (YPVS).Kenny Robertswon his first of three championships with it. | ||
1978 | 2nd | |
1979 | 0W45 | 2nd |
1980 | 0W48:Introduction of an aluminum frame to the YZR500. | 2nd |
0W48R:At round 4 of the season, the YZR500 returned to a steel frame, and the engine had the outer cylinders reversed and thus rear-directional exhaust. | ||
1981 | 0W53:Same rear-directional exhaust as the0W48R,and the aluminum frame used a squared cross-section. Lastinline-4YZR500. | 2nd |
0W54:Square-4 engine, rotary disc valve. | ||
1982 | 0W60Updated square-4 machine | 2nd |
0W61:The first JapaneseV4 enginein a 500ccGrand Prix motorcycle.Also had a new frame structure that was the basis for the Deltabox frame, which was developed by Spanish engineerAntonio Cobas.[1] | ||
1983 | 0W70:Introduction of the aluminum Deltabox frame and designed specifically for a 17-inch front wheel (from 18 inches). | 2nd |
1984 | 0W76:Crankcasereed valvesystem.Eddie Lawsonwins the rider championship with it. | 2nd |
1985 | 0W81:Re-designed V-4 engine.Eddie Lawsonwon the riders' championship with it. | 2nd |
1986 | 1st | |
1987 | 0W86:Improvements to the exhaust and cooling systems. | 1st |
1988 | 0W98:A new exhaust layout of both pipes going under the engine and out the right side required an asymmetrical swingarm.Eddie Lawsonwon the riders' championship on it. | 1st |
1989 | 0WA8:Introduction of a data-recording device. | 2nd |
1990 | 0WC1:Wayne Raineywon his first riders' championship on it. | 1st |
1991 | 0WD3:New regulation came into effect: the minimum weight would be 131 kg (for the four cylinders bikes). Yamaha used in this year first (and last) chip controlled suspension (CES). | 1st |
1992 | 0WE0:In the latter half of the season, Yamaha introduced their own"big-bang" firing orderto the YZR500. Third championship forWayne Rainey. | 2nd |
1993 | 0WF2:An extruded aluminum frame was designed to resist flex from increased power output, thoughWayne Raineycomplains that it is too stiff, and in round 8 Rainey switches to a chassis used by Team ROC. | 1st |
1994 | 0WF9:Re-design of the fairing and introduction ofram-air intake. | 3rd |
1995 | 3rd | |
1996 | 0WJ1:New alloy for the engine and new design for the frame. | 2nd |
1997 | 0WH0:The "V" was widened to allow a larger air box. The 0WJ1 and 0WH0 were developed simultaneously and used in reverse order during the season. | 2nd |
1998 | 0WK1:Move to unleaded fuel. | 2nd |
1999 | 2nd | |
2000 | 0WK6:General improvements to the engine, frame and cowl. | 1st |
2001 | 0WL6 | 2nd |
2002 | 0WL9:The 28th and last generation of the YZR500 had to compete against the newly allowed 990cc4-strokemachines. | 2nd[2] |
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^Adams, Dean.Antonio Cobas Dead at 52Archived2010-08-30 at theWayback MachineSuperbikeplanet.com 2004.
- ^All but 10 points that counted towards the Constructors' championship were scored by Yamaha'sYZR-M14-strokemachine
External links[edit]
- Official Yamaha page for the history of the YZR500(in Japanese)