Yamaha YZR500
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Yamaha YZR500 | |
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| Manufacturer | Yamaha Motor Company |
|---|---|
| Production | 1973-2002 |
| Predecessor | Yamaha YZ634A |
| Successor | Yamaha YZR-M1 |
| Engine | 500 cc two-stroke |
| Similar | Suzuki RGV500 Honda NSR500 |
The YZR500 was the Yamaha Motor Corporation’s entry for 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing between the years of 1973 and 2002. Riders who rode it to world championships are Giacomo Agostini (1975), Kenny Roberts (1978, 1979, 1980), Eddie Lawson (1984, 1986, 1988) and Wayne Rainey (1990, 1991, 1992).
[edit] Chronology
| Year | Model | Constructor's championship |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | OW20: Liquid-cooled, inline-4, 2-stroke engine, chromoly frame. Yamaha’s first 500cc factory bike won from the outset at the first round of the 1973, ridden by Jarno Saarinen. | 2nd |
| 1974 | OW23: Yamaha’s first machine created specifically for 500cc racing. Yamaha won their first 500cc constructor’s championship with it and in 1975 Giacomo Agostini rode it to a world championship as well as giving Yamaha their second 500cc constructor’s championship. | 1st |
| 1975 | 1st | |
| 1976 | 2nd | |
| 1977 | OW35: Changes were made to the valve intake system, stroke ratio and carburator. | 2nd |
| OW35K: Introduction of Yamaha’s Power Valve System (YPVS). Kenny Roberts won his first of three championships with it. | ||
| 1978 | 2nd | |
| 1979 | OW45 | 2nd |
| 1980 | OW48: Introduction of an aluminum frame to the YZR500. | 2nd |
| OW48R: At round 4 of the season, the YZR500 returned to a steel frame, and the engine had rear-directional exhaust. | ||
| 1981 | OW53: Same rear-directional exhaust as the OW48R, and the aluminum frame used a squared cross-section. Last inline-4 YZR500. | 2nd |
| OW54: Square-4 engine, rotary disc valve. | ||
| 1982 | OW60 | 2nd |
| OW61: The first V4 engine in a 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle. Also had a new frame structure that was the basis for the Deltabox frame, which was developed by Spanish engineer Antonio Cobas.[1] | ||
| 1983 | OW70: Introduction of the aluminum Deltabox frame and designed specifically for a 17-inch front wheel (from 18 inches). | 2nd |
| 1984 | OW76: Crankcase reed valve system. Eddie Lawson wins the rider championship with it. | 2nd |
| 1985 | OW81: Re-designed V-4 engine. Eddie Lawson won the rider's championship with it. | 2nd |
| 1986 | 1st | |
| 1987 | OW86: Improvements to the exhaust and cooling systems. | 1st |
| 1988 | OW98: A new exhaust layout of both pipes going under the engine and out the right side required an asymmetrical swingarm. Eddie Lawson won the rider's championship on it. | 1st |
| 1989 | OWA8: Introduction of a data-recording device. | 2nd |
| 1990 | OWC1: Wayne Rainey won his first rider's championship on it. | 1st |
| 1992 | OWE0: In the latter-half of the season, Yamaha introduced their own "big- bang" firing order to the YZR500. Second championship for Wayne Rainey. | 2nd |
| 1993 | OWF2: An extruded aluminum frame was designed to resist flex from increased power output, though Wayne Rainey complains that it is too stiff, and in round 8 Rainey switches to a chassis used by Team ROC. | 1st |
| 1994 | OWF9: Re-design of the fairing and introduction of ram-air intake. | 3rd |
| 1995 | 3rd | |
| 1996 | OWJ1: New alloy for the engine and new design for the frame. | 2nd |
| 1997 | OWH0: The "V" was widened to allow a larger air box. The OWJ1 and OWH0 were developed simultaneously and used in reverse order during the season. | 2nd |
| 1998 | OWK1: Move to unleaded fuel. | 2nd |
| 1999 | 2nd | |
| 2000 | OWK6: General improvements to the engine, frame and cowl. | 1st |
| 2001 | OWL6 | 2nd |
| 2002 | OWL9: The 28th and last generation of the YZR500 had to compete against the newly allowed 4-stroke machines. | 2nd[2] |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Adams, Dean. Antonio Cobas Dead at 52 Superbikeplanet.com 2004.
- ^ All but 10 points that counted towards the Constructor's championship were scored by Yamaha's YZR-M1 4-stroke machine
[edit] External links
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| Series | Manufacturer | 2000s | |||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||
| MotoGP 500 cc 990 cc 800 cc |
Aprilia | RSW 500 | RS3 Cube | ||||||||
| Ducati | Desmosedici GP3/GP4/GP5/GP6 | GP7/GP8 | |||||||||
| Honda | NSR500 | RC211V | RC212V | ||||||||
| Ilmor | X3 | ||||||||||
| Kawasaki | ZX-RR | ZX-RR | |||||||||
| Suzuki | RGV500 | GSV-R | GSV-R | ||||||||
| Team Roberts | Proton KR3 | Proton V5 | KR211V | KR212V | |||||||
| Yamaha | YZR500 | YZR-M1 | YZR-M1 | ||||||||
| 250 cc | Aprilia | RSW 250 GP | |||||||||
| Honda | RS250RW | ||||||||||
| KTM | 250 FRR | ||||||||||
