Broc Parkes and Josh Brookes test the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1M Milwaukee Yamaha BSB contender at Alcarras
Yamaha Motor Europe officially kick started the 2015 road racing season this week with the first ever Official Race Teams combined test. The Alcarras circuit in sunny Spain played host to an incredible spectacle as more than 20 fully race prepared next generation
Alongside Yamaha’s Official Racing Teams a further 11 supported teams were present for the shakedown, providing a unique opportunity for Yamaha Motor Europe’s Racing Division to capture valuable data to further develop the already formidable YZF-R1. The advanced MotoGP level electronics package combined with a compact size, low weight and other technical advances meant the riders were able to start finding a competitive pace very early in the test.
With some championships starting in just a few weeks time, the test has proved a solid platform to launch the 2015 Yamaha Racing hunt for glory with the all-new YZF-R1 and YZF-R1M.
Broc Parkes – Milwaukee Yamaha – “We are very impressed with the bike. Considering we only started testing the bike two days ago and on the second day we had already improved. We didn’t expect the bike to be so good as it is so quickly and we are very happy where we are.
“The bike has a really nice and easy power-curve. It feels a little like a GP bike. It’s easy to ride and smooth with the power.
“It’s my first year in the British Superbikes so I have to learn quite a few tracks. I want to be in the top six to be in the showdown and then we ‘ll see what happens.”
Andrea Dosoli – Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Project Manager – “We finally had the opportunity to put the wheels of the new YZF-R1 on the race track after the long winter preparations.
“It was amazing to have almost 25 Yamaha R1 riders all together. It’s a clear example of the new Yamaha Motor Europe racing strategy.
“We had three nice days that gave all the riders a chance to get to know the bike and get the first feeling. It was amazing to see how our expectations of the bike were confirmed by smiles on our rider’s faces.
“We weren’t here to break a lap record, our target was to get the whole package to work well together and honestly, we are satisfied with a job well done.
“We were able to secure a lot of valuable data and the stock bike is already at a very high level with the riders working hard from the first lap to develop it even further.
“The Superbike is a new project so there is more work to be done, but that’s normal at this stage of development. The feedback that we were given was very positive and the potential is high, so we’re happy.
“This is the perfect platform to start the 2015 season from; we have started strongly and will continue to move forward. ”
2015 MCE BSB Championship
- Round 1. April 4-6 – Donington Park (Bank Holiday)
- Round 2. April 17-19 – Brands Hatch Indy
- Round 3. May 2-4 – Oulton Park International (Bank Holiday)
- Round 4. June 19-21 – Snetterton 300
- Round 5. July 3-5 – Knockhill
- Round 6. July 17-19 – Brands Hatch GP
- Round 7. July 31, Aug 1-2 – Thruxton
- Round 8. August 21-23 – Cadwell Park
- Round 9. September 4-6 – Oulton Park International (triple header)
- Round 10. September 18-20 – TT Circuit Assen
- Round 11. October 2-4 – Silverstone GP
- Round 12. October 16-18 – Brands Hatch GP (triple header)
