Yamaha unveils 2009 Superbike racing livery

Published Feb 16, 2009

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The Yamaha World Superbike Team has unveiled its racing livery for its 2009 YZF-R1 bikes to show sponsors the "war paint" for the upcoming season.

The team now belongs to Yamaha Motor Europe so has been renamed The Yamaha World Superbike Team. New riders have been hired - three-times AMA Superbike champion Ben Spies and promising Briton Tom Sykes.

Both are new to World Superbikes but have already proved to be fast and highly competitive in pre-season testing.

"The design and livery of the 2009 YZF-R1 perfectly complements the impressive performance already achieved in pre-season testing by the team," Yamaha says.

It features the the iconic "speedblock" design and Yamaha's official racing blue. "The livery will have immediate resonance with fans the world over."

The 2009 bike has technology from the world-dominating M1 MotoGP bike ridden to victory in 2008 by World champion Valentino Rossi. They include a crossplane crankshaft engine and a unique uneven firing order that, Yamaha says, gives linear torque and greater traction.

The combination of Spies and Sykes, with the team continuing to fine-tune and develop the bike, can only get faster as they head for Phillip Island for the next test next week, the final shakedown before the championship series starts in the Australian sunshine on March 1.

2009 World Superbike championship calendar

March 1: Australia - Phillip Island

March 14: Qatar - Doha/Losail

April 5: Spain - Valencia

April 26: The Netherlands - Assen

May 10: Italy - Monza

May 17: South Africa - Kyalami

May 31: United States - Salt Lake City

June 21: San Marino - Misano

June 28: Europe - Donington Park

July 26: Czech Republic - Brno

September 6: Germany - Nürburgring

September 27: Italy - Imola

October 4: France - Magny-Cours

October 25: Portugal - Portimão

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