We received these photos this morning of Yamaha’s four-stroke GP racer, now in development overseas. This is the machine John Kocinski will develop before its race debut in the 2002 season.
These photos clearly show a removable seat cowl and tape on the tip of the tail. Both seem odd given the racing intentions. Could this body work relate to a future production model?
A single, ram air scoop can also be seen at the nose. In the top photo, the front suspension is bottomed out as the Yamaha test rider brakes hard for a corner.
It is interesting that Yamaha and Honda are being so open about the design of their GP machines — normally, a secretive process.
