Yamaha Project Is Big In Japan
By TMX Archives on 14th Dec 16
HOT from Japan we have a couple of pics of the latest version of the ongoing Yamaha trials project which has been ridden by veteran 38-year-old Kenichi Kuroyama.
Kenichi has accumulated no fewer than 11 Japanese trials championships including four on Yamaha, the last in 2012.
He has finished second for the last four years on the 250F.
The Yamaha 250F project began with the original Scorpa SY250F, ridden by Kuroyama, Yamaha having supplied Scorpa with engines since 2004.
But when Scorpa in France went into liquidation in 2009 (the name later bought by founder Marc Teissier and incorporated into his Sherco factory in Barcelona), Yamaha Japan continued to develop the model.
The man behind the project is Kimura San, the designer and engineer behind the Yamaha SY250 two-stroke trials model. Kimura has continued to work with Kuroyama on the 250F as an ongoing project.
The latest ‘prototype' features the reverse cylinder Yamaha YZ engine on which Kimura will have breathed his magic taming the considerable power for trials use.
Nigel Birkett, British importer for both the ‘old' and ‘new' Scorpa factories and who has worked with Kimura on the Yamaha TY and SY250, has studied the pictures and come up with the following observations...
The chassis appears to be an amalgamation of a current Scorpa 20 utilising the rear section but the front is from the original SY250F in order to accommodate the physically large four-stroke lump.
There's obviously a pair of Tech forks up front and an Ohlins rear shock with a remote reservoir bolted to the motor plus an ally fabricated airbox to feed the front mounted efi induction.
The rear-facing exhaust port brings its own problems as can be seen by the looping front pipe – necessary to get adequate length for ideal enging tuning – which eventually feeds into a standard looking Scorpa two-stroke silencer although this is very likely modified internally.
It isn't the prettiest bike you will see but you can bet it will be effective.
Billy Bolt blagged a quick ride on the 2015 version (with conventional 250F engine) when in Japan for the World Championship round and raved over the performance – and lightness – of the bike.
Whether Yamaha ever re-enter the trials market remains to be seen but they are clearly keeping their hand in by supporting Kimura and Kuroyama and no doubt Kenichi will ride the Japanese TrialGP as a wild card, having finished 10th and 12th this year on the 250F...
