 YSR Racing in the Northwest
The little bikes that could and still do
It's a little known secret, but there are a number of
riders in Puget Sound who race Yamaha YSR's for fun and pleasure.
While Seattle has yet to accommodate these riders, Portland will, and so on
various weekends during the season the trek is made.
The Yamaha YSR is a 50cc or 80cc two-stroke motorcycle that look like a
regular full sized sport bike in a smaller scale. YSR’s are raced in parking
lots, on go kart tracks and on regular race tracks. YSR Racing often occurs in
conjunction with big bike races, go karts or even scooter races in some
areas of the country.
YSR racing isn't as high speed as full size racing, but it is an excellent
alternative for people who can't afford big bike racing or are not prepared to
risk life and limb for the pursuit of a little fun on a motorcycle. The idea of
fun outweighs the drive to win at all costs. Most people who race YSR’s do it
because they love motorcycling and enjoy the rush of competition. Some of the
racers have even stepped down from other types of racing to pursue YSR racing.
It is not untypical to have big bike racers, former dirt trackers, motocross
racers and people who have never raced anything but YSR’s all in the same
race.
Crashes are not usually serious, due to the relatively slow speeds of the
average crash. The average crash on a YSR is a lowside. You see that the seat
height is only 36 inches: there isn’t far to fall. Racers are required to wear
the same level of protective gear as big bike racers (leathers, back protector,
helmet, gloves, boots) and this helps prevent injury.
YSR's also provide a semi-safe place to hone up racing skills before stepping
up to lightweight GP race bikes like Honda RS125’s or Yamaha TZ125’s. Many
of the current race leaders in the AMA sport bike classes have come from a YSR
background. Noted examples are Aaron Yates, John Hopkins, Tommy and Nicky
Hayden.
There is no national organization for the sanctioning of YSR races, but the
classes follow a general pattern in the U.S. and Canada. Generally, the class
structure is as follows: Stock, Supersport, Superbike, and 80GP. Most tracks
break that class structure down further having Novice and Expert Classes.
The racers come in all sizes and shapes, with weight not really being as much
of a factor as one would think. There are many 200lb plus YSR racers throughout
the world. There are many YSR race venues in the world. For example; the United
States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Paraguay, The Netherlands, England, Greece,
Japan, Denmark, and many more. There are about 10 different race organizations
across the U.S. at this time. Our club is just one of the newest.
Yamaha Motor Corporation produced the YSR50 for release in the United States
from 1987-1992. It is unclear as to what market it was targeted. The only 50cc
motorcycle still in production is an Aprilia RS50.
Although Yamaha no longer produces this motorcycle, both OEM and aftermarket
parts are still readily available. There are companies who focus on producing
parts exclusively for the YSR.
The YSR is the most popular bike for the mini road type of racing, but
there are many other options. Common bikes include: · Honda NS50 Water cooled,
17” wheels, 50cc · Honda NSR50 Water cooled, 12” wheels, 50cc · Honda MB5
Air cooled, 18” wheels, 50cc · Aprilia RS50 Water Cooled, 17” wheels, 50cc
· Honda XR100 Air Cooled, 4 stroke, big wheels, 100cc
Additionally, it is not uncommon for a typical 80cc dirt bike to be super
motarded (stiffer suspension, slick tires, lowered) and run in the 80cc classes.
Where do people typically find YSR’s? Most of them are buried deep in your
neighbors’ garage underneath all the typical junk in there. People bought them
because they were cute and seemed harmless. The rode them and after realizing
that they were only knee high to that guy down the street in the monster 4x4,
they put them in the garage and promptly forgot about them. Most YSR clubs have
message centers with classified ads so that race ready bikes can be sold.
What does it take to get a YSR race ready? It depends. If you are building a
stock race bike it takes about 3 hours, some patience, an ability to follow
directions and some basic parts. All the information can be found online. The
YSR communities also have email lists which members are more than willing to
help out with setup and troubleshooting.
Check out www.ysrracing.com
for more details.
Specs for a YSR: Type 2-stroke, Single Displacement, 49.3cc Starting Kick,
Lubrication Autolube, Transmission - 5 speed Overall Length - 62.0", Overall
Width - 25.0", Overall Height - 36.6", Wheelbase - 41.5", Seat Height
- 25.6", Dry Weight 165lbs
Source of data:
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/motorcycles/how-to-roadrace/
http://www.teamcalamari.com
Ron West
Ron West is as local YSR racer living in Puget Sound
|
