Valentino Rossi to stick with 2015-style chassis

Michael Scott | February 19, 2016

Yamaha’s shot at a moving target appears to have missed, at least as far as Valentino Rossi is concerned. At the Phillip Island test, the veteran multi-champion rejected the new-this-year Yamaha YZR-M1 chassis with the weight shifted backwards in favour of a development of last year’s “Bridgestone” chassis.

Aside from geometry changes, the 2016 bike most particularly has the fuel tank mounted to the rear: the balance shift intended to take account of the weakness of Michelin’s front tires at early tests last year.

At that time the bikes were designed around the very stiff front Bridgestone tire, and there were so many front-end slip-offs that the first race-simulation tests had to be abandoned.

Yamaha’s response, however, was mistimed: Michelin beefed up the construction of the front tire, and it seems the rubber works best without any major changes from Bridgestone.

“With the [older] bike I’m faster, but especially when I ride I feel better. Especially the front,” Rossi said.

The new design felt a bit queasy on corner entry, he said.

Photography by Gold and Goose