The 7th YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE Held in Indonesia

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. announces the holding of the "The 7th YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE in Indonesia" over the three days of November 27 to 29 at the Sentul International Circuit (West Java State / overall length: approximately 1,250 m) in Indonesia. The YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE is an international one-make* race launched in 2003 and competed on Yamaha 4-stroke sporty mopeds by riders who have qualified by winning sanctioned national qualifying races and come to this championship race to compete for the title of No. 1 in the ASEAN region.

For this 7th holding, a total of 36 riders from the host country Indonesia and from Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand will be competing in the Expert and Novice classes. The race machines will be Yamaha's flagship 4-stroke moped T135 (Indonesia market name: JUPITER MX135) for the Expert Class and the region's popular 4-stroke model T110 (Indonesia market name: JUPITER Z) for the Novice Class.

In the ASEAN region, with its importance as a market for Yamaha's main 2-wheeler and marine products, there is a growing interest in motorcycle sports in recent years and the desire of a growing number of young people for a more active lifestyle. In response to these trends, Yamaha Motor is actively working to (1) strengthen its sporty and stylish brand image and (2) promote the spread and development of motorcycle sports and contribute to youth development through various programs in the ASEAN region. The YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE is a potent symbol of these activities in the region.

Hosting this event as organizers for the third time in its rotation among the participating nations are the Yamaha group's Indonesian companies PT. YAMAHA INDONESIA MOTOR MANUFACTURING (YIMM) and PT. YAMAHA MOTOR KENCANA INDONESIA (YMKI).

* A one-make race is a type of race competition in which all the competitors use the same make.

As the world continues to be in the grip of the current economic downturn, the ASEAN region remains a leader in the strong demand we continue to see in the Asian motorcycle markets. This makes the ASEAN region an especially important market and manufacturing base for Yamaha Motor, where we are actively introducing new models and promotional activities. One of these forms of activities that is a direct reflection of the "Spirit of Challenge" that Yamaha values so highly is racing. Motor sport is an arena where both the participants and the spectators can share in the combination of excitement and deep satisfaction that we call Kando* in Japanese, and in that way they are the embodiment of what we strive to fulfill with our corporate mission of being a "Kando Creating Company." As a symbol of Yamaha's spirit of challenge and the many promotional activities we pursue in the ASEAN region, we believe that the YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE is an important promotion in terms of brand strategy.
However, the YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE is more than simply another form of brand communication. This race is a symbol of our efforts to provide a proving ground where young riders and mechanics from the participating countries can compete together and hone their skills with the aim of moving on to higher levels of international competition.

Facilities like shaded spectator seating are added to create a spectator-friendly environment (photo from 6th event)

Another major aim of the YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE is to have all of the participants and the spectators share in the excitement and satisfaction (Kando) of competition throughout the race week. To encourage this shared experience, the race week schedule includes gatherings for all the participants from the four countries and events to provide hospitality for race fans that gather during the race week.
Adding to the excitement of this event will be the joint holding with final round of the Indonesian Yamaha Cup series (Yamaha model one-make race series) and the final round of the 2009 UAM Asia Cup of Road Racing, which has been held in the countries of Asia since 2006 as a competition to contribute to international exchange and the advancement of motorcycle sports in Asia.

*Kando is a Japanese word for the simultaneous feeling of deep satisfaction and intense excitement that people experience when they encounter something of exceptional value.

Former YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE participants stand in the top six places in the 2009 FIM Asia Road Race Championships SuperSport 600cc class ranking (as of Nov. 26). Photo from Rd. 2, the Japan Round

Doni Tata Pradita, who raced in the 2009 World Supersport series from the YZF Yamaha team on a YZF-R6, is also a former YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE winner

Since the 1980s, Yamaha Motor group has undertaken a variety of activities aimed at the popularization of motor sport in the ASEAN region. These include active promotion of programs aimed at building the race population and raising the level of competition, such as support for national championship competitions and Yamaha Cup races in each country, organizing Yamaha "Racing Academy" programs aimed at improving rider skills as well as training riding instructors. Continued promotion of these activities has led to a rapid rise in the level of competition in each country and stimulated the riders to strive to new heights. Among these are an increasing number of riders who are striving to compete in the YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE by qualifying in local Yamaha Cup races and national championships, while some also set their sights on the FIM Asian Championships and World Supersport Championship. As the number of young participating riders increase, the number of people coming to the circuit as families is also increasing, which in turn means that more people are involved in motorcycle events as a whole in each of the participating countries.
Within this context, Yamaha Motor has initiated a support system for the YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE winners who satisfy conditions laid down by Yamaha Motor (including age limits and support requirements specific to each country). The support includes instruction, lending of race machines and training of mechanics, etc., all with the aim of helping the riders and teams improve their skills step-by-step to the point where they can participate in the FIM Asia Road Race Championships, the All Japan Championships and eventually the World Championships.

T135 (the Expert Class race machine)

T135

Indonesian market name:
JUPITER MX135

The machine to be used in the Expert Class is Yamaha's deluxe sporty moped, the T135. This T135 is Yamaha's next-generation deluxe moped model that was unveiled in autumn of 2005. Developed around a concept of a "Performal Moped" that brings together "performance and formal" product aspects, this model is Yamaha's flagship in the moped category with its attractive fusion of high performance and fashionable styling. It mounts a liquid-cooled 4-stroke 135cc engine on a diamond type frame and boasts exclusive Yamaha technologies like the DiASil cylinder and a lightweight aluminum forged piston. This model has quality that is one rank above the rest in everything, from its quality exterior look to its sporty running performance and environmental friendliness. These qualities have won it a popular acclaim in the ASEAN countries. Approximately 250,000 units have been manufactured in 2009. Yamaha believes that giving the Expert Class riders experience using the high-performance T135 will help improve their racing skills and for this reason, local 135cc class races have been organized on a wide scale since 2006 in each of the participating countries. It is also why we have chosen to use the T135 from 2006 as the race machine for the Expert Class of the YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE, as an event for riders from the ASEAN countries who hope to move up to world-class racing. Also, the T135 is chosen by many riders competing in national championship series in the region.

T110 (the Novice Class race machine)

T110

Indonesian market name:
JUPITER Z

The machine to be used in the Novice Class is the 4-stroke engine Yamaha sporty moped T110. Designed around a concept of Performance Innovation, the T110 mounts a liquid-cooled 4-stroke 110.3cc engine with a short stroke for higher revving potential on a steel underbone type frame. It offers an excellent acceleration feeling and reliability in continuous high-speed use as well as low vibration and a comfortable ride with good handling, making it a more enjoyable model for practical day-to-day moped as well.. Its dynamic, sculpted body comes with aerodynamic design elements to achieve the optimum mix of performance and stylishness. In addition to its high-level performance that defies the image of the conventional 110cc moped, it combines economy and a price that is just right. This great overall balance has won it a large following in the ASEAN markets, where a total of 762,000 units have been manufactured in 2009.

This T110 was chosen again as the competition model for the Novice Class because it is familiar and well used throughout the ASEAN region and has a proven record of use in racing.

On race day, riders will be competing for the title of No.1 in the ASEAN region on the T135 and T110 models sporting the official Yamaha racing color, blue, and the Yamaha "Speed Block" graphics as the basic design, to which the national flag and original colors of each country's team will be added.

The YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE is competed in two classes, the Novice Class and Expert Class, with each class competed in a two-heat race format and the final places being decided on the basis of total championship points for the two heats (2nd heat results used in case of tie). The races are competed using machines that have been set up to the same specifications and conditions, and the machines to be used by each team are chosen by lottery . Awards of trophies and prize money are presented to the top five point finishers in each of the two classes (Novice and Expert) and another trophy is given to the country whose riders score the highest total number of points.

Championship point allotment

Jorge Lorenzo

Takumi Narita

Ryo Narita

Participating as guest rider this time is none other than the MotoGP rider of the Fiat Yamaha Team, Jorge Lorenzo. In just second year in the pinnacle class of international road racing, the 22-year-old Lorenzo ranked 2nd in the 17-round 2009 MotoGP season by winning four rounds and mounting the podium 12 times. He will be here to lend encouragement to the young ASEAN region riders and meet with the Yamaha fans in Indonesia, who are especially passionate about racing.

Also, in hopes of introducing the fans to another type of exciting motorcycle sport, two of the pioneers of Trial riding in Japan, the Narita brothers Takumi and Ryo will give demonstrations in trial riding.
Takumi Narita debuted as a Yamaha rider in 2000. In 2007 he entered the International A class of the All Japan Trial Championships riding a TY-S125F machine powered by a 125cc Yamaha engine and defeated the competition in the 250cc and over category to be crowned champion. Presently he concentrates on instructing for younger riders.
His younger brother Ryo was the International B class champion of the All Japan Trial Championships in 1995. In 2001 he placed 2nd in the championship's International A class, after which he turned to freestyle trial riding. Since 2005 he has been giving demonstrations primarily in the ASEAN regions to help promote the enjoyment and excitement of motorcycle sports.
The amazing riding skills these brothers display has made their demonstrations popular both in Japan and throughout the ASEAN region.