Yamaha to enter Suzuka 8 Hours with factory team to celebrate 70th anniversary
At Yamaha Motor’s media conference held March 20, to commemorate its 70th anniversary, the company announced the return of its factory entry for the 2025 46th FIM Endurance World Championship “Coca-Cola” Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race, held Aug. 1-3.
The 2025 team is called the “Yamaha Racing Team,” the same name that was used by its factory team in the late 1990s. The logo, along with official team clothing, are coordinated to reflect the 1999 design.
The factory team’s YZF-R1 that will compete in one of Japan’s most prominent motorcycle races — the 8 Hours — features white and red, one of Yamaha’s trademark color schemes that was first used in the 1964 Grand Prix World Championship. The special new design is inspired by the Yamaha Racing Team’s YZF-R7, first released in 1999 in a limited edition of 500 units worldwide, and that raced in the 8 Hours that same year.
When it was originally developed, the YZF-R7 mounted a new engine with a compact three-axis layout, featuring a single-unit cylinder block and crankcase, titanium connecting rods and twin injectors on an aluminum Deltabox II frame. It also featured equipment like an Öhlins-inverted front fork and Öhlins rear suspension unit, with the aim of providing special specs for a base machine for competing in the Superbike World Championship and All Japan Road Race Championship.
The rider lineup features Katsuyuki Nakasuga, who has won a total of 89 races and 12 titles in JSB1000. Nakasuga’s two teammates will be selected from among Yamaha riders currently competing in the MotoGP World Championship and Superbike World Championships.
