Yamaha confirm full seamless shift gearbox

As first reported by MCN last month, Yamaha have now officially confirmed the debut of a new seamless sift gearbox in the factory M1s of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo for the upcoming GP season.

Yamaha’s seamless shift gearbox has only operated on upshifts since it was first introduced at the Misano round back in September 2013.

Ever since that moment, Rossi and Lorenzo have piled pressure on Yamaha to have the seamless transmission work on downshifts too, meaning they don’t have to use the clutch when changing down gears.

Rossi and Lorenzo believe a full seamless shift system will help them combat Honda’s RC213V, which excels in braking stability and corner entry.

Both have always believed Honda’s full seamless gearbox has given double MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez and HRC teammate Dani Pedrosa a key advantage on corner entry.

Speaking at a press conference in Japan, Takaaki Kimura, Vice President of Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd., announced the use of the full gearbox on the 2015 YZR-M1.

“During the second Sepang test, we were able to confirm the performance of our seamless gearbox. However, we must keep on developing the chassis and electronics to utilize it to its full potential. We will continue to work on the setup at the upcoming test in Qatar, while aiming for the victory at the first round of the 2015 season in Qatar later this month.”