Presents:
The 172 MPH AMA (USA) Supersport Legal Yamaha R6

The early magazine tests sounded good, but the 
way everyone found out that the new Yamaha R6 was 
really, really  fast 
...was through the efforts of 
Thorvald Saeby & Team Yamaha Motor Norway and Mototune !!

'99 Team Yamaha Motor Norway At Daytona International Speedway
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 Thorvald Saeby Enters Victory Lane At Daytona !!

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Josh, Thorvald and 3rd place David Rose celebrate, while Josh Hayes' mechanic, Barry McMahon compliments us on the speed of the bike.

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The '99 Daytona NASB 106 hp. Race...
The Best Roadrace I've Ever Seen.

If you were there, you saw mechanics and racers drop their tools and rush to the fence to watch one of the most exciting races ever! Josh Hayes and Thorvald Saeby instantly separated themselves from the rest of the field, and an epic battle began. Josh had Thorvald covered on the brakes, but the R6 was much faster than Josh's Suzuki.....

Since Josh was so good on the brakes, Thorvald decided to sit back and avoid passing on the banking. It was a smart idea, and except for a couple of "test passes" at the start finish line, he stayed in second for most of the race. On the last lap a lapped rider almost crashed in front of Thorvald and he had to hit the brakes exiting the chicane. Josh Hayes won, and Thorvald came in second.

The rules for this class require that the bikes weigh over 385 lbs. and can't have more than 106 horsepower. After the race the bikes have to be weighed and dyno tested for peak horsepower.
Although the bikes weighed nearly the same, Thorvald is taller and weighed at least 20 lb more than Josh. Josh's Suzuki dynoed at 104 hp. EVERYONE there thought for sure we'd go waaaay over the limit !! 

What did we have: 101.8 hp.

The dyno guys' jaws dropped so fast, they almost hit the floor !!

How did we make the R6 go so much faster ... with 2.2 less horsepower ??

The Secret is Being Revealed in Power News Magazine.

A local Florida newspaper reporter named Godwin Kelly sought us out and wrote this article about the amazing new Mototune R6 and Thorvald's world - first R6 roadrace wins.

  
  Click here to read the Daytona News Journal Story

600 Supersport
We fixed the bike as best we could, just barely in time to make the grid. In fact we were still working on the bike as the sign went up for the warm up lap. The front end was so tweaked that the front wheel wouldn't turn more than 1/4 way when it was spun by hand.

Everyone's nerves were on the ragged edge, especially the Thorvald's! 
When the race started Thorvald lurched the bike forward a couple of feet ....and realizing what he did he hit the brakes. Rules are rules and  the officials ruled that he jumped the start ...Ooops !

He had to take a STOP and GO penalty.

The penalty requires the rider to pull off the track into the pits and make a complete stop, then accelerate back onto the racetrack.... meanwhile the other riders are passing by at over 160 mph. It's a loss of more than 20 seconds !!

As you can imagine, getting a stop 'n go penalty in an AMA Supersport race at Daytona usually means:  
"Game Over"

Despite the penalty Thorvald never gave up, and made up an incredible 12 places to finish 18th place, beating the #1 plate holder Steve Crevier in the process. Even though the front wheel was binding, the R6 was so fast that Crevier was grabbing onto the bodywork down the back straightaway to get a tow !!

It was one of the most awesome displays of heroics on the part of 
Thorvald and his mechanics this sport has ever seen.

Mototune carefully built the motor following the AMA supersport rules to the letter.

Fast Bikes' Jorgen Johnsen & Mototune invented a jet kit for it and kept it jetted right every time the weather changed. 

The other Norwegian mechanics, Espen and Cato stayed on top of the chassis tuning all week long. 

THORVALD SAEBY
Rode the wheels off the bike !

     

MotoMan

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