After having announced its recent three year partnership with Monster Energy -a product of California-based subsidiary Monster Beverage Co. part of the Hansen Beverage Company- last March, the Yamaha Monster Motocross team, a Yamaha factory MX1 team, has now unveiled the bikes‰Ûª new liveries until today, in occasion of the team‰Ûªs presentation to the press.
Joshua Coppins and David Philippaerts unveiled the new 2008 machines which will be completely black this year. Michele Rinaldi explained some of the changes that the machines went through during the winter, such as a new frame providing better handling and a different engine set up especially at low revs.
Both riders have the goal of winning the Title this year, with experienced Coppins willing to make up for the 2007 misfortune and Philippaerts having showed incredible performances throughout the preseason. Unfortunately Coppins picked up an injury right before Easter and broke two toes, but he is recovering well and will give his best at Valkenswaard this weekend anyways, in occasion of the first GP of the 2008 season.
At their 17th year of cooperation with Yamaha, the Rinaldi brothers Michele and Carlo announced the name of the new team manager, Massimo Raspanti. Former World Champion Michele Rinaldi will be the team coordinator while his brother Carlo will be looking after the suppliers.
Yamaha‰Ûªs Racing Division Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp officially welcomed the arrival of new main sponsor Monster Energy, represented by the company‰Ûªs spokesman Scott Sepkovic, and also reminded of the manufacturer‰Ûªs chances in the other Motocross racing activities. Antonio Cairoli will defend the MX2 World Title going for the third one of his career, while Yamaha fellow riders Nicolas Aubin and Davide Guarneri ‰ÛÒboth of Ricci Racing- will be both aiming at winning GP‰Ûªs. In the Women World Championship Yamaha just signed reigning Champ Katherine Prumm for another fantastic season.
‰ÛÏMonster has a fresh approach to the sport; we normally do not give up in using the blue colour but this time we agreed on making the bike black as it looks more aggressive and at the same time it does not interfere with the overall image,‰Û
