I have two bikes: a classic 1978 Yamaha SR500 and a more modern Suzuki SV650. I've been into cars and bikes since I was tiny.
I'd just as soon be on a good Steinway or Yamaha just as well.
Nobody seems to play Yamaha electrics, but it's the best guitar I own.
In 2002 the Yamaha was at more or less the same level as the Honda, better in some ways, worse in others. But in the winter of last year between 2002 and 2003, Honda made a big step forward and it seemed as if Yamaha couldn't quite match that improvement.
I have a fantastic relationship with this factory and my team crew, who have worked so hard to make the M1 as competitive as it is now, and it just made sense to stay with Yamaha for another year.
I have a wonderful piano that I really love: a handmade Yamaha grand. Sometimes I'm sitting there, and it sounds so good that I find some little melody or a phrase that leads me into a song, but probably more often than not, I actually grab a notebook.
I started when I was seven years old so I was on 50, 60 cc Suzuki and then I went up to a Yamaha 125 and then my sister was 16 and she was racing a Harley Davidson 750.
We raced against factory teams from Honda, Yamaha and the rest. And we raced on all the big tracks. Mid-Ohio, Bridgehampton, Summit Point, Road Atlanta, even Daytona International.
When I was young, I had one of those Yamaha drum machines, and I used to practice to that quite a bit, just to practice soloing and being in time and completing all my phrases.
Racing with Yamaha gives me a great taste and a great motivation to win; these last two championships have been two of the best,
Before that everyone thinks you must ride Honda to become world champion. Yamaha had not won the championship for a very long time.
I don't want to start any rumours but I've had a word with Yamaha about Casey myself. I've put in a good word for him. I think anybody at this time would be crazy not to consider Casey for a MotoGP ride.
I bought a Yamaha-1 and I was doing 180 miles per hour home on the 405 and that's really, really crazy but I did it.
Veggard Heggem, my word, he must have a Yamaha down his shorts.