One of Great Britain’s leading Grand Prix teams, Bike it Yamaha Cosworth, is expected to confirm in the coming week if they will be changing manufacturer for the 2015 FIM Motocross World Championship.
Owner and Manager Steve Dixon has an attractive proposal from Kawasaki Motor Europe to break an association with Yamaha that has lasted over two decades and instead lead development on the KX250F and bring Max Anstie’s evident quality back to ‘green’.
Dixon would front Kawasaki’s second MX2 GP squad with CLS Monster Energy Kawasaki fielding world champion Jordi Tixier, Motocross of Nations winner Dylan Ferrandis and American Thomas Convington on factory equipment on the other side of the paddock ‘avenue’.
“As most people already know we are between two manufacturers – blue and green – but the main thing is that the team has solid funding and support for next year and we can count on a good programme with Max and another two riders for MX2,” he reveals. “There is a good chance that we will be back doing the British Championship as well.”
Dixon also shed some light on his motivation to consider a change, and respond to an offer that has been on the table for several months. Understandably it would be difficult to end a long term Yamaha association but for the Englishman, who has always taken a lot of pride in the technical work his team put into MX2 top flight racing, insists – that is it happens – it is for the right reasons.
“I rode a Yamaha for six years and I have been with them for 25 but a lot has changed over the years, and with any company with a turnaround it gets to the point where you don’t actually know the people you are dealing with,” he said.
“I just have to take the best option for me and the team. I will put 100% into whatever we are riding and I want the right financial package to be able to compete fair and square against the other teams. To be still going forward in this climate is the main thing, and it is not easy.”
Dixon has helped a number of riders to first Grand Prix victories and worked with the old version of Yamaha’s YZ250F to create a three-geared motorcycle of exceptional speed and performance. “Back at the workshop I have not been losing time and I have a lot of knowledge of both bikes now.
“One good thing about Japanese bikes is that there are a lot of similarities; the fit of some parts in other places is quite amazing. You’d think there is a lot of copying going on! With the green bike there is already a lot of technical know-how about it out there and also technical suppliers familiar with the product.
“It was the first year for the 2014 Yamaha with the reversed cylinder motor and bikes are coming out earlier and earlier these days… KTM had theirs out in June. We didn’t get the Yamaha until September last year and while that seems a long time it is also time consuming to fabricate and manufacture components. When Formula One changed their rulebook it took a lot of the resources and hours with companies that we also rely on.”
Anstie, a Grand Prix winner for the first time in Lommel, Belgium this season, remains as Dixon’s central athlete and the 2015 racing effort will be based around the 21 year old. “Max has said that as long as he gets 25 good days on the bike before the start of the season then he is happy to race whatever,” Dixon affirmed.
Yamaha have yet to announce their racing plans for the MX2 category for 2015.
