Star-Valli Yamaha Signs Cole Thompson
Monday, July 16, 2012 | 8:35 PM
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PrintRacer X's Aaron Hansel has learned that Star-Valli Rockstar Yamaha has signed privateer Cole Thompson to compete in the 250 Class beginning this weekend at Washougal. We will have more details on this developing story tomorrow.
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Uh oh, wasn't he on a Honda? Let's hope the Yamaha isn't a step backwards...
Great for Cole, bad for Cole. Yamaha bikes are not good 450's or the 250's, but I understand why Cole jumped at the ride $! I think he would have been better out on his CR 450 practice bike than a Yamadog. Good luck Cole
Yamaha's are career ending bikes!
Any bike free is good !
The 250f is not a career ending
Congrats Cole! Yamaha actually makes a great 250, and the race bikes take it to another level. Don't listen to the negative comments, take the $, experience and run with young Man your foot is now in the door. Cheers.
Cool, I guess, but that Star teams seems to be a black hole for some riders. what happened to Kyle Peters not out there in the second moto??
correct the 250's are not as bad as the 450' but im still not impressed with yamaha period they have beome the low man on the todem pole, what is their deal anyway? do they not want to win or atleast be in contention? why doesnt yamaha have an actual factory team ? they need to take notes from ktm, if you want something bad enough take the necsasary steps to get it!
Yamaha is about to redesign thier motocross motorcycles..again. Apparently the "Bubba Experiment" that lasted fives years proved to them they couldn't win on that platform nationally at the highest levels of the sport. The rumors are that as they woo this next crop of national caliber riders, one the the promises is that they are going to shelve the rearward facing motor and return to a more conventional design for 2014. For the sake of all those Yamaha riders, we can only hope so.
Yamaha is a fantastic company and build great bikes ...the 450 is an abomination and the 250 needs to be modernized.....the next era bikes will be fantastic...its a formula they have followed for A LONG time...try something radical (mono shocks, powervalves 4strokes etc etc) might not work that great for a few years then drop a bomb..and sorry you can't blame that design on Havoc7 , also don't give me the "take notes from KTM " BS ...who stuck with an Ancient shock design forever and have had at least 4 or 5 different series of frames , forks and motors trying to get a couple that work and still have yet to prove themselves at SX ?...There both gonna get better....but Yamaha NEEDS to be back in it and hopefully its a good bike ....
Tonewall, I could not agree more. Yamaha seems to follow this strange pattern of building great bikes, resting on them until they become outdated, then coming out with a superior model, while occasionally building an absolute horrible bike, 1982 YZ250, 1991 YZ125, 2010 YZ450 etc...
yamaha engineers saw Rossi dominating on the backwards motogp bike and had a brain fart to incorporate the design unto the motocross domain.
hope he dose good!
I doubt he went to the team for the money...well, maybe to save his own money, but certainly not to make any. Last I heard replacement riders don't get paid anything. I'm sure he took the ride because of the support that comes with it.
Congrats to Cole, I'm not gonna bash the bike but the move to Star-Valli will only be a plus. Getting him more exposure and letting him learn the ins and outs of riding out of a team hauler. Also other teams will inquire about him and how well he works in the team structure.
Yamaha's aren't career ending then where is Broc Helper?!!!! Who won the last race on a Yamaha? Where? and when?
Now where is that rider now? GONE!!!!!!!
I didn't mean Cole jump at the money, that would help him true. I meant the chance to not have to come out of his own pocket, is good for him. I am 100% for Cole. Nothing negative at all.
Millisaps got second in sx because the top guys where hurt! He left Yamaha too!!
starplaya4life - huh? It's Millsaps, not Millisaps, and he's still WITH JGR Yamaha. Anyway, I'm glad for Cole, but I think they should keep him on a 450, notwithstanding everyone's bashing the 450 Yamaha - I'm talking about the *class* - I think the 250 class is insane right now. But we'll see...
starplaya, Broc Hepler's career was not ended by the brand of bike he rode. If you'll remember, he also rode for Suzuki. He developed a nasty trend of crashing hard, and sustained a few concussions. He then opted to pull the plug on his pro career and head to college.
I love how everyone just thinks they can scrap everything overnight and have an awesome bike tomorrow... yeah they made a mistake with the engine but anyone remember the mid 2000's yz's? their next re-designed bike will be trick, stamp it... and btw their wr's are sick i have an 09 and can take it to any track and tear it up, how many trail bikes can do that?
@Arron Hansel - I know Broc Hepler and his dad; rode with them not too long ago. They are two of nicest people you would ever want to meet. To challenge your comment though, his bad crashes were while he was on a Yamaha. Unfortunately, some of them were freak accidents. Regardless, the Yamaha curse continues...
codjh9 sorry about misspelling Millisaps, but Dave signed with Rock Star Suzuki for 2013.