The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP bikes flaunted the Indian tricolour along with ‘India’ and ‘The Call of the Blue’ decals at the Qatar test. This was done by Yamaha India in order to promote the company’s ongoing brand campaign – The Call of the Blue – it introduced in the Indian market last year.

These India-specific decals were stuck on both sides of the visor of both the 2019 YZR-M1s only for the duration of the Qatar test. Yamaha also got the riders to apply the decals onto their race machines for photos. While speaking about the association, Motofumi Shitara, chairman, Yamaha Motor India Group of Companies, said, “The patronage in Qatar Moto GP test that has featured The Call of the Blue logo on the YZR-M1 is profound for Indian customers and stakeholders, and Yamaha will continue to build up avenues of representing India in the MotoGP in future.”

Both, the YZR-M1s also went through considerable styling changes for 2019, as part of the new tie-up with Monster Energy. There is a huge change in the colour scheme of the race bike; part of the front-end, fairing and tail has now gone black. These black sections, as one would expect, have the Monster logo on them in its signature fluorescent green. Vinales has also opted to use the number 12 for 2019. Rossi, meanwhile, continues to use 46 as his number.

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2019 Yamaha YZR-M1 unveiled in Jakarta 

Yamaha Japan museum experience