1.
CU ZOOM OUT FROM Agostini's 500cc machine TO Japanese riders sitting on other machines
0.08

2.
SV & CU Agostini on No. I machine and putting on helmet (3 shots)
0.27

3.
SV Japanese sitting on 350 cc machine
0.29

4.
SV Agostini and other riders start off around circuit
0.38

5.
SV PAN & LV Agostini leads other riders around circuit (3 shots)
1.09

6.
SV PAN Agostini passes
1.15

7.
SV Official flags in riders
1.20

8.
LV Agostini stops and climbs off machine
1.31

9.
CU PAN Machine wheeled to pits with Agostini following
1.42



Initials BB/1931 WH/MR/BB/1918


SPORT: MOTOR CYCLING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Italian motorcycle champion, Giacomo Agostini, on Thursday (13 February) tested the new crop of Yamaha racing machines that he will be racing this season.

First to be sent around the Yamaha test track at Hammatsu, 100 miles (about 160 kms) west of Tokyo, was the modified 500 c.c. machine.

Yamaha hopes to make up for the failures of past years in this class when the 32-year-old Italian ace was almost completely out-classed despite all his Grand Prix wins on 750 and 350 c.c. bikes.

Together with a team of Yahama's test riders, he later tried out their new 350 c.c. water-cooled machine. The four-cylinder 500 c.c. model is also water-cooled.

Agostini will use the Yamaha 750's, 500's and 350's in his first races in March -- the French Grand Prix and Daytona 200.

After Thursday's test runs he said that a further day of testing would be needed before the machines' qualities would be really known.