By Peter McLaren

"Would you like a coffee?" asks Masao Furusawa as we walk towards a table in the Factory Yam꧂aha pits at Sepang. And he doesn't expect one of the hospitality staff to do it - Furusawa heads straight over to the machine and brings back an Espresso.

It's a small but telling glimpse into the character of the soon-to-be 60-year-old, who holds one of t🅷he most powerful positions within🧔 Yamaha - and MotoGP - but operates very much on a down-to-earth, get-things-done basis.

After his final race for Yamaha at Valencia last November, Valentino Rossi said: "🦄I have to thank first of all Masao Furusawa, because we went through some difficult moments but we were able to improve the bike and make it the best machine."

In just over a month Furusa𒀰wa will retire from Yamaha, having helped transform its MotoGP fortunes f𒆙rom a single podium in 2003 ("it was hell!") to winning all three world titles for the past three seasons. Talk about leaving on a high.

Furusawa's official title is "Executive Officer, Engineering Operations, Motorcycle Headquarters", but Rossi refers to him simply as "the number one at Yamaha" and he'♏s also the man behind the YZR-M1's crossplane crank technology.

In this wide-ranging and often candid interview Furusawa looks back over his involvement in MotoGP, discussing riders such as Rossi ("like a King") and new world champion Jorge𒊎 Lorenzo, Yamaha's mistakes and best moments, plus some of the cutting-edge technical challenges.

Furusawa also talks about Yam♔aha's long standing rivalry with Honda ("Many people in Honda want to kill me") and eve𒊎n reveals the "hints" he gave Ducati, when they contacted him for advice after signing Rossi for 2011...

Q:
Mr Furusawa, it's goo💮d to see you here. Have🦩 you decided what your future plans will be?

Masao Furusawa:
I have ano🧸ther month and a half before retiring. We have had lots of discussions these past few years, one being should I stop? In the 🌳last few months the president of Yamaha Motors asked me to extend my job. And I said 'no' [smiles].

It's too long for me to stay in MotoGP. Because I really did not expect to still be here when I started back in 2003. At that tౠime Yamaha was♓ suffering, we had not won the championship for ten years, so I was put in charge of MotoGP to change everything.

I thought maybe fiv♏e years would be the longest for me her🉐e. But I did a big mistake in 2006 and 2007 and Valentino was so upset.

Q:
Was that when you kind🅠 of stepped away from racing?

Masao Furusawa:
Yeah, yeah. Stepped aside. Valentino was so upset. He wanted me back at the race trac𓂃k. So I decided to com♔e back and I've stayed since.

You know, I was really an amateur about racing before 2003. I had never seen a race! Before I was always changi♓ng my job in Yamaha Motors, because sometimes there was trouble in the company and they would move me around to wherever they needed me.

Q:
So you were a troubleshooter?

Masao Furusawa:
Yes! I have a ni🍬ckname of 'Sophisticated Tro🐻ubleshooter' or 'Fixer'! It's been lots of fun for me and I've enjoyed it a lot.

Life is short. My stepfather passed away when he was 75 and this month I will be 60 years old. My birthday is actua෴lly one day after Valentino Rossi's, on February 17t꧒h.

So maybe I have 15 years be😼fore I die. I have lots of h🌳obbies, but with racing I have no time to enjoy them. So now is the time to stop my career.

On the 24th of March is the date when we agreed to stop. Some of the guys were agai꧅nst me stopping, but I said 'I've done enough!' Then I'll have one year as an advisor for Yamaha, but an advisor is not a busy guy.

So after seven years, racing will soon become another hobby for me. I'm attending the next MotoGP test at Sepang and also Qatar. A🍨nd right after the Qatar test I will be back in Japan.

I will watch the race in Qatar on the TV or the inteꦡrnet𓄧, while drinking a beer!

That will be the first time I can enjoy MotoGP as a fan, with no res𒉰ponsibility. Also this year will be very competitive - Casey Stoner at Honda, Va💙lentino Rossi at Ducati and Jorge Lorenzo at Yamaha.

Last year was kind of boring. Yamaha was too strong. That was good for me of course, because I was strongly involved in the Yamaha MotoGP project. But this ꦚyear I will just be an adviser at Yamaha.

Q:
Is that specifically as an advisor for MotoGP?

Masao Furusawa:
It ca෴n be anything, but it will mainly be for racing.

After that I will completely move to some of my personal 'skunkworks' projects and ♉hobbies: Motorcycles, Cars, Snowmobiles, ATVs, Water Vehicles, Sea Fishing, Scul🅠pturing, Drawing, Painting... I will still be busy.

Q:
How 🌳have y♋ou planned so that this time - unlike in 2006 and 2007 - you can step away and Yamaha can still be as strong in MotoGP?

Masao Furusawa:
Back in 2006 and 2007 was a little bit early to step aside. I have learned many things from my own mistak🎃es! Now I'm pretty much confi🌠dent I can transfer my knowledge and technology to other senior people to keep Yamaha winning.

2004 and 2005 we were winning and it was a successful experience. B꧅ut after that were two years of mistake. Then three years of success with the Triple Crown. So I'm comfortable to leave here.

But we cannot be arrogant. If we look down on anything then there is a chance to lose the game, because all the competitors are so, so keen to win. This is the kind of message I will 🎶transfer to th📖e people here.

Q:
Looking back at the M1. I remember the♈ first version had carbure❀ttors...

Masao Furusawa:
Oh yes. 2002. For 2🗹003 I recommended t✤o change from carburettor to a fuel-injection system and chain-driven camshafts.

I had always approached problems as a kind of outsider, a consultant, looking in and recommending this, thi💛s and this. But doing it is different. It was such a big shock when I jumped in to MotoGP in 2003. 'Wow! This is all my responsib♛ility'.

And the results that year [one podium] were terri꧂ble. 2003 was hell!

I thought many things were wrong, but I was new to racing, so it was just my own ideas from logical thinking, analysis and experience. Reality is not necessarily the same. So some people were sceptical. Looking at me and thinking 'we understand what you are saying, but reality is differ▨ent.'

It can be really hard to convince everyone to go in the same direction. So I did some trick. I came up w📖ith a pretty good idea - the crossplane crankshaft [utilising 'big bang' technology] - and then right after I joined MotoGP I started a design. Half a year later the first prototype ran on the racetrack near the Yamaha headquarters.

Everybody was looking and the first thing the test rider said was 'this bike feels slow'. So everyone looked at me, thinking 'Hmmm. You are the guy who thought of this...' And then he said⛦ 'But the lap time is so fast. It just feels slow because it is very, very smooth and stable.'

That wa💙s Christmas time in 2003. Then Valentino Rossi came to Yamaha and rode for the f🎀irst time here [at Sepang] in January 2004. He is really a genius. He rode the crossplane bike for just five or six laps and then came back and said 'this bike is the best one'. Even though it was slow, because the power was not so much.

I had prepared lots of combinations for hღim to try: 🌼Four-valve system, five-valve system, crossplane, single plane. And he pointed to the crossplane crankshaft bike with four-valve.

Before, everybody wa💦s so scared to look at a new engine, because f♍or a long time Yamaha had been successful with the five-valve. People said 'How can you throw away the five-valve system?'

I said 'It is a very interesting system. It's lots of fun for a production bike, but the purpose of racing is not fun. Fun is ok, but the first thing we have to do is win. The problem we have had is Yamaha is los🐬ing the game for over ten years. So we have to change.'

So the four-valve system and crossplane crankshaft was the best, but it was also a brand new engine design, which is why the power was so slow.𒀰 But despite that, Valentino still pointed to that engine and said 'this is it'.

Q:
Is that a lesson you want people at Yamaha to remember, that something might not necessarily produce the best numbers on a design simulation, but the most important thing to🍒 remember is the human conneওction with the machine?

Masao Furusawa:
Right. And you need to remember that Valentino was kind of like a King. We all huddled around him when he came in after riding to l♌isten to what he had to say - would he give 'thumbsﷺ up' or 'thumbs down' to our ideas?

So when Valentino gave the 'thumbs up' for four-valve and cross🥂plane crankshaft everybody knew it was the way forward and worked in the same direction. We didn't have much time. Only two months to the race in South Africa🦋. So I really owe a big thanks to Valentino for making a clear and correct choice.

I had showed some results and evidence [to support the engine change] with the prototype running on the test track, but maybe only 50 percent 📖of people thought 'ok I will follow you'. The other 50 percent still thought 'that is not the real🐻ity on the race track'.

But after Valentino said 'yes', everybody knew it ♛was the right thing and we were able to get a lot of power from people all working as a team. That is one reason why we have had such good results.

Mayb♑e if Valentino hadn't come to Yamaha, I would have been [jokes about a nooꦏse around his neck!].

Q:
On that note, Valentino is not at Yamaha🦩 any mo🥂re. He has gone to Ducati. It looks like they are also making a lot of changes for his first year.

Masao Furusawa:
History is repeating. You know Filippo [Preziosi, Ducati Corse general director] came to me and asked lots of questions. The l🥀ast question was 'will you come to Ducati?' [laughs]. No, no, no. Anyway I gave him lots of hints to win and it looks like he copied my strategy.

Q:
Wow! That was v💧ery sporting. When di⛄d he come and talk to you?

Masao Furusawa:
Before the Valencia test. Before Valent✨ino f𒆙irst rode the Ducati.

Q:
Can I ask what you told Filippo, or some of what yꦡou told him?

Masao Furusawa:
Yes. The first thing he asked me, was to invite myself and my wife to visit the Ducati factory. Because I was a fan of the Ducati, it really touches the heart - I mean the production ꦏbike. Not the MotoGP! I am not a fan of what I race against!

Then Filippo did almost the same process as I did for Rossi in 2004. He prepared maybe two or three types of bike in Valen💜cia. And Valentino selected the 'right' one. Bu꧟t from now on I don't want to say anything.

It looks like now Valentino is a little biꦡt confused with the Ducati... That is good! But still I am keep🤪ing a good friendship with Valentino. Sometimes he calls me and I give him some small hint. A clue.

I think we can keep a good relationship 🌄with each other - a✱nd I need his autograph for a poster! I'm still a fan of Valentino.

Q:
How did you feel when you we🔯re watching Jorge and Valentino battling so closely at Motegi last year? From the TV images you seemed relaxed, compared with some other people in the team...

Masao Furusawa:
This is interesting for me. Everything has both sides. In order to be a good engineer for racing, you have to lots of fun and passion. But if you have strong pass🤪ion, almost crazy, it's too much. Your vision is so narrow.

I would saꦦy I have a much more open-mind, a wider vision than 'crazy guy'! But weakness is maybe not so professional to the racing. But at the same time I am always calculating, analysing and using lots of logic, which is different from most of the emp🤡irical methods in racing.

For me it is really good, because everybody here is so crazy when♊🙈 they are watching the races. They are so excited. I'm pretty much relaxed. I'm excited, but much less than the typical people in the paddock.

I'm always looking precisely at the racing, with not too much tears and shouting. I don't get too high or low. Although, to be honest, the first race winꦡ with Valentino in South Africa was very exciting. One guy in the team passed out, some guys were crying and some were jumping into the pool...

Q:
Would you ཧsay that win, in 𝔍Rossi's first race for Yamaha, is the moment you remember most about your time in MotoGP?

Masao Furusawa:
Yes. That is a good memory for me.

Q:
In place of Valentino you have Ben Spies, who is riding alongside Jorge Lorenzo. How much has Jorge develo🌳ped the bike in the past and can he develop the bike in the way Valentino has in the future?

Masao Furusawa:
There is a big age difference between Valentino [31] and Jorge [23]. 𓆉Jorge is still young and a 'curious boy'. He is still growing up. So far he has almost no knowledge to develop the bike, to be honest, but I'm very much expecting to look at him for the next couple of years. He is changing a lot.

The first year he came to Yamaha [2008] he crashed so many times and he wanted to change the bike. So I talked to him and said 'please, adapt your riding style to the bike'. I said exactly the same thing to Valentino, and Valentino ch🐭anged his riding style in just 10 seconds. Jorge was new to MotoGP so he took longer.

Our advantage with the bike is in smooth riding and being very fast in the corner. Not fast in a straight-line and stop-start style. So Jorge understood and then last year he 🅺learnt many things, had almost no crashes and was on the p🦩odium almost every time. Now he is so smart. More like Valentino.

Also Ben is clever and the combination with the two guys is very good. And, thanks to Valentino again, he a𒅌nd I developed the bike and all w💞e need from now on is just a little bit of set-up and modification.

Q:
What are your impress😼ions of Yamaha's main rivals in MotoGP, Honda and Ducati?

Masao Furusawa:
Honda is now recovering very much and has been fast here. Duc⛄ati is doing something wrong. Maybe Valentino is too good for Ducati,🐽 so that makes another 'noise'.

Last year Nicky Hayden went better, but at this test he hasn't been so fast. But sooner or later the Ducati is coming up. I am sure Valentino will help Ducati very much, but there is a good time-delay💞 for Yamaha.

The strongest competitor is definitely Honda. Honda is so hungry to beat Yamaha. Usually Honda is better than Yamaha, so with Yamaha winning five [rider] titles in 𓄧the last seven years - many people in Honda want to kill me [laughs]! Lots of people have been fired at Honda and the staff are always changing.

Q:
What do you think has be𝄹en the 💃main problem for Honda?

Masao Furusawa:
Historically, Honda's advantage has usuallಞy been a technical one. Right from the founder, Soichiro Honda, there have been many good engineers at Honda. Then around 2003 they became maybe a little arrogant in raci♏ng. They believed any riders could come to Honda and win.

That was why Valentino was so disappointed with Honda. Otherwise I could never get Valentino, so thanks to Honda very much! But Honda learned something from their mistake and now Honda is eager to get a good rider, like Casey Stoner. Then they plan to combine a good bike with good riders to maybe catch and som🍬eday take over Yamaha. I hope not.

My dream was beating Honda, even before I joined Yamaha. One of the dreams came true - I beaಌt Honda in racing - but I did not beat Honda with production bike [sales]. I transferred MotoGP M1 technology to R1, but the R1 is not as successful. Still it has good sales in the 1000cc class, but we need to do something more and I have run out of time.

So 50 percent of my dream came true. It's not so ba𒁏d. I've enjoyed it a lot ꩲand now is the time to move on.

Q:
How much direct involvement have you had with the 𝄹design of this year's M1?

Masao Furusawa:
I rather like to step back and look, but sometimes I'll come in and su✤ggest something if I think it's needed. Then I just fade away, like old soldiers! Now the bike looks pretty good. If something happens maybe I will come back, but very limited time because I will be so busy with my own projects.

I still like engineering very much. On my business card I put 'Executive Officer and Engineer'. I always downgrade, because a couple of years ago ⛦I was a 'Chief Engineer' and now it just says 'Engineer'!

Nearly all 🃏of my hobbies involve some engineering.

Q:
I think you have a Mazda car that you've kept for a long time and use for yౠour experimಌents?

Masao Furusawa:
The MX Miata. It is 18 years old. I've changed it a lot: Reinforcement to increase the rigidly and I put a performan🌠ce damper into the car body to create a damping force. This is an idea from Yamaha Motors because all of the automotive companies just increase the rigidity of the chassis, but sometimes we need a damping force.

Now I increase the stiffness and the da🔯mping force. My Miata is fantastic. Only one problem: The torsional stiffnes♒s [twist] because it is an open-top. This is the last thing I have to fix, but I've been too busy!

My Miata has almost no mileage, less than my rental car. I also have three cars🧔 and𒀰 two bikes and no time to use them.

Q:
Will the Miata be the first of your personal projects🎀 after you stop?

Masao Furusawa:
Yes. First job is th🍌e Miata. I have to fix 'scuttle shake' [chassis vibration ty♛pical in convertibles]. Then I'm thinking of purchasing some reasonably-priced accelerometers, putting them on the Miata, acquire data into the PC and doing nodal analysis.

I was a professional analyst of vibrations back in the 1980s. I developed noda🦂l analysis software and it was sold to automotive companies worldwide. It was prettyไ good business. Then I used the tools I had already developed to analyse my own car.

The next job after that is a bike. This is my baby. A RD250LC from back in 1981. I still have some problems with it. The last Christmas card I drew showedಞ this bike doing a stoppie! And then another bike has some heating problems. Pretty shabby ꦰdesign for the cooling system. Sometimes it is overcooled in winter and overheats in summer. I'd like to fix that.

Q:
Do you ever look for commercial opportunities when you c𒀰ome up with improveme🐼nts?

Masao Furusawa:
No. It's just for my own eꦕnjoyment. And bragging: 'My bike is better!'

I am also a painter and cartoon artist and I ♕want to spend more time doing 3D solid-model sculptures, with computer graphics, as well as making actual wooden sculptures. At the same time I would like to enjoy skiing and snowmobiling. I have a lot of things to💟 do.

I have enjoyed m✨y life and I want to continue enjoying it 🥀in the future.

Q:
In terms of MotoGP's future, what will be important, technically, in the new 1ꦛ000cc class?

Masao Furusawa:
In 2012, with the strong regulations that are coming, we wi🐻ll have to focus on fuel efficiency. That will be the big thing with the one-litre bikes and be the main difference from the 200🌸6 [990cc] bikes. So for the electronic control system we have lots of things to do. That will be the key.

Otherwise a bike is a bike - always two-wheels, one chassis, one engine✱.

Q:
Giv🔜en your background in vibration analysis, did you ever consider the use of carbon fibre for the Yamaha chassis or swingarm?

Masao Furusawa:
Some of the engineers thought about using carbon fibre, but for me no. Carbon fibre is very good for kee🗹ping rigidity and it is very lightweight. But for a motorcycle I don't think it is so good.

When you lean over 45 degrees there is almost no suspension, so you nꦜeed some flexibility in the frame. And with carbon fibre it is really hard to control stiffness. For carbon fibre the 🌃stiffer it is, the better, which is why it is perfect for a Formula One chassis.

Q:
S🥀o how do you find the right balance between enough chassis flex and too much flex?

Masao Furusawa:
We do analysis, simulation and also experimental tests to acquire real data, which we feed into the simulatiꦍon software to help improve the accuracy. But it can be di🔯fficult to get right.

This is one of th꧅e keys to a good chassis: You must have smooth stiffness changes from the stꦅeering head to the rear.

In 2006 we made a mistake wit🌺h the chassis. We designed a chassis that was much more flexible on 🧜the lateral side, but to do that we needed to make some parts with a thin cross-section [so that they would flex more] which can be pretty hard.

So instead of decreasing the stiffness of ꦰthese parts, we reduced the thickness of the frame in the middle. Point-to-point the overall stiffness was the same, but now the distribution of the stiffness was not 'smooth' and not changing in a consistent way along the bike.

That makes for a pr🎐etty bad chatter problem. Chatter is not a linear problem. It is self-excited vibrations. Once it starts, more and more vibrations happen and finally you have a big problem.

One of the solutions is to keep continuous stiffness changes from the head to the rear. Even then you can still get some chatter, buܫt not so much.

So, in the future, what we really need is a damping force for the chassis, but so far that is not so successful. Sometimes we tried a performance damper like on my Miata. Some🎶times it works, sometimes not.

This chatter phenomenon is probably the last remaining problem to be ﷺcracked by motorcycle engineers.

End of interview.