Bike Of The Week - Buell 1125RR

The Buell Motorcycle Company has had a successful season in the AMA’s new Daytona SportBike class. With three rounds left on the schedule Danny Eslick has ridden his Buell 1125R to four victories, and sits second in the championship. Now the news that the AMA has approved the Buell 1125RR for competition in the American Superbike class alongside bikes like the Suzuki GSX-R10000, Yamaha R1 and the Ducati 1098R.

Although the bikes that race in the American Superbike class are highly modified production bikes they are more race bike than street bike. They differ from the Buell 1125RR in that they started out life as a street bike. Erik Buell says his new bike was "designed to give privateer racers a turn-key machine to compete in the American Superbike class”. This would seem to be a new direction for the class, but AMA Technical Director of Competition Al Ludington had this to say, “They’ve got to be supported. They can’t just put them out there and walk away from them so only the factory teams can run the bits and pieces. If Honda wants to do a CBR1000RR-R with some bits and pieces that make it more suitable for AMA racing, and the price isn’t out of line and they’re willing to support it, we would certainly consider it.”

Never one to shy away from controversy, Mat Mladin had this to say about the Buell 1125RR, “It's a purpose-built race bike that's racing in a class where you have to have a certain amount of street bikes homologated every year and sold every year, to be able to be eligible to race in it. It's different rules for everybody around here. The Ducati has its rules advantages as well. Not to the same extent as this new Buell. The Buell's a purpose-built race bike.”

Ludington responded to the bike’s detractors, “Everybody can piss, cry and moan. It’s a bold step forward for Buell. They want to race in Superbike, and we want them to race in Superbike. We’re encouraging everybody we can. We’re talking to other manufacturers that aren’t in our paddock right now that are interested in Superbike racing, and if we’ve got to bend a little bit this way and a little bit that way to get them into the show it’s for the better good of the sport and the better good of the spectators. I can’t think of anything better for us than having AMA-branded, ready to rock and roll racebikes”.

Taylor Knapp and Shawn Higbee raced the bikes at the recent Mid-Ohio round. Knapp had twelfth and tenth place finishes in the two races, and Higbee came home eighteenth and fifteenth. Both Knapp and Higbee are expected to race at the Topeka round.

The 1125RR chassis is based on the 1125R design, and is powered by a modified Helicon 1125cc liquid-cooled 72-degree V-Twin engine. Increased power comes from a larger airbox and intake manifold, revised valves and camshafts, a higher compression ratio and a titanium exhaust system.

Buell will produce a limited number of 1125RR motorcycles for sale only to licensed professional road racers who will compete in the AMA Pro Racing American Superbike class. U.S. MSRP is $39,995. Orders must be placed through the Buell Race Department and delivered through an authorized Buell motorcycle dealer.

Buell 1125RR Slideshow

Making Racing Safer - Motorcycle Air Bags

If you spend any time watching motorcycle racing it's hard not to be amazed at the relatively small number of fatal accidents in the sport, but the threat of serious injury is always there. The seriousness of an accident is usually determined by whether it's a high-side or a low-side crash, but more times than not the rider walks away. Falls are an inevitable result of pushing the limits, and as Nicky Hayden once said, "Telling a rider he's going to fall is like telling a swimmer he's going to get wet".

Rider and track safety have improved over the years, and now manufacturers are working on airbags that prevent head and neck injuries. Spidi introduced an airbag for riders in 1999, and Alpinestars and Dainese are working on their own airbag systems. The Spidi airbag is worn over a jacket or leathers, and the Alpinestars and Dainese airbags are incorporated into racing leathers.

All three of the manufacturers use an airbag that inflates around the rider's head and neck. The Spidi system is activated by a cord that is attached to the handlebars. When a rider crashes and is thrown from the bike the cord is pulled and the bags inflate. The system has been criticized because it will not inflate if the rider isn't thrown from the bike and because the system will inflate if a rider forgets about the cord when they are getting off the bike.

The Alpinestars and Dainese systems use gyroscopes and motion sensors to detect crashes and inflate the airbags. Alpinestars Advanced Safety Technology incorporates the sensors into a rider mounted telemetry system that they have been using for several years. That system includes acceleration sensors, a central logging unit, two GPS units, an inertial motion unit and a display board. Both companies are still evaluating the rider data they've accumulated, and are perfecting their systems to insure that the airbags "inflate predictably in the right circumstances".

Dainese has been developing their D-air® Racing airbag with Grand Prix riders, and had their first deployment of an airbag under race conditions at Valencia in 2007. In the years since they first started to develop the system they have reduced the volume of the sack, redistributed protective areas, increased the system's inflation pressure and programmed the airbag to deflate after 10 seconds. The latest version of the airbag is contained inside the suit so when the airbag is deployed the suit expands.

Development continues on airbag systems with both Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo agreeing to use the Dainese system in race conditions. Crashing is inevitable in racing, but the new airbag systems are the latest attempt to minimize head and neck injuries in motorcycle road racing.

Motorcycle Air Bag Slideshow

Dainese Air Bag Video

Spidi Air Bag Video

Honda Gold Wing Airbag System Video

Moto2 – World Superbike & MotoGP Getting Closer?

When Grand Prix motorcycle racing changed from a 500cc two stroke formula to a 900cc four stroke formula in 2002 the handwriting was on the wall for the 250cc class. That handwriting becomes a reality in 2010 when the new four stroke class known as Moto2 will replace 250cc.

Honda will be supplying every competitor in the class with a four stroke engine that is based on their CBR600RR. When Dorna first released rules for the new class Supersport production engines were permitted. This didn’t sit well with the Flammini Brothers and the InFront Sports group that oversees the World Superbike Championship. Their agreement with the FIM gives them the international rights for production based Supersport racing, and they felt that the rules put Moto2 in direct competition with their World Supersport Championship. The FIM agreed, and the rules were changed to incorporate a spec engine with Honda being awarded the engine contract over Yamaha.

The implementation of the Moto2 class was originally met with skepticism by many of the teams and some in the press. Aprilia, who had dominated the class for years, was particularly miffed, but eventually the new class was embraced and 47 teams applied for admission into the series. The FIM was optimistic, "Due to the overwhelming interest in this new class and the quality of the initial applications it is the intention of the FIM, Dorna and IRTA to accept an entry significantly larger than the current 250cc class." It wouldn’t be feasible to have 47 teams so entry into the series was offered to 27 teams/41 riders.

After the initial greeting of pessimism Moto2 is riding a wave of optimism. Prototype versions of the bikes have been competing in a Spanish championship that runs a Moto2/Extreme class with Moto2 bikes that are powered by Honda and Yamaha engines. At the Valencia round in July Aleix Espargaro’s qualifying time was .227 seconds slower than last year’s 250cc pole. Roberto Rolfo qualified seventh at Valencia, and finished fifth in his first race on a Moto2 bike. Rolfo is planning on competing in the championship next year, and he is also working with Dunlop in the development of a tire for the series. Dunlop has been the tire supplier for the 250cc class, and they were recently awarded a three year contract to supply tires for Moto2.

With their initial disappoint behind them it looks as though Aprilia has decided to join the Moto2 party. Although the engine and gearbox will be the same for everyone each team will be allowed to develop their own chassis. A key ingredient that makes this less of a spec series, and gives teams the opportunity to build a bike with an advantage that can win races. Kenny Roberts is one of the 27 team owners who have been offered entry into the series, "I think Moto2 works because it is an even playing field, and that's interesting because in MotoGP it isn't. If you're on the wrong motorcycle there's nothing you can do about it. But paying a lot of money to be on the wrong motorcycle doesn't make a lot of sense. We'll build our own frame. We still have a skeleton crew and we still have the equipment in England to build a chassis, but I'm not sure. We'd certainly design it in England, but probably build it somewhere else. That's yet to be determined."

Dorna seems to have successfully negotiated their way through the waters of creating the Moto2 series, but they recently fired another shot over the bow of the World Superbike Championship when they announced that they would like to see 1000cc production based engines added to the MotoGP series where shrinking fields are threatening the championship. The Flammini brothers have already declared that they will fight such a move, but the manufacturers have told Dorna that they will consider the proposal and have an answer by the end of August at the Indianapolis MotoGP round. Stay tuned.

World Superbike - Brno Results

It was one of those weekends that Ben Spies will probably look back on and just shake his head. The two-wheeled wunderkind has had his share of misfortune in an otherwise stunning year in World Superbike. Spies came to Brno with a fourteen point deficit to championship leader Noriyuki Haga who would be riding with a broken ulna bone in his right arm and painful fractures in his left scapula. The tenth round of the championship was looking like a good opportunity for Spies to make up some ground, and possibly take the championship lead away from Haga.

Spies started off the weekend by taking his ninth superpole of the season. An effort that put him one short of the record set by Doug Polen in 1991. After falling behind at the start of race one Spies worked his way to the front, and looked in control until an over aggressive Michel Fabrizio took both riders out when he lost the front end trying to make a pass. Both bikes were unable to continue, and an apologetic Fabrizio offered his condolences to Spies who pushed the Italian away and pointed to his head.

The crash put Max Biaggi in the lead at a track where the Italian runs well no matter what he’s riding. Biaggi cruised to victory on the Aprilia ahead of Carlos Checa and Jonathan Rea. Haga managed to finish eighth after starting fourteenth, and added to his points lead over Spies and Fabrizio. The win was the first for the Aprilia RSV4, and the first win for an Aprilia since Regis Laconi won at Imola in 2001.

Race 1 Results

In race two Spies took the early lead, and put a gap between himself and the field in what looked like an attempt to remove any chance of being taken out by another rider. The American was chased by both Biaggi and Fabrizio, but it was Biaggi who stayed with Spies until the end. Spies was clearly working hard to keep the lead, but Biaggi couldn’t get by and Spies rode to his eleventh win of the season with Biaggi and Fabrizio taking the next two spots on the podium. Haga improved on his race one result with a sixth place finish, but with the win Spies was able to narrow the Japanese rider’s lead to six points.

Race 2 Results

The recent break gave all of the teams some time to improve their bikes, and the BMW team came to Brno with a new engine. Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus qualified sixth and seventh on the SR1000 RR, and Corser led both races early. Xaus had a vicious high-side in race one, and didn’t compete in the second race.

After being second quickest in Friday practice John Hopkins qualified twentieth. Hopkins crashed out of race one on lap eleven, and ended his weekend with an engine failure in race two.

The next race on the WSBK calendar is at the Nurburging on September 6th so all of the teams get more time to work on their bikes, and riders like Haga get time to recuperate from their injuries.

MotoGP - Donington Results

MotoGP Results

250cc Results

125cc Results

Championship Standings (MotoGP, 250cc & 125cc)

Pics #1

Pics #2

Riding Man

Being able to follow your passion and live out your dreams is something that most people are unable to do. For writer and amateur road racer Mark Gardiner that dream was to compete in the Isle of Man TT. For Gardiner to live out his dream he had to quit his job, and use his life savings to move to the Isle of Man and prepare for the race.

Gardiner writes about his experiences in the book Riding Man, and a film called One Man’s Island documents his time on the Isle of Man. Jay Leno interviewed Gardiner on his website.

Bike Of The Week - Mike Hailwood Replica

With nine grand prix championships and 76 wins Mike Hailwood is recognized as one of the greatest motorcycle racers of all time. He added another chapter to his already legendary career in 1978 when he returned to motorcycle racing after an eleven year absence, and won the Isle of Man TT on a Ducati 900SS. To commemorate that win Ducati sold a Mike Hailwood replica from 1979 to 1984.

Now the Bologna based NCR factory that has built other retro Ducati bikes has come out with a modern day version of the Hailwood TT winner. The new bike has a 130 horsepower engine, fuel injection, a slipper clutch and a titanium exhaust system. The frame is fabricated from titanium tubing and the suspension features Ohlins forks and shocks. NCR finished off the 300 pound bike with carbon fiber wheels and body parts.

NCR willl only be building twelve of the $126,000 Hailwood replicas.

Mike Hailwood Replica Slideshow

MotoGP – Donington Preview

MotoGP is making their last visit to Donington for the near term with the British round moving to Silverstone next year. Championship leader Valentino Rossi has five top class wins at Donington and a fourteen point lead over Jorge Lorenzo. Casey Stoner trails Rossi by twenty eight points and he’s still suffering from a stamina sapping illness, but the 2007 World Champion has won the last two Donington rounds.

The Honda bikes of Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso and Toni Elias have had an improved chassis at the last few rounds, and the two Repsol riders were testing a new engine at the Sachsenring. Pedrosa was strong enough to finish in third place at Germany, but both he and Dovizioso had tire problems.

Jorge Martinez has been trying to put together a MotoGP team for many years without any luck. Now it looks like Martinez will realize his dream in 2010 with either Ducati (80%) or Honda (20%). Martinez is pushing for a two bike team, and is hoping that Alvaro Bautista will be one of his riders.

Jorge Lorenzo’s contract with Yamaha is up for renewal at the end of the year, and he is making salary demands that are greater than what Yamaha is offering. The Spaniard has said that he has received offers from all of the manufacturers, and if he does decide to leave his current team it seems more than likely that he would be going to the Honda factory team.

After two solid races and qualifying fourth at Germany it looked like Nicky Hayden finally had a handle on how to ride the Ducati, but a bad start pushed him to the rear and he had to settle for an eighth place finish. The Kentucky Kid had another problem prior to last weekend’s race when he came upon a slow rider in the wet. MotoGP has video of all the wet weather crashes at last weekends round.

Qualifying Times – Rossi quickest

Friday Pics

AMA Test – New Jersey Motorsports Park

The AMA riders just finished up a two day test at the New Jersey Motorsports Park on the facility’s 2.25 mile Thunderbolt Raceway. The AMA will hold their first event at the new track September 4 – 6. No times were available from the test, but here’s what some of the riders had to say about the circuit:

Tommy Hayden:

“It’s a bit small for my taste. There’s a couple spots where the walls are a bit close as well. Had they just consulted a few motorcycle people while building the track they could have made it much more bike friendly for the same amount of money instead of having to now hear what we say and make changes – if they do.”

Aaron Yates:

“It’s a fun track I’m sure for track days and riding around, but racing is another story. I’m still not fully up to speed but there are some strange corners and a few spots that need gravel or walls moved back.”

Neil Hodgson:

“It has a good flow to it and it’s good fun. It’s kind of like a mini-Miller Motorsports Park. I really quite like it, actually. It’s far more of a proper racetrack than some of the places we go to, that’s for sure.”

The track was completed in 2008, and it has already hosted Grand Am and ARCA races on the Thunderbolt circuit. There aren’t many seating areas at the track at this point, but there are plans for more grandstands in the future.

AMA Test Images:

Track Pics

Paddock Pics

Bike Pics

World Superbike – Brno Preview

The World Superbike riders have not raced in anger since the June 28^th round at Donington. The teams just finished an official test at Imola, and this week they’ll be heading to Brno in the Czech Republic for round ten of the fourteen round championship. Noriyuki Haga leads the championship by fourteen points over Ben Spies and fifty-one points over Michele Fabrizio.

Superpole Times – Spies quickest, Haga 14^th

The month long break came at the perfect time for Haga who broke the ulna bone in his right arm, and had multiple fractures in his left scapula. The fractured ulna was set with screws and a plate, and the scapula will heal itself so Haga will be ready to race this weekend, "After the crash at Donington I've been doing a lot of physiotherapy in order to get back into shape as quickly as possible. I'm not sure that my arm and shoulder will be 100% by the weekend but I'm confident I'll be ready for the races." Haga has five top 5 finishes and a win in eight races at Brno.

Makoto Tamada returns to the Kawasaki team for the first time since his crash at Monza, but an unfortunate Max Neukirchner fractured a vertebrae at the Imola test, and will not be racing at Brno. Max Biaggi fractured his foot in the second race at Donington, but he has been testing and will race at Brno, "I really like the Brno track, I've won there on almost all the bikes with which I've raced. The race at Donington confirmed that we can go well. I fought with Spies right until the final lap before I had a technical problem that lost me 7 seconds, but in any case I managed to get onto the podium in second place.”

The break gave all of the teams time to test and improve their bikes. BMW tested a new engine at Imola, and Ruben Xaus felt the team was moving in the right direction , "I am happy how the these tests have gone and I am really happy with the new engines. Now the bike is easier to ride and the connection between the throttle and the engine is improved. Of course, there's still a lot of work to do, but this improvement has made us all smile again and look forward to using these engines in Brno.”

John Hopkins was only able to compete in the first race at Donington as he continues to recover from his injuries at Assen, but his eighth place finish in that race was proof that he is on his way back to top form. Hopkins was sixth quickest overall at the Imola test, but he sat out the final session after an on-track incident, "I actually had a big moment midday yesterday when I was following Fabrizio, lost the rear, the thing came back and just pumped on me really hard. It caused quite a bit of pain in my hip, so this morning it was painful. There was a little bit of swelling so we decided to go and get some X-rays. It shows that the bone looks pretty clear like it's really fragile at the moment so we've got to get a bunch of tests from the specialists. The right side looks completely solid, then the left side is completely see-through."

The official test at Imola was an opportunity for Ben Spies to get some track time on a circuit he had never ridden. Spies struggled at first, but he came away from the test third quickest with the help of some Tom Houseworth adjustments, "When Ben got off the bike after the first few laps he said it reminded him of Kyalami, but once we got it tuned a bit it didn't seem quite that bad. We are trying to get Ben's riding position a little more towards the back on the brakes, because he is coming a little forward.”

Michele Fabrizio ended up second quickest at the Imola test, and the Ducati rider needs to score points if he wants to close the 37 point gap between himself and Spies. Fabrizio had a twelfth and a third place finish at Donington, but he has a good history at the Czech Republic circuit, "Brno is probably my favorite track on the calendar, mainly because it's the circuit where I've had most success. Since 2005 I've only failed to reach the podium once.”

After winning for the first time in the second race at Misano Jonathan Rea struggled at Donington with seventh and fifteenth place finishes. Rea was the quickest rider at the Imola test so it will be interesting to see if he can rebound and stand on the podium at Brno.

The 2008 races at Brno were dominated by Ducati:

Race #1

1. Bayliss (Ducati)

2. Corser (Yamaha)

3. Fabrizio (Ducati)

Race #2

1. Bayliss (Ducati)

2. Fabrizio (Ducati)

3. Biaggi (Ducati)

Weather Forecast:

Fri: Partly Sunny - 84

Sat: Clouds & Showers - 75

Sun: Sunny - 75

Speed Air Times:

Race #1 – Sun (7/26) – 3:00 pm (EST)

Race #2 – Sun (7/26) – 4:00 pm (EST)

Circuit Data:

Circuit length: 5.403 km

Pole position: left

Corners left: 6

Corners right: 8

World Superbikes – The First 20 Years

Ben Spies has brought America back to the forefront of the World Superbike Championship, but the series has a long history of American riders since its inaugural season in 1988. Fred Merkel, Doug Polen, Colin Edwards, John Kocinski and Scott Russell were all riders who carried the Stars & Stripes on their way to the championship.

Writer and broadcaster Julian Ryder has combined his knowledge and talents along with Kel Edge to put together World Superbikes – The First 20 Years. More recently known for his commentary on the EuroSport broadcasts of MotoGP Ryder was a World Superbike commentator in the 1990’s. Edge’s writing and photography enliven the pages of this retrospective look at the series.

The book covers each year of the championship with a description of the action, excellent photography and results from each race. A great addition to any library for anyone who has followed the series since its inception or the newcomer. If you’re interested in finding other worthwhile motorcycle racing books Julian Ryder has put together a list of Books Every Bike Racing Fan Should Own.

MotoGP - Sachsensring Results

MotoGP Results

250cc Results

125cc Results

Championship Standings (MotoGP, 250cc & 125cc)

MotoGP Pics #1

MotoGP Pics #2

MotoGP Pics #3

AMA – Mid-Ohio Results

American Superbike Race #1 Results

American Superbike Race #2 Results

Daytona SportBike Race #1 Results

Daytona SportBike Race #2 Results

Supersport Race Results

Mid-Ohio Pics #1

Mid-Ohio Pics #2

AMA press release on Buell 1125RR

Honda comments on Buell 1125RR in American Superbike

Bike Of The Week – BMW S1000RR

This year BMW entered the World Superbike Championship with the S1000RR. The team struggled to get results early on, but has seen some improvement in recent races. The bike will be available to the public in December with an MSRP of $13,800. BMW’s latest effort weighs in at 404 pounds and features a 193 horsepower, 1000cc in-line four. Options for the bike include traction control and a four-stage Race ABS system with settings for rain, sport, race and slick conditions.

BMW has a site that allows consumers to pre-order an S1000RR. The site also includes links to other BMW motorcycle sites.

BMW S1000RR Slideshow

MotoGP – Sachsenring Preview

The MotoGP circus heads to the Sachsenring in Germany for round nine this weekend. Valentino Rossi leads the championship by nine points over second placed Jorge Lorenzo and sixteen points over Casey Stoner in third. Rossi is the only one of the top four riders in the championship who isn’t fighting injuries or illness. Lorenzo dislocated his collarbone and injured his foot at Laguna Seca, Stoner has been diagnosed with a condition of "slight gastritis and mild anemia" that has affected his stamina in the last three races and Dani Pedrosa is recovering from a leg injury.

The Sachsenring circuit is an anti-clockwise circuit where the majority of the turns are long, fast left hand corners. Bridgestone will be using the hard and extra hard compound asymmetric Bridgestone slicks that they used at the Catalunya race. Last year’s race was run in the wet, and Pedrosa crashed while leading the race and the championship. Stoner went on to win the race, and was followed across the line by Rossi and Chris Vermulen.

With an eighth place finish at Assen and a fifth at Laguna Seca Nicky Hayden is having his best run of the season on the factory Ducati. Hayden has 4 podium finishes, 5 top fives and 2 front row starts in his six races at the Sachsenring. The former world champion sits twelfth in the championship with 38 points.

The Grupo Francisco Hernando team has withdrawn from the MotoGP championship due to the global financial crisis. The team was running a Ducati for Sete Gibernau who had returned to the series after a two year absence. The Spaniard was sitting seventeenth in the championship with twelve points. The move reduces the championship to seventeen riders. Both Grupo Francisco Hernando and Marco Melandri’s Hayate team have indicated that they will not be returning to the championship next year.

MotoGP Qualifying - Rossi quickest

2008 NHTSA Traffic Report

The NHTSA recently published their 2008 Traffic Safety Summary which details the increase or decrease in traffic accidents by type of vehicle. Overall the number of people killed in traffic accidents (-9.7%) or injured (-5.8%) was down. The number of people killed on motorcycles was up (+2.2%), but the number injured was down (-6.8%). The biggest increase was in the number of bicyclists injured in traffic accidents (+21%). Traffic safety has improved greatly since the early 1970’s when 50,000 or more were killed each year when there were far fewer vehicles on the road.

World Superbike – News & Notes (Imola Test)

The World Superbike teams are in the middle of their mid-season break, and tomorrow they begin a three day official test at Imola. The San Marino circuit has undergone changes that include a new chicane on the main straight, new pit garages and media center. World Superbike will return to Imola on September 27th for the first time in three years.

A total of 22 riders are expected to a take part in the test with Max Neukirchner and Makoto Tamada riding for the first time since their first lap crashes at the Monza round. The test is expected to draw 22 riders, and will include the Yamaha, Ten Kate, BMW, Stiggy Racing and Aprilia teams. BMW, Stiggy and Aprilia all tested after the last round at Donington. Max Biaggi talked about Aprilia’s test at Brno, “We did get positive feedback, especially regarding the front suspension. I'm quite confident for the race at Brno at the end of the month. We've got another 20 days to work on the bike, this for us has more or less been the first real test since the start of the championship".

One of the riders who won’t be at the Imola test will be championship leader Noriyuki Haga. The Ducati rider is still recuperating from his crash at Donington that left him with injuries that included a fracture to the ulna bone in his right forearm and three minor cracks in his left scapula. Haga talked about the crash, "I remember everything clearly. I was in second place, I didn't want to settle for that position and I was thinking about the situation in the standings ... but maybe I was thinking a bit too much. When I saw that the bike was about to hit me full-on I thought: This is the end!" Haga is expected to be ready to defend his 14 point lead over Ben Spies in the next round at Brno.

Several Americans have raced in this year’s championship, and both Ben Spies and John Hopkins have full time rides in the series. Jamie Hacking raced at three rounds this year and he’s hoping for a full time ride in the future, “I would love to be in the World Superbike paddock. I've not been blown away, and I came in here knowing that these were A-class riders - it's unbelievable how many there are! Despite some of the mistakes that have been made, I think I have done fairly well. If we got a little more familiar with the machine, we'd be a bit better. It's hard to race around some of the race tracks, they are really demanding. It's like going on track and being held at gunpoint because you have got to go fast straight away! I'm enjoying it 100 percent and I really want to be here.”

The next round of the championship will take place at Brno in the Czech Republic on July 26th.

Wednesday - Overall Times - Fabrizio quickest

Thursday - Overall Times - Rea quickest

Neukirchner Fractures Vertebrae at Imola Test

Bike Of The Week - Honda CBX1000

The CBX1000 was Honda’s first production motorcycle with a six cylinder engine. The design of the CBX1000 was overseen by Shoichiro Irimajiri who had been instrumental in the design of Honda’s world championship winning six-cylinder engines in the 1960’s.

When the company first started selling the bike in 1979 it had a standard bike appearance that highlighted the bike's in-line six cylinder engine. The twin cam, 24 valve engine produced 105 bhp and turned the quarter mile in under 12 seconds, but had disappointing sales in its first two years of production. Honda added a fairing and panniers in 1981 to make the bike appealing to the sport touring market, but sales didn’t improve. The bike that had burst onto the scene in 1978 was discontinued after four years of production. The heavy machine couldn’t compete with lighter, faster, better handling bikes like the Suzuki GS1000.

Honda CBX1000 Slideshow

1979 Cycle Magazine Road Test

AMA – Laguna Seca Superbike Round

This past weekend’s AMA American Superbike round at Laguna Seca was the scene of a series of controversies. The problems started when Tommy Hayden jumped the start, and the green flag never waved. The riders were eventually allowed to take another warm-up lap, and members of the Hayden family were seen in heated debate with an AMA official during the intermission. Hayden was allowed to re-start from his front row starting position, but came in for a ride-through penalty during the race.

The second attempt at a start resulted in a turn one crash that took out several riders. The yellow flag waved as the riders came down the main straight, but the riders were still at speed. What they didn’t know was that the safety car was parked out of sight on the other side of the hill at the end of the front straight. The riders managed to avoid it, but stopping the safety car on the track had created a dangerous situation.

The race was red flagged and restarted once again with Mat Mladin coming from behind to beat teammate Blake Young for the victory. No mention of the issue with the safety car was made on the SPEED tape delayed broadcast of the race. Colin Fraser, the AMA’s director of competition, explained the pace car situation in the post-race press conference:

“The car came out of the pit lane so what happened is when the field, on the first lap after the incident in turn two, reached the Corkscrew, we called for the safety car and it pulled out just past and under the bridge with a plan to drive it as far up the hill as it could be and still be seen. Then the marshals displayed dual waving yellow flags and a safety car sign and we know that those signs and those flags were shown and seen in (turns) nine, 10, 11 and at the start /finish line. Well, I know they were seen because we asked the marshals and got a call in terms of how some of the people in the field behaved so I can't tell you why people didn't respond. Please understand that the safety car had to be somewhere where it could control the field through turn two, so what we tried to do is put it as far up the hill, past the bridge, where the riders could still see it with the expectation that there were multiple turns with waving yellows and safety cars prior to that location that would allow us when the riders came out of 11 to follow the instructions as per usual with the safety car. There is no set spot where the riders will encounter the safety car; it depends on the flow of the race. Clearly, it didn't work well. I'm not going to pretend that it was successful."

Former world champion Kevin Schwantz asked Fraser several questions about the incident which Fraser answered, but Schwantz got up and walked away while Fraser was still answering one of his questions.

Race winner Mat Mladin had some comments of his own about the safety car incident, “It could have been very ugly. I’m not sure what it’s going to take to understand that the pace car doesn’t belong in motorcycle racing. This isn’t NASCAR, we’re not having a cup of tea in the race car." Mladin had more to say about the organization that sanctions AMA roadracing, "I think the most important thing is that everybody around here is actually scared to say what actually happened out there ... because there's always punishment around for opening your mouth or telling it like it is. Nobody is going to open their mouths until probably somebody dies, so nobody is going to do anything about it. It's a real shame that it has come to this."

Kevin Schwantz interview and Colin Fraser post-race press conference.

Mat Mladin interview and top three post-race press conference.

Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

This year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will feature motorcycles for the first time since the event was first held in 1950. The motorcycles included in this year’s show will be British bikes built through 1959. The manufacturers included in that group will be Vincent, Brough Superior, Norton, BSA, Velocette, Triumph, and Ariel.

One of the feaured bikes is a 1948 Vincent Black Shadow. The bike was built for American John Edgar who was determined to break the speed record for motorcycles. Edgar and his rider, Roland Free, went to the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1948 to break the 136 mph record that had been set by a Harley-Davidson. To get a more aerodynamic position on the bike Free chose to lie down during his runs. The high speeds caused the stitching on his leathers to come apart so he decided to make the record attempt in a bathing suit, swim cap and sneakers. Free completed the runs in his new gear at an average speed of 150.313 mph setting a new world record for unstreamlined and unsupercharged bikes.

The event will take place at the Pebble Beach golf course near Carmel, CA August 14 – 16.

The show will also feature a motorcycle auction.

Motorcycle auction slideshow.

Motorcycle Documentary - Long Way Down

Long Way Down is a television series and book that documents a 15,000 mile motorcycle trip taken by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. The show follows the pair as they begin their journey in Scotland and wind their way through Europe and Africa to reach their final destination in Cape Agulhas, South Africa.

McGregor and Boorman are actors who also happen to be passionate motorcyclists. The pair made another documentary in 2004 called Long Way Round. That film documents a two-wheeled journey that begins in London, travels east through Europe into Asia and ends in New York.

Boorman was featured in another film called Race To Dakar that follows him as he competes in the 2006 Dakar Rally. In addition to appearing in major films like Star Wars and Black Hawk Down, McGregor was the narrator of a MotoGP documentary called Faster. That film and other motorcycle racing documentaries was directed by Mark Neale who has been working to get backing for a motorcycle racing film that would feature McGregor in the lead role.

Laguna Seca – MotoGP & AMA Results

MotoGP - Race Results

AMA American Superbike - Race Results

AMA Daytona SportBike - Race Results

AMA Supersport - Race Results

Sunday Race Pics

Race Day Pics #1

Race Day Pics #2

Race Day Pics #3

Bike of the Week – Bimota Tesi 3D

The Tesi 3D is the latest version of Bimota’s bike with the signature hub center steering system. The claimed benefits of the system are that it reduces front end dive under braking and increases corner entrance stability and mid-turn control. The front end was completely redesigned by Bimota’s Andrea Acquaviva to address handling problems on the previous version of the bike, the Tesi 2D.

The central section of the chassis is a billet-aluminum, omega-shaped frame that supports and utilizes the engine as a stressed member of the chassis. The front and rear trellis swingarms pivot in the frame and rear engine cases. The 370 pound bike (dry weight) is powered by a 1078cc Ducati engine.

When the bike was first introduced in 2007 it was priced at $35,900. Bimota originally planned to build 30 bikes in the first year of production and 100 in the second year.

Bimota Tesi 3D Slideshow

Bimota Tesi 3D Road Test

Laguna Seca - MotoGP Weekend

It’s a good time to be a motorcycle road racing fan in the U.S. with a World Superbike round at Miller Motorsports Park, and MotoGP races at Laguna Seca and Indianapolis. This weekend the MotoGP and AMA riders are in Monterey for USGP #1. Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner are in a fight for the MotoGP title, but American Colin Edwards has been having a solid year on the Tech 3 Yamaha and is tied for fifth in the standings. Nicky Hayden has been struggling on the Ducati, but looked strong in the last race at Assen where he finished eighth.

Last year’s race was a memorable battle between Rossi and Stoner, that saw Rossi going inside and off the track in the Corkscrew to take the lead. Stoner eventually ran wide and crashed in turn eleven with eight laps to go, and Rossi cruised to the victory.

2009 Laguna Pics #1

2009 Laguna Pics #2

2009 Laguna Pics #3

2009 Laguna Pics #4

Sun (7/5) MotoGP Race - FOX – 5:00 pm (EST)

Mon (7/6) AMA Superbike & Daytona Sportbike – SPEED - 12:00 am (EST)

Joey Dunlop - His Authorised Biography

The Isle of Man TT is a throwback to what racing used to be. A time when racing took place on public roads, and safety was usually an after thought. The riders who compete in the TT and other road races like the North West 200 ignore the risks and push themselves and their bikes to the limit. The man widely regarded as the greatest road racer of them all was Joey Dunlop. The modest Irishman dominated the racing at the Isle of Man until his death in a road race in 2000. The funeral of the beloved ‘Yer Maun’ was broadcast live on Irish television, and attended by 50,000 mourners. His life story is told in a biography called Joey Dunlop by Mac McDiarmid. The book tells the story of a man with a love of racing and no interest in self-promotion or wealth.

Joey Dunlop plays a prominent role in a documentary called The Road Racers.

If you have more interest in books on motorcycle racing, broadcaster and journalist Julian Ryder put together his own list of Books Every Bike Racing Fan Should Own.

Isle of Man TT - HD Theater Channel

As mentioned in an earlier post Discovery’s HD Theater Channel will be airing nine 1-hour shows on this year’s Isle of Man TT. The first Isle of Man show will air on Monday, July 13th at 9:00pm (EST). Also mentioned in that post was the fact that Discovery will be re-launching the HD Theater Channel as a motor themed network called Velocity in 2010. The network is already airing a variety of automotive and motorcycle programs. Shows that include Twist the Throttle, Monster Garage, Baja 500, American Chopper and Birth of a Racer.

Birth of a Racer – The Story of MotoCzysz

Sun – 7/05 – 9:00 pm (EST)
Tue – 7/07 – 9:00 pm (EST)

Isle of Man TT – Show #1

Mon – 7/13 – 9:00 pm (EST)
Tue – 7/14 – 12:00 am (EST)
Tue – 7/14 – 4:00 am (EST)

Motor Sports Country Club of Colorado

Motor sports country clubs are becoming more popular these days. The concept gives track owners another source of income other than sales from race tickets, testing and track days. It gives the average Joe, and the not so average Joe, a high quality circuit to test their skills on two wheels or four.

Plans and site engineering have been completed for what is being billed as the largest motor sports country club and resort in the world. The Motor Sports Country Club of Colorado designed by Herman Tilke is a 2600 acre project that will include 4 road courses, an off-road course, a race club, pit garages, resort estate homes, equestrian facility and luxury residence club. The track design also includes a private jet runway and a heliport pad in case you don’t feel like driving to the club.

The club will offer a variety of memberships including fifty founder’s memberships which cost $125,000 and include a home site. The club will include a driving school and high performance cars for those who don’t bring their own. The project plans were recently updated and financial backing is being finalized. No date has been set for ground breaking.