MotoJournal

World Superbike – Valencia Test

2010-01-29T13:14:00.006-05:00

Aprilia, Ducati and BMW all headed to Valencia for more testing after spending the weekend testing at Portimao in Portugal. Ducati tested on Wednesday and Thursday, and were hampered by wet and cold conditions. As usual Noriyuki Haga was optimistic, “We continued with the work started at Portimao, testing suspension settings and various tire compounds. I also tried a new clutch which seemed to perform well, and my lap times were fairly fast seeing as it was extremely cold. I'd say we're very happy, although we've seen that the privateer Ducatis of Checa and Byrne were also very fast so I guess the first race of the season will be very interesting.”

Carlos Checa and Shakey Byrne were riding the Althea Racing Ducatis, and Checa was the quickest of all the riders on hand for the test. Checa moved over to the team in the off season after spending last year with the Ten Kate Honda team, "I'm happy with my test today. We have worked very well, despite the cold temperature. After Portimao and Valencia test I'm feeling more comfortable on both my Ducati 1198 bikes. This afternoon I scored the best lap time, that's always something good.”

Aprilia was another team that was forced to suffer through the bad weather, and they decided to leave the test a day early. Although last year’s return to the class was marked by continuous progress Max Biaggi for one was feeling the need for more test time, "This could be a problem because we didn't get the confirmation we were looking for. Now the situation is a bit more complicated, we'll be testing in Australia before the race, but if there are any problems then it will be too late to do anything.”

The factory BMW notched the slowest times of the test under new team manager David Tardozzi, but Troy Corser was upbeat, “We’ve gained a lot of useful information for the engineers and technicians during these two days, and if I had to race the bike tomorrow I wouldn’t be unhappy at all. We used standard tires throughout the test, and if the conditions had been a bit better and more rubber had been down, I’m sure I could’ve gone faster.”

In other World Superbike news Yoshimura Suzuki has announced that they will enter the Assen and Magny-Cours rounds with Yukio Kagayama and the Imola race with Daisaku Sakai. This announcement would seem to end any chance of Matt Mladin racing in the championship this year. Mladin was rumored to be a possible rider for both Yoshimura and BMW after retiring at the end of the AMA Superbike season. Mladin added fuel to those stories when he posted on Twitter saying he was looking at some interesting offers.

The final pre-season tests will be held in Australia on February 21-22 prior to the first round of the season at Phillip Island on February 28th.

World Superbike – Portimao Test

2010-01-25T17:11:00.006-05:00

The World Superbike teams finished up their first official test of the new year on Sunday at the Portimao circuit in Portugal. The riders started the test on Friday in good conditions, and the quickest riders out of the box were Leon Haslam on the Suzuki GSXR-1000 and Jonathan Rea on the Honda CBR1000RR. Haslam led both sessions of day one for his new Alstare team, but Rea was only a few tenths behind on his Ten Kate mount. Shakey Byrne and Michel Fabrizio on Ducatis, Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland on Yamahas and Max Biaggi on the Aprilia were all less than .5 off the time of Haslam.

Wet conditions prevailed at the track on Saturday with the top time from the first session down 12.3 seconds from Friday’s quick time. The weather improved for session two, but the best time was still 6.3 seconds off Friday’s best. The conditions in session one were so bad that Byrne, Fabrizio, Biaggi and Haga stayed in the pits. Rea and Haslam continued to battle it out for the top spot, but it was Rea who came away with the quickest time in both sessions. Rainmeister Chris Vermulen managed to come away with the third quickest time of session one on the Paul Bird Kawasaki ZX 10R, but his times for all of the other sessions were outside the top ten. Crutchlow was fourth in both sessions on the Yamaha YZF R1.

Conditions improved on Sunday and the riders were able to set the fastest times of the weekend, but it was still Rea and Haslam at the top. Rea once again took the quick time in both session, but Haslam was never far off his pace. Haga and Fabrizio were consistent runners all weekend, and managed to run third and fourth quickest in the early Sunday session. Rea continued his dominance in the final session with a time .287 seconds quicker than anything that had been run all weekend.

With the departure of Ben Spies and John Hopkins the only American riding in the series is Roger Hayden. Riding for a new team on an unfamiliar circuit Hayden’s quickest time was 4.7 seconds off the quick time of Rea. Fellow American Jason DiSalvo was at Portimao testing a World Supersport Triumph 675 for his new team. DiSalvo ended the weekend ninth fastest and 2.7 seconds off the top time set by Eugene Laverty on a Honda CBR600RR.

BMW, Aprilia and Ducati will be testing at Valencia this week. The first race of the season is at Phillip Island on February 28th, and the teams will fly out to the Australian circuit the week prior to the race for their final pre-season test.

World Superbike Test Times

1.42.270 -0.000 Rea J.
1.42.557 -0.287 Haslam L.
1.42.877 -0.607 Byrne S.
1.42.960 -0.690 Crutchlow C.
1.43.137 -0.867 Fabrizio M.
1.43.157 -0.887 Toseland J.
1.43.364 -1.094 Biaggi M.
1.43.417 -1.147 Haga N.
1.43.471 -1.201 Neukirchner M.
1.43.508 -1.238 Guintoli S.
1.43.629 -1.359 Checa C.
1.43.749 -1.479 Camier L.
1.43.931 -1.661 Corser T.
1.44.108 -1.838 Vermeulen C.
1.44.365 -2.095 Sykes T.
1.44.570 -2.300 Xaus R.
1.44.751 -2.481 Parkes B.
1.45.348 -3.078 Iannuzzo V.
1.46.990 -4.720 Hayden R.
1.47.293 -5.023 Fores J.

World Superbike – News & Notes

2010-01-08T13:36:00.005-05:00

The World Superbike Championship is coming back to life after a short winter recess. The teams continue their search for speed and reliability, and the riders push their bodies through pre-season training as the 2010 championship begins to take shape. The teams will be heading to the Portimao circuit in Portugal for their first pre-season test on the 22nd of January.

All of the top teams have had their rider lineups in place for several months, but several teams are still signing riders. Roger Lee Hayden is the latest American rider to find his way into WSBK after a career in the AMA series that included a Supersport championship. The youngest member of the Hayden clan will be riding for the Pedercini Kawasaki team.

Chaz Davies is another rider who will be leaving the AMA to ride in a world championship series. Davies will be riding as a teammate to Gary McCoy on the Triumph BE1 Racing team in the World Supersport Championship. Davies, who’s career has included rides in MotoGP, 250GP, 125GP and a win in the Daytona 200, rode in the last three rounds of last year’s WSS championship for the BE1 team after finishing ninth in the 2009 Daytona SportBike Championship on an Aprilia RSV1000R.

In other news, David Tardozzi has signed on as Team Manager for BMW Motorrad Motorsport. Tardozzi comes to BMW after a successful run at Ducati that included nine manufacturers' titles and eight riders' titles in the World Superbike Championship, "I imagine a lot of people will be surprised to hear of my decision to join BMW. However, for me the decision was simple. I had offers from MotoGP, but my heart is in the Superbike World Championship, and I feel at home here. BMW Motorrad Motorsport is a young and hungry team, and that gives me the challenge I have been looking for.” BMW enters its second year in the championship after showing continuous improvement over the course of their inaugural season. Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus return to ride for the factory team, and the newly-formed Reitwagen Motorsport team will field a BMW S 1000 RR for Austrian Roland Resch.

Tardozzi’s departure from Ducati Corse has forced a reorganization that will see former technical manager Ernesto Marinelli taking over as team manager along with other changes in the team’s management structure. Marinelli talked about the team he will lead, “Despite the important reorganization within the team, in reality most of the new members have already been working in Ducati for some time. 2010 once again represents a new challenge. . .we have faced many over the years and in most cases we have come out victorious. We will be doing our very best to take another title this year.” Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio return as riders for the factory team.

World Superbike - Valencia Test

2009-12-10T15:55:00.006-05:00

The World Superbike teams returned to the track for the second official test since the season ending round at Portimao. This time the teams were in sunny Valencia for two days of testing on Wednesday and Thursday. Absent from the test were BMW (T. Corser, R. Xaus), Ducati (N. Haga, M. Fabrizio), Althea Ducati (C. Checa, S. Byrne) and Kawasaki (C. Vermulen, T. Sykes).

After two days on the track Max Biaggi came away with a quick time of 1.33.8 on the factory Aprilia. He was followed closely by Leon Haslam who posted a time of 1.34.0 on the Alstare Suzuki. Six of the eight riders at the test were riding for new teams so most of the riders were still getting accustomed to riding new bikes and working with a new crew. Ben Spies superpole time for the 2009 Valencia race was 1.33.3.

1.33.8 - Max Biaggi - Aprilia Racing
1.34.0 - Leon Haslam - Suzuki Alstare
1.34.1 - Cal Crutchlow - Yamaha World Superbike
1.34.2 - Jonathan Rea - Hannspree Ten Kate Honda
1.34.3 - James Toseland - Yamaha World Superbike
1.34.7 - Max Neukirchner - Hannspree Ten Kate Honda
1.35.0 - Sylvain Guintoli - Suzuki Alstare
1.35.2 - Leon Camier - Aprilia Racing

Yoshimura Suzuki recently announced that they will be competing in several WSBK races next season with Yukio Kagayama when he’s not racing in the British Superbike series. The team will continue to race in the AMA Superbike Championship with Tommy Hayden and Blake Young next year, but they are withdrawing from the Japanese Superbike Championship. The mere mention of Yoshimura competing in WSBK brings the recently retired Mat Mladin to mind, and Mladin fueled speculation about a return to competition with this Twitter post on Wednesday, "A couple of World Superbike offers have come my way in the past month. One of them very good in regards to machinery. Decisions, decisions. ;-)". The 37 year old Mladin retired after winning the 2009 AMA Superbike Championship so he’s still competitive, and it was just over a year ago that a 39 year old Australian named Troy Bayliss won the 2008 World Superbike Championship.

Employee Cuts and Changes At Suzuki & Yamaha

2009-10-28T14:55:00.004-04:00

Rumors of employee cuts at American Suzuki and an official press release on changes in Yamaha's U.S. racing program were announced yesterday. The rumors regarding American Suzuki have the company terminating employees in their press department. This apparent cut follows a 15% cut in their work force back in April. The cuts don't come as a surprise in a U.S. market that has seen a 44% decrease in motorcycle sales that led to the recent closing of the Buell Motorcycle Company.

In an official press release Yamaha announced that they would be making changes that will result in the loss of jobs in their racing department. Graves Motorsports will continue to be a Yamaha partner in AMA racing and will assume additional responsibilities for the 2010 season. Yamaha finished second in the American Superbike and Daytona SportBike championships with Josh Hayes on a YZF-R1 and Josh Herrin on a YZF-R6.

The global economy and the sale of the AMA's race sanctioning rights to the Daytona Motorsports Group has led to cataclysmic change in U.S. road racing. The DMG initiated a multitude of changes that infuriated manufacturers and riders alike. The racing was often competitive, but inequities in the rules, safety concerns and a dictatorial management style led to dissatisfaction and low attendance at many tracks.

The changes at Suzuki and Yamaha follow Honda's announcement that they will be pulling out of AMA road racing for the 2010 season. It's hard to say whether the economy or the changes that the DMG has made to AMA road racing have led to the cuts and changes at the three companies. Whatever the case may be many AMA riders and teams are unsure about what they'll be doing next year. AMA riders like Jamie Hacking, Jake Zemke, Chaz Davies and Martin Cardenas had wild card rides in World Superbike and World Supersport during the course of the season, but most of those rides are taken for next year. Buell is out of business, Honda is pulling out of AMA road racing and the AMA has yet to announce the schedule for the 2010 season. There are going to be some sleepless nights this winter for anyone who makes their living in AMA road racing.

Ben Spies – The Winner And Still Champion

2009-10-27T13:32:00.004-04:00

In an up and down season that included fourteen wins and coming back from being 88 points down in the championship Ben Spies and his Yamaha team left the final round of the season with the World Superbike championship in their pocket. It was the first World Superbike championship for Yamaha who also took titles in World Supersport with Cal Crutchlow and MotoGP with some guy named Rossi. For Spies it was his fourth consecutive superbike championship after beating Mat Mladin for the AMA title in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Spies trailed Noriyuki Haga by ten points coming into the final round at Portimao. He knew that he would win the championship if he won both races so he and his team did what they had to do to make that happen by winning superpole and getting out to an early lead in race one. Haga struggled all weekend, qualifying ninth, and he lost the front end and crashed out in race one as Spies led from start to finish. The champ talked about his day, "We had a really good first race, in the second we did what we had to do to win. It was quite difficult to keep it in check as the pace was pretty fast, I saw I had a couple of people behind me and I knew that if Nori won I had to be in sixth and that's where I was so I tried to get a bit of a gap on them and stay out of trouble. Max (Biaggi) came through the inside of me and ran off a couple of times which really freaked me out so I went to get past him, and then settled in for some nice fast laps to the end." Spies finished fifth in race two, and Haga finished second behind teammate Michel Fabrizio.

Winning the championship proves that Spies has the talent and the mental strength to be one of the best riders in the world, but many credit his years of on and off track battles with Mladin as having prepared him for anything that motorcycle racing at the world level can throw at him. Never known for being close with his former teammate the now retired Mladin has nothing but good things to say about Spies these days, "Ben World Champ. Collecting some cash today. Everyone in Australia scoffed at me when I said he would win. Suckers."

World Superbike has a reputation for being a paddock with a relaxed atmosphere, especially when compared to the dog-eat-dog world of MotoGP. After enduring several years in the bitter rivalry with Mladin Spies' season in WSBK was a breath of fresh air. He battled with Haga for the entire season, but the two rivals got along well enough to spend time together away from the track. After ten full seasons in the series and now three second place finishes in the championship Haga was the sentimental favorite for the title, but the eternally optimistic and likeable Nitro Nori wasn’t bitter about getting beat by a rookie, "My compliments go to Ben who has been such a strong rival this year and even though he is going to MotoGP next year, I am sure we will remain friends. This week we'll start testing in preparation for next year. This year was a new adventure with Ducati, and we'll continue to give 100% in 2010."

From here Spies and crew chief Tom Houseworth move on to MotoGP and the Tech 3 Yamaha team. Spies rode three races in MotoGP on the factory Suzuki in 2008 so he has some idea of what to expect, but a full season in the top class will be a new experience. Mladin summarized his former teammate’s career and his future in MotoGP on 800cc bikes, "What an amazing career he's had to date. If they go back to 1000cc MotoGP bikes, Look Out! 800's a little harder for him. He's not a midget".

Ben Spies Championship Winning Interview (On The Throttle)

Portimao Superbike Race 1 Results

Portimao Superbike Race 2 Results

2009 World Superbike Final Rider Standings

World Superbike – The Final Round

2009-10-23T11:21:00.002-04:00

You can go through all the permutations of what has to happen for Ben Spies or Noriyuki Haga to win the World Superbike title, but the bottom line is that if Spies scores ten more points than Haga he wins. If he doesn’t Haga takes home the championship that’s eluded him for so long.

The last round of the championship happens at the year old Portimao track that was the scene of a double win for Troy Bayliss last year when he dominated the field on the factory Ducati in the final race of his career. Haga struggled on the Yamaha in last year’s race with a mechanical problem in race one, and a jump start in race two led to a ride through penalty and a fourteenth place finish. As usual Spies finds himself at a track where he’s never raced before, but he did test at the track in the spring. Crew chief Tom Houseworth talked about the team’s approach to the race, “Though we have quite a lot of data from testing, the engine and chassis spec has changed quite a lot from pre-season so there will be some variables to work on. We will be looking for maximum grip and quick direction change as Portimao is quite a twisty circuit with elevation changes and a variety of corners. Our goal is to be set up quick and then pick race tires so we can get time on them in an attempt to find the 'perfect' race set up. Once traction and wheelie control are dialed in we will hope for good weather on Sunday and see if we can get it done."

The one thing that Spies knows is that if he wins both races this weekend he is the champion, "I can't wait to get to the circuit and get set up for Sunday's races. My focus is completely on going for two race wins on Sunday.” Haga seems to have the same plan as Spies, "Last year at Portimao didn't go to plan. I had some bad luck. This year I am in a better position and now everything comes down to this last event. My strategy won't be any different from normal. I always go out with the aim to win and I always give 100%.”

Former MotoGP rider Sylvain Guintoli is moving up from British Superbike to ride for the Alstare Suzuki team next season. Guintoli will be riding for his new team at Portimao this weekend.

Two more WSBK riders have signed with new teams for the 2010 season. Tom Sykes is leaving the Yamaha factory team for the Paul Bird Kawasaki team to race alongside Chris Vermuelen, and Carlos Checa is leaving Ten Kate Honda to race for the Althea Ducati team.

Chaz Davies will be racing with fellow AMA Daytona SportBike rider Martin Cardenas in the World Supersport race. Cardenas is riding in place of the injured Robbin Harms on the RES Software Veidec Honda Racing Team. Cardenas finished third in the inaugural season of the AMA’s Daytona SportBike championship.

The World Superbike teams will be testing at Portimao on Tuesday and Wednesday. Two-time champ James Toseland will be flying in from the MotoGP round in Malaysia to take part in the tests with the Yamaha factory team.

Portimao Superbike Free Practice 1 Times – Jakub Smrz quickest

Motorcycle Sales Report

2009-10-22T12:20:00.004-04:00

The good news. Motorcycle sales are forecasted to increase in the next few years. The bad news. Not in the U.S. It seems that Harley-Davidson’s shuttering of Buell is just a harbinger of things to come for motorcycle sales in this country. Total U.S. motorcycle sales through the first nine months of the year were 434,370. A 44% decrease from the 771,950 bikes that were sold during the time same period in 2008.

The outlook for the global market is more optimistic with a research organization known as the Freedonia Group forecasting 7.6 percent annual growth through 2013. China and India are the two biggest markets for motorcycles, and both of those markets will continue to grow. Yamaha of India reported that sales for the month of September increased from 10,142 to 26,394 units sold when compared to September of 2008. The company’s success with selling bikes like the YZF-R1 has led them to selling the VMax in the Indian market.

Hero Honda is another Indian motorcycle company enjoying increased sales. The company that’s been the world’s largest manufacturer of two-wheeled transportation for the last seven years announced a 28.5 percent increase in sales for the second quarter (July-Sept). That increase is in comparison with the second quarter of 2008 and represents 972,095 units sold and a 50 percent growth in profit after tax. Honda Motor Company has a 26% stake in Hero Honda which features bikes like the Hunk and the Splendor in its lineup.

In other motorcycle news rumors that Volkswagen is interested in buying Ducati are resurfacing. The German auto manufacturer considered purchasing Ducati back in 1985 when the Italian company was struggling financially, and Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Peich's recent comment that, "I would still like a small, valuable motorcycle manufacturer”, was all that was needed to fuel the Volkswagen-To-Buy-Ducati stories. At this point the Ducati rumors are just that, but it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch for the company that also controls Lamborghini, Bugatti, Bentley and Audi to add the Ferrari of motorcycles to their lineup.

Casey Stoner - No Respect

2009-10-21T20:03:00.004-04:00

Casey Stoner doesn't know the meaning of take it easy. In the world of MotoGP where every millisecond counts Stoner is known as the man who is always at full throttle. After winning five races and challenging Dani Pedrosa for the 250cc title in 2006 he made the jump to MotoGP with the LCR satellite Honda team. He showed promise with a pole at the second race of the season, but his hard charging style led to a series of accidents that gained him a reputation as a crasher. He finished eighth in the 2006 championship, and his rookie season in the top class impressed Ducati officials enough for them to offer him a ride alongside Loris Capirossi on the factory team.

Stoner repaid Ducati's faith in him by taking five of the first eight races of the 2007 season, and lost his crasher label along the way. Many attributed his winning ways and maturity to getting married in the off season, but more than likely it was the combination of talent, a fast bike and Bridgestone tires with good front end grip. Stoner and the Ducati seemed to be a perfect match, but Capirossi struggled to one podium in the first nine races on the other factory Ducati. The Italian became the first of several Ducati riders who were unable to match the pace of Stoner. Stoner went on to win ten races and the championship by 125 points over Dani Pedrosa.

When Stoner won the 2007 MotoGP title he became the champion of a series that had been the personal playground of Valentino Rossi. The Italian's run of five straight championships had been interrupted by the Nicky Hayden's consistent run to the title the previous season. Rossi's post-race theatrics and Hayden's easygoing personality were in stark contrast to Stoner's hard driving, no-nonsense style. When Rossi won championships he dominated the competition, but he kept the racing close and often let other riders lead until the closing laps of a race when he took the lead to win. Stoner's style was to dominate the competition and win by a wide margin. Rossi's playful personality was a public relations dream while Stoner's all-business persona didn't always sit well with some members of the media and Rossi fans.

In spite of his incredible season on the Ducati there were many who claimed that it was the bike and not Stoner's talent that led to title. Hard to believe when Capirossi only had one win and finished seventh in the championship on the same bike. Stoner followed up his championship winning season with six wins, but finished second to Rossi who took the 2008 title with nine wins. Marco Melandri was a consistent backmarker on the second factory Ducati while Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli finished twelfth and thirteenth on the satellite Ducati team.

Fast forward to 2009 and order has finally been restored to the MotoGP championship for the legions of Rossi fans now that their man is back on top. The predictions of a continuation of the Ross-Stoner title fight looked on target after Stoner beat Rossi in the first race at Qatar, but when Jorge Lorenzo took two of the next three races a new contender was thrown into the mix. Lorenzo is a character in the mold of Rossi. A proven winner who celebrates his wins with flair, but a first year MotoGP crasher like Stoner. Lorenzo is Rossi's teammate and his success led to the erection of a wall in the garage the two riders share, but even though he's challenging Rossi he's becoming a fan favorite.

Stoner managed to win two of the first five races, but midway through the season he began to suffer from an energy sapping ailment that saw him fading as the race progressed. Stoner eventually came to the decision that he needed to stop racing to get well. An unusual decision in a sport where riders routinely ride the beast that is a MotoGP bike with broken bones and other injuries. Never a man of many words Stoner headed home and began a reclusive recovery away from the track and the media.

The Casey criticism and the theories about the true nature of the ailment began as soon as his departure was announced. How can he do this, he's not really sick, he can't take the pressure, he's too high strung and just another victim of Rossi's mental games. But it wasn't just the media. The head of Marlboro (his sponsor) and former world champions Kevin Schwantz and Wayne Gardner weighed in on the Stoner sabbatical, and Ducati tried to persuade Lorenzo to ride for them in 2010 in case Stoner was unable to recover.

Well he's back now, and it's like he never left. Following a solid second in his first race back at Portugal, Stoner put in a flawless performance at his home grand prix ahead of the man some said had gotten into his head. He's still not certain that he's put the mystery illness behind him, but he hasn't had any symptoms since his return. Remarkably, he is third in the championship ahead of Dani Pedrosa.

In a politically correct world where your personality and how you relate to the media directly influence how you are judged and perceived, sports figures with a no nonsense attitude like Stoner don't always get the credit they deserve. When he finished second in his first race back he said that he was glad to silence the critics so the negative comments clearly bother him. If Stoner is able to put his illness behind him he should be back at the front challenging for wins next year. At 24 he’s a young man in a young man's sport so he has more than enough time to win another championship, and that may be what he has to do to get the respect that he deserves.

Buell Motorcycle Company - A Burst Of Glory

2009-10-16T11:50:00.007-04:00

The recent news that the Buell Motorcycle Company is going out of business came as a shock to many, and followed a year of controversy for Buell in AMA roadracing. Harley-Davidson’s sport bike division has struggled to compete with the likes of Honda, Yamaha and Ducati, but they were ultimately defeated by the global economy. The company recently celebrated their first AMA roadracing championship in the Daytona SportBike division with Danny Eslick riding a Buell 1125R to the title. Eslick won the championship in the final round at New Jersey against a field that included the Yamaha YZF-R6, Honda CBR600RR, Suzuki GSX-R600, Ducati 848 and Aprilia RSV1000R.

The fact that the 1125R was racing in a series where many of the bikes were powered by 600cc engines made the bike’s presence controversial from the start, but Eslick didn’t dominate the competition. The bike did have a power advantage, but the more nimble 600cc bikes had an advantage on the tighter circuits while the Buell showed it’s strength on tracks where it could stretch its legs. The company also introduced a customer race bike for the American Superbike class called the 1125RR during the season. The fact that the bike was built for the sole purpose of racing and didn’t adhere to the AMA’s requirement of being certified for the street led to more controversy.

In the end it comes down to more people being out of jobs in an economy where unemployment continues to move in the wrong direction. The Daytona SportBike championship produced exciting racing week in and week out despite the power advantage of the Buell. With Buell’s demise and Honda’s recent withdrawal the future of AMA roadracing after a turbulent season under new management is at a crossroads. Recently retired and newly crowned American Superbike champion Mat Mladin summed up his feelings on Twitter, “I just met Eric Buell at New Jersey for the first time. Don't know him personally, but seemed like a great bloke. I have detached myself from the racing since the last race, but with Buell’s demise today it is hard to not feel sad about racing in the USA”.

World Superbike – 2010 Rider Update

2009-10-13T11:17:00.007-04:00

It's over a week until the final round of this year's World Superbike Championship, but there's been no shortage of news since the last round at Imola where a first and a second gave Noriyuki Haga a ten point lead over Ben Spies in the fight for the superbike crown. Most of the news has to do with who will be riding where next year. A situation that has become clear since it was announced that Spies will be riding a Yamaha in MotoGP next year. Here are some of the riders who have signed for next season:

Max Biaggi – Aprilia

Troy Corser & Ruben Xaus - BMW

Michel Fabrizio & Noriyuki Haga – Ducati Corse

Jonathan Rea & Max Neukirchner – Ten Kate Honda

Chris Vermuelen – Paul Bird Kawasaki

Sylvain Guintoli & Leon Haslam – Alstare Suzuki

Cal Crutchlow & James Toseland – Yamaha

One of the surprises on this list is that Max Neukirchner will be riding for Ten Kate Honda in 2010. The German rider has had an injury plagued year that left him on the sidelines for most of the season. A dispute with his Alstare Suzuki team over the treatment of his injuries and when he should return to action has led to the team issuing a statement and ending their association with Neukirchner. Sylvain Guintoli moves up from BSB, and Leon Haslam moves over from the financially struggling Stiggy Team to complete the team’s lineup for 2010. Yukio Kagayama leaves Alstare for the British Superbike series.

There are only a few good rides left with many good riders still sitting on the sidelines. Those riders include Shane Byrne, Leon Camier, Carlos Checa, Alex DeAngelis, Toni Elias, John Hopkins and Tom Sykes. The best seats still up for grabs are at the Aprilia factory team and the Paul Bird Kawasaki team. Aprilia recently stated that they would be fielding a second team in 2010.

Max Neukirchner is just one of several WSBK riders who have been injured this year. Here’s a list of crash victims who suffered the most critical injuries. Only Haga was able to recuperate without missing any races:

Noriyuki Haga – broken arm, fractured shoulder blade
John Hopkins – head trauma, hip, leg, shoulder & wrist injuries
Shinya Nakano – broken collarbone
Max Neukirchner – broken femur, fractured vertebrae
Brendan Roberts – severe bruising
Makoto Tamada – broken fingers, concussion
Ruben Xaus – broken femur

The World Supersport teams are testing at Portimao this week ahead of next week’s final race at the Portuguese circuit. Chaz Davies will once again be riding on a Triumph supersport bike, and Leon Camier will be riding the Aprilia superbike in place of the injured Shinya Nakano. The final weekend will see the conclusion of the Haga-Spies championship battle, and more revelations about who will be taking those remaining seats in 2010.

Honda VFR 1200 Introduced

2009-10-08T09:29:00.006-04:00

After months of anticipation and hype the new Honda VFR 1200 has finally been introduced. The bike continues the sport touring tradition of the VFR 750 and the VFR 800 adding the option of an automatic transmission. Both versions of the bike (manual & automatic) use a shaft drive, and weigh in at 591 and 613 pounds. The bike will be available at Honda dealers in the Spring of 2010.

Honda VFR1200F - 6-speed Manual Transmission
VFR1200F - Dual Clutch Automatic Transmission

Engine Type: 1237cc liquid-cooled 76° V-4
Bore and Stroke: 81mm x 60mm
Compression ratio: 12.0:1
Valves: SOHC; four valves per cylinder
Induction: PGM-FI 44mm throttle bodies
Ignition: Digital electronic

Transmission: 6-speed
Six-speed automatic with two modes and manual mode

Final Drive: Shaft

Suspension
Front: 43mm; 4.7 inches travel
Rear: Pro Arm single-side swingarm with Pro-Link® single gas-charged shock; 5.1 inches travel

Brakes
Front: Dual 320mm discs, CBS 6-piston calipers with ABS
Rear: Single 276mm disc, CBS two-piston caliper with ABS

Tires
Front: 120/70 ZR17 radial
Rear: 190/55 ZR17 radial

Wheelbase: 60.8 inches (1545mm)
Rake: 25-deg
Trail: 101.0mm (4.0 inches)

Seat Height: 32.1 inches (815mm)
Fuel Capacity: 4.9 gallons
Color: Candy Red
Curb Weight: 591 lbs (VFR1200F)
613 lbs (VFR1200F with Dual Clutch Automatic Transmission)

MotoGP – The Championship Battle

2009-10-07T12:55:00.004-04:00

Jorge Lorenzo’s wire-to-wire win at Estoril doesn’t put him in the same class as Valentino Rossi, but it does certify him as one of the few riders who can dominate an entire MotoGP weekend. Since Rossi started racing in the top class back in 2000 the only other rider who’s been able to do that on a consistent basis has been Casey Stoner. Speaking of Stoner, contrary to the reports of his demise the Aussie finished second after a two month absence due to a stamina sapping illness, "It is great to be competitive again and to stay that way right to the end of the race. I maybe could have been faster over the opening few laps, but I made a little mistake which caused my foot to slip off the peg. It broke the footrest support and it was moving around in all the right-handers, so my foot was slipping off. As the laps went by I was able to alter the footpeg position a little, but I wasn't able to go any faster. Obviously Jorge was too fast for us today”.

Lorenzo’s win moved him to within eighteen points of Rossi who struggled to finish fourth, "It was a very difficult race for me. I was never able to be fast because I did not have enough grip in the rear and our tire did not work well, but I think it was more a problem of setting. After a few laps I was in great difficulties, and I immediately understood that this was not going to be "our" race.” Pedrosa finished third in the race and he’s third in the championship, but Stoner is only three points behind the Spaniard.

The battle that everyone will be watching is the title fight between the two Yamaha teammates. Rossi struggled at Estoril, and Lorenzo had the perfect weekend at the track where he won his first MotoGP race last year. In the competitive world of MotoGP you’re only as good as your last race, but a look at the last six gives some perspective:

Last six races:

Rossi – 3 wins, 4th, 5th, retirement (99 pts)

Lorenzo – 2 wins, 2 seconds, 2 retirements (90 pts)

Fairly close, but the second retirement hurt Lorenzo. A look back at the last three races of 2008 shows a marked difference between the two riders results:

2008 Results (Phillip Island, Sepang, Valencia):

Rossi – 2nd, 1st, 3rd (61 pts)

Lorenzo – 4th, retirement, 8th (21 pts)

Prior results can be an indicator of future performance, but at this point in the season the two riders are about even. It seems more than likely that Lorenzo will improve on last year’s performance in the final three races. The new factor thrown into the equation is the return of Casey Stoner. Both Rossi and Lorenzo will be fighting for points with Pedrosa and Stoner who will be going for wins since they can’t win the championship. The mountain that Lorenzo will have to climb is Rossi’s eighteen point lead.

Honda Motor Company – Bad News, Good News

2009-10-06T11:30:00.005-04:00

The worldwide recession has had a negative effect on most corporations. Even the Honda Motor Company. A leader in any industry it decides to enter HMC has had to cut back in these difficult times. The company recently announced that they will be closing their European car and motorcycle design studios in Germany. This follows the closing of their British factory for the first four months of the year.

On this side of the pond the company shut down their motorcycle plant in Marysville, Ohio where they have been building Gold Wing motorcycles since 1979. The move was announced prior to the global meltdown so it probably had more to do with Honda’s long term plans than the difficult economy. In the future all Gold Wings will be imported from Japan.

On the motorsports side Honda sold their Formula 1 team in March due to the financial crisis. The company had dominated F1 as an engine supplier to McLaren in the late 80’s and early 90’s, but their return to the championship as a team had produced marginal results. The team was sold to Ross Brawn who changed the cars over to Mercedes-Benz power, and at this point in time the team’s two cars sit first and second in the world championship. In motorcycle racing news Honda has decided not to participate in the AMA’s Superbike Championship in 2010. In making the announcement the company said, “the current AMA/DMG racing environment does not align with our company goals”, so the decision to leave the championship has more to do with their disagreements with the sanctioning body than it does with current economic conditions.

While Honda’s automotive sales generate more profits for the company, motorcycle sales play an important role in the company’s bottom line. Former president and CEO Takeo Fukui talked about the fiscal impact of motorcycles, “History shows that motorcycles remain strong in a difficult market environment and have always supported Honda in difficult times. People showed renewed interest in the value of motorcycles which consume less fuel for commuting purposes as well as for their easy-to-own/easy-to-use efficiency.”

The U.S. is an important market for Honda, but for the most part motorcycles in this country are considered luxury items. With a limited amount of growth expected in the U.S. and other countries HMC will be looking to other areas to increase their market share, “Honda will continue to look to the newly emerging countries in regions such as Asia and South America where motorcycles are being used for everyday transportation, long-term and steady market growth is expected despite some external factors such as changes in economic conditions. Worldwide, the company is focused on developing battery technology in order to produce a quality electric motorcycle for consumers”.

That said the company is still clearly focused on creating motorcycles for markets like the U.S. and Europe. A great deal of media coverage has been dedicated to their newest bike the VFR 1200. The bike will have it’s official introduction on Wednesday and preliminary information from Honda can be found a this website.

World Superbike – Magny-Cours Review

2009-10-05T11:18:00.008-04:00

A first and a second by Noriyuki Haga and a first and a fourth by Ben Spies at this weekend’s World Superbike round at Magny-Cours have stacked the championship deck of cards in the Japanese rider’s favor. Haga leaves the French circuit with a ten point lead in a title fight that features a final round at Portimao. The task ahead for Spies is clear. Win both races and he wins the title.

Haga looked strong in both races, and nearly took the win from Spies on the final lap of race one, "The whole first race had some good parts and bad ones. We made some small mistakes, costing us a tenth here and a tenth there letting the riders come back and not really taking advantage of the lead. I made a mistake on the last lap and let Nori through, so I had to get on the outside and get back past.” Spies win in race one put him back in the championship lead, but Haga was still happy with his effort, “In race one I really enjoyed myself, it was a fantastic race. I didn't make the best start and then it took a lot of laps before I was able to pass Max. Once I got past him I realized I didn't have many laps left in which to catch Ben. If I'd had just one extra lap, I think I'd have won.”

Race two saw Haga jumping out to an early lead, and Spies unable to match the pace of the top three riders, “Honestly I'm just super disappointed with the second race. We made a rear tire choice which was neither better nor worse, but the front tire we had on in the second race was hard to go at a pace with. I was consistently half a second off what we were doing in practice. I'm honestly surprised we didn't finish in tenth with the way the bike felt.” Haga finished first ahead of Max Biaggi and Jonathan Rea, and was in control from start to finish, “In the second race, we made some small changes to my bike and they worked, giving me more confidence. This victory is truly a great result as we have regained a small advantage.”

With the championship coming down to the wire Haga has had the better results in the last four races at Imola and Magny-Cours:

Haga – first, second, second, first

Spies – fourth, fifth, first, fourth

It would be easy to say the difference between the two riders/teams performance is based on one reason or another, but variables like experience, track knowledge, bike characteristics and pressure are all part of the equation. A veteran of championship pressure Spies is keeping things in perspective, “Even if we had won today we would still go to Portimao having to win both races so it doesn't really change too much.", and for his part Haga knows that the championship is far from over, “Now we go to Portimao where Ben and I will fight for the 2009 title. I can't wait." Should be good.

Race 1 Results

Race 2 Results

Championship Standings

MotoGP – Estoril Preview

2009-10-03T12:23:00.012-04:00

With Casey Stoner back in the paddock, Ben Spies confirmed for MotoGP in 2010, James Toseland and Chris Vermuelen returning to World Superbike the MotoGP championship battle was on the back page of the sports section leading up to this weekend’s round at Estoril. Jorge Lorenzo quickly dispelled any notion that he had given up on his effort to dethrone teammate Valentino Rossi by being quickest in practice and qualifying. The high flying Mallorcan trails Rossi by thirty points with four races and 100 points remaining.

Lorenzo’s run to the pole was his fifth of the season and .260 of a second quicker than Rossi who will start the race in second. Any doubts about Casey Stoner’s health and resolve were forgotten as the Australian quickly resumed his role as one of the fastest riders in the field qualifying third ahead of Dani Pedrosa. Both riders were less than half a second off Lorenzo’s time so it looks like a return to normalcy with the Big Four fighting for the podium, and the rest of the field contesting the remaining spots. The only question that remains is whether or not Stoner has the stamina to finish an entire race.

The rest of the field was led by Colin Edwards in fifth, just under a second off Lorenzo’s time. The 35 year old Texan has shown that he still has what it takes by consistently beating teammate Toseland who is heading back to World Superbike to make way for Spies on the Tech 3 Yamaha team. Randy DePuniet returned to comeback-rider-of-the-year form with his run to sixth place on the grid. The French rider recently re-signed with his LCR Honda team, and is back on form after breaking his ankle in a training accident. Nicky Hayden qualified ninth, just over a second behind Stoner and ahead of Mika Kallio who just re-signed with Pramac Ducati.

The lastest news on the Ben Spies front is that he’ll be getting a wildcard ride in the season ending MotoGP race at Valencia. The race takes place two weeks after the last WSBK race at Portimao. The wildcard ride should benefit Spies who is entering a series that has cut back on preseason testing and race weekend practice. David Emmett over at motomatters.com is reporting a rumor that Michael Jordan will be sponsoring that ride.

In other MotoGP news the FIM has published the entry list for the new Moto2 series that replaces the 250cc class in 2010. The original announcement of the new class was met with skepticism, but that negative reception has been replaced by overwhelming support. The new class will feature the return of Team Roberts to World Championship racing.

Estoril Qualifying Results – Lorenzo quickest

SPEED Television Coverage – Sunday (10/04):

250cc Race – 5:00pm (EST)

MotoGP Race – 6:00pm (EST)

World Superbike – Magny-Cours Preview

2009-10-02T11:04:00.005-04:00

All of the news leading up to this weekend’s round in France has been about riders moving to and from World Superbike. Here’s some of the changes that were announced this past week:

Ben Spies to Tech 3 Yamaha (MotoGP)
James Toseland to Yamaha (WSBK)
Cal Crutchlow to Yamaha (WSBK)
Chris Vermuelen to Kawasaki (WSBK)
Leon Camier (BSB champ) riding Aprilia for last two rounds

Definitely an eventful week, but with that out of the way the riders can get down to the real business at hand which is a championship fight that has Noriyuki Haga leading Ben Spies by three points with a hundred points up for grabs. Haga came away with a first and a second at the last round while Spies struggled to a fourth and a fifth. Haga’s teammate, Michel Fabrizio, could have easily let him win the second race at Imola, but he was clearly the stronger rider. It will be interesting to see if Fabrizio’s tactics change in the last two rounds.

Spies talked to superbikeplanet’s Dean Adams about last weekend’s round at Imola:

Spies said the pre-race premonition he had that Imola is a 'Ducati track' feels like it came true. "It's not an excuse, at all," he said. "I rode, again, as hard as I could. If you look at the past year, you look at how the bikes were - the Aprilias and the Ducatis, the Aprilia's kind of not really a four-cylinder, not really a twin. It's kind of like a GP bike. It's a good package. And the Ducati, any place you go to that's bumpy and has low grip, just the way the Ducati's built, it's going to be better than most of the bikes.”

"That's what it comes down to. Valencia, Kyalami and here, they've definitely got an advantage. We've got advantages at other tracks. Miller, the bike worked good. Qatar it worked good. Phillip Island. Portugal it's going to work really good. And I think Magny-Cours. I haven't been there, but I think, besides the two first-gear corners, I think the bike's going to be strong there. So yeah, like I said, I knew it coming in. I said it. But that didn't stop me from trying to beat them, but we just knew we were going to have to really have all our stuff together to do it. I think we did a good job. We lost the championship lead, but we still got - basically, we got four races to go, so we got plenty. We got 100 points on the table."

So it’s all come down to the last two rounds of the season. Some will say that the pressure is on Spies because he’s leaving the championship for MotoGP and Yamaha wants to win their first WSBK title now. But Spies grew up dealing with the pressure of fighting for titles with Mat Mladin, and won the 2007 AMA Superbike Championship by one point. After nine full seasons in WSBK Haga has finished second or third six times, but he’s never been able to come away with the title. In all likelihood both riders will be feeling the pressure, and with so many strong riders in the field they’ll be fighting more than each other to get the points they need to win the championship. Should be interesting.

Practice Session #1 – Rea quickest (Haga 3rd, Spies 7th)

SPEED Television Coverage on Sunday (10/04):

Race #1 – 3:00pm (EST)

Race #2 – 4:00pm (EST)

To Twitter Or Not To Twitter. . .

2009-10-01T11:16:00.005-04:00

Having a Twitter account wasn’t even a thought, let alone a question, but now that I’m doing it I can’t stop. The diversity of people on Twitter these days ranges from Ellen DeGeneres to Mat Mladin. Right. . .him too. I’m following 24 people/feeds at this point with most of them having something to do with motorsports. Some tweets are just short messages about what the person is doing while others are links to articles and pictures. Here are some of the motorcycling related people I'm following:

BenSpies11 – comments and pictures from Ben Spies

MatMladin – the life and times of everyone’s favorite racer

BenBostrom – motorcycle racer, surfer, cyclist, climber, etc

Hayes131 – AMA superbike rider Josh Hayes

ChazDavies – AMA, WSS, 250cc, MotoGP rider Chaz Davies

TobyMoody – thoughts from the MotoGP commentator

OnTheThrottleTV – reports from the world of motorcycle racing

MotoGPMatters - reports from the world of motorcycle racing

AutoMotoPhoto – pictures & comments from a world class photographer

WheelSports – news from the world of automobiles & motorcycles

That's just a sampling of what’s out there. I’m sure you’ll find something you’ll like. Oh yeah, there are models on twitter too.

Spies To MotoGP In 2010

2009-10-01T08:38:00.006-04:00

After weeks of speculation Yamaha has made it official. Ben Spies will be moving to MotoGP next year, and James Toseland will be heading back to World Superbike. Spies will be riding alongside fellow American Colin Edwards on the Tech 3 team, and Toseland will be riding on the Yamaha WSBK factory team. The following is taken from Yamaha press releases:

Yamaha Motor Company herewith confirms that Ben Spies will be moving to the MotoGP Championship in 2010 to join the Tech 3 Yamaha Team. The Texan recently signed a two-year deal with Yamaha, which originally planned for him to remain in World Superbike for one more year before moving to MotoGP in 2011, but Spies and Yamaha together have decided to advance the move by one year.

Ben Spies:

“I want to thank Yamaha globally for their faith in me. They have treated me like royalty! Yamaha just recently allowed me to rethink my contract for 2010-2011. I did sign for WSB for 2010 but after Indy I began thinking of the competition and my age versus waiting until 2011. This was not an easy decision, the Yamaha World Superbike Team crew and especially Massimo Meregalli have been fantastic and it’s been great fun to put in a season together. I am hoping that I can give Maio, Laurens Klein Koerkamp and everyone else a championship to remember this year with me. Herve Poncharal at Tech 3 is showing his support by allowing me to come on board with my Crew Chief Tom Houseworth and Gregory Wood, my mechanic, who have both been with me since AMA days. We will have learning curves to overcome next year but I am up for the new goal. I hope to have a good year and my goal is to try and stay in the top 6-8 which, given the talented line up, will be a tall order.”

Yamaha's World Superbike team will feature James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow who replaces Tom Sykes.

James Toseland:

“I’m looking forward to return to World Superbikes. I want to show I’m still the rider that can win world titles. Of course there is some disappointment at losing my opportunity in MotoGP as I believe the challenge was still achievable, but the R1 has proven to be beyond the strongest bikes in Superbike and I know many of the Yamaha World Superbike Team guys, so I’m going to pick up where I left off and give 100% to achieving good results with the team. Within Superbike there were a few options available to me, however the way Yamaha have treated me since I joined them has been outstanding.”

Honda V4 Website

2009-09-30T17:48:00.005-04:00

Honda has a thirty year history with V4 engines that started back in 1979 with the NR500. The company has incorporated the engine into their racing bikes and a variety of production models. Their newest V4 powered bike, the VFR 1200, has yet to be introduced, but it’s been the subject of numerous articles and spy shots. With the formal introduction of the VFR 1200 just around the corner the company has created a website that documents the history of their V4 motorcycles.

World Superbike – Imola Review

2009-09-28T14:53:00.002-04:00

This weekend’s WSBK round at Imola didn’t follow the script that many had written for the twelfth act of the championship. Ben Spies came into the weekend leading the championship with an eighteen point lead over Noriyuki Haga, and the expectation was that both riders would be at or near the front like they have been in most of the races this season. Spies qualified second, but he wasn’t a factor for the win in either race and ended up with fourth and fifth place finishes. "In race one we didn't have enough power coming out of the bike and we struggled with grip a bit as well. The second race we had the pace for sure to battle for the lead, but a combination of things held us up. Rea got pretty greedy early in the race, passing me in the gravel trap three different times. I had a couple of laps where I wasn't riding well at all then I got myself together and caught up to Simoncelli and Biaggi. They bumped and Biaggi ran off the track, when he came back on it was either hit him or go off into the gravel. If you would have told me after the first race that we would only be losing the championship by three points I'd be happy because there were a lot of guys who could beat me this weekend."

Imola is a home race for Ducati, and the team had a history of running well on the track's previous configuration. Michel Fabrizio gave the tifosi something to cheer about when he beat Spies by .043 of a second to take his first career superpole. Haga qualified fourth on the other factory Ducati and Rea was third so the stage was set with the top four riders in the championship sitting on the front row. Both Rea and Spies had their problems in both races, but Haga came away with a first and a second, and Fabrizio took a third and a first. Fabrizio’s win in race two was surprising because he passed Haga for the lead when they were far enough ahead of third place to allow Haga to take the win and pad his points lead. There were clearly no team orders on the factory Ducati team, and Nitro Nori had no complaints, "Congratulations for Michel for winning and for Marco with his first time in Superbike, third position today. During the race the bike started moving a lot, after Michel passed me I tried to catch him up but he was quite fast today and I couldn't find where I could pass him".

Marco Simoncelli’s performance was probably even a surprise to people who have followed the career of the reigning 250cc champion. The Italian was a last minute addition to the factory Aprilia team after testing the RSV4 earlier in the week at Mugello. He was about 1.6 seconds off Fabrizio’s superpole time, but he quickly moved up to fifth from eighth on the grid. He had the pace to pass other riders, but crashed when he lost the front end. The Italian had a good start in race two, and moved up to fourth after passing Spies and Byrne. The next rider in sight was teammate Max Biaggi who had slowed after battling with Haga and Fabrizio for the lead. Apparently Aprilia had no team orders either because Simoncelli made a hard pass on Biaggi in a chicane, and went on to take third in his second World Superbike race.

AMA Daytona SportBike rider Chaz Davies rode the first of three World Supersport rounds for the ParkinGO Triumph BE1 Racing team this weekend. Davies had a good weekend qualifying eleventh and finishing fourth ahead of teammate Gary McCoy on a Triumph Daytona 675.

David Emmet is reporting that Aprilia will have a second two-bike team in World Superbike next year. The news came out of an interview with Aprilia’s Alain Roger who also said that Troy Bayliss had talked to Aprilia about riding for them next season. This news follows recent Bayliss quotes that range from him saying that he was looking for a World Superbike ride to he only missed motorcycle racing when he came back to Europe. Stay tuned. . .

Spies trails Haga by three points with this weekend's round at Magny Cours and the final round at Portimao on October 25th remaining. Spies has had his share of retirements (4) and finishes outside the top five (3) this season, but last weekend was the first time he didn’t come away from a round with at least one podium finish. If Spies goes on to win the championship he may look back at Imola as the weekend he saved the title, but he and his Yamaha team will have to bounce back quickly. Haga looks fully recovered from his injuries, and ready to fight for the championship that has eluded him.

Race #1 Results

Race #2 Results

Championship Standings

Pictures #1

Pictures #2

Pictures #3

Pictures #4

World Superbike – Imola Preview

2009-09-25T11:17:00.001-04:00

World Superbike makes it’s return to Imola this weekend for the first time since 2006. Ben Spies comes to Imola with an eighteen point lead, and for once he’s riding on a track where he has some experience, "It wasn't that long ago that we were 88 points down and now we're leading with three rounds to go. We had a good test here and the bike was working well, so let's see where we end up on Sunday and then decide the strategy for the next four races”. With 150 points up for grabs other riders still have a mathematical chance at the title, but the man with the best chance of overtaking Spies is Noriyuki Haga, “I know this track very well. I like Imola, but I haven't won a race here. The start of the season went well, then I had a crash mid-season, but the title battle is not yet over. I'm at 99%, but in the last three rounds I must win to return to the top of the championship table".

The battle for the championship looks like it’s going to be a good one, but so does the battle for third. Michel Fabrizio, Jonathan Rea and Max Biaggi are only separated by 65 points, and they have all won a race this season. Rea took his second win of the season at the last round in Germany, and he was the fastest rider at the Imola test in July. Team manager Ronald ten Kate likes what he sees in the 22 year old, Irish rider so the team signed him to a new two year contract, "We are delighted to continue with the plan which brought Jonathan from British Superbike, through our own World Supersport squad and on to his World Superbike challenge. He has grown up a lot this season, both as a rider and as a person, and he is an absolute joy to work with. I believe we are just beginning to see the great potential that Jonathan has”.

The most surprising news coming into the Imola round is that reigning 250cc World Champion Marco Simoncelli will be racing alongside Max Biaggi on the Aprilia factory team this weekend. Simoncelli tested the bike earlier this week at Mugello, and after coming close to the times of Michel Fabrizio on the Ducati he decided to race this weekend. The Italian sits third in this year’s 250cc championship, and will be riding for Gresini Honda in the 2010 MotoGP World Championship.

The Imola circuit has been changed since WSBK was last here, but the only current rider to win a superbike race at the old circuit was Ruben Xaus and he did it three times. Xaus is still recovering from his injuries at Brno, but he’s hoping to race at Imola, "My physiotherapy and rehabilitation has gone very well and I think I will be able to race. I should really not be on a bike at all before Portimao, but everything has gone well so far and I am very eager to get on my bike and race”.

Three-time WSBK champion Troy Bayliss was invited to Imola to be honored for his legendary career. Bayliss has been working on making the transition from racing bikes to racing cars, but apparently that change hasn’t been working out so well. David Emmet over at motomatters.com is reporting that Bayliss wants to race in World Superbike next season.

Normally we would have been able to report times from the first practice session at this point, but the riders went out for two laps and complained that there is no grip. Apparently the track was washed down after some car races last weekend and all the rubber was removed. Tom Sykes crashed during the abbreviated session, and has an unreported injury.

Motorcycle Land-Speed Record

2009-09-24T21:25:00.000-04:00

Pending ratification, the AMA has announced that the BUB Racing Team has set a new world and national land-speed record of 367.382 mph for a motorcycle in the measured mile. The record was set at the Bonneville Salt Flats with Chris Carr at the helm of the BUB Seven Streamliner. Known more for his prowess as a seven-time Grand National Flat Track Champion Carr has been working with the BUB team since 2006. Dennis Manning is the owner, designer and builder of the BUB Seven Streamliner, and he’s been chasing the outright land-speed record for over forty years.

MotoGP Update

2009-09-24T12:35:00.000-04:00

The MotoGP championship is on a brief hiatus as they prepare for the last four races of the season. The series was scheduled to race at the new circuit in Hungary last weekend, but the race was canceled due to financial and construction issues. The teams will be back in action next weekend at Estoril in Portugal.

Championship leader Valentino Rossi has been in the news lately, but not for the usual reasons of winning races and championships. Rossi has made it know that he is unhappy with the re-signing of Jorge Lorenzo as his teammate on the Yamaha factory team. The eight-time world champion has won six of thirteen races this year, but his toughest competition has come from the other side of the garage. Rossi contends that it’s unprecedented for two top riders to be on the same team, and that Lorenzo is the beneficiary of all the work that he and his team have done to make the once uncompetitive M1 the best bike in the paddock. Rossi has gotten the better of Lorenzo on several occasions and he has to be considered the favorite for the championship, but he is feeling under appreciated by Yamaha. A feeling that led him to leaving the Honda factory team for Yamaha back in 2003. Rossi’s contract with Yamaha runs through next year when he turns 31, but the Italian always has other options. Honda has said that he could ride for them, he has expressed an interest in World Superbike and the rumors of an F1 ride in a Ferrari are always in the air. But Rossi is a motorcycle rider first and he is aware of his place in history. He is within nineteen wins of the career record set by Giacomo Agostini (122) so it’s hard to believe that he would leave MotoGP with that record in site. The question is, if he stays, where will he go?

One more rider has fallen into to place in the season ending contest of musical chairs. After putting together his best season in MotoGP Randy DePuniet has re-signed with the LCR Honda team. The French rider was one of the more consistent riders in the championship this year, and in an interview with motomatters.com he put his improvement down to the move to Bridgestone tires and a new training program. A motocross training accident that left him with a severely broken ankle has hurt his results of late, but there’s no reason to think that he won’t return to form once his body has healed. The good news for DePuniet and the LCR team is that Honda has said that they will be selling factory spec equipment to their satellite teams next year.

There’s still no word on who will be riding the second Tech 3 Yamaha alongside Colin Edwards next season. The latest rumors have Ben Spies moving to the team in 2010 whether he wins the World Superbike Championship or not, but there’s been no official confirmation of that from Yamaha. It seems likely that James Toseland will be back in World Superbike next season, and that Chris Vermuelen will follow him back to the series where they both made their names.

The remaining question marks for the 2010 season are at Pramac, Scott, Hayate and the new FB Corse team. Mika Kallio will ride for Pramac, but the second rider on the team is still to be determined/announced. Gabor Talmasci moved to the Scott team from 250cc halfway through the season and has struggled ever since, but no word on who will ride the bike next year. The Hayate team stated earlier that they would not return in 2010, but then there were rumors that the Kawasaki bike would be back with Yamaha power. The final spot would be with the new FB Corse team that is hoping to enter the MotoGP ranks next season. If they are able to put together a program their first season will be a struggle for the rider and the team. At this point the remaining riders left out in the cold are Toni Elias, Alex DeAngelis and Niccolo Canepa.

Marco Simoncelli is the reigning 250cc champion and one of three 250cc riders (Bautista, Barbera) moving up to MotoGP in 2010. With the series in the middle of a break Simoncelli accepted an invitation from Aprilia to ride the World Superbike team’s RSV4 at Mugello this week. After testing the bike at the Tuscan circuit and coming close to the times of Michel Fabrizio on the factory Ducati, Simoncelli has decided to race the bike in the World Superbike round at Imola this weekend as a teammate to Max Biaggi. Simoncelli has four wins in the 250 class this season, and is forty points behind championship leader Hiroshi Aoyama with four races remaining.

Brembo was keeping track of MotoGP riders braking points at the end of the back straight at the recent round at San Marino. Turns out that the rider who brakes the latest at the end of a 170 mph straight is the same rider who wins the race. Here’s the Top 10 Late Brakers:

1 Valentino Rossi
2 Andrea Dovizioso
3 Jorge Lorenzo
4 Loris Capirossi
5 Dani Pedrosa
6 Marco Melandri
7 Nicky Hayden
8 Randy De Puniet
9 Colin Edwards
10 Mika Kallio

Apparently Rossi isn’t just late at braking. After the Italian accounting firm of Cesaroni-Cappellini saved Rossi millions of euros on taxes he had failed to pay the Italian government the firm is claiming that the world champion owes them between 1.7 and 2.5 million euros.

Bike Of The Week - Honda VFR750

2009-09-22T23:22:00.000-04:00

The Honda VFR750 was first introduced back in 1986 as a replacement for the VF750 sportbike. The VF750 had a successful racing career, but it had suffered from cam-chain tensioner problems so the engine was redesigned and the new bike was given the VFR designation. The VFR was powered by a 750cc V4, but there were also 400cc and 700cc versions of the bike between 1986-1994. The bike came with an aluminum beam perimeter frame, a full front fairing and a 90 degree V4 engine that put out 105 horsepower.

Honda decided not to import the VFR750 in 1987 so the only VFR available in the U.S. was the 700, but they continued to sell the VFR750F version of the bike in other countries. Honda also produced a race version of the bike called the VFR750R (RC30), and in 1987 they changed the rear suspension on the RC30 to an "Elf Designed" single sided swing arm. American Fred Merkel rode the the redesigned RC30 that year, and won the first World Superbike Championship.

In 1990 they continued to develop both the 750F and 750R (RC30) versions of the bike, but the F version was designed for the street and the R was strictly for the track. The big change for the 750F was the addition of a single sided swing arm and the factory focused on refining the bike for the street. Over the years the bike moved into the sport touring class as Honda continued to refine the bike's handling and comfort level. The bike was usually rated at the top of its class, and it was known for it's durability.

In 1997 Honda replaced the VFR750 with the VFR800. The new bike came with fuel injection and other improvements, but it never achieved the popularity or critical acclaim of its predecessor. Honda has announced that a new VFR will be introduced this Fall and go on sale in Spring. The new VFR will be a 1200cc V-4.

Honda VFR Road Tests

World Superbike News

2009-09-21T11:53:00.000-04:00

This week the World Superbike paddock returns to action at Imola, and while the championship is far from being decided there’s a lot of speculation about who will be riding where next year. As usual rumors of where Ben Spies will be riding in 2010 are making the rounds, and both MCN and VisorDown are reporting that the American will be riding alongside fellow Texan Colin Edwards on the Tech 3 MotoGP team whether he wins the WSBK championship or not. There has been neither confirmation or denial from Yamaha or Spies at his point, but railbirds have questioned where he would be next year every since an official Yamaha press release stated that they "forsee" Ben Spies riding a Yamaha in WSBK in 2010.

If Spies does move on to MotoGP that would leave an opening on what could be the championship winning team, and Tom Sykes sub-par season on the second bike might mean that the team will have to replace both riders next year. That's the same situation that the team was in at the end of last year, and they shouldn't have a problem finding two topflight riders if they need them. Cal Crutchlow has been dominating the World Supersport series on a Yamaha this year so he is a prime candidate for moving up to the WSBK team. If Spies does make the move to Tech 3 that means James Toseland would be out of a ride, and there would be a lot of interest in getting the two time champ back into the series. Chris Vermeulen has already lost his Suzuki MotoGP ride, and the former WSS champion has been talking with Yamaha and other teams about the possibility of riding in WSBK. Those are some of the bigger names that are in the mix for 2010, but Leon Camier's dominant, sixteen win season in British Superbike on a Yamaha makes him a contender for a ride on one of the top teams.

The Ducati Xerox team has just announced that they have resigned Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio for the 2010 season. Haga sits second in the championship with six wins and fourteen podiums. Fabrizio is in third place with one win and twelve podiums. The team will be streaming live video from Haga’s garage at this weekend’s Imola round. The feed will come from the ducati.com website during Superpole, Sunday warm-up and the races.

The 2010 season will be the first season for Moto2. The series replaces the 250cc class that travels around the world with MotoGP and 125cc bikes. Moto2 was originally open to four stroke 600cc production engines, but that raised the ire of the Flammini brothers who run WSBK because their agreement with the FIM gives the World Supersport championship the exclusive rights to race 600cc bikes internationally. The FIM agreed, and DORNA, who run MotoGP and Moto2, changed the rules so that now all of the competitors in the series are now limiting to running a spec Honda 600cc engine in their own chassis. That seemed to satisfy the Flammini brothers, but the new series has generated tremendous interest forcing DORNA to deny the applications of nearly half of the teams who applied to compete in the series. Good news for a series that met with widespread skepticism when it was announced, but seemingly bad news for WSBK who will now be getting more competition for riders who are more interested in riding a 600cc four stroke in front of MotoGP decision makers than in WSBK or WSS.

After John Hopkins’ first lap crash in the last round at the Nurburgring it was thought that for once the Anglo American had come away from an accident unscathed, but upon further examination it was determined that he had suffered more serious injuries, "My doctor reviewed the scans and found a big bruise and bleeding on the brain. I had to see a neurologist to determine the severity of the condition, and he has confirmed the bruise on the brain, but no further bleeding. My shoulder has tendon and ligament damage which require surgery, as well as my wrist. For the next six to eight weeks I have been instructed to rest and then have another scan to see if the bruising has gone".

Hopkins injuries will keep him out of action for the rest of the season, and the Stiggy Racing team has decided not to replace him for the final three rounds. Instead the team will focus their efforts on Leon Haslam who sits sixth in the championship, 23 points behind Max Biaggi.

With the AMA roadracing series running their last round in New Jersey two weeks ago Chaz Davies has taken the opportunity to finish out the World Supersport season with ParkinGO Triumph BE1 Racing. Davies will ride alongside Australian Gary McCoy on a Triumph 675 in the final three rounds of the championship. The 22 year old Davies has experience in 125cc, 250cc, MotoGP, won the 2008 Daytona 200 and finished ninth in the AMA's Daytona SportBike class this year on an Aprilia RSV 1000R.

The V8 Supercar career of Troy Bayliss has been put on hold due to technical difficulties. The three time WSBK champ was scheduled to make his debut at Philllip Island, but a broken alternator belt on the warm-up lap ended the team’s day. Bayliss did finish 29th in a support race, and his next V8 Supercar effort will come at the Bathhurst 1000 in October.

Bonneville Salt Flats – Electric Bike Sets Record

2009-09-16T17:36:00.000-04:00

"The times they are a changin", but just how fast that change takes place is the question. Stories in the press about electric motorcycles are more frequent these days. Articles about electric dirt bikes, Best Buy selling electric street bikes and a new FIM sanctioned roadracing series for electric motorcycles in 2010 have appeared in print and on the internet.

The story that got the most play was about the first race at the Isle of Man TT for zero-emission bikes called the TTXGP. The race attracted sixty different teams when it was first announced, but in the end only sixteen bikes came to the Island to compete. The Pro Class was won by the Agni team who put their bike together in two months with a budget of $30,000. That compared favorably with other teams that had spent years and millions of dollars to get their bikes to the starting line.

Mission Motors is an American team that finished fourth in the pro class at the TTXGP with a speed of 74.091 MPH. A speed that was just over thirteen mph slower than the winning team. Even the Agni bike was over forty mph slower than the fastest gas powered bikes at the TT, but the TTXGP was hailed as an environmental breakthrough. The Mission team would have preferred winning to finishing fourth, but their long term goal is to produce an electric sportbike for the street.

With the TTXGP being just one step toward reaching their ultimate goal the San Francisco based Mission team moved on to the Bonneville Salt Flats to break the land speed record for electric bikes. Using the same bike that they rode at the Isle of Man the team set a new record at the salt flats with an average speed of 150.059 mph over two runs with a high speed of 161 mph in one of the runs.

Mission Motors is serious about putting their bikes on the street. The bikes they race are production prototypes, and they say that they are on-schedule to reach their goal of selling 300 street legal electric bikes by the end of 2010. If they’re able to reach that goal the times may be changing faster than we think.

Mission Motors Bonneville Salt Flats Video

National Geographic Channel – Motorcycle Crash Tech

2009-09-16T17:07:00.000-04:00

The National Geographic Channel is premiering a documentary called Motorcycle Crash Tech on Thursday (9/17/09) at 9:00 pm (EST). The film explores improvements in motorcycle technology that help riders avoid crashes and new riding gear that prevents injuries in a crash. The film also includes interviews with former World Superbike champion Neil Hodgson and 15 time World Champion Giacomo Agostini who discuss some of their crashes and the dangers of racing motorcycles at the highest level.

The film was produced by Cry Havoc Productions who also produced the recent Twist The Throttle series that examined the history of Honda, Ducati, Yamaha, BMW and several other motorcycle manufacturers. The documentary was shot in HD, and the film crews were given access to the research and development facilities of Alpinestars, Brembo, Nolan and MV Agusta.

Motorcycle Crash Tech Video Promo

Bike Of The Week - Suzuki GSX-R750

2009-09-15T22:53:00.000-04:00

These days the highways and backroads are heavily populated with bikes that are as comfortable on the street as they are on the track. Hearing the sweet sound of a sportbike accelerating away from a traffic light is a common occurrence, and one of the bikes that set the standard for today's street legal racers was Suzuki's GSX-R750.

When the bike was introduced in 1986 there were other bikes that fell into the superbike category, but Suzuki raised the bar with the GSX-R750. The bike was built to win races, but it was also legal to ride on public roads. The technical specs included a 100 HP in-line four, responsive flat slide carburetors, 18 inch wheels and a dry weight of 388 pounds. Weight reduction was a focal point of the design philosophy and Suzuki did this by using lightweight parts, an alloy frame and an air/oil cooling system that was 10% lighter than water cooling. To increase the bike’s power on the track the factory sold a tuning kit that raised the engine's output to 130 BHP.

The bike was built for skilled riders who could handle the engine's power delivery and light weight. Kevin Schwantz was a factory Suzuki rider when the bike came out, "I rode for Yoshimura Suzuki from 1986-1988 and during that time rode the current year model. The 1986 GSX-R750 handled great, but the problem was getting power and reliability at the same time. It was an awesome bike to ride, though I didn't win any races. The 1987 GSX-R750 bike will always be my favorite. It was so reliable, I don't even remember breaking in a race. The bike was light and actually quite nervous, which I feel like got me ready for a GP bike because it was styled in that direction. Every time I got on it, I felt like I could win".

The GSX-R750 continues to be a mainstay in Suzuki's sportbike lineup, but it's been superseded by the GSX-R1000 and other liter bikes, but there are many who consider the power/handling of the GSX-R750 to be a better package for the street. No matter your opinion whenever you hear the high-pitched scream of in-line four off in the distance think of that first GSX-R750 that was the inspiration for all the sportbikes that followed.

VisorDown wrote about the different iterations of the GSX-R750, and Jamie Whitham talked about his on-track experiences with the bike and added some of his not-so-understated wit to the article.

Buell Halting Production

2009-09-14T14:07:00.000-04:00

Buell Motorcycle Company will be halting production at their East Troy factory in Wisconsin for two months. The facility will close on October 30th and reopen on January 4th. Buell recently won their first AMA road racing championship. Danny Eslick took the 2009 Daytona SportBike championship on a Buell 1125R over Josh Herrin in the final round of the championship at the New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Buell is a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson which has closed down several plants permanently and others temporarily. The good news for H-D is that they recently completed negotiations that will see them selling their bikes in India in 2010. India’s economy is growing, and they are the second largest bike market in the world behind China.

Ben Spies Interview

2009-09-11T10:19:00.000-04:00

Ben Spies domination of the World Superbike championship has confounded the experts. Everyone knew that he was a solid performer after winning three consecutive AMA Superbike titles over Mat Mladin, and his solid performances in three MotoGP wild card rides last year was further proof that he could compete on the world stage. Spies maintains a reserved persona at the race track so it’s hard for fans to know what he’s really like, but a recent interview with the Texan reveals his true nature and the reasons for his success.

Ben Spies Interview

World Superbike – Nurburgring Review

2009-09-09T13:48:00.000-04:00

With three rounds to go Ben Spies has taken an eighteen point lead in the World Superbike Championship. Spies had his worst qualifying performance of the season (5th), but managed to come away with a first and a second in the two races at the Nurburgring. Former championship leader Noriyuki Haga took his first superpole of the season, but he was less fortunate on race day with a second in race one and a retirement in race two after colliding with eventual race winner Jonathan Rea.

Haga had been passed for the lead on the previous lap by Carlos Checa, and was being followed in third by Rea as they approached the turn, “Rea came up fast on the straight and hit me. There was nothing I could do and I couldn't restart the bike. I'm angry as it is the second time this has happened. I guess the only consolation is that I'm not hurt." The accident left Haga perilously stranded in the middle of the turn with riders passing him on both sides, but he got away safely. Race commentator and former superbike rider Steve Martin called it a “racing incident”, and Rea had a similar opinion, “Haga ran quite wide and I went on the inside, and although I didn't see him I felt a big bang and only found out he crashed after the race. I'm sorry for that but don't think it was my fault and I wouldn't blame him”.

Spies fifth place starting spot in the second row was his worst in a season that’s included nine poles in eleven rounds. "The first race was tough and Nori got away so I had to reel him back in. When I got to him I knew he was really strong in the first few corners so I slowed the pace a bit and controlled him through there. With three laps to go we pulled the pin and got back down to some fast laps. The second race was a tough one. I didn't get a great start and had to spend some time working through the pack. When I eventually got up to Rea he had a great pace. I used up a lot of my tires fighting through the pack and was starting to slide around a bit at the end so tucked in and took the points".

Rea’s win was his second of the season, and it moved him within forty-five points of Michel Fabrizio who sits third in the points. Fabrizio struggled to seventh and ninth place finishes, and with 150 points up for grabs in the remaining three rounds the ever improving Rea has a realistic chance of capturing third in the championship if Fabrizio continues to struggle. Rea has a win, two thirds and a fourth in his has last four outings, and Fabrizio has a third, seventh, ninth and a retirement.

John Hopkins’ seemingly endless string of bad luck continued when he was involved in a first lap crash in race one, “I knew the start would be tough, and I had to be somewhere tactical to get myself into the top 10 by the end of the first lap. I ran a bit wide coming out of turn one and then got hit from behind in the second turn and high-sided into Broc Parkes. I was unconscious for 10 minutes before waking up in the ambulance. A bike ran over my chest, but apart from that I have no serious injuries”. Teammate Leon Haslam had a solid weekend with a sixth in race one and a fifth in race two. He was running second in race two, but was slowed by front end chatter. Haslam sits sixth in championship just twenty-three points behind Max Biaggi.

Troy Corser looked strong again on the BMW S1000 RR. The Australian ran near the front early in both races and finished in sixth in race one and eighth in race two, "The bike is easier to ride, more comfortable, more consistent and I'm having fun riding it! I am waiting for the team to make the next step up, so that I can consistently challenge the leaders”. Teammate Ruben Xaus is still recovering from his injuries at Brno, and was replaced by British rider Richard Cooper who crashed in both races.

Yamaha’s press release over the weekend stating that they had signed Spies for the next two seasons has come under close scrutiny. At first glance it would seem that Spies will be riding in WSBK in 2010 and MotoGP in 2011, but the phrasing “the program forsees a season in 2010 with the Yamaha World Superbike team” leaves the door open for Spies moving to MotoGP in 2010. Giving further credence to that theory Michael Scott of GPWeek.com has this quote from Lin Jarvis, Yamaha’s managing director of motor racing, “Ben’s primary mission is to win Yamaha’s first World Superbike title, then we will be ready for him in MotoGP”.

As of this weekend the only two Yamaha rides that remained in MotoGP were with the Tech 3 Yamaha satellite team, and after the race at Misano Colin Edwards announced that he would be riding for the Tech 3 team in 2010. It’s highly unlikely that the team will resign James Toseland for the 2010 season, and team owner Herve Poncharal has already stated that he would like to have Spies on the team so if he can win the championship it looks like he’ll be in MotoGP next year.

The next round of the World Superbike championship is at Imola on September 27th.

Bike Of The Week – Royal Enfield Musket

2009-09-08T11:26:00.000-04:00

Royal Enfield is a manufacturing company that’s been around since 1893. The company started out as a manufacturer of bicycles, but in 1901 they built their first motorcycle. Royal Enfield motorcycles were originally manufactured in England, but over time the company’s base of operations has shifted and they are now an Indian company.

In 1939 the company introduced a single cylinder, 350cc motorcycle called the Bullet that became one of their more popular bikes. Over the years the company improved the bike and increased the engine size, but it was the 350cc Bullet engine that was the basis for the Royal Enfield Musket.

Growing up in India Aniket Vardhan was inspired by the sound of a Harley Davidson he heard as a small boy . He held on to that inspiration as he studied industrial design and dreamed of building his own V-Twin Enfield using two 350cc Bullet engines. The result of that inspiration and dream is a bike that Vardhan calls the Royal Enfield Musket. Paul Crowe over at thekneeslider.com brought this project to light, and Aniket has created his own website to publicize the Musket. The site tells the story of the Musket, and has video/audio of a bike and sound you won’t soon forget.

Royal Enfield Musket Slideshow

Royal Enfield Musket Video

World Superbike Update - Spies Staying With Yamaha

2009-09-04T14:14:00.000-04:00

The end of the season is always a time when everyone is trying to guess who will be riding where next year. In World Superbike many were wondering where Ben Spies would be riding in 2010. One theory circulating through the paddock was that Spies would move on to MotoGP if he won the championship this year. Yamaha has ended the mystery by announcing that Spies will be riding in WSBK in 2010 and moving over to their MotoGP satellite team (Tech 3 Yamaha) in 2011. The following is the official announcement from Yamaha:

Yamaha Motor Company., Ltd and Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. are delighted to announce that an Agreement has been concluded with Ben Spies for his participation with Yamaha for 2010 and 2011. The program foresees a season in 2010 with the Yamaha World Superbike Team based in Gerno di Lesmo, Italy and a switch to Yamaha’s satellite MotoGP team for 2011.

Laurens Klein Koerkamp, Racing Manager Yamaha Motor Europe said – “We got to know Ben this season in our Yamaha World Superbike Team as a very talented, professional and dedicated person whom we are thrilled to continue working with. Not only is the relationship between Ben, the team and Yamaha in general very successful but also it’s a pleasure to work with him. This early agreement permits Yamaha and Ben Spies to now fully focus on their 2009 World Superbike campaign in their challenge to achieve their first World Superbike Championship titles together.”

Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing said – “We are truly excited about the prospect of Ben’s arrival into our future MotoGP program. Ben is doing a great job for Yamaha in his first season in the World Superbike Championship. He is in great shape to challenge for the title this year and we will be rooting for him at the remaining four events this season. Ben’s primary mission is to win both his and Yamaha’s first World Superbike title. After that when Ben eventually makes the move to the MotoGP championship we will be ready for him and, in line with the new MotoGP regulations, we will create a place for him within the Yamaha satellite team and give him the support he needs for his next challenge".

Ben Spies:
"I am very happy to say that I will remain a part of the Yamaha family and will continue in the WSB series for 2010. This is an exciting period of my racing career and I look forward to even more. Yamaha has been great in the warm welcome that I have received entering the world level and I want to thank them for all they have done, and giving me their trust for a next career step into MotoGP in 2011."

In other Yamaha World Superbike news David Emmett over at motogpmatters.com is reporting that Stiggy Racing will be changing from Honda to Yamaha bikes for the 2010 season. The team will reportedly be sticking with a rider lineup of Leon Haslam and John Hopkins.

AMA Road Racing – New Jersey Round

2009-09-04T12:11:00.000-04:00

The AMA is contesting their first ever event at the New Jersey Motorsports Park in the final round of the season this weekend. It’s also Mat Mladin’s final round in an AMA career that’s included 82 trips to the top of the podium. Mladin’s talent, determination and competitive nature raised the level of everyone around him, and riders like Nicky Hayden and Ben Spies were better for having raced against him. Mladin’s age (37) and his disagreements with the AMA made him a candidate for retirement, but having just clinched his seventh Superbike championship it’s clear that he’s still competitive.

Mladin has raced in MotoGP (500cc) and World Superbike, but he’s had his greatest success in the AMA. The fact that he’s only had success in a national series has led many to down play his talent over the years, but Ben Spies success in the World Superbike Championship has changed that opinion. Early in his MotoGP career Nicky Hayden told crash.net what he thought of the Australian, "Right now Mat Mladin is for sure the strongest rider in America, and I think he could get it done over here no problem. He's definitely capable of making some headlines over here without a doubt".

As competitive as he is Mladin will be looking to go out with a win. Many were hoping that he would head over to World Superbike in 2010, but he’s made it clear that the AMA round in New Jersey will be his last. Here’s hoping he changes his mind.

American Superbike Race #1 Results

American Superbike Race #2 Results

Daytona SportBike Race #1 Results

Daytona SportBike Race #2 Results

Supersport Race Results

Pictures #1

Pictures #2

Pictures #3

MotoGP – Misano Preview

2009-09-03T13:33:00.000-04:00

The world championship heads to Misano for round thirteen just one week after Valentino Rossi’s crash and Jorge Lorenzo’s win at Indianapolis tightened up the title fight. Rossi now leads the championship by 25 points over Lorenzo, and he’ll be tough to beat at his home circuit, “I quickly want to forget the mistake of Indianapolis! Last year at Misano was incredible, to win in front of all my fans and so close to home was a great emotion and after missing out in Mugello this year we are really focused on trying to get the best result there”. But Lorenzo has shown that he has the talent to beat his teammate, "Misano is one of the tracks where I was very fast in the past. I won in 2007 on my 250cc bike, and last year I was not far behind Valentino in second. I know how hard it will be to be the best at Valentino's house”.

2009 Qualifying Results - Rossi quickest

2008 Misano Race Results

1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
2. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha)
3. Toni Elias (Ducati)

With five rounds left in the championship there are plenty of points up for grabs. Dani Pedrosa’s run from last to tenth after crashing while leading has put him within nine points of the absent Casey Stoner. Colin Edwards will have a hard time fighting off Andrea Dovizioso on the factory Honda for fifth place. Dovizioso has a first and two fourths in his last three outings, and he’ll be switching over to Ohlins forks and shocks for the rest of the season.

212 Valentino Rossi
187 Jorge Lorenzo
150 Casey Stoner
141 Dani Pedrosa
123 Colin Edwards
120 Andrea Dovizioso
88 Alex De Angelis
86 Loris Capirossi
84 Randy De Puniet
79 Marco Melandri
77 Chris Vermeulen
73 Nicky Hayden
72 James Toseland
70 Toni Elias
42 Mika Kallio

The points chase after the top six is up for grabs with seventh through fourteenth separated by just 18 points. Nicky Hayden has seen gradual improvement, and although he benefited from the crashes of Pedrosa and Rossi to finish third at Indianapolis it looks like he’s finally getting a handle on the Ducati. The Kentucky Kid got a confidence boost with the announcement that he will be riding the factory Ducati in 2010, “After the good result in Indy, now to renew the deal with Ducati is exactly what I wanted. I’m very happy. I always had faith and believed that we could achieve good results”. Hayden missed last year’s race at Misano due to injury, but started third in 2007.

Randy De Puniet has gone from consistent crasher to consistent finisher on the LCR Honda satellite team this season. The French rider has been working with a trainer, but the switch from Michelin to Bridgestone tires is one reason why he’s crashing less. Riders say the Bridgestone front tire gives them better front end feel, and Casey Stoner is another rider who stopped crashing when he moved to Ducati and started riding on Bridgestone tires. De Puniet recently broke his ankle training on a motocross bike, and x-rays show the damage and how the doctors repaired it so that he could continue to race. Although De Puniet has yet to sign a contract for 2010 it looks like he’ll be back in MotoGP in 2010. He seems to have lock on returning to LCR Honda, but he’s also been mentioned as a possible rider on the Tech 3 Yamaha team.

Dorna has been working in conjunction with the Cameron/Pace designed 3D Fusion system to bring 3D to MotoGP. The camera crew tested the system at the Laguna Seca round earlier this year, and brought a demonstration reel to Indianapolis. Dani Pedrosa liked what he saw, "It was amazing. When you see the images it's really impressive. It's like actually being there at the racetrack". Implementation of 3D is a long way off, and a more logical step for MotoGP would be to start broadcasting the races in HD.

Indy MotoGP Weekend

2009-09-02T13:40:00.000-04:00

Growing up a few miles away from tracks that hosted races run by the likes of A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti I’ve always considered Indianapolis Motor Speedway to be my mecca. The track just has a certain aura that hasn’t changed since my first visit there, and when I talk about it to people who have been going there a lot longer than I have they feel the same way.

I headed out there this past weekend for the MotoGP round, and as usual I wasn’t disappointed. Three great days of racing with practice and qualifying on Friday and Saturday and races on Sunday. They opened up the pits on Friday morning so that fans could check out the bikes and get a first hand look at the garage areas and the yard of bricks at the start-finish line. The place is so immense there are plenty of places to go to check out the action on the track whether it’s in the grandstands on the front straight across from the pits or on the spectator mounds in the infield section of the circuit.

The infield was also the location for all of the manufacturers and vendors. Lots of motorcycles to look at and food to eat. If you love bikes you had to visit Ducati Island to check out all of the Ducatis that people brought to the race. Another highlight at the Island was NCR’s updated version of the Ducati that Mike Hailwood rode to win the 1979 Isle of Man TT. This classic bike is yours for just $130,000.

You can’t talk about Indianapolis without talking about some of its idiosyncrasies. How about those bathrooms? In an age of urinals with sensor controlled flushing Indy is sticking with the trough style that handles multiple users. Things have improved since the 60’s when Graham Hill first ran in the 500. The Englishman was appalled when he visited the men’s room and found that there were no doors on the stalls. Management took note and made the necessary improvements.

The Speedway is one of the oldest functional stadiums in the world, but they’ve resisted the temptation to charge fans for the personal seat licenses that are the first step towards buying a ticket at some of the new stick n’ ball stadiums. That being said, some of the seats at Indy look like they’ve been there since the first race in 1909. It’s always a good idea to bring a cushion with you if you’re in attendance at the track that hosts “the greatest spectacle in racing”. But that’s just a minor inconvenience that can be avoided with a little preparation. How about this. . .free parking, courteous attendants and cleanliness that borders on OCD. Seriously, I can’t remember seeing any trash on the ground on a weekend when 146,000 people hit the turnstiles. Free parking at a major sporting event. What else can I say? Courteous attendants. Okay maybe there’s the occasional officious security guard, but not bad considering there are almost as many attendants as there are fans.

Being the frugal type, not cheap. . .frugal, I love the ticket prices for the MotoGP race. For $75.00 I can buy a three day ticket that gets me into practice, qualifying, three races on Sunday, free parking and anything else that happens inside the Speedway. Since it’s a general admission ticket you have to get there early on race day to get the seat you want, but who cares. They’ve got stunt riders, music, videos and three practice sessions to keep you occupied. The other thing is that for my money they’re the best seats in the house. I can’t tell you where they are because the track might find out and start making them reserved and charging more money for them. Just take my word for it and figure it out.

Forget about the Speedway for a moment because the best racing of the weekend takes place at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Saturday night. That’s where the flat trackers battle it out on the legendary Indy Mile in heats and finals that will make you think you’ve never seen real racing before. Valentino Rossi was one of many European spectators taking in the action, and his wide-eyed appreciation as he leaned on the infield fence and watched the riders fly into the first turn was confirmation that on that night he was a fan like everyone else. Later that night Kenny Roberts let everyone know that he’s still the man when he went out and turned some hot laps on the Yamaha TZ750 that took him to a memorable Indy victory in 1975 and led to his infamous “they don’t pay me enough to ride that bike” quote. The flat track night alone is worth the trip, but get your tickets early because it’s an SRO event.

Road racing purists will contend that the Indianapolis circuit leaves something to be desired and it’s hard to argue with that point of view, but there are places to pass and the action on the track has been good. It’s not Assen or Donington. It’s Indy. This year’s race drew 75,000 people on race day which is nearly double what Laguna Seca can hold, but it’s down from the 100,000 people who came to last year’s race in a hurricane. The place is so huge that 75,000 people looks like 25,000. As usual the American riders upped their game on home soil with Nicky Hayden finishing on the podium and Colin Edwards coming home in fifth. Whatever the reasons for the drop in attendance I’m hoping it’s just minor blip on a racing weekend that is a must see for every motorcycle racing fan.

World Superbike – Nurburgring Preview

2009-09-01T15:02:00.000-04:00

After a six week break World Superbike returns to action at Germany’s Nurburgring this weekend. The long break has benefited the walking wounded who inhabit the WSBK paddock these days. That list includes championship leader Noriuki Haga who needed time to recover from fractures to the ulna bone in his right forearm and his left shoulder blade, “I’m feeling much stronger,and after a relaxing holiday back home in Japan, I’m totally ready to continue the fight for the world title.” Haga took both races at last year’s Nurburgring round on a Yamaha.

Haga's lead over Ben Spies is down to seven points, and with four rounds left in the championship it’s anyone’s guess who this year’s champion will be. Spies returns to action healthy and well rested after a crash in race one and a win in race two at the last round in Brno. That crash was caused by Michel Fabrizio’s misguided attempt to pass Spies for the lead, and it certainly prevented Spies from taking over the championship lead from Haga. Fabrizio trails teammate Haga by 53 points in the championship.

With six weeks off the teams have had time to improve their bikes, and the BMW team will be one of the teams to take advantage of that time. The team has made great strides in their inaugural WSBK season with Troy Corser leading both races at the last round in Brno. Teammate Ruben Xaus had hoped to race at the Nurburgring after fracturing his right femur in race one at Brno, but his doctor felt that he needed more time to heal. The Spaniard will be replaced at the Nurburgring by Richard Cooper who will be making his first start in WSBK.

Max Neukirchner is another rider who will miss the Nurburgring round to recover from injuries. The German rider will miss his home race after fracturing several vertebrae at the Imola test in July. Australian Karl Muggeridge will ride Neukirchner’s factory Suzuki this weekend.

Stiggy Racing has had a solid first season in WSBK with Leon Haslam standing on the podium at six races. The English rider’s efforts have him sitting in sixth place just twenty points behind Max Biaggi in fifth. Teammate John Hopkins has seen limited action due to injuries, but the long break should see the American in his best physical condition since joining the team at Valencia in May.

Rider movement in MotoGP always seems to have an effect on WSBK. Although they haven’t been ruled out of getting a ride in MotoGP there is a chance that James Toseland and Chris Vermeulen will be returning to WSBK next season. Both riders have been outperformed by their teammates this season, and Suzuki has already confirmed that Vermeulen will be replaced by 250cc rider Alvaro Bautista next year. Neither Toseland or Colin Edwards have been confirmed for the Tech 3 Yamaha team, and in an interview with MotoGPMatters.com Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal confirmed that several riders are still in the mix for the team. According to Poncharal Ben Spies is negotiating with Yamaha and “to have him in 2011 in MotoGP is almost 100% sure”, but he might return to WSBK in 2010.

It looks as though Regis Laconi is on his way to a full recovery after his serious practice accident at Kyalami in May. The French rider has nearly completed his rehabilation, and will make an appearance at the Imola round in September. In other news Troy Bayliss will make his V8 Supercar race debut at Phillip Island in September. The three time world champion will follow that up with a run in the Bathurst 1000 in October.

2008 Nurburgring Results:

Race 1
1. Haga (Yamaha)
2. Bayliss (Ducati)
3. Neukirchner (Suzuki)

Race 2
1. Haga (Yamaha)
2. Corser (Yamaha)

3. Neukirchner (Suzuki)

MotoGP Update

2009-08-18T20:19:00.000-04:00

Valentino Rossi's win at Brno this weekend moved him one step closer to the 2009 MotoGP title. Jorge Lorenzo's crash and Casey Stoner's absence leaves Rossi with a fifty point lead in the championship. With six races left on the schedule and 150 winner's points up for grabs this year’s champion is yet to be determined, but the rider assignment picture for 2010 got a little clearer over the weekend.

HRC announced that Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso will be riding the Honda factory bikes in 2010, although Alberto Puig announced that Pedrosa has yet to sign a contract for next season. Assuming that Pedrosa will be riding for HRC it would seem to confirm that the factory Yamaha team will once again feature Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, but David Emmett at motogpmatters.com is reporting that Ducati is pursuing Lorenzo.

Nicky Hayden's seat on the factory Ducati would seem to be more secure after qualifying and finishing sixth at Brno ahead of Mika Kallio, but the Finnish rider still has two more chances to prove that he should be riding along side Stoner in 2010. If Ducati is able to sign Lorenzo both riders could end up on a Pramac Ducati.

Suzuki confirmed that Alvaro Bautista will be moving up from the 250's to ride one of the factory bikes next season. There's been no official confirmation, but it looks like their other rider will be Loris Capirossi. That could mean that Chris Vermulen could be heading back to World Superbike along with James Toseland who’s had a sub-par year on the Tech 3 Yamaha.

Marco Simoncelli has signed for Gresini Honda, and he'll probably have the revitalized Marco Melandri as a teammate. Melandri has had a surprisingly good year on the Hayate, but it's fairly certain that the team will not return next season. That would leave both Toni Elias and Alex de Angelis searching for a ride.

The riders had their final test of the season at Brno on Monday. The test was shortened by rain in the afternoon, but the times reflected more of the same with Lorenzo, Rossi and Pedrosa putting in the quickest times. Next stop Indianapolis.

AMA Road Racing – Virginia Results

2009-08-15T07:56:00.000-04:00

American Superbike Race #1 Results

American Superbike Race #2 Results

American Superbike Standings

Daytona SportBike Race #1 Results

Daytona SportBike Race #2 Results

Daytona SportBike Standings

Supersport Race Results

Supersport Standings

Virginia Pics #1

Virginia Pics #2

Virginia Pics #3

MotoGP – Brno Results

2009-08-14T13:17:00.000-04:00

MotoGP Race Results

250cc Race Results

125cc Race Results

MotoGP, 250cc & 125cc Standings

World Superbike – News & Notes

2009-08-13T15:00:00.000-04:00

The World Superbike summer recess continues as the riders and teams recuperate and prepare for the final four races of the season in September and October. With just seven points between them the title fight will probably come down to a battle between Haga and Spies, but Michel Fabrizio isn’t so far behind that he can be counted out if the top two run into problems.

Fabrizio will have other things on his mind as he prepares for a ride on the Pramac Ducati at the MotoGP round in Brno this weekend. Fabrizio will be replacing Mika Kallio who moved up to the factory Ducati alongside Nicky Hayden to replace the ailing Casey Stoner. Kallio will be Stoner’s replacement for the next three races, but at this point Pramac has only indicated that Fabrizio will be riding at Brno. Of the four remaining WSBK rounds three conflict with the MotoGP schedule. The next round at Indianapolis (8/30) is an off weekend for WSBK.

Ben Spies stellar rookie season in WSBK has been the dominant story this year, but he’s not the only newcomer who’s having a good year. Four of the top seven riders in the standings are newcomers to the series. Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes had wild card rides in the series last season, but this is the first full season for both riders. Rea took his first win at Misano, but Sykes has yet to match his second place run at Donington last year. Ron Haslam is a newcomer to the series in the sense that he only rode in four WSBK races last season. Haslam competed in 22 races in 2004 and finished eighth in the championship. His return to the series on the first year Stiggy Team has seen him take four podiums, and battling for fourth in the championship with Jonathan Rea and Max Biaggi.

1 - 326 - Noriyuki Haga
2 - 319 - Ben Spies
3 - 273 - Michel Fabrizio
4 - 206 - Jonathan Rea
5 - 200 - Max Biaggi
6 - 180 - Leon Haslam
7 - 150 - Tom Sykes

Max Neukirchner is suffering through a injury plagued season, and will unable to race for an undetermined length of time. After being put out of action after a first lap crash at Monza the German rider crashed at Imola while preparing to make his return. The latest crash left him with four damaged vertebrae and in a body cast, "I have to wear a body cast for around 40 days, so it should come off late in August. Then we will see how it is."

The gradual improvement that the BMW team has made throughout the season was highlighted by Troy Corser’s run to the front in both races at Brno. Ruben Xaus qualified in seventh right behind Corser, but a vicious high-side in race one left him with a broken femur. Xaus went under the knife and had three screws placed in his femur to repair the damage, “The operation went very well, and twenty-four hours later they told me I could leave. It's good that we have a bit of a break before the next race, but I'm already looking forward to being back at the track."

Three-time champion Troy Bayliss will be honored at the Imola WSBK round in September with a lifetime career award. Bayliss continued his transition to racing on four wheels in Australia with a recent test of the Jack Daniel’s V8 Supercar. Bayliss has tested with three different teams this season, and is hoping to race in the V8 Supercar endurance rounds at Phillip Island and Bathurst.

Source: World Superbike Championship

MotoGP – News & Notes

2009-08-12T11:03:00.000-04:00

The MotoGP boys return to action this weekend after a two week rest that wasn’t enough to prevent Casey Stoner from sitting out the next three races to recover from his mysterious ailment. Valentino Rossi leads teammate Jorge Lorenzo by 25 points in the championship and returns to a Brno track where he has taken four wins and three seconds in MotoGP. Seven rounds remain in a championship that is far from over, but with Rossi getting the better of Lorenzo in recent races and riding a Yamaha M1 that is considered the class of the field his ninth world title is in sight.

Casey Stoner’s temporary departure has opened the door for Mika Kallio who moves up from the Pramac Ducati team to take over Stoner’s factory ride. Kallio has had some strong rides on the Pramac bike in his rookie season, and it will be interesting to see how his times and race pace compare with Nicky Hayden's on the other factory Ducati. The other beneficiary of Stoner’s leave of absence is Michel Fabrizio who moves up from the Ducati World Superbike team to replace Kallio on the Pramac Ducati at Brno. Fabrizio currently sits third in the World Superbike Championship behind Noriyuki Haga and Ben Spies.

The MotoGP silly season is in full swing with everyone waiting for Jorge Lorenzo to decide whether he’ll be moving to Honda or staying at Yamaha. Most in the paddock feel that his best choice would be to stay with Yamaha, and although he has yet to announce it he will probably be teamed up with Rossi again in 2010. Lorenzo’s decision will have an effect on the movement of other riders although it’s hard to say how it will affect Americans Colin Edwards and Ben Spies. The 35 year old Edwards has outperformed teammate James Toseland on the Tech 3 Yamaha, and looks likely to spend another year in MotoGP. Spies domination of World Superbike has raised his stock, and a move to MotoGP seems more likely if he is able to overtake Haga and win the championship. Like many before him Nicky Hayden has struggled on the Ducati. Hayden is the first to admit that he needs to improve, but with the factory’s recent release of a special edition Nicky Hayden Ducati 848 it’s hard to imagine that the Kentucky Kid won’t be riding a bike from Bologna in 2010.

Canadian Superbike Championship

2009-08-11T17:58:00.000-04:00

The other North American superbike championship is winding down north of the border. Saskatoon’s 17 year old wunderkind, Brett McCormick, was leading the Canadian Superbike Championship early in the year, but 3-time champion Jordan Szoke took over midway through the season. McCormick won his third race of the season last weekend at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Nova Scotia, and with just one race left on the schedule Szoke’s lead over McCormick has been cut to 14 points. With the exception of one race when McCormick finished in eighth the two riders have finished either first or second in every race this season. If that trend continues it will be difficult for McCormick to win the championship. The race winner receives 50 points and a second place finish earns 42 points.

McCormick also won the Pro Sport Bike race in Nova Scotia, but he trails Szoke by 16 points in that championship. The final round of the season will be held at Shannonville in Ontario the weekend of September 6th.

MotoGP News – Stoner Out

2009-08-10T09:48:00.000-04:00

MotoGP returns to action this weekend at Brno in the Czech Republic for round eleven of the championship. Valentino Rossi leads teammate Jorge Lorenzo in the championship by 25 points, and Casey Stoner is 37 points down in third. Stoner has decided to take some time off, “After five extremely difficult races due to my health, I returned to Australia to visit the sports doctors who have looked after me for many years. We have taken the difficult decision not to contest the next three rounds of the championship, to allow my body time to recover from the recent stress. The doctors believe that during the Barcelona race I was suffering from a virus, and that I subsequently pushed my body too hard, leading to problems that have caused my fatigue since then. The doctors are continuing with many tests to try to understand these problems and make sure it does not happen again. I will be doing everything possible to come back at full strength for Portugal”.

Mika Kallio will move up from the Pramac Ducati team to replace Stoner while he recovers.

Bike Of The Week - BMW R90S

2009-08-09T17:05:00.000-04:00

In an age of fully faired, 140+ horsepower sport bikes it’s hard to imagine a time when the BMW R90S was one of the best sport bikes on the road, but when BMW introduced the bike in 1973 the R90S set a new standard for performance bikes.

The R90S left the factory with an 898cc boxer engine that put out 67 BHP, and powered the bike through the quarter mile in just over thirteen seconds. The bike came with a five speed gearbox, and a drive shaft transferred power to the rear wheel. The 478 pound bike (dry weight) came with a hydraulic steering damper, telescopic front forks and twin shocks at the rear. The R90S also had a unique “bikini” fairing and a two tone paint scheme.

In 1976 Reg Pridmore competed on an R90S in the first year of the American Superbike series, and won the championship. The team was a privately funded effort that received no help from the factory, but they developed the bike and increased the engine’s output to approximately 100 horsepower. The success of the bike surprised everyone, including BMW, who told the team that they would give them two R90S bikes if the team would give them one of their race bikes. The team declined the offer.

BMW eventually replaced the bike with the R100S, but between 1973 and 1976 they produced 17,455 of the bikes and helped define the sport bike class with their unique engineering approach. BMW’s latest entry in the sport bike class is the S1000 RR. At this stage of its development the bike looks more like other superbikes than a BMW, and it remains to be seen if it can compete with bikes like the Yamaha R1 and the Ducati 1098 on the track and in the show room.

BMW R90S Slideshow

1976 Cycle Magazine Review

2009 Motorcycle Sales

2009-08-05T11:45:00.000-04:00

Like most sectors of the economy motorcycle sales are down. U.S. motorcycle and scooter sales were nearly 300,000 in 1992, and continued to rise until 2005 when close to 1.1 million two wheeled vehicles were sold. Sales have been decreasing since that point with sales of 948,464 in 2007 and 879,910 in 2008. The sales figures for the first six months of 2009 show a decrease of 177,650 over the same period in 2008. Scooter sales, which had increased to 76,748 (+41.5%) in 2008, have decreased by 67% for the first six months of 2009.

The decrease in sales isn’t limited to the U.S. with domestic Japanese motorcycle sales for the first half of the 2009 down by 22.2%. Total motorcycle production in Japan decreased by 232,403 units (-39.2%). This is the third consecutive year that total Japanese motorcycle production has decreased. The Yamaha Motor Company, which sells a variety of products, said yesterday its loss in 2009 would be more than four times bigger than previously expected because of sluggish motorcycle sales and a strong yen.

BMW reported earlier in the year that their motorcycle sales had decreased in the first quarter. After selling 21,046 bikes in the first quarter of 2008, the company’s 2009 sales for the same period dropped by 18.1% to 17,232 units. Ducati doesn’t publish their sales figures, but earlier in the year upper management at the company took a 10% pay cut, and gave up future bonuses. Through June total motorcycle sales in Europe had decreased by 18,000 (-21%) when compared to the first six months of 2008.

The one bright spot in the world of motorcycles appears to be India. Hero Honda Motors, the world’s largest producer of two-wheeled vehicles, reported a 30.39% increase in sales (366,808 total units) for the month of July when compared to 2008. Bajaj Auto, India's second-largest motorcycle manufacturer, is beating forecasts with a 67% increase in second quarter profits with only an 869 unit decrease in production when compared to the first six months of 2008. Bajaj Auto currently owns 31.72% of KTM, and industry analysts are predicting that the company will increase their stake in the company in the next few years.

AMA – Topeka Results

2009-08-01T09:49:00.000-04:00

Lots going on at the AMA round in Topeka this weekend. This is the first time the AMA has visited the Heartland Park circuit since 1991, and a few of the riders were unhappy with the safety of the course. As of this writing Mat Mladin, Jamie Hacking and Robertino Pietri have withdrawn and will not be racing this weekend. Mat Mladin also announced that he will be retiring from AMA racing at the end of the season.

American Superbike Race #1 Results

American Superbike Race #2 Results

Daytona SportBike Race #1 Results

Daytona SportBike Race #2 Results

Supersport Race Results

Bike Of The Week - Buell 1125RR

2009-07-31T13:19:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-30T16:48:00.000-04:00

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?

2009-07-29T11:56:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-27T12:31:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-27T10:20:00.000-04:00

MotoGP Results

250cc Results

125cc Results

Championship Standings (MotoGP, 250cc & 125cc)

Pics #1

Pics #2

Riding Man

2009-07-25T11:29:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-24T15:15:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-24T12:30:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-23T08:55:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-23T07:41:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-21T12:50:00.001-04:00

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

2009-07-19T20:20:00.000-04:00

MotoGP Results

250cc Results

125cc Results

Championship Standings (MotoGP, 250cc & 125cc)

MotoGP Pics #1

MotoGP Pics #2

MotoGP Pics #3

AMA – Mid-Ohio Results

2009-07-18T00:01:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-17T11:50:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-16T11:17:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-15T11:08:00.000-04:00

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)

2009-07-13T13:41:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-10T09:52:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-09T10:52:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-07T10:42:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-06T11:06:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-04T09:37:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-03T11:46:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-02T15:39:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-02T14:44:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-02T13:07:00.001-04:00

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

2009-07-02T11:48:00.000-04:00

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.

Brett McCormick – A Rider To Watch

2009-06-30T11:33:00.000-04:00

Brett McCormick has experienced more than his share of success for someone who’s only 17 years old. The six foot, one inch Saskatoon rider’s rise through the Canadian road racing ranks has been nothing less than sensational. A ride that started on mini road racing bikes when he was twelve and led to a Superbike ride on the Kawasaki factory team at the age of fifteen. Heady stuff for any teenager.

Like a lot of professional riders McCormick started riding at a young age. These days he does all of his racing on asphalt, but his early days were spent on dirt. He got his first bike when he was three, and started racing a 50cc motocross bike the next year. He progressed through several classes in the next few years, but quit the sport when he was ten, "It was dirt bikes from when I was ages 3 to 10. I kind of got a little bit sick of that. I quit when I was 10 and I didn't ride anything for a whole year.”

His athletic interests include hockey, golf, bicycling and basketball, but his passion for racing had him back on the track by the time he was twelve. But this time around he was competing on pavement in mini road racing series. In his first year back he took three national titles and three regional titles in the NSR50, Thunder 4-stroke and Clash classes. He followed that up the next year with four more national titles and two regional titles.

McCormick’s success in the lower classes didn’t go unnoticed, and the 2006 season saw the 14 year old running in the amateur 600 Sport Bike series and the Canadian Thunder series. He didn’t disappoint, coming away from the season with three wins, four poles and a fourth in the points on the 600 and a win, four poles and a third in the Thunder series. Not bad for someone in their third year of road racing.

Now at the ripe old age of fifteen Brett would be riding for the Kawasaki factory team in the Pro 600 Sport Bike class on a ZX-6R and the Canadian Superbike series on a ZX-10R. Moving into the Superbike series put him up against the top professional racers in Canada and his teammate would be reining Superbike champion Jordan Szoke. McCormick talked about his expectations, "I'm really excited about my rookie Pro season, and looking forward to working with Jordan and the whole crew. They proved that they have the best combination, and I want to repay their confidence with some great results. There's lots to learn." He put in a solid effort in his first pro season finishing fifth in both Pro 600 and Canadian Superbike, and was the Pro Racing Rookie of the Year. In the final event of the season he took third in the 600 race and second in Superbike.

McCormick didn’t have many set backs in his first season as a pro, but season two began with difficulty when he injured his shoulder during off-season training. Then he hyper-extended his knee in a crash at the first event of the season at Calabogie. He made it through the second meeting without incident, but crashed again while leading the 600 race at Mosport. That fall bruised his ribs and a lung, “The knee was a pretty big issue for me. I stretched some tendons and ligaments and I wasn’t able to train. And Mosport didn’t help the situation. I’ve really been chasing my tail all year.”

With the season winding down, and his injuries healing McCormick was finally able to put together some results. At the last race of the season he took his second consecutive pole and followed that up with his first Superbike win. He managed to turn around a difficult season finishing fourth in the Pro 600 Sport Bike standings and fifth in Superbike.

McCormick had talked about competing in other series like AMA and World Superbike, and earlier in the year he made his AMA debut at Barber Motorsports Park. He finished sixth in Superstock, and fourteenth and fifteenth in the two Superbike races, “That was pretty cool; it was a good experience. It was a big eye-opener. There are some pretty amazing riders down there. But I think we have a lot of talent up here too, and on the same equipment some of us Canadians could be knocking on the top five. I’d like to do some more races down there. I’m still young and I’ve only ridden so much. For me it’s more about getting track time, and getting more riding in.”

The season had been a struggle for McCormick, but his teammate, Jordan Szoke, had won the Superbike championship for the third year in a row. He was on a competitive team and he had beaten Szoke in the last race of the season so it came as a surprise to some when he jumped to the factory Suzuki team, but to McCormick it was the only choice, "Being the No. 1 guy for a manufacturer is pretty key. When I ran for Kawasaki the last two years, I was the No. 2 guy. You're always kind of in the shadow of your teammate and you don't get as much attention and all that. When you're the No. 1 guy, it gives you that much more opportunity to win. Most manufacturers have two or three riders wearing their jersey. Not Suzuki. I'm going to be their only rider.”

McCormick would be moving over to the Blackfoot Picotte Racing Team run by former Canadian Superbike champion and AMA racer Pascal Picotte. The team would be running the full schedule, but before the season started in May they went down to Daytona for Bike Week. Riding at Daytona on a Superbike for the first time is a challenge for anyone, but with the help of his teammate, five-time Daytona 200 winner Miguel DuHamel, McCormick would have an advantage, “Being at such a famous track aboard a GSX-R1000 Superbike will certainly be special. And if you add the fact that winners such as Miguel, Pascal and the rest of the team will be coaching me every step of the way, I just know that this will be a very special experience for me. I have been training hard in the gym since last September, as well as riding a lot on the ice on a track in my back yard, so I will be physically and mentally ready.” Brett finished twenty-first in the American Superbike race, and DuHamel came home sixteenth in the Daytona 200.

Running at Daytona gave McCormick more track time with the AMA riders, and Picotte thought it would help him gel with his new team, “The opportunity to put Brett on the track for the Superbike race is an excellent chance for us to get a jump on the Canadian Superbike Championship. The team will learn what Brett looks for in the bikes, and Brett will learn about riding the track and about bike set-up.” A good plan from a man with two Canadian Superbike championships and a win in World Superbike.

At the first event of the Canadian Superbike season at Calabogie the team was in mid-season form. McCormick took second in the Pro 600 race, and took the pole and finished second in the Superbike race. In the second race of the season he took pole and won the race in both the Pro 600 and Superbike races. The first double of McCormick’s career gave him the lead in both classes, but the 17 year old had other things on his mind, “This week I have a bunch of exams to finish up Grade 12 so I will be busy with that, but I will definitely spend some quality time cross-training on my motocross bike and hitting the gym.”

So far all of the Pro 600 and Superbike races have come down to a battle between McCormick and his old teammate Jordan Szoke. In the last round at Calgary Szoke won the Pro 600 race, and McCormick won the Superbike race with a last lap pass that included some contact, “It was a pretty long race and I just wanted to study him and not show him anything. On the last lap he left the door open and I had some room so I took a chance.” Szoke saw it differently, “I’m a little annoyed right now. The bike was perfect. I’m mad at my self for leaving the door open. I know rubbing is racing, but I consider that a little much.” At this point Szoke leads McCormick in the Pro 600 championship by nine points, and McCormick leads Szoke in Superbike by eleven points.

With four rounds remaining in the season Brett McCormick is a world away from the struggles he went through in 2008. Everyone knew he had talent, but it was his tenacity that got him through a difficult season that ended with his first Superbike win. When he left the championship winning Kawasaki team to be the sole focus of the Suzuki factory team people found out he had good judgment. Now he’s in a battle for two national titles, but the recent high school graduate is still going to school, “The biggest thing has been my ability to give the team feedback, and Pascal has helped me learn how to do that. But he also is very clear with me on what changes are being made and any time the crew makes an adjustment he makes sure I understand why it’s being done. So I’ve come a long way already in understanding how the bike works and how to set it up. Maybe I’m hungrier to win this year too. I know I’m in a position where I need to win races and I have a desire to learn the stuff that’s going to help me do that.”

World Superbike Results – Donington

2009-06-29T09:08:00.000-04:00

Race #1 results

Race #2 results

Championship standings

Haga accident update

Race Pics

Speed Air Times

WSBK Race #1 - Tue (6/30) - 12:00pm (EST)

WSBK Race #2 - Tue (6/30) - 1:00pm (EST)

WSS Race - Tue (6/30) - 2:00pm (EST)

Bike Of The Week – 1986 Yamaha SRX-6

2009-06-26T12:58:00.001-04:00

For many their first step into the world of motorcycles is taken with the help of their father. A step taken together that forges a bond that lasts a lifetime. This bike had been passed on to the owner’s son who wanted to make the bike into something memorable. After coming up with some different paint schemes he decided on a Yamaha R1 blue with the Bumble Bee pattern made famous on the Kenny Roberts TZ750 dirt track bike. The bike doesn’t just look good, it’s fun to ride. The owner, who spends all of his spare time doing track days or riding the twisties, says, “There has to be something said about a bike you do not need to go over 75 to have the time of your life!” The SRX in its various forms has always had a big following in Japan, but the single cylinder, 42 horsepower SRX-6 has more of a cult following in the U.S. It’s not clear why that’s been the case because just looking at this bike makes you want to ride it.

SRX-6 Slideshow

The owner does quality motorcycle work out of his Cycle Madness bike shop in northwestern New Jersey (908-475-2332).

MotoGP Results - Assen

2009-06-26T11:39:00.000-04:00

MotoGP Race Results

250cc Race Results

125cc Race Results

MotoGP, 250cc, 125cc Standings

Assen Pics #1

Assen Pics #2

Assen Pics #3

Speed Air Times

250cc - Sun (6/28) - 5:00pm (EST)

MotoGP - Sun (6/28) - 6:00pm (EST)

World Superbike - Donington Preview

2009-06-25T16:14:00.000-04:00

The WSBK championships heads to Donington Park for the ninth round this weekend. Ben Spies and Jonathan Rea took wins at the previous round in Italy, but Noriyuki Haga still leads the championship after third and fifth place finishes at Misano. At this point it looks like the championship will come down to a battle beteween Haga, Spies and Michel Fabrizio, but Spies has to make up 48 points and Fabrizio has to close a 55 point gap.

World Superbike Superpole Results

Haga has three wins at the track, but two of those came in 1998 and last year he had two DNF’s, ”I actually like this track and always find strange conditions here, but I hope this weekend it will be sunshine and I have to try and win again. Last year I didn't have much luck at Donington at all, but if I put that aside, over the years I've done okay there and have had some race wins.”

Ben Spies raced at Donington last year and finished 14th in his first ride on a MotoGP bike so it’s a circuit he knows. Crew chief Tom Houseworth talked about the circuit, “Donington is a circuit Ben has raced on before so we know where we are going. As far as setup is concerned we really don't have any info from his past experience there though. The circuit has average grip so the focus is to look for grip as well as tire life, as always. Rain is a strong possibility at this event so we need to be ready for that as well. For this circuit both bikes will be set up a bit different to explore options for more grip or better turning, which bike we continue with depends on Ben's comments after the first session. If we have any rain we will have a wet bike and a dry bike. The wet set up is not too much different than the dry set up however we do use a different map for wet conditions.”

Fabrizio’s results after four races at Donington are a 5th, 12th ,13th and a DNF, but he’s been on the podium in the last eight races, “I need to secure more race wins, so that's my aim, starting from this weekend at Donington. The best I've done there until now is 5th , but I'd always done badly at Misano, and then that changed this year. So we'll see if I can make a similar improvement in the UK.”

The 2008 races saw four different manufacturers on the podium:

Race #1
1. Bayliss (Ducati)
2. Sykes (Suzuki)
3. Biaggi (Ducati).

Race #2
1. Kiyonari (Honda)
2. Crutchlow (Honda)
3. Corser (Yamaha)

The Donington round will be a homecoming for Tom Sykes, Leon Haslam and Shane Byrne. Byrne is coming off a podium finish at Misano, and Sykes finished second at Donington last year as a wild-card rider from the British Superbike Series. Leon Camier and James Ellison will be riding as wild-cards this year, and they are currently sitting in first and second place in the BSB championship

The Ten Kate team has improved after struggling at the start of the season. The team has added some new suspension parts to the bikes, and Jonathan Rea took his first WSBK win and the team’s first win of the season at Misano. Rea is hoping for more improvement from the bike, “We have only had four or five days with our new suspension so with another seven in between we will get even better.” Rea’s teammate, Ryuichi Kiyonari, won race two last year with an impressive display of wet weather riding.

After several years without a rider in World Superbike the number of Americans in the series is beginning to grow. This week Ben Spies, Jamie Hacking, John Hopkins and the 21 year old Blake Young will be representing the U.S. Hopkins tried to make his return at Misano, but he needed more time to recover from his injuries at Assen. Young will be replacing Fonsi Nieto, who was riding for the injured Max Neukirchner. Steve Dicterow, part of Young’s management team, says the ride came together by chance, “Blake and Kevin Schwantz were over at the World Superbike race this weekend at Misano. I don’t know all the details, but somehow along the weekend it became clear Fonsi Nieto would not be riding this coming weekend. The team approached Blake and asked if he would be willing to be a wild card for the race. Blake has expressed in the past that he would be interested in pursuing an international racing career at some point, but I can tell you to an absolute certainty that we had no idea this would happen. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

Weather Forecast:

Fri: Showers - 72
Sat: Clouds & Sun - 72
Sun: Showers - 73

Speed Air Times:

Race #1 – Sun (6/28) – 3:00 pm (EST)
Race #2 – Sun (6/28) – 4:00 pm (EST)

Circuit Data:

Circuit length: 4.023 km
Pole position: left
Corners left: 5
Corners right: 10
Race distance: 23 laps = 92.529 km

FIM Series For Electric Bikes

2009-06-24T21:36:00.000-04:00

Starting in 2010 the FIM will sanction a road racing series for electric bikes. The FIM is creating the series with the hope that it “will provide an international platform for the development of electric bikes and the technology behind them to be tested in an exciting and challenging way. It aims at driving low-carbon technological innovation forward, to demonstrate that clean-emission transport technologies have matured and can be fun, fast and exciting.”

The announcement follows the successful launch of the world’s first zero-emissions superbike race, the TTXGP, at this year’s of Isle of Man TT. That race was won by Team Agni with a one lap average of 87.434 mph on the 37.73 mile course. A bit slower than the record setting lap of 130.442 mph that John McGuiness set on his way to winning this year’s Superbike TT.

When the competition was first announced 60 entrants from 15 countries registered to compete, but only sixteen bikes were on hand for the race. At least two of the teams spent several years and millions of dollars developing their bikes, but the winning team started building their bike, the Agni X01, two months prior to the race and spent about $30,000.

Pro Class Results (Place – Average MPH – Team)

1 - 87.434 - AGNI
2 - 77.841 - XXL Racing Team
3 - 75.350 - Brammo
4 - 74.091 - Mission Motors
5 - 62.575 - Htblauva
6 - 40.092 - Brunel X-team

Open Class Results

1 - 66.022 - Electric Motorsport
2 - 62.219 - Barefoot Motors
3 - 60.475 - TORK

DNF - MotoCzysz, Kingston University, ManTTX, Brammo

Non Starters - Peace E-Rider, Evo Design, E-Rocket

TTXGP Bike Pics

Stealing Speed

2009-06-24T09:42:00.000-04:00

With all the intrigue of a first rate spy novel Max Oxley’s Stealing Speed tells the story of the rise of the two stroke engine in motorcycle racing. The story begins when a former German V1 rocket engineer and a motorcycle racer are brought together by the common goal of building a competitive two stroke engine. Their success leads to betrayal, defection from East Germany and the sale of their two stroke secrets to a Japanese manufacturer.

For a more detailed review visit David Emmet at MotoGPMatters.

Honda's New VFR

2009-06-23T10:33:00.000-04:00

It’s been a while since Honda has made any significant changes to the VFR. The latest rumors have the company introducing a new VFR with a 1200cc engine. Shigeru Takagi, Honda’s Senior Managing Director, confirmed that the company will be introducing a new V4 powered bike, “We really believe we can develop a new era starting with this V4-powered machine. It is just the beginning, and represents a new breed of Honda which will define Honda’s own taste and styling. This bike will be the perfect road machine that Honda customers have called for. It will be an epoch-making machine and more bikes from the V4 platform are possible. We know people think this bike is going to be a replacement for the VFR800 and the Blackbird, but we do not see this bike as a replacement for anything. We see it as an all-new breed of machine, something very special.”

The new VFR will be introduced later this year, and will be in showrooms in the Spring of 2010. The VFR concept drawing is by Vanjey-Design.

Big Sid's Vincati

2009-06-22T14:29:00.001-04:00

Big Sid’s Vincati is Matthew Biberman’s true story of the rekindling of his relationship with his father Sid. Matthew is an English professor at Louisville University, and Sid is a legendary motorcycle tuner. The two have grown apart over the years, and are only drawn back together when Big Sid suffers a heart attack. The heart attack leaves Big Sid in a state of depression, and has his son searching for ways to bring his father back to life. His solution is to help his father build a motorcycle using a Ducati chassis and a Vincent engine. A Vincati. The project brings the two men back together again, and gives them both a new outlook on life.

World Superbike – Misano Race Review

2009-06-22T12:02:00.000-04:00

The race at Misano saw Ben Spies off the pole for the first time this season. The American was still quick enough to start third on Sunday, but his time in the wet morning warm up was only 26th quickest. Due to wet conditions the first race was run under the new flag-to-flag rule so riders were allowed to change bikes during the race.

Shane Byrne dominated the first half of the race in the wet conditions, and as the track began to dry riders started to pit for bikes with a dry set up/tires. Spies switched bikes on lap 13 after spending most of the race in fourth behind Michel Fabrizio. Spies took the lead from Ruben Xaus on lap 17, and beat second place Shane Byrne to the flag by eight seconds, “I was running pretty good early in the wet and saw that it was going to dry quickly. That’s why I came in early to switch to the dry set up. It paid off big. That was one of the best runs through the field I’ve ever had.” Fabrizio finished ahead of polesitter Jakub Smrz to take third, and championship leader Noriyuki Haga finished fifth.

Race #1 Results

The track stayed dry for the second race so the riders started on dry tires. Haga took the early lead with Jonathan Rea and Fabrizio in hot pursuit. After a good start Spies began dropping down through the field with clutch problems. Meanwhile Rea, Fabrizio and Haga pulled a gap over the rest of the field. Haga stayed close, but Rea and Fabrizio ran wheel-to-wheel in the closing laps with the Irishman coming out on top to take his first win in World Superbike, "To win my first race in Italy here is really special for me before my home round next weekend at Donington. We switched suspensions, and tried them for the first time on Monday at Magny-Cours and the team all did a marvelous job to get me to win the race here. Michel came past but he couldn't outbrake me and that spared my bike from doing all the running. I could pass where I wanted to pass and I saved it to the last lap."

Haga had a solid third place finish, "I got a good start, but then Johnny and Michel passed me and it was hard to keep their pace. We have taken home some good points and that's important because Misano is not one of my favorite tracks." Spies managed to get his bike back up to speed and finished ninth, “The clutch was just fried. I couldn’t accelerate at all. It was slipping so bad I just had to baby it out of the turns. Then I adjusted the hell out of it for several laps, trying anything to make it work. It was difficult trying to race and work on the bike at the same time.”

Race #2 Results

Championship Standings

John Hopkins practiced on Friday in an attempt to make his first start since his crash at Assen, "After yesterday's session I am feeling really sore. I got some painkillers before the session, but I think I just pushed it a bit too much. I am breaking away the scar tissue at the moment. It is just better for me to take it easy today and concentrate on tomorrow. I will be doing the warm up and then see what we can do for the race. This weekend for me is important to get the strength in my leg back up and to get ready for the next race at Donington." Hopkins didn’t ride in the morning warm up or either race.

Haga leads the championship by 48 points over Spies and 55 points over Fabrizio. The next race is on June 28th at Donington Park.

Speed Air Dates

Wed (6/24) – 3:00am (EST) Misano Race #1
Wed (6/24) – 4:00am (EST) Misano Race #2

World Superbike - Misano Preview

2009-06-19T09:17:00.000-04:00

This weekend’s event at Misano is the beginning of the second half of the WSBK season. Noriyuki Haga leads the championship by 53 points over Ben Spies on the Yamaha and 64 points over Michel Fabrizio on the other factory Ducati. Spies and Fabrizio both made gains on an injured Haga at the recent U.S. round, but Haga should be back on form after three weeks of rest.

Haga has only scored 3 podiums in 18 races at Misano, but the circuit was changed after the 2007 race and now the track is raced in the clockwise direction. Haga talked about Misano, “The track is very small and tricky with high-speed corners that require aggressive braking. I prefer the new layout but it remains nonetheless a difficult track for me, I don’t really know why. It’s always so hot there too, so the tire choice really comes into play. Anyway, it will be good to be back in front of the Italian crowds, Misano has been the “home” race for Ducati in the last years. After a crash and the less than perfect results at the last round of Salt Lake, I plan to be back on form and fighting to win at Misano.”

Over the years Ducati has dominated at the Adriatic circuit with 26 podiums in 34 races. Last year’s first WSBK event on the redesigned circuit produced the following results:

Race 1:
1st - Max Neukirchner (Suzuki)
2nd - Troy Corser (Yamaha)
3rd – Troy Bayliss (Ducati)

Race 2:
1st – Ruben Xaus (Ducati)
2nd – Max Biaggi (Ducati)
3rd – Troy Bayliss (Ducati)

This will be Ben Spies first time at Misano, but the WSBK rookie has proven himself to be a quick study when it comes to learning new circuits. He comes into the eighth round of the championship looking for his eighth Superpole. Spies Yamaha Team manager, Massimo Meregalli, talked about the challenges, “Misano will be a very hot race. It is a really tough circuit with many corners and short straights. I think it will be a very hard race for everybody. I’m curious because our previous bike was always fast there during the race but we struggled with tire life problems. Now with the new 2009 R1 bike we are confident we can overcome this as the smooth torque delivery means we can work the tires harder without compromising so much on tire life. After the Miller race the championship is more open, we will do all we can from here to the end of the season to try and catch Nori.”

After getting off to a rough start the Ten Kate Honda team is hoping that the second half of the season will produce better results. The three bike team grabbed two podiums and five top 5 finishes at the U.S. round, and followed that up with a successful test at Magny Cours. Rookie Jonathan Rea has had a solid season, and sits fourth in the championship. He’s seven points ahead of Max Biaggi on the Aprilia. The Italian has been getting more consistent on the new bike with four top 5 finishes in the last five races. Road Racer X talked to Biaggi about the Aprilia when he was at Miller Motorsports Park for the U.S. round.

Free Practice Session #1 - Ben Spies quickest

Qualifying Session #1 - Michel Fabrizio quickest

Qualifying Session #2 - Michel Fabrizio quickest

Superpole - Jakub Smrz quickest

The season is just past the halfway point, but it’s never too early for rumors to circulate about who will be riding what and where next year. David Emmet over at MotoGPMatters filed this update on rider movement for 2010.

Television coverage on Speed:

Race #1 - Sunday (6/19) - 3:30pm (EST)
Race #2 - Sunday (6/19) - 4:30pm (EST)

Weather forecast for Misano:

Fri: Sunny – 90
Sat: Possible showers – 68

Sun: Possible showers - 72

Misano World Circuit

Country: Republic of San Marino
Circuit length: 4.226 km
Pole position: left
Corners left: 6
Corners right: 10
Race distance: 24 laps

Bike Of The Week - DesmoHarley

2009-06-18T10:51:00.000-04:00

One of the more interesting aspects of motorcycles is the variation in the design of the motors that move the bikes down the road. Chris Barber has come up with a variation he calls the DesmoHog. Chris started out with a Harley Davidson crankcase and cylinders, and put them together with a pair of Ducati heads. Chris explains how he did it:

“The heads are the early large valve 900 SuperSport type, both the heads are rear heads with the front turned around 180 degrees and running a front head cam, this gives me two heads with horizontal fins and orients the carbs and exhausts in better positions for the 45 degree layout.

I didn't need to do any head work to get a 10.3:1 ratio because the Ducati has a fairly low ratio with domed pistons, so by going with flat top pistons with the extra displacement, the ratio worked out perfectly.”

Here’s what it looks and sounds like.

Ricky Carmichael - Racing On Four Wheels

2009-06-16T21:48:00.000-04:00

It’s not unusual for motorcycle racers to try racing on four wheels after they’ve hung up their leathers. Many riders have attempted to make that transition, but few are successful. Tazio Nuvolari, Joe Leonard and John Surtees were equally good on bikes and in cars, but some legendary names like Agostini, Doohan and Hailwood have struggled on four wheels.

The latest rider to attempt the move to four wheels is fifteen-time AMA champion Ricky Carmichael. Carmichael’s success in motocross and supercross is unparalled, but motocross is a young man’s game. The sport is hard on the body, and most top riders bow out of the sport by the time they reach the age of thirty. Carmichael summed up the wear-and-tear of a career that included broken bones and a knee injury, “I'm 26 and I feel like I'm 36.” The positive side of retiring at an early age and moving on to racing cars, is that it gives him more time to learn his new craft. Carmichael cut back on his motocross schedule in 2007 when he was 27, and started working on becoming a stock car driver.

Carmichael got his first taste of driving a stock car when NASCAR driver, Kasey Kahne, got car owner Ray Evernham to give him a test run on a short track. Kahne knew that he was interested in driving cars when his motocross career was over, and Ricky wanted to find out if he had any talent for driving a car, “We wanted to see what feel he had for the car. Ricky did a great job.” Carmichael felt good about the test, and decided to pursue a career in stock cars.

Established riders often get the opportunity to skip racing in the lower classes because of their reputations. Carmichael knew that he needed to learn the fundamentals of his new sport so he started out at the bottom. He ran his first races on local short tracks in a regional series to get his feet on the ground. This made sense for a rider who was always known for working hard and never taking short cuts. The other benefit of going that route was that it kept him out of the spotlight while he was learning and making mistakes.

Carmichael started at the grass roots level of the sport, but he got help from one of the icons of the sport. His first season in stock cars would come on the Ginn Racing Team under the watchful eye of NASCAR’s Mark Martin. Carmichael knew that having Martin in his corner was an advantage, “He’s been incredible for me. It’s a pleasure to work with him, I have a lot of trust in him, and I listen to every word he says. I’m blessed to have him in my corner, there’s no doubt about it.”

Carmichael’s first race with his new team would be on a half-mile asphalt oval in Lake City, Florida. The fifteen time AMA champ sounded like a rookie before the race, “I’m really excited about this weekend. I’m nervous, but it’s a good nervous. It’s a great feeling that I haven’t had in a long time. Being out there with some of the other drivers is going to be tough, and to be honest, I don’t know what to expect. I just want to do my best and be in there.” Mark Martin had the weekend off so he was there to keep an eye on his protégé, “This is the first step in converting him from two wheels to four, and we're going to take it easy and not try to get in too deep at this first race. We’ll let him kind of find out what it's all about and then kind of ramp it up with each additional event. But this weekend is all about getting comfortable in the race car and getting comfortable with the other cars.” The rookie’s first effort in a stock car ended on lap seven when a flat right-front tire put him into the wall.

Halfway through the year Carmichael’s season was put into doubt when his Ginn Racing Team was acquired by Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Carmichael finished out the season with DEI, but he was forced to leave the team at the end of the year when he was unable to find a sponsor. Carmichael went looking for a ride in the off-season, and was signed by Ken Schrader Racing to run a full schedule in the Camping World East Series. A thirteen race series that ran a combination of ovals and road courses. Carmichael started eleventh in his first race, and finished sixth. By the end of the season he had picked up one pole, three top five finishes, eight top 10 finishes and sixth place in the championship.

The 2008 season had gone well for Carmichael and the team. He had some respectable finishes, and was getting noticed. That season when he was racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway NASCAR driver and team owner Kevin Harvick saw him race for the first time. Harvick was impressed with what he saw, and called him a week later, "He called me up out of the blue and asked me what my plans were, told me what his plans were and we ended up forming a little program. It was so cool to just get a call from him out of the blue, and we made it work."

The plan was for Ricky to run a limited schedule in one of the Kevin Harvick, Inc. trucks in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series. His first race in the truck would be at Daytona during Speedweeks, but he had never run on a superspeedway. NASCAR requires drivers to have experience before they can race at Daytona so Harvick bought Carmichael a car in the weeks leading up to the October ARCA race at Talladega. He tested the car in the weeks prior to the race, and was comfortable enough on the big track to qualify sixth. He was running in fifth at the halfway mark when a tire blew, “I was coming out of turn four wide open, and it was like a bomb went off under that car, and away I went. I just went for a ride and was scared to death. All I can say, of all the motorcycle racing that I’ve done, when you’re going that fast, stuff happens really, really quick.” It wasn’t the ending he had hoped for, but he had run well on a superspeedway and he got the okay to run the truck at Daytona.

When he got to Daytona for the first race of the season he was good enough to qualify sixth, but he got caught up in a wreck midway through the race and finished twenty-fourth. He finished eighth at Fontana, but he wasn’t able to crack the top ten in the next four races. He’s still learning, but Harvick has confidence in him, “The best thing about Ricky is you only need to teach him the aspects of driving a truck. Everything else comes natural to him from his days in motocross.” In his last race at Texas he started eighth and finished eleventh.

Even though he’s committed to racing on four wheels he’s still involved in motocross. He’s under contract with Suzuki through 2009, and he's been helping Chad Reed with the bike, “I still get to test the race bikes and all the cool stuff. So I’m looking forward to that as well.”

Carmichael’s next ride in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is on June 19th at The Milwaukee Mile.

World Superbike - News & Notes

2009-06-16T10:44:00.001-04:00

This weekend the World Superbike Championship makes its return to Misano Andriatico for the eighth round of the 2009 season. With seven rounds remaining Noriyuki Haga leads second place Ben Spies by 53 points and third place Michel Fabrizio by 64 points. The following are news and notes leading up to the race:

Max Neukirchner is recovering from the injuries he sustained at Monza, and is planning on making his return at Brno on July 26th. Neukirchner’s injuries include a broken femur and broken bones in his foot and ankle. Makoto Tamada and Brendan Roberts will also remain on the sidelines with their Monza injuries. Tamada with a broken wrist, and Roberts with severe bruising and muscle inflammation.

Jamie Hacking will get his second consecutive start on the Paul Bird Motorsport Kawasaki ZX-10R at Misano. Hacking will once again be riding in place of the injured Makoto Tamada who broke his wrist in the first lap crash at Monza. Hacking finished seventh and nineteenth at the U.S. round after qualifying eighth.

Gregorio Lavilla will be riding the Guandalini Ducati 1198 at Misano in place of the injured Brendan Roberts. Lavilla’s rides as a substitute for Roberts have included a tenth and a twelfth at Kyalami and fourteenth and a retirement at Miller Motorsports Park. Roberts is expected to miss the next two rounds at Misano and Donington.

In other rider injury news Karl Muggeridge will miss the next two World Superbike rounds to recover from a cracked vertebrae he sustained in a crash at Assen. In his absence Italian Alex Polita will ride for the Celani Suzuki team.

Matthieu Lagrive has replaced Tommy Hill on the Althea Honda CBR 1000 RR. The combination of Hill and the Althea team was an unsuccessful pairing that had only resulted in six points through the first half of the season. Lagrive moves up from the team’s World Supersport effort where he was in eleventh place with 38 points. The French rider is a five time Endurance World Champion, and the race at Misano will be his first race in World Superbike.

Troy Bayliss tested a V8 Supercar at Queensland Raceway in Australia. Bayliss, who recently tested a Ducati MotoGP bike, completed over 80 laps in the 600+ horsepower Supercar. The three time world champion is planning on racing cars competitively, and said that he is hoping to race in “either the Development Series or the endurance races”. Riders who have made the jump to racing four wheels have had mixed success in the past. Englishman John Surtees and American Joe Leonard won titles on bikes and in cars.

Catalunya - MotoGP Results

2009-06-15T08:39:00.000-04:00

MotoGP Race Results

MotoGP Standings

250cc Race Results

250cc Standings

125cc Race Results

125cc Standings

MotoGP Pics #1

MotoGP Pics #2

Next race Saturday - June 27th - Assen

Velocity - New Television Network

2009-06-12T11:09:00.000-04:00

The news just keeps getting better for motor sports fans. Back when SpeedVision was just a gleam in Roger Werner’s eye racing fans struggled to find much in the way of programming. These days Speed is a household name and all of the major networks are airing motor sports of some kind. Versus joined the party last year after signing a ten year contract with the IRL. Now the news that Discovery Communications will re-launch their HD Theatre Channel as a motor themed channel called Velocity in 2010.

Discovery Communications has already signed a five year deal to air the Isle of Man TT races. The HD Theatre Channel will air nine one-hour Isle of Man shows this summer on Monday nights with the coverage moving to the new Velocity channel in 2010. This summer’s coverage of the TT is in addition to the network’s airing of a series called Twist The Throttle. Each show tells the story of motorcycle manufacturers like Honda, Yamaha and Ducati. All good news for motorcycle fans.

Falcon Motorcycles - Redesigned British Classics

2009-06-11T15:52:00.000-04:00

"Falcon Motorcycles are custom built, original bikes, that begin as the salvaged frames and engines from vintage British motorcycles and are then rebuilt entirely from the ground up.”

That sentence serves as the mission statement for Falcon Motorcycles, an LA company formed by Ian Barry and Amaryllis Knight. The bike in the picture, the Bullet Falcon, is the first in a series they call Concept 10. The company will be building bikes based on motorcycles built by ten different manufacturers. The brands are Triumph, Norton, Velocette, Ariel, BSA, Matchless, Royal Enfield, Brough, Superior and Vincent.

Falcon Motorcycles uses frames and engines from pre and post-war era bikes. The components on every bike are either remade or refurbished. The owners of Falcon intend to bring a sense of art and history into the design of each bike. When each bike in the series is completed it will be a unique, one-of-a-kind motorcycle.

The Bullet Falcon is the first bike in the series, and it has already been named the winner of the Best Custom Motorcycle Award at the 2008 Legend Of The Motorcycle International Concours. Not surprising when you look at the quality and design of the bike. What’s surprising is that the bike wasn’t even entered in the competition. It was only there on display.

Anyone interested commissioning one of these bikes goes through an interview process to determine if the design ideas they have for their bike are similar to the owner’s sensibilities. The bike building philosophy at Falcon Motorcycles borders on religious fanaticism, but it’s hard to argue with the results.

Billy Joel - A Passion for Bikes

2009-06-11T09:10:00.001-04:00

Like most people who ever swung a leg over a bike Billy Joel loves motorcycles. Unlike most people, however, the Piano Man can buy any bike that strikes his fancy. But he doesn't just ride them. He uses those talented hands to take them apart and put them back together again. Joel is giving the public a chance to see his collection of vintage bikes at an exhibit called Motorcycle As Art & Icon. The show is being held at the Christy Building in Sag Harbor, NY until June 20th. Joel recently talked to Newsday about his passion for motorcycles.

Aprilia RSV4 – World Superbike Challenger

2009-06-10T14:03:00.000-04:00

The new Aprilia RSV4 is the Italian bike manufacturer’s latest effort to create sales with a bike that wins races. After spending 25 million Euros and three and a half years to develop the bike it was entered in the 2009 World Superbike Championship (WSBK). The factory signed three-time world champion Max Biaggi and Shinya Nakano to ride the bike in its first season. The bike is Aprilia’s first V4 engine, and their first appearance in WSBK since 2002 when Noriyuki Haga rode the RSV 1000.

Aprilia has a storied racing history, but their success has come in the 125cc and 250cc classes where they have won seventeen world championships since 1992. Their best results in the WSBK championship were fourth place finishes by Troy Corser in 2001 and Haga in 2002. After leaving the championship in 2002 the factory went to MotoGP where they had disastrous results with an innovative, but difficult bike known as the RS3 Cube. They abandoned their MotoGP effort in 2004, and focused their efforts on developing the RSV4.

Like all manufacturers Aprilia is in racing to improve their bikes and create an image that moves bikes off the showroom floor. Racing is a hot bed environment where new ideas are driven by the need to win, but it takes more than winning to sell bikes. The old adage of “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” has its merits, but without a good product that concept falls by the wayside.

When Ducati first entered the newly formed WSBK in 1988 they were a company in financial straits. The company has reversed its fortunes since that time, and its thirteen WSBK rider championships have made the Ducati name synonymous with winning. Along the way the factory has used its signature desmodromic valve system in ground breaking bikes like the classic 916 and the more recent 1098 to create a Ducati mystique. Ducati’s success in WSBK is the kind of image transformation that every motorcycle manufacturer is hoping for when they invest in racing.

BMW is one of those manufacturers. After years of developing high quality bikes for what was primarily a conservative market segment the company has designed a sport bike that is more like its Japanese counterparts than any bike that has ever rolled off a BMW assembly line. The company introduced the BMW S1000RR in 2008, and hired two-time WSBK champion Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus to pilot the bikes. The bike has had its share of development problems in its maiden season, but that’s expected for any new bike. Especially for a manufacturer like BMW who has done most of its racing in cars.

With three and a half years of development work behind them the road over at Aprilia hasn’t been as fraught with problems as the BMW effort. After fourteen starts Biaggi is fifth in the championship with two podiums and seven top five finishes. Probably not enough success to keep the three-time world champion happy, but enough to raise the team’s optimism about the possibility of winning a race in their first season with the new bike.

Here’s some pics of the Aprilia RSV4 race bike that were taken at the recent WSBK round at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah.

Here’s an interview with RSV4 race engineer Gigi Dall'Igna.

Honda - 50 Years of Racing

2009-06-10T12:32:00.001-04:00

Honda is celebrating their 50th year of world championship racing. To mark that milestone they have created a website that celebrates their racing history.

The site has articles, pictures, videos and ringtones. This link gives you ringtones that feature the classic two stroke sound of the NSR500.

Thanks to Kropotkin at MotoGPMatters.

Ashley Fiolek – Against All Odds

2009-06-09T12:04:00.000-04:00

Inspirational stories give you that feeling inside that comes out in words as, “Damn, that’s awesome”. Ashley Fiolek is awesome. The professional motocross racer was born profoundly deaf, but she hasn’t let that hold her back. After winning the 2008 Women's Motocross Association Championship she backed it up with wins in the first two races of the 2009 season. The 18-year-old has hopes of someday competing on the men’s tour, and two-time AMA Champion James Stewart doesn’t doubt her, “I wouldn't be surprised if she qualifies. She's already overcome harder challenges.” The Versus network has announced that they will be broadcasting all eight rounds of the series. The network now has IndyCar and motocross in their lineup. Here’s a link to a feature ESPN – The Magazine did on the champ.

Joe Leonard – Success On Two & Four Wheels

2009-06-09T10:37:00.000-04:00

Back when Valentino Rossi was contemplating a career in Formula 1 there were immediate comparisons to John Surtees. The Englishman won seven world championships on motorcycles, and followed them up with a Formula 1 world championship for Ferrari in 1964. Often lost in the praise for Surtees’ two wheel and four wheel success is the career of Joe Leonard.

The California native won the AMA Grand National championship in 1954, 1956 and 1957. When he finished his two wheel career in 1961 he had taken the checkered flag 27 times. Twice in the Daytona 200. He made the move to four wheels in 1962, and got his first ride in the IndyCar series in 1964. Leonard made quick progress, and was good enough to run A.J. Foyt’s second car at the 1967 Indianapolis 500 and finish third.

The 1968 season saw Leonard at Indianapolis in one of Andy Granatelli’s controversial turbine cars. Parnelli Jones had driven the first version of the car at Indianapolis in 1967. Jones had led the race for 171 laps, and was leading with four laps to go when a mechanical problem ended his run. The 1968 turbine car was an aerodynamic wedge designed by Colin Chapman and the Lotus design team. Leonard qualified the car on the pole, but dropped out while leading with nine laps to go. The only person to have come so close to winning both the Daytona 200 and the Indianapolis 500. Leonard finished third at Indianapolis in 1972, but he would never again contend for a win in the big race.

He did continue to get good rides in the series as a teammate to Al Unser on the dominant Johnny Lightning team, and then on the so-called Superteam with Al Unser and Mario Andretti. Leonard completed his two wheel/four wheel double by winning the IndyCar championship in 1971 and 1972. No mean feat considering A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti and both Bobby and Al Unser were all in their prime.

The Need For Speed

2009-06-09T07:18:00.000-04:00

Sometimes that liter bike of yours just doesn’t give you the power you crave. For those of you who need that extra burst of acceleration to get you to work on time consider adding some jet power to your bike. Motorcyclist magazine profiled Tony Pandolfo and his highly modified 1992 Suzuki GSX-R1100. Tony’s site has pictures, video and sound.

The Motorcycle – Bicycle Connection

2009-06-08T10:55:00.000-04:00

Motorcycle racing has changed in many ways over the years. In the old days it was party on Saturday and race on Sunday. Now most of the racers at the front end are careful about what they eat and how they train, and cycling is at the top of their training regimen. Five-time Daytona 200 champion Miguel DuHamel is one of them, “I was probably one of the first guys in the paddock to use cycling for training. I should have been more quiet about it. It’s really important to be fit in motorcycle road racing even though it’s not as physical as bike racing. It helps you be smarter under stress. I started about 1995, just riding with a friend of a friend. Pretty soon I was hooked. Now I ride four times a week, usually around Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas.”

Reigning AMA Supersport champion Ben Bostrom is an avid cyclist now, but that wasn’t always the case, “I didn’t even think of bicycling for training. My brother took me mountain bike riding once, but he almost killed me before we even got to the dirt. I’d never been clipped into pedals before, and I fell over right in front of a car. I didn’t get hit, but it kind of soured me on the whole bicycle thing.”

When Bostrom made the move to the World Superbike he became one of DuHamel’s cycling converts, “Miguel DuHamel worked with Carmichael Training Systems, and was really pushing the fitness thing. They were all about training on a bicycle for road racing, and they just kind of saw me as a slacker. So I tried a road bike. I loved it.” Both Ben and his brother Eric have made cycling an integral part of their training programs, “You wouldn’t think it would be that important. Road racing on a motorcycle is all about upper body strength. Your legs don’t do much of anything. But you really have to concentrate. If you’re in shape, your mind works better.”

When Ben was competing in World Superbike he made his home in Italy where professional bike racing is a passion. While he was there he made friends with a local bike shop owner who also managed a pro cycling team, “He set me up to ride with some old guys to train with, 40, 50 and 60 year-old-riders. I thought, how hard can that be? As it turned out, they were old pros. On my first ride, I was hanging on in the back, and felt like I should take a pull just because of guilt. It was the worst possible timing. The road went straight uphill. The old guys dropped me.” With that lesson firmly planted in his mind the hyper-competitive Bostrom turned up his training, and entered his first bike race, “It was a Pro/Amateur road race that started in Bellagio and went straight up a mountain.” Bostrom won the race, and became a diehard fan of pro cycling. When he wasn’t racing motorcycles he was spending time in the team cars at the big bike races like the Giro di Italia and the Tour de France.

But DuHamel and the Bostrom brothers aren’t the only riders with a passion for cycling. Nicky Hayden’s ride to the 2006 MotoGP World Championship included time on a bicycle, "I try to ride every day for sure. Some days I do intensity, some days endurance, and I download it all from my heart rate monitor." Hayden knows that the fitness he gets from cycling will pay off on the track, “Cycling is a lot different and obviously, the MotoGP bike is a lot tougher to ride, and everything is happening so fast. You’re reading your pit-boards, looking for the braking markers and watching all the other guys on the track. Some of the tracks are longer and more open, but there are racetracks where there's just no time to rest on a lap and that's when fitness really comes into it.” Hayden’s passion for cycling has led to a sponsorship deal with Specialized bicycles. He now has Specialized road bikes and cycling gear wherever his ride on a MotoGP bike takes him.

Three-time World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss is another rider who’s hooked on cycling. Bayliss has retired from motorcycle racing, but when he was still racing and living in Italy he entered local bike races. To be competitive in both sports he spent as much time as he could on bicycles, “My shortest ride would be about two hours. Four hours was about my longest ride because I didn't want to wear myself down too much. Sometimes I was off the bike for a week or a week and a half, and that disheartened me. I didn't like missing out on my riding.”

The Bostrom brothers and Miguel DuHamel continue to ride and compete on bicycles. Last fall they rode in the grueling 24 Hours of Moab mountain bike race. DuHamel and Eric Bostrom’s team won the five person coed competition, and Ben finished fourth in the men’s solo race. Ben Spies does most of his riding on a road bike, but he entered the five man team competition at the last minute and finished eighteenth. Since moving to Italy to compete in World Superbike Spies has been training with pro riders.

There’s no doubt that for motorcycle racers there’s a connection between bicycles and motorcycles. The endorphin high that is more frequently associated with running is part of it, but there’s more to it than that. Bayliss seems to have the answer, “Cycling is definitely good for my fitness, and I love riding the bike. But I'm also much more of a pleasurable person when I've been cycling. It takes my mind away from everything and it's just really relaxing. It's a lot slower than what I'm used to, but I really enjoy the scenery and everything that's associated with cycling. It could just be the two-wheel connection. It's in the blood to ride on two wheels and that could be my problem with the bicycle as well.”

Race Results - AMA Elkhart Lake

2009-06-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

American Superbike - Race 1

American Superbike - Race 2

Daytona SportBike - Race 1

Daytona SportBike - Race 2

Supersport

Pictures #1

Pictures #2

Pictures #3