Good luck next year in MotoGP on the Tech 3 Yamaha team
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Buell 1125RR to Race in AMA/DMG Superbike Class
Buell Press Release:
"(July 15) Buell Motorcycle Company today introduced the 1125RR, a race-use only motorcycle intended for competition in the AMA Pro Racing American Superbike class.
"The 1125RR is designed to give privateer racers a turn-key machine to compete in the American Superbike class in AMA Pro Racing. We want to build on our program that has proven so successful for privateers in the Daytona SportBike class," said Erik Buell, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer, Buell Motorcycle Company.
The Buell 1125RR features a modified Helicon 1125cc (103mm bore x 67.5mm stroke) liquid-cooled 72-degree V-Twin engine. Power increases come from components including a larger airbox and intake manifold, revised valves and camshafts, a higher compression ratio, titanium exhaust system and other weight-reduced components.
The 1125RR chassis is the standard 1125R design with fuel-in-the-frame, plus a billet axle adjustment system and chain-drive to allow gearing changes. Suspension travel is managed by fully adjustable units, with a Showa 43mm front fork and a remote-reservoir rear shock. A ZTL2 (Zero Torsional Load) eight-piston front caliper is mated with a modified front rotor."
_____
END
The presence of Buell and the role DMG sees Buell playing in their series can't be disputed. I have Buell coming out of my ears, even as someone who is disinterested in the AMA (hence the general lack of published AMA results on this blog). From the Sportbike class controversy to the new Buell "pacebike", to this, Buell is not going away any time soon.
Is the 1125rr a bad thing? It's almost definitely a hypocritical thing: It was only months ago that Mat Mladin was 'busted' for an illegal crankshaft; a part required to be within AMA homogenization specifications. The Buell 1125rr will come out-of-the-box with "custom" parts which would normally be subject to similar homogenization, such as the camshaft.
Yet, is it bad for the sport? It depends. Would the podium ability of the "rr" mean the gradual end of the presence of the "stock" 1125r in the Sportbike class?
Even the most casual motorcycle racing fan knows what cubic centimeters and pistons are. It's been asked for a long time why a modern, liquid-cooled v-twin machine pushing a dozen hundred cc is racing 600cc inline-fours half its size rather than Ducati 1098 Superbikes. The valves, camshaft, and other hypocritical details on the "rr" will not be nearly as blatant an unfair advantage to the spectators. That may be a step in the right direction.
For that I say: Let Buell sidestep homogenization requirements for the remainder of this season. It's a small price to pay if we can divert Buell's invasion of US roadracing from the Sportbike class into the Superbike class, where sadly I doubt cams, valves, and other tidbits will give a bike which previously raced 600s the extra 400-600 cubes of power to compete with the bikes of Mladin, Pegram, and co., not to mention the chassis.
To Buell: It's great that you're supporting roadracing to a dramatically increased degree, but how about next time around you just design a quality, purpose-built sportbike from the get-go? I doubt Ducati would maintain the amount of racing prestige it currently enjoys by racing bikes with 3000cc engines. Sure, the racing could be close: That 3000cc bike may have the worst handling on the market and match up perfectly with the laptimes of an R1 at Monza, but does anyone care?
"(July 15) Buell Motorcycle Company today introduced the 1125RR, a race-use only motorcycle intended for competition in the AMA Pro Racing American Superbike class.
"The 1125RR is designed to give privateer racers a turn-key machine to compete in the American Superbike class in AMA Pro Racing. We want to build on our program that has proven so successful for privateers in the Daytona SportBike class," said Erik Buell, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer, Buell Motorcycle Company.
The Buell 1125RR features a modified Helicon 1125cc (103mm bore x 67.5mm stroke) liquid-cooled 72-degree V-Twin engine. Power increases come from components including a larger airbox and intake manifold, revised valves and camshafts, a higher compression ratio, titanium exhaust system and other weight-reduced components.
The 1125RR chassis is the standard 1125R design with fuel-in-the-frame, plus a billet axle adjustment system and chain-drive to allow gearing changes. Suspension travel is managed by fully adjustable units, with a Showa 43mm front fork and a remote-reservoir rear shock. A ZTL2 (Zero Torsional Load) eight-piston front caliper is mated with a modified front rotor."
_____
END
The presence of Buell and the role DMG sees Buell playing in their series can't be disputed. I have Buell coming out of my ears, even as someone who is disinterested in the AMA (hence the general lack of published AMA results on this blog). From the Sportbike class controversy to the new Buell "pacebike", to this, Buell is not going away any time soon.
Is the 1125rr a bad thing? It's almost definitely a hypocritical thing: It was only months ago that Mat Mladin was 'busted' for an illegal crankshaft; a part required to be within AMA homogenization specifications. The Buell 1125rr will come out-of-the-box with "custom" parts which would normally be subject to similar homogenization, such as the camshaft.
Yet, is it bad for the sport? It depends. Would the podium ability of the "rr" mean the gradual end of the presence of the "stock" 1125r in the Sportbike class?
Even the most casual motorcycle racing fan knows what cubic centimeters and pistons are. It's been asked for a long time why a modern, liquid-cooled v-twin machine pushing a dozen hundred cc is racing 600cc inline-fours half its size rather than Ducati 1098 Superbikes. The valves, camshaft, and other hypocritical details on the "rr" will not be nearly as blatant an unfair advantage to the spectators. That may be a step in the right direction.
For that I say: Let Buell sidestep homogenization requirements for the remainder of this season. It's a small price to pay if we can divert Buell's invasion of US roadracing from the Sportbike class into the Superbike class, where sadly I doubt cams, valves, and other tidbits will give a bike which previously raced 600s the extra 400-600 cubes of power to compete with the bikes of Mladin, Pegram, and co., not to mention the chassis.
To Buell: It's great that you're supporting roadracing to a dramatically increased degree, but how about next time around you just design a quality, purpose-built sportbike from the get-go? I doubt Ducati would maintain the amount of racing prestige it currently enjoys by racing bikes with 3000cc engines. Sure, the racing could be close: That 3000cc bike may have the worst handling on the market and match up perfectly with the laptimes of an R1 at Monza, but does anyone care?
Rea Fastest at Imola WSBK testing, Spies 3rd, Neukirchner Injured AGAIN!
"Max Neukirchner, back on his Alstare Suzuki for the first time since the Monza incident, high-sided at the Tamburello ninety minutes into the morning session. He was stretchered to the medical centre but a further X-ray scan at Imola hospital revealed a D12 dorsal vertebra fracture in his lower back as well as three minor cracks in the right L1, L2 and L3 lumbar vertebrae. Neukirchner will return to Germany and must remain at total rest in a plaster cast for 30 days."
Superbike:
1 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'48.670
2 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'48.847
3 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'49.262
4 57 Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'49.309
5 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'49.422
6 121 Hopkins J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'49.443
7 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'49.467
8 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'49.555
9 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'49.577
10 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'49.645
11 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'49.736
12 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'50.226
13 14 Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'50.265
14 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'50.310
15 100 Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'50.414
16 10 Nieto F. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'50.423
17 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'50.486
18 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'50.518
19 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'50.583
20 53 Polita A. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'50.743
21 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'51.077
22 77 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'52.547
Supersport:
1 54 Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1'51.552
2 35 Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 1'51.705
3 50 Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1'51.890
4 99 Foret F. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'52.531
5 24 McCoy G. (AUS) Triumph Daytona 675 1'53.152
6 1 Pitt A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1'53.612
7 69 Nannelli G. (ITA) Triumph Daytona 675 1'53.767
8 117 Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 1'53.803
9 13 West A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1'53.931
10 8 Aitchison M. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1'53.963
11 15 O'Halloran J. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1'54.316
12 16 Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1'54.331
13 9 Dell'Omo D. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'54.346
14 105 Vizziello G. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'54.778
15 132 Morais S. (RSA) Triumph Daytona 675 1'54.882
16 25 Laverty M. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1'55.502
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
AMA Results from 2009 Laguna Seca Round
Supersport:
1 Ben Bostrom Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R6
2 Chaz Davies Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Team Aprilia RSV
3 Josh Herrin Team Graves Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R6
4 Tommy Aquino Team Graves Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R6
5 Robertino Pietri Team E.S.P. Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R6
6 Steve Rapp Bazzaz / Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6
7 Chris Peris Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR
8 Danny Eslick Daytona Racing/RMR Buell Buell 1125R
9 Jamie Hacking Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R
10 Bobby Fong
11 Michael Barnes GEICO Powersports Buell 1125R
12 Michael Beck Team Beck Racing Yamaha YZF-R6
13 Shawn Higbee Higbee-Racing.com Buell 1125R
Cardenas and Di Salvo: DNF/Crash
Superbike:
1 Mat Mladin Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000
2 Blake Young Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000
3 Aaron Yates Jordan Suzuki Brand Suzuki GSX-R1000
4 Joshua Hayes Yamaha Motor Corp Yamaha R1
5 Ben Bostrom Yamaha Motor Corp Yamaha R1
6 Neil Hodgson Corona Extra Honda Honda CBR1000RR
7 Jake Holden Holden Racing Honda CBR1000RR
8 Tommy Hayden Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000
9 Geoff May National Guard Jordan Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000
10 Larry Pegram Pegram Racing Ducati 1098R
11 Taylor Knapp Taylor Knapp Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000
12 Chris Ulrich Roadracingworld.com Suzuki GSX-R1000
13 Hawk Mazotta
14 Aaron Gobert AGR Inc. Honda CBR1000RR
Major confusion throughout the race - pace cars sitting on track, multiple jump starts, red flags, restarts, re-restarts... not a good show from DMG
1 Ben Bostrom Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R6
2 Chaz Davies Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Team Aprilia RSV
3 Josh Herrin Team Graves Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R6
4 Tommy Aquino Team Graves Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R6
5 Robertino Pietri Team E.S.P. Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R6
6 Steve Rapp Bazzaz / Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6
7 Chris Peris Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR
8 Danny Eslick Daytona Racing/RMR Buell Buell 1125R
9 Jamie Hacking Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R
10 Bobby Fong
11 Michael Barnes GEICO Powersports Buell 1125R
12 Michael Beck Team Beck Racing Yamaha YZF-R6
13 Shawn Higbee Higbee-Racing.com Buell 1125R
Cardenas and Di Salvo: DNF/Crash
Superbike:
1 Mat Mladin Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000
2 Blake Young Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000
3 Aaron Yates Jordan Suzuki Brand Suzuki GSX-R1000
4 Joshua Hayes Yamaha Motor Corp Yamaha R1
5 Ben Bostrom Yamaha Motor Corp Yamaha R1
6 Neil Hodgson Corona Extra Honda Honda CBR1000RR
7 Jake Holden Holden Racing Honda CBR1000RR
8 Tommy Hayden Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000
9 Geoff May National Guard Jordan Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000
10 Larry Pegram Pegram Racing Ducati 1098R
11 Taylor Knapp Taylor Knapp Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000
12 Chris Ulrich Roadracingworld.com Suzuki GSX-R1000
13 Hawk Mazotta
14 Aaron Gobert AGR Inc. Honda CBR1000RR
Major confusion throughout the race - pace cars sitting on track, multiple jump starts, red flags, restarts, re-restarts... not a good show from DMG
USGP: MotoGP from Laguna Seca 2009 Results
1 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Honda
2 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Yamaha
3 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Yamaha
4 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Ducati
5 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Ducati
6 Tony Elias San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda
7 Colin Edwards II Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha
8 Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki Suzuki
9 Randy De Puniet LCR Honda Honda
10 Marco Melandri Hayate Racing Kawasaki
11 Alex De Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda
12 Niccolo Canepa Pramac Racing Ducati
13 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Honda
14 Sete Gibernau Grupo Fransisco Hernando Ducati
15 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki Suzuki
16 Gabor Talmacsi Scot Racing Honda
17 James Toseland Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha
2 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Yamaha
3 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Yamaha
4 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Ducati
5 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Ducati
6 Tony Elias San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda
7 Colin Edwards II Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha
8 Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki Suzuki
9 Randy De Puniet LCR Honda Honda
10 Marco Melandri Hayate Racing Kawasaki
11 Alex De Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda
12 Niccolo Canepa Pramac Racing Ducati
13 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Honda
14 Sete Gibernau Grupo Fransisco Hernando Ducati
15 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki Suzuki
16 Gabor Talmacsi Scot Racing Honda
17 James Toseland Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha
World Superbike 2009: Donington Highlight Vids
Superbike Race 1
Superbike Race 2
Supersport
The Triumph 675 Daytona makes podium!
Superbike Race 2
Supersport
The Triumph 675 Daytona makes podium!
Friday, June 5, 2009
WSBK: Monza and Kyalami 2009 Highlights
Monza, Race 1:
Monza, Race 2:
Kyalami, Race 1:
Kyalami, Race 2:
Monza, Race 2:
Kyalami, Race 1:
Kyalami, Race 2:
The 2009 1000cc/Literbike Shootouts: Who Won?
Earlier this year we posted a preview of the 2009 lineup of 1000 - 1200cc sportbikes and superbikes, and the time has rolled around again where most of the major websites and magazines have put (some of) these machines head to head.
Unfortunately, probably due to availability or objections from the Japanese factories, bikes like the KTM rc8, Aprilia rsv4 and BMW S1000RR (which still isn't widely available for "first rides" at the time I'm writing this) are absent in most. The Ducati 1198 and 1198s were also sidelined from several.
MCN was somewhat of an outlier this year, ranking the Yamaha ahead of all other machines in it's class - even the RSV4. However it's overall "sportbike of the year" was the spectacular Triumph 675.
Motorcycle USA (which included the 1198 in their shootout) chose the Honda CBR1000RR as their #1 pick on the track with the new R1 rolling in at dead last with the slowest average lap time and a "disappointing" motor.
Roadracing World magazine (did not include the 1198) came to a simular conclusion, ranking the Honda first and Yamaha last of this years bikes. However where Motorcycle USA ranked the Suzuki in 2nd place, Roadracing World chose the Kawasaki ZX10R as this year's runner-up.
Motorcycle.com (which included the 1198 in a cheesy "side shootout" due to Japanese objections to it being directly compared to their offerings) also chose the Honda and ranked the Yamaha last, noting that with the right setup the Ducati would "leave them crying".
My personal favorite test (even though I can't read Spanish), the Masterbike test, which is a collaboration between Spanish moto mag Motociclismo and several other contributors (and usually has the widest variety of tested machines due to it's prestiege and handy location), chose the RSV4 as it's 2009 champion. This was over the likes of the KTM RC8, Ducati 1198, the "big four" Japanese machines, and the aging former champion due for a replacement, the MV Agusta F4.
While the Honda seems to be the overall preference in the literbike class (with exotics like the Aprilia and Ducati surpassing it in some areas, especially price), the supersport/600cc class is a bit more hotly disputed. The new Kawasaki zx6r has pulled off several major shootout wins, but you'll find many editors picking the CBR600RR as their "personal choice" due to the aftermarket appeal. MCN chose the Triumph 675 (which has been the reigning Masterbike supersport champion for multiple years now).
Sunday, May 31, 2009
WSBK: 2009 World Superbike Results from Miller Motorsports Park, Utah
Race 1:
1 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 38'30.945 (160,527 kph)
2 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 9.394
3 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 12.742
4 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 14.276
5 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 14.915
6 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 15.461
7 2 Hacking J. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 22.901
8 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 25.425
9 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 25.870
10 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 26.093
11 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 26.181
12 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 29.275
13 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 38.365
14 36 Lavilla G. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 39.454
15 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 39.513
16 10 Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 48.889
17 57 Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 50.747
18 98 Zemke J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 51.446
19 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 54.472
20 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 58.525
21 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'07.572
22 64 Nigon E. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'18.092
RET 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R
RET 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory
RET 31 Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9
Race 2:
1 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 38'25.391 (160,914 kph)
2 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 9.080
3 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 14.357
4 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 15.636
5 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 17.156
6 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 17.546
7 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 19.659
8 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 23.455
9 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 30.489
10 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 31.775
11 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 33.246
12 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 36.758
13 10 Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 36.887
14 57 Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 37.290
15 98 Zemke J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 42.639
16 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 42.777
17 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 45.596
18 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'09.237
19 2 Hacking J. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'26.703
RET 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR
RET 36 Lavilla G. (ESP) Ducati 1098R
RET 64 Nigon E. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R1
RET 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR
RET 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R
1 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 38'30.945 (160,527 kph)
2 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 9.394
3 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 12.742
4 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 14.276
5 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 14.915
6 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 15.461
7 2 Hacking J. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 22.901
8 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 25.425
9 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 25.870
10 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 26.093
11 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 26.181
12 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 29.275
13 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 38.365
14 36 Lavilla G. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 39.454
15 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 39.513
16 10 Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 48.889
17 57 Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 50.747
18 98 Zemke J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 51.446
19 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 54.472
20 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 58.525
21 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'07.572
22 64 Nigon E. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'18.092
RET 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R
RET 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory
RET 31 Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9
Race 2:
1 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 38'25.391 (160,914 kph)
2 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 9.080
3 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 14.357
4 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 15.636
5 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 17.156
6 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 17.546
7 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 19.659
8 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 23.455
9 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 30.489
10 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 31.775
11 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 33.246
12 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 36.758
13 10 Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 36.887
14 57 Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 37.290
15 98 Zemke J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 42.639
16 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 42.777
17 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 45.596
18 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'09.237
19 2 Hacking J. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'26.703
RET 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR
RET 36 Lavilla G. (ESP) Ducati 1098R
RET 64 Nigon E. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R1
RET 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR
RET 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R
Sunday, May 10, 2009
New BMW S1000RR Roadbike Officially Revealed
The New BMW S 1000 RR
Overall Concept and Features.
Introducing the new BMW S 1000 RR on the legendary Monza Racing Circuit, BMW Motorrad is for the fi rst time launching an absolutely innovative supersports with a straight-four power unit.
With this world debut, BMW Motorrad is indeed establishing a true milestone in the world of sports machines, combining engine output of 142 kW (193 hp) with overall weight of just 204 kg (450 lb) including fuel (183 kg/403.5 lb dry weight, 206.5 kg/455.3 lb overall with Race ABS).
Specifications of this calibre make this supersports machine not only an absolute highlight in terms of its power-to-weight ratio and performance, but also, equipped with Race ABS and DTC Dynamic Traction Control, a new benchmark in terms of riding dynamics, safety and innovation.
The decision to present this unique performer in Monza was by no means a coincidence. For since the beginning of this year Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport has been playing an active role in the World Superbike Championship, the new S 1000 RR setting the foundation for the production-based racing machines ridden by BMW Motorrad's two works riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus. And obviously the Royal Park in Monza is the ideal place for a presentation of this calibre.
The Challenge for BMW Motorrad.
To successfully enter the World Championship with a Superbike today, a manufacturer needs a production model with the right kind of overall concept consistently applied in all areas. The essential factors, therefore, are supreme power, a wide range of engine speed, fast revving capacity also over a long period, optimum chassis stiffness, and perfect set-up of the engine.
Other features absolutely essential more than ever particularly in the top league of supersports motorcycles are simple and straightforward rideability, lightfooted handling, and above all safety features such as rider assistance systems like ABS and traction control giving the customer precisely what he needs.
Developing the S 1000 RR, BMW Motorrad has entered completely new, unchartered terrain. Clearly, this meant a huge range of new challenges and responsibilities for the entire Development Team, but also gave the Team enormous motivation in seeking to set new standards.
The specific targets in developing the S 1000 RR were therefore clear:
• To achieve output and performance of the highest standard.
• To make the suspension absolutely stable, with top handling and supreme traction.
• To give the new machine that unmistakable, dynamic design of BMW Motorrad.
• To reduce the weight of the motorcycle to an absolute minimum.
• To ensure top quality typical of BMW .
Unique against the competition.
Over the years and decades, the principle of combining a straight-four power unit with an aluminium bridge frame has been consistently developed and has become the dominating technical concept particularly in the supersports segment. The reason, quite simply, is that a motorcycle of this kind offers significant benefits in terms of riding dynamics, long-distance endurance, and straightforward production.
Precisely this is why the new S 1000 RR also applies this concept with its proven fortes and advantages. But even while the S 1000 RR, in its concept teaming up a straight-four power unit and an aluminium bridge frame, may appear at first sight to have similarities with some competitors, the Development Team at BMW Motorrad has succeeded in enhancing the existing status of this concept in virtually every respect.
As a result, the S 1000 RR offers not only a wide range of USPs in terms of technology, performance, and design, but also, through its particularly compact overall layout, clearly demonstrates the high school of European engineering in the supersports four-cylinder segment.
Maximum performance and riding dynamics.
The consistent concept of the S 1000 RR supersports is borne out in particular by the truly fascinating, innovative high-performance technology and incomparable riding dynamics of this new machine. The result is an exceptional combination of supreme riding precision and agility, on the one hand, with unparalleled engine power and performance, on the other, providing an overall package truly unique in the market.
Never before has a BMW motorcycle been conceived and built more consistently for supersports riding in terms of its concept and overall construction. But at the same time the new S 1000 RR retains many of the virtues so typical of every BMW to this day: Extreme sportiness and riding dynamics combined with supreme everyday riding qualities, playful handling together with supreme riding stability, outstanding performance combined with unparalleled active safety, as well as dynamic, unmistakable design in conjunction with optimum ergonomics and aerodynamics.
Free choice of engine characteristics as well as Race ABS and DTC Dynamic Traction Control
The new S 1000 RR also excels through features and qualities typical of BMW such as a long running life, superior quality of production and optimum environmental compatibility thanks to the use of the most advanced exhaust management with two fully controlled three-way catalytic converters also able to fulfil future standards and requirements.
Active safety when braking is signifi cantly enhanced by Race ABS developed especially for the S 1000 RR as a genuine supersports and available as an option straight from the factory. A further most signifi cant feature likewise contributing to active safety of the highest standard is DTC Dynamic Traction Control also available as an option and masterminded electronically for supreme precision and practical value.
Facing various riding conditions such as wet roads ("Rain"), regular road conditions ("Sport"), a race track with supersport tyres ("Race"), or a race track with slicks ("Slick"), the rider also has the choice of various engine characteristics and set-ups available at the touch of a button. And last but not least, Race ABS and Dynamic Traction Control are combined with the respective riding modes and coordinated with one another to ensure a supreme standard of performance and safety all in one.
Valve drive like in a BMW Formula 1.
The primary objective in developing the new S 1000 RR was to create a supersports with supreme engine power combined with optimum rideability for the highest conceivable standard of all-round performance.
The water-cooled four-cylinder inline power unit chosen to provide these qualities is brand-new from the ground up, developing maximum output of 142 kW (193 hp) at 13,000 rpm and revving up to a maximum speed of 14,200 rpm. Maximum torque of 112 Nm (82.5 lb-ft), in turn, comes at 9,750 rpm.
Following the example of BMW 's Formula 1 engines, the two intake and exhaust valves per cylinder made of extra-light titanium are operated by very small and equally light single cam followers. In conjunction with the short sprocket driving the camshaft via an intermediate gear, this ensures supreme revving qualities at the highest speeds as well as exact maintenance of valve timing combined with very compact dimensions.
The use of extremely small and light cam followers furthermore gives the engineer greater freedom in choosing the ideal valve lift curves and, accordingly, in selecting optimum performance characteristics on both road and track.
All engine components are particularly compact and light, limiting weight of the overall engine without ancillaries to 59.8 kg (131.8 lb) and keeping the entire power unit very slim and slender.
Innovative exhaust system with interference pipe butterfl ies for optimum power and performance.
Made completely of stainless steel, the exhaust system featured by the S 1000 RR is designed consistently for optimum power and performance. It works according to the 4-in-2-in-1 principle with four individual manifolds of equal length fi rst merging into two pipes beneath the engine block and then extending into a large-volume pre-silencer. From there the exhaust emissions flow through a very short and dynamically designed rear-end silencer to the outside.
A homogeneous power and torque curve ensuring optimum rideability is acknowledged as the requirement for sporting performance on the road and fast lap times on the track. Precisely this is why the exhaust system featured on the S 1000 RR comes with two fully controlled interference pipe butterflies housed in two connection pipes for the two outer and two inner manifolds, in the immediate vicinity of the exhaust ducts. As a function of various parameters such as engine speed and the position of the throttle butterfly, an adjuster opens or closes these flaps, allowing exhaust gas to flow freely between the two manifolds or, respectively, interrupting the flow of gas. This coordinates the sequence of oscillations in the exhaust gas mass flow, reducing exhaust gas counter-pressure at the decisive point (like on a racing muffler) and increasing the cylinder charge accordingly.
This factor alone makes a signifi cant contribution to the very high standard of
homogenous overall performance offered by the S 1000 RR.
Lightest supersports with ABS.
The new S 1000 RR offers the highest standard of technology also on its suspension and running gear. Weighing just 206.5 kg or 455.3 lb in road trim and with a full tank, BMW 's new supersports is by far the lightest machine of its calibre displacing 999 cc and featuring ABS brakes.
One of the features that ensures this light weight is the aluminium bridge frame integrating the engine tilted to the front at an angle of 32° as a loadbearing element for optimum torsional stiffness on minimum weight. The front wheel runs on an upside-down fork with a fi xed tube measuring an ample 46 milli metres or 1.81" in diameter, while a torsionally stiff swing arm made of aluminium holds the rear wheel in position.
The spring and damping action required is provided by a central spring strut pivoting on a guide lever.
The rear frame section of the S 1000 RR is a welded light-alloy structure belted
to the mainframe, combining low weight with superior stability and a high standard of robust strength particularly important to riders and teams on the race track.
Putting the rider right in the centre.
The rider's seating position leaning forward towards the front wheel for an active style of riding is simply ideal for the sporting rider with his particularly dynamic style.
Developing the S 1000 RR, BMW Motorrad has given particular attention to the superior ergonomics of the machine, providing ideal qualities for both small and tall riders and therefore focusing consistently on the rider's individual requirements. The tank section is as slender as on a 600-cc machine, giving the rider the assurance of excellent control and handling at all times.
In the process of developing the S 1000 RR, BMW Motorrad focused not only on a lightweight structure, but also on minimum dimensions as an absolutely essential requirement. Cylinder bore of 80 millimetres or 3.15", for example, the largest bore in this segment, and the resulting width of the cylinder head, called for particularly attention on the part of the engineers in order to make the front silhouette of the S 1000 RR extremely slim and slender, on the one hand, while providing an efficient flow of cooling air, on the other.
Technical challenges of this kind as well as a development period of just four years made the S 1000 RR the ideal project for consistent, all-out use of CAD (Computer-Aided Design) technology as well as the most advanced calculation methods, for example for the machine's aerodynamics.
As the bottom line, the S 1000 RR is the absolutely ideal motorcycle for the customers of BMW Motorrad looking for new, unprecedented standards and qualities in the supersports segment.
Overview of technical highlights:
• Best-in-class performance and supreme riding dynamics in the supersports segment.
• Engine output 142 kW (193 hp) at 13,000 rpm, peak torque 112 Nm (82.5 lb-ft) at 9,750 rpm.
• Weighing 206.5 kg (455.3lb) in road trim and with a full tank, this is the lightest supersports in the 1000-cc class with ABS.
• Best power-to-weight ratio in this class of just 1.05 and, respectively, 1.06 kg
(2.31 and, respectively, 2.34 lb) per horsepower without/with Race ABS.
• Optional Race ABS for outstanding brake performance and safety. Weight of the entire system just 2.5 kg (5.51 lb), while other systems of a similar kind weigh up to 10 kg.
• Optional DTC Dynamic Traction Control in conjunction with Race ABS for optimum performance and maximum active safety when accelerating.
• Only supersports machine with Race ABS and DTC Dynamic Traction Control.
• Various riding modes available at the touch of a button for wet surfaces, regular road requirements, race tracks with sports tyres and race tracks with slicks.
• All-round set-up, coordination and balance of Race ABS, DTC Dynamic Traction Control and engine management for all four riding modes.
• High-speed, extra-sturdy valve drive with individual cam followers and titanium valves following the example of BMW 's Formula 1 engines.
• Innovative exhaust system with a small and short rear-end muffl er, pre-silencer and electronically controlled interference pipe fl aps as well as a fully controlled exhaust gas manifold and two fully controlled three-way catalytic converters.
• Optimum gas dosage combined with maximum functional reliability ensured by E-gas (ride-by-wire), incorporating two bowden cables
(opening and closing cable) leading to the throttle butterfl y adjuster.
• Fulfilment of all environmental standards with the potential to meet future emission requirements ensured by two fully controlled catalytic converters and digital motor electronics.
• Damper elements with a wide range of adjustment on the spring base, the inbound and rebound stroke, as well as the greatest damping reserves, particularly for racing.
• New, clearly defi ned, simple and straightforward options to adjust the suspension and running gear.
• Aluminium tank unique in this segment for further reduction of overall weight.
• Supreme handling combined with best-in-class high speed and braking stability.
• Multi-functional instrument cluster with racing features such as a laptimer. The rider is able to set all functions directly from the ends of the handlebar.
• New generation of switches with optimised ergonomics.
• Supreme aerodynamics and sporting ergonomics ideal for both the tall and short rider.
• Optional HP Gearshift Assistant for shifting up without operating the clutch and without the slightest interruption of torque and pulling power.
• Wide range of equipment, special features and options tailored to the S 1000 RR and naturally offering full BMW quality.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
AMA Press Release
U.S. House hears testimony on measure to designate 24 million acres of public land as Wilderness
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) submitted comments today to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources arguing against a bill that would designate more than 24 million acres of public land in Western states as Wilderness or Wilderness Preservation System land.
The hearing was held in the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands of the Committee on Natural Resources. The legislation is H.R. 980, the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act.
"This bill is especially disconcerting due to the fact that it's being proposed by a representative from a densely populated urban area, New York City," said AMA Vice President for Government Relations Ed Moreland. "In fact, it is being considered without the support of a single member of Congress who represents the affected districts. Shouldn't the people who live in these areas have some say in whether or not they should be banned from riding in them?
"To keep OHV riders from being shut out of even more public land, we have to act immediately," Moreland said. "Concerned motorcyclists, ATV riders and others must let their lawmakers know that they enjoy motorized recreation, and that we have a right to do so responsibly on America's public lands."
Moreland's written comments submitted to the U.S. House included the following statement: "Our public lands are for the enjoyment of all Americans and not just an elite few who would have you build a fence around them for those who are physically able to enjoy them. Enthusiasts who enjoy the public lands of our nation are not just the nimble and fit but also families with small children who wish to recreate together as well as active senior citizens and the handicapped who enjoy the freedom to access the outdoors that OHVs and ATVs provide... In fact, a compelling argument could be made that this type of broad legislation does more to protect public lands from future generations rather than for future generations."
The full text of Moreland's statement can be downloaded here: http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/legisltn/ama_statement_hr980.pdf
Riders and AMA members can contact their federal lawmakers to tell them to oppose this bill by selecting "Issues and Legislation" in the Rights section of the AMA website at AmericanMotorcyclist.com. There, the names, addresses and telephone numbers for members of each congressional delegation appear. There is even a pre-written letter that can be sent via e-mail.
The AMA also encourages individuals to sign up for the AMA Government Relations Department's Action E-list, using the same section of the AMA website, so that they can be notified by e-mail when their support is needed to make a difference on important issues.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life, and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world's largest motorcycling organization, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists' interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations, and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition and motorcycle recreational events than any other organization in the world. AMA members receive money-saving discounts from dozens of well-known suppliers of motorcycle services, gear and apparel, bike rental, transport, hotel stays and more. Through its Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations.
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) submitted comments today to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources arguing against a bill that would designate more than 24 million acres of public land in Western states as Wilderness or Wilderness Preservation System land.
The hearing was held in the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands of the Committee on Natural Resources. The legislation is H.R. 980, the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act.
"This bill is especially disconcerting due to the fact that it's being proposed by a representative from a densely populated urban area, New York City," said AMA Vice President for Government Relations Ed Moreland. "In fact, it is being considered without the support of a single member of Congress who represents the affected districts. Shouldn't the people who live in these areas have some say in whether or not they should be banned from riding in them?
"To keep OHV riders from being shut out of even more public land, we have to act immediately," Moreland said. "Concerned motorcyclists, ATV riders and others must let their lawmakers know that they enjoy motorized recreation, and that we have a right to do so responsibly on America's public lands."
Moreland's written comments submitted to the U.S. House included the following statement: "Our public lands are for the enjoyment of all Americans and not just an elite few who would have you build a fence around them for those who are physically able to enjoy them. Enthusiasts who enjoy the public lands of our nation are not just the nimble and fit but also families with small children who wish to recreate together as well as active senior citizens and the handicapped who enjoy the freedom to access the outdoors that OHVs and ATVs provide... In fact, a compelling argument could be made that this type of broad legislation does more to protect public lands from future generations rather than for future generations."
The full text of Moreland's statement can be downloaded here: http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/legisltn/ama_statement_hr980.pdf
Riders and AMA members can contact their federal lawmakers to tell them to oppose this bill by selecting "Issues and Legislation" in the Rights section of the AMA website at AmericanMotorcyclist.com. There, the names, addresses and telephone numbers for members of each congressional delegation appear. There is even a pre-written letter that can be sent via e-mail.
The AMA also encourages individuals to sign up for the AMA Government Relations Department's Action E-list, using the same section of the AMA website, so that they can be notified by e-mail when their support is needed to make a difference on important issues.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life, and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world's largest motorcycling organization, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists' interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations, and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition and motorcycle recreational events than any other organization in the world. AMA members receive money-saving discounts from dozens of well-known suppliers of motorcycle services, gear and apparel, bike rental, transport, hotel stays and more. Through its Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
World Superbike: Online WSBK Assen 2009 Videos
Superbike Race 1 Highlights:
Superbike Race 1 Best Lap:
Superbike Race 2 Highlights:
Superbike Race 2 Best Lap:
Supersport Highlights:
Supersport Best Lap:
STK600 Highlights:
STK600 Best Lap:
STK1000 Highlights:
STK1000: Best Lap:
Superbike Race 1 Best Lap:
Superbike Race 2 Highlights:
Superbike Race 2 Best Lap:
Supersport Highlights:
Supersport Best Lap:
STK600 Highlights:
STK600 Best Lap:
STK1000 Highlights:
STK1000: Best Lap:
BSB: British Superbike Oulton Park Results
Race 1:
1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha
2. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda
3. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Worx Crescent Suzuki
4. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda
5. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha
6. Glen Richards AUS HM Plant Honda
7. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki
8. Jason O'Halloran AUS SMT Honda
9. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda
10. Joshua Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda
11. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha
12. Julien Da Costa FRA MSS Colchester Kawasaki
13. Jon Kirkham GBR Jentin Yamaha
14. Atsushi Watanabe JPN Relentless TAS Suzuki
15. Tristan Palmer GBR Buildbase Kawasaki
16. Martin Jessopp GBR Riders Racing Honda
17. Michael Rutter GBR North West 200 Yamaha
18. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha
19. Tom Tunstall GBR Hardinge Doodson Honda
20. Kenny Gilbertson GBR JX Fuelcard Kawasaki
21. Dan Stewart GBR Wilcock Consulting Honda
22. Brian McCormack IRL MAR Kawasakil
Race 2:
1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha
2. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda
3. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Worx Crescent Suzuki
4. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha
5. Glen Richards AUS HM Plant Honda
6. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki
7. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda
8. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki
9. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha
10. Jason O'Halloran AUS SMT Honda
11. Jon Kirkham GBR Jentin Yamaha
12. Atsushi Watanabe JPN Relentless TAS Suzuki
13. Martin Jessopp GBR Riders Racing Honda
14. David Johnson AUS Maxxis Adept Yamaha
15. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha
16. Tom Tunstall GBR Hardinge Doodson Honda
17. Aaron Zanotti GBR Red Viper Honda
18. Alastair Fagan GBR Red Viper Honda
1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha
2. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda
3. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Worx Crescent Suzuki
4. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda
5. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha
6. Glen Richards AUS HM Plant Honda
7. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki
8. Jason O'Halloran AUS SMT Honda
9. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda
10. Joshua Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda
11. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha
12. Julien Da Costa FRA MSS Colchester Kawasaki
13. Jon Kirkham GBR Jentin Yamaha
14. Atsushi Watanabe JPN Relentless TAS Suzuki
15. Tristan Palmer GBR Buildbase Kawasaki
16. Martin Jessopp GBR Riders Racing Honda
17. Michael Rutter GBR North West 200 Yamaha
18. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha
19. Tom Tunstall GBR Hardinge Doodson Honda
20. Kenny Gilbertson GBR JX Fuelcard Kawasaki
21. Dan Stewart GBR Wilcock Consulting Honda
22. Brian McCormack IRL MAR Kawasakil
Race 2:
1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha
2. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda
3. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Worx Crescent Suzuki
4. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha
5. Glen Richards AUS HM Plant Honda
6. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki
7. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda
8. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki
9. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha
10. Jason O'Halloran AUS SMT Honda
11. Jon Kirkham GBR Jentin Yamaha
12. Atsushi Watanabe JPN Relentless TAS Suzuki
13. Martin Jessopp GBR Riders Racing Honda
14. David Johnson AUS Maxxis Adept Yamaha
15. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha
16. Tom Tunstall GBR Hardinge Doodson Honda
17. Aaron Zanotti GBR Red Viper Honda
18. Alastair Fagan GBR Red Viper Honda
Shane Byrne Victorious at Italian CIV Round at Monza
Byrne prepares for the WSBK round at Monza by winning in the CIV series...
(WSBK Press Release)
Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati) returned to the top of the winners' podium yesterday with victory at Monza in the second round of the CIV Italian championship. Byrne was taking part in the race in preparation for the WSBK round that gets underway there this coming weekend.
(WSBK Press Release)
Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati) returned to the top of the winners' podium yesterday with victory at Monza in the second round of the CIV Italian championship. Byrne was taking part in the race in preparation for the WSBK round that gets underway there this coming weekend.
The British rider, who also set pole, dominated the race from the early stages when he took the lead at the end of lap 1. He then pulled out an enormous gap of 16 seconds over his immediate pursuers. The race was red-flagged three laps from the end following a crash.
"It was a good idea to take part in the Italian championship, which is a really good level, because it allowed me to get a good feeling with the Monza track. I also had the chance to race against my team manager Marco Borciani, who takes part in the domestic series. It was fun to look at each other on the starting-grid, but then the visors were down it turned into a real race. I was able to do 16 laps at an excellent pace, which makes me confident for the world championship round next week."
AMA's Jake Zemke to Replace John Hopkins at Monza WSBK
| |
WSBK Press Release
American Formula Extreme Champion Jake Zemke will get a chance to ride in a World Superbike race after the Stiggy Racing Honda squad confirmed that he will replace the injured John Hopkins at the Monza race this weekend.
Stiggy team boss Johan Stigefelt was left with a headache after the recent injury to relatively new signing Hopkins but the ambitions of both team and Zemke have now been married up for the Monza race, although the fast American cannot ride at Kyalami the following weekend due to a clash with his existing AMA series commitments.
If, and only if, Hopkins in unfit to race at the Miller Motorsports Park round at the end of May, Zemke is also down to substitute for Hopkins.
For rider and team the choice of Zemke ticks a lot of pre-race boxes. Jake has made no secret of his desire to try his hand at World Superbike and heaped praise on both the Stiggy team, his own Erion Honda squad in America and WSB as a series in his pre-race comments.
"I am extremely excited to race for the Stiggy Racing Honda team this weekend," said Zemke. "They have a first rate team and have had some excellent results. I would like to wish Hopper a quick recovery and thank him and the team for the opportunity to make my first World Superbike start. I also have to thank my current team, Erion Honda and my sponsors for their support. The WSBK Championship is the most competitive championship there is, and making my start in the series is the next step in my career. I have been successful racing on America, but am really looking forward to joining the World Superbike paddock. The field is very fast and deep. The Monza track has a deep history of racing, and I know how passionate the Italian people are about racing. I know the odds will be against us, learning a new bike, new track, new tyres, but I will give it my all at Monza for the Stiggy Racing Honda team."
‘Stiggy' is delighted to have such an experienced rider as Zemke to call on for this race. "I know that Jake has been trying for a while to get a decent chance to come to Europe and race within the Superbike World Championship, and I am very happy that we can be the team to provide him that chance," said the Swede. "It is a tough championship, and it will not be easy to jump straight into the action at a track you have never been on before, but Jake has a lot of experience and knows the Honda bikes very well. Our team has a lot to offer him and I think we will be able to get him on the pace quickly."
Neukirchner Ready for Monza
(Suzuki Press Release)
Team Suzuki Alstare Brux rider Max Neukirchner won his first ever WSBK race at Monza last year and is hoping that history will repeat itself this coming Sunday at the 5.793 kilometre circuit. His win in the first race was the first by a German rider in the 21-year history of the series and was followed by a superb runner-up spot in race two.
Team mate Yukio Kagayama had a mixed day last year, taking fourth in race one and a DNF in race two, and is hoping for an improvement this time round.
Max
Last year was a wonderful occasion for me and I will never forget my first win in World Superbikes. They always say that the first win is the hardest and really I should have got it in Valencia when I was on the way to victory when I go knocked off within sight of the chequered flag.
It’s important to have a fast bike at Monza and know how to play the slipstreaming game. It’s easy to be at the front of the pack and lose out on the draft and get beaten to the flag, so it’s something you have to watch out for. I like fast tracks and I think our bike will be well-suited to Monza. For sure, my intention is to finish on the podium in both races and if I can repeat my win of last year, I would be very happy.
Yukio
My season has been a bit up and down and this does not make me so happy so far. I have a good bike and know my results should be a lot better. Sometimes the bike is not so easy because some little changes can produce big effects - and not always in the right direction. But my job is to race, so I and the team have to find ways of making the bike work better so that I can challenge the podium again. This is what I want, and I will do my best to try and achieve it.
2008 results
Race 1: 1 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki), 2 Haga (J-Yamaha), 3 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 4 Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare), 5 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare),
Race 2: 1 Haga, 2 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki), 3 Kiyonari (J-Honda), 4 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare), Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare) DNF
Team Suzuki Alstare Brux rider Max Neukirchner won his first ever WSBK race at Monza last year and is hoping that history will repeat itself this coming Sunday at the 5.793 kilometre circuit. His win in the first race was the first by a German rider in the 21-year history of the series and was followed by a superb runner-up spot in race two.
Team mate Yukio Kagayama had a mixed day last year, taking fourth in race one and a DNF in race two, and is hoping for an improvement this time round.
Max
Last year was a wonderful occasion for me and I will never forget my first win in World Superbikes. They always say that the first win is the hardest and really I should have got it in Valencia when I was on the way to victory when I go knocked off within sight of the chequered flag.
It’s important to have a fast bike at Monza and know how to play the slipstreaming game. It’s easy to be at the front of the pack and lose out on the draft and get beaten to the flag, so it’s something you have to watch out for. I like fast tracks and I think our bike will be well-suited to Monza. For sure, my intention is to finish on the podium in both races and if I can repeat my win of last year, I would be very happy.
Yukio
My season has been a bit up and down and this does not make me so happy so far. I have a good bike and know my results should be a lot better. Sometimes the bike is not so easy because some little changes can produce big effects - and not always in the right direction. But my job is to race, so I and the team have to find ways of making the bike work better so that I can challenge the podium again. This is what I want, and I will do my best to try and achieve it.
2008 results
Race 1: 1 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki), 2 Haga (J-Yamaha), 3 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 4 Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare), 5 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare),
Race 2: 1 Haga, 2 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki), 3 Kiyonari (J-Honda), 4 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare), Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare) DNF
Saturday, April 11, 2009
World Superbike: WSBK Valencia '09 Videos
Valencia Race 1 Highlights:
Valencia Race 1 Best Lap:
Valencia Race 2 Highlights:
Valencia Race 2 Best Lap:
Valencia Supersport Highlights:
Valencia Supersport Best Lap:
Valencia Race 1 Best Lap:
Valencia Race 2 Highlights:
Valencia Race 2 Best Lap:
Valencia Supersport Highlights:
Valencia Supersport Best Lap:
Monday, April 6, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
World Superbike Results: Valencia, Spain 2009
Superbike, Race 1:
Results: 1. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 36'44.766 (150,408 kph); 2. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 3.677; 3. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 3.959; 4. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 4.210; 5. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 13.824; 6. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 14.562; 7. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 15.155; 8. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 16.316; 9. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 098R 20.361; 10. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 23.878; 11. Hopkins J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR30.902; 12. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 31.298; 13.Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 32.660; 14. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 42.156; 15. Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 43.040
Superbike, Race 2:
Results: 1. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 36'46.927 (150,261 kph); 2. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 5.105; 3. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 6.386; 4. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 6.573; 5. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 14.075; 6. Checa C. (ESP)Honda CBR1000RR 17.333; 7. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 19.207; 8. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 20.697; 9. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 21.015; 10. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 22.581; 11. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 22.604; 12. Hopkins J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 23.952; 13. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 29.082; 14. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 29.277; 15. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 32.384
Superbike, points:
Points (after 3 of 14 rounds): 1. Haga 135; 2. Spies 95; 3. Neukirchner 65; 4. Fabrizio 60; 5. Haslam 58; 6. Laconi 56; 7. Biaggi 54; 8. Sykes 47; 9. Kagayama 35; 10. Rea 33. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 145; 2. Yamaha 110; 3. Honda 73; 4. Suzuki 65; 5. Aprilia 57; 6 Bmw 31; 7. Kawasaki 8
Supersport, race:
Results: 1. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 38'15.613 (144,456 kph); 2. West A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 0.171; 3. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 8.408; 4. Aitchison M. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 12.421; 5. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 16.529; 6. Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 19.242; 7. Pirro M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 26.124; 8. Veneman B. (NED) Suzuki GSX-R600 34.525
Supersport, points:
Points (after 3 of 14 rounds): 1. Crutchlow 54; 2. Sofuoglu 54; 3. Laverty 43; 4. Pitt 43; 5. West 43; 6. Lagrive 25; 7. Aitchison 24; 8. Pirro 18; 9. Roccoli 17; 10. Veneman 17
STK1000, race:
Results: 1. Corti C. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 21'18.839 (146,566 kph); 2. Simeon X. (BEL) Ducati 1098R 4.939; 3. Berger M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 7.339; 4. Fores J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 11.388; 5. Burrell B. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 15.167; 6. Beretta D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 16.927; 7. Jezek O. (CZE) Honda CBR1000RR; 17.129; 8. Magnoni M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 17.855
Results: 1. Petrucci D. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 18'31.326 (142,711 kph); 2. Lonbois V. (BEL) Yamaha YZF R6 3.923; 3. Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 4.871; 4. Bussolotti M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 5.108; 5. Guarnoni J. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 9.444; 6. Litjens J. (NED) Yamaha YZF R6 14.817; 7. Kerschbaumer S. (AUT) Yamaha YZF R6 16.528; 8. Guittet B. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 16.743
STK600, points:
Results: 1. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 36'44.766 (150,408 kph); 2. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 3.677; 3. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 3.959; 4. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 4.210; 5. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 13.824; 6. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 14.562; 7. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 15.155; 8. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 16.316; 9. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 098R 20.361; 10. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 23.878; 11. Hopkins J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR30.902; 12. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 31.298; 13.Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 32.660; 14. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 42.156; 15. Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 43.040
Superbike, Race 2:
Results: 1. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 36'46.927 (150,261 kph); 2. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 5.105; 3. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 6.386; 4. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 6.573; 5. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 14.075; 6. Checa C. (ESP)Honda CBR1000RR 17.333; 7. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 19.207; 8. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 20.697; 9. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 21.015; 10. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 22.581; 11. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 22.604; 12. Hopkins J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 23.952; 13. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 29.082; 14. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 29.277; 15. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 32.384
Superbike, points:
Points (after 3 of 14 rounds): 1. Haga 135; 2. Spies 95; 3. Neukirchner 65; 4. Fabrizio 60; 5. Haslam 58; 6. Laconi 56; 7. Biaggi 54; 8. Sykes 47; 9. Kagayama 35; 10. Rea 33. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 145; 2. Yamaha 110; 3. Honda 73; 4. Suzuki 65; 5. Aprilia 57; 6 Bmw 31; 7. Kawasaki 8
Supersport, race:
Results: 1. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 38'15.613 (144,456 kph); 2. West A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 0.171; 3. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 8.408; 4. Aitchison M. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 12.421; 5. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 16.529; 6. Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 19.242; 7. Pirro M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 26.124; 8. Veneman B. (NED) Suzuki GSX-R600 34.525
Supersport, points:
Points (after 3 of 14 rounds): 1. Crutchlow 54; 2. Sofuoglu 54; 3. Laverty 43; 4. Pitt 43; 5. West 43; 6. Lagrive 25; 7. Aitchison 24; 8. Pirro 18; 9. Roccoli 17; 10. Veneman 17
STK1000, race:
Results: 1. Corti C. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 21'18.839 (146,566 kph); 2. Simeon X. (BEL) Ducati 1098R 4.939; 3. Berger M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 7.339; 4. Fores J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 11.388; 5. Burrell B. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 15.167; 6. Beretta D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 16.927; 7. Jezek O. (CZE) Honda CBR1000RR; 17.129; 8. Magnoni M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 17.855
STK1000, points:
Points (after 1 of 10 rounds): 1. Corti 25; 2. Simeon 20; 3. Berger 16; 4. Fores 13; 5. Burrell 11; 6. Beretta 10; 7. Jezek 9; 8. Magnoni 8
STK600, race:Results: 1. Petrucci D. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 18'31.326 (142,711 kph); 2. Lonbois V. (BEL) Yamaha YZF R6 3.923; 3. Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 4.871; 4. Bussolotti M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 5.108; 5. Guarnoni J. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 9.444; 6. Litjens J. (NED) Yamaha YZF R6 14.817; 7. Kerschbaumer S. (AUT) Yamaha YZF R6 16.528; 8. Guittet B. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 16.743
STK600, points:
Points (after 1 of 10 rounds): 1. Petrucci 25; 2. Lonbois 20; 3. Rea 16; 4. Bussolotti 13; 5. Guarnoni 11; 6. Litjens 10; 7. Kerschbaumer 9; 8. Guittet 8.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Democrats Steal 2 Million Acres of "Public" Land from Motorcyclists
AMA Press Release:
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- By a 285-to-140 vote, U.S. House members on March 25 approved a bill that closes more than 2 million acres of public land nationwide to off-highway motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and all other motorized vehicles, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.
Following congressional maneuvering that breathed new life into the measure after it was defeated just a couple weeks earlier, the lawmakers approved H.R. 146, known as the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program. This bill was formerly known as S. 22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009.
Congress' first attempt to pass this measure, S. 22, was defeated two weeks ago in the House. However, following that defeat, the Senate leadership brought H.R. 146 to the floor, inserted the language from S. 22, and passed the bill on March 19 by a vote of 77 to 20.
It then went to the House for the March 25 vote.
"The measure unreasonably bans motorized recreation on 2.1 million acres of public lands by inappropriately designating it as Wilderness," said AMA Vice President for Government Relations Ed Moreland. "This is a sad day not only for responsible motorized recreation but also for a democratic process that is supposed to welcome public input and the opportunity for congressional review.
"For example, House members never debated more than 70 of the bills included in this package before the vote," he said.
The measure, which now goes to President Obama to be signed into law, consists of a daunting collection of more than 160 pieces of legislation and more than 1,300 pages of text.
Under the bill, areas where motorized vehicles won't be allowed include parts of the Monogahela National Forest in West Virginia; Jefferson National Forest in Virginia; Mount Hood, Badlands, Spring Basin and Copper Salmon areas in Oregon; Sabinoso in New Mexico; Riverside County in California; and Washington County in Utah.
U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) noted in a House floor speech on Feb. 9 that "there are recreation restrictions in this bill.
"These (the AMA and other responsible recreation) groups' members include millions of off-highway enthusiasts, vacationing families, and small businesses involved in the system. And what they have pleaded with us to do is, quoting from the letter that many groups signed, 'It is our sincere hope that this Congress will develop a thoughtful approach to managing our public lands more than simply eliminating public access and creating additional layers of bureaucracy. Continued reasonable access to public lands is vitally important for current and future generations.'
"So why the rush on this particular bill?" Bishop asked. "And who are the losers, other than Americans who enjoy recreating on public land?"
Moreland warned that these kinds of threats aren't going to end.
"This land grab is just the latest effort by the federal government to restrict recreational access to America's public lands," he said. "AMA members responded to our calls to action and helped us shape the debate of this legislation.
"Our voice must grow stronger if we are to head off these and other threats in the future, and I encourage all motorcyclists to sign up for AMA's legislative alerts," he said.
Through the AMA Government Relations Department's Action E-list, riders can be notified by e-mail when they can make a difference on important issues. To sign up, go to the AMA website at www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com, click on "Rights," then "Issues & Legislation," and then "Action E-list."
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Since 1924, the AMA has promoted and protected the motorcycling lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world's largest motorcycle organization with nearly 300,000 members, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists' interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition events than any other organization in the world. Through its Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. For more information, visit www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- By a 285-to-140 vote, U.S. House members on March 25 approved a bill that closes more than 2 million acres of public land nationwide to off-highway motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and all other motorized vehicles, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.
Following congressional maneuvering that breathed new life into the measure after it was defeated just a couple weeks earlier, the lawmakers approved H.R. 146, known as the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program. This bill was formerly known as S. 22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009.
Congress' first attempt to pass this measure, S. 22, was defeated two weeks ago in the House. However, following that defeat, the Senate leadership brought H.R. 146 to the floor, inserted the language from S. 22, and passed the bill on March 19 by a vote of 77 to 20.
It then went to the House for the March 25 vote.
"The measure unreasonably bans motorized recreation on 2.1 million acres of public lands by inappropriately designating it as Wilderness," said AMA Vice President for Government Relations Ed Moreland. "This is a sad day not only for responsible motorized recreation but also for a democratic process that is supposed to welcome public input and the opportunity for congressional review.
"For example, House members never debated more than 70 of the bills included in this package before the vote," he said.
The measure, which now goes to President Obama to be signed into law, consists of a daunting collection of more than 160 pieces of legislation and more than 1,300 pages of text.
Under the bill, areas where motorized vehicles won't be allowed include parts of the Monogahela National Forest in West Virginia; Jefferson National Forest in Virginia; Mount Hood, Badlands, Spring Basin and Copper Salmon areas in Oregon; Sabinoso in New Mexico; Riverside County in California; and Washington County in Utah.
U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) noted in a House floor speech on Feb. 9 that "there are recreation restrictions in this bill.
"These (the AMA and other responsible recreation) groups' members include millions of off-highway enthusiasts, vacationing families, and small businesses involved in the system. And what they have pleaded with us to do is, quoting from the letter that many groups signed, 'It is our sincere hope that this Congress will develop a thoughtful approach to managing our public lands more than simply eliminating public access and creating additional layers of bureaucracy. Continued reasonable access to public lands is vitally important for current and future generations.'
"So why the rush on this particular bill?" Bishop asked. "And who are the losers, other than Americans who enjoy recreating on public land?"
Moreland warned that these kinds of threats aren't going to end.
"This land grab is just the latest effort by the federal government to restrict recreational access to America's public lands," he said. "AMA members responded to our calls to action and helped us shape the debate of this legislation.
"Our voice must grow stronger if we are to head off these and other threats in the future, and I encourage all motorcyclists to sign up for AMA's legislative alerts," he said.
Through the AMA Government Relations Department's Action E-list, riders can be notified by e-mail when they can make a difference on important issues. To sign up, go to the AMA website at www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com, click on "Rights," then "Issues & Legislation," and then "Action E-list."
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Since 1924, the AMA has promoted and protected the motorcycling lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world's largest motorcycle organization with nearly 300,000 members, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists' interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition events than any other organization in the world. Through its Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. For more information, visit www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
Friday, March 20, 2009
WSBK Videos: World Superbike Videos from Losail / Qatar / Doha 2009
Superbike Superpole:
Superbike Race 1 Highlights:
Superbike Race 1 Best Lap:
Superbike Race 2 Highlights:
Superbike Race 2 Best Lap:
Supersport Highlights:
Supersport Best Lap:
Superbike Race 1 Highlights:
Superbike Race 1 Best Lap:
Superbike Race 2 Highlights:
Superbike Race 2 Best Lap:
Supersport Highlights:
Supersport Best Lap:
WSBK: John "Hopper" Hopkins to World Superbike
MotoGP staple John "Hopper" Hopkins will be crossing over to the World Superbike Championship just in time for the April 3-5 Spanish round at Valencia aboard a Stiggy Honda CBR1000RR, sources say, bringing along his major personal sponsors such as Monster Energy, Alpinestars, Arai and Spy Optics.
Previously under contract with Kawasaki Heavy Industries in the MotoGP series, the Californian was released when Kawasaki announced a sudden program pullout due to financial woes. Dorna pressure later resulted in a semi-factory effort fielding only one green bike (piloted by ex-Ducati man, Italian Marco Melandri).
Hopper's new teammate, Leon Haslam, has already shown the promise of the Stiggy CBR with a strong finish at Philip Island, however having missed 2 rounds (thus 4 races and several major tests), don't expect Hopper's Grand Prix background nor even his AMA titles to carry him to the front of one of the deepest talent pools in WSBK history without difficulty.
Hopper will first test his new ride next week via Almeria, Spain.
WSBK: 675 Daytona - British Triumph in World Supersport
WorldSBK.com Press Release
Honda and Yamaha are the long-term powers in World Supersport racing but Garry McCoy and Gianluca Nannelli from the Triumph Team ParkinGo Be1 Racing squad are all set to challenge for honours this season.
McCoy had a fantastic ride from 20th place on lap 1 of the recent Losail race to an eventual ninth, consistently lapping inside the leading riders' average pace of 2'03.
Had McCoy not been involved in a first lap melee he could well have challenged for a podium finish, rather than leading a three rider group home in seventh place, 9.5 seconds from the win. Nannelli had an even more interrupted Losail race and finished 19th, losing ten seconds and five places on the final lap.
Said McCoy after his Losail experience, "I'm very satisfied with today's race but not with the result. I finished the race at only nine seconds from the winner and I know I could have fought for the podium if I hadn't been hit at the first corner. We're getting better and better and I'm confident that very soon we'll have great results. After today's result I'm sure we're going to score a podium in the near future."
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Don't Forget...
'AMA Pro Prime Time' will debut March 21st on the Speed channel, with coverage of AMA superbike, supersport, etc races.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
2009 WSBK World Superbike / Supersport Philip Island Highlights (7 videos)
Superbike Superpole:
Supersport Best Lap:
Supersport Highlights:
Superbike Race 1 Best Lap:
Superbike Race 1 Highlights:
Superbike Race 2 Best Lap:
Superbike Race 2 Highlights:
Supersport Best Lap:
Supersport Highlights:
Superbike Race 1 Best Lap:
Superbike Race 1 Highlights:
Superbike Race 2 Best Lap:
Superbike Race 2 Highlights:
World Superbike Philip Island 2009 Results
From WorldSBK.com:
Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) took his 1098R to the win in his first race for the factory Ducati squad in the opening round of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island, Australia. The Japanese rider got the better of German Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Alstare) on the final lap to score his 34th win. The second race saw a sensational maiden triumph for WSB rookie Ben Spies from Texas, who took his Yamaha R1 to the win over Haga. The Australian Round of the championship was watched by a record 69,300 spectators, 6% up on last year's figure.
Race 1
The first race, declared ‘wet', was held on a totally dry track, and all riders opted for slicks but a few drops of rain did fall in the final stages. The potential of the K9 Suzuki GSX-R was confirmed with third place for Yukio Kagayama, who finished ahead of Michel Fabrizio on the second Ducati Xerox machine. Spies, who started from pole, ended up on the gravel at the second turn, but returned to the track to finish just outside the points in sixteenth. Max Biaggi, second on the grid with the brand-new Aprilia RSV4 machine, finished in eleventh place. The other rookie manufacturer BMW, also had a positive debut after Troy Corser recovered from the fifth row to finish eighth, the Australian setting fastest lap of the race.
Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) : "One thing that I have is great experience because in 2005 I was in 16th and won a race, so now everybody knows it doesn't matter where the start position is, we don't need qualifying! I'm very happy for the win, I have just switched to Ducati, I already had four crashes with the bike, but our team did a great job. In the last two laps it started to rain a bit then on the last lap Max passed me but I put big pressure on him thinking where to pass him. He made a mistake and I won."
Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Alstare) : "On the last lap I made a little mistake and that probably cost me the win. The last five laps Nori was in front and I could see that he had a bit better traction on the last corner but I caught him on the last lap and I said ‘I win, I win' but it was too much and I had a small slide and that was it."
Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare) : "I'm happy to get the podium, my last one was in 2007! Both for Max and me our starting positions were not so good, and too many riders caught me in the early laps. But I did a steady ride to third."
Race 1 : 1. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 34'22.631 (170,677 kph); 2. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 0.032; 3. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 5.347; 4. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 6.587; 5. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 8.491; 6. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 8.523; 7. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098 RS 09 8.766; 8. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 11.589; 9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 11.721; 10 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 11.761; 11. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 12.609; 12. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 19.096; 13. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 24.149; 14. Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 27.416; 15.Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 28.173; 16. Spies B.(USA) Yamaha YZF R1 28.235
Race 2
The second encounter was all about Haga vs Spies as the Yamaha rider unleashed the R1's potential. The duel went on until a few laps from the end when the Texan pulled out a slight advantage and powered to the flag. The runner-up slot put Haga, who turns 34 tomorrow, into the lead of the championship on 45 points. Britain's Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) had a great race for the final podium place, beating the two Ducatis of Règis Laconi (DFX) and Fabrizio to the line. The group also included Biaggi, who ran third for much of the race; on the final lap however the Italian slid off into the gravel, recovering to finish fifteenth. However Aprilia, on their return to SBK after six years, are already looking a competitive force.
Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) : "The first race was not picture perfect for us. The second one was really tough, we had a couple of goes in the lead and tried to break but couldn't do it so I sat and watched Nori. We were strong in the first half but really slow in the back two corners and I couldn't stay with him, then when the tyres went off we just went to the front with four to go and I put my head down. WSB was rough but good in the end, the new R1 was great in the first weekend for the big-bang motor. It's such a new machine for the team, hopefully we can get more out of it but for sure it's a front-running bike. WSB is so tight, people don't understand how many fast riders there are here, and it was really great out there today."
Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) : "I did a nice start again and then during the race I really enjoyed fighting with Ben. It was hard to pull away from him but in the last five laps my tyres were finished and I couldn't push anymore and I just kept the second position. I think this weekend we did a good job except for qualifying and now I'm in the lead of the championship."
Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) : "It's a big credit to the team, three months ago they were just building the bike. It's the first round and we're already on the podium. There's been a big effort and we've kind of repaid all that effort. There was a bit of argy-bargy with Fabrizio, I had a tyre mark from him from the first lap and later on in the race we had a bit of a tussle but that's what World Superbike is all about, it's a fantastic result."
Race 2 : 1. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 34'20.457 (170,857 kph); 2. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1.286; 3. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 4.213; 4. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098 RS 09 4.490; 5. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 6.045; 6. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 9.947; 7. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 10.174; 8. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 12.100; 9. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 12.742; 10. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 20.061; 11. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 24.854; 12. Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 25.192; 13. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 27.162; 14. Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 29.737; 15. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 30.036; 16. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 38.458
Points (after 1 round of 14): 1. Haga (Ducati) 45; 2. Neukirchner (Suzuki) 30; 3. Haslam (Honda) 26; 4. Spies (Yamaha) 25; 5. Kagayama (Suzuki) 24; 6. Fabrizio (Ducati) 24; 7. Laconi (Ducati) 22; 8. Rea (Honda) 18; 9. Smrz (Ducati) 16; 10 Sykes (Yamaha) 12 etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 45; 2. Yamaha 31; 3. Suzuki 30; 4. Honda 27; 5. Bmw 13; 6. Aprilia 9.
FIM Supersport World Championship
Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) won a superb opening World Supersport race in a three-way sprint to the line. The Turk, 2007 champion in the category, took the flag ahead of Australian riders Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Anthony West (Stiggy Racing Honda). Honda, winners of the mid-range Supersport category for the last seven years, begin the new season with four CBR-RR machines in the top 4 places, with fourth going to Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) of Ireland. For 24 year-old Sofuoglu, the win is his eleventh in the series, while Honda celebrate their 63rd win out of 117 Supersport races. The Yamahas, which looked good in qualifying, finished fifth in the hands of Cal Crutchlow and seventh with Fabien Foret, who raced with a partially dislocated right shoulder following his crash on Saturday. Spain's Joan Lascorz made his debut for Kawasaki with an encouraging seventh place. The new Triumph 675 also had a positive start, with Gianluca Nannelli finishing tenth and Garry McCoy fourteenth.
Results : 1. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 33'42.156 (166,18 kph); 2. Pitt A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 0.060; 3. West A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 0.153; 4. Crutchlow C. (GBR)Yamaha YZF R6 1.097; 5 Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1.098; 6. Aitchison M. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 3.631; 7. Foret F. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 5.023; 8. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 9.540.
Points (after 1 round of 14): 1. Sofuoglu (Honda) 25; 2. Pitt (Honda) 20; 3. West (Honda) 16; 4. Crutchlow (Yamaha) 13; 5. Laverty (Honda) 11; 6. Aitchison (Honda) 10; 7. Foret (Yamaha) 9; 8. Lascorz (Kawasaki)
Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) took his 1098R to the win in his first race for the factory Ducati squad in the opening round of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island, Australia. The Japanese rider got the better of German Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Alstare) on the final lap to score his 34th win. The second race saw a sensational maiden triumph for WSB rookie Ben Spies from Texas, who took his Yamaha R1 to the win over Haga. The Australian Round of the championship was watched by a record 69,300 spectators, 6% up on last year's figure.
Race 1
The first race, declared ‘wet', was held on a totally dry track, and all riders opted for slicks but a few drops of rain did fall in the final stages. The potential of the K9 Suzuki GSX-R was confirmed with third place for Yukio Kagayama, who finished ahead of Michel Fabrizio on the second Ducati Xerox machine. Spies, who started from pole, ended up on the gravel at the second turn, but returned to the track to finish just outside the points in sixteenth. Max Biaggi, second on the grid with the brand-new Aprilia RSV4 machine, finished in eleventh place. The other rookie manufacturer BMW, also had a positive debut after Troy Corser recovered from the fifth row to finish eighth, the Australian setting fastest lap of the race.
Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) : "One thing that I have is great experience because in 2005 I was in 16th and won a race, so now everybody knows it doesn't matter where the start position is, we don't need qualifying! I'm very happy for the win, I have just switched to Ducati, I already had four crashes with the bike, but our team did a great job. In the last two laps it started to rain a bit then on the last lap Max passed me but I put big pressure on him thinking where to pass him. He made a mistake and I won."
Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Alstare) : "On the last lap I made a little mistake and that probably cost me the win. The last five laps Nori was in front and I could see that he had a bit better traction on the last corner but I caught him on the last lap and I said ‘I win, I win' but it was too much and I had a small slide and that was it."
Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare) : "I'm happy to get the podium, my last one was in 2007! Both for Max and me our starting positions were not so good, and too many riders caught me in the early laps. But I did a steady ride to third."
Race 1 : 1. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 34'22.631 (170,677 kph); 2. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 0.032; 3. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 5.347; 4. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 6.587; 5. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 8.491; 6. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 8.523; 7. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098 RS 09 8.766; 8. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 11.589; 9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 11.721; 10 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 11.761; 11. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 12.609; 12. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 19.096; 13. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 24.149; 14. Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 27.416; 15.Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 28.173; 16. Spies B.(USA) Yamaha YZF R1 28.235
Race 2
The second encounter was all about Haga vs Spies as the Yamaha rider unleashed the R1's potential. The duel went on until a few laps from the end when the Texan pulled out a slight advantage and powered to the flag. The runner-up slot put Haga, who turns 34 tomorrow, into the lead of the championship on 45 points. Britain's Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) had a great race for the final podium place, beating the two Ducatis of Règis Laconi (DFX) and Fabrizio to the line. The group also included Biaggi, who ran third for much of the race; on the final lap however the Italian slid off into the gravel, recovering to finish fifteenth. However Aprilia, on their return to SBK after six years, are already looking a competitive force.
Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) : "The first race was not picture perfect for us. The second one was really tough, we had a couple of goes in the lead and tried to break but couldn't do it so I sat and watched Nori. We were strong in the first half but really slow in the back two corners and I couldn't stay with him, then when the tyres went off we just went to the front with four to go and I put my head down. WSB was rough but good in the end, the new R1 was great in the first weekend for the big-bang motor. It's such a new machine for the team, hopefully we can get more out of it but for sure it's a front-running bike. WSB is so tight, people don't understand how many fast riders there are here, and it was really great out there today."
Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) : "I did a nice start again and then during the race I really enjoyed fighting with Ben. It was hard to pull away from him but in the last five laps my tyres were finished and I couldn't push anymore and I just kept the second position. I think this weekend we did a good job except for qualifying and now I'm in the lead of the championship."
Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) : "It's a big credit to the team, three months ago they were just building the bike. It's the first round and we're already on the podium. There's been a big effort and we've kind of repaid all that effort. There was a bit of argy-bargy with Fabrizio, I had a tyre mark from him from the first lap and later on in the race we had a bit of a tussle but that's what World Superbike is all about, it's a fantastic result."
Race 2 : 1. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 34'20.457 (170,857 kph); 2. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1.286; 3. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 4.213; 4. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098 RS 09 4.490; 5. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 6.045; 6. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 9.947; 7. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 10.174; 8. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 12.100; 9. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 12.742; 10. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 20.061; 11. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 24.854; 12. Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 25.192; 13. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 27.162; 14. Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 29.737; 15. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 30.036; 16. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 38.458
Points (after 1 round of 14): 1. Haga (Ducati) 45; 2. Neukirchner (Suzuki) 30; 3. Haslam (Honda) 26; 4. Spies (Yamaha) 25; 5. Kagayama (Suzuki) 24; 6. Fabrizio (Ducati) 24; 7. Laconi (Ducati) 22; 8. Rea (Honda) 18; 9. Smrz (Ducati) 16; 10 Sykes (Yamaha) 12 etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 45; 2. Yamaha 31; 3. Suzuki 30; 4. Honda 27; 5. Bmw 13; 6. Aprilia 9.
FIM Supersport World Championship
Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) won a superb opening World Supersport race in a three-way sprint to the line. The Turk, 2007 champion in the category, took the flag ahead of Australian riders Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Anthony West (Stiggy Racing Honda). Honda, winners of the mid-range Supersport category for the last seven years, begin the new season with four CBR-RR machines in the top 4 places, with fourth going to Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) of Ireland. For 24 year-old Sofuoglu, the win is his eleventh in the series, while Honda celebrate their 63rd win out of 117 Supersport races. The Yamahas, which looked good in qualifying, finished fifth in the hands of Cal Crutchlow and seventh with Fabien Foret, who raced with a partially dislocated right shoulder following his crash on Saturday. Spain's Joan Lascorz made his debut for Kawasaki with an encouraging seventh place. The new Triumph 675 also had a positive start, with Gianluca Nannelli finishing tenth and Garry McCoy fourteenth.
Results : 1. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 33'42.156 (166,18 kph); 2. Pitt A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 0.060; 3. West A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 0.153; 4. Crutchlow C. (GBR)Yamaha YZF R6 1.097; 5 Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1.098; 6. Aitchison M. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 3.631; 7. Foret F. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 5.023; 8. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 9.540.
Points (after 1 round of 14): 1. Sofuoglu (Honda) 25; 2. Pitt (Honda) 20; 3. West (Honda) 16; 4. Crutchlow (Yamaha) 13; 5. Laverty (Honda) 11; 6. Aitchison (Honda) 10; 7. Foret (Yamaha) 9; 8. Lascorz (Kawasaki)
Monday, February 9, 2009
Mission One Electric Sportbike
The Mission One electric sportbike:
Range: 150 miles
Top Speed: 150 MPH
Transmission: 1-speed
Torque: 100 lb-ft
Range: 150 miles
Top Speed: 150 MPH
Transmission: 1-speed
Torque: 100 lb-ft
BMW S1000RR Street Version Photo
.jpg)
What can I say... I'm disappointed.
From the left side, it looks like a dreary early 2000s Gixxer.
What do you think? I'll wait for some other color schemes before I make my final judgment.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
MotoGP Sepang Test Times: Day 3
1. C.Stoner (Ducati) 2:01.043
2. V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2:01.137
3. L. Capirossi (Suzuki) 2:01.262
4.C.Edwards (Yamaha Tech3 ) 2:01.413
5. T.Elias (San Carlo Honda Gresini) 2:01.560
6. C. Vermeulen (Suzuki) 2:01.666
7. J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2:01.907
8. ANDREA DOVIZIOSO (REPSOL HONDA TEAM) 2:01.955
9. M.Kallio (Pramac Ducati) 2:02.386
10. N.Hayden (Ducati) 2:02.497
11. A.De Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini) 2:02.523
12. S.Gibernau (Ducati guinea ecuatorial) 2:02.727
13 R.De Puniet (LCR Honda) 2:03.418
14. Yuki Takahashi (Scot honda) 2:03.474
15. N.Canepa (Pramac Ducati) 2:03.901
16. J.Toseland (Yamaha Tech 3) 2:03.953
2. V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2:01.137
3. L. Capirossi (Suzuki) 2:01.262
4.C.Edwards (Yamaha Tech3 ) 2:01.413
5. T.Elias (San Carlo Honda Gresini) 2:01.560
6. C. Vermeulen (Suzuki) 2:01.666
7. J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2:01.907
8. ANDREA DOVIZIOSO (REPSOL HONDA TEAM) 2:01.955
9. M.Kallio (Pramac Ducati) 2:02.386
10. N.Hayden (Ducati) 2:02.497
11. A.De Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini) 2:02.523
12. S.Gibernau (Ducati guinea ecuatorial) 2:02.727
13 R.De Puniet (LCR Honda) 2:03.418
14. Yuki Takahashi (Scot honda) 2:03.474
15. N.Canepa (Pramac Ducati) 2:03.901
16. J.Toseland (Yamaha Tech 3) 2:03.953
Friday, February 6, 2009
Team Sterilgarda Ducati Press Release
The Sterilgarda Team will enter the first two rounds of the incoming Superbike season with the only Shane Byrne lined up. The team leaded by Marco Borciani has been forced to take this decision due to the current economic situation. Indeed, the Sterilgarda team has had to reorganized the project started the last year for a two-riders team with the promotion of Alex Polita to the Superbike. The management will try to make any efforts in order to line up a full-team at the first European round of the season in April at Valencia.
Marco Borciani | Team Manager: “I feel really sorry about the situation that does not allow Alex Polita to enter the first two round of the season. Unfortunately the economic scenario has cut the assistance of several sponsors who were supposed to help the team for the 2009 season. I'm really sorry for Alex, who is a talented young rider with whom I hope to again be able to work with in the future. We will try to get everything ready for the third round of the championship with two riders on track".
Marco Borciani | Team Manager: “I feel really sorry about the situation that does not allow Alex Polita to enter the first two round of the season. Unfortunately the economic scenario has cut the assistance of several sponsors who were supposed to help the team for the 2009 season. I'm really sorry for Alex, who is a talented young rider with whom I hope to again be able to work with in the future. We will try to get everything ready for the third round of the championship with two riders on track".
Moto GP Sepang Test Times: Day 2
1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 2'01.483
2. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2'01.555
3. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'01.626
4. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda 2'01.860
5. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2'02.086
6. Toni Elias (SPA) Team San Carlo 2'02.232
7. Colin Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha 2'02.241
8. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda 2'02.434
9. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team 2'03.034
10. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'03.056
11. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Grupo Francisco Hernando 2'03.308
12. Alex De Angelis (RSM) Team San Carlo 2'03.518
13. Mika Kallio (FIN) Alice Team 2'03.774
14. Niccolo Canepa (ITA) Alice Team 2'04.021
15. Yamaha Test Rider 1 (JPN) Yamaha Factory Racing 2'04.312
16. Yuki Takahashi (JPN) Scot Racing Team 2'04.332
17. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 2'04.507
18. Yamaha Test Rider 2 (JPN) Yamaha Factory Racing 2'04.536
19. James Toseland (GBR) Tech 3 Yamaha 2'04.597
Casey Stoner stated that his wrist was still very painful and despite his excellent performance, was only able to ride for a couple laps at a time.
2. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2'01.555
3. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'01.626
4. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda 2'01.860
5. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2'02.086
6. Toni Elias (SPA) Team San Carlo 2'02.232
7. Colin Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha 2'02.241
8. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda 2'02.434
9. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team 2'03.034
10. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'03.056
11. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Grupo Francisco Hernando 2'03.308
12. Alex De Angelis (RSM) Team San Carlo 2'03.518
13. Mika Kallio (FIN) Alice Team 2'03.774
14. Niccolo Canepa (ITA) Alice Team 2'04.021
15. Yamaha Test Rider 1 (JPN) Yamaha Factory Racing 2'04.312
16. Yuki Takahashi (JPN) Scot Racing Team 2'04.332
17. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 2'04.507
18. Yamaha Test Rider 2 (JPN) Yamaha Factory Racing 2'04.536
19. James Toseland (GBR) Tech 3 Yamaha 2'04.597
Casey Stoner stated that his wrist was still very painful and despite his excellent performance, was only able to ride for a couple laps at a time.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Moto GP Sepang Test Times: Day 1
1. Loris CAPIROSSI (Suzuki) 2:01.869 (37 laps)
2. Casey STONER (Ducati) 2:02.038 (34)
3. Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha) 2:02.324 (31)
4. Chris VERMEULEN (Suzuki) 2:02.803 (55)
5. Toni ELIAS (Honda) 2:02.886 (52)
6. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Honda) 2:03.088 (50)
7. Colin EDWARDS(Yamaha) 2:03.254 (34)
8. Dani PEDROSA (Honda) 2:03.312 (44)
9. Sete GIBERNAU (Ducati) 2:03.750 (54)
10. Jorge LORENZO (Yamaha) 2:03.894 (61)
11. Nicky HAYDEN (Ducati) 2:04.002 (60)
12. Alex DE ANGELIS (Honda) 2:04.396 (53)
13. Mika KALLIO (Ducati) 2:04.405 (60)
14. James TOSELAND (Yamaha) 2:04.502 (34)
15. Randy DE PUNIET (Honda) 2:04.882 (61)
16. Yamaha Tester (Yamaha) 2:05.024 (47)
17. Yuki TAKAHASHI (Honda) 2:05.098 (73)
18. Yamaha Tester (Yamaha) 2:05.140 (44)
19. Niccolo CANEPA (Ducati) 2:05.270 (45)
2. Casey STONER (Ducati) 2:02.038 (34)
3. Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha) 2:02.324 (31)
4. Chris VERMEULEN (Suzuki) 2:02.803 (55)
5. Toni ELIAS (Honda) 2:02.886 (52)
6. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Honda) 2:03.088 (50)
7. Colin EDWARDS(Yamaha) 2:03.254 (34)
8. Dani PEDROSA (Honda) 2:03.312 (44)
9. Sete GIBERNAU (Ducati) 2:03.750 (54)
10. Jorge LORENZO (Yamaha) 2:03.894 (61)
11. Nicky HAYDEN (Ducati) 2:04.002 (60)
12. Alex DE ANGELIS (Honda) 2:04.396 (53)
13. Mika KALLIO (Ducati) 2:04.405 (60)
14. James TOSELAND (Yamaha) 2:04.502 (34)
15. Randy DE PUNIET (Honda) 2:04.882 (61)
16. Yamaha Tester (Yamaha) 2:05.024 (47)
17. Yuki TAKAHASHI (Honda) 2:05.098 (73)
18. Yamaha Tester (Yamaha) 2:05.140 (44)
19. Niccolo CANEPA (Ducati) 2:05.270 (45)
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Valentino Rossi Injured In Accident in Italy
Valentino Rossi Injured In Accident in Italy
Fiat Yamaha
"Valentino Rossi has received stitches to his left hand and left foot, after a slight accident at his home in Italy. The Fiat Yamaha rider was closing the curtains in his house when he tripped and fell onto a glass table, which broke, cutting the ring finger of his left hand and the sole of his left foot. He went straight to the hospital and received a few stitches to each injury.
The injuries are not serious but it is not yet clear whether or not they will make him uncomfortable when riding this week. Nevertheless Rossi will fly out to Malaysia today as planned, where he will try to give 100% at the first test of the season, which starts on Thursday."
Fiat Yamaha
"Valentino Rossi has received stitches to his left hand and left foot, after a slight accident at his home in Italy. The Fiat Yamaha rider was closing the curtains in his house when he tripped and fell onto a glass table, which broke, cutting the ring finger of his left hand and the sole of his left foot. He went straight to the hospital and received a few stitches to each injury.
The injuries are not serious but it is not yet clear whether or not they will make him uncomfortable when riding this week. Nevertheless Rossi will fly out to Malaysia today as planned, where he will try to give 100% at the first test of the season, which starts on Thursday."
Monday, February 2, 2009
Bad News: No Valentino Rossi in World Superbike
No Rossi in WSBK...
Autosport:
Valentino Rossi has had to abandon his plan to make a one-off appearance in the Superbike World Championship after Yamaha decided they would be unable to prepare a competitive bike for him in time.
Hmmm... They couldn't spare even one WSBK-spec R1 for the top rider on Earth? These aren't GP prototypes... if the Yamaha SBK team is that low on spare parts lets hope Ben Spies doesn't crash for this entire season...
Autosport:
Valentino Rossi has had to abandon his plan to make a one-off appearance in the Superbike World Championship after Yamaha decided they would be unable to prepare a competitive bike for him in time.
The MotoGP champion said late last year that he wanted to take on recently retired WSBK champion Troy Bayliss, who Rossi hoped would be tempted to return to the series to race against him.
Although Rossi's Yamaha team were supportive of the plan, they have now concluded that they did not have sufficient parts to provide a bike for the Italian.
"Unfortunately this wasn't possible because Yamaha is working on the new R1 motorbike, and there are not many spare parts available yet," said Yamaha team boss Davide Brivio.
Hmmm... They couldn't spare even one WSBK-spec R1 for the top rider on Earth? These aren't GP prototypes... if the Yamaha SBK team is that low on spare parts lets hope Ben Spies doesn't crash for this entire season...
More likely Yamaha and perhaps MotoGP itself have too much of an investment in Rossi and can't risk seeing him injured. It's no secret that the racing in superbikes has been a lot closer and wilder than MotoGP for a couple years now...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
