Talking to the Indy Star, Mark Miles (CEO of Hulman & Co, the parent company to Indianapolis Motor Speedway) has put some doubt into the historic venue’s commitment to host the MotoGP Championship. Having a contract to run the race through the 2014 season, Miles said that IMS might opt-out of the final year in its agreement with Dorna (IMS apparently has this option for a brief window after the 2013 Indianapolis GP). However while the news has focused so far on IMS’s ability to opt-out, both Dorna and Indianapolis Motor Speedway have options in their contract to go through with the 2014 round, and with a bevy of variables in the air, we may or may not see three American GP rounds next year.
Surprise! America will be getting a 847cc three-cylinder naked bike for the 2014 model year, the 2014 Yamaha FZ-09. Replacing the Yamaha FZ8 in the Japanese company’s line-up, the FZ-09 is the first motorcycle from the tuning fork brand to sport the Yamaha’s new line of three-cylinder engines. The Yamaha FZ-09 comes about as the MIC is reporting its second-consecutive year of growth in the 751+cc sport bike segment, as well as increase in commuter riding over short-distance sport riding. With those trends in mind, Yamaha has punched out the displacement on its middleweight naked bike, and focused on giving riders a comfortable, yet stout, motorcycle. Priced at $7,990 MSRP, we think Yamaha hit the nail pretty much on the head with this one.
In the past few years I’ve come to believe that, while superior physical differences (their reflexes and fine motor skills) are significant, it’s the mental differences that are the most interesting. I suppose anyone who has ridden a motorcycle even a bit beyond one’s comfort zone can appreciate some part of the physical aspect of riding a racing bike. For most of us, even the speed of racers in local events is impressive compared to our street riding. While the skills with throttle, brakes, and balance are on a level similar to the best athletes in other sports, I think that what really sets motorcycle racers apart is their ability to overcome fear.
The progress in the last five years on electric motorcycles has been astounding. Taking their first laps around the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course, a 87.434 mph pace was the best an electric motorcycle could do at the prestigious road race in 2009 — a pace that was on par with the 50cc record set in 1971. In just five years after the first laps were taken by electric motorcycles at Snaefell, these machines have grown their average lap speeds by over 20 mph at the TT Zero race, setting a new record of 109.675 mph in 2013, and boasting a rate of improvement of roughly 5 mph each year since 2009. If hitting 142.2 mph down the Sulby Straight speed trap wasn’t further proof of the speeds these bikes are achieving, maybe some visual evidence will help support the notion.
Darius Glover is a dirt bike racer. Like you and me, he lives to ride, and when he is on two-wheels he feels the freedom that only other motorcyclists can truly understand. The thing is though, Darius is paralyzed from the waist down. Where others would give up their dreams and this sport, Darius at the age of 15 instead pushed onward. No pity parties, no excuses, just simply a daily example of where there is a will, there is a way, and a reminder that you can achieve anything that you put your mind to. It’s hard not to get a bit choked up listening to Darius tell his story, but you walk away feeling uplifted after feeling his attitude come across the screen.
Any race where 1,500 riders start, 500 qualify, and only 14 finish, has got to be an epic competition, and considering the fact that the Erzberg Rodeo starts in the excavation pit of an Austrian mine…well, it takes a special rider to be enticed by such an event. One such special rider is Graham Jarvis, who was the first of the fourteen men to reach the 20th and final checkpoint. Taking 2 hours and 52 seconds to complete the course, Jarvis made the 2013 Erzberg Rodeo look downright easy. However, with one look at the race-day conditions from this past weekend, we know it was anything but.
While normally, MotoGP fans never get enough of seeing Valentino Rossi on TV, there is one shot they would (for the most part) gladly be spared. As he leaves the pits, Rossi stands on the footpegs, and pulls his leathers from between his buttocks, before sitting back down again and leaving. These rituals – part useful limbering up, part invocation of Lady Luck – are something many riders perform, in their attempt to exert control over themselves, and over their environment. In a fascinating press release – by far the most interesting we have received in many months – the Aspar team today provided a discussion and explanation of what riders are trying to achieve through the use of these rituals.
Hoping to make it four wins in a row, it goes without saying that the MotoCzysz crew is working hard to close the gap to the John McGuinness and the Mugen team. However, having Team Principal Michael Czysz stuck back in the US, undergoing cancer treatments, must certainly add another level of motivation for the on-island MotoCzysz crew. Making time in their busy schedule, Asphalt & Rubber got to take some up-close photos of the 2013 MotoCzysz E1pc. The most obvious changes made to the MotoCzysz E1pc for the 2013 TT Zero race are the use conventional suspension pieces. Of course, it’s not a completely standard suspension setup, as MotoCzysz has developed its own adjustable triple clamp that incorporates tunable lateral flex parameters.
Max Biaggi is to make a surprise return to riding a MotoGP machine. The former 250 and World Superbike champion will take a seat on Ben Spies’ Ignite Pramac Ducati as part of a one-day test at Mugello, as part of Ducati’s testing program, according to Italian site GPOne. Spies was scheduled to stay on at Mugello to take part in a two-day test, but after the first day of practice at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, it was clear to both Spies and Ducati that his shoulder was still too weak to ride a MotoGP machine. With work continuing on the Desmosedici, it was important for Ducati to get as much data as possible on their bike, and so Biaggi was offered the chance to ride the machine.
Just as our Bothan spies had predicted, the folks in Varese, Italy have debuted an 800cc version of the MV Agusta F3. The new machine is cleverly named the MV Agusta F3 800, and as you may expect, the street bike features the 798cc three-cylinder engine that is found on the MV Agusta Brutale 800 and the still unreleased MV Agusta Rivale. Pepping that three-cylinder motor up to 146hp (note: MV Agusta continues to have some trouble converting kW into horsepower, and other publications continue to fail at checking MV’s math. Last we checked, 108.8 kW equalled 145.9 hp), MV Agusta has wedged the lump into its supersport chassis, and reports that no additional weight has come as a result.
Spring has hit hard here in Sydney (for the most past), so you’ve timed your trip well. There’s tons of good riding just out of the city; Natio to the south, Putty and Bell’s Line to the west, Old Road to the north. Just don’t head out on the weekends. Too many people and highway patrol.
Be careful Jensen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNEeq5qGh8I
Naa mate, no worries about the critters all you need to do is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw5kH7civTo
Gotta try and see the CGR 500 V8 motorcycle in Christchurch. How about a video with sound?
Your going to the wrong places…Queensland is where the great barrier reef is….Australia Zoo…sea world, couple of theme parks…plus plenty of Sunshine and the people are friendlier up here!!
Hey, mate. I hope you enjoy being down here. Any chance of a meet-up with you in Sydney so that some of us can see you and say hi?
Yeah, we should get a Sydney meet-up going. Any particular place/bar that you’d recommend? I’ll by in Sydney September 28th – October 5th.
CGR 500 V8 motorcycle in Christchurch? What’s that? I live in Christchurch and I’ve never heard of it. I can’t find anything online either.
By the way if you are still in NZ then I would recommend checking out the Britten V1000 they have in the Wellington Museum (Te Papa). It’s even cooler up close!
Oh Man! I am so jealous!!!!! Take lots of pictures so us cube rats can see what the other hemisphere looks like.
Have fun, Jensen.
Jensen, that sounds great. There are some great coffee shops along the harbour front near the Sydney Opera House. How does Friday 30th sound around 11′ish? If we could meet up on the main Opera House steps, then we could go find somewhere for a drink/coffee/lunch/bench race/whatever. Let me know if there’s somewhere I could give you my mobile number so we could make sure we don’t pass each other accidentally!
You should have spent more time in the South Island, great roads and scenery and less than 1 mil people. ( and better looking sheep, nervous sheep tho ) Anyway see you at the worlds greatest race track Philip Island. Stoner to win race, andwin the championship. And I’ll be in the Honda hospitality tent living it up.
Enjoy the rugby Jensen, didnt think many Yanks were into rugby. Does it get much coverage in the USA?
Oh, and where have you been in the South Island?
I live in the middle of the south island now, after living in Melbourne for about 20 years.
Actually there are more cows than sheep around here.
make sure you drop by phillip island and do a track day mate!
It’s a tad cheesy (to us Sydney-siders) but doing the bridge climb is pretty fun. Make sure you do the sunset climb, it’s the best by far. epic views – sunset on one side and sydney by night on the other.
Then go to the rocks area (basically the bridge climb start point) and soak up some Sydney suds in a few of our classic pubs in the area (The Lord Nelson is a note-worthy one to visit).
Hey Jensen, drop me an email to adesthemex@hotmail.com for when you are in Melbourne. We have some amazing roads here and with some of my connections (Motorcycle Print medi etc) I may be able to tee up some test bikes and V8′s).
I read about the CGR500 V8 in Roadracing World magazine, October 2011 issue. The fabricator is Chris Gordon and the article was by Dave Britten. Could be wrong about Chris living in Christchurch but the article talks of the bike being tested at Ruapuna Park Raceway this last July.
Strange… can’t find anything on the web about it. Too bad I cant buy that magazine here!
Make sure that , have a plan to drive on the Great ocean road between Melbourne and Adelaide.
In Adelaide, we call George Road as Heaven for Motorcycle Riders.
Enjoy your trip. If you have a bike (or even a rental car) and are in Melbourne, and have some time, it’s well worth heading out to Kinglake – take the eastern freeway to Warrandyte, cross the bridge into Kangaroo Ground, follow the signs to Kinglake. On of my favourite roads.