Video: Josh Brookes Shows Us the Fastest Line over “The Mountain” at Cadwell Park

The Mountain at Cadwell Park, as it is known, is like the British version of the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca: another one of those special points on a race track, that would not exist on the computer-generated courses we see today. Famous for lofting bikes into the air, The Mountain makes for spectacular photographs, and should be on every rider’s track day bucket list. Finding the fastest racing line over The Mountain can be difficult though, as riders have to contend with keeping the front of their motorcycles down, but such is not the case for HM Plant Honda’s Josh Brookes…

Lost Knee Puck Hinders Hayden at Indy

Track conditions were the talk of the paddock this weekend at the Indianapolis GP, as riders battled the changing tarmac surfaces, and undulating bumps of the Indy infield. Perhaps most vocal of his displeasure with the course was Ducati rider Casey Stoner, who called the Indianapolis Motor Speedway not a world class track, and specifically complained about plastic drains that would catch riders as the ventured in towards the edge of the track (Rossi also complained of these drains). Teammate Nicky Hayden was less critical before Sunday’s race though, saying that Stoner’s comments could be applied to many of the courses on the MotoGP calendar. However after losing a knee puck to one of the drainage grates that Stoner criticized earlier, Hayden may be re-thinking his tune.

Rossi Waiting to Hear if Burgess Will Retire

Talking after the Indianapolis GP, Valentino Rossi explained that he is waiting to hear from Jeremy Burgess as to whether the Australian Crew Chief will retire next season. Assured of the fact that Burgess would not stay behind at Yamaha, and would not work with another rider, Rossi stated the buzz around whether Burgess would move with the Italian to Ducati, hinges as to when Burgess plans on retiring from motorcycle racing.

Nicky Hayden Renews Contract with Ducati

Under the lights of the Indy Mile, where motorcycle racing began for the Kentucky-born MotoGP racer, Nicky Hayden has signed a two-year contract with Ducati Corse for the 2011 & 2012 seasons. Not the biggest surprise in the paddock, Hayden’s contract renewal has never really been questioned this season as the American started the season off with series of strong finishes and continues to be a strong brand ambassador for Ducati in the United States. Hayden will be joined the next two years by former teammate Valentino Rossi, the pair rode for Repsol Honda in 2003, with Hayden finishing the season 5th in his rookie GP season.

World Superbike Responds to Ducati Exodus

Infront Motor Sports, rights holder to the World Superbike Championship series, has responded to the news that Ducati Corse will be leaving the series in 2011. Responding with an official press release, IMS’s message essentially boils down to poking holes in Ducati’s statement about technical regulations. Stating that the 2009 season was dominated by the Ducati 1198 Superbike, sans one Ben Spies, the Italian firm has clearly been able to be competitive with the current formula. IMS goes on to basically say that WSBK is about more than one manufacturer, and can’t cater to Ducati’s whims even if they do have a lengthy history together.

Ben Spies to Factory Yamaha Team

As expected, Ben Spies and Yamaha have announced that the current World Superbike Champion and MotoGP rookie will move up to the factory Yamaha team (noticeably not called Fiat-Yamaha in the press release) for the 2011 season. Spies’ move to the factory squad has lovingly been referred to as the “second worst-kept secret in MotoGP,” right after Rossi’s departure from the Fiat-Yamaha team to Ducati Corse.

Colin Edwards – “I’m going fishing. Screw this sh*t.”

No one makes the MotoGP media center come alive with emotion more so than Colin Edwards. A veteran of the sport, and born with no filter between his brain and mouth, the Texan Tornado captured the spotlight during the pre-race press conference at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. A stark contrast to the polished veneers of other riders, Edwards isn’t afraid to tell things the way he sees it, even if it involves some colorful language. To get an idea of what we mean, check out a portion of the press conference transcript after the jump.

Ducati Trademarks “Diavel” Name in the UK

Ducati has recieved a trademark with the UK Intellectual Property Office for the Bolognese word for devil, or “Diavel”, which according to MCN is to be the name of the company’s new performance cruiser (shown here in a render done by Bar-Design exclusively for Asphalt & Rubber). Interestingly enough, Ducati has not trademarked the Diavel name with the United States Patent & Trademarks Office (USPTO). However with the British government, Ducati has reserved the Diavel mark for virtually every use possible, including lifestyle items like shirts, perfume, watches, and our personal favorite: skin cleansing lotions and creams.

Casey Stoner Ducati 1198S Phillip Island Replica

Missing three races because of a mystery illness, Casey Stoner put any critics he had from his sudden departure in 2009 to bed with his masterful race at Phillip Island. Racing in front of his home crowd, Stoner slid around the Australian course to a decisive victory, in what we called one of the top races of 2009. Making the moment even more special for Australian fans, and Ducatisti alike, was the special race livery that Stoner ran for his home race. Hoping to commemorate that race and Stoner’s contributions to the Marlboro Ducati team (Stoner is leaving Ducati for HRC next year), a French Ducati dealership in Moulins-lès-Metz has decided to sell a limited number of Casey Stoner Ducati 1198S Phillip Island replicas.

Norton Returning to MotoGP Racing

German magazine Speedweek is reporting that Norton will be back in GP racing for the 2012 season with a two-man team. Speedweek’s highly respected Austrian journalist Gunther Wiesinger has received word that Norton has requested two spots on the 2012 MotoGP grid, and has signed a request to join the series when it returns to the 1000cc format. It’s unclear at this time if Norton will be entering as a claiming rule team (CRT), or be listed as a factory prototype, which could have a dramatic affect on the team’s success in the series.

2010 Kawasaki Z1000 – Bringing Sexy Back

Wed 10/07/2009 @ 9:02 am, by Jenny Gun

Home » Bikes » 2010 Kawasaki Z1000 – Bringing Sexy Back

We loved the Z1000 when it originally came out. A unique style, a superb power-plant, it was everything you wanted in a factory produced streetfighter. So, it warms our hearts to see that the Z1000 is back for 2010, and continues to push the envelope with its aggressive styling.

With an all-new 1,043cc inline-four motor that makes 136hp and 81lb•ft of torque , the 2010 Kawasaki Z1000 shouldn’t disappoint the butt dyno. Other than the now standard ugly exhaust pipe that seems to be plaguing sportbikes lately, we have a hard time not liking what Kawasaki has done here. Specs, photos, and videos after the jump.

Dropping the ZX-9R’s legacy motor, the Z1000 lives up to its name with a brand new 1,043cc inline-four power-plant. Grappling that motor to the rest of the bike, is a brand new aluminum beam frame, which should help reduce the bike’s overall weight from its predecessor’s. Kawasaki hasn’t released spec’s on a dry or curb weight, but expect something 20lbs lighter than the 2008 Z1000.

Helping keep the pot-holes at bay is a new horizontal rear-suspension that runs almost parallel to the tarmac. Other suspension changes include the addition of compression damping to the 41mm inverted forks, as well as rebound and preload adjustability. The all-new monoshock rear features rebound and preload adjustments only. The new suspension and sub-frame also drop the seat height by .2 inches, making the Z1000 slightly more friendly for short-legged riders.

With radial brakes on 300mm petal-shaped discs, stopping the Z1000 should be straight-forward and neck-snapping. Helping complete the look of the bike are new 5-spoke wheels, which we think are a great improvement over the 3-spokes sourced from before. Both the Pearl Stardust White & Metallic Spark Black paint jobs look fantastic, although we wish the Maroon paint scheme with the faux snake-skin seat was making it here to the US. With a $10,499 price tag, the new Z1000 slots in well below the Ducati Streetfighter and anticipated Aprilia Tuono V4, making it a worthy Euro-killer.

Promotional Videos:

Technical Specifications of the 2010 Kawasaki Z1000:

Engine: Four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, inline-four
Displacement: 1043cc
Bore x Stroke: 77.0 x 56.0mm
Compression Ratio: 11.8:1
Fuel Injection: DFI® with four 38mm Keihin throttle bodies, oval sub-throttles
Ignition: TCBI with digital advance
Transmission: Six-speed
Final Drive: X-ring chain
Rake / Trail: 24.5 degrees / 4.1 in.
Frame Type: Aluminum Backbone
Front Tire: 120/70 ZR17
Rear Tire: 190/50 ZR17
Wheelbase: 56.7 in.
Front Suspension / Wheel Travel: 41 mm inverted cartridge fork with stepless compression and rebound damping, adjustable spring preload / 4.7 in.
Rear Suspension / Wheel Travel: Horizontal monoshock with stepless rebound damping, adjustable spring preload / 5.4 in.
Front Brakes: Dual 300mm petal-type rotors with radial-mount four-piston calipers
Rear Brake: Single 250mm petal-type rotor with single-piston caliper
Overall Length: 82.5 in.
Overall Width: 31.7 in.
Overall Height: 42.1 in.
Seat Height: 32.1 in.
Fuel Capacity: 4.1 gal
Color Choices: Pearl Stardust White, Metallic Spark Black
MSRP: $10,499
Warranty: 12 Months

Top 5 Related Posts:

Tagged under: 2010, 2010 Kawasaki Z1000, Kawasaki, Kawasaki Z1000, naked-bike, streetfighter, video, Z1000

Comment:

Richard Seals says:

10/12/2009 at 12:28 PM

I am interested to find out when someone is going to do the first test
ride on this bike. I can’t wait to read it. I want to see one before I buy
one.
madu jumpmaster says:

11/30/2009 at 12:42 AM

Kawasaki Z1000 2010 model so fantastic and fabulous.
Yo says:

12/02/2009 at 6:23 PM

I got a bonner :)
Jerry Sepulveda says:

12/14/2009 at 6:00 PM

Left my name with a local shop. They called today, the bike just came in and was on the show room floor. I stopped in after work to have a look. The pictures do not do the bike justice (White & Orange pearl paint are applied immaculately)! The fit and finish of the bike was also amazing. Multi brand shop so a few competitors were nearby. The B King looked like a beast next to it. The Ducati streetfighter looked small in comparison, but did not overpower the Z with it’s italian esthetics. I’m sold.

…my 1200 Bandit and Ducati 900SS are now up for sale.

The Latest From A&R StreetLevel:

Was that a squirrel?
By: AnalogSquid @Tue, 30 Nov 1999 07:00:00