The competitors for the 91st Pikes Peak International Hill Climb have just concluded a two-day tire test at the Colorado road course, and it should perhaps come as no surprise that our boy Carlin Dunne has posted the outright fastest lap for a motorcycle during the tire test (the Santa Barbara native set the outright two-wheeled course record last year on his Ducati Multistrada 1200 S). What is surprising about Carlin’s result at the tire test is that he was on the Lightning Motorcycles electric superbike. That’s right, the fastest bike so far for 2013′s Race to the Clouds is a 200+ hp electric superbike that is refueled with solar energy. Petrol heads, eat your heart out.
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.
Sorry chaps, but it’s kinda lacking…
To be frank, out of all the current Japanese litre bikes, it’s the ZX10 that has me interested. Still, at least the GSXRs aren’t as uninspiring as the dated Honda sports collection!
Woopee. Way to push the envelope Suzuki.
I can fart out more interesting “tuning” than that. Lazy Suzuki, lazy.
Suzuki, fighting for the lamest motorcycle OEM spot with Honda. This is coming from a current Zook owner.
I hope they come out with something “fresh and interesting” this year at EICMA. God ! they sure could use it.
It’s a shame that Yosh is coming out with this bike that really only is cosmetically different. Yosh stands for performance and they at least could have massaged/tweaked the motor to keep with the performance aspect. Not really sure it’s worth the extra money they will be asking just for cosmetics. I never really understood why manufacturers release limited edition models that add no extra performance. Fiat R1, Repsol CBR, Foggy Ducati Monster etc etc…Even more so with this Yosh Edition GSXR…
Such a far cry from the awesomeness of the Yoshimura Suzuki Tornados of the late 80′s – early 90′s…
Suzuki still living off the their reputation during the Schwantz years. I agree, the most interesting japanese bikes of today are the Kawasaki’s, but I still think the Yamaha’s are the best handling.
@ phs
What’s the difficulty? they give you little bits and pieces, but the main contribution is the option to have the liveries of your favourite team or pilot. Lets face it, most owners are going to want to make their own mods anyway. At least they have a color scheme outside the normal selection.
All show & no go, just a paint job really
Westward…I agree with you about the bits and pieces they put on the bike, livery etc. I just think they should tweak/tune the motor etc to give you something very special for your money. It would make these bikes retain resale value and you would really have something underneath you when twisting the throttle.
I like the scheme; but yea no tuning bits included :-(
eh… looks good, and at least now suzuki has chosen the brembo monoblocs. not my cup of tea, but i don’t hate this bike.
At least they could have given the bike a full Yoshi exhaust system! Jeez! no extra bang for extra bucks…Screw You Suzuki!….The 12′ ZX-10 or 12′ R1 would be getting my money!!
The problem with wanting a tweaked engine and a full exhaust is that the bike would no longer be CARB/EPA-friendly. Getting an engine emissions tested is no small investment for a manufacturer and it’s not cost-effective to push through a small run of tweaked motors, not to mention the risk of it not meeting emissions requirements.
Trane has nailed it. Anyone who was expecting more than this was deluding themselves.
That red one looks fucking nice though.
Yeah, that red one had me gasp a little. Great livery and I bet it sounds fabulous.
These ususally come at the end of a product life. Good way for both companies to clear inventory… is there a new model coming within the next 12 months?
that gsxr 1k looks sexy. i like it.
If Yoshimura truly cannot do engine mods that will pass emissions then are are not deserving of the title tuner in any way.
@Tom: Simple truth of internal combustion engines is that when you turn up the power for a given efficiency, you also turn up the emissions. You can’t produce more power without changing what comes out of the exhaust. Modern ICEs already use crap such as catalytic converters to stay within regulations. Many of them already run on the lean side for precisely the reason that it’s extremely difficult to eek out both power and efficiency. At some point, you have to allow for more gunk coming out the back end in the pursuit of ponies.
You can’t fault Yosh here. Suzuki will have spent millions developing the engine to be what it is. Porting, ECU tweaks, cams/timing and the rest all have an inextricable effect on the emissions curves. That’s the bad news from one who has spent 15 years working in the industry.
Trane, What you say is true. But, I still stand by my comment that if it is true that Yoshimura cannot do any engine mods and get the bike to pass emissions (even if it cannot pass CA emissions) then they don’t deserve the name of tuner. They should be called something else because expert turner is completely inaccurate.
It’s not that Yoshimura can’t. As I wrote way, way above, it’s the economics of development and testing. By the time your limited run of GSXRs hit the dealer floor with its preinstalled hotrod stuff (preinstalled is the keyword here), you could expect to pay $50,000+ for one. I doubt anybody here is quite that much of a fan to pay that price for a few fairing stickers and a few ponies. It’s way cheaper to just buy the limited run as is being presented and then take the bike to Yoshimura itself to get the bad-boy work done, emissions be damned.
The only real way to get around it is to make the tuning parts dealer installed and give the bikes full warranty anyway. Even then, you’ll note that makes who offer such animals (e.g., Ducati’s homologation ECU, air filter and muffler sets) don’t go the full monty for street-approved use. Once you get full-system exhausts hitting the bike, you’re selling track-only gear.
*shrug*
For what it’s worth, a single test cell purchase and commissioning can cost millions of dollars. Running driving cycle emissions tests such as FTP-75 and the like are extremely expensive simply because running a test cell costs hundreds of dollars per hour. Chassis dynos increase the complexity and cost of testing in a big way.