PPIHC: Carlin Dunne Sets Outright Best Motorcycle Time at Pikes Peak Tire Test on a Lightning Motorcycle

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.

Report: Indianapolis “Opting-Out” of 2014 MotoGP Race?

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.

2014 Yamaha FZ-09 – Three Cylinders of Naked

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.

Trackside Tuesday: The Mind-Killer

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.

Video: Still Think Electric Motorcycles Are Slow?

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.

Here’s Your Feel Good Moment of the Week — Now, What’s Your Excuse for Not Riding Today?

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.

Erzberg Rodeo – Red Bull’s S&M Playhouse for Motorcycles

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.

Controlling the Uncontrollable – The Role of Ritual in Racing

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.

Up-Close with the 2013 MotoCzysz E1pc

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.

MotoGP: Max Biaggi To Test Ben Spies’s Ducati at Mugello, Michele Pirro To Replace Spies at Barcelona

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.

Photos: 2013 Honda RC213V

01/24/2013 @ 10:53 am, by Jensen Beeler11 COMMENTS

We teased it to you yesterday, but today we finally have photos of the 2013 Honda RC213V in all its high-resolution glory. With the Repsol Honda squad getting a new livery package this year, the RC213V becomes quite the looker as the team sports a bit more white in their color scheme, with the effect being a more clean and fresh look for the factory Honda squad.

Debuting the team and machines at Repsol HQ in Madrid, both of HRC’s resident Spaniards, Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez, were on-hand for the event. With Pedrosa showing himself to be a new man in the latter-half of the 2012 season, and Marc Marquez tipped to be the new talent in MotoGP, Repsol Honda has a formidable pairing at its disposal, as well as a very solid motorcycling package.

“I am very happy to have been here at Campus Repsol today, and to have been the one unveiling the bike and its new livery,” said Dani Pedrosa. “We had run with the old design for a long time and I think that now is a good moment for a change. This year’s bike has a fresh touch to it, which can give us a boost at the races. I hope the fans like it too.”

“I’m starting this preseason really keen, as at the Valencia test after the last race of 2012 we had so much rain that we couldn’t do much,” Pedrosa continued. “I can’t wait to get to Malaysia and have a few days to put the bike through its paces, enjoy myself and see which parts we are going to use for the opening race”

“I have really been looking forward to this moment,” said Marquez. “I am very happy to have presented the new colour scheme for my move up from Moto2 to MotoGP. Seeing the bike painted with the Repsol and HRC logos makes you feel very satisfied with this new step forward —it makes you realise what a dream-come-true it is. I’m like a kid with new shoes! I enjoyed the atmosphere of the presentation a lot, and I was able to see that the press attention for MotoGP is light years ahead of that for Moto2.”

“We’ll adapt to this, little-by-little,” continue Marquez. “In the end, the important thing is what happens on the track, so I can’t wait for the Malaysia tests to start. I think that it was a very positive initiative to broadcast the presentation online, because I’m sure lots of fans would have liked to have attended t his event. I hope that they enjoyed it a lot”

2013 Honda RC213V Technical Specifications

Overall length (mm)	2,052
Overall width (mm)	645
Overall height (mm)	1,110
Wheelbase (mm)	1,435
Road clearance	115
Weight (kg)	As per FIM regulations
Engine type	liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC 4 valve, V-4
Displacement	1000
Maximum power	Over 170 KW
Frame type	Aluminum twin-tube
Wheels Front (inch)	16.5
Wheels Rear (inch)	16.5
Suspension Front	Telescopic fork
Suspension Rear	Pro-link
Fuel tank capacity (litres)	21

Source: Repsol Honda

Tagged under: 2013 Honda RC213V, Dani Pedrosa, Honda, Honda RC213V, HRC, Marc Márquez, MotoGP, photos, RC213V, Repsol, Repsol Honda, technical specifications

Comment:

Afletra says:
January 24, 2013 at 11:04 AM
Not bad…at least, there are no “wave” striping anymore :D
Hey…where’s “ONE Heart” a.k.a “SATU Hati” logo? Is Yamaha Indonesia stop supporting HRC in MotoGP? Hmm…
SBPilot says:
January 24, 2013 at 11:18 AM
Love the new design. It’s hard than most people think to pull off a new design with limited space and colour palette. Right now what I see is potential domination. The bikes, and riders. If DP can carry his form over and MM learn the GP bike as quick as he did the Moto2 (which I have no doubt of), we can expect these two sweeeeeet looking bikes at the front frequently. I pray all riders stay healthy this season so they can all fight for the title not only for their sake of health but for better racing.
maklampir says:
January 24, 2013 at 11:27 AM
for me, the best livery for repsol honda team was Doohan/criville livery’ 1997-98…the best ever livery for the team…
they should use that livery.
adam says:
January 24, 2013 at 12:08 PM
not real. i think those pics are from a tamiya model…
;)
JHB1984 says:
January 24, 2013 at 12:14 PM
so … pic nr 5 … electronic suspension ??
cheers
monkeyfumi says:
January 24, 2013 at 1:44 PM
@JHB1984
No, just a wheel speed sensor wire.
Electronic suspension has been banned in GP for a number of years now.
JHB1984 says:
January 24, 2013 at 2:30 PM
hm … sure, you probably right … just came into my mind, as öhlins is very electronically active in the recent time ;o)
Pearty says:
January 24, 2013 at 9:03 PM
Looks a bit like a fruit salad
terpinator says:
January 25, 2013 at 11:53 PM
Change is not always for the positive in design…. the classic Repsol livery with the black is, imo, much better. I’m not liking the white. it makes the bikes look less aggressive. thumbs down on the new livery.
L2C says:
January 28, 2013 at 2:14 PM
It has a lighter more refreshing effect. They’ll look great in action. And while they may not look as aggressive as last year’s, but they do look faster. I can dig it.
To be honest, though, all this filler is driving me up the wall. Can we get to Qatar already? Seriously, are we there yet?
pooh_racing says:
February 5, 2013 at 7:22 PM
Wow…..

Follow Asphalt & Rubber on Facebook

Follow Asphalt & Rubber