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.

Up-Close with the Brammo Empulse RR

Tue 07/27/2010 @ 2:32 pm, by Jenny Gun

Home » Bikes » Up-Close with the Brammo Empulse RR

Although it didn’t take part in the e-Power electric race at Laguna Seca, the Brammo Empulse RR was on display in the Brammo pit area during the weekend, and we got a chance to lay our hands on the bike for the first time. Based off the Brammo Empulse street bike, the Empulse RR comes packed with 12.5 kWh of battery power (same as the MotoCzysz E1pc), which according to Brammo makes it the best bike in the paddock in terms of power-to-weight ratios.

Coming together in just eight weeks, the Brammo Empulse RR still has some kinks to iron out, as the bike apparently cooked off its liquid-cooled motor during testing. While the Brammo team figures out its foray into liquid-cooled electric motors (the Brammo Enertia uses an air-cooled motor), the rest of the Empulse RR package looks very promising.

Up-close the Empulse RR is just as striking as the Empulse street bike, with an obviously more performance-oriented attitude. The most striking addition is the full race fairing, which Brammo’s Director of Product Development Brian Wismann says could be an option to Empulse owners if there’s enough interest. There is also some hinting as to the possibility of there being an Empulse spec-racing class, but we’ll have to wait and see on that development.

The addition of a performance-oriented machine into the Brammo line is a crucial event for Brammo. “As we expand our product line, it also gets easier for us because not everybody is looking for the Enertia to be everything to everybody,” explained Wismann. “Now people can see it for its intended purpose.” That purpose of course is an around town commuter, ideal for urban situations; whereas the Empulse will service riders with longer commutes, and an inclination to twist the wrist a bit more. Just as other OEMs have segmented their product offerings, you can expect to see other models rollout from Brammo.

Helping drive those new model debuts is the Empulse RR itself. The Brammo Empulse RR is really Brammo’s rolling test center for the up-coming Empulse road-bike, with many of the RR’s components likely to make it into the final design spec. The most obvious carry-over is the twin-spar aluminum frame and extruded aluminum swingarm, which are light weight and help create a solid chassis. This is a slight departure from the current Empulse that’s been on display, which has a steel swingarm. As Wismann tells us, the steel swingarm is actually lighter than the aluminum version on the RR, but for mass production purposes aluminum will likely be used instead.

As for racing this year, Brammo CEO Craig Bramscher reassured us that we will see the Empulse RR racing at some point in 2010, likely at VIR and the last two FIM races in Europe. You can also expect Brammo to run the bike around a few west coast tracks for promotional events. We wouldn’t rule out another appearance at Laguna Seca, with the Brammo crew answering some “what-if’s” about the Empulse RR’s abilities over a nine lap race pace. Should such an event occurring, A&R will be there.

Photos: Jensen Beeler / Asphalt & Rubber – Creative Commons – Attribution 3.0

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Tagged under: Brammo, Brammo Empulse, Brammo Empulse RR, Brian Wismann, Craig Bramscher, EMPulse, Empulse RR, Laguna Seca, photos

Comment:

Brammofan says:

07/27/2010 at 2:45 PM

Nicely done, Jen.
i.am.one says:

07/27/2010 at 2:53 PM

what is the power of empulse rr? hp motor?
Derek Hanbidge says:

07/27/2010 at 3:02 PM

Great images, I love the look of the RR, one step further would have been to ‘black out’ the battery cases. Love the full fairing!
Judy LaParne says:

07/28/2010 at 6:59 PM

The images are great. Cant wait to plant myself on that bike! I think my Enertia is getting jealous!
eric says:

07/29/2010 at 9:32 AM

Wow! Nice images! Keep ‘em coming. I love that you guys publish high-res images of the bikes you report on; it allows people like me to really study the details.

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