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.

Italian Sales Figures Show Insight into FZ8

02/03/2010 @ 11:36 am, by Jensen Beeler8 COMMENTS

Italian Sales Figures Show Insight into FZ8 2010 Yamaha FZ8 1 560x420

The announcement of the 2010 Yamaha FZ8 left many Americans confused as to why the Japanese company would release a 800cc version of it FZ1 naked streetbike. While Yamaha hasn’t confirmed the FZ8 will be coming to the US in 2010 (all the information to-date has come from Yamaha EU), abroad the battle in the 800cc middleweight slot has become increasingly contentious, and more importantly Yamaha’s presence there surprisingly non-existent.

The Associazione Nazionale Ciclo Motociclo Accessori (ANCMA), which is the Italian equivalent to our Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), has posted some interesting numbers on Italian bike sales. Taking a quick look at the Top 10 (in the Big 1o use of the number), we see three 800cc class motorcycles, and a handful of other bikes that you could consider alternatives to a middleweight naked bike. These bikes account for the fat-end of the tail in sales distribution, i.e. where manufacturers make the most money, but until recently this has been a market segment devoid of the tuning fork brand.

Unlike here in the USA, our European brothers have an inclination for the 750/800cc displacement size, and they are apparently selling very well abroad. There is little dispute that the BMW R1200GS has been the best selling motorcycle in the EU and in the world for some time now. The success of the GS in its various forms even prompted Ducati to chase the older and better monied adventure bike market with its 2010 Ducati Multistrada 1200. But the GS’s dominance seems to be coming to a close, at least in Italy (although other countries in the EU are likely to show similar numbers), and we can already see the rise of the 750/800cc naked class.

Part of the factor is certainly taste, but also consider that insurance abroad isn’t the same as it is here in the US. We Americans pay a pittance compared to our friends across the pond, and the deviation among motorcycle models and premium payment isn’t great. However find yourself in Europe, and you’ll pay handsomely for that litre bike, and you’ll pay out the nose if it is classified as a “sport bike”.

Considering the cheap cost up-front, and much more down to Earth pricing on naked bikes of a smaller displacement, the 800cc market provides a good mixture of performance and affordability to European riders. For these reasons, it makes the introduction of Yamaha to this market segment a logical choice, and the FZ8 a sure fire hit in the EU, but also these same reasons make the introduction of the FZ8 into the American market unlikely.

Considering the comparatively lower sales of the Ducati Hypermotard 796 and BMW F800R in the US expected for 2010, and the relative affordability of bigger displacement motorcycles, the FZ8 just doesn’t make the same economic sense here in the States. Yamaha is clearly entering into a hot market for the EU, but it remains to be seen if we’ll see the FZ8 domestically. Time will tell on this one.

Pos.ManufacturerModelSegmentTotal
001BMWR 1200 GSEnduro202
002KAWASAKIZ 750Naked196
003KAWASAKIZ1000Naked167
004DUCATIHYPERMOTARD 796Supermotard127
005BMWR 1200 GS ADVENTUREEnduro123
006HONDAXL 700 V TRANSALPEnduro118
007KAWASAKIVERSYSEnduro117
008DUCATIM 696Naked112
009KAWASAKIER-6NNaked104
010YAMAHAXJ6-NNaked97
011BMWF 800 RNaked93
012HONDACBR 1000 RRSportive88
013YAMAHAYZF-R125Sportive88
014KTM250 EXC RACINGEnduro85
015HONDA ITALIACB 1000 RNaked82
016HONDA ITALIACB 600 F HORNETNaked81
017DUCATISTREETFIGHTERNaked80
018YAMAHAYZF-R1Sportive79
019KTM125 EXCEnduro75
020BMWS 1000 RRSportive74
021BMWR 1200 RNaked72
022HUSQVARNASM 125Supermotard71
023SUZUKIDL 650 V-STROMEnduro70
024KTM300 EXCEnduro69
025KTMEXC 450Enduro67
026BMWF 800 GSEnduro66
027BETAEVO 2T 290Trial63
028SUZUKIGSR 600Naked58
029KAWASAKININJA ZX-6RSportive57
030YAMAHAYZF-R6Sportive54
031TRIUMPHBONNEVILLENaked53
032YAMAHAFZ6-SNaked51
033APRILIADORSODURO 750Supermotard47
034SUZUKIGSX-R 750Sportive46
035HONDACRE F 250R HMEnduro44
036KTM500 EXCEnduro44
037HARLEY-DAVIDSONFLSTFB FAT BOY SPECIALCustom43
038HONDAVFR 1200 FSportive41
039TRIUMPHTIGER 1050Turismo40
040YAMAHAXT 660 Z TENEREEnduro40
041APRILIARSV 4 1000 RSportive39
042BMWR 1200 RTTurismo38
043SUZUKIGSX-R 1000Sportive38
044DUCATIMULTISTRADA 1200 S TOURINGTurismo37
045HONDACBR 600 RRSportive37
046KAWASAKININJA 250RSportive37
047KAWASAKIVN 900 CLASSICCustom37
048MV AGUSTABRUTALE 1090 RRNaked37
049APRILIARS 125Sportive36
050SUZUKIGLADIUS 650Naked36
051TRIUMPHSTREET TRIPLENaked36
052YAMAHAFAZER 1000Naked36
053DUCATI1198/1198SSportive35
054KTMEXC 400Enduro35
055DUCATI848Sportive34
056HARLEY-DAVIDSONXL883N IRON 883Custom34
057KTM1000 SUPERMOTOSupermotard34
058YAMAHAWR 125 XSupermotard33
059KAWASAKININJA ZX-10RSportive32
060BMWF 650 GS NEWEnduro29
061HUSQVARNASM 510Supermotard29
062HUSQVARNATE 450Enduro28
063SYMXS125-K M.Y.08Naked28
064TRIUMPHSPEED TRIPLE 1050Naked28
065KAWASAKIER-6FNaked27
066MV AGUSTABRUTALE 990 RNaked27
067DUCATIHYPERMOTARD 1100 EVOSupermotard26
068HARLEY-DAVIDSONFXDWG DYNA WIDE GLIDECustom26
069HUSQVARNATE 250Enduro25
070KTM990 ADVENTUREEnduro25
071MOTO GUZZIV7 CLASSICNaked25
072YAMAHAWR 450Enduro25
073HUSQVARNATE 510Enduro24
074APRILIARSV 4 1000 FACTORYSportive23
075DUCATIMONSTER 1100Naked23
076HARLEY-DAVIDSONXL883L SPORTSTER 883 LOWCustom23
077KAWASAKIKLX 250 SEnduro23
078YAMAHAFZ1Naked22
079YAMAHAFZ6-NNaked22
080BETAALP 4.0Enduro21
081BUELL1125CRSportive21
082HARLEY-DAVIDSONFXDB DYNA STREET BOBCustom21
083KAWASAKI1400 GTRTurismo21
084YAMAHAWR 250 FEnduro21
085BMWK 1300 RNaked20
086HARLEY-DAVIDSONFXDC DYNA SUPER GLIDE CUSTOMCustom20
087HUSABERGFE 450Enduro20
088KTM690 LC4Supermotard20
089YAMAHAXJ6-SNaked20
090GAS GASENDUCROSS 300Enduro19
091HARLEY-DAVIDSONFXDF DYNA FAT BOBCustom19
092HARLEY-DAVIDSONXL1200N SPORTSTER 1200 NIGHTSTERCustom19
093HUSQVARNASM 610Supermotard19
094HUSQVARNAWRE 125Enduro19
095YAMAHAXVS 950 ACustom19
096BUELLXB12SX LIGHTNINGNaked18
097DERBIGPR 125 RACING 4TSportive18
098HARLEY-DAVIDSONFLHX STREET GLIDECustom18
099HONDACRE F 450R HMEnduro18
100HONDA ITALIACBF 1000Naked18

Source: MotoBlog.it

Top 5 Related Posts:

  1. KTM Sales up 22.4% in 2011 Thanks to India
  2. Yamaha’s Sales Up in North America, But Down Worldwide
  3. Yamaha Gets Serious About India with $500 Motorcycle
  4. 2013 Yamaha FZ8 Getting Minor Update for Next Year
  5. Are You the 2012 Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP Race Bike?

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Comment:

  1. mafiax says:
    February 3, 2010 at 11:39 AM

    RT @Asphalt_Rubber: Italian Sales Figures Show Insight into FZ8 – http://bit.ly/c4dxCr #motorcycle

  2. SUBANG PULSAR CLUB says:
    February 3, 2010 at 11:51 AM

    RT @Asphalt_Rubber: Italian Sales Figures Show Insight into FZ8 http://bit.ly/c4dxCr

  3. John says:
    February 3, 2010 at 4:22 PM

    You say “Considering the comparatively lower sales of the Ducati Hypermotard 796 and BMW F800R in the US expected for 2010″, yet the F800R isn’t even offered in the US (neither is the F800S anymore, only the ST), unless you know something we don’t???

  4. Asphalt_Rubber says:
    February 3, 2010 at 7:36 PM

    Italian Sales Figures Show Insight into FZ8 – http://bit.ly/c4dxCr #motorcycle

  5. Harold Simmons says:
    February 3, 2010 at 7:55 PM

    Italian Sales Figures Show Insight into FZ8: Considering the comparatively lower sales of the Ducati Hypermotard 7… http://bit.ly/c7aOin

  6. Reggie Gardner says:
    February 3, 2010 at 8:13 PM

    Italian Sales Figures Show Insight into FZ8 http://bit.ly/90rSaZ

  7. Pat says:
    February 4, 2010 at 5:55 AM

    Another non-offering from BMW is the K1300R:

    “BMW has no information on the future availability of the 2010 BMW K 1300 R in the United States. However, BMW is dreaming of exciting ways to tempt and please its special customers. We are designing and building models destined to propel BMW’s brand of power and style to a new level of riding pleasure. We suggest staying in touch with us through our website…”

    I was told by one sales rep at the NY International Motorcycle Show that this was due to the poor sales of the K1200R here in the states.

  8. Nick says:
    February 4, 2010 at 7:06 AM

    I think one of the more interesting items in the list is the number of S100RRs sold- almost as many as the RSV4 (both) + the 1198(both).