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.
Let’s hear it for unions! In my own experience, I have yet to see or hear of an American labor union doing anything good for the rank and file guy. Unless you consider keeping lazy, overpaid, under-skilled laborers from being fired good for the rank and file guy. I wonder if European unions are that much different?
I was a union man back in the day. I got paid over $40/hr to do unskilled manual labor, with all sorts of perks. I have friends with J.D.’s and M.B.A.’s who make less than that now, which is sort of disconcerting when you consider how much those programs cost.
The EU is far more worker oriented than the US, and Bologna is the center of the socialist movement in Italy. Getting around the unions there is next to impossible…which just adds to the “magic” of owning an Italian motorcycle company.
To grow, Moto Morini needs to come out with a new Superbike!
Unions Put the Kibosh on Moto Morini Acquisition – http://aspha.lt/10t #motorcycle
..based on the existing Corsaro Veloce chassis of course.
“Belusconi’s original offer was rumored to be for around €2.8-2.9 million, and included provisions for worker severance pay, new hires, and the new company leasing the current factory for the next six years, which would keep jobs in the Bologna area.”
Apart from this paragraph we don’t really know what was offered to the workers. Many in the media think that workers should just shut up and accept anything that is offered.
Yes, there have been crazy demands from Unions but until you know the facts why assume the Unions are the sole problem. What if Belusconi offered half pay for new hires, should the Union accept that?
In addition, If you think the Unions alone destroyed GM and Chrysler you are a fool.
Let’s stick to Motorcycles and keep away from politics, shall we.
@Anthony: Again, in my experience, if a union is involved, the union will be the issue. Which is not to say employers are always fair in their dealings, but when my uncle lost his GM job because the UAW and GM could not reach an agreement the “politics” of it became moot. The other union with which I am forced to contend with on a daily basis (whom I shall not name for employment reasons) makes it a point to go out of their way to get reinstated employees who have been fired for proper cause (assault, drugs, etc) and has even directed their chapters to file grievances for the sole purpose of extorting monies from the company. When the company is no longer able to afford to do business because of frivolous grievances and must shut down, who then is to blame?
Union is just trying to defend workers. According to the italian media, no official offers were made in order to mantain the job of any of the present day emploees, just a verbal(!) promise to save 20 jobs out of ca. 60. Any solution proposed by the Union, which they say woud cost nothing to Berlusconi, was refused.
Several people think that Berlusconi is interested only in the brand and would shout down the pruduction of bike in Bologna, hence fire all workers, and perhaps to it move abroad. His other company (Garelli) is in fact 100% “made in China”.
Unions do need to improve, but unions definitely are needed. Without them, big business will not take long to do whatever to whomever. Best wishes on a mutually beneficial agreement and long live Moto Morini
Its a shame that they are having these troubles. I’d love to see a larger selection of sport twins on the market. IMHO unions aren’t necessary – business, big or little are limited by the market quite nicely. This point isn’t universally accepted, but does have significant support – at least enough that it shouldn’t be quickly dismissed. I totally agree with the best wishes for all parties involved!
The workers have always been a liability to the CEO class, and unless your a CEO, you should back off of blaming unions or workers for this deal falling through.
There are no published offers made from Belusconi or the unions. So when bashing unions or the workers, you show your own bias.
How do you know it’s not the unions/workers insisting the factory stay there longer that the other side cant agree to? or firing the workers and rehiring for half the pay ala circuit city….
its always the worker makes or wants too much money..what a joke.
all the money ends up at the top, maybe one day the union bashers will realize they’re fighting for the owner class and hurting us all.