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.

Reports of Moto Morini’s Death Appear to Be Un-True

Wed 12/09/2009 @ 9:23 am, by Jenny Gun

Home » News » Reports of Moto Morini’s Death Appear to Be Un-True

After we posted yesterday that Moto Morini had shut down its production line, amid the Italian company’s financial problems, other publications began covering the company’s complete closure. This caught the folks at Moto Morini off-guard, who while on an extended day-off, insist they are still keeping the production line functioning, if admittedly at a significantly reduced capacity.

According to Moto Morini, the company closed Monday for a traditional Italian holiday, and remained closed for an extra day after that. According to MCN, a spokesman for the company said that Moto Morini is still trading and producing bikes, “at present Moto Morini is only producing bikes to order while they clear a backlog of machines in stock. They remain optimistic about the future.”

While the good news is that Moto Morini’s demise appears to have been overstated, the response from the company is still bittersweet. Any company that has reduced its production to a per order basis, while having a backlong of machines in its stock, is upside down on its production line. Additionally, the lengthening of the holiday also sounds more like a holiday idling, than a generous holiday vacation.

Despite all this, Moto Morini is still actively looking for a potential buyer, and its operating sales, technical assistance and post-sales, as well as spare parts departments remain fully-functioning.

Source: MCN & Motoblog.it

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Tagged under: bankruptcy, closure, factory, Moto Morini, plant, production

Comment:

Hayabrusa says:

12/09/2009 at 9:59 AM

C’mon somebody – bail these guys out and start homologating bikes for the US market!! I’d really like to get my hands on a Granpasso quite badly!
Peter Lombardi says:

12/09/2009 at 10:09 AM

RT @Asphalt_Rubber: Reports of Moto Morini's Death Appear to Be Un-True – http://bit.ly/4Qq5nY #motorcycle
Peter Lombardi says:

12/09/2009 at 10:13 AM

i agree 100% with Hayabrusa up there, i also want a quirky 1200 Granpasso something awful! haha

glad to hear they’re not hanging their hat just yet though.
-peter
Greg says:

12/09/2009 at 2:18 PM

Give me a scrambler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
W says:

12/09/2009 at 5:13 PM

Monday was the St. Ambrogio holiday in Milano , the city shuts down. Tuesday was the Immaculate Conception holiday. It is typical for many in Italy to combine these holidays into a 4 day weekend.
Peter Lombardi says:

12/09/2009 at 8:22 PM

Greg, the Scrambler was my second choice ;)
-peter
Jenny Gun says:

12/09/2009 at 10:47 PM

I’d take the Corsaro Avio. *whipes drool from mouth*

That reminds me, I think I have enough shots of the other Morini’s to put a post together…their booth was horribly lit, but stay tuned I might have something for your dreamers.
Beveldrive900 says:

01/14/2010 at 12:27 AM

I bought myself a Corsaro Veloce 1200 at the end of 2008 and have been biting my nails almost ever since. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the bike, in fact it’s an utterly awesome machine, the problem is that within 2 months of my purchase the Australian importers went down the drain, last year (‘09) I hear that MM are in liquidation and now the news just seems to be getting worse. I’m hoping like hell that they find a worthy investor, I bought my bike to be ridden as it’s designers intended, not to end up being a pretty decoration in my shed!

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