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.

Shocking Barack: Brammo Wants Obama To Ride An Electric Motorcycle

Thu 10/15/2009 @ 6:10 pm, by John Adamo

Home » News » Shocking Barack: Brammo Wants Obama To Ride An Electric Motorcycle

Brian Wismann and David Schiff are on a mission two Brammo’s riding from Detroit, Michigan to Washington DC, retracing the steps of the Big 3 automakers with an end goal of meeting with President Obama. Brammo feels they have a solution to the transportation crisis and America’s dependence on oil, and they want Obama to see the Brammo Enertia first hand.

Wismann and Schiff make a very interesting and unlikely combination of engineer and marketing personality. Brian being the strait-laced Lead Engineer of Brammo and Dave the tattoo covered, extremely vocal Creative Director of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Brammo’s advertising firm. Dave often rides with CP+B partner Alex Bogusky, and is no stranger to motorcycles.

Knowing the brains behind this trek, it fairly obvious the motivation leans towards marketing, but they pose a strong argument that solving the “transportation crisis” is the goal.

While we are not overly confident this journey will end with Barack sitting on an Enertia there is no doubt it will bring visibility to Brammo, electric motorcycles, and electric transportation in general. Over the last 2 days the duo has met with Jim Cousins and interviewed him about his electric vehicle collection (the largest in the world), conducted an interview with Fox news and Auto Blog Green and met with the Mayor of Adrian, Michigan.

It appears the journey will help Brammo gain some insights on the challenges electric motorcycle owners will face in a world built for petrol powered vehicles. Brian and David must seek electrical outlets every 40 miles, beg for $0.35 of electricity for the 4 hour recharge and can’t exceed 60 mph, the Enertia’s top speed. Much of the Michigan leg has been cold and rainy. They have been pulled over for running a stop sign in an attempt to save the electricity of accelerating. They are not trying to hide this either, it is all being documented on twitter, the Shocking Barack web site and YouTube with a good amount of humor.

Asphalt & Rubber wishes Schocking Barack the best of luck. As always, everything Brammo is being watched closely and documented by BrammoFan. If you would like to host these guys and let them charge up join their group at Couchsurfing.com. They are also hoping to network with anyone who can arrange a meeting with Obama if you happen to know anyone. Stay tuned.

Source: Shocking Barack via: Plug Bike

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Tagged under: Brammo, Brian Wismann, CP+B, Crispin Porter and Bogusky, David Schiff, electric, electric motorcycle, marketing, Shocking Barack, video

Comment:

John Adamo says:

10/15/2009 at 3:08 PM

RT @Asphalt_Rubber: Shocking Barack: Brammo Wants Obama To Ride An Electric Motorcycle – http://bit.ly/2pyauO #motorcycle
Brammofan says:

10/15/2009 at 3:14 PM

Shocking Barack: Brammo Wants Obama To Ride An Electric Motorcycle – http://bit.ly/2pyauO (via @Asphalt_Rubber) by @skadamo , the great!
Frank Schuengel says:

10/15/2009 at 6:28 PM

RT @skadamo: RT @Asphalt_Rubber: Shocking Barack: Brammo Wants Obama To Ride An Electric Motorcycle – http://bit.ly/2pyauO #motorcycle
Betinternet.com says:

10/15/2009 at 7:16 PM

RT @skadamo RT @Asphalt_Rubber: Shocking Barack: Brammo Wants Obama To Ride An Electric Motorcycle – http://bit.ly/2pyauO #motorcycle
Jeff A. Jones says:

10/16/2009 at 1:19 AM

Shocking Barack: Brammo Wants Obama To Ride An Electric Motorcycle http://bit.ly/4g0zFP
Cleo Tate says:

10/16/2009 at 5:41 AM

Shocking Barack: Brammo Wants Obama To Ride An Electric Motorcycle http://bit.ly/3MbMXV
Morpheous says:

10/16/2009 at 3:24 PM

They are naive if they think this is a “solution” for American transportation. Hell, most Americans cant(wont) even ride a bicycle anymore, let alone a motorcycle or scooter. You cannot use your mobile comm devices when you actually have to concentrate and use all your extremities to be mobile. This, unfortunately, is a flight of fancy for what will become a novel attempt to change the world. (electric or gas powered, bi-wheeled transport modes dont mesh with full time communications addiction). This is a global situation and its a shame. Busses will gain mainstream popularity and light rail will prevail for commuters as the country comes to terms with the energy issues facing us. Romantic idea at best.
Areez says:

10/22/2009 at 3:38 AM

Would suggest diming that headlight a bit during daytime running to conserve some battery power. Or maybe swapping the bulb out with one of those energy saver bulbs???

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