Q&A: Yukio Kagayama Talks About the Upcoming Suzuka 8-Hour with Kevin Schwantz & Noriyuki Haga

In case you missed the story last week, Kevin Schwantz is preparing to race in this year’s Suzuka 8-Hour endurance race. For the race, Schwantz will be riding on a team formed by Yukio Kagayama, who in addition to having raced in the MotoGP, World Superbike, and British Superbike Championships, is also a previous Suzuka 8-Hour winner with the Suzuki Endurance Race Team (also joining the three-rider team Noriyuki “Nitro” Haga). Releasing a Q&A about his team’s Suzuka 8-Hour entry, Kagayama-san walks us through how the team came together, what equipment the riders will use, and his outlook on the team’s competitiveness.

KTM RC4 Concept by Luca Bar Design

A single-cylinder hooligan-maker, the KTM 690 Duke is 330 lbs (curbside without fuel) and 67hp of two-wheeled fun, and we hope that the Austrians bring the KTM 690 Duke R our way as well. While we are on the topic of things missing from KTM’s American line-up, a decent supersport is painfully obvious, yet we can’t see the folks at KTM following the paths of other brands. That’s where our friend Luca Bar comes to mind with his latest concept: the KTM RC4. Using the KTM 690 Duke platform and its LC4 engine, Bar has designed a super-single full-fairing sport bike that takes the Austrian company’s “Ready to Race” DNA and applies it to an idea that is not all that disimilar to the Ducati Supermono.

Q&A: Claudio Domenicali Talks Frameless Chassis, Sacred Cows, & The Future for Ducati

When I sat down with Claudio Domenicali at the Ducati 1199 Panigale R launch, the now-CEO of Ducati Motor Holding was still just the General Manager of the Italian motorcycle company. Four weeks after our interview though, Gabriele del Torchio would leave Ducati for Alitalia; and Domenicali, a 21-year veteran of both the racing and production departments of Ducati, would take his place at the top of Italy’s most prestigious motorcycle brand. After reading our interview from Austin, Texas after the jump, I think you will agree too.

Is Yamaha Using A Seamless Gearbox? The Data Says No

That Yamaha is working on a seamless gearbox is no secret, with Yamaha’s test riders currently racking up the kilometers around tracks in Japan. Recently, however, Spanish magazine SoloMoto published an article suggesting that Yamaha has already been using its new seamless gearbox since the beginning of the season. My own enquiries to check whether Yamaha was using a seamless gearbox or not always received the same answer: no, Yamaha is not using the seamless gearbox. To test this denial, I went out to the side of the track on Friday morning at Jerez to record the bikes as they went by.

OCC Coming Back to TV? — Universe Collapses in on Self

After a very public father/son break-up between Paul Teutul Sr. and Paul Teutul Jr., a steroid-ring scandal involving Paul Sr., and finally a bankruptcy proceeding, it appears that Orange County Choppers is the impossible to kill multi-headed hydra of doom that we all knew it was, as the custom chopper shop is once again headed to the small screen and recruiting some talent, on and off the show. Looking for “someone who will work alongside Paul Senior, running the shop and helping build some of the best custom motorcycles in the world,” OCC says it will be back on television with a new show later this month. Please for the love of god, will someone give this man the attention he craves so dearly??! Or, just shoot us in the face.

Alstare Superbike Concept by Team Alstare

We love us some concept bikes here at Asphalt & Rubber, and we have featured more than a few pieces of stunning design and imagination on our pages. Though, we can’t remember the last time one of these works of art were brought to us by a legitimate racing team, but that is what we have here with the Team Alstare Superbike Concept. A nod to the former Suzuki team’s return to the World Superbike Championship as the Ducati factory squad with Carlos Checa and Ayrton Badovini, Alstare has enlisted the help of designer Serge Rusak of Rusak Kreaktive Designworks to ink the shape of its futuristic Superbike concept, while Tryptik Studios handled the 3D modeling prowess.

Transcript: The Gay Question at Jerez

If you didn’t watch Thursday’s pre-event press conference for MotoGP at Jerez, it is worth a viewing right to the end (assuming you have a MotoGP.com account). Building off the news about the NBA’s Jason Collins coming out as gay in a self-written feature in Sport Illustrated, my good colleague David Emmett had the courage to inquire about the culture and acceptance of the MotoGP paddock for homosexual riders. For the sake of accuracy, after the jump is a full transcript of David’s question, as put to riders Cal Crutchlow, Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez, Andrea Dovizioso, Stefan Bradl, and Scott Redding, as well as those riders’ responses to David’s inquiry.

2014 Suzuki GSV-R Spotted Again

News that Suzuki plans on returning to the MotoGP Championship in 2014 should be old information for dedicated Asphalt & Rubber readers, and the Japanese company’s inline-four race bike was already spotted doing test laps last year by the eager eyes at Cycle World. Well the American print-mag has another set of eyebrow-raising high-quality photos of the 2014 Suzuki GSV-R to mull over from the Motegi race track, along with some technical insights provided by the venerable Kevin Cameron.

BMW F800GS Adventure – Germany’s Middleweight ADV

A surprise addition to BMW Motorrad’s 2013 model line-up, zie Germans have announced a new middleweight adventure-tourer, the 2013 BMW F800GS Adventure. Like its larger predecessor, the BMW F800GS Adventure is a more travel-ready and off-road capable build of the recently updated BMW F800GS motorcycle. Featuring a larger windscreen, panniers, and a bigger fuel tank capacity (2.1 gallons larger, for a total of 6.3 gallons of fuel), the BMW F800GS Adventure keeps the same 85 hp, liquid-cooled, 798cc, parallel-twin engine found on the F800GS, as well as the same chassis configuration. Pricing in the US will be $13,550 for the base model BWM F800GS Adventure.

Kevin Schwantz Returns to Motorcycle Racing – Enters the Suzuka 8-Hours with Team Kagayama

Former 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz has certainly been in the news a bit these past few months, mostly for his involvement and falling out with the Circuit of the Americas and the Americas GP, but also more recently for his comments regarding Dani Pedrosa — we also sat down with Mr. Schwantz in Austin, and the Texan gave us some sobering insight into the future of American road racing. As if all that wasn’t enough, Schwantz is making a return to two-wheeled racing, and has entered the prestigious Suzuka 8-Hours endurance race with Team Kagayama racing alongside Noriyuki Haga and team owner Yukio Kagayama.

2012 Bol d’Or Final Qualifying Results

04/13/2012 @ 5:36 pm, by Jensen Beeler10 COMMENTS

2012 Bol d’Or Final Qualifying Results Team SERT Bol dOr 2012 qualifying 635x423

Concluding its second day of qualifying, the grid for the 2012 Bol d’Or remains essentially in the same order, as the times on Friday at Magny-Cours were slower than yesterday’s qualifying session. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team’s legacy of FIM World Endurance Championship domination remains intact, which lead SERT Team Principal to say, “I don’t understand what the competition is doing!” during the press debrief. SERT’s Vincent Philippe was the only rider to break into the 1’39 time bracket. The 76th running of the Bol d’Or 24 Heures starts tomorrow at noon, local time.

Second & Final Qualifying Results for the Bol d’Or 24 Hours at Magny-Cours, France:

Pos.TeamBikeRidersClassTime
1Suzuki Endurance Racing TeamSuzukiPhilippe/Delhalle/ForetEWC1’40.514
2Team Kawasaki SRCKawasakiDa Costa/Leblanc/FourEWC+0.339
3Yamaha GMT94 Michelin YamalubeYamahaCheca/Foray/LagriveEWC+0.564
4BMW Motorrad France TheventBMWGimbert/Cudlin/NigonEWC+0.579
5Monster Yamaha YARTYamahaJerman/Martin/GiabbaniEWC+1.054
6Louit Moto 33KawasakiBaz/Guarnoni/ChevauxSST+1.935
7Bolliger Team SwitzerlandKawasakiSaiger/Stamm/TangreEWC+2.078
8Junior Team Suzuki LMSSuzukiGuittet/Tangre/EnjolrasSST+2.124
9Yamahalube Folch EnduranceYamahaRibalta/Dos Santos/TizonEWC+2.664
10National MotosHondaMonge/Bocquet/MassonEWC+2.690
11Honda TT LegendsHondaDonald/McGuinness/JohnsonEWC+2.880
12Team Motors EventsSuzukiSavary/Dietrich/MoreiraSST+2.943
13Maco RacingYamahaPridmore/Junod/BalckEWC+2.998
14AM Moto RacingSuzukiLoiseau/Denis/MaitreSST+3.114
15Starteam 67SuzukiLucas/Hardt/DiguetSST+3.350
16RAC 41 Yamaha Avenue IponeYamahaBrivet/De Carolis/GantnerSST+3.372
17Team 18 Sapeurs PompiersBMWMolinier/Prulhiere/BriereEWC+3.553
18TRT 27 City BikeSuzukiDepoorter/Hedelin/HouissinEWC+3.634
19Penz13 Kraftwerk HerpignyBMWAuger/Fastre/VallcanerasSST+3.632
20Atomic MotorsportSuzukiMuteau/Lalevee/JondSST+3.845
21Team Raffin MotosMV AgustaSlachaud/Polesso/BuffardOpen+3.998
22DG Sport HerockYamahaVan Keymeulen/Cudlin/VizzielloSST+4.180
23MCS Racing IponeSuzukiDevoyon/Bellucci/SasetaSST+4.200
243D Endurance Moto CenterKawasakiDebise/Delegue/HolubSST+4.272
25Team FMA AssurancesHondaSotter/Mackels/MorinEWC+4.414
26Tati TeamKawasakiPerrault/Deletrez/EchardSST+4.539
27SH Technologie ScrubsBMWPouhair/Teramoto/DemareyEWC+4.602
28TSV Volpke by SchubertBMWAltendorfer/Kispataki/ReichmannSST+4.743
29Moto AIN RacingYamahaHaquin/Mizera/VarescoSST+4.906
30Dunlop Motors EventsSuzukiCharpin/Maccio/WolfSST+5.168
31No LimitsSuzukiSaltarelli/Erbacci/CasasSST+5.198
32DL Moto RacingKawasakiSzalai/Meco/MeyerSST+5.330
33Viltais Racing DivisionYamahaBardet/Besnard/RochetSST+5.404
34AZ Moto ExpertSuzukiMezard/Mau/NavarreteSST+5.989
35Racing Team SarazinKawasakiGerouah/Kokes/BernonSST+6.168
36Team R2CLSuzukiCapela/Dumain/CheronEWC+6.550
37Motobox KremerSuzukiGaziello/Scherrer/PaavilainenEWC+6.733
38Aprilia Le Mans 2 RouesApriliaBoue/Parisse/Le RoyerSST+6.811
39TMS RacingHondaGaillard/Henriques/PalaccioSST+7.115
40Team Racing+Oui FMHondaDubarle/Tabieres/De SouseSST+7.581
41Ecurie Chrono SportKawasakiHerveux/Pibolleau/SeguraSST+7.584
42Flemmbo Dijamant SerbiaKawasakiBosio/Cersosimo/DehayeEWC+7.873
43MotoracingpartsBMWLehnherr/Jourdan/Gigiger/CoiroSST+7.886
44BI-Meca Racing TeamKawasakiFeuillee/Pons/BergeronSST+7.908
45Motos Actives Sport 14SuzukiPigeon/Pigeon/RocheSST+7.986
46Space MotoSuzukiNouvellon/Deneque/GallerandEWC+8.150
47Acro Racing TeamYamahaJean/Grimber/LucasSST+8.968
48PLV RacingYamahaLerat/Sajoux/BessonSST+9.120
49Max et Yann RacingSuzukiThepaut/Cury/LanielEWC+9.183
50Team Racing 85KawasakiGaufreteau/Landreau/PerrinSST+9.762
5124 Racing Lesmotard.comBMWDelage/Romanens/BrunoSST+10.496
52SRET 666BMWDelanoe/Lepand/LeroyEWC+10.996
53YD Racgin CG MotosKawasakiThouxet/Deneque/BelmommeSST+11.147
54Team ACR 74SuzukiHuguenin/Schertenleib/PetitjeanSST+11.180
55Leman RacingBMWVillarroya/Monnot/VinetEWC+11.863

Source: FIM

Top 5 Related Posts:

  1. 2012 Bol d’Or First Qualifying Results
  2. WSBK: Final Superpole of the Season Posts Fast Qualifying Sessions at Portimao
  3. Kawasaki Deals Suzuki an Upset at the 76th Bol d’Or
  4. 2012 SERT Suzuki GSX-R1000 Debuts at Bol d’Or Practice

Tagged under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comment:

  1. MikeD says:
    April 13, 2012 at 7:47 PM

    Like someone mentioned before:

    There’s something C00L about race bikes with headlights. It makes me feel more “conected” to it.

  2. Neil says:
    April 14, 2012 at 6:03 PM

    don’t seem to be any Ducatis in this? Can’t they last 24hrs?

  3. MikeD says:
    April 14, 2012 at 6:52 PM

    OMG…u Sir are going str8 to Rider Hell for that one…what a BLOW, ROTFLMAO.

  4. Anon says:
    April 14, 2012 at 7:05 PM

    No Ducatis because everyone knows that Italian Electrics are not going to work in the dark. Not sure how long the lone MV and Aprilia are going to survive, maybe they plan to stay in the pits overnight.

  5. Neil says:
    April 14, 2012 at 7:39 PM

    Well you have to ask the question, why is the most successful superbike manufacter of all time not represented? Not even by a privateer team of punters froma duc club? They can’t be that bad electrically these days or still have a 24 hr reliability problem, surely? And expense shouldn’t rule it out by someone?

  6. 76 says:
    April 14, 2012 at 8:20 PM

    Electronics isnt what makes a Japanese bike the weapon of choice in a endurance race, lets start with something alittle bigger, just maybe the engine. How many club racers have their japanese bikes engine blueprinted? now ask yourself the same question about a duc? Oh yeah nothing like cracking an engine just to insure that tolerances are at there ideal measure as per OEM spec

  7. Neil says:
    April 14, 2012 at 9:46 PM

    Look I’m honestly asking a reasonable question given the race history of this brand (that I have experienced in ownership), why are they not represented?

  8. Jensen Beeler says:
    April 14, 2012 at 9:54 PM

    The simplest answer might be because Ducati doesn’t support a factory team. The maintenance of the desmodromic head is a reasonable guess as well.

  9. 76 says:
    April 15, 2012 at 2:15 AM

    The best answer you will get (other than what jensen just said) is that the ducati engine in racespec vrs a japanese is that it will degrade faster, that does not work in your favor in a endurance race esp at this level.

    I’m not talking streetbike riding here and your 15k valve check, a 24 hour endurance race puts a some serious wear on a bikes engine and a Duc is not know for that so all of the focus and development from the teams go to what they know and what they trust. Ducati would have to step in and actually be proactive in helping these teams and that does not seem to interest them

  10. Neil says:
    April 15, 2012 at 4:00 AM

    Thank you gentlemen for that explanation. Seems a shame that there is no representation by Ducati. Nice to see that bm’s are there and that MV. The euro manufactures are back with innovation, technology and design, who would have thought that 10 years ago?