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.

Cyril Despres Claims Fifth Dakar Rally Win

01/21/2013 @ 1:39 am, by Jensen Beeler5 COMMENTS

Cyril Despres Claims Fifth Dakar Rally Win Cyril Despres KTM 2013 Dakar Rally 10 635x422

Wrapping up two weeks of racing, the 2013 Dakar Rally concluded this weekend in Santiago, Chile. His fifth Dakar win, Cyril Despres once again claimed victory in the iconic rally race, and though he was tipped heavily to win after Marc Coma announced that he would be sidelined due to injury, Despres’s win was anything but a sure-thing as the stages progressed. Seeing strong rides from factory-backed Yamaha and Husqvarna teams, Despres even got pressure from his fellow KTM riders over the 14 racing stages.

Despite finishing the Dakar Rally with a 10 minute 43 second overall lead, Despres found himself on the wrong-side of the time sheets during several stages, and even had to replace his motor during the “marathon” weekend, where riders are not allowed any mechanical help from their support crew (Despres got more than a little help from his fellow KTM teammates though). His second Dakar Rally win in a row, and his fifth career-win, Despres now sports two-more Dakar victories than rival Coma — deficit that surely will be contested next year.

“I went for it, with all the surprises a Dakar can throw at you,” said Despres. “Little navigational mistakes, perhaps fewer than the others, taking care of my motorcycle and being in a good team. In the end, I’ve got a good reason to be very happy. The day when winning the Dakar becomes easy, it won’t be interesting any more. And this day is still far!”

“It’s too long, it’s too tough, it’s too hot. It’s too cold. You’ve got to get up early in the morning. You’ve got to find your way out of the maze of dunes in Peru and Chile. You’ve got to tackle the stones and cactuses on the courses near Córdoba. It’s just too tricky for it to be easy to win. And it’s even better when you win a difficult race. I’m always focused on what I have to do. We’re up against a grueling element, the desert. Then there are the stones, the Andes… and we experience them. It’s as real as it gets.”

For KTM, the 2013 Dakar Rally continued a tradition of dominance, with the Austrian company fielding all five of the Top 5 motorcycles in the overall standings. However, Yamaha, Honda, and Husqvarna all showed increasingly strong Dakar programs, which could spice things up in the coming years. A new entry to the Dakar Rally this year, HRC’s presence has been a welcomed site in the rally race, and though the team showed growing pains, the Japanese manufacturer cannot be underrated for future events.

Cyril Despres Claims Fifth Dakar Rally Win Cyril Despres KTM 2013 Dakar Rally 14 635x422

Cyril Despres Claims Fifth Dakar Rally Win Cyril Despres KTM 2013 Dakar Rally 01 635x422

Cyril Despres Claims Fifth Dakar Rally Win Cyril Despres KTM 2013 Dakar Rally 07 635x422

Cyril Despres Claims Fifth Dakar Rally Win Cyril Despres KTM 2013 Dakar Rally 12 635x422

Cyril Despres Claims Fifth Dakar Rally Win Cyril Despres KTM 2013 Dakar Rally 13 635x422

Top 25 Overall Motorcycles from the 2013 Dakar Rally:

Pos.NameCountryBikeTimeDiff.Penalty
1DESPRESFRAKTM43:24:22-00:15:00
2FARIAPRTKTM43:35:0500:10:43-
3LOPEZCHLKTM43:43:1000:18:4800:15:00
4JAKESSVKKTM43:48:1600:23:54-
5PEDREROESPKTM44:19:5100:55:2900:15:00
6PAINFRAYAMAHA44:30:5201:06:30-
7RODRIGUESPRTHONDA44:35:4401:11:2200:15:00
8PIZZOLITOARGHONDA44:50:2901:26:07-
9VERHOEVENNLDYAMAHA44:50:5701:26:35-
10GONÇALVESPRTHUSQVARNA44:52:4201:28:2000:15:00
11PRZYGONSKIPOLKTM44:58:2101:33:5900:05:00
12GOUËTCHLHONDA45:10:0201:45:40-
13ULLEVALSETERNORKTM46:25:1803:00:5600:15:00
14BARREDA BORTESPHUSQVARNA46:29:0403:04:4200:17:00
15METGEFRAYAMAHA46:36:3003:12:0800:20:00
16KNUIMANNLDKTM46:39:3403:15:12-
17CZACHORPOLKTM47:53:5004:29:28-
18DE AZEVEDOBRAKTM48:22:0204:57:4000:15:00
19GUASCHESPGAS – GAS48:51:0805:26:46-
20CASELLIUSAKTM49:28:0206:03:4003:35:00
21DUCLOSFRASHERCO51:02:2807:38:0601:00:00
22CAMPBELLUSAHONDA51:36:0208:11:4000:15:00
23FARRES GUELLESPHONDA55:55:5912:31:3701:15:00
24ZANOTTIITATM56:25:4213:01:2000:15:00
25FISHAUSHUQSVARNA68:49:4225:25:2009:15:00

Source: KTM & Dakar; Photos: © 2013 Maragni M. / KTM Images – All Rights Reserved

Top 5 Related Posts:

  1. Cyril Despres Wins Fourth Dakar Rally Title
  2. Dakar Rally – Stage 2: Wrong Turn Costs Despres 8 Minutes
  3. Video: Cyril Despres Talks Dakar
  4. 2013 Honda CRF450 Rally – Big Red is Ready for Dakar
  5. 2014 Dakar Rally Route Replaces Peru with Bolivia

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Comment:

  1. Damo says:
    January 21, 2013 at 4:31 AM

    Despres along with Despres continues to dominate. Very impressive.

  2. Bob Krzeszkiewicz says:
    January 21, 2013 at 11:59 AM

    Only one stage this season. Won this like Hayden won GP in 2006…being consistently fast but not the first to cross the line. Still, wish I had a 1/10th of his skills and fitness.

    Feel bad for Caselli. He was on his way to winning another stage (13) before engine problems about 30 miles from the finish. A few penalties he’ll learn from too. 20th overall though. Pretty good for a 1st timer and substitute rider at that. Maybe KTM will give him another chance next season..

  3. paulus - Thailand says:
    January 21, 2013 at 5:07 PM

    Great event… great demands on riders and machines.

  4. D Santos says:
    January 21, 2013 at 8:17 PM

    Certainly, Despres is a very skilled rider and I’m not questioning that but he surely can express some gratitude to his teammates, specially to Ruben Faria who, in several stages, had orders from the team direction to slow down his pace in order to let Despres catch him in the front of the race.

    If Ruben Faria had not to work for Despres and could ride on his own will, I believe that he could fight for the first place. Anyway, when Faria was hired he already knew what would be his role in this race. Maybe sometime in the near future, when Despres resigns, he could be the main rider of KTM.

  5. Gritboy says:
    January 22, 2013 at 10:31 AM

    Not unexpected, but always impressive.