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.

MotoGP: Lap Record Falls During Qualifying at Laguna Seca

07/28/2012 @ 3:58 pm, by Jensen Beeler5 COMMENTS

MotoGP: Lap Record Falls During Qualifying at Laguna Seca Jorge Lorenzo MotoGP Laguna Seca Scott Jones

For those that are not familiar with the weather patterns of Northern California’s coastal areas, Saturday at Laguna Seca was a good example of the foggy morning gloom we natives must endure in order to be showered with the Golden State’s eternal afternoon sunshine. With FP3 nearly delayed because of low cloud cover, qualifying for the US GP at Laguna Seca couldn’t have conditions more opposite than this morning. Click past the jump for full-of-sunshine qualifying results.

Sunny and warm, Casey Stoner’s best lap record was certainly in danger this weekend, and it didn’t take long into the session for the time to be cracked. With Lorenzo taking over early in qualifying, the current-Championship leader is on his form this weekend in California. And while for a moment, it looked like Stoner would catapult the Spaniard from his top spot, but Lorenzo answered back on the final lap, setting a record “Best Lap” of 1’20.554 on his Yamaha YZR-M1.

Rounding out the front row is Dani Pedrosa, who held the second spot on the time sheet for much of the session. Unable to get the same progress as Stoner and Lorenzo did in the closing minutes, Pedrosa is sure to still be a contender for Sunday’s race. Also not out of the fight is Ben Spies, who despite a tough tumble with 10 minutes remaining, was able to get back on the track in the closing minutes to keep a respectable fourth place at his home race. He will be joined on the second row by fellow Yamaha riders Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso, respectively.

The big disappointment of the session was Steve Rapp on the Attack Performance CRT entry. Getting virtually no on-track development, the team made great strides to bring the Kawasaki-powered CRT bike up to speed, but missed the 107% cutoff time by 0.694 seconds. It remains to be seen if Race Direction will let Rapp grid-up for Sunday’s race, though either way the team should have some good data to mull over before it races again at the Indianapolis GP.

Qualifying Results from the US GP at Laguna Seca, USA:

Pos.RiderNationTeamBikeKM/HTimeDiff.
1Jorge LORENZOSPAYamaha Factory RacingYamaha267.71’20.554-
2Casey STONERAUSRepsol Honda TeamHonda267.11’20.6280.074
3Dani PEDROSASPARepsol Honda TeamHonda267.41’20.9060.352
4Ben SPIESUSAYamaha Factory RacingYamaha263.71’21.0940.540
5Cal CRUTCHLOWGBRMonster Yamaha Tech 3Yamaha265.11’21.2680.714
6Andrea DOVIZIOSOITAMonster Yamaha Tech 3Yamaha263.41’21.5390.985
7Alvaro BAUTISTASPASan Carlo Honda GresiniHonda265.81’21.7321.178
8Nicky HAYDENUSADucati TeamDucati266.11’21.7341.180
9Stefan BRADLGERLCR Honda MotoGPHonda260.61’21.7531.199
10Valentino ROSSIITADucati TeamDucati268.11’22.5441.990
11Randy DE PUNIETFRAPower Electronics AsparART253.91’22.8862.332
12Aleix ESPARGAROSPAPower Electronics AsparART252.91’23.0752.521
13Colin EDWARDSUSANGM Mobile Forward RacingSuter255.41’23.6993.145
14Karel ABRAHAMCZECardion AB MotoracingDucati260.11’23.7043.150
15Yonny HERNANDEZCOLAvintia BlusensBQR253.61’23.7693.215
16Michele PIRROITASan Carlo Honda GresiniFTR255.91’23.8773.323
17Toni ELIASSPAPramac Racing TeamDucati258.31’23.8983.344
18Mattia PASINIITASpeed MasterART246.51’24.0173.463
19Danilo PETRUCCIITACame IodaRacing ProjectIoda245.71’24.2273.673
20Ivan SILVASPAAvintia BlusensBQR246.81’24.5604.006
21James ELLISONGBRPaul Bird MotorsportART251.21’24.7154.161
Steve RAPPUSAAttack PerformanceAPR245.21’26.8876.333

Source: MotoGP: Photo: © 2012 Scott Jones / Scott Jones Photography – All Rights Reserved

Top 5 Related Posts:

  1. MotoGP: Lap Record Falls in the Land of the Rising Sun During Qualifying
  2. MotoGP: Lap Record Falls During Qualifying for Indy GP
  3. MotoGP: Crashes Define Race at Laguna Seca
  4. MotoGP: Qualifying Shows Some Surprises at Phillip Island

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Comment:

  1. gabe says:
    July 28, 2012 at 4:27 PM

    It is known now that Rapp was allowed to race. I am very curious as to who was that suspension manufacturer that did not come through with the original as-designed shock that caused the redesign delays….

  2. ass hat says:
    July 28, 2012 at 7:52 PM

    wasn’t laguna supposed to be the unveiling of the ‘new/revised/magical’ ducati power plant? cuz those Q times look like a step backward. looks like v + h will be yawning from the sidelines watching the show go by for the rest of the year.

    what a waste of talent, money and effort.

    give me $100 and i’ll circle the track in a clown car… save you a whole bunch of money.

  3. smiler says:
    July 29, 2012 at 3:05 AM

    names speak volumes.
    “what a waste of talent, money and effort”

    What would be better Ducati in or out of MotoGP?
    They are by far the smallest manufacturer in the championship.
    Where are Suzuki, Illmor, Aprilia, MV, BMW, KTM, Kawasaki, Hog, gone from MotoGP. All Aprilia, BMW and Kawasaki can manage are to supply engines for motogp meets WSB bikes.
    At the same time Ducati lead Superstocks with the 1199 and are 3rd in the manufacturers and 4th in the riders with a bike that is 3 years old run by a privateer team. Not bad for a company that makes 50K bikes a year, only bikes and until last week was independent.
    Ahh that’s better. Good to see the change to 1000′s has slowed lap times and reduced costs, with Lorenzo breaking the Laguna lap record and a CRT that isa over 6 secs a lap slower on a 1.20 lap time. Dorna are the ones really needing a set of rule changes. Starting with putting some people in charge who know what they are doing.

  4. Frenchie says:
    July 29, 2012 at 4:58 AM

    Ducatis: up to this year Stoner owned the outright laprecord at Laguna Seca from 2008.
    Comparing qualifying times from 2011 and 2012, Rossi is 3 tenths slower, Hayden 5 tenths faster, but still 6 tenths slower than Stoner’s time from 2010.

  5. Mo says:
    July 29, 2012 at 12:00 PM

    Big crash for spies. I noticed earlier in the session he had oil on the right fairing… He crashed on a right hander. Maybe oil on the tire.