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.

WSBK: Close Fighting for Race 1 at Brno

07/10/2011 @ 3:55 am, by Victoria ReidComments Off

WSBK: Close Fighting for Race 1 at Brno Biaggi Melandri 635x406

Max Biaggi started the first World Superbike race of the Brno round on pole after no one could touch him in the final Superpole session on Saturday. He was joined by Marco Melandri, Carlos Checa, and Eugene Laverty on the front row. Though Biaggi led at the end, Jakub Smrz, Checa, and Laverty all took a turn at leading a session in the Czech Republic. Much further back, neither Castrol Honda rider managed to move on to the Superpole sessions and will start on the fifth and sixth rows. Checa led the morning warm-up on Sunday, with Smrz, Sylvain Guintoli, Biaggi, and Michel Fabrizio the fastest five.

Though James Toseland did ride for Friday morning’s free practice, he was forced to sit out the rest of the race weekend, hoping to heal for the next round at Silverstone. He was replaced by Lorenzo Lanzi at BMW Motorrad Italia. Also sitting out the weekend is injured factory BMW rider Tory Corser and Jonathan Rea at Castrol Honda. Though Corser has not been replaced at this round, Rea’s recovery might be long-term, leading to his replacement by Alex Lowes.

Race 1 got underway under sunny and clear skies in Brno despite a previous forecast of rain, with Biaggi getting a lovely start, Laverty taking second from Melandri. The two Yamaha riders looked to swap positions, but Laverty kept second while Biaggi attempted to start a gap early on. Coming out of Turn 12, Xaus had a scary highside near the end of the field, lying in pain on the tarmac. At the end of the first lap, Biaggi led Laverty by three tenths, with Melandri, Checa, Sykes, Fabrizio, Smrz, Haslam, Haga, and Guintoli. The marshals had Xaus and his bike cleared by the time Biaggi had made his way back past the incident, and Melandri took second from Laverty on the second lap.

Next, Checa took third from Laverty with a neat pass, with Fabrizio pushing the Yamaha rider. Biaggi and Melandri had gotten away somewhat at the front, leaving more than a second for Checa to make up, with Fabrizio following. By the end of L5, Melandri was just under two tenths behind Biaggi, with Checa two seconds off the lead. Camier and Badovini had made their way around Haga to join the top ten and the Japanese rider began drifting further back.

Melandri continued to push Biaggi for the lead, though he did not attempt a pass. With thirteen laps, Melandri made his move and took the lead, sliding under Biaggi. Though the pole sitter attempted to fight back, there was no way immediately around for Biaggi. Behind, Checa had begun to gain a bit of time but was still a second behind the two two riders. After a couple of laps, Checa had visibly joined the two Italians.

At the halfway point of the twenty lap race, Melandri had just two tenths on Biaggi, with Checa another four tenths behind. Fabrizio was riding a solid race in fourth with Laverty completing the top five. Sykes led Smrz, Badovini, Camier, and Lascorz as the second half of the top ten. Meanwhile, word came from Castrol Honda that “Ruben in medical centre. Initial reports nothing serious, but full check underway,” adding later, “Seems nothing broken on Ruben – unlike the bike – but he’s pretty beaten up.”

Biaggi made a mistake looking for a way through on Melandri, sliding a bit wide to allow Checa through for second position. There was little space between the top three as Biaggi used the Aprilia top speed to take the position back from Checa at the end of the front straight. Biaggi made his move for the lead into and through Turn 3, only to lose the lead back to Melandri in Turn 4. Biaggi went for the lead again on the next turn, only he couldn’t maintain the position the entire way through the corner. Behind, Checa was in perfect position to take advantage of any mistake from the two Italians.

With five laps remaining, Melandri was in the lead, with Checa still right there. Fabrizio was over two seconds behind the leader as Laverty, Badovini, Sykes, Lascorz, Smrz, and Camier the top ten. It was a hot fight for seventh through eleventh, with five riders swapping positions through most of the turns. Biaggi and Melandri continued to push one another the lead, with the former holding onto the lead for the moment.

Melandri flicked underneath Biaggi to take the lead back with just over two laps left, despite the rear tires of the Yamaha looking pretty ragged. Though Biaggi ran a bit wide, Checa was unable to capitalize and take second from him. On the final lap, Melandri led a pushing Biaggi and Checa. Melandri looked to have just barely enough gap to hold off the Aprilia, and did keep the lead as Biaggi ran a tiny bit wide in a final turn, though he kept second with Checa completing the podium.

World Superbike Race Results from Race 1 at Brno, Czech Republic:

Pos.No.RiderTeamDiff.
133Marco MelandriYamaha WSBK Team-
21Max BiaggiAprilia Alitalia Racing Team0.241
37Carlos ChecaAlthea Racing Ducati0.436
484Michel FabrizioTeam Suzuki Alstare8.448
558Eugene LavertyYamaha WSBK Team11.863
686Ayrton BadoviniBMW Motorrad Italia16.374
72Leon CamierAprilia Alitalia Racing Team20.075
891Leon HaslamBMW Motorrad21.399
917Joan LascorzPaul Bird Racing Kawasaki21.555
1066Tom SykesPaul Bird Racing Kawasaki22.330
1196Jakub SmrzTeam Effenbert-Liberty Ducati22.494
1241Noriyuki HagaPATA Racing Team Aprilia24.710
13121Maxime BergerSupersonic Racing Ducati27.958
1444Roberto RolfoTeam Pedericini Kawasaki31.724
1522Alex LowesCastrol Honda31.998
168Mark AitchisonTeam Pedericini Kawasaki34.771
1757Lorenzo LanziBMW Motorrad Italia36.582
1877Chris VermeulenPaul Bird Racing Kawasaki45.690
1913Victor KispatakiProp-tech ltd. Honda1:28.907
2050Sylvain GuintoliTeam Effenbert-Liberty Ducati1 Lap
Not Classified
2115Matteo BaioccooBarni Racing Team Ducati8 Laps
111Ruben XausCastrol Hondacrash

Source: WSBK; Photo: Max Biaggi Official Website

Top 5 Related Posts:

  1. WSBK: Crashes & Fighting Mark a Hot Race 1 at Silverstone
  2. WSBK: Race 2 a Chess Match in the Czech Republic

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