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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I feel bad for the proud/loaded owners that drop’d all that coin for a serving of Pheasant and now are getting Crow… (^_^)
Hating aside…this is nothing…if they say failing conecting rod or it’s bearing i would be throwing a fit…lol.
“The swingarm shaft pivots can loosen from the swingarm which can lead to loss of control of the motorcycle, increasing the risk of personal injury.”
What delicious doublespeak. Let me translate to plain english:
The large bolt that holds your swingarm on can come off wich would split the bike in two making it more likely that you be screwed and in much pain.
Technically these last 5 items were all filed under one recall notice. Not that it makes
It better understandably, but they’re all minor items.
The swingarm bolt issue was also much less severe than originally thought, however the risk if
One were to break certainly wasn’t worth it. Having seen some of
The affected bolts personally, it’s nothing more
Than some bending. The bolts were not
In a position where they could even break or come out.
So real world people do some stoppies and the swingarm bolt bends. This kept happening to my nephew’s R6, he was always asking me to fix his rear wheel bearing, he was on the heavy side. I told him to focus on riding more…
Geez Ducati! Reminds me of software. The first consumers to buy a new version get to do the last stages of de-bugging.
@TimM:
Isn’t it THAT way now a days with ALMOST everything ! ? LOL
I really like Ducati as a company and have considered them for my next bike, but no amount of creative marketing or customer relations can make it worth owning a bike that you can’t count on to work. With all of their recent influx of money they shouldn’t continue to have these issues.
Holy crap, I thought I would never see anything like that. What’s next a piston change required notice?
it has two short pivot shafts now, not one long bolt.
Where’s the link to the picture that says, “Ducati: making mechanics out of riders since 1945.”
I recall (pun not intended) someone commenting here about something about the S1000RR having one or two recalls and hence it being bad bike and out of the question for purchasing. So what does that make the 1199…..
Nothing new in the motorcycling world here. Some of the commenters here would have gone bonkers if they’d bought one of the first Aprilia V4s which had conn rod problems.
8 recalls in 1st year. Ducs, they suck. RT @Asphalt_Rubber Mega Recall Continues: Ducati 1199 Panigale – http://t.co/rTEOsmsI
And that is why I never buy the first release of any new technology…
Though I might have to brake that rule on an upcoming camera…
I personally never buy the first model of anything, with the possible exception of it be a derivative of an existing model (Streetfighter 848, Honda CB10000R, etc)
I am surprised something critical like a swing-arm bolt and brake master cylinder got missed though. So far everything seems like relatively quick fixes.
When your gas tank starts expanding and engine internals start failing that is a bit trickier. The first generation aprilia RSV4 was a nightmare. I am sure the Panigale is going to have similar growing pains.
Lets translate this into English……..
personal injury – lawyer looking to make money for clients trying to make a fast buck with no attention paid as to whether the person actually suffered at all and 100 % focus on transferring blame for ineptitude to someone else. The Jack Daniels case springs to mind, Henry Wolf, the list is long.
The large bolt that holds your swingarm on can come off wich would split the bike in two making it more likely that you be screwed and in much pain.
If you ride the bike like a moron, with sports shoes furry helmet, t shirt and shorts as seen on 1000′s of youtube vids. When you sit on the tank going down the highway and do a stoppy then as all the weight is on the front and you slam the back down repeatedly as well as doing mile long wheelies. It may possibly in a rare event cause an issue, which some scumbag lawyer will get a case for and try to win an unjustified award for the moron client.
Road safety and quality recalls that have nothing to do with safety and safety recalls but a great deal to do with commercial lawyers.
“This kept happening to my nephew’s R6, he was always asking me to fix his rear wheel bearing, he was on the heavy side”.
This makes for interesting reading….
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/motorcycle_recalls/
The latest Ducati recall b4 the Panigale was in 2006. With none for the 1098, 1198 and 848. The Panigale is clearly the most complex sportsbike on the market today as well.
As for Ducati’s being more unreliable than other bikes. I am now on my third (after a CBR 600 and Fireblade). Tracked and thrashed each one and the only issues I have had are a broken starter motor and a flywheel bolt that came loose.
Most Ducati riders are mechanics because they do not treat their bikes like a commodity but something to cherish.
What are bridges for, so Harley owners can repair their bikes out of the sun.
Pot kettle black….!
Rant over normal service restored.
@smiler
You are making several assumptions without having any facts. No where in the recall does Ducati say that these problems can only happen when you ride the like a “squid”. If they were only worried about people doing stoppies and extremely odd riding situation they wouldn’t have issued the recall. The statements you are making are born of emotion and not facts. (Note:Ducati had two recalls just last year for the Diavel just to set the record straight.)
I am not dogging Ducati, but much like when aprilia brought the RSV4 to market. It was a technical marvel (and still is), but it had some growing pains. These things happen. Also you can’t argue that pre-1098 era Ducatis weren’t “maintenance intensive” to say the least.
Hell I saw the aftermath of a local squid that snapped his front forks doing a stoppie on a Honda 954, which is arguably the most rock solid liter bike of all time. THAT was due to over-riding not a factory defect, this is something else entirely.
Gee’z all the talk of them crappy bikes. Go to safercar.gov and look up just about any model from Japan bikes or cars and you will see that no one is mistake free. The biggest difference in recalls is being proactive and doing a voluntary recall rather than waiting for NHTSA to make it mandatory.
These all seem like pretty minimal issues compared to the con rod bolt recall on the 2012 S1000RR’s. That bike has been around for a few years now, and the recall repair requires splitting the engine case…
Alas, still no recall for repulsive appearence…
@Gary:
LMAO.
My 2006 r6 had 2 recalls but I will never buy a first year bike cuzz of it, second or third year for my now
I love to read all these “wanna have, but I can’t afford it”…makes me feel even happier when I stop at the traffic light and think these people are green with envy
In my opinion, I would rather have a company recall and fix the problem vice having them hide the problem and wait for people to get hurt. I owned many bike from V-Stars to Haley’s to Suzuki and now a Ducati 1098, all of which had recalls. Let me tell you that the worst to deal with was Suzuki, and the best was Ducati and Harley. Someone said that if you put $30000 on a bike, you will spend more on servicing. This statement is true as you will treat that bike like a gem. Owning a Ducati is like having a Lamborghini in the garage. I also use my Ducati for track days and the bike performs without a flaw, try this with any production cars.
My 20 year old son was recently killed on his 2012 Ducati Panigale 1199 S ABS. He was traveling in under 35 mph immediately before the accident. I purchased his bike for him in August of this year, after being told how this was the safest bike in the world because of all of the safety technology Incorporated into it. When I wasn’t told however, was at an Ducati’s efforts to reduce weight and hence increase the speed of the bike, that safety was seriously compromised. It is because of these compromises, that my son is no longer here.
It is tremendously unfortunate, that Ducati chose to bring this bike to the stream of commerce before thoroughly testing it to ascertain what safety problems would manifest in its everyday use. Ducati was fully aware that this bike was going to be driven on US streets and highways, where they take an extra efforts to make it a street legal bike. My son was not going to race this bike, but wanted it because of the sophisticated electronics, traction control, ABS braking and other features that were marketed is making this bike the most technologically safe bike ever produced. This of course, is untrue as manifested by the significant number of safety recalls that of the mandated by the NHTSA. It certainly would seem prudent, for Ducati to addressed all of these compromised issues before putting this bike into the stream of commerce for people to ride.
Despite the slow speed of operation immediately prior to my son hitting a utility pole, because of bike was built with handlebars that have the strength papier-mâché, my son was unable to ride the bike down to the ground, because the handlebars, snapped off causing his body to propel forward beyond the bike, causing him to have contact with the Pole. Inspection of the bike manifests that the single bolt that held the sophisticated electronic suspension system onto the bike, had broken clean off as if the bolt had been prefabricated to snap at that point.
The parts of the motorcycle, but we were told were made of carbon fiber, or actually fiberglass or plastic. To place a driver in a position of such compromise to save literally single grams of weight, so that you could obtain higher performance with the same motor, is unconscionable. Were this vehicle was being driven on US roads and highways, and did not have the tent style strength to stand up and impact that would have been easily written out safely had the handlebars not snapped off like pieces of dry spaghetti.
Is is immensely troubling that this bike is not the engineering marvel that has been proffered to be by Ducati, as clearly demonstrated by the numerous safety recalls. I am confident, there will be several subsequent recalls addressing other issues that Ducati and its dealers will tell its customers are minor issues that need to be addressed. If you own one of these motorcycles, please be sure to have all of the recalls preformed before you use the bike. The so-called minor items that are being recalled, if unaddressed, may very well cost you your life.
Incidentally, my son was an experience motorcyclist who may have enjoyed a bike that was fast, but would always drive safely, never recklessly.