In 2007 Anthony West replace Jaques Olivier on the Factory Kawasaki MotoGP team. After this Sunday at Valencia, Anthony’s year and a half will end. West has had a lackluster season this year, currently sitting 18th in the point standings with 50 points, which has caused many to call for his replacement. Italian Marco Melandri will join John Hopkins on the Kawasaki team for the 2009 season as West’s replacement.
Buell has issued a recall on some of its 2008 & 2009 XB12XP and XB12XT motorcycles, citing problems with the windshield mounting nuts. The exact models affected are the: 2008-2009 XB12XT & 2009 XB12XP.
Apparently the windshields may become dislodged and allow the windshield to either strike or distract the rider while the vehicle is being ridden at a high speed. This could result in a crash, which could cause injury or death to the rider. This is only affecting 624 bikes out on the road, but a windshield to the head is not to be taken to lightly.
Affected bikes will have to brought into the shop where dealers will remove the windshield’s two rubber mounted nuts and install two new fastener assemblies.
The recall is expected to begin on or about October 27, 2008. Owners may contact Buell at 1-414-342-4080. The NHTSA Campaign Number is 08V538000.
Source: The Kneeslider
Our poor friends down under are about to get a further crackdown on what can and cannot be done out on the asphalt. The Aussies are set to put into place a series of roadside microphones to crack down on offending and unrestricted exhaust pipes. Similar murmurs are also being made back on the Queen’s Island.
The fully automated systems have been in development for the last three years and are now set to be rolled out in several states and territories down under. According to a report in Australia’s The Newspaper, the camera-based system utilises a set of microphones to record noise levels and, when the set threshold is exceeded, a ten second video is stored and a ticket automatically generated. Apparently the machine can hold data for up to 10,000 tickets before it needs to be reset.
Source: PistonHeads via RSVzone
There are rumors that soon even thinking about a wheelie will be illegal. Ok, George Orwell…you win.
I can imagine how the converstion between Wayno and Stevo went (well they are from Far North Queensland). That is Stephen Rothwell and Wayne Wright from The Two-Stroke Shop. It’s safe to say it ended with “Let’s build the bike that should have been”.
They set about getting a 500cc two-stroke built to slip into Apilia’s RS250 frame. The RS250 is an excellent bike. It’s good looking, has great handling and will stop on a dime. But! There’s always a but. In standard trim it’s powered by a Suzuki RGV250 engine. Not that the engine is all that lacking and can still scare most people, this bike with a 500cc 2-stroker now becomes a capable weapon ready to tackle modern 4-stroke sport bikes.
The Monster saved Ducati from the brink of bankruptcy and has become the bread winner in Bologna, accounting for more than half of Ducati’s sales worldwide. With the advent of the 1098 series replacing the 999, it was only a matter of time before the Monster got a similar displacement increase. That matter time, is of course…now.
Ducati has given a preview of the new Monster in Cologne, price and time of release still to be determined, but Feburary 2009 is likely.
More pictures and specs after the jump.
What does a cross-plane motor sound like? Well, it sounds a lot like this…
Is crossgasmic a word?
Puma, maker of shoes and soccer balls, has released a new site debuting its offerings for motorsports. So you may not be able to score a girl as nice as Mrs. Stoner, but at least you can try and fill his boots.
The new range of products will expand Puma’s current boot only offerings. All items have been designed in-house by Puma with Dainese doing the grunt work of constructing them.
28-year-old Sandor Ferenci, like many motorcyclists, posted clips of himself riding his bike around on Oxfordshire roads. The problem is, the clips showed him, in various angles, traveling at excess speeds, smoking the tires, popping wheelies and otherwise being “a proper hooligan”.
The real downside for Sandor is the fact The Bobbies didn’t appreciate those acts too much, and showed up on Mr. Ferenci’s doorstep to inquire further about those acts. After it was all said and done, Sandor will be doing 12 weeks behind British bars for his crime.
In addition to the jail sentence, Mr. Ferenci, who pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous driving, was also barred from driving for two years and told he would have to take an extended driving test before he is allowed on the road again.
Video after the jump.
The 2009 MotoGP Calendar has been released, 18 races in all. The night opener at Qatar returns again for another season, and it looks like fun in the sun for all the other races (except Assen, where the sun rarely shines in the land of Mayo). Joining the line up is a new race in Hungary that was purpose built for GP and Formula 1 racing. Get the full schedule after the jump.
Are you having fuel injection problems? Check to see if your injectors are clogged. Try looking for any loose connections in the wiring loom. Or, if you’re this guy, double check to make sure you don’t have two huge freaking holes from where your buddy drilled through your ECU while installing a license plate holder.
Next years World Superbike Series should become one of the best seasons yet. With BMW joining the party with their superbike debut, Aprilia returning to the mix with its new RSV4, and Yamaha’s launching their new “cross plane” close firing R1. WSBK has never been short of action packed racing (that is when factories other than Ducati show up), and 2009 is proving to be no different. The season is already shaping up to be a good one, and the races haven’t even started yet.
The 2009 provisional calendar of the FIM Superbike and Supersport World Championships and Superstock 1000cc FIM Cup is posted after the jump.
