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May 2009

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randy-depuniet-playboy-mugello

Choosing the right umbrella girl is a long and arduous process. It doesn’t have to be that way, but why would you want to rush through such a delightful process? And for the Italian GP at Mugello, the role of the umbrella girl is big business. After all, who doesn’t like a scantily clad women holding a canopoy more than the Italians? 

Getting ready for the GP this weekend, various teams have made a spectacle out of their “talent” search, with competitions and club events looking for Miss Right.

f800-moto

It looks like BMW is set to launch a supermoto version of the bullet-proof F800R paralell twin later this year. 

The machine, which was inspired by BMW’s stunt world champion Christian Pfeiffer, gains a host of goodies over the F800R, including long travel suspension, revised gearing and the obligatory BMW racepaint colour scheme.

No word on price, but were expecting the bike to weigh in near the $12,000 mark.

colin-edwards-motogp-tech3-yamaha

The Texas Tornado is putting up his leathers on eBay to benefit Yamaha’s charity fundraising. The auction runs until May 28th, and includes his leathers, helmet, boots, and gloves. The winning bidder also receives a pair of tickets and a hotel room for the duration of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix held July 3rd-5th.

Edwards will personally hand over the race items in a Saturday ceremony at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. All funds raised will go to Feed the Children.

Source: MotoGP

motoczysz-e1pc-pir-track

After numerous views of the recent MotoCzysz E1pc dyno pull videos we were left wondering how much of the vicious howl was generated by the dyno and how much was the bike. After all, the all electric MotoCzysz is silent right?

Recent video of the MotoCzysz E1pc testing at Portland International Raceway confirms the sound was all bike. Three clips on YouTube show the bike cornering, decelerating and accelerating very quickly and letting everyone know about it. It seems the only surprise left from the Czysz crew before the June 12 TTXGP is the race bodywork.

ducati-desmosedici-rr11

In this fourth installment of Ducati’s documentary on the Desmosedici, we focus on the the RR’s special Bridgeston BT-01 tires, which were specifically built with the Desmosedici in mind. The BT-01’s are the stickiest OEM tire Bridgestone has ever made, and is basically a MotoGP slick with tread to meet DOT standards. If you’re late to the DesmoDoco series, you can find , right here at A&R.

rossi-mugello-motogp

J.D. Power and Associates has completed its 2009 Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study, and the results are in. In their research, J.D. Power & Associates measures the overall satisfaction of motorcyclists with their new helmet in three key factors:

  • ventilation 
  • face shield
  • design and styling

These three factors are then marked into 11 attributes:

  • quietness
  • ventilation/air flow
  • de-fogging
  • the face shield’s ability to keep the wind out 
  • the face shield’s ability to resist scratching 
  • ease of replacing the face shield 
  • scratch resistance of the shell
  • color/graphic design
  • weight
  • ease of fastening the strap
  • fit and comfort.

Continue reading after the jump for the results.

bridgestone-front-tire-rule-change

The FIM has announced that MotoGP riders will have added choice for their front slick tire allocation from the end of next month. Although the total number of front slick tires permitted for a race weekend will remain unchanged at eight, three different distribution options will be made available. However, new rules on when the tires can be ordered may make the tire situation much more difficult for teams.

valentino-rossi-le-mans

Valentino Rossi is the unofficial King of Mugello, winning at the Italian circuit seven times out of seven appearances at the track. This weekend marks Rossi’s eighth visit to his home track, with all eyes watching to see if The Doctor can win again.

Normally, Valentino would be the heavy favorite on Sunday’s race, but after finishing last for the first time in his MotoGP career at Le Mans a fortnight ago, there might just be a little doubt in the paddock about Rossi’s ability.

isle-of-man-tt-jump

With only a few more days until the Isle of Man TT officially kicks off, we can hardly contain ourselves for the pinnacle of road-racing in its truest form. Adding to the anticipation is the fact that for the first time, the TT will also feature electric prototype motorcycles, making the IOMTT the first series to embrace the carbon-neutral movement.

This coming Saturday will be the TT’s first day of practice, with the Senior TT and TTXGP races taking place on June 12th. A promotional video for the legendary race is after the jump. Enjoy.

Last week, we leaked the fact that the Ducati Streetfigther has begun to arrive at US dealers, who are obliged to keep the bike under wraps until its official unveiling. The Streetfighter might be the most anticipated bike this summer, with the Bologna factory finally bringing a naked version of its 1098 Superbike.

Oberdan Bezzi, taking the next logical step in Ducati’s progression, has put pen to paper on what a Desmosedici based streetfighter might look like. The result is menacing, but we’ll wait for the carbon frame version.