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June 2009

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In its stock form, the Cagiva Mito is not the most outlandish motorcycle every created. It boasts only a tiny 125cc motor, that makes barely 15hp. But when Simone Barbagallo got his on an unsuspecting Mito, the result was something quite the opposite of ordinary.

Barbagallo has increased the little elephants peak power to 90hp by adding a supercharger and NOS system to the donor bike. Not willing to call it quits, he then proceeded to bore out the motor 200cc’s. With almost no stock part left to be replaced, the result is what Simone calls, the Scorpion Performance, and he’d be willing to part with it for $55,000.

The Gran Prix Commission, which consists of the FIM, Dorna Sports, the IRTA (satellite teams), and MSMA (bike manufacturers), met while in Assen this weekend and have announced several new rules to the MotoGP and Moto2 series for 2010.

Most notably is the the single-tire rule that will be adopted for the inaugural Moto2 season, and that Dunlop will be the provider for all the tires in that series.

If the close racing of Race 1 wasn’t enough drama for the fans at Donington Park, Race 2 provided it in full. Another breakaway start, and a couple key crashes, lead to a shake up in the finishing results, and one rider was rushed off to the hospital for a suspected fractured vertabrae that might change the course of the season. Continue reading for spoilers.

In Annecy-le-Vieux, France, near the Swiss border resides builder Ludovic Lazareth. This French mechanical artisan has built a number of one off motorcycles, trikes, and cars, and his latest take on the Yamaha FZ1 just recently caught our eye.

The bike design, as you can see for yourself, is all hand done, angular, aggressive, and edgy. But, we especially like the Mini Cooper S supercharger that has been fitted to the FZ1 motor. No word on how much power its putting down, suffice it to say though, it’s enough. The FZR Compressor can be yours, like many of Lazareth’s creations, for only €40,000 ($56,000).

Source: Lazareth via BikeEXIF

With the Dutch GP a day ahead of the other racing events, today’s Friday qualifying session was not only special because of its weekday time slot, but also because of the close clustering of riders for the top 3 spots. Valentino Rossi had a squeaker of a run, just beating out Dani Pedrosa by under a tenth of a second. Rossi is looking for his 100th win at the Dutch track, and seems to be on-track to achieving that goal.

BMW Motorrad released today that the base MSRP of the S1000RR will cost €15,800, expect the US pricing to be below that (we’re guessing $14,500-ish).

In typical BMW fashion the real fun features will cost more. The BMW Race ABS system will cost €950, while the Race ABS with Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) will cost a combined €1,250. BMW is also offering an electric shifter for €370, and an alarm system for €220.