Archive

June 2011

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Ducati and Puma Motorsports have teamed up to create a seven-part video series that takes a look at motorcyclists, the motorcycle culture, and and of course Ducati motorcycles. There’s some Ducati-branded Puma apparel in the videos as well, but if you get past the obvious marketing pitch, the videos tell interesting stories about the people regular motorcycle loving people like you and me.

For instance, Part 3 is about Cpt. Andrew Sidwell, who when not spending his time in the US Army, is racing his Ducati Superbike 848 in the WERA club races out in North Carolina. How does he balance his duties to his country, family, and passion? Well you’ll have to watch the video to find that out. Watch the first three Lean In and Ride Us stories after the jump.

Rumors are still fuzzy on the upcoming release of a new middleweight Suzuki adventure bike, with there being some debate as to whether the V-Strom replacement will be a 650cc, 1000cc, or perhaps even an 800cc machine. Suzuki is pushing the adventure statement hard, which to us means that this new bike will be more off-road capable than the current V-Strom, which to us has always seemed like a sport-tourer duped into doing something it wasn’t intended to do.

With Suzuki’s US website even sporting the teaser images now, this looks to be a worldwide release; and we won’t have to wait long to find out all the details, as this Saturday should bring us more information on how the Japanese brand is finally getting on this mid-life crisis bandwagon. So far the best guess we’ve heard are new look, new chassis, and new motor. More teaser photos after the jump.

Valentino Rossi fans will be happy to hear that the G.O.A.T.’s personal brand of apparel has finally come to the United States (it took him a while, ehh?), and is now available from a variety of motorcycle shops, and online on eBay with Grip Moto. At $35 for the above shown shirt, the VR|46 brand wear is not cheap, though we imagine that if you’re infatuated with Rossi as much as many of his fans are, you won’t really be looking at the price tag.

There was much ado at the Catalan GP regarding the Honda NSF250R Moto3 bike, likely because the Moto3 class is a big step in a larger movement currently unfolding in MotoGP, and the Spanish market is an important one when it comes to GP racing. With the 125GP class, which Moto3 is replacing next year, full of Spanish and Italian youths looking to become the next Jorge Lorenzos and Valentino Rossis, Honda no doubt wants to make a strong impression to its target market, even taking the NSF250R out for a parade lap with Alex Criville on-board. We doubt any other Moto3 manufacturer will get such a plug from Dorna, but nevertheless, find the photos the event after the jump.

KTM North America is recalling 1,228 KTM and Husaberg dirt bikes for improper heat treatment, which could lead to the handlebar clamps developing cracks, and allowing the bars to move from their set position. The affected models are as follows:

  • 2011 Husaberg FE 570S
  • 2011 Husaberg FS 570
  • 2011 KTM 450 EXC
  • 2011 KTM 530 EXC
  • 2010-2011 KTM 690 Enduro R

Authorized KTM dealers will replace the defective clamps free of charge, with the recall schedule to start this June. Concerned owners may contact KTM customer service at 1-888-985-6090. Also the NHTSA, as always, is also available at 1-888-327-4236 or safercar.gov.

Source: NHTSA

Polaris is recalling 840 Victory Cross Country motorcycles made from January 1, 2011 through April 11, 2011 for faulty handlebar clamps/risers that may have been improperly machined. Because of the defect, the handlebars may slip in the clamps, resulting in a lack of control over the motorcycle.

Accordingly, Polaris will be notifying affected owners, and Victory dealers will test and replace the defective parts free of charge. The recall is expected to start in June of this year, and concerned Victory Cross Country owners can contact Victory customer service at 1-888-704-5290. The NHTSA, as always, is also available at 1-888-327-4236 or safercar.gov.

Source: NHTSA

The early morning warm sunshine gave way to cold cloud cover for Monday’s second race, the Royal London 360 Superstock race. Four laps of grand TT racing, the Superstock class is essentially street legal bikes with bolt-on pieces (along with race trim obviously), and thus a fairly analogous representation of what one could do around the Mountain Course…provided of course you have the mettle of a true TT racer. With a number of riders showing promise for the race win, all eyes were on the clock as the green flag dropped.

In this morning’s Supersport race, Guy Martin found himself on the wrong end of the pavement at Creg Ny Baa, crashing into the safety barrier after over-shooting the corner. Unscathed, the TT rider was able to restart the race, after Race 1 of Supersport was red flagged for Derek Brien’s unfortunate crash. In the age of digital media, an Isle of Man TT spectator behind the safety fence of course got the crash on film, and has graciously posted it to YouTube for all to see. Check it out after the jump, as maybe a decade ago, this would have been a fatal mistake for the likable Guy Martin. Thanks for the tip John!

With two riders out of MotoGP right now because of shoulder injuries (Dani Pedrosa & Colin Edwards), the number of riders in the premier class has dropped down to just 15 expected to compete at the British GP. With that news comes pressure from Dorna for the teams to find replacements, and with a limited talent pool, the usual suspects are being bandied about. One of the people on the short list is former-GP rider John Hopkins, who raced for Rizla Suzuki at the Spanish GP in Jerez after Álvaro Bautista broke his femur at Qatar and was unable to compete.

Dani Pedrosa on his blog today announced that he would not compete in the British GP at Silverstone next weekend, instead opting to heal his collarbone further, which he broke a the French GP several weeks ago. Though Pedrosa was on the fence about competing in the Catalan GP, it comes as no surprise that the Spanish rider will sit out Silverstone, now having missed his home race in Barcelona.

What does come as surprising though is the very credible rumors that Pedrosa has re-injured his shoulder while doing some Supermoto training, and because of this incident, may sit out the rest of the season (which may have prompted the blog post itself). Boom goes the dynamite.

Valentino Rossi is not happy. His tone had clearly changed in Catalunya when speaking to the media about the state of the Ducati GP11’s development. Though probably not expecting a repeat of his debut success on the Yamaha at Welkom, Rossi was also probably not expecting to be as far off the pace as he is five races into the season. Word around the paddock is that Ducati has until Mugello to sort the bike out, and change it to a machine that Rossi can win with. If the mysteries of a carbon fiber chassis can’t be solved in time for Rossi’s home Grand Prix, the 2011 season is likely to become very interesting indeed.