Latest Posts:
Asphalt & Rubber
Archive

August 2015

Browsing
Racing

Peru Scrubbed from the 2016 Dakar Rally Route

By 2 Comments

The 2016 Dakar Rally has already has the setback of Chilé being removed from its rally raid course, and now today we get word that the ASO is making another alteration to next year’s event, as Peru is being removed from the course as well.

The news comes about after weather forecasts predict a particularly strong El Niño this year, which has lead the Peruvian government to declare an emergency in 14 regions of the country.

This has also lead to the cancelation of the Inca Desafío race, and of course nixes the country’s involvement in the 2016 Dakar Rally.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

Deciphering the 2016 MotoGP Calendar

By 7 Comments

With the news that the Brno round of MotoGP has been handed to a consortium consisting of local and regional governments, and that they are working to secure the long-term future of Brno, a major piece of the puzzle surrounding MotoGP’s schedule for 2016 slotted into place.

Brno, along with Indianapolis, had been the two biggest question marks still hanging over the calendar.

Most of the schedule fell into place once Formula One announced its calendar several weeks ago. The combination of an unusually late start (F1 kicks off in Melbourne on April 4th, two weeks later than last year) and an expansion of the schedule to 21 races has left few gaps for MotoGP to fit into.

The upside to F1’s late start is that MotoGP can get a head start on its four-wheeled counterpart, and kick the season off before F1 begins.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

Q&A: Piero Taramasso – Making Michelin’s MotoGP Tires

By No Comments

The change of official tire suppliers for MotoGP, with Bridgestone departing and Michelin arriving, is arguably the most significant change to the class since the series went to a single tire in 2009.

Changing tire manufacturers has a massive impact on everything, from bike design to rider preference, and Michelin face a huge challenge to get everything ready in time.

Bridgestone helped by staying on for an extra year to allow Michelin to properly prepare, and the tires which the French manufacturer have been developing are looking very promising.

Their preparations have not been helped by conditions. Test days have been hit by rain, with testing severely hampered.

This was also the case at Brno, when the majority of the MotoGP field was due to get their first outing on the Michelins since Sepang, though the factory riders had a chance to test after Mugello.

The rain did give a group of journalists a chance to grill Piero Taramasso, Michelin’s manager of two wheel motorsports activities.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

Hitting the Apex – Mark Neale’s New Movie About MotoGP

By 24 Comments

MotoGP fans should recognize the name Mark Neale, as he has produced some of the sport’s most popular movies, such as Faster, The Doctor, The Tornado and The Kentucky Kid, the sequel Fastest, and now Hitting the Apex.

Continuing the timeline of Neale’s films, Hitting the Apex chronicles six riders: Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner, Marco Simoncelli, and Marc Marquez.

The movie picks-up just as Valentino Rossi is making his way from Yamaha to Ducati, carries us into the start of the 2015 season, and touches on the major events of those seasons. Neale as always provides a good balance between making MotoGP appealing to non-enthusiasts, while keeping plenty on the table for avid fans.

We’ll do a full review closer to the movie’s debut, but we think that fans and soon-to-be-fans will enjoy the two-hour film. We certainly did.

After the jump is the trailer for Hitting the Apex, and you will note it is narrated by Brad Pitt, who Neale tells us was instrumental behind-the-scenes in getting the movie released.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

James Hillier Talks About Taking a Lap Around the Isle of Man TT Course Aboard the Kawasaki Ninja H2R

By 9 Comments

What is it like to ride a supercharged 300hp hyperbike around the Isle of Man TT? Somewhat terrifying, and that’s coming from a guy who does it for a living: James Hillier.

As you might know, Hillier rode a Kawasaki Ninja H2R around the Isle of Man TT road course as part of an exhibition lap during this last TT fortnight, much to the delight of fans lining the Manx hedgerows.

Now we can relive that experience, since Kawasaki put together a short video on James’ impressions riding the supercharged carbon fiber beast, complete with on-board footage. Enjoy!

Keep Reading
By
Recall

Recall: Honda CBR500R & CB500

By No Comments

Bad news for Honda CBR500R & CB500 owners, as American Honda is recalling 14,575 units of the two motorcycle that were built for the 2013-2015 model years.

The recall comes about because of a fuel-level sensor float arm that can become deformed, due to exposure to “environmental and roadway conditions.” This deformation can cause the float arm to separate from the fuel level sensor body.

If the float arm separates from the sensor body, it can give the fuel meter inaccurate information, or in some cases the float may contact the positive and negative terminals, which would cause an electrical short.

Keep Reading
By
News

Marzocchi Will Cease Operations by the End of 2015

By 2 Comments

It seems any efforts to save Marzocchi have been squashed, as the suspension company’s owners, Tenneco Inc., intend to cease Marzocchi’s world operations and transfer its motorcycle and bicycle business for clients to new providers.

The news not only affects a number of motorcycle manufacturers, but also 127 employees at Marzocchi’s Bologna-based factory, and another 11 employees in North America and Taiwan.

Tenneco announced its intent to shutdown Marzocchi back in July, though the news has been slow to permeate the motorcycle industry.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

The Massive MotoGP Silly Season Update

By 30 Comments

Brno was a busy time for teams, managers and riders. Apart from dealing with jet lag and the sweltering heat, silly season kicked off in force at the Czech round of MotoGP.

The summer break and the chaos which ensued from the situation around the Forward Racing team put everything on hold over the summer, with tentative talks starting at Indianapolis.

Those talks, and events outside the paddock, helped clarify the situation, and at Brno talks began in earnest. The empty spaces on the MotoGP grid are starting to be filled.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Confederate P51 Combat Fighter, Second Generation

By 35 Comments

Confederate Motors is making some of the most intriguing and evocative custom motorcycles on the market right now, and the company’s second-generation Confederate P51 Combat Fighter is no different.

Taking some cues from the first-generation Fighter, as well as a couple nods from the Confederate X132 Hellcat, the Confederate G2 P51 Combat Fighter not only encapsulates everything good about the Confederate Motors brand, but it’s also Pierre Terblanche’s last work at the Southern company, before heading to Royal Enfield.

Confederate says that the G2 P51 Combat Fighter draws inspiration from the “1960’s rebel, anti-hero and the stripped, raw, chopper he rode.” The custom certainly is sinister in its look, especially in the blacked-out version. Oh, did we mention is boasts over 200hp at the rear wheel?

Like all Confederate machines, these P51 Combat Fighters will be bespoke to each owner, of which there will be only 61 units made. MSRP for the blonde model is is $113,900 (30 units in total), while the brunette will cost you $119,500 (31 units to be produced). More photos and details after the jump.

Keep Reading
By
Lifestyle

Watch These Urals Ford the River, Oregon Trail Style

By 9 Comments

I don’t really get the people who obsess about riding a Ural – a Russian knock-off of a German sidecar just doesn’t strike me as an enjoyable time on a motorcycle.

Of course, my saddle time on a Ural has been relegated to around-town and highway riding, which isn’t really the Ural’s domain of choice. These Cossack bikes really shine off-road, where their funky WWII-era 2WD design becomes an asset, not a hinderance.

Add to the fact that Urals are bone-simple to work on — owning a Ural means you will be wrenching on it, a lot, by the way — and you’ve got a motorcycle that’s well-suited to the rough-and-tumble lifestyle of where the road ends…especially when the road ends in a river.

Attempting to ford the river, Oregon Trail style, these Ural owners are experiencing all that the Russian marque has to offer. Seeing is believing, after the jump.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

Bradley Smith’s Dream MotoGP Track is Awesome

By 7 Comments

Have you ever wanted to create your own dream track? Take the best corners from all the MotoGP tracks, and combine them into one epic venue for motorcycle racing? That’s pretty much Bradley Smith has done for us today, and it’s awesome.

When it comes to riders who are adept at explaining the nuances and technical aspects of riding a MotoGP motorcycle, Bradley Smith ranks as one of the top riders. This year has been a breakout season for Smith, maturing both on and off the track, with the Englishman showing strong results on the track.

It’s a bit of a mystery as to why Bradley doesn’t have a signed contract for the 2016 season, though we suspect there’s more than meets the eye taking place behind closed doors.

Silly season issues aside, we’re pretty intrigued by Bradley’s choices for his dream track. Checkout which corners made the track after the jump, along with a video that explains Braldey’s picks, with commentary by his teammate Pol Espargaro.

Keep Reading
By