January 2016 - Page 7 of 7 - Asphalt & Rubber

MotoGP

Jorge Lorenzo Drops HJC for Shark Helmets

By David Emmett 01/04/2016 21 Comments

Jorge Lorenzo’s helmet issues through the 2015 season have finally caused him to switch brands. The Spaniard today announced he has signed a contract for the next three seasons with the French helmet maker Shark.

Shark have a long history in MotoGP and World Superbikes, having supplied many top riders such as Olivier Jacque, Carl Fogarty, Randy De Puniet, and Troy Corser.

They currently support Aleix Espargaro, Johann Zarco, the Lowes twins Alex and Sam, Tom Sykes, Sylvain Guintoli, Scott Redding and Miguel Oliveira, among others. As such, Shark is an established name in motorcycle racing and a known quantity.

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Recall

Recall: Honda VFR1200F

By Jensen Beeler 01/03/2016 2 Comments

Honda is recalling 1,825 Honda VFR1200F (2010 & 2012-2013 model year) motorcycles for a faulty universal joint in the driveshaft, which may have been manufactured or assembled incorrectly.

Because of the defect, the driveshaft’s universal joint bearings may prematurely wear, which can cause the universal joint to separate or break.

As you can imagine, if the universal joint separates, it could cause the motorcycle to stall. Even worse, if the universal joint breaks all-together, it could interfere with the swingarm, which could lock the rear wheel. Both scenarios create a safety issue, and thus a recall has been issued.

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Dirt

2016 Dakar Rally – Stage 1: Canceled

By Jensen Beeler 01/03/2016 5 Comments

The 2016 Dakar Rally is off to a poor start, as the first stage of the event had to be canceled today, on account of the weather. While yesterday’s prologue in Rosario was under 104°F sun, lightning storms prevailed in South America today, along with heavy rain.

The intensity of the rainfall saw the river crossings swell in size, while the heavy wind and rain meant that the safety helicopters couldn’t safely operate. As such, the ASO had no choice but to scrub today’s stage, citing safety concerns for the competitors.

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