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Jensen Beeler

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Good Morning.

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After a long slumber sitting in a a collector’s garage, this Honda CR 750 M3 Factory Racer recently revved back to life near Dubai one early morning. Like anything that has been asleep for so long, it takes come coaxing and motivation to move past the slumber that lingers, and begin the day anew — firing on all cylinders if you will pardon the pun.

Documenting the awakening of this very special Honda CR 750 M3 race bike, Crank & Piston has a nice break down of the event, with some photos and an account of the storied Honda’s history. We just like that this short clip catches the waking beast, as we too are not morning people. Your Monday stars after the jump.

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Banter

Video: Making the Radical Ducati RAD02 Imola

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One of the great A&R travesties of 2011 was my inability to swing by the Radical Ducati shop in Madrid, Spain as I was traveling to the Valencian GP. Truly a fan of their pieced-together two-wheeled works of art, my fragile heart surely would not withstood having to leave Radical Ducati’s workshop, had I been able to get out of the Madrid-Barajas Airport and down to the city center before my connecting flight departed. Ni modo, así es la vida.

Who knows what 2012 has in store for my travel itinerary, so until I can make good on that visit, we all will have to tide ourselves over with the photos and videos that these creative Spaniards produce, and at the top of the drool-worthy list is the Radical Ducati RAD02 Imola café racer. A tribute to the bike that carried Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari to victory in the 200-mile race at Imola in 1972, the RAD02 Imola is one of best examples of the quality work that this small Spanish outfit produces on a regular basis.

Releasing an artsy build/assembly video of the Radical Ducati RAD02 Imola, we already feel the custom motorcycle tugging again at our heartstrings, and I can’t help but wonder what other projects Pepo, Reyes, and the rest of the Radical Ducati crew have for 2012. Enjoy the video after the jump, and be sure to bring a towel to mop up the mess.

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Banter

SX Riding Tips, Slow-Mo Footage, & James “Bubba” Stewart

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We should probably just go ahead change our name to Dirt & Rubber already, as A&R is on an off-road kick today. We’ve shown our fair share of slow-motion MotoGP videos from our friends at Red Bull, and today the brand that gives you wings has a treat for you dirt bike enthusiasts. Incorporating some great dirt track shots with James “Bubba” Stewart talking about the basic theories of motorcross racing, Red Bull has a nice little promo video here for Bubba and the Yamaha squad. Learning patented tips like “turn the bike like no other and get it done,” and “the Bubba scrub” we expect our street-leaning selves to be riding at JS7‘s level in no time at all. Video goodness after the jump, and be sure to note the slow-mo exhaust puffs at the 1:50 time marker.

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Racing

Stage 6 of the Dakar Rally Cancelled

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The world’s top adventure riders have been down in South America the past week, competing in the 33rd running of the Dakar Rally. Racing through South America since 2009, the 2012 Dakar will be taking competitors through some of the toughest terrain available in Argentina, Chile, and Peru, as The Dakar continues to live up to its name as one of the toughest races in motorsport, and this year’s rally has tragically already claimed its first life, as motorcyclist Jorge Martinez Boero of Argentina died from a cardiac arrest, after crashing during the rally’s first stage.

For Stage 6 (Fiambala-Copiapo), the weather and terrain were apparently too inhospitable, even by Dakar standards. Set to cross the Andes Mountain Range for the seventh time in the rally’s history, snow and rain at the 15,420 foot Paso de San Francisco pass was too inclement for Chilean authorities to keep the crossing open. Accordingly, today’s stage will be a convoy of all the Dakar Rally vehicles, with the rally’s itinerary changed after the border crossing in Chile from Argentina.

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Racing

Dovizioso Breaks His Collarbone During Training Accident

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Staying fit during the off-season is critical for any serious motorcycle racer. At the pinnacle of the sport, the off-season raises the stakes even higher as MotoGP riders are differentiated only by minute ticks on a very exacting scale of talent. Keeping one’s body and mind ready for battle is only part of the equation though, and we often see the top riders cross-training with a variety of sports, most notably off-road riding. Of course, with the added pressure to continue training hard in the off-season, there is bound to be accidents and injuries.

Nicky Hayden was caught out last week, as the American broke his shoulder and ribs during an indoor flat-tracking training accident. And this week, the off-season has claimed Monster Tech 3 rider Andrea Dovizioso, as the Italian broke his collarbone while training on his dirt bike. Though the full extent of Dovi’s injuries are not yet known (Tech 3 was between press officers the last we heard), it is expected that the Yamaha rider will be fit enough for MotoGP’s second off-season test January 31st at Sepang.

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News

Ghost Rider Giving Away His 499hp Turbo Hayabusa

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I’m going to date myself here, but I remember when I first got into motorcycles, I watched a video of this guy named “Ghost Rider” storm the streets of Sweden. Weaving through traffic like it was a rolling chicane and evading the cops with reckless abandon, I would find out later that Ghost Rider had made a name for himself by doing something all motorcyclists have wanted to partake in at some time or another, but never had the stones to follow through with.

Releasing a number of DVDs of his street antics, Ghost Rider’s identity has remained somewhat of a secret throughout all this, though locals tell me that everyone knows who the man clad in black is, but because of how Sweden handles its burden of proof, Johan Law has never been able to knock on the Ghost Rider’s door. Whether you think his videos are cool, irresponsible, or both, it look like Ghost Rider’s 499hp turbo-powered Hayabusa streetfighter is going to a new home…and it might be yours.

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Racing

Nippon Oil to Sponsor Yamaha’s MotoGP Team

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Last week we got news that Yamaha Racing and Petronas were concluding their three-year collaboration in MotoGP, as the Malaysian oil company’s contract with Yamaha came to an end, and was not to be renewed. Following Yamaha’s abysmal ability to keep or gain sponsorships for its racing efforts lately, the initial reaction to the news of Petronas’ departure was very grave in the MotoGP paddock. However, our friends at MotoMatters have confirmed that Yamaha will be replacing Petronas (not the Harry Potter spell, thanks irks) with Nippon Oil subsidiary brand ENEOS.

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News

Paul Teutul Sr. Joins the Cast of Celebrity Apprentice

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NBC has announced its cast for the next installment of Celebrity Apprentice, the game show where b-list celebrities supplicate themselves to the marrow-sucking Donald Trump (it’s actually great television if you’ve never caught an episode). Joining a cast comprised of Adam Carolla, Arsenio Hall, Clay Aiken, Tia Carrere, and others, Celebrity Apprentice will also see Orange County Choppers’ Paul Teutul Sr. take on the challenges of Mr. Trump.

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The Ducati Superquadro Motor in 3D

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We seem to be on a kick lately with 3D renders of the underpinning parts of the Ducati 1199 Panigale. While we’ve already seen the Panigale’s “frameless” chassis detailed in computer renders, today we have a video Ducati’s Superquadro motor. Starting from an exploded point-of-view, the 195hp / 98 lbs•ft of torque v-twin motor re-assembles itself, showing how the most powerful engine from Ducati comes together for its final form.

With a hybrid chain/gear-driven camshaft, titanium valves, a wet slipper clutch, ride-by-wire throttle actuation, rider-selectable “riding mode” system, and 15,000 mile major service intervals, the Superquadro is a major step for Ducati with its Superbike motor design. Add in the first full-LED headlight on a produciton motorcycle, the first electronically-adjustable suspension on a sport bike, the first motorcycle engine braking control system, as well as the first GPS-assisted data acquisition system for a production motorcycle, and ABS brakes as a standard equipment, and you’ve got one potent two-wheeled machine.

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News

Brammo Empulse Spotted “Testing” Six-Speed Gearbox

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Teased, delayed, and dismayed, fans of the Empulse should be able finally to get their hands on the Brammo Empulse in 2012, as the Oregonian company has been busy finalizing the Empulse’s design and technical specifications for its street bike release. Rumored to incorporate the six-speed SMRE-designed integrated electric transmission (IET) found on the Brammo Engage and Brammo Encite, a video has cropped-up that shows a test mule Brammo Empulse with the IET gearbox fitted to it. Naturally one of the testing requirements is a fat parking lot burnout.

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Racing

Hayden & Bostrom Test at Homestead-Miami Speedway

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The start 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing series is almost upon us, and the folks at Michael Jordan Motorsports are rapidly gearing up for the new season. Traveling down to the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida, MJM riders Ben Bostrom and Roger Lee Hayden took their Suzuki GSX-R1000 race bikes around newly added track for the first time. While Bostrom and Hayden won’t have to race at Homestead-Miami until September 23rd, the season-opener at Daytona, Florida is rapidly approaching and only two and half months away.

Shooting the Homestead-Miami Speedway test with some on-board cameras, the Michael Jordan Motorsports team has put together a great three minute clip that stars Bostrom’s boot, among other things. Joking aside, the video is well-put together (a rarity in the AMA paddock), and has some great shots of Bostrom’s shifting and knee-slidding around the Floridian track. Look for #23 on the Jordan Suzuki, while Roger Lee will again represent the men and women of the Army National Guard on the #54 bike.

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