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KTM’s Stefan Pierer Gobbles Up 25% of MV Agusta
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KTM’s Stefan Pierer Gobbles Up 25% of MV Agusta

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The BMW M1000RR Superbike Takes Another Step Forward for 2023
Bikes

The BMW M1000RR Superbike Takes Another Step Forward for 2023

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The BMW S1000RR Gets Wings and Updates for the 2023 Model Year
Bikes

The BMW S1000RR Gets Wings and Updates for the 2023 Model Year

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Banter

Video: A Primer on Crossplane Crankshafts

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Reading through the comments on the Attack Kawasaki CRT bike and its new crossplane crank, it is clear that the concept of what makes an engine have a crossplane configuration, like the one found in the current Yamaha YZF-R1, is still a bit of an enigma for some motorcyclists.

Referring to the way a crankshaft is built, with the four crank pinks at 90° from each other, an inline-four engine with a crossplane configuration fires its four pistons in a different order, and with different intervals between ignitions, than a normal engine with 180° pin positions.

A subject we’ll broach in greater detail at a later time, we thought this video from Yamaha would at least highlight some of the major differences and reasons for using a crossplane crank in a sport bike motor. Enjoy it after the jump.

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Racing

2013 Provisional WSBK Entry List Shows Only 19 Riders

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As feared, the World Superbike grid seems likely to shrink for the 2013 Championship season, with only 19 riders listed on the provisional list by the FIM. Down from the 23 bikes on the grid at Phillip Island in 2012, the euro-centric series is still dealing with the economic downturn in Europe, which continues to linger in the important markets of Spain and Italy. However though, it is of note that the difference in machines can be attributed to the absence of the Liberty Racing Team, which ran four riders in the early part of the 2012, before falling to pieces by the conclusion of the season.

Racing

MotoGP: Valentino Rossi’s Sepang Livery, Just Add Monster

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You can tell it is the off-season when the subject of what Valentino Rossi’s Yamaha YZR-M1 will look like is an instant buzzworthy item, and you know MotoGP fans have been pretty hard-up over the past few months when even the test livery creates a frothing at the mouth. Today is no different. Allegedly tweeted by the bike itself, Valentino Rossi’s test livery for MotoGP’s first pre-season test at Sepang is already creating quite a stir on Twitter. There isn’t all that much different about the Sepang livery and the livery on the Yamaha M1 that Rossi tested last November in Valencia, except of course for the fact that Monster Energy has been added to the layout.

Opinion/Editorial

January 2013: The MotoGP & WSBK Story, So Far

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With the first full test for the World Superbike class behind us, and the first test of the MotoGP grid about to get underway at Sepang at the end of this week, it is time to take a look at motorcycle racing’s pre-season, and evaluate where we stand so far. Just what is the state of play for both MotoGP and World Superbike in 2013? The question is even more pertinent now that both series have been taken under the wing of Dorna, much to the consternation of World Superbike fans and, to some extent, the WSBK paddock as well. It was feared that Dorna would either kill off World Superbike entirely to strengthen the position of MotoGP, or impose such stringent technical regulations on the series as to dumb it down to Superstock spec.

Racing

Video: A Whole New Meaning to Passing on the Inside

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Helping promote World Superbike’s stop at Britain’s Silverstone circuit, stunt driver Paul Swift has climbed behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo Mito (the pace car of WSBK), and collaborated with Chris Walker, of Kawasaki Ninja British Superbike fame, and created a little promotional clip. What starts out seemingly as a trite marketing video, rapidly turns into something pretty spectacular, and we wouldn’t recommend trying it at home (or elsewhere). What we would recommend is for other racing venues to take note of what is going on with the Silverstone circuit and the marketing that surrounds it. It pays to be media friendly.

Racing

This is the MV Agusta Corse ParkinGO Supersport Race Bike

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Debuting today at the MV Agusta HQ in Varese, Italy, the MV Agusta Corse ParkinGO supersport team has unveiled its MV Agusta F3 race bike. The Italian company’s formal return to the World Superbike paddock, MV Agusta Corse will begin its racing project in supersport, though a return to WSBK racing with the MV Agusta F4RR is featured on the team’s road map. To do the riding duty, the the MV Agusta Corse ParkinGO team has tapped Roberto Rolfo and Christian Iddon to do the honors. The two riders will have their work cutout for them in the World Supersport Championship, having to develop a brand new race bike, but at least its a very good looking one.

Racing

Listen to Attack Kawasaki’s Crossplane CRT Bike

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The 2013 MotoGP Championship season is rapidly approaching us, and while many of the teams are now making their way to Sepang, Malaysia for their first test since the winter ban period, Attack Kawasaki and rider Blake Young were out in the California desert, putting laps in on Rich Stanboli’s new crossplane-enginged Kawasaki CRT bike at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway. Only time will tell on how Attack’s racing package performs at its three MotoGP wildcard events (Austin, Laguna Seca, and Indianapolis), but so far the project is music to our ears. The only Kawasaki with a crossplane crankshaft that we can think of, enjoy the video posted by RM Racing after the jump. And remember, it’s Friday, so no one at work would judge you if you bumped up the speakers.