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2009

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We saw a lot of great videos this past year. Some were funny, some were clever, and some were the epitome of motorcycle racing. Our top-picks pull from all of these genres, but we have to admit, the selection pool was limited by what was still available at the time of this writing.

Some of the biggest pieces of footage this year came from the WSBK and MotoGP racing series; unfortunately, the rights holders for these videos don’t feel like sharing the clips beyond their original air-dates. We’ll leave the issue about how this hurts the sport and motorcycle racing enthusiasts aside for today, so continue on past the jump for some great videos despite this situation.

The last qualifying session of the year is in the bag, as the gorgeous sunshine of Valencia, Spain bore down on the MotoGP paddock. With the Championship sealed up, all eyes were not on this season, but the next. With more than a few MotoGP riders finding their way into new venues for 2010, we bid them goodbye, yet also welcome the new talent that’s pouring into the premiere class next year. Qualifying results after the jump.

It looks like Aleix Espargaro will be replacing Niccolo Canpea a little bit earlier than planned at the Pramac Ducati team. Canepa, who was scheduled to lose his ride to Espargaro after the final round of MotoGP, has just announced that he won’t be racing at Valencia because he is still recovering from his skin transplant caused be his crash at Phillip Island a month ago.

BMW is recalling certain 2009 K1300GT and K1300S motorcycles for faulty switches on the handlebars for both the direction indicator and the emergency engine off/engine-start functions. Failure of these switches could cause BMW riders to have to manually hand signal their direction changes, which could expose the fact that dentists don’t know how to signal right-hand turns.

We find ourselves down the California Coast this weekend, hobnobbing with the suits down at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Amongst the bevy of tasty four-wheeled vehicles that seem to abound here (who knew?), we found a few motorcycles that we thought would fancy you, our dear reader. First up, is this 1979 MV Agusta Magni Superlight that is up for auction at the MidAmerica Auctions here at the Concours.

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It was a close qualify session in the outskirts of Barcelona today, but at the end of the day Jorge Lorenzo pulled a squeaker of a session on Valentino Rossi to take the pole in front of his home crowd.

Wearing special livery for the day, which paid homage to Barcelona FC (the local soccer team), Lorenzo lapped a 1’41.974 on the Catalan track, just .013 seconds quicker than Rossi’s best effort. This news surely pleased Team Fiat-Yamaha, as once again they’ll have a 1-2 start on the grid for tomorrow’s race.

The 2009 Isle of Man TT was to be the return of Norton motorcycles to the island and its Mountain Course. It has been 16 years since the British manufacturer raced the city streets of the Isle, and we eagerly awaited their return to the TT, and the showing of their rotary motor powered NRV 588 race bike. We, like many others, were disappointed then to see the Norton only shuffle around on a parade lap, and not tearing down the asphalt in the quest for absolute speed.

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We should begin this article with a preface. The following information is comprised of facts, and in some cases, where noted ,substantiated rumor. However, the inferences drawn, when looking at all these instances as being correlated events, are purely our own here at A&R, and should therefore be taken as fanciful speculation on our parts, but none-the-less something to mull-over while riding this weekend..

Looking at the facts leading up to the TTXGP, and the occurences at the Isle of Man, is it possible that Michael Czysz orchestrated a game plan at the Isle of Man that included sandbagging the E1pc’s true performance capability on race day? Our analysis after the jump.