Thursday, September 30, 2004

Xaus thrives in new Desert adventure.

Ruben Xaus took the first ever provisional MotoGP pole position in Qatar - and the first of his career - in an unpredictable first qualifying practice at the Losail International Circuit this afternoon. Crash.Net

Wednesday, September 29, 2004

Yamaha to fund Laguna changes.

Yamaha has announced that it will fund the track safety improvements required by the FIM to homologate the Laguna Seca circuit, and so allow the US Grand Prix to take its place on the 2005 MotoGP world championship calendar. Crash.Net

Paris-Dakar star dies

Three-time Paris-Dakar rally winner Richard Sainct has died in a crash during the Pharaohs Rally in Egypt. BBC Sport

Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Qatar's new bike track is hot stuff

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

The Bad Man

My ex-wife used to refer to Loris Capirossi as "The Bad Man". She was very upset when he knocked Tetsuya Harada off in the final 250 race of 1998. Capirossi's determination to compete and win has led to some extremely questionable acts of racing aggression. Here are a few of Capirossi's "Greatest Hits".

Hopkins: Don't ban Capirossi. - Crash.Net

Biaggi hits Capirossi. - Crash.Net

Case of Loris Capirossi - 6 November 1998 FIM

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

KR: We can't fix this engine.

Proton KR team principal Kenny Roberts has stated that there is now no hope for the current version of the KR V5 engine, and that only a full redesign in time for next season will solve their powerplant woes. Crash.Net
Bayliss: Better to crash from fifth...Troy Bayliss put on a determined display of hard-riding in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix, helping the Australian rise from sixteenth on the grid to within sight of Kawasaki's Shinya Nakano and a podium finish – only to fall with five laps to go. Crash.net

Friday, September 17, 2004

Boston Globe Review of MotoGP Movie "Faster"

Faster as cinema raises more questions than it answers. It's certainly thrilling, but one is not left with a real sense of drama or depth. The Boston Globe's review makes the deficiencies of the film clear. What the reviewer fails to elucidate is that for motorcycle racing enthusiasts it's like candy. When so much of our experience of MotoGP is dominated by commentary and short sound bites having actual interviews with the riders, doctors and mechanics is a real treat.

Read the review here

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

Naked Surprise from BMW

BMW has provided a sneak preview of what could quickly become the motorcycle world's most powerful production "naked" bike. The K1200R is based on the K1200S Supersport Tourer. Pictures and descriptions are available at Bikes in the Fast Lane

New KTM Motorcycles at the Intermot

How many ways can KTM package their new V-twin? Current answer is five. KTM's 2005 Intermot display shows an very ambitious set of concept motorcycles from the Austrian manufacturer. These bike feature aggressive, angular styling coupled with technical innovation. It must be the mountain air. Bikes in the Fast Lane has put together a mini-feature on 2005 KTM.

990 SUPERDUKE (SERIES MODEL)
Lighter, more agile and aggressive than everything else being on two wheels ever before. The KTM 990 Superduke is not less than a radical advance in building motorcycles and a redefinition of the category "naked bike". The 990 Superduke is a motorcycle without compromise, defined through extremely agile handling, innovative technology and an independent, brand-characteristic design. Primarily she is the absolute and offensively demonstrated commitment to the passion motorcycle.

950 SUPERMOTO (PRE-SERIES MODEL)
As the first manufacturer of motorcycles KTM launches a large-displacement 2-cylinder Supermoto. Therewith KTM demonstrates its leading position in the Supermoto segment. This is one bike that's on my shopping list.... must be great to ride in Paris traffic.

990 RC8 (DEVELOPMENT LEVEL P1)
For the RC8, KTM brought their riders to the design table as well as the best technicians and designers. KTM's aim: The ultimate weapon for ambitious street-fighters. That means: A radical concentration of its mass around the compact 75° V2. Innovative details are everywhere: The seat is the tank, keeping fuel at the machine’s center of gravity. Dry sump lubrication allows the entire exhaust system to sit precisely where it has the least influence on dynamics. Directly under the engine. The fairing is designed to produce the least possible crosswind drag. The result: No crosswind oscillation, spell-binding agility, and aggressive steering ability.
(Planned start of production 2007)

990 RC8 VENOM (CONCEPT BIKE)
The RC8 Venom is a study based on the revolutionary concept of the RC8. She is definitely and clearly designed as a naked bike and thus a specific interpretation of the RC8 form language, whereas also technically widely based on the RC8.

Wednesday, September 01, 2004

MotoGP Silly Season

The sun is shining. Fall is just around the corner. You know what that means. SILLY SEASON! SuperBike Planet has it's first listing of the who, what and where speculation for MotoGP 2005. SuperBike Planet

Team KR admits secret KTM test.