2017 Honda CBR1000RR And CBR1000RR SP Video Review

2017 Honda CBR1000RR And CBR1000RR SP Video Review Honda pulled out all the stops for its fresh, ground-up redesign of the CBR1000RR. And it’s about time, too. However, instead of searching for power like most of its competition, Team Red’s mission was to make the new CBR as light as possible. All in an effort to give the rider Total Control – the same design ethos given to the original CBR900RR 25 years earlier. To that end, Honda lightened everything it could; using magnesium engine covers, a titanium exhaust, and titanium fuel tank (for the SP model, anyway). It even made the frame walls – and fairings – thinner! Of course, the old Fireblade was blasted for not having enough power and for its lack of electronics, so Honda solved both those issues. A reworked head, higher compression ratio, and increased rev limit help give more power, and a whole suite of electronics finally grace the CBR, anchored by a five-axis Bosch IMU. You should know what I think of the bike by now if you’ve read my First Ride Review. But if you want to hear me fighting a cold and a lost voice in an attempt to give you my visual and audible impressions of the new 1000RR, then the video below is what you’re looking for. 2017 Honda CBR1000RR And CBR1000RR SP Video Review appeared first on Motorcycle.com.
 
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MOto Jeopardy: Ninja 650

MOto Jeopardy: Ninja 650 Every motorcycle press launch is a useless information learning opportunity. At the recent Kawasaki Ninja 650 event, some facts and figures were presented that don’t further the review of the bike but are kind of interesting by themselves. There’s only five. See if you can get them all correct. MOto Jeopardy: Ninja 650 appeared first on Motorcycle.com.
 
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KTM Announces Contingency Program For 18 Different Racing Series - Motorcycle.com News

KTM Announces Contingency Program For 18 Different Racing Series With payouts in 18 series on four different platforms, KTM looks to be appealing to a wide swath of racers. Begin Press Release: KTM ANNOUNCES ITS LARGEST-EVER ROAD RACING CONTINGENCY PROGRAM MURRIETA, Calif. – KTM Motorsports is pleased to announce details of its largest-ever road racing contingency program for the 2017 race season. Totaling over 2.3 million U.S. dollars in available payout, the KTM Contingency program offers contingency for top-three results in 18 different road racing series. Racers competing aboard the KTM RC 390, RC CUP RACEBIKE, 690 DUKE and 1290 SUPER DUKE R will have the opportunity to earn the following payout for a top-three finish: 1st – $400, 2nd – $250, 3rd – $100. Additionally, the following regional race series are included in this year’s KTM Contingency lineup: American Federation of Motorcycles, American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association, American Sportbike Racing Association, Championship Cup Series, Central Roadracing Association, Chuckwalla Valley Motorcycle Racing, Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association, Loudin Road Race Series, Masters of the Mountain, Motorcycle Roadracing Association, Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association, WERA National Challenge Series, WERA Sportsman (Atlantic Coastal Region, Mid-Central Region, North Central Region, Southeast Region, West Region) and Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association. For more information on KTM’s contingency program and for registration details, please visit www.ktmcash.com. KTM Announces Contingency Program For 18 Different Racing Series appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Suzuki Riders Speak After Day 2 Of MotoGP Testing In Sepang - Motorcycle.com News

Suzuki Riders Speak After Day 2 Of MotoGP Testing In Sepang Andrea Iannone is making it known he means business for the upcoming MotoGP season, setting the fastest time around the Sepang circuit in Malaysia aboard his Suzuki GSX-RR. Meanwhile, rookie teammate Alex Rins is quickly getting up to speed at the end of day 2 of testing. Begin Press Release: IANNONE LEADS THE TEST IN SEPANG DAY 2 Team Suzuki Press Office – January 31. A positive day at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia allowed Andrea Iannone to set the best chrono of the day, leading today’s classification by 0.406s with the best lap of 1’59.452 as the Italian rider exploited the closing minutes and track conditions to put in a positive series of laps, being in the top part of the screen in every run. Big improvements were also made by rookie Alex Rins, who is getting more and more familiar with his GSX-RR, and was able to get into the 2’00 bracket and climb the classification to 13th place with a best chrono of 2’00.877. His work is focusing in learning the electronic management of the bike, but he also tried the new 2017 spec of the engine, as this is one of the priorities for the definition of future development. As heavy rain hit the track yesterday evening, the teams had to delay the working schedule for today awaiting the track to dry and get better grip, finally being forced to squeeze all the working schedule into a few hours in the late afternoon. Finally, the engineers could get important information, crucial as this was the day for the introduction of the most important 2017 configurations on the machines, in particular in the set-up and engine. Some steps forward have also been made in the electronics. Davide Brivio – Team Manager: “It’s been a nice day, hasn’t it? Despite having a delay at the start due to the track conditions, we got only few hours left to test, but we could make another important day. We have tested many things that proved to be effective, and Andrea did a very good job, an incredible time. Of course we still need to work a lot but I’m happy for this time; although it’s only one single lap we have stayed in the front for the whole session. Most importantly, this time is the proof that there is already a good feeling between Andrea and the machine, this means that when the moment to push will come he will be already able to do it. Now we have to work on many aspects to prepare consistency for the race, so we need to work on tyres, suspension, electronics, many things. But this a good sign. Alex as well made very positive progresses, he has already gone under 2’00 and he is improving more and more, he feels the machine more and more and at the end he enjoys riding more and more. Today we could test more in depth the new specs of the engine, making comparisons with the old one, and also tried a new front fork that Ohlins provided, and especially Andrea proved to appreciate it.” Andrea Iannone: “I’m very happy with today, although we had a short time due to the track conditions, we could do much work and, most importantly, made a step forward. In the early runs we started with some configurations that didn’t make me feel totally comfortable, then when we tried some changes I found much more confidence and the lap times got a huge benefit. They were not radical changes, more small improvements, but they proved to be very effective. We are working very well, I am finding an excellent feeling with my team, they are working very hard and very professionally and this gives me a positive attitude that allows me to ride with confidence. Today is a result of this, we improved a lot since yesterday and it is important for us to have found positive improvements.” Alex Rins: “Today we couldn’t ride so much in the morning because of the track conditions. We have waited for the track to dry up but overall I am very happy, we have improved a lot compared to yesterday and we understand how the bike works, suspensions and other things, we have taken a big step especially on braking. Little by little I have taken the confidence to brake hard in the corner and we have improved so much. I think we will improve step by step with the bike just doing more kilometres. Fortunately regarding the back I don’t feel pain!” SEPANG TEST – CLASSIFICATION OF DAY 2: 1. IANNONE, Andrea – Team SUZUKI ECSTAR – 1:59.452 2. VIÑALES, Maverick – Movistar Yamaha MotoGP – 1:59.858 +0.406 3. BAUTISTA, Alvaro – Pull&Bear Aspar Team – 2:00.218 +0.766 4. ROSSI, Valentino – Movistar Yamaha MotoGP – 2:00.254 +0.802 5. ZARCO, Johann – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – 2:00.343 +0.891 6. BARBERA, Hector – Avintia Racing – 2:00.351 +0.899 7. DOVIZIOSO, Andrea – Ducati Team – 2:00.441 +0.989 8. LORENZO, Jorge – Ducati Team – 2:00.484 +1.032 9. FOLGER, Jonas – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – 2:00.495 +1.043 10. MARQUEZ, Marc – Repsol Honda Team – 2:00.531 +1.079 11. ESPARGARO, Aleix – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini – 2:00.609 +1.157 12. CRUTCHLOW, Cal – LCR Honda – 2:00.692 +1.240 13. RINS, Alex – Team SUZUKI ECSTAR – 2:00.877 +1.425 14. PEDROSA, Dani – Repsol Honda Team – 2:00.886 +1.434 15. REDDING, Scott – Octo Pramac Racing – 2:00.972 +1.520 16. ABRAHAM, Karel – Pull&Bear Aspar Team – 2:00.981 +1.529 17. PETRUCCI, Danilo – Octo Pramac Racing – 2:01.124 +1.672 18. BAZ, Loris – Avintia Racing – 2:01.227 +1.775 19. PIRRO, Michele – Ducati Test Team – 2:01.383 +1.931 20. ESPARGARO, Pol – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – 2:01.525 +2.073 21. MILLER, Jack – Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS – 2:01.557 +2.105 22. LOWES, Sam – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini – 2:02.058 +2.606 23. RABAT, Tito – Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS – 2:02.190 +2.738 24. TSUDA, Takuya – Suzuki Test Team – 2:02.266 +2.814 25. SMITH, Bradley – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – 2:02.517 +3.065 26. NAKASUGA, Katsuyuki – Yamaha Factory Racing – 2:02.893 +3.441 27. NOZANE, Kohta – Yamaha Factory Racing – 2:03.052 +3.600 Suzuki Riders Speak After Day 2 Of MotoGP Testing In Sepang appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Finnish Motorcycle Police Chase Or Next Mission Impossible Trailer?

Finnish Motorcycle Police Chase Or Next Mission Impossible Trailer? The chase begins at the 8:40 mark. For a while, it appears to be a run of the mill high-speed motorcycle police chase. A few minutes in and you realize the chasee is carrying a passenger. Next, you begin to wonder why this motor cop can’t catch a guy riding a bike two-up. Then, at 15:06 the cop nearly crashes into the culprit when the chasee brakes hard for traffic. When the pursuit resumes it carries on for another 11 minutes of crazy passes and near misses. The end comes at 27:46 when the chasee spins out on a dirt road. Bailing on his passenger he flees on foot, removes his helmet, but doesn’t toss it (probably because he’ll need to sell it to help pay the fine). The motor cop continues the chase while still riding, hits a barn, and may have lost the suspect if it weren’t for the arrival of backup. Adding the final touch of comic relief, the cop drops his bike at 28:45. Yah, it’s a long video but worth the watch. Enjoy! Finnish Motorcycle Police Chase Or Next Mission Impossible Trailer? appeared first on Motorcycle.com.
 
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Lorenzo Coming To Grips With Ducati After Day 2 Of MotoGP Sepang Test - Motorcycle.com News

Lorenzo Coming To Grips With Ducati After Day 2 Of MotoGP Sepang Test Jorge Lorenzo is discovering the Ducati MotoGP machine is a very different animal to ride compared to the Yamaha he’d been piloting for his entire MotoGP career prior to 2017. After the second day of MotoGP testing, at Sepang, Lorenzo seems to be changing his style to suit the bike, ending up a fraction behind teammate Andrea Dovizioso. Begin Press Release: Dovizioso seventh and Lorenzo eighth on day 2 of MotoGP testing at Sepang The torrential rain that fell last night at Sepang left the surface of the Malaysian circuit very damp until early this afternoon, and so most of the riders only went out on track at around 2.30 pm, when conditions had improved considerably. At the end of the day Andrea Dovizioso was seventh in the standings, with a time of 2’00.441, while his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, one of the few riders who ventured out at the start of the session, finished a fraction behind in eighth place with a time of 2’00”484. Michele Pirro, the Ducati Test Team’s test-rider was also out on track today, pushing forward the development work on the Desmosedici GP 2017 over a total of 45 laps and eventually finishing in 19th place with a time of 2’01.232. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 42 laps – 2’00.441 (7th) “Despite the bad track conditions in the morning because of last night’s downpour, today we managed to do four hours of work and test a lot of things. It was important because we picked up a lot of indications, my feelings were positive and I feel good with the bike. Now we must hope that the weather gives us a hand and that tomorrow the track is in a good condition to take advantage of the soft tyres and see if we can get our times down even more.” Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 66 laps – 2’00.484 (8th) “I’m very happy with the progress we made today. Now I understand the bike a lot more and I managed to improve my performance, even though I’m still some way from my limit. We also improved the general set-up of the Desmosedici GP and in addition I could see that what I thought yesterday was correct: I only need a bit more time and to do a lot of laps to get even closer to the top and to my limit with this bike.” Michele Pirro (Ducati Test Team #51) – 45 laps – 2’01.232 (19th) “I have to say that today we managed to work well. We did back-to-back tests on chassis details, in particular with the suspension, and checked out the aerodynamics. I lapped in 2’01.232 on used tyres, which is a pretty good time, and I was always able to keep a very good pace considering the type of tyre I was using and the type of tests I was doing.” Lorenzo Coming To Grips With Ducati After Day 2 Of MotoGP Sepang Test appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Rossi, Viñales In Top Four After Day 2 Of MotoGP Sepang Testing - Motorcycle.com News

Rossi, Viñales In Top Four After Day 2 Of MotoGP Sepang Testing Yamaha’s factory MotoGP riders Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales look quick on the 2017 M1, with the Spanish rookie setting the second fastest time of the day. Begin Press Release: MOVISTAR YAMAHA CONTINUE DEVELOPMENT ON DAMP SEPANG TRACK Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi were back in action today at the Sepang International Circuit for the second of the three track days that mark the start of 2017 MotoGP racing activity. They continued to work through a number of different testing materials, taking second and fourth place respectively in today‘s time sheets. The riders had to be patient at the start of the eight-hour session. Damp track conditions made for a four-hour wait before they could put their 2017 YZR-M1s to the test. Once the track had dried sufficiently, Viñales was keen to head out and continued his hunt for the perfect set-up. He soon found a good rhythm and he comfortably began to chip away at his time. After one and a half hours he posted a best lap of 2‘00.646s to temporarily take over the top of the standings before the pace of the other riders picked up. In the meantime, the young Spaniard proceeded to test the new fairing in order to be able to compare data with his teammate, but couldn‘t resist to push on his final stint. Viñales was one of only two riders to drop under the 2‘00 mark with, a 1‘59.858s and ended the day in second place, 0.406s from the front. Rossi was also eager to work on the bike set-up to improve performance and left pit lane as soon as the circuit was dry. As one of the first riders to venture out on track, he put in 54 laps, which he used to compare the new fairing to the old version. With his physical condition improved from yesterday, he underlined that he was back on form by being one of the few riders to improve on his best time of the day before. At the very end of the session he put in a time attack to move up to fourth place in today‘s standings, with a fastest lap of 2‘00.254s, 0.802s from first. MASSIMO MEREGALLI TEAM DIRECTOR Though we started late today, the test is proceeding well. We‘ve only been unlucky that we couldn‘t start early this morning. We had quite a lot of items on the programme for today and due to the delays we haven‘t been able to complete all of them. Valentino and Maverick put in a lot of effort to make the most of the dry track time. They both tested and compared the new fairing and new frame. We also made time to look further into improving rear tyre life, with positive results. So far the feedback from the riders has been good, so we are confident about the material that we are testing. Hopefully we will be able to start at 10 o‘clock tomorrow to continue our development and complete quite a full-on schedule, as we also have to try a new tyre for Michelin. MAVERICK VIÑALES MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP RIDER Today was good and I‘m so happy because we worked on our race pace and finally at the end, on the race tyre. I tried to do consistent laps, and honestly the lap times were quite fast. I‘m surprised that the bike has been working so good and, as the grip increased, we improved each time we went out. As I said, we are focusing on riding on a used tyre so I‘m quite happy with second place. It‘s nice to focus on one lap and be fast, but we have to be fast on all twenty laps and I think we did a good job and made a good start. I don‘t know if I will do a time attack tomorrow, it will depend on the weather and the condition of the track. You always want to see your name at the top of the list, but sometimes it‘s more useful to work towards the races. VALENTINO ROSSI MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP RIDER I‘m feeling 100% fit again. Yesterday when I went to sleep I still had a headache, but today when I woke up I felt better so I was able to put in some good work and at the end it was a good day. This morning we lost a lot of time waiting for the conditions to improve, but in the afternoon I could do more than 50 laps. We had some important stuff to try and more or less everything was positive. My pace was quite good and at the end I did a time attack and I‘m in fourth position, so top five is OK. We have a different frame and it was good, I like it. We haven‘t decided yet, but the first impression was positive. TEST DAY 2 – RESULTS 31/01/2017 1. A. IANNONE TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR 1’59.452 2. M. VIÑALES MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP 1’59.858 3. A. BAUTISTA PULL & BEAR ASPAR TEAM 2’00.218 4. V. ROSSI MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP 2’00.254 5. J. ZARCO MONSTER YAMAHA TECH3 2’00.343 6. H. BARBERA AVINTIA RACING 2’00.352 7. A. DOVIZIOSO DUCATI TEAM 2’00.441 8. J. LORENZO DUCATI TEAM 2’00.484 9. J. FOLGER MONSTER YAMAHA TECH3 2’00.495 10. M. MARQUEZ REPSOL HONDA TEAM 2’00.531 11. A. ESPARGARÒ APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI 2’00.609 12. C. CRUTCHLOW LCR HONDA 2’00.691 13. A. RINS TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR 2’00.876 14. D. PEDROSA REPSOL HONDA TEAM 2’00.886 15. S. REDDING OCTO PRAMAC YAKHNICH 2’00.972 16. K. ABRAHAM PULL & BEAR ASPAR TEAM 2’00.981 17. D. PETRUCCI OCTO PRAMAC YAKHNICH 2’01.124 18. L. BAZ AVINTIA RACING 2’01.227 19. M. PIRRO DUCATI TEST TEAM 2’01.382 20. P. ESPARGARÒ RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING 2’01.525 21. J. MILLER TEAM EG 0,0 MARC VDS 2’01.556 22. S. LOWES APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI 2’02.058 23. T. RABAT TEAM EG 0,0 MARC VDS 2’02.189 24. T. TSUDA SUZUKI TEST TEAM 2’02.267 25. B. SMITH RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING 2’02.516 26. K. NAKASUGA YAMAHA FACTORY RACING 2’02.893 27. K. NOZANE YAMAHA FACTORY RACING Rossi, Viñales In Top Four After Day 2 Of MotoGP Sepang Testing appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Marquez, Pedrosa Continue Developing RC213V At MotoGP Sepang Test Day 2 - Motorcycle.com News

Marquez, Pedrosa Continue Developing RC213V At MotoGP Sepang Test Day 2 Bad weather and damp conditions meant most of day 2 of Sepang MotoGP testing was a wash. Nonetheless, HRC riders Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa used the limited dry time to continue developing the 2017 RC213V. Begin Press Release: Development work continues for Repsol Honda Team on second day at Sepang Heavy overnight rain left a damp track today at Sepang and kept the riders in the pits for more than half of the second day of testing. Temperatures also were slightly cooler than usual in Malaysia, with a max of 30° C air, 38° ground. Reigning World Champion Marc Marquez and teammate Dani Pedrosa took to the track as soon as it was dry enough, after 2 p.m. They continued their development work on their RC213V machines, both of which were equipped with the same engine’s new configurations. Tests of the Michelin tyres also continued for both. Marquez’s fastest time of 2’00.531” (lap 27 of 33) placed him 10th for the day. Pedrosa finished in 14th place with his time of 2’00.886” (lap 38 of 44). The test will conclude tomorrow. Marc Marquez 10TH 2’00.531 “We started late like everyone this afternoon because of the track conditions, and generally speaking, it was a challenging day. We spent a lot of time in the garage working on sorting out many little things. It’s okay, as this is the pre-season and it’s better to work and solve all these issues now, but of course this takes time. We have a lot of work to do to find a good setup for the bike and the electronics. That said, our rhythm wasn’t too bad and hopefully tomorrow we’ll improve our pace and speed. We must keep focused and work hard. I’m sure that step by step we will get better!” Dani Pedrosa 14TH 2’00.886 “Today we started working as soon as the conditions allowed, even if the track was still damp here and there. We made a re-check of some setup details we wanted to improve, and the positive is that we actually bettered them by about 50%. We’re not yet where we want to be, but it’s still a step forward. Other positives to the day are that I did my fastest time on a quite used tyre and that we did some good work on the fork and on one front tyre as well. Unfortunately, at the end of the session we weren’t able to fit a new tyre and try a time attack, but hopefully tomorrowwe’ll have time to do more tests on the tyres and setup and to try and improve our lap times.” MotoGP 2017 Tuesday, January 31st 2017 Testing Sepang Official Test Results Session MIXED CONDITIONS Track Temp 38°C Air Temp 30°C Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap 1 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 1’59.452 2 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 0.406 3 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati 0.766 4 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 0.802 5 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 0.891 6 BARBERA Hector 8 SPA Avintia Racing Ducati 0.900 7 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team Ducati 0.989 8 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA Ducati Team Ducati 1.032 9 FOLGER Jonas 94 GER Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1.043 10 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1.079 11 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 1.157 12 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda Honda 1.239 13 RINS Alex 42 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 1.424 14 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1.434 15 REDDING Scott 45 GBR Octo Pramac Yakhnich Ducati 1.520 16 ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati 1.529 17 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Octo Pramac Yakhnich Ducati 1.672 18 BAZ Loris 76 FRA Avintia Racing Ducati 1.775 19 PIRRO Michele 51 ITA Ducati Ducati 1.930 20 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 2.073 21 MILLER Jack 43 AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 2.104 22 LOWES Sam 22 GBR Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 2.606 23 RABAT Tito 53 SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 2.737 24 TSUDA Takuya 22 JPN Suzuki Test Team Suzuki 2.815 25 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 3.064 26 NAKASUGA Katsuyuki 21 JPN Yamaha Factory Racing Team Yamaha 3.441 27 NOZANE Kouta 31 JPN Yamaha Test Team Yamaha 3.600 Marquez, Pedrosa Continue Developing RC213V At MotoGP Sepang Test Day 2 appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Sepang Session 2 MotoGP Test Times! - Motorcycle.com News

Sepang Session 2 MotoGP Test Times! Pos Rider Team Fastest lap Lead. Gap Prev. Gap Laps Last lap 1 IANNONE, Andrea Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 1:59.452 38 / 40 2 VIÑALES, Maverick Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1:59.858 0.406 0.406 51 / 51 3 BAUTISTA, Alvaro Pull&Bear Aspar Team 2:00.218 0.766 0.360 46 / 49 4 ROSSI, Valentino Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 2:00.254 0.802 0.036 51 / 54 5 ZARCO, Johann Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:00.343 0.891 0.089 49 / 50 6 BARBERA, Hector Reale Esponsorama Racing 2:00.352 0.900 0.009 26 / 33 7 DOVIZIOSO, Andrea Ducati Team 2:00.441 0.989 0.089 33 / 42 8 LORENZO, Jorge Ducati Team 2:00.484 1.032 0.043 65 / 66 9 FOLGER, Jonas Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:00.495 1.043 0.011 43 / 43 10 MARQUEZ, Marc Repsol Honda Team 2:00.531 1.079 0.036 27 / 33 11 ESPARGARO, Aleix Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 2:00.609 1.157 0.078 29 / 36 12 CRUTCHLOW, Cal LCR Honda 2:00.691 1.239 0.082 39 / 44 13 RINS, Alex Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 2:00.876 1.424 0.185 36 / 36 14 PEDROSA, Dani Repsol Honda Team 2:00.886 1.434 0.010 38 / 44 15 REDDING, Scott Octo Pramac Racing 2:00.972 1.520 0.086 35 / 36 16 ABRAHAM, Karel Pull&Bear Aspar Team 2:00.981 1.529 0.009 43 / 44 17 PETRUCCI, Danilo Octo Pramac Racing 2:01.124 1.672 0.143 15 / 20 18 BAZ, Loris Reale Esponsorama Racing 2:01.227 1.775 0.103 29 / 30 19 PIRRO, Michele Ducati Test Team 2:01.382 1.930 0.155 37 / 45 20 ESPARGARO, Pol Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 2:01.525 2.073 0.143 36 / 37 21 MILLER, Jack Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS 2:01.556 2.104 0.031 24 / 56 22 LOWES, Sam Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 2:02.058 2.606 0.502 45 / 47 23 RABAT, Tito Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS 2:02.189 2.737 0.131 24 / 30 24 TSUDA, Takuya Suzuki Test Team 2:02.267 2.815 0.078 52 / 54 25 SMITH, Bradley Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 2:02.516 3.064 0.249 30 / 32 26 NAKASUGA, Katsuyuki Yamaha Factory Racing 2:02.893 3.441 0.377 26 / 36 27 NOZANE, Kohta Yamaha Factory Racing 2:03.052 3.600 0.159 33 / 34 NC STONER, Casey Ducati Test Team Session 1 – 30/01/2017 Analysis Classification Pos Rider Team Fastest lap Lead. Gap Prev. Gap Laps Last lap 1 STONER, Casey Ducati Test Team 1:59.680 25 / 32 2 DOVIZIOSO, Andrea Ducati Team 1:59.797 0.117 0.117 23 / 29 3 VIÑALES, Maverick Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 2:00.129 0.449 0.332 34 / 54 4 BAUTISTA, Alvaro Pull&Bear Aspar Team 2:00.134 0.454 0.005 37 / 53 5 IANNONE, Andrea Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 2:00.489 0.809 0.355 22 / 44 6 CRUTCHLOW, Cal LCR Honda 2:00.569 0.889 0.080 27 / 44 7 FOLGER, Jonas Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:00.643 0.963 0.074 23 / 40 8 ROSSI, Valentino Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 2:00.694 1.014 0.051 20 / 27 9 MARQUEZ, Marc Repsol Honda Team 2:00.738 1.058 0.044 25 / 56 10 BARBERA, Hector Reale Esponsorama Racing 2:00.743 1.063 0.005 24 / 38 11 PETRUCCI, Danilo OCTO Pramac Racing 2:00.850 1.170 0.107 27 / 34 12 REDDING, Scott OCTO Pramac Racing 2:00.853 1.173 0.003 28 / 44 13 PEDROSA, Dani Repsol Honda Team 2:00.970 1.290 0.117 25 / 44 14 ZARCO, Johann Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.224 1.544 0.254 46 / 69 15 ESPARGARO, Aleix Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 2:01.272 1.592 0.050 23 / 36 16 ESPARGARO, Pol Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 2:01.338 1.658 0.066 45 / 58 17 LORENZO, Jorge Ducati Team 2:01.349 1.669 0.011 40 / 45 18 BAZ, Loris Reale Esponsorama Racing 2:01.352 1.672 0.003 47 / 48 19 TSUDA, Takuya Suzuki Test Team 2:01.812 2.132 0.460 28 / 79 20 RINS, Alex Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 2:01.890 2.210 0.078 49 / 52 21 ABRAHAM, Karel Pull&Bear Aspar Team 2:01.926 2.246 0.036 40 / 45 22 MILLER, Jack Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS 2:01.943 2.263 0.017 49 / 51 23 NOZANE, Kohta Yamaha Factory Racing 2:02.187 2.507 0.244 33 / 36 24 NAKASUGA, Katsuyuki Yamaha Factory Racing 2:02.291 2.611 0.104 24 / 45 25 RABAT, Tito Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS 2:02.315 2.635 0.024 22 / 37 26 LOWES, Sam Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 2:02.943 3.263 0.628 33 / 50 27 SMITH, Bradley Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 2:03.033 3.353 0.090 47 / 49 NC PIRRO, Michele Ducati Test Team Sepang Session 2 MotoGP Test Times! appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Harley Sales Slip A Little In 2016 - Motorcycle.com News

Harley Sales Slip A Little In 2016 Company states its goal is “to build the next generation of Harley-Davidson riders worldwide.” No duh! If H-D makes a street legal version of its recently announced liquid-cooled flat tracker, XG750R, that bike will certainly help the Motor Company attain its goal. Begin Press Release: Harley-Davidson Reports Fourth Quarter, Full-Year 2016 Results Market Share Gains in the U.S. While Industry Sales Decline MILWAUKEE, Jan. 31, 2017 – Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) fourth quarter 2016 diluted EPS increased 22.7 percent to $0.27 compared to $0.22 in the same period of 2015. In the fourth quarter of 2016, net income was $47.2 million on consolidated revenue of $1.11 billion versus net income of $42.2 million on consolidated revenue of $1.18 billion in the year-ago period. Full-year 2016 diluted EPS increased 3.8 percent to $3.83 compared to diluted EPS of $3.69 in 2015. Full-year net income was $692.2 million on consolidated revenue of $6.0 billion versus net income of $752.2 million on consolidated revenue of $6.0 billion a year ago. “The global competitive environment remains intense, but our 2016 results demonstrate that our increased investments to drive demand and bring impactful new products to market are working,” said Matt Levatich, president and chief executive officer, Harley-Davidson, Inc. “We are energized by our resolve to compete and win in the U.S. and in major international markets. Our market share performance gives us great confidence in the strength of our long-term strategy.” For the full-year 2016, worldwide Harley-Davidson retail motorcycle sales were down 1.6 percent compared to 2015. U.S. retail sales decreased 3.9 percent, partially offset by international growth of 2.3 percent. During 2016, the company reported its best-ever retail sales results in Asia Pacific and EMEA. In the 601+cc motorcycle market, the company grew its number one market share position in the U.S. and grew market share in Europe. The company added 40 new dealer points internationally and reported that U.S. dealers trained more than 65,000 new riders through the Harley-Davidson Riding Academy. The company also launched its model year 2017 lineup of motorcycles, featuring the new, highly-acclaimed Milwaukee-Eight™ engine, and upgraded suspension, on all new Touring motorcycles. “Our long-term strategy is all about growing ridership in the U.S., growing reach and impact internationally, and growing share and profit in every market we serve,” stated Levatich. “Our goal over the next 10 years is to build the next generation of Harley-Davidson riders worldwide.” Harley-Davidson Retail Motorcycle Sales 4th Quarter Full-Year 2016 2015 Change 2016 2015 Change U.S. 26,077 26,044 0.1% 161,658 168,240 -3.9% Canada 1,257 1,255 0.2% 10,203 9,669 5.5% Latin America 2,637 3,082 -14.4% 9,701 11,173 -13.2% EMEA 7,891 7,689 2.6% 45,838 43,287 5.9% Asia Pacific 8,748 8,787 -0.4% 32,889 32,258 2.0% International Total 20,533 20,813 -1.3% 98,631 96,387 2.3% Worldwide Total 46,610 46,857 -0.5% 260,289 264,627 -1.6% In the fourth quarter, worldwide retail sales of new Harley-Davidson motorcycles declined 0.5 percent versus the prior year behind modest declines in some international markets partially offset by slight growth in the U.S. Motorcycles and Related Products Segment Results $ in thousands 4th Quarter Full-Year 2016 2015 Change 2016 2015 Change Motorcycle Shipments (vehicles) 42,414 48,149 -11.9% 262,221 266,382 -1.6% Revenue Motorcycles $685,047 $751,383 -8.8% $4,122,113 $4,127,739 -0.1% Parts & Accessories $169,445 $169,707 -0.2% $842,637 $862,645 -2.3% General Merchandise $72,919 $79,356 -8.1% $284,583 $292,310 -2.6% Gross Margin Percent 30.7% 31.9% -1.2 pts 35.1% 36.8% -1.7 pts Operating Income $9,271 $6,368 45.6% $773,406 $875,490 -11.7% Operating Margin Percent 1.0% 0.6% 0.4 pts 14.7% 16.5% -1.8 pts Fourth quarter revenue from motorcycles and related products was down versus the prior year behind fewer motorcycle shipments. Operating margin as a percent of revenue increased in the quarter compared to the same period in 2015, resulting from lower SG&A. Financial Services Segment Results $ in thousands 4th Quarter Full-Year 2016 2015 Change 2016 2015 Change Revenue $177,577 $173,565 2.3% $725,082 $686,658 5.6% Operating Income $60,139 $60,857 -1.2% $275,530 $280,205 -1.7% Financial services operating income fell 1.2 percent in the fourth quarter compared to the year ago period. Income Tax Rate For 2016, Harley-Davidson’s effective tax rate was 32.4 percent compared to 34.6 percent the prior year. The lower effective tax rate is attributed to the successful closure of various tax audits in 2016. Other Results Cash and marketable securities amounted to $765.5 million at the end of 2016, compared to $767.4 million at the end of 2015. Harley-Davidson generated $1.17 billion of cash from operating activities in 2016 compared to $1.10 billion in 2015. On a discretionary basis, the company repurchased 1.7 million shares of its common stock during the fourth quarter of 2016 at a cost of $91.0 million. In 2016, Harley-Davidson repurchased 9.7 million shares of its common stock at a cost of $459.1 million. In the fourth quarter of 2016, there were 177.6 million weighted-average diluted common shares outstanding. At the end of 2016, 19.3 million shares remained on a board-approved share repurchase authorization. Guidance For 2017, Harley-Davidson anticipates full-year motorcycle shipments to be flat to down modestly in comparison to 2016. In the first quarter of 2017, Harley-Davidson expects to ship approximately 66,000 to 71,000 motorcycles. Harley-Davidson expects full-year 2017 operating and gross margin as a percent of revenue to be approximately in line with 2016 and its full-year effective tax rate to be approximately 34.5 percent. The company anticipates 2017 capital expenditures of $200 million to $220 million. Harley Sales Slip A Little In 2016 appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Enter To Win A Chance To Be A Yamaha Factory Backed YZ125 Racer - Motorcycle.com News

Enter To Win A Chance To Be A Yamaha Factory Backed YZ125 Racer The racing opportunity of a lifetime is waiting for the next young star. Check out the Yamaha dream ride below. Begin Press Release: Win a Dream Ride in The EMX125 Championship Have you ever dreamed of being an Official Yamaha rider? Do you ride a YZ125? Are you born between 2001 and 2005? If you have answered yes to all of these questions, here is your chance at a dream come true! In search of Europe’s next MX stars, Yamaha is running a competition where one promising young rider will be awarded a place on a fully backed Yamaha team for the 2018 European Championship EMX125 season. The competition is open to all registered YZ125 riders who will be racing in 1 of 13 approved national championships. 42 of the best performing riders will then be invited to finish the season by racing in The YZ125 bLU cRU Cup Superfinale, which will be held on October 1st at the biggest and most prestigious event of the year, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, in Winchester, England. The riders who finish inside the top three in the Superfinale, plus two wildcard riders selected by a jury, will be invited to attend the bLU cRU Masterclass at the end of the season. The Masterclass is designed to inspire, educate and develop the next generation of motocross riders by providing an exclusive insight as to what it takes to be a champion. It will be run by a highly acclaimed bLU cRU ambassador and will take place over three days where the jury will select and reward one lucky rider who has proved he has the talent, motivation and desire to be something great, with a contract for the 2018 European Championship EMX125 season on the MJC Yamaha Official EMX 125 team. Registration is FREE and it closes on the 28th of February, so get in quick! For more information and to enter, click HERE and fill out the registration form and send it to YZ125bLUcRUcup@yamaha-motor.nl Upon entry, you will receive an email confirming your admission to the YZ125 bLU cRU Cup followed by a FREE bLU cRU welcome package which includes 2 x T-Shirts, 1 x Hoody, 1 x Umbrella, 1 x Cap, 1 x Backpack, 1 x bLU cRU sticker badge and an exclusive bLU cRU sticker kit for your YZ125 which must be used while racing your national championship, and, in the case of qualifying for the Superfinale, in the Superfinale and during the Masterclass. Romain Febvre Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team I think the YZ125 bLU cRU Cup is a good opportunity because if you get some good results this year in your national championship and win the YZ125 bLU cRU Cup finale you will be intergrated into the official EMX125 team where you will be given the best material to race. And not just that, but you will have a team of professional staff around you following your progress in training and at the races which will make your path to success as a professional Yamaha rider much easier. Enter To Win A Chance To Be A Yamaha Factory Backed YZ125 Racer appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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BMW – Post Apocalyptic Bike Of Choice

BMW – Post Apocalyptic Bike Of Choice The last installment of Resident Evil (The Final Chapter) hit theaters last week and in it, zombie killer extraordinaire Alice (Milla Jovovich) finds her way aboard the latest in post-apocalyptic performance, a BMW S1000XR. Amazingly, this isn’t Alice’s first time aboard a motorcycle – specifically a BMW– as she is seen motoring across the desert on a BMW K1200R in the franchise’s third installment, Extinction. Apparently, BMW is the bike to have when the zombie apocalypse takes place. Today BMW reported a weekend sales spike among the undead, brain eater demographic. Jovovich isn’t a skilled motorcyclist (her stunt double lost an arm filming a motorcycle scene in The Final Chapter), but for an unrelated movie, Survivor, Jovovich did attempt learning the basics of motorcycle operation. Had she true motorcycle skills she may have made our Top Ten Hottest Biker Movie Women. From BMW: Alice rides the adventurous sporty BMW S 1000 XR as she must return to where the nightmare began – The Hive in Raccoon City, where the Umbrella Corporation is gathering its forces for a final strike against the only remaining survivors of the apocalypse. Fortunately, the S 1000 XR is Alice’s perfect partner for the ride of her life. Even at high speeds, the bike’s agility and dynamics remain steadfast. It’s a motorcycle that offers the dynamic performance of a racer, the upright seat position of an adventure machine and the endurance of a tourer. BMW – Post Apocalyptic Bike Of Choice appeared first on Motorcycle.com.
 
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Backtrack Tuesday: BMW R1100GS vs KTM LC8 950 Adventure - AdventureMotorcycle.com

Backtrack Tuesday: BMW R1100GS vs KTM LC8 950 Adventure Published in: Bikes Pack'em up, hop on and take off. No pavement? No problem. Both these bikes have "Adventure" in their souls. Can you imagine camping in some killer back country spot along the way in your next long distance motorcycling adventure? Can you imagine cutting the corner off your next highway trip on a brief adventure through the forest to avoid twice as many super slab miles? Do you enjoy an occasional sporting jaunt through your favorite twisty bits? Perhaps a tiny but exciting wheelie every now and again? Oh yeah! Sign me up for a few more decades of that baby. Want to know how? Read on. Not that many years ago there were motorcycles we now label as "standards". These were machines we owned that we did everything on. You could press them into service on a canyon blast on Sunday morning and they'd do OK. You could load them up with your bags and take off cross country and they'd do OK. You could throw your significant other on the back and go for a ride and they'd do OK. Back then, once in a while you might even get a wild hair to make your way down a gravel or dirt road and you could get it done. About the only thing they did exceptionally well though was to do about anything OK. Well it is twenty years later and things are different now. Motorcycle technology has risen to such a high level, thanks in great part to racing, that now you can get a bike that does about anything at or above the eighty percent level when compared to a more single-focus bike in each category. In fact, these two machines do it all so well they've expanded the envelope to the point where a new word was needed to describe their breed. That word is "Adventure" and both these bikes dish it up huge! We won't be comparing dyno charts, wheel bases and tech specs. This piece is directed to the serious buyer of either of these machines who has a certain amount of adventure in their motorcycling soul and who expects to be wandering into places that aren't totally paved. If it's a crotch rocket or couch-on-two-wheels you want, then you shouldn't be shopping for either of these two bikes. We will be comparing these machines to each other for their intended purpose, which we all now know simply as "Adventure". Owning a BMW R1100GS is a unique experience. Its look is unique from the strange fender that never moves and the high bulbous gas tank to the dirt bike style bars, single-sided swing arm/shaft drive unit and, oh yeah, those two big aluminum foot warmers sticking out down there. Then there's the Tele-Lever front suspension and anti-lock brakes. Lift the rear seat off and poof, there's a tool kit you could use to start your own roadside assistance business. The odd-at-first but comfortable upright riding position, wide bars, and a large forward seat section allows plenty of front to rear movement. The 'sewing machine" sound of its mill... it's all uniquely GS. The KTM 950 is a whole other kind of unique. It's equally challenged, er, I mean unique in the looks department. Solidly in the love-hate category in my opinion. But just swing a leg over it and take it for a spin and if that whole looks thing once bothered you, suddenly it won't any more. The harder you push this bike the more fun it gets. Wearing riding apparel that dirt and mud won't bother, passing squids on 150 horsepower machines in the canyons, buzzing around town for groceries, filling up two fuel tanks, knowing that no dirt road is a match for this beast... it's all uniquely KTM 950 Adventure. Both of these bikes have loads of character. They're also extremely utilitarian. For one­-up on the street, both of these machines prove incredibly worthy steeds. My experience has been that both of these bikes require relatively low maintenance and both are very reliable. Additionally, they can be found on the used market for a reasonable sum of about $5,000-8,000. Now, if you need more reasons than this to read on, by all means read on. Once you become accustomed to the unique experience of riding a GS and you begin to push the machine a bit looking for the edges of its performance envelope some interesting things happen. The first thing you notice is FUN factor! You'll get this smile from ear to ear and you'll begin to realize how operator friendly this big bike really is. Next you'll find yourself scooted all the way forward to the tank, using those big wide dirt bike style handle bars to flop the bike from rail to rail. When riding it between five and eight thousand rpm's you will notice the bikes uncanny stability and smoothness. This is an interplay of many factors some of which include: smooth to accelerate fuel injection, formidable torque, shaft final drive, and a very effective Tele­Lever. When rolling this big opposing twin on and off, just let that weird suspension do its thing, and before long you'll be flying along scraping "foot warmers" and grinning like Jimmy Carter, not wanting to go any faster. It is usually surprising to would-be GS purchasers that the oil-head GS is actually a pretty quick bike. I don't mean quick by the standards of today's breed of race replica crotch rockets. I did not expect to be getting lectured by CHP's finest from the PA system on their squad car when I purchased the refined BMW R1100GS, but it happened. Had I been on a racier looking bike I'm sure I would have received a small, yellow piece of paper from officer friendly with the words "reckless and imprudent" scralled in his best chicken scratch. One up on the street the GS delivers, and without a lot of muss and fuss. For the most part, whatever you're in the mood for the GS will be also. The brakes are excellent with plenty of feel and power and I've never experienced any kind of fade, even scooting right along two-up. Then again, I wouldn't expect to because I'm not one to go into corners hard on the brakes on the street. I save all that rear-wheel-in-the-air stuff for the race track. On the few occasions when I've tried the ABS on the BMW on purpose just to learn what to expect in the "unlikely event" I've been impressed. Once you know what to expect it really doesn't upset your riding and it may save you from a spill some day when the bulk of a loaded GS may have gotten away from you otherwise. Notwithstanding all its other capabilities the big Beemer really shines when one-up turns into two-up. My wife and I have traveled all over the place on the GS in all kinds of conditions and performance basically mimicked my one-up handling experience. We weigh about 325 fully laden with riding gear and our luggage usually doesn't exceed 25-30 pounds. We've been up and down Highway 1 and on most of the canyon roads in the 805 area, read Southern California, and if your wife is the kind who enjoys a "two­up with Reg Pridmore" type of ride the GS will dish it up all day long. The GS will also suck up super slab all day. With a good saddle under your collective buns you can log many miles two-up on a GS in comfort. I think the GS has the roomiest seating for two of any motorcycle I've ever owned. For the last year or so we also had a set of the large aluminum panniers. Even without them you can pack lots on the GS. The machine carries the luggage well too. I don't know if it somehow offsets the high, heavy fuel tank with some weight down low but you don't seem to feel the weight of luggage and passenger as much as you would expect on the GS. With the big wide bars and excellent suspension anyone with a well-calibrated right wrist and forefinger can haul booty on the BMW, even two-up on twisty roads, and have a very fun ride. Once you leave the pavement though the performance equation changes quite significantly for the big BMW. While the package works so well on the street certain things can't be ignored in the dirt, the biggest of which is the weight. Another is the lack of a well-done six speed transmission. As long as you are on a solid base like a road bed, well maintained gravel or dirt roads are well within the comfort zone for the GS. However, when the going gets a bit rougher like on miles of wash board, or on loose slippery stuff like deep gravel, sand, or any kind of mud, unless you are Jimmy Lewis, you will quickly be way out of your comfort zone on the BMW. Let's face it. This is a 550 lb. motorcycle dry and unpacked. It also presents a somewhat high center-­of-gravity package, especially when filled with 6.6 gallons of fuel. All in all, the somewhat taller heavy package of the Beemer is considerably less suited, and for some downright undesirable in "dirt biking" terms. The KTM is quite different in this area. With nine and three quarter inches of suspension travel front and back, tall is just another plus of KTMs more off-road oriented package. The big KTM carries its 5.8 gallons of fuel much lower and far more leading edge off-road oriented race design has been incorporated in this machine. With its in-line V-Twin it is narrow like a dirt bike, perhaps to resemble a dirt bike's larger cousin. Power to weight ratio and highly intergrated handling and performance qualities come forth with the KTM offroad and can you feel it. Logistically, fueled and ready to ride, the KTM is more than a hundred pounds lighter than the BMW's dry weight. In large, it is a whole different package. The first time I swung a leg over a KTM 950 Adventure my first impression was a dirt bike on steroids. Like "Dirt-bike­zilla" as my good friend CJ would say. In many ways that first impression was accurate, but there is much more to the story. Like the GS BMW the KTM is proof that all-around motorcycle performance sometimes can come in a funny-looking package. KTM's dirt bike heritage is clear and present when you take this bike off the pavement. You start off on gravel roads and find yourself just flying along at speeds your dirt bike simply can't attain. You're comfortable as long as you still haven't bothered to glance at the speedo. When you do you're instantly scared. Yikes! Well maintained gravel or dirt roads become Paris-Dakar segments with the countryside flashing by in streaks. How can you be comfortable going that fast on gravel? Easy, you're riding on the rocket ship 'Adventure.' This is the kind of bike that can make you a better rider, in terms of having to utilize proper ride technique. Its either that or, well... forget about it. The power when riding off-road with this bike seems limitless. KTM has the LC8 tuned for an excellent balance between torque and dependable peek power. The hydraulic clutch and six-speed transmission are equally well done. It's a highly developed package and few riders will likely ever discover its limits off the pavement. That's because you have to be good enough. You catch yourself riding the KTM like you would your dirt bike, power-sliding around the sweepers, surfing the washboard and having to reel yourself in, back down to a more sane speed. This high tech ride allows you to begin daydreaming, but all that dreaming ends when you try to stop in a hurry. It's then you realize the 436 pound motorcycle with dual sport tires really can't stop as fast as your CR250 shod with full on knobbies. (So, part of the equation with any "adventure-type" motorcycle when in the dirt is to recalibrate your stopping distances.) Say, hasn't this bike placed in the top three every year since its inception in the Paris-Dakar Rally? No surprise. Back on the street with the big KTM things just keep getting more fun. Only an absolute speed junkie would yearn for more, or friendlier power than you can wring out of this LC8 on the street. I'll take this ninety-some horsepower motor with all its torque and smoothness over a hundred and twenty (or more) peaky ponies any day. And if you think the suspension on this machine shines in the dirt, which it does, then you're in for a really pleasant surprise once you hit the tarmac. It works even better! One-up riding on pavement with this bike is impressive! The quality of the fully adjustable (some on-the-fly) suspension components at both ends of this machine make it capable of doing anything on the street, and doing it well. Freshly off the dirt from a mighty blast through the forest, with a couple quick tweaks you can turn this thing into a canyon carving monster. The harder you push it the better it feels and pretty soon you figure out that it's just not smart to go any faster, even if you are Reg Pridmore, unless you're on the track. Speaking of the track, if you did tape off your lights, safety-wire a few things and attend a track day with the 950 I'm sure you'd have a ball. I wouldn't expect to be the fastest guy out there, but I'm also sure you'd be passing lots of lesser riders on bikes much more well designed for the purpose. One thing I noticed that took some getting used to for me as a long-time road racer was the rear brake. KTM uses a more aggressive dirt bike ratio than the bikes you're used to riding this fast in the twisties. I almost learned this the hard way on my first day as I had the rear end lock up on Lockwood Valley Road high up in the Los Padres. Go easy until your right toe is recalibrated. Overall cockpit configuration and rider comfort on the KTM is good. As with many machines, owners will likely modify their machines to suit individual preferences. One area where the KTM has shown limitation in the past is in seat comfort. Though this bike can eat pavement all day one-up, it's only comfortable saddle-wise for generally about three hundred miles per day. Reports say now that the new 2005 stock seats actually break in after about 12,000 miles. As far as luggage goes the KTM can support some variety, especially during solo flight. Unless you're one of those riders who likes to take the kitchen sink, a duffel bungeed to the small rear rack and a well placed moderately sized set of over-the-seat saddle bags should get you by for all but the most lengthy of sojourns. Tank bags are also an option but the tank is plastic and rather oddly shaped so it is a bit more of a challenge, though certainly not impossible. When two up traveling, cargo hauling requires more innovation of course. You won't need many two-up trips on the 950 Adventure to realize the comfort to luggage relationship needs working. With soft luggage the high pipes of the KTM protrude enough so that packing massive compartments become awkward if not unfeasible. If rear saddlebags ride back far enough for the passenger to use their foot pegs they likely will be burnt on the exhaust. Also, the size of the trunk-bag attached to the rear rack must now be smaller to accommodate the passenger while avoiding the high exhaust. There are OEM and other hard luggage options that fit the KTM which some prefer. The seat that was okay for one really isn't okay for two for trips of any length. The pre-2005 stock seats do okay for occasional two-up, one day bopping around here and there. But start to string days together, rack up some miles, and a tour package more like the GS is what you'll yearn for. One reason for this is that the rear portion of the KTM seat tilts upward tending to make the passenger slide down into the operator. Of course this is not very comfortable for tour situations. On mountain roads going steeply downhill it can be almost a burden. Many have remedied two up seat discomfort by turning to aftermarket custom seat-makers. With adjustments made the KTM can very adequately carry two people in reasonable comfort for long periods. It can be much better than when delivered in stock amenities but a Wing it will never be, nor a GS BMW for that matter. In summary, here we have two extremely refined motorcycles. The BMW GS series, which has garnered legendary status from decades of devoted service, and the KTM Adventure, which is now being viewed as the 'would-be king'. Both motorcycles are a joy to ride. The older heavier GS is still slightly more comfortable for longer touring. Yet, the KTM seems to be capable of that with refinements. For two up long distance the BMW again slightly gets the nod. For one up riding which bike you might prefer probably depends on where, and how you like your riding. The BMW will travel long steady miles, and in windy conditions be more planted. Yet, if ever stuck, the bike will likely require more than one person to get unstuck. This is not so with the KTM. Though maybe more fatiguing for long straight highway miles, it is an absolute blast and a wonder nearly everywhere else. In heavy traffic and while commuting both bikes do fine, though the KTM is probably a little bit easier to maneuver. In the rough is where the KTM really shines. Because of its lighter weight, six speed transmission, wide powerband, and long suspension the KTM does very well offroad, and those same factors make twisting and mountain riding exhilarating. For would be owners, choosing one or the other of these bikes will likely depend on a number of factors. I have devised a brief question outline that might help you clarify which one of these bikes might you might prefer. -The more one prefers asphalt with some graded roads, or travels two-up the more one should consider a BMW. -The more one grins at a filthy, dusty, muddy bike after a ride the more one should consider the KTM. -The more interested you are in heated grips, electric vest plug-in ports or a larger windscreen the more you should consider the BMW. -The more interested you are in the factory crash bars to protect the fuel tanks and aluminum brush guards for the controls the more you should consider the KTM. -If you're the type of rider who admires minimalism, who wants to stably feel every root, rut and gravel bog, who isn't afraid of getting lost and having to track yourself back out of the forest then I'd lean more toward the KTM. Originally published April 2005. http://ift.tt/2jQImjt
 
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Viñales Third After Day 1 Of Sepang MotoGP Test; Continues To Impress - Motorcycle.com News

Viñales Third After Day 1 Of Sepang MotoGP Test; Continues To Impress Maverick Viñales quickly got up to speed despite continuing to learn the Yamaha M1, landing the third fastest time after day 1 of MotoGP testing at Sepang. Teammate Valentino Rossi battled a severe headache, finishing eighth. Begin Press Release: POSITIVE START FOR MOVISTAR YAMAHA TO SEPANG PRE-SEASON TEST Today, the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders proved to have kept their form despite the winter break, with riders Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi ending the first day of the Sepang MotoGP Official Testing in third and eighth place respectively. Former Moto3 World Champion and new Yamaha entry Viñales made it seem as if he had been riding the YZR-M1 for years right from the start of the pre-season test at the Sepang International circuit. He was eager to head out on track as soon as the lights turned green and, despite suffering from a lack of grip in the early stages, the Spaniard booked steady progress needing less than three hours to secure third place on the leader board with a 2‘00.128s lap, 0.447s from first. After a short lunch break the 22-year-old continued his testing programme. Though he was unable to further improve his time, he took some valuable steps in terms of bettering the bike‘s set-up and increasing the tyre life, before rain spoiled the last two hours of the session. He wrapped up the day in third place and in a good position for tomorrow, when testing resumes. Teammate Rossi undertook a similar testing schedule, despite not being a 100% fit. The Italian suffered from a severe headache, but didn‘t let that stop him from making some kilometres aboard the 2017 YZR-M1 in the Malaysian heat. The nine-time World Champion had as his main goal to verify the data found at the tests in November, in order to build on it over the next two days. His pace steadily increased throughout his morning and afternoon stints, signalling his positive feeling on the bike by setting the eighth fastest time, a 2‘00.695s, 1.014s from the front. Towards the end of the day the Doctor worked on the performance of the engine and the electronics until rain dampened the track. He didn‘t further attempt to better his pace, leaving him eighth in the standings. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP will be back on track tomorrow for a second day of testing from 10am – 6pm (circuit time, GMT+8). MASSIMO MEREGALLITEAM DIRECTOR It‘s been a positive first few hours of testing in Sepang for us and, so far, we are quite satisfied. The progress is going well and we are on schedule. In the beginning of the test we suffered a bit from a lack of grip when Maverick started his first run, so he couldn‘t ride as he wanted, but we tried some different things and now it‘s much better. Valentino wasn‘t feeling 100% fit this morning, but he still headed out on track because we were expecting rain in the afternoon. His and Maverick‘s pace started to pick up throughout the first stints when the track was cooler, though we honestly haven‘t been focussing on setting fast lap times. Today our target was to confirm our findings from November and we did do so without any issues. We also worked on the engine, the electronics and the rear tyre life. The changes that we made improved the feelings for the riders on how the bike is performing. It doesn‘t look like the temperatures affected the riders too much, but today was only the first day, there are two more to come. MAVERICK VIÑALES We have been working a lot to prepare before the race season starts and honestly I‘m quite surprised. The first day is always difficult, but I‘m feeling OK on the bike and physically good, so I‘m happy and I want to go back to working on the bike some more. We tried many things today to get a good package and now we focus on comparing many things. We‘re doing some difficult work these days before we go out to set a fast lap time, but it‘s really useful for the next few tests. VALENTINO ROSSI The first feeling wasn‘t so bad, because in this session we finally have the ’real‘ two bikes that we will use during the championship and they are better than the first prototype that we tested in November, from many points of view. Unfortunately, it was a difficult day today. This morning I woke up with a very bad headache and until 12 o‘clock I wasn‘t in good shape. After that we were able to do some laps and the feeling was good. In the afternoon we had to finish the work but it started to rain, so we have to wait and hope that in the next two days we will have good track conditions. We will try some new things tomorrow. Today we worked on the engine and the electronics and found some good stuff. Viñales Third After Day 1 Of Sepang MotoGP Test; Continues To Impress appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Suzuki's Iannone An Impressive Fifth After Day 1 Of Sepang MotoGP Test - Motorcycle.com News

Suzukis Iannone An Impressive Fifth After Day 1 Of Sepang MotoGP Test MotoGP veteran Andrea Iannone wasted no time during the first MotoGP test of 2017, getting the Suzuki GSX-RR up to speed. Teammate Alex Rins is still getting acclimated to the nuances of a MotoGP machine. Begin Press Release: IANNONE AND RINS KICK- OFF 2017 SEASON AT SEPANG Team Suzuki Press Office – January 30. The 2017 MotoGP World Championship has officially begun at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia as Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins got their first taste of the updated GSX-RR machines following the long winter stop. The two riders are taking a different testing plan, according to their skills; the more-experienced Iannone is already trying some comparisons between the standard GSX-RR used in 2016 and the evolutions developed over the winter, while Rins is still taking some time to get acquainted with the performance of a MotoGP machine, working on his riding style more than on machine’s improvements. Both riders reported very positive feelings for their first day, Today’s work for the team was not focused on the timing, but was more on the technical development; the 2017 machine is not a completely new bike but the result of some updates to 2016. This meaning that the work asked of the riders is mainly to get well acquainted with the standard machine to have solid references and then make any comparisons with the evolution bike, so that they can address the engineers’ work. Being so early in the season the job is still a preliminary one, meant to define the direction for the future developments. Davide Brivio – Team Manager: “I’d call this a good start of the season, the work with both riders has been positive, with both of them we are proceeding step-by-step to introduce the improvements that has been developed during the winter. We are doing intense work collecting information, today we could do many laps, therefore we have a significant amount of data to work on tonight, also to determine how to adapt for tomorrow. We are introducing many improvements and so the objective of these three days is to decide what is positive and what is ineffective, so that we get the path to follow. Also we’re happy because Andrea confirmed the good feeling he has with the GSX-RR and Alex showed many improvements with the machine as well as more and more confidence.” Andrea Iannone: “For the moment everything is fine. Of course after a long break the main thing is to try to find back the confidence as quick as possible and find a good pace. We could already have some outcomes on the machines, it is very important to keep the comparative so we are working a lot switching the standard 2016 with the 2017 evolution one. We don’t have any decisions yet, of course, it’s long work that requires patience, but we’re happy with all the information we’ve collected. The relationship with the crew is very positive, everybody works really hard but the mood makes me very comfortable, I’d say my feeling now is really easy.” Alex Rins : “I feel very good on the bike, I believe we have done a positive step since Valencia and now I’m starting to get the confidence to be more and more effective. It’s a good feeling to be back on the bike after winter, the back is not 100% fit but I did a good preparation and I’m recovering. The good thing is that I get better and better feeling with the machine, this is a further push to improve. We found a good set-up with the machine and we started to work on the development. For today we mainly focused in finding a good set-up that makes me confident to take the references with the 2016 standard GSX-RR, so that tomorrow when we will introduce some bigger improvements in the bike I can give affordable feedback to the team with proper comparatives. The whole crew is supporting me at the best, they have big experience in helping a young rider to get acquainted, to take confidence and to improve.” SEPANG TEST – Classification after Day 1: 1. STONER, Casey – Ducati Test Team – 1:59.681 2. DOVIZIOSO, Andrea – Ducati Team – 1:59.796 +0.115 3. VIÑALES, Maverick – Movistar Yamaha MotoGP – 2:00.128 +0.447 4. BAUTISTA, Alvaro – Pull&Bear Aspar Team – 2:00.134 +0.453 5. IANNONE, Andrea – Team SUZUKI ECSTAR – 2:00.490 +0.809 6. CRUTCHLOW, Cal – LCR Honda – 2:00.570 +0.889 7. FOLGER, Jonas – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – 2:00.643 +0.962 8. ROSSI, Valentino – Movistar Yamaha MotoGP – 2:00.695 +1.014 9. MARQUEZ, Marc – Repsol Honda Team – 2:00.737 +1.056 10. BARBERA, Hector – Avintia Racing – 2:00.744 +1.063 11. PETRUCCI, Danilo – OCTO Pramac Yakhnich – 2:00.850 +1.169 12. REDDING, Scott – OCTO Pramac Yakhnich – 2:00.852 +1.171 13. PEDROSA, Dani – Repsol Honda Team – 2:00.970 +1.289 14. ZARCO, Johann – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – 2:01.224 +1.543 15. ESPARGARO, Aleix – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini – 2:01.271 +1.590 16. ESPARGARO, Pol – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – 2:01.338 +1.657 17. LORENZO, Jorge – Ducati Team – 2:01.350 +1.669 18. BAZ, Loris – Avintia Racing – 2:01.351 +1.670 19. TSUDA, Takuya – Suzuki Test Team – 2:01.812 +2.131 20. RINS, Alex – Team SUZUKI ECSTAR – 2:01.889 +2.208 21. ABRAHAM, Karel – Pull&Bear Aspar Team – 2:01.926 +2.245 22. MILLER, Jack – Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS – 2:01.942 +2.261 23. NOZANE, Kohta – Yamaha Factory Racing – 2:02.187 +2.506 24. NAKASUGA, Katsuyuki – Yamaha Factory Racing – 2:02.290 +2.609 25. RABAT, Tito – Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS – 2:02.315 +2.634 26. LOWES, Sam – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini – 2:02.942 +3.261 27. SMITH, Bradley – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – 2:03.034 +3.353 Suzuki’s Iannone An Impressive Fifth After Day 1 Of Sepang MotoGP Test appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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American Flat Track Announces 2017 Contingency Program - Motorcycle.com News

American Flat Track Announces 2017 Contingency Program We wish the 2017 American Flat Track racers the best of luck during the upcoming season! Begin Press Release: 2017 American Flat Track Contingency Award Program Application Now Available The American Flat Track Contingency Award Program is designed to reward riders, based on their results in events and the championship, with cash awards from companies that would like to promote their products within the sport. Participation in the program will deliver exposure for brands and AFT will provide a professional inspection and reporting system to ensure compliance at each round. The first step in posting Contingency Awards for the 2017 season is completing the application, which is included in the American Flat Track Contingency Award Program Application. The following application for the 2017 American Flat Track Contingency Award Program has been posted on the AMA Pro Racing website under the Flat Track Rules and Applications tab of the Competitor Information section: American Flat Track Contingency Award Program Application If you have any questions about how your company can become a proud Contingency partner of American Flat Track, please contact the American Flat Track office at 386-492-1014 or by emailing contingency@americanflattrack.com. American Flat Track Announces 2017 Contingency Program appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Marquez And Pedrosa Reflect On Day 1 Of Sepang MotoGP Test - Motorcycle.com News

Marquez And Pedrosa Reflect On Day 1 Of Sepang MotoGP Test Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa are further down the timesheets than you might expect after the first day of MotoGP testing in Sepang. Below are their thoughts. Begin Press Release: Repsol Honda Team commence first pre-season test at Sepang Good weather conditions (max temperature: 31° C air, 42° ground) favoured day one of the first MotoGP pre-season test in Sepang, Malaysia, until rain began falling at 4 p.m. The track had opened at 10 a.m., and Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa headed out 15 minutes later to get to work defining the setup of the RC213V, trying different engine configurations and spending also time testing new Michelin tyres. The afternoon downpour also gave Marc and Dani the opportunity to complete a few laps with a wet configuration. Their best lap times for the day were 2’00.738 on lap 25 of 56 for Marquez (ninth) and 2’00.970 on lap 25 of 44 for Pedrosa (13th). Testing will continue for two more days. Marc Marquez 9TH 2’00.738 “The feeling today wasn’t so bad considering that the first day after the holiday break is always a bit demanding for the rider and the team! We’ve been testing two bikes with different engine configurations, but we mainly concentrated on one, playing with electronics, geometry, setup and so on. We gathered a lot of information, and now we’ll keep working. We also decided to make the best of the situation when the rain arrived and did some laps in the wet, but we look forward to continuing testing in the dry tomorrow to better understand and exploit the potential of our bike.” Dani Pedrosa 13TH 2’00.970 “Today I basically got reacquainted with riding my bike, with the track and the tyres, and I also rode for the first time on the new asphalt here at Sepang. We’ve started working on the bike as we have two different engine configurations to test. We mainly worked with one bike. We also had the chance to ride in the wet on that bike, and we got good information. Hopefully it won’t rain tomorrow, and I think we’ll be able to go more deep in the testing than we were today.” MotoGP 2017 Monday, January 30th 2017 Testing Sepang Official Test Results Session MOSTLY SUNNY Track Temp 42°C Air Temp 31°C Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap 1 STONER Casey 27 AUS Ducati Test Team Ducati 1’59.680 2 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team Ducati 0.117 3 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 0.449 4 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA PullandBear Aspar Team Ducati 0.454 5 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 0.809 6 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda Honda 0.889 7 FOLGER Jonas 94 GER Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 0.963 8 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 1.014 9 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1.058 10 BARBERA Hector 8 SPA Avintia Racing Ducati 1.063 11 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Octo Pramac Yakhnich Ducati 1.170 12 REDDING Scott 45 GBR Octo Pramac Yakhnich Ducati 1.173 13 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1.290 14 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1.544 15 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 1.592 16 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 1.658 17 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA Ducati Team Ducati 1.669 18 BAZ Loris 76 FRA Avintia Racing Ducati 1.672 19 TSUDA Takuya 22 JPN Suzuki Test Team Suzuki 2.132 20 RINS Alex 42 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 2.210 21 ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE PullandBear Aspar Team Ducati 2.246 22 MILLER Jack 43 AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 2.263 23 NOZANE Kouta 31 JPN Yamaha Test Team Yamaha 2.507 24 NAKASUGA Katsuyuki 21 JPN Yamaha Factory Racing Team Yamaha 2.611 25 RABAT Tito 53 SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 2.635 26 LOWES Sam 22 GBR Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 3.263 27 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 3.353 Marquez And Pedrosa Reflect On Day 1 Of Sepang MotoGP Test appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Stoner Tops Timesheets On Day One Sepang Test - Motorcycle.com News

Stoner Tops Timesheets On Day One Sepang Test Dear Casey Stoner, enough already. Please come back and race. Begin Press Release: Day 1 of IRTA tests concludes at Sepang with quickest time for Ducati Team test-rider Casey Stoner. Second place on the timesheets for Andrea Dovizioso, while Jorge Lorenzo ends the day in provisional seventeenth January 30, 2017 | MotoGP 2017 – Test – Sepang The first day of IRTA testing at Sepang concluded this afternoon, as the rain, which began to fall on the Malaysian circuit at around 4 pm, made it impossible to improve times anymore. As a result the session came to an end with Casey Stoner, present at the circuit as test-rider, at the top of the timesheets with a time of 1’59.680 while Andrea Dovizioso was just behind in second with a time of 1’59.797. Jorge Lorenzo, making his debut in factory Ducati Team colours, was in seventeenth place with a time of 2’01.349. Casey Stoner (Ducati Test Team #27) – 32 laps – 1’59.680 (1st) “Today was positive and the best thing about it was that we got a lot of dry track time. It’s been hanging in the balance really with the weather because the track takes so long to dry and if it rains at all within twelve hours, you’re going to get very little track time. It’s great that we got out there straightaway this morning and started putting in some good laps, reconfirming what we felt earlier in the week. We got a lot of comparisons done today so it was really good to get a feeling and direction with the bike. We still have a lot more work to do, it was disappointing that it rained but hopefully on Wednesday when we come back on track we can pick up where we left off and move this bike further forward, especially in the chassis area.” Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 29 laps – 1’59.797 (2nd) “The first day of testing in 2017 went pretty well and I am pleased because we showed good pace right from the start, using the same bike as Valencia and without needing to make any particular changes. Without the wings we had to adapt to the bike, and we still have a lot of fine-tuning work to do, both with the electronics and on the set-up, because the bike behaves differently, but in any case we are maintaining a good competitive level and it’s always important to start off with this sort of confirmation. Starting off on the right foot helps us continue with the development, and if you add to this the fact that I set my quickest time on a medium tyre, then we have to be satisfied.” Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 45 laps – 2’01.349 (17th) “At this circuit I noticed a bigger difference between my Ducati and the bike that I have ridden for the last nine years. Now we have to do two things to be quicker: the first is to gradually adapt the bike to the way I like it, and the second and more important, is to know how to do that and understand how to be quicker. I still need some more time for that, more than I hoped for, but in any case it’s still too early to come to conclusions. It’s only a question of time and laps on the track, so we will work in this direction. The important thing is that the other Ducati bikes were very quick, and this means that the bike has a lot of potential.” Stoner Tops Timesheets On Day One Sepang Test appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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American PJ Jacobsen Fastest At WorldSSP Portimao Test - Motorcycle.com News

American PJ Jacobsen Fastest At WorldSSP Portimao Test Jacobsen stamps his authority on the WorldSSP class and proves America still deserves a seat at world-level motorcycle racing. Begin Press Release: Solid performance for MV Agusta Reparto Corse at Portimao test MV Agusta Reparto Corse successfully concluded its pre-season testing in both WorldSBK and WorldSSP.In WorldSSP, a brilliant performance by new team riders, American rider Patrick “PJ” Jacobsen who quickly settled into his MV Agusta F3 and made the fastest lap time recorded on the WorldSSP chart, with a 1’46 “229 lap time. Patrick PJ Jacobsen #99 WorldSSP rider – Testing was very good over these two days. I am very happy with the team and everyone is working really hard. I now look forward to race in Phillip Island and I am sure things will go great and we will continue to improve the next time we will be out on track. Thanks to my team for this great work. Five positions behind his American teammate, Alessandro Zaccone, the other new MV Agusta rider completed his second test with the Italian iconic manufacturer before the beginning of the European Supersport Cup. Alessandro Zaccone #61 European SSP rider – Today we did a nice job. Unfortunately, yesterday I came down with the flu and I couldn’t ride at my best. Still, we managed to constantly improve and in the morning we lowered lap time by 1.5s from the previous day. To be honest, I am very happy with all the guys on the team and the bike has so much potential, I love it and can not wait to get back on track. In WorldSBK, Leon Camier managed to finish 5th on the time sheets, only 0.5s off the fastest time recorded over the weekend. The fast Brit rider and his team worked hard during this second and last testing day; along the 81 laps he rode on the Portuguese track, Camier and the MV Agusta mechanics were able to test new solutions on the MV Agusta F4 RC chassis, introducing new weight balancing and refining the electronics as well. With such a high amount of laps achieved, Camier was able to constantly improve his pace, and now looks forward to the next track session at Phillip Island in Australia, for the upcoming official WorldSBK test. Leon Camier #2 WorldSBK rider – I am really happy with the test. I didn’t expect to be as close to the front guys as we were but I had great confidence with the bike and I was able to push really hard. The team is working really well together and made great improvements with the electronics as well. I look forward to the next track session in Phillip Island. The 2017 World Supersport looks set to bring podiums for MV Agusta Reparto Corse with new riders, PJ Jacobsen (USA) and Alessandro Zaccone (ITA) riding the F3 675 RC. Their F3 675 RC will be the updated 2017 street model that has had an extensive list of updates throughout the chassis, engine and electronics, giving the team a competitive edge. Laguna Seca Round – 7-9 July MV Agusta USA Team intends to exhibit at Laguna Seca for the WSBK weekend (7-9 July), showcasing the latest 2017 models and special editions. Our plan is to have the MV Agusta Reparto Corse Team meet fans and sign autographs. More information to follow. American PJ Jacobsen Fastest At WorldSSP Portimao Test appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Monster Energy Kawasaki Rider Tomac Dominates Round 4 Of AMA Supercross - Motorcycle.com News

Monster Energy Kawasaki Rider Tomac Dominates Round 4 Of AMA Supercross How do you spell dominance? Flag-to-flag. Begin Press Release: Monster Energy® Kawasaki Untouchable in Phoenix January 28, 2017 | University of Phoenix Stadium| Glendale, Ariz. Foothill Ranch, CA (January 29, 2017) – Monster Energy Kawasaki riders Eli Tomac and Josh Grant came into Round 4 of the AMA Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship looking for the win. It wasn’t long before the No. 3 machine was looking comfortable underneath the dome, qualifying four-tenths of a second off the leader. Tomac would grab the 450 Heat Race 1 holeshot and lead every lap to capture his second heat race victory of the season, while his teammate Grant finished fourth to advance into the Main Event. At the start of the 450 main, Tomac took his second holeshot of the night and quickly began stretching out his lead over the field. At the halfway mark, Tomac had stretched his lead to over 10 seconds on the field and wouldn’t stop there, as his lead reached 18 seconds at one point. Tomac rode his KX™450F flawlessly to his first Monster Energy Supercross victory of the year while teammate Grant took the checkered flag in 12th. “We came into this weekend feeling really positive,” said Tomac. “We changed a lot in the week leading up to the weekend, both on the bike and myself. I wasn’t impressed with the results I was getting, so we needed a change and it worked. After tonight’s performance, I truly feel like I’m back to my normal self and I can’t wait for next weekend.” Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Justin Hill looked to carry the momentum from his win at Angel Stadium into Round 4 in Glendale, Arizona. After qualifying on pole, Hill went on to win his heat and teammate Austin Forkner backed him up with a second place finish. When the gate dropped on the 250 Main Event, rookie Forkner grabbed the holeshot aboard his KX™250F with Hill rounding Turn 1 in fourth. Forkner held the lead for five minutes before slipping back into third. Hill began clicking off the laps, slowly inching up on the leader until he was within striking distance. With two laps remaining, Hill blitzed the whoop section and pushed the leader wide to take over the position. He would go on to win his second consecutive Main Event of the season and a historic 250th supercross/motocross win for Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki. Forkner held on to get his first professional Monster Energy Supercross podium with a third place. “I pushed hard and around the halfway mark,” said Hill. “I knew I was inching up on the leader, I was hitting my marks and riding well. My mechanic was doing really well at getting me my times and keeping me up on where I was at. I dropped the lead down to about four seconds and then the leader tangled with a couple lappers and I reeled up on him and I thought, this is it, I’m going to do it! Even after the race I was talking with my family and still couldn’t believe I did that. I did it, it was so cool!” “The race was good,” said Forkner. “I rode a lot better than I have been, more consistent and didn’t make mistakes. I was really confident in my starts, back to back weekends I’ve earned both holeshots in the heat and main. With starts like that I knew I was going to be up there and thought if someone gets by I just need to relax, figure out what they’re doing better than me and use it to be better. I knew I needed to not make mistakes like I did in the heat where I cased the triple trying to pass someone back. I tried to ride smooth and fast, I’m really happy with how I opened the race and I held the lead for a few laps which is definitely the best I’ve done so far.” Monster Energy Kawasaki Rider Tomac Dominates Round 4 Of AMA Supercross appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Husqvarna Rider Colton Haaker Wins Silver In X-Games Snow BikeCross Debut - Motorcycle.com News

Husqvarna Rider Colton Haaker Wins Silver In X-Games Snow BikeCross Debut With its inclusion in the Winter X-Games, Snow BikeCross is hitting the mainstream. When do we start testing them? The thought makes our palms sweat. Begin Press Release: COLTON HAAKER EARNS THE SILVER MEDAL AT THE 2017 WINTER X-GAMES IMPRESSIVE RUNNER-UP RESULT FOR THE ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING RIDER IN ASPEN With the first ever Snow BikeCross competition for Winter X-Games taking place last Friday in a snowblanketed Aspen, Colorado, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Colton Haaker raced his Timberseld-equipped FC 450 machine to a strong runner-up result. Qualifying proved to be challenging for riders due to the altitude and cold climate. The snowmobile course was redesigned for the event with a tight motocross feel. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Colton Haaker qualified fourth aboard the Timberseld-equipped FC 450, yielding a fourth gate pick. Also racing alongside Haaker on a similar Timbersled-equipped FC 450 machine was X-Games veteran, Ronnie Faisst. In the main event, Haaker got a sixth place start and pushed hard to make it out of the blinding snow. By lap five Colton was running in fifth and quickly made his way into fourth. Halfway through the race, Haaker found himself involed in a battle for the runner-up spot with Axel Hodges. Making the pass Colton was then able to ride smoothly. Putting in consistent laps he held onto second all the way to the finish thus earning for himself an X-games Silver Medal. Rockstar Energy athlete and Husqvarna supported rider Ronnie Faisst started towards the back of the group. He rode hard on his Timbersled-euipped FC 450 and was able to make a couple of passes. Faisst finished in 11th place. Final Results – X-Games Snow BikeCross 1. Brock Hoyer (Yamaha) 14:15.1152. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 14:27.071 3. Cody Matechuk (Yamaha) 14:38.794 …11. Ronnie Faisst (Husqvarna) 14:30.990 Images: Shelby Mahon Husqvarna Rider Colton Haaker Wins Silver In X-Games Snow BikeCross Debut appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Oil’s Well: How Many Miles Before I Have To Change the Oil In My Motorcycle?

Oil’s Well: How Many Miles Before I Have To Change the Oil In My Motorcycle? Ask MO Anything: The Ongoing Oil Debate Goes On Dear MOron Sir, Good morning. Thanks to sharing your nice information about steering head bearings. I want to know after how many kilometers I have to change/drain the lubricant? My bike brand is Hero Honda Splendor 100, year 2000 model. Normally I’m using castrol SAE 20W40, last week I put in Gulf 4T Plus SAE 20W40. The manufacturer has written “Up to 10,000 km” can run this lubricant oil. So, kindly inform me what is the standard cycle for oil changing? Thanks in advance. Shahin —————————————————————————————————- Dear Shahin, Here in the U.S., we have developed a technology for plugging black holes in outer space by filling them with people’s opinions about what kind of oil to use and how often to change it. The best answer, in my opinion, is to follow the recommendation of the people who built your motorcycle. It seems like they would know best. In the case of your Hero, it’s easy to Google up and go to Heromotocorp.com, and once you’re there it’s easy to find the Maintenance Guide section of the site and plug in your specific model, ie, Splendor 100, which gives us this page. If your bike’s a Splendor + (there are a few Splendors), the guide says you should use 10W30 made by Tide Water Oil Co., Savita Oil, or Bharat Petroleum Corp. In the U.S., we ignore all the brand naming and look for the grade of oil, which is also specified on the same page: SJ Grade, JASO MA is what Hero says your Splendor takes. JASO is Japanese Automotive Standards Organization, which was formed to ensure that whatever brand of oil you put in your bike, it will meet certain requirements: The SJ means the oil meets the specified lubrication specs, the MA means it’s approved for bike engines that share oil with a wet clutch. Those two requirements met, your Splendor will be happy. The same page tells you to do the first oil change at 500 to 750 kms (there are a lot of tiny bits of metal and clutch material when an engine is brand new so be sure to clean your bike’s oil screen and centrifugal filter also), then every 6000 kms (3728 miles) after that. Beyond those manufacturer suggestions, it’s really every man for himself. You might be able to leave Gulf 4T in there for “up to” 10,000 km if that’s what the manufacturer specifies (many current Hondas have 8000-mile intervals, or 12,875 km, and the new Triumph Street Cup specs a 10k-mile oil change interval), but those bigger Twin-cylinder engines don’t stress their oil nearly as hard as your 100cc Single. If you ride more than 6000 kms a year, you might consider using synthetic oil, which is more expensive but lasts longer: You could probably safely stretch it to 8000 km with synthetic oil in your bike. Just try to use the specified weight, and look for Grade SJ and JASO MA. —————————————————————————————————— Direct your motorcycle-related questions to AskMoAnything@motorcycle.com, though some say we’re better at non-motorcycle-related ones… Oil’s Well: How Many Miles Before I Have To Change the Oil In My Motorcycle? appeared first on Motorcycle.com.
 
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American Flat Track Safety: Interviews With Michael Lock And Chris Carr

American Flat Track Safety: Interviews With Michael Lock And Chris Carr A month ago, we published an interview with AMA Pro Racing CEO Michael Lock about the future of the American Flat Track Series. While the topics covered were wide-ranging, we felt that, given the two fatalities at the season-closing event at Santa Rosa, the section on the series’ safety should be broken out into its own section. Ironically, neither of the Santa Rosa incidents involved the elephant in the flat track room: the barriers at the edge of the track. Still, when the immediate reaction is to think of the barriers, namely the horse rails at the edge of many tracks, upon learning of a major incident at a flat-track race, the series has a safety problem that warrants a serious look. American Flat Track Series: Interview With AMA Pro Racing CEO Michael Lock Pro Flat Track Racer Charlotte Kainz Dies In Santa Rosa Crash Fortunately, the two American Flat Track representatives we talked to are looking seriously at how these issues can be resolved. While no quick fix is immediately available, both Michael Lock and Chief Competition Officer, Chris Carr (who most readers will know for his seven Grand National Championships), say that change is in the works for the series. MO: You’ve also said that you’re planning on trying to move the events closer to metropolitan areas to entice people who may not have experienced flat track racing before. That seems to make a lot of sense. My question is that you’ve specifically mentioned horse tracks. Those haven’t been typically set up for motorsports the way motorsports-specific facilities are. How are you planning to address the concerns about safety? Close racing and the ever-present railing are two of the hallmarks of flat track racing. ML: For sure, safety is an issue, but our two most successful – long-term successful – mile tracks are the Sacramento Mile and Springfield. They are horse tracks. So, it’s not inherently whether it’s a horse track or not that’s the issue. It’s the specifics of it. We’re looking now at venues for the future, and I’m sending Chris Carr and Steve Morehead, who are our two most experienced technical guys, as an advanced party to do an analysis for any potential venue and to do a technical report and say either it’s great or it’s impossible or with these modifications and this addition that we could go there. One of the things we changed between 2015 and 2017, and experimented with in 2016, is a more comprehensive deployment of Air Fence. 2012 AMA Flat Track Season Finale – Video Traditionally, we’ve been running more Air Fence on miles the half-miles, but we’ve been running somewhere in the region of about 50 to 52 pieces through corners 1 to 4. What we did was we progressively stepped that up during the year, and we’re up to about 64 pieces that we deploy on some miles, particularly Springfield, which has got long, continuous corners. It’s almost impossible to see where the corner starts and ends. We’ve been building up the Air Fence deployment, which means that you push further and further away from the apexes, the hay bales. The hay bales are much more effective when they’re not on the apex of the corner where the Air Fence is much more effective. MO: I know that the angle of impact is important for Air Fences. They are better at direct impacts than glancing blows. I’ve been told that sections have been developed that can handle the oblique impacts better. ML: There is an Air Fence that we have had a look at. I’m going to be asking my team to evaluate over the rest of this off season. It’s not an deflatable fence. The Air Fence that we deploy at the moment, all these pieces, are filled with air and then deflated for travel. There is a second type that is basically permanently inflated, which we’re looking at for potential future deployments. The issue of it is a logistics one. If they don’t deflate, man, you need a big truck. Or you need a bunch of trucks. We’re looking at how we could make that happen. Certainly, that’s an innovation for the future that we’re taking seriously. Racing at the Sacramento Mile. Photo courtesy American Flat Track MO: In these horse tracks you’ve got these epic photos of the guys in a freight train right up against the rail with the field trailing into the background, but attached to the other side of the rail are these exposed posts. Do you have any plans for addressing that. Is that going to limit your new tracks? ML: I don’t think so. I think there’s always a solution we can plan in for that, whether it be some kind of board you put in front or whether you use some of these sleeper installations they use in highway repair. So, we’ve got a number of things we’re looking at. Because safety is ever-evolving. You never get to 100%. You just keep trying to raise the bar. MO: For me, since I come from the roadracing side, seeing riders in close proximity to the barriers is difficult to wrap my head around. I know that we don’t want to have things like what happened at Santa Rosa, which was terrible. One seems like it was just a freak racing accident where a bike got airborne, but the other one, I believe, he collided with a post. ML: No, he collided with the ground. MO: It was not a post at the edge of the track? ML: Yeah, he came off the bike and hit the ground fairly hard. I don’t know that there was anything we could’ve done proactively. Obviously, that is something that we’ve been looking at. MO: I had friends that were there when it happened, and they said they thought he hit the post. ML: I think he hit the ground first, but either way, the bike certainly hit the post and took the post out. MO: So, that’s probably where the perspective I was given came from. ML: We’ve obviously reflected long and hard on Santa Rosa. It’s not the kind of thing you ever want to happen. One of the first calls I got was from Wayne Rainey because they had a double accident at Laguna Seca the year before. And it’s devastating when this happens. The first thing that you do is you go back through all your processes and say, “Okay, with the benefit of seeing what’s happened, what could we have done differently?” You do that all the time. The horse railing at the edge of many tracks presents the biggest safety concern. Photo by Brian J. Nelson A Brief Interview with American Flat Track Chief Competition Officer Chris Carr Although Michael Lock was quite forthcoming with his information concerning the safety of riders in American Flat Track, we thought it would be good to hear from a life-long flat-track racer who now has the formidable task of helping to make the sport safer while continuing to grow the series. So, we got him on the phone to talk about safety. Indian Scout FTR750 Ride Review MO: How do you go about protecting the riders at facilities that were designed for horse racing and not motorsports? CC: Let’s use the Sacramento Mile as an example. That’s been a mainstay on the circuit for the better part of 30 years, with the exception of a several year hiatus in the early 2000s. Typically, a track like it and some other horse tracks like it have a horse rail fence that lines the straightaways and corners. If there is an issue coming off a corner, those have typically been an area that has been unprotected. But if you put Air Fence in those locations, it can cause problems for more than one rider. On a glancing blow where you’re coming at a very shallow angle, you tend to have a bunch of deflection. That can deflect the bike and rider out into the racing line. It’s a good situation for the rider who goes down originally to have something along those lines, but for those that are behind him and have this rider deflect out in front of them, it becomes a problem. So, we are in ongoing research on coming up with a way to address both sides of that issue in a responsible fashion. We certainly want to protect the downed rider but not at the expense of those traveling behind him. That is a serious challenge on our part, and it can be looked at from multiple perspectives. MO: So, what do you do to address this situation? We are researching it, and we’re doing everything we can to make intelligent decisions for the future, not only of American Flat Track, but more importantly for our American Flat Track racers. The Springfield Mile features a concrete wall which is less dangerous than a horse rail. When you have another track, in the case of the Springfield Mile. It was around in the ‘60s and took a break for the better part of 20 years then returned in the early ‘80s. Springfield, Illinois is a multi-purpose mile. It’s not just a trotter track. It’s also a race-car track and a motorcycle track. It’s lined with concrete all the way around it. So, we do the best that we can, and that’s the type of track where on rare occasions that there have been crashes at the exits of corners. As a rider, myself, I have seen and personally glanced off the concrete. I had a chance, whereas a horse rail fence can actually bring you in further. A concrete wall you can bounce off of. I recall riding a berm coming off of Turn 2 at the Indy Mile because it was concrete. Had that been a horse fence, I wouldn’t have been able to do that. These are areas that are being looked into. We don’t have a permanent solution, but we’re getting closer to being able to address the problem responsibly. MO: So, do you think the solution lies somewhere between the Air Fence , which you say can bounce people back onto the track, and something harder – maybe not concrete – but… CC: I’d love to be able to tell you that I have an answer to your question, today, but I don’t. We can’t snap our fingers and come up with a solution. We are investigating it. It’s going to be an ongoing process. I know that over time the types of barriers that can be adaptable to our environment are going to change. I think that if there’s any one thing that we’ve seen a lot of with flat-track that people within our paddock are going to have to get used to is change. It’s here, and we’re going to have to adapt to that change in order to continue to hang on to the growth that we’ve seen of late. American Flat Track Safety: Interviews With Michael Lock And Chris Carr appeared first on Motorcycle.com.
 
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Church Of MO - Twin Touring Sportbikes

Church Of MO Twin Touring Sportbikes Sheesh, two motorcycle manufacturers shutting their doors in less than a month. First it was Victory, and now it’s Buel… errr, EBR. Coincidentally, Buell got his time in the spotlight in last week’s Church feature, and while we don’t normally post consecutive Church features from the same manufacturer, with the unfortunate news of Erik Buell winding down yet again we feel it’s the right thing to do. So to celebrate Buell, this week’s we’re going all the way back to 1998 and the test between the Buell S3T Thunderbolt and Ducati ST2 Sport Turismo. As a special treat, joining the old MO staff of Mark Hammond and Billy Bartels is none other than Chuck Graves – yeah, that Chuck Graves. What do they think of this Italian/American mashup? Read on to find out. And for more pictures of the duet, be sure to visit the photo gallery. Twin Touring Sportbikes Buell’s S3T Thunderbolt v. Ducati’s ST2 Sport Turismo By Staff Apr. 01, 1998 The good people in the marketing departments of your favorite motorcycle manufacturers have tried to make it easy for consumers to find the bike of their dreams. In North America, the epicenter of consumer culture, there are three primary street-only motorcycle categories: Custom/cruisers, sportbikes, and tourers. Each category represents, in a nice, neat package, what manufacturers believe consumers expect from their bikes. The custom/cruiser category seems to say, “Hey, look at me.” The sportbike category shouts, “Hey, look at me wad.” The touring category declares, “Hey, you can’t help but look at me because my bike is bigger than yours.” From these three main categories come hybrids, and this is where marketing departments have taken a few liberties. Dual-sport motorcycles, for example, are not sportbikes but standards that can be ridden, for the most part, on dirt and gravel roads. Then there are sport-touring motorcycles, a category created for the middle-aged rider who prefers a more aggressive bike than a cruiser or full dresser, yet is either intimidated by hardcore sportbikes like GSX-Rs and 916s, or after riding one for a few miles, finds it necessary to make an appointment with a chiropractor. An easy way to tell if a manufacturer intends a bike to fall within the sport-tourer category is to look for an “S” or a “T” somewhere in the bike’s nomenclature. But being geeks conditioned to a world of precise commands and codes, the staff at MO tends to have very literal minds. To us, words have specific, precise meanings, so when we hear “sport-touring motorcycle,” specific bikes come to mind: Honda’s ST1100 and BMW’s R1100RS, for example. Quick, comfortable, touring bikes that handle relatively well — touring motorcycles with sporty capabilities. When we were dreaming up shootouts, we wanted to take some long rides, so we immediately penciled into our editorial schedule, “Sport-Tourer Shootout.” Searching for any excuse to flee Los Angeles, we scheduled a couple of runs up north, and with the introduction of Buell’s S3T Thunderbolt and Ducati’s ST2 Sport Turismo, there were now enough “S” or “T” bikes on the market for perhaps two or three northerly excursions. First, we would compare the twin-cylinder sport-tourers, the Buell and Duc along with BMW’s R1100RS. Later, we’ll test the multi-cylinder bikes. After a few miles on the tight mountain roads between Gorman and Paso Robles, we noticed that the Ducati and the Buell felt at home while the R1100RS, so comfortable on the freeways and highways, had a very hard time keeping up. Sitting in a Paso Robles motel room drinking Coronas and mutilating limes with a butter knife we’d lifted from the Denny’s across the street, it dawned on us, between burps, that we might have stumbled upon yet another hybrid class of motorcycle. The ST2 and the S3T are not so much sport-tourers, as touring sports. What’s the difference, you say? Well, in “sport-tourers”, “sport” modifies “tourer.” Thus, a “sport-tourer” is essentially an aggressive touring bike, like the BMW R1100RS. However, flip-flop the words, where “touring” modifies “sport”, you have a completely different concept — a sportbike with touring features. It seems as though we are splitting semantic hairs, but we feel the difference looms large. This is how we see the Ducati ST2 and the Buell S3T Thunderbolt — sportbikes set up for touring duty. Touring, especially overnight runs through your favorite backroads, is something both these bikes do well. The stock seats on both aren’t bad, they’re just not great. Seating positions and overall rider ergonomics are good. Where one bike is comfortable, the other isn’t and vica-versa. The Ducati is more hardcore sport. Lower bars place the rider farther over the front wheel than on the Buell, and the pegs are swept a little farther back. The Duc’s fairing managed windblast well at high speeds and helped keep weight off the rider’s wrists, but at speeds below 70 mph the ST2’s more aggressive, forward riding position was uncomfortable for long-distance freeway riding. The Buell’s more upright position felt great in the city and at low and medium speeds. Conversely, it was at high speeds, over 85 mph, that windblast became bothersome. The straight, wide-open road will not make these bikes happy. Like their sportbike cousins, the ST2 and the S3T are at home on tight, twisting roads. In the slower, tighter corners, the Buell has the decided advantage with its smaller wheelbase and wide handlebars that offer greater leverage. In the fast corners both bikes handled very well. However, we were surprised that the ST2 is a relatively “heavy” turning bike. “Light” and “quick turning” are descriptives generally associated with Ducs, yet the Buell turned quicker. In designing the ST2, Ducati opted for more stability. The ST2’s chassis sports a tubular trestle frame similar to the 916 in torsional rigidity and lightness. Weight distribution of the Ducati is spread out between the front and rear a little more evenly than the Buell, which exhibits a rear-weight bias. Accordingly, the Buell doesn’t always want to keep its front end on the ground, and it can be slightly twitchy in high speed corner transitions. However, its excellent chassis and stiff suspension helped keep the S3T very stable over fast, rough roads. Overall, the braking on the Buell was better than on the Ducati. The Nissin six-piston caliper and sintered metal pad bind with amazing force. In fact, the initial bite is so strong that you can’t simply “grab a handful,” despite having only a single front rotor. The Ducati is equipped with twin 320 mm floating Brembo discs and four-piston calipers in the front and a single 245 mm disc with a twin-piston caliper at the rear. Initial bite was a bit soft, thus a bit more forgiving. Still, perhaps because of the forward position of the rider, the Ducati suffered from greater brake dive than the Buell. One area in which the Ducati clearly had the advantage over the Buell is ground clearance. The Ducati’s narrow footpegs are set higher and farther back than the Buell’s lower and more comfortable pegs. Also, with the saddlebags off, the Ducati’s muffler can be raised for even more ground clearance. A very trick feature. The Buell S3T (and the S3 as well) is powered by the same engine we raved about in our review of the S1 White Lightning, pumping out 88 horsepower at the rear wheel and 76 ft-lbs of torque. Suprisingly, all that power came at a relatively low cost. The S3T averaged 43 miles per gallon. The Ducati is powered by a new version of its 90-degree, liquid-cooled V-twin engine, enlarged to 944cc for touring duty. SOHC, 2-valve desmo heads similar to Ducati’s early Paso models, are employed. The ST2 averaged 39 miles per gallon. The ThunderStorm is clearly the more powerful engine, and the only complaint we have stems from the familiar heat from the right side pipes and the trademark vibration at idle that all but disappears when the engine revs over 3000 rpm. The Ducati was clearly smoother at idle and low speeds, but we did note some mirror distortion at a higher clip on the freeway. Clutch and shifting play were very similar, both having a heavy feel and pull. In the end, both the Ducati and the Buell were in a virtual tie. However, what tipped the balance in favor of the Ducati was the ST2’s overall fit and finish. We liked the easy-to-read instrument panel, and the digital odometer and water temperature gauge. Buell’s minimalist instrument panel, which works well with the naked Cyclone and Lightning, is lacking on a touring sport. Ducati has excellent, easy-to-open-and-remove hardbags, similar to the BMW’s popular and functional system. On the other hand, the Buell’s bags aren’t designed to be removed unless they are open and empty (though, to Buell’s credit, the bags do come with a nice set of removable bag liners). In fact, we couldn’t open the right side bag at all due to an early production glitch that Buell has since corrected. The Ducati ST2’s sleek and stylish design reminds us of BMW and their meticulous attention to detail. Aesthetically, from headlight to taillight, the ST2 is nearly flawless. Although the Buell creates a striking profile, we do have some issues. While the lower fairing does an adequate job in protecting the rider from the elements, it is ugly. Also, the right side fairing cracked at the mounting joint on the engine case. Common to all S3s and S3Ts, the windscreen is crooked. Don’t get us wrong, both bikes are very cool. However, it’s policy at Motorcycle Online to declare a winner for each shootout, and, in a very close contest, we choose Ducati’s ST2 as the winner in our Twin Touring Sport Shootout. Impressions: 1. Mark Hammond, Managing Editor When I announced I was riding the Ducati to Vegas, the staff asked me if I were on crack. Ducatis aren’t exactly known for their reliability, and the staff had vision of me stuck in Baker, home to what seems like as many fast-food joints as people, as well as a three-story thermometer, but then the negative lead bolt on the Buell fell out on Billy at 1:00 a.m. in Echo Park, not a particularly choice place to be stranded either. Besides, this is supposed to be Ducati’s long-distance touring bike. If it couldn’t make a trip from L.A. to Vegas — a 550 mile round trip — then what good is it? The ST2 made the trip easily. In fact, the ST2 served us well for the entire time we had it — almost 9 weeks — with nary a complaint. Except for the negative lead snafu, the Buell also performed well, and I might have picked the Buell number one if it had easily removable bags, a straight windscreen, and lost the ugly lower fairing that ruined the lines of a very good looking bike. While I would have preferred the Duc with a little more power, the ST2 did everything well, from performance to profile. The Buell is cool, but the Ducati is a little more refined. 2. Billy Bartels, Associate Editor No question in my mind, the Ducati ST2 is the winner here. If you’re not a racer like Chuck, you’re not going to be compliaining about slow steering and a lack of power. This puppy could waste almost anything with or without saddlebags down Highway 58 (one of the Central California roads we tested on). It looks great, the fairing just works, and it has that cool offset headlight like on the 916. This bike is pure sex. The Buell, just like all Buells, is a cool bike, it just needs a few things fixed. You want to get over the front end of this bike to keep the front wheel more firmly planted on the ground, but the seat tapers off to the size of a postage stamp at the front. That’s great if you want to do wheelies, but not if you want to tear up a canyon. Also, the detail wasn’t there like it was on the Ducati. The minimallist approach that works so well on the Lightning, needs a little refinement in sport-tourer trim, or touring-sport, or whatever… 3. Chuck Graves, Contributing Editor & Racer The Ducati was fine. The steering was a little slow and it could use a little more top-end in the twisties. Sure, it’s stable, but it’s a Ducati. Where’s the rush? I took the Buell up to Malibu with Clint, my mechanic, and tooled around. He could barely keep up on his CBR600F3. The S3T steers quickly, is very comfortable, and has a killer 90hp motor. The Buell rules. Point the S3T at a twisty road: The twistier the better. The bags are spacious, but not well-designed. They stick out too far (the Duc’s were recessed, caught less bugs and pushed less wind), the latch broke, and the latching mechanism is quirky, to say the least. However, the removable bag liner is sweet. Buell added an analog clock to the minimalist dash. Monster torque and the quick turn-ins made the Buell scream in the tight stuff. The only problem were the comfortable, but low footpegs. A nice touch: Fairing bags tucked beside the instrument panel. The negative battery bolt (shown here) fell out during a trip through downtown LA at 1:00 a.m. Fortunately, a friend with insomnia and a ready-to-be-cannibalized Magna in his back yard came to the rescue. In fast sweepers the Buell experienced slight headshakes in corner exits. Some complained about the strong bite of the new Nissin calipers, while others thought it cool as hell. Altogether, braking on the Buell was far better than on the Ducati. The lower fairing doesn’t do a great job of blocking the wind, and it looks god-awful as well. The lower right-side fairing cracked from vibration. The Buell throws a striking profile, but the lack of attention to small details, in particular the crooked, sloped windscreen, landed it in second place. Buell S3T Thunderbolt Specifications: Manufacturer: Buell American Motorcycle Co. Model: S3T Thunderbolt Sport Touring Price: $12,799.00 USD Engine: Air-cooled, four-stroke, 45 degree V-Twin Bore and Stroke: 3.5 x 3.8 in Displacement: 1203 cc Carburetion: 40 mm Keihin CV Transmission: Five-speed, wet clutch Wheelbase: 55.0 in/1379 mm Seat Height: 29.5 in/749 mm Fuel Capacity: 5.5 gal (.6 gal reserve)/20.8 L (2.3 L reserve) Claimed Dry Weight: 465 lbs/193 kg Measured Wet Weight: 520 lbs/236 kg Peak Measured Torque: 75.9 ft-lbs @ 5500 rpm Peak Measured HP: 87.2 hp @ 6250 rpm The ST2’s not-quite-attractive saddlebag mounts are a snap to use. Check out the empty hole just above the muffler. For even more ground clearance raise the exhaust when the bags are off. A good view of the very-progressive shock and the back half of the trellis frame. Look closer for a cool view of the ocean from the Santa Monica Mountains above Malibu. The ST2 was slower steering than the Buell, but rock-solid stability made it a joy to toss around the curves. A view of the Sport Turismo’s toolkit (the Buell doesn’t have one), rebound adjuster, and fuel-injection brain. A picture of a Duc pilot happily tearing up some backroads… …and another. The adjustable pipe was there to use, but we never hit bottom on the ST2. An attractive dash with digital readouts greets the ST2’s pilot. Besides cash, the arrvial of Texas Pacific brought a new logo. A hacked-together view of the Ducati’s ride-height adjustment system. Ducati ST2 Sport Turismo Specifications: Manufacturer: Ducati Model: 1998 ST2 Sport Turismo Price: $12,495.00 USD Engine: 4 stroke 90 degree V-Twin Bore and Stroke: 94 mm x 68 mm Displacement: 944 cc Carburetion: Weber-Marelli electronic indirect injection Transmission: Six-speed, dry, multi-plate clutch Wheelbase: 56.3 in/1430 mm Seat Height: 32.3 in/820 mm Fuel Capacity: 6 gal (1 gal reserve)/23 L (4 L reserve) Claimed Dry Weight: 466 lbs/212 kg Measured Wet Weight: 540 lbs/245 kg Peak Measured Torque: 57.3 ft-lbs @ 6500 rpm Peak Measured HP: 76.0 hp @ 8250 rpm The Brembo brakes didn’t have the authority of the Nissin units on the Buell. Something about the cool, super-bright headlight and the helmet stuck on top a post to mark your territory. Another beautiful view of Malibu. A centerstand allows you to park this Ducati just about anywhere… … but the sidestand is a joke. Ducati’s spring-loaded, auto-retracting kickstand system sucks. The throw on the shifter lever was a bit shorter than we would have liked, but we hear an M900 lever will bolt right on. No matter what the angle, the ST2 strikes a gorgeous profile. Where’s the Beemer? The 1998 BMW R1100RS is one of the best sport-touring motorcycles on the market. It has everything a sport-touring rider needs: Comfortable ergonomics, great wind protection, a humane, forward riding position and an excellent, removable hardbag system. The fit and finish is typical BMW — excellent. Then, if this is such a great bike, why wasn’t it included in the shootout with the Buell and the Ducati? BMWs are essentially high-performance touring bikes, not relaxed sportbikes. Where the BMW had the decided advantage over both the Buell and the Duc was on long, gently meandering roads — mainly freeways and state highways. Its smooth powerband, excellent wind protection and riding position make 500-mile days a snap. Where the R1100RS is at a decided disadvantage is on the tighter, twisty roads. The RS weighs 40 pounds more than the Duc and 60 more than the Buell, and its wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than the Duc and 2.5 inches longer than the Buell. The RS is a great high-mileage sport-tourer, but not a canyon scratcher. That’s not to say that the RS isn’t fun in the canyons. But it is not a quick turning bike and it must be ridden hard to keep up with the lighter, quicker Buell and Ducati. There is a lot we like about this bike. Much of what we like is common to all next-generation Boxers, particularly the no-brake-dive Telelever front suspension and excellent ABS system, although at a 9/10ths pace the ABS brakes are overwhelmed slightly. The instrument panel, with a digital fuel gauge and clock, is tastefully laid out and easy to read. The hardbag system is a great — Ducati essentially copied the design for the ST2 — although it is small; we couldn’t fit a large-sized, full-face helmet. We also liked the seating position: Forward, but not so far over the front end that it becomes uncomfortable over long distances or in slower, city traffic. Even better, the seat height is adjustable. Since it is a twin, vibrations are noticed, but they are neither intrusive or annoying, just omnipresent at highway speeds. Ample torque is available for passing, although some bottom-end torque has been sacrificed for top-end horsepower. Handling is very good and very stable, but the steering is slow, and one MO staffer commented that he found it necessary to hang way off the bike in order to keep up with the other two twins. Since its debut in 1995, BMW has not made any significant powertrain changes on the new-generation Boxer. That’s good and bad news, because we wish they’d do something about the clunky tranny. Missed shifts and false neutrals are not uncommon, and that shouldn’t happen on a $15,000 motorcycle. Shifting must be made with solid, Teutonic authority. “I vill sheeft das bike into second gear now!” It’s something that all Beemer owners get used to and eventually take for granted, but for moto-journalists used to riding 20-30 different bikes a year, it is a very noticeable flaw. The 1998 BMW R1100RS is expensive, listing at $14,750 MSRP. ABS is standard. It is an excellent sport-touring and commuter bike, able to send you off to work or the store before ripping off 500 mile days while throwing in a little canyon carving to spice up the journey. Specifications: Manufacturer: BMW Model: 1998 R1100RS Price: $14,750.00 USD Engine: Air/Oil cooled opposed twin cylinders Bore and Stroke: 99 mm x 70.5 mm Displacement: 1085 cc Carburetion: Bosch Motronic electrical fuel-injection Transmission: 5-speed w/dry, single plate clutch Wheelbase: 57.5 in/1467 mm Seat Height: 30.7/31.5/32.2 in 780/800/820 mm Fuel Capacity: 6 gal (1 gal reserve)/22.7 L (3.8 L reserve) Claimed Dry Weight: 506 lbs/230 kg Measured Wet Weight: 580 lbs/263 kg Church Of MO – Twin Touring Sportbikes appeared first on Motorcycle.com.
 
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