moto-vation: 2007

1 comments Thursday, December 27, 2007

after reading dennis noyes' article on electronics in motogp, i'm torn (like an old sweater) between the two sides. the world's premier class of motorcycle racing should be both the bastion of technological development as well as great entertainment.

the 2007 season was quite the snoozfest with ducati running away rider, constructor, and team championships. great for ducati. not so great for the fans as tv ratings were fading as quickly as michelin rubber.

enter carmelo ezpeleta, ceo of dorna, to save the day. under pressure from investors and riders, ezpeleta stated that it was time for motogp to consider a single standard ecu a la formula 1. this is quite the turnaround from earlier this year when he advocated the safety of traction control.

many of the old school riders (rossi, mamola, criville, rainey to name a few) think that traction control has dumbed down the sport making it more like a videogame than an arena to display courage and talent. basically, the computers are taking all the fun out of the racing. no more slides, tire smoke, and spectacular saves. just the stuttering of the engine as ignition timing is pulled.

but isn't motogp supposed to be the epitome of motorcycle technology? every 2008 liter bike has traction control. so now a run-of-the-mill production bike has this technology but a multi-million dollar prototype doesn't?!?!?! that doesn't make sense. motogp machinery should be the best of the best, expense-be-damned, fastest of the fast.

motogp is in a real dilemna. it is at a crossroad. one leading to fun-filled exciting racing and the other to technological superiority. a compromise is in order to get the best of both worlds...

Posted byPete

at12:50 AM

1 comments

ducati's lead designer leaves

0 comments Friday, December 21, 2007

pierre terblanche, ducati design boss for the past decade, will be leaving the italian marque to set up his own design studio at the end of the year. dunzo!!! considered the chris bangle of the motorcycle world, terblanche is credited with the designs of the 900SS, 999, supermono and multistrada.

the 999 design was a total departure from the infamous 916. it was definitely unique but people either loved it or hated it. the most controversial decision was the replacement of the single-sided swingarm to a conventional one.

the fact that the 1098 did not carry over any design elements of the 999 rather the 916 probably spelled the end of terblanche at ducati.

read

Posted byPete

at2:45 AM

0 comments

bmw to go racing

0 comments Wednesday, December 19, 2007

in 2008 there'll be some new players in the ama formula xtreme series. one of them will be bmw. they'll be campaigning the all new 1200cc hp2 sport.

for those unfamiliar with formula xtreme it's basically a free-for-all. bikes are highly modified and are of various engine displacements (up to 1350cc for air-cooled twins).

it'll be interesting to see how well the boxer engine competes against the popular i-4 600's. it's cousin, the r1200 s won its class at le mans this year. in stock trim, the hp2 sport is on par with the power of a 600 but it has gobs more torque.

the season kicks off in march with the grueling daytona 200. so only a few more months for them to develop this engine...

Posted byPete

at1:15 AM

0 comments

TECHNIQUE TUTORING: norifumi abe

1 comments Tuesday, December 18, 2007

first off, this is one of the sickest photos i've ever seen!!!

not sure when or where it was taken but it was probably during his brief stint in world superbike aboard a yamaha r1. considered one of japan's finest riders, he passed away in a motorcycle accident this past october...

norick demonstrates how u want to be exiting a corner. he keeps his weight on the inside rearset while standing the bike up. this fades the bike to outer apron and allows him to apply the throttle earlier to get good drive out of the corner. he also has his upper body forward and behind the fairing which keeps the nose down and aerodynamic.

note the tire bending at the contact patch as it clings to the tarmac. simply amazing...

Posted byPete

at1:26 AM

1 comments

TECHNIQUE TUTORING: casey stoner

1 comments

this photo was captured during the waning stages of the 2007 malaysian grand prix as already crowned world champ casey stoner charged to the win. it's amazing that these racers set the fastest laps as tires fade and fuel loads lighten.

stoner has his gp07 cranked tilting the horizon to near vertical. as with all members of this elite class, he has pretty much perfect body positioning. he keeps his body compact and weight forward. his head looks through the turn focusing on the line to the next bend.

Posted byPete

at12:51 AM

1 comments

flame on!

0 comments Monday, December 17, 2007

oh, the sweet sound of a ducati 1098. this video is from british tuner bsd. check out the flames on the over-rev!

a little off topic but the 675's headers allegedly glow red when wrung out. i'd like to see a pic of that...

Posted byPete

at2:23 AM

0 comments

stomping grounds-beaverun

2 comments Thursday, December 13, 2007

enjoy!!!

video by dennys passetto along with fellow 675er scott rosey in hw twins race

Posted byPete

at1:18 AM

2 comments

RUMOR: sketch of the ariel motorcycle

0 comments Tuesday, December 11, 2007

i ganked this sketch (1 of 3 proposed) of the new ariel motorcycle off mcn.com

looks to be a cafe racer with ariel's signature trellis frame wrapped around an air-cooled single engine (supposedly sourced from honda). sounds a bit mundane. that is until u hear that it'll be SUPERCHARGED! good luck trying to keep the front wheel on the ground :D

among the other ideas ariel is tossing around: an electric bike and naked city bike

Posted byPete

at10:58 PM

0 comments

TECHNIQUE TUTORING: gregorio lavilla

0 comments Monday, December 10, 2007

2005 bsb champ, gregorio lavilla, will be making the bump to wsbk riding a cbr1000 for paul bird motorsport next season. opening race begins feb 23 at qatar.

check the lean angle of the bike (about 60 deg from vert) and body positioning. he's lowering the cg of the bike by getting his cheek off the seat and putting pressure on the inside peg. note that his knee is tucked close to the fairing instead of perpendicular to bike. upper body is relaxed and he's looking through the turn.

Posted byPete

at10:54 PM

0 comments

RANT: '08 wsbk engine rule change a farce

0 comments Sunday, December 9, 2007

as most of u know, there's going to be a big change in world superbike for 2008.

ducati will be allowed to campaign a 1200cc twin while inline-4s stay at 1000cc. the reason: ducati threatened to pull out of wsbk. do u smell something??? i smell a whiny bitch! let's see, ducati dominated wsbk winning 14/19 championships. now that they're stuggling to find power with an engine that's reached the peak of its development, they force an increase in engine capacity or they leave.

why doesn't ducati use their v-4 found in the desmosedici rr? this engine was derived from their motogp program and is a great solution to their problem. an easy way to find power is to increase rpm. the v-4 has smaller pistons and less rotating mass yet the v-layout provides great torque characteristics.

i give ducati a wag of the finger. and i'm even more disappointed in the ruling bodies of wsbk for letting ducati run all over them.

Posted byPete

at10:48 PM

0 comments

quasi-REVIEW: ktm rc8

1 comments

ktm, a manufacturer most known for their off-road bikes, has finally released their first superbike, the rc8. the concept was revealed in 2005 and after 3 years of development have released it to the public, amazingly with very little changes to the original design.

the shape is divisive. either u love it or hate it. i'm not too keen on the sharp angular surfaces, especially the tank and headlight. in fact, it kind of resembles the '08 zx-10 minus the bazooka exhaust can. speaking of, the one design element that i dig is the under-engine exhaust. it really cleans the bike up (hint hint honda, kawasaki, and suzuki).

the engine is a bored-and-stroked variant of the highly acclaimed lc8 v-twin of super duke fame. capacity is 1190 cc. 155 hp. 88.5 lb/ft of torque. this engine is a direct competitor to ducati's 1098r which is 1198 cc and cranks out 180 hp and 100 lb/ft of torque. the rc8 has some serious catching up to do, especially since it's 50 lb heavier.

the chassis is a steel trellis frame a la ducati and suspension duties are carried out by wp (good stuff!).

i welcome a new manufacturer into the sportbike arena. i hope ktm comes out w/ a middleweight contender. but they has some staunch competition coming from the land of rice and spaghetti.

more to come when someone gets to ride this thing...

[UPDATE] sweet promo vid:

Posted byPete

at4:32 PM

1 comments

rossi hearts bridgestone

1 comments Saturday, December 8, 2007

crash.net is reporting that rossi likey his new shoes.

valentino rossi had a tough 2007 season with michelin. the 7-time world champ struggled throughout the year on tires that couldn't go the distance. halfway through the race and u'd see him spinning the rear donut up leaving strips of french caoutchouc (not to be confused w/ "capote", look it up) on the tarmac.

'08 will be a little different. make that a lot different. ever since rossi's promotion to the premier class of motorcycle racing, he's only ridden on michelins. for next season, he'll be on japanese kit. in fact, it seemed like the whole paddock wanted to ditch michelin for bridgestone...

at first, i thought it was an easy excuse for a rotten year. but after pondering about this topic for a couple months, i believe that "the doctor" has a valid reason for the switch. his prescription for bridgestone rubber puts him on equal footing w/ his main rival for '08 and current world champ, casey stoner.

read the full story here

Posted byPete

at6:58 PM

1 comments

REVIEW: 2008 yamaha r6

0 comments

no, i didn't get a chance to ride the '08 r6 (going to have to talk to yamah na about this) but motorcycle-usa.com got a chance to and they gave it a rave review at first look. more of an evolution than a revolution, yamaha refined the chassis, suspension, and engine.

check out the first-look and vid here

Posted byPete

at6:50 PM

0 comments

dec doldrums

0 comments

the last winter test for motogp concluded a couple weeks ago w/ danny pedrosa (honda hrc) topping the timing sheets. world champ, casey stoner (marlboro ducati), fell and strained his shoulder. and valentino rossi (fiat yamaha) made his debut on bridgestone rubber.

now we wait until jan 22 for testing to resume at sepang, malaysia. what to do...???

Posted byPete

at1:21 PM

0 comments

RUMOR: ariel to develop two-wheeled terror

0 comments

so i said that this blog was going to be only about motorcycles. and u're prob thinking to urself, "what's that got to do w/ ariel?" the resurgent car company that builds the amazingly fast atom is rumored to be taking the same formula and applying it to a vehicle of two-wheeled persuasion.

you can read more at autocar

Posted byPete

at12:58 PM

0 comments

triumph to take on wss in '08

1 comments

last 675 post... for now :twisted: (arghhh!!)

triumph has teamed up w/ scuderia caracchi (formerly ncr ducati) to field a 675 in world supersport next year. it's been some time since triumph has backed a race team and they're doing it right.

they did some testing in qatar last weekend and didn't do too badly albeit a little off the race pace. not to make excuses, but word on the street is that they were running w/ a stock engine. goes to show u how good the 675 is straight off the factory floor.

Day 1:

1 Parkes Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 2’03.5

3 Pitt Honda CBR600RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 2’03.9

4 Foret Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 2’04.2

5 Mc Coy Triumph 675 Triumph - SC 2’07.2

6 Paul Young Triumph 675 Triumph - SC 2’12.0

Day 2:

1. Parkes (Aus-Yamaha) 2’03”0;

2. Foret (Fra-Yamaha) 2’03”0;

3. Pitt (Aus-Honda) 2’03”3;

4. McCoy (Triumph) 2’05”0;

5. Young (GB-Triumph) 2’07”0.

Day 3:

1 Parkes Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Motor 2’01.9

2 Foret Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Motor 2’02.5

3 Pitt Honda CBR600RR Ten Kate Honda 2’03.0

5 Mc Coy Triumph 675 Triumph SC 2’03.5

6 Paul Young Triumph 675 Triumph SC 2’06.5

Posted byPete

at3:08 AM

1 comments

675 - my favoritest number evar ^_^

2 comments

for those who know me, u'll get this and tell me to stfu :wink: (where are those damn emoticons when u need them?)

the 675 is hands down the best bike. yeah, i said it.

but don't believe it because of me. believe it because 18 journalists from bike magazines around the world agreed that it is. not once but twice. two years in a row, the 675 has won the supersport class of masterbike beating out all the japanese riceburners.

oh yeah, it also won supertest for the second time :twisted: (cursed emoticons)

Posted byPete

at2:46 AM

2 comments

first!

0 comments

what a pain in the ass!!!

it's almost impossible to find a good, available name for a blog. i spent way too much time thinking and searching to find this one. in fact, i had to hyph-enate it because some twat decided he'd like to post pics from his/her shite motorola cameraphone. so if u're looking for anything concerning motorola u can get the FUCK OUT!!! all u'll find here are my random thoughts on all things motorcycle related.

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