Finally making its public debut, the MV Agusta Brutale 675 was easily one of the most anticipated motorcycles of the 2011 EICMA show. Representing Varese’s commitment to more affordable motorcycles, the Brutale 675 comes with a ?8,990 price tag in the EU (US pricing is still up in the air, but should be competitive with the Triumph Street Triple). No exactly a surprise in its design, the 2012 MV Agusta Brutale 675 is true to …

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/vqKDlvRwJSo/

Taro Sekiguchi Barry Sheene Ivan Silva Dave Simmonds Julián Simon Marco Simoncelli

Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/okLOiQMzAXt/Simoncelli+Killed+After+45+Minutes+Accidents

Fabrizio Lai Teuvo Länsivuori Carlos Lavado Eddie Lawson Eugenio Lazzarini Gianni Leoni

Source: http://sportbikeblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/s1000rr-how-it-should-have-looked.html

Libero Liberati Dan Linfoot Joey Litjens Roberto Locatelli Johnny Lockett Bill Lomas

Dorna Sports have extended their long-standing partnership with Swiss watchmaker Tissot as the Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of MotoGP. The successful partnership, which began over 10 years ago, sees Tissot continue as the official timing partner of the FIM?s flagship motorcycle racing championship.

Source: http://www.roadracerx.com/industry-news/tissot-extends-official-timekeeper-partnership-with-dorna/

Taru Rinne Tommy Robb Kenny Roberts Kenny Roberts Jr Raymond Roche Angel Rodríguez

From Randy Mamola’s column for Alpinestars: I talked to Lorenzo?s crew chief Ramon Forcada after the race about the choice to run the softer front tire and he said it was Jorge?s call after morning warm-up, as he did a good run of low 1:57?s on a tire that had 25 laps on it and [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/motogpblog/postfeed/~3/Te4vxLKuIGA/1303

Gyula Marsovsky Jorge Martínez Alexis Masbou Umberto Masetti Claudio Mastellari Naoki Matsudo

Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/AeXmcLs8h-s/Simoncelli+Dead+Photos

Gianni Leoni Libero Liberati Dan Linfoot Joey Litjens Roberto Locatelli Johnny Lockett

During our chance to ride the BRD RedShift SM prototype, Wes Rowe was on-hand to document the event with photos and video. Sidelined by legal technicalities at Infineon Raceway (damn lawyers), Wes still managed to grab enough footage from outside the fenced-in perimeter of the karting track, and made this short promo video of the BRD RedShift SM. A day choked full of journalists, investors, racers, and extremely curious petrol heads, my time on the …

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/bYa9axyLUzc/

Billie Nelson Kim Newcombe Angel Nieto Fonsi Nieto Pablo Nieto Alan North

Ducati North America announces today its plans for this weekend?s Progressive International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach, California.

Source: http://www.roadracerx.com/breaking-news/ducati-at-ims-long-beach-show/

Julian Stevens Casey Stoner Andrew Stroud Herri Torrontegui Imre Toth Jean Louis Tournadre

A tweak to the tyre regulations comes into force this weekend, introduced remarkably quickly during the course of the season. The reg. change is to allow the use of a ‘bonus’ or ‘emergency’ option tyre of a softer specification. Prior regulations allowed for eight front tyres of two compounds, and ten rears of two compounds. [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/motogpblog/postfeed/~3/gS1Ie-bOwV4/1241

Bruno Ruffo Jarno Saarinen Cecil Sandford Charlie Salt Federico Sandi Christian Sarron

From MCN: “It is only a slight difference but for sure in Indy we will use this engine. It seems a little bit better in top speed but it is not clearly much better.” Jorge Lorenzo is not exactly brimming with praise for the engine update tested in Brno, which apparently will be used at [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/motogpblog/postfeed/~3/h_rIpLTc5cA/1301

Christian Sarron Kevin Schwantz Taro Sekiguchi Barry Sheene Ivan Silva Dave Simmonds

Yamaha Factory World Superbike Team?s new recruit for the 2011 series, Marco Melandri, underwent minor and completely successful surgery on his right shoulder yesterday (Thursday 23rd December) and expects to be fully fit for the works squad?s next test at the Portimao circuit in Portugal on January 26th.

Source: http://www.roadracerx.com/breaking-news/successful-shoulder-surgery-for-melandri/

Kevin Schwantz Taro Sekiguchi Barry Sheene Ivan Silva Dave Simmonds Julián Simon

Got the diagnosis today-the future looks not so great and the kids really, really love this dog.

Hoping you guys have soem positive survival…

Source: http://www.motorsportforums.com/chitchat/149765-canine-distemper-virus-looking-good-news.html

Hiroaki Kuzuhara Gijs Lagervey Fabrizio Lai Teuvo Länsivuori Carlos Lavado Eddie Lawson

The press release from Suzuki after the Crescent team's first World Superbike test:

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/IWxWAkmnc5Y/suzuki_post_portimao_test_press_release_.html

Jan de Vries Jason Vincent Danny Webb Anthony West Jock West David Whitworth

In his Autosport piece on Why Indy must stay on the MotoGP calendar, Toby Moody tries to mount an emotional defence of Indy, but fails to identify why it should stay and ends up nailing why the circuit is the weakest on the calendar. [Stoner] said it was not the most enjoyable of circuits to [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/motogpblog/postfeed/~3/iY1YCzxpFag/1308

Libero Liberati Dan Linfoot Joey Litjens Roberto Locatelli Johnny Lockett Bill Lomas

The second edition of the FIM Gala ceremony proved to be a huge success with over five hundred guest…

Source: http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1323457186-fim-gala-ceremony-on-fim-tvcom/

Tarquinio Provini Alberto Puig Maurice Quincey Ray Quincey Ricardo Quintanilla Esteve Rabat

Story from www.wrc.com

The 2003 world champion, who has campaigned privateer Citroens in the WRC since 2009, will take part in the knockout…

Source: http://www.motorsportforums.com/wrc-news/149758-could-bettega-run-solbergs-last-citroen.html

Umberto Masetti Claudio Mastellari Naoki Matsudo Giuseppe Matucci Cromie McCandless Garry McCoy

Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/TiBagNBveRS/Simoncelli+Dead+Photos

Gianni Leoni Libero Liberati Dan Linfoot Joey Litjens Roberto Locatelli Johnny Lockett

From MotoMatters.com’s transcript of the Q&A session with Preziosi: We are exploring different solutions, though I don’t think material is the key point. But for sure, shapes, stiffness, distribution of the stiffness through the length are concepts that we want to explore in order to build up knowledge. The clearest indication yet that Ducati are [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/motogpblog/postfeed/~3/tcB4g1SKg_4/1290

Gyula Marsovsky Jorge Martínez Alexis Masbou Umberto Masetti Claudio Mastellari Naoki Matsudo

Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/uWWO1NWIvNj/Simoncelli+Champion+Sepang+killed+Sepang

Naoki Matsudo Giuseppe Matucci Cromie McCandless Garry McCoy Niall Mackenzie Eric McPherson

Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) took the top slot on the third and final day of Superbike testing at Portimao, which saw the presence of Aprilia, BMW and the new-for-2012 Crescent Suzuki.

The former Yamaha man was on terrific form, powering his RSV4 to the new unofficial lap record of the Portuguese track in 1 minute 42.7 seconds, a fraction quicker than Max Biaggi’s mark of 1’42.774 set in 2010. But his Italian team leader was himself just a whisker behind, lapping in 1’42.8 by the end of the day. The third Aprilia rider present, Chaz Davies from the ParkinGO team, also went well, notching up a time of 1’43.2. All the Aprilia riders lapped exclusively on race tyres.

The BMW riders set an even quicker pace on qualifying tyres, Leon Haslam going half-a-second faster to end up with a time of 1’42.2. Marco Melandri looked good on his new BMW mount, setting a Q-time of 1’42.4, and so did Ayrton Badovini. In race set-up however the German bike is not yet at the level of the Aprilia, even though Haslam, who was quickest over the first two days, finished with a positive 1’43.1, a time that Melandri equaled towards the end.

Leon Camier made a promising start to his Crescent Suzuki campaign, the former Aprilia man clocking a time of 1’43.8. Alastair Seeley was standing in for the still recovering John Hopkins on the team’s second GSX-R machine.

Tomorrow will see the start of the new winter testing ban imposed by the new regulations, which will last until January 15th. The opening round of the 2012 FIM Superbike World Championship is at Phillip Island in Australia on February 26th.

Overall unofficial times (with qualifying tyre times in brackets): 1. Laverty (Aprilia) 1’42.7; 2. Biaggi (Aprilia) 1’42.8; 3. Badovini (BMW) 1’43.1 (1’42.5); 4. Haslam (BMW) 1’43.1 (1’42.2); 5. Melandri (BMW) 1’43.1 (1’42.4); 6. Davies (Aprilia) 1’43.2; 7. Camier (Suzuki) 1’43.8; 8. Fabrizio (BMW) 1’43.9 (1’43.3); 9. Seeley (Suzuki) 1’44.1 (1’43.5).

Go to Source

Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/BIZeCxJzcGV/Laverty+takes+top+slot+Aprilias+come+out+stronger

Eddie Lawson Eugenio Lazzarini Gianni Leoni Libero Liberati Dan Linfoot Joey Litjens

Williams are caught in a downward spiral of worsening performance and falling sponsorship.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/EGjqUyTlHso/

Paul Young Yasuharu Yuzawa Shahrol Yuzy Lorenzo Zanetti Vincenzo Zanzi Giovanni Zigiotto

Source: http://sportbikeblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/bmw-s1000rr-more-stock-horsepower-than.html

Ivan Silva Dave Simmonds Julián Simon Marco Simoncelli Barry Smith Bradley Smith

While snow fell on the Northeast, Florida’s CCS racers were feeling just fine on the asphalt of Florida’s Homestead Miami Speedway. Wake up?and warm up?with results from all thirty-seven classes.

Source: http://www.roadracerx.com/features/monday-wake-up-call/the-yamaha-monday-wake-up-call-5/

Alexis Masbou Umberto Masetti Claudio Mastellari Naoki Matsudo Giuseppe Matucci Cromie McCandless

Deadly: The rider (No 58) is seen sliding from his bike and colliding with two other riders in a horrifying crash

Moment of horror: Simoncelli loses control on the secon

Disaster: Simoncelli fatally falls off of his Honda after colliding into Colin Edwards

Fall: Edwards spins off the track along with Simoncelli’s bike as the 24-year-old Italian devastatingly lies motionless

Race marshalls attend to Honda rider Simoncelli (C) following his fatal crash just four minutes after the start of the Malaysian MotoGP race

Devastated: Colin Edwards of the US who was involved in the crash stands at the side of the track after the fatal crash

A bulletin from the organisers, reported on website Autosport, said: ‘Race cancelled as the medical centre staff is focusing on treating Marco Simoncelli and track action cannot be resumed in the current circumstances.’

It was confirmed on MotoGP’s official website that he died at 4.56pm local time.

Tributes came in pouring in from his fellow riders soon after the incident.

British MotoGP rider Cal Crutchlow wrote on Twitter: ‘RIP Marco Simoncelli ! A great rider and all round nice guy. My thoughts are with all his family & friends. I will never forget today.’

Agony: Marco Simoncelli’s father is comforted as he waits outside a medical centre where the rider was taken following a crash at the Malaysian Grand Prix

Crew members of the Honda team of Marco Simoncelli of Italy console each other as they gather outside a medical centre where the rider was taken following a crash at the Malaysian Grand Prix

Wheeled away: Track officials remove Simoncelli’s motorcycle after the dreadful accident

Last week British IndyCar racing driver Dan Wheldon died after he was catapulted helplessly into the air in a 225mph smash before landing on a barrier and suffering fatal head injuries.

Just days earlier the father-of-two joined a number of other drivers in expressing the fears over the speed of cars and overcrowding on the oval-shaped track.

But in a blog post, he had promised fans he would go out to win and put on a show of ‘pure entertainment’.

The organisers cancelled the race when the extent of Simoncelli’s injuries become apparent, having halted it immediately after the accident

Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/6idYv5MAFhQ/Simoncelli+Sepang+Crash

Imre Toth Jean Louis Tournadre Takeshi Tsujimura Mateo Túnez Keith Turner Carlo Ubbiali

Proper trials riding might be one of the most impressive feats a performed on a motorcycle. Seemingly able to conquer any obstacle, over any terrain, trials riders problem-solve some of the most difficult challenges motorcycling can throw at them, and they make it look easy. Not exactly the most popular sport worldwide, especially here in the United States, there’s a growing desire to put trials competitions more on the map, so to speak. Accordingly, Brian …

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/QmS64miGTis/

František Štastný Julian Stevens Casey Stoner Andrew Stroud Herri Torrontegui Imre Toth

With all of our subtle and not-so-subtle references to the franchise, you’d have to be a newbie to Asphalt & Rubber to miss the fact that we’ve seen the Star Wars movies at least a couple times. So of course it goes without saying that it tickles our fancy that UD Replicas has unveiled another motorcycle-friendly costume replica, this time a Stormtrooper leather motorcycle suit. Clearly the droids you are looking for, UD Replicas’ Stormtrooper …

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/yL6z7OvweIc/

Jim Redman George Reeve Taru Rinne Tommy Robb Kenny Roberts Kenny Roberts Jr

It may be nearly the end of the year, but the Triumph Motorcycles Group has released its financials for the first half of 2011 (Q1 2011 & Q2 2011). Selling 48,684 units worldwide, Triumph saw a 7% increase in unit sales when compared to the first half of 2010. This sales increase brought an 11% boost in revenue, which totaled £312.4 million. Triumph attributes the sales and revenue boost to the incremental models that have …

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/hKQGbGn3yd8/

Kazuaki Yamashita Fuyuki Yamazaki Shunji Yatsushiro Ryuji Yokoe Toshimi Yorino Kenichi Yoshida

Although it was Poland’s Taddy Blazusiak – KTM who stole the show &nbs…

Source: http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1323260479-alex-salvini-a-fast-learner/

Luca Morelli Chas Mortimer Stefano Musco Benoit Musy Shinya Nakano Aldo Nannini

Source: http://sportbikeblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/rea-fastest-at-imola-wsbk-testing-spies.html

Taro Sekiguchi Barry Sheene Ivan Silva Dave Simmonds Julián Simon Marco Simoncelli

Gardiner on turbo Beamers and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Source: http://www.roadracerx.com/features/backmarker/backmarker-writers-notebook%e2%80%94last-minute-shopping-dilemmas-solved-mysterious-bmws-and-zen-again/

Kim Newcombe Angel Nieto Fonsi Nieto Pablo Nieto Alan North Noriyasu Numata

The 2012 MotoGP grid took another step closer to completion today, with the announcement that Michele Pirro will be riding the San Carlo Gresini Honda team's CRT entry in MotoGP next season. Pirro is to ride a CBR1000RR-powered MotoGP machine, the Honda engine housed in a chassis designed and built by FTR.

The move had been long anticipated, with Pirro claiming the favorite role for the seat after his win in the final Moto2 race of the 2011 season at Valencia in November, aboard the Gresini Moriwaki. His Moto2 teammate Yuki Takahashi had originally been linked to the Gresini CRT ride, but the tragic death of Marco Simoncelli at Sepang left Gresini without an Italian rider for 2012, a key point for Gresini's Italian sponsor, snack manufacturer San Carlo. Pirro, who had shown clear progress throughout his debut Moto2 season, took priority over Takahashi once Alvaro Bautista was signed to race Gresini's Honda RC213V factory prototype for 2012, that deal being completed at Valencia.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/4O1b6jhnls0/michele_pirro_confirmed_at_gresini_to_ri.html

Maurice Quincey Ray Quincey Ricardo Quintanilla Esteve Rabat Wayne Rainey Michael Ranseder

I really REALLY hope she put together a respectable multi year budget sonthis kid and the team can gel and develop!!!!

Source: http://www.motorsportforums.com/indycar/149748-sarah-hires-josef.html

Sebastián Porto Umberto Praga Tarquinio Provini Alberto Puig Maurice Quincey Ray Quincey

Nearly 300 editions later, Mark Gardiner says goodbye… for now.

Source: http://www.roadracerx.com/breaking-news/backmarker-says-see-ya-later-eh/

Gilberto Milani Sammy Miller Derek Minter Kevin Mitchell Luca Morelli Chas Mortimer

This week in Speed Dating: Happy birthday to Kenny Roberts, Phil Read, William S. Harley, Jurgen van den “Flying Dutchman” Goodbergh, Sergio Gadea, Jordan Szoke, Doug ?the Wheelie King? Domokos, and remembering Cal Rayborn.

Source: http://www.roadracerx.com/features/speed-dating/speed-dating-december-27-january-2/

Alberto Pagani Nello Pagani Alessio Palumbo Mattia Pasini Renzo Pasolini Daniel Pedrosa

It is a rare opportunity when a journalist gets to swing a leg over a prototype motorcycle. Virtually assured by definition to have perceivable flaws, effectively all the companies in the motorcycle industry prefer to keep the public and media at arm’s length until they have massaged their work into something that is ready for primetime consumption. Testing the BRD RedShift SM electric supermoto at Infineon Raceway today, we could attribute our good fortune to …

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/nFCr__HKBiY/

Cromie McCandless Garry McCoy Niall Mackenzie Eric McPherson Jeremy McWilliams Ronald Mead

From the Berkeley PR Blog: an interesting PR take on the way MotoGP riders handled the Japanese GP questions at Brno. Following flat refusals to attend the GP a few weeks ago, the rider’s positions have softened as contractual realities have bitten, and the Dorna report on the radiation levels in Japan has been issued. [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/motogpblog/postfeed/~3/8M25-e5TyW8/1295

Tadayuki Okada Joan Olive Alberto Pagani Nello Pagani Alessio Palumbo Mattia Pasini

Fausto Gresini was made an honorary citizen of the town of San Clemente tuesday 21 december at the Sant´Andrea sports centre in Casale. Mayor Christian D´Andrea was on hand to honour the double 125cc World Champion and Gresini Racing team manager, who has based his racing operations in San Clemente since forming the race team several years ago.

Source: http://www.roadracerx.com/breaking-news/town-names-gresini-honorary-citizen-pic/

Marco Lucchinelli Thomas Lüthi Ernie Lyons Kevin Magee Renato Magi Randy Mamola

Yamaha Factory World Superbike Team?s new recruit for the 2011 series, Marco Melandri, underwent minor and completely successful surgery on his right shoulder yesterday (Thursday 23rd December) and expects to be fully fit for the works squad?s next test at the Portimao circuit in Portugal on January 26th.

Source: http://www.roadracerx.com/breaking-news/successful-shoulder-surgery-for-melandri/

Libero Liberati Dan Linfoot Joey Litjens Roberto Locatelli Johnny Lockett Bill Lomas

The spotlight will be on Estoril this SundayWith the majority of the FIM World Championships now…

Source: http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1322662587-2011-fim-gala-ceremony/

Billie Nelson Kim Newcombe Angel Nieto Fonsi Nieto Pablo Nieto Alan North