Ducati Multistrada Motorcycles in Escondido, page #34

Moto blog

Rossi, Bayliss Headline Diavel Drag Race Shootout at World Ducati Week 2012

Valentino Rossi vs. Troy Bayliss is going to happen. One of the best MotoGP racers of all time and one of the best World Superbike racers of all time head a list of racing stars tabbed to take part in a drag race on Ducati Diavels as part of the World Ducati Week 2012 festivities.

848 Challenge official race report: Assen

Robbie Brown shared the race wins with a resurgent Darren Fry at Round Two as the Ducati 848 Challenge visited the Assen TT circuit, the first of its two overseas rounds this year.Championship leader Brown (Ducati Manchester) was on imperious form all weekend, but Fry (Hirebase/JHP Racing), still not back to full fitness following an illness that left him in doubt about riding this year, put in a performance that was reminiscent of the form that took him to the Challenge title in 2010.With a win and a second place this weekend Brown extended his lead at the top of the table, but in also picking up a win and second Fry is back in the game in second with six rounds still to go. Sam Coventry (Moto Rapido), new to the Challenge this season and quickly getting back up to speed racing a twin after his year away in Spanish CEV championship, bagged third in both races to leapfrog to third in the championship.A number of other riders were able to put in solid performances over the two dry race days to do themselves no harm in the championship; in particular Jack Keen (Team Havoc Racing) with a fourth and fifth, and another championship newcomer Sean Neary (MotoCorse UK Racing) who scored a seventh and sixth.Race 1 was something of a dramatic affair with a number of fallers on the first lap, including front-runners Mike Edwards (OHLINS@P&H Motorcycles), Mark Cheetham (Hunt Pie Machines) and James Folkard (Win43.com) who came together at the first left-hander while battling for second place behind Brown. That left Coventry and Fry a clear track to chase down Brown, with Keen and Ed Smith (Ultim8 Racing) pushing hard through the field to close the gap.

New: Leatt STX Road neck brace

Update: Read the Leatt STX Road neck brace review here. I've recently taken delivery of a Leatt STX Road neck brace for review. Leatt are a familiar sight in the off-road fraternity but not in the world of road riding or road racing.

Is This a Ducati Multistrada 848 or a Hypermotard 848?

Spy photos have emerged of what appears to be a new liquid-cooled Ducati model As you can tell from the utilitarian-looking exhaust, it’s still a prototype, but the production version could be ready for this fall’s EICMA show. It’s not clear at this point whether this new model will be a new Hypermotard or possibly a new mid-sized Multistrada. At first glance, the front “beak” fender and hand guards evokes the existing Ducati Hypermotards, but existing Hypermotard 796 and 1100EVO are both air-cooled and this model is liquid-cooled.

Casey Stoner to Retire After 2012 MotoGP Season

Two-time MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner has announced he will retire following the end of the 2012 season. Rumors of Stoner’s impending retirement plans have been floating around for weeks with the 26-year-old Repsol Honda racer saying he will continue racing until he no longer enjoyed it. That seems to be the case now as the 2007 and 2011 MotoGP Champion announced he will retire at a press conference ahead of this weekend’s French Grand Prix at Le Mans.

WSBK: 2012 Donington Results – Video

BMW earned its first-ever World Superbike race win at the U.K.’s Donington Park, but missed out on sweeping the round after teammates Leon Haslam and Marco Melandri crashed on the final corner while battling for the lead in the second race. Melandri earned BMW its landmark first win in Race One leading Haslam in a one-two finish. They could have repeated that finish in Race Two but Haslam low-sided after making contact with Honda‘s Jonathon Rea trying to pass on the inside.

Ducati Issues Rear Brake Recall for Several 2012 Models

Ducati is issuing a recall on several 2012 models because of a problem with the rear brake. The models included are the 848 EVO, the Streetfighter 848, the Hypermotard 796, the ABS-equipped versions of the Multistrada 1200, and the Monsters 796 and 1100 EVO. According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the friction material on the rear brake pads may detach from the backing plate, resulting in a drop in rear braking efficiency and increased stopping distance.

Ducati 1199 Panigale Nets First Superstock Cup Win

Barni Racing‘s Lorenzo Savadori led for nine of 11 laps on his way to earning the first every Superstock 1000 Cup victory for the 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale. Racing in mixed weather conditions at Italy’s Monza circuit, Savadori took the lead on Lap 3 from his teammate Eddi La Marra. Savadori would hold that lead until the end, crossing the finish 1.651 seconds ahead of BWG Kawasaki‘s Christoffer Bergman and 1.884 seconds ahead of La Marra.

WSBK: 2012 Monza Results

It was supposed to be a weekend of celebration. The World Superbike Championship was celebrating its 25th anniversary of racing at Italy’s Monza circuit. Promoters Infront Motorsports brought out 30 landmark Superbikes from the series’ history, while greats such as Fred Merkel, Doug Polen and Carl Fogarty were in attendance for what was supposed to be a weekend to remember.

Federico Sandi Loses Ducati 1199 Panigale Superstock 1000 Ride – Again

For the second time this season, Superstock 1000 Cup racer Federico Sandi has lost his ride on a new Ducati 1199 Panigale race bike. Sandi was cut loose from Liberty Racing in March after the team decided to focus its resources on a four-rider World Superbike effort. The 22-year-old racer then landed with Althea Racing, the team that captured the 2011 Superstock 1000 Cup as well as the 2011 WSBK Championship with Carlos Checa.