Honda HAWK GT Motorcycles, page #67

Moto blog

James Toseland Announces Retirement from Racing

Two-time World Superbike Champion James Toseland announced his immediate retirement from motorcycle racing due to a debilitating injury to his right wrist. Signed with the BMW Motor Italia racing team, Toseland has been limited to just seven of 20 races in this season’s WSBK Championship due to the wrist injury initially suffered during a private test at Spain’s Aragon circuit in March. After undergoing an operation for the injury, Toseland made two attempts at returning to racing, first at the Miller Motorsports Park round in May and again at the Silverstone round in July.

R&G announce cheaper engine case cover kits

R&G Racing has reacted to the rising cost of official motorcycle parts from manufacturers by creating money saving packages on its Engine Case Covers.As a reaction to the parts price rise, the crash protection leader has created a kit package on its Engine Case Covers (ECC) – offering an overall saving of more than 10% when compared to buying the items individually. The ECCs are designed to protect the engine cases and the inner workings of the motor in the event of a drop by acting as a sturdy ‘second skin’.By simply bolting over the original items, fitting the durable Engine Case Covers doesn’t require draining any engine fluids or replacing gaskets. Extensively developed in the ACU R&G Racing Suzuki GSX-R600 Trophy, as well as being tested and approved by the California Superbike School in the UK and USA, the covers can allow a bike to be ridden after a crash or prevent terminal engine damage from oil leaks or casing punctures.Protection benefits aside, financial savings for riders are evident by looking at official parts prices; to replace only the clutch cover on a Suzuki GSX-R1000K7 would cost £206 including a new gasket, but all three R&G Engine Case Covers for this bike cost only £143.

Suzuka Eight Hour capers

Chatting to TT legend John McGuiness recently about his first Suzuka Eight Hour experience got me thinking of a few capers the boys and me managed a few years back at what is still Japan's most important race of the season. It is a unique event that starts at 11am and finishes at 7pm making  it a pukka endurance race as the last hour is run with headlights on in the dark. It is essentially an eight hour sprint that showcases the trickest endurance machinery and manufacturer’s sales can be affected the following year depending on who wins or loses.

Can you identify this mystery Honda?

Calling all motorcycle geeks. Can you identify this bike? It's from a Honda patent dating back to around 1992 and coinciding with both the original Fireblade design and the RC45 designs being patented.

Win tickets for Donington Park BSB

The Showdown for the MCE British Superbike Championship kicks off next weekend at Donington Park (9-11 September) as the circuit hosts the start of the three round fight for the title between the top six riders. We've teamed up with Donington Park to offer ten pairs of weekend tickets (worth £30 each). To be in with a chance of winning head to Facebook.com/Visordown and answer the question.

Capirossi Announces Retirement at Conclusion of 2011 Season

Loris Capirossi announced he will retire at the end of the 2011 MotoGP season, closing off a quarter century of racing including 22 years at the Grand Prix level and three World Championships. “It’s an important moment in my career, and the decision I made has come about after a lot of reflection,” says Capriossi. “I’m happy that after 25 years, of which 22 were in the world championship, I’m at a point where I can still have a smile on my lips as I part ways, even if it’s difficult to think that I won’t be riding a bike next year.” The announcement was made during a press conference at Misano for the upcoming San Marino Grand Prix, the final Italian stop of the 2011 season.

MSF Begins Year-long Real World Motorcycle Safety Study

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has started what it calls the first-ever naturalistic study of motorcycling, with 100 motorcycles equipped with data logging equipment to record real-world riding situations over the course of a year. The information will valuable data that will help shape the MSF’s rider education and rider training program and other safety initiatives. “Our priority with this research is to observe the participants on a day-to-day basis,” says Dr.

X-ray: Marquez's Suter Moto2

Learning in the quickest and most painful manner with some huge crashes, Marc Marquez has grown into a championship contender in his first year in Moto2. A debut win in Le Mans saw the rookie go on to win four races in a row and become a glaring orange nuisance in the championship peripherals of Stefan Bradl. As success has gone Marquez's way there have been complaints from riders of the same chassis that this is down to Suter giving the Spaniard preferential treatment.

Schwantz School, the ultimate track experience?

If having one-to-one instruction from an ex-MotoGP World Champion is your dream, then why not put the Schwantz School on your Christmas list for 2012. Ok, it’s in America and slightly more expensive than your average track day ($2750 for two days at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway) but many satisfied customers will argue this is the best rider training experience in the world. Your hard earned Dollar will see you alternate between the classroom and track from 8am until 4pm, then Kevin will take you on a track tour where he explains riding techniques and answers questions (he even drives the bus).

14-Year-Old Canadian Stacey Nesbitt First Woman to Win a National Road Racing Title

Quebec teenager Stacey Nesbitt has won the Canadian Superbike Championship’s 2011 Honda CBR125R Challenge title. We’re still checking, but organizers are already calling Nesbitt the first woman to win a  national road racing championship (excluding women-only categories). The 14-year-old from St-Lazare, Quebec, swept both Honda CBR125R Challenge races in the season finale at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, to win the title with 421 points, 52 points ahead of runner-up Austin Shaw-O’Leary.