Moto blog
The Japanese oddity to naming teams
Wed, 28 Jul 2010Whenever the calendar shifts to a major Japanese race, such as the Suzuka 8hr, one of the more amusing things to do is glance down the team sheet This years highlight for me has to be team Moto Bum, with other stand outs including aprilia D.D.BOYS, Team Etching Factory Yamaha and MITO MOTO & e'freaks Honda. Looking back through the ages some of the great Japanese team names have been Burning Blood Racing Team, Dog Fight Racing and Team Moto Space amongst others. Credit to a member of the Twitterati @temalive
So that's why he's called RANDY de Puniet
Tue, 20 Jul 2010RANDY de Puniet may well have just been ejected from his LCR Honda RC212V MotoGP racer during qualifying for Sunday's Sachsenring GP but that ain't gonna stop him from bringing one of the company perks with him to Dr Costa's on-circuit surgery. The Frenchman crashed during qualifying after hitting oil and water spilled on track by Jorge Lorenzo's Fiat Yamaha, after it spewed its guts along almost the entire length of the start finished straight. Following the crash De Puniet was whisked away on a stretcher with a suspected broken foot.
Gardner chilling out and taking it easy
Wed, 14 Jul 2010Away from the pressures of being a Grand Prix racer in the days when fierce on-track battles and unexpected highsides were common place, Wayne Gardner throws a Honda VFR750F around Oran Park in Australia. The bike that Wayne is likely to be riding is special VFR750F, that was given the codename '6X'. The VFR was an experiment with prototype components including titanium valves and magnesium flat-slide carburetors, the result was the bike that weighed less than a factory RC30.
Old Spice ad gets, er, spiced up
Fri, 02 Jul 2010WE CAN'T believe an aftershave worn by most of our grandfathers is still on sale, or that people actually buy it, but Old Spice has given a new twist to their popular TV ad by including a motorcycle in the promo.The commercial stars former American football player Isaiah Mustafa and ends with, what looks like, a 1970s Honda twin in a jacuzzi.It's all completely bizarre but clever.
How to solve the mystery of the wildcard replacement
Wed, 30 Jun 2010With the two test riders coming forward to act as replacement riders for the injured Rossi and Aoyama, it brought back memories of the days when the grid would be gifted with wildcard riders from the respective countries. The Japanese rounds were always attended by some of the top guys with experience of the 500GP and MotoGP bikes, through racing them in their domestic championships. What resulted was getting to witness the exciting and talented Japanese riders, and bring new riders to the attention of the teams.
Parrish's predictions for Silverstone MotoGP
Fri, 18 Jun 2010I'm at Silverstone for the British MotoGP and Steve Parrish spoke to us all about his predictions for the podium. Parrish has gone for Stoner, Lorenzo and Pedrosa to take the top three spots and spray the bubbly at the end of the race. Not too sure on his call though as I think Dani will be riding on a high after winning at Mugello and surely the speedy Spaniard will take full advantage and wring the neck of the Honda at the (supposedly) high speed Silverstone Circuit.
Marvel at the beautiful Honda RC30
Thu, 17 Jun 2010The Honda RC30 is without a doubt the most beautiful bike ever conceived, and this promotional video solidifies the motorcycle artwork with the technical process it takes to build the VFR750R. The slow motion footage of the road machine alongside its HRC race counterpart further portrays the beauty of the RC30. Watch in awe as the Honda engineer pieces the components together to create a motorcycle masterpiece.
NR750 owners should require approval
Mon, 14 Jun 2010Words can't express the absolute disbelief of this strangely attired guy trying to ride one of the rarest motorcycles every to grace tarmac. But this clip descends in to absurdity when the rider fumbles setting off on the Honda NR750 and drops the oval-pistoned beauty on its side. Did he stall it or is there a disc lock hidden within the pixilated video?
Honda Personal Mobility Concept U3-X [video]
Wed, 05 May 2010Using technology derived from the ASIMO bi-pedal humanoid robot, Honda has developed a new personal mobility concept called the U3-X. If this proves successful, owners may never have to walk again. Check out a video of the U3-X in action below the jump.
Not Even Death Can Stop Him From Riding
Wed, 28 Apr 2010How much do you love riding? Probably not as much as this guy did. David Morales Colon, 22, was shot to death April 22 in Puerto Rico.