Yamaha XS Motorcycles in Kansas, page #59

Moto blog

Japan Needs Your Help

By now, we’ve all seen pictures and video of the devastation in Japan following the March 11 earthquake and the ensuing tsunamis. Japan, of course, has contributed much to motorcycling, with the Big Four of Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha, as well as tire manufacturer Bridgestone, helmet companies Arai and Shoei and many other motorcycle industry stalwarts all coming from the Land of the Rising Sun. Jon Bekefy and Greg Hatton, two motorcycle enthusiasts, industry employees  and above all, humanitarians, have set up a fundraising campaign benefiting the Red Cross for relief efforts in Japan.

Used Review: Dainese Jerico R winter gloves

DAINESE JERICO-R Being stuck up a mountain with your bike buried to the pegs in snow is not the best place to be a week before Christmas, especially when its 1200kms from home. Only owning perforated summer gloves is also far from ideal. This is the situation I found myself in and seeing as everything in Italy costs a million Euros, I wasn’t prepared to spend a fortune on a set of discontinued Oxford heated grips from the local motocross shop.  A very pretty girl called Fanny at Chitrrai Yamaha, near Perugia, showed me the winter glove options.

Old boys up front and where are the new 600 Gixers?

As I’ve been gagging for the new race season to kick off so it was almost a pleasure getting up at stupid 0 clock to watch the World Superbike Championship  opener at Phillip Island last weekend. I have to say Messrs Burnicle and Whitham were on form although I was disappointed there were none of the usual verbal attacks on each other that always add to the entertainment.    I’m sure they will put things right soon but the world superbike regulars must have been disheartened that Moto GP veterans nailed five of the six available rostrum slots.

Our Magnificent seven

Remember to dust your Union Jacks down if you happen to be visiting any Grand Prix this year as we have no less than seven youngsters to cheer on in the junior Moto GP classes. I don’t think we’ve ever had this many ‘yoofs’ in the GP paddock so let’s hope they can do the business and bring an end to our long drought of Grand Prix titles. And that could be soon as Scott Redding is already a hot favourite for the 2011 Moto 2 championship on his Marc VDS Suter machine.

Hipsters: How not to live your life

I have to start this piece by stating that I'm not from London. I may work here but I grew up in a remote North Western market town where people were (rightly) suspicious of anything or anybody new. Back to London.

Ultimate Trackbike 4: Hizzy's 2003 BSB R1

Occasionally, some seriously trick bikes with a decent pedigree come up for sale on eBay. Here's the first in a small series of bikes that we've dug up for sale on eBay now. Queston is, which one would make the ultimate track bike?

Richard's '88 Tenere resto project

There’s a lot of it about at this time of year, brought on, no doubt, by excessive exposure over the Festive Season to the temptations of eBay. Buying old nails with a view to restoration, that is. Wilfing away over the New Year, I spotted for sale a bike that, when new, I really fancied.

No snow here folks!

An erratic work schedule combined with a full season of kids racing means, there aren’t many opportunities during the summer months for the Mackenzie family to grab a holiday. Instead, we tend to save our pennies and head off somewhere sunny for Christmas. I love doing this as it shortens the UK winter but more importantly it means I miss the festive frenzy.  I do like Christmas, but I hate how everyone gets caught up in the retail madness that kicks off just before Halloween, then has everyone stressed (and skint)before Santa has even hitched up his sleigh.

Michael Alan Duff/Michelle Ann Duff

Spotted the link to this short film on a Dutch blog. It's beautifully shot/directed and captures GP rider Mike Duff's recovery from a horrific hip and pelvis injury suffered at the Japanese GP which cost him a six month stay in hospital. Watching him push-start makes you wince just imagining the pain he must have been in.

Three-year-old donuts

This is the son of stunt riding genius Christian Pfeiffer, Hannes, who at the age of three can already do donuts better than you. Not only is this the most adorable thing to ever feature on Visordown but it seems as though the genes run in the family as young Hannes Pfeiffer is making his dad proud on a 90cc Yamaha quad.