Motorcycle Blog on 2040Motos

How not to do Woodcote

This is me highsiding in Racwe 1 of the 848 Challenge at Silverstone last weekend. The shot was taken by sharp-shooter Jimmy Olsen. All I can say is I was comfortable with the rear moving around all race and it was doing it quite a bit out of Woodcote, but I got greedy and thought I could reel in Pete Hasler who was fading a bit towards the end.

Roland Sands Designs Triumph Scrambler For Charity Auction

Roland Sands Designs is customizing a Triumph Scrambler and a Triumph Thruxton to raise money for the Tony Hawk Foundation. The custom Triumph Scrambler, pictured in the rendering above, and the Thruxton will be sold at the Tony Hawk Foundation’s “Stand Up for Skateparks” gala auction Oct. 2 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

“KTM Behind the Machine” Video Series

KTM is producing a new video series offering a look behind the scenes of the 2011 AMA Motocross and AMA NationalEnduro championships. The six-episode ‘KTM Behind the Machine” series, which premieres Sept. 30 on KTM‘s,  follows the Red Bull KTM Motocross team and the FMF KTM off-road racing team.

2012 Triumph Tiger 1050 and 1050SE – New Suspension, Handlebars and Colors

Triumph announced some updates to its Tiger 1050 and Tiger 1050SE for 2012, though at the moment it appears only the SE version will be offered in the United States. The 2012 Triumph Tiger 1050 and the special edition version receive updated suspension with new damping settings for both the front and the rear as well as a stiffer rear shock. Triumph says the updates will provide a more controlled ride for both riding solo or with a passenger while brake diving is also reduced.

848 Challenge: Silverstone race results

Race 1: Race 1 produced another memorable 848 Challenge race, with Mike Edwards (MSKworks.com) in determined mood to record his first race victory of the season. But Kenny Gilbertson (AOR/Boast Plumbing), Leon Morris, and Robbie Brown (Ducati Manchester) were to push him all the way, with the front four riders each having held the lead by the half way point. Further back Mark Cheetham (Shorrocks Motorcycles) was trading places with ex-Champion Darren Fry (JHP/Buildbase Ducati) with Aaron Brown (Ladybirds Ducati) and Ricky Holden (Holden Racing) less that a second apart.

2011 848 Challenge championship standings

Leon Morris wrapped up the championship at Castle Coombe but he was pushed hard all season by Edwards, Gilbertson, Brown and occasionally Darren Fry. The 8-round season started at Brands BSB and also headed to Assen and Monza for its away rounds, finally wrapping up at Silverstone. The guest rider who caused the biggest stir was ex-Triple Challenge winner Chris Northover; with a win at Thruxton in monsoon conditions.

BSB Superstock Championship Winning BMW S1000RR Stolen

British Superbike racer Richard Cooper’s BMW S1000RR racebike was stolen mere hours after winning the 2011 British national Superstock title. Thieves reportedly broke into the Buildbase BMW race team’s truck after it returned to the team’s base in Leicestershire, England, from the series-clinching round at Britain’s Silverstone circuit. According to the team, thieves optained the keys to a van holding Cooper’s winning motorcycle and Superbike class racer John Laverty’s BMW S1000RR Superbike.

New 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale Spy Photos

New spy photos have emerged giving the clearest look yet at the upcoming 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale. Uploaded by a user on the Ducati.ms forum, the photographs show the Ducati 1199 Panigale still with some camouflaging but the clarity of the images offer a good idea of the overall fairing design as well as a look at the underslung Termignoni exhaust. Of course, the Internet being what it is, the new spy photos have elicited comments about the test rider’s size, but as a larger rider myself, I find it’s a nice change to see how a motorcycle looks for different body types.

Honda Announces New 125cc Scooter Engine with Idle Stop

Honda announced it is developing a new 125cc scooter engine with an idle stop system promising 25% better fuel economy than existing engines. The announcement comes alongside the announcement of a new 700cc engine which will be introduced with the Honda Integra scooter. The new engine will be introduced in a variety of scooter models around the world in 2012.

2012 Yamaha YZF-R1 Video Featuring Ben Spies

Yamaha has released a new video of the 2012 YZF-R1 featuring MotoGP racer Ben Spies taking the new bike with Yamaha’s 50th Anniversary limited edition livery to a track day. Spies who won the 2009 World Superbike Championship on a Yamaha R1 so he is obviously very familiar with the sportbike which will now be available with a seven-level traction control system. Spies appears a little bored as the other riders learn the layout of the track and when they get to the track, he calmly waits while they take off around him before dropping the hammer and showing them how it’s done.

2012 Honda Integra Announced; All-New 670cc engine with Dual Clutch Transmission

Ed: Honda has recently announced the new Integra engine will be a 670cc engine, not 700cc as previously announced. This post has been updated to reflect this new information. Honda announced it is developing a new series of 700cc 670cc engines and a second-generation dual clutch transmission for motorcycles.

New Stuff: Bridgestone Battlax Racing R10s

...stickier than a Weatherspoons floor on a Friday night. Well that’s not exactly an official Bridgestone technical term but no matter which way you look at it the brand new Battlax Racing R10 tyre is a ‘Road legal’ Supersport/Superstock race tyre. It’s used as the control tyre for the Aprillia RRV450 race series.

Tested: Maxxis Supermaxx Diamond

Well Maxxis were bang on with their mileage claims, 6500 miles on the rear and it looks as though there is another 1000. Not bad at all for a set of tyres that cost less than £200. Having lived with the Supermaxx’s Diamonds over the past few months the best thing about these tyres is the mileage range they offer vs cost.

Himmelmann Dominates FIM e-Power & TTXGP Combined Event

Germany’s Matthias Himmelmann dominated the FIM e-Power & TTXGP combined event held Sept. 23 at the Le Mans circuit, in opening of the renowned FIM 24 Hours Endurance race. Not to discount Himmelmann’s win, but the most remarkable thing about the race is how much faster the electric-powered motorcycles lapped the Bugatti circuit this year.

The Making of the Rizla Suzuki Misano Micron Livery [Video]

Suzuki is a bit of an underdog in the MotoGP World Championship – at least, as much of an underdog as a full factory outfit can be. With just one Suzuki on the grid, expectations are low for the Japanese manufacturer. But one thing Suzuki does do well is put out an attractive looking racebike with the GSV-R dressed in Rizla Suzuki blue with livery by Troy Lee Designs.

2012 Honda CBR1000RR Officially Unveiled

Honda has officially unveiled the 2012 version of the CBR1000RR sportbike. Pictures of the 2012 Honda CBR1000RR actually leaked out last month from Hong Kong but official images and details are now out. The 2012 Honda CBR1000RR receives new Showa Big Piston forks, a new double-tube design rear shock, revised fuel injection settings, updated nose and tail and new 12-spoke cast aluminum wheels.

Survival guide for Mulholland Highway

You will no doubt have seen the riding calamities on Mullholland HWY, there is however one rider who has this stretch of tarmac in California nailed. Here's how to survive that snaking road by Adey: 1. Knowledge of the road is crucial.

2012 MV Agusta Brutale 1090R Announced – Formerly Canadian Exclusive Model Expands to Other Markets

MV Agusta is adding another new member to its Brutale line with a lower spec version of the 1090RR. The 2012 MV Agusta Brutale 1090R joins the 1090RR, 990R and the 920 in the Italian manufacturer’s lineup. MV Agusta’s Canadian importer Motovan had been offering its own version of the Brutale 1090R since April as a Canadian exclusive model instead of the 920 version, but the new 1090R will be available in other markets.

Custom Design Your Leathers Online

Canadian riding apparel manufacturer Velocity Sportsgear has launched a new website allowing customers to custom design their own leathers online. Visitors to VelocitySportsGear.com can order from Velocity’s existing catalog of riding apparel or choose to custom design their own jackets, pants and suits. The customizing tool offers several design templates to start from, and then users can pick and choose the color for each particular section of the apparel.

Peel three-wheeler

This early ciné film footage of the Peel three-wheeler, shot in what looks like Peel in the Isle of Man, is so good it’s a wonder the car never really took off. Possibly. I love the way, having being waved away by what look like nuns, the driver promptly twats the right hand gatepost within twenty feet of its start point.

Mythbusters to Compare Emissions of Cars Versus Motorcycles

Are motorcycles more environmentally friendly than cars? Ask most people that question and their initial response would probably be “yes” because motorcycles are more fuel efficient, and they release less CO2.  But is that the whole story? MythBusters‘ Jamie Hynerman and Adam Savage are going to find out on the Emmy-nominated show’s fall season premiere, Sept.

Motorcycle Thefts Down 11.2% in 2010

Motorcycle thefts in the U.S. are down for the fourth consecutive year in 2010,  according to a report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. There were 49,791 reported motorcycle thefts in 2010, an 11.2% drop from the 56,093 thefts reported in 2009.

Ducati’s Number 1 Market? The United States of America

The U.S.A. has become Ducati’s largest market, says Gabriele Del Torchio, Ducati Motor Holding president. “We sell more bikes here in the United States now than we do in our domestic market.

2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale Announced [Video]

Ducati announced its upcoming new 1198 replacement will be called the 1199 Panigale (pronounced “Pan-ee-gah-lee” for a region of Italy). The 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale will have its full unveiling at the Nov. 10-13  2011 EICMA show in Milan.

More Teasers for the 2012 Kawasaki ZX-14R

Kawasaki has released another teaser for its upcoming revised ZX-14, now dubbed ZX-14R. In the first video, a couple of numbers are cryptically displayed: 84 x 65mm. This is a thinly veiled reference to its bore and stroke dimensions, indicating the biggest Ninja received a 4mm stroke elongation, which would bump the bike’s displacement from 1352cc to 1441cc.

I've never seen a chain do that before

I've been overtaken by my chain on the A509 and that was a bit of a surprise, but I bet this tickled.. Looks like it's happened on a trackbike, so maybe it only had to punch through the fibreglass tail unit, marginally preferable to the engine casing I guess, but at least with the engine casing option you won't feel like you've been to a party with Mr Mosely.

K-Tech setup day: 52 bikers served!

48 bikes were booked in for the first K-Tech suspension setup day but in the end the guys managed to squeeze in 52 in total after a few opportunists (good on ya!) turned up to see what was going on. Despite the typically Derby-ish looking weather, the rain held off and the guys got to work on the bikes first thing in the morning, while the girls were on BBQ duties. There was also a prize draw: 2 tickets to chosen British Superbike Round 2012 - Dan Cooper2012 Merchandise Voucher: Simon Moore 2012 Merchandise Voucher: D.

Brammo Acquires Off-Road Riding Park Network

Brammo has acquired an off-road riding center company Quantyaparx from KOM Enterprises, and announced the rebranding of the company as Brammoparx. Quantyaparx has a network of off-road riding parks around Europe reserved exclusively for electric vehicles. Customers can rent and ride electric off-road motorcycles at these riding centers which, because of the lack of noise and air pollution from electric vehicles, can be located near urban and rural areas.

Wrecked Ducati Desmosedici RR to be Auctioned

For sale to highest bidder: slightly used 2008 Ducati Desmosedici RR street-legal MotoGP replica. Okay, maybe “slightly used” is a bit misleading. This Ducati Desmosedici RR (one of only 1,500 produced) lost a battle with physics and currently sits in pieces at Insurance Auto Auctions’ Fremont, Calif., branch.

Limited Edition 2012 Moto Guzzi California 90 Unveiled

Updated with pricing and American availability. Moto Guzzi unveiled a limited edition California touring motorcycle to mark the Italian manufacturer’s 90th anniversary. The special edition model was presented at the manufacturer’s 2011 Guzzi World Days celebration in Mandello del Lario, Italy.