2006 Yamaha R6 Raven on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Niall Mackenzie Blog number 3

This picture of me chasing Foggy on the Daytona banking in 1991 brought back some bitter sweet memories recently. I did half a season as his team mate on the Silkolene RC30s before scurrying off to Japan to ride a factory Yamaha Superbike. I’ve never been a quitter but I felt the team that year was gear stretched running two riders so it was a case of last in first out.

Yamaha Champions Riding School August Update

Our friends at the Yamaha Champions Riding School have been busy lately. Since moving to New Jersey Motorsports park in April, traffic has steadily risen, with June being sold out and July not far behind. August is very promising with some new ideas (one-day clinics to bring a more economical program to a larger group of riders) being inserted into the mix as well as a normal two-day school at the end of the month, which is already 80% full thanks to the yearly visit from the engineering department of Harley Davidson. Following August YCRS will have two schools the week directly after the AMA Pro races at NJMP.

Mystic Mac's 2014 MotoGP predictions

There is no real off season in Moto GP.  Although we complain about being starved of racing, for those at the sharp end, in little more than two months they have new bikes to assemble, team staff to put in place and sponsors to nail down that will pay for it all.  This time frame is also tight for riders, as it seems more every year go straight under the surgeon’s knife after the last round and spend the short winter recuperating for the season ahead. The 2014 Moto GP championship looks like a cracker as apart from the ten full factory riders we now have at least eight non factory riders with properly competitive machinery.  We also have five Brits on the grid, two with podium potential.  Whatever happens though (providing you have BT Sport) you can just sit back and enjoy watching the incredible Marc Marquez do things that shouldn’t be possible. Speaking of whom, I didn’t believe a Rossi replacement would come this soon.  And when I say replacement, I mean a rider that is the full package.  Although in some ways quite different to Vale, he’s an equally phenomenal talent plus a very likeable character that appeals to the masses and although respectful to his rivals off track, deadly competitive in the heat of battle.  Being young and good looking he’s obviously a dream for sponsors and the sport in general.  Marquez has evolved in his own way but thankfully into a perfect replacement for our sport when the VR steps down.