2011 Yamaha Ttr125l on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Yamaha Wraps Up Sepang MotoGP Test

Pre-season test lap times aren’t a precise barometer for how the 2012 MotoGP Championship season will go, but Yamaha has to feel good about its results after this week’s testing at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit. Last February at Sepang, Honda riders were the talk of the preseason session, taking three of the top four lap times on each day of the test. That pattern repeated itself in the final championship standings with Casey Stoner taking the championship, Dani Pedrosa finishing third and Andrea Dovizioso fourth.

OEMs Plug into Electric Bikes

KTM introduced its prototype electric motorcycle earlier this week, and electric bike manufacturer Zero Motorcycles almost immediately responded by opening sales on its 2009 Zero X dirt bike (look for our review of the 2008 model next week!). But these two companies aren’t the only ones exploring the possibilities of electric-powered motorcycles. In September, Japan’s largest industrial information journal Nikkei Business Daily reported that both Honda and Yamaha have set target dates for launching their own electric-powered motorcycles.

Ben Spies Retires from Motorcycle Racing

Ben Spies announced his retirement from motorcycle racing, as injuries cut short a once promising career for the American. Spies retires with a World Superbike title in his first and only season in the series, and three AMA Superbike Championships. “I want to thank everyone from racing organizations, factories, teams and all my fans for helping me and supporting me throughout my career,” says Spies.