Yamaha WR Motorcycles in Tucson, page #31

Moto blog

Corbin Rider Appreciation Day July 5 & 6 In Conjunction With Rebirth Of Hollister Rally

Corbin has announced that all vendor spaces on the lot are filled for their 4th Annual Rider Appreciation Day, held this year on July 5 and 6. Last year, Corbin had thousands of riders show up to help celebrate our country’s birthday and take part in the festivities and expects a much bigger crowd this year, since the city has approved the Hollister Rally and the event covers two days. Mike Corbin reported that the city is feverishly working on the final details in order to make this year’s Hollister Rally one to remember.

Isle of Man TT 2013: Dainese Superbike Race Results

It was delayed by a day but the Isle of Man TT’s Dainese Superbike race finally went underway Sunday. Originally scheduled to open the 2013 Isle of Man TT, the race was pushed back a day because poor weather earlier in the week prevented proper practice and qualifying. Even then, the Superbike race was delayed 45 minutes from its rescheduled start time due to a traffic accident.

Americade Begins Tomorrow, Saturday June 1st

The “World’s Largest Touring Rally,” Americade, begins tomorrow, June 1. For the first time ever, the event will be a week-long event filled with guided rides, parties, events, giveaways, and so much more. Centered in and around Lake George Village in upstate New York, Americade takes full advantage of being on the doorstep of the Adirondacks, providing gorgeous mountain vistas and plenty of activities on and off the bike.

2014 HRC Dakar Team Announced

Today at Mugello, ahead of this weekend’s MotoGP race at the famous Italian racetrack, Team HRC unveiled its 2014 Dakar team and motorcycle. Interestingly, one person many thought could be a Red Rider this year after leaving KTM, Cyril Despres, will not be riding a Honda next year, instead joining Yamaha’s Dakar effort.   However, HRC’s team still features five accomplished riders: Helder Rodrigues (Portugal), Sam Sunderland (UK), Javier Pizzolito (Argentina),  Joan Barreda (Spain) and Paulo Goncalves (Portugal), all of whom will be competing on the CRF450 Rally.

Yamaha “Dark Side of Japan” Teases New Model Launching June 11 – Video

Yamaha has released a video teasing a new model it claims “is about to change the sport motorcycle world.” The video, called “The Dark Side Of Japan“, reveals little detail about the new model but promises all will be unveiled June 11. The video includes images from Japan’s vibrant nightlife and lively sub-culture,with youths in costume and exotic hair and makeup dancing in clubs. The new model will reflect this side of Japan, with Yamaha calling it a “new kind of brutal animal”.

Cyril Despres Signs with Yamaha

Five-time Dakar Rally winner Cyril Despres has signed on with Yamaha Motor France to race on the Yamaha YZ450F. Despres won the Dakar Rally in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2013 with KTM but parted ways with the Austrian manufacturer in March. For 2014, Despres is trading in KTM Orange for Yamaha Blue, riding with support rider and fellow Frenchman Michael Metge.

Yamaha Reports Q1 2013 Results

Yamaha Motor reported a 3.7% increase in net sales for the first quarter ended March 31, 2013. Net sales from motorcycles increased by 4.6% despite an 8.1% decrease in unit sales. Overall, the company reported a profit of 7.5 billion yen (US$73.3 million) over the quarter, down from the 27.0 billion yen reported last year.

Three-Time World Champion Wayne Rainey Honored At Quail Motorcycle Gathering

Saturday, May 4 marked the 5th annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel, California. With such a diverse collection of historical, rare and outrageous motorcycles, the Quail is an event we thoroughly enjoyed attending last year. To commemorate the occasion, this year’s guest of honor was none other than three-time 500cc Grand Prix world champion, and local area resident, Wayne Rainey.

Brammo Earns Seventh Place Against Gas Bikes

This past weekend, Brammo arrived to Sonoma Raceway in Central California ready to do battle. Only this time the electric sportbike manufacturer would be trading blows not with other electric bikes, but with their ICE counterparts at the second round of the American Federation of Motorcyclists series — one of the oldest club racing organizations in the country. We recently mentioned Brammo’s eligibility with AFM, and this weekend was the first outing. Team Icon Brammo and its two riders Eric Bostrom and Steve Atlas competed on the Empulse RR machines while third rider, Shelina Moreda, rode the Team Parker Brammo Empulse TTX — a modified version of the road-legal Empulse.

Kenny Roberts True American Heroes Benefit – Hang Out with World Champions and Bo Derek!

One of our favorite stories from 2012 was our coverage of the Kenny Roberts American Heroes Benefit Dinner. Hosted by King Kenny at his storied California ranch, it was an incredible opportunity to get close to the three-time world champ and other racing glitterati like Kenny Roberts Jr., Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson and renowned dirt-tracker Mert Lawwill. If those names resonate with you, it’s worth reading our story that includes a video and coverage of the Cpl.