MORE Afternoon Moto News - Sarolea Motorcycle & Pit Pass Radio

A very rare Sarolea Motorcycle, a 1942 model, was featured on the History Channel show "Pawn Stars". The pawn broker in the show purchased the vintage Belgian motorcycle for US$4500 and then sold it at auction for US$7000. It is probably worth a bit more as there are rumored to only be 5 of them in the entire USA. These bikes are in high demand by collectors, so expect to hear plenty more of this story in the coming weeks.

http://tinyurl.com/ylhsent

And, we have the line-up for this week's Pit Pass Radio. Tonight will feature Zach Ames (Arenacross Racer, Spine Chillers Storm Lake Honda), Dan Brown (Owner, Trials Training Center Trials Training Center), Larry Pegram (Superbike Racer Team Owner - as if you needed to know that), and Danny Walker (Founder and President, American Supercamp). Tune in and get your interview on!

http://tinyurl.com/yz8gcjr

More Morning Moto News - FB Corse, VFR800RR Bioblade & MCN Motorcycle Show

FB Corse has officially announced that John Hopkins will no longer be their rider for the select rounds of the MotoGP series in 2010. Instead, they have selected another high-profile rider whose name we have yet to know. They insist that all is still on track for their first race, so they should be getting to testing very soon.

http://tinyurl.com/ybscz92

Could the replacement be Garry McCoy: http://tinyurl.com/ydy53fb

So, the VFR1200F was not as spectacular as we all expected it would be - Honda missed the mark a bit with that one. But, some Belgians have brought to us something Honda should have considered a rather long time ago. A 1999 VFR800 has been modified with Fireblade (CBR1000RR) suspension and a special engine adaptation which allows the bike to run on bio-fuel. Bio-fuel! And, it still turns out a respectable 134 HP and only weighs 212 kg (full of fuel). Honestly, if it is ever built and sold, I will buy one! Take a look at the VFR800RR Bioblade.

http://tinyurl.com/yazx7gt

At the upcoming MCN London Motorcycle Show, iconic race bikes from seasons past will be on display. These include Valentino Rossi's 2009 YZR-M1, Barry Sheene's Yamaha OW53, Kevin Schwantz's 1993 RGV500 and more. For all of the information, take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/y87f6cx

Rumors, Financials, New Models - More Moto News from Europe and Beyond

This is the standard "Euro Gossip" column from MotorcycleUSA and we see a round up from the end of 2009 within this article. It really seems to be an almost year-end-review, but there is plenty of news about the future as well. MV Agusta, KTM, Derbi, Moto Guzzi and many more are talked about here, so don't miss this as any of the stories here may well not make the normal moto news cycle.

http://tinyurl.com/y9vqodz

Michael Bartholemy - ex-Kawasaki MotoGP Team Boss - Enters Moto2

Michael Bartholemy has joined with the Marc VDS Racing Team, who also run in auto races, to bring two riders into the all-new Moto2 World Championship. His time with Kawasaki has prepared him for the hardships of being behind other teams (unfortunately) and he will be well-suited to this endeavor. They will announce their riders very soon. Also, Didier de Radigues will be on the team - he was a runner-up in the 1982 350c.c. world championship.

http://tinyurl.com/yh84w4x

http://tinyurl.com/y95fvzj

Read This! The Ins and Outs of the Motorcycle Industry - Mostly Europe

The author calls it Euro Gossip, but he does not limit himself there. This is a very good edition and you should NOT miss it. The really cool helmet tech is enough to keep you interested - both of which I have reported here before. Look deeply into the ThermaHelm and the cool helmet covering from Lazer in Belgium - it could be a very important safety feature on ALL helmets someday. Don't miss Rieju's new model. Just read this!

http://tinyurl.com/ykszdms

Go Back in Time - The 2009 Belgian TT

The Gedinne circuit is 3.43 miles of regular, public - read: tiny and bumpy - roads in the Ardennes hills in Belgium closed off for racing of historic motorcycles which may have raced there when they were new and ultra-fast. It's a dangerous 'real roads' racing game there, but the history, the aura, the bikes, the people - all of it adds up to something like a trip back in time; back to a golden age, but with more modern safety gear on motorcycles worth much more now than they were then.

http://tinyurl.com/yzxl7xp

Clement Desalle Joins Teka Suzuki World MX1 Team for 2010

Desalle is the current Belgian Champion, but he wants to try his hands at the FIM World Motocross Championship in the MX1 class. He will race alongside teammate Steve Ramon. Desalle has impressed the team with some seriously fast racing during the 2009 season, so the team sees a legitimate chance at a title in 2010.

http://tinyurl.com/yc6wops

Bikers’ Classics at Spa-Francorchamps June 2009

This event is held in Belgium every year now and has been held for 7 years. Nest year's Bikers' Classics will be during the July 2-4 weekend. At this past June's meeting, Giacomo Agostini paraded his historic Yamaha OW23 around the same track he scored a victory with it 35 years ago.

http://tinyurl.com/mgdrfu