MORE Afternoon Moto News - Yamaha Celebrates & Bonhams Vintage European Auction

Yamaha Motor Company has released some videos to celebrate their 2009 racing season. Champions Ben Spies, Cal Crutchlow, Tony Cairoli and James Stewart and their race machines are featured in these highlight videos from last season. Yamaha has a way with these things and they are well worth watching.

http://tinyurl.com/yarmqy2

At the Bonhams sale of An Important European Collection of Pioneer, Vintage and Collectors’ Motorcycles at the RAF Museum, Hendon on 27 February 2010, a selection of small and some strange European motorcycles will be auctioned. They will have everything there from a three-seater 1937 Böhmerland 603cc Langtouren all the way to a "penny farthing" - which is a converted bicycle. For more information, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yhy473o

Friday Afternoon Moto News - Sterilgarda Yamaha WSBK & Ace Cafe Iron Butt

World Superbike Championship team Sterilgarda Yamaha has unveiled their livery for the 2010 season. Riders James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow were also present at the event and took time to answer questions, a very polite thing to do. There are many changes to their 2010 machines, including more horsepower, less weight, different shaped fuel tank and many more. For all that information, take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/ya62q2a

As part of the Ally Pally show, put together by the folks at Ace Cafe London, Danny John-Jules and his mate Graham Hoskins will be leaving from the show location at noon on 27 February 2010 to take a 7,000 mile trip around the Mediterranean to raise money for BBC TV's "Sport Relief" charity. Of course, the show has plenty else to attract you, but this ride is certainly - given the path they will take - an Iron Butt event!

http://tinyurl.com/ybk322z

They have chosen the Honda Transalp for the ride: http://tinyurl.com/ybfemcq

Monday Morning Moto News - WSBK, Toseland, Crutchlow, Vermeulen & Guintoli

Finally, we have some more results from the World Superbike Championship practice at Portimao. There are plenty of reports, so I will post any interesting stories that come my way. Just keep your eyes on the list below.

http://tinyurl.com/yb3lu5q

http://tinyurl.com/ye447kf

http://tinyurl.com/y8z68z6

http://tinyurl.com/yetxpn5

http://tinyurl.com/yd3f26p

Apparently, when Jorge Lorenzo is on his bike and in his leathers, James Toseland is infinitely annoyed by him but, when Lorenzo is off the track and has his helmet off, he is a very nice guy. At least that is how Toseland sees things. He also turned down a reality TV show - good for him! Some candid conversation after the link.

http://tinyurl.com/y88duod

Toseland's teammate, Cal Crutchlow, had a great WSBK practice over the weekend. The World Supersport Champion made his way around the track and beat out Toseland on time - even while trying to find a decent setup for his R1.

http://tinyurl.com/ye4cam2

Chris Vermeulen did not have a great testing session, but he and his team learned a great deal. They are getting themselves ready for the next test at Phillip Island - right before the season opens there - to find further improvements.

http://tinyurl.com/yd4oueb

Sylvain Guintoli is counting the days until the start of the 2010 World Superbike Championship. He is ready to tackle this series and see what he can do to achieve the championship for his team - to put it simply, he is confident and wants to get racing!

http://tinyurl.com/ycpcll5

Some Monday Afternoon Racebike Testing - Yamaha and Honda

First up MotorcycleUSA has had the chance to throw a leg over two World Supersport machines. The first is the championship winning Yamaha YZF-R6 of Cal Crutchlow. This is about a perfect factory-spec WSS motorcycle with electronics on the thing just shy of what you would find on a MotoGP machine. It is one hell of a wild ride! Just let me get my hands on one, please...

http://tinyurl.com/yzxdxw6

Next, they had the chance to ride on the WSS race-prepped Honda CBR600RR of Eugene Laverty. His team, Parkalgar Honda, may be a satellite team, but this bike performs like a factory-supported machine should. It has the above R6 in the mid-range, but is just a hair shy of it on the top end. Go and lust on your own time!

http://tinyurl.com/yhorc2j

Shane Byrne Looking Forward to Battle of the Brits in WSBK

So far, there will be seven British riders on the World Superbike circuits in 2010 who have factory rides - that's a large contingent. Byrne is happy to see so many of his fellow countrymen on the grid and is relishing the challenge of it as soon as the season begins. Again, 2010 will be a great year for motorcycle racing!

http://tinyurl.com/yaq2nf5

From Day Two of Valencia Test - WSBK and Moto2

First off we hear that Biaggi managed to lead the second day of testing on the Spanish track while riding his WSBK Aprilia RSV-4. It's not like that is much of a surprise, actually. Following him were Haslam - Suzuki Alstare and Crutchlow - Sterilgarda Yamaha. As more comes in, I will update this post.

http://tinyurl.com/ydswu4m

http://tinyurl.com/y8c57u3

Here is more; ADV's AT02 Moto2 motrocycle was also tested at the event and it did rather well. Rider Alessandro Brannetti enjoyed his time aboard it and had no issues.

http://tinyurl.com/ybddnzj

Julian Simon, Mike di Meglio and Gabor Talmasci also tested the FTR Moto2 bike. This bike is one produced in England which will see work in the Moto2 series in 2010.

http://tinyurl.com/yesbrhx

Leon Haslam Fastest at Valencia Testing - Wrap-Up of Event

Haslam managed to pull his Alstare Suzuki around the Valencia track faster than anyone else testing there. Of course, this is only testing and not everyone there was working for outright lap times - there is plenty to do on the new machines that does not include watching the clock...First debrief linked below:

http://tinyurl.com/yhjlntk

Crutchlow and Toseland Preparing for 2010 WSBK Season

Earlier, we read about Toseland and how happy Corser is to see him back in the WSBK paddock, but Crutchlow has also been working very hard to make his debut in the top racing series a successful one. He fought very hard for the World Supersport title in 2009, and he will have yet another fight on his hands when he lines up against the other World Superbike riders in 2010...

http://tinyurl.com/yetpq6t

Interview with Eugene Laverty - 2009 World Supersport Runner-Up

Laverty did have a tough time this year against the very dominant Cal Crutchlow on the Yamaha YZF-R6. But, Laverty's Honda CBR600RR was no slouch; he truly competed for race victory in almost every event. The very cool part of this story is that Laverty's team is a privateer team - no factory support - and yet they managed to beat out the factory supported Honda team...this is a good read.

http://tinyurl.com/ykxl4lv

Yamaha Triple Champ Competition Video - Rossi, Spies and Crutchlow

Apparently, Cal Crutchlow was driving a delivery van for MCN (UK) just 5 short years ago - now he is World Supersport Champion! He stars along with Valentino Rossi and Ben Spies in the linked video which is announcing the Yamaha Triple Champ Competition where you can win one of three special edition motorcycles and/or plenty of other goodies! Take the link - but, don't forget to enter the competition!

http://tinyurl.com/yzr5tcw

Cal Crutchlow's World Supersport Yamaha YZF-R6 Tested

The Yamaha R6 is a rather sharp-edged track weapon - of course, it is also very fun when twisting your way through the backroads of wherever you live. But, take that machine and have some racing-minded Italian mechanics breathe some fire into it in order to challenge the best Supersport riders on the planet, and you have a beast of a machine. Cal Crutchlow's YZF-R6 helped him win the World Supersport Championship this year and we get to read about it via Superbike Magazine.

http://tinyurl.com/yhhp2y5

Some Indication fo Future Performance - Cal Crutchlow On the Pace at Portimao Practice

Though it is just the first practice for 2010, and there will not be another one for a little while, Cal Crutchlow was racing around the Portimao track faster than World Champion Ben Spies. This will be a return to World Superbike for the current World Supersport Champion, so I would expect him to be fast - just not this fast...

http://tinyurl.com/yked3gy

Cal Crutchlow Elated and Ready For World Superbike in 2010

Crutchlow held off Eugene Laverty this past weekend in Portimao to finally take the World Supersport Championship. It was a good way to leave the class as he will be contesting the World Superbike Championship in 2010 with Yamaha and James Toseland as his teammate. It looks like he is ready to enter the fight and has the wherewithal to fight for the championship...

http://tinyurl.com/yh62nf4

Yamaha Wins Three More Championships on the Weekend

Yes, it is true, Yamaha is dominating road racing around the world now - This past weekend, Valentino Rossi won the MotoGP World Championship on a Fiat Yamaha; Ben Spies won the World Superbike Championship on his Sterilgarda Yamaha; and Cal Crutchlow managed to hold off Honda-mounted Eugene Laverty to take the World Supersport Championship - he will be with the Yamaha World Suprbike team in 2010. In short, Yamaha has really turned up the heat this year and we expect even more from them next season!

http://tinyurl.com/yhpmla4

First Qualifying Practice at Portimao WSBK Round - Supersport Results

Actually, this link has all results from Friday's practice at Portimao. We have Superbike, Supersport, Superstock 1000 and Superstock 600 results here along with several team reports from the first day of the World Superbike Championship finale in Portugal this weekend...I wish I had this link yesterday.

http://tinyurl.com/yl38zen

Ahead of Portimao WSBK Round, Racers Meet With Media

The top riders in the World Superbike and World Supersport Championship met with the media ahead of this weekend's racing activities in Portugal. Noriyuki Haga, Ben Spies, Cal Crutchlow and Eugene Laverty all sat down with local and international media yesterday, and here is how it went...

http://tinyurl.com/yz7t7vr

2010 World Superbike Championship Grid is Filling Up

We have already heard about Leon Camier moving to WSBK - Cal Crutchlow is moving up from World Supersport - Ben Spies is leaving for MotoGP - Haga will be there for at least one more year. It is shaping up to be a very good series in 2010 - we may not see the nail-biting title chase like we have now in the 2009 version, but it will certainly be worth watching next year...

http://tinyurl.com/yle3y9v

British Rider Laverty Needs a Miracle at Portimao Round

On 25 October 2009, the World Superbike Championship will land in Portugal at the Portimao and U.K. rider Eugene Laverty will need a miracle to take the World Supersport Championship from Cal Crutchlow. As it stands, his performance at Magny-Cours pushed him back 19 points from his countryman from a 2 point deficit before the French round.

http://tinyurl.com/ydv4ow7

Confirmed: Toseland to Ride Alongside Crutchlow at Yamaha WSB for 2010

We finally have a confirmation on where James Toseland will be racing next year. He will be on the Sterilgarda Yamaha World Superbike team with teammate Cal Crutchlow, who is moving to Superbike from the Yamaha World Supersport team. At least Toseland will be racing, which he should be!

http://tinyurl.com/yaasqvm

World Superbike Championship Race Results from Nurburgring

Here are results from today's World Supersport race at Nurburgring in Germany. Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow took the win, with Sofuoglu and Laverty rounding out the podium.

http://tinyurl.com/nvkr2x

In the World Superbike class, the two races were dominated by American Ben Spies. He took both victories, with Haga in second in the first race and, unfortunately, crashing out of the second. Spies now leads in the World Superbike Championship.

http://tinyurl.com/nwksr5

In the World 600 Superstock series Belgian Vincent Lonbois took his Yamaha to the top of the podium.

http://tinyurl.com/kmsyhf

In World Superstock 1000 racing, the Ducati of Xavier Simeon took the win with only a 2.8 second lead.

http://tinyurl.com/m2ugje

P.S. With only one exception, it was a Yamaha weekend!