Rat's Hole Custom Bike Show Review & Michelin Power Pure

Here we have a report from the 2010 Rat's Hole Custom Bike Show which took place at and during Daytona Bike Week about two weeks ago. They were much more ambitious this year as they scheduled five shows over the week and added some new categories. Many of the bikes are not to everyone's taste - often overdone and way too much chrome - but the ideas presented were worth attending for everyone. For the details, please take the link...

http://tinyurl.com/yl3bvx8

The new Michelin Power Pure motorcycle tire is being lauded as the lightest motorcycle tire ever produced. Of course, they are the ones making the claim, but they do back it up with evidence. We will also see for certain once they hit the streets - both figuratively and literally. They will use Michelin's Two-Compound Technology (2CT) and their Light Tire Technology (LTT) for better performance all around. Check out the press release for more information...

http://tinyurl.com/ykj8hax

More Afternoon Moto News - Super-Superbikes & Daytona Review

MotorcycleUSA has done a special motorcycle comparo between a non-modified Aprilia RSV-4, a well-modified Suzuki GSX-R1000 and a US$70K Ducati 1098R. The results were predictable with the Ducati being fastest, the Suzuki in second and the Aprilia at the back. However, you could buy three-and-a-half Aprilia RSV-4 bikes for the one of the Ducati machines, so imagine if you bought the RSV-4 and used the US$50K to turn it into a true SUPERbike. Read the article and have a look for yourself...

http://tinyurl.com/ycdpkry

Did you miss the Daytona Bike Week event this past week? If so, you might want to catch up on the events, happenings, racing and other parts of the experience when traveling to this annual rally. Simply take the link below and you can read about what went on and see some of the notable events of the Daytona Bike Week experience!

http://tinyurl.com/yd9cbvm

Some photos from the AMA: http://tinyurl.com/ybpe42a

Sunday Afternoon Moto News - AMA Supercross & GNCC Results

At Daytona Bike Week, attendees have the chance to experience just about any form of motorcycling they wish to. Of course, the racing is one of the more important items on anyone's list, and the AMA Supercross race is always a good choice for entertaining racing with some of the world's best off-road racers. In this round, class rookie Ryan Villopoto. He led the race from start to finish on his Monster Kawasaki, dominating the proceedings. In the Supercross Lites East, Christophe Pourcel conquered the 250cc class.

http://tinyurl.com/ykcozj5

Well, you might get to read the article...it depends on whether you can load the page or not. However, at least we know that the winner of the recent AMA GNCC round is Josh Strang.

http://tinyurl.com/yhcwnlp

Friday Night Moto News - Daytona AMA Pro Racing Update

It was another close finish in the second race of the AMA Pro Racing American Superbike series at Daytona International Speedway. And, Jake Zemke pulled it off again! Two wins, two days. Two very close finishes again. I wish I would have been there...Please, take the link below to learn more about the race.

http://tinyurl.com/yhtkmdn

In the world famous Daytona 200 Yamaha notched their dominance of the class with Team Graves rider Josh Herrin taking the victory. I knew this would happen, and you likely did as well; this guy is good. Dane Westby pulled in second place and Ducati 848 rider Steve Rapp rounds out the podium. A past acquaintance, Ricky Orlando finished up in 14th...a solid accomplishment for a privateer effort. Take the link to see the full list of finishers - it is preliminary, so it could change slightly after verification.

http://tinyurl.com/yzs4rzt

More news: http://tinyurl.com/yhntt4s

Post-race press conference: http://tinyurl.com/ygdhase

More Afternoon Moto News - Ducati/Italwin & Daytona 200 History

We now hear that the Ducati e-bike, which is made by Italian bicycle manufacturer Italwin and simply branded Ducati, will soon be available for purchase. Worldwide distribution has begun for the City Pearl and the Cucciolo (named after the very first Ducati) and one should be at a bicycle or Ducati motorcycle dealer soon. To see more, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/y9pg58t

The Daytona 200 turns 69 tomorrow. That's a very long time to be in the motorcycle racing business these days - so many other historic races have disappeared. With that in mind, we should have a look back at the history of this American motorcycle road race and see why it is so important to us. So many great racers have pushed themselves to the limit at the event - both on the current track and on the old beachfront. And, many have lost their lives there too. Unfortunately, the linked piece is short, but at least you can have a quick read.

http://tinyurl.com/yej59wd

More Afternoon Moto News - Husaberg Wins & Neil Freeman

Husaberg has won its first US National win for the 2010 National Enduro Series. Rider Mike Lafferty won the third round of the event held at Daytona Beach for Daytona Bike Week. His teammate, Nick Fahringer, placed third after pushing very hard to catch Russell Bobbit, who finished in second. The event was a bit of a struggle as there was plenty of mud, but the Husaberg factory team pulled off an impressive showing!

http://tinyurl.com/ye9bb3c

Neil Freeman (former crew chief for Jamie Hacking on the Monster Kawasaki AMA team) has joined forces with Spectrum Motorsports to offer customers access to a true speed shop. Out of this comes the Spectrum Speed Shop, which can take just about any motorcycle and make it more powerful and, of course, more powerful! For the details and how you can get your bike in for some work, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/ydplroe

More Morning Moto News - Daytona Supersport & James Ellison and Stuart Easton

The AMA Pro Racing Supersport race was also held at the Daytona International Speedway and it was also a very close finish. Rockwall Honda's Cameron Beaubier won the race by only .001 of a second! Joey Pascarella was the second place man right next to him riding his LTD Racing R6. Elena Myers came in a close seventh in the event.

http://tinyurl.com/y8vkgb6

Swan Honda debuted their bikes at the Cartagena circuit where riders James Ellison and Stuart Easton are testing this week. The bikes are all painted in black with a huge 'Swan' written across the fairings and a rider number. So, we assume that this is just for testing and they will show their livery at some point later. In either case, both riders enjoyed their tests and they actually are a bit ahead of where they wanted to be...bodes well for the 2010 BSB season.

http://tinyurl.com/ydczew3

More Morning Moto News - XDL Championships, FB Corse & Colin Edwards

The XDL Championship Series was also running an event at Daytona Bike Week in Florida this week. The event went well even if the weather was not cooperating. They have even expanded the women's series of the Championship and put them right up there with the males in the sport. Another change was to the format - allowing two runs versus one in previous years. So, who won - well, none other than reigning champion Yamaha-mounted Bill Dixon. Dena Sodano took the win on the women's side.

http://tinyurl.com/y9stg73

The FB Corse MotoGP team will begin testing in a few weeks - in mid-March - with Gary McCoy. They will be at the Valencia circuit from 15 - 17 March. It has to show that it is competitive against the current MotoGP machines before it will be allowed to race alongside them. They had better get this test right...or, they will be in for a long fight to get into the Championship.

http://tinyurl.com/ydyt2c3

http://tinyurl.com/yf7h3tr

Colin Edwards is very happy with the current state of the Yamaha YZR-M1 machine. He believes that Yamaha is doing a good job of developing the machine to be competitive in the MotoGP series. They seem to have done him right for a change...the season will tell us more.

http://tinyurl.com/ye6vas3

Friday Morning Moto News - Jordan Team Colors, John Hopkins & Jake Zemke

The Michael Jordan Motorsports AMA Pro Racing team has revealed the livery they will be using for the 2010 season, which started at Daytona this week. Since it is the 25th anniversary of the Air Jordan franchise, they have gone with silver as the base color. Even riders will be running with special silver boots recognizing the achievement. For the details, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/ydn6lzb

John Hopkins and John Ulrich are back together for 2010. Well, if you were paying attention, we already knew this. However, many may have forgotten that it was Ulrich who helped turn Hopper into a world-class motorcycle racer. Now Ulrich is running the team which Hopkins is racing for...how has it been having these two back together?

http://tinyurl.com/ybveycn

And, why not another story on yesterday's racing. It is especially apt since it was a Jordan Motorsports team member, Jake Zemke, who won the American Superbike race yesterday...you know most of it, but take a look anyway...

http://tinyurl/ya693ww

More Afternoon Moto News - Daytona American Superbike Race Results

In the first race of the 2010 AMA Pro Racing American Superbike Championship, a certain rider with a three-year winless drought came through to secure the win - National Guard Suzuki's Jake Zemke. He won in a very close finish; Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Tommy Hayden came in second (only .238 of a second from first place) and Foremost Ducati's Larry Pegram held on for third (just .259 of a second behind Zemke). The finish was actually very close among the top five finishers - only .307 of a second between first and fifth! For all the details, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/y8bcea5

Wednesday Night Moto News - Elena Myers Realizes a Dream

Elena Myers, who spends most of her time in Stockton, California, will make her professional racing debut this weekend at the Daytona International Speedway. She will be riding a Suzuki GSX-R600 in TWO AMA races this weekend - starting tomorrow. At 16-years-old, that will make Myers the youngest female to ever race as a pro in an AMA Pro Racing series. She has even had to battle back from a serious injury to get to this point...a true mark of a professional. Look for her to start showing up at a paddock near you!

http://tinyurl.com/y8quhpz

Wednesday Afternoon Moto News - Racing Insider, GNCC Results & Royal Enfield Demos

We couldn't leave Alex Gobert and his 'Racing Insider' column out of the posting, now could we? In this issue, he looks closely into the Australian and World Superbike Championships and talks about the Phillip Island round. It is a very useful round-up of important bits of news which may have been missed by the big media outlets. Take the link and you will enjoy!

http://tinyurl.com/yak4zw8

The first round of the 2010 Grand National Cross Country Series went off this past weekend at the Westgate River Ranch in Florida. Makita Suzuki's Josh Strang took the victory. Almost 1200 rider from eight different nations arrived for the event. It was an incredible struggle for the participants, so please take the link and read about the proceedings...

http://tinyurl.com/yan7gr9

And, speaking of Florida, Daytona Bike Week is in full swing and you will also have a chance to demo some of the new models from the Royal Enfield line of motorcycles. As the world's oldest motorcycle brand, you should expect to see the history represented in the bike models, but you will also notice all of the modern technology included. For a taste of a marque who has been making motorcycles for more than a century - and still sticks to the simple-is-best mentality - get yourself to a "Royal Enfield Experience" near you!

http://tinyurl.com/y8qpbwm

Tuesday Night Moto News - Daytona Bike Week News

There will be many more of these this week, though you may only see a few more here. That is because Daytona Bike Week is the largest festival of its kind in the US. It has the most activities in the shortest time of any rally that I have seen (or known of). So, if you are not able to attend, please take some time and see what you are missing. You may find there is much more to it than the 'Spring Break' type party you may have imagined. The racing alone is worth the trip...Take some of the following links to see if it is worthwhile for your vacation time next year...

http://tinyurl.com/y9fofbz

Suzuki-related: http://tinyurl.com/ykjp4ny

Rockstar Makita Suzuki & Yoshimura: http://tinyurl.com/yg98tka

Even MORE News - Father and Son AHRMA Effort & Two Auctions!

Art Delor and his son, Alex, will be competing in the Daytona Bike Week AHRMA races in Florida this week (starting today, actually). Delor races a historic Indian and even takes it as far as wearing an authentic Indian racing uniform and keeping his 1939-40 Indian logbook. His 17-year-old son Alex is his pit crew, and he has over 9 years of experience with helping his father race. There is more after the links.

http://tinyurl.com/ycgtgh2

http://tinyurl.com/y9eea2b

With results from Monday: http://tinyurl.com/yd649ee

Bonhams managed to clean out the RAF Museum in Hendon, UK. However, they were selling motorcycles from history, not British aerial warfare artifacts. The Pampalona Collection was up for auction with over 100 machines, mostly pre-1950, and 88% of the items offered were sold. For some details about the event, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/y9gdoxu

The Daytona Antique and Classic Motorcycle Auction will be held on Saturday 6 March 2010 at Stetson University in Deland, Florida. There is not much detail beyond that after the link, but at least you can get the address.

http://tinyurl.com/yfzeub4

Early photos from the event: http://tinyurl.com/y8qj4zh

More Morning Moto News - Aaron Zanotti & Zero Launches 2010 Models

Aaron Zanotti has hooked up with his old team, Red Viper Spike, to contest the 2010 BSB Evo class. At first it seemed like the rider would have to go it alone, but his team came back and signed him for another year aboard a Suzuki GSX-R1000. As you can imagine, he is very happy with this turn of events as it keeps him in the series for one more season.

http://tinyurl.com/ydpr4e9

It's official now, Zero Motorcycles launched their four 2010 models at the Daytona Bike Week event in Florida yesterday. There are some changes - both technical and cosmetic - to this year's models, but they all have one thing in common with the previous models; they are industry leaders in convenience and technology. Zero is the only electric motorcycle manufacturer with four full models on sale to the public currently. Go ahead and take the link for more information.

http://tinyurl.com/y92oark

Friday Afternoon Moto News - Zero Motorcycle to Display 2010 Models & Zero Hires Former Buell Engineer

First up is the news that the long-awaited models from Zero Motorcycles will be premiering at Daytona Bike Week next month. Zero will have all four of their electric motorcycle models at the event - and there will be demo rides available! This is big news as Zero is the only electric bike manufacturer with four different models available to the public now.

http://tinyurl.com/ycb8m2l


Next, we get news that Zero Motorcycles has hired a former Buell engineer to be their Vice President of Engineering. Abe Askenazi has a wealth of experience and several higher education degrees (which somehow qualify him above people with more experience) and will be running their engineering and design groups. Given Askenazi's past, though, we can expect things to hum along at Zero for the foreseeable future.

http://tinyurl.com/y8mclxd

Thursday Evening Moto News - Leslie Porterfield in Daytona & Mist Suzuki Needs Sponsors!

Leslie Porterfield, the world's fastest woman, will be interviewing both Chris Carr and Dennis Manning - rider and owner of the world's fastest motorcycle - at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Breakfast during Daytona Bike Week in Florida. Porterfield is perhaps the best person to take on this position as she knows speed very well and she has a great way with words. Tickets are still available to the 5 March 2010 event, so grab them while you can!


http://tinyurl.com/ygtulyb

A small Isle of Dogs team - Mist Suzuki - is facing a terrible issue as their main sponsor is 'reviewing' the contract. That means no money for the British Superbike Championship season opener at Brands Hatch in early April, and he may not see any at all. The team is short due to the economy and needs help. If you know someone local to them or in the UK looking to sponsor - at least a little - a BSB team - which gets a huge audience - then give them a quick call!

http://tinyurl.com/yaru26y

More Afternoon Moto News - Yamaha Slashes 1000 Jobs & Ducshop Racing

Yamaha Motor Company is having to take further cuts to their workforce due to their continuing financial woes - due to the worldwide recession. These lay-offs actually include the earlier announcement of 800 job cuts in Japan, but they are also taking 200 more away from their foreign operations. Yamaha will also close 12 parts factories in Shizuoka prefecture. Let's hope that their sales pick up this year and they can hire back some of the people they are losing now.

http://tinyurl.com/yevjnbm

Ducshop Racing will be fielding two Ducati 848 motorcycles in the 2010 AMA Pro Racing Daytona SportBike class. Their two riders will be Jake Holden and Ducati test rider Dario Marchetti. Of course, they are using many products from their own catalog to improve the bikes, but the rules only allow so much. They will be in Daytona for the Daytona 200 race weekend and will be participating in all race activities.

http://tinyurl.com/ykfl2zc

More Morning Moto News - Geoff May, Jorge Lorenzo & Nicky Hayden

Geoff may has made his way onto the entry list at the Daytona 200 for 2010. May has formed Geoff May Racing with which to compete in the AMA Pro Racing series this year. It is a full privateer effort, as you can see, and he will run his own Suzuki GSX-R600 in the Daytona SportBike Championship. His last position was as a rider for the Jordan Motorsports team, which dumped him at the end of last season.

http://tinyurl.com/ylfkh2d

Jorge Loranzo, Fiat Yamaha MotoGP rider, will miss the next big MotoGP test due to an injury he sustained while training on a motocross bike. He fell while riding the off-road machine on a course near Barcelona and fractured his hand in the process. Lorenzo is all patched up now, but he must wear something to protect his hand for the next four to six weeks.

http://tinyurl.com/yg77scz

Nicky Hayden recently had to have surgery on his arm to remove some scar tissue from a previous surgical procedure. He did this right after the Sepang MotoGP test, but his Ducati team is saying that he will be perfectly fit to ride in the next test at the end of this month. That's very good news as Hayden really needs any seat time he can get to dial that Desmosedici in to his liking.

http://tinyurl.com/ygrrcv7

Friday Evening Moto News - Daytona Bike Week

First up under this category is the AMA's call to all AMA motorcycle racers to be getting ready for Daytona Bike Week. At the event, one of the largest in the world, there will be plenty of racing in almost every class excepting ice-racing, there will be bike shows, custom bike shows, partying, music, dance...just about anything you can find to entertain you. However, if you are there to race, you had better begin focusing on the work ahead - Daytona International Speedway is nasty to tires, so be ready!

http://tinyurl.com/yj84jsq

Also, it seems that the less-than-stellar powers-that-be at the Daytona Motorsports Group \ AMA Pro Racing have come to some sort of sense and are increasing the purses for the various series participating at Daytona Bike Week. Honestly, I think that they just do not want to look like idiots if only some 25 racers or so show up for the events; thus, they are buying some participation. The sad part, though, is that the payouts are still relatively low compared to many other similar series...and probably always will be at a for-profit race company.

http://tinyurl.com/ygj9fol

Remember that the festivities will run 27 February (my birthday, also Colin Edwards) through 7 March 2010.