Friday Afternoon Moto News - BMW Motorrad, NZ WSBK & Duke Video

BMW Motorrad has won Motorcycle of the Year 2010 in a readers' poll taken by MOTORRAD, a German (?) motorcycle magazine. BMW won all five of the categories in which it was listed - that means five different models of BMW motorcycles beat out every other machine with which they competed for ratings. It is an amazing result and one which has never occurred before. For which models won what, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/y9osu5s

That's right, you read it correctly; it looks like the World Superbike Championship will be making an appearance in New Zealand in 2012. The rumors seem to have come from the new agreement with Phillip Island (contracted until 2014), and the Hampton Down circuit is where it may happen. It's all up in the air now, but it just might become a reality!

http://tinyurl.com/ye2re8r

Duke Video has released a special DVD set for a good price - it is three volumes of the Isle of Man TT 2009 On Bike Laps. It has 12 laps of the TT circuit and is longer than four hours! Fans of the event can see it first-hand from the point of view of some very famous TT riders from numerous cameras placed on their machines. This is not all there is on this DVD set, though. You know where to go for the rest...

http://tinyurl.com/yd9svbw

Sunday Afternoon Moto News - Duke Video & James Ellison

Duke Video has finally gone back and put the 1992 through 2001 MotoGP (Motorcycle Grand Prix) season reviews on DVD. The first batch, 1992 through 1996 will be available in February, and the second set will be released in March. It's about time that we can get rid of our VHS tapes and bring our favorite sport back into our entertainment selections in the 21st century.

http://tinyurl.com/yc858y6

James Ellison has finally found himself a seat in the 2010 British Superbike Championship. He will be riding alongside Stuart Easton at SMR Honda. It marks a return to the team for Ellison, and he seems quite happy to be riding for the team again. Given Ellison's results in 2009, it is hard to understand why it took so long for someone to pick up this talented racer!

http://tinyurl.com/ycw76tz

More Morning Moto News - Duke Video, Randy de Puniet & Andrea Dovizioso

Duke Video's "MotoGP: Evolution of a Species" is reviewed for us in the linked article. If you have not heard of this video, you should be very shocked! It is a very well-done documentary on the technical and engineering side of the MotoGP Championship. If you have ever had questions about the machinery your favorite racer uses, this is a DVD which will help explain the MotoGP motorcycle for you.

http://tinyurl.com/y8mazy5

Randy de Puniet is anxious to get aboard his LCR Honda at the upcoming Sepang test for MotoGP teams. He is looking forward to campaigning the new RC212V in the 2010 Championship. However, he is not losing his grip on reality and expects there to be some work to get the bike working well for him. So, Malaysia will be very useful to de Puniet and his team.

http://tinyurl.com/yep5tf8

Andrea Dovizioso wants Honda to let him help develop the RC212V so that he has a real chance at winning races in 2010. Given his stellar performances at some circuits last year and his failures at other tracks, they might do well to listen. Either way, he will have his chance on the new beast at the Malaysian test.

http://tinyurl.com/ycnezsy

Tuesday Morning Moto News - WSBK DVD, Toseland and Tamada

The 2009 World Superbike Season Review DVD is now available for purchase. If you would like to relive the historic season, want to see some of the events you missed, or if you simply collect them all, this is the DVD for you. It details the season long competition between veteran Noriyuki Haga and rookie Ben Spies, of which most of us know the ending. Check it out...

http://tinyurl.com/y9ndurn

Ever since he left Ducati to take on the challenge of BMW in WSBK, Davide Tardozzi just cannot seem to keep his opinions to himself - or, the press just will not leave the man alone. Either way, we now hear that he thinks James Toseland lost something during his two years in MotoGP. Tardozzi just does not see Toseland as a threat in the WSBK paddock. So, read the article and let me know what you think...

http://tinyurl.com/y9mbrcc

MotoGP and WSBK veteran Makoto Tamada has secured a seat in the WSBK paddock for 2010. He will be riding for Pro Ride Honda in the series. No further details given, but the official announcement is expected soon.

http://tinyurl.com/ybdlxuz

UK Residents Get 10% Off of All Duke Video Range

That's right! Crash.net and Duke Video have teamed up to give 10% off of all of their DVDs right up until Christmas. Even the 2009 World Superbike Championship and 2009 World Supersport Championship reviews are included in the discount. So, don't waste time, get your gifts ASAP.

http://tinyurl.com/ykjhw9g

Official MotoGP Review 2009 Releases 14 December 2009

Duke video can really turn these season reviews out quickly - they must work on the production all year long. That way it is a simple wrap up after the race weekend finale. This video should be only slightly different than the one which came before - it is always somewhat better than the previous season for the usual reasons. The other DVD to be released a week later, MotoGP 125/250 Review 2009, will cover the 125c.c. and the final 250c.c. championship in 2009. Some interesting viewing as always. So, get your copy when it is available and settle in for some winter watching...

http://tinyurl.com/yhw38bk

http://tinyurl.com/yhw38bk

Get a 10% discount from Duke Video: http://tinyurl.com/y9cft8o

In the US, on 16 December 2009: http://tinyurl.com/ye7dvze

MotoGP Evolution of a Species from Duke Video

A lovely and well-made (as we have come to expect from recent Duke Video releases) documentary focusing on the development of the current four-stroke MotoGP race bike. The video covers 2002 through 2009. It shows how these prototype motorcycles were first developed and the influence of electronics on them and the riders who race them. There is much more contained within. The DVD has been officially released today at £19.56 and can be found at your local video store (most likely in England only) or online.

http://tinyurl.com/ydtspzz

(The entry on the other side of the link has many factual and spelling errors.)

Looking for Something to do During the Long Winter (read: non-riding)?

If you live in a state at the northern end of the US or in a nation like Canada or Denmark, you tend to loose the riding season close to this time of the year as winter grips the land around you. If this is a fact of where you live, you might want to have a look at this list of motorcycle-related DVDs which you can use to get your moto-fix!

http://tinyurl.com/ykre8w2

See the 2009 Isle of Man TT in High Definition!

Perhaps for the first time, Duke Video is releasing a motorsports event in hi-def. This will be the Blu-ray version of the 2009 Isle of Man Official Review. It is already on sale in the UK and Europe - and can be ordered from the USA - but will also be available on Amazon or your local media store soon.

http://tinyurl.com/mutf3w