Catch You on the Other Side #58; Marco Simoncelli 1987 - 2011

Well, likely not...he's a fair bit faster than I.

Marco Simoncelli #58

It's a very sad day in motorcycle racing today as FIM MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli succumbed to injuries he received in a crash on the second lap of the Malaysian Grand Prix. Some details are finally beginning to become available, but the footage is online...and it is painful to watch. I can barely write about it, actually. The link is below, but be warned that it is horrifying.

This will be another life given to the gods ruling this sport we all love so much. It happens all around the world far too often; it is the loss of such a promising young athlete, a 'youth' by many measures, who dedicated everything of his being to be the best motorcycle racer he could be which makes this one so significant. His second season, and his best yet, and we all knew he was to be a great...to become legend.

Nothing I can write here will make this any easier for this it has an effect upon, so I can only say: Marco, you will be missed, and I will never forget you nor who you were to the universe. Ride in Peace. See you on the other side.

MotoGP link (not much information): http://tinyurl.com/3hca8zb

MotoGP: Race Direction Press Conference (more information): http://tinyurl.com/5uprsvt

Video of the Crash (Be Warned): http://youtu.be/FkInpkx1hFE

#58

Stoner Wins Another One - 2011 MotoGP Champion

OK, so I do like to say, "...told you so." And, I do it often. I guess that means that one more time won't be adding too much fuel to any fire of hatred anyone has for me...

Casey Stoner is the FIM MotoGP World Champion once again! On board the mighty Honda RC212V, he fought the best on the surface of this planet and beat all comers to the title. Vale, though, is not doing so well this season. It turns out that the Ducati is a bit more of a handful than many thought. I wonder how things would be different if Hayden were to jump into another factory's machinery; Yamaha, or Suzuki anyone?

http://tinyurl.com/3b3d476

P.S. Congratulations Honda, too. After all, the engineers there built the bike.

Dani Pedrosa Deserves More Respect!

The article linked here, "Why the Hate for Dani Pedroosa", is something I was actually working on for some time - around two years ago I thought of writing my feelings down. They are just that, my feelings, and I am aware they mean very little overall. However, if you do enjoy MotoGP, I do suggest you read the piece as Pedrosa deserves it from every fan.

It is even more true now that the unfortunate Spaniard has a broken collar bone...it's like he's cursed; maybe Rossi does know some voodoo sorcery...

Please have a read and feel free to share!

http://tinyurl.com/6zpkgnq

MotoGP Japan Grand Prix at Motegi is POSTPONED

Dorna and the FIM announced last night that the Motegi round of the 2010 MotoGP Championship - the Japanese Grand Prix - has been postponed due to the ash covering the European airspace. The race weekend was to be 23 - 25 April 2010, but it will held 1 - 3 October instead. The large Icelandic eruption has caused most flights to be cancelled in Europe for safety reasons and it has now pushed the MotoGP management to push the Japan Grand Prix back to later in the year when the teams will be on a fly-away trip to Malaysia and Australia. Be glad you are not in F1, though, as they seem to be trapped in China for the time being - at least the MotoGP teams are close to home in Europe!

http://tinyurl.com/y3ml538

Easton Crashes Hard at Cadwell Park Test & MotoGP in HD, Finally!

Swan Honda rider, and British Superbike Championship favorite, Stuart Easton went down in a rather nasty way while testing for the 2010 season at Cadwell Park. He was airlifted to the hospital where they are going to do some exploratory surgery around his knee. So far it looks like he will be OK, but they want to be sure everything is in fine order before they let him get back on the track...

http://tinyurl.com/ye7jz3t

MotoGP has finally entered into the 21st century by way of broadcasting the races in Hi-Definition! Some races have already been filmed in HD, but those were not broadcast to the public. In 2010, all MotoGP races will be available in HD and will be initially broadcast in HD, though your provider may not send full HD signals to your TV. Check with your local MotoGP broadcast channel to see if you will get the full experience!

http://tinyurl.com/ye8p9x2

FB Corse Will Join MotoGP & Julian Simon Test Ducati Desmosedici GP10

FB Corse has been given approval to join the MotoGP Championship starting at the Jerez round - round 3 - with their incredibly talented rider Gary McCoy. Dorna representatives looked at the lap times (unreleased as of yet) and the make-up of the team and decided to let them join in the challenge. Given that Franco Uncini said that he would look at the overall picture, and not just lap times, we cannot say that the FB Corse machine is the equal of the other manufacturers but we should know that it is competitive - otherwise, it would not be in the series at all.

http://tinyurl.com/yfk8fyf

Ducati test rider Franco Battaini is injured, so the Ducati team asked if Julian Simon could take some test laps on the GP10 at Jerez for the marque. Well, it turns out that Simon seems made for the Ducati machine - or, maybe it seems made for him. He ran some 115 laps and actually came within 1.6 seconds of Valentino Rossi's lap record at the track!

http://tinyurl.com/yepxkxf

International Female Ride Day & Hungarian MotoGP Officially Cancelled

International Female Ride Day is scheduled for 7 May 2010. The special day has been accepted by many countries around the world and many more are joining up. The day is the brainchild of Vicki Gray, a longtime motorcyclist and advocate for women riders. Momentum has built up and many of the member countries will be hosting special events for women riders. To see what all of the fuss is about, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yhydau3

With all the problems building the Hungarian Balatoning circuit - finance issues, political issues, etc. - the FIM has decided to cancel the MotoGP race which was on the calendar for 2010. Now Spain will have four rounds this season with the new race to be held at Motorland Aragon. What an interesting turn of events...

http://tinyurl.com/ykzy9h9

Friday Morning Moto News - FIM Homologated Motorcycles, Leon Haslam

The FIM has released its list of the homologated motorcycles which may participate in each of the classes within WSBK. For the list, please take the link...

http://tinyurl.com/yjpocee

Leon Haslam, he of Alstare Suzuki team, was the fastest rider on day one of the World Superbike testing at Phillip Island. He was the only rider to lap within his bracket. This bodes well for his WSBK season...but, he is up against the best in the world and the WSBK paddock is loaded with talent...so, we still must wait to see how the season goes...

http://tinyurl.com/y8pbm55

It appears as if Max Biaggi is not too far behind Haslam...Biaggi clocked the fastest top speed of anyone at Phillip Island on a Superbike, in fact he beat out his competition by 3.7 kph. It was not enough to get him past the top slot on the lap chart, but he is getting there. Just wait for race day!

http://tinyurl.com/ya3govo

Saturday Morning Moto News - BMW S1000RR, Jonathan Rea & More MotoGP and Moto2 Rules

Would you like to see the 2010 BMW S1000RR valvetrain going at full tilt? The engine will rev up to 14,200RPM - a huge number when you really think about it. Well, if you would like to see this amazing bit of technology in action, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yb8vllo

Jonathan Rea has his sights firmly set for MotoGP. Even though the young Northern Irishman will fight it out this season on the World Superbike stage, his ultimate goal is to race in the Grand Prix series. His Ten Kate Honda team will certainly do whatever it takes to keep him on top this season, so he might get that chance after all.

http://tinyurl.com/yhjxvkt

The FIM has released an even more detailed explanation about the new rules for the 2010 MotoGP and Moto2 series. They have had to make updates due to some technology issues as well as problems with understanding the spec-engine rule in Moto2. There are many changes, so do yourself a favor and take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yzagam8

More Afternoon Moto News - Electric Motorcycles & Asian Motocross Championship Series

First up, we have a report on what experts believe will be the sales volume of electric motorcycles. The word is that they expect some 466,000,000 to be on the road by the year 2016. It is a very interesting read and it is a good read for someone interested in forecasting the future of our industry. Of course, there are still the doubters - in fact, someone recently called the "green movement" and electric motorcycles a fad! What an idiot!

http://tinyurl.com/yj64yqc

In the Philippines, at the Sta. Monica International Racetrack in Puerto Princesa City (Palawan), the 2010 FIM Asian Motocross Championship Series will start on 21 February 2010. This is the seventh straight start at this location and it will bring out the best motocross riders from all over eastern Asia. The rules are a little different there, but it is very much worth following!

http://tinyurl.com/yazltbb

Thursday Morning Moto News - 2012 MotoGP Rules, Ross Gurd & KTM Australia

The FIM has confirmed the rule changes for MotoGP which go into effect for the 2012 season. The engine displacement will increase and privateer teams will have special allowances versus the factory teams. There is not much more hear than you already know, but it is now official.

http://tinyurl.com/yk37xeo

Ross Gurd has paid his dues, and then some, in motorcycle racing. He has been racing for 15 years - motocross, road racing, speedway and enduro - and is ready to reap some results in the 2010 Australian Superstock 600 Championship. He will need more support to finish the season, but it is starting to look good for the Australian.

http://tinyurl.com/yjlrdkx

KTM's Australian Superbike Championship team is going on a huge KTM dealership tour where fans can meet the members of the team. Racers Shannon Johnson and Chris Trounson will be on hand at each event; and their fully-liveried KTM 1190 RC8 R race bikes will also be in attendance. For all the details, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/ylqx6lq

More Morning Moto News - AMA Board of Directors Change, MotoGP Rules & Suzi Perry

The AMA has just finished up their annual Board of Directors meeting in Indianapolis (13 February 2010). At that meeting, they decided to make changes to the make-up of the BoD - instead of six industry representatives on the Board, there will now only be four. There will also now be two 'at-large' Board members who will be elected by the entire organization (or so it seems now), but the Board will continue to have 12 members total. For all the information, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/y8vx5f9

When the 2012 MotoGP season begins, there will be some new rules for privateer teams. They will then be allowed more engines and larger fuel tanks than the factory teams on the grid once the maximum displacement is increased to 1000cc. This is an obvious move to spur more competition in the paddock and to invite some others who may not have been in the series previously. It could cause some backlash, but it is likely to expand beyond the small number of current riders.

http://tinyurl.com/y8gp42d

Fan favorite Suzi Perry has quit the BBC MotoGP coverage unit - she will no longer report from the MotoGP paddock. After 13 years behind the microphone with the racing series, she will be moving on to work on her broadcasting career beyond motorcycle racing. She will be missed and we wish her luck!

http://tinyurl.com/y97vlck

Saturday Morning Moto News - BMW, MotoGP & Honda RC212V

BMW has released their annual report form 2009 and there is good news - we already saw that their sales drop was much less than the other manufacturers, except for one. At least this proves that the company is very stable and will be just fine for 2010 - unlike some other unfortunate manufacturers.

http://tinyurl.com/yhvnn46

The 1000c.c. limit in MotoGP, which comes up in 2012, may not spell the absolute end of the 800c.c. machines. According to the principals in charge of this, they will allow the smaller displacement to remain as the new rule is 'up to' 1000c.c. Expect to see one or two smaller bikes remain in the series, but the big guys will probably go ahead and take the extra cubic centimeters...

http://tinyurl.com/yc35pxr

Now, while at the Sepang International Circuit, Honda team director Kazuhiko Yamano and Project Leader Shinichi Kokubu sat down and talked about the new 2010 Honda RC212V. They discussed the way the factory and satellite teams will be handled as far as special parts and electronics. For more on this, take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yb4wpfh

Never Ending Morning News - MotoGP & Motorcycle Trading Cards

There is a great deal of activity in the MotoGP series this week. The teams are already on location and have set up for practice at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia. The overseers of the series will also be on hand as they continue to firm up rules for the new 1000c.c. displacement rules, which should go into effect in 2012. And, we also hear that every single rider on the MotoGP grid will be wearing Ohlins suspenders - can someone say spec-suspension? And, new Ducati team manager, Vittoriano Guareschi, actually took 10 of the 2010 Ducati Desmosedici bikes out on the Sepang track for some practice - all on his own; talk about dedication. Of course, Guareschi was also factory test rider for Ducati before taking his current position.

Teams - http://tinyurl.com/ycbu9zw

MotoGP rules - http://tinyurl.com/yc953jx

Ohlins - http://tinyurl.com/yb8jxnj

Vittoriano Guareschi - http://tinyurl.com/ye6tels

Bongothedude has just released its first ever custom trading card service for motorcyclists. There are several packs already available online and they will even make a custom card for you or custom cards for your entire club or organization. As with baseball trading cards, there is a color image of the motorcycle on the front and a detailed information panel on the back. It's a good idea for any riding group - and, it could be fun to use them as business cards as well. Take a look and get some for yourself.

http://tinyurl.com/yaurnyl

Friday Morning Moto News - Biaggi, Jakub Smrz & Gresini Honda

Apparently, last year Max Biaggi and his Aprilia team attempted to appeal and FIM decision as to his punishment for cutting a chicane during the first race of the season. Well, the FIM has now declined the protest and the ruling will stand...as if we did not expect that.

http://tinyurl.com/yek9g7e

In more World Superbike news, the B&G Racing group has released their livery for the 2010 season. On that team is Jakub Smrz and he will be riding a Ducati 1198. The B&G name comes from the owners of the team Borciani and Guandalini. See the article for more and the photo.

http://tinyurl.com/yarhseg

Gresini Honda has picked up another sponsor for the 2010 - 2011 MotoGP Championship. Printer company Prink has signed on to be a sponsor of their effort and will provide all printing services for the entire Gresini team - all the way up to their HQ office. This is very good news - more sponsorship.

http://tinyurl.com/y9hjez3

Wednesday Morning Moto News - Claudio Castiglioni, MotoGP, Moto2 & 125GP

MV Agusta's president, Claudio Castiglioni, is backing a plan to raise the overall speed limit in Italy from its current setting at 130 km/h (81 mph) up to 150 km/h (93 mph). The Italian transport agency is trialing the new speed limit in some areas with an eye to making the change national. Castiglioni has stated that modern motorcycles are perfectly able to travel safely at those speeds. Maybe he will have some influence...

http://tinyurl.com/yb9bm92

The FIM has released the entry list for the 2010 125c.c. World Championship. Bradley Smith is the favorite for the title, as we all may well know. But, he has some competition from Aspar rider Nicolas Terol. For the full list and a short article on the series, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/ybksf3j

Moto2 has also been presented to us by the FIM. At present, there should be 39 riders lining up for the inaugural season. Many of the newcomers - and former 250c.c. riders - have already been mentioned as this class is getting an extraordinary focus from the media. It is a new series, and no one is sure who will be the favorite, so hold on tight as the season starts very soon!

http://tinyurl.com/ydootoe

We also get the official list of MotoGP entrants - 17 riders for 2010, at least full-time. There will be a few other teams which will only contest some rounds this year, but the rider group competing for the championship is only 17 bikes total. Have a look...as if you don't already know.

http://tinyurl.com/yke3zjm

More Morning Moto News - Sweepstakes, Leon Haslam & Capirex

Over at the U.K. newspaper, the Mirror, is having a sweepstakes where you could win a Leon Camier autographed Pirelli British Superbike Championship book. All you have to do is join some panel of theirs and you are automatically entered...easy as pie!

http://tinyurl.com/yf8x2fl

On the first day of the Portimao World Superbike test, Leon Haslam has topped the time sheets at the track. Of course, they are not all there looking for fast times, most are chasing setup demons and trying to figure out how to tune their race machines for the team riders. But, it does show that Haslam is putting in his effort to win the 2010 series title. Jonathan Rea was in second place on the day...

http://tinyurl.com/yj4s7cn

World Supersport times at the same test: http://tinyurl.com/ybqod4f

Loris Capirossi has been in the news a great deal these last few days. He must have had an interview day or two recently. Anyway, Capirossi is quite happy to know that the MotoGP engine limit will move to 1000c.c. soon. In fact, he said he would be the 'happiest person on earth' if the powers-that-be were to move the date of this rule change forward to 2011. Can't blame him...

http://tinyurl.com/yfu79jd

Wednesday Evening Moto News - Moto2 and Lehman sans H-D

The line-up for the 2010 FIM Moto2 Championship is starting to get into racing shape. The list is not 'official' yet, but there are 40 (they say, but I only count 25 teams on the list and I count at least 43 seats) teams on the list as of now. Of course, some of these teams may not make it to the 2010 show, but they might be able to get things together by 2011. A highly competitive series will only make the first Moto2 season more interesting.

http://tinyurl.com/y8b28ww

Harley-Davidson is ending their relationship with Lehman Trikes by the year 2011. H-D will be making their own trikes in their York, PA, plant (good news for employees there) by that year. Lehman will continue to produce H-D trikes through 2010, so there should be continuous production. It was a purely economic decision, no bad blood or problems. I hope H-D will get their tooling right on the first go; I wouldn't buy one of the early models. And, Lehman has many other agreements in place - especially cool is the Victory Vision Trike - so they should still be solid.

http://tinyurl.com/ye9857z

More Sunday Afternoon Moto News - Supercross Results

After waiting a little longer than I thought, we have results from yesterday's Phoenix round of the AMA Supercross. Ryan Dungey captured his first ever Supercross win at the event and Jake Weimer took his second consecutive AMA Supercross Lites Western Regional victory. James Stewart crashed hard in a heat race, but still came back and won his last chance heat race to get a start in the main. The 2010 season is shaping up to be a very hard fought competition between some of the best off-road racers in the world - don't miss another round or you will be sorry!

http://tinyurl.com/yepemjf

Thursday Morning Moto Race News - MotoGP, CRP and BSB

It seems that Dorna and Carmelo Ezpeleta has said that he is open to moving up the date of the 1000c.c. engine change for MotoGP by a year. He has stated that he would not fight against such a move, but he believes that all interested parties would probably want to stick with the 2012 date. It does show some flexibility in a place where there is usually little...

http://tinyurl.com/yl2hcu3

Italian firm CRP has finally released their eCRP 1.0 electric race motorcycle to the public. As you would imagine, coming from an Italian company, it is rather strikingly beautiful. The machine will run with two Agni motors which link to a single shaft, and, like the Mavizen TTX02, it has a touch-panel control system in place with wireless built in. It was designed specifically for racing in the 2010 TTXGP series. The units should start shipping around late March or early April.

http://tinyurl.com/yecefcz

Michael Laverty is looking for a championship in the 2010 British Superbike Championship. He will continue to ride for the Relentless Suzuki squad with teammate Alastair Seeley. If he can get it done this year, it will be Suzuki's first title in the BSB series since 2004. Expect Laverty to put on a real show.

http://tinyurl.com/yakx33h

Don't leave out Seeley! He is also a very good racer and will be with an incredible team - Relentless Suzuki - on a great bike - Suzuki GSX-R1000 - in 2010.

http://tinyurl.com/yd4ndq6