Erik Buell Racing and India's Hero MotoCorp - A Joint Venture

Again, another one late to be posted, but it remains significant:

Now that Erik Buell is free from the traditionalists at The Motor Company, he can fully explore his imagination, and that of the incredible engineers employed by his marque. Erik Buell Racing can also look to the future, and take on a partnership with the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world - Hero MotoCorp. For their part, Hero will become a minority owner of EBR; this will secure a "free-flowing relationship" between the two companies with an emphasis on research and development and sharing of technology. Under HD, Buell could have never done this, and Hero may not have even tried; Hero may have only taken this step since they dissolved their technology agreement with Honda (BTW: it did not "collapse" as they say). EBR should gain access to an amazing amount of engineering knowledge and technology, and Hero will learn so much from what Buell has always done - excel at the new and better.

http://tinyurl.com/d6ojmeo

http://tinyurl.com/d2p9nqo

Deeley HD Ready to Race & Motorpoint Yamaha BSB Team Debut

Deeley Harley-Davidson, long a supporter of motorcycle racing, will continue to race in the Canadian Superbike Championship. Their Ruthless Racing team will be racing both Buells and H-D XR1200 machines in the Canadian Sports Twin, Pro Superbike and Pro Sport Bike classes. There is more to this press release, so please take the link and read on through...

http://tinyurl.com/yzdjchb

The British Superbike Championship team Motorpoint Yamaha will be doing their team unveiling this coming Friday (26 March 2010) at their UK HQ in Derby. Neil Hodgson, Dan Linfoot and Niall Mackenzie will all be on hand at the introduction - and, entry is free and open to the public. For all the hot details, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yjntc6y

MV Agusta Target of a Berlusconi? & BSB Test at Brands Hatch

MV Agusta, as you surely know by now, is up for sale from current owners Harley-Davidson - the marque having some of the worst financial issues in the industry currently - and a group of Italian investors is interested in taking ownership. It turns out that one of those investors in the brother of the Italian Prime Minister; his name is Paolo Berlusconi. Burlusconi already owns one Italian marque, Garelli...

http://tinyurl.com/yg9or3r

The British Superbike Championship will begin in just a few weeks time during the Easter weekend. For now, though, the teams were out at Brands Hatch doing some testing this week. There is not a great deal of detail available as of yet, so take the link below to get an introduction. If I do find more BSB testing information, I will post it here.

http://tinyurl.com/ylso5az

PR from GNS Racing (Supersport): http://tinyurl.com/yfamlmg

PR from Quay Garage (Superbike): http://tinyurl.com/yf23wpt

Harley-Davidison Is a Take-Over Target, Maybe & Aaron Gobert Races at Home

Given their lackluster sales, seriously declining profits, and issues with their employees, Harley-Davidson may be the target of a takeover bid. Private equity concern Kohlberg Kravis Roberts could be looking to pursue a leveraged buyout of the Motor Company. The stock market is thinking this will happen late this month or in April, based on their stock purchases. It could mark another turning point for the company that only recently was doing so well they went on a buying spree. I guess they should have saved their money, or maybe paid their executives a little more reasonably instead of giving themselves all 'golden parachutes'...Too bad the company has no concept of time!

http://tinyurl.com/yjjzt4h

Aaron Gobert is returning to Australia to race in the Australian Supersport Championship. Since the US AMA series is in dire straights financially and there is little factory support in the series, he could not land a ride in a series in which he actually has a championship season - and a decent record. Thus, he will be riding a Yamaha YZF-R6 which will actually be supported with help from Graves Motorsport, Gobert's former team. The ultimate destination for him is to ride the Aprilia RSV-4 for KWS Motorsports.

http://tinyurl.com/yj6kj73

Harley Acts Like Any Corporation & Danny Magoo Will Get His Van

It turns out that Harley-Davidson is paying their CEO just like many other ethically-challenged multi-national corporations. Given that The Motor Company has been shutting down production lines and laying off workers, you would think that they could save some of that money by paying the CEO who has presided over the most dramatic losses that the company has ever had would take a pay cut to keep the company running. Well, this is what you get when a motorcycle company goes corporate - their only concern is with their shareholders' value in the stock and the executive pay - they are Wall Street slaves. It's all about the $$$ for them. If I were a loyal H-D rider, I would begin a campaign to stop this sort of behavior...but, I am not one...

http://tinyurl.com/yf5kvbw

Does anyone remember when we heard the news that Bob Hannah was setting up a fund to purchase a full-mobility van for motocross legend Danny "Magoo" Chandler? Well, it has achieved its goal! Magoo will be getting his van very soon now. It was new Hall of Fame inductee brothers Bob and Geoff Fox who donated the final US$15K to the project. Everyone is labeling the Fox brothers as amazing at this point, and there is good reason for this! For all the details, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/ykkyrnn

Wednesday Morning Moto News - MV Agusta Buyer? & Gatornationals NHRA

MV Agusta seems to have a few suitors for its long-awaited sale from Harley-Davidson - at least long-awaited by me. BMW is one of the companies interested in the purchase - however, there has been little comment from the German company since the rumor spread. Next, there is a consortium of Italian businesspeople who may also be interested in the purchase. Whoever it is, I truly hope they do not force MV to compromise its designs in the name of short-term profits!

http://tinyurl.com/ydcxv46

The opening round of the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racing series is this coming weekend in Gainesville, Florida. The event is well-known as the Gatornationals and it marks the 41st year of its run. With this article we get a closer look at one Craig Treble and his return to Don Schumacher racing. Take the link and have a preview of this weekend's coming attractions.

http://tinyurl.com/yejqygm

http://tinyurl.com/yklr4dd

This piece is about Katie Sullivan's trip to this event: http://tinyurl.com/ygwu7hc

More Moto News - Middleweight Cruiser Shootout

Are you looking for a laid-back ride which is easy on your wallet, not too garish, and will take you anywhere the road leads? Well, this is a review for you. Here we have four middleweight cruisers which will do about anything their larger siblings can do, but for less. The (all are 2010 models) Harley-Davidson Sportster 883, Star V-Star 950, Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom and Honda Shadow Phantom. Which one is best for you? Take the link and figure it out!

http://tinyurl.com/yj3jko7

Afternoon Moto News - Yamaha Super Tenere 1200 & H-D Long Jump

Finally, we have more details on the 2010 Yamaha Super Tenere. Its price has been set (in the UK, at least) and they have release more technical details on the machine itself. There is even a video available after the link. Just take your time and hope it will make it to US shores!

http://tinyurl.com/yfcvxcm

Stunt Monkey and Crusty Demons star Seth Enslow has set a new jump record for a heavy bike with a slightly modified Harley-Davidson XR1200. He jumped 56 meters on that rather weighty bike and he did it twice! Enslow had no choice as some press missed his first jump. Anyway, the American is now in the record books, but for how long? (He also may have neutered himself...)

http://tinyurl.com/yzbdmbh

http://tinyurl.com/yhj8kry

MORE Afternoon Moto News - Hungary's Balatonring & Jeremy McWilliams

Some Hungarian civic groups have raised concerns about the Balatonring Circuit soon to be built in the nation (for F1 and MotoGP as well as other national race series). Apparently, these groups believe that the public expenditure on this track far exceeds the amount the government should expect from revenues at the facility. Apparently, global accounting firm KPMG produced a feasibility study on Balatonring and it was not made public - they are asking that it is produced so every citizen can see for themselves whether this is a wise investment at this time...Honestly, I do hope they build the track, but they may need more private investment...

http://tinyurl.com/ygkh3yj

Jeremy McWilliams has signed on to ride in the inaugural season of the Harley-Davidson XR1200 Trophy series, which is now a part of the British Superbike Championship. He will be riding for Warr's Harley-Davidson on a bike which barely makes 60 hp. This comes after a great deal of experience with some much more powerful machines - MotoGP, AMA Pro Superbike and Formula Xtreme. It will be a tough road for the 45-year-old racer, but he has the skills to pull it off!

http://tinyurl.com/yg5zbag

Wednesday Morning Moto News - MV Agusta 800/3 & Jason Crump

The rumored three-cylinder (sometimes referred to as the F3) from MV Agusta has been delayed. The bike is 95% complete and will be around 800cc, instead of the expected 675, and can lap a track only a second off a liter-class racer. It was expected to be sold starting late this year or early in 2011, but it will now be put on hold until the company is finally sold by Harley-Davidson.

http://tinyurl.com/yd3xwbh

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Champion Jason Crump will be traveling to England for the Somerset Speedway's 10 Year Anniversary Meeting on 19 March 2010. Given the fact that he will not be participating full-time in the British Speedway series this year, this will be one of only a few chances for British fans to see Crump race. Get your tickets soon!

http://tinyurl.com/ykb2d8m

More Afternoon Moto News - Latus Racing & Ducati Desmosedici II

George Latus, a Portland (Oregon) Harley-Davidson dealer, could not race a Buell in the AMA Daytona SportBike Championship, so he went to local dealer MotoCorsa and picked up a Ducati 848. He has also signed Steve Rapp to ride the machine in the series, and that will give him an advantage. Of course, as H-D always has done (see V-Rod, Aermacchi, MV Agusta, etc.), they went to Europe for help and it just may pay off this time.

http://tinyurl.com/yehe8ob

Ducati is actually considering whether to release an updated model of the Desmosedici RR street MotoGP replica. Considering that they initially were only to make 300 of the first version, yet ended up selling 1500 of them, they will likely take the jump and produce the new model. One major difference between the old and the new version, though, will be a full carbon fiber frame! I am looking forward to the new version...

http://tinyurl.com/yhhvjjh

More Afternoon Moto News - Alfabeast & Multistrada 1200

This machine is a real work of art from Englishman Chris Barber of (his own shop) Crossbreed Cycles. He has taken an Alpha Romeo 156-horsepower 2.5 liter V6 and plopped into a Harley-Davidson hardtail frame and a H-D four-speed gearbox (would have put a better tranny on it myself) - and he calls it the Alphabeast. Take the link and you will see why. Finally, an auto engine from Italy stuffed into a custom! Who else is tired of 350 V-8 engines being stuffed into a bike frame?

http://tinyurl.com/yj2co3c

The 2010 Ducati Multistrada 1200 was the product of some of the most intensive engine development that Ducati has ever done (I wonder if that means fewer warranty claims on this model?). It is said that the new Multistrada will go for 15,000 miles between services; if true, it will be a phenomenal leap for the Italian marque. Maybe owning a Ducati - leaving out the initial purchase price - will start to cost more in line with the Japanese manufacturers...we can hope!

http://tinyurl.com/ylzhtul

Saturday Afternoon Moto News - Cadwell Park, BUB Exhaust & Maxxis Contingency

Over in the U.K. , the iconic Cadwell Park circuit is undergoing some renovations to improve safety. It turns out that the 80 meters of track they had to work on was much tougher to do that first thought - they had to move a lake! OK, so maybe it wasn't that much, but they did have to manipulate a huge amount of earth to accomplish the fix.

http://tinyurl.com/yk24a93

BUB Enterprises is now the first aftermarket exhaust company to produce exhaust products which have catalytic converters built-in. The California Air Resources Board has just awarded them the permit to produce the Harley-Davidson exhaust systems. Isn't innovation great! Good pipes which are also environmentally friendly - though, I doubt they will sell well as H-D riders rarely care about such things.

http://tinyurl.com/yhwlwuc

Maxxis, well-known tire manufacturer, is offering over US$1 Million for contingencies in both ATV and dirt bike racing series all over the US. All monies will be paid in cash, not coupons or gift cards. And, they will be paying for finished from first through fifth, in many cases. For details, check the link.

http://tinyurl.com/y9y7ydh

Thursday Morning Moto News - Erik Buell & WSBK Valencia Testing

An exclusive interview with Buell man Erik comes to us via MotorcycleUSA, and it is rather long. If there are any burning questions you have about Buell's demise or the reasoning behind the whole thing, you might find an answer or two here. Otherwise, Buell is as much in the dark as the rest of us - only H-D knows some of the answers, and they won't talk about it until people start retiring.

http://tinyurl.com/yz3bmfr

At the second testing session for which the Aprilia World Superbike team has traveled to Valencia, a heavy downpour has caused them to stop their testing. They have nearly lost a full day's worth of information due to the unexpected storm. It looks like they will only have the Phillip Island test to finalize settings for Camier and Biaggi.

http://tinyurl.com/ylqtnbz

It wasn't only Aprilia's team having a hard time, we also see that the BMW WSBK team was 'washed out' of practice due to the heavy rain.

http://tinyurl.com/yz3jphe

More Afternoon Moto News - Pretty Buell, Harley 48 & Aspire

A builder and designer in the U.K. has actually managed to turn the Buell 1125R into something which has a far superior aesthetic value than the stock model. The bike is called the Magpul Ronin, and it just may be a model for future products. As it is now, it is merely a prototype, but the Buell owners will likely push them to produce some of the cool bits on this machine for the public to buy. If Magpul does not, they will be losing some serious money.

http://tinyurl.com/ykvge96

And, it is from the same source that we get the first real look at the new Harley-Davidson 48. It is based on a Sportster 1200 (the second most common H-D) and it has fatter tires and a single seat. Not sure what is supposed to be so special, but then I am not an obsessive H-D fan like some are...

http://tinyurl.com/ykljt9u

US review: http://tinyurl.com/y93gugm

And, here is some important news for U.K. residents; the Aspire charity group which does work for people with severe spinal injuries, allowing them to live normal lives. They will be having what they call a D-Day Ride Out, which will take place in France on 12 - 13 June 2010. Head on over to the website for more details.

http://www.aspire.org.uk/bikers/

Friday Afternoon Moto News - H-D Loss, Erik Buell & Derbi

Harley-Davidson posted their first quarterly loss in 16 years at the end of 2009. It is a sad representation of what this economy is doing to the industry. To help fight this, they have created another entry-market motorcycle, the Forty-Eight, which they hope will bring in some new customers. It is unlikely to make an impact like they want, but they will certainly sell some of them. Good Luck H-D!

http://tinyurl.com/yby5d2t

Erik Buell Racing has signed on with think3’s ThinkDesign (CAD) and ThinkPLM (PDM) to help optimize their product development. This comes to us via a press release from the Erik Buell Racing company and think3. For more details, take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yd9bd69

Derbi, with help from Sevcon, have created their own electric motorcycle, the GPR EV. They say that it is far beyond what is currently being produced by other electric motorcycle manufacturers due to its fully-integrated power system. No word on production or racing for this machine, just the short article and the photo.

http://tinyurl.com/yeg5ask

Friday Morning Moto News - Rea & Camier, New Build & Aprilia US Recall

Gino Rea, European 600cc Superstock Champion, and Leon Camier, British Superbike Champion, have taken off to Spain to do some testing - and to get away from the English winter. Both riders are getting some practice in and enjoying the warmer weather.

http://tinyurl.com/yhd6afx

Honestly, I do not know how to title this, but here is the story as I can understand it. Eighteen-year-old Ryan Mackey has built a replica/real/custom Harley-Davidson WLA and won a contest for it, or unrelated to it, and another motorcycle. He did win the AMCA Youth Program Giveaway Bike, which is an honor of some sort. Honestly, the quality of writing leaves something to be desired, but you can go and check it out for yourself.

http://tinyurl.com/ylgjb5l

The Aprilia RSV-4 (R or Factory), which we heard yesterday was recalled in Australia, is now also being recalled in the US. The article does not specify which version (another poorly written piece), but we can probably assume it was among the earlier generations, thus is likely the Factory model. Keep in mind that there have been NO reports of any failures in the field, none at all.

http://tinyurl.com/yhoyy4e

http://tinyurl.com/ykmotux

And more detail - a complete engine exchange: http://tinyurl.com/ybczceq

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

Tuesday Afternoon Moto News - Bill Werner and a Comparo

Legendary flat track tuner Bill Werner has turned his talents on a Kawasaki Ninja 650 and turned it into a competitive in the AMA Grand National Twins class. And, to add to it all, Werner managed to hire former Harley-Davidson Wrecking Crew member Bryan Smith to tackle this challenge. The idea is to make it affordable again to race in the series. As it is, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, who dominate the series, are incredibly expensive to run for a full season and many amateurs simply cannot afford to keep up the maintenance on the race machine.

http://tinyurl.com/ycjm2dy

Now I will direct your attention to a shootout between sub-US$8K cruisers. They put the H-D 883 Iron, Moto Guzzi V7 Classic, Yamaha / Star V-Star 950, and the Triumph Bonneville through the paces to see which one of them is the best at what they do and the best value. See which one wins...I'll give you a hint, it's not the American one.

http://tinyurl.com/yb9ypbc

More Wednesday Moto News from Just About Everywhere, Part 2

And, even more...

Other designers are rallying behind the new 2010 Honda VFR1200F as many web posts have derided the machine as being 'ugly'. Even Pierre Terblanche has stepped up in its defense. The designer behind the new model, Teofilo Plaza, also designed the 2008 Honda Fireblade (CBR1000RR to US readers) and that was the first model of the 'snub-nosed' design. Many professional designers say that the VFR is ahead of its time.

http://tinyurl.com/yd5rzqw

We finally get news of the whereabouts of Davide Tardozzi after he left the Ducati World Superbike team. He will now be working for the BMW World Superbike team - at least for the next three years. The reasoning behind his departure from Ducati were never officially given, but it probably had to do with the Haga/Fabrizio 2009 WSBK effort...

http://tinyurl.com/yj5pg7h

Now even the Los Angeles police know what most of us have known for some time - BMW motorcycles are much less expensive to maintain than Harley-Davidsons. Most of us have already owned enough motorcycles to learn that lesson, but it took LA a while. Anyway, they have decided to purchase BMW R1200 RT-Ps for their motorcycle officers instead of the usual H-D. It will cost them less and save them some much needed money.

http://tinyurl.com/ylft33z