Jerry Romano’s Square Norton & 2010 Kawasaki ZX-10R Review

You really have to take a look at this machine. Jerry Romano has managed to fit an Ariel Square Four into a Norton Featherbed frame. Just the fact that he massaged the engine into the frame speaks volumes about his skill with motorcycles. This is one of the most incredible customs to come along in a while - it even looks factory-made. The 997cc Ariel Square Four engine is the design of Triumph legend Edward Turner and is a classic all by itself...take the link and be impressed!

http://tinyurl.com/yarjtc9

The 2010 Kawasaki ZX-10R has finally been ridden for the press. It is mostly unchanged, but they did alter the bodywork to more closely resemble the ZX-6R and to make the bike appear to be much lighter - even if the weight is still the same. It certainly looks sharper! The turn signals are a bit of an acquired taste, though. However, the bike is even smoother than last year and it will really tear up a track! Take the link to learn more...

http://tinyurl.com/yhk7cxz

MORE Afternoon Moto News - Buildbase Kawasaki, ASBK & Full Throttle Sports

Buildbase Kawasaki has finished their testing in Spain in preparation for the 2010 British Superbike Championship, with riders John Laverty and Adam Jenkinson getting their first laps aboard the Kawasaki ZX-10R bikes they will be riding in the series. The time was organized by their suspension provider and was extremely useful for the new teammates. Wait and see if it helps them challenge for the title.

http://tinyurl.com/ycwbn2s

The 2010 Australian Superbike Championship will also be staring this weekend at Phillip Island - along with the WSBK season. To get an idea of the first day proceedings, the following link will give you some extreme detail as they list out the various happenings in a time-delineated format - thus showing you minute by minute what was happening at the circuit. If I find more previews, I will post them here.

http://tinyurl.com/ydxxj84

Waters is on top as of now: http://tinyurl.com/yete5nn

In further ASBK news, we hear that one team has added a sponsor to their teams. Cougar Bourbon has signed on with Full Throttle Sports to sponsor both the ASBK team and the Australian MX Championship. This is big as it is rare to find a sponsor so ready to support an entire team's operations. The livery has already been drawn up and is ready to be put on both their Honda Fireblade ASBK machine and their CRF450R MX machine. For all the details, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yenjamk

More Morning Moto News - MSS Colchester & Silverstone

MSS Colchester Kawasaki is due to have a very busy 2010. They will be competing in the BSB Championship, the National Superstock Championship and the Isle of Man TT. The will have at least four riders and will also be developing technology in conjunction with the Paul Bird WSBK team. They will not have much time to relax, but it will certainly give them a chance to take home some titles and learn enough to give them a chance at each and every round.

http://tinyurl.com/yhrpdvv

The Silverstone track is just about ready to host racing at the track. They have made some improvements - some major, others minor - which should lead to a very fast and challenging circuit for the various series which will grace their paddock. The MotoGP round will certainly keep everyone's eyes glued to the event as they try to see if the new track is fast enough for those professionals...

http://tinyurl.com/yke7ma7

More Morning Moto News - Lloyd Brothers, Kawasaki ZX-10R & Z1000 Vs. Triumph Videos

A short press release from Lloyd Brothers Motorsports has informed us that they will retain the sponsorship of American Agip as their title sponsor for the 2010 AMA Grand National Dirt Track series. This is excellent new for the team who was hoping greatly for this continued support. For a short bit of detail, take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/y9z53hs

The Kawasaki ZX-10R video has the guys at MCN (UK) out testing the 2010 model against the 2009 version in their usual speed tests. It's a riot and looks like they had way too much fun! Go and enjoy...

http://tinyurl.com/ycrdanr

In our next video feature from MCN (UK), they take the all new 2010 Kawasaki Z1000 up against the Triumph Speed Triple. For the first time, according to the piece, Kawasaki has provided them with something to really challenge the Hinckley triple in a hard-charging competition. Have a look for yourself...

http://tinyurl.com/yedakqt

Wednesday Evening Moto News - Husqvarna and Vermeulen

Husqvarna has been named the Marque of the Year for 2010 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. The event, as always, will be Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, during 9 - 11 July 2010. Husqvarna only recently returned to full-time participation in AMA national level racing and they are quite happy to be selected for this honor.


http://tinyurl.com/yawvthu

And, luckily, we now have access to an interview with soon to be World Superbike competitor Chris Vermeulen. He will be spearheading Kawasaki's effort in that series for 2010, and I can think of no one better suited to the task. It will be well worth paying attention to WSBK again this year and we will all be better for it!

http://tinyurl.com/yzda3qf

More Monday Morning Moto News - Next Kawasaki ZX-10R?

This could be the look of the next Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, or it could just be a fanciful design exercise to see what could be done with the liter-class killer motorcycle from Kawasaki. The ZX-10R is one of the most beloved sportbikes on the planet, and Kawasaki likes to design forward-looking machines these days. They love to take on aggressive stances with their bikes and the public loves them for it. They were one of the first to integrate turn signals into the bodywork eliminating the usual desire to replace them as soon as you could. This design comes from French magazine Motorevue and it is their idea of where Kawasaki might go with the styling. Personally, I say that Kawasaki should build this bike!

http://tinyurl.com/yzfaayf

Your Tuesday Moto News Part 2 - Mostly Race-Related Information

Most of this is race-related...

Marco Simoncelli has stated his goal in his first year in the 2010 MotoGP Championship - he wants to land top 5 at worst! That is an ambitious goal considering he is a rookie in the class and will be running on satellite machinery. They say that he is aware of the challenge he faces in that paddock, but he is a very good rider and a potential threat on any weekend...

http://tinyurl.com/ygdqp54

Chris Vermeulen is ready to race now! He was out training on both Christmas and New Year's Day - just to show that he has two more days than other riders - as he is preparing for the 2010 World Superbike Championship. It is good to know that all is going well for his ride in WSBK as he is most certainly a talented motorcycle racer who does have a chance at another title or two before he is done.

http://tinyurl.com/yg9jne8

Chris Vermeulen Making Solid Progress During Almeria Testing

Vermeulen has been at the Spanish Almeria circuit doing some testing with his Kawasaki World Superbike team for the past two days. The testing went very well for the Australian and he has seen some solid improvements. Even the team is working very well together. If only the 2010 season could come sooner for him!

http://tinyurl.com/ybwp8tx

Another Issue of Salt Addiction - Joe Amo

The man went 272 mph on a 1000c.c. motorcycle in the Bonneville Salt Flats - and amazing speed. Rocky Robinson takes a look into the man who rides the machine, Joe Amo. Performance is everything...

http://tinyurl.com/yech3md

Vermeulen Believes that Kawasaki Will Be Strong in 2010 World Superbike Championship

He tested the WSBK ZX-10R at Cartegena (Spain) last week and found it to be a very good racing machine - as you might expect. He also managed to get some baseline readings which will greatly help their further testing and racing in 2010. Vermeulen will be a strong competitor in the WSBK paddock next year, and Kawasaki is looking for a renaissance, which they may just have with Vermeulen at the controls.

http://tinyurl.com/ygz4bb5

2009 Western Province Regional Motorcycle Finale - New Zealand

The final race of the 2009 season for the Kiwi racers in the Western Province Regional Motorcycle was a dogfight, according to this article. The winner in the main was Rob Cragg on a Kawasaki ZX-10R - and then a similar group at the front in race 2, but a different winner - Danie Maritz on a Yamaha YZF-R1. There are several other winners at this event, so make sure you read the entire piece - we do not get news like this every day...take advantage.

http://tinyurl.com/ygbx7vw

Chris Vermeulen Finishs Two Good Days of Testing in Spain

Vermeulen was in Cartegena testing on the Kawasaki ZX-10R for his 2010 World Superbike Championship return. He did some nice laps and made some good progress at the track. Overall, he seemed even happy with the way the testing went. He will be partnered with Tom Sykes in WSBK.

http://tinyurl.com/yg92rx5

Ben Attard Takes His Kawasaki to Third Place in Australian Supersport

I figure that man people will want to know how Ben Attard did in Australia, so here we go. He raced in the finale at Phillip Island and brought home a 6th and 9th place to secure his overall 3rd place in the 2009 Australian Supersport Championship. Overall, a very good year for the rider. His teammate, Kevin Curtain, who rides in the Australian Superbike Championship, ended the year in 9th place overall; a DNF in the second race at Phillip Island sealed his position there.

http://tinyurl.com/yzm5x3b

More News From Australian Superbike Championship

Well, there is plenty of news coming out from the Australian Superbike Championship, so I am going to put it all in one post to make it easier to find.


As we already know, Josh Waters dominated the final event at Phillip Island and took the Championship as well.


http://tinyurl.com/ydg8fmh


Taasha Coates of The Audreys was at the final ASBK event at Phillip Island and managed to get a ride on the back of a Kawasaki ZX-10R two seater, piloted by Australian Superbike rider Kev Curtain. It sacred the holy heck out of her - but, it would anyone...


http://tinyurl.com/yj7du7f


Honda wins Australian Superbike Manufacturer’s Cup by having their CBR1000RR riders consistently finish high in the order.


http://tinyurl.com/yhlhh7c


Of course, it did not hurt that Honda rider and Team CJC’s Craig Coxhell was sixth overall in the ASBK Championship and actually won the Privateer’s Cup.


http://tinyurl.com/yfhsca9

MSS Colchester Kawasaki Signs Ryan Ryan Farquhar

Farquhar is a double TT winner and the Irish Motorcyclist of the Year - he has even beaten Joey Dunlop’s amazing total of 119 Irish national race wins. MSS Colchester is quite happy to have him in their garage, and they will be campaigning the Isle of Mon TT, Northwest 200, and Ulster Grand Prix 'real roads' races. This was all announced at the Carole Nash show at the NEC.

http://tinyurl.com/yfy38vy

Buildbase Kawasaki Confirms Laverty and Jenkinson for 2010 BSB

John Laverty rode the Ninja for the Buildbase team in 2009 and had a relatively successful outing; his new teammate, Adam Jenkinson, was on a Honda last season and manged some respectable finishes. For the 2010 British Superbike Championship, the two will be paired and working towards the same goal as everyone else there - the championship. Read more after the link...

http://tinyurl.com/y9o7gzh

Vermeulen Begins Duties at Kawasaki WSBK Team

Chris Vermuelen was not allowed to test at the final round of the World Superbike Championship in Portimao because his bosses at Rizla Suzuki would not allow it. So, over in Japan he is now getting his first taste of the Kawasaki ZX-10R he will be riding in next year's championship season. They are calling it a 'shake-down' run for Vermeulen, with the real testing to commence at Cartagena very soon...

http://tinyurl.com/ylgjyb7

Michael Rutter Takes His Kawasaki to Macau GP for Seventh Win

Rutter will be racing for Team of Paris AXA Racing on a Kawasaki ZX-10R prepared by MSS Colchester Kawasaki. The race is a 'real roads' competition held on the Chinese island of Macau. Racers from around the world converge on the track next month. Rutter already has six victories at the event - which ties him with GP ace Ron Haslam - and he is hoping for his record-setting seventh! If only I still lived in Hong Kong...

http://tinyurl.com/ycgy9dx

Simon Andrews will be joining Rutter in Macau: http://tinyurl.com/yetksm2

Big Chnages Ahead for Irish Racer Michael Pearson

He had a very good 2009 in the racing series consisting of mostly real roads - not tracks. He won the Cock O’ the North race and took top honors again at the season finale, Killalane Road Races. He did ride both Yamaha and Honda in 2009, but for 2010 he will be on a Kawasaki - thanks to his sponsor and MSS Kawasaki. He's on his way up!

http://tinyurl.com/yaxgozf

Ian Lougher Joins with Kawasaki for Isle of Man TT

We already know that he is now on his way to Australia for the Kings of Wanneroo event, but this is even better news. We also know Lougher was already set to ride for Team Blackhorse Kawasaki in the British Superbike Superstock 1000 Championship. Now, the Blackhorse team will also be competing in the Isle of Man TT and Lougher will lead that effort. It seems that he will also run in some other racing events - I assume also in BSB - using both the Ninja ZX-6R and ZX-10R...A man on a racing mission!

http://tinyurl.com/ya29aco