Brock's Offers WERA Contingency & Aprilia RSV-4R versus Yamaha YZF-R1

Brock's Performance, supplier of BST carbon-fiber wheels for Japanese sportbikes in the US, is offering some US$37,200 in contingency money for the WERA series. Supported classes are WERA's National Challenge, National Endurance and the huge Sportsman series. You need to take the link to see the details as there are some important notes...

http://tinyurl.com/yfollqv

Motorcyclist has put up a comparison of two of the most praised liter-class bikes in the industry - the 2010 Aprilia RSV-4R and the Yamaha YZF-R1. Both machines (even the 'low-end' Aprilia) have some of the most advanced, race-developed technology that the sport has ever seen. Both machines are also very track-focused bikes but are also not so hard to live with on the streets. Want to know how it turned out? Take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/ygqtxy2

Bostrom and Clark Take WERA Endurance Win in Georgia

Ben Bostrom and Chris Clark piloted their Team Zyvax 2 Yamaha YZF-R1 to victory at the Roebling Road Raceway outside of Savannah, Georgia. They took the win with nine laps in front of the second place team, Team Hooters Apex 2 Suzuki GSX-R600 ridden by James Rispoli and Tim Birdsong. Third place was the other Yamaha team - riding a YZF-R6 - of Dane Westby and Clinton Sellers. It was cold and rainy at the track, but the 15 teams who attended fought the elements and raced against the wind. For all the details, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/ydlqm5r

More Morning Moto News - BSB Tickets & Neil Hodgson

You could win tickets to the opening round of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch, which takes place over Easter weekend, 2 - 5 April 2010. For your chance to see the race action yourself - for free - take the link and answer the question on the page. If you get it right and are selected, you will get two tickets to see the event!

http://tinyurl.com/yztdmlr

Neil Hodgson is starting to like the way his race machine feels - this after some seven days of testing in Spain at two different locations. Motorpoint Yamaha has been working hard to give him the mount he needs to be competitive. His teammate Dan Linfoot is also expected to do very well this year. But, if Hodgson does come to terms with the sweet R1 he is racing, everyone else must take care and keep their eyes open - Hodgson is heading for the win!

http://tinyurl.com/yk8actj

MORE Afternoon Moto News - Yamaha Celebrates & Bonhams Vintage European Auction

Yamaha Motor Company has released some videos to celebrate their 2009 racing season. Champions Ben Spies, Cal Crutchlow, Tony Cairoli and James Stewart and their race machines are featured in these highlight videos from last season. Yamaha has a way with these things and they are well worth watching.

http://tinyurl.com/yarmqy2

At the Bonhams sale of An Important European Collection of Pioneer, Vintage and Collectors’ Motorcycles at the RAF Museum, Hendon on 27 February 2010, a selection of small and some strange European motorcycles will be auctioned. They will have everything there from a three-seater 1937 Böhmerland 603cc Langtouren all the way to a "penny farthing" - which is a converted bicycle. For more information, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yhy473o

Thursday Morning Moto News - Luca Scassa, Motus & TZ Tribute R1

We are hearing that Luca Scassa - an up and coming Italian racer who has contested both Italian championships and AMA Pro Racing seasons - has joined a team known as Team Supersonic. They have their hands on Noriyuki Haga's 2009 Ducati 1198 machines, and they are planning to join the World Superbike Championship in 2011, but they may start in 2010 at the first European round...we will soon see.

http://tinyurl.com/yjftcrn

How about another close - even closer - look at the new Motus Motorcycles MST 1650c.c. Sport Tourer? Well, Cycle World has provided us with one. They may be on to something very good with their new technology approach. I sure hope we get to ride that MST very soon!

http://tinyurl.com/yftgxna

And, this one just has to be posted. I read about this custom, one-off build to honor the old TZ dirt trackers (see Kenny Roberts, Sr.). It's all done by Gregg's Customs and they did an awesome job on it! It is light, powerful, great handling and well-built - and it has 160 HP on tap! This is an awesome machine!

http://tinyurl.com/yhpb44w

Steve Parrish to Ride in Thundersprint 2010

Parrish is well-known as the BBC commentator for MotoGP (his partner was fired last week), but he is also a motorcycle racer. So, at the Thundersprint 2010 event, to be held 8 - 9 May 2010, he will race a Yamaha YZF-R1 at the event next year - and he will have fun!

http://tinyurl.com/yzqwv5y

Crutchlow and Toseland Preparing for 2010 WSBK Season

Earlier, we read about Toseland and how happy Corser is to see him back in the WSBK paddock, but Crutchlow has also been working very hard to make his debut in the top racing series a successful one. He fought very hard for the World Supersport title in 2009, and he will have yet another fight on his hands when he lines up against the other World Superbike riders in 2010...

http://tinyurl.com/yetpq6t

Irish Racing Ace Michael 'Micko' Sweeney Moving Up

Sweeny won the Irish Southern Centre Championship in 2009 after only four years of road racing - a great feat for a 27-year-old truck driver. Now he and his team are moving up to race in many more events in 2010 - he even has a new sponsor and will be running two Yamahas. His team may even get to compete in the BSB Superstock if all goes well...

http://tinyurl.com/ykfg7at

Neil Hodgson Excited Ahead of First 2010 BSB Test

He is back! Hodgson will be racing a Rob Mac Racing-prepared Yamaha YZF-R1 in the 2010 British Superbike Championship for Motorpoint. He is about to go to his first test for his new team and he is more than ready to get out on the track and start to work. That's the mark of a champion for you...

http://tinyurl.com/yazsylj

Josh Hayes' Yamaha YZF-R1 from 2009 AMA Pro Racing Season

At least I believe it to be from 2009, the author does not specify exactly. But, it is a very good up close look at the YZF-R1 motorcycle which Josh Hayes rode in the DMG/AMA Pro Racing American Superbike Championship. You know, the one which took Hayes to seven class wins during 2009. Have a look and I bet you will be as impressed as I was...and, the author gets to take it on the track!

http://tinyurl.com/yjfoq67

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

MCN (UK) Bike of the Year Announced - 2009 Yamaha YZF-R1

That's right, after looking at all of the evidence - race victories, new technology, how well the bike performs against its peers - the expert panel of judges announced the 2009 Yamaha YZF-R1 is the MCN Bike of the Year. It was also awarded Best Sportsbike over 601c.c. from the same panel. Yamaha took a risk by producing the 'crossplane' crankshaft and it really paid off - if you have not heard one or ridden one, you owe it to yourself to get out and try the R1 - you will be impressed.

http://tinyurl.com/ylnz2o9

Ben Spies Says One Ride Was All It Took...The World Championship Was His

After Ben Spies rode the Sterilgarda Yamaha YZF-R1 he said that if the bike could be made good - and there was no bad luck through the 2009 season - he felt he and his team could take the 2009 World Superbike Championship. It was as simple as taking a ride on the basic motorcycle just once. That's a champion for you...

http://tinyurl.com/ykwy8ka

Yamaha to Have Big Showing at Carole Nash International Show

They may be leaving several racing series around the world and their profits are all but non-existent, but Yamaha will make a full go at it when the Carole Nash International Motorcycle and Scooter show starts at the NEC later this week. Yamaha will have on display several of their new machines along with Toseland's YZR-M1 and Spies' World Championship YZF-R1. Also, noted in this article is the Silverstone booth at the NEC - that is reason enough to attend the show. After all, saving that kind of money on a MotoGP race is something you just do not pass up.

http://tinyurl.com/yfv24z5

Yamaha WSBK Team Manager Massimo Meregalli Gets Ready for 2010 Season

Meregalli has had quite a season in World Superbike; he is the first person to bring Yamaha a World Superbike championship with Ben Spies. He is also losing Spies to the MotoGP paddock in 2010, so he has two new riders with which to get acquainted. The new team will have James Toseland, who already has won the WSBK championship twice before, and 2009 World Supersport champion Cal Crutchlow. To see how he is preparing the team for 2010, take the link...

http://tinyurl.com/yfgdcor

Hodgson and Linfoot to Test Yamaha YZF-R1 at Almeria Next Month

Neil Hodgson will make his first appearance on the Motorpoint R1 at the Spanish Almeria circuit in December. Dan Linfoot will be there as well. They both have to get used to a slightly different machine, so the testing will certainly be useful. Both racers are looking forward to the testing laps with the new bike.

http://tinyurl.com/ybt4l28

The 6-Hour Production Motorcycle Race at Oran Park, Australia

It seems that Australia has yet another race which attracts talent from all over the Superbike world - the Bel-Ray 6-Hour Race. It will take place at Oran Park - just outside of Sydney - this coming weekend. This is the same race where the Aussie Cudlin brothers will also make their return to competition. Honestly, there are too many names to list here, so please take the link and see who else will be enduring 6 hours of motorcycle racing...

http://tinyurl.com/yfu8khh

Rob McElnea and Neil Hodgson Will Do Great Things in BSB Championship

So, some people thought it would be impossible for Hodgson and 'Rob Mac' to come together for the 2010 British Superbike Championship. Both of them have seen their share of championships in the past, and Hodgson is doing the right thing by leaving the AMA/DMG race series in the US (as it is dying slowly) and taking the reins of a Yamaha YZF-R1 with the Motorpoint team of McElnea. The two of them are very hungry for wins and a championship, so we will see some interesting racing in the BSB series 2010.

http://tinyurl.com/ykbrqnw

Yamaha Racing Launches International Prize Drawing

Yamaha Racing will be giving away some sweet prizes to celebrate their incredible 2009 season at racing internationally. The list of championships is very long - but, it still did not stop Yamaha from withdrawing from several series in 2010 - and the prize list is almost its equal. A Yamaha YZF-R1 LE Rossi special (see photo) will be given away along with a one off Yamaha YZF-R1 LE Ben Spies limited edition which has also been breathed on by the racing department. Take the link for the information and get to your Yamaha dealer as soon as possible to enter this amazing sweepstakes!

http://tinyurl.com/ygmx4zf

Hodgson's New Teammate to be Dan Linfoot in BSB for 2010

Dan Linfoot had an impressive 2009, but he was hampered by an injury. That, eventually, led to him being moved up to the Superbike class for the final two rounds of 2009. In 2010, he will join with Neil Hodgson on the Motorpoint Yamaha team in British Superbike. Being a young racer, he will surely learn from Hodgson; it will be good for Linfoot's career.

http://tinyurl.com/yjcjhdr