Joel Morris & Ben Grindrod Get Rides in BSB Superstock

Joel Morris had to sit out most of last season as he did not have a ride in any race series. This season, though, he has landed a chance to ride for the Buildbase team in the 2010 BSB National Superstock 600 Championship. It was his friend Adam Jenkinson who landed him the position. However, Morris could use some more sponsors, so take the link and see if you can help out!

http://tinyurl.com/yze638p

Ben Grindrod, a student in Business & Management Studies, has also secured a ride in the 2010 BSB Superstock 600 series. He will be riding for Seton Interceptor Team on a Yamaha YZF-R6. Grindrod's claim to fame at this early stage in his career is his Gold Medal in the 2009 MRO Junior Stock Sport Championships. He is a gifted young racer who has his whole career in front of him...can't wait to see how he does in 2010!

http://tinyurl.com/yj5r7xg

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

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 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

More Afternoon Moto News - Peyton Sassaman, A4DE & FZ8

Peyton Sassaman will be taking his Harley-Davidson sponsored Yamaha YZF-R6 to the WERA National Challenge Series. He will also take on select rounds of the AMA Pro SuperSport and the ASRA/CCS series. He is a former dirt-track AMA Amateur National Champion and WERA Lightweight Superstock National Champion, so his resume puts him right where he should be, but what's next? Wait and see...

http://tinyurl.com/y8nacvc

OK, for those that do not know, A4DE is the Australian 4-Day Enduro and it takes place 8 - 11 April 2010 in Portland, NSW. Yamaha Australia has gained the prime sponsorship for the event and has naming rights. Everything seems to be coming together for the race now, and it is looking like it will be even better this year. So, pay attention and plan to attend - if you will be close enough to do so!

http://tinyurl.com/yazqhfa

Italian moto mag Motociclismo has gotten their hands on some photos of the upcoming FZ8, otherwise referred to as the Fazer 8. We saw some early shots previously, but nothing like the collection here. Now, will it arrive on US shores? No one knows at present...

http://tinyurl.com/ylyz3h4

http://tinyurl.com/ykrt3vz

http://tinyurl.com/yznfw9v

Some Monday Afternoon Racebike Testing - Yamaha and Honda

First up MotorcycleUSA has had the chance to throw a leg over two World Supersport machines. The first is the championship winning Yamaha YZF-R6 of Cal Crutchlow. This is about a perfect factory-spec WSS motorcycle with electronics on the thing just shy of what you would find on a MotoGP machine. It is one hell of a wild ride! Just let me get my hands on one, please...

http://tinyurl.com/yzxdxw6

Next, they had the chance to ride on the WSS race-prepped Honda CBR600RR of Eugene Laverty. His team, Parkalgar Honda, may be a satellite team, but this bike performs like a factory-supported machine should. It has the above R6 in the mid-range, but is just a hair shy of it on the top end. Go and lust on your own time!

http://tinyurl.com/yhorc2j

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

Yamaha Has Exited the Canadian Superbike Championship

Coming on the heels of their exit - sort of - from AMA racing, Yamaha has announced that they will not be participating in the Canadian Superbike Championships in 2010. A sorry state of affairs for the company which won so many championship series this year. It looks like those victories have not translated into motorcycle sales in the showroom...

http://tinyurl.com/ybe9e6t

This is probably why: http://tinyurl.com/yeje32v

New Zealand's Westrern Province Regional Motorcycle Championship

This weekend will be the penultimate race in that series, and the rookies are really taking the challenge to some of the veteran racers there. Kawasaki mounted newbie Rob Cragg has dominated the Class A series this year. Over in 600 Challenge, a young Michael Wahl has dominated every race on his Yamaha R6 - but, he has to look out for another rookie, David McFadden. The other classes are still pretty much wide open, but none of the championships have been decided yet - watch this weekend and you may see that happen!

http://tinyurl.com/yhnocl2

Cal Crutchlow's World Supersport Yamaha YZF-R6 Tested

The Yamaha R6 is a rather sharp-edged track weapon - of course, it is also very fun when twisting your way through the backroads of wherever you live. But, take that machine and have some racing-minded Italian mechanics breathe some fire into it in order to challenge the best Supersport riders on the planet, and you have a beast of a machine. Cal Crutchlow's YZF-R6 helped him win the World Supersport Championship this year and we get to read about it via Superbike Magazine.

http://tinyurl.com/yhhp2y5

Cal Crutchlow Elated and Ready For World Superbike in 2010

Crutchlow held off Eugene Laverty this past weekend in Portimao to finally take the World Supersport Championship. It was a good way to leave the class as he will be contesting the World Superbike Championship in 2010 with Yamaha and James Toseland as his teammate. It looks like he is ready to enter the fight and has the wherewithal to fight for the championship...

http://tinyurl.com/yh62nf4

More Information on Yamaha's 2010 R1 and R6

Though this is only a brief introduction, at least it does have more than the just the usual tiny photos. Here is a list of new features and some of the new livery with which the new YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 superbikes will be released in 2010. Not much, but something...

http://tinyurl.com/luh7a2

Even more on YZF-R6: http://tinyurl.com/oazlwe

And, the YZF-R1: http://tinyurl.com/q7eyng

Yamaha Champions Riding School Announces Schedule for Las Vegas

You have, I hope, heard of the Yamaha Champions Riding School, right? Well, if not, it is a top-notch track-based motorcycle riding school lead by Nick Ienatsch - who was teaching with no less than "Fast" Freddie Spencer at his namesake class in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, Fast Freddie's school is not operating anymore. But, YCRS is going to provide relief for those of you who live in or near Vegas.

http://tinyurl.com/oq33wv

Josh Hayes, Melissa Paris and Ben Bostrom Take Yamaha to Endurance Racing

This weekend at Virginia International Raceway (Alton, Virginia) will see Hayes, his wife Paris, and Bostrom riding in the WERA Endurance race. Ben Bostrom and Josh Hayes will ride on a team with Sam Gaige on a Yamaha YXF-R1; Melissa Paris will ride with Mike Cerone and Miles Thornton on the Markbilt/GYT-R YZF-R6.

It should make for interesting viewing, if you can get there!

http://tinyurl.com/lzueyp