Tuesday Night Moto News - Daytona Bike Week News

There will be many more of these this week, though you may only see a few more here. That is because Daytona Bike Week is the largest festival of its kind in the US. It has the most activities in the shortest time of any rally that I have seen (or known of). So, if you are not able to attend, please take some time and see what you are missing. You may find there is much more to it than the 'Spring Break' type party you may have imagined. The racing alone is worth the trip...Take some of the following links to see if it is worthwhile for your vacation time next year...

http://tinyurl.com/y9fofbz

Suzuki-related: http://tinyurl.com/ykjp4ny

Rockstar Makita Suzuki & Yoshimura: http://tinyurl.com/yg98tka

More Morning Moto News - Yoshimura Japan, Rossi and Lorenzo, & Aprilia and BMW

The famed Yoshimura Japan team, which is made up of various riders and the best Suzuki equipment in the paddock, will also be taking on three rounds of the World Superbike Championship. We had heard rumors last year about this and it has now been confirmed. They will use BSB rider Yukio Kagayama at Assen and Magny Cours and Daisaku Sakai will race for them at Imola. For more details, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yb4tztt

Well, now that we all know that the Fiat Yamaha garage might as well be split in two and moved far apart given that neither Lorenzo's or Rossi's teams will share data with each other, we might wonder how the riders feel. Well, Rossi is OK with it, but Lorenzo does not understand why they did it. He feels that the team would be better served by them sharing data and improving the YZR-M1 for both of them...

http://tinyurl.com/y8aqt87

Neither Aprilia nor BMW have released any information on whether they will enter the MotoGP series now that the 2012 rules will allow them to put their machines up against the other manufacturer's prototypes. It is a bit odd, but it is probably because they are still studying the move to see if it would benefit them or simply cost them a fortune.

http://tinyurl.com/y8ssaxe

More Morning Moto News - AMA Pro Racing Test & Marco Lucchinelli

Over at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, some of the 2010 AMA Pro Racing teams were out practicing and working on setup. Well, Aaron Yates ripped off a screaming run at the track and left the test as the fastest of those running American Superbike machines. He and his team are all running last year's models, but they are not too upset by that as they have over a year worth of extra data to work with. Even Larry Pegram was at the event doing some testing - but all riders complained of being off of their mounts for far too long this winter...

http://tinyurl.com/yh6vml7

Marco Lucchinelli has had a colorful life, to say the least. Lucchinelli was a GP Champion in 1981 and went on to run the Ducati World Superbike team in the late 80's and early 90's. He also was a serious cocaine addict and lived a very party-filled life, with women and alcohol added to that mix. His life story is rather intriguing and it is well worth your time to take the link and have a read about the man and his life...

http://tinyurl.com/yjj8lu7

MORE Afternoon Moto News - Taylor Knapp & Pit Pass Radio

Taylor Knapp will get the opportunity to ride the Yoshimura Suzuki which Mat Mladin rode to the AMA Championship last year. Knapp did finish in ninth in American Superbike and eleventh in Daytona SportBike last year. The 22-year-old also has the support of Ridersdiscount.com and Yoshimura.

http://tinyurl.com/yjbtacv

Well, it is actually after the fact, but I only just now picked up the link. Anyway, you may download tonight's Pit Pass Radio in MP3 format if you wish, but the show is now over. Tonight's guests are Jason DiSalvo (WSS), Jared Mees (Dirt Track Racer), Dan Krick (Co-owner Fusion Graphixx), Broc Tickle (Supercross Lites), and - finally - PJ Larsen (Supercross Lites). That is in no order of importance you understand...Anyway, get over there and get yourself a copy and listen up!

http://tinyurl.com/ydsc2pw

Tuesday Night Moto News - Yoshimura Suzuki

Yoshimura Suzuki is moving out of the AMA paddock - well, let's say they are expanding. Having been so successful in the AMA Pro Racing over the last several years (domination of the Superbike class for over a decade), they have decided to embark on some World Sueprbike rounds - and an endurance race - with a few different riders. They will participate in Assen, the Netherlands, with Yukio Kagayama; the second at Imola with Daisaku Sakai; and, finally, the Suzuka 8 Hours with Kagayama and Sakai e Nobuatsu Aoki.

http://tinyurl.com/y8kfdeq

Suzuki Announces Their 2010 AMA Supercross Racing Team

That's what it says, so I am going with it. Suzuki's team will be managed by Roger DeCoster and will consist of Ryan Dungey and the new Australian Supercross Champion, Matt Moss - both will be in the 450c.c. class. Austin Stroupe will race in the Lites class for them - no more details on that at this time. But, as you know, the team will be working much more closely with Yoshimura in 2010.

http://tinyurl.com/yg3pywk

2006 Interview With Mat Mladin - Lost and Found

The interview linked here was supposed to end up on an online radio interview, but all they ended up with is a text document of the interview itself. It took place at Laguna Seca back in July of 2006 in Mladin's motorhome. Read some words from a man with few of them for the press...

http://tinyurl.com/yl9bnje

American Suzuki Announces 2010 AMA Pro Racing Plans

Suzuki is going to consolidate their USA racing operations to save some money, so all Suzuki racing in the US will fall under the Yoshimura banner for 2010. Yoshimura Suzuki will support Team M4 Suzuki who will support Danny Eslick, who will be riding a GEICO Insurance-backed Suzuki GSX-R600 in 2010 with M4 co-branding. It's a bit complicated, so take the link and read it for yourself.

http://tinyurl.com/yfb7xwx

There is also a quick note on Ben Spies and what to expect in his MotoGP season in 2010.

Yukio Kagayama Will Ride for Yoshimura Suzuki in Two Events

In between his duties at Worx Crescent Suzuki, Kagayama will join the Japanese Yoshimura team for two races - 2010 Suzuka 8 Hours and the Assen World Superbike event. He had agreed to do the events before he signed his contract with the British Superbike Worx Crescent team. Kagayama had originally planned to run at the Phillip Island WSB round, but the switch to Assen was made to cut back on travel time and distance adjustments...

http://tinyurl.com/ycpupla

Yoshimura Suzuki Leaving Japanese MFJ National Championship

The Yoshimura team will move on to contend three or four World Superbike events, the Suzuka 300, and the Suzuka 8-Hours. This is in reaction to the Japanese MFJ National series moving towards rules like the DMG/AMA Pro racing series - as opposed to moving the regulations closer to World Superbike. No one wants to race in AMA anymore, so why would the MFJ series move that way? That's a good question, I hope someone asks them!

http://tinyurl.com/yc7zbcv

The 2009 Suzuki GSX-R1000 (K9) World Beater?

I wouldn't go that far as it does seem that Yamaha has been dominating many motorcycle racing series, but the Suzuki has certainly been successful as well. Just ask Mat Mladin or even the recently posted Sylvain Guintoli - who was injured for much of the BSB Championship this year - what they think of the Suzuki superbike...

http://tinyurl.com/yhoczwg