Italian Motocross Championship Results & Spanish Enduro Championship Husaberg-Style

The fourth and final round of the Italian Motocross Championship is in the books. This final round took place in the town of San Severino and it was thought that Aprilia rider Josh Coppins would be the man to beat. It did not turn out that way, though, as Coppins had technical issues which kept him from finishing high enough to take the Championship. That honor went to Davide Guarneri for 2010. Take the link to learn more...

http://tinyurl.com/yak9drr

Husaberg has two rider competing in the Spanish Enduro Championship, Oriol Mena in E3 and Xavi Galindo in E2. When the flag fell in the E3 category, Mena was second in the race and fourth overall for the weekend. Galindo had similar luck, but he could not get to the podium slot in time and finished in fourth. Overall, Husaberg was happy with the results when the severely wet weather in taken into account.

http://tinyurl.com/yhmhdod

Breaking News: KTM Will Go Electric & Jeff Ward Joins AMA Pro Racing

KTM has announced that they will be showing two electric motorcycles at the Tokyo Motor Show next week. They even leaked obscure photos of the machine - much like Honda's VFR1200F, Ducati's Multistrada 1200, etc. Anyway, it is very sweet to hear that the orange Austrian marque will actually consider producing electric enduro and supermoto models. If they produce them, I guarantee they will sell with the one caveat being the price. Take a look and watch for more Tokyo Motor Show news...

http://tinyurl.com/yzmkzm6

It has also been announced that Jeff Ward, a nine-time AMA Pro Racing Champion in motocross, supercross and supermoto, will be joining AMA Pro Racing as a rider liaison and advisor. The man is a living legend. He is in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, he competed in IRL events including the Indianapolis 500 - where he was voted Rookie of the Year - and it goes on like this...He will be a very valuable asset to both riders and the AMA Pro Racing owners, Daytona Motorsports Group. Maybe he can bring back some legitimacy...

http://tinyurl.com/ykqk6ke

Tuesday Morning Moto News - Husaberg, WORCS & Thundersprint

Husaberg's riders did quite well at this past weekend's opening round of the 2010 AMA National Enduro series in South Carolina. Mike Lafferty and Nick Fahringer, their factory riders, placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in the event. It looks as if this team is going to be a tough competitor this season. Starting top-five is a good way to begin a season.

http://tinyurl.com/ybnxqkx

The Husaberg factory team running in the 2010 WORCS series is not doing as well. However, their rider in that series, Nathan Woods, was injured for most of last season and is just now returning to form. He finished 13th overall on the day, but was as high as sixth position. Unfortunately, a late race crash led to his ending so far back. He will surely be better at the next round...

http://tinyurl.com/yep3mrl

In the British city of Cheshire - at the Northwich town center - during 8 - 9 May 2010, a motorcycle show known only as Thundersprint. It will have bikes from most major manufacturers from the US, Japan and Europe - with some chances to demo those machines as well. For more information, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yc5jvjq

And, much more detail on Thundersprint: http://tinyurl.com/y8dy9cd

Monday Morning Moto News - Husaberg, Jesse Jones & Somerset Rebels

The International Indoor Enduro World Cup season is already over; it only had four rounds. Husaberg's man in the show, Joakim Ljunggren, pulled home a sixth position finish at the final round in Barcelona, Spain, which gave him a third overall for the entire 2010 season. That is the highest a rookie in the series has ever posted previously - look out as Ljunggren is on his way to a championship or more...

http://tinyurl.com/ylmp76v

Jones - not James - and his first name is Jesse. He is also the youngest ever British motorcycle racing champion. He was crowned last year in the MRO Superteen Championship at the age of 12. This kid could be beginning one hell of a career...keep an eye on 'em!

http://tinyurl.com/yfey7du

The night before the British Speedway Grand Prix kicks of in Cardiff on 10 July 2010, but the night before will have even more action. On 9 July, the Somerset Rebels will host the 2010 Premier League Pairs Championship at Oak Tree Arena. This makes it two nights of incredible racing like no other - remember that Speedway bikes don't really have brakes - and should be fun for the entire family.

http://tinyurl.com/yj3t7h5

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

Husaberg Rider Joakim Ljunggren Has a Great Race at Spanish IEWC

The 2010 Indoor Enduro World Cup's penultimate round was held in Vigo, Spain, recently. Husaberg rider Ljunggren managed an overall second place at the event. This proves his improvements are beginning to take effect and he is challenging for the lead in this new series for Ljunggren. Since this is his first season on the indoor tracks, this is a significant improvement. The other Husaberg representatives, Oriol Mena and Xavi Galindo, had differing results - Mena qualified for his event for the first time in 2010 (it's also his first year in the series), but Galindo crashed hard in his final race and was taken to the hospital.

http://tinyurl.com/yb2m8dd

Thursday Evening Moto News - Ducati Xerox and More

Ducati Xerox is getting ready for the first World Superbike test of 2010 at Portimao, Portugal on 22 January 2010. Well, now that their team manager is working for BMW, they have had to make some organizational changes. Of course, Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio are still the team's riders, so that part is still in its place. For the rest, go ahead and take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yz5wogq

Two otherwise wealthy and successful guys decide to ride in an extreme enduro event in South Africa for five charities. They even managed to raise some £17,000 on their own for the causes. Dale Norton and Peter Coles, of a real estate company (property agents) known as Romans, took on this challenge together and had the time of their lives. The link takes you to a short article.

http://tinyurl.com/yfqxneb

Parts Canada Lead Sponsor for Canadian Enduro Championship

Parts Canada has been involved with the various Canadian enduro series since its inception - but not as a title sponsor. For 2010, considering the success of the series in 2009, Parts Canada will be that title sponsor for the Canadian Enduro Championship. They have seen the incredible response from the fans, the public, the racers and the manufacturers and they want to be a part of it - a big part of it!

http://tinyurl.com/yd3fn8b

GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series Announces 2010 Schedule

Finally, we now have the 2010 AMA EnduroCross schedule for all to see. There are two additional venues for next season; one is up in Everett, Washington, and the other will be in conjunction with the MotoGP Indianapolis round. This link will even provide those of you who cannot make any of the events (such as yours truly) a television schedule.

http://tinyurl.com/yb3avj7

Eco Enduro - Environmentally Friendly Enduro in Denmark

Funny how this snuck up on me...The Eco Enduro will be held in Denmark this coming weekend, 11 - 13 December 2009. The line-up is HUGE and I will do a disservice to it to put them all here. Plus, my 'tags' section only allows so many entries. Such is the life of a broke blog person (BBP).

http://tinyurl.com/yc8lpyu

Husaberg's Joakim Ljunggren Has Good Race Weekend - Again

This is Ljunggren's first year in the Indoor Enduro World Cup (IEWC), but he is performing like it is his second nature. In his first event, in England, he rode to a respectable finish, in the second round in Italy, he placed fourth, third, and fourth during the weekend. That is even better than his results in the U.K. Look for even more improvement as Husaberg rider Ljunggren gets more and more familiar with the competition...

http://tinyurl.com/y8l9t8m

David Knight Returns to KTM for World Enduro E3 Class

It's true, Knight is back with the company which he took to four championships. He will not be riding directly for the factory effort, but with a satellite team. It won't matter much as KTM will be supplying him with all factory support including all equipment. The return will hopefully be good for him after the less-than-stellar 2009 seaosn with BMW. Maybe it's the color orange?

http://tinyurl.com/yfkp9bb

Husaberg Rider Joakim Ljunggren Wins Night Race at AMA EnduroCross Finale

It was the first EnduroCross race in the US for Husaberg factory rider Ljunggren, but that only seemed to make him want to compete all the more. He had some terrible luck in the heat and semi-final races, but they had him ride in the 'night' event with the other racers and he took that event by storm. He impressed the crowd and the officials - now we can see that Ljunggren can hold his own in the US series.

http://tinyurl.com/yjptxtl

First Look: 2010 Beta Motor Company Offerings

Not too much here, but the best coverage I have found on the 2010 Betas. They will produce their usual mix of enduro, supermoto and dual-sport categories, which will have one of a 400, 450, or 525c.c. engine at its heart. Pricing has also been released. Of course, they are all still powered by KTM. But, with their Build Your Own Beta (BYOB) program, you can configure one of 60 different combinations of parts and accessories for your own personal Beta motorcycle. Pretty neat, eh?

http://tinyurl.com/y8vr6hz

Getting Up Close and Personal with an EnduroCross Motorcycle

Have you ever wondered what modifications are needed to compete in the unbelievably intense sport of EnduroCross? Well, maybe not, as the sport is still growing and many do not even differentiate it from motocross - but it is significantly different. It is, basically, not far from taking all of the toughest parts from every enduro track in the world and cramming all of them together inside one track and run indoors. The competition is tough and the series lead may change each and every race weekend. So, what do these riders have to have done to their bikes to make them competitive here? Well, have a read after the link and I am betting you will be very impressed...

http://tinyurl.com/ybj8wv6

GNCC Racing Is Proud to Have Randy Hawkins Inducted Into AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame

Randy Hawkins is a legend in the Grand National Cross Country Series; he amassed seven AMA National Enduro Championships, 13 International Six Days Enduro gold medals and won 73 AMA Nationals. There are not many racers in his rarefied air. In December, Hawkins will be inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

http://tinyurl.com/yl9e3vt

Las Vegas AMA EnduroCross Finale Preview

The stage is about set for the 21 November 2009 running of the Las Vegas finale for AMA EnduroCross. The Orleans Arena will see some of the greatest enduro riders from all over the world. The championship has already been decided, but next year's line-up is not done yet. So, 2009 EnduroCross Champion Taddy Blazusiak will still have to work hard in the last race. The sheer magnitude of talent on hand at the event will be worth the price of admission, not to mention the racing we expect to see!

http://tinyurl.com/ylzlsor

Novemberkåsan: Husaberg's Joakim Ljunggren is Triumphant!

Ljunggren, took the lead early in the event and went all the way to the finish in first place - beating his closest competitor by 45 minutes! The even was marred with cold temperatures and snowfall, but that did not stop the Husaberg rider; some of his competition sat out the race, so he did not have any real challengers. Even so, the rain/snow and cold made it one very tough enduro!

http://tinyurl.com/ykhcs5p

Adventure Riding - Does Size Really Matter?

Well, yes, it does, but not in the way that you think. It turns out that when venturing into some of the wildest and most remote areas of the planet, Dr. Frazier (you may know him from Motorcycle Consumer News (US) or from his numerous books on motorcycling) says that sometimes a smaller motorcycle is best. Meaning that there is a replacement for displacement in this case. It turns out that you can be much more flexible and save some money by thinking smaller, not more power. Have a read - this is a very good article from which we learn about Dr. Frazier's experience in adventure riding all around the world!

http://tinyurl.com/yjze3ot

Joakim Ljunggren Will Compete in Final of AMA National EnduroCross in Las Vegas

Ljunggren, who recently competed in the famous Novemberkåsan, will be in Los Angeles soon to get ready to challenge the 2009 AMA National EnduroCross finale in Las Vegas. Husaberg was very impressed with his work at the Indoor Enduro event at the IEWC opener in the U.K., so they decided to send him to the US to compete against the best that that series has to offer. It should bring interesting racing to the event!

http://tinyurl.com/yc5no38