Riders Ducati Has Useful Test & Astro-Chase Joins BSB Evo

The Riders Ducati British Superbike Championship team has also just finished its testing in Spain in preparation for the 2010 season. Riders Michael Rutter and Martin Jessopp spent time working on engine management with some late 2009 model engines - data which can now be used on their 2010-spec lumps. For some words from the team, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/y9c9wft

The Astro-Chase SST Racing team and rider Peter Ward have announced that they will be the newest team to join the BSB Evo series for 2010. They have been very successful in BSB Superstock 1000, but they wanted to move up towards the premier class and Evo is right there where they want to be. The team has some experience running in that class, but this will be their first full season. For all the details...take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/y8s3jwg

More Morning Moto News - Aaron Zanotti & Zero Launches 2010 Models

Aaron Zanotti has hooked up with his old team, Red Viper Spike, to contest the 2010 BSB Evo class. At first it seemed like the rider would have to go it alone, but his team came back and signed him for another year aboard a Suzuki GSX-R1000. As you can imagine, he is very happy with this turn of events as it keeps him in the series for one more season.

http://tinyurl.com/ydpr4e9

It's official now, Zero Motorcycles launched their four 2010 models at the Daytona Bike Week event in Florida yesterday. There are some changes - both technical and cosmetic - to this year's models, but they all have one thing in common with the previous models; they are industry leaders in convenience and technology. Zero is the only electric motorcycle manufacturer with four full models on sale to the public currently. Go ahead and take the link for more information.

http://tinyurl.com/y92oark

More Afternoon Moto News - Aprilia and BSB & Alastair Seeley's NW200

Aprilia has also announced that they will be in the 2010 BSB Evo Championship. That makes it eight manufacturers participating in the series - a nice, large number of variety. The Splitlath Motorsport team will be campaigning their machines with riders (and brothers) Chris and Joe Burns. That makes some 32 riders on the BSB grid, with 12 of them competing in the new Evo series. (This may be a repeat post, but it is a new article.)

http://tinyurl.com/ygges5t

Alistair Seeley may not be able to race in the North West 200 Superbike class this year. We all know that long-time fan favorite Stuart Easton will be returning to the event, but leaving Seeley out of the premier race will make it less of a special event. For now, Seeley's team will be talking with the organizers of the event to see if they can get him into the proper classes at the 15 May 2010 event.

http://tinyurl.com/yz883y6

Wednesday Afternoon Moto News - BMW and BSB & Tom Sykes

BMW has announced that they have teamed up with Jentin Racing to compete in the National 1000 Superstock with Richard Cooper and in the BSB Evo series with rider Steve Brogan. All parties are quite happy with the arrangement and it looks like BMW will be racing their S1000RR against the best in the world on at least four continents.

http://tinyurl.com/yj4q7d7

Tom Sykes is very happy with his new Kawasaki World Superbike Team, and Paul Bird Motorsport, so far. He will be competing on the World stage very soon and feels that the Kawasaki team has what it will take to get him to the top. Sykes has some strong competition, though, so even doing very well may not be enough...

http://tinyurl.com/yecesv9

More Morning Moto News - Tom Tunstall, BSB Evo Debate & James Toseland

Tom Tunstall is ready for the assault on the 2010 British Superbike Championship. He remains with his 2009 team - Doodson Motorsport - and will continue to ride a Honda Fireblade (CBR1000RR). Tunstall did rather well last season and hopes to build on that success with the team he owns and rides for. Look out BSB, Tunstall is coming back!

http://tinyurl.com/yh5tpwc

The idea of the newly created BSB Evo class is to take Superstock engines, put them into Superbike frames and then use a spec-ECU. The idea is to keep costs down. However, Jack Valentine of the Worx Suzuki squad has said that it is cheaper to use some of the aftermarket products which the teams now use in the BSB main grid. This is likely accurate as the factory does charge a premium when you compare it against the aftermarket expenses...There is much more to this story and you would do well to have a read of it. The British Superbike rules may change even more for 2011...

http://tinyurl.com/ylj7g9g

Former MotoGP man and World Superbike Champion James Toseland will be the guest of honor at the 2010 Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators annual dinner on Friday 12th March at the Hilton Hotel, Douglas on the Isle of Man. Toseland will even entertain everyone on the keyboard as well as discuss certain international tax issues. Not what I would call a wild event, but it should be enjoyable nevertheless.

http://tinyurl.com/ycjtwuu

Friday Morning Moto News - KTM to BSB, Aprilia and BMW & Jakub Smrz

KTM will be fielding one of their new RC8 race machines in the Evo Class of the British Superbike Championship in 2010. This is all thanks to Redline Motorcycles and their rider James Edmeades. This brings the number of manufacturers participating in BSB up to a respectable six! Impressive and it will make the racing all the more fun.

http://tinyurl.com/yksnxju

And, more: http://tinyurl.com/yd3yurq

Aprilia and BMW will both have teams in the British Superstock class in 2010. There are some rumors that the bikes being used for this BSB series are putting up some impressive numbers ahead of the season. Does this mean that the other teams will simply wilt away and let them win? Not going to happen! Both Aprilia and BMW have incredible new machines and they want to get them out an prove their prowess - the BSB Superstock series is a good place to do this...especially on your way to Superbike competition.

http://tinyurl.com/ygdboox

Jakub Smrz is convinced that his new B&G Racing team will be competitive in the World Superbike paddock. Though this story is quite complex - teams joining other teams, changing and then not changing marques, new sponsors, etc. - it is simpler just to know that Smrz will be riding a Ducati in WSBK on the PATA B&G Racing team. To learn the rest, take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/ybvhw6n

More Morning Moto News - Aaron Zanotti & eBay Cafe Racer

Aaron Zanotti is getting ready to tackle the 2010 British Superbike Championship Evo Class. However, he severed ties with his former race team, Red Viper Racing, and is looking to taking on the series as a privateer. But, he has yet to get the sponsorship he needs to take his Suzuki GSX-R1000 to the track. It's always about money...

http://tinyurl.com/yfhktgn

This machine is famous - and you have certainly seen it in some moto magazine somewhere. It is the Carpy Honda CB750 Cafe, and it is one of a kind. Of course, the people offering it up for sale on eBay are quite proud of the machine and seem to have added some extra value simply due to the bike's popularity. However, it does appear that anyone who has thrown a leg over on this one has enjoyed it very much. Take a look and, if you have US$25,000 or more, it could be yours.

http://tinyurl.com/yz6659c

More Morning Moto News - BMW Canada & Moto Rapido Ducati

BMW Motorrad Canada has signed Rush HD as a sponsor for their two rider team in the Canadian Superbike Championship. The deal comes as good news in this economic environment and will help BMW to field a very strong team. Francis Martin and Michael Ferreira, the two riders, have the weight of the factory and their new sponsor on their backs as they compete in the 2010 series...it won't be easy, but I am certain that they will enjoy the challenge.

http://tinyurl.com/y8mhz3k

Moto Rapido Ducati has finally finished assembling their team for the assault on the BSB Superstock 1000 Championship. Youngster Leon Hunt has signed an agreement to race alongside Scott Smart on the Ducati team. Smart, of course, will contest the Superbike Evo class on a similar machine. For the quotes, take the link.
http://tinyurl.com/ycahcra

http://tinyurl.com/yehschc

More Morning Moto News - James Ellison, Craig Fitzpatrick & Luke Jones

James Ellison, who we just heard has joined SMR Honda, has promised to not let down his fans in the 2010 British Superbike Championship. He has stated that he wants to be in the hunt for the title all year long - and he hopes to clinch it before the end of the season. Again, yet another reason to follow the sport this year!

http://tinyurl.com/yd4k766

Craig Fitzpatrick has signed on to ride a Honda with the Close Print Finance team in the BSB Evo class. Fitzpatrick won the Supersport Cup in 2007 and was racing in that series in 2009 as well. He made his first foray into the Superbike class late last year aboard a Yamaha and feels that he is now ready to move up to the Evo class and compete with the bigger machines...

http://tinyurl.com/yeq5rd3

Luke Jones has now managed to add himself to the 2010 BSB season by joining the PR Yamaha team. Jones is only 21 - making him the youngest rider on the BSB grid - and has raced 125GP and Superstock 600 successfully. Given his new ride and his new team, Jones may just make some people in that class sweat a bit more...

http://tinyurl.com/y8oyhjj

Relentless Suzuki Is Taking Alistair Seeley to British Superbike

Relentless Suzuki will maintain the same team which brought Seeley the 2009 BSB Superstock 1000 championship, but they will be competing in British Superbikes in 2010. He did run a BSB Evo spec Suzuki in the last two rounds of the BSB Championship in 2009, and finished in the top ten. So, he has already seen much of the competition and believes he is ready to compete at that level.

http://tinyurl.com/yhauzgx

Moto Rapido Ducati Promotes Itself to British Superbike EVO Series

Rider Scott Smart will return with the team for 2010, but will be racing in the new British Superbike EVO class. In 2009, he ran the Ducati in the Metzeler National Superstock 1000. As for who he will ride alongside at the team, no name has been given as of yet. They learned a great deal about the machine in 2009 - and that will be useful in the EVO class in 2010. British Superbike gets even tighter - I wish we could watch that series on TV in the US instead of the DMG racing.

http://tinyurl.com/yhhem8t

http://tinyurl.com/yley44v

British Superbike Racer Glen Richards Wants EVO Rules for Superbike

They are just next year going to replace the Privateers Cup with the British Superbike 'Evolution' class, but Richards would like to see the same rules applied to the entire British Superbike Championship paddock. Of course, many teams and riders do not want to see this change - but the reason is mostly due to the fact that these teams have already purchased their race bikes for 2010. However, the rules would also distance the series from the FIM series...so, it may not be so wise.

http://tinyurl.com/yl62hlk

First British Superbike Evolution Class Rider Doing Very Well

Relentless Suzuki’s Alastair Seeley is the first rider to have the superstock-class engine in a superbike frame with a spec ECU. He already has taken the British Supersport Championship for 2009, and is riding the newly created bike to test the viability of the series which will start next year. So far, so good!

http://tinyurl.com/y9hbddw

British Superbike Championship Introduces New Class

BSB will feature a new class in 2010, it will be called the 'evolution' class and will replace the Privateer Cup. It will allow all teams - factory and privateer - to run superbike chassis with superstock engines and a spec ECU.

http://tinyurl.com/mqeg5c