80 Years of Race Experience to Compete in Suzuka 8 Hours

Kevin Schwantz Flying the Colors on a Grand Prix Victory Lap

Almost 80 years would be more accurate, and it will be a very good story to watch unfold. Kevin Schwantz, 48, will join Noriyuki Haga and Yukio Kagayama, both 38 now, will race for Suzuki at the iconic Suzuka 8 Hours on 28 July. All riders have experience at the circuit, and all are among the top talents in the history of the sport - motorcycle racers which no one will forget - but they are also in the upper end of the racing age spectrum. These men are all professional, though, and will race to win. If only it were televised...the potential for record book writing is there!

http://tinyurl.com/c5zfc8p

A Pair from New Zealand Arrive in Alaska

They call themselves "Two Moto Kiwis" and they are on an 'epic mission' from Prudhoe Bay in the great US state of Alaska all the way to the southern-most point of South America at Ushuaia, Argentina. The pair on this incredible motorcycle trip are Andi and Ellen Delis (44 and 43 years of age, respectively) and they are riding the entire route on two Suzuki DR650's with a wide assortment of adventure gear bolted on. Now that they have arrived in Alaska - about a week ago now - they will be on to build up their mounts for the trip; the bikes are new and showroom fresh, so they must be outfitted expressly for this trip. Next, it's a trip around Alaska and then a drive to make the Laguna Seca round of the 2012 MotoGP Championship. Check their site for the latest and see if you might be able to catch them when they come through your town!

http://www.twomotokiwis.com/

Stoner Wins Another One - 2011 MotoGP Champion

OK, so I do like to say, "...told you so." And, I do it often. I guess that means that one more time won't be adding too much fuel to any fire of hatred anyone has for me...

Casey Stoner is the FIM MotoGP World Champion once again! On board the mighty Honda RC212V, he fought the best on the surface of this planet and beat all comers to the title. Vale, though, is not doing so well this season. It turns out that the Ducati is a bit more of a handful than many thought. I wonder how things would be different if Hayden were to jump into another factory's machinery; Yamaha, or Suzuki anyone?

http://tinyurl.com/3b3d476

P.S. Congratulations Honda, too. After all, the engineers there built the bike.

More News from JC Current...Please CLICK!

There has been an enormous amount of news coming from the world of two wheels lately. It is the end of the racing season, the musical chairs that are professional racing, the beginning of the 2011 models, new gear and accessories - and plenty of shows which bring much of this together in one place. EICMA is running in Milan, Ducati has released their 'fat-boy' Diavel, MV Agusta has shown their new F3 triple, Triumph's new Tiger 800XC and Daytona 675R, Yamaha's Super Tenere, and many more.

I have some stories here which may have slipped past you, or you may simply want to know more. Some are a bit old, but they are still current (pun intended)...please take a look.

2011 Master of the Mountains Schedule

The Middle Kindom Ride - China on BMWs

The New Brammo Enertia Plus

The 2010 Africa Concours d'Elegance in Kenya

The All-New Honda CBR250R Coming to US

The Renard Grand Tourer - Estonian Beauty

Honda's Moto3 Machine - NRS250

BMW R1200GS Triple Black

Chicago's Isle of Man

Gilera GP800 - World's Most Powerful Scooter

dediKato Auction (Ends 8 November 2010)

Nick Nichols Has Shed This Mortal Coil

Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show and Bonhams Auction

Suzuki GZ250 Price Dropped $1000!

Guy Martin to Ride Relentless by TAS Suzuki at 2011 Isle of Man TT

Scott Redding to Ride Suter/BMW MotoGP Machine

2011 FIM Speedway GP and Speedway Cup Schedule

Team Canada Heading to Latin American Championships

AMA Crowns Hillclimb Champions

Well, there are a few more, but that will do for this post. I am also working at the Portland Examiner as well and have at least one published article there...once I get that link, I will post it here too...Until then, please take the above links - every click helps!

2010 Suzuki GSX1250F in Action & The Bakker Grizzly Allround

The 2010 Suzuki (Bandit) GSX1250F should be at a dealer near you soon. It is a true bargain sport-touring mount which has many features of higher priced bikes in its class, but at an astounding discount. The folks over at MCN (UK) took the bike out on the road and recorded it for your pleasure. So, take the link and have a look at this very updated offering from Suzuki...

http://tinyurl.com/ydwbjjs

The Bakker Grizzly Allround is something to see, and that is just about all you get from the linked post. It is based on a GSX-R1000 engine but has the capabilities of a BMW GS machine. At 160 HP it even puts the 2010 Ducati Multistrada 1200F to shame on the road, but it also costs a bit more than that Italian beastie. Nico Bakker is always pushing the limits and his Grizzly Allround is certainly a credit to his talent with metal!

http://tinyurl.com/ycngo4b

AFM Season Opener at Buttonwillow Raceway & Cretu Bound for TT

The AFM Season started this past weekend at Buttonwillow Raceway in California. In the premier Formula Pacific class, Suzuki mounted Michael Earnest of Pacific Track Time took the victory. It was his first win in over 26 years of racing. Suzuki GSX-Rs filled the podium in that class. In Open Superbike, it was the second place finisher in the Formula Pacific class, one Correy Sarros, took the win. In the 750 Superbike and 600 Superbike, it was the YZF-R6 of Lenny Hale across the finish line first in both classes. For the other 25 classes, please take the link...

http://tinyurl.com/yehtq9b

Brandon Cretu, a racer in the WERA series, has been accepted as a Newcomer in the Isle of Man TT - he may be the youngest American ever. He will be riding a Suzuki prepared by Mark Hamilton of Irish Bike Magazine as he did in the 2009 Ulster GP. It is an amazing nod for the young Cretu and a real credit to his ability with a bike. It is going to be a cool TT this year as some six or more marques will have factory supported efforts. I will find a way to watch it! Take the link to see the important details...

http://tinyurl.com/yfbskr5

Jason Britton Signs With Two Brothers Racing & 2010 Suzuki Boulevard M109 Review

Jason Britton, and his Team No Limit, have now signed a multi-year agreement with Two Brothers Racing. Two Brothers will be supplying all of the exhaust bits on the machines used by Britton and his team. As you probably already know, Britton is one of the most notable stunt riders today and he is the host of Speed TV's "Super Bikes!" show. For the details, please take the link.


http://tinyurl.com/ygbc8de

The Suzuki Boulevard M109 is not the most powerful machine Suzuki makes, but you would not notice that while experiencing it. It is a bike which is defined by the 'power-cruiser' segment and it shows it. The Boulevard M109 is also not a featherweight by any means, though this fact is often forgotten when tooling around a back road at a high-tilt speed...check the review...

http://tinyurl.com/yjuu2n2

Metzeler Racetec Interact Tires Prove Themselves & Suzuki Canada's New Deal

The new for 2010 Metzeler Racetec Interact tires already have a claim to fame - and the BSB Superstock season has yet to even begin! Steve Plater was riding his HM Plant Honda Fireblade (CBR1000RR) at Brands Hatch recently testing the tires in race conditions. During that test, he managed to break the short-circuit record at the track by more than a full half-second - 47.2 seconds versus the old record of 47.83. Very impressive indeed!

http://tinyurl.com/yzlwf5f

Well, it is not as useful as the New Deal once pushed ahead in this nation, but it is important to Canadian racers. Suzuki Canada has announced that they will have a reduced role in the Canadian Superbike Championship series in 2010. They will be paying a small homologation fee to keep their two popular GSX-R models in the series, but they will be providing no factory support to the teams who use them. For all the gory details, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/ygrvdtm

Ducati Returns to Isle of Man TT & Suzuki GSX R R32

Ducati has made it official, the factory will be returning to the Isle of Man TT with full support for Michael Rutter and his BSB team. Rutter will use Ducati motorcycles in four of five races he plans on challenging. It has only been about seven years since Ducati was last on the Island, but motorcycle technology has changed a great deal in those years. It will be another good reason to attend the event...if you are able!

http://tinyurl.com/yb52h7w

Harry Altena is a big fan of his VW R32 cage and he also operates a custom bike shop. Well, those two added up to the Suzuki GSX R R32, a custom Suzuki GSX-R1000 which has been matched to the car, believe it or not. The wheels look very much the same and the single-sided swingarm is actually an interesting piece. To understand the project, though, you really need to see it. So, please take the link...

http://tinyurl.com/ybc9ovj

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

Pro Stock Motorcycle NHRA Gatornationals Results

You have to look down about two-thirds of the way into the article to see the Pro Stock Motorcycle results, but if you do you will see that Eddie Krawiec managed to take the win on the weekend. Karen Stoffer did finally break the record time at the event, but later problems with holding the line cost her the win. Overall, the weekend was a good one for the drag racers and some new targets have been set for the next round. Take the links to learn more...

http://tinyurl.com/y8sfox7

http://tinyurl.com/yduhj3x

http://tinyurl.com/yese9op

Sullivan Family Racing NHRA Pro Stock Results from Gainesville

Katie Sullivan did not fare too well in today's NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. She had a tough day in the first qualifying round. However, Sullivan and her team will be working to improve the shift action on their Suzuki for tomorrow's racing. I do hope she is able to jump into the running at the top - after all, it's a great story and one which we will remember...

http://tinyurl.com/y9o8qkr

More Afternoon Moto News - Super-Superbikes & Daytona Review

MotorcycleUSA has done a special motorcycle comparo between a non-modified Aprilia RSV-4, a well-modified Suzuki GSX-R1000 and a US$70K Ducati 1098R. The results were predictable with the Ducati being fastest, the Suzuki in second and the Aprilia at the back. However, you could buy three-and-a-half Aprilia RSV-4 bikes for the one of the Ducati machines, so imagine if you bought the RSV-4 and used the US$50K to turn it into a true SUPERbike. Read the article and have a look for yourself...

http://tinyurl.com/ycdpkry

Did you miss the Daytona Bike Week event this past week? If so, you might want to catch up on the events, happenings, racing and other parts of the experience when traveling to this annual rally. Simply take the link below and you can read about what went on and see some of the notable events of the Daytona Bike Week experience!

http://tinyurl.com/yd9cbvm

Some photos from the AMA: http://tinyurl.com/ybpe42a

More Afternoon Moto News - Daytona American Superbike Race Results

In the first race of the 2010 AMA Pro Racing American Superbike Championship, a certain rider with a three-year winless drought came through to secure the win - National Guard Suzuki's Jake Zemke. He won in a very close finish; Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Tommy Hayden came in second (only .238 of a second from first place) and Foremost Ducati's Larry Pegram held on for third (just .259 of a second behind Zemke). The finish was actually very close among the top five finishers - only .307 of a second between first and fifth! For all the details, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/y8bcea5

Wednesday Night Moto News - Elena Myers Realizes a Dream

Elena Myers, who spends most of her time in Stockton, California, will make her professional racing debut this weekend at the Daytona International Speedway. She will be riding a Suzuki GSX-R600 in TWO AMA races this weekend - starting tomorrow. At 16-years-old, that will make Myers the youngest female to ever race as a pro in an AMA Pro Racing series. She has even had to battle back from a serious injury to get to this point...a true mark of a professional. Look for her to start showing up at a paddock near you!

http://tinyurl.com/y8quhpz

Wednesday Afternoon Moto News - Racing Insider, GNCC Results & Royal Enfield Demos

We couldn't leave Alex Gobert and his 'Racing Insider' column out of the posting, now could we? In this issue, he looks closely into the Australian and World Superbike Championships and talks about the Phillip Island round. It is a very useful round-up of important bits of news which may have been missed by the big media outlets. Take the link and you will enjoy!

http://tinyurl.com/yak4zw8

The first round of the 2010 Grand National Cross Country Series went off this past weekend at the Westgate River Ranch in Florida. Makita Suzuki's Josh Strang took the victory. Almost 1200 rider from eight different nations arrived for the event. It was an incredible struggle for the participants, so please take the link and read about the proceedings...

http://tinyurl.com/yan7gr9

And, speaking of Florida, Daytona Bike Week is in full swing and you will also have a chance to demo some of the new models from the Royal Enfield line of motorcycles. As the world's oldest motorcycle brand, you should expect to see the history represented in the bike models, but you will also notice all of the modern technology included. For a taste of a marque who has been making motorcycles for more than a century - and still sticks to the simple-is-best mentality - get yourself to a "Royal Enfield Experience" near you!

http://tinyurl.com/y8qpbwm

More Morning Moto News - Rossi and Lorenzo, Capirossi & Spies and Stoner

Valention Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo (flew from Spain; not at testing due to his injury) again stopped in Indonesia on their way out from the testing at Sepang in Malaysia. It was yet another PR move, but it sure delighted fans in the huge Asian nation. The main purpose was to pay a visit to one of the Fiat Yamaha team's sponsors. Take the link to learn more.

http://tinyurl.com/yjwhr9k

Loris Capirossi is rather pragmatic about his work on the Suzuki GSV-R. He feels that the team and his machine are actually in a good situation after the second test of the preseason. He did finish the test in sixth position, so he is in better shape than he was at the beginning of 2009.

http://tinyurl.com/ygq5k3m

Looks like Ben Spies and Casey Stoner have taken to each other quite well. The two share some activities off the track and Stoner has been giving advice to Spies about riding in the MotoGP Championship. It is nice to hear that these guys that have so much money at stake can still be good friends. 2010 will be a good year for MotoGP.

http://tinyurl.com/ykgnh79

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 - Dave Watkins Retires & Aussie Supersport

Dave Watkins has been Development Manager - Motorsport at Dunlop tire for some time now. He is a 46 year veteran of the tire conglomerate and has been through many years of changes, engineering success and overall great tire manufacturing. Watkins has decided to hang up his white-collar and move on to life with his family. After all the years of hard work, all the travel to likely thousands of races, he was the man to see about Dunlop tires...now, he will be the man to see about relaxing...we hope!

http://tinyurl.com/y9ayssg

Though we did not see this earlier, I thought it would be nice to get a story which focuses on the Australian Supersport Championship round held this past weekend at Phillip Island. Two races were held for this class - much like the Superbike series - and Suzuki mounted Troy Herfoss took the overall win (a 2-1 finish). There is more here about the Waters Superbike victory as well, so dig in and take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yblgjbe

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