Honda
Pedrosa struggles as Dovizioso stars
Source: MOTOGP news - autosport.com - Saturday, 20th March 2010, 0:27 GMTThe factory Honda riders ended the final week of pre-season MotoGP testing in contrasting situations, as Andrea Dovizioso revelled in the team's recent progress but his team-mate Dani Pedrosa continued to struggle Read article
Express Insurance British Youth Motocross Championship – BYMX – 2010 Round 1
Source: Latest News Articles from ACU.org.uk - Friday, 19th March 2010, 12:40 GMTTaking a glance at the declared runners and riders for the various youth Championship crowns it's obvious to see that this years competition will be a fast and furious affair right across the board - as the ACU series has once again attracted a best quality field. The Junior 65cc section starts out with one clear cut favourite and he is Albie Wilkie. Ten year old Albie from the London area has been in terrific form over the winter months - particularly in SX arena indoor action - and he's definitely all fired up to repeat the process out doors. Jamie Osbourne from Stoke together with Welsh Wizard Alex Walton have both looked to be very strong in club competition in the run up to the national campaign - and when added to Bradford's Keenan Hird they three could well represent the major challenge in the 65cc class if it's not to be Albie's year. From last year's ranks you can also expect there to be be a hefty points scoring effort coming from the likes of Tom Hume, Taylor Hammal, Jake Edey, Max Bickers, Archie Osmaston and Matthew Pocock. In the first of the 85cc divisions, the Small Wheel section, Oliver Osmaston will be riding the awesome pro circuit Honda 150F machine, and one thing is for certain - he will be a really tough act to beat. If anyone is starting out as an odds on favourite to lift a crown in 2010 it surely must be 12 year old Ollie. If however Ollie does happen to slip up there is a gang of equally matched, talented and speedy riders just waiting in the wings and ready to take full advantage. Robert Yates, Josh Gilbert, Sid Evans, Conrad Mewse and Scotland's Jay Lamb are the five most likely candidates to be the ones snapping at Ollie's heels and hustling him for the chequers at round one. Behind them you can also expect real fireworks from Jack Seabourne, Lewis Houghton, Greg Hyett, David Keet, Henry Williams and Casey Connolly as they jostle for position in a class that is full of endless and intriguing possibilities. The Big Wheel 85cc challenge quite often turns out to be being something of a Blue Ribbon event, and in 2010 it once again has all the makings of being yet another really classic year. Ben Howell and Ben Watson are both riding Austrian KTM machinery and they represent the two biggest guns in the Big Wheel shootout. The head to head between the two guys could well be so close and all engrossing that it eventually becomes one of the standout highlights of the entire youth season. Behind that pairing however there is a block of talent in the shape of Liam Garland, Connor Clark, Mickey Eccles, Robert Davidson, James Harrison, Adam Sterry, Sam Winterburn, Corie Southwood, Tom Neal, Jack Kelly and Brad Todd - and they are all well capable of winning an individual moto if they hit the right groove. That makes this particular section mouth watering to say the very least. In the Open Class youth section one thing that strikes you immediately is the shear pedigree and class of the proven winners that are taking part in the 2010 contest. At the very sharp end the division is fronted up by what is without doubt the next wave of the under 16 year old talent that will progress and feature prominently in the Adult professional ranks of the Maxxis competition. In Connor Walkley, Nathan Watson, Bradley Pocock, Ryan Houghton, James Dunn, Jamie McCanney, Jordan Godwin and Luke Norris the section boasts no fewer than eight previous National winning youth champions. When you add to those names the likes of Scottish flier Gary Sharp, Damon Wales, Jake Page, Jamie Houghton, Luke Newman, Harry Noakes and Ryan Watson, It's quite obvious this division along with the three others will be bar banging 24 carat entertainment all the way to the final flags of the series in September. Read article
Maxxis At Mallory Park, British Motocross Championship 2010
Source: Latest News Articles from ACU.org.uk - Friday, 19th March 2010, 12:40 GMTA spokesman for ACU Events commented, " Having Pichon with us for the rest of the year and this one off appearance of Roczen and Tonus is fantastic for the championship. Mickael still has a huge fan base and he is not coming to make up the numbers. In the shorter 20 minute plus two laps races (three for each class) we can expect him to be right at the sharp end of the action." The Buildbase CCM team of Stephen Sword and Tom Church, together with the Cosworth Utag Yamaha UK squad of American Zach Osborne and British Teenager, Mel Pocock have withdrawn from other events in recent weeks, specifically to prepare for this major event. They will also be joined by the CAS Honda squad of Russian Evgeny Bobreshev and South African, Gareth Swanepoel, whilst the HM Plant Red Bull team of Jake Nicholls and Graeme Irwin will challenge for the top spot. Current MX1 champion, Jordie Brad Anderson, will also be there with his hard riding style. Timed Training starts at 9.30am, with the first of six championship races at 12.30pm. Race fans can also view some Club Road Racing on the tarmac circuit free of charge and the motocross event has a MXY2 (Youth) support class of two races. The riders will all be available to everyone for an Autograph session at approx 11.35am. Admission prices are pegged at Read article
Honda riders satisfied with progress
Source: MOTOGP news - autosport.com - Thursday, 18th March 2010, 16:39 GMTHonda riders Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso believe their team made great strides during the first MotoGP pre-season test at Sepang, even though Honda ended up behind Yamaha and Ducati on the timesheets Read article
Bernat Martínez confirmed as second Honda SAG rider
Source: News RSS on motogp.com - The Official MotoGP Website - Thursday, 18th March 2010, 12:48 GMTThe Spaniard will be the new team-mate of Ratthapark Wilairot in the Barcelona-based Moto2 team, at the expense of Héctor Faubel. Read article
Iron Butts Adventure Continues
Source: Insidebikes | Carole Nash » Bike News - Wednesday, 17th March 2010, 9:35 GMTDanny John-Jules and Graham Hoskins are reaching the closing stages of their Iron Butts challenge, as they look to raise money for Sport Relief. There have been plenty of trials and tribulations over the past few days, with problems at border control points, currency issues and breakdowns - all part of the Iron Butts adventure. Follow their latest blogs here: Danny’s Blog: Sunday 7th March Sunday we were leaving Cairo to go to Taba heights. I was a bit emotional at breakfast. I won’t go into the details but Egypt is very close to mine and the Mrs’ hearts. Let’s just say that ashes have been scattered on the River Nile at sunset by us from a boat some 5 years ago. I spoke to her that evening and she told me that she was having lunch with our friend Caroline from our local church and coincidently had become emotional too. It probably looked to the other guests at the hotel that Graham and I were having a lovers tiff, what with me dabbing my eyes with a napkin while he looked on serenely. There were loads of African people having a conference on Science and Technology. They were the brains from all over the motherland getting together to “Make loads of important decisions that nobody takes any notice of”, as one of the delegates joked. I have never seen so many black geeks before and it was good to see them trying to make a troubled continent work better for the good of all of us. We were given a wonderful send off and we headed off to the Sinai Desert to get casseroled. Luckily I had brought all the fruit with us that the hotel manager had placed in our room the day before and even though Graham had some to, he always likes to travel light so he left his behind. Once I started cutting into my mouth watering supplies with the ratchet knife that our Libyan guide, Salem, had given to me as a keepsake there was no way Graham wasn’t going to want to indulge… and he did. We saw what looked like Obi One Kenobi tending to his sheep in the distance and wondered what anyone would be doing out here. He was probably saying to himself that the two dopy limeys over there are probably going to be found dehydrated and sunburned a couple of miles down the road with handkerchiefs tied round their heads. We took photos and some footage and headed off to a spectacular descent through a carving in some mountains that took your breath away. It was now offensively dark and I was now just offensive (under my helmet of course). Graham’s throttle was stuck on full (purposely) and I was fearing for my life he had that look in his eye that said “I’m getting there by hook or by crook”. I wanted to just get there, even if it took all night. All of a sudden, rubber was burning in front of me. I couldn’t see it but I could smell it. Graham’s bike was snaking and I thought he was riding off the end of a cliff. In the blink of an eye all road markings had disappeared and so did my valour. When I got up to Graham he looked like Casper the Ghost. I nearly said “I knew that was going to happen!” but I was too tired and we still had a long way to go. We pushed on, well Graham did I was hanging back as I knew my bike couldn’t fly and the road we were on didn’t look like no normal road. I noticed what looked like a power station and hung back a bit more. I could see up ahead was some sort of checkpoint. A soldier approached with two nervous colleagues, Kaleshni and Kov. He had rolled up on one of the Israeli borders which we had been trying to avoid like the plague as not only were carrying British passports that could be used in an assassination but If the Arab countries we were due to visit found out that we had been fraternizing with the Israelis they would not have let us in to their countries. With his gun semi levelled with a nervous grip the soldier pointed Graham in the right direction. Good job I wasn’t in the lead, eh? When we got to the final checkpoint before Taba a flash border policeman checked us out Graham went first and when he’d done with me he rushed me off with a, “Go Danny, Go”, well me being so tired, I’ve only knocked over his little wooden table that he writes on. He picks it up and repeats, “Go Danny, Go.” I kid you not. Graham’s Blog: Tuesday 9th March Our morning was another early job but this time after less than 4 hours sleep. We pushed our pasty faces into the lids and rapidly exited Aqaba straight up into the 1200m high desert plateau. Jordan is like a breath of the proverbial after the dirt and dinge of Egypt. The roads are better and everything just has a cleaner feel to it. The comment from our Italian ‘uber overlander’ that the Middle East ‘is no more problem’ was so true. Or so we thought…. my enthusiasm with the better roads and the total lack of respect for any road rules that we had started to pick up on in Egypt was giving me a little Mad Max syndrome. I should have learned my lesson after I passed one policemen loaded up with speed trap gun and got away with it. The second time was not so lucky. I was duly taken the unmarked police car and told in no uncertain terms ‘Speed, you, violation, speed 110km, you 128km!’ whoops. I was desperately hoping that I would walk away with the bike and not find myself in the clank with a dozen dodgy Arab crims but just got a swift £15 fine. Of course, any official process must have a ream of paperwork to go with it and this was no exception. Whilst waiting, I turned on my ‘winningist, please don’t take away my motorbike sir’ smile. I got about as warm a response as Max Mosely at McLaren headquarters. Not to be beaten at the first try, as I walked away, I asked using the now familiar hand signals, if I could see the radar speed trap. Danny and I ended up both speed trapping approaching lorries and as if that wasn’t a big enough turn around, one of the plain clothes coppers asked Danny ‘You, work, movies!’ He’d recognised him even with his crash helmet and balaclava on. So in the space of ten minutes we went from speeding fine to pictures with the coppers - didn’t let me off the fine though! Our border crossing into Syria (after Libya and Egypt) would be like comparing Harrods with Happy Shopper. Better organised, better looking, more light, less rat droppings in the offices and very importantly, far less pong. Surely it shouldn’t be beyond the wit of man to put all your different offices in a logical row - maybe even with numbers and clear signs. Instead, the Libyan and particularly the Egyptian border authorities have turned make busy, jobs worth, paperwork and red tape into a priceless art form. Self-important, unfriendly and on the take describes many of the officials we came across. If it wasn’t for the Tourist Police who genuinely wanted to help and do the best by us, I don’t how any new visitor with a motor would know where to start. So back, to the Syrian border. The marked improvements made the whole experience far less stressful and thankfully about 3 hours shorter. However, our happiness was short lived as we approached the yellow smog enshrouded melee that is Amman. We had just about got used to city driving techniques common to this neck of the woods but combine it with thick, choking smog and we were well on the road to killer headaches. Danny was about to get off and give up for an hour but we pushed on through. Today also rewarded us with more of the spectacular scenery from sandy mountains to more rolling desert. And, I’m getting a biker’s tan - from the upper lip to just below the eyes and nicely topped off with a cheery tipped nose. Graham’s Blog: Wednesday 10th March One of Danny’s pals at the BBC pulled a great one out of the bag today. Picture us riding round the Bayern Munich Stadium and half time on one of their league matches. No buzz at all from riding in front of a 60,000 strong crowd of soccer mad Graham’s Blog: Friday 12th March Mornings have fallen into a neat little routine by now. This is mainly due to the fact that Danny and alarm clocks mix like oil and water. It simply doesn’t happen. As my alarm clock works just as well on the continent as the UK it is left to me to conduct the daily wake up call for Mr DD-J. Nevertheless, I was still fully loaded and ready to rock and roll by the time by team mate joined me in the first of our cold early morning starts. It was balaclavas at dawn and the prospect of 500 miles enthralling us. Not. The thought of throwing my leg over the saddle for the early morning stint is about as much fun as the anticipation of rubbing your backside with coarse grade sandpaper while simultaneously applying tourniquets to your lower limbs until the lack of blood leaves you numb. Just as I was relishing the prospect of a event free morning, I realised that the familiar twinkle of Danny’s Tranny front headlamp was missing from my mirrors. Slowing down the 10mph on a motorway is never a pleasant prospect but the thought of riding back against the traffic (which I had done in Egypt but that’s about par for the course for them) was a worse one. Danny appeared in short order but travelling at a significantly reduced pace. Another kilometre or so further and we pulled into the service station. ‘You OK?’. ‘Yes, mate, but the front end started weaving which was why I slowed down’. Danny jumped off the bike and was checking the forks when I noticed his rear wheel rim was somewhat nearer the tarmac than it should have. ‘Give the back tyre a kick mate, looks a bit flat?’ as we all know, kicking the tyre will always tell you if there is a problem. On this occasion there was - our first flat! My initial reaction was relief that a. it was his rear tyre that had gone, not the front, b. that he was still with me and not pancaked across the Turkish motorway and that c. We had practised changing tyres with Honda 3 weeks before. As luck would have it, we’d stopped opposite a tyre place but we were determined to sort this out ourselves. Which we did, with the able help of one of the many attendants and the not so able support of every other bugger that stopped and stared or pointed. Had they never seen two Englishmen changing a tyre on a well loaded tranny before? A mere ninety minutes, 2 cups of coffee, one repositioned set of brake pads and not very much swearing later, it was done. We felt properly self-sufficient as we had dealt with one of our biggest fears without so much as a single ‘oh, crap, what now?’ Thinking ourselves to be so very clever, we set off, now just 2 hours behind schedule. Our border crossing from Turkey into Bulgaria was significantly shorter than all the north African and Middle Eastern chaotic affairs and we were anticipating a reasonably early stop near Sofia. If you were to ask almost any biker what their least favourite biking conditions would be, they might say ‘Rain, ice, snow, other fast vehicles and the dark.’ As we came over the brow of hill south of Sofia, we got all of them slammed into our faces like an icy sledgehammer. Within 5 minutes, we were trying to ride through a driving blizzard with artics flashing their lights like they didn’t understand our genuinely terrifying position. We ended up on the hard shoulder riding with our hazards on. I was contemplating simply stopping and pitching the tent. Unfortunately, out tents would have been within striking range of the aforementioned lorries and we couldn’t risk it. We pushed on along the hard shoulder with the snow and ice beating our faces. Then, like a lighthouse appearing out of the murk, a sign for Services with motel came up in the feeble light cast by the bikes into the blizzard. I’m not a religious man, but I do believe I uttered a few short one thanks to the great motor biking god of the adventure travellers. I said a few more choice words as we crawled up the icy covered slip road but we safe. Time: 10:30 pm. Danny’s Blog: Saturday 13th March I woke up looking like Ricky Hatton’s uglier brother after a whooping from Floyd Mayweather. Eyes swollen and my body racked with pain caused by a room that was being heated by an electric heater that I had fallen asleep with. My sinuses were shot. I looked out of the window and I nearly cried. When I opened it, I did. It was about below eight. Scott, Peary, Ranulph Feinnes or the nutty Brian blessed would have been seen dead out in this. But we were going to ride 550 miles it and before I could say “Mummy?” There was Graham, punctual as ever knocking on my door ever so politely, “Downstairs in half an hour?” “Ok”. In my mind cussing his very existence. We get down stairs and before I can say, “Sunny side up”, we’re out the door. Whatever possesses a man to go out in Arctic conditions without as much as a cup of tea? I think he has a massive bet going on with the travel agent who organized this trip, yes. The very same one who said it couldn’t be done. Anyway I sulk over the motorway bridge with G’ and the bikes are at the top of what is now an icy ski jump ramp. We loaded up and gingerly inched down this hill… bobsleigh run, to the motorway. I think the only way we got down was through divine intervention and once in motion the wind was like Phil Taylor throwing darts in your face through the helmet visor from three paces. On we trekked, freezing water intermittently rearing its ugly head on the road trying to catch us out. Once through Sofia where our journey should have begun, we passed through the eastern side of the Alps where it was so bitter it felt like the inside of our kits felt like they were littered with razor blades. Man it was cutting! My hands and feet no longer existed and I can tell you, on an empty stomach I was ready to kill. All the way down all I could see were thing that made me want to quit from fear, ‘slippery road’ signs, a burned out juggernaut, abandoned cars and snow everywhere. At last we arrived at the Serbian border which we sailed through. I warmed my frozen hands next to the engine and they froze back the moment we rode off. Graham had a eureka moment and reluctantly stopped for breakfast at a petrol station. There was a cop car parked outside and an old Kawasaki GPZ 1000 RX which 20 years ago was the dogs bollocks but now looked like the dogs dinner. We were welcomed a lot better than the Belgian eatery the night before. One cop ate food whilst the other one looked like he was looking at porn on the net. Both had guns so we pretended not to notice them. We ordered coffee, which I had three and these cheesy, sausage rolly things that looked like the beanstalk ogre’s fingers from the hand that he picks his nose with. Needless to say I didn’t finish mine but G’ ‘The Burger King’ took the glaze off the plate. We hit the road again feeling a bit better. The weather got warmer and the roads safer and faster. We were making good time, until we got to a toll booth before the Hungarian border. Big G’ had no cash money, well none that anyone would accept anyway. Whatever you do in this world do not travel with Bulgarian money because nobody will take it. The toll guys visa machine wasn’t working and we were stuck. I never spoke and just lay my head forward on the tank and warmed my hands. I couldn’t even be bothered to ogle the blond who went through driving a rather large BMW. Still no joy with the machine. One of the guys told us to turn around and just squeeze through the gap between the barrier and the wall. Graham pondered. The guy reassured him. “All the Serb guys on bikes do it”. I smelt trouble. We turned around and went steaming towards the toll. A car was at the raised barrier and Graham roared through it which triggered it to come down missing my head by inches. I was pissed. We got about a mile down the road overtaking cars over the double unbroken central lines only seeing the Serb cop standing by his car when it was too late. I had visions of this guy kicking the crap out of us in a cell for ‘international crimes’ committed by ‘The same Brits who let our people get slaughtered during the Kosovan war’. I was even more pissed. G’ made us stop at a petrol station as we needed gas. It must have been owned by a cockney because it was called ‘Elp’, (Euro Lux Petrol) which is exactly what we would have needed if that cop caught up with us. We filled up and went in to pay. Walking out I noticed a bag of sweets called ‘Negro’. This was getting silly. I bought three packs to embarrass my white friends when I give them as Xmas presents and we went to eat. We zoomed down to the Hungarian border and passed through painlessly and in what seemed like a relatively short time (Two hours) we arrived at the Intercontinental Hotel where not only did G’ get his Bulgarian money changed but we were looked after like real guests as we took advantage of the steam room where we let the carbon monoxide, soot and the smell of fear ooze out of our blocked pores Keep up to date with the challenge at www.ironbutts.co.uk or click here to donate to Sport Relief. Read article
Superstock classes set to start in Portugal
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Monday, 15th March 2010, 16:47 GMTWith the first European-based round of the 2010 SBK season arriving at Portimao on 28 March, the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup and Superstock 600 European Championship classes will soon get underway, with strong entries confirmed in each category. Populated by relatively young riders, and using machines which are very close to standard production models, these classes will once again run alongside the Superbike World Championship and Supersport World Championship categories at every one of the ten European-based rounds of the overall SBK series. In the 1000cc class some exciting new machines enter the fray, including the BMW S1000RR and KTM 1198RC8 R. There will be 32 regular riders representing no less than eight different manufacturers in 2010 - Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Honda, KTM, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. Given the strict rules of the class, each machine should be capable of running at the front. Last year three manufacturers won races, with five scoring podiums of some kind. The 600 Superstock class features four different manufacturers - Honda, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha - with a regular entry of 19 riders coming from nine different countries. In the Superstock 1000 class Ayrton Badovini joins Daniele Beretta in the BMW Motorrad Italia STK Team, and there will be seven riders on BMW machinery in total, making the S1000RR a popular choice in its first year in Superstock. As well as some established names there will be new threats aplenty in the Superstock categories, each of which has provided major career steps for some top riders in the SBK and WSS classes. Read article
BSS: Lap record for Lowes at Guadix
Source: British Superbikes 2009 - BSB Blog - Mirror.co.uk - Monday, 15th March 2010, 16:13 GMTFuchs Silkolene British Supersport Championship Team GNS Racing has concluded their pre-season Spanish testing schedule on a high with an impressive performance at Guadix. Despite the first day being affected by snow and temperatures remaining cool on day two, 19-year-old Sam Lowes managed to better the existing lap record on his Honda CBR600 whilst 18-year-old team-mate Paul Jordan continued his progress in getting acquainted with the bike at the track near Granada. Lowes, from Lincoln, managed a best time of 1:15.9 which was half a second inside Eugene Laverty's lap record with Jordan, from Magherafelt in Northern Ireland, getting down to the low 1:20s as the pair completed over 100 laps each during the two days for the Southampton-based team. Sam Lowes said, "I didn't expect to wake up to snow but once it cleared, we set about our work and I have to admit I'm pleased with how everything went. The bike is working brilliantly and all the time I'm getting more confident, which was reflected in our lap times. We have one more test at Brands Hatch to do and then the season can't come fast enough for me. These tests in Spain have been great for us as a team and we have learned a lot which will hopefully stand us in good stead for the season ahead." Lowes' teammate Paul Jordan, said, "This has been an important week for me as following the test at Cartagena, I needed as much time on the bike as possible at Guadix and despite the weather, we have achieved much of what we set out for. I got my times down and it's starting to feel like my bike now, we're just chipping away and I know where I'm at with everything now. We'll have a better idea after Brands Hatch next week and I'm confident we can find the extra pace needed." Owner of Team GNS Racing, Gary Stubbington, said, "I'm pleased with how everything went and for Sam to dip under the lap record is particularly impressive, especially given the low temperatures. Paul's plugging away and working hard and realises he has some work to do but I'm delighted with how the whole team is operating." The final pre-season test takes place with the official BSB test day at Brands Hatch this Wednesday, 17th March, as the teams make their final preparations ahead of the first race at Brands Hatch over Easter (April 3rd to 5th). Read article
Pedrosa upbeat despite test troubles
Source: MOTOGP news - autosport.com - Sunday, 14th March 2010, 8:23 GMTDani Pedrosa says he is starting the 2010 season in a very positive mood despite Honda trailing its rivals in winter testing so far Read article
Honda VFR400R (NC30) (1988-1994)
Source: | Motorcycle Reviews - Friday, 12th March 2010, 15:27 GMTThe Honda VFR400R, or NC30 as it’s commonly known, is effectively a 400cc version of the iconic VFR750R (RC30) and as such is a cheaper alternative to the RVF400R which succeeded it in 1994. It has excellent handling, still looks... Read article
