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Bench Racing & The Morning Reads

Wednesday, 16 October

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Members with Birthdays this Month

SBK

fim-live.com The stage is set for WSBK season finale at Jerez
The eni FIM Superbike World Championship riders are gearing up for the last round of 2013, that will take place this weekend at the Circuito de Jerez, Spain. The last time the Andalusian track hosted an event of the series was in*

fim-live.com BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team - WSBK - Jerez - Preview
Final push for the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team: the squad and factory riders Marco Melandri (ITA) and Chaz Davies (GBR) are preparing for the 2013 season finale of the FIM Superbike World Championship.

thecheckeredflag.co.uk Leon Camier will make his return to*World Superbikes*in this weekend's season finale at Jerez. The Briton has been sidelined since breaking his right foot in seven places at Istanbul Park last month but after extensive rehabilitation, Camier is excited*..

superbikeplanet.com As the Spies Ducati rumor turns

MotoGP

motogp.com Marquez on the brink of history in Australia
Marc Marquez could storm his way into the history books by becoming the youngest ever MotoGP? World Champion at Phillip Island this weekend.

motogp.com Marquez will not change approach for Australia
Marc Marquez insists he will head into the Tissot Australian Grand Prix as he does every other race, despite the fact he could clinch the world title this weekend.

fim-live.com Yamaha Factory Racing Arrive in Australia for Phillip Island
With no rest the Yamaha Factory Racing team and riders moved directly from Malaysia to Australia this week for the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island on Sunday.

world.honda.com MotoGP Track Report Round 15
Honda has added the MotoGP Track Report featuring analyses by Livio Suppo, HRC Team Principal, for Round 15, Malaysia. Stay tuned for Round 16 on October 20

visordown.com Hayden Honda switch imminent
NICKY Hayden could be riding a Honda in MotoGP in 2014.Aspar boss Jorge Martinez has decided to refuse the Aprilia offer for 2014

fim-live.com Ducati Team Heads Down Under to Phillip Island
With a difficult Malaysian Grand Prix having been completed just days ago, the Ducati Team is now in Australia, where they hope for a more positive weekend at Phillip Island Circuit, site of Round 16 in the MotoGP World*

Formula One

f1technical.net Raikkonen's struggles linked to front tyres
Following the Japanese Grand Prix, Lotus' Alan Permane has revealed that Kimi Raikkonen's qualifying struggles of late are mostly due to the new tyres that were introduced in Germany

thef1times.com Van der Garde's father-in-law may invest in Williams
Dutch media is reporting that Caterham driver Giedo van der Garde's future father-in-law is considering buying into the Williams team. Van der Garde is engaged to Denise Boekhoorn, daughter of billionaire businessman

mirror.co.uk Mercedes F1 chairman Niki Lauda admitted the 58-year-old designer's future at the team is in the balance and it is ?50-50? whether he stays

Other Racing

MC

motorsportsnewswire.com KTM Rolls Out New KTM 450 Factory Rally Bike for Morocco!
October 14, 2013 ? (Motor Sports Newswire) ? The highly anticipated 2014 model of the KTM 450 Rally bike is set to make its first competitive appearance at the OilLibya Rally of Morocco

supercross.com 2014 FIM MXGP / MX2 Motocross World Championship Schedule
Youthstream and the FIM have released the provisional schedule for the 2014 World Motocross Championships. Here are the dates, locations, and circuits

gizmag.com Jessi Combs breaks 48-year old land speed record
Back in 1965, Lee Breedlove set the women's land speed record on Utah?s Salt Lake Flats with an average speed of 308.51 mph (496.49 km/h) over four runs. That record stood for 48 years

On the Street

superbikeplantet.com Struggling Aprilia putting factory workers on furlough

rideapart.com Motorcycle History: 50 Years of Full-Face Motorcycle Crash Helmets
TweetEach week RideApart looks back to highlight key milestones in motorcycling history from innovations to significant model introductions to racing successes and, of course, some of the disastrous things

canadamotorcycleguide.com BMW shows new cafe racer, talks about new project
Supposedly, BMW will soon be building small bikes in conjunction with Indian firm TVS

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bikesportnews.com Riders For Health founder Coleman wins Women of Year award
For her constant charity work in Africa

visordown.com Range of sub-500cc BMWs due
BMW's smallest current offering, the G650GS BMW WILL introduce a range of sub-500cc bikes over the next three years, the firm is set to announce today.The range will include naked and possibly adventure bikes*

visordown.com Buell RX spotted
ERIC Buell Racing will whip the covers off its new 1190 RX superbike at the AIMExpo in Orlando, Florida, today ? but here?s a picture of the show bike waiting to be put on its stand.Spied by a forum member at Buellxb.com

rideapart.com 10 Cheapest Ways to Make Your Bike Faster
TweetMany of us get into motorcycling in the pursuit of speed. We buy bikes branded with numbers like horsepower and torque, and then do everything we can to make them better and faste

dealernews.com Husqvarna bringing 10 two-, four-stroke models to U.S.
MURRIETA, Calif. ? Husqvarna will be bringing 10 of its 2014 Special Edition models to the U.S. and Canada, comprising a full range of two- and four-stroke options

rideapart.com How To Break In A New Motorcycle Engine
TweetYou?ve just taken delivery of your brand new motorcycle. You?ve looked at the owner?s manual, listened to friends and have heard and read a lot of confusing information about the right way of to break in a new motorcycle*

rideapart.com The Greatest Threat To The Harley-Davidson Brand Is?
TweetHarley-Davidson is one of the most evocative brands in the galaxy. It has an aura and loyalty almost unheard of in any other industry. Even Apple should be jealous. But the brand is not the name

VIDEO 1948 BMW R24 - 1951 BMW R51/3 | AutoMotoTV

VIDEO 1930 BMW R11 series 2 | AutoMotoTV

VIDEO 1983 BMW K 100, 1984 BMW R80 G/S Paris-Dakar and 1989 BMW K1 | AutoMotoTV

VIDEO BMW motorcycle production - The first 75 years | AutoMotoTV


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The Commute

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The MotherShip PressClub

BMW Motorrad HP RaceSupport completes perfect 2013 IDM season.
With last weekend?s final round at Lausitzring (GER), BMW Motorrad HP RaceSupport completed a perfect 2013 season in the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM). The HP RaceSupport-backed BMW...More

Cage World

thechicane.com Factories at Work: Alpine
Would you just look at all of those Renault-Alpine A110s. Gorgeous! via Motor Trend. You can read this post in its original form on The Chicane

jalopnik.com Could Electric Cars Give Back?
Welcome to Must Read, where we single out the best stories from around the automotive universe and beyond. Today we have reports from Speed Hunters and The Verge.Read more...

autobloggreen.com Report: Demand for electric car rentals unplugged by range anxiety
Filed under: Nissan, Tesla, Electric It's the hurdle that electric vehicles must clear to be launched into the mainstream: range anxiety. But this time it isn't prospective customers who worry about running out of juice, Bloomberg*

automotivenews.com BMW mulls boosting EV production on strong early demand for i3
BMW is considering a production increase for the i3 electric car after early demand for the model exceeded the automaker's expectations

automotivenews.com Hankook Tire to invest $800 million to build first U.S. plant
Hankook Tire Co., South Korea's biggest tiremaker, will invest $800 million to build its first factory in the United States as automakers stay on track for a fifth straight year of growth.

www.bimmerfile.com: BimmerFile ? cage news options & reviews that matter

FWIW

reuters.com BERLIN (Reuters) - German opposition parties on Tuesday accused Angela Merkel of pandering to the car lobby, after her conservatives received major donations from the family that controls*BMW, just as Berlin was lobbying against tougher EU caps on*...

visordown.com Discuss: Can the motorcycle be ever be reinvented?
VISORDOWN'S*discussions aim to challenge assumptions about motorcycling. This week, a bike industry expert, who in his own interest cannot be named, argues that any 'revolutionary' motorcycle design is*

gizmag.com Steen Ergonomic Guitar range launched
Guitars like Gibson's iconic Flying V, just about any BC Rich model, or Bob Wiley's Ministar travel guitars may well stand out in any crowd, but they're not exactly built for comfort.*

After a good motorcycle engine picture, I like pictures of well thought out tool boxes.

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TED: Jeff Speck: The walkable city - Jeff Speck
How do we solve the problem of the suburbs? Urbanist Jeff Speck shows how we can free ourselves from dependence on the car -- which he calls "a gas-belching, time-wasting, life-threatening prosthetic device" -- by making*

Packers.com/news-and-events

Reference Library

Bike Candy

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Thursday, 17 October

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Members with Birthdays this Month

SBK

worldsbk.com Sykes prepared for Championship decider
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) will be joined by his regular team-mate Loris Baz for the finale of the 2013 season, with the Brit entering the Jerez weekend with a substantial 37-point championship lead. Sykes, who scored the most recent of his nine race victories in the 2013 season at Magny-Cours last time out, is now in a commanding position.

motomatters.com 2013 Jerez World Superbike And World Supersport Preview Press Releases
Press releases from the series organizer and the WSBK and WSS teams previewing the final round of the 2013 season: Round Number:* 14 Year:* 2013 read more

cycleworld.com TOM SYKES: 2013 WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPION?
As if our little ride up the west coast the other day aboard new Ninja 1000s en route to the*World Superbike*round at Laguna Seca wasn't nice enough, we even got the excellent pleasure of a nice dinner Friday night with the man who seems set to become..

eurosport.yahoo.com Pata Honda's Jonathan Rea won't make a return to competition at this weekend's Jerez World Superbikefinale as his femur he broke at the Nurburgring has not yet healed enough for him to be able to ride

worldsbk.com WSBK riders on the UFO at Jerez
The final pre-event of the season for the eni FIM Superbike World Championship took place today at the SBK Paddock Show and marked the official return of the series to the*

suzuki-racing.com Camier Passed Fit To Race At Jerez Wsb
FIXI Crescent Suzuki's Leon Camier has successfully passed a medical test at the Jerez circuit in Spain to enable him to compete in this weekend's final round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship.

hondaproracing.com Pata Honda looking forward to SBK finale

bikesportnews.com Silly season gossip, rumors and intrigue

FWIW: BSN does a good job of summarizing the recent round of silly season stories. Their comments three quarters of the way down really caught my eye. BMW is leaving WSBK in 2014 as a factory team. What has never been clearly said is they are leaving racing. Will factory teams become Ducati like factory supported private teams? Could be and Troy Corser, who has been working for BMW since he left racing may be its manager.

superbikeplanet.com Corser to manage a WSBK team?
:lurk

MotoGP

motogp.com Decision of the Grand Prix Commission
The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna Sports, CEO), Ignacio Verneda (FIM Executive Director, Sport), Herve Poncharal

motomatters.com MotoGP Rules Update: 'CRT' Name Dropped, Replaced With 'Open'
When it was announced that the claiming rule was to be dropped and the rules would be changed for 2014, one of the main questions was what to call the new class. After some complaining early on, MotoGP fans had become*

FWIW: Does the elimination of the claiming portion of the old rules in the new make MotoGP engine development more palatable and interesting BMW.

motomatters.com 013 Phillip Island MotoGP Preview Press Releases
Preview press releases from the MotoGP teams and Bridgestone ahead of the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island: Round Number:* 15 Year:* 2013 read more

motogp.com Aspar with Honda and Hayden for 2014-15
Power Electronics Aspar has revealed it will contest the 2014 and 2015 MotoGP? seasons with 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden, while also announcing a new technical agreement to compete with Honda Production*

bbc.co.uk Marquez will rule for years - Lorenzo
Defending champion Jorge Lorenzo backs Marc Marquez to dominate MotoGP "for many years" ahead of the Australian Grand Prix

motogp.com Racing Numbers: Tissot Australian Grand Prix
Undoubtedly, the big news heading to Phillip Island is the possibility of Marc Marquez becoming the youngest ever MotoGP? World Champion. There are plenty of other facts and figures on offer, though?

fim-live.com Yamaha Factory Racing arrives in Phillip Island
With no rest the Yamaha Factory Racing team and riders moved directly from Malaysia to Australia this week for the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island on Sunday. The second of the triple-header races will see Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi looking to take the fight to their rivals in the final rounds as the championship heads into its final three races.Defending world champion Lorenzo has yet to take a premier class win at the Phillip Island circuit

fim-live.com Ducati team heads downunder to Phillip Island
With a difficult Malaysian Grand Prix having been completed just days ago, the Ducati Team is now in Australia, where they hope for a more positive weekend at Phillip Island Circuit, site of Round 16 in the MotoGP World Championship and the middle leg of a busy overseas tripleheader. Situated on the Bass Straight in the state of Victoria, the popular track features an anticlockwise layout that includes a number of thrilling high-speed corners. Unpredictable weather conditions notwithstanding, the event is popular with teams, riders and fans alike, and with the track surface having received a fresh layer of asphalt last December, this year's Australian Grand Prix promises thrilling racing.

VIDEO 2013 track guide: Phillip Island

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Formula One

formula1.com India preview quotes - Caterham on New Delhi
Round 16 of the 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship sees the paddock make its third trip to the Buddh International Circuit in New Delhi. This year the exciting young venue could well stage its very first title decider

formula1.co Sauber ... Giving up on 2013 was never an option

jamesallenonf1.com Mercedes engine boss says power units will not be dominant factor in 2014
Mercedes engine boss Andy Cowell says the new 1.6 litre turbo engines, which will be introduced next year, will not be the dominant factor

Other Racing

MC
VIDEO 2013 FIM eRoad Racing World Cup - Indianapolis (USA)

Cage and...

VIDEO McLaren - Honda F1 Documentary with Ayrton Senna, Gerhard Berger, Ron Dennis.

On the Street

sportrrider.com 2013 BMW HP4 Road Test | The First Intelligent Sportbike
2013 BMW HP4 Road Test | The First Intelligent SportbikeBMW?&#128;&#153;s new HP4 bristles with leading-edge electronics, including an excellent semiactive suspension systemWhen Ducati?&#128;&#153;s new-generation Multistrada 1200 S made*

dealernews.com Tesla co-founder joins BRD Motorcycles advisory board
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Tesla Motors Inc. co-founder Martin Eberhard is joining the advisory board of electric motorcycle startup BRD Motorcycles. He reportedly was attracted by the company?s homegrown approach to batter

motorcycle-usa.com Harley-Davidson recalls 2014 touring bikes
related
cyrilhuzeblog.com Harley-Davidson Issues ?Do Not Ride Notice? To Owners Of 29,000 Touring And Softail Models With Hydraulic Clutch Systems.
Harley-Davidson is acting quickly to address*potential safety issues by voluntarily recalling certain 2014 Touring motorcycles equipped with a hydraulic clutch system that may pose a safety issue for riders and/or*

motorcyclenews.com Honda announce CBR300R
Honda has announced the imminent arrival of a new CBR300R, a bigger version of its current CBR250R.*The news came at the Chinese International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition in Chongqing, where Seiji Kuraishi, Honda?s*
FWIW: Will it come to the US?

visordown.com Top 10 bargin new bikes

motorcycle-usa.com Hero Motorcycles in US by Mid-2014
Hero MotoCorp will debut four motorcycles in the United States mid-2014 and EBR will be the exclusive American distributor of the Indian brand.
FWIW: Turn about is fair play as companies like Harley enter the India market

cycleworld.com Learn to use a torque wrench

cycleworld.com Jetboil Sol Titanium Premium Cooking System What's for dinner?
There?s nothing like a hot meal when you?re cold and hungry. Weighing just 8.5 ounces, the Jet Boil Sol Titanium Premium Cooking System ($149.95) is ?a complete food and beverage multi-tool you can hold in your hand.?*

VIDEO WBW Shark Raw Helmet

sportrider.com 2014 EBR 1190RX First Look
2014 EBR 1190RX First LookErik Buell Racing also announces it will distribute Hero motorcycles in North AmericaErik Buell Racing (EBR) has introduced the new 1190RX at AIMExpo in Orlando

VIDEO 2014 new EBR 1190RX (Erik Buell Racing) studio & details photo compilation

VIDEO Suzuki V-Strom 1000 ABS Introduction

VIDEO 1960 BMW R69 S - 1969 BMW R75 5 | AutoMotoTV

VIDEO 1928 BMW R57 R62 sidecar combination | AutoMotoTV

VIDEO 1923 BMW R32 | AutoMotoTV

VIDEO 1930 BMW R11 series 2 | AutoMotoTV

VIDEO BMW at Motor Race Early 1920's - Tour of Germany 1950 | AutoMotoTV

The Commute

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The MotherShip PressClub

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BMW Motorrad celebrates its 90th anniversary in the BMW Museum. World premiere of the new BMW R nineT. ...More

Cage World

autobloggreen.com Myers goes the CrowdFunding route with updated NMG2 EV

autobloggreen.com Motorsports: Nissan, Michelin working on special eco tires for ZEOD RC
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Nissan, Racing As Nissan neared completion of its ZEOD RC electric racer, the automaker approached Michelin with a challenge: make us some racing tires with low rolling*

jalopnik.com The Best Non-American Pickup Trucks
Ask yourself ? what's the most apple pie, Grand Canyon, Lincoln Memorial, Bald Eagle American kind of vehicle? Yes, it's the pickup truck. So what's the best pickup truck that's not from the Land of Freedom?Read more...

VIDEO BMW Z4 GTE LAUNCH VIDEO | AutoMotoTV

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www.bimmerfile.com: BimmerFile ? cage news options & reviews that matter

FWIW

gizmag.com HP Velotechnik introduces dual-battery system for increased e-trike range
In addition to a new off-road model, German trike manufacturer HP Velotechnik plans to launch a new dual-battery option on its entire e-trike line next month. Double the battery will mean double the range. .. Continue*

deadspin.com The Great American Menu: Foods Of The States, Ranked And Mapped
What are the United States' best regional foodstuffs? Its worst? These are the questions that bedevil the mind of man?but no longer! For here, we have ranked them. Rigorously scientific (not), ardently researched (nope), and*

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express.co.uk Ancient polar bear hair sample solves Yeti riddle

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Reference Library

Bike Candy
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What bikes are in the future for BMW World to display?

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Saturday, 19 October

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Members with Birthdays this Month

SBK

motomatters.com Carlos Checa To Retire From Racing
Carlos Checa is to retire from racing. The 41-year-old Spaniard had been forced to skip the last four rounds of the 2013 World Superbike season after crashing heavily during practice at the Istanbul Park circuit in Turkey

BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team - WSBK - Jerez - Qualifying Practice 1
The 2013 season finale at Jerez (ESP) started well for the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team with qualifying on the provisional fron


worldsbk.com Giugliano leads Day 1 over Melandri and Laverty
Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Aprilia) was the quickest rider in today's Qualifying 1 for eni FIM Superbike World Championship

bikesportnews.com Jerez WSBK: ?Best Friday of the season? for Laverty
Even after a small crash the Irish rider had the race pace

bikesportnews.com Jerez WSBK: ?We have got some problems? ? Haslam
The Smalley rider is two seconds off the pace

bikesportnews.com Camier Sixth In Jerez First-Day Qualifying
FIXI Crescent Suzuki's Leon Camier marked his return to action following a month-long lay-off through injury to record a stunning sixth-quickest time in today's first qualifying session for this weekend's eni FIM Superbike World*

motomatters.com 2013 Jerez World Superbike Friday Roundup: Testing Pays Dividends
World Superbike racing has not been held at Jerez since 1990, favouring the MotoGP men for experience, much like Istanbul. However, many teams used the track last winter for testing, so none of the title contenders arrived blind

MotoGP

motogp.com Bridgestone explains tyre decision for race
Following Friday practice at Phillip Island, Bridgestone has requested for MotoGP? riders to use the harder tyre available to them for Sunday?s race

autosport.com Pedrosa hits front in final practice
Dani Pedrosa edged out Honda team-mate Marc Marquez to set the Saturday morning MotoGP practice pace at Phillip Island

fim-live.com Jorge Lorenzo locked out both Friday practice sessions
It was reigning MotoGP? World Champion Jorge Lorenzo who locked out both Friday practice sessions at Phillip Island ahead of the Tissot Australian Grand Prix. The Yamaha Factory Racing rider led Marc Marquez and Alvaro*

fim-live.com Day of trial and error for Rins and Marquez at Phillip Island
The re-laid Phillip Island asphalt may have been new, but the weather on day one of the Australian GP was typical of the circuit; wind, sun and cold temperatures greeted the Moto3 riders on Friday. The participants were happy*

fim-live.com Ducati Team struggles with windy conditions at Phillip Island
The day-one free-practice sessions for Round 16 of the MotoGP World Championship, the Australian Grand Prix, was marked by strong winds, but with blue skies and springtime temperatures, the riders were able to set fast*

motomatters.com 2013 Phillip Island MotoGP Friday Post-Practice Press Releases
Press releases from the MotoGP teams and Bridgestone after the first day of practice at Phillip Island: Round Number:* 16 Year:* 2013

Formula One

f1technical.net Honda fires up 2015 F1 engine for the first time

telegraph.co.uk Formula One Strategy Group condemned as 'illegal'
Force India's deputy principal Bob Fernley says the new steering group is unfair to the smaller teams

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Other Racing

Cage and...

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On the Street

motorcyclenews.com Honda CBR600RR by HRC concept
If instead of the RCV 1000 at EICMA 2013, Honda presented the new CBR600RR by HRC?

asphaltandrubber.com Get Ready for the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800
Those Italians in Varese are getting their EICMA machine ready, and have sent the international press invitations to see the new*MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800

canadamotorcycleguide.com Honda Grom: World?s smallest hooligan bike
You meet the nicest people on a Honda ... unless it's a Grom. Zac rides Honda's new 125, and finds it's much more than a mild-mannered monkey bike

rideapart.com 6 Dirt Bikes That Changed the Sport
TweetWith the announcement of the Unit Skycraft and it?s incredibly light carbon fiber frame, we see a product that may spurn the next giant shift in motocross bikes. Let?s take a look back at six dirt bikes*

rideapart.com The Basic Motorcycle ToolKit ? Tools to Help Get You Home
TweetCarrying a basic motorcycle toolkit can help you avoid small problems turning into big ones. This is RideApart?s suggested list of essential tools that you should carry at all times on your bike

RECALLs

motorcyclenews.com [UK] Massive Suzuki GSX-R recall
Every Suzuki GSX-R including the 600, 750 and 1000cc variants built since 2004 has been officially recalled for modifications to the front brake master cylinder. Suzuki has taken the decision to recall an as-yet-unknown number

The Commute

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Weekend

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The MotherShip PressClub

BMW Motorrad at the EICMA 2013. Two world premieres and three trade fair premieres.
BMW Motorrad presents two world premieres and three trade fair premieres at this year's EICMA, the 71st Salone Internationale del Motociclo, November 7th - 10th in Hall 14 at the Milan trade fair centrer...More

Team USA chosen for 2014 International GS Trophy
Some riders came to BMW Motorrad USA?s GS Trophy team qualifier competition for fun and fellowship, but Blair Young, Bobby Woolridge and Ben Profitt left the BMW Performance Center as Team USA...More

Bill's BMW built just for him
In 2009, novice rider Bill Costello inherited an old 1958 BMW R 50 after his father passed away. Although it had been in the family garage all his life, Bill had never actually seen it running...More

From BMW Motorrad Days to Mongolia
If you're one of the approximately 35,000 riders who make the journey to BMW Motorrad Days in Garmisch-Partenkirchen every year, then here's an idea for you. After a weekend of partying with BMW enthusiasts from all over the world...More

Time to ride the revolution?
Ever since the BMW C evolution e-scooter concept whizzed into our lives, fans of sustainable mobility solutions have been eagerly awaiting the series version. Now, as production gears up for the 100 % electrically powered...More

Operaci?n Sahara
Spanish writer and explorer Miquel Silvestre can usually be found in some far-flung corner of the world on his BMW R 1200 GS, but his next quest sees him swap his 125hp liquid-cooled state-of-the-art adventure bike for a 47-year-old...More

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BMW Team RLL Qualifies 5th and 9th for 16th Annual Petit Le Mans
Woodcliff Lake, N.J. ? Oct. 18, 2013 . . . Dirk M?ller qualified the No. 56 BMW Team RLL Z4 GTE fifth for tomorrow?s 1000-mile Petit Le Mans...More

Cage World

autoblog.com Report: Aston Martin committed to V12 power, downplays hybrids
Filed under: Performance, Technology, Aston Martin, Luxury Aston Martin will not be joining the performance hybrid club currently being championed by the likes of Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren

jalopnik.com 1969 McLaren Can-Am Car, Yours For $12,500
One catch ? it's half the size of the original.Read more.

www.bimmerfile.com: BimmerFile ? cage news options & reviews that matter

FWIW

gizmag.com KneeFlyer brings snowboarders and skaters to their knees
Texas-based start-up KneeFlyer has put a new spin on board sports by designing a sort of board booster seat. The add-on allows snowboarders and skaters to kneel or sit on their boards, lowering their centers of gravity and*

TED: Hetain Patel: Who am I? Think again - Hetain Patel / Yuyu Rau
How do we decide who we are? Hetain Patel's surprising performance plays with identity

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VIDEO Popeye The Sailor Man Black and White 46 min complete

VIDEO Lon Chaney Jr in THE SHADOW OF SILK LENNOX (1935) Full Movie

Packers.com/news-and-events

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Bike Candy

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Saturday, 19 October Racing Update : SBK, MotoGP, F1

SBK

fim-live.com Laverty gets pole on the eve of final race-day
Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) has claimed his second Tissot-Superpole of the year ? and of his WSBK career ? today after a close battle with Tom Sykes*

BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team - WSBK - Jerez - Superpole
There was light and shadow for the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team in the final Superpole qualifying of the 2013 FIM Superbike World Championship. Despite his injured right ankle, factory rider Marco Melandri (ITA) equaled his*

suzuki-racing.com Camier Continues Amazing Wsb Return
FIXI Crescent Suzuki's Leon Camier has continued with his amazing comeback at this weekend's Spanish round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship by progressing all the way to Superpole 3 this afternoon

motomatters.com 2013 Jerez World Superbike Saturday Roundup: Game On
In the second timed qualifying, Federico Sandi either didn?t see or ignored a black flag with orange circle and was fined ?500 by Race Direction. As he qualified for Superpole in that session, it?s unlikely he will be complaining*

MotoGP

motogp.com Marquez fastest in Phillip Island Warm-Up
Repsol Honda Team?s Marc Marquez has topped the Warm-Up session for the Tissot Australian Grand Prix at the start of the day on which he could be crowned the*

bbc.co.uk Lorenzo takes pole with lap record
Jorge Lorenzo sets a lap record to beat Marc Marquez to and claim pole position for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.

motomatters.com 2013 Phillip Island MotoGP Saturday Round Up: A Primer On The Dry Flag-to-Flag MotoGP Race, And Apportioning Blame For The Debacle
There should have been plenty to talk about after qualifying at Phillip Island. Jorge Lorenzo's stunning fast lap, Marc Marquez getting on the front row for the 11th time in his rookie season, Valentino Rossi's return to the front row

motogp.com Marquez's 11th front row, Pedrosa on Row 2
In a dramatic Q2 session at Phillip Island, World Championship leader Marc Marquez secured his 11th front row start for Sunday?s Tissot Australian Grand Prix

autosport.com Mandatory bike switches for Oz MotoGP
MotoGP organisers have ordered that riders must change bikes during Sunday's Australian Grand Prix after concerns were raised over the duration of Bridgestone's rear tyre

Formula One

jamesallenonf1.com Controversial new group meets to steer F1 future; small teams feel excluded
On Monday the F1 Strategy Group will meet for the first time and a new era of F1 rule making will begin, which excludes small and medium*

Other Racing

MC

BMW Motorrad HP RaceSupport completes perfect 2013 IDM season
With last weekend?s final round at Lausitzring, BMW Motorrad HP RaceSupport completed a perfect 2013 season in the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM). The HP RaceSupport-backed BMW*

Bike Candy

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Sunday, 20 October Racing Update : WorldSBK Warm-up. MotoGP Phillip Island Race


SBK

Sunday's warm-up was declared wet and only twelve riders of the Official Starting Grid of riders took to the track. Xavi Fores,Team Ducati Alstare, took the session with a time almost a full fourteen seconds slower than Eugen Laverty, Aprilia Racing Team, set in Superpole qualifying to take the pole. BMW Motorrad's Chaz Davies placed P8 in the session while teammate Marco Melandri sat it out. Pole sitter Laverty finished the session in P11 just ahead of Tom Sykes who is normally a rain meister.

The Superstock 1000 race is underway with fair conditions, 14?C temps, a light breeze but 100% humidity.

MotoGP

At the Close of Saturday

Asphaltandrubber.com Saturday summary at Phillip Island

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The Warm-Up
motogp.com Marquez fastest in Philip Island warm-up

The Setup
motogp.com New challenge as mandatory stops added to Australian GP

motomatters.com Phillip Island MotoGP race shortened again

The Race
motogp.com Lorenzo wins in Australia, Marquez disqualified

motogp.com Lorenzo reflects on dramatic Phillip Island win

motomatters.com 2013 Phillip Island MotoGP Race Result: A Mystifying Series Of Events
Full report and results below: Race Details Round Number:* 16 2013 read more

The Standings

Oct 20 (Infostrada Sports) - Standings from the Motorcycling Grand Prix MotoGP on Sunday
1. Marc Marquez (Spain) Honda 298
2. Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 280
3. Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 264
4. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 214
5. Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Yamaha 179
6. Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Honda 147
7. Stefan Bradl (Germany) Honda 135
8. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Ducati 127
9. Nicky Hayden (U.S.) Ducati 111
10. Bradley Smith (Britain) Yamaha 99
11. Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Aprilia 88
12. Andrea Iannone (Italy) Ducati 55
13. Michele Pirro (Italy) Ducati 50
14. Colin Edwards (U.S.) FTR 36
15. Randy de Puniet (France) Aprilia 33
superbikeplanet.com Yamaha's Lorenzo Wins Chaotic Australian MotoGP

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Monday, 21 October

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Members with Birthdays this Month

SBK

Race 1

Marco Melandri crossed the Jerez finish line just where he had started race one; right behind Eugene Laverty. Melandri lined up on the P4 on the inside of Row 2 right behind the Aprilia rider. Laverty won the race to turn 1 and took the lead with Tom Sykes and his Kawasaki in P2 and Melandri in P3. By Lap 2 Melandri had overtaken Sykes and began hunting down Laverty. Melandri caught and over took his rival on the penultimate lap but was unable to hold the lead. Meanwhile Sykes sat on an island some six seconds the lead pair and almost three seconds ahead of the P4 Guintoli and his Aprilia.

Laverty and Melandri were all smiles at the podium celebration. However, Sykes on the lowest step of the podium had the biggest smile of the three. His finish secured the World Superbike Rider Championship for Sykes, the first championship for a Kawasaki rider since 1993 when Scott Russel took the title.


1 1 58 E. LAVERTY IRL Aprilia Racing Team Aprilia RSV4 Factory
2 4 33 M. MELANDRI ITA BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK BMW S1000 RR 21 0.218
3 2 66 T. SYKES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 21 6.681
4 5 50 S. GUINTOLI FRA Aprilia Racing Team Aprilia RSV4 Factory 21 9.327
5 6 24 T. ELIAS ESP Red Devils Roma Aprilia RSV4 Factory 21 20.446
6 3 34 D. GIUGLIANO ITA Althea Racing Aprilia RSV4 Factory 21 27.633
7 10 19 C. DAVIES GBR BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK BMW S1000 RR 21 28.621
8 7 2 L. CAMIER GBR Fixi Crescent Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 21 29.548
9 8 12 X. FORES ESP Team Ducati Alstare Ducati 1199 Panigale R 21 29.964
10 9 8 M.AITCHISON AUS Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 21 36.981
11 18 16 J. CLUZEL FRA Fixi Crescent Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 21 37.008
12 16 20 S. BARRIER FRA BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK BMW S1000 RR 21 43.179
13 13 86 A. BADOVINI ITA Team Ducati Alstare Ducati 1199 Panigale R 21 47.260
14 19 27 M.NEUKIRCHNER GER MR-Racing Ducati 1199 Panigale R 21 52.154
15 12 57 L. LANZI ITA Mesaroli Transports A.S. Ducati 1098R 21 52.912
16 14 23 F. SANDI ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 21 54.414
17 15 84 M.FABRIZIO ITA Pata Honda World Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 21
18 11 70 B. PARKES AUS Monster Energy Yamaha - Yart Yamaha YZF R1 21
--------------------------------------------------Not Classified--------------------------------------------------
NC 20 31 V. IANNUZZO ITA Grillini Dentalmatic SBK BMW S1000 RR 15 6 Laps
RET 17 91 L. HASLAM GBR Pata Honda World Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 13 8 Laps




Race 2

fim-live.com Laverty at the double
The eni FIM Superbike World Championship season drew to a close today after the last race of a spectacular year. Many riders were in the spotlight in Spain but above them all was Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) who*

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BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team WSBK Jerez Races
A strong finale: BMW Motorrad concluded its factory commitment in the FIM Superbike World Championship with a successful performance at Jerez (ESP). In the first race of the 2013 season finale, factory rider Marco Melandri fought for victory until the finish line, coming home in second on his BMW S 1000 RR and claiming the fastest lap. Unfortunately Marco could not take part in race two due to his injured ankle. His team-mate Chaz Davies (GBR) finished the last races of the year in seventh and fifth respectively. Sylvain Barrier (FRA) showed a strong World Superbike debut on a third RR of the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team. He finished 12th in race one and fought within the top 10 in race two but crashed and slipped back to 13th. It was also a strong finale for BMW in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup. Two weeks after Sylvain celebrated his second consecutive Riders? title with the BMW HP4 of the BMW Motorrad GoldBet STK Team, the German manufacturer today also secured the Manufacturers? title in the series

suzuki-racing.com Heroic Return For Camier At Jerez Wsb
FIXI Crescent Suzuki's Leon Camier completed a valiant comeback from injury during today's two races at the eni FIM Superbike World Championship event at Jerez in Spain to record two top-eight finishes.

motomatters.com 2013 Jerez World Superbike Sunday Roundup: The Future Can Wait
2013?s World Superbike season is done and dusted. All the appeals are settled and the points are final. The racing at Jerez was nearly touched by the weather, but luckily for the series, it stayed dry for the world championship*

worldsbk.com 2013 SBK Official Yearbook on sale in November
The eni FIM Superbike World Championship is one of the most exciting and entertaining motorsport series, and the SBK Official Yearbook has always been the perfect way to relive all the key moments of each season,

MotoGP

autosport.com Honda takes blame for Marquez penalty
Honda has admitted that a misinterpretation of MotoGP rules was the reason Marc Marquez pitted too late during Sunday's Australian Grand Prix, a mistake that led to his*

motogp.com Marquez acknowledges costly team error
Marc Marquez admitted he and his team misunderstood the timing of the mandatory bike change required at Phillip Island, which resulted in his costly disqualification from the*

motomatters.com 2013 Phillip Island MotoGP Sunday Post-Race Press Releases
Press releases from the MotoGP teams and Bridgestone after Sunday's bizarre and action-packed race at Phillip Island: Round Number:* 16 Year:* 2013 read more

bbc.co.uk 'Marquez penalty bigger than the crime'
BBC commentator Steve Parrish says Marc Marquez deserves sympathy after his disqualification from the Australian MotoGP

motogp.com Aleix Espargaro top CRT for 2013
For the second consecutive year, Aleix Espargaro has emerged as the top rider equipped with CRT machinery in MotoGP?. The Power Electronics Aspar rider sealed the feat by finishing 11th at Phillip Island on Sunday.

On the Street

Found on caferacerdesign.com a lovely Ducati 125TS

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And this truly handsome RS from Ritmo Sereno

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VIDEO GoPro Hero3+ Black Camera Review & Comparison at RevZilla.com

The MotherShip PressClub

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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qUOAw9PPRaA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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Timo Glock claims maiden DTM victory at the season finale ? BMW defends Manufacturers? title.
Timo Glock (DE) was the big winner of the rain-dominated thriller that played out in the final race of the...More

The 2013 DTM season in the BMW Motorsport Review.
BMW Motorsport has completed a successful second DTM season since its return to the series last year. The BMW M3 DTM again emphatically demonstrated just how...More

BMW Z4 GTE debut season yields second in GT class manufacturer, team and driver championships.
BMW Team RLL finished second and fourth in the final round of the 2013 American Le Mans Series at Road Atlanta (US), the ?Petit Le Mans?. The 16th annual 1000-mile race, held in Braselton (US), concluded the debut season...More

BMW Team RLL Results at Petit Le Mans
Woodcliff Lake, N.J. ? Oct. 19, 2013 . . . BMW Team RLL finished second and fourth in today?s American Le Mans Series Petit Le Mans. The 16th annual1000-mile race, held at Road Atlanta in Braselton, GA, concluded the...More

Cage World

carscoops.com New*BMW*2-Series Coming on October 25, Watch the Teaser



Over the past year, we have filled our knowledge box with plenty of details on the new*BMW*2-Series, from its exterior and interior looks, to more recently, its launch specifications, so the time is ripe for the official presentation, which according*.


gizmag.com Lamborghini's $5.3 million topless Veneno
Ever since the release of Lamborghini?s limited edition $4.3 million Veneno earlier this year, rumors of a topless version have been growing.

www.bimmerfile.com: BimmerFile ? cage news options & reviews that matter

FWIW

gizmag.com Nikon finally adds built-in Wi-Fi to its DSLR line-up with the D5300
As cameras all around them have gained built-in wireless capabilities, Nikon DSLRs have begun to feel strangely dated with their need for an additional Wi-Fi adapter to keep up with their wireless sharing and remote shooting*

gizmag.com Panasonic outs tiny Lumix GM1 interchangeable lens camera
Over the past couple of years we've seen camera manufacturers trying to strike the right balance between image quality and camera size, by fitting ever larger sensors in ever smaller cameras. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1 is a*

Packers.com/news-and-events

Reference Library

Bike Candy

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Goodbye Goldbet, it's been fun. I would have liked to see Barrier mature into a BMW. Hoping Corser gives us something to look forward to.
 
Goodbye Goldbet, it's been fun. I would have liked to see Barrier mature into a BMW. Hoping Corser gives us something to look forward to.

Most of the reporting on a Down Under Team managed by Troy Corser references an article by Superbikeplanet.com previously posted in this thread. The background for that article appears to come from the SBK blog within the Italian sports paper La Gazzetta dello Sport. A little different supporting take on the project can be found at Solomoto.es. Both are respected sites.

Corser has been very involved with BMW and BMW Motorrad since his retirement on the promotional side. He has been a regular at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the BMW concours de elegance [iirc]. The promotional duties would have given him ample opportunities to develop contacts to supply or assist in finding sponsor dollars for the effort.

The team which Corser appears to be forming would be a blend of parts of the current and previous BMW Motorrad SBK teams. The Monaco financing would be a continuation of the relationship in some form with GoldBet and perhaps some others. GoldBet has been the BMW Motorrad Itallia Team sponsor for STK , their move to SBK and then this year for the factory team.

Alpha Racing is back in the mix for this team. When BMW announced it would race in WorldSBK it contracted with Alpha Racing to develop the team and the motorcycles. Alpha managed the BMW endurance team that campaigned the R1200S HP while development of the S 1000 RR continued.

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They we an important part of the development of the Stephanskirchen racing facility. Alpha had a hand in chassis development during the entire time Corser was a rider for Team BMW Motorrad and up to the shift to BMW Motorrad Itallia who shifted those duties to the Italian group they worked with. Alpha Racing has continued to develop performance parts for the S 1000 RR. I suspect but have not documented that they have been involved in efforts of teams using the RR in the various national level SBK efforts in Germany and elsewhere on the continent.

If BMW appeared to take a step sideways by racing in the World Endurance Series with an R, Corser's reported five year plan starts in 2014 by taking a step back beginning their racing team history with a FIM 2014 EVO Superbike Rules compliant bike. This would appear to put the team at a competitive disadvantage in the first year. The trade off is a year of development of team and bike to be fully ready to compete in 2015 when EVO rules become the rule of the series for all teams.

Riders are a big question mark. Davies seems to be out in the market. Melandri has been quiet. He may already have a deal in hand and it could be with Corser. Barrier would be a nice catch for the Corser team. He would give sponsor continuity and development experience. He would be new to Alpha as BMW Itallia used a different chassis builder, but that is not all bad. We should know more in coming days.

How this team will fare will not be known until a race day it appears. I would not expect podium performance battles in 2014 but would not rule them out at certain tracks. The S 1000 RR v2 in WSBK race trim has been a big step forward from the v1. However, in 2013 I had a feeling the engine and chassis development were out of sync with the engine overpowering the chassis. The EVO rules may take care of that leaving a bike that could be very competitive on the more technical tracks.

We know the defending champions for 2014. How any of them will fare is an open question. What bike will Sykes defend his championship on? Will the management changes at Aprillia end them into a complete tail spin? How long can DucAudi be a mid pack team before they return to the Ducati ways that netted them something like 60+% of the wins in SBK? Suzuki keeps getting better, Honda cannot be as bad as they seem and then there is Yamaha.

How ever that all shakes out I truly hope, what ever their final moniker, there is a Corser BMW Team on the grid for the 2014 edition of World SBK at Phillip Island.

The S1000 RR in 2008 testing

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I would love to see the new NineT dressed up like that Ritmo Sereno RS in today offering :groovy

My guess is there will be many customs along that line built using the R NineT as the base platform. Some will be better than others. I have little doubt one built by the gang at Ritmo Sereno would be a benchmark setting effort.
 
Thanks for the comprehensive response Mika. It goes to show why WSBK is more compelling than MotoGP these days. I'm not sure about Honda, they seem to be melting down, but a lot can change off-season. I don't think the Corser squad would have the money or cache for Melandri, and he seems to be locked into Aprilia, but with them losing Gigi to Duc, who knows? Suzuki is certainly going to be a legitimate player and now we can add a new name into the mix, as it looks like EBR will be coming to play: http://www.cyclenews.com/585/22511/Racing-Article/Geoff-May-And-EBR-To-World-Superbike.aspx
 
At first blush the World SBK site news piece about BMW Motorrad's plans for customer racing support on the surface is innocent in tone and a space filler. There are several hints that may launch many rumors. The second sentence of the second paragraph begs for speculation and rumor mongering.

"BMW Motorrad will support private BMW teams and riders in a versatile manner"

Sticking with WSBK first, how will they do this? Will they pick a preferred team for development and support along the DucAudi model? In that model the factory team disappeared to have a private team take the roll. The important part for the bike was direct technical support and development along the same lines they had provided their factory team.

On the rider front I agree the budget talked about for Corser's team would seem to preclude a marquee rider's salary. In the DucAudi model a major portion of Carlos Checa's salary was subsidized by a fat check from Ducati with a lot of zeros between the decimal and the whole number that started the sequence. With the shift to an EVO development model for the bike the demand for a high buck rider is not there in 2014. The money money may be better spent bringing a young team of riders while the money and major effort is spent on the rest of the team.

2014 season testeting is underway for several teams. We probably will not have to wait long for the answer to our SBK questions.

If you like to watch racing in person the big question is do the plans for BMW customer support for racing mean racing dollars will finally come to the US?

"In the course of the strategic realignment of BMW Motorrad, the global customer racing programme is being restructured and expanded for the 2014 season."

In the old corporate model BMW owned Husqvarna and they sucked up the much of the market development and development dollars for North America. If BMW spent money on racing it was spent in the dirt with Husky. The corporate realignment eliminated Husqvarna. Will the global customer racing programme free up the money to edit the euro spelling out and get behind a S 1000 RR racing program for the US?
 
I don't see BMW stepping up and providing much support for any racers in the disfunctional AMA series.

They had a big involvement with Larry Pegram and he was getting some fairly good if inconsistent results in the second year. Then they abruptly bailed on him . There was never a clear explanation as far as I know as to why, other than the series itself was poorly promoted, had weak attendance by spectators and the rules were a moving target.

As for WSBK, and BMW's involvement , I think it will happen on some level but not enough to really matter.
I do not get the series on my cable TV at this time other than the British Super Bikes .
There are a couple of teams riding BMW's there but they are glorified privateers as far as I can tell and they seem to run in the front of the mid-pack riders. Not optimal for a major sponsorship deal.

Maybe BMW will do something like the old Suzuki contingency money we had here in the states a long time ago. If you won, or were a real contender you got parts at a bigger discount than the other guys. A few riders were almost making a living by winning and getting some cash from Suzuki, but their expenses ate up most of the money.
 
The AMA has been dysfunctional for as long as I have been following racing, which began by reading magazines on the grocery store news rack while my mother shopped. Frankly I don't expect it to change any time soon. IF BMW begins to pump more money into US road racing it would signal it is fighting for a real seat at the rules making table that it has not had in the past. The S 1000 RR would be something of a flagship of that effort but the real goal would be support any racing efforts for the much hinted at under 500cc line of bikes coming in the future. That is the hot segment for all manufactures development departments. If racing is to be part of their life now is when the manufacturers will be pushing and shoving each other at the tables of the various racing rules bodies.

I agree; BMW's money will not make a major difference in 2014 results for any team it supports. The factory was not able to buy a title with its own team why would we expect a smaller number of euro to put a independent team over the top? 2014 should be seen as an organizational, place holding season with 2015 the one that matters more. The change to EVO for all teams will be the big deal then. In 2015 the cost of the pay to play in SBK flattens drastically for all the current teams. The other thing to follow during 2014 is who will be on the track in 2015 that have not been there in the past. Will BIMTO return? How about a presence from KTM or Triumph?

I have not really followed BSB in a very long time. From what I can surmise BMW's lack of serious effort in that series has several large roots. The series set rules that diverged from the FIM - WSBK rules at a early point in BMW's SBK effort. I suspect that management decided that the cost of supporting a BSB effort of some sort, no matter how visible the series is, was not worth the money. BMW UK was and is doing fine with the GS. The GS has been the number one selling bike in the over 500cc segment for years in that market. BMW has been a major player in the Round-The -Wolrd-Traveler (RTW) and Long Distance Touring bikes. BMW may have 'taken on the world' with its S 1000 RR and its sales strategy but the UK market was a small litre bike sales ring in that fight that they were willing to cede to the dominate Fireblade from Honda followed by Suzuki and Yamaha. This left the UK to develop various RTW programs that in turn spun out to or were modified by other national BMW importer arms.

A last question/thought for all of you. Put yourself in the seat of the manufacturers, any of them. What is the role of racing litre sport bikes in your future plans? Are litre sport bikes becoming racing dinosaurs? What is the role of the under 500cc classes in the future of racing? When Kawasaki upped their venerable and excellent 250 Ninja to a 300 and Honda followed did they define the new sport bike racing battle ground. Moto3 and Moto2 have some really excellent racing up and down the grid. For my money less is more in the three Dorna series classes. How does that play out in the racing we follow in the years to come?
 
I agree the trend seems to be either GS styled machines or 500cc and under taking a bigger chunk out of the market.

Just read an interesting article in MCN about the third version of Honda's new 500cc offering. At an under $6k price point I bet they will attract a lot of newer riders, especially with three versions from which to choose.

In Moto 2 GP (when I can see it) I see some real comers and the action is pretty good, but in Moto 3 , those boys are getting it on all over the field. From the front row to the back there are great battles going on , it may be a case of young and dumb, or young and fearless , but for my money that's where the best racing is at the moment.

Where does mother BMW fit in to all this , only the crystal ball knows :brow
 
I think we need to be careful about talking about the market in zero sum gain terms and focusing in on a single nation. The manufacturers are thinking more globally in how this roles out. That said I add a huge caveat. The 300-500cc market in India will do the most to define how the 500cc and lower bikes develop. That is the sweet spot of opportunity for that market and other BRIC type markets. The tangled long term existence of Japanese manufactures in the India market gives them a leg up. Honda is making a major play and rolling it out world wide. Heck H-D is developing 500cc models for that market. BMW Motorrad is moving into that market beyond their current private importer run model. The strategic realignment announcement pointed to model development in the below 500cc area at the same time we have been seeing various manufacturing alliances develop in India. I am looking toward 2014 rumors and 2015 models.

Some current riders will be like me. I migrated from 125cc to 300cc mini UJMs to Brit bikes to 750 then 1000cc UJM then Euro bikes now BMW for a very long time. When I go into a show room now I am drawn more to a SM class bike or smaller sport bike than anything in the litre class. Existing riders with +/- 300cc may follow similar ownership arcs. To the extent that or variations are representative, that is the zero sum gain model segment.

Manufacturers are trying to find the model potential riders like the 15 year old son of my niece. He is saving for his first powered two wheeled vehicle (PTW). I spent a couple hours this past Saturday talking with him about MSF training, gear and more. When we talked about what he wanted to buy for his first PTW and where he saw his future riding would go I heard much of the same enthusiasm I remember from when I was his age but had no clue what market segment or models would meet his dream. I suspect the manufacturers are as confused on what to build to attract these new riders and expand the market beyond a zero sum gain game.
 
I have read articles telling me teenagers these days do not get driver licenses. How will they ride m/c's?
 
:dunno

Delaying getting a license or not get one at all is a growing phenomena yet not entirely new. My oldest daughter could not wait to get her license. She took and passed her drivers test on her birthday. She loves riding but as a passenger. My youngest daughter felt she did not need to have a drivers license until she was in her twenties. Now she has a MC license, owned a couple of bikes one of them a cafe we built together. Next generation, my nieces 15 year old has been saving for his first bike while his 19 year old brother has yet to take drivers ed.

They will figure it out and drive manufacturers crazy in the process of figuring out what to build for them and how to market it.
 
Thursday, 24 October

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Members with Birthdays this Month

SBK

asphaltandrubber.com Erik Buell Racing in World Superbike for 2014?
While debuting its EBR 1190RX*street bike last week at the AIMExpo, Erik Buell Racing announced its intent to begin racing in the World Superbike Championship. At the time, details were light on that intent, though while

cycleworld.com 2014 Erik Buell Racing 1190RX ? First Look New American sportbike set to challenge Italian V-twins on street and track.
Just three years after Harley-Davidson terminated the Buell Motorcycle Company, Erik Buell is back building bikes, and Erik Buell Racing now has 97 employees. EBR also has a cooperation agreement with Indian Hero*

VIDEO Erik Buell Racing

worldsbk.com Jerez ? The post-race statistics
WorldSBK.com provides some interesting facts and figures that emerged from the final round of the eni FIM Superbike World

bikesportnews.com Laverty in talks for third factory Aprilia in WSBK
The Irishman could stay for another crack at the title

bikesportnews.com Laverty brands Melandri 'a dirty rider'
He is none too happy with the little Italian

MotoGP

motogp.com Rain on horizon as MotoGP? arrives in Land of Rising Sun
The AirAsia Grand Prix of Japan began on Thursday at the Twin Ring Motegi as Repsol Honda Team?s Marc Marquez was joined by Yamaha Factory Racing duo Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, Avintia Blusens? Hiroshi

motogp.com Racing Numbers: AirAsia Grand Prix of Japan
Dani Pedrosa has now scored precisely 2,000 MotoGP? points whereas Bradley Smith could become the highest-scoring Briton in his debut premier class season. It?s figures all the way ahead of the AirAsia Grand Prix of Japan

motogp.com Marquez determined to make amends
Marc Marquez arrives at Motegi with an 18-point standings lead and a second chance to seal the title.

motogp.com Bradl declared fit to return to racing at Motegi
LCR Honda?s Stefan Bradl has arrived at the Motegi circuit for the last of the three flyaway races and following a medical check on Thursday the 23-year-old has been

bbc.co.uk[/url 'It's win or bust time for Jorge Lorenzo'
Defending champion Jorge Lorenzo must win at all costs in Japan this weekend, says BBC commentator Steve Parrish

[url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/110799 ]autosport.com
Bridgestone wants Australian test
Bridgestone has requested an in-season MotoGP test at Phillip Island next year in a bid to rule out a repeat of the tyre dramas that marred last weekend's Australian Grand Prix

motomatters.com Bridgestone Press Release: Shinji Aoki On Why Bridgestone's Tires Did Not Last The Race At Phillip Island
After every race weekend, Bridgestone issues a press release containing a summary of how they think their weekend went. Normally, they are fairly bland affairs, only of interest to those interested in the minutiae of tire performance*

superbikeplanet.com Why Dorna? Why?

Formula One

2013 Indian Grand Prix
Thursday Press Conference Transcript

24.10.2013
DRIVERS ? Giedo VAN DER GARDE (Caterham), Max CHILTON (Marussia), Daniel
RICCIARDO (Toro Rosso), Nico ROSBERG (Mercedes), Mark WEBBER (Red Bull
Racing), Kimi RAIKKONEN (Lotus)

Race Preview
Media Kit
Stewards Biographies
Circuit Map
bbc.co.uk Court hears bid to cancel Indian GP
India's Supreme Court will hear a petition on Friday seeking the cancellation of this weekend's Indian Grand Prix.

jamesallenonf1.com Massa reveals talks with Williams for 2014 seat
Brazilian Felipe Massa has said he is in talks with Williams ? among other teams ? with regards a race seat for next season.The 32-year-old is in need of a drive after Ferrari chose to replace him with Finn Kimi Raikkonen

bbc.co.uk Red Bull's front floor secret unlocks huge potential
BBC F1 technical analyst Gary Anderson believes Red Bull's front floor secret is just one of the reasons why they are ahead of the game

Other Racing

MC

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Cage and...

MINI Ready for the final pre-Dakar test.
After Orlando Terranova?s win at Rally Morocco in the MINI ALL4 Racing, the Monster Energy X-raid team?s preparations for the 2014 Dakar Rally are hotting up now

gizmag.com Schumacher's 1997 Ferrari F310 B goes to auction
RM Auctions, based in Blenheim, Ontario, is placing a prominent slab of Formula One racing history on the auction block with the sale of a Ferrari F310 B, chassis 179 that was once driven by Michael Schumacher

On the Street

asphaltandrubber.com Are You the 2014 BMW S1000R Streetfighter? Nope.
Is this an image of the much anticipated BMW S1000R ? the streetfightered version of BMW?s popular S1000RR superbike? Nope, it?s not?but, it is a spot-on*

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motorsportsnewswire.com AXO America Introduces New Waterproof Gear Line for 2014
SANTA CLARITA, CA ? October 24, 2013 ? (Motor Sports Newswire) ? AXO introduces the all-new 2014 product line-up for cold weather gear just in time for the season that demands more than just protection and safety

rideapart.com RideApart Web Site Spies a CTX1300
Does Honda have a new model coming that resembles the CTX700 we tested recently? *According to spy photos on the RideApart web site, a very production-looking Honda CTX1300 was photographed recently, clearly

visordown.com Honda CTX1300 spy shots
THIS is Honda?s new CTX1300, which looks a bit like the F6B Goldwing Bagger but with*the ST1300 Pan European's engine.The spy shots were taken during filming in the US of a promo video for the new model, which is*

motorcyclenews.com Honda unveil CB1300S Super Bol D'or
Honda has released images of the new CB1300S Super Bol D'or, an update to the current CB1300S which is available in the UK. The CB1300S Super Bol D'or gets new wheels, LED headlight, new bodywork and a six speed

motorcycledaily.com 2014 Ducati 1199 Superleggera ? If You Have to Ask, You Can?t Afford It
Once in a while, Ducati introduces extremely exclusive, outrageously expensive special editions. The ?outrage? isn?t meant to mean this bike isn?t worth it, just that it is ? a pretty outrageously expensive machine.*

motorcycle-usa.com CycleTrader Announces Android Mobile App
CycleTrader announces a new mobile app for Androids

motorcycle-usa.com Bonhams Motorcycle Sale Sets New Record
Bonhams' Stafford Motorcycle Sale sets a new world record.

cycleworld.com FasterSafer Riding School I.M.S. Presentations
FasterSafer Press Release: The International Motorcycle Shows in San Mateo, Dallas and Washington DC will feature a 30-minute presentation on riding technique by Fastersafer Instructors Nick Ienatsch and Ken Hill: If you*

motorcycle-usa.com Closer Look at the 2014 Suzuki V-Strom 1000
Suzuki reveals more information on its redesigned 2014 V-Strom 1000 at the AIMExpo in Orlando, including details on its first-ever traction control system and engine power claims

rideapart.com Gear: Kriega R25 Motorcycle Backpack
TweetKriega recently released an update to the RideApart favorite R25 Motorcycle Backpack. They?ve taken an already incredible product and improved it in some minor, but influential ways.*

VIDEO: MV Agusta Rivale 800

VIDEO ACE CAFE REUNION 2011 ROCKERS RIDE OUT

RECALLs

NHTSA and SUZUKI ( 13V449000 )
Dated: OCT 18, 2013 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) is recalling certain model year 2004-2013 GSX-R600 and GSX-R750, and model year 2005-2013 GSX-R1000 motorcycles. In combination with older brake fluid, corrosio...

The Commute

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The MotherShip PressClub

Trade fair in Milan ? BMW Motorrad at the EICMA 2013
Off to Milan! The world's biggest motorcycle trade fair is coming up - and BMW Motorrad simply has to be there, of course. Are you ready for BMW Motorrad highlights and other innovations? If so, come to the 71st EICMA in Milan fromhttp://www.bmw-motorrad.com/com/en/index.html?content=http://www.bmw-motorrad.com/com/en/individual/news/2011/news.jsp&id=2446 ]...More[/url]

BMW Motorrad lines up with extensive customer racing programme for the 2014 season
BMW Motorrad is all geared up for a successful future on the customer racing scene. In the course of the strategic realignment of BMW Motorrad, the global customer racing programme is being restructured and expanded for the 2014...More

Cage World

motortrend.com It's a pity that it costs so much to launch a new automotive brand name, because e-Setta (an electric play on*BMW's*classic bubble-car Isetta) was reportedly considered, and might have proved an easier sell for*BMW's*new earth-hugging electrics*...

gizmag.com e-fox velomobile wants to be your next "car"
Velomobiles, which can more or less be defined as enclosed human-powered tricycles, come in many shapes and forms. Both the Elf and the Tripod feature an electric-assis

jalopnik.com This Ferrari-Engined French Quad Is Deeply Crazy And Pretty Stupid
I like to think there's an ideal owner for every vehicle. Here's what I think the ideal owner for the Wazuma V8F demands: snowmobile seating position, at least 250 HP of Italian power, capable of pants-****tingly terrifying speeds
FWIW: I want one...winter is coming and this has four wheels.

jalopnik.com Wisconsin Cops Will Chase You Into A Rally Stage With Their WRX STI
The police in Greenfield, Wisconsin want you to know that if you break the law, they will chase you anywhere. Neither mud nor ice nor loose gravel

thechicane.com Stance Works? Day at the Beach
Stance Works photographers visited the Pebble Beach Concours d?Elegance and the results are magnificent. Somehow I think that photographers Mike Ritter and Andrew Ritter made the slight gloomy weather work to their

jalopnik.com Tom Cruise Could Play Carroll Shelby In The Movie Of Go Like Hell
Holy crap, 20th Century Fox is making a movie out of Go Like Hell, the story of how Ford beat Ferrari at Le Mans. Also, some possibly-insane guy named Tom Cruise is probably going to play Carroll Shelby.Read more..

www.bimmerfile.com: BimmerFile ? cage news options & reviews that matter

FWIW

Over on facebook, Scott Canary: Artist
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cleantechnica.com BMW*Cruise e-Bike 2014 is a ?pedelec,? suggesting that, as you pedal, the Bosch electric motor also puts out 48 Newton meters of torque (35.4 pound-feet) to help you along.

visordown.com End this motorbike madness
I'm glad people like Jason Miller exist. They make me feel normal. Related Content Lorry driver comes forward after biker death Former PB writer killed at Isle of Man Motorcycle deaths double in Sussex in 2010 Brain-damaged biker*


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Packers.com/news-and-events

Reference Library

Bike Candy

From Walt Siegl Motorcycles as seen on RocketGarge Cafe Racer

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Follow the links for more on this bike and others by this interesting builder.

The other picture that caught my eye today...

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Saturday, 26 October

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Members with Birthdays this Month

SBK

worldsbk.com Ducati and Alstare end their partnership
By common agreement, Ducati and Alstare have decided to terminate their partnership, which started in November 2012

motomatters.com Alstare Split With Ducati In WSBK, Looking To Aprilia?
After just one year of a two year deal, Alstare and Ducati have agreed to terminated the contract the Belgian Alstare team has to run Ducati's factory World Superbike effort

MotoGP

Formula One

FIM.com 2013 Indian Grand Prix
Friday Press Conference Transcript
25.10.2013
TEAM REPRESENTATIVES ? Stefano DOMENICALI (Ferrari), Christian HORNER
(Red Bull Racing), Ross BRAWN (Mercedes), Vijay MALLYA (Force India), Monisha
KALTENBORN (Sauber), Eric BOULLIER (Lotus)

formula1.com Friday analysis - tyres hold key to teams' race prospects
Despite smoggy skies over the Buddh International Circuit, consistent weather conditions enabled all of the teams to complete their Friday programmes ahead of the 2013 Formula 1 Airtel Indian Grand Prix. High*

formula1.com How Vettel, Red Bull can be crowned champions in India
Sebastian Vettel could wrap up a fourth consecutive drivers' title in New Delhi this weekend, with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso now his only championship rival

f1technical.com Tyre management crucial at India
Pirelli's choice to bring softer tyres to India has brought its desired effect, as it seems very unlikely that any will will be able to repeat last year's single stop race strategy.

f1times.com Pirelli threatens to quit if they can't test for '14
Pirelli says it could be left with no option but to quit Formula 1 at the end of the season if it isn't given the opportunity to test its 2014 tyres ahead of the season.

bbc.co.uk Williams handed ?51,000 wheel fine
Williams fined for second time after failure to secure a wheel on Pastor Maldonado's car during practice for Indian Grand Prix

bbc.co.uk Only three years old and with two years to run on its contract, India's Grand Prix is already facing an uncertain future. Bringing*Formula 1*to India has cost more than $400m (?246m) and while it attracts some of the world's fastest cars and best*..

Other Racing

MC
ELF 1000 CB SERIES
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On the Street

cycleworld.com Bimota Turns The Page New Swiss owners reveal plan for future of Italian motorcycle manufacturer.
?The dream was defined back in 1973, when Bimota officially started manufacturing its first production model, the HB1,? Daniele Longoni says, hinting at his plan for newly Swiss-registered Bimota S.A.

visordown.com\ KTM RC390 leaked in full
PICTURES and information about KTM?s RC390 single-cylinder sports bike have leaked from the Canadian KTM website ahead of the bike?s launch at the EICMA show in Milan in early November

asphaltandrubber.com Leaked Photo of the 2014 Kawasaki Z1000
We know that Kawasaki plans to update the Z1000 for the 2014 model year, and it looks like our friends at Oliepeil have gotten their hands on one of the first clear photos of the 2014 Kawasaki Z1000.

visordown.com Drool-worthy new trials bike
Montesa Cota 4RT260 Factory The 4RT260 THIS is the new Montesa Cota 4RT260 Factory, a sort of BMW HP4 of the trials world.Developed in collaboration with Honda, and the Repsol Montesa Honda Trials team

VIDEO: Ducati 1199 Superleggera - The essence of lightness - beauty video

VIDEO: Aprilia Tuono V4 R ABS 2013

The Commute

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The MotherShip PressClub

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BMW R 90 S ? symbol of a new generation
BMW?s global success with Type 246, R /5 models of 1970 spurred development of new models. Within two years, discussions and plans for the next model range were already...More

Bob Lutz. The man behind the motorcycles
In 1973 BMW turned the motorcycle world on its head. The sometimes conservative German company set the Paris show alight with the simply stunning R 90 S....More

BMW?s R 90 S racer wins first ever superbike event
A little over 37 years ago, BMW?s R 90 S not only won the first ever superbike race and defined the company?s sports bikes for years to come, but also became a true icon in BMW?s racing history...More

When the R 90 S came to town
When the R 90 S was exhibited for the first time at the Paris Motorcycle Show in 1973, BMW motorcycles already had a strong reputation for reliability and civilised performance. The R 90 S, however, was the first of a new breed...More

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Cage World

autoblog.com Video: Nissan ZEOD RC stretches its legs for the first time
Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Videos, Nissan, Racing Ever see one of those videos where a baby deer is born and immediately starts walking? Well, this isn't one of those.*

jalopnik.com BMW Has Been Building The Same Car For 51 Years
BMW has been building the exact same car for 51 years and everyone seems surprised about it.Read more...*

www.bimmerfile.com: BimmerFile ? cage news options & reviews that matter

FWIW

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VIDEO Animaniacs Season 1, Episode 4:

VIDEO Annimaniacs Episode 26

VIDEO W.C. Fields The Bank Dick

Packers.com/news-and-events

Reference Library

Bike Candy
From Le Container : The Moto Guzzi Motoleggera 65 (a.k.a. ?Guzzino?) was designed by Antonio Micucci and manufactured by the famous Lombard company from 1946 to 1954.via Megadeluxe

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