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Bench Racing & The Morning Reads

Thursday, 23 December

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Members with Birthdays Today

SBK

More about HaslamÔÇÖs wedding

worldsbk.com: Leon Haslam gets married

The wedding cake
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bikeracing.it: BMW testing in Australia in January

MotoGP

autosport.com: Ducati ÔÇô RossiÔÇÖs fitness biggest concern

gpone.com: Paris Hilton finally gets on the bike!

Formula 1

formula1.com: Petrov confirmed at Renault to 2012
I have no idea why yet I think this is something to watch.

bbc.co.uk: F1 cars set for major changes inspired by Head & Byrne

Other Racing

moto.it: BMW wins three

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On the Street

thevintagent.com: Off the Hook Parisian BMW Display

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thevintagent.com: Amazing unrestored BMW racer at auction

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motorcycle-usa.com: Shoei Qwest helmet review

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motorcyclenews.com: US tuner creates naked BMW S1000RR

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motorcyclistonline.com: DoinÔÇÖ Time: Kawasaki Versys

The Mothership


FWIW

boingboing.net

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Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

From Officine Rossopuro via pipeburn.com

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Friday, 24 December

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Members with Birthdays Today

SBK

gpone.com: Melandri ÔÇô WSBK debut at risk

motorsport-total.com: Haslam ÔÇô wedding in the far north

Formula 1

I am a Tifosi still I canÔÇÖt help feel this is a Grinch story. crash.net: Vettel to drive for us ÔÇÿsooner or laterÔÇÖ, says Montezemolo

Other Racing

moto-station.com: Dakar 2011 ÔÇô Vehicles arrive safely

201 qtel fim Endurance World Championship Season
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BMW PressClub: BMW retires from the AmericaÔÇÖs Cup. Technology-Partner of ORACLE Racing expresses thanks for a successful partnership.



On the Street

TriumphÔÇÖs 2010 Sprints are the subject of a NHTSA recall for faulty dipsticks.

motorcycle.com: 2012 BMW K1600GT and GT six cylinder unveiled

dealernews.com: BMW tourers to come stock with satellite radio next year

2011 KTM Duke 125 'Picking up his new 125 Duke' official video
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The Mothership

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FWIW

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It is snowing in Fly-Over-Land. I have my bags packed and shortly I will be heading out on the road toward the family garage and a Christmas gathering of the Pit Crew. Normally this is a five plus hour drive/ride but I am planning for a little bit more time this trip. Bench Racing and The Morning Reads will be taking a break for a couple of days.

Merry Christmas to all of you from the guys down at the Official F-O-L coffee shop, the pit crew and me myself I and the other guy inside my helmet.

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Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

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bikeexif.com: BSA Gold Star Daytona Special

The subject of a recent restoration, this BSA was raced by Bobby Sirkegian in three Daytona 200s when they were still held on the sands of the Florida beaches. Read more about it at BikeEXIF

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Monday, 3 January

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Members with Birthdays Today

WorldSBK.com and many other sites I follow will return to business as usual during the coming week. Some will not be. RoadRacerX will be going dark after a nice run.

Happy New Year!

SBK

twitter: lots more to do but great honeymoon so far. Didn't take pics but saw a Seahorse, squid and barracuda diving.
Enjoy while you may, testing resumes latter this month.

motorsport.com: SBK 2011 AMA road Racing schedule

MotoGP

gpone.com: Honda, Yamaha, Ducati – the challenge

After another Triple Crown season Yamaha still remains sponsorless! gpone.com

asphaltandrubber.com: KTM begins testing Moto3 race bike

Via YouuTube and cycrilhuzeblog.com
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dealernews.com: road Racer X to cease publication after 8-year run

Formula 1

formula1.com: Construction underway on Austin F1 venue


Other Racing

Dakar 2011 Tanking up on Emotion

Dakar Stage 1
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On the Street

We had too much snow to use this to get out to the ice fishing house this past week, too bad.
S1000RR
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Starting on 2/4/11, H-D1 factory customization will change the game again. It's a whole new experience in personal freedom. A new way to design, build, and personalize your Harley. http://bit.ly/emm6bm
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Cambridge Ideas – The emotional computer
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The Mothership

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FWIW

Another good night’s rest and I should be back up to speed.
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Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

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Tuesday, 4 January

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Members with Birthdays Today

SBK

bikeracing.it: Superbike testing program before Phillip Island

MotoGP

autosport.com: Ducati will not build a Yamaha ÔÇÿcloneÔÇÖ
Why would they? Yamaha is having sponsor problems with theirs, would Ducati do any better.


HRC teaser video of testing their new Moto3 machine
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speedweek.de: BMW moves to MotoGP
Not what translated headline would portendrather it is a bit of fluff about BMW car awards for MotoGP.

Formula 1

Ferrari is having second thoughts about 4cylinder turbo engines for 2013. According the marca.com the Prancing Horse has no interest in building such engines for its road cars but would consider a turbo V6 something of interest for the ÔÇÿpinnacleÔÇÖ of road racing and the Prancing Horse.

Other Racing

bmw-motorsport.com: BMW Moptorsport ready for an exciting season

On the Street

Dakar 2011 ÔÇô Summary Stage 2
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Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

Looking through some old pictures posted in the Morning Reads 2009 I came across this piece of Bike Candy.

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Wednesday, 5 January

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Members with Birthdays Today

MotoGP

motorcycledaily.com: Getting down to business – Burgess thinks Stoner Honda combo may be to much for rivals.

Formula 1

Reuters.com: Ferrari’s Dyer moved aside after blunder
The price of the last PG is paid.

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Dan Gurney at the Nurburgring circa 1968

Other Racing

Dakar 2011 – Summary Stage 3
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simonpavey.com: Stage 3

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speedbrain-rally.com: BMW Motorrad Stage 3

On the Street

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asphaltandrubber.com: Kawasaki tests Costco sales program
Is this part motorcycle/brand awareness sales promotion and part setting up a future distribution network? What is the role of the dealer in the future of motorcycling?

cyrilhuzeblog.com: Ridley Motorcycles trying a come back
Ridley and their innovative CVT transmission fell to the motorcycle down turn and filed bankruptcy in 2009. Can the newly reorganized company make a comeback?

Brits are not big on Honda cars but have always loved the company’s motorcycles. When it comes to sport bikes they fall all over the Fireblade or CBR as we know it. It should come as no surprise that MCN picked CBR and VFR Hondas for the ‘Top Five most reliable sportbikes.’ If BMW is going to develop and compete in the sportbike market this is the bench mark.

sportrider.com: Honda CBR250R first impressions

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/17161762" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/17161762">Grossglockner Backcountry</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/freebordmfg">Freebord Mfg.</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>


The Mothership

PressClub/US: Best December sales since 2002 launch
[No motorcycle numbers included]

Rolls-Royce Motocars: Inspired by the Spirit of Ecstasy in 2011
The flying lady turns 100 this year.

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The Rolls-Royce Motorcar publicist obviously never talked with my father who instructed me that when it comes to a woman’s age a gentleman may know but never tells.


FWIW

China and India continue to spark the imagination of motorcycle entrepreneurs because of the size of their markets. Of the two India may be the more accessible to current manufacturers. Harley-Davidson is building an assembly plant which will be up and running later this year. Now Honda has announced it will be making a major investment in the Indian market.

Honda is embarking on an expansion in India. The company already has links with Hero Honda and its own Honda plants in India. I came across several stories related to this as I put together this edition of the thread; here is a link to one by Visordown. All of the writers point toward the goal of multiplying sales by sever fold but the key to this expansion is this will be done with smaller CC motorcycles.

The India market will define design development in near future for many manufacturers by providing a combination of potential sales to pay for development of clean small four stroke engines and electric power systems and more. As tempting as all of this is to manufactures they should proceed with caution.

In the case of Honda it is full speed ahead. However, the market is ready made for their Asian product line heavy with under 250cc machines. In addition they have a long history of experience of manufacturing in the sub-continent already. Companies like H-D bring oversized bikes to assemble for the market. BMW has struck a deal to import its standard line in already assembled form. There is no doubt a niche for large bikes in such a large market but is it as big as some people think.

H-D thinks it is but they seemed to think their traditional markets would sustain growth too pay for plants it now closing in the US. The chance to build parts in the US and assemble them in India on first blush seems a cleaver way to get the best of both worlds. Alternately it could turn out to be a cleaver way to delay the inevitable for H-D.

BMW is taking a cautious approach by building complete bikes in existing plants and paying the extra import duties on them. In the process they are settling for a smaller share of this market.

The big difference between H-D and BMW is not just they style of bike they build but that BMW is a multi line auto manufacturer and H-D is not. The Indian and Chinese markets are clearly of great interest to BMW but for these car lines not the Motorrad segment. The car lines play to the growing demands for four wheeled vehicles of ICE and electric variety.

BMW may not rule out expanding their reach in the two wheeled segments of these markets. However; I don’t expect them to do with it Roundel bikes. The more likely route is through acquisition of an existing player. Who that could be remains to be seen.

All of this comes with the 2011 version of my disclaimer. The Official Fly-Over-Land coffee stop just upgraded to Reindeer Coffee (the brand with the flying reindeer on the label) and upgraded their prices too. Now all of this brilliant insight a buck and a few cents for tax will get you a cup of coffee at the Official Fly-Over-Land coffee shop.

Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

French Cooking from Le Container

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Thursday, 6 January

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Members with Birthdays Today

SBK

worldsbk.com: Yoshimura back on the WSB scene

MotoGP

More on KTM return in Moto3 by visordown.com

Does anyone else beside me think Rossi throwing a leg over a Ducati in 2011 and pictures like this have anything else to do with why Yamaha will most likely sport plane white livery for the first race of the season?
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Formula 1

Pcrash.net: Could VW be an option for Red Bull?
VW has been flirting with participation with F1. The new rules, either a 4 or 6 cylinder turbo engine, could draw them in as an engine supplier.

Other Racing

Dakar 2011 ÔÇô Stage 4 Summary
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simonpavey.com: Stage 4

speedbrain-rally.com: 2011 Dakar Stage 4

BMWgroup: MINI WRC Team announce new driver ÔÇô David Sordo

This video of the 2009 FIM WomenÔÇÖs Trial World Championship turned up in my video searches.
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On the Street

zercustoms.com: Top Renault execs suspended on espionage

usridernews.com: Vegas police soon to patrol on electric bikes

Triumph Tiger 800 vs BMW F650GS
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Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

I must be on an India kick. Today Enfield was catching my eye. The KneeSlider had some cruiser customs but Bikes in the Fast Lane had a prototype flat tracker that really caught my attention.

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Friday, 7 January

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Members with Birthdays Today


MotoGP

motogp.com: MotoGP 2011 – The new season


Other Racing

Dakar 2011 – Summary Stage 5
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speedbrain-rally.com: 2011 Dakar, Stage 5: First stage victory!

simonpavey.com: Stage Five – 5th of January

AMA Pro Racing

Ben Bostrom Talks about 2011
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On the Street

Concept 6 Videos are surfacing again
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Bikes in the Fast Lane: The Netherlands – BMW Number 1 motorcycle sold

motorcycle.com: 2011 BMW F800R review

motorcyclistonline.com: First Ride: 2012 Yamaha XT1200Z Super T?®n?®r?®

sportrider.com: 2011 Moto Guzzi GT 8V

webbikeworld.com: Revit 2011 Spring Summer cloting

Triumph re-released a promotional video from 1992. It’s fun to see bikes being built.
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If you want to watch a Ducati being assembled you apparently will be able to go to Thailand to do that. Asphaltandrubber.com reports Ducati is planning to join the ranks of companies assembling bikes in Asian countries to avoid excess tariffs.

motorcycle-usa.com: Shcuberth C3 helmet now available in US

Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

thevintagent: Las Vegas Day 1 – Bonhams Auction

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Saturday, 8 January

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Members with Birthdays Today

SBK

worldsbk.com: New year heralds in a hectic SBK test schedule
Almost all the top official and privateer teams will be present in Portugal, with the notable exception of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, who have opted to focus their pre-season build-up on Australia, with two sessions at Eastern Creek from January 26-28 and then Phillip Island from January 30 to February 1.

worldsbk.com: Kawasaki’s 2011 plans reach a new high

Formula 1

crash.net: F1 could survive under a different name, says di Motezemolo

Bruno Senna’s hope of a 2011 F1 seat are diminishing after HRT announced it has signed Narain Kathikeyan for 2011

Ferrari.com: Working on the new chassis
Various reports say Ferrari is working hard on aerodynamics for the F288 which were not up to snuff the past season.

f1technical.net: PIV [Particle Image Velocimetry] boosts wind tunnel efficiency in F1

Mercedes is under the gun to produce a new car that works this season to bring back their success of the past. From The Chicane Blog comes some sterile narration, dippy music and great footage of that past.
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Other Racing

Dakar 2011 – Summary Stage 6
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simonpavey.com]: Stage 6

speedbrain-rally.com: 2011 Dakar, Stage 6


On the Street

cyrilhuzeblog.com: National Motorcycle Museum looking for motorcycles and memorabilia

dealernews.com: Schlossmann’s Automotive buys BMW of Milwaukee
The company plans to retain all of the former dealership's staff and continue doing business as usual at the store

Rumor: visordown.com: Husqvarna will launch road bikes in 2012

To date the BMW plan for Husqvarna has been for it to rule the dirt world for the company along with building dual sports and supermotos. The displacement of the bikes would be under the big bike the range of 500 to 650cc (depending on which country is counting). Visordown’s rumor of a new supermoto is not a big surprise but the engine, a bored out Rotax 800 yielding over 900cc, is.

Renderings

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technologyreview.com: Spinning nano yarns
I see articles like this and wonder what the apparel industry will have in store for future riders with embedded what evers. Much like when I was younger and people predicted with the advent of computers the day when there would be a paperless office.

Clip from the 1955 short film The Future is Now.
<object width="480" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/x35r4m?additionalInfos=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/x35r4m?additionalInfos=0" width="480" height="360" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x35r4m_the-future-is-now-1955_tech">The Future is Now (1955)</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/donaldtheduckie">donaldtheduckie</a>. - <a target="_self" href="http://www.dailymotion.com/us/channel/tech">Videos of the latest science discoveries and tech.</a></i>

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motorcycle-usa.com: Dr. Fazier’s globe killer KLR

thevintaget: Las Vegas Day 1, continued
More pictures of the some bikes from day one and the new owner of a vintage BMW.
Related-
motorcyclistonline: Bonhams motorcycles Department continues to succeed in 2011

visordown.com: 125cc Triumph range in the pipeline?

usridernews.com: Sedona on a Yamaha Super Tenere

Holly Fields in Aprilia Motorcycle commercial
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The Mothership

rolls-roycemotorcars.com: Rolls-Royce Motorcars announces world wide pricing for 2010/2011.
I knew you were waiting for this.

FWIW

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This cartoon vignette was not brought to you by BMW but apparently by another German auto company.

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Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

From Vintagebike.co.uk

1926 BMW R42

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In a serial run form 1926 to 1928 BMW produced 6502 units of this model. The list price was 1510 RM* (I will leave you to find a currency convertor).

The R42 was built around a twin loop frame with a five layer plate spring cantilever front suspension and rigid suspension at the rear (It should be noted the rider’s rear was suspended on coil springs).

The bike was propelled by a square (68 x 68 mm) 494 cc boxer twin. A Bosch magneto system and spark plugs provided the electrical component to detonate the fuel and power things like lights. The engine was fitted with a single carburetor to supply the air/fuel mixture that was compressed 4.9:1 before exploding and yielding a maximum of 12 hp at 3400 rpm. This was transferred by a single plate clutch to a three speed transmission and then by a shaft drive to a 1:4.3 rear end in the two wheeled version. A sidecar model with slightly different specs was available.

All of this power was used to turn 19 inch rims with 3 inch tires moving the 277 pound machine to a listed top speed of 95 kph or just under 60 mph. The factory estimates fuel consumption in the 82 mpg range. Fitted with a 3.8 gallon tank, that gave the rider roughly a 300 mile range. When the ride was done the rider would haul himself to a stop with the 150mm front drum brake assisted by an external shoe brake at the gearing on the cardan shaft.

* When I was trying to find a currency conversion I came across a site that was selling a 1926 Weimarer Republik Deutsches Mark for 19.99 €. 1510 of them would be about 30185 € or about $38,959 as calculated by xe.com. Given the choice between the Euros and the R42 I would take the R42.

Great gas mileage for daily commuting. :bolt
 
Sunday, 9 January

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Members with Birthdays Today

SBK

motorsport-magazine.com: Problems with the new Kawasaki
The German magazine says Kawasaki has found a solution to their new bike teething problems. At high rpm the intake valves created an oscillation resulting in improper seating of the valves and loss of performance. Changes in the valve train have resolved this problem.

Other Racing

hellforleathermagazine.com: electric v Gas : the first practice

simonpavey.com: Stage 7

Dakar 2011 Higlights Week One
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caradisiac.com: Dakar 2011 – Arica, rest day, where are the girls?

motorcycle-usa.com: 2011 Dakar rest day recap
I was checking on the masmoto.net site and came across this.
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So far the site has put up five chapters. I haven’t been through it all yet.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

On the Street

motoress.com: Motorcycle times gone by – Meet Aermacchi

The Mothership

PressClub Global: China’s Vice-Premier Li Keqiang visits BMW Group
BMW has a strong interest in expansion in the China market but for the near future it will focus around cars and the development of electric vehicles. The technology developed out of this is the storyline to follow now for it will trickle down to the Motorrad line in the future.

Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

A bit of Italian Bike Candy by way of the Japanese confectioners at Ritmo Sereno for today’s treat. I follow the blogs for this site and have been watching the blooming of a tired 1969 Moto Guzzi V7 Ambassador…

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…into this lovely custom restoration.

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Follow the link back to the Rimo Sereno site where you will find more pictures and information on the details of this piece of Bike Candy.
 
Monday, 10 January

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Members with Birthdays Today

Formula 1

Testing will begin shortly and at the end of the month new cars will begin to be revealed. jamesallenonf1.com has thoughts on key trends to look out for when testing starts.

reuters.com: F1 bringing to many changes, Trulli says.

Other Racing

fim-live.com: Dakar Stage 7

simonpavey.com: Dakar ’11 Stage 7
Bureaucracy mares another good result on what turns out to be another long and tiring Dakar stage.

speedbrain-rall.com: Dakar 2011 – Stage 7

Dakar 2011: Stage 7 Summary
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Bikes in the Fast Lane: Dakar 2012 stays in South America and will include Peru

Spy Shots of Piaggio/Vespa 2012 challenger being prepared.
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asphaltandrubber.com: Gas vs Electric – Chip Yates takes podium finish in WERA Heavy Weight Twins at Fontana

On the Street

TheVinagent: Las Vegas 2011 - Trends

HFL Gabrielle Giffords – Motorcyclist

This isn’t on the street yet I know many of you are pilots and may be interested. Just a few years ago Honda announced it was going into the small personal jet business. Spanish motorcycle site SoloMotoTrienta uploaded this Honda promotional video of the 2012 HondaJet first flight FAA Conforming Aircraft
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The Mothership

The Rolls-Royce Motorcar PressClub was busy this weekend so that on Monday we would know about theirrecord sales in 2010 and get in line for a bespoke model from the Spirit of Ecstasy Collection. to help with the 2011 sales. Over the coming week we will hear sales numbers from the rest of the divisions.

Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

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Tuesday, 11 December

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Members with Birthdays Today

SBK

jamestoseland.com is finally sporting BMW livery while Haslam’s is still in AlStare Suzuki mode. We will see how much they use their sites during the season. Haslam has sore thumbs from tweeting.

crash.net: Kawasaki kicks off 2011 WSBK countdown

MotoGP

motomatters.com: Nearly here – Rossi’s first official Ducati appearance

Formula 1

attwilliams.com: The countdown begins

autosport.com: HRT confirms FOTA split.
“The truth is we left because FOTA defends only the interests of the big teams,"

bbc.co.uk: F1 teams battle over cost cutting

Other Racing

speedbrain-rally.com: 2011 Dakar – Stage 8

Bikes in the Fast Lane: Dakar 2011 – The lonely Bultaco abandoned his dreams

Dakar 2011 – Stage 8
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Magazine – Stage 8
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bmw-motorsport.com: …ready for an exciting season

bmw-motorsport.com: Coronel to drive BMW 320 TC in 2011

racecar-engineering.com: Le Mans 2011 – Porsche 928 RSR
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On the Street

bmwmcmag.com: BMW Motorrad sales slip in December but show strong growth in 2010

motorcyclenews.com: KTM [UK] slash prices!
With the financial stability gained from Indian money KTM appears ready to do some price trimming to become competitive.

webbikeworld.com: Caberg Hyper X helmet review

Do your work so you would be proud enough to sign is a saying from an employee quality campaign from some time ago. I have no idea if the H-D employees were proud of their work or not but according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission they signed some of their Sportsters with incorrect parts numbers and they are being recalled.

The Mothership

BMW TV – BMW M customers visit “area 51”
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PressClub USA: BMW announces pricing for Detroit Auto Show world premiers

FWIW

PressClub/Portugal: BMW Group expands its lead in the premium automotive segment
Motorcycle sales are reported in the closing paragraph of the press release

BMW Motorcycles: Deliveries increased for the year
In 2010, BMW Motorrad increased deliveries by 12.3% to 98,047 motorcycles. December sales reached 3,764 units (-29.8%).


It is hard for me to ignore that Harley-Davidson had an impressive run of consecutive months/annual sales increases that ended with a December decline in 2006. BMW has been bucking market trends for the past year in the US and other markets. I don’t intend to suggest that BMW is potentially headed off a cliff as H-D did after their historic first December decline, rather that the steady increases the company has shown overall may not be the sustainable recovery many have suggested.

BMW has ridden the wave of successes in several markets that have not had the same problems that the US market has faced. The Canadian market has shown strong increases that may reflect the adjustments BMW made in pricing strategies when the Loonie soared against the dollar. The company has added strong South American sales to its portfolio of markets.

2010 marked the first real impact of BMW’s move into the superbike market with the S1000RR. When the annual report comes out (look for it in March) we should see numbers that tell us how much the 2010 sales increase is attributable to that bike.

I am anxious to hear what Triumph reports for sales in December and for 2010. Like BMW they have bucked the trend and shown strong sales increases. Leadership of the Hinkley group have credited their aggressive product line expansion and updating for their success. This may be true but there is another reason I am interested in their sales.

The BMW and Triumph product lines are coming closer together in several areas putting them in direct competition with each other. Yet even before this product alignment began they struck me as in competition for the same rider group; second + motorcycle buyer group that was more mature than market averages and possibly returning to motorcycling. These riders were moving from their first bikes to something bigger or closer to their dream. Triumph’s results may give a better inkling if this is a hiccup or if my ill defined market segment is petering out.

How will the S 1000 RR do in 2011? Was it a new kid on the block one year wonder? Or has BMW carved a credible niche in the superbike market? How will this years new six cylinder K1600 BMWs do in this tepid motorcycle market? While I have no doubt they will be well received by the press and those who ride them I am less sanguine about their ability to move off the showroom floor than many.

When the 2010 annual reports for the various companies come out we will have fun picking apart and analyzing the numbers. That is historical analysis. 2011 numbers are the ones that count now.

Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

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Wednesday, 12 January

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Members with Birthdays Today

SBK

worldsbk.com: Kawasaki WSBK tests begin at Sepang

motorsport-total.com: toseland wants to end the downturn of his career

MotoGP

motogp.com: Rossi ÔÇ£ The Ducati is a proper prototypeÔÇØ

bbc.co.uk: DucatiÔÇÖs Valentino Rossi reveals struggle for fitness

nickyhayden.com: Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi in the spotlight at Wroom

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Formula 1

autosport.com: Domenicali unsure about rear wing rules.


Like Petrolhead.tumblr I posted the first part of the 1937 GP season. It is worth another look and this time we have the second half of the season.

Part I
1937 Grand Prix Season
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Part II
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Other Racing

fim-live.com: Dakar stage 9

simonpavey.com Stage 9

speedbrain-rally.com: 2011 Dakar, Stage 9

Dakar 2011 Stage Summary Satge 9
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Magazine ÔÇô Stage 9
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On the Street

ducati.com: Ducati continues to grow and become an icon of ÔÇ£made in ItalyÔÇØ
Registrations increased by 5% in 2010, reaching 36,200 motorcycles, enabling us to achieve a market share of 8.6%, a 1.5 point improvement compared to the final figures of an already positive 2009

throttlehand.com: Interview with U. S. Norton CEO Dan Van Epps

sportrider.com: 2011 KTM 990 SM T

HFL: Ural sales up 39% in 2010

inhabitat.com: Turntable and other cool gadgets made from old motorcycle parts

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technologyreview.com: VerizonÔÇÖs iPhone gamble

The Mothership

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Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

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Thursday, 13 January

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Members with Birthdays Today

SBK

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MotoGP

motorgp.com: Rossi’s Desmosedici GP11 unveiled
Technical Specifications:
Engine: Liquid-cooled, 90 degree V4 four-stroke, desmodromic DOHC, four valves per cylinder.
Capacity: 799cc
Maximum power: More than 200hp
Maximum speed: In excess of 310 kph/192 mph
Transmission: Six-speed cassette-type gearbox, with alternative gear ratios available. Dry multiplate slipper clutch. Chain final drive.
Carburation: Indirect Magneti Marelli electronic injection, four throttle bodies with injectors above butterfly valves. Throttles operated by EVO TCF (Throttle Control & Feedback) system.
Fuel: Shell Racing V-Power
Lubricant: Shell Advance Ultra 4
Ignition: Magneti Marelli
Exhaust: Termignoni
Final Drive: Regina Chain
Suspension: ?ûhlins upside-down 48mm front forks and ?ûhlins rear shock absorber, adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping.
Tyres: Bridgestone 16.5" front and rear
Brakes: Brembo, two 320mm carbon front discs with four-piston callipers. Single stainless steel rear disc with two-piston callipers.
Dry weight: 150kg

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gpone.com: Rossi – “I need five months”
Rossi does not think he will be 100% until May

motomatters.com: Dorna rejects legal action against Suzuki – for now

Formula 1

Ferrari.com: Domenicali – “Tyres and KERS very important in 2011”

Other Racing

speedbrain-rally.com: 2011 Dakar Stage 10

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1000ps.at: BMW S1000RR (TGP moto racing)
BMW S 1000 RR bike tuning - Tom TGP moto racing provides them with the finest racing components

thekneeslider.com: Cosentino Engineering 600cc V4 Moto2 project made in the USA
The rules killed the racing future of this bike but the designers forged forward and the interesting project lives.

On the Street

Wrooom and Rossi dominated the news on the sites I follow. Here is another Italian shocker -
HFL: Pierre Terblanche joins Norton
With the addition of this the mind boggles at what could be in store for the reborn British icon.

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This showed up on The Chicane Blog.

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Ah those were the days when cool cars were still relatively inexpensive.

The Mothership

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PressClub: BMW Motorrad receives “2010 GOOD DESIGN™ Award” for BMW S 1000 RR and BMW Concept 6

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technologyreview.com: CES video notebook
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Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

The second half of the “2010 GOOD DESIGN™ Award” duo.

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I would like to see this one make it to the street. I doubt I could afford one (cost of acquisition, ownership and attorney fees) but I would love to travel from dealer to dealer and take test rides.
 
Friday, 14 January

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Members with Birthdays Today

SBK

How is your Italian? From BMW Italy

<iframe width="400" height="300" src="http://bmw.lulop.com/embed/player/126482" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>


MotoGP

bbc.co.uk: Matt Robert’s MotoGP column

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All the hype Ducati and its pilots are getting is some what normal for this time of year, especially in Italy. The real underlying story that will haunt this season is the struggle for sponsor money the other teams and Dorna itself face. motomatters.com: Still no title sponso fro Yamaha’s MotoGP team

Formula 1

autosport.com: McLaren – Moveable wind will work

Other Racing

simonpavey.com: Stage 11

speedbrain-rally.com: 2011 Dakar Stage 11

On the Street

motorcycle.com: 2011 BMW F800R review

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Ducati Recall

Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s):
DUCATI / MTS1200 2010
Manufacturer: DUCATI NORTH AMERICA Mfr's Report Date: JAN 05, 2011
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V003000 NHTSA Action Number: PE10043


Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
Potential Number of Units Affected: 1,196
Summary:
DUCATI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 MTS 1200S MOTORCYCLES. IN THE EVENT THE DRIVER SHOULD DOWNSHIFT OR MANEUVER WITH THE CLUTCH DISENGAGED AND THE ENGINE AT IDLE, THE VEHICLE COULD STALL.
Consequence:
ENGINE STALLING COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF CRASH.

Remedy:
DEALERS WILL RE-FLASH THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JANUARY 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DUCATI AT 800-231-6696.
Notes:
DUCATI SAFETY RECALL NO. RCL-10-004. OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .



mcia.co.uk: Motorcycle sales not all bad news says Motor Cycle Industry Association
Are people finally adjusting expectations to accept what sales are available in current markets?

webbikeworld.com: 365 Motorcycle You Must Ride – Book Review

Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

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Saturday, 15 January

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Members with Birthdays Today

SBK

bikesportnews.com: Knee injury calls a halt to VermeulenÔÇÖs test run

roadracingworld.com: AMA Pro Racing releases rider line-up for next weekÔÇÖs foofical Dunlop Spec Tire Test at Daytona

MotoGP

asphaltandrubber.com: nobody F*cks with the Dorna ÔÇô Ezpeleta puts PI on notice

Formula 1

formula1.com: McLarenÔÇÖs Paddy Lowe on adjustable wings, late launches and KERS

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Jack Brabham

autosport.com: FOTA will ÔÇÿpower throughÔÇÖ troubles

autosport.com: HRT offered ot pay FOTA fees

guardian.co.uk: Bernie Ecclestone rules out Rome becoming a Formula One venue

reuters.com[/rl]: Venezuela state oil company to sponsor Williams

Other Racing

[url=http://www.simonpavey.com/news/stage-twelve-13th-january/]simonpavey.com
: Stage 12

speedbrain-rally.com: 2011 Dakar, Stage 12

Stage 12 ÔÇô Sumary
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Magazine ÔÇô Stage 12
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motorsport.com: Coronel ÔÇô ÔÇ£ This opportunity was too good to miss.ÔÇØ

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ducati.com: Ducati and AMG

jamesallenonf1.com: The EV Cup ÔÇô the future of morsport?

On the Street

thunderpress.net: When motorcycle companies took to the skies

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dealernews.com: One size does not fit all
Will other companies begin to build their own versions of the Fit Shop?

motorcyclenews.com: Triumph laughs off 125 rumors

Vintage British motorcycle safety adv via Bikes in the Fast Lane
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bikeadline.com.au: Husqvarna reports record retail performance [Australia] in 2010

The Three Stooges ÔÇô Cactus Makes Perfect Part 1
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Part 2
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This showed up on Harley-DavidsonÔÇÖs YouTube video channel
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thekneeslider.com: Timeless and period motorcycle design
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motorcyclisonline.com: New Bell moto 9 Dirt helmet

ultimatemotorcycling.com: Honda proving grounds for sale

The Mothership

Facebook - Get ready for the live chat with Peter Maier, the product manager of the Concept C and post your question(s) under this link:
http://apps.facebook.com/bmwquestionsanswers
Already curious? have a look at this video...

FWIW

You can use motorcycles as well as motorcycle gear to go snowmobiling.

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Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

For more information about todayÔÇÖs Bike Candy go to bikeexif.com, the source, or just drool.

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If you feel inspired by the pictures take a trip to the source of the bike, HPN. Their gallery has more pictures and their catalogues are a source for parts. DonÔÇÖt feel industrious? Then HPN will build one for you.
 
Sunday, 16 January

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Members with Birthdays Today

Leon Haslam twittered today, 0650 flight tomorrow can't wait to get back on my bike. Not long now.... I can’t wait for January to draw to an end and the excitement of the racing season to rev up. Thank heavens and the organizers for Dakar that helps us get past the lack of WSBK news and incredible dribble of stories dealing with Rossi’s shoulder, F1 fights over livery and more.

If you viewed the BMW MOA BoD meeting yesterday you learned we have a new race editor for ON; a S1000RR racer and member Tom Cutter from the Rubber Chicken Racing Garage. I am really looking forward to his coverage of the national scene and more which will begin in March.

I will continue to ‘wonder’ online about racing in WSBK, MotoGP, F1 and other things that catch my imagination. As you know BMW exited F1 at the end of the 2009 season but has been racing their silly cages in other racing leagues. Readers have asked for coverage of the first three. I write the thread so you are stuck with things that catch my fancy and may just scroll past them as you desire. I would like some feed back about the BMW cage efforts. Are you interested in links to them or should I just wonder about them on my own time?

I slept in this morning after watching a Packer victory last night. I put the following together over my morning coffee. While you look at it I am off for brunch with the gang at the Official Fly-Overland-Diner. they are a bunch of Bear fans, go figure.

:scratch

Good luck Bears! I would love to see a game in Soilders Field next week!

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SBK

gpone.com: Biaggi “A tough situation for Rossi”
Big picture look at WSBK "I'm convinced that BMW and Kawasaki will surprise people”.], and Rossi/MotoGP.

Other Racing

simonpavey: Stage 13

speedbrain-rally.com: 2011 Dakar, Stage 13

Satge 13 Summary
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fim-live.com Dakar Stage 13

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Long before they became auction darlings and garage queens people actually raced the Gullwing.
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Mercedes 300 SL at the Liege-Rome Rally 1955

BMW Motorsport

BMW Motorsport.com - First victory for BMW in 2011: Team Schubert wins with works driver Augusto Farfus in Dubai

FWIW – Bike Candy thoughts

Custom builders of any ilk don’t have the same limitations and can focus purely on their vision of the bike and strive to achieve that vision in the end product. I believe builders need to be fairly secure in themselves and their vision as the comments of people such as me could be scathing.

BIKEEXIF featured the Von Dutch Falcone today. Based on a 1959 Moto Guzzi Falcone purchased used in 1961 then gifted with 5000 hours of customizing work.

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In its original form the Falcone came in a Turisimo and Sport models.
• Engine - 498cc, air-cooled OHV flat single
• Horsepower - 23bhp @ 4500rpm
• Top Speed - 85 mph
• Transmission - 4 speed
• Frame - tubular/plate, twin downtubes
• Launch date - 1950

The bike, in the current pictures, appears to have been extensively detailed but not ‘resotred’. In near mint condition is does show some deterioration of pin striping, Kenny Howard’s master skill, but overall the craftsmanship and detailing is superb. As you spend time looking at the pictures and using your imagination the effort to build becomes apparent. The custom formed body work and fenders. I love the engine turning that details some parts. The BIKEEXIF article details some of the engine work that went into the mechanical customization. All over the bike are signs of the work of a master 1960s builder.

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More pictures are available at BIKEEXF by clicking on the link above.

Judging design work is a very subjective thing to do. You bring your personal views and values to the process. Some designs are iconic and travel well through time. The BMW R7 and the Norton Manx are examples of this in my judgment. They hold up esthetically on their own merits even when looked at with 21st century eyes. Some designs need to be viewed with period sensibilities to appreciate what builder did with the underlying piece and limitations of period products and skills.

Every now and again you come across something like the Von Dutch Falcone. The work is impeccable. The body work pushes the limitations of construction and materials for the period. I spent hours as a youth poring over cycle, hot rod and road racing magazine pictures of the day and am very familiar with the context of the period. In the end I am still left feeling the whole is less than the sum of the parts in this case.

Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

raresportbikesforsale.com blog does just what the name implies; finds rare sport bikes for sale on ebay and elsewhere then post information and observations about the bike. Today’s caught my eye, not for the brilliance of the photos, but in relationship to BMW s new six:

1982 Honda CBX Supersport

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Last edited:
Monday, 17 January

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Members with Birthdays Today

SBK

kawasaki-racingteam.eu: Sepang tests come to a successful conclusion

fim-live.com Road Racing FIM Superbike & Supersport World Championships and FIM Superstock Cup Regulations

Formula 1

autosport.com: Davidson – 2011 rules tough for drivers
BBC’s F1 pundit anticipates drivers having problems pulling of the cockpit ‘one man band’ the new rules create

Speaking of the rules, here are links to downloadable copies of the 211 rules for F1

2011 Formula One Sporting Regulations
2011 Formula One Technical Regulations

Regulations for other series such as WRC, WTCC and others are available at the FIA Sport page.

Other Racing

simonpavery.com: Stage 14

Dakar Podium
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EN - The stage summary - BEST OF 3 - 2011/01/16
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On the Street

jalenosgarage.com: 1939 brough Superior SS100
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Via SoloMotoTrienta and YouTube – A visit to the BMW plant

1/5
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2/5
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3/5
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4/5
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5/5
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webbikeworld.com: goreTex membrane types

Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

The following picture accompanied a press release from Czech marque FGR announcing it would be taking part in the Brno round of MotoGP’s 125cc undercard race as a wild card entrant.

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In 2002 FGR began its 125cc racing effort building its own bike that it began campaigning in 2003 and beyond. The bike and its main components –

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Capacity : 124,8 ccm
Bore: 54 mm
Stroke : 54,5 mm
Output : 46 PS +
Gear box : removable, cartridge, six-speed
Secondary gearing : by chain EK
Clutch disk in oil-bath
FGR engine: fully developed by FPOS-Kovovyroba company
It uses own cylinders with electronically controled exhaust throttle

FGR frame – made of chrommolybden tubes, truss-frame
FGR frame : made of chrommolybden tubes, truss-frame
FGR swinging fork : made from special solidity aluminium alloy CERTAL
FGR cowling: developed in cooperation with Motoforza company
Brakes : Brembo, floating disc, radial-type of brake valves
Suspension: White power, front, up-side-down
Electronics : datarecording AIM, detonation sensors
Weight of the motorbike : 75 kg
Rims : Marchesini
Storage capacity : 14 l
- ?ûl CASTROL
Fuel : petrol ELF
- oil CASTROL
Tyres : Dunlop


The 2010 Brno race would be the second time in the team’s history it had made it to the big dance and they wanted everyone to watch them on TV. If you don’t remember this it is not surprising, if it weren’t for new press attention many would have gone without ever noticing the small Czech racing team and its building efforts. The team and their bike went well under my radar until I saw a piece about the new project from the Czech team on the HFL site.

FGR’s second project began to take form in the mind of their designer Miroslav Flgr in 2004. The company would go from the race track to the street and from two strokes to four strokes. Over the next three years the engine and bike began taking form. Financing support was derived from the Czech Ministry of Industry and Commerce and in 2008 the engine was presented.

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The surprising thing is the leap this engine meant for the company, in so many ways. They were going from a 125cc race bike to a monster 2500cc V6 street bike:

Parameters
Volume 2442 cm3
Type four-temporal, water cooling, six cylindrical motor V 90*,DOHC/4
Cylindre angle 90??
Inclination angle to the horizontal level of the front wheel 10??
Weight 107 kg
Cooling Water
Inject own

With the engine well on its way a competition for design help was held. The forty-five designers that entered the first round of competition were narrowed down to eleven. Of these 10 participated in the second design round and Stanislav Hanuš was selected as the winner for the project. In this year 2009 the frame, the pivoted fork and further componets were produced and in the same time continued the works on the design. In 2010 the testing of the prototype of the motorcycle FGR 2500V6 continued.

The is scheduled to go on sale next year in a limited bespoke production run of six bikes. The V6 will put out in the range of 240+bhp and make in exess of 150lb/ft of tourge making it one of if not the most powerful street bike in the world.

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The engine in its new home.

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It takes a monster swingarm to deliver all that horsepower to the ground.

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Imagine the exhaust note.

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You start kids out on a nice little 125cc two stroke and you just never know what they will end up building and riding.
 
Tuesday, 18 January

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Members with Birthdays Today

SBK

SpeedTV – Video – Peter de Waal, VP of BMW Motorrad USA tells the story of the BMW S1000RR, from its inception to BMW’s motivations for wanting to build a Superbike

masmoto.net: BMW Italia and Liberty Ducati present their colors

Coming to a game box near you
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Black Bean Games have released this trailer of the forthcoming PC, Xbox360 and PlayStation 3 game SBK2011. Follow Max Biaggi around Portimao in this video, which shows gameplay in development. The game is due for release in May

MotoGP

motogp.com: First day of testing at Jerez for Guareschi and Battaini [Ducati test riders]

MotoGP.com: FIM confirm 2011 race time schedule
Related
motomatters.com: MotoGP schedule shuffled again – three 45 minute sessions and an hour qualifying

Formula 1

formula1.com: Pirelli commence F1’s first-ever wet night tests

grandprix.com: Symonds – I still have a love of F1

grandprix.com: Alonso is wary of Schumacher

jamesallenonf1.com: “F1 season will start with tow Lotus teams, “ says Asmat

Other Racing

speedbrain-rally: 2011 Dakar flashback

HFL: Why you shouldn’t steal gas on the Dakar

HFL: Ten best Dakar pictures

fim-live.com: Annie finishes the hardest race ever!

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/17632646" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/17632646">Champions Forever</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2790658">gt4zone</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

BMW Motorsport

PressClub: Dunlop tyres offer invaluable advantage in the “ Green Hell”

On the Street

cycleworld.com: 2011 Yamaha FZ8 first ride.

moto.it: BMW Turbo 350hp S1000RR

visordown.com: fork in the road – Harley Street Rod vs. Yamaha R1
An interesting if unusual pair to for a comparison test, but they are “contrasting takes on a common theme”.

thevintagent.blogspot.com: ‘I am a coachbuilder'

dealernews.com: Max BMW drops Ducati

2011 Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 8V
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1915 Triumph Motorcycle
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clutchandchrome.com: Motorcycle Mama Katey Segal wins Gold Globe for Sons of Anarchy

jsonline.com: Bear’s win set up epic NFC title clash with Packers

The Mothership

facebook.com: Designing for commuting

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Woot of the Day

Bike Candy

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BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team. Ayrton Badovini and James Toseland BMW S 1000 RR.

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BMW Motorrad Italia SBK-STK Team. Ayrton Badovini-James Toseland-Andrea Buzzoni-Serafino Foti Sylvain Barrier- Lorenzo Zanetti on the BMW S 1000 RR
 
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