MOTORREADS: 20 April 2009

[mika]

trendhunter.com: Affordable superbikes ÔÇô BMW S100RR motorcycle priced at $15,000?

harley-davidson.com: Harley-Davidson Reports First Quarter 2009 Results,
Re-Affirms Full-Year Shipment Plans, and Provides Strategy and Restructuring Update

motorcycledaily.com: Harley-Davidson still in the black

visordown.com: First Ride ÔÇô 2009 BMW F800R

hellforleathermagazine.com: BMW tries urban marketing and fails horribly

dealernews.com: Husky starts to fill in the gaps

twowheelsblog.com: Vintage TT DucatiÔÇÖs

thevintagent.com: New Falcon website

omnimoto.it translated: Norton NRV588

motorcyclistonline.com: Motorcycle or masterpiece?

londonbikers.com: WorldÔÇÖs first new generation Ducati store

londongbikers.com: Italian bike day at the Ace Caf?®

omnimoto.it translated: Bimota DB7 Viamaggio [Review]

BENCHRACING:

iomtt.com: Increased interest in Lightweight and Ultra Lightweight TT Races

fim-live.com: 2009 FIM Speedway World Cup QR2

gnccracing.com: Strang makes it three straight on GNCC Racing

gnccracing.com: Loretta Lynn ATV photos

gnccracing.com: Balance back into first place on GNCC racing

abc-wec.com: MAXXIS FIM World Enduro Championship ÔÇô Supersonic Mika Ahola in Sardinia GP of Italy

fim-live.com: Sardinia under the rain for first day of th

GP of Italy
19 April 2009 18:18
BMW return to World Enduro Championship podium

Finn Juha Salminen has secured the BMW Motorrad Motorsport teamÔÇÖs first ever World Enduro Championship double podium result having placed third in the Enduro 2 class on both days of the GP of Italy, staged in Iglesias, Sardinia. With the opening two rounds of the championship in Portugal and Spain having ended disappointingly for Salminen the GP of Italy - round three of the ÔÇÖ09 WEC series - finished with the vastly experienced rider both encouraged by the changes that heÔÇÖd made to his bike for the event and also his performances.

As expected the GP of Italy proved to be every bit as challenging as the opening two rounds of the ÔÇÖ09 WEC series. With the event marking a return to an all-natural extreme test, it also featured one of the longest and toughest enduro tests seen for many years in the WEC. In addition a slow speed motocross test and two long, rocky time controls ensured that all competitors were made to work hard throughout both days of competition.

With testing in Italy prior to the third round of the World Enduro Championship series having enabled Salminen to significantly change the set-up of his G 450 X, the opening dayÔÇÖs competition in Sardinia ended with the Finn having battled hard to claim a place on the podium. Much more confident in his riding Salminen performed well throughout the day. With only a handful of seconds separating Salminen from Polish rider Bartosz Oblucki and Spaniard Cristobal Guerrero as the day drew to a close, Juha used his many years of experience to claim his and BMWÔÇÖs first podium result of the ÔÇÖ09 WEC season.

Day two again saw Salminen claim third in the Enduro 2 class. Starting well he recorded the fastest E2 class time on the long and demanding enduro test, and remained in a podium position throughout the day. Unable like many riders to get to grips with the short but incredibly slippery extreme test, Juha eventually finished just eight seconds behind the second placed rider after another determined performance. SalminenÔÇÖs Enduro 2 class team-mate Simo Kirssi found the conditions in Iglesias tough and on day one placed 14th. On day two Simo improved both his speed and consistency and claimed a top 10 result with ninth in the E2 class.

While JuhaÔÇÖs results in the Enduro 2 class were extremely encouraging BMW Motorrad Motorsport Enduro 3 class riders David Knight and Marko Tarkkala frustratingly enjoyed little success in Sardinia. Following a determined start to day one Knight crashed heavily on the enduro test hitting his head, which forced him to withdraw with vision problems. Day two also ended early when a clutch problem prevented him from continuing. Finishing both days Marko Tarkkala placed seventh and ninth.

Juha Salminen ÔÇô Enduro 2 class: ÔÇ£Considering the way the first two GPs went IÔÇÖm really pleased with my results this weekend. IÔÇÖm really happy to be on the podium, especially as it was very close between a handful of riders on the second day. We are not completely there with the bike yet, but we have made some big improvements. We are moving things in the right direction and now I am able to push hard, which I wasnÔÇÖt at the first two GPs. I felt pretty good in the motocross and enduro test but I was losing time in the extreme test. Like I said there was a bunch of riders all fighting for the podium so I enjoyed being in among the competition.ÔÇØ

Wolfgang Fischer ÔÇô BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager: ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs especially pleasing that Juha finished on the podium on both days. Last week he made some changes to his bike settings after a test in Italy, and they have really helped him. He is now able to attack the special tests. His fighting spirit was really clear on both days. Although third position isnÔÇÖt where Juha wants to be there was a lot of competition for the final rostrum place and he made sure that he was the rider that got it. Juha also put in the fastest time on the opening enduro test, which was extremely demanding, and with the exception of one or two of his extreme tests he was consistent throughout the first day as well. Although the event went well for Juha it was disappointing that David crashed on the enduro test on day one and hit his head quite badly. Also, Marko and Simo both failed to find their rhythm.ÔÇØ

2009 World Enduro Championship
Grand Prix of Italy ÔÇô Day 1

Enduro 2 class
1. Johnny Aubert (KTM) 56:40.04; 2. Bartosz Oblucki (Husqvarna) 57:58.27; 3. Juha Salminen (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 57:59.40; 4. Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha) 58:01.33; 5. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg) 58:11.14; 6. Alessandro Belometti (KTM) 58:22.05; 7. Oscar Balletti (Honda) 58:48.46; 8. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 59:24.48; 9. Matti Seistola (Husqvarna) 59:26.27; 10. Si Wakely (Husqvarna) 59:37.7814. Simo Kirssi (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1.00:36.47;

Enduro 3 Class
1. Sebastien Guillaume (Husqvarna) 57:07.01; 2. Christophe Nambotin (Gas Gas) 57:13.00; 3. Ivan Cervantes (KTM) 57:17.77; 4. Samuli Aro (KTM) 57:54.20; 5. Fabio Mossini (Honda) 58:05.95; 6. Marcus Kehr (KTM) 58:59.33; 7. Marko Tarkkala (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 59:27.64; 8. Tom Sagar (Husaberg) 59:41.58; 9. Bjorne Carlsson (Husaberg) 59:49.78; 10; Jordi Figueras (Gas Gas) 1.00:29.35; 11. Rudy Cotton (Beta) 1.00:59.22; 12. Daniele Tellini (Husqvarna) 1.02:18.94

2009 World Enduro Championship
Grand Prix of Italy ÔÇô Day 2

Enduro 2 class
1. Johnny Aubert (KTM) 1.04:59.82; 2. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg) 1.06:25.19; 3. Juha Salminen (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1.06:34.07; 4. Valtteri Salonen (Husaberg) 1.06:35.71; 5. Bartosz Oblucki (Husqvarna) 1.06:35.86; 6. Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha) 1.06:38.72; 7. Alessandro Belometti (KTM) 1.06:44.38; 8. Oscar Botturi (Honda) 1.07:38.00; 9. Simo Kirssi (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1.08:06.60; 10. Rodrig Thain (TM) 1.08:28.96;

Enduro 3 Class
1. Ivan Cervantes (KTM) 1.05:11.29; 2. Sebastien Guillaume (Husqvarna) 1.05:27.70; 3. Samuli Aro (KTM) 1.06:12.40; 4. Christophe Nambotin (Gas Gas) 1.06:37.86; 5. Fabio Mossini (Honda) 1.06:53.25; 6. Marcus Kehr (KTM) 1.07:09.0; 7. Bjorne Carlsson (Husaberg) 1.07:44.24; 8. Alessandro Botturi (KTM) 1.08:01.26; 9. Marko Tarkkala (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1.08:51.12; 10. Rudy Cotton (Beta) 1.10:23.57;


WEC
Can-Am GNCC Racing
Canadian Motorcycle Association
AMA Pro Racing
MotoGP

motogp.com: MotoGP moves to Motegi for Polini Grand Prix of Japan

motorcyclenews.com: Motgei MotoGP ÔÇô Valentino Rossi anticipates strong Casey Stoner challenge

Yamaha-motor-europe.com: Fiat Yamaha heads to happy hunting grounds

autosport.com: Suzuki determined to atone for Qatar

rizla-suzuki-motogp.co.uk Rizla Suzuki looking to bounce back on home soil.

roadracingworld.com: Yamaha Austria Racing Team wins 24 Hours of le Mans

crash.net: Moto2 machines ÔÇÿ qualify t Albacete

motogpmatters.com: The last of Scott JonesÔÇÖ photos from Qatar

weburbanist.com: Exposed ÔÇô 15 incredible vehicle cutaways for undercover lovers

webBikeWorld.com
Shark RST 3 helmet review
Sidi Doha boots

technologyreview.com: Laws of physics persist ÔÇô In crashes, big cars win

gas2.org: Car companies standardize plug for electric vehicles

gozmag.com: LotusÔÇÖ patented Active Noise Control technologies poised to make motoring more comfortable


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WOOT.com

Turboflat.blogspot.com

Knjmoto.com:

Motobastards.com

xkcd.com:

Bike Candy

From: ritmo-sereno.com ÔÇô another example of their handy work

Comments:

 

[mika]

wired.com: Hybrid Hummer prosies 100 miles per gallon

speedtv.com: Vintage: Techno Classico a feast of historic cars

astonmartin.com: Rapide enters last stages of development

Porsche.com: Panamera makes world debut in Shanghai

Ferrari.com: Ferrari California preview in Shanghai

autoexpress.com: McLaren launches supercar

canadiandriver.com: Motoring memories ÔÇô Delorean 1981 -1982

Car candy from eGMCarTech. Some fun cars in the mix.
egmcartech.com: This week in photos: 4/13 to 4/19

UK
autocr.co.uk: Electric cars will usher in road pricing

bmwblog.com: AC Schnitzer high performance brake system

Renault.com: The Renault-Nissan Alliance forms zero emission vehicle partnership in the Phoenix metropolitan area

Cage Racing News

autoracingdaily.com: Landmark first ever victory for de Ferran Motorsports at Long Beach

indycar.com: Victory no. 7

wheels.ca: Canadian racerÔÇÖs tragic legacy at Indy

indycar.com: One for the History books

Indycar: Post race press conference

BMW RAHAL LETTERMAN RACING TEAM SCORES SECOND PODIUM AT LONG BEACH
04/19/2009

Long Beach, Calif.  April 18, 2009 With a third-place GT2 class finish by the No. 92 M3 of Tommy Milner and Dirk M??ller in the Tequila Patron American Le Mans Series at Long Beach the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team reached the ALMS podium for the second consecutive race. The duo completed 70 laps around the 1.968-mile temporary street circuit in the one-hour-and-forty-minute contest.
Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand scored their first points of the season, finishing eighth in the No. 90 M3 after losing four laps following a collision with a lapped competitor just past the one-hour mark.

TodayÔÇÖs finish moves BMW to fourth in GT2 Manufacturer points. Milner and M??ller now stand fifth in GT2 Driver points.

The race began under a bright Southern California sun with a track temperature of 100.4 F, as Tommy Milner started the No. 92 M3 from third and Bill Auberlen behind the wheel of the No. 90 M3 in fourth.

At the 30-minute mark with 21 laps completed, Milner held onto the third position in a great battle with the fourth- and fifth-place competitorÔÇÖs only seconds behind. Auberlen had fallen back to sixth, eight seconds behind his teammate.

Fifteen minutes later the GT2 leader fell out with a broken suspension and everyone moved up one position, Milner now 23 seconds from the new leader. Milner lost the second spot on lap 38 as the battle for the podium got even hotter.
With one hour gone, Auberlen pitted having completed 40 laps. Hand joined the race with a full tank of fuel and new Dunlop tires on the No. 90 M3. Milner pitted five laps later, handing the No. 92 M3 over to Dirk M??ller in good shape.

With all the GT2 class pit stops complete and some 30 minutes left in the race, the two M3s were back in qualifying order with the No. 92 in third and the No. 90 in fourth.

On lap 52, bad luck struck the No. 90 M3 when Hand and a lapped competitor made contact. Damage to the front splitter and fender forced him to the pits. With only around 20 minutes remaining, Hand returned his bruised and bandaged M3 to the race in tenth place. He passed one competitor and achieved another spot through attrition. With five minutes left the only yellow flag of the race flew and the race ended the field behind the safety car.

On May 15 ÔÇô 17 the American Le Mans Series travels to Miller Motorsports Park, in Tooele, Utah, for the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix.

Tommy Milner, driver No. 92 M3 (third):
ÔÇ£Our second podium proves how strong this team is. The tires were consistent and the team called a great pit strategy. No one could beat us in the corners.ÔÇØ

Dirk M??ller, driver No. 92 M3 (third):
ÔÇ£I am thrilled to be on the podium for a second time in a row. Tommy did a fantastic first stint and Dunlop gave us excellent tires. It was quite difficult with all the traffic and the lowering sun became an issue for me late in the race. We had an awesome pit stop. It was really, really, quick. The M3 had me driving to the limit and I was closing the gap to P2. Unfortunately, a slow LMP1 car held me off for five laps and I lost 12 to 14 seconds. We certainly had the potential for a better result.ÔÇØ

Bobby Rahal, Team Principal:
ÔÇ£We are certainly happy to be on the podium for a second time. It is the best evidence of progress. It looked like we could have finished even better, but on a tight track like this it is very easy to lose time to slower traffic, even slower prototype class cars.ÔÇØ

Martin Birkmann, BMW of North America, LLC Motorsports Manager:
ÔÇ£We captured a second consecutive podium, but again we were unfortunate with the No. 90 M3. This time however it wasnÔÇÖt racing luck as Joey tangled with a lapped competitor and perhaps some insufficient flagging played a part. One target was to get both cars to the checkered flag so for that we can say mission accomplished. We continue to look at the glass half-full and we will see what happens at Miller.ÔÇØ

About Rahal Letterman Racing:
Rahal Letterman Racing, based in Hilliard, Ohio and co-owned by three-time IndyCar Champion and 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal and CBS LATE SHOW host David Letterman, has been competing for more than a decade compiling 20 victories, 30 poles and one series championship (Bobby Rahal in 1992 in CART) and an Indianapolis 500 championship (Buddy Rice in 2004). In 2008 Rahal Letterman Racing again won Rookie-of-the-Year honors at the Indianapolis 500 and partnered with Andersen Racing to run two entries in the Indy Pro Series. In 2009 the team has joined BMW of North America to campaign the new BMW M3 as BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team in the American Le Mans Series and will also serve as the organizers of the Formula BMW Americas championship.

IN 2009, BMW DEALERS WILL INVEST $300 MILLION IN NEW AND MODERNIZED FACILITIES IN THE U.S.
04/17/2009

Dealer investments continue to show strong pace. Since 2000, dealers have invested $2.2 billion to prepare for future growth of BMW in the U.S.
Woodcliff Lake, NJ - April 17, 2009... BMW dealer investment for the future continues, even in the current economic climate. "Investments from our BMW dealers are proof of confidence in the future success of the BMW brand in the US," Jim O'Donnell, President of BMW of North America, LLC, said. "Today, our network is one of the strongest in the country and we are all working closely together to extend our leading position in the future."

OÔÇÖDonnell delivered this message on the occasion of the Grand Opening of Rusnak BMW in Thousand Oaks, CA.

Over the last nine years, the BMW network has invested $2.2 billion as part of a comprehensive plan to develop the best facilities of any premium brand. The current $300 million investment continues this direction. By the end of 2009, most of the 338 dealerships will have undergone modernization of facilities. Other openings and expansions in 2009 include BMW Advantage (Houston, TX); Prestige BMW (Ramsey, NJ); JMK BMW (Springfield, NJ); Foreign Motors West (Boston, MA); and Bill Jacobs BMW (Chicago, IL).

In the current demanding and difficult automotive environment, BMW dealers have maintained their strong and stable franchises. ÔÇ£Our dealers have led the way with a stronger emphasis on the used car business and it has helped buffer the consequences of declining new car sales in the US,ÔÇØ said OÔÇÖDonnell. ÔÇ£Early on, we and our dealers recognized this opportunity and the used car business has become an even more important part of our strategy for our US success.ÔÇØ OÔÇÖDonnell also noted this action is bringing new and younger customers into the BMW family, even in the current economic climate.

In 2008, BMW sold more than 104,000 Certified Pre-Owned vehicles (16.4 percent more than 2007), making the brand the largest used vehicle operation within the premium segment and outselling its closest competitor by more than 60 percent. Results from the first quarter of 2009 indicate CPO sales are on track to increase an additional 15 percent for the full year.

Also important is top-of-industry customer retention through BMWÔÇÖs Ultimate Service program that includes a 4-year / 50,000 mile vehicle maintenance plan with the purchase of any new BMW. As a result, through the first ownership period, 97 percent of BMW vehicles have all of their service performed at certified dealers, as opposed to the industry average of about 50 percent, helping to fully utilize BMW dealer service centers.