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Motorcycling’s April Fools Round-Up for 2019

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Another year, and another April Fools Day is done and dusted. I am fairly certain that for journalists, April 1st is better than Christmas, as it marks the one day where media outlets make the news they wish they could report on daily. And as usual, the imaginations of the motorcycle media pool didn’t fail to disappoint.

My colleague David Emmett had a timely story on how MotoGP will be a house divided, because of the current drama around the use of aerodynamic rider aids.

For my own part, I looked to the increasingly important space of airbag-equipped motorcycle gear and wondered what the next evolution in that space, with thanks to the fine folks at REV’IT for being good sports about our vision of perforated airbag systems.

How about from the rest of the industry though? In case you missed them, the highlights of April Fools Day are after the jump.

Motorcyclists Banned from the Cabot Trail After Protest from RVers and Locals – Canada Moto Guide

When life imitates art, that is what can be said about friend’s to the north take on April Fools. There is a constant struggle for land use when it involves off-road motorcycles, and we are increasingly see trails and riding parks closed down because of noise and competing interests.

We hear this story caused quite the stir in Nova Scotia…along with some angry emails and phone calls. Some might say that our friends at CMG went too far in their April Fools story. We say, they didn’t go far enough.

Valentino Rossi to Receive M.D. | The Doctor to Become a Real Doctor – Ultimate Motorcycling

One of two April Fools stories about Valentino Rossi, our friends at Ultimate Motorcycling take the tack of seeing The Doctor becoming an actual doctor.

The news opens some interesting doors for Rossi in a post-MotoGP world, though we imagine his on-track talents will still outweigh those in the operating theater. But, apparently Rossi is a cool-hand at delivering babies at 30,000 feet.

Valentino Rossi Has “Mytochondrial Function” of a 25-Year-Old; Can Race at Elite Level at Least 10 More Years – Motorcycle Daily

Motorcycle Daily brings us our other Rossi story, again riffing on the results from the MotoGP race in Argentina.

In this story, race is said to have undergone an anti-aging regiment that has given the Italian a mitochondrial age of 25. We’re not sure how that plays into the classic adage of “old age and treachery” but Rossi has it in spade.

iRace Kit – BMW Motorrad

When it comes to motorcycle OEMs, we sure do like the commitment to April Fools that BMW Motorrad shows every year. For this year’s installment, BMW puts a spotlight on its new S1000RR superbike, and one of the “new” riding modes that will be available.

The new “iRace” mode uses BMW’s autonomous vehicle tech to help you achieve the ultimate lap time on the track. We have been wondering what the German brand’s autonomous bike program has been all about…hopefully this is not it.

Rocket Mode – Triumph Motorcycles

Triumph Motorcycles also got in on the action, showing a new option for its Rocket TFC model. Already a unique twist on a unique cruiser, the Rocket Mode adds 1,000 horsepower into the equation.

kRäte – Giant Loop

Our last entry comes from the esteemed Oregon company Giant Loop, with their ingenious kRäte for motorcycle luggage. We can’t quite put our finger on it, but we feel like we have seen this design before.

Did you see any good motorcycle-related April Fools jokes this weekend that we may have missed? If so, be sure to post them in the comments.

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