Dorna Sports has announced that this year’s MotoGP season will be shot in HD and broadcasted in high definition where available. After suffering through years of regular definition coverage that was often grainy and poorly saturated (there’s a reason MotoGP bikes have bright colors), race fans will hopefully be able to see their favorite riders lap the track in more clarity. Bonus for us American viewers, SPEED Channel has agreed to carry the races on its HD channel.
Yamaha has released for us to enjoy, and this time it features Team Texas: Colin Edwards and Ben Spies. The story is set with the Texan Duo heading out in a station wagon in order to have a “mancation” filled with bonding and other manly stuff. With inside jokes, casual references to prior racing seasons, and flahbacks to previous videos by Yamaha, we think someone in the Yamaha marketing department deserves a cookie. Check past the jump to get your laugh on Texan style.
UPDATE: In the wake of the embargo break, KTM has released official photos and a press release about the KTM FREERIDE concept motorcycles. They’ve been added to the bottom of the post.
German magazine Motorrad has leaked photos of the KTM Freeride near-production prototypes a few days ahead of the March 26th launch of the motorcycle at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show. The Freeride concepts are the first glimpse into a major manufacturer’s attempt at entering the electric motorcycle realm, and likely are a close representation to what we’ll see the Austrian company release to the public. More after the jump with photos.
Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner have lobbied Dorna to start the season opener at Qatar at least an hour earlier than was previously scheduled. Scheduled to start at 11pm local time, MotoGP’s night race at Qatar benefits from hitting the European market during prime time television hours, and hits American shores during reasonable daylight hours.
The evening start also means that riders don’t have to compete during the hot daytime desert weather, but the downside with that is the evening temperatures rapidly change as the night progresses and evening dew forms on the Losail track. With riders crashing later in the Qatar testing times this past week, Rossi and Stoner think the MotoGP race would be better served starting earlier in the evening.
Kyalami Grand Prix circuit is likely to host its last World Superbike race for a while this season. Located in Gauteng, South Africa, the Gauteng provincial government has bought out the track’s remaining contract with WSBK in an effort to “re-prioritize” the local government’s budget of local programs. Kyalami was set to host WSBK through 2013, but instead it looks like this will be the South African’s track last season until the Gauteng government becomes financially stable again.
It’s been our long standing view that Volkswagen entering into the motorcycle realm after it’s 20% stake in Suzuki is purely a work of fiction fabricated by bored journalists. The majority opinion is that Volkswagen acquired an interest in Suzuki (who also makes cars) to gain a better foothold in developing countries where smaller vehicles with smaller displacements are king.
This sentiment hasn’t stopped others from believing that there could be more collaboration between the two marks in making a two-wheeled vehicle, and the latest rumor pegs Volkswagen’s Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Director of Management of Volkswagen AG, as saying explicitly saying just that…of course, no one actually has him on the record with that statement.
AC Schnitzer is better known in the automotive world for making fine BMW parts and automobiles, but the little German tuning shop also tries its hand at motorcycles from time to time. Unfortunately the company’s prowess at making four-wheeled BMW’s look good and run fast does not translate over well to its two-wheel endeavors. A great example of this is the disappointment we had with the recently released 2010 AC Schnitzer BWM S1000RR, which leaves us here at A&R wanting more schnitzel and less Schnitzer in our Bavarian bikes.
You may remember that we drooled over Magpul’s take on the Buell 1125R. While we often give Buell motorcycles a hard time, we admittedly fell head-over heels for this concept.
Hinting at the time it debuted that there could be a limited production run or a kit for current Buell owners, Magpul has taken the feedback and attention from the Ronin, and refined the motorcycle further. Photos and more after the jump.
Arizona is considering a bill that would allow Arizonian motorcyclists to lane-split when traffic is stopped. The proposed bill should make motorcyclists happy and help relieve some traffic congestion; however all is not well in the Grand Canyon State. After the proposal of bill HB 2475, the local ABC affiliate went to the streets to ask citizens what they thought of the proposal, and the reaction they got was not a positive one.
Paolo Berlusconi, brother to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, is rumored to be making a play for MV Agusta as Harley-Davidson continues to look for a purchases of the iconic Italian brand. According to Motociclismo, Berlusconi’s name continues to be mentioned in the same sentence as the Italian company, as the purchase would play well into Belusconi’s holdings in scooter manufacturer Garelli.
Despite not making the entry list into the 2010 MotoGP season (yet?), we have to admit it’s a welcomed sound to hear a triple taking off from the pits at Valencia. We here at Asphalt & Rubber were big fans of the Aprilia RS3 Cube, despite its propensity to catch fire. And while FB Corse may have drawn our ire for less than truthful media communications, their Oral Engineering designed three cylinder motor leaves us hoping the team can get their act together and make it into MotoGP so we can continue to hear its throaty tune. Check out the video after the jump for a sweet taste of triple goodness.