250GP World Champion Marco Simoncelli turned down offers last year to move up to MotoGP in favor of instead defending his title, but the young Italian rider has now announced that he intends on racing in MotoGP for 2010. While the Simoncelli has not been signed to a team, and no official interest has been made, the Italian seems to see the move as an certainty.
Colin Edwards has to be one of our favorite motorcycle racers, primarily for the epic races he would put on for us while racing in the World Superbike Championship against Troy Bayliss. Since his move to MotoGP, Edwards has been less of a talking point for his racing prowess, and instead usually for controversies associated with him.
First it was the Aprilia RS3 “Cube” that had a propensity to catch on fire. Then, it was playing second fiddle to Valentino Rossi. And lately, it has been the Tech3 antics between himself and James Toseland.
Love him, hate him, discount him, but Colin always has one consistency: telling things exactly the way he sees them. In a recent interview with Riders (an Italian Magazine) Colin did just that.
Edwards fielded some colorful questions about sex, his favorite porn starts, as well as some political topics like gay marriage, and gun control. We didn’t think you wanted to hear any of that though. Continue reading after the jump for some of the more calmer questions, and Colin’s to the point answers.
With eight right-hand corners, most of which are long and fast, and only five left-handers, most of which are much slower, the Circuit de Catalunya provides a worthy puzzle for all the tire manufacturers, but this weekend Bridgestone has a secret weapon up its sleeve. For the Catalan GP, Bridgestone has made a special asymmetrical tire that will be composed of different compounds on each side of the tire in order to meet the demanding conditions of the Spanish track.
In the fifth installment of Ducati’s documentary on the Desmosedici, we now turn our attention to how the Desmosedici went from MotoGP race bike, to slightly more well-mannered street bike. If you’re late to the DesmoDoco series, you can find , right here at A&R.
Dani Pedrosa announced today that he has sufficiently recovered from from Mugello, and will be racing at Barcelona for the Catalan GP.
This announcement shows truly how determined riders like Dani are, as the Spainard would easily qualify for any sport’s disabled list. Pedrosa was given the “all clear” after doctors conduct a trial of injecting the Repsol Honda rider with painkillers, and then testing him for sensitivities to pain and motion.
UPDATE: .
The rumor is about that Kawasaki intends to update the Z1000 for the 2010 model line up. No facts yet on what the bike have technically, but good rumor doesn’t have a concept photo? Moto Revue have whipped up a little photoshop diddy of what they hope the bike will look like.
They go and do something like this. Behold the Nicky Hayden edition of the Lavazza coffee machine. We know the Italians love their coffee. And we know they love their Ducati. But a signed and logo’d Nicky Hayden bean-boiler?
Apparently, the first 5 buyers of the limited edition machine will receive a pass for MotoGP, which will be for the whole weekend ,or just a day, depending on the model bought.
Check please.
Taking another cue from the R1, FZ1 will be getting the Limited Edition treatment. The Yamaha FZ1 Fazer ABS Limited Edition is painted with a similar scheme as the R1 LE, but this time done up in red and white. Besides the bodywork, the bike will come with a special windscreen, rim stripes, and rear seat cowl.
No word on price. But it does seem sort of anemic for a “limited edition” Fz1; afterall, the R1 LE got Öhlins suspension, Marchesini rims, and a slipper-clutch. We also can’t help but think Yamaha didn’t have to go far for .
Price and availability when we have it, but we suspect the Abarth would look nicer in your garage.
UPDATED: Pictures and results after the jump.
Team Agni and rider Robert “Bullet” Barber turned the fastest lap beating out favorites MotoCzysz, Mission Motors and Brammo. Barber propelled Agni’s modified Suzuki GSXr 600 to an average speed of 84.8MPH, with a speed of 102.6 recorded at the Sulby Trap. Agni Motors builds electric motors for many applications including electric vehicles, so it is not too much of a surprise they did well.
The Dainese Superbike race of the Isle of Man TT is in the bag after being rained out this weekend, and with it a new record lap on the Mountain Course. Spoiler to follow if you dare make the jump.
In case you don’t follow the series, Formula 1 has been in state of flux for the past few years. 2009 saw a host of new rules introduced to make the sport once again exciting. Adding to the on-track drama has been the discourse off the track by the teams, race promoters, and drivers. Currently, Bernie Ecclestone (Formula One Management) and Max Mosley (FIM) are attempting to impose a £40 million budget cap on the teams, which follows their attempt to instigate a two-tier technical rule system for capped and uncapped teams.
Unwilling to follow such a system, the newly formed Formula One Teams Association (FOTA), has come together as a collective bargaining group aganst Ecclestone and Mosley. FOTA has raised the ante in their negotiations, and has now threatened to pull out of the 2010 Formula 1 season. Taking their toys and going home, FOTA plans on starting its own series, with perhaps Carmelo Ezpeleta, of Dorna fame, as its head.