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IOMTT: Mugen Confirms Two-Rider Team for TT Zero

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Team Mugen is back for the 2014 Isle of Man TT, as the Japanese tuning house (often thought to be a front for Honda) has confirmed its entry into this year’s SES TT Zero electric motorcycle race.

Fielding two entries this year, Mugen has retained the services of John McGuinness, and the team has also added Bruce Anstey into the mix.

Mugen has also announced an a new electric race bike for the Isle of Man TT, which is named the Mugen Shinden San, “san” meaning “three” in Japanese — a pretty obvious naming scheme considering its predecessor was called Shinden Ni, or Shinden 2.

There are no details on the Shinden San at this point, beyond the fact that Mugen says the race bike will have more power and speed. A formidable entry last year, McGuinness finished second in last year’s TT Zero race, with a 109+ mph lap under his belt. This year, you can count on the 110 mph mark being a target for both McPint and Anstey.

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Simon Andrews to Ride for Penz13.com at IOMTT

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After sustaining injuries in the FIM World Endurance round at Le Mans last year, Simon Andrews is returning to racing for the 2014 Isle of Man TT in Rico Penzkofer’s paddock. The 29-year-old will be riding a BMW HP4 prepared by the Penz13.com BMW racing team, not only in the TT, but also the Macau Grand Prix and the North West 200.

During his TT debut in 2011, Andrews made it clear he was a serious competitor taking 11th in the Superstock and Senior races while setting a lap record of 125.134 mph, making him the third fastest newcomer of all time.

Add to that a fastest lap time of 126.001 around the TT Mountain Course, and you can start to see why his TT career includes four Top 15 finishes, along with a podium finish in the 2012 Macau Grand Prix where he took third.

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TT Legends — Episode 4: The Isle of Man TT, Part 1

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We are now halfway through with the “TT Legends” documentary, with today’s fourth of eight installments featuring the venerable Isle of Man TT. Part one of two, Episode Four introduces one of the most iconic races in motorcycling.

Over 100 years old, every motorcycle enthusiast should make a pilgrimage to the Isle of Man — the only downside is that once you go, you will want to go again, and again, and again…

Raced on city streets, with speeds hitting over 200 mph down the Sulby Straight, it is easy to see why Honda Pro Racing’s factory road racing and endurance squad borrows its name from the TT.

Featuring some of the best IOMTT riders on its team, to keep things honest, the Isle of Man TT is really where the Honda TT Legends team shines. Enjoy!

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Keith Amor Will Race Supersport at the Isle of Man TT

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As part of the triumphant return of Keith Amor to road racing, the Scotsman has announced that he will be competing in both of the Monster Energy Supersport races in the 2014 Isle of Man TT.

Amor has already announced that he will be returning as a member of Ryan Farquhar’s KMR Kawasaki team for the Lightweight TT, but he will also be riding the Site Sealants B&W Racing Honda CBR600RR.

A fan favorite, Amor has carved out a name for himself by racking up several impressive victories and setting lap records along the way.

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“TT Legends” Documentary Coming to YouTube

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Last year, the Honda TT Legends crew worked with Britain’s ITV4 television station to produce an eight-part documentary that followed the factory Honda road racing team.

Featuring the John McGuinness, Simon Andrews, and Cameron Donald, “TT Legends” follows the team through six races: the Bol d’Or, Le Mans 24 heurs, Suzuka 8-Hour, North West 200, Isle of Man TT, and Oscherselben 8hr. The series was a delight for British racing fans, though sadly wasn’t rebroadcasted for us Yanks — unless you employed less-than-legal means, that is.

Well that’s about to change, as Honda Pro Racing will be hosting the series on its YouTube channel, one episode each week, starting on January 12th. It’s a great series, and well worth keeping up with, if you have the time. We’ll bring you each installment here on Asphalt & Rubber, as they become available. Until then, whet your appetite on the trailer.

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After a 50 Year Hiatus, Saroléa Announces Return to Racing

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Torsten Robbens, Project Manager at Belgium based Saroléa Motorcycles, has announced the company would be competing in the 2014 Isle of Man TT Zero challenge and the FIM eRoad Racing series.

After a 50 year hiatus this comes as a bit of a shock, since the company went defunct in 1963. Saroléa is one of Belgium’s oldest motorcycle companies and is seeking to reinvent itself with a new electric superbike.

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Farquhar & Amor Announce Comeback for Isle of Man TT

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Much to the delight of fans Ryan Farquhar and Keith Amor have announced their return to racing, as both top riders have confirmed their entries into the 2014 Isle of Man TT under Farquhar’s KMR Kawasaki banner. This means the rivals will now race as teammates on their 650cc Kawasaki ER6 Lightweight class race bikes, as the tackle the three-lap BikeSocial.co.uk Lightweight TT Race.

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Conor Cummins in at Honda TT Legends

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With the news that Michael Dunlop failed to reach an agreement with Honda Europe, and likely would be sitting out the 2014 road racing season, Honda TT Legends has announced its signing of Conor Cummins in Dunlop’s stead. Accordingly, the well-regarded Manx rider will form a two-man team with Mr. Snaefell himself, John McGuinness.

Cummins and McGuinness will race for the Honda TT Legends team at the 2014 Isle of Man TT and North West 200 road racing events. Both McGuinness and Cummins will cover the Superbike and Senior races at the TT, while Cummins will race for the team in the Superstock class as well.

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Michael Dunlop Announces He Won’t Race in 2014

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After failing to secure a deal that he was satisfied with, Michael Dunlop has announced that he will not be racing during the 2014 season. The news comes just weeks after the Honda TT Legends squad released Dunlop, after the two parties failed to agree on a contract after several offers from Honda Europe had been made.

The talk of the 2013 Isle of Man TT, Michael Dunlop had a breakout performance this season, which also saw him competing in the FIM Endurance World Championship for the Honda TT Legends crew. Replacing John McGuinness at the Le Mans 24-Hour endurance race, and besting Mr. McPint in the solo classes at the TT, it seemed like Dunlop’s coming of age had arrived.

Unfortunately with no ride in sight for the 2014 season, it would seem Dunlop’s momentum is about to grind to a halt.

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Video: This is the Best Contract Announcement Ever – Guy Martin Re-Signs with Tyco Suzuki for 2014

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When it comes to turning the contract season into as arduous of a process as possible, the MotoGP Championship is king. The silly season seems to stretch from Qatar to Valencia, and we’re sure that if we checked at the time of this posting, we could find some intrigue for contracts in 2016. Oy vey.

That’s not how Guy Martin rolls though. If you didn’t know that the truck mechanic, and sometimes TT racer, beats to the sound of his own drum, well…then you probably didn’t know jack about the man from Lincolnshire to begin with.

It seems Martin is just starting to get wind of this whole internet thing, and found out that people were talking about him on it. This lead to his revelation that people were also talking about where he was racing for the 2014 season, and that just did not sit well with Mr. Martin.

Putting rumors to a dead-stop, Guy took matters into his own hands. Long story short, he’s with the TAS Suzuki boys (and girls) for next season, and believes he’ll be on the necessary package to find his elusive first Isle of Man TT race win.

If you don’t speak mouth-full-of-marbles, you might have to watch the video after the jump more than once — it might be the best contract announcement we’ve ever seen.

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Video: Guy & Thomas Visit Valentino Rossi’s Ranch

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It’s hard to out-do King Kenny, the godfather of Ameircan road racing, but Valentino Rossi is certainly making a go at it. For those that haven’t been to Roberts’ ranch out in Modesto, California, the three-time GP Champion and AMA Grand Slam winner has a very lovely flat-track course in his backyard, where he teaches the rich, and coaches the fast.

Well, the idea must have struck a chord with nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi, as The Doctor has built his own race course outside of his home town of Tavullia, Italy. Rossi’s proving ground isn’t just some ordinary oval though, and instead is an undulating circuit that can be configured a multitude of ways.

Playing host to fellow Dainese-sponsored riders Guy Martin (of Isle of Man TT road racing fame) and Thomas Chareyre (the current Supermoto World Champion), Rossi and friends spent a day riding together while the cameras were rolling. This is how the super-rich and super-fast spend their weekends. It’s a good life.

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