2 ❘ MOTOR CYCLE NEWS SEPTEMBER 17, 2008
NEWS MCQUEEN ITEMS UP FOR AUCTION ■ HOLLYWOOD legend Steve McQueen’s first race trophy and international driving licence are among items to go on sale in LA. The items are from the private collection of his former wife, Niele McQueen Toffel, and also include signed movie posters and a letter from Stirling Moss. The sale will take place on October 25. For information visit: www.bonhams.com
MEET GLEN RICHARDS AT OPEN DAY ■ BRITISH Supersport star Glen Richards will be the star of the show at Performance Triumph’s Super Saturday on September 20. There’s a free draw to win a 2009 Triumph and test rides on a Rocket III, Sprint ST 1050, Speed Triple 675 and Bonnevilles. Performance Triumph can be found at Elgin Drive, Swindon, Wiltshire.
Rossi: two S’s or three?
ROSSI PLATE UP FOR GRABS ■ THE number plate ROS 55I, as in MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, is to be sold at a DVLA auction next week. Harley riders are expected to bid high for HOG 1T, which will also be among 1500 plates to be sold. See www.dvlaregistrations.co.uk/auction
INDIAN BIKE GANGSTER KILLED ■ INDIA’S most wanted man, Om ‘Bunty’ Prakash has been killed after he masterminded months of gang-led killings by motorcycle-mounted bandits. At the height of his terror he committed four murders and had 42 serious crimes on his charge sheet. But after months on the run, police have shot him.
BMF DEMANDS MORE SPACES IN LONDON ■ LONDON’S bikers need more parking spaces after the City Council announced it would start a clampdown on bikes parking on pavements and in alleys, say the BMF. Cutting the number of spaces available flies in the face of the Mayor’s transport policy, which calls for adequate motorcycle parking to be provided.
New ZX-6R steals design cues from this year’s ZX-10R
New engine and sharper Kawasaki’s 2009 ZX-6R spotted in final tests… and our shots suggest the By Ben Purvis
K
AWASAKI’S allnew ZX-6R is set to make its first official appearance next week but we’ve caught the machine on test in France as it undergoes final evaluations prior to launch. The pictures reveal that Kawasaki has gone back to the drawing board with its new 600-class challenger, giving it a completely new look to bring its styling into line with that of the latest ZX-10R. And with a new chassis and engine as well, it promises to be right back up there with the best machines in the 600cc class when it goes on sale early next year. Although the pictures were
taken at very long range, preventing fine details from being visible, the new machine is clearly a near carbon-copy of the ZX-10R, sharing an even more extreme version of that bike’s new-look headlights and the right-hand side-mounted exhaust in place of the current ZX-6R’s underseat unit. While the present ZX-6R has been seen as a softer option compared to the latest Yamaha R6 and the tiny Honda CBR600RR, Kawasaki is promising to go back to its hooligan roots with the new machine. The pictures you see here were taken in France with the help of our friends at French magazine Moto Journal during traditional
pre-launch European tests, where importers from around the continent get together to experience the next-generation of bikes for the first time in advance of
‘Kawasaki has gone back to the drawing board with its latest 600’ their public unveiling. The details that can be seen include a ZX-10-like fairing, with closely paired headlights, although compared to the ZX-10 their
shape is more sculpted, with a more distinct outer part containing the side-lights. These flank a large central ram-air intake which merges into the base of the screen. The tail is very similar to the 1000cc machine, and although it’s not visible in the pictures, our spy said it also shares a similar exhaust shape, with an end can that flares towards the back. The side fairings reveal deep cooling slashes on the trailing edges, but also additional front intakes low down on the sides, reminiscent of the air intakes of old 500cc two-stroke GP bikes. Unlike the ZX-10R, the front indicators remain mounted in the fairing sidepanels rather than on the mirror stalks.
The chassis appears to take on a ZX-10R-style shape, going up and over the engine to keep the bike as slim as possible rather than using the more traditional twinspar design of the old model, while the swingarm is again very much like the ZX-10R’s cast aluminium design, with massively strong bracing. There’s also a new engine, designed to give even more performance than the current 125bhp machine. Like the ZX-10R, it is thought to incorporate a basic traction control system in the engine management, measuring the acceleration of the rear wheel and comparing it to pre-programmed graphs for optimal acceleration in each gear – should the wheel start
to accelerate faster than the computer believes to be possible, it’s taken as being wheelspin, leading to the engine management cutting back the ignition timing to reduce the power output and regain traction. Although the bike has yet to be officially released, the factory has already begun turning out small numbers of the 2009 bikes for use at shows and for testing. The official launch of the ZX-6R is expected to take place, along with the rest of the 2009 Kawasaki range, within the next week, with the bike making its first public appearance at the Cologne Intermot show in early October. The bikes should hit dealers early in
SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS ❘ 3
www.motorcyclenews.com
Rossi becomes greatest GP rider ever
ZX-6R now styled in line with competition
Round edges on the old bike will be replaced by sharp lines VALENTINO ROSSI became the most successful GP racer ever at the weekend by taking his 69th race win at the rain-soaked Indianapolis MotoGP. To celebrate MCN has compiled a free eight page supplement marking the
superstar’s career, with an exclusive interview with Rossi and a look back at his career highlights. Rossi cruised to victory in the shortened race at the new US round after taking the lead from Nicky Hayden. The 29 year-old Italian
is now one victory ahead of the record held by fellow Italian race legend Giacomo Agostini. Agostini rates Rossi a rider with a godgiven talent, but says it’s not easy for him to see his record tumble. Turn to the supplement for the full story.
Test rider spots cameraman...
looks for ZX-6R firm has returned the bike to its hooligan roots the New Year with a price tag of around £7300. As well as the traditional Kawasaki green, an orange version is expected, and leaked US documents reveal there will also be a ‘Monster Energy’ model mimicking the firm’s current MotoGP paint scheme.
ONLINE BE FIRST TO SEE KAWASAKI’S 2009 MODEL RANGE
Kawasaki is set to reveal key new bikes this weekend. MCN will bring you the news as it happens. Visit www. motorcyclenews.com
US STUNT RIDER SAYS NEW BIKE IS ‘SICK, SICK, SICK’ TO DEMONSTRATE the new hooligan roots of the latest ZX-6R, Kawasaki has shot new brochure pictures for the bike in Alabama, USA with top American freestyle stunt rider Kane Friesen at the helm. The Kawasaki-sponsored 26-year-old, who’s a worldrecord holder for the fastest stoppie ever managed on a bike – at an incredible 137mph – spent several days putting the machine through its paces. And he was seriously impressed, reporting on the stuntlife. com forums that, even in standard trim, the new
ZX-6R is brilliant for extreme stunts. Although not prepared to go into detail, he said the bike “looks trick… tiny… should be a good stuntbike.” In a later post, he said: “Rode several ’09s all day yesterday and en route to ride ’em again today. All I can say is sick, sick, sick! Stoppies, wheelies, drifts like a champ!” (Just in case you were wondering, “sick” means good in stunt riderspeak.) Friesen revealed that the collection of American-spec machines he rode all carried VINs (vehicle identification
numbers) in single figures, showing they were among the first to come off the production line, but not pure prototypes. He said: “The ones I rode all had a VIN number less than 8. One even had VIN number 2.” He also said that the bike will be a better machine for stunt riding than the current favourite for extreme riders, the 2003 ZX-6R, but added the short seat unit means a signature stunt for many riders – a vertical, tailscraping wheelie – will be tough. He said: “Scraping on it is gonna be a sick two o’clock wheelie...”
New ER-6n seen too THE new ZX-6R wasn’t the only machine being tested in France, and our photographer also managed to grab pictures of the 2009 ER-6n. The shots reveal that the bike is getting a facelift, with a new nose and tail unit, plus alterations to the suspension to keep it up-to-date. The new seat unit is far slimmer than the current version, tapering towards the tail where its predecessor has a rather bulbous shape. At the front it’s keeping the stacked headlight arrangement, but with a slightly more streamlined shape.
While the main chassis is unchanged, keeping the tubular steel design of the current bike, the forks are new for 2009, with the old
‘The ER-6n is getting a facelift to keep it up to date’ conventional forks replaced by upside-down units similar to those on the Z750. The swingarm also remains in steel – scotching rumours
that the bike was set to get the aluminium arm from the Versys – but its overall shape appears slightly more rounded than the current model. Although not pictured here, the faired ER-6f is also getting revamped for 2009, with a similar, slim tail to the naked model you see here and a more aggressive look to the nose, with insiders claiming the overall effect is to bring it closer in line to the Ninja 250. There’s also a chance that, in some markets at least, it will be rebranded as the Ninja 650 to emphasise the changes.
8 ❘ MOTOR CYCLE NEWS SEPTEMBER 17, 2008
NEWS
‘MV Agusta was in a death spiral’ Exclusive first interview with MV’s new boss reveals how close the firm came to being wound up chris.newbigging @motorcyclenews.com
H
ARLEY-DAVIDSON’S cash has saved MV Agusta from the scrapheap and will fund a whole range of new bikes masterminded by the men behind the Ducati 916 and MV F4. Instead of a constant struggle to fund development, MV will benefit from Harley’s business might which will allow former MV owner Claudio Castiglioni and his designer Massimo Tamburini the resources to quickly develop new cuttingedge machines. That’s the view of MV Agusta’s new boss Matt Levatich who gave an exclusive first interview to MCN last week – the first since Harley-Davidson bought the company out in July. In recent years MV Agusta’s narrow range has barely changed – the F4 and Brutale models have been kept alive by several increases in capacity and other detail changes, but compared to ever-changing rivals they are very much outdated. However Levatich has revealed that a series of undeveloped concepts will get the injection of cash they
need to go into production in the near future. “MV is a wonderful brand, with wonderful products but they are bit long in the tooth. In terms of product development they’ve certainly been cash-starved in recent years. There are a lot of product
‘MV is a great brand but the bikes are long in the tooth’ MATT LEVATICH ideas that we have to select, make sure they are good investments, and then ensure that we have the right skills to pull them off well. “Product development is a major initial task. There are a lot of great ideas that have been undernourished because of funding, and we have a lot of neat things to work on, and we have to make sure we do them well,” he said. “There’s a lot of ambition and ideas. Obviously with the product’s age we don’t have a lot of time but it’s critical that whatever we do we do it well. I think it would be difficult to launch a new bike
at the Milan show in a month and a half given that the purchase has only just been completed.” Four new bikes are known to MCN. There are replacements for the F4 and Brutale, and a supersports and naked machine powered by a new 675cc triple is also waiting to make the leap from design sketch to production bike. The new range will be masterminded by Tamburini, Castiglioni and Levatich who will form a design committee. “Castiglioni is being retained as chairman of the board which is made up of some Harley executives and myself. We view the purchase as liberating him to do what he does best. “We’ve got to build fantastic new products, and we need to have Claudio unburdened by the business management. I’ll take care of that so he can do what he does best, which is creating new bikes.” Some have questioned how MV Agusta and Buell will sit together – both firms are seen as sports bike firms, but according to Levatich, Harley doesn’t see it as a problem. “For Harley, we have in MV access to a segment we
New MV boss Matt Levatich is ready to go to work at MV don’t currently participate in, both in a product segment – hypersport – as well as strength in Europe where sport performance motorcycles are the preference of customers. “Certainly Harley-Davidson has a strong presence in Europe but by acquiring MV Agusta we’re now in an important global motorcycle segment in Europe. It doesn’t mean that there’s not great potential for MV in Australia, Japan or the United States, but certainly the primary aim is Europe because that’s playing to the strength of the product.” Levatich admits his key
role will be to fix the financial and organisational issues that slowly crippled the company as the brand passed from owner to owner with
‘MV gives H-D access to the hypersport marketplace’ MATT LEVATICH ever-increasing debts. He said: “Low sales combined with inconsistent business practices and unpredictable paying of sup-
pliers has lead to increased cost. That leads to inefficiencies in the business. “The knock-on effect on profit has been a death spiral for the company for several years. They’ve done remarkably well keeping the business running for this long, but clearly the primary task is to reverse that set of symptoms. “ The size of the challenge isn’t fazing Levatich, however. When we spoke to him he had been in his new job for just six days in the job and he was relishing the task ahead of him. “I’m thrilled to be here and it’s exciting to be in the busi-
ness and we’ll get full production resumed shortly. There were supply issues, and things like that made production challenging, so we use the term ‘resumed’ because we were producing in fits and starts. It’s a thrilling brand to be associated with, I couldn’t be happier.” Though some MV owners have undoubtedly seen some bar-room ribbing over the buyout, Levatich says the news was very welcome at the Varese factory. “Everyone here is thrilled about the acquisition by Harley – there’s a neat historical connection with the site, and some of the employ-
SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS ❘ 9
www.motorcyclenews.com HOW DO BUELL AND MV FIT? ONE of the big questions raised by the buyout is how Buell and MV Agusta will sit together in Harley’s portfolio – both are seen as sports brands, but Matt Levatich explains how it looks from Harley-Davidson’s perspective. “Buell is in a different price segment and different attributes to MV – the Brutale is maybe closer to Buell, but the F4 is more in the hypersport segment where Buell isn’t playing at the moment. It’s something we’ll continue to watch but we don’t see there being much of an overlap, whether it’s product or price point,” he said. This viewpoint is also held by Buell founder and boss
Erik Buell. Speaking to MCN in August, Erik Buell said: “This acquisition is a major step for Harley-Davidson as it becomes Harley-Davidson Incorporated, encompassing a number of brands. I think the most exciting part of this will be seeing what the management techniques that brought Harley back from the brink in the 1980s can do with MV and Cagiva. People forget that Harley may have been around for 105 years now but it very nearly wasn’t. “All the brands working together will be great. I see Buell as very much a bluecollar brand and MV is very much a Ferrari type of brand so there will be very little overlap.”
CAGIVA: THE NEXT APRILIA? Husqvarna prototype was to be sold as a Cagiva
ees that used to work for Aermacchi-Harley are still here today. That’s a neat thing to meet some of the old-timers here – one man in particular told me the other day he started his career with Harley-Davidson and within a year or so he’ll retire working for Harley-Davidson. “There’s been a great breath of fresh air here for the employees because they see a future, they see a company which is committed. It’s not a financial buyer, it’s a strategic buyer, someone who understands the motorcycle business, and they’re anxious and eager to get the company back to work.”
Levatich has a lengthy CV division, which makes special-edition, highperformance Harleys.
CAGIVA could be reborn as a major manufacturer of a range of bikes – from superbikes to adventure sports and trailies – to rival growing brands like BMW, Aprilia and KTM. Harley-Davidson owns the rights to Cagiva as part of its MV Group buyout. And while MV will stay true to its heritage of exotic sportsbikes, Cagiva has a more diverse history. With success in everything from off-road racing to 500
New bike rumours from MCN’s man in the know... GSX-R’S FUTURE – IT’S IN THE BALANCE
WITH a week to go before Suzuki pulls the sheets off the new GSXR1000, a little bit of information is starting to leak out. I’m told the main focus of the bike will be it’s weight distribution. The engine’s centre of gravity has been moved, and overall weight distribution has been changed to make the bike much easier to steer.
NO RC4 THIS YEAR
WHO IS MATT LEVATICH? AMERICAN Matt Levatich is one of Harley’s most experienced men in both the sports bike market and in bike sales in Europe. A decade ago he moved to Harley’s European HQ in the UK to spend a year launching Buell across Europe. Levatich spent another two and a half years at Harley Europe in sales and distribution, finishing as director of sales in the Middle East and Africa. He then moved back to the USA to head up H-D’s Custom Vehicle Operation
THE MOLE
GPs and a range of goodselling small bikes like the Mito 125, it could be an ideal platform for Harley to expand into many more segments of the market. MV boss Matt Levatich said: “Cagiva is an active brand with some tremendous heritage. “It has more latitude as a brand than MV from the standpoints of product segments and price. There’s a lot of potential with Cagiva, because of that latitude.”
A FEW months ago MCN ran a story reporting on how the RC4 concept being developed by KTM was hanging in the balance – a shame, because early test mules were snapping at the heels of supersport 600s on track! Whatever the future is for the RC4, we won’t be seeing it this year. KTM’s new model release will comprise four new bikes for Milan (on top of the 990SM-R we’ve already
seen), and apparently all will be big V-twins – so that rules out the RC4 supermono. The RC8-R is a given, as is an Adventure 1190. The other two are less certain – the Superduke is due to get the same motor, and the Venom concept is due to become reality, but don’t count on it this year.
K1300 AT COLOGNE
BMW is up to lots of exciting new things at the moment, so it’s easy to forget the bikes they already make are getting a bit out of date. The K1200S has been around since 2004, so it’s about time an updated bike was released. My man in Germany reckons that the whole range has undergone a revamp in time for next month’s Cologne show – the S, R, and GT will get a new 1300 motor as well as styling and chassis changes. Expect the K1300 to continue with Duolever front end.
Carbon clad prototype hints at the RC8R expected at Milan
28 ❘ MOTOR CYCLE NEWS SEPTEMBER 17, 2008
ROAD TEST Triumph’s new Street Triple R on the TT course. A match made in heaven?
The perfect bike for now Triumph’s Street Triple is already one of the best bikes for real roads. So is the ‘R’ version, tested on the Isle of Man, close to perfection? By Roland Brown
I
’M gripping the Street Triple R’s raised bars tightly against the wind that’s rushing over the big twin headlights. Flat-out on the fastest and most famous biking road in the world, the Mountain section of the TT course, on a typically blustery Isle of Man morning. On the uphill straight following Guthrie’s Memorial, Triumph’s new middleweight is revving smoothly towards its 12,650rpm limit, the distinctive triple howl from its pipe just audible above the roar of the wind. It’s an exciting ride on one of Europe’s few stretches of speed limit-free road, so I get a shock when I glance down at the speedometer to find it reading just 107mph. Okay, so that’s not exactly slow, especially as the Triumph is still accelerating towards its top speed of about 140mph. It’s just that I thought I was going quite a bit faster. This racier new version of Triumph’s naked triple feels so thrillingly, arm-tuggingly quick that it’s easy to forget that it’s a tuned middleweight.
The R-bike’s uprated suspension and brakes mean that I’d doubtless taken the preceding Waterworks and Gooseneck bends slightly quicker than I would have done on the standard Street Triple. But this bike uses the
‘It feels more aggressive due to a more nosedown stance’ same 107bhp engine, so it’s no faster in a straight line. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, given that the Street Triple’s all-round performance has deservedly made it a smash hit since its launch just over a year ago. The 675cc triple has been Triumph’s best selling model in the last 12 months, and there’s still a waiting list for it in many countries. The Hinckley factory’s development team had the idea of a sportier Street Triple even before that original, entry-level model was launched. They considered tweaking the engine, which had plenty of potential as it
was a detuned version of the 123bhp unit from the Daytona 675. But finding more power would have required much more development time and expense, so the decision was taken to concentrate on the chassis. They retained the aluminium frame and swingarm, but added firmer suspension, racier steering geometry, and an uprated front brake system taken straight from the Daytona. Detail changes include the
tapered Magura handlebar that looks similar to the 1050cc Speed Triple’s bar but is identically shaped to that of the standard Street Triple. The dual-seat has a different cover but is otherwise unchanged. The R-bike feels subtly more aggressive, even so, because its slightly shorter front forks and longer rear shock combine to give a more nose-down stance that results in a slightly more angled-forward riding
From Kate’s cottage down to the Creg – it’s all a blast on the R
Better suspension, brakes and added aggression makes the R great fun
SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS ❘ 29
PAUL BRYANT AND JASON CRITCHELL
www.motorcyclenews.com ‘WHY WE BUILT IT’ ‘IT’S THE BIKE WE ALL WANTED TO MAKE,’ SAYS TRIUMPH’S SIMON WARBURTON “We first had the idea for this bike in May 2007, a few months before the launch of the standard Street Triple, when we realised what a good bike it was and that we could create an upgraded model. “Since then the reaction has been better than we dared hope. We’ve sold over 7500 Street Triples in the last 12 months, making it our best-selling model. Our factory is working 24 hours a day to machine crankcases, which are the parts that prevent us from producing more bikes. At the moment we still can’t keep up with demand. “The standard Street Triple is very much an entry level model and the R is a bit different. It’s aimed at a slightly more demanding rider who wants a bit more; people with a bit more money to spend, who want a high-quality ride. “We aimed to make it at least as comfortable as the standard Street Triple on normal roads, while giving a more demanding rider the opportunity to push it to the limit on track. We
‘At Glen Helen the R-model really showed its advantage’ position. The 805mm high seat feels taller because the Triumph’s firmer shock compresses less. Sitting astride the R for the first time in the row of bikes lined-up in front of the TT circuit grandstand, I could get both feet flat on the ground easily enough. But that’s because I’m 6’4”. Short riders will find this bike more of a struggle than its predecessor, though the slightly raised handlebar is within easy reach. Steering lock is no more generous than on the standard Triple, either, but the Douglas traffic was light enough to make that no problem. At 167kg, the R’s dry weight figure matches that of the standard model, and the bike felt very manoeuvrable as I headed off on a lap of the famous old circuit. Typically crisp low-rev response from the Triumph’s injection system also helped the bike feel reassuringly rider-friendly as I picked my way around the slipperylooking roundabout at Quarterbridge. By middleweight standards the Street Triple’s power delivery is wonderfully flexible, allow-
‘Our factory is working 24 hours a day to keep up with demand’ SIMON WARBURTON, TRIUMPH PRODUCT MANAGER thought about increasing power, but that wouldn’t have been possible using the same exhaust, added a lot of complexity and expense, and the bike wouldn’t have been ready now – so we decided to keep the existing engine performance. “There are going to be a lot of these bikes parked outside the factory next year. We’re really happy with the way it turned out.” ing effortless acceleration that made it easy to pick off the occasional car as I headed past Braddan Bridge and towards Crosby. It was so good to be on the Island that I couldn’t resist a celebratory wheelie — especially as the ultra-responsive Triumph made it temptingly easy. The Triple R had the same engaging three-cylinder character of the standard model, too; a smooth, revhappy feel that encouraged me to cane it through the sweet-shifting six-speed box at every opportunity, partly to hear the three-cylinder moan from the under-seat silencers. It was when I reached the tricky, twisty sections at Laurel Bank and Glen Helen that the R-model really showed its advantage. There’s very little wrong with the standard Street Triple’s handling but the R felt notably tauter and more aggressive. Its slightly steeper steering geometry helped me to carve through the blind bends yet the bike had enough precision and stability to change line without complaint. The R’s spring rates are midway between those of the standard Street Triple and the Daytona 675, and Triumph’s mechanics had softened its damping by a few clicks at both ends to cope with the Island’s bumps. The result was spot-on: a firm, well-controlled feel Continues over
32 ❘ MOTOR CYCLE NEWS SEPTEMBER 17, 2008
ROAD TEST
Let’s do the timewarp…
IAN JUBB
Legendary British café racers like the Vincent-engined ‘Norvin’ can still be bought brand new today. But what are they really like? We rode two on last weekend’s Rockers’ Reunion Run from the Ace Cafe to Brighton to find out…
SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS ❘ 33
www.motorcyclenews.com trevor.franklin @motorcyclenews.com
H
AVING been born in an era when the Japanese started to take a stranglehold on world motorcycle manufacturing, my only previous dalliance in the oily world of Brit bikes was listening to an uncle waffling incessantly about his Ivory Calthorpe JAP. Or something. Instead, it was only when a multi-cylinder Kawasaki parked outside my house in 1973 that this 11-year-old youth became interested in bikes. But right now I’m practically drowning in British biking nostalgia. It’s Sunday morning at the world famous Ace Café and the 15th year of the Rockers Reunion London to Brighton ride out, and it’s huge. Gawping at the HMR Egli-Vincent and Norvin we’ve brought to ride on the run – examples of the very best British Café racers you can buy today – I regret not being part of what was obvi-
‘If it weren’t for bikes like these, life would be very different’ ously a brilliant past era. Even though these two bikes are modern-day replicas of former greats, they are nothing short of beautiful. There’s not one single item bolted to them that makes me smile – although the big Smiths speedos and wondrous front wheels with huge drum braking systems widen my eyes – it’s the complete packages. They’re beautiful and, thank god, thanks to creations like these, will never be forgotten. I now realise that if it wasn’t for bikes like these (and many other Brit two-wheelers) my life wouldn’t have been the action-packed thrill it is because, without them, Japan et al surely wouldn’t have come to the fore.
Guaranteed to draw an admiring crowd anywhere
I’m not the only one to be drawn by these masterpieces. With so many watching eyes, my anti-perspirant starts to tingle to the edge of breakdown – I’m sure the masses are waiting for me to start the Egli-Vincent, which could be embarrassing, even though the guys at Hailwood Motorcycle Restorations, the creator of these bikes, have already shown me how to start them. This is how it goes: Turn the main fuel tank tap to ‘on’ and reach over the tank to turn on reserve. So far, so good. Fingers flit under the tank to the front cylinder’s Amal carb to fill the float bowl with petrol by lifting and closing the plunger. Unleaded oozes from the plunger – the signal to say the carb has been ‘tickled’. Repeat the process on the other Amal. Check the bike is in neutral by turning the rear wheel by hand and then turn the ignition key. The starter button emits a whirr from below and one cylinder catches. Then the other and, with a twist of throttle, the single silencer barks a metallic V-twin bass. When the Norvin follows suit the beat turns tribal. Yet more smiles. Straddled, the seat feels wide and uncomfortable. Left foot on terra firma and right on Tarozzi rearset peg hints at a friendlier perch. A brief blip of throttle is followed by a furrowed brow: the gearchange is on the right, now do I go up or down for the first of five gears? A glance at the right side casing shows a metal pointer amongst a series of numbers. Ah yes; one-up, the rest down. The buzz from my 2008 Honda Fireblade makes me grin enough to be detained under the Mental Health Act. The same elation comes from riding the Egli-Vincent. No opiate gives a rush like riding a bike, but today I’m on a higher plane. Jamie Rule, riding the Norvin, must be on another planet going by his perma-grin. So, no wheelies or power drifts, just pure riding pleas-
52 ❘ MOTOR CYCLE NEWS SEPTEMBER 17, 2008
SPORT
Sykes signs factory Yamaha WSB deal
RESULTS BSB
Croft, North Yorks / 14 September, 2008 ROUND 10/12
RACE ONE Pos Rider
Race time
Top speed
Best lap
Grid
1
L Camier, GB (Ducati)
27:06.760
157.5
1:20.560
6
2
L Haslam, GB (Honda)
27:09.304 155.3
1:20.578
4
3
T Sykes, GB (Suzuki)
27:12.873
154.3
1:20.730
5
4
C Crutchlow, GB (Honda)
27:13.126 155.3
1:20.662
1
5
S Byrne, GB (Ducati)
27:13.341
157.5
1:20.553
3
6
M Rutter, GB (Ducati)
27:20.649 154.3
1:20.979
2
7
M Laverty, GB (Suzuki)
27:25.791
154.3
1:21.522
8
8
K Harris, GB (Yamaha)
27:26.343 152.5
1:21.144
7
9
J Ellison, GB (Honda)
27:26.482
156.8
1:21.546
10
10
S Andrews, GB (Yamaha)
27:31.667 152.9
1:21.626
12
11
G Mason, GB (Honda) *
27:36.542
151.1
1:21.457
9
12
A Watanabe, Japan (Suzuki)
27:37.773 155.3
1:21.960
11
13
S Smart, GB (Kawasaki)
27:40.317
154.6
1:21.779
13
14
T Palmer, GB (Honda)
27:46.338 153.9
1:22.030
20
15
S Easton, GB (Kawasaki)
27:46.635
153.9
1:22.356
16
16
J Laverty, GB (Ducati) *
27:46.913 152.2
1:22.408
17
17
B McConnell, Aus (Kawasaki)
27:48.180
150.8
1:22.443
25
18
G Martin, GB (Honda)
27:53.529 154.6
1:22.740
14
19
C Burns, GB (MV Agusta) *
27:37.392
150.5
1:22.603
19
20
D Johnson, Aus (Honda)
28:00.574 149.5
1:22.996
18
21
M Jessopp, GB (Honda) *
28:13.427
150.1
1:23.763
23
22
T Tunstall, GB (Honda) *
28:14.144 148.1
1:23.621
22
23
M Howarth, GB (Honda) *
+2 laps
144.0
1:25.086
24
DNF
J O’Halloran, Aus (Honda)
12 laps
151.8
1:22.289
15
DNF
S Etheridge, Aus (Kawasaki) *
11 laps
147.2
1:22.900
21
BSB star will take place of Noriyuki Haga and race new R1 michael.guy @motorcyclenews.com
T
OM Sykes became the first of the current BSB riders to make the step up to WSB for 2009 as the surprise replacement for Noriyuki Haga in the Moto Italia factory Yamaha squad. The move came days after two-time WSB runner-up Haga was confirmed as the replacement for Troy Bayliss in the Xerox Ducati team, freeing up a space in the Yamaha Italia squad. Sykes, who finished third and second at Croft on Sunday, was unable to comment on his move to Yamaha for contractual reasons, despite the deal being confirmed by Yamaha a day before the Croft round. Sykes’ almost textbook second half of the season has seen him off the podium just once in the last eight races and includes three wins. His blistering domestic form was
Jason O’Halloran runs out of tyres in his BSB debut race
RACE TWO Pos Rider
Race time
Top speed
Best lap
Grid
1
L Haslam, GB (Honda)
27:04.305
157.5
1:20.506
4
2
T Sykes, GB (Suzuki)
27:05.438 156.1
1:20.522
5
3
C Crutchlow, GB (Honda)
27:05.919
155.3
1:20.556
1
4
S Byrne, GB (Ducati)
27:06.169 159.0
1:20.415
3
5
L Camier, GB (Ducati)
27:08.045
158.3
1:20.609
6
6
M Rutter, GB (Ducati)
27:14.093 155.0
1:20.720
2
7
J Ellison, GB (Honda)
27:21.342
157.5
1:21.428
10
8
K Harris, GB (Yamaha)
27:23.040 155.3
1:21.424
7
9
S Andrews, GB (Yamaha)
27:24.198
154.3
1:21.294
12
10
M Laverty, GB (Suzuki)
27:26.162 156.8
1:21.305
8
11
G Mason, GB (Honda) *
27:34.967
150.5
1:21.803
9
12
A Watanabe, Japan (Suzuki)
27:38.384 155.7
1:21.772
11
13
S Easton, GB (Kawasaki)
27:39.466
154.6
1:21.937
16
14
T Palmer, GB (Honda)
27:39.905 154.3
1:21.981
20
15
J O’Halloran, Australia (Honda) 27:40.357
152.9
1:22.252
15
16
J Laverty, GB (Ducati) *
27:49.808 152.5
1:22.203
17
17
D Johnson, Australia (Honda)
27:54.620
151.1
1:22.595
18
18
T Tunstall, GB (Honda) *
28:12.920 148.8
1:23.343
22
19
S Etheridge, Aus (Kawasaki) *
28:13.172
149.5
1:23.149
21
20
M Jessopp, GB (Honda) *
+1 lap
148.8
1:23.373
23
DNF
G Martin, GB (Honda)
11 laps
155.7
1:23.016
14
DNF
S Smart, GB (Kawasaki)
11 laps
153.2
1:21.499
13
DNF
B McConnell, Aus (Kawasaki)
8 laps
151.8
1:22.231
25
DNF
C Burns, GB (MV Agusta) *
8 laps
147.8
1:23.060
DNF
M Howarth, GB (Honda) *
0 laps
19 24
* Denotes privateer cup: 1 Laverty 391pts, 2 Jessopp 264, 3 Mason 262.
DRY RACE
DRY/WET RACE
WET RACE
GROUND TEMP
HUMIDITY
AIR TEMP
DOUBLE RED
BRITISH SUPERSPORT Results (10 laps – 21.25 miles): 1 G Richards (Triumph) 13:49.030 – 92.27mph, 2 J Westmoreland (Honda), 3 H Kennaugh (Yamaha), 4 J Webb (Honda), 5 P Young (Triumph), 6 M Nutt (Yamaha), 7 P Spalding (Yamaha), 8 J Dickinson (Yamaha), 9 C Martin (Kawasaki), 10 J Kennedy (Yamaha), 11 C Fitzpatrick (Yamaha), 12 J McGuinness (Honda), 13 A Weymouth (Yamaha), 14 BJ Toal (Yamaha), 15 D Cooper (Honda). Fastest lap: Richards 1:22.166 – 93.10mph. Championship positions after 10 of 12 rounds: 1 Richards 202pts, 2 Kennaugh 156, 3 Lowry 148, 4 Westmoreland 92, 5 Brogan 85, 6 Martin 83, 7 Webb 74, 8 Plater 70, 9 Frost 52, 10 Young 48.
‘It’s a sad loss, but Tom will be flying the flag for the Brits’ JACK VALENTINE, RIZLA SUZUKI CHIEF
backed up by two hugely impressive performances in wild card rides at the WSB Brands Hatch and Donington Park rounds with the Rizla Suzuki BSB team. And, according to the Yamaha team boss, Massimo Meregalli, those performances by the 22-year-old Huddersfield rider further
cemented their decision to sign him for 2009, with the option to extend to 2010. Meregalli said: “Tom Sykes is an excellent signing for the team. He is the most interesting young rider in circulation in the racing world this year. “I’ve had time to appreciate his riding qualities during
the season and the Brands Hatch WSB round was the confirmation of his talent for me. His brilliant result at Donington Park strengthened our conviction. “We know that there will be much work next season because the new YZF-R1 arrives and he will have to learn the tracks. We have a
YOU CAN STILL SIGN SYKES TOO THE racing season has reached that time when riders put pen to paper on lucrative deals for next year. You can follow the trend too by making changes to your Fantasy Road Race team, but you’ve only got until Friday at midnight to do it.
�������
���������
� � � �
The penultimate transfer window is currently open, meaning you can draft in the on-form riders and remove those who aren’t pulling their weight. Big moves are already taking place in the three top championships in the world, so why don’t you try the same thing – spot the talent, make the transfer and watch the points roll in. All you have to do is go to mcn.fantasyleague.com and select the Team Changes option on your squad.
Sykes drinks to his future success in World Superbikes
58 ❘ MOTOR CYCLE NEWS SEPTEMBER 17, 2008
SPORT
Hayden ends podium drought in an Indianapolis monsoon American grabs second – his first podium in 15 months – and thrashes Pedrosa! mathew.birt @motorcyclenews.com
N
ICKY HAYDEN defied the pain of a cracked heel, dodged flying beer cans and signed a factory Ducati contract at Indianapolis – then rounded off his eventful weekend by ending an agonising 15-month stretch without a podium. Hayden came away with a morale-boosting second place finish in his home GP after battling eventual winner Valentino Rossi in a race severely disrupted by appalling weather conditions. The American, still unable to walk without crutches since he cracked his heel in a supermoto incident on August 1, gave Rossi a few
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been near the front. It felt really good’ nervous moments on the way to the Italian’s 69th premier-class win (see page 3). Leading for 12 laps, Hayden’s brave resistance was finally ended by Rossi on lap 15, with the Yamaha star surging away as conditions started to deteriorate rapidly. As conditions got more and more dangerous, the red flags saved Hayden from an imminent attack from Jorge Lorenzo, who finished third. Hayden said: “It’s been a long time since I’ve been near the front, much less led a race, and it felt really good to be in the lead. I felt like I
might have had something for Valentino, but he likes to put that pressure on. Once he closed up on me, I changed a few things to try to make sure I was getting all the corners right and making him work for it. But when it started raining heavy, I was in trouble – when it dried earlier, I’d used a lot of tyre and had no tread left on part of the left side of the tyre.” Hayden revealed he had changed his rear Michelin rain tyre after the sighting lap and said: “I was a little bit harder than I thought we needed to be. I knew the rain was supposed to stop, but in a lot of places on the oval, the water was still draining across the track, so at the last minute put in one a little bit softer. In the rain it is so important to get your position early and then go for it. I knew Valentino was coming, but I tried to be smooth and not destroy my tyre.” Hayden was close to six seconds adrift of Rossi and desperately trying to fend off a hard-charging Lorenzo when the race was redflagged as fierce winds made it too dangerous to continue, with debris being hurled around the track. The Repsol Honda rider said: “It was the right thing to do. One time through turn five, a big gust blew me right out into the deep wet spots. You just couldn’t use the edge of the track. “I was looking out of the corner of my eye for the air fence [the wind was lifting it, revealing the areas it was meant to be protecting]. You can deal with beer cans and bags, but there was other stuff moving around. I was keeping an eye up, making sure nothing big came up.”
Nicky Hayden: on a high after podium finish in front of home fans
Hayden did a great job in appalling conditions
GOLD AND GOOSE
SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS ❘ 59
www.motorcyclenews.com DANI THE DAMP SQUIB
DANI PEDROSA’S hopes of a whirlwind start to his Bridgestone career failed to materialise as he finished in a lowly eighth place, beaten by three Michelin rivals, including Repsol Honda team-mate Nicky Hayden. And the Spaniard created a storm of his own, questioning why the scheduled 28-lap race was halted with eight laps remaining. He said: “I don’t know if stopping the race was a good decision. When I saw the red flag I was surprised, because five laps before, the wind had been very strong and they did not show a flag. The artificial grass at the side of the track was lifting and cans and bottles were on the track, but it was like that at the start of the race and it wasn’t stopped.” Pedrosa was also racing Honda’s pneumatic valve RC212V motor for the first time.
HAYDEN’S DUCATI DEAL NICKY HAYDEN’S move to join reigning world champion Casey Stoner at Ducati was finally confirmed this week, with the American landing the first of what is likely to be many parting shots at Honda in Indianapolis. Despite winning the 2006 world championship with Honda, Hayden has been shabbily treated by HRC recently, with the factory showing blatant favouritism towards team-mate Dani Pedrosa. Pedrosa’s controversial switch to Bridgestone tyres for the rest of 2008 (and Hayden staying on Michelins) led Honda to put up a Fiat Yamahastyle dividing wall in its garage in Indianapolis. But Hayden said: “Honestly, there was already a bit of a wall there. So not a lot’s changed.” But he added: “I fully plan on doing the whole season – unless they lock the door on me.” On his move to Ducati, Hayden said: “I’m looking forward to it. I have had a long history with Honda, but things lately have kind of turned ugly.”
Lorenzo’s podium ‘feels like a race win’ JORGE LORENZO said his Indianapolis podium felt like a victory after he buried his wet weather jinx in gale force conditions. The Spaniard claimed a deserved third place, taking his first ever rostrum in a wet race – and could barely contain his delight. He said: “I am as happy as I am with a victory, because I have never got a podium in
‘I have never got a podium in the rain before’ the rain before.” “I must have done about 400 races in my career, and I’ve never performed like that in the rain. Personally, I didn’t want to race because I was so safe in my motorhome. “I got a good start, so I thought: ‘OK, I know how to start in the rain now’. On the second lap I passed Dani Pedrosa and realised I could go fast. In the third lap I passed [Andrea] Dovizioso, and I thought ‘good’. After I
MATTHEW BIRT
PIT PASS
Indy is too windy for 250s Jorge Lorenzo finished an impressive third at Indianapolis passed Valentino [Rossi] I was thinking it’s amazing in the rain! But Valentino passed me again and it was impossible to follow him.” Lorenzo was just about to take second from Nicky Hayden when the race was red flagged. Despite a second successive podium, Lorenzo still urged further improvement from Michelin, as rivals Bridgestone won for the 11th time in 14 races. “Michelin has a good tyre. But the problem is that Bridgestone has a very good
tyre. So Michelin have to work harder.” He denied rumours he asked to quit Michelin to race his factory Yamaha M1 on Bridgestone tyres for the last five races after his second place in Misano last month. Lorenzo said: “That’s not true. I think Michelin is the best option for this year. But for next year it depends on the performance. I only want to have the same options as the other riders, as the fast riders. If it’s with Michelin, fine, it’s good also if with Bridgestone.”
Chris Vermeulen avoids debris blown onto the track at Indianapolis
Continued from back page THE 250 race also had to be scrapped after discussions between senior race bosses and leading riders, with conditions deemed not safe enough to restart the MotoGP race. “Having stopped the MotoGP race for safety reasons we couldn’t run the 250s for exactly the same reasons,” added Butler. There were no complaints from the 250 teams or riders as the wind worsened, though Butler sympathised with their plight. He said: “We couldn’t have got it fixed in a reasonable time. We had fractured signs everywhere, even though they’d been tied down.”
‘We couldn’t have got it fixed in time’ PAUL BUTLER, MOTOGP RACE DIRECTOR
Flying debris hampers riders CHRIS VERMEULEN was one of several riders who had narrow escapes in the treacherous Indianapolis storms. Most riders branded Sunday’s conditions as the worst they had ever raced in – including Vermeulen’s factory Suzuki team-mate Loris Capirossi, who has been in the world championship for nearly two decades. Aussie Vermeulen, who finished in a disappointing ninth, had a near miss when he was nearly struck by a flying tree branch on the back straight as he tussled with Dani Pedrosa. The scheduled 28-lap race was stopped on lap 21 with a variety of debris flying on track. Vermeulen said: “The wind was just incredible – the
gusts were amazing, as was some of the debris being blown across the track. I nearly got hit by a tree branch just after I passed Dani down the back straight – it wasn’t huge, but you would know all about it if it hit you. There was stuff flying everywhere.” Tech 3 Yamaha rider Colin Edwards was also worried: “Conditions were unbelievable. It was crazy and stupid, to be honest. You had tops off drinks cartons coming across the track, cans and bottles – there was all kinds of debris, and you didn’t know if it was going to hit you because the wind was so unpredictable. “On the slowing-down lap, I noticed the whole Yamaha
display awning had collapsed and it was propped up against the fence. All it had to do was get a gust of wind and it was on the track. They did the right job by stopping it, because you couldn’t see sh*t,” said the aptly nicknamed Texas Tornado.
‘I nearly got hit by a flying tree branch’ CHRIS VERMEULEN
At least fans got to see a disrupted 125 race and the majority of the MotoGP race, despite fears on Friday that the inaugural race could be scrapped because of the dire forecasts for Sunday. Although generally praised by riders, the new Indy circuit had some major issues, not least with drainage on new sections of tarmac. Monsoon conditions on Friday left large puddles of standing water on sections of new tarmac, causing numerous crashes. Riders had agreed at the Friday night meeting of the Safety Commission that a repeat on Sunday would see them boycott because the drainage issue was too dangerous to compete. Specialist equipment was used to quickly clear the waterlogged areas of tarmac on Sunday morning. Butler was full of praise for the efforts of Indy management, and he added: “With their equipment that they use for the Indy 500 [F1-type car race], they were able to get the track into racing condition.”
Who but Valentino Rossi could defy the elements to smash Agostini’s 30-year record? I’LL GET the puns out of the way sharpish, but people were blown away by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Some were unable to soak in the vastness and the history of the iconic venue. Okay, enough. It was pretty amazing to be fair, with over a q u a r t e r- o f - a - m i l l i o n seats, some which were actually filled, suggesting MotoGP might still be able to make an impression on a US audience. But what blew most people away on Sunday though was Valentino Rossi. I was just out of nappies when Agostini quit racing. And like many others, I never thought I’d see the day somebody passed Ago’s record of 68 wins. Sunday typified what makes Rossi so phenomenal as a racer. He is a racer and winner, driven by nothing other than wanting to be the first man in Parc Ferme, or in Gasoline Alley as was the case in Indy. The easy option on Sunday would have been to ride a conservative race, protect what he had and get on the plane home. But that is just not the Rossi way. He is so driven by the buzz of winning that the numbers are almost irrelevant. Nothing comes close to substituting the instant thrill of a victory. Settling for a podium would never have once
entered his head as flying Budweiser cans whizzed past his head at 150mph. Or as tree branches hurtled across the track. He probably enjoyed the race to be honest, as Indy was a perfect example of man and machine against mother nature. With nobody to play with at the front, he decided to test himself against the elements instead. And as he’s done on 68 other occasions, he mastered the conditions better than anybody, capable of out-riding and out-thinking his rivals with almost embarrassing ease. And one thing you
‘He mastered the elements better than anybody’ should never, ever do is write Rossi off. I did. After his humiliating defeat to Casey Stoner in 2007, I wondered whether he would ever win another world title. Don’t worry, I’ve already eaten large doses of humble pie. It’s going to take a lot more than one dodgy season to stop Rossi. He even took on Hurricane Ike and won, so what chance Stoner and the rest? The guy is Indy-destructible. Sorry, couldn’t resist it.
Man and machine versus nature – Rossi battles to victory
Tell us what you think www.motorcyclenews.com