Marco "Sic" Simoncelli Killed in MotoGP Crash

MotoGP has lost a star: Marco Simoncelli

Friends all over the world are morning the death of Italian Superbike racer Marco Simoncelli, who died in a crash Sunday in the first lap of the MotoGP race in Sepang, Malaysian.

The 24-year-old Honda rider, affectionately known as "Sic" lost control and veered across the track into the path of riders Colin Edwards and Simoncelli's compatriot Valentino Rossi. His helmet was knocked off in the collision that left him face-down and motionless on the asphalt track.

The race at Sepang International Circuit was immediately red-flagged and later cancelled.

Marco died of head, neck and chest injuries, and cardiac arrest at 4:56pm, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011. With only one remaining race in Spain left in the MotoGP Championship, he was in fierce competition for the top position with Casey Stoner, who is now the undisputed 2011 world champion.

Ironically, his career ended at the same track that was the scene of his 250cc world championship victory in 2008.

American Honda team racer, Colin Edwards reportedly suffered a separated shoulder as a result of the crash, when he fell on the track Sunday. Rossi, who rides for Ducati, made only brief contact with the bikes on the track. He was uninjured but emotionally devastated by the loss. 

"Sic for me was like a youngest brother. So strong on track and so sweet in the normal life. I will miss him a lot," - Valentino Rossi said in the early hours of Monday morning, Malaysian time via his official Twitter account @ValeYellow46.

The last fatal crash in the world motorcycling championship was last year when Japan's Shoya Tomizawa was killed. MotoGP is the world´s premier motorcycling championship, with a season of 18 Grands Prix in 13 countries bringing together the world´s top motorcycle manufacturers.

Fastest Man on Two-Wheels: Bill Warner Breaks 300 MPH

Congrats to Bill Warner, who became the fastest man on two wheels with his 311.945 mph pass on Sunday morning on a turbocharged 1299cc Suzuki at the Loring Timing Association’s Land Speed Race at the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine.

The 42-year old rider from Wimauma, Florida topped the 300 mph barrier for conventional motorcycles on July 17, 2011, beating his own world record of 278.6 mph set last October in Texas.

Faster speeds have been recorded on the enclosed missle-like streamliner motorcycles, but this is the first time a rider has broken the 300 MPH barrier on a conventional two-wheeled bike.

Posted by MJ Lloyd Reynolds/MJR Media marketing services for the motorcycle industry - mjr.media@earthlink.net

Isle of Man TT Zero Is Proving Ground For MotoCzysz

Two American companies have again used the annual TT Zero electric motorcycle race at the British Isle of Man to spotlight Remy Electric Motors HVH 250™ and the MotoCzysz D1g1tal Dr1ve power system by capturing first and second place wins and setting another race course record on the 37.73-mile Isle of Man (IOM) mountain course.

First, here are video highlights of the 2011 Isle of Man TT Races, considered the most important in the world. This year, during the two week TT festival, more than 800,000 unique users in 201 countries visited the iomtt.com website. John McGuinness came from behind to take his 17th TT victory in the final race on Friday, June 10th setting a new Race Record time of 1:45.45.80, beating Steve Plater’s 2009 time.




In the annual TT Zero electric motorcycle race at the Isle of Man on June 9th, MotoCzysz bikes designed and manufactued in the USA captured both the top speed and overall course speed records. MotoCzysz' 2011 model posted a top speed of 149.5mph, beating the 2010 top speed of 135mph. The machine also set a course record with an average lap speed of 99.604mph.

After a record-setting win last year using Remy HVH250 technology in the MotoCzysz proprietary D1g1tal Dr1ve (DD1) power system, MotoCzysz entered its 2010 E1pc machine in the 2011 race. In addition, MotoCzysz ran a new E1pc model, also using Remy's HVH250 technology in the DD1, to complete the 2011 "Segway MotoCzysz" Team. The new bike, ridden by Michael Rutter, placed first, with the 2010 model, ridden by Mark Miller, placing second. Launched in 2009, the TT Zero is a clean-emissions speed race of electric motorcycles that make one lap around the 37.73-mile Isle of Man (IOM) mountain course.

"Our close relationship with Remy is resulting in electric drives that are leading the industry. The core technology from the Remy HVH250, around which we have built our D1g1tal Dr1ve, performed flawlessly at the IOM the last 2 years. We were thrilled to return to the podium with first and second place finishes in the race and set course speed records along the way," said MotoCzysz CEO Michael Czysz. "Remy continues to be the perfect choice for us. The HVH 250 has superior power and torque density and its compact and lightweight design fits our D1g1tal Dr1ve on the bikes perfectly. With each race, we have pushed the Remy HVH technology harder, and it has responded with victory." 

MotoCzysz (based in Portland, Oregon) and Remy (based in Pendleton, Indiana) now own the fastest three laps ever executed by an electric vehicle around the challenging mountain circuit on the IOM.

"Motorsports has been a long time proving ground for innovative technologies," noted Kevin Quinn, VP and general manager of Remy Electric Motors. "This year's zero emissions electric motorcycle race was a great opportunity to demonstrate that the 2010 win could be repeated with the Remy electric HVH technology and MotoCzysz engineering savvy. With an extraordinary victory for both its bikes at Isle of Man, MotoCzysz helped Remy show the world how strong and powerful the Remy HVH 250™ technology and DD1 are in the most demanding of racing conditions."

MotoCzysz has used HVH250 core technology to create the winning D1g1tal Dr1ve, the same core technology that resides in the HVH250 motor, available from Remy. The Remy Electric Motors HVH 250 is the next evolution of the advanced electric motor for hybrid and electric vehicle applications based on Remy's patented High Voltage Hairpin (HVH) technology. Remy's HVH technology provides dramatically improved motor performance and cooling effectiveness versus competitors. The HVH electric motor's world-class torque and power density deliver increased range in all-electric drive mode and is compact and lightweight, which contributes to vehicle efficiency.

Companies including GM, Allison, Mercedes, BMW, Amp Electric Vehicles, ZAP-Jonway, Odyne, and Alte have chosen the Remy HVH electric motor for its superior technology, reliability and the speed to market that comes with Remy's existing global production capacity. The Remy HVH electric motor technology can be integrated into a car, truck, motorcycle, large transit bus and virtually any piece of equipment that can be converted to hybrid or electric.

Today, there are more than 90,000 Remy compact HVH electric motors on the road that have been driven a combined total of over a billion miles. 

Remy International, Inc. is a leading global manufacturer, remanufacturer and distributor of light duty starters and alternators and Delco Remy brand heavy-duty systems. Remy International also manufactures and distributes electric propulsion motors designed with leading edge technology and backed by the security of over a billion miles of proven reliability. In business for over 100 years, today Remy International is actively collaborating with companies throughout the world to develop innovations that are transforming the vehicle industry. Recently, Remy was recognized by the United States Department of Energy for its leadership role in the hybrid technologies space and awarded a $60 million grant under the Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative.

The 2012 Isle of Man races are scheduled for May 28th to June 8th.
Details at IOMTT.com

Posted by MJ Lloyd Reynolds/MJR Media marketing services for the motorcycle industry - mjr.media@earthlink.net

Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame, Class of 2011 Announced

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame has just announced the list of inductees for 2011, which includes one of the best known riders in motorcycle history: Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame is designed to recognize individuals or groups who have made a long term positive impact on the motorcycle community. The lifetime achievement awards will be presented at the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Breakfast at 9 a.m., Wednesday, August 10 at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, SD.

This year's list (arranged alphabetically) includes:

Don Emde – Don Emde comes by his passion for motorcycling naturally. He was born to a motorcycling family in 1951, and spent much of his youth either working in the family’s dealership or tearing up the tracks of Southern California as an amateur scrambler, dirt tracker and road racer. He turned pro in 1969, and set numerous records with his Daytona 200 win in 1972. Emde and his father became the first (and so far only) father son pair to win the Daytona 200. After his racing career, Don went on to become a successful publisher and author. He currently publishes Drag Specialties Magazine, Parts Magazine and Parts Europe Magazine.

Del Hofer – Del Hofer has been a Harley-Davidson dealer for 50 years, first in Huron, South Dakota, then in Fargo, North Dakota. His love of motorcycling is obvious through many of his activities. Del is active in the American Motorcyclists Association and is the longest serving member of the Harley-Davidson Dealer Advisory Board. A long-time AMA amateur racer in all styles of racing, Del also served as an AMA referee and District Congressman for quite some time. Del’s passion for motorcycling is evident to anyone who meets him. He encourages men and women alike to take safety courses, get active in riding and enjoy it in a safe and fun way.

Robert Craig “Evel” Knievel – Probably one of the best-known motorcycle riders in history, Evel Knievel liked to live on the edge. From riding his bicycle at an early age to pole vaulting when he was in the army to playing semi-pro hockey, Evel tried it all. In the early 1960s, Evel joined the motocross circuit with moderate success until a broken collar bone forced him to take a job as an insurance salesman. The insurance business didn’t hold him for long, though, and soon he moved his family to Washington where he started his first daredevil show. During his career, he attempted 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps, many successfully. In 1974, Knievel was unsuccessful in his attempt to jump across the Snake River on a steam-powered rocket – the Skycycle X-2. Knievel died of pulmonary disease in 2007 at age 69.

Michael Prugh – While Michael Prugh is certainly well recognized as a motorcycle designer and manufacturer, it’s his work educating others that has taken him beyond the title of “builder.” Michael has been involved in many builds for charity and as a competitor. He took second place two years in a row in the AMD’s World Championship of Custom Bike Building and has been featured in numerous publications featuring various builds. In 2010, Prugh led a team of students from Western Dakota Tech to build “Method” a true “one off” bike that was auctioned at the annual Legends Ride. This year, Prugh is again teaming up with Western Dakota Tech, Black Hills Harley-Davidson and the Buffalo Chip to build a bike for the Legends Ride.

Gloria Tramontin Struck – You’d never believe this outspoken 85-year-old woman is the same girl who in 1941 at age 16 tearfully told her brother “I do not want to know how to ride!” Well, her brother won that argument and she’s been riding from that day until today. She’s owned 14 motorcycles in her lifetime, has traveled every state in the continental U.S. as well as Canada. At the age of 76, she took two trips to Europe, traveling a total of over 6,500 miles in 8 countries. Gloria has been a Motor Maid for 65 years, having joined in 1946 and is the longest member still riding. She continually encourages women to ride and to be involved. Gloria is an inspiration to riders and non-riders alike.

Mike & Margaret Wilson – While both Mike & Margaret Wilson have contributed individually to the sport and lifestyle of motorcycling, those who know this couple consider them to be a pair. Mike was an expert dirt-track and TT racer both before and after his stint in World War II. Right after his return, Mike bought a 45 cubic inch Harley-Davidson motorcycle as a birthday surprise for Margaret. Mike and Margaret were business partners in a Harley-Davidson then Honda dealership in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for over 25 years. Both Mike and Margaret have been avid riders and have spent countless hours encouraging others to ride, too. Known to an entire generation of women raiders, Margaret is a golden life member of the Motor Maids celebrating 60 years this year. Mike and Margaret both serve on the Board of Directors of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum and continue to work to preserve the heritage of motorcycling through their involvement.

Breakfast tickets are available for a $35.00 donation, tables of eight for $300.00. Tickets can be purchased through the Museum at 605.347.2001 or on line at www.sturgismuseum.com/cart/

Remembering Nathan Woods, Memorial Ride

The off-road community was deeply saddened to learn that two-time WORCS Champion and ISDE Gold Medalist Nathan Woods lost his life January 28th while practicing for the opening round of the 2011 WORCS Series in Taft, California. He was 32 years old.


A Celebration of The Life of Nathan Woods is planned for 2 p.m., Feb. 19th at the Madonna Inn Expo Center in San Luis Obispo, CA.


"I would like to take this opportunity to say a heart felt thank you for all your prayers, encouragement, thoughts and donations. This has been a difficult time for our family and the out pouring of support from the industry has been amazing. We would like to invite you to the Celebration of Life to honor Nathan. He was an amazing athlete, but more importantly he was a truly remarkable husband, father, and friend. Please join us in his celebration," said his wife, Amanda Woods in a post on Nathan Woods Offroad MX.

Details of a family memorial fund can be found on the website, where you can also make direct donations to Amanda and the family.

Woods is survived by his and their two sons Nathan Jr and Braxton. Woods long-time friends FMF/KTM rider Kurt Caselli and his former mechanic Charles Jirsa have gathered some of Woods’ closest friends to organize a ride day with all proceeds going directly to the Woods family.



The Nathan Woods Memorial Ride will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. February 23rd at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, CA, Home to the AMA Nationals and many other Motocross events. A $20.00 admission fee will be charged to all riders with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the Woods family. Gates will open at 9:00am on the morning of the ride day and an open practice session will be held from 10:00am to 4:00pm for both ATV’s and Motorcycle’s. A silent auction will also be held until 4:00pm with all proceeds going to the Woods family. If you have any items you would like to donate to the silent auction please bring them to the track on the day of the ride.


Please help to spread the word by encouraging family and friends to come out and ride to raise money for the family of an off-road icon that will never be forgotten.

KTM's Marc Coma and Cyril Despres Both 3-Time Dakar Champions

KTM factory rider Marc Coma captured his third Dakar Rally Championship on Saturday, January 15th, riding into Buenos Aires after a challenging 16-day race across Argentina and Chile, crossing the Andes and spending many days in the Atacama Desert. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was also a triumphant debut for the Australian KTM 450 rally bike that captured the 10th consecutive prize for KTM Motorsports. The engineers coupled the single-cylinder 4-stroke engine with a 5-speed gearbox. It has a dry weight of 330 lbs and features a 9.2 gallon fuel tank that straddles the frame. Cost: $41,200. The KTM brand has become synonymous with offroad racing and in particular the most challenging of annual rallies, The Dakar.

AMA Supercross Series 2011 Opens at Angel's Stadium, LA

The 2011 AMA Supercross series (also an FIM World Championship) got underway in front of a capacity crowd of 45,000 fans Saturday, January 8th at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Los Angeles. 

Kawasaki rider Ryan Vilopoto stepped up to the podium in first position and Suzuki's Ryan Dunney took second position.

Yamaha rider and 2009 championship title holder, James Stewart (pictured above) took the third position on his YZ450F. The series of 17 indoor races continues Saturday (Jan. 15th) at Chase Field in Phoenix. Source: yamaha-racing.com

First Third of 2011 Dakar Race: The Atacama Desert Challenge

Today (Friday, Jan. 7th) the 33rd Dakar rally will reach its sixth stage of 14 and the crucial "rest day" before the punishing trek back into Argentina from Chile. The riders, who set out from Buenos Aires on New Year's Day have raced across several thousand kilometres of diverse terrain and the harsh demands of the Atacama Desert -- the driest place on the planet in the first week of the 16-day challenge.



Here's a video summary of the race at stage six with Marc Como, the Despres-Faria duo and Helder Rodrigues out front and within minutes of each other.

Designed to test both riders and machinery to the limits of endurance, the race loops through Argentina and Chile, covering 9,000 kilometers and a huge variety of terrain that also includes the Andes Mountains.

The 2011 Dakar Rally reached full registration in the bike and quad categories four months before the start of the race that includes bikes, quads, cars and trucks.

Several thousand kilometres of diverse terrain and the harsh demands of the Atacama Desert have been completed so far.

New Year's Day: Dakar Race Begins

The 33rd running of the Dakar Rally begans in Buenos Aires on New Year's Day, covering a looping 9,000 kilometers between Argentina and Chile in 16 days.
Designed to test both riders and machinery to the limits of endurance, the race loops through Argentina and Chile, covering a huge variety of terrain, including the Andes and the Atacama Desert, recognized as the driest place on the planet.

The 2011 Dakar Rally reached full registration in the bike and quad categories, four months ago promising to offer excitement for all participants and avid off-road race fans.

Pictured (above) Spain's Gerard Farres Guell kicks up sand with his Aprilia during the 4th stage of the Dakar 2010 between Fiambala, Argentina, and Copiapo, Chile on January 5, 2010. Spain's Marc Coma won the stage, France's David Casteu took the second place and France's Cyril Despres the third. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images.) See more pictures.

This Year's Course
This year, riders will go very close to Bolivia and reach the northern-most tip of Chile on the border of Peru. To increase the level of suspense, organizers have designed the route so that the more difficult stages are in the second half of the rally. Read full article.

Last year, 362 Teams began the race with 176 motorcycles and quad bikes, 134 cars, and 52 trucks. 187 Teams finished the race, including 88 bikes, 14 quads, 57 cars and 28 trucks.

Click the map for an enlarged view.

The 2008 Dakar rally was cancelled on the eve of the race due to terrorist threats in North Africa, and organizers decided to move the event to South America.

A limited 200 motorcycles and quads are allowed to start the race, in order to provide for the best possible management of the sporting event. 

In the 33rd edition of the now famous race, the maximum engine size has been limited to 450cc. So racers like Cyril Despres and Marc Coma can no longer dominate the race on their 640+ cc KTM engines, but will instead be running on the new KTM 450s.

It will be a new era for the Austrian KTM motorcycle manufacturer with four factory-supported riders competing on the latest KTM 450 Rally enduro motorcycle. KTM will be attempting to capture the enduro title for the tenth consecutive time. 

Spearheading the KTM attack are two Dakar trophy riders that are recognized as the world's finest exponents of the sport - French-born Cyril Despres and Spaniard Marc Coma.

In 2011 they lead two separate teams and their co-riders are Ruben Faria of Portugal and Juan Pedrero Garcia of Spain. All four riders will be onboard the brand new KTM 450 Rally bike, which has been designed by KTM's R & D Department in close cooperation with the KTM Racing Department with valuable input from the two key factory riders.

The KTM 450 Rally has been specifically developed for the Dakar in response to a rule change by the organizers in 2009, which limited the engine size down to 450 cc.

The new bike, unveiled to the general public at Milan's EICMA Motorcycle Show in November, first saw action in the Rally of Morocco in October 2010 when Cyril Despres won the title.

Riders can cover 800-900 km (500-560 miles) per day, although some stages are shorter. The majority of the competitors are amateurs, many competing to fulfill a lifelong dream. KTM is not only at the Dakar to support its own factory riders but also to give practical support to a large contingent of privateers.

Maximum Bike Registration For 2011 Dakar Rally

The Dakar Rally has reached full registration in the bike and quad categories, four months ahead of the start of the rally raid. The 33rd edition of the Dakar will take place in Argentina and Chile from January 1st to 16th, 2011.



The 2010 Dakar Rally began and ended in Buenos Aires, covering a looping 9,000 kilometers between Argentina and Chile over 14 stages. 362 Teams began the race with 176 motorcycles and quad bikes, 134 cars, and 52 trucks. 187 Teams finished the race, including 88 bikes, 14 quads, 57 cars and 28 trucks.

Collected here are several photographs from the first 8 stages of Dakar Rally 2010 (37 photos total) including this photo of Spain's Gerard Farres Guell kicking up sand with his Aprilia during the 4th stage of the Dakar 2010 between Fiambala, Argentina, and Copiapo, Chile on January 5, 2010. Spain's Marc Coma won the stage, France's David Casteu took the second place and France's Cyril Despres the third. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)

The History of The Dakar Rally
The adventure began back in 1977, when Thierry Sabine got lost on his motorbike in the Libyan desert during the Abidjan-Nice Rally. He survived the extreme desert sand conditions and returned home to France, enthralled by the landscape and promising to share his fascination with as many people as possible.

He proceeded to come up with a route starting in Europe, continuing to Algiers and crossing Agadez before eventually finishing at Dakar. The founder coined a motto for his inspiration: "A challenge for those who go. A dream for those who stay behind."

Courtesy of his great conviction and that modicum of madness peculiar to all great ideas, the plan quickly became a reality. Since then, the Paris-Dakar, a unique event sparked by the spirit of adventure, open to all riders and carrying a message of friendship between all men, has never failed to challenge, surprise and excite. Over the course of more than thirty years, it has generated innumerable sporting and human stories.

This Year's Rally Course

A limited 200 motorcycles and quads are allowed to start the race, in order to provide for the best possible management of the sporting event. As requests for further registrations are still flowing in, a waiting list has been established to allow a few more riders to join the race should any of the already registered contenders drop out in the weeks to come.

Click the map for an enlarged view.

In the 33rd edition of the now famous race, the maximum engine size has been limited to 450cc. So racers like Cyril Despres and Marc Coma can no longer dominate the race on their 640+ cc KTM engines, but will instead be running on the new KTM 450s.

After Aprilia – which managed to put Francisco “Chaleco” Lopez on the podium for his very first time in the raid – it is now BMW that has registered and is sporting big ambitions with the creation of the Speedbrain BMW Rally Team. The new team immediately hired David Frétigné and Frans Verhoeven, who first test drove the machine in 2010.

Bearing in mind that all the riders in the elite category have to register with a 450cc, the new outsiders will race on equal terms with the usual duel contenders Cyril Despres and Marc Coma, who both won the last five editions of the raid they participated in on KTM bikes. In the struggle for final victory, we will also have to count with the expertise of Yamaha with 450cc bikes, and on Honda and Sherco riders of the likes of David Casteu.

Source:: Dakar.com