Pirelli has been renewed as the Official Tyre Supplier to the FIM Superbike World Championship after a new contract was signed between Pirelli and Infront Motor Sports extending Pirelli’s domain till 2015.

Pirelli has been supplying racing tyres to WSBK since 2004 and through 2008 – 2010 has served up more than 2Lac tyres for these races.

 

Pirelli has also supplied tyres to Formula1 this season and will continue to do so till 2013. These tyres had come under a lot of international debate because of their high wear till the issue was cleared up by FIA who stated that they had asked the tyre manufacturer to make a tyre that will hit the cliff early. This move is to make Formula1 race strategy more interesting.

Tyre manufacturers often use the experience derived from racing to make better road tyres. Hope Pirelli continues down the same road.

Pirelli has been renewed as the Official Tyre Supplier to the FIM Superbike World Championship after a new contract was signed between Pirelli and Infront Motor Sports extending Pirelli’s domain till 2015.

Pirelli has been supplying racing tyres to WSBK since 2004 and through 2008 – 2010 has served up more than 2Lac tyres for these races.

 

Pirelli has also supplied tyres to Formula1 this season and will continue to do so till 2013. These tyres had come under a lot of international debate because of their high wear till the issue was cleared up by FIA who stated that they had asked the tyre manufacturer to make a tyre that will hit the cliff early. This move is to make Formula1 race strategy more interesting.

Tyre manufacturers often use the experience derived from racing to make better road tyres. Hope Pirelli continues down the same road.

Yamaha Motor Europe has decided to withdraw their official Yamaha World Superbike Team at the end of the current season from the FIM Superbike World Championship.

It seems that the decision has been made taking into account the changing market conditions in Europe. Yamaha says it wants to focus more on direct “consumer” activities. Currently Yamaha’s R1 and R6 models are not being preferred by riders due to their higher purchase price.

Yamaha also said they would be putting in all efforts till the end of the current season and will try and win the championship. Riders Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty are currently respectively 3rd and 4th in the overall 2011 FIM Superbike World Championship standings for riders with 4 rounds to go. Both the riders will now need to look for new teams to race with.

Yamaha will continue the availability of road racing kit parts, known as YEC Racing kit parts, for its R1 and R6 production models for private teams entering at all racing levels.

Last season Ducati had announced their exit from WSB and now a private team, Althea is racing Ducati bikes with a lot of support and equipment from the factory itself. Looks like Yamaha still be out there next season unofficially supporting the private teams running Yamaha motorcycles, but we’ll have to wait and watch for that.

The reason the exit might be financial as Yamaha don’t have a title sponsor for this year, but they have not mentioned it.

Yamaha Motor Europe has decided to withdraw their official Yamaha World Superbike Team at the end of the current season from the FIM Superbike World Championship.

It seems that the decision has been made taking into account the changing market conditions in Europe. Yamaha says it wants to focus more on direct “consumer” activities. Currently Yamaha’s R1 and R6 models are not being preferred by riders due to their higher purchase price.

Yamaha also said they would be putting in all efforts till the end of the current season and will try and win the championship. Riders Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty are currently respectively 3rd and 4th in the overall 2011 FIM Superbike World Championship standings for riders with 4 rounds to go. Both the riders will now need to look for new teams to race with.

Yamaha will continue the availability of road racing kit parts, known as YEC Racing kit parts, for its R1 and R6 production models for private teams entering at all racing levels.

Last season Ducati had announced their exit from WSB and now a private team, Althea is racing Ducati bikes with a lot of support and equipment from the factory itself. Looks like Yamaha still be out there next season unofficially supporting the private teams running Yamaha motorcycles, but we’ll have to wait and watch for that.

The reason the exit might be financial as Yamaha don’t have a title sponsor for this year, but they have not mentioned it.

One of Asia’s most prestigious events for two-wheeler racing, PETRONAS Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC), is coming to India this August. The event is the third race of six and will take place at Chennai’s Sriperumbudur  track from August 4 – 7.

The championship is especially special as it is currently the only international two-wheeler racing event in India. Races in the Underbone 115cc and the Super Sports 600cc categories will be hosted in Chennai. Krishnan Rajini of Moto-Rev India is the country’s sole representative in the Championship, competing in the SuperSports 600cc category. Meanwhile, in the Underbone 115cc category, there is also local participation with TVS Racing Team joining with a wildcard local rider and an import rider, from Malaysia for the race.

The Chennai crowd has a big reason to cheer as the event promoter, Two Wheels Motor Racing (TWMR) Promotions Director, Ron Hogg commented, “We are offering spectators free admission for this outstanding race with the hope of further raising the interest for two- wheeler racing in India.”
For the race weekend, Friday and Saturday will see practice and qualifying sessions while the final races are scheduled for Sunday, August 7th from 10am until 5pm.

For more information about the Championship, kindly log on to the official website at www.arrc.com.my or Facebook at www.facebook.com/AsiaRoadRacing.

One of Asia’s most prestigious events for two-wheeler racing, PETRONAS Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC), is coming to India this August. The event is the third race of six and will take place at Chennai’s Sriperumbudur  track from August 4 – 7.

The championship is especially special as it is currently the only international two-wheeler racing event in India. Races in the Underbone 115cc and the Super Sports 600cc categories will be hosted in Chennai. Krishnan Rajini of Moto-Rev India is the country’s sole representative in the Championship, competing in the SuperSports 600cc category. Meanwhile, in the Underbone 115cc category, there is also local participation with TVS Racing Team joining with a wildcard local rider and an import rider, from Malaysia for the race.

The Chennai crowd has a big reason to cheer as the event promoter, Two Wheels Motor Racing (TWMR) Promotions Director, Ron Hogg commented, “We are offering spectators free admission for this outstanding race with the hope of further raising the interest for two- wheeler racing in India.”
For the race weekend, Friday and Saturday will see practice and qualifying sessions while the final races are scheduled for Sunday, August 7th from 10am until 5pm.

For more information about the Championship, kindly log on to the official website at www.arrc.com.my or Facebook at www.facebook.com/AsiaRoadRacing.

Anyone who knows Norton motorcycles knows what the brand stands for. A bike manufacturer with a perfect blend of 20th century nostalgia, woman-on-bike based advertising, a loyal following and dollops of class and respect.

Even looking at their current bikes, one would imagine they are stuck in the blast from the past and the good old Woodstock days are not yet over for them. So, time to tweak the good ‘ol brand image then …

Norton has proved it that a professor in a tweed jacket can still turn out to be a PS3 owner. Or something like that. No, what they have really done is built an electric bike. And it’s not just another two wheeler that goes slower than dial-up, it’s a TTXGP racer.

For the un-initiated, TTXGP is an electric motorcycle race that started in 2008 at the famous Isle of Man TT circuit. It’s also the event which has spawned a number of other electric bike races. No doubt, it’s an honour for any manufacturer to race a bike at this event. But Norton isn’t known to be just another manufacturer right?

So what Norton decided to do is to re-invent a 1951 Featherbed chassis to design the brand-new-yet-old-looking bike, Moto Electra. The sweet cherry on top is the fact that the bike managed to come in 7th in the incredibly competitive Laguna Seca 2011 event.

Please take your top hats off for the legend bike maker, Mr. Norton.

 

Moto Electra specifications:

* AC induction motor

* 62.86 PS and 156 Nm of torque

* Regenerative braking

* Carbon fiber wheels

* Top speed of 215+ kmph

Anyone who knows Norton motorcycles knows what the brand stands for. A bike manufacturer with a perfect blend of 20th century nostalgia, woman-on-bike based advertising, a loyal following and dollops of class and respect.

Even looking at their current bikes, one would imagine they are stuck in the blast from the past and the good old Woodstock days are not yet over for them. So, time to tweak the good ‘ol brand image then …

Norton has proved it that a professor in a tweed jacket can still turn out to be a PS3 owner. Or something like that. No, what they have really done is built an electric bike. And it’s not just another two wheeler that goes slower than dial-up, it’s a TTXGP racer.

For the un-initiated, TTXGP is an electric motorcycle race that started in 2008 at the famous Isle of Man TT circuit. It’s also the event which has spawned a number of other electric bike races. No doubt, it’s an honour for any manufacturer to race a bike at this event. But Norton isn’t known to be just another manufacturer right?

So what Norton decided to do is to re-invent a 1951 Featherbed chassis to design the brand-new-yet-old-looking bike, Moto Electra. The sweet cherry on top is the fact that the bike managed to come in 7th in the incredibly competitive Laguna Seca 2011 event.

Please take your top hats off for the legend bike maker, Mr. Norton.

 

Moto Electra specifications:

* AC induction motor

* 62.86 PS and 156 Nm of torque

* Regenerative braking

* Carbon fiber wheels

* Top speed of 215+ kmph

 

One more feather in Rossi’s cap

 

Motorcycle racing is a taxing sport, and perhaps the most dangerous too. The strain that it puts on its top-tier riders are all too apparent, with most riders dropping out of the game in their early thirties. In such circumstances, Valentino Rossi – possibly the greatest MotoGP rider to ever walk the earth – has proven his mettle, repeatedly thrashing competitors far younger than himself.

And now, Valentino Rossi will make his 250th GP start at this weekend’s Sachsenring GP. In doing so, he will become just the sixth rider in the history of Grand Prix racing to reach the milestone of 250 GP starts. Up until he crashed and broke his leg in practice at last year’s Italian Grand Prix, Rossi had set a record for the largest number of successive GP starts – 230 in total. His close friend, Loris Capirossi, is the current leader in the former, with 321 starts to his credit.

In other news, Rossi recently gifted his mother, Stefania, a Ducati Monster 696 done up in his trademark yellow and red with the famous 46 decal on the tank. Stefy, as she is affectionately known in paddock circles, revealed that she had always dreamt of a Monster and been telling her son over the years that if he ever went to Ducati, he’d to get her a Ducati Monster.

That’s where we say, ‘Like mother, like son.’

 

One more feather in Rossi’s cap

 

Motorcycle racing is a taxing sport, and perhaps the most dangerous too. The strain that it puts on its top-tier riders are all too apparent, with most riders dropping out of the game in their early thirties. In such circumstances, Valentino Rossi – possibly the greatest MotoGP rider to ever walk the earth – has proven his mettle, repeatedly thrashing competitors far younger than himself.

And now, Valentino Rossi will make his 250th GP start at this weekend’s Sachsenring GP. In doing so, he will become just the sixth rider in the history of Grand Prix racing to reach the milestone of 250 GP starts. Up until he crashed and broke his leg in practice at last year’s Italian Grand Prix, Rossi had set a record for the largest number of successive GP starts – 230 in total. His close friend, Loris Capirossi, is the current leader in the former, with 321 starts to his credit.

In other news, Rossi recently gifted his mother, Stefania, a Ducati Monster 696 done up in his trademark yellow and red with the famous 46 decal on the tank. Stefy, as she is affectionately known in paddock circles, revealed that she had always dreamt of a Monster and been telling her son over the years that if he ever went to Ducati, he’d to get her a Ducati Monster.

That’s where we say, ‘Like mother, like son.’