Hill climb races are extreme events that require extreme machinery - check out this video of the famous Billings event if you need any confirmation on exactly how crazy these guys are. And while BMW is hardly known for its extreme bikes, they’ve put together a ripper of a factory bike for this year’s international events.
The bike is powered by the engine from an F800, in a custom frame with an extended swingarm, dirtbike ergonomics, and a paddle-style rear tyre. The front wheel is driven from the countershaft sprocket, and it’s unclear exactly how this is managed. (more…)
BMW ramped up the excitement level on the 2009 World Superbike series yet again today by announcing that Ruben Xaus will be one of the riders to take the new BMW S1000 RR into the heat of WSBK racing next year.
The 30 year-old spaniard is an 11-year veteran of top-level motorcycle racing, from early attempts at World Supersport and 2 seasons in MotoGP to 6 seasons with Ducati in World Superbike including finishing second overall to teammate Neil Hodgson in the 2003 series.
The bike itself sounds exciting, with BMW hinting at an in-house traction control system and possibly the first set of pneumatic valves to enter WSBK.
Here’s hoping Xaus has as much fun on the BMW as he did at the Ducati Hypermotard launch (gratuitous kneedown one-handed powerslide pictures after the jump, in convenient desktop sizes). (more…)
Cadwell Park is a motor racing track in Lincolnshire, UK, that was originally built in 1934 by the owner of the land to give his two motorcycle-crazy sons somewhere to race each other. It’s 3.6 kilometres of challenging and varying turns with frequent elevation changes due to its valley setting, and it has hosted everything from Formula 3 and Superkarts to its current most popular event - British Superbikes. Here’s an exciting onboard lap.
But Cadwell Park is most famous for one simple feature - “the Mountain,” where bikes exit a right-hander into a wicked uphill slope that frequently launches the fast boys well up into the air. So after the jump is a collection of photos from various sources - and a video of one of the most horrific race crashes I’ve ever seen. Enjoy! (more…)
This is big news… China now produces around 11 million motorcycles a year. Its production capacity and sheer volume of manpower position it as the world’s greatest manufacturing centre, and it seems the Chinese aren’t happy to let Japan keep the meat of the world’s motorcycle market.
So, in order to prove themselves on the world stage, China’s biggest bike maker Haojue (remember that name) is entering 125GP in 2009 as the Maxtra team, coincidentally 50 years after Honda first entered the TT. And they’ve assembled quite a team to make it happen, including John Surtees, the only man ever to win world championships in motorcycle GPs (7 times) and Formula One. (more…)
Two stroke racing has been on its last legs for some time. Two stroke bikes have largely disppeared from major manufacturers’ road and offroad lineups because the factories say it’s too difficult to make them pass Euro emissions testing. GP bosses have felt for some time that despite the immensely exciting and competitive racing the two strokes deliver, they’re becoming irrelevant in the scheme of motorcycle development - so they’ve been searching for alternatives. Big singles? Supersport-style 600s? Production engines in prototype chassis? It seems the question has now been answered. (more…)
So it *is* possible to highside these “sanitised,” traction-controlled 800cc MotoGP missiles! These spectacular images from crash.net show Jorge Lorenzo’s flying exit from today’s free practice at Shanghai. The Yamaha/Michelin rider damaged both ankles after a monster highside threw him several metres in the air and flipped him 360 degrees.
Check out the video at the bottom, this might be the best, er, sorry, worst highside I’ve ever seen.
More images and the jaw-dropping video after the jump. (more…)
BMW are going racing, and in typical German fashion, they’re not going to do it by halves. The company dangled some fascinating tidbits of information in front of us with the official unveiling of its S1000RR Superbike in Germany yesterday. Reinforcing BMW’s commitment to taking the bike WSBK racing in 2009, the covers came off the carbon-festooned race prototype - and BMW Motorrad General Director Hendrik von Kuenheim’s presentation answered a few questions once and for all.
Firstly, it’s going to be an inline 4, making around 190hp and weighing about 190kg. “In the early project phase,” said von Kunheim, “we checked out various engine concepts. And as you know, we then decided in favour of a four-cylinder, with the straight-four offering the best qualities to meet the power, performance, weight, and package requirements to be fulfilled. In typical BMW style, the engine will of course offer a number of special features, especially on the cylinder head.”
Hmm… What special features could we see on a cylinder head… Might we be talking about pneumatic valves, lifted from BMW’s very experienced F1 racing development team? Ducati’s active valve technology has already caused upset and embarrassment for opposition teams in MotoGP, could the extra top-end power and revs make the difference in Superbikes too? (more…)
Yamaha’s current shape 2006-2008 R6 is developing a nasty reputation for turning into a giant fireball in even the shortest tarmac slides. It seems the way the tank is designed gives it a predilection to puncture on impact, spilling petrol which is ignited by sparks from the sliding metal. And while it’s a heartbreaker for individual owners like the fellow in the first video - whose small racetrack highside resulted in complete uninsured destruction of his pride and joy - this next video is a real pants-dropper for Yamaha…
Because it happened yesterday during the Valencia World Supersport race, in front of millions of viewers. We suspect the 09 R6 will be redesigned to address this fault, but bear it in mind if you’re looking to buy a 600cc bike in the near future. Valencia video after the jump. (more…)
Ducati Corse seem to have run out of motorcyclists with which to perform development testing of their 800cc GP8 MotoGP bike; after one of their test riders injured himself at Thursday’s Mugello development session, they gave Casey Stoner’s bike to a car driver.
This is the third time Michael Schumacher has been set loose on a Ducati MotoGP bike. His first effort in 2005 on the balltearing 990cc GP7 saw the F1 champ 16 seconds off the pace - but on his second run last November he set tongues wagging by being only 5 seconds off the lap record at Valencia on the 800cc bike. (more…)
Although it was Jorge Lorenzo’s day, taking an ominous second consecutive MotoGP pole in Jerez, today will most likely be remembered for Colin Edwards’ amazing save after running into the Spanish track’s turn one too hot on a new rear tyre. I’ve heard riders say they saved a slide on their knee, but it’s not often you get to see one of the best in the business saving a front-end slide on his elbow… Amazing stuff.
