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Friday, June 26, 2009
HART is now offering mates rates on training From now until September 30th, Honda Australia Rider Training (HART) is offering weekday mate’s rates that will
help you and a friend achieve your riding goal sooner while saving you dollars.
Simply book yourself and
a mate in for any HART course on any weekday in July, August or September and one of you will get a massive 50 per cent off
one course! The discount is available at both Victorian locations (Somerton and Kilsyth) as well as the Queensland (Brisbane
Airport) training centre. Course costs are all inclusive with motorcycles, scooters, helmets and gloves
all supplied (with VicRoads fees also included in Victoria). HART Victoria is offering a limited
number of riders, last minute specials (exclusive of the mate’s rates deal). This will include a Two Day Learner
Permit Course which will commence on the 1st July for only $200 (normally costs $260) plus a 21 day Learner Permit Course
which will commence on the 3rd July for only $150 (normally costs $190). The new site at Somerton reveals
2 huge road ranges which allows for amateur and experienced riders to get a real feel for road speeds and hazards. HART will
also offer off road training for children and amateur adults. Also included is ATV training in the immediate future
on a purpose built track. HART has long been known as the number 1 provider of rider training and licensing
throughout Australia. Their highly qualified and experienced instructors can deliver state-of-the-art education methods to
over 17,000 prospective riders annually from the Eastern locations. To read more click here
Thursday, June 25, 2009
MotoGP leaders face press before Assen race. In the press conference room at the Assen media centre in The Netherlands it was full with viewers on Wednesday afternoon
as MotoGP’s ‘big guns’ previewed the 61st annual World Championship event at the historic Dutch
venue this weekend.
Fiat Yamaha’s Barcelona protagonists, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino
Rossi, the pair were also joined by Ducati Marlboro’s Casey Stoner, also in attendance were Rizla Suzuki’s
Loris Capirossi and Repsol Honda rider Italian Andrea Dovizioso. Valentino Rossi will this weekend
be aiming to create his own piece of history as he aims to win his 100th race, the charismatic Italian looked ahead to the
next three days of action, adding, “It is a great track here, it is always difficult because some of the corners have
high banks, whereas others are very flat so it is difficult understand the braking points. I made my only mistake in a race
last season here (referring to an early collision with Randy de Puniet), so we have to make sure it is better this year.”
However just like in the Barcelona race in Spain, Jorge Lorenzo was right alongside his teammate to hype up this
Saturday’s event, Lorenzo was also full of praise for the historic circuit. “I always
tell everyone that this is my favourite track. I liked it even more before it was modified but it continues to be great fun
to ride and the atmosphere is wonderful,” he said. “Also, I am really pleased that the championship is so close
this year and we hope to carry on providing a good show.” Casey Stoner was non-committal on his
chances of repeating his 2008 Assen victory. “We had a fantastic race here last year, and
our bike worked very well. We have a new bike this year and it is a different situation, so we have to wait and see what happens
when we start on Thursday.” To read more click here
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Dani Pedrosa to race without medication Spanish motorcycle ace Dani Pedrosa will attempt to ride without painkillers at Assen.
For Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa has had little time to recover from a hip injury ahead of
his home round in Barcelona last time out, and suffered discomfort throughout the race weekend which he had felt obliged to
attend in order to keep up with the MotoGP series leaders. But this time around the Spaniard has had extra time to recover
from his injuries sustained at previous rounds and is aiming to ride at the Alice TT Assen without the help of painkillers.
“Since the race in Barcelona I’ve basically been resting, trying to give my hip as much chance
to improve as possible. Obviously there hasn’t been a lot of time - just over one week - but I certainly feel
a lot better now than immediately after the last race when I was totally exhausted,” added the Repsol Honda
rider.
“I’m feeling positive about the weekend and we’ll
just have to see how it goes when riding starts on Thursday. My intention would be to ride without receiving any pain-killing
injections because gradually they lose their effectiveness and they are not something I want to rely on - we’ll see
how the feeling is when I start to ride.”
Dani Pedrosa has been on medication since a ‘tankslapper’
moment at the Italian round of the World Championship at Mugello, with the required grip and movement, sensitivity on board
a MotoGP machine has been lacking due to the nature of the injections which seem to have limited his feel on the motorcycle.
To find out more click here
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Three way battle set to continue at Assen  This weekend round seven of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship will be taking in The Netherlands with the Alice TT Assen,
this week gives Valentino Rossi the opportunity to turn up the heat on his title rivals at one of the most popular circuits
on the calendar for all riders.
Last year Valentino Rossi had his worst result of the year at the Assen track,
Rossi crashed early in the race and then was forced to fight back to a respectable 11th, but he is traditionally a strong
performer at Assen with victories to his name in all three categories there, it should be noted that four of those wins were
in the premier class.
After the epic battle with Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in Barcelona Valentino
Rossi will aim to maintain his championship momentum with his second win in a row, but the Italian superstar knows that Jorge
Lorenzo and Ducati Marlboro’s Casey Stoner, are both tied with the Italian on 106 points at the head of the standings,
all riders will also be pushing to the maximum at ‘the Cathedral of motorcycling’.
Jorge Lorenzo
also has a good record at Assen, having won there in the 250cc and 125cc classes, the young 22 year-old Spanish star refers
to the circuit as his favourite MotoGP venue. Having been beaten by Rossi by just 0.095s in his home Grand Prix Lorenzo will
be desperate for revenge in Saturday’s race at Assen.
The Australian and last years Dutch race winner
Stoner is likely to be a far stronger victory candidate than in Catalunya where he rode heroically to finish on the podium
with an undiagnosed illness, Stoner who finished just in front of Andrea Dovizioso before almost collapsing as he dismounted
his Ducati Desmosedici GP9.
Repsol Honda’s Adrea Dovizioso has been fractions of a second off the rostrum
in the last three races and should any of the current top three slip up in The Netherlands the young Italian will be there
ready to pounce for a podium step.
factory Honda rider, Dani Pedrosa should be in better physical shape than
he was in Barcelona where he took sixth place despite riding with the painful right hip injury which he sustained at Mugello
in the previous round after a horrific crash.
Veteran American rider Colin Edwards is currently sixth in
the standings and the visit to Assen takes him back to the scene of his infamous 2006 crash which saw him miss out on victory
on the final corner. Colin Edwards was seventh in Barcelona and is currently enjoying a consistent run of form which puts
him at the pointy end of the field.
Also currently occupying top ten championship positions Italian competitors
Marco Melandri and Loris Capirossi along with Randy de Puniet and Australian Chris Vermeulen will all be in the hunt for good
points at round seven in Assen.
The Suzuki riders will get a second chance to use their new GSV-R 800cc engines
which they debuted last time out in the Catalunya contest but unfortunately were not able to use in the important Monday post-race
test, whilst a number of teams will continue working with new material which they tested at the Montmeló circuit.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Honda V4 Motorcycle The highly anticipated new Honda V4 motorcycle will be available to for viewing for the first time in finished form
shortly and it will be in dealers next year, Honda’s Senior Managing Director Mr Shigeru Takagi has recently confirmed
this.
In what is a very rare interview last week, Mr Takagi, who had been celebrating Honda’s
50 years of racing at the Isle of Man TT commented tha the bike will be a “new breed of Honda”. By
all reports thus far we believe the bike will be a 1200cc V4 at the high-end of Honda’s range, it will be more
of a super Blackbird than Fireblade. Mr Takagi said “We really believe we can develop
a new era starting with this V4-powered machine. It is just the beginning and represents a new breed of Honda which
will define Honda’s own taste and styling." “This bike will be the perfect road
machine that Honda customers have called for. It will be an epoch-making machine and more bikes from the V4 platform
are possible. “We know people think this bike is going to be a replacement for the VFR800 and the
Blackbird but we do not see this bike as a replacement for anything. We see it as an all-new breed of machine, something very
special.” he added. Mr Takagi did not however disclose the price, but he did confirm when
we can buy it. He added “The finished V4-powered machine will be seen in autumn 2009. The bike will be on sale
in spring 2010." "The bike is different to the concept shown for the first time at Milan
in 2009 but the link between them is very clear to see.”
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