Recall: Kawasaki Concours 14 Police Bikes

Police officers take note, your Kawasaki Concours 14 patrol bike might be up for a recall. In total, 194 units of Kawasaki’s police Concours 14 and 14ABS motorcycles may have electrical problems, as the added police accessories may cause the 30 amp main fuse to blow, and the wiring harness may chafe, leading to a short-circuit.

Because blowing the main 30 amp fuse will cause the engine to stall, and thus increase the risk of a crash, Kawasaki is recalling these units (made between May 8, 2008, to February 20, 2013), and filed a recall with NHTSA.

With the recall already underway, Kawasaki has notified the affected police departments, and will send trained personnel to repair the motorcycles, free of charge.

Concerned police departments may contact Kawasaki customer service at 1-866-802-9381, and reference recall number MC15-02 (note: this recall is an expansion of recalls 12V-134, 13V-370 and 13V-387). As always, the NHTSA is also available at 1-888-327-4236 and safercar.gov.

Source: NHTSA

Source : asphaltandrubber[dot]com

post from sitemap

EnduroX: X Games Austin Step Up Qualifier Announced

Endurocross Media Press Release:

X Games has announced that there will be an X Games Austin Moto X Step Up Qualifier held in collaboration with Round three of the 2015 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championship Series on May 1, 2015, at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

The qualifier will take place the evening before the Monster Energy Supercross finals and will be open to 30 riders, with the top 10 riders advancing to the evening show. The final top three athletes will be invited to compete at X Games Austin on Thursday, June 4, in front of the Texas State Capitol in downtown Austin.

Three additional riders also qualified for the X Games Enduro X during the Daytona GEICO EnduroCross opener in Daytona Beach, Florida this past weekend. Factory Beta’s Kyle Redmond earned a spot with a third place finish in the main. Kevin Rookstool was the second rider to earn an invite to X Games Austin with an eighth place finish during a weekend in which he raced EnduroCross on Friday, Supercross on Saturday and the GNCC on Sunday. And the third rider to qualify was sixteen year old Ty Cullins, who won his heat race to make the main during his first pro EnduroCross race.

Three more riders will qualify for X Games Enduro X at each of the two upcoming GEICO EnduroCross events in Salt Lake City, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada.

The next round of the GEICO AMA EnduroCross series will take place at Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, March 21st.

If you have never been to an EnduroCross, get to an event in 2015. You will be blown away by the exciting show and amazing talent on display. And if you want to see how your riding skills match up to the EnduroCross track, there are classes for Open Amateur, Vet 35+, Women and TrialsCross that anyone can enter!

All 2015 GEICO AMA EnduroCross events will air full one hour shows on CBS Sports Network. The Daytona, Florida event is scheduled to air on Wednesday, March 18th at 7:00 PM ET.

2015 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championship Schedule *:

March 6, 2015 – Daytona Beach, Florida.  Ocean Center (Friday Daytona Bike Week)
March 21, 2015 – Salt Lake City, Utah.  Energy Solutions Arena
May 1, 2015 – Las Vegas, Nevada.  Orleans Arena (Friday – Supercross weekend)
June 5, 2015 – Austin, Texas.  X Games, Circuit of the Americas
September 26, 2015 – Sacramento, California.  Sleep Train Arena
October 3, 2015 – Denver, Colorado.  National Western Complex
October 17, 2015 – Everett, Washington.  XFINITY Arena
November 7, 2015 – Boise, Idaho.  Ford Idaho Center
November 20/21, 2015 – Ontario, California.  Citizens Business Bank Arena

*Schedule is provisional.

Tickets are available HERE.

For more information: www.endurocross.com

Source : cycleworld[dot]com

post from sitemap

Ducati CEO Leaves the Door Open for a Scooter Model

In a recent interview by Moto.it with Claudio Domenicali, the Ducati CEO fielded a number of questions about the Italian company’s business and its relationship with its German owners (read it here in Google English), but one question was of particular interest: a Ducati Scooter.

The often rumored, often debated, and often denied subject is perhaps the most feared topics for Ducatisti, and it ranks generally just below discussions on which oil to use, which tires are best, and how to break-in a motorcycle engine properly.

That being said, it seems we are headed for another round of debate, as Domenicali is quoted as saying the following to Moto.it: “a scooter marked Ducati is not blasphemy.”

Domenicali goes on to say that Ducati has never ruled out a scooter model, which isn’t exactly true; but since Ducati is a brand, it can be applied to virtually any commercial good, like a cup of coffee or even a scooter model (the two examples Domenicali gave Moto.it).

The key for Ducati, according to Domenicali, and something I have echoed in my own writings on the subject, is that any scooter from Borgo Panigale must hold true to Ducati’s core brand elements, i.e. high in performance, high in design, and high in product lust.

If Ducati can stick to those elements, the company should be able to produce any model it wants, especially now that the Ducati brand incorporates sport bikes, sport-cruisers, adventure-sports, and scramblers alike.

The Italians at Borgo Panigale may not call a Ducati scooter by the dreaded s-word, but a quick look at the BMW brand shows that a premium European motorcycle company can easily balance a couple scooter-type models within an already robust offering of other two-wheeled vehicles.

Of course, such models will have to make economic sense for Ducati to produce in the first place, but considering that huge swaths of the riding populations in Southeast Asia, India, China, and South America that ride small-displacement machines — many of which are just knock-offs of the venerable original Honda Cub design — Ducati will eventually have to get in to the game if it truly wants to be a global brand, not just a western one.

And when the Ducati brand does eventually go there, one can expect the Italian brand to draw deep connections to its long-lost product lines of generations before us, as it has done in “resurrecting” the Scrambler line, because as many forget…Ducati has already built a scooter model.

In the meantime, will we see a scooter unveiling during the fall trade shows? You certainly can’t rule it out, though we imagine we will see several other models from Ducati before we get to the s-word.

Source: Moto.it

Source : asphaltandrubber[dot]com

post from sitemap

ENDURO: KTM Factory Racing – Jonny Walker Interview

KTM Racing Press Release:

Jonny Walker has continued his winning ways in 2015, claiming victory at The Tough One extreme enduro. Topping the event for the first time ever having lead from start-to-finish, Walker is now two-for-two having also topped Hell’s Gate three weeks earlier…

Jonny, a first win at The Tough One. How’s it feel to have finally won a major extreme enduro event on home soil?

Jonny:

“I’m really pleased with this result. Graham [Jarvis] is a hard guy to beat, but I really wanted to keep things rolling on from my Hell’s Gate win. Conditions were night and day different to that race, but this win wasn’t easy. My plan was to try and get a good start, which I was able to do. After that I just managed my lead. It’s great to finally be able to get a Tough One win.”

A lot of riders suffered with arm pump in the early laps, but you seemed to be able to push hard from the start…

Jonny:

“It’s always hard going from cold to full-speed straight away. But I guess the run to my bike warmed me up. Maybe also racing the SuperEnduro events helped, as there’s not much warm-up with indoor races. Like I said I just tried to not make mistakes, which having got a good start was a little easier to do. I felt pretty good from the start.”

You lost a little time mid-race, why was that?

Jonny:

“I didn’t read my pit board properly. I thought it said last lap, which thinking about it there’s no way it could have been, and I slowed down a little. The board said something like ‘1 lap till final hour’. It wasn’t too much of a problem as I still had a good lead. I managed that gap and stayed out of trouble during the final hour so everything was fine.”

What was the track like this year, did you prefer the drier conditions?

Jonny:

“I was ready for whatever the conditions were going to be really. It was much nicer than the cold and snow we had at Hell’s Gate, but not what everyone’s used to at Nantmawr Quarry. When things are drier it makes some of the climbs and the rocks a little easier, but it was still tough. It was still easy to make a small mistake and for that become a bad lap. I was pleased that I only made one mistakes.”

You were also in action in the Barcelona Indoor Enduro, how was that?

Jonny:

“It was great. Not the result I’d hoped for finishing fifth but a really enjoyable event. It was good to get back on my 250cc four-stroke ahead of this weekend’s SuperEnduro final round. That’s going to be an important race for me after my issues in Brazil. I’ve got some work to do…”

Results – Tough One 2015

1. Jonny Walker (KTM) 13 laps 2:31.12
2. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 13 laps 2:33.28
3. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 2:43.00…

Results – Barcelona Indoor Enduro:

1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 49 points
2. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 45
3. Mathias Bellino (Husqvarna) 44
5. Jonny Walker (KTM) 35…

For more information: www.ktmusa.com

Source : cycleworld[dot]com

post from sitemap

Video: Dragging Elbow on the Vyrus 986 M2

We already told you that the Vyrus 986 M2 was going racing in the Spanish CEV Moto2 Championship, with British rider Bradley Ray on-board, and now we get to see the first fruits of those labors.

Testing at the Cartagena circuit in Spain, Ray helped Vyrus develop a number of aspects on the Moto2 machine, especially the chassis, suspension, and air box, which Vyrus hopes to implement at another test later this month.

Until then, we leave you with this slightly frantic helmet rotor cam of Bradley Ray, dragging elbow, on the Vyrus 986 M2. Enjoy!

Source: Vyrus Racing

• ka1ju

  I don’t know why I thought you couldn’t pop a wheelie on a Vyrus.

  Man, I wish I could afford a street legal version. Or, even better (im my opinion), a Vyrus with Yamaha’s MT-09 engine fitted into it.

• mudgun

  That video gave me motion sickness so bad I had to stop pushing the replay button.

Source : asphaltandrubber[dot]com

post from sitemap

ArenaX: Round #8 Race Day Two Report – Council Bluffs

ArenaCross Media Press Release:

The eighth round of the 2015 AMSOIL Arenacross, featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross, came to a dramatic conclusion on Saturday inside the Mid-America Center. As has been the case on several occasions this season, a tiebreaker was needed in order to determine the overall winner in the Arenacross Class, but this time it came down to a trio of riders.

In the end, a dominant performance in the final Main Event of the evening allowed Team Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki‘s Matt Goerke to capture his third victory of the season over Husqvarna teammates Gavin Faith and Kyle Regal. In the Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Main Event, current championship points leader Daniel Blair raced to his third victory of the season aboard his KTM, extending his points lead.

Regal made the first statement of the evening by grabbing the holeshot in the first Arenacross Class Main Event, ahead of Kawasaki teammates Chris Blose and Jacob Hayes. Earlier in the evening Blose claimed the win in the Head 2 Head Challenge, while Hayes was looking for his second straight victory after claiming the overall victory on Friday night.

Hayes, the Arenacross Class championship leader entering the evening, encountered misfortune on Lap 2 and crashed in the whoops, dropping to the tail end of the 16-rider field. That allowed Blose to assume control of second, while Faith took over third. KTM’s Gared Steinke sat fourth, while Goerke moved into fifth. Several laps later Goerke slotted himself into fourth to put himself in podium contention. Regal maintained his lead over the field for the entirety of the 15-lap Main Event, but Blose was pushing hard to catch him and ultimately went down in the whoops on Lap 13. Faith took advantage of the misfortune to take over second, while Goerke moved into third. As the checkered flag flew, the top three remained the same with Regal, Faith and Goerke. Hayes fought his way back up to eighth, while Blose had to settle for 10th.

Regal had the opportunity to select the inversion for the second Main Event, and was fortunate enough to select the case with the number zero, meaning no riders would be inverted.

As the second Main Event got underway, ThermoTec/FMC Racing Yamaha’s Bobby Kiniry raced to the holeshot just ahead of Hayes and Goerke. On the opening lap Hayes and Kiniry made contact in the whoops, forcing Hayes to fall and drop back to the tail end of the field, remounting nearly a lap behind. Kiniry stayed on two wheels, but fell all the way to eighth. Goerke seized the opportunity to put himself at the front of the field and took over the lead. Faith and Regal followed to move into second and third by the conclusion of Lap 1.

The torrid pace set by the top three and the consistency of Goerke, Faith and Regal meant there was little change up front throughout the duration of all 15 laps. Goerke took his fourth Main Event win of the season, with Faith following in second and Regal third. Hayes did all he could to recover from his early troubles and fought his way back to an 11th-place finish.

The identical first and third-place finishes by Goerke and Regal locked them into a tie for first in the overall classification, while Faith’s consistent pair of runner-up finishes made him a third player in the tiebreaker. In the end, Goerke’s win in the second Main Event gave him the advantage over the other two, while Faith’s second-place finish slotted him ahead of Regal’s third-place effort. TZR Woodstock KTM’s Travis Sewell finished fourth (5-4) while Steinke rounded out the top five (4-5).

Regal, who entered the night 14 points out of the lead, took over the Arenacross Class points lead as a result of Hayes’ tough night, finishing ninth overall. Hayes and Goerke sit in a tie for second, just one point behind Regal as the schedule heads into the final round before the season-ending Race to the Championship begins.

Blair was dominant in the Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Main Event, racing to the holeshot ahead of KTM’s Scott Zont and Yamaha’s Josh Cartwright, and never looking back. As Blair opened up a lead, Cartwright applied pressure on Zont for second and took the position on Lap 2. Blair and Cartwright asserted themselves out front, while KTM’s Dave Ginolfi was on a charge through the field, overcoming a seventh-place start to move into podium position on Lap 12. As the checkered flag flew, Blair cruised to a wire-to-wire victory ahead of Cartwright and Ginolfi.

Blair extended his lead in the championship standings to 19 points over TZR Woodstock KTM’s Cody VanBuskirk, who finished sixth. Team DirtBikeMike Yamaha’s Brandon Glenn, who finished fifth, sits third, 21 points back.

Arenacross Class Results – Main Event 1:

Kyle Regal, Grand Prairie, Texas, Husqvarna
Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Husqvarna
Matt Goerke, Temecula, Calif., Kawasaki
Gared Steinke, Temecula, Calif., KTM
Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM
Bobby Kiniry, Holland Patent, N.Y., Yamaha
Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki
Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki
Dave Ginolfi, Boston, N.J., KTM
Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki

Arenacross Class Results – Main Event 2

Matt Goerke, Temecula, Calif., Kawasaki
Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Husqvarna
Kyle Regal, Grand Prairie, Texas, Husqvarna
Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM
Gared Steinke, Temecula, Calif., KTM
Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, KTM
Bobby Kiniry, Holland Patent, N.Y., Yamaha
Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki
Dave Ginolfi, Boston, N.J., KTM
Brandon Glenn, Mesquite, Texas, Yamaha

Arenacross Class Results – Overall (Main Event Finishes)

Matt Goerke, Temecula, Calif., Kawasaki (3-1)
Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Husqvarna (2-2)
Kyle Regal, Grand Prairie, Texas, Husqvarna (1-3)
Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (5-4)
Gared Steinke, Temecula, Calif., KTM (4-5)
Bobby Kiniry, Holland Patent, N.Y., Yamaha (6-7)
Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki (7-8)
Dave Ginolfi, Boston, N.J., KTM (9-9)
Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (8-11)
Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, KTM (16-6)

RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge Results:

Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki (2 points)
Gared Steinke, Temecula, Calif., KTM (1 point)
Kyle Regal, Grand Prairie, Texas, Husqvarna (1 point)
Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Husqvarna (1 point)
Matt Goerke, Temecula, Calif., Kawasaki (1 point)
Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (1 point)
Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (1 point)
Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki (1 point)

Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Results:

Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., KTM
Josh Cartwright, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha
Dave Ginolfi, Boston, N.J., KTM
Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., KTM
Brandon Glenn, Mesquite, Texas, Yamaha
Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM
Dylan Rouse, Florence, Ky., KTM
Tanner Moore, Auburn, Kan., KTM
Jake Locks, Dixon, Calif., KTM
Mason Wharton, Brush Prairie, Wash., Kawasaki

Arenacross Class Points (Race 12 of 20)

Kyle Regal, Grand Prairie, Texas, Husqvarna – 308 (4 Main Event wins)
Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki – 307 (6 Main Event wins)
Matt Goerke, Temecula, Calif., Kawasaki – 307 (4 Main Event wins)
Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM – 248
Bobby Kiniry, Holland Patent, N.Y., Yamaha – 242 (1 Main Event win)
Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki – 230 (4 Main Event wins)
Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, KTM – 227 (1 Main Event win)
Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Husqvarna – 225 (4 Main Event wins)
Gared Steinke, Temecula, Calif., KTM – 207
Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki – 168

Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Points (After Race 5 of 9)

Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., KTM – 69 (2 Main Event wins)
Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM – 50
Brandon Glenn, Mesquite, Texas, KTM – 48
Jake Locks, Dixon, Calif., KTM – 26
Mason Wharton, Brush Prairie, Wash., Kawasaki – 24
Clay Elliott, Buford, Ga., KTM – 22
Dalton Oxborrow, Lehi, Utah, Kawasaki – 18
Benjamin Nelko, Aliquippa, Pa., KTM – 18
Jason McConnell, , Canonsburg, Pa., KTM – 18
Tanner Moore, Auburn, Kan., KTM – 17

The 2015 AMSOIL Arenacross continues next weekend with the ninth round of the championship from Southaven, Mississippi, on Friday, March 13, and Saturday, March 14. Both nights of action inside the Landers Center begin at 5 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. ET.

Tickets for each round of AMSOIL Arenacross are on sale HERE.

The entire AMSOIL Arenacross season will air on FOX Sports 1, including re-airs on Fox Sports 2.

For more information: www.arenacross.com

Source : cycleworld[dot]com

post from sitemap

Q&A: Alvaro Bautista – “No Pressure To Get Results”

Alvaro Bautista is a much happier man than he has been for a few years. Now a factory rider once again, he has found new motivation, despite knowing that there is along road ahead to make the Aprilia RS-GP a competitive machine.

At the official launch of Aprilia’s MotoGP, World Superbike and FIM Superstock projects in Milan, I spoke to Bautista about the progress Aprilia have made during testing, his experience of the bike so far, and his expectations for 2015.

Q: How has the progress been between the two tests?

Alvaro Bautista: Progress is quite good. Not a big step, but we did a step forward. Especially on the electronics, because the first test, the electronics were a bit inconsistent. So we spent one day just to adjust the electronics. Still it’s not perfect, but we did a small improvement.

Then once we decided the frame we will race for the start of the season, we already decided this in the first test. On the second day of the last test we tried different settings of the bike, we changed basically all of the bike to see if something is good or not, or what can help us or not.

So it was not really a good day, because we didn’t find anything, but we had to try. In the last day, it was good because we started with our base setting, then we make a long run.

I was quite happy because I did it in the worst conditions, it was 3pm, so it was hot conditions, but I felt so good. The rhythm was quite good. My feeling on the bike on the long run was comfortable. So I think the only real step we did was with the electronics.

Q: What are the strengths and weakness of the bike?

AB: I think the strongest point is the manageability. It’s so easy to ride. And the point we have to improve is basically everything, electronics, frame.

We have to improve on the engine, because also we need more power, especially in fourth, fifth and sixth gear. Especially top power. There is not a big problem anywhere, just lots of small ones.

Q: Which frame exactly did you use? There was a 2015 frame at Sepang 1, and a frame you tested at Valencia?

AB: We chose the same frame I used at the Valencia and Jerez tests last year, because the first test, they brought a new spec, but it didn’t work.

Q: What was wrong with it?

AB: No turning, no feeling, no grip. So everything… What was the problem? The frame was the problem! [laughs]

Q: Is it a good feeling to be a factory rider again?

AB: For sure! Because all my requests, they work to give me them. For me, it has been a strong point to decide to come here, because I can develop the bike myself, with my requests.

Q: But you know that you won’t be able to win this year…

AB: I know!

Q: It means you will have to be patient for a whole year while the bike is developed. Are you willing to invest the time needed?

AB: Yes, I’m ready for that. I’m prepared for this year, I know that we will have good moments, but also more bad moments. But anyway, my target is to go back to winning, and I know that in 2015, it will not be possible.

But maybe in 2016, if we make a good job this year and we can make a competitive bike for next year. With the rule change for next year, I think it’s an opportunity for us to be in front again.

Q: How does that affect your attitude and your mentality? Because you have to change your mentality from fighting for the best position possible to working on the bike…

AB: Just patience, and knowing exactly what is your position. I know that now, for this year we have no pressure to get the results. This is only good, also because you can stay focused on the development of the bike, you don’t have to develop the bike and try to do your best result at the same time. It’s only the bike performance that counts.

Q: Do you have any personal objectives for this year? A race or two where you want to do well?

AB: At the moment, I don’t think about that. First of all, we have to find a base to start the championship with, because still, our base is not clear.

It is still not decided about things like the tank and the seat on the bike, so we have to decide after the Qatar test on the bike to race. Then we will start to think about the results or something. But at the moment, I don’t think I would like to finish here or here.

Photo: Aprilia Racing

This article was originally published on MotoMatters, and is republished here on Asphalt & Rubber with permission by the author.

Source : asphaltandrubber[dot]com

post from sitemap