Corbin Introduces New “Visual Seat Configurator”

Corbin Press Release:

“This has been at the top of our To-Do List for nearly a decade now,” said Greg Hurley, Director of Marketing at Corbin for over 20 years. “It has also been a highly requested feature from our customers as a means of visualizing their custom seat before ordering. Unfortunately the technology to do this properly has been beyond our reach… until now” reported Hurley. Hurley jumped on this project many years ago and has devoted a majority of his incredible IT experience to this project and I’m very proud to have him on board with us” stated Mike Corbin, president and founder of Corbin.

The Corbin seat line is very complex as even the simplest seat model has over 43 thousand possible material combinations. A more complex seat like the Dual Touring Saddle has potential custom combinations that number hundreds of millions. Clearly this couldn’t be built photographically, so other options were considered and tested.

“We knew basically what we wanted and had a concept of how it should work, but getting it done was a task. We were pretty close a couple of years ago with an Adobe Flash application, but then Apple released the iPad that doesn’t support Flash and that changed the story for everyone. Because of the device’s popularity, we had to ditch our existing Flash development and start completely from scratch… but first we had to rebuild our entire website for the same reason” added Hurley.

Fast forward two years and roughly 1,500 manually recreated web pages later and the Corbin crew was back on task of creating the ultimate custom seat tool. The first step was finding the best technology to support their vision and if the job couldn’t be done in-house, then to find the right development partner. The answer was Digital Draping which not only describes the process of creating the elusive seat configurator, but is also the name of the company that saved the day.

Based in New Zealand, the Digital Draping crew specializes in web delivery of highly interactive content that enables user customization. The Draping process (also referred to as Texture Mapping), takes photographs supplied by the Corbin seat gurus and lets the user define every aspect of the seat and builds a photo realistic rendering on the fly. Just like the actual seat itself, there are virtually no design limits and millions of potential combinations.

Corbin’s Visual Configurator currently features six of their most popular seat designs with more models in process. Once you’ve chosen the seat model, you can choose from Corbin’s vast range of color and material options in every component of the seat. You can even choose the color of the stitching and the embroidered logo. The design can then be shared with your friends, saved, printed or sent off to Corbin for creation. It should also be noted that Corbin has never charged extra for custom colors!

For more information: www.corbin.com

Source : cycleworld[dot]com

MotoGP: Aprilia Racing Test Two Report – Valencia

Aprilia Press Release:

Three full days of work for the riders and the team marked the second time on the track for the Aprilia MotoGP project. After the Valencia tests two weeks ago Alvaro Bautista and Marco Melandri got back in the saddle of their Aprilia MotoGP bikes to prepare for the 2015 season.

Once again the weather unfortunately conditioned the progress of the testing schedule, especially on the last day (Thursday), with continuous showers and a constantly wet track.

Despite the stops and goes dictated by weather conditions, the Aprilia bike managed to confirm the fact that it “hatched well”, a fundamental quality for the development schedule to proceed consistently.

At Jerez the Aprilia riders were able to gain familiarity with the new V4 powerplant for the first time, an engine characterized by pneumatic valves. The engine, which guarantees higher levels of power than the first version with conventional valves, made its début on Wednesday since the work on Tuesday centered around fine tuning the electronics and set up with the old version.

131 laps were logged in Alvaro Bautista’s ‘three days’, with his best time stopping the clock at 1’40.6, whereas Melandri lapped 123 times, putting in a 1’41.5 for his best time.

There is still a long road of growth ahead, but the indications that came out during the tests on the Andalusian track left the entire Aprilia team satisfied and feeling positive as they head into the winter break. Testing will resume on 4 February with the official session in Malaysia on the Sepang track.

Romano Albesiano:

“Despite the poor weather we collected a lot of information, mostly positive. This was our first chance to get in some extensive use of the new pneumatic valves engine which proved to be quite promising both in terms of maximum power and manageability, despite all the work that still needs to be done on a mapping level. Alvaro continues to increase his engagement with Aprilia in a positive way, in terms of performance as well, although there is still plenty of room for improvement. As for Marco, he is continuing his apprenticeship on the Bridgestone tires, a rather complex issue that would have needed the full three days of testing so one that will have to be postponed to the next tests in Sepang.”

Alvaro Bautista:

“We can be satisfied with the way things went, even if the foul weather slowed down our work. During the first day I continued using the bike in the same configuration as the recent tests in Valencia. We concentrated on the chassis set up, finding a few solutions that I liked and the allowed us to get to know the bike fully. On the second day I was able to use the new pneumatic valve engine. It has a lot of power but there is still a lot of work to do in terms of distributing it. Today we took a few laps in the wet which were useful in any case to assess the characteristics of the new engine in these conditions. Now we will start the winter break. I’ll take a bit of a rest to recover from this long season, after which I’ll get back to training so that I’m ready for the tests in February. In the meantime I will definitely be paying a visit to Aprilia to see the hard work the engineers are doing on the bike up close and in person.”

Marco Melandri:

“These were three interesting and very demanding days at the same time. Lap after lap I am figuring out more and more where I need to improve and what I need in order to feel at ease. I still feel quite self-conscious. I think we’ll need to put in a few kilometers to find the right feeling. The new engine had a few growing pains, which is normal in this phase, but we have already seen what its positive sides are and where we will need to concentrate on improving it. We have a long period of down time ahead of use which we’ll use for development so that we’re ready for the Sepang tests. All the guys are working hard and the whole team is very enthusiastic. This is an atmosphere that gives me high hopes.”

For more information: www.aprilia.it

Source : cycleworld[dot]com

Moto2: Honda Continues as Sole-Engine Supplier thru 2018

Honda have been officially confirmed as the single-engine supplier for the Moto2 class for another four years. In other words, Honda will make engines available to ExternPro, who manages the official Moto2 engines, until the end of the 2018 season.

The confirmation of Honda as official engine supplier means that Moto2 is to remain a single engine class until at least 2018. The chances of it changing after that are very slim, despite occasional expressions of interest from other manufacturers, such as KTM.

Any proposal to introduce competition in engine supply is met with immediate opposition from the teams, who are very keen on there being only a single Moto2 engine.

They believe it radically reduces costs – competing in Moto2 is significantly cheaper than contesting the Moto3 championship – and it eliminates one variable from the competition equation. Teams do not have to worry about choosing an engine supplier, and being stuck with an underperforming engine all season. The official press release appears below:

Honda to continue to power Moto2™ racing through 2018

Honda Motor Corporation, in continued collaboration with Spanish company ExternPro, will remain as the official Moto2™ engine supplier for the next three years extending until 2018.

Since its inauguration in 2010 as the replacement for the 250cc two-stroke intermediate class, Moto2™ has run a single specification Honda CBR 600cc engine. Amongst the aims of the category are driving chassis evolution and developing rider talent and the class continually produces great racing, helping to prepare riders for MotoGP™.

From 2013, ExternPro, part of the Parque Tecnólogico de MotorLand Aragon, have been preparing the engines for competition, ensuring reliability and taking care of enigne maintenance. The three-year extension agreement will see ExternPro-prepared Honda engines featured in Grand Prix competition until at least the end of 2018.

Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta commented: “Moto2™ has been a success from the start, and just continues to get better! Honda has been our sole engine supplier since the inaugural race in 2010 and I am extremely pleased that we will continue to use its machinery for the next three years. The Honda engine has not only proved an exciting addition to the paddock, but has also been a technically very reliable asset, which is extremely important in motorsports. I would also like to welcome ExternPro on board, who have so far done a very good job during pre-season testing, and will no doubt continue to do so throughout the next three seasons.”

Shuhei Nakamoto, HRC Executive Vice-President added: “The Moto2 category continues to advance and prepare riders for the premier class and Honda are very happy to support this class for a further 3 years. Together with ExternPro and Dorna we will continue to work hard to provide the best equipment for this class”.

Photo: © 2014 Scott Jones / Photo.GP – All Rights Reserved

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

Source : asphaltandrubber[dot]com

Living the Dream – A Photographer’s Story: Malaysia

From the cool of Melbourne it was on to the heat and humidity of Malaysia, for the Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang Circuit.

Clare and I arrived into Malaysia on Tuesday evening. For our first two nights we had decided to stay in downtown Kuala Lumpur, and picked a hotel close to the Petronas Towers to give us easy access to the rest of the city.

We had treated ourselves to a room with a Twin Towers view and what a view it was. I think you would struggle to find a better view of the towers anywhere in the city.

After spending Wednesday exploring Kuala Lumpur, we met up with Stephen and Trev who arrived from Melbourne. Trev and Clare stayed in the city for a bit more sightseeing and Stephen and I headed to track to collect our credentials.

I’d not found the heat of downtown Kuala Lumpur to bad, it was hot but I was coping okay. The area of the track was a whole different ball game.

We were dropped at the accreditation center, which thankfully was next to the circuit entrance. By the time we had completed the five-minute walk to the media center I was already sweating. I was carrying my camera gear, but the extra pounds I’m currently dragging around with me didn’t help.

After settling into the media center, I set off with Stephen in search of an ATM. I’d spoken to the staff in the media center who told me there was one in the welcome center, at the other side of the track. We could apparently catch a shuttle to the welcome center from one of the security points.

Each security point we reached pointed us in the direction of the next one until we found ourselves back at the accreditation center. By now I was felling pretty hot and bothered. With no sign of a shuttle I went and asked in the accreditation center.

The guys in the accreditation center were a little surprised we had been sent in this direction. Apparently we could use a tunnel near the media center to get to the other side.

There was still no sign of a shuttle so we decided to head back to where we started to find the tunnel. We found it easily enough, but when we came out the other side we couldn’t remember if they said to turn left or right. We decided to go left.

After walking most of the way down behind the main grandstands we realised we’d gone the wrong way. Nearly an hour after first leaving the media center we finally found the welcome center. I was hot, sweaty, and pissed off with walking in the heat. I walked into the welcome center to find the f***ing ATM was out of service.

You can imagine my response. Although given the farce we had gone through getting there I wasn’t surprised. The moral of this story! Never go to a race track without any money.

We did eventually manage to get some money. Upon hearing our story the O’Stig took pity on us and gave us a lift to the airport. From there we were able to catch a shuttle to the hotel.

Dealing with the heat on Friday and Saturday was tough but manageable as I focused on the MotoGP class. Only being out for an hour at time, I was able to get back into the air conditioned media center to cool down.

Sunday however was one of the toughest experiences of the year. The Moto2 championship was a certainty to be won, and there was a possibility the Moto3 championship could be decided as well. I was therefore going to have to cover each class which meant four hours out under the baking Sepang sun.

I left the cool of the media center around 12.45pm and stepped out into the furnace. I had planned to shoot the Moto3 grid but the heat pushed me in the direction of the air conditioned media shuttles.

After shooting the race I walked back for the podium and hung around for the Moto2 grid while trying to find some shelter from the sun.

From the grid I spent a few laps at the final turn by which point I really needed to get out of the heat. There’s nowhere to shelter trackside, so I walked back to the paddock and hid around the garages until the end of the Moto2 race.

Between the end of Moto2 and the start of MotoGP I was able to return to the media center for 20 minutes to cool down and rehydrate. I found Stephen, and as I had decided not to shoot the MotoGP grid, I let him take my vest so he could.

It was around 4pm when I was finally able to get out of the heat and cool down in the media center. I was a hot sweaty mess but otherwise okay. One of the Czech photographers looked a lot worse than I did.

Despite the heat and humidity I really enjoyed Sepang. I was even able to catch up with Jensen, which is always a pleasure.

The highlight of each day was the first beer in the hotel bar. It would be fair to say that it didn’t last long.

Photos: © 2014 Tony Goldsmith / TGF Photos – All Rights Reserved

Tony Goldsmith is an Isle of Man based freelance motorcycle racing photographer specializing in the Isle of Man TT races. He has also covered selected rounds of the British Superbike Championship and MotoGP. His online archive is available at www.tgfphotos.com and he can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Source : asphaltandrubber[dot]com

AMAMX: 2015 Pro Motocross Championship Tickets Available Now

Motocross Media Press Release:

MX Sports Pro Racing and Alli Sports, a division of the NBC Sports Group, are pleased to announce that advance tickets for each round of the 2015 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, are now on sale and available for HERE.

The on-track excitement of the 2015 season kicks off on Saturday, May 16 as Northern California’s popular Hangtown Motocross Classic returns as opening round of America’s most prestigious professional motocross championship. The schedule continues throughout the summer months, making such legendary stops as Thunder Valley, High Point, RedBud, Budds Creek, Washougal, Spring Creek and Unadilla. Glen Helen returns to the schedule once again, while Muddy Creek Raceway and Miller Motorsports Park celebrate three years of hosting a round of the Pro Motocross Championship. For the first time in the series’ history, the championship schedule will culminate in Crawfordsville, Indiana with the second annual Ironman National on Aug. 22.

Utah GoPro: Ken Roczen Wins Championship:

Fans across the country will have the opportunity to watch arguably the most competitive field of racers in history engage in battle for the coveted 450 Class and 250 Class titles. Defending 450 Class Champion Ken Roczen will look to hold off a stacked field of former champions including Ryan Dungey, James Stewart and Chad Reed, in addition to proven contenders such as Eli Tomac, Trey Canard and Justin Barcia, plus many more.

The 250 Class will be a showcase of the sport’s brightest young stars, with reigning title holder Jeremy Martin headlining a long list of riders like his teammate Cooper Webb, Marvin Musquin, Justin Bogle, to name a few, in what is sure to be a captivating showdown all summer long.

For more information: www.promotocross.com

Source : cycleworld[dot]com

Spy Shots: KTM 1290 SMT – Another Beast?

KTM fans should brace themselves for another model, as the Austrians have been caught teasing a successor to the KTM 990 SMT. Based of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R platform, the new SMT borrows the Super Duke’s core, and adds proper panniers, taller suspension, more cowling, and a windscreen.

Visibly similar on the SMT are the chassis and motor of the Super Duke R, and as such the SMT highlights the same steel trellis design and single-sided swingarm.

The LC8 engine can easily be seen as well, and the SMT-sucessor can be seen with even the same stock exhaust as found on the 1290 Super Duke R.

In this machine, we can see KTM’s response to BMW and Ducati’s continued entrance into the sport/touring/adventure segment.

Presumably this KTM 1290 SMT/Supermoto T could make the Super Duke’s 177hp figure out of the box, which combined with some serious touring amenities, could give bikes like the new BMW S1000XR or the new Ducati Multistrada 1200 a serious run for their money.

It’s not clear yet how far out KTM is with this new Supermoto T model, though one would suspect that with it borrowing heavily from an already existing model, KTM could bring it to market very quickly.

By mid-summer, perhaps? As always, time will tell.

Photos: © 2014 BMH-Images — All Rights Reserved

Source : asphaltandrubber[dot]com

Video: Wayne Rainey Talks MotoAmerica

There has been a resurgence of energy in American road racing, after MotoAmerica replaced AMA Pro Road Racing as the national championship in the USA. At the helm of the resurgence is former World Champion Wayne Rainey, who is part of the KRAVE Group – the media rights holder to MotoAmerica.

Adopting class structures that fit in line with the rules and regulations found in the World Superbike Championship, MotoAmerica’s goal is once again to flood the international road racing scene with talented American riders.

Talking a little about that philosophy, with a healthy Yamaha commercial in the middle of it all, Rainey helps set the table to what American road racing fans have been waiting to hear for a long time. A stronger racing series domestically, and a path to see Americans competing at the highest levels of the sport internationally.

Source: Yamaha

Source : asphaltandrubber[dot]com