Car Parts 2011

So after my last post on La Carrera Panamericana, I've been digging around for street circuit racing. Everyone knows the big ones-- Monaco, Road Atlanta, Isle of Man, Adelaide, and so on.


However, no circuit has a more frightening right hander than Guia's hotel turn. Honestly, it's as if this track was designed to decapitate! Kudos to the racers... this is just too beast and I'm at a loss for words.









Happy Thursday ya'll, we're almost there!

Mick Doohan

Valentino Rossi "the doctor"

Nicky Hayden "kentucky kid"

Barry Sheene

Kevin Schwanz

Kenny "the king" Roberts

Wayne Rainey

Valentino Rossi

Garry "Slide King" McCoy

Source: motobiketv.info, cbrforum.com, crooks-suzuki.com, roadracerx.com, culture24.org.uk, superbike.co.uk, motorcyclistonline.com, telegraph.co.uk, formulaworldshop.com, eticketride.com, sportbikeclub.com, bikeexif.com, derekclegg.net, thefilmstage.com, motorcycle-specs.com, automotive.com, topspeed.com, reach.net

"Win on Sunday; Sell on Monday" is a phrase that's been used since the inception of motorsport.  It gained huge popularity with marketing departments in the 60s when muscle cars ruled the dragstrip and NASCAR's ovals were filled with cars that were close to showroom stock.  There are still cars like the Porsche GT3, Corvette Z06, and Viper ACR that abide by this marketing scheme.  However, these are all quite expensive and extensively modified for race duty.

In the world of motorcycles, this old adage still holds true. Although Honda didn't reach the top step of the podium at Daytona this weekend, this wasn't always the case.  One man has held two very rare Hondas in their original shipping crates for nearly 20 years.




Novices to the sportbike world will just see these two bikes and think of old graphics schemes and square tubed frames.  For road racing enthusiasts, these were the cream of the crop.  Their engineering at the time was second to none.

The RC30 (VFR750R) was a race homologation used in superbike series around the world.  It housed a 90 degree V4 which displaced 748cc.  Redline was achieved at 12,000 rpm with the help of titanium connecting rods and power figures are listed as anywhere between 86-112 horsepower depending on the country of sale.  All this was wrapped in a 420lb package.  Those are on par with today's inline-4 600cc supersport bikes.

The NR750, on the other hand, was primarily a road bike because its concept had previously failed in Grand Prix racing.  The NR's 747cc V-four motor used oval shaped pistons to increase the cylinder size and therefore fit eight valves per cylinder instead of the conventional four.  Of course the reasoning was that more valves resulted in better flow and more power.  It's value lies in this quirky technology and exclusivity.  Only 200 were made with a $50,000 price tag.

Here are a few more videos for your viewing pleasure:

Deus Ex Machina - Temple Of Enthusiasm, Bali from Deus Customs on Vimeo.

Sometimes I go to bed with comforting thoughts. I've got plenty of time and it'll be a while yet before I turn 25. But then the following morning, I would jump out of bed, look into the mirror, and tear my hair out with panic. I'm almost 25 and I've yet to figure out what to do with myself.

On that note, there's a lot that can be said about Adam Cramer. He figured his strengths and weaknesses and knew what it is he wanted to do at a young age. Anybody can see the passion he puts into his work. I mean, look at his shop! He even said he never bothered to count the exact amount of motorcycles.


Handmade Portraits: Liberty Vintage Motorcycles from Etsy on Vimeo.

His criticism to the new youths of America aside, I only hope to one day discover my own crystal clear destiny. It isn't very likely that I would become a vintage motorcycle mechanic but the whole idea of automotive journalism makes me pretty happy. And I'm not even getting paid for it.

Go out there and have a good weekend everybody!

To our viewers out there in Japan, our thoughts are with you. Hang in there, we wish for great success in your rescue efforts.

And nothing is more British than a Triumph.

No words are needed to understand this beautiful video.  Great find, Keqing!



Here is the general synopsis of the ad...

The chain smoking Asian voiceover asks, "Why do we live?" while the camera takes a turn on each of the five grandpas who are sitting at home just waiting for it all to be over. (For the sake of storytelling, we've got Elmer, Daffy, Porky, Bugs, Taz and Wile E.)

Elmer Fudd is in mourning, Daffy is diagnosed with lung cancer, Porky counts his pills, Bugs is deaf (ironic, huh?) but receives a phone call from Taz that Wile E. Coyote has just passed away. "EH???"

The gang meets for a get-together and even leaves a seat to place Wile E.'s picture. The plate of hot food barely touches the table when suddenly BAM! Taz needs to get out and ride! "EH???"

They're 81 years old. One of them is deaf, another is diagnosed with cancer, and the other three have heart disease. They all have arthritis. Yet within six months of physical prep, they set out to do the awesome.

A 2,139 mile journey across Taiwan, from north to south, in 13 days.

The chain smoking voiceover ends with this: Why do we live? To realize our dreams. When the ordinary folk do the extraordinary. yada yada yada "TC Bank."

No words are needed to understand this beautiful video, but the key bit of information you almost missed was that this is, in fact, a true story.

-Choy

The MotoGP silly season is officially over and the riders have concluded their first day of testing in Malaysia.  For those interested, the times can be found here.  If you just want to hear about highlights and analysis, read on.

crash.net

First and foremost before any thoughts go into this, remember the 2011 rules will be thrown out the window after this season.  For 2012, the premiere class is going back to 1000cc from its current 800cc format (Hallelujah!).  With that being said, it can be assumed that these bikes are highly modified versions of last year's bike and not clean sheet designs.  Sadly, the majority of the changes probably deal with the electronics for traction control and anti-wheelie.  It would just be a waste of money and resources to build new bikes from the ground up for a single year.

That being said, the factory teams are still willing to throw around a lot of money.  Look no further than the biggest motorcycle manufacturer in the world to prove this.  Honda, contrary to recent MotoGP practice, is running a three rider factory squad with Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner, and Andrea Dovizioso.  It seems to have paid off for Honda in these preliminary stages.  Stoner topped the time sheets today just like he did during the test at the end of the 2010 season.

crash.net

This isn't terribly surprising as Honda makes very competent machines.  Add in the fact that Casey just spent the last four seasons riding a bucking bronco in the form of Ducati's Motogp contender and you can see why he can ride something as smooth as a Honda so effectively.

Casey was followed by Jorge Lorenzo (Factory Yamaha), Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), Marco Simoncelli (Gresini Honda), and Ben Spies (Factory Yamaha).  No surprises here. They all rode for those manufacturers last year.  The news that everyone wants to hear about is down in twelfth position.

crash.net

Down there sits Valentino Rossi aboard his new-to-him Ducati Desmosedici GP11.  Many of the Rossi faithful are a bit worried about this.  Last time he switched teams was back in 2004 to the uncompetitive Yamaha.  He won his debut race on the M1, went on to take the crown, and we all know the rest.  Well, these days Vale is a bit older and still recovering from shoulder surgery.  Trying to tame the GP11 is a monumental task for anyone.  Consider the fact that Nicky Hayden is entering his third year with the Ducati and was a position lower than Rossi and it becomes understandable that the Desmosedici is a beast.

History has shown that Rossi along with Crew Chief Jeremy Burgess have been a dynamic duo.  Just look at the seven Motogp titles.  They've had the Midas touch with just about everything they've raced.  Can they do it again even with Rossi in poor fitness?  The answers will come after the curtain closes on the season opener on March 20.