Motorcycle News - Taste of Tsukuba: A classic Suzuki GS1200SS race bike
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In May and November every year, the circuit hosts the famous ‘Taste of Tsukuba’ races. These are open to classic race bikes, and the array of the machinery lined up on the grid is mouthwatering. And when racing restarts in Japan later this year, one of the bikes on the grid will be this freshly built Suzuki GS1200SS.
Jason’s latest track weapon is this GS1200SS, which is configured to run in the Formula Zero class at Tsukuba. That means it’s a very cool mix of old and new tech, and right up our street.
With 100 horsepower on tap and a dry weight of around 460 pounds, the stock GS1200S is an excellent choice for a fun track bike. “It took me several years to master the Tsukuba circuit on my Aprilia RSV4RF, so I was ready for T.O.T. battle,” says Jason. “But finding a spec T.O.T. machine for sale is almost impossible. So you must make one from scratch, and the older bikes in Japan have a price premium.”
Jason picked up the Suzuki the next day. And because the May T.O.T. race was cancelled due to COVID19, he had time to turn the GS1200SS into the ultimate retro race bike. “I wanted to give it the most top-level spec possible. I had the time, industry friends, and a chief mechanic all at the ready.”
Starting from the front, Jason sourced a set of forged JB-Power Magtan rims from Bito. The suspension has been upgraded too, using new internals installed by Junpei Ohba of S&E Precision—a world-class Öhlins suspension engineer.
The cockpit is dominated by an AiM Solo DL2 digital display, which also handles data logging via two GPS satellite constellations and a built-in database of 2,000 racetracks. On a more analog note, Yoshimura supplied the oil pressure gauge, control switches and buttons. And there’s a modern-day carbon lever guard, and an ACTIVE quick throttle.
Oil cooling duties are handled by a 13-row set up from PLOT, and under the gas tank cover is a SuperBike83 inner race tank that feeds high-octane juice into the Mikuni flatslide TMR40 carbs. The ignition and spark are controlled by a trick AS UOTANI SPii Advanced kit, but the charging system has been removed.
Breathing is via handmade headers and a mid pipe from NOJIMA, with gases exiting through the beefy 60mm outlet of an SC-Project GP-M2 can. Power hits the back wheel via DID ERV racing chains “and a good selection of sprockets, both front and rear, depending on my mood and how I’m performing!”
Just above the swingarm are fully adjustable Babyface rearsets—better known as Sato Racing outside Japan. “We had to custom-make the base block because there’s no specific kit for the GS. We modeled it on a set intended for a Ducati Monster M1100.”
Given Jason’s racing pedigree and the specs of this incredible machine, we’re banking on a podium finish. AFG Motosports | Facebook | Instagram Motorcycles via Bike EXIF https://ift.tt/2Mf9b0c May 29, 2020 at 12:16PM
F1 News - Formula 1: Renault to stay in sport despite job losses
https://ift.tt/2XaDsBw The boss of Renault says the French car company will stay in Formula 1 beyond the end of this season. The announcement comes as Renault cut 15,000 jobs as part of a cost-saving plan because of plunging sales caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Interim chief executive Clotilde Delbos said: "We confirm that we intend to stay in F1. We are here and we stay." Delbos said the introduction of a cap on teams' budgets from 2021 had been an important part of their decision. "The new regulations, new cap in term of investments," she said, "because we had less investment than some of our competitors who are spending a lot of money." F1 has introduced a sliding-scale budget cap, starting at $145m (£114m) in 2021, reducing to $140m in 2022 and settling on $135m in 2023-25. It is part of a series of changes aimed at levelling the field. Renault has a smaller operation than top teams Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull and sees the cap as an opportunity to return to competitiveness. Delbos last year announced a major review of Renault's entire operations following her replacement of former boss Carlos Ghosn, who is in exile in Lebanon after escaping from Japan where he was facing financial misconduct charges. Renault returned to F1 in 2016 and had been climbing progressively up the championship until they slipped one place to fifth last year, at the same time as the internal review was announced. Earlier this month, the team discovered lead driver Daniel Ricciardo was leaving at the end of 2020 to join McLaren. The Australian was signed on a two-year deal for 2019 and 2020 worth more than $50m and had been emblematic of Renault's ambition to return to title-winning form. Double world champion Fernando Alonso is considered the favourite to replace Ricciardo after two years away from the sport. Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, who is leaving the Italian team at the end of this season after not being offered a new contract, is another leading candidate. #F1 via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://ift.tt/OHg7x6 May 29, 2020 at 06:15AM
F1 News - Formula 1: Williams considering selling team after £13m loss last year
https://ift.tt/3gsN02t Williams is considering selling its Formula 1 team and entire company group after posting a £13m loss last year. The momentous decision marks a major change in policy for a company whose founder, Sir Frank Williams, had always insisted on retaining control. A "new strategic direction" could involve a whole or partial sale of the company, including the F1 team. Williams also says it is in "preliminary discussions with a small number of potential investors". More to follow. #F1 via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://ift.tt/OHg7x6 May 29, 2020 at 03:21AM
MotoGP News - MotoGP News: British and Australian MotoGP rounds cancelled for 2020
https://ift.tt/2ZRgdOz The British and Australian MotoGP races have been called off for this season, bringing the total number of race cancellations in 2020 up to five. The British MotoGP at Silverstone had been scheduled for 30 August, while the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island was in the initial race calendar for 25 October. But with the United Kingdom set to impose a mandatory two-week quarantine for anyone arriving from outside of Great Britain and Ireland from 8 June, the feasibility of arranging a race which would likely to have been held behind closed doors at Silverstone has meant the race has been cancelled. It follows the recent cancellation of the 2017 British MotoGP when bad weather combined with track surfacing and drainage issues forced that race to be called off. Similar logistic problems have also meant the Australian MotoGP has been canned for 2020, while fitting the race into a suitable calendar slot within seasonal weather conditions to race at Phillip Island has also posed an issue. "We're saddened to have to announce the cancellation of these iconic events after finding no way through the logistical and operational issues resulting from the pandemic and rearranged calendar," Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports, said. "Silverstone and Phillip Island are always two of the most thrilling race weekends of the season, with both tracks never failing in their promise to deliver some of the closest racing in our Championship. "On behalf of Dorna, I would like to once again extend my thanks to the fans for their understanding and patience as we wait for the situation to improve. We look forward to returning to Silverstone and Phillip Island next year for more incredible battles." MotoGP had previously cancelled the season-opening Qatar round, although the Moto2 and Moto3 classes held their races at Losail as scheduled as both championships were already in the country when the coronavirus pandemic struck. The races in the Netherlands, Finland and Germany have also been struck from the schedule, while several other races have been postponed to later in the year. Although the FIM and Dorna are yet to publish a revised 2020 calendar, the series has secured an agreement to host the opening two rounds at Jerez, pending approval from the Spanish government. Should those plans come to fruition, the 2020 MotoGP season will start with the Spanish Grand Prix on 19 July, followed by the Grand Prix of Andalusia on the same venue on 26 July. Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei May 29, 2020 at 02:49AM
Motorcycle News - MO Tested: IXS Flame Heat-Retardant Base Layer Review
https://ift.tt/2zFkyK3 Many, many moons ago, I club raced for five years, and one of my favorite stories from that era involves a high-speed crash in Turn 7 of the big track at Willow Springs. Every Saturday, at the end of the day, expert riders had the chance to sign up for practice starts. Novice racers had these required as part of their school day. So, on the first of the practice starts, during the warmup lap, where we’re trying to get heat in the tires, a novice racer commits the cardinal sin of abruptly chopping his throttle on the back straight where everyone is WFO heading for the ultra-fast Turn 8. He went from motoring away from me on his much larger displacement bike to essentially dropping a high-compression anchor. The result was that I barely had time to cut my throttle before I plowed into him. The impact of the collision pitched his Buell to the pavement with enough force to push the clip-on through the side of the tank, and the bike immediately burst into flames as it slid down the track. I vividly remember sliding through the ball of fire before my world went all ground-sky-ground-sky. When I came to a stop on my hands and knees, I took mental inventory, stood, flipped up my visor and looked down to survey the damage to my leathers only to discover that My arms and legs were on fire! I rolled on the ground and with a little help from the other rider, got the flames extinguished. So, now you know why former EiC Kevin Duke used to occasionally refer to me as Fireball. With that experience in my track riding past, you can imagine how I knew I had to get a set of the iXS Flame base layer the moment I saw the press release. While, if you are in the same situation as I was in full leathers, they are hardy enough to protect you as mine did, but if you’re riding in textile gear, the heat and flame retardant nature of the Flame base layer may come in handy in a slide, where friction could melt textile; through contact with a hot exhaust where it, again, melts the textile; or in the highly unlikely event of catching fire, like I did. Constructed of a mixture of viscose, aramid, mondacrylic, and other fibers, the iXS Flame base layer feels like a well-worn set of cotton pajamas – only form-fitting. The design places the seams where they won’t irritate the rider’s skin as they sweat. The nature of the fabric makes it ideal for keeping you warm on cold days and cool on hot ones, and I’ve experienced both on the same day at the KTM 1290 Super Duke R intro where we had a cool, misty morning street ride followed by an afternoon on the track. The fabric’s ability to wick away moisture really does assist in keeping you cool. In the few months I’ve been riding with the iXS Flame base layer, I’ve found only one small niggle. Because the fabric is so soft, it tends to get pushed up my arms and legs when I’m putting a jacket or pants over it. The solution is to hold the sleeve end in my hand when donning a jacket and putting my socks on over the legs for the pants. If you’re shopping for a good base layer, consider adding the iXS Flame shirt and pants to your riding kit. The iXS Flame shirt is available in sizes M-2XL for $89 directly from iXS. Unfortunately, the pants appear to be no longer available on the iXS website. We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews and other articles. Learn more about how this works. The post MO Tested: IXS Flame Heat-Retardant Base Layer Review appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Motorcycles via Motorcycle.com https://ift.tt/2Std7JO May 28, 2020 at 05:14PM
MotoGP News - MotoGP News: Bikes on track for first time since February as KTM runs Red Bull Ring test
https://ift.tt/2ZMWmQC KTM broke the silence of the coronavirus-forced shutdown on MotoGP by completing a two-day private test at Austrian Grand Prix venue the Red Bull Ring this week. MotoGP has been on enforced shutdown since the beginning of March, after the COVID-19 crisis forced the opening race in Qatar to be cancelled and subsequent 10 events to be scrubbed from the schedule. Plans are in place to begin the season on 19 July at Jerez with the first of two races in a week at the Spanish GP venue. With lockdown restrictions easing across Austria, KTM took the opportunity to run Pol Espargaro and test rider Dani Pedrosa on Wednesday and Thursday with a crew of 20, who all tested negatively for COVID-19. Rookie Brad Binder was unable to attend due to travel restrictions in his native South Africa. Commenting on the test, Espargaro said: "I don't think I have ever been so long without a bike - especially one for competition - so it was a little bit difficult in the first few runs yesterday but I was quickly up to the kind of rhythm I was setting in Qatar. "It was great to get back in action and I think we all felt that: there were a lot of smiling faces in the box. Technically we made some improvements. "The first priority was to get our feeling back with the bike but we also brought quite a lot to test and this was interesting. "The good weather meant we could play with a lot on the bike and we improved mostly with the chassis but also some electronics. I'm really happy. "Now just to look forward to the first race." KTM's test marked the first time any MotoGP bikes have been on track since the Qatar test at the end of February. As it is a concession manufacturer, KTM is permitted to carry out private testing with its race riders. Aprilia is expected to follow suit in the coming weeks in the run up to the intended opening round of the season in July. Ahead of the first race, an official test for all teams will be staged on the Wednesday prior to the weekend. KTM intends to carry out one further private test before July. Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei May 28, 2020 at 12:09PM
MotoGP News - MotoGP News: Miller explains "stoked" feelings from Ducati factory deal
https://ift.tt/2ZJTuDX Jack Miller says he's "stoked" that Ducati has chosen him as its "young guy" to take the fight to MotoGP's dominant force Marc Marquez in seasons to come. The Australian has been named as a 2021 factory Ducati rider, securing a promotion from the satellite Pramac squad where he scored five podiums last year. He is the first rider to be signed by the Borgo Panigale marque, whose negotiations with Andrea Dovizioso have stalled over financial disagreements, although it appears unlikely Dovizioso's current team-mate Danilo Petrucci will be retained beyond this year. Miller said he felt a generational shift had been taking place in recent years with Yamaha signing Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo and Suzuki placing its faith in Alex Rins and Joan Mir - and he is delighted that Ducati has shown its confidence in his abilities. "I remember thinking last year that I felt the rider market in MotoGP was in for a bit of a shake-up in the short-term because of the way Marc has been on top most of the time since he's been in," the 25-year-old wrote on his official website. "He's only a couple of years older than me, but at first it was the older guys like Valentino [Rossi], Jorge [Lorenzo] and Dani [Pedrosa] who were his main opponents. "But things have changed. Yamaha have Maverick who is my age, Suzuki have Alex and Joan, and I was hoping Ducati would see me as their young guy who has been around for a while but is still pretty young to get into that conversation. "Marc is the benchmark, so the main goal for all of the other factories is to get somewhere close to him. "I'm stoked that Ducati see me as their guy in that age range to try to fight amongst ourselves and hopefully with Marc in years to come." Miller made the switch from the Honda camp to Ducati in 2018, starting off on Pramac's year-old Desmosedici GP17 before progressing to the factory-specification GP19 last year. The Australian said his two seasons riding for the satellite outfit had allowed him to learn "a lot about myself as a person, as a rider, about everything to do with the sport" and how to improve in the short stint at the team. "They've helped me to become a more complete rider and person and I've loved the time they've spent investing in me, it's made me hungrier than ever to keep getting better and making the most of that," he wrote. "The Pramac guys have been so close to the factory team that I've learned how factory riders are supposed to be, supposed to work. "It's had a big effect on the way I approach my racing, and there's a methodical way of working that I had to learn, but it's one where you can have a lot more impact on the way the team and bike works. More responsibility, basically. I've really enjoyed that." Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei May 28, 2020 at 05:24AM
F1 News - Dutch Grand Prix cancelled because of coronavirus pandemic
https://ift.tt/2B4JgUp The 2020 Dutch Grand Prix has been cancelled because of the global coronavirus pandemic. The race, which was set to return to the Formula 1 calendar for the first time since 1985, was due to be held on 3 May but was initially postponed. "We were completely ready for this race and we still are," said Dutch Grand Prix sports director Jan Lammers. "We ask everyone to be patient. I had to look forward to it for 35 years, so I can wait another year." "An unbelievable achievement has been made thanks to all the fans, the companies and the governments involved. "We and Formula 1 have investigated the potential to hold a rescheduled race this year without spectators, but we would like to celebrate this moment, the return of Formula 1 in Zandvoort, together with our racing fans in the Netherlands." #F1 via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://ift.tt/OHg7x6 May 28, 2020 at 04:09AM
F1 News - Formula 1's cost-cutting proposals approved by FIA
https://ift.tt/2XARf3h Formula 1's plan for cost-cutting measures has been approved by the sport's governing body the FIA. The changes to the sporting, technical and financial regulations were passed by e-vote at Wednesday's world motorsport council meeting. It was "due to the need to reduce costs and safeguard the sport in light of the Covid-19 pandemic", said a statement. F1 had previously agreed to introduce a budget cap for the 2021 season, but these new measures go further. Last Friday teams voted to accept a plan to lower the budget cap to be introduced next year by $30m to $145m (£114m). This will be reduced again to $140m in 2022 and $135m for the period 2023-25. This is one of a series of measures aimed at reducing costs and levelling the field, including a research-and-development handicap system. #F1 via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://ift.tt/OHg7x6 May 27, 2020 at 03:39PM
Motorcycle News - Kawasaki is Developing a Slingshot Competitor That Leans
https://ift.tt/2ZJZVae Kawasaki is working on a three-wheeled vehicle similar to the Polaris Slingshot, but with one key difference: it leans into turns. A patent published by the European Patent Office describes Kawasaki’s vehicle as two wheels up front and one at the rear, just like the Slingshot. Also like Polaris’ autocycle, the vehicle sits two, side-by-side, with the driver behind a steering wheel. Where it differs is a rolling mechanism that allows the three-wheeler to lean while cornering. Unlike leaning three-wheelers like the Yamaha Niken and Tricity or Piaggio‘s MP3, only the vehicle body and the rear wheel leans while the two front wheels remain vertical. That’s because it’s the two wheels that makes the vehicle turn, like a car, rather than the lean like single-track vehicles. The purpose of the lean, according to the patent, isn’t for turning but rather to counteract the centrifugal force of a turn that would normally push the driver away from the cornering side. Each of the front wheels is fitted with a steering knuckle and is suspended by its own twin-tube fork. The rolling mechanism is made of two arms (#40, #41 and #51 in the diagrams above) that attach the the forks on one end and the chassis on the other. The two struts shown in the diagrams (#64) are attached to each front wheel’s lower arms but they serve more as dampers to prevent the chassis from rolling too much. Adjusting the preload on these struts will affect how readily the chassis leans into turns. The patent describes how the two front tires will have a more rectangular profile, like a car tire, since the wheels don’t lean. The rear wheel, however, uses a rounded motorcycle-style tire to better maintain grip while leaned over. The rear wheel is chain driven, and is presumably mounted on a swingarm, though the patent doesn’t provide much detail about the rear suspension. The drive source (#25 in the diagram above) is an internal combustion engine with a transmission, though the patent says an electric or even a hybrid system could also be used. Unlike the Slingshot, Kawasaki’s patent positions the engine at the rear, behind the seats. The patent application was initially filed in Japan on Nov. 22, 2018, but we suspect it’ll still be a while before we see an actual product from Kawasaki (if at all). Much of the patent deals with the front end and the leaning mechanism, with no indication of how development of the rest of the vehicle has progressed. The post Kawasaki is Developing a Slingshot Competitor That Leans appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Motorcycles via Motorcycle.com https://ift.tt/2Std7JO May 27, 2020 at 01:11PM |
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