MotoGP News - Petrucci moves to Tech3 as KTM confirms 2021 MotoGP line-up
https://ift.tt/3fWy2Az KTM has officially announced that Danilo Petrucci has signed for the Austrian marque to join Tech3 for 2021, with Miguel Oliveira promoted to the factory team. Petrucci confirmed earlier this month that he would be leaving Ducati at the end of this season, and was reported by Italian press to have visited KTM with his manager last week. Though his manager initially stated only discussions had been held, and that they were "positive", it soon transpired that a deal between KTM and Petrucci had been signed. However, at the time, it appeared as if Petrucci would be joining the works KTM team. Instead, Petrucci will join Tech3 alongside Iker Lecuona, with Oliveira moving up to the factory squad alongside Brad Binder. "It gives me great pleasure to stick these four hungry guys together for our MotoGP program," KTM boss Pit Beirer said. "Brad and Miguel have a productive working relationship and have shown the talent and the desire to win races through all stages of grand prix. "We believe they have the determination necessary to push our MotoGP project forward. "The same goes for Red Bull KTM Tech3 where we're happy to bring Danilo into the family. "His experience counts for a lot but we're also banking on a rider that is committed and with the right attitude. "We believe he still has something to show in MotoGP. On one side we are investing in MotoGP front-runners 'of the future' but they could easily become stars already in 2021 and that would be exciting to see. "We have two set-ups but really it is one big team with all four athletes on the same bikes and with the same possibilities. "Our riders' development and success will be a great KTM story and it will taste even sweeter to take these guys to new heights in such a tough competition." Petrucci made his MotoGP debut back in 2012 on the uncompetitive Ioda CRT package, before joining Ducati's ranks in 2015 at Pramac. Becoming a works-supported rider at Pramac in 2018, Petrucci was chosen to replace Jorge Lorenzo at the factory Ducati squad last year and managed to secure his debut victory at the Italian Grand Prix. Oliveira will take Pol Espargaro's place at KTM next year, after it was first revealed by Autosport that he will join Marc Marquez at Honda in 2021. The Portuguese rider turned down the offer to replace Johann Zarco at KTM's works team for this year, though felt aggrieved when the Austrian marque picked Brad Binder instead. Petrucci's place at Ducati has gone to former Pramac team-mare Jack Miller, while Andrea Dovizioso looks set to agree a new deal with the Italian marque despite negotiations having been slow owing to a disagreement over salary. At Pramac, KTM Moto2 frontrunner Jorge Martin is set to make his MotoGP debut with the Ducati satellite team, with Francesco Bagnaia expected to keep his place. Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei June 25, 2020 at 09:02AM
Motorcycle News - 2020 BMW Motorrad Heritage Collection
https://ift.tt/2A7YV5u If you’re a fan of Bavarian airheads, oilheads, water-cooled boxers or flying bricks you can now fly the BMW flag both on and off your motorcycle. The 2020 BMW Motorrad Heritage Collection features a range of both casual streetwear and purpose-built riding apparel for their discerning followers and fans. The new range is BMW Motorrad’s first attempt at creating a ‘ride & style’ collection. The comprehensive collection includes riding gear such as leather jackets, abrasion-resistant denim, gloves and boots and casualwear like t-shirts, caps and dress shirts. Motorcycles via Return of the Cafe Racers https://ift.tt/2M9riRb June 25, 2020 at 08:16AM
F1 News - Formula 1 to launch diversity foundation to fund apprenticeships & scholarships
https://ift.tt/31f0HNa Formula 1 is setting up a foundation to fund apprenticeships and scholarships to increase diversity in the sport. The foundation has a start-up fund of $1m (£804,000), which has been provided personally by F1 chairman and chief executive Chase Carey. The fund will grow with contributions from others, both within and outside the sport. F1 and world governing body the FIA are to instigate a plan to promote drivers from diverse backgrounds. This will, according to a statement, "identify and systematically eliminate barriers to entry from grass roots karting to Formula 1". World champion Lewis Hamilton is so far the only driver of Afro-Caribbean descent to make it into F1. The 35-year-old has in recent weeks been outspoken on the subject of race and diversity, in the wake of the global Black Lives Matter protests that followed the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis last month. Carey said: "We fully recognise that Formula 1 needs to be more inclusive and diverse. "While we set out our strategy last year to improve the position of our sport, we need, and want, to do more. "That is why we will establish a task force to listen and ensure the right initiatives are identified to increase diversity in Formula 1. "We want to ensure we give people from all backgrounds the best chances to work in Formula 1 regardless of their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or physical abilities. "We are therefore also taking the initial step of creating a foundation to support key educational and employment opportunities across Formula 1 that will give under-represented talent the chance to work in this incredible sport and build an exciting career." #F1 via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://ift.tt/OHg7x6 June 25, 2020 at 07:33AM
F1 News - McLaren poised to secure loan from National Bank of Bahrain
https://ift.tt/3dwFEs3 McLaren is poised to secure a loan from the National Bank of Bahrain to solve its cash-flow problems, BBC Sport has learned. #F1 via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://ift.tt/OHg7x6 June 24, 2020 at 09:57AM
Motorcycle News - Unlikely Candidate – Strakell Motorcycles Triumph Sprint 900
https://ift.tt/2BEGTIb If you’re on the lookout for a donor bike for you next cafe racer build have you considered a tourer? In many cases, tourers are developed on very capable performance platforms. Usually, a tourer will feature a re-tuned engine to deliver power appropriately and a more robust frame and utilitarian bodywork added for heavy hauling. Tourers can also sometimes be sourced for a fraction of the price of the bikes they were based on. The only catch is finding a low mile example and accepting the extra work involved with converting them into a cafe racer. Motorcycles via Return of the Cafe Racers https://ift.tt/2M9riRb June 24, 2020 at 03:44AM
Motorcycle News - 2020 Honda Africa Twin Quick Ride Review
https://ift.tt/3g3M8jV Any motorcycle reviewer will tell you it takes a long ride and several miles to really understand how good – or bad – a motorcycle is. This is especially true when the motorcycle in question is a model refresh and not an entirely new machine. But this might be the first time I can remember where just riding from my house to the stop sign at the end of my street left an impression that would last my entire time with the bike. The updated, 2020 Honda Africa Twin is good. Really good. Despite the AT’s generally positive reception in 2016, the call for more power is a loud one to ignore. Not that the bike was slow, but when placed against its (bigger) rivals the lack of muscle was apparent. Even on its own, whenever we’ve twisted an Africa Twin’s throttle, excitement and gusto weren’t generally the emotions that followed. Honda has listened with the new 2020 Africa Twin. The headlining feature, of course, is the larger engine, but Honda took a holistic approach to improving the entire bike, too. We’ve become desensitized to it now, but it seems like whenever a manufacturer gives a model a significant update, the PR buzzwords usually sound something like this: Bigger Lighter Slimmer And smarter than ever before! The new Africa Twin follows that playbook to a Tee. Here’s the thing: It really is all of those things. For better or for worse. More on that in a moment. No Replacement For DisplacementAs regular MO readers know, I’ve pigeon-holed myself as the sportbike guy on staff. I don’t mind it, really, but it’s also because, quite frankly, I suck in the dirt. Big ADVs are especially intimidating, which made my Africa Twin assignment all the more daunting. Alas, John and Ryan were busy with other assignments, and Evans is even worse at the dirty stuff than I am. However, trading my leathers for adventure gear has been on my to-do list lately, and while I thought I’d start off on something a lot smaller, the Africa Twin turned out to be an accommodating partner. I’ve ridden the previous Africa Twin, and I have distinct memories of feeling completely ambivalent about the engine. It’s not quite underwhelming, but ambivalence is not a character trait you want in any motorcycle, let alone in an ADV. This new 1,084cc 270-degree Parallel-Twin is a complete transformation. Not only does it sound kinda throaty even with the stock muffler (and even better with a pipe), but the power hit you feel in your butt is a noticeable improvement from before. As Dennis covered in his 2020 Africa Twin First Look piece, Honda went with a longer stroke (81.5 mm vs. 75.1 mm) to get more cubic centimeters. Bore stays the same as before. As Dennis also notes, the other changes include: a larger throttle body (46mm vs 44mm) and modified air intake for a smoother profile. The ECU was updated, and the fuel injectors were re-angled to more directly spray into the twin-spark combustion chambers. Honda also revised the cylinder head, optimized the valve timing, and increased the intake valve lift to 10.1mm (from 9.2mm) and the exhaust valve lift to 9.3mm (from 8.6mm). The cylinder sleeves are now aluminum, for weight reduction. Honda says the new engine sheds 5.5 lbs with the standard transmission and 4.9 lbs with the DCT. The DCT itself is improved from before thanks to the integration of the Bosch MM7.10 IMU, new for 2020. We opted for the standard transmission this time around for our tester, but a test with the DCT will come later. These modest improvements don’t sound like much, but from the saddle the AT downright moves the moment you ask it to. Bottom and mid-range torque is much improved from what I remember from the previous Africa Twin. Honda says there’s just a 6% power increase, but boy, what a difference 6% makes. This obviously works out well on the pavement in the first few gears, but you can also take advantage of the extra bump in sixth gear. You don’t need to plan ahead to pass a slower vehicle on the freeway as you did before. Now, if you think it, the Honda will do it. While we had to shift our own gears the old fashioned way, no quickshifters or anything, the gearbox on the Africa Twin is an absolute gem. Each shift is clean and crisp, with a positive engagement. The revised slip-assist clutch is smaller in diameter with reduced spring tension, and the pull at the lever is as light as you could want. Chassis ChangesNext, Honda turned to the chassis for further weight loss, but more than just slimming it down, Honda engineers aimed to trim down the bike’s dimensions, too. The purpose was two-fold: cutting weight, obviously, but also to revise the AT’s handling characteristics to make it easier to handle off-road. The entire frame and subframe are changed from before, with several little changes that make up a complete whole. For instance, the steering head twist point has been revised for better front-end feel, the main spars are straighter for better handling under braking, the cross pipe at the main frame is gone for better chassis flex, the pivot plate material is now high-strength steel instead of pressed steel, and the cross tube at the pivot plates is relocated for better feel at the back. While the changes to the frame are hard to spot with the naked eye, the changes to the subframe are more apparent. For starters, it’s now a bolt-on, removable piece instead of being welded to the main frame. It’s aluminum for weight savings and 40mm narrower at the seat rails – a difference you can see by simply standing behind it. Honda looked to its CRF450R motocross machine for inspiration when redesigning the swingarm of the Africa Twin, too, giving it increased rigidity while also shaving a pound. When it’s all added together (or should that be subtracted?), Honda says the new Africa Twin tips the scales at 501 lbs and 524 lbs with the standard transmission and DCT, respectively. Both are six-pound reductions from before. Opt for the Adventure Sports version, with electronic suspension, tubeless wheels, a 6.5-gallon fuel tank (versus 5 gallons on the standard), taller screen, slightly larger fairings, along with a host of other little changes we’ll cover in more detail in a future, dedicated test, and weight bumps up to 530 lbs for the standard and 553 lbs for the DCT – both three pounds lighter than before. Riding ItSo, a revised Africa Twin with more power, less weight, and a slimmer profile? By now you’re wondering what it’s like to ride. The answer, as I’ve already alluded to earlier, is very satisfying. Humming along down the highway or around town is a breeze, with gear selection (again, we had the standard transmission this time) a non-issue as there’s enough torque to lug you out of any situation. Sitting in it doesn’t leave you feeling like you’re surrounded by a large adventure machine, built to travel to the deepest corners of the Earth. The seat/tank junction is comfortable for a bike of this size, with the bars understandably high and fairly wide. It’s a neutral and pleasant place to be. Now is a good time to point out Honda’s separation between the standard Africa Twin and the Adventure Sports, with the former like our tester designed as the more off-road-focused of the two, and the latter geared more towards adventure and touring. As such, standard models have a fixed, shorter windscreen, long-travel analog suspension, and tubed tires. Still, for my 5-foot, 8-inch frame, the low position of the screen wasn’t much of a bother at speed, and the notoriously bad SoCal roads could hardly be felt underneath the fully adjustable Showa suspension – 9.1 inches (front) and 9.4 inches (rear) of travel is plenty to soak up road imperfections. Since I am the sportbike guy after all, I feel inclined to mention its on-road handling. Considering the 21/18 wheel combo, 27º rake, and 113mm trail, the Africa Twin understandably takes its time bending into corners. Urgency isn’t one of its traits on the road, so just tip it in, stay neutral through the bend, and come out the other side with as little drama as possible. Rinse and repeat until the road goes straight again. Or, you can use the pavement as a stop-gap between unpaved routes. And while I have to reiterate again how meager my off-road chops are, the Africa Twin inspired loads of confidence to stand up and let the rear get loose. A Word On ElectronicsThis confidence comes partially from its easy road manners, but primarily from the biggest addition to the Africa Twin – the inclusion of Bosch’s MM7.10 six-axis IMU. With it, Honda and Bosch have brought the Africa Twin solidly into the digital world, bestowing the advantages that provides, like:
Having this kind of safety net really does provide peace of mind to explore your personal limits a little more than you otherwise would. In the case of the Africa Twin, a total of six ride modes (Tour, Urban, Off-Road, Gravel, and two Rider Modes) mix up the power, HSTC, engine brake, ABS, and wheelie control settings, with the rider able to fine-tune any of these settings to their liking in either of the two Rider Modes (one for on-road and one for off-road, as an example). These modes are adjustable on the fly, assuming the throttle is closed, by simply tapping the up or down arrows on the left grip. Or you can delve deeper into the menus with the touchscreen 6.5-inch TFT display. On the surface, the most basic and often used settings are relatively easy to navigate and manipulate. It’s when you want to get more in-depth that things start to get confusing since you can scroll through the menu screen or push a series of numerous buttons scattered throughout the left and right switchgears. For example, there are four different power settings, three levels of engine braking, three ABS settings (on-road, off-road, and off), eight levels of traction control (1-7, plus off), and three wheelie control settings. There are even more options if you have the Adventure Sports and/or DCT models. Adding to the intimidation factor are the three different screen displays to choose from (Gold, Silver, and Bronze). Lastly, if you feel inclined to wirelessly connect your phone and/or communicator to the Africa Twin via Bluetooth, the Honda integrates well, but again requires a number of button presses. If all of this sounds daunting, don’t worry – Honda has a series of videos available to walk you through the process. Then again, the need for an online video tutorial kinda says all you need to know about its complexity. I assume if this were your primary bike you’d learn and adapt to the controls. But for those lucky souls who jump on different machines frequently, the learning curve is pretty steep. As it were, it was easy enough to focus on the necessary buttons I’d mostly be using and ignore the rest. Now Back To The DirtMoving from the asphalt to the dirt, some button taps moved me into off-road mode, which then activated off-road ABS (giving relaxed thresholds for activation), softened the power application slightly, and ramped up engine braking. I went in further and lowered the HSTC to its lowest setting because, well, I like kicking the rear end loose (but I still want the bike to protect me from myself if I get carried away). Once you’re standing on the pegs, the bar placement makes perfect sense. Granted, my well of knowledge when it comes to this sort of thing is limited, but the bars felt perfectly placed in the standing position to allow me to move the bike around to select my line and still work the controls. What’s more, the narrow seat/tank junction that’s a hit while sitting works well when standing to squeeze your knees against the tank. The bolster of the tank towards the top is shaped nicely to rest your upper thighs, too. Obviously I avoided taking the Africa Twin down any single track, but in the wider off-road expanses I explored, the AT was a gentle dance partner over multiple surfaces. The linear power delivery helped the road-biased tires grip, and when I deliberately poured on the coals, the AT would break loose predictably, with HSTC kicking in far less often than I thought it would. On the road, the dual 310mm discs can get overwhelmed easily with hard braking, and it’s times like these you’re glad ABS is included. Off-road, there’s enough feel and modularity to descend moderate hills with one finger. Then again, if you’re charging on flat, loose stuff and grab a handful, as I may have done a time or two, the off-road ABS is surprisingly adept at choosing between staying locked or releasing the brakes a smidge. Your mileage may vary of course, as again, I’m not very good at this stuff. But for my measly dirt skills, I found the Africa Twin surprisingly less intimidating than I was expecting. The Best For LastLike I said at the start of this, I had an inkling the new Africa Twin would be good as soon as I left my driveway. After riding it on- and off-road some more, those initial good feelings manifested into admiration. This is one good motorcycle. Sure, it might lose out on paper to the major players from BMW and KTM, but the trifecta of more power, a slimmer profile, and modern electronics has raised the Africa Twin’s bar. Besides, it’s a very Honda move to compete not on horsepower, but as a better all-around package. Is the Africa Twin the best ADV on the market? I doubt it, and I’m sure Ryan would be quick to correct me if I said yes, but for $14,399 for the standard transmission version we tested, it’s sure making a strong case for itself as one hell of a value in the segment. There you go, Africa Twin faithful – you asked, and Honda delivered.
Motorcycles via Motorcycle.com https://ift.tt/2Std7JO June 23, 2020 at 07:10PM
Motorcycle News - Indian ClimaCommand Classic Seat Review
https://ift.tt/2A1vdis Every time it comes time to write one of those “Great Motorcycle Developments of the Future” deals, some form of cooling tech always makes it to the top of the list. Usually it’s an air-conditioned helmet. Indian decided to attack the heat problem from the other direction with its ClimaCommand Classic Seat, retro-fittable onto all Thunderstroke models back to 2016. Heretofore, air-conditioning tech involved Freon, pumps and compressors and things – stuff that’s too bulky and complicated to package in a motorcycle. Now thanks to the new wonder material graphene, none of that’s necessary. For one of many things, graphene is an excellent heat conductor. Indian says it’s “a highly conductive and flexible material that optimizes the distribution of heating or cooling while maintaining superior comfort.” Here are a few more potential uses for the stuff according to Wikipedia. For another thing, graphene can be formed into a very strong and flexible thin sheet, and that’s what Indian have placed inside their new seat. According to Indian’s Product Development Supervisor for On-Road Accessories, Sam Dando, Indian is working with an outside company to produce the seat. The key to making it work is the solid-state thermodynamic controller in the base of the seat, which controls two different elements, one each in the rider’s seat and one in the passenger section – each with its own little ducted cooling fan. The graphene layer doesn’t just cool; it can heat as well, and therefore replaces the wiring of the typical heated seat. All you need to do, then, is decide if you’re hot or cold, reach down with your left hand to the side of the seat, and flip the toggle switch up for heat (three settings) or down to cool (three more). Indian says it works like this: To accomplish conduction heating and cooling, a thermoelectric module located within the seat directly regulates the temperature. Electricity is applied to a thermoelectric module, causing one side of the module to absorb heat and the opposing side to dissipate heat. By reversing electrical flow, the hot and cold temperatures alternate sides. A graphene material, which is a nanomaterial created from 100% carbon atoms, is then used to ensure the heating and cooling is dispersed throughout the entire seat. And so we ride. On the way home from where I picked up my Roadmaster, a mile from the Pacific Ocean, to my digs eight miles inland, the temperature was between 76 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and with max cooling on the ride home it was like sitting in a kiddie pool nicely chilled. But when the temp’s perfect like that, you don’t really need a cool seat anyway do you? I promised Chrissy Rogers I’d buy her lunch if she’d help me test the new seat on a ride to Palm Springs – where the high that day was supposed to be 106 (a fact I omitted). Rogers runs notoriously hot, especially since, ahhh, never mind. For a long time escaping LA on routes 57 and 10, the Indian’s temp gauge read 86. It being a Friday afternoon, and traffic being back to about 90% of normal flow as the economy “reopens,” we did our fair share of low-speed rolling and lane-sharing for most of an hour. I felt some cooling, but not as much as I had when the ambient temp had been 10 degrees lower. Rogers reported her behind was nicely chilled, but was more excited about the Roadmaster’s vibra-massage backrest, a non-intentional feature: She liked the massage but complained that it blurred her vision a bit. When we stopped, her rear was so chilled she had to check to see if she’d wet her pants. No. Past Cabazon and the dinosaurs on I-10, the temp gauge read 96 and things were beginning to hot up eastward. I reached down to make sure my cooling was on max and wished for more. The fact that your behind is being chilled, if only slightly now, makes the heat coming off the bike’s front cylinder on your right calf that much more apparent, but this was my bad for forgetting to open the big vents on the Roadmaster’s lowers. We know from experience those vents make a big difference. Rogers was still enjoying a cool butt, but as soon as we hit San Gorgonio Pass and the beginning of the Mojave, the temperature shot up and the cool seat wasn’t enough to offset the hotness of the rest of her internal Chernobyl. She reported instant eyeball and boob sweat. TMI, as usual. Up front, I couldn’t really feel any coolness from the seat, but I felt not that hot anyway. Right, now we’re in downtown Palm Springs with the temp gauge registering 103. It’s hot, but something about Palm Springs always makes it feel not quite as hot as it is. Cool people? Actually it’s the total lack of humidity, and I have no idea how the seat would perform in a humid climate. We stopped for a cold drink in the shade on the sidewalk, under the misters, and weren’t uncomfortable at all – frogs heated slowly in the pot. No complaints from Rog, but all she took on was ice water. Unusual. After a bit of stop-and-go traffic on Palm Canyon Drive in the 103-degree heat for science’ sake, we turned 180 degrees and set a course back for cooler climes. I couldn’t feel any cooling effect from the seat at all – but the rest of me didn’t feel as hot as I would have expected to be, given the conditions. Maybe the seat doesn’t feel cool to your jeans when it’s that hot, but maybe the seat is cooler than it would’ve been without the graphene, given that there’s a 116-cubic inch air-cooled V-Twin thumping inches away (even if it does have rear-cylinder deactivation now). Rogers, in the radio officer seat, could feel some cooling, but only in a narrow, crotchal band that did not extend laterally out to the sides of her rear end at all – a greater distance than it was not long ago. There just wasn’t enough cooling surface area. Better than nothing, but not quite the miracle we were hoping for. Indian claims its new seat is a “game changer.” For us on this ride, I’m sorry to say it felt more like early innings and no score, but with a lot of potential for excitement later in the game thanks to the unpredictable rookie players on the field. You can feel the graphene getting cool with your hand, but in the rider’s section the coolest area is toward the tank where you (I?) don’t sit. Further back against the bolster, where you do sit, didn’t feel as cool. Out back, further removed from the ThunderStroke 116, Rogers reported better cooling but only up to her sweat threshold of about 95 degrees: After that, the passenger seat just didn’t have enough capacity to overcome her internal furnace. (Off the motorcycle, her threshold is closer to 80 F, so the seat does have some benefit.) Three settings is too many, too: I was reaching down repeatedly trying to crank my cooling up another notch even though I knew we were maxed out. Maybe Palm Springs broke it, I thought? But when I rode the bike to return it the next day, the seat was cooling off fine again, in 70- and 80-degree temps. What the heck. I think we’re looking at a genius development in need of some fine-tuning. I hope we are, because if they can make this tech work a little better, it really will change the game and is destined to be a perineal favorite. What’s to prevent graphene vests or yarmulkes in the future? The ClimaCommand Classic seat sells for $1,200, and will fit all the ThunderStroke bikes back to 2016. It is not Ride Command-integrated, but Indian says Ride Command-integrated versions will be available for the 2020 Chieftain and Roadmaster later this year – which means you’ll be able to control it with the handlebar buttons and touchscreen. Chill out in the meantime, and don’t forget your hydration pack and cooling towels. The post Indian ClimaCommand Classic Seat Review appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Motorcycles via Motorcycle.com https://ift.tt/2Std7JO June 23, 2020 at 06:18PM
Motorcycle News - Analog turns the Honda Hawk GT 650 into a flier
https://ift.tt/2YrBVYz
Tony Prust gets it; he runs a tight ship at his shop, Analog Motorcycles. Every new customer gets directed to an online inquiry form, so that Tony knows exactly what he or she wants, and what they hope to spend. And since he prides himself on quality, he’s selective on what he takes on, too.
“We like to stick to builds that fit our brand,” Tony explains. “When Todd mentioned he wanted to do a Hawk build, I was a bit hesitant. The 80s in my opinion are not the best years for motorcycles.”
“He has owned the bike a long time, and just really loved it and wanted it to be the donor.”
Despite never selling well in the US, the Hawk was a respectable motorcycle—cramming decent enough performance into a compact package. It also came with the ‘Pro-Arm’ cast aluminum swing arm design that debuted on the Honda RC30, a twin spar aluminum box frame, and a pair of distinctly 80s split-three-spoke wheels.
Luckily a longtime friend and customer of Tony’s had a set of 17-inch PVM magnesium race wheels for the Honda RC30 in his collection, so an offer was made on those. Adapting them to the Hawk wasn’t easy though, so Analog had to call in a local machine shop, Chassis Services, to help out.
But once the wheels were on, along with a set of Metzeler Racetec RR tires, the Analog team started to see potential in the Hawk. So they kept working on the stance, lowering the forks by 1.5 inches, and retrofitting them with new Race Tech Gold Valve emulators. The stock rear shock was refurbished too.
Because “the only way to black out an engine is a full tear down, get everything powder coated individually, and then put it back together.”
Next up was the Hawk’s bodywork. The team kept the OEM fuel tank, but hammered out an aluminum tailpiece, made up of about five different sections. It sits on a modified subframe, with the electronics neatly packaged underneath, wired around a Motogadget m.unit controller and an Earth X Lithium-ion battery.
“We just kept tailoring,” says Tony, “until as much of the 80s was washed away, and it fit the Analog Motorcycles custom benchmark.”
Finishing touches include custom CNC-machined foot pegs, and a set of Analog’s own ‘signal pod’ turn signals.
According to Tony, it goes as good as it looks too. “The Hawk is really fun to ride and sounds like a mini MotoGP machine. Neighbors beware, this ‘Bird of Play’ is looking to have a good time!” Analog Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Daniel Peter Motorcycles via Bike EXIF https://ift.tt/2Mf9b0c June 23, 2020 at 12:29PM
MotoGP News - Smith to replace Iannone for Aprilia in MotoGP while serving suspension
https://ift.tt/3hTNL5h Aprilia has confirmed to Autosport that test rider Bradley Smith will replace Andrea Iannone for as long as he is under suspension for a doping violation. One-time MotoGP race winner Iannone was hit with an 18-month ban earlier this year after an illegal steroid was found in his system following a drugs test during last season's Malaysian Grand Prix weekend. Suspended by the FIM while this underwent legal proceedings, Iannone was handed an 18-month ban dating back to October when the violation was first flagged - though was deemed to have ingested the substance accidentally. Iannone has submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) to have this ban overturned, citing past precedent of similar cases from other athletes. However, the World Anti-Doping Agency has also submitted a request to have Iannone's punishment extended to a four-year ban. The case is currently under review, though Aprilia - at least publicly - is sticking by Iannone through the process. Smith joined Aprilia last year as its test rider after losing his place at the works KTM squad at the end of 2018, and contested four races - the Qatar, Spanish, Catalan and Aragon Grands Prix. His best result came at Jerez, where he finished 17th, while he crashed out of the Qatar and Catalan events - the latter after a collision with his team-mate Aleix Espargaro. Smith has been carrying out testing duties for Aprilia over the winter, as has been in action at Misano earlier in the month for a private test. The Briton is currently riding at the circuit along with Espargaro as part of a group private test organised by Ducati, with Suzuki's test team and KTM also present. While it is yet to confirm this, Smith will almost certainly line up on the grid for the season-opening Spanish GP at Jerez on 19 July and the following week's GP of Andalusia at the same circuit. Depending on how long Iannone's case drags on for, and indeed if his ban is not overturned, Smith could well find himself contesting the entire provisional 13-round 2020 championship. Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei June 23, 2020 at 11:31AM
MotoGP News - Tank Slappers Podcast: The impact of Petrucci's KTM MotoGP move
https://ift.tt/2Bu7EPE The MotoGP rider market for 2021 continues to shake up as Danilo Petrucci is now set to join KTM in place of Honda-bound Pol Espargaro Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei June 23, 2020 at 09:43AM |
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