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MotoGP

Dani Pedrosa’s Retirement Expected at Sachsenring

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The MotoGP website is currently counting down to a live press conference that will feature Dani Pedrosa. The time on the clock is T-minus 15 hours, and at T-minus 15 hours plus one minute, the MotoGP paddock expects the 32-year-old to announce his retirement from motorcycle racing.

The rumors leading up to the German GP have gone both ways for Pedrosa, with some suggesting that the Spaniard would retire this season, while others thought he would take a ride on the newly formed Petronas Yamaha team.

We expected an announcement, one way or another, from Pedrosa first at the Catalan GP, then at the Dutch TT, but now we know that Germany will be the spot – a track that Pedrosa has carved out as one of his places of two-wheeled dominance.

To that end, Roadracing World has published that their sources have revealed to them that Pedrosa’s plan is to end his career at the end of the 2018 season, rather than try his hand on the satellite Yamaha in 2019.

The article in RRW echoes rumors that have been swirling in the MotoGP paddock, though they are the first publication to go out on a limb and make the speculation concrete news. The report is believable though, especially if you examine Pedrosa’s options in the MotoGP paddock.

While the Catalan rider was effectively pushed out of the Repsol Honda team by his previous manager Alberto Puig, Pedrosa’s career is strongly linked to Honda and HRC.

Looking at his post-racing options, Dani Pedrosa is a Honda brand ambassador in the making, which is a job title that could be put in jeopardy if his career ends with Yamaha; or even worse, if it ends on a sour note with HRC.

Also, a season or two on a second-tier machine is likely not the way the Pedrosa wants to end his career, and the combination is certainly not going to get him any closer to that elusive MotoGP World Championship title that he has so fiercely fought for all these years.

Weighing those options, it seems logical to expect Dani Pedrosa to hang up his racing leathers at the end of this year.

The pieces are starting to fall into place that we will hear one of MotoGP’s original “aliens” retire from the sport. We certainly believe that to be the case as well.

Source: Roadracing World; Photos: © 2018 Jensen Beeler / Asphalt & Rubber – All Rights Reserved

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Rumors

New Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Is Definitely Coming for 2019

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There will be a new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R for the 2019 model year, of this much we are certain.

It is a story that has been floating around for over a year now (I thought we had reported it already, but apparently not), but now this rumor is heating up, and we have some details to share.

First off, the confirmation. Making filings with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), we see that Kawasaki has plans for a new ZX-6R. It will have a 636cc (cheater) displacement, and produce roughly half the emissions of the previous model.

Likely ready for the coming wave of Euro5 emission regulations, details from across the pond show a power decrease and weight increase for the 2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, and point to a whole-new motorcycle coming from Team Green.

The big change in the emissions scheme for the ZX-6R is a three-way closed-loop catalyst, which replaces the two-way oxidizing catalyst on the previous model.

To that end, we see a report from Britain’s BikeSocial saying that the peak power output will modestly drop from 129hp to 128hp. Meanwhile, the weight will also increase, going from 428 lbs at the curb, to 432 lbs ready to ride.

Both are modest changes, and could signal only basic engine changes to make the bike pass the government standards, but details are also leaking that the rough dimensions of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R are changing for 2019 as well.

As such, the 2019 model will get wider than the previous edition, by a quarter-inch; it will be shorter too by 2.5 inches; and it will be lower than its predecessor, by half an inch.

We can expect other changes to the bodywork and electronics, but those are tougher to guess with the information available.

What we do know is that we can expect the 2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R to debut at INTERMOT or EICMA later this year, and that one of the color options will surely be a shade of lime green.

Whoever said that the supersport market is dead, clearly didn’t send the memo to Kawasaki. Get excited for next year’s crop of bikes.

Source: BikeSocial, CARB, & Bothan Spies

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Bikes

Yamaha NIKEN Priced at $5,333 per Wheel

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The Yamaha NIKEN is trying to make a three-wheeled revolution, and it is coming to the United States starting in September. As such, we finally have pricing information on the NIKEN, and the American MSRP is set at a stout $15,999.

For those who don’t want to do the math, this price tag represents a $7,000 markup over the Yamaha MT-09, which the NIKEN is loosely based off of, from the headstock back.

Yamaha USA will be doing a special “online reservation system” only sort of deal when it comes to selling the NIKEN here, which means that all bikes will have to be ordered through your local Yamaha dealership before they are shipped.

Yamaha faithful should recognize that online ordering scheme is the same system that Yamaha USA used for the VMAX power cruiser and YZF-R1M superbike.

Reporting back to us from the Yamaha NIKEN’s press launch in the Alps, our man Adam Waheed was impressed with what the NIKEN offered for power enthusiasts. The front-end is confidence inspiring with its 80% more traction, and the riding action is similar to a standard motorcycle.

The NIKEN isn’t a light motorcycle, however, tipping the scales at 580 lbs at the curb. Using the three-cylinder engine from the Yamaha MT-09, the NIKEN makes 113hp at the crank.

Using a complex four fork front-end arrangement, with a parallelogram linkage, the NIKEN is a complex solution for a basic goal: a leaning multi-wheeled vehicle.

From a mechanical perspective, there is a lot going on, but from a riding perspective, things are bit more straight-forward.

All-in-all, the NIKEN s better-suited for touring rather than sporting duty, though Yamaha seems intent to be pushing the latter characteristic.

Though the NIKEN is set to hit US soil later this year, we can rest assured that it won’t be the last leaning multi-wheeler to come from the Japanese brand.

Expect to see more LMWs debut towards the end of the year, at the big trade shows abroad.

Source: Yamaha USA

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WorldSBK

The Magic of Misano Strikes for WorldSBK

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Five riders from four manufacturers stood on the Misano podium to show the strength and depth of WorldSBK.

“This is the real Superbike racing” was how Marco Melandri assessed the Sunday’s racing at Misano, and it was hard to argue with the Italian.

Under blue skies and a burning sun, the action on track was just as hot with Jonathan Rea, Michael van der Mark, and Melandri all fighting it out for the win.

With Chaz Davies keeping a watching brief following his Saturday podium, and Eugene Laverty having stood on the Race 1 rostrum, it was clear this was the best race weekend of the 2018 season.

Five riders spraying Prosecco on the podium, and four manufacturers able to see their riders on the box, it was a fantastic weekend to bring a close to racing before the summer break.

While Rea might have completed a second consecutive double victory, he had to dig deep to get it.

Sunday was a difficult day for the reigning world champion, and in Parc Ferme and on the podium, his somber and reflective mood showed how much he had been affected by the death of friend, William Dunlop.

Rea wanted to go out and win the race for his fellow racer and his 64th WorldSBK success was one of his very best.

Coming through the field was tough for the Kawasaki rider, after starting ninth with the Race 2 grid reshuffle. Making clean and decisive moves through the field was difficult because of a setting change for Rea.

“This was a hard race,” admitted the victor. “I don’t know where to start, but we made a change to the bike today, but it definitely wasn’t for the better.”

“We changed the balance to try and help turn the corner a little bit better, but it was putting the front tire on the limit. I was really struggling when I was using a lot of angle, and as soon as I released the brake, I was having a lot of moving.”

“I had a few front slides there. I had to be clever today and pick up the points. I could see that Mikey was making the lap time in different areas to mine.”

The performance of Van der Mark was impressive. Having qualified down the order in Race 1, he was consistent throughout the race and able to come through to fourth at the flag.

This gave the Dutchman pole position for Race 2, and his pace was consistent once again. Ultimately it took until the penultimate lap for Rea to claim the lead, and the win was never secure until the chequered flag waved.

The problems that Rea suffered on Sunday also affected other riders. The introduction of a new larger profile front tire from Pirelli was well received, but some riders suffered from it.

The biggest issue was stability once the brakes were released, and the tire not allowing riders to enter the corner with confidence. If you could make the tire work it was a huge benefit, and if you couldn’t, you had to ride around the problem.

On Saturday front tire issues befall Melandri with the Italian saying “I was racing blind with the front tire. I knew it was the right tire to use in the conditions, you can see that because everyone used it, but I hadn’t been able to complete laps with it in practice.”

Getting experience of that larger profile tire will be crucial for teams for the remainder of the season. Numerous crew chiefs explained that it will now become the reference tire for teams in the same way that the larger profile rear tire has become almost compulsory for teams looking to win in WorldSBK.

The extra rubber on the rear has helped riders to control thermal wear on the tire and at Misano, like other recent rounds, this was crucial.

It was used to great effect by Van der Mark to win at Donington Park in May, and since then to have a chance of winning you have needed to use it. For the Dutch rider the tire also allowed him to right the wrongs of last year when a tire failure problem cost him the chance of winning at Misano.

“This track is good for me and Yamaha,” said Van der Mark. “We are good in the longer, faster corners but we’re making progress in the slower, tighter corners too.”

“We need to make some more steps because we were getting stronger throughout the weekend. It’s possible to fight for second place in the championship, but third place is my focus because that was the goal for this season.”

“I had a little bit more pace left at the end of the end, but it was the same for Johnny; he was fast all weekend.”

“I’m happy with second and I had some areas where I was faster than Johnny, but I didn’t want to do anything crazy because Marco was coming really quick as well. I didn’t want to make a big mistake for both of us.”

It was easy to make mistakes this weekend. The track temperature soared and it was as difficult as any round this year to find the extra pace needed. A couple of tenths of a second was the difference between a great weekend and a good weekend.

It’s given teams plenty to think about over the summer break, but when WorldSBK returns to action in Portimao the goal will be to maintain the Misano momentum where we saw the best race weekend of the year.

Photo: WorldSBK

This World Superbike story is made possible by our A&R Pro members. If you like reading WorldSBK stories on Asphalt & Rubber, you should consider supporting this content by signing up for A&R Pro.

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Racing

Factory GMT94 Yamaha Squad Leaving Endurance Racing

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In the FIM Endurance World Championship, the GMT94 Yamaha team is at the top of the heap. The defending champions, GMT94 Yamaha is only 10 points back in the current season from holding the FIM EWC trophy, with only one race remaining.

One round is all that the French team has, however, as the GMT94 Yamaha team will be calling it quits after this month’s Suzuka 8-Hours race. Needless to say, this is huge news for motorcycle endurance racing fans.

With three world titles under its belt and seventeen FIM EWC race victories on its tally, GMT94 Yamaha will leave the Endurance World Championship for happier hunting grounds in the World Supersport Championship.

As such, the French squad will leave a massive hole behind in EWC, as the GMT94 Yamaha squad tackles the remainder of the 2018 WorldSSP season with Corentin Perolari, before taking on the World Supersport Championship full-time in 2019.

The GMT94 Yamaha team is one of two “factory” teams in the FIM Endurance World Championship, sharing the duty with the Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART).

Both squads have given Yamaha positive racing results, but only GMT94 has brought home world titles for the tuning fork brand.

Moving into the World Supersport Championship, GMT94 Yamaha will be replacing the GRT Yamaha squad, which is moving up into the World Superbike Championship.

This effectively restructures Yamaha’s motorcycle racing lineup on the world stage, and it will be interesting to see how this storied endurance squad can compete in a new series, with a new machine.

What does this move mean for the FIM Endurance World Championship though? That remains to be seen.

The YART squad will continue to carry the banner for Yamaha, and the Iwata company seems determined to continue fielding a factory team for the important Suzuka 8-Hours race.

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team will look for its fourth-straight Suzuka victory this year, an unprecedented result at the Japanese round, and a huge blow to the track favorite, Honda.

Source: GMT94 Yamaha

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Bikes

Big Updates Come to the 2019 Husqvarna FS 450

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While it might not be a radical change to Husqvarna’s race-winning supermoto platform, the 2019 Husqvarna FS 450 just debuted toda,y and it comes with an impressive list of changes for the next model year.

Built off Husqvarna’s new motocross line, the 2019 Husqvarna FS 450 accordingly gets a revised cylinder head, a more rigid chassis, and a number of weight-savings and subtle improvements, all in an effort to make it the best factory supermoto on the market.

Helping to distinguish it from Husqvarna’s previous FS models, the 2019 bike gets a blue-coated frame. The carbon composite rear subframe has also been changed, and is now a half-pound lighter.

Also like the 2019 Husqvarna FC 450, the supermoto features a new cylinder head, which is 1.1 lbs light than the 2018 model’s. Peak power remains at a claimed 63hp, though Husvarna says that the torque curve is broader than previous models. The entire engine weights 60.2 lbs.

The Suter slipper clutch and Magura hydraulic master cylinder remain a part of the supermoto package.

WP Suspension remains standard, with the 2019 bike getting WP AER 48mm forks, with revised settings for the new chassis. THE WP DCC rear shock has also been update with a new piston, as well as new settings from the factory.

Alpina wheels also remain standard, with a 16.5″ front wheel. Bridgestone R420 tires are mounted – 125/80 R420 and 165/65 R420. Husqvarna says that the 2019 Husqvarna FS 450 weights 227 lbs without fuel.

Featuring both launch control and traction control, Husqvarna has updated the electronics on these systems for 2019. Other changes include the following:

  • Redesigned bodywork
  • Chain adjustment slot length increased by 5 mm
  • 1.85 gal polythene fuel tank with new fuel line routing
  • ProTaper handlebar with new bend
  • New throttle cable routing for easier maintenance
  • Flow-designed resonance chamber & more compact silencer
  • Updated cooling system with new center tube

Source: Husqvarna

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WorldSBK

WorldSBK Misano Debrief – A Race Recap from Italy

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Jonathan Rea may have done the double at the Italian circuit, but WorldSBK was in rude health last weekend. Continue reading for Asphalt & Rubber’s World Superbike debrief, from Misano Italy.

New Tires Offer a New Reference

Pirelli brought a huge tire range to Misano. The Italian manufacturer has been criticised at times, but certainly isn’t resting on its laurels in 2018.

At their home round, there were six front tire options available to teams, and a new option to complement the increased profile of the rear tire. This new front tire wasn’t to every riders liking, but it is now “the reference for teams” according to numerous engineers.

The tire offered stability under braking, but was a handful for some riders when they released the brake and tried to enter the corner. It will take time to make it work perfectly, and find the correct settings, but it was very well received.

Last Lap Scrap

Three riders from three manufacturers went into the final lap with a chance of claiming the win. Ultimately, Rea took the victory in Race 2, but he had to dig deep for it. Making moves throughout the race, the Kawasaki rider made a handful of uncharacteristic mistakes that allowed riders to counter attack.

Once in clear air, he was the fastest man on track, but in a battle it was a struggle. Standing on the podium with his winner’s trophy in his hand, you could see the struggle Rea had gone through and the relief at winning.

On Saturday, Rea said he wants to win at everything, and he’s been able to open an almost unassailable 92 point lead as the paddock goes into the summer break.

Ducati in Demand?

The Misano paddock was filled with rumor and counter rumor about 2019. The only concrete information about Ducati’s plans was that no-one will test the all-new V4 until they’ve signed a contract for next year.

Chaz Davies, a perennial title contender for the Italian outfit, admitted he was concerned about signing a contract without riding the bike first.

“I want to roll down pit lane in Australia knowing I’ve a bike to win the title on,” was his assessment while Race 2 podium man Marco Melandri was being heavily touted as a Yamaha rider in 2019.

If he moves, it will be to the GRT squad, which needs to find a fast rider to attract sponsors to foot the bill for an R1.

The future for Shaun Muir Racing could also involve Ducati and Eugene Laverty, but whether they make a deal with the Bologna factory is still uncertain.

Ducati may have the best pedigree in WorldSBK, but their inability to win the title on their current bike clearly leaves them in the shade of Kawasaki.

The Winds of Change for Honda

A new fairing helped Honda protect Leon Camier from the wind, but it didn’t project them further up the field. The Englishman was pleased with the developments, but said throughout the weekend that making a step with the engine was now key.

Finding the torque to power the bike out of corners is now crucial, and an extensive upgrade list to be tested at Portimao next month could include a new engine specification.

Whether that will be raced in 2018 is uncertain, but it would indicate that for the 2019 season, Honda will look to make a step forward.

Argentina Back in Action

Argentina’s place on the WorldSBK calendar has been up in the air throughout the season, but it now seems almost certain that the round will indeed go ahead.

The all-new circuit will receive a final inspection in the next few weeks, and looks likely to be signed off for a first ever WorldSBK round in South America.

Photo: WorldSBK

This World Superbike story is made possible by our A&R Pro members. If you like reading WorldSBK stories on Asphalt & Rubber, you should consider supporting this content by signing up for A&R Pro.

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Road Racing

Ride in Peace, William Dunlop

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It is with a heavy heart that we report the passing of William Dunlop, who passed away today at the Skerries 100 in Ireland

Crashing near the Sam’s Tunnel section of the road racing course, Dunlop succumb to the injuries he sustained during Saturday’s open practice session. He was 32 years of age.

A veteran racer and a member of road racing’s most storied family, William Dunlop was brother to Michael Dunlop, nephew to the legendary Joey Dunlop, and son to Robert Dunlop – all four Dunlops making their mark at a number of road racing events.

A six-time podium finisher at the Isle of Man TT, and a race-winner at both the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix, William Dunlop was a road racing favorite, with many pegging the 2018 season as possibly his last before retiring.

Missing from the field of competition this recent Isle of Man TT, Dunlop withdrew from the Isle of Man for personal reasons, ahead of the fortnight’s races.

Many tipped the withdrawal to Dunlop’s recent crash at the North West 200, and to the fact that his partner was pregnant with the couple’s second child.

Highly regarded and well-respected in the road racing community, his absence is now surely being felt by all. We wish the best to William’s family, friends, and fans. He will be missed.

Source: Belfast Telegraph; Photo: © 2018 Tony Goldsmith / www.tonygoldsmith.net – All Rights Reserved

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WorldSBK

Too Many Photos of WorldSBK at Laguna Seca

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I am just now getting to the photos I took during the WorldSBK round at Laguna Seca, so apologies for the delay. As such, I have compiled the entire weekend’s shots into a single gallery, rather than breaking them out by day.

The order isn’t chronological then, but instead works its way around a lap of the track. The gallery starts in pit lane, with bikes and riders getting ready to take to the circuit. Next follows the pageantry of the starting grid, as my colleague Andrew Wheeler would call it.

A few shots from Turn 1 (the scariest turn in all of motorcycling, if you ask me), Turn 2 (the double-apex known better as the Andretti Hairpin), and Turn 3 (one of my favorite turns, as a rider) to get things started.

I pick the WSBK riders up again at the top of the hill at Turn 7. This vantage point always provides some good heavy braking shots, with riders often lifting the rear-wheel off the ground as the head into The Corkscrew – though, I didn’t seem to get that shot this year.

Taking a number of vantage points to this iconic turn, I shot the Corkscrew from both the inside and outside. The inside shots are the ones that are more famous, but my favorite photos from Laguna Seca always come from the outside, where on a clear day you can see the Pacific Ocean in the background.

Coming down The Corkscrew I got a sequence of PJ Jacobsen finding the wrong line through the turn, with the marshals facing a very difficult bike recovery situation, which included fluid on the course.

Following the line through The Corkscrew, riders sweep wide into Rainy Curve (Turn 9), before tightening the line at the apex. The Corkscrew isn’t that technical of a turn to ride, beyond the fact that if you get it really wrong, you will lose all your drive down the hill and thru T9.

One of the few right-handers, Turn 10, and then the bus stop that is Turn 11, and the racers are back on the front straight. This is where I caught them again, power-wheelieing out of T11 and accelerating in front of the grandstand.

If you do this 20 or so times faster than anyone else, you find yourself in parc fermé with bubbly in your hands. This year the crowd got a taste of the prosecco as well, courtesy of Jonathan Rea.

Enjoy the shots, I left them in super-high resolution form in case you need a new desktop background. Note, there are more photos in the thumbnail gallery, if you want to click through those as well.

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Rumors

WorldSBK Team Confirms New BMW S1000RR for 2019

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I wouldn’t call it the worst-kept secret in the motorcycle industry right now, but the fact that BMW is bringing a new S1000RR to market for the 2019 model year isn’t exactly new information.

In fact, we thought that we would see the new RR break cover last year, as spy photos of the machine showed it out testing, and looking close to production form. A no-show at EICMA however, the timetable on expecting the S1000RR had to be adjusted.

Now, we get confirmation of what we already expected, with Althea Racing’s bossman Genesio Bevilacqua confirming the new BMW S1000RR for the 2019 season in an interview with GPOne.

Speaking with the racing-focused publication, Bevilacqua confides that BMW’s delivery of the new BMW S1000RR will come very close to the start of the 2019 World Superbike Championship season – likely in February.

This puts Althea Racing’s continued use of the BMW S1000RR as a race platform in question, but for enthusiasts, it helps signals when we can expect to see the next iteration of the Bavarian superbike.

Building on the current design, details on the 2019 BMW S1000RR are still pretty thin, and limited mostly to what we can glean from looking at photos of the new superbike.

Our sources have tipped one interesting piece to note, however. That is that the 2019 BMW S1000RR will use a counter-rotating crankshaft, making it one of the few production sport bikes to have this racing-inspired engine configuration.

The counter-rotating crankshaft should make BMW S1000RR more nimble on its feet, as it neutralizes some of the rotating inertia from the wheels, chain, and other standard-rotating parts.

Other details we can expect from the 2019 BMW S1000RR are more sophisticated electronics and an healthy power bump from the 999cc inline-four engine.

We likely won’t know the full extent of the new German superbike until the INTERMOT show in October, or perhaps as late as the EICMA show in November. But, we will bring you more information as we get it.

Source: GPOne

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