Jensen Beeler

Business

Matthew Sheahan Out as Head of Triumph America

By Jensen Beeler July 24, 2018

Triumph Motorcycles America has experienced a shakeup at its top management level, as Matthew Sheahan is out as Chief Operating Officer of the North American subsidiary.

The official line from Triumph is that Matthew Sheahan quit his post, though sources within the company tell Asphalt & Rubber that the American COO was fired from his role with the company.

The news comes amid a difficult year for Triumph, as sales in the United States have not been strong, with Triumph dealers also seeing a sales decline, and the network as a whole losing some key dealerships.

This downward trend left Sheahan at odds with the folks back in Hinckley, who saw his role at Triumph Americas as righting the ship that former CEO Greg Heichelbech left behind, who left the company amid accusations of channel stuffing by Triumph’s dealers.

Though, Triumph as been marketing strong results in the American market, the reality at the dealership level has been the opposite. 12-month sales are down roughly 9%, with dealer inventory extremely high.

As of now, it is not clear who is managing the day-to-day at Triumph Motorcycles America. Hopefully we’ll hear official word soon.

Source: Bothan Spies

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Racing

Brad Baker Seriously Injured After X Games Crash

By Jensen Beeler July 24, 2018

Bad news from the world of flat track racing this weekend, as Brad Baker was seriously injured during a practice session a the X Games event in Minneapolis.

Crashing and going over the handlebars of his Indian FTR750 race bike, the incident didn’t look to be a big crash from a video posted on social media.

However, the result of the crash has seen Baker hospitalized for a serious back injury, though according to a post by his brother on social media, Brad was awake and alert in the hospital.

Few details have been released by the family or team since the crash, but we do know that Baker underwent surgery on Sunday to repair multiple fractures to his T6 vertebra, which was putting pressure on Baker’s spinal cord and causing paralysis.

The Baker family says that the surgery relieved the pressure put on the spinal cord, and that Brad’s spinal cord was not severed in the crash, which is very positive news.

Hopefully we will have more positive news to report on Brad’s status as this story continues to unfold. For now, we are confident when we say that the entire American motorcycle industry is pulling for this beloved racer.

Source: Scott Baker (Facebook)

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Bikes

How To Buy a Panigale V4 Race Bike from WDW2018

By Jensen Beeler July 24, 2018

World Ducati Week 2018 was this past weekend, and the event saw 90,000 people show up at the Misano World Circuit (for reference, about 150,000 fans show up to the race track on a MotoGP weekend).

While there is plenty at the race track for loyal Ducatisti to see, the crown jewel of WDW2018 was the Race of Champions, which saw a number of Ducati riders battling in sprint race, on race-prepped Ducati Panigale V4 Ssuperbikes.

If seeing riders like Andrea Dovizioso, Marco Melandri, and Troy Bayliss banging bars wasn’t enough for you, the liveries on the Panigale V4 race bikes were truly eye-catching.

Wisely, Ducati is making these 12 special machines available, in a public auction on eBay, which will go until 6pm (CET) on Saturday, July 28th.

As of this writing, Ducati’s auction is going quite well, and we are not surprised to see the Troy Bayliss bikecommanding the highest bid – €82,700 as of this writing.

For those looking for more of a bargain, Xavier Simeon’s bike (a last minute replacement for the injured Chaz Davies) is going for €28,500 – a modest €600 premium over what a Panigale V4 S sells for in Italy.

Race-winner Michele Pirro’s bike is currently bid at €40,150 and features a stunning factory livery from the MotoGP team.

It is also of note that Andrea Dovizioso’s bike (€41,000) is just slightly ahead of Jorge Lorenzo’s Panigale V4 Sin the current bids (€40,700), if that gives any indication of where the loyalties reside amongst the Ducati faithful.

In case you missed the Race of Champions, we have it below. It takes a while for the racing to get under way, and Bologna still hasn’t figured out that World Ducati Week is a global event, so most of the commentary is in Italian.

The racing isn’t that spectacular either, though we have to give Tito Rabat a shout out – he clearly didn’t get the memo that this was all for fun, and we appreciate his hard racing. The current €30,650 bid for his bike betrays the effort he showed at Misano.

Andrea Dovizioso:

Chaz Davies:

Michael Rinaldi:

Tito Rabat:

Michele Pirro:

Danilo Petrucci:

Jack Miller:

Marco Melandri:

Jorge Lorenzo:

Xavi Forés:

Karel Abraham:

Source: eBay

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Podcast

Paddock Pass Podcast #77 – Dutch TT & German GP

By Jensen Beeler July 21, 2018

Episode 77 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and in it we see David Emmett, & Neil Morrison on the mics, as they discuss both the Dutch TT at Assen and the German GP at Sachsenring.

Getting us caught up on the happenings in the MotoGP paddock, the guys discuss two eventful rounds in the MotoGP Championship, and also look back on the season thus far, as the grand prix paddock heads into its summer break.

All in all, we think you will enjoy the show. It is packed with behind-the-scenes info, and insights from teams and riders in the paddock.

As always, be sure to follow the Paddock Pass Podcast on Facebook, Twitter and subscribe to the show on iTunes and SoundCloud – we even have an RSS feed for you. If you like the show, we would really appreciate you giving it a review on iTunes. Thanks for listening!

Source: SoundCloud

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WorldSBK

Pata Yamaha Extends Contract with Lowes & Van Der Mark

By Jensen Beeler July 21, 2018

The WorldSBK series may be on its summer hiatus, but there is still plenty of news going on. After the official announcement that Tom Sykes would not be back with the KRT Kawasaki team, it is the turn of the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK squad to make announcements.

Today, the team issued a statement saying that current riders Michael van der Mark and Alex Lowes will remain with the team for the 2019 season.

Though the announcement did not come as a surprise, it does close the door to Tom Sykes, who had been linked to a possible ride with Pata Yamaha, had either Van der Mark or Lowes moved to the Kawasaki team to replace him.

But with Leon Haslam set to take the second seat next to Jonathan Rea, Sykes will have to look elsewhere.

These are the first signs that WorldSBK’s silly season is about to accelerate over the summer. There are still a lot of open questions left in the WorldSBK series, and a lot of open seats.

Complicating issues is the fact that there could be an influx of riders from the MotoGP series now that rides are all tied up in that championship.

With the Kawasaki and Yamaha seats filled, all eyes will now turn to the Aruba Ducati squad. Chaz Davies is likely to stay at Ducati, though the Welshman would really like a chance to ride the 1000cc Panigale V4 before he makes up his mind, a desire that Ducati is not inclined to indulge.

Marco Melandri could stay put – Ducati like to have an Italian rider, and Michael Ruben Rinaldi is not quite ready for a full-time gig in the factory Ducati squad – but he is also being linked to the new Yamaha squad to be run by GRT, currently racing in WorldSSP.

Melandri could line up alongside Sandro Cortese, who is expected to enter WorldSBK in 2019.

The Honda lineup for 2019 is an open question. Leon Camier is certain to return, but Jake Gagne, who has failed to adapt to WorldSBK, will not. Tom Sykes could be a fit in the Red Bull Honda squad, though that would require him to ditch his long-term connection to Monster Energy.

The SMR Milwaukee squad is considering dropping Aprilia for Ducati, in part over a lack of support from the Noale factory, which is set to diminish even further for next season, and in part at being forced to sign Lorenzo Savadori for 2018, who has failed to live up to expectations.

Eugene Laverty would help smooth the way for a switch to Ducati, as Laverty has very close ties to Ducati Corse boss Gigi Dall’Igna, and would be an effective player in helping to develop the Panigale V4.

Though the summer break means that meetings will mostly take place by phone, there is every chance that when the WorldSBK paddock reconvenes in Portimao in September for the next round of the series, many more deals will be ready to be finalized.

In the meantime, make sure you keep up with the latest developments in WorldSBK by listening to the last episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast with Steve English and Jensen Beeler, who take a deep dive into the WorldSBK series.

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Rumors

A Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled 1100 on the Way?

By Jensen Beeler July 21, 2018

When the Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled debuted, I said that this was the scrambler model the Bologna should have released first. Built actually to go off-road, it is the real scrambler in Ducati’s Scrambler lineup.

Now, I have a feeling that in a few months’ time I’m going to be saying this phrase again about a different bike, as there are some rumors floating in the Bothan Spy network that an 1,079cc version of the Desert Sled is set to debut for the 2019 model year.

This supposed Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled 1100 (try saying name that three times fast) will add to the Scrambler 1100 lineup from Ducati, adding some off-road prowess to a family of bikes that is really just a reworked Ducati Monster 1100.

No replacement for displacement, a Desert Sled 1100 (a much easier name to say) would offer more power than the 803cc version, while the added weight of the air-cooled 1100 v-twin engine shouldn’t increase the overall weight of the Desert Sled too much.

I don’t expect to see much changing in terms of form of features, from the 1100 to the 800, though perhaps the 1100 will add some more electronic features.

In an ideal world, Ducati would make the 1100 a unique machine, and take a page from the concept bike Alex Earle created. It is simply gorgeous, but this is surely a pipe dream of my own creation.

Of course, such a machine would position Ducati well in this segment, especially as we continue to see spy photos of Triumph’s Bonneville-powered scrambler model, which looks like it will give the Desert Sled a real run for its money, and come in two-price point configurations.

My biggest concern for the Desert Sled 1100 is pricing. I already feel that Ducati has priced the 800 model too high with its $11,700 MSRP, and anything beyond that price tag makes zero sense to my mind, especially with bare-bones features.

Hopefully, the 1100 model slots in at the 800 price point, and the 800 gets a price reduction, but that is just my wishful thinking talking again. Stay tuned for more info on this bike, as we get it.

Source: Bothan Spies

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Reviews

Is the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II the Best Sport Bike Tire?

By Jensen Beeler July 21, 2018

When I was a new rider, I cut my teeth on Pirelli Corsa tires (and later on the Pirelli Corsa III), and as I got into doing track days, the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa became my tire of choice, both as a track tire and also as a street tire.

Almost as grippy as “the good stuff” and considerably cheaper than track-focused tires of the time, the Diablo Rosso Corsa hit that sweet spot of performance and price that my relatively unexperienced two-wheeled-self required.

Best of all, after a few track days, I could swap-out the rubber on my track bike for road duty, and thus had a nice supply of new rubber for my street biking needs.

As Asphalt & Rubber became a larger part of my life, this tire strategy had to give way to trying other brands and other tires, but I was recently intrigued when Pirelli told me that they were updating this stalwart in their sport bike tire lineup, as there isn’t a lineage of tire that I am more familiar with on the market.

Creating the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corse II tire for the 2018 model year, the Italian brand first invited A&R out to South Africa to see if this new incarnation of the Corsa lived up to the high-water mark its predecessor left behind. In short, it did.

But, only a couple days with a new tire can be tough to use to form an opinion. Not content to be so easily swayed, I have since spent a considerable amount of time on this new Pirelli.

Riding three more trackdays (on three different tracks), trying six bikes in total, and plowing down a thousand street miles later, I can honestly say that the Pirelli Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corse II might be the best sport bike tire on the market. Let me explain.

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News

Europe & Japan Eliminate Trade Barriers on Motorcycles

By Jensen Beeler July 21, 2018

As of yesterday, JEFTA is finally law in Europe and Japan, and the trade agreement is a big deal for both parties involved, as well as motorcyclists.

What? You haven’t heard of the Japan Europe Free Trade Agreement (JEFTA)? For our European readers, it is a critical piece of legislation, as this treaty of trade is set to make Japanese motorcycles a bit cheaper in Europe.

Agreeing to a schedule of tariff reductions, JEFTA achieves two goals that affect the motorcycle industry. First, it reduces the modest taxation of Japanese motorcycles, mopeds, scooters, and parts into the European Union.

Second, JEFTA helps align the European and Japanese emission standards for vehicles, thus unifying both countries under a single emission criteria for vehicles.

This means that Europe will slowly eliminte the 8% tariff on two-wheelers under 250cc, as well as the 6% tariff on two-wheelers over 250cc. Motorcycle parts will also see a reduction in their tariff, from 3.7% to 0%.

In all these situations it will take five years for the current tariff levels on Japanese motorcycles and Japanese motorcycle parts to reach zero inside the European Union.

It should be noted that since the United Kingdom hasn’t formerly left the European Union yet, with Brexit negotiations still shaky but underway, this free trade agreement would apply to the British until the time they have officially left the EU.

Overall, JEFTA is important because it means that our two-wheeled friends across the pond will enjoy buying Japanese motorcycles at a sizable price reduction – roughly a €1,000 reduction on a superbike model, for example.

For motorcycle manufacturers, the news is a win as well, as the uniformed emission standards mean that brands will have to invest less into homologating motorcycles for each market.

The ultimate goal would be to have a unified emissions standard for all markets, which would massively reduce the costs of developing a motorcycle model, while also having a marginal reduction in the cost to manufacturer a region-specific motorcycle specification. But, one step at a time here.

Of course, all of trade agreement is occurring in stark contrast to the current trade war that the United States is waging with Europe over the importation of aluminum and steel, which has already caused Harley-Davidsonand Indian Motorcycle Co. to look outside of the USA for its manufacturing needs on European market products.

The United States is also currently picking a fight with the European Union by threatening to tax small-displacement two-wheelers into the USA, if the EU doesn’t allow the US also to import beef into Europe.

As the fortune cookie says, “may you live in interesting times.”

Source: NieuwsMotor via Bikewriter

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WorldSBK

PJ Jacobsen Gets the Nod – Will Race on HRC’s Factory Red Bull Honda Team at the Suzuka 8-Hours

By Jensen Beeler July 21, 2018

Leon Camier’s misfortune of suffering a fractured vertebra has become PJ Jacobsen’s gain, as the American racer has been promoted into the factory Honda team at this year’s Suzuka 8-Hours endurance race.The move is a huge win for Jacobsen, for several reasons.

First, the Suzuka 8-Hours has always been an incredibly important race for the Japanese manufacturers, one that they take very seriously.

Second, this year’s race in particular is a pivotal year for Honda, as Big Red is looking to stop Yamaha’s recent run of three consecutive Suzuka victories.

To do this, Honda is fielding a full-factory outfit, the Red Bull Honda team. This is the first time that their has been an official HRC team at Suzuka in 10 years, a sign of how seriously Honda is looking for a win at its home track.

All of this creates a fortunate situation for PJ Jacobsen, as a win by the Red Bull Honda team, would do wonders to elevate his status within the Honda organization, which could lead to a factory ride in the Honda WorldSBK team.

As such, Jacobsen will join MotoGP rider Takaaki Nakagami and All Japan Superbike rider Takumi Takahashi on the factory Suzuka team. This means that Jacobsen’s promotion will leave a hole in the lineup at the MuSASHi HARC-PRO Honda squad.

This vacancy is to be filled by Randy de Puniet, who himself is looking for redemption within Honda’s rank and file, since he left the WorldSBK paddock in 2015.

The 2018 Suzuka 8-Hour endurance race kicks off next week, with the race taking place on Sunday, July 29th.

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WorldSBK

Chaz Davies Breaks Collarbone in Training Accident

By Jensen Beeler July 21, 2018

More bad news from the World Superbike paddock, as Chaz Davies joins Leon Camier in the list of riders who have injured themselves during the two-month summer break

Davies broke the collarbone in his right shoulder during a training incident. As such, Davies will miss the Race of Champions at World Ducati Week 2018, but he should be ready for racing action when WorldSBK convenes in Portugal for the official WorldSBK test in August, and later in September for the Portuguese round.

It is not clear at this time if Davies will undergo surgery to plate the collarbone fracture, or if he will let the fracture mend on its own. Either way, the injury should not prevent the factory Ducati rider from performing his WorldSBK duties.

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