January 11th, 2008 by R.J.
In an interview with Reuters, Marco Melandri indicated that he is eagerly waiting the season-opening night race in Qatar.
“It will be awesome. An amazing event for everybody. I can’t wait to test the weekend before the race,” Melandri told Reuters at Ducati’s winter ski retreat in northern Italy.
It will be the first time the MotoGP has pulled off a night race, and nobody is sure what to expect. Some critics contend that the night race is just a gimmick with MotoGP continuing to battle for audiences with the Superbike championship.
And so what if it is? Many other racing series have been racing at night for a long time. MotoGP already races during rain or shine… Why shouldn’t they, too, race at night? It makes the championship a lot more dynamic.
I know I will definitely be tuning in to that race, gimmick or not.
January 10th, 2008 by R.J.
My friend Jessica is selling her 2005 Suzuki GSXR600.
Click Photo for Larger Image
The bike is located in the Palm Springs, CA. The bike is in great condition and I know she’s always babied it. She’s asking $6,000.00 for it, but may take less if you have the cash.
You can message her on Myspace.com for more details.
Click here to send her a message.
January 10th, 2008 by R.J.
Troy Bayliss broke his collarbone today in pre-season testing on Phillip Island.
Bayliss had the second best time of the day behind Yukio Kagayama, but was thrown from his bike at the bottom of the MG hairpin. Bayliss was in the process of passing another rider. Unable to make the turn, Bayliss got on the rear brake hard and was high-sided off.
Initial X-rays at Melbourne Hospital were inconclusive, but medics on the scene anticipate his injury will be healed in approximately 3 week — enough time for Bayliss to be fit for the start of the season.
January 9th, 2008 by R.J.
Which Racing Series are you Looking Forward to the Most for 2008?
MotoGP, of course!
Cast your vote on the SpeedTV.com website and feel great knowing that you did your part to ensure Speed’s coverage of our sport for years to come!
(Note: The poll is about mid-way down the page on the right.)
January 9th, 2008 by R.J.
Michael Lee Sell of Corona died of his injuries Monday when the motorcycle he was riding hit a curb and crashed into a tree.
Sell was riding his 2005 Honda CBR and the crash happened after 4 p.m. at the intersection of Liberty Street and California Avenue. Crash investigators say Sell was traveling at a high rate of speed when the crash occurred. The crash remains under investigation.
January 9th, 2008 by R.J.
The California Motorcycle Safety Program (CMSP) has announced plans to offer a safety course for 3-wheeled vehicles.
Three wheelers (or Trikes, as they’re lovingly called) are registered as motorcycles in the state of California and up until now there haven’t been any classes specific to their unique handling characteristics.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) started developing curriculum for trikes in 2007 and hopes to have the class available in the first quarter of 2008. The twelve hour class is divided into two parts; a four hour classroom instruction and an 8 hour riding segment that teaches the basics such as low-speed handling, braking, and cornering.
The 3-wheeled Basic RiderCourse (or 3BRC) will be administered through the California Motorcycle Safety Program. For other states, be sure to check the MFS USA website for details on where you can find the class in your area.
January 7th, 2008 by R.J.
What better way to sharpen your skills for the upcoming riding season than to enroll in a Motorcycle Safety Course?
The California division of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) is actively taking enrollments for the new year. They expect to train 55,000 motorcyclists per year on how to operate their bike at over 80 training facilities located throughout the state.
If you haven’t taken a MSF RiderCourse class, you’re really missing out. I personally took one of their classes at the facility in Colton and it was top-notch. And they’re not just teaching basic stuff either. You get to ride the courses through slaloms, avoid obstacles, go over obstacles and plenty of other stuff you wouldn’t want to do on your own bike.
If you’re into racing, a lot of stuff they teach you about riding on the street will carry over. One of the most common accidents in racing is high-siding because of losing traction on your rear wheel and having it “catch” and throw you over. Did you know that the MSF course teaches how to prevent that with hands-on training?
You can get more information by going to the California Motorcycle Safety Program website here.
If you are looking for a training school in your area, here is a list of all their locations.
If you are outside of California, please visit the Motorcycle Safety Foundation USA website for locations of schools in your particular state.
January 4th, 2008 by R.J.
Today I was surprised to read about a crash very similar to one I reported on a few days ago.
The last one happened in Brentwood, this one in Fairfield; but very similar incidents that both could have easily been avoided if the riders had just slowed down.
It happened on Wednesday, January 2nd when Christopher John Goldberg was riding his 2006 Suzuki GSXR1300 southbound on Green Valley Drive. He came upon a Volvo station wagon that was slowing down and instead of tapping the brake and following it to see what it was going to do; he decided to pass on the left side.
Unfortunately that mistake cost Christopher his life. The Volvo was making a left turn into a driveway and the motorcycle t-boned the Volvo on the left side, ejecting Goldberg from his bike and leaving him dead at the scene.
Now it was unclear if the Volvo was signaling to turn or not. I would guess it wasn’t. Personally, I know I normally don’t use my signal when turning into m driveway… But maybe I should start.
Regardless, it’s another tragedy easily avoided if the rider had just slowed down and taken a couple extra seconds to assess the situation.
January 2nd, 2008 by R.J.
We start the 2008 year with a deadly motorcycle crash in the Fresno Foothills.
CHP has not released the name of the victim, but the story goes that a group of motorcyclists were traveling down a two-lane road when a car going the opposite way lost control of her vehicle, rolled over, and then slammed into the motorcyclist.
I can’t even tell what type of bike that was, but obviously it was consumed in flames for quite some time after the incident.
Just goes to show you that you can be doing everything right out there and still have no control on whether you come back in one piece or not.
CHP is still investigating the crash, which I’m sure is going to include a BAC test to determine if the driver was inebriated. Hey, it’s New Years, right?
