16/05/2013 | By: Add a Comment
051613-sykes-guintoli-wsbk-monza

As expected, Aprilia has filed an appeal with the International Motorcycling Federation‘s International Disciplinary Court for the finish to the second race of the past weekend’s World Superbike Championship round at Italy’s Monza circuit.

The race ended in controversy stemming from Kawasaki‘s Tom Sykes running wide on a corner and missing a chicane on the final lap. Sykes was in third place at the time ahead of Aprilia‘s Sylvian Guintoli, and was able to return to the track ahead of Guintoli, crossing the finish less than a second ahead of the Aprilia rider to take third place.

After the race, Aprilia filed an appeal and race direction ruled Sykes should have ceded position because he gained an unfair advantage by cutting the chicane. Kawasaki later filed a their own appeal with the FIM’s Stewards Panel, arguing Sykes was already well ahead of Guintoli and only ran off track to avoid running into BMW Goldbet rider Marco Melandri. The Panel agreed, reversing Race Direction’s decision and restoring Sykes to third place. Continue Reading »

15/05/2013 | By: Add a Comment
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Kawasaki Heavy Industries reported a 7.1% increase in net sales from its Motorcycle and Engine business for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013. The bump in sales resulted in the division’s first year-end profit since the 2007-2008 fiscal year.

The Motorcycle and Engine division, which includes Kawasaki‘s ATVs, UTVs, personal watercraft and general purpose engines, generated 251.8 billion yen (US$2.462 billion) in sales revenue, up from 235.2 billion yen reported the previous fiscal year.

The sales increase contributed to an operating income of 2.3 billion yen (US$22.5 million) for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. The last time the Motorcycle and Engine division made a profit, it was known as the Consumer Products and Machinery division (including industrial robots), reporting an operating income of 19.7 billion yen the year ended March 31, 2008. Continue Reading »

13/05/2013 | By: Add a Comment
051313-laverty-guintoli-wsbk-monza

Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri split a pair of victories at Monza but the most biggest news from the World Superbike weekend was a strange series of appeals after Race Two that saw Tom Sykes finish third, relegated to fourth and then reinstated on the final step of the podium.

The unusual mix-up occurred after Sykes, sitting in third place, ran off track and into the run off area on Turn 5 on his final lap. The Kawasaki rider returned to the track again in third place where he finished ahead of Aprilia‘s Sylvain Guintoli. After the race, Aprilia filed an appeal and race stewards initially assessed Sykes with a penalty, dropping him one-position and awarding third to Guintioli.

This morning however, Kawasaki appealed to the FIM Stewards’ Panel which analyzed the race footage and sector times for Sykes, Guintoli and second-place finisher Melandri and decided to reinstate Sykes in third. But that may still not be the end of it as Aprilia has five days to lodge another appeal, this time to the International Disciplinary Court which would then make a final decision. Continue Reading »

09/05/2013 | By: Add a Comment
WayneAtQuail

Saturday, May 4 marked the 5th annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel, California. With such a diverse collection of historical, rare and outrageous motorcycles, the Quail is an event we thoroughly enjoyed attending last year. To commemorate the occasion, this year’s guest of honor was none other than three-time 500cc Grand Prix world champion, and local area resident, Wayne Rainey. Continue Reading »

08/05/2013 | By: Add a Comment
Photo: AMA Pro Racing/Dave Hoenig

Photo: AMA Pro Racing/Dave Hoenig

Good news for AMA Pro Flat Track fans: the 2013 season will now be live streamed via AMA Pro Live, a multi-channel streaming video system that puts the fan in the director’s chair, allowing them to select from a variety of cameras located around the racetrack while monitoring live timing and scoring data and social media feeds. Continue Reading »

06/05/2013 | By: Add a Comment
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Harley-Davidson dealers outscored dealers from other brands to take the top spot in the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index U.S. Motorcycle Industry Study for the second consecutive year.

The annual study measures the effectiveness of motorcycle dealerships, rating them on how they perform in different categories, such as inviting customers to sit on a floor model, offering demo rides and asking for a customer’s contact information. The study was conducted from July 2012 to April 2013 with data collected by 2,503 hired “mystery shoppers”.

We’ve included the full scores below as well as the scores from past years. One caveat however: Pied Piper PSI has rejigged its study questions and adjusted the weighting and scoring for the 2013 study to achieve an average score of 100. This resulted in a significant scoring changes compared to last year’s study and a wider range between the highest and the lowest scores.

Continue Reading »

29/04/2013 | By: 1 Comment
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Tom Sykes earned his first win of the 2013 season and came a hair short of a double victory at the World Superbike Championship round at Assen in the Netherlands.

Traditionally a fast starter and qualifier, Sykes started on the pole once again at Assen and had strong starts in both races. But unlike the first two rounds where he started strong before fading, the Kawasaki factory rider was able to remain at the front in both races at Assen and earn some valuable championship points. Continue Reading »

29/04/2013 | By: Add a Comment
042913-villopoto-ama-supercross-salt-lake-

Monster Energy Kawasaki racer Ryan Villopoto demonstrated once again he is a the top of his sport, clinching his third-consecutive AMA Supercross championship. Villopoto cemented his title with a win in front of 43,149 fans at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, his ninth main event victory of the season and 33rd in his career.

Though he led every lap, Villopoto didn’t have as easy a time in Salt Lake City as he has had in some races this season. He spent most of the race trailed by Rockstar Energy Suzuki‘s Davi Millsaps and Red Bull KTM‘s Ryan Dungey but withstood the pressure for the full 20 laps. Continue Reading »

17/04/2013 | By: 2 Comments
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Anti-lock brake technology has become fairly commonplace for motorcycles now, and it sometimes comes as a bit of a surprise when a major manufacturer does not offer ABS as an option on certain models. The European Parliament making ABS mandatory by 2016 has helped push things along, as manufacturers work to equip their models with the technology ahead of the deadline, not just for the European market but also for other markets including the U.S.

New documents released by the California Air Resources Board reveal Kawasaki will offer an ABS version for its 2014 Vulcan 1700 cruisers and tourers for American consumers. The only current Vulcan 1700 with ABS in Kawasaki’s 2013 U.S. lineup is the Voyager. The ABS-equipped Voyager uses Kawasaki‘s K-ACT (Kawasaki Advanced Coactive-braking Technology) technology which disengages ABS when braking at already low speeds.

For 2014, U.S. consumers will have an ABS option for the rest of Kawasaki’s Vulcan 1700 lineup including the Nomad, the Vaquero and the Classic, in addition to Voyager. The CARB executive orders for the Vulcan 900 lineup however still do not include ABS options. Continue Reading »

15/04/2013 | By: Add a Comment
041513-dungey-ama-supercross-minneapolis-2013

Hometown hero Ryan Dungey put a stop to Ryan Villopoto‘s winning streak, taking the victory before 48,846 supportive fans at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn.

The Red Bull KTM rider from nearby Belle Plaine, Minn., stalked Monster Energy Kawasaki‘s Villopoto for most of the race before taking the lead and winning the 20-lap race by just 0.903 seconds. The win put Dungey into second place in the standings ahead of Rockstar Suzuki‘s Davi Millsaps and perhaps more importantly, cut away at Villopoto’s points lead.

The main event started with holeshot specialist Mike Alessi of MotoConcepts Suzuki first around the first turn. It didn’t take long however before Villopoto with an inside pass to take over the lead. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider won five straight races heading into Minneapolis and took aim at his sixth in a row but Dungey remained close behind ready to strike. Continue Reading »