For a while there, it looked as if John McGuinness would be held off the top podium position through the entire 2013 Isle of Man TT. McGuinness had recorded third-place finishes at the Superbike, Superstock and the second Supersport TT races earlier in the week, but the active leader in Isle of Man TT wins was stuck at 19 wins all week.

That finally changed and the Honda TT Legends racer finally earned win #20 in the final race of this year’s event, the Senior TT. McGuinness completed the Senior TT in 1:45:20.394, ten seconds ahead of his teammate Michael Dunlop who was looking for his record-tying fifth win of the TT.

The race was started at 1 pm local time but was red-flagged after racer Jonathan Howarth crashed, with several spectators injured by flying debris. The race was restarted later in the afternoon at 4:30 pm local time. Continue Reading »

The California Air Resources Board has issued an executive order for the 2014 Suzuki Burgman 200, opening the way for the scooter to be introduced to the market.

For several years now, Suzuki has offered two main scooter models for the American market, the Burgman 400 and the Burgman 650, with some offshoots such as the Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive. The new CARB executive order suggests Suzuki is ready to introduce a new, smaller model to the family.

It’s not clear whether the Burgman 200 (listed in the CARB document by its model number “UH200″) is the same as the model (pictured above) currently available in European and Asian markets or whether it is a new, updated model. Continue Reading »

James Hillier set new lap time and race time records in a dominating victory in the Lightweight TT race for the 2013 Isle of Man TT. All three of the Kawasaki rider’s lap times were faster than the previous lap record for the Lightweight TT class, for a record overall time of 57:42.245 and average speed of 117.694 mph.

The race started with another Kawasaki rider (the class is dominated with Kawasaki Ninja 650s with a few Suzuki SV650s) Dean Harrison taking the early lead through the Glen Helen viewpoint but Hillier was right on his tail about half a second behind. It didn’t take long however before Hiller took over the lead, finishing the first lap with a record average speed 117.959 mph. Continue Reading »

Eleven spectators were injured, one seriously, during a crash today in the first lap of the Isle of Man Senior TT motorcycle race. The BBC reported British rider Jonathan Howarth crashed on the fast Bray Hill descent — a popular viewing point near the start — soon after setting off. He was unhurt, but witnesses reported the bike and debris flying into the crowd. (UPDATE: TT organizer ACU Events now says there were 10 injured spectators; four have already been discharged, five are staying in hospital while the another spectator remains under observation. Howarth suffered a minor fracture.) Continue Reading »

A recent recall announced for the 2013 Triumph Trophy and Trophy SE for a potential fuel leak has now expanded to the U.S. The recall, previously announced by Transport Canada, concerns a production error for the fuel tank of the affected units.

According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the two layers used in the construction of the fuel tank may not properly adhere to each other, resulting in a potential fuel leak. The defect is located at the rear, bottom portion of the fuel tank. Triumph Trophy owners may notice a fuel vapor odor and/or visible signs of an external leak.

Triumph first identified a problem on April 15 after receiving a report of a fuel leak. Triumph initiated an investigation the following day with the fuel tank supplier Elkamet Kunststofftechnic GMBH. Elkamet’s internal investigation determined there was an error in the manufacturing process. Triumph informed its U.S. affiliate of the issue on May 22, initiating the recall process. Continue Reading »

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute have submitted a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration petitioning in favor of making anti-lock brakes mandatory for all new on-highway motorcycles.

The letter, addressed to David Strickland, NHTSA administrator, included a recent IIHS study on the effects of ABS on motorcycle fatal crash rates. The report found ABS technology reduces the rate of fatal crashes by 31%, while collision claim rates were 20% lower with ABS-equipped motorcycles.

The petition also acknowledges concerns of ABS in off-road riding situations, and suggests manufacturers introduce switchable ABS for dual-sport models so the system can be disabled when riding on unpaved terrain. Continue Reading »

The International Motorcycling Federation, promoter Dorna and the Motorcycle Sports Manufacturers’ Association have agreed to a new framework for changes to the World Superbike Championship to reduce costs. The new changes, which will be announced in detail soon, will be applied in three stages starting with the 2014 WSBK season.

The new rules are designed to lower the cost of racing by introducing a maximum price for a Superbike and its components. Components being considered for a price cap include the suspension, brakes and gearbox ratios.

Constructors will also be required to prepare a minimum number of racebikes with the same state of tuning as their racebikes available for teams to lease or purchase. Leasing and purchase prices are expected to be standardized, discouraging constructors from investing too much money into their Superbikes. Continue Reading »

The largest Mods vs. Rockers event in the country is taking place Friday and Saturday June 14 and 15 in Chicago.

Mods vs. Rockers, Chicago is presented by Triumph Motorcycles and will feature over 4000 cafe racers, scooters, customs and hot rods. There will also be live music, pin-up contests, a motorcycle film festival and a dance party going on all night.

If that’s not enough entertainment, Team Empire’s Nick Brocha and Ernie Vigil will be putting on a freestyle exhibition throughout the two day event. Continue Reading »

Last weekend, Team Icon Brammo and Team Parker Brammo competed in at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, California, racing with their gas-powered counterparts with  the American Federation of Motorcyclists (AFM). Team riders Eric Bostrom and Shelina Moreda competed in a total of four races, coming away with a top 10 finish in each.

In the highly competitive Formula 1 class, comprised of 600cc machinery, E-Boz got a fantastic start on his Empulse RR, jumping up to fourth after the first turn and reaching speeds of 150 mph on the front straight. Bostrom would eventually fade back, crossing the finish line in seventh place, with a best lap of 1:57.065, compared to the 1:52.886 of race winner Mike Nigliazzo. Overall race time for the Brammo was 11:53.320, only 27 seconds behind Nigliazzo. Continue Reading »

Allstate’s Rider Risk Map on Facebook lets riders share warnings about intersections and stretches of roads that may prove particularly risky. These warnings could be about large potholes, blind corners or other hazards that only those who regularly ride through may know about.

This information would be useful for other riders who are less familiar with the local area and might not be aware of the added risk.

Let’s take a look at how to flag a road and create a warning for other riders (click on the images to enlarge). Continue Reading »