Full extent of recovery to be determined in six weeks.
Image: Supplied.
Further information has been released on Jeffrey Herlings’ recovery after breaking his foot last week, indicating the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider is unlikely to make the opening round of the 2019 MXGP World Championship in Argentina.
Herlings immediately flew back to Belgium after suffering the injury at the Albaida circuit in southern Spain and underwent a procedure with renowned surgeon Dr Claes to fix fractures in his right foot.
The defending champion will change his cast next week and is scheduled for a consultation with medical staff in six weeks to determine the full extent of the recovery time, making his appearance at the 3 March opener doubtful.
“I landed strangely from a jump and was at an angle when I went too close to the track ‘wall’ of dirt at Albaida,” Herlings explained. “I got my foot caught between the bike and the mud. I knew we were in trouble, and we had the operation as soon as possible when we saw the foot was starting to swell.
“This is obviously not the best way to start 2019 but we’d been riding and preparing well and we have to work now to get back to that level. The good news is that Dr Claes and his team were really happy with how the operation went and I don’t have any more pain or swelling.
“In six weeks time we’ll know more and it all depends how the bone heals. Thanks for all the messages from the fans. We’ll be back strong.”
The Dutchman dominated the 2018 MXGP World Championship, winning 17 of 19 rounds on his way to a maiden premier class crown.
It’s been an unwritten rule between Kramer riders, at least in the US, that Pirelli tires work great with Kramer Motorcycles. Now it’s official.
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Pirelli Tire North America has reached an agreement with Kramer Motorcycles USA to become the sole tire supplier for the brand’s race-ready sportbikes. Kramer, which focuses its efforts solely on track-only motorcycles, will rely on the race-proven performance of Pirelli’s DIABLO Superbike slicks.
“Partnering with Kramer Motorcycles is a great addition to the Pirelli brand”, said Oscar Solis, road racing manager, Pirelli. “Kramer’s attention to detail with producing high-end race bikes is second to none. The brand’s commitment to supplying customers with race-ready machines fits perfectly with the DIABLO Superbike tire. Pirelli is constantly updating its racing slicks with new technology, and just like Kramer, remains focused on giving all riders access to the brand’s latest offerings.”
The four-year-old German motorcycle manufacturer, led by founder Markus Kramer, builds race-ready sportbikes that are powered by KTM engines. Each customer gets a high-performance machine that is tailored for them, including the WP suspension components. Kramer currently offers two different models in North America, the HKR EVO2 S and HKR EVO2 R. The S model features an 80 horsepower KTM 690 LC4 engine, race-focused chassis, tunable suspension, selectable engine mapping and advanced braking systems. The R model includes all of the S models features as well as upgraded components, superior braking system and forged wheels.
Joe Karvonen, president of Kramer Motorcycles USA, says, “We are excited to forge this partnership with Pirelli Tire. Kramer Motorcycles strives to achieve maximum performance out of our machines and the Diablo slicks make that possible. The Pirelli DIABLO Superbike slicks have proved themselves to be exceptional when paired with our lightweight HKR EVO2 models.”
Pirelli has spent the past 15 years as the official tire supplier for all classes in the MOTUL FIM World Superbike Championship, which has played an instrumental role in the development and technology of the DIABLO Superbike slicks. The Kramer S and R models will come equipped with 120/70-17 SC2 compound front tires. On the rear, a 160/60-17 sizing will be used on the S model, while the R model comes with a 180/55-17, both in SC2 compound.
Click here for full details and specs about Kramer Motorcycles.
To learn more about the complete line of Pirelli motorcycle tires, please visit www.pirelli.com.
The KTM 790 Duke engine should be let free to roar. Yoshimura’s Alpha T exhaust let’s it do so.
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One of the most anticipated bikes to come from KTM in years is the 2019 790 Duke. This parallel twin engine naked bike is built for excitement on the streets, and we couldn’t wait to see what we could add to this new orange machine.
Known for its racing prowess and its ability to deliver performance we developed a Alpha T Works Finish slip-on for the new 790. The aesthetics are perfect for the 790 and the sound was enhanced along with the performance. Peak horsepower was increased by as much as 4%! The radical sound that the Alpha T offers is second to none and the Alpha T removes 3 pounds when compared to the stock system.
We also developed our famous Fender Eliminator Kit for the new 790. Kit includes a clean rear tail light and gives the radical naked bike lines back to the 790 Duke.
Proudly made in the USA!
2019 KTM 790 Duke Alpha T Slip-on and FE Kit pricing and info
2019 KTM 790 Duke Street Alpha T SO SS/SS/CF WF
Part # 16790BP520
MSRP: $526.31
QUALIFIED MANUFACTURER DECLARED “REPLACEMENT PART”
2019 KTM 790 Duke Fender Eliminator kit
Part # 070BG167900MSRP: $168.41
Need to fix some road rash on your leathers? How about a patch or two? Call up Pilot Motosport for a quote.
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Effective immediately Pilot will once again be offering a complete set of leather repair, cleaning and conditioning services! See below for information on how to get your suit repaired.
It’s time to get ready for race season!
If you need to have your leather, textile or mesh garment altered, repaired, serviced, cleaned, lettered up or sponsor logos applied we can help. Please send an email to [email protected] with pictures and a brief explanation of what is needed. We will then send you a quote for the work to be done. Make sure to include your complete name, address, email, and phone number.
Once the item is received, we may see more that needs to be done based on the original pictures sent and will send you a revised quote at that time if needed. Most work is completed within 2-3 days after receipt. This can vary depending on time of season and workload.
Once your quote is approved, we’ll send a payment request and an RA # to be placed on the outside of the box to be received in our building.
CLEANING, CONDITIONING AND RESTORATION
We recommend having your leather suit cleaned and conditioned annually. Leather that isn’t regularly treated will become stiff and dried out and has a much shorter life span than leather that is properly cared for.
Cleaning and conditioning not only brings back the luster and suppleness to old leather but also includes a full cleaning of your suits mesh liner, removal of salt and grit from zippers and restoration of Velcro surfaces. All for just $100.
WHY USE PILOT?
After 20 years of building leather suits, we have the technical knowledge to fix any problem correctly
All color leather hides in stock to use on your suit
Original Schoeller Keprotec for repair for stretch panels in arms, legs and crotch
The best US made bonded nylon thread used in all suits for high strength
Proper machines to sew leather panels and external armor
Ability to make printed and leather logos, names and patches
All OE parts for Pilot model suits to be replaced
PRICING
Our pricing is transparent and affordable. Feel free to contact us in order to obtain a full quote
Hopefully, we can get a chance to test Bridgestone’s new BATTLECROSS E50 sometime in the near future.
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Bridgestone Launches BATTLECROSS E50 Motorcycle Tires for Enduro Competitions
Tokyo (January 29, 2019) — Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) announced the launch of BATTLECROSS E50 motorcycle tires for enduro competitions. BATTLECROSS E50 tires launched in one front tire size and two rear tire sizes in the U.S. and Canada in January 2019, and will launch in other regions in February 2019.*1 BATTLECROSS E50 tires are DOT approved*2 and compliant with FIM regulations.*3
Leveraging the experience and technologies gained through the development of tires for off-road riding, BATTLECROSS E50 tires from Bridgestone have been designed to deliver high traction and cornering performance on a variety of road surfaces as is required in enduro competitions. The tires employ the company’s proprietary Castle Block technology to ensure effective grip, even on slippery surfaces. A specialized edge, called a bunker, located at the base of the tread blocks enables BATTLECROSS E50 tires to exert strong traction on soft surfaces. Bridgestone also used 3D simulations to optimize the shapes and positions of the tread blocks to deliver higher levels of cornering performance in the BATTLECROSS E50 front tire and enhanced traction performance in the BATTLECROSS E50 rear tire.
Bridgestone is committed to supporting motorcycle riders with its broad range of motorcycle tires including off-road tires.
Characteristics of Tread Pattern
1. Castle Block (Convexed Block) Surfaces such as stones or logs buried in soil and rain-drenched surfaces can be extremely slippery. The Castle Block profile incorporates secondary tread blocks that protrude from the conventional tread block profiles to increase total edge components and improve contact pressure on slippery surfaces for enhanced grip.
2. Bunker The bunker enables the edge portion at the base of the tread block to exert traction even when the block is submerged in a surface.
Corresponding road surface
About Bridgestone Corporation Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires for use in a wide variety of applications, it also manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations and territories around the world.
Penrite Honda Racing contender samples components with American Honda.
Image: Foremost Media.
South Australian Brett Metcalfe recently returned from a training stint in the USA where he carried out testing with American Honda, sampling a number components from KYB suspension.
While the trip was training based, the Penrite Honda Racing rider discovered a positive feeling while testing the premium units, prompting a full-time switch to KYB suspension for his upcoming campaign in Australia.
The Honda CRF450R is fitted standard with Showa suspension, however the KYB offering has often been pursued by the Team Honda HRC on the AMA pro circuit, with Cole Seely currently utilising a factory set-up from the alternative suspension manufacturer.
“The trip over there was really the start for us,” Metcalfe explained to MotoOnline.com.au. “American Honda and Honda Australia put a couple of things together to help us out – it was mainly to get over there and get some training done, but as far testing, we’ve made a switch to KYB suspension – so we were over there to get a head start and get a base setting before coming back here and working with Kroozetune.
“It sort of just came around for us – it was a choice were given [to use KYB] and we went over there to proceed in testing and see how things went. One thing led to another really, and we ended up finding some success with it. I felt comfortable, so we chose to go with that route.
“It will be more of a kit suspension – factory suspension is pretty hard to get. It’s just some standard kit stuff, but there will obviously be some different internals that we’ll be able to have access to through American Honda. It’s pretty cool to see them reach out and help us a little bit. The trip was definitely worthwhile for our season ahead.”
Metcalfe enters the 2019 Pirelli MX Nationals aboard the same machinery and team for the first time since returning to Australia, and following a highly-positive supercross campaign late last year, the former international sits as one of the title favourites for the MX1 crown. The opening round of the MX Nationals is scheduled for 17 March at Appin in New South Wales.
Toby has now been put forward to the Australia Sport Hall of Fame Selection Committee and Board for consideration or The Don awardnamed after Don Bradman.
Toby’s manager Matty Macalpine says the number of signatures on the petition is “crazy”.
“It is amazing to hear the amount of support he has received,” Matty says.
“Appreciate what you’re doing for Toby to give him that additional coverage he deserves.”
Our petition is also calling on state (Queensland and NSW) and federal sports ministers to also consider Toby for a state or national sportsperson of the year honour.
Each time you sign, an email goes to the ministers’ offices, so they would be well aware of Toby’s community support.
We approached Queensland and NSW sports ministers because Toby was born in NSW and now lives on the Gold Coast.
Your signatures on the petition will help sway the ministers, so keep sharing the petition with your friends.
Why Toby deserves more signatures
Australia has a long history of Dakar entries, most notably rookie and privateer Andy Haydon who placed third in 1998, Simon Pavey who competed 10 times and the late Andy Caldecott who competed from 2004 to 2006 when he tragically died during the race.
The Dakar is a gruelling rally that has claimed the lives of 24 competitors since it started in 1978. It is referred to as the toughest motorsport event in the world.
Toby started racing the lethal Dakar in 2015, finishing an astounding third on debut.
He broke his leg in 2017 and last year finished third despite not racing for a year due to injury.
Just a month before this year’s Dakar, Toby broke his wrist in training. His second victory while nursing a “burning wrist” is all the more brave and worthy of an honour.
In fact, has been in for more surgery after the screw in his wrist wore away at the bone like a ‘windscreen wiper’ during the race.
Last year Toby also became the first Australian to win the FIM World Cross Country Championship and scored a record sixth win in Australia’s toughest motorcycle rally, the Finke Desert Race.
In fact, he won that race on debut, a feat he also achieved in the Hattah Dessert Race.
Toby has also won two Australian Junior Motocross Championships and the Australian Off-Road Racing Championship.
Dakar’s most prolific winner, Stéphane Peterhansel, scored his sixth win the year he turned 33. Marc Coma won his fifth Dakar Rally at the age of 39. So Toby, aged 31, still has several years of racing ahead of him and is hopeful of more Dakar wins.
The Don
The Don would be a fitting honour for Toby since it is awarded to a sportsperson who “inspires the nation” like Don Bradman.
The award began in 1998 when five-time world GP champion Mick Doohan was a finalist. The Don was shared that year by cricket captain Mark Taylor and athlete Heather Turland.
It will be difficult for Toby to win The Don as no motorsport identity has ever won.
Two-time MotoGP champion Casey Stoner is a three-time nominee and two-time finalist, but never a recipient of The Don. Last year F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo was a finalist on his second nomination, joined by Indy driver Will Power.
Maybe it’s time for a motorcycle racer to win.
The Don is announced each October, so there is plenty of time to impress the selection panel with petition signatures.
This video shows a rider honking his horn at a driver in front at a roundabout because he was on the phone and not moving. It turns out to be a Denver cop who then unloads abuse on rider Devin Jones and threatens to fine him for road rage.
Fault
So who is at fault here? Both!
Yes, police are allowed to use a hand-held phone while driving on special occasions.
In many jurisdictions, police are given certain leeway in breaking some road rules such as using a mobile phone while driving or even speeding, so long as they are “taking reasonable care” or in an emergency situation.
In the case of an emergency, the police vehicle should have the sirens and lights operating at the time if they are fitted to the vehicle.
However, this officer didn’t have his lights or siren on and was simply blocking traffic and causing road rage.
In fact, the video shows a couple of vehicles mount the median strip to pass the stationary motorcycle and police Ford SUV.
Maybe he was ordering a pizza and was so embarrassed he let fly at the rider.
Honking
On the other hand, was it road rage or simply courteous honking from the rider?
Well, Devin is certainly in a jolly mood and making a bit of a meal of swerving around the potholes (and even when there aren’t potholes).
The cop actually takes up this complaint with Devin who disputes he was “hot-dogging”.
But the rider was in a bit of a contrary mood.
You can tell from Devin’s comments on the video, his weaving and his revving of the bike just before he pulls up. What was that for?
He gives a polite honk at first, then a prolonged honk to which the office took exception.
The officer wouldn’t have heard Devin say “get off your fucking phone”!
Riders should be aware that, in some countries, it is not only rude to honk but even illegal.
As the officer says, it could be considered road rage and he could have written him an infringement notice.
However, Denver Police later said it is not considered road rage to use your horn in Colorado, but could still be illegal.
The Colorado law states:
The driver of a vehicle, when reasonably necessary to ensure safe operation, shall give an audible warning with his horn, but shall not otherwise use such horn when upon a street or highway.
Lessons
The lessons here are to be polite, don’t engage in road rage and use the horn as a warning only, not as a weapon.
MotoChic has announced its What Makes Your Heart Race campaign. The company will donate 20% of February’s sales to women’s heart health organization, WomenHeart.
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MotoChic® Launches “What Makes Your Heart Race?” To Support American Heart Month
Women’s lifestyle brand to contribute a percentage of its February sales to help raise awareness in the fight against women’s cardiovascular disease
January 31, 2019 — (San Francisco, CA) Women’s lifestyle brand MotoChic® will donate 20% of its sales from www.motochicgear.com during American Heart Month, February 1 – 28, 2019 to women’s heart health organization, WomenHeart.
Valentine’s Day and American Heart Month both happen in the month of February — a time of caring for oneself and those you love. According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease continues to be a women’s greatest health threat. WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is an organization dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of women living with and at-risk of heart disease.
MotoChic® Founder Debra Chin commented, “As a brand that empowers women, MotoChic® is always looking to support organizations doing the same. In February, companies often focus on Valentine’s Day and while we love the romanticism of that, what really makes our heart race is helping women thrive and live what they love. We felt this would be a fun way to help women gear up and support a great cause.”
MotoChic® apparel and accessories combine leading edge design with high performance materials for stylish women on the move. The brand recently released its MotoAngels Capsule Collection of tees, tank tops and sweatshirts made from fabric treated with an antimicrobial agent that “mechanically” destroys 99.9% of germs. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, the white shirts (available in short and long sleeves) feature glow-in-the-dark angel wings on the back.
The MotoAngels Capsule Collection is available online at www.motochicgear.com and 20% of all purchases made on the site during American Heart Month will contribute to the “What Makes Your Heart Race?” campaign funds being donated to WomenHeart.
About MotoChic®
MotoChic® answers the need for high quality, design-conscious clothing and accessories for women with fast-paced lifestyles. Travelers, professionals, and life enthusiasts will find what they need in MotoChic®. Wherever your next great adventure takes you, MotoChic® will be there.
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