Famous both for their performance-bike accessories and support of motorcycle road racing world wide, Hotbodies Racing has signed up to Sponsor Team Kenny Roberts’ MotoGP program in 2006. In celebration of partnering with Team KR the Hotbodies Racing booth at the Indy Dealer Show will have one of the team’s MotoGP bikes on display for photo opportunities for all attendees. Team KR is owned and managed by multi-time World Grand Prix champion Kenny Roberts. The MotoGP bike on display is one of the rare 2005 versions powered by a 990cc V-5 power plant designed in-house by Team Roberts. In 2006 the team will be using “spec” RC211V engines supplied by Honda, fitted to an all-new chassis now being tested. Together with the Team KR MotoGP bike, Hotbodies Racing will have all of its new products on display including its Grandprix Windscreens, Undertails and Tire Huggers, Flush-Mount LED Signals, patented Undertail Exhaust systems and more. Look for the Hotbodies Racing booth # 7620 at the Indy Dealer Expo and look for the Hotbodies Racing Teams in action at all 2006 AMA Pro Racing events. Hotbodies Racing specializes in manufacturing performance parts for performance bikes. Hotbodies Racing is the design leader in Undertails, Undertail Exhausts, Windscreens, Flush-Mount Signals, Huggers and full-race Bodywork. Hotbodies Racing supports the sport with sponsorship and its own in-house race team, and encourages dealer inquiries. For more information visit: hotbodiesracing.com.

LORIS CAPIROSSI (DUCATI DESMOSEDICI GP6) MAKES GOOD PROGRESS WITH BRIDGESTONE TYRES IN SEPANG The Italian rider, satisfied with the progress achieved by Bridgestone, continues the development work on bike set-up, engine and tyres. Sete Gibernau sidelined with a stomach complaint. Sepang (Malaysia), Wednesday 15 February – After another morning of sunshine, the typical afternoon storms brought an early end to the Ducati Marlboro Team’s testing session at the Sepang circuit at about 3.30 pm. This did not prevent Loris Capirossi from making use of the dry track time to continue the set-up work on his Ducati Desmosedici. On the only track that allows comparative data to be accumulated following the previous test of the GP6 at this circuit, the Italian focussed on power delivery and engine braking set-up. Loris was particularly satisfied with the tyres that Bridgestone has produced on the basis of the indications that emerged during the first Malaysian test in January. It was a disappointing day on the other hand for his team-mate Sete Gibernau. The Spanish rider, who had a sleepless night due to severe abdominal pains, had to return to the hotel after just a few laps. When he came back to the circuit in the afternoon, he was unable to resume testing activity because of the rain. Just tomorrow’s third and final day remains for the new Ducati Marlboro Team rider to complete his testing programme. Loris CAPIROSSI (50 laps – 2m01.87s) “Today was a really positive day” declared a smiling Loris. “In the morning we worked on the chassis settings, engine management and engine braking and we found an excellent set-up. We also concentrated on testing several new rear tyres. These are a real step forward over the ‘standard’ tyres (with which Loris won the Malaysian GP – Ed.) and I am pleased with the work carried out by Bridgestone. Tomorrow, thunderstorms permitting, we have scheduled a long-run to verify the duration of the tyres, which already looked good anyway in today’s testing”. Sete GIBERNAU (17 laps – 2m02.87s) “I didn’t sleep a wink all night but I wanted to test at all costs so I came to the circuit early” commented Sete. “After a few laps I was feeling really sick and decided to go back and rest in the hotel. At 3 o’clock, I still didn’t feel well but returned to the track to try and go out again but it started to rain. It just wasn’t my day .. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll feel better again because we’ve got a lot of things to test”. The Ducati Marlboro Team engineers and riders are hoping that the weather will remain good tomorrow for the final day of scheduled testing at the Sepang circuit. Temperatures: air 30°- 34° C/ track 36°- 53° C More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda: THE FORTUNA HONDA RIDERS CONTINUE WORKING AT SEPANG Sepang (Malaysia), Wednesday, 15th of February 2006 – Rain continues to spoil the third round of pre-season test session. The second day of testing was characterized in fact by very high temperatures in the morning (with the asphalt temperature reaching 53°C ) and heavy rain in the afternoon. A heavy shower that started to fall around 03.00 p.m. local time interrupted the work of the Fortuna Honda riders. A bad crash at the fast right hand corner before the straight complicated the day to Marco Melandri, that fortunately had no physical consequences. Positive day, on the contrary for the Spaniard Toni Elias who improved his rhythm and started working with Michelin technicians for some tyre testing. TONI ELIAS (41 laps, 2’02″62): “I’m satisfied of today’s session and it was really a pity that at 03.00 p.m. started to rain and the afternoon test session was completed spoiled. This morning we worked at the balance of the bike as I have some problem at weight distribution. we tested some different solutions and the feeling with the bike improved a lot. Then we started working with Michelin technicians, we tested some tyres and the bike was working well. Thanks to the work done on the weight distribution and tyre testing I could improve my rhythm and I was quite satisfied. It was scheduled to test some new Michelin tyres in the afternoon but I couldn’t because of the heavy rain. Tomorrow we will continue tyre testing, For me it’s very important to work alongside the Michelin technicians, I’m confident that I can improve my pace.” MARCO MELANDRI (37 laps, 2’02″65): “It was a bad day for me. This morning I crashed at the fast right hand corner before the straight. I’m ok, I really don’t know why the crash happened. It was strange because I was on the throttle when I went down. We checked the data and according to the telemetry everything is fine. Anyway, it was a really hot day. The bike was working better than yesterday in these extreme hot conditions. Unfortunately, the heavy rain spoiled the afternoon session. Tomorrow we will focus on tyre testing. Michelin has several tyres they want us to test and it will be very important for us to understand how the bike feel with these new tyres.” Temperature: air: 30°/34° C – asphalt: 36°/53° C UNOFFICIAL LAPTIMES S. Nakano (Kawasaki) 2 01 80 L. Capirossi (Ducati) 2 01 87 V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2 01 89 J. Hopkins (Suzuki) 2 01 90 D. Pedrosa (Honda) 2 01 93 C. Checa (Yamaha) 2 02 06 C. Edwards (Yamaha) 2 02 16 R. De Puniet (Kawasaki) 2 02 37 M. Tamada (Honda) 2 02 56 T. Elias (Honda) 2 02 62 M. Melandri (Honda) 2 02 65 S. Gibernau (Ducati) 2 02 90 N. Hayden (Honda) 2 02 93 K. Roberts KR (Honda) 2 02 95 C. Vermeulen (Suzuki) 2 03 18 A. Hofmann (Ducati) 2 04 23 J.L. Cardoso (Ducati) 2 04 65 J. Ellison (Yamaha) 2 05 08 More, from a press release issued by Camel Yamaha: CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM TEST Sepang, Malaysia February 15th 2006 Ambient temperature: 31 degrees C Track temperature: 45 degrees C Humidity: 74% RAIN SHOWER CALLS EARLY HALT TO SECOND DAY OF SEPANG TEST Work ended early for Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards today when day two of the Camel Yamaha Team’s Sepang Test was cut short by a mid-afternoon rainstorm. The Team spent the morning working on different settings and testing tyres with Michelin, looking to eliminate the vibration that the riders have been experiencing lately, before the rain came down after lunch. Both riders ventured out in the wet on the 2006-spec M1, the first time they have been able to see the performance of the new bike in these conditions, but the track soon started to dry out in patches and they decided to call it a day after just a few laps. Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) set the fastest time of the day with a lap of 2’01.80, followed by Loris Capirossi (Ducati, 2’01.87). Rossi, who celebrates his 27th birthday tomorrow, was close behind him with a time of 2’01.89 after 47 laps, whilst team-mate Edwards completed 57 laps and set the seventh fastest time with a lap of 2’02.20. The Camel Yamaha Team has one final day of testing remaining tomorrow. VALENTINO ROSSI (2’01.89, 47 Laps) “This morning we did quite a lot of laps and we were quite fast and consistent, so I was happy. We worked very well with Michelin and with one or two new tyres that they brought we made some good improvements to the vibration. Unfortunately in the afternoon it rained and we couldn’t go on as we wished. We made a few laps in the rain just to see how the new bike was in the wet; we had some new things to try with the electronic mapping in these conditions, but we needed more time. After a few laps the track started to dry and then with the conditions half wet and half dry, we had to stop. Tomorrow we might do a long run and we will also continue with the work we started today.” COLIN EDWARDS (2’02.20, 57 Laps) “The weather was a real disappointment today because we had a lot of work to do and we weren’t able to complete as many laps as we had hoped. Anyway in the morning we concentrated on a new front fork setting and generally played around, looking for some improvements to the chatter issue. We didn’t have enough time to do everything but we definitely made some steps in the right direction. We tested a couple of tyres for Michelin but then the rain came down. We did a few laps in the rain, just to check some settings and try out a couple of new things for Yamaha, and everything seemed okay in that area. Tomorrow we’re going to get started nice and early as we’ve got a lot still to do; I really hope the weather is better!” DAVIDE BRIVIO CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “Unfortunately the rain stopped us from completing all the work we wanted to do, but anyway we tried to use these conditions as best we could to check some things with the new bike. Tomorrow is our final day of testing in warm conditions before we return to Europe and we have to try to use all the time we have available to us.” Unofficial Lap Times: 1. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki, 2’01.80 2. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, 2’01.87 3. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha, 2’01.89 4. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki, 2’01.90 5. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda, 2’01.93 6. Carlos Checa (SPA) Yamaha, 2’02.06 7. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Yamaha, 2’02.20 8. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki, 2’02.37 9. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda, 2’02.62 10. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda, 2’02.65 11. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Honda, 2’03.66 12. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati, 2’02.87 13. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda, 2’02.93 14. Kenny Roberts (USA) KR Honda, 2’02.95 15. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki, 2’03.18 16. Alex Hofmann (GER) Ducati, 2’04.23 17. Jose Luis Cardoso (SPA) Ducati, 2’04.65 18. James Ellison (GBR) Yamaha, 2’05.08 Sepang Lap Record: Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2005 2’02.993 Sepang Best Lap: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005 2’01.731 More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: Second Sepang three-day MotoGP test of 2006. Day two of three-day MotoGP test. February 15, 2006. Rain stops play on second day of MotoGP test at Sepang. Heavy tropical rain brought the second of the MotoGP test at Sepang, Malaysia to an early close today and the majority of riders of riders elected to stop testing for the day. The weather proved an inconvenience for several Honda riders who had hoped to run race simulations on their new 2006 five-cylinder 990cc RC211V GP machines. For Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden the conditions brought to an end a promising day on the latest prototype factory RCV, just when he was beginning to get the best out of his new charge. Hayden, 24 from Kentucky set faster lap times than at the last Sepang test, in January, and was in positive mood, pleased with the progress he has made with the prototype machine. Hayden’s teammate, Spaniard Dani Pedrosa worked hard on the engine braking system of his RCV. Pedrosa was another who fell victim to the weather and he had to cancel a planned tyre test session for Michelin. Fortuna Honda riders Marco Melandri and Toni Elias ended their day with contrasting feelings. Elias was rewarded for his recent hard work with the RCV. The young Spaniard has struggled to find a comfortable fast rhythm with the Honda but today everything came together for him and he put in his best performance yet aboard the RCV. By contrast Melandri was unfortunate to crash at high speed, particularly unfortunate because he could not find a reasonable explanation for the fall. However, he was pleased with the improved performance of the RCV on an extremely hot mid-morning track surface. Konica Minolta Honda teamster Makoto Tamada began to make up for his late start to pre- season testing making great progress with the suspension of his RCV posting lap times one second faster than on the opening day. The popular Japanese rider goes into tomorrow’s final day of the test in buoyant mood. Kenny Roberts Junior put in the best one-day session yet aboard the Honda powered KR211V. Roberts broke the 2m 02s bracket for the first time at Sepang, and but for the heavy rain the Californian would have been faster. The former 500cc World Champion and the team have gathered sufficient data to move onto the next stage of chassis development for the KR211V. Australian Casey Stoner (LCR Honda) is suffering the effects of an old injury that reared its head during a physical training session last week. Stoner has a problem with a tendon in his shoulder and will take no part in testing at Sepang, wisely deciding to return to Australia for specialist treatment. Honda rider lap times and quotes. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 2m 02.93s – 53 laps. “Today I rode the new bike all day and we made some good progress. It was the first time we’ve had chance to spend a lot of time on the chassis and engine and I went quite a lot faster on it than I did last time here so that’s positive. It’s still a prototype machine and there are a lot of things we still need to try because it’s quite a bit different to my other bike. It would have been nice to test the two bikes back to back but I’m sure we’ll get a chance tomorrow.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 2m 01.93s – 50 laps. “Today we did a short job, but it was good quality. The track was good this morning and the lap time was also good. We tried some different settings with the engine braking which was important for me to gain more experience and understand how the bike reacts. This afternoon we were going to do some tyre testing and a longer run, but the rain interrupted us.” Makoto Tanaka – Repsol Honda Team Manager “I hoped for good weather today but instead we got a storm at 3pm! With Nicky is leading the development of the new bike and again had many items to test. Because of the rain we couldn’t get though everything but I am not worried because we have tomorrow. Dani put in a good time before lunch and will continues to learn step-by-step.” Tady Okada, HRC test rider: Not chasing lap time. “We are at the first stage with the bike and today we concentrated on the handling. The bike has very good points and is now very good on deceleration. Acceleration is not yet perfect but we are going in he right direction. The machine also holds its line very well.” Marco Melandri, Fortuna Honda: 2m 02.74s – 38 laps. “Bad day for me. I had a big crash at the first fast right hand corner, I’m OK but the bike is a mess. I really don’t know why the crash happened it was very strange because I was on the throttle when I went down. Checking the telemetry after the crash we got the bike back the data showed exactly the same settings as the previous laps had at that corner. Anyway, on the positive side when it was really hot today I felt the bike has improved from yesterday. I have to say we are not so far off where we need to be. Tomorrow we start a day of tyre testing. Michelin have several tyres they want us to test and it will be very important for us to understand how the bike behaves with the new tyres.” Toni Elias, Fortuna Honda: 2m 02.686s – 38 laps. “I’m satisfied of today’s test session and it was really a pity that at lunchtime started to rain and the afternoon session was completely spoiled. This morning we worked at the balance of the bike as I have some problem with weight distribution. We tested some different solutions and the feeling with the bike improved a lot. Then we started working with Michelin technicians, we started testing some tyres and the bike was working well. Thanks to the work done on the weight distribution and tyre testing I could improve my rhythm and I was quite satisfied. It was scheduled to test some new Michelin tyres in the afternoon but I couldn’t because of the heavy rain. Tomorrow we will continue tyre testing, For me it’s very important to work alongside the Michelin technicians, I’m confident that I can improve my pace.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: 2m 02.645s – 50 laps. “I am very satisfied with today’s progress. I was trying various suspension set up options. I found a good one for the front-end setting and I am close with the rear. I now have more feed back from the machine. I also tried three different rear tyres we were going to do a long run but the rain interrupted our plans. From now on we move to more delicate settings but I have a good feeling for tomorrow, and the coming IRTA tests. Tomorrow I will do a long run and, maybe, a time attack. I feel comfortable and I am enjoying riding very much.” Kenny Roberts Jnr, KR Honda: 2m 02.94s – 41 laps. “We spent the day testing front tyres for Michelin and found one we really like. Basically we confirmed Michelin’s theory about the tyres individually and Michelin are happy with the feedback we gave them. The bike worked really well today and we are making real progress. When the rain came we decided to stop, as we were close on mileage with the engine so we fitted a new engine ready for tomorrow. We will start testing rear tyres. tomorrow. We are really happy with what we achieved today.” Casey Stoner, LCR Honda: “I suffered this injury nearly six years ago during a dirt track training. In that period the doctor decided to avoid any operation because he thought it was not necessary and for the following 5 years I really never had problems. Last November I started a new intensive training to increase my muscles preparing my body to the new effort required by this type of bike and I have probably inflamed the old tendonitis. Tomorrow morning I will fly back home to see a sports specialist involved in the National Football League and we will value the solution together. Honestly I will do my best to be at 100% soon because I think that a simple tendonitis is not a insuperable problem”. More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda: THE FORTUNA HONDA RIDERS CONTINUE WORKING AT SEPANG Sepang (Malaysia), Wednesday, 15th of February 2006 – Rain continues to spoil the third round of pre-season test session. The second day of testing was characterized in fact by very high temperatures in the morning (with the asphalt temperature reaching 53°C ) and heavy rain in the afternoon. A heavy shower that started to fall around 03.00 p.m. local time interrupted the work of the Fortuna Honda riders. A bad crash at the fast right hand corner before the straight complicated the day to Marco Melandri, that fortunately had no physical consequences. Positive day, on the contrary for the Spaniard Toni Elias who improved his rhythm and started working with Michelin technicians for some tyre testing. TONI ELIAS (41 laps, 2’02″62): “I’m satisfied of today’s session and it was really a pity that at 03.00 p.m. started to rain and the afternoon test session was completed spoiled. This morning we worked at the balance of the bike as I have some problem at weight distribution. we tested some different solutions and the feeling with the bike improved a lot. Then we started working with Michelin technicians, we tested some tyres and the bike was working well. Thanks to the work done on the weight distribution and tyre testing I could improve my rhythm and I was quite satisfied. It was scheduled to test some new Michelin tyres in the afternoon but I couldn’t because of the heavy rain. Tomorrow we will continue tyre testing, For me it’s very important to work alongside the Michelin technicians, I’m confident that I can improve my pace.” MARCO MELANDRI (37 laps, 2’02″65): “It was a bad day for me. This morning I crashed at the fast right hand corner before the straight. I’m ok, I really don’t know why the crash happened. It was strange because I was on the throttle when I went down. We checked the data and according to the telemetry everything is fine. Anyway, it was a really hot day. The bike was working better than yesterday in these extreme hot conditions. Unfortunately, the heavy rain spoiled the afternoon session. Tomorrow we will focus on tyre testing. Michelin has several tyres they want us to test and it will be very important for us to understand how the bike feel with these new tyres.” Temperature: air: 30°/34° – asphalt: 36°/53° UNOFFICIAL LAPTIMES S. Nakano (Kawasaki) 2 01 80 L. Capirossi (Ducati) 2 01 87 V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2 01 89 J. Hopkins (Suzuki) 2 01 90 D. Pedrosa (Honda) 2 01 93 C. Checa (Yamaha) 2 02 06 C. Edwards (Yamaha) 2 02 16 R. De Puniet (Kawasaki) 2 02 37 M. Tamada (Honda) 2 02 56 T. Elias (Honda) 2 02 62 M. Melandri (Honda) 2 02 65 S. Gibernau (Ducati) 2 02 90 N. Hayden (Honda) 2 02 93 K. Roberts KR (Honda) 2 02 95 C. Vermeulen (Suzuki) 2 03 18 A. Hofmann (Ducati) 2 04 23 J.L. Cardoso (Ducati) 2 04 65 J. Ellison (Yamaha) 2 05 08 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team SUZUKI MotoGP was unable to complete a full day of testing at Sepang in Malaysia today as a thunderstorm ended the day’s proceedings early. John Hopkins had managed to clock a fastest time of 2’01.94 during his 44 laps before the conditions deteriorated. His time was yet another improvement on his best ever at Sepang and saw him well placed amongst the quickest riders of the day. Chris Vermeulen shaved a second off his best time from the first day to record a time of 2’03.10 in the course of his 46 laps. The rookie Australian again completed a lot of good work onboard his new Suzuki GSV-R and is settling in well to the role of a MotoGP racer. Today’s test was held in front of Suzuki’s Racing Department General Manager Masahito Imada, who is attending the test to assist in the ongoing development of the new bike.

Superbike World Championship First Round at Losail/Qatar The first round of World’s Superbike Championship takes place at Losail / Qatar 23-25 February. The fabulous Losail Circuit on the outskirts of Doha was inaugurated in 2004. The track itself is a flowing layout of 5.38 kilometres, featuring a main straight of 1100 metres, surrounded by artificial grass designed to prevent sand from the neighbouring desert from blowing onto the circuit. In 2005 World’s Superbike Championship was at guest at Losail for the first time. Winner of the Superbike heats were Troy Corser and Kagayama. Team Klaffi Honda’s rider Frankie Chili finished 5th , Max Neukirchner 8th. This year Team Klaffi Honda’s rider is Alex Barros. The climber from MotoGP to SBK Alex Barros: “What do I expect of the races? For sure I hope to be competitive and to be able to fight for podium and victories. Before the Losail round there was only time for some test rides in Sicily. I was happy with the result. The bikes performed well, the team worked hard and everyone is very enthusiastic knowing that they have a real chance to fight for victories and good results. By the way – the layout of the bike is really beautiful – yellow and green.” Klaus Klaffenböck: “žDuring the days before the first race time was really running away. We were very busy to prepare the bikes in time. But everyone is very enthusiastic. And though there was only one test before I think Alex is able to fight for victories and good results.” Alex Barros review of his last races at Losail: “In 2004 we had good chances to fight for the lead but unfortunately there was the touch with Valentino which threw me out of the trajectory and I ended up going to the dirty side of the track where Nakano had left oil. I slipped and almost fell costing me many positions. Because this happened at the beginning of the race I was able to recover and finish 4th. I think Qatar 2005 was the worst weekend regardless of having finished the race in top 10 and being able to overtake some riders. Unfortunately we did not have a good front tire for this circuit To be honest I never did have a good feeling on the bike to try and fight for better positions and this does not make me happy. I did not enjoy myself, I was very slow, I could not fight for positions and simply had to be happy with what I had, frustrating! “ SBK on TV Europe: Eurosport 2 live on Saturday the 25th Superbike race I 10.oo Superbike race II 13.3o. Brazil: Rede TV Alex Barros # 4 Born: 18.10.1970 at Sao Paulo Nationality: Brazlian Height: 1,74 m Weight: 69 Kg Marital status: married with Patricia: Hobbies: His family and movies Highlights First race – 1978 Ciclomotor class – Interlagos Grand Prix races – 251 First Grand Prix – 1986 Spain Cat. 80cc (Autisa) First Fastest lap – 1992 Hungary Cat. 500cc (Cagiva) First Podium – 1992 Holland Cat. 500cc (Cagiva) First Victory – 1993 Spain Cat. 500cc (Suzuki) First Pole Position – 2000 Italy Cat. 500cc (Honda) Grand Prix wins – 07 Second places – 11 Third places – 13 Podiums – 31 Pole positions – 05 Fastest laps – 14 Best Championship position – 4th place (2004 / 2002 / 2001 / 2000 / 1996)

LEO VINCE EXHAUST SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES U.S. RACE TEAM PARTNERS FOR 2006 LeoVince USA announced today the teams and riders that will be competing with LeoVince exhaust systems as promotional and technical partners in a variety of championship series across the United States. LeoVince SBK systems for sportbikes will be represented in AMA, ASRA and WERA national road race championships in addition to many regional series and the AMA Prostar drag race series, while LeoVince X3 systems for dirt bikes will be used in the AMA Supercross, Motocross, Flat Track and Supermoto series, as well as GNCC, Enduro and WORCS series races. “LeoVince accomplished a lot in 2005, our first full year of racing in the U.S.,” said Tim Calhoun, sales and marketing manager for LeoVince USA. “We made a big push in road race with our SBK product line and finished the year with great results in a variety of series. For 2006, we’re focused on our X3 products in Supercross, Motocross and Off-road, and we expect the same level of success.” In AMA road race, LeoVince will be the title sponsor of the new LeoVince Pegram Racing Honda team with rider/owner Larry Pegram and up-and-comer Ryan Elleby. Larry will be focused on the AMA Superbike class with occasional rides in Superstock, while Ryan will focus on the 600cc Supersport class in his first full year in the AMA series. The Matsushima Performance Tuning team is back with 2005 standout Danny Eslick, along with new-recruit Blake Young, the 2005 AMA Sports Road Race Horizon Award winner, and Jeremiah Johnson. The Millennium KWS Suzuki team has new riders for 2006, with young gun Matt Lynn riding the team’s GSX-R1000s along with John Haner, who finished fifth in 2005 AMA Superstock points. Rockwall Honda will team veteran Ty Howard with 19-year-old Ryan Andrews on Honda CBR600RR Formula Xtreme machines, while Team Hotbodies Racing and Leovince will again support some of the fastest AMA privateers in the country, including Cory West, Jeremy Toye and others. Number one plate holders Team Velocity Racing will defend their WERA National Endurance Series championship with LeoVince SBK exhausts, as will Dalke Motorsports, the Middleweight Superstock class champions in 2005. Arclight Suzuki will support riders in two series, with Jeff Wood defending his two ASRA (formerly Formula USA) National championships, and Dave Stanton defending his AFM number one plate. In the AMA Supercross & Motocross Series, Team Subway Coca-Cola has chosen LeoVince X3 systems to power them to success in the 2006 season. Riders Jeff Gibson, Jason Thomas and Keith Johnson have already had some great rides in the early events. Team Solitaire’s Ryan Clark and Justin Buckelew have also done well so far. Team Bikesellerz.com and Butler Brothers Racing are two teams on the rise in the competitive AMA Supercross and Motocross series, as is the GPS Racing team with rider Micahel Blose in the BooKoo ArenaCross Series. LeoVince has again partnered with Team Suzuki Flat Track to contest the AMA Flat Track Championship with riders Jake Johnson and Kevin Varnes on single-cylinder Short Track and V-twin-based GNC machines, with engineered exhaust system solutions specifically for flat track. In addition to directly supported teams, LeoVince USA will again be posting over $500,000 in contingency awards in Flat Track, Motocross, Road Race, Supercross, Drag Race and SuperMoto series across the country for riders using LeoVince exhaust systems. For those attending the 2006 Dealer Expo in Indianapolis, please visit LeoVince USA in Booth # 3413, where Larry Pegram and other racers will be signing autographs. LeoVince is a division of Sito Gruppo Industriale based in Monticello d’Alba, Italy. Sito is the largest exhaust manufacturer in Europe. LeoVince USA brands include SBK for sportbikes, X3 for off-road and ATVs, Scoot for scooters and Silvertail for cruisers. LeoVince products are distributed to U.S. motorcycle dealers by Parts Unlimited and Western Power Sports. For more information visit www.leovinceusa.com or call 888-610-4242. More, from another press release issued by Proforma: LEO VINCE EXHAUST SYSTEMS ADDS TEAM STARGEL CASTROL TO U.S. RACE TEAM LINEUP FOR 2006 With a recent signing, LeoVince USA is proud to announce the addition of Team Stargel Castrol to the lineup of teams that will be competing with LeoVince SBK exhaust systems in the 2006 AMA Superbike Championship. Team Stargel Castrol will feature rider Brian Stokes, the 2003 AMA Road Racing Horizon Award winner, riding Yamaha R1 and R6 machinery in the AMA Superbike and Formula Xtreme classes, respectively. Rocky Stargel is a former championship-winning team owner and tuner in the AMA 250 Grand Prix class.

Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A. has offered to buy back YZF-R6 models purchased by customers who are unhappy that the motorcycle does not actually reach the advertised redline of 17,500 rpm. Dyno runs have shown that the bike actually turns about 16,000 rpm despite an optimistic tach reading. Peak power is produced below 16,000 rpm. According to Yamaha Corporate Communications Manager Bob Starr, marketing and advertising plans for the new machine were formulated in the middle of last year based on technical specs sent to Yamaha Motor Corp. by factory product planners, before any 2006 YZF-R6 models had reached the U.S. The 17,500 rpm redline was featured in advertising and marketing materials, and riders at the worldwide press launch reported that the tach did reach an indicated 17,500 rpm. But once bikes reached dealers and were run on the dyno, it became obvious that the engine actually hit the rev limiter at around 16,000 rpm, and would not rev to 17,500 rpm as advertised, despite what the tach read. “We had no idea when we prepared the advertising and marketing materials that the bike would not rev to 17,500 rpm,” said Starr in a conference call with RoadracingWorld.com this morning. “We used that in the materials because no other middleweight (street) motorcycle had ever revved that high and when people saw the tach, they said ‘Wow!’ “As more of this came out, we let the factory know, we let our attorneys know,” continued Starr, “and the attorneys said that this is an advertising and marketing issue, and we need to do something. So we sent a letter out to customers who had purchased R6s telling them that there is a tach error of about 9%. We’re hopeful that they’re satisfied with the bike, but if they’re not, we’ll buy it back. This applies to customers who took early delivery. When anybody buys an R6 from this point on, the dealer will explain that the tach is optimistic and that the bike will only rev to 16,000 rpm.” Yamaha Motorcycle Marketing Manager Mark Dipko, who also participated in the conference call, said “We had one dealer who called and said, ‘If anybody gives them up, I’ll buy them all.'” The text of the letter sent by Yamaha to YZF-R6 purchasers follows: Re: 2006 Yamaha YZF-R6 Motorcycle RPM Limit Dear Customer: Yamaha introduced and marketed the new 2006 YZF-R6 motorcycle with a red line limit of 17,500 RPM, as indicated on the tachometer. After testing production units, we have determined that the actual red line limit is approximately 16,000 RPM resulting in a tachometer error of roughly 9%. This has no affect whatsoever on the performance of the motorcycle. We are extremely confident that, despite this error, the R6 will more than satisfy you in every way. However, if you are not satisfied with your motorcycle because of this discrepancy, we will repurchase it and will reimburse you the entire purchase price, including any setup fees, taxes or interest that you have paid in connection with your purchase of this motorcycle. If you choose to have your 2006 YZF-R6 repurchased, please check where indicated below, sign this letter and return it to Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., Attn.: 2006 YZF-R6 Buyback, 6555 Katella Ave., Cypress, CA 90630 in the stamped envelope provided. Yamaha must receive this letter indicating this choice by March 15, 2006, or we will assume that you have decided to keep and enjoy your motorcycle. Our goal is to ensure your satisfaction, both now and in the future. We would like to sincerely apologize for this error and any inconvenience it may have caused you, and also to thank you for your continued support of Yamaha. Best Regards. Dennis McNeal Vice President Motorcycle Operations Yamaha Motor Corp I would like Yamaha Motor U.S. to repurchase the 2006 YZF-R6 that I recently purchased. Acknowledged and agreed: Signature: Printed Name: Date: Contact Telephone Number: ___________________ Vin Number

DUCATI DESMOSEDICI TAKES TO THE SEPANG TRACK FOR FURTHER TESTING A full house of MotoGP riders present in the final winter testing session at the Sepang circuit. Positive day for Loris Capirossi, who continues development work on the Desmosedici GP6, while a minor mechanical problem slows down the work of Sete Gibernau. Sepang (Malaysia), Tuesday 14 February 2006 – The Ducati Marlboro Team returned to Sepang today for a second three-day test session for all the MotoGP teams at the Malaysian circuit before the start of the World Championship. The day was characterized by suffocating heat in the morning (track temperatures above 50°C) and then disturbed by the rain, which shortly after 4 pm in the afternoon forced everyone back to the pit garages. The light showers were enough to keep the track damp but made any more dry testing time impossible before the closure of the track at 6 pm. Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau took advantage of the dry weather to continue the development of the new Desmosedici GP6. Both riders have an intense testing programme ahead of them, which also includes the new tyres that Bridgestone have developed with the data accumulated at this circuit at the end of January. Loris CAPIROSSI (44 laps – 2m02.64s) “I am pretty satisfied with the way things went today” declared Loris. “We continued development work on the bike, concentrating mainly on the set-up to try and obtain the best compromise between agility and stability. We managed to find something good and tomorrow we’ll focus on the tyres. The team is working well, and the bike seems to be much improved over last year’s machine”. Sete GIBERNAU (38 laps – 2m03.51s) “Today we had a mechanical problem which ruined almost all the time available” said Sete, whose bike suffered a gearbox glitch. “Just before it began to rain I went out on the second bike which was much better, but then the rain brought the test to a halt. We are here to test, and it’s better that the problems emerge here rather than in the race!” Tomorrow and Thursday, weather permitting, testing for Capirossi and Gibernau will revolve around the chassis, the electronics and the tyres. Temperature: air 33° / track 55° More, from a press release issued by Camel Yamaha: Ambient temperature: 37 degrees Track temperature: 54 degrees Humidity: 79% CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM RETURNS TO SEPANG FOR FINAL ‘WINTER’ TEST Camel Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards began their last three-day test in Sepang today, where they rejoined the rest of the MotoGP grid at the popular Malaysian venue. Fresh from their test in Qatar last week, Rossi and Edwards completed more valuable development work with the 2006-spec YZR-M1, both finishing the day in the top five on the unofficial time sheets. Focusing almost entirely on ironing out the small vibration problems they have been suffering from lately, fast lap times were not the aim of the day for the Yamaha pair. Despite this however, Rossi and Edwards were on the pace and well inside lap record time. Edwards was third behind Marco Melandri (Honda, 2’01.66) and Dani Pedrosa (Honda, 2’01.89) with a best lap of 2’02.00 from 54 laps whilst Rossi, who also completed 54 laps, was fifth with a time of 2’02.20. COLIN EDWARDS (2’02.00, 54 Laps) “It was seriously hot out there today and pretty exhausting! Today we concentrated on fixing the little bit of chatter we’ve had and played around with some front fork settings, just trying to dial it in. We made some good progress and we have a new front-end setting to try in the morning; we hope that this will be the final key. Honestly we didn’t really concentrate much on lap times but it seems that they came anyway, so I’m pretty happy! The bike already feels even better than it did here in January, the new stuff we have from both Yamaha and Michelin is great and after Qatar I am feeling really confident, especially with the front-end. It’s all going well so hopefully we can make the final steps we need over the next two days.” VALENTINO ROSSI (2’02.20, 54 Laps) “Today we worked almost entirely on trying to solve the vibration problems that we have had. We changed many things, tried various different settings and collected a lot of important information throughout the day. Now we are looking forward to using all this information over the next two days and we are confident that we are close to fixing the problem. Once we’ve been able to fix it, we will be able to use this bike to its full potential. Yamaha has done a great job and the potential of this bike is very high, it’s a big improvement to last year’s M1 and I am sure that once we’ve solved this one remaining issue, things will be very good.” DAVIDE BRIVIO CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “Of course fixing this vibration is now our main focus and today we worked a lot with the entire team to try to find the right way forward. We had great cooperation between the two riders and both crews, exchanging information and experience and this is very important for the team’s progress. We’ve been working on data collection today and we will continue tomorrow, trying some new things and gathering more information to help us. We’ve already done many days testing with this new bike and mostly it’s going very well, now we have two more days here to continue with our improvement. “ Unofficial Lap Times: 1. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 2’01.66 2. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 2’01.89 3. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Yamaha 2’02.00 4. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki 2’02.15 5. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha 2’02.20 6. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 2’02.64 7. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 2’02.75 8. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 2’02.86 9. Carlos Checa (SPA) Yamaha 2’03.40 10. Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda 2’03’40 11. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati 2’03.51 12. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 2’03.52 13. Kenny Roberts (USA) KR Honda 2’03.58 14. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Honda 2’03.66 15. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki 2’04.02 16. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 1’04.10 17. Alex Hoffman (GER) Ducati 2’05.40 18. Jose Luis Cardosa (SPA) Ducati 2’05.81 19. James Ellison (GBR) Yamaha 2’05.90 More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: Day one of three-day MotoGP test. February 14, 2006. Melandri the Honda hot shot on day one of Sepang test. The gruelling pre-season MotoGP test schedule resumed at Sepang, Malaysia today where the grand prix teams began their final three-day winter test in the Southern Hemisphere. All MotoGP teams tested at the 5.542 km Sepang circuit in mid-January and were surprised to find a huge difference in track conditions. Ambient temperatures were close to 30′ today with high humidity left the track slick and a rain shower late in the day did little to improve grip. Surface grip was hard to find on the opening day and consequently lap times were often slower than those set on the first day of the test a month ago. Fastest an of the seven RCV riders present today was again Marco Melandri, runner-up in the 2005 MotoGP World Championship. Fortuna Honda rider Melandri did not have the day he expected at Sepang. The young Italian was surprised by the lack of grip from the track and struggled to get his RCV off the corners due to excessive rear wheel spin. The most positive aspect on the opening day was the improved feel from the front end of the machine, something Melandri had been chasing at the first Sepang test, held in January. Melandri’s teammate, Spaniard Toni Elias, was not happy with his days work and admits he has a lot to learn about the RCV and needs more time on the machine to give his best. The Repsol Honda factory team riders, Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa were both faster than on the opening day of the last test here. Pedrosa was the faster of the two men. Starting off the day conservatively the young Spaniard slowly upped the pace while testing tyres for Michelin and set a fastest lap at 2m 01.89s. Hayden has rear wheel grip problems and admitted the feed-back he gave the team was not up to his usual standard. His best lap time reflected his day as he was almost one second off Pedrosa’s fastest lap. HRC RC211V test rider, former 500cc grand prix winner Tady Okada, is at Sepang with the Repsol Honda factory team. Okada, who has taken over RCV testing from compatriot Tohru Ukawa was pleased with the progress of the latest version of the RCV he tested today. Okada feels there is a definite improvement over the machine 2005 tested at Sepang last month. Kenny Roberts Jnr continued the steady progress his team has made with the Honda powered KR211V, a Team Roberts rolling chassis equipped with the five-cylinder RCV 990cc engine. On the opening day of the test Roberts, on a difficult track surface set a lap time of 2m 03.48s using the latest version of the newly developed Team Roberts chassis. In the prevailing conditions it was an impressive upbeat performance for the new design in the conditions. Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda) is playing catch up with his fellow RCV riders. Japanese star Tamada missed the last two MotoGP tests at Sepang and it shows in his lap times but the popular rider remains unfazed and is steadily working up to speed. He concentrated on suspension and chassis settings on the opening day and was quite happy with the progress made today. LCR Honda rider Casey Stoner put in a brief 13-lap appearance before ending his day early suffering from a shoulder strain he picked up during his physical training programme last week. Stoner attended the track medical centre for treatment and will return for more treatment in the morning before deciding if he will test the LCR Honda tomorrow. Honda rider lap times and quotes. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 2m 02.92s – 90 laps. “I’m not completely satisfied with the day to be honest with you. At the start I just didn’t have a good feeling with the traction. As the day went on we kept working hard and chipped away and found some stuff and I was able to get into the 2s [2m 02s laps] when it was still really hot, so that was positive, but we weren’t where we needed to be today. I’m not pointing the finger. We’re all in it together and to be honest the rider wasn’t getting around as good as he should have, and my information wasn’t that great. Still, we definitely got some stuff we can build on – we changed some offset settings which helped me with front feeling in the slow corners.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 2m 01.89s – 87 laps. “Today was not too bad. At the beginning the track was a little bit slippery but it got better. We were working on chassis and suspension settings in the morning and then after lunch we tested some tyres for Michelin until the rain stopped us. At the beginning my times weren’t so good, but we improved little by little. We have tested here three times and I’m gaining good experience. I still have to work on my strength and fitness, but I think with the time we have we can achieve it. And I’ve now got a riding position I’m happy with.” Makoto Tanaka – Repsol Honda Team Manager “This test is very important for Honda and today the track was very hot which didn’t help the lap times. Again, Nicky had many things to test. His time wasn’t the fastest, but I’m not worried about this, it’s a three day test and we have more new things to try tomorrow. Dani was working on bike settings and he made good progress.” Tadayuki Okada, HRC test rider: 2m 05.89s – 72 laps. “Basically I am here to help the team with the transition from the 2005 RC211V to the eventual 2006 machine the team will race. We are working hard, not just on the settings but also on machine balance and I have to say that so far the machine I tested today is much better than the ’05 bike I tried. Usually when you find several positive points with a newly developed bike you also find negative points but today everything has been positive. Nicky (Hayden) will test the bike tomorrow then we will sit down and discuss which is the best direction to take with in future testing.” Marco Melandri, Fortuna Honda: 2m 01 “Today was very strange for us. We lack traction off the corners and the bike is sliding. The feeling I had with the bike is totally different from the last test here at Sepang. Part of the reason is that track conditions are lot different but not entirely. At the moment I don’t really understand this. We tried new tyres from Michelin but they did not work here as well as the tyres we used last time we were here. The positive point about today was the front end, it’s better than before in the fast corners and my lap time was also fast for the track conditions. We have two more days here and we have some work to do.” Toni Elias, Fortuna Honda: “I’m not so happy today. I don’t really have problems to speak of it’s just that I need more time on the bike, run a lot more kilometres. Here at Sepang I have to put in as many laps as I can, I have to feel more comfortable on the bike than I am at the moment before I can be fast.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: “Today I tried various suspension and chassis settings and gained some precise data. Phillip Island is a fast track while Sepang has many tight corners. So today I could see what I couldn’t at Phillip Island. All the other teams testing here have had two more than me to test here since the end of last season so I knew they would go quick from the start of the session and I focussed on my own job today, not thinking about other peoples lap times.” Casey Stoner, LCR Honda: 2m03.41s – 13 laps. Stoner unavailable for comment. Kenny Roberts Jnr, KR Honda: “Things are starting to go good, we are making inroads and we ended the day well running in the mid 2m 03s bracket. We had a small issue with the rear shock towards the end and that gave me a chance to a new shock and swinging arm. The bike now turns into the corners better with this frame than the original one we tested here so we can see the progress we’re making. The lap times are good and I set my best times towards the end of the day. Which is pretty interesting because most of the other guys were faster earlier in the day.” More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda: MOTOGP TEST AT SEPANG DAY 1: MARCO SIGNS THE FASTEST TIME Sepang (Malaysia), Tuesday 14th of February 2006 – The Fortuna Honda riders are back at work for the third round of test in preparation on the 2006 season. There is no doubt that this three-day test session will be very important to confirm the work done so far. The teams have in fact all the reference data on this track as they tested here with the new bike at the end of January. The first day of testing was characterized by hot temperatures in the morning and a light rain in the afternoon that forced the riders to stop in the garage. They could go back on track for only a short time before 06.00 p.m.. A crash without consequences in the morning didn’t stop Fortuna Honda rider Marco Melandri to continue working in the afternoon, signing today’s fastest time (2’01″65). In total, the Italian rider completed 74 laps. His team mate Toni Elias continued to do experience with the RC211V. The young Spanish rider still needs to do as many kilometres as possible in order to feel more comfortable on the bike. MARCO MELANDRI (74 laps , 2’01″65): “We still have a lot of work to do on the new bike. The positive point is that I’m quite fast on the single lap whereas we don’t have enough traction to have the rhythm I’d like to have for the race.” TONI ELIAS (65 laps, 2’03″51): “I’m not happy. At the moment the feeling with the bike is not the one I’d like to have. I need more time on the bike, I need to run a lot of kilometres and to feel more comfortable. Tomorrow I will start working with Michelin technicians for some tyre testing. I’m confident that this will help me a lot to find a better feeling and to improve my rhythm.” Temperature: 29°-34° the air temperature, 33°-45° the asphalt temperature UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES 1.M.Melandri (Honda) 2 01 65 2. D.Pedrosa (Honda) 2 01 89 3. C. Edwards (Yamaha) 2 02 00 4. J. Hopkins (Suzuki) 2 02 15 5. V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2 02 20 6. L. Capirossi (Ducati) 2 02 64 7. R.De Puniet (Kawasaki) 2 02 75 8. N. Hayden (Honda) 2 02 86 9. C. Checa (Yamaha) 2 03 40 10. C. Stoner (Honda) 2 03 40 11. T. Elias (Honda) 2.03.51 12. S. Gibernau (Ducati) 2 03 51 13. K. Roberts (KR Honda) 2 03 58 14. M.Tamada (Honda) 2 03 66 15. S. Nakano (Kawasaki) 2 04 02 16. C. Vermeulen (Suzuki) 2 04 10 17. Hofmann Ducati 2 05 40