From a press release issued by Red Bull KTM:

The Red Bull KTM Team has confirmed it will enter four riders in two classes, 250cc and 125cc, in the FIM Road Racing World Championship for 2005.

Australian rider Anthony West will spearhead the assault in the 250cc world championship on an all-new KTM machine.

For the 125cc world championship current Red Bull KTM rider Mika Kallio will be joined by Spanish teenager Julian Simon and Hungarian Gabor Talmacsi in an expanded three rider squad.

Both the 125cc and 250cc KTM racing projects will be supervised by Austrian engineer and race team manager Harald Bartol.

“KTM is delighted to have secured the services of Anthony West as we embark on the new 250cc project,” Bartol said.

“Anthony is a talented and committed rider who brings a great deal of experience to our team.

“The 250cc bike will be a development project for 2005 although in the second half of the season we hope to have a competitive bike on which Anthony can challenge the top riders.

“And 125cc world championship is a primary goal for next year.”

The expansion of the KTM road racing activities comes after a successful 2004 campaign when both Kallio and Australian rider Casey Stoner finished in the top ten of the 125cc championship and Stoner won the first GP for KTM .

In the 125cc championship KTM’s goal is to challenge for the world championship in 2005 with three fast and strong riders in Kallio, Simon and Talmacsi.

The KTM 125cc team now has a strong platform to work from as it enters its third season of GP competition after first racing the 125cc GP in the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka in 2003.

The KTM 250cc machine is a new bike currently being designed and developed by Bartol with track testing scheduled to commence prior to the start of the 2005 season in April.

The plan is for West to be racing the KTM 250 in the opening race of the season, the Spanish GP at Jerez.

West, 23, has emerged as one of the brightest talents in grand prix racing over the past two seasons riding outdated privateer bikes.

West won the Dutch TT at Assen in 2003 with a superb wet weather performance and during the 2004 season regularly finished ahead of rivals on full factory bikes.

After starting his career in junior dirt-track racing and winning two national titles in Australia, West made his grand prix debut as 125cc wild card in the Australian GP at Phillip Island in 1998.

He moved to the 250cc class in 1999 on a Honda was sixth in the 2000 world championship. West raced one season, 2001, as a privateer on a Honda v-twin in the 500cc world championship.

For the 125cc championship Finland’s Mika Kallio, 22, will be in his second full season with KTM in 2005. The Flying Finn made his grand prix debut in Germany in 2001.

With a best result of second place in this year’s Portuguese GP at Estoril Kallio has shown he has the talent and experience to be a title contender in 2005.

The new faces in the 125cc KTM team are Simon and Talmacsi.

Simon is a 17 year old Spaniard who broke through for his first front row qualifying performance in the Czech GP at Brno this year. His best race result was a sixth place finish in the Malaysian GP at Sepang.

Talmacsi, 23 from Budapest, made his grand prix debut at Brno in 2000 and brings four seasons of GP experience to the KTM team.


Editorial Note: Stoner was originally slated to ride KTM’s new 250cc machine in an August 24 press release.

From a press release issued by Yoyodyne Titanium:

Ducati Monster Support

Morristown, -Yoyodyne, a long time supporter of Professional and Amateur motorcycle racers is now adding Street Riders to their support program. Yoyodyne products such as our improved clutch slave cylinder, slipper and lightweight clutches, Lightech carbon Fiber and billet accessories and Marvic wheels have been favorite upgrades for Monster owners and enthusiasts.

The Ducati Monster Challenge will take place at selected Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows across the country. The Monster Challenge will be featured at these shows: San Francisco, Dallas, Long Beach, Seattle, Atlanta, New York, Montreal, Detroit, and the grand finale will be held in Daytona, Florida during Bike Week.

Yoyodyne has upped the program with $14,750 in additional cash and gifts to our customers whose bikes are considered the top three in the show.

More details can be sound on our website, at http://www.yoyodyneti.com/monster_challenge.aspx

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Yamaha will offer 500 special-edition 2005 YZF-R6 models with graphics packages designed by MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi, but the unique machines will only be available in Europe.

According to Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A. Media Relations Manager Brad Banister, the Rossi-edition YZF-R6 (which resembles Rossi’s helmet design, with a yellow sun logo on one side and a black moon scheme on the opposite side of the bike) will be a Europe-only model and will not be available in America.

Banister said he had received several inquiries about the bike from U.S. reporters.

From a press release issued by Paul Bird Motorsport:

MACAU RACE TO MARK THE END OF MONSTERMOB’S SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP WITH DUCATI CORSE

MonsterMob Ducati team owner Paul Bird wishes to announce that his highly successful four-year partnership with Ducati Corse will come to an end with the Cumbrian-based team’s participation in the 38th running of the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix race on November 20th.

MonsterMob will enter two Ducati 999 superbikes in the classic Far Eastrace for riders John McGuinness and Stuart Easton, after which the team will take another direction for the 2005 season.

Paul Bird Motorsport has had a truly successful relationship with the Italian manufacturer over the last four years, during which time it consolidated its position as Ducati’s satellite team in the competitive British Superbike championship, which it won twice in successive years. It also won a total of 34 BSB races, in addition to two World Superbike races at Brands Hatch in 2003.

After the late Steve Hislop’s title success (together with Stuart Easton taking the British Supersport crown) in 2002, followed by Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne lifting the crown again in 2003 before moving onto MotoGP, the MonsterMob Ducati squad finished fifth overall in this year’s British Superbike championship with the experienced Sean Emmett aboard the factory-supported Ducati 999RS04, winning two races and finishing on the podium a further six times.

“It was an extremely difficult decision to take to leave Ducati” declared Paul Bird, “and it really left a lump in my throat when I thought of what we have accomplished over the last four years. However we realised that the time had come to do something different. Quite simply we needed a new challenge for 2005, when we aim to extend our team to run three Superbikes in BSB and that is going to be one really big task”.

He continued “I would like to thank Ducati Corse, and in particular Paolo Ciabatti, for everything they have done for us since the start of our relationship, because without their contribution none of this success would have been possible and a big thanks also to Ducati UK, who have given us their help and support over the past four years.”

Paolo Ciabatti, Ducati Corse Superbike Program Director, added: “We are really sorry that our collaboration with Paul Bird Motorsport has come to an end. In winning two BSB titles with Steve Hislop and Shane Byrne, they have given us a lot of success in the UK and proved to be a very capable and professional team. But above all we would like to thank them for bringing honour and credit to Ducati in BSB over the past four years. We wish Paul, Phil, Stuart and everybody in the team all the best for the future.”

Plans are at an advanced stage for Bird to run the three riders in the 2005 British Superbike Championship using Honda machinery. Already signed is Gary Mason who will be joining the team’s junior rider Michael Laverty on the Fireblades with the third rider still to be announced.

“We are speaking with a number of riders about the vacant position and we have had lots of interest. Hopefully, we can conclude this deal in the next few weeks and we can look forward to getting back to our winning ways next season. I’m really looking forward to working with Honda again with whom we’ve enjoyed a very successful relationship in the past” concluded Bird.

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

TOSELAND AND LACONI CONFIRMED AS FACTORY SUPERBIKE RIDERS

LANZI TO MAKE WSBK DEBUT IN STEFANO CARACCHI’S ‘SATELLITE’ TEAM

HODGSON RETURNS TO DUCATI CORSE FOR AMA ATTACK WITH ERIC BOSTROM

Bologna (Italy), Monday November 8, 2004: Ducati Corse’s 2005 Superbike programmes are now taking shape with the triple announcement of an unchanged line-up in its World Superbike factory team, the debut of a young Italian talent in a satellite World Superbike structure and a redoubling of its efforts to win the AMA Superbike championship.

24-year-old Brit James Toseland, who won the 2004 World Superbike championship on a Ducati 999F04, will defend the title on the ’05 version of the bike that won ten of the 22 races on the calendar.

One month ago at Magny-Cours, James became the third British rider to win the Superbike crown, and his team-mate will once again be the 29-year-old Frenchman Régis Laconi, who has also been confirmed as Ducati factory rider for 2005.

“This past week has been brilliant, first winning the MCN Man of the Year award and then having my position with Ducati Corse confirmed for 2005” commented Toseland. “It’s fantastic to start the season with the same team that I won the championship with and I’m hoping that our relationship will continue to be as successful.

“I learned an awful lot last year and I feel confident about retaining the world championship. I can’t wait to get started” he concluded.

“I am very happy to be reconfirmed by Ducati, this is what I wanted” declared Laconi. “Next year I will try and win the championship for sure, I came very close this year but unfortunately I made some mistakes, even though I was nearly always the quickest rider out on the track… c’est la vie!

“It’s sure to be more difficult next year but I know that Ducati will be working harder than ever over the winter to prepare an even more competitive bike for the 2005 season.”

A third Ducati 999 will also be raced in World Superbike by the talented Italian youngster Lorenzo Lanzi. The 23-year-old from Cesena earned his promotion with a string of positive results in World Supersport, where he finished fifth overall, and he will campaign a 999RS for the satellite SC team run by Stefano Caracchi. The Bologna-based team will also continue with the Supersport race programme of the Ducati 749R that Lanzi took to its debut this year.

“I am really pleased to have this new challenge, above all because I will have the same Supersport team of mechanics with me” declared Lanzi. “Once again I move up a category after a year, and for this reason it’s not going to be easy, but I will be riding the 999RS, which is a very competitive bike, and we hope to get some good results.”

The final piece in the jigsaw for Ducati Corse’s Superbike plans comes with the announcement that Toseland’s fellow Brit and 2003 WSBK champion, Neil Hodgson, will line up alongside Eric Bostrom in the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin AMA Superbike team for next season.

After a difficult year in MotoGP on a Desmosedici GP3, the 31-year-old from Burnley is happy to return to the 999 bike that took him to the 2003 WSBK title and is also relishing this tough new challenge.

“Having had a disappointing experience in MotoGP, it’s such a relief to be back where I belong with Ducati Corse” declared Hodgson. “The AMA Championship poses a great challenge both to me personally and to Ducati as they haven’t won it for many years.

“I would like to make history and be the first rider ever to have won the British and World Superbike Championships and the AMA Championship. Being back with the 999 is going to be so natural for me and I can’t wait to start testing. The main thing that I have discovered this year is that I cannot race just to make up the numbers. I need to win!”.

Toseland, Laconi and Lanzi will be in action next week on November 16-18 in three days of testing at Valencia, whereas Neil Hodgson’s first appearance for the AMA Superbike team is scheduled for January 3-5, 2005 in testing at the legendary Daytona circuit in Florida.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Italian MotoGP star Max Biaggi, 33, suffered multiple fractures to his left leg today while riding near Rome, according to the BBC.

Read the full report here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/3992957.stm

Biaggi, who finished third in the 2004 MotoGP World Championship, is expected to team with American Nicky Hayden on the official HRC-backed Repsol Honda squad for 2005.

More details will be reported when available.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The area code for Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. has changed from 909 to 951. Anyone trying to reach Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. should dial (951) 245-6411, FAX (951) 245-6417, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) Monday through Friday.

From a press release issued by Motonation:

Motonation announces its Spidi race gear support plan!

Motonation, the exclusive USA importer/distributor of Spidi road race suits and gloves is proud to announce that it is now accepting resumes for its 2005 rider support team.

As part of Motonation’s extensive effort to achieve a high level of visibility for the Spidi brand in a short amount of time the company has allowed for a higher quantity of support rides for the 2005 season. Support will be offered at three different product discount levels on the Spidi’s all new NRG, the classic R2 Wind the value priced Viper race suits and all of Spidi’s legendary sport gloves.

While the Motonation website is being updated to include the Spidi line riders can view the products at www.spidi.com

Riders interested in applying for support should contact Motonation’s Rider Support Manager, Kyle Smith at:
T: 619-401-4100 x105
F: 619-401-4108
[email protected]

From a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:

MLADIN COMPLETES FIRST TEST ABOARD NEW 2005 SUZUKI GSX-R1000 IN MALAYSIA

Five times American Superbike champion Mat Mladin has completed his first test session aboard the all-new 2005 model Suzuki GSX-R1000 that he hopes will take him to a sixth Superbike crown in America next year.

Returning to Australia over the weekend, Mladin, his Yoshimura Suzuki crew and teammate Aaron Yates spent a gruelling three-days at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia last week putting the latest version GSX-R1000 Superbike through a myriad of tests.

By contrast to recent years where the American Superbike team shared the track with other Suzuki supported teams such as the factory MotoGP team, last week’s test saw them there alone.

Mladin has been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to ride the latest offering from Suzuki and come away from the test full of praise for the work that has been done by the factory in readiness for 2005.

“Suzuki have made some very strong improvements with the motorcycle and the whole package presents itself with something that we can work straight away,” said Mladin.

“It’s very promising after the first test. It was hard to compare lap times with what we have done there previously as it rain each night we were there, so the track was ‘green’ each time we went out in the morning. We had one of our ’04 models that we rode this year to compare it with and it stacked up very well. Grip was an issue for us under those conditions, but we had a few things to compare the performance with.”

“Dunlop were there in full force as well. They had a full range of tyres to test and are working very hard towards next year.”

There has been very little time for the team to prepare for the test after the rescheduling of the final round of this year’s American Superbike Championship, left them with less than a month to have the new bikes ready to ride.

“The commitment by our team for next year is highlighted by the way my crew basically landed back home at the end of the race season, dropped their families off and then headed on to Japan where they have been preparing the bikes that we used at the test over the past three weeks. A massive and totally committed effort by those guys. Everyone was keen to get going, but with this test now complete, they have been able to head back home and have a well deserved holiday, before they head back to America for our next test in early January.”

The next scheduled test appearance for Mladin and his Yoshimura Suzuki team will be the Dunlop tyre test at the revamped Daytona International Speedway, Florida on January 3 to 5, 2005.