From a press release issued by American Suzuki:

Suzuki Honored with Award of Excellence at
Interactive Kiosk Conference

BREA, Calif. (May 13, 2004) – American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) is proud to announce that ASMC’s innovative Suzuki Sales P.R.O. (Professional Retail Outlet) was awarded “Most Creative/Best Use of New Technology in a Kiosk Application” at the celebrated third annual KioskCom 2004 Interactive Kiosk Excellence Awards, organized by KioskComLLC.

ASMC and Suzuki Sales P.R.O. were honored at the KioskCom 2004 awards ceremony and reception in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 27, 2004. The event is the premier conference and exhibition on interactive self-service technology.

“It is awesome to be recognized by the kiosk community,” said ASMC’s Dealer Network Manager Steve Bortolamedi. “Winning this award just shows how impressive the Suzuki Sales P.R.O. really is. One of the key factors for Suzuki winning the award is return on investment. The cost vs. potential sales increases to the dealer really puts the Suzuki Sales P.R.O. on top.”

According to KioskComLLC, finalists were selected based upon a written application and on-site usability testing done at KioskCom. Said ASMC’s Marketing Manager Rod Lopusnak, “Winning this award confirms the fact that Suzuki is on the right track to improving product knowledge, increasing profitability and enhancing the selling process at the dealer level. It also reaffirms Suzuki as an industry leader.”

Suzuki Sales P.R.O. debuted at the February 2002 Indianapolis Dealer Expo and then was successfully launched to ASMC’s motorcycle and ATV dealers at the 2003 Suzuki dealer meeting. The Suzuki Sales P.R.O. concept was developed in house by Bortolamedi, Lopusnak and ASMC Motorcycle/ATV Division Vice President Mel Harris. The software is produced by EON Reality, Inc. and Matrix Consultants.

“Suzuki Sales P.R.O. is unlike any other retail-oriented technology currently used in the motorcycle and ATV industry and is used by 60 percent of our dealers,” said Harris. “In comparable industries, kiosk systems fail to cover the key selling processes and costs four to five times more than the Suzuki Sales P.R.O. Congratulations to everyone who worked so diligently on this project.”

About American Suzuki
The Motorcycle/ATV Division of American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC), Brea, Calif., was founded in 1963 by Suzuki Motor Corporation. ASMC markets motorcycles and ATVs via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. ASMC’s parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide automobile manufacturer. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, it has 120 distributors in 191 countries.

From a press release:

Reno Harley-Davidson & KRNV News 4 Join Forces In Clothing Drive For Needy Kids

Seven-year-old Mayann was all smiles when she picked out her back to school clothes from Klothes 4 Kids at Reno Sparks Gospel Mission last year.

“She was so excited,” her mother Tanya explains, “she was having a really special day.”

Reno Harley-Davidson and KRNV News 4 hope to help the Reno Sparks Gospel Mission make many more children happy this year with the second annual Klothes 4 Kids Motorcycle Run & Back to School Clothing Drive on July 24th.

The event will start out at Reno Harley-Davidson on 2295 Market Street (between Mill & Vassar, right next to U.S. 395) at 9 a.m. Saturday morning July 24th with registration, Krispy Kreme donuts and Boyds coffee.

The Run will take riders up to Lake Tahoe through the fabulous Sierra and end up back at the dealership for a party in the afternoon.

Drop off your article of new clothing for a school age child at Reno Harley-Davidson July 19th through the 24th for the 2nd Annual Klothes 4 Kids Motorcycle Run & Back to School Clothing Drive (boys jeans and shoes for boys and girls are particularly in demand).

The entry fee for the Motorcycle Run is $15 and includes the party at Reno Harley-Davidson following the ride. Registration begins at 9 a.m. on July 24th.

While kids aren’t thinking about going back to school in July, their parents certainly are. And when money is tight, parents are already worrying about the cost of school clothes for their growing children.

The Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission helps an average of 350 families a year with back to school clothing for kids.

“Each child gets three or four outfits. Girls get tops and skirts or pants, boys get shirts and jeans,” says Gospel Mission spokesman Rick Redding. “It really helps the kids feel good about themselves to be able to wear something new to school. Their parents tell us they hold their heads high. It does wonders for their self-esteem.”

For details on the Klothes 4 Kids Motorcycle Run & Back to School Clothing Drive, call Reno Harley-Davidson at 775 329-2913 or KRNV News 4 at 775-322-4444.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The BBC reports that a memorial to racing great Joey Dunlop has been vandalized. The stone monument was broken into pieces by vandals. Read about it here.

From a press release issued by Dunlop’s advertising and public relations agency, Vreeke & Associates:

Dunlop previews tire options for AMA races at Barber Motorsports Park

Birmingham, AL-Dunlop Motorcycle Tires will arrive at the Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham, Alabama with a number of tire choices for the Superbike and Superstock teams competing at this weekend’s Honda Superbike Classic Presented by Dunlop, May 14-16, 2004.

“The track has a very new surface, and this means the asphalt will have an abrasive effect on the tires,” said Jim Allen, U.S. manager of road racing. “The sandpaper-effect really wears the front tires, so we are bringing along a number of racing compounds for Superbike and Superstock, all of them in the hard to hard-plus category.”

Allen noted that track temperatures are likely to be as high at Barber Motorsports Park as they were at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, the site of round three of the AMA series. On Sunday, May 2, Infineon’s track temperatures climbed above 125 degrees, which put added heat into the tires and reduced grip late in the race. Virtually all of the Superbike and Superstock riders at Infineon selected hard compound front and rear tires.

“The one variable we can’t easily predict will be weather,” noted Allen. “If we have some spring storms that are common here, the track will cool and so will the tires. For the fans, tire selection strategy will be interesting to watch.”

About Dunlop Tires
Dunlop Tires is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S. and the only manufacturer of motorcycle tires in North America. With North American operations headquartered in Buffalo, NY, Dunlop has been making and selling high-quality tires in the U.S. since 1923. For more information, please contact visit www.dunlopmotorcycle.com.

From a press release issued by HMC Ducati:

HMC DUCATI MILWAUKEE RACING BEGINS SEASON AT PIKES PEAK, CO

HMC Ducati Milwaukee Racing

HMC Ducati Milwaukee Racing, the factory-backed Formula Xtreme 749R race team, will launch their racing debut at Pikes Peak, CO, on May 21, 2004.

Excited about the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series, team owner Mitch Hansen said, “We were extremely optimistic in getting our race bike prepared in time for round four at Barber Motorsports Park. We are sourcing parts from across the globe like bodywork, wheels, go fast bits, Ohlins suspension and Brembo brakes and calipers. Because of 9/11, shipping has taken longer than we anticipated.”

Crew chief Gary Medley stated, “We could go to Barber this weekend but we’re not fully prepared. I haven’t had a chance to even dyno the engine.”

The rules in Formula Xtreme allow for complete Superbike-like modifications. The Ducati 749R will be fully modified and provide the points-leading Hondas a run for their money.

The Ducati 749R is technically the most advanced twin-cylinder bike ever produced. It features a short stroke engine and the revolutionary testastretta head design. This bike was designed to mark Ducati’s return to World Supersport racing but will be extremely competitive in the US-based Formula Xtreme class.

Three-time Superbike champion Doug Chandler will race the HMC machine. To get into the required racing mindset for Pikes Peak, CO, Chandler is readying his personal Ducati for a round of Track Days practices.

Lead sponsor Ducati Milwaukee, located in Saukville, WI 53080 at 262-284-2725, will have Doug Chandler-derived 749R bikes available for the 2005 season for the Ducati racing enthusiasts.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Ducati North America will hold a dealer meeting at Barber Motorsports Park August 25-27, including on-track sessions and museum tours.

According to Ducati North America’s John Porter, the Ducati dealer meeting will start with a tech presentation August 25.

Porter said that dealers will be divided into waves for one-hour track-riding sessions on the machines of their choice at the track, located near Birmingham, Alabama.

From a press release from AHRMA:

Jack Hateley memorial race at AHRMA Willow Springs dirt track

A Triumph-only race memorializing famed Southern California tuner Jack Hateley will be held as part of the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association’s June 5 national dirt track at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, Calif.

The “Triumph Challenge Race” will be open to any pre-1975 Triumph eligible for AHRMA’s Sportsman dirt track class.

Hateley, who gained fame wrenching for his son, former AMA national number 98 John Hateley, and Triumph TT ace Eddie Mulder through the 1960s and ’70s, died in April at age 75.

Modern 500cc and Open support classes, as well as three Vintage Novice divisions, also will be offered alongside AHRMA’s normal array of classes for motorcycles built up to 1981.

The night race on the 3/8-mile Walt James Stadium oval will be round 10 of The Classic MotorCycle/Metro Racing Dirt Track Series. Event sponsors include Cal Coast Motorsports, Dodge Brothers Racing and Rod Lake Racing.

Gates open at noon, with sign-up at 1 p.m., practice at 3 and racing at 6.

The weekend also includes two rounds of AHRMA Pro-Flo/Progressive Suspension road racing Saturday and Sunday, June 5 and 6, on the Willow Springs road course as part of Garage Company’s Corsa MotoClassica. Competing will be vintage machines, Vintage Superbikes and modern Sound of Singles/Battle of Twins/Sound of Thunder racers.

For entry and rule information, visit www.ahrma.org or call 615-851-3678

From a press release issued by Yuasa:

May 13, 2004-Yuasa Battery, Inc., recently earned Yamaha’s highest award for 2003 for supplier excellence. Mr. Nobyua Hideshima, President of Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America, presented this top award at Yamaha’s supplier meeting on April 1. This award recognizes consistent high quality, 100% on time delivery, and cost reductions.

Yuasa Battery, Inc., headquartered in Reading, PA has been manufacturing batteries in the United States for the powersports industry since 1979, and is the leading manufacturer of batteries used in motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, scooters, personal watercraft, and riding mowers. Yuasa manufactures conventional, fresh pack and factory activated products for OEM and aftermarket customers. For more information about Yuasa products, or to find a list of certified dealers, visit Yuasa’s web site at www.yuasabatteries.com.

From a press release issued by Nikon Yamaha:

Stauffer a Scratching But Shannon Set to Shine At Winton

Regretfully, the Nikon Yamaha Factory Racing Team wishes to announce that lead rider Daniel Stauffer will not be competing in the upcoming third round of the 2004 Shell Advance Australian Superbike Championships to be held at Winton Raceway (Vic) this weekend (May 14-16).

Stauffer, who currently sits in equal second place in the title chase, crashed during testing at the Winton track last week and sustained injuries that required surgery.

The crash occurred at Turn Three when the foot-peg of Daniel’s R1 caught the kerb and sent him crashing to the ground with his right shoulder taking the full impact.

The Novocastrian broke his right collarbone in the incident, separating the bones, which required an operation to pin and screw the clavicle as well as undergoing a bone graft. He also suffered a broken rib during the incident and unfortunately with the meeting just 7 days after the operation is unable to take his place in the team.

“I’m really gutted as that test was going really well,” said an understandably disappointed Stauffer. “The season started out so promising too when I won the first two races but from then on a bit of bad luck has crept in. It was a foot-peg that let me down at Eastern Creek then at Wakefield I crashed. That one was my fault as I was pushing too hard on cold tyres but this one I can’t explain and it’s a damn foot-peg again!

“It was my third lap out in that session after changing a few things and running the bikes in so it was really only my second fast lap. I thought I was on the same line as the previous lap but before I knew it I was on the deck.

“Hopefully the others wont get too many points lead on me and I will still be in the hunt for the title in the remaining four rounds but this crash has certainly made it extra difficult for me.”

While Stauffer may be a frustrated absentee this weekend there is no doubt that the newcomer to the Yamaha Factory Racing Team in 2004, Shannon Johnson, will be at the forefront of the battle for the supremacy on the weekend.

Johnson – the 2002 Australian Supersport Champion – has finally found his feet and is now fully comfortable with the new Yamaha R1 rocket and Dunlop tyres – both of which he never had experienced before this season commenced.

Shannon – who replaced multi-Australian champion Kevin Curtain – has been improving at every outing and scored his first podium in the championship for his new team when he finished third in the opening Superbike race at Wakefield Park last month.

Although Winton is in his home state, the 23-year-old doesn’t consider the challenging circuit his home track. “It’s in Victoria but that’s about it. I don’t hate it but I don’t love it either. Winton’s been kind to me in the past so hopefully it can also be kind to me this weekend.

“The test we did last week was perfect. I’ve settled into the bike and the team now. I was just missing time on the bike but we had a really positive test there. I managed to get a few more things sorted out and explain a few things to the team that’s enabled us to move forward.

“I want to keep the momentum going and hopefully the results will come.

The Nikon Yamaha Factory Racing Team is also competing in the Supersport Championship with Brendan Clarke in the saddle. So far, 2004 hasn’t be too much of a year to remember for the 20-year-old as he battles different characteristics of the Yamaha R6 and has had difficulty in his race setup. Hopefully after the team’s test last week the worst is behind him and he manages to recapture his competitiveness from last year.

“I think we’ve turned the corner, so with a bit of luck I will be able to score some much better results. Like the other guys I gained a lot from the test a Winton last week so hopefully we will have a good setup to start with for the meeting. I’ve done okay there in the past so hopefully this is the weekend where my year changes.”