From a press release issued by KTM:

KTM philosophical after first ever road race GP

17.04.2003

The new KTM road racing project spear-headed by reigning World Champion Arnaud Vincent and former number one Roberto Locatelli experienced a quiet introduction into the World Championships at Suzuka.

With the paint of the Red Bull sponsored outfit still fresh and little testing mileage under the orange fairings Vincent lasted two laps in ninth position before suffering engine trouble while Locatelli finished eight places outside the points in 23rd.

Despite the obvious teething troubles the machine certainly looks the part and current technical guru in charge of the team Harald Bartol hinted this might be a brief glimpse into the firm´s future MotoGP plans.

´It looks a bit different from the aerodynamics of other bikes and from the engine side we have a completely new gearbox development going on,´ he said. ´Basically looking to the future, we are developing some things we will use later on in the MotoGP bike. In only four months you don´t have the time to do the full programme of testing and everything. I think it will take three or four races to reach where we should be.

From a press release issued by the Parts Canada Superbike Championship Series:

TORONTO, ON – Noted Canadian parts manufacturer Hindle Exhaust Systems has taken over the title sponsorship of the Pro 600 Sport Bike class in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship for 2003.

The division will now be known as Hindle 600 Sport Bike.

Based in Uxbridge, ON, northeast of Toronto, Hindle Exhaust Systems has become internationally renowned for its products. Legendary Canadian road racer Lang Hindle started making pipes in 1973 and his business was incorporated in 1982 following his retirement from competition. Hindle products are distributed through Canada by national series title sponsor Parts Canada.

As a racer Hindle was one of the pioneers of Superbike racing in Canada and won the national title in 1981.

“We’re happy to have the whole Hindle family involved in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship,” said Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsport Productions, which runs the national road race series. “Lang has a proud history in the sport as a competitor and builder, which is particularly noteworthy as we approach the 25th anniversary of Superbike racing in Canada. It is also nice to have a Canadian supplier take on such a prominent role in the series.”

Although the sponsorship deal is for an unspecified length of time, Hindle hopes it will become a long term association.

“We’re really, really excited to be the sponsor of the Pro 600 Sport Bike series and we want to be involved for quite a while,” he said. “We want to add the stability to the Canadian racing scene that it needs. I’m just pleased we’ve put this company in a position to do this. It’s a dream come true for me to be able to put something back into the sport.”

The Hindle 600 Sport Bike class will run alongside the Parts Canada Superbike feature division and International Motorcycle Supershow Amateur 600 Sport Bike category at each round of the 2003 national tour.

The season opens at Shannonville Motorsport Park May 16-18 before traveling to Race City Motorsport Park in Calgary June 6-8 and Autodrome St. Eustache, near Montreal July 4-6. Bowmanville, ON’s Mosport International Raceway will stage a Superbike doubleheader as part of its July 18-20 weekend. The national title chase will then move on to Atlantic Motorsport Park near Halifax Aug. 8-10 and Circuit Mont-Tremblant Aug. 15-17. The series wraps up back at Shannonville Aug. 29-31.

Competitors in the Hindle 600 Sport Bike class will race for a $3000 purse at each round and a share of the $12,500 year-end points fund.

Calgary’s Clint McBain is the defending Hindle 600 Sport Bike champion.

From a press release issued by Monster Mob Ducati:

BYRNE SET TO BLAZE A TRAIL AT THRUXTON

EASTON ALSO FIRED UP FOR SUCCESS IN HAMPSIRE

The MonsterMob Ducati pairing of Superbike star Shane Byrne and defending Supersport champion Stuart Easton head for round three of their respective championships at Thruxton this Easter weekend in determined mood after mixed fortunes last time out.

26 year old Byrne extended his lead at the top of the series despite tyre problems in race one which relegated him to second place when he had a comfortable lead, but ‘Shakey’ made amends by easily winning race two to stretch the gap to a healthy 27 points.

“The double win can’t be far off and right now, all I’m concentrating on doing is winning races. Thruxton is one of my favourite tracks and I won there last year so I’ll be hoping for more success. If I can continue to build a lead, the championship will look after itself” said the Minster, Kent rider.

Meanwhile, team mate Easton is fired up after the disappointment of retiring in the Snetterton race with a misfire. Then, the 18 year old from Hawick was poised to take the lead but is adamant that he will be redressing the balance this weekend.

“They are going to receive it!” said the ‘Rat Boy’. “People have started writing me off already and that’s a dangerous thing to do. I’m fully motivated and looking forward to the challenge this weekend at a circuit which suits me and the bike” continued the Scot who has spent the week training with Byrne.

For team owner Paul Bird, he too is looking forward to bagging a load more points on Easter Sunday:

“We’re up for the quest and we just need to consolidate. The riders love the track, the bikes are well suited and the team is confident. After this weekend, we’ll be a quarter of the way into the championship but it’s still early days and we won’t be getting too excited just yet. Shakey deserves a double and Stuart a win also after they both had bad luck last weekend and that’s what we’re shooting for” said the Penrith businessman.

From a press release issued by the Kawasaki Racing Team:

FULL THROTTLE ON THE WATER

Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team riders Garry McCoy and Andrew Pitt took some time off the race tracks, but not off motor racing. Spending two leisurely weeks at home in sunny Queensland after the season-opening Grand Prix in Suzuka, the two Australians took a chance to race each other aboard two brand-new Kawasaki Jet Skis on the Gold Coast, one of Australia’s most famous tourist destination on the Pacific Ocean. Garry McCoy, who already owns last year’s 750 cc stand-up version, spontaneously upgraded to the sleeker, more powerful 800 SX-R with 80 hp that Kawasaki released for this summer season. Andrew Pitt, who already owns an 1100 STX three-seater two-stroke model, was especially impressed with the grunty, 145 horsepower strong all-new 1200 STX-R two-seater four-stroke.

Andrew Pitt:

“It was my first time on stand-up Kawasaki Jet Ski, and I got pretty wet! I spent a lot of time under water, and falling off. But I got the hang of it in the end, and it really is good fun. It is a bit more of a challenge to ride those than the sit-down ones for sure!

But the 1200 STX-R two-seater is a blast also. I own the 1100 fuel-injected two-stroke three-seater, which runs great. But I didn’t know that they actually released a version with a big four-stroke engine. The acceleration of the 145 hp engine is pretty impressive, and the engine runs a lot quieter, which is fantastic. I also took the STX-R out into the open water through the seaway, and jumped a few waves. It feels a bit more solid than mine, too, so it seems better for jumping. I like it – it might be the time for a trade-in! “

Garry McCoy:

“The new stand-up Kawasaki Jet Ski 800 SX-R is pretty good, I really like it. It’s definitely got a little more grunt than the older one from the previous year that I’ve got. I wish riding Kawasaki Jet Skis was part of my regular training routine, but as we are racing all year long, it’s pretty much an off-season thing. Just to have fun, to wind down, and to train a bit at the same time – everything put into one.

The big 1200 STX-R four-stroke feels really different to what I’m used to. Jet Skis have been all two-strokes in the past, and they are only starting to bring out the four-strokes now, which definitely feels good with their different and smoother range of power. The four-stroke motor is a perfect match for the more relaxed, more leisurely way you drive these sit-down ones!”

From a press release issued by Yamaha:

MotoGP Set-up report – Welkom

Round: 2, South African MotoGP
April 27, 2003
Circuit: Phakisa Freeway, Welkom
Country: South Africa
Track length: 4242 m
Opened: 1999
Fastest Lap Ever: 1′ 34.629 (Valentino Rossi, 2001 – MotoGP)
MotoGP lap record: 1′ 34.834 (Tohru Ukawa, 2002)
Last year MotoGP winner: Tohru Ukawa
GP250 lap record: 1′ 36.828 (Marco Melandri, 2001)
Last year GP250 winner: Marco Melandri
Circuit tel: +27 57 3918000
Circuit web site: http://www.phakisa.com

2002 MotoGP race summary

Carlos Checa put in a determined ride during the 2002 South African MotoGP to finish the 28-lap race in the top five. Up until the closing stages the Spaniard held a solid grasp on fourth place when 2001 MotoGP 250 World Champion Daijiro Kato (Honda) made a late charge to dive through on the penultimate lap. It was a solid result that could have slipped through the Spaniards fingers before the race even began after he stalled the YZR-M1 on the warm-up lap and was forced to push-start the four-stoke machine. He eventually made it to his allotted seventh place on the grid moments before the start.

The race looked set to produce a second consecutive Valentino Rossi (Honda) victory after both he and Tohru Ukawa (Honda) broke away from the rest of the MotoGP field. Only Loris Capirossi (Honda) – who finished the day third on the first two-stroke machine – was able to keep the two four-strokes in sight. Then, at two-thirds race distance, Ukawa made his first attempt on the race lead, which he took successfully and held until Rossi fought back on lap 26. An unexpected mistake by the defending MotoGP world champ opened the door for Ukawa. The Japanese took advantage of the rare situation only to be attacked by the Italian on two more occasions. But as before Rossi wasn’t able to make the moves stick and Ukawa was left to take his first MotoGP race win.

Olivier Jacque (Yamaha) attempted to follow Kato’s move on the final lap, but couldn’t find a way by Checa’s YZR-M1 and was forced to settle for sixth place. Even so the Frenchman was more than happy with the result, as hot on his tail was the ever persistent Norick Abe (Yamaha), with eighth placed Shinya Nakano (Yamaha), in turn, all over his back wheel.

YZR-M1 Set-up Report

Over the past five years the Phakisa circuit has developed a notorious reputation for being both bumpy and slippery – the latter a side effect of the area’s flat and dusty surroundings. Combined, these two elements make setting up a 210 plus horsepower MotoGP machine uniquely difficult. Therefore the key to a successful result at this isolated venue is not outright horsepower, or an overly aggressive chassis geometry; rather a place on the podium hinges on a predictable power curve and a balanced, yet receptive suspension package.

With strong winds a regular occurrence in the region, along with rather dry conditions and irregular circuit use, it is common that a heavy film of grit is usually covering the track surface upon the arrival of the MotoGP spectacle. This factor alone makes finding the perfect race day set-up difficult, with the track conditions constantly changing as the round progresses. During the three days of the race weekend the circuit tends to offer more grip as a cleaner racing line begins to appear, often resulting in faster lap times – the beginning of an endless cycle of chasing chassis settings to suit the increasing pace.

With this in mind each rider is likely to opt for a chassis set-up that is initially plusher than would usually be expected for such a medium to high speed layout, in an effort to increase predictability and feel. A combination of balancing the YZR-M1’s rear ride-height, reducing compression damping and increasing the spring preload will reduce the likelihood of the bike’s rear suspension unit squatting under power – otherwise there is the risk of understeer during the exit of corners. At the same time this more forgiving set-up will also reduce excessive overload on the sidewall of the tyres over sharp and unpredictable surfaces; in turn making the bike behave more predictably. However as the times drop, with the increasing presence of a cleaner racing line, the cornering forces will build and will therefore require the need for increased spring weights along with firmer compression damping.

Improving the overall balance and feel further for Yamaha riders Carlos Checa (Fortuna Yamaha Team) and Alex Barros (Gauloises Yamaha Team) will be the availability of a further evolution of the M1’s Deltabox frame, which was first sampled by Checa in Suzuka following the opening round of the MotoGP World Championship. Initial results indicate that the latest incarnation offers improved rear wheel traction, increased predictability and greater braking stability, although further evaluations are needed. For this reason both riders will have access to one new unit each in Welkom to allow further comparisons to the current chassis package.

Since most Welkom corners are of medium to high speed, with very little in the way of seriously hard braking areas, front fork set-up will mimic the rear shock – increasing the front fork preload/spring rate to compensate for the reduce compression damping. As the speed increase, again the necessary adjustment will be made to compensate for the more aggressive riding.

Due to circuit’s high elevation, and the regular high temperatures, power loss is also a major issue for all concerned – even for the mighty four-strokes. The less dense air will see all motorcycles down on power by nearly 15 percent. In an attempt to reduce the effects Yamaha technicians will sacrifice a little low rpm drive to chase a stronger top-end and midrange power delivery. This is possible since there are virtually no stop-and-go corners on the 4242m circuit.

Again Checa and Barros’ M1s will benefit from the improved aerodynamics of the more aggressive fairing, which they first sampled in Suzuka. Meanwhile Olivier Jacque (Gauloises Yamaha Team) and Norick Abe (Fortuna Yamaha Team) – temporarily filling in for the injured Marco Melandri – will continue with the 2003 spec machines until the European leg of the championship begin.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

The Jerez circuit, located near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in the south of Spain, will host the MotoGP World Championship series through the year 2011. The announcement was made Wednesday by Jerez de la Frontera mayor Pedro Pacheco and Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta.

Built in 1986, Jerez has hosted the premiere motorcycle road racing series since 1987 and regularly draws in excess of 100,000 spectators on race days and drew a three-day attendance over 200,000 for its 2002 MotoGP event.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Beth Wyse

The third and final day of AMA team testing at Road Atlanta saw Mat Mladin still at the top of the time sheets, although his time of 1:23.8 on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 was not as quick as the 1:23.32 he set on Tuesday.

Yoshimura Suzuki hosted the test and invited all of the factory teams, as well as Austin Ducati and Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki, to participate. Honda decided to skip the third day so they could get a head start for Barber Motorsports Park, where many of the teams will test on Thursday.

Team Kawasaki ran only in the morning and left early in the afternoon.

With an hour and a half of open track time remaining, Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki was the only team still running. Steve Rapp was the iron man of the paddock, turning laps by himself on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 for 30 minutes until the track was shut down for the day.

Jamie Hacking was the fastest Supersport rider again, setting a fast time of 1:26.4 on his factory Yamaha YZF-R6.

Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden concentrated on his 636cc Superstock Kawasaki ZX-6R. His best time was a 1:27.6.

Damon Buckmaster was the quickest Formula Xtreme rider Wednesday, and set the overall second-quickest time of the day with a 1:24.1 on his Graves Yamaha YZF-R1. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies was close with a time of 1:24.2 on his Formula Xtreme Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Most riders turned slower times Wednesday afternoon due to higher temperatures and the resulting loss of grip on the track.


Thursday’s Unofficial Lap Times:

1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:23.8
2. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:24.1
3. Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:24.2
4. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:24.3
5. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:24.5
6. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:24.8
7. Anthony Gobert, Ducati 998, 1:25.0
8. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:25.1
9. Steve Rapp, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:25.27
10. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:26.4
11. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:27.6
12. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:27.9
13. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:28.0
14. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:28.0
15. Jamie Stauffer, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:28.3
16. Matt Furtek, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:28.7

From a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:

HARLEY-DAVIDSON REPORTS ANOTHER RECORD FIRST QUARTER

Milwaukee, Wis., April 16, 2003 — Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HDI) today announced record revenue and earnings for its first quarter ended March 30, 2003. Revenue for the quarter was $1.1 billion compared with $927.8 million in the year-ago quarter, a 20.0 percent increase. First quarter diluted earnings per share (EPS) were 61 cents, a 56.4 percent increase compared with last year’s 39 cents.

“We are pleased with our outstanding results for the first quarter of 2003 as we continue to execute our long-term Plan for Sustainable Growth,” said Jeffrey L. Bleustein, chairman and chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson, Inc. “While the long winter experienced by much of our nation has delayed some retail sales, dealer confidence and other measures that we use to track Harley-Davidson motorcycle demand remain strong.”

“With these indicators in mind and with construction of our new factory in York, Pennsylvania proceeding to plan, we are raising our shipment target for 2003 from 289,000 to 290,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles,” added Bleustein. The Company’s new target is a 10% increase over 2002.

From a press release issued by the AMA:

Two-stroke Dirtbike and ATV Ban Proposed in Massachusetts

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The sale of new two-stroke off-highway motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles would be banned in Massachusetts under House Bill 1909, introduced by state Rep. J. James Marzilli Jr. (D-Arlington), the American Motorcyclist Association reports.

Under his proposal, it would be illegal for anyone to sell “a recreational vehicle containing a two-stroke engine, including, but not limited to, a snow craft, an all-terrain vehicle, a personal watercraft, or a motorboat.”

“This is the most sweeping ban ever introduced in any state,” said Royce Wood, AMA legislative affairs specialist in charge of off-highway issues.

If passed, the bill would outlaw new sales of the vast majority of motocross bikes in the state, although anyone who bought a two-stroke built before June 1, 2004, would be allowed to resell the vehicle.

The bill has been referred to the Joint Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture. Letters from Massachusetts residents opposing the bill should be sent to the committee chairwoman, Sen. Pamela P. Resor (D-Middlesex), Joint Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture, Room 473F, State House, Boston, MA 02133.

Or, Massachusetts citizens can go to the AMA Rapid Response Center at the AMA website at www.AMADirectlink.com to send a message opposing this bill.