From a press release issued by Aprilia:

Aprilia Racing Press Information
Jerez de la Frontera (Spain)
20 November 2002

---

Noriyuki Haga

---

Tests for Aprilia RS Cube and next season’s works riders come to an end at Jerez.

Three days of tests in Jerez came to an end today for the Aprilia Racing Department’s RS Cube and for the two works riders Colin Edwards and Noriyuki Haga. This is the very first test session of the winter season and it was unfortunately marred by bad weather. Yesterday, atmospheric conditions kept the bikes away from the circuit for a long time. So the programme for this first round of tests had to be radically rethought, with many laps, and indeed many hours being spent in the wet, making the work very different from what had been originally planned.

Even so, a huge amount of work was successfully carried out, as Ing. Gigi dall’Igna, head of the MotoGP division of the Racing Department of Noale confirmed: “The two Aprilia RS Cubes went out onto the track with the same configuration as in the last races this year. We sure haven’t been too lucky in terms of the weather conditions over the past few days, but we still managed to complete a number of tasks we had scheduled. At the beginning, we needed to find exactly the right position on the saddle for the two riders, and this of course took time, but then we carried out a number of tests on adjusting the settings, and then worked on the ignition software. We’ve certainly gathered a lot of data and this means we’ll be able to establish a work programme for the next tests in a fortnight’s time. We also got some good references from the first tests on Michelin tyres. Fickle weather conditions during the three days meant we’ve been out on rain tyres, intermediates and slicks. As you can imagine, we’re hoping for more stable weather conditions for the next test sessions in December so we can concentrate better on one detail at a time.”

---

Colin Edwards

---

Colin Edwards was back on his bike as usual, despite Monday’s fall that left him with a jagged, bruised wound on his left elbow. The American champion wasn’t too affected by the accident that brought his first day of tests to an abrupt halt, and he got straight back onto his RS Cube to complete the programme for the following two days. The important thing for Colin was to get a good feeling for the three-cylinder from Noale and it was today that he best got to grips with it. “Monday’s fall was my first real ‘contact’ with the system the RS Cube uses to unleash its horsepower. I’ve spent 24 years of my life learning to open up the gas on a racing bike and on Monday I suddenly discovered a completely new way to do it. What actually happens is you give the command to a computer that sends it to the engine. It’s something new and has to be learnt. My very first experience, my debut with this system was pretty powerful. I closed the throttle at the moment I thought best, then there was a delay of a fraction of a second, the rear wheel started slipping and I went for a slide. It wouldn’t have made any difference if it had happened immediately or after an entire day of testing: it’s a reaction in the system that I’ve learned to understand. I’m amazed by the Cube, it’s an extraordinary bike. You can customise it as much as you like with no end of different settings – it’s a lab on two wheels, really special. I was expecting a lot of power, but certainly not that much. We did a lot of work, in spite of the rain. It must be said you can’t feel changes in the set-up nearly as much when you’re riding in the wet, but I think we’ve been able to do some good work that’ll help us in the forthcoming sessions. So I’m very pleased and even though my elbow does hurt a bit when I think about it, it never bothered me when I was actually on my bike and riding. Now I can’t wait for the next tests to carry on developing the Cube, a bike I think has all the potential of a winner, and one I really want to get a good feeling for.”

Noriyuki Haga also did some successful testing although, after the very first sessions in the early autumn, this was actually the second time he had been on the RS Cube.

“I tried many different settings on the RS Cube. I knew it a bit already so I carried on working on the settings of the bike to make sure it suits my style of riding,” said Noriyuki Haga. “Sure, the rain didn’t let us do what we’d expected but it didn’t stop us from carrying on with our work programme either. The tests on the full rain tyres went well, and we got some good feedback by trying out different settings on the bike. I’m particularly pleased about the power of the engine, even though I rarely found myself able to open up fully and examine the finer details really carefully. But I’m very happy with the way the tests went and with all the work we’ve done.”

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

The tentative 2003 WERA race schedule includes both regional and national race events at the yet-to-open Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham, Alabama. The 2003 WERA schedule, as posted on www.wera.com, includes an April 19-20 event at the Barber track for WERA’s North Central, Mid-Central and Southeast regions. The WERA/G.M.D. Computrack National Endurance Series schedule also lists a TBA September date at Barber.

WERA’s tentative schedule also includes a return to Grattan Raceway park in Grattan, Michigan and a first-ever National Endurance round at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina. WERA also hopes to add dates at BeaveRun Motorsports Complex near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

WERA President and CEO Evelyn Clarke and WERA Operations Manager Sean Clarke are currently traveling to the AMA Pro Racing awards banquet scheduled for Saturday, November 23, in Las Vegas, Nevada, and could not be reached for comment.

To view the tentative 2003 WERA race schedule, go to www.wera.com.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI CORSE PRESS INFORMATION
Jerez de la Frontera (Spain)
Tuesday 19 November 2002

SECOND DAY OF TESTING FOR CAPIROSSI AND BAYLISS WITH THE DUCATI DESMOSEDICI DISTURBED BY BAD WEATHER

Today’s Ducati Corse test session at Spain’s Jerez de la Frontera circuit was disturbed by bad weather, ruining any attempt by the Italian team’s two riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss to put in some consistent laps during the second day of the scheduled three-day session.

After rain had fallen throughout the night and most of the day, Loris and Troy were only able to take to the track late in the afternoon, when it was still wet but the rain had ceased. Troy completed 32 laps and Loris 18.

The Desmosedici, which ran on a wet surface for the first time, satisfied both riders. Despite the considerable power available, both Loris and Troy were enthusiastic about the engine’s performance and the bike’s ‘driveability’ even in low-grip conditions.

Capirossi also completed 6 laps with the engine in ‘Twin Pulse’ configuration, receiving positive indications.

The Jerez tests will conclude tomorrow and, weather conditions permitting, both riders will run with both versions of the V4 engine.

N.B. Ducati Corse is unable to supply any images or rider comments of Loris Capirossi until the end of 2002.

From a press release issued by Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.:

DUCATI MOTOR HOLDING ANNOUNCES RESULTS FOR FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 2002

Gives guidance for Full Year 2002.
New 999 Superbike voted 2002 Motorcycle of the Year

Bologna, Italy – Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (NYSE: DMH and Borsa Italiana S.p.A: DMH), a leading manufacturer of high performance motorcycles, today announced results for the nine month period ended September 30, 2002.

As previously reported, the Company announced consolidated revenues for the first nine months of 2002, of Euro 298.9 million, up 5.5% from Euro 283.4 million during the same period in the previous year. Revenues from Ducati motorcycles for the period increased 2.4% to Euro 242.1 million and represented 81.0% of revenues. Motorcycle-related products reached Euro 55.8 million, up 20.2% over the same period last year.

For the first nine months of 2002, gross margin was 40.8% versus 41.1% in the previous year, mainly due to a positive product mix effect from related products and production efficiencies which were more than offset by a negative country mix and foreign exchange effects.

EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) for the first nine months of 2002 was Euro 38.8 million and represented 13.0% of sales, down from Euro 48.6 million, or 17.2% of revenues, in the comparable period last year. This is mostly due to costs related to investments for the development of the Ducati Desmosedici GP motorcycle, the restructuring of Ducati’s US distribution network, promotional activities such as the biennial World Ducati Week and the negative impact of foreign exchange rates.

Net earnings for the first nine months were Euro 2.0 million compared to Euro 9.0 million in the prior year period. This is mainly due to factors mentioned above, along with increased depreciation, amortization and foreign exchange losses.

“The nine month period has been characterised by the combination of a slower-than-expected recovery of our US operations, an adverse foreign exchange rate effect and a notable contraction of the Ducati Relevant Market – after a decade of steady growth – exacerbated by a generally weak macroeconomic environment,” said Enrico D’Onofrio, Ducati Chief Financial Officer. “We therefore think it prudent to reduce our expectations for the 2002 full year to revenue growth between 2 and 3%, with an EBITDA margin around 14%.

“We are confident that our new targets are reasonable and will be met by the Company,” said Carlo Di Biagio, Ducati Chief Executive Officer. “Our visibility for the last quarter of 2002 is clear. In the US, we have seen rising registrations which are driving a de-stocking of the dealer network, in line with our strategy. Worldwide, we currently have sufficient orders in hand to meet our new estimates for the full year, particularly driven by great demand for the 999. As a consequence the improved product mix will help to counterbalance negative foreign exchange rate effects.

“Despite the challenging selling environment in 2002, we are continuing to invest in innovative products and brand-building activities to lay the ground for strong and sustained future growth,” added Carlo Di Biagio. “I am pleased to report that on November 7th, Ducati swept the board at the UK-based Motorcycle News awards in Birmingham, winning three major prizes, including Manufacturer of the Year for the company deemed to have the best relationship with its customers. Our new 999 Testastretta Superbike was chosen as Overall Machine of the Year across all categories. And just yesterday, the 999 was voted overall winner of the 2002 Motorcycle Design Trophy by the members of the prestigious Motorcycle Design Association. We could not ask for greater recognition. The 999 has been the result of a huge amount of effort and determination from the whole company – congratulations to everyone involved.”

Ducati’s net debt at September 30, 2002 was €Euro 100.4 million in line with €Euro 101.6 million at September 30, 2001, improving versus the indebtedness of €Euro 113.9 million at June 30, 2002, mainly thanks to a reduction in working capital. The company’s net debt to total capitalization ratio was 39.0% at September 30, 2002 versus 40.0% at September 30, 2001, and 41.1% at June 30, 2002.

These results have been approved by the Ducati Board of Directors, pending limited review by Company auditors.

A conference call with management will take place today at 16:00 Italian time, 15:00 GMT or 10:00 EST. To access the call, please go to www.ducati.com, and click on Ducati Investor Relations in the Ducati News section. All historic Company data are available at the Ducati Investor Relations page.

Founded in 1926, Ducati builds racing-inspired motorcycles characterized by unique engine features, innovative design, advanced engineering and overall technical excellence. Ducati has won eleven of the last thirteen World Superbike Championship titles and more individual victories than the competition put together. The Company produces motorcycles in four market segments which vary in their technical and design features and intended customers: Superbike, Supersport, Monster and SportTouring. The company’s motorcycles are sold in more than 40 countries worldwide, with a primary focus in the Western European and North American markets. For more information about the Company, please visit our web site at http://www.Ducati.com.

This press release contains statements that are forward-looking and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, as described in documents previously filed by the Company with CONSOB and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

From a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki:

SUZUKI’S Japanese factory rider Yukio Kagayama will race a GSX-R1000 in the British Superbike Championship in 2003 and he isn’t afraid of upsetting the regular contenders by taking them on and trying to beat them in their own backyard.

A formidable line up

Kagayama rode for Suzuki’s full factory MotoGP team as recently as July this year at the Sachsenring in Germany and will join former double BSB Champion John Reynolds in a formidable line-up of machinery and riders for next season.

A first for BSB

He will be the first ever Japanese rider to take part in the BSB Championship. An even more significant milestone is the fact he is the first factory rider to be appointed to the BSB Championship. Suzuki Motor Corporation has placed him in its UK BSB team, demonstrating its commitment to the acclaimed British series, as well as its determination to win.


Kagayama, from Yokohama in Japan, is a factory Suzuki rider who has been competing since 1990. He has been a full-time factory Suzuki rider since 1993, when he started testing for the 500cc GP team. The fearless 28-year-old is coming to the British Superbike Championship to make his mark in what is widely recognised as the strongest domestic Superbike Championship in the world.

Yukio Kagayama:

Kagayama said: “I am really looking forward to riding in Britain next year. It is known as a very competitive Championship and I couldn’t ask for a better proving ground for my talent. With the Crescent Suzuki squad, I will be riding for a professional team that already has a long history with Suzuki and knows our bikes and how to get the best from them. I do not think I have anything to worry about and will be going for race victories right from the start. While I respect the riders in the Championship, I am not afraid of riding with them…and trying to beat them.”


Learning the tracks will be one of Kagayama’s biggest challenges, but at Sachsenring this year, on Suzuki’s GSV-R MotoGP racer, he not only learnt the track in four-hours of practice before the race, but he out-qualified his Suzuki team-mate and regular GP rider Sete Gibernau by taking 11th on the grid, only 0.474s off pole position. “I would like to challenge for the British Superbike Championship. It will be difficult, but I think the new GSX-R1000 is capable of winning, I’ll be on my familiar Dunlop tyres and I know I am able to win. I will certainly have one of the best teams supporting me and I will be giving 100 per cent,” he said.

Suzuki GB’s Nick Barnes:

Suzuki GB’s General Manager for Motorcycle Sales, Nick Barnes, said: “Yukio has worked hand-in-hand with the Factory to develop the GSV-R into a machine that is improving race by race in MotoGP. He probably would have finished well up the top 10 in his MotoGP ride at Sachsenring this year if he hadn’t been taken out by another rider. His background and pedigree are fantastic, and on top of that, his ability to work on a machine and make it into a winner is a talent that we can benefit from. He will strengthen the Suzuki team in British Superbikes in 2003 and with the latest version of the awesome GSX-R1000 to use, I’m sure Suzuki can look forward to an exciting and successful 2003.”

Paul Denning:

Suzuki team boss Paul Denning said: “Yukio Kagayama is a factory rider who has ridden against the best riders in the world and proved his ability. We are proud that Suzuki Motor Corporation trusts our ability as a team to do one of its top factory riders justice and we aim to repay that faith with good results.

“Having Yukio ride for us next year when he could have been in MotoGP or World Superbikes is a real thrill. It is also a boon to the BSB series, proving once again it is one of the most highly regarded and competitive Championships in the world. Not only does it mean we have one of the strongest rider line-ups in the series, but a new talented rider who is going to come to the UK and shake up the establishment. His talent is beyond doubt and with John Reynolds beside him, both of them on highly developed GSX-R1000 Superbikes, and with the telemetry and data we have from 2002, we will start next season at a run.”

Yukio Kagayama – Career Profile

Date of Birth: 7th May 1974 Nationality: Japanese Hometown: Yokohama April 1990: First race 1993: Suzuki test rider (500GP) 1995: All Japan Superbikes – 11th 1996: All Japan 250cc – 11th 1997: All Japan 250cc – 3rd Japan GP 250cc – 6th Australia GP 500cc – 7th 1998: All Japan 250cc Japan GP 250cc – 6th Malaysian GP 500cc – 6th 1999: GP wildcard rider 2000: All Japan Superbikes – 7th 2001: All Japan Superbikes – 4th 2002: All Japan Superbikes on prototype GSV-R Three wins, three second places – all non points scoring

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin and Aaron Yates will race on GSX-R1000s in the 2003 AMA Superbike Championship. “Everybody will be on 2003 1000s,” Team Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki Team Coordinator Rich Doan told Roadracingworld.com Tuesday. “Whether Mr. (Ben) Spies will be running Superbike or Formula Xtreme, I do not know, but Yates and Mladin will be competing in Superbike class on ’03 1000s.”

In a recent test at Spring Mountain Motorsports Park in Pahrump, Nevada, a tight track often used by the Yoshimura team for testing, Yates equaled his best GSX-R750 Superbike lap times on a GSX-R1000. “It was the same (times), but he didn’t have correct suspension components. It was just something that was on the bike,” said Doan. When asked if it was true that Yates’ GSX-R1000 used a 2002 frame and not the 2003 GSX-R1000 frame, which features an adjustable swingarm pivot, Doan answered, “That’s true.”

Whether the Yoshimura team will have complete 2003 GSX-R1000 Superbikes to ride at the upcoming Dunlop tire tests at Daytona International Speedway hasn’t been confirmed. “Probably. It’s still up in the air,” said Doan. “We’re still waiting on parts.”

Doan also confirmed that Tom Houseworth will be Ben Spies’ Crew Chief, Chris Weidl will move up to replace Vic Fasola as Yates’ Crew Chief and Henry Yokota will join Mladin’s existing crew as engine builder. “Henry worked at Yosh from, I think, ’92 through ’97 and left to open up his own business,” said Doan. “He has his own business going and returned to build engines for Mladin.”

While we had Doan on the phone, we asked for his opinion on the proposed rule change to allow electric shifters in AMA Supersport and Superstock racing in 2003. “Oh, to add fuel to the fire?” asked Doan. “It’ll be beneficial for everybody. If people are complaining about the amount of money, it’s the price to go racing. A handful of years ago, people were complaining about tire warmers. Now everybody has tire warmers.

“And it doesn’t blow up transmissions no worse than…if you’re going to miss a shift, you’re going to miss a shift. Transmissions were blowing up a long time before those shifters were around, because stuff does wear out.

“We’re just thrilled about it. We’ve been using them on Superbikes for years, and we just know how beneficial they are on that. Like Jim Rashid wrote in (to Roadracingworld.com), it’s great. Give us more stuff to use. He’s the only one of the smart ones to write in. All these other guys that are complaining, they’re clueless to the true reality. And if they’re complaining that it’s expensive and that, just like Jim said, it’s Pro racing. Don’t come and play. You know?”

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

AMA Pro Racing’s Road Race Advisory Board members voted against making electric quick-shifters legal in the Supersport and Superstock classes.

According to a recent memo mailed to advisory board members, the vote was 8-3.

For unknown reasons, AMA Pro Racing then added votes from AMA employees Merrill Vanderslice, Rob King and Ron Barrick. Vanderslice and King voted for allowing quick-shifters while Barrick voted against, making the combined total 9-5 against.

Despite the no vote, the proposal has continued to move towards becoming a rule for 2003.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

What was originally GLRRA and more recently known as Michigan Grand Prix (MGP) has folded up, according to a post on the organization’s website.

Which may prove once again that providing goods and services (including the organization and operation of motorcycle races) at less-than-sustainable-market price is not a viable economic model.



(Thanks to racer Jim Cottrell for the tip.)

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. By David Swarts The Brazilian Post Office has issued a set of six new postage stamps which feature old and new motorcycles. The 40 x 30mm stamps depict artist Fernando Lopes’ renderings of what are the first model offerings, or the first Brazilian model offerings, from Suzuki, Yamaha, BMW, Triumph, Harley-Davidson and Honda paired with current 2002 models from the same manufacturers, including a GSX-R1000, a YZF-R1, an R1200C, a Daytona 955, a V-Rod and a CG125. The Brazilian Mint plans to print 2.4 million of the stamps. Production started September 29, 2002. For more information on these Brazilian postage stamps, write to: Distance Sales Office Av. Presidente Vargas 3.077-23° andar 20210-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Phone: 55-21-2503-8095/8096 Fax: 55-21-2503-8638 E-mail: [email protected]

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Responding to Comments In Favor Of Supersport/Superstock Quick-shifters Made By Chuck Graves and Tom Houseworth

First Person/Opinion by Michael Hannas

It seems that there is some disagreement among players involved about AMA Pro Racing’s electric-shifter proposal for Supersport and Superstock.

Chuck Graves stated his approval of the shifters, saying that they were cheaper than a set of tires. Yes, there are shifters available for a little bit less than one would pay for a set of tires at full-pop, but the KLS system like Graves uses on his Formula Xtreme bikes is around $800. Last time I checked, $800 would get a guy with a decent tire deal three sets of Pirellis, and any Joe Schmoe can get two sets of any brand of tires for that much.

As for Tom Houseworth’s statement about shifters being the shit, I agree. They are really cool to use and yes, once set up and maintained properly they can be trouble-free. The problem is that not everyone has five test dates before the season starts, along with a data-acquisition guy and three mechanics per bike to set the things up. It creates an extra thing for privateers to worry about having to get and set-up.

Yes, they may be worth half-a-second per lap (which I’m wondering how Houseworth and Graves would know, considering Yoshimura Suzuki or Yamaha would have no reason to test the currently-illegal shifters on Supersport bikes unless they already have them, or if they are using data from Superbikes which would be completely irrelevant since Superbikes have half-again as much horsepower and close-ratio trannies), but that half-second will be less for privateers without a perfect set-up, creating an even bigger gap between the factories and everyone else.

In reality, all the factory teams have been running electric shifters for years, so in a certain perverted way it would make sense to allow everyone to use them, since the factories already are. AMA Pro Racing hasn’t been able to–or hasn’t wanted to–catch the factory teams using illegal electric shifters, so they might as well make shifters legal since they can’t enforce the rule, right? And the fact that they are cool, easy to set-up and make lap times faster is a reason to have them?

Excuse me? Slicks are pretty cool, not expensive, and easy to set-up. Should we have those, too? What about aftermarket subframes? They are cheaper than stock, lighter than stock , and stronger than stock. Should we have those? Taking your countershaft sprocket cover off shaves weight and makes it much easier to change the chain or gearing. Should we allow that? A double-bubble windscreen looks cool and makes it easier to tuck in. How about that? Should I continue?

The class is for, as you hear on TV, “bikes just like the ones you can buy off the showroom with suspension mods and a pipe and jet kit.” I guess now Dave Sadowski will have to add electric shifter to the list.

Even if being cool and faster isn’t really a good reason for introducing a new rule that defeats the whole idea and purpose of the class in my opinion, if AMA Pro Racing said that was why the shifters were being proposed I would understand. But AMA’s stated reason for the rule allowing quick-shifters was that the shifters were readily available at reasonable prices and would help prevent missed shifts. Nothing in the proposal defined what “reasonable” prices are or stated how cool and easy to set up the shifters are. If they said that, then maybe I would see their reasoning at least, even if I didn’t agree with it.

My point is that there are many, many more important things they could be worrying about, and this is what they give us? A f–king shifter?

AMA Pro Racing never ceases to amaze me.