From a press release:

DUCATI CORSE PRESS INFORMATION
Jerez de la Frontera (Spain)
Wednesday 4 December 2002

DUCATI CORSE CONCLUDES THREE-DAY MOTOGP TEST SESSION AT JEREZ

Ducati Corse wrapped up a three-day MotoGP test session at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit in Spain today with positive results. Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss were able to put in some consistent laps on the third and final day, which was marked by cloudy but good conditions.

Both riders covered a lot of mileage around the 4.423 km circuit in southern Spain to improve their feeling with the new Ducati Desmosedici after chiefly concentrating on set-up work and Michelin tyre testing.

Loris Capirossi, who again used the traditional firing order version of the Desmosedici engine, completed 62 laps. The 29-year-old Italian was able to define a good set-up for the Spanish track, and consistently lapped under the 1:43 mark. His best time of the day was 1:42.1, a time that would have put him in pole position for last May’s Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez. The result, although excellent, is not distracting the team and the Italian champion however from the massive amount of development work required to get ready for the 2003 MotoGP championship.

Troy Bayliss, who also tested the Desmosedici with the engine in Twin Pulse mode, concentrated on suspension and chassis settings as well as comparative tests between 16.5″ and 17″ front rims. The 33-year-old Australian’s feeling with the difficult Spanish circuit and the greater power of the Desmosedici over the Superbike has improved and Troy was satisfied with the work done over the past three days. Today he completed 62 laps with a best time of 1:44.5.

Corano Cecchinelli, Ducati Corse Track Technical Director, declared: “These have been important tests for us. For the first time we were able to really put the Desmosedici through its paces and we are very satisfied with the times obtained and the reliability of our new engine. We are still in the development phase however and we know that there is a lot more work to do. At Jerez we were competitive with respect to this year’s GP times, and we’re obviously very satisfied with that result, but for sure our rivals have also improved since May so we mustn’t think that we are already in a good position. What we can say however is that the Desmosedici is going well right from the start and doesn’t appear to have any structural problems, and that’s positive.”

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 Honda Pons:

Excellent debut for Tohru Ukawa with Honda Pons

Tohru Ukawa completed a very successful two days of private testing at the Comunitat Valenciana Circuit during which he rode for the first time the Honda Pons RC211V. The debut of the Japanese rider was very positive and over the two days he completed a total of 712 kilometres and set the fastest lap time of 1:33.7, one tenth quicker than the lap record established in the last Grand Prix by Alex Barros. The weather conditions were not favourable with cold temperatures (14 degrees) and wind. Tohru Ukawa will take part in another testing session from Monday to Wednesday next week at the Jerez Circuit which will be the last test of the year. The first testing in 2003 is planned to take place in Sepang (Malaysia) in mid-January.

Tohru Ukawa:
“It has been an excellent start for me and I am very happy with my debut in the new team which is very professional. Everything has gone very well for me and the proof is that I have set my fastest lap ever at the Valencia circuit. The track conditions, with cold winds, were not exactly ideal, but I felt comfortable on the bike and I think with this team we will be able to do some very interesting things this year”.

Antonio Cobas (Technical Director):
“Two very productive days testing for the team, concentrating on three aspects of work: defining the method of working together for next season, working on the settings, and carrying out various tyre tests. Everything has gone very smoothly, as the results demonstrate. It has been the first testing session together and we have started our relationship with Tohru in a most positive way”.

Sito Pons:
“Today we have got to know Tohru Ukawa better and the truth is that he has demonstrated to me just what a professional and serious-minded rider he is. He is also very easy to work with. This first session together was very important for the rider to know the way the team works and for our technical team to start to understand the way Tohru rides and his technical necessities. For me the results of these tests are really exceptional as he has set his fastest lap ever at the circuit and has ridden under the lap record”.

From a press release issued by Aprilia, which came with photos of Lucchi instead of Edwards, for unknown reasons; maybe they like Lucchi’s leathers better:

Aprilia Racing Press Information
Jerez de la Frontera (Spain)
Private Tests
2/3/4 December 2002
Wednesday 4 Dec.

Last day of tests for Aprilia at Jerez. Colin Edwards out on the track with the 2003 RS Cube ‘evolution’.

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The second session of Aprilia winter tests has come to an end on the Jerez de la Frontera circuit after three days of intense work. Colin Edwards went out onto the track today with the 2003 version of the RS Cube evolution. The “lab” bike was fine-tuned by works test rider Marcellino Lucchi from the Racing Department of Noale, and today it was Colin who tried out the latest changes made to the new RS3, now being prepared for next year’s racing season. The American rider covered 800 km in the three days of tests and today clocked up 76 laps, with his best performance being a lap in 1:42.9. The 2003 Cube has a new frame with a different geometry from that of the 2002 version and the bike has slimmed down by three kilos.

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Colin highly appreciated the characteristics of the Cube evolution he used in the tests this afternoon and yet another improvement on his lap time shows how the Texan has really spent very little time getting a great feeling for the new bike.

“You feel the lightness of the new Cube immediately” said Colin Edwards. “As soon as I got on the bike, I felt it was going twice as fast and, the first time I braked, I could feel it has a far more efficient braking system. The bike is actually much lighter and its power is thus considerably greater. I’m really impressed with the Cube evolution and today was truly special. This test session was really important, not just for the new features, but for all the work we did. I generally manage to get even more work done in a test session but with the Cube it’s different: each single detail needs to be worked out to perfection and we examine each of the choices for the settings in much greater detail. We’ve still got more work to do but we’re moving forward by leaps and bounds and that makes me really satisfied.”

Colin Edwards – Aprilia RS3 – 1:42.9

From a press release issued by Dunlop:

Dunlop Daytona Tire Test web site goes live December 4

Buffalo, NY: Every year, Dunlop hosts an invitational tire test at the Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the AMA national road racing season opener. This year, the test takes place from December 9-11, and the top AMA teams will be there, many of them shaking down their new 2003 racing machines, including the new 1000cc four-cylinder Superbikes allowed under the new AMA rules.

This year, Dunlop has created a special website to give road racing fans an inside look at this closed testing session. The site goes live on December 4, 2002 with a four-part interview with Dunlop’s racing guru Jim Allen, who talks about who will attend, the intricacies of tire testing at Daytona, the state of race-tire technology, and many other insights into the most comprehensive tire test in American road racing.

Throughout the event, Dunlop will post live updates on the site, beginning on December 9, including a photo gallery that will give fans an inside look at the teams, the racers and the racing machines. For your all-access pass to the Dunlop Daytona Tire Test, just aim your browser at www.dunlopmotorcycle.com.

From a press release issued by series organizers:

BUSY SEASON FOR SUPERBIKES

TORONTO, ON – Canada’s top motorcycle road racers will be in for a busy summer in 2003.

Next year’s Parts Canada Superbike Championship will consist of eight races taking place on seven separate weekends. Not since the late 1980s has Canada’s professional road racing series enjoyed such a full schedule and the 2003 calendar is proof of the healthy state of motorcycle racing in Canada.

For the third straight year the national tour will open and close at Shannonville Motorsport Park, near Belleville, ON, and the series will make its first visit to the magnificent Circuit Mont-Tremblant, an hour north of Montreal in the Laurentian mountains.

“We’ve seen steady growth for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship over the past several years,” said series organizer Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsports Productions. “The addition of more races and a spectacular new venue like Mont-Tremblant to our schedule is a sign of how popular our sport has become.”

Aside from the first ever national level motorcycle race at Mont-Tremblant, the sites and dates for the 2003 Parts Canada Superbike tour are identical to last year, indicating the series’ stability.

Action kicks off at Shannonville on the Victoria Day Weekend, May 15-18, with the racers using the 1.5-mile ‘Pro Track’. From there the series heads west to Calgary’s fast 2.0-mile Race City Motorsport Park for a June 6-8 round.

The national series gets back on track at the 1.2-mile Autodrome St-Eustache, near Montreal, July 4-6 before moving to Mosport International Raceway July 18-20. The Mosport event will be a doubleheader, with Superbike races Saturday and Sunday on the flowing, high-speed 2.5-mile circuit.

Round 6 takes the series to the scenic but challenging 1.6-mile Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, NS Aug. 8-10. From there the racers make their second stop in Quebec at Mont-Tremblant’s superbly refurbished 1.5-mile track Aug. 21-24.

A week after that the 2003 national title chase wraps up back at Shannonville, this time on the 2.5-mile, 15-turn ‘Long Track’ as part of the Aug. 29-31 Labour Day Weekend.

The 2003 Parts Canada Superbike Championship will feature new rules for the headline class as well as the addition of an Amateur 600 Sport Bike national category. Details will be released shortly.

Each round of the series will again be televised on The Sports Network (TSN) and Le Reseau des Sports (RDS) next summer, along with the Outdoor Life Network (OLN) in the fall.

2003 Parts Canada Superbike Championship Schedule

Round 1 May 15-18, Shannonville Motorsport Park (Pro Track), Shannonville, ON

Round 2 June 6-8, Race City Motorsport Park, Calgary, AB

Round 3 July 4-6, Autodrome St-Eustache, St-Eustache, QC

Round 4-5, July 18-20, Mosport International Raceway, Bowmanville, ON

Round 6 Aug. 8-10, Atlantic Motorsport Park, Shubenacadie, NS

Round 7 Aug. 21-24, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Mont-Tremblant, QC

Round 8 Aug. 29-31, Shannonville Motorsport Park (Long Track), Shannonville, ON

For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

After reading the entry by Digital Domaine I felt compelled to respond. Checks from my business were stolen from my office and cashed around town totaling about $5k. However I wasn’t held liable by my bank due to the fact that no authorized rep of my Co. had signed the checks and the funds were returned to my account in a matter of 5 days. I bank with Wachovia.

I think these days you need to think about how the “crooks” could potentially rip you off in any given situation and prevent it. I won’t send anything without prepayment by credit card or money order. Most people will go along with that as long as you send them a sales invoice first. The ones who won’t usually can’t/shouldn’t be trusted.

Rick Fairbairn
WERA #52
PPS International Limited
Simpsonville, South Carolina




Kevin Hanson recommends using “PayPal or other ways that are insured” to reduce the risk of check fraud. While I haven’t had any problems myself either buying or selling items with PayPal, it bears mentioning that PayPal offers very little protection to sellers, and using it is strictly a matter of ‘caveat emptor.’ Sites such as nopaypal.com, paypalwarning.com and aboutpaypal.com confirm numerous problems with PayPal, including reports of users frozen out of their accounts due to the caprice of PayPal management, and even of users’ own bank accounts being drained by unauthorized PayPal chargebacks. I am continuing to use PayPal with caution, but everyone should be aware that PayPal is not a bank, and doesn’t offer anything like the protection against fraud that you can expect from conventional financial institutions.

Dan Wildhirt
Longmont, Colorado




Thanks for the heads-up.

I have an e-mail from a guy in SC who NEEDS a set of Marvic mags for a Hayabusa this weekend.

He wants me to Red Label them, COD.

HA!

Fred Renz
Yoyodyne
Morristown, New Jersey

From a press release issued by Yamaha:

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd and Team d’Antin are pleased to announce the continuation of their partnership in MotoGP World Championship. The new agreement will see the Yamaha d’Antin four-year amalgamation in the premier class, which began in 1999, extended for 2003 with a further option for 2004. The Yamaha-satellite team will contest the 2003 MotoGP season as a single Yamaha entry with new rider signing Shinya Nakano, aboard a factory-supported 2003 spec four-stroke YZR-M1.

Nakano, the 2001 MotoGP ‘Rookie of the Year’, recently signed a one-year agreement with the Spanish-based team and is looking forward to continuing the form he discovered in the closing stages of the 2002 season after switching to the race winning M1 four-stroke in Sepang, Malaysia. The 25-year-old, who made his GP debut as a wildcard rider in the 1998 Suzuka GP250 World Championship round, will be the fifth and final full-time MotoGP four-stroke Yamaha entry in the 2003 line-up.

Nakano’s international GP history began in 1999 when the Japanese star finished fourth in the 250cc championship, aboard the Yamaha YZR250 – claiming ‘Rookie of the Year’ in the process. He then progressed through to challenge for the title the following year, only to miss out on the number one plate by a mere 0.014 seconds to his own Yamaha teammate, Olivier Jacque, at the final round. Natural progression saw Nakano move into the MotoGP class in 2001, aboard the YZR500, clinching his second ‘Rookie of the Year’ title, and a solid fifth place in the final all-two-stroke championship.

Former D’Antin Team rider Norick Abe, who has played the role as lead rider with Luis d’Antin owned outfit since its inception and has had a history with Yamaha in the premier class dating back to 1995, will continue with the Yamaha camp as a dedicated YZR-M1 test and development rider. Although the final program is still to be confirmed it is likely that Abe will also contest selected rounds of the 2003 championship, as an official Yamaha factory wild card entry aboard the YZR-M1.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

After reading the articles about the KWS fraud case on your website, I felt compelled to share an experience I had. As a majority partner in a digital imaging company I was shocked to find that we had been party to a similar fraud. Turned out that somehow our corporate checking account number had been stolen, the criminals had been making checks that appeared to look like ours and cashing them all over town, as it turned out the checks were called “Versa Checks.”

These checks can be purchased at any office store and simply printed on any ink jet or laser printer. The sad thing is that checks have cost business in the Columbus, Ohio area thousands of dollars. The criminals were targeting large corporations, and even McDonalds wasn’t safe, the total amount that we lost was over $20,000; luckily the criminals were caught, but that will not replace the money we lost.

So my advice to any business that plans to accept these checks is to get as much identification from that party that you can and protect yourself, it’s only money, but it is your money.

Christopher J. Stets
Vice President
Digital Domaine Studios Inc.
Creative Development Manager
Sarcom

Columbus, Ohio




I work at a company that sells high performance automotive parts over the internet and through an 800 number. It is similar to the motorcycle market since we are make-specific (Volvo only). It seems somewhat naive in today’s market to get burned for that kind of cash.

We will not ship COD to a first-time customer. Period. Overnight delivery to someone I have not done business with previously is another red flag that makes me sit up and dynamite the brakes.

The last thing to watch for is how appropriate the purchases are. Does a club racer with no history really need three sets of new wheels delivered overnight? Did he order universal parts that fit any machine in large quantity?

Remember that the delivery driver is required to deliver all those boxes by 10:30 and he is not really focused on how fishy the location is. Credit cards are safer since the verification usually includes name and address. If you ship somewhere that is not verified, and any other red flags are up, it’s probably fraud.

Ken Pruett
Portland, Oregon

From a press release issued by the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum:

MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME MUSEUM reveals PLANS FOR new 2003 exhibit “HEROES OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE MOTORCYCLE INSURANCE”

PICKERINGTON, OHIO — The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the premier museum on motorcycling in America, has announced plans for “Heroes of Harley-Davidson, presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance,” an expansive new exhibit scheduled to open February 2003. The 8100 square-foot installation, the largest ever in the museum’s 12-year history, will chronicle a century of Harley-Davidson people, personalities and products that transformed The Motor Company from an experiment in a backyard shed into today’s billion-dollar success story.

“Harley-Davidson isn’t just an internationally admired marque—it’s a symbol of American ingenuity, innovation and determination,” said Mark Mederski, Executive Director of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. “While the company’s unparalleled success in creating passionate, lifelong customers has been the subject of countless business case studies, this exhibit will focus on the human side of Harley-Davidson—how the lives and experiences of these Harley-riding heroes helped to create today’s Motor Company.”

Twenty-two exhibit sections, from a replica of the 1903 backyard shed that served as Harley-Davidson’s first “factory” to the story behind Buell, will trace a century’s worth of intriguing history, illustrated by unique photographs, in-depth biographies and rare artifacts.

Displays will include some of the most valuable bikes ever shown publicly, including an original, unrestored1934 Model VD complete with original factory tool kit and a 1920 Banjo-Case Pocket Valve Racer, one of only two examples known to exist. Modern-day classics will range from a replica of the famous Captain America chopper to the 1988 FLHTC that former Motor Company President Vaughn Beals rode cross-country to celebrate Harley-Davidson’s 85th anniversary. And, visitors will meet the many “rule breakers” who helped create that special Harley-Davidson mystique by transcending barriers and conventions—people like ace dirt track racer Tammy Kirk and the man who created the custom category, Arlen Ness.

Curator Ed Youngblood thinks that visitors will find these stories especially inspirational. “This exhibit will be an eye-opening experience for anyone who only knows the more frequently chronicled chapters of The Motor Company’s phenomenal success. While we certainly pay homage to many of the famous names and legendary motorcycles, it is the lesser known—and sometimes overlooked—chapters that make ‘Heroes of Harley-Davidson’ one of the most engrossing as well as entertaining exhibits the Museum has ever offered.”

To celebrate the opening of the exhibit, the Motorcycle Hall of Fame is planning a number of special events and activities, including an exclusive charity preview to be held on Tuesday, March 4, 2003, during Daytona Bike Week. Attendees will have a chance to meet several of today’s “Heroes of Harley-Davidson,” plus be among the first to sign up to win a 2003 Harley-Davidson Heritage Springer Softtail, personally autographed by one of the Motor Company’s best-loved modern-day heroes, Willie G. Davidson. The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is also planning additional enthusiast and media events during the weekend of May 2-4, 2003, including a special ride-in for the exhibit’s grand opening celebration.

“It’s only natural that another company known for innovation as well as its involvement in motorcycling sponsor ‘Heroes of Harley-Davidson’,” said Ben Sheridan, General Manager, Progressive Motorcycle Insurance. “Progressive has grown to be the nation’s largest insurer of motorcycles by listening to riders’ needs and innovating to provide them with what they say they want. We’re thrilled to bring an exhibit that honors the heroes of our sport to enthusiasts young and old.”

“Heroes of Harley-Davidson, presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance” will be open through December 2004. Exhibit details will be released in January 2003.

About the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum:

The goal of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, located on the campus of the American Motorcyclist Association in Pickerington, Ohio, is to tell the stories and preserve the history of motorcycling. The Motorcycle Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed notably to the sport, and three major exhibition halls showcase the machines and memorabilia that have shaped motorcycling. The Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; noon to 4.p.m. on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day; and closed on New Year’s, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Adult admission is $4 per person; ages 17 and under are admitted free. For more information, call (614) 856-2222, or visit the Museum’s website at www.motorcyclemuseum.org.

About Progressive:

The Progressive group of insurance companies, in business since 1937, is the nation’s largest provider of motorcycle and personal watercraft insurance and ranks fourth in the nation for auto insurance. The company provides all of its customers with competitive rates and 24/7, in-person and online service. The Progressive Corporation, the holding company, has headquarters in Mayfield Village, Ohio and is publicly traded at NYSE:PGR. More information can be found at www.progressive.com.

From a press release:



Fischer Motor Company, an Illinois Corporation, is pleased to announce the development of the first American Superbike of the modern era. A collaboration among several top industry veterans, the Fischer MR Series will be the first American motorcycle to offer world-class performance and styling, and will accomplish this by using the world’s best suppliers. The vision of company president and former racer Dan Fischer, the MR1000 is the first product from the new company, scheduled to go into production- in Chicago- late in 2004.

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The chassis was developed by Gemini Technology Systems of Mukwonago, Wisconsin. Extensive research was performed on many of the bikes currently offered by the various manufacturers, and also the known numbers for some of the GP bikes. “That’s where we based our geometry,” says company president Dan Fischer. “The MR chassis was done entirely in CAD before any metal was cut. While the frame looks massive on the computer screen, it’s actually quite small like a GP chassis, but that gives the flexibility to build bikes for a variety of purposes and riders of any size. We also made sure that various engines could be used, since building our own complete motor is still some time away. With Gemini in charge of engineering, we’ll definitely have some performance engine parts that are ours on the first product.” Gemini is well known for getting the most out of the Harley VR1000 Superbike. “The technology Gemini possesses is incredible,” says Fischer, “everything from CNC to FEA to Computrack to carbon fiber.”

Styling is another area where Fischer has brought in world-class talent. Famed Stylist Glynn Kerr penned the original drawings and collaborates on design decisions directly at the Fischer R&D/engineering facility. Kerr supervised clay modeling himself, and brings his experience working with almost every major manufacturer to the program.

The prototypes use the Rotax V-997 cc engine, the same one used in the Aprilia Mille and their other big bikes. Rotax engineers worked with Fischer and Gemini during development, but the Fischer chassis was planned for use with multiple V-twins, in various displacements.

While the planning stage alone took almost a year, the talent involved and the technology available, including rapid prototyping machines, has moved the project along to where test bikes are now being built.

“Every motorcycle is the sum of its parts,” continues Fischer, “that’s why we look at every single part for everything from weight savings to styling. Having this much talent involved with the project means that there isn’t just attention to the details, there’s experience tending to the details, and that means everything.”

While new companies can be sure of few things, this assembly of talent guarantees an interesting product.