From a press release:

New Front Fork Design Aids Champion In Superbike

When Troy Bayliss of Australia won the (2001) World Superbike Championship, he celebrated with his entire team. One key to their success was a new pressurized racing fork from Ohlins, a Swedish producer of shock absorbers. By using new technology and a sealed oil circuit, the company has succeeded in producing a front fork that withstands extremely high-frequency shocks, giving better traction and stability.

Ohlins’ new pressurized front fork differs greatly from traditional forks. The oil in the fork is under constant pressure in a sealed system that effectively prevents frothing or cavitation, which very often happens in traditional fork designs during high frequencies. The new design results in a fork that can endure substantially higher frequencies without reduced shock-absorbing effect, while maintaining better contact between the front wheel and the track. The motorcycle thus has better road-holding characteristics, and the rider can make the most of the bike’s capacity for speed and acceleration.

“The new front fork makes an outstanding difference in the way the motorcycle rides,” according to Bayliss. “Our experience so far has been tremendous. The fork responds better to changes and the feedback I get from it is great. It’s also easy to adjust to different types of track.”

Yet another advantage of the sealed system in the fork is that oil does not degrade as quickly as in traditional designs.

“The oil is not as exposed and can be kept much cleaner with our new fork technology,” says Mats Larsson, R&D Manager Racing Dept., at Ohlins Racing AB. “That considerably lengthens the life of the oil.”

As yet, the new fork is only available for a few racing bikes, but Ohlins plans to apply their experience to the development of new shock absorbers for a broader market.

“These forks are for extreme conditions and applications, so it is hard to predict what a consumer model would look like,” Mats Larsson, says. “But we might include parts of technology in a few of our new models.”

Facts about Ohlins Racing AB:
Ohlins Racing is leading the development of suspension products for the motorcycle, car, four-wheel and snowmobile market. Founded in 1976 by Kenth Ohlin and based in Sweden, the company sells its products throughout the World from offices in Stockholm and Hendersonville, NC, USA as well as a network of distributors in almost 30 countries. Since 1987, Ohlins Racing has been majority-owned by the Yamaha Motor Company. Over 95% of the company’s turnover are accounted for by the export market, equally divided between original manufacturers and aftermarket sales. Ohlins concept is to offer high performance and top quality suspension products. The product range includes shock absorbers, front forks, steering dampers, front fork springs, mounting kits, special oils and greases. Close cooperation with racing teams has always been a very important part of Ohlins business. Shock absorbers from Ohlins have been dominating a number of classes in motorcycle and the car-racing scene for years. More than 80 World Championship titles have been captured with Ohlins suspension products.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Bikes are now on course at Sears Point Raceway after an 80-minute delay due to problems with the communication system between corner stations and race control.

Sections of Air Fence have been deployed along with haybales for the practice day, which includes individual 20-minute sessions for 600cc Supersport, Formula Extreme, 750cc Superstock, 250cc Grand Prix and Superbike machines.

According to Sears Point officials, riders will get all their sessions, and their sessions will be full length, despite the delay in starting.

From a press release issued by Suzuki:

Team Suzuki News Service

SUZUKI GP TEAM GOES MICHELIN FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON

May 1st 2002
Hamamatsu, Japan.

Team Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki today announced that for the remainder of the 2002 Grand Prix season they will be switching back to the Michelin
tyres they had previously used for more than ten years.

The blue GSV-R V4 machines, ridden by former World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr. and GP winner Sete Gibernau, will be fitted with the French tyres from the Spanish GP at Jerez on May 5, the third of 16 championship rounds. At first, the Michelins will be 2001-spec tyres, with full support to follow after three to five races, in line with increased production of the latest tyres.

Suzuki and Dunlop will continue to cooperate in the famous World Superbike championship, and American Superbike championship as well as the domestic All-Japan series, in which the prototype GSV-R MotoGP machines will take part, albeit as non-scoring guest riders, as part of the powerful new prototype’s radically shortened development schedule.

The new 2002 season saw the biggest ever change in racing regulations, with the premier GP class open not only to the established 500cc two-strokes, but also to an exciting new generation of 990cc four-stroke prototypes. Suzuki recently joined the other important racing factories in fielding a machine for the first year of the new series.

In fact, the development programme of the new GSV-R had been shortened by a full year. The original plan was to race in 2003, but the machine’s strong performance during engine bench testing and early development led Suzuki to take the bold step of bringing the bike to the GP tracks one year earlier.

This was rewarded by another surprise for the factory. The still developing machine was so competitive that it finished second in the first-ever MotoGP race at Suzuka in Japan.

“I think many people were surprised by the performance at Suzuka” explained Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki GP team manager Garry Taylor.

“Instead of our projected testing programme, we suddenly realised we could now focus on actually trying to win races far earlier than we had originally anticipated. Without even starting our planned tyre development programme, the GSV-R has proven to be far more competitive than we had expected. Consequently the team has again been able to advance the overall machine development programme beyond the tyre development stage.

“The advantage is that not only do the riders have familiarity with the characteristics of the Michelins, but also the engineers. We have a vast amount of data on Michelins and it considerably reduces the number of variables in our development programme.”

Taylor stressed: “Nobody should think anything negative about Dunlop in this matter. They achieved second place for us at Suzuka, and put Kenny on the second row of the grid in South Africa.

“It’s simply that our focus has changed. The MotoGP team has different priorities from before, and they no longer include tyre development. Obviously this is a big step for Suzuki, but the reasoning shows that it’s not a move against Dunlop,” said Taylor.

“I’ve always said that we are serious about wanting to win races. This move simply shows that we really mean it,” concluded Taylor.

From a press release:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/1/02

METZELER AND PIRELLI’S NORTH AMERICAN
TIRE HEADQUARTERS MOVE TO ROME, GEORGIA


(Rome, GA) Metzeler and Pirelli motorcycle tire operations have moved from Pennsylvania to new headquarters in Rome, Georgia, effective May 1, 2002. They are now housed in Pirelli’s new U.S. tire-manufacturing facility.

The addresses for the new operations are:

METZELER MOTORCYCLE TIRES NORTH AMERICA
P.O. Box 700
Rome, GA 30162-7000
Main Phone: (706) 368-5826
FAX: (706) 368-5832


PIRELLI MOTORCYCLE TIRE DIVISION
P.O. Box 700
Rome, GA 30162-7000
Main Phone: (706) 368-5826
FAX: (706) 368-5832

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Proof Once More That Biggest Threat To The Health And Well-being Of A Road Racer Is…A Motocross Bike

By David Swarts

Corona Extra Suzuki Supersport and Formula Xtreme rider Steve Rapp is currently in the Inland Valley Medical Center in Murrieta, California recovering from injuries sustained in motocross crash April 30 at Lake Elsinore Motocross Park.

According to Rapp, he was riding his Yamaha YZ426F and attempted “a big step-up jump”, that he routinely makes, when the crash occurred. “I went over, a total flip thing, you know? I landed on the front wheel and BRRP!” said Rapp.

Rapp, who was unconscious for a time, was taken by ambulance to the local hospital, where he remained overnight with a concussion and suspected fractures to the ribs on his left side and his right collarbone.

“I hurt my collarbone and ribs and stuff. I’m not sure if it’s fractured or broken or what. I’m waiting for the doctor to get here, around noon they said. Hopefully, I can get out of here soon,” said Rapp, adding that doctors originally thought he may have punctured a lung but later changed their minds.

Asked if there were plans to plate the collarbone, Rapp said, “Not here they wouldn’t. I’ll have to call (Dr. Arthur) Ting when I get out.” Rapp also said that he didn’t think he would be able to ride in the AMA National at Sears Point this weekend.

From a press release:

EDWARDS PREPARES FOR MONZA

Castrol Honda’s Colin Edwards will arrive at Monza, Italy next week in confident mood after a successful test at the Suzuka circuit in Japan last week.

Edwards, second in the World Superbike championship points standings, believes further improvements to his SP-2 machine will give him the best chance possible of challenging for the 2002 title.

“We had a great test,” said Edwards. “I managed to beat my best lap time at Suzuka by 0.7s so we know we’re heading in the right direction with development.

“With a test like that it’s all trial and error but we’re certainly making some big steps towards improving the handling and power of the SP-2.”

Edwards recorded a best lap of 2:06.5 at the two-day test at the circuit where he took victory in last year’s prestigious Suzuka 8-hours race.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Bidding in an eBay auction of an autographed Ruben Xaus Suomy helmet, to benefit the Roadracingworld.com Action Fund, has reached $610 in only three bids on the first day of the seven-day auction. The auction is scheduled to run until May 7 at 1:22 p.m. Pacific Time.

For more information about this collector’s item, donated by Gearbox International, the auction and/or the Roadracingworld.com Action Fund, see the original web post, including a link to the bidding, below.

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This Suomy Gun Wind motorcycle helmet was donated by Gearbox International, the exclusive American importers of Suomy motorcycle helmets, to be auctioned off to benefit the Roadracingworld.com Action Fund. This Suomy helmet is a Ruben Xaus replica and has been autographed by Infostrada Ducati’s rising World Superbike star, Ruben Xaus.

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The helmet is in brand-new, never-worn condition and comes with a soft cover/carrying bag, a Fog City anti-fog face shield insert and the helmet’s original box. The helmet is labeled as “XL”, or Euro size 61-62, and appears to be the equivalent of a “Large” in U.S. sizing.

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The suggested retail price for a Suomy Gun Wind replica helmet is approximately $400. With the endless possibilities of 24-year-old Xaus’ racing career, the actual value of this helmet will only be determined by time. To place a bid on this helmet, go to the auction at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1825769039.

If you have an item or service you would like to donate for auction to benefit the Roadracingworld.com Action Fund, please call Roadracing World’s David Swarts at 909-245-6411 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.

The Roadracingworld.com Action Fund is a non-profit corporation formed to take over the work of the informally-formed Roadracing World Air Fence* Fund, which was established in April 2001 to raise money to purchase and deploy Air Fence and Air Module soft barriers to protect crashed riders from hitting walls and other hard objects at racetracks. In less than one year, the Fund has raised over $180,000, with over $12,000 coming from the auctions of donated racing memorabilia such as this helmet. All of the money raised by the Fund is used to purchase and deploy Air Fence and Air Module soft barriers at racetracks. For more information about the Roadracingworld.com Action Fund, including a full accounting of the collections and disbursements and stories about racers being saved by soft barriers, go to the www.roadracingworld.com home page and click on the Air Fence link.

* Air Fence is a trademark of Airfence Safety Systems of Australia.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

HAYDEN LEADS THE WAY COMING INTO SEARS POINT SUPERCUTS SUPERBIKE CHALLENGE

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – Honda Racing’s Nicky Hayden is on a roll as he gets ready for rounds four and five of the 16-race AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship at Sears Points Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., May 3-5. Hayden, 20, of Owensboro, Ky., leads the series standings having won two of the three 2002 championship races heading into this weekend’s Supercuts Superbike Challenge doubleheader at Sears Point. To illustrate how hot the young Hayden is — he’s won six of the last seven AMA Superbike rounds dating back to last July. A host of top AMA Superbike riders will be trying to cool Hayden’s charge at Sears Point with defending race winner Anthony Gobert, second in the championship, hoping to close the gap on Hayden’s 14-point lead in the series.

Last year at Sears Point, Gobert and Hayden battled the entire race in one of the all-time classic AMA Superbike races on the 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course. After taking the checkered flag Gobert ended up in the infield care center suffering from dehydration after winning both the Pro Honda Oils Supersport and the Chevy Trucks Superbike events within the span of a few hours. Gobert, a 27-year-old Australian who rides for Yamaha, is considered by many to be the favorite to win at Sears Point.

Another Aussie sensation Mat Mladin, the three-time defending AMA Superbike Champion, will arrive at Sears Point sitting eighth in points after injuring his elbow in a practice session crash in March’s opening round in Daytona Beach, Fla. The injury caused him to miss the first race and lose valuable points. The No. 1 Suzuki rider has proven his toughness over the years. In fact, Mladin won the pole at Sears Point last year riding with a broken left leg. He should be close to 100 percent this weekend and is looking to make up a lot of ground in the points chase at Sonoma. Mladin won at Sears Point in 1999.

Another rider to watch this weekend will be Honda’s Miguel Duhamel. The 14-year pro from Montreal is the all-time leading AMA Superbike winner and has won a record four Superbike finals at Sears Point.

Joining former Sears Point Superbike winners Gobert, Mladin and Duhamel is Suzuki Aaron Yates, of Milledgeville, Ga. Yates won the race in 1996 in a great duel with teammate Mat Mladin. Yates might be best known to Sears Point fans as the rider who crashed spectacularly at over 100 mph head first into air barriers while leading the Supersport race last year. The air-filled safety barrier did its job and Yates got up and dusted himself off and made the Superbike race later that day.

By far the biggest surprise in the series to this point is the solid showing of privateer racers Andrew Deatherage, of Cleveland and Brian Livengood from Snellville, Ga. Deatherage and Livengood stand third and fourth respectively in the AMA Superbike standings – the highest ranking for privateers in the series in almost a decade.

Deatherage, 41, is an 11-year AMA Superbike competitor and has scored three-top ten finishes coming into this weekend’s race. Deatherage is part of the Ground Zero Racing Group who is raising funds for the Uniformed Firefighters Association/Fire Department of New York Memorial Scholarship Fund. Livengood, a three-year AMA Supersport racer, is riding his first full season of Superbike. Livengood has two top-10 finishes to his credit this year and to be ranked fourth as a privateer in his first year of AMA Superbike racing is nothing short of amazing.

This year will be mark the 25th anniversary of AMA Superbike racing at Sears Point. Paul Ritter, who at the time was a local racing pro from Oakland, Calif., won the inaugural AMA Superbike race at the Northern California racing facility in 1977 riding a Ducati.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Active Leisure, Inc., the parent company of Competition Accessories, has gone out of business and left unsecured creditors holding the bag.

The company sent out a letter dated April 26 and addressed “To Our Vendors” which read, “We regret to inform you that, after careful consideration, the Board of Directors of Active Leisure has determined that it no longer has the financial ability to continue its operations. Accordingly, we have authorized the Company to surrender its assets to one of our secured lenders. The secured lender is not assuming any of the liabilities of Active Leisure. However, it is our understanding that the secured lender intends to maintain operations, through a new operating company, of Competition Accessories and the other catalog and Internet operations in Springfield for a period of time while it seeks a purchaser for the business. It is the hope of the secured lender, and the management of Active Leisure, that the business can be sold as a going concern.

“Management of Active Leisure has attempted for many months to work out a financial restructuring which would allow it to continue its operations without interruption. However, it has become clear that continued operations for Active Leisure is not possible. It is with deep regret that we must advise you that it is uncertain but unlikely that there will be proceeds available from the sale of the business sufficient to pay both the secured creditors and the total unsecured debt. We appreciate the loyalty and support our vendors have shown Active Leisure and wish that we had been in the position to repay that support more appropriately.

“The new operating company for the period while the Company is being marketed for secured party sale will be COMPACC, LLC. If you have questions about your claim, you may contact Linda Berger, the new controller at COMPACC, LLC (937-323-1594) who is coordinating creditor questions and claims reconciliation.

“Very truly yours,
“William C. Davis, Secretary”

The company spent serious money running an AMA Superbike and Formula USA racing program with rider Larry Pegram in 2000 and 2001. Rumors of financial problems swirled around the program almost from its inception.