2011 Yamaha Yzf-r1 on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Round 1 Of GEICO Superbike Shootout Is This Weekend

Round One of the GEICO Superbike Shootout kicks off with the Yamaha SoCal Nationals this weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The event is the first of a three-race series that will crown overall champions in two individual race classes: Pro Superbike and Dynojet Pro Sportbike. The Superbike Shootout is a three-race series meant to fill the long void in the AMA Pro Roadracing schedule between round one at Daytona and the second round at Road America.

I can die happy!

As an eighteen year old Kenny Roberts was my bike racing God.  I loved Barry Sheene but as a Yamaha FS1E rider I always wanted the little American to win simply because his bike resembled mine.  The coverage of Grand Prix in the late seventies was sketchy but I clearly remember watching the epic Sheene/Roberts battle unfold at the Silverstone GP on my council estate telly.  The Dutchman, Wil Hartog was hanging in there for a while but as the laps unfolded it became a two way battle with Sheene looking favourite to win.  Sheene lost the most time as the pair lapped a certain George Fogarty so my hero Roberts eventually won by just three hundredths of a second.  I’m not sure what happened next but being a Sunday we would no doubt be skidding around later in the day at the Pines chippie pretending to be Roberts and Sheene.  Fast forward thirty four years and a boyhood fantasy came true as I headed out on Chris Wilson’s 1980 Roberts machine for the Barry Sheene tribute laps at last weekend’s Moto GP.  It crackled into life instantly and felt as sharp as any of the more modern 500s I used to race.  The temperature gauge had a maximum marker on 60 degrees so to begin with I was nervous as it didn’t move but being a hot day (although still keeping my hand on the clutch) I convinced myself it wasn’t working.    The bike felt tiny, not helped by the fact I only just squeezed into my 1989 Marlboro Yamaha leathers.  It still felt rapid though as I played out the 1979 classic in my head while getting tucked in down the Hanger straight.  Steve Parrish was also out there on one of Barry’s 500cc Heron Suzukis so we did our best to copy the famous last lap at Woodcote Corner where Sheene came so close to winning his home GP. As a lad I would have said the chances of me riding round Silverstone on a GP winning Kenny Roberts machine were zero, but in the words of Gabrielle, dreams can come true!

Bell Helmets Giving Away Commemorative MotoGP Star Carbon Helmet at Laguna Seca

If you’re headed to MotoGP at Laguna Seca this year, and in need of a new helmet, make sure to stop by Bell Helmets exhibit for your chance to win a new Star Carbon model helmet adorned with special graphics commemorating this year’s GP at Laguna. From  July 27-29 at Mazda Raceway (Laguna Seca) in Monterey, Calif.,Fans can test their virtual mettle in Bell’s road racing video game competition, with each day’s top rider winning a limited edition Bell Star Carbon Red Bull US Grand Prix helmet. All participants will get a free commemorative podium photo with the Bell Victory Lane Girls.