Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128091
o o c Continued from page 3 o o o o o Red Bull Yamaha teammate Noriyuki Haga with a 2:07.3, in the process of coming to terms with the 500's different chassis characteristics more so than its power delivery. "The power is not so much a problem," said Haga, "it is not too much more than the Superbike, but the chassis is much stiffer and has less feel. The Superbike seemed to squirm, which I like, and the 500 doesn't, but I am still haVing fun," Haga added with a smile. "We are slowly setting it up so that it feels a little more of what I like so that I am more comfortable sliding the way I want." Y2K 250 MotoGP runnerup Shinya Nakano (Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3), showed his skill by adapting qUickly to the larger-capacity machine, setting a time of 2:07.9. Jose Luis Cardoso (Antena 3 Yamaha d'Antin) finished with a 2:08.9. Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3 YZR500 on day three - a clean break which could see the 25-year-old out of action for up to six-weeks. Although the times were still shy of the circuit's official lap record, a 2:06.053 - set by Kenny Roberts Jr. (Suzuki) during the 2000 Malaysian round, the new-spec machine showed great promise for the coming season. "A new bike is not something that you just take out of the crate and ride faster than before," explained Biaggi. "It is basically the 2000 bike with some new parts which have to be tested. So far these are better, such as suspension on the front, but it's not all about one or two fast laps. I did that here last year (setting the circuit's outright fastest lap - 2:05.458), but that doesn't mean anything. Sure it is good to see, but here we are still developing the bike to make sure we are going in the right direction when the season starts." Biaggi made it clear his aim was to be more focused on testing rather than a time. McCoy also approached the test with a similar attitude. "We're running a little behind with what we wanted to test because of the continual showers, but I have had a chance to sample the new engine." said McCoy. "It's not radically different but it offers better throttle response off the bottom of the rev-range. It means it's more predictable and better connected to the rear tire off slower turns. There's no lag, while the midrange seems stronger. It makes for a much nicer package." Slotting just behind McCoy on the time-sheets was o 8 8 o The Honda Racing Corporation recently sent us a press release with its first official recognition of the prototype four-stroke motocrosser that debuted at last year's final Japanese National and won at the hands of Sebastien Tortelli. Furthermore, Honda confirmed that the bike, dubbed the CRF450R, is scheduled to begin competition in the AMAIChevy Trucks National Championship Motocross Series beginning May 13 at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California. American Honda will announce the rider at a future date, but it is well known that both Tortelli and Ryan Hughes are very interested in racing the bike. The CRF450R features a single cylinder four-stroke, 8 o o 449cc engine, with a bore and stroke of 96.0mm x 62.1 mm. The four-valve cylinder head utilizes a single overhead camshaft that acts directly on the two intake valves and, via a forked rocker arm, the two exhaust valves. Honda claims that the benefit of this design is a reduction of mass (elimination of one camshaft and rocker-arm assembly) while maintaining accurate valve timing. Like Honda's CR125R and CR250R, the CRF450R uses a specially designed twin-spar aluminum frame and swingarm. Dry weight is 102kg, or approximately 2251bs. This information comes hot on the heels of Honda's announcement concerning its new four-stroke GP road racing powerplant, to debut in the 2002 GP World Championship Road Racing Series. Okay, so you've always wanted a World Superbike Ducati, but so far you haven't been able to figure out a way to get your hands on one. Well, now you can. A company known as Ostorero is currently selling 1: 12 scale versions of the 2000 factory Ducatis, available in Bostrom/NCR colors, or the Corse colors of Troy Bayliss, Carl Fogarty and Juan Borja. For more information, see the company's website at www.ostorero.com. With a name like Shobert, there's a pretty good chance you're going to be good enough to win, which is exactly what happened Saturday, February 3, in Post, Texas. Shobert won and Shobert got second, but these were two different where from November 15 the ETI50 four-stroke Italian scooter has been on sale via the brand's new chain of company-owned stores. To act as a high-profile launch pad, two Vespas were presented as prizes to the two winners - Men and Women - of the prestigious recent New York Marathon, while a fleet of the scooters was used by race officials to monitor and control the progress of the race By Al.AN CATHCART • Of Voxans & Vespas Voxan has made its mark in the French market with the Cafe Racer, which has sold consistently well throughout the year since its introduction last spring, and in doing so has paved the way for the up<:oming Scrambler model. due to begin production early this year. Unfortunately, the factory's test rider has also made his mark in a different way, by getting trapped at 222 kilometers per hour (138 mph) by les gendarmes on the aoloroole near Voxan's Issoire base in central France - an achievement that has cost him a three-month suspension of his licence, even if it did underline that the top-end performance of the half-faired bike really,s as good as Voxan claims it to be, Maybe Mr.Gardette paid his fine and wrote it off to sales promotion? On the subject of Voxan, the interest of Peugeot in that manufacturer (reported on here last week), is surely being watched closely in Italy, Peugeot's feat 10 breaking successfully into a market so completely orientated toward sport bikes as the British one Will be ot interest to the Italian inventor of the molor scooter - Piaggio. Now owned by the DBMG/TPG equit} partnershIp. Piaggio has Just relaunched its key product the Vespa, m the American market, Voxan sport bikes and naked bikes: Not popular with the French police. To east your vote, lag an to http://www.eye enews.eom. L cyclenews.com reader poll question of the week o o o [ 80 FEBRUARY 1 4. 2001 • lC U lC I e n e _ s Shoberts in two different classes. Clint Shobert, the 10-year-old son of the three-time AMA Grand National Champion Bubba Shobert, won the second race he'd ever entered, a 30-minute grand prix at a local club race in Post, Texas, not far from Shobert's home in Lubbock. Riding a Honda XR80, Clint made six laps of the four-mile loop to score the gyear-old-and-up class win. In his racing debut, Cole Shobert, Bubba's youngest son who's about to turn seven, rode his Honda XR70 to second place in the 8-and-under class. "They're pretty good," said Bubba, who'd just returned from helping his local club run an enduro. "Clint's been riding since he was four and Cole started riding when he was four." As for whether they'll follow in the footsteps of their legendary father, Shobert said it wasn't likely at this point. "Their mom's against it," he said. Five-time ICE Speedway Champion Charlie Venegas suffered a broken femur and cracked ribs in a crash at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri, on February 2 during round three of the World Cup ICE Speedway Championship Series. Cards and letters can be sent to Venegas at 158 Gardner Lacy Road, Unit 104, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579. HiltonlWest Motorsports has announced that they have completed negotiations with the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California, to produce two motocross events in the Fairground Arena this season. An arenacross event will be held on March 31 and April 1, With a freestyle motocross event to be scheduled in the Spring. AMA Pro Racing has announced that it will continue Its long-term relationship with Pro Honda Oils, as the naming rights sponsor to the AMA 600 Supersport Series. "2001 marks American Honda's 11th anniversary as title sponsor of the AMA Pro Honda Oils 600 Supersport Series," said Rick Mitchell, assistant manager of motorcycle parts and accessories at American Honda. "For the past 11 years, the Pro Honda brand has experienced unmatched customer recognition and support. AMA 600 Supersport continues to offer some of the most intense and competitive racing in the world, and Pro Honda Oils is proud to be a part of that excitement. " eN