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/128138
c c c c - utor, Biaggi revealed that he has no regrets about the change in technical reg· ulations that will lead to the eventual demise of the two·strokes that have ruled bike racing' s premier series for quarter of a century. 'I've no regrets about the end of the two· stroke era, in fact I already prefer riding the M 1 four·stroke." said Biaggi. who finished second overall in last year's final 500 World Championship aboard a Marlboro Yamaha Team VZR500. "I realize that the future is fourstroke and that's why this is such an exciting time for motorcycle racing. Everyone is waiting for the season to start because it's the first with all the new bikes." Biaggi. now preparing for his fourth consecutive season with the Marl· boro Yamaha team. adapted his riding style to suit the M 1 during several test sessions last year and will continue development of the machine when he commences a busy series of European tests in Spain later this month. "I feel good on the M 1, though we still have some work to do before the first race in April," he added during the presentation, hosted by Italian TV star Federica Panicucci at top Milan nightspot. the Rolling Stone discotheque. "The main thing is that I believe in Yamaha and I believe in this project. During my three years with the factory we really improved the VZR500 and we only missed the champi. onship by one place in 2001. So far we 've done a good job together and I know that the M 1 has more potential, so I'm hoping to go one better this season.' Biaggi and teammate Carlos Checa, who met the Spanish media during a Yamaha Motor Spain presentation outside Barcelona. will have their first public outing on their Marlboro Yamaha Team VZRM1s during the IRTA team tests at Valencia. Spain. on February 15-17. They will ride the bikes in anger for the first time at the season-opening Japanese Grand Prix on April 7. EJ[JD D[JD@DfiJ[JDo!P@I!A!l@f?@@ D[JD@]DfiJ[JD[) [?D[JDfiJDDwg o o c c " After nearly 50 years. Indian Motorcycle is back in the business of building motorcycles (the last original Indian Chief rolled off the assembly line in 1953) - complete motorcycles, engine and all. Three years after the Indian marquee was resurrected, the company has launched their new motor which will power the 2002 Indian Chief. The all-new motor is a 100 cubic-inch 45-degree V-twin motor designed by Indian and assembled by Performance Assembly Solutions in Uvonia, Michigan. The new 100 cubic-inch (1638cc) motor is the largest displacement motor developed by an American OEM motorcycle company. The air-cooled, 45·degree V-twin features 98 x 108mm bore and stroke dimensions, with two valves per cylinder. Carburetion is handled by a single 42mm Mikuni flat-slide unit mounted on the left side of the engine; reminiscent of Indian's from years past. The engine o o o o o o o o o o o bother me." Kopp said that he knows he isn't ready for a 25·lap Grand National just yet. but he is confident that he will be ready in time for the AMAIProgressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships season opener at Daytona Municipal Sta· dium in March. Kopp finished second to Davis at the 2001 edition of the Short Track. At the surgery before this last one. the doctor told me that he expected the nerves in my hand to heal. but instead they got worse, so on this last surgery. he did it like a Carpal Tunnel surgery," Kopp said.• He told me that it would take at least six weeks before it was better, and it has been about five weeks. It is getting better." Kopp said that he has been trying to train a little as his condition has improved. including activities such as snowmobiling. hunting and running in his schedule. "My wife Dee Dee ran in the Seattle Marathon a few weeks back. and I went along to run with her." Kopp said. '1 joined her starting at mile 19. and I was supposed to run along with her for moral support. But heck. I hadn't run for a while. and it wasn't too long before-I was the one needing the moral support [Iaughsl. I like doing my miles on my Harley." Speaking of motorcycles. Kopp also said that he and Corbin Racing/Burks Motorsports teammate Kenny Cool beth have cut a deal with KTM that will see their 505cc efforts KTM·powered. This will mark the second time that Kopp has been a factory rider for the Austrian firm. having ridden KTMs at Peoria and Daytona in 1998 and '99. "I've always kind of stayed associated with them.' Kopp said. 'They're real easy to deal with. Their new 520 engine actually displaces 510cc. so we're going to shorten the stroke to get them to 8 o 8 o Former AMA Grand National Champion .loe Kopp said that he is "not quite ready for the season yet." as he is still healing from the hand injuries received in the Sedalia. Missouri. Half Mile crash that also claimed the life of popular privateer Will Davis last season. Kopp had more surgery to repair the muscle damage in his right palm as recently as December 7. "My left hand is pretty good." Kopp said. • But my right palm is still pretty sore. I rode my first race this past weekend, a local short track. and I was only able to go about seven or eight laps before I had to slow down because it really started to o o o c C n l.J o: · · C. · O·· C:. was designed to easily accept fuel injection, so I'm sure we can expect to see that from the company in the near future. The engine was designed as a platform for future models as well, and even though the Scout and Spirit still feature the old S f, S built motors for 2002, I bet they won't for long. Stay tuned. 505cc. Dennis Town is building the bikes, and we' re also going to have 450cc engines for the Formula USA series. I'm excited to be back with them. The Rotax motor might still be tough to beat. but a lot of people are trying new combinations. I always did well on my KTM at Daytona. " Officials at Chris Carr Racing and Ford Motor Company announced last week that Ford's Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Program will be the new title sponsor for the Chris Carr Racing Team for 2002. This groundbreaking flat track sponsorship contract is for one year; terms of this unprecedented deal were undisclosed. Carr. the defending AMA U.S. Flat Track Champion, said the deal came about. according to Carr, through some mutual friends and business partners. "This is a pretty big deal. And not just for my race team. but for the sport of flat track in general." said Carr. who also won U.S. FlatTrack titles in 1992 and '99, in a press release. "I can't think off hand of any outside·the·industry Fortune 500 companies that have been a title sponsor for a dirt track race team. And hopefully this will open some doors and. ultimately. pay dividends to other riders down the road as well." Ford's Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Program manager Mike Dennis. a former amateur motocross and hare scrambles racer. looks forward to the relationship with flat track racing's top rider.• Ford Motor Company is proud to sponsor Chris as this year's retuming national flat track champion," said Dennis. "This is our first venture into a primary motorcycle sponsorship and we see it as a strong chance to cultivate a new customer base. . . . . . 6 :~~~~~D~L~~I:'I;e~~~: :~~~~~~~~f ~;rrk~~~2 ~n~~::~~;~~o~~~~i~ C D 00 : A~eoUc~T~hor:G;~R~Asup~:HI~t~sonloG~~N~cIHNc;GI~1:~~Agti~Y~tS~AI~cSapti ' o rthasvi.ngyarecmaehnatlyofspeArniztosneave_rianl Phoenix. Arizona, on Friday, January 25 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m, Jeremy McGrath. Tim Ferry. David Vuillemin and Yamaha of Troy riders Chad : Reed. Rodrig Thain. Greg Schnell and Ivan Tedesco are scheduled to : appear. For more information. call 609/992-B620. • ACCEPTING: Woodcraft. the sportbike distributor of HMF engineering exhaust systems. is currently accepting racer resumes until March 1. For more information. call 50B/339·5772. '. -HIRED: Mike Wymer as an R&D specialist for Carmichael Honda Motor· sports in Carmichael. California. For more information. call BOO/WE· RIDE·'. • : BORN: A baby girl, Shelby Ryan Bland. to Renthal America's Jon Bland and his wife. Heather. on January 2 in Van Nuys. California. • O......•..••.......••.•••.......•.•..............•......•.....•........•............•........................•..........•............. o 2 ; www.ampracing.com. POINTED: Myrianne Gaeta. as the new in·house public relations manager of Ducati North America in Pompton Plains. New Jersey. effective • immediately. Gaeta comes to Ducati with an extensive background in ~ . . . . JANUARV 23. 2002' co U co I e n e _ s : It will be a way for Ford to promote its Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Program. provide exposure for new Ford car and truck products and benefit the U.S. Flat Track program: Said Carr of his new sponsor: "With the struggling economic times right now, people are looking at all the options to fill their vehi· cle needs. We want to educate people that Ford's Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Program is out there." Clear Channel Entertainment's motor sports division has announced that Todd .lendro has signed a three-year contract to continue to manage Clear Channel Entertainment's supercross events. Jendro has played a major role in Clear Channel Entertainment's supercross events since 1995. and as the current director of supereross. oversees multiple elements of the live event from rider relations. industry relations and enhance· ments associated with the race that have made supercross the spectacle it has become today. Roy Janson. vice president of operations for Clear Channel Entertainment. said in the release: "Todd has become a consistent. reliable piece of the supercross machine. Considering that he is a former racer and someone who knows the sport and the live event betler than anyone I know. we are certainly pleased to have Todd's long-term commitment to our future. including the 2003 FIM Supercross World Championship. " According to the AMA, a recent opinion paper published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHSl is a hopelessly flawed analysis of motorcycling fatalities. The IIHS "Status Report," released yesterday and entitled "Special Issue: Motorcycle Deaths." states that "motorcycles are a dim spot in the overall highway safety picture." despite the fact that motorcycling fatalities have declined by nearly 52 percent since 1980 - a far better track record than any other form of highway transportation. "This opinion paper simply recycles old news and misuses statistics to support preconceived conclusions, and yet the IIHS wants the American public to believe that it's done serious research." said Edward Moreland. Vice President of Gov· ernment Relations for the AMA. "Even though we debunked these theories months ago. the IIHS seems to believe that if it repeats half-truths often enough, its statements will be accepted as fact." Continued on page 78