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/128140
• . • 1- 1.1_: -1_ .R.I ......... ........ Hoo Happenings In Motorcycling '--- 5 There It Is Watercraft racing legend Jeff Jacobs and soon-to-be motocross/supercross legend James "Bubba" Stewart Jr. pose after coming away victorious in the annual Oakley basketball game at the company's headquarters in Foothill Ra.nch, California. Jacobs was the star of the winning team, which was coached by Stewart. 8OSTROMS ROCK ON Road racers Ben and Eric Bostrom spend a lot of their free time rock climbing around their Southem California nome. This photo shows Ducati factory star Ben Bostrom climbing while his Kawasaki factory star brother, Eric, looks on. Xide Tor Xids Sets Xecords Motorcyclists should be proud of the fact that they raised over $2.8 million (a record) to support the programs of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation of the United States through 20 Ride for Kids events last year. The 2002 Ride for Kids schedule kicks off with a dual-sport ride in the San Bernardino, California, mountains on March 17. In all, 22 rides are scheduled for this year. By ALAN CATHCART • A Little Thumpin' Different In the wake of the success of Yamaha's four-stroke 250cc motocrosser and off-roader, two European companies llre hard at work playing catch-up, with a pair of remarkably similar but independently developed designs. Austrill's KTM is not only working hard on developing various versions of its Dakar-winning 75-degree 950cc LC8 V-twin engine for both dual-purpose and street use, lliong with the projected 990cc V4 with which it will enter Grand Prix road racing in 2004, but is also llddressing Yamaha's off·road quarter-liter thumper with an llil-new, extremely light, single-cylinder engine being developed by the RSD team led by chief engineer Wolfgang Felber. The project takes a lellf from the Cannondale in featuring a cylinder head rotated 180 degrees in order tp produce II forward fuel intake, with the cylinder leaning backward llfPuod 20 degrees in order to prOVide space for an airbox. The very compact fourvalve cylinder head features a flat included valve angle of around 23 degrees. with twin over· head camshafts that in prototype form are chain driven. but that may be converted to gear drive for production. The very snort length of the dry-sump engine, which sees the gearbox shafts stacked one above the other as in an R1 Yamaha streetbike, allows it to be placed in such a way in the chassis that a very long swingarm can be adopted, with simHar traction benefits to the Rl . but off-road. Expect the KTM Racing 250 to be launched at the Intermot Show in September. Also under development is an Italian contender for four-stroke 250cc off-road honors, from Vor, for whom consultant engineer Giovan- Who wHI be the flrst ... apun ni Mariani has developed an ultra short-stroke IIIlIIIIIfac:tu to IIeId • production (82 x 47.3mm) engine with a similar architee- ........UllarforY........ ture to the KTM (reversed cylinder head, rear- r--stroke cIIrt blkes? ward-inclined cylinder, four vllives with gear camshaft drive). This is also expected to be launched later this year, and may well end up beating the KTM into production. Given Mariani's proven expertise in tuning Supermono singles to give prodigious horsepower (he was the first to build a 720cc version of the five-valve Yamaha XTZ engine for road racing use, in which guise it delivered over 90 horsepower). expect the motocross version of the Vor to be a power-up package. ·.2SOcc -------------~-~----To cast your vote, log on to http:// ww.cyde.news.cOJll. cyclenews.com reader poll question of the week Whic of ftIe. new four-stro«e liP impact on e spar n 1b0i!1' A. Aprilia's RS3 Cube B. Honda's RCi! I I V C. Suzuki's XREO o. Yamaha's M I -------=------- 6 FEBRUARY 6, 2002' eye • e n e vv s