Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

.1 .... . . . . . . . _: -1• 1'1 ~..".~_ • Happenings In Motorcycling Go Silane Go This Ain't A Free Ride Mi . - -el- - - - - - - - - - - -While attending a Dunlop dinner in conjunction with the introduction of the new D208ZR sport tire, road racer Miguel DuHamel got quite a surprise. It was recently discovered, by Dunlop's vice president of motorcycle tire sales. Mike Buckley, that DuHamel's near-perfect record of victories, exclusively on said brand of tire, actually had a blemish many years back. It was discovered that of DuHamel's 66 AMA National wins in Superbike, 600cc Supersport, and 750cc Supersport, just one race was won on a brand other than Dunlop. Dunlop's Jim Allen and Buckley were incensed at this slight bump in DuHamel's near-perfect, single-brand Victory record, and decided to invoice DuHamel for all of the tires that he has used over his AMA career. The invoice itemized 4573 tires at an average cost of $175 a piece, for a grand total of $800,275. The comment section of the invoice reads as follows: ·While 65 [actually 66J combined AMA National victories is nice.. trecent research shows that one win was achieved on another brand, thus tainting an otherwise flawless record and therefore prompting this charge. Additionally, the invoice warns that Canadian funds will not be accepted." It looks like DuHamel had better keep winning if he ever hopes to payoff his debt, and after his recent performances at Road America, it's hard to count him out - ever. • Consolidation Unlimited, Inc. The ongoing process of CflIIllCl". t'OIlln the IIalIerl moton::ycle industry has taken another step forward with the announc:emtIJt 1bet ICOOtel' giants Plaggio are on the path of anodIer acquis!tion. ~ owners of the Vespa, Ollera and Derbl marques. and since July 2001 holders of a 2O-percent equity in MV Aguste Motor. Including Husqvama and Caglva. which Piat9l0 It understood to have I'IICllIIIlly agreed in prlnciple to acquire completely, the company Ma now signed an agreement to purchase a lIimIIar 2O-percent shareholding In the small but nant garde Bologna-based spec !eIjst ICOOtler rnanufIlcturer kaljet. FouncIecIln 1959 ~ IAopoIdo TartarInl, and 8tIII owned by the TartarinJ family, Jtat«'s 32,OOO-untt annueI pIOducIiCIn iii l'Ii!!pIeee with nidle-merket novelties such as the er.,. and Jet-set. lIS . . 85 TartlIIInI's two IiItest braIncbIIdren. which debuted at last yeer>s ~ Sbow. both aheady JlC'We«ld by flliIrliiIlIb I'l1OtOta - tbe l2S Amarcord. dubbed a ·scClCll:eQi * b' lis twIal-'n'~ CDIVe1II&lCe1ldded tID the d) ': dlasls cp"llies 0111 proper ,. de, and the ttu:ee-wheeler ~ (*). wblch fIVe ~ In UrIS thImlts to tile t'ItIIItRn wbeela steered by a lIIAdIebar. yfIC 6 f t the rIiIIr to Ieen into CUI'¥es an the piYolInjJ ___ redtDn Of the v8lic:Ie. The two c:ompenIes bne ~ aJIlIboreIed for IClme y _ on engine sapphI. _ lIInc:e 19110, _ _ AIQgIo fin( SIIIIIIIIW bIjet with engines to power the Pack SO foIcIrp~ -WJl, which 18lDday cIIIpleyed IIIuseum 01 Modem Art In New York as an ,. clll¥lII1t Garde IIWlIpoitatlo.l deIrga. JII\olIe rec:eatIy. Aegglo Ma been only one 01 _ _ aXllpllnles fXOVIdinlJ ItaIjet wIIh poMIr Unils - but _ pert of the ~ link betweeu the two, _ ~ tbe . . adust........ of engines to the BoIopa compeny. lIS. ~. UlderwJitll$ a 2O-perallt 1nclUlIe·1ii IlBIjet's lIIlIInt capItlIl, agIIinst the issue 01 0lIll 'e in. 6 n JULY 10, 2002' cue 1 e __ s Off-road-racer-tumed-photographer Destry Abbott was on hand at the recent Nevada 1000 to give encouragement to his soloing teammate Shane Esposito. Abbott, who is still recovering from leg injuries, also took the opportunity to work on his photographing skills. bonds specIfic:eIIy raer¥ed for PIaggIo, which is presently 8O-pen:ent owned by the DeuIsche Bank-oWned italian fund 01 London-based venture capbIIsls Morgen GHneII Priv_ Equity/WJP£. In return, ltaljet is committed, says compeny president Leopddo TlIItAIrini, to f0cusIng on autIng MW plOCb:ts for the Piaggio femIIy of marques, which wi! have a special emphais on innovetive design and crelltlve technology, similar to the company's leadingedge FCII'I1lula scooter introduced in 1994. whi<:h Ma featured in the Ouggenhelm ·Art of ltle ~ . cIlspJay touring the world for the past four yeatS. This agreenent may be the first step along the road toward Ol.tright purchase of ltaljet by PIaggIo - even if, for the time betng at Ieest, it's presented lIS a strategic alliance aimed at condcMting purchlIsIng power and recIucIog development costs. But this raises a question mark not ClnIy over ltaljet's c:ontlnued participation in 125cc GP racing with Its thus-fer disappointing Jorg Moller-developed machine - especially In a dass in whfch Pleggio's GIIera marque Is the reigning world champion, with Its Delbl-devl!\oped r:notoreyc/e ridden by MenueI PogglaIl - but also over the future of the three-cylinder 900cc Triumph-engfned Qrlfon motorcycle _ ItaJjet Iaum:hed lit the Milan Show three years ego. wtlose development Ma beet JIIlIIIed whlIe the" smell scoab!r apec:l8llllt conc:entr.~ Its naDabIe _ _ CIIIltscore buIkIess. Indeed. eVeA In the wake of the Plaggb jolat ftIIture, It mnelnlI to be ..... wbeIber ibis wilt permit ltalJet to -- . . . . . . . , 7 I FIII • • _ ............ a. _ continue Its polley of successfullY .........., ••• h ..... _ .. swIrnnlIng . . . . the 0IdII0iRlI tide In IlOl ...... _ Cl w I'W' . . . . the flIce cI • pbnrnetIng IleIIera home 1'1 II. RIc; I scooter IIIIIIt

• Cover