Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

. .... .. ... . • .... .......... .... _:.-1~ • .... ~ Happenings In Motorcycling ~.~ Flame Out Cartoonist John Mockett couldn't help but have a little fun with the Foggy Petronas bike after this weekend's World Superbike opener. The bike often shot flames from its exhausts when riders Troy Corser and James Haydon would downshift, providing fodder for Mockett's cartoon. BMW of North America, LLC has donated six RI100 RT-P police motorcycles to the Unit· ed States Department of Defense to assist the Pentagon Police in establishing its first motorcycle unit. The donation is part of the company's program to provide motorcycles to law enforcement agencies in communities significantly impacted by the September I I tragedy. At a ceremony held at the historic Pentagon building in Washington, D.C., Thomas Plucinsky (pictured on left), general manager, BMW of North America, Motorcycles, underscored BMW's longstanding commitment to the United States by indicating that it is not only BMW's most important export market; it is home to significant BMW automotive production, design and research facilities; and that BMW employs, directly and through its retail organization, nearly 50,000 people here. The motorcycles donated to the Pentagon were previously operated by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), repurchased by BMW as part of its contract with the CHP, and outfitted with special lighting and equipment. Officers of the newly established Pentagon Police Motor Unit will utilize the motorcycles for traffic enforcement in the Pentagon reservation. ONLY W£'Vf GoT TO 5ET THE 8AA!EQUE f'RF:D 4.'---FU-Ll.i Uf 8ErOR£ TROY GETS aAcrt••• By ALAN CATHCART • • Husky a Hot Property? Aprilia wasn't the only rival manufacturer interested in acquiring Husqvama. Ducati is also understood to have pursued buying the marque from MV Agusta, in order to expand its prod· uct line-up with a fllnge of off-road bikes which would also pennlt it to counter the growing threat to Ducati's market sectors. The Bologna-based company's management believe that threat Is posed by the resurgent KTM marque and its V-twin range of streetrods and, soon, $portbikes, as well as the V4 road models which both companies will be spinning off from their 990cc MotoGP contenders further Into the decade. But MV boss Claudio Castiglioni rejected the Ducati option outright probably as much for personal reasons as anything, given the leftover animosity surrounding his sale of DucatJ to TPG six years ago - and while if he had to sell to someone, he'd almost certainly rather II were Ivano Seggio. a like-minded racing fan and historically aware bike To cast your vote. log on to _---http://www:1:yclenews.com. • • Who will win the i!DD3 Daytona i!DD by Arai? A. B. C. D. E. 6 Ben Bostrom Eric Bostrom Miguel DuHamel Anthony [jobert Mat Mladin MARCH 12. 2003' eye • • n __ s Free Beemers enthusiast very much on the same wavelength, the BCI deal mentioned in this space last week means he won't have to. However, the poaching of Husqvama's entire engineering staff by Aprilia has inevitably left a big hole to fill within the firm's Rf,D department, but in the company's centennial year - it was founded in 190.3, the same,as Harley-Davidson and one year after Triumph - plans for an ongoing flow of new models powered by the company's new-generation range of four-stroke singles, including the 250cc version launched last year, will continue under the supervision of Romano Albesiano. who has switched from heading up Cagiva R&D to HUS

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