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/128313
IN THE INE:P You Can Own Mat's Bike S uzuki has announced several new additions to its 2004 lineup, includ- ing the Mat Mladin Championship Replica Edition GSX-RI 000. The Mladin replica commemorates the Australian's fourth AHA Superbike Championship and features the Yoshimura Suzuki look of Mladin's Superbike, including Mladin's signature and four AMA number-one plates on the gas tank. The Mladin replica will sell for $10,799 and will be available in Suzuki dealers in April, according to Suzuk i. The other additional streetbikes in Suzuki's lineup are a Hayabusa 1300 Umited, an Intruder Volusia Limited and three new SVs - an SV6S0, an SV6S0S and an SVIOOOS - that feature a few changes over previous models. Lafferty Out Until at Least July Yukio Returns damaged his MC L. Acco rding to Alan Randt , Lafferty 's tuner, it was decided then t hat if he had su rgery, he would be out lo ng enough that any chance for a cha mp ionsh ip wou ld be wiped ou t, so Lafferty elected to do some add itional strengthening exercises and see if it was pos- Lafferty inte nds on attending the National Endu ros in Georgia and New Je rse y to sign au tographs. He ho pes to be back in act ion in July or August . Rizla Suzuki's British Superb ike hopeful Yukio Kagayama rode a motorcycle last week fo r the first time since th e accident that cut his season short at Cadwell Park last August . The Japanese rider rode a Suzuk i GSX-R I000 at Suzuki's Ryoyo test track. Kagayama has been recovering fro m a broken pelvis that he sustained d uring a cras h in practice at Cad we ll Park in August, 200 3. Whi le he has been out o f hospital since Christmas, th is is the first time he has ridd en a motorcycle. He is attempting to be fit for t he first round of the Brit ish Superbike Cham pionship at Silverstone on March 28 and is sc heduled to join the Rizla Suzuki tea m for preseason tes ting at Vale ncia in Spain early in March be fore retuming to England for the Do ningt o n Park official test day on Mar ch 14. " I enjoyed th at very much," Kagayama said after his first outing on the bike. "But my fitness is very poor. I expected t hat , and riding all day long was d ifficult and tiring, but I ke pt go ing because my m ind is strong and wants to race. I will be training now to get fit for rac- citizens to become involved . ment relations. "Instead of directing our "Justice for All" also will feature events that co incide w ith the 2004 Black Hills Rallyin Sturgis, Sout h Dakota . In late Jan uary, after fo rm e r U.S. Rep. Bill Janklow received 100 days in a South Dakota county jail for second-degree manslaugh ter re lated to a traffic crash that claimed a motorcyclist's life, the AHA e xpressed its disappointment in the sentence, not only because it represented an inadequate penalty for that crime, but because it's an example of injustice that occurs in courtrooms allover the country. "We believe it's important to take constructive action that reaches far beyond the bo rders of South Dako ta ," said Edward Moreland, vice president of AHA govem- energy toward something that's already happened, we urge all motorcyclists to work with us to cha nge the way the justice system sen tences drive rs who kill mo torcycl ists and sible to race competitively. Mike Lafferty will be out of action until at least July. Th e lat est new s out of the KTM camp regarding its defend ing National End uro C hampion, Mike Lafferty, isn't good. After rein juring his knee at the National Enduro opener in Arizona two weeks ago , Lafferty had ano ther MRI done on his knee, which he orig inally injured o n New Year's Day w hile preparing fo r the '04 season. At that time, an MRI showed that he had tom his AC L and slightly And Justice For All The AHA has announced "Justice for All: ' a new nationwide initiative that will focus on inadequate sentencing of drivers who kill o r seriously injure motorcyclists, acco rding to the AHA "Justice for All" w ill advocate legislation establishing toughe r penalties when traffic offen ses or criminal actions by other motorists result in a motorcyclist's death or serious injury, a move that also would benefit oth e r vulnerable road users such as bicyclists and pedestrians. T he program will include cooperation w ith state and local motorcycling organizations, efforts by AHA community councils, and a variety of opportunities for individual motorcyclists and other concerned 8 At the first G NCC in Texas, his knee felt fine, but mechanical problems fo rced him ou t o f the event . In Arizona, Lafferty caught his foot in a rut partway through the first loop , reinjuring his knee. After another MRI, it was discovered that he had additional damage to his MCL. and he has since decided to have his knee surgically repaired. He is set to go under the knife o n Marc h 3. According to Randt , Lafferty 's transporter and race bike will be on display at the Flo rida GNCC, Alligator Endu ro and Georgia GN CC and wi ll offer fellow KTM ride rs setup tips and technical assistance. MARCH 3, 2004 • CYCLE NEWS to prevent similar tragedies and injustices in states and communities nationwide." More details about "Just ice for All" w ill be announced soon on the AMA's website, AMADirectlink.com, a nd in American Motorcyclist magazine. For more infonnation on beco ming invo lved in "Just ice fo r All" a nd other issues affecting American motorcyclists, contact Sean Maher, AHA director of state affairs, at smaher@ama-cycle .org, or Terry Lee Cook, AHA government re lations specialist, at tcook@ ama-cycle .o rg. 4 0 t h Anniversa ru Yukio Kagayama returned to action at a recent test. ing. I am lucky tha t I have seve n weeks be fore the racing starts . so I have time to im prove my body condition. I am look ing forward to riding w ith John -san [his teammate John Reynolds I to test my speed a nd try the 2004 Rizla Suzuki GSX-R I000. Thank you again to my English and Japanese fans for suppo rt ing me during m y recovery." Museum Exhibit Featured In Book The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum's current exhibit, " He roes of Harley-Davidson, prese nted by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance," is one of 70 corporate, commercial and m useum installations featu red in the new book Designing the World Best Exhibits, 's accord ing to the AHA Written by Martin M. Pegler, the boo k features high-impact visual environments from around the globe , ranging from luxury re tail concepts and massive consumer product showcases to multimillion-dollar trade show stands . To be included , exhibits had to be more than just a showcase for products or