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/128384
KTM's Newest 250 Continued from poge 7 Those of you who revere the classic parI allel twin-cylinder two-strokes of the 19705 and 'BOs can celebrate again as KTM is recreating that layout for its new 250cc Grand Prix bike. The twin, which will make its debut at the British Grand Prix in July in the hands of Anthony West, uses a lot of the features of the KTM 125 single, includ- aM ISO will make its ..... In the . .nd Prix at Donlnglan Park. The FIM Management Council met June 2B29 in Geneva, Switzerland, and decided on several things. Among the most noteworthy items on the agenda were: The approval of a proposal by the AMA to award the Nicolas Rodil del Valle Gold Medal of Motorcycle Merit to Simon Milward (former secretary general of FEM, then FEMA), posthumously, for all his work in the defense of the interests of motorcycle users; an agreement between the FIM and IFMXF, a promoter of freestyle events, that a World Freestyle Championship calendar will be established for the 2006 season with 10 events in five different countries on two continents (at least); and a structure to organize training sessions for riders and officials will be put in place. ing the unique combination fuel-injection and carburetor intake system. The twin is said to be capable of being more than twice as powerful as the 125s. Designed by Harald Bartol and his KTM team, the bike is a classic parallel twin-cylinder two-stroke as its cylinders sit side by side on a single crankshaft. In its current development, it produces over 100 horsepower, using slightly detuned cylinder porting compared to the 125 to help rideability and throttle response. "The engine has more power than any of the Vee engines here," Bartol said. "With a parallel twin, we can make everything the same for both cylinders. With a Vee engine, you have two separate engines; you have to make the airbox and the exhaust slightly different for each cylinder, but a parallel twin has to be maybe 20mm wider than an equivalent Vee Only two outer seals are used with a labyrinth-style seal in the center; this doesn't touch the crank once the engine is running and causes no drag whatsoever. One difference between a Vee engine and a parallel twin is the firing order, but Bartol has that problem covered as well. "The engine has a balance shaft," he said. "I have never managed to make a parallel twin with a balance shaft before, engine. The question is whether a rider so we can use any firing order we like. I can feel the extra width of the motor." The Honda V-twin has a single crank to currently have two crankshafts ready one at 180 degrees and one at 270 degrees - so we can see what is best." The chassis is a classic twin-beam alu- help minimize internal drag, and with his parallel twin, Bartol has the same benefit. Will Your Bike Be Stolen, Crashed? The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies recently put together a study of claims data on more than two million motorcycles insured over the past three years and has uncovered the makes and models of the bikes most and least likely to be stolen or crashed. As far as the stolen category goes, Suzuki leads the way - in both extremes. The most likely motorcycles to be stolen, according to Progressive, is the Suzuki GSX-R line. The least likely to be stolen is the Suzuki Savage. Yamaha's YZFs are second on the hot list of stolen bikes, with the BMW R1200C coming in second in the least likely to be stolen section. As for bikes most likely to be crashed, the GSX-Rs lead that category as well. Least likely to be crashed? That's the Yamaha Virago, according to Progressive. Kawasaki Ninjas ranked second in the most likely to be crashed section, with the Honda Rebel taking second in the least likely to be crashed category. The bottom line, according to Progressive: "If you choose a motorcycle that's involved in more crashes or is stolen more often, you'll most likely pay more for insurance." Go figure. "Insurance rates are based on a lot of information about you and your driving record as well as the make and model of the bike you ride," said Rick Stern, motorcycle product manager, Progressive. "If you buy a bike that's stolen often, you may pay more for comprehensive coverage, and if you buy a bike that is involved in more crashes, then you may pay more for collision. We want bikers to be aware of what drives rates so they can make better, more informed insurance decisions." Round six of the Supermoto USA 2005 series will take place at the Atwater Kart Complex on Sunday, June 26, in Atwater, California. Gates open at 7 a.m. with practice slated for the day prior from 3 to 7 p.m. For more information, call 916/40B075B. In addition, California Supermoto Schools will be holding classes at the Atwater Kart Complex on Saturday, June 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and space is still available. For more information on the school, call 916/837-3243. minum frame using a deeper section around the headstock to keep everything rigid as the air intake comes through that part of the chassis. Ditto for the sWingarm, as deep-section aluminum CNC machining keeps the rear wheel in place. "Donington is definite; we are doing well in the 125s so we have to commit there. As a result we have hardly done any real testing," Bartol said. "I am not sure I want to race it at Assen with very little preparation, but we are not going to Laguna Seca, so we can do some proper testing and race it properly at Donington," Neil Spalding The FIM has announced that the World Supermoto round scheduled for Germany on July 10 has been canceled and will not be replaced. The series will now consist of nine rounds. The remainder of the series is as follows: September 10, Belfast, Ireland; October 2, Jesolo, Italy; October 30, Athens, Greece; November 13, Latina, Italy; November 20, Finestrat, Spain. Changes for Canadian Superbike Series The Parts Canada Superbike Championship has been forced to make major changes to its 2005 race schedule, according to event promoters. The series has cancelled both of its Quebec rounds, slated for the Molson Indy Montreal, August 26-2B, and Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant, September 9-11. In place of those events, the series will now run doubleheaders at Calgary's Race City Motorsport Park, July 1-3, and Atlantic Motorsport Park (AMP) in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, August 5-7. This will keep the series at eight rounds. "We are disappointed, frustrated and sad," said Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsports Productions (PMP), which runs the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. "These are both events in a key market with lots of fans. Everyone involved in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship wants to come back to Quebec in 2006. We apologize to our fans." The cancellations were brought about by a change of promoter at the Molson Indy Montreal and a change in management at Mont-Tremblant, according to PMI' "Both events deserved to continue on merit," Fraser added. "They were big races for us in terms of sponsors and fans. We would like to come back if we can get a sensible, fair agreement. People were not willing to honor agreements we had in place. We had run two very successful races at Mont-Tremblant. Last year's Invitational in Montreal wouldn't have happened without the support of our competitors. It produced an entertaining show and made for great television. The Quebec market remains very important to the motorcycle manufacturers who participate in our series. We are looking for alternatives to ensure We have races back in Quebec as soon as possible." The doubleheaders at Race City and Atlantic Motorsport Park will run a traditional series format, with races for the Parts Canada Superbike feature class and Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike division on both Saturday and Sunday. A Thursday practice session will be added to the AMP event. Road racer John Haner had surgery last week to stabilize the broken bone in his left foot that he suffered in a crash at Road America on June 3. Haner's surgery was performed at Houston's Methodist Hospital by Dr. Kevin Varner, who inserted three screws in the fifth metatarsal bone. Haner broke the foot at Road America on Friday, then rode to ninth in the Superbike race On Saturday and I Ith in the Superstock race on Sunday. He highsided and crashed in Sunday's Superbike race. "I already feel IOO-percent better," said Haner, who only spent a total of fIVe hours at the hospital. "When the doctor got in there, the bone was moving around, like free play on a clutch lever, so it's good I had it done now. I'll be ready for Laguna, but for the next few days, I'll have some girls come over and take care of me." Pirelli had a pretty good week at the Isle of Man TT, as referenced in a press release issued by the company. In the TTs fIVe solo events, Pirelli scored three wins and captured 41 of the 50 top-10 positions - and 12 of the 15 podium finishes. Two years ago, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota held its first Mayor's Ride, an event designed to show appreciation for regular rally-goers while simultaneously raising money for the Sturgis Volunteer Fire Department. The ride has raised niore than $20,000. "There are only 2S0 slots open on the Mayor's Ride," Sturgis Mayor Mark Zeigler said. "In the first two years we held the event, all those spots filled up quite quickly. It's really an exceptional event, which makes Continued on poge 13 CYCLE NEWS • JUNE 29, 2005 9