Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

i. a) a 7 ); oEsEnt srof,fl Sweden's specialist off-road nunuiacturer HiShland Motors AB was founded in 1997 by ex-Husaberg racer Mats Malmberg, who has since used the 936cc Folan 60-degree V- twin eiSht-valve engine, which delivers 85 hP at AnoO rPm, !o power a mnge of lightweitht models, each weithinS around 275 pounds, depending on sPecification, and handbuik by Highland's lo-stron8 workforce in the comPary's Skallinge factory in the south of Sweden. The Folan molor was developed by former Husqvarna engineers who had declined to follow the historic Swedish marque south to ltaly when it was a.quired back in I 988 Irom its Electrolux owner by the CastiSlioni brothers' CagiYe mar- que (now renamed HV Agusta. in which Electrolux owns a 3- percent share) - but after the comPany wem bank upt, Malmberg acquired the riShts and tooling to the ultraliSht- weiSht, liquid-cooled, six-sPeed motor for Highland. After converting it to fuel iniectlon, uslng an EFI dedved from Volvo cars, Hithland has developed dedicated models fifted with WP suspension and a chrome-moly steel twin-spar ahassis targeted at the enduro (the HiShland Outback model), super- moto (the 950 l''lotard) and trailbike (the 950 Allroad) sec- to.s. More than 500 HiShlands have been bt]ilt over the Past eitht years, mainly selling to kandinavian, and especially Swedish. customers. A Prototype o\aal_track race version weiShing les.s rhan 220 pounds has also been built for U.S. dirt-track racinS. Now Highland is followinS its Latin counterPart, Benelli, in forging an Asian connection, joining forces whh Chinese man- ufacturer Great Northern EnterPrise, which Produces more than half a million scooters and mopeds each year in China, as well as a range of components for other companiet - includinS EuroPean and lapanese marques and, specifically, HiShland. Malmberg has revealed plans to develop a range oI Highland models in Sweden, which will be built at the Great Northern EnterPrises fac_ tory in China, powered by 250cc, 35(kc,450cc and 550cc DOHC single-cylinder four-valve versions of the Folan engine (which was in fact originally developed by elfectively doubling-up the Ht-rsaberg motor), and 750cc and l200cc versions of the aompany's existing 950cc V- twin motor. This will include a selection of 100- percent street-focused models, including a l'lonster-style street rod ba5ed on the prototyPe Highland dirt-tracker, which will oriSinally be available in 75(kc form, but will later climb the capa.ity scale. An upgraded adventure-touring version of the Outback enduro model. known as the Desert Storm, will also be produced in 950/l200cc guises, wiile the 450cc prototyp€ of the future Highland single-cylinder model range will b€ ra.ed in 2006 in Mx end Supermoto events as par't of its shakedown process. HiShland is targeting an annual production at the Great Northern EnterPrises fac- tory of up to 10,000 motorcycles by the end of 2008, as well as 20.000 single and V-twin engin€s Ior PowersPon! apprications, including a range of ATvs Noo c,,th.or,a. 450 nx o o o o o Colin Edwords: Reody lor the 2006 seqson. Edwards: Ready To Go Colin Edwards begins his second season with the Yamaha llotocP team - the firsttime he's been on the same teafi in MotocP for successive seasons. And he says he's ready lor action as the season Sets set to beSin on l'larch 26 with the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez "lt's been a prety intense few months testing and I am realb/ haPpy that we've finally made it to the first race - this is where the fun star$," said Edwards. "The Sreat result at the Barcelona test was a massive confidence boost to me and a validation of all the hard work that everyone's put in. but we have to use it as a tramPoline to bigger and bener things. As everyone knows, we had a bit of a setback at the Jerez test, but l've said from the first time I rode the new M I that it s a great bike and Pretty much better in eveD/ way ro the old one, so I have confidence that we will be okay come the race. 'lerez is a treat race; it's a fantastic piace to kick off th€ season, and the atmosPhere is always something sPecial. A5 for the season in general, I have said that lam ready to win races. and I stand by that. Of course, I've sot to beat my teammate lvalentino Rossi] and that's the hardest part. This is the first time in MotoGP that I've begun the season on the same bike and with the same team, so l'm way ahead of where I have been every other yean I'm really lookinS forward to the new season!" Everts Rolls On Rinaldi Yarnaha rider Stefan Everts continued his stront preseason form by taking another overalltriumph at the Valance lnternational in France on March 19. The Belgian and reiSninS MXI World Champion has won every major "warmup" event since the motocross calendar cmnked into life at lnlantova, ltaly, in February His fifth success in as many weeks came via another I-l moto tally. Everts nailed the holeshot in both motos, battling with and beating KTI'4'S Mickael Pichon in the lirst moto. ln the sec- ond moto. Everts led from start to finish- "ln (he first race, I holeshotted but I had a small crash after a few laps, and that Put me back to fourth," Ev€rts said. "Two laPs later, I had worked my way back to sec- ond and was attackint lMickael] Pichon. lt was a difficult track to pass and we had a tough battle - it must have been quite spectacular for the fans. Toward the end, I wa5 able to rnake a pass and won the heat- ln th€ second moto, my start was again very good, Another holeshot meant that I was able to lead from start to finish. After 15 minr.rtes, I already had a small taP over the othert," Everts will start the defense of his World ChampionshiP on APril 2 in Zolder, Belgium, in the Grand Prix of Flanders. "This was my la5t race until zolder, and the whole preseason period has left me with a treat feeling," Everts said. "l will train hard for another few days and then take a small break before the llrst Grand Prix so that my body is fresh. To start so well in Valanae was something incredible. Half of the race is won with a holeshot. ln the Past I have been strutSling, but we have worked on the bike and hoPefully we will have a hard package to beat for the GPs." fiM's Sebastien Tortelli llnished third in the lirsr moto behind Evens and Pichon. ln the second moto, it was Tortelli finishing sec- ond to Everts. ''we still did not beat Everts, but we man_ aged to get very close and the distance is now minimal," said KTM MotorsPort manager Kurt Nicoll. "Sebastien was riding realt well and made his best results of the Preseason. Mickael was fast and fought with Stefan for the first-race win. 50 it was an encouraginS weekend. The llrst Grand Prix is almost here and we are happy with how the development ofthe team is coming along." l9la ,. 14 MARCH 29,2006 . cYcLE NEWS EURtrFILE Here Comes H land? * IIFTilffiI I L,l J I I 3l tryl -r. f - t ii, li' t ?

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