Daytona SportBike Miller Race Results 2012

Geico Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas took the AMA Pro Go Pro Daytona SportBike win at Miller Motorsports Park. Team Latus Motor’s Jason DiSalvo came in second just fractions of a second behind the Colombian rider. Yamaha Extended Service’s Cameron Beaubier rounded out the podium in third. The win marks the Suzuki rider's 22nd AMA Pro win and 50th win for Team Hammer in AMA Pro Racing.

DiSalvo held the lead for most of the race and had to fight off Beaubier for much of that time. The Yamaha rider was even able to take the lead briefly in Lap 3 and Lap 6, but was unable to hold DiSalvo from pushing back to the front. All the while Cardenas maintained pace with the two in third place. Beaubier dropped back with seven laps to go and it then became a heated contest between Cardenas and DiSalvo for the lead. The Triumph ace kept the Colombian at bay until the final lap when Cardenas closed the 0.525 second gap and passed DiSalvo in the final corner for the win. Beaubier and Ducshop Racing’s Jake Zemke fought a similarly close battle as the two riders traded third position a number of times before the finish.

"At first, I think all of us were pushing hard, but not in excess. Then Jason got up front, and he put his head down and gapped us a bit," said Cardenas. "I was planning to make my move at the hairpin but it didn't work out and I thought the race was lost then because he was very fast in the last sector. I got a very good drive, and we went side to side and I braked as hard as I could and passed him."

"That was a tough one, leading so many laps and then it coming down to the last few corners and then losing out," said DiSalvo. "I felt pretty happy with the race. I didn't leave anything on the table, and it came down to the last section. I was a little bit bummed about the lappers, and it's hard to say whether I would have been able to answer back to Martin's pass."

Beaubier rode the day with a non-race injury and showed he is able to contend with the front runners. The Yamaha rider mentioned later that he had burned up his tire in the beginning after pressing hard to pass DiSalvo and was able to keep pace later on in the race.

Cardenas remains first in overall points, now 31 points ahead of Y.E.S Graves Yamaha's Tommy Hayden. The Yamaha rider had a difficult day at Miller, finishing in ninth. DiSalvo lags behind Hayden by just one point in third place.

AMA Pro National Guard Superbike also ran on Sunday to determine the qualifying order for Monday's race. Monster Energy Graves Yamaha's Josh Hayes took pole position from rival Blake Young of Yoshimura Racing by a mere 0.412 seconds. In addition to earning pole position, Hayes also set the fastest lap time of any AMA Pro National Guard Superbike at Miller in history at 1'49.729.

Team Amisol/Hero's Geoff May came in third and Team Hero's Danny Eslick grabbed fourth, putting the two EBR 1190RS riders in prime position to earn podiums at Miller.

2012 Daytona SportBike Miller Race Results: 
1. Martin Cardenas (Suzuki) 
2. Jason DiSalvo (Triumph) 
3. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha) 
4. Jake Zemke (Ducati) 
5. Bobby Fong (Yamaha) 
6. Dane Westby (Suzuki) 
7. JD Beach (Yamaha) 
8. Benny Solis (Yamaha) 
9. Tommy Hayden (Yamaha) 
10. Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 
11. Cory West (Suzuki) 
12. Bryce Prince (Yamaha) 
13. Tommy Aquino (Yamaha) 
14. Huntley Nash (Yamaha) 
15. Joey Pascarella (Suzuki)

2012 Daytona SportBike Points:1. Martin Cardenas, 144
2. Tommy Hayden, 113
3. Jason DiSalvo, 112
4. Dane Westby, 109
5. Joey Pascarella, 94
6. Jake Zemke, 93
7. Bobby Fong, 82
8. JD Beach, 79
9. Cory West, 70
10. Cameron Beaubier, 63

WSBK 2012 DONINGTON: JAKUB SMRZ TAKES QP1

Liberty Racing’s sponsor Effenbert will definitely be happy that in this afternoon’s first qualifying practice at Donington Park was lead by Jakub Smrz. The Czech rider in the final minutes of the session upped his game and posted a best lap of 1.29.336 that left Jonathan Rea in second and just 0.057s adrift, but the Honda rider suffered another crash at the Foggy Esses that ruled him out of another chance of bettering himself.

Lap times dropped considerably from this morning with Carlos Checa racing up to 3rd after this morning’s 11th spot and he was followed by two Leon’s, Haslam and Camier who provisionally qualified fourth and fifth respectively. This morning’s leader Tom Sykes dropped to sixth, but he was just 0.383s from Smrz. Michel Fabrizio finished in seventh with Aprilia’s Max Biaggi right behind him. Two other Italian’s closed out the top ten, Davide Giugliano and Ayrton Badovini on their Ducati and BMW machines. The GoldBet rider also suffered a crash in this session

Marco Melandri finished 11th after an error on his last flying lap dropped him out of the top ten and he was the last rider to be within a second from Smrz, while Eugene Laverty was only 16th.

WSBK DONINGTON PARK QP1 RESULTS

• 01. Jakub Smrz – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1198 – 1’29.336
• 02. Jonathan Rea – Honda World Superbike Team – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 0.058
• 03. Carlos Checa – Althea Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 0.171
• 04. Leon Haslam – BMW Motorrad Motorsport – BMW S1000RR – + 0.268
• 05. Leon Camier – FIXI Crescent Suzuki – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 0.278
• 06. Tom Sykes – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 0.383
• 07. Michel Fabrizio – BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet – BMW S1000RR – + 0.582
• 08. Max Biaggi – Aprilia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 0.637
• 09. Davide Giugliano – Althea Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 0.641
• 10. Ayrton Badovini – BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet – BMW S1000RR – + 0.650
• 11. Sylvain Guintoli – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 0.889
• 12. Marco Melandri – BMW Motorrad Motorsport – BMW S1000RR – + 0.909
• 13. Chaz Davies – ParkinGO MTC Racing – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 1.056
• 14. Hiroshi Aoyama – Honda World Superbike Team – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1.186
• 15. Maxime Berger – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 1.203
• 16. Eugene Laverty – Aprilia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 1.241
• 17.. Peter Hickman – FIXI Crescent Suzuki – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 1.568
• 18. Lorenzo Zanetti – PATA Racing Team – Ducati 1198 – + 1.699
• 19. Niccolò Canepa – Red Devils Roma – Ducati 1198 – + 1.863
• 20. Loris Baz – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 2.289
• 21. Mark Aitchison – Grillini Progea Superbike Team – BMW S1000RR – + 2.667
• 22. Leandro Mercado – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 3.470
• 23. Gary Mason – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 4.748

NORTON COMMANDO 961 PR CONCEPT

In 1970 the NORTON immise market an enhanced version with many changes of his Commando.
The PR (Production Racer) quickly became sought after, because it decided the House plus a very limited number of specimens.


The line was quite distinctive and sporty, encompassing the tail with the number plates and rails and protective fairing.
forerunner of modern Racing Replica, wet dream of all boys in those years were literally stunned by the amount of proposed superbike (they said so at the time) that European and Japanese factories had a continuous jet.
Today would be a nice toy for fans of British motorcycles classic style and a way to stand out from everyone, while taking advantage of technically half pace with the times on the "basis" of a modern NORTON.
in Yellow .... only!
OBIBOI.

HONDA CBR400R TO BE REVIVED

Its been more than a decade since the Honda CBR400R production came to a halt. This 400 cc motorcycle popularly called the ‘BabyBlade’ was sold mainly in the Japanese market and disappeared with the dawn of the new century. Now according to a popular Japanese motorcycling magazine, Honda is all set to breathe life back into the CBR400R in order to offer customers an even wider range of choices.

The new Honda CBR400R would be placed directly between the CBR250R and CBR600RR. Honda believes this transitional bike would be the right solution for those moving towards serious sport riding. Another reason for the supposed return of the CBR400R is a growing demand for powerful yet efficient motorcycles for daily use. With confirmed news from KTM about a road version of its Moto3 motorcycle and similar news of a smaller capacity bike from Triumph, this segment is definitely on the to-do list for other manufacturers as well.

The CBR400R will in all probability will be a parallel twin. One can expect a healthy power of about 50+ bhp from the CBR 400R and a top whack of above 200kmph. Going by Honda’s recent trend in design, expect a familiar looking bike following the CBR150R/ CBR250R design cues, we honestly hope it takes its design cues from the elder sibling the CBR600RR which is also due for an update. Definitely a long way to go before we have concrete information about the CBR 400R, rest assured, we will bring it to you first.

So what are your expectations from the CBR400R, would you go for one?

ENGINE COOLING EXPLAINED

The engine, the power house and the heart of the motorcycle. Engines convert Chemical energy basically fuel like petrol, diesel etc into heat energy by combustion within the engine and that is converted to mechanical energy which is transmitted via the crank and transmission to the wheels. The by-products of the internal combustion include the energy produced which pushes down the piston, the exhaust gases and a lot of heat. As we continue to accelerate and run the bike on higher revs, more heat is generated. The heat generated from the engine needs to be kept at an optimum level to get best performance from it. Hence it is essential to maintain the engine around this temperature by different cooling methods for best performance.

Cooling is primarily is done by two major methods:

1. Air cooling

2. Water (Liquid) cooling

AIR COOLED ENGINES

Air cooling can be classified into two variants:

A. NATURALLY AIR COOLED

As the name suggests, air is the cooling medium. Air that is blowing past the engine during transit is made use of to cool the engine. The cylinder is designed with fins to help in this process. Fins are a set of parallel slats to admit air. Basically these fins provide a larger surface area and also increase air turbulence around the engine to increase heat dissipation. Eg., Bajaj Pulsar 150, Hero Honda Karizma ZMA, Honda Unicorn etc.

B. FORCED AIR COOLING

This method of cooling is primarily used in vehicles where the engines have very little access to natural air flowing across the cooling fins. Fans are used to force air go past the cylinder block. This is the most economical way for cooling and is usually used in low displacement scooters like Honda Activa, Suzuki access, Bajaj Chetak, Lambretta etc..

WATER (LIQUID) COOLED ENGINES

 

The engine performs better when its temperature remains optimum & constant. Water(liquid) cooling is a method which is used to keep the engine temperature constant. This a popular method used for cooling in high rpm engines & many large engine capacity bikes where performance is vital. The engine has a coolant jacket, where water mixed with anti rust & anti freeze compounds circulates and absorbs the heat generated. This mixture is passed to the radiator where the heat is exchanged & cooled down by on coming air. Brush less fans are added to the system to cool the water quickly when the temperature raises beyond optimum levels.

Now one would think that it would take forever to reach the optimal operational temperature due to the constant cooling right? To overcome this situation a thermostat is used to restrict the circulation of water until the optimum temperature is reached, this helps the engine gain optimum temperature quickly. This is done by the thermostat choking the circulation of water till the pre-designed temperature. An additional reservoir is connected to the radiator to store the vapour mixture which is released from the radiator cap when the temperature rises. Similarly the same is pulled back into the system when the water level drops in the radiator.

The other untold advantage is the management of the NVH (Noise,Vibration, Harshness), which is lowered due to the dampening of it by water. Though this system is complicated to build, its high efficiency makes it most desirable.

Example of motorcycles that use this system are Honda CBR 250R, Yamaha R1, Kawasaki Ninja’s, Suzuki Hayabusa etc

SO THEN WHAT ARE OIL COOLED ENGINES?

This technique, although not a standard method is basically used to cool the engine oil. The engine oil lubricates all the moving parts of the engine and hence minimizes friction. The oil film at higher temperatures tend to break due to cracking of molecules. This in turn increases the wear of the engine. Thus it becomes essential to cool the engine oil. This helps in keeping the engine oil at optimum temperature. As a solution to this the oil is pumped across to the cooling radiator, where the oncoming air cools the oil and is then sent back to the engine. Eg., Pulsar 220, Pulsar 200.

SIMON CRAFAR AND THE GSX-R1000 – ELECTRONICS SPOIL THE FUN

Those who have grabbed life by the handlebars from the saddle of a sportbike have always dreamed of getting acquainted with all the secrets that professional racers know. The new Suzuki GSX-R1000 is one of the only two current superbikes (the other being the Honda Fireblade) that doesn’t have traction control. For most of us mere mortals, that means having to be a little more careful on the throttle than on an electronics-laiden Aprilia RSV4, or any of the other 1000cc superbikes. For 500GP winner Simon Crafar it means he can perform full-lock powerslides while exiting a second gear 80mph corner at Almeria. Check out the cool video as Simon Crafar explains why man is always more important than machine.

JULIEN DUPONT FLIES ACROSS RIO DE JANEIRO

One of our favourite freestyle and urban Trial X rider Julien Dupont has decided to add another city to his already long list of places he’s conquered, Rio de Janeiro. The French rider doesn’t perform his stunts in the usual tourist area, but high up in the Vidigal favela which is situated 1700 feet above sea level that offers breathtaking views of Rio’s famous Leblon and Ipanema beaches.

Everybody back home told me before I came, ‘You’re going into a favela, are you crazy? You just don’t go in there, it’s too dangerous,” said Dupont. “Now am here I can see it’s not dangerous at all. The people are very friendly, there’s a very good vibe. This is an incredible spot for the type of riding I like to do. Everywhere you look there are stairs, walls, roofs, drop-offs and step-up jumps. It’s like a huge playground.”

Here is the video:

The five technologies that are making motorcycling safer for everyone

The human body was probably never designed to travel at triple-digit speeds, balanced precariously as it were on two wheels in the case of motorcycle travel. Motorcycling is an activity that’s inherently fraught with some amount of risk, but ongoing advances in technology are making it safer for bikers to go out and ride. 

Sure, technology will never be a substitute for a large dollop of common sense, a high degree of alertness and rider training, but with those elements in place, there are some technologies that are now taking motorcycle safety to a higher level. Here, we take a look at what these technologies are and what they mean for motorcyclists.

 
On the street, ABS can save motorcyclists' lives, period

Anti-lock Brakes

Various studies conducted in recent years in Europe and the US conclude that with anti-lock brakes (ABS) being fitted to motorcycles can lead to a very significant reduction in fatal motorcycle accidents. Admittedly, the percentage of possible reduction of such crashes varies from one study to the other – various studies peg that number from anywhere between 12% to as much as 48%. But even if we choose to believe only the lower numbers, ABS would still be a very worthwhile addition to all motorcycles.

While ABS has been available on bikes for almost 20 years now, recent advances in technology has made motorcycle ABS systems smaller, smarter and more suited to the way motorcycles – rather than cars – work. Bosch is one of the companies that has been at the forefront of motorcycle ABS development and today, their latest 9th generation motorcycle ABS systems have evolved to the point where their operation can be optimized for different classes of two-wheelers, including scooters, cruisers and all-out sportsbikes. 

In addition to preventing wheel lock-up under panic braking, the latest ABS systems can also prevent the rear wheel of a motorcycle from lifting up under very hard braking. And then there are systems that are optimized for working with linked braking systems, where upon the application of the rear brake, the motorcycle’s onboard computer automatically distributes braking force between both wheels in order to maximize braking efficiency and reduce the stopping distance as much as possible. ABS certainly is, and deserves to be, right on top of our list of the technologies that are helping motorcycling become safer for everybody, regardless of the kind of bike you ride.

 
Traction control helps you keep safe and go faster. What more could you ask for?

Traction Control

A lot of people seem to have very strong opinions about whether or not motorcycles should have traction control. From what we understand, traction control definitely has the potential to save motorcyclists from crashing, especially on very high-performance sportsbikes and/or while riding on slippery road surfaces. We won’t get into the debate on whether or not traction control should be allowed in MotoGP and World Superbikes (where the races should, perhaps, be a test of the riders’ abilities rather than motorcycle manufacturers’ expertise with electronics…), but on the street, riders simply deserve to have every last bit of assistance they can get from advanced electronics, including traction control.

Available on some bikes since the early-1990s, traction control systems work by detecting difference front and rear wheel speeds – if the rear wheel is spinning faster than the front, it would mean a loss of grip and the system would reduce or cut power completely until the rear tyre regains traction. With advances in hardware and data acquisition software, traction control systems on motorcycles have become much more sophisticated in the last two years, than they used to be earlier. Rather than simply cutting out power – sometimes abruptly – traction control systems on the latest superbikes reduce power more gradually, staying as unobtrusive and as ‘invisible’ as possible. With multiple settings, traction control systems can be optimized for street or track use, with the latter providing more leeway to the rider and allowing for some wheelspin before stepping in. 

The latest motorcycle traction control systems work by analyzing and constantly monitoring various factors, including differences in front and rear wheel speeds, lean angle, throttle position, gear position, engine rpm and suspension movement. Using this data, the system figures out what it needs to do to maximize traction at all times. The more advanced ‘heuristic’ systems can even adapt and ‘learn’ over a period of time, and adjust to changing conditions automatically. In addition to boosting safety, the latest traction control systems have evolved to the point where they actually help a rider go faster, so you have the best of both worlds.

 
Key mechanical functions will all go the R-b-W way in the near future...

Ride-by-Wire

Motorcycle manufacturers started using ride-by-wire technology on production streetbikes about six years ago. R-b-W tech essentially entails the replacement of some mechanical linkages with electronic ones, for more precise and consistent response. To take one example, R-b-W throttle management would mean that when a rider opens the throttle, there may not necessarily be a direct mechanical link that immediately works the fuel injectors to deliver more fuel to the engine. Instead, an onboard computer would ‘read’ the throttle opening, analyze other factors (engine rpm, gear position, airbox and exhaust pressure etc.) and then ‘instruct’ the fuel injection system to increase fuel delivery by a very precise amount. 

Since R-b-W works in conjunction with its other digital counterparts – ABS and traction control – it ensures that engine response is smooth and consistent and that performance (and/or fuel efficiency, depending on how the system has been tuned) is always maximized. With ride-by-wire controls, it then becomes easier for manufacturers to incorporate a wider suite of electronic rider aids, including things like wheelie control, launch control and clutchless quick-shifters.

R-b-W technology is still developing and all mechanical functions haven’t yet been replaced with electronic ones, in some cases because of legal safety requirements (what happens if the computer goes bust?). But with continuous improvements and advances in technology, we can safely expect all key motorcycle functions – throttle management, braking and even suspension adjustment – to go the ride-by-wire way in the near future. 

 
Active suspension that can adjust dynamically to changing road conditions? Yes!

Active Suspension

Manufacturers have been offering easily adjustable suspension on their bikes for quite some time now and some European companies are currently even offering ‘semi-active’ suspension systems on their production streetbikes. Such suspension is electronically adjustable for compression and rebound damping and, in some cases, also offers separate adjustments for high- and low-speed compression damping.

What will take this adjustability to the next level is active suspension that reacts to changing road surfaces in real time, also taking into account factors like load, speed, lean angle, grip (via traction control settings) and ABS operation. Active suspension will not only offer multiple riding modes (normal, sport and touring, for example…) that affect suspension behaviour, but will also be able to ‘learn’ and adapt to changing conditions dynamically and in real time. This, in turn, will improve the motorcycle’s high-speed stability and cornering prowess. 

 
Get the best quality gear you can afford - it looks good and helps keep you safe

Protective Gear

Along with advances in motorcycle technologies that involve electronic rider aids, motorcycle rider apparel is also going all high-tech. Slinging on an old pair of jeans and a lightweight leather jacket isn’t, perhaps, enough when you’re riding a near-200bhp litre-class superbike. What you need is a full, highly protective riding suit and a top-of-the-line helmet that’ll keep your head cool. And intact, in the event of a get-off.

Leading manufacturers of motorcycle rider apparel now adhere to prevailing standards for elements (‘armour’) that are incorporated into their riding suits and which are supposed to offer added protection to areas like the shoulder, elbow, forearm, hip, knee, upper and middle shin, and the front part of the leg below the knee. 

In addition to leather, manufacturers now use a wide range of abrasion-resistant materials for constructing riding suits, with high-density polyethylene foam inside. Highly deformable and with a low elastic memory (which means it doesn’t want to spring back into its original shape after absorbing a major impact), this kind of foam is able to absorb high impact forces without passing on the damaging effects to the rider.

The idea with riding suits and things like back and chest protectors is to aim for lightweight construction, with a stiff, abrasion-resistant outer shell (often corrugated, for added structural stiffness) and rubber/synthetic foam insides that are able to absorb impact. 

In addition to the above, some companies are now also working on rider airbag systems that inflate in milliseconds in the event of a get-off and provide extra protection to the rider. Tested extensively for many years on the street and in MotoGP, these systems comprise of two elements – a bike-mounted central control unit and the actual airbag system, which is integrated into the riding suit. In the event of a crash in which the rider is thrown off the machine, the airbag deploys almost instantly, protecting the rider’s back/neck from serious injury.

New, top-of-the-line helmets are also keeping up with the rest of the plot, with manufacturers now using wind tunnel testing to design quieter, better ventilated, better balanced and, ultimately, safer helmets for motorcyclists. With better, more advanced materials (like carbonfibre composites) and more precise manufacturing methods, the best helmets these days may be expensive but they really do offer maximum protection to the rider in the event of an accident.

As we said earlier, technology cannot compensate for common sense and rider training. But with those taken care of, advances in technology certain can help boost safety for motorcyclists. 

Adequate insurance cover is also a matter of critical importance for motorcyclists. If you are in the UK, make sure you are covered with Bennetts Insurance. Bennetts will help you find the best bike insurance deal in the UK by comparing top motorbike insurers. Also visit the Bennetts site for more biking tips to help you stay safe on the road.