Fri, 04 Jun 2010 : Yamaha R1 / R6 Owners club get together to break world record
On Sunday 27th June 2010, the Yamaha R1 and R6 Owners Club GB will be attempting to break the Guinness World Record for 'Largest Parade of Yamaha Motorcycles' . This is currently standing at 206 bikes and held by the TDM owners club of Italy.
The club would like to invite all owners of Yamaha R series bikes to attend, so that the record that has stood since July 2003 can be broken. This includes owners of R1, R7, R6 or R125 models, of any vintage!
The record attempt will be taking place at Supercar Sunday incorporating Superbikes, hosted by Gaydon Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire (CV35 0BJ). There will be loads to see including Yamaha's very own stunt rider Dave Coates, abusing his YZF-R1 and the ticket price includes free entry to the Gaydon Motor Museum. Prices are £7 in advance (contact the owners club or visit Gaydon's website) or £11 on the day.
For further information on what will be a great day out contact Mick Oliver at admin@yamahar1.co.uk
Notes: The Yamaha R1 and R6 Owners Club is the largest group of Yamaha R-series bikes in the UK, holding national and international events throughout the biking calendar. The Guinness World record attempt is being supported by Yamaha Motor UK Ltd with sponsorship from many UK companies who are donating to the raffle. Supercar Sunday is an annual event hosted by Gaydon Heritage Motor Museum, displaying current and classic supercars. This year is the first year Supercar Sunday is incorporating Superbikes, and the Yamaha R1 and R6 Owners Club is playing a large part in this introduction.
Mon, 17 May 2010 : TRIUMPH LAUNCHES NEW 2011 SPRINT GT SPORTS TOURER
Five years after the introduction of the popular 1050cc Sprint ST sports tourer comes a new model with greater practicality and more emphasis on the ‘touring' aspect of ‘sports touring': the Triumph Sprint GT.
That is not to say the Sprint GT has lost the sporting edge that made the Sprint ST one of the most popular and enduring bikes in the Triumph range. As you would expect from a British machine wearing the famous Grand Tourer tag, the Sprint GT delivers outstanding real world performance in a practical and stylish package.
Triumph's design team set out to develop a bike that would "improve the Sprint ST's practicality without transcending into pure tourer territory" and was the bike that they themselves would like to ride across Europe. Customer feedback - particularly from riders of the Sprint ST - also played an important role in shaping the new model, ensuring the Sprint GT hit the mark.
Starting from the very front, the GT features newly-styled and better performing reflector headlights, offering improved distribution of light, while a new internal mounting system for the mirrors gives a clearer view at speed. The cockpit itself has been restyled to give a sharper and more contemporary look and is equipped with a comprehensive three dial instrument panel. The onboard computer allows the rider to scroll through fuel consumption, range-to-empty, journey time, average speed and clock functions.
Further major differences can be found at the rear of the bike. The ST's underseat exhaust has been replaced by a side mounted, triangular system, which not only releases more horsepower but also frees up underseat storage space. The new seat sits the pillion lower than on the Sprint ST with comfort further aided by lower footpegs, while the built in luggage rack comes with generous grab handles as standard.
A new, lighter weight rear wheel, shod with Bridgestone's dual compound BT021 tyre combines with the GT's longer wheelbase to maintain excellent stability even when fully laden, while the front and rear suspension has also been updated for excellent compliance and control. Brakes have been revised with lighter discs, more rigidly mounted for greater durability, and a new brake pad formulation providing greater feel and approximately 10% increase in braking performance.
Triumph's renowned 1050cc triple has also been updated for the Sprint GT, offering even better drivability than in previous incarnations.
A new exhaust system and revised ECU lifts peak power by 5bhp to 130bhp (@9,200rpm) over the Sprint ST. Most significantly, the engine has been tuned for even stronger mid range, with peak torque increased by 5Nm to 108Nm (80 Ft.lb) and delivered 1,200rpm lower in the rev range for effortless acceleration and even easier overtaking.
Because the Sprint GT has been designed to cover long distances and take riders to far flung places, fuel range is just as important as rider comfort. The 20 litre fuel tank ensures the Sprint GT can comfortably cover 200 miles between fuel stops. Triumph's latest generation engine management system not only helps deliver more power and torque, it also gives a small improvement to fuel consumption and ensures that the Sprint GT delivers the smoothest throttle response of any 1050 yet. Sixth gear on the Sprint GT is 7% taller than on the ST, delivering more relaxed motorway riding and improved touring economy.
The 2011 Triumph Sprint GT comes in two colour options: Aluminium Silver and Pacific Blue. Practicality is the byword with new 31 litre panniers and ABS brakes as standard, underseat storage, built in rack with integrated grab rail and a 200 mile fuel range. An optional top box capable of swallowing two full sized helmets and offering a 12 volt power supply to allow ‘on the go' charging of electrical items such as laptops and mobile phones is also available.
And price? At £9,499 on the road, the Sprint GT offers a consummate package at a price other sports tourers can't come close to. The Sprint GT will be available from Bill Smith Motors Triumph from the end of May.
Thu, 11 Mar 2010 : Party in the Park - Triumph Live
Triumph celebrates 20 years with party in the Park
September 18th 2010.
September 18 is the date that all Triumph fans need to put in their diaries, as this is the day the British motorcycle manufacturer throws a festival to celebrate 20 years since the successful relaunch of the iconic brand.
Riders of all marques are welcome and a packed day of entertainment is being lined up for the event, which will take place at the Mallory Park race circuit in Leicestershire, with additional activities scheduled to take place at Triumph's state of the art manufacturing facility nearby in Hinckley.
A full programme of on and off track activities is being developed, with entertainment for all the family. On track activities will include a round of the Triumph Triple Challenge, special invitation races featuring Triumph's class-leading Street Triple and Daytona 675 motorcycles plus mind blowing shows from Triumph's professional stunt riders.
Off-track, visitors will be able to view the latest range of Triumph motorcycles together with a selection of some of the best custom Triumph's created, while key bikes from Triumph's history will form part of a unique exhibition exploring 20 years of Triumph Hinckley.
There will be a host of opportunities for visitors to ride the latest line up of great bikes from Triumph's very own demonstration fleet both on and off track, and there will be many other riding activities for visitors to enjoy.
Visitors looking for kit will be well catered for at the Triumph Clothing and Accessories Megastore, where there will be a host of bargains waiting to seduce plus a first chance to purchase items from the 2010 Autumn/Winter clothing collection.
The company has also promised a few exclusive surprises for fans making the trip to this special event and the party will carry on late into the night, with a full programme of live music planned.
In addition, Triumph's state-of-the-art factory, situated eight miles from Mallory Park, will be open for event visitors to take a tour of this great facility where Triumph's motorcycles are made.
Tickets for TRIUMPH LIVE are on sale now and are available online via www.triumph-live.co.uk - with an advance price of £24 (free for children under 16). Tickets can also be purchased via Mallory Park's booking hotline on 01455 842931.
Camping facilities at Mallory Park will also be available on a pre-booked basis.
Triumph's story is one of the major successes of British manufacturing in recent years. Following the bankruptcy of the Triumph cooperative in 1983, rights to the name were bought by entrepreneur John Bloor. Mr Bloor, whose Bloor Holdings company is still the sole owner of Triumph Motorcycles Limited, developed an all-new range of bikes that were unveiled in September 1990 at the Cologne motorcycle show. From a six-model range and 2,000 sales in 1991, the company's range has grown to encompass 17 models, with around 50,000 sales each year across more than 31 countries.
Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:46:46 : Madras Challenge Cup In India
Madras Challenge Cup In India
Well known motorcycle dealer and famous TT world champion road racer Bill Smith is giving 10 local riders the amazing opportunity to head to India to take part in a month long series of motorcycle races.
Bill has secured sponsorship for the Bill Smith racing team to be guests of the India motorcycle federation for the entire series of the MADRAS CHALLENGE CUP beginning 30th January. They will be racing at the new purpose built track which has been heavily invested in to by the Indian government.
Bill who was formula three world champion in 1978 and holds a record 50 TT replicas says that this is a trip of a lifetime for these local riders to be part of a different culture and race against other international riders. The standard will be very high and the biggest problem will be totally different conditions ,with heat and humidity being the biggest concern. However he sees this trip as hopefully the first of many and he hopes to secure business as well as racing contacts with India for the future. Bill and his family are celebrating 50 years in business at their showroom in Chester and sees this trip to India as one of the first unique ways of celebrating his 50th year in business.
He hopes his many years of expertise in racing will enable him to bring home a winning team.
Sat, 05 Jun 2010 13:16:22 : Ian Mackman TT 2010
Sat, 05 Jun 2010 14:34:58 : David Jones TT 2010
David Jones TT 2010
Thursday 3rd June 2010
Unfortunately we did not go out until after the side-cars and there was a delay due to an accident so we did not go on track until 19.50, resulting in us only getting 3 laps. We made some aerodynamic alterations to the bike to improve comfort levels for David which he was happy with. He managed to improove his time again by 2mph with a 111.154mph average speed and still second out of the new comers. The suspension adjustments made and lowering the front end by 2mm really seamed to improve things. The Michelin front tyre has now done 14 laps and the rear 13 laps, both still in very good condition, we also tried lower pressures which seam to be getting closer to were we need to be, but we still need to go for lower pressures. The 3rd lap we used a the softer compound A tyre which did seam to work better, but we need further time to confirm.
Friday 4th June 2010
Again we did not go out until after the side-cars, but this time we were
on track by 19.20 and managed 4 laps. We decided to experiment with a
190 rear tyre which David has not used this size before which we were
hoping to improve high speed stability, which it did but he feels it is
slowing down his ability to turn into corners which out ways the benefit
of the improved stability, so we have decided to go back to the 180 rear
tomorrow. We do intend on lowering the front further for tomorrow and
try raising the screen further, also replace the chain. We also feel the
engine is getting a little tired now and his times seem to show that the
up hill sections he may be loosing time, if this continues tomorrow we
will swap the engine's for race 1. David still managed to improve his
time to 111.931mph and his top speed in 2 sectors are up by 4mph, quite
a few riders times were down tonight, were not sure why yet so we will
to study the time sheets and investigate why.
Otherwise we are all enjoying the experience and are really looking
forward towards the races on Monday and Wednesday.
Cheers John Jones
Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:05:18 : David Jones TT 2010
David was only able to get 1 lap in on Saturday evening due to the mist taking hours to lift during the day which delayed the Superbike race for hours.
From a standing start he managed a 113.364mph which is a good improvement on Friday, the suspension settings are somewhere close now but he still wants to soften the rebound on the rear further. He enjoyed that lap more than any so far as he is starting to get more comfortable on the bike. I have cut out a standard double bubble Skidmarx screen and bolted over the double bubble screen I fitted last week, which is now 80mm higher and 60mm further forward to give improved high speed protection with additional breather holes. We've been planing our pit stops and watching the Superbike pit stops to learn on how to get the time down as much as possible, I also spend hours yesterday modifying the fuel filler cap to make it wider to help in the filling/venting.
Were hoping he will go well in the race today which is at 10.45am, the track is dry and looks like it will stay that way.
Cheers John Jones
