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 SUZUKI WINS WORLD ENDURANCE TITLE AT LE MANS! 


Team Suzuki Press Office - September 22. 

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team has won the 2013 FIM World Endurance Championship after a drama-packed final round at Le Mans in France today that saw the Suzuki GSX-R1000-mounted team charge from last position after a small crash and subsequent cooling problem forced a complete engine rebuild on Saturday evening. 

SERT riders Vincent Philippe, Julien Da Costa and Alex Cudlin clinched the French team's 13th World Endurance Championship title by five points from Yamaha GMT 94 after 24 hours of racing - almost two of them spent in the pits - finishing 26th overall and 12th in class. 

Suzuki's GSX-R1000 machine also dominated the Superstock Class; Team Motors Events April Moto winning the race from Junior Team LMS, with both near standard production Suzuki GSX-R machines claiming fifth and sixth places respectively overall at the Circuit Bugatti. Team Motors Events also captured the FIM Superstock Cup title. To add even more Suzuki GSX-R1000 success to the podium, Team R2CL - who fielded Tyco Suzuki's TT rider Guy Martin to its Le Mans squad - captured second overall in the event; narrowly missing third position in the World Endurance Championship standings. 

SERT, who clinched its fourth-consecutive World Endurance Championship title and eighth aboard the Suzuki GSX-R1000 - four being won on Suzuki GSX-R750 machines and its first title in 1983 on a Suzuki GS1000 -  topped the timesheets in both Thursday and Friday qualifying sessions; despite the loss of regular team member Anthony Delhalle, who broke his leg and collarbone in a mid-week practice crash. And, despite setting the pace in the early stages of the race, the Le Mans-based squad began a war of attrition when a gentle slide-off by Philippe after just 15 minutes, due to suspected fluid leakage on the Dunlop Chicane, started a chain-reaction of issues inside the Suzuki GSX-R engine that required a further eight quick-fire pit-stops from Philippe; and Team Manager Dominique Meliand's subsequent decision for his crew to completely strip and rebuild the engine in less than an hour, to repair the damage done by the crash-damaged cooling system. 

It was a bold but well-timed move; and although SERT slipped back to 54th position, the defending World Champions got back into the race with Da Costa taking his first session and tasked with running-in the newly-rebuilt machine. From that point, the Suzuki trio forged consistent lap-times, cut everything down to minimal pit-stops; and also took advantage of other teams suffering similar drama: Race winners SRC Kawasaki were knocked-off before clawing-back through the pack, Monster YART - who were in a championship-winning position at one point, - were forced to retire along with mid-race leaders BMW Motorrad France; and also GMT 94, who were the first leading team within grasp of the title to crash-out on the problem corner; team leader David Checa remounting from a similarly-unusual slip-off to Philippe's. 

The most serious race incident involved Honda TT Legends' Michael Rutter, Michael Dunlop and Simon Andrews, (regular team rider John McGuiness handing-over his race slot to Dunlop), which was running in a strong third position in the race. The team was caught-up in a high-speed five-rider incident as the event progressed into the night and Andrews suffered two broken legs, broken ribs, a punctured lung and several fractured vertebrae, but was stable and undergoing surgery earlier today. However, the machine was destroyed and the team withdrew. 

Drama also surrounded the Superstock class with series leaders Penz13.com Franks Autowelt BMW being one of the large amount of 20 race retirements and being forced-out after 192 laps; which gave Team Motors Events April Moto's Gregory Fastre, Michael Savary and Claude Lucas a chance to claw-back the team's 11-point deficit and take the title ahead of Suzuki's Junior Team LMS riders Baptiste Guittet, Etienne Masson and Guillaume Deitrich. 

Long-standing SERT rider Philippe, who handed his normal 'race-finish' slot over to team stand-in Cudlin, said: "That was such a crazy race; it's very good for the team though. I'm just sorry that I made that mistake so early-on, but the team was brilliant in sorting the problem and I'm happy for everyone involved. I made a mistake braking but that little crash had enormous consequences: a cracked crankcase, a radiator leak, an overheating motor and a broken cylinder head seal. The mechanics went at it hammer and tongs for over an hour. We had to keep believing but it's hard to ride without the fight out front." 

SERT Team Manager Dominique Méliand said: "We are disappointed because I wanted it all. I wanted to win the title and the race! I started out in Endurance in 1969 and I have learned that you must never give up. The crew were just great. When I said we would have to take the engine out to fix a cylinder head seal, no one said a thing even though we weren't sure it would work. But it held for over 20 hours!" 

Team R2CL's Guy Martin, who joined regulars Dylan Buisson and Gwen Giabbani added: "I'm over the moon; that was mega! It's not about me though - it's about the team, as I was just a passenger. It's all about these boys and they are legend!" 

Le Mans 24-Hour Image Gallery (David Reygondeau/ www.Good-Shoot.com): CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS 

Le Mans 24-Hour Results (WEC & Superstock): 1 Team SRC Kawasaki (Kawasaki) 820 laps, 2 Team R2CL (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 813, 3 Yamaha France GMT 94 (Yamaha) 812, 4 Team 18 Sapeurs-Pompiers (Kawasaki) 806, 5 Team Motors Events April Moto (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 806, 6 Junior Team LMS Suzuki (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 804, 7 Maco Racing Team (Yamaha) 803, 8 National Motos (Honda) 798, 9 Synergyforce Trickstar (Kawasaki) 798, 10 Team Louit Moto 33 (Kawasaki) 797. 26 SERT (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 748.

World Endurance Championship Final Standings: CLICK HERE FOR POINTS 

Superstock Endurance World Cup Class: 1 Team Motors Events April Moto (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 806 laps, 2 Junior Team LMS Suzuki (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 804, 3 Team Louit Moto 33 (Kawasaki) 797, 4 Atomic Motor Sport (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 794, 5 No Limits Motor Team (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 786, 6 Yamaha Vittais Experiences (Yamaha) 785, 7 Reseau Honda (Honda) 769, 8 Volpker Team Schubert Motos (BMW) 768, 9 Probike-TeamGPMoto (Kawasaki) 765, 10 DGSPORT Herock (Yamaha) 762. 

Superstock Endurance World Cup Final Standings: 1 Team Motors Events April Moto (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 97 points, 2 Junior Team LMS Suzuki (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 83, 3 Penz13.com Franks Autowelt RT (BMW) 68, 4 No Limits Motor Team (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 52, 5 Yamaha Vittais Experiences (Yamaha) 52, 6 Team Louit Moto 33 (Kawasaki) 50, 7 Atomic Motorsport (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 43, 8 AM Moto Racing Competition (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 42, 10 Volpker Team Schubert Motors (BMW) 29. 


SUZUKI WORLD TITLE-WINNING MODEL HISTORY: 

1983 - (Suzuki GS1000) 
1987 - (Suzuki GSX-R750) 
1988 - (Suzuki GSX-R750) 
1997 - (Suzuki GSX-R750) 
1999 - (Suzuki GSX-R750) 
2005 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 
2006 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 
2007 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 
2008 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 
2010 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 
2011 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 
2012 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 
2013 - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 

http://www.ducati.com/safety/best_campaigns.do

Ducati proud to be associated with creative 'Stay a Hero, Stay Safe' campaign
With the aid of Ducati UK, the Sussex Safer Road Partnership has produced a creative and emotional film intended to help reduce the amount of motorcycle related accidents on UK roads and makers hope that its effective message of responsibility will reach around the world.
The short film called ‘Stay A Hero, Stay Safe’ features a Ducati 848 ridden by the father of a young boy who is waiting for him to return home. While waiting, the boy aspires to be just like his father by trying to recreate the excitement and pleasure of motorcycling with items found in his garage.
The aim of the heartwarming film is to promote the joy of motorcycling, while underlining the responsibility that riders have to themselves their families and the wider road using public. To achieve this, the advert takes on a refreshingly positive style of communication and is effective because it conveys the inspirational role that motorcyclists must play for future generations.
Ducati was chosen because of their enthusiastic response to the positive safety message of the film and, as the Italian manufacturer is a recognised leader in creating inspirational motorcycles, the Sussex Safer Road Partnership considered it to be the perfect pairing. In the same way that the film intends to inspire safe riding now and in the future, Ducati are famous for building inspirational motorcycles.
Ken Seymour, Manager of the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, said: “We at the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership are committed to reducing all types of collision on our road network and are raising the profile of motorcyclists as our data infers this is the time to start to remind riders of their responsibilities. ’Stay a Hero’ isn’t your usual shocking public service film. Instead we hope that it will connect with the motorcycle community and generate discussion that helps to protect people on our roads.”
The film was made by Alexander Commercials and is the second pairing of Writer/Director Daniel Cox and Producer Sarah Alexander and its dialogue-free story is hoped to increase its global reach and potential to deliver the important safety message of responsibility to the world’s motorcycling community.

The film can be viewed at www.ducati.com/safety/best_campaigns.do

The Blue Books will have the new 8th Edition Specification manual availabe September 2011.

The spec book contains motorcycle, atv, snowmobile specs - years 1977-2011!!

Pre-order now by calling 1-866-834-2850 TOLL FREE

or email orders@canadianbluebook.com

Team Suzuki Press Office - March 2.

Highly experienced British Superbike protagonists, Crescent Racing, has today confirmed technology electronics giants Samsung as 2011 title sponsors, while also announcing reigning British Superstock Champion Jon Kirkham as team mate to John Hopkins in the team's two-rider Superbike series assault.
With testing due to commence shortly, the new-look Samsung Crescent Racing Team will make its debut at the Cartagena circuit in Spain on March 3, with new signing Kirkham and ex-MotoGP star Hopkins getting their first taste of the Suzuki GSX-R1000 that they will take to the grid at Brands Hatch for round one on April 25.
Upon announcing Samsung as title sponsors and the signing of Jon Kirkham, Team Manager, Jack Valentine commented, "Naturally we are thoroughly delighted to welcome both Samsung and Jon onboard for the 2011 season. In such a tough climate it is extremely pleasing to work with a new partner from outside of the bike industry and with Jon we have a second rider with real pedigree. While it's been a tough winter period, I genuinely believe we've never been in such a strong position at the start of a season and can't wait to get both riders out on track for testing."
With the support of Samsung, the team also aims to build on its already well-established brand by competing at the Silverstone World SBK round later in the year, where both riders will race alongside the regular World Championship contenders.
Simon Stanford, Head of Mobile, Samsung UK and Ireland said: "We are thrilled to be continuing our relationship with Jon Kirkham this year and extremely enthusiastic about our involvement in the British Superbike circuit this season through our new title sponsorship with Crescent Racing. We intend to use this new partnership to take our leading mobile technology and brand to millions of Superbike fans as well as give Crescent Racing an opportunity to reach a wider audience via our customer base."
Crescent's Commercial Director, Martyn James added: "Having Samsung as title sponsor is not just a massive coup for us as a team but I believe is a huge boost for the Championship as a whole. A partnership with a global brand like Samsung raises both our own and the Championship's profile, which will undoubtedly open the door to a wider audience. We thank all at Samsung for their enthusiasm and commitment, and we look forward to using Samsung's creative technology to assist us both on and off the track this season."
Responsible for bringing Samsung, Crescent Racing and Jon Kirkham together - and also an instrumental part in the team's marketing and media focus in 2011 - is Rockabox Media. James Booth from Rockabox explained: "Motorcycling is an inspirational leisure pastime enjoyed by millions; in the form of British Superbikes it turns into the most exciting spectator sport in the world. With our proven approach to the media, we will bring this to life for thousands of fans with unique behind the scenes footage throughout the season."
Samsung Crescent Racing will begin their pre-season testing at the Cartagena circuit in Spain on March 3, before moving to Guadix near Granada on March 8.

 

MARTIN JOINS RELENTLESS BY TAS SUZUKI

Team Suzuki Press Office - November 3.
Relentless by TAS Suzuki has signed Guy Martin for its 2011 International Road Racing campaign:
The Kirmington rider has one of the biggest followings in British and Irish motorcycling and team owners Hector and Philip Neill are confident of guiding the fast-talking Lincolnshire rider to his debut victories at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT.
Martin (28) will join his yet-to-be-announced Road Racing and British Superbike team-mates in pre-season tests in Spain, scheduled for February or March, before possibly opening his account with a British Superstock appearance at the end of April.
The plan is to take in a number of Superstock races throughout the 2011 season, but a full itinerary of his, and the rest of the team's plans, will be announced in the coming weeks.
Guy Martin:
"You just don't get any more of a proven team than Relentless by TAS Suzuki and with its official support from Suzuki and something like 15 TT wins; it wasn't a difficult decision to make. I was at a Pirelli test earlier this year and took 101 pictures of their bikes and the preparation of them is 'proper' - that's what made my mind up. They are the best team I've been with do date; that's all there is to it. I just want to hit the ground running now. After pre-season we'll hopefully do some Superstock races in the British Championship, as we know the GSX-R1000 is very capable. Let's face it - it won the Championship just last year with Alastair Seeley on it. Yeah; it's all proper and I'm looking forward to getting started."
Philip Neill - Team Manager:
"It's been a difficult decision changing our line-up as we pride ourselves on loyalty. In saying that, Guy is a rider I've wanted to work with for a couple of seasons now and my loyalty to other riders probably held that decision back a little. He came to us full of enthusiasm and wants to do things our way, which was a good starting point. And on top of that, I'm a sucker for a challenge and I like Guy's free-spirit attitude. He's created a Guy Martin-brand without even trying and that's also pretty special.
"Obviously we know he's a very talented rider and has been extremely unlucky not to have won races at both the North West 200 and the TT. So our motivation is to complete that task, while making sure Guy also fulfils his commercial responsibility representing a manufacturer-backed team. Having spoken to him at length before we agreed a deal, I know he won't let Suzuki or our sponsors down."
Pictured: Team Manager Philip Neill (top) and Guy Martin.


 

What's the best way to get around in an earthquake-torn zone? Travel by motorcycle, of course.

Harley-Davidson has announced that it will donate 28 Buell and Harley motorcycles to the government of Haiti to be used by aid workers in travelling through damaged areas. The Haiti earthquakes have damaged roads there, but in many places a motorcycle can go where larger vehicles cannot.

The bikes will be sent to the Dominican Republic, then given to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.

The motorcycles will stay in Haiti as property of the Haitian government.

There is nothing quite like traveling in Canada with its abundance of breathtaking scenery, glacier kissed lakes, and diverse geography, from the high-altitude ear popping Rocky Mountains to the forever-flat lands in Saskatchewan. To travel across Canada by car is incredible, but nothing captures the sights, scents, and sounds of Canada better than seeing it from behind the handlebars of a motorcycle.

Jeff Pennock from Vridetv.com, started riding with his first dirt bike at the age of seven and has never stopped. That beat up, Yamaha dirt bike fueled his lifelong passion towards riding and today Jeff rides with an impressive 30 years of experience. Even a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 1998 has not taken away his desire to ride and explore. Jeff’s new project, which is called Virtual Riding Television (or Vridetv for short) mixes Jeff’s passion for riding with his talents in videography and photography.

One of Jeff’s best experiences was riding across Canada, something which, even for local Canadians, few can claim due to its great distance and unforeseeable weather conditions. Jeff rode 18,786 kilometres across Canada and back in 2006 and captured some amazing footage. While the optimal time to leave for a massive trip like this would be the middle of summer, due to some timing issues, Jeff and his wife Diane, had to start their trip on April 27th. Thanks to their early departure Jeff and his wife were forced to ride through some heavy rain, cold, and even some thunder showers, proving why most people ride across Canada in July or early August.  Though that didn’t put a damper on their trip, while there were a few bad weather spots, they still witnessed some amazing sites. The beautiful thing about riding through Canada is that each province has its own unique characteristics and geographical traits yet still contains the renowned friendly and helpful Canadians. Within each province you can either stop at the plentiful awe-striking points-of-interest or rip up the roads that are seemly placed on top of untouched scenery or  guide you through historical city locations, such as in Eastern Canada.

Even though Jeff has experienced the beauty of every province, he still prefers riding from his home province of British Columbia through neighbouring Alberta most of all. One of his favourite areas to film, the Rocky Mountains, holds some of Canada’s and the world’s most highly sought after travel destinations including, Jasper National Park, Banff National Park and the Columbia Icefields. The Icefields Parkway, Highway 93, carves its way through the above mentioned parks and is one of the most spectacular roads that anyone could ever want to travel upon. Jeff reveres this area as the crowning jewel of travel destinations in Canada containing an abundance of breathtaking points-of-interest, glacier fed pristine rivers and lakes, untouched wilderness, and, if you are lucky, you will see some wildlife.

If you are spending a few days in the Rocky Mountains, it is a great idea to take a helicopter or plane ride from one of the tour companies in the area. As stunning as the scenery is from the roads and trails, seeing it from the air adds a whole new dimension to the experience. From the air you see the true ruggedness and beauty of places that you cannot see from the road and places that few have ever even seen. The surreal blue-green glacier fed lakes, cascading waterfalls, and forbidding terrain are some of the most unique features in the area and from the air you are able to capture it all.

It is one thing to experience the sights but Jeff wanted to capture the memories on camera and share them with the world, to do this he operates three different cameras with three very different responsibilities. His primary camera the Sony HDR-HC3 captures a virtual riding experience, thus the inspiration for the title of the project, through a custom made handlebar mount enclosed in a waterproof container. This camera captures the twisty-turns, the insane weather changes, and the various wild creatures that Jeff meets along his way. To give a point-of-view experience, Jeff purchased the new Sony HXR-MC1 which he mounts on another custom bracket on the side of his helmet. This camera captures scenery and action that his permanently mounted front camera may miss such as a majestic green-blue roadside lake hidden in-between a mountain pass or a soft orange sun sneaking behind the snow tipped Rockies.  Amazingly, his little helmet cam still captures in high definition to capture every detail of his adventures. The third camera is the Sony HDR-HC9. Jeff takes his third camera with him for those quick grab moments when he needs to make a quick pan shot, tripod and setup work, or to capture some in-the-moment pictures or video.

Probably the most vital piece of equipment for Jeff is his Motorcycle which is a 2003 100th anniversary Harley-Davidson V-rod VRSCA. While most would not consider this bike the ideal long-distance motorcycle, he uses this bike because of its high performance engine, 80,000 kms and counting of reliability, and smooth lightweight handling with similar characteristics to a sport bike. Using the V-rod for this purpose does have its challenges including the small 3.7 gallon fuel cell, the small stock hard saddle bags, and the solid front wheel, which catches the wind like a sail. Overall though, the roads in Canada make a sportier bike, that much more fun.

In order to accommodate for the rapidly changing weather conditions that traveling through Canada can present, Jeff has to choose his equipment carefully for he has very minimal storage capabilities. His trip across Canada was accomplished without the luxuries of a chase vehicle or support staff so careful planning had to be done. While a surprising amount of space is taken up by camera equipment, including a tripod and tapes, Jeff still has just enough room to pack the bare essentials. He packs most of his equipment in his saddlebags and a waterproof duffle then carries extra batteries, tapes, lenses, and the control unit of the helmet cam in his custom made camera harness. It is important, especially in the dynamic weather conditions near the Rockies, that you do not assume that just because it is sunny or rainy, that it will stay that way. Jeff packs layered clothing so that he can quickly pull over and adapt his apparel to the changing conditions, it is normal for the weather to rapidly cool down or warm up, so it is a good idea to stay prepared. Other vital things include a credit card, cash, food/protein bars, and heated liners. It is also not a bad idea to carry a satellite phone as the most beautiful locations are often quite a ways away from any cellular towers.

Jeff prefers the secluded lone-road travels which put him far away from city life and through roads which cut through places which many animals call home. Black bears, mountain sheep, deer, elk, mountain goats, and many kinds of birds are not uncommon on his trips through the Rockies. Jeff has the ability to get surprisingly close to these animals to capture some great footage. Most people would not even think about stopping when they see a black bear, yet when Jeff sees a black bear, it is time to grab that video camera and get a closer look. His appreciation for wildlife is apparent in his footage, with the diverse and pristine wilderness many of the Canadian roads carve through, Jeff finds countless new animals to place in his video library. If you enjoy wildlife, Canada’s untouched wilderness makes it easy to find various animals on your travels.

The knowledge and experiences of Jeff Pennock, in combination with the vast archive of video footage, over a thousand high quality images, and other resources such as information about his trips and adventures, are available for free on his website www.vridetv.com