Ducati´s Casey Stoner was third on the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix Friday timesheets courtesy of his best effort in the morning run, a session at the end of which he was flicked off his Desmosedici GP8 and suffered bumps and bruises, including a knock to his already injured wrist.
Only one of the 19 MotoGP riders out on track was able to improve his times in the afternoon session as the rain worsened, Dani Pedrosa bettering his best effort at the bottom of the timesheet, whilst Stoner registered the eighth fastest time of FP2 as he sought to rebuild his confidence.
On the other side of the Ducati pit-box Marco Melandri was tenth fastest in the afternoon but fourteenth quickest overall - courtesy of a best lap recorded earlier in the day in the opening 90 minute free practice run.
Casey Stoner - third
`The track conditions vary drastically between the old surface and the new. Grip is good on the old stuff but there isn´t even minimum grip on the recently laid asphalt and the rain makes it much worse because it isn´t draining off. If it continues to rain like it did this afternoon then I´m not sure the conditions will be safe enough to race in. As far as the layout is concerned there are only a couple of critical areas - in particular turn five, where the run-off is very short. There´s not much we can do about that right now though - the best thing would be to stick an air-fence in. This morning I crashed on the section where the grip is poorest and that´s obviously not good for the wrist but thankfully it didn´t create any major problems.´
Marco Melandri - fourteenth
`I like the design of the circuit – it´s fun but unfortunately there are too many different types of asphalt and the new part is definitely the worst, especially with the rain. The bike tends to aquaplane and you can´t see anything because of the reflection off the water. Grip on the older part is good, although if it keeps raining it´s going to get really difficult. There are two or three dangerous corners: turns one, five and six, where the walls are too close. This morning we started out cautiously but we improved towards the end, whilst this afternoon we didn´t get chance to make too many improvements because the conditions were so bad.´
Rumours abound as to who will be accompanying Casey Stoner in riding the Ducati Desmosedici next year and, whilst those names put forward have yet to be either confirmed or denied, the Italian factory are expecting decisions and announcements to be made in the coming week.
The factory team could see two MotoGP World Champions sharing the garage, with Nicky Hayden hotly tipped to be the prime candidate for the seat vacated by the outgoing Marco Melandri. Ducati MotoGP Project Manager Livio Suppo would not rule out the `Kentucky Kid´, and conceded that he was one of the riders being looked at for 2009.
`Of course (we have been looking at Hayden), there are a lot of rumours about this, but we will see next week,´ said Suppo, who was tight lipped about naming names for the vacant spots in both the factory and satellite Ducati outfits.
`Next week I think will also be the time to know the riders lineup for the second team (currently Alice Team). We will definitely be keeping Paolo Campinoti in charge.´
Prolonged speculation has surrounded a return to competition for Sete Gibernau, the former MotoGP World Championship runner-up who this year swung his leg over the Desmosedici GP8 and GP9 in testing at Mugello. Links with MotoGP Legend Angel Nieto and son Gelete have placed Gibernau on a fifth Ducati machine, sponsored by the Onde 2000 project that debuted in the 125cc category this year.
`We´re talking with the Nietos to set up a one-bike team, but it´s unfortunately also a little to early to talk about that,´ said Suppo, acknowledging the link between the Ducati MotoGP plans and the Spanish veteran. `We like Sete, and he´s done some tests this season in which he has proved to be very fast, so why not?´
Suppo also confirmed that Niccolo Canepa, currently testing the Desmosedici as part of the test team in-between wildcard superbike appearances, could possibly play a part in the 2009 season in some capacity.
The Shark Evoline is a new helmetdesign that picks up where the ROOF Boxer left off. It's probably more
functional than a simple flip-up helmet, because the Evoline is designed to be
worn with the chin bar rotated all the way back, unlike most/all flip-up
helmets, which are not designed to be worn (and are not safe) with the rotating visor in the
raised position.
Lots of moving parts here though, and
the weight...well, we won't get into that now, will we?
Probably one of the most anticipated helmets of 2008, the Shark Evoline has finally arrived. And the good news is that it has passed both ECE and DOT testing schemes, so this is one exotic flip-up helmet that will be sold in North America and Europe. In fact, it's currently going through the distribution process in the U.S. and should be on dealer shelves very soon.
The Evoline was just released in Europe -- after many retailers were taking orders for months, knowing full well that they couldn't deliver. But that's another story...
So what is it? Probably not as radical as some would hope actually. Some motorcyclists may not know that the rotating chin bar concept was pioneered by the still-radical-looking ROOF Boxer, a helmet we reviewed back about 5 years ago.
The Shark Evoline (is it "Evo-line", or "Evo-leen"?) takes it one step further, with a slick but complex system to rotate the chin bar all the way back, where it stays out of the way, nice and snug and nearly flush with the helmet shell.
The design of the Evoline allows it to be worn this way whilst riding, unlike all of the "normal" flip-up helmets I'm familiar with, which are not designed to be worn with the rotating visor in the raised position, although many riders do indeed wear them that way -- a dangerous proposition.
Now why a motorcycle rider would want or need a motorcycle helmet with the functionality of the Evoline is a question we can't answer -- we'll leave that up to you to decide.
Suffice it to say that there must be a defined need, or we doubt very much that Shark would have spent so much time, money and energy into designing the Evoline -- not to mention the cost involved in getting it to a point where it passed both the ECE and DOT testing regimens, finding a distributor, getting it into the distribution process, parts and accessories and all the rest.
So let's take a look and see what this interesting new helmet is all about!
Paint, Graphics and Overall Quality
The Shark Evoline shown here was purchased in Europe, thus it is ECE 22.05 approved only and was sourced using the European color palette, which is rather subdued.
This one is the gloss silver color, which is actually more like a graphite. The metalflake paint is nicely applied on the polycarbonate Lexan shell, with no obvious flaws. There's not much you can say about gloss silver or graphite; it is what it is.
It's unclear at this point whether the Evoline helmets sold in North America will have a different color palette or will be offered with a variety of graphic designs, but for the most part, flip-up helmets seem to have much more...dare we say boring?...colors than their full-face counterparts. Perhaps flip-up owners are a conservative breed?
But overall, the finish is about as good as it gets. The finish does "feel" thick and the clearcoat also seems thick and protective.
This helmet was apparently one of the first off the assembly line, and there are some quality issues here and there that we hope are resolved by time the distribution channels are filled.
The gasket around the bottom of the helmet has a few gaps and some glue is showing; the metal latches on the helmet shell are pitted and look unpolished; there's a bit of polish residue or wet sanding residue here and there; you can see in some of the photos that the screw heads and other metal bits are showing (a design, not a quality issue) and the Phillips head screws that hold the eccentric cam on the sides that rotate the visor are crooked.
This is a complex helmet, with more moving parts than many other "normal" flip-ups, and obviously more than a typical full-face helmet. All the parts add up to a bit of a creaky feeling -- the helmet isn't as solid as we'd like to see...but what flip-up is?The liner looks more expensive and plush than what is usually found in flip-up helmets, and it's relatively comfortable, although not as comfy as the ultra-plush liner in the Shark RSX, for example.
The vents click open and shut with authority, but the clear visor feels flimsy and has some distortion at the top and bottom, which is surprising for Shark and probably due to the completely different visor design.
Score: Overall, give the Shark Evoline a "Very Good" rating for the paint and the finish, with a "Good" for the rest.
Former Red Bull MotoGP Academy rider Bradley Smith took a well-deserved second place at the Gran Premio Cinzano di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini on Sunday, dedicating the result to his Polaris World mechanics after a hot, sweaty weekend at Misano.
Smith reflected on the 125cc contest saying, `It was an important race for me and the team after a couple of disappointing results and we have bounced back. They worked so hard and all I can say is, this is for them!´
Revealing the tactics he had used after he crossed the line five seconds behind 125cc World title holder and race winner Gabor Talmacsi, Smith explained, `I knew that I would have to push hard in the first ten laps to get a gap otherwise there would be a lot of fighting, so I just tried to stay behind Gabor and go with him. When he made the mistake I tried to push and to go for the victory but he had better pace than me and was keeping maybe 10% in his pocket. Obviously I am a little bit disappointed because I always want to win.´
Although Smith is still in search of his first career victory, having led races on several occasions this season, he was taking all the positives from another exciting single cylinder battle. He stated, `At the end of the day today I was fighting with the World Champion. He is the best in the world so I took a lot of experience from this race and I will use it at Indianapolis which is a new track for everybody.´
Having finished tenth in the championship last season with now the disbanded Repsol Honda 125cc team, his latest result puts him within five points of the top five - in seventh position in the standings - in a highly competitive category.
His Polaris World employers have set him what now appears to be a more than plausible target of finishing in the top six before making an announcement on his 2009 contract, though Smith himself appears to be content to stay put.
He commented, `I want to stay in 125cc next year because I think I still need more experience and I am trying to learn and understand all the time. We have to wait and see, hopefully in the near future we will be able to say something but at the moment we have to wait.´
![[ap1.jpg]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Mvhjidbvdzc/SLq8GCjanFI/AAAAAAAAHa8/NfESalmfq-E/s1600/ap1.jpg)
Forget the Falco, this is the bike Aprilia should have built...
While we never thought much of the Aprilia SL1000 Falco, this Falco-based café racer does look interesting. The fairing has been stripped away, revealing that 60-degree v-twin, and the stubby tail unit, custom-made exhaust and single, round headlamp all look butch and purposeful. If it were ours, we’d get it painted black. And then ride it downtown late in the night…
Garry McCoy is planning to make his return to motorcycle racing at the penultimate round of the World Supersport Championship at Magny Cours on 3rd to 5th October.Garry McCoy has been out of action for over a month after suffering a horrific crash during the Saturday Free Practice session at Brno, Czech Republic.
McCoy collided with Ten Kate rider Andrew Pitt and lost control of his SC Triumph Daytona 675 and hit the Armco barrier.
The Australian suffered severe injuries including a broken T6 vertebrae and three broken ribs which affected his internal organs.
After travelling from Andorra to attend Craig Jones’ funeral, McCoy said:
“I still can’t take a full breath because of the broken ribs. One of my ribs broke in three places which has caused a lot of pain. With the broken vertebrae I have to wear a body cast which doesn’t sound too bad but for the first six weeks I have to wear it day and night everyday.
"I’ve only taken it off to shower and when I sleep I have to wake up first before I turn over!”
“After the six weeks are up, I then need to wear it for another two weeks but only during the day. I’m already looking forward to getting on the bike again. In a way I feel ready now but I know I’ll have to wait.”
Shinya Nakano was the second fastest participant in Monday afternoon´s post-Misano testing session, lapping 0.794s behind Dani Pedrosa as the factory Honda rider undertook his first laps with new tyre suppliers Bridgestone.Although the Japanese rider was not 100% sure about what effect Pedrosa´s sensational change will have on him, in the short term, he remains optimistic about the current situation.
The two riders now have a similar factory Honda RC212V package, but whilst Nakano believes they can help each other he is insistent that he will dictate the set-up of his bike, while accepting guidance from HRC.
Having completed 53 test laps at Misano in preparation for Indianapolis and Motegi, Nakano declared, `Dani´s switch to Bridgestone is a big surprise for us because you don´t see people changing tyres in the middle of the season very often. I don´t know exactly what is happening but the good thing is we can share information. They are a factory team and they get much more help with the bike and the tyres and as I have a similar bike I think this is a good point. On the other hand we have to give over information so I don´t know yet if it is definitely good for us or not.´
As he continues developing 2009 satellite RC212V, a similar spec to Pedrosa´s current 2008 spring valve factory model, Nakano believes the development of his prototype machinery is firmly within his own control.
The 30 year-old Japanese competitor stated, `We have a factory bike but we adjust everything by ourselves. Of course we ask for advice from HRC but anyway we have to build the bike ourselves and of course it is up to me. We are a satellite team and they are a factory team so I don´t think it will affect things too much. Maybe in the near future if they find something very good (the factory team), like a frame or something, I would like to try it too.´
For the time being it is expected that Bridgestone technician Klaus Nohles, who has worked with Nakano throughout the 2008 campaign to date, will split his time between the Repsol Honda and San Carlo Honda Gresini boxes at the next round at Indianapolis, working with both riders on behalf of the Japanese suppliers – just as he did during Monday´s test session.
Following a difficult start to the year Toni Elias is one of the form riders in the MotoGP World Championship at present, with his Brno and Misano rostrum runs making him hot property in the rider market.The likeable Barcelona man initially struggled to settle with new employers Alice Team at the beginning of the year, as he – like fellow new arrivals at Ducati Marco Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli – failed to get to grips with the Desmosedici GP8 early in the season.
Disqualification in a difficult home GP at Barcelona was a low point for the former Honda Gresini man, but some long discussions with Ducati Corse boss Filippo Preziosi at the post-race Catalunya test and some subsequent machinery updates have turned Elias´ season around.
A good ride to seventh place at Laguna Seca has been followed up by two excellent showings at the last two rounds, moving Elias up to twelfth in the general standings with the top ten well within his grasp.
Alice Team boss Paolo Campinoti, who took over the reigns from Luis d´Antin earlier this season, is understandably delighted with the 25 year-old´s form.
The Italian manager commented, `Fortunately this good period we are having goes on and I hope we can continue this in the future. He is improving race by race and this was another good one. It was a good fight. It is very good for us to keep going in this way.´
On Elias´ upturn in form Campinoti added, `I think Toni is more confident on the bike and he has really improved. I think it is normal to have a few problems at the beginning so hopefully in the future he will continue like this.´
Elias has been linked with a possible move onto Kawasaki machinery in 2009 and himself joked, `I am free if somebody wants me´ after the race at Misano on Sunday, but Campinoti wants to retain his services if possible – whereas Sylvain Guintoli is unlikely to feature for the team next season.
Campinoti said of the situation, `It is not clear yet. I am doing my best to confirm Toni, but with the other rider it is too early to decide. It is not so probable that Sylvain will remain with us.´
His title chase hampered by a crash with teammate Hiroshi Aoyama at Misano, Mika Kallio is being courted by Red Bull KTM to continue in 250cc for another year.It´s the sight that every Team Manager dreads on raceday; nervous moments as teammates battle against each other, culminating in a DNF stamped alongside both riders´ names. That was the situation for Harald Bartol, head of Red Bull KTM, on Sunday afternoon in Misano.
Title challenger Mika Kallio and 2007 race runner-up Hiroshi Aoyama both fancied their chances at the San Marino circuit in the 250cc race, and were placed alongside each other over the course of the first two laps. Kallio collided with his Japanese teammate and brought both riders´ races to an early conclusion, leaving the title situation difficult for the Finnish star.
`We would have had a good chance today with our bike, but that´s the way it is,´ said a downbeat Bartol after the incident. `It appears that Hiro took a slightly different line, and that Mika was probably too close. The lucky thing was that Simoncelli only finished sixth.´
`We will be trying to get Mika back into the title fight, and we have some changes that we can probably bring to Indianapolis to try again,´ added the KTM boss, aiming to take a first title for the factory before Kallio´s possible departure at the end of the season.
`We are trying to keep him, but we have heard from Mika that he is looking for a MotoGP move. At the moment we have had no clear answer from him and, with so many of the top riders in 250cc already under contract, we will have to check our options,´ he concluded.
The
Kawasaki Racing Team has taken delivery of a super-stylish John Hopkins
replica ZX-10R, kindly supplied by Motoradd Höly for display at each of
the remaining European Grand Prix races.
The road version of the extra special Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP
race machine features a custom paint job created by Lucas Designs and
has caused quite a stir around the paddock, where it is on display
outside of the team’s hospitality unit.
Motoradd Höly, one of Germany’s biggest Kawasaki dealerships, joined
forces with Lucas Designs to produce these special creations using many
of the road-going models in the Japanese manufacturer’s range. The
‘Hopper’ replica superbike features numerous upgraded parts along with
the Monster Energy race design in four different colours, including the
signature Kawasaki lime green.
Lucas Designs has supplied stickers and graphics for all of the
Kawasaki Racing Team’s vehicles for the past two years, which includes
the paddock scooters used by team members for getting around at each of
the European MotoGP rounds.
“The Ninja ZX-RR design looks really cool on a road bike,” said Hopkins. “There’s
been a lot of interest in it already and it looks exactly like my race
machine. The guys at Lucas Designs and Motoradd Höly have done a great
job in making these custom bikes,” concluded the Kawasaki MotoGP star.
Ronny Schnepf from Motoradd Höly also recently presented both of the
Kawasaki race pilots with a KX250F motocross machine, each complete
with customised graphics. Anthony West received his ‘trick’ off-road
bike at Sachsenring, and he was delighted with the ultra-cool design
based on his Ninja ZX-RR race machine.
If you're based in German then you can find out more about Motorrad
Höly’s range of Kawasaki road bikes, including the John Hopkins Ninja
ZX-RR replica, by logging on to their website at www.hoely.de.
After the purchase of the Motorcycle Company MV Agusta by Harley-Davidson the Americans published now further details to their purchase intentions and the future of the Italian high-end manifacturer. Harley Davidson boss Jim Ziemer expects that by the assumption of MV Agusta the presence and the image of the mark in Europe are increased and the product families are supplemented by Harley-Davidson and Buell. The past managing director of MV Agusta, Claudio Castiglioni, stresses the thing in common of both marks: “Our customers, the motorcyclists, do not want to be received when driving a high-quality and high performance motorcycle compromises. Since Harley-Davidson understands the emotional component of the motorcycle driving just as well as the business side, am I full confidence that Agusta group their customers will in the long term inspire the MVs.
Harley-Davidson holds Agusta to the main business seat of many years of mV in the Italian Varese. There a guidance team with new managing director is to be appointed and the production of the current models again to be taken up. Castiglioni, will be active further in a leading position. Also Design boss Massimo Tamburini, under whose responsibility models developed such as F4 and brutal one or Ducati 916, remains to the enterprise.
MV Agusta had 2007 substantial financial difficulties after scarcely 6000 sold motorcycles in the year and had production 2008 strongly to throttle. On 11 July this yearly took over Harley-Davidson group the MV Agusta group, and concomitantly the mark Cagiva, for a purchase price of 70 million euros. Castiglioni receives a contractually held special payment to 2016, vorrausgesetzt it fulfills the production goals given by Harley-Davidson.
The race bike was piloted by Austrian rider Rene Mahr, who has been confirmed as an official KTM rider for the World Superstock Cup this year.
Despite being dogged by bad weather during the test, which prevented any representative times from being set, the team came away happy, having suffered no technical failures.
KTM spokesman Thomas Kuttruf said: “It was a two day test, the first with the bike in set up to meet superstock regulations.
“During earlier tests we just had race tyres and a race exhaust.”
He added that the team also tried British Superduke Battle champion, Pauli Pekkanen, on an RC8 during the test, saying: “We will also use a second rider during the 08 season.
“Pauli Pekkanen is not confirmed to be that rider, but he is a good candidate and impressed us on a stock RC8 with race tyres.”
The firm sees the superstock bike as a key part of the road version’s development.
Thomas Kuttruf said: “It’s the last step in development of the standard bike.
“The superstock project is linked to the KTM factory and R&D department, and the technical leader is Wolfgang Felber, who is in charge of road bike development.”
A phone call into Tim Saunders, principal of Corona Extra Honda Racing, and just like our favorite Food Network Chef, Emeril Lagasse would say, ‘Bam!’ We were going to have a go on their ultra-trick Corona Light 600 race bike. At long last, we would get our chance to check out the CBR600RR in proper AMA Supersport racing trim.
Saunders assembled his crew and with the bike and supplies in tow, they met us at the Fastest Road in the West - aka Willow Springs International Raceway. If 2.5 miles of wide-open asphalt isn’t the perfect playground to see what a bike like the Corona Honda has to offer, then we don’t know what is. In an effort to fully grasp the difference we also procured a stock 2007 CBR600RR fitted with a set of Bridgestone BT-002 DOT race tires.
Conditions were perfect, with a light wind and mid-70s registering on the thermometer as we suited up for our first taste of Corona’s supersport brew. With the Dunlop D208 N-Tec DOT race tires baking beneath the PowerStands digital tire warmers, we strolled towards the white with lime-accents Corona Light machine. The pungent aroma of VP race gas saturating the mild desert air was a reminder this was no ordinary CBR.
“Man, this is going to be good,” I said inside my helmet.
The bike itself was supposed to spend the year competing in the AMA Pro Honda Oils 600cc Supersport class. But after the season opener at Daytona, then-rider Gary Mason and the Corona team parted ways and the bike was left collecting dust in the team transporter until Cycle News super-scribe Steve Atlas was presented the opportunity to race the machine at the Corona AMA Superbike season finale at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway. Atlas did the journalists proud by finishing 17th in the race, his virgin outing with the team.
There’s no question Honda engineers found the sweet-spot between racy track use and daily street-ability in the ergonomics department of the stock CBR. Once aboard the lime-logoed race bike, however, you realize that this ain’t no streetbike. The thin black seat foam atop the jacked-up Hot Bodies racing tail section, lower Vortex Racing clip-ons, and raised TiForce adjustable rearsets instantly positions the rider’s body into a proper track attitude: Tail high and nose down. This would be the first of many differences.
Unlike our user-friendly road going stocker, this bike is devoid of anything associated with proper street accoutrements, including an ignition key. Instead, two separate run/off engine control switches are mounted on each handlebar. The left switch controls what would normally be the key-style ignition, while the right one functions the same as stock. Switch gear, mirrors, horn, and keyed gas cap are all gone. The GP-style shifting pattern makes gear changes easier at full lean, but takes a bit of getting used to when switching from a stock pattern.
Walker Jemison, crew chief for the Corona squad, gently warmed the machine before we wrapped our overly excited hands on it. He forewarned us to not let the bike idle too low due to the upgraded oil pump, which doesn’t build enough oil pressure at low rpm. As a reminder, an orange arrow is placed at the 3000 rpm mark on the tachometer. Climb on, blip the throttle, grab the clutch and drop it into gear - it’s time to ride.
Once underway, we immediately notice just how rigid the Supersport machine feels. Where the stocker feels like it’s blissfully gliding over road imperfections, the Corona Honda lets the rider know it’s a proper race bike. Every single bump, crack, and pavement ripple is transmitted directly through the controls to the rider. In, fact there’s so much feedback that initially it feels somewhat overwhelming compared to the plush accommodations of the road-going version. Our first handful of laps consisted of just acclimating to both the flowing nine-turn road course and the 130-horsepower rocket underneath us. Riding a machine in this state of tune in cruise mode made it very clear to us that we better up the pace, or get off.
By noon we had the track layout down reasonably well and started to ride the bike more akin to its tire-shredding design. In stock form, the CBR is already renowned for its potent set of binders. We went blasting down Willows front straight-away to test the racing set. A single finger pull of the adjustable Active folding brake lever slows the Corona Honda with amazing voracity. Although outright power and feel was never an issue with the stocker, stopping force and feedback through the coated, Galfer steel-braided lines is simply off the charts. Wouldn’t it be great if these brakes came standard on every sportbike? Supersport rules reflect changes which can be implemented by the riding public rather easily. Simple brake pad and line modifications are the key to taking the OEM CBR brakes to the next level.
Unlike our user-friendly road going stocker, this bike is devoid of anything associated with proper street accoutrements, including an ignition key. Instead, two separate run/off engine control switches are mounted on each handlebar. The left switch controls what would normally be the key-style ignition, while the right one functions the same as stock. Switch gear, mirrors, horn, and keyed gas cap are all gone. The GP-style shifting pattern makes gear changes easier at full lean, but takes a bit of getting used to when switching from a stock pattern.
Walker Jemison, crew chief for the Corona squad, gently warmed the machine before we wrapped our overly excited hands on it. He forewarned us to not let the bike idle too low due to the upgraded oil pump, which doesn’t build enough oil pressure at low rpm. As a reminder, an orange arrow is placed at the 3000 rpm mark on the tachometer. Climb on, blip the throttle, grab the clutch and drop it into gear - it’s time to ride.
Once underway, we immediately notice just how rigid the Supersport machine feels. Where the stocker feels like it’s blissfully gliding over road imperfections, the Corona Honda lets the rider know it’s a proper race bike. Every single bump, crack, and pavement ripple is transmitted directly through the controls to the rider. In, fact there’s so much feedback that initially it feels somewhat overwhelming compared to the plush accommodations of the road-going version. Our first handful of laps consisted of just acclimating to both the flowing nine-turn road course and the 130-horsepower rocket underneath us. Riding a machine in this state of tune in cruise mode made it very clear to us that we better up the pace, or get off.
By noon we had the track layout down reasonably well and started to ride the bike more akin to its tire-shredding design. In stock form, the CBR is already renowned for its potent set of binders. We went blasting down Willows front straight-away to test the racing set. A single finger pull of the adjustable Active folding brake lever slows the Corona Honda with amazing voracity. Although outright power and feel was never an issue with the stocker, stopping force and feedback through the coated, Galfer steel-braided lines is simply off the charts. Wouldn’t it be great if these brakes came standard on every sportbike? Supersport rules reflect changes which can be implemented by the riding public rather easily. Simple brake pad and line modifications are the key to taking the OEM CBR brakes to the next level.
Once slowed down, a slight tug of the bars brings the bike on its side, carving hard to the left through Turn 1. Like the stocker, its amazing how little effort it takes to get these Honda’s to turn, but it’s even more amazing when it’s lighter and tighter. Up front, the standard appearing 41mm Showa fork is anything but. Hidden inside, there’s Ohlins 25mm supersport cartridge internals. Only ultra trick-looking adjustable fork caps give you a clue to how much potential is in there. Unlike the stock CBR which has a tendency to blow right through fork stroke, as any stock bike will when pushed hard in fast sections and heavily loaded, the Ohlins setup is both firm and compliant, and never feels overwhelmed. Contrary to the stock suspension, which gets progressively more out of sorts when ridden to the edge, the Corona Light Honda’s racing-spec front suspension follows the surface of the road carefully yet precisely, all while delivering an enormous amount of feedback - rewarding the rider for having the balls to go harder, faster and deeper. The faster you go, the better it gets.
Pickup the throttle and the Ohlins rear shock squats a bit as the Dunlop 190/55R17 rear tire digs into the pavement - hooking up and driving the bike forward like an oversized paddle tire on a CRF450R in the sand. The howl emitting from both the intake and the raspy wail from its underseat Ti Force muffler will put any rider on the verge of sensory overload. Dropping the throttle for a moment before easing it back on through the banked Turn 2 is a lap-by-lap thrill. Get back on the pipe after the apex and the engine zings above 11,000 rpm and into the core of the power as the front end gets light and the next turn approaches fast.
Funny thing is, the more time we spent turning laps the better both bikes begin to feel. Sure, the stocker doesn’t pull with as much gusto, but it still is fast. The biggest difference lies in the massaged components: Brakes and suspension. The harder we push and the more we lean, the more the race-spec fork helps keep things in check. The more aggressive we get on the gas, the quicker the Corona bike responds.
Accelerating hard out of the inside of Turn 2 to the left uphill Turn 3, the precise throttle, well-sorted suspension and warm, sticky tires give the confidence necessary to get on the gas much earlier than on the stocker. Blip the throttle, snag a shift and transfer weight to the left side of the bike as it snaps into position. With the bike carving left under acceleration, it’s time to maneuver past Turn 4,and downhill into the near 90-degree Turn 5. Trail braking into 5, with the added effect of gravity pulling the fork down, is one area showcasing the difference between stock and Supersport-spec suspension.
The brakes on both bikes are powerful, but the added feel and confidence that the Corona Light CBR exudes makes it easier to stay on a bit later and carry more speed. The transition is not nearly as abrupt on the racer as the stock bike because when the OEM fork is tapping out as the bike hits the apex, the Corona bike is in the sweet spot which again allows you to dial on the gas sooner.
Climbing uphill into Turn 6 the Pro-Link rear suspension is put to task, but the action is firm and responsive and resists the tendency to bottom out as the g-forces pull hard. Both bikes are in their element in the fast transitions but the stock bike feels almost couch-like compared to the racer. While the Corona Light bike is taught and flickable the stocker feels spongy and a bit less responsive when snapping it from side-to-side. Cresting the hill after Turn 6 while shifting and on the gas is a prime opportunity for the bikes to get nervous. The racer did more often than the stocker. The contributing factor here could be a number of things including a slightly more aggressive angle of attack, more mid-range torque lifting at the front wheel or the different steering damper.
While the stock HESD steering damper performs well, as you can tell, the original setup was jettisoned in favor of an adjustable GPR V1 gold-anodized unit. These aftermarket style dampers offer a range of adjustability which allows the resistance to be tailored to the individual rider. We have had plenty of experience with the GPR units in the past and they do a good job of keeping the unwanted movement in check, but it comes at a price. It requires a decision to be made regarding how much resistance will be dialed in where the HESD unit calculates the resistance on the fly, so in some cases it doesn’t even feel like it’s doing anything - and that’s the glory of the high-tech piece. The GPR on the other hand is always on. Motoring hard through Turns 6 and 7 loads the rear tire, un-weighting the front-end of the bike, but with the GPR damper we experienced a bit more head shake here. It never was an issue anywhere else on the track.
Compared to the stocker, the supersport-spec engine spools up extremely quick as we accelerate towards the notoriously high-speed Turns 8 and 9. Press down on the gearshift lever (GP-shift) through gears four and five and witness the precise-shifting glory of the Dynojet Quick Shifter, which facilitates throttle-to-the-stop, clutch-less upshifts. Neither of our test riders had ever ridden with one of these gizmos, but both came away believers. Sure, you can make clutchless up-shifts on the stock CBR, but it generally requires a moment of hesitation to engage while the race bike just keeps rolling on.
While the all-new for ‘07 Honda engine has plenty of pulling power around the 10-turn track, the Jett Tuning-built 599cc mill was exceptionally powerful with its seamless mid-range punch. The fun really begins when you hit that magic 13,000 rpm mark; suddenly, that beefy mid-range transforms itself into a thick surge flinging the bike forward at an incredible rate. Power keeps on coming up to 15 grand and another 1500 rpm of over-rev remains before you reach the limiter. Lap after lap we would drag these two rockets up the front straight with the Corona Light bike getting the edge on the stocker. Only a mistimed shift or an excellent drive on the standard machine would allow it to pull even at the finish line. The racer however, was just coming into its own and would start to pull a gap between there and the braking zone. It’s not really fair to the stock mill, but it taught us two more valuable lessons. The first is that the Jett Tuning performance upgrades give the CBR600RR a whole new personality. The second is that the CBR in stock trim is no slouch.
The man behind this wickedly powerful supersport mill is John Ethell. The name may sound familiar to AMA roadracing fans, since he’s the Honda engine-building guru that’s spent the last six years working in American Honda’s race shop building the motors for Red Riders like Miguel Duhamel, Josh Hayes and Aaron Gobert.
“Most of the power comes from the cylinder head, fuel injection mapping, and cam timing,” explains Ethell, owner of Jett Tuning. “Because of the rules in Supersport, we’re only allowed to clean things up a bit.”
In fact, AMA Supersport class rules only allow light modification in order to keep the cost factor down and elbow-to-elbow racing competition up. The engine itself has to retain both original displacement and stock internals. That means no aftermarket pistons, cams, valves, etc. So the real ingenuity comes from being able to maximize performance through the stock setup as rolled off the assembly floor by the manufacturer. This is the core of the Supersport racing philosophy. Take a bike the public can buy, do some minor modifications to push its performance envelope to the next level, then let the kids go play. That’s supersport racing, and with these Jett-Tuning powered Honda’s consistently running up front in both AMA 600 Supersport and Formula Xtreme-both companies must be doing something right.
So how much better is Honda’s amazing middleweight in race trim? The words magnificent, thrilling and heart-stirring all dart into our minds. In race trim, the Honda does everything with both precision and personality. It fuses rider and machine in a quest to achieve the lowest possible lap time. With the combination of hand-selected aftermarket components and meticulous attention to detail, the Corona boys have built something special.
On the flip side, in comparing the 2007 Honda CBR600RR to the race machine, it became quite clear that even though the stocker isn’t as sharp-edged or as refined as the Corona Light Honda on the track, it also doesn’t require as much focus or outright concentration at speed. Its comfort zone is anywhere between the stop sign and 80 percent. For a middleweight sportbike you can buy off the showroom floor, it is simply amazing how much performance Honda’s CBR600RR serves up. Then take that same platform, spend a week stripping off the unnecessary OEM gadgets, tweak the motor, suspension, brakes, top it off with a set of premium race rubber and voila, you have a motorcycle that is miles away from ordinary.
original location: www.motorcycleusa.com
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