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Motorcycle News - Reviews | Photos | MotoGP | Superbike | Motocross | Supercross | Motorcycles         SMRi Strives to Strengthen Sturgis Rally August 1, 2012 at 4:04 PM   Click the images below for bigger versions: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Inc. Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Inc. (SMRi), a non-profit that legally owns the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally trademarks, is working to facilitate the vitality and success of the most prestigious motorcycle rally in the world - the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. In the past, SMRi has helped promote, grow, and strengthen the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and will continue forward this August. And with the thriving of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally arrives the thriving of the greater Sturgis area. Through the development of a licensing program related to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally trademarked brand, SMRi is dedicated to maximizing the value of the intellectual property of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and allocating its revenue in the community to help fuel the local economy. The 2011 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was a banner year with strong participation and support for the licensing program and the growth of SMRi's brands. Hundreds of retailers carried officially licensed product during last year's rally in order to give back to the area that provides a haven for bikers from all over the world. As a result, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Inc. donated $53,000 to Sturgis Rally Charities Foundation in December 2011, which is tasked with improving the quality of life for residents in and around the Sturgis community. This donation was in conjunction with SMRi's overall goal to give back to the Black Hills, a community that gave birth to and has supported the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally for decades. SMRi is committed to making charitable contributions to further the health of the Black Hills community through well known organizations such as Sturgis Rally Charities, Inc. SMRi understands that a strong, stable, healthy community year-round is what keeps the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally strong decade after decade. SMRi is encouraged by the level of licensee sales leading up the 2012 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and believes that this year will showcase an even greater level of participation in the licensing program. Dean Kinney (SMRi Chairman) says: "Our greatest charge at SMRi is to carry the Sturgis® name and brand to the next level so we can give back even more to the community." SMRi has the exclusive right to use the trademarks Sturgis and Black Hills in conjunction with Sturgis Motorcycle Rally goods and services, and otherwise so as to prevent consumer confusion and false advertising. They look forward to continuing to invest in the Sturgis-area community and local charitable causes through royalties generated through licensing and sponsorship activities. About SMRi Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, inc. (SMRi) is a not-for-profit 501(c) 6 organization with no owners or shareholders and a volunteer board. The group's primarily responsibilities are to promote, grow and strengthen the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and provide a charitable return for the greater Sturgis area through the development of a licensing program related to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The board positions represent a variety of organizations and interests in the Sturgis area, including the Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce, City of Sturgis, the primary motorcycle manufacturer for the rally, the primary licensee, rally and non-rally-oriented businesses.         2013 Victory High-Ball | Preview August 1, 2012 at 3:34 PM   Click the images below for bigger versions: 2013 Victory High Ball Features/Specs When Victory released its High-Ball last year as an early 2012 model, the philosophy behind the company's "bad-ass ape hanger bobber" was straightforward - kept it simple. The bike contained just the essentials and no-nonsense styling, along with the largest-displacement engine of any OEM bobbed or stripped bikes, the High Ball powered by the Freedom 106/6, which pushes 97 base horsepower and 110 ft. lbs. of torque. The High-Ball was received well by the motorcycle industry (read our review here) and Victory customers, quickly turning into the most sought after machine in the 2012 lineup. And when things are good, why bother them? This was likely part of Victory's philosophy regarding the High Ball, which returns to the 2013 lineup unchanged. The High Ball, chrome-less except for the 60-spoke lace wheels, is known through its unique styling cues, including its short front fender, and the bodywork that has a raised spine running atop the fenders and fuel tank for the length of the bike. And like all other machines in Victory's 2013 lineup, many accessories are available for the High Ball, including X-Bow, Straights or Tri-Pro Stage 1 exhausts, a passenger seat, passenger floorboards or pegs, saddlebags, Lock & Ride windshields and more. Following are the features, specs, color option and MSRP for the 2013 Victory High Ball: 2013 Victory High-Ball Features: Performance: It's got the largest-displacement engine, the most horsepower and the most torque. Lowest Seat Height: Cruise in comfort down low while reaching up to the too-cool high-rise bars. Value: The High-Ball delivers the most performance at the lowest MSRP. Styling: Sure, judging styling is subjective, but come on - look at this bike - it's as much fun to look at the details as it is to twist the throttle. High-rise handlebars are adjustable and can be set in the upright position or laid back. The controls mount on the bars in either position and the cables reach in both positions, needing only simple hand tools to adjust. 16" lace wheels with 130 and 150mm Dunlop tires with whitewalls. Stainless steel spokes and Gloss Black wheels and hubs. Freedom 106/6 V-Twin: Fuel-injected, counter-balanced, 97 hp & 110 ft-lb of torque. Features a single 300mm discs for braking both front and rear Features a solo driver seat and footpegs. Single-gauge instrumentation with speedo, tach, tripmeter, warning lights & more. A 2-into-1 exhaust (black, naturally) will be available and most Pure Victory Gear accessories designed for the Victory Vegas, including passenger seats and passenger floorboards or pegs, also fit on the High-Ball. It's easy to personalize the bike to the way you want it, and build the perfect bike for you. 2013 Victory High-Ball Specs: Engine: Type: four-stroke 50-degree V-Twin Displacement: 106 ci/1731 cc Bore X Stroke: 101 x 108mm Compression Ratio: 9.4 : 1 Valve System: Single overhead camshafts with 4 valves per cylinder, self-adjusting cam chains, hydraulic lifters Fuel Management: Electronic Fuel Injection with dual 45mm throttle bodies Cooling: Air/oil Clutch: Wet, multi-plate Transmission: 6-speed overdrive constant mesh Primary Drive: Gear drive with torque compensator Final Drive: Carbon Fiber-reinforced belt Exhaust: Staggered slash-cut dual exhaust with crossover Gas Capacity: 4.5 gal/17.0 ltr Oil Capacity: 5.0 qt/4.73 ltr Dimensions: Length: 93.4 in/2372mm Seat Height: 25.0 in/635mm Wheelbase: 64.8 in/1647mm Ground Clearance: 4.7 in/120mm Rake/Trail: 32°/6.7 in/170mm Dry Weight: 659 lb/300 kg GVWR: 1151 lb/522 kg Suspension: Front: Conventional telescopic fork, 43mm diameter, 5.1 in./130mm travel Rear: Single, mono-tube gas, cast aluminum with rising-rate linkage, 3.0 in./75mm travel; preload-adjustable spring Brakes (Conventional): Front: 300mm floating rotor with 4-piston caliper Rear: 300mm floating rotor with 2-piston caliper Wheels/Tires: Front: 16 x 3.5 in. laced; 130/90-16 67H Metzeler ME880 Rear: 16 x 3.5 in. laced; 150/80 B16 71H Metzeler ME880 2013 Victory High-Ball Color Options/MSRP: Suede Black with graphics / $14,499 (base)         Martin & Cummins: Top 5s at Armoy Races August 1, 2012 at 2:51 PM   Click the images below for bigger versions: 2012 Armoy Road Races Philip Neill, boss of leading Isle of Man TT team Tyco Suzuki, has described the Armoy Road Races as "another valuable outing' for the squad ahead of the Ulster Grand Prix. The event was hit by inclement weather, making racing tough for all the competitors, and the team, run by TAS Racing, one of the TT's most successful competitors, left with no victories. However, riders Guy Martin and Conor Cummins managed five top-five finishes. Martin took second and thid in the two Superbike races, while newcomer to the circuit Cummins managed fourth and fifth on the big bikes. Martin had led the opening Superbike race at the end of laps two and four, but had to give best to Michael Dunlop, finishing 4.2 seconds back. Martin also took fifth in the Supersport encounter, shortened to four laps due to a red flag caused by heavy rain. Manxman Cummins retired in the opening laps of that race after his helmet steamed up, reducing vision to an unsafe level. There was some consolation for Cummins, who was forced to sit out the 2012 Isle of Man TT fuelled by Monster Energy due to injury, when he was clocked through the speed trap at 157.021mph, the fastest of the meeting. Philip Neil says: "The Armoy Road Races is a great event; it's just a pity the weather played its part and made the day very difficult. In saying that, they cracked on through the schedule more than efficiently, and despite the difficult conditions it gave both our men another valuable outing before the Ulster."         Harley: 2012 Q2 Sales Up 2.8% Worldwide August 1, 2012 at 2:12 PM   Click the images below for bigger versions: Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Sales/Earnings Harley Davidson released its second quarter financial report Wednesday, reporting increased earnings and an increase in new motorcycle sales worldwide. The Motor Company says retails sales of new motorcycles grew 2.8 percent worldwide in Q2, compared to the same quarter of 2011. In the US alone, second-quarter sales were up 4 percent. For the first six months of 2012, worldwide sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles were also positive, up 9.3 percent over the same period of 2011. And once again, the US highlighted many of these numbers; in America, sales were up 12 percent over the same period in 2011. Harley also reports that income from operations was also in the positive for the second quarter at $247.3 million, or up about $1.07 a share. And although delayed, at the end of the second quarter Harley began implementing its new "ERB" production and planning system at the operations plant in York, Pa. This new system allows the York facility to provide end-to-end supply chain integration and offer more factory customization, according to previous statements. Keith Wandell (President, CEO and Chairman at Harley-Davidson) says: "We continue to see the results of our focus on the effective implementation of our business strategy. "Harley-Davidson's strategy provides the roadmap for success over the long-term through exceptional product development, manufacturing and retail capabilities. We're working hard every day to unleash the full potential of Harley-Davidson and our iconic brand, and our employees, dealers and suppliers are doing a truly outstanding job." Wandell also commented on the launch of ERP at the York facilities: "The launch of ERP at York has gone very well. We are on plan and everyone involved deserves tremendous credit. The implementation of the ERP system at York supports greater manufacturing flexibility, which we believe will allow us to be even more responsive to customers over the coming years." Following are the official reports from Harley-Davidson: Retail Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Sales On a worldwide basis, dealers sold 85,714 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the second quarter of 2012, a 2.8 percent increase compared to 83,396 motorcycles sold in the year-ago period. Dealers sold 55,761 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the U.S., a 4.0 percent increase compared to the second quarter of 2011. In international markets, dealers sold 29,953 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles during the second quarter, a 0.5 percent increase compared to sales of 29,797 units in the year-ago period. Retail unit sales increased 10.0 percent and 37.9 percent in the Asia Pacific and Latin America regions respectively, and decreased 6.4 percent in the EMEA region during the quarter, compared to last year's second quarter. Through six months, dealers sold 145,391 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles worldwide, a 9.3 percent increase from the year-ago period, with retail unit sales up 12.0 percent in the U.S., 16.5 percent in the Asia Pacific region and 58.0 percent in the Latin America region and down 4.5 percent in the EMEA region. "We're pleased with the overall performance at retail during the first half, including continued growth in the second quarter," said Wandell. "As expected, retail sales moderated in the second quarter due to an unusually warm early spring in the U.S. that pulled some sales forward into the first quarter. "We continue to remain cautious in our expectations for retail sales globally in an environment of greater economic uncertainty, including in Europe where sales are clearly being affected by the challenging Eurozone economy," Wandell said. Industry-wide U.S. heavyweight new motorcycle (651cc-plus) retail unit sales increased 7.9 percent in the first half of 2012 compared to last year's first half. Harley-Davidson Motorcycles and Related Products Segment Results Second-Quarter Results: Second-quarter operating income from motorcycles and related products grew 40.8 percent to $309.6 million on higher shipment volume and operating margin improvement, compared to the year-ago period. Revenue from motorcycles during the second quarter of 2012 of $1.22 billion was up 21.6 percent compared to the year-ago period. The Company shipped 83,502 motorcycles to dealers and distributors worldwide during the quarter, up 25.0 percent compared to shipments of 66,815 motorcycles in the second quarter of 2011. Revenue from motorcycle parts and accessories totaled $265.6 million during the quarter, up 4.0 percent, and revenue from general merchandise, which includes MotorClothes® apparel and accessories, was $75.1 million, up 3.1 percent compared to the year-ago period. Gross margin was 35.9 percent in the second quarter of 2012, compared to 35.0 percent in the second quarter of 2011. Second-quarter operating margin from motorcycles and related products was 19.7 percent on operating income of $309.6 million, compared to operating margin of 16.4 percent on operating income of $219.8 million in last year's second quarter. Six-Month Results: Through the first six months of 2012 the Company shipped 147,765 motorcycles to dealers and distributors, a 22.5 percent increase compared to the year-ago period. Revenue from motorcycles grew 20.6 percent to $2.22 billion through six months. First-half revenue from parts and accessories grew 10.7 percent to $464.6 million and revenue from general merchandise grew 10.5 percent to $149.7 million. Gross margin through six months was 35.9 percent and operating margin was 18.2 percent, compared to 34.1 percent and 14.4 percent respectively in last year's first half. Financial Services Segment Results Operating income from financial services was $82.0 million in the second quarter of 2012, compared to operating income of $82.1 million in last year's second quarter. Through six months, operating income from financial services was $149.3 million, compared to operating income of $150.0 million in the first half of 2011. Results for the second quarter and the first six months of 2012 reflect continued improvement in credit performance year over year and reduced cost of funds. Financial services results in last year's second quarter and first half benefited from the release of significant credit loss reserves. Guidance Harley-Davidson continues to expect to ship 245,000 to 250,000 motorcycles to dealers and distributors worldwide in 2012, a five-to seven-percent increase from 2011. In the third quarter of 2012, the Company expects to ship 51,000 to 56,000 motorcycles, a decrease of 9.3 percent to 17.4 percent from the year-ago period. This is consistent with the Company's previously announced plans for lower shipments in the third and fourth quarters of 2012 related to the implementation of ERP and surge production at York. The Company continues to expect full-year gross margin of between 34.75 percent and 35.75 percent. The Company also continues to expect capital expenditures of between $190 million and $210 million in 2012. Restructuring Update In the second quarter of 2012, the Company incurred restructuring charges of $6.2 million. Upon the anticipated completion of restructuring in 2013, Harley-Davidson now expects restructuring activities initiated since 2009 to result in one-time overall costs of $490 million to $510 million through 2013, a reduction of $10 million from the prior estimate. In 2012, the Company now expects restructuring costs of $40 million to $50 million, compared to the prior estimate of $50 million to $60 million. The Company continues to expect cumulative savings of $275 million to $295 million in 2012 from restructuring activities initiated since 2009, rising to cumulative annual ongoing savings of $315 million to $335 million beginning in 2014. Income Tax Rate Through six months, the Company's effective tax rate was 35.3 percent compared to 34.8 percent in the year-ago period. The Company continues to expect its full-year 2012 effective tax rate from continuing operations will be approximately 35.5 percent. Cash Flow Cash and marketable securities totaled $1.21 billion at the end of the second quarter, compared to $1.22 billion at the end of last year's second quarter. During the first six months of 2012, Harley-Davidson generated $288.2 million of cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations, compared to $473.0 million in the year-ago period. The Company repurchased 3.1 million shares of Harley-Davidson, Inc. common stock during the second quarter of 2012 at a cost of $150.1 million. At the end of the quarter, there were approximately 227 million shares of Harley-Davidson common stock outstanding and 17.2 million shares remaining on board-approved share repurchase authorizations.         2012 MotoGP So Far: Stoner's Thoughts August 1, 2012 at 1:42 PM   Click the images below for bigger versions: 2012 MotoGP Championship Besides winning races, Casey Stoner is also known for holding nothing back, regardless of what thoughts are circulating in the Australian's head. And so far in the 2012 MotoGP Championship, the reigning champ has offered many thoughts, including his dissatisfaction with the CRT field, and the new single-tire rule . And many of these thoughts led to his announcement that he's retiring at the conclusion of the 2012 MotoGP Championship. But regardless of his thoughts, Stoner continues to press ahead, hoping to retire a triple MotoGP champion. So far this year, Stoner has won four of 10 races, including the last round in Laguna Seca. Heading into round 11 at Indianapolis, the Australian third in the championship, 32 points behind the leader, Yamaha Factory Racing's Jorge Lorenzo, and nine behind his teammate, Dani Pedrosa. Following are some more thoughts from the 2007/2011 MotoGP Champion, courtesy of a Repsol Honda interview with Stoner. Q. Just past the halfway point of the season, how do you evaluate your riding, the team and the bike so far? Casey Stoner says: "To be honest, I'm pretty happy with my level, but we made a couple of small errors in Mugello and Sachsenring, which unfortunately left us far behind in the standings. I think if things had been slightly different, if the weather had been different at some races and if we had not made these mistakes, then we would be in a good position. As we are now, we have lost a lot of ground on where we should be." Q. A year ago at this point in the season, you were first in the championship with 20 points more than you have now. What has changed? Casey Stoner says: "As I said, if we had raced at Le Mans in the dry, then I have to think that we were in a good position to win there and if I would have won at Sachsenring we'd probably be leading the championship now. But unfortunately I made those mistakes, things did not go as planned. In Qatar I had arm pump when our pace was clearly the fastest. Things have not been perfect. The new rule with the tires has been a disaster for us and it has become very difficult to make the bike work." Q. Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and you are the current frontrunners in MotoGP. How do you beat those two, and what are their strengths and weaknesses? Casey Stoner says: "I think it changes every week. Clearly, Jorge is always up there, always looking very strong and consistent, because obviously he is very happy with this new tire. That compound is what they preferred in preseason testing and myself and Dani were the ones who didn't like it at all. Your strengths and weaknesses change at every race and you have to evaluate that over a weekend, which is never easy." Q. The three of you have shared the podium more times than any other group of riders. Is the level of talent in the World Championship higher than ever? Casey Stoner says: "I think so. I think it has been getting better year after year. The first four from last year have always competed together, we rose up through the lower classes together and I think this season the level has been increasing in strength. It is a great feeling to have been on the podium so many times with Jorge and Dani. We respect each other a lot, we enjoy good battles and races and I am very happy to be taking so many podiums alongside them in my final season." Q. Except for in the Netherlands, Lorenzo has always placed first or second this year. Can he keep this level up for the entire season? Casey Stoner says: "Yes, there is no reason to think otherwise. He has maintained this level until now and can keep it up until the end of the season. He has been very consistent, always there or thereabouts. Although sometimes he has not had enough speed, he is still always up there and if he doesn't finish first, then he places second. It will be very difficult to finish the season ahead of him, but we have to try." Q. In Germany it was all-or-nothing... Casey Stoner says: "No, it really wasn't. To be honest, I was very happy with the position that I was in. I was planning my attack for the last corner, where I was much better at braking than Dani, with much more confidence, and when I released the brake a little early on the previous corner to go easy on the tire, I think I was too soft and didn't load the front enough. I crashed and I was very surprised about that, because I was very confident about overtaking. In the end, I messed up our championship in that one moment. It wasn't the best way to finish off a weekend." Q. Does the zero carry a lot of weight? Casey Stoner says: "No. I can only do what I can and mistakes happen. Quite simply, we will do everything we can until the end of the season." Q. Do you think that after that crash and the result in Italy, people wrote you off prematurely? Casey Stoner says: "They always do, even last year. When we were not ahead in the championship, they forgot about us. Every year I have a couple of bad races and people forget too quickly. You must remember what we do, that I'm World Champion and I do not give up so easily." Q. What is your strategy for the second half of the season? Casey Stoner says: "There is no strategy, ever. During the season you have to try to be the fastest at each race and in each session, try to run the bike and tires as best you can, and get more points than any other rider. It's the best that we can do." Q. You have always spoken well of Marc Márquez. How do you see him doing next year on your bike? Casey Stoner says: "To be honest, I don't know, because I'm not sure about the level of Moto2. We can see that he is at a much higher level than other riders, but I'm not sure about the level of his rivals. We have not seen a Moto2 rider come up to this championship with much success; Stefan Bradl has had a couple of decent results, but I made mistakes in those races so maybe things have looked a little better than they are really. We have yet to see a Moto2 rider triumph in MotoGP, but if anyone can do it, it's Marc." Q. If Marquez were to ask you for advice on how to approach the premier class, what would you say? Casey Stoner says: "I think every rider has their own opinion and I don't think Marc will ask me for any advice Marc. In fact, he probably considers himself a little better than I am, because he has a lot of confidence in himself and his abilities. I think he may need to relax a little, because this category is not so easy." Q. There are nine races to go before you put an end to your career in MotoGP. Do you sometimes think "I'm not going to ride here again" when you go to circuits? What do you think will be the thing that you miss the most? Casey Stoner says: "I don't really think not about not riding anymore at any track. I can come back whenever I want. Perhaps not competing, but I can take a ride at tracks. I'll miss racing, because unfortunately it is only a small part of the sport -very small. I will really miss the people I work with and with whom I enjoy spending time. It will be very sad not to see them anymore." Q. Following the race at Laguna Seca comes a break for two weeks. Is it a good time to play with your daughter, enjoy the company of your wife, relax fishing, or to train to the maximum? Casey Stoner says: "Both. I'll try to fish a little, and I have some friends who have come to see us, so we're going to spend some time together and relax a little. But I will also try to train to be fit for Indianapolis."         BMW USA: 2013 July Sales Down 2.8% August 1, 2012 at 1:16 PM   Click the images below for bigger versions: 2012 BMW USA Motorcycle Sales Although overall year-to-date sales are up, BMW Motorrad USA reported a slight decline in motorcycle sales for the month of July, unusual results for the Bavarian company that's been breaking sales records lately. BMW North America says 1,027 motorcycles were sold in July 2012, compared with 1,057 sold ion July, 2011, showing a 2.8 percent decline. But year-to-date BMW USA sales were up 16.3 percent for the first seven months of 2012 compared to the first seven months of 2011. BMW reports 7,480 motorcycles were sold stateside through July 2012, compared to 6,433 motorcycles from January through July 2011. In July, the best performing models included the S 1000 RR, up 78.9 percent to 272 units; and the R 1200 GS Adventure, up 23.8 percent to 104 units. BMW of North America Motorcycle Sales, July 2012: July 2011: 1,057 motorcycles sold July 2012: 1,027 motorcycles sold, a 2.8 % decrease YTD Motorcycles sold in 2011: 6,433 YTD Motorcycles sold in 2012: 7,480 a 16.3% increase         Laguna Seca MotoGP | Bridgestone Debrief August 1, 2012 at 12:55 PM   Click the images below for bigger versions: 2012 Laguna Seca MotoGP Analysis The 2012 United States Grand Prix was won by Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner, the reigning MotoGP champion taking the checkered flag ahead of Yamaha Factory Racing's Jorge Lorenzo in second place and teammate Dani Pedrosa who finished third. The race was run at a fierce pace, with the overall race time being over six seconds faster than last year, while Pedrosa set a new record fastest lap on lap five of the thirty-two lap race. Weather conditions for last Sunday's race were fine with clear skies and a track temperature of 43°C. Tire choice was quite varied, particularly at the rear, and due to the difference in weather conditions between the morning and afternoon sessions, many riders including race winner Casey Stoner made their final race tyre choice on the grid. Six of the 21 riders on the grid selected the harder compound rear slick, while eighteen riders selected the harder front slick for the race. Lorenzo extends his lead over Pedrosa in the championship to 23 points, while Stoner's win sees him remain in third place overall though he closes the gap to Lorenzo and Pedrosa to 32 and nine points respectively. Q&A with Masao Azuma - Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport Tire Development Department Q. Rear tire choice for the race was a hotly debated topic over the weekend. In the end, both compound options were selected for the race, so what were the determining factors in rear tire choice? Masao Azuma says: "During long runs in free practice and qualifying it was clear that both the softer and harder rear slicks were viable options for the race, but it would come down to which rear tire better suited the bike setup and riding style of individual riders. Generally, harder rubber compounds give better durability, but with the right bike setup and race strategy, the softer option also provided consistent grip levels throughout the race at Laguna Seca. "The race was won on the softer rear slick and the fastest race lap was set on the harder rear slick so the determining factors were riders selecting a tyre that provided the best feel, and what grip characteristics the rider preferred over the duration of the race. Also, many teams waited to see what the track temperatures would be for the race before making a final decision on the rear tire, though conditions were almost the same as they were in the Friday and Saturday afternoon sessions. We can determine from the results that under the race conditions both compounds worked very well, though it is difficult to say which was the better choice." Q. Weather conditions last weekend were typical for Laguna Seca; cool and cloudy in the morning and clear and warm in the afternoon. How did this affect tire performance? Masao Azuma says: "The variable weather conditions at Laguna Seca can make things complicated for teams and riders, though this year our feedback from riders was that they had a very good feeling from the tires even in the morning sessions. I believe the improved warm-up performance of the 2012 specification tires enabled riders to quickly find their comfort zone at Laguna Seca, especially during the cool mornings, and this was particularly important given the increased power output of the new 1000cc machines around this technical circuit." Q. The harder front slick tire was the preferred option throughout the race weekend, with only three riders selecting the softer front slick. What benefits did the harder front slick offer at Laguna Seca? Masao Azuma says: "Laguna Seca is a circuit with quick changes of direction and elevation that loads and then unloads the front suspension is a very short period of time. As a result of this character, front-end stability is always sought by riders at this circuit and the hard compound front slick is better in this regard. As the harder option also still gave riders enough edge grip to cope with the demands of this circuit, it was the preferred front tire for all the sessions and the race. A few riders however did prefer the feel of the softer front slick, so they chose to use this for the race." Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium, Hard. Rear: Soft, Medium (Asymmetric) Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main), Soft (Alternative)             This email was sent to pramlee99@gmail.com. Delivered by Feed My Inbox PO Box 682532 Franklin, TN 37068 Account Login Unsubscribe Here