MotoGP Indy: The Experience!

How about a MotoGP Indy exclusive?! A few of our people were lucky enough to go to the race, and boy was it incredible! We've got some great exclusive photos from the famous brickyard and infield, enjoy!

Red Bull certainly represented, how's that for a bus? 

Driving under the track to the infield!

The vendor setup infield was AWESOME.

Four-wheeled Goldwing, anyone?

Odd, but cool.

Honda really showed up, and had quite a bit to show!

Trey Canard bike!

Roger Hayden's #34 Moto2 bike

Go Repsol Honda!

Dunlop showcased some incredible customs at Indy!

Very cool dedicated custom windshield

MotoGP Red Bull Indy Grand Prix: The Race

Go Casey Stoner, GO! 
Here's the recap from motogp.com:
After recording the a new circuit best lap record yesterday whilst claiming pole position for today's race with a 1'38.850 lap, Stoner also achieved a new fastest race lap record of 1'39.807. This is Stoner's seventh win of the season and third consecutive win in a row after Laguna Seca and Brno.

Dani Pedrosa rode a great race to finish second behind Stoner. Pedrosa made one of his trademark flying starts and took an early lead in the 26 lap race however, Stoner passed him on lap seven and Pedrosa maintained second position comfortably, fending off the Yamaha's.

Andrea Dovizioso was hoping for a podium here in Indianapolis, but he endured some tough laps early in the race after being blocked by Hayden which knocked him down a few positions. Andrea remained focused and recovered these positions to finish the race in fifth position.

Casey Stoner now leads the Championship with 243 points (a 44 point margin over Lorenzo), with Andrea Dovizioso in 3rd position on 174 points and Dani Pedrosa, 4th position on 130 points.

Casey Stoner:
"We got an OK start and I should have been a little more aggressive in the first corner. As I entered turn two, Dani hit the breaks quite hard and I just had nothing, my brakes weren't warmed up yet and I had trouble stopping, I was lucky to get through the first lap. The race was tough, conditions were very hot and the track surface a little more slippery than practice and qualifying which made things difficult to know how much to push. At one point, I closed the front and dropped the bike on my knee, I was pretty much down but managed to pick it back up and not lose too much confidence. From there we started to make our way past Dani, put in a few good lap times and pull an advantage. Under challenging track conditions everything has worked really well this weekend, the crew did a fantastic job and gave me a great bike so a huge thanks to them all!"

Dani Pedrosa:
"We are very happy with second place today for several reasons. After yesterday's qualifying session, we had to work hard to reduce the one second gap we had from Casey, it wasn't normal to be so far away from him. To finish second after the crash in Brno is a great feeling. I knew that my race pace wouldn't be as fast as Casey's, but the team did a very good job, helped me to feel more comfortable with the front and I was able to find a good rhythm, just 3-4 tenths slower than Casey. It was a tough race being alone, but I focused on my lap times and I made my best lap at the end, so I'm happy with my performance and the bike. To get 20 points is not so bad after the crash in Brno and I look forward to going to Misano next week to try and take another step forward."

Andrea Dovizioso: 
“I can’t be happy with today’s result because our target was the podium and gaining some points on Lorenzo, but we also have to look at the positives and I'm pleased I managed a 1’40.1 lap time, my fastest of the race on my final lap. Considering the demanding conditions of this track and the hot temperatures, this lap time shows that we were fast even at the end. We had a bad start, Nicky (Hayden) blocked me and then Ben (Spies) and I touched in turn four and I lost valuable time. From that moment I tried to remain focused and lap by lap I found the pace that allowed me to recover positions. We knew that the race would be tough and it really was. It was also a strange race, from the beginning we had no rear grip and especially in the first laps I had the feeling that the front was closing a lot. However, I was able to adapt my riding style to the conditions to manage the tyres in the best way and ride consistently. We are competitive and we go to Misano, my home GP very determined and confident of a good result”.

Repsol Honda press release.

Lead Ban Exemption: Success!

All the hard work paid off for motorcycle and ATV manufacturers when President Obama signed the youth OHV exemption into law on August 12th. Here's a great article from motorcycle-usa.com that talks all about the implications on the industry:

For off-highway vehicle (OHV) manufacturers, dealers and others already suffering because of the nation's flagging economy, a new law that repeals a de facto ban on the sale of kids' OHVs is welcomed news, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.

These business owners and managers say the new law will help them stay in business, and will foster the sports of motorcycling and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) riding by introducing children to a lifelong sport.

"Kids who enjoy responsible motorized recreation with their families are really the lifeblood of our sport because they grow into responsible adult riders," said Rob Dingman, AMA president and CEO. "So the ban on the sale of children's OHVs would have hurt businesses and dealers not only now, but into the future as well. Thanks to the outcry from individual AMA members and others, this ban is now history."

On Aug. 12, President Barack Obama signed into law H.R. 2715 that exempts kids' OHVs from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008, known as the lead law.

The CPSIA, which went into effect on Feb. 10, 2009, banned the making, importing, distributing or selling of any product intended for children 12 and under, including kids' dirtbikes and ATVs, that contained more than a specified amount of lead in any accessible part that might be ingested.

The new law is a victory that is the result of nearly three years of intensive efforts by the AMA and its partner organization, the All-Terrain Vehicle Association (ATVA), their members and millions of advocates of responsible OHV recreation.

Sean Hilbert, president of Cobra Motorcycles, which makes kids' competition motocross machines, is happy that the long fight is over. Hilbert had feared that his company would be forced to close its doors because it wouldn't be able to afford to comply with the testing requirements of the CPSIA.

"I'm extremely relieved that we will be able to stay in business after Dec. 31 of this year," Hilbert said. "The question I was asked a lot is whether we could have made a motorcycle that met the requirement for lead. Eventually we could have gotten there with a lot of work and a lot of research... But the cost of compliance would have made it economically unviable to make children's motorcycles.

"There's never been any evidence whatsoever that kids have ingested any lead in their bloodstreams from riding a motorcycle," Hilbert added. "So there is no safety issue with lead."

Tim Cotter of MX Sports, which has been at the front of the fight with the AMA and others, said the law's change will have far-reaching consequences.

"You don't have to go very far in your economics textbook to see what this means for us," he says of the company that runs AMA motocross qualifiers and the Loretta Lynn's AMA Motocross National Championships. "If you can still buy minibikes, kids can still race minibikes.

"But it goes farther than that," he says. "This will help motorcycling, both on- and off-road, to continue to grow. When you take away the ability of kids to be introduced to motorcycling before the age of 12, you probably lost those kids. They'll be on to something else. Now the choice is still there.

"When this reared its head several years ago, I never dreamed it'd take until August 2011, to get this thing resolved," Cotter continued. "Once we learned about it, with the AMA's leadership and the government relations team guiding us, I believe our success is based on the success of AMA members getting organized."

Jerry Abboud, executive director of the Powersports Dealers Association of Colorado, said the signing of the new law "brings to an end the unfortunate example of a law that simply went beyond its intended purpose and well into the private lives of parents in America concerning their right to choose and guide their children's recreational pursuits.

"Kudos to the AMA for leading the charge and every other motorized organization, club, dealer, family and individual who made this possible through one united voice," he said. "A tip of the hat to the bill's sponsors and members of Congress for getting this one right."

Bill Hearne, operating manager for Outdoor Motorsports, a dealership in Spearfish, S.D., says the ban never should have happened and took way too long for lawmakers to fix.

"But through the efforts of the AMA and a lot of other people, we got a bad thing turned around," Hearne said. "The sad part is that when we're trying to have economic development, thousands of dealers lost sales. It's many millions of dollars nationwide, I'm sure.

"When you take the whole dealer market, there is always someone on the margin, just hanging on," he said, "and for some, those 10 bikes that weren't sold would be enough to push him over the edge, and you don't have just the owner, but the workers too."

Like others in the motorcycling and ATV communities, Paul Vitrano, general counsel of the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) and executive vice president and general counsel of the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA), is pleased with the new law.

"We are gratified that all the powersports community's efforts paid off. This will ensure that youth models will be available for them to ride safely with their families," Vitrano said. "It's very important because the youth models were created to give them appropriate-sized vehicles to enter into the sport." 

Bikes, Blues & BBQ Custom Builds!

Who's ready for Bikes, Blues & BBQ?! A bike rally isn't complete without custom rides, so we thought we'd have a little fun with a few of Honda's 2011 models and make some customs of our own! Here's a few sneak-peek pics for you... What do you think we'll do? Make sure you come by Heartland Honda's tent at BBB to see the final results, we guarantee you won't be disappointed.  Check out our 20x80 booth at the corner of West & Dickson St. in Fayetteville during BBB, September 29-Oct 1.



Also during BBB, be sure to come by our shop in Springdale all three days to enjoy free pancakes from 8:30-10:30am, free BBQ from 11am to 3pm, and demo rides all day long! You can also register to win a $500 shopping spree, and if you "check-in" at Heartland Honda on facebook, we'll send you home with a free can of Honda spray polish!

The 2012 Rally was the biggest and best rally they've had so far.  This year they are bringing the excitement to Fayetteville with hopes to top it once again!

Thursday promises fun with the VIP Ride -- Fayetteville to Eureka Springs and back from 10:00am - 5:30pm.

On Friday and Saturday, the Springdale Rodeo will have two days of amateur and pro motorcross as well as a nationally reowned rider "Cowboy" Kenny Bartram and the Steel Rodeo team.  You'll have a chance to meet the pro racers, get their autographs, and take pictures!  Plenty of parking is available and there will be all types of food consessions.

Here is the race schedule:

Friday, Sept. 30: Pro Racing Day

4:00 – race practice            

6:30 – meet and greet by racers            

8:00 – racing begins            

11:00 – end of show 

Saturday, Oct 1:

11:00 a.m. – race practice            

2:00 p.m. – heat races            

6:30 p.m. – finals races           

11:00 p.m. – end of show

ALSO, Check out Heartland Honda's booth for the first time in Arena Cross at Parson Stadium on Friday 9/30 and Saturday 10/1.  We will have a 20x40 booth with Honda dirt bikes as well as cool apparel, gear, and merchandise for sale!  We are also having a huge motorcycle sale, be sure to stop by and check us out!

It's facebook contest time!!

That's right, it's contest time! Who wants to win free stuff? We're giving away one of three awesome prizes next week, and all you have to do is head over to facebook.com/heartlandhondaar and decide which one YOU want us to give away! So... what are you waiting for?


Wait... we have another promotion going on over at facebook too! At our website, we're encouraging our customers to help us reach 1,000 fans on our facebook page, and we're willing to reward you for it! Check out our website for more details... www.heartlandhonda.com

Don't miss out on your summer fun... Check out an Aquatrax!

Have you checked into an Aquatrax yet? I know we've told you why you should consider one, why Honda is superior to the competitors, and how Honda's legendary innovation is next-to-none. So... got one yet? Come by Heartland Honda or give us a call at (888) 853-8468 to see what we can do for you!

Indy Red Bull MotoGP THIS WEEKEND!!

Just 2 more days!! And we have a surprise for you.... a few people from our shop will be there to deliver you all kinds of first-hand excitement! So be sure to stay tuned next week to see our exclusive pictures and insider scoop. In the meantime, here's a preview of this weekend's action from motorcycle-usa.com:


Indianapolis Motor Speedway plays host to the second and final U.S. MotoGP round this weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana. Having been added to the calendar in ’08 this year will be the fourth time the MotoGP boys have raced around the Brickyard’s 2.621 mile, 16-turn road course. 

Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner currently leads the MotoGP paddock by 32 points heading into Indy.

 
Earlier this summer, IMS repaved a large portion of the circuit in order to remove some of the bumps and pavement inconsistencies that developed and played a part in a few crashes over the years. One and a half miles of fresh asphalt was laid between Turns 5 through 16. Ducati’s Nicky Hayden, who hails from nearby Kentucky, tested the new surface a few weeks ago and was delighted by the work completed. Says Hayden: “The bumps are definitely gone, although I’d say it will take some time on Friday to clean it up and get some rubber down.” 

Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner is in the driver’s seat of this year’s championship with a 32-point advantage over Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo with seven races left. The ’07 World Champ has won more races than any other rider this year (six) but has failed to ever step on the podium in Indianapolis. 

“In the past seasons the track at Indy has been extremely bumpy and also slightly dangerous, so I'm looking forward to going there and riding the new surface,” said Stoner. “It will also be nice to ride the Honda there, as it took a lot of work to get the set-up right on the Ducati at such a peculiar circuit. I've only ridden the circuit in 2008 and 2010 and we were pretty competitive there last year, but then I lost the front in the race, so it will be good to get there, test the new surface and get to work on the set-up on my RC212V.” 

Following harsh criticism of Indy's bumpy track surface last year the circuit has been repaved.  

Even though Stoner’s teammate, Dani Pedrosa, is well out of range in terms of championship points, the Spanish rider could be a threat for the win if he’s fit enough and can maintain his flying pace for the duration of the race. 

If Lorenzo wants to secure another World Championship this season he’s going to need to start winning races. And based on his results in the last three years he’s plenty capable after having finished on the podium every year, including a win in ’09. 

"Indy is a track I really enjoy,” says Lorenzo. “I treasure wonderful moments like the podiums in 2008 and 2010, and my victory in 2009 wearing Captain America's helmet. I am now in good shape and am ready to regain the ground we lost in Brno, where a mistake put a distance between Casey and I. I hope the good energy I feel in this track will still help us to fight for the title.” 

American rider Ben Spies is another rider who is capable of putting it on the box this weekend. Spies recorded a second-place finish here last year on a lesser-spec satellite Yamaha YZR-M1. Now that he is on a full-fledged factory bike he certainly has the capability to secure his second career win on Sunday. In recognition of Yamaha’s 50th anniversary of Grand Prix road racing both Lorenzo and Spies will run special red/white livery. 

American Ben Spies had a solid second-place finish at Indy last year and returns with high expectations.

“I’m really hoping to be completely fit for this weekend,” Spies said. “I’ve still got some numbness in the arm but it is better than it was at Brno. We’ve been working hard to get it right and we will of course give it 100% as always. I’ve been looking forward to this race all year; it was pretty crazy last year as a rookie to take pole and a second in the race. We’re going to put on a good show for all the home fans and see what we can do.” 

For the most part the Ducati team has struggled this season. Though after a successful test at Brno a few weeks ago it claims it’s in a better position to challenge for the front. Both of its riders Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi have had success here at Indianapolis. 

“I’m looking forward to this event,” commented Hayden, who only lives a few hours from the track. “I always enjoy racing at home in front of friends and family, but I need to go there and focus on my job. I want to try to do a good result while also having fun and enjoying the weekend. The team has worked really hard to get me the opportunity to ride this new bike, and now it’s up to me to try and pay them back with a good result.” 

“Indy is a difficult circuit,” explained Rossi. “And although it’s not exactly one of my favorites, we’ll see how we perform there with the Ducati. They resurfaced part of the track, so the conditions should certainly be better from that point of view. We made a little progress with the GP11.1’s set-up during the Brno GP, and we’ll see if we can confirm them at 

Ducati's Nicky Hayden will race the GP11.1 for the first time ever at his home circuit.

this next race. Anyway, racing in America is always nice for me, as I enjoy both the atmosphere and the fans, who are always very passionate. On the other hand, I’m very sorry that we’ll be missing someone who undoubtedly followed our sport, though not at the track: Claudio Castiglioni (read MV Agusta’s Castiglioni Dead at 64) was very passionate and he did a lot for the motorcycle world, and for me in particular when he helped me get started in racing in Sport Production 125 when I was 14.” 

In support of the MotoGP class, the Moto 2 (Honda CBR600RR-powered prototype chassis machines) and 125 (classic 125cc single-cylinder two-strokes) classes will run as well as the newly formed AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 series. 

Photos Leaked! The 2012 CBR1000RR is revealed!

Could it be? The 2012 CBR1000RR deliberately leaked for our personal feasting? According to motorcycle-usa.com, Honda posted these pictures on their Hong Kong facebook page, so of course we're all going to share! Looks like plenty of awesome upgrades are being made to Honda's new fireblade to mark it's 20th Anniversary edition. Here's the article from MotorcycleUSA:


"Although details are scarce at this time there is a new 2012 Honda CBR1000RR and these are some of the first images and video of that motorcycle. 2012 is the 20th aniversary of the CBR so the timing will be perfect for Honda to unleash its new and improved flagship sportbike.

Even though official specifications have not been released at this time we can tell quite a bit from the images here. First of all, the bike is not a ground up redesign, instead this is the evolution of the popular CBR1000RR platform. Obvious changes are as follows:

Bodywork: The new Fireblade bodywork as its seen here is much more aggressive in appearance with the dual reflector beam head lamps similar in shape but more sinister than the last generation. The cowling is also more wild with its lightning-bolt shaped air intakes the most conspicuous change. It seems Honda has made an effort to make the CBR frontal area less-stubby and more angular (Something that has worked well for Suzuki and now BMW) in recent years. After that the body kit appears to have received only slight modifications, including poweder coated black frame and swing-arm.

Dash: A new information system features a large, LCD-style dashboard with digital tach running horizontally across the top, large speedo in the center, lap-timer, gear position indicator, engine temp, clock, trip meters and a series of shift-indicator lights across the upper edge of the dash frame.

Suspension/Brakes: The huge fork caps visible at the top of the triple-clamp appear to be Showa Big Piston Fork technology. This makes sense as Kawasaki and Suzuki have gone this route on their sportbikes the last two years. Honda has used the Unit Pro-Link layout for the rear suspension and this appears to be a variation on that same design. Radial-mount 4-piston Tokico calipers and maybe larger rotors round out this area.

Wheels: Twelve-spoke GP-style wheels replace the old three-spoke hoops found on the 2011 CBR1000RR. Honda has made it a point to offer ultra-light wheels on the CBR line-up the past few years so we expect the new wheels to possibly be even lighter.

Not so obvious changes: We expect Honda to maintain its mid-pack position in terms of outright power. It’s unlikely that we will see the 2012 CBR1000RR challenge the class horsepower leading S1000RR and ZX-10R. The Honda way seems to be to build bikes with gobs of usable low-end and mid-range power surrounded by an excellent chassis. Odds are that’s what we will get here too.

Electronics: Rumor has it that there will be a fully-loaded 2012 CBR1000RR with ABS and an engine management system that would surely include traction control and variable mapping. But we cannot confirm this info at this time."

What do you think about MotoGP's changes for 2012 bikes?

Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa gave Honda's prototype for next year's class of 1000cc bikes another test on Monday. Here's the article from motogp.com:
"It was a positive day of testing with both riders giving valuable feedback, which will allow the HRC engineers to continue the development of the new machine. As scheduled, the test began at 09h00 under dry conditions and finished at 18h00 with one hour lunch break. Fortunately, the rain that was expected did not arrive until the final 30 minutes of the day, when the Repsol Honda Team had already finished their programme.

Czech Republic GP winner Casey Stoner, who already tested the RC213V in the Jerez test, was the fastest rider on track with a lap time of 1’56.168. Completing a total of 57 laps, he and his team took some important steps forward in the development of the 2012 machine.

Dani Pedrosa made his debut on the new machine as he missed the first test session held at Jerez on May 17th and 18th due to injury. Dani made the most of the dry track to study the new bike and give important feedback to the HRC engineers. In total he completed 37 laps with a top time of 1'57.264, the fourth fastest of the day.

HRC engineers will now take time to evaluate this data from both riders and decide how to proceed with the development of the new machine.

Casey Stoner: 1st - Time: 1'56.168
"Today was another good shakedown, but we still have some work to do. We found a few positive things and confirmed certain directions to take and move forward. We had a few small problems with chatter, but it's something that shouldn't be too difficult to sort out through engine braking and engine management systems, which are areas we can definitely improve in, along with the chassis. The engine for me is fantastic, to ride the 1000 with more grunt and more power it's a lot of fun, it has incredible acceleration, most of the time too much! We tested a couple of the new tyres and had some issues, the traction didn't feel that great and they seemed to create a lot more chatter so we went back to the standard tyres and the chatter seemingly disappeared. From the data we have from the first test and this test, we can go away and come back with the next step and take it from there."

Dani Pedrosa: 4th - Time: 1'57.264
"First of all, I'm very happy to have tested the 1000cc because rain was expected, but it didn't arrive until the end of the day. My first impression in the morning was that the feelings were quite similar to those I had when I first came into MotoGP, you can feel the difference in torque and power. Perhaps I was still riding it with an 800cc style and I need a little more understanding again and try to ride it differently, but the bike seems to work quite well. We will make many modifications, so the final version will be very different to today's bike, but this is normal and the first impression is quite good. Compared to the 990cc I rode in 2006 it's very similar on the power side, but a little lighter in weight and behaviour. I tried one run with the prototype Casey tested in Jerez, and also the other one with some modifications and it was a bit better. With a new bike, electronics, engine, chassis, everything is not the best, but from my experience in the past with new bikes, the starting point is not so bad. We have to be very careful with the chassis because perhaps the tyres next year are a little different in construction which will affect the chassis.""

All HONDA Podium at Brno, way to go Stoner!

Did everyone catch Sunday's action at Brno? MotoGP's 11th race of it's 18-race series championship was an incredible showing for Honda, resulting in the first 1-2-3 Honda podium since the 2006 Laguna Seca GP.  Casey Stoner increases his lead in the championship points with the win, while teammate Andrea Dovizioso takes second and San Carlo Honda Gresini's Marco Simoncelli stepped onto the podium for the first time in the premier class.

Here's an article from motogp.com with all the awesome details:
"The all Honda podium was also the first of the 800cc era. Unfortunately, only the crash of Dani Pedrosa, on the third lap has marred what has been one of the best Sunday's for the Japanese manufacturer.

Under similar circumstances to Laguna Seca three weeks ago, Casey Stoner has managed to turn a difficult weekend into a win without opposition in a race that he led from the third lap, when Dani Pedrosa, after taking the lead, lost the front and crashed. With the absence of Pedrosa who has been the fastest man throughout the weekend, Stoner had no rival and set a steady pace to increase the gap step by step and cross the finish line 6.5 seconds ahead of his teammate Andrea Dovizioso.

In another consistent race, Andrea had a fantastic start climbing from seventh position on the grid and resisting attacks from Lorenzo and Simoncelli to take his fifth podium of the year. Casey Stoner's victory at Brno, combined with the fourth position of his closest rival in the Championship, Jorge Lorenzo, gives the Australian a 32 point lead in the MotoGP World Championship. Dovizioso continues to hold third position and Pedrosa is now fifth, behind Valentino Rossi.

Tomorrow the Repsol Honda Team will be back at the Brno circuit testing their 1000cc 2012 machine. Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner will ride the bike in the one day test.

Casey Stoner:
"We knew we could make a strong podium challenge today, but we didn't really expect the race win. As soon as the race got underway I was having a good battle with Andrea, but this cost me a little time and I was afraid that Jorge and Dani would stretch away from me. But when I got past I found I had plenty of speed to catch up and the bike felt great. I passed Jorge and then Dani sadly crashed out, so I pushed to see if I could pull a gap and I was able to do so quite quickly. I'm very sorry for Dani, he would have been hard to beat today. After such a hard weekend it's fantastic to come out with a comfortable win, a big thanks to my team who never give up. Tomorrow we'll be back on the 1000 for another day of testing, so I hope the weather stays dry for us!"

Andrea Dovizioso: 
“I’m really happy to be back on the podium, it’s a good result after a difficult weekend and second position is so important for the Championship. I made a very good start from seventh position and in the first laps I was riding cautiously to save the tyres. When Dani crashed I tried to stay with Casey, but I made a mistake at turn 13 and I almost went off the track. I’m happy of how I managed the race first with Lorenzo and then with Simoncelli to maintain second position. In the final five laps I pushed harder to maintain the margin from Marco. I didn’t want to fight with him in the last corners. I want to thank Honda and the team for the good work, we have demonstrated again that in the race we are there and I'm really looking forward to Indy in two weeks time.”

Dani Pedrosa:
"It was a shame. I lost the front and I crashed, that was it! I was not even pushing so hard, I just took the lead and, well I may have tilted the bike too much, maybe the tyre was not warm enough, still I don't know. The problem is that I've wasted an important race that we had prepared for very well. I have to thank the team for the bike they gave me this weekend, it worked really well, and I will tell them I'm sorry for the mistake. It hurts because we were well prepared and finally the race was quite slow compared to the pace we did in practice sessions, but we can not do anything, just try to get back on top. Let's hope tomorrow we can have at least some hours in the dry to test the 1000cc. I've been looking forward to see how the new machine is after missing the Jerez test."

New cooling vests are in!

Stay safe while riding in the heat, try out a cooling vest! We just got a new load of them in, and they are ready to help make your summer ride more comfortable and safe.
A water management system is created from the layers of uniquely designed material which absorbs, stores and releases water over time through evaporation, providing an extended cooling effect.
Always remember to stay hydrated while riding in hot weather, make frequent stops and don't over-extend yourself. Stay safe and enjoy the ride everyone!

Justin Barcia to race 450 class for American Honda

Welcome to the team, Barcia!! Honda recently announced that 250cc rider Justin Barcia will race the remaining AMA Motocross Championship rounds on a factory Honda CRF450R.

Here's the article from ultimatemotorcycling.com:

"2011 AMA Motocross

For the remaining four rounds of the 2011 AMA Motorcross Championship, 250cc rider Justin Barcia will be competing in the main 450 class.

Starting this weekend at Unadilla Motocross, Barcia will pilot a factory Honda-prepped CRF450R; the Supercross Lites East Champion will only be competing in the 450 class from now to the end of the season.

Justin Barcia (Honda Motocross) says: "I'm so grateful to have this opportunity to ride the Honda CRF450R in the 450 class. I can't thank GEICO Honda team owners Rick Zielfelder and Jeff Majkrzak enough for allowing me to take advantage of this opportunity.

"I raced the CRF450R to the overall win at the Bercy Supercross last year and I felt great competing on the bike, so I'm excited to now get the chance to race several rounds in the Motocross series on it.

"I'm also really looking forward to working with the factory Honda team. I feel I've grown a lot as a professional racer over the past three years and this whole experience is only going to help me develop my skills even more."

Erik Kehoe (American Honda Racing Team Motocross Manager) says: "Justin has been a part of the Honda family for many years now, having entered the professional ranks through Honda's amateur support program.

"Barcia has a lot of experience racing Honda motorcycles and he's earned a lot of success in both his amateur and professional careers. Trey Canard showcased his talents aboard the factory-prepared Honda CRF450R last year when he filled in for six Supercross rounds, and obviously that was a significant career opportunity for him, while Cole Seely enjoyed racing several Supercross' with the team this year.

"We are pleased to work with Honda-supported teams and give the younger Honda riders like Barcia the chance to gain valuable experience riding for the factory team when opportunities arise.""

RIDE HONDA!