ESPN announces Summer X Games venues

Following is a release from ESPN X Games PR

ESPN – together with Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) and the Los Angeles Coliseum – will celebrate its 16th annual action sports event, the X Games, entirely downtown between STAPLES Center, Nokia Theatre, the Los Angeles Coliseum and L.A. LIVE. The 2010 event will mark the seventh consecutive year that the X Games will take place in Los Angeles.  Thirty-one hours of live X Games programming on ESPN and ESPN2 – all in high definition – will be aired July 29 through August 1, as well as on ESPN International, ESPN.com\action, ESPN Classic, ESPN3.com, and SportsCenter.

“It has been seven years since we first had X Games events at the Los Angeles Coliseum, and ESPN couldn’t be more thrilled to be returning this year with several of our sports,” said Jack Wienert, ESPN executive director, X Games Event Management. “As the X Games franchise continues to grow, we are proud and excited about our continued great relationship with AEG as we expand our presence this year downtown at STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE.”
 
Lee Zeidman, STAPLES Center, Nokia Theatre and L.A. LIVE Sr. Vice President & General Manager, said: “STAPLES Center, Nokia Theatre, L.A. LIVE and AEG are incredibly excited to expand our partnership with ESPN and the X Games in downtown Los Angeles. The ability to activate the entire L.A. LIVE campus for four days with non stop X Games events is something that everyone is really looking forward to this summer, and X Games 16 will undoubtedly be an experience fans will not want to miss.”
 
“We couldn’t be more excited to have the X Games back at the Coliseum,” said Pat Lynch, general manager for the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum & Sports Arena.  “As the original home to the precursor of the X Games, the original motocross, we truly appreciate and love showcasing this world-class action sports event.” 

The following are the various sport disciplines and locations for X Games 16:

STAPLES Center   
Moto X Speed & Style
Moto X Step Up
Moto X Best Whip
Moto X Best Trick

L.A. LIVE Event Deck   
BMX Park
BMX Street
SKB Park
SKB Park Legends
SKB Street (M & W)
 
Nokia Theatre       
BMX Vert
SKB Vert (M, W, & Amateurs)
SKB Vert Best Trick
 
LA Coliseum        
Moto X Freestyle
Super X (M, W, & Adaptive)
Rally Car Racing
BMX Big Air
SKB Big Air
SKB Big Air Rail Jam
 
ESPN AND ESPN INTERNATIONAL TO TELEVISE EVENT LIVE
Last year, X Games 15 was ESPN’s most-watched in history. ESPN increased its X Games coverage to almost ten hours, compared to six and seven in the previous two years. Overall, X Games 15 averaged a 1.0 rating on ESPN, making it the most-viewed X Games ever among viewers. This year, there will be a 14-hour increase to the broadcast, including four hours of coverage on SportsCenter.
 
Tickets for X Games 16 will be available for purchase June 24 at all Ticketmaster locations and the box offices at STAPLES Center and Nokia Theatre.

SX Results Seattle

To say the Supercross track in Seattle was a tough one would be an understatement. After being pounded by rain all week, the treacherous whoop sections became soft and rutted during Saturday’s race at Qwest Field.

Seattle presented a tough track for Yoshimura’s race team, no doubt. But Yoshimura rider Ryan Dungey, despite the tough track, managed to make history. With two races left in the series, the rookie sewed up the 2010 AMA Supercross championship.

Dungey winning the title, only the second rookie ever to do so, caps off an amazing season. Dungey has been leading the series points since the second round in Phoenix, where he won his first Supercross race.

Due to his consistent riding and his Yoshimura-prepped RM-Z450, Ryan Dungey has been on top of his game and on top of the box a lot in 2010. He won five races and grabbed the holeshot in four. He ended up on the podium 10 out of 15 races and has shown the kind of dedication and talent that makes a true champion.

Despite the ever-changing conditions on the track Saturday night, Dungey was on his game in heat one, riding the track with skill and taking very necessary precaution. His Yoshimura engine propelled him to second-place in his heat, winning him a ticket straight to the main event.

Heat two saw even more exciting racing for Yoshimura as Honda teammates Davi Millsaps and Andrew Short battled it out on their CFR450s. Millsaps came out on top for first, and Short finished third.

The Supercross main event was eventful as the track deteriorated and changed with every lap. Dungey started the race in second, but the deep ruts in the whoop section caused him to fall to fourth where he finished the race. Dungey finished the race in fourth and earned enough points to become only the second rider ever to claim the AMA Supercross championship in their rookie season.

Yoshimura rider Davi Millsaps got off to a rough start and went down in the first whoop section, as well. The crash caused some trouble on the bike and he was forced to pull in to the mechanic’s area to get it straightened out.

Millsaps truly showcased his talent this race by making an amazing comeback on his Yoshimura RS-4-powered CFR450: from 19th to 5th place by the time the race ended. Millsaps put in consistently fast laps with the assistance of his Yoshimura-prepped engine, which allowed him to make such an incredible recovery from his pit stop in the first lap.

Andrew Short competed in his third race since his injury in San Diego had him sit out a majority of the season, and showed that he’s capable of competing with the best. Short moved around on leader board for much of the race and was able to pull off a ninth place finish on the treacherous track with his Yoshimura RS-4 exhaust on his Honda.

Round 16 of the AMA Supercross series takes place on Saturday, May 1, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The R55 muffler is one of Yoshimura’s most popular exhausts. With improved styling, and that distinctive Yoshimura sound the R55 is the obvious choice for any performance bike, and it especially compliments the lines of the BMW S1000RR. Included is a Yoshimura Titanium R55-LE with a carbon fiber end cap, carbon fiber heat shield, detailed installation directions, and all necessary hardware.
• GP Style Muffler
• Titanium Construction with Carbon Fiber End Cap
• Carbon Fiber Heat Shield
• Laser etched Yoshimura logo on muffler

Part Number: 1520487
MSRP $799.00

Harley-Davidson has recently launched “We Ride” –their guide for women which serves as an inspirational and educational brochure for non-riders and newly licensed female riders alike.  The guide features women riders sharing their passion, lots of information new riders need to know before they hit the road, good tips on apparel that’s designed specifically for women and many other topics specific to women riders.

The guide can be found on Harley-Davidson’s women riders section and is absolutely FREE to download.

The 2010 International Female Ride Day is Friday, May 7. Women all over the world are preparing for the global occasion that has women riders everywhere getting out on their motorcycle on this one day and riding. More countries are expected to join in and more women are setting up activities for their fellow female riders.

“The word continues to spread and women enthusiastically are getting ready to ride and unite on this synchronized day around the world,” says Vicki Gray, the founder of MOTORESS, the group that started International Female Ride Day.

For this, the 4th annual event, Vicki says she’s noticed an increase in the recognition of the Female Ride Day among the motorcycle industry around the world. “The popularity of this event comes from the concept and the fact that it invites women to ride no matter what brand, style or type of motorcycle. This gives the industry an opportunity to share its support and get involved.”

As before, participants will be able to upload and send in their picture to MOTORESS or post them on the Facebook group and event page. A free souvenir will be sent to the first 100 photos received. Participants can also go the MOTORESS Facebook group or event page to post their plans for May 7 while networking with others. In addition, women will be able to order the special 2010 Female Ride Day T-shirt as a souvenir online. This year the T-shirt will be in a natural bamboo fabric, the latest trend in eco-friendly fabrics.

Sport bike, cruiser, scooter, off-road, touring or competition, regardless of what type or style of motorcycle, International Female Ride Day makes one simple request of women — just ride. The concept has assembled its power and participation in this simple, globally synchronized theme linking the chain of women through the shared activity of motorcycling. This one day is set aside to celebrate and highlight the many numbers of women who share a passion for the sport. The fact that every rider participating is a role model for women who have not yet taken their first step to enjoy motorcycling, is a role worth embracing.

At its inception in 2007, the campaign became an immediate success as women embraced the chance to participate. International Female Ride Day fever significantly magnifies each year and 2010 expects to host more riders and participants than the previous years. Canada, United States, Australia, England, The Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Poland, Israel, Qatar and Denmark as well as other countries will again be contributing to the campaign in compelling numbers. For more information, visit www.motoress.com.

The FIM has announced that the air disruptions caused by the huge volcanic eruptions in Iceland have forced the postponement of the Japanese Moto GP scheduled for this weekend.

The release from the FIM stated: “The recent volcanic eruption in Iceland has caused an ash cloud that has halted all international air travel in and out of Europe.

“This situation has prompted the Grand Prix Permanent Bureau which is comprised of FIM President Mr Vito Ippolito and Dorna Sports CEO Mr Carmelo Ezpeleta, with the agreement of the Grand Prix Promoter, Mobilityland Corporation, to postpone the Grand Prix of Japan which was originally scheduled for April 25th, 2010.

“The Grand Prix Permanent Bureau has subsequently proposed a rescheduled date for the event of October 3rd, 2010.”

That date would be one week before the Malaysian GP, which at least makes sense from a travel-cost point of view.

Taylor Made Racing has a slick looking carbon fiber kit to convert your GSXR 1000 into having a Moto GP style exhaust.  If you’re looking for a unique look by shedding the pipes for a more streamlined look then this is for you.  In addition to the looks of the kit, there is a weight savings of over 20 pounds!  The full kit is available now to order on the TaylorMade Racing website, priced at $845.00.

Features:

• Weight Savings of 20 lbs
• Increased Power +10 hp
• Carbon Fiber Trim Panels
• Tuned Sound Level
• Cool Ceramic Technology

Read the full press release below and make special note on the gain in power after installing this kit!!

Press Release:

Once again, the TaylorMade Racing’s team has created a totally unique clean style for your 2009/2010 Suzuki GSXR 1000. Combining high design with race proven engineering, the new S9 kit will blow you away with both looks and performance. Our underbelly muffler is dedicated to maximizing volume in the space available under the engine. Our exhaust has a fantastic sound that will stir the soul without going overboard.

The TaylorMade Racing 2009/2010 Suzuki GSXR 1000 kit is a slip on that eliminates the stock box and muffler, saving more than 20 pounds! The kit comes with both right and left side carbon fiber trim panels to blend the stock fairing into that aerodynamic MotoGP style. TaylorMade Racing’s carbon trim panels are 100% carbon fiber, with a natural lightweight race finish.

On the dyno combined with a PowerCommander V, the performance is an additional 10hp at the peak and +8hp mid range, that’s a 10% increase in power midrange! The kit comes with detailed installation instructions and all mounting hardware.

As always, the TaylorMade Racing team is standing by to help with any questions.

Phone: 818 781 8123

Email: sales@racetaylormade.com

Website: www.racetaylormade.com

California Sidecar has released a new trike kit called “The Custom”.  The new design take the three wheeled motorcycle to a new level by providing a custom chopper look straight out of the box.  The kit will convert any Harley-Davidson Softail from 2000 on up (excluding Rocker and 2007 Fatboy) and will be available during the second quarter of this year.  Standard features include:

• New front-end with custom polished billet aluminum triple trees raked for that chopper look
• Carpeted trunk with remote operated hatch release
• Custom seat by Saddleman
• Trike chassis with upgraded high performance disc brakes and calipers
• Matching polished billet aluminum wheels with tires.

The price is still not determined, but should be comparable to other trike conversions offered currently by California Sidecar.

This new concept bike from Derbi, the Derbi DH 2.0, a mountain bike sized motorcycle with a small engine and very light weight. It has fuel in frame like a Buell, an automatic transmission, a 100cc air cooled 4 stroke engine, underseat exhaust, inverted fork, air monoshock and a dry weight of 88 pounds! That’s a lot closer to mountain bike weight than motorcycle. The DH in the name refers to downhill mountain biking. The engine can even be quickly dismounted for a fast downhill with less weight. Pretty high tech little machine which also shows the guys who built Project M85 Freeride might be on to something. Cool.

With the enginefrom a Subaru WRX and a passion for motorcycles,  you get an idea you want to build a motorcycle. Well Ian McElroy was thinking about just that and started putting his ideas into Solidworks to see what he could do. Not knowing how to use Solidworks, he was learning the software as he continued putting his ideas into the computer. What you see here is the result. It’s awsome, a beautiful work of art. I really like the fact that Ian decided to jump in and learn the software so he clarify his ideas to see if they would work. It’s so easy to say, “I don’t know how” and leave it at that, Ian decided to learn it and forge ahead. Nice work Ian!

The Russians have a lot of snow covered terrain and it looks like they have a lot of time to tinker. There’s a whole page of homemade Russian snowmobiles with all sorts of interesting contraptions, including this snow scooter. Sort of looks like a mini-Kettenkrad, doesn’t it? No details other than what you can gather from the photos but it’s a pretty nifty cold weather ride.

If you check out the page you’ll find lots of other machines with motorcycle engines and skis making use of the materials at hand. Although these are very cool, I’m glad we’re past winter and into spring. Maybe when the cold weather returns we can look at these for inspiration.

A lot of people laughed when General Motors rolled out the electric EN-V city car, but the underlying principle driving its creation is sound: As our cities grow ever more crowded, we need to seriously rethink personal mobility.

Sixty percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2030, and there will be as many as two billion cars on the road. Clearly mass transit and smart growth will play increasingly important roles, but the automobile isn’t going anywhere. GM isn’t alone in looking for ways to build cars that pollute less and take up less space. Volkswagen’s bullet-shaped L1 diesel-hybrid concept is another example of a redefinition of the car.

“We need to find a solution for emerging markets in particular, where we’re expecting a lot of our growth in big cities,” Chris Borroni-Bird, who led then EN-V project, says in a video explaining the project.

No one’s talking about taking away your SUV or sports car. But Borroni-Bird says the little electric runabout addresses six issues facing urban mobility in increasingly dense cities: energy use, environmental concerns, safety, congestion, parking and affordability.

Image : General Motors

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has just released their study regarding the efficacy of antilock brakes for motorcycles. The Institute believes that antilock brakes for motorcycles should be standard on all motorcycles because they reduce fatal motorcycle accidents by up to 37%

An analysis by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) of insurance claims filed after motorcycle accidents found that motorcycles with antilock brakes have 22% fewer accident claims for damage.

In the past couple of years the number of motorcycle accident fatalities has gone up with more than 5,000 people killed in motorcycle-related accidents in 2008. The number of motorcycle deaths increased at the same time that car accident deaths were at their lowest in 50 years.

One of the key factors in the increase in motorcycle fatalities is that more people are buying and riding motorcycles than ever before. In 2008, there were 7.7 million registered motorcycles compared to 4.3 million in 2000.

Anti-lock brakes are a key component to motorcycle safety. Stopping a motorcycle is more difficult than a car because the front and back wheels usually have separate brake controls. Wheels can lock when a rider brakes hard. However, if a rider has anti-lock brakes, the motorcycle detects an impending lockup and can compensate so by reducing the braking pressure until the bike has traction.

Click here for a list of motorcycles which can be purchased with antilock brakes.

CORINTH (Greece) - Freestyle Motocross, with breathtaking tricks such as flips performed at heights of up to three stories high, is one the world’s most dangerous sports. Robbie Maddison is one of the world’s best in FMX.

But that is not enough for the 28-year-old Australian. Maddison is always looking for even greater thrills and has completed a number of spectacular jumps that would have made his idol, pioneering stuntman Evel Knievel, proud. In 2007 and 2008 Maddison set three world records for motorcycle distance jumping all the way to 350 feet. On December 31, 2008, he celebrated New Year’s Eve at Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. in Las Vegas by jumping up 100 feet onto the Arc de Triomphe in front of Paris Las Vegas and then descended off the monument to ground level. Last year, images of Maddison backflipping the Tower Bridge over the Thames River in London while the drawbridge was open went around the world.
 
Many motocrossers have wanted to jump across the Corinth Canal, which was built in 1893. But the Australian was the first to succeed. He sped his Honda 500 up through a turn-filled approach past a pool, across a soccer pitch and past a chicken coop, no doubt startling the poultry, to a speed of 78 miles per hour. He accelerated up a ramp and flew across the canal gap and landed safely on a mound set up on the other side of the canal. At his height, Maddison was 311 feet above the canal’s surface.
 
Maddison said getting the approach right despite the constantly changing surfaces – from grass to concrete to wood to asphalt again and then carpet – was difficult enough but there was greater hurdle to the jump: “Overcoming fear, that’s always the hardest part,“ he said. “Jumping across the Corinth Canal has become in my mind a challenge I just could not resist. This jump involved the highest consequences I have faced so far, so the first obstacle I had to overcome was my fear. I believe you have to take risks in life to become wiser and facing a challenge like this will help get me ready for the next feat I will face. I am thrilled I managed to pull it off, as you know there is only one opportunity to get it right!”
 
Maddo will travel straight from Greece to Mexico City for the season opener of the six-event Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour, this Friday night. Maddison was second overall last year and aims to win the title this year.

 The show features the world’s top freestyle motocross riders in a never-before-seen action packed, record-breaking theatrical freestyle motocross production.
The Nuclear Cowboyz tour has assembled the world’s greatest cast of freestyle motocross riders, including Adam Jones, Mike Mason, Nate Adams, Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg, Ronnie Faisst, Todd Potter, Beau Bamburg, Nixey Danielson, Jim McNeil, Dustin Miller, Matt Buyten, Brian Foster, Jimmie McGuire and Jackson Strong. These legends of freestyle motocross will synchronize awe-inspiring tricks, like the amazing back flip, in a heart pounding two-hour scripted performance.

Nuclear Cowboyz truly is the dawn of a whole new freestyle motocross experience with the best FMX riders in the world performing together in one explosive theatrical production,” says Kenneth Feld, Producer and CEO of Feld Entertainment, Inc. “Nuclear Cowboyz ignite the arena floor with freestyle motocrossers defying gravity in this post-apocalyptic atmosphere, leaving the audience with an unbelievable and unprecedented adrenaline-rush. This Feld Motor Sports production is the greatest, most exciting freestyle motocross show ever produced.
The Nuclear Cowboyz tour is creating a new frontier in freestyle motocross by combining the high-octane sport and the high caliber of entertainment production for which Feld Entertainment is known. The story line rips wide open when the Nuclear Cowboyz reunite after chaos rocks their world. The sparse population divides into two tribes which operate without governance and compete for supremacy.
Fans are blown-away by this new freestyle motocross performance format which will include a special appearance by Derek Guetter presenting an extraordinary back-flipping quad. Never before seen creative elements are integrated throughout the show and include the exclusive Nuclear Cowgirlz dancers, the latest pyrotechnics and pulsating hard rock music, exotic acrobatic fire presentations, sky-high stilt walkers, astonishing fire-breathers and the famed “Grindergirl.”
To see more about Nuclear Cowboyz, log on to http://nuclearcowboyz.com/.