Go Dan River.com has a great article about helmets and racing. From the article:

The helmet is considered to be a potential billboard for many product sponsors, but riders frequently have their gear custom painted.

The great majority of helmet graphics worn at VIR this weekend are painted at any one of about a dozen high-end studios located across...

Read Jason Wolf's full article in The Reidsville Review at godanriver.com

From the BBC:

The funeral of a racing motorcyclist who died after a crash at Brands Hatch has taken place.

Honda rider Craig Jones, 23, of Peterborough, suffered head injuries in the British leg of the World Supersport Championship on 3 August.

He was transferred to the Royal London Hospital by Kent Air Ambulance but died in the early hours of 4 August.

Mr Jones' funeral service was held at...

Read the full article at BBC

I just found a vintage 1966 Triumph motorcycle for sale on eBay that was purpose built in the sixties for land speed racing at Bonneville Salt Flats and El Mirage dry lake speed runs. The 650cc racer was custom built by the Mesler Brothers for drag racing, but was quickly converted to be a land speed racer.

The bike ran on nitro and has made runs in excess of 160 MPH at Bonneville. The current owner is including the SCTA brass timing tag that documents the bike's 158 MPH run at El Mirage in 1978, as well as other memorabilia documenting the bobber's pedigree.

This sleek custom Triumph bobber even comes with an extra engine. The spare engine is a British built 750cc with finless jugs. The fuel tanks are two lightweight, welded aluminum tubes and the bike has a aluminum seat / fender. The bike even has a thin aluminum nosecone for a fairing. This would be a great way to own a real bobber with history. The current bid is only $5,000!

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Triumph Bonneville VINTAGE BRITISH TRIUMPH 1969 T120R

$5,100.00

Triumph Bonneville 1966 Triumph Bonneville Chopper

$4,999.00

More vintage Triumph motorcycles for sale here.

After a rebound in the second quarter, on-highway retail sales are now on par with last year's sales, according the quarterly report released by the Motorcycle Industry Council. Given that on-highway sales fell 11.2 percent in the first quarter when compared to year-ago levels, Dealernews calculates a 5.7 percent increase in Q2 over sales of the same period last year.

Scooter and dual-sport sales (which the MIC counts separately from...

Read the full article

MotoGP championship leader Valentino Rossi has committed his future to Yamaha by signing a new two-year deal.

He joined the Japanese manufacturer in 2004 and two of his seven world titles - in MotoGP, 500cc, 250cc and 125cc - have come with the team...

Read the full article at BBC News

Harley-Davidson said Friday it would buy the Italian motorcycle maker MV Agusta Group for about $109 million to increase its presence in Europe.

MV Agusta makes a line of premium sport motorcycles under its name brand and a line of lightweight motorcycles under the Cagiva brand.

The deal will help Harley-Davidson expand into the European market as sales slump in the United States, where consumers are pulling back on spending...

Read the full article at the New York Times

Checkout MV Augusta Motorcycles at Sportbike Parts and Motorcycles - MV Augusta For Sale

MONTEREY, Calif. -- They converged on California for their routine race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, yet many MotoGP riders seemed eager this past weekend to talk about their next American venture, when their motorcycles break in the Brickyard.

The inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix is seven weeks away, but the world's greatest motorcycle racers wonder what it will be like at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sept. 14...

Read the full article in the The Indianapolis Star

PATERSON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hybrid Dynamics Corporation OTCBB:HBDY) subsidiary, Delaware American Motors , announced today that it is co-developing, along with the legendary drag race fabricator, James DiTullo, its latest model. The Nitro ushers in a new genre of motorcycles, the Super Tourer, which integrates the best aspects of today's power cruisers with touring comfort and capabilities.

Mr. DiTullo has been designing and fabricating drag race winning motorcycles since the 70's, with numerous Top Fuel, Pro Stock and AHDRA wins to his name. At one time, his motorcycle held the outright title for the fastest and quickest bike in the world when Larry McBride did the quarter mile in 5.78 seconds at 248 mph. Not only world renowned as an exceptional fabricator, he is also an artist and graphic designer. The Nitro is powered by the all-new S&S X-Wedge engine, 56-degree, closed-loop fuel-injected, three-cam, overhead valve v-twin designed to deliver the performance expected of an S&S engine, while still complying with EPA laws.

Newly appointed Hybrid CEO, Steven Radt, said, “We are honored to partner up with such a motorcycle legend as Puppet. The pairing of our two companies will give us the chance to offer our customers a bike that will have staggering performance and stunning design while still giving them a bike that they can ride with comfort....

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From a Yamaha press release:

Cypress, CA - July 2, 2008 - Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S. will once again offer an incredible opportunity to bid for a set of riding gear worn by Colin Edwards at this year's upcoming MotoGP at Laguna Seca. The gear will be presented, in person, by the "Texas Tornado" himself at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. All monies raised will benefit the Joe Parkhurst Memorial Scholarship Fund, a motorcycle industry-based effort to honor the founder of Cycle World Magazine and support the scholarship program of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. All proceeds from the auction will be used to provide an avenue to a higher education for survivors of childhood brain tumors.

The Colin Edwards package includes a full set of gear worn by the American during the weekend, including Spidi leathers, his Arai Helmet, and Sidi boots and gloves.

This package will also include a pair of weekend three-day general admission passes to the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, July 18-20, 2008 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, and a pair of passes to an exclusive Team party on Friday evening the 18th.

The winning bidder will be invited on stage during Saturday ceremonies to receive their personally autographed gear directly from the Texas Tornado himself, Colin Edwards.

The auction will be conducted on eBay starting Friday, July 4 and continuing until 12 noon Pacific, Sunday, July 13, 2008.

Harley-Davidson will be cutting 300 jobs at their largest manufacturing plant in Springettsbury Township amid slow sales. Harley is hoping employees will opt for early retirement, but layoffs have already begun.

From the article:
Spokesman Bob Klein said in a phone message the workforce reductions -- part of a plan by Harley released in April to cut about 730 workers companywide -- would continue through the summer.

"That layoff process has begun and will be ongoing in stages," Klein said...

Read the full article by Brett Burkey in the York Daily Record