Finnish enduro legend and five-time world champion Mika Ahola died because of severe internal injuries on 15 January 2012, at a hospital in Barcelona, just a few weeks after crashing while training in Girona, Spain, and two weeks after the announcement of his retirement from racing because of the injuries sustained on that accident. He was 37 years old. The sudden passing of the reigning champ left the enduro world as well as the whole motorcycle community shaking heads in disbelief, while a few days ago Ahola’s wife confirmed in a statement that the late champion died because of “internal injuries not immediately diagnosed“, following a “troubled hospital course, because of the occurrence of serious complications“.

Announcing his retirement from racing at the very beginning of this year, Ahola said: “I have given everything I’ve got for this sport and although it has taken much, it has given me back more than I could have ever imagined when I started racing“, then adding that “My ambition for this sport has been completely satisfied and I feel like it’s time for me to move on and see what else the world has to offer than racing.”

Here is our little tribute, a couple of photo galleries dedicated to one of the greatest enduro’s riders ever, winner of five consecutive world-championship titles from 2007 to 2011 (in all three classes) and seven International Six Days Enduro with the Finnish national team, being the fastest overall in the competition in three occasions. The funeral will take place in Hämeenlinna, Finland, on February the 4th. May he rest in peace.

View the full Mika Ahola tribute photo gallery
View the full Mika Ahola tribute at the 2012 Motor Bike Expo photo gallery

Here is the first bunch of images picturing the nice ladies currently attending the 2011 EICMA. Our colleagues from motoblog.it are right there, live on the spot, to check out the most interesting bikes and accessories on display at the Milan event.

More news and articles from the EICMA will follow shortly, but for now you can just enjoy this juicy anticipation.

View the full 2011 EICMA Girls Part I photo gallery

If you’ve been reading HFL lately, you will have seen Wes Siler’s link to his own article on Wired.com about riding bikes vs cars. It’s an old debate but one of the most important things to come out of his rather long gripe is just how much car owners would save themselves and the planet in terms of fuel costs, by switching to motorcycles.

Still, let’s say you’re a motorcycle owner who wants to find out exactly what your bike runs off all the same - or you’re planning on buying a new motorcycle and want some comparable motorcycle fuel consumption data - where do you go? To Total Motorcycles and their Motorcycle Fuel Economy Guide.

In the motoring world, both cars and bikes, the released fuel consumption figures from manufacturers aren’t exactly the most trustworthy in the mind’s of consumers. Total Motorcycles lists data from bike owners themselves and has been five years in the compiling of the list. The guide includes more than 5,000 models listed by year and make, and they’re sharing the data for free.

If your bike isn’t there, you can add to the guide by sending in your information as well. We guess there are a whole lot of stories behind the collection of this data, but the guide is easy to use and has plenty of models in there - a few European bikes are missing so guys on the old continent might want to consider getting some info across. Consumption is listed both in mpg and l/km.

Source | Motorbiker.org

If you’re a budding motorcycle designer, or you’re just fed up with the same old designs from the same old companies, you might want to head over to Mo2or to see what’s going on at Steve Pritchard’s start up company. With experience working in digital marketing for brands like Triumph, Mazda, Ford and Jaguar, Pritchard seems serious about his ambitions to develope the world’s first collaborative motorcycle design.

We gather that this viral project isn’t just a nice thing to have on your Facebook page, as the Mo2or site claims that the winner of its design competition will see their bike go into production. We’re a little late on this one as the competition ends tomorrow, but the entries are open to votes so head on over and check out what’s been put forward so far.

This is only the first step in an ambitious project from Mo2or whose aim is to set up production and dealership franchises with investment going back into new projects. The heart of it all though, is the feedback of customers and users themselves. The Mo2or site says:

Welcome to MO2OR a unique British Motorcycle company that aims to develop the World’s first crowdsourced motorbike. Our design a motorbike competition ends on 26th August, and the winner will go into full production. Check out the latest designs and vote for your favourite. We will be developing a wide range of motorbikes as the company develops as well as pushing technology based on rider input, through our forum.

Mo2or motorcycle design competition

The Sussex Safer Roads partnership is doing some great stuff with their public awareness campaigns on road safety. This motorcycle safety video portrays the dreams of a little kid on a bicycle in his garage, who is lucky enough that his father comes home in one piece on his motorcycle that evening. The slogan “stay a hero, stay safe” should be a reminder to all the guys out there who will be riding their bikes this summer - many of you will have families and kids to go home to, who idolise what you do. The video comes after a a fantastic car safety ad about wearing seatbelts.

Source | Autoblog

The idea of Ducati pulling out their factory team from the World Superbike championship has not gone down well with Italian Ducatisti and they’ve put the blame of this decision squarely on the shoulders on Gabriele Del Torchio, Ducati’s CEO and especially on Valentino Rossi.

Del Torchio avidly chased after Valentino Rossi and finally bagged the Italian rider with a 2 year contract and the Ducatisti are convinced that the pull-out is to pay Rossi’s deal with Ducati’s MotoGP team and as a result there is no money left to pay for an official team in World Superbikes, despite reassurance from the CEO that this isn’t the case.

Still upset about the decision, several Ducatisti displayed this controversial banner yesterday at the Imola race track which reads: Ducati SBK, 46 reasons for the pull out.

Source | motociclisti.myblog.it

Riding to your wedding wearing leathers and helmets isn’t that unusual for bike lovers, but Danielle La Fave and Timothy Duffield outdid themselves when the celebrated their marriage in the in the Wine Country Winner’s Circle at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

The couple are avid motorcycle riders and enjoyed a morning on track before the ceremony and then rode down the aisle on their motorcycles to tie the knot which began with a poem, a blessing and a song from North Bay Sport Riders (NBSR) club through which the couple met more than a year ago and spent their first track day together at Infineon.

“We spent our first track day together at Infineon Raceway, which meant a lot to us. It was the first time she had ever ridden on this track, which she had always wanted to do,” said Duffield, 41, the groom. “It means the world to us to get married here. This is where our relationship started, and there’s no better place to be,” continued LaFave, 40, the bride.

Source | theautochannel.com

This incredible video is so bizarre that I don’t know what to make of it…. Hoping the guy is okay, though, it almost seems like a spoof because really - could anything go this wrong when filming? The idea is that TFKL engineering has developed a crashproof bike that sends information from an on-board computer to the rider’s helmet, thus avoiding hazards and obstacles on the road, specifically cars that might run into you.

You can see what’s going to happen when they introduce the demonstration that they are going to undertake with a car driving down the road and not looking where it’s going. I can’t find TFKL engineering on the internet so have no information about its prototype or whether the company exists. Check out what happens in the video and whatever the case, it proves that crashproof computer technology just doesn’t work. Thanks to Craig for sending it through.

I was witness to an unpleasant motorcycle accident on the weekend when a motorist pulling onto the provincial highway near where I live, ran into a motorcyclist who finished against the guardrail (which frighteningly runs alongside a railway line but this doesn’t have to be any more dramatic than it already is). I was shopping with a friend at the time and there was a sickening feeling that while we were out buying shoes, someone could be dying just 50 metres from us.

My friend is totally against motorcycles as forms of transport. He reckons they are extremely dangerous, cars are much safer and motorcyclists always do silly things. Our opinions differ, although on the last point I’ll say that motorcyclists often do silly things and take risks that they probably shouldn’t, just because a bike is nimbler than a car. But not always.

My philosophy is often to take the reverse approach to solving a problem. I believe that as humans, we are very set in our ways and like to move with trends, and this is a mentality that holds us back. In the case of the bikes vs cars debate, my friend would argue that bikes need more limitations and that it would be better for everyone if there were less on the road. I go with exactly the opposite argument, saying that we actually need more riders on the road and drivers should be much more aware of interacting with other people - be they bikers, cyclists or pedestrians - while driving.

I noticed this in our recent behind the scenes experience at the MotoGP. Being the event that it is, thousands of motorcyclists turn up and it’s one of the few times in my life, where driving a big hire car sedan, cars have been in the minority on the roads. It is quite striking to know that you can’t occupy the entire lane and must accept that, even just for sheer numbers, the bikes have right of way. You can also fit a lot more people on the road and get there quicker - the benefits are obvious.

When you’re in the majority it’s always the safe and easy option to run with your majority and stick to what you know. You’re never the one that has to compromise. Mike Werner makes a similar point on his “In the Fast Lane” blog when he mentions that Dutch drivers would prefer to pay more tax than sit in traffic jams.

Apart from the fact that taxing people never really seems to work to solve problems (as most of us can afford a little extra for what we consider necessary, we generally pay and put up with the problem), there is a clear shortsightedness in the idea to pay more to resolve traffic problems rather than look at a solution that would actually directly deal with the problem.

As Werner says: “Of course, people could avoid traffic jams altogether by using motorcycles. Lane splitting is legal in The Netherlands, so you’d have little problems with traffic jams, and it’s more fun.” Video originally posted on TwoWheels here: “Give motorcyclists a second thought.”

This motorcycle commercial is so good it could easily be an advertisement for motorcycle safety, but as is, the guys from Allstate Insurance in the US have put it together. We gather than often shocking advertising in the US is not considered politically correct and the clever thing of this commercial is that you don’t see any violence actually inflicted on people.

Often motorcyclists and insurance companies don’t get along too well, either, but we get the feeling Allstate may have been able to connect in just the right way with its biker customers.

Source | Asphalt&Rubber

Forget the bikes vs cars debate, another age-old problem for riders seems to be with the law. The often hateful relationship between cops and riders seems to be based on the feeling that motorcyclists are unfairly targeted, which is sometimes the case. Although we all know of some idiot who wheelies at high speeds and deserves to be booked - some motorcylists, like many drivers, unfortunately do sometimes ride like they’re above the law.

Punitive or not, here are a couple of measures in the world to help out in rider safety and enforce the law. The Brits are using what MCN calls a “stealth video bike”: a 140-hp, black Yamaha FJR1300 motorcycle with an in-built video system. The system records to DVD and allows police officers to add a running commentary on any observed offences.

The bike is being used to target motorcyclists, but could also be employed in detecting traffic offences by other motorists. The interesting thing is that the video recordings are reportedly going to be used more as an education device for riders. The police say:

“Officers on the unmarked motorcycle will be using their judgement and experience when stopping riders, engaging with and educating bikers as appropriate. For example, if someone has made minor judgement errors, then they’ll be stopped, shown a video recording of their riding and given suitable advice.”

More serious offenders, however, will be served penality notices or even court summons. In Australia, the system of serving notices after being caught on radar or similar, is also widely used. Just like a little surprise that comes through the post, police officers in Victoria are taking things one step further and are actually dressing in camouflage when using mobile radar units.

The practice in Australia of lying in wait in the bushes on the sides of the roads is not new, but this is the first I’ve heard of police officers actually donning commando-style outfits. The new covert operation is also specifically targeting motorcyclists along stretches of roads famous for speeding riders. The riders, if caught, are intercepted further down the road by uniformed officers, although again other driving offences will not be ignored.

The new covert move is justified by reported statistics that have 24 percent of accidents in the area involving motorcylists. Police say: “Riders know where they can ride and get away with speeding. We want the message to get across, particularly to riders that come out on weekends… we encourage them to ride in the Gippsland area, there’s a lot to offer for weekend rides but, if you do it, stick within the law so that you remain safe.”

Whether riders will listen or not to calls of riding thoughtfully with their safety in mind remains to be seen, but the fact that police are taking things seriously mean riders should, too. It’s a labour intensive operation with some significant investment. Here’s hoping riders are not cynical enough to ignore it…

Source | MCN and Latrobe Valley Express

The 2010 international Stelvio motorcycle meet has been cancelled for the second year in a row due to organisational difficulties. The announcement will be a big disappointment for the hundreds of motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world who wanted to participate in the legendary event. The 2010 Stelvio meet was scheduled for July 2-4 in Bormio but the cancellation calls into question the future of the event. A press conference tomorrow will shed more light on the decision, but anyone who loves the idea of doing the Stelvio Pass with a group of other passionate riders will be hoping this doesn’t become a pattern for the years ahead.

Source | Motoblog.it