Many of you guys may remember that 2008 case study that said riding motorcycles for too long could cause erectile disfunction and impotency, well a California man has just messed up those statistics as he is suing BMW North America and seat maker Corbin over a severe case of priapism (medical term for a persistent, lasting erection)

Apparently, the plantiff Henry Wolf, is claiming that in May 2010 after a four-hour ride on his 1993 BMW equipped with a Corbin Pacific seat caused him to suffer from a painful erection that still hasn’t gone away 20 months later, and this has resulted in lost wages, personal injury, medical expenses, negligent infliction of emotional distress and inability to engage in sexual activity, so he is seeking compensation from both companies.

We doubt that BMW’s legal department has ever had to handle something as hard as this.

Source | asphaltandrubber.com

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Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa gave MotoGP fans a thrilling qualifying session at Jerez swapping the top spot at least a half a dozen times, but track conditions were less than optimum with Lorenzo defining them as “dangerous”, but all the same he was able to shave off two tenths of second from Dani Pedrosa’s 2010 circuit record lap.

However, it wasn’t the two aliens impressive performance that had tongues wagging, but it was Nicky Hayden qualifying in third and his much more titled team mate Valentino Rossi who qualified in a massively disappointing 13th and 3.429s from Lorenzo.

Rossi was not only outpaced by his fellow Ducati factory rider but also by Karel Abraham and Hector Barbera on the less evoluted GP12, and even worse by Randy de Puniet on the Aprilia CRT bike. It may seem like we’re adding more wood to the bonfire that is already blazing under Rossi’s seat, but if every Ducati rider improved over the three sessions (however still very far from Honda and Yamaha) the bike can’t be such a bitch in corner entry that Rossi is describing, infact Hayden has pointed out more than once that the GP12 is “the best Ducati he’s ever ridden.”

So the million dollar question is what is wrong with Rossi, the rider? I think we are still going to be asking ourselves that same question every race weekend until Valencia, when Ducati and Phillip Morris will be writing off their millions of euros investment loss after two harrowing and agonizing seasons.

We posted this picture Jorge Lorenzo’s Nolan helmet, because we admire the fact that he is paying tribute to seriously injured World Superbike rider and fellow countryman Joan Lascorz.

Rider quotes after the jump.

Continue reading: MotoGP Jerez post qualifying quotes

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Moto3’s third free practice at Jerez started with very cool temperatures and the now characteristic rain, but Miguel Oliveira continued to show his particular feeling on the slippery Spanish track as he again posted the best time in the last minutes of the session with a flying lap of 1’58″ which left Red Bull KTM Ajo Factory riders Arthur Sissis and Danny Ken, second and third respectively, more than one second adrift.

Luis Salom (RW Racing GP) was fourth, while Romano Fenati took fifth before a highside at the Nieto turn in the last minutes took him out of the finale. He was followed on the timesheets by Jakub Kornfeil and Efren Vasquez. The JHK T-Shirt LaGlisse rider also crashed out at the same turn as Fenati, only he took down a hapless Jack Miller with him.

Sandro Cortese was 8th, while yesterday’s crasher Hector Faubel moved up to 9th and Zulfahmi Khairuddin, also victim of a crash closed out the top ten.

The tricky conditions also saw crashes by Isaac Vinales, Kenta Fuji and Alan Techer, while points leader Maverick Vinales decided to save himself for this afternoon’s qualifying session as he finished in 11th and 2.2 seconds adrift.

Continue reading: Moto3: Miguel Oliveira domimates FP3 with flying lap

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The Harley-Davidson XLCR 1000 Cafe Racer was conceived in 1977 by Willie G. Davidson, but it did not turn out to be that popular with the public: H-D enthusiast thought it was too sporty, while those into sportsbikes thought it was too… ‘Harley’. The model was equipped with a Ironhead 100o engine made of cast-iron mated to a 4-speed gearbox and delivering 62 hp, which surely wasn’t much in the comparison with the 4-cylinder Japanese bikes of that time.

As it often happens, the bike that once was considered a ugly duckling has now become a much sought-after collectable, and since it was produced for just two years in about 3,000 units, there aren’t many around: a used one might cost more than 15,000 €, while one in mint condition - and all the original bits - could even reach the 30,000€ mark. The unmistakable lines of the original Harley-Davidson XLCR 1000 Cafe Racer struck a chord with many H-D enthusiasts around the world, and this is the reason why French company Jewel Racer has released a kit that can turn a modern XR1200 into a quite loyal rendition (at least aesthetically) of its historic ancestor. Actually, looking closely, it is not difficult to spot quite a few differences between the two bikes, but the feeling and the vintage vibe of the old model are definitely there.

All the parts that make this kit can be bought singularly or as a whole package, at 1,345 €: front fairing and fuel tank cover are priced at 334€ each, saddle plus rear subframe and fairing at 714€ and handlebars at 55€, all of which are finished in black. Not included in the kit are the anodized black Sebring exhaust and the EMC suspension, which would be used for the conversion of the first XR1200, which had a chromed muffler, whereas the XR1200X already comes with a blackened end-can and the more performing Showa shocks. Almost needless to say, the kit is reversible and requires no piercing or modification of any part of the standard motorcycle.

View the full Harley-Davidson XLCR 1000 Cafe Racer by Jewel Racer photo gallery

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Our buddies from parent site motoblog.it warned us about this pretty interesting concept design created by Italian designer studio Sefsdesign that conceptualizes a cafe racer based on the recent, astonishing Ducati 1199 Panigale. Aptly called 1199 Panigale Racing Cafe Artwork, this interesting concept was apparently created on the wake of Audi’s Ducati buyout. “I was somewhat disappointed with that operation - said the maker of this graphic concept - so I decided to make an artwork picturing a cafe racer on a 1199 chassis.” Click on the image above to see it in high resolution. We love it.

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The largest BMW Motorrad dealership in the world has just opened in Rome. With 3,700 square meters of show floor (800 of which will be dedicated to subsidiary Husqvarna), the new showroom is bound to become the biggest reference point for the enthusiasts of these two brands in Central Italy.

Selling bikes aside, the new facility will obviously offer all sorts of accessories and services to its customers, and also features a massive apparel shop on the ground floor. The service area is also quite huge, with a large reception that will allow BMW scooters and bikes owners to show up and get the job done without booking.

Its workshop is also quite massive, and uses a special ‘lung’ section that will be used in those times of the year when there are peaks of work, such as the beginning of the summer. The new BMW Motorrad Roma will also offer the ‘Fastlane’ service, which allows customers to book a maintenance intervention at any time and, when they show up to get it done, they can wait in a special ‘bar’ area of the building where they can have a coffee, connect to the internet or get to know other bikers. Moreover, 800 square meters of the first floor are dedicated to used bikes.

View the full BMW Motorrad Rome photo gallery

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The third round of the World Superbike Championship that took place in Assen last weekend surely was an eventful race: downpours, crashes, bad tyre choices, unbelievable saves, red flags, outsiders taking the win and so forth. We told you about all that, but there’s one thing we left aside: the girls, and it is time to make up for it. Here’s a photo gallery starring some of the nicest ladies who attended the event and did not give up smiling even though rain and cold were there trying to turn everybody off. Check them out in our photo gallery.

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Following Argentina’s nationalization of the oil and gas company subsidiary YPF which is 57% owned by Repsol Spain, many racing fans were left wondering what would now happen to the three year deal that Dorna and the Argentinean government signed last December to host MotoGP at the Termas de Río Hondo circuit in the province of Santiago del Estero in 2013.

Everyone knows that Repsol sponsors the Honda MotoGP factory team, with two of the three aliens, and also supports rising stars like Marc Marquez in Moto2, Maverick Viñales, Miguel Oliveira, Álex Rins in Moto3 and several riders in the CEV Buckler series, so they carry some very big clout with Dorna who has its headquarters in Madrid and CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta is also a Spanish citizen.

Spain in currently on the warpath against Argentina and the government has said that they will “take the necessary measures” to deal with the YPF issue and is “already working in order to obtain the collaboration of the Unites States, and friend-governments within the European Union, and G-20,” and is thinking of sanctions and retaliatory measures against the South American country with the EU Parliment having approved a resolution urging the European Commission to remove trade concessions on Argentine exports.

In an interview with Catalunya Radio, Carmelo Ezpeleta was asked his opinion on the current crisis and what he intends do regarding the Argentine GP, “If Repsol says something I’ll consider it, but I doubt they will tell me that we can’t go to Argentina.” adding “We have a firm contract with Argentina, but all contracts are subject to higher political circumstances. We’re not going to do a Grand Prix if everyone doesn’t agree on it, but we won’t be going to a country that has a problem with one of the sponsors” who also believes that since the GP is next year, that there is “still time to see how things are resolved” .

This situation is going to be more difficult to solve than last year’s controversial Motegi round, and is anyone already betting that we will be back to four races on the Iberian pennisula next season?

Source | terra.es

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Znug Design introduces the zecOO, a new electric scooter boasting an innovative and futuristic design that makes it look like a motorcycle from some sci-fi movie. The model is the brainchild of former Toyota designer Kota Nezu, who needed just 6 months to get from the graphic concept of his own vision of a futuristic scoot to the actual prototype, which was built by Tokyo’s custom workshop Suehiro.

The most striking feature of this prototype is obviously its flashy bodywork, that includes parts in wood and alloy and might actually be an anticipation of the electric maxi-scooter of the future. At the front, in place of the usual forks, the zecOO adopts a central hub system, while the cantilever rear wheel is belt driven. The model also comes with single sided swing arms at both front and back, but looking at the pics there are plenty of interesting solutions that, in terms of sheer design, are pretty interesting and original.

At the moment there are no official specs to talk about, but Znug Design said that the performance of the zecOO will live up to its jaw-dropping aesthetics. However, a few rumors circulating on the internet reported of a quite unimpressive output of 28 hp and 67 Nm as well as an overall weight of 245 kg, which surely wouldn’t have this bike winning any sort of speed contest. The first tests of the zecOO will begin this spring, but it is not clear when it will actually hit production. Accordingly to a few sources, the price for the zecOO would be something in the 8,000,000 $ area, but we would find it hard to believe. Maybe something got ‘lost in translation’ and that is actually 8 million Yen (roughly 75.000 € / 100.000 $), but if that’s the actual price, we might actually go for a dozen of something else instead, and keep the spare change.

View the full zecOO by Znug Design photo gallery

Continue reading: zecOO by Znug Design: a futuristic electric scooter from Japan

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Today’s special bike has been created by German specialist Lars Justinger of Brauchi’s Bikes, and is based on a Kawasaki W650. According to its maker, this bike is neither a ‘cafe racer’ nor a ‘brat’, it is a “JagdBobber”, meaning a bike that uses the style and structure of a cafe racer but with clip-ons and fat, bobber-like wheels. What Mr.Justinger had in mind was to create a bike that looked like a crossbred between a Harley WL and a classic Norton/Triumph model, and to make his vision come true he opted for a Kawasaki W650, which he transformed in the motorcycle we can admire in these pictures.

The rear section has been made out of a Yamaha XS650SE fuel tank, while the actual tank of the ‘JagdBobber’ comes from a XS750. Mr.Justinger wanted its creature to look vintage, to have that sort of ‘used look’ that he thought was the most fitting for his baby, so he went for a rattlecan paint job and a pretty original Red Baron color scheme, which also includes a pair of Maltese crosses on the tail.

Talking about the rear section again, we really liked the LED strip that makes for the bike’s tail light. Nice touch indeed. Red handles, low wing mirrors and the number plate holder placed on the side complete the outstanding look of this masterpiece. To find out more about Mr.Justinger’s work, check out the pretty interesting Brauchi’s Bikes blog.

via | Pipeburn

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