Going up for auction to support the Papageno Foundation that helps autistic children will be this special edition Yamaha YZF-R1 signed by motorcycle legend and 15 time World Champion Giacomo Agostini.

On display at the Hotel Hilton in Amsterdam until December 24th, this one off R1 has the spectacular red and white graphics of Yamaha’s 50th Anninversary editions and also replicates Agostini’s famous yellow #1 plate and the bike has a number of special parts.

The auction is organized by Netherlands BV-Automotive through the special www.R1-Agostini.nl website and bids can be placed from Sunday February 12th to Sunday February 26th, 2012 and the highest bidder will also receive an AGV Ago Replica helmet.

Source | nieuwsmotor.nl via motoblog.it

Continue reading: Giacomo Agostini Yamaha R1 'Ago' special edition up for auction

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With Valentino Rossi on a gag restraining order by Yamaha, and probably happy about it today and Ducati’s Filippo Preziosi playing more or less the diplomat, but admitting it was a “bad test,” because expectations were sky high after all the PR barrage that surrounded the Italian’s move to Ducati.

The legendary Giacomo Agostini, was asked his expert opinion on Rossi’s test and the 15 times World Champion was as suprised as everyone.

“Well, I didn’t expect Rossi to be so far from the front, even if they’re only at the beginning, but a gap of 1.6s is not irrelevant. Unfortunately, the Valencia test is emblematic, there are no more tests until February and the championship starts in March. Vale will have to work hard to win.”

Alex Brigg’s Rossi’s long time mechanic, twitted that Rossi’s body (shoulder) was letting him down, but Agostini didn’t completely believe this, “I don’t think so. If he did a lot of laps, I could believe it, but today [Wednesday] he didn’t run so many laps, and don’t forget that several weeks ago he won a race, so I’m certain that he’s recovered from that injury.

If Giacomo Agostini was disappointed, we can imagine how worried Rossi’s fans are.

Source | ilsussidiario.net and alexbriggs@twitter

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Over 10,000 fans showed up at the 200 Miglia of Imola revival event that took place at the beginning of October was a big hit. The event organized with the help of Dr. Claudio Costa, saw some of the great riders of past like King Kenny Roberts, Giacomo Agostini (who also rode Valentino Rossi’s M1) Steve Baker, Paul Smart hit the Imola track on their original or replica bikes.

Source | 200miglia.com via motoblog.it

Continue reading: 200 Miglia of Imola Revival Event (video and pics)

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If you’re a lover of vintage racing motorcycles then you should have been at San Remo (Italy) last weekend when the 2nd annual Ospedaletti circuit commemoration was held.

Legendary racers like Bandirotti, Masetti, Liberati, Duke, Ambrosini, Lorenzini, Ruffo, Ubbali, Provini, Redman, Taveri, Hailwood, Agostini, Bryans, Pasolini and Read all raced at the Ospedaletti iconic city circuit and this year’s event saw marques like MV Agusta, Aermacchi, Benelli, Bianchi, Bultaco, Ducati, Gilera, Guzzi, Kreidler, Yamaha, Honda, Laverda, Minarelli, Mondial, Morbidelli, Morini, Motobi, Norton, Nougier, Ossa, Parilla, Patton, Rumi motorcycles racing and on display.

Enjoy the pics which include Giacomo Agostini on his MV Agusta and check out the video of a Matchless G50 crashing during one of the heats.

Continue reading: The 2nd annual Ospedaletti circuit commemoration (w/video)

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Celebrating 80 years of the Assen TT includes an appearance by Giacomo Agostini with his 1975 bike, together with Jorge Lorenzo and a special livery with the number one designed for the occasion. Tomorrow, Agostini will lap the MotoGP Assen track with his original bike and while he just sat on the Yamaha M1 today, he has previously expressed a desire to try it. In fact it seems that he will complete a couple of laps with the M1, going from the OW23 with 120hp to the 240hp of the M1.

Present at the unveiling of the historic bike were Giacomo Agostini, Jorge Lorenzo fresh from qualifying in the pole position, Yamaha Racing president Shigeto Kitagawa and Ferry Brouwer from Yamaha Classic Racing. Agostini says: “Tomorrow I will have the chance to ride the “past” and the “present;” the first and the latest world champion bikes. My OW23 was like a bicycle with 120bhp, but used to get power at 6000rpm…whilst the M1 has 240bhp!” See our live pics in the gallery below.

Agostini and Lorenzo with 1975 OW23 and M1

Continue reading: Live pics from Assen: Giacomo Agostini and Jorge Lorenzo from 1975 to M1 in 2010

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For those of you who will be attending the Dutch GP this year will have a further treat besides the usual top notch racing, motorcyle legend Giacomo Agostini will be attending the event to pay homage to the 80th Assen TT and will ride his celebrated 1975 YZR500 OW23 racebike at the ‘Cathedral’ on June 26th.

This is the original machine that he rode to his last ever world title victory in 1975 and has special significance as it was also the machine he rode to victory on at the Assen TT in that year. This rare and historically important racebike is being flown over by Yamaha from Japan for this occasion, and is a rare opportunity to see and hear it being ridden by Agostini on track as he did 35 years ago.

Check out the interview with Agostini who speaks pretty good English and maybe Yamaha Racing will give him the opportunity to try the M1, a legend certainly deserves it.

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Last year Dainese and AGV launched the Italian Legendary Tour for 40 lucky winners who had a marvellous three day riding adventure throught the Italian Dolomite Mountains with Giacomo Agostini, Marco Lucchinelli and Max Biaggi.

Following the success of last year, Dainese is again launching the new Italian Legendary Tour, to discover one of the most beautiful regions in Italy, Tuscany. This year the project also has the precious collaboration of Fondazione Sistema Toscana and turismo.intoscana.it, the portal set up by the Tuscany Region to valorise and promote its territory.

Through this partnership, the group of lucky winners will have the opportunity to experience the best of Tuscany, having fun motorcycling on Ducati, MV Agusta and Triumph motorcycles through gorgeous scenery in the company of some of the greatest motorcycle legends from past and present: Valentino Rossi, Kevin Schwantz and Giacomo Agostini will participate at different stages during the tour .

Continue reading: Rossi, Agostini and Schwantz in 2010 Dainese Legendary Tour

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Remember the Dainese Legendary Tour? You had to buy € 250 worth of Dainese and/or AGV products and you could win a trip to Italy to tour the Italian Dolomite Mountains with Marco Lucchinelli, Max Biaggi and Giacomo Agostini.

Dainese has put online this highlight video of the 2009 tour, so we can turn green with envy about what we missed out on; magnificent motorcycles, legendary riding companions, breathtaking scenery (except for snow in September) great Italian food, heady wine, what more can anyone ask for.

Source | motoblog

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Giacomo Agostini has decided to put his Moto2 team on the back burner and wait out the 2010 season to see how things play out in the new championship series.

“Thanks, but I’m not in a hurry.” said the most successful rider in motorcycle history.”I want to do things in a right way and there’s not enough time to build a team to suit the situation. We would have to work too quickly.”

When asked if he has given up on the project, Ago replied: “Not at all, I’m going to stand at the window and see how this Moto2 takes off.”

Agostini ‘s intention is to return to his project in the mid 2010 and assess the situation and work in prospect for the 2011 season, however the Italian champion could have an even more ambitious project with MV Agusta -Cagiva, which could have something to do with the recent MotoGP rule changes that will see the return of the 1000cc in 2012.

Source | sportmediaset

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The well informed Italian website Motosprint is reporting that motorcycle racing legend Giacomo Agostini is thinking of entering a team in the new Moto2 series.

The project if it goes through would see the involvement of number of high profile people including Claudio Castiglioni, chairman of MV Augusta and Cagiva and the bike could actually be branded Cagiva, with Simone Corsi as the rider.

There are a couple of problems facing the team, besides the always hard task of finding a budget of at least 2.5 million euros to run in the championship.

Continue reading: Moto2: Giacomo Agostini Racing Team?

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If you were thinking of purchasing something from Dainese or AGV do it right away.

If you spend a total of €250 on their products, you’ll get a coupon with a special code, that could make you one of the 18 lucky people who could get the once in a lifetime chance to ride with three legendary champions.

Giacomo Agostini, Marco Luchinelli and Max Biaggi in the Dainese 2009 Italian Legendary Tour will join the proud winners and for three days, and each day you’ll have the chance to ride alongside a different champion in the wonderful and breathtaking Dolomite mountains in Italy.

Just visit the Dainese website and enter your code.

Can you imagine the faces of your buddies when you tell them that you’re going to Italy to ride with “Ago”, “Crazy Horse” and the “Roman Emperor”?

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If you’re going to be in Belgium this weekend why not take in the three day 4 Hours of Spa Classic at the Spa Francorchamps circuit.

You’ll be able to breathe and see what motorcycles was really like back in the 60’s and 70’s and see the likes of legendary riders Giacomo Agostini, Rod Gould, Dieter Braun, Steve Baker and Chas Mortimer who will be reunited with their Yamaha bikes that they originally rode.

Agostini will be riding the awesome Yamaha 500cc OW23 in the GP1 and 750 class. Ago rode this bike for the very first time at the Belgian GP in Spa 35 years ago, and finishied 2nd in that race, in front of Braun.

Supported by Yamaha Motor Company in Japan, Agostini’s OW23 bike was flown over from the factory especially for the event. Following Spa it will then be taken to Goodwood Festival of Speed where it will be ridden by Chas Mortimer on July 4th and 5th. Chas was the first ever Yamaha GP winner in 1972 on the YZ634A.

In the GP2 class at Spa Chas Mortimer and Dieter Braun will appear on the screaming 2 stroke Yamaha YZ635 and Yamaha YZ634 while Luca Cadalora was to be racing his original OWA7 250 2 cylinder, but had to pull of out of the event for personal reasons.

If you’re going to be attending the 4 Hours Spa Classic or the Goodwood Festival why not send us your pics, we’ll more than happy to post them with your name. Send to: pics@twowheelsblog.com

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