In 1996, sportbike sales were booming and Honda was determined to be known as producer of the greatest and fastest bikes of the day. In the big-displacement class, the title of the fastest production bike had been held by the Kawasaki ZX-11 since '90 and this didn't sit too well with Honda. Late that year, Honda announced a new model that was intended to sit on top of its sportbike lineup and-of course-dethrone the Kawasaki as the fastest production bike on the planet. The Kawasaki was running about 176 mph on radar guns and made around 132 rear-wheel horsepower; when rumors of the Honda's 160-plus horsepower and 180-plus mph hit the press, everyone got excited.

I like to think one of THE reasons I'm an effective riding instructor is that I'm not blessed with much natural talent. Consequently I've had to learn nearly every aspect of high-performance riding firsthand and often from my mistakes. It's good to learn from your mistakes, but it's even better-and often less painful-to learn from those of others whenever possible.

During World Ducati Week 2010, Troy Bayliss was on hand to greet fans and test the developmental 2011 Ducati 1198R Superbike. He also took this opportunity to solidify his future endeavors.

Sport Rider's Troy Siahaan was at the sixth edition of World Ducati Week, held this year at the Misano circuit in Italy. Look for the full report in the September, 2010 issue, which goes on sale August 17th.

Pitpass
By the time MotoGP season kicked off under the lights in the desert outside the Qatari capital of Doha for the third year in a row, the novelty of racing at night had worn off. In its place were concerns about the nighttime humidity that slickened the track and caused a number of crashes in pre-season testing and prompted an extraordinary meeting with the riders about possibly changing race times. That was never going to happen (not with television satellite time booked), but it was important that the sport's management appeared to care. So with the MotoGP race certain to start at 11:00 p.m., everyone was left to consider just how silly it is to race 240-horsepower motorcycles at night in the desert-in April.

Well, we've made it to 2010 and tier 2 of the federal emissions standards. In '03, after more than 20 years with no updates to the emissions requirements for motorcycles, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) introduced the two-tier changes that brought the federal standards in-line with California's traditionally stricter CARB (California Air Resources Board) guidelines. This year marks the last of the updates, and in most respects a 49-state bike is now identical to a California model. The exception is evaporative emissions, which are still stricter here in California.

In Ama Pro Racing, World Superbike And MotoGP there's been a shift in riding styles. From the days of '80s and '90s heroes like Kevin Schwantz and Mick Doohan who were forced to wrestle powerful, unruly beasts to their will, a younger generation of riders typified by Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner took over, rising from the high-corner speed ranks of 125cc and 250cc Grand Prix machinery to the more refined, better-behaved MotoGP bikes of today with their complex engine-management software and traction control. Actually Rossi's career dates from the final days of fire-breathing 500cc two-strokes (he won the last 500CC World Championship in 2001, then piled up consecutive MotoGP championships from 2002 to 2005), which likely contributes to making him the most versatile and perhaps most talented roadracer of all time.

Odd as it sounds, sometimes the most beneficial riding practice takes place between your ears with your eyes shut and the ignition switch turned off. Mental visualization is used in many sports, and I actually picked it up from a coach while shooting small-bore rifle competition in college. The benefits were immediate and obvious, so I quickly applied it to my roadracing as well.

From Suzuki's press material

• Powered by inline six-cylinder
• K1600GT will be a sport-touring replacement for the current K1300GT
• K1600GTL will replace the K1200LT touring rig

In the arena that is the World Supersport championship, there's a formula that's proven to be successful-the motorcycle must have four cylinders across the frame, have a total displacement of 600cc, and come from Japan. What, then, would it take for the mighty to fall? Being British, Triumph is already breaking one of those rules by definition. The company knew that the only way to beat the mighty Japanese would be to break all the other rules as well. Their weapon, of course, is the Daytona 675 triple. Three cylinders instead of four and an extra 75cc to boot. You may remember Ducati challenging for the Supersport crown with the 749R with varying levels of success, though ultimately the Japanese prevailed every year. So why do it? The challenge, of course. Oh, and the brand exposure.

Learn to ride by taking an MSF Basic Rider Course or Experienced Rider Course.
Visit www.msf-usa.org to find the schools in your state.

New for 2011, the 848^EVO is the year’s most significant middleweight sport bike