Motorcycle Times News January 2020

ANDREW HINES AND HARLEY-DAVIDSON WIN NHRA PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

November 20, 2019

POMONA, Calif. (November 17, 2019) – Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines rider Andrew Hines was crowned the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racing champion following a day of drama at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif. After fouling in the first round of eliminations on Sunday, Hines watched from the pits as the two other contenders for the championship advanced to the semi-finals before also being eliminated, leaving Hines with the points he needed to wrap up a dominating season with his sixth NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle title and the 10th championship for the Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines team.

Hines started Sunday eliminations with a 114-point lead in the championship chase, needing only a win in the first round of eliminations to secure the title. At the starting line, Hines’s bike rolled backwards, triggering a red-light foul that put his title hopes in jeopardy.

“This is a day that will live in fear for me for I don’t know how long,” said Hines following the race. “In the first round, I pulled a maneuver that I’ve done too many times in the past when I rolled backward out of the beams. I can’t thank my team enough for supporting me all day long. My Harley-Davidson team, that’s what they do best. I was so disappointed in what I did today, but we persevered all year to get those Mello Yello points and win the championship. I love my guys, and I love everything about this.”

Hines (2004-06, 2014-15, and 2019) is the second rider to win six NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championships, matching the record set by the late Hall of Fame racer Dave Schultz, who won the title six times between 1987 and 1996. Hines is one of only 10 competitors in NHRA history to win six championships. In 17 seasons racing for the Harley-Davidson^® Screamin’ Eagle^®/Vance & Hines team, Hines has won 56 finals, also a record for the class. The 2019 championship caps a 16-race season that saw Hines dominate the class aboard his Harley-Davidson^® FXDR™ drag bike, taking eight victories in 10 final-round appearances and earning the number-one seed for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

The Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines team races competition drag bikes inspired by the Harley-Davidson^® FXDR^™ 114, a performance cruiser based on the Softail^® platform that combines the unrelenting power of the Milwaukee-Eight^® 114 engine with the liberal use of alloy and composite components to maximize acceleration, braking and handling performance. The FXDR drag bikes made a dominating mid-season debut in July at the Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals near Denver, where Hines and teammate Ed Krawiec stormed through the Pro Stock Motorcycle field and staged an all-Harley final, which was won by Hines.

Hines qualified fourth for the NHRA Finals in Pomona with an elapsed time (ET) of 6.845 seconds at 196.22 mph. Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines riders Krawiec and Angelle Sampey qualified in seventh and 10th positions respectively. On Sunday, Krawiec lost to Sampey in the first round of eliminations, and Sampey was eliminated in round two.

For the season, Hines led the Pro Stock Motorcycle field with 2,599 points and eight wins in 10 final-round appearances and was the number-one qualifier two times. Krawiec, a four-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion (2008, 2011-12, 2017) finished in fifth place with 2,474 points after making seven final-round appearances and claiming the top qualifier position three times. Sampey, a three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion (2000-02) completed her first season with the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines team in seventh place with 2,381 points and was twice the top qualifier for a race.

About Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Since 1903, Harley-Davidson Motor Company has fulfilled dreams of personal freedom with cruiser, touring and custom motorcycles, riding experiences and events, and a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, general merchandise, riding gear and apparel. For more information, visit www.h-d.com.

How To Spot Brembo Fakes And Knock Off’s

Very good information from the Brembo site.
12/18/2019

FAKE BREMBO BRAKES ARE BECOMING ALL THE MORE WIDESPREAD! HOW TO TELL APART FAKE, SEMI-FAKE, AND SUPER FAKE BREMBO BRAKES FROM THE REAL-DEAL ORIGINALS. BECAUSE NOT ALL FAKES MAY BE THE SAME, BUT THEY’RE ALL EQUALLY PERILOUS.
https://www.brembo.com/en/company/news/brembo-brakes-guide-to-recognizing-fakes

American Honda and Richie Morris Racing Recruit Henry Wiles for Singles Championship Hunt

American Flat Track’s All-Time Winningest TT Rider To Campaign CRF450R

December 16, 2019 — DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.

American Honda Motor Co. and Richie Morris Racing have signaled their intention to make an all-out assault on the AFT Singles championship with the blockbuster signing of Henry Wiles to contest the 2020 American Flat Track season aboard a Honda CRF450R.

After returning to the scene following more than 25 years away and coming within six points of claiming the AFT Singles title in 2019, American Honda is set to increase their involvement and support of RMR for the upcoming season.

“RMR has been a great partner, earning second place in the 2019 AFT Singles championship during our first year of collaboration,” said Brandon Wilson, Manager of Advertising & Motorcycle Sports at American Honda. “For 2020, we’re excited to have Henry Wiles on a CRF450R, and we look forward to him and the team continuing Honda’s proud history in the sport of dirt track racing.”

The addition of Wiles is a monumental development destined to send shockwaves throughout the paddock and the clearest sign possible regarding the seriousness of the RMR/American Honda effort.

“It’s an honor to have American Honda back with RMR in an even larger capacity in 2020,” said Richie Morris, owner of Richie Morris Racing. “I’m so excited that this partnership includes the recruitment of Henry Wiles. In my opinion, Henry is one of the best flat track pros to ever swing a leg over a 450; RMR is proud to have him. We’re certain that he’s the right man to bring home the championship in 2020.”

“King Henry” is arguably one of the most accomplished Singles riders in the history of the sport. The Winn, Michigan, native was crowned GNC1 Singles Champion in 2009 and 2010, and boasts 26 career premier-class victories aboard four-stroke singles, including a string of 14 straight at the legendary Peoria TT.

In fact, from 2009 to 2016 (the final year singles were included in the premier category), he won half (19 of 38) of the races he started on single-cylinder equipment.

Wiles is AFT’s all-time winningest TT rider with 19 victories in the discipline and stands equal with Chris Carr at the top of the order in Short Track wins at nine. He ranks 11th in career American Flat Track wins at 30, having also demonstrated the ability to take the checkered flag first aboard twin-cylinder machinery and at Half-Mile venues. That versatility was well demonstrated in 2018, when he finished as the AFT Twins championship runner-up with six podiums and 13 top-fives.

Regarding his impending move into the AFT Singles class, Wiles said, “Richie gave me a call and was talking about going and winning a 450 championship. It’s absolutely exciting to be associated with American Honda, and I’m walking on to a good team that already has some things sorted out. That’s going to be good for me… and I think it’s going to be bad for everybody else. Richie was very up front with me about what the goal is. They’ve got everything in place, and Richie has won championships before. He’s a team owner who knows how to put the right people in place to do just that.”

Wiles will team with the up-and-coming Cole Zabala, who registered five top-10 finishes in AFT Singles action a year ago with RMR.

“Cole is truly a good kid,” Morris said. “He’s not afraid of hard work and I admire that. He learned much last season and is important to one of our associate sponsors, Tucker Powersports. It’s going to be fun to watch him learn from Henry and become the future of American Flat Track.”

Zabala said, “I’m really excited to continue the relationship with RMR and American Honda. Last year was a huge improvement in my program, and I’m stoked for this upcoming season!”

American Flat Track will kick off its highly anticipated 2020 season with the first-ever Saturday of Speed featuring the Daytona 200 and Daytona TT Doubleheader at Daytona International Speedway. It all kicks off at the peak of Daytona Bike Week on Saturday, March 14, 2020. Tickets start at just $35 online and are available for purchase now at www.americanflattrack.com.

How to Watch:
NBCSN and TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track. For the 2020 season, NBCSN’s coverage of AFT remains in highly coveted programming slots within two weeks of each event. The complete schedule for AFT on NBCSN can be viewed on the AFT website. TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold—the most-robust motorsports offering in the digital marketplace—is a cornerstone of AFT’s digital strategy, providing live streaming coverage of every event and maintaining an active archive of all AFT content.

ABOUT AMERICAN HONDA
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., is the sole distributor of Honda motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and Side-by-Sides in the United States. American Honda’s Powersports Division conducts the sales, marketing and operational activities for these products through independent authorized Honda retail dealers. For more information on Honda products, go to powersports.honda.com.

ABOUT AMERICAN FLAT TRACK
American Flat Track is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on American Flat Track, please visit http://www.americanflattrack.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram, live stream the events with TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold and catch all the American Flat Track racing action on NBCSN.

Honda Presents 2020 AMA Supercross and Arenacross Teams

Factory and Support Squads Meet With Media

Team Honda HRC

December 3, 2019 — CORONA, Calif.

During a special media event held today at the official Honda test track, American Honda presented its teams for the 2020 AMA Supercross and AMA Arenacross seasons. Thirteen riders from four different teams did interviews with journalists, rode for the cameras and socialized with sponsors.

Headlining the event was Team Honda HRC, which will field Ken Roczen and Justin Brayton aboard the factory CRF450R in the 450SX division. Roczen, who is coming off a runner-up overall finish in the 2019 AMA Pro Motocross series, is preparing for his fourth year with the squad. Brayton, who just sewed up his fourth Australian Supercross Championship, returns to the team he last rode for in 2012. Brayton continues his practice of focusing on stadium racing, and at the conclusion of the AMA Supercross series, his seat will be filled by 450 rookie Chase Sexton.

GEICO Honda

Sexton, the reigning AMA 250SX East Region Champion, currently rides for GEICO Honda, American Honda’s Corona, California-based 250 satellite effort. He and his fellow CRF250R-mounted teammates—Jeremy Martin, Christian Craig, Jo Shimoda and Hunter and Jett Lawrence—were also presented to media at the event. GEICO Honda announced yesterday that nine-time AMA Champion Ryan Dungey has joined the team as a co-owner.

Also on hand was the Smartop/MotoConcepts/Bullfrog Spas Honda team, which is based in Victorville, California, and will campaign the 450SX division on the CRF450R with Malcolm Stewart (recently third at the Monster Energy Cup and second at the Paris Supercross), Vince Friese (a veteran with the squad, known for his strong starts) and Justin Hill (new to the team for 2020).

In addition to its supercross efforts, Honda presented Phoenix Racing Honda’s AMA Arenacross team, for which defending champion Jace Owen will be joined by Kyle Peters, who begins his first arenacross season. Based in Salisbury, North Carolina, the team also plans to campaign the AMA Supercross 250SX East region rounds.

“This is always a busy, exciting time of the year with the supercross and arenacross openers around the corner, so it’s fun to take a short break and give our media friends the chance to hang our with our teams,” said Brandon Wilson, Manager of Advertising & Motorcycle Sports at American Honda. “We have four strong teams with solid lineups for 2020, and we take pride in those relationships. There’s every reason to be optimistic for a great year of stadium and arena racing for Red Riders.”

The AMA Supercross season kicks off in Anaheim, California, on January 4, one day after AMA Arenacross begins in Loveland, Colorado.

Honda Reaches 400 Million-Unit Milestone in Cumulative Global Motorcycle Production

Annual production exceeds 20 million units

1949 Honda Dream D-Type

December 20, 2019 — TORRANCE, Calif.

Since the introduction of the Dream D-Type in 1949, Honda’s 70th anniversary of motorcycle mass-production marks the company’s 400 million-unit milestone for global motorcycle production.

Honda was founded in 1948 and began mass-production of motorcycles at its first overseas production facility in Belgium in 1963. Since then, Honda has expanded its production globally in accordance with its fundamental principle of producing locally where there is demand. Honda currently produces a wide range of motorcycles, from 50cc commuters to 1,800cc models, at 35 facilities in 21 countries.

Since its foundation, Honda has developed and provided products that meet the needs of customers in many countries and regions, based on its belief that “the purpose of technology is to help people.” As a result, Honda achieved its 100 million-unit milestone in 1997, and its 300 million-unit milestone in 2014. In 2018, Honda exceeded an annual production of 20 million units for the first time in its history and enjoys strong support from customers in the Asia region and worldwide. Honda will continue to construct its development and production structure to meet rising demand. And, Honda will strive to realize is 2030 vision, to serve people worldwide with the “joy of expanding their life’s potential.”

Takahiro Hachigo, Chief Executive Officer, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

“For 70 years, Honda has provided to customers worldwide motorcycles that make life easier

and enjoyable. As a result, we have achieved our 400 million-unit milestone. I am grateful to all of our customers, and everyone involved in development, manufacturing, sales and service of our products. We will continue to do our best to provide attractive products that meet the needs and dreams of our customers worldwide.”

2020 Honda Super Cub C125

Honda’s path to 400 million-unit global motorcycle production

1948: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. founded
1949: Honda releases its first major motorcycle model, the Dream D-Type
2019 Fiscal Year production by region
1958: Honda releases its first Super Cub, the Super Cub C100
1963:Honda begins motorcycle production in Belgium (its first motorcycle factory outside of Japan)
1967: Honda begins motorcycle production in Thailand
1968:Honda reaches 10 million-unit milestone for cumulative global motorcycle production
1971:Honda begins motorcycle production in Indonesia
1976:Honda begins motorcycle production in Brazil / Honda begins motorcycle production in Italy
1979:Honda begins motorcycle production in North America
1980:Honda begins motorcycle production in Nigeria
1984:Honda reaches 50 million-unit milestone for cumulative global motorcycle production
1992:Honda begins motorcycle production in China
1997:Honda begins motorcycle production in Vietnam / Honda reaches 100 million-unit milestone for cumulative global motorcycle production (achieved in 48 years)
2001:Honda begins motorcycle production in India
2004:Honda exceeds 10 million-unit annual motorcycle production for the first time
2008:Honda reaches 200 million-unit milestone for cumulative global motorcycle production (11 years since 100 millionth unit)
2013:Honda begins motorcycle production in Bangladesh
2014:Honda reaches 300 million-unit milestone for cumulative global motorcycle production (6 years since 200 millionth unit)
2018:Honda exceeds 20 million-unit annual motorcycle production for the first time
2019:Honda reaches 400 million-unit milestone for cumulative global motorcycle production (5 years since 300 millionth unit)

NEW RIDERS ADDED TO THE TALENTED H-D FACTORY FLAT TRACK RACING TEAM

December 9, 2019

The Harley Factory Flat Track Team expects to elevate its performance during the 2020 season with the addition of former champions Ricky Howerton and Bryan Smith, winners of the 2016 AMA Grand National flat track championship. Howerton will serve as crew chief, leading the talented three-rider Twins team, alongside Smith, Jared Vanderkooi and Dalton Gauthier.

“Flat track motorcycle racing is the original American motorsport and Harley-Davidson and its factory teams have been part of this exciting competition since its inception more than a century ago,” said Jon Bekefy, GM of brand marketing. “Our expanded factory team effort in AFT Super Twins complements our increased support for the AFT Production Twins class, with race-ready XG750R motorcycles for sale to independent teams and a $250,000 cash contingency program.”

“We are excited to have Ricky Howerton joining the H-D Factory Team,” said Terry Vance, owner of Vance & Hines Motorsports. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and championship experience to an effort that already includes the tuning talent of Byron Hines and engineering resources at the Harley-Davidson Product Development Center. With our trio of great riders, I think we’ll be bringing a formidable team to the track in 2020.”

“I think the Harley-Davidson Factory Team has all the ingredients in place to field bikes that can win every weekend, and the resources are there,” said Howerton. “We’ll have everything and anything we need to move the program forward.”

The team will field an updated Harley-Davidson XG750R flat tracker for 2020, according to Terry Vance, owner of Vance & Hines Motorsports. The bikes is powered by the liquid-cooled, fuel-injected and race-tuned 750cc Harley-Davidson® Revolution X™ V-Twin based on the production engine originally designed for the Harley-Davidson Street 750 motorcycle.

The Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team will compete on the entire 18-event AFT SuperTwins schedule in 2020. The series kicks off on March 14 with the Daytona TT at Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Mark McGhee (88)

I was born a century too late, or maybe too early.
I like to ride motorcycles and write about that.