DARWIN'S Hidden Valley Raceway could be hosting a round of the Australian Superbike Championships in 2010.

The Superbikes have not been in Darwin since 1999 when they were the main support races for the V8 Supercars.

Among the proposals are joint events at Queensland Raceway, Ipswich, on April 30-May 2, Darwin (June 18-20), Philip Island (September 10-12) and Launceston (November 6-7).

NT Major Events general manager Paul Cattermole confirmed negotiations were being held with a view to bringing the popular bikes back to the Top End.

But nothing has been finalised, including a decision on combining the bikes with the Supercars round or running them as a stand alone event.

"We had the bikes here in 1998 and '99 as part of a sponsorship package with the Shell company," he said.

"We are talking with the Superbike people on a possible return, but we're a long way short of finalising anything."

The national Superbike season begins in February as a support category for the opening round of the World Superbikes.

The 2010 V8 Supercars season begins with a double-header in the Middle East with a race on February 20 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

The 16-round season then returns to Australia for the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide on March 11-14 and finishes with the Sydney grand final on December 3-5.

There will be a four-week break between the endurance rounds at Phillip Island (September 10-12) and Bathurst (October 7-10) and a nine-week mid-season break after the Townsville round on July 9-11.

Ben Spies insists he won’t get carried away after the reigning World Superbike champion made an encouraging start to his Yamaha MotoGP career last month.

Spies finished seventh on his YZR-M1 debut in Valencia and followed that impressive display with an eye-catching performance at the first winter test session for 2010.

Spies though is aware of the size of the task he faces to become a rare successful World Superbike convert into MotoGP.

The elite MotoGP quartet of Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa led for all but 24 laps out of 451 in 2009.

And Spies will break the mould if he does translate huge early promise into a serious threat in 2010.

The last six riders - including Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team-mate Colin Edwards – who moved to MotoGP having won or finished runner-up in World Superbikes have done so with limited success.

Edwards, Troy Bayliss, James Toseland, Chris Vermeulen, Neil Hodgson and Ruben Xaus accumulated 319 MotoGP appearances between them and won just two!

Spies said: “I’ve got decent speed. I don’t have the alien speed yet but I’m not far off. But I’m closer to the front than to the back, so that’s a good sign.”

Spies certainly isn’t prone to making outlandish predictions or talking up his chances in 2010.

And he added: “I don’t like making too many predictions. Fifty per cent of the tracks I don’t know and being in the top ten is where I want to be. That’s my goal right now.”

And he denied his impressive Valencia performances had laid down a marker for his rivals.

“I’m just doing my deal and if people do or don’t like it, I’m doing everything for myself and the people that support me.

"There’s been a lot of ‘is he going to do this or will he beat this guy and does he deserve to get the ride?’ That stuff doesn’t bother me at all, “said Spies.

Motorex KTM Off-Road Racing has signed three number one plate riders to represent the team in 2010 under the direction of race team manager, Brad Williscroft.

Jarrod Bewley, winner of the 2009 Australian Four Day Enduro, Toby Price outright winner of the 2009 Australian Off-Road Championship, and Ben Grabham winner of the 2009 Finke and Hattah Desert Race will be the face of KTM Off-Road Racing for 2010.

As Race Team Manager, Brad Williscroft will also continue to compete for Motorex KTM Off-Road Racing in selected events including the Kamfari in which he won in 2009, and the Finke Desert Race, in which he placed second in 2009.

Commenting on the 2010 racing team, Brad Williscroft said, “KTM are well renowned for manufacturing reliable off-road motorcycles with top shelf components, and this is reflected in our off-road sales.

"We felt it was time to invest in Australia’s best riders to represent an area where our sales are strongest, and this was in the off-road market.

“Both new team members Jarrod Bewley, and Toby Price were very enthusiastic about making the change to KTM, and Ben Grabham was equally as enthused to stay on with orange backing after being so successful on the KTM 505 XCR in the 2009 Finke, and Hattah Desert Races.

“For the 12 round 2010 Australian Off-Road Championship, Jarrod Bewley will ride the KTM 250 SX-F in the E1 Championship, and Toby Price will ride the KTM 450 EXC-R in the E2 Championship, while Ben Grabham will move from the E2 to the E3 Championship riding the KTM 530 EXC-R.

“Our goal is to achieve number one plates in each of these classes, and also go on to win all miscellaneous desert and enduro races including Finke, Hattah, Gascoyne, Indee 500, Condo 750, Kamfari, and the Australian Four Day Enduro.

“Leaving us for 2010 will be Ben Kearney who is moving over to the USA to race with his brother Glenn Kearney in the GNCC. It’s been awesome having Ben on our team, and we wish him all the best in his American journey.”

Motorex KTM Off-Road Racing will make their team debut at the first round of the Australian Off-Road Championship scheduled for March 2010. Stay tuned to team updates at www.ktm.com.au

I’ve had my truck loaded with so much moto crap that there’s no place for my trusty aluminum bike stand to fit. When it’s a trip to the woods for a long trail ride, this isn’t a big deal, but having to use a tie down hooked to the truck bed at a motocross track is a pain. One solution is to purchase a larger truck, which isn’t happening on a journalist’s salary. And since the rest of my stuff like toolboxes, gearbags and fuel cans are pretty essential, I’ve found solace in the Polisport Folding Bike Stand.

Polisport claims it can support up to 550 lbs. We’ve put everything from 250cc motocross bikes to nearly 300-pound enduros on it, plus body weight, and haven’t seen it crack, fold, flex or show weakness in any way. When set up, the stand is similar in size to any regular stands on the market, but fold it up and it morphs into compact 2.5 x 18 x 23-inch dimensions. At less than three inches thick, the stand easily tucks along the side of your truck bed, or lays flat to allow other gear to be stacked on top.

The rubber-injected top platform doesn’t let bikes slide around, and the dual-injected plastic is gas/oil resistant and easy to clean. If you’re one of those who actually use the drain hole, the Polisport has one which also functions as the handle when it folds up. The side panels pop out to allow access for a small oil pan. Our model has white panels which have the added benefit of acting as a dry erase board. A squirt of Windex or contact cleaner is enough to wipe the slate clean, and we found it useful for keeping track of moto and practice schedules, figuring enduro checkpoints or just leaving your friend a nasty message.

At only 90 bucks, this is way more realistic than upgrading your rig. Even if you have plenty of room, it's still a great option. We’ve had bikes sitting on it for months and have found nothing wrong with the design or functionality. It has become our go-to option when traveling with a bike stand, even replacing our aluminum stands that weigh less. Toss a dry erase pen into your toolbox and make it even more versatile. Our time with Polisport’s version is enough to convince us that there’s no reason not to consider the folding style over traditional bike stands for lightweight motorcycle support.

Buy the Polisport Folding Bike Stand.
Find More Polisport Products.
Find More Dirt Bike Stands

Check out the video provided by Polisport. The last scene is especially good at demonstrating the bennies.

THE 2009 V8 Supercar Championship Enduro Wildcards Sieders Racing Team (SRT) spent three days testing their mini-armada at Wakefield Park in Goulburn last week, ahead of their final outing of the year at the Sydney Telstra 500 this weekend.

Campaigning two V8 Supercars in the Fujitsu Development Series and three Falcons in the Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series, the family-run operation relished the opportunity to get out for a proper shakedown.

``We haven't spent much time testing as a full operation this year, said Team Manager Luke Sieders, so it was good to get everyone out on track and iron out any kinks before Homebush.''

The team is in high spirits looking toward the event in the Sydney Olympic Park precinct on the weekend, during the three-day event.

``The Sydney Telstra 500 is going to be a massive event, and it will be a thrill just being part of it,'' said Luke Sieders, adding ``but we're not going there to be spectators, we're going there to win.''

Sieders Racing Team's Drivers, David and Colin Sieders, are both Penrith City residents.

The main operation runs from the family business on Forrester Road in St Marys, with the workshop at the family home in Yarramundi.

For more information on the Sieders Racing Team, visit www.siedersracing.com.au.

Zero Motorcycleshas announced it'll be joining Team Agni and CRP Racing next year in the TTXGP's electric motorcycle racing series, eGrandPrix. That's big news for the TTXGP, giving them and not the FIM e-Power series one of the industry's leading innovators and biggest names. It's expected that Zero will be using a Mavizen TTX02 (read KTM RC8) chassis equipped with their own batteries and motors. We also expect to see some sort of streamlined dust bin fairing on the bike, the last time we spoke to the company's founder, Neal Saiki, he speculated that such equipment was the best way for electrics to win races. Look for other major players in the electric motorcycle world to announce their participation in eGrandPrix in the coming weeks. The first eGrandPrix race takes place at Infineon in California next May. Here's Zero's announcement:

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (December 1, 2009) - Zero Motorcycles announced today the creation of its first street racing team and its plans to enter the upcoming 2010 TTXGP electric motorcycle series. Zero has indicated that its race-ready motorcycle will be using the same Z-Force powertrain technology that is currently used in its production electric motorcycles. Few additional details have been released on the development of Zero's race bike, but it has been hinted that many of the design cues will come from the production Zero S street motorcycle.

TTXGP is the world's first zero carbon and zero emissions motorcycle race series. The inaugural TTXGP race took place on the historic Isle of Man TT course in June 2009 and will return again in June 2010 with the addition of a new race class. The first TTXGP race in the 2010 season will be the TTXGP North America Championships at Infineon in Sonoma, California on May 14 - 16.

"Electric motorcycles are powerful, exciting and available now. There is no race that highlights electric motorcycle technology more than the TTXGP and we are excited to support their efforts with our own racing team," said Gene Banman, CEO of Zero Motorcycles. "We have identified a series of strategic partners for this program and will be making announcements shortly about their involvement."

Zero Motorcycles is not a stranger to competitive racing. Recently, Zero Motorcycles took first place in a sanctioned motocross race (finishing third overall in points for the series), in France hosted by the French Federation of Motorcycles. The Zero MX beat out more than 200 450cc gas motorcycles in fierce competition.

Zero's Z-Force technology includes its patent pending Z-Force power pack which is capable of delivering a tremendous amount of energy from a highly compact and lightweight system. It also includes a newly announced Z-Force Air Induction system that allows Zero to fully leverage their power pack's capabilities by dispersing excess motor heat. This development also paves the way for Zero to increase performance in upcoming models.

"We've spent four years developing the Z-Force electric power train technology for high performance dirt and street riding. We're excited to take it to the track and compete. We expect to gain valuable information through the competition of our motorcycles and plan to apply that knowledge to the development of future products," added Neal Saiki, Zero Motorcycles Founder and CTO.

Zero Motorcycles is the next step in motorcycle evolution and represents the ultimate electric motorcycle technology. Unencumbered by conventional thinking about how they design, manufacture and sell high performance electric motorcycles, they are on a mission to turn heads and revolutionize their industry by combining the best aspects of a traditional motorcycle with today's most advanced technology. The result is an electric motorcycle line that's insanely fast and environmentally friendly.

Zero Motorcycles

Suzuki GB donate unique Schwantz supersports machine for BEN charity auction



SUZUKI GB have donated for auction a unique Suzuki GSX-R1000 built especially for 500GP legend Kevin Schwantz.

The machine was constructed for the 1993 500GP champ when he visited the Isle of Man in 2007 for the TT centenary celebrations. The one-off special features a paint-scheme of the legendary rider's RGV500 race bike, with additional Yoshimura exhaust system. The bike's been autographed by Schwantz, too.

The unique GSX-R will be auctioned as part of the BEN Charity Ball in December.

For more information on the auction contact Kelly Neal on 01344 294720 or Kelly.neal@ben.org.uk

A YOUNG student is moto-ing his way to the top.
Supermoto star Karl Geary, 15, won the prestigious 'Rider of the Year' award last month after finishing 27th out of 180 adult riders.

The Morecambe High School student is the second youngest rider in the Norasport Championship and has just completed his first full season.

His dad, also called Karl, said: "The plan is for him to do one more year at Supermoto and then he wants to race bikes. Karl wants to race at the Isle of Man TT but his mum says 'no way'."

Karl, who started racing three years ago, sits his GCSE exams next summer and plans to take his A-Levels after that.

"Supermoto is a hobby for him," said dad Karl. "He doesn't want to be a John McGuinness or anything."

The Bellamy Avenue teenager's title also included a £100 prize and a yearbook showing his 2009 season on his 250 and 450cc bikes.

Melody rides anything with handlebars & a motor and always wants to beat the boys. Be it sand, dirt, track, or street she loves to ride day, night, rain, or shine. A true dedicated motorcycle and powersports enthusiast with a need for speed and corners, she loves the sound of a revving motor and the smell of race fuel. Life on two wheels, what a beautiful thing!

The 2009 MotoGP runner-up Jorge Lorenzo paid a visit to the Yamaha Motor Thailand Factory where the Mallorcan entertained the crowd during a test-ride of the YZF-R1.
Jorge Lorenzo 99 had to overcome tire issues and physical sickness on Fridays practice session.

Meeting with Factory President Frank Nagashima and Chief Operating Officer Praphan Phornthanavasit, Lorenzo took a tour of the factory and met some of the 3,000 workers that produce Yamaha's biggest selling motorcycle in Thailand, the Fino 115cc. Despite having a huge population of motorcycle riders, the residents of this country rarely get the opportunity to watch or meet the stars of the sport.

After the tour and a press conference, Lorenzo donned his race leathers and test rode a specially decorated No. 99 Yamaha R1. This was the first time Gorgeous George has been riding since off-season surgery on his left collarbone in mid-November. He proved to be on the mend by showcasing his abilities on two wheels, which included a burnout in front of 800 people.

At the end of the day, Lorenzo was pleased to be a part of the ceremony. "It is incredible to see so many happy people here in Bangkok, where they don’t get to see this kind of event very often. Motorcycling is not one of the most popular sports here but it is certainly one of the most important businesses. To be able to come here and give the people at Yamaha a boost gives me a lot of pride. Tomorrow we’ll head to Indonesia and I’m sure we’ll find out even more about the secrets of this great brand,” said Lorenzo.

MotoGP title winner Valentino Rossi secures second place on the Rally de Monza

MotoGP title winner Valentino Rossi enjoyed a successful outing on the annual Rally de Monza after the Yamaha rider ended the end of season event in second place.

Driving a Ford Focus WRC, the Yamaha rider won four of the nine stages which made up the event to finish 17.8 seconds behind sportscar ace Dindo Capello, who took victory at the wheel of a Citroen C4 WRC.

Rossi's performance was made all the more impressive by the fact that he beat former World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm in the event, with the Finn taking fourth place in his Subaru Impreza.

Loris Capirossi was 15th, while 2010 MotoGP rookie Marco Simoncelli joined Rossi in the top ten with a seventh place finish.

Rossi also impressed in the Master's Show knock-out event, posting the quickest time of all while beating Simoncelli in his quarter-final before losing at the semi-final stage to eventual winner Capello.

“I finished the rally by winning the last super special test in the rain and I am satisfied to have taken the fastest time in the Master's event,” Rossi told the official MotoGP website. “I was hoping to take revenge on Capello but I was not able to do so.

“In recent years, the level of the Rally de Monza has risen a lot and in order to win, it is not enough to just be fast – you also need to make few mistakes. In any case, the last 20 days have been very entertaining for me, with the Motocross in Cavellara, then with a GT car at Vallelunga and now with the rally.”

Rossi will now head for the Bettega Memorial event at the Bologna Motorshow next weekend.