SBK: News and Views

Ducati Museum, Hallowed Halls

During one of my lunchbreaks at Ducati Corse, I spent a few minutes in the Ducati Museum. I would have loved to have spent hours.

Continue reading "Ducati Museum, Hallowed Halls" »

Posted by Liam at 05:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

"We are just a small factory." Ducati Review, Corse and the Factory.

I spent the last week in Bologna, Italy, visiting, working, and training with Ducati Corse on behalf of my team, Pramac D'antin Ducati. It was my first trip to the Factory, and it was a powerful and moving experience.

I walked to the factory from my hotel bright and early on Monday morning, tired from the previous day's travel, but excited to be visiting the birthplace of Ducati, and the home of Ducati Corse, the racing division of Ducati that is responsible for countless victories and championships in World Superbike and also several spectacular wins in MotoGP - most recently the 1-2 punch of Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi in Valencia at the final round of the 2006 MotoGP World Championship. As I mentioned earlier, Ducati Corse is a separate entity within the Ducati factory, much like HRC is within Honda. All similarities end there.

The view from the front of my hotel, Hotel Del Borgo.

"We are just a small factory."

Continue reading ""We are just a small factory." Ducati Review, Corse and the Factory." »

Posted by Liam at 08:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)

MotOH BCN

No time for a proper update, as I'm headed to France for the Le Mans GP this weekend! Here are a couple photos from the Moto BCN bike exibition I went to earlier today.

This beautiful Yamaha MT-05 caught my eye. More photos of this beast later.

The Classics were also extremely well represented, with this gorgeous 1929 Griffin as an example. Check out the speed shifter!

One of Antonio Cobas' race bikes, a brutal Rotax powered two stroke.

More photos later as time permits.

Posted by Liam at 04:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Gran Semana de la Moto, the Great Week of Motorcycles!

What an great couple of days! I've been riding my bici muntanya through the city streets in the mornings, and excercising more in knowing that the next three weeks will be filled with constant travel, and a potentially poor diet. The journey begins today, with The Gran Semana de la Moto in Montjuic that will concentrate on former GP mechanic, team principal, and Spanish legend, Antonio Cobas! I expect to see a wide variety of race machinery, and hopefully will get a chance to demo some of the new supermoto hardware that is trickling down to the public.

The weather has been changing, and watching the city rise from it's slumber is beginning to get hot! I took a short ride down the coastline, but the morning's light wasn't the best for capturing the cityscape.

I also managed to find a couple nice ramps, but lack of gear prevented me from using them. Another time - for sure!

Here's a great example of some of the more modern architecture throughout the city. This is a mall!

And what good is all this exercise if you can't eat something really bad for you now and then?!? These custard filled donuts are just two blocks from my apartment, but I found out the hard way that on an empty stomach they can give a pretty mean sugar headache.

Posted by Liam at 06:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Svensk Roadracing Magazine debuts with Motoliam Included!

A fantastic day for me, as the first issue of Svensk Roadracing has gone to print. Thanks to some quality emails I had with the editor, Matte, of Madmoose Racing, I decided to join forces with these enthusiastic and knowledgable Swedes to further my audience and help share the joy and the passion that encompasses the two world championships that I work with. You can find out more about the magazine by clicking on Svensk Roadracing!

And hey, maybe I'll be able to sign a copy if we ever meet up! Thanks Matte, and I hope everyone enjoys having me be a part of Sweden's premiere motorcycle racing magazine!

Posted by Liam at 07:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Interview with Anthony Gobert, April, 2006

Anthony Gobert Interview 4/22/06, by Liam "Motoliam" Shubert

Anthony Gobert is paying his dues. Again. Having already competed at the highest levels of motorcycle racing since 1992, including WSBK, 500 Grand Prix, AMA Superbike and Superstock, and the Australian Superbike Championships, one would think Anthony would be ready to retire, but the "Go-Show" isn't slowing down a bit. In fact, he's back ontrack, racing in the Spanish National Championship this year, and ready to show the world that even though, "I've been on a roller coaster ride for the last ten years, I've finally got my act back together."

I had the opportunity to spend some time with the notoriously wild rider at the third round of the World Superbike Championship in Valencia, Spain, where Gobert was slated to compete as a wildcard rider. Anthony was excited to be racing in Europe again, and while we spoke he was laid back, composed, and spoke freely about his life and his experiences. Due to an ankle injury sustained in his first session at the track, Anthony was unable to make the WSBK race, but he's confident he'll be ready to battle for the Formula Extreme title in the Spanish National Championship when the season begins in Albacete on May 7th.

Liam: It's been quite a year for you already, what with three international races (2 rides in WSS as a replacement rider for Davide Checa on the GMT 94 Yamaha team and a wildcard entry in WSBK), and moving to Spain to join the Coronas Suzuki team. How did this all come about?

AG: Well, to be honest, I had some time away from racing, and I kinda retired in a way [after the '04 season]. I did the Australian Championship last year, and it took me a lot of the Championship to get my confidence back and get into it again. I just thought that bikes is what I love to do, you know, I just love racing. It's what I've always done. I was going to do the Australian Superbike Championship this year, and I had a bike from Honda with some factory support, and then I got a phone call from GMT about doing the World Supersport. It was a bit of a surprise, really. I got the call on a Saturday and I flew out on a Tuesday morning - it was only really two days notice to get to Qatar! I had such a good time doing the World Supersport, I mean, to be honest, that's the most fun I've had for a long time. It was a really good experience, a good team, and it was awesome to be back in the World scene. I actually did a lot better than what I expected – the rear tire came apart on me in Phillip Island, and I probably would have gotten 4th or 5th in that race. I was sixth when I was dicing with them, and I'm just happy to be back on the world scene, you know, just happy that I did some decent results for them.

Liam: With no seat time on the bike, not knowing the crew, and the language difficulties(GMT is a French team), what was riding the new '06 Yamaha like?

AG: You know, the Yamaha 600 is such an awesome bike, it's so fun to ride. The bike was brand new, and it lacked a bit on the acceleration, but with the 600 you can make up for it a bit with corner speed. And the Supersport tires have really progressed. It's really weird that with the treaded [Supersport] tires, there's two inches of on the side which isn't treaded. They're pretty much slicks nowadays, but they give you a better feel than the slicks. You always know where you're at on the Supersport, you can feel the front move around and the Pirellis really surprised me. They were really good. Being back in Europe got me thinking that I wish I could have done the full season with them. They're really happy with what I did, especially with no testing.

Liam: Now you're with the Coronas Suzuki team. [ed. Not to be confused with the Corona Alstare Suzuki WSBK team. Coronas is a Spanish Tobacco company] Can you tell me a little bit about what it's been like working with them?

AG: I already had a factory support ride in Australia with the same team I rode with in
'05, Redwing Honda, so I knew what I was going to be doing this year, and then I got a phone call and got asked if I was interested in coming to Spain. I thought about it for a bit, and I thought at least it's a chance to get back into Europe and get a bit known again. I hadn't been getting the good stuff in Australia, and nowadays, unless you have the good stuff, it doesn't matter how good of a rider you are. If you're not getting the right tires and the right parts, you're just wasting your time. I figured Coronas is a top team, with support from Suzuki, and enough cash to get the right stuff. I've worked with Dunlop for a long time and they told me they're 100% behind the team, so that made me feel good about the whole thing. I figured I'd come over here and give it a try, mate. It's been good so far, I've been pretty fast in testing, and I'm just happy about everything, really.

Liam: So, you've ridden in World Supersport this year on a Yamaha, and now you're riding a Suzuki GSXR 1000 for the Coronas team. Tell me a little about the transition.

AG: I've been real fortunate this year. I've ridden the best 600, the Yamaha, and the Suzuki's are just awesome bikes. I rode one in '03 in the Suzuka eight hour race, and it did everything nice. The power was smooth and it handled good. The '06 is the same, just more refined. When you're riding it, it just seems to be real narrow and quite comfortable. At the moment, I would say it's the best Superbike around.

Liam: You've had experience on just about every kind of roadracing bike, from twins, to inline screamers, to GP bikes. Some riders have told me that riding japanese bikes is like being right handed, and that riding anything else is like being left handed. You've been successful at both - What's it been like riding such a variety of machinery?

AG: I'd say it's 90% mental. When you're racing, you just mentally push yourself through the race. It's important not to distance yourself from the bike. Maybe that's what happenned to me a little in '03, on the Austin Ducati. When you distance yourself from the bike, when you tell yourself it's never going to be quick enough, or handle right, or that the guys can get it set-up half decent, it's easy to get yourself in trouble. It's easy to psyche yourself out of the game. That's why it's all mental, this game.

Liam: What's your life like living in Spain now?

AG: At the moment, living in Madrid it's a bit cold, and not many people speak English, so it's more frustrating than anything, I guess. I live by the big Bull Ring, and I'm not overly thrilled about living by myself out here in Spain. It's not a whole lot of fun, but it's not bad, either. I'm close enough with the team that we see each other a couple times a week, and we go dirt bike riding on the weekends. Nah, I'm coping with it, mate, and I'm just sorta glad to be back on the scene a bit.

Liam: Are you picking up any Spanish? What's it like trying to communicate with your team?

AG: It's weird, like when I first came here, none of them spoke any English, you know, but since I've been here it's like now nearly most of them speak English! It's like, they don't really speak that good English, but it's good enough that I can understand what thery're talking about, and I can sorta just say enough to them and they sorta know what I'm saying. We kinda got a bit of a cool thing going, you know? We don't really have to say too much. It's just a weird thing, but it's good [chuckling].

Liam: How does the team compare to anyone that you've worked with before in the AMA or on the World Scene?

AG: There's a lot of them, I mean, an unbelievable amount of people! There's about thirty people or more. This team is way bigger than any team I've been with before – GP, anything! There's just people everywhere, helping, doin stuff. You know, there's one of fifteen guys who want to clean my visor every time I come in! I'm loving it, it's good, mate.
Liam: I notice the Spanish press has been really excited about you coming to compete in their National Championship. How do you feel about being here?

AG: Well, I'm on the way back up again. I've had three chances to be in World competition again, and I've finally got my act back together, and this year my results have been really good – everything is going really good.

Liam: What do you think your chances are in the Spanish Nationals?

AG: I think I've got a really good chance to win. I've only tested at two places, Albacete, and this place, Valencia, and I only had a standard streetbike engine, but straightaway, to be honest, I'm pretty sure I was the quickest out of everybody who was there, out of the Formula Extreme guys. It's going to be tough. There's a lot of guys who are fast, and it's going to be tough. I'm just going into it with an open mind. I've been training hard, putting a lot of effort into it, and I'm just going to do the best I can. My goal is to not try and win every race, but to always finish up towards the front because I've noticed that most people who win championships do that.

Liam: Speaking from experience, I know that Spain is a very Party friendly place. Do you feel it's dangerous for you living here with your past problems with Drugs and Alcohol?

AG: I do have problems, everybody knows that, I've made no secret of it. I've always been honest about how I am as a person. When I mess up, I say I messed up. I'm not the sort of person who blames other people for my mistakes, and I can only say that I've come a long way in a short period and I'm just trying to keep on track. Spain is a party place, but I've stayed away from it a lot. When I got the sack from Erion for the DUI, I went back to Australia and I just partied pretty hard for about 6 to 8 months. I hated the world, hated everybody, and I hated myself the most. It just got to the point one day, I just kinda thought about it and I realized that I was just smashing myself up. I realized that I gotta put everything into racing and try and succeed. It's a constant battle, and at the end of the day, I am only human, with normal problems just like anybody else.

Liam: What are your goals now?

AG: I want to be World Champion. I've proved that I'm quick enough on a given day to be a World Champion, but I haven't proved it for a whole season. I'm not in it because I want to finish and be a hero, I just want to finish a season, get on an airplane to go home, and be satisfied.

Liam: So satisfation is . . . .

AG: Being World Champion! Nah, satisfied is knowing you did everything you could for a whole season. That's why I'm putting in a lot of effort. I don't want to cheat myself. I'm sick of getting on that airplance and thinking to myself, “What the hell have I done”.

Liam: The most important lesson you've learned to be a successful racer anywhere in the world would be?

AG: Don't do Drugs!

Posted by Liam at 05:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Prelim work for Road Racer X

Chris Jonnum, the editor for Road Racer X Magazine emailed me and asked for a short bio of myself to be added to the Road Racer X Contributors page! While this might not sound like much, it means that one of the projects I have been working on will be published, hopefully before the USGP this July. As this will be my largest feature to hit the press, I am naturally excited, and a little nervous. Hopefully everything works out as smoothly as I think it will. My bio goes like this:

Liam Shubert built custom motorcycles and worked on Harley-Davidson's before moving to Spain last year to work as a race mechanic for teams in both MotoGP and WSBK. While living the Euro-life, he has become involved in jounalism, photography, webdesign, and pretty much anything that will keep him active at the races! You can find him at www.motoliam.com.

or how about this?

Liam Shubert built custom motorcycles and worked on Harley-Davidson's before moving to Spain last year to work as a race mechanic for teams in both MotoGP and WSBK. He has built a website to log his adventures and travels, www.motoliam.com, and continues to be an active participant on motorcycle forums and podcasts around the world.

I'll let you know how it turns out, but either way it's clear that I better get this website polished up and ready to run, because (as someone once told me), "If you build it, they will come."

Here's a tiny sample of what to expect later this summer in Road Racer X!

Posted by Liam at 04:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We missed the race

I guess another reason I was bummed last week was because for all our hard work, Kenny wasn't able to compete in Sunday's Formula Extreme race in Albacete! We tried a bunch of things to alleviate his hand, and with advice from Dean Miller (who works with Nicky Hayden, and John Hopkins, among others), Randy Mamola (who called us and talked for an hour while I drove us back to Barcelona one evening), and many more, we just weren't able to get everything "right" come race day. It was frustrating and disappointing, especially for Kenny, who has trained and prepared for this very race since late last year. You can read more about his crappy day here. We took a moment on Saturday afternoon to check out the competition, evaluate our status, and work on our tans.

On the flip side, we're more determined than ever to come back stronger than before, and while I crank stuff out on the computer, Kenny is recuperating and rehabbing in Bulgaria with his girlfriend, Iana.
I've been busy actively seeking sponsorship for the AMA rounds Kenny has lined up at Laguna Seca, Mid-Ohio, and Virginia, and so far it's been gratifying to see that several people have come onboard. While I haven't secured a title sponsor yet for the team, we will be running strong with a R1 massaged by noted tuner, Dale Lineaweaver , with support from Yamaha, Alpinestars, and Michelin. We lucked out, because Yamaha gave us the last R1 LE available, with Ohlins suspenders and slipper clutch, and we're putting together a nice package that will hopefully surprise a couple of the big dogs when we get on track. Speaking of which, we scored, because Roadracing World is taking care of the bike transport for us, so that means we won't have to bolt on some lights and a license plate and ride it cross country (just kidding).

Just think, you could have your very own team under your own easy up, in front of thousands of your friends at Laguna Seca. Not to mention they're broadcasting the AMA rounds here in Europe because it's connected with MotoGP that weekend.

Continue reading "We missed the race" »

Posted by Liam at 05:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Formula Extreme Rd.1, Day 1

I should have expected it, but I wasn't. I'm not talking about the rain we had all morning, I'm talking about the size of the paddock! Semi's everywhere (some teams compete in both Grand Prix and the Spanish Nationals, and will use the same rigs and hospitality areas for both), vendors selling trick parts, t-shirts, you name it! I was so busy running around and working today that I only managed to take one picture. This is 9PMish, and the bikes are still being fired up and worked on. It will go on til about 2AM, if my hunch is correct. Time to eat!

Posted by Liam at 09:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Underdog

I've always been a fan of the Underdog. While I respect the might and technology of the Factories (not to mention their budget!!), there's always a large part of me rooting for the privateer.

That said, I've decided to throw my expertise and ability (limited as that is ) behind Kenny Noyes for some races this year in Spain, and possibly during the three AMA rounds he will contest later this year.

We worked together last week for three days to test some special parts he's going to use in the upcoming Spanish Formula Extreme races, and then over the weekend I helped the Folch Endurance team (which Kenny rides for) during the six hour race. Initially, I had just wanted to check out an Endurance race, but getting involved is my stock in trade, and working with those guys was fun and educational for me. I'm always trying to learn as much as I can, and anything I can do to improve my skillset comes first. This weekend I'm going to figure out Kenny's telemetry system and see if I can make a positive difference. As todays motorcycles get more complex, and more adjustable, the electronics package becomes that much more important, and I'm hoping that I can adapt to the software quickly. I can't think of a better way to test parts than at the racetrack, and what better way to test myself than by working at the racetrack, too!
Hopefully, I'll be able to give Kenny an extra boost at the track. . . because this weekend we're going up against some heavy hitters - namely David De Hea, and moreso, Anthony Gobert!

You can find out more about Kenny in the current issue of Road Racer X Magazine . He's got an eight page spread that's full of some great pictures and stories, and I can totally relate. Or, heck, just go to his personal website! After all, not many Americans move to Europe to get into racing .

^^Image borrowed from Kenny's site ^^

Tomorrow I'm off to drive six or seven hours to rustic Albacete. It's not one of the huge tracks in Spain, but WSBK used to go there in the late nineties and I think it's a pretty nice track. In fact, BSB still goes there every year for preseason testing because the weather is so much better than in cold and rainy England. Anyway, catch you guys later!

Posted by Liam at 02:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Weekend with Yamaha Folch Endurance!

I had just gotten back from Valencia WSBK on Monday afternoon, and no sooner had I taken a nap I got a message from my friend, Kenny Noyes, about some upcoming tests he had at Albacete, a racetrack in Southern Spain. Kenny had just competed as a replacement rider for David Checa (brother of Carlos) for GMT 94, a Yamaha World Supersport team. While he had a good time riding a 600 for the first time in years, it's not his main job, which is competing in the Spanish National Formula Extreme Champsionship (which is a series where the bikes are about halfway between an AMA Superbike and Superstock bike specification). Late Tuesday afternoon we piled into his Citroen van and prepared to drive to Reus to get ahold of one of his CEV (Spanish Championship) bikes. Away we went, and like all things, there were cool little details and problems that needed to be A) fixed, B) ignored, or C) just worked around. . .
Here we are bombing down the freeway with the little five spd. engine maxed out, doing around 130KMH, but not really sure. . . . because the speedo cable had broken. I guess if you're used to racing bikes much faster than that and gauging speed by feel, then buzzing around in a slow van doesn't really register, haha.

Continue reading "A Weekend with Yamaha Folch Endurance!" »

Posted by Liam at 05:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

To and From Valencia WSBK round

Travelling to the races can be stressful, particularly when it's last minute and things aren't lined up properly. In order for me to get to the Valencia round, I needed to rent a car. The problem was, the website of the car rental company I wanted to use wasn't working properly and despite going there in person, I wasn't able to get the car situation sorted until the day before I was to leave. That meant I lost a day, and I wasn't happy about it! What's the best way for me to feel better about something? SNACKS! This is my latest and greatest snack addiction. Soooo crunchy!

Continue reading "To and From Valencia WSBK round" »

Posted by Liam at 08:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Alex Barros has some nice rides

Barros has some nice vehicles! This Honda CBR100RR is tricked to the gills, and his German team, Klaffi Honda, is meticulous in their preparation of it. Not only is the bike well-sorted, HRC has been assisting with the motore, so it's only a matter of time until we see the former MotoGP rider up front.

Barros' other ride.

Posted by Liam at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Valencia WSBK Round 3!

I made it to Valencia for the third round of WSBK, April 23rd, 2006. I wasn't sure I was going to make it, as a couple things had to fall in place to make this happen. Step one was renting a car and establishing a place to sleep. Pepecar made it possible to do both. The racing was great and I had the opportunity to shake hands and meet some great people in the paddock. Full report with photos to follow, but for now I'm off to Albacete, where I'm to spend the next week helping Spanish/American rider, Kenny Noyes, with his Yamaha effort. See you guys in a week!

Most of the racing action centered between the battle of the Troys. Reigning World Champion, Troy Corser, on the #1 Corona Alstare Suzuki, and former World Champ, Troy Bayliss, on the #21 Xerox Ducati.

Posted by Liam at 03:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Why isn't MV in WSBK?

The last few days I've been spending time walking around. The weather is turning, leaves are sprouting from the trees lining the streets, and the sun is shining. On Saturday I had a nice time walking through the Passeig de Gracia area, which is filled with expensive boutiques and high-profile brand stores (think Rodeo drive type stuff), and also some cheaper places, like H&M. I guess it's a social shopping area, with lots of outdoor cafes and bars/restaurants interspersed throughout the hotels lining the street. As the day turned to evening, I thought I saw someone I recognized, but I wasn't sure. However, the person recognized me! Turns out it was Oliver Jacque, former World 250cc Champ and Kawasaki test-rider (hopefully a wildcard rider later this year - Le Mans anyone?). He was strolling through the area with two kids, and also his parents. We stopped and chatted for a few minutes, which was cool, and he was here because he was getting married this weekend. Congratulations Oliver - I hope that ring doesn't slow you down!

This makes the second weekend in a row I have randomly run into somone from the MotoGP World Championship, and both times no one else recognized them. I wonder how many people involved in the AMA scene are recognized when they're in town for a race? The last time I was around an AMA race, I had a great time talking with Merlyn Plumlee, and to my surprise, no one else was bothering us! This guy has got a lot of history and good stories, but people didn't seem to recognize him. Oh well, their loss. Speaking of history, this Marque has quite a bit as well, and this is how I prefer to see them. . . . . . .

If MV can race in the European Superstock category, why aren't they racing in WSBK?

Continue reading "Why isn't MV in WSBK?" »

Posted by Liam at 09:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

WSBK Test with Ducati NCR in Valencia (couple weeks before the race)

I was here because World Superbike (SBK) was having their first official test of the season and I was slated to work for SC Caracchi Ducati, also known as Ducati NCR. I know - Weird that their official tests come after the first two races. The other tests before this were all unofficial. That meant everyone was here, SBK, World Supersport (which is like Formula Extreme, to the extreme), and World Superstock. I think I bumped into Chris Perris, formally tagged to ride for WCM in MotoGP, because not too many people are wearing leathers with Traxxion Dynamics on them! He was busy getting sorted, so I left him alone. Maybe I'll see him again and see if I can score an interview. This was another great opportunity for me to spend some time with the teams and get to know the scene. While there is a lot of glamour and money in MotoGP, there's a much different feel here in SBK. As Tomo-san (Nissin Racing brake guru, who I met in November and several times again, at just about every event I've been to!) pointed out to me, SBK feels like it's more about the racing, and there are several reason for this. Maybe the money changes things, but I feel that a lot of teams out here are running on passion. Some teams are fully funded (i.e. Xerox Ducati, Ten Kate Honda, etc) but the rest are coming out here because they love to race. They live for racing. Maybe they don't have all the unobtanium, but they're still putting a bike on the grid on the world scene, and that's doing something! I'm still coming up with the differences between the two World Championships, and I'm still having a good time.

Continue reading "WSBK Test with Ducati NCR in Valencia (couple weeks before the race)" »

Posted by Liam at 08:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Trip to Valencia's SBK test!

Spent some time at the train station sorting things out, and I have to say. . . . . it was S.L.O.W. going. Right up there with the California DMV. If any of you guys work at the DMV, please commit hari-kiri now.

Man, I am pumped for the races this weekend! Next week we should have a lot more answers about the MotoGP season ahead, and personally, I can't wait!

P.S. I like how the clock looks angry, like it's laughing at me. Mierda!

Continue reading "The Trip to Valencia's SBK test!" »

Posted by Liam at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Desmo's Hidden Jewel

First off, about that thing on the shelf:
It is the super rare and extremely precious motore of the illustrious
Ducati Supermono! I think this motor came from one of the 94-96 versions, as the muffler that was also on the shelves was the single can, dual outlet type by Termignoni. Very nice jewel.

Oh, and the old racebike? 1985 Ducati 750 F1 with swingarm upgrade to 1987-88 spec, IIRC. I love the way the tank sits down in the frame! Gorgeous! The Paso was sold later in the 750 and 907 guise and they both ran trellis frames, though the littler one had square tubes instead of round stock. I think I read once that the U.S. spec Paso's came with something other than the Weber carbs (which were on the intl. models) and this is why it was a common/necessary upgrade to the U.S. ones. I also believe the #88 bike started out as a Paso, but was altered so much it sports 851/888 race fairings - I could be wrong, as there was a language barrier and I'm not a Ducati history expert - yet!

Oh yes indeedy,
I love horizontal four stroke singles!

Posted by Liam at 04:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Desmo BCN

I have begun to make it a secondary mission of mine to find all the unique and cool moto shops here in BCN, and wherever I manage to be. Along the way, I have seen a couple of neat shops, but this one is by far my favorite. While I've never been a true Ducatisti, I have always respected their product, and moreso, the passion and style with which they were created. Truth is, I love everything on two wheels, but I had never really worked on Duc's, so I was always a little intimidated by them because the higher spec they were, the more "spaghetti" was strung along the frame! My personal tastes run towards the minimalist side, which is why I love super-motards, old-school chops, cafe-racers, and thoroughbred racebikes! Oh, and I have a huge soft spot for the MH900E. Desmo BCN is run by a single mechanic named Chencho, and although it's small, this shop is filled with all manner of goodies. The shop, and several of it's customers, have been racing for more than ten years, and they specialize in endurance races. I don't know about you, but anytime a high-strung Ducati makes it through a 24 hour race, I know the team behind it (i.e. the crew), is top notch. I caught a couple metros (subway trains) to get here, and then had to walk for another twenty minutes before I found it. I also managed to walk right past it, but I caught myself before I got too far, and only ended up going an extra two blocks.

Continue reading "Desmo BCN" »

Posted by Liam at 04:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Liam testing with Ducati SC at Valencia!

That's Right Baby! I'm leaving Sunday, March 26th, to travel by train to Valencia, where I will work with the Ducati SC Caracchi team for a three day test at the circuit! This is a fantastic opportunity for me, and I will do my best to secure a postion within a World Championship caliber team. Under the guidance of their master mechanic, Franco Farne, I hope to learn as much as possible in three short days. Hopefully I've done my homework, and they choose to continue working with me. I will be working on bikes for Roberto Rolfo in Superbike, and Joshua Brookes and Luka Nedog in World Supersport. I'm scared, nervous, and most of all, excited. Ducati SC Caracchi is a very well respected team in the World Superbike Championship, and they are proven race winners, last year with Lorenzo Lanzi, and the previous year with Garry McCoy. They know how to win, and I hope to contribute to that tradition of winning success!

Posted by Liam at 08:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cleaning up before the WSBK test at Valencia

It had been a couple of relatively busy weeks for me lately, so I decided it was time to continue cleaning up and reorganizing things. One of the things I did was reassess whether of not my Axio hardpack was up to snuff. I had been running these graphics for a while now, and it was time for a change. If you ever saw this rip past you on the 101 freeway, that was me. . . .

Ahhhhh, back to clean and simple. Still representin' the 50th state, since I'm probably the only Hawaiian that makes it to some of these events out here, and if there's one thing I have in excess, it's pride. Doh! Just kidding, I always strive my hardest to maintain a level of professionalism that exceeds those around me.

Posted by Liam at 03:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Losail Cup Rd. 3, with World Superbike Rd. 1!

Wow! What a hard two days since I last got online! First off, I needed to get ready for my flights early Sunday morning. I have a slight problem waking up in the morning (if there are no bikes to work on!) so I decided to do my best to get a good night's sleep. On Saturday I got up as early as possible and had a busy day running errands. I had a beastial work out on the bike in the afternoon, rough enough that I fell asleep five minutes after I got home. I wasn't sure if it was from dehydration or what, but I was woken up two hours later, around eight, by my roomates. Apparently there was a big party scheduled Saturday night, to celebrate one of my roomate's birthdays. We had had a special dinner earlier in the week, so I thought we were done with that particular celebration, but boy was I wrong. Around nine, Hiro showed up, and shortly thereafter, about fifteen people rolled in and started partying up a storm! I had no choice but to go along for a while, and because of the noise I had no chance to sleep. Thank goodness they left around 3AM to go find some afterhours dancing! I decided to roll the clock all the way around so I could sleep on the plane, and somehow I managed to do just that (well, almost).

I had a chance to talk to Hiro quite a bit about the new KTM 250, and we discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the program at this point. This was his first official outing on the bike, and due to the inclement weather at Estoril, Portugal, he didn't have the bext time. He also fell off three times and injured his left ring finger. Someone suggested a traditional Spanish remedy, and as soon as I get the photos from my roomate's camera, you guys will be in for a treat!

Anyway, I flew to Madrid Sunday morning, then to London in the afternoon, and then finally to Qatar in the evening and through the night. Arrived in Doha at 6:30 AM, with a few hours sleep and a restless feeling to get started on the bikes! In Heathrow, London, I finally broke down and had a hamburger. Not bad for 10 Pounds (with a beer!). I managed to try the infamous HP sauce, and it's just like Worcestershire!

Continue reading "Losail Cup Rd. 3, with World Superbike Rd. 1!" »

Posted by Liam at 03:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Planet Cafe

Right now it's about 3 in the afternoon and I'm sitting in a coffeeshop that one of my roomates found. It has free Wi-FI!!! Not only is this place about three blocks from my apartment, the atmosphere is really laid back and I am sure to get a lot of work done here. They don't mind if I plug the power adapter in, either, which is a big deal in power conservative Spain. No matter what's going on my roomates are constantly turning the lights off and it's always dark in my place. I wonder if this is a sort of mental/psychological holdover from the dark ages?

I first found this place late last night and I ran into a couple Americanos! Turns out the coffeshop is run by a mother/daughter team and the daughter, Jana, is dating Kenny, the son of Dennis Noyes. Dennis is the famed American rider/journalist, currently working for Solo Moto. Here they are working on some articles for Road Racing World and Speed TV, online. What a coincidence, huh?!?

To find out more about Kenny log onto Kenny Noyes

Bike Technique, or kitchen implement disaster?

Posted by Liam at 05:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)