Wheelers Blog & News

Movistar Yamaha Press Release: With just a couple of days rest following the Texas Grand Prix last weekend, the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team were back on track today for the first practice session of this weekend‘s GP de la República Argentina. The first morning session at the Autòdromo Termas de Río Hondo was taken gently by riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, the two testing the grip levels as the premier class group added fresh rubber to the slippery circuit. Rossi completed the...

In the days since the announcement, Erik Buell has been publicly silent about the closure of Erik Buell Racing as he worked with the receiver on the bankruptcy. Buell, however, broke his silence today on the company’s Facebook page with a heartfelt thanks to EBR supporters and some insight into what happened: Thank you for the supportive posts, texts, and e-mails since the announcement that EBR has ceased operations. This is a difficult time, and your comments mean a great deal to me...

May 21st and 24th, 2015 at La Marina Joseph Khoury- Dbayeh   It is a universal truth that the best way to understand a man is to think like a man. Men have their own mindset, needs, interests, aspirations, not to mention dreams. In a nutshell, men have their own world. Stemming from that belief, FEW, a newcomer in the event management arena, decided to dedicate an entire exhibition for men. Whether they are seeking simple apparel or aiming for a tad of sophistication, men can find it all...

What makes road racing so great is that it’s one of the only sports that lets women race with the men. Since it is a coed sport, it’s not always easy to pick out a female motorcycle racer in the slew of bikes.   If you’ve read my previous story on Joy Higa, I mentioned my background of being a turn worker for the American Federation of Motorcyclists (AFM). I also described how she was easy to spot in a sea of similar-colored bikes—the main indicator being her braided ponytail. At first,...

On a brightly lit stage, the magician pulls a rabbit from the hat, wowing an audience that struggles to understand the trick. The latest two-wheeled version of this sleight-of-hand features Valentino Rossi’s Qatar win as the rabbit and his “uninspiring” practice times as the standard black hat. Acting as co-magician is Vale’s crew chief, Silvano Galbusera, a man proving to be as cunningly successful as the genius he replaced, Jeremy Burgess. I caught up with a harried Galbusera at the...

The march of motorcycle design technology has long been both a driver of innovation and a reflection of it. By that I mean advancements unique to motorcycle design have kept the motorcycle industry in near-constant forward motion, but adaptations of new and existing technologies alike from other industries have also powered motorcycle design itself forward.   This is an exciting time to be a motorcyclist because now, more than ever, it's electronics that are revolutionizing motorcycle...

For better or for worse, I bought a Hipster bike. This Hipster special is complete with rattle-can black wheels, upside-down Clubman bars that hit the gas tank on both sides, worn out brakes, open exhaust and pop-on air cleaners. It’s a vinyl-owner, kale-eatin’, Liberal’s wet dream and it’s now mine. Starting life as a 1976 Honda CJ360T, it has since lost its fenders, tail section, mirrors, handlebars and factory paint.   “I got it at a good price, and I couldn’t pass it up,” is what I...

Apparently there was a MotoAmerica race this past weekend. You wouldn't know it unless you read about it because there was no live coverage of the event.   Cameras were there, talent was there, the races happened and the winners were crowned. Except, much like a local black out for the NFL, no one watched it on television or on the internet. It's hard to increase the number of road-racing fans in America when no one can actually see live coverage of races. MotoAmerica's television deal...

The US motorcycle market has seen hundreds of companies rise and fall since the early 1900's, but perhaps the most famous of these was the Crocker Motorcycle Company. For most Americans, the name Crocker brings up images of a dark haired woman in a red shirt who also has an extensive line of baking products. But in the 1930's and 40's, that name was synonymous with the high performance American motorcycles. In under ten years, founder Al Crocker went from owning an Indian dealership, to...

Adjust and Check Controls Check and adjust the controls way ahead of time. You will distract yourself fiddling with the buttons if you’re not familiar with them before leaving. Don't do that! Make a mental note of the following: Is the choke still on? Where's the starter button? It’s important to know everything about the bike, mostly controls on the bars like the lights, turn signals and horn. Clutch Control Two fingers on the clutch and two on the front brake are for normal riding, but...