Wheelers Blog & News

Physically, wheelies are the result of acceleration combined with a short wheelbase and a relatively high center of gravity. Off-road, a wheelie is useful in letting you hit troublesome terrain with the back wheel, rather than have the bars yanked out of your hands by hitting that log or boulder with the front. Years ago, I was impressed to see the rider of a 650 Triumph drag bike lift the front a couple of inches off the line and then hold it there through first gear. That’s a power...

As part of its ongoing effort to promote fun and safe riding, ANB Motorcycles, the official distributor of KTM and Piaggio Group brands in Lebanon, organized a thrilling three-day test ride event on the 4th, 5th and 6th of April 2015 respectively.   The event was held between 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM on each of the aforementioned days and took place on the picturesque Racing Park Mtein (RPM) circuit in the beautiful village of Mtein, which is located in Northern Matn- 33 kilometers from...

According a recent article published on Reuters, FIA's world endurance championship (WEC) series, which is best known for its annual Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar classic event, is getting rid of its grid girls. WEC chief executive Gerard Neveu told Reuters: “For me that is the past. The condition of women is a little bit different now." He proceeds to say that having umbrella girls is a bit antiquated, and that having said girls is a bit sexist, especially in a male-dominated sport. He also...

The late Dane Westby will be celebrated by his father, and team principle of the Yamalube/Westby Racing team, Tryg Westby, as he will ride a lap of honor at The Circuit of the Americas on Friday, April 10 at 6:45pm. He will be joined on his parade lap by 1993 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Kevin Schwantz.   “I’ll be wearing my old leathers from my racing days back in the 1980s,” Tryg said. “And I’m looking forward to taking the lap aboard my son’s #00 Yamalube/Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1...

Circuit of the Americas Press Release: Circuit of The Americas (COTA) is delighted to announce its partnership with multiple sponsors during the 2015 MotoGP event, the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, April 10-12 at Circuit of The Americas. Supporting sponsors include GEICO, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, BMW Motorrad, KTM, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Victory, Harley-Davidson, Crown Royal, Texas Lotto, Topo Chico, TxDOT, Bridgestone, and more. During the event weekend, fans can take advantage of the...

I remember every detail of that day, even ten years on. It was warm, but overcast; the kind of day that makes the rolling green countryside fade to a grayscale. I was riding with my normal crew, a group of experienced sport riders from Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, as we snaked through the familiar, twisty roads that made up our usual Sunday loop. Riding with these old heads had considerably improved my riding. It was the right atmosphere for a newbie: there was no pressure to go fast,...

Following the tragic passing of Dane Westby, his father, and principal of Yamaha/Westby Racing, Tryg Westby, has decided to continue racing in Dane’s honor this weekend at the Circuit of the Americas, the debut of the new MotoAmerica series. Taking Dane’s place aboard the numer 00 Yamaha YZF-R1 in the Superstock 1000 class will be Geoff May, who most recently finished third at the Daytona 200.   “After thinking about what Dane would do, I decided to keep pushing forward this year,” Tryg...

Just in case some of you aren’t sure how two-stroke engines work, here is some review. In a four-stroke engine, each of the four essential steps of the power-producing cycle is given its own piston stroke: 1) Compression 2) Power 3) Exhaust 4) Intake A two-stroke performs all the same steps, but in just two piston strokes. The simplest two-strokes do this by using the crankcase and the underside of the moving piston as a fresh charge pump.  Such engines carry the official name...

I've told this story before, but I'll tell it again. When I first got into riding, I was on an unpaved gravel road and grabbed too much front brake. The bike was instantly unhappy and I fell over. I was only going 5mph, but the experience was fairly mortifying as it happened at a biker gathering. Everyone saw me. Besides my pride being seriously sprained, I also developed a fear of gravel. I hated being afraid. I hated feeling as if in the right moment, I might lose control of my bike ......

Q: Did you enjoy the Qatar race? A: Absolutely. Everyone expected Marc Marquez to take control, and the Ducati’s pole position made the start of the season even more thrilling. The question mark was if Dovizioso could maintain a quick consistent pace. The race was interesting right from the start, when Marc made a mistake and ran wide at the first corner. Jorge [Lorenzo] got a good start and it looked like he was going to be the strongest.. Valentino [Rossi] didn’t look that strong at the...