1978 Honda Express on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Report: Dorna to Replace Superstock Classes with More Stock-Inspired WSBK and New 250cc Class

The coming World Superbike racing season may be the last to feature Superstock classes as series promoter Dorna tries to differentiate its WSBK and MotoGP properties. According to Italian outlet Motosprint, Dorna plans to rewrite the World Superbike and Supersport class rulebooks for the 2014 season to make the race bikes closer to their respective production models. This would create further separation between WSBK and MotoGP, with Superbike racing moving closer to its production-based roots while prototypes racing in the GP series.

Someone is Takin' the Mick

Pull out the slippers and plant yourself in front of a log fire and let Mick Grant talk you through his racing career. With a foreword from our Whit', the book details Granty's life from his Yorkshire roots through to all of his seven TT wins and the intense rivalry with Barry Sheene in the 1970s. Don't judge the book by it's cover, it's not a disaster like the out-of-focus oval-pistoned Honda NR500 but a good read.

OEMs Plug into Electric Bikes

KTM introduced its prototype electric motorcycle earlier this week, and electric bike manufacturer Zero Motorcycles almost immediately responded by opening sales on its 2009 Zero X dirt bike (look for our review of the 2008 model next week!). But these two companies aren’t the only ones exploring the possibilities of electric-powered motorcycles. In September, Japan’s largest industrial information journal Nikkei Business Daily reported that both Honda and Yamaha have set target dates for launching their own electric-powered motorcycles.