Miguel Angel Mancera, the mayor of Mexico City, acted as grand marshal for the parade. He started things at 10 a.m. at Zocalo, a plaza located in the historic heart of the city, PowerSports Business reports. The procession then continued through several main roadways in the metropolis before wrapping up at Hermanos Rodriguez Speedway. There, motorists were treated to a performance by rock legend Alice Cooper as well as several cruiser gear tests and other live shows.

Fans of the Harley-Davidson brand and motorcycle lovers in general came from far and wide to participate in the parade. Local officials claim that the city’s hotels reached about 80 percent capacity during the event, and revelers contributed an estimated $2 million to the economy, the news source reports.

At the end of the day, the parade was the largest motorcycle gathering to ever take place in Mexico City. This was also one of the first stages of the anniversary celebration to take place, and as the party spreads across the world crowds will likely get larger.

2014 Honda Grom

Honda has recently announced its new 2014 lineup, and one of the most talked about additions is the 2014 Honda Grom, a 125cc machine targeted at new riders in an urban setting. With a curb weight of just 225 pounds, a 12-inch wheelbase and low seat height, the Grom aims to provide an affordable alternative to large cruisers or expensive street bikes.

This entry-level bike is being touted as a fun and stylish way to enter the world of motorcycling. While the new Grom features simplified riding, it has some of the same features as a full-sized street bike.

At first look the new urban ride seems for small, however it is street legal – and for those who want to bring someone along for the ride, the seat can support a passenger. It will start selling in the U.S. in August for about $3,000, and will be available in red/black and an all black color scheme.

2013 X Games Enduro X Barcelona track being built.

The second of the four Global X Games events will take place in Barcelona, Spain this weekend and Enduro X will again be a major part of the motorsports show with live TV coverage. The Enduro X event will take place on Saturday evening Barcelona time, which translates to 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 PM Eastern Time. The same show is scheduled to include Street Skateboarding and Freestyle Moto X. Check your local listings or http://xgames.espn.go.com/events/2013/barcelona/schedule/

“This is an Olympic Stadium and we have a lot of great materials to create an epic course to test the riders” said Eric Peronnard, the creator of EnduroCross and ESPN Enduro X sport organizer. “Spain is a great country for Motorsports so we expect to see a great crowd and worldwide TV via ESPN”.

After the second of four 2013 X Games Enduro X events in Spain, the riders will head back to the United States for round two of GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series, fueled by Monster Energy inside Sacramento, California’s Sleep Train Arena on Saturday, June 8th. You can get tickets at Ticketmaster, http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1C004A48A4E0645E?artistid=1305969&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=25

All of the 2013 GEICO AMA EnduroCross events will feature live online broadcast via the www.EnduroCross.com and www.DirtRider.com websites or the Motor Trend YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/motortrend). So if you can’t be there in person, you can follow it from your favorite online connection.

For more information, please visit www.EnduroCross.com

2013 X Games Enduro X Schedule

2013 GEICO AMA EnduroCross, Fueled by Monster Energy Schedule

EnduroCross tracks incorporate various elements of extreme off road racing into a Supercross-style setting, including rocks, boulders, logs, sand, mud, a water-hole…and even a few special obstacles like giant tires thrown in! Known as the “toughest racing on two wheels,” this indoor off road racing will certainly keep you on your feet. For the seven EnduroCross events, be sure to log-on to www.motorsportshour.com for local air dates/times for the Lucas Motorsports Hour on the Versus network.

ENDUROCROSS is a registered trademark of Source Interlink Magazines, LLC.
For rules and race information visit www.EnduroCross.com or email endurocross@sorc.com.

Source: EnduroCross

“We Bring Together What Belongs Together”

The year 2013 will be remembered in motorcycling history as the year that Husqvarna was reborn.

Husqvarna Starts A New Era Of Great Success

Following the acquisition of Husqvarna by Pierer Industries AG and after careful analysis and evaluation of all aspects, it was decided to reunite what came out of shared roots 25 years ago. In other words, Husqvarna will enter a positive new era by combining its own rich heritage with Husaberg’s state-of-the-art technology.

New Husqvarna Model Lineup To Be Presented In October

The new generation of Husqvarna models is already in progress: a new line-up, with brand new exclusive design and the latest technology is being developed and will be offered in the segments Enduro, Motocross and Sportminicycles. There will also be exciting, newly developed products in the Supermoto segment – one in which Husqvarna has enjoyed a lot of success in recent years.

Don’t miss the presentation of the new Husqvarna offroad lineup in Sweden; planned for early October 2013.
The new line-up will be presented to the big fan community at the international EICMA show in Milan in early November.

Husqvarna Sportmotorcycle GmbH, Operational As Of October 2013

As of October 2013, the new group company “Husqvarna Sportmotorcyle GmbH” based in Mattighofen, Austria, will be fully operational in the production and sale of the new model range to the Husqvarna network of dealers and distributors. Parts supply and Customer Service for all Husqvarna models up to and including Model Year 2013 are guaranteed for the years to come and will remain at the current business location in Biandronno (VA), Italy.

Source: Husqvarana

Kurt Caselli racing in California’s Johnson Valley off-highway vehicle recreation area – Photo: Mark Kariya

A bill to block a U.S. Marine Corps takeover of California’s Johnson Valley off-highway vehicle recreation area was approved by the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources on May 15, the American Motorcyclist Association reports.

The bill, H.R. 1676, introduced by Rep. Paul Cook (R-Calif.), now goes to the full House for consideration.

The measure would designate Johnson Valley as a national off-highway vehicle recreation area, protecting it from a takeover, but would authorize limited military use of the area.

Several years ago, the U.S. Department of the Navy began the formal process to take over some 365,906 acres of public land near San Bernardino to use for live-fire training for the Marines.

The move threatens the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Riding area, a long-standing and popular area that is across the San Bernardino Mountains from Los Angeles.

The Navy filed an application with the U.S. Interior Department seeking control of the public land in question, which is now under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The Navy also is seeking to control some 72,186 acres of non-federal land in case one day it is acquired by the federal government.

The land, which equals about 658 square miles, borders the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, and includes a large portion of land in the 189,000-acre Johnson Valley area.

Ultimately, Congress will decide whether the Navy should get control of the land.

About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.

Source: American Motorcyclist Association

The Yamaha pair arrive in France hoping for track conditions that are kinder to their sport bike tires than in Jerez where extremely short tire life made for a complicated race day.

The Yamaha YZR-M1 motorcycles of both Lorenzo and Rossi will have a special logo in tribute to Yamaha legend Jean Claude Olivier who passed away tragically earlier this year in a road traffic accident. Known to all as ‘JCO’, Olivier was a Yamaha icon and loyal employee for 45 years until his retirement in 2010. JCO competed in the Dakar Rally for Yamaha from 1979 to 1989, finishing second in 1985. A former President of Yamaha Motor France, he was a guiding light in numerous classes of motorcycle racing for Yamaha Motor France. There will also be a display of images inside Yamaha’s Hospitality depicting highlights of Yamaha Motor France’s story in road racing.

This year will be the 56th time the Grand Prix has run at the Le Mans circuit and should as always guarantee a bumper crowd of racing fans. The major challenges of the team will be to set up the YZR-M1 to provide Lorenzo and Rossi with optimum balance and control under hard braking whilst retaining the bike’s class leading balance to tackle the tight chicanes and hairpins and short straights.

Jorge Lorenzo
“Now we travel to France, to Le Mans, a special circuit which is a very different track to Jerez. I am looking forward to racing there. I arrive with a lot of motivation after the Jerez results. Perhaps we expected better there but we struggled much more than we expected because of the extreme heat on the track. Fortunately we worked a lot on the test day afterwards to solve little problems. That session helped us to understand what the main problems had been on the Sunday. I’ve always had very good results at Le Mans and it brings me good memories. Last year in fact, I got a victory in the wet by a great distance over the rest. I rode a perfect race, without making a single mistake and in terrible track conditions. I have won many times in France and think it’s a good track for both me and the Yamaha M1.”

Valentino Rossi
“Le Mans is a good track for me, also because in the last two years I was able to arrive on the podium in the dry and also in wet conditions. We hope to do the same and also better with Yamaha because this is a good track for the M1. In Le Mans the weather will be very important, because usually the weather is quite bad. It can be cold and wet so we will see. We will have to work well like always and try to understand the weather and the conditions of the track. We will try to do the maximum as always.”

Wilco Zeelenberg – Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“Le Mans is also one of the tracks that the Yamaha suits really well. I think it will be interesting to see what the level is on that circuit and if we are able to fight for the victory. That’s what we were missing for the last two races and we will try hard to seek this in France.”

Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“In Jerez, during the test we collected a lot of good data so we will face this weekend confident that we can do well. Le Mans has always been a good track for Yamaha and for this reason we will aim this weekend to achieve maximum results, there is every reason to do so. We definitely want to do better than our weekend in Jerez. In the past both riders have achieved good results in France and this is an important thing. Hopefully the weather is good for us to make it easier to setup the bike for Sunday!”

Lin Jarvis – Yamaha Motor Racing, Managing Director
“This weekend we head to Le Mans for the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France, one of the most important European GP events and traditionally strongly supported by Yamaha Motor France. This time we will sadly be without the presence of the former President of YMF, Jean Claude Olivier, who sadly passed away following an automobile accident earlier this year. Jean Claude was a legend in our industry and the man behind decades of top-level Yamaha Motor France participation in all forms of motorcycle racing. This weekend we will pay our respects to Jean Claude, both on-track with the “JCO” logo on the cowlings of our Yamaha Factory Racing YZR-M1s and off-track with our display of “JCO images” featuring YMF’s engagement with Road Racing over the years in the Team Hospitality. Yamaha Factory Racing and Yamaha Motor France remain committed to continuing the JCO legacy into the future.”

Source: Yamaha Racing

“The military needed a very specific set of core features on the MMX, and we were incredibly thankful to work side-by-side with them to deliver such a unique product,” said Zero’s chief technology officer Abe Askenazi. “The great news for our civilian customers is that we made the decision to incorporate into our … motorcycles virtually all of the powertrain enhancements associated with satisfying this project’s stringent military requirements.”

Some of those top features built into this special model include keyless ignition, a specialized military dash, overrides that can extend range in extreme situations and swappable power packs. These packs can even increase the horsepower and reduce charge time to make the bikes easier to ride and maintain.

While this model is not available to the general public, quite a few of the improvements needed to fit the military’s needs are built into other Zero motorcycles. The additional charging and battery accessories, to name a few. These features add to the overall versatility of an electric bike and are sometimes needed to make the most of these capabilities, so riders interested in investing in an electric bike would have to consider the additional costs that come with the machine.

“I look forward to growing the Motorcycle Caucus as the voice in Congress for America’s more than 25 million motorcyclists,” said Rep. Tim Griffin of Arizona. “As a rider, I recognize that there are many important issues affecting us, such as unreasonable limits on trail riding areas, the need for additional safety awareness and ethanol mandates that harm motorcycle engines.”

Griffin and Rep. Michael Burgess of Texas will serve as the co-chairs for the caucus. In past years the group has worked to spread positive riding habits by joining in efforts such as Motorcycle Awareness Month, which is currently in full swing, as well as campaigning for, or against, certain legislation. Transportation policies and safety regulations, such as potentially requiring motorcycle helmets and other street bike gear for all riders, are also areas where the CMC will attempt to exert its influence.

The American Motorcyclist Association has opened registration for the 2013 AMA Championship Banquet. This year’s AMA national champions in motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle competition will be honored Jan. 18, 2014, at the Aladdin Shrine Center in Columbus, Ohio.

“One feature that makes AMA-sanctioned competition stand out is the diversity of our disciplines,” said AMA Vice President of Operations Jeff Massey. “From the woods to the ice to near-vertical assents to tracks on a range of surfaces, AMA racers compete everywhere. And that variety is on display for all to see at the annual AMA Championship Banquet.”

The event honors the top three national championship finishers in disciplines ranging from land-speed racing to motocross to woods racing and everything in between. The banquet includes dinner, door prizes, refreshments and a bike show.

Class champions will receive medals and No. 1 plates at the banquet, while second- and third-place finishers will also receive awards. The winners of special annual awards, such as the AMA Grand Championship Athlete of the Year and the AMA National Championship Athlete of the Year awards, will be announced as well.

“The annual championship banquet is also when we highlight the good works of our best and hardest-working clubs and promoters,” Massey said. “We will recognize AMA organizers from competition and recreational road and off-road events, as well as those who excelled in media coverage and as ambassadors of the sport.”

Columbus’ Aladdin Shrine Center, located a short distance from the expansive Easton Town Center shopping complex and only 20 minutes from AMA headquarters and the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, offers free parking, easy access to Interstate 270 and is a short drive from Port Columbus International Airport.

For more information about AMA National Championship events and series, see www.americanmotorcyclist.com > Racing.

About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.

Source: American Motorcyclist Association

Kailub Russell – 2013 Factory FMF/KTM Offroad Racing Team

Factory FMF/KTM rider Kailub Russell took his first win of the OMA season at the third round of the series.

Russell did not have the jump off the start he anticipated and he was sitting in last position as the riders came around the first corner. A short ways into the first lap the riders approached a large technical hill climb.

“In one way, I guess I was lucky I was in last place as we got to the hillside because I could see where everyone had crashed,” remarked Russell. “I was then able to take a better line up the hill which allowed me to move up to second position by the top of the hill.”

Russell maintained second place for the next three laps while the course started to break in. “Once there were some good lines in the course it became easier to not make mistakes and those of us in the top three were able to pull away,” stated Russell.

Around the halfway point, Russell was able to move into first after Paul Whibley stopped for fuel. Once in the lead, Russell never looked back and went on to win the race by 40 seconds.

Next Event: Fort Smith, AK – May 26, 2013

Source: KTM North America

Russell Bobbitt Podiums at Indiana OMA

Russell Bobbitt – 2013 Factory Husaberg Team

Husaberg Factory rider Russell Bobbitt took another podium finish at the third round of the OMA National Series to maintain his point lead in the championship standings.

Bobbitt got off to a decent start and was sitting inside the top five as the riders rounded the first corner. A few hundred yards into the course, the riders encountered a large rutted hillside that held many riders up. Unfortunately for Bobbitt, a rider crashed right in front of him on the hill which caused Bobbitt to lose his momentum and find a new line up the hillside. He quickly maneuvered around the rider and was sitting in third position at the top of the hill.

In the next two laps Bobbitt charged forward and actually held the lead at one point before he slid out in a slick corner allowing the top five riders to pass. Bobbitt spent the remainder of the race catching back up to podium position. On the last lap he had a great battle with Jordan Ashburn for the final podium spot. With only three corners to go, Bobbitt was able to come up on the inside of Ashburn through the turn and make a pass for third position. Bobbitt’s podium finish keeps him in the lead in the overall point standings.

AirGroup Radiant/Husaberg rider, Nick Fahringer, also had a decent finish at the Bedford round. Fahringer, struggled with a poor tire choice at this race, but still managed to finish fifth overall on the day. “I would have definitely liked to finish on the podium today, but I am happy I was still able to salvage a top five position,” remarked Fahringer.

Both riders now have a two week break before they head to the fourth round of the series to be held in Fort Smith, AK on May 26, 2013.

Source: Husaberg

Overall Results

1. Kailub Russell
2. Paul Whibley
3. Russell Bobbitt
4. Jordan Ashburn
5. Nick Fahringer