Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Motorcycle News Europe Has Spies MotoGP News Update....

According to these guys, Ben Spies and James Toseland will be announcing the switch tomorrow.
Here is the link to that story:

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/MotoGP/2009/September/sep3009-toseland-poised-to-unveil-2010-plans/

Another Look at DMG/AMA Road Racing....

Here's another interpretation on the mess that is the Damaged Motorcycle Guys as how it
pertains to the mess that they have managed to make of the AMA Road Racing series this
year. This is Larry Lawrence's version/view of this big mess and it is definitely worth the
read:

http://www.theriderfiles.com/?p=1132

Thanks Larry! As always, cutting edge!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

It's Hard to Believe 'Easy Rider' Just Turned 40.....







I know, I know, you come to take a look at some races shots and this guy has pictures of
a 40 year old piece of lead on his blog! Jeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzz! What's THAT all
about???!!!!
Well, what it is all about is my little statement for whatever it is worth on one of the most
iconic motorcycles, that if you have been and are involved with motorcycles in any way,
shape, or form, you know all about the Captain America bike from the 1969 movie
'Easy Rider.' I'm not real big on the chopper scene, especially for having only been
involved in selling parts and accessories for them back in the mid '70s, so I can't and
won't even try to impress you or bore you with all of the technical details of the bike.
Cuz I don't know 'em, except for the fact that it is a Harley Davidson Panhead, or at
least the motor is. This is just my little 40th Anniversary present to what I considered
to be one of the best movies and statements on how messed up the times were in those days.
Hell, you had Nixon, Viet Nam, soon to be Watergate, and the draft. Which in and about
itself caused more strife on this country-and others-to screw up several generations behind
it's mess. About the only good thing going at the time was NASA and the moonshot, and
a release in cinema. The movie 'Easy Rider' did one of the best jobs of any movie in any
time period of shoving the mirror in front of people's faces--the man!--and showing them
how screwed up they are and were and how it effected the other people around them and
how like a disease it grew until it was medicated, or stamped out.
Anyway, that's enough of my rant on the days of Turn On, Tune In and Drop Out, I just wanted
to showpiece a motorcycle that has affected a lot of people's lives over the years and decades,
in one way or another, as it sure did me. The statement that Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper made with 'Easy Rider' and Captain America was one that should and will be remembered for years to come. The motorcycle itself made a statement of the free birds and souls that travel the country in search of what it is and what it was. And what it will be.
I took the shots of this jewel at Barber Museum in Alabama during the AMA Road Racing
weekend in April of 2007. This is supposedly one of the originals, that was in crates when
George Barber and his people got a hold of it. I'm not sure if they restored it or if the crates
part was an urban legend, so I won't purport to know those details, either. Hell, they
probably had a sign next to it that said but I was so awestruck and enamored with it--and the
rest of the museum, as well (it was like crack to an addict, man.....)--that I never paid any
attention to that. It just brought back some good memories of some weird growing up times
that was something my dearly departed Dad and I had shared in seeing the movie back in '72
and how special those times were to me. And when you're 15 and your Dad takes you to see
'Easy Rider' it made it even cooler. We had a good time that night! And saw a great flick that
featured what I consider to be one of the all time iconic motorcycles in anyone's world.
I hope you agree, and if not, at least you have to appreciate how sweet this thing is.....for
what it is.....an 900 lb. piece of rolling lead that may turn around in a truck stop parking lot
and will hammer your hemoroids until the second coming of the......oh, never mind. For
what it is it really is a pretty slick piece.

AMA/DMG Damages As Summed Up by John Ulrich..

Here is another insightful article penned by long-time moto-journalist John Ulrich from
http://www.roadracingworld.com/, that also does a wonderful job of showing the mess that the
DMG-led AMA Road Racing series has and is now. Take the time to read this and as many
of the links he has posted as well, if you can, as it does a super job of showing what an
abortion the AMA Road Racing series has become:

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=38257

...and yet another outlook from www.roadracingworld.com:

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?lnk=rss&article=38254

Thanks John! You are another of the GREAT moto-journalists that has covered this mess
since the start, let alone your outstanding resume as it applies to racing.
Folks, you don't get any more tenured then this gentleman when it comes to racing motorcycles
in any road racing series. This man has a pedigree in racing that makes a New York showdog
look like a street mutt. Great reading and racing from this man!

Monday, September 28, 2009

According to MotoMatters.com Spies to Announce Switch to MotoGP for '10 on Tuesday 9/29/09

According to http://www.motomatters.com/, formerly MotoGPMatters.com, tomorrow Ben Spies and
Yamaha will be announcing his move to MotoGP for the 2010 season on the Tech III Monster
Energy Yamaha team. Teaming with Colin Edwards, former 2-Time World Superbike Champ
on team as it appears that James Toseland will be the odd man out with him supposedly heading
back to WSBK. Which IMO would be wonderful for that series, as well. Read on for the
'official' rumor....and thanks to MotoMatters.com!



http://www.motomatters.com/news/2009/09/28/spies_to_announce_motogp_switch_tomorrow.html

UPDATE Tuesday 9/29/09 1830 EDT

As of this time, no news about the above mentioned announcement has yet to hit the web. After perusing several major sites I follow, besides www.motomatters.com who originally broke this yesterday. The rumor mill sometimes gets stirred up quite a bit, but I wouldn't hesitate to say at this point that we won't NOT hear this announcement this year, but just maybe a little closer
to the end of the 'official' WSBK season in about 4-5 weeks time. Everything else I see/read/hear out here at this point sure does point to look and sound like this will happen, just
timing the official announcement at this time being the critical and final domino in the puzzle.
Stay tuned!

A Few Interesting Links Concerning AMA/DMG Road Racing....



While checking out Mat Mladin trying to check out from Ben Spies, Jamie Hacking, Eric Bostrom, Neil Hodgson, Aaron Yates, Miguel Duhamel, and the rest of the field in race 2 at Road America,
during the June '08 w/e, here are a few interesting links to stories that have come out in the
last couple of weeks about the current regime of the AMA Road Racing series as we know it being run by the DMG folks.
These will help you to form your own opinions as to the current and future state of road racing
in the U.S. as it is presented and run by these people. And to the level of discontent, name-calling, rules-bending and the 'what we will do to handle things today'-way that they have
taken in running this once great series into the ground. And their very own interpretations
of how they have been doing so, what they plan to do to change it, how they plan to change it,
and most likely how they eventually will kill it off like a dying animal. Or something to that effect.
And as I said, you can make and form and think your own opinions on this level of mayhem that
has infected what was once a great championship series, once you have read these stories and
tales and then you can realize, as I have, that the animal may just be begging for mercy. Or a
good hospice to wait out the inevitable.......

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/road-racing/2009/09/19/a-spec-harley-xr1200-class-for-ama-racing

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=38226

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=38227

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=38237

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=38197

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ama-sbk-new-world-order-prepare-for-invasion/

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2009/Sep/090910a.htm

I can guarantee one thing. When you get done reading this short link list of articles, you'll
either be laughing your a.. off about the whole discombobulated situation, or you won't be
able to sleep. Or you'll be laughing so hard you can't sleep. Or you may just want to lay
down and beg for mercy just like that animal.......your option......or theirs.

Thanks to the fine folks at http://www.roadracingworld.com/, http://www.cyclenews.com/,
ww.SpeedTV.com and http://www.superbikeplanet.com/ for the links and the great coverage
of all that is messed up in AMA Road Racing as we know it under the DMG umbrella. And for
being able to report the truth of the whole situation as well as the truisms as spouted by the
DMG phobes. You are not dead to us.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Marco Simoncelli Puts Aprilia on the Podium in WSBK R2 at Imola











You are looking at some more shots of reigning World 250GP Champion Marco Simoncelli and his Team Gilera bikes, team and crew from the Indy round of the MotoGP Championship.
Simoncelli, who as reported in yesterday's post had qualified 8th in his maiden outing on a diesel Aprilia in Imola, pulled off a super 3rd place finish today in the 2nd of 2 races at the WSBK round in Imola, Italy. After binning it while running in the top 5 during the first race, Marco came back for a hard fought and worthy final step on the podium, all the while this being his first outing in race conditions on a diesel after racing for years in the European series on a 2 stroke. Great job Marco! Take a bow!!!


Saturday, September 26, 2009

Reigning 250GP World Champion Marco Simoncelli Makes WSBK Debut in Superpole at Imola on the Aprilia









Some of you that follow auto racing, and yes, other then NASCrash, might be looking at
the pictures above and thinking to yourself, 'hmmmmmmm, I didn't know that Boris Said
had a younger brother.' Well, to my knowledge, he doesn't, but to those who follow
the MotoGP World Championships, and are familiar with the current stock of 250GP riders,
you WILL recognize reigning 250GP World Champion Marco Simoncelli in the above shots
along with his team and crewmen from Team Gilera.
Having raced in the European series in originally the 125GP class, and for the last 3-4 years
in the 250GP class, Marco did some testing this last week for the Aprilia World Superbike
Team, and is running the Imola round of WSBK this w/e. He did so well on his initial race
ride on the bike that he made the Superpole cutoff and into the 3rd and final round to
qualify in his maiden WSBK race in the 8th slot, outside of row 2. Quite impressive for
anyone who hasn't raced the diesels on a regular basis, and has been tenured in the soon-
to-be non-existent ring ding classes for the last 6-7 years +/-. Not to mention carrying
the weight of that 'fro around, he must be giving up a couple of kilos in weight in hair alone!
Here are the results of Superpole 3 in Imola that wrapped up a couple of hours before this post,
and after a link to where you can follow the schedule and remaining races in Italy through tomorrow. Keep in mind that Italy is +6 hours to Eastern Daylight Time in America, and in
global terms is GMT+2. Enjoy! Go get 'em Marco!
The shots above were taken of Marco and crew in the paddock area during the Indy round
of the MotoGP World Championships at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the World Capitol of
Racing, on August 28, 2009. He also won the 250GP main event that w/e on the #58 bike as shown.
You can also find out more about Marco here:

Thursday, September 24, 2009

A Big Shout Out to Steve at Motorcycle Picture of the Day and 2 Stroke Biker Blog!






Well, obviously this is another VERY shameless plug for some of my stuff, but it is also to
take the time to plug Steve's work on both of his sites. I have to say thanks again to Steve at Motorcycle Picture of the Day and 2 Stroke Biker Blog for posting another one of my shots on both of his sites. This was a shot of Barry Sheene's early '80s TZ500 that I took at Mid Ohio
in '07 that was on display in the Celtic Racing paddock area.
Sweet stuff and thanks so much again Steve! You put in an incredible amount of time and work
on your stuff and it really shows! (People, if you haven't yet, you NEED to check Steve's stuff
out! Like Tony the Tiger used to say....'it's GREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!')

The above shots are the other pics that I took as well that day......Enjoy! Like they say
'let's go back in the day........'

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Ben Spies Leads the WSBK Circus Into Imola This W/E


While checking out Ben Spies at Mid Ohio in 2008, you can also follow him via
the links and pages listed right here at Stu's Shots R Us this weekend as he leads
the circus that is World Superbike Racing into the beautiful Imola, Italy round.
With just 3 events and 6 races up for grabs, Ben will be looking to build on his point
lead in the championship and trying to put some more room between himself and
Nori Haga on the Team Xerox Ducati. You can follow the action by checking out some
of the stories and action via the following links. And good luck to Ben!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Former WSBK Champ Neil Hodgson Appears to be Heading Home....






Well, it seems that the fall-out is really beginning to happen now that Honda has
officially withdrawn from the 2010 AMA Road Racing Series. Former '03 World
Superbike Champion and '00 British Superbike Champ Neil Hodgson, who has
been riding for Honda here in the States since the beginning of the '07 AMA season
and who has blessed us in America by first coming to the States and riding for Ducati
originally in '05, appears to be headed home. And by home, I mean as in across the pond,
back to the Isle of Man, and what at least now appears to be looking very strongly to be
another run in the British Superbike Series for 2010. With Honda having officially pulled
the plug for racing in the AMA/DMG series here in the States as of last Friday, Neil spoke
with the folks at SpeedTV.com and stated that things just looked much better back home
for the future. But even more so, stated how bad things really are here with the Damaged
Motorcycle Guys running the AMA series into the ground.
Check out the link from SpeedTV.com and form your own opinion, but it sure doesn't bode
well for racing in the States and how (un) professionally the AMA is and has been running
the show:
The way I read it is what it has been looking like all year. It sure is hard to polish a turd...
And to lose a great personality, let alone a great champion and competitor like Neil Hodgson, well, it pretty much shows you whose head is where and it sure isn't Neil's that mis-placed
and looks even more dark for what has been a very dark year in AMA Road Racing.
That's my opinion, but it seems to be shared by more then a few. Here is another look at the mess from the pen of Dean Adams from SuperBikePlanet.com as to how dark it really is:
And just added on Sat. 9/26/09 @ 0900 EDT, this week's version of Honda Road Racerhead from the great folks at http://www.roadracerx.com/, this is a look at the Honda pull-out as well as a
look at the overall picture in the AMA/DMG scenario for the past, present, and future as
we have seen it and know it and how it could be for the future and beyond. Interesting read so
please take the time to read it as well:
The pics above were taken when things were much grander in the scheme of things as far
as racing in the States is concerned. They are all of Mr. Hodgson and were taken in race 1
of the AMA weekend at Road America in June '08. This was on the official Team Honda
entry #100 as opposed to the Team Corona Honda that Neil rode in the series this year.
Very sorry to hear all this and all I can say is we are losing a great talent and a great guy!
Having had the chance to speak with Neil a couple of times in the AMA paddock over the
course of the last 4-5 years, the man was not only very congenial, approachable, and
wonderful to talk to. Let alone his talent on the track! Here's to hoping for great things
for Neil in the future and to blessing us with his talents while he was here riding in the States.
It was great havin ya mate! Take care and God Bless in whatever you do and where ever you
land on 2 wheels......

Saturday, September 19, 2009

A BIG Domino Takes a Fall at the Hands of DMG/AMA Road Racing...









The following articles were posted yesterday by Dean Adams and his fine people from the SuperBikePlanet.com site as well as from the fine folks at CycleNews.com. It appears that after
putting up with the Damaged Motorcycle Guys running the AMA Road Racing series (into the ground) that Honda will no longer be supporting any of the classes beginning with the 2010 series--which now is still way off in the distance as no race schedules, tv schedules, and only a
small handful of rider contracts having been signed for the future.

The future for our beloved AMA Road Racing series is now officially looking even more bleak then what it did during this year. Read on, and you can make your own evaluations and form your own opinions based on what you see and/or read here and elsewhere over the course of
the last year or so:



And also from John Ulrich and his hard working people at RoadRacingWorld.com:



The attached shots were taken during the AMA round at Road America in Elkhart
Lake, WI., during the w/e events of June '06. They were taken in the paddock area
during the w/e events and feature the AMA Superbikes and FX bikes of Miguel
Duhamel's #17 and Jake Zemke's #98. Both bikes and riders claimed multiple
championships in the former AMA Road Racing series before the DMG-run take over
of late '07 and all of '08.
Looks like the only thing red now is the bleeding from the added fallout of people leaving
the series.......such a shame.
This is also starting to catch on to the followers--like myself--of the AMA Flat Track series--also run by the Damaged Motorcycle Guys--on the great site FlatTrack.com forum. Take a look see for yourself and add to your opinions and thoughts of the fallout beginning to ensue:
And just to show that I DO believe in showing both sides of a story, this was the 'official' release
from the AMA/DMG folks on their outlook and vision for the 2010 season:
I gotta say at least they are taking away the pace bike/car/moving obstacle and also
doing away with the rolling starts. They do seem to have a wee bit of sense when it comes
to safety.....at least THAT is a partial relief!

Friday, September 18, 2009

A Big Thanks to Steve at 2 Stroke Biker Blog!

While taking the time to make another shameless plug for some of my old stuff, I first must take
the time to thank Steve at 2StrokeBiker.blogspot.com for putting up with me and putting some
of my stuff up on his site.
Steve has amassed a suberb collection of largely 2 stroke bikes on his site, while throwing in an
occassional nod to the 4 stroke crowd as well. He very kindly posted a few of my shots with some background info I had sent him, and I owe him a BIG thank you for the post and the head-swelling session he chose to talk about it. It's nice to know there are a lot more people out there that dig this stuff as much as I do. I know I can add Steve to that list! Thanks man, you rock!

Read on--and right on!


http://2strokebiker.blogspot.com/2009/09/great-pics-from-mike-stuhler.html

Steve also posted this link on his Motorcycle Picture of the Day blog. Thanks again my man!

http://motorcyclepictureoftheday.blogspot.com/2009/09/carry-over-post-from-my-2-stroke-sitte.html

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Another GREAT Website to Rob Your Boss of Time While Perusing the Internet at Work....

I was surfing some new territory the other night and came across this SUPER site on 2 stroke bikes called 2 Stroke Biker. Steve over there has done a fantastic job of putting together some radical stuff for us followers of the ring ding bikes. Check it out:

http://2strokebiker.blogspot.com/


And while I am at it, a tip of the hat to Steve for mentioning Stu's Shots, so here is another shameless plug for some of my work thanks to a fine man with one heck of a bad-a.. site. Thanks again Steve, you Rock! And I am sure Larry feels the same!

http://2strokebiker.blogspot.com/2009/09/couple-of-great-new-blogs.html

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

A Tip of the Hat and a Hi Yo Silver to Triumph Flat Track!

A big thanks and a tip of the hat to Brett for all his work and for taking the time to post a few of my shots today. If you're an old time flat track fan or especially a Triumph fan take the time to check out his work---super stuff here!

http://www.triumphflattrack.com/2009/09/billy-eves-and-steve-morehead-on.html

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Great Story About Some Damaged Motorcycle Guys....

If you want to read a GREAT perspective on how messed up road racing is in the
U.S. since the Damaged Motorcycle Guys took over AMA Road Racing-and Flat Track--
this year, take the time to read the following article posted today by the one and only
journalist to be considered officially dead in the media room to these folks, Mr. Dean
Adams.
Dean has been running his website and writing for the print mags since dirt was born,
and has provided truth and cutting edge journalism to the people of the motorcycle racing
community for quite a damned while now. Probably longer then when I saw my first
AMA Road Race at Road America in May of '82, but that is another topic for another time.
Today he posted an article on his website, http://www.superbikeplanet.com/, that pretty much sums
up the mess that is road racing in the U.S. today thanks to the fine people who also bring you
NASCrash. Not that I'm not a fan of that, but compared to the bike racing, okay, come on,
what's your point?! But this one is as close to the gut as a shot of buckshot in telling it like it
is and how messed up their organization is and has become and as a result the mess and trail
of bodies--so to speak--that they have left behind in their trail while making U.S. road racing
look like Romper Room get togethers to the rest of the world.
Read it and make your own opinions.....I sure have! Go Dean! One thing about those mirrors
people hold up in front of others--they may not like the reflection but it sure does bring out those dimples!

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2009/Sep/090915expdelfool.htm

More discussions of this article can also be found on the FlatTrack.com reader forum here:

http://www.flattrack.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=46&func=view&id=63370&catid=3&limit=12&limitstart=12

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Two Milestones Reached in WSBK and AMA Superbike Racing Today....





....and it's just your luck that you are going to find out about them here, that is, if you
should choose to keep reading.

Ben Spies, the former 3-Time AMA Superbike Champion from '06-'08, took a 1-2 tally
at the German Nurburgring round of the World Superbike Championship to take the
points lead over from Nori Haga. In doing so, he has positioned himself for the final 3
rounds and 6 races to put himself as the odds-on guy to win the WSBK World Championship
for 2009. It could get interesting in 3 weeks at the next round in Imola, as Spies has
shown that his 'rookie' status across the pond is just a mere formality. He is no rookie.
You can read more about his accomplishments this w/e on SuperbikePlanet.com
and WorldSbk.com by following the links on the left side column.

And by now you are asking yourself, okay, so that's 1, what the he.. is the other milestone?

Mat Mladin, the reigning '09 AMA Superbike Champion, and NOW 7-time AMA Superbike
Champion, rode his last race today and his last event this weekend at New Jersey, carding
a 2nd this afternoon and 24th---yes, 24th!---yesterday afternoon. After crashing out in
defense of the lead from eventual double event winner Josh Hayes on Saturday afternoon,
Mladin still had sealed the deal on the #1 spot at the last event at VIR three weeks ago, but
still managing to win the championhip by a 47 point margin. He retires from U.S. Superbike
Racing after 82-official wins, some 62 pole positions, and again that little thing of 7 premier
class championships since 1999. Can you say burn the record books........

You can read the updates of this season ending event off of the links on the left column to
SuperBikePlanet.com and RoadRacingWorld.com. Those fine folks did a super job of supplying
us with updates over the w/e and we should bow to their feet for their efforts and
professionalism that they put out such fine material and journalism to keep us informed and
up to date. Bravo to you folks for sure and thank you for your wonderful work!

And to close since by now you are going 'so what is the photo now he's got to tell us.........'

At Mid Ohio in July '08 during race #2 for the w/e, Ben Spies #1 is leading Mat Mladin #6 and
Jamie Hacking--#2 hidden--as well as #100 Neil Hodgson, #17 Miguel Duhamel, and #20
Aaron Yates, coming into, and out of the carousel at the end of the first lap. Mat eventually passed Ben and took the win over Ben, Jamie and Neil.

As we go into the 'labor' part of the Labor Day W/E tomorrow, give thanks to these two--
not too mention all of the other racers--for doing what they do and laboring on the race
track for us to get our adrenaline going.

Thanks to Mat Mladin for giving us 14 years of great competition, of always being on the
forefront of safety, and for never leaving anyone questioning how you feel about something.
It has been your standing up for the right thing, whether it be safety, rules, racing competition,
or event promotion that has raised the level of those things in U.S. racing. And this in spite
of what some of the bumbling types who have taken turns in running this series have tried
or aimed to do.

And thanks to Ben for giving the race fans in the United States who have followed him and his
career for some time now, a hope of a World Championship again. It has been since '02 when
Colin Edwards won his 2nd WSBK title that an American has won the title. We now have hope
again, and it may come in a BIG way. Keep your fingers crossed....

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

They Had a Little Road Race in Indy Last W/E.....











...and you might have already heard a little something about it.
For the second year, the great folks at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway hosted the circus from MotoGP and put on one heck
of a show.
I could get into all the details--Nicky Hayden's #69 Ducati, without the
special paint he ran in the finals, Marco Simoncelli the reigning 250 GP
World Champion--think Boris Said for the hairdo--the Playboy-sponsored
Honda of Randy DuPuniet, and the KTM 125's sponsored by RedBull, or Colin
Edwards' Monster Energy sponsored Tech III Yamaha--but I won't. You can read all that good, technically inspired and professionally written
stuff in the links on the left side of the column or by going to http://www.motogp.com/ or http://www.motogpmatters.com/ or any number of other great sites.
I thought it would be nice to just sit back and enjoy the view.......so enjoy the view!
And thanks for stopping by. Love to have ya!