Showing posts with label Supermoto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Supermoto. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Interview: Richard Harrison, Race Engineer, ATK Supermoto



[Slow Connection? Click to view the YouTube version.]

The AMA Supermoto Championship series has been dominated by Japanese and European four-stroke motorcycles. There is a notable new player on the track this year -- actually a remarkable manufacturer with a tremendous winning tradition.

ATK, the only remaining off-road motorcycle manufacturer in the United States has added a new flavor to the manufacturer's mix. ATK likes to do things a little differently.

In this video podcast, we spoke with Race Engineer at the July 5th AMA Supermoto opener in Monroe Washington about ATK’s supermoto racing endeavor.

They are running big 700cc two-strokes in the unlimited class. And they happen to be the only two-strokes out there. ATK also have some very interesting light-weight four-strokes whose fuel and timing settings can programmed on the fly, with a laptop. Richard Harrison shared a lot of interesting information about the ATK motorcycles in this interview.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Interview: David Joy, Troy Lee Designs Honda Supermoto Team



[Slow Connection? Click to view the YouTube version.]

Mechanics and support technicians are the behind the scenes forces rarely seen by supermoto racing fans. These mechanics and technicians are more than just wrench spinners. They work closely with the rider, tweaking an infinite number of details so that throttle response, power delivery, and handling are matched to the racer's needs.

In this video podcast, I spoke with David Joy, a mechanic with the Troy Lee Designs, Red Bull, Honda, Supermoto Team.

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Interview: Chuck Graves, of Team Graves Yamaha Supermoto Crew


[Slow Connection? Click to view the YouTube version.]

Supermoto is a sport that combines several different type of motorcycle racing into one very demanding, very competitive motor-sport. The courses are part asphalt, part dirt, with whoops, jumps and a bunch of right and left hand turns thrown in to make things interesting.

Supermoto racing has a relatively inexpensive price of entry for those looking to try a two-wheeled, go fast sport. This makes Supermoto accessible, with some racers operating their pit from a the back of a pickup truck. Other racers are sponsored by KTM, Troy Lee Designs, Honda and Yamaha. Despite the demands and competition that this hybrid form of racing put on a rider, the atmosphere is friendly. I ran into Chuck Graves who regularly makes the rounds to offer his experience and advice to other riders.

I spoke with Chuck Graves about Supermoto racing as part of my next series of video podcasts. Chuck is head of Team Graves Yamaha Supermoto Crew, as well as President of Graves Motorsports in Van Nuys, California. I caught up with Chuck at the XTRM / AMA Supermoto Championship in Monroe, Washington.