Saturday, May 30, 2009

Valentino's Mugello 09 helmet



Here are the first photos of the long-awaited Mugello '09 special edition AGV GP-Tech helmet that Vale will be using for the Mugello MotoGP.

This year’s Rossi´s Aldo Drudi designed AGV helmet features Valentino’s gloved hands holding his head/helmet and on the back of the helmet Rossi’s two bulldogs Cesare and Cecilia, with their paws also on their heads.

Wild Save by Raffaele De Rosa - must see!

Check this crazy video of AGV Dainese 250cc rider Raffaele De Rosa rodeo-riding his Honda at Mugello today.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Dainese's Max Biaggi fastest at WSBK Miller on Friday


The Roman Emperor stunned everyone when he scored the fastest time during Friday's practice session at the Miller Motorsports round of the FIM World Superbike.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

AMA Superbike: AGV's Neil Hodgson returns at Infineon Raceway

Check out this OTT video of Corona Extra Honda's Neil Hodgson as he return to racing at Infineon. Another great on from the OnTheThrottle guys.

Dainese's World Cup DH and 4X rider Joanna Petterson





A few photos from Dainese's World Cup DH and 4X rider Joanna Petterson.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Dainese's Jorge Lorenzo wins in France

Last weekend in Le Mans, Lorenzo passed the checkered flag first, scoring his second win of the season and taking over the points lead in the 2009 FIM MotoGP championship.

Fiat Yamaha, and Dainese, teammate Valentino Rossi crashed while running second to Jorge.

In the Grand Prix de France 250cc race, on a wet track, AGV Dainese rider and world champion Marco "SuperSic" Simoncelli took his second podium in two races, with his first win of the year, going some way to make up for his pointless visits to Qatar and Japan.

Rossi rides the Champ-Elysees in Paris



Wearing a beautiful Dainese leather suit to the colors of his sponsor Monster Energy, Valentino went for a ride on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, France, on theve of the French Grand-Prix.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Dainese Fashion Show - Friday 22nd May


(Costa Mesa, CA). D-Store Orange Countywith the collaboration of VanIsh Marketing and Events is presenting a Dainese and AGV fashion show tonight May 22 at Sutra Nightclub in Costa Mesa, CA.

The event features the hottest looks in style and comfort for everyday life with state-of-the-art protection gear that made Dainese (www.dainese.com) and AGV (www.agv.com) world leaders in the manufacture of protective clothing and helmets.

D-Store Orange County, located at 1645 Superior Ave in Costa Mesa, CA, is the first of the two Dainese flagship stores opened in the USA: a showroom for the motorcycle, mountain bike and ski-snowboard collections that offer a “head-to-toe” protection for people who engage in dynamic sports.

Adding to the entertainment is one of Vegas’ most well-known and prolific DJ’s, DJ Scotty Boy. Originally a KROQ DJ for 7 years, Scotty Boy combines his experience in rock with his love for house music, creating a daring mix that keeps the floors packed.

Sutra Nightclub (www.sutrabar.com) is located at 1870 Harbor Blvd. Costa Mesa, CA few blocks away from the D-Store Orange County.

D-Store Orange County
1645 Superior Ave
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
949-650-2300
d-store.orangecounty@dainese.com

AGV Protects Jordan’s Skull


From DealerNews' blog:

Michael Jordan showed up at last weekend’s fifth round of the AMA Superbike series at Infineon Raceway to support his team, as is usual for the motorcycle fan.
Michael Jordan

Jordan, after watching qualifications on Friday, jumped on a bike (a Ducati Multistrada) and went for a ride in the beautiful countryside of Sonoma protected with an AGV Stealth helmet.

The helmet on Jordan’s bean was one of the many helmets from the National Guard Jordan Suzuki Racing Experience: the 2-Up program sponsored by Dainese and AGV.

The 2-Up program, during which all riders participating are protected head-to-toe with Dainese leathers, gloves, boots and AGV helmets, provides an exclusive on-track experience for members of the media and other selected guests at each round of the AMA National Guard Pro Racing Superbike Series.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Aaron Yates return to the podium, OTT Video

another great piece from the guys at onthethrottle.com with this post-Barber interview of Jordan Suzuki's Aaron Yates, a Dainese rider.



Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Ducati Indianapolis' Bill Carr test-ride Dainese's D-Dry line

Product Review- Dainese D-Dry Gear

By Bill Carr / Ducati Indianapolis (a Dainese Authorized Dealer)

Thanks to Chris Favro, Regional Sales Manager for Dainese, I had the opportunity to test some products from the Dainese D-Dry line on a trip to Texas across the Gulf States in a wide variety of riding conditions. The specific gear I tested was the D-Dry Dawson Jacket and D-Dry Hooper pants.

Conditions ranged from 42 Degrees F and driving rain and wind for 2 days on the Interstate to 94 Degree F on Desert Back roads in West Texas.

The D-Dry gear was a big improvement over the Dainese Dry-Line jacket and pants that I used for my trip to Alaska in 05 and previous Iron Butt rides. Although that older gear was very water and wind proof there was absolutely no venting and when it warmed up I needed to unsnap which made my riding gear blow up at speed like a balloon.

The D- Dry gear had extremely good wind protection especially with the removable wind collar snapped in. There was also zero water infiltration at the neck and no run off from the back of the helmet. The adjustable snaps at the wrist also gave a good seal at the glove line and did not pull back at high speed. The jacket is very comfortable with a soft feel at the neck with the liner in or out. The jacket has a 2/3 zipper that easily attaches to the pants and the jacket has good armor in the shoulders, elbows, and lower arms with a slot in the back for the Dainese G 2 back-protector. There are numerous zippered waterproof pockets on the outside as well as the inside of the jacket. I was able to store my phone, wallet, notebook, camera, and I-pod where I could be sure they would be dry and accessed quickly. There is an inner liner that quickly zips and snaps into the jacket. The waterproof venting runs up the front of the sleeves and also just outside the shoulder blades in the rear. The venting works so well that I needed to wear my Gerbing heated liner when the temperature dipped below 50 degrees.

The pants also have knee and hip pads as well as two waterproof pockets and zip tight at the ankles either inside or outside the boots.

The most amazing aspect of the combo was that it was both waterproof and vented, a great combination that allows you flexibility and will save you time on the road, especially when the riding conditions are changing rapidly. When zipped together, the combo is cut properly to provide comfort for sport touring. At the end of the day a little cleaning with a wet cloth and you are ready for the next day with clean gear.

In summary this was the best sport touring apparel I have ever worn. The D-dry apparel is offered in a variety of styles and colors and will work well for commuting and short trips.

Ducati Indianapolis website

Isle of Mann TT Champion Guy Martin wears a D-System D-Dry jacket.


Monday, May 4, 2009

Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki at Barber

Here's Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki's post-race press-release for Barber. A positive weekend for the AGV Dainese riders, especially for Russ Wikle.

RUSS WIKLE EARNS THE PODIUM FOR ROADRACINGWORLD.COM SUZUKI IN ALABAMA

Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki came away from the Barber Motorsports Park round of the 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing championship with a pole position, a podium finish, and having earned a great deal of vital experience.

Chris Ulrich worked to learn the nuances of the all-new and radically revised 2009 GSX-R1000 in American Superbike, Russ Wikle starred in SuperSport and impressed in Daytona SportBike, and Santiago Villa once again proved his grit and courage.

Putting in his very first laps on the new GSX-R1000 on Friday, Ulrich qualified 13th for the twin American Superbike finals with a fast lap of 1:27.494. The Californian's inexperience with the machine cost him mightily in Saturday's race when a gamble on the bike's set-up didn't pay off and he finished 14th. Improvements were made for Sunday's race, allowing Ulrich to claim 11th and feel confident that he knows what direction he needs to take the new bike in order to tap its vast potential.

He explained, "We had some setting problems in qualifying with the new bike and wanted to go one direction but per one of our experts we were told to go in another direction but that turned out to be completely wrong. We went back to the stuff we needed and this morning it was quite good.

"The bike is a lot different compared to the '08. Everything you know about it you've got to chuck out the window. We got out of here with an okay finish -- I don't want to say great because I think we should have been in the top ten as always.

"We've learned tons and we've got a good direction. We know what it likes now. We'll be ahead of the curve when we show up at Infineon. All the other guys racing '09s had at least one test before we showed up. We came in here 'cold turkey' and kind of paid the price for it, but that happens sometimes."

Wikle put in another tremendous performance, claiming the pole position for Sunday's SuperSport by posting the quickest lap in practice on Friday at 1:31.659 as Saturday's scheduled qualifying session was canceled due to track conditions.

The teenager charged into the lead at the start of Sunday's race, which was held under extremely challenging wet conditions, and posted the fastest lap of the race. Racing in front of his home fans, the Huntsville, Alabama resident pushed his GSX-R600 to a runner-up finish, his second podium result of the season.

Immediately following the SuperSport race, Wikle took on the Daytona SportBike final and improved from his 22nd-place run on Saturday to earn a fantastic top-ten result in Sunday's contest, picking up ninth place despite a very deep and talented field of competitors.

"I knew starting from pole I would have an advantage and I got a real good start," Wikle remarked about the SuperSport race. "I just made myself wide and I led a couple laps. It was a good race. I just tried to keep my head smart and ended up second.

"Finishing in the top ten in the SportBike race was awesome. I was comfortable coming right off the SuperSport bike and jumping on the SportBike. I put my head down right at the beginning and tried to pick up as many positions as I could."

Ulrich said, "Russ is holding up team honors. He's doing a great job and showed maturity beyond his years. He just keeps impressing me. He was thrown into a difficult situation but kept it up and turned the fastest lap of the race. In SportBike, he just kept his head down and did a great job."

Villa finished 24th in Saturday's Daytona SportBike race and was hoping to show further improvement on Sunday. Unfortunately, the he crashed on the damp circuit on the opening lap of Sunday's race, but he managed to pick up his GSX-R600 and soldier on despite breaking two bones in his left wrist.

The Colombian put in a courageous ride to finish 33rd. After taking the checkered flag, Villa had to park his bike on the side of the track because he was in so much pain. The valiant effort to finish did not go unnoticed by his team and fellow competitors.

Ulrich commented, "Santiago broke his wrist and he's kind of iffy for Infineon. I hope he gets better soon, because he is continuing to progress. He spent a couple days with his Crew Chief, James Lickwar, at Utah and learned a lot and it showed in his lap times. It's unfortunate he has to deal with another injury, but we'll get him some milk and get him back on that horse. He showed us a lot today."

AMA Superbike raced against weather at Barber

The weather could have not been worse at Barber, in Birmingham, Al, this Sunday. numerous tornado alerts along with heavy downpours disturbed the racing program. The day's three races were delayed by two hours and each race was shortened five laps from its scheduled distance as a band of severe thunderstorms passed through the area bringing tornado warnings in the early afternoon.

Seventh win in a row for Mladin in the AMA Pro American Superbike race where AGV Dainese riders had up and downs.
Unfortunately Blake Young, who was very fast in the morning warm-up, tangled with Yamaha's Josh Hayes and crashed, resulting in a left-hand fingers injury that needed a quick surgery (wishing Blake a prompt recovery). After the full-course caution and subsequent restart Jordan Suzuki's Aaron Yates took his #23 GSXR-1000 and Dainese leathers to a very well deserved 2nd place finish, 2.741 seconds behind Mat Mladin.

Aaron Yates said “It’s great to be on the podium again, it’s been a while. This weekend has been up and down for us. We only got the 2009 Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 a few weeks ago and we’re still getting it sorted out. But I’m feeling pretty good about the bike, and it’s running pretty good. It just feels great to get back up on the podium and show how hard the Jordan Suzuki guys are working.”

On a mostly dry track, National Guard Jordan Suzuki's Geoff May scored another very good Top 5 finish reinforcing his 3rd overall in the point standings.

AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike Presented by Parts Unlimited - May 3rd, 2009
2nd. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000K9)
5th. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000K9)
11th. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000K9)
20th. Barrett Long (Duc 1098R), -81.179
21st. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R1000K8)

Championship Point Standings (after 7 of 21 races):
3rd. May, 122 points
4th. Young, 114
7th. Yates, 98
13th. Ulrich, 53
16th. Neil Hodgson, 25
17th. Long, 23

AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Championship Presented by AMSOIL - May 3rd, 2009
9th. Russ Wikle (Suz GSX-R600)
14th. Steve Rapp (Yam YZF-R6)
33rd. Santiago Villa (Suz GSX-R600)
36th. Barrett Long (Yam YZF-R6)

Championship Point Standings (after 7 of 20 races):
8th. Rapp, 67 points
14th. Long, 40

Another great podium finish for Roadracingworld.com's Russ Wikle who's sitting 3rd overall, 1 points behind Leandro Mercado.

AMA Pro SuperSport Championship Presented by Shoei - May 3rd, 2009
2nd. Russ Wikle (Suz GSX-R600)

Championship Point Standings (after 3 of 9 races):
3rd. Russ Wikle, 48 points
14th. Long, 40

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, Rossi rules, Simoncelli scores

It was another very rewarding weekend for the AGV Dainese riders at the Spanish MotoGP and 250cc races, despite a crash and DNF for MotoGP pole sitter Dainese's Jorge Lorenzo.

Valentino Rossi started 3rd and made his way to the front for his first win of the year, after short battles with Stoner and Pedrosa. Jorge Lorenzo who started a disappointing 4th was making his way back on Casey Stoner when he low-sided and lost all chances to score points.

All at AGV Dainese are proud to see Vale take the points lead ahead of Ducati's Casey Stoner and Fiat Yamaha team mate, Jorge Lorenzo.

Gran Premio bwin.com de España, Jerez, Spain, results:
1Valentino RossiFiat YamahaYamaha
2Dani PedrosaRepsol HondaHonda
3Casey StonerDucati MarlboroDucati
4Randy De PunietLCR HondaHonda
5Marco Melandri
Kawasaki

MotoGP Championship standings for round 3, Jerez, Spain 2009
1 ROSSI Valentino ITA 65
2 STONER Casey AUS 54 (-11)
3 LORENZO Jorge SPA 41 9-24)
4 PEDROSA Dani SPA 41 (-24)
5 DOVIZIOSO Andrea ITA 30 (-35)

In the 250cc races, Mrco Simoncelli who injured his wrist in a motocross crash 5 weeks ago, was in a 4-way battle with Aoyama, Barbera and Bautista for the full race. Marco took the lead a few times but ended 3rd, scoring his first podium of the year. This is a great result for the Gilera rider who is making his way back in the title chase.

The other 250cc Dainese riders had rather positive results as the MotoGP scene is moving to the French Grand Prix in 10 days.

Gran Premio bwin.com de España, Jerez, Spain, 250cc results:
1 4 Hiroshi AOYAMA HONDA
2 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA APRILIA

3 58 Marco SIMONCELLI GILERA

4 40 Hector BARBERA APRILIA

5 12 Thomas LUTHI APRILIA

6 75 Mattia PASINI APRILIA

7 28 Gabor TALMACSI APRILIA

8 16 Jules CLUZEL APRILIA

9 15 Roberto LOCATELLI GILERA

10 35 Raffaele DE ROSA HONDA

11 63 Mike DI MEGLIO APRILIA

12 48 Shoya TOMIZAWA HONDA

13 52 Lukas PESEK APRILIA

14 55 Hector FAUBEL HONDA

15 14 Ratthapark WILAIROT HONDA

FIM 250cc Championship standings for round 3, Jerez, Spain 2009;
1 AOYAMA Hiroshi JPN 58
2 BAUTISTA Alvaro SPA 54 (-4)
3 BARBERA Hector SPA 43 (-15)
4 LUTHI Thomas SWI 29 (-29)
5 CLUZEL Jules FRA 28 (-30)
6 TALMACSI Gabor HUN 28 (-30)
7 PASINI Mattia ITA 26 (-32)
8 DI MEGLIO Mike FRA 21 (-37)
9 DE ROSA Raffaele ITA 21 (-37)
10 SIMONCELLI Marco ITA 16 (-42)
11 PESEK Lukas CZE 15 (-43)
12 LOCATELLI Roberto ITA 14 (-44)
13 TOMIZAWA Shoya JPN 14 (-44)
14 DEBON Alex SPA 13 (-45)
15 AOYAMA Shuhei JPN 10 (-48)

Barber AMA Superbike - Day 1: AGV Dainese riders


It's a very wet weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Al, for the AMA American Superbike this year. Here are the results from Saturdays races for the AGV Dainese riders.

AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike Presented by Parts Unlimited
2. Blake Young (Suz GSX-R1000K9), -1.928 seconds
7. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000K9), -8.032
10. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000K9), -32.979, jump start/ride-through penalty
14. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000K9), -48.341
15. Barrett Long (Duc 1098R), -81.179
23. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R1000K8), -1 lap, 59.537

Championship Point Standings (after 6 of 21 races):
3. Young, 114
4. May, 106
8. Yates, 73
13. Ulrich, 43
16. Neil Hodgson, 25
17. Long, 22

AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Championship Presented by AMSOIL
6. Steve Rapp (Yam YZF-R6), -13.947
16. Barrett Long (Yam YZF-R6), -39.808
22. Russ Wikle (Suz GSX-R600), -60.781
24. Santiago Villa (Suz GSX-R600), -85.913
Championship Point Standings (after 6 of 20 races):
9. Rapp, 60
13. Long, 40

Friday at Barber with Aaron Yates and the #23 Jordan Suzuki team

Enjoy this great little video inside the life of the #23 Jordan Suzuki team

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Take a Dainese ride through Birmingham, Alabama

Geoff May and the mayor of Birmingham, Alabama take a two-up ride through the streets of downtown on the No. 54 National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSX-1000R. The team will run in this weekend's AMA Pro Racing event at Barber Motorsports Park.