Raffaele de Rosa - Amazing Save

Brilliant save by Honda rider Raffaele de Rosa in the 250cc qualifying session at Round 5 in Mugello, Italy 2009.

Triumph 100 Years Limited Edition Fine Art Print

Buy a 'Triumph 100 Years' or 'Decade of Domination' (Ducati) limited edition fine art print by Billy (David Bill) for £45 (approx $90) with free world wide shipping and you are automatically entered into a draw to win the original oil on canvas painting (of your print) worth £10,000 (approx $20,000) by your print edition number.

Both paintings by artist Billy (David Bill) took him about three months to paint (Billy averages 1 inch an hour on the detail parts!) and are celebrations of the two motorcycle marques. 'Triumph 100 Years' shows the men and machines who make the amazing Triumph bikes. Billy the artist is on the painting too riding the Speed Triple in the centre flanked by the Bonneville T100 and Centenary Daytona. The other bikes from 2002 are in monochrome Red and the men who make the bikes are in blue all based on the Union Flag.

'Decade of Domination' is a celebration of Ducati's rise to world prominance in World Superbikes in the 1990's. It shows, based on the Italian flag, all the world champions from that decade that took Ducati from a small struggling factory to a dominant force in WSBKs and motorcycling. Raymond Roche, Doug Polen and Troy Corser are in monochrome colour with Carl Fogarty's 4 World Superbike Championship victories in full colour.

You can view the incredible detail that Billy puts in his work on his website www.billyart.co.uk and there is a link from the front page to both the Triumph and Ducati paintings. There is also a 96 second youtube video in which Billy explains this amazing offer to win one of these stunning paintings. Each edition is of 1000, 51x71cm, signed and numbered with free worldwide shipping for £45 (approx $90) each print. When the edition sells out a number will be drawn and that print number owner owner will get the original oil on canvas painting of their print worth £10,000 (approx $20,000).

Not long after Billy completed the paintings his family suffered a lot of illness which had him shelve the prints for a few years while caring for them. Billy has other work in the collections of Aston Martin Cars, Rivera Amplifiers and the BBC among others.

Indian Motorcycles

Great presentation on the History of Indian motorcycles.

Indian Motorcycles Talk

View more presentations from Jonathan Boutelle.

Thousands turn out for 'Ride for the Hills'

Checkout our video of this mornings 'Ride for the Hills' bushfire ride. An absolutely unbelievable turnout of Motorcyclists - too many for me to count!



















View Ride for the Hills Photos

Ride for the Hills - Bushfire Relief 2009

Thousands of Motorcyclists will converge on St Kilda this weekend for the 'Ride to the Hills' bushfire fund raising event.
Up to 7000 riders are expected to take part in the ride from Pier Rd, St Kilda to Whittlesea.

If your interested in taking part please register at Ride for the Hills

Date - Sunday, 5th April, 2009.
Assemble from 8am - Ride departs at 11.00am.

Bike fans raise over $30,000 for bushfire appeal

Bike fans at the weekend’s World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island gave generously to the Red Cross Busfire Appeal, with over $30 000 being raised to assist the Victorian communities that have been devastated by the recent fires.

Over 40 volunteers collected from race fans during the day, with spectators giving deep to donate over $9800.

But the real fundraising action started after the chequered flag dropped, and an auction of autographed memorabilia from the riders and teams raised over $20 840.

Held on the victory podium straight after the champagne flowed from race 2 winner Ben Spies, the fundraising hit top gear when Inverloch stock auctioneer Simon Henderson took to the microphone.
Teams and riders gave generously, with the top bids coming from a set of Anthony West leathers that went for $1500 and a Troy Bayliss signed Ducati team shirt for $1400.

Source: Motorcycling Australia

Gold Coast - Australian Motorcycle Expo 2009

The Australian Motorcycle Expo Gold Coast kicks off this Friday.

Formerly known as the Australian Motorcycle Expo Brisbane (past two years held in the Brisbane Convention Centre), the Australian Motorcycle Expo will bring the largest motorcycle exhibition ever seen in Queensland including the latest in motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, apparel, accessories and motorcycle-related services.

Some of the highlights include -

BMW HP2 Sport - The fastest, sportiest and lightest Boxer-engined sports bike yet, ready for the road or track. Aimed at purist sports riders, this model features parts making their first appearance in a BMW production machine, including race shift, forged alloy wheels and MotoGP-inspired dashboard.

Harley-Davidson XR1200 - The Motor Company's proud history of evolution continues with the XR 750 inspired XR 1200. The bike features XR 750 inspired styling and livery, a 1200cc high performance powertrain, specifically developed Dunlop Qualifier tyres and unique lightweight cast wheels with dirt track inspired design.

KTM 990 Supermoto R - This machine combines irrepressible power and effortless handling. The KTM engineers did their utmost to develop a "machine" that would exploit to the fullest every last inch of leeway in road traffic certification: Fully adjustable 48 WP chassis, ultra light chromium molybdenum tubular trellis frame, enhanced seat ergonomics for perfect drifts as well as "R"adial brake performance from Brembo all ensure pure pleasure in the curves.

Kawasaki ZX-6R - The new ZX-6R features a wealth of upgrades including improvements to the engine, chassis, suspension, exhaust, instrumentation, brakes - in fact virtually every aspect of the new Ninja ZX-6R is new and improved for 2009. For those really wanting to stand out from the crowd, the new model is also available in Monster Energy styling, and will be on display at the Gold Coast.

MV Agusta Brutale 989R - This exciting model has an increased capacity and accordingly upgraded specifications in the braking and suspension areas that will see it represent excellent value for the discerning buyer and compliment the 2009 Brutale 1078 RR, which will see only its second show outing at the Gold Coast event. Showgoers should also keep an eye out for the exotic F4CC, 1 of only 100 ever made, with a pricetag to match at $185,000.

Triumph Thunderbird - Designed to take on the best in the cruiser category, combining sleek and modern custom styling with strong performance and great dynamics, the Thunderbird delivers an authentic cruiser experience in a uniquely Triumph package. The bike features an all-new 1599cc parallel twin-cylinder motor with six-speed gearbox and belt drive. The engine, with a bore and stroke of 103.8 x 94.3mm, will develop in excess of 75bhp in standard trim and produces more than 100 lb/ft of torque.

Suzuki GSXR-1000 - A lighter, more-powerful and more-responsive new 999cc engine is packed with race-bred technology and boasts a class-leading power-to-weight ratio, taking the legend of Suzuki's flagship GSX-R to the next level. With a range of other major developments including an all-new chassis, a revolutionary new front suspension system, enhanced brakes and sleek, wind tunnel-refined bodywork, the all-new Suzuki GSX-R1000 is ready to own the racetrack.

Yamaha YZF-R1 - Rather than look exclusively to additional electronic aids to further enhance the new YZF-R1's performance and controllability, Yamaha's engineers opted for a mechanical solution. The defining and most influential feature of the new motorcycle is the use of an innovative new 998cc engine which has been developed from the YZR-M1 MotoGP design, which Valentino Rossi piloted to victory last year. The most significant piece of technology to be seen on the compact, new, high-performance engine is its race-developed crossplane crankshaft, which delivers outstandingly pure torque characteristics and high levels of traction.

Doors to the event open at 10am each day, with extended hours (until 9pm) on Friday and Saturday.

Tickets start at $13, with the family pass, $44 for two adults and two children, offering best value.

Visit www.australianmotorcycleexpo.com.au for more information.

Lancefield Motorcycle Poker Run

The "Ride for Eliza" on Sunday 22nd February 2009 is being dedicated to children with cancer, the aim is to raise enough money to direct it towards children's cancer research.

Lancefield Motorcycle Poker Run raises funds for the Cancer Council of Victoria through Relay for Life.
Start and finish is at Old Mack's Hotel in Lancefeild. Registration and egg and bacon breakfast starts at 8:00 AM with takeoff at 10:00 AM. See web link for more information.

Stick It Up Prostate Cancer Ride | February 22, 2009

Presented by the E.J. Whitten Foundation, Stick It Up Prostate Cancer Ride on Sunday February 22nd 2009 with all proceeds going to Prostate Cancer Research.

Sunday 22nd February 2009 departing 11:00am from James Squire Hotel, Docklands [Mel: 2E D5] (Breakfast available from 8:30am) for an event at Werribee Park Equestrian Centre.

Les Ateliers Ruby - Custom Scooter Helmets

Les Atelier Ruby, a French helmet manufacturer that’s “inspired by Steve McQueen, the old days of race car driving, science fiction, and the great tradition of French luxury” has introduced a new service allowing you to craft your own helmet. At this stage customers can choose from ten graphic decorations, 26 colours and three types of paint finish and many different styles.
Les Atelier Ruby

How Safe is your Scooter

How safe is your scooter really?
After a few weeks looking over and riding it, here are
my thoughts - Road Rats Scooter Safety

Melbourne Toy Run 2008

Sunday 14th December - The 30th Melbourne Toy Run from Melbourne to Williamstown attracts 10,000 riders collecting toys for charity.

-:- Toy Run
-:- Motorcycle Riders Association of Australia
-:- Salvation Army
-:- OnlyMelbourne

Make Motorcycling Cheaper Rally

The Make Motorcycling Cheaper Rally will be at Parliament House in Melbourne on Wednesday, November 12, 2008.

Petitions to abolish the unfair $56 a year TAC tax on riders will be handed to MP Denis Napthine to present to the Parliament. One petition is paper, one is online.

The rally will be from noon to 1 pm with speeches from 12.30 pm. It is a sitting day so Parliament House will be full of MPs and media. Other issues will be raised but the primary is to abolish the TAC tax. You could save yourself $56 a year in your lunch break.

It's a work day so many won't be able to attend, but, you can encourage others to come. Thousands of riders live and work in the city, St Kilda Road and inner suburbs. You can sign the online petition and you can get a paper petition signed by family, friends and workmates. Paper petition sheets can be emailed or posted out at no cost.

This is not an MRA activity. It is organised by independent riders.

Harley Davidson rides the Mining Boom

While the fortunes of many North American companies are on a downward spiral, Australia’s resources boom is helping to keep at least one afloat -
Mining boom sparks Harley boom - Motors - Executive Style - smh.com.au

Harley Davidson signs Marisa 'V-Rod' Miller

Supermodel Marisa Miller has signed on with Harley-Davidson to be the face and body of their new V-Rod motorcycle.

"My uncle rides Harley's," said Miller, who is a Victoria's Secret model and was on the cover of this years Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

"My dad rides bikes, and it's such a cool thing to have something I've grown up around."

The average age of Harley buyers is 47, according to Motorcyclist magazine, and the new V-Rod and advertising campaign is an effort to attract a younger, hipper demographic.

The new V-Rod Muscle features a powerfully sculpted new physique that exudes a contemporary and urban sense of style. The Muscle’s long, low profile and super wide rear tire are inspired by the drag strip, while the free-revving performance of the liquid-cooled Revolution V-Twin engine co-developed with Porsche give it an unmatched combination of power and sophistication.

The Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle features a 1250cc liquid-cooled V-Twin engine with a five-speed transmission and high-performance Brembo triple-disc brakes with available ABS. Its race-bred clutch with “slipper” action helps ease drive train effort during downshifting while its broad-shouldered presence is highlighted by a huge 240mm rear tire. New bodywork with integrated turn signals and a clipped fender combine to give it a clean, contemporary look. The V-Rod Muscle is available in Vivid Black, Brilliant Silver, Dark Blue Denim and Red Hot Sunglo.

“The V-Rod Muscle stands out in a crowd of copies and generic motorcycle profiles,” said Mark-Hans Richer, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Harley-Davidson, in a statement. “It stretches the very definition of what it means to be a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.”