Visordown: In conversation with John Hopkins

Next year, this man will be on a Kawasaki. Bring it on...!

Tim Skilton at Visordown got to interview John Hopins, who’ll be riding for the Kawasaki MotoGP team in 2008, at the NEC bike show. Here are a few excerpts from what The Hopper had to say:

On the 2008 Kawasaki ZX-RR
The Kawasaki has big horsepower right across the rev range – it holds a lot of promise for the future. However Randy de Puniet's (Kawasaki rider in 2007) riding style is vastly different to mine, so we need to work on setting up the bike for my style over the winter.

On 990cc vs 800cc MotoGP bikes
You need to be much more precise on an 800. You have to brake late, carry more corner speed and get on the throttle to get the maximum out of the bike. On a 990 you can afford to make some mistakes because you can make up for that with raw horsepower, which definitely gets you out of trouble…

On electronic restrictors being used on 800cc MotoGP bikes
The restrictors, like traction control, were too intrusive because now we can't slide the bikes in the way we used to. Obviously this makes for a faster lap time, which is why you see the 800s breaking 990 lap records, but it's not as much fun to ride and it's not nearly as good to watch.

On 800cc MotoGP bikes vs two-stroke 500s
For sure, it takes a certain kind of rider to master a 500. They're a peaky, nasty beast and you can either control one, or you can't. It's that simple. The current MotoGP bikes are tractable from low down and deliver predictable power. So just about anyone can go fast on one. It just takes a special rider to go REALLY fast!

On his all-time favourite GP racer
Kevin Schwantz! He had such a cool riding style, he was a big inspiration to me when I first started out…

Visit the Visordown website for the full interview.

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The 2008 MotoGP in Qatar will be held at night on a floodlit Losail circuit. This, the first round of the 2008 MotoGP season, will be on the 9th of March. In this video, MotoGP riders put in a few laps on a floodlit Losail circuit at 7.30 in the evening...

2008 KTM 990 Supermoto unveiled at the NEC Show

The 2008 KTM 990 Supermoto is here!

KTM have unveiled the new 990 Supermoto at the NEC show in Birmingham, in the UK. The bike’s second-generation LC8 v-twin gets a Keihin engine management system, fuel-injection and a displacement hike – the 999cc mill now makes 115bhp, instead of the older 950 model’s 96 horsepower.

The chassis is tubular chrome-molybdenum steel, with an aluminium subframe for added strength. Suspension components are WP units – USD fork at front, adjustable monoshock at the back – while brakes are Brembo items. The 990 Supermoto rides on 17-inch wheels wearing 120/70 (front) and 180/55 (rear) ZR-rated rubber. Fuel tank capacity in 19 litres and the bike weighs 191kg dry.

In the meanwhile, the hardcore KTM 950 Supermoto R continues as before for now – it’ll probably get the 999cc engine (and other chassis/suspension updates…) a few weeks down the line.

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Iceman II: Hardcore chopper for F1 ace Kimi Raïkkönen

The Iceman II is suitably understated and menacing. Should be perfect for an F1 champ!

Pics: Moto Revue

It seems all the F1 guys are riding bikes these days. First it was Michael Schumacher who recently got to ride Stoner’s Ducati and amazed everyone with his speed. Now it’s current F1 world champ, Kimi Räikkönen, who’s gotten a chance to ride. No, not a MotoGP machine, but a one-off chopper – the Iceman II – made for him by Marcus Walz, of Hardcore Cycles.

The Iceman II’s Harley engine has been tuned to produce 120bhp, and the carbonfibre bodywork is painted in Ferrari-red. More details on the Hardcore Cycles website here.

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Four-cylinder BMW superbike caught testing…

Yamaha R6? No, it's a BMW...!
Pic: Motoblog

No, despite the R6 bodywork, the bike you see here isn’t a Yamaha. It is, in fact, BMW’s 2009 superbike in disguise. According to a report on Motoblog, the pic was clicked by somebody from Motociclismo, who happened to see the bike during a test session.

As we’ve reported earlier, BMW are working on a 1000cc, four-cylinder superbike with which they hope to go racing in WSBK in 2009. Going by the picture, this bike is likely to be nice and compact (the R6 bodywork seems to fit nicely, indicating compact dimensions…) and will have feature conventional chassis and suspension components. Chassis will be twin-spar aluminium beam, and suspension will be USD forks at the front and adjustable monoshock at the back. Final drive will be by chain, rather than shaft or belt.

The best part, of course, is that BMW are aiming for a 1:1 power:weight ratio with this bike – 190 horsepower in a 190kg bike. The person who saw the bike being tested says the bike seemed to be agile and very well balanced in the corners, powering out of bends hard and fast, putting down the power cleanly. BMW are expected to use cutting-edge traction-control technology on this bike, which might have had something to do with the fast lap times which the bike seemed to be doing…

Anyway, it’s still a long wait – don’t expect to see official pictures of this bike before another 12 months at least!

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2008 Yamaha R6 now ready to race!

The 2008 R6 is all set to race! Looks good too...
Pic: MCN

If the stock, 133bhp YZF-R6 wasn’t enough already, Yamaha have gone ahead and revealed a range of race-spec bits for the bike. There’s a new kit which allows the slipper clutch (standard fitment on the R6) to be adjusted, clutch springs are stronger, there’s a higher pressure oil pump to deal with the rigours of racing, and an Akrapovic exhaust system helps boost power. Racers also have the option of choosing different gear ratios if they wish.

Cylinder heads get new cams – standard lift but with longer duration – and the standard R6’s variable length inlet tracts have been replaced with fixed inlets for bigger power numbers. (The variable length tract is supposed to optimise power delivery across a wider rev range – good for the street, not needed on the track.) Different head gaskets are also available, for higher compression ratios.

An R6 with added oomph has to got to be a good thing...

Finally, the racing R6 gets a brand-new ECU with new software and a different fuel map, which is supposed to maximise power delivery. You also get a cable with which to hook up this ECU to your laptop and tweak it according to your needs! Racers who need more information on pricing and availability can try sending an email to neil.dowling@yamaha-motor.co.uk

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The Spanish Traffic Police have just taken delivery of 300 of these BMW R1200RT bikes. Special equipment includes a police siren and a public address system
Pic: DailyMotos

Running Rich: The US$270,000 Ecosse Heretic Titanium

Doesn't look like something that's that expensive, eh...?

Here are the numbers – the Heretic Titanium weighs 192 kilos, is powered by a supercharged, fuel-injected, 2147cc v-twin that makes 207 horsepower, and the bike costs about US$270,000 – making this Ecosse the most expensive motorcycle in the world right now.

The Heretic’s engine is made from a solid block of aluminum, the chassis and swingarm are made of titanium, bodywork is carbonfibre, suspension components are Ohlins units, brakes are GP-quality six-piston units (made by Sweden-based ISR) and each bike is fitted with an expensive BRM chronograph. More pics and details on the Ecosse website here, and video on the Robb Report site here.

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