Long-distance rides are not for the faint of heart, the ill-equipped or impatient. As demanding as they are though, long-distance rides can be quite exciting — rewarding even once completed. For those who have yet to embark on a long excursion, or those fearful of the challenges that lie beyond each forgone mile marker, know that there are a number of tricks and tips that can make your time in the saddle less daunting and more enjoyable. As with anything, the key is preparation and a comprehensive understanding of your abilities; don’t write a check your butt can’t cash by setting off on a ride without adequately preparing yourself and your equipment.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The fastest amateur dirt-track racers on the planet will converge on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill., May 29-June 1 for the premier annual amateur championship event: the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Dirt Track Grand Championships.

Sport Rider is now available as a digital edition through iTunes! You can download a free app from the iTunes store and read Sport Rider every month on your iPad. A one-year subscription is available for $11.99, and for a limited time the March issue is available as a free download.

Download the free app from iTunes and check out the March issue for free here: Sport Rider on iTunes

First Sepang Test
31 January – 2 February 2012

Honda Motor Europe has revealed a four-strong rider line-up for the Honda TT Legends team as it prepares for an all-important second year of competition in the FIM Endurance World Championship and at selected road racing events. The team will launch its assault on the world’s toughest track and road races aboard the 2012 version of the CBR1000RR Fireblade as Honda celebrates the 20th anniversary of the legendary machine.

Even wrenching his back while stretching on Tuesday didn’t keep Casey Stoner from once again setting the quickest lap on the final day of the first 2012 preseason test at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. On just his second lap of day, Stoner scorched to a 1:59.607 lap on his Repsol Honda RC213V when the conditions were best in the morning, lowering his previous lap record from last year and setting a benchmark that was more than half-second quicker than the next rider, Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo.

Perhaps even more ominous for the rest of the field was that Stoner probably would have gone even quicker had it not been for his back problems, plus rain cutting the day short by more than an hour at the end when conditions were prime for a quick lap.

Ben Spies has yet to reach a peak in his career, that much we are certain. We were relatively surprised then, when Larry Lawrence released Ben Spies: Taking it to the Next Level, a biography on the World Champion himself. Take into consideration Spies’ long list of accomplishments up to this point however, and it’s actually not so shocking that Lawrence has already gone about telling the Texan’s story.

If you’ve ever thought about riding on a genuine racetrack, now is the time to turn your curiosity into reality. And it’s never been easier: There are more than 60 clubs and riding schools that operate hundreds of track days on almost 70 road courses throughout North America. Contrary to conventional wisdom, track days aren’t scary. The racetracks are wide and grippy, everyone goes in the same direction, no cops, no cars, no ego-fueled racers or trophies.

Hindle Exhaust Systems is proud to support Team Dynojet-ZAG Racing's Javelin Broderick 2012 debut Pro AMA Roadracing season. Hindle will continue their ongoing relationship with Javelin by supplying high performance full systems for the team's Yamaha R6 models.

Suzuki factory test rider Nobuatsu Aoki hosted a two-day Training School at the Kenjalang circuit in Indonesia this week.

Corona, CA - MotoRider in Kenosha, WI has teamed up with Race Tech to offer Race Tech products and services in the Great Lakes region. MotoRider is the newest Center in the Race Tech network.

All new for 2012, The Transition Series 3 is a major update to one of Tour Master’s most successful and popular jackets. Featuring ≤ styling, a number of color ways and more features than you can shake a stick at, the Transition 3 offers serious touring, sport touring and street riders a great

Ducati announces today that it will return to The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this July. To celebrate the return, as well as demonstrate what an amazing event PPIHC is, Ducati has put together a short film documenting last year's race.

Grand Rapids, MI (February 6, 2012) – Professional, hard working, and passionate are just a few words to define the Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing race team. For the third year in a row, Foremost® will maintain the title sponsorship for the Pegram racing team in the 2012 AMA American Superbike Series. Larry Pegram is a professional road racer who not only champions wins on his bike, but also is owner and manager of his own team.

Hendersonville, North Carolina: Leading the high expectations of high performance, Öhlins now has an upgraded version available of its already innovative twin-tube shock, known as the TTX36 MKII.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- Renewed funding for motorized trails and a ban on funding for motorcycle-only checkpoints are included in a major federal transportation bill being considered by a key U.S. House committee, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.

Suzuki recently announced the release of its updated GSX-R1000 for 2012, with minor modifications to the engine and chassis headlining the list of changes. Brembo monobloc calipers and a new single-muffler exhaust have also been fitted and look to keep the Suzuki on par with the competition.

AFX FX-39DS DUAL SPORT HELMET
The ideal crossover helmet, AFX's FX-39DS dual sport helmet is designed to be the ideal helmet for both off-road and street use. Its high-performance, DOT and ECE-22.05 composite poly-alloy shell is lightweight and super strong, while the hypo-allergenic and anti-microbial nylon liner and cheek pads are removable, washable and super comfy. For the ultimate in crossover convenience, the multi-position shield may be easily removed and the helmet may be used with just the visor, allowing for open-face riding or room for goggle use. or the visor may be removed and just the shield can be used with the included side cover kit. Roomy ear cavity allows space for communication speakers, and the nine-point ventilation system on chin, side, forehead and top does wonders to regulate airflow. Also features clear-coat finish to protect paint; optically correct, compound-curved, scratch resistant shield to protect against UV rays; and adjustable cam buckle style quick release retention system for a perfect fit. For 2012 the 5 new colors and expanded sizing to include 3xl and 4xl continue to make this the dual sport helmet that dominates the market.
SUG. RETAIL
$134.95 - $149.95

TOOELE VALLEY, UTAH (February 1, 2012) — The Yamaha Champions Riding School is very pleased to announce that Scott Russell, the former AMA Pro Superbike and World Superbike Champion nicknamed “Mr. Daytona” for his five wins in the Daytona 200, will return as a Guest Instructor for the 2012 season. The popular Georgia native has become like part of the family at YCRS, and is looking forward to helping riders maximize their skillsets. “When I first attended the Yamaha Champions Riding School as a guest instructor, I didn’t know what to expect,” Russell said. “But right away I saw that these guys teach exactly what a rider needs to survive and succeed in this sport. I got hooked on it, on helping riders realize their goals and dreams. This school is the real deal, exactly what riders – all riders – need to learn.” YCRS Lead Instructor Nick Ienatsch is happy to welcome Russell back for another year, and to see the growth and progress that the school continues to make. “As we start our fourth year, the Yamaha Champions Riding School continues to set new records in attendance and repeat students,” Ienatsch said. “We’re getting better with age! Why? Because we run this school like a race team, and a race team’s only goal should be improvement. We want our school to get better with every class...meaning that our students learn more, and learn more quickly. Our main – and only – goal is to improve the riding of every student, meet their needs and help them reach their goals. Period.” The YCRS has 18 schools scheduled between February 5 and October 16, at its home base at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, as well as offsite schools at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and New Jersey Motorsports Park. Russell is scheduled to appear at all but two:

Wildomar, CA February 1, 2012 – MotoSeat, has entered the Sport Bike market with its full line of replacement seat covers for Sport Bikes from years 2000 and up. These cost effective seat covers will replace that damaged or worn out stock seat cover, with a high quality stylish multi-panel seat cover.

SEPANG, MALAYSIA, FEB 1 – Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner dominated the 2011 winter testing season by setting the fastest time on all three days of the second Malaysia test which he ended with the fastest ever lap by a motorcycle around the Sepang Circuit. Stoner lapped the track in 1:59.665, a time that beat Valentino Rossi’s pole time from 2009 of 2:00.518. But since it wasn’t an official session, Stoner’s time didn’t stand. But he may have a new record on the final day of the opening test of 2011 if conditions allow

Stoner sat out the first day of the test after his back locked up while he was preparing to ride. He was able to get into his leathers and make a few laps, but there was no point in continuing. He had physiotherapy at both the track and his hotel, to which he retired early in the day.

“Yesterday was far beyond anything I’ve ever had before,” Stoner said. “I was worried I actually did some bad damage to it.”

Buffalo, NY: As a prelude to the 2012 road race season in the USA, Dunlop would like to remind racers that customers situated in the western portion of the country can order tires for mail order delivery from Race Tire Service in Nashville, TN. The toll-free phone number for Race Tire Service is 800-772-TIRE (800-772-8473 ). The direct line for orders or tech questions is 615-641-3323 ; fax 615-641-8959 . Also, race tires can be ordered via email at info@dunlopracing.com, and online orders or requests for information can be obtained at www.dunlopracing.com. Race Tire Service is available for phone orders from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Central time (7:00 AM - 3:00 PM Pacific time). Orders placed before 2:00 PM Central time will ship that day. All messages left will be returned the next day so orders can be shipped as quickly as possible.

SEPANG, MALAYSIA, JAN 31 – “Sono contento,” Ducati Marlboro’s Valentino Rossi said, and you don’t have to be a linguistics professor to know what it meant. Rossi was happy after a successful test of the new Desmosedici on a sultry Tuesday at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia. Rossi was also happy because he wasn’t 1.5 seconds behind, as he’d been for much of the 2011 season, but half that with the expectation that the gap could be closed even farther. This was, after all, the first day of the new season and also the first day of the newest iteration of the Desmosedici with the aluminum perimeter frame that allows for much more adjustability than the previous frameless chassis.

Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo went to the top of the time charts early on a hot, muggy day and stayed there. Like all the other riders, Lorenzo spent most of the morning in his pit box waiting for the track to dry from overnight and morning showers. The time that he put up made him unassailable and the only rider to approach him was Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa, and his charge wasn’t threatening. Pedrosa finished .346 seconds off Lorenzo’s time, with Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow an encouraging third, one better than Lorenzo’s teammate Ben Spies. Then came Rossi.

Mikuni American's latest Mikuni Carburetor Products Catalog features their complete line of Aftermarket Performance Carburetors, Accessories, Replacement Parts and Tuning Components for Racing, Street Motorcycles, Off-Road Dirt Bike, ATV, Snowmobile and Personal Watercraft applications. The full-color 36-page Catalog covers Mikuni HSR, HS and RS and Flatslide, TM Flatslide, VM Round Slide, BN and Super BN Watercraft Carburetors and Pulse Fuel Pumps. Included are complete Replacement Parts Lists of each Carburetor Type with Exploded View Drawings.