plus 4, Choice of the Motor Racing Crowd - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |
- Choice of the Motor Racing Crowd - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- Pasco teens get hands dirty by making own bike park - Tacoma News Tribune
- ICE RACING’S “BIG GO WEST” KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND! - Flattrack.com
- Dunlop returns as title sponsor - Motorsport.com
- 'The World's Fastest Street Bike' Unveiled At Essen Motor Show, In ... - RoadracingWorld.com
| Choice of the Motor Racing Crowd - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Posted: 27 Nov 2009 09:52 PM PST Where the roar of a racing car engine is heard, chances are the driver is wearing a BRM watch. A brand mostly known by fans of extreme sports, preferably of the motorized variety, BRM stands for Bernard Richards Manufacture, an acronym fortuitously and conveniently identical to that of British Racing Motors, the 1962 world champion Formula One team. An independent French watchmaker, BRM has conquered this niche market by combining its owner's passion for motor sports with considerable mechanical sophistication. "I feel like Astérix in Gaul surrounded by an army of Romans," said Bernard Richards, owner of the brand in an interview at its workshop, referring to the comic strip in which a small village of unconquerable Gauls is the sole holdout against the invading Roman legions in 50 B.C. The small town of Magny-en-Vexin, where BRM's headquarters are located, is not unlike the unremarkable French village of the Astérix series. Reached by an isolated highway exit deep in the rural Val d'Oise region, it sits, surrounded by endless wheat fields, some 60 kilometers, or 37 miles, northwest of Paris. "I thought about relocating to Switzerland where parts and specialized services are more accessible, but I love this land," said Mr. Richards. France is not well known for its watchmaking tradition, and what little recognition its industry gets goes to the Doubs region, near the Jura mountains, at the French border with Switzerland. "There was no tradition of horology or micromechanics in these parts. Historically, that savoir-faire was based in the Jura, where winters are harsh. Farmers would make watches above their barn," said Mr. Richards. "Here, we had to train our team from scratch," he said. With a team of 21 watchmakers, designers and computer programmers, BRM is a horological microindustry. The small but well-equipped workshop makes nearly all its watch components in-house from raw materials. In his office, Mr. Richards is surrounded by a collection of 20 motorcycles, trophies and souvenir photographs of racing award ceremonies. There is no mistaking what makes Mr. Richards tick. "We make watches for race car and motorcycle drivers. Today, 300 professional drivers wear BRM watches," he said. The company has been located in Magny since 2005. When he decided to focus on his own brand after almost three decades of collaborating with the biggest names in the Swiss luxury and watchmaking industry, Mr. Richards converted a vacant industrial storage hangar into a high-technology production center. Mr. Richards, 51, was born into a family of independent clock and watchmakers, the former owners of Richard Zeger, a now-defunct brand. But although he attended the Pierre Girard watch school in Paris, specializing in micromechanics, he was not immediately attracted to watchmaking. "It was the age of quartz. I was not interested in that kind of horology. So I made objects like pens, chessboards and pendulums with very detailed marquetry in hard and semi-precious stones for various luxury brands," said Mr. Richards, who for years was a supplier to several lines -- which he declines to name -- in the Richemont luxury group. But working for others proved to be a hazardous activity and not to the taste of a fiercely independent businessman and motor sports enthusiast with a keen sense of risk. "A crisis hits the watch market every few years. When you work for others, they drown you in orders when times are good, drop you when they are overstocked," Mr. Richards said. In the 1990s, he started scouring machinery trade shows with an eye to building a customized micromechanical production facility. "The new equipment enabled us to make pieces no one else could. Large orders started pouring in," he said. Then, in 1996, Mr. Richards suffered injuries in a go-kart racing accident that forced him into bed rest for a year. Subsequent rehabilitation has left him with four herniated discs but a new perspective on his life and his ambitions. "The pain is still there, but I was given a second chance in life. My timer was set back to zero," he said. In 2003, with a personal investment of €100,000, or $148,000, Mr. Richards ventured into designing his first watch, the GP44, under the BRM signature. "The GP44 was not a commercial success at first. We only sold it to friends and family. It was a good product but we had no brand recognition," he said. Quick to learn, he spent an afternoon in a watch retail shop in Paris, studying the particular characteristics of the various models presented and their corresponding prices. "With that, I went back and designed a model with high visual impact and a retail price point below €5,000. The V12 was born," said Mr. Richards. The V12 line, which includes the limited edition racing model that Mr. Richards himself wears, has now become the house classic. Equipped with a specially designed movement suspended by a tri-part, shock-absorbing spring mechanism inside a tantalum case, the basic V12 is packed with references to the world of motor racing. The perforated hands recall the steering wheel of a racing car; the oversized push buttons are reminiscent of engine pistons. Even the strap, available in a checkered flag motif, is made of Nomex, a flame resistant material developed by the chemical company du Pont de Nemours and worn by practitioners of extreme sports. Though hewing firmly to the conventions of large, chunky sports watches, with diameters of up to 52 millimeters, or 2 inches, BRM watches are surprisingly light. Also adaptable: An online service introduced this year allows BRM clients to customize the V12-44-BRM model with a choice of three cases, six hand colors, nine dial types and 22 straps. "Clients who buy luxury want a unique product. At BRM, we don't keep playing the same old tune," Mr. Richards said. BRM's output is now running at about 2,000 timepieces a year, priced from €2,000 to €150,000. Each watch is unique by virtue of being hand-finished, and made to order. "We do not make overpolished and overbrushed pieces," Mr. Richards. said. "That is not our spirit. Our hand finishing leaves some roughness. People who drive high performance engines do not wear their grandfather's watch." Though Mr. Richard is a man who loves his toys, his timepieces are not gimmicky. BRM is the only brand in France and one of a handful of brands in the world to produce an automatic tourbillon, a highly complicated movement conceived by the master watchmaker Jean-Paul Crabbe, who works exclusively with BRM and also invented the brand's unique "birotor" movement, suspended like a racing engine on four carbon-fiber shock absorbers, and its 48-hour power reserve. "Having Crabbe with us is like having Enzo Ferrari at home designing cars," said Mr. Richards. "The BRM world is one of luxury for men. But we are slowly appealing to women. We now make eight watches per month for women," he added. BRM will be showing this weekend at the Paris luxury watch fair, Le Salon des Belles Montres, which gathers 60 of the world's most prestigious brands in the Carousel of the Louvre Museum. But unlike some large-volume rivals, it will not be hustling to move recession-bloated inventory. "When you produce high volumes, with any drop in demand, your retailers are overstocked. At BRM, we stay below the demand," said Mr. Richards. "That is the wisdom of our brand." This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Pasco teens get hands dirty by making own bike park - Tacoma News Tribune Posted: 27 Nov 2009 05:13 PM PST PASCO -- When life gives you dirt, break out your shovel and build some jumps. When 13-year-old Terrian Brown of Pasco got banned from skating behind the Fairchild Theater on Convention Drive, he and his friends decided to build their own bike park. "We all live in this area and just started on it," said Ryan Johnson, 17. "We started close to a year and a half ago." The makeshift park is across the street from TRAC and next to the Liberty Car Wash off Burden Boulevard and Convention Drive in Pasco. "All the kids have worked on it for some time, building little jumps for their bikes, and it's really kind of a cool thing," said Rhonda Knowles of Pasco, the mother of Kyle Knowles, 11. Workers at Liberty Car Wash said the children are generally well behaved. "They've been real good and they pick up the trash at the end of the night," Knowles said. The children, who range in age from 8 to 18, take pride in their park, calling it The Bike Track. "It's not just us wasting our lives," said Josh DeLeon, 13. "We get exercise. It's like a band of brothers; we work well together." It took the group about seven months to complete several dirt jumps. Johnson said on any given day about 15 to 20 kids ride their bikes there. On a good day, there are up to 30. "Hopefully we can get it way bigger," Johnson said. "It'd be cool if it was. We started with one little jump and now it's a lot." The kids look after one another and invite anyone who loves to ride to come check out their track. "Lots of shovels have been lost out here," Rhonda Knowles said. "It helps keeps kids entertained and out of trouble. I have one son who's diabetic and he's not playing video games on the computer. They've been more active and energetic, so it's a positive thing." On the weekends, the kids hold competitions against each other, splitting into two teams: The Orphans and The Dirt Devils. "We get to learn and give ourselves a challenge," said Kyle Knowles. Cristian Palacio, 12, rode with his brother Alex, 11, on a recent Friday evening in the rain as his father watched from his truck. "I saw where they had motorcycles on the dirt course and I asked my dad if we could build ramps in our backyard and he said it would look ugly and then I saw this place," said Alex Palacio. The two helped build some of the earlier ramps but it was only their second time at the park. Whether it's racing, freestyle or just for fun, the kids say they're enjoying the bike park they built with their own hands. "We all grew up riding bikes," Rhonda Knowles said. "They play well together and they work well together. You always worry, but they're kids. ... But they're all good kids." -- Bethany Woo: 509-582-1465; blee@tricityherald.com This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| ICE RACING’S “BIG GO WEST” KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND! - Flattrack.com Posted: 27 Nov 2009 05:56 PM PST
A large portion of the 34TH ANNUAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ICE RACING SERIES will be contested on the West Coast. According to ICE/International Championship Events' CEO & Founder Gary Densford; "We've wanted a strong presence out West for quite some time. This year all the pieces to the scheduling puzzle fell into place. After all, the West is where some of the greatest fans in the world are – they love extreme sports like ours. Another added plus are many of the bravest and raciest riders are based out West, not to mention all the powersport industry's major manufacturers and suppliers in the region. We're very proud of the stellar fields of racers competing for the World Championship this season that will most certainly produce extremely exciting racing for the fans."
Many of the biggest names in motorcycle racing head of the field in ICE's MANUFACTURERS WORLD CUP BIKE DIVISION. On top of the list is recently crowned Grand National Championship Dirt Track Champion, factory Harley-Davidson rider and 2007 ICE World Champion "Jammin" Jared Mees (HON) from Clio, MI; X-Games SuperMoto competitor, ICE & Dirt Track phenom JR Schnabel (YAM) from Campbells Port, WI; 2008 ICE World Champion, 2000 GNC Dirt Track Champion "Smokin" Joe Kopp (HON) from Mica, WA; 2009 ICE World Champion Kevin "The Viking" Anderson (HON) from Cambridge, MN; major ICE championship event winners Jake "The Snake" Mataya (KAW) from Brooklyn, MN; Tom "Freight Train" McGrane (KAW) from Honey Brook, PA; Jeremy DeRuyter (HON) from West Bend, WI; plus 2009 ICE Rookie-of-the-Year "Sideways" Sammy Wiggins (HON) from Coatesville, PA; "Flyin" Bryan McKenna (HON) from Plymouth, MA; sprint car driver/ice racer "Captain" Kirk Cheney (HON) from Hastings, MI; and 17 year old rookie Tyler Philips (KAW) from Gap, PA plus regional racers expected to take on the ICE pros including Graham, WA's Eric Beers; Oregon's Kevin Conord & Eric Rickman; California's Jeff Eklund, Chris Bunch and Chris Podergois to name some. Also, as a SPECIAL FEATURE, beginning at the Bakersfield, CA Round of this year's World Championship Series and running through the last Round in Glens Falls, NY race fans will be thrilled and amazed by the Vertical Mischief Sport Bike Stunt Team performing extreme stunts ON ICE! Many people have seen the popular Dickies clothing commercial made around Ryan Suchanek and his overcoming the loss of a leg to pursue his passion of riding and performing stunts on full size sport bike crotch rockets. Ryan will be joined by team mate Joey B as they perform challenging and exciting stunts for World Championship ice racing fans coast to coast this season. The Wisconsin based Vertical Mischief team are working out the technical and creative elements of their first ever indoor ice performances as we speak. This is going to be wild! After the holiday break World Championship ICE Racing fires back up on the eastern slope of the Rockies for a big event at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, CO on Saturday night January 9th. From there it's on to the Midwest for a classic battle at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington, IL on Saturday January 23rd. The question there is can anyone break JR Schnabel's Bloomington win steak? The following weekend WC ICE Racing hits Troy, OH's Hobart Arena Friday night January 29th and then up to Muskegon, MI's L.C. Walker Arena Saturday night. On Saturday night February 6th World Championship ICE Racing celebrates the Cincinnati V-Twin Expo with a special event at the Cincinnati Gardens. From there we head to David S. Palmer Arena in Danville, IL on Friday night February 12th that is kicked off with a special pre-race party. This event has produced some incredible racing in the past and is just a stone's throw from the Indy Dealer Show taking place the same weekend. From Danville it's off to the East for return visits to Trenton, NJ's Sun National Bank Arena on Friday night February 19th and the Grand Finale at the Glens Falls Civic Center in Glens Falls, NY on Saturday night February 20th. The annual Awards Banquet for this season will be held mid day on Sunday February 21st. Be sure to take in a World Championship ICE Racing Round near you this season. Don't you dare miss THE GREATEST SPECTACLE ON ICE!tm For additional informational concerning ICE World Championship Racing contact ICE Headquarters at (843) 213-1182, Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , and of course, IF IT'S ICE RACING – IT'S ICESPEEDWAY.COM. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Dunlop returns as title sponsor - Motorsport.com Posted: 27 Nov 2009 03:54 PM PST DUNLOP RETURNS AS TITLE SPONSOR FOR FOUR YEARS STARTING IN 2010 Tyre manufacturer Dunlop will return as title sponsor of the MSA British Touring Car Championship from 2010, in a new four-year agreement with the UK's premier motor racing series. Its sister company, HiQ - title sponsor for the past two seasons - will put its name to the BTCC's coveted Teams' Championship also through to the end of 2013 at least. This latest arrangement will extend the BTCC's relationship with the Goodyear-Dunlop group to 11 successive years. Dunlop has been the BTCC's exclusive tyre supplier since 2003 and became title sponsor in 2005, with the nationwide chain of HiQ fast-fit centres taking over for 2008 and 2009. Dunlop's return as the BTCC's title sponsor is actually a year ahead of schedule after HiQ's association with the championship proved even more effective than anticipated in helping it re-profile its network across the UK. Its four-year commitment to sponsoring the Teams' Championship will now enable it to continue to build on those results. Group Managing Director Mark Brickhill commented: "We re-launched the HiQ network in 2008 with the signing of new franchise stores, a new impactful visual identity and a plan to set new standards of service in the fast-fit market. Our BTCC sponsorship has helped achieve these goals and the extension of our investment to include the HiQ Teams' Championship for four years will help drive our ambitions for the network in the tyre fitting and servicing market." BTCC Series Director Alan Gow said he was delighted that HiQ's use of the championship had reaped such tremendous rewards and also welcomed back on board Dunlop's famous black and yellow colours - for more than a hundred years associated with automotive and motor sporting success all over the world. Gow said: "I'm absolutely delighted that we are able to continue our extremely close relationship with both Dunlop and HiQ for another four years - making it one of the most successful and enduring major sponsorships in the BTCC and, indeed, British motor sport. "But it is more than just sponsorship; it's a close partnership between two very committed and enthusiastic organisations and one that I'm incredibly proud of. With its huge public following, both trackside and on ITV, the BTCC is the 'jewel in the crown' of British motor sport and Dunlop is a very important part of our success." As part of this long-term partnership, Dunlop will continue to provide the BTCC's teams with tyres manufactured at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham, UK - home to the company's European Motorsport Operations. This plant produces over 200,000 high technology racing tyres each year for the World Moto2 Motorcycle Championships, International GT and Endurance racing in addition to the BTCC. The first round of the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will take place at the Thruxton circuit in Hampshire on Sunday 4 April. All rounds will be televised live on ITV4 with highlights on ITV1, ITV4 and Men & Motors. -credit: btcc This content has passed through fivefilters.org.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'The World's Fastest Street Bike' Unveiled At Essen Motor Show, In ... - RoadracingWorld.com Posted: 27 Nov 2009 03:18 PM PST Nov 27, 2009, ©Copyright 2009, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. The World's Fastest Street Bike Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER powered by WARM UP The world's fastest street bike hits the stage: The Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER powered by WARM UP celebrates its world debut at the ESSEN MOTOR SHOW 2009. The new high-performance motorcycle has a top speed of more than 320 km/h and accelerates from rest to 300 km/h in just 13.9 seconds. This performance is made possible by a 1,000-cc four-cylinder four-valve engine with a rated power output of 220 hp / 161.9 kW, which in booster mode can be increased to 280 hp / 206 kW for short periods of time. While the semi-gloss black/orange bike weighs in at just 195 kilograms fully fueled thanks to uncompromising lightweight design, it still combines spectacular design with revolutionary features that have never before been used on a motorcycle. Among them is a backup camera system that eliminates the need for conventional rearview mirrors, a head-up display that projects the current speed onto the windscreen and an innovative lighting system with LED daytime running lights and just one extremely powerful Xenon headlamp that serves as both high and low beam. The Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER is built in small-series production by WARM UP Zweiradtechnik GmbH in Aalen, Germany with an MSRP starting at 57,500 Euros. To achieve the perfect union of high-performance bike and rider the price includes a precision setup of the bike to the rider. Suspension, seating position and all operating controls are calibrated to the rider's weight and size. Also included in the price of the bike is high-tech rider gear color-coordinated with the bike. It includes a precisely fitting leather suit and a carbon-fiber and Kevlar helmet whose aerodynamic properties make it perfectly suited for the extremely high speeds this motorcycle can reach. A large contribution to making this dream on two wheels come true comes from the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER technology partners. Only the very best addresses in the world of motorcycles suffice: ABM, Akrapovic, BelRay, Beutler Lackdesign, BIKERBOX, Bridgestone, CIMA Schlier, gilles.tooling, Held Biker Fashion, Kellermann, Melvin, OZ Motorbike, PUIG, Emil Schwarz, Spiegler and WAECO contribute their collective know-how to this extreme bike. More information about this unique project is available on the web at www.asphaltfighters-stormbringer.com.
Modern superbikes are powerful, fast and offer handling characteristics that even professional motorcycle racers could only dream of in the past. But better is the enemy of good and thus even this species of motorcycles offers room for further improvements and for more individuality and exclusivity, sought by many discerning riders around the globe. Thus was born the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER powered by WARM UP. The performance specifications were clearly defined: Maximum performance paired with ultra-sporty handling and extreme stopping power. Added to the bargain are a number of innovative equipment details never before seen on a motorcycle, and a network of the best technology partners to be found in the motorcycle scene. The idea for the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER was generated by the team of marketing and PR professionals at ROXXITY Ltd. The high-performance bike is built by WARM UP Zweiradtechnik GmbH, one of the world's leading custom bike manufacturers, located in Aalen, Germany.
At the heart of the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER is the liquid-cooled four-cylinder four-valve engine from engine manufacturer BIKERBOX. Complex detail work by power guru Sepp Buchner results in a rated power output of the 1,000-cc high-speed engine of 220 hp / 161.9 kW at 13,500 rpm. Realizing this kind of peak power in a reliable manner suitable for everyday use requires enormous effort. The cylinder heads are fitted with a new combustion chamber shape, and inlet and outlet valves as well as the valve seats are optimized for mixture flow. Forged aluminum high-performance pistons are also part of the engine concept as are numerous additional detail modifications to the inner workings of the engine. Especially important for an explosive power curve are the engine peripherals. Akrapovic is the top choice for the factory teams competing in the Superbike World Championship when it comes to high-performance exhaust systems. As technology partner for the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER German Akrapovic importer JAMPARTS supplied a custom-tailored exhaust system with carbon-fiber rear muffler that contributes vitally to the enormous power output of the high-tech engine. The hexagonal shape of the rear muffler makes it also a stunning design feature that blends perfectly with the spectacular overall design. For an optimal symbiosis of power yield and drivability the engine uses a freely programmable engine management system. Precisely calibrated mapping for injection and ignition ensure a healthy power curve all the way to the cutoff speed of 13,700 rpm. In addition the BIKERBOX engine electronics feature an adjustable ten-stage traction control, a launch control feature for perfect acceleration from rest and a freely programmable speed limiter activated at the push of the button for city traffic or for the pit lane. For especially precise and fast throttle commands the bike features a quick throttle from gilles.tooling. Perfect lubrication with high safety reserves is elementary for an engine such as the one on the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER. Fully synthetic Bel-Ray EXS 0 W - 40 motor oil combines excellent low-friction properties with maximum wear protection. Power is transferred to the rear wheel via a high-performance clutch, a six-speed manual transmission and a chain color-coordinated with the overall color scheme. Lubricant specialist Bel-Ray supplies a clear chain spray that provides optimal maintenance while preserving the orange color scheme.
From the very beginning extreme performance that can be safely controlled at all times was one of the most important development goals for the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER. To further improve the enormous acceleration potential the bike features a booster mode. For a few seconds peak power can be bumped from permanently available 220 hp / 161.9 kW to 280 hp / 206 kW. Due to traction limitations this button-activated feature is only available at speeds above 180 km/h. The Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER delivers acceleration performance normally reserved for true racing superbikes. The bike reaches 100 km/h after just 2.9 seconds and 200 km/h after a mere 6.5 seconds. Using the booster mode the magical 300-km/h mark, unattainable for most street bikes, is reached after just 13.9 seconds. The Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER also sets new standards for top speed. The selected final drive gear ratio gives the high-performance bike a top speed of more than 320 km/h, making it the world's fastest street bike built in small-series production.
Speeds way beyond the 300-km/h barrier naturally place extreme demands on aerodynamics. The Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER integrates factors into the bike concept that large manufacturers omit due to cost. Among other things the motorcycle is equipped with carbon-fiber mud guards from technology partner PUIG, making it extremely light. Side flaps and spoiler lips on the seat bump are designed for excellent directional stability. The windscreen from PUIG has an orange tint and fits perfectly with the overall color scheme of the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER. It also has an optimal aerodynamic shape and together with the fairing provides optimal wind protection for the pilot. The tear-shaped Kellermann mini turn signals are also part of the sophisticated aerodynamic concept. Just as important for optimal aerodynamics is the rider's clothing. Technology partner Held BIKER FASHION has more than 60 years of experience in this area. The one-piece Held SLADE leather suit is made from a combination of cow and kangaroo leathers and is available in many standard and special sizes. By using schoeller®-KEVLAR stretch inserts under the arms, in the groin area and at the knees the suit fits the rider like a glove and offers optimal aerodynamics and freedom of motion. Maximum safety is ensured by the high-strength leather, safety seams and integrated protectors for shoulders, elbows, back and knees. The suit is complemented with Held Titan gloves and Held Merlin boots that have garnered top scores in numerous tests conducted by international motorcycle magazines. The head of the driver is subject to enormous turbulences at high speeds. The Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER comes with a helmet that perfectly combines favorable aerodynamics and safety. CIMA-Schlier, German importer of helmet manufacturer X-lite, supplied the perfect solution for the demanding requirement specifications. The X-701 Hazard helmet features a matte-black carbon-fiber and Kevlar shell with orange decors. It offers the highest level of safety, excellent wear comfort and fits in perfectly with the overall appearance of the bike.
As good as the suspensions of modern superbikes are, there is still room for improvement through professional modifications. Technology partner Emil Schwarz is an absolute authority in this area and for decades has been optimizing suspensions through the elimination of production tolerances and the installation of high-quality precision bearings. The Swabian modifies the aluminum twin spar frame of the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER in all suspension-relevant areas. After the installation of the Emil Schwarz precision bearing set with its precise-fit countered components the steering head has absolutely no radial bearing play at all. It guides the inverted front fork with DLC coating and 43-millimeter diameter free of play for a much more precise turn-in and notably better cornering stability. For controlling the rear swingarm without play Emil Schwarz installs precision bearings and upgrades the swingarm with grease nipples. Any play in the rear suspension drag link has exponential effects and introduces suspension instability. Emil Schwarz eliminates this problem with precision play-free bearings. The rear monoshock is also fitted with new bearings free from play. The absolutely play-free bearings of Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER suspension in combination with the infinitely adjustable bound and rebound of the front fork and the many selectable settings for the monoshock result in unparalleled safe and precise handling. The fork bridge from ABM GP Racing weighs just 380 grams and is made from aircraft aluminum. It is part of the lightweight design concept and stabilizes control of the inverted front fork. With the ABM adjuster wheel the damping rate of the fork can be changed in seconds without any tools. The bike's suspension is calibrated precisely to each individual rider. Before taking delivery the buyer is invited to visit WARM UP in Aalen to calibrate the bike's setup to his or her individual preferences and weight. Reducing unsprung weight as much as possible was also at the top of the list of performance specifications for the WARM UP engineers. OZ Motorbike is not only supplier for numerous racing teams such as the BMW World Superbike factory team; it is also a manufacturer of high-quality aftermarket alloy wheels for street bikes. For the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER the engineers from the Italian manufacturer have developed special versions of the forged OZ Piega alloy wheel in size 3.5Jx17 in front and in size 6Jx17 in back. Their sophisticated weight-optimized design saves some 2.3 kilograms compared to conventional wheels. This makes the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER react quickly to change in directions and provides perfect feedback even in extreme lean angles. Racing technology was also the top choice for the tires for this extremely fast high-performance bike: Technology partner Bridgestone supplies the BATTLAX BT-016 RADIAL high-performance tires that transfer Moto GP experience to the road. The distinctive feature of this supersport tire is the combination of various rubber compounds in one tire. The rear tire in size 190/55 ZR 17 has three different rubber compounds. The center compound is designed for longevity while the right and left feature a high-grip soft compound. The tire shoulders feature an even softer compound and thus offer extremely high grip. The narrower front tire in size 120/70 ZR 17 features two different rubber compounds, harder in the middle and softer on both sides for optimal grip in front. The mixture of precision suspension bearings, high-quality multiply adjustable dampers, ultra-light wheels and the Bridgestone tires lends the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER handling characteristics with unsurpassed precision, feedback and stability.
Truly sporty riding is not just a question of engine power and precision-calibrated suspension alone. Just as important if not more is the human factor.
This step is absolutely unique in the production of high-performance bikes and is made possible by selecting only the best control components available on the market. The gilles.tooling foot pegs are made from high-strength aluminum. They are infinitely adjustable and thus can be adjusted to the specific rider. An integrated vernier scale allows precise positioning of the foot pegs. The gearshift and brake lever feature dual play-free ball bearings. For drivers with racing ambitions the shift pattern can be reversed so that the first gear is up, all the other gears down. The gilles.tooling variobar handlebar also offers a multitude of adjustment options. The super-light handlebar halves are cut from solid aircraft aluminum and can be adjusted in height and angle. They allow the rider to find the perfect position on the bike which contributes greatly to safe and sporty handling. The CNC-machined gilles.tooling levers for brake and clutch are also adjustable. The extremely compact levers feature true racing looks and offer 50 different settings over an adjustment range of 25 millimeters, allowing perfect fine tuning for each individual rider. CNC-milled ABM S-Grip aluminum handholds with vibration-dampening grip zones offer perfect grip. They are complemented stylishly with ABM Stash Cap handlebar ends.
Extreme demands are placed on the brakes of a powerful bike such as the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER. Technology partner Spiegler Bremsentechnik has more than 20 years of experience in developing high-performance brake systems. The revolutionary RIWI by Spiegler segment rotor brakes markedly increase the bike's safety reserves. Contrary to conventional brake discs these rotors do not have a continuous rim but rather are made from individual segments of extremely thermal-resistant steel connected by the RIWI Segment Floating System. This system eliminates the possibility of discs warped by excessive heat as is common with conventional discs. In addition, the brake forces are not transferred to the center of the disc, the floater, but directly to the individual RIWI segments. Depending on the predominant use of an Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER bike these high-tech brake rotors can be used with racing or street brake pads. The milled aluminum ABM front brake fluid reservoir and the extremely lightweight CNC-milled ABM foot brake cylinder for precise application of brake power combine form and function. For the perfect brake pressure even under highest loads technology partner Melvin supplies custom-tailored braided stainless-steel brake hoses. They are covered with an orange plastic sheath and fit perfectly with the overall color scheme of the bike. Silicone DOT 5 brake fluid from Bel-Ray is a brake fluid containing silicone that can easily handle even the toughest stress on the racetrack.
Powerful lighting is essential for the active safety of a motorcycle. The developers of the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER incorporated some revolutionary solutions never before used on a motorcycle. The face of the world's fastest street bike is characterized by a totally new single-light design. Excellent luminosity and small size are the main attributes of the Xenon headlamp. It has a diameter of just 70 millimeters and serves as high beam and low beam alike. During daylight the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER can be easily recognized from a distance by its LED daytime running lights arranged in the shape of a triangle integrated into the fairing. When the Xenon low beam is turned on the LED lights are dimmed to the intensity of parking lights. Technology partner Kellermann supplies the latest generation of its micro turn signals. The front Kellermann Micro 1000 PL turn signals are attached to the fairing and in addition to indicating the direction of turn they also feature an integrated LED position light The rear Kellermann Micro 1000 DF turn signals are just as innovative. They are attached to the extremely lightweight WARM UP stainless-steel license plate holder. In addition to the LED turn signals each unit also houses a red Kellermann High-Power LED that serves as brake light and taillight. They eliminate the need for a conventional taillight, giving the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER a totally unique and at first sight unfamiliar rear appearance.
Head-up displays have been in successful use in fighter jets and a few select high-performance automobiles for years. Now they have found their way into the production of motorcycles. The Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER is the first bike that projects the current speed onto the windscreen using this technology. Technology partner WAECO supplies the WARM UP electronics specialists with the head-up display that offers a marked safety increase especially at high speeds. With information about the current speed always in the field of vision the rider never has to look away from the road to find out how fast the bike is travelling. The WAECO Head-Up Display projects large green digits onto the orange-colored PUIG windscreen. Engine speed is indicated separately on an analog display with orange-colored carbon-fiber design. Operating temperatures and the selected gear are indicated by a digital display integrated into the tachometer.
Motorcycle riders are familiar with the problem of vibrating mirrors or with mirrors half obscured by the rider's arms. On the Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER this problem is solved with state-of-the-art technology. In place of conventional mirrors a WAECO backup camera system always provides a perfect rear view. The camera is almost completely hidden from view in the back of the seat where the taillight is normally mounted. The five-inch LCD screen that displays the color image from the backup camera is integrated into the tank in the rider's field of vision.
The Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER features an aggressive racing design not only characterized by its asymmetric headlight arrangement. The color combination of semi-gloss orange and black is an elementary part of the overall concept. The paint scheme was designed and executed by Klaus Beutler and his company Beutler Lack & Design, one of the best custom painters in the world. Orange-colored highlights are added by the PUIG windscreen, the drive chain and a number of other color-coordinated carbon-fiber-design components. Another striking functional design feature is the gilles.tooling crash pad that protects both sides of the bike against damages.
The Asphaltfighters® STORMBRINGER is built to order by WARM UP Zweiradtechnik GmbH in small-series production. MSRP starts at 57,500 Euros. More Breaking Headlines | Next Article | Home This content has passed through fivefilters.org.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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