Yamaha Motor Europe (YME) is very pleased to announce a new partnership with current FIM Motocross Women’s World Cup winner Katherine Prumm.The 19 year old New Zealander will steer a YZ250F for 2008 and strive to add the very first FIM female world championship to the two World cup titles she claimed in 2006 and 2007.

Katherine Prumm’s union with Yamaha four months ahead of the inaugural FIM endorsed championship is a major coup as the women’s competition will enjoy top billing alongside the MX1 and MX2 world series and embark on a five round schedule as part of the 2008 Grand Prix campaign.

The Kiwi will work from the Dutch Van Beers Yamaha set-up in the paddock, alongside Aigar Leok (MX1) and Evgeny Bobryshev (MX2), using YRRD (Yamaha Rinaldi Research and Development) parts on her number one plated YZ250F. With her victories in Europe, (two from two rounds in 2006 and two from three outings in 2007) numerous female Australasian titles, and several female AMA wins on the other side of the Atlantic, Katherine Prumm is presently one of the leading figures in Women’s motocross.

“The move to Yamaha is really exciting for me,” said the reigning champ. “It will be a whole new bike and new team and I am really looking forward to being part of the Yamaha environment. Yamaha is behind me 100% and I feel that they can give me the best chance of success in 2008.”

“I cannot wait for the upcoming season and the FIM Women’s World Championship where I will try for my third title on my new Van Beers YZ250F,” she added. “At the end of the year I will also compete in the Men’s New Zealand Motocross Championship under the MXDK Subway Yamaha team banner and my goal is a top ten finish in the Men’s MX2 class after having attained a 12th place in 2007. I will also be going for my fourth New Zealand Women’s Championship. For my activities back home I am officially supported by Yamaha Motor Australia and Yamaha Motor New Zealand.”

“Yamaha is happy to see that the number of women riding and racing our machines is growing along with their interest and participation in off-road motorsport,” commented YME Racing Division Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp. “The upgrade of the FIM Women’s World Cup to a World Championship is a good example of how the sport is progressing and we are very much looking forward to competing in this new class with Katherine Prumm as well as promoting women and motorcycling in general.”

The Women’s World Championship was officially sanctioned towards the end of 2007 after the World Cup had seen growing entry lists in its three year existence and an increasing level of interest from female competitors across the globe. The series now has the recognition it deserves and is no longer merely a sideshow to the MX1 and MX2 motos.

The 2008 calendar will see the ladies in action in Bulgaria, Italy, France, Germany and Holland. The first event will be at the Sevlievo Circuit for the Grand Prix of Bulgaria on May 11th.

Katherine Prumm
Date of Birth: 04/06/1988
Place of Birth: Johannesburg, South Africa
Residence: Auckland, New Zealand
Nationality: New Zealand
Height: 172cm
Weight: 66kg
Hobbies: Cycling, running, Graphic design, spending time with friends and family

Career Highlights
2007: FIM Women’s World Cup winner, AMA WMA Women’s Cup winner, Australian Champion
2006: FIM Women’s World Cup winner, winner of two WMA (USA) rounds
2005: FIM Women’s World Cup runner-up, Oceania Champion, Australian Champion, NZ Champion
2004: New Zealand Women’s Champion senior and junior classes

SOURCE: YAMAHA MOTOR EUROPE

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Triumph Motorcycles pays tribute to one of the most charismatic movie stars of all time with the re-creation of the t-shirt worn by Steve McQueen, which he used while racing his Triumph bike.

The first in a series of casual products that have been officially licensed by Steve McQueen‘s estate, the t-shirt is in an ‘as worn by’ style, taking its design cues from the vintage style t-shirt worn by McQueen.

The t-shirt is made from 100% cotton single jersey and features the vintage Triumph logo print on the front. The inspiration for the design is also established through the ‘Steve McQueen Special Edition‘ slogan on the reverse, whilst the arm features his signature.

The t-shirt is to be launched on the 24th of March, the anniversary of McQueen’s 78th Birthday. It will be available in black and white, in both men’s and women’s sizes, from all Triumph Motorcycle dealers and www.triumphmotorcycles.com.

The McQueen t-shirt will be joined in April by the new summer t-shirt range, featuring a large number of new styles.

Out of all the brands which have tried to make a comeback – Norton via Kenny Dreer, Vincent via Bernard Li, and others, only Triumph Motorcycles has put bikes on the road for sale to enthusiats, with a growing nationwide network. Long may it continue!

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BMW’s HP2 is equipped with brand-new DOHC cylinder heads!

MUNICH, JANUARY 2008. BMW Motorrad achieved a new sales record in 2007. After the 100,000 units were sold for the first time in 2006, BMW was able to continue its growth in 2007 with sales of 102,467 units (previous year: 100,064/+2.4%). The record figures represent the peak of BMW Motorrad‘s ongoing successful course to date.
Once again it was the Western European markets which made the biggest contribution to this outstanding result. With the German market generally declining, sales figures here were somewhat below those of the previous year (2007: 21,504; 2006: 23,617/-8.9%). However, BMW Motorrad was able to expand its market leadership both in the market over 500 cc (2007: 20.4 %; 2006: 19.8%) and in the market as a whole (2007: 19.2 %; 2006: 18.5%). The second strongest market for the company was once again Italy with 14,424 units sold, followed by the US (12,094 units) and Spain (10,382 units).

The most successful model in 2007 was once again the travel enduro bike
BMW R 1200 GS together with its sibling model, the R 1200 GS Adventure. Due to the imminent model revision, 2007 figures were slightly below those of the previous year as expected. (2007: 30,077 units, 2006: 31,138 units)

Prospects for 2008

The BMW Motorrad model program for 2008 is as broadly varied as the wishes and preferences of our customers. In the four worlds of experience Sport, Tour, Urban and Enduro there are fascinating motorcycles to suit every taste, each supplemented with an extensive range of accessories as well as the matching rider equipment.
The new BMW R 1200 GS and the new BMW R 1200 GS Adventure will already be available from dealers from the end of January.

On March 8th BMW Motorrad celebrates the official start of the season. On this day, the new 2-cylinder models BMW F 800 GS and BMW F 650 GS will see their sales debuts. The market entry of the new medium category travel enduro BMW F 800 GS, an all-rounder with outstanding off-road and long-distance qualities, is being anticipated with great excitement. The new F 650 GS, worthy successor to the popular single-cylinder entry-level model, is now fitted with the state-of-the-art parallel twin with its unique construction.

Also on March 8th, the BMW HP2 Sport will thrill all flat twin “Boxer” fans. This motorcycle, developed through deployment in endurance racing, puts genuine racing technology on the road and features a brand new dohc cylinder head.

In the second half of 2008 the new sports enduro BMW G 450 X will round off the model program.

Wolfgang Schlimme, if you’re reading this, PLEASE bring the HP2 Sport to Malaysia!

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Official MotoGP Season Review 2007

Julian Ryder

Publication Date: Out Now!
ISBN: 978 184 425 451 4, Format: Hardback, RRP: £19.99

The 2007 season marked a new beginning for MotoGP as the bikes dropped down to 800cc and the series got a new champion in the form of 21-year-old Australian Casey Stoner. Stoner left Valentino Rossi and pre-season favourite Dani Pedrosa floundering, but 2007 saw Suzuki and Kawasaki up their game, and their riders – John Hopkins, Chris Vermeulen and Randy de Puniet – regularly fighting for rostrum finishes. It was a season that made history. The new bikes were slower down the straights but riders could brake later and carry more speed through the corners, resulting in a different type of racing but lap times that matched last years more powerful machines.

Everyone thought that the engineers of the giant Honda company would produce the motorcycle the rest had to beat, as they did when MotoGP arrived in 2002, but it didn’t turn out like that. Ducati, the smallest company in MotoGP, fielded a brilliantly designed bike and a great new Champion raced it to ten wins in 18 races. Casey Stoner’s season was nothing short of brilliant. In his first season as a factory rider, his first on a Ducati, and his first on Bridgestone tyres, the Australian racked up an amazing string of performances. In only his second season in the top class, Casey’s career statistics for win rate and number of wins in a season are only bettered by three all-time greats: Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan and Valentino Rossi. And you just know there’s more to come.

In this fourth edition of the Official MotoGP Season Review, British Eurosport’s MotoGP commentator, Julian Ryder, tells the story of each race with the vital assistance of Andrew Northcott’s stunning photography. Neil Spalding provides the technical analysis of Ducati’s first Grand Prix Championship winner as well as each bike on the grid individually with the help of stunning double-page photographs. There’s also a round-up of each rider’s season and a report on the activities of MotoGP’s official charity, Riders for Health. And there’s the unique and authoritative Riders’ Rider of the Year poll in which every rider votes. If you want to know who really is the fastest in the world you have to ask the racers themselves.

SOURCE: HAYNES PUBLISHING

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Yamaha Motor Europe (YME) is very pleased to announce a new partnership with current FIM Motocross Women’s World Cup winner Katherine Prumm.The 19 year old New Zealander will steer a YZ250F for 2008 and strive to add the very first FIM female world championship to the two World cup titles she claimed in 2006 and [...]

read full story of "WORLD’S FASTEST FEMALE MOTOCROSSER JOINS YAMAHA"

Triumph Motorcycles pays tribute to one of the most charismatic movie stars of all time with the re-creation of the t-shirt worn by Steve McQueen, which he used while racing his Triumph bike. The first in a series of casual products that have been officially licensed by Steve McQueen‘s estate, the t-shirt is in an [...]

read full story of "TRIUMPH RE-CREATES VINTAGE T-SHIRT AS WORN BY STEVE MCQUEEN!"

BMW’s HP2 is equipped with brand-new DOHC cylinder heads! MUNICH, JANUARY 2008. BMW Motorrad achieved a new sales record in 2007. After the 100,000 units were sold for the first time in 2006, BMW was able to continue its growth in 2007 with sales of 102,467 units (previous year: 100,064/+2.4%). The record figures represent the [...]

read full story of "BMW MOTORRAD ACHIEVES RECORD SALES YET AGAIN IN 2007"

Official MotoGP Season Review 2007 Julian Ryder Publication Date: Out Now! ISBN: 978 184 425 451 4, Format: Hardback, RRP: £19.99 The 2007 season marked a new beginning for MotoGP as the bikes dropped down to 800cc and the series got a new champion in the form of 21-year-old Australian Casey Stoner. Stoner left Valentino [...]

read full story of "NEW FROM HAYNES: OFFICIAL MOTOGP SEASON REVIEW 2007"