Harley-Davidson enthusiast Jim Harrel always had a soft spot for trikes, but he had never thought about getting himself one until he got involved in a small accident. Interpreting that as a sign, he looked through the market of the three-wheeled vehicles to find something suitable to his taste, without success. The reason for that is simple: a trike just cannot lean while cornering, and so he teamed up with specialist Too Kool Cycles to make the Trike of his dreams, and the result is this TRT (Tilting Reverse Trike), a conversion kit that would turn any recent H-D tourer into a fully fledged Trike.

We have already seen Harley-Davidson Trikes in the past, some of which made by the Milwaukee-based manufacturer itself, but there are two features that makes the TRT kit stand out: it has the two wheels at the front (and not at the back) and yes, it can actually lean into corners, with an angle of 25 degrees. Moreover, it can be taken off the bike in a matter of hours - allowing the vehicle to go back to its original two wheels configuration at any time - and locks the bike vertically for speeds inferior to 10 km/h (6 mph). Also worth mentioning is the nice ‘nose’ placed in the middle of the axle, which is very reminiscent of the old racing cars of the 50s-60s.

The response to the model has been so overwhelming that Mr.Harrel and Too Kool Cycles decided to make their kit available on the market. The market of this kind of vehicles is definitely on the rise, and we are pretty sure that this product will be able to find its own space in it. At the moment there is not a definitive price for it, but it should end up being between 8,000 and 12,000 dollars.

via | TheKneeSlider

Today’s special bike is called the “Bastard” and is the brainchild of Mr. Jurgi. The model uses frame and engine of a Yamaha XT 500, linked to a swing arm from a Yamaha XS 650 that provides the bike with more stability. The rear part of the frame is hand made, while head lamp, handlebars and fork are also self made by its creator. Other highlights of this dirty ‘Bastard’ include its vintage Hercules fuel tank, the nice 18″ wheels and its fascinating and unusual exhaust. We think that this bike is simply awesome: well done Jurgi.

View the full Jurgi’s Bastard photo gallery

via | EndlessWrench

John Hopkins start to the 2012 season will begin with an uphill battle to recover from the broken hand bone he suffered earlier today during World Superbike’s first day of private testing at Phillip Island and as a result, with all probability will have to skip the season’s opening round and try to return for Imola that takes place April 1st.

“This feels so devastating because I was feeling really comfortable on the bike right from the start. I was running the 2011spec bike, with just small mods to the engine and the new Yoshimura exhaust, and hadn’t even got on the full 2012 bike yet. But I felt that the GSX-R had already been improved in the areas it needed to be,” said Hopkins. “The track conditions were not the best and we started the day a bit late because there were some damp patches around from the overnight rain. Having said that, it wasn’t the damp that caused the crash. I was on a used tyre and probably on the last lap before pulling in. I exited turn one and might have been just a little bit too hot for the condition of the tyre going into turn two, when suddenly the rear came round even before I got on the brakes. I was spat off and unfortunately came down on my right hand – yeah, the same one that is missing a bit of finger. The X-rays show that I have fractured a bone in the base of the hand, near what’s left of my fourth finger. I will fly home tomorrow and see my hand surgeon, Doctor Chao, and we’ll decide what has to be done. I would say that my chances of racing at Phillip Island next week are very slim, but the important thing is to get the hand sorted correctly and be completely right before I race. It may be better to miss Phillip Island and then use the six weeks or so before Imola to get back to 100% - we’ll see. I want to say thanks to the Crescent Fixi team for all their efforts and sorry to Suzuki and all the team’s sponsors – we’ll be back and fighting for the podium soon ”

Jack Valentine : “It is a bit more than unfortunate what happened to John today. We had a late start, because of the overnight rain and a bit of sea mist this morning, but everything was going fine. John looked good on the bike. His lap times were right up there with the others and there were no problems with his finger. He was unlucky to highside, but more unlucky to come down on his right hand. We’ll wait to see how he gets on in USA tomorrow and although there is a possibility that he might race, I think we’d all rather that he got his injury sorted out properly and then return when he’s full and ready. The positives are that both riders have already gelled really well with the bike. Hopper looked good right from the start and Leon got comfortable straightway. Leon ended the day really happy with the bike and he’ll carry on the work we’ve got to do and keep improving tomorrow.”

Camier finished 12th and 1.5 seconds off pace on the first day of testing and Crescent Fixi Suzuki has still to decide if they will replace Hopkins for the season opener.

Ten World Superbike teams and eighteen riders are taking part in a three day private at Phillip Island ahead of the the official test that takes place February 20th-21st, before the season opener that opens on February 26th in Australia.

Not taking part in this test are Honda’s Jonathan Rea and Hiroshi Aoyama, Red Devil Ducati’s Niccolo Canepa, ParkinGO Aprilia’s Chaz Davies, Grillini BMW’s Mark Aitchison and Pro Ride Honda’s Raffaele de Rosa, while wild-card David Johnson on the Rossair AEP BMW is present.

The first day, that saw cloudy weather with intermittent sunshine was characterized by a few falls, including Crescent Fixi Suzuki rider John Hopkins who had a speed crash at the Southern Loop and broke a bone in his right hand. The American rider is now returning to the States for further for a further check-up and his partecipation in the opening round is now seriously in doubt.

Reigning Superstock 1000 FIM Cup champion Davide Giugliano who switched to Superbikes with Althea Racing also crashed as did Jakub Smrz and a contact between Aprilia’s Max Biaggi and Effenbert Liberty’s Maxime Berger sent the Aprilia rider down.

Since there are no official lap times, we’re more or less relying on the unofficial ones recorded by the teams so there will probably be several discrepancies.

Some say that reigning World Superbike champion Carlos Checa (the Ducati 1198 now weighs more following the new rules) and Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes posted identical lap times of 1.33.0, who were followed by Eugene Laverty on the Aprilia who was three tenths of a second adrift, but just tweeted that he actually posted a 1′33″4″

Marco Melandri on the BMW S1000RR was fourth, ahead of Max Biaggi and BMW team mate Leon Haslam. Effenbert Liberty Ducati duo Jakub Smrz and Sylvain Guintoli were 7th and 8th respectively while new team mate Maxime Berger finished in 11th.

Joan Lascroz was 9th on the other factory Kawasaki. Ayrton Badovini and Michel Fabrizio for BMW Italia GoldBet were 10th and 12th.

Unofficial lap times day 1:

1 Tom Sykes (GB) Kawasaki 1:33,0
1 Carlos Checa (E) Althea Ducati 1:33,0
3 Eugene Laverty (IRL) Aprilia 1:33,3
4 Marco Melandri (I) BMW 1:33,4
5 Max Biaggi (I) Aprilia 1:33,7
5 Leon Haslam (GB) BMW 1:33,7
7 Jakub Smrz (CZ) Liberty Effenbert Ducati 1:34,0
8 Sylvain Guintoli Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1:34,1
9 Joan Lascorz (E) Kawasaki 1:34,1
10 Ayrton Badovini (I) BMW Italia GoldBet 1:34,1
11 Maxime Berger Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1:34,3
12 Michel Fabrizio (I) BMW Italia GoldBet 1:34,4
13 Leon Camier (GB) Crescent Fixi Suzuki 1:34,5
14 David Salom (E) Pedercini Kawasaki 1:34,9
15 David Johnson (AUS) Rossair AEP BMW 1:35,7
16 Davide Giugliano (I) Althea Ducati 1:35,8
17 Lorenzo Zanetti (I) Pata Ducati 1:37,1
18 John Hopkins (USA) Crescent Fixi Suzuki

The past rumors surrounding Noriyuki Haga’s switch to the British Superbike Championship and the latest, that he would be replacing injured Ian Hutchinson in Swan Yamaha have now been officially confirmed.

The Samurai of Slide failed to find a ride at World Superbike level after a lacklustre 2011 season with Pata Racing (despite finishing 8th with 4 podiums on the Aprilia RSV4), will now be joining reigning BSB champion Tommy Hill this season.

“It is a new challenge for me to race in BSB and I am now ready for the new season with Swan Yamaha,” said Haga. “I feel that after many years in the same series this will be a kind of restart to my racing career. BSB has grown a lot and I have big support from the fans in the UK, so I liked the idea of racing in the Championship. It will also be a return to Yamaha, where I spent so many years taking many wins and now I feel like I am going back to my family. I have won races with Yamaha before in the World Championship and now I hope that we can do it again in BSB. I don’t know several circuits in England and the BSB Championship but I will do my best to get results this year for the fans, myself and for Yamaha. We will start testing soon and I am very excited to get back on track as we have big ambitions for this season. Finally I hope that Ian Hutchinson can recover soon from his injury.”

While Team Owner Shaun Muir said: “It was a difficult situation for the Swan Yamaha team when Ian (Hutchinson) was sidelined with just four weeks remaining before we begin our pre-season testing programme. We then had to set out to find a replacement rider and the result for us could not have been better. We are absolutely delighted that Noriyuki will be joining us and we are now looking forward to welcoming him into the team. Noriyuki has such vast experience of racing a Superbike and during his career has always had a strong partnership with Yamaha and we are happy that we can continue that relationship this year. The Swan Yamaha team won the title last season and Noriyuki is really ready for the challenge of BSB and is coming to race here to win.”

Swan Marketing Manager Mark Alldred concluded: “We are thrilled to confirm the full team line up for the 2012 season after Ian’s unfortunate injury. We are delighted to welcome Noriyuki Haga to the team at this late stage. He has a fantastic pedigree at the highest level and will be a real contender for the championship this year. We have a great rider line-up at Swan Yamaha having signed two of the top riders in the championship. We wish them both the best of luck for the forthcoming season.”

Almost all the World Superbike teams (except for Honda) are currently testing at Phillip Island as the 2012 season kicks off at the end of the month, but Crescent Fixi Suzuki rider John Hopkins who just returned to action after his recent right ring finger amputation crashed earlier in the day and has broken a bone in his right hand.

“Well I’m absolutely devastated to announce that after a high speed crash I’ve broke a bone in my R/ hand! Severity is yet to be determined. Unfortunately I’ll be having to fly home tomorrow to be fully checked out by my “hand surgeon” and then make a plan from there,” tweeted Hopkins.

More news when we get it.

Last August the financial comunity was reporting the rumor that Italian private equity group Investindustrial (backed by the Bonomi family) who has owned Ducati for the past three years, had sounded out a Hong Kong public listing for Ducati for an initial public offering (IPO) of £875 million, however now the Financial Times is reporting that they could be looking to sale to a rival or large car group for up to 1 billion pounds.

“Ducati is now a perfect company but the further growth it requires needs the support of a world-class industrial partner,” said Andrea Bonomi, Investindustrial’s chairman. “This year, we will work towards that partner.”

A handful of industrial groups in Asia, Europe and the US are interested in Ducati with possible buyers including Indian motorcycle group Mahindra and German car groups such as Volkswagen and BMW.

Last year Ducati reported selling 42.200 motorcycles with an increase in sales of 21,5%.

Source | financiatimes.com via thekneeslider.com

The 2012 Swiss-Moto show will be opening its doors in Zurich on February 16th and BMW Motorrad will be bringing a special edition of the R 1200 GS ABS dedicated to Switzerland’s most famous rider, Tom Lüthi.

This special model of BMW R 1200 GS ABS will be exclusive to Switzerland and limited to just 100 units.

All paint and bodywork, including forks, engine and deck luggage remain in full black on the R 1200 GS ABS Tom Lüthi. The colour accents are made by the three legendary bands in the colours of BMW Motorrad Motorsport on the front cover of the tank by a tinted windshield and brake callipers in the Monte Carlo colours Blau.

GS matte silver logo on the rear fender and the monogram GS Power on the side, along the front fender, refer to the concept of the special model. The edition is marked, with a Tom Lüthi logo on the front fender and his signature is engraved on the lid of the fuel cap. In addition, the lid of the fuel cap features a serial number to remember that this is a special edition model limited to 100, which will be available from March 2012.

The FIM and Infront Motor Sports released a provisional homologation list for the Superstock 1000 Cup championship earlier last week and as many noticed that Ducati’s 1199 Panigale S wasn’t on it despite the fact that Superstock teams, Barni Racing, Effenbert Liberty and Red Devils Ducati Roma will be using the new Superbike in this season’s championship.

The mystery surrounding the reason of why the Panigale wasn’t listed was solved by the always well informed Italian website Gpone.com who found out that the FIM has yet to visit Ducati’s factory in Bologna and they’ll be doing that at the end of this month to check if the Italian manufacturer has fabricated the first 250 units of the 2000 required for homologation.

Ducati officially started production of the 1199 Panigale on January 24th of this year.

The new Nikon D800 is one of the most awaited new machines in the world of photography. In order to promote its new product and show off what it is capable of, the Japanese company has decided to put out a five-minute long video entirely shot with its brand new reflex full frame toy, starring a biker/doctor riding its shiny black bike at night in a desert town. Surprisingly enough though, this bike is not a Jap, it is the new and beautiful BMW S 1000 RR.

This promotional video is called “Joy Ride”, and was directed by renowned portrait photographer Sandro Miller. To give credit where is due, we have to say that the quality of the footage is absolutely astounding. It is always a pleasure to watch this kind of high-quality video starring a sportsbike, and if you are wondering how they did all that with the Nikon D800 only, after the jump there’s a short ‘behind the scenes’ clip showing just that. By the way, the man on the bike is TT racer and recently appointed BSB rider Mark Miller. Sit back and enjoy.

It is an old story by now, but apparently in China there’s no such a thing as plagiarism. We present you with the images of the Genata RC-125, a sportsbike ‘made in China’ that we would not hesitate to call a sub-par copy of the Yamaha YZF-R125: same looks, same size (2015 x 660 x 970 mm), same wheelbase (1355 mm), and same name too. Yes, because the official website of the Chinese manufacturer might call it ‘RC-125′ but, if you look at the stickers on the fairings, you will see the abbreviation ‘GM 125 YZF-R’ written on there. No, we are not joking.

According to the same website, the maker of this bike is the ‘China Genata Vehicle Holdings Limited’, which is controlled by the ‘Japan Genata Industry Limited’. ‘So it’s Japanese’, you might think. Well, no: it seems like the word ‘Japan’ was added to name just to give the company some sort of ‘Japanese feeling’. No, we are not joking.

Looking through the specs of the two bikes, it is clear that these models are worlds apart, but this is not the point here. Surely this is not the first time that such a thing happens (remember Kaitong Motor’s three wheeled scoot seized at the last EICMA?) , and it won’t be the last either, but we better let Yamaha’s legal army to take care of it. For now you can compare the two bikes in our photo gallery.

via | VisorDown

Talmacsi was another rider who was asked to pay for his ride (€600,000) but he refused to beg for money so he could ride and then proceeded to sit out the entire 2011 season, now the Hungarian rider has decided to switch from two wheels to four wheels and will take up a career in rallying in his native country.

He will be driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX in the Hungarian Rally Championship, which also includes a round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. The Hungarian rider now turned driver has previously taken part in several car endurance races.

Source | superbikeplanet.com

Can anyone be as unlucky as Anthony West? The Australian rider lost his Speed Master MotoGP ride to Mattia Pasini when he couldn’t come up with the funding and now it looks like he’s lost another ride, but this time in British Superbikes to Noriyuki Haga.

Apparently West was on the verge of finding a ride in British Superbikes and it seemed he was to replace the recently injured Ian Hutchinson in Swan Yamaha, but rumors from the British press now have it that World Superbike drop out Haga-san could be taking up that vacancy.

Could this be why Haga, who is still updating his personal website has just recently changed the photo from his last ride on an Aprilia RSV4 to his old Yamaha R7?

For someone who used to profess he wanted keep his public and private life separated, Valentino Rossi has taken to Twitter and Youtube like a duck to water and is revealing much more of what he does when he’s not travelling around the world with the GP circus.

This is his latest video, and again Rossi and friends, Andrea Iannone, Mattia Pasini, and Mauro Sanchini and dad Graziano aren’t at the Italian’s moto ranch the Biscia, but at small speedway track to try their hand with bikes with no brakes.

Enjoy.

There are two famous ‘Mountains’ with the capital M in motorcycle racing: one of them is the famous Mountain section of the Isle of Man’s Tourist Trophy course, the other one is the Mountain of Cadwell Park, a motor racing circuit in Lincolnshire, England. Even if you are not into British Superbikes, if you have seen Cadwell Park’s Mountain by chance you surely remember it, there’s no two ways around it. If you are not familiar with it, here’s your chance to make up for it.

The Mountain of Cadwell Park is a natural hump covered in tarmac that riders have to face while speeding out of a tight left-right ‘S’, and it’s where bikes for a while can become airborne by up to several feet, for the delight of photographers and fans alike. The video above is a breathtaking compilation of slow-mo clips featuring comments - among others - from BSB stars a Joshua Brooks and Shane Byrne. The footage is indeed pretty amazing, and we are 100% sure that even if you already know the Mountain of Cadwell Park very well, you won’t miss the chance to check this out anyway.

The 32-year old Lucchinelli was already being investigated by the police in connection with international drug trafficking ring from South America to Italy and was stopped after being followed leaving the airport of Malpensa and heading to the city of Ravenna.

The arrest was kept secret for a few days and the news leaked out after he had already been appeared in court for a preliminary hearing and is now being held on custody as a precautionary measure due to the amount of drugs found in his possession and the risk of repeating the felony act.

This isn’t the first time that Cristiano has been in trouble with the law. In July of 2003 in the city of Imola the police stopped him after high speed chase where they found cocaine and two thousand euros in the car.

Source | ilrestodelcarlino via motoblog.it

World Superbike team, BMW Motorrad Motorsports has released their first official studio images of this season’s 2012 S1000RR team livery.

As you can tell they’ve haven’t changed and kept the usual and classical BMW blue, white and red colours they debuted with back in 2009.

On Monday morning Nicky Hayden underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on the right shoulder that he had injured in late December in a pre-season training accident. The 40 minute procedure was carried out in Fremont, California by Dr Arthur Ting who discovered and repaired a tear in the labrum.

Yesterday’s post-operation appointment confirmed that the surgery was successful, and the Ducati Team rider could return home to begin his recovery.

“It’s a setback, but all things considered, I’m pretty happy with how things went,” Hayden said. “It’s good that it was possible to do everything by ’scope, and the pain’s not too bad. The problem should be fixed now, and I look forward to being able to help out the team as soon as possible.”

If the convalescence proceeds as hoped, Hayden should be able to take part in the next winter test at Sepang, February 28-March 1.

Ducati team mate Valentino Rossi also underwent surgery on Monday to have a rod removed from the leg he broke at Mugello in 2010, and buddy ‘Uccio’ tweeted an update on Rossi’s conditions saying that his friend has a little pain where the stitches are but everything is okay and in a couple of days he’ll be able to put some weight on the leg.

Spanish petroleum giant Repsol has decided to back the 2011 125cc Rookie of the Year, Maverick Viñales in this season’s new Moto3 class.

The announcement was made ahead of the official Moto2 and Moto3 three day test that kicked off today at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, and the Spanish teenager will be joining other Repsol sponsored riders like Miguel Oliveira and Alex Rins (who is currently injured) in Moto3, Marc Marquez in Moto2, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa in MotoGP.

Viñales finished third in his debut season winning four races (Le Mans, Assen, Sepang and Valencia) and five other podiums while he was riding for the Blusens by Paris Hilton Team.

This season he’ll will be riding a Honda FTR M312 under the Avintia Competición (BQR) Racing banner, and it is almost certain that he’ll switch to Moto2 in 2013.

“I am very excited to be riding for a sponsor like Repsol this season, as Repsol have been a force behind a great number of victories in the World Championship,” said Vinales. “Many great riders have received their support and I am honoured to be joining this elite group. The big three current Repsol riders - Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Marc Márquez - have won titles, and this is my aim for 2012. I can only hope to follow the path that other Repsol riders have established in the World Championship and take many wins this year. Now it is time for me to test in Valencia and we will be trying out many of the improvements that have been made over the winter”.

During yesterday’s Aprilia Factory Team presentation and press conference in Milan, five time World Champion Max Biaggi let it slip that 2012 will be an all important season for the Aprilia Superbike team as it will be the penultimate year for the RSV4 Factory, as development on the bike will be halted in 2013 and that it will be replaced at the end of 2013.

What Aprilia has in store for fans has yet to be leaked, but if they want to compete against the stunning 1199 Ducati Panigale, we could see another important step forward in Italian design and performance.

Yamaha Factory Racing has entered into partnership with sportswear manufacturer Saucony as a Premium Supplier of shoes to the Team for the 2012 season. The premium level training shoes will form part of the Factory Team’s 2012 uniform.

Saucony is an American manufacturer of high-end athletic shoes and sports apparel. The company specialises in shoes for running, trail running, racing and walking. Specific technology is incorporated into the footwear relevant to the sporting discipline.

“We are very pleased to have Saucony join us for 2012,” said Team Director Massimo Meregalli. “It’s fantastic to have a top brand on board with us whose reputation for excellence in their field mirrors that of Yamaha. We are always on the move during the season so good footwear is essential for the team, we couldn’t ask for better!”.

Morgan Guizzo, Sales & Marketing Manager at Sportlab Srl, added “We are proud and honoured to team up with such a successful, dynamic and technologically innovative group as Yamaha. Both brands share the same focus for outstanding products and winning performance. We are sure that this cooperation will bring excellent results”.

Rémi Gaillard is a French humorist who likes to poke fun at institutions and likes questioning public norms, and his latest stunt involves France’s very much hated speed cameras.

The above video went viral on YouTube in less than month garnering over 10 million hits, so even if you’re a driver or a rider that recently got a speeding ticket, Gaillard’s little stunt will make you feel slightly better.

Source | motosblog.fr

Crescent Suzuki has pulled off the wraps on the livery of the 2012 GSX-R1000s that John Hopkins and Leon Camier will be using in this season’s 2012 World Superbike Championship.

The team also revealed that Foreign Exchange Solutions company Fixi will be their co-title sponsor and the Dorset based team will be racing under the name Crescent Fixi Suzuki.

Paul Denning - Team Principal:
“The team has done a stunning job to prepare the new GSX-Rs for this level of competition; the attention to detail is faultless and I think that this will be the most-advanced GSX-R ever to grace a racetrack! Yoshimura’s hard work and proactive attitude to engine development has also enabled us to be as well prepared for Phillip Island as we can be. John and Leon are ready, the team is very motivated; and we will put everything into competing at the best level we possibly can!

“I would like to thank Richard Wynn and his co-directors at Fixi for their continued and expanded support. I would also like to thank Ronald Kabella and the team at Motorex and all our partners for their commitment to Crescent Fixi Suzuki’s assault on the World Superbike Championship. Finally, thanks to everyone at new team partner Sign Language for completing the graphic-wrapped livery so expertly and quickly.”

Richard Wynn - CEO, Fixi Plc:

“Fixi provides bespoke, state of the art foreign exchange services to the institutional and professional marketplace and we are no strangers to Crescent, having supported them in the British Superbike Championship last year. Having our brand exposed globally is extremely good timing for us - we have offices in London, Chicago and more recently Singapore and, through our innovative technology, we are able to reach out to clients and partnerships in all the leading global financial centres.

Motorcycling isn’t one of the specialities of the Olympics, but that hasn’t stopped nine time World Champion Valentino Rossi from adding his name to the roster of 60 high profile Italian athletes who signed a letter - that will be published today in eight major newspapers - to ask Prime Minister Monti to sustain the candidacy of Rome to host the 2020 Olympics.

Besides Rossi, other signers include Francesco Totti, Gianluigi Buffon, Federica Pellegrini, Yuri Chechi, Josefa Idem, Valentina Vezzali, Antonio Rossi, Deborah Compagnoni, Igor Cassina, Alex Zanardi and Fiona May.

Since the new and non elected Monti government has been busy trying to solve other much more pressing problems (sovereign debt and put in place wide sweeping reforms) the candidacy of Rome hasn’t been their top priority, hence the ‘Dear Monti, Sign’ letter.

The government has less than a week to inform the International Olympic Committee whether Italy will be able to financially support hosting the 2020 Olympics.

At the first round of the 2012 World Superbike Championship - which will take place in Phillip Island, Australia, over the last weekend of February - BMW Motorrad’s rider Leon Haslam will debut a new Arai helmet designed by Drudi Performance that will also carry an exclusive “25 years” logo. The ‘25 years’ to which that special label refers to are the time spent by the Englishman with Arai, the world’s leading helmet manufacturer. Not too bad considering that Haslam is only 28 years old.

“I really like the new design and it’s always nice to have something new for the start of a new Championship - said Haslam - This is the pre production design and I’ll now work with the Arai guys in Holland and Japan to finalize the replica.”

He also added: “I’m also really proud to have been with Arai for so long, 2012 will be my 25th year with them. They’ve been looking after my head for a long time now and their product is simply the best.”