In order to stay ahead in the constantly evolving world of fashion, we understand the importance of adapting and switching up our marketing strategies. As we entered into the month of February, we had some exciting changes in store that would not only benefit our brand but also our loyal customers. We decided to pull back on all social activity and focus on our subscribers. Acknowledging the significance of individuality, we've taken a bold step to ensure that our subscribers receive content that resonates with their preferences. No more one-size-fits-all approach – welcome to a world where your inbox becomes a curated showcase, exclusively designed for you. We also launched our annual Sample Sale which, once again, was a huge hit! We had an obscene amount of samples from our factories to ex-display from the previous season. They were just sitting in our meeting room taking up vital space for future production visuals, that we decided to host this years Sample Sale early. Well, you wiped us out! Prices started from as little as £9 and you guys did not hold back. For that, we thank you for the support.
The Red Rider collections are finally in production! With months of hard work and collaboration behind us, we are excited to reveal that our latest merchandise for John McGuinness MBE, Conor Cummins, Lee Johnston, and Dean Harrison is currently being produced by our trusted European factories for the upcoming 2024 race season. Our talented designer, Robin, has collaborated closely with each rider to ensure that the merchandise reflects their unique personalities.
Back in December we donated over 1000 pieces of clothing to our chosen charity, Social Bite, whom we have supported for over 6 years. This was our largest drop yet, but their campaign was covering between Glasgow & Edinburgh, so we wanted to try and give away as much as we possibly could. Barbara, who is the innovation leader at Social Bite, got back to us to tell us what impact our donation made over the winter. Our garments were distributed to just over 40 charities across Fife, West Lothian, Edinburgh, Dundee & Glasgow. We received specific feedback around our donation from 1 charity partner in Fife called Kingdom Abuse Survivors Project who have given permission to share. The manager Joy Patrick said:
"I am a bike enthusiast. I recognised this brand right away. I could not believe it! All the people we support were gifted these t-shirts. The variety of sizes helped. The t-shirts are excellent quality. Our clients were so appreciative. For some, it was the only gift they received. We couldn't do this without Social Bite. Sharing kindness and showing those we support they are valued is important. We just cannot underestimate the feeling of worth can do, for those healing having experienced the trauma of abuse. Thank you!"
As we look back on February, significant strides have been made in our marketing tactics and we remain focused on driving our factories to meet our goal of delivering our collections by mid April.
Product development is a crucial aspect of any brand's success, and January has been an exciting month for us as we have dedicated our efforts towards developing our upcoming Spring/Summer 2024 collection. This season, we have taken on the challenge to not only introducing new designs but also working with new suppliers and bringing in a seasoned garment tech designer to enhance our production process.
With every season, we strive to push the boundaries and create unique and innovative designs that reflect the latest trends while staying true to our brand's maverick spirit. Our product development team has been hard at work, researching and exploring different fabrics, textures & trend colors that will make up our Spring/Summer 2024 collection. We have also been focusing on implementing ethical manufacturing methods.
In addition to working on new designs, we have also made some changes in our supply chain by partnering with new suppliers who align with our values and vision. These collaborations allow us to diversify our sourcing options while maintaining high-quality standards for all materials used in creating our garments. We believe that such partnerships are essential not only for meeting the demands of a rapidly changing market but also for building long-term relationships with ethical suppliers who share similar values.
One of the most significant additions to our team this month is bringing on board a skilled garment tech designer. With their expertise in pattern making, fitting techniques, and construction methods, they will play a vital role in ensuring that each piece from our upcoming collection meets the highest level of quality standards. They will work closely with both the design team and suppliers to ensure that every garment is crafted with precision and attention to detail.
As we continue to grow as a brand, it is crucial for us to constantly evolve and improve upon ourselves. By investing time and resources into product development, collaborating with new suppliers, and adding experienced professionals like garment tech designers to our team, we are confident that our Spring/Summer 2024 collection will be our best yet. We cannot wait to share it with all of you and hope that you will love it just as much as we do. Stay tuned for more updates on our progress and sneak peeks of what's to come!
It’s definitely been one to remember. Not a drop of rain over the whole fortnight. Sun splitting the sky, a bone-dry circuit and plenty of rubber laid down during practice week. And with ten races over eight days, TT 2023 was continuing to “build back bigger - and better.” An additional Superstock and Supertwin race in this year’s schedule resulted in a total of ten races spread over two weekends. Kudos to Paul Phillips and his team for continuing to adopt change and move things along with the revised format. And in terms of global appeal, “TT Plus” shows significant growth now with 200,000 subscribers in only its second year.
Amongst all the memorable highlights of race week two men shared the honours in all eight solo bike races - four apiece. Michael Dunlop got off to a flyer with a dominant first half of the week: a Supersport double plus wins in the RST Superbike and Supertwin 1 races. And he very nearly made it a Supertwin double to equal his Uncle’s total of 26 TT wins but his Paton 650 expired at the Bungalow whilst leading the race.
Peter Hickman shone in the second half of race week lifting a magnificent Superstock double, the Supertwin 2 race and the Senior TT. And he set an outrageous new outright lap record becoming the first man to break through the 136 mph barrier – achieved on his Superstock BMW M 1000RR (136.358 mph).
Our supported riders acquitted themselves admirably but Lee Johnston continues to recover following his serious accident at the NW200 and was sorely missed this year by his legions of road racing fans.
Dean Harrison had a super strong fortnight finishing on the podium in all six races he entered with five thirds and the runners-up spot in the Senior TT. Although he didn’t add to his three wins, he extended his total number of podiums to twenty-six – the eighth highest total of all time. His bikes ran well and the DAO Racing squad performed supremely well in the pits. If his ZX-10RR Superbike could find another 10 - 12 mph top end he would give the two front runners an even closer run for their money. In Supersport, his BPE / Russell Racing R6 also ran well: he posted his fastest ever 600 lap of 129.694 mph in the second Supersport race. So how about a Supertwins ride for next year? With the additional twins race this year, he’s now potentially missing out on two TT wins / podiums every year by not having a twin at his disposal.
John McGuinness had a strong fortnight. He finished qualifying week sixth fastest in Superbike and had three top ten finishes during race week along with one DNF - a technical fault in Superstock 1. In what was his 108th TT start he recorded his fastest lap this year in the Senior TT (131.183 mph) and in so doing became the only rider in their 50s to post a TT race lap in excess of 131 mph.
Sadly, Conor Cummins, the fastest Manxie ever round the Mountain Course, had an utterly wretched TT. He contracted a viral infection and spent the first weekend in Nobles Hospital on a drip. He made it back for Superstock 2 on the Friday and in the Senior, still feeling well below par, he managed a hugely impressive 4th place finish behind “the Big Three.”
Magic Mikey
Dunlop grabbed the headlines during practice week leading the way in all four solo classes and setting unofficial lap records in Superbike (135.531 mph) and Supertwins with a staggering lap of 123.474 mph! His form continued in the first half of race week when he basically became the focal point of the TT. He stormed his way to a thrilling victory in the opening Supersport race - at one point establishing a lead of nearly 30 seconds and which he was then able to comfortably “manage” to save the bike and take the win by 12.3 seconds.
The Bull was looking leaner and meaner than he has for a long time. He must have had the heavy bag, speed ball and “16 ouncers” out from the turn of the year. His general conditioning was self evident after he removed his helmet following his dominant RST Superbike win on the Sunday. He looked more like he had completed a couple of demo laps round Knockhill – not blasted 226 miles around the most dangerous roads course in the world. There was hardly a bead of perspiration on his brow! Two days into TT ‘23 and he had bagged two wins to equal John McGuinness’s tally of 23 wins. Untethered.
On the Tuesday he was out on the Paton Supertwin – the machine he had set an astonishing “unofficial” lap record on of over 123 mph during qualifying.
BOOM! He blitzed the field in an emphatic start to finish win by 26.7 secs over Mike Browne (2nd) with Jamie Coward (3rd). Third win of the week, twenty-fourth of his career and now the most successful living TT racer just two behind his late Uncle Joey's all-time record. The buzz amongst the crowds was palpable: road racing fans realised they were witnessing something very special. And whilst the TT history books and websites were being rapidly updated, the motorcycle press was running out of superlatives for what the 34 year old from Ballymoney was achieving!
The following day Dunlop was back on his own MD Racing R6 and took the Supersport 2 race in majestic style, completing the back-to-back "Supersport double" (2022 & 2023), raising his total 600 class wins tally to eleven and becoming the first man ever to break through the 130 mph barrier for the class with a new outright lap record of 130.403 mph. (Hicky also achieved a 130 mph lap on his Triumph triple on the final lap of the 4 lap race) – but Dunlop could rightly lay claim to being “the first.”
Heroic Hickman
If Dunlop’s Supersport double was mesmerising, Hickman’s Superstock double was equally impressive. Hicky effectively opened his “account” on the Tuesday taking the flag in the first Superstock race by a comfortable winning margin of 23 seconds over - Dunlop. His first lap from a standing start was just under 134 mph and his third and final lap just over - 134.331 mph. He was never pushed. On the Friday he completed the double in what turned out to be an astonishing display of super controlled aggressive riding. In his final lap (lap three) he pushed his Stock BMW M1000 RR to a new TT outright lap record of 136.358 mph to win by 17.1 secs from Dunlop with Harrison again in third. And by the close of play that day he had raised his tally to three wins by effectively inheriting the second Supertwins race following firstly Dunlop’s retiral then Mike Browne’s. But whilst their Patons expired, Hicky’s Yamaha R7 stayed true to the task. The race’s high attrition rate also resulted in retirals from several leading riders including Dom Herbertson, Jamie Coward and Paul Jordan. French rider Pierre Yves Bian took second and Josh Brookes picked up his first TT podium in third.
Given how race week had progressed, the blue riband Senior TT was “billed” as a straight “heavyweight bout” between the two guys who had shared all the other race wins. Hicky v Dunlop – over six laps, not twelve rounds. In reality, it ended up being, if not an emphatic Peter Hickman win, a comfortable victory for the Lincolnshire racer. And, on this occasion, it was Dean Harrison who ran him closest in a hugely deserved runners up place with Dunlop third.
Dunlop seemed to struggle with a couple of set up changes made to his bike’s suspension and appeared to accept during the race itself that he would need to wait until next year before he could again challenge for his next TT win.
But Hickman was staggeringly fast again. Much is made of the fact that he often takes time to build up to speed in TT races, (in relative terms!), before he hits his groove and starts pulling out super-fast laps. But in this year’s Senior, Hickman put the hammer down from the word go. At 135.53 mph, his first lap was the fastest ever from a standing start which he then backed up with a 135.507 mph on lap two - a new Senior TT lap record. He maintained phenomenal form to set the fastest ever six lap TT race in history. It was a huge statement.
If bike preparation and set up can at times seem more akin to a bit of rocket science, the racing itself is a matter of who’s fastest on the day. And when one looks at the stats for this year the picture’s fairly clear. Of the top ten fastest laps of TT 2023, Hickman posted six, Dunlop four. And the four fastest belonged to….. Hickman.
There were so many other fine performances to mention it’s impossible to do justice to them all. Nevertheless, big “shout outs” for……..Josh Brookes - returning to the TT after five years and taking his first TT podium and achieving a new PB of 132.5 mph; Pierre Yves Bian’s second in Supertwin 2; the brilliant Birchall Brothers – double win and first 120 mph lap (repeated in race two); Pete Founds / Jevan Walmsley who also lapped at over 120 mph in Sidecar 2; Cork’s Mike Browne who secured his first TT podium and who looked like a “shoe-in” for a first win following Dunlop’s retiral in Supertwin 2 – only for his own Paton to pack in; Jamie Coward for a podium (his second) in the opening Supertwins race and winning “top privateer” award third year in a row.
But the final “bow of respect” has to go to the “Big Three.” Because in Hickman, Dunlop and Harrison we’re witnessing a golden period – a “Federer, Djokovic and Nadal” - like era in motorcycle road racing.
TT 2024 anyone? We can’t bloomin’ wait.
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Sincere condolences to the family and friends of Spanish rider Rual Torras (05/09/76 – 07/06/23) who lost his life competing in the opening Supertwin race.
Having been months in the planning, the new re-brand is being rolled out on our website, e-commerce and social platforms, tee shirt designs, trims, labels and accessories. And this year’s TT fans will be able to see our new look retail stand.
Central to the rebranding is a new logo featuring a strong graphic design device and vibrant colours reflecting the energy and passion. The website has also received a refresh giving it a sleeker overall look alongside improved functionality.
And with a new clothing collection due to land soon, we will be taking major steps forward in our product range and market development strategies.
This rebranding is about progress and growth – and a true representation of how far we’ve come and the endless opportunities on the road ahead.
Known for edgy, superior quality motorcycle-inspired casual clothing, Glasgow based Red Torpedo has its origins firmly rooted in one of the most extreme sports on the planet – motorcycle road racing. Think events like the Isle of Man TT and Ireland’s North West 200 where bikes travel on public roads at speeds in excess of 200 mph.
In 2006, we established a close working association with Guy Martin – Channel Four documentary presenter and the UK’s favourite truck mechanic, engineer, tea drinker and speed junkie. Over the past 17 years, we’ve gone on to work with a posse of top road racing stars – like twenty-three times TT winner John McGuinness, Dean Harrison, Lee Johnston and Conor Cummins.
Our passion for bikes and motorcycle racing will always remain but we now also have exciting plans to explore new markets, and new products, in the months ahead – so watch this space!
The new re-branding is not just about creating an exciting new “look” alone. We have developed a strong reputation amongst our loyal customer base for superior quality gear: clothing that lasts and stands up to regular wear and washing without losing shape or colour. It’s designed with durability in mind with features like reinforced seams, double stitching and materials that stand up to the rigours of today’s active lifestyles.
A new clothing collection will follow the release of an initial range of branded small accessories such as mugs and bags. The collection will maintain the high quality standards our brand’s always been associated with and demonstrate our future commitment to sustainability. Consumers increasingly look for quality clothing that's produced using sustainable materials manufactured using ethical labour practices. Our garments are all manufactured in European factories that provide safe working environments and fair wages for employees.
The brand's commitment to quality and attention-to-detail is evident in every aspect of the redesign process. So, whether you're into extreme sports or just simply love wearing really well made casual, stylish clothing, Red Torpedo's new range will definitely be one to check out.
So, what’s next? Anything is possible when you’ve got determination, creativity, and a willingness to take risks: and Red Torpedo has never been a brand to do half measures! Watch this space - as we venture into unchartered territories with new products over the coming months, we have no plans to slow down anytime soon.
Red Torpedo. Red Line It.
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Up until a few weeks ago, this year’s NW200 looked to be dead in the water – torpedoed by exorbitant insurance costs. The fact that the event ran at all is entirely due to the success of a crowd funding campaign that raised around £90k and a generous philanthropic donation from a County Tyrone businessman.
So, from a position that looked hopeless a few weeks ago, Ireland’s largest outdoor sporting event had been saved at the eleventh hour! Hats off to Mervyn White and his team for getting everything in place in double quick time.
As always, the racing was spectacular but following the Supertwins “Clampgate” debacle of last year, there was another major ‘stramash’ this year that’s already being referred to in the bike racing media as…. “Wheelgate.”
It centred around technical regulations concerning the carbon wheels on the FHO Racing BMW M1000RR machines. Whatever actually happened – or, more to the point, failed to happen - a topic way too complex to explore here, it resulted in the exclusion of two of the “big bike big guns” - Peter Hickman and Josh Brookes from Thursday evening’s Superstock race. Ultimately, it led to the withdrawal of the FHO Racing Team from this year’s North West – a mega loss for the event, not to mention the team, riders, sponsors and fans.
On the positive side, the sun had its hat on, the double nougats and pokey hats were scoffed with gusto on the coast road and all eight races ran - although many were cut short or interrupted by red flags. Most importantly, the fans turned out in their droves which was great to see. Let’s hope they kept a few quid aside to purchase a programme and, in turn, mitigate the necessity for crowd funding and philanthropic gestures next year.
Of the eight individual races on the Thursday evening and Saturday, main race day there were four winners each lifting double victories in one of the four classes.
Richard Cooper produced two dominant rides (again) on the Farquhar built KMR Kawasaki 700cc. Happily, this year he retained the wins! In Supersport, Davey Todd's performance on the Milenco by Padgetts CBR600RR was outstanding in both races and he ended up doing the double in the class. Some of his late braking manoeuvres were just phenomenal – he’s a monster on the brakes! Having raised his NW200 wins to three, his first IoM TT is surely not far away.
Alastair Seeley’s ‘wizardry’ around the Triangle continues as he completed the Superstock double, and racked up his NW200 tally to an astonishing twenty-nine wins!
Although he didn’t take the top step in any races, Bradford’s Dean Harrison had a great main race day bagging a hat-trick of podiums in the three big bike races: two 3rds in both Superbike races and another 3rd in the second Superstock race. He also posted two strong top six finishes in the Supersport class on the BPE / Russell Racing Yamaha R6. The man, the DAO Racing team and the ZX-10RRs (Superbike and Superstock) look to be in great shape for the TT.
John McGuinness (Honda Racing) also had a strong meeting. He qualified in fifth in Superbikes and that’s where he finished in both Superbike 1 and 2. In Superstock, he finished seventh in Thursday evening’s race and went one place better in Saturday’s second encounter taking the flag in sixth. He’ll be well satisfied with his weekend – as will Honda Racing.
Thankfully there were no fatal crashes, however, five times NW200 winner Lee Johnston unfortunately sustained some serious injuries in an accident at Church Corner during Thursday’s practice session. It’s a huge blow for the Fermanagh man. He’s currently leading the British Supersport championship and was also looking very strong on the Ashcourt Racing Superbike – (Glen Irwin’s ex 2022 BSB Fireblade) - having qualified third in Thursday’s practice session. We send him our best wishes for a full recovery. James Hillier, Mike Browne and Nathan Harrison also had accidents and it’s not certain whether they’ll all be fit for the TT – but here’s hoping.
In Superbikes, Irwin did the business on the PBM Beer Monster Ducati making it eight straight SBK wins in a row around the Triangle. He’ll now switch his attention to going all out to secure this year’s BSB Championship.
The day drew to a close but there was still time for one last contender for the “NW200 Most Contentious Moment of the Year Award.” This one took the form of an interminable wait prior to the winner of the final feature SBK race being officially declared. The race had been reduced to five laps from the start but ended prematurely with a red flag being shown around the start of lap four. The indecision revolved around whether there should be a countback to determine who was leading on the previous lap or whether the winner should be the person leading at the time the flag came out.
At one point it looked like Harry Hill might have to be called upon - “there’s only one way to find out - FIGHT!”…… as verbal “sparring” had broken out between Irwin and another top rider and his team. Hashtag awkward. Whilst it wasn’t a particularly edifying spectacle for worldwide streaming, the guys and teams shouldn’t have been held in limbo for so long. However, eventually Irwin was declared the winner, a section of the crowd threw him skywards a few times and fist bumps were eventually exchanged on the rostrum.
Let’s hope there’s some more talking and closer examination of all published regulations before next year’s event. In the meantime, there’s BSB at Donington Park this coming weekend for those riders that participate in the British Championship. Oh - and there’s only eleven days to go before TT practice week gets underway!
]]>With the Covid clouds eventually dissipating, fans, riders and teams flocked back to the Isle of Man in their droves at the end of May to welcome back the greatest motorsport event in the world - the Isle of Man TT Races.
The past three years of enforced TT abstinence had resulted in severe withdrawal symptoms for huge swathes of road racing fans - not to mention the racers. But the down time had been well utilised by the TT Development Team led by Paul Phillips (Business Development Manager) to undertake a review of the whole event and introduce a number of improvements for TT 2022/23 across a range of different areas including event safety, logistics, infrastructure, scheduling, and media coverage. The "TT Live" on-line feed was the biggest challenge – a massive innovation and one with the potential to significantly grow the worldwide audience for the TT over the next few years. With Greenlight TV handling production, “TT Live’s” first year has proved a huge success and it will no doubt be further refined and developed over future years.
Our Red Riders – John McGuinness, Lee Johnston, Dean Harrison and Conor Cummins have just returned from an intense two week TT schedule and have now picked up with their various British Championship duties. Here's some highlights of how their respective TTs went.
RST Superbike Race - First Saturday
Making his 100th TT start and on the number one bike, John McGuinness led the field off in Saturday’s opening RST Superbike race on the tricked up gold livery 30th Anniversary Fireblade.
The twenty-three times TT winner had a solid race finishing in fifth behind a podium of Peter Hickman, Dean Harrison, and Michael Dunlop - with Ian Hutchinson in fourth. McGuinness rode well all week completing top ten finishes in all three big bike races – the two Superbike and the Superstock race and said he was “in a happy place” with his fortnight’s work.
Dean Harrison ran a really strong opening Superbike race and in the early stages managed to keep Peter Hickman under some pressure. But Hickman’s pace was relentless and he eventually “Gas Monkeyed” Dean to take the win by 39.1 seconds. The BMW by FHO Racing / Hickman package remained a powerhouse throughout the week and went on to achieve a full flush of victories in the three big bike races.
For Conor and Lee, their opening race was unfortunately over before it had reached the half way point. Conor blitzed his opening lap with a near 132 from a standing start (131.87 mph) and Lee showed real pace on the Ashcourt BMW with 130.1 & 130.09 laps but both retired with mechanical issues during lap three.
Conor’s Superstock Heroics
In Monday’s Superstock TT Conor lit the touch paper. Although the race ultimately turned into another dominant win for Hicky on the FHO Racing BMW stocker, Conor rode a belter to take second spot - a mega result and one that again underlines his ability on the "big bikes" (SBK/Stocker). He posted the fastest lap of the race at 133.116 mph on the Milenco by Padgett’s Fireblade - a personal best and the fastest ever lap by a Honda. Only Hickman, Harrison and Dunlop have now been round the Mountain Course faster than the big Manxman. He rides in exalted company.
Huge congratulations also to Conor's Padgett's team mate, Davey Todd, who pushed him hard all the way and was rewarded with a maiden TT podium finishing in third place.
The way Conor's year had started made his performance all the more impressive. In February he was lying with seven fractured ribs, three fractured vertebrae, a punctured lung and a broken collarbone as the result of a training accident. Barely three months later he then goes and posts his fastest ever lap around the Mountain Course! The perfect "Racer Blend" brew.
The Ramsey man rounded off his TT week with a third place finish in the Senior. It’s the third successive TT year that he’s podiumed in the Senior – 2018, 2019 and 2022. It's well documented that the Padgett’s Team suits him and he really has hit a sweet spot under Clive Padgett’s set-up. He showed outstanding form and has never deserved that elusive first win more.
Dean Harrison and Supersport 1
With a runners up spot in the opening SBK race, Dean was already right in the zone for Monday’s three lap Supersport 1 race.
Arguably, it was the race of the week – and very quickly turned into a fascinating head-to-head battle between Dean and Michael Dunlop, both on Yamaha R6s. At one point only 0.1 secs separated them. Dean encountered trouble with a leaking fuel cap – petrol was spilling onto his tank under hard braking but he just got his head down and got on with it. Strong Yorkshire blend!
Dunlop had consistently been fastest throughout qualifying / practice and although Dean pushed him hard all the way, the Ballymoney man rode a phenomenal race to win by 5.6 secs with Dean in second and Peter Hickman third.
Dunlop was already the existing lap record holder in the class (129.197 mph) but he bettered it with a 129.475 on his final lap to seal his 20th TT win. Along with Paul Jordan’s third place Supertwins ride, Dunlop’s post race celebrations took Red Torpedo prize for "best parc ferme celebration" of the week!
Lee Johnston - Supertwins Podium
Being a Supersport specialist, Lee Johnston was understandably targeting this class for results but unfortunately in Supersport 1 he lost considerable time in the pits with a fuel cap issue and fell back to finish fourth. Still a great result, but clearly not the one he wanted.
Lee’s best finish turned out to be on board the Ashcourt Racing Aprilia RS660 in the Supertwins class where he finished in second behind – yip, that man again, the ubiquitous Hicky on board a Paton 650. The Supertwin race, also a very close contender for “race of the week," saw Hickman and Michael Dunlop locked in an incredible battle with seldom more than a second separating them.
It was a real nail biter of a race with the lead changing constantly between the two. Just as it was shaping up for a titanic last shoot-out over the mountain, word came over the airwaves that Dunlop had pulled in around Laurel Bank with a very sick sounding Paton. The cacophony of wailing and groaning sounds resonating around the circuit was almost palpable. A broken tank bracket was the culprit. It had lifted the fuel tank and, in turn, created airbox pressure resulting in a knackered Paton.
Lee then slotted into second place finishing 1 min 49 secs behind Hickman giving Aprilia its best ever TT finish. Special shout out also for Paul Jordan who brought his Kawasaki 650 home in third – the Northern Irishman’s maiden TT podium.
Supersport 2 - Lee and Dean
The second Supersport encounter, delayed due to weather conditions, was run as a 2 lap “sprint” on the Friday. For Lee it resulted in further major disappointment as he was forced to retire at the end of the first lap with vision problems - possibly the result of some kind of allergic reaction. It ended his TT as he also withdrew from the Senior which he described as “massively frustrating.”
Again, Michael Dunlop rode the wheels off his own MD Racing prepped Yamaha R6 to complete the Supersport double ahead of Hickman in second with Dean taking third this time round. The win gave Dunlop his twenty-first TT victory and his ninth Supersport win making him the most successful TT racer in the class. Closing in on a 130 mph Supersport lap on a 130 bhp bike is hugely impressive – even though when he nailed his first Supersport “double” nine years ago, he predicted that a future 130 mph 600cc lap was definitely “on.” It was only fifteen years ago that the 130 mph barrier was broken - by a Superbike ridden by John McGuinness!
Dunlop’s form on the smaller class bikes - including the Paton Supertwin before it expired, was world class this year and it's a shame that he and the Hicken family didn’t have more time to spend preparing and testing the big Gixxers following the PBM / Ducati “call off.” Maybe next year.
Dean's Senior TT
Dean had ridden consistently strongly all week taking three podiums (two 2nds and a 3rd) from four starts and just missing out on another in Superstock, finishing 4th. He had been the only rider to come anywhere close to pressurising Hicky in the first Superbike race and Michael Dunlop in Supersport 1. But perhaps his best race, given what happened, came in the shape of Saturday’s delayed Senior TT. Again, it was a start to finish win for Hicky on the FHO Racing BMW M1000RR– he never lost the lead. But it was the fact that Dean sustained not one but two ariel “strikes” from the Island’s bird life that made his race hugely impressive.
The Bradford star was on his first lap doing about 150 mph when a bird struck his machine knocking a hole straight through the screen. Given the strength of the wind conditions on the mountain, this affected him massively. The second strike happened later in the race and damaged the side fairing so it was “buffeting around” and affecting his peripheral vision whilst also unsettling the bike. Given the fact that he had made a late switch to new Metzlers and suffered a broken screen, Dean's fourth podium of the week in the Senior, only 16.9 seconds behind the "Full Gas (Monkey) Goliath" Hicky, was a tremendous result.
Final thoughts...........
Massive respect and thanks go to our four Red Riders for their TT performances this year and indeed, to all the riders. As always, the exceptional levels of skill, bravery and talent displayed, juxtaposed with the levels of grace, camaraderie and sportsmanship shown between competitors, is wonderful to see.
We also wish to extend our condolences and thoughts to the families and friends of the five competitors who sadly lost their lives during the fortnight and to French sidecar passenger, Olivier Lavorel who, to the best of our knowledge, is now in a “stable” condition at the time of writing.
📸 Diego Mola and Peter Faragher
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All the gear's still made by our European suppliers to the same quality standards that the brand has become known for - so no change there. But this year, we’ve introduced a few changes to appeal to a wider age group and broader market beyond our core, loyal customer base of bikers and bike racing fans.
New Garment Colours
For starters we’ve added more colour - not only to the range of fabrics but also to some of the individual graphic designs to provide more variety and appeal to a broader customer group. Gone is the chalk and vintage white of the past!
The bike market traditionally tends to gravitate towards a grey, black and charcoal palate and these are still a core part of the range. But we’ve dialled up the colour offer with the introduction of burgundy, navy, khaki, racing green and pink across several product categories.
T-Shirts
In men's tee shirts we've still got anthracite and black but with this new range, we've added tee shirts in burgundy, khaki, navy and racing green. The range of women's tees has also been re-vamped with the addition of pink, khaki, light blue and grey marl.
Hoodies
The new men's hoodies use some of the same fabric colours and similar designs to the new tees. Burgandy and navy (Ashcourt Racing design) are now available as well as black. Women's hoodies, now available in grey marl, burgandy and black, have a new sizing structure and are no longer"fitted" which allows greater freedom of movement and increased comfort.
Designs
The on garment graphic designs have also received an overhaul. We still have a range of designs ostensibly for bikers - those packing a slightly heavier "punch" in terms of visual impact, but we've introduced some more "accessible" designs for non bikers. These more subtle, understated designs are for those wanting to wear the gear in a more casual setting - from single colour to multiple colour prints.
Other Garments in the Range
The new shirts are still made in the same super soft and comfortable fabrics but we've now made the men's larger sizes with an extended body length. Our 100% cotton, men's long sleeve waffles now come in navy, racing green and black with slightly more refined designs in comparison to the tees allowing more versatility in smart and casual wear settings.
Our range of Red Torpedo accessories is continuing to expand and in response to customer demand, we've introduced a top quality 100% leather belt for this year.
You can check out the full collection on www.redtorpedo.com
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Northern Ireland’s largest outdoor sporting event, the North West 200, roared back last weekend following a three year absence and for a change, it was Ray Bans and factor 40 on the “Portrush Riviera” for Saturday's main race day, not capes and wellies!
With the sun Gods smiling all day, the huge crowds packing the grandstands and lining road sides were treated to a thrilling six race programme – extended by the addition of the Supertwins 1 race carried over from Thursday evening's original schedule. Main race day ran like clockwork and without serious incident from 10.00 in the morning until Glen Irwin picked up his sixth consecutive Superbike win around the Triangle shortly before 4.00 pm. Hats off to Mervyn White and his whole NW200 team who have put in a power of work to stage the event following the three year lay-off.
There were a couple of "offs" but no serious incidents to any rider over the course of the event and everyone who's planning to race on the Rock can now progress to the Isle of Man TT injury free.
The meeting wasn't without controversy however - encountering issues beyond the control of the organisers. Disintegrating tyres and a Supertwins fairing bracket deemed to have been a “technical infringement” left a slightly bitter after taste. The bike had passed scrutineering all week - so what went wrong? It was a disaster for the rider Richard Cooper who was disqualified and stripped of two faultless Supertwins wins, not to mention the bike builder and relevant race sponsors. More needs to emerge regarding both debacles so we’ll see what develops.
Our Red Riders – John McGuinness, Lee Johnson, Dean Harrison and Conor Cummins all turned in stalwart performances with Lee receiving our own “Red Torpedo Man of the Meeting” - (we’re sure the other guys will understand!) for lifting his fifth NW200 title in Saturday’s Supersport 2 race and bagging three other podiums. But more of that later.
Thursday evening’s racing
With track temperature at a lowly 11 degrees, Thursday evening's race programme was reduced to two races both run in very tricky, typical “North West weather.” Conditions were cold, wet and blustery with very poor visibility from the spray. There were also patches of standing water. First up was the Supersport 1 race with Deano taking fifth spot on the grid and Lee seventh. The race got underway with North West specialist Alastair Seeley and Milenco Padgett’s Davey Todd battling it out at the sharp end and Jeremy McWilliams in hot pursuit. Seeley was leading when the red flag came out and the race was then restarted as a shortened four lapper. Several riders elected to sit out the restart including Lee – who had decided to wait for the good weather arriving on Saturday.
Of our riders, it was Milenco Padgett’s Conor Cummins who had a strong opening night. The big Manxman hasn’t exactly had an ideal build-up to the 2022 season: he broke a collarbone in a Motocross training accident in Spain and bashed himself up when he came off his Superstocker at Oulton Park a few weeks ago. Nevertheless, he opened his account with a strong 5th place in Supersport 1 finishing behind Seeley, (1st) Todd, (2nd) McWilliams, (3rd) and Adam McLean (4th). Dean Harrison was in 6th behind Conor.
With Lee and John taking the decision to sit it out, (along with Dunlop, Sweeney, Irwin, Rutter and many others) Conor went one place better in the Superstock race fighting his way through the pack from 18th on the grid to finish fourth. It was a heroic effort given the visibility problems from the amount of spray being kicked up. He also set the second fastest lap of the race. Dean was lying fifth in the early stages but he pulled in on the second lap. Seeley took the flag to lift his second win of the night and 26th NW200, with Todd in 2nd, and Cooper 3rd.
On Saturday’s main race day all four of our guys put in good strong rides which bodes well for the TT. In Supertwins, Lee was out on the new Ashcort Racing Aprilia 660 which looked the part. This bike delivers almost c100bhp straight out of the box (untuned), but it was well down on top end speed in comparison to some of the others’ machines. Class changes have now allowed machines of up to 700cc in Supertwins so hopefully a few tweaks can be made to the Aprilia before the TT? But what the bike lacked in sheer speed and grunt, Lee made up for with some demon late braking and he rode brilliantly to post two strong finishes – a third and a fourth - adjusted later on following Richard Cooper’s fairing "Bracket Gate” disqualification to 2nd and 3rd. Big shout out also for Paul Jordan who moved up to 2nd in Supertwins 1.
Lee also had an excellent race on the Ashcourt BMW in Superstock 2 finishing runner up behind Ally Seeley (27th win) and John had a great run on the stock Fireblade to finish 5th. Unfortunately, it was a DNF for Conor on the Padgetts Fireblade. Team mate Davey Todd's front tyre had shredded so perhaps it was a tyre issue for Conor as well?
Dean lifted a podium finish (3rd) in Superstock 2 behind Seeley (1st) and Lee (2nd) and narrowly missed out on another podium in the second Supersport race finishing 4th. However, the two Superbike races were hugely frustrating for the 2019 Senior TT winner with a DNF in race 1 (tyres?) and a no start in race 2 because of the Dunlop (tyre) issue along with a whole raft of other top riders that included Hickman, Todd, Dunlop, Rutter, Cummins……..the list goes on.
Having finished 11th in Superbike 1, John’s next outing was on his Stocker and he rode a really solid race to finish in 5th. He followed that in a depleted Superbike 2 race with another 5th place.
In ideal conditions and with a track temperature of 27 degrees and rising at race start – (more than twice what it was on Thursday evening), Lee took the honours in what was arguably the race of the meeting - (Supersport 2) - in a scintillating, nail biting, head-to-head shoot out with Milenco Padgett's Davey Todd.
The Padgett’s crew have built an absolute weapon of a CBR600RR for Todd. Clocking 180 mph through the speed trap between Black Bridge and University Corner, his Honda was consistently around 7 mph faster compared to Lee’s R6. 180 mph.....for a Supersport machine!
Well ahead of the rest of the field, the two exchanged places on multiple occasions. Todd was invariably able to pull out a lead on the long straights. However, with all his British Championship experience facing multiple BSS winner Jack Kennedy on a regular basis, Lee's late braking was unreal. He was consistently able to out brake Todd and reel him back in at the chicanes. With Todd making a slight mistake on the last lap, Lee was able to time his final out braking manoeuvre at the Juniper Chicane to perfection to take the win and his fifth NW200 by just 0.079 secs!
Todd, who has been going great guns lying 4th in the British Superstock Championship had the consolation of setting a new Supersport lap record of 4.33.577. He deserves special mention as he had an outstanding North West racking up a total of four 2nd place finishes: both Supersport races, Superstock 1 and Superbike 1 – where he finished only 0.253 seconds behind Glen Irwin. He was the only guy to really push Irwin all weekend. He was also closing in on Ally Seeley in Superstock 2 when his front tyre started to shred destroying his front mudguard and ending his race. And of course, he was one of the Dunlop shod riders prevented from going out in the final SBK race.
Next stop - Isle of Man TT.
📸 Diego Mola
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Following months of deliberation and planning, we’re really excited to be launching a new range of Red Torpedo casual clothing for women. This gear will have the same top end quality that’s always been associated with the brand but we’re going BIG in a number of other key areas that we think will vastly improve our women’s range!
Background
Red Torpedo has offered women’s gear since the inception of the Company. The female market has always been important to us and is a growing segment - but it’s one that we’d definitely like to develop further. We’ve a loyal and supportive female customer base with a high incidence of repeat purchase behaviour: women who've bought into the brand and like what we do.
Earlier this year, we carried out a review of our women’s range as part of an on-going product plan. It highlighted that some key changes could be made that would offer significant increased added value for our female customers.
Our women’s t-shirts, for example, largely carried the same designs and colour options as our men’s range. In most cases, only the fit and sizing was different but otherwise, it was largely undifferentiated. This also extended into some other product lines. Basically, we weren’t addressing the fact that the women’s market was a discrete segment with specific likes and dislikes.
Taking a New Approach
Customer Research
Our starting point was to conduct a research programme amongst our female customer base which would provide the necessary consumer based information to shape a new plan for our female range.
We identified a sample of some of our most loyal female customers and sent them a questionnaire to explore their opinions, attitudes and views covering a number of key areas. These included garment fit and sizing, colour preferences, graphic design placement and possible new product line development.
This consumer based research elicited a really positive response and generated some clear themes regarding what our female consumers wanted to see us doing – all of which we’ve taken on board and implemented in the development and creation of the new women’s range.
Time for Change: the New Women’s Range
One of the most significant changes we’ve made to the new women’s gear is to completely alter our female sizing structure across t-shirts, shirts and hoodies. Instead of offering sizes 8-20 we’ve changed the structure to S-XL.
The individual fit and styling has also significantly altered. Arm apertures in t-shirts, for example, have been widened and the torso straightened rather than being slightly “fitted” at the waistline. This new sizing and styling therefore provides a more comfortable and relaxed fit.
Colour Pallette
In response to feedback from the survey, we’re also launching an exciting new colour pallette for all female garments. Again, rather than restricting the female colour options to essentially the same as our men’s range – (predominantly greys, black and white / off-white), we’ve introduced several new colours exclusively for women which will launch in Spring 2022.
Graphic Design
We were also largely applying the same men’s designs to womens’ garments. The research clearly indicated that female customers wanted to see more designs that were different to the men’s gear and so the new range will have more designs exclusively for women.
Design placement on individual garments has also altered slightly. In some cases it was found to be too high or placed in the centre of the chest which ultimately distorted the design when on body, due to the tight fit of our original t-shirts.
New shirts
As well as a raft of new tees, we will be introducing some mega new long sleeve shirts and hoodies. Again, sizing for these product lines has been changed form 8-20 to S-XL, again resulting in a more “relaxed” fit. Increasingly, female customers aren’t looking for a tightly, body shaped look but prefer a garment that they can quickly pull on and instantly feel cosy and comfortable in.
We will also be introducing some completely new product lines which will appear in 2022. This will initially take the form of a limited run but depending on how they’re received, we hope to continue to expand this into Spring/Summer 2023.
We want to thank all our female customers who responded so positively to the consumer research and who helped us to shape what we feel are some great new changes for our women’s gear. Our marketing team have worked tirelessly to put the new range together and are really excited about how it’s looking and how it’s going to be received.
New products are in the sample stage and will be launched in Spring 2022, but in the meantime we have a limited collection of 4 t-shirts and a brand new zipped sweatshirt launching December 2021.
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In any 'normal' pre Covid year, some of the top road racers always participate in a few British Championship rounds before the start of the International roads season in mid May to sharpen them up and provide some additional track time for bike set up. But with the pandemic wiping out the International roads calendar for the past two years, our posse of top roads specialists have focussed on a full season in the British Championship and its support races: Dean Harrison in BSB, John McGuinness in the Ducati TriOptions Cup and Lee in British Supersport. Even Conor Cummins has fitted in a few Superstock races in between ensuring the residents of the Isle of Man remain caffine fuelled.
With nine International road race wins plus multiple Scarborough victories, Lee's one of the Country’s finest Supersport road racers. But he's also a class act on circuits. Before he switched to closed roads, he won the British Superstock 600 Championship in 2007 and still regularly instructs on track days at Jamie Whitham’s Track Training school.
British Championship
The British Superbike Championship and its support events is the most competitive domestic motorcycle series in the world and inevitably, the competition’s fierce across all classes. Currently leading the Supersport class is Jack Kennedy from Dublin. He’s a double British Supersport champion with his eyes firmly set on a third title. His consistency again this year has been mega: thirteen podiums from fourteen race finishes – with five wins, five seconds and three thirds. And he’s been taken out twice and had a mechanical DNF whilst leading a race. Australian Ben Currie, now lying in second place overall, has twice been a runner up and third place finisher in the Supersport Championship.
2021 Season
Lee’s got off to a great start this season with three podiums over the first two rounds – Oulton Park (3rd) and Knockhill (2nd & 3rd). He bagged another 2nd at Thruxton (round 4) but unfortunately didn’t finish in the second race. Another DNF followed at Donington along with a 5th. But he came back strongly over the next two rounds with two wins (Silverstone and Snetterton) and a second place also at Silverstone to take his podium finishes so far to seven. The Silverstone win represented a real season high point being his first victory in the British Supersport Championship.
He entered this past weekend’s round at Oulton Park lying in 4th only 16 points behind the (then) leader Ben Currie, twelve points behind Jack Kennedy and just one point behind Bradley Perie in 3rd. After a hard fought 12 lap sprint race on Saturday where he finished in 4th, he was incredibly unlucky in Sunday’s fourteen lap feature race. On lap 10, whilst lying in second behind Kennedy, the safety car was deployed just before Lee moved into the lead. Race Control deemed the pass to have been made under safety car conditions and imposed a three second penalty. The same thing happened to Ben Currie who had taken the chequered flag only to find that he had been also penalised by three seconds and relegated to 4th. Lee was therefore the fifth Supersport machine across the line but now lies in overall third – 38 points behind Kennedy, 25 behind Currie and two ahead of Bradley Perie
Next up is the penultimate round at Donington Park (October 1st-3rd). So there are still 100 points to play for but there are going to be a handful of highly determined racers 'banging bars' to grab them!
Go on Lee - stick it on the top step!
📸. Jamie Morris & Diego Mola
]]>The TT's Future’s Bright
Over the course of 114 years, apart from the breaks during the two world wars and this past two years, the TT has only been cancelled once – in 2001 due to the foot and mouth outbreak. It went through some difficult years in the early 2000s but since the arrival of Paul Phillips, (Business Development Manager), some fifteen years ago, it has gone from strength to strength.
The past two year enforced “Covid break” has given Phillips and his team the opportunity to carry out some major research and undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the current offer. The result is a product development plan that looks stronger than anyone imagined.
Major changes and improvements are planned for the next couple of years - changes that will bring the TT to a global audience and which will hopefully open up new markets in, for example, USA, India, Brazil and Asia. It’s a hugely exciting proposition and the new innovations and product developments should propel the TT into a new era of growth.
So, what can fans and riders expect?
Changes for 2022
The biggest innovation for next year will be live TV coverage of all practice laps and races for the first time ever in the event’s history. This is utterly massive for the TT and will obviously attract more sponsorship and money – good for fans and riders. It’s about time that road racers were properly financially rewarded for what they do.
For a while, it was always considered that it would be logistically too challenging to produce live TV coverage due to the sheer physical scale of the Mountain Course. However, Paul Phillips and his team are proposing a full package including an on-site studio, two helicopters for aerial shots and a huge number of fixed location and kerb cameras at strategic points around the island.
The TT will have its own dedicated digital channel – (the OTT Channel) – due to launch in Spring 2022. This will provide a mix of free to view and paid for content year round - not just during TT fortnight, including documentaries featuring the racers. With an internet connection, fans will be able to view every practice session and race on the channel. This development will take the TT from an existing audience of a few million to potentially several billion. The traditional evening highlights shows will continue to be broadcast on terrestrial television.
The digital side of interest over the last few years has really taken off. There’s a huge demand for more footage – especially of on board which is borne out by You Tube views of videos like Peter Hickman (0.75m views) and Guy Martin v Michael Dunlop below. (19.3m views).
Changes for 2023
The first big change is that there'll be more races. An all new race schedule for 2023 will include an additional Superstock and Supertwins race – so there will be a total of ten races spread over eight days rather than eight races over seven days. The Senior TT, traditionally held on the last Friday will be moved to the final Saturday, so racing will extend over two weekends.
Changes in engine configurations and capacities in Sidecars and Supertwins classes will also be introduced which will allow more manufacturers to enter these classes. Sidecars will now include capacities up to 900cc twin cylinder engines rather than be restricted to 600cc in-line fours - the vast proportion of which have been CBR600RRs. This will allow manufacturers like KTM and BMW to become involved with their 890 and 900 respectively.
And in Supertwins, a class that to date has been dominated by Kawasaki ER6 650s with the odd Paton thrown in, engine capacity will be raised to 700cc.
This is a major deal for the class as it allows Yamaha and Aprilia to enter the mix - Yamaha with the MT-07 and Aprilia with their belting new 660 parallel twin. It’s going to be hugely exciting to see the Aprilia in this class. With an engine that develops almost 100 bhp “out of the box,” several teams and riders are going to be seriously eyeing it up for 2023. The days of ER6 Supertwins dominance look numbered.
Other improvements and innovations will be introduced regarding the timing of practice sessions and a new Fan Zone is going to be created to improve the “user experience.”
If you’ve never been to the TT, then start planning your visit for next year. It'll be one of the best trips you’ve ever made. We can’t wait to return to the Rock next May - along with another 50k fans. It sounds like the next few years could be some of the best ever!
All 📸 - Diego Mola
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The strength in depth of world class road racers that this part of the UK has produced is bonkers. But drill down a bit further and one begins to realise that a small village nestling in the beautiful countryside of County Antrim is especially steeped in road racing history and tradition. If anywhere can lay claim to being road racing's "central HQ," then the village of Armoy and its surrounding roads can.
With a population of just over a thousand residents, Armoy will always be associated with four very special inhabitants who hailed from around the village. For three seasons from 1977 - 1979, Frank Kennedy, Mervyn Robinson and Joey Dunlop were revered within the road racing community for their incredible skill, talent and bravery on roads circuits. Two of the riders ran motorcycle workshops in Armoy and used to test and run their engines in on the local roads - particularly Hillside, Lagge and Glenshesk roads. These roads constitute some of the main sections of the Armoy Circuit. A fourth member of this elite group was Joey's brother - Jim Dunlop and it was this road racing 'band of brothers' that became known as the Armoy Armada.
Irish National Road Racing
Whilst the Isle of Man TT with 114 years of history may lift the laurels for being the world's most famous road race, Armoy and the other Irish National road races are equally unique in their own right and every bit as compelling as a visual spectacle. With mass starts, narrow bumpy country back lanes, tricky technical circuits that riders love, fantastic vantage points for spectators and unbelievable proximity to the circuit, Irish National road racing is as visceral and exciting as it gets. Guy Martin sums it up in his own inimitable way - "if you're a road race fan and you've not been to watch an Irish road race - then you're not really a road race fan."
Races like Armoy represent a throwback to the grassroots of the sport. In this day and age of corporate sponsorship packages and multi-million pound salaried sports, attending an Irish national can feel like turning the clock back - and that's brilliant. They've a unique and compelling culture. Being based around small villages or towns creates a friendly atmosphere and a strong sense of community spirit. The races are vitally important for the communities and equally important for the sport of road racing. A close relationship exists between the smaller national races - like Armoy, Kells and Tandragee and the International events like the NW200, the TT and the Ulster GP. Many TT and NW200 winners like Michael Dunlop learned their trade on the smaller circuits. It's where many of the big stars of the sport cut their teeth.
The Armoy "Race of Legends"
The idea of holding a race of legends in and around the village was first hatched in 2007 but in order to do this, a club had to first be established to affiliate it with the governing body of the sport. And so, the Armoy Motorcycle Road Racing Club (AMRRC) was formed in 2008 with the first races held the following year.
Right from the start, the Club invited many of the top names and managed to get Guy Martin involved from year one. He played a big part in establishing the race from the outset on account of his profile and popularity.
Since then, the race has gone from strength to strength gaining a reputation for being extremely well run and organised by Clerk of Course Bill Kennedy MBE and his team of dedicated volunteers / club members.
The history of this whole area allied to the significance of a road race on the very stretches of road used by the Armoy Armada to test their engines is massive. Since the first race was held twelve years ago, Armoy has rightly gained a world-wide reputation for being one of the best races on the Irish National calendar.
The Armoy Circuit
At just over three miles long, the triangular circuit is raced anti-clockwise and has just about everything riders and fans seek: umpteen jumps, a number of blind entry corners, many technical sections like Acheson's Leap, some fast 165 mph straights and of course the famous Lagge jumps - which Dom Herbertson has described as "motocross on Superbikes." The riders love the place - Herbertson reckons that "it's the greatest circuit in the world!" He's always bursting with enthusiasm! Guy Martin has described Armoy as "an awesome track" and "about as extreme as road racing gets." And the fans love it because of the number of great spectating points around the course.
The 2021 Armoy Race of Legends Returns!
Bill Kennedy and the team at AMRRC have worked especially hard this year to ensure that a safe event can be staged. Comprehensive health and safety measures have been put in place including the setting up of a special vaccine centre pre the races as part of a wider community safety plan. Every effort has been taken to make this a safe event - and the public has been asked to play their part and abide by the regulations and additional safety measures in place for this year.
Both fans and riders are desperate to see some great real road racing action again. The grids are going to be packed with a first class list of entrants, pre- event passes have completely sold out and loyal sponsors like the Diamond Bar in Ballymoney, the Mermaid Club in Kircubbin and Stanley Stewart from Ballymoney - (plus some new sponsors), have returned - which is great to see.
A top class list of entrants is led by eight times Armoy "Race of Legends" winner Michael Dunlop who'll line up on the Synetiq BMW M1000RR by TAS Racing. It's the first time Michael will have raced in almost two years. He'll be joined by Derek McGee, Derek Sheils, Dom Herbertson, Davey Todd (Wilson Craig Honda), Paul Jordan (Burrows RK Suzuki), Adam McLean (McAdoo Racing), Joey Thompson, Michael Sweeney, Daryl Tweed and Mike Browne - the list goes on! Another major highlight and sure to be a real crowd pleaser, is Dunlop will also be racing an MV500 (possibly a Black Eagle machine?) in the Classic Race and will go head-to-head with Guy Martin who has entered his BSA Rocket 3. It's great that Armoy includes some classic racing too!
This year's Armoy road races is a ticket only event and all tickets have been sold. If you've not been lucky enough to get hold of one you can always tune into the highlights programme which will be broadcast in the near future on BBC NI. Watch this space or check out our social media links for updates. Everything's in place for a terrific return to live road racing - all that's required is for the weather to behave!
We've been to Armoy a couple of times and love the place and the people. The racing's mind blowing. We can't begin to imagine the amount of work and effort that's been put into organising this year's races and we want to wish Bill Kennedy and his team, everyone at the AMRRC - plus all riders, teams, fans, medics, marshals and the local community a safe and successful meeting.
May the sun shine over Armoy this Friday and Saturday! (Weather Gods - do your bit).
📸 Special thanks to Shaun Lewis
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This is the ninth year that we've worked with the twenty-three times TT legend and we're delighted for him - as is the rest of the road racing community. Since his Honda Fireblade accident at the 2017 North West 200, McGuinness has had a torrid time battling back to full health from terrible leg injuries. When he was fit to race again (TT & NW200 2019) he had a frustrating time with the poor reliability and performance of the Norton. But he'll now be back on competitive machinery - the first time since 2016. Speaking about the Kawasaki deal he said "I know the team and the bike are good enough."
The team's a highly experienced and professional set-up. As for the bike? Well, Johnny Rea seems to rate his ZX-10RR and Dean Harrison goes like the clappers on his and won last year's Senior TT. So, it should be good enough for the Morecambe man.
McGuinness is an incredibly versatile rider and during his professional career has raced dozens of different bikes from singles and 500cc V Twin 2 strokes to in-line fours and V4s. He's won TT races on R1 and R6 Yamahas, Fireblades, 400cc and 600cc Hondas, the TSR 250 Honda he won his first TT on in '99 and the 720 AMDM single win in 2000. Then there are the two Mugen Shinden electric bike wins.
This'll be the first time he'll have raced a "Green Meanie" on the Mountain Circuit but not the first time he's raced one at an international road race. In 2004, he rode a XZ-10R for Stuart Hicken's Hawk Racing team at the Ulster GP finishing in second place just a mere 0.08 seconds behind Bruce Anstey. He had never raced a Superbike on the Dundrod Circuit before - only a Supersport machine - so it was an inspired ride by McG. In his autobiography "Built for Speed" he also mentions that he was part of a three man team with Gus Scott and Johnny Barton to ride a Kawasaki ZX-10R in the Le Mans 24 hrs endurance race (c2004/05) standing in for the injured Andy Norman.
He showed that he was back to top form at last November's Macau GP qualifying in 4th place behind Hickman, Rutter and Davo Johnson on the the Paul Bird Motorsport Ducati V4. Unfortunately, a mechanical problem resulted in him not starting either of the two shortened races.
No substitute for Experience: 100th TT start
As he dons his green and black leathers on Saturday June 6 (D-Day), chucks a penny down them for good luck then edges up to the start line, John will be starting his 100th official TT and going for his 48th podium.
He's finished 82% of the races he's started and won nearly one in four (23%). That's some going. The man's experience around one of the most dangerous circuits in the world is colossal. He knows every undulation, every manhole cover, camber and braking marker. He estimates that he's clocked up a combined total of 50,000 qualifying plus race miles around the Mountain Course. Blooming' Norah. That's twice round the world - or equivalent to crossing America coast-to-coast seventeen times! And the roads on the Mountain Course are a good bit trickier than negotiating Route 66 on a motorised Parker Knoll.
Bournemouth Kawasaki
Like Padgetts Racing, Bournemouth Kawasaki's a family owned business and team - the perfect set-up for McPint. In more recent years, the best and most consistent performances in International road racing have been delivered by riders signed to non factory set-ups. Think Conor Cummins and Bruce Anstey (Padgetts Racing), Dean Harrison (Silicone Racing), Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing), and Lee Johnston ((Ashcourt Racing).
Run by team principal Pete Extance, the family runs a successful Kawasaki dealership in Bournemouth with plans to open a second dealership in Hampshire. Since start-up, they've accumulated an outstanding record on both the roads (mainly the NW200 and TT) and on short circuits - in the British Superbike Championship.
They went racing at their first Isle of Man TT in 2009 with James Hillier, then campaigned the next ten TTs (2009-2019 incl) together. It speaks volumes for the professionalism of the team that a racer of Hillier's calibre stayed with them for that length of time. Hillier's TT consistency was first rate: 58 races started (only two DNFs) from 2012 onwards - with a very high percentage of top ten places. He achieved 14 podiums with one win (2013 Lightweight) and seven 2nd places. They've now decided amicably to go their separate ways - with Hillier moving to OMG Racing where he'll race a BMW S1000RR alongside team mate, Davo Johnson.
Bournemouth Kawasaki has also achieved wins at the NW200 with both Hillier and Glen Irwin. Irwin lifted both Superbike races at the 2019 NW200 and Hillier won an outstanding Superstock race in very wet conditions. At one point his lead was 20 seconds but he eased off towards the end to bring the bike home. He was also voted "Man of the Meeting" with four top four finishes.
They entered the British Superbike Championship in 2010 - a year after starting out on the roads and over the course of the next ten years, became one of the leading teams on the grid. They came very close to lifting the Championship in 2017 but suffered a heartbreaking final round when Leon Haslam crashed out. But they showed their mettle the following season with Haslam returning to win the Championship. They've now decided to leave BSB to concentrate on the roads and allow them to further develop the dealership.
In addition to running McGuinness at this year's North West 200, Bournemouth Kawasaki has also signed the services of NW200 specialist - 24 times winner Alastair Seeley who'll ride in all three classes: Superbike, Superstock and Supersport.
McGuinness and "Team Green" will be keen to start testing as soon as possible and plan to head out to Spain later in the month. It's not known whether they'll enter the first two rounds of BSB (Silverstone and Oulton) to accumulate additional laps - but McGuinness will definitely be keen to to maximise bike time.
Red Torpedo wishes John and the Bournemouth Kawasaki Team a safe and successful season on the roads.
📷 Diego Mola
]]>Enter FRNKNSTN - not just any run of the mill motorbike but a nitrous oxide injected 1000cc Ducati custom that bangs and blurts like Beelzebub on steroids. Set in a Honda CB750 frame with a modified KTM 640 swinging arm, the bike's a European championship sprint bike slayer. We've seen the bike run in the Glemseck 101 1/8th mile sprint and she's a ground shaker. The Genie was out of the bottle and a new era beckoned. Big FRNKenSTN was destined to join us at Red Torpedo.
The bike was originally built by Mellow Motorcycles in Stuttgart who campaigned it in the 2017 Sultans of Sprint series with Amir Brajan in charge of flicking the nitrous oxide switch. Amir and FRNKNSTN lifted the title. It was then purchased by Andy Geeroms owner of Hermanus Bruges the caffeine fuelled motorcycle lifestyle shop and bar/eaterie on the outskirts of Bruges and rebuilt with the help of Gunnar's House of Custom in Belgium. Andy's partner Evy then piloted it in the Sultans of Sprint Euro sprint race rounds. When we heard it was on the market again, a deal was done and the bike was brought over from Bruges to RT Towers in Glasgow.
Sultans of Sprint
The Sultans of Sprint's a four round European sprint / drag competition for air cooled twin cylinder custom bikes with two separate classes: "freak" and "factory." The former is open to four stroke bikes up to a maximum capacity of 1600cc. These machines are invariably supercharged, turbo charged or use nitrous oxide injection for additional "warp speed" - activated, in FRNKNSTN's case, by a switch adjacent to the instrument cluster marked - "Good Times." Results aren't solely dependant on outright acceleration: style, originality and a general "bonkers factor" are also taken into consideration.
The factory class has no capacity restrictions but the bikes are limited to a power to weight ratio. The class tends to be populated with RnineT and R1200R BMWs, 1200 Triumph Thruxtons and Bobbers and Indian Scout 1200s. Four times ex WSBK champ Carl Forgarty campaigned a supercharged 1200 Triumph Thruxton to victory at the Glemseck 101 in 2016 and former GP legend Randy Mamola and BSB star Taylor Mackenzie rode an Indian 1200 and a Harley Street Glide respectively at last year's event. The four rounds span four countries: Italy (the Monza Reunion), France (Montlhery Cafe Racer Sprint in Paris, Belgium (Spa Francorchamps) and Germany (Glemseck 101, nr Stuttgart).
Speaking about the new acquisition, Red Torpedo's CEO Bill Gordon said, "We were over seeing Andy Geeroms of Hermanus Bruges with John McGuinness recently and heard that the bike was on the market. When we saw it, we were smitten. We'll use it to promote the brand and also to have some fun at the sprints. We've been going over to the Glemseck 101 since 2013 and love the event but now that we've got hold of the bike, we may consider entering some of the other European sprint rounds as well. We've had Guy Martin and Conor Cummins over to the Glemseck as invited riders but we could also see Lee Johnston, Dean Harrison and John Mcguinness having a blast at some point. Conor's been over with us on several occasions - including last year - so we'll be introducing him to some nitrous oxide soon!"
We'll be re-branding the bike and probably renaming it too - so watch this space.
📷 Hermanus Bruges / Jeroen De Plancke
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At 33, the Manxman's racked up eight TT podiums - two 2nds and six 3rds but is still gunning for his maiden TT victory. And could there ever be a more popular and deserving winner than seeing Conor walking up to lift the big silver Mercury chap balancing on a winged wheel? The island would come to a standstill. A day's public holiday would have to be declared. Maybe a week's. They'd be doing cartwheels in the streets of Ramsey and the gingerbread lattes and lemon drizzle would be on the house at 74 Parliament Street. That's possibly just a bit "too far" - but there's no doubt, everyone from the Isle of Man and considerably further afield would love to see Conor win a TT.
Red Torpedo's worked with Conor for the past five years. We've been over at the Glemseck 101 Cafe Racer Sprint near Stuttgart with him, the Barber Motorsports Festival in Alabama, USA and the Motorbike Expo in Verona. We've travelled far and wide with him and know that he's a top man as well as a class road racer. We can also vouch for the fact that he's a tall man - just in case anyone who's new to the sport is wondering. They might be thinking....'he looks pretty tall. Wonder if he's actually as tall as he looks? Lots of motorcycle racers aren't tall - but he doesn't look like them.' And he doesn't. It's often a very prevalent topic within the context of Supersport racing.
Conor turned pro in 2006 aged twenty and heralded his arrival in his first professional year by becoming the fastest newcomer at the Isle of Man TT.....and the Southern 100....and the North West 200. Not exactly 'steady away' more... "WTF - who's this guy?" A mere three years after his first competitive laps of the Mountain Course, he landed his first TT podiums: third in Supersport and second in the Senior behind Steve Plater. He also won the Dundrod 150 at the Ulster and set a new lap record of 133.284 mph on the McAdoo Racing Kawasaki. It made him the fastest road racer in the world at that time. To round an outstanding year off he headed east to the Macau GP where he was runner up, by only 0.38 seconds, to four times Macau GP winner and one of Hawick's finest, Stuart Easton at that dusty, bad ass Guia Circuit.
Padgetts Racing
Conor's raced for some of the biggest teams in road racing: TAS Racing, Honda Racing, McAdoo Racing, PBM, Milwaukee Yamaha and most recently, Padgetts Racing. Like many other riders who've gone before him, he seems to have found his racing "home" with Clive Padgett's team and is producing some of the best results of his career.
"Legend's" a word that's often overused in motorsport - and sport in general but in Clive Padgett's case, it's entirely apposite. Clive Padgett's reputation and abilities as an engine builder / tuner / bike builder and team manager are indeed, legendary. Just ask John McGuinness, Ian Hutchinson or Bruce Anstey. He's also a great 'people person:' a mentor and "supporter" of his riders and in interviews, comes over as someone who instills confidence in them and the team. Interviewed following last year's TT Clive Padgett said,
"We couldn't have asked for more from Conor. Of course, everyone was running real fast up at the front - but so great to see Conor back up there. I've got so much belief in that man. He's had a lean few years but the boy's back - he's had a great week."
And speaking about the relationship between Conor and the Padgett's set-up:
"I think he fits in with our family fit. He's easy going, he has a lovely wife in Danielle, his Mum and Dad are great and our whole family love him to bits - pretty much in the same mold that we've taken riders into our family team in the past."
TT 2018
2018 was Conor's most successful TT year to date with a 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place finishes and 'personal bests' in every class. He was also the only rider to podium in both "big bike" races - the Superbike TT (2nd) and Senior (3rd). And if you're taking third behind Peter Hickman and Dean Harrison posting 135.5 mph and 134.9 mph laps respectively, you've got to be hooning on just a bit.
Conor's intention this year is more of the same - only faster. As he says himself, he's not there to make up the numbers and has gone about preparing in a slightly different way this year to try to improve in certain areas. Speaking at the TT launch in Villa Marina back in March he said.
"The bar's gone up again as it does every year. I'm a realist - I realise that I've got to up my game so I've been studying sectors and on-boards over the winter. I know where I need to pick up my heels a little bit more."
A year after turning pro in 2006 he had become the fastest ever Manxman round the Mountain Course. He now holds a best of 132.509 mph. Only five riders have gone faster: Peter Hickman, Dean Harrison, Michael Dunlop, Ian Hutchinson and John McGuinness. Esteemed company indeed.
TT 2019
Conor's now in his fourth year with Padgett's Racing and will again lead the field down Glencrutchery Road on the number one bike. He clearly thrives in the Padgetts "family" environment and knows the set-up inside out.
He's comfortable and confident with all three classes of bike. There's still plenty of chat that goes on about how long in the tooth the Hondas are but in Clive Padgett's hands, they work well. The Fireblade's chassis is a good stable platform round the TT course and the Padgetts team know how to make them fast too. Three years ago, Bruce Anstey's Fireblade touched 209 mph at the NW200 and this year, Conor's machine was the fastest Superbike at nearly 197 mph through the speed trap down to University in slippy, greasy conditions. His CBR60RR Supersport was fastest in class at 177 mph.
There are also some new Superbikes this year that are more or less untried and under tested on the Mountain Circuit so it's going to be interesting to see how they fare.
No one has more course knowledge than the Manxman. It goes without saying that he knows every part of the circuit inside out. Conor's in a good place: he loves the team set-up, his family life is great having recently had a baby daughter and his business is doing well. That all makes for a super relaxed Conrod - and a fast Conrod.
Conditions could also be a great leveller too. It looks like the weather's going to be a fairly mixed bag in comparison to last year and it's unlikely that the circuit will be anything like as fast. The pace may not be as fierce from the "big two" who raised the bar to such a high level last year. If conditions are anything less than perfect, this could favour a more open field.
As with all our sponsored riders, we wish Conor and the 'Padgetts Army' a safe and successful TT. The dancing shoes and our best moves will be at the ready.
Please note - we have a range of Conor Cummins merchandise on sale at the Red Torpedo stand behind the TT Grandstand.
📷 Diego Mola and Peter Faragher
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From Maguiresbridge in Fermanagh, Lee's one of an elite group of highly talented road racers who've broken onto the scene over recent years and made a major impact on the sport. "General" Lee has a loyal band of fans who appreciate his abilities as a top road racer and also warm to his big personality and sharp sense of humour. He's been a key part of our posse of sponsored riders since 2016 so this is our fourth year working with him. He's a special character and a perfect fit with how we roll at Red Torpedo.
In Thursday evening's opening Supersport race Lee kick started his 2019 roads season in dramatic and thrilling style. The race inevitably went right down to the wire with the lead changing umpteen times. The high speed slipstreaming action is one of the unique features of the 8.9 mile triangular NW200 circuit with riders able to make up as many as six or seven places along the super fast straights linking the coastal towns of Portstewart and Portrush with Coleraine.
Five riders broke away early on and continued to jockey for position: Lee (Ashcourt Racing) and Alastair Seeley (EHA Racing) both on Yamaha R6s and Dean Harrison (Silicone Engineering Racing) and James Hillier (Quatro Plant) on Kawasaki ZX6Rs. Paul Jordan was lying in 5th place but pulled in on lap five with a mechanical problem. Going into the final lap, Johnston was leading - closely followed by Seeley, Harrison and Hillier. There was little in it and given the 'slingshotting' that lay ahead on the final two main straights there was still everything to play for.
With twenty-four wins to his name, it was NW200 specialist, Alastair Seeley, who led at Ballysally roundabout but by the time they reached the Metrapole, Lee was back in the lead. As with so many of the North West 200's nail biting finishes, it was obvious that the race would depend on the run along the coast road and the last ditch passing attempts on the approach to the Juniper Hill Chicane. Who would be latest and bravest on the brakes?
On the run in to Juniper's, Lee was still in front but Ally Seeley was carrying more speed and drew alongside, then passed Lee under hard braking. But whilst Johnston hit his usual braking marker and slowed to negotiate the left hand entry into the chicane, Seeley was carrying too much speed and ran wide over the rumble strips on the the right hand side. Unable to then make the right turn of the chicane, he crossed the track onto the grass resulting in the bike's rear tyre breaking traction. The bike came round on him and he was high sided onto the grass. He hit the ground hard but fortunately, was up quickly. Lee, Harrison and Hillier all made it through before Seeley's bike spun off the grass and came to rest in the middle of the road. Lee crossed the line 0.7 seconds ahead of his mate Dean Harrison with James Hillier 0.9 seconds behind Harrison.
Speaking to Stephen Watson of BBC Northern Ireland immediately after the race Lee said,
"You know what, I've had a bad few years and I feel so good to be back with a team of people that believe in me and build good bikes and I just feel proper comfortable and my riding's just showing that again. So, yeh - chuffed to bits."
Lee has had a difficult past few years. He was injured in practice for the TT at Greeba in 2017 and missed the TT that year. The Supersport win's a tremendous start to his season. It's a massive confidence booster and he's clearly in a good place just now. He's injury free, is enjoying family life and is now back to running his own team set-up with Ashcourt Racing.
He's been racing in the British Supersport Championship and after two rounds (Silverstone and Oulton Park) is currently lying in fifth place. The cut and thrust of the Championship has sharpened him up for the start of the roads season and he looks to be in top form. In Ashcourt Racing, he's put together a great team of people and he's clearly enjoying the more relaxed environment and 'hands on' approach away from the restrictions imposed by a full factory set-up. The bikes look mint and in the R6, he has arguably the strongest and best Supersport machine on the grid. His R6 was clocked through the speed trap on the approach to University at 174.9 mph. The team is also running BMW S1000RR Superbike and Superstock machines and given that he qualified in 4th place in Superbikes (first qualifying session), he's obviously comfortable with the way that's running.
Next up is the Isle of Man TT and Lee will race in all six solo bike races: the two Superbike races (Saturday Superbike TT and the Senior TT), the two Supersport TT races, Monday's Superstock TT and the Wednesday Lightweight TT - riding a Ryan Farquhar built KMR Kawasaki 650.
For a full practice and race schedule of 2019 Isle of Man TT click this link.
Check out Red Torpedo's range of Lee Johnston gear here.
📷 Diego Mola (All bike racing photography)
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Texter becomes our second USA flat track brand ambassador following our signing of AFT Twins 2017/18 back-to-back Champion Jared Mees at the start of last season. The two flat track stars join a roster of world class road racers that Red Torpedo sponsors in the UK - John McGuinness, Conor Cummins, Lee Johnston and Guy Martin - to form a unique posse of motorcycle racing talent on both closed public roads and dirt tracks.
Bill Gordon, CEO of Red Torpedo said, "I saw the final round of the American Flat Track season last year - the Meadowlands Mile in New Jersey, and was blown away by Shayna Texter's gutsy ride. She won the singles race by 0.006 seconds in a hard fought battle with Kolby Carlile. She's a phenomenal talent in a tough, high adrenaline extreme motorcycle sport and we're over the moon to have her on board."
Shayna Texter was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania USA into a motorsport and dirt track racing family. Her grandfather was a five time URC sprint car champion and her late father was a pro Grand National flat track racer. Cory Texter, her brother, has been a professional flat track racer for over ten years - mainly in twins but last season, in singles - alongside his sister. She was riding a motorcycle by the age of three and started racing at twelve. One of only two female pro riders currently in American Flat Track, (Sandriana Shipman also races in singles), Texter is the first female rider to win an American Flat Track National Main event. The first win at Knoxville, Iowa Raceway was a game changing moment. Since turning professional in 2008, she's bagged fifteen career American Flat Track Singles wins - the highest number achieved by any other rider in the class. A fan's favourite in the paddock and on the ovals, she has become an inspirational figure and strong role model for young girls and women aspiring to enter the world of motorsports.
Career Background
Texter raced in the GNC2 class, now AFT singles, for several years before moving to the premier GNC1 class in 2014, now AFT Twins. She raced for three years in this class but at five feet and weighing in at under 100 pounds, she seemed more at home with singles compared to the additional weight and power of the twin. Returning to the singles class in 2017 with Richie Morris Racing, she immediately found her mojo again on board a Honda CRF450R racking up a total of nine podium finishes with five wins, two 2nds and two 3rds. She finished the season in third place.
In 2018, Texter again finished the AFT Singles Championship in overall third place with eight podium finishes: three wins, three 2nds and two 3rds on board a FC 450 Husqvarna. She also ran her own team - ST52 Racing along with factory support from Husqvarna.
2019 Season: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Flat Track Team
For 2019, Texter has been signed by the newly formed Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Flat Track team - the first time there's been a full factory effort launched in the class.
Shayna will partner last year's singles Champ Dan Bromley riding KTM 450 SX-F factory editions. The team is managed by ex AMA Supermoto and Superbike racer Chris Fillmore. He's an immensely experienced motorcycle racer and a "Big Orange" man to the core having helped to develop and raced the KTM RC8. He has also worked for KTM North America in an ambassadorial / media relations role. Fillmore holds the outright lap record at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb set in 2017 on a 1290 Super Duke R and last year took a 790 Duke to a middleweight class record and outright third place - against all the 1290s! It's a very strong team set-up that's been put together - although nothing less than would be expected from a Red Bull backed entry into the sport. It's no secret that we may see the 790 Duke ripping it up in the twins class over the next couple of years.
Red Torpedo's New Official Shayna Texter "Queen of Hearts" Tee
Red Torpedo has released the first new official Shayna Texter tee shirt with the launch taking place at Ace Cafe Orlando's Thursday "Bike Night." Shayna was there in person rocking her new design which has been called "Queen of Hearts." It's the work of Red Torpedo's in-house designer, Robin Leishman.
Talking about the background to the design Robin said, "I had a lot of discussion with Shayna before arriving at this final design and was bowled over that she took such a personal interest in working up something she felt would be unique to her.
"We initially had so many ideas that we went through various iterations before we distilled it into one overall design - the "Queen of Hearts." The idea came from the juxtaposition of motorcycle racing and gambling's combination of risk, adrenaline and excitement. The Queen of Hearts ties in that card in the pack with the fact that she's such a popular rider with the fans. With this design, I think we finally arrived at something that I feel represents both Shayna's outstanding abilities as a racer and everything that Red Torpedo stands for: striking original artwork on top deck quality garments."
Men's and women's Shayna Texter "Queen of Hearts" tees are now available to purchase on Red Torpedo's USA website. Click the link here.
Daytona Bike Week: The Daytona TT
The 18 round American Flat Track season kicks off for 2019 with the Daytona TT on March 14. Racing is always a big a part of Daytona Bike Week in the "Sunshine State" and offers bike race fans a 'triple header' of AMA Supercross, AFT flat track and the world famous Daytona 200 held at the International Speedway. This year, the AFT Daytona TT will partly be raced on the asphalt of the main circuit taking the action even closer to the fans.
Shayna Texter's bid for the 2019 American Flat Track Singles Championship commences on March 14 at Daytona Beach, Florida, USA. We wish her well for the Daytona TT and hope that she has a really successful year with the new Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Flat Track Team.
Photography: Cole Kirkpatrick & Carlos Amoedo
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With a huge retail area selling everything from performance motorcycle gear, biking accessories, aftermarket parts and leisure wear, the MCN London Show's a must visit on our annual calendar of events. So, we're making a beeline for the Big Smoke via 410 miles of M6/M1 road works and motorway service station witchetty grub to set out our stall of new and classic gear at the ExCel in London's Docklands. Stand R553's where we'll be.
New Bikes for 2019
There will be dozens of new machines for British bike fans to see for the first time. These bikes were first unveiled to the world's biking press and public at EICMA (Milan) and Motor Bike Expo last month in Verona. But it's now the UK's turn to jump on the latest models, twist throttles and crunch through a few cogs for good measure. Poor gearboxes.
Around 20 of the world's leading bike manufacturers will be displaying their model ranges led by the Japanese "big four" - Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki. A strong Brit contingent will see Triumph, Norton, Royal Enfield, CCM and AJS flying the flag and an Italian duo of Ducati, with their flagship V4 Panigale, and MV Agusta - maybe with the Superveloce? - will also be there. No Aprilia or Moto Guzzi though? The central Euro might of BMW and KTM will have their extensive ranges on show and, amongst others, Husqvarna, Indian, Zero and Energica will also have stands.
The largest crowds of Instagram junkies are likely to be flocking round Ducati's V4 Panigale. Thereafter, (in no particular order), it's probably BMW's new S1000RR and 1250 GS, Suzuki's Katana, (alongside a 1981 original model), Norton"s 650cc Atlas Nomad, Ranger and Superlight, Triumph's 1200 Speed Twin and 1200 / 900 scramblers, Yamaha's Tenere 700, KTMs 790 Adventure - the list goes on.
But the London Show doesn't only provide a chance to try out all the new metal for size. There's loads of other great things to see and do in the form of bike displays, live bike action, exhibitions and guests.
Live action: Thunderdrome and Rage Cage
A strong line-up of past and present racers has been organised for this year's Thunderdrome encounters including the world's fastest road racer and TT lap record holder Peter Hickman, legendary 1987 500cc GP Champion Wayne Gardner, road racer James Hillier, BSB rider Richard Cooper and former British and World Superbike champion Neil Hodgson. Given that these guys will be bashing elbows going at it hammer and tongs around the oval, the Thunderdrome's heavily banked corners will provide opportunities a plenty for dodgy overtaking manouevres and maximum mayhem.
The Michelin Rage Cage is a new feature for this year but this cage won't feature any aspiring McGregors or Nurmagomedovs. Think wall of death but girder and mesh construction rather than wood. The cage stands nearly six metres high by nine metres across and all the bike action can be seen through the mesh rather than viewed from above as with a traditional wooden wall. Riding metal cages, or globes, is nothing new: it has has been around for a long time. Photos of "Globes of Death" existed in the USA and Britain in the early 1920s.
McGuinness's "Beer and Bikes Zone"
Isle of Man TT supremo (23 wins and counting) John McGuinness is not only freekingly great at riding motorbikes on closed public roads at warp speed, he's handy at pulling pints of beer and talking everything and anything about motorbikes. John will be running his own bar again and chewing the cud with the punters. He'll also have some of his racing memorabilia with him - including three of his race bikes and leathers. So, seek out his shebeen and have a pint with him - you can't miss it. If you're lucky, he might even give you a packet of pork scratchings. First ten visitors only though. There are three "McPint talks" scheduled for the Friday, four for Saturday and a further three on Sunday.
Classic and Custom Bikes
The Bonhams Classic Bike Dealer Village will feature a number of leading classic dealers and bike restorers who will be selling machines at the show - from 1960s British marques to immaculate 1970s Japanese two stroke twins and triples. There are also going to be a couple of Brough Superiors - enough to make a hole even in celebrity chefs' and bakers' pockets.
For custom bike enthusiasts, the Built Magazine team has brought together about 30 of the best custom machines from Europe's leading custom garages. The individual custom houses remain a closely guarded secret just now - but we're hoping for the quality of the likes of Keevils Speed Shop, the BMW airheads of Side Rock Cycles, Down and Out Motorcycles? Who knows - maybe even the might of XTR Pepo, Wrenchmonkees or Blitz? One thing's guaranteed: fifteen foot front forks or four foot high handlebars will be verboten!
GP bike area
The Michelin Grand Prix 70th Anniversary display celebrates 70 years of GP racing and gives the crowds the opportunity to get up close to some of the most spectacular and iconic grand prix machines of former years ridden by some of the greatest legends of the class. Two of Valantino Rossi's past winning bikes will be at the Show - his 2003 Honda RCV211V and his 2004 Yamaha M1 and there will also be former bikes ridden by the likes of Freddie Spencer, Kenny Roberts and Barry Sheene.
The Carole Nash MCN London Show kicks off on Friday 15th and runs until Sunday 17th February. Venue: ExCel London, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL
Further Show information at: www.mcnmotorcycleshow.com
Photography:
Helen Anderson (Red Torpedo) & Chris Blott (John McGuinness photo)
Born in Douglas during TT week in 1986, Conor's a proud Manxie and has lived in Ramsey for most of his life. Having concluded that banking didn't provide the adrenaline rush he was ultimately seeking, he became a professional motorcycle road racer in 2006. He quickly made a big impact in his first pro year by becoming the fastest newcomer at the North West 200, the Southern 100 and the Isle of Man TT. In only his second full season on the roads, he became a double Irish road racing champion lifting the Supersport and Superbike titles and topping the Duke Road Racing Rankings with a record 13 Irish national wins - a huge achievement.
He's now racked up eight TT podiums with three 2nd and five 3rd place finishes. The 2018 TT was his most successful to date with 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place finishes and "personal bests" in every class. He was also the only man to have podium finishes in both big bike races.
Riding for Clive Padgett's team for the fourth season this year, he seems to have found his "racing family," producing some of the best results of his career. In fact, life right now seems pretty good for the laconic Manxman. He was recently married, became a father last Autumn and the coffee business that he owns and runs on the Isle of Man is thriving.
Conor joined us on our retail stand on the Friday and Saturday afternoons for a question and answer session with Marta Covioli of Road Racing Core. Marta's written two books about road racing - "Road Racing World" and "Road to Racing" - both featuring the photography of Diego Mola. As well as facilitating the Q and A session, she provided a full translation for the fans. Several topics were discussed including Conor's plans for the 2019 roads season.
One of the questions explored Conor's attitude towards risk taking and whether that had altered, given that his personal circumstances have changed recently with the added responsibility of fatherhood and marriage. It does seem that these factors have affected his outlook and psychological approach quite profoundly.
He wants to go faster, win more races and "fulfill his dream of winning a TT!" As John McGuinness would say, road racers are definitely "made of different gravy."
Photos: Peter Faragher (www.wpfotos.co.uk) and Helen Anderson
]]>Since its inception in 2009, the Show has always attracted serious crowds which have continued to increase by 75% over the past nine years. This year, it's anticipated that around 170,000 visitors will attend MBE over its four day run commencing on 17th January (Media Day) until Sunday 20th.
Verona's a perfect central European location for the Show being in the midst of a huge catchment area of French, German, Austrian, Swiss and Italian motorcycle enthusiasts who can access the location within a few hours riding.
Custom Bikes Galore
Although Motor Bike Expo attracts all the world's major manufacturers with large stands of gleaming motorcycles that are in dealers' showrooms, the central ethos of the show is custom bikes and some of the biggest and best names in the custom bike building business congregate in Verona each year.
Motor Bike Expo is spread over eight halls totalling some 80,000 sq metres, featuring every conceivable motorcycle type and genre. Halls one, two and three are dedicated to custom bikes whilst hall four - which is where you'll also find Red Torpedo (on stand 22R) - is for cafe racers. That's a good "fit" for us. Sport and racing bikes are in halls 5 and 6 and touring and off-road bikes in hall 7.
In the first three halls MBE presents the finest examples of custom motorbike building in terms of design, innovation, engineering skill and talent. The range of machinery on view and the sheer number of bikes - some 2,000 machines, celebrates both the US aesthetic - largely gargantuan choppers, baggers, bobbers and cruisers along with the more Euro based offering of cafe racers, street trackers, scramblers and eurofighters.
Motor Bike Expo has attracted top custom builders like Jessie James, (yeh ha!) Cole Foster, The Ness family, Orange County Choppers, Roland Sands, El Solitario and Freddie Krugger to name just a few - many of whom will be in attendance again this year.
Conor Cummins at Motor Bike Expo
Two special guests and close friends of Red Torpedo will link up with us on Friday 18th and Saturday 19th January at 1400 hrs (local time). Manxman Conor Cummins, one of the top road racers in the world, will fly in for a question and answer session on our retail stand - stand 22R in Hall 4. Conor has podiumed at the Isle of Man TT eight times and has been a professional racer since 2006. He immediately made a huge impact in his first year of pro racing as the fastest newcomer at the NW200, the Southern 100 and the Isle of Man TT.
Conor will be speaking about his many successes during 2018, the set-up at Clive Padgett's team, his approach to racing on closed public roads and plans for this coming season. To reach as wide an audience as possible, our good friend and road racing afficianado, Marta Covioli of Road Racing Core, will be undertaking English-Italian translation. Marta is extremely passionate about road racing and her recent book, Road to Racing - featuring the photography of Diego Mola, has just been released.
So, don't miss this opportunity to see and hear "up close and personal" the only man who podiumed in both Isle of Man TT Superbike races in 2018.
Shinya Kimura
Also flying in to the show this year is probably the most revered custom bike builder in the world - Shinya Kimura. Kimura established Zero Engineering in Japan in 1992 specialising in low slung vintage American V-twins. He now runs Chabott Engineering located outside Los Angeles in Azusa, California having moved to the USA in 2006. Essentially, he treats the motorcycle, not as a mere piece of machinery but as a work of art. His builds are always spectacular and sculpturally unique, his style instantly recognisable. Along with a jury of four other world class custom builders, Kimura will select the top ten custom bikes from around 2,000 bikes on show all competing for the MBE Award of 'most beautiful" machine. He'll then decide on an overall winner. The contest is scheduled to take place on Friday January 18th at 12 noon (local time).
Motor Bike Expo opens its doors to the public on Friday 18th January and closes on Sunday 20th.
Venue: Veronafiere, Viale del Lavoro, 8, 37135 Verona VR, Italy
Photography: James King & Peter Faragher
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Bradford's Dean Harrison started racing at the age of 18 and over the past eleven years, he's risen to the top of the current crop of "pure" road racers. Immensely talented on two wheels and with a "gritty," enthusiastic personality, he's one of the current 'rock stars' within the present band of top road racing 'brothers.' And Red Torpedo's stoked that he's decided to come on board with us.
CEO of Red Torpedo Bill Gordon said,
"We spoke to Dean at last year's TT about joining us and we're absolutely delighted to now have him on our roster of riders for 2019. He's a great guy and an immensely talented racer whose rise to the top tier has been meteoric."
Dean Harrison: Road Racer
Racing motorbikes is in Dean Harrison's DNA. His father, Conrad, is a leading sidecar driver and started racing in the early 90s, just after Dean entered the world. Conrad's more than handy at driving a racing chair - racking up ten TT podiums including one win in 2014. Both Dean's grandfathers raced - one on three wheels, the other two. Dean's a grounded, fast talking and totally down-to-earth Yorkshireman. Made from girders. He's got in-depth mechanical knowledge and skills which allows him to keep close tabs on what his team's mechanics are up to. It also lets him provide top feedback to his team in terms of how the bike's behaving and doing - or, more to the point, not doing. He's a straight talker - open and enthusiastic, with a machine gun delivery. Spades are most definitely "shovels" when Dean's in full flow and he's super fast and prodigously talented on a race bike.
Dean started racing circuits in 2007 aged 18 on a CBR600 purchased with an insurance payout he received after being knocked off his VFR400 road bike. He set out racing on closed public roads in 2010 on an R6 Yamaha and ER6 Kawasaki for Irish team McKinstry Racing and when he eventually beat seasoned pro and "roads great" Ryan Farquhar at Scarborough's Oliver's Mount, the touch paper had been lit. People sat up and really took note - it was obvious that big things lay ahead for the precociously talented young Yorkshireman.
RC Express Racing
Dean made his TT debut in 2011 as a privateer. In the following year, he posted a top ten finish in the Superbike race. Half way through 2012, he signed with RC Express Racing and over the course of the next two and a half years riding Kawasakis, achieved multiple wins and PBs. It was to be a real purple patch for both rider and team. He was second in the 2013 Lightweight Isle of Man TT and second in the 2014 Superstock TT behind Michael Dunlop. Later that week, he won his first TT - the Lightweight. He podiumed at the Ulster GP and bagged multiple wins at the Southern 100, and Scarborough's Oliver's Mount - where he has now recorded a total of some 60 race wins and holds the current lap record.
Silicone Engineering Racing
Parting company with RC Express Racing, Harrison was with Tim Martin's Martrain Yamaha Team during the 2015 season but departed quickly at the end of season - on good terms on both sides - signing with Silicone Engineering Racing for 2016. From Martrain's R1 Superbike, it was a welcome return to the ZX10-RR for the Bradford man. He hasn't looked back since and has gone on to achieve even greater success and take his position at the top tier of the sport.
In his first year with the team, he bagged three TT podiums and two top five finishes and multiple wins were racked up at Billown and Scarborough. In 2017 he was 3rd in the NW200 Superstock race, bagged two "big bike" 3rd places at the TT, won the Southern 100 Solo Championship and the Scarborough Gold Cup, which he had also done in 2015 and 2016! At the Ulster GP, he became "the fastest road racer in the world" (at that point in time) posting a 134.614 mph lap at the 7.2 mile Dundrod Circuit. He also became the 'King of the Mount' - the fastest rider around Oliver's Mount setting an outright lap record at the Cock o' the North meeting, then followed that with a new Supersport lap record at the Gold Cup!
2018 Season
2018 was an outstanding year for Harrison. He opened the season in May with a strong performance at the NW200 with two podium finishes and two fourths. On a sun drenched 'Rock,' he was scorchingly fast throughout TT fortnight largely setting the pace for others to follow. In the Tuesday Superbike practice he posted a 133.462 mph lap from a standing start to become only the second rider (at that point in time) to lap at sub 17 minute pace. It was an astonishing "marker" to lay down and sent a clear message to all other competitors. When interviewed on Manx Radio after the session he said that he... "wasn't even trying." Lordy.
In every race he set blisteringly quick initial laps straight out of the blocks. In Superbike 1 (opening Saturday) he was running away with the race having established a significant lead by obliterating the (then) existing lap record with a new record of 134.432 mph on lap one from a standing start. He was consistently the fastest rider in the first two sectors - Grandstand to Glen Helen and Glen Helen to Ramsey Hairpin. A win looked well on the cards when on lap four, his clutch failed. The race had been snatched from him but it had been an astonishing display of controlled, aggressive road racing. He followed this up with a 2nd in Supersport 1 and 3rd in a hard fought Superstock race.
His first win of the week and second career TT win arrived in the Supersport 2 and was hugely deserved given the consistency of his form.
The 2018 Senior TT was a riveting encounter between the two front runners - Harrison and Peter Hickman. It was Harrison who, once again, set a blistering pace from the start - and he maintained that throughout the race. Again, he came very close to winning and had he not been badly held up by back markers on the final lap, he might have taken it. But Hickman also encountered his fair share of back markers - especially through Kirk Michael - so they both had to deal with the issue. Harrison again was faster through the first two sectors but Hickman was unbelievably fast on the mountain section - riding it like a short circuit. Harrison actually set a new lap record on the final lap of 134.918 mph - but when Hickman crossed the line shortly after, (given his start position on the road) his 135.452 mph lap sealed the win by 2.061 seconds and he took his place in the history books.
Dean had been consistently super quick for the whole fortnight and apart from Peter Hickman, he's now the only rider to have lapped the Isle of Man at over 134 mph. What had made him so fast over the fortnight? Basically, it had all been down to a trick, full specification Superbike, a great team that had some money to spend on the required performance parts and the time he spent riding in British Superbike which he said had helped him hugely. It had been the first year that he had access to a full specification, full blown Superbike as opposed to a Superstock machine. In August 2018 Harrison won the Superbike Classic TT on a ZXR 750 Kawasaki in a start to finish race. It was his fourth Classic TT win.
The 2019 Season
This will be Dean's fourth year with Silicone Engineering Racing and there's early indication that it could be his best yet. The team should receive access to the most up-to-date specification engines and will, of course, be using the new ZX-10RR Ninja with titanium conrods and an additional 600 rpm on tap. Dean will also be riding in as many rounds of BSB as he can alongside a full roads schedule.
We look forward to a great year ahead with Dean and wish him and Silicone Engineering Racing all the best for the season.
Photography: Peter Faragher (www.wpfotos.co.uk)
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Well, Red Torpedo's Xmas gift bundles for bikers could be exactly what you're looking for.
This year we've made your Xmas shopping a lot easier by taking a range of top quality Red Torpedo products and bundling them together at a fixed price. This works out a lower price than if you purchased the items individually. So, what's not to like?
The range of products included in the various bundle packages include tee shirts, hoodies, zipper tops, long sleeve shirts plus a range of accessories such as metal coasters and garage plates, key rings, wallets, beanies, buffs and stickers.
You choose a pricing point to suit your budget - so check out the full range of Red Torpedo bundles here. There's a gift bundle to suit all pricing points starting from £15.00 for a metal coaster, key ring and sticker to £100.00 for a tee shirt, long sleeve shirt and hoodie or zipper top. Bundles are also available at four other pricing points between these lower and upper points - at £35.00, £40.00, £60.00 and £70.00.
We're also offering four Xmas bundles that feature our top roster of road racing Red Riders: John McGuinness, Lee Johnston, Guy Martin and Conor Cummins. Each road racer bundle features a "themed" rider tee shirt, a pair of "built for speed" Petrolhead or Road Racer underwear and a metal drinks coaster.
The Guy Martin Xmas bundle, for example, consists of a Guy Martin "Suckin' Rabbits" tee shirt, a pair of Road Racer or Petrolhead underwear and a "Suckin' Rabbits" metal coaster. If purchased individually, the RRP of these items is normally £48.98. The "bundle" price, however, is £40.00 - representing an 18% reduction.
The Conor Cummins Xmas gift bundle features the "Flying Barista" design on the tee shirt and metal coaster and the "General" Lee Johnston tee and coaster carries his "saying" - What's Meant for you Won't Pass you By." There's also a John McGuinness Red Torpedo Xmas bundle - how could there not be for the twenty-three times Isle of Man TT winner - featuring the McGuinness 'Tough Nut" design on the tee and coaster. All the rider tees are available in men's and women's sizes.
Please note that our last day for shipping UK Xmas tracked orders is Thursday 20th December. And as a special promo, we're also offering the opportunity to win tickets for two people to join us at Daytona Bikeweek in Florida in March 2019. The prize includes two return flights from London to Orlando plus a week's accommodation in Orlando and 20% off all meals at Ace Cafe Orlando during your stay.
To enter, simply spend £75.00 or over between December 1st and midnight on December 20th 2018 and your name will automatically go into a prize draw. For full terms and conditions click here. We'll be announcing the lucky winner on Friday 21st December.
Happy Xmas shopping!
Photography: Red Torpedo
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For the second consecutive year, Red Torpedo's US brand ambassador, Jared Mees, reigned supreme - successfully defending his 2017 Championship to give him his 5th twins class career title and two successive Championship victories. It was also a second consecutive manufacturers win for Indian Motorcycles and their FTR 750 Scout flat tracker.
Before this season got underway, Mees had wondered whether he could attain the same level as he did in 2017 and repeat a win. He needn't have. It was another supremely dominant performance by the Pennsylvanian flat track superstar: totally focused, hugely determined and ruthlessly efficient.
To mark another outstanding year, Red Torpedo's stoked to announce the release of a new limited edition Jared Mees "2018 AFT Flat Track Champion" tee. But more on that later. Let's first re-cap on Mees's performance this past year.
Jared Mees's 2018 season
Jared "Jammer" Mees totally smashed the first half (9 races) of this year's AFT Twins Flat Track season with seven wins from nine starts - a near 80% win rate. The other two rounds included a disqualification at Atlanta Dixie Speedway - (he was still first to cross the line though!) and a runners up spot at Illinois State Fairgrounds where he narrowly missed out on the win by 0.819 secs to Jeffrey Carver Jr. At the half way point, Mees was sitting on a hugely impressive tally of 195 points.
The season's second half kicked off with with his favourite race which he and his wife, Nicole also promote and run - the Lima Half Mile. It brought three more wins: Lima, New York Short Track and Black Hills Half Mile. He also landed four other podium finishes. He tied up the Championship at the 100th Springfield Mile where he finished in 2nd place behind "Mile Master," Bryan Smith. The job was done with three rounds still to go. Last year, he wrapped it up at Williams Grove, two rounds from the end - this year, he went one better.
By the time the final round was played out at Meadowlands - another impressive win for Smith, Mees finished the season 93 points ahead of runner up Henry Wiles and 150 points in front of Briar Bauman in third. It was another masterclass by Indian's and the world's number one flat track rider and his crew - in particular, crew chief Kenny Tolbert.
Championship runner up, "Preoria TT Master" Henry Wiles, won one round (the Preoria TT!) and had another five further podium finishes. Wiles is pretty handy round the Preoria TT: he's won every race there since 2005! But he had eleven finishes outside the top 4. Four of these were outside the top six. Third place man Briar Bauman, from Salinas California, also had one win - Williams Grove. He was denied a second victory at Minesota which would have been his first career mile victory but for the fact that his Indian Scout FTR 750 ran out of fuel on lap 23 with two laps to go. He finished his season with 13 top ten finishes - three of them podiums. But again, he had periods of major inconsistency during the season with a 9th, 10th, 14th, two 15th and a 16th place finish.
The "Hate to Lose" Factor
This season Mees nailed a total of fifteen podiums (ten wins, four 2nds, one 3rd) and had one disqualification, one mechanical DNF and one fourth place. Hang on a minute, fourth? Last year, he bagged seventeen podiums from seventeen starts with the same number of wins (ten), six 2nds and one 3rd. (He was a non starter at Lima).
Mees's ability to run at the front in every race and accumulate podium points has been astonishing. Right now, there's no one else who can live with his level of consistency. Five other riders landed one win each: Jeff Carver, Kenny Colbeth Jr, Henry Wiles, Briar Bauman and Jake Johnson. But they weren't able to sustain momentum and build upon it. They land a win but then tend to go 'off the boil,' stringing together fifth, seventh - even outside "top ten" finishes. Mees just continues to rack up wins - with unfailing regularity and on the odd occasion that he doesn't cross the line first, he's still ramping up big points.
Bryan Smith Challenge in 2019?
Other than Mees, the only rider to score more than one win was Indian rider and fellow "Wrecking Crew" team mate during 2018, Bryan Smith. He came through to finish the season strongly winning three of the last four races - all miles: Springfield, Minnesota and Meadowlands. Smith might well have been the man to make a bid for the title this year but he crashed heavily at the start of the season at the Texas Half Mile and broke his leg badly. He missed a total of seven rounds this season but he'll be back stronger than ever next year - and he'll be on a Kawasaki ER 650. So even Indian may have some competition to keep them honest.
Jared Mees 2018 Flat Track Champions Tee
To celebrate Mees's outstanding season, Red Torpedo has released a limited edition Jared Mees Champions tee in men's and women's sizes. The men's tee, in black, is available in seven sizes - from small to 4XL. The women's tee, also in black, comes in in sizes 8 to 20. Deigned by our in-house designer Robin Leishman, the tee carries large original artwork on the front depicting Mees gunning his 750 Indian Scout. Robin describes his inspiration for the design:
"I wanted to capture that moment when the rider, having just rounded the final corner, transitions into a maximum tuck position for the slipstreaming dash to the line. Head down, ass up, throttle wide open - using every horse he has beneath him. The perfect synergy of man and machine hurtling towards Championship victory."
On the reverse side of the tee is Jared's personal mantra: "To First be a Winner, You Gotta Hate to Lose."
2019 AFT Flat Track Season
The 2019 AFT Flat Track season gets underway on March 14 with the Daytona TT. The Twins schedule consists of six mile rounds, five half-miles, three short tracks and four TTs. AFT Flat Track will also be introducing two new events for 2019: Chandler, Arizona and a New Hampshire round - at a venue close to where the Laconia Bike Week takes place. Click this link for more information on American Flat Track. Events are live streamed at FansChoice.tv and screened on NBCSN
📷 Dave Hoenig
]]>We're over on the Rock again for this year's event - retailing our top deck range of casual gear for biking and race fans in the trading area behind the grandstand. And, of course, we'll also be supporting our triumvirate of sponsored road racers: our "Red Riders" - namely, John McGuinness, Conor Cummins and Lee Johnston.
John McGuinness
For John McGuinness, the Classic's always a mega event and something that he looks forward to enormously. However, this year represents a particularly special occasion for the Morecambe man: it marks his comeback following the 2017 injury at the NW200 and will be the first time in the past two years that he'll have ridden competitively on the Mountain Course. John, who currently holds the Senior Classic TT lap record of 113.342 mph, (Paton 500), will lead a field of around 80 riders off on board the Team Winfield Paton 500 - with its booming megaphone pipes - in the opening Bennetts Senior Classic TT on Saturday 25th August. He'll be desperately hoping for a strong result - as will his legions of fans.
Conor Cummins
Manxman Conor Cummins, fresh from a hugely impressive Isle of Man TT and Ulster GP, was set to ride the Padgetts OW01 750 Yamaha but it was subsequently announced that he would race their Yamaha YZR500 V4 two stroke GP machine. He made the announcement on twitter himself and appeared to be pretty excited by the prospect: "I’m a very lucky bugger! Pleased to say I’m riding the Bruce Anstey @PadgettsRacing1 500 Yamaha GP bike for @iom_tt FOM . Rude!!"
This is the machine that Bruce Anstey set a Superbike Classic lap record on of 127.496 mph last year whilst giving the world a masterclass in the art of two stroke racing. It was the fastest two stroke lap ever witnessed round the Mountain Course. Conor will also be riding a 350 Honda in the Junior Classic TT. The "Flying Barista" is in the form of his life just now and is clearly very comfortable with the whole Padgetts "family" set-up. Cummins had an outstanding TT and was the only man to podium in both "big bike" races: 2nd in Superbike 1 and 3rd in the Senior. With a 4th in Supersport 1 and 5th in Supersport 2 it was an outstanding performance by the Ramsey man. At the Ulster GP, Conor produced the fastest ever qualifying lap of 134.138 mph to take Superbike pole position and finished the meeting with a hat-trick of podium finishes: 1st in Supersport 1 and 3rd in Superstock and Supersport 2. The prospect of seeing Conor on the Padgetts YZR 500 is a mouth watering proposition. Could the big man be on for a Classic Superbike win?
Lee Johnston
'General' Lee Johnston didn't have the best of TTs this year and experienced a few intermittent problems with machinery. However, he did have a very good Ulster GP and although the weather resulted in a shortened race programme, Lee bagged two podium finishes: 2nd in Superbike on the Honda Racing Fireblade and a 2nd in Supersport on the Padgett's CBR600RR. Lee will pilot Padgett's Honda RS250 in the Dunlop Lightweight TT - not the exact same one, but very similar to the machine that - yip, Bruce Anstey set an outright class record on last year of 120.475 mph - the fastest ever 250cc lap round the mountain. (Bruce is going to be missed 'big time' at this year's Classic and we send him our very best thoughts and wishes). Given Lee's weight, he's going to definitely be one to watch in the Lightweight TT. He'll also be riding the Davies Motorsport Honda 350 in the Locate.im Junior Classic TT race - a race that he won in 2014 and set a lap record of 105.239 mph on Black Eagle's 350 MV Augusta.
Other special machinery to look out for includes Dean Harrison's Yamaha TZ250; Horst Saiger on the Egli Vincent; Danny Wed on Team Classic Suzuki's original RG500; Ian Lougher riding John Chapman Racing MV Augusta and Josh Brookes on the wicked sounding Norton Rotary 588 cc.
Although the machinery is from yesteryear, the top class men don't hold back. Racing is hard and fast. Check out this tremendous on board lap of Josh Brookes in practice for the 2017 Classic Superbike race on the Wiz Norton 588cc rotary. Beautifully shot, it gives a full view of the tacho and even Josh's right hand on the front brake. Pump up the volume for maximum visceral effect and just listen to that Norton sing! It's exceptional footage and shows just how hard the top class riders push classic machines. (Brookesy's commitment at the foot of Barregarrow - 6 mins 33 secs!)
Unique History and Heritage
With 110 years of history and such a rich vein of heritage to fall back on, the Classic TT has already generated a whole raft of memorable highlights for fans of classic racing to soak up. Over the past five years, homage has been paid to historic races, legendary riders and iconic race bikes. In 2017, Steve Plater rode a 250 Honda six parade lap and Michael Dunlop rode a Gilera rep in celebration of the the 60th anniversary of "Glasgow Great" Bob McIntyre's first 100 mph lap in 1957. In 2013 McGuinness and Agostini rode a parade "re-enactment" of the famous 1967 Hailwood / Agostini Senior TT battle and McGuinness has also ridden in a Joey Dunlop tribute in 2014.
'78 Mike Hailwood TT Comeback
For 2018, the organisers of the Classic TT have played a trump card and, once again, the most successful living TT racer in our midst plays a central role. On Saturday 25th August, John McGuinness will ride a lap on the original Ducati 900 that the great Mike Hailwood made his comeback on, following an absence of eleven years, to win the 1978 Formula 1 TT. This special tribute will celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of the most memorable events in TT history which, at the time, turned grown men into onion and garlic cutters. (Strangely, they seemed to experience a mysterious "mist" in their eyes - but t'was only a mist thankfully!) Come Saturday early afternoon, this unusual phenomenon could well be witnessed again).
Red Torpedo wishes all riders in the Classic TT / Manx GP, plus all marshals, organisers and fans a safe event. We also have everything crossed that the weather picks up and allows the full programme to run.
2018 Classic TT races:
Saturday 25th August:
11.00: Bennetts Senior Classic TT
12.55: 1978 Hailwood Comeback Celebration: John McGuinness lap
15.30: Dunlop Lightweight Classic TT
Monday 27th August:
10.15: Junior Classic TT
14.00 RST Superbike Classic TT
Photography:
Peter Faragher (www.wpfotos.co.uk)
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Jared Mees's 2017 Season
Mees totally blitzed last season's AMA Flat Track Championship taking 17 podium finishes from 18 starts. He racked up 10 wins, six 2nd place finishes and one 3rd. And for those counting - he didn't make the start at the Lima Half Mile. He also nailed a dirt bike grand slam: that's a TT, short track, half mile and mile win to complete one of the best seasons witnessed in AMA Flat Track. It was so utterly dominant that he had secured the Championship by the Williams Grove Half Mile - with two rounds still to go.
Before the 2018 season got underway, the pundits began to consider how it might pan out. Could "The Jammer" repeat a similar level of performance in AMA Flat Track in 2018? Would Harley Davidson bounce back and give Indian a run for their money? Could Mees's "Wrecking Crew" team mates Brad Baker and Bryan Smith up their games and push for the title? And what about other riders like Jeff Carver, Kenny Coolbeth, Briar Bauman and Henry Wiles - could any of them get into the mix and run at the sharp end?
The "Hate to Lose" 'Killer Instinct'
Like all elite sportsmen / women, Jared Mees is out to win. Nothing unusual there. World class athletes, irrespective of their sport, aren't there to make up the numbers. They're out to be the best they can possibly be, to beat the competition, to achieve PBs, to re-write the history books.....assuming they've got what it takes. At present, Jared Mees seems to be operating on a different planet compared to his fellow competitors. He's a massive talent as a racer. That's a given. But, fundamental though that is, there's a lot more to it all than just that. He's a winning machine - and he absolutely hates to lose.
In interviews, Mees has to be about one of the most positive sounding athletes on the planet. It's not unusual for US athletes to be generally more comfortable at readily articulating a positive mental attitude and talking about success, achieving and winning. Michael Johnson, Ali and Kenny Roberts could hardly have been regarded as shrinking violets when it came to describing their strengths and articulating their goals. Normally, there never appears to be even a chink of doubt or a negative thought. But such was the nature of Mees's dominance last year that even he, with his unshakeable self confidence, still wondered whether he could ever repeat such a memorable year in 2018. In a pre-season interview he said:
"The scary thing for me is that I don't know if I can ever repeat such an historical, fun year. It's almost like - man, anything less than I did this (2017) year is going to be a little bit disappointing. But at the end of the day, we did it and not many riders and racers have ever done what we have done - and we'll try to go back next year and try to do the best we can and try to hit our marks." (Jared Mees)
So, how's he been doing at the half way point? Hitting his marks? Oh yeh. But he hasn't just hit them - he's obliterated them. He would have nailed a 2018 dirt bike grand slam at the very first opportunity on May 12 had it not been for the Atlanta disqualification for a contravention of tyre testing regulations. He won the first mile (Arizona) of the season and was already sitting with the necessary TT win (Daytona) and a half mile - well, actually, two half miles - Texas and Calistoga. And whilst he now can't better his 17 podiums of 2017 on account of what happened at Atlanta, he can equal it if he stays out of trouble and race fit.
Jared Mees: Winning Machine
It's his win rate that's way ahead of this point last year. Mees has won seven races from nine starts - a 78% win rate (and it could have been 8 from 9) - which is astonishing. Last year he had "only" won 4 races after 9 rounds - a 44% win rate.
On winning:
"Some people say that winning isn't everything. I beg to differ - I think winning is everything in my opinion. We work very hard to win and to be at the level we are. The 2017 Championship was one to remember for me because it was my 5th Championship. But man - the way we dominated the season on the new Indian motorcycle was just phenomenal." (Jared Mees)
Although anything can happen during a season, Mees is currently 59 points ahead, looking in imperious form and stacking up consecutive wins. Furthermore, there's nobody consistently challenging him. Henry Wiles is lying in second place in the Championship with one 2nd, two 3rds, two 4ths, two 5ths and two 7th place finishes - so he's scoring consistently. But he's not winning.
The only guy that's taken a race from Mees is Jeff Carver - at the Springfield Mile by 0.819 seconds. Carver also ran him very close (0.114 secs) at the Calistoga Half Mile but Mees took it. Kenny Coolbeth "inherited" Atlanta round 2 having been moved up from second. But It's also the nature of some of Jared Mees's wins that's remarkable. He's just won his fourth mile of the season (Oklahoma) out of five mile races so far, by nearly 13 seconds! He also bagged Arizona, Sacramento and The Red Mile, Lexington, Kentucky.
In the next flat track blog we'll take a closer look at the first nine races, analyse some of the other riders' performances against Mees's and examine how the other manufacturers have been fairing against the might of the Indian Scout FTR 750. (Basically, not that well!)
You can keep track of results and updates at American Flat Track and watch live streaming of all remaining nine rounds on FansChoice.tv
Next race: Lima Half Mile, June 30, 2018
📷 Dave Hoenig (Flat Track Fotos)
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You can check these products out at: https://www.redtorpedo.com/collections/accessories
Red Torpedo's fans and friends have been asking us to produce some wallets and we've now added a couple to our product range of accessories and gifts.
Bikers and leather go together - so the two new wallets are 100% cowhide with a wax and oil finish. The hide has a really soft feel and carries the distinctive logos for our two new sub brands - Ton Up and Mean Bird Motorcycles.
Ton Up celebrates cafe racer culture - the Brit "street racers" with their clip ons and rear sets that the Rockers and '59 Clubbers' of the 50s and 60s made so famous. The inspiration for Mean Bird Motorcycles lies in the individualism of custom bike building from bobbers and baggers to streetfighters and trackers.
They'll fit comfortably into any side pocket of a pair of jeans or inside pocket of a biker's jacket. The Mean Bird Motorcycles wallet comes in a tan hide and Ton Up in a really cool dark slate grey. Both are presented in an attractive presentation box embossed with the respective brand logos.The wallets are bi-fold style for notes and cards and are well in keeping with Red Torpedo's top deck quality standards.
A good buff's a useful piece of kit for any biker. They're so versatile and can be worn either as a scarf or neck warmer tucked into a motorcycle jacket, or as a neckerchief tied loosely round the neck. They're also brilliant as a balaclava under a helmet for added comfort and warmth - or as a hairband or bandana if you're more of a free renegade spirit or have been watching "Easy Rider" for the tenth time. There are many celebrity buff wearers to draw inspiration from so if you're cultivating a Keith Richards, 'Becksy,' or Johnny Depp look, (give this some careful consideration first though), you'd better start rockin' a buff! There are two new designs to choose from as part of the new Ton Up and Mean Bird Motorcycle brands - so again, check them out at the link above.
Once the preserve of mountaineers, beanies have become universally adopted and have gone through a few style variations along the way - such as slouch, peaked and bobble. Everyone loves a good beanie and extreme sports enthusiasts and their followers "go big" on them. It's no surprise that motorcycle racers and fans are no different. Bike racers like John McGuinness and Lee Johnston are well into them and apart from during the summer months, always seem to be kitted out in a beanie. Red Torpedo's beanies are made of a 55% Poly / 45% Acrylic mix and carry the Guy Martin Spannerskull logo. One is reversible and is in black and maroon, the other comes in grey.
Our caps come in both snapback and skip cap styles - the skip being the more traditional style baseball cap with a low rise front and curved peak. The snapback - with its straight front peak and high rise front originated from the baseball world but was soon adopted by hip-hop and R & B cultures. Now they're everywhere and have become popular with many riders and fans. Scott Redding, Rossi, Tai Woffinden and Lee Johnston are all into the style and more younger women are now going for a snapback as their cap of choice.
Most fans of subcultures - irrespective of whether they're into specific bands or music genres, WW2 piston engined aircraft, cars or bikes, love stickers and badges to express their individuality and communicate their passions to the wider world. Bikers definitely love them! Just check this fella out - spotted at an Ace Cafe London to Brighton Burn Up. He's the type of dude that's always up for a new badge!
Our embroidered sew-on badges come in various styles for garments such as denim and leather jackets. We also do a range of stickers - including Guy Martin's "Spannerskull" and John McGuinness's "McPint" logos for applying to hard surfaces.
Go to https://www.redtorpedo.com/collections/accessories to check out the full range of Red Torpedo's accessories and gifts.
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The venue again for this year's two wheeled feast is the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th April. The original dates were scheduled for early March but the Show had to be cancelled as the "Beast from the East" struck with a vengence and put most of Central Scotland under a "red alert" snow warning.
It's our "home show" so we'll be busy packing the Red Torpedo "stealth" wagon with loads of good gear and heading over to Ingliston for the weekend. The Scottish Bike Show is always a great day out for the whole family with loads to see and do - plus under 12s go free! It's packed with all the new bikes, a huge display of magnificent classics, a brilliant retail village with top biking gear and accessories, celebrities from the world of motorcycling, (including one of the greatest road racers in the world), fantastic non stop live stunt riding action, Honda's My First Licence for the kids - and much more!
New Motorcycles for 2018/19
Nearly all the major bike manufacturers will be in attendance showcasing their new metal to Scottish bike fans. The "Big Four" Japanese goliaths - Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki - will all be there plus Euro giants Ducati, (expect a V4 frenzy), KTM, (look out for the new 790), Triumph and smaller players CCM and Husqvarna. From the USA there'll be the earth shattering V-twin rumble of Harley Davidson and Indian - (FTR1200 concept bike?) Only BMW, Moto Guzzi and Norton look conspicuous by their absence. Further exhibitors may be confirmed nearer the opening date. So, whether you're looking for a new £20k V4 210 bhp superbike, a commuter bike to beat the train queues or a starter bike to get you into motorcycling, this is where to get a feel (and a seat on!) all the latest models. In addition, Michael Dunlop's Senior TT winning GSX-R1000 will be at the Show.
Gear / retail village
The retail area is always buzzing with show goers on the lookout for a top one-off show bargain. Dealers will be punting their gear in both "performance" and "lifestyle" bike wear and if you're keen to add a bit of an edge to your own bike, there'll be an extensive range of aftermarket parts - from performance 'cans,' fairings and screens, to hard and soft luggage and tyres. Red Torpedo will be on stand H176 in the Highland Hall - so drop by and say hello to Kenny and the team. They'll have loads of one-off discounted deals on the go especially for the Show. Unfortunately, they won't have the incomparable Guy Martin on the stand ... that would be a show stopper - but they'll probably have this tee shirt he's wearing in the photo! Oooph.....
Guy Martin - and a load of tyres.
Classic Bikes
The "Classic Bike" magazine hall will showcase Scotland's largest collection of classic motorcycles drawn from over the past eight decades. Members from over forty classic bike clubs will be proudly displaying their finest classics (and empty Solvol Autosol tubes!) - so there will be literally hundreds of pristine classic bikes to reminisce and ogle over.
Celebrity Biking Legends
There are always some really cracking biking celebrities lined up for the Scottish Show - so we've absolutely no idea what's gone wrong this year. No... there are two great racing legends who'll all be chewing the cud on the Knockhill Stage plus for the re-scheduled show, road racing 'royalty' is paying a visit in the form of 14 times TT winner Ian Hutchinson. Hutchy will be attending the Show on both Saturday and Sunday - so don't miss this opportunity to meet and speak to one of the greatest road racers of the modern era.
The Knockhill Stage is where the celebrity interviews, announcements, competitions, quizes and general "show banter" will take place. (No kareoke this year though). First up is ex GP and Isle of Man TT racer Alex George. A proud Glaswegian, Alex rode on the GP circuits in the 70s and podiumed three times with several other top six finishes in 500cc, 350cc and 250cc GPs. He was a class act on the roads too bagging three Isle of Man TTs with his finest win being the Classic TT race of 1979 - when he triumphed over none other than the mighty Mike Hailwood by 3.4 seconds riding a Honda Britain. Alex will be supported by another racing great - Niall Mackenzie - ex 3 times consecutive British Superbike Champion, GP racer and Father of racing brothers Taylor and Tarran, who are both British champions in their own rights (Superstock and Supersport respectively).
Live Stunt Shows
The Scottish Motorcycle Show has invariably played host to top stunt riders - like UK, European and World stunt champion Kevin Carmichael. Kevin can't make the show this year but nevertheless, the organisers have lined up non stop live action over the two days in the form of the Scottish Stunt Championship. This will bring together the best British and Irish stunt riders in one arena to trade their top "shapes and moves" in a bid to become the 2018 Scottish Stunt Freestyle Champion. Other entertainment lined up for the event includes five times world record holder James Dylan's FMX Stunt Show.
Essential Show Information
Where and when: Royal Highland Centre, Ingilston, Edinburgh EH28 8NB - adjacent to Edinburgh Airport and the A8. Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th April, 9.00am - 5.00pm.
Prices: adults £13.00 advance booking or £17.00 at the door. Under 12s go free accompanied by a paying adult. Tickets at: www.scottishmotorcycleshow.com
Parking at the venue: cars £5.00, motorcycles free - (secure helmet storage available).
(Photography: Red Torpedo)
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This is Red Torpedo's first excursion into the world of flat track, or dirt track, racing and we couldn't have signed a bigger superstar. Mees is rapidly becoming a phenomenon in the the flat track world and some leading authorities on the sport already believe that he could become the greatest dirt track racer of all time. He's currently the number one flat track rider in the world and has just launched his defence of the 2018 Grand National Twins Championship by winning the Daytona TT.
The reigning 2017 AMA Flat Track twins champion joins an elite line-up of world class road racers that Red Torpedo sponsors in the UK. Bill Gordon, CEO of Red Torpedo said,
"We are over the moon to be working with Jared this year. He joins our fantastic posse of world renowned racers, our "Red Riders" - John McGuinness, Guy Martin, Conor Cummins and Lee Johnston - all of whom are delighted to have him on board. Flat track is the most exciting and challenging motorcycle racing sport on the USA calendar. As a brand that pushes the boundaries in terms of our design and production values and is rooted in motorcycle racing, the fit with Jared Mees in the USA is perfect."
On the hook-up with Red Torpedo Mees said,
"I'm thrilled to be part of the Red Torpedo brand. I love the gear. My team works very hard and to have my own line of signature speed apparel - alongside of some of the fastest racers on the planet - is very cool."
Jared Mees
Born in Pennsylvania USA in 1986, Mees has been racing for 25 of his 31 years. He's currently the number one flat track rider in the world having won five national championships, four of which have been in the past six years. He's also a double X Games medalist - winning gold in 2016 and silver the following year - and he won the 2014 Superprestigio Open final. His 2017 season was nothing short of phenomenal winning ten of eighteen rounds and standing on the podium seventeen times - with six second places and only one third. He also completed an elusive in-season Dirt Track 'Grand Slam' winning mile, half mile, short track and TT races. (A flat track TT has to include at least one right hand turn and a jump). For 2018 he once again looks set to storm America's dirt track ovals on his Indian Scout FTR 750 twin.
Flat track Racing
The USA has a rich tradition in motorcycle sport, from board racing in the early 1900s, to today's Supercross events staged in major sporting stadia across the country. Flat track is the oldest, longest running and most traditional motorcycle racing series in USA. In terms of heritage and influence within US motorcycle racing, it has had the greatest impact of all forms of motorised two wheeled sport.
Flat track is also the motorcycle sport that is most inherently American and over the decades has generated a whole raft of all American heroes. Many eventually became legendary GP stars like Kenny Roberts, "Fast" Freddie Spencer, Wayne Rainey and Eddie Lawson, all of whom "learned their trade" of drift steering vicious, two stroke grand prix motorcycles of that era from their time spent mastering mile and half mile dirt track ovals.
It's hugely visceral, exciting and dangerous with twins riders drafting each other at around 135 mph on mile oval straights and diving into the corners elbow-to-elbow at nearly 100 mph. The majority of races go right down to the wire and it's this fierce competitive spirit and exciting visual spectacle that's so irresistible for fans.
Flat track grew in popularity in the 30s and following WW2, the sport began to really evolve. In the 50s it picked up further momentum when the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) took hold of it and established the first AMA national flat track championship. It then went through a decline in the 80s when Supercross took off and fans were filling massive sporting arenas across the country.Today, flat track is definitely on the rise again under the direction of London born Michael Lock, CEO of AMA Pro Racing - the organisation that has masterminded the overhaul of AMA Flat Track. Racing classes, schedules, events and venues have been recently revised plus Indian's return with their FTR 750 Scout has created massive interest and rekindled the old rivalry with Harley Davidson. Indeed, Indian's "Wrecking Crew" of Mees, Bryan Smith and Brad Baker cleaned up in the 2017 AMA Twins Championship taking the top three positions. In addition, a two part broadcasting package consisting of live streaming of all races on FansChoice.tv and one hour highlights programmes on major broadcast partner NBCSN has attracted new and younger audiences. For 2018, NBCSN has moved coverage from Thursday evenings to a prime time weekend afternoon slot within two weeks of each event which will hopefully double or even triple viewing figures. Other major and exciting initiatives are planned for this season.
Red Torpedo Jared Mees Collection
Red Torpedo will be releasing two signature series Jared Mees tee shirts in the UK in April. The first, called simply "Flat Tracker,' is a cool, laid back design featuring the American flag in the background and with a bad ass graphic of the man himself burning it up on his Indian FTR 750 Scout. The second design - and the one that Jared had most personal input into, is called the "Hate to Lose" tee. There's loads of detail in this shirt with outstanding graphics from Red Torpedo's in-house designer Robin Leishman. So, stay tuned for further details on these tees.
We'll be staying on the pace with AMA Flat Track this season and reporting on Jared's defence of his title - so keep your eye on our social media platforms for a lot more on flat track during this year: we're going to be 'keepin' it sideways" as well as "between the hedges!" You can also keep track of results and updates at American Flat Track and watch live streaming of all eighteen rounds on FansChoice.tv
📷 Carlos Amoedo
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We'll be trading our range of premium quality gear for bike fanatics, motorcycle racing fans and petrol heads at the main trading area - "Destination Daytona" in the main lot at Bruce Rossmeyers Daytona Harley Davidson.
There's loads of new gear for US show goers plus we're going to be launching an exciting new line during the Show. We can't say much more about it until it goes official - so stay tuned to our social media platforms for more details.
Wall-to-wall entertainment
If variety and non stop entertainment's your thing, Daytona Bike Week definitely delivers. There's a mega amount of action in the form of bike shows, events and general entertainment - from free gigs, street festivals, bike exhibitions and marts to bike blessings, swimsuit contests and wrestling - from the "world famous" coleslaw variety, to arm and "micro midget." Band wise there's something for everyone - from "Microwave Dave and the Nukes' to 'Bath Street Zombies!'
Bike Shows & Meets
The sheer number of shows and bike marts during Bike Week is almost overwhelming. Show goers can while the time away at the Full Throttle Classic Bike Show with over 2000 bikes entered for this year or if you're a custom fiend, the Rats Hole Custom Bike and Chopper Show might be more your thing. Although most bikes on show are inevitably US-style, there is a nod in the direction of Euro aesthetics in the form of the annual Cafe Racer and Classic Show. If you regard engines of less than, eh.... about 1800cc as mere child's play, then head for the V8 parade: the sound of thunder will be in town in the form of V8 motorcycles and trikes. Anyone for a 125cc electric commuter bike? Bike Week's largest swap meet with loads of parts and accessories always attracts a huge crowd and demo rides will be available from some of the big players like Harley Davidson and Indian.
Main Street is the place to hang out if you want to people watch and enjoy a hit of semi controlled mayhem. It's difficult to convey the craziness and frenetisism of the overall spectacle that awaits the first time visitor to Main Street - it's a veritable melting pot of bikes, booze and barely clad backsides. Endless processions of choppers, bobbers, baggers and cruisers rumble along amidst a seething mass of people cruising the sidewalks between lines of parked bikes.
Racing
Amongst all the brouhaha centred around Main Street, Daytona Bike Week always offers motorcycle racing enthusiasts a serious hit of top AMA race action on three different surfaces: dirt, clay and asphalt.
Dirt fans are treated to high adrenaline fuelled action in the form of round ten (17 in total) of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship on March 10th. The world's best exponents of Supercross will be "rubin' elbows" on a track designed by seven times 450cc MX champ, five times 450cc Supercross champ and all time motocross "GOAT," Ricky Carmichael.
AFT American Flat Track kick starts a new 18 round season with The Daytona TT on the 15th March and this year's race will be run on an improved circuit on the infield of the International Speedway. The new "bigger, better and faster" track has been created by ex racer Chris Carr and is going to be more exciting for riders and spectators. Corners have been widened out to be faster and a new bigger jump created. Last year's champion and Indian rider Jared Mees will be going all out for a second successive title chased along by his Indian "Wrecking Crew" team mates and championship runners-up, Bryan Smith and Brad Baker. Mees had a phenomenal season last year winning ten races and standing on the podium a total of seventeen times! It's also going to be fascinating to see if Harley Davidson can respond to Indian's overall dominance in 2017.
The racing always rounds off with the world famous Daytona 200 held at the tri-oval International Speedway on March 17th. "America's most historic motorcycle race" has been won by such US legends as Gary Nixon, Roberts, Spencer, Russell, Schwantz, Hayden and Ben Bostrum - not forgetting Euro duo Jarno Saarinen and Ago in the early 70s and Brit Chaz Davies of Wales in 2008.
Daytona Bike Week is from 9th-18th March and if you're going, you'll find Red Torpedo's merchandising stand in "Destination Daytona" - at Bruce Rossmeyers Daytona Harley Davidson.
]]>Rumours began to circulate after McGuinness was photographed astride a Norton last November at the "Motorcycle Live" Show at the NEC Birmingham. The Twitterati started cheeping and the loyal road racing fan base began speculating - and hoping. Now they've been rewarded with the news that they had hoped for: the 'King of the Mountain' has unfinished business to attend to and he's found his mojo and race face again. Other rides could follow including the Mugen Shinden (TT Zero), and Lightweight and/or Supersport rides - but again, these still have to be confirmed.
The 2017 North West 200
Since his horrific accident at the NW 200 last May, McGuinness has gone through a mentally and physically torrid time. Through no fault of his own, he had to bale off his Honda Fireblade breaking four vertebrae, four ribs and his fibula and tibula - the latter being a particularly nasty injury. He's had to grow 5cm of bone back on his right leg whilst lugging around 5kg of "scaffolding" in the form of a cage. The cause was eventually acknowledged by Honda Racing as an ECU problem which resulted in his machine accelerating whilst the throttle was rolled off at the super fast Primrose Hill section of the NW200.
Following the accident, there was a huge groundswell of support for the man who remains the most successful TT racer still around. McGuinness is rightly revered by race fans and fellow professionals alike - universally admired for his down-to-earth, self deprecating demeanour as well as his consummate mastery in riding 210 bhp superbikes at mind bending speeds. He's vastly experienced having ridden competitively in all parts of the globe and on all types of machines - from singles to V4s - and although primarily regarded as a roads specialist, he was more than handy on circuits being crowned British 250cc champion in 1999. But it's his mastery of the 37.7 mile mountain circuit on the lump of rock sticking out the middle of the Irish Sea that has, for him, been career defining.
TT 2016: John 'at work' during Superbike qualifying.
Honda no more.....
Over recent years, McGuinness and Honda have been inextricably linked. There's been no finer servant or loyal ambassador over the years to the mighty "H" and along with other Honda TT greats, both past and present, (incl, amongst others, Hailwood, J Dunlop, McCallen, Hutchy, Anstey) John has made a colossal contribution to Honda's overall dominance in terms of total manufacturer TT wins. He posted the first 130 mph average lap in TT centenary year (2007) on a Fireblade, then broke through the 131 mph barrier again on a Fireblade. Sixteen of his 23 TT wins have been on Hondas - with HM Plant, Honda TT Legends, Padgetts and Honda Racing. Make that eighteen if the Mugen Shinden electric wins are added. The Chrysalis AMDM 720 win in 2000 and four Yamaha wins (three on R1s and one on an R6) make up his total of twenty-three. But a clean break has now been made with the Japanese leviathan and John is completely focused on the new challenge ahead.
TT 2014: John on the Padgett's Valvoline Supersport CBR600RR
Norton
The last time Norton won a TT was around a quarter of a century ago when Hawick's finest, the late great Steve Hislop, powered his way to victory on the rotary 588cc in a head-to-head shootout with Carl Fogarty. It was voted the greatest ever TT in a poll by fans. Foggy eventually come off second best in the encounter having ridden the pants off his Loctite Yamaha OW01, but he set a new lap record on the last lap of 123.61 mph that stood for seven years until Jim Moodie broke it in 1999. That's how good a road racer the four times WSBK champion was in his day.
Under the direction of CEO Stuart Garner, who purchased the brand in 2008, Norton has made huge progress at the TT since their inaugural outing in 2009. Taking on the might of Honda and BMW alone is a massive undertaking but each year the British squad has made impressive progress - from posting a 122.8 mph lap with the SG1 in 2012 to their 130.8 mph lap last year with Josh Brookes piloting the SG6. Brookes has again been signed for this year and will be McGuinness's team mate on the SG7.
One for the Road....
Just a final thought - if you're heading to the London MCN Motorcycle Show (16-18 February) at the London Excel, make sure you pop into the "Cockle Pickers Arms" for a chinwag with the pub landlord. Yes - McG himself will be running his own "pub" in London's Excel. He might not have that much experience in pulling pints but he knows how to quaff a few. Granted - Al Murray has a few more gags in his repertoire but he can't live with McG's knowledge and passion for bikes. So, bring the pipe and the St Bruno ready rubbed - the Morecambe Missile's going to be chewing the cud about all things bike - from 2 strokes and four strokes, V twins and parallel twins, in-line fours to V4s...plus the old chestnuts like quick release TT fuel caps, "Jock" sliders and "chaffing avoidance." He'll also have some on board footage of himself doing his thing round the mountain circuit which he'll add commentary to plus a few bikes from his personal collection. So, get yourself down there to wish him all the best for this year!
Photography: Peter Faragher (www.wpfotos.co.uk)
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