January 2003 All Moto news (from the web)

* (January 28) From H-D: Harley-Davidson motorcycle sales recorded an 18% growth in Australia/New Zealand over the previous year. Sales rose to 3124, up significantly from 2654 in 2001. Proving the mettle of the new and innovative motorcycles; Buell sales also grew by 18% from 144 to 170 motorcycles in 2002. The most sought after Harley-Davidson model was the Fat Boy (418 units), followed by the Heritage Softail Classic (332 units) and then the Softail Standard at 291. Not far behind were the V-Rod (220 units) and the affordable Sportster 883 (141 units sold).

* (January 28) World superbike champ and new Aprilia MotoGP entrant Colin Edwards welcomed his daughter into the world a few days ago. Gracie and mother Alyssia are doing fine.

* (January 28) Race notes on Aussie Chad Reed's challenge in the world supercross series: Chad has linked up with Ezra Lusk to provide some of the most exciting racing of the season. Their back and forth battle at Phoenix for 20 laps was won by Ezra. And last weeks qualifying heat might have been one of the best heat race battles of all time. (Also won by Ezra) Last week Chad got buried at the start then went down before placing a disappointing sixth losing the points lead to "RC”. At the opening round at Anaheim, he became the first Australian to win an AMA supercross, and the first 125 East champion since Damon Bradshaw in 1990 to come off the 125 championship and win his first 250 race in his rookie 250 season.

* (January 24) The Italian-made Vertemati range of MXers, enduro bikes and motards is becoming available in Australia. The 450 to 600cc machines range in price from under $17,000 to over $21,000. Enquiries to Dale Schmidtchen at [email protected]

* (January 24) Suzuki's World 250cc motocross champion Mickael Pichon has escaped the appalling weather conditions in Europe to train in California in preparation for his third successive world title on a Suzuki, and if training goes to plan, then he may well decide to enter a couple of AMA Supercross rounds as well. Helping Pichon in his pre-season training is former multi-world champion Eric Geboers, who will be overseeing the reigning champion's training regime and physical preparation.

* (January 23) The extraordinary long-lived Royal Enfield marque (which was established in England in the 1880s and has been producing bikes out of India for 45 years) has a new Australian distributor and has added electric start to its single-cylinder line-up. The 500cc Classic is learner-legal in NSW and costs $7,490 with electric start, or $6,600 with kick-start only.

* (January 23) The 2003 Yamaha Formula Xtreme TT Series will be a part of Network Ten’s highly successful Sunday afternoon motorsport extravaganza time slot along with the newly-signed World F1 Championship and the V8 Supercars. The one-hour shows will go to air as delayed telecasts in the 12.30 pm time slot. See www.formula-xtreme.com.au for more series info.

* (January 21) Australian teenage grand prix motorcycle racer Casey Stoner has signaled his winning intentions in the first 125cc test of the year in Europe, setting faster times than a former world champion and several GP winners. Stoner, 17, from the Hunter region in New South Wales, set the fastest time on the second day of a three-day test at Jerez in Spain. Also on track were Stoner's Italian team boss and five-time GP winner Lucio Cecchinello, on a 2003-model factory Aprilia bike against Stoner's 2002 version; Spain's 1999 125cc world champion Emilio Alzamora on a Derbi machine; and Spanish teenager and triple GP winner Daniel Pedrosa on a Honda. Stoner was third fastest on the first day of the test, topped by Cecchinello and Pedrosa, while on the final day he was second behind Cecchinello. This year's 125cc world championship is expected to be fiercely competitive with three former world champions in the field, while eight of the top riders have won 50 GPs between them. Stoner last year became the youngest rider to finish in the top five at a 250cc GP and the youngest to qualify on the first two rows of the grid in that category.