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Faster and Faster Honda Isle Of Man TT Motorcycle News News

Honda RC213V-S to race at the Isle of Man this year


Honda's street-legal MotoGP-replica, the RC213V-S has a mere 159bhp in stock form. Add a £10,000 race kit though, and power goes up to 200+ bhp, which should be probably be useful around the Isle of Man circuit…

Bruce Anstey, from New Zealand, will race a Honda RC213V-S at the Isle of Man this year. The Valvoline Racing by Padgett’s Motorcycles team has confirmed that Bruce will have a race-prepared version of the exotic V4 for the RST Superbike and PokerStars Senior TT races. Anstey has yet to test the machine but will practice on it, along with the superbike-spec Fireblade that he rode to his first six-lap Superbike race victory last year. "It's always been my dream to ride a MotoGP bike at the TT and this is as close as I will ever get. Clive is the only person in the world who could put something like this together and he hasn’t just pulled a bike out of the crate and said we are racing it. Clive and the team have done a lot of work to the bike to make it ready for the TT," says Bruce.

While the standard RC213V-S only has a mere 159 horsepower, that figure goes up to more than 200bhp with a £10,000 race kit fitted, which includes a titanium exhaust and a special ECU. "The RCV should be an absolute weapon because it has loads of power but it feels as nimble as a 600. It should be stable too as it’s over two inches longer than a Fireblade but is still really small and compact. I am really looking forward to seeing how it handles through the quick corners because it will be able to turn so fast!" says Anstey. "I love Bruce to bits and I wanted to give him the best motorcycle in the world to ride. That’s what this bike is all about," adds Clive Padgett, team boss at Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Motorcycles.

Preparing the RCV213V-S for the world’s toughest motorcycle race will be a challenge for Clive Padgett and his Valvoline-backed squad. "It has been a very difficult project to pull together. We have had to beef the bike up for the TT course and we can’t get anything off the shelf, so everything has had to be made bespoke. Things like the wheels, the K-Tech forks, the rear shocks, the brakes and the radiator guards have all had to be specially made," says Clive. Well, we're sure the bike will do very well at the IoM TT this year – we wish Bruce, and his super-exotic Honda, all the best!
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Electric Faster and Faster Isle Of Man TT Motorcycle News News Victory

Victory RR electric superbike unveiled, will race in the 2016 TT Zero


The new Victory RR electric superbike boasts 174bhp and 240Nm of torque, while weighing 240kg. Should pack a pretty hefty punch! We won't be surprised if it wins the TT Zero this year

Victory Motorcycles have unveiled their all-new battery-powered electric superbike, the Victory RR, which will race at the Isle of Man TT this year. The bike, developed over the past year using data gathered during the 2015 TT Zero, will be ridden by William Dunlop. 'One way we continuously push ourselves in performance is through our Victory Racing initiatives. The Isle of Man TT is one of the most challenging motorcycle races in the world, so of course we have to be there,' says Alex Hultgren, Director of Marketing for Victory Motorcycles.

The Victory RR, which weighs 240 kilos, uses a hybrid chassis comprised of steel-tube trellis-type and composite monocoque sections. The bike is powered by a water-cooled Parker GVM 3-phase AC electric motor, which produces 130kW (174bhp) and 240Nm of torque. The motor gets its juice from a Brammo Power lithium-ion battery which has a voltage rating of 370+. The Victory RR rides on 17-inch wheels shod with 120/70 (front) and 200/60 (rear) Metzeler tyres.

The Victory RR is also supposed to act as a testbed for production-spec electric bikes, which Victory hope will be a part of their line-up in the not-too-distant future. 'Our electric Empulse RR race bike placed third on the podium in the TT Zero race last year, which we were thrilled with. Using the data we gathered on our laps of the TT course has helped us to develop a new battery module as well as improving the powertrain. We feel like we can return to the TT with more performance as well as being able to test this technology for our future products,' says Brian Wismann, Victory Racing's team manager.
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Faster and Faster Isle Of Man TT Motorcycle News News Suter Two-stroke

Suter MMX 500 to make its racing debut at the 2016 Isle of Man TT

Suter MMX 500 Suter MMX 500
Suter MMX 500 Suter MMX 500
With close to 200bhp and a top speed of more than 300kph, the Suter MMX 500 could be a force to reckon with around the formidable Isle of Man mountain circuit. IoM TT fans really have something spectacular to look forward to this year

Suter Racing have confirmed that the MMX500, which is powered by a 576cc, 195bhp two-stroke V4, will race for the first time at the Isle of Man TT races this year. The bike, named as 'the most desirable motorcycle' at the EICMA show in Milan last year, will participate in the Superbike and Senior TT Races. "The fact that the Suter MMX has a 580cc two-stroke engine evokes almost hysterical emotion with the association of the wild days of 500cc Grand Prix racing, where legends like Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Gardner, to name just a few, regularly fought for podiums. The furious, explosive power of the former two-stroke bikes is still memorable for real fans and is considered the golden age of motorcycle racing," says Suter CEO, Eskil Suter.

"Suter has awakened the charismatic two-stroke 500s era with the MMX 500, bringing those GP bikes back to life in a modern context. We are equipping the MMX 500 engine with high-end components, of which one could only dream of back in the days of 500cc racing, including an electronic fuel injection, for example, and counter-rotating crankshafts," says Eskil. "Suter has built up knowledge and understanding on the specifications in recent years, by constructing modules, complete motorcycles, or as supplier to all Grand Prix classes. We have a phenomenal good power to weight ratio – the MMX 500 rides like a bike with rocket propulsion. For us, this is the perfect testing ground and that's the reason why we want to go to the toughest road race in the world. The Senior TT, over six laps of the 60km long Snaefell Mountain Course, is just something for the toughest guys among the racers," he adds.

Suter will soon announce the names of the two former TT winners who will race the MMX 500 at the IoM TT this year. The Swiss company is building 99 units of the MMX 500, each priced at CHF 120,000 / £85,000 / US$125,000 / €109,000. For more information, visit the Suter website.
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A New Film On The World’s Most Dangerous Race

IOM TT: A New Film On The World's Most Dangerous Race
The Isle of Man TT has claimed the lives of 246 competitors since 1911. It’s the most dangerous sporting event in the world—but year after year, the racers return.

We’ve all seen the GoPro footage on YouTube and the heart-stopping crashes. But no one has examined the fatal attraction of the IOM TT: just why do the riders risk their lives?

Now Studio Kippenberger has answered that question with a stunning short film, titled simply IOM TT. The Berlin-based production company is legendary in automotive circles, creating otherworldly atmospheres with drones and floating ‘gimbal’ camera rigs.

IOM TT: A New Film On The World's Most Dangerous Race
Kippenberger has pulled together the world’s best crew for this film, and the result is simply amazing.

Motorcyclist magazine agrees: “…truly stunning photography and painstakingly arranged slow-mo sequences that perfectly capture the drama and danger of threading hedgerows at 180 mph.” And motojournalist Wes Siler hailed IOM TT as “… probably the most compelling 15 minutes of motorcycling I’ve ever watched.”

The IOM TT film is now available for download or streaming on Vimeo for just $4.99. Highly recommended.