Ducati insists this bike is all about ‘absolute comfort’ but with superbike-esque handling and top of the range technology, and with it’s jaw droppingly good looks it’s certain to be another run away success for the Italian factory.

The Diavel uses a testastretta engine and comes in with a weight of 207kg (456lb).

Check out the official pic below from the Ducati website and some spy shots taken a few months ago.

The Yamaha R1 that MotoGP star Jorge Lorenzo will be riding on Fridays Parade lap has arrived on the Isle of Man.

The specially prepared bike features a unique paint scheme designed by ATM designer and MCN competition winner John Holland.

Lorenzo is making his first trip to the Isle of Man and will ride the parade lap alongside MCN’s Marc Potter and GP legend Angel Nieto.

Yamaha will also be releasing 12 limited editions of the WarrioR1 through George White Yamaha. Read the full story here.

Jorge Lorenzo's Isle of Man WarrioR1

ATM designer John Holland won MCN’s Lorenzo TT livery competition. Designers were asked to create the livery for Jorge Lorenzo’s R1 that he will be riding on a demo lap around the prestigious Isle of Man TT circuit. Jorge Lorenzo said: “It wasn’t an easy choice because the designs were all so good.” He continued: “I’m really looking forward to riding on on the famous track and now my bike will look very cool.” MCN adding: “The R1 looks stunning in the black, warrior livery and it wasn’t an easy competition to judge!”

John has won 2 VIP Fiat Yamaha passes to the British GP at Silverstone and also has the chance to meet Lorenzo.

John is no stranger to livery design having come second out of five thousand contestants for the Yamaha WSB livery competition in 2008 in which he designed the paint scheme for Nori Haga’s YZF R1 also winning a pair of WSB VIP passes in the process. “After the disappointment of coming second in the last competition this well and truly makes up for it! This is one of my greatest achievements, almost as special as my best ever design for the TwitGP M1 bike“, he joked.

John also does custom helmet designs, race livery designs for race teams and race replica designs for road bikes. His website will be ready soon but if you would like a quote in the mean time, please contact him directly.

Haga's WSB 10th anniversary R1

Customer Yamaha Marlboro R1 Design

And who could forget the great TwitGP M1 bike

So come and get involved in the TwitGP. The worlds first virtual MotoGP race.

And if you have no idea what we’re on about then don’t get your knickers in a twit, check out what it’s all about here.

Follow all the action along with a host of Motogp celebs at http://twitter.com/twitgp

Click image to enlarge.

Enjoy!

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A track day is an organised event where you are allowed to ride your own road bike or specially prepared track bike around safe motor racing circuits and away from public roads and without any form of speed restriction.  In order to do a track day you will need a fully working and road legal, safe motorbike and a full licence. You will also have to pay a fee to the organisers who will be holding the trackday on the race circuit.

How it works
There are various formats for the this, but they usually consist of up to three groups corresponding to the rider’s level of experience e.g. Novice / Intermediate / Advanced. One group at a time will then take to the track for up to 20 minute sessions and these sessions will alternate throughout the day. Riders use their own motorbikes, however a growing number of tracks and organisers can provide bike hire if required, while quite often, extra facilities such as instructor guidance, tyre sales and even advice on suspension sales and set-up are available.

Primarily track days are all about having fun on a closed racing circuit without speed limits which is also much safer than riding on the road and you can learn more about the capabilities of your bike and your riding.

As motorbike performance increases, a track day can prove an invaluable means of improving your skills necessary to properly control your motorcycle at or nearing their full potential in relative safety. It is common feedback from track day riders that it helps them define the massive distinction between road and track riding/driving styles and as a result, through improved skill levels and attitudes, can have a positive impact on their road safety.

Track days are invaluable learning experiences that can teach you more about your machine and your riding abilities in one day compared to months of riding on the roads. So get out there and have fun. Most importantly remember its not a race and try respect other riders out there on the circuit.

The mainstream media includes the Italian in a list alongside the likes of Usain Bolt, Roger Federer and Michael Phelps.

As is the norm at the end of the year, and also the decade, the world media has offered its view on the top athletes of the last ten years. With seven premier class World Championship titles since his entry into the category back in 2000, Rossi has secured his spot at the pinnacle of the sport and is now considered one of the best sport stars of the past decade.

Assessment methods vary; in some cases the athletes themselves vote and set the rankings, while in others it is the readers of prominent publications who decide who has the honour of being considered the best.

In Italy, Rossi tops the rankings. Over 40% of Gazzetta dello Sport readers consider the 30 year-old to be the best, well ahead of Swiss tennis star Roger Federer (13.8%) and Olympic and World 100m and 200m champion Usain Bolt (8.8%), with Michael Schumacher (7.4%) and the Italian national football team (6.3%) also featuring in the poll.

There was a similar trend in Tuttosport, with Rossi taking a sizeable 48.6% of the vote, and Bolt 12.4% and Federer 11%.

In Spain, daily El Mundo registered nearly 30,000 votes from readers with Rossi taking second place with 17% of the share, behind Federer (27.1%) and ahead of Phelps (12.2%).

El Pais asked the athletes themselves to choose the top stars of 2009, with Rossi coming second with 16 votes, behind Bolt who amassed 47. FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi came third with seven votes, while Rossi beat Spanish stars such as NBA basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies, Marc Gasol, as well as cyclists Samuel Sánchez, Carlos Sastre and Alejandro Valverde. Rossi also came ahead of Spanish motorcyclists Toni Bou and Marc Coma, and tennis players David Ferrer and Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Journalists of the prestigious French paper L’Equipe also developed a specific method for deciding their selection, in which Rossi placed third behind Bolt and Federer, but ahead of Messi and World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb.

In 1988 at the age of 14, Edwards stopped competing in motocross races, having become distracted by the normal demands of being a teenager. However in 1990, Edwards and his father attended a motorcycle road race event in north Texas, and this inspired him to attempt road racing.

In 1991 Edwards began competing in amateur road-racing events locally, but rapidly progressed to national events. He was undefeated in every amateur event he entered that year, and won numerous national amateur titles. His performance was sufficiently impressive for him to be offered a sponsored ride with South West Motorsports, and Edwards turned professional just before the commencement of the 1992 season.

In his first professional season (1992), Edwards entered the AMA 250cc National Series. He won five of the nine races and the national title over second-place earner Kenny Roberts, Jr.. In 1993 and 1994 Edwards rode for Vance and Hines on a Yamaha in the AMA Superbike Championship, earning 6th and 5th place overall in those years.

In 1995, Edwards was offered a factory position with Yamaha in the Superbike World Championship. His results in 1995 were disappointing as Edwards struggled to adjust to the demands of competing in a global competition, and he missed the last two meetings after team-mate Yasutomo Nagai perished in a crash at Assen. In 1996 he achieved a greatly improved sixth overall in the Superbike World championship.

1997 was a disappointing year for Edwards as he was forced to withdraw from competing due to injuries sustained in the fifth round of the Superbike World Championship. He was replaced in the Yamaha World Superbike Team and was unable to negotiate a position in the 500cc Grand Prix competition. Fortunately Edwards was able to conclude a deal with Honda to ride the RC45 motorcycle in the 1998 Superbike World Championship. Edwards finished fifth overall that year, and earned his first solo international victories with a double win at Monza followed by his 3rd win of the season at Brands Hatch.

In 1999, Edwards managed several more victories for Honda (including leading teammate Aaron Slight home twice at Brands Hatch, giving Honda a rare Double-1-2) and ended the season in second overall position, behind champion Carl Fogarty. In 2000, Edwards rode the new Honda VTR-1000 SP1/RC51 twin cylinder motorcycle to overall victory in the Superbike World Championship after Yamaha rider and points leader, Noriyuki Haga was disqualified for testing positive for a banned substance. Edwards came second to Ducati rider, Troy Bayliss in 2001 but reclaimed the title from Bayliss in 2002 in a dramatic fashion, clinching the championship in the final race of the season in Imola (Italy).

After winning his 2nd Superbike World Championship Edwards moved to MotoGP in 2003. He rode for the greatly troubled Aprilia team on the RS3 Cube, and his only notable accomplishment in that otherwise dismal year was avoiding serious injury when his machine caught fire at Sachsenring (See video below). Yet Edwards, known in all motorcycle paddocks as a great bike tester, tried to no avail to help lift the struggling team.

2004 saw Edwards riding for Telefonica Movistar Honda, and he achieved his first MotoGP podium position at Donington. Edwards finished the season in fifth overall position.

In 2005, Edwards moved to Gauloises Yamaha factory team as the teammate to the world champion Valentino Rossi. His best result for 2005 was a second position at Laguna Seca, behind compatriot Nicky Hayden. He finished the season fourth overall.

For 2006 Colin Edwards continued riding for the Camel Yamaha factory team onboard the YZR-M1 with teammate and good friend Valentino Rossi in the MotoGP championship. The factory Yamaha team had a troubling start to their racing year with “chatter” problems and tire wear issues.

The factory team built a new chassis for the 2006 spec YZR-M1 to combat the aforementioned problems. Rossi took to the new chassis quickly and rode to victory at his home race of Mugello for the fifth consecutive time since 2001. Edwards didn’t have the time to “gel” with the new chassis early in the season, which resulted in him sticking with the older version for the Mugello race. He finished 12th.

At Assen he took the lead at the start, and led until Nicky Hayden passed him on the penultimate lap. He caught back up to his countryman on the last lap, and managed to pass him a few corners from the end. When Hayden attempted to pass him again in the final chicane, Edwards ran across the AstroTurf and lost control of his bike, which briefly continued on without him. He remounted to finish 13th. Hayden, who ran across the gravel on the final chicane himself, managed to keep control of his bike and won the race. At his home race, the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, Edwards finished ninth suffering tire problems in the scorching heat like his teammate Valentino Rossi. At Estoril he qualified second and finished fourth in one of his most competitive showings of the season.

2007 brought great prospects early on. Colin entered his second of a two year deal with Yamaha factory team, now known as Fiat Yamaha riding the new Yamaha YZR-M1 800cc. Yet after starting second on the grid in Istanbul, a first lap crash caused by Olivier Jacque took him out. At Le Mans Colin took pole position, but made a slow start and gambled on switching to wet tyres in damp conditions. He did this too early, and by the time it was wet enough his tyres had shredded, forcing him to pit again and finish at the back of the field.

Fiat Yamaha was having problems with the M1 and the Michelin tires, Edwards along with teammate Valentino Rossi both struggled to find competitive set up nearly the entire season to run up front. Edwards best result of the season was 2nd (equaling his career best in MotoGP) at the wet British Grand Prix at Donington Park.

For the 2008 season, Colin Edwards continued in MotoGP, this time for the satellite Tech 3 Yamaha team alongside fellow Superbike World Champion James Toseland. A series of solid performances left him 5th in the overall standings after nine rounds, never qualifying lower than 6th on the grid and finishing on the podium twice. After qualifying 6th for round 9 at Assen, he was delayed by Rossi’s early crash and was in next to last place at the end of the first lap (in front of only Rossi, who was able to rejoin the race), however he then fought back to snatch 3rd from Nicky Hayden at the final corner after Hayden ran out of fuel, gaining a measure of revenge for the 2006 race at the track. Colin Edwards results started to suffer after a crash in Germany. In the next four races Edwards failed to break the top ten and his best result since the podium at Assen was a sixth place at the final round of the season at Valencia.

Edwards confirmed that he had signed for Tech 3 for yet another season. “It is no secret that I had agreed with Yamaha to finish my MotoGP career at the end of 2008 and continue my racing career with them in America, but as soon as I began working with the Tech 3 team I instantly formed a great relationship with my guys.”

Edwards once again demonstrated consistent form in the 2009 MotoGP season, establishing himself as the strongest satellite rider in the championship. He secured a second place finish in the British Grand Prix at Donington Park and finished the overall standings in fouth behind the fantastic four, Stoner, Pedrosa, Lorenzo and Rossi.

After being caught in a crash at the San Marino Grand Prix, Edwards directed typically outspoken criticism towards Alex de Angelis, claiming: “We are in Italy and occasionally you have to deal with an Italian rider who wants to be a hero and today that was De Angelis. De Angelis is the guy who needed to be wearing Valentino’s donkey helmet.” (in reference to a special edition helmet being worn by Valentino Rossi).

On October 1 2009 Edwards announced that he had signed a one-year contract extension that would see him ride for Tech 3 Yamaha in the 2010 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. His teammate will be fellow American Ben Spies.

In 1996, Edwards teamed with Noriyuki Haga to claim victory in the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race riding a Yamaha, his first international victory. Edwards won the 8 Hours two more times: in 2001 with Valentino Rossi, and in 2002 with the late Daijiro Kato, both times with Honda.

Edwards has twice represented the United States in the Michelin Race of Champions Nation’s Cup, first in 2000 and again in 2002 when the US team won the event. The competition involves a national team that includes an automobile racer, a rally/off-road driver and a motorcycle racer. The 2002 US team included former off-road racer and NASCAR rookie Jimmie Johnson as the rally driver, and four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon in the automobile category.

He is married to Alyssia. They have a four-year-old daughter, Gracie Kayte, and a son, Hayes, who was born in December, 2005. The family lives in Conroe, Texas. Colin enjoys golf, snowboarding, and Motocross in his spare time. His height is officially recorded as 179 cm, and his weight as 66 kg.

In the Motogp world of PR spouting drones Edwards straight talking and ‘colourful’ interviews are a breath of fresh air! Long may they continue.

Career Highlights

• 2008: 7th MotoGP World Championship
• 2007: 9th MotoGP World Championship
• 2006: 7th, MotoGP World Championship
• 2005: 4th, MotoGP World Championship
• 2004: 5th, MotoGP World Championship
• 2003: 13th, MotoGP World Championship
• 2002: World Superbike Champion
• 2001: 2nd, Superbike World Championship
• 2001: 2000: Suzuka 8 hour Win with Valentino Rossi
• 2000: World Superbike Champion
• 2000: Suzuka 8 hour Win with Valentino Rossi
• 1999: 2nd, Superbike World Championship
• 1998: 5th, Superbike World Championship
• 1997: 12th, Superbike World Championship
• 1996: 5th, Superbike World Championship
• 1996: Suzuka 8 hour Win with Noriyuki Haga
• 1995: 11th, Superbike World Championship
• 1994: 6th, AMA Superbike Championship
• 1993: 6th, AMA Superbike Championship
• 1992: National 250cc Champion
• 1991: Amateur racing in 600cc, 750cc and 250cc classes

Colin Edwards’ famous fireball crash during practice for the German Motogp in 2003.

Edwards on Valentino in his own typical style

Nicky Hayden has leaked a photo from deep inside the Bologna factory of his 2010 MotoGP bike. Making a stop at the famous Italian factory on route to India, to help open a Ducati new store, Hayden got a chance to see the new Ducati GP10 up close. Armed with his mobile phone Nicky snapped a photo of the new bike and posted the photo to his own website.

Whether this was a clever little marketing ploy from Ducati or a genuine bit of sneakiness from Nicky we’ll never know, either way the bike looks great and we can’t wait to see more. Snap away Nicky!