AMA Articles
Dailies
The entire AMA Hall of Fame controversy in one place
As someone interested in motorcycles, you’ve probably heard of Kenny Roberts. Unless you’re a racing fanatic, you probably haven’t heard that, last week, the three-time 500cc World Champion resigned from the AMA Hall of Fame. Spurred by the retraction of Derek “Nobby” Clark’s (second from right) induction, Roberts wasn’t the first and likely won’t be the last to do so. There’s a...
Dailies
The last 8 laps of the Daytona 200
If you're anything like Sean, Grant or I, then you love motorcycle racing, but struggle to find ways to watch it. At least ways that fit into the rest of your busy life. You likely also heard that this year's Daytona 200 had something of an epic finish. We've been trying to find a way to watch the damn thing all weekend, literally just now stumbling across this video of the final eight laps on You...
Dailies
Erik Buell on Hero Moto Corp
Last week it was announced that Erik Buell Racing and Hero Moto Corp were entering into a consulting and design partnership. The deal sees EBR lend Hero its expertise in producing products for Western markets, while Hero will sponsor EBR's AMA race team this year. Basically, it's huge news for a tiny startup run out a garage in East Troy, Wisconsin. This weekend, we briefly chatted with Erik about...
Dailies
Retarded: 2012 Kawasaki KX450 Launch Control
Launch control is a pretty awesome thing. The idea behind it is that at the start of a race, you whack the throttle wide open, dump the clutch, and the computer makes all the hard calls for you. This tech is the reason MotoGP and F1 starts are so drama free and smooth. All the guy behind the controls has to do is keep it pinned wide open and it'll go as fast as the tires will allow. Kawasaki's lau...
Dailies
They call him Fast Freddie
Freddie Spencer was so precociously gifted as a racer that by age 19 he had several film crews following his every move as he dominated the AMA's fledgling Superbike class. The combined footage is an incredible time capsule of American racing seen through the perspective of the mild-mannered Louisianan, crammed with interviews and fantastic battles with past giants like Wes Cooley and Eddie Lawson...
Dailies
AMA sanctions TTXGP
Hell For Leather can exclusively reveal that the American Motorcyclist Association has decided to welcome TTXGP into the mainstream racing fold, officially sanctioning the series beginning this year. This is a huge leap forward for electric motorcycle racing, effectively legitimizing it in the eyes of sponsors, teams and fans. It also puts the nail in the coffin of the rival FIM e-Power series, TT...
Dailies
Eric Bostrom and JD Beach on racing Kawasakis at Daytona, learning to swim and the trouble with healthcare
Flying to New York straight from their first test at Daytona with Team Cycle World Attack Performance last week, Eric Bostrom and JD Beach took the time to take me out for Sushi. We talked about racing on a banked NASCAR track, the 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R, Eric’s gnarly leg injury (gross pic below!) and a new era of motorcycle performance. In an age of over-managed athletes, it’s nice to know the...
Dailies
Kids just want to ride
Remember the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act? It was a knee jerk reaction to all those toys with lead in them coming out of China a couple years ago. The problem was, in banning all products that were intended for children and contained even trace amounts of lead, CPSIA also ended up banning the sale of children’s motorcycles and quads. There’s been a temporary stay of enforcement in p...
Dailies
Kawasaki quits AMA/DMG racing
Kawasaki is quitting AMA/DMG Pro Racing citing a lack of foresight that was pervasive throughout the industry the economy. Where does this leave DMG? Without Buell, without Kawasaki, without Honda, without Mat Mladin, without prize money; basically without a point. Much less damning press release below. >KAWASAKI MOTORS CORP., U.S.A. SUSPENDS ROAD RACING FOR 2010 SEASON IRVINE, Calif. (Dec. 18,...
Dailies
DMG cuts prize money, approaches irrelevance
According to Superbike Planet, DMG is cutting the purse for American Superbike from a promised $125,000 per race to just $6,500. That means, where the top points finisher in the class should walk away with $15,000, now they'll receive only $3,500. More importantly, the purse is only spread down to third place ($1,000), cash prizes were supposed to be awarded down to 25th position, a much needed bo...
Dailies
Honda quits AMA/DMG racing, Harley to get spec series?
Honda has officially quit AMA/DMG Pro Racing, announcing that factory support will be withdrawn from the Corona Extra team. At the same time, the Daytona Motorsports Group is pursuing the inception of a Harley XR1200 spec class, describing that as a "priority." Holy crap, the DMG drama just doesn't end. >Honda is quitting for all the obvious reasons. AMA Pro Racing events continue to be poorly att...
Dailies
AMA opposition to healthcare reform could jeopardize future of American motorcycling
Photo: Basem WasefThe American Motorcyclist Association has issued an "Action Alert" opposing reform of our health care system. That opposition appears to stem from the unsubstantiated belief that reform could somehow lead to an "unelected commission or board" denying motorcyclists access to medical care. Not only is this claim spurious, ill-informed and worryingly reminiscent of the moronic "deat...
Dailies
Mat Mladin retires from AMA Pro Racing
Photo: JCusioMat Mladin has had enough of the ridiculous rules, unprofessional management and extreme disorganization of AMA Pro Racing. The six-time champion will be retiring at the end of this season. Despite speculation that he would follow Ben Spies to SBK, Mladin says the retirement is from all racing. He's also planning to sit out this weekend's American Superbike race in Topeka over safet...
Dailies
AMA Pro Racing suspends Al Ludington, moves further into obscurity
We've tried really hard just to ignore AMA Pro Racing, but as the whole series descends into farce, it's hard not to become interested. All season, teams have been butting heads with the series' Technical Director, Al Ludington, and his seemingly arbitrary interpretation of the rulebook. Is your name Mat Mladin? No? Go straight to jail, don't pass go.The whole thing has now culminated in Al being ...
Dailies
