Here's a YouTube find for you.

In this premiere episode of On Two Wheels, Dirt Rider editor-in-chief Chris Denison and test rider Dane Herron hit the test track with the new Honda CRF250R. Then Pro MTX racer Kyle Redmond stops by to run the Honda through some Enduro testing.

Here's 14:31 minutes of awesomeness for you from Ducati. 2011 was the last year for the dirt sections at Pikes Peak and four of the bikes competing in the race were Multistrada's.

That's right. It's going to be fully paved for 2012. It's crazy dangerous but incredibly spectacular at the same time. There's some great footage, great story telling, and history of the Pike's Peak race in this video by Ducati North America.

Here's the description by Ducati North America. Now - sit back and make sure you have 15 minutes of uninterrupted time and watch this full screen. You don't want to be multi-tasking and miss any of this!

In 2011, four pilots chose the Ducati Multistrada 1200 as their weapon of choice to attack Pikes Peak in the 89th running of "The Race to the Clouds." Two would finish on the podium. Two would not finish... This is their story.



Ducati announces today its return to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb for the 90th edition of "The Race to the Clouds".

Following two consecutive championship years, returning to defend its 2011 victory, Ducati will again partner with the Spider Grips team to conquer the mountain on the Multistrada 1200 on July 8, 2012.

The 2012 team will see the return of two exceptional riders, both possessing intimate knowledge of this historic race:

- Carlin Dunne: 2011 Rookie of the Year, 2011 1205cc Class Winner with the Multistrada 1200 and 2011 King of the Mountain setting the all-time event motorcycle record.
- Greg Tracy: Pikes Peak six-time winner, 2010 1205cc Class Winner on the Multistrada 1200 and 2008 1205cc Class Winner on the Ducati Hypermotard 1100S .

Ducati invites all adventure seeking race enthusiasts to take part in the 2012 PPIHC effort by joining the team in Colorado this July for a Multistrada gathering, beautiful riding in the Rockies and attending this spectacular race.

Please visit ducatiusa.com for details and join Ducati for the 2012 "All Roads Lead to Pikes Peak" adventure.

The Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two motorcycle is a metal flake dream machine, a Sportster motorcycle on a trip back to the days when the cool kids rode Sting-Ray bikes and the big boys parked choppers in a row on the curb. Those motorcycles were long and lean; candy-apple colour and gleaming chrome shimmering in hazy summer sunlight. From its Hard Candy Big Red Flake paint and ape bars to its narrow whitewall tires, the Seventy-Two model is a respectful nod to that era, and to the influence of the custom culture that still percolates today along Whittier Boulevard, the legendary cruising street in East Los Angeles, also known as Route 72. A new generation of custom builder is tapping into that era and making a fresh statement, not just in California but in garages across the country, even around the world.

“In creating the Seventy-Two [motorcycle], we were also inspired by the vibe of the early chopper era,” says Frank Savage, Harley-Davidson Manager of Industrial Design. “Those bikes were colourful and chromed, but also narrow and stripped down to the essentials. You look at period examples and they are almost as simple as a bicycle. It’s a custom style that’s very particular to America and that California scene.”

Metal flake, an iconic design element of the 70s, appeared in everything from dune buggy gel coat to vinyl diner upholstery, and on custom motorcycles. Harley-Davidson Motor Company brings the sparkle back on the Seventy-Two motorcycle with Hard Candy Big Red Flake paint. This new finish is created by applying a black base coat, followed by a polyurethane system that carries hexagon-shaped flakes that are more than seven times the diameter of the metal flake that is used in typical production paint. Each flake is coated with a thin aluminum film and then tinted red. Four applications of clear coat, combined with hand-sanding, create a smooth finish over the flakes.

“The final touch to the Hard Candy Big Red Flake paint is a logo on the tank top and pinstripe scallop details on both fenders,” says Savage. “Each was originally created by hand, and we recreated that art in a decal for production, so they still have the appearance of hand-applied graphics in that they are not exactly perfect. The graphics are then covered with a final clear-coat application.”

A solo seat shows off more of the paint exposed on the Seventy-Two motorcycle. The powertrain is finished in grey powdercoat with chrome covers and a new round air cleaner with a dished cover. A classic Sportster 2.2-gallon “peanut” fuel tank adds a final period touch to the motorcycle. The Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two motorcycle will be available in Canada through the network of authorized Harley-Davidson Retailers at a suggested Canadian Retail price of $11,919. For information on free test rides, please visit the events tab on www.harleycanada.com.

Key features of the 2012 Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two motorcycle include:

- Air-cooled Evolution 1,200 cc V-Twin engine with Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI), rated at 73 ft. lbs. peak torque at 3,500 rpm
- Powertrain is finished in grey powdercoat with chrome covers
- Colour choices include Hard Candy Big Red Flake with period pinstripe details on fenders and fuel tank, Denim Black, and Big Blue Pearl
- Classic 2.2-gallon peanut fuel tank
- Dunlop whitewall 21-inch (MH90-21) front and 16-inch (150/80B16) rear tires
- Steel Laced Chrome wheels
- Ten-inch mini-ape handlebars, mounted on a two-inch high riser
- Dished round air cleaner cover with centre screw mount; eight-inch diameter
- Dual staggered exhaust with slash-cut chrome mufflers
- Solo seat with black textured vinyl cover
- Handlebar-mounted speedometer with chrome cup
- Chrome rear fender struts
- Chrome coil-over pre-load adjustable rear shocks
- Forward foot controls

Dylan Kaelin is stepping aboard the championship-winning YZ250F to contest the 2012 Canadian Motocross Nationals.

Kaelin has his eye on podium finishes for 2012 after a promising sophomore season that saw him earn top 10 finishes, including two in the top 5 at the last two races of the season.

“I’m so happy to have locked up this deal with Yamaha and Hully Gully for 2012,” related a pleased Kaelin. “I’ve put a lot of work into my program the last couple years, despite some injuries, and it seems Yamaha has noticed. This year, I want to cement myself as one of the top MX2 riders in Canada and consistently get on the podium.

Chuck Collins of Hully Gully Motorsports in London, ON relayed, “We’ve known Dylan for years now. We actually sold him his first bike, a Yamaha PW50! He has always had a great attitude and it’s a pleasure to have him represent Hully Gully at both the local and national level. He’s a fantastic representative to spearhead our motocross racing efforts.”

Bryan Hudgin, Yamaha’s race director, commented on signing Kaelin for 2012. “Dylan’s got a lot of upside. He’s young, fast, dedicated, and approachable. There’s a lot of room to grow here at Yamaha with our racing program and this could be Dylan’s coming out party. I think he’ll surprise a lot of people this year with just how competitive he will be. He’s another quality piece for our race program.”

Kaelin’s plan is to train in the US for most of February before coming back to represent Yamaha and Hully Gully in the South Western Ontario regional series for April and May.

Kaelin concluded with, “When the gate drops at Nanaimo, I’ll know I’ve put in the work to be mixing it up at the top, and that confidence is half the battle. I’m really looking forward to this season and letting my riding do the talking.”
 

Rene Cormier is a Canadian motorcycle adventurer, author, and African motorcycle tour guide. We've read his award winning book The University Of Gravel Roads - Global Lessons Learned From A Four-Year Motorcycle Adventure and it's a good one!

Pick up a copy and be sure to catch him at the MMIC sponsored motorcycle shows taking place across Canada and the Halifax International Motorcycle Show. He's got more than a few interesting stories!

He has teamed up with Overland Expo 2012 and will be presenting talks.

Full details:

Tucson, Arizona. – January 31, 2012 – Overland Expo 2012 is growing it’s list of experienced presenters for this years event. Rene Cormier, a Canadian BMW rider will be in person on Saturday, May 19 to deliver his talk “Around the World on $25 a Day”. Cormier will bring the Overland Expo 2012 crowd along as he explains how a 3 year around-the-world trip ended up taking 5 years, and how he managed to pay for the unsponsored, unsupported journey.

Cormier joins fellow presenters Tiffany Coates, Austin Vince, and Lois Pryce in bringing the wonders of global motorcycle travel to the Overland crowds.

“Rene’s story reinforces the important point that low budgets can still create great trips. On a practical level, the reality is that most of us are planning trips with finite budgets,” said Roseann Hanson, co-founder and director of the Overland Expo 2012. “We want riders to come and learn how to make the most of the money they have for their trips, not wait until they hit the lottery and then go.”
Cormier adds "The biggest challenge in sharing past travel experiences with new adventurers is getting them all in one place for long enough to have the chat.

Overland Expo 2012 gives me the chance to have a quality conversation with people who are interesting in doing this style of riding for themselves, or those who are simply curious about travel in far off lands."

About Overland Expo 2012

Overland Expo was founded in 2009 by Roseann Hanson, whose husband Jonathan Hanson co-founded and was executive editor of Overland Journal from 2007 to 2011. Jonathan left the magazine and is now full-time with Overland Expo. There was no other event of this size or type in North America—or perhaps even the world—that brought together people interested in exploring the world, and presents them with opportunities for socializing, learning, and outfitting for their adventure. Overland Expo 2012 is being held May 18 - 20 in Flagstaff, Arizona.

BMW Motorrad Canada set a new record in January with 57 motorcycle retails, an increase of 3.6 per cent over the same period last year.

For the first time ever, Motorrad will expand its product offering into the scooter market with the arrival of the all-new Maxi-Scooter later this year. It'll be interesting to see how many "new to BMW" riders the big scooters bring.

being finished and we are excited to announce a Trials program in Nova Scotia as well.

Going into its 4th season the Royal Distributing Canadian Enduro Championship or CEC is enjoying continued growth and success. Bearing in mind WEC’s reputation of keeping fresh ideas coming, we have decided to expand the scope of the CEC by creating a Canadian Cross Country Championship or CXCC and combine the points from the CEC and CXCC to declare an overall Canadian Off-Road Champion. The title is awarded to the rider who demonstrates the best overall ability to adapt to a variety of challenges in 2 types of competition staged in very different terrain across the country.

It was recently announced that WEC has formed a partnership with the Quebec-based event promoter association, FMSQ in order to realize the CXCC. The Quebec round of the CXCC will take place on September 2 at Ormstown, Quebec (situated south of Montreal near the border of Ontario) with the final round being held in Ontario the following weekend (September 8/9)

The Canadian off-road Championship is designed to be a fair and equitable form of competition that decides the winners based on sportsmanlike racing on a level playing field where the results are truly the results.

Ontario will feature another spectacular Cross Country Championship series at proven venues across the province. We are very proud of this groundbreaking series as it has clearly introduced bold new ideas that never existed before in Ontario off-road racing. The fact that some other race organizations continue to adopt our ideas each year is proof we are improving the sport and giving the riders what they want and we are flattered by this imitation.

By now it is commonly known WEC has been using its flawless electronic timekeeping system which we introduced in 2008 forcing others to follow suit. At this point riders accept nothing other than immediate results at race conclusion and posted immediately on our website.

Who would have thought that having proper competition insurance would be something that would have to be shown as being mandatory? Racing at legal competition facilities that are in compliance by the local municipality is another “no brainer” that WEC has enforced and set the standard.

We are also proud of our many other firsts in off-road racing in Ontario:

- A consistent $100 Pro Holeshot award at every round of the series
- A consistent $100 Amateur Holeshot award at every round of the series
- Paying Pro racers at every round
- A full series of Pee Wee Cross Country Racing
- Pro racer appearance money at certain rounds
- Closed course enduro competition without the requirement of any license plate on the vehicle
- Kids only enduro competition

Some of these changes were difficult to introduce as off-road motorcycling, in certain parts of Canada, has been stagnant for many years and some riders and organizers were very set in their ways and as such, we still have resistance to some of our ideas. Giving Pro payback was something new to off-road and some organizers were steadfast against it. We have fortunately arrived at a point where the concept has finally caught on and we are happy for that.

A day will come when people won’t be racing improperly licensed and incorrectly insured motorcycles on open, public roads. Until this time we will continue to show the way as there are other options

2012 will bring another first in off-road motorcycling soon to be duplicated by others; a kids only Competition Enduro Series! Due to the massive success of our annual “Shelburne Kids Enduro” it has now morphed into a series with accumulating points toward a championship. WEC has always focused heavily on the Mini segment in off-road racing shown from the beginning with our ground breaking Pee Wee Cross Country program. This new Kids Enduro Championship continues to show our dedication to the future of the sport. Watch for more details on dates, venues and class guidelines. With Mini riders racing against a clock, it is a fantastic way to introduce motorcycle competition to these young enthusiasts in a controlled environment.

Stay tuned as we finalize our dates with facility owners. We must all respect that these valuable racing facilities have their own busy schedules and with other racing organizations. 2012 will be another great year for off-road motorcycle racing in Canada!

Jeff over at VrideTV has posted a new high definition video shot from his Harley Davidson.

Here's what he had to say about it. Make sure you visit his site HERE for more HD motorcycle video's from across Canada.

Motorcycle riding through an avalanche at Duffey Lake, British Columbia, Canada. It was an amazing sight to come around a corner and see tonnes of snow on either side of the road. The crews were just finishing clearing the second avalanche and warned me to leave the area because it was very unstable.

I set up my camera equipment at the Duffey Lake Provincial Park boat launch and just happened to catch a helicopter flying over surveying the damage. The power of Mother Nature is incredible

Zero Motorcycles announced it achieved the highest overall results in an independent study conducted by Pike Research. The study, called the Pike Pulse Report, evaluated the competitive landscape of both the electric motorcycle and electric scooter markets and named only one company as the overall leader. The study was based on 12 distinct categories that measured an Original Equipment Manufacturers’ (OEM) ability to compete on a global level. Zero Motorcycles scored higher than many notable names, including Honda and KTM.

“Pike Research is one of the industry’s leading independent market research firms when it comes to EV’s and new technology. We are very gratified to hear that they have ranked us number one in the electric motorcycle industry. It confirms we are on a good path and serves as huge motivation for us to keep pushing hard to develop our vision for electric motorcycles. It also is a huge reward for the staff of Zero Motorcycles who share equally in this acknowledgment,” stated Scot Harden, VP of Global Marketing for Zero Motorcycles. “We are deeply committed to this product segment.”

The following is an excerpt taken from the Pike Pulse Report – Zero Motorcycle achieved the highest ranking in this Pike Pulse Report with a combination of strong strategic planning and great execution of those plans. The company’s product lineup is well suited to the less cost-conscious early adopter market. Zero is also pursuing a specialty market for the e-motorcycles (off-road and fleet applications). In addition, the company has put together a strong management team and continues to build a strong dealer network in the key regions of Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and North America. All of these factors have provided Zero with strong momentum leading into 2012.

The Pike Pulse Report was scored on the following criteria:

Strategy
- Vision
- Go-To-Market Strategy
- Partners
- Product and Production Strategy
- Technology
- Geographic Reach

Execution Criteria
- Market Share
- Sales and Marketing
- Product Quality and Reliability
- Product Features
- Pricing
- Staying Power

The Zero S, a street fighter, and Zero DS, a dual sport, are both available in a 6 or 9 kWh configuration. As measured by the EPA UDDS, the Zero S is capable of respectively achieving 76 or 114 miles on a single charge. Both motorcycles offer a higher top speed, with the Zero DS hitting 80 mph and the Zero S topping out at 88 mph. Both motorcycles offer a broad torque band and stealthy acceleration from 0 rpm that makes them incredibly fun to ride. In addition, all the street models, including the Zero XU, feature new brushless motors and regenerative braking that allow riders to recoup energy during deceleration. The Zero XU, a motorcycle designed for inner city riding, now uses the same maintenance-free belt drive system as the Zero S and Zero DS. Brushless air-cooled motors, life of motorcycle power packs and belt drive systems make Zero’s lineup of street models just about the world’s easiest-to-own form of transportation.

Zero’s new Z-Force power pack uses a completely new battery cell chemistry and configuration that is up to 95 percent more energy dense and is rated to 3,000 complete charge cycles before hitting 80 percent capacity. This means that a Zero S could travel as much as 308,000 miles on its original power pack. All of Zero’s on and off-road motorcycles leverage the new technology, meaning that the power pack is designed to exceed the longevity expected of any conventional motorcycle. The result is a complete electric motorcycle line that offers owners exhilarating rides while saving on gas and virtually all-routine powertrain maintenance. The same is true for the all new Zero X and MX.

Improvements in styling, performance and range make both of these off-road oriented models a dream to own and operate. With almost three times the range of previous Zero X and MX models, and with substantially more power on tap, these electric dirt motorcycles take off-road riding to an all new level.

Successor to David Robb (Canadian) at BMW Group BMW Motorrad Design Studio has been named.

Full details:

Edgar Heinrich (53) will be taking over the BMW Group's BMW Motorrad Design Studio as of July 1st 2012. He succeeds David Robb. After completing his university degree in design, Edgar Heinrich started his career as a motorcycle designer with BMW back in 1986. Within the BMW Group’s BMW Motorrad Design Studio he was Head of Vehicle Design Motorcycles under the overall direction of David Robb from 2007 to 2009.

In July 2009 his career took him to India. As Vice President Product Design with the Indian vehicle manufacturer Bajaj Auto LTD he currently heads up the styling and model studio, responsible for brand definition and brand strategies for two-wheel and four-wheel design.

During his time with BMW Motorrad, Edgar Heinrich was responsible for such vehicles as the first 4-valve boxer models R 1100 RS and RT, the K 1200 S and R, the HP Megamoto and the victorious Paris-Dakar racing machines. The successful R 1150 GS and R 1200 GS were also created on his drawing board.
Under his direction, the motorcycle design team created the S 1000 RR, the F 800 / 650 series, the G 450 X and also the BMW Custom Concept study. Heinrich was even involved at the start of the design development of the 6‑cylinder touring bikes and the new maxi-scooters.

Motorcycles take up a large part of his leisure time, too. His passions include modifying sports bikes, restoring and collecting vintage models and in particular riding motorcycles himself - both on and off the road.

As Edgar Heinrich himself says: "I am very pleased to be returning to BMW Motorrad and having the great opportunity to be involved in shaping the two-wheel future of the BMW Group with an outstanding team."

"Edgar Heinrich is an excellent motorcycle designer and passionate motorcyclist who has already made key contributions to BMW Motorrad design in the course of his many years of experience. I very much look forward to collaborating with him to take BMW Motorrad design to ongoing success in the future," said Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design.

David Robb (56), the previous head of the BMW Group Motorcycle Design Studio, has left the company. He was in charge of BMW Motorrad design for 18 years. Under his leadership, the design team elaborated the development of the BMW Motorrad product portfolio from three to a current total of six model lines, as well as creating the extensive product range of BMW Motorrad rider equipment and motorcycle accessories.

The first motorcycle designed under David Robb's direction was the BMW K 1200 RS. This was followed by such models as the first BMW cruiser R 1200 C, the innovative K series with transversely mounted 4-cylinder engine, the F series with 2-cylinder parallel twin and the most successful BMW motorcycle of all time, the travel enduro R 1200 GS. The design concept of the latter is regarded to this day as the benchmark in the category of big enduro bikes. Recently there were additional highlights such as the BMW motorcycles with in-line 6-cylinder engine, the K 1600 GT/GTL, and the BMW superbike S 1000 RR. The first BMW maxi-scooters C 600 Sport and C 650 GT only recently saw their world premiere in autumn 2011.

Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design: "I would like to thank David Robb for his many years of successful work and wish him all the very best for the future."

Indiana-based Four Feathers Racing’s team principal Scotty Van Hawk has signed on to mentor and provide race strategy support to BYR / Fogi Racing’s development rider Ben Young for his debut at America’s most historic motorcycle event, the Daytona 200. Young, aboard his Tim Hortons-Sudbury/Yamaha R6 will take to the legendary Daytona International Speedway on March 15-17th 2012.

Toyota/Lucas Oil backed Four Feathers Racing (4FR) has a long history at the historic venue contesting their first Daytona 200 in 1997. In the past fifteen years 4FR has experienced nearly all that can happen on the high banks earning many respectable finishes through hard work and persistence.

Young, who resides in Thornbury Ontario Canada, will be shown the ropes of the Daytona 200 event by 4FR’s owner and founder Scotty Van Hawk.  Van Hawk is no stranger to the Daytona circuit as he has raced there numerous times himself and has assisted other notable riders over the years such as 2007 Daytona 200 winner Steve Rapp and 2012 World SuperSport rookie Josh Day.

Van Hawk met the eighteen year old Scottish/Canadian rider last year at Mid Ohio and was able to spend some time with him and his family at the AMA RRGC.  Mutual friend and sponsor, Geoff Maloney of GP Tech was instrumental in facilitating the relationship.

Since then Fogi Racing’s Team Manager Scott Young and Van Hawk have kept in touch and the idea of Toyota/Lucas Oil backed 4FR assisting Young at Daytona and hopefully beyond became evident as both 4FR and Fogi Racing Development Team are striving to achieve the same goals; to cultivate future champions.

"We like to surround ourselves with good people and the Youngs are just that, a family team with ethics and morals. They run a good program and provide quality representation to their team partners.” said Van Hawk. “We are excited to work with Ben and we know it will be a potent partnership." Van Hawk concluded.

Fogi Racing’s team manager, Scott Young is delighted with the joint venture. He stated: “4FR and Van Hawk’s support will be a great asset for Ben to compete in the Daytona 200.  It will also give him an advantage at the opening round and will put him in good stead for the remainder of the season.”  Young added, “We are looking forward to working with Scotty and 4FR and becoming long-time partners in our sport.”

North American Dealers scheduled to receive first shipment of 2012 Zero DS models in January. 

Zero motorcycles recently celebrated the start of production of its ground breaking 2012 model line with the rollout of its first new 2012 Zero DS. Management and staff greeted the arrival of the stunning new Zero DS motorcycle on Dec. 15, 2011 (it was an early Christmas present) with applause and excitement. Additionally, Zero Motorcycles announces that the entire product line is in full production and dealers and consumers alike can expect to see the motorcycles hitting the marketplace throughout the first quarter of 2012. Zero recently debuted the all-new 2012 product line to a very positive response this past November at the 2011 EICMA Motorcycle Show in Milan, Italy.

“It’s an amazing feeling to watch the fruition of so much hard work and effort as it comes into being and becomes something that is so special and unique,” said Scot Harden, Vice President of Global Marketing for Zero Motorcycles. “We are very proud of our dedicated team at Zero Motorcycles. Without their passion and dedication to building the very best electric motorcycle, we wouldn’t be in the position we are today. The progress being made is phenomenal, every model in the lineup goes faster, further and is more fun than ever before.”

The Zero S, a street fighter, and Zero DS, a dual sport, are both available in a 6 or 9 kWh configuration. As measured by the EPA UDDS, the Zero S is capable of respectively achieving 76 or 114 miles on a single charge. Both motorcycles offer a higher top speed, with the Zero DS hitting 80 mph and the Zero S topping out at 88 mph. Both motorcycles offer a broad torque band and stealthy acceleration from 0 rpm that makes them incredibly fun to ride. In addition, all the street models, including the Zero XU, feature new brushless motors and regenerative braking that allow riders to recoup energy during deceleration. The Zero XU, a motorcycle designed for inner city riding, now uses the same maintenance-free belt drive system as the Zero S and Zero DS. Brushless air-cooled motors, life of motorcycle power packs and belt drive systems make Zero’s lineup of street models just about the world’s easiest-to-own form of transportation.

Zero’s new Z-Force power pack uses a completely new battery cell chemistry and configuration that is up to 95 percent more energy dense and is rated to 3,000 complete charge cycles before hitting 80 percent capacity. This means that a Zero S could travel as much as 308,000 miles on its original power pack. All of Zero’s on and off-road motorcycles leverage the new technology, meaning that the power pack is designed to exceed the longevity expected of any conventional motorcycle. The result is a complete electric motorcycle line that offers owners exhilarating rides while saving on gas and virtually all-routine powertrain maintenance. The same is true for the all new Zero X and MX. Improvements in styling, performance and range make both of these off-road oriented models a dream to own and operate. With almost three times the range of previous Zero X and MX models, and with substantially more power on tap, these electric dirt motorcycles take off-road riding to an all new level.