3 Wheel Yamaha?

Yamaha Purchases Three-Wheeler Patents from Norwegian Firm

Photo courtesy of Rune Baashus @ www.baashus.com

If the new, high performance NIKEN hasn’t convinced you that Yamaha is serious about leaning three-wheelers, this news should. Yamaha has just completed the purchase of patents from a small Norwegian firm, Brudeli Tech Holding AS, related to leaning three-wheel technologies.

As you can see from the photos, the Brudeli machines can lean at severe angles for aggressive cornering on-road and off. It is not clear from the following press release exactly what unique technology has been acquired by Yamaha, but it is a safe bet that the NIKEN will not be the last high performance three-wheeler from the Japanese firm.

Here is a press release from Brudeli:

Brudeli Tech Holding AS have completed the sale of the patents known from the Leanster vehicles Brudeli 654L and 625L. The buyer is Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., Japan which is a world-class leading motorcycle and powersport manufacturer.

“I see this as an incredible honour that Yamaha have decided to acquire this technology that we started to develop here in Norway” says Geir Brudeli inventor and owner of Brudeli Tech Holding AS. He also states that: “Knowing the competence, knowledge and passion of Yamaha it will be exciting to see their future products.”

Photo courtesy of Rune Baashus @ www.baashus.com

The history of the Norwegian company Brudeli Tech Holding AS goes all the way back to 2001 and the concept vehicle was unveiled at the EICMA 2005 at a time before this new and growing market of leaning vehicles with two wheels in the front was established.

A very competent group of partners and investors did contribute from the very early years. A large thanks to all of them!

Since 2010 a major part of the day to day business have also been to provide mechanical and mechatronic design consultant services to a major automotive system supplier.

Brudeli Tech is located at Eiker Næringspark (http://eikernaeringspark.no/), an industrial estate which is continuously modernised and growing. Eiker Næringspark was founded by entrepreneur Svein Rust who also was a mentor and investor in Brudeli Tech in the start-up phase.

Yamaha’s NIKEN will be on sale later this year.

A Matthes Report: Anaheim 1

Anaheim Uno has come and gone and, with it, all of the “experts" in the media have talked themselves out of anything and everything to do with the race. That is somewhat true, for sure. The big stories for Houston this weekend are as follows.

Is there something wrong with Eli Tomac and his shoulder? That is about it. Seriously, the #3 Monster Energy Kawasaki rider is going to have his shoulder looked at this week and is hopeful that he can ride after his main event crash. I have been told that he’ll be at 80% if he races and, holy smoke, 2018 is off to a bad start for the title favourite. He was on his way to the win last weekend when he made a mistake on a simple double and just like that, boom, things are in chaos.

In the good news department, he has been there before! 2017 was not exactly easy for Tomac and he came about as close as anyone could to winning the 450SX title. He is gritty and I predict he will tough it out to a good finish.

Eli Tomac is expected to race in Houston, but may not be at his best (Monster Energy Media/Octopi)

– In other news, JGR Suzuki has signed up Malcolm Stewart to fill-in for Justin Bogle. It is on a race-by-race basis, but there is no way it is just for one or two. Bogle must have concussion symptoms pretty bad for the team to take this step. Of course, the team once employed Malcolm’s brother James and that went terribly to the point where James and the team parted in the middle of the supercross season. But, because of that, the team has a relationship with Malcolm and Coy Gibbs, who owns the team, is not around as much anymore, so maybe that is why the team went with Malcolm? Malcolm’s father, James Sr., and Coy did not see eye to eye many times the first time around.

I was ready to write a column on Malcolm and the puzzling choices he has made in his career. From not doing outdoor motocross after winning the 250SX title to skipping races last year, then jumping into the series not 100% ready to refusing to wear any gear other than Seven (that his brother owns) to now not being at Anaheim 1. Frankly, I do not get it.

But, he is on a good team now and has a chance on a bike he is familiar with to do some damage. I hope he is prepared and ready to strike. He was getting some support from Kawasaki, so not sure what happens with that from here on out. Malcolm Stewart is really good at supercross people. This is an interesting team.

Malcolm Stewart has landed a factory fill-in deal with the JGR squad (Sean Ogden)

– Justin Brayton went 14-16-13 to start the supercross season last year. He was new to the MCR Honda team and on a very different motorcycle, as he had been riding a 2016 CRF all off-season in Australia and did not have much time on the all-new 2017. He was nowhere near his usual self pretty much all year and with his age and team he was on, you could understand thinking that he was on the downward spiral.

Well, in Anaheim he almost won a heat and then ran a very respectable seventh in the main event. He looked 48% better this year than he did last year (all percentages are approximate), so maybe Brayton is not done yet?

One thing he changed up is he got settled down in Australia with a 2017 bike he knew (not much different from the 2018) and a practice track he could ride to get prepped like he knows how to. How much did the off-season change help him out? Well, I asked him that same question.

Justin Brayton (10) had a consistent evening, thanks to a solid start (Feld Entertainment)

“The biggest thing is just mentally you feel prepared so you are not as stressed," Brayton said. “You’re not as worried. You’re just confident in what you’ve done. You’re confident in the bike. That’s the biggest change. Last year to be quite honest it just wasn’t that much fun to be riding.

“I had a couple of decent finishes, but to show up at the race not that confident and I would hope that I would get to a track that would suit my style and I could do okay, whereas I feel like even a track like tonight was kind of my weakness. An easier track with easier whoops and stuff like that. Overall, I feel great. Happy with the seventh, but also looking for more, as everyone is. I feel good about the year so far," Brayton told me afterwards.

He gets some help from Honda, so he is not a total privateer guy by any means but there is also not a full factory bike under him. Keep an eye on Brayton this year, he might just surprise us.

Words: Steve Matthes | Lead Image: Monster Energy Media/Octopi

Dakar Stage 6

Motorcycles

Bad weather meant the first part of the special was cancelled, including a pass that would take them as high as 4,700m. After his strong showing yesterday, Antoine Meo rode his KTM to victory on stage six, winning a thrilling and close-fought battle with Kevin Benavides and his KTM team-mate Toby Price. In fact, Meo shares a motorhome with the 2016 champion, which might be awkward on rest day. But the faster sections should suit both KTM riders’s styles.

Price crossed the finish line with Benavides © Flavien Duhamel/Red Bull Content Pool

Selected Standings

• 1. A. Meo (KTM) 01:54:10
• 2. K. Benavides (Honda) a 00:00:30
• 3. T. Price (KTM) a 00:00:30
• 4. D. Duplessis (Honda) a 00:01:13
• 8. M. Walkner (KTM) a 00:03:06
• 18. L. Sanz (KTM) a 00:04:55

Nut Buster???

New Zealand’s Nut Buster Extreme Enduro

   

CHAD REED ANAHEIM 1

Dakar

Joan Barreda won the stage, his second of the race so far, by a huge margin. The Spaniard took the overall race lead after Stage 2, but a navigation error the following day dropped him down the overall standings. The Honda rider finished more than 10 minutes clear of his closest challenger, Austrian Matthias Walkner, today though.

Kevin Benavides rounded out the podium and there was an impressive run by Antoine Méo, but it's Yamaha's Adrian Van Beveren who continues to lead the overall standings.

Walkner is just over a minute adrift of the leader

© Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool

There was much more to lose than to win on today's stage. In the Dakar every stage is different so it's not easy to maintain a strategyMatthias Walkner

Selected standings

• 1. Joan Barreda (Honda) 03:19:42
• 2. Matthias Walkner (KTM) +00:10:26
• 3. Kevin Benavides (Honda) +00:12:20
• 4. Antoine Méo (KTM) +00:13:00
• 7. Toby Price (KTM) +00:15:00

Summary - Bike - Stage 4 (San Juan de Marcona / San Juan de Marcona) - Dakar 2018 . Dakar Dakar

For its 40th edition, the 10th to be held in South America, the Dakar rally is revisiting the Pacific Ocean and the dunes of Peru, which drivers and riders will tackle after a few days sampling the delights of the capital, Lima. Competitors will then head through to Bolivia, for a welcome rest day in the festive atmosphere of La Paz. Argentinian aficionados top the podium when it comes to enthusiasm and good humour, and the most joyous of them will be waiting to acclaim the riders in Córdoba, host to the Dakar finish line for the first time.

Stewart Returns...Malcom That Is

Stewart lands a deal.

Malcolm Stewart will return to racing this weekend with factory equipment. Mookie flew to Southern California earlier this week for a test ride with Autotrader Yoshimura Suzuki and things clearly went well, as it has been confirmed that he will join the team as a fill-in for the injured Justin Bogle. Stewart will make his debut at Houston this weekend.

"WARNING: Content may melt the internet," the team wrote on social media. "We are excited to welcome @MalcolmStewart to the @AutoTrader_com @Yoshimura_RD @SuzukiCycles team. Malcolm will be filling in for the injured Justin Bogle on a race-by-race basis starting this weekend in Houston." Bogle sustained a concussion at the Monster Energy Cup and then sustained a similar injury a couple of weeks later, so is not able to race. There is no timeline on his recovery.

Malcolm Stewart initially planned on piloting a privateer Kawasaki in Monster Energy Supercross, but could not get a programme together for the opening round. So, because of that and an unforeseen issue that was not specified, he skipped Anaheim 1. The last race that he competed in was the final Monster Energy Supercross round in Las Vegas in May.

New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix

Woodville GP Goes to the Next Level with FIM Oceania Status

 

New Zealand’s biggest Motocross event, the 2018 Honda New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville will have a new Australian flavour, with the race on January 27-28 being awarded FIM Oceania status.

This will be the first time in the event’s illustrious 57-year history that it has been awarded FIM Oceania status, and the host club, Manawatu Orion Motorcycle Club's Secretary, Anna Cvitanovich is thrilled with the new challenge being incorporated.

“We are really excited to have FIM Oceania status, as it adds another dimension to the weekend’s racing,” according to Cvitanovich. “We are absolutely stoked with the news, and we can only see this helping improve and grow the event which is good for the sport in New Zealand and Australia. The status really helps to provide a new interesting dynamic and builds healthy competition between the two nations!”

The spectacular two-day event has always attracted international interest, but the 2018 New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville, in just under a month’s time, will be further enhanced with an FIM Oceania element added to the weekend's race programme.

The FIM Oceania Challenge will include competition for both Junior and Senior riders, with many of Australia's finest booked to arrive and all of them keen to take on their Kiwi counterparts.

“The event has always had a handful of the top Aussies who come over and do the NZ MX Championship, and in 2017 we had a huge contingent of Junior riders come and compete. The club couldn’t have been happier about that,” continued Cvitanovich.

“We expect around 6,000 to 7,000 fans to visit the track over the weekend, with Sunday's crowd expected to be around the 5,000 mark. There’s always a great family atmosphere and this year’s event could be the best yet. We want nothing more than to entertain the crowd and the FIM Oceania Challenge is something they can really get behind.” concluded Cvitanovich.

President of FIM Oceania, Glen Williams, who is also the president of FIM Oceania, said he was thrilled to reveal this latest development.

"FIM Oceania is looking to grow its profile across our sport," said Williams.

"FIM Oceania is pleased to be supporting the Woodville event. A healthy sporting rivalry between Australia and New Zealand has always existed and FIM Oceania is happy to keep that going in motocross too. It helps build the relationship between the two countries," Williams concluded.

Competitor Information Australian Junior competitors will receive a travel rebate and refund on their entry fee. Also the club is willing to provide free pit allocation.

Any Australian rider looking to enter or receive further information on travel rebate should contact Anna Cvitanovich for further information on akvcvit@xtra.co.nz.

To make the trip over the ditch even better, Round One of the New Zealand Senior MX Championship is scheduled for the following weekend. Any visiting rider over 15 years of age is eligible to enter, MX1, MX2 and Senior 125 class's of the New Zealand Senior MX Championships.

Utah property owner sues over Motocross Track violations

Wanship property owner sues Summit County over motocross track violations

 

Steve Luczak, a Wanship property owner, filed a lawsuit in 3rd District Court on Jan. 5 against Summit County over the zoning ordinance violations he incurred while operating his motocross track.

Wanship property owner Steve Luczak is suing Summit County over the enforcement actions that were taken against him for zoning ordinance violations he incurred while operating his motocross track.

The 3rd District Court lawsuit filed on Jan. 5 appeals a decision rendered by the county's administrative law judge that required remediation and restoration of the hillside where the motocross track sits. The motocross track, located near 1800 S. Hoytsville Road, is situated on the hill above the Weber River and can be seen from Interstate 80. The track has been there since 2014.

"We will just have to fight it out," said Luczak, owner of Kodiak America Homes. "We haven't paid any fees and aren't planning to. It's totally a property rights issue now. I did everything I was supposed to do. I went to the county, applied for the permit and did everything that they required me to do. I bought this property to use it for recreation and agriculture. We are not going to tear it down. It is a private track on private property."

The Summit County Engineering Department issued a grading permit to Luczak on Nov. 18, 2014. The grading permit was limited to 6.2 acres and 4,860 cubic yards of soil. It expired on May 17, 2015. However, as the county alleges the grading work continued around the property in excess of the permit, Community Development Director Pat Putt issued a cease-and-desist order in 2016.

"I feel like it is personal or political at this point. There are things we could work out, but the track is not coming down.”

Luczak filed an appeal with the Summit County Council to refute Putt's claim that he could not operate the track on his property because it violates the approved uses for that subdivision, and the County Council upheld Putt's determination.

However, the Council found in July of 2016 that, since the county's engineer had issued the grading permit, the county was barred from enforcing the zoning violations. In February, Putt issued a Notice of Violation to Luczak to restore and re-vegetate all motocross track areas.

A 3rd District Court judge in February overturned the Council's decision barring the county from enforcing the violations against Luczak. A hearing was held before the county's administrative law judge, who rendered a decision on Dec. 1 requiring Luczak to remediate and restore the property, in addition to posting a $683,046 performance bond on or before Jan. 1, 2018, and paying $140,000 in civil penalties. A performance bond is a form of surety that is held by the county.

If Luczak does not comply with the judge's ruling, the county can pursue appropriate legal means to recover fees and to enforce the terms and conditions of the order. Failure to comply with the ruling would constitute a class C misdemeanor.

The motocross track has become a major point of contention among neighbors who have called it a nuisance, citing the noise and activity as detrimental to their way of life. Others have supported the activity on Luczak's property.

Luczak insists he will not pay any of the fees. He said he is not operating a commercial track, adding the county has no rules about riding on private property. He said he can still ride on his property, but not on the track.

"I feel like it is personal or political at this point," he said. "There are things we could work out, but the track is not coming down. The county recognized the whole time through that I was OK with my permits, but to change their minds and come up with a different definition for the use of the property isn't right. The next thing they will tell people is they can't ride on their property."

Dave Thomas, Summit County's chief civil deputy attorney, said in an email to The Park Record the prior court's decision is final. He said the new lawsuit attempts to re-litigate the prior court decision, but added "there is no jurisdiction to do so.

Unless the administrative court, 3rd District Court or county agrees to rescind the enforcement violations, Luczak "must post the bond and begin remediation," Thomas said.

"The new lawsuit is an appeal of the ALJ's (administrative law judge) Order on the Notice of Violation. Thus it is limited to the reasonableness of the remedy imposed by the ALJ," he said.