1. Melandri off to Sterilgarda Yamaha WSBK next year instead of the previously-rumoured BMW.

2. Davide Tardozzi is very unhappy at BMW;  he reckons that his work ethic has been called into question (“We have ways of MAKING you work.”). Rumour is that he is off to Sterilgarda as well.

3. Tardozzi’s replacement at BMW hasn’t been announced, but he will apparently be replacing Massimo Merigali who is off to FIAT Yamaha to head up Ben Spies’s side of the garage. Quite where this leaves Spies’s long-time crew chief, Tom Houseworth, is anyone’s guess.

4. Melandri will be taking the place of James Toseland who is apparently being shown the door at the end of the year.

Expect at least some of this to be confirmed after the Misano race tonight/tomorrow.

Pedrosa creamed them in qualifying last night; Stoner must be tickled to death that he will be riding the fastest bike in the paddock next year. Biaggi is on pole at the Nurburgring for the WSBK double-header tonight.

Alex Debon at Brno. Quite how he did this, I don’t know. It looks like the rear pick-up spool on the swingarm was the first bit to dig in….Amazing.

And David Emmett at Motomatters.com, who has been keeping his eye on the stupid “6 Engine Rule” fiasco better than most has posted this update on the situation today.

And here’s Chris Vermeulen explaining how his recovery is going.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dovizioso is “flying” apparently, but he IS “at home” and it IS contract time.

Direct telecast from Misano tomorrow night on OneHD from 1845 (you can stay up and watch the NASCAR race when the bikes are done if you like)

At the Nurburgring in Germany, Q1 for the Superbikes is over with the Althea Ducati of Carlos Checa heading Australia’s Troy Corser (surely under pressure at the German team’s “home” race) just 2 tenths slower in 2nd place.

1. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1198R 1m 55.232s
2. Troy Corser AUS BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1m 55.447s
3. Michel Fabrizio ITA Ducati Xerox 1198R 1m 55.753s
4. Shane Byrne GBR Althea Ducati 1198R 1m 55.998s
5. Noriyuki Haga JPN Ducati Xerox 1198R 1m 56.024s
6. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 1m 56.077s
7. Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda YZF-R1 1m 56.169s
8. Jonathan Rea GBR Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 1m 56.253s
9. Jakub Smrz CZE PATA B&G Racing Aprilia RSV-4 1m 56.34s
10. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki SRT ZX-10R 1m 56.436s
11. Leon Haslam GBR Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 1m 56.617s
12. Max Neukirchner GER Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 1m 56.617s
13. Luca Scassa ITA Supersonic Ducati 1198R 1m 56.734s
14. Ruben Xaus ESP BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1m 56.799s
15. Lorenzo Lanzi ITA DFX Ducati 1198R 1m 56.819s
16. Leon Camier GBR Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 1m 56.825s
17. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 1m 56.838s
18. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda YZF-R1 1m 57.001s
19. Ian Lowry GBR Kawasaki SRT ZX-10R 1m 58.403s
20. Roger Lee Hayden USA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 58.794s
21. Fabrizio Lai ITA Echo-CRS Honda CBR1000RR 1m 59.319s
22. Matteo Baiocco ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 2m 00.736s

Telecast times: 1930 on FoxSports 3 (Ch 503)

Leon Camier fell during the last session and broke his scaphoid, putting him out for the weekend and probably the rest of the season

And, right after practice at Misano yesterday afternoon, Eskil Suter unveiled his 1000cc MotoGP bike for 2012. The bike has a BMW engine and will be sold for between $350k and $600k depending on development and configuration.

picture courtesy superbikeplanet.com

So, as you can see, there’s still a way to go before it’s all clear. Most notably we still have to see how Honda is going to make 3 go into 2. Should be fascinating. You will also notice that a notable ommission from the list is Mika Kallio. The Finn has endured a train wreck of a season both on the track and in his personal life as well (can’t really say anything more than that) and the rumours are that he will find a home in Moto2 next season. I wish him well; he’s been through hell.

In other news just in, the 2011 Kawasaki ZX10-R was due to be shown to the public for the first time at 1830 last night (I’m guessing European time).  And here it is!

Again, pictures do not reveal much in the way of technical specs, but you can read more about the launch and about where Kawasaki are going from here at the offical WSBK web site.

However, as the saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens, and, news today that Broc has been signed by the official Kawasaki Supersport team to replace the still-injured Joan Lascorz for the last 3 races of the WSS season. This could be just the boost that Broc needs at “contract” time in the season, to stitch up a better ride for 2011. Let’s hope so.

(photo courtesy of Peter Earl Photography)

In sad news overnight, the second day of racing at the Manx  Grand Prix (the amateur version of the IoM TT), was abandoned when two riders died in separate accidents.

Case in point? My “Boring bikes” post of a couple of days ago. No sooner had I berated Honda for producing the competent but boring CB1100, that this gem appears on the interzweb… Now, of course, it’s not “factory”, but what a sweet “retro” bike it is. Anyone who has ever owned a 750/4 would gladly kill for one of these, I know, I would…

Josh Brookes took a win and a 2nd at Cadwell to leave the weekend just one point behind the joint leaders, Suzuki’s Tommy Hill, and Josh’s HM Plant Honda team mate, Riyuichi Kiyonari.

Click here to view the embedded video.

1987 World 500cc Champion, Wayne Gardner is getting in the media a bit lately, with controversial comments about the TT and also about MotoGP racing in general. Many have suggested that Wayne should probably keep his helmet on, but, like anyone else, he is entitled to his opinion. However, it is Wayne’s two boys that might soon be grabbing the limelight, as this video shows.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This was recorded on Thursday night live on OneHD. Wayne talks about his two sons, Remy and Luca who are both making waves in the world of junior dirt track racing. Also in the interview is Luca Marini, Valentino Rossi’s half brother. The future of racing looks to be in good hands.

“Outside of his motorhome last night at the Indianapolis MotoGP race, reigning world champion Valentino Rossi railed against electronic rider aides used in MotoGP. Rossi, in his signature machine-gun style of talking, said major steps need to be taken to curtail the control that the MotoGP’s ECU has over the machine.

“I think this is a big problem for MotoGP,” Rossi said, echoing statements made last week by Kenny Roberts Junior “because the races are very boring. So we lose our best card, especially compared to Formula One, because until 2006, with Michelin and Bridgestone, but 1000 engines, less electronics, f***, the races were unbelievable. So a lot, a lot of people stay (glued) with the television, because you know that for sure MotoGP will be a great excitement.”

“When Bridgestone arrive, 800 arrive, and this amount electronic arrive, make these race very, very boring. So is like sleeping, like with Formula One. So I hope that they have (this in mind). Not for next year, because for next year (the rules are) the same, but for 2012, when they have to make new rules for the 1000, take out some electronic, take out some anti-wheelie, take out some anti-spin.”

Rossi remains the most powerful voice in MotoGP racing and his opinions carry huge weight in Barcelona.

“The people want to see the bike that …wheelieing, make slide,” he said. “(Racing now) is like the remote control, no? The rider cannot make any more difference. On the last lap, if you have 1.5 second or two second, you remain with 1.5 or two second. Maybe you gain 0.5. But before, you gain 0.5 in two laps, when you are in a good shape with good setting. Now, is like everybody the same, because all the acceleration, all the anti-wheelie, is control from the bike.”

“So I hope for fix this problem …its not enough just (increase capacity to )1000. The problem is the electronic.”

Dean Adams.

Now Rossi has long been a critic of the shift to 800cc, but it is very interesting to see this position being so publically stated. Especially since he is going to Ducati which is acknowleged as the most difficult bike in the paddock to ride and the one that is most in need of electroncis to help tame its wild behaviour.

The question is rhetorical, of course. They do so because manufacturing and marketing decisions are now made by accountants, not engineers and enthusisasts.

The classic case in point can be made by two entries from my favourite manufacturer, Honda. The names HAVEN’T been changed to protect the guilty, but you could equally trot up examples from the other manufacturers as well.

1. Honda CB1000F

Competent, but boring.

2. Honda CB1100

Again, competent, but boring.

Why would anyone buy either of these bikes when there are other bikes, even from this manufacturer, that would do just as good a job AND deliver excitement as well?

On a brighter subject, now that my scanner is working I can actually get some work done on some old pictures. Here’s a gem that was sent to me by the dad of the late Marcus Payten. Marcus was tragically killed in a dirt bike accident a number of years ago, but, before that, he thrilled Australian crowds with his elbow-dragging style on a Yamaha TZ . Enjoy.