Motus Motorcycles, a premiere American motorcycle maker, unveiled the MST, its newest sport-touring bike powered with V-4 engine. The concept was first revealed earlier this month at New Hudson, Michigan, headquarters of Pratt & Miller, the engineering partner of Motus. The final production made its public debut last week at the annual Daytona Bike Week, stunning thousands of motorists and fans who attended the yearly event.

The MST has been dubbed as the “first American-built V-4” with the help of KMV4, a Michigan-based firm known for developing V-8 powerhouses. Chopping the V-8 technology in half, KMV4 came up with the V-4 engine which they installed into the MST. Aside from that, the motorcycle is equipped with a gasoline direct injection (GDI) technology. Instead of injecting fuel into the intake ports, the GDI technology allows fuel to be injected directly into the combustion chamber. Motus reports 10 percent power increase and a 25 percent decrease in emissions with the use of GDI.

Solidifying its sport bike image, the MST can produce 161 horsepower at 7800 rpm. Its six-speed Pratt & Miller-designed transmission increases the bike’s power, matched with dual 320 mm rotors for an efficient brake system.

Pratt & Miller also designed the chassis and bodywork, making the MST a powerful steel bike with a rather intimidating exterior.

Bike builders are planning to take the MST out for further road tests later this year.

The Malaysian track cyclist and three other riders crashed while racing furiously to the finish line during the World Cup. Awang stumbled off his bike and a piece of Siberian pine pierced his left calf. The cyclist didn’t let the splinter flag him down though. He jumped back on his bike and shot down the track despite the injury, finishing third place behind British cyclist Sir Chris Hoy and Australian Jason Niblett.

Awang eventually fell off his bike and onto the ground after finishing the race, in obvious pain but definitely proud that he got the bronze medal.

The cyclist was immediately rushed to the hospital after the race and a surgical operation was done by a team of specialists to take out the splinter.

“Operation done. Splinter taken out cleanly,” Awang said on his Twitter account.

The Malaysian coach John Beasley praised Awang’s courage: “He was in a lot of pain but he’s a really tough kid.”

Bayne claimed victory a day after his 20th birthday and raced his heart out for NASCAR’s oldest team, the Wood Brothers, at the Daytona International Speedway one Sunday morning, giving the legendary team their fifth Daytona 500 win since they first won the Cup in 1976. The Wood Brothers previously won the Cup in 2001, marking their fourth win’s 10th anniversary.

“This is so crazy. I don’t even know what to say,” Bayne said after his surprising victory, “I almost feel undeserving because … all these guys out here that are racing against us that have been trying to do this for so long.”

Bayne pulled off a shocking and surprising win with his no. 21 Ford, emerging victorious against NASCAR veterans Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr., who ended up in the 24th place after his racing car hit a flat tire. Carl Edwards finished second and has nothing but praises for the young winner.

“Second place in the Daytona 500 feels way worse than any other position I’ve ever finished in the Daytona 500,” Edwards said. “But that is made better by listening to Trevor and how excited he is. He is really a nice young man, a great guy to represent this sport with this win.”

“I think the world’s going to like him a lot,” he added.

The series of collisions started when Michael Waltrip pushed David Reutimann as they were speeding along Lap 29. Reutimann spun out of control and triggered the 14-car wreck, taking out almost one-third of the field. The catastrophic collisions took out Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Brian Vickers, Greg Biffle, Marcos Ambrose and Brian Keselowski, among others.

Hendrick Motorsports Team suffered greatly, with three of their four cars damaged in the collision. Their drivers, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Mark Martin were among those included in the chaotic wreck. The only Hendrick driver who was able to escape the mess was Dale Earnhardt Jr., son of the legendary “Imitator”, Dale Earnhardt Sr.

The No. 24 Chevrolet driven by Gordon sustained major damages and the driver was forced to stand on the sidelines while the repair crew struggled to put his car back in shape as quickly as they could.

Gordon couldn’t hide his disappointment. “It doesn’t really matter at this point. Our chances of winning the Daytona 500 are over. That’s the disappointing part.”

The No. 24 Chevrolet was able to return to the race 30 laps down, while his teammate Johnson returned 18 laps down.

Fans and other drivers blamed Waltrip for starting the mess. Reutimann, however, absolved the race car driver and said, “It wasn’t Mike’s fault.”

Waltrip regretted being aggressive too early. “I’m involved in both and I don’t know what I could have done different… I just hate it.”

Earnhardt’s death left a huge impact to the NASCAR organization and the fans. The world of racing mourned his loss greatly. No one expected the remarkably skilled “Intimidator” would die such a tragic death—and that his deathbed was his beloved racing car, a black no. 3 Chevrolet.

The racing legend was speeding alongside Sterling Marlin and Ken Schrader on Turn three of the final lap when Earnhardt’s no. 3 car bumped against Marlin’s, and the impact caused the Chevrolet race car to lose control. Earnhardt tried to regain control but it was next to impossible with the high rate of speed he was running. As the audience watched in horror, Schrader’s no. 36 car hit Earnhardt’s and the no. 3 car slammed against the wall at an approximate speed of 155 to 160 miles per hour. And just like that, the world lost a valuable race car driver at the end of Daytona 500.

His death was highly publicized and the media chronicled the aftermath events religiously. NASCAR and the police launched a massive investigation on the tragedy, prompting the organization to introduce new safety measures and improvements in auto racing.

At tomorrow’s Daytona 500 race, NASCAR and fans will pay tribute to Dale Earnhardt Sr. by offering him a moment of silence on the third lap. Everyone will be asked to raise three fingers in the air in memory of the racing legend.

His son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., will join the Daytona 500 race again on Sunday to honor his late father.

The 39-year-old world-famous cyclist is finally bowing out of the racing scene after finishing 65th in his last race in Australia last month.

Armstrong broke worldwide records when he won seven straight Tour de France titles six years ago, a first in the history of cycle racing. After leaving a historical mark, he said he has no plans of returning after his retirement.

“Never say never,” Armstrong joked during his Tuesday interview. “Just kidding,” he added quickly.

His failure to gain an eighth title and the recent accusations that he used illegal drugs to enhance his performances paved the way for his retirement. He was accused by his former teammate Floyd Landis of using drugs during the height of his career, something Armstrong isn’t too concerned about.

“I can’t control what goes on in regards to the investigation. That’s why I hire people to help me with that. I try not to let it bother me and just keep rolling right along. I know what I know,” Armstrong stated. “I know what I do and I know what I did. That’s not going to change.”

Aside from that, Armstrong admitted he’s tired and he also needs to take care of his family.

“I can’t say I have any regrets. It’s been an excellent ride,” Armstrong said.

During his career, Armstrong battled with life-threatening testicular cancer and endured chemotherapies to prolong his life. He went on to win the race in 1999 and became a worldwide advocate for cancer survivors.

According to International Cycling Union President Pat McQuaid, “His contribution to cycling has been enormous… The sport of cycling has a lot to be thankful for because of Lance Armstrong.”

Although the injuries declined significantly, the US emergency departments are still treating around 15,000 cases each year. Recent developments and progress in bike technology contributed to the decrease in injuries.

The study was conducted from 1994 to 2007, a period of 14 years. In 1995, 23,000 mountain bike-related injuries were reflected. It dropped dramatically to just 10,000 reported injuries in 2007.

According to Lara McKenzie, the principal investigator of the study, “The large decline we found in mountain bike-related injuries is likely due to a combination of factors.”

“While some of the decline may be explained by a decrease in the number of people riding mountain bikes, there have also been a number of improvements to the bicycle design, such as disc brakes and dual suspension systems, that give the rider greater control of the bike and may help to reduce the incidence of injuries,” she added.

According to the study, the common and most frequent injuries were fractures (27 percent), soft tissue injuries (24 percent) and lacerations (21 percent). Commonly injured body parts include the upper and lower extremities and the shoulder and clavicle. The most common causes of injuries are falls, which accounted for 70 percent of the total accidents, and being thrown off the bike.

The findings may help improve bike technologies further and prevent future bike-related injuries.

The NHRA Unleashed series showcases makes and models of high-powered drag racing cars and speedy vehicles so fans could enjoy a powerful and exhilarating weekend. The event not only focuses on racing but offers automotive displays as well. NHRA Unleashed has so much in store for young and adult fans in celebration of their love for racing.

According to Ray Wilkings, director of operations for NHRA Unleashed: “We are very excited to expand the 2011 NHRA Unleashed schedule to seven events and to be able to offer the tour to new regions of the country, introducing the events to nearly all of NHRA’s division. The new schedule presents great geographic diversity as well as affords our racers the opportunity to compete at some of the best maintained and operated facilities in the U.S. Last season was a great beginning for NHRA Unleashed and we look forward to building even more momentum in 2011.”

The NHRA 2011 season will open on May 6th to 7th at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Cecil, Georgia before continuing the event on June 3rd to 4th at Tulsa Raceway Park, Oklahoma.

NHRA will join forces with Disrupt/ive Studios Inc., producers of the drag racing show PINKS, to create programming centering on the 2011 NHRA Unleashed events.

Yamaha enters a huge milestone as they celebrate their 50^th anniversary in road racing this year. Exciting events and a series of celebrations mark Yamaha’s landmark year in MotoGP World Championship, having first entered the racing season at the French Grand Prix in 1961.

To commemorate their 50^th year, Yamaha designed a special anniversary logo using their corporate colors. Yamaha uniforms and racing vehicles will carry the milestone logo. Fans can also log on to a dedicated website, 50^th Year of Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix, to view a historical archive showcasing Yamaha’s involvement in the world of racing. Interviews and messages, along with columns and videos, will be posted in the website during the course of the season.

Fans should prepare themselves for a trip back in time with Yamaha’s special demonstration run of their historically popular machines at Motegi and Assen. Legendary Yamaha motors like the 1974 YZR-500 (OW20), the company’s first 500cc factory bike, and the 1978 YZR-500 (OW35K), Kenny Roberts’ three-time champion motorcycle, will get back on track and show the world Yamaha’s racing history. Yamaha riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies will be given the special opportunity to have the Yamaha 50^th Anniversary livery design on their YZR-M1 race bikes.

A few words from the Yamaha President and CEO Hiroyuki Yanagi: “These 50 years of continued challenge at the top level of the sport would not have been possible without the support of the fans, our suppliers and sponsors and the race organizers. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to everyone for this.”

According to Stephane Ratel, Chairman of the SRO Motorsports Group, “We are extremely pleased that the FIA GT3 European Championship will be the first international series for cars to compete in Russia and this represents another important step for the Championship and for SRO. Smolensk ring is brand new; having only opened last August and the circuit certainly looks like it will present some excellent opportunities for good, close racing. The opportunity to race in Russia, one of the most important markets in the world for luxury and sports brands, was very welcome indeed. The GT3 races in August are just the first step in relationship we have with the Russian promoters, with plans to take the GT1 World Championship to Russia in 2012.”

The CEO of Smolensk Ring, Oleg Petrikov was also very pleased and here’s what he said: “We are very pleased that the Smolensk Ring will host the FIA GT3 European Championship in 2011 and for the first time Russian spectators can watch an international race of such high level live. We hope that teams and drivers will like our circuit and layout of the track and all guests and spectators receive unforgettable emotions. It’ll be a good prize for all people involved in the building of the circuit. It’s not always easy to be the first and we have huge volume of organization work ahead, but we and our partners from SRO are sure that everything will be done and together we will create a good platform for the GT1 World Championship in 2012.”

Here’s the schedule of the 2011 FIA GT3 European Championship:
May 7-8 Portugal Algarve
June 4-5 Great Britain Silverstone
July 2-3 Spain Navarra
July 16-17 France Paul Ricard
August 20-21 Russia Smolensk Ring
October 16-16 Netherlands Zandvoort