Claudio and Giovanni Castiglioni have repurchased 100% of the shares of MV Agusta from Harley-Davidson. Former Ducati engineer Massimo Bordi will also hold a prominent position in MV Agusta. Bordi worked with the Castiglionis when they owned Ducati.

In the U.S. alone, Ducati reported a 4.75% increase over July 2009 despite a continuing industry-wide decline.

The front side reflectors on certain 2006 to 2010 model year Yamaha R6 motorcycles are not mounted high enough to meet federal safety standards. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 571.108 specifies the center point of front side reflectors must be between 381 mm and 1524 mm from the ground. The center point of the reflectors on the affected R6 models is 358 mm above the ground, a little under an inch too low.

Rider Roger Lee Hayden, team manager Kevin Schwantz and the Erion Racing crew went to work on the Honda Moriwaki MD600 race bike to prepare for the Aug. 27-29 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Featured will be the 2010 fuel injected full line up, ST7, GV650, GT650, GT650R, GV250, and GT250R.

According to an 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Harley-Davidson sold MV Agusta to Castiglioni for 1 euro, a nominal fee dwarfed by the US$109 million spent to acquire the Italian brand in 2008.

Porterfield, one of racings brightest stars and favored to exceed her top run of 240.382 mph, will be competing on a Turbo charged Honda CBR 1000RR built by Al Lambs Dallas Honda. Porterfield is thrilled to partner with Bazzaz, They are definitely the leader when it comes to engine management and electronics for professional motorcycle racing. Its all about performance and I can confidently say that they have the market cornered in that arena.

In a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar dated Aug. 9, Ed Moreland, AMA senior vice president for government relations, noted that an internal government document indicates the Interior Department may have "a finely detailed plan to exclude Americans from accessing public lands despite the bureau's assertion that these documents are simply the result of 'brainstorming sessions.'"

The NHTSA is offering a grant worth up to a total of $350,000 to law enforcement agencies for setting up traffic checkpoints that target only motorcycles. The grant, known as the Motorcycle Law Enforcement Demonstration grant program, will be open to up to five agencies, and will be used to study the effectiveness of such programs.

The Rossi to Ducati rumors have circulated for months, hitting its peak with a quotation from Gabriele Del Torchio, president of Ducati Motor Holding, confirming the signing in an interview with Cycle World. Ducati immediately issued a denial, calling the Cycle World article misreported, but there is no longer any need for pretense as the Italian manufacturer announced it has signed Rossi to a two-year contract.

The FIMs Grand Prix Commission met Aug. 14 during the MotoGP round at the Czech Rebulics Brno circuit and finalized the structure of the new Moto3 class. The new class will feature motorcycles powered by single-cylinder 250cc four-stroke engines with a maximum bore of 81mm. Moto3 will replace the 125cc class as the third tier of the Grand Prix World Championships in 2012, joining the Moto2 class and the premier MotoGP class.

Leno will greet MotoGP teams and riders at the Aug. 29 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as well as present a trophy on the podium.

The new Suzuki V-Strom 650 Xpedition (or XP for short) is based on the standard ABS-equipped V-Strom 650, but with a number of accessories to make it more of an adventure tourer. Described as Suzuki GB as its new flagship model, the V-Strom 650XP will compete with the BMW F800GS in the middleweight adventure touring segment.

Gunther Wiesinger of Speedweek reports Norton Chief Executive Officer Stuart Garner has an agreement with MotoGP promoter Dorna to race in 2012 when the series switches to a 1000cc displacement. Norton has reportedly requested two spots on the 2012 grid.

The Strafford, N.Y., resident will ride an FTR M210 prepped by the GP Tech Moto2 race team. Former racer Geoff Maloney will manage the wildcard effort.

Ryan Dungey, Andrew Short and Trey Canard will represent the U.S.A. at the Motocross of Nations, Sept. 25-26 at Thunder Motocross Park in Lakewood, Colo. Dungey, the team captain, will compete in the 450cc four-stroke MX1 class; Canard will race in the MX2 class featuring 250cc four-strokes; and Short will race in the MX3 open class.

The Red Bull KTM factory racer clinched the title after winning his seventh overall of the season at the Aug. 22 round at Campo Grande, Brazil.

The Ducati Marlboro MotoGP rider posted photographs of the one-off Indy-themed Arai helmet on his personal Facebook page.

The custom motorcycle shop, made famous by the television series American Chopper, has supported several charitable activities in the past, helping soldiers and their families as well as children with life-threatening medical conditions. The new NPO, named The OCC Foundation, Inc., will continue those efforts, with the support of various partners.

The 2006 MotoGP Champion is going back to his roots as Grand Marshal for the Indy Mile. Hayden had a successful dirt track career before turning his focus to road racing. In 1999, Hayden won the Ricky Graham Rookie of the Year award from the AMA Pro Grand National Championship at the Indy Mile.

The Ducati cruiser was spotted out on public streets in Italy earlier this year, and is expected to be unveiled at the 2010 EICMA Show in Milan.

Any active-duty military personnel who purchase a BMW S1000RR by Dec. 31, 2010, will receive free race ABS and dynamic traction control upgrades. The upgrades carry a regular price of $1,480.

The footage featured World Superbike racer Tom Sykes who rode the ZX-10R at the 2.9-mile Autopolis Circuit, Aug. 4-5. The test followed another one, using a Japanese Superbike-spec version, at the Suzuka International Race Course, July 7-8.

Were delighted that Ben will join the Factory Team for next season, says Lin Jarvis, managing director of Yamaha Motor Racing. Ben has shown great promise in his first ten MotoGP races. He has learnt rapidly and recorded strong results, including a well-deserved podium finish at Silverstone impressive for someone in their first full season.

The Italian manufacturer has been the most successful manufacturer in the WSBK series 22-year history. Ducati has entered a factory team in every season since the WSBK series began in 1988, winning 16 manufacturers titles and 13 riders championships.

Hundreds of riders took part in the fifth annual American Legion Legacy Run which covered 1,400 miles and traveled through six states. The ride began Aug. 22 in Indianapolis and traveled through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, arriving Aug. 26 in Milwaukee for the Legions 92nd National Convention.

The statement, shown in its entirety below, was released after Ducati announced it is withdrawing its factory team from the 2011 WSBK championship.

The MotoGP World Championship is tentatively scheduled to return to Indianapolis Aug. 26-28, 2011 for the fourth time at the iconic race circuit.

Ducati announced the new contract as Hayden made an appearance at the AMA Lucas Oil Indy Mile where he served as grand marshal.

The name 125 Duke was selected after months of speculation for the upcoming entry-level streetbike. KTM even held a contest on Facebook to name the new bike. Hopping onto the popularity of the James Cameron movie perhaps, online voters selected the name Avatar, as suggested by Alexey Golkin of Russia. KTM decided not to use Avatar for the production model but Golkin will receive his own 125 Duke with personalized graphics.

The 2011 model year lineup continues to expand for Honda, says Bill Savino, Honda Powersports press manager. Here we have a variety of very popular cruisers and customs, a pair of Honda off-road machines that have remained extremely popular with riders over the years, plus a revamped and very impressive Big Red MUV. Our selection of models for 2011 keeps growing and there will be more to follow.

Senate Billl 435 was passed by Californias state Senate on a 21-16 vote and it now falls upon the governor to either sign the bill or veto it.

A five-time World Motocross Champion, DeCoster is stepping down as team manager of Suzuki s AMA Supercross and Motocross teams following the remaining two rounds of the 2010 AMA Motocross season.

The 2011 Ninja ZX-10R superbike has been teased for a couple of months now but this is the first time the bike has been shown in Kawasaki green with sponsor logos.

DeCoster, a five-time World Motocross champion, joins KTM after a 15-year stint as manager of Suzukis AMA Supercross and Motocross teams. Under DeCosters guidance, Suzuki captured four AMA Motocross titles and three AMA Supercross titles.

Unveiled at the San Marino Grand Prix, the race bike is powered by a modified BMW S1000RR engine which will be eligible for MotoGP in 2012 when new rules allow 1000cc engines. Suter plans to begin development with a stock engine and introduce further upgrades. BMW is not involved in the project.

The new agreement is now awaiting approval from union members and the Harley-Davidson board. Workers at Harley-Davidsons factories in Menomonee Falls, Wis., and Tomahawk, Wis., represented by the United Steelworkers Local 2-209, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Lodge 78, and the United Steelworkers Local 460, will vote on the proposed agreement on Sept. 13.

According to a report released by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 4,462 fatalities involving motorcycle riders and passengers in 2009, down from 5,312 reported in2008. Injuries were also down 6.3% with 90,000 reported cases involving motorcycle riders and passengers, compared to 96,000 in 2008.

The most feature-rich communication system of its kind, Cardo Systems scala rider G4 PowerSet provides full duplex wireless intercom communication up to ONE mile* among two bikers, three bikers or four-way communication among two bikers and two passengers on two bikes-an industry standard.

Laverty will ride the Yamaha Sterilgarda YZF-R1 Superbike next season after two seasons in the World Supersport class. Racing for Parkalgar Honda, Laverty finished second to current Yamaha Sterilgarda rider Cal Crutchlow in 2009, and currently trails Hannspree Ten Kate Hondas Kenan Sofuoglu by 12 points in the 2010 WSS Championship, with seven wins this year in 11 races.

The full 2011 MotoGP schedule has yet to be announced but both American rounds have been announced, with the Laguna Seca round set a month before the Aug. 26-28, 2011, round at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The positive August numbers give Ducati two consecutive months of year-on-year sales increases in North America, with sales in July increasing 4.75%.

To apply for the rebate program, racers should visit their local Kawasaki Team Green dealership as soon as possible with their up-to-date resume and let the dealer know their interest in the program. The dealer will then submit the necessary information to Team Green for the selection process. The accepted applicants will receive a rebate between $500 and $1,200, depending on the unit purchased.

The new seven-year contract goes into effect in April 2012 after the current contract ends. It would lock salaries for four years and may lead to hundreds of job cuts. Employees had little choice in agreeing to the deal however as Harley-Davidson had said it would move production out of Wisconsin if the unions could not agree on a contract.

EICMA, also known as the International Bicycle and Motorcycle Exhibition, is Europes biggest motorcycle trade shows, and traditionally the site of numerous world premieres. Last years show drew about 450,000 visitors for the introduction of motorcycles such as the Ducati Multistrada 1200, KTM 350SX-F and BMWs inline six concept bike.

The 2011 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 is the newest member of the Italian brands supermoto line, joining the Dorsoduro 750 and Dorsoduro Factory 750.

First unveiled at the 2009 EICMA show in Milan as the V7 Clubman Racer, the Moto Guzzi V7 Racer pays homage to the classic V7 Sport race bike of the 70s. The V7 Clubman Racer was initially announced at EICMA as a 2010 production model, but Moto Guzzis parent company Piaggio later said that was a mistake.

The new agreement, which comes into effect in April 2012, was ratified by workers in Menomonee Falls, Wis., and Tomahawk, Wis., after Harley-Davidson threatened to move its operations outside of Wisconsin.

The Spanish racer has ridden Honda motorcycles throughout his entire 10-year Grand Prix career including the past five seasons in the premier MotoGP class. Pedrosa has a career-high four MotoGP wins so far this season with six rounds remaining. Pedrosa currently sits second in the standings to his countryman Jorge Lorenzo by 63 points.

Tomizawa remains on the minds of the MotoGP community as the series moves to the Spains Motorland Aragon circuit for the first round following the tragedy at Misano. Many riders are wearing Tomizawas number 48 on their leathers, helmets or motorcycles in honor of the popular rider.

The AMA is accepting proposals for the promotional rights to the Dirt Track Grand Championships, Road Race Grand Championships and Winter Dirt Track Nationals. Though the AMA is mainly looking for partnerships for the 2011 season, it will consider multi-year proposals.

The Motor Company announced it would stay in Wisconsin after unions at its Menomonee Falls, Wis., and Tomahawk, Wis., facilities voted in favor of a new labor agreement.

A smaller version of the MV Agusta F4 has been in development for several years. An influx of cash when Harley-Davidson bought the legendary Italian marquee gave the resources to R&D the middleweight sportbike until development stalled as Harley-Davidson then searched for a buyer for the Italian brand.

I am thrilled to have reached a new agreement with Colin for the 2011 MotoGP world championship, says Herve Poncharal, Tech3 team manager. His appetite and passion for racing is stronger than ever and he has been an incredible asset for the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team. He is a great character but he has consistently proven that he remains one of the fastest riders in the world and I am glad that the Tech3 story with Colin will go on for one more year.

Investors include existing partners like Chrysalix and Best Buy Venture, as well a new contributor Alpine Inc., an oil and gas investment firm.

Zeros demo event is taking place in the Greater Los Angeles Area at Extreme Dream Rider and Hollywood Electrics.

Hayes has racked up seven wins this season and currently holds a 22-point lead in the series with just one round remaining.