#superbike

For this holiday edition of our weekly Church feature, we turn to 2006, and a motorcycle many surely wanted Santa to bring them: the Ducati Monster S4Rs. By this point, Ducati had figured out that plucking the engine from their full-fledged superbikes and stuffing them into the Monster chassis was a recipe for success, and the S4Rs was no different. Though the 999 may not have been the 916 successor Ducati were hoping for, its engine was nonetheless a wickedly exciting thing, and its use in Monster trim would be no less thrilling. How thrilling? Once again, here’s Yossef Schvetz to tell you. And once you’re done reading the story, be sure to check out the photo gallery for more images.  

If you’re like us, then you must be salivating over the 2015 literbike prospects. With no less than eight new bleeding-edge sportbikes on the table from both European and Japanese marques, the bar is being raised in the quest for track domination or, in the case of the Kawasaki H2 and H2R, simply having the rider experience intense acceleration like they’ve never felt before. However, there’s an interesting trend in the method in which each manufacturer is going about upping the literbike ante. More and more, a greater emphasis is placed on technology and electronics rather than hardware. Sure, hardware isn’t being ignored, but with today’s bikes making so much power, being able to harness it effectively is of utmost importance.

From the URL currently showing in your browser, I think it’s a safe bet that you understand and appreciate the wondrous benefits of traveling on two wheels. Cars are merely dynamically inferior conveyances.

Former road tester/features writer for the U.K. magazine SuperBike in the late 1990s, John Cantlie, is the latest journalist hostage to appear in an orange jumpsuit, in a video just released by ISIL. After leaving SuperBike in 2001, Cantlie branched out into mainstream print and online publishing, writing for magazines such as FHM and Esquire, where he developed an interest in travel and adventure reporting. Since 2011, Cantlie has reported from Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya and Syria, for publications including The Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph, BBC News, The Sun, The Guardian, GQ and Top Gear. His photography from Syria was screened at the 2012 Visa Pour L’image festival in France.

No one can deny the special place that Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca holds in the international racing world. The fans like the track because of the multiple viewing positions – many of which are quite close to the action. And that’s before we even consider the five story drop of the Corkscrew. While some racers love and others fear the course’s 11 turns, none take the track for granted. The tight 2.238 mile course offers no places for the rider to relax and provides multiple prime passing locations. Races here are frequently closely fought, exciting cut and parry affairs.

In this week’s Church Of MO feature, we pay homage to the legendary Massimo Tamburini, who passed away one week ago due to complications from lung cancer. Those who are familiar with his work need no introduction, but to those who don’t understand the significance of his passing, close your eyes for a moment and think of the most beautiful motorcycles you’ve ever seen. Chances are at least one of those is a Tamburini design. After creating Bimota with two friends, he moved on to Cagiva, then Ducati, and finished his career at MV Agusta. Along the way he designed, or had a say, in bikes like the Bimota SB2, Cagiva Mito, and of course the iconic Ducati 916.