Valeria's Laguna Seca Track Day

Valeria Mollo, daughter of LeoVince owner Gianni Mollo, rides the track at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, CA for the first time during a track day session. 

From Melissa Paris, With Love

Melissa Paris takes the fast approach to life, whether she's on the racetrack, picking up a new sport or building a loyal following of fans. She sums it up aptly when she says, "I'm an active person. I don't like to sit around. If there's something in which I can race or compete against someone, I'm into it."

These days, that need for competition is fulfilled on the racetrack: Melissa races the HT Moto Yamaha YZF-R6 in both the AMA Daytona Sportbike class and the WERA West Series. The Oceanside, California, resident says that track time is vital to staying on top of her game, and she plans to get plenty of it this year.

Melissa has always been a tomboy, thanks in large part to growing up with four older brothers, but it wasn't until her freshman year of college that she finally climbed onto a sportbike. In typical Melissa style, she jumped right in: less than a year after learning to ride, Melissa entered her first race. She raced in the second half of the 2004 WSMC and CCS Southwest seasons, then turned expert in 2005.

The top finishes began to stack up. In 2005, she earned two second-place finishes in WSMC's 125GP class. The next year, she added a win, two seconds, and two thirds to her résumé in the WERA National Endurance Series.

The 2009 season was a special highlight, as Melissa raced in World Super Sport at Miller Motorsports Park, and she notched the highest finish by a female in the Daytona 200 with 21st.

It was also the year that Melissa signed on with LeoVince. "They're not your typical company to deal with; it's really more like a family there. Tim Calhoun and the team at LeoVince have been so helpful, making sure I have everything I need. It's a really good relationship and they're good people," she says. "What I like is that what their top racers use is what the customers get."

Melissa's 2011 season began at Daytona International Speedway, where she finished 18th in the Daytona 200. "Unfortunately, in the race, we ended up melting a piston. I suppose I'm lucky I even finished the race. It was frustrating during the race because I could tell the bike was down on power," Melissa says.

Still, the result made her optimistic. She adds, "It gives me a lot of hope going forward, I know if I can finish 18th on three cylinders, then things are looking up for the rest of the year.

"My goals for the rest of the year are to be consistently in the top 15, and better at some of the tracks I'm stronger at. I have the confidence in myself that I have the ability to move forward. I'm getting quicker every time I'm on the bike and I think it will be an exciting year."

Melissa adds that her new approach to training should help her be more competitive on the track. "I've incorporated a lot of strength training into my program," Melissa explains. "At my pre-season test, I found myself doing things I couldn't do before. My husband even noticed I was riding different. As a girl you want to be petite, but as a motorcycle racer I want to be strong."

In addition to racing, Melissa has a passion for cycling, supermoto, motocross and swimming. She loves staying fit and active, but admits she has a weakness. "Anyone who knows me knows I have the worst sweet tooth known to mankind! I'm always open to awful treats. I've had two fans bring me cupcakes with my number on them. Sugar is the way to my heart!" Melissa says.

We just hope that the next time a fan brings cupcakes with Melissa's lucky number 13 on them, they bring enough for all of us. Sponsors love cupcakes, too!

Photos courtesy: http://www.melissaparis.com/media.php

Rider Profile: Ernie Vigil

Ernie "EDUB" Vigil has a simple philosophy to stunting. "I think the future of the sport for us is to bring speed and danger into everything. If you're the guy who looks like you're going to crash at any second, that's who people watch," he says.

Vigil, who sports a LeoVince system on his 2004 Kawasaki 636, may not be doing a lot of crashing, but people are definitely watching. The 32-year-old from Albuquerque, New Mexico, has a busy year ahead. He'll be competing at every XDL round and is one of the stars of the ICON Limiter show.

In addition to that, Vigil says he'll be stunting "anywhere I can get work! I hate just sitting at home doing nothing." (When asked how someone can book him for a show, Vigil points to www.ernievigil.com. Although he didn't specify, we suspect he's most interested in being booked for bachelorette parties.)

Getting to shows is often more adventurous than the show itself. Vigil, along with five or six other riders, crams into a converted box van that serves as a home away from home.

"We've adapted ourselves as gypsies. We're like circus carnies," Vigil says, who adds that they find ways to keep from getting bored. "At every stop we bean each other with a heavy ball we carry around. It's like a sick version of hackey sack, and we call it Murder Ball. We play pranks on each other, too."

Some of the crazier things Vigil has done weren't pranks. His most memorable moment to date came while stunt riding for the movie "Yes Man," in which he had to wear a hospital gown. "I was basically naked under my hospital gown. That was a little creepy: being butt-naked under a hospital gown, and having to ride barefooted," Vigil recalls.

Nearly naked stunting aside, Vigil has found his calling. Ultimately, he says, "I just like to go fast on bikes. My whole thing is I like to be on the gas."

LeoVince Continues to Lead World Scooter Market with Release of the New H.M. ZX-R 2-stroke Exhaust and Redesigned 4 Road Exhaust

With gas prices on the rise, scooters offer an affordable and fun transportation alternative. Scooter mania is on the rise in the United States, and LeoVince's Scoot line provides scooter exhaust solutions with the redesigned 4 Road exhaust and all-new H.M. ZX-R 2-stroke exhaust.

Handmade ZX-R (H.M. ZX-R)

The latest release from LeoVince’s Scoot brand, the H. M. ZX-R has earned its new 'R' designation with improved performance, a redesign of the carbon fiber silencer, and a high-temperature clear coat for protection. These elements all combine to create a modern super sport exhaust for a variety of 2-stroke scooters. Each exhaust is individually developed to maximize the performance and acceleration of the engine for which it has been developed.

• Great performance increase for 50cc 2-stroke scooters
• Individually engineered for broad power
• Handmade expansion chambers for maximum return in performance
• Carbon fiber exhaust canister
• Performance clutch weights and springs included when needed
• CAD/CAM designed for precise fit

Visit the LeoVince main site

4 Road

The LeoVince Scoot 4 Road has been specifically developed for the 4-stroke engines found in today’s maxi-scooters. The 4 Road is constructed of stainless steel for durability, and there is a carbon fiber heat shield inlay for improved looks and added rider protection. The silencer itself is internally coated with a proprietary material to prevent “cold” spots and internal rusting of the silencer.

The LeoVince Scoot 4 Road header pipes and silencer are designed to ensure enhanced performance while not dramatically increasing the noise level output of your maxi-scooter. The result is an increase in torque, improved throttle response and better overall peak power. Reduced weight over stock exhausts further enhances scooter performance.

• Broad power increase for 4-stroke scooters
• Produces deeper tuned tone at a reasonable sound level
• Pipes made of TIG-welded 304 stainless steel
• CAD/CAM designed for precise fit
• Machine-specific tuning to work with stock fuel settings

Visit the LeoVince main site

Dan Jackson's XDL Stunt Report

"Crazy" Dan Jackson is a LeoVince-sponsored stunt rider currently competing in the XDL stunt riding series. Visit his web site at www.teamxmx.com or follow Dan on Facebook.

The AZ heat was in full force this past weekend in Arizona for Round 2 of the XDL stop in Scottsdale.  The 100 degree temps had us cooking in the sun!  Typically I'm able to cool off in the TeamXMX rig and stay out of the heat, but this trip somewhere mid forest in the mountains of Arizona the transmission decided to go out. With 144 miles left in the trip we thought we were stranded with the bears.  This wasn't a place for me so after letting the transmission cool off, we were able to baby it in to the local RV dealership.  They were able to get us in first thing the next day.  Big ups to Sanderson Ford for the awesome service!  The RV in the shop really threw a curve ball into our trip.  All of the equipment gear bikes were now locked up in a dealership 40 miles away.  I was able to throw the needed items into my buddy Teach's rig so I could practice Wednesday and Thursday before the comp.  The RV wasn't going to be completed until Thursday afternoon.  Sometimes you don't realize how nice you have it until times like this!  I'm really grateful to have such great sponsors on board to help with my program.  The event was on Friday and Saturday in downtown Scottsdale during AZ bike week.  I was glad to have the RV back and able to relax knowing everything I needed was a few feet away.

During the comp the heat still got the best of me.  I wasn't used to the heat on Friday and made the mistake of not drinking enough fluids.  This caused me to become dehydrated and sick.  Had the biggest migraine ever!  After qualifying rounds I grabbed a big dinner and started drinking as much water as possible.  I wasn't going to make the same mistake and chase the heat exhaustion on Saturday.

In the final events on Saturday I was able to make 2 podium finishes in the Racing 905 Speed & Style and Wheelie Teach Wheelie race!  The racing 905 speed and style came down to the wire.  A photo finish between Redbull rider Aaron Colton and myself which had to be reviewed by the XDL video personal filming for Inside XDL TV show.  Aaron had 1/2 wheel lead on the freeze frame, but I still declared a rematch for the win.  It was hard to judge who was carrying more speed and crossed the finish line first.  The next frame we both were across the finish line and out of view.  I didn't realize he was going to give me a run for my money let alone win!  I'm def charging for the victory in Nashville!!!!  The Wheelie race had a similar finish and I was edged out by winner Nick Apex and had to settle for 3rd.  In FMF cup I decided to change up my tire choice and run a Michelin Pilot Road 2.  Breaking this tire in during the finals wasn't a smart move.  It cost me a few bobbles due to body english and I also flipped a stoppie trying to park up on the tall wall so I had to settle for a spot just outside the top 10.  There is plenty of time now between round 2 and round 3 to work on some new tricks.  The winter rust will be knocked off and I plan on being a top 3 contender for sure!!!    

Were off to St. Louis this weekend for the Monster Energy Supercross.  Look for us at Mile 277 Bar & Grill on Sunday as we will be peforming for their grand opening!!!  

Thanks for all the support!

Dan

XDL Results & Recap

Here is a quick list of results from our scottsdale event this past weekend! Congratulations to all of the winners and a huge “Thank You!” goes out to the city of Scottsdale and all of the fans there, we had a great time with you guys!

FMF Cup
1-Nick Brocha
2-Luke Emmons
3-Shinsuke Kinoshita
4-Bill Dixon
5-Alex Flores

Wheelie Teach Wheelie Race
1-Nick Brocha
2-Ernie Vigil
3-Dan Jackson

K&N Circle Challenge
1-Aaron Twite
2-Nick Brocha
3-Ernie Vigil

Racing 905 Speed and Style Showdown
1-Aaron Colton
2-Dan Jackson
3-Kris Higdon

Stuntride.com Sickest Trick
1-Lin Eshalom
2-Shinsuke Kinoshita
3-Bill Dixon

LeoVince Silvertail Cruiser Exhausts Return with a Roar with New 2-into-1 BlackJack Metric Cruiser Exhaust Line

Cruisers have always represented passion, freedom and style. With that in mind, LeoVince is launching the Blackjack product line, a new 2-into-1 exhaust system for metric cruisers in the U.S. market.

As part of LeoVince’s Silvertail cruiser exhaust line, the popular 2-into-1 Blackjack exhaust adds a custom look, a more aggressive tone, and dramatically improved performance. Known for having the highest-quality chroming process on the market and for building systems that have both performance and exhaust tone to match, LeoVince Silvertail has led this sector in Europe for many years, building both metric cruiser and Harley-Davidson exhaust systems.

The new LeoVince Blackjack line has been created specifically for the American metric cruiser market and will retail for $599.00. This exhaust features the highest-quality chrome finish, a hand-made precision fit, and substantial horsepower gains. The 2-into-1 design, stainless steel header, and chrome-plated heat shields create incredible durability, unmistakable presence and horsepower.

Additional features of the LeoVince Blackjack exhaust include:

• CAD/CAM designed for precise fit
• LeoVince No-Blue Design Technology
• Substantial weight savings over stock
• Increased horsepower across the entire RPM range (linear power)
• Tig welded AISI 304 stainless steel construction
• Slash-cut exhaust tip
• A removable dB killer insert for shortened sound wave
• Packed silencer for deeper tone and higher performance

Visit the LeoVince main site

Valeria's Blog - My Passion for Motorcycles

Valeria Mollo is spending a year in the United States learning about her family’s business and getting a first hand understanding of American racing and riding culture. She’s also polishing up her English skills, although as you will see, from time to time her native Italian can’t help but take over!

Valeria Mollo

This week I want to write about my obsession for bikes….

My family business is more than 56 years old and since I was young I was surrounded by motorbikes. My first bike was a Yamaha 50cc three wheeler. I was just 9 years old and I can't forget how much I crashed!!!

My dad bought me a Honda CRE 50cc dirt bike when I was 15. Every afternoon we were a group of friends who would go out riding our bikes! It was so fun!

At 19 years old I bought a Honda hornet 600cc for street riding. That was really my first contact with street bikes! I was undecided between this one and the Kawasaki Ninja 600. I tried both, and at the end I decided for naked, the most comfortable drive for street and city! Even if my heart was for the “real” street bike, from the beginning a naked bike was perfect!

I started driving around my place, on the beautiful Piedmontese Hills (north Italy), to the sea side, to the mountain of Corsica (France), and many other places.

Then I decided to do something different, something that you could express all of yourself, something which combines passion, power and concentration. I started to go on the race track! I had fun and I love it!

I went to the Franciacorta Circuit (Brescia, Italy), and to some tracks in France: Ales Circuit, where I touched for the first time the knee down, as well as Paoul Ricard and Le Castellet Circuit.

Then I decide I need a bike just for track day!

I bought a Honda CBR 600, and Bargy (a famous European graphic designer) customized my motorcycle! And my helmet too! I was ready for the next race track. I went in Ledenon circuit, France with all my new stuff! And it was amazing!!!

Now I am in America I have to experience the US race track! I went on a track day at Infineon Circuit, Ca and now I am planning to go to Laguna Seca Circuit and I am really excited!!!!

Obviously my passion for bikes makes me a lover of exhaust system; a good exhaust system gives you everything you need - more power, sound and feelings. (When I listen to a bike with an aggressive LeoVince pipe I feel like “...wow...”)

What I ride:

Honda CRE 50cc with Leovince V6 pipe.

Honda Hornet 600 – first I used the Leovince GP Style full system but then I changed to a GP Pro. Using the LeoVince laser technology I wrote my name on the pipe! What could be more custom?

CBR 600 with Corsa Full System Racing (Supersport pipe)

Cal Crutchlow Begins Recovery After Successful Arm Surgery

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow has undergone successful surgery in Modena, Italy, to cure a right arm problem that has troubled the talented British rider in the first two races of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship.

The 2009 World Supersport champion underwent a routine operation at the Policlinico di Modena yesterday, a hospital that specialises in hand and arm surgery, under the supervision of Dr Antonio Landi. He is under observation of the Clinica Mobile staff and Dr. Costa who will be following him all way through his recovery.

Crutchlow has been suffering with arm pump in the opening two rac es in Qatar and Jerez, which is a common condition in MotoGP given the physical demands of competing in the elite class. In Crutchlow's case, muscles in his right arm were trapping nerves and causing numbness in his right hand and arm while riding his YZR-M1 machine.

After finishing 11th in a fantastic MotoGP debut in Qatar last month and then eighth in an incident-packed Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, Crutchlow took advantage of the long break prior to the next race in Estoril on May 1 to complete the surgery.

Crutchlow will have stitches removed in 12 days time and he is confident he will be fully fit when practice for the Estoril round in Portugal commences on April 29.

Cal Crutchlow:

"Since the start of the year I've had a problem with my arm muscles and nerves and my hand went numb when I was riding. It started in Sepang in testing and it occurs each time I ride the bike. Therefore we decided to do this operation to solve the issue, so I can be in 100 per cent physical condition for the rest of the season. With this break we have now, it was the perfect time to have the surgery and be assured that I can be back in peak condition for the next race in Portugal. At the moment I can't feel two of my fingers, but the doctor said that is completely normal and that the feeling will come back very soon. They had to move the muscles from the nerves as the muscle was trapping the nerves and that's why I was losing feeling in my hand and arm. The doctors said that in 12 days the stitches will come off and I will be able to ride in Portugal, so I'm really looking forward to riding the bike without the problem with my arm."

Hervé Poncharal – Team Manager:

"To have surgery once the season has started is always a worry, but I think Cal made the right decision as we have this long break now before the next race in Portugal. If he didn't have the operation the problem could get bigger and bigger, and you need to be at 100 per cent to ride in MotoGP and be competitive. I remember Marco Melandri had the same problem in 2004 and he had the same surgery between Catalunya and Assen, which were back-to-back races. He had the surgery on the Monday after the race in Spain and only five days later he was on the podium in Assen and it was no problem. Cal has much more time to recover, so we hope to see him without this problem and continuing his amazing start for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team in Estoril. We are very happy with his progress so far and hopefully now he will be free from the arm problem we will only see him getting stronger."

Edwards and Crutchlow fight for podium in Jerez thriller

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team riders Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow both mounted a brilliant challenge for the podium in an incident-packed and dramatic Spanish MotoGP race at the Jerez circuit in Spain today.

The 27-lap race got underway under grey and gloomy skies and conditions proved to be some of the most challenging imaginable as light rain fell throughout a pulsating encounter, the conditions though contributing to a memorable afternoon for a crowd of close to 125,000 fans.

Despite only having 20-minutes of wet track time on his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 before the start of the race, Crutchlow thr ived in the tricky conditions and on lap 12 he moved into fifth position in a crash-strewn opening half to the race.. Sensing he could fight for a sensational maiden podium, Crutchlow launched a terrific pursuit of Nicky Hayden and was less than two seconds behind the American when he crashed at Turn 9 on lap 20.

Crutchlow was able to remount and still finish ahead of Toni Elias, John Hopkins, Andrea Dovizioso and Loris Capirossi to claim his first MotoGP top ten with a superb eighth position.

Crutchlow's fall moved team-mate Edwards into fifth position and the American produced a stunning series of fast laps to hunt down compatriot Hayden. With Ben Spies tumbling out of second on lap 25, Edwards seized third place just moments later and looked certain to claim his first podium since the 2009 British Grand Prix at Donington Park when he suffered late heartache.

Ha ving caught and passed Hayden, Edwards had quickly opened up a 2.5s advantage at the start of the last lap when he was forced off the track at the first corner by a minor technical issue and had to retire.

Cal Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow 8th – 13 points

“I never thought I'd crash in MotoGP and still get a top ten 10! That was an unbelievable race and not one of the easiest I've had in my career. The conditions were so unpredictable that it was hard to get any grip and I was having lots of moments with the front and rear tyre, but so was everybody else. I could see people were making mistakes but I just tried to keep my head. When I got into fifth I felt pretty comfortable though I wanted it to rain again because the tyres were wearing pretty fast. I was gaining on Nicky really quick and he was in fourth, so there's no doubt the way I was catching him that I was thinking about a podium. I've nothing to lose so I was pushing and I went down at Turn 9. I actually lost the rear but then pushed the front and I was down. I'm not going to be too hard on myself crashing when I was battling for a podium in MotoGP. I'm happy because before this morning I'd never tried the bike in the rain, so to be where I was is a good sign. I was in the top ten in the wet and dry on a track I'd never seen before Thursday, so I'm making good progress.”

Colin Edwards

Colin Edwards DNF

“That's pretty tough to take because getting a podium in MotoGP is not something you get chance to get every week. The race was unbelievable because it was all about who could keep it on two wheels the longest. I was quite a way back at one stage but just didn't want to do anything stupid and crash and I just felt more and more confident to push. Nicky came back to me really quickly and I knew I'd have no problem passing him because he was in trouble with his tyres. I didn't have a lot more grip but I pulled away from him and the podium was right in front of me. The bike didn't feel great coming out of the last corner to start the last lap and by the time I got to the first corner it just stopped. Obviously I'm disappointed but I can't change what happened. I wanted that podium for my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 because they are awesome. But we move on and try to bounce back at Estoril.”

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager

“That was an incredible race today. We knew in those conditions it would be very hectic, but I never thought so much would go on during the race. Cal and Colin started well and pushed hard and halfway through they were both inside the top six. With more crashes we were getting near er and nearer to the front and we started to dream of a podium but then Cal unfortunately crashed. It was a mistake and it was a pity as he could have had a really strong result in just his second race as a rookie in the World Championship. But the good point was that he picked up the bike and continued to push hard to finish eighth. I am really upset and sorry for what happened to Colin. He was one of the fastest guys out there and once Ben crashed he got third and he was easily quicker than Nicky. Unfortunately a technical problem didn't allow him to finish the race. This is really a pity as I think it would have been a very strong result for the team. Colin did not deserve that as he rode a really strong race, but that's racing. But I feel a bit bitter about how he was denied through no fault of his own.”