In addition to testing the factory Ducati Desmosedici GP12 “Phoenix” this week at Sepang, Valentino Rossi is also trying out a new lid from AGV. Aside from the carbon fiber goodness, and of course the Rossi stickers (which add 5hp & $200), AGV’s prototype helmet sports a noticably pronounced rear spoiler. Tucked in behind the windscreen, it is obvious why the Italian helmet manufacturer designed such a large protrusion off the back of the prototype helmet, as it looks to be clearly helping the flow off the back of the helmet, across the rider’s hump, and down his backside.

Yes, that’s all well and good, but what has this writer really salivating is that reports from Malaysia say the windscreen’s field of view is HUGE. I think the exact words described to me were, “it’s like watching a flat screen TV with your nose against the monitor.” While I love my AGV AX-8 Dual Sport (I rocked it hard at the BRD RedShift SM prototype test), I just can’t get that same enthusiasm behind AGV’s road race line. Having ridden with both the AGV T2 and AGV GP-Tech, my biggest complaint is that the field of view on both these helmets feels restricted (a common complaint apparently from riders used to Arai’s helmet design).

From my own assessment of the problem, It seems the issue comes from AGV’s brow design. Noticeably thicker and lower than other brands’ designs, AGV’s road race helmets protrude out further from the rider’s face, and in my experience obstructs sighting fully through a turn. If the reports from Sepang are true, then AGV has adopted a new design with a much larger face shield area and field of vision that should eliminate this problem. An AGV for the rest of us, I really hope this design feature makes its way into an offering from the Italian helmet maker…and if it’s in carbon, so much the better.

Title Photo: Alex Briggs (Twitter); Second Photo: Ducati Corse

You may have already noticed that Valentino Rossi has been sporting a new lid in his off-season tests with the factory Ducati Desmosedici GP12. Said to have a greater field of vision, the prototype helmet has being going by the code name “Project 46” as the helmet has literally been built around Rossi himself. I say literally because AGV’s new helmet is based off what the Italian company is calling AGV Standards, a new philosophy on how the Italian company makes its forthcoming helmets.

Tailored to each individual rider, AGV started Project 46 by first taking a biometric scan of Rossi’s head and face. Building the helmet then to meet those measurements, AGV has not only been able to make a better fitting helmet, but the Italian brand has also been able to increase the air flow through the helmet (+193%), improve the riders field of vision through the visor (+15°), and gain significant aerodynamical effeciencies.

More importantly, the new design addresses my biggest complaint with AGV’s street/racing line of helmets: the impeded FOV (the vision issue is a deal-breaker for me with AGV race helmets), Thus, I am excited to report that Project 46 helmet will be officially launched to the press in a few weeks. It is not clear how the new AGV Standards program will apply to consumer helmets in practical and realistic matters, but it does seem to underline a fundamental ethos shift for the Italian brand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwg0VdfO2cc

Photos: AGV & Ducati Corse
EICMA Photos: © 2012 Jensen Beeler / Asphalt & Rubber – Creative Commons – Attribution 3.0

Today at the MotoGP test in Jerez, AGV debuted its next-generation helmet: the AGV PistaGP. The fruits of the Italian company’s Project 46, the PistaGP is the first helmet to come from AGV’s new AGV Standards program, which seeks create products with an inside-out approach. You have likely already seen Valentino Rossi testing the AGV PistaGP in the recent Sepang tests, and I have already waxed poetic about how excited I am about this product.

Generally I am not a big fan of AGV sport bike helmets (though I do have a torrid love affair with the AGV AX-8 Dual Sport helmet), as I find the field-of-view (FOV) on AGV lids to be far too limited for my riding tastes, but the PistaGP promises a host of improvements to AGV’s helmet design, especially an improved FOV, which should allay my complaints. For AGV, the company hopes the PistaGP, and its progeny from the AGV Standards program, will reposition the helmet manufacturer once again as again the pinnacle maker of motorcycle helmets.

Releasing details on the PistaGP to the assembled GP paddock press at Jerez, we can finally publicly talk about this new lid and AGV’s new approach to designing motorcycle helmets. Details after the jump, along with more photos than you can shake a stick at.

Since we have already broke down how AGV scanned Rossi and other riders’ heads into a 3D modeling system to create these custom-fitting helmets, we won’t rehash the process again, though there are some interesting diagrams and technical materials in the galleries below. Making a number of improvements over the company’s already well-selling GP-Tech, the AGV PistaGP’s main features break down into the following measures:

• +15° wider field of vision
• 9% larger visor area
• 36% less g-force transmitted to the head (compared to the ECE regulation)
• 48% less HIC index standard (Head Injury Criterion)
• 71% smaller visor movement area (area devoted to visor movement)
• 3.3mm visor thickness
• -6% lateral section aerodynamics, -3% front section
• -44% z-lift (force of helmet lifting because of aerodynamic forces)
• 193% more ventilation area

“I consider the PistaGP helmet a tribute to Gino Amisano, an entrepreneur I admired for his ability to innovate, the records he achieved, and the competitive spirit with which he faced every challenge,” said Lino Dainese President of Dainese and AGV. “The new helmet is part of the AGV Standards project, which, in line with the qualities established by Amisano, revolutionises the way helmets are designed, setting new records for protection and ergonomics that are clearly evident. The next generation helmets arising from this project are intended to place AGV, once again, in a leading market position with its technology.”

AGV hasn’t explained how it plans on taking the AGV Standards methodology and expanding it into consumer-level products, which could create a challenge for the Italian company. Thus, there has been no word on availability or price, nor has there been word if this will be a custom-only type of product. More info on that as we get it, though we hope we won’t have to wait long to try a PistaGP out in person.

AGV Pista GP Press Conference:

AGV Pista GP Studio Shots:

AGV Pista GP Technical Diagrams:

AGV Pista GP Tested by Valentino Rossi:

Source: AGV

While we are excited and anxiously awaiting the AGV PistaGP helmet, one American helmet manufacturer is less-than-thrilled with the Italian company’s latest offering: Del Rosario. A small boutique firm based out of New York, Del Rosario’s aim was to bring to market helmet designs that were “caught up to the rest of the industry.” Showing off a number of CAD renders since its inception, Del Rosario has clearly missed its late-2011 shipping date, and as far as we can tell, has not actually produced any physical prototypes or finished models.

Getting a fair bit of press and then falling off the radar, Del Rosario is back in the limelight as the company sent a worded warning to AGV through its corporate Facebook page. According to a message posted by Del Rosario on its social media portal, one of the company’s former advisors showed AGV Del Rosario’s stylebook, and now three years later the PistaGP has emerged with a shell design that has some obviously similar characteristics to Del Rosario’s renders.

“AGV should tread very lightly with this…3 years ago a former advisor showed them our stylebook, they wanted to own the license (according to him)…we didn’t want to give it up (we don’t want to be majority owned by anyone)…guess who has a sudden stroke of design genius 3 years later…they’re a huge company and we’re small fries still trying to get financed, but if there’s anything to be learned from the past, they’ve got some splainin’ to do!” reads the company’s statement on Facebook.

Del Rosario has a point with its statement, as the PistaGP’s chin bar and rear spoiler make for a striking resemblance to Del Rosario’s helmet renders, though it should be noted that similar rear spoiler designs can be found on several helmets already, like the Shoei X-Twelve. We will let you decide whether Del Rosario’s work and the PistaGP are cut from the same cloth, and whether those design elements are novel or not, but legally Del Rosario has some good leverage with the fact that they can presumably prove that AGV had seen the company’s designs before the PistaGP’s inception.

It is a double-edged sword whenever a company shows its IP to another, as the door for creative lifting, whether intentionally or intentionally, gets opened by the approaching party. With there being a bevy of “if/then” statements involved in a proper legal analysis of a situation like this, it would be too complex for us to ponder through all the scenarios at this point in time, especially with just a small amount of information. To its credit though, Del Rosario has a pending patent on its helmet, which was filed in February of 2011.

That date however could prove troublesome for the Del Rosario, as it post-dates many of the company’s CAD render publications online and in motorcycle print magazines, potentially invalidating some of the patent’s claims with prior art — most notably the helmet’s physical attributes. With the Del Rosario project seemingly stalled and the company actively looking for funding to bring its product fully to market, there are enough business and legal issues here to keep IP nerds and MBA students salivating at the mouth. Since this author falls into both those categories, expect more updates as we get them. Thanks for the tip Geoffrey!

Del Rosario Motorcycle Helmet Renders:

AGV Pista GP Studio Shots:

Source: Del Rosario (Facebook)

Monster’s series on Valentino Rossi’s Mugello helmets continues (Part 1 here), with this second installment just teasing out the nine-time World Champion’s signature special Mugello helmet. The video is certainly less wordy than the first, and from what we can gather, Rossi will have a ring of flowers on his head for the Italian GP.

With MotoGP to take to the historic Italian track for FP3 and Qualifying in just a few hours, we shouldn’t have too long to wait to see the final product from Aldo Drudi. Until then, this video will have to suffice. Check it out after the jump.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aq1Szdgz6M

Source: Monster Energy (YouTube)

UPDATE: The Simoncelli Tribute helmet will be available in the US in the GP-Tech only. They should be in stores any day now, with an MSRP of $749.95.

It has been over a year since we lost Marco Simoncelli, though it is clear from MotoGP’s revisiting of the Malaysian GP this year that his memory is alive and well. Helping commemorate Marco’s spirit, AGV Helmets is releasing more accurate re-styled Marco Simoncelli replica helmets that have been authorized by the Simoncelli family.

Incorporating the San Carlo logo on the chin guard, the Dainese logo on the top of the shell, a heart with the colors of the Japanese flag on the back, and Marco’s 58 racing number on the temple, the helmet is basically identical to the one that SuperSic wore during the 2011 MotoGP Championship season.

The AGV GP-Tech version costs €749, and comes with a special t-shirt, while the AGV Bali Copter version is €149. No word on US pricing/availability, though I suspect that information will be sent to A&R soon.

Source: AGV

We can’t remember the last time we were excited about a helmet, but we are counting down the days until the AGV Pista GP comes to the United States. Already available in Europe, the Pista GP is expected to cross the pond officially in October of this year and be a part of AGV’s 2014 collection.

However, some eager Americans have already been buying Pista’s online from British helmet houses, and having them shipped over to the US. Considering how banged up our international packages get, it is not something we would recommend. Patience is a virtue.

Though AGV is touting its AGV Standards methodology, which builds the Pista GP from the rider’s head and then outward, it is the number of improvements that helmet brings to the table over the venerable GP-Tech, namely the increased field-of-vision, that excites us — my biggest complaint with AGV race helmets has always been the limited vision at the peripheries and brow.

By the numbers, the full list of changes includes:

• +15° wider field of vision
• 9% larger visor area
• 36% less g-force transmitted to the head (compared to the ECE regulation)
• 48% less HIC index standard (Head Injury Criterion)
• 71% smaller visor movement area (area devoted to visor movement)
• 3.3mm visor thickness
• -6% lateral section aerodynamics, -3% front section
• -44% z-lift (force of helmet lifting because of aerodynamic forces)
• 193% more ventilation area

Source: AGV

Since October is just simply too long of a wait for the Italian company’s new uber carbon fiber racer lid to come to the United States, our bromance with the AGV Pista GP helmet continues to manifest itself online here at Asphalt & Rubber — and yes, we also don’t have the patience for the still-very-racey but-less-uber fiberglass-bodied AGV Corse, which comes a little earlier to the US, in September.

With the MotoGP season starting in earnest this weekend, one of the more minor highlights was the debut of all the riders’ new helmets, and for 2013 we now have five Pistas to drool over on the MotoGP grid, which certainly doesn’t help our “patience is a virtue” mantra.

While we work on centering our chi, there are a bevy of  photos for you after the jump. However, on any given Sunday you can find Stefan Bradl, Andrea Iannone, Danilo Petrucci, Lukas Pesek, and of course Valentino rep’n their Pistas on the grid. Which one is your favorite?

Andrea Iannone:

Danilo Petrucci:

Lukas Pesek:

Stefan Bradl:

Valentino Rossi:

Source: AGV (Facebook)

Another Italian GP at Mugello, and another special AGV helmet for Valentino Rossi. A wink to his new non-alien status, Rossi’s AGV Pista GP lid is obviously painted up like a turtleshell, implying the Italian’s pace to his rivals (note  the colored figures running along the chin bar of the helmet).

Whether you are a fan of The Doctor or not, you have to admit the G.O.A.T. is taking his new place in MotoGP in stride (at least publicly)…though don’t count him out just yet. Second-fastest in FP1 & FP2 on his 2013 Yamaha YZR-M1, Rossi was also fourth-quickest in this morning’s FP3 session — counting him out of a podium, and even a race win, at Mugello would be unwise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG2wQxtbyq4

Source: ValentinoRossi.com

True to tradition, Valentino Rossi debuted another unique helmet design for his home crowd at the San Marino GP in Misano, Italy. Themed to Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”, Rossi has added the last stanza of the song to his livery as well.

“How I wish, how I wish you were here. We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year, running over the same ground What have we found? The same old fears, wish you were here.”

While we’ll let you decipher the meaning to Rossi’s Pink Floyd reference and how it applies to his time in MotoGP, we have to say that this is one of our favorite designs from Aldo Drudi that Rossi has sported at an Italian round.

So, it should come as no surprise that a bevy of photos are after the jump, for your viewing pleasure — since we know that there are some diehard fans of The Doctor that read the pages of Asphalt & Rubber.

Be forewarned though collectors, we think AGV is going to have a tough time getting the rights to make replicas of this design.

Photos: Yamaha Racing & ValentinoRossi.com

Motorcycle industry gossip is at a fever pitch this week with speculation that Italian motorcycle apparel manufacturer Dainese is up for sale. Adding credence to that rumors, Asphalt & Rubber has received a number of tips about the possible sale of the company, with a private investment group cited as a possible buyer.

When we approached with this information, Dainese simply said that rumors were simply that, rumors. However it is worth noting that at the helm of the company for the past few months has been interim-CEO Federico Minoli, the same man that lead Ducati Motor Holding to being acquired by Texas Pacific Group, and later took the Italian motorcycle manufacturer public on the New York Stock Exchange.

A long-time friend of Dainese founder Lino Dainese, Minoli would hypothetically be an ideal candidate to help the Italian gear maker to navigate the investment waters and any possible acquisition. However, if such a sale should come to fruition, it is not clear what this could mean for the Italian brand.

Dainese is currently putting a great deal of its future into its air bag technology, which has been showcased with the company’s D-Air equipped motorcycle apparel for the race track and street. With applications beyond motorcycling and even sports in general, the technology and intellectual property behind Dainese’s D-Air products could prove to be very lucrative.

Still a European centric brand as well, Dainese’s growth potential in North America, as well as in other emerging markets, remains not fully tapped — a valuable area for growth that would-be investors would be keen to exploit. For now though, keep an eye on this space. More news as we get it.

Source: Bothan Spies

If you have been watching the practice and qualifying sessions from the Qatar GP, you may have noticed that Valentino Rossi is once again wearing one of his special helmet designs. This one is a bit different though — instead of a crazy or clever paint scheme, Rossi and his crew have subtle lit the AGV Pista helmet’s clear rear spoiler.

Under the night lights of the Losail International Circuit, the effect is pretty astounding. Usually a spectacle of glowing brake discs and flaming exhausts, the night time atmosphere of the Qatar proves itself once again to be an interesting canvas for the light, which Rossi has masterfully tapped into.

A favorite event for our main man Scott Jones, we’ve got a few shots of Rossi and his LED light show. It’s interesting how the LEDs change some of the more classic Rossi photos, and of course it makes Rossi really pop on the TV feed. Enjoy!

Photo: © 2014 Scott Jones / Scott Jones Photography – All Rights Reserved

Valentino Rossi made quite the scream with his face helmet at Mugello back in 2008. With all the buzz it created, AGV brought out a limited edition version replica of Rossi’s lid to the market in 2009. Now it’s 2010, and AGV has decided to spread the customized lid to everyone else, with a personalized touch. Opening up valentinosface.com, AGV has created a website where you can put your own mug on Rossi “Scream” rep, and have the helmet shipped directly to you from AGV.

For our helmet we chose the charismatic Jorge Lorenzo. Sure, he doesn’t have that same pizzazz as Valentino, but his stern gaze into the future reminds us of how fondly we enjoyed his emotional and enlightening press conferences this past year. If those eyes don’t chill the blood in your veins, maybe you’re not living enough.

Source: AGV

Overshadowed by Rossi’s highside and subsequent injury, one thing we missed at Mugello (besides the Italian himself) was Rossi’s traditional custom helmet for the Italian GP. Always one to pander to the home crowd, Rossi has made it a tradition to have a special helmet designed for when he races at Italian tracks (with Mugello in particular), and this year was no different.

Playing to the theme of the “The Jolly Joker”,  the AGV lid features a large card graphic on the very top that has Rossi portrayed in a jester’s hat. Written across the visor is “Tribu dei Chihuahua”, Italian for “Chihuahua Tribe”. On the back of the helmet are Rossi’s dogs, which also make their usual appearance on the back of Rossi’s Yamaha YZR-M1. Considering the bad luck the helmet proved to be for the GP Champion, we doubt AGV will be making any race replicas of it any time soon.

Holding a press conference this morning at the Wrooom media event in the Dolomite Mountains, Valentino Rossi finally got a chance to officially talk to the press about his experience testing the Ducati at Valencia late last year, and his general impressions on riding with Ducati Corse. Commenting that “the Ducati is different from all the other bikes, it’s a proper prototype, the concept is different from the Japanese factories,” Rossi went on to explain that “you need a bit of a ‘dirtier’ style to ride the Desmosedici.”

In addition to his thoughts, official photos of Rossi’s leathers (Nicky Hayden’s as well, but to less fanfare) have been released by Ducati Corse, which see Rossi’s neon yellow color scheme mixed in with the red and white of Ducati Corse. The clashing colors might not please the aesthetically critical, but we have a feeling people will get used to the arrangement. Photos of the GP11′s race livery are expected tomorrow (Wednesday).

Talking on his shoulder, Rossi admitted that he still has pain, and likely won’t be 100% at the March 20th MotoGP season opener in Qatar. Rossi hopes to be fully-healed by April, which could mean the second (Jerez) or third (Motegi) race of the season. “Honestly, I had hoped to be a little better by this time,” said Rossi. “But instead, it’s going to be quite a race to have decent fitness in time for the first test. My recovery is exactly on schedule, but it’s long: we’re working hard to at least recover mobility in my shoulder, which I’ll need to ride the bike well and to be able to fit behind the windscreen. I won’t be able to be in top form for the first test in Malaysia, because it will be impossible to regain full strength, but I hope to be able to have a good seating position. The doctors assured me that the shoulder will return to 100% in a few months.

“Obviously, it would’ve been better to be in shape now, because we’ve got a lot of work to do and not much time to do it: three tests before the championship to make the Desmosedici not only very fast—it already is—but also a little easier to ride,” explained the nine-time World Champion. “We’ll have to meet each other halfway: make the bike like I like, and as for me, adapt my riding style a little to try and make the most of the bike. It will be an emotional challenge; it will be difficult, but I’m happy because there’s a lot of extra motivation. They’re very excited at Ducati; they believe in me, and we’ll do our best!”

As expected, Nicky Hayden has officially jumped ship from Alpinestars to Dainese for the 2011 season, and accordingly will ride in Dainese leathers, boots, and gloves. Hayden however has stayed with Arai for the upcoming season, and will not be joining Rossi as an AGV helmet wearer (Rossi holds a minor interest in AGV helmets). Following the trend with Dainese riders, Hayden has opted for the leathers-over-boots look, which we know will delight at least one unnamed A&R WSBK correspondent, while the rest of us notice this for the first time.

“This my third year with Ducati,”  said Hayden. “The start was a little bit difficult, but it’s gotten better and better since I’ve been on this team and on this bike. We’ve grown a lot, the bike has improved, and my relationship with the team has improved. We made a big step from the first year to the second, and I’d like to do the same this year. We know we have a good bike. We’ve made a couple of little tweaks for next year by adding some staff and a few engineers to help me.

“I have a strong team around me. I know being teammates with Rossi won’t be easy, but I really don’t get too caught up in that,” continued Hayden. “I focus on my job, and that’s why I think it’ll work with us. I’m looking forward to having Valentino’s information and feedback. He’s been around a long time and has a lot of experience. I think it’ll be fun. I know our team; the motivation is really high, and the excitement with the fans in Italy is high as well. I can’t imagine what the atmosphere will be like when get to Mugello.”

Photos of Valentino Rossi in Ducati Corse Leathers:

Photos of Nicky Hayden in Ducati Corse Leathers:

Source: Ducati Corse

It all started innocently enough, as I was having dinner with some friends from Dainese before the West Coast Moto Jam, they suggested that I do a two-up ride with Jason Pridmore on the National Guard Suzuki Superbike. “Yeah, that’d be really cool,” I said in response, trying not to burst with excitement as to how awesome and unique I thought the experience would be. Barely sleeping the night before, I arrived Saturday morning at Infineon Raceway, and got decked out in the Dainese/AGV gear that was provided, and headed over to the National Guard Jordan Superbike team pits where we met up with Jason Pridmore.

I was accompanied by several National Guardsmen and some fans (you can win a two-up ride by following Jason on Twitter), and before we got started the AMA & FIM World Endurance veteran introduced the program to us. “Before we start has anyone here been drinking?” asked Pridmore – the day had been hot, and this was a NASCAR venue after all. Raising his hand and looking at the ten of us, “Oh, so just me?..let’s get started” continued Pridmore. Yeah…it was going to be like that.

Swinging my leg over the pillion seat on the Suzuki GSX-R1000, Jason gave me a run-down again on the instructions, and asked me how I was feeling. “I’m pumped,” I replied. “Go as fast as you can.” Now let us take a moment to evaluate who this is the point where I made my critical error in the day, as I suspect Pridmore takes a special joy in scaring the life out of hapless moto-journalists who find themselves on the back of his motorcycle.

Actually, Jason makes it a point to say in his briefing that the goal is to make the ride fun for every passenger, and consider that a goal achieved, as you’d be hard pressed to find someone getting off the back of Jordan Suzuki without a grin that stretches ear-to-ear. However, I suspect that if you’re a motorcycle blogger with more ego than commonsense, this whole concept is forfeit, and it’s at this point in time that I would like to apologize to every pillion I’ve ever had on the back of my street bikes (you know who you are).

Going into Turn 1 at the track formerly known as Sears Point, I became keenly aware of the air whipping around my back and ass, and realized that unlike the driver’s seat on a motorcycle, which typically has a bucket shape to it, I was really just hanging in the breeze on the pillion position. It doesn’t sound like much, but for someone that’s never been a passenger on a motorcycle before, the entire experience goes against roughly a decade’s worth of motorcycle riding.

That concept would become amplified as we apexed through the first turn. “I have no control,” I thought to myself, literally along for the ride at this point. This should have of course been painfully obvious before I got on the National Guard Jordan Suzuki, but the idea really sunk in when I lost my telepathic battle with Pridmore on where the first brake marker should be.

It should be noted that Infineon Raceway is an undulating race track, with a wide mix of technical turns. On-camber & off-camber turns, changing elevation, kinks, bends, hairpins, the Sonoma race course has it all. It’s one of only two race tracks California that I haven’t ridden before, which made each turn a bit of a surprise, but what struck me the most was the G-forces we were hitting. With handles built into the tank, it really is quite easy to brace yourself on the Suzuki, and still give Pridmore plenty of room to move around on the machine — though going through The Carousel I regretted just about everything I ate for lunch, and my stomach potentiometer told me we hit at least 2G’s going through the downhill left-hander.

I should preface at this point that our pace is probably faster than what I, an avid track day rider, would consider prudent. I don’t know if this is because of the whole lack of control issue, the fact I have no clue what turn is coming next, or if Jason’s 50% race pace really just is that much faster than my best efforts. If I were a betting man though, I’d factor all three pretty heavily into my assessment, with an extra emphasis on that last point.

Gripping with all my might, we navigated through the rest of Infineon’s turns, as Jason gave me a truly unique perspective on the race course. Making our way through the Esses, and coming into the back straight, before the kink that the AMA runs to keep speeds down, my perspective goes from asphalt to blue sky. Yes, we’re doing a two-up, 75+ mph wheelie that feels like it went on for days. Please sir, can I have another? Our front wheel touches down as we go through the kink, and then it’s ludicrous speed through Turn 10 towards and towards the bus stop that is Turn 11.

Have you ever done a push-up while a small adult sitting on your back? That’s really strange if you said “yes” to that question, but I have a slight understanding of what that must have been like for you (seriously though, seek help). Pushing against the tank with all my might, we go through T11, and back onto the front straight. Our lap isn’t a flying lap, so we stop midway through the straightaway to lure the next unsuspecting passenger onto Pridmore’s Suzuki. Truly awesome, and truly horrifying at the same time, I doubt I’ll ever take a lap around Infineon quite like that again…and if I do, I’ll keep my mouth shut about wanting to go full-tilt.

How horrible my memory is would quickly get tested on that last point though, as unfortunately the video of my Infineon two-up ride got lost to the great DOS-prompt in the sky…and let’s be honest, there are more than a few people that want to see A&R‘s creator careen around a race track with tears in his eyes. No longer able to plead ignorance, I readily agreed to go for a second two-up ride, this time during the Memorial Day weekend at Miller Motorsports Park. Joined by more of our fine serviceman from the Army and Air National Guard, and a few AMA rider’s significant others (I may our may-not have helped coax Roger Lee Hayden’s girlfriend into joining us…sorry Rog), I again climbed onto the back of the Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000.

There really is no better rollercoaster than a two-up ride with Jason Pridmore, and much to the ire of my moto-colleauges, you can’t pick two better venues than the mountain ringed Miller Motorsports Park and the dynamically-flowing Infineon raceway. Since I know it’ll be a hit with some of my more inscrupulous readers and fans, find the video our lap around the Outer Loop of Miller below – there’s a glutton for punishment hidden behind that dark-smoked AGV helmet.

Big thanks to Jason Pridmore for the biggest thrill I’ve had on two wheels, and also to the Michael Jordan Motorsports Team which runs the National Guard Jordan Suzuki squad, and Dainese for putting the program together and hosting me. More importantly though, a big thank you to the men and women who serve our country in our National Guard, especially to the few I got to meet these past few weekends. You’re what the BigM weekend is all about.

Photo: © 2011 Dan Lo / CornerSpeedPhoto.com – All Rights Reserved

Despite Valentino Rossi getting the Ducati Desmosedici GP11.1 for the Italian GP at Mugello, the nine-time World Champion is still struggling with a 12th place qualifying position. Despite his troubles, Rossi is keeping true to his tradition of wearing a special AGV helmet at his home GP round. Featuring a giant eyeball on the top of the lid (Rossi’s bulldogs are featured on the back of the helmet), we can only imagine Rossi is paying with the fact that all eyes are on him this year as he tackles the new challenges that surround his move to Ducati Corse.

So far Rossi and Jeremy Burgess haven’t been able to tame the beast, and at Mugello, the famous crew chief is absent, having to attend to personal obligations back home in Australia this weekend. With QP cut-short by inclement weather, Rossi and Ducati had only a handful of laps to work on setting up the GP11.1 for Mugello, which could prove to be a hurdle come Sunday morning. Whatever the reasons are for Rossi’s design choice, he will be one to watch tomorrow to see if he can overcome the hurdles that are set out before him. More photos after the jump.

Photos: Ducati Corse

Getting a look at Dainese & AGV’s 2012 collection, Asphalt & Rubber was down in Orange County earlier this week to see the highly anticipated Dainese D-Air Racing leather suit, which has a four liter airbag system that helps reduce the risk of injury during a motorcycle crash. Dainese has been working on the D-Air Racing system for 10 years now, and after soft-launching the airbag suit in Europe, the Italian company is ready to bring the game-changing technology to American soil.

If you watch MotoGP or World Superbike, you have likely already seen the roughly one pound (650 grams) D-Air Racing suit at work, as riders like Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden, Stefan Bradl, Leon Haslam, and Max Biaggi have been wearing Dainese’s airbag leathers while racing, and have also been providing the company with feedback on the D-Air’s design and development. In addition to deploying an airbag that protects a rider’s neck, chest, and shoulders, the Dainese D-Air system also provides a telemetry package that track riders can use in lieu of a basic motorcycle data acquisition system.

Triggering in 15ms and inflating within 30ms after the system detects a crash (a complicated process in its own right), the Dainese D-Air Racing suit reduces the force to the rider’s body by up to 85% when compared to traditional track suit armor. Continuing the company’s history as an innovator in the industry, Dainese was the first to invent the back protector, kneeslidder, and knuckle protector glove, and is now the first motorcycle company to offer a fully-integrated and wireless airbag system for motorcycle racing leathers (Alpinestars is expected to have one on the market within a year or two).

In order to operate and build its airbag system, Dainese had to incorporate a bevy of sensors that calculate a rider’s speed, trajectory, lean angle, and momentum. Realizing that the Dainese D-Air Racing suit had three accelerometers, three gyroscopes, 2GB of storage, and a GPS, the Italian company teamed up with 2D, a MotoGP and F1 telemetry supplier, to incorporated the necessary ports and software that allow a rider also to use the D-Air Racing suit for basic data recording. The telemetry package includes lap time data, GPS telemetry of the bike, and diagrams of braking spaces and lines through bends. Acceleration data is also available and the system is compatible with Google Earth, which enables the plotting of racing lines on a computer generated map.

Available in June of this year, Dainese will have a basic and custom D-Air Racing suits available to consumers. The basic suit will come pre-sized like normal, and will cost $3,999. Dainese is also offering custom-tailored version of the D-Air Racing suit, which the Italian company will make to order, and incorporate the airbag system into racing leathers. Pricing on custom suit is set at $4,999, and is primarily geared towards racers. Because the suits will need to be serviced after firing, they are only being made available at authorized Dainese dealers.

Stefan Bradl Crashing with the Dainese D-Air Racing Suit at Qatar in 2010:

Photos: Dainese

In addition to testing the factory Ducati Desmosedici GP12 “Phoenix” this week at Sepang, Valentino Rossi is also trying out a new lid from AGV. Aside from the carbon fiber goodness, and of course the Rossi stickers (which add 5hp & $200), AGV’s prototype helmet sports a noticably pronounced rear spoiler. Tucked in behind the windscreen, it is obvious why the Italian helmet manufacturer designed such a large protrusion off the back of the prototype helmet, as it looks to be clearly helping the flow off the back of the helmet, across the rider’s hump, and down his backside.

Yes, that’s all well and good, but what has this writer really salivating is that reports from Malaysia say the windscreen’s field of view is HUGE. I think the exact words described to me were, “it’s like watching a flat screen TV with your nose against the monitor.” While I love my AGV AX-8 Dual Sport (I rocked it hard at the BRD RedShift SM prototype test), I just can’t get that same enthusiasm behind AGV’s road race line. Having ridden with both the AGV T2 and AGV GP-Tech, my biggest complaint is that the field of view on both these helmets feels restricted (a common complaint apparently from riders used to Arai’s helmet design).

From my own assessment of the problem, It seems the issue comes from AGV’s brow design. Noticeably thicker and lower than other brands’ designs, AGV’s road race helmets protrude out further from the rider’s face, and in my experience obstructs sighting fully through a turn. If the reports from Sepang are true, then AGV has adopted a new design with a much larger face shield area and field of vision that should eliminate this problem. An AGV for the rest of us, I really hope this design feature makes its way into an offering from the Italian helmet maker…and if it’s in carbon, so much the better.

Title Photo: Alex Briggs (Twitter); Second Photo: Ducati Corse