James Stewart JS7 Heads to 2014 AMA Supercross Season OpenerThe past four years of the AMA Supercross Championship have presented many challenges to two-time SX title holder, Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart.
The Floridian was plagued by injury, which created mixed results. But by the end of 2013 SX – his first full season aboard the Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z 450 – Stewart began picking up momentum. This helped his overall Supercross record when he took a win at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome; it was his ninth straight season with a win, and he became one of three racers to do so. Stewart also raced his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 to podium finishes at both the St. Louis and Indianapolis events.This momentum culminated at the 2013 Monster Energy Cup, where Stewart won two of three races to take the overall victory. This was his first appearance in the Monster Energy Cup.And as 2014 Monster Energy AMA Supercross begins this weekend at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., Stewart is ready to battle for the podium once again.James Stewart (Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z 450 Supercross) says: “I’m really excited to get back to racing Supercross. During the off-season, I’ve been training at home in Florida and focusing on being consistent and doing my normal program. Last season, we struggled a bit but I felt like we really started to gel as a team toward the end of the year.“After a year of racing the Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450, I feel more comfortable on the bike and our goal is to build on the momentum we had going at the end of the season. Now I’m just looking forward to staying healthy and being competitive at Anaheim 1 and for the rest of the year.”Mike Webb (Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing Team Manager) says: “Everyone at Yoshimura Suzuki is looking forward to the start of the 2014 season. Last year we had a little bit of a learning curve but now we’ve really come together as a team.“We’re looking forward to using the momentum we built last year to take it to the next level this season. Between James’ unparalleled talent, Suzuki’s championship-winning DNA and Yoshimura’s unbeatable expertise in racing, we definitely have a lot to be excited about in 2014.”For a preview of 2014 AMA Supercross, click here.
Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory + Steve ’Stavros’ Parrish
byMotos and Friends by Ultimate Motorcycle
Hello everyone and welcome once again to Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly podcast—Motos and Friends. My name is Arthur Coldwells.
Our first segment features the new Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory. Senior Editor Nic de Sena brings us his report on the flagship version of Aprilia’s upright middleweight machine. He gives us insight into whether it’s worth spending the extra money on the Factory version, and also of course, whether this sporting Aprilia is really the motorcycle for you.
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The next guest segment of Motos and Friends is brought to you by the faster and most technologically advanced, 2023 Suzuki Hayabusa—one of the most iconic sportbikes ever. Check it out in person at your local Suzuki dealer now, or visit suzukicycles.com to learn more.
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In this segment, Associate Editor Teejay Adams chats with (arguably) one of the most interesting Suzuki race riders of all time. the iconic RG500 alongside teammate double World Champion Barry Sheene. The two were almost as famous for their exploits off-track, as for their success on it. Those were the days! Steve also raced the Isle of Man TT for about ten years where he won 13 Silver Replicas, and got a podium finish. His insight into that particular brand of mayhem are fascinating.
But there’s waaay more to Steve Parrish than his motorcycle racing. He is also the most successful Semi-Truck racer ever, and, little known piece of useless trivia—he’s my birthday twin: 24th February. He is a natural entertainer and you can’t miss his recounting of the world’s most entertaining—and arguably terrifying—double-decker bus ride ever. If any of you were actually on that hell-ride then we’d love to hear from you!
