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For its arrival in Peru, the Dakar 2012 saw the motorcyclists and the quads run a longer stage to the cars and trucks, consisting of 171kms of transit and two separate Special Stage sections of 534kms between Arica and Arequipa. While Stage 11 featured more of the 'fesh fesh' sand, and some river crossings, much of the stage was characterised by bone-jarring rocky trails.

Stage 10 of the 2012 Dakar rally went the way of Joan Barreda Bort (Husqvarna 450 RR). What was even more impressive is that the young Spaniard beat the powerhouse Red Bull KTM team of Marc Coma and Cyril Despres while riding with a damaged foot for most of the stage!

If the 'Flanders' marque means nothing to you, you're not alone. Given the name, one would think it's European, but Flanders were actually built in the USA before World War I, and were the creation of Walter Flanders.

The ongoing battle between KTM team mates Cyril Despres and Marc Coma continued on Stage 9 of the 2012 Dakar. This time, it was the turn of Despres to regain the overall lead, but neither rider won the stage, as they both incurred time penalties for an engine swap after Stage 8 of the rally.

After a less than stellar debut World Superbike season on the Team Pedercini satellite Kawasaki outfit in 2011, Mark Aitchison will return to the series this year with Team Grillini on a new BMW S 1000 RR

Following a day of R&R in Copiapo, the 2012 Dakar got underway again on Monday, January 9, in a 722 km stage (245km transit, 477km Special Stage) from Copiapo to Antofagasta.

They were tipped to be the team to beat before the start of the 2012 Dakar rally, and the flotilla of Minis from the German-based X-Raid team haven't disappointed, winning multiple stages and looking likely to secure an overall class victory in the fortnight-long South American endurance event.

A rare example of the 'longest production motorcycle ever built' will shortly be auctioned in the US, as part of the huge Las Vegas motorcycle sale hosted by MidAmerica Auctions.

Stage 6 of the 2012 Dakar was cancelled following potentially dangerous weather in the form of heavy snow and subzero temperatures on the planned route. Riders joined all other classes and support vehicles in crossing the 'Paso San Francisco' border crossing in convoy. The weather conditions - as low as minus 8 degrees Celsius at one point - forced a revision of the route that added an additional 200 kilometres in order to reach the original Stage 6 finish point at Copiapo, Chile.

Stage 5 of the 2012 Dakar was characterised by bad weather and the notorious sand dunes of Fiambala, one of the most challenging and energy-sapping sections of the entire rally.

Mecum Auctions' Florida auction event is a showcase of American muscle, race and custom cars that runs over six days. While motorcycle consignments for the auction, held at the Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida are minimal, there are some standouts amongst them, like this restored Harley-Davidson board track racer.

Making a stand at Kawasaki showrooms across Australia, the world's most powerful production motorcycle has arrived. The 2012 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R ABS comes complete with 3-mode KTRC (Kawasaki TRaction Control), selectable power modes and optimized ABS settings. Kawasaki is offering the newest Ninja for the same price as its outgoing predecessor - $19,999 plus on road costs.

The "battle of the KTMs" between Spain's Marc Coma and France's Cyril Despres continued on Stage 4 of the 2012 Dakar, with the two past champions continuing to be the class of the field.

The third stage of the 2012 Dakar rally, from San Rafael to San Juan, showed that in the motorcycle class, at least, this year's event will be a battle of two between experienced campaigners and former winners, Marc Coma and Cyril Despres. A combination of skill from Despres and misfortune from Coma saw the Frenchman come out on top, winning the stage and moving into the overall lead.

After a cautious start on the opening day's stage, Spain's Marc Coma hit the accelerator on Stage 2 of the 2012 Dakar, putting some distance between himself and his main rivals for victory, starting with Cyril Despres, who is almost 3 minutes behind in the general standings.

The 2012 Dakar commenced on January 1, and the opening day's 57km stage from Mar Del Plata to Santa Rosa Del Pampa saw Chilean rider Francisco Lopez win ahead of race favourite, Spain's Marc Coma. But the opening leg of the 2012 event was marred by the death of Jorge Martinez Boero.

When it comes to getting your first motorcycle, there are heaps of LAMS models to choose from. Most first timers tend to go for road bikes, rather than cruisers, road/trail machines or scooters. In order to capture that slice of the market, Korean brand Daelim broadened their scooter-based range to add the 'VJF 250' manual roadbike in 2009. Australian riders got their first look at the VJF 250 in late 2010, when Victorian-based Mojo Motorcycles relaunched the Daelim brand locally.

After featuring as the top selling lot from the recent auction of the Lee Roy Hartung Collection, two examples of the rare and highly collectable 'Flying Merkel' marque have been consigned for the Las Vegas Premier Motorcycle Auction, to be held on January 12 - 14, 2012.

The CB 125E is the latest addition to Honda's entry-level range. Billed as a reliable, economical and fuel-efficient machine, the CB 125E will be released early in 2012 at the bargain price of only $1,990 MLRP.

Victory is very proud to announce Haldane Motorcycles as the new Victory dealer in Auckland, New Zealand. Haldane Motorcycles has replaced Team Motor Group (TMG), effective 19th December 2011.

A simple training session during Nicky Hayden's Christmas vacation turned disastrous on Tuesday, December 27, when the Ducati factory rider crashed while riding a motorcycle at an indoor flat track facility near his home in Owensboro, Kentucky.

This wild custom motorcycle is one of hundreds consigned for the big 'Las Vegas Premier Motorcycle Auction' this January 12-14, hosted by Auctions America by RM.

A non-profit organization in memory of the late Marco Simoncelli came to fruition just before Christmas, through the efforts of his family and friends. "The Marco Simoncelli Foundation" began as an idea of Carlo Pernat (Simoncelli's manager) and was immediately embraced by the Simoncelli family, who worked quickly to make the foundation a legal reality.

When it made its debut in 1969, Honda's CB750 four set the template for just about every large capacity motorcycle that followed. The CB 750 arguably also put the final nail in the coffin of the British motorcycle industry, as it accomplished everything the big British twins and singles did, but was more refined, reliable, better-equipped and generally cheaper. A hit around the world, the CB750 enjoyed particular success in the USA, where demand led to a number of developments over the CB750's lifespan.