2020 MotoGP Round Two – Jerez Gran Premio Red Bull de Andalucía
At the Spanish GP, Fabio Quartararo became the first Yamaha rider to win the MotoGP race after qualifying on pole since Maverick Viñales at Le Mans 2017.
At the Spanish GP, Maverick Viñales became the 16th rider to reach the milestone of 2000 points scored in Grand Prix racing. With his second-place finish, he scored his 2005th point since the beginning of his career.
With Quartararo and Viñales, this is the first Yamaha 1-2 in MotoGP since the 2017 French GP in Le Mans with Maverick Viñales and Johann Zarco.
Andrea Dovizioso finished third at the Spanish GP, which is his first podium on his 13 visits at Jerez in the premier class.
At the Andalucia GP, Ducati will be aiming to become the fifth manufacturer to reach the milestone of 50 premier class wins with Honda (309), Yamaha (230), MV Agusta (139) and Suzuki (93).
With Pol Espargaro in sixth and Miguel Oliveira in eighth, this is the second time there are two KTM riders within the top 10 in MotoGP along with Valencia 2018 when Pol Espargaro was third and Bradley Smith was eighth in wet-weather conditions.
This is the first time since the Portuguese GP held in Jerez back in 1988 that there are no Honda riders on the podium in the premier class at the track.
This is the first time that Marc Marquez failed to score any points in the opening race of the year since he stepped up to MotoGP in 2013 and the first time he failed to score any points since Austin last yea,r when he crashed out while leading the race, which ends a streak of 16 successive podiums.
With Alex Rins missing the Spanish GP and Joan Mir crashing out, this is the first time there were no Suzuki riders across the line since Valencia 2014, when the Japanese manufacturer prepared its return in MotoGP with a wildcard for Randy De Puniet (he retired from that race).
Marc Marquez crashed out and Valentino Rossi retired from the race at the Spanish GP, making this the first time no premier class World Champion scored any points since the French GP in 2006.
Two of the three rookies in MotoGP this year have previously won a Grand Prix race at Jerez in the smaller classes: Alex Marquez (Moto2, 2017), who was the best rookie across the line last week in 12th, and Brad Binder (Moto3, 2016).
Quartararo fourth French premier class winner
On his 20th start in MotoGP, at the 2020 Spanish GP, Fabio Quartararo became the first French rider to win a premier class race since Régis Laconi in Valencia back in 1999 (20 years and 304 days ago).
Quartararo became the fourth French rider to win in the premier class along with Pierre Monneret (Reims/1954), Christian Sarron (Hockenheim/1985) and Régis Laconi (Valencia/1999), with one win each.
Quartararo became the second French rider to win the opening race of the season along with Pierre Monneret at the 1954 French GP, both also qualified on pole position.
With Quartararo’s win at the Spanish GP, France became the eighth different nation to win in MotoGP since its introduction in 2002, along with Spain (152), Italy (109), Australia (41), United States (4), Brazil (3), Japan (3) and Great Britain (3).
With his win at the Spanish GP, Fabio Quartararo became the first Yamaha rider from an Independent Team to win in MotoGP since its introduction in 2002. Actually, he is the first non Honda rider from an Independent Team to win in MotoGP.
In the premier class, the win for Quartararo is the first for a Yamaha rider from an Independent Team since Garry McCoy in Valencia back in 2000.
Fabio Quartararo is leading the MotoGP Riders classification, becoming the first Independent Team rider to do so since Cal Crutchlow after the 2018 Argentinian GP.
In Andalucia, aged 21 years 97 days old, Quartararo will be aiming become the second youngest rider to win back-to-back races in the premier class behind Marc Marquez (20 years 154 days old, Germany/USA/2013).
Aged 21 years and 90 days old, Fabio Quartararo became the eighth youngest rider to win a premier class race ahead of Valentino Rossi (21 years and 144 days old).
Fabio Quartararo
Youngest premier class GP winners
Marc Marquez – 20 years, 63 days (Circuit of the Americas 2013)
Freddie Spencer – 20 years, 196 days (Spa-Francorchamps 1982)
Norifumi Abe – 20 years, 227 days (Suzuka 1996)
Dani Pedrosa – 20 years, 227 days (Shanghai International Circuit 2006)
Randy Mamola – 20 years, 239 days (Spa-Francorchamps 1980)
Jorge Lorenzo – 20 years, 345 days (Circuito do Estoril 2008)
Mike Hailwood – 21 years, 75 days (Isle of Man 1965)
Fabio Quartararo – 21 years, 90 days (Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto 2020)
Valentino Rossi – 21 years, 144 days (Donington Park 2000)
Casey Stoner – 21 years, 145 days (Losail International Circuit 2007)
MotoGP in Spain
The Andalusian GP is the ninth different GP event to be held in Spain along with the Aragon GP, Catalan GP, Europe GP, FIM GP, Madrid GP, Portugal GP, Spanish GP and Valencia GP. The 1987 and 1988 Portuguese GP were also in Jarama and Jerez, respectively.
This is the first back-to-back GP event on the same track in the same season in the history of GP racing, although it happened once in two successive seasons: the last of GP of 1954 and the first of 1955, with the Spanish GP held in Montjuïc.
There have been eight different MotoGP winners at Jerez since the introduction of the class in 2002: Valentino Rossi (6 wins), Marc Marquez (3), Jorge Lorenzo (3), Dani Pedrosa (3), Fabio Quartararo (1), Casey Stoner (1), Loris Capirossi (1) and Sete Gibernau (1).
Most successful riders by wins at Jerez
Valentino Rossi – Nine wins (6 x MotoGP – 1 x 500 – 1 x 250 – 1 x 125)
Jorge Lorenzo – Five wins (3 x MotoGP – 2 x 250)
Dani Pedrosa – Four wins (3 x MotoGP – 1 x 250) Mick Doohan – Four wins (4 x 500) Alex Criville – Four wins (3 x 500 – 1 x 125)
2020 MotoGP Round Two – Jerez Gran Premio Red Bull de Andalucía
MotoGP’s return to the stage in the Gran Premio Red Bull de España was dramatic, euphoric and, for some, tinged with shades of tragedy: just as the curtain raised for the first act of 2020 for the premier class, the reigning Champion and two race winners found themselves on the sidelines or heading for them.
Before we returned to competition it was Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) in the limelight as he injured his collarbone just a couple of weeks before racing returned, but the focus and the shuffle of the pack has since shifted to Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol). Word is that all three will try and race, yes even Marc…
Last weekend Fabio Quartararo set a new lap record, smashed that again, and won his first premier class race – and the first for Petronas Yamaha SRT. It was the first French win since 1999 too, and the first time an independent Yamaha took to the top step in MotoGP. Maybe as the hands get dealt and the year goes on, it will prove a history maker of a season, but for Quartararo it was already a history-maker of a day.
Fabio Quartararo
“Spanish GP was such an amazing race. The weekend just felt so good with the pole position and winning the GP, honestly it was the best. I can’t wait for Friday to be back again, try to improve our pace even more and try to do exactly the same as this week. I think we can still improve because the pace of those around us was really good so we need to look to see which areas we should work on. We know that sector three was one where I struggled. We need to enjoy this victory but also focus on the next race this weekend as this new calendar is intense with few breaks so it’s important to stay concentrated.”
Fabio Quartararo broke through for his maiden win last weekend at Jerez
Where last year Jerez brought heartbreak with a mechanical problem denying ‘El Diablo’ his first podium, this year it brought glory – and the grid look hard pushed to stop the Frenchman from a rinse and repeat over another 25-lap distance around the 4.4 km Circuito de Jerez.
Heading the list of candidates heading in must surely be Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP)… Having struggled at times in recent seasons in the earlier stages of the race – compared to his dominant displays in 2017, for one – the Viñales that shot off the line on Sunday showed that was not an affliction he intended to allow to hang around. The number 12 was the man in charge early on, with Marquez threatening behind him – and then running off when in front of him, leaving Viñales to contend with Quartararo, Dovizioso and Jack Miller (Pramac Racing). Was the bolt off the line, the soft tyre and the hot pace early on Viñales’ play against Marquez? Was it purely data and feel driven? Was it unexpected that he couldn’t quite stay with Quartararo?
Maverick Viñales
“Last week I felt amazing on the bike here in Jerez, so I also feel confident for this GP. Honestly, I had a good pace – first in the test and later throughout the race weekend – and despite the tyre degradation in the race I was able to take second place. My team did a great job and we are all really motivated to fight for the podium and the victory again. I think we can be even stronger this time, because we now have all this extra race data. We have been doing a good job so far, so we will continue to work hard, as always, to get the best result possible.”
Maverick Vinales couldn’t match the pace of the young Frenchman last week over race distance
Viñales’ approach in the second round at the same Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto will certainly have us glued to our screens – he was, after all, the man to watch throughout much of preseason. Don’t count out Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) from the fight at the front either.
Valentino Rossi
“The Spanish GP was difficult for me. I struggled a lot in the heat because of tyre degradation, and then later I had to retire from the race, which was unlucky. In a certain way it‘s good that we get to race in Jerez again this week, because we can take the data from Sunday and use it to our advantage. We will work hard because we want to come back strong this weekend. I feel good and I‘m ready to fight again.”
And then there’s Dovizioso. The Italian was on the MotoGP podium at Jerez for the first time, despite technically still being on the comeback from injury, and despite the fact that the track hasn’t suited the Ducati in the same way it often has their rivals. The podium and the points are valuable as Marquez is forced to watch from the sidelines, and especially given the ‘Ducati territory’ of two races at the Red Bull Ring still to come.
Andrea Dovizioso
“After such an intense race weekend, I took advantage of these days to continue my rehabilitation after the collarbone surgery. Last Sunday’s result was good, and we managed to get positive feedback from the first Grand Prix of the year. We arrive ready at the second race and, above all, knowing better the aspects that we will have to improve to get more speed. It will be important to continue the work in this way, continuing to accumulate the maximum points without making mistakes. Temperatures will once again be very high, and the race will be physically tough. I want to wish Marc, Alex and Cal a speedy recovery. I hope to see them again on the track soon.”
The speed shown by Dovizioso and fellow standout performer Miller, who was only just beaten to the podium by the more experienced Italian, will give the Bologna factory some serious heart… and who knows what they can do with more track time and data, and a race already contested?
Jack Miller just missed out on the podium last weekend
What can Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) do after his serious turn of speed? Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) should also be feeling a little less sore after his crash in the Wednesday test, and he’ll expect to be back in and further up the mix.
Danilo Petrucci
“I can’t wait to race again in Jerez. After the last two days of rest, I feel much better: I managed to solve the stomach issues and also my neck muscle is fine. I know we have the potential to fight for the positions that count: Dovizioso, Miller and Bagnaia have shown that, so my goal for this race will be to stay in the top five. Although it is not an ideal track for our bike, I am sure that without physical problems I will be able to improve my performance. I also hope that Marc, Alex and Cal can recover well from their injuries and get back on track very soon.”
Danilo Petrucci being chased down by Marc Marquez last weekend
Speaking of the mix, that’s something KTM very much joined in the first race of the season – and the Austrian factory are also third in the constructors standings after the first race. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) led the charge and fought for fifth before being forced to settle for sixth, and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) also impressed as he took P8 and equalled his best in the premier class.
Brad Binder put in a blinder last week after recovering from an early mistake
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) will be another to keep a serious eye on in round two, too. The South African was P13, but after suffering run off early in the race he then seared around Jerez as fast as anyone in the front group. And remember, he’s a rookie!
Fellow rookie Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), who was unable to finish the race, will likely take a keen interest in all the data he can ahead of the Andalucia GP – with KTM having shown an impressive leap forward already in 2020.
Honda, meanwhile, will be missing their ace card in Marc Marquez, but Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) will take heart from some points and a solid finish in his first race – and as top rookie. Can he take a step forward? Can Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu)? The Japanese rider finished tenth on Sunday, and he’ll be looking for more.
Takaaki Nakagami – P10 last week
One man looking for even more than that might be Cal Crutchlow though. A crash in Warm Up ruled him out, and he’s since discovered and had surgery on a broken scaphoid. But the Briton is planning to race, and will not want to simply make up the numbers. How far through the pain barrier can Crutchlow push?
That will also be a question asked of Alex Rins. A dislocated shoulder stopped the Spaniard from competing in the first round, but he’s going to try and race – and will likely be focused on bagging maximum points as Marquez’ mistake sadly proves even more costly than his.
Suzuki team-mate Joan Mir is also a question mark going into the Andalucia GP, as Mir has looked to have taken a step forward in his sophomore year of 2020… but crashed out too early for us to see his hand in Jerez. Suzuki started the season on nil points, and the Hamamatsu factory will want much more this time around – especially after a positively buzzing aura of positivity in preseason.
Davide Brivio – Suzuki Team Manager
“We’re ready to start a new race weekend, and to hopefully have a much better one than last week. Both our riders showed strong pace during the build up to the Spanish GP, but it was just unfortunate the way it ended. We hope that Alex can be back on track, he’s been working very hard to regain his fitness in time. Joan wants to continue working on a few things, but he knows he can bring home a strong finish.”
Joan Mir – DNF last weekend and no points for Suzuki at all after Rins did not start after hurting his shoulder on Saturday
Aprilia, meanwhile, took their first point of the season with Bradley Smith (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), and were another who suffered from a DNF as Aleix Espargaro failed to finish. Can both take the fight to the points and the top ten after more track time at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto? We will find out soon enough…
FP1 sees the refinements begin at 1755 (AEST) on Friday, before we do it all again in what’s bound to be another spectacular MotoGP race on Sunday at 2200. Can anyone stop Quartararo?
MotoGP Championship Points Standings
Pos
Rider
Bike
Points
1
Fabio QUARTARARO
Yamaha
25
2
Maverick VIÑALES
Yamaha
20
3
Andrea DOVIZIOSO
Ducati
16
4
Jack MILLER
Ducati
13
5
Franco MORBIDELLI
Yamaha
11
6
Pol ESPARGARO
KTM
10
7
Francesco BAGNAIA
Ducati
9
8
Miguel OLIVEIRA
KTM
8
9
Danilo PETRUCCI
Ducati
7
10
Takaaki NAKAGAMI
Honda
6
11
Johann ZARCO
Ducati
5
12
Alex MARQUEZ
Honda
4
13
Brad BINDER
KTM
3
14
Tito RABAT
Ducati
2
15
Bradley SMITH
Aprilia
1
Moto2
Marini was ultimately able to keep his hold on the Spanish GP. But can he double down? Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) saw his practice pace end up in a 0 in Qatar, but the Italian had no such trouble in the Spanish GP. From fastest on Friday to the top step on Sunday, Marini certainly laid down a gauntlet in the second round of the season. Now of course, we race the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto once more… so it stands to reason he’ll be looking to do the exact same again.
Moto2 Jerez podium 1 Luca Marini – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex 39:23.297 2 Tetsuta Nagashima – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex +1.271 3 Jorge Martin – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex +4.838
He didn’t have it all his own way, however. Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was on a charge to catch the escaped Italian at the front, and although he couldn’t quite hang in there for the latter laps of the race, his second place boosts his Championship advantage from five points to 17 – very much showing Qatar was no one off. Can he use more track time at the venue to cut down Marini’s advantage? And can his teammate, polesitter Jorge Martin, get further in the mix on Sunday too? With the weather looking similar as it stands, the Red Bull KTM Ajo squad will most definitely be focused on refining setups and pouring over the data before we get back in the ring.
Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) could be another to watch. The Brit went from the front row to fourth as he came back from injury, and he’s won at the venue before. A race under his belt bodes well for what’s actually his second round of the season. Aron Canet (Openbank Aspar Team Moto2) was another who impressed as the rookie was once again up there, taking fifth and finishing just ahead of a nevertheless solid ride to sixth for teammate Hafizh Syahrin as he re-adapts to the class on his return from MotoGP, and both, with more data and time on the Speed Up, could be up for a move forward.
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) will want more second time around after he took solid points but didn’t manage to complete a hat-trick of Jerez wins in a row as well, and the likes of Jorge Navarro (Beta Tools Speed Up), Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46), Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and his teammate Marcel Schrötter all took home 0 from the first race weekend in Jerez – all of whom have either great CVs or serious pace in 2020 so far despite the blip…
Remy Gardner will be aiming to continue his points-scoring form and the young Australian will start round three of the Moto2 World Championship ranked fifth in the points standings. The lights will go out at 2020 for the 23-lap encounter.
Moto2 Championship Standings
Tetsuta Nagashima – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 45
Lorenzo Baldassarri – Flexbox HP 40 – Kalex – 28
Luca Marini – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – 25
Enea Bastianini – Italtrans Racing Team – Kalex – 23
Remy Gardner – ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team – Kalex – 20
Moto3
Can the field fight back in the Gran Premio Red Bull de Andalucia? We’re about to find out… Albert Arenas (Solunion Aspar Team Moto3) is having rather a good 2020 so far. The Spaniard has won both Moto3 races contested and to make his obvious Championship advantage even better, it’s been a different rider crossing the line behind him in both. Now we head into round three and reset for FP1, but the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto remains the venue – so it’s familiar territory for the winner, and another shot for the rest to fight back. But has the momentum already bolted?
Moto3 Jerez podium 1 Albert Arenas – Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3 – KTM 39:26.256 2 Ai Ogura – Honda Team Asia – Honda +0.340 3 Tony Arbolino – Rivacold Snipers Team – Honda +0.369
One rider likely to challenge the dominion at the top was and remains John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing). The Scotsman was second in Qatar and on for another top finish in the Spanish GP before a mixture of bad luck and trouble sent him crashing out at the final corner, but he had the speed at both venues and is Arenas’ most experienced challenger. Another with serious pace in both races so far is Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia), who capitalised on McPhee’s 0 almost more than Championship leader Arenas – moving up to second overall after a second podium in two races. The Japanese rider was an incredibly consistent rookie last season as well, building on his form throughout the year and taking a podium in Aragon. As a sophomore, he has two podiums from two…
Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) was back on it in the Spanish GP too, taking his first podium of the year, and he’s an experienced winner. He and many of those who fought it out in the front group will feel good about their chances second time round too: Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46), his teammate Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46), Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Raul Fernandez, Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3), polesitter Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse), his teammate – and former Jerez winner – Niccolo Antonelli…
FP1 begins on Friday at 1700 for the Moto3 field. More track time to get dialled in and find improvements for those who struggled – and those who are settling in on new machinery. And more for those who think the re-run round Jerez will give them chance to make sure Arenas doesn’t win three from three…
Moto3 Championship Standings
Albert Arenas – Solunion Aspar Team Moto3 – KTM – 50
Ai Ogura – Honda Team Asia – Honda – 36
John McPhee – Petronas Sprinta Racing – Honda – 20
MotoGP™’s return to the stage in the Gran Premio Red Bull de España was dramatic, euphoric and, for some, tinged with shades of tragedy: just as the curtain raised for the first act of 2020 for the premier class, the reigning Champion and two race winners found themselves on the sidelines or heading for them. Before we returned to competition it was Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) in the limelight as he injured his collarbone just a couple of weeks before racing returned, but the focus and the shuffle of the pack has since shifted to Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol). The latter two will try and race, but the Gran Premio de Andalucia will feature no reigning Champion, and the events of the first race weekend of the year already have many wondering what is to come in the fight for the crown…
He didn’t have it all his own way, however. Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was on a charge to catch the escaped Italian at the front, and although he couldn’t quite hang in there for the latter laps of the race, his second place boosts his Championship advantage from five points to 17 – very much showing Qatar was no one off. Can he use more track time at the venue to cut down Marini’s advantage? And can his teammate, polesitter Jorge Martin, get further in the mix on Sunday too? With the weather looking similar as it stands, the Red Bull KTM Ajo squad will most definitely be focused on refining setups and pouring over the data before we get back in the ring.
Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) was back on it in the Spanish GP too, taking his first podium of the year, and he’s an experienced winner. He and many of those who fought it out in the front group will feel good about their chances second time round too: Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46), his teammate Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46), Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Raul Fernandez, Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3), polesitter Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse), his teammate – and former Jerez winner – Niccolo Antonelli…
At the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, it’s certainly an ask. Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE) was the closest to Granado first time out and three seconds adrift, but the reigning Cup winner is no stranger to the long game. Consistency – and two wins – brought him the title last year, and in the first race of 2020 his trademark cool was back. In addition, the Italian had a little more work to do to get into the second place he took home, which could be an important factor ig if he starts further forward. But if Granado doesn’t make a mistake, will that be enough?
The freedom of riding pillion on her husband’s motorbike is being made possible for Brisbane woman Christine Seary, with the support of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Christine of Capalaba is using her NDIS funding to continue to attend events run by her social motorcycle club, including a 2000km five-day trip through New South Wales at the start of the year.
“I really love the freedom it gives me,” says Christine who has been a member of the Social Motorcycle Club since 2002 with her husband, Marty.
“Once I’m on the bike I don’t feel disabled as I have to pillion like any other pillion and I just love leaning on corners.”
Christine started using a wheelchair after having a brain tumour removed in 2004.
While the operation affected her balance, she was still able to ride pillion with her husband.
However, after her sixth stroke in 2007, Christine couldn’t ride anymore.
Disability support
After four years of strengthening exercises with a physiotherapist, Christine began to ride again.
“Marty traded in his Harley for a bigger Harley and added special footboards and armrests so I could pillion once again,” she says.
Soon after, they explored ways to incorporate a wheelchair on the bike, and haven’t looked back.
“We found a small 8kg wheelchair and a friend made a small rack which sits on the right-hand side of the bike where a saddle bag usually sits.”
When Christine isn’t on the back of the Harley, she uses NDIS support to also get out more into the community in other ways.
“With NDIS funding, I have someone come every weekday to shower and dress me. On two of those days, I also go shopping and once a week the housework gets done. I’m also accessing physio and occupational therapy.
“The extra outings really give me a sense of freedom and I can go to more local businesses, shopping centres and nurseries.”
Christine received assistance to apply for and implement her NDIS funding from Carers Queensland’s NDIS Local Area Coordination Partner in the Community Program for the Brisbane region.
She said once her Local Area Coordinator, Yi, met with her and explained how the NDIS worked, everything became much clearer.
“Yi was very patient and assisted me greatly in putting my plan together. Everyone we’ve met at Carers Queensland has been so friendly and inviting and they certainly know their stuff.”
Carers Queensland
Carers Queensland can support you to find out more about the NDIS, to apply for funding and to help you get started with the NDIS.
If you have a disability but are not eligible for the NDIS, Carers Queensland can also help you identify and link to options for support in your community.
To find out more about how the NDIS and Local Area Coordination program can work for you, contact Carers Queensland on [email protected]
LCR’s Crutchlow has screw inserted in fractured scaphoid
Section: Competition
Next target is to race round two of MotoGP season this weekend.
Image: Supplied.
The plan is for Cal Crutchlow to try and ride in Friday practice at Jerez’s second round of MotoGP on Friday after surgery on his fractured wrist on Tuesday was declared a success.
LCR Honda Castrol’s Crutchlow crashed in Sunday morning warm-up at the opening round last Sunday, but intends to line-up this weekend with a screw inserted into his left scaphoid.
“I would like to thank Dr Mir and his medical team for performing surgery on Cal’s left wrist this morning,” LCR team owner Lucio Cecchinello said. “A small screw has been inserted into his scaphoid to fix the fracture. The surgery went well as Dr Mir personally informed me and Cal will be discharged from the hospital later this afternoon.
“If everything goes well, we expect him back at the Angel Nieto Circuit in Jerez on Thursday morning, where he will be visited by Dorna’s medical director Dr Angel Charte, who will assess his fitness to race. Our technical staff is working to have everything ready to allow Cal to ride in Friday’s morning practice.”
On Tuesday morning, Dr. Xavier Mir performed surgery on Crutchlow’s wrist at the Hospital Universitari Quiron Dexeus in Barcelona. The surgeon was pleased with how the procedure went as Crutchlow and the team aim to ride at the Andalucian GP this weekend.
Motorcycle Review by Wayne Vickers – Images Rob Mott
I admit that I wasn’t immediately enamoured. At first, the littlest of the Adventure range didn’t feel very KTM-like at all. There’s just something about most KTM machine’s. It’s like they’ve stumbled onto the secret sauce recipe and have managed to engineer a little bit of hoon into almost everything orange that I’ve thrown a leg over in recent years. They take the whole ‘Ready to Race’ ethos pretty seriously which I personally think is why they’ve had such success in the sales charts.
2020 KTM 390 Adventure in its natural environment
But the 390 was positively docile around town and on the way home. The easiest of easy bikes for anyone to jump on and feel comfortable straight away. Crikey I thought. Have they softened this one down for the entry level folks too much..? And so it sat in the shed for a couple of rainy days before I had a chance to get it out and try it out properly on the dirt.
Even KTM’s more affordable adventure offering has a Bosch EMS and slipper clutch these days
Even the first few kays on gravel roads weren’t all that impressive. I mean there was nothing wrong with the engine, controls, or the clutch, or gearbox or anything really. Handling on tarmac was certainly nice. Predictable, nimble. Seat was nice and comfy too. I just wasn’t… inspired. The first dirt track I took had some serious corrugations on it and the suspension didn’t really like them even at the moderate speed I was doing while everything came up to temp.
Do a skid Wayne! #fail
‘There’s got to be more to it than this’ I kept telling myself. Everything fully up to temp, I flicked the ABS to off-road mode (you either have road or off-road, no off – but that’s ok – more on the dash later), and the TC to off. Righto little one, time to turn it up to 11. Show me what you’ve got.
That’s more like it
So I went on the charge. And ‘ho hum’, quickly turned into a silly grin. The deceptive little 390 doesn’t really come into its own until around six-grand I reckon. There’s still no major rush of grunt around that point but it’s perfectly happy being revved.
Trev has detailed the stats and technical details in the launch report here (Link), but know that the little 400 single pumps out a handy 44hp in a package that comes in under 160 kilos, which might sound light on power compared to its bigger brothers, but stacks up well compared to anything else in its segment. And it does so in a truly linear fashion – it doesnt tail off or get a bit breathless at the top like some singles can. Wring its neck and the package as a whole starts to make more sense. A lot more in fact.
While the suspension itself could have more travel and a better overall control, the chassis balance is excellent. As good as they come. Even with the OEM dual sport tyres on, I found myself backing into corners and two wheel drifting through wide sweepers at nearly all speeds. It is positively superb in second and third gears on anything but seriously whooped out tracks where the aforementioned suspension reigns things in. Loads and loads of grip thanks to being such a lightweight which also translates to being ridiculously forgiving.
No it didn’t stall, cough or complain
How well balanced is it? I was having a proper crack in a mix of conditions. Dry sandy loam to slick wet clay and everything in between. Had two proper front end tucks at speed and a handful of times where the rear came right around on me fully pinned on clay. Neither felt like I was in any danger of it going pear shaped. With TC set to off – the rear will let go, but still keep itself tidy as you keep it pinned. You’d have to be seriously pushing to manage to crash one of these. That said, the harder you push, the more rewarding it is… I was sweating like a bastard by the time I got home.
200 mm of ground clearance and 177 mm of suspension travel means it is no ‘R’ machine
On the go, with the short seat height and light weight, it feels like a cross between a mini-bike and a dirt tracker more than a full sized enduro/adventure bike. Remember that confidence you get when you jump on a mini bike and are urged to do silly things? Well.. that’s kinda how it felt to me. And I didn’t mind it at all. Incidentally the stats say it has a seat height of 855mm but I swear it feels noticeably lower than the 790 Adventure, which is supposed to be 850mm.
Seat height is 855 mm but Wayne reckons it feels lower than that – Big grab rails make for great tie down points and are also helpful for manoeuvring the bike around
The low seat and bar height don’t really translate perfectly for your typical adventure/offroad standing position – they might for someone under say.. 170cms? But I’m a smidge over 180. It’s not uncomfortable as such, just that you have to lean forward a little more than what feels instantly natural. That said – low speed maneuverability is excellent – picking your lines through rougher, trickier sections was a doddle.
The box is excellent, on the go I barely used the slipper clutch and it happily shifted in both directions for me – I did have a couple of missed up-shifts while up near the red-line, but I think that was me being a little lazy on the lever more than anything.
Chuck a wheelie Wayne!
The dash is simple and straight forward. No rants required here – Trev will be happy. Layout is good – although some of the text on the LHS could be a smidge bigger if I’m being picky, which I am.
Instrumentation is about as comprehensive as it gets – Power source under the dash is standard
The home screen allows you to customise what you’d like to see on said left hand side via favourites which is awesome. Two-minutes worth of button taps and I had exactly what I wanted being shown to me. Winning.
Connect the 390 Adventure to your phone via the KTM My Ride app and have simple navigation prompts displayed on the screen as you ride
The speedo and tacho is easy to read and you can see the tacho pulse orange as you enter the top couple of thousand revs without even looking down at it. It’s usable, legible and nicely designed. Top marks.
Plenty of options for display customisation
The off-road setting for ABS disables electronic intervention on the rear – which is just how I like it. One negative which seems to be a constant on most bikes. It kept dropping back to TC turned on every time I turned it off. Which as I’ve mentioned before is a pain in the arse if you’re frequently stopping and chatting with mates in the dirt… You soon know it when you go to take off. The TC is certainly in a very conservative tune on this one. Understandable for a bike aimed at the entry level, but I’d have liked to see a little more slip. Riders with more than a day or two on dirt will not want to have it on (in the dirt).
Computer says yes…
The brakes didn’t seem to feel wanting, though I did feel a bit of a pulse from the front just before I dropped it back as though it might have been on the way to warping. It had less than 2000 kilometres on the clock, so I’d be keeping an eye on longer term reports on that front. Could be just a one off – but I tell you as it is.
Look a little bit of air under that front..
What else. It runs the same gearing as the 390 Duke so will happily sit on the highway limit and will stretch its legs past 150. The 14.5 litre tank should also see you get around 300ks on the road as it only sips juice. Less range if you ride it like a nutbag on gravel roads 🙂
373.2 cc single-cylinder musters a LAMS legal 44 horsepower
Other than that I can only see possibilities with this platform. It makes more power than a 250 four stroke enduro (bear in mind that I also have one of those in my shed – I am a fan of the light weight thing), with what should be better longevity and is way more comfortable and easy to ride.
And I reckon it’s bloody well priced at 9 grand ride away. Yes, the suspension is ultimately the limitation in how hard you can push it in the rough stuff, but I don’t think it’ll be an issue for 99 per cent of the folks that will consider buying one as it’s really supposed to be a soft roader and would be fine for pretty much any road you care to point it at. It’s not an R model after all.
WP supplies the suspenders as you would expect. The rear shock is adjustable for rebound damping and pre-load
Worth mentioning that Unifilter do an Aussie made pre-filter for the 390 Adventure for an additional level of protection if you’re doing serious dusty work with it. You’d be mad not to have something similar if you were planning a big trip on any Adventure bike.
2020 KTM 390 Adventure retails for $7995 +ORC
Final word – its a solid learner legal adventure bike (leaning towards the soft roader end of the spectrum) and deserves to sell well. That said, I can’t help but think what it would be like with the 790 Adventure R treatment, or R Rally treatment which would be even better. Longer travel, higher spec’ suspension at both ends, slightly higher seat with taller bars to match and a slightly more conventional seat for easier weight movement all the way back… if you’re not the sort of person to ride loaded up much you could punt it along pretty hard… I mean most of us mortals can only dream about a 450 Rally Replica (Link) as they’re 56 big ones, but I reckon a 390 Adventure R could be a really, really, stupidly, deliciously good thing if they turn their mind to it. And not just for entry level riders… 🙂
2020 KTM 390 Adventure rolls on a 100/90-19 front and 130/80-17 rear
2020 KTM 390 Adventure Summary
Why I like it
Confidence inspiring chassis and loads of grip
Nice and light – superb away from the sealed stuff
Low seat height is perfect for entry level riders and wanna be dirt trackers alike
That 390 single is a deceptive little revver
Everything feels better about it when you wring its neck 🙂
I’d like it even more if
Could have better quality forks and shock, they don’t like corrugations and are the limiting factor on gnarlier off road stuff
I’d personally prefer a slightly taller seat and bar height with some extra suspension travel with it.. Almost like.. an R Rally version please… with proper spoked wheels too 🙂
And give it a slip-on while you’re at it so it has some bark
2020 KTM 390 Adventure is a recipe for endless all-roads learner legal fun
2020 KTM 390 Adventure Specifications
Specifications
Engine
Engine Type
Single cylinder, 4-stroke
Displacement
373.2 cc
Bore / Stroke
89 / 60 mm
Power
32 kW (44 hp) @ 9,000 rpm
Torque
37 Nm @ 7,000 rpm
Compression Ratio
12.6:1
Starter / Battery
Electric starter / 12V, 8 Ah
Transmission
6 gears
Fuel System
Bosch EFI (throttle body 38 mm)
Control
4 V / DOHC
Lubrication
Wet sump
Engine Oil
Motorex Formula 4T 15W/50
Primary Drive
30:80
Final Drive
15:45
Cooling
Liquid cooling
Clutch
PASC™ slipper clutch, mechanically operated
Ignition / Engine Management
Bosch EMS with RBW
Traction Control
MTC
Chassis
Frame
Steel trellis frame, powder coated
Subframe
Steel trellis frame, powder coated
Handlebar
Aluminum, tapered, Ø 26 / 22 mm
Front Suspension
WP APEX, Ø 43 mm, adjustable compression / rebound
Rear Suspension
WP APEX shock absorber, adjustable rebound and spring preload
Suspension Travel Front / Rear
170 / 177 mm
Front Brake
Single piston, radially mounted caliper, brake disc Ø 320 mm
Rear Brake
Double piston, floating caliper, brake disc Ø 230 mm
Abs
Bosch 9.1MP Two Channel (disengageable)
Wheels Front / Rear
Cast aluminium wheels 2.50 × 19″; 3.50 × 17″
Tires Front / Rear
100/90 × 19; 130/80 × 17
Chain
X-Ring 520
Silencer
Stainless steel primary and aluminium secondary silencer
Fourth at Jerez a satisfying start to Miller’s MotoGP campaign
Section: Competition
Strong points haul for Pramac Racing rider to open 2020 season.
Image: Supplied.
A composed approach from Australia’s Jack Miller earned him a strong haul of championship points as the 2020 MotoGP season finally got underway at Jerez, finishing fourth after challenging for the podium in Spain.
After qualifying fifth, Pramac Racing Ducati rider Miller circulated in second through the middle stages of the race before Maverick Vinales and Andrea Dovizioso moved by in the closing laps for the podium places.
“For the minute, I’m very happy,” Miller said. “To start the championship off like this is great. There’s a lot of key players that haven’t scored points today, so… even a few other boys that were very lucky. I can happy say that I didn’t really have any moments, anything like that.
“Sure, I felt the front push here and there a little bit, but nothing like [Maverick] Vinales or Marc [Marquez] had. I was just following those guys, watching what they were doing, trying to stick to my own pace and brought it home. I probably felt like I had a little bit to sort of take to Dovi [Andrea Dovizioso], but this early on in the championship I felt I better learn from my mistakes of the past and cool my jets a little bit.
“This track itself has not particularly been a favourite for the Ducatis in the past, so to come away with third and fourth here, I think we can be pretty happy. It’s taken its toll, this weekend, on a few of the boys, so I hope they can heal up and be back out racing with us again soon.”
The MotoGP season will continue with practice this Friday, again at Jerez, for what will be the Andalucian grand prix on Sunday afternoon.
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