Every thousandth of a second is crucial in MotoGP™ and now, you can see the gaps between riders during a lap in greater detail than ever. With this new ‘Active Gap’ graphic, you can see the ‘current gap’ between two riders, as well as how much the gap has increased or decreased through each of the four sectors – an in-depth look at where each rider is gaining, or losing, an advantage over the rider behind.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Factory Suzuki rider confident in pre-season developments.
Image: Supplied.
Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins has set the target of earning his maiden victory in the premier class this season as the 2019 MotoGP World Championship kicks off this weekend.
The Spanish ace ended last season strongly, recording five podiums, including a pair runner-ups in the final two rounds of the championship.
With an improved campaign behind him, and a very positive experience in testing, Rins is hoping to build and go one better in the new season.
“Arriving for the Qatar GP is always very emotional because we can finally get into ‘race mode’ and blow away the winter cobwebs,” Rins explained. “The winter tests were positive, we found good improvements on the GSX-RR and I really enjoyed riding, but the race is something different and I definitely miss the adrenaline of nights out on the start grid.
“I’m very happy about how the bike has improved, the Suzuki engineers and technicians did a great job over the winter and I found positive feelings. Of course we still need to refine some things, and we still have some margins for development, in MotoGP the racing and development side is a never-ending challenge and we will work hard in all the sessions during every race weekend.
“Last year we ended the season in good shape, with many podiums, and the feeling that we can really go for the big prize! This is the objective that we’ve set for this season, to further improve our competitiveness and consistently put ourselves around the top of the sheets, trying to get one – or more – victories.”
Losail International Circuit in Qatar will play host to this weekend’s opening round of the MotoGP World Championship.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
Italian ready for Petronas Yamaha SRT racing debut.
Image: Supplied.
Franco Morbidelli is anticipating to take advantage of his Petronas Yamaha SRT YZR-M1 suiting Losail International Circuit in Qatar, which will host round one of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship this weekend.
In his second year of challenging the premier class, Morbidelli posted strong times throughout testing, being one of four Yamaha situated in the top six on the final day of tests at the Qatar venue.
“I am looking forward to starting the first GP of the year,” said Morbidelli. “We can be there ready to fight. We won’t set any objectives until we start work at Losail and put everything we have tested, and which has produced such good results, together.
“We established a strong pace on the second day of the test in Qatar and I think everything is very close between all the riders. At this first race we have to try and take advantage of the fact that the Yamaha bikes are working really well at this track.”
Morbidelli will be joined by rookie Fabio Quartararo in the all-new Petronas Yamaha SRT outfit, the youthful talent also performing strongly during testing.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
Australian set for inaugural ASB1000 race in Malaysia.
Image: Supplied.
Broc Parkes says he was able to lay down a strong foundation in pre-season testing with his Yamaha Racing Team ASEAN YZF-R1 ahead of this weekend’s opening round of the 2019 Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC).
Parkes will challenge the newly-introduced ASB1000 category, adding to his commitments in the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) with YART Yamaha Official EWC Team.
Kicking off at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, the Australian is satisfied with his preparations leading into round one, which will see him return to racing on a Dunlop control tyre.
“Aside from Suzuka and Sepang, the rest of the circuits are unfamiliar to me,” Parkes explained. “This will be a brand-new challenge. I’m happy with the preparations so far – the team had had the opportunity to do some private testing at Sepang a few weeks ago. During the two-day pre-season test, we were able to lay a good foundation for the first round.”
“The spec of the bike is stock while I’m more used to bikes with more race specs. In a way, it feels closer to riding a 600cc. I have not raced on Dunlop tyres for many years. But I have been able to understand the tyres very quickly. I find it to be very consistent.”
Following this weekend’s season-opener, the ARRC will head to The Bend in South Australia for round two, scheduled to take place alongside the Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) on 25-28 April.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
The wait is over and the first pre-event Press Conference of the 2019 season got underway on Thursday at the VisitQatar Grand Prix.
First to talk was reigning Champion Marquez, who heads into the weekend after shoulder surgery over the winter break. But is that weighing on his mind? And who is Marquez looking at as his closest competition?
Marc Marquez
“It’s nice to start the season again and I’m happy because I already forgot my injury, the shoulder problems. I’m just focused on the race weekend, that is the most important and in my current condition I’m close to 100% so this is positive news for us.
“Since 2017 I’ve been looking at everybody. I’m looking at all my opponents in the same way because for example in 2017 we were here and not a lot of people spoke about Dovizioso, then he was the man to beat. This pre-season it was interesting to see how Yamaha improved, Ducati improved, Suzuki improved with Rins… let’s see how the season starts but of course we’ll be very fast here because we tested.”
One of his biggest competitors, Dovizioso, was up next and echoed a few of those thoughts.
Andrea Dovizioso
“Testing is difficult to analyse the level of the competitors because every rider works in a different way. So it’s difficult and like Marc says, everybody will be quite fast here because of the three day test. But I don’t know, it looks like this season could be a bit different on paper and from the test it looks like everybody improved a little bit; I don’t know whether it’s the bike or the riders. I don’t know what we can expect in this race, in the past it’s always been a good race, I think we can be very competitive but analysing the test doesn’t show this. But the race week is always different, so I’m not too worried about that.”
Jorge Lorenzo also thinks it’s a more positive story in race trim. Breaking a scaphoid so close to the season opener hasn’t been ideal – and after some injury problems to conclude the 2018 season, too – but he sounded upbeat.
Jorge Lorenzo
“We’ve been a bit unlucky in the last six months, in the last six months I’ve never felt 100%, but I think I still need one month more to be able to do pushups, all the things you can do when you are healed. But I’m quite well to ride a bike, better than the test. I will be a bit stronger, also Honda will bring a few modifications to make my life a little bit easier to be a little stronger than I was.”
And how does Lorenzo see the Honda in terms of adaptation?
“It’s a completely different bike, with strong points and weak points. I like the bike, but it’s a never ending process to be perfect on the bike and I’ll never stop trying to improve the small details. Here let’s try to finish the race as well as possible and take some points.”
Valentino Rossi, meanwhile, returned to the subject of close competition and the ‘Doctor’, who starts the season at 40.
Valentino Rossi
“40-years-old, an important moment in my life! For the rest I feel good, it’s like the first day at school. It’s always interesting to see all the guys from the paddock, looking at the new bikes, the new colours – everything. And yeah it looks like the lineup of the Championship is unbelievable. Especially because all the factory bikes are very strong, and during the test more or less everybody was fast. We need to understand because usually during the race the bike is a bit different, but I expect all the factory riders at the top. I hope to be there, I hope to be strong. Yamaha have been working hard during the winter and we hope to be stronger than last year.
“In the last years here I did good results. Apart from one victory I was on the podium a lot of times, so we have to try. But if I have to think now, maybe we have seven or eight riders ready for the podium. I don’t know if we are stronger here than last year because anyway it was a good race. But we’ll see, we have to try. Also try to understand the conditions, with the grip, with the wind, we’ll see…”
Teammate Maverick Viñales also sounded guardedly positive about the Iwata marque and the level of the field.
Maverick Vinales
“For sure our competitors are strong right now but we are closing the gap little by little. And that’s important, to make the good choice when you try things and I think we are doing the correct things, testing the good parts. But anyway as we demonstrated we were fast on many different tracks and that’s important. I can’t wait to start and I’m happy to start at the level I am.
“I tried to face this season with a lot of calm, with a positive mind – it’s important for me to feel good. I think we must trust our feelings, preseason I went my way, riding the way I like to ride. We did good lap times but still we need to improve, Yamaha work so hard but still to be there every race we need to make another step. But anyway like I said, I feel positive with the bike and that’s the most important thing. Inside the team they work really well and I’m really happy with how it is going and I cant wait to start. Honestly I’ve been thinking of this moment to start for many days. I start with a positive mind and I hope to be there at the top as always.”
Alex Rins has been close to the top of the time-sheets in testing, so there’s a lot of talk around the Suzuki rider, and he could well be a key player on race day. But there’s no mention of pressure.
Alex Rins
“Sincerely I think we finished the 2018 season with very good performance, always finishing in the top five or six, also some podiums. And this preseason I was trying to be strong. I was trying to improve our Suzuki bike a little bit because the setup from last year was very nice. But we improve a little bit on the braking area, a little bit on the top speed area so this means Suzuki have worked very hard during the winter. So, I’m excited to start this preseason, I’m excited to see what I can do and I will try to give my 100%.”
Another man excited to get racing but for slightly different reasons is Fabio Quartararo who, like Rins and Viñales, had a top showing in pre-season – but even more so for the young French rookie, who finished the Qatar Test with a stunning second place ahead of his premier class debut.
Fabio Quartararo
“Well for sure it’s quite impressive to be here with all the riders. Yeah we will try to stay focused on the first race on a GP bike. We had a really good test here, I’m feeling really good with the bike but as you know everybody is fast. The goal is to enjoy it and not think about the result…”
It was also Fabio’s premier class debut in the Press Conference, where Rossi had pointed out that he is old enough to the young Frenchman’s father.
Valentino Rossi
“We speak now exactly about this, I said he could be my son! He’s very, very young. 1999 so he´s two years younger than my brother yet he’s already in MotoGP! He has had a strange career. He arrived as a genius but for some reason he lost a little, but this year with this team and this bike he has a very important chance to demonstrate his speed.” And another comparison? “He arrives a year earlier than me to MotoGP because when I arrived I was 21…so he’s younger than I was!”
So with the talking done and photos taken, Thursday also saw a big announcement after the riders’ Press Conference: Losail International Circuit will host MotoGP until 2031. That adds an additional five-year extension onto the existing contract that had confirmed the Qatari venue on the calendar until 2026. The Grand Prix of Qatar debuted on the calendar in 2004 and then became the sport’s first ever night race in 2008. More than a decade later the spectacular in the desert only continues going from strength to strength in unique, floodlit style – as it will until at least 2031.
| 2019 MotoGP Round One Schedule (AEDT) | |
| East Coast Daylight Savings Time | |
| MotoGP FP1 | Friday 2340-0025 |
| MotoGP FP2 | Saturday 0400-0445 |
| MotoGP FP3 | Saturday 2315-0000 |
| MotoGP FP1 | Sunday 0320-0350 |
| MotoGP Q1 | Sunday 0400-0415 |
| MotoGP Q2 | Sunday 0425-0440 |
| MotoGP Race | Monday 0400 |
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Source: MCNews.com.au
Nowak and Robertson earn all expenses paid trip to Morocco.
Image: Supplied.
The first-ever KTM Ultimate Race qualification event in Australia was hosted alongside the Transmoto 12-Hour at Batemans Bay in New South Wales last weekend, with two extremely capable and fortunate Australians set to take off to Morocco at the end of this month.
Set to compete against a selection of KTM adventure riders from around the world in an exclusive class at the Merzouga Rally event within the Dakar series, Robert Nowak and Steve Robertson will represent Australia after delivering strong performances in the national qualifier.
Both Nowak and Robertson have won all-expenses paid trips to Morocco for the 2019 KTM Ultimate Race, to be contested on 31 March-5 April. Each will receive factory rider treatment and will be equipped with factory-prepared KTM 790 Adventure R models throughout the event’s duration, while also benefiting from coaching by KTM adventure ambassadors.
The winner of the KTM Ultimate Race in the Merzouga Rally will go on to receive the incredible prize of being awarded their own KTM 790 Adventure R to keep, as well as being provided two VIP tickets to next year’s Dakar Rally.
It’s an initiative introduced by the KTM factory to bring together global KTM adventure communities including Australia, New Zealand, Italy, South Africa, Canada and USA.
Last weekend’s KTM Ultimate Race qualification event at Batemans Bay, operated by the Transmoto Events team, featured an exclusive and limited entry list of just 15 riders. They engaged in a series of off-bike challenges including the Bike Lift, Wheel Change and Navigation/Waypoints that were scored accordingly, as well as a pair of timed on-bike Special Tests.
Once each of those tasks were completed, resulting in incredibly close scores, the field was narrowed down to five top riders who each carried out a ‘hot lap’ timed Special Test of the entire Transmoto 12-Hour circuit that was used for the prestigious enduro event on the following day. In the end it was Nowak and Robertson who emerged as the inaugural KTM Ultimate Race qualifiers from Australia.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
British heritage motorcycle clothing brand Merlin have announced a new range of products that include several lifestyle products such as protective flanno and waxed cotton jackets.
The flanno jacket (pictured above) looks and feels just like a flannelette shirt but has an abrasion-resistant Dupont Kevlar lining and impact-resistant CE Armour.
The shirt comes in a choice of red, grey, dark blue and green checks in men’s sizes S to 3XL for $229.95.
Australian importer Link International says the Staffordshire company is 100% owned by the family and employees.
Brand manager Ron Grant says the heritage lifestyle gear is not designed to protect a MotoGP racer in a 200km/h+ crash.
However, he says the makers are diligent about addressing the latest European safety standards and guarantee high-quality workmanship with “almost zero” warranty claims.
He says Merlin produce the type of quality gear that is comfortable for all-day wear and doesn’t look out of place when you get off your bike.
Two of the company’s family owners are currently in Australia and we hope to catch up with them to talk more about their new range.
Click there for the full catalogue.
Waxed cotton is back in fashion and the Merlin Victory jacket in sand, olive and navy colours looks like it just stepped out of the 1950s.
However, the $329.95 jacket comes with modern protection from Dupont Kevlar 220g armour.
Merlin’s plush Chase leather jacket is made of full-grain 1.2-1.3mm grade AAA cowhide leather in a mixture of smart black and plum hides for $499.95.
It features removable thermal gilet liner and SW Level 2 armour in the shoulders and elbows.
The Italian-inspired Holden leather jacket has even thicker full-grain 1.3-1.4mm grade AAA cowhide leather with subtle dark blue contrast patches on the chest and arms.
It also costs $499.95 and comes with the same liner and armour.
Merlin has a new range of leather gloves including the Boulder ($139.95), Padget ($139.95) and Maple $99.95) plus the casual leather and denim Icon gloves ($79.95).
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Claims that some helmets protect riders from brain injuries caused by rotation have been questioned since there is no official testing procedure for those forces.
Swedish brain safety technology company MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) says they are concerned about the accuracy of claims made by a couple of recently released systems that they address rotational motion and reduce strain on the brain in certain impacts.
However, MIPS boss Johan Thiel says they are more concerned that there is no industry-wide standard from third-party testing organisations.
“We at MIPS have conducted more than 22,000 tests and we know that not all helmets are equally safe, not even the ones that claims to address rotational motion”, he says.
“Right now, almost anyone can claim that their helmet is reducing rotational motion because there is no standard they have to meet.
“This is serious and concerning for the users who think they are buying a helmet with added protection.”
Motorcycle helmets with MIPS include: Answer, Alpinestars, AVA, Bell, Flaxta, Fly Racing, Fox, Kabuto, KTM, KYT, LS2 Helmets, Moose Racing, MSR, Salomon, Scott, Thor and TLD.
The MIPS-patented Brain Protection System (BPS) is designed to reduce rotational motion transferred to the brain from angled impacts to the head.
It MIPS activates 10-15mm movement in any direction in less than 10 milliseconds after an impact, reducing the tearing effects on the brain resulting from rotational motion.
Crash forces to the head can be divided into radial and tangential forces.
Testing for radial forces mostly demonstrates a helmet’s ability to protect against skull fracture.
Tangential force testing demonstrates a helmet’s ability to prevent potential brain injuries such as diffuse axonal injury, subdural hematoma, and concussion.
Currently, official helmet testing for consumers is only focused on radial forces.
MIPS tests on other systems have found they do not reduce rotational motion to a sufficient degree.
Over the years there have also been more than 13 third-party tests conducted by insurance companies, universities and organisations that have incorporated the rotational motion test method, but no standard has been set yet.
“We welcome a vigorous scientific debate on all aspects of rotational motion solutions, because it needs to be a standard in place to protect the user,” Johan says.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Your motorcycle data could soon be monitored by insurance companies to adjust your premiums or payouts based on your riding behaviour history.
It has long been suspected that data loggers and other hi-tech devices in modern vehicles would one day be used by insurance companies to track motorists’ speed, vehicle usage and location.
It’s called usage-based insurance (UBI).
On the positive side, insurance companies would offer lower premiums to those motorists who provide access to their vehicle data.
The down side is that if the data shows you are using your bike more than you agreed in the contract or are deemed a high-risk rider, your premium could also be increased.
It may even lead to insurance contracts being cancelled or payouts denied.
But there are also now aftermarket plug-in devices that owners can retrofit, either in agreement with the insurance company or at their insistence.
One case where they could insist on the devices is if the rider has made a number of claims, proving a history of risky riding behaviour.
Automotive technology company ERM Advanced Telematics has developed three aftermarket products specifically for insurance companies to track vehicles.
StartLink OnBat, UBI-Tag and UBI-Plug will be available later this year. We imagine the insurance companies will be looking very closely at these.
StarLink OnBat is a miniature monitoring and tracking device that connects via two wires to the vehicle battery and has an internal backup battery, GPS and a cellular modem in a small, waterproof (IP 67) encasement.
Size and waterproofing make it ideal for fitting to motorcycles.
It sends data regarding motorist behaviour and location to the service provider’s servers or to the insurance company based on a pre-determined frequency.
UBI-Tag is a sensor and Bluetooth interface with a single-use battery that lasts three years. It sends data via a dedicated app on the motorist’s smartphone directly to the server of the service provider or the insurance company. Again, this would suit a motorcycle.
UBI-Plug is a version of the UBI-Tag that is only for use in cars as it plugs into the lighter socket, if it still has one!
There is no word yet on the price of these units.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Three motorcyclists are critically injured following a horror night on the roads in NSW and Victoria with police appealing for witnesses to the crashes, including one hit and run.
On initial police reports, it appears that two of the incidents were the fault of drivers.
A motorcyclist remains in a critical condition after coming off his bike at Pennant Hills overnight.
The crash happened on Pennant Hills Road when a southbound motorcyclist swerved to avoid a northbound silver Mitsubishi Outlander performing a U-turn, near the intersection of Pomona Street, about 6.20pm (Thursday 7 March 2019),
The 23-year-old rider was thrown from the motorcycle, sliding along the roadway before hitting a brick wall.
He sustained head and internal injuries and has undergone surgery overnight in Westmead Hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.
The driver of the SUV, a 62-year-old man from West Pennant Hills, continued south but was flagged down by another motorist.
He immediately returned to the scene and spoke with police. The man was arrested and has now undergone mandatory testing; he has also provided a statement to Crash Investigators.
Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the crash and has not yet spoken to officers, or anyone with dash cam vision, to contact the Crash Investigation Unit or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
Keilor police are appealing for witnesses or dashcam footage following a hit run in Laverton North last night (7 March).
Investigators have been told a motorcycle rider collided with an unknown vehicle on the entry ramp of the Western Ring Road near the Princes Freeway about 6.25pm.
The rider, a 42-year-old Altona North man, was thrown from his motorcycle and suffered non-life threatening injuries. He was transported to hospital for treatment.
It is believed the driver of the vehicle fled the scene without rendering assistance.
Anyone with information or dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
Police are investigating a collision in Balwyn North this evening that has left a motorcyclist with life-threatening injuries.
It is believed the motorcyclist was travelling inbound on the Eastern Freeway near Burke Road about 9pm when it has struck the back of a silver Mercedes.
The yet to be identified male rider was thrown from his BMW motorcycle and has been taken to hospital in a critical condition.
The female driver of the Mercedes was not injured.
Police believe a second motorcycle may have been travelling in the vicinity at the time of the collision.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has dash cam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
Riders on Victorian roads and bush tracks are advised that police will be targeting motorcyclists this Labour Day long weekend.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com