#also in case this was well know news i am new to the moto2 and i am very sick pls dont think im stupid

[certifiedbi]

I have come across some incredible information that I must share with the world

Alonso Lopez used to have long hair

[meaningofmotorsport]

Why is Vinales leaving Yamaha?

The question posed by this article, is one which I have no clear answer for, nor do most people in MotoGP have the answer to it seems! So, instead I will discuss possible reasons, and where his future may lie!

Vinales came to MotoGP as a bright young star, with a lot of momentum behind him, after winning the Moto3 title in 2013, and riding superbly in his rookie year in Moto2. His first two years in the top class, saw him excel on a Suzuki which was not ready to battle at the front. Yet, he was able to score good points, and in his second year, achieve his first win at Silverstone, as well as three other podiums! When he then signed for the factory Yamaha squad, it looked as though he would be their flagship rider for the years to come!

To begin with the signs were good, with him taking wins and podiums in his first few years, unable to beat the might of Marquez, but holding his own against Rossi very well. At that point, the expectation was that the bike was holding him back, and when the equipment matched that of Ducati and Honda, combined with his growing experience, he could bring titles to the team!

This brings us to 2020, where Marquez is out through injury, and the Ducati has fallen back in the pack, so the door is wide open for Maverick. There was a new young pretender at Yamaha, who had done brilliant things in 2019, although as Vinales had a stronger year, he was still top dog. However, as the year unfolded, major weaknesses in Vinales’ game became clear, mainly in wheel-to-wheel combat. Confidence was also a major issue, and whenever rain came, or there was uncertainty, he dropped like a stone! This all meant, that combined with the problems that Quartararo had, Yamaha completely missed an open goal in 2020, as the more confident, better racer of Mir, stole the title from them!

So, here we are in 2021, a new year, and a new Fabio, who has cleaned up his act, and is on top form! Yet, we still see the same Vinales, lacking confidence, needing to stick to a plan, rather than go on instinct. All this means, is that in the unpredictable world on MotoGP, Quartararo is demolishing Vinales in every way! Then comes the announcement, that he will be leaving the team at the end of the year, which makes no sense to most people!

The main theory behind it, and one that has been suggested by Maverick himself, is that the team had shifted focus to Fabio, and has no faith in him. This may be true, and given the relative performances, you wouldn’t blame them, so he has no reason to start kicking and screaming about it! He said that the change of Crew Chief was disrespectful, yet it is completely justified if one rider is much slower than the other.

In that situation, the problem is either in the engineering set up of the bike, or the rider himself, so by arguing it wasn’t the Crew Chief, he is effectively saying ‘I am the problem’. If that is the reason he gives to leave, saying the team didn’t support him, it really means that he didn’t like being beaten by a better rider! I know it is harsh, and I want Maverick to do well, but looking at the pace of them both, it is the truth!

Another reason could be his comfort level on the bike, as results like at the Sachsenring, suggest he isn’t at one with it. This would be surprising, as the smooth Yamaha should be the perfect bike for his style of riding, but the issues could be deeper than that, and we may never know the full details. If this is the case, where could he find a better fit?

Ducati, Honda, and KTM, all seem to have bikes you need to grab by the scruff of the neck, at least more than the Yamaha, so those wouldn’t be viable for him. Which leaves Aprilia and Suzuki! Most of the speculation is for him to replace Savadori next year at Aprilia. This may not be a bad move, as the bike is improving all the time, and could be able to fight at the front soon, plus he should be able to outperform Aleix, although I doubt it would be easy.

Don’t count out a move to Suzuki though! We all know the plight of Rins this year, and that bike is the smoothest on the grid, he knows the team well too which could help! My only reservation, is that with Mir on the other side of the garage, he could find himself in a similar situation if he went there, as Mir can be quite aggressive!

Even considering all these options, I do not understand why he would leave what is clearly the strongest team on the grid this year. Yes, he may not be able to beat Fabio, but doing anything else could be a big risk, and may ruin his career if he is not careful. The main thing though, is that he is happy in his choice, as the barrage of social media chatter on him during the past year or so, must have been tough. If he can find the right home for himself, it could be the rebirth of the star we witnessed five or so years ago!

-M

Thank you very much for reading this article! To keep up to date with when they go out, and to see my reactions to races and other news, follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/MeaningofMotor1

Also, if you want to support me, I have a Patreon Page at: https://www.patreon.com/meaningofmotorsport

[timeworntravelers]

MALAYSIAN MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX 2018

This weekend Malaysia was hosting the 18th round of the 2018 MotoGP Championship season.

It marked our 5 th time attending a MotoGp event since we began going to races in 2012 and our 4 th different host country. MotoGP series is a world class event attracting race fans from all over the world. The best racers from around the world compete in 3 different classes of motorcycles.

The Moto3 class features 250cc engine powered motos from various manufacturers such as Honda, KTM, Mahindra. The racers in this class are usually of younger age, some as young as 16 years old, which is minimum age required to compete. These young racers evolved from racing series in their home countries such as Asia Talent Cup series or Repsol CEV challenge or Red Bull rookies. This class is very highly disputed as the top rated racers in this class look to get a contract in next level racing class of Moto 2 and top level MotoGP. These motorcycles are fairly evenly matched as power output is concerned and drafting plays a major part of winning in this series. They are literally in many cases handlebar to handlebar for the entire duration of the race. The last race in Australia, there were 14 motorcycles crossing the finish line with only 0.900 seconds separating them. In this modern age of technology, transponders on the bikes can keep up with the non stop position changes. While the racers compete for points in the championship, so do the manufacturers and the various teams. The stakes are high as companies sponsor teams to promote their services and products to an ever increasing following of motorcycle racing fans. Motorcycle companies as well as a multitude of moto related parts and accessories have obviously stakes in sponsorship but even companies such as airlines , breweries , insurance an event some government tourism agencies join in on sharing the multi million fan base all over the world. It certainly works for me as I encourage companies that I see that are part of this series.

Singha the official beer and my official supply girl !

The Moto2 motorcycle class is composed of different chassis manufacturers powered by the exact same engine. For almost 10 years they have been using Honda CBR600RR based engines. The engines are provided by Honda, they are sealed as to avoid any internal modifications. I cannot recall any engine failure in this category. With power being the same for all bikes, chassis setup and rider talent is what sets apart first place from last.

The MotoGP class, is the top level feature class. It is the main event that attracts the biggest names and has the highest stakes. While each team has to respect certain requirements and given set of rules to promote the highest level of competition, it also allows for some non factory teams to access to higher level of competiteveness by allowing for certain privileges.

Attending a MotoGP weekend is a very special and rewarding experience. Not only is the level of competition the highest in the world, it is utterly exciting to witness the talent these racers have, their courage, their sportsmanship and very importantly the respect they have for the race fans that follow them and cheer them on and support them.

When the MotoGP rolls in to a host city , there is no way to deny the energy that it brings to the city and surroundings.

In Kuala Lumpur the entire city taken by the MotoGP fever , sparked by the fact that the local hero Hafizh Syarin was to be the first MotoGP level racer to compete on home soil. Personnel in bars and restaurants sporting team shirts or hats to display their support. As a #motogpfancanada I was overwhelemd by seeing all the motorcycle racing related promotions from clothing to posters displayed across the city.

While using public transportation, people display their team and rider colors everywhere !

Fridays are practice days, and allows teams and riders to setup their bikes to optimize every detail in order to qualify on the saturday for race day on sunday. At Sepang , friday practice day is free of charge for everyone ! To say, that the southeastern asian market is important would be an understatement. Especially for Honda and Yamaha, these 2 major japanese motorcyle companies have their biggest markets in Thailand,VietNam,Malaysia,Indonesia. While touring these countries, one can understand by the huge amount of 2 wheel transportation that goes on here, food delivery, people moving and parts delivery of any kind gets done by motorcycle. MotoGP has added a round this year in Thailand, increasing the number of races to 19 for the season. They start in March and end in November. There are 4 races in Asia and will most likely stay on the calendar for years to come.

The location of the Sepang race track is about 50 kms south of KL city centre. KL transit posted a shuttle service to and from the racetrack for the 3 day event, The price of a 2 way ticket was 35 RM. I took the shuttle from KL Sentral main terminal station. It took about 1 hour to get the circuit on friday morning. As many of who know me , I really enjoy motorcycle racing and to be in a bus full of race fans sporting their colors is an experience I cherish thoroughly. I got to meet people for Australia, New Zealand , UK and Hungary as well as many Malaysians.

There are many departures from KL Sentral, but if you are eager to arrive at the track as early as possible as I did, I did not mind the standing room bus ride.

Once you arrive at the track you see the huge lettering for Sepang on the side of a hill,

MotoGP weekend starts now.

As you walk towards the main gate you are exposed to all the sights and sounds of a motorcyle racing event. There are numerous stands selling merchandise of all kinds, as for me, a canadian fan it is difficult to obtain stuff like this back home. Today I am on a reconnaissance mission to explore the available merchandise being sold and which part of the stands I can get my best experience. Loud music fills the air at the gate area , bright colors and flags abound as you enter the site. In the background you start hearing the Moto3 bikes being started up for free practice 1 (FP1). If the sights and sounds bring back memories of my racing days back in Canada in the 80’s, the size of the racing venue here reminds me that this is not Shannoville Motorsports Park. https://www.facebook.com/groups/533885496621844/

SMP was great for me, however this here ,is the ultimate racing experience.

I could go on to write about all the racing action and the championships at stake , but if you are interested in reading more about that, there are plenty of stories to read across the net and social media. But what I want to share here is more the aspect of attending the event with all the other race fans at the site. There is a feeling of camaraderie at a MotoGP event unlike any other motorsport. While many fans here are motorcyclist themselves, not all are , but all are taken by the energy in the air. We met a young family from Gatineau Québec on our bus shuttle ride back to the train. It was their first MotoGP event ever and are not motorcyclists but they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.It is difficult to not be overwhelmed by such an event when you are with 103,000 spectators !

One of the reasons we attended the MalaysianGP , besides the fact that we were already in Asia on our #ourworldtour , was to rejoin our friends from Switzerland. We met the 2 brothers, Marc and Thomas at our first MotoGP event back in 2012 in Aragon,Spain. Our paths crossed during the entire weekend in Aragon and beyond, and our friendship was created and meant to be. We kept in touch over the years , remet in twice in Europe and once in Montréal. It was a real pleasure to rejoin them in Kuala Lumpur, sharing our views on world ethics, having a few pints over some great food. The funny aspect of this relationship was that the first weekend we met,we all spoke english to each other. They are german speaking Swiss citizens and it took us many months after we met to realise that they both speak excellent french, actually understanding our Québécois french and learning some of our expressions very rapidly ! In true Swiss fashion, they are both multi lingual as Marc speaks not only german,french,english but italian as well ! I envy their ability to be able to converse in so many languages. Thank you both Marc and Thomas for the great time together, and Au revoir à la prochaine mes amis !

Anytime more then 100,000 people get together in one location it is sure to have some consequences on logistics. Getting to and from the track was another experience of its own. On friday, I took the shuttle bus back to the KL City Centre (KLCC) and it turned out to be a 3 hour long ride in a massive trafic jam.

Again, looking at the bright side, I got to share a seat (rather narrow) with a young Indonesian grafic artist and we got to chat all the way back to KLCC. It is surprising and heartwarming how most people here are receptive when they learn that we are canadians. Canada has a great reputation in many places across the planet and we should ALL be very PROUD of this heritage. Sylvie and I are both extremely grateful for this, and all Canadians can rest assured that we will leave our mark to ensure that Canada keep its rating !

The shuttle bus to the track works well, in the morning, so saturday we took shuttle to the track. Sharing stories with some aussie friends along the way, we also took time to distribute some maple candy to many people on the bus that was greatly appreciated.

We actually saw some people later the next day that we had given candy to and they came to say hello and tell us how good they thought the candy was ! That is what we enjoy the most about our travels, beyond the sites, it is the people we meet and can share with. There are many more good people on this planet then bad, and most attend MotoGP events, OK I am a litte biased !

Saturday is race qualification day that determines grid position for the sunday race. KL is located a mere 3 degrees north of the equator, it is hot and HUMID. Late saturday afternoon it POURED for some 30-40 minutes delaying the last qualification session. While most people looked for shelter, the rain actually felt good in 35C heat ! After the day was over, our friends, Sylvie and I decide to take a TEKSI to the nearby KL airport and to take the KL Expres train into the city ! A little more expensive but much quicker !

For Sunday race day, the organisers of MotoGP decided to advance the schedule by 2 hours fearing that a late afternoon heavy rainstorm could delay the event. Motorcycles race in the rain but at times when conditions are simply to dangerous, delays are unavoidable. It was a good decision as all 3 races were run under dry conditions.

Leaving the track with 103,900 other people was somewhat chaotic, albeit organised ! We did repeat the train part from KLIA2 however there were no TEKSIs and only a shuttle bus to the airport. We did manage to get back to the city centre to have our last meal and a few drinks with our friends Marc and Thomas, and it was the end of a fantastic weekend to a great event. To be repeated somewhere, somehow in another part of the world in 2019 !

[sbknews]

New Post has been published on Superbike News

New Post has been published on http://superbike-news.co.uk/wordpress/aprilia-relaunches-motogp-challenge/

Aprilia Relaunches Their MotoGP Challenge

Two new riders, Aleix Espargarò and Sam Lowes, and the new 2017 RS-GP, more powerful and technologically advanced.

The new red, white and green livery designed by Aldo Drudi celebrates a fiercely proud, all-Italian project.

Last year the RS-GP made its début in the Doha tests, the first MotoGP bike developed entirely by Aprilia Racing to compete in the premier class of Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing. Just twelve months later, the all-Italian project must now face an important final exam: the constant progress demonstrated in the first season, with 16 Top-10 finishes, was reconfirmed during the tests in Valencia, Jerez, Sepang and Phillip Island.

Aleix Espargarò, a welcome returnee to the Aprilia camp, immediately found the right feeling with his RS-GP, especially in terms of braking stability. The Spanish rider was also able to test the 2017 evolution of the Italian MotoGP bike, approving of the progress made compared with the 2016 version and demonstrating encouraging competitiveness during the official tests.

Sam Lowes, on the other hand, could not help but have a different task than his teammate’s. The talented English rider must first of all become familiar with a prototype that is very different from the Moto2 bike he has ridden in the past, both strictly in terms of performance and in terms of the riding style it requires. The progress demonstrated during the tests led to reducing the gap behind the best in the category and, much more importantly, improving his sensations in the saddle.

ROBERTO COLANINNO – PIAGGIO GROUP CEO AND MANAGING DIRECTOR “Aprilia Racing represents one of the Piaggio Group’s points of technological excellence. In fact, racing is the highest point of experimentation and the development of technological solutions from which all the products and brands in the group then benefit. Last year, we introduced our RS-GP, the first MotoGP bike designed and built entirely here in Noale. In the second half of the season, the new bike showed clear progress, consistently finishing in the Top-Ten. This year, we want to continue our growth trend and be a threat to manufacturers who have been in this class for decades and we have everything it takes to achieve this goal: staff, technology, experience and a lot of passion. Aprilia’s sport history boasts 54 World Titles, most of which, no less than 28, have been earned since Aprilia has been part of the Piaggio Group. A history with such great success demands that we work hard to always be protagonists with the goal of continuing to entertain and attract the young people who have always been Aprilia’s greatest asset.” The 2017 Aprilia RS-GP comes to the beginning of this season dressed in a new red, white and green livery to celebrate a fiercely proud all-Italian project. The fairing was designed by Aldo Drudi, certainly the most famous designer in the racing world, just one more Italian value that Aprilia will hold high in 2017 on tracks all over the world.

Important partnerships have been renewed this year that go beyond a simple sponsorship relationship, like SAP with whom the Piaggio Group is developing important future projects for connectivity between vehicle and rider and NOW TV, Sky’s Internet TV, with a wealth of content such as Cinema, TV Series and Sports, with whom Aprilia Racing will be pioneering innovative content and entertainment formulas.

ROMANO ALBESIANO – APRILIA RACING MANAGER “For us, 2017 begins with a different situation compared with last year. We already know that we have a bike, the RS-GP, which has reached a good competitive level. The evolutions that we studied and applied in view of the new season concern every aspect of the bike, from its weight, which has been optimised, to overall balance, not to mention engine performance and the electronics package. An all-around operation but without any drastic changes, given the good starting base, with which we want to take another step toward the goals set for the Aprilia MotoGP project. The initial feedback has been encouraging. Aleix likes the new bike and has some rather clear ideas on which characteristics have the most room for improvement, so we will be working in those areas throughout the season. The racing department put in a lot of effort during the winter break. Everyone understands the importance of the challenge we are facing and our front fairing is just the most visible example of Aprilia’s dedication to innovation. During the tests we stayed in a group of very competitive bikes and riders, where just a few tenths of a second can make a big difference. Our goal, after showing that we can consistently battle for the Top-10, is to improve further.”

ALEIX ESPARGARO’ “I am happy to unveil the new livery that we will use this year. It is always nice to officially launch a new project, especially because I have great confidence in Aprilia Racing and the team’s work. It will definitely be a good season. We still have a lot to improve, but we have undoubtedly gotten off on the right foot. We are keen to grow. We have specific goals and in order to achieve them, both the team and I will put all of our energy onto the track. All that’s left now is to take on the first race in Qatar and see where we stand against our rivals.”

SAM LOWES “First of all, I am happy to be part of this big family with such a strong bond to racing, with a prestigious history of success like Aprilia Racing. I can’t wait to get back on the track in Qatar. I think that I was able to express about 85% of our potential in the winter tests and from the first race I would like to identify a good base to build on, improving step by step all the way to Valencia. We are setting our sights on the points zone straight away and then aiming for the Top-Ten and to battle for some important MotoGP placements. I believe in myself and I fully believe in the potential of my bike and my team.”

FAUSTO GRESINI – TEAM MANAGER “We are approaching the 2017 season well aware that we can count on a good starting base: in the tests at Sepang and Phillip Island, the team and riders worked very well. On one side, a determined Aleix got straight to work astride the new RS-GP, finding excellent sensations and providing important indications to steer technical development, which is obviously nonstop and concerns all areas of the bike. On the other side, Lowes has made significant progress, getting much closer to his teammate in terms of times. Sam is tackling this new adventure with the right spirit, aiming at building up the necessary experience. The new RS-GP is very nice and none of us can wait to see it in action in the new colours: we are ready for a new and exciting challenge together with Aprilia Racing.” With 104 World Championships in its collection (54 Aprilia, 15 Moto Guzzi, 21 Derbi, 14 Gilera) the Piaggio Group is the most victorious motorcycle group of all times, and Aprilia, born into racing, is the true sports banner for the Piaggio Group.

With 294 Grand Prix races won in World Championship GP Motorcycle Racing, Aprilia holds the record for the most wins of any European manufacturer in the history of top motorcycle competition. These race wins are joined by 54 world titles: 38 in the World Motorcycle Championship (20 in the 125 class and 18 in the 250 class), 7 in Superbike (double Rider/Manufacturer title in 2010, 2012 and 2014, Manufacturer in 2013) and 9 in the Off Road disciplines (7 in Supermoto and 2 in Trial). The Aprilia trophy case also includes the 2005 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, won with the RSV4 RF ridden by Lorenzo Savadori, currently riding an Aprilia in World Superbike alongside Eugene Laverty.