The third-round of the World Superbike championship this weekend has been a challenging outing for Michael van der Mark and Sylvain Guintoli at Aragon, Spain.

Over the weekend the team strived to improve and find the optimum setting for the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP around the 5.077km circuit.

In the first of two 18-lap races, van der Mark was forced to retire due to a small technical problem on the tenth lap. The second race saw the SBK rookie make a gallant attack moving up from his starting grid position in 11th to sixth place, but on the last lap had to settle with eighth.

Meanwhile van der Mark’s teammate Sylvain Guintoli finished race one within the top-ten taking ninth place after making his way forward from his qualifying position in 14th. During the second installment he had made his way up to tenth but crashed out of the running on the sixth lap after loosing the front.

The team will now take and analyse all the data collected from each session this weekend in preparation for its home race at Assen, the Netherlands next weekend 17-19 April.

SATURDAY MOTOGP QUALIFIERS AT AUSTIN. BAUTISTA ENDS THE DAY IN 23rd PLACE, 25th FOR MELANDRI

Austin (USA), 11 April 2015 - In the final free practice sessions (FP3 and FP4) and in the qualifying session that determines the starting grid order, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini continued working on development of the RS-GP bikes.

After finishing in 19th place in FP3, Bautista had to forego the bike he had used for that time due to a technical problem. I wasn't able to find that feeling and he had to settle for a time of 2'05,595, taking 23rd place which places him on the eighth row of the starting grid tomorrow.
In the decisive session Marco Melandri improved his time (2'07,267) compared to the free practice sessions, but not enough to move up from 25th place which puts him on the ninth row for tomorrow's race.

ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
"We used Alvaro's second bike for a few tests on various settings but a problem with the first bike toward the end of FP4 forced him to take the bike that he had less of a feeling with onto the track. For the race we need to go back to the standard we had in the free practice sessions, which will definitely give us better results than what we did in the qualifiers."

FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
"We are working hard and obviously in this period it isn't a simple thing to translate our efforts into performance straight away. In any case, we were able to get a glimpse of a hint of improvement from Alvaro during the weekend. Of course we want to begin making more progress, but we knew that in these rounds so far from Europe it wouldn't be easy because there isn't much time to react and make significant changes. Tomorrow we want to finish the race to rack up some more miles and precious experience."

ALVARO BAUTISTA
"We worked a lot on the electronics to have better power management, trying a lot of solutions that will also be useful for the future. But for the qualifiers I was forced to take out the other bike with a different setup and I wasn't able to take advantage of all the work we had done up to that point. It's a shame because I'm sure I would have been able to lap faster. For tomorrow the unknown is the weather. If we have a wet race it will be important to set a good pace straight away. In any conditions, and considering how things went in Qatar, the important thing will be to finish the race."

MARCO MELANDRI
"Until we get back to Europe and can count on more consistent developments we'll just have to grit our teeth and try to learn from each session. Only when I'm completely at ease in the saddle will I be able to push the way I'd like to."

For bikers the journey is in the destination. It’s about experiencing the here and now. But it’s more than that. It’s a way of life. It’s our attitude.

World GP Bike Legends is pleased to announce BMW’s latest destination – Jerez Circuit. The 19-21 June 2015 will see the inaugural weekend festival aimed at reliving the Golden Era of grand prix motorcycle racing.

BMW Motorrad España is partnering with the festival to offer visitors the opportunity to compare classic icons to the present day models. The full range of BMW motorcycles will be on display complemented by an extensive exhibition of motorsport machinery from decades passed. Successfully competing in World Championship series since 1924, BMW’s have won everything from Superbikes and Grands Prix to the Dakar Rally!

Nick Wigley, CEO of Goose Live Events Worldwide, the event promoter, remarked “We are hugely excited to announce the involvement of BMW Motorrad España in the first ever World GP Bike Legends – it’s an iconic brand with over 90 years of motorcycle racing history. Visitors will no doubt enjoy the opportunity to get up close to both the classic and current BMW models on display.”

BMW Motorrad has had an emphasis on sophisticated design and clever functionality throughout its history – be sure to read up on its development of pre-war supercharged boxer engines that went on to dominate sidecar grids. Today, reliable and powerful engines complemented by sublime suspension create a ride so enjoyable they inspire adventure and it’s now the focus message. MAKE LIFE A RIDE.

World GP Bike Legends. 19-21 June 2015 Jerez Circuit, Spain.

How will you get there?

Visit www.worldgpbikelegends.com for all information on the Legendary riders, support grids, live music and festival entertainment.

Pata Honda’s Kyle Smith set the sixth fastest overall time in today’s two free practice sessions for the third round of the 2015 World Supersport Championship at Aragon in Spain.

The two sessions proved tricky for the team who struggled with finding the right set-up for the Honda CBR600RR, but after a modification made towards the end of the last session Smith improved his lap time by a second.

The 23 year-old will return to the track tomorrow morning for Free Practice 3 before the afternoon qualifying session, where final grid positions for Sunday’s 16-lap race will be determined.

‘Live Fast Die Old’, a new film launched today, follows the escapades of three older bikers as they continue living life to the full despite being old enough to have free bus passes.

Getting tattoos, streaking and attending foam parties, all with their companion Daisy the alpaca – the trio of Badger, Turbo and Z-Boy live irreverently. But the one place they drop the pace is left-hand bends (or ‘left-handers’).

Aimed at male bikers between 40 and 49 years old, the film is a key part of a social marketing campaign from Road Safety Scotland, which launched last week ahead of the touring season. The film was created with input and insights from bikers, with their experience and knowledge bringing the three characters to life.

Bikers in their 40's make up 20% of all bikers in Scotland, yet account for 30% of those who are killed or seriously injured. The campaign focuses on left-handers, where a third of motorbike deaths in Scotland happen.

The campaign has a facebook page, specifically created for Scotland’s bikers. The page will offer content ranging from technique and gear tips to route planning and information on upcoming events. It will be continually updated over the next six months.

Michael McDonnell, Director of Road Safety Scotland, said: “During the biking season, it would not be unusual to see a biker die every weekend on Scotland’s roads. The Live Fast Die Old film serves as a perfect reminder to all bikers that they can still fully enjoy getting back on the road this season and, with some minor adjustments to the way they ride, will get back home safely to their families at the end of the day.”

Chief Superintendent Iain Murray from Police Scotland said: “By creating the Live Fast Die Old film, we have a fantastic opportunity to speak directly to bikers about their passion for biking and the safety aspects that go hand-in-hand with it.”

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Live Fast Die Old. A film about three men, three bikes and free bus passes - Watch it now