• The Ben Ball will take place on 7th December in its new home of Old Billingsgate Market.
• Event raises significant funds to support those in the automotive family who are struggling or in crisis.
• Booking is now open for tickets and sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Team Gresini MotoGP has completed the back-to-back trip Portimao-Jerez today as the official post-race test drew to a close at the Andalusian track, for what was another positive day for the team’s standard bearers.

Fabio Di Giannantonio continued the set-up work started on Friday as he also focused on the ergonomics of the bike. At the end of 64 laps, the Rome-born rider showed good feeling aboard the bike and logged a personal-best time of 1’38.271.

On the other side of the garage, there were more updates for Enea Bastianini, who managed to concentrate on the front-end of the bike in order to recover the right feeling he was not able to find in Jerez while also trying the new Ducati 2022 fairings.

MotoGP will return to action at Le Mans in less than two weeks.

10th - ENEA BASTIANINI #23 (1’37.802 – 45 laps)
“We tried many things and maybe we did make a step forward, despite the track being very different today. With medium tyres we improved our pace by 2-3 tenths of a second, so overall this is good news. The wind came in the afternoon and I chose to not take any unnecessary risk. The new fairing has pro and cons surely, and we’ll take out time to evaluate it, then we’ll decide on whether to use it at Le Mans or not.”

19th - FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49 (1’38.271 – 64 laps)
“We needed this test and we made the most of it. The work done during the weekend has naturally carried over to today; we concentrated on the feeling with the bike and I think it was a good day. Even though the times don’t show it (the wind affected his outing on soft tyres), I feel the bike a bit more mine. I was also able to try a new tank, a little bit more slender: as it often happens, I liked it on some aspects and liked it less on others.”

Suzuki has announced dates of a summer test ride roadshow, which will take place at a variety of dealerships from April to September with a number of key models in the range available to demo, including the new GSX-S1000GT and the third generation Hayabusa.

Starting on April 9 at Completely Suzuki in Hinckley, Suzuki will be bringing a fleet of test ride bikes to each event – with individual dealerships also bolstering the number of bikes available with their own demo machines – that includes the V-Strom 1050XT adventure bike, GSX-S1000 naked, the newly-launched GSX-S1000GT, and the Hayabusa hyperbike.

With models such as the GSX-S1000GT in high demand the events will give prospective customers the chance to secure a test ride on the model they’re most interested in, and also sample many other bikes in Suzuki’s range

Suzuki GB’s head of motorcycle marketing, Ian Bland, commented, “We’ve had two years of uncertainty around events so it’s nice to be able to announce this roadshow and we’re looking forward to getting out on the road again. It’s a great opportunity for us to meet and spend time with customers, and provide more opportunities for them to test ride many of our most popular models. 2022 is set to be a great riding season, especially with our range of new bikes and current offers.”

Those wishing to book a test ride should contact their local participating dealership, and must ensure they are able to provide their driving licence and a DVLA check code, or their National Insurance number on the day.

For a full list of dates, see below, or visit Suzuki’s 2022 events calendar.

• 9 April, Completely Suzuki, Unit 14, Lime Kilns Way, Hinckley, Loughborough, LE10 3EL, 01455 811811
•  6-7 May, CJ Ball Suzuki, Woodlands, Salhouse Road, Sprowston, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 9AB, 01603 307500
• 21 – 22 May, Road and Racing, Clark Way, Hyde, Cheshire, SK14 2AU, 0161 366 5167
• 18 – 19 June, Cupar Motorcycles, West Port, Cupar, Fife, KY15 4AW, 01334 655707
• 1 – 2 July, Frasers of Gloucester, 261 Bristol Road, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL2 5DB, 01452 306485
• 16 – 17 July, A&D Motorcycles, Spencer Trading Estate, Rhyl Road, Denbigh, North Wales, LL16 5TQ, 01745 815105
• 23 July, Streetbike, 91-107 Dudley Road, Halesowen, West Midlands, B63 3NS, 0121 296 5661
• 29-30 July, Single Tracker Motorcycles, 20-26 Flag Lane, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 3BG, 01270 212965
• 13-14 August, Bridge Motorcycles, Alphin Brook Road, Exeter, Devon, EX2 8RG, 01392 260200
• 4 September, Orwells Motorcycles, Copdock Bike Show, Trinity Park, Ipswich, IP3 8UH, 01473 257401

Note that bike availability may differ from one event to another. Customers are advised to speak to their local dealer in advance of the event to check availability.

THOUSANDS OF showgoers, including a Hollywood star, were out in the post-lockdown sunshine at the Stafford County Showground over the weekend of April 23 – 24 to celebrate all things motorbikes… and there was plenty to celebrate.

The International Classic MotorCycle Show always has loads to see and do, and this year was no different as the crowds packed in to see bikes, club stands, trade stands, world exclusives, book launches, live trails, firing-up area, Bonhams’ auction, the competition hall… and more special guests than you could shake a stick at!

Perhaps the most notable display was the world exclusive Mike Hailwood exhibit, featuring never-before-seen family memorabilia of the former champion. Guests were able to view these heirlooms, from his 1978 TT winner’s Dunlop cap through to his George Medal, awarded when Mike rescued Clay Regazzoni from his burning BRM at the South African Formula 1 GP. Talking of awards and winners, the class of 1978, which consisted of Alex George, Ian Richards, Phil Read and Chas Mortimer, were on stage across the weekend giving first-hand accounts of their racing careers and inside stories into the motorbike racing scene.

The Bonhams Auction was particularly nail biting with a very special ex-Reg Barton, Dick Knight, 1929 Brough Superior 996cc SS100 Alpine Grand Sport Sprint Special which sold for a staggering £220,000! And showgoers might also have even seen an A-list celebrity or two. Jason Momoa, best known as DC superhero Aquaman, was also there. Being a keen motorcycle enthusiast, Jason perused the show and examined the lots in the Bonhams Auction.

Event organiser Nick Mowbray said: “It was a brilliant weekend! We have received marvellous feedback from visitors and traders alike. The addition of the Hailwood display and the ‘Class of 78’ added something very special to a tried-and-tested format.”

MAVERICK VIÑALES ALSO FINISHES FP3 IN THE TOP TEN TO START FROM THE FOURTH ROW TOMORROW

NARROW GAPS FOR LORENZO SAVADORI

The Aleix Espargaró and 2022 Aprilia RS-GP duo proves yet again to be one of the most competitive in MotoGP, with the Spaniard once again putting in a stellar performance, finishing the Spanish GP qualifiers with the third best time overall at 1’36”933.
As happened one week ago in Portugal, this means that Aleix will be on the front row of the starting grid for the Grand Prix race scheduled for tomorrow and for which he has shown that his pace is on par with the best.

After a positive morning where he finished FP3 in fifth place with a time of 1’36”975, thereby going straight through to Q2, Maverick Viñales was unable to achieve the same feeling in qualifying, stopping the clock at 1’37”675, partly due to two yellow flags that voided his best attempts. Although on the fourth row of the starting grid, Maverick, like Aleix, can still count on the outstanding race pace he demonstrated in FP4.

Also on the rise is Lorenzo Savadori who, despite not focusing his weekend on pure performance, has still skilfully reduced the gap behind more experienced riders.

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ
"These were not simple qualifiers. To be honest, I wasn’t very optimistic. From the first session, I felt comfortable with the race tyre, but there were problems with chattering every time we attempted a time attack with the soft tyre. But today I really gave 110%. Usually it isn’t a good idea to take so many risks, but today this strategy paid off. It was extremely important to start from the front row because here in Jerez it isn’t easy to overtake, especially when the track get slippery in the heat. We can count on a good pace with the medium tyre. The bike is working well and running smoothly, so we’re confident and I can’t wait for the race to start!"

MAVERICK VIÑALES
"I’m disappointed with our performance in qualifying. It’s a pity to be on the fourth row because we had the potential to battle for the top spots. In FP3 we were fast and in FP4 too, we were competitive with the race tyre. With the used tyres I especially feel really strong. Unfortunately, in qualifying I did not find the same feeling and we still need to figure out why. I didn’t have much grip and I was unable to be fast. We’ll keep working hard for tomorrow and give it our all but it will undoubtedly not be an easy race."

LORENZO SAVADORI
"Qualifiers were better than in Portimão. With such narrow gaps, just a few tenths would have been enough to make a big step forward. In any case, I’m happy both for Aleix’s front row and for the new components that we are learning to use step by step."