The Pata Honda World Superbike team has announced that it will retain the same rider line-up of Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam heading into the 2014 world championship season.

Rea is currently recuperating from a fractured left femur that he sustained in a crash at Nürburgring in Germany last month, but the 26-year-old from Northern Ireland is making a good recovery and is optimistic about the possibility of riding his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade again before then end of the year.

Rea began his world championship career with the Ten Kate-run Honda team in the 2008 World Supersport series before moving up to World Superbikes in 2009, since when he has secured 33 podiums from 116 races, including 11 race victories.

He will once again partner fellow British rider Leon Haslam who joined the team for the 2013 season, which has unfortunately been affected by a broken leg he sustained at Assen in the Netherlands in April.

Haslam, 30, has contest 155 World Superbike championship races, a third of which have been on Honda’s CBR machine. The British rider has achieved a total of three race wins and 28 podium finishes since his first SBK race in 2003, and he finished as runner-up in the series in 2010.

Jonathan Rea

It's been a big decision that I've thought long and hard about because there were some other options to consider. However, at the end of the day it was an easy choice because of the faith and respect that I have for the team that I've been with for six years and the company that I have been with my entire career. I know how hard the guys work to make the Honda competitive and I know that we have the potential to fight again for more podiums and race wins and the championship next season. Those podiums and wins are what motivate all of us and that's why I know that everyone will pull out the stops over the winter again to make them happen. We will go into the testing programme in a much better position than we were in 12 months ago because we've worked so hard to get the new electronics package to work this season. I am as motivated as ever and really looking forward to riding my bike again.

Leon Haslam

I’m very happy to have another go at it, really! This season has been pretty non-existent with the injury and the big learning curve we’ve had with the new electronics. So I’m excited to get back to full fitness and to have good go with the bike and see if we can turn the potential into success. We’ve made some really good steps recently but that’s been combined with some bad luck this year. Hopefully, that’s all out of the way now and we can keep making progress in the last few races and over winter testing. The Haslam link to Honda has been strong for many years and it was fantastic to win the Suzuka 8-hour this year. Hopefully we can go back and defend that next year, and I can’t wait to go into the next World Superbike season with the same bike, the same guys and have a proper go at it.

Ronald ten Kate - team manager

Jonathan has demonstrated great faith in this team over the years and we are, of course, overjoyed to have him back for a sixth World Superbike campaign. We have got to know each other very well over the years and one thing that comes across is his consistent and tenacious desire to get the very best out of the CBR – something he does year after year. Of course, with injuries, it has not been an easy season for him or for his team-mate, so we are very happy that Leon will join us again for next season. With two fit riders and some further development on the bike, we can look forward to 2014 with renewed confidence and optimism.

Carlo Fiorani - racing operations manager

Honda Motor Europe I do not think it is a secret that both Jonathan and Leon had some other options to consider for 2014, so we are, of course, delighted that we will be working with them again. We believe that there is a great level of mutual respect between us and we know that we have two fully-motivated riders who have the potential to fight for top honours. It’s good that they, too, know that the Honda they ride has equal potential and that they will have a team around them to help get the results that we all want to see. For many reasons, 2013 has been a difficult year for everyone, so we all hope that, with Dorna taking the series to new levels, we can have a 2014 season that is safe and successful, both for the riders and for the whole team.

IAM’s head of riding standards and advanced motorcyclist, Peter Rodger, is offering motorcycling tips. This month, he is advising on getting ready for the autumn.  

• Check your battery is full charged and is in good condition. The colder the weather, the more work it has to do.
• Give your tyres the once over. You’ll be relying on them to be in a good state, especially in the damp and wet weather.
• Add to your summer gear. It’s important to have a set of waterproof overalls for the wet weather.
• The rain will inevitably affect the riding conditions. Allow more of a following distance.
• Don’t ride into puddles; they could conceal a pothole or other hazards.
• Riding in low sun can make it difficult to see ahead – be prepared, not surprised, and try to keep your eyes shaded.

Rodger said: “As the cold weather takes its toll on the roads, you’ll find that lying water becomes additional hazard as it hides cracks in the surface as well disguising the depth of any holes. Look well ahead to negotiate potholes so that you don’t get caught out by one.”  

SYLVAIN GUINTOLI STRUGGLED TO FIND HIS PACE IN THE PACK AND FINISHED IN FIFTH PLACE, REPEATING THE RACE 1 RESULT

APRILIA'S DOMINATION IN THE MANUFACTURER CHAMPIONSHIP CONTINUES.

Laguna Seca, 29 September 2013 – The determination shown in the Race 1 finale at Laguna Seca yesterday was almost a foreshadowing of the way Eugene Laverty would perform today. Rocketing to the front as soon as the red lights went off, the Northern Irish rider then found himself riding in third place behind the exhaust of Sykes and Giugliano in the first phase of the race. Eugene bided his time throughout the middle portion of the race, staying in contact with the leaders without taking any pointless risks, also taking into consideration the less than excellent grip.

Laverty's strategy paid off when four laps from the end he launched his attack on Giugliano for second place and then overtook Sykes two lap later. The grand finale had him controlling his rivals and flying across the finish in the lead. His seventh victory of the season and the third place in Race 1 take him to second place in the rider standings, 23 points behind Sykes with two more rounds (four races) left to go.

Thanks in part to Davide Giugliano's podium finish, an excellent second place ride on the Althea Racing Team RSV4, Aprilia strengthens their dominating lead in the manufacturer standings. The advantage in front of Kawasaki is now 45 points, 70 ahead of BMW, 235 over Honda, 248 above Suzuki and 308 in front of Ducati.

Eugene Laverty: “This was anything but an easy race. Yesterday I struggled quite a bit to keep up with the front runners and I managed to finish on the podium by overtaking twice in the last lap. I want to thank my team because we worked a lot on the bike and took a big step forward that allowed me to ride better in spite of the grip issues. I pushed hard from the first to the last lap and Davide (Giugliano) and Tom (Sykes) didn't make this win an easy one! This is a result that I really didn't expect which now takes me to second place in the rider standings, but we have two very different rounds ahead of us. I struggled last year at Magny Cours, but my RSV4 has grown a lot so things could change, whereas Jerez is our test track so I could have an advantage there. In any case I'll need to give 100% in every session for the next two weekends. I'd like to dedicate my win to my engineer Marco Bertolatti who became a father just a few hours ago.”

It was another difficult race for Sylvain Guintoli, dominator in Race 1 before the second red flag. After an imperfect start from the first spot on the grid thanks to winning Superpole yesterday, the Frenchman had to surrender the pace to Melandri and Giugliano. Relegated to fifth place, Sylvain struggled in the first part of the race to keep pace with the lead pack, finally settling into a good pace. However, the gap behind the four leaders kept him from improving his position, which repeats the result from yesterday but certainly does no justice to the performance demonstrated during the practice sessions. Sylvain is now lying third in the championship, just one point behind his team mate Laverty, a position that keeps him well in the running for the final victory.

Sylvain Guintoli: “To be honest this was a disappointing Race 2. I expected much more and, all things considered, the start was good. I felt like I could pass Tom and Eugene, but instead I came under attack from Melandri and Giugliano and dropped back behind the lead group. The pace was really fast and when you lose a few metres it's hard to make up that gap. Like yesterday, when I'm in the middle of the pack I'm lacking something. I'm unable to maintain the same pace that I can set when I'm riding by myself like I was in the first two starts yesterday. It's something I need to work on because we didn't make any changes to the bike compared to yesterday. I need to get focused again, I'm not lacking in speed since yesterday when I was out front I was able to be very fast. Magny Cours is coming up in just a few days and that's my home race where I hope to make up some important points”.  

Motorcycle Live is back at The NEC, Birmingham from 23 November to 1 December 2013 and tickets are on sale now!

All the manufacturers!

The show boasts no less than 29 manufacturers, all showcasing the very latest machinery, some of which will have never been seen before in the UK. From sports bikes to scooters, tourers to trikes, cruisers to customs and adventure to motocross machines, there is something on display at Motorcycle Live to suit every rider. Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Piaggio, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, Vespa, Victory and Yamaha, as well as UK-based firms CCM, Norton and Triumph – will all be present.

Specialist brands such as AJP, Metisse, Morgan, Moto Guzzi, Watsonian Squire, WK Bikes, Quadzilla and electric motorcycle marques Kuberg and Zero will all appear, while Herald Motor Company, Indian Motorcycles, Lifan and ShineRay will make their Motorcycle Live debut. Alongside the manufacturers there’ll be over 150 other exhibitors and retail stands offering the best in kit, accessories and motorcycle-related products and services. Click for more detail

17 live features!

If that’s not enough to keep you busy, the ‘live’ in Motorcycle Live certainly will. With 17 features – including nine FREE opportunities to ride – motorcycle fans of all ages will be kept entertained. New features for 2013 include ‘Behind Bars - The Movie’ – which gives an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the lives of top racers – and the Crank’d live action show that threatens to rip the roof off The NEC!  Click for more detail

Your chance to own a 2014 Yamaha!

You also have the chance to enter a prize draw to win a brand new, yet-to-be-unveiled 2014 Yamaha MT motorcycle – a model which is set to change the sport motorcycle world. You can even enter online now… click for more detail

Get your tickets now!

Advance tickets for Motorcycle Live 2013 are on sale now, costing just £17 per adult, £11 for Seniors and £7 for children aged 6-16* (kids under five accompanied by a paying adult go free). Bike parking is free of charge and subject to availability. Reduced car parking costs of £8 – subsidised by Motorcycle Live.

www.motorcyclelive.co.uk

www.facebook.com/motorcyclelive

The Heritage Motor Centre is to give visitors the chance to learn all about the history of RAF Gaydon at a special lecture on Saturday 2 November.  The lecture, to be given by John Bishop, local historian and HMC employee, will give visitors an insight into the history of the airfield plus there will be an opportunity to visit the old RAF Gaydon Control Tower now the Observation Tower - part of the Jaguar Land Rover site.

Gaydon was one of several RAF airfields in the Midlands which enjoyed two separate periods of existence, one as a wartime training base and the other when it was rebuilt and put back into service for very different aircraft. From 1942 - 1974, RAF Gaydon was home to Wellingtons during WW11 and V Bombers during the Cold War RAF at Home days and later, Varsities and Valettas part of the Navigation school.

John Bishop has worked at the Heritage Motor Centre for 17 years and is responsible for promoting and selling the Centre to Clubs and Groups.  John’s favourite motor-sport is Rallying and he has taken part in several car based charity events including the Convoy for Heroes World Record attempt in 2012 in his Freelander.

John stated “I’m delighted to be giving this lecture on the history of RAF Gaydon. I’ve always lived in the area and find the subject fascinating, so much so that I organised the 60th Anniversary event in 2002 and set up a small exhibition in the Museum at HMC. I look forward to sharing my knowledge with other liked minded enthusiasts.”

The lecture costs just £30 per person and includes a visit to the former Control Tower, lunch (one course including tea/coffee) and entry to the Museum.  The lecture takes place from 10:30am – 3pm and must be pre booked as places are limited. For more information about the HMC please visit www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk or call 01926 641188.