Category: Other

1. Marquez recovers from crash to lead the way in Austin

   Posted on 3:00pm Monday 11th Apr 2016

   Having followed up a third placed finish in the opening race of the Moto GP season in Qatar with victory in Argentina last time around, Marc Marquez is seemingly growing in confidence with his Honda team. The rider, who is unbeaten at the Circuit of Americas since joining Moto GP back in 2013, has set the fastest time in practice in Austin. With riders testing out new soft and medium Michelin tyres following previous issues with Scott Redding’s Pramac Ducati, it was Marquez who looked the most comfortable as he posted the fastest lap of the day in 2 minutes 04.953 seconds. 

   His closest challenge in Austin on Friday was world champion George Lorenzo who managed to close to within 0.252 seconds of his countryman. Marquez had earlier recovered from a crash in which he lost control on the final corner of the circuit, eventually regaining his composure in the afternoon session. The Spaniard was favourite for the championship at the start of the season, and early performances have done little to effect this, with bookmakers Betway offering him odds of as little as 1.66/1 on to claim glory come the end of the campaign.

   Italian Andrea Iannone ended the day in third place in practice, however the Ducati rider a massive 0.617 seconds adrift of leader Marquez. Marquez certainly looks to be the man to beat this season, with his performances on his way to a dominant win in Argentina last time around having his nearest rivals worried. Having seen of early pressure from Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi in Argentina, Marquez was left to watch the carnage unfold behind him as the conditions led to collisions across the circuit. The two Ducati riders collided on the final lap, in a race that had already been shortened by twenty laps due to tyre concerns https://sports.betway.com/ win, lose or draw offer the best odds on motor racing around, with team mates Iannone and Dovizioso priced at 9/1 and 12/1 respectively to recover from events in Argentina with victory.

   It remains to be seen who will pose the greatest threat to Marquez, who won the world championship in both 2013 and 2014. The Spaniard is one of only four riders to have won titles in three different categories, after successes in Moto2 and 125cc. The talented rider will certainly be difficult to stop this year, however the unpredictability of Moto GP means that nothing is ever certain. 

2. Get paid for giving your views and opinions on a future generation Motorbike!

   Posted on 10:00am Friday 1st Apr 2016

   A famous motorbike manufacturer is looking for roadster/naked bike owners over 500cc+ who bought their bike from new and since 2013.

    

   A group of riders will be given the opportunity and privilege to see a Motorcycle that has been designed for the future and before it has been released to the general public. You will be part of the development as your views and opinions will assist in this future generation bike.

    

   This will be held in Birmingham next weekend (9th / 10th April). Those who take part will be paid for your time, which includes travel expenses. Refreshments will be provided. The session will last 2.5 hours during one specific time and day over the weekend. The times will depend on the bike you own. 

    

   Examples of qualifying bikes are: Ducati Monsters, Harley-Davidson forty eight, Harley-Davidson softail slim, Street Bob, Yamaha Bolt, Honda CB1000, Yamaha XJR1300, Kawasaki Z800/100, Asprilia, MV Augusta Brutale, BMW R800/R1200R among others.

    

   If you have such a Motorcycle and fancy being part of this, contact Simon @ [email protected] letting him know which model you own, along with contact details.

3. MICHELIN HEADING SOUTH FOR AN ARGENTINIAN INITIATION

   Posted on 6:00pm Thursday 31st Mar 2016

   Michelin is taking the long journey over the Equator as it heads to Argentina for the second round of the MotoGP™ World Championship and its debut at the Termas de Río Hondo circuit following an impressive result for the French company at the season-opener in Qatar.

   The Argentinian track is one of the fastest on the calendar and a true test of riders and tyres alike. With its fast sweeping corners – some with very noticeably high cambers – and hard-braking areas, the 4,806m long circuit will certainly give extra demands to the tyres that Michelin will take to the event. The long turn-six and turn-eleven left-handers will undoubtedly be a true test due to the high temperatures the tyres will generate. But with nine right-hand bends and just five left-handers, the overall usage on either side of the tyre will be comparable, and careful tyre management will be needed from the riders to get the best from their machines.

   Michelin will take two front tyre selections for the race weekend. These will be the hard option MICHELIN Power Slick – identified by the yellow band on the tyre wall and a medium option MICHELIN Power slick – which will have no band applied to it. For the rear, the hard compound MICHELIN Power Slick will be available for all riders – complete with its yellow sidewall stripe – along with the medium compound version, which like the front will have no identifying band. For the first time this season the rain and intermediate tyres will be available, should the weather play a part in proceedings. The soft MICHELIN Power Rain will have a blue stripe for both front and rear, with the hard version having no band, whilst the MICHELIN Power Inter will show a silver line on the side of both tyres.

   The Termas de Río Hondo Circuit was constructed in 2007 and opened the following year. It is one of the few tracks on the calendar that Michelin has never competed on, so this weekend will be yet another chapter in the French tyre company’s rich history. MotoGP made its debut here in 2014, with Honda’s Marc Marquez taking victory, whilst Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi secured the win last year. Located just outside of the city which gives the venue its name, the circuit is in the Province of Santiago del Estero and approximately 1,100km from the country’s capital of Buenos Aires.

   The weekend’s action will get underway on Friday 1st April with two Free Practice sessions, followed by the third Free Practice the following morning. Qualifying for the 25-lap race will take place on Saturday afternoon. Sunday’s race will start at a later time of 16.00hrs local time (21.00hrs CEST, 19.00hrs UST/GMT, 20.00hrs BST).

   Nicolas Goubert – Director of the Two-Wheel Motorsport Group: “Argentina is a big challenge for us because it wasn’t on the calendar when we were last in MotoGP and we have only had a one-day test there. Since then our project has evolved quite a lot, so it is a real challenge to decide which tyre to build. We will be assessing the situation all weekend and analysing all the data intensely. The track seems to be very challenging for the front tyres, with tremendous wear. We have got ready some robust solutions so that we are able to have a good race and make it as competitive as possible.”

   Piero Taramasso – Manager of the Two-Wheel Motorsport Group: “This is the first time we have been to this circuit in Argentina to race, but it is very significant for us because South America is a vital market for Michelin, so this is an extremely important race. People there love motorbike racing, from Dakar rally raids to MotoGP they have a passion for two-wheel sport and I’m sure the festive atmosphere in Termas de Río Hondo for the Grand Prix will certainly be special. The race track is very close to Andes mountain range and the weather could also be a big factor, because at this time of the year it is could be very hot or extremely cold, so we also have to see what this brings. The whole event is not an easy one from a logistical point of view due to the geographic locations, but I’m sure it will be worth it as I hear the meat and barbeques are spectacular!”

4. Rallies... Use them or lose them!

   Posted on 2:00pm Tuesday 29th Mar 2016

   On the book of face today there are an awful lot of angry people having little (or not so) arguments with others about the outrage of a rally being moved from their favourite field to a venue who dare to charge £1.40 for a cup of tea, where the organizer had to move to save it from disappearing/not going ahead due to the 4k + costs to put it on.    

   Along with the cost of putting on an event there is also the time the organizers have to give (take off work) to sort out said field, get a bar license, arrange the loos, stage/bar and more...

   As time moves on, with times a changing and dwindling numbers of rally goers each year, coupled with rising costs, I wonder if more and more rallies will be held within a venue rather than a field?
   
   We do hope that people would have a little more understanding of the work and costs (and risks) that are involved in putting on ANY event, never mind one that attracts 500+ (so needs a larger space+) and support the event and give constructive criticism instead of a ganging-up-on-a-mass-rant, because you know what - do not be surprised when the organizers say 'Sod this, I'm off'!

5. Easy rider: the luxury gloves fit for the modern Café Racer

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 25th Mar 2016

   VINTAGE motorcycle gloves straight out of a Steve McQueen movie are the latest in a line of cleverly-engineered accessories by a British brand offering the final word on luxury-fitting biking apparel.

   The hand-crafted classic style glove – known as the Speed – has been designed for the style conscious beards, brats, flats, and café racer cool with poly satin lining and enough delicate padding to keep riders rolling until autumn.

   The automotive-influenced attire is the latest creation of Brighton-based boutique 78 Motor Co: designers of finely-tuned biker apparel, accessories, and self-described masters of all things mechanical and cool.

   Owner and lead designer Anthony Jackson says: “Very few motorcycle gloves fit like they should - the leather is too loose, thumbs can be too long and fingers too short, while palm areas are too tight making them uncomfortable to wear on the bars.

   “The Speed is crafted from Scandinavian hides to blend beauty with protection that is cut and stretched by hand using good old fashioned love and affection for that perfect fit, with no less than 21 individual CAD designed panels stitched together.”

   Spacious finger joints and seamless palm stitching means that each pair fits like, well, a glove with semi-elasticated wrists and oversized silicone Velcro straps for a super-secure feel.

   Anthony adds: “Each glove is created from full aniline hide, double stitched, and includes discreet knuckle protectors with a reinforced palm, thumb, and underside, but are also delicate enough to wear off your machine to walk the dog or even go shopping.”

   The Speed also comes in various colours to match every machine - from dune yellow, farina grey, claret red, to nappa black – while riders can have their gloves caressed in beeswax and almond oil for free to add a little extra style to the patina.

   The 78 Motor Co itself was born from a charity jaunt from Brighton to Mongolia in 2011 during which the big-brand gear given to Anthony disintegrated into the Gobi desert.

   He says: “The borrowed gloves stretched so I could not grasp at my keys or operate my controls safely, and the helmet visor latch broke after two weeks meaning I had to face the sand without cover.”

   The company now collaborates with designers, engineers, and artists from the nearby seaside city to design, build, stitch, and sew their retrospective repertoire.

   Anthony adds: “The leather tones were influenced by 1960s British luxury cars with integrated cooling fins inspired by vintage Lambrettas, designed to draw air under the sleeve, while the velcro buddy tabs keep each together when not being worn.

   “One 10,000 mile trip to Mongolia and 24 months of development later, the Speed has the comfort of a touring glove, the protection of a sport glove, and the style of a timeless classic.”

   The 78 Speed gloves retail at - funnily enough - £78 per pair and are available worldwide from www.78motorco.com, while the company is now seeking passionate retailers in certain regions and countries.

   To review additional products and read the full 78 Motor Co story visit www.78motorco.com