ESPARGARÓ HARD AT WORK ON HIS RS-GP, GRIP AND FRONT SETTINGS ARE THE ISSUES TO RESOLVE

LOWES IMPROVES FROM ONE FRIDAY SESSION TO THE NEXT

Partly due to the Texan track, which proved to be in less than stellar conditions, the first day of practice for the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini was spent looking for the best setup on the RS-GP machines ridden by Espargaró and Lowes. The Circuit of the Americas in Austin was found in much different conditions than in 2016, with a series of bumps and dips. The two free practice sessions were therefore dedicated to finding the right settings for the front end in order to handle this irregularity of the American track and to a series of comparative tests to choose the rear tyre.

Aleix Espargaró, fresh from two encouraging performances in the initial races of the season, finished FP1 in ninth place (time: 2’06.411) and FP2 in fourteenth with 2’05.468. The standings are very tight, with 11 riders “squeezed” into 2’05. An improvement of a few tenths could be decisive in the final free practice session tomorrow that will determine who goes through to Q2. Sam Lowes continues his bike and category apprenticeship. His 2’06.741 in FP2 demonstrates a clear improvement compared to his 2’08.292 in the morning.

ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"It was certainly not our best day of practice. I struggled, especially with front end stability. We also had some trouble with direction changes. The RS-GP is still not as agile as I would like it to be. Now the guys on the team will analyse the data. I think for tomorrow that we will work on the geometry and on weight distribution. Rear tyre choice, on the other hand, shouldn't be a problem. I tried two options and both felt good, so we will focus on the feeling with the front end, which is our main problem for now."

SAM LOWES
"The second session went rather well. I was able to improve both in terms of time and my feeling. As often happens, our pace is better than our flying lap. I must say that this is a demanding track with the MotoGP bike, but these are difficulties that help me to improve quickly, changing lines, riding style and my position in the saddle. The track has a lot of dips and our bike is usually stable, but here we will need to work on absorbing the bumps. I think it is a problem that a lot of the riders will have. We will try to solve it by both working on the setup and by trying to change a few trajectories."

The Monster Energy Supersport 600cc races received more entries than any of the other classes at the 2017 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, and the two four-lap races see minor changes from the 1000cc bikes in the order among the twenty seeded riders.

The man to beat is undoubtedly Ian Hutchinson.  The ‘Bingley Bullet’ has won the last four 600cc TT races with doubles in both 2015 and 2016. He will again be riding for Keith Flint’s Team Traction Control Yamaha team and, with seven wins in the class already - half of his 14 TT career victories - he will start the races as the clear favourite. As in the 1000cc races, he will have the number four plate.

The rider with the honour of starting at number one on this occasion is Lee Johnston. The Ulsterman will be leading the field away for the first time in his TT career. Riding the Jackson Racing Honda, Johnston is still seeking his first podium in the class and 2017 could well be the year he achieves it.

Bruce Anstey (Padgetts Honda) and James Hillier (JG Speedfit Kawasaki), the next two riders on the grid, will have the same start position as the three 1000cc races. Anstey won the race for the Batley-based team in 2011 and 2012 and has taken no less than six successive second places between 2013 and 2015 so will be a major threat. Hillier enjoyed strong runs in the two races in 2016, finishing second and fourth and clocking a new personal best 600cc lap marginally under 127mph.

John McGuinness (Jackson Racing Honda), Michael Dunlop (MD Racing Yamaha) and Conor Cummins (Padgetts Honda) continue at numbers five, six and seven respectively and although Dunlop hasn’t won a 600cc race since 2014 he still holds the lap record of 128.666 (17:35.659), which he set in 2013.  He will be keen to get back to winning ways after the controversy of last year that saw the Northern Ireland rider disqualified from the opening race.

Gary Johnson moves back into the top ten for the Supersport races with the Lincolnshire rider taking the number eight plate. He continues with Triumph machinery, this time riding the bikes campaigned in 2016 by Lee Johnston, and having been victorious twice already, in 2011 and 2014, he certainly cannot be discounted.

Dean Harrison will start at number nine on the Silicone Engineering Kawasaki and, with two podiums in last year’s corresponding races, he will be firmly gunning for his second TT win. Peter Hickman, the second Triumph rider in the top ten, goes ten seconds behind Harrison and his Smiths Racing team have already won the race in 2014 with Johnson.

Michael Rutter, who posted his best ever 600cc lap at more than 125mph in 2015, retains the same number 11 slot. He will be riding a Yamaha for former racer Stephen Thompson. David Johnson starts ten seconds behind Rutter although the Norton Racing rider has yet to confirm his ride for the middleweight division.

Jamie Coward will take the number 13, usually run by Johnston with the Radcliffe Racing rider becoming a seeded rider for the first time – recognition for his results in 2016 when he took a pair of 12th placed finishes and lapped in excess of 124mph.

Three historically fast riders follow Coward although two of them – Dan Kneen (14) and Josh Brookes (16) are still searching for competitive mounts. Another potential winner, William Dunlop, riding the Caffrey International Yamaha, bisects the pair.

Steve Mercer and Martin Jessopp will start at number 17 and 18 on the Devitt RC Express Racing Kawasaki and Riders Motorcycles Triumph respectively with further changes from the 1000’s start list at 19 and 20. James Cowton will start from number 19 on the McAdoo Racing Kawasaki with Dan Cooper setting off at number 20. Dan Hegarty and Ivan Lintin, both seeded riders in the 1000cc classes, drop out of the top twenty for the Monster Energy Supersport Races.

We've got our mind on Route 66 touring this summer! And we’ve a cracking offer on flights for our August 2017 Route 66 Original guided tour. We are offering a hefty £250 discount per person off your flight! You must book by 29th April 2017.

And with Orange & Black you get to ride with Gary (Bear) Fleshman, almost a Route 66 icon himself! Gary has done this route more than 120 times and knows the best places to visit, the old hidden bits of the 'Mother Road' and introduces you to the people he knows along the way. And all on a 2017 Harley-Davidson.

The Places we visit. Ride through places steeped in automotive history and culture - the first filling stations, diners and motels. Take in amazing landscapes such as the Petrified Forest, cross the Continental divide and wonder at the sheer scale of the Grand Canyon! Start with the excitement of Chicago and its bold architecture and museum culture. End in LA at iconic Santa Monica Pier. Enjoy the quirkiness of the small, bygone-era towns such as Oatman and Kingman, admire state capital Santa Fe's striking native american architecture, wonder at the bizarre oddity of a bottle tree ranch and so much more. We'll take you on a journey through the heartland of 'real America'. 

And there's the 'Mother Road' herself. Let us guide you down the hidden bits we know.... There's a lot more left of the old road than you might think and the difficult part is finding it. Gary spends his spare time researching and finding old sections. Just ask any of Bear's previous tour participants!

Route 66 is as much about the Amazing People and friends we know along the way as it is the Road itself and the Places we visit. And there are some real characters with great insights on the Mother Road. Meet Larry, Harley, Angel, Jerry and many others!

Call David or Linda now on 01256 771770 to book your place on one of our Route 66 Original guided tours in 2017 on:

June 8-22
August 17-31 – Flight offer applies
Sept 28 – Oct 12

or any one of our many scenic guided and self-guided tours that are on our website: www.orange-and-black.co.uk

Orange & Black is a Harley-Davidson authorised tour operator. We can also book your flights, organise specialist travel insurance and arrange a Harley "Try before you Fly" orientation ride!

Ride Safe

David Grist

Orange & Black... for your ride of a lifetime, every time

When three-year-old Felix Behan saw his dad wearing his new IAM RoadSmart polo shirt, the youngster proved he was a chip off the old block by asking for his own version of the road charity’s official shirt.

And not wanting to let the youngster down, the UK’s leading road safety charity duly obliged and came up with a bespoke child’s edition of the navy blue IAM RoadSmart polo – with ‘Future Observer’ embroidered on the front!

Felix’s dad Ashley is group secretary for Lincoln Advanced Motorists, an official provider of courses and advice from IAM RoadSmart.

Ashley said: “Felix understands quite a lot about the work I do with IAM RoadSmart – he knows I go out and help people enjoy their driving and be safe. As soon as he saw me wearing my IAM RoadSmart polo shirt, he asked if he could have one just the same!

“When he saw the package he was so excited and wanted to put the shirt on right away.”

Ashley added: “Felix loves everything about cars; they are all over his room. He switches from wanting to be a bus driver, to a racing driver to a lorry driver, but we’ll see what happens.”

Felix now has a younger brother; six-month-old Milo. We have yet to discover if Milo wants an IAM RoadSmart baby-gro yet…!

Phil Campbell & the Bastard Sons - Saturday Night Main Headline