MOTOGP RETURNS TO MUGELLO FOR THE ITALIAN GP

APRILIA READY FOR THEIR FIRST HOME RACE

After the cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MotoGP is back to tackle one of the most attractive circuits on the calendar. In fact, riders and staff consider Mugello special asphalt, both because of its location and for its characteristics: fast direction changes, slops, a long straight with the iconic downhill at over 300 kph. This edition will be lacking the splendid choreography of the Italian fans - a painful but necessary choice.

For Aprilia, this will be the first home race. The Italian team is arriving after having demonstrated consistent growth in terms of performance, only slightly hindered by the disappointment in Le Mans. After the French race, Aleix underwent surgery to correct a problem with compartment syndrome and to be at full fitness for Mugello. A decision encouraged by his recovery which is proceeding without a hitch.

Good signals from Lorenzo Savadori, as well, fast throughout last weekend in less-than-optimum conditions. The Italian MotoGP rookie is tackling every race with the goal of reducing the gap behind the best, managing to maintain the trend thus far, and in his home race he’ll be looking for further motivation.


ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"Mugello is a demanding track, even from a physical point of view. Precisely for this reason, I decided to have surgery on my arm after Le Mans, taking advantage of the break for a full recovery. The operation was perfect and I’ll be at the first Italian race in good form. It is an important round for the team on a circuit that has never been our favourite. But now we can count on a decidedly competitive 2021 RS-GP and I can’t wait to see how it will perform in Mugello."

LORENZO SAVADORI
"Le Mans was definitely a good weekend, although the particular conditions preclude an accurate comparison. What counts for me is to continue reducing the gap, improving my confidence on the RS-GP and increasing my experience in this category. It is a path that takes time. Aprilia is supporting me with all of my requests and I am trying to speed up the learning curve. I can’t wait to race in Mugello. It’s a track that I know well, but I've never tackled it astride a MotoGP bike."

An exciting topical exhibition from the British Motor Museum “The Car. The Future. Me” is to be showcased by the Dundee Museum of Transport at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP-26 to be held in Glasgow later this year.

The exhibition, which explores the future of the car, was successfully hosted at the British Motor Museum in 2019/2020. Dundee Museum of Transport approached the Museum looking for upcycled and recycled materials for their new exhibition about sustainable transport which is to coincide with the UN Climate Change Conference.

This exhibition, which also includes plans for creating Europe's first carbon neutral transport museum by retrofitting a Grade B listed tram depot in Maryfield, Dundee, will run at the Dundee Museum of Transport from June until November 2021. With some of the exhibition materials and panels from the British Motor Museum forming part of a display at COP-26, the largest international conference in UK history.

Catherine Griffin, Curator at the British Motor Museum said “We are delighted that our thought provoking exhibition is going on tour to Scotland and hope it sparks debate amongst their visitors as it did when we hosted the exhibition!”

Alexander Goodger, Museum Manager at Dundee Museum of Transport said “We are pleased that the British Motor Museum shares our environmental goals, and through our partnership, we are able to host a low-carbon exhibition on the topic of sustainable transport for the public to enjoy nearly 400 miles away from where it was created. We hope this is the start of greater collaboration between our organisations in Scotland and England”.

To find out more about the Museums please visit www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk and www.dmoft.co.uk

For more information on Dundee Museum of Transport please visit  https://www.dmoft.co.uk/

Automotive industry charity, Ben, announces that its biggest ever Industry Leader Challenge (ILC) fundraiser, The Climb, is now set to take place from 30^th October to 8^th November 2021.

After indicating earlier this month that a new GSX-S1000 was on the way, Suzuki has now released details of the 2021 naked, which comes with:

A completely new look, with sharp, aggressive new bodywork and futuristic LED lighting design.

An updated, Euro 5 compliant 152PS inline four-cylinder engine with a fatter and flatter torque curve, providing a broader spread of power in the low and midrange.

New electronics, including a quickshifter and auto-blipper, selectable engine maps and more levels of traction control.

A larger fuel tank and new, wider set handlebars.  

Styling

Immediately obvious is the new GSX-S1000’s redesigned aesthetic; the bodywork and lighting is completely new, with a focus on sharp, angular, aggressive lines and a powerful stance, with a ‘mass forward’ demeanour.

Available in Suzuki’s traditional metallic triton blue, a new mechanical matt grey, and a stealthy gloss black, it’s streetfighter looks are enhanced with textured radiator shrouds, MotoGP-insipired winglets, and side panels that feature an urban camo-inspired design.

Arguably the most striking visual change is the new, vertically stacked LED headlight. As well as the practical benefits of a new mono-focus LED light source that displays a wide, bright light, the new design of two stacked hexagonal units topped by LED position lights creates a look that is lighter and tighter, and aids the desire for a more aggressive pose. There’s a new LED tail light, too, with both flanked by LED indicators.

Engine

The inline four-cylinder engine in the 2021 GSX-S1000 produces more power and a broader spread of torque in the lower rev ranges to deliver ideal naked sports bike performance. Changes include a new intake and exhaust camshaft, new valve springs, new clutch, and a new exhaust.

Compared to its predecessor, the new GSX-S1000 makes more cumulative torque across the rev range, filling in the dips in the graph with a flatter curve. It revs on to provide increased top end power, too, with peak power 152PS at 11,000rpm.

Thankfully, a new exhaust retains the soundtrack the outgoing model was known for, while aiding in the increase in power and the meeting of Euro 5 emissions requirements with an additional catalytic converter.

New electronic throttle bodies help achieve a more controllable engine response during the initial throttle opening. A new airbox manages to do without an internal separator, reducing intake resistance.

Reduced valve overlap also helps the new GSX-S1000 meet Euro 5 emissions standards, thanks to new a camshaft and revised cam profiles. The changes also aid engine controllability for the rider.

Added controllability and increased performance also comes thanks to Suzuki’s Clutch Assist System. The slipper clutch partially disengages to reduce negative engine torque and mitigate the effect of engine braking when downshifting from high rpm. This helps prevent the rear wheel from locking up or hopping and provides smoother deceleration, enabling the rider to shift down with greater confidence and maintain better control when downshifting into corners.

Adding an assist function increases the clutch’s clamping force under acceleration and thereby allows the use of softer springs while still efficiently transferring torque to the rear wheel, resulting in a lighter lever operation.

Electronics 

An advancement over the previous GSX-S1000 comes with an updated suite of electronics, courtesy of Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (SIRS).

A new ride-by-wire throttle makes it possible for riders to more accurately and finely control the relationship between throttle actuation and engine response, especially when allied to the new Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (SDMS) system, with which the new GSX-S1000 is equipped.

SDMS allows riders to choose from one of three engine maps, depending on the riding conditions or their own personal preferences. Modes A-C all deliver the same peak power, but vary the sharpness and immediacy of the delivery, with A mode the sportiest, and C mode delivering the softest power delivery.

Performance is enhanced thanks to a bi-directional quickshifter, which reduces the need to operate the clutch during gear changes or close the throttle on upshifts, or blip it on downshifts.

A new traction control system comprises five modes, while it can also be switched off. Inputs from front and rear wheel speed sensors, and crank, gear, and throttle position sensors feed into the ECU which in turn controls the throttle valve opening, ignition timing, and fuel injection rate, to reduce or prevent wheel spin.

All the information is displayed on an updated and easy-to-read LCD dash.

Topping off the electronics package is Suzuki’s always-handy easy start system – which requires only one prod of the starter button to fire the engine – and low RPM assist, which raises engine speed as the clutch lever is fed out, to aid slow speed control and prevent stalling.

Chassis

The twin-spar aluminium chassis is mated to a rigid, GSX-R-derived swingarm for agile, sporty performance and handling. New, 23mm wider, tapered ‘bars help riders pitch the bike into turns with greater leverage. They are also set 20mm closer to the rider to improve comfort without compromising handling.

Suspension comes in the form of fully-adjustable KYB front forks and a preload and rebound damping adjustable rear shock, with revised settings from the previous iteration. 310mm front discs are paired with Brembo monobloc calipers.

A larger, 19 litre fuel tank and 46.3mpg equates to a tank range of 194 miles. Those miles can be undertaken in greater comfort thanks to a new seat.

Tyres are custom-engineered Roadsport 2 from Dunlop.

Pricing and availability

The new GSX-S1000 will be available in Suzuki dealerships from the end of June, with an RRP of £10,999.