Iconic Italian motorcycle manufacturer Bimota will field seasoned road racers Ben Wylie and Brandon Cretu at this year's Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy as well as the other international road races.

Wylie and Cretu will campaign onboard the proven Bimota BB3 at the Northwest 200, the Isle of Man TT and the Ulster Grand Prix before finishing the season in China at the Macau Grand Prix.
The Bimota BB3 has proven itself an outstanding platform in WSBK competition with regular top 10 finishes in their first season and Christian Iddon put the bike on pole at Assen during a round of British Superbikes.

This will not be the first time Wylie and Cretu have shared an awning, with Cretu working out of the Wylie Racing tent during the 2011 and 2012 TT. Wylie is no stranger to a full season of real road racing, being a regular contender and top 10 finisher, but 2015 will mark the first time an American has been seen to compete at all of the big four internationals.

Brandon Cretu, Team Rider, commented:

"After I thought I wouldn't be riding this year, to be able to work up a deal so quickly with Bimota and Ben is a dream come true. Ben and I have known each other since my first TT and I rate him, his family, and his racing program in the highest regard. I can't wait to begin testing with the team and bring not only my riding but also my experience in acquiring sponsors and managing team operations. I think the Bimota BB3 is going to allow me some of my best finishes ever. 2015 is going to be an outstanding year!"

Ben Wylie, Team Manager/Rider commented:

"Constantine and myself are delighted to announce our two rider Bimota team for 2015. Bringing Brandon on board completes our vision for a full on attack on the International roads and puts everything in place for a solid season. I am confident we can get the best out of Brandon and having worked together before I feel we can really benefit and learn from each other's experience. I'm looking forward to riding a bit more this year on a very competitive bike and getting myself back to where I know I should be, fighting for top 10 positions in all 3 big bike TT races."

www.bimota.uk.com

Losail (Qatar), 15 March 2015 – The second day of testing on the Losail circuit marks a milestone in the growth process for the Aprilia RS-GP. After the autumn tests in Valencia and Jerez and the two test sessions in Malaysia, Bautista and Melandri, the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders, chose which version will be the one to make its début in the MotoGP world championship.

Both Melandri and Bautista dedicated the day to developing solutions that will be taken to the races in two weeks when – on 29 March – the circuit just outside of Doha will host the first act of the 2015 season with night races.

Alvaro made a clear improvement, lapping with a time of 1.57,273, more than a second less than his time of 1.58,459 yesterday. Marco Melandri suffered the consequences of a pesky flu again today, significantly compromising his work. In the end Bautista put in 46 laps and Melandri 23 with a best time of 1.57,982, which is also progress compared to his time of 1,58.990 the day before.    

ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager) “We have now defined a version that we worked on all day. It is, as would be expected, a combination of the various RS-GP versions that we've tested on the track thus far. Tomorrow we'll pick up where we left off. For Alvaro it's a question of reacquiring the good feeling he had in Sepang, whereas for Marco, although hampered by poor health conditions, closed the gap behind the front runners. Now we have a lot of work ahead of us on the setup, especially in terms of managing the engine brake, electronics strategies and the chassis. On the other hand, I'm quite pleased with our progress session after session in terms of reliability. We need time and a lot of work and that is exactly why we are here.”  

FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager) “What we need to do is simply continue working hard with the riders and stay united as a team in order to achieve a common goal, which is to improve constantly throughout the entire season. There is a lot to be done, but it is quite normal and we have always been well aware of that. These tests are very important for defining a base to use in the first Grand Prix, although we know that there will always be changes at each round.”  

ALVARO BAUTISTA “Today we focused on the base that we selected for the first Grand Prix, trying various solutions in terms of chassis geometry in order to try and improve corner entry and my feeling with the front end. We need to eliminate some vibrations in mid turn that keep me from holding a good line. This track definitely has less grip than Sepang, but we still have a day left to work and we'll try to take the best possible advantage of it to gather as much information as possible so the racing department can work in view of the first race."  

MARCO MELANDRI “We improved a bit today but we need to do better, especially on corner entry and getting the bike to close the line on the exit opening up the throttle. Unfortunately I still had a cough when I got to Qatar and I'm having trouble breathing, but today I'm a bit better than yesterday. I'm still short on energy but tomorrow I'm confident that I'll be a little stronger for the last session.”  

Losail (Qatar), 14 March 2015 – The first session of night testing on the Qatar circuit has the riders, Alvaro Bautista and Marco Melandri, working hard testing the many changes made by the Noale factory. The tests, organised over three days, are the last trials scheduled before the launch of the MotoGP season, which will also be held on this circuit and at night on 29 March.

The four RS-GP bikes available for the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini at Losail represent yet another step forward with respect to the versions initially seen during the Spanish tests at Valencia and Jerez and then during the February test sessions in Malaysia. Along with changes to the frame came new electronic management strategies. These are all changes that need to be tested throughout a season that promises to be one of trial and growth for the Italian team, which chose to jump straight into the racing mix a year ahead of the originally scheduled plans. Marco was only able to begin the work scheduled for today as he was hindered by an extremely irritating flue that initially limited his performance and then even forced him to end his track day early for a visit to the Mobile Clinic. Bautista was able to lap more consistently to “smooth out” his RS-GP, and this is the most important information for a project that needs time and testing to grow.

In the end 53 total laps were put in, 34 for Bautista (with a best time of 1.58,459) and 19 for Melandri (1.58,990).    

ALVARO BAUTISTA “Today we worked quite a bit on the electronics to improve going into turns and rear grip. Even after changing bikes I still continued testing the electronics. Toward the end of the session we also tested the new material. We had some good results, so tomorrow we'll pick up our work from here to improve further.”   MARCO MELANDRI “Unfortunately today I was very ill and I was only able to take a few laps. Losing time right now is a shame, but I preferred stopping today so that I can take the best possible advantage of the next two days of testing.”  

The biggest indoor bike display in the UK, with over 1,000 motorcycles set to gather at EventCity, Manchester!

Since its inception in 2012 the Manchester Bike Show has grown exponentially in size and popularity. As a result, when the Manchester Bike Show, sponsored by Accident Advice Solicitors, returns to EventCity this month on March 28th and 29th, it will host the largest indoor bike display currently on offer at any modern motorcycle show in the UK.

EventCity is a popular venue is situated just minutes from the M60 motorway and is next to the intu Trafford Centre. The show will take over Halls 3 & 4, covering a total of 22,000 sq m of floor space, this is sufficient to house 650 motorcycles privately entered, and club stands ranging from the earliest cycle motors through the British classics of the 1950s and 1960s; the Japanese classics of the 1970s and 1980s; the modern classics of the 1990s, not to mention cruisers, custom bikes, street fighters, racing and off-road bikes and much, much more. In addition, the Auto Cycle Union have organised for race trucks from a variety of WSB and BSB teams to be in attendance along with grass roots racing and off-road teams all of whom will be bringing star riders to meet the crowds. All this is in addition to the brand new 2015 models from Triumph, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, Victory and Indian, plus many more that you would expect to see at a modern motorcycle show.

As well as the 1,000 plus display motorcycles, the show also features an extensive retail village where you can buy everything needed to keep your bike where it should be... on the road. With stunt shows by Stunt Monkey, Try our Sport by Bumpy Ltd, live music and DJs, the Manchester Bike Show is an excellent day out for all the family.

A full list of exhibitors in now available on the dedicated show website www.manchesterbikeshow.com

Advanced ticket sales are currently 240% up on the same time last year so we are expecting a bumper crowd over the weekend. Advanced tickets at reduced prices can be purchased from the show website today.

The Manchester Bike Show, sponsored by Accident Advice Solicitors

28th & 29th March 2015 
EventCity, Manchester, M41 7TB

Michael Rutter will make a return to the Classic TT presented by Bennetts in 2015 and will again line up for the Ripley Land Racing team where he'll be gunning for victory in both the Bennetts 500cc Classic and Okells 350cc Classic TT Races.

The Midlands rider made his first appearance at the Classic TT last year, where he rode Ian Garbutt's MkII Seeley Matchless in the 500cc event as a last minute substitute for the injured Dan Kneen. It proved to be an inspired decision by Guildford based Garbutt as, despite limited practice time, Rutter went on to break the 500cc single cylinder record with a stunning lap of 109.102 mph. The British Superbike Championship veteran was leading the race and on course for a fairytale victory until a minor problem on the third lap caused him to retire on the Mountain Mile.

In addition to his outing in the 500cc Race, Rutter will also expand his activities this time around to include the 350cc Classic TT Race where he'll be on board the same 350cc Ripley Land Honda that Chris Palmer rode to victory in 2013.

Speaking about his return, Rutter said

"Last year was my first attempt at the Classic TT and I thoroughly enjoyed the event. The G50 Seeley is a lovely bike to ride and was superbly prepared and presented by the team. As for the little Honda, I can't wait to get my hands on it!"

Team principal Garbutt added

"After Michael's performance in the 2014 Race, we are delighted to have him back on board for this year. We will not be subjected to last minute pressures as in 2014, and will be able to spend more time testing with Michael to fine tune the bikes to his exact requirements."