MotoGP News - KTM's Espargaro has "never been so inconsistent" in a MotoGP season
https://ift.tt/3i9SRtb KTM's Pol Espargaro says he has "never been so inconsistent" in a MotoGP season as he is now after crashing out of Sunday's Catalan Grand Prix. Espargaro crashed out of Sunday's race at Catalunya while running eighth on the 13th lap, losing him ground in the championship as he drops to 51 points adrift of race winner Fabio Quartararo in 12th in the standings. This was Espargaro's third DNF of the season, after he was taken out in collisions with Johann Zarco and Miguel Oliveira at the Czech and Austrian GPs last month. Espargaro had podium pace in both Jerez races in July, but qualifying off the front two rows meant he couldn't advance on sixth and seventh, while his podiums in the Styrian and Emilia Romagna races sandwiched a 10th-place finish in the San Marino GP. The KTM rider admits he "keeps losing" points this season, which is "super-painful" for his championship bid, and says his inconsistent form is like "someone is shaking us". "As this championship is going up and down so much, it's difficult to predict anything," he replied when asked if his championship ambitions had changed after his Catalan GP crash. "From being third last weekend [at Misano] to crashing here, also [Andrea] Dovizioso crashed. "So, he lost the leadership of the championship. "This championship is very unpredictable, so who's to tell you that maybe we go to Le Mans and our result is amazing and the others make mistakes?
"For sure, my result here doesn't help at all. "That's 100%, but it's hard because we know losing points is super-painful for the championship and we keep losing them. "It's difficult, I've never been so inconsistent in a championship, I think never in my life I've had so many zeroes in a championship is this short period of races. "So, for sure I feel bad because we go from top to bottom and top to bottom again and it feels like someone is shaking us." The low temperatures in Sunday's race worked against Espargaro as he was forced into running the medium front tyre instead of the soft, as it's "impossible" to use on the KTM. KTM riders have typically favoured the harder option front tyres in 2020, with Espargaro noting that it's similar to the problem Honda riders faced in recent seasons. "We have this problem that maybe Honda had last year when they always were using harder compounds," he added. "So now it looks like compared to the other manufacturers, especially to Yamaha and Ducati, we always go to the harder compounds on the front. "And as soon as we cannot use them to stop the bike, this [medium] tyre... if it had been sunny normally we're not too bad, we could push very good. "But because of these cold conditions, the medium tyre was not working. But the other option was to use the soft front, and for us no way, impossible to use. "It is what it is. We struggle when it's too cold or when it's too hot, so we need these kind of perfect conditions." Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei September 29, 2020 at 06:12AM
MotoGP News - Quartararo: Barcelona MotoGP win better than Jerez double
https://ift.tt/2G045n6 Petronas SRT Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo says his victory in the Catalan Grand Prix was the "best moment of my life" and "better" than his maiden wins at Jerez in July. Quartararo dominated the opening rounds of the year in July at Jerez, but struggled from Brno through to the second Misano race - scoring just 33 points from five events and not registering another podium finish. He corrected this form last Sunday at Catalunya and scored his third win of the campaign to return to the lead of the standings by eight points. "It was the best moment of my life, honestly," Quartararo said. "Better than both Jerez [wins], because when you arrive at a good moment and you win, you expect it and you know that you're going to do it well. "But then you have five races in a row and you are doing not so great, to arrive the victory, not just the podium, but the victory directly is amazing. "A lot of emotions, thinking of my family who was watching me. "I talked to my brother just before the start, because I went back to my office and he sent me a message. "I was in full confidence, I was feeling great and honestly it's great to be back in front." Quartararo labelled the first Misano race, where he knew he had to capitalise on Ducati's weak form and ended up crashing - relinquishing the championship lead to Andrea Dovizioso - as the worst point of his season so far. "In 2020 I think it was Misano 1," Quartararo said when asked what the lowest point of his campaign had been. "We spoke with team that, we knew that the Ducatis were not so great and we needed to make a great result and I crashed. "So, that was one of the worst moment of my year. "But also, when you make three races in a row, Austria and Brno, where we score 20 points in three races, we suffered a lot. "So, this year we had quite a lot of moment that we struggled a lot. "But, in the tough moments I was working hard, even harder. So, it's great to be back in front." Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei September 29, 2020 at 03:42AM
Motorcycle News - Harley-Davidson Drops Sportster and Street from European Lineup
https://ift.tt/3mWjlSq Harley-Davidson will reportedly stop offering its Sportster and Street models in Europe, thanks to the Euro 5 emissions standards that will come into effect by the end of the year. The Sportsters and Street models will continue to be sold in North America and other markets that aren’t subject to Euro 5 or equivalent standards, but for Europe, Harley-Davidson will discontinue its smallest and most affordable models. The news comes days after Harley-Davidson announced the end of operations in India. France’s Moto-Station reported on the Sportster and Street news with confirmation with the management of Harley-Davidson’s French operations. According to the report, Harley-Davidson has opted not to take steps to update the models to meet Euro 5. There was no word on the rest of Harley-Davidson’s lineup, which still needs updates to meet the new standards, but going forward, there will not be any Harley-Davidson models displacing less than 1,746cc. At least, not until the Pan America 1250 is expected to be released early next year. Harley-Davidson France also confirmed a replacement lineup is in the works, in addition to the Pan America and other models sharing its liquid-cooled 1250cc V-Twin, though it will not be ready immediately. We expect this refers to a future Sportster using the new engine with variable valve timing described in patents we uncovered in June. Another possibility is the new 338R model being developed with Qianjiang for the Chinese market. Qianjiang is expected to produce its own version of the bike for Europe as a Benelli, which means the engine would be Euro 5-compliant. At the moment, however, there is no indication the small displacement Harley-Davidson model will be offered outside of Asia. While the Sportsters will continue to be sold in the U.S., the fate of the Street line is less clear. Street models destined for outside of North America were produced in Harley-Davidson’s factory in India. With Harley-Davidson ceasing production in India, the Motor Company may choose to shift all Street production to the U.S. (where all Street models sold in North America are assembled), or drop it altogether. Harley-Davidson has made it clear that its Rewire plan includes reducing its product line by 30%, so axing the Street wouldn’t be a surprise. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post Harley-Davidson Drops Sportster and Street from European Lineup appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Motorcycles via Motorcycle.com https://ift.tt/2Std7JO September 28, 2020 at 05:47PM
Motorcycle News - OTT: A Honda CBX1000 with single-sided suspension
https://ift.tt/3ifItQl
This CBX was built by Dutch shop WiMoto, and belongs to a gentleman named Reinoud Tjallema. The previous owner had already poured a lot of love and money into customizing it—but was then diagnosed with terminal cancer. So Reinoud promised he’d take good care of it, and never sell it.
“Reinoud had this crazy idea of building something with two single side-mounted wheels,” explains the man behind WiMoto, Wido Veldkamp. “So he asked me if this was possible. Of course, anything is possible—but this would take some engineering. Especially because it needed to be a road bike, and not only a show bike.”
“For the purists, this CBX had already been modified,” says Wido, “so we didn’t chop up an original bike! The previous rebuild was done in a style that was quite outdated, and also the geometry of the bike was far from what it should be.”
Then Wido started chopping and modifying the frame. That included fabricating a new subframe, and adding some trellis reinforcements to help the chassis cope with the torsional forces of the single-sided setup. With that done, it was time to build the actual suspension components.
It’s an impressive setup, matched to an equally complicated set of wheels.
Wido modified the front wheel further, by adding mounting points for a massive 440 mm perimeter brake disc. A set of Avon Cobra tires finishes off the running gear, measuring 120 wide at the front, and 180 out back.
The bike was rewired around a Bluetooth-enabled Motogadget controller, with the speedo and switches also coming from the German electronics brand.
All that was left was to relocate the CBX’s muffler. “The bike came with an original Kerker system,” says Wido. “It sounds awesome, but unfortunately the muffler was in front of the rear wheel. So we had to modify it.”
As requested, the eye-catching setup actually works out on the road, too. “When people see you riding this thing,” says Wido, “they all look surprised; ‘what the F is that?'”
Oh, and as you’d expect from a six-cylinder superbike from the 80s, this CBX sounds rather amazing at full tilt. WiMoto | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Floris Velthuis Motorcycles via Bike EXIF https://ift.tt/2Mf9b0c September 28, 2020 at 12:19PM
MotoGP News - Nakagami felt he had "great chance" for Catalan MotoGP win
https://ift.tt/3mYKIvb LCR Honda's Takaaki Nakagami feels he had a "great chance to win" the MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix, but sluggish opening laps meant he got stuck behind Ducatis. The Japanese rider had pace comparable with the frontrunners during the race-simulation FP4 session on Saturday, but gave himself work to do in the race after qualifying. Nakagami didn't make up any places in the first two laps, dropping to 12th from lap three to 12 behind the KTM's of Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder. Once clear of them by lap 15, Nakagami struggled to find a way past the works Ducati of Danilo Petrucci owing to the Desmosedici being slower mid-corner than the Honda - which killed the LCR rider's acceleration onto the main straight - and failed to overcome the two Pramac bikes. Nakagami believes he was "too gentle" on his tyres in the first three laps and could have fought Fabio Quartararo for victory having ended up just 3.6s adrift in seventh. "At the end of the race I think I was absolutely fastest man because I still had a lot of grip on the rear because I managed good at the start of the race," Nakagami said. "But I was behind Ducatis again and I couldn't overtake because mid-corner I was so fast but they are a bit slower. "So, you have to stop mid-corner and then you lose the acceleration. "So, I couldn't overtake them. To end up P7 I was very disappointed because just from the top I'm less than three seconds [back], 3.6s, which means I think this race we had a great opportunity to win the race. "But in the end, P7 for me is nothing." Elaborating on his struggles early in the race, Nakagami admits he was having difficulties under braking. "At the beginning of the race, I think first three laps, I was not strong on the braking," he added. "Maybe I saved the tyre too much. "I have to improve the beginning of the race because I lose the gap too much, then from the second part of the race to the end I've always got good pace, I'm not dropping so much and I'm able to manage the tyres good. "I was too gentle in the beginning of the race. It cost a lot." Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei September 28, 2020 at 10:44AM
Motorcycle News - Power of Three – Unikat Thruxton RS
https://ift.tt/3icd6WS In 2020, Triumph released the most powerful model in the history of the Modern Classic range. The Thruxton RS offers adrenaline-inducing levels of performance in a classically styled package. The new model features top-shelf components, a high-performance parallel-twin engine and improved suspension and brakes. But, like all factory-built bikes, each one that rolls off the factory floor looks the same as the last. Earlier this year in Poland, 3 of the first customers to purchase the new Thruxton RS approached the crew at Unikat hoping to inject some individuality into their bikes. Never one to shy away from a challenge Grzegorz Korczak and the Unikat Motorworks team happily obliged. Motorcycles via Return of the Cafe Racers https://ift.tt/2M9riRb September 28, 2020 at 09:28AM
MotoGP News - Tank Slappers Podcast: MotoGP Catalan GP review
https://ift.tt/3cCykMB Fabio Quartararo returned to the top step of the podium and at the top of the MotoGP world standings after claiming victory in last Sunday's Catalan Grand Prix. Quartararo endured a difficult run from Brno to the second Misano outing, failing to score a podium having dominated the opening two rounds of the year at Jerez back in July. Managing the drop of his rear tyre after taking the lead on lap nine, Quartararo just held onto the win, with Suzuki's Joan Mir getting to within a second at the chequered flag. After nightmare races for Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso - whose race was ended by a crash - and Yamaha's Maverick Vinales, who struggled to ninth, Quartararo and Mir are beginning to emerge as the title favourites in this unpredictable 2020 campaign. In the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport's International Editor Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com's Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont discuss the title situation after the Catalan GP. The pair also discuss Valentino Rossi's decision to continue into 2021, and look at the problems facing KTM. Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei September 28, 2020 at 09:26AM
MotoGP News - Binder: Gripless end to MotoGP's Catalan GP "like riding in the rain"
https://ift.tt/3j9THaF KTM's Brad Binder says the final laps of his MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix were "like riding in the rain" after his soft rear tyre dropped off significantly Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei September 28, 2020 at 08:15AM
MotoGP News - Morbidelli "positive" to be "angry" about missed Catalan MotoGP podium
https://ift.tt/30e9Hkm Franco Morbidelli admits his fourth in the MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix left him "angry", but believes this is "positive" as it shows he is "on a great level". Morbidelli led the first eight laps of the Barcelona race from pole on his Petronas SRT Yamaha before being passed by team-mate and eventual winner Fabio Quartararo on lap nine. The Italian would make a mistake at the first corner under braking on lap 14, which cost him two seconds and dropped him to third behind Valentino Rossi, before tyre wear eventually allowed the Suzuki duo of Joan Mir and Alex Rins to push him down to fourth after Rossi crashed out ahead. "I am angry for this fourth place, and this is positive because it means we are on a great, great level," Morbidelli said. "I had a wonderful start and maybe I pushed a bit too much and I wore out the tyres a bit too much and I wasn't ready to fight when Fabio arrived. "So, when I was behind him I was losing a little bit in the straight, and to catch up I had to risk a lot in braking and I made a mistake. "I almost crashed into him, so I needed to go straight and wide and I lost two seconds, which are the ones that make me lose the podium. "So, I am angry for this mistake but I need to be happy overall about the overall weekend." Morbidelli's 'A-spec' M1 - which is effectively the 2019 bike - was 5.5km/h slower than Quartararo's 2020 M1 through the speed traps in the race, with the Italian slowest of all on the straights. He says this meant he "couldn't make a strategy" to manage the tyres for the race and forced him into just pushing at the start while he had grip. "I wasn't thinking about managing the tyre because you can [only] think about managing the tyre when you have power on the straight," he added. "And I'm clearly the weakest of the field in this point of view. "This weekend I was 6km/h slower than the other Yamahas, and at the end of the race I was 22km/h slower than the Ducatis. "So, I couldn't make any strategy. I just had to start and make the maximum. "I couldn't manage the tyres because I wanted to give the maximum when there was [grip]. But I think it was the best strategy for me and my package." Morbidelli admitted after his San Marino GP win he thought he could fight for "something big" in the championship. However, even though he is only 31 points adrift of Quartararo in fifth, he says his speed deficit at Catalunya to his Yamaha counterparts has made him re-evaluate this. "We have been very unlucky and we are still fifth in the championship," he said in response to a question from Autosport about the title fight. "After Misano I was thinking that maybe I could have fought for something bigger, but actually after seeing my potential on a straight line here being even less than the other Yamahas, I need to step back, try to relax, try to enjoy every race on the bike, not thinking about anything." Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei September 28, 2020 at 06:43AM
MotoGP News - Mir: "Too early" to be considered MotoGP favourite
https://ift.tt/3jeUmYg Suzuki's Joan Mir says it's "too early" to consider himself a MotoGP title favourite despite a second in the Catalan Grand Prix moving him to second in the points. Mir has been the most consistent rider in recent races, with the Suzuki rider scoring four podiums from the last five races. His latest came after a charge through from eighth on the grid to second on Sunday at Catalunya, and ended up just under a second from winner Fabio Quartararo after the Petronas SRT rider hit severe tyre wear late on. "It's too early to say now," he said when asked if the title was now between himself and Quartararo. "Of course, we are more or less the constant riders on the grid and for sure on the classification we are really close. "It's true that there are a lot of riders that are so fast and I think there's a lot of championship in front of us, a lot of points to give and a lot of riders that are really, really strong." Quartararo echoed these thoughts, adding: "Well, we have seen the championship, the first eight races was up and down for everybody, and we arrived at one moment where I think the top nine was within 25 points. "So, we never know. "I don't know really what to answer, but it's way too early to say it's between us two. "There are many races and a small mistake can cost a lot. "Let's continue to do the same job, working hard to be there and trying to give our maximum in every race." Mir found himself behind Pramac Ducati's Jack Miller for the first 15 laps of Sunday's race before passing the ailing Franco Morbidelli for second on lap 23. But the Suzuki rider concedes being unable to pass the Ducati "probably cost the race". "Jack is always difficult to overtake and more in first laps of the race," he said. "For sure I lost a couple of seconds with him and that probably cost the race, but then I couldn't do anything. "He just played his cards, he just went super fast at the beginning of the race and then he was struggling a lot with the tyres. "I was more really smooth at the beginning, saving a lot of tyre. "I only had in my mind this and then when I see that everyone was dropping [rear grip], I had something a little bit more than them and also because I wasn't as fast as them at the beginning." Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei September 28, 2020 at 04:56AM |
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