MotoGP News - Avintia had to drop Abraham to ensure 'security' amid Zarco links
https://ift.tt/35yzYKq The Avintia MotoGP team had to split with Karel Abraham to ensure it was in a "secure situation" going forward, says the team's sporting director Ruben Xaus. Abraham had a deal in place to continue with the Ducati customer outfit in 2020 but was informed that his contract was being terminated last week. It is widely understood that Avintia is instead being lined up to field the out-of-contract Johann Zarco next year, with Ducati negotiating with Zarco directly. While Abraham has indicated that he was blindsided by the team's decision, Xaus disputed the claim when speaking to motogp.com during post-season testing in Jerez. "At the end, there's nothing much to say," Xaus said. "We have been polite to the rider. "Contracts are contracts. We were respecting everything, and from the other side, everything was not clear. "At the end, I am not the owner of the team, Raul Romero is the owner of the team [and made the decision]. "We gave everything we could give to Karel to the last day of the championship. And it was very clear that the team needed a secure situation to keep going through. And it wasn't [secure]. "So I followed what the team owner's decision was. Now I understand that Karel is upset, but we had many meetings until this situation happened." Avintia had recently firmed up a new two-year deal to continue fielding Ducatis in MotoGP, which Xaus says is "on better conditions". He believes it will transition the team - described earlier this year by Abraham as MotoGP's last true privateer outfit - into a "private-satellite" operation. It will field a pair of Ducati GP19s next year and expects to receive updates to its bikes throughout the campaign. Xaus stressed the choice of who will partner Tito Rabat in 2020 "depends on others' decisions", indicating that Zarco may be arriving on a factory contract. "There are a few options on the table, and clearly it [fielding a Ducati-contracted rider] is one of the options. "To us, if this will happen, clearly to the team it gives a different value because [the] motivation is completely different. "I tell you, I don't control the situation right now. What we're doing is just [working] to become a better team." Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei November 26, 2019 at 08:00AM
MotoGP News - Dovizioso: Ducati's 2020 prototype MotoGP chassis gains not enough
https://ift.tt/2QQ4dZ5 Andrea Dovizioso has warned the gains from Ducati's "very interesting" 2020 prototype MotoGP chassis are "not as big as we want" after testing it at Valencia and Jerez. Through the 2019 season, Dovizioso called for improvements to the bike's turn in and he added that the new Ducati chassis has demonstrated improvement. Chassis gains remain a significant target for Ducati for 2020 as it lacked the cornering abilities of Yamaha and Suzuki. Dovizioso was the fastest Ducati runner in Valencia in eighth place, and he was 10th on the opening day at Jerez. "We were able to make some tests, we couldn't try everything we wanted, but we compared the chassis again and it was very important on this kind of track," said Dovizioso. "The improvement still is not as big as we want, but [this] is quite normal because the difference of the chassis was quite big. "I think we have to study and analyse the feedback from this chassis more to make another step for the future. "[It's] a step forward, because there were no negative points, and this is good. But not that big. "We would like to improve more in the middle of the corners, but we did a step so this is positive. "It is very difficult to make a big step when you change chassis, but it was very interesting what we did with this chassis. But we need something more." Jack Miller, who tested the new chassis in Valencia as Danilo Petrucci was out of action due to a shoulder injury, went back to using the 2019 spec bike at Jerez and reckoned the new chassis helped in turning. "It is always strange if you try a new bike especially in Valencia, back-to-back, with the bike you've been riding all season you have a great feeling for," Miller said. "Everything feels a bit strange, but we try and look at the positives and I think we found most of the positives out of it and understand where we should be. "I think the new bike should help with places like here [Jerez] with these fast-flowing corners, but it is only speculation at the moment because I haven't been able to ride it here yet." Miller also tested a new engine, which he praised. "The character is nice, I think an improvement on last year's [engine] and this is only the first step, I think they [have] got more stuff to do over the winter. "[Smoother] and on the bike, I think it will be a lot easier to come into grands prix." Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei November 26, 2019 at 05:08AM
F1 News - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Time to say goodbye to F1 2019
https://ift.tt/37AsFDQ And so the curtain prepares to come down on the 2019 F1 season under the floodlights of the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. After a thrilling Brazilian Grand Prix, which saw Red Bull's Max Verstappen twice pass world champion Lewis Hamilton on his way to victory, the drivers are again racing for pride with the title long since wrapped up by the British Mercedes driver. Restoring pride is very much on Ferrari's agenda after the nightmare collision between Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc at Interlagos, with the Scuderia desperate to put on a united front before the end credits roll. Elsewhere, the traditional end-of-season goodbyes will be in full swing, with Renault's Nico Hulkenberg among those bidding farewell. Hulkenberg is without a seat for next year, and with only one 2020 drive to be filled - Williams have yet to replace the departing Robert Kubica - it seems likely the German's 10-year F1 career is at an end, for now at least. Perfectly pristine but lacking excitementAbu Dhabi arrived on the calendar in 2009 and took over as the season finale from the much-loved Interlagos. Expats and fans from all over Europe flock to this sunny destination for a blast of some much-needed winter vitamin D. The facilities are as flash and futuristic as you'd expect, given the bottomless pit of money that was made available for its construction. The Hermann Tilke-designed track is surrounded by seven hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants and Monaco-style mega yachts in the marina of Yas Island. A bonding session between Vettel and Leclerc could also be perfectly accommodated at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. The mostly indoor amusement park is a Scuderia supporter's dream and is home to Formula Rossa, the world's fastest rollercoaster. The circuit itself is camera-ready pristine, with a manicured backdrop of twinkling lights and picturesque palm trees. Lights out at dusk means plenty of atmospheric shots of drivers racing off into the sunset. In 2013 the event even coincided with a partial solar eclipse to add a bit more visual drama to the proceedings. Two long straights, a minor elevation point and 21 nondescript turns leave a slight sterile feel to the season finale. The best chance of an overtake - and hopefully some Brazilian-style driver contact - is into Turns Eight and 11. Abu Dhabi has witnessed a few heart-stopping moments. Hulkenberg emerged unhurt from a frightening-looking accident in which he was pitched into a roll and landed upside down in a first-lap clash with Romain Grosjean's Haas 12 months ago. Hulkenberg sounded frantic as he came over the team over to say: "I'm hanging here like a cow. Get me out. There's fire." The marshals were quick to react and the German was able to climb out unaided. What's the form guide like for Abu Dhabi?Yas Marina probably isn't a circuit that is going to provide the unfamiliar faces on the podium like the Brazilian Grand Prix did two weeks ago. Hamilton has won four times in Abu Dhabi - three with Mercedes and once for McLaren - while Mercedes as constructors have taken five victories. Hamilton dominated last year's race from pole with a controlled drive to end 2018 with 11 victories. The Briton can repeat the achievement again this weekend if he takes the chequered flag for the first time since the Mexican Grand Prix in October. Hamilton's team-mate Valtteri Bottas celebrated an impressive victory from the front of the grid in 2017, holding off the threat of Hamilton to record Mercedes' third one-two finish at in a row at Yas Marina. However, the Finn may have to take a grid penalty in Abu Dhabi if his car needs a new engine following his retirement at Interlagos. James Shovlin, Mercedes' trackside engineering director, explained what happened to Bottas' car in a Twitter Q&A: "When you started to see the smoke, the rate at which the oil was being consumed increased and eventually the car actually switched itself off. "That power unit has come back to Brixworth, they are going to be looking at it and will be making an assessment of whether there has actually been any damage and whether or not we will need to take a penalty." In 10 years of racing in the United Arab Emirates, Ferrari have never recorded a win at Yas Marina. Vettel is just one behind Hamilton with three victories at the track but of all them came during his multiple title-winning period with Red Bull. The German took the inaugural win here in 2009, then sealed his maiden F1 championship twelve months later with a memorable display that saw the then 23-year-old start the day in third place in the drivers' standings. Vettel has at least enjoyed podium success in the UAE with Ferrari, including a second-placed finish last year and consecutive third-placed finishes in 2016 and 2017. How to follow on the BBCBBC Sport has live coverage of practice, qualifying and the race, across the website and BBC Radio 5 Live. There will be live digital coverage on the BBC Sport website and app - including audience interaction, expert analysis, debate, features, interviews and audio content. You can follow all the action and the latest news on the BBC Sport F1 page and via the BBC Sport app, and catch up with analysis and interviews with the BBC Radio 5 Live Chequered Flag podcast.
#F1 via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://ift.tt/OHg7x6 November 26, 2019 at 02:30AM
Motorcycle News - SHAPE SHIFTER: BMW R90 by Catskill Mountain Customs Inc.
https://ift.tt/2OGP21M Written by Martin Hodgson
Life is filled with many simple joys and one of them is to observe a true master craftsman at work. The artisan is found all over the world, the watchmaker with his intricate tools in Switzerland to the Balinese woodcarver sitting on the floor performing his magic. While many of us repair and restore their works, they create true art from the most basic materials in a way that seems almost mystical. And so we find amongst the forest in the small hamlet of Olivebridge, New York, Nick Cologero shaping metal into masterpieces. The latest build to roll out of the Catskill Mountain Customs Inc. workshop is a BMW R90 cafe racer that’s simply sublime.
By day Nick is a firefighter, but you can’t escape your greatest talent and so his spare time is spent in the workshop, building bikes, but first and foremost he’s a metal shaper. “ In early 2016 I finished up a little CB350 scrambler and took it down to a local bike night where the owner of this BMW took notice. Over the next few years he kept tabs on my work until the timing was right to turn the BMW over to me. The owner told me about the history of the bike, belonging to a friend of his, and how he took it over in poor condition with the promise of resurrecting it into a cafe racer,” Nick tells us. The client gave Nick almost complete creative control, but before he could ply his signature trade he’d first have to turn the crusty R into a respectable roller. Not one to do things half-hearted that meant a total overhaul of the BMW chassis and it begins at the rear with the stock subframe cut away and a new shorter and more shapely unit fabricated and welded in place. While the main chassis is smoothed out to perfection and to improve the rigidity of the decades old frame, removable braces are added before a textured satin powder coat was laid down. Next on the list was getting the suspension sorted and the plan was to turn the bike into a mono-shock rear. Frame matching tube is used to turn the swingarm into one that is capable of holding the Sachs shock in place taken from a Ducati. Upfront and a set of Suzuki GSXR 600 forks are held in place with a Cognito Moto steering stem and upper triple clamp. While also lending their considerable braking power, with a CM hub allowing the stock rim to be laced with Buchanan’s stainless spokes. A rebuilt rear hub and polished rim get the same treatment with both ends wrapped in Avon rubber. Now Nick really had something befitting of his metal shaping skills and the first part to get right was the fuel tank. “I had an idea for a tank loosely based on the Ducati Imola design, but with accentuated features. After getting the design worked out in foam I got to work hammering it out,” he explains. The beautiful result is easy for the eyes to see, with the details just as impressive and uninterrupted in raw metal like the weld for the bronze fuel filler cap. The cafe tail was the obvious complimenting feature, but its extra width gives a stunning feminine shape. The front fairing wasn’t part of the original design, but it seemed a no brainer to finish off the hourglass figure with its sides running back along the tank. The Prodigy Performance Coatings black finish frame brilliantly contrast Nick’s polished work and “The diamond-stitched leather seat, shaped and upholstered in-house by my wife, pairs with the folding aluminum rearsets and billet aluminum clip-ons to put the rider in position, ready to tackle the curves of our local mountain roads.” Giving that rider some extra grunt under their throttle hand comes courtesy of a totally rebuilt and overhauled boxer twin. The hand-shaped rear cover joins media blasted cases all assembled with fresh gaskets and seals. A Siebenrock 1000cc high-performance kit, Mikuni carburetors, a Boyer digital ignition and Dyna coils all add extra ponies. With breathing duties falling to K&N filters and stainless pipes wrapped in titanium are finished with custom-mounted 18′ mufflers from Cone Engineering. To keep everything neat a new harness has been built to wire up the bike and is based around a Motogadget m-unit. A tiny Shorai battery and LED lighting help to complete the electrical setup with billet aluminium switches. Everything mounted on the bars is high end and the Acewell Speedometer gives the rider all the information they could need. The artisan has completed another masterpiece that functions at a level that matches its glorious form and for Nick there is an extra little pleasure, “I am especially happy that this bike will be residing nearby, so I can pop over for the occasional rip!” [ Catskill Mountain Customs | Instagram| Photography by Matt Petricone ] Motorcycles via Pipeburn.com https://ift.tt/2LY9tnG November 26, 2019 at 01:01AM
MotoGP News - Marquez blames damp patch for Jerez MotoGP test crash
https://ift.tt/2OGUIc4 Marc Marquez says a damp patch caused his crash early in Monday's MotoGP test at Jerez and led to a partial dislocation of his right shoulder. Marquez sat top of the session early on Monday after his initial run on his 2019-spec Honda, but quickly switched to his '20-spec RC213V. In the morning, the track had several damp patches dotted around it off line, and Marquez touched one of these after running wide on the way into the Lorenzo hairpin at the end of the lap. Though the crash was slow speed, he landed awkwardly on his shoulder and had to be taken to the medical centre for checks. Explaining the crash, Marquez said: "[It] was my mistake, but I went wide and in Turn 5, Turn 9 and Turn 13, out of the line [there] is kind of wet patches, especially in the morning. "I went wide, I was not so fast because I just gave up [the lap] and just I [touch] that wet part and I lost the front. "But the problem was I arrived in the gravel in not a good position and I had the subluxation of the shoulder, and for that reason I went to the medical centre." Marquez's 2018 season was plagued by a recurring dislocation problem in his left shoulder, which required complicated surgery in the off-season. The world champion also crashed on the opening day of last week's Valencia test while on his '20 bike, though this was a result of the new engine not being fully set-up with the bike's electronics. In Valencia Marquez and LCR counterpart Cal Crutchlow both had a '20 RC213V to try, but HRC gave Crutchlow's to Marquez to experiment. The biggest difference between both '20 bikes Marquez had was the chassis, and he says this test programme was decided by HRC as a result of Tuesday's poor forecast. "I had three bikes in the garage," he added. "One is the current bike, one is the first step of the new engine and a different chassis. "It's there where we are trying to understand the way [forward], we are trying to understand - especially here in Jerez that where chassis is very important - and we saw that with those conditions - it was very special conditions because the grip was so high, but so critical with these cold conditions. "Here in the moment, this first day - because tomorrow the weather looks like it's not perfect - HRC decided that I [was to] try the two different bikes this first day. "Second day I don't know what the plan is. But this plan was created by the weather." Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei November 25, 2019 at 01:47PM
MotoGP News - Vinales tops scrappy first day of MotoGP testing at Jerez
https://ift.tt/35z2Jqu Maverick Vinales opened up the final MotoGP post-season test of 2019 at Jerez fastest in a session which was red-flagged three times, as Marc Marquez also crashed in the afternoon. The track stayed silent for the first 45 minutes of the session before Aleix Espargaro disrupted the calm on his Aprilia, with KTM duo Brad Binder and Pol Espargaro following him soon after. KTM's Espargaro - who had another new chassis to try alongside the '20 bike he tested at Valencia and his '19-spec machine - set the early pace with a 1m38.672s, doing so on the RC16 he raced this season. World champion Marquez took over from the KTM not long after with a 1m38.595s - also set on his '19 bike - before Fabio Quartararo and Vinales made it a Yamaha 1-2. Valencia test pacesetter Vinales fired in his 1m37.927s on the current works M1 with just over six hours remaining, before moving seven tenths clear of the field an hour later with a 1m37.187s on the '20 prototype. This went unchallenged for much of the day, which was interrupted several times by red flags and drips of rain. The session was halted with 3h45m still on the clock as a precaution after Ducati test rider Michele Pirro's Desmosedici stopped on the run into the Pedrosa right-hander. Prior to the stoppage, Marquez crashed heavily at the final corner while running on one of the two '20 RC213V prototypes he has available this week. He had to be taken to the medical centre after experiencing pain in his shoulder, but escaped serious injury and returned to the session later in the afternoon. Just over 45 minutes after the first red flag, a crash for Tech 3 rookie Iker Lecuona brought the session to a stop when he punctured the air fence in a crash at the fast Turn 4 left. Escaping with just some pain, Lecuona opted to end his day early and was 20th on the timesheets. Spits of rain forced the field into pitlane as the session entered its final two hours, though conditions cleared enough for more dry running in the last 90 minutes. Vinales bettered his benchmark to a 1m37.131s, while Quartararo held onto second, the Frenchman testing the 2020-spec Yamaha engine throughout the day. Suzuki duo Joan Mir - who crashed early on - and Alex Rins, both continuing to test the GSX-RR's new chassis and engine, were third and fourth. Quartararo's Petronas team-mate Franco Morbidelli made it three Yamaha's in the top five with Marquez brushing off his fall to end the day sixth ahead of LCR counterpart Cal Crutchlow. KTM's Espargaro managed eighth despite a late fall from one of his '20 bikes, which caused the third red flag of the day, as the works Ducatis of Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci - who missed the last test day in Valencia due to injury - completed the top 10. Pramac's Jack Miller trailed his Ducati stablemates in 11th as he tested the 2020 Desmosedici engine, while Alex Marquez was top rookie in 17th as he made his first appearance in the works' Honda team, having ridden for LCR in Valencia. Valentino Rossi was the slowest of the four Yamahas in 14th, 1.6s off the pace. Avintia Ducati's Eric Granado, who is replacing the ousted Karel Abraham for this test and is riding a Ducati GP18 as a reward for finishing third in MotoE this season, was 5.9s off the pace in last. Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei November 25, 2019 at 11:23AM
Motorcycle News - STELLAR SCRAMBLER: Ducati 750SS by LL Motorcycles
https://ift.tt/34iDpo9 Written by Tim Huber. Though the Monster is a fairly close second, the 750/900 SS platform has become Ducati’s most commonly customized model in recent years. While its bodywork is admittedly on the dated side, once stripped from the SS, what you’re left with is a strapping L-Twin engine, the Bologna firm’s signature tubular trellis frame, and, with a little creativity; gobs of potential for customization. Northern Poland’s Adrian Lilla, the force behind bespoke bike outfit, LL Motorcycles has only been running the shop for the last three-or-so-years, though in that short time, he’d developed a distinct desire to scramble the classic three-quarter-liter Duck. So, when a potential customer came knocking, inquiring about having a 750SS given the LL scrambler treatment, Adrian knew it was one project that was simply meant to be. “I’d purchased a nice fuel-injected 750SS donor a while back and then spent a few months riding it in order to hone in on what needed to be changed for a scrambler build. So, by the time the client commissioned the project I was able to hit the ground running,” Adrian tells us. The SS was brought up on the bench where Adrian proceeded to pull the entire thing apart. He knew right out of the gate that the stock seat and subframe simply weren’t going to be up to snuff for what he and the customer had in mind, so a new structure was designed and fabricated with a shorter hoop being grafted into place. Sitting a couple of inches lower than the stock unit is a custom flat, square saddle with ribbed stitching that now runs halfway back up the new subframe, with the remainder of the bespoke framework occupied by a custom luggage rack. Adrian also opted to leave the pillion pegs on the bike. While it’s primarily a monoposto mount, there’s a passenger seat that can be tacked onto the rear rack for proper two-up travel. The mounts from the passenger pegs also provide a little additional security for the build’s full custom exhaust system; a pair of stainless steel headers that follow the lines of the stock items before continuing up, under the seat and then finally terminating in a pair of under-seat-mounted reverse cone mufflers. “The new system absolutely screams, though you can also use some dB killers I made for it so your neighbors can still like you,” Adrian half-jokes. “I raised the front end just slightly for better clearance, too.” On top of the lowered seat, LL also laced the Duck up with a higher set of upswept bars, more conducive to off-roading and commuting duties alike. Like the saddle, the foot controls — which are aftermarket units, painted and suspended via custom bracketry — also sit noticeably lower than the original pieces. Adrian also knew if the SS were to have genuine dirt-going prowess, the factory wheels would need replacing. So, the stocker’s hoops went in the bin, and in their place, Adrian sourced a new set of spoked wheels — a wide 17” rear, and a 19” item out front. Wanting to offer the benefits of contemporary lighting while simultaneously retaining a classic, round-headlight-scrambler aesthetic, Adrian decided to chuck out the stock lighting, and replaced it with modern pieces that maintain the profile of old-school items; a shallow, circular 10-LED headlight and a small, red, round taillight lit via LEDs. There’re also micro LED indicators front and aft, and a small electronics tray now hides beneath the new saddle and subframe, housing the battery, lion’s share of the electronics, and keeping the area inside the chassis relatively clutter-free. While it may look like the stock cell, the tank is actually off of one of the carb’d SS models, though it still fits the frame flawlessly. After getting everything linked up, Adrian pulled the tank off the bike to have it prepped and painted, opting to go with a rich, matte brown hue that changes dramatically depending on lighting conditions. A custom front fender was also fabbed up and then fixed just above the 19-inch front. The main chassis and subframe were also powder-coated in ecru, while the swing-arm, fender, luggage rack, passenger peg mounts, rear-sets and hangers, and timing belt covers were all treated to a coat of black as well. The polished stainless exhaust, paired with the USD forks, brakes, and wheels, all add a dash of silver to the mix to liven things up, as well. Other finishing touches include an aftermarket gas-cap, new grips, bar-end mirrors, and of course, the obligatory set of knobby, off-road tires. Adrian says the end result is an absolute pleasure to pilot, having lost a considerable amount of weight over the course of the build. “It really is fun to ride, super light on its feet, and a total blast on city streets and gravel roads,” relays a proud Adrian. This stellar 750 SS appears to be one of those cases where the most challenging aspect of the project for the builder, is just having to hand the completed work over to the client. [ LL Motorcycles | Instagram | Facebook ] Motorcycles via Pipeburn.com https://ift.tt/2LY9tnG November 25, 2019 at 04:59AM
MotoGP News - Crutchlow won't get crew loaned to Lorenzo last year back for 2020
https://ift.tt/2rmQOxb Cal Crutchlow says Honda won't be giving back the LCR MotoGP crew it took to help Jorge Lorenzo this year, as they will remain in place for Alex Marquez... Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei November 25, 2019 at 03:56AM
Motorcycle News - Under Pressure – Project RE Continental GT 650
https://ift.tt/34gnsyU What happens when you task an Avengers-style West Australian dream team of builders with a crazy 6-week deadline? In short, this Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 cafe racer. ‘Project RE’ is the work of Billy and his team at Rogue Motorcycles in Western Australia. He built the bike after Ric Steele, owner of MotoMAX, contacted him with a proposal. Ric asked Billy if he would like to join forces for the upcoming Royal Enfield Australia Busted Knuckles Build Off. Ric pitched a relatively straightforward brief and thankfully Billy accepted. Motorcycles via Return of the Cafe Racers https://ift.tt/2M9riRb November 25, 2019 at 03:18AM
MotoGP News - Moto2 Marc VDS pick Augusto Fernandez for Johann Zarco-linked ride
https://ift.tt/2KQBi3p Moto2 squad Marc VDS has replaced the Honda MotoGP-bound Alex Marquez with Augusto Fernandez, increasing the liklihood that Johann Zarco will sign for Avintia in MotoGP... Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei November 24, 2019 at 12:45PM |
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