Motorcycle Blog

Team Relentless Suzuki MX rider Lewis Gregory contested his third consecutive European Championship round at the weekend, this time at the Sverepec circuit, 100km north of Bratislava in Slovakia. 

With warm and dry conditions, Gregory qualified ninth in his group, only to be hindered by poor starts once again. Battling back from a slow start in race one, the RM-Z250 rider rode to a solid, but disappointing position for him of fifth place, before suffering a similar fate in race two, riding to ninth place at the flag, with an overall sixth on the day.

Back at home, Scott Probert made his return to racing after a three month lay-off due to injury. Racing in the MMX Open Championship at Blaxhall, near Ipswich, Scott was determined to get back to race pace, and quickly did so, racing to ninth in the first race despite riding an RM-Z250 in a field dominated by 450cc machines.

In race two, another strong start saw the RM-Z rider heading to another top ten position before a collision with another rider forced retirement in the final stages of the race.

Talking about his return to action, Probert commented, “I’m happy with my return to racing today. It’s been tough to be out for so long, but this weekend has boosted my confidence and I can now look forward to my return to the Maxxis British Championship at Foxhills this weekend.”

Under doctors advise, Jamie Law did not race at the weekend, but hopes to be back in action at Foxhills next weekend.

The DREAM Honda Racing Team duo of Ryuichi Kiyonari and Carlos Checa took victory at the weekend’s Suzuka 8-Hour race on the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, sporting a new stunning and distinctive HRC tri-colour paint scheme.

The prestigious endurance event, which is held annually as part of the World Endurance Championship, is one of the highlights of the Japanese road-racing calendar and is vitally important for each of the domestic Japanese motorcycle manufacturers.

The DREAM Honda Racing Team CBR1000RR Fireblade was the victorious machine after eight gruelling hours around the legendary 3.6-mile Suzuka race circuit. Riders Kiyo and Checa eventually took the win by a whole lap.

It was no easy victory though, as a pit-lane speeding penalty, heavy rain and a last-hour brake problem all meant that the dominant World Superbike stars had to push hard to take the win – all the more sweet as both riders had come perilously close to winning in previous years.

Former double British Superbike champion Kiyonari said: “I was really nervous during the last hour watching Carlos riding. The front brake problem was already there during my last stint. I was scared to watch sparks fly when Carlos braked! The bike performed excellently and also looked fantastic in the new HRC paint scheme and I’m so happy that we won.”

Carlos added: “Usually, when you have a big margin like today, you can relax more, but I had no front brake during my last stint so I was really nervous. I’m so happy to have won.”

And, while the Fireblade of Checa and Kiyo took the win, the British stars of World Supersport and British Superbikes also did well. HM Plant Honda’s Cal Crutchlow took sixth place overall with his Moriwaki team-mate Tatsuya Yamaguchi while Leon Haslam took ninth overall with his team-mate Chojun Kameya.

Cal said: “I’m pretty happy with sixth to be honest, although as a racer you want to win every race. I thoroughly enjoyed my first Suzuka 8-Hour race and would love to come back and win it.” 

Leon said: “We were almost there to challenge for the podium until the middle of the race, but unfortunately Kameya-san crashed. He rode very hard to make it up and that was the main reason we could finish 9th. This was my first Suzuka 8-Hour race and it was a great experience. If I have the chance again, I would love to do it next year.” 

Meanwhile, World Supersport star Jonathan Rea crashed out after 134 laps while in a podium position. “I crashed just before I was coming into the pit,” he said. “I was pushing hard at the spoon curve and suddenly the front wheel tucked. I am very disappointed for the team and myself. We were third and I wanted to get on the podium desperately.”

All riders will now return home and prepare for the next rounds in their respective championships. For World Superbike and World Supersport stars Kiyo, Checa and Rea that will be this coming weekend at Brands Hatch, while Crutchlow and Haslam will return to British Superbike action at Knockhill a week later on 8-10 August.

For more information about the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade call 0845 200 800, visit www.honda.co.uk or visit your local dealer. Honda motorcycle dealers can be located using the ‘Dealer Search’ facility within the motorcycles area on www.honda.co.uk, where you can also find all the latest news and information about the full Honda motorcycle range, offers, genuine parts and accessories and forthcoming events.

Lancashires RideSafe BackSafe team are urging city commuters on motorcycles to wrap up this summer in a bid to reduce the number of minor injuries and road traffic collisions.

As congestion increases and fuel prices rise, more commuters and college students are turning to two wheels, but many are still travelling in there usual work clothes as they would in a car, on the bus or using the Metro. Karen Delaney is Communications Manager at Drivesafe, but also works closely with RideSafe BackSafe – an initiative dedicated to highlighting road safety issues for all bikers across the North West – Karen had this advice;-

“Summer may still be struggling to appear, but the temperatures are certainly warm enough to cause some commuters to dress down and on two wheels, this suggests a complacent ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude.  You have to protect yourself properly; knowing the route and travelling a short distance to work, college or university are not reasons to simply not bother“.

RideSafe BackSafe recommends that all moped, scooter and motorcycle riders wear the proper gloves, boots, jacket and trousers; as well as the mandatory crash helmet and ideally, a back protector as well.

Karen Delaney endorses the advice by saying;-

“We are trying to prevent unnecessary injuries, but wearing the right clothing improves your mind-set for the ride as well. Motorcycle clothing manufacturers now use tough, breathable fabrics, vented panels and a range of other features to keep the rider protected, cool and comfortable. If it is too hot, take your work clothes in a ruck sack or leave them at work or college to change into when you arrive“.     

More information about protective clothing can be found in the Kit Advice section on the new website –www.ridesafebacksafe.co.uk

One of the UK’s most prominent road safety initiatives, dedicated to motorcyclists, has re-launched its website to offer even more information, advice and features.

Lancashire based RideSafe BackSafe is keen to increase its reach across Greater Manchester and the North West; even though the site - www.ridesafebacksafe.co.uk - was already attracting nearly 150,000 hits per month and had more than 5,000 forum members before the re-vamp.

Created as an online community ‘by bikers, for bikers’, the website will now feature advice about protective clothing, rider assessments, training options and quick tips for safer road riding. Anyone thinking about getting their first moped or scooter can visit the dedicated Young Rider pages for information about taking the CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) and developing their skills. The site will also provide contacts for bike clubs in the North West, information about regional events, regular competitions and special offers. A new feature will put the spotlight on the RideSafe BackSafe Ambassadors, such as John McGuinness and Maria Costello, as well as interviews with other celebrities from the motorcycling world.

Bikers will also be able to ‘meet’ each other on the forum, post their own images on the gallery and ask questions of the RideSafe BackSafe team.

Honda has specially designed its new Honda Access Europe website (www.honda-access.com) to take the user’s online browsing experience to a new level. As of today, 28 July 2008, it is possible to browse through Honda’s European showroom any time of the day or night, without having to leave home. 

In recent years, there has been a revolution in the way people purchase products. When they want to accessorise their car or motorcycle, they first look up information on the Internet before going into a shop. That is one of the reasons why the new HACE website will now function as a virtual showroom, offering visitors an exciting way to access all product information, news and corporate information. 

Browsing through the website works just as if you were walking through your local Honda showroom. Employing advanced 3D animations and Flash technology, the new website is both visually dynamic and fun to use. At the top of the screen, the Flash banner navigation allows visitors to move around the showroom, and simply click on whatever catches their interest. While users are browsing through the showroom, the bottom half of the screen displays all relevant information and options.

Being managed and maintained centrally, the new website will always contain consistent and up-to-date information. All e-brochures and multimedia tools, such as the car and motorcycle configurators, will be linked to the website, so they can be accessed directly from the product pages. This means the new website will truly be the hub for anything concerning Honda Access Europe.

Visit the new Honda Access Europe website at www.honda-access.com

Team Suzuki Swift rider, Brad Anderson, was back to podium form at the weekend as the Maxxis British Motocross Championship returned to the famous Foxhill circuit near Swindon in Wiltshire.

With the ex grand prix venue seeing the best conditions of the season so far, with blistering temperatures, it would be the RM-Z450 rider who would achieve the greatest success. With Anderson finishing fourth in race one, despite three crashes, while going on to stalk race leader Billy Mackenzie in race two, to cross the line as runner-up, he would finish the day in second place overall.

In the MX2 class it would be Anderson’s team mate that would ride to the best results, with Pascal Leuret just missing out on the podium on his RM-Z250 in both races to finish fourth.

Not content with solid results in both categories, Suzuki riders went on to dominate the top ten in both MX2 races with Jake Nicholls, Carl Nunn, Elliott Banks Browne, Lewis Gregory and Jason Dougan all following the Frenchman home, inside the top ten.

Suzuki GB’s George Cheeseman commented, “Well done to all three teams this weekend. It’s great to see Brad back at the sharp end in MX1, and very encouraging to see all three teams scoring inside the top ten of MX2. We look forward to the final two rounds of the championship and wish all teams the best of luck.”

Results:

MX1 Race 1: 1st Billy MacKenzie, 2nd Wayne Smith, 3rd Mark Jones, 4th BRAD ANDERSON, 5th Jordan Rose, 6th Bryan MacKenzie, 7th James Noble, 8th Gordon Crockard, 9th Jim Murro, 10th Danny Smyth

MX1 Race 2: 1st Billy MacKenzie, 2nd BRAD ANDERSON, 3rd James Noble, 4th Tom Church, 5th Bryan MacKenzie, 6th Gordon Crockard, 7th Mark Eastwood, 8th Mark Jones, 9th Mark Hucklebridge, 10th Luke Mellows

MX1 Overall: 1st Billy MacKenzie, 2nd BRAD ANDERSON, 3rd James Noble, 4th Mark Jones, 5th Bryan MacKenzie

MX2 Race 1: 1st Stephen Sword, 2nd Shaun Simpson, 3rd Zach Osbourne, 4th PASCAL LEURET, 5th JAKE NICHOLLS, 6th CARL NUNN, 7th ELLIOTT BANKS BROWNE, 8th Martin Barr, 9th LEWIS GREGORY

MX2 Race 2: 1st Stephen Sword, 2nd Shaun Simpson, 3rd Zach Osbourne, 4th PASCAL LEURET, 5th JASON DOUGAN, 6th JAKE NICHOLLS, 7th Martin Barr, 8th Neville Bradshaw, 9th LEWIS GREGORY, 10th ELLIOTT BANKS BROWNE

MX2 Overall: 1st Stephen Sword, 2nd Shaun Simpson, 3rd Zach Osbourne, 4th PASCAL LEURET, 5th JAKE NICHOLLS, 6th Martin Barr, 7th ELLIOTT BANKS BROWNE, 8th JASON DOUGAN, 9th LEWIS GREGORY, 10th Neville Bradshaw

Hollyoaks actor, Stuart Manning, stormed to eighth place in the Suzuki GSX-R Trophy at the weekend, as he rode the Suzuki GB wild card bike at Anglesey circuit in North Wales.

Manning, known on-screen as Russell Owen in the channel four TV soap, has been a keen motorcyclist and racer for a number of years, and accepted the offer to ride in the series after watching the championship support the British Grand Prix at Donington Park last month. 

Competing in the two races over the weekend, Manning was one of only a few riders that had never raced at the Welsh circuit before, and hadn’t even ridden the bike before the first practice session on Saturday morning. 

However, despite his relative lack of experience, the 29 year-old actor managed to qualify in 14th position and go on to achieve the same result in the first race on Saturday. Determined to do better in the second race, Manning did exactly that by remaining consistent throughout Sunday’s 20 lap race, dropping his lap times to move through the pack to a solid eighth place finish at the flag.

Talking after the weekend, Manning said, “I’ve enjoyed this weekend immensely. I was impressed by the format of the championship as a spectator, but having the opportunity to get involved myself has been tremendous. In fact, I’m now actually considering in having a go at a full season of racing in the GSX-R Trophy next year.”

The Suzuki GSX-R Trophy is back out in action again at Castle Combe on the 16th August.

Following on from the broken leg sustained in the very first round of the Italian Superbike Championship, British teenager Tommy Bridewell bounced back with a battling eighth place finish at round four held at Misano today.

Having missed the previous two rounds of the ISC also, the 18 year old from Etchilhampton near Devizes in Wiltshire was nearly back to full fitness following recent races in the Suzuki GSX-R 750 European Cup and was determined to put in a good performance on his Naturally Best Racing 1000cc Suzuki.

Brim-full of confidence going into the race, Bridewell’s problems started on the warm-up lap when a dragging clutch beset his challenge but despite this, he battled with the leading group during the early stages of the 13-lap race.

However, Tom was dealt a second blow when a problem with the rear tyre started seriously hampering his progress and the resulting time loss in the second half of the race relegated him to eighth at the flag, albeit some 19 seconds ahead of the ninth placed rider.

“What a bummer.” declared Tom afterwards. “For the first time this season, I felt really confident that we could get a good result here this weekend and then when I felt the clutch go on the warm-up lap I thought maybe I could ride round the problem but then the tyre gave up the ghost a few laps later and it was all I could do to bring the bike home. I finished the race with no clutch and the rear tyre shredded but despite that, I’m pleased to get my first points on the board in the series. We have a two month break now in this series so my aim is to get fitter and look to score a podium when we come back here to Misano in late September.”

In the interim, Bridewell has two races on home ground when he contests his local Castle Combe Superbike Grand National over the weekend of August 16/17 and then it’s on to Donington Park three weeks later for round five of the Suzuki GSX-R 750 European Cup.

Italian Superbike Championship
20th April Mugello
4th May Monza
25th May Vallelunga
27th July Misano
28th Sept Misano
19th Oct Mugello

Suzuki GSX-R750 European Cup
6th April Valencia, Spain
11th May Monza, Italy
15th June Nurburgring, Germany
29th June Misano, Italy
7th Sept Donington Park, GB
5th Oct  Magny Cours, France

The North East Motorcycle Racing Club makes its second visit of the year to Croft Circuit next weekend (August 2/3) with no less than three prestigious trophies up for grabs.

As well as a host of club championship races for both two wheels and three, the feature race for the solos is the Laird of Croft and Ken Redfern Trophy whereas all eyes will be on the famous Mac Hobson Sidecar Trophy race to see who can add their names to the list of famous winners.

Heading the entry list for the Mac Hobson Trophy race is triple World Champion Tim Reeves who will make the long trip up from Maidstone to try to add his name to the trophy which includes former World Champions Steve Webster and Steve Abbott amongst others. Reeves won last year’s world title with Cumbrian Pat Farrance as his passenger and the pair, who currently lie in second place in this year’s title chase, will start as favourites.

However, the latest in the line of the Bell dynasty is Phil who will be looking to add the latest generation of Geordie flyers onto the cup and his track knowledge around the 2.1 mile North Yorkshire track could prove crucial.

In addition, all of the leading lights in the sport will be hunting them down as the meeting also incorporates a round of the Castrol Eastern Airways British Championship. Originally scheduled for Brands Hatch in May, a replacement date had to be found when the British Superbike Championship meeting was rescheduled for that date and with Reeves heading the tables after the recent Knockhill round, he’ll be the man to beat.

A huge Irish contingent is expected for the solo races with Kirk Jamieson and Cliffy Hamilton expected to be the ones challenging the English riders in the two feature solo events. They will come up against some stiff opposition in Durham’s Dave Bell who has just returned from injury and Newcastle youngster Jonathan Dickson who has been doing well in National Superstock 600s this season.

With full grids and a quality entry, it is guaranteed to be cracking racing at the North’s only permanent circuit and a bumper crowd is expected for the usual action which also includes various classes for Solos from 125cc to 1300cc, Thunderbikes, F400, F600, Twins, Triples, and both F1 and F2 Sidecars.

Practice gets underway at 9.30am on Saturday with racing straight afterwards and on Sunday, the action gets underway at 12.00 noon. Adult admission is just £10.00 on both days with accompanied children aged 15 and under admitted FREE.

Further information is available from Claire Jones at Croft Circuit on 01325 721815 or at www.croftcircuit.co.uk

The Honda CBR600RR motorcycles winning looks and winning attitude add up to dominating performance on the circuit and non-stop thrills on the street. Since its debut, the exciting second-generation CBR600RR has been turning heads and winning acclaim wherever it sets tyres to tarmac. Breathtaking power roars forth from the lightest and most compact 600cc engine in its class.

Chassis, suspension and brake components are top of its class, and stamped with the genetic imprint of its regal MotoGP racing lineage. Styling is shark-like sleek and aggressive, with compact proportions and light handling that encourage you to push your limits. From first sight to last sprint to the chequered flag, the CBR600RR instantly quickens the pulse to let every rider feel that, in no uncertain terms, they too can be The Fastest on the Track… and the Fastest Everywhere.

- Dual Sequential fuel-injected DOHC inline four cylinder engine delivers a thrilling rush of sharply responsive acceleration that wins races.
- HECS3 oxygen-sensing catalytic exhaust gas converter system minimises emissions of harmful exhaust gases to ensure full compliance with strict EURO-3 emissions regulations.
- Lightweight and slim Fine-Die-Cast aluminium frame positions both engine and rider for optimal mass centralisation and sharper, more responsive handling.
- Fully adjustable inverted front fork and Unit-Pro-Link rear damper combine to help you late-brake into the corners and smooth your line around them.
- Advanced Honda Electronic Steering Damper provides smoothly confident control in the fastest and tightest of corners.
- Radial-mount four-piston calliper front disc brakes with large-diameter 310mm rotors.
- New Pearl Sunbeam White colour variation.