ALEIX AND MAVERICK UNABLE TO CONFIRM THE OUTSTANDING PACE DEMONSTRATED IN PRACTICE 

It would be impossible not to talk about the disappointment in the race today at Phillip Island. Especially in light of what was demonstrated during the practice sessions, where Aleix and Maverick had shown the right feeling, pace, and confidence in race configuration. 

The script for the race, on the other hand, took an unexpected turn. Aleix, after starting well from the fourth spot on the grid, began his race aggressively, staying with the leading group with the intention of not forcing the pace during the initial stages. However, there was an abrupt drop in performance that kept Espargaró from fending off the attacks from behind and forcing him to finish ninth. 
Maverick, extremely fast in FP4, had to battle with an even clearer drop in grip at the rear which, in fact, brought any ambitions of a good result to an end early on in the race.

It is a situation that demands careful analysis by the team, both to ascertain the causes and to improve the working method.

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ
"In the early part of the race today, everything was going according to plan. I started well overtaking Fabio and managed to stay easily with the leading group. Even when I made a small mistake, I was able to quickly close the gap, even doing the second fastest lap of the race. Then the situation took a strange turn. The electronics began to cut a lot of power and, despite pushing hard to make up ground on the braking sections, I didn’t have the acceleration to stay with the others. It’s a pity. These are mistakes that we can’t make if we want to battle for the championship title, especially because we demonstrated that we have the speed to do so."

MAVERICK VIÑALES
"I don’t understand what happened today, to be honest. We still need to carefully analyse the data, but clearly something didn’t work right. I didn’t even come close to the pace that I had in the FP4 simulations on the same tyres. It’s hard to identify the reason now, so we’ll have to get to work and simply capitalise on this experience to improve."

New British electric motorcycle manufacturer Maeving is excited to be opening a new pop-up shop at the iconic Battersea Power Station in London.

The new shop opens (today) Friday, October 14, 2022, when the Grade II* listed Power Station opens its doors to the public for the first time ever and will be in place until November 11.

Maeving will celebrate the opening of the shop with a special offer worth £200 for any orders placed for the Maeving RM1 motorcycle during the four weeks the pop-up shop is open.

Maeving is an all-new motorcycle manufacturer with a British-designed and built electric motorcycle called the RM1. Featuring removable batteries that can be charged at any standard plug socket, near silent running, and an ease of use and riding style that directly appeals to those with zero riding experience, it’s an urban motorcycle that works for everyone. It can be ridden on just a CBT licence (Compulsory Basic Training).

Maeving will be joining a great mix of brands opening at Battersea Power Station including Aesop, Nike, Uniqlo, Lululemon, Mango, Mulberry, Ralph Lauren and Hugo Boss. There will be three bikes to see and sit on, friendly staff to talk you through what the company is doing, and customers will have the ability to book test rides at either our Maida Vale or Coventry locations with the Battersea Power Station store staff.

MAEVING OFFERS FREE ACCESSORIES AND GPS TRACKER APP

Anyone placing an order for a new Maeving RM1 for the duration of Maeving’s stay at Battersea Power Station (October 14 – November 11, 2022) will automatically qualify for a free accessory pack and a GPS tracking app absolutely free. The normal retail price for these would be over £200.

Simply buy in-store at Battersea Power Station to get a free accessories pack which includes a disc lock, motorcycle cover as well as a lock and chain) PLUS access to our fantastic Track & Secure GPS app for FREE. This discount is not transferrable and is valid only on in-store purchases.

How to find the Maeving pop-up shop at Battersea Power Station

From South entrance:
Turn right into Turbine Hall B on the Upper Ground Floor.
We are next to Petite Pli, close to Rox, opposite Control Room B Bar

From North entrance:
Turn left into Turbine Hall B, on the Upper Ground Floor.
We are next to Petite Pli, close to Rox, opposite Control Room B Bar.

Opening hours:  
Monday - Saturday: 10am-10pm
Sunday: noon-6pm

THE APRILIA RIDERS WILL START FROM THE SECOND AND FOURTH ROW IN THE PHILLIP ISLAND RACE

It was an intense day at Phillip Island, with riders and teams busy both earning the best possible starting position and preparing for a race that promises to be a rather tactical one. The Aprilia riders achieved both objectives. 

Aleix will start from the first spot on the second row of the grid tomorrow and he has good sensations in race configuration. Maverick, the only rider in FP4 to drop below the 1'29 mark, despite a few doubts in terms of rear tyre choice, demonstrated great pace. In qualifying, he didn’t feel the increase in grip with the soft tyre that he needed in order to push to the limit, so he had to settle for a spot on the fourth row. The position doesn’t rule out any results, given the multiple opportunities for overtaking the Australian circuit offers.

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ
"I’m pleased. The RS-GP worked well in all conditions and I’m expecting a fun race. Maverick and I are working extremely well together. The slipstream in qualifying was definitely important. As I said yesterday, I expect this to be a race of management where conserving the tyre will be fundamental. It may seem easy to set a fast pace straight away, but it’s just as easy to lose half a second on the final laps. We’ll see. We’ll try whatever it takes to get the job done and starting from the second row is just fine."

MAVERICK VIÑALES
"In terms of pace, I’m extremely satisfied with the work we’ve done. I had never lapped this fast here at Phillip Island! I’m still undecided on tyre choice because I had good sensations with both the medium and the hard, so we’ll take the final decision after warm-up. It’s a pity about qualifying. I didn’t feel the extra grip with the soft tyre that I needed to be able to push but fortunately on this track there are several places where you can overtake, so I think I’ll be able to ride a good race."

Suzuki has launched its new motorcycle accident aftercare programme, an entirely free service for all customers, regardless of age of machine, that aims to make dealing with the aftermath of an accident or theft as smooth and as pain-free as possible.

The programme provides riders with a single point of contact and will handle everything from liaising with insurance providers and recovery of the motorbike, right through to the repair at an authorised Suzuki dealership using only Suzuki Genuine Parts.

The service is a motorcycle industry first, and by helping to remove a lot of the stress from what is already a high-stress situation, it highlights Suzuki’s ongoing commitment to its customers past the new motorcycle point of sale.

With no sign-up required, any Suzuki owner involved in an accident – regardless of their insurer – can benefit from the service by calling Suzuki First, a dedicated call centre available 24 hours a day. From there, the entire claims process, recovery, and repair, will be handled on the owner’s behalf. Suzuki First will also be there if the motorcycle is stolen.

Jacob Lewis, Suzuki GB’s customer retention manager, commented, “We pride ourselves on our level of aftersales care at Suzuki, and I think our customers will agree we put a great deal of effort into things like our Suzuki Service Promise and our Vintage Parts Programme. Now, we’re really pleased to be able to further demonstrate our commitment to Suzuki owners with the Suzuki Accident Aftercare programme. Sometimes accidents happen and we know how stressful it is managing the fallout, arranging recovery and dealing with insurance companies. 

“We aim to make this process as easy as it can be, by handling everything on the owner’s behalf. Not only that, by managing the process we can ensure that their Suzuki is repaired to the highest possible standard, using Suzuki Genuine Parts and by fully trained and experienced Suzuki technicians. And best of all it is completely free, there is no charge to the owner. All they need to do is call Suzuki First and we’ll take it from there.”

Motorcycle Live in association with Bikesure Insurance opens its doors at the NEC, Birmingham, from Saturday 19 November to Sunday 27 November. Four halls packed with over 50 manufacturers, free opportunities to get on two wheels, meet racers and celebrities, watch live entertainment on the Blackhorse Stage and win great prizes. Here’s a closer look at what’s happening inside Motorcycle Live 2022… 

It’s the first chance to see the latest new models from over 50 manufacturers, all under one roof and for many models, their debut in the UK. It’s a great chance try them out for size, before speaking to knowledgeable staff on the stand for more information. 

It’s not just new bikes on show either, the Classic Feature supported by the National Motorcycle Museum will be celebrating 120 years of Triumph and restoring a 1923 Triumph Junior Lightweight “Baby” 2.5hp live. Fans of custom will love this year’s Custom Heroes stand, supported by Back Street Heroes, where some unique machines will be displayed.  The 'Dream Garage' will also be showcasing 10 of the top picks from the Motorcycle Live star-studded panel. 

Not only can two-wheeled machines be admired at the show, they can also be ridden with free riding opportunities for all ages and abilities. Whether you’re 18 months old and take to the purpose-built Kiddimoto track, don’t have a licence and want to try out two wheels for the first time in the MCIA TryRide zone sponsored by MCN, or take to the dirt track in Experience Adventure - it’s all included in the price of your ticket. There’s even the chance to head out on the open road for a test ride on petrol or electric powered machines in the Test Ride Zone. Where required, kit is kindly provided by Shoei, Sidi, Spada, RST and Bell. Electric converts or those wishing to make their first foray into the world of electric power can try out some of the latest electric offerings on the purpose-built track in the Electric Test Ride Zone. 

The much-loved Blackhorse Stage will take its place at the heart of the show with a packed schedule of rider and celebrity interviews, fun and games. James Whitham will be back presenting ‘Whitham Talks’ every day over the course of the week, chatting with a variety of guests. Every day at 1pm, two teams of racing stars and celebrities will go head-to-head in ‘Visordown - Question of Bikes’, a Q&A game with multiple rounds and a lot of curveballs. Win prizes with ‘Bike Trac Stronger for Longer’,  'R&G Wheel Change Challenge', the ‘Visin Bike Balance’ and the brand new 'Gerbing' heated clothing game!

Bringing the whole family has never been easier - advanced tickets are priced at £22* for adults, £1** for children aged 6-18 and under 5’s go free**. There’s plenty to do for all ages, including a ‘zoom-tastic’ Ricky Zoom colouring competition with the opportunity to win one of three Ricky Zoom prize bundles, the Kiddimoto Balance Bike Experience and the Youth MX Experience. 

Motorcycle Live 2022 in association with Bikesure Insurance takes place at The NEC, Birmingham from 19-27 November. See You There!