APRILIA RS 660 DOMINATES THE TWINS CUP CLASS IN MOTOAMERICA

KALEB DE KEYREL IS 2021 CHAMPION THANKS TO HIS SECOND PLACE IN NEW JERSEY

TOMMASO MARCON WINS ON HIS DÉBUT WITH APRILIA

It’s fair to refer to Aprilia’s adventure in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup class as domination. In fact, in its début year, the RS 660 literally changed the face of the category, turning up in the paddock with almost no preparation, but immediately taking on a highly prominent role.

It is no coincidence that the title was clinched with a Race 1 podium in New Jersey that was monopolized by the Italian twin-cylinder and where second place finisher Kaleb De Keyrel earned the points he needed to be crowned the 2021 champion. This is a triumph that will take him to Italy for a wild-card spot in the last round of the Aprilia RS 660 Trophy in Vallelunga.

Credit goes to De Keyrel and Team Robem Engineering, who skillfully exploited the technical potential of the RS 660, which proved to be in its element right away on the demanding American tracks. This is a testament to its DNA which, although intended for the best possible street use, in no way betrays its competitive nature. The ideal compromise between light weight, power, and the proverbial chassis structure from Noale.

The perfect weekend was topped off by Race 2, with no fewer than four RS 660 bikes in the top four spots. Winning the race was Italian Tommaso Marcon, riding in a special wild-card spot and tester for the 660 project, ahead of Anthony Mazziotto and fifteen-year-old surprise Maxwell Toth, on the podium twice in his Twins Cup "first".

ANOTHER RACE AT THE FRONT FOR ALEIX AND APRILIA
MAVERICK’S FEELING IMPROVES LAP AFTER LAP

ALEIX: "EXTREMELY FAST RACE, IMPORTANT CONFIRMATION"
MAVERICK: "IT’LL TAKE TIME BUT WE’LL GET THERE, I’M CERTAIN OF IT"

Another race with the best, from the first to the last lap, and a podium just barely missed. By now, Aleix and Aprilia are no longer a surprise. The RS-GP in the hands of the Spaniard confirmed that it is capable of battling consistently for the podium.

On the friendly Aragòn track, warmed by a decidedly summer climate, the leading group maintained an extraordinary pace. Espargarò started well from the second row, managing his position in fourth place during the early laps and even getting a taste of the podium. Only a drop in the finale kept him from launching the decisive attack against Joan Mir, but fourth place is still an extremely important result, also in terms of the championship: in fact, Aleix is now seventh in the rider standings with 96 points.

Finishing his first race for Aprilia, Maverick Viñales achieved the goal for the weekend, which is still to gain experience astride a new bike and on a new team. The Spanish rider’s feeling improves with every outing and the 23 days today represent an extremely important set of information and experience, especially in preparation for the 2022 season.

ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"In the race today, the pace was out of this world, especially at the front, and even physically I can’t remember too many Sundays that have been this demanding. I’m pleased with the position, but more than anything, with the consistency we’re demonstrating, which is still my primary goal for this season. Considering the fact that in the finale, since overtaking Mir for third was impossible and I had a good gap ahead of Miller, I increased the pace a bit, I was still able to keep up with the riders who were making the difference over the rest of the grid. This means that we can battle with anyone and on any track, which is a huge step forward for me and for Aprilia."

MAVERICK VIÑALES
"I’m satisfied with the weekend overall. We knew that the position wouldn’t be our primary objective. In fact, I used a slightly different setup in order to continue experimenting with this new bike and gather information. I started well – that’s the first positive note – and in terms of tyre management, I must also admit that the situation is good. Maybe if we had started a bit farther forward, we’d be talking about a different race, but the flying lap in practice is a question of confidence and that will come with time and miles. We are at a point that requires great effort and work, but I know that we’ll be successful in the end."

The UK is experiencing a surge in motorcycle sales and usage.
Find out why bikes are more popular than ever and which models are doing the best...

A look at current MC market trends in the UK

Motorcycle usage experienced profound growth in 2020, so much so that third-quarter registration figures increased by 100 000. Last year’s third-quarter figures sat at 1.35 million as opposed to 1.25 million in 2019. The increase in motorcycle purchases was in direct correlation with the rise in household expenditure. One cannot discount the practicalities or the affordability of motorcycles these days either. Chinese motorcycles have made a significant dent thanks to great pricing and low production costs – even Harley-Davidson now produces some of their bikes in China.
Some of the upswing in terms of UK motorcycle sales and growth can be attributed to the global health crises of the last year and a half. Socially distanced commuting is doing the rounds while the incredible boom in delivery services has also led a massive proliferation in motorcycle usage. Below are some of the bikes doing the most business in the UK right now.

The Lexmoto LXR125

125cc bikes have really carved out their slice of the market and we have the various Chinese manufactures to partly thank for that. The Lexmoto LXR125 is both visually appealing and pocketfriendly and this has made it an incredibly popular option. With a price tag of only £2199, the Lexmoto LXR comes in at less than half of what you’d pay for Yamaha’s equivalent – the YZF-R125.
The Lexmoto offers all the aesthetic qualities such as a racy bodywork and a stubby exhaust and for a little bit more (£2499) you can also get more. Sure, it’s not as fast as the Yamaha nor is it as well-constructed, but seeing as it’s a beginners bike, odds are you’ll trade it in for an upgrade soon enough.

The Honda CB125F

The Honda Motor Company has a track record of offering investors in auto and vehicle industries more bang for their buck. As far back as 1948 this Japanese multinational conglomerate has produced both cars and bikes of impeccable quality.
For the longest time Honda has maintained its reputation when it comes to providing the commuter with something simple, reliable, affordable and economical. It owes a lot of this credit to its old CG125 which it unveiled way back in the 1970s. The most recent of these models, the CB125F, was launched in 2015. The enduring popularity of this bike cannot be denied and this is largely due to its proven reliability, durability and Honda’s well-established footprint in the motorcycle world.

The Honda PCX125   

Honda’s PCX125 scooter hasn’t just proven itself to be the UK’s top-selling scooter, it’s also taken the title of top-selling 125, and the sales don’t lie. Last year in 2020, an average of 300 of these models registered each month!

The bike has received its fair share of stylish updates – mainly in 2014, 2016 and this year again, but the basic recipe for the bike’s success remains the same. As they like to say, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Easy to ride and with very accommodating luggage space, the PCX125 offers both comfort and practicality. It’s also an incredibly sleek and sexy scooter to behold and offers all kinds of modern tropes like a smart LCD digital dash, LED lights and ‘stop-start’ technology – all giving this liquid-cooled number a premium feel. Nippy and affordable, you’d be selling yourself short not to look twice at this one.

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Tokyo Olympic medalist Declan Brooks visited Suzuki GB last week to meet the team, show off his medal, and collect his new SV650.  

Brooks claimed bronze in the freestyle BMX at the 2020 Olympics, the first time the sport has been included in the Games, but when not performing backflips and bar spins in mid-air the 25-year-old can often be found swapping pedal power for horsepower.

After passing his test in 2019 but being confined to an A2 licence, Brooks was finally able to graduate to a full A licence earlier this summer, and last week arrived at Suzuki’s UK headquarters to swap his restricted SV650X for a full power SV650.

While on site, the Team GB athlete was warmly welcomed by Suzuki’s motorcycle division, and spent the morning recounting tales from the Olympic Games while posing for photos with the team.

He said afterwards, “It was great to get up to see everyone at Suzuki and to pick up the new bike. They laid on a bit of breakfast, which was nice, and it was good to chat about BMXing, the Olympics, and just talk bikes. I don’t think it matters if it has an engine or not, if you’re into two wheels then you can get into any type of bike sport, and they spent a lot of time asking about BMX, the sport, and how we do what we do.

“It was good to swap to the full power SV as well. I’ve had to spend a couple of years on the restricted one but obviously rode the unrestricted version for my test, and we went out for a bit of a ride after I’d picked it up as well. I definitely think I’m going to like having a bit more power and I’m looking forward to getting some miles in before the end of the summer.”

Suzuki GB head of motorcycle marketing, Ian Bland, added, “It’s not every day you get to hold an Olympic medal, so we’re very grateful for Declan for coming in and meeting the team and sharing his experiences. It’s an incredible achievement and one he should be proud of. It’s also great to see he enjoys bikes with an engine in the middle as well as pedals, and has now passed his test and is embarking on his own motorcycle journey.”

www.facebook.com/SuzukiBikesUK

The British Motor Museum is to host its next FREE 'Gaydon Gathering' evening on Tuesday 14th September from 5pm – 8:30pm. The event, which was re-launched in April this year, is an informal evening aimed at motoring enthusiasts and is completely free to attend. These friendly gatherings take place outdoors on the Museum's arenas on the second Tuesday every month and see hundreds of vehicles of all makes and models on display. Pre-booking is essential.   

At 6:30pm the Museum will present the 'Gaydon Garage' when the workshop doors open to reveal one of the fantastic vehicles from the collection that is not often seen out of the Museum. The vehicle will be driven out around the site for everyone to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells! Hints as to what the car is are posted each month on the Museum’s social media channels in the run up to the event!

Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum stated “Come along and enjoy a fantastic gathering. It doesn’t matter if you have a vehicle or not, or if your vehicle is British or not, if it’s a car, commercial, military, bus, motorbike, scooter, tractor or any other interesting vehicle, just bring it along. Be it classic, veteran, vintage or a modern classic – all are welcome. It’s an opportunity for petrol heads to indulge their passion with like-minded people - whilst having a burger and a drink, hopefully in the autumn sunshine!”

Display vehicles will be parked in front of the Museum whilst there will be separate free parking for those that arrive in modern everyday vehicles. Visitors can also enjoy refreshments including burgers, tea, coffee and soft drinks. Please note that the Museum itself will not be open for the evening gatherings.

The last outdoor gathering for 2021 will take place on the Tuesday 12 October, then over the winter they will take the gatherings inside as a series of ‘Museum Lates’ - a chance to view elements of the collections in more detail. More information on these will follow shortly, but they will also take place on the second Tuesday evening of the month, in November, January and March and pre-booking will remain essential.

For more information and to book your FREE tickets for September’s Gaydon Gathering visit www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/gaydon-gathering-september

Pre booking is essential.