YET ANOTHER SOLID FRIDAY FOR ALEIX AND APRILIA

LORENZO DISCOVERING THE SECRETS OF THE SACHSENRING

The 52 degrees Celsius on the asphalt (31°C air temps) did not keep the MotoGP riders from doing some interesting times already on the first day of practice at the Sachsenring. The hilly German track was the setting for yet another solid Friday for Aleix Espargaró, who has by now become a fixture in the top part of the rankings with his Aprilia RS-GP.

With an eye to race preparation, the Spanish rider still managed to take seventh in the combined standings. He also demonstrated an outstanding pace, fundamental in view of the 30 laps scheduled for Sunday.

For Lorenzo Savadori, the Sachsenring is basically a brand new track since his references during his 125 and MotoE career don’t count for much. It is certainly not an easy layout, but Lorenzo tackled it gradually, improving more than 7 tenths between the two sessions and limiting the gap behind the lead to just over one second.


ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I know it may seem strange, given the final position, but I think this was the best Friday of the season so far. I felt good straight away. I'm able to be fast without taking excessive risks and the grip helps us, significantly higher than it was in Barcelona. I didn’t put together a perfect performance on my flying lap, but I'm competitive in terms of pace. This will be a track where the tyres will be highly stressed, also because of the weather conditions, so working well on that aspect is important."

LORENZO SAVADORI
"I liked coming back to this track. The last time I raced here was in 2019 with the MotoE bike. Clearly, everything changes with a MotoGP bike. The track gets a lot smaller, but I must say that I had fun. We worked a lot with used tyres. We need to improve the second stage of the race because in Barcelona that was a limiting factor for us again. When I put on the new tyre, I did two decent laps, but I think that our potential is higher. We are still lacking a bit, especially on T2, but I continue to improve and, for now, that is still the main objective."

The wealthy love their toys and the creativity of some leads to some incredible innovations in the recreational industries. Even during the pandemic and increased emissions regulations, motorcycle sales were staggering at times posting double-digit percentage growth over the previous year. Boat sales also followed this trend where sales dropped in March 2020 when COVID restrictions hit, but rebounded to post one of the best years ever. Without the ability to seriously travel, people either hit the road on their bikes or took to the water for enjoyment.  

For yacht owners, cruising from South Florida to the Northeast is an annual migration that happens in early summer with destinations like the Hamptons or Newport, Rhode Island. Others spend the year island-hopping through the Caribbean, moving from marina to marina with family and friends in tow.

For motorcycle owners that are part of this yearly, seasonal activity, this presents a challenge as to how to bring your bike with you during your on-water adventure. Many yachts have large spaces near the transom of the boat, but these are often devoted to an extra cabin for crew, water toys, or storage. While most are large enough for a motorcycle, getting one down to the swim platform creates too many challenges.

One custom motorcycle builder has gone above and beyond to create a solution for one of their clients. The “Lauge Jensen Tender” is a safe and elegant way to store and transport your motorcycle while cruising on your boat, assuming its got a large enough deck to handle it. Many motor yacht have large cockpits and decks that stretch 18 feet wide or more making it possible to install this portable garage.

A mechanical arm, similar to what is used to put a yacht tender into the water, actually unloads the motorcycle right from your boat, to the dock. And away you go!   

Another major British boat builder, Princess Yachts, employed a company called CJR Fabrication to develop a Motorcycle Display Unit, or MDU for short, for their 30-Meter Superyacht. The MDU was constructed of stainless-steel and toughened glass, but also was designed to be aesthetically pleasing as well. To suit the look of the Princess 30M, CJR mirror-polished the metal structure, as well as painted some of it with a white gel finish to match the color of the fiberglass on the yacht.

This particular yacht owner wished to continue riding his new Lauge Jensen Viking custom motorcycle as he traveled abroad. Another requirements included the need to be able to see the motorcycle at all times. The MDU was placed on the forward deck of the boat with the three toughened glass panels facing out, so all could easily see the bike.

No matter what the obstacles may be between you and the road, with enough creativity, ingenuity, and resources, anything is possible.

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Suzuki has announced details of a new A2 licence-friendly GSX-S950, which is available from August and features the ability to be restricted to 35kW to comply with A2 licence regulations. The GSX-S950 will represent a new proposition in the market, providing a ‘big bike’ experience at a restricted output for new riders, before becoming an ideal stepping stone to more powerful machines once derestricted.

Based on the GSX-S1000 platform – and using the same torque-laden inline-four cylinder engine – the GSX-S950 produces 95PS in standard trim, with restrictor kits readily available to ensure it conforms to the A2 licence category. However, despite a reduced peak power compared to its GSX-S1000 sibling, the 950 still makes use of the donor engine’s creamy midrange to produce 92 Nm of peak torque, with the same slip and assist clutch aiding smoother downshifts and slicker upshifts under hard acceleration.

The motor is also wrapped in the same twin-spar aluminium frame and uses the same superbike-derived swingarm and rear shock, but to help achieve a lower RRP – and therefore making it an even more accessible package – it uses 43mm KYB front forks. Other chassis changes include the use of Tokico front brake calipers and straight ‘bars, while the bespoke Dunlop Roadsport 2 tyres, 19-litre fuel tank, and new seat remain.

An electronics package comprises a three-mode traction control system that adds a safety net, while convenience comes from Suzuki’s low RPM assist feature and easy start function. The ride-by-wire throttle from the GSX-S1000 is carried over.

Bodywork replicates the new, aggressive, and angular styling of the GSX-S1000, with the same stacked LED headlights front and centre. The taillight is also full LED.

Available in August, the GSX-S950 comes in a striking white and red, a matt black, plus a metallic triton blue, all adorned with the visually different 950 logo on the radiator shrouds.

APRILIA RS 660 CONTINUES TO WIN IN MOTOAMERICA

AT ROAD AMERICA POLE POSITION AND SOLO VICTORY FOR KALEB DE KEYREL, NOW LEADER OF THE TWINS CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

The Aprilia RS 660 continues to win and amaze in the hard-fought Twins category of the US MotoAmerica championship: already the protagonist at the beginning of May of a sensational debut in the inaugural race in Atlanta, with three Italian bikes in the first three positions, this weekend the brand new mid-range sports bike from Noale scored another success on the demanding Road America circuit at Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin.

A confirmation of the dynamic and engine qualities of the RS 660, homologated just before the start of the championship and now already among the favorites for the final victory of the prestigious US series for twin-cylinder bikes.

Kaleb De Keyrel, riding his RS 660 prepared by the Robem Engineering team, was the author of a weekend of dominance, he first obtained the pole position with a margin of over 8 tenths of a second place, then in the race he kept an unapproachable pace for his opponents, crossing the finish line with almost 8" of gap on Jackson Blackmon (Yamaha).

Thanks to this success, his second of the season, De Keyrel has also taken the lead in the overall standings with 76 points, 10 more than his closest rival, Chris Parrish (Suzuki).

“I felt comfortable right from the start with my Aprilia. It felt great being able to go out and put down quick laps right away, that helped me feel comfortable to push the bike more at the start of Qualifying 2 on Saturday, and we were able to go quite a bit faster than everyone else. Drafting is a huge factor here at Road America with its long straightaways. I knew I was going to have to put my head down from the start and try to break the draft. I was able to do that pretty quickly and was able to focus on just being smooth and smart with the lead I had. The Aprilia RS 660 handled like a dream: it was easily the most comfortable I’ve felt on the bike.”

Aprilia RS 660, launched last October, is revolutionizing the concept of sportiness, it is so light and effective between the curves that, although designed to be used daily on the road, it is capable of transforming itself with a few changes into an extremely fast and fun bike between the curbs. The dynamic qualities, the rigour of the frame, the reduced weight and the exciting performance of the new 100 HP twin-cylinder engine enhance the driving pleasure of a motorcycle that, after being one of the most eagerly awaited novelties, has proved to be fun and enjoyable, able to give emotions in every situation of use.

Nobody can deny the fact that motorcycles are not only cool and fun to drive, but also more fuel-efficient. Yet, similar to driving a car, it can be dangerous if you are not careful, but I suppose you already knew that. Still, people who are true motorcycle enthusiasts won’t let fear stop them from enjoying a good ride, as their love for these vehicles is far greater than any type of fear that they might feel. What they will do, however, is find out more about how to stay safe and protected on the road.   

In fact, they will do whatever they can in order to find out how to enhance their overall riding experience and make it as great as it could possibly be. Riding a motorcycle is not about going from point A to point B. It is actually about thoroughly enjoying the ride and everything that comes with it, which is precisely why every rider focuses on making that ride as enjoyable as it can be.

If you are one of those people who love motorcycles and if you are thinking of taking a road trip soon, then you probably know what I am talking about. There are all kinds of preparations to be made and all kinds of things to be packed before setting off. I have a question, though. Have you perhaps thought of packing a bottle of CBD oil for the road? In case you don’t know what this is and why you would even need to pack it, continue reading to find out.

CBD oil is a product made using the cannabis plants. Don’t worry, though, I’m not suggesting any psychoactive substances, since CBD oil is actually made from Cannabidiol, which is known to be the non-psychoactive cannabis compound. I suppose that this was your first concern when I mentioned cannabis, which is why I had to address it right away and tell you that there is absolutely no reason to worry, as this product cannot get you high. Another thing that speaks in favor of this product’s safety is the fact that most manufacturers use pure

Another thing that speaks in favor of this product’s safety is the fact that most manufacturers use pure cannabidiol from hemp while making it, instead of some other cannabis plants. As you might already know, hemp contains rather low amounts of THC, which means that the plant itself isn’t psychoactive. Consequently, even if there were traces of THC in your product, by accident or on purpose, the amount that could be contained inside wouldn’t be enough to produce any psychedelic effects. So, the best thing to do is search for products made of hemp if you want to play it safe.

Now that we have cleared that up, let us continue to our main topic for the day. I have already mentioned above that you might start thinking about taking a bottle of this oil with you for your motorcycle ride. Yet, you are probably confused as to why you should do that in the first place. Well, as it turns out, CBD oil can be rather good for motorcycle riders and now it’s time to learn why. That way, you can decide for yourself whether this is going to be your riding companion or not.

Helps Them Stay Alert While On The Road

As already explained, motorcycles are a bit more dangerous than cars, meaning that you will constantly need to be on alert and that you should never lose your focus while on the road. One small mistake made by lack of attention can lead to accidents and injuries, which is certainly something you would much rather avoid. In addition to taking all the safety measures in order to protect yourself on the road, you might also want to think about using CBD oil to help you stay completely focused.

It’s perfectly normal for riders to get tired after a while and the best thing to do is stop your motorcycle for a while, stretch your legs and wait for the energy to return to you. Yet, if you feel that you are running out of energy and that you are having a hard time staying alert, but you need to reach a certain destination, then you’ll be lucky to have CBD oil on your side. This product can increase your alertness and thus allow you to be completely focused during the whole ride.

Makes The Ride More Enjoyable Be Reducing Anxiety

Few things are worse than dealing with anxiety while riding. You definitely need to constantly be attentive while riding, but this doesn’t mean that you should be overwhelmed and anxious. CBD oil works towards relieving you of anxiety and thus making your whole journey much more enjoyable.

Helps Recover More Quickly From Certain Injuries

If you happen to injure your joints or your muscles during a ride, you might find yourself unable to continue the journey until you’ve recovered. The good thing is that CBD oil can lead to a full recovery more quickly. It will reduce your pain and have an overall positive impact on your joints and muscles. Cyclists are also happy about this. 

Helps Deal With Sore Muscles

Even if we take injuries out of the equation, chances are that your muscles might get sore from sitting in the same position and riding for a long time. Well, once again, CBD oil can be of enormous help in such situations. Simply put, it can help soothe your sore muscles, which is certainly rather significant for every rider.

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