ALEIX ESPARGARÓ GOES STRAIGHT THROUGH TO Q2 FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN A ROW

HE’LL START FROM THE THIRD ROW IN THE SPANISH GP IN JEREZ

LORENZO SAVADORI IMPROVES HIS PACE BUT STILL PAYS THE PRICE FOR INEXPERIENCE IN QUALIFYING

The RS-GP improves and Aleix Espargaró confirms, once again in Jerez, that he is at ease in the top spots of the MotoGP standings. For the fourth consecutive time in as many race weekends, he goes straight through to Q2, thanks to the fifth-place time earned in the morning FP3 session with a fantastic time of 1’37.049.

In fact, two crashes in the FP4 session just a few minutes before qualifying forced him to change bikes for the decisive session. Aleix reacted extremely well, lapping only a few thousandths of a second off his time in the practice sessions and, with a time of 1’37.085, he took the centre spot on the third row of a starting grid characterised – as it usually is these days – by extremely narrow gaps between the top riders.

Lorenzo Savadori made clear progress in terms of pace, but had to pay the price of being a rookie in MotoGP during qualifiers. He finished with a time of 1’38.325 (but in FP3 he had lapped at 1’37.814) which places him on the eighth row of the starting grid for tomorrow.

ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I don’t think the result in qualifying is entirely indicative. Today we once again demonstrated great competitiveness. In race configuration with used tyres, I think that only a few other riders have a pace better than ours. Unfortunately, we may still be missing a bit of power in qualifying to take full advantage of the soft tyre’s grip, but if we look at the gaps, we're really only talking about thousandths of a second. For the race, it will be essential to get a good start, which will allow us to gain a few positions in the early stages. After that, everything will play out based on tyre wear in the final laps. I'm not obsessed by the result. The thing that comforts me most is that we have been among the favourites for an important position every race weekend so far. This means that we’ve taken a clear step forward and that we are working in the right direction."

LORENZO SAVADORI
"Things went rather well overall today. In terms of pace, we were able to improve my feeling. On the other hand, I still need time to work on riding at the limit, for example in qualifying, where things get more complicated for me. It seems repetitive, but these bikes are extremely stiff and, compared to the factory derivative bikes, movements are far less accentuated. This doesn’t help me when I'm trying to find the limit and, given the high competitiveness of the championship, you always have to ride at 100%. The increased wind in the afternoon also didn’t help, as my crash in FP4 demonstrates."

The autojumble launched in 2019, was a true success and after a hiatus for 2020 due to the pandemic, Stratford Autojumbles are delighted to announce that they have secured sponsorship with RH Insurance again for 2021.

Both events will be making their return to Stratford-upon-Avon racecourse on June 13 and September 5 and are anticipated to build further upon their success achieved in their debut year in 2019.

Emma Airey, Head of RH, says: “To say we’re excited to attend Stratford Autojumbles this year is an understatement! This year’s event promises to be a welcome return for traders and visitors alike after so long away from the scene…we can’t wait!”

The team at Mortons have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure that both traders and visitors can enjoy the return of the events safely and have been delighted with the response on trade bookings and ticket sales so far.

With events such as this being on pause for such a long time, taking steps such as securing sponsorship is a positive move towards getting things back on track and is great news for the classic events scene all round.

Stratford Autojumble offers a vast array of parts, restoration services and related products for a variety of vehicles. Tickets for the events are on sale now and have been held at the bargain price of just £5 per adult.

www.stratfordautojumble.co.uk 

THE SPANISH RIDER IS THIRD AND HAS A GOOD PACE AT THE END OF THE FIRST DAY IN JEREZ

LORENZO SAVADORI IS ALSO LOOKING GOOD AS HE IMPROVES IN THE SADDLE OF HIS RS-GP


The good trend for Aleix Espargaró and his Aprilia RS-GP, already among the protagonists in the early races of the season, found confirmation on the first day of practice in Jerez.

Aleix finished the first two sessions comforted by his time, finishing third (1’37.646) and staying consistently in the top positions.

But he especially demonstrated an extremely consistent pace: Aleix was the only rider on the track to lap below 1’38 five times. His second run was spectacular with 1’37.9, 1’37.8 and 1’37.9, all in a row. He then finished his third run with a 1’37.6 and a 1’37.7.

In short, it was a good start that places him among the candidates to go straight through to the Q2 session tomorrow, decisive in defining the grid for the Spanish GP on Sunday.

Lorenzo Savadori closed out his Friday with the 19th best time (1,38.594), seven tenths of a second from the top ten. With such close standings, a sign of the great balance in the MotoGP championship, any progress at all is important and Lorenzo continues improving.

ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"It’s only Friday, but being fast right from the first lap is important. Especially looking at the pace in race configuration, I think I was one of the more competitive riders. Tomorrow I expect the track conditions to change and that could shake things up for everyone. In any case, there is no doubt as to our speed, even if I was unable to improve a lot in the time attack on the soft tyre. On a track like this one, overtaking is no simple thing, so our goal for tomorrow will have to be the first three rows at the very least."

LORENZO SAVADORI
"Today was a good day, despite the fact that I wasn’t able to make a difference on the soft tyre. These are things that are part of my growing process in this category. The positive thing is that we figured out where we need to make changes to improve more, so we’ll try already tomorrow."

Suzuki has shown the colour options available on its 2021 V-Strom 1050 and V-Strom 1050XT, with bikes arriving in dealerships now.

Launched last year, the range-topping V-Strom 1050XT – which comes complete with three selectable engine maps, traction control with three modes, lean angle-sensitive ABS with two modes, linked brakes with slope and load-dependent control and hill hold, plus cruise control – remains available in the popular orange and white, DR750-inspired livery, but for 2021 it is joined by a classy, steely grey with blue decals and blue and grey seat, completed by blue spoked wheels.

An updated yellow option also features, unashamedly influenced by the firm’s RM-Z motocross range, with a black tank and gold rims. Gold rims also feature on an otherwise all black version, bar subtle grey and gold decals.

The V-Strom 1050 – which uses the same 107PS V-twin engine and many of the same electronics features as the XT but swaps the spokes for cast aluminium wheels and loses the standard fit engine bars and hand guards to come in at £9,999 – is available in a bold red and black livery and a more subtle all black option.

The new-for-2021 colours on the V-Strom 1050XT also apply to the Tour edition, which adds black three piece aluminium luggage as standard with 112 litres of storage space. With an RRP of £12,799 it equates to a saving of £370 over the purchase of the individual items.

Visit bikes.suzuki.co.uk/bikes/adventure to find out more.

To cover the KTM 890 Adventure's broad range of use, Touratech offers an extensive selection of accessories. This selection includes luggage systems, protectors, ergonomically designed parts and lots of practical accessories.

Luggage systems
For transporting luggage, there is the tried and tested pannier rack made of robust 18 mm stainless steel tubing, which has been perfectly adapted to the geometry of the 890. The rack - available with an electro-polished or black-coated surface - can be fitted with the complete range of ZEGA aluminium panniers. This clever, specially designed system fits tightly around the rear silencer, making particularly efficient use of the space available at the rear and saving on overall width. A topcase rack and luggage plates are also available for securely lashing a luggage roll.
In addition, there is a choice of numerous soft luggage items including three model-specific tank bags and a range of other bags.
Protectors
Of course, robust protector equipment is an absolute must on a meaty enduro like the KTM 790 Adventure. The three-piece Rallye Evo engine guard is designed for tough use. It consists of an extra-robust Skid Plate made of canted aluminium and hydro-formed side panels that hug the engine tightly with their complex three-dimensional design. If you want to continue using the standard KTM engine guard, Touratech offers a Hard Part for reinforcement. A strong bracket made of 25 mm stainless steel tube is responsible for protecting the fairing and the tank. The brand new Defensa hand protectors are, of course, also available for the 890. Thanks to diverse configurations, they can be perfectly adapted to different usage profiles, from hard enduro riding to touring.
Effective protectors for sensors, expansion tanks or headlight round off the selection.
Ergonomics
And, when it comes to ergonomics, the 890 Adventure can also be further upgraded with Touratech Parts. Comfort seats, which are available in three heights, ensure optimum long-distance capability. The Pivot Pegz articulated foot pegs, or wide long-distance foot pegs, and handlebar risers are excellent for off-road use, while the windscreen is a favourite with tour riders.
Riders who don't like the Adventure's airy seat height will be thrilled by the 30 millimetre lowering of the suspension.
Accessories
Touratech also offers a huge range of accessories for the KTM 890 Adventure - from adjustable handlebar levers and a professional tool set through to support widening for the legendary kick stand - providing that little extra bit of riding enjoyment and practical benefit.

Touratech Parts for KTM 890 Adventure (selection)
• Stainless steel tank crash bar
• Stainless steel fairing crash bar
• Rally Evo engine guard
• Defensa hand protectors
• Headlight protection
• Long-distance foot pegs
• Handlebar riser
• Comfort seat (available in three heights)
• Windscreen
• Topcase rack
• Stainless steel pannier rack
• ZEGA Topcase
• ZEGA Aluminium pannier
• Ambato Exp tank bag
• Ambato Pure tank bag
• Ambato Exp Rallye tank bag
• Ambato tail rack bag for the luggage rack
• Suspension lowering