Category: Superbikes

1. British Superbike ace Bradley Ray passes motorcycle test on SV650

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 14th Nov 2018

   Buildbase Suzuki’s Bradley Ray has today passed his motorcycle test, the British Superbike race-winner completing his Module Two assessment on a restricted SV650.

   Ray completed his Module One last month, which involved assessment of his machine control and ability to complete manoeuvres such as a figure of eight and an avoidance test. Today’s Module Two saw him take to the roads and his safety and awareness evaluated, where he again passed with flying colours.

   While Ray’s riding had previously been limited to the race track – he will again return to British Superbike action in 2019 onboard a GSX-R1000R – the 21-year-old can now enjoy the delights of riding on the road, and is currently considering a V-Strom 650 as his road bike.

   Bradley Ray, “I thought I was nervous for the first part but it went up a gear today. I think I put myself under a lot more pressure for the road bit, but I did some more training with Tom from Shires [Motorcycle Training] again yesterday and the examiner was quite reassuring to be fair, and I relaxed a bit more as it went on. But the relief afterwards was unreal, honestly. I was genuinely so happy. It’s a shame we’re getting into the winter now, but I’m eyeing up either an SV650 or V-Strom 650 for next year and looking forward to getting on the road and just enjoying motorcycling. Everyone should do it.”

   For more information on the SV650, click here. A2 restrictor kits are available through authorised dealerships.

2. Triple M Honda World Superbike Team withdraws from Qatar WorldSBK round

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 23rd Oct 2018

   The Triple M Honda World Superbike Team will not participate in the WorldSBK season finale in Qatar this weekend due to an injury to rider Florian Marino.
   Marino suffered fractures in his left leg following a crash in Race 2 at the previous round in Argentina, after a promising WorldSBK debut in Race 1 where he claimed eleventh place.
   
   With Marino injured, the team has opted to withdraw from the Qatar round and will now switch its focus to preparing for the 2019 season.

3. Gagne returns to the top ten in Argentina

   Posted on 11:00pm Sunday 14th Oct 2018

   Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team’s Jake Gagne fought his way into the top ten with a spirited Race 2 at the Circuito San Juan Villicum as teammate Leon Camier was forced to retire.
   Lining up in twelfth for Race 2, Leon Camier fought to hold his position into the tight first corner as the lights went out in Argentina. Behind, Jake Gagne moved up to twelfth from fourteenth on the grid as he looked to make amends for Saturday’s crash. The fighting was fierce and Camier found himself again forced to run off track, dropping to eighteenth on lap two while Gagne continued to chase the top ten.
   Unfortunately, a technical issue saw Leon Camier retire on lap eight. Gagne had meanwhile become embroiled in a battle with Michael van der Mark, the Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team rider holding his own for several laps against the Dutchman before Gagne developed a vibration issue. Gagne’s pace saw him hold tenth place comfortably in the final third of the race, earning his third top ten finish of 2018.
   As the final round of the 2018 season looms, Camier remains on 108 championship points as Gagne moves up to 57 points and seventeenth in the championship.
   The Losail International Circuit will host the final round of the 2018 FIM Superbike World Championship, with its traditional Friday and Saturday night races meaning the weekend runs from the October 25 to 27.

4. Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team Ready for Argentina Adventure

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 10th Oct 2018

   The Circuito San Juan Villicum will host its inaugural round of the World Superbike Championship, Round 12 of the 2018 season. As a new venue for the entire grid, the circuit presents a level playing field with no previous setup data for teams to work from.
   Both Leon Camier and Jake Gagne are looking to build off their pace in France, where they improved on their CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 machines each session.
   Camier is expecting a busy weekend of setup work without any previous reference for riding at the track. The opening sessions will be crucial for understanding the direction for the remainder of the weekend. For Gagne, the Circuito San Juan Villicum offers a chance to learn with the rest of the field, rather than trying to catch up to years of previous experience.
   Riders will get their first taste of the circuit on Thursday during the track walk, but Villicum looks set to present a sizeable challenge with its 19 corners and 1 kilometre long straight. The eight right hand corners and 11 lefts present a mix of fast and flowing corners, such as Turn 5, and tight technical sections as from Turn 13 to 16.
   The twelfth round of the WorldSBK championship commences with Free Practice 1 at 0945 local time (GMT -3) on Friday. Race 1, the first ever race at Villicum, will begin at 1600 local time on Saturday, while Race 2 on Sunday starts at 1600.

    

5. European season complete for Triple M Honda World Superbike Team

   Posted on 8:00pm Sunday 30th Sep 2018

   The Triple M Honda World Superbike team finished the European rounds of what is a rookie season for both team and rider in the WorldSBK Championship with important lessons learned for the final two rounds of the year.
   The challenges of the Magny-Cours circuit were new for the Triple M team and PJ Jacobsen, and after Friday practice, Jacobsen qualified 17th of 21 riders on the grid, after Superpole 1 on Saturday morning.
   The opening race took place at 13.00, the Sunday race at the new normal of 15.15, with each lasting for 21-laps of the 4.411km circuit in the very heart of the French countryside.
   Moving up to 15th position in race one, a position he held from lap three to lap six; PJ would eventually drop down one place to finish 16th, and just one position away from scoring a championship point.
   The second race, held in only slightly warmer conditions, saw PJ ride behind his countryman Jake Gagne for a time, ending up 17th and again just missing a championship point.
   After 11 of the 13 rounds, PJ sits 19th overall in the championship standings.
   WorldSBK will hold the next round in Argentina for the very first time, at the all-new El Villicum circuit, between 12th and 14th October.