Category: Superbikes

1. A step in the right direction for Smith in Spain‏

   Posted on 8:38am Saturday 11th Apr 2015

   Pata Honda’s Kyle Smith set the sixth fastest overall time in today’s two free practice sessions for the third round of the 2015 World Supersport Championship at Aragon in Spain.

   The two sessions proved tricky for the team who struggled with finding the right set-up for the Honda CBR600RR, but after a modification made towards the end of the last session Smith improved his lap time by a second.

   The 23 year-old will return to the track tomorrow morning for Free Practice 3 before the afternoon qualifying session, where final grid positions for Sunday’s 16-lap race will be determined.

2. SAROLEA ANNOUNCES NEW SP7 ELECTRIC SUPERBIKE

   Posted on 9:22am Friday 10th Apr 2015

   Belgium outfit Sarolea has launched its new 2015 Saroléa Electric Superbike at Autoworld, the vintage car museum in the centre of Brussels.

   The new Saroléa is an evolution of the 2014 model and has been modified and enhanced on a number of levels. The Belgian team is now targeting a podium place at this year's SES TT Zero Race on the Isle of Man. The talented Scottish rider Robert Wilson, who flew over for the presentation, will once again ride the Saroléa SP7.

   Team Saroléa are using the data obtained during last year's race and testing to optimize and improve its motorcycle. The new design has improved aerodynamics, which will provide higher top speeds. The motorcycle is considerably slimmer which also enhances the position for the rider.

   Modifications to shift the centre of gravity will also increase the bikes handling. Saroléa has also managed to reduce the bike's weight. The modifications are mainly related to the use of more Carbon Fibre and more Titanium parts as well as the use of 3D printed parts.

   A proprietary Vehicle Control Unit and Battery Management System have been implemented. All communication is now flowing through fibre optics.

   The biggest improvement however is the new motor. It has been entirely developed in house and it has a major increase in torque. Early tests by Saroléa are demonstrating a 50% increase.

   With the launch of the new SP7, it is clear Saroléa wants to become one of the major brands on the electric motorcycle racing scene. Saroléa is using the extreme racing conditions presented by the TT Mountain Course as a research and development platform for its propriety Saroléa Electric Drivetrain.

   

    

   Bike specifications

   
   SAROLEA SP7 ELECTRIC SUPERBIKE

   Total Weight (kg) - 190
   Acceleration 0-100 kph (0-60 mph) - 2.8 sec
   Maximum Speed (kph [mph]) - 270 [168]

   
   TYRES:
   Front - Bridgestone Racing Battlax V02 120/600R17
   Rear - Bridgestone Racing Battlax V02 200/655R17

   
   BRAKES:
   Front - Beringer 320mm Aeronal discs with Aerotec Radial Calipers
   Rear - Beringer Aerotec 2D1 caliper

   
   Maximum Output (KW [hp]) - 110 [150]
   (Isle of Man configuration)
   Maximum Torque (Nm) - 900
   Battery Output Voltage (V) - 370 or more

   
   PARTNERS

   Bridgestone Europe
   Beta Tools
   DQ Advocates
   Punch
   Motokouture
   Seco Tools
   Beringer
   Autoworld Brussels
   Benton Apps
   Atelier Noterman
   Stoddart Racing

3. Smith seeks ‘home’ success in Spain‏

   Posted on 8:32am Friday 10th Apr 2015

   Pata Honda World Supersport rider Kyle Smith returns to Europe this weekend for round three of the 2015 World Supersport championship at Motorland Aragon in Spain.

   Although born in Huddersfield in the UK, Smith, 23, has lived in Spain since the age of six and knows the 5.077km Aragon circuit well having scored a podium finish in last season's Superstock 1000 series on a Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade.

   For this season he has switched to the World Supersport Pata Honda CBR600RR and just missed out on a debut podium during the opening race at Phillip Island in Australia. Smith crashed out of the last round at Buriram in Thailand so will be looking to make amends during Sunday’s 16-lap third-round encounter.

4. Honda Racing leaves the official pre-Le Mans test positive‏

   Posted on 9:38am Thursday 2nd Apr 2015

   Honda Racing has completed a two-day pre-Le Mans test at the Bugatti circuit in preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, which will take place in a few weeks time on 18-19 April.

   All the main contenders were in Le Mans for this dress rehearsal before the 2015 season kicks off - there was no official timing for the test. The first day began on a wet track before the sun appeared in the afternoon, but cold weather conditions made the track very tricky.

   Endurance specialists Freddy Foray, Julien Da Costa and Sébastien Gimbert mainly worked on the performance of the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP in race conditions. The squad also made the most of the test to perfect its tactical plan for the 24 Hour race in a few weeks time.

   This test was ahead of the 24 Hours Motos launch that will be hosted in Paris tomorrow (2 April) at Goodyear Dunlop Tyres France. Freddy Foray and Julien Da Costa will attend the press conference where the teams Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP will also be displayed. 

5. CONTACT WITH MARQUEZ KNOCKS BAUTISTA OUT OF THE GAME

   Posted on 11:00pm Sunday 29th Mar 2015

   MELANDRI RIDES HIS RS-GP ACROSS THE WIRE TO FINISH ITS FIRST RACE

   Losail (Qatar), 29 March 2015 - The first race for the RS-GP was long-awaited by the entire Aprilia Racing Team Gresini as an essential test to assess how far development has come on the young project in an actual competition.

   But contact with Marc Marquez in turn 6 of the first lap put Alvaro Bautista - the rider who had shown the most encouraging progress throughout the weekend - out of the game, damaging the front left brake lines and the sensors.

   Marco Melandri rode his Aprilia across the wire, accumulating laps, information and sensations that will be important for the RS-GP growth process.
   
   
   ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
   "It's a shame about what happened to Alvaro because of everything this weekend, this was the most long-awaited test. The most important. It would have been truly essential to see where Alvaro would have placed in comparison to that big pack he was fighting in through the first turns of the race, but unfortunately the move Marquez made damaged the bike too badly for it to continue. This was our spirit taking on the first race because it was a test, and this is how it will be in this initial phase of the season, both for the bike and the entire team. Now we need to analyse all the data Marco collected, since he rode his RS-GP all the way to the finish."
   
   FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
   "What happened in the first race was an important experience for Alvaro and for the entire team, especially in order to bring home all that information that only a race can provide. It's a good sign that Marco finished his race. Of course that isn't enough and we have a lot of work to do in order to improve, but it is a first signal to start from."
   
   ALVARO BAUTISTA
   "Unfortunately the race test that we had planned ended straight away: Marquez got off to a bad start and he wanted to make up positions quickly, but without considering the fact that there were other riders on the track. In turn 6 he squeezed between Barbera and me, I have no idea how, hitting me and ruining the front brake area, lines and sensors. It was impossible to continue. I'm sorry because Marc is a good guy, but he has been too aggressive in the past in these types of situations. I think it is only right to point it out to him because it's risky. Today I was lucky because I didn't crash, but it doesn't take much to get hurt out there. So, like I said, we weren't able to complete our test today but we must not forget this episode and we need to be thinking about the next round in Austin already. It is a very different track than this one where we'll have the opportunity to check all the data gathered this weekend to develop the bike and look for ways to improve."
   
   MARCO MELANDRI
   "It wasn't the fastest race of my life, but on a new bike in a new category it's what we expected. On the other hand, we finished the race, our first true long run, and we gathered a lot of data that will be essential to our development process. We need time. When the bike starts working well my riding style will also improve and we'll be able to take a decisive step. Now it's up to the guys at Aprilia to interpret my sensations and translate them into changes to the RS-GP. We have some more complicated races ahead of us, since I am unfamiliar with the Austin and Argentina tracks, but they will give us more pointers to work on."