Category: Other

1. Honda and Ducati Bringing the MotoGP Tussle to the Boil

   Posted on 9:00am Thursday 27th Sep 2018

   The 2018 MotoGP season is drawing ever closer and with just five races to go, the battle between Honda and Ducati looks set to go all the way.

   After Spaniard Marc Márquez took victory on his Honda at the weekends Aragon motorcycle Grand Prix, the gap at the top of the riders championship stretched to 72 points over rival and Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso.

   With just a maximum of 125 points still available for winning the final five races, it means barring an almighty collapse from the 25-year-old Spaniard, that particular championship is all but a done deal.

   However, not so the factory team battle, as old rivals Honda and Ducati are duking it out across the globe’s fastest patches of tarmac in a tense fight for the right to be called the number one manufacturer in bikes.

   As it stands, Ducati trail Honda by just 28-points in the standings as Ducati seek only their second ever MotoGP constructors title whilst Honda are out to bag their 24th title and seventh of the decade so far.

   Much like in MotoGP’s brother Formula One in which the fight between Mercedes and Ferrari dominance is set to go to the wire with Mercedes priced at 1/4 as of Tuesday 25th September with Betway to become champions, it appears the form sides in both series are edging the betting markets and fancied to take the ultimate crown.

   Ducati have been kept in the hunt largely thanks to Italian Andrea Dovizioso who has taken three wins and Jorge Lorenzo who has three of his own.

   Aside from the dominant Marc Márquez, Honda’s next highest championship standing rider is Britain’s Cal Crutchlow who took victory at the seasons second event in Argentina after Dovizioso took victory in the opening race on his Ducati but Crutchlow is on the LCR Honda and not a factory rider meaning his points are null and void.

   From there, a series of retirements for Dovizioso seriously hampered his and Ducati’s chances of the title but thanks to consistent performance from Lorenzo and a series of wins from Italian Dovizioso, the title fight is back on.

   Largely thanks to the retiring Dani Pedrosa who is Marquez’s team mate and has struggled to make an impact all season which has opened the door for Ducati. 

   A tepid start saw the Spaniard finish seventh in the season opener before retiring in his second outing and another seventh at the third race of the season in the USA. In fact, Pedrosa hasn't finished higher than fifth in the entire season. 
   
   
   

   A series of 6th, 7th and 8th place finishes may have kept the points flowing steadily, but had the 32-year-old been anywhere near the top of his game, then it is likely the championship would have been all but settled by now.

   Bike Specifications

   One of the best things about MotoGP is its competitiveness and this comes down to the specifications of the competing bikes.

   All engines are 1000cc and naturally aspirated and churn out 260 BHP with a power to weight ratio of 1.51 bhp/kg. The valve train benefits from four-valves per cylinder and are fuelled using unleaded 100 octane.

   All bikes are set to this specification with very few tweaks to performance being able to be made but it is in the tyres and how each bike reacts to the chosen tyres that is often the big difference.

   For example, at the last outing at Aragon, championship leader Marc Márquez opted for the softer tyre which is quicker but does not have quite the same lifespan as say the harder tyre which most of his competitors chose.

   However, after Lorenzo crashed out on the opening lap, Marquez was able to follow Dovizioso for numerous laps and thus save his tyres before late surge saw the four-time World Champion get ahead and thus strike a blow to the Ducati cause.

   Can Ducati Topple Honda?

   Yes, they certainly can but it will require team work from both lead Ducati riders Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo.

   It has been three races now since Lorenzo even so much as picked up a point (including the cancelled British GP due to rain), when he won in Austria. 

   

   A 17th-place finish and a retirement last time out has hurt the factory Ducati team and Honda has taken advantage picking up 36 points last time out to Ducati’s 20.

   Where to Next?

   A series of races in Asia and Australasia all but ends the season with the finale occurring back on Spanish soil.

   The riders head to Thailand next for a race that promises to be a step into the unknown with Ducati well aware that time is fast running out. 

    

   
   
   article supplied

2. New study reveals the UK’s most desirable bikes… but what does Carl Fogarty think?

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 4th Sep 2018

   No-one can argue about what the oldest, fastest or most expensive motorcycles are - but how do you define something’s collectability? What makes one motorbike cooler, or more iconic than another?
   
   There are plenty of lists online which claim to show the best of the best - but by comparing those claims with what people are actually hunting for and admiring online, Bikesure have produced a definitive set of Britain’s most collectible bikes.
   
   Using Google search data to get inside the minds of the UK’s bikers, Bikesure examined whether the motorbikes we often see in lists of the best, fastest and most stylish rides are actually as desirable as they seem.
   
   Bikesure’s final list reveals the 11 most searched-for and in-demand motorcycles in the UK, including:
   
   · Honda Gold Wing
   · Kawasaki Ninja
   · Ducati 916
   · Triumph Bonneville T120
   · Norton Commando
   
   Each bike is accompanied by commentary from four-times World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty, who gives his view on whether each one deserves its place – and whether there’s anything missing:
   
   “If I was choosing a bike for this or had to say what’s missing, I’d go with a Yamaha HRD 250 LC or 350 or the Honda RC30. The Honda in particular was way ahead of its time and dominated everything for a few years in circuits like the Isle of Mann TT”
   
   To see the findings in full, head here
   

3. Riding History: 3 Women Who Changed the Face of Motorcycling

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 31st Aug 2018

   Take a minute and picture a motorcyclist... Maybe you conjured a long-haired outlaw like Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy. Perhaps you visualized Ewan McGregor and his motorcycle adventures abroad. Or possibly you thought of the last motorcyclist who shot past you on the Interstate.
   
   But chances are that you thought of a man—not a woman.
   
   There are 8.4 million motorcycles registered in the United States—a tiny number compared to the 264 million registered cars and trucks. Motorcyclists are definitely a subculture and a heavily male-dominated one at that. Only 14%–about 1.18 million—of the motorcycles on American roads are registered to women. The American Motorcyclist Association encourages more women to try motorcycling if they are interested. As the AMA’s Managing Editor Jim Witters notes, “there's always room for more riders.”
   
   "Women riders should be as common as women drivers." 
   –Maggie McNally, Chair of the American Motorcyclist Association. McNally is the first female chair of the AMA in its 94-year history.
   
   But numbers aside, women motorcyclists simply haven’t broken through in the American popular imagination. That doesn’t mean there are no motorcycle heroines. In fact, there are many female motorcyclists who deserve broader public attention for their taboo-smashing derring-do and their insight into the souls of two-wheeled conveyances and the people who ride them. Three of them are particularly worthy of celebration: Lois Pryce, Melissa Holbrook Pierson, and Bessie Stringfield, three riders who took very different journeys on what Pierson calls “the perfect vehicle.”
   
   One English woman rode outward across whole continents and forged personal connections in remote and forbidden countries. Her vulnerability and good humor were her strengths.
   
   Another rode inward through her own psyche to understand the allure of motorcycles and the people who ride them. Her fearless and honest introspection were her guides.
   
   Their spiritual ancestor rode onward to confront the institutionalized racism and sexism of Jim Crow America. Her powerful faith and personal toughness were her allies.
   
   Read the full story here 

4. Book News | Suzuki Motorcycles | NOW AVAILABLE!

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 18th Aug 2018

   The definitive history of the two-stroke Suzukis, from little known machines hardly seen outside Japan to the triples that took on the world. The book covers all major markets and uses stunning contemporary photography gathered from all over the world to help owners and enthusiasts establish authenticity or simply take a trip down memory lane.

   Researched and written in Japan with the full co-operation of the factory, here in definitive detail is the story of the two-stroke Suzuki bikes – a series of models that put the company on the map, helping it to survive a difficult era that saw hundreds of Japanese motorcycle makers reduced to just four.
   
   Successful immediately, the two-stroke models defended Suzuki's honour on the tracks as well as in the showrooms, handing the company numerous world championship titles. The series has now been all but killed off, but this title helps celebrate an era when the two-stroke was king, concentrating on the 1950s through to the late-1970s.
   
   Go click for more details 

5. Pets compete to become the face of British motorcycling

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 1st Aug 2018

   A new competition has been launched for bikers to share two of their greatest loves – motorcycling and animals. The Britain’s Best Biking Buddies competition aims to sniff out pets of all shapes and sizes to discover the UK’s ultimate, four-legged biker fans. 

   Open to animals of every species, animal-loving riders have until 8^th August to enter. The winner will be the biking pal which receives the most votes in true ‘pup-idol’ fashion.

   The competition was launched following a survey by Devitt Insurance Services Ltd. to discover the public’s attitude towards motorcyclists. Findings revealed that less than 1% of road-using Brits considered bikers to be friendly. Moreover, just 2% considered motorcyclists to be approachable, while nearly half (47%) labelled bikers aggressive and intimidating – points of view the company hopes to turn on their head.

   The new campaign celebrates cherished pets, many of whom travel with their owners everywhere. To support less fortunate pets, Devitt has also announced it will donate £500 to animal charities to provide additional funds for animals who are most in need.

   Commenting on the competition, Head of Marketing at Devitt Insurance Services Ltd., Tom Warsop, said: “Motorcyclists all over the country are enjoying this year’s exceptionally good weather – but it’s not just humans enjoying the ride. Pets from all over the country are riding down a street near you!

   “Motorcyclists can often be portrayed negatively. In reality, though, Britain’s biking community is just like everyone else –  mad about their pets.

   “While all entrants to the competition are certainly adorable, it’s also essential to bear in mind safety when taking animals out for the ride. In line with this, we have produced an essentials guide to riding with pets which covers how to introduce animals to motorcycles, and the legal requirements for travelling with a hairy biker, too.”

    

   Entries for Britain’s Best Biking Buddies competition are open to all until 11:59pm 8^th August. After this time, entries will close, but voting will be open for the public to crown their winner. Entries can be viewed here by selecting “vote for your winner”.