It was not the afternoon that was expected at Montmeló today, as the sixth event of the 2024 world championship season got underway. Both Alex and Marc Marquez, after being among the protagonists of today’s on-track action, could not capitalise when it mattered the most as they finished Practice in 11^th and 12^th place, respectively.
 
Nothing is irreversible, however, although there will be a little bit of extra pressure in tomorrow’s Q1 after nearly missing out of a direct seed in the final moments of the afternoon session. Alex crashed out (uninjured) at turn ten, with his tumble bringing out the yellow flags and, at the same time, taking Marc’s last opportunity away.

11^th - ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (1’39.113s)
“Obviously the crash didn’t help but it’s also true that feeling-wise it has been the best Friday of the season so far. We knew the Ducatis would suffer a bit more compared to other bikes, but it’s part of the game. We need to work ahead of tomorrow but the goal is to make it into Q2.”
 
12^th - MARC MARQUEZ #93 (1’39.153s)
“I must admit that I wasn’t feeling very comfortable already in the early stages of the afternoon session and then I couldn’t make the most of the soft tyre. It’ll be hard tomorrow as we know that Q1 is the worst session of the weekend, but we’ll give it all and see how it goes. This is not one of my favourite tracks and this Friday confirmed my worries. Let’s thing about having a great Q1 and we’ll see from there.”

Motorcycle protection specialist Furygan and D3O, the authority on impact protection, continue to innovate and protect motorcyclists with the introduction of the new Furygan D3O Full Back Evo. 

This level 2 back protector is the result of fifteen years of collaboration between the French and British companies and has been developed with the involvement of riders like Michael Dunlop (25-time winner of the Isle of Man TT). The Furygan D3O Full Back Evo is lighter, more flexible and five times more ventilated than the previous model, while maintaining the same high-performance protection, due to its new waveform geometry.

The Fury D3O Full Back Fury Evo is available in four sizes with an RRP of £40.99

Visit www.furygan.com for more information on Furygan products or to locate your nearest dealer.

2024 marks the 25th anniversary of both the legendary Hayabusa and the cult classic SV650. Both launched in 1999 to do very different jobs, their birthdays will be celebrated at Suzuki Live, which takes place at Cadwell Park on 22-23 June.

Suzuki is inviting owners to bring their bikes along to the event, with dedicated parking and display areas in the paddock reserved for ‘Busas and SVs. 

The show-and-shine style display areas will be sponsored by Dunlop, with a free pair of tyres up for grabs for the owners of the best examples on display. 

The Hayabusa and SV650 feature areas will form part of a wide range of paddock displays at the event. Suzuki will showcase its current lineup and models from its vintage fleet, there will be a number of Team Classic Suzuki race bikes on display, plus stands from the likes of the Air-Cooled Suzuki Club, the Kettle Club, and the Suzuki Owners Club. Dunlop will have staff on hand to talk tyres and tyre pressures for those riding on circuit, and Furygan will display its latest safety kit. 

When the track action stops the evening show begins, with live music from The High Rollers, talk shows featuring VIPs such as John Reynolds, Steve Parrish, and Danny Webb, as well as tech talks from Dunlop and Furygan. Food and drink will be available from a variety of on-site vendors. 

Over the two days there will be track sessions for Suzukis old and new, with sessions scheduled for everything from classic RGs and RGVs to modern GSX-Rs and GSX-Ss. There will also be a host of bikes available to test ride on the surrounding Lincolnshire roads, including the new GSX-S1000GX, the GSX-8R, and the V-Strom 800RE, as well as the third generation Hayabusa. Those interested in the latest V-Strom 800DE and V-Strom 1050DE can enjoy off-road test rides in the SR75 Suzuki V-Strom Experience Zone. 

Suzuki GB marketing manager Jak Tyrrell commented, “We’re a little over a month away from Suzuki Live and it’s set to be the biggest one yet. While there will be plenty of track sessions for those taking part, there’s going to be even more to see and do away from the circuit action, starting with the two anniversary display areas. 

“25 years is a huge milestone for two motorcycling stalwarts: the SV has provided fun, affordable motorcycling for the masses since 1999, has been the first ‘big bike’ of so many riders, and still fills racing grids at club level. And, still, a quarter of a century later, nothing comes close to a Hayabusa. It’s very easy to overuse words like ‘icon’ or ‘legend’, but that is what the Hayabusa is.” 

Suzuki Live takes place on 22-23 June at Cadwell Park. Weekend tickets cost £15 and include access to the whole paddock area, plus free camping. 

Spectator tickets and track day spaces can be booked here

Two new colour options are now available for Suzuki’s GSX-R125, including a retro-inspired blue and white livery that pays homage to the GSX-R lineage and history.

A blue tank and nose sit above white side panels and belly pan, which are adorned with the familiar blue stripes running from the front up onto the seat unit. Lightweight blue wheels complete the look.

It is joined by a more subtle all-black version, which is is accented by red decals and red wheels.

The learner-friendly race replica boasts an incredible power-to-weight ratio in the class with a free-revving, DOHC single cylinder engine, plus keyless ignition and low-rpm assist.

Find out more about the GSX-R125, here.

A defibrillator has recently been donated to the British Motor Museum by Heart Health in Business, an organisation that educates businesses on their responsibility for preventing sudden cardiac deaths. The business was set up in November 2022 by Sophie Owen, a graduate currently employed by Jaguar Land Rover. Sophie has successfully campaigned to get a defibrillator installed on her university’s campus, and has previously donated defibrillators to the University of Leicester School of Business and Ashorne Hill. 

Sophie was just 17 when she discovered a neighbour trying to resuscitate her dad, Chris, who had collapsed outside the family home, in 2019, aged just 54. Since that sad day, Sophie has become passionate about raising awareness for Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), defibrillators and CPR, as she does not want anyone else to experience the pain she did just because the right equipment or expertise was not nearby.

As part of the donation, all staff and volunteers at the British Motor Museum are encouraged to partake in CPR training to instruct them on how to use the defibrillator and possibly help save lives.

Sophie Owen, said, “My dad, a keen car enthusiast and Defender 90 owner, loved to visit the British Motor Museum at any opportunity he could - especially to see any JLR products! The Museum helped fuel my dad’s hobby and provided him with joy and happy memories that I now treasure dearly. Starting at JLR in September 2023 I was so excited to spend some of my first days at the Museum and to see exactly why my dad loved visiting so much. It was an easy choice to donate a defibrillator and cabinet to the Museum as a small way of saying thank you for providing my dad and many other families with an experience and memories to treasure”.

For more information about the British Motor Museum, please call 01926 895300, or visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk