MARCO MELANDRI WAS FINALLY ABLE TO WORK WITH FAVOURABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND IS READY FOR BATTLE.

LOTS OF LAPS WITHOUT ANY PHYSICAL ISSUE FOR SYLVAIN GUINTOLI, CONFIDENT THAT THE PROBLEM WITH HIS RIGHT SHOULDER HAS NOW BEEN RESOLVED.

Phillip Island (Australia), 18 February 2014 – There are only a few days left before the start of Superbike 2014 which will open hostilities this weekend at Phillip Island where riders and teams have already been busy for two days of testing.

For Aprilia Racing - the Italian Reigning Manufacturer World Champion and winner of 5 world titles in 4 seasons - this was the first opportunity to lap in good climatic conditions after the negative impact the weather had on the winter sessions at Portimao and Jerez. So some intense work was done without any hindrances in order to be as ready as possible when the lights turn green for the first time this season.

For Marco Melandri, in his first year astride the Aprilia RSV4, these two days can be considered positive in no uncertain terms. The rider from Ravenna, in addition to finishing the tests with the fourth best time, put in 123 laps to complete a testing schedule aimed at “moulding” the powerful Italian superbike to his needs. Consistently fast, Marco focused primarily on finding his best race pace, trying to optimise the long distance setup. In fact, tyre wear is an incredibly important factor on the fast and demanding Australian track. Being consistent throughout the entire race will therefore be a must. Despite the good times he put in, Melandri knows that there is still room for improvement and he'll be working with his team on that from the first test sessions on Friday.

Marco Melandri: “We were finally able to lap in good weather! I'm pleased because we completed the scheduled programme, gathering a lot of information from the test sessions. Now we just have to put the pieces of the puzzle together in order to find the best place to start for the weekend. I think I have a good race pace. There are still a few spots on the track that give me problems but I'm confident that we'll be able to improve. I need to focus on the fast lap for the qualifiers because starting from at least the front two rows will be very important. I definitely can't wait to finally get back to serious business”.

The unknown factor for Sylvain Guintoli was without a doubt his physical condition after the double surgery on his right shoulder. From this point of view the 92 laps the French rider put in confirm that his recovery is complete. Sylvain was also positive about these tests in terms of performance. The pace he demonstrated even in poor grip conditions places him among the potential key players for the first round of the season. Guintoli's feeling with the bike are similar to those last year when he took a win and a second place on his maiden race astride the Aprilia RSV4 which placed him at the top of the rider standings.

Sylvain Guintoli: “The most important thing is that I am feeling much better physically. The previous tests at Jerez went well too, but after the crash there and when I got back home my shoulder was hurting for a few days. Here, on the other hand, I took a lot of laps over these two days, doing the tests that we had planned and even putting in some decent times. In the afternoon, in similar conditions to what we'll probably have for the races, my RSV4 performed very well both in terms of general settings and tyre wear management. I'm confident and, just like last year, I'm ready for battle”.

Ducati UK Roadshow will visit 18 locations across the UK
• Extended test rides up to one and half hours long
• New 899 Panigale and Monster 1200 will from part of the test fleet

The Ducati Roadshow will again be travelling the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland this summer, bringing an extensive demonstrator fleet to 18 locations. The Ducati event truck and demonstrator fleet have proved popular attractions over the last few years and now the Roadshow has evolved to further enhance the customer experience.

Demonstration rides will now give the customers an extensive period of time to evaluate the bikes with accompanied test rides lasting up to one and half hours taking in a variety of roads and conditions to fully assess the bikes capabilities. Pillion riders may also join in the test rides for the chance to appraise the ergonomics of these machines.

The demonstrator fleet showcases the 2014 range including the acclaimed 899 Panigale and the soon to be launched Monster 1200. Although the 899 Panigale and the Monster 1200 will grab most of the attention there will be an extensive variety of models to choose from. The Diavel is a must to test ride appealing to all types of riders - once ridden many riders fall for the Diavel’s versatility and performance. The Multistrada and Hyperstrada are bikes that will benefit from the extended test ride allowing riders to gauge the renowned touring and sporting abilities of these bikes.

In addition to these popular bikes there will be the flagship Superbike – the 1199 Panigale and the entry level Monster 696 with an optional low seat for shorter riders and novices.

To take a test ride at any of these events, riders must have a valid motorcycle licence (both parts required) and appropriate clothing and safety gear. Local dealership staff will be on hand to give expert technical, sales and service advice and trained riders will be there to guide all test rides.

The Ducati UK event truck along with a fleet of demonstrators and display bikes kicks off at Rosso Ducati in Dublin on the 8th March before going to Moto Rapido in Winchester and then another 16 dates.

For the latest information on the Ducati Roadshow and to find your nearest dealer visit www.ducatiuk.com or contact 08456 718500.

I am now the organiser of the Classic motorcycles display and working directly with the showground.

The Lincolnshire Show takes place on Wednesday & Thursday June 18th & 19th 2014. Classic Motorcycles are welcomed for display in the classic vehicle section which is located near the main entrance.

Bikes must be rideable, roadworthy, taxed, insured, mot’d and have to be on site by 8am latest and no exit till 6pm.

Each Exhibitor gets 2 free entrance tickets per day - These are worth £22 per person. (entrance tickets include free parking in car park)

I shall be erecting a 20ft x 10ft marquee on site for display, seating, rest area and a covered trailer will be adjacent for helmets/kit etc...

A potted history of your machine will be required for the Show Brochure.

Please contact me by 25th February, to enter your bike for the show

Alan Caine [email protected] 

01472 851674 - 07778 019611

The Pata Honda World Superbike and World Supersport teams have finished pre-season testing in preparation for this weekend’s first-round championship races at Phillip Island in Australia.

The World Superbike pairing of Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea today completed their final pre-season test after two days lapping their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machines around the 4.445km Phillip Island circuit in warm and dry conditions – certainly more favourable than their last two tests in Europe.

In spite of a crash which prevented his participation in most of this afternoon's final test session, Haslam finished the Phillip Island test with the eighth-fastest time. Rea was less than two hundredths of a second behind his team-mate as both continued the development of a revised electronics system and new components.

Pata Honda’s Michael van der Mark and Lorenzo Zanetti have also been testing at Phillip Island, refining their Honda CBR600RRs in readiness for their second seasons in the World Supersport category.

Dutch ace van der Mark ended the test with the third-fastest time, less than half a second behind three-time World Supersport champion Kenan Sofuoglu, while his Italian team-mate Lorenzo Zanetti was tenth fastest.

The season proper begins for Pata Honda at Phillip Island this Friday, 21 February with the first World Supersport free practice session opening at 10.00 local time. The World Superbike riders will take to the track at 11.45 in a revised event format, which sees the first three practice sessions timed for Saturday's Superpole.

The 10 fastest riders will qualify automatically for Superpole 2, while those with the 11th to 20th fastest times will also contest Superpole 1 - the two fastest from that session moving into Superpole 2 to determine final grid positions.

The Pata Honda team has produced a short preview for this weekend's opening round of the 2014 World Superbike championship at Phillip Island, featuring interviews with Jonathan Rea, Leon Haslam and team manager Ronald ten Kate. 

This year’s MCN London Motorcycle Show certainly had a Ducati theme with three former Ducati World Superbike Champions, four World Championship winning Ducati’s and one current Moto GP Factory rider attending.

Four times World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty kicked off proceedings on Friday morning with ‘Foggy Friday’ a tribute to the most successful World Superbike rider in history. An emotional Fogarty was reunited with his quartet of title winning Ducati’s in front of a packed audience. The Four Championship winning bikes from '94', '95', '98 'and '99' had been shipped over from the Ducati museum in Bologna for this historic reunion with ‘King’ Carl.

Another historic bike that had made its way from the Ducati Museum was Mike Hailwood’s 1978 TT winning bike that was part of a display of Hailwood memorabilia.

BT Sport used the London Motorcycle show to publicly announce their commentary line-up for the 2014 Moto GP season which included former Ducati Word Superbike Champions Neil Hodgson and James Toseland as well as former Olympic Athlete and Ducati rider Iwan Thomas. They were joined by the new Ducati factory rider and MotoGP ambassador Cal Crutchlow who took time to visit the Ducati UK stand, sign autographs and chat with fans.

One of many Ducati fans to visit the stand was the acclaimed celebrity baker, Paul Hollywood. Paul who owns an 1199 Panigale tried a number of bikes for size including the Streetfighter 848 and the 1199 R Panigale. Paul also took time to see the Ducati display of World Superbike Championship winning bikes.

The Ducati UK stand would not have been complete without some race bikes on display. The centre piece of the stand included a race prepared 899 Panigale which will compete in the Ducati TriOptions Cup and an 1199 Panigale which is the Ducati Coventry entry into the British Superbike Championship.

Although racing is the lifeblood of Ducati, it was the company’s stunning range of bikes that the visitors came to see. The highlights of the 2014 range are without doubt the 899 Panigale which has received rave reviews since its launch towards the end of 2013 and the Monster 1200 which has yet to hit the market place. The Monster 1200 had been tested by the international press the previous weekend to the show and is also receiving extremely favourable reviews.

Elsewhere at the show, the California Superbike School displayed for the first time with Ducati as a partner. The highly regarded cornering school has entered into a new agreement with the brand and will be using a selection of 899 Panigale, 1199 Panigale and Monster 1200’s. For further information on the school and the upcoming dates visit www.superbikeschool.co.uk