2002 | Page 22

MZ unveils ‘250bhp’ V4 GP bike

04 February 2002

THESE are the first pictures of MZ’s contender for the new four-stroke MotoGP series. At the bike’s launch in Leipzig, Germany, the firm announced that a version of the bike’s 250bhp, 90-degree V4...

They must work out

04 February 2002

That’s a fine six-pack you ladies share…

Parrish quits truck racing, Rymer takes over

04 February 2002

Steve Parrish has retired from European Truck Racing. The former GP racer won five European and five British Championships during his 17 years with Atkins Racing. Parrish, 47, said, ” It will only...

Michael Rutter: In his own words

04 February 2002

Monkeyman2000: What’s the new bike like? MichaelRutter: You know, fantastic, to be honest with you. So smooth and easy to ride to be honest with you. Any gear you want to be in, it just pulls like a train monkeyman2000: Do you think it’s a gamble riding for a new team? MichaelRutter: No, not really, because sometimes when you’ve got a new team, some teams are stuck in their ways sometimes, and a...

Aprilia plays down reliability fears

04 February 2002

Noriyuki Haga’s Aprilia team has dismissed the mechanical disasters it suffered at the Phillip Island WSB tests as a normal part of pre-season shake-downs. Haga blew up three of the latest versions of...

Foggy WSB project up against it

04 February 2002

Foggy won’t know if his WSB project has any hope of getting off the ground this year until the end of April. By then the first three-cylinder engine must have completed extensive bench testing, or the...

Your eyes will be drawn in

04 February 2002

The words zip and teeth come to mind…

Walker: I’m going slow what ever I try’

04 February 2002

Chris Walker is facing an uphill battle to restore his shattered confidence before for the next WSB test at Valencia, Spain. He came away from Australia’s first tests as the slowest of all the WSB...

Remember her?

04 February 2002

She might remember you, from the 2002 Ally Pally Show, which ended on Sunday.

Do you know the next Suzi?

04 February 2002

Sky Sports TV bosses are looking for a female presenter to their new hour-long British club racing highlights programme. Series producer Kenny Kaye, said: ” We want someone who is vibrant and knows a...

It’s Carmichael again

04 February 2002

Jeremy McGrath may be on his way back to form, but it was Ricky Carmichael who took his second win on the trot in the 250 AMA Supercross at Anaheim at the weekend. Defending Champion Carmichael made...

Beavis and nicebutt

01 February 2002

Heh heh heh heh… she said ” Fuchs ” …heh heh huhur

Don’t under-estimate the Blade

01 February 2002

Former British champ Matt Llewellyn needed just 10 minutes on board the Motopower FireBlade to decide it was the bike for him for the 2002 British superbike series. The 34-year-old said: ” The bike...

Everybody happy?

01 February 2002

What’s tickling her fancy?

Bostrom: In his own words

01 February 2002

Belfez: Ben, During last season you had a terrific run of form with back to back wins. But then at the next race you seemed to only do a little practice, (according to the commentators) and you were seen lounging around the pit lane as if you couldn’t be bothered trying, or perhaps you had proved a point and/or had orders from above. So do tell, why did things go pear-shaped? BenBostrom: After...

Rossi ends row with Honda

01 February 2002

Valentino Rossi ended his contract row with Honda on Friday and signed a two-year deal to ride the four-stroke RCV. The 22-year-old Italian will fly to Japan tomorrow to officially sign and attend a...

Open wide

01 February 2002

White was not a good choice for the ” drink a yard of ale tipped off a balcony ” competition.

Sauber GP project is revived

01 February 2002

SAUBER’S four-stroke GP project is definitely back on – and the bike could be tested again within six weeks. Development of the GP1, which was given its public debut by Niall Mackenzie in Malaysia...

GP noise limit raised to 125dB

01 February 2002

NOISE limits for the new four-stroke GP class have been raised to make the series more appealing to fans. There had been a concern that under the current limit of 113dB post-race (110dB pre-race),...

Bayliss fastest, Walker slowest in Oz

01 February 2002

Troy Bayliss made it clear to his rivals that he won’t be giving up his world title without a struggle, after posting the fastest time of the first official test of the WSB year. As everyone suspected...

Dunlop pay-out threatens vital TT entries

28 January 2002

Grids for the make-or-break 2002 TT could dwindle in the wake of Robert Dunlop’s £700,000 compensation settlement. Dunlop’s award, made on January 17 this year, was for injuries sustained following...

Foggy: We’re on course despite Suter switch

28 January 2002

Carl Fogarty remains upbeat and is convinced his team is on schedule to start testing the new FP1 superbike early in April, despite the switch from Sauber to Suter Racing Technology (SRT). According...

Foxhill back in the big time

28 January 2002

Motocross Grand Prix circuit Foxhill returns to the big time when the Wiltshire venue stages the second round of a new professional British motocross series in June. The famous venue will stage the second round of the new five-round international motocross championship promoted by Future West with sanction from the AMCA. The new series is a direct rival to the established eight-round Maxxis...

That’s a sheer material

28 January 2002

When the Bjork-alike asked Haga for his autograph she didn’t reckon on his previous life as a sign painter

Emmett and Brown to join £2 million squad

28 January 2002

Sean Emmett and Paul Brown are in line to lead a £2 million British Superbike team this year. The pair are set to join a four-man squad, with two riders on Ducati 996s and another two on GSX-R1000s.

Hislop angry over BSB prize money

28 January 2002

Steve Hislop feels he’s going to miss out on earnings in 2002 because of a new ruling over prize money in the British superbike series 40-year-old Hizzy has agreed terms to ride the MonsterMob Ducati...

Checa tries latest M1 at Almeria

28 January 2002

Carlos Checa has been out on the latest version of Yamaha’s factory four-stroke YZR-M1 at Almeria this week. The Marlboro Yamaha rider evaluated new engine and suspension parts in his first outing...

Edwards says Honda needs more bhp to compete

28 January 2002

Colin Edwards matched world champion Troy Bayliss on time in the first major WSB test of the year, but said his Honda needed more power to have a chance of catching Bayliss’s new Ducati in the heat of...

Bayliss fastest, Hodgson and Walker happy after day one of Oz test

28 January 2002

Reigning World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss was fastest after Wednesday’s first sessions of the official WSB testing at Phillip Island in Australia. Bayliss managed to take his new Ducati 998R to a...

What’s saggy about this?

28 January 2002

Yamaha’s pit crew set the sag on the paddock bike

Jefferies to ride in British supermoto championship

28 January 2002

David Jefferies may still be without a ride in BSB this season, but he will be at least be appearing in at least one British championship after signing to the Vertemati factory Supermoto...

Stuck on you

28 January 2002

Will somebody please remove this motorcycle from our elbows?

Bostrom Webchat: Full transcript added

28 January 2002

Ben Bostrom has his fingers crossed for Chris Walker this season and he’s hoping to see him among the front-runners in WSB. In a live web chat on this site on Thursday morning, Bostrom said: ” I want...

Walker among crashers in Oz test

28 January 2002

Strong winds stopped any faster times being logged by the top World Superbike riders at Phillip Island on Thursday – but did cause a spate of crashes. Winds whipping in off the sea, just a few yards...

Ducati to unveil GP engine

28 January 2002

Ducati will unveil details of the new four-stroke GP motor it will race in 2003 on Monday. The Italian marque will release computer aided images of the new engine, plus technical details about the new bike which has been under development since bosses announced at last year’s Spanish GP in Jerez that it would enter the four-stroke fray. Four-stroke mania is gathering more and more momentum with...

The right lines

28 January 2002

All the riders agreed that the changes to the Assen curves were an improvement. Today’s caption, courtesy of titusr