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2007

Chatter relief for Edwards

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Chatter relief for Edwards

Colin Edwards believes Yamaha’s chronic chatter problems that dogged the YZR-M1 990cc machine at the start of last season also affected critical stability under braking.  Braking stability was a...

Burgess stays with Rossi

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Burgess stays with Rossi

Valentino Rossi said there is no doubt that he will continue his formidable partnership with Aussie crew chief Jerry Burgess in the MotoGP world championship. With Rossi announcing that he has...

Rossi: IRTA tests critical

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Rossi: IRTA tests critical

Former world champion reckons the final two pre-season tests in Qatar and Jerez will be absolutely critical in shaping the formbook in the early part of the new 800cc MotoGP world championship. Just...

800s better for Randy

13 February 2007 by Matthew BIrt

800s better for Randy

New Kawasaki number one Randy de Puniet believes the generation 800cc machines will help establish him more in the MotoGP world championship this season. The French rider has been one of the surprise...

Video: Rossi talks 800s

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Video: Rossi talks 800s

MCN caught up with seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi at this week’s Sepang MotoGP test, and he spoke with us about how the tests have gone, and how he is making the transition to the new 800cc...

OJ: 800s are easier

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

OJ: 800s are easier

Factory Kawasaki rider Olivier Jacque reckons riding in the MotoGP world championship is a much easier proposition than when he last raced full-time in 2003. Huge advances in electronics have made the...

Rossi deal no suprise

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Rossi deal no suprise

Colin Edwards said he wasn’t surprised that team-mate Valentino Rossi signed a new contract with Yamaha that will keep him in the MotoGP world championship until at least the end of 2008. Yamaha’s...

Cal faster at Calafat

13 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

Cal faster at Calafat

Rizla Suzuki completed a two-day test at Calafat, Spain yesterday and Superbike rookie Cal Crutchlow lapped faster than his more experienced team-mate Chris Walker. Crutchlow was having his first real...

Edwards' desert storm

08 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Edwards' desert storm

Colin Edwards is looking forward to continuing his recent good form when the whole MotoGP grid tests together for the first time this winter in Qatar. The three-day IRTA test gets underway next...

Jezza to ride in Qatar

08 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Jezza to ride in Qatar

British hardman Jeremy McWilliams will try and ride the new Ilmor 800cc bike in next week’s Qatar IRTA test – just four days after undergoing surgery to remove a screw from his left leg. The...

Rizla's sunshine test

08 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

Rizla's sunshine test

While we’re shivering under the heaviest snowfalls in Britain for ten years Rizla Suzuki are testing at Calafat, Spain in ideal 24-degrees of sunshine. Chris Walker completed 90 trouble-free laps...

Desert run for Stoner

08 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Desert run for Stoner

Casey Stoner returns to the scene of his greatest MotoGP triumph of his short premier class career in Qatar next. And the Australian rider is hoping to make as big an impact at the IRTA test as he did...

Hayden wary of Qatar

08 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Hayden wary of Qatar

Nicky Hayden said he doesn’t know what to expect from the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. The MotoGP champion has said this ahead of testing Honda’s new 800cc RC212V for the first time in the...

Dani waits on new parts

08 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Dani waits on new parts

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa anticipates a batch of new performance upgrades for his RC212V 800cc machine when he returns to the track for the IRTA test in Qatar on February 13. It is no secret...

The Who play at TT

08 February 2007 by MCN

The Who play at TT

ROCK supergroup The Who have confirmed that they will open the Peel Bay Festival as part of the 100th TT party celebrations on the Isle of Man on May 30. The seven-day long festival is being held in a...

Rossi 'fully focussed'

08 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Rossi 'fully focussed'

Colin Edwards has rubbished claims that factory Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi got distracted by a potential multi-million pound switch to Ferrari last season. Some have said that Rossi testing for...

Ilmor struggle in Sepang

07 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Ilmor struggle in Sepang

Andrew Pitt finished the Sepang test a massive 5.4s off the pace as it became apparent that the new Ilmor 800cc machine faces a massive task to be competitive for the start of the new MotoGP season in...

Kawasaki impress in test

07 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Kawasaki impress in test

French rider Randy de Puniet continued Kawasaki’s impressive start to the new 800cc MotoGP era in Sepang as he clocked the third best time overall. The former factory Aprilia 250 rider was third best...

Edwards on record pace

07 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Edwards on record pace

Colin Edwards gave himself a massive pre-season confidence boost in Sepang today when he ended the three-day test session with the fastest time on race and qualifying tyres. The Texas Tornado was...

Rossi happy with second

07 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Rossi happy with second

Valentino Rossi’s quest to win back the MotoGP world title saw him play second fiddle for once to team-mate Colin Edwards in Sepang. The Italian finished second fastest in Malaysia, his best time on a...

Stoner: 800s harder

07 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Stoner: 800s harder

Casey Stoner reckons the new generation 800cc machine are harder to ride than the old and more powerful 990cc MotoGP machines. The factory Ducati rider, who recently impressed in testing at his home...

Hayden wants drag cut

07 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Hayden wants drag cut

Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden is hoping he can strike a new fairing of his Honda wish list when he returns to pre-season testing action in Qatar on February 13, 2007. The 25-year-old is hoping a new...

Rossi on top in Sepang

07 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Rossi on top in Sepang

Normal service was resumed today in Malaysia as former world champion Valentino Rossi clocked the fastest time on day two at Sepang. The 27-year-old, who was just beaten to the best time by factory...

De Puniet crashes

07 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

De Puniet crashes

Randy de Puniet walked away uninjured after crashing Kawasaki’s new ZX-RR 800 for the first time on the second day of testing in Sepang. The French rider crashed at turn 10 on the 13th lap of a...

Hopkins to end Oz misery

07 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Hopkins to end Oz misery

American John Hopkins says he is determined to crack Phillip Island’s fast and flowing circuit when he goes to race Down Under in October. Hopkins shouldered some of the blame himself for his...

WSS: Ten Kate quickest

07 February 2007 by Michael Guy

WSS: Ten Kate quickest

Both Ten Kate Honda boys picked up where they left off by topping the timing sheets on the first day of testing in Valencia today. Defending Supersport Champion Sebastien Charpentier shared the...

JT fastest in Valencia

07 February 2007 by Michael Guy

JT fastest in Valencia

James Toseland has posted the quickest time at today’s test in Valencia, 0.7 seconds faster than his rivals. Toseland has been testing his two identical bikes on the opening day of the test in Spain,...

Race true test for Stoner

06 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Race true test for Stoner

Loris Capirossi has backed new factory Ducati team-mate Casey Stoner to emerge as a big threat in the 2007 MotoGP world championship, but admitted the real test for the young Aussie was yet to...

Checa set for Qatar test

06 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Checa set for Qatar test

Carlos Checa plans to complete two punishing race simulation tests in the grueling desert heat in Qatar when he resumes testing in a three-day session in Doha on February 13. The Qatar test is one of...

Testing D-day for Ducati

06 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Testing D-day for Ducati

Loris Capirossi believes the crunch test of how serious a threat Ducati’s new GP7 800cc machine will pose 2007 MotoGP world championship will come in the last two winter test sessions in Qatar and...

Hayden happier with 800

06 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Hayden happier with 800

Defending MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden has admitted he finally enjoyed riding Honda’s new RC212V 800 machine when he topped the timesheets in testing at Phillip Island. The switch from the...

Barros cautious on tyre

06 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Barros cautious on tyre

Alex Barros reckons the forthcoming IRTA test in Qatar will give him the chance to properly assess Bridgestone tyres on his new Ducati GP7. The South American was third fastest recently at the Phillip...

Tyre boost for Melandri

06 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Tyre boost for Melandri

Marco Melandri has praised Bridgestone’s front tyre after his shock winter switch from Michelin. The Gresini Honda rider has added to the many plaudits of the Bridgestone front, which has a reputation...

Bou leads World Trials

06 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

Bou leads World Trials

Spaniard Antonio Bou won Sunday’s World Indoor Trial at the Sant Jordi Stadium, Barcelona and now leads the series by six points. Montesa rider Bou set a fierce pace in the qualifiers dropping just...

Stewart wins again

06 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

Stewart wins again

James ‘Bubba’ Stewart became the first rider to win all three Anaheim Supercross races in one season when he took Saturday’s fifth round of the AMA series. It was also his fourth win of the season and...

Blog: TT resurgence

06 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

Blog: TT resurgence

After recent MCN’s laden with ‘Rutter back the TT’,  the ‘MV return to TT with Finnegan’ and ‘McGuinness sticks with Honda for TT,’ stories I was asked how come the TT has been getting so much space...