2007 | Page 67

Rossi backs Edwards

27 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has backed factory Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards to make his big MotoGP breakthrough in 2007 – because the new 800cc bikes are more like a superbike. Double World Superbike champion...

GP champ's pain fades

27 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden is confident that his right shoulder will be restored to full fitness in time for the start of the 2007 MotoGP world championship in Qatar on March 10, 2007. Hayden returned to action in...

Loris wants fast start

27 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi is confident he can maintain the good form he showed at the end of the recent Sepang test session where he finished third fastest when he returns to the track on Tuesday at Phillip...

Hopper wants 16” tryout

27 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

John Hopkins said he would try a Bridgestone 16-inch front tyre in Australia this week if one became available. Despite Bridgestone bosses pledging not to follow rivals Michelin by switching to a new...

Pensioner for 2008 Dakar

27 January 2007 by Gary Pinchin

Tackling the Dakar Rally at 65 and becoming its oldest ever competitor was never going to be easy. But despite being forced out by freak sandstorms Scotland’s Robbie Allan is already targeting the...

Hayden rules out diet

27 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden says he won’t go on a crash diet to help him adjust to Honda’s small new RC212V 800cc MotoGP mchine. Before Christmas Hayden had hinted he might need to shed weight to help him make the...

Marco: "right to move"

27 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Bridgestone’s renowned front tyre has already convinced Marco Melandri that he was right to switch from Michelin at the end of last season. The Italian has been impressed with the Bridgestone front in...

Win your racing dream

26 January 2007 by MCN

If you ever fancied having a go at racing, here’s your chance. For the price of a £20 competition ticket www.givemethekeys.com are giving away a Cagiva Raptor 650 race bike and full spares package to...

Rossi wants record haul

26 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has targeted a 300-point haul to win back his MotoGP world championship crown. Rossi is still smarting after throwing away the title when he crashed out of the last round decider with...

Pedrosa wants new parts

26 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa is hoping he will get some new parts from Honda in time for this week’s Phillip Island test in a bid to spark some momentum into his 2007 pre-season campaign. The Spaniard was...

Tyre war heats up

26 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

American Colin Edwards believes it is too early to gauge whether Michelin’s new 16-inch front tyre will be a match for its Bridgestone rival in the 2007 MotoGP world championship. Michelin is pushing...

Melandri finding style

26 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Italian Marco Melandri believes he is slowly adapting his style to suit the new generation 800cc machines. The former world 250 champion has only tested Honda’s new RC212V twice and after finishing in...

Brit's Hawkstone bid

26 January 2007 by Gary Pinchin

British hero Billy Mackenzie is aiming to upset the world’s motocross stars at this year’s Hawkstone Park International in Shropshire on Sunday, March 4, 2007. Many of the leading factory riders use...

Edwards: 'BHP to spare'

26 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards reckons Yamaha has played it safe so far in the new 800cc MotoGP era and still has plenty more engine performance to come before the start of the 2007 season in Qatar. The Texas Tornado...

WSB final testing

26 January 2007 by Michael Guy

World Superbike testing enters its final stage in February with all the top teams completing their own tests at various tracks around the world. First to get on track are the factory Kawasaki squad...

Video: Kiyo on 07 Blade

25 January 2007 by MCN

Surprise attendee at the Sepang MotoGP test was Ryuichi Kiyonari. He was out on a Suzuka Eight Hour-spec Fireblade. Watch this video to hear just how different it sounds from the MotoGP bikes.

Kawasaki after Nakano

25 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Kawasaki’s technical chief Ichiro Yoda has admitted losing Shinya Nakano at the end of 2006 was a big blow. But Yoda added it shouldn’t seriously hamper development of the new ZX-RR 800cc...

Edwards praises tyre

25 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards was raving about the performance of Michelin’s new 16- inch front tyre in Sepang this week (January 2007). The French tyre company is pushing all of its top riders to try the smaller...

Loris: Bike at 80 per cent

25 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi believes Ducati’s new 800cc contender is only at 80 per cent of its potential as the Italian continues to seek electronic improvements to the V4 GP7. The former world 125 and 250...

Vale's hairy pair

25 January 2007 by Chris Newbigging

You’ve got to hand it to Rossi, he’s finding more and more ways to be wacky and different. Now he’s wearing boots covered in horse hair. MCN’s GP Reporter Matt Birt spotted the mad footwear as Rossi...

Ellison's Valencia focus

25 January 2007 by Michael Guy

Dean Ellison made his WSB testing debut earlier this month and is currently preparing himself for a second test in Valencia in less than two weeks time. After a steady start, Ellison has had time to...

Jezza reveals setback

25 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Jeremy McWilliams is confident he will be able to return to MotoGP action at next month’s Qatar IRTA test. The hope is still there after a blunder by Spanish surgeons could have shattered his dreams...

WSB preview questions

25 January 2007 by Michael Guy

What do you want to know? MCN are currently working on their comprehensive WSB season preview where we’ll be finding out about James Toseland’s thoughts and aspirations for the year ahead. Now we...

North West 200 launch

24 January 2007 by Gary Pinchin

The stature of the North West 200 road race meeting in Northern Ireland was underlined this week. The Northern Ireland Secretary of State Peter Hain attended the launch of the 2007 races at the...

Guintoli's crash ban

24 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

French MotoGP rookie Sylvain Guintoli’s baptism of fire continued in Sepang today when Yamaha barred him from riding after two crashes on the first two days. After a first day spill, the Tech 3 rider...

Vermeulen's experience

24 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Rizla Suzuki rider Chris Vermeulen believes he can make a big impact in his second MotoGP campaign after another confidence boosting test in Sepang. The Aussie set his best time on a Bridgestone...

Rossi on electronics

24 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi topped the timesheets at the Sepang to signal his intent to claim back the MotoGP world crown before denying that the new 800cc machines placed more emphasis back in rider...

Hayden's work ahead

24 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Nicky Hayden admitted Honda has plenty of work to do if he has any hope of retaining his world title. The American came to this conclusion after a tough return to the track in...

Tardozzi: 999 is dead

24 January 2007 by Michael Guy

Xerox Ducati team boss Davide Tardozzi has warned that WSB will suffer in 2008 if Ducati aren’t allowed to race their new flagship 1098 sports bike. Speaking to MCN, Tardozzi admitted that although...

Video: Sepang test day 2

24 January 2007 by MCN

We have exclusive footage of day two at Sepang from MCN’s MotoGP, writer Matthew Birt.

Sepang: Day 3

24 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi left his best till last, but ended the three day Sepang MotoGP test fastest after spending the first two days chasing Suzukis. Rossi’s best lap of 2:00.93 was the only one under the...

Yukio's MotoGP holiday

24 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Former British Superbike favourite and current factory Suzuki WSB rider Yukio Kagayama has cropped up in the paddock at the Sepang test – on a jolly! Kagayama isn’t riding and has flown to Kuala...

No 16" for Bridgestone

24 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Bridgestone has no plans to follow rivals Michelin and begin testing 16-inch front tyres for the new 800cc MotoGP era. Michelin started testing its 16-inch front at this week’s Sepang test in Malaysia...

Blog: Sepang Sauna

24 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Phew what a scorcher today was. To be honest part of me is pining for some cold weather at home right now. Don’t get me wrong, I love a bit of sun as much as the next person, but today here in Sepang...

Blog: Back on the road

24 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Greetings comrades from a rather baking hot and sunny Malaysia. Happy New Year and all that but yes, after you’ve all had the pleasure of seven weeks without my ramblings, I’m back in blog mode and...

Honda promise power

23 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Honda has told its top MotoGP riders that more horsepower is on the way. Several Honda riders including world champion Nicky Hayden voiced their concerns about a lack of power on the new 800cc RC212V...