2008

Road race stars to try Shorttrack at Scunthorpe

Road race stars to try Shorttrack at Scunthorpe

Road racers, grass-trackers and speedway stars line up against the established shorttrack riders for the annual Silkolene Shorttrack UK Christmas Cracker at Scunthorpe speedway on December 27. Top...

Valentino Rossi 33rd after tough start to Rally GB

Valentino Rossi 33rd after tough start to Rally GB

Valentino Rossi is currently lying in 32nd position after the first two stages of the Wales Rally GB today. Icy conditions forced the cancellation of the first special stage on safety grounds, with...

Neil Tuxworth: Honda motorcycle racing safe

Neil Tuxworth: Honda motorcycle racing safe

In the wake of Honda’s announcement last night that they have pulled their Formula One project and are selling the team, Honda Racing UK Manager for bikes Neil Tuxworth has spoken about the future of...

John Hopkins begins four-week rehab

John Hopkins begins four-week rehab

John Hopkins has started a four-week recovery period after he underwent successful surgery in California yesterday (Thursday). The factory Kawasaki rider had metal plates removed from his left ankle...

Tommy Hill on the pace in first test back

Tommy Hill on the pace in first test back

Tommy Hill finished the final day of the two day test in Cartagena in Spain delighted with his pace after dropping nearly a second off his day one lap time with a string of consistent 1m 35.4s...

Valentino Rossi 17th in Rally GB shakedown

Valentino Rossi 17th in Rally GB shakedown

MotoGP world championValentino Rossi clocked the 17th best time during Thursday’s shakedown stage for this weekend’s Wales Rally GB. Driving a Ford Focus WRC car, the Italian clocked a best time of...

British Supersport 2009: Who to look out for

British Supersport 2009: Who to look out for

The 2009 British Supersport paddock is starting to take shape. But who should you be looking out for next season? The 2008 Champion, Glen Richards, has been rewarded with a spot in the factory HM...

Tommy Hill satisfied after first day of Superbike test

Tommy Hill satisfied after first day of Superbike test

Tommy Hill got his first taste of the Hannspree Altea Honda CBR1000RR Superbike he’ll be racing in WSB next season in a test at Cartagena in Spain on Wednesday. The 23 year old Brit was forced to sit...

Bradley Smith gets early confidence boost for 2009

Bradley Smith gets early confidence boost for 2009

Bradley Smith is confident his bid to break his 125GP victory duck in 2009 has already been given a major boost. The Oxfordshire rider, who celebrated his 18th birthday last week, made his Aspar...

Suzuki still waiting on Rizla decision for 2009

Suzuki still waiting on Rizla decision for 2009

Suzuki’s factory MotoGP team is still awaiting a decision on whether Rizla will remain as its title sponsor in next year’s MotoGP world championship. The Japanese factory has yet to finalise its...

World Superbike 2009 dates confirmed

World Superbike 2009 dates confirmed

The FIM has released the final calendar for the World Superbike Championship for 2009. WSB will be a big focal point for British motorcycle racing fans with an influx of home-grown talent wading into...

MCN Awards: Man of the year as voted by you

MCN Awards: Man of the year as voted by you

Eight times MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi received the Man of the year award at the MCN Awards. The award was voted for by users of motorcyclenews.com and included such stars as Troy Bayliss, James...

Yamaha boss: Criticism stung Valentino Rossi

Yamaha boss: Criticism stung Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi’s Yamaha team boss Davide Brivio believes the Italian was driven to new levels of determination and desire last season by the stinging criticism he received at the end of 2007. After a...

KTM deny 600cc GP assault

KTM deny 600cc GP assault

KTM management have again denied the shock decision to quit the 250GP class at the end of 2008 was to focus on a new factory effort for the future 600cc four-stroke class. A controversial new 600cc...

Kawasaki UK end rumours of new official Kawasaki BSB team

Kawasaki UK end rumours of new official Kawasaki BSB team

Kawasaki Motors UK Communications and PR Manager Martin Lambert has ruled out any rumours of a new ‘factory’ Kawasaki British Superbike team emerging on the scene in 2009. It’s been reported that Nick...

MCN online exclusive: Andrews and Da Costa join MSS Colchester Kawasaki

MCN online exclusive: Andrews and Da Costa join MSS Colchester Kawasaki

MSS Colchester Kawasaki has signed the pairing of Simon Andrews and Julien Da Costa for 2009 motorcyclenews.com can exclusively reveal. Both Andrews and Da Costa made the journey to new MSS sponsor...

Jonathan Palmer talks BSB 2009

Jonathan Palmer talks BSB 2009

If you pick up a copy of this week’s Motorcycle News you’ll get a first-hand look at who is lining up where in British Superbikes for 2009. We’ve compiled the top teams in both BSB and British...

Ducati ready for life without Troy Bayliss

Ducati ready for life without Troy Bayliss

The Xerox Ducati squad have spent the last four weeks since the season finale in Portugal preparing for life without Troy Bayliss and are about to begin a new chapter with Japanese start Noriyuki Haga...

Nicky Hayden sad to lose qualifying tyres

Nicky Hayden sad to lose qualifying tyres

American Nicky Hayden reckons one of the most exciting aspects of riding in MotoGP has been sacrificed because of the introduction of the single tyre rule for 2009. The factory Ducati rider, who...

Jorge Lorenzo confident in 2009 title challenge

Jorge Lorenzo confident in 2009 title challenge

Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo believes the switch to Bridgestone tyres will allow him to mount a much more serious challenge to win the MotoGP world crown in 2009. Lorenzo had an impressive rookie campaign...

Former olympian Redmond Forms forms endurance team

Former olympian Redmond Forms forms endurance team

Former Olympic 400m runner Derek Redmond has joined forces with Maria Costello to form a new endurance racing team in the UK. The pair will compete in both the two hour Junior and six hour Senior TAG...

How did the Hottrax riders do on the national stage?

How did the Hottrax riders do on the national stage?

Clearly the most important motorcycle championship in the UK is the Hottrax Motorsport Racing Club endurance series, however few of us realise that some of our regular riders are fortunate enough to...

HMRC (Hottrax) Race Officials

HMRC (Hottrax) Race Officials

Officials are; Pete Clifford, Shaun Knox, Caroline Knox, Bob Covey, Fraser Greenroyd, Lindsay Greenroyd, Dave Eyre, Garry Gardiner (microphone), Karen Mabbutt and Dave Mabbutt

UK Endurance Racing - blast from the past

UK Endurance Racing - blast from the past

Dave Railton (Ducks Cross’ Jon’s dad) was kind enough to give me some photocopies of race programmes that I had consciously taken to the tip, along with a full tea chest of documents in a similar vein...

Jim Stock's stolen stock

Jim Stock's stolen stock

Not sure if you guys/girls are aware of this, but Jim from Slingshot Racing was burgled over the weekend (thought to be Saturday 22nd November 2008 @ 0300 in the morning) Jim says – “Yes its true,...

Hottrax Motorsport Racing Club race report

Hottrax Motorsport Racing Club race report

2008 Season Resume by class Overall – despite failing to score at the opening round when Macca ditched the R1 at Anglesey this was the title GBMoto (Mark Smith-Halvorsen/Mick Godfrey/Mike...

Video: Leon Haslam on new teams bike development and testing

Leon Haslam believes that his new Stigy Honda Motorsports squad have the potential to be front runners in next years World Superbike championship. Speaking to MCN, Haslam revealed the progress the team are making and the squads winter testing plans.

Video: Ruben Xaus on new BMW WSB project

MCN caught up with World Superbike start Ruben Xaus on the BMW stand at the NEC Motorcycle Show. The Spaniard flew in to unveil the all new S1000R he’ll be campaigning in next years World Superbike Championship. Xaus has so far completed a two day test at Valencia alongside new team-mate Troy Corser and will get three more days in South Africa from 8th December to further develop the new bike.

Video: Jonathan Rea talks testing

Jonathan Rea has revealed his intentions for the forthcoming top teams World Superbikes test at Kyalami South Africa. MCN caught up with the World Supersport series runner up at the NEC Motorcycle show this week where he spoke about being back on the Superbike and the competition he faces in 2009.

Video: Cal Crutchlow talks World Supersport future

Cal Crutchlow made a seamless transition to the factory Yamaha World Supersport bike after a year on the HM Plant Honda Superbike in recent testing. The 22 year old showed blistering pace first time out on the bike and revealed to MCN how much he is enjoying riding the new bike.

Exclusive pictures of 2009 Alstare Suzuki

Exclusive pictures of 2009 Alstare Suzuki

The factory Alstare Suzuki squad completed their first shakedown test of the all-new GSX-R1000 in Phillip Island Australia last week and MCN have exclusive pictures of the new bike. Riding unbranded...

Shinya Nakano impressed with Aprilia potential

Shinya Nakano impressed with Aprilia potential

Shinya Nakano is confident that Aprilia’s new RSV4 World Superbike contender has the potential to become a race winner in its debut season. The Japanese rider made his debut on the new bike in...

Casey Stoner reveals small op complication

Casey Stoner reveals small op complication

Former world champion Casey Stoner has revealed his recent wrist operation was hit by a small complication as he continues his long and slow rehabilitation. The Aussie, who was a surprise visitor to...

Video: Michael Dunlop interview on Norton at TT09

Two of the biggest names in TT history will merge together next year with Michael Dunlop riding for Norton. The son of the late Robert Dunlop and nephew of the legendary Joey Dunlop will pilot the NRV588 Rotary Norton round the notorious 37¾ mile Mountain circuit. Click here for the full story and pictures Norton has been away from the TT for 16 years since Steve Hislop’s historic victory in...

Valencia MotoGP

Valencia MotoGP

Me (John Cotton) at the final MotoGP round – Valencia and the bike on the ferry back from santander.  Keep up the top paper and have a good christmas at MCN

Sports Personality dream over for Scott Redding

Sports Personality dream over for Scott Redding

Scott Redding’s hopes of winning the prestigious BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award have ended. Having made the shortlist of ten of Britain’s brightest young sports stars, the British...