September

Melandri to BMW Motorrad deal imminent

30 September 2011 by Michael Guy

Marco Melandri is expected to sign a deal to ride for the factory BMW Motorrad team in 2012 later today. The 28 year old Italian currently rides for the factory Yamaha squad but following news that...

End of the road for factory Yamaha WSB squad

30 September 2011 by Michael Guy

Any chance of Yamaha continuing its factory World Superbike team beyond the end of the 2011 season have ended. MCN has learned that team and staff have been informed that the operation will close...

Motegi MotoGP: Eighth 'nothing fantastic' admits Valentino Rossi

30 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi admitted his lowly eighth place finish at the end of opening practice for the Twin Ring Motegi MotoGP race was ‘nothing fantastic.’ The nine-times world champion clocked a best time of...

Andrea Dovizioso gets LCR Honda offer

30 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso can begin the process of working out where he will ride in the 2012 MotoGP world championship having received a formal offer from the LCR Honda squad in Japan last night. The Italian...

Motegi MotoGP: Casey Stoner satisfied with second

30 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner declared himself satisfied with the start of his preparations for the Japanese Grand Prix today after he finished a close second to Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa in practice. The...

Motegi MotoGP: Food poisoning slows exhausted Ben Spies

30 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Factory Yamaha rider Ben Spies had to stop after just five laps of this afternoon’s second MotoGP practice at the Twin Ring Motegi as he continues to struggle with a bout of chronic food...

Irish road racing

30 September 2011 by Alanbrown46

Having been over to Ireland twice this year to watch the road racing I can say in all honesty that it is the best bike racing in the world today. The riders range from lads who live and work out of...

Motegi MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa sets practice pace

30 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa cast aside some of his Twin Ring Motegi demons earlier today to clock the best time on the opening day of practice for the Japanese MotoGP round. It was at the Japanese track 12 months...

Riding position crucial to Ducati front-end issue, says Valentino Rossi

29 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi believes his riding position on Ducati’s 2012 Desmosedici could be pivotal to solving some of the vague front-end problems he’s experienced in a nightmare debut season for the Bologna...

Motegi MotoGP: Alvaro Bautista still in dark over Suzuki future

29 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Alvaro Bautista is hoping to get a clearer indication of Suzuki’s future MotoGP strategy during this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix at the Twin Ring Motegi. The Spaniard confirmed earlier today in...

Motegi MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo concedes title hopes fading

29 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo has admitted his MotoGP crown is slipping away as he attempts the tricky mission of trying to claw back a huge 44-point deficit on dominant Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner with just four...

Marco Simoncelli to test Honda 1000cc bike in Japan

29 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Italian rider Marco Simoncelli will make his debut on Honda’s new 1000cc RC213V machine at the Twin Ring Motegi on Monday. The former 250GP world champion, who announced he’d signed a new one-year...

Marco Simoncelli signs new Honda contract

28 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Marco Simoncelli has agreed a new contract with Fausto Gresini’s Honda squad and he will retain his factory rider status with HRC in 2012. The controversial Italian, who has scored just one podium...

Symonds steals MRO Superteen championship

27 September 2011 by James Sharpe

Max Symonds stole the MRO Superteen title at the final round at Brands Hatch, after Jordan Gilbert had headed the championship all season. Symonds arrived at Brands Hatch 15 points adrift of Gilbert...

Jerez back on MotoGP winter testing schedule

27 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Jerez will be back on the winter testing schedule in 2012, while the night test session leading up to the first race of the season in Qatar has been axed from the pre-season programme. The MotoGP grid...

No rush to get Marc Marquez in MotoGP, says HRC boss

27 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Marc Marquez has been warned not to rush coming into MotoGP as speculation mounts the emerging Spanish star will ride a new Honda RC213V machine in 2012. The reigning 125GP world champion’s...

John Hopkins lands Sepang wild card ride

27 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

John Hopkins will be back on a factory Suzuki MotoGP bike in the Malaysian round next month, MCN can reveal. The American, who is currently leading the British Superbike championship for Paul...

McNealy snatches MRO Powerbike championship in season finale

27 September 2011 by James Sharpe

Rob McNealy won the MRO Powerbike championship in the final round at Brands Hatch, after he and Michael Neeves went into the last race level on points. McNealy arrived at Brands Hatch with a slender...

Scott Hudson crowned champion of Brands

26 September 2011 by James Sharpe

Scott Hudson became the 2011 Champion of Brands with Bemsee this weekend, after taking maximum points in the MRO Super 6 Clubman Cup. He beat off competition in the form of former MRO Powerbike...

Silverstone BSB: Brookes battles to race two win

25 September 2011 by Liam Marsden

Relentless by TAS Suzuki rider Josh Brookes has won the second race at Silverstone today to move up to third place in the championship after the race was red-flagged on the final lap due to Chris...

Imola WSB: Checa wins race two as Rea retires

25 September 2011 by Liam Marsden

Althea Ducati rider Carlos Checa moved to within a whisker of securing his first World Superbike championship with victory in race two at Imola after Jonathan Rea suffered a mechanical problem while...

Silverstone BSB: Hopkins takes third showdown win

25 September 2011 by Liam Marsden

Samsung Crescent Suzuki rider John Hopkins has taken his third victory from three showdown races in the first race at Silverstone today. Swan Yamaha’s Michael Laverty took to the lead from the start,...

Imola WSS: Foret takes win as Davies retires

25 September 2011 by Liam Marsden

Hannspree Honda rider Fabien Foret has won the World Supersport race at Imola today after Chaz Davies’ suffered a mechanical problem while leading the race. Davies was comfortably leading by over 10...

Imola WSB: Rea takes race one win

25 September 2011 by MCN

Castrol Honda rider Jonathan Rea has taken his second World Superbike win of the season at Imola this afternoon. Rea took the lead on lap five, but had to hold off PATA Aprilia rider in the second...

Silverstone BSB: Laverty takes pole

24 September 2011 by Liam Marsden

Swan Yamaha rider Michael Laverty will start the third race of the showdown from pole position tomorrow after both HM Plant title hopefuls failed to qualify for the final qualifying session. Current...

Imola WSB: Checa takes sixth pole of the season

24 September 2011 by Liam Marsden

Championship leader Carlos Checa has taken his sixth pole position of the season at Imola, setting a new lap record on the way. Checa beat Castrol Honda’s Jonathan Rea to pole position by a tenth of a...

Silverstone BSB: Hopkins ignores pain to top time sheets

24 September 2011 by Gary Pinchin

Championship standings ahead of Silverstone: 1 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) 568 2 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 565 3 Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 543 4 Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) 532 5...

Watch Le Mans 24 hour live here!

24 September 2011 by MCN

If a weekend of World Superbikes and British Superbikes isn’t enough for you then you’re in luck, because we have a live stream of the Le Mans 24 hour endurance race below. Watch the Honda TT Legends...

“I want to show the world the best ever Carlos Checa”

23 September 2011 by Michael Guy

Carlos Checa has spoken about the importance of staying calm and focussed ahead of this weekends Imola showdown which could see him crowned World Superbike Champion on Sunday. The Althea Ducati rider...

Rea uses new ride-by-wire to take provisional pole position at Imola

23 September 2011 by Michael Guy

Jonathan Rea found it hard hide his delight at securing provisional pole position after first qualifying at Imola today. Using the new ride-by-wire electronics system for the first time during a race...

LCR Honda confirm Hopkins and de Puniet talks

23 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

British superbike championship contender John Hopkins and French rider Randy de Puniet could land an LCR Honda ride in 2012 if Andrea Dovizioso fails to agree a deal with Lucio Cecchinello’s...

Triumph confirms Triple Challenge commitment for 2012

23 September 2011 by MCN

Triumph has announced its ongoing support of the Triumph Triple Challenge in 2012, after a successful year in 2011. Backed by the Triumph factory and run in close co-operation with T3 Racing and...

Biaggi out for Imola, Magny Cours race also in doubt

22 September 2011 by Michael Guy

Max Biaggi will miss the Imola round of the World Superbike Championship this weekend with his participation for next weeks Magny Cours round also in serious doubt. The reigning world champion has a...

Loris Capirossi ruled out of Japanese Grand Prix

22 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi will miss next weekend’s Japanese MotoGP race at the Twin Ring Motegi after suffering a dislocated right shoulder during Sunday’s Motorland Aragon round in Spain. After initial...

HRC confident Andrea Dovizioso will sign for LCR Honda

22 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

HRC management are confident satellite team boss Lucio Cecchinello can successfully conclude lengthy negotiations with Andrea Dovizioso to prevent the Italian moving to rivals Yamaha. Speculation is...

Nothing left from GP11.1, concedes Nicky Hayden

22 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden says Ducati’s factory GP11.1 has already reached the ceiling of its potential, even though he’s only raced the updated Desmosedici three times. Ducati first rolled out the GP11.1 back in...