MCN
Reviews For sale News Insurance

Motorcycle Sport & Racing News

Qatar MotoGP: Bradl on pole for Moto2 race

19 March 2011 by Liam Marsden

Qatar MotoGP: Bradl on pole for Moto2 race

Stefan Bradl will start from pole position in the Moto2 race tomorrow ahead of rookie Marc Marquez. Thomas Luthi, Yuki Takahashi and Jules Cluzel round out the top five. Moto2 newcomer Bradley Smith...

Qatar MotoGP: Stoner starts from pole

19 March 2011 by Liam Marsden

Qatar MotoGP: Stoner starts from pole

Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner will start the first race of the 2011 season on pole after setting the fastest time during qualifying today. Team-mate Dani Pedrosa was the only other rider who could...

Qatar MotoGP: Valentino Rossi struggles with shoulder

19 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Valentino Rossi struggles with shoulder

Valentino Rossi’s bid to fight for a top five on his much anticipated Ducati GP11 debut in Qatar on Sunday night continues to be badly hampered by his injured right shoulder. Nearly a year since he...

Qatar MotoGP: Casey Stoner promises more from Honda

19 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Casey Stoner promises more from Honda

Casey Stoner has warned his MotoGP rivals that he has not yet unearthed the full potential of the impressive new factory Honda RC212V machine after he continued his domination of the Qatar MotoGP this...

Qatar MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow thrilled with progress

19 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow thrilled with progress

Cal Crutchlow’s injury heroics were rewarded tonight when he finished less than 0.2s away from the top six in the third and final practice session in Qatar. The British rider finished only 12th on the...

Qatar MotoGP: Alvaro Bautista breaks left femur

18 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Alvaro Bautista breaks left femur

Alvaro Bautista suffered a devastating injury blow tonight in Qatar when he broke his left femur following a high-speed crash during tonight’s final practice session at the Losail International...

Qatar MotoGP times: Repsol Honda dominate

18 March 2011 by Liam Marsden

Qatar MotoGP times: Repsol Honda dominate

Repsol Honda dominated the final free practice today (Friday) by taking the top three spots, with man of the moment Casey Stoner posting the fastest time yet again. Team-mates Dani Pedrosa and Andrea...

Qatar MotoGP: Casey Stoner continues dominant form

18 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Casey Stoner continues dominant form

Casey Stoner continued his unrivalled domination of the Qatar MotoGP weekend into a second night this evening, the Aussie comfortably heading the timesheets at the end of second practice at a...

Qatar MotoGP: Valentino Rossi thrilled with Ducati breakthrough

18 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Valentino Rossi thrilled with Ducati breakthrough

For the first time in a long time, Valentino Rossi was sporting a beaming smile in the MotoGP paddock tonight. The Italian was ecstatic having enjoyed his most productive 45-minutes to date on board...

Qatar MotoGP: Casey Stoner surprised at advantage

17 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Casey Stoner surprised at advantage

Casey Stoner admitted he didn’t expect to have such a commanding advantage after he ended first free practice for Sunday’s Qatar MotoGP race over 0.6s faster than his closest rival. Stoner’s brilliant...

Qatar MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo not worried by Stoner speed

17 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo not worried by Stoner speed

Reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo is confident he can fight with Casey Stoner for victory in Sunday’s season opening MotoGP in Qatar. The factory Yamaha rider was only seventh quickest in the...

Qatar MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow braves pain for 14th

17 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow braves pain for 14th

Cal Crutchlow rode through the pain barrier in Qatar tonight to finish the opening practice for the season’s first race at the Losail International Circuit in 14th position. Riding in excruciating...

Qatar MotoGP: Casey Stoner dominates first practice

17 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Qatar MotoGP: Casey Stoner dominates first practice

Casey Stoner carried his ominous pre-season form into the new MotoGP world championship season in Qatar tonight, the Aussie topping the timesheets at the end of opening free practice at the Losail...

Snetterton: the new corner names

17 March 2011 by Laura Stevens

Snetterton: the new corner names

Names have now been put to the new corners that make up the Snetterton  circuit layouts. Here’s the full background story to the naming process 1: Riches Jonathan Palmer on Riches “As one of the few...

Honda duo back Japanese MotoGP postponement

16 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Honda duo back Japanese MotoGP postponement

Factory Honda duo Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa have supported the decision to postpone the Japanese MotoGP race following a devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan last week. The...

Colin Edwards: Casey Stoner is clear title favourite

16 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards: Casey Stoner is clear title favourite

Casey Stoner is an overwhelming favourite to win the 2011 MotoGP world championship, according to American Colin Edwards. The Repsol Honda rider has been in ominously fast form throughout the winter...

Valentino Rossi admits struggle to trust shoulder strength

16 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi admits struggle to trust shoulder strength

Valentino Rossi has admitted to MCN that he’s struggling to regain full confidence with the physical capability of his right shoulder following an injury that has dogged the Italian now for nearly a...

Ducati looking to mount stronger challenge in 2011

16 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ducati looking to mount stronger challenge in 2011

Ducati hope the arrival of Italian icon Valentino Rossi will help the Bologna factory sustain a longer challenge for glory in the 2011 MotoGP world championship. Ducati never really seriously...

Wayne Gardner dismisses Suzuki podium aspirations

16 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Wayne Gardner dismisses Suzuki podium aspirations

Suzuki has got no chance of ending its long search for a podium in the 2011 MotoGP world championship, according to Wayne Gardner. The Japanese factory hasn’t scored a top three finish since Loris...

Honda excited by Stoner and Pedrosa battle

16 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Honda excited by Stoner and Pedrosa battle

Honda bosses reckon the intense internal battle between Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa will provide a fascinating sub-plot during the 2011 MotoGP world championship. The Repsol Honda pair have been is...

Chris Walker gets BSB Kawasaki

16 March 2011 by Gary Pinchin

Chris Walker gets BSB Kawasaki

Chris Walker will race a new Kawasaki ZX-10R in BSB this year with backing from haulage firm Enviro and precision engineering company R&G. Both businesses are based in Northampton and the team will...

Japanese MotoGP date change confirmed

15 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Japanese MotoGP date change confirmed

The 2011 Japanese MotoGP race, originally scheduled to take place on April 24, has been moved to October 2. The FIM has just confirmed the switch, which follows a devastating earthquake and tsunami...

Japanese MotoGP race postponed after earthquake

15 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Japanese MotoGP race postponed after earthquake

The Twin Ring Motegi MotoGP race, scheduled to take place on April 24, has been postponed following an earthquake and tsunami that caused widespread devastation in Japan last week. MCN understands the...

Casey Stoner oozing confidence ahead of season opener

15 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner oozing confidence ahead of season opener

Casey Stoner signed off his 2011 winter testing preparations in emphatic style last night in Qatar, the Repsol Honda dominating the timesheets to cement his status as overwhelming pre-season...

Valentino Rossi: “I’m not fast enough’

14 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi: “I’m not fast enough’

Valentino Rossi admitted he simply isn’t fast enough at the moment after he ended another tough test on board Ducati’s factory GP11 machine in Qatar tonight. The Italian crashed at Turn 7 when he...

Jorge Lorenzo: ‘My grandmother could have been faster’

14 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo: ‘My grandmother could have been faster’

Jorge Lorenzo will kick off the defence of his MotoGP world title this weekend wondering how he can halt the domination of Honda duo Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa. It may have only been testing, but...

Cal Crutchlow suffers nasty hand injury

14 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow suffers nasty hand injury

Cal Crutchlow lost the tip of his left little finger after a heavy crash during the final night of testing at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. The British rider lost control of his Monster...

Qatar test times: Stoner continues Honda dominance

14 March 2011 by Liam Marsden

Qatar test times: Stoner continues Honda dominance

Casey Stoner ensured Honda continued dominating pre season testing by posting the fastest lap on the second day at Qatar. The Aussie set a lap time of 1:55.681, just over half a second slower than the...

Night delight for Cal Crutchlow

14 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Night delight for Cal Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow made an impressive debut under the Losail International Circuit floodlights, the British rider finishing 16th quickest on the opening night of MotoGP testing in Qatar. The Coventry...

Valentino Rossi brushes off first Ducati crash

14 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi brushes off first Ducati crash

Valentino Rossi brushed off his first crash on board a factory Ducati machine in Qatar as the Italian finished eighth quickest on the opening night of testing under the Losail International Circuit...

Casey Stoner hails new Honda gearbox

14 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner hails new Honda gearbox

Casey Stoner hailed the impact of Honda’s new 2011 factory Honda RC212V gearbox after he finished the opening night of testing at Qatar in second place. The Aussie was in control for long periods of...

Villopoto takes third win on the bounce

13 March 2011 by Paul Harris

Ryan Villopoto took his third win on the bounce at the Indianapolis super cross on Saturday to put a serious dent in the hopes of his title competitors. Kawasaki’s ginger ninja came into the race with a handy 23 point lead after a couple of inherited wins when the competition imploded in front of him, but was in no mood to wait for fate to push him towards the title – this one he won all on his...

Qatar test times: Pedrosa on top after day one

13 March 2011 by Liam Marsden

Qatar test times: Pedrosa on top after day one

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa finished the first test under the floodlights at Qatar on top to conitune Honda’s dominance of pre season testing. Team-mate Casey Stoner set the second fastest time...

John Hopkins back on a Suzuki MotoGP bike

13 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

John Hopkins back on a Suzuki MotoGP bike

John Hopkins rolled back the years in Qatar yesterday (Saturday) when he rode a factory Suzuki GSV-R machine for the first time since the end of 2007. The American was drafted in by Suzuki to help out...

Kevin Schwantz backs Valentino Rossi to come good

11 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Kevin Schwantz backs Valentino Rossi to come good

Kevin Schwantz is in no doubt that Valentino Rossi will be a force to be reckoned with in the 2011 MotoGP world championship. But the Texan legend doubts the 32-year-old will be in a position to win...

Wayne Gardner backs Ben Spies to star in 2011

11 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Wayne Gardner backs Ben Spies to star in 2011

Former world champion Wayne Gardner has backed Ben Spies to emerge as a major threat to Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa’s domination of MotoGP in 2011. The top quartet,...