Motorcycle Sport & Racing News

Phillip Island WSB: Spies sets pace in opening free practice

Phillip Island WSB: Spies sets pace in opening free practice

American Ben Spies started the 2009 season as he means to go on by setting the fastest lap time in the opening free practice session this morning at Phillip Island. The Yamaha World Superbike rider...

Meeting JT at his send off party

Meeting JT at his send off party

A group of us (including my 9 year old niece who’s never met James and my mum who was in a wheelchair due to a recent knee replacement) attended JT’s send off party at Donington last weekend. Roger...

V for Victory....

…Or a very amicable compromise. After bitching and complaining about Eurosport losing the motogp and worrying that the bbc won’t commit anywhere near as much time to the sport as we fans deserve, it seems there has been a great solution to this problem. And i hope that my concerns and the concerns of each and every fan who put there point forward on here MAY just MAY have been an influence in the...

Julian Ryder commits to British Eurosport

Julian Ryder commits to British Eurosport

Julian Ryder has confirmed to MCN that he will continue his popular partnership with Toby Moody on British Eurosport in 2009. Dorna confirmed today that British Eurosport will continue to screen...

Toby Moody: ‘I’m staying with Eurosport.’

Toby Moody: ‘I’m staying with Eurosport.’

Popular commentator Toby Moody has confirmed he is staying with British Eurosport to voice its coverage of the 2009 MotoGP world championship. Moody, who has commentated on MotoGP since 1996, will...

Marco Melandri to race in one man Kawasaki team

Marco Melandri to race in one man Kawasaki team

Italian Marco Melandri will race in the 2009 MotoGP world championship as part of a one-man Kawasaki team. Kawasaki confirmed its plans to quit MotoGP in January because of the global economic crisis,...

BBC Sport boss delighted with improved MotoGP coverage

BBC Sport boss delighted with improved MotoGP coverage

BBC Sport Editorial boss Philip Bernie has spoken of his delight at the record levels of coverage the BBC will give to MotoGP in 2009. Despite fears that the Beeb’s new deal to screen the Formula One...

British Eurosport keeps MotoGP for 2009

British Eurosport keeps MotoGP for 2009

As was exclusively revealed by MCN one week ago, British Eurosport will continue to screen coverage of the MotoGP world championship in 2009. A deal has been thrashed out with MotoGP rights owners...

Robert Dunlop died after modified brake accident

Robert Dunlop died after modified brake accident

Legendary Irish road racer Robert Dunlop died when he inadvertently hit the front brake of his Honda 250cc machine during an engine seizure at over 150mph while practicing for last year’s North West...

Jonathan Rea Countdown Diary – Day 9

Jonathan Rea Countdown Diary – Day 9

With the first round of the World Superbike Championship kicking off tomorrow, Britain’s Jonathan Rea has had a busy day getting ready. Having topped the timesheets at the two day test in Phillip...

WSB season ready for kick off

WSB season ready for kick off

A record 12 riders attended the Phillip Island pre season press conference today in preparation for the season kick-off tomorrow. WSB organisers historically invite four or five riders on stage to...

Shane Byrne in need of track time in Australia

Shane Byrne in need of track time in Australia

Shane Byrne admits that he’ll be playing catch up at the opening round of the WSB championship at Phillip Island having missed the latest round of testing at the Australian circuit. Byrne’s title...

Fiat Yamaha boss assesses 2009 MotoGP contenders

Fiat Yamaha boss assesses 2009 MotoGP contenders

Fiat Yamaha boss Davide Brivio has told MCN he expects Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa to remain as chief title rivals to reigning world champion Valentino Rossi in 2009. Since the start of the 800cc...

Qatar test to decide Kawasaki/|Marco Melandri fate

Qatar test to decide Kawasaki/|Marco Melandri fate

Marco Melandri is expected to test a Kawasaki ZX-RR in Qatar next week, but the Italian is not yet convinced he will start the 2009 season. Get all the latest MotoGP news In a further confusing...

Ducati boss: Rider salaries will reduce

Ducati boss: Rider salaries will reduce

Ducati’s factory team boss Livio Suppo has told MCN it is inevitable that some of the world’s top riders will have to race for less money in the future. While it is impossible to police a salary cap,...

WSB Blog: Why Haga will win the WSB title in 2009

WSB Blog: Why Haga will win the WSB title in 2009

During his ten years in WSB Noriyuki Haga has won 33 races and on his day is arguably one of the fastest rider in the world. During his decade of competition the one thing he’s lacked is consistency.

Yamaha boss fears more engine expense

Yamaha boss fears more engine expense

Yamaha’s MotoGP boss Masao Furusawa fears the drive to extend engine life will only force factories to spend more money in the short term. Extending engine life is seen as one of the most crucial new...

Silverstone MotoGP switch not money motivated

Silverstone MotoGP switch not money motivated

MotoGP boss Carmelo Ezpeleta has denied his shock decision to move the British GP back to Silverstone for the first time in over 20 years was money motivated. MCN understands that Silverstone paid...

MotoGP commentary

MotoGP commentary

Just great news to here julain ryder and tony moody may be back, get really excited listening to them- great. I met Valentino on monday after testing in Valencia, he was absolutely fantastic. I said...

Blog: Can Hydrex Honda step up a gear?

Last Friday’s Hydrex Honda launch was an impressive show of team owner Shaun Muir’s long-term commitment to the sport. The team’s new workshop facility in Guisborough is by far one of the most outstanding all new facilities in BSB and the fact that Muir has a three-rider team and is building seven bikes is an impressive display of the team’s determination to succeed on all fronts. It’s not only...

Hydrex boss: BSB does it for us

Hydrex boss: BSB does it for us

Andrew Simcox is the Managing Director of Hydrex. The company specialises in the rental and sale of mobile plant equipment with the rail, industrial and construction industries – some of the worst...

Hydrex Honda HQ tour

Hydrex Honda have shown everyone they mean business this year by unveiling their all-new purpose built headquarters. Hydrex Honda have signed Karl Harris, Stuart Easton and held on to infamous road racer Guy Martin, so it’s one serious race effort. Team owner Shaun Muir is confident: “We’ve no excuses. We’ve got the best bikes, the best team and the best riders. There’s no one on the grid we...

Jonathan Rea WSB countdown Diary – Day 7

Jonathan Rea WSB countdown Diary – Day 7

In last weekends two-day test at Phillip Island, Britain’s Jonathan Rea topped the time sheets with an impressive 1m 31.8s lap time. The Ten Kate Honda rider has hit form just in time for the opening...

Yamaha boss supports calendar cut

Yamaha boss supports calendar cut

Yamaha’s senior MotoGP boss Masao Furusawa believes an effective way to slash costs in MotoGP would be to significantly reduce the world championship calendar. The MotoGP world championship currently...

Silverstone set to be fastest MotoGP track

Silverstone set to be fastest MotoGP track

Silverstone’s revamped circuit to host the 2010 British MotoGP race looks set to make it the fastest on the world championship calendar with an average speed of 113mph! Simulations of the revised...

Valentino Rossi bemoans loss of qualifying tyres

Valentino Rossi bemoans loss of qualifying tyres

Six-times MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has bemoaned the loss of qualifying tyres under the new single tyre rule for 2009. The Fiat Yamaha rider is worried that Saturday afternoon’s qualifying...

Valentino Rossi is scared of Wayne Rooney

Valentino Rossi is scared of Wayne Rooney

Reigning MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi isn’t scared of dicing with Casey Stoner at nearly 200mph. But he is scared of England football star and Manchester United ace Wayne Rooney. Rossi’s...

British Eurosport MotoGP announcement this week

British Eurosport MotoGP announcement this week

As MCN exclusively revealed last week, MotoGP will stay on British Eurosport in 2009, with an official announcement expected later this week. MCN understands a deal has been reached between Dorna and...

Carlos Checa rates his title rivals

Carlos Checa rates his title rivals

Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Carlos Checa will start the 2009 season as one of the favourites. The veteran Spaniard now has a year of World Superbike experience and a year of developing his Honda...

Meeting Rea at the Belfast Show

Meeting Rea at the Belfast Show

Met JR last Friday 13/2/09 at Belfast Motorbike show and took a couple of photos of him with my son and his mates , they were all really pleased to meet him ,so thanks and good luck this year,

Neukirchner leads the way in Phillip Island test

Neukirchner leads the way in Phillip Island test

Alstare Suzuki man Max Neukirchner topped the time sheets on the opening day of the final two day test at Phillip Island. The 24 year old German riding the new 2009 GSXR-1000 set a time of 1m 32.5s to...

Jonathan Rea – WSB countdown diary – Day 5

Jonathan Rea – WSB countdown diary – Day 5

Having spent the last four days on the beach and having BBQ’s it was down to the serious stuff today with the first of a two day Superbike test at Phillip Island. “I made my usual start to the day...

Happy Birthday Rossi

Happy Birthday Rossi

I just want to wish the ‘young’ Mr Rossi a very happy birthday and to thank him and his team manager for the best wishes and the gifts they sent to my brother “Colin” last year. He was recovering...

Rizla to stay with Suzuki’s MotoGP squad

Rizla to stay with Suzuki’s MotoGP squad

Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen’s impressive start to 2009 has convinced title sponsors Rizla to remain with Suzuki’s factory MotoGP squad, MCN has learned. Negotiations that have been taking...

Credit crunch increases pressure in MotoGP

Credit crunch increases pressure in MotoGP

Factory Suzuki boss Paul Denning believes the impact of the global economic crisis will only intensify the pressure to perform in MotoGP. Denning believes there will be closer scrutiny on teams to...

Team personnel key to Troy Corser’s success at BMW

Team personnel key to Troy Corser’s success at BMW

Troy Corser has put his impressive testing pace onboard the new BMW S1000RR down to the strength of his immediate crew and professionalism of the German team. Get all the latest WSB news Corser is...