Motorcycle Sport & Bike Racing News | MotoGP, World Superbikes & More

Ducati boss confident in Mika Kallio

17 December 2008 by Matthew Birt

Factory Ducati boss Livio Suppo believes Finnish rider Mika Kallio could be one of the surprise packages of the 2009 MotoGP world championship. The Pramac Racing rookie was in dazzling form at the...

GSE -Airwaves deal continues

17 December 2008 by Rob Hull

GSE Racing, arguably the most successful team in the modern era of the British Superbike Championship, will continue to be sponsored by chewing gum brand Airwaves in 2009, continuing an association...

Michael Rutter joins Chris Walker at Rob Mac Yamaha

16 December 2008 by Rob Hull

Michael Rutter will partner Chris Walker in a resurgent Rob Mac Racing Yamaha team next year which means there will be no major Ducati team in BSB for the first time since the series was revamped in...

MotoGP confirms 19-rider field for 2009

16 December 2008 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi will head a 19-strong field in the 2009 MotoGP world championship after next year’s provisional entry list was announced today. The only addition to the 2008 grid will be Spanish...

No Brits in 2009 250GP class

16 December 2008 by Matthew Birt

In what is expected to be the last season in which the two-strokes 250s will race exclusively on their own at Grand Prix level, no British rider will compete in the quarter-litre class in 2009. MCN...

Matt Hoyle joins 125GP ranks in 2009

16 December 2008 by Matthew Birt

Emerging British star Matt Hoyle will ride for the new John Surtees-inspired Maxtra team in the 2009 125GP world championship. Although there has been no official announcement from the Chinese-backed...

Video: World Superbike Kyalami video blog

16 December 2008 by Michael Guy

MCN’s World Superbike reporter, Michael Guy spent three days at the first official top team Pirelli test in South Africa last week. With Noriyuki Haga riding the Xerox Ducati for the first time, Brits Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes on track, plus the first public appearance of the BMW Superbike there was a lot going on at the Kyalami track. Watch the video below to hear Guy’s thoughts on the test...

Plum Pudding Races at Mallory Park

16 December 2008 by Sarah Carnell

Classics, scooters, 125s, CB500s, Formula 600s and Pro-bikes will all appear at the traditional Plum Pudding races at Mallory Park on December 26. The 13-race programme also includes events for...

No Ducati in BSB

16 December 2008 by Rob Hull

Ducati will not have a major presence in the British Superbike Championship in 2009 for the first time since the series was launched in its present form in 1995, it has emerged today. The Italian...

Lucio Cecchinello: Honda won’t quit MotoGP

16 December 2008 by Matthew Birt

LCR Honda team boss Lucio Cecchinello has told MCN he is convinced that the Japanese factory will honour its commitment to supply six bikes in the 2009 MotoGP world championship. Honda’s involvement...

Crescent boss says Suzuki WRC split won’t have affect

15 December 2008 by Rob Hull

Crescent Suzuki Team Manager Jack Valentine said Suzuki’s withdrawal from the World Rally Championship will not have any affect on his official Suzuki British Superbike team’s budget. Suzuki announced...

Suzuki’s MotoGP future safe

15 December 2008 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki’s factory MotoGP squad will remain largely unaffected by the current global economic crisis, MCN can reveal. The Japanese factory has announced it is to quit the world rally championship after...

Marco Melandri looking for Kawasaki engine boost

15 December 2008 by Matthew Birt

New Kawasaki rider Marco Melandri says it is imperative that the 2009 ZX-RR takes a big step in engine performance for next season. The Italian has tested the ’08 spec ZX-RR twice in Valencia and...

Video: First look at Haga on 2009 Xerox Ducati

15 December 2008 by Michael Guy

Noriyuki Haga completed a successful debut onboard the 2009 specification Xerox Ducati at Kyalami. The Japanese rider overcame three crashes on the first day to end the test third fastest and finally feel comfortable on the 1200cc v-twin Ducati. Although the 2009 bike doesn’t look any different to Troy Bayliss’ title winning machine it has a number of changes including new fly by wire throttle,...

Tom Sykes suffers broken foot on final day of Kyalami test

15 December 2008 by Michael Guy

Tom Sykes has broken his right foot and sustained tissue damage in his right shoulder after crashing at the end of the final day of testing in Kyalami on Friday. The Yamaha Italia rider who had been...

Honda quit AMA superbikes

15 December 2008 by Henny Ray Abrams

Former World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson was gutted when he found out late on Friday night that he has no ride. Neil Hodgson was getting into bed at his home on the Isle of Man just after 10:00...

The new doctor?

14 December 2008 by Annwen Barrie

This is Loris my little boy. No prizes for guessing that my husband and I are MotoGP fans!

Michael Rutter: “It was like being taken hostage”

12 December 2008 by Rob Hull

Michael Rutter said his ordeal stuck out in Thailand for a week was like being in prison after the 26-time British Superbike race winner was stranded at Bangkok airport. Rutter had stayed out in...

Kyalami Test: Michel Fabrizio finishes on top

12 December 2008 by Michael Guy in Kyalami

Xerox Ducati man Michel Fabrizio maintained his dominance of the three day Kyalami test by topping the time sheets for the third consecutive day. The young Italian has been in sublime form throughout...

Picture perfect for Scott Redding

12 December 2008 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding’s historic British GP success earlier this year is the subject for top motorcycle artist Steve Whyman’s latest work of art. The Gloucestershire teenager became the youngest rider in...

Rea holds second with less than two hours of test remaining

12 December 2008 by Michael Guy in Kyalami

Jonathan Rea made the most of his qualifying tyre to jump up the leader board with a blistering lap first thing this morning, good enough for the second fastest time of the test in Kyalami. Rea has so...

Kyalami latest: Troy Corser becomes latest crash victim

12 December 2008 by Michael Guy in Kyalami

Troy Corser became the latest crash victim of the three day WSB test at Kyalami. The Australian BMW rider lost the front at turn eight in what was his first ever crash on the BMW S1000R. Fortunately...

Kyalami latest: Fabrizio sets the pace, Rea goes second

12 December 2008 by Michael Guy in Kyalami

Michel Fabrizio became the first man to break the 1m40s bracket with a blistering 1m 39.714s on the final day of the three day test at Kyalami. The young Italian made the most of the cooler...

600s to compete against 250GP bikes in 2010

12 December 2008 by Matthew Birt

New four-stroke 600cc bikes will be phased into MotoGP a year ahead of schedule to race against 250 two-strokes for one season in 2010, MCN can exclusively reveal. The new bikes, which will form part...

MSS Colchester Kawasaki into future development

11 December 2008 by Rob Hull

MSS Colchester Kawasaki won’t just be running in BSB next season; they will continue their development with 16-year old Jess Trayler in the Superstock 600 championship. Trayler was snatched up by Morgan following his 5th place finish in the Aprilia Superteens championship and 4th overall in the ACU standings in 2006 – his first full season on a road bike. And the lanky 50kg youngster went from...