2011

Shane Byrne fastest at Cadwell BSB test

Shane Byrne fastest at Cadwell BSB test

There were two major highlights of the two-day Cadwell Park BSB on Wednesday and Thursday. The first was Shane Byrne, head down, full-gas with the HM Plant Honda, charging out of the Gooseneck. The...

Sondel racing team choose Kawasaki

A familiar sight in UK paddocks, the respected Sondel Team are the latest National Superstock entrants to announce Kawasaki machinery as their preferred choice for the 2011 racing season. Recognising the potential of the already highly-acclaimed Ninja ZX-10R, the team features experienced Kawasaki rider, Steve Mercer alongside Jamie Perrin in what will be a hard fought and interesting...

Motorpoint launch party

Motorpoint Yamaha riders Loris Baz and James Westmorland will unveil their 2011 Yamaha R1 Superbikes next Friday the 25th 7pm at Motorpoint HQ in Derby. The new bikes will be on show along with Loris, James and team boss Rob McElnea to answer any questions, the riders with their bikes will be on hand for pictures and chat. There will be opportunity for fans to meet to the Motorpoint Yamaha team...

Snetterton: the new corner names

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...

Chris Walker gets BSB Kawasaki

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...

MCN’s BSB pre-season testing blog: Viva Espana - the final day

MCN’s BSB pre-season testing blog: Viva Espana - the final day

There’s no such thing as downtime for the technical staff in a professional race team. Even on a disgusting wet, cold day in the middle of nowheresville Spain, when the track’s too slippery for the...

MCN BSB blog: First day at Guadix

MCN BSB blog: First day at Guadix

After driving down from Cartagena to Guadix yesterday and kicking around the town, having a lazy afternoon, today it was back to business as usual – or so we had hoped. Guadix is a beautifully...

MCN BSB blog: Cartagena and Calafat times

MCN BSB blog: Cartagena and Calafat times

Tommy Hill wound up fastest in the four-day test here with a 1:32.9 on the Swan Yamaha but Josh Brookes second and Michael Laverty – each just one tenth of a second further back and Shane Byrne just...

MCN BSB Blog: Cartagena times

MCN BSB Blog: Cartagena times

Times were the talking point in the Cartagena pit lane today so I’ve compiled this list of top runners. Bearing in mind the BS and the banter, I’d hope that these times are pretty much spot-on since...

MCN BSB testing blog: Hill and Laverty on fire

MCN BSB testing blog: Hill and Laverty on fire

There wasn’t exactly fear on the faces of the BSB teams in the Cartagena pit lane but there was genuine surprise at how fast Michael Laverty and Tommy Hill were today on the Swan Yamahas. Everyone...

Shakedown at Cartagena

Shakedown at Cartagena

The four-day Barry Symmons-run Pro-Test kicked off at Cartagena today with former MotoGP star American John Hopkins making his debut on the Samsung Suzuki. Although primarily an installation day for...

BSB Testing Blog: Viva Espana! Day Three

BSB Testing Blog: Viva Espana! Day Three

Cartagena, Thursday, March 3 Another day, another race track. We’re at Cartagena now and it feels more like a normal BSB meeting than a pre-season test – packed garages, loads of new bikes, chilled...

BSB pre-season testing blog: Viva Espana! Day Two

BSB pre-season testing blog: Viva Espana! Day Two

It didn’t seem such a busy day on track for the boys at Calafat today, compared to Tuesday – but everyone seemed happy enough with the way things had gone. It was pretty cold early in the morning and...

Steady progress at Calafat

Steady progress at Calafat

Swan Yamaha pair Tommy Hill and Michael Laverty both talked about the huge potential of the 2010 factory WSB R1s they will be racing in BSB this year. After yesterday’s ‘installation’ day at Calafat,...

BSB pre-season testing blog: Viva Espana!

BSB pre-season testing blog: Viva Espana!

Calafat circuit might not be used for racing these days but it’s a perfect BSB test track – with its dead stop hairpins and flip flop Esses that mimic many of our circuits. It’s a weird old place...

Samsung back Crescent Suzuki

Samsung back Crescent Suzuki

Crescent Racing have new Samsung Mobile title sponsorship that sees National Superstock champion Jon Kirkham joining all-American hero and former MotoGP star John Hopkins on the Suzuki GSX-R1000 in...

HM Plant Honda and Swan Yamaha at Calafat

HM Plant Honda and Swan Yamaha at Calafat

These are the first pictures of the HM Plant Honda and Swan Yamaha teams in 2011 BSB pre-season testing, shot exclusively by Double Red for MCN today at Calafat, Spain. Defending BSB champion Ryuichi...

Hill joins MCN for first look at Snetterton

Hill joins MCN for first look at Snetterton

New Swan Yamaha BSB signing Tommy Hill took an R1 around the all-new Snetterton 300 circuit last week and was absolutely raving about the layout. The final top dressing of tarmac had only been...

Andrews signs For PR Racing

Andrews signs For PR Racing

Simon Andrews has signed to ride for PR Racing in the 2011 MCE British Superbike Evo class on a Kawasaki ZX-10R. The deal maintain Andrews link with Kawasaki, after previously racing for the official...

Tunstall Switches To BSB Evo

Tunstall Switches To BSB Evo

Tom Tunstall is raring to take his place on the BSB grid in 2011 after adding his name to a growing list of Evo riders. Competing in “a race within a race” the Evo specification bikes run to the same...

Motorpoint Yamaha British Superbike team needs you!

Motorpoint Yamaha British Superbike team needs you!

The Motorpoint Yamaha British Superbike team is looking for volunteers to help out behind the scenes during the 2011 season. So if you fancy spending your Sunday at Brands Hatch, Oulton Park,...

Motorpoint BSB team launches grid girl search

Motorpoint BSB team launches grid girl search

The Motorpoint Yamaha team is looking to recruit volunteer grid girls for the 2011 British Superbike Championship. The team, launched by the car supermarket giant, has made a big impression since it...

Video: John Laverty - Building Confidence

Team Hawk Racing’s senior rider John Laverty gives XSVpro a small look inside Buildbase Kawasaki (now Buildbase BMW). Showing that bullying and sport do not go hand in hand and that through building confidence in the world of sport anyone can achieve anything. This is one of many videos to come from John this year, stay tuned for more insider views from the British Superbike Championship when the...

Snetterton 300 passes safety inspection

Snetterton 300 passes safety inspection

The new-look Snetterton 300 circuit is fast approaching completion with the new paddock extension now underway and initial safety inspections of the track completed. Latest images of the transformed...

Ducati 848 Challenge grid filling fast

Ducati 848 Challenge grid filling fast

The recent announcement that Moto Rapido Racing has signed up Jamie Poole to contest the 2011 Ducati 848 Challenge the provisional grid is now up to 22 riders, with still almost three months still to...

New backer for Riders Ducati

New backer for Riders Ducati

Nationwide accident compensation experts Rapid Solicitors have announced today (Wednesday, February 2) a major new sponsorship deal around Britain’s biggest motorsport series, the MCE Insurance...

Rutter and Jessopp get factory Ducatis for BSB

Rutter and Jessopp get factory Ducatis for BSB

When team owner Phil Jessopp reveals his Rider Ducati team plans at the MCN Carole Nash London Motorcycle Show tomorrow (Thursday, February 3) it’s going to be more than a new title sponsorship deal...

Tinmouth to race BSB Aprilia

Tinmouth to race BSB Aprilia

Jenny Tinmouth will race a Splitlath Aprilia RSV4 in this year’s MCE British Superbike championship.  She will make history as the first female to ever tackle a full season of the world’s most...

Swan Yamaha reveal factory R1s

Swan Yamaha reveal factory R1s

Swan Yamaha riders Tommy Hill and Michael Laverty will be racing 2010 factory R1s in this year’s MCE British Superbike championship. The team built the bikes in the WSB factory team’s workshop in...

Hickman teams up with Tyco Racing

Hickman teams up with Tyco Racing

Tyco Racing has signed Peter Hickman to ride alongside Tommy Bridewell in this year’s MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, which gets underway on Easter weekend at Brands Hatch (22-25 April).

Snetterton revamp underway

Snetterton revamp underway

The major £3.5m Snetterton revamp is well underway to create a very new look for the Norfolk circuit which MotorSport Vision boss Jonathan Palmer has said will make it the most exciting circuit in the...

I, Superbiker movie set for release

I, Superbiker movie set for release

A brand new motorcycle racing movie ‘I, Superbiker’ is due for general release on March 10 and will be rolled out across 50 cinemas in the UK. The film covers the 2010 BSB season and is focussed on...

Buildbase sign Lowry

Buildbase sign Lowry

Ian Lowry is a late addition to the Buildbase BMW team and will ride a superbike alongside John Laverty in BSB. Lowry said: “I’m over the moon. Team owner Stuart Hicken has a great team with stacks of...

Sorrymate.com Honda sing Linfoot

Sorrymate.com Honda sing Linfoot

Dan Linfoot will race for Robin Croft’s sorrymate.com Honda team in BSB this year. After a difficult 2010 season with Motorpoint Yamaha, he was originally expected to join the new-look Tyco-backed...

John Hopkins to ride Crescent Suzuki

John Hopkins to ride Crescent Suzuki

American John Hopkins has signed for the Crescent Suzuki BSB team. It will give the former MotoGP star an opportunity to rebuild his career after a series of injuries and the team an opportunity to...

Jentin switch to Honda with Brogan

Jentin switch to Honda with Brogan

BSB Evo champion Steve Brogan will race a Jentin Honda in BSB this year. Brogan won last year’s inaugural Evo title riding a Jentin BMW but since losing their direct tie up with the German company’s...