2001

Rain cut Hodgson’s test time

16 December 2001

Neil Hodgson’s first test of his 2002 Ducati was a washed out. The MCN Man of the Year was desperate to get on his Testastretta 998R and claw back some of the ground he’s already lost to Chris Walker,...

Borja returns to Ducati for 2002 WSB season

16 December 2001

Spaniard Juan Borja will be making a return to Ducati in 2002… but with a customer race bike rather than the works 996R he had in 2000. Borja will be racing for the De Cecco Ducati team – the same...

Aprilia lets us loose on Corser’s RSV

16 December 2001

Aprilia hasn’t exactly made a habit of letting anyone other than racers and factory testers on its works machinery, yet here I am, waiting to ride the bike that took Troy Corser to fourth in the World...

Whitham grinning after first test on 2002 R6

16 December 2001

Jamie Whitham has been given a first taste of his new 2002-spec Belgarda Yamaha R6 in a test at Cartagena in Spain. Riding with team-mate Paolo Casoli, the test gave Whitham a chance to put new...

Foggy reveals more about his new WSB bikes and team

09 December 2001

Carl Fogarty launched his new WSB team in Italy at the weekend, and revealed that up to 10,000 of the Foggy Petronas triples could be put into production. They will follow the first 75 very expensive...

Foggy targets Corser

09 December 2001

Troy Corser has been approached by Carl Fogarty to ride the new Petronas World Superbike. He hasn’t said yes to the offer yet because he’s still considering buying his job back at Aprilia. He told...

Heckles joins the Brits in WSB

09 December 2001

Liverpool rider Mark Heckles, 25, will ride a kit-bike Honda VTR SP-2 for the Rumi Honda team in WSB in 2002 in a one-rider team. The kit bike is a far cry from the uncompetitive kit-bikes that were seen in the BSB series in 2000 and are said to be on a performance level with the 2001 bike Colin Edwards had. A delighted Heckles who raced in the European superstock series on a Rumi Honda FireBlade...

Hodgson and Toseland on Radio One

09 December 2001

Neil Hodgson is looking forward to renewing his rivalry with Chris Walker in World Superbikes next season. Speaking on a Radio One interview on Monday night, Hodgson added: ” but this time I hope...

Foggy quits Ducati – but where next?

02 December 2001

Carl Fogarty is remaining tight-lipped about his future after speaking about his decision to end his long-standing relationship with Ducati today. He did however admit that his next move will be “the...

Bayliss’ big race shakedown – in the wife’s runabout

02 December 2001

WORLD SUPERBIKE king Troy Bayliss has been getting in some last minute practice for a four-wheeled fun race with fellow motorsport champs… using his wife’s estate car. Bayliss, who has never been near...

WSB signings latest: Haga, Emmett and Chili line up

02 December 2001

THE tantalising prospect of Noriyuki Haga sliding his way around the World Superbike series on an Aprilia will become a reality after the Japanese rider signed for the Italian factory. Haga has been...

Latest WSB test news: Walker, Edwards, Sauber

02 December 2001

CHRIS WALKER is now eight days into a hectic World Superbike testing schedule in preparation for his return to world championship racing. In contrast, Neil Hodgson has not even seen his new Ducati...

Castrol Honda UK to campaign World Supersports

02 December 2001

HONDA BRITAIN has confirmed that it is entering John McGuinness and Karl Muggeridge in the 2002 World Supersport championship. The switch is a dream come true for two-times TT winner McGuinness. The...

The background to Petronas

25 November 2001

PETRONAS is one of the biggest names to join WSB since the championship started in 1988. It was formed in 1974 as the national petroleum company of Malaysia and having established itself in the...

Lavilla is sole factory Suzuki in World Superbikes

25 November 2001

The team will continue to compete in the Superbike and Supersport series as a factory supported team, but with a slight change in personnel. Japanese rider Katsuyaki Fujiwara will continue in the...

The Foggy/Petronas road bike is coming

25 November 2001

CARL FOGARTY road bike will be in our showrooms later next year after the four-times World Superbike champion announced one of the biggest deals in British motorcycle history last week. He has signed...

Ellison set for Kawasaki Supersport ride

25 November 2001

European superstock champion James Ellison is likely to race alongside Andrew Pitt in Kawasaki’s 2002 World Supersport team. The 20-year-old from Cumbria has won the superstock title for the past two...

Exclusive: Foggy, "This deal is a gamble – but it’ll pay off"

25 November 2001

IN an exclusive chat with MCN Carl Fogarty has admitted that his WSB deal is risky, but he reckons it will pay off. With the preliminary stages already well under way, Foggy believes with his name and...

World exclusive: Foggy / Petronas deal sealed

18 November 2001

It’s official. The lid on Foggy’s top secret plans has been lifted with the four-times World Superbike champion announcing “a once in a lifetime opportunity ” with Petronas. Foggy has agreed an...

Foggy and Ducati split

18 November 2001

FOUR-TIMES World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty officially split from Ducati today. And he’s now expected to be installed as the man to spearhead Sauber’s surprise World Superbike effort in 2002. Ducati announced this afternoon that they have decided to end their long-standing relationship with the British legend, who is currently still recovering from a broken leg he suffered while testing a CCM...