2002

No Malaysian round for World Superbikes

09 December 2002

The Malaysian round of next year’s World Superbike championship has been axed. A race was due to be staged at Sepang on May 4, but the FIM confirmed last week that the calendar has been cut from 13...

Exclusive: First HM Plant Ducati pictures

25 November 2002

MCN has been granted exclusive access to the HM Plant Ducati squad just days ahead of its first round of pre-season testing in Valencia, Spain. This is the first time its riders James Toseland and...

First pictures: Whitham’s new baby

25 November 2002

World Supersport rider Jamie Whitham has a new woman in his life – he’s just become the proud father to Ruby, his first child. Ruby weighed in at 6lb 14oz, and both baby and mother Andrea are doing...

2003 World Superbike regulations

11 November 2002

The governing body that regulates the World Superbike and World Supersport series, the FIM, has introduced a series of new regulations designed principally to bring down the cost of a season’s...

Walker under the knife again

11 November 2002

Chris Walker has undergone a second operation to re-pin his broken left leg and ankle. Walker, injured during the Mettet supermoto race in Belgium last month, is battling to be fit in time for his...

Whitham to miss supersport test

11 November 2002

Jamie Whitham is set to miss the start of close-season testing for the 2003 World Supersport championship. He has elected to stay in the UK to see a specialist about his knee injury, and will be...

Your chance to bid for WSB history

01 November 2002

Fancy owning some top Neil Hodgson and James Toesland World Superbike memorabilia and help a good cause at the same time? Well, here’s your chance. Log onto www.hmplantducati.com, the official website...

Walker test hopes dented

28 October 2002

Chris Walker’s race for fitness in time for his GSE Racing WSB squad’s important first test looks bleak. The pins in the ankle he damaged earlier this month in a supermoto race in Mettet, Belgium have...

Edwards signs for Aprilia

28 October 2002

Colin Edwards has signed for Aprilia to ride its RS3 in MotoGP next year. There is no word yet on whether he will partner Regis Laconi in a two-man team. We will bring your more details very soon.

Scott Russell could be back in WSB

21 October 2002

Scott Russell could be set for a dramatic return to World Superbikes after an absence of five years. He last rode in the 1998 championship on a Yamaha YZF750, but he has been testing recently with AMA...

Scott Russell in comeback test

21 October 2002

Former WSB champ Scott Russell is on the verge of an amazing racing comeback, despite nearly being killed at the Daytona 200 in 2001. He has been secretly testing for HMC Racing, an AMA Superbike...

Xaus confirmed at Ducati WSB

21 October 2002

Ruben Xaus has just been confirmed as Neil Hodgson’s teammate at the factory Ducati Corse WSB squad on the new 999. He renews his commitment to the factory after a torrid 2002 in World Superbikes,...

Officials settle on new AMA Superbike rules

14 October 2002

From next year the American superbike (AMA) series will run on broadly similar lines to the British domestic championship after officials finally settled on a framework to allow teams to run...

Honda set to quit WSB

14 October 2002

Honda is set to quit WSB despite winning the 2002 World Superbike championship. You can read more on this story in the latest issue of MCN, out October 16. There had been rumours that GSE Racing would...

Walker breaks leg in Supermoto race

14 October 2002

Chris Walker has been diagnosed as having a broken ankle and tibia of his left leg after crashing out of a supermoto race in Mettet, Belgium at the weekend. He was due to start testing with his new...

GSE to stick with Ducati for 2003 WSB

07 October 2002

GSE Racing has just announced that it will remain with Ducati in World Superbikes for 2003 and not join forces with Honda as had been widely rumoured. In a statement team owner Darrell Healey said: ”...

Edwards – the Aprilia deal in his words

07 October 2002

Early this morning (UK time) Colin Edwards wrote to users of motorcyclenews.com in our Racing – WSB section about his forthcoming deal to ride the Aprilia RS3 in MotoGP. He wrote: ” Friday is D-Day.

First pictures: Bayliss and Hodgson test

07 October 2002

These are the first pictures of Troy Bayliss and Neil Hodgson testing their respective 2003 MotoGP and World Superbike machines. The pair has just completed preliminary test at Mugello in Italy, just...

Edwards out, Xaus in at Ducati WSB

07 October 2002

Ruben Xaus will partner Neil Hodgson on the factory Ducati 999 in World Superbikes in 2003. The Spaniard is expected to sign shortly to fill the vacancy created by Colin Edward’s departure for...

Rumours put Edwards on RCV

01 October 2002

Following his stunning performance at the weekend, which saw him wrap up the 2002 WSB title for Honda, paddock rumours now have Colin Edwards back on an RCV in MotoGP for 2003. While the Texan Tornado...

Imola bike fault costs Whitham

01 October 2002

The FIM has announced that Jamie Whitham has forfeited the fourth place he earned on Sunday at Imola thanks to a technical infringement of the rules. World Supersport regulations state that bikes must...

Kawasaki bow out of WSB

01 October 2002

Kawasaki has announced it’s pulling out of World Superbikes to concentrate on its fledgling MotoGP programme. The annoucement has long been expected – this year was the last in which its ageing ZX-7R...

Edwards is World Superbike champion

30 September 2002

Colin Edwards has become the 2002 World Superbike champion after a titanic race two decider with defending champion Troy Bayliss. All eyes were locked on the pair as they duelled for the whole 25...

Honda confirms 2003 WSS squads

30 September 2002

Still on a high after winning the 2002 World Supersport crown in Imola on Sunday with Fabien Foret, Honda has confirmed its WSS line-up to defend the title for 2003. Honda will support four satellite...

Edwards on pole for Imola

23 September 2002

Colin Edwards moved closer to his second World Superbike championship by putting himself on pole for the final round at Imola. His Superpole time of 1’49.021 puts him ahead of reigning champion and...

Yamaha announces AMA 600 team

23 September 2002

Aaron Gobert and Damon Buckmaster will be joined at Yamaha by ex-Suzuki stars Jamie Hacking and Jason DiSalvo on the brand new factory R6 in the 2003 AMA Supersport series. Gobert, Buckmaster and...

Edwards breaks lap record at Imola test

16 September 2002

Colin Edwards broke the lap record by 1.2 seconds during tests at Imola today according to Castrol Honda’s latest press release. Edwards set a time of 1:48.10 around the 3.04-mile circuit, faster even...

Foggy FP1 debuts at Donington

16 September 2002

Troy Corser and James Haydon took the all-new Foggy Petronas FP1 out for its first track test today around Donington Park. It’s the first time the bike has been seen in public since the bike was...

Edwards fury at Hayden GP ride

16 September 2002

Colin Edwards has hit out at the politics behind Honda’s decision to give fellow-American Nicky Hayden a MotoGP ride on a Honda V5. Edwards – who has signed a letter of intent to ride for Ducati in...

Suzuki take top three at Bol D’or

16 September 2002

The 2002 Bold D’or endurance race finished with the Castrol Suzuki team taking the first and second places from the GMT 94 team, also mounted on a Suzuki. The race was won by the Suzuki team of French...

Sensational Assen double for Edwards

09 September 2002

The 2002 World Superbike title race is still wide open after a stunning double for Colin Edwards at Assen today. The Honda rider trailed defending champion Troy Bayliss by 29 points going into today’s...

Who’s your tip for the WSB title?

09 September 2002

The season-long battle between Ducati’s Troy Bayliss and Honda’s Colin Edwards comes to the boil on Sunday September 29 at Imola in Italy. Who do you think has the talent, the mental toughness and the...

Ben Bostrom signs for AMA Honda

09 September 2002

It has been confirmed that Ben Bostrom will race an SP-2 for Honda in the American domestic superbike series in 2003. The Californian has struggled all season, scraping just one podium finish all year...

Honda crams in early Imola test

09 September 2002

Colin Edwards and his Castol Honda team will begin urgent tests this Monday, September 16, at Imola ahead of the decisive WSB round there on September 29. Click on the link on the right to vote for...

Edwards is on an Assen mission

02 September 2002

If there’s a fat lady warming up somewhere, someone’s forgotten to tell Colin Edwards to take the plugs from his ears. The Honda rider has scorched to the top of today’s qualifying session ahead of...

Hodgson on the podium twice

02 September 2002

Neil Hodgson took two third spots in the two WSB races Oschersleben, Germany on Sunday, while Colin Edwards stormed to another double victory. Race one’s top three was: 1) Edwards(Honda), 2) Bayliss...