Table of contents for 17th July 2019 in MCN

It’s the inevitable life cycle of racing: Man blows previous winners into weeds. Man becomes godlike and worshipped. Man isn’t quite so dominant anymore. Fans hate new man who is beating old deity. New man arrives and is hailed by all as ‘the-next-man-to-do-that-thing-the-other-man-did.’ It’s like watching the Life of Brian on repeat. On bikes. It’s also what keeps racing interesting – what elevates the concept of riding around in circles on someone else’s bike, burning someone else’s petrol whilst wearing brightly coloured romper suits one of the most addictive spectacles on Earth. And it’s hard – if unpopular – to deny that Rossi’s extraordinary generation-long genius appears to be fading. But with Marquez already firmly filling the role of pantomime baddie, that rather leaves the stage door open for a…

BMW shocked the world when they unveiled the R18 concept recently – a softail cruiser with the largest capacity motorcycle engine the Bavarians have ever built – because it was nothing like any bike they’ve produced in recent memory. But the idea has been brewing in the background for quite some time. “You know we’ve always had the idea of entering the American cruiser segment,” Karl Victor Schaller, Head of Engineering at BMW Motorrad, told MCN. “So the questions were ‘can we do it with the existing 1200 engine [from the R nineT]?’ and ‘what is the possibility to extend that engine?’ because there’s always a little bit of headroom in each engine.” Following investigation BMW realised they could perhaps take the engine out to a 1350 but, to compete…

‘It’s a major step in the right direction’DR PRIYA PRASAD, SAFETY EXPERT A major breakthrough in helmet safety could save your skull in a crash and keep your head cooler than current lids. Virtually every motorcycle helmet currently uses an EPS (expanded polystyrene) liner. But now there’s a new product that claims to be safer, more robust and better ventilated. EPS is made by taking tiny polystyrene balls (often only 1mm across) and chemically expanding them up to 40 times their original size. This allows them to be shaped in a mould and gives them a remarkable ability to absorb impact. When you crash, the EPS liner is crushed, reducing energy transfer to the brain. But EPS has some drawbacks, not least that it’s affected by temperature, has a relatively…

Regarding Tom Sykes's disqualification from second place in last Sunday’s WSB Sprint race at Donington, from our view point near the Esses we saw the whole incident. The leaders were red flagged as early as Hollywood, leaving them over half a lap to SLOW DOWN. Yet we were flabbergasted to see them accelerate to almost race speed over the blind rise towards the Melbourne hairpin to face who knows what? We should spare a thought for the marshal who nearly got wiped out by Sykes's bike. And hats off to all the marshals for doing a cracking job throughout the weekend! It's not rocket science lads... a red flag means 'race stopped, return to pits slowly and cautiously'! Brian & Anna-Marie Kent, email Ed - Correct, it has to be…

I am surprised by what he has done. But the question is could you have dragged another rider out of Moto2 and put them on the Yamaha in MotoGP, or has he actually got more minerals than anyone else? I’m not sure he has to be honest. I think if you’d put someone like Baldassari on it they would have done something similar. ‘IF I TRIED A GP BIKE I WOULDN’T EVEN BE ABLE TO HOLD ON’ I think the Yamahas give the rookies an easier time. Absolutely no dis-respect to Cal but he could stick the Yamaha on the podium, Edwards used to do well on it too, but although I’ll get shot for this they are riders who weren’t at the very sharp end. I’m not going so…

It’s Britain’s best road test route. A tough 250-mile mix of A and B- roads, a stretch of motorway, plus plenty of towns, villages, blind corners, ballistic straights, and a huge range of grippy to slippy tarmac. There are two cafés, an off-road section for adventure and trail bikes, track time for sportsbikes, and Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground and the dyno for hard and fast data when needed. You want answers? We’ve got ’em. 1 Oundle fill-up It doesn’t take long to brim the Katana’s 12-litre tank. Will it make our first scheduled fuel stop in Stratford 92 miles away? There are no rider modes to set on the Suzuki before the off, but the Honda has Sport, Standard, Rain and a custom ‘User’ setting that lets you choose your…

The MCN250’s final gift is this final B-road blast, full of undulating switchbacks, TT-like fast sweepers and tight turns. Stretching the Honda’s virtual ride-by-wire throttle cables unleashes the savagery of the ’blade-engined beast beneath. On this type of terrain the Honda, and Suzuki, covers ground as eagerly as a sportsbike. The CB carves perfect lines, flexes its muscles on the brakes and can be teased on to the back wheel out of slow corners without the electronics stopping play (but on a test track the traction control will bring down a perfectly floating wheelie). It’s a hoot to chuck about, but doesn’t float along like a Tuono or Speed Triple, but junking its Dunlop D214 rubber for something with more poise and bite would improve things. The shock gets out…

LADIES DAY AT SAMMY MILLER MUSEUM, NEW MILTON, DORSET. JULY 21 ‘This one’s for the ladies...’ Last year’s inaugural Ladies Day at the Sammy Miller Museum was so successful, it’s now a regular event. Aimed at women riders (blokes welcome too), there’s a free goodie bag for all who attend, plus stalls from ladybiker.co.uk, and female mechanics on hand for advice. All funds raised in aid of Breast Cancer Now. The route Enjoy a cuppa and bacon bap at Loomies before taking the A272 to Winchester. Join the A3090 through Standon and Hursley. Flowing bends lead you into Romsey and on to Sherfield English, where you swing left through Plaitford Green. A brief run on the A36 and you’re on the edge of the New Forest. Head to…

Fancy owning Ducati’s revolutionary 916, an original standard-setting Honda CBR900RR or a mint example of the era-defining Yamaha RD350LC? You’ll need deep pockets – prices for these benchmark modern classics are through the roof. This is a good thing, however. With focus on the headline poster bikes, there’s a vast array of models that shaped the face of motorcycling but remain pleasingly affordable. £2000 KAWASAKI ZX-7R 748cc | 203kg | 110bhp | 790mm seat height • Dealer up to £3500 • Private up to £3000 • This one 1996, 18,000miles Heady nights at the local bike meet in colour-matched Texport leathers. The reputation for roaring noise and uncompromising ride. Walker tearing-up British Superbike, Anthony Gorbert going sideways in WSB... There are many reasons why riders of a certain age…

1 Quick fit kit A quickshifter allows you to make clutchless gear changes. It works via a sensor in the gearchange mechanism, sending a signal to an ECU that then momentarily cuts the ignition long enough for the next gear to be selected. Many modern kits are ‘plug and play’ but older bikes require a bit more fettling, so make sure you buy a kit that is specifically tailored to your bike. 2 Get stripped You’ll need to gain access to the ignition coils/plug caps, and the battery, so take off any items of trim that may get in your way. Remove the petrol tank, and seat if necessary. Some bikes may also require fairing panels to be taken off. Safely store these items away from your working…

Redding was very coy when asked about his future, but it’s fairly obvious that other teams (and manufacturers) want the Gloucester man for 2020, which is, perhaps, why PBM pulled the plug on the WSB wildcard. Paddock whispers suggest BMW are keen to secure his services in WSB next season, while a more obvious route would be swiping Chaz Davies’ seat at Ducati. Redding’s visit to Donington WSB with his manager only fuelled the silly-season fires. “Nobody’s asked me what I’m doing next year. I haven’t read the rumours online as I’m only on Tinder!” joked Redding. “I’d like to go to WSB eventually. That’s why I came to BSB and took the risk. I did it so I can try and go forward again as, when you speak, it…

When Alvaro Bautista held a 61-point lead after the second race in Jerez, you’d have been called brave or stupid for suggesting Jonathan Rea would leave Laguna Seca with an advantage of 81. After an implausible swing of 142 points in just 10 races, the World Superbike championship has suddenly taken on a very different feel. The Californian round was another example of how points make prizes. Quadruple world champ Rea triumphed aboard his ZX-10RR on Saturday and in Sunday’s Sprint Race, while second to Ducati’s Chaz Davies in the final race meant the Northern Irishman scored 57 of the possible 62 points. He departs America an 80-time WSB race winner, having also picked up the 250th victory for a British rider; the first being in 1989 when Terry Rymer…

Toprak Razgatlioglu became the hottest property in the WSB paddock after securing another two podium finishes at Laguna. The 22-year-old Turk bagged third places in both of the 25-lap races along with fourth in the sprint, combing for a career-best WSB weekend as the Puccetti Kawasaki rider earned a further 38 points. The protégé of five-time World Supersport champion Kenan Sofuoglu has been among the top three highest-scoring riders four times over the last five rounds and represents the next generation in WSB. Even before the racing started at Laguna, the paddock was rife with talk that the now nine-time podium finisher has been offered a big money deal by Yamaha to lure him away from Kawasaki while Honda are also believed to be interested. But by the time the…

Chaz Davies ended his 43-race losing streak by blasting to a glittering first victory of the season at Laguna Seca in California on Sunday. The British 32-year-old, originally from Knighton in Wales, now residing in Andorra, stormed into the lead after a 140mph pass on Jonathan Rea to secure his first win on the new Ducati Panigale V4R and his first victory since Aragon in April 2018, one year and three months earlier. As the American circuit welcomed a weekend crowd of 68,000, the third-largest of the season after the two Italian rounds at Imola and Misano, Davies made the most of his excellent Race 2 start to dispatch championship-mindful Rea. As it is the 25th anniversary of the Ducati 916 which took Carl Fogarty to his first two of…

Warwickshire and Solihull Blood Bikes (WSBB) are once again delivering life-saving blood to hospitals across the West Midlands despite losing their transport contract to a private company late last year. The charitable organisation delivered its last supplies of blood to the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS trust on April 3, after a paid deal was awarded to QE Facilities last November. After delivering samples since July 2012, the change saw the group lose around 80% of their runs overnight. Charity bikers resume blood delivery Out-of-hours runs back on Now, however, following a successful lobbying campaign, they restarted their out of hours courier service on Monday, July 1. “There are two main reasons for our existence: the first one is to save the NHS money and the second is…

The V-Strom family have been ploughing their own adventure furrow since 2002 and right now there are cracking finance deals on both 650 and 1000 models. Buyers can also claim £500 of free accessories. If new’s not for you, there are 17 years of ’Stroms to pick from, starting with the TL derived 1000. The 650 arrived in ’04, and the DL250 appeared in ’17 – so there are loads to choose from at seriously tempting prices. 2019 V-STROM 1000 XT What is it? A big, comfy bike perfect for all-day riding, but they can also hustle in the bends. Wire wheels, bashplate, tapered handlebars and handguards set the XT apart from the standard Strom. MCN says “The big ’Strom remains one of the easiest big adventure-styled bikes on…

A senior police officer has warned that “someone is going to get hurt” after it emerged that gangs of motorcycle thieves are behind a spate of bike thefts in Northumberland. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Knox issued the warning after 92 motorcycles were stolen in Newcastle and Gateshead in just eight weeks. Motorcycle thieves have been spotted roaming the cities in groups of three or four looking for bikes to steal. They have proved capable of snapping steering locks and cutting chains in no time at all, sometimes stealing poorly-secured bikes in a matter of seconds. Police have also warned that the gangs often follow riders home and then strike late at night. In an attempt to curb this crimewave, Northumbria Police have now set up ‘Operation Benelli’, manned by a…

The Vintage Motorcycle Club’s Festival of 1000 Bikes lived up to its name with a weekend of classic track action at Mallory Park Since it’s revival in 2018 the event provided a great opportunity to see rare and iconic bikes in action. Sunday’s Past Masters parade read like a ‘Who’s who’ of TT heroes with Giacomo Agostini, John Cooper, Trevor Nation, Alex George and Ian Hutchinson all taking part. “I’ve been quite a few times and it’s a right good do,” said Mick Grant as he prepared to put his 1981 TT-winning Suzuki RG500 through its paces. “It’s as much about the rank and file guys as the stars and there are some fantastic machines here. It’s just a cracking weekend.” The festival also gives a chance for anyone to…

Moriwaki Honda's Ryuichi Kiyonari parted company with his Fireblade during the Sprint race at the Donington Park WSB round. But where's it gone? Use your skill and judgement to put a cross were you think the front wheel spindle of his Honda CBR1000RR should be? It's just for fun and there's no prize, but we'll print the answer on next week's Letters page. Turn to page 68 for all the results and insight from the weekend's WSB action at Laguna Seca. Let's hope Kiyo had better luck in the US than in the UK.…

There’s very little to choose between the Honda and Suzuki. They both have awe-inspiring superbike-derived motors, nimble handling and are easy to get on with. We love the Kat’s wild styling, edgy K5 engine character and its small tank isn’t a problem in the real world, either, but the CB1000R comes out on top thanks to its extra refinement, smoothness and build quality. Owning either would provide miles of enjoyable, often thrilling and – above all – reliable riding. They’re both pricey, but they haven’t been allowed to flourish into the best they could be. They lack the soul of their best rivals and left us cold after living with them around the MCN250. Honda electronics aside, neither have moved the game on from what big Japanese nakeds have been…

First bike 1970 Honda C90 “As a riding experience it was pretty awful, but it had brilliant economy and gave me freedom as a kid. I piled all kinds of stuff on it – I was a semi-pro cyclist at the time so I often carried a full-sized racing bike on it, too!” Solid star Daytona 900 “A good bike but early technology compared to today, so it was heavy. But really tough – the engine was still fighting fit when we got home.” Toughest Super Ténéré “Rode the Americas three times on this: 32,000 miles in a record f 46 days 4 hours. After 50,000 miles all the internals were still pristine.” Favourite 2005 Yamaha YZF-R1 “The bike I rode around the world in 19…

In his first season in the premier class back in 2000, 21-year-old Valentino Rossi learned to tame a 500cc V4 two-stroke and went on to win two races and bag eight podiums in his rookie season. While Quartararo is unlikely to repeat that, Rossi is full of praise for the young Frenchman although admittedly a little miffed at their age difference! “He’s very, very young – two years younger even than my brother and already in MotoGP. In fact, he’s a year younger than I was, because I arrived at 21. He came into this paddock in a very strange way because he was called a genius before he arrived but for some reason he lost his way. This year he has a very strong chance to show how fast…

•‘It’s a friendly affair, and there’s beer everywhere’ You won’t see another event like this. Blazing sunshine (usually), incredibly close racing on public roads, gallons of fantastically strong beer, the best chips in Europe, live music and more classic bikes than you’d believe. In Belgium, of all places. This is the Chimay Classic TT. Yes, Chimay - where the beer comes from – is where you want to be this coming weekend. There’ll be no fewer than 450 racers and 500 race bikes. There are classes for almost every type of racing bike. The cut-off date is 1974, but the organisers have recognised that many people are interested in bikes later than that, so you get parade laps by Yamaha LCs, Kawasaki GPzs, Honda CB900s and CBXs, and even early…

THE STUDENT Zoe Thompson, 38, Leeds Honda NC750X rider Zoe passed her full test four years ago and now enjoys group ride outs , and touring with her husband. Zoe’s riding problem “I dread taking a wrong turn. It takes me miles to find a suitable turning spot. My husband ends up waiting for me. Can you help?” THE TUTOR Mark Edwards, Rapid Training FormerpolicemotorcyclistMark’sbeen teachingpeopletobesafer,better,faster riders on the road for the last 20 years. Mark’s action plan “I’ll show Zoe a technique for turning a bike in a confined area when she doesn’t feel confident enough to do a U-turn.” THE LESSON 1 Pull up and stop Use your rear observations then stop at the side of the road as clost to the edge as you can. The…

‘I did 300 miles to Calais in one hit’ Sportsbikes are brilliant, but when it comes to shadowing 16-year-old CBT students on scooters, a race-hewn inline four isn’t the tool for the job. It’s a realisation that MCN reader and riding school owner Rich Woolgar arrived at last year. “I’ve always had sportsbikes, mostly GSX-R600s, but I wanted a bike that could do everything,” he says. “I needed something that was as good at low speed stuff when I was instructing as it was going to on touring trips with more experienced riders.” Despite thinking that the ideal tool might be Yamaha’s MT-09 or Tracer 900 GT, Rich got his head turned by a Suzuki finance offer. He says: “I saw that they were offering 0% finance on the V-Strom…

Michael Dunlop’s troubled 2019 season took another turn for the worse at the Southern 100 when he was injured after suffering a huge highside on his Tyco BMW. The Ballymoney racer and 21-time Southern 100 winner, who sat out the 2018 event after the death of his brother William at Skerries last July, had been tracking Dean Harrison’s Silicone Kawasaki in Thursday’s Senior race when his BMW S1000RR rear broke away on the exit of Castletown corner. ‘He had been tracking Harrison when his S1000RR rear broke away’ Organisers initially told Manx Radio that Dunlop had sustained “suspected minor fractures” and had been discharged from Nobles hospital. But Dunlop later confirmed to his Twitter following that he had suffered a broken pelvis in the sickening crash along with back injuries.…

The wheels fell off Alvaro Bautista’s WSB challenge in shocking fashion at Laguna Seca at the weekend as the Spanish former series leader failed to score a single point. In the 10 races since his last win, the Ducati rider has lost, on average, 14 points per race to Kawasaki’s resurgent reigning world champion Jonathan Rea. In America there were two more crashes and the former MotoGP rider ended Sunday in agony. What was a 61-point lead after the second race in Jerez has become an 81-point deficit in a collapse that has shocked WSB. After crashes in Spain, Italy and Britain, 34-year-old Bautista twice hit trouble in the USA: first a Turn 5 crash on the fifth lap of Race 1, then clipping Toprak Razgatlioglu (see below) at the…

Yamaha have revealed their next generation R1, which boasts more efficient aerodynamics, improved electronics and reworked internals for greater performance. The new bikes were unveiled at the weekend’s WSB round in the US. The R1 gets a more MotoGPinspired styling makeover with new screen and fairing that integrate straight into the tank, promising a 5% increase in aerodynamic efficiency. This is coupled with new LED headlights which help give the bike a more aggressive stance. Meanwhile, the 998cc crossplane crank engine has been reworked to include a new intake system, complete with new 10-hole Bosch injectors for a wider spray angle and a more efficient burn. Although power remains unchanged at a claimed 197bhp, the new R1 receives updated finger-follower rocker arms and new cam lobes, that deliver more stable…

Riding over 5000 miles in a year can be challenging on any bike, however a dedicated band of intrepid riders are tackling the task aboard sub-15bhp 125s. Despite being limited to around 70mph and often capped by a provisional licence and a CBT, many riders have adopted the MCN challenge during their riding infancy, in a bid to get more experience on two wheels. One such experience-seeker is 44-year-old part-time chef Joanne Hardy from Pontypool, who fell in love with bikes 27 years ago, but was unable to ride during her years in the armed forces. “I semi-retired at 40 and decided I wanted to start riding,” Hardy told MCN. “I got the bike last August and did my CBT in November. From the end of February, I’ve been out…

A new dawn for old tech? Very interesting to read your excellent article on the hub-centred Arc Vector in last week’s MCN. I've always loved the hub-centre concept and as a keen follower of MotoGP (which are prototypes) I am amazed that no teams have been daring enough to develop one. The geometry and other variable ranges could offer so much benefit over conventional forks. Ron Haslam and Elf had some success with this in the Eighties but I'm certain that there is more potential in this type of set up. Mike Ryan, Tewkesbury More gadgets, less value I've just read the 'Star Letter' from Simon J Foster in last week's MCN and couldn't agree more. The level of unnecessary gadgetry used by manufacturers trying to justify their increasingly exorbitant…

SUZUKI GT250 My first big bike, after a Gilera Trail 50, in 1980. Dodgy army surplus jumper, trainers and hair… great bike. Dave Candeland YAMAHA XT500 Here’s my first Yamaha XT500, with my son on the bike in 1985. He’s a good rider now, and I still have the XT. Raoul Perdrisat GM SPEEDWAY BIKE This is me posing on my GM speedway bike back in in 2003. Jamie Bridgett MONSTER PRO SERIES My son, Aaron, on his first bike, about eight years ago. The bike was a 50cc Japanese import. Steve King MAICO MC125 Here I am, aged 14, on my first bike, a Maico MC 125 scrambler. David Barnfather TRIUMPH T110 My dad, Terry ‘Big T’ West, at Lil’s Cafe, Wigan. Carl West HARLEY TRIKE Not exactly my…

Both machines have old-school LCD displays, which are tricky to read in bright light, but the Katana’s readout is slightly easier to read at a glance. The Suzuki’s dash, evolved from the current GSX-R1000’s contains a plethora of info from gear position to speed, revs, trip, traction control and fuel range data, but it’s delivered all at the same time. The Honda has a cleaner and more orderly layout and shows rider aids information: power mode and levels for traction control, engine braking and power. HONDA HONDA SWITCHGEAR Although the horn and indicator switches are reversed, the CB’s buttons are easy to operate. Left grip incorporates heated grips on this higher spec ‘Plus’ model. SUZUKI SUZUKI SWITCHGEAR Like the clocks, the Kat uses GSX-R switches. The left block controls dash…

‘It’s so fulfilling to open people’s eyes to places’ In the world of adventure riding there are plenty of famous names, many of whom have slogged it out over mountains and through deserts on epic journeys lasting months or even years. Yet there’s no-one quite like Nick Sanders, the Manchester-born, motorcycling maverick who’s sprinkled a healthy dose of speed into the otherwise glacial-paced world of adventure riding. Nick holds numerous records, the most impressive of which is being the title of fastest person to circumnavigate the globe by motorcycle in an unbelievable-sounding time of just 19 days. More unbelievable still: he did it riding a Yamaha R1 superbike. Nick’s antics have made the wider world of motorcycling sit up and take notice. Everyday bikers are inspired to join him on…

It’s almost impossible to overstate how much Fabio Quartararo has shaken up Grand Prix racing in 2019. Twice a Spanish champion and once hailed as ‘the next Marc Marquez’, Quartaaro has been a revelation in his rookie MotoGP year by already bagging three poles and two podiums in the opening nine races. But while the young Frenchman is reaching for the stars right now it hasn’t always been that way: a few disappointing seasons in Moto2 and Moto3 had many writing him off as an example of unfulfilled potential. Hard times When the Petronas Yamaha signed him up for 2019 the new team were widely derided for even considering this largely-unproven kid, even after a surprise mid-2018 turn of form saw him take his first Grand Prix win at the…

Electric bikes and huge price tags seem to go together like metal-oxide cathodes and graphite anodes. Witness the £13k BMW C evolution, the £20k Zero SR/F and the £30k Harley-Davidson LiveWire. But the Super Soco TC Max could be the first electric motorcycle to break that mould, with an OTR price of just £4054. Costing less than some 125 roadsters, is this the first electric bike to tackle petrol power head-on? Power and perspective The TC Max is the fastest, sportiest and most powerful bike in Chinese firm Super Soco’s range, though that’s not saying much. It’s powered by a 6.7bhp electric motor (less than half the power of a learner-125), driving the back wheel through a toothed belt. However, it doesn’t have heaps of work to do, as the…

1. STOP SAFELY Choose an area with minimal traffic and good visibility. Come to a complete stop at the edge of the road. 2. TIGHT TURN With the handlebars turned to the lock-stop, point the wheel towards the centre of the road. Look both ways again. 3. GO HALFWAY Slowly ride on full lock up to the crown of the road then come to a complete stop with both feet down. 4. BACK UP Put ’bars to the opposite lock, then paddle or roll back to the edge of the road. A hand on the tank can help. BOUNCE BACK If you cross the crown of the road or there isn’t much camber, bounce the front suspension to help move backwards. 5. LOOK & GO Come to a stop, turn…

Jamie Coward’s impressive 2019 season continued at the Southern 100 as he enjoyed podium finishes in each of the three Supersport races and two Senior events alongside an overall fifth place in the Solo Championship. And the Hebden Bridge Yamaha rider felt his results might have been even better if he been able to get off the start line faster. “I had a few poor starts and Dean opened a gap,” he said. “His pace is phenomenal and you’ve got to go with him at the start.” But the Lightweight TT runner-up was lucky to escape injury after crashing out of Wednesday evening’s 650cc race at Church Bends.…

‘I can fight for podiums at any track. I’ve got that hunger back’ ‘Oulton scared the sh*t out of me. But I loved every second of it’ The jury was out on Scott Redding’s soirée into BSB. Some assumed the MotoGP exile would struggle to adapt to quirky UK circuits, Pirelli tyres and the hardcore nature of BSB track etiquette, while others insisted his tangible talent would shine through. As we approach the season’s halfway point, it’s safe to say the rider from Gloucestershire has emphatically hushed the doubters by leading the series and winning at tracks where the naysayers said he’d struggle. MCN caught up with the Ducati riding title favourite for a half-term assessment. Silverstone was difficult “It was the first round. I thought, ‘what the f*ck is…

Tom Sykes achieved the new BMW S1000RR’s third podium by claiming the bottom step in the Sprint Race after also coming fourth and fifth places in the two full-length races – and says he now knows where to gain more time. “We’re not getting the best from any tyres,” said the 2013 champion. “I’ve figured out a lot but we’re missing initial speed. Towards the end of races it’s a different story – we have a lot of pace. We have a lot of information which we can put to good use and a list of things to try at the Portimao test.” BMW team-mate Markus Reiterberger returned from illness for 15th, 12th and 13th spots.…

Alex Lowes’ fourth in Race 2 meant he was Yamaha’s top finisher and moved him to third in the title standings ahead of team-mate Michael van der Mark. It’s a hugely significant result with only the highest placed man believed to be guaranteed a ride in the official Yamaha squad in 2020. Van der Mark is still struggling with the wrist he injured in Misano and had another tough weekend due to a crash in Superpole and a single race finish - seventh in race one. GRT Yamaha’s Marco Melandri, who will retire in October, struggled with chassis rigidity issues. Teammate Sandro Cortese was hit by tendonitis in his left shoulder.…