Table of contents for 21 October 2020 in MCN

‘I was sick for a day and a half… I’m still a bit weak’VALENTINO ROSSI COVER STORY The week Covid came to MotoGP For all the sport’s testing and safety protocols, Valentino Rossi has contracted Covid-19. The news has sent a shockwave around the paddock, with riders and teams now taking additional measures to ensure they all stay safe and stay in the title fight to the season’s end. But what more can they do? As Franky Morbidelli said “If Vale can catch it, anyone can.” Stay safe. PAGE 62 TOP STORY No half measures MV Agusta’s 205bhp naked Brutale 1000RR costs £27,290, yes you read that right: twenty seven thousand, two hundred and ninety quid! For that you get a power-packed 998cc inline four dripping with stunning details. Plus,…

£15,495 MV Dragster RR America Moto Corsa in Gillingham, Dorset are offering price reductions and three-year 0% HP deals on four MV models: the F3 800, F3 800 RC SC Project, Brutale RR America and Dragster RR America. The Dragster has come down by £1400, factor in the interest recouped and you are looking at a £2500 saving. • Moto Corsa 01747-811196 SAVE £1500 £7499 Aprilia Dorsoduro 900 There are just two of these in black on offer at 3D Moto in the West Midlands. • 3dmoto.co.uk • Engine 896cc • Power 94bhp • Weight 212kg • Seat height 870mm SAVE £1300 £9800 Moto Guzzi V85TT Dearden Motorcycles in Southampton are offering a V85TT adventure bike under the usual £11,100 RRP. • deardenmotorcycles.co.uk • Engine 850cc • Power 79bhp •…

‘Get in quick for a bargain Tracer’ Prices of used motorcycles are rising. This is mostly down to a huge post-lockdown surge of registrations of new bikes. There are waiting lists for some popular models, so people are looking for good used ones instead. The motorcycle business is cyclical. New sales rise and fall and this has a direct effect on used bike availability. In August 2018, 6856 new mopeds, scooters and motorcycles were registered. In August this year, 9087. So if you want a two year-old clean low-miler, there’s less choice than you might think. And these are the bikes that dealers like to sell, because they still clean up well, don’t require an MoT and can be counted on to be in good nick. Right now, used bikes…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews Top service on my KTM I recently had cause to take my KTM to a local dealer for a couple of warranty issues. The dealer I bought the bike from (I hadn’t realised there was a one closer to home but wish I had) chose not to respond to my emails. However, the more local business sorted the issues – one at first service and one at a return visit when the new part was in, without question. On both occasions I was given a courtesy bike to “go and enjoy” – a 790 Duke the first time, and a Super Duke GT the second time. Both huge fun! Huge thanks to Danny and the team at KD Motorcycles, Accrington. Exceptional service and a really friendly…

Massive respect to him because he’s had some great rivals over the years, they’ve all had a go. They end up a couple of tenths of a second off Johnny and over 10 laps that’s two seconds. He’s made world-class riders look like dicks. He’s going to go down in history – records generally do get broken but it’s going to take a long time. Foggy won four titles but he never back-to-backed them like Johnny. He’s earned it this year. Honda have thrown the kitchen sink at it, Ducati have pushed him all the way and BMW aren’t messing about, but no-one could stop him. ‘I still think of him as that kid coming from Red Bull Rookies’ Whatever goes on, Johnny doesn’t panic. I remember texting him last…

It’s Britain’s toughest road test route. A fun but punishing mix of A- and B-roads, busy motorway, towns and villages. It’s all Britain’s road types compressed into one route. There are three sections and we combine the two that best test the bike’s character. On average we ride 450 miles per bike, per test. ROUTE 1 122.73 miles of fastflowing A and B-roads ROUTE 2 126.94 miles of open A and B-roads and towns ROUTE 3 117.88 miles of big A roads and motorway…

CHIEF ROAD TESTER Is the MV worth nearly twice the BMW? Of course not. But if you’ve got that kind of cash and you want something truly special, the Brutale 1000RR won’t disappoint. It’s loud, brash, decadent and if you’ve got somewhere to use it properly, it’s as savage as its double ton power figure promises. For cruising its raucous engine is surprisingly refined, the ride relatively plush and the handling precise, but its lack of Low down oomph takes some of the shine of the riding experience. Its stiff chassis works better on smooth tarmac than bumpy B roads and its hard seat eventuaLLy takes its toLL on our 250-mile loop. The MV is the one that gets all the attention on the road, but the BMW is better…

All sportsbikes are pointLess for the road. There, I’ve said it. They operate so far above how most riders are willing to ride that you barely graze the surface of what they’re capable of. It’s like owning a brewery and never sipping more than a half. Revvier and sharper than ever, it’s definitely true with this latest CBR1000RR-R. Most of the time it’s just hard work. And peakier and more demanding than its key rivals, yet with less blingy tech for the money, it’s easy to question why you’d want one. But I like that Honda aren’t afraid of making a rowdy, razor-Like, reaL race-replica. No wonder it’s got so many Rs in its name. THE FACTS £19,999 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade Engine 1000cc DOHC 16v inline four Frame Aluminium twin…

Klim Badlands Pro suit £1810 ‘A suit that’s ready to take on the world’ Tested by Jordan Gibbons for six months, 1500 miles The Badlands Pro is designed for people who want to ride whenever, wherever and whatever the weather. The body of the jacket and trousers are made from ripstop ‘Karbonite’ reinforced with Superfabric on the shoulders, elbows, forearm and knee. Inside there’s Aero D3O Level 2 armour throughout, which lets through five times more air than standard D3O armour. Virtually the whole suit is adjustable to keep the armour in the right place, including an internal cummerbund, with the result being a suit that’s comfortable enough to ride in all day, fitted enough move around when you’re off-road but still achieves a solid AA rating in CE tests.…

PIP WELLSTEED “Overall the bike has been excellent. Exactly what I wanted it to be, simple and uncomplicated, just back to basics so you can enjoy the ride. The Enfield attracts so much interest from all walks of life – coffee breaks can take ages! The eight hours and 300 miles we did in Storm Alex would have been awful on any bike but the Enfield didn’t miss a beat. “SW Motech Legends luggage is awesome, and looks the part on the bike, and the weight saving of aftermarket silencers compared to the OEM cans is ridiculous! I have the TEC cannons, and they look and sound great too.”…

It’s a fun bike that’s very handy to have as I don’t have to rely on my parents for lifts. It’s cheap to run and pretty much maintenance free, plus it looks really nice. The A2 test is still a year and a half away for me and there are two years left on the warranty, so I’ve got no plans to get rid of it before then. There are a few mods I’d like to do such as crash bungs, an adjustable rear shock for when I have a pillion and a more comfortable seat for longer trips. HOW GOOD IS THE RUBBER? OE Dunlop D102A Some have said they’re not all that good in the wet but as far as I’m concerned they’re fine. They’ve got plenty of…

When a Herald Maverick 125 came in for its first MoT last week, Stevelin Motorcycles’ Steve Powell was amazed that it had even made it there. He said: “I’ve seen unroadworthy bikes before, but his bike took the biscuit. The chain was so loose and dry we could unhook and remove it without even getting our fingers dirty. “And the rear sprocket’s teeth were so sharp it could have been a prop in the Tarantino movie Kill Bill. My mechanic Steve actually nicked his finger on it! “The chain had been that loose for so long that it had also worn through the swingarm, and cut through the chain guard stay bracket as well.” On top of all that the sidelight and numberplate bulb had blown and the front brake lever…

‘It’s Union Jack time in chequered-flag land’ By jolly jingo – put out the flags. Cue the street party. And God Save the King! I mean Queen! It’s Union Jack time in chequered-flag-land. I exaggerate. In a sport as individual as bike racing, the throttle-twisters are doing it for themselves, not for their country. It’s still encouraging to note Brit racers’ growing strength, underlined in several classes and both major series last weekend. Duke of the Diesels Rea’s sixth championship is a statistical landmark… the first rider since Agostini to take six consecutive FIM crowns. Ago did it in the 350 class, by the way, in 1973. Then made it seven in 1974. something more for Rea to shoot for. (Ago earlier won seven straight premier-class crowns; Doohan, Rossi and…

A first MotoGP win may still elude Joan Mir but he became the first Suzuki rider to lead the premier class World Championship in 20 years on Sunday. Mir took the last place on an all-Spanish podium to seize the advantage from Frenchman Fabio Quartararo, even though the Suzuki star has not won a race since his Moto3 title-winning season in 2017. Nobody has notched up more podiums this year than Mir, but in a season in which eight different riders have won, he remains winless. The 23-year-old says he’s equipped to deal with the added pressure of leading the rankings but admitted his immediate priority was breaking his victory duck. He said: “I want the title, but what I’m looking for is the victory. My approach won’t change now…

‘The second wave is stalking the paddock No one is safe from Covid, not even the greatest motorcycle racer of all time. When Valentino Rossi tested positive for the virus last Tuesday – contracted from friends he met after returning home from Le Mans – he wasn’t the first member of the paddock to go down with the illness. Since August’s Czech GP, Dorna TV crew, LCR Honda technicians, various mechanics, a Yamaha engineer, a Michelin technician and Moto2 title hopeful Jorge Martin have all had Covid. Dorna are working hard keep the paddock free of the virus – because completing the championship relies on it – but inevitably the second wave is stalking the paddock. Since MotoGP 2020 got underway in July everyone has had to undergo a PCR…

SPORTS REPORTER Jason O’Halloran gave it everything he had but ultimately had to settle for second in the series. The McAMS Yamaha rider has been strong and consistent for the majority of the season but, despite securing three podiums at the final round, it wasn’t enough. He even did what very few have done before: he beat Josh Brookes around Brands Hatch to win a race. Second and third place in Sunday’s races means that he ended the year 21 points adrift. “It’s disappointing not to be the champion, that’s obviously the target every year,” O’Halloran told MCN. “To go into the last race with the possibility and not do it was tough to take but from a more positive point of view, I finished second in the championship which…

SENIOR WRITER Just as the Queen has rewarded hundreds of ordinary people for their work during the pandemic in the Birthday Honours List, we wanted to celebrate some of the amazing efforts by normal, everyday bikers during the toughest of times this year. Delivering everything from PPE to every corner of the country, to medical prescriptions to the vulnerable, Britain’s motorcyclists stepped up and set an inspiring example to others during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. To celebrate the amazing work carried out by these volunteers, we turned to social media and asked you to get in touch and share heartwarming stories of two-wheeled excellence in your communities. Here are just some UK’s very finest biking heroes… ‘MILLIONS OF PIECES OF PPE AND THOUSANDS OF MILES’ Simon ‘Jonesy’ Jones…

There may be no racing to watch at Donny Park, but it doesn’t mean you can’t explore the local area. It’s located within a stone’s throw, or throttle twist, of the Peak District and well worth an afternoon visit. Turn right from the paddock entrance and through the village of King’s Newton. Take the B587, cross over the River Trent before to the A5132 at Swarkestone. Run parallel with the A50 until the village of Willington and cross the A50 to head north on the A38. At the roundabout with the A6 leave the dual carriageway and head towards Duffield. Take the tree-lined B5023 and deviate slightly from the route to head back onto the A6 to Matlock Bath. Return to our loop and follow the B5035, skirt by Carsington…

Six consecutive world championships. Six. World. Championships. I doubt any club racers have taken six, back-to-back titles let alone a rider competing against the world’s best. Jonathan Rea, we salute you! In the Rea era of WSB, we’ve been witness to something very special. Sure, all the knockers will say ‘he’s made it boring’, just as they did for Doohan and as they do now for Marquez, but what I saw in the opening race at Estoril last Saturday was not the ride of a ‘boring’ man. Rea needed just three points to win the title, but he bludgeoned his way from his mid-pack grid spot, having a great battle with Garrett Gerloff to ultimately finish fourth and take the crown. Huge commiserations to Scott Redding, though, whose slim hopes…

MODEL UPDATE BMW have pulled the wraps off a rejuvenated 2021 R1250RT – revealing a fresh new look and technical updates to make sure the MCN Award-winning machine remains at the top of its class. Appearing hot on the heels of the updated, 2021 R1250GS that shares the same 1254cc ShiftCam boxer engine, the new RT now meets Euro5 while losing none of the 136hp of the previous version. However, the electronics have been given a thorough going-over to make sure the RT is at the cutting edge in terms of tech. The biggest news is radar-assisted cruise control (ACC) which uses a sensor mounted under the restyled headlight to monitor the distance to vehicles ahead. Unlike the similar set-up on Ducati’s new Multistrada V4 (see page 4), BMW haven’t…

Sidi ST GTX £269.99 ‘Sporty boots ready for everything’ We put these Gore-Tex lined sporty boots through their paces in a 1300-mile test over a two-month period and they proved impressive. MCN’s tester found that the adjustable buckle closure ensured a snug fit over leathers. The Gore-Tex membrane kept feet dry, warm and comfortable in temperatures down to freezing. External support braces, which help stop lateral movement in the event of a crash, still allow good flexibility back and forth meaning that they’re perfectly comfortable to walk in, although do squeak a bit! These support braces did however make the boots a little bulky, so they often got stuck on the foot peg when trying to kick the side stand down. There’s also moulded shin, heel and ankle protection, removeable…

WEDNESDAY October 21 11am, EUR1, Live MX World Championship from Limburg, Belgium: Race 1 of MX2. 2pm Race 2 of MX2. 12pm, EUR1, Live Motocross: Race 1 of MXGP. 3pm Race 2 of MXGP FRIDAY October 23 8am, BTS2, Live MotoGP from Aragon, Spain: Free Practice 1. Free Practice 2 at 12pm. SATURDAY October 24 12.30pm, EUR1, BSB: Season Review. Also at 5pm 8am, BTS2, Live MotoGP of Aragon, Spain: Free Practice 3. Qualifying at 11am. 3.15pm. BTS2, Live Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup SUNDAY October 25 7.45am, BTS2, Live MotoGP from Aragon, Spain: Warm-Ups. Moto3 at 9.30am, MotoGP at 11.30am, Moto2 at 1.15pm. Chequered Flag at 2.30pm KEY TO CHANNELS: DRT – DISCOVERY REAL TIME DSC – DISCOVERY CHANNEL DHD – DISCOVERY CHANNEL HD EXS – EXTREME SPORTS CHANNEL…

Q ‘Dealer left me out of pocket’ I recently viewed and agreed to buy a bike from a dealer who was selling it on behalf of a customer. When I viewed the bike the V5 and service records were not present. I was told this was because the bike was only dropped off at the dealers the day before I viewed it. I paid a deposit and agreed to collect the bike the following day. The dealer knew I was travelling 120 miles by public transport to finalise the sale and ride the bike back home. On arriving at the dealers he advised me they could not locate the V5. I am out of pocket for my travel costs and an insurance admin fee. I do not want to deal…

Tracy Atkinson Age 55 Height 5ft 4in Current bike BMW S1000R Been riding 39 years First bike Suzuki TS100 ERX Dream bike It has to be mine “I’ll have had my S1000R for five years in November and done 28,000 miles on it. It was six months old when I got it, with 3000 miles on the clock. “I’ve fitted lots of R&G accessories, a coloured chain, different screen and have just put new Bridgestone S22s on. I tour each summer with my husband who has an HP4 and we’re always out at the weekends, except when it’s raining. I hate riding in the wet. I also rode four laps around Silverstone with All Ladies after MotoGP practice and rode to Cadwell from Skegness with John McGuinness and Chris Walker…

‘My bike feels lively but fun’Angie Head, Triumph owner ‘I bought a brand new Triumph Street Triple R Low and although it felt hard on the test ride, I knew the suspension was fully adjustable so I thought I’d be able to dial it out and it would be OK. I’ve been riding since I was 17 and never had a problem before, however I soon became quite scared of my new Triumph as it was launching me out of the seat on corners and the forks felt like I was holding a pneumatic drill. Backing off the preload as much as possible didn’t make any difference, so I took it to Andy at Firefox Racing in Keighley. He fitted a lighter spring at the rear and a stiffer one…

Daytona Ladystar GTX £419.99 “I love my Daytonas, I’ve owned them for over two years and they give me an extra couple of inches of height when I’m on my Triumph Street Triple R.” Angie Head, Harrogate Sidi Canyon GTX £249.99 “These are comfortable to ride in and pretty decent off the bike too. They are totally waterproof.” James Savery, Cambs TCX X-Tour Evo GTX £259.99 “These are comfortable, warm, waterproof and even great when I’m off the bike and walking around.” John Cockburn, Linlithgow IXS Ultra Evo II Gore-Tex £259.99 “I’ve ridden thousands of miles in all kinds of weathers and these are still kicking.” Tim Cooper, Chelmsford Alpinestars Web Gore-Tex £199.99 “I’ve used these touring Europe and the UK and had no issues. I am very happy with them…

EDITOR Rides all year, in all weathers. Prefers performance to plodders. With the sun dipping over my shoulder as the beach huts and sandy shoreline of Southwold came into view, I glanced down at the Africa Twin’s dash to see the little engine management warning light ping on. Bugger. Hoping that a prolonged ‘turn it off, turn it on again’ might win the day, I took a stroll along the pier before clambering back on board and sparking it back to life. Still on. Double bugger. With no worrying noises and plenty of oil lubricating the right bits, I limped home with the sort of delicate right-hand normally reserved for when a police car is behind you. It was a frustrating way to tick off the second half of a…

MotoGP’s season of surprises continued in Aragon when Alex Rins became the eighth different winner in the last eight races of a weird but wonderful 2020 campaign. Few gave Rins much hope of a first win since the 2019 British Grand Prix after he qualified down in 10th place for the 23-lap encounter. But after blowing golden victory chances in Red Bull Ring 1 and Le Mans, Rins was unrattled by the surprise threat from Alex Marquez to lead home a second double podium for Suzuki in the last three races. A lightning launch from the fourth row instantly put the 24-year-old in podium contention. And once he’d quickly dealt with Yamaha trio Maverick Viñales, Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli by lap eight, Rins must have thought his most serious…

Sunday October 11 Rossi left the Le Mans circuit and travelled back by private jet to his home in Tavullia, Italy Tuesday October 13 Rossi undergoes the usual PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test, which is compulsory for those who visit their homes in between races. The result was available the next day and it was negative Wednesday October 14 Rossi was feeling fully fit and he trained at home without any symptoms or inconveniences Thursday October 15 Rossi woke up in the morning and felt a bit sore. He had a slight fever and immediately called a doctor. The doctor conducted two tests: 1. A ‘quick PCR test’, that again came back with a negative test result. 2. A standard PCR test, of which the result arrived on Thursday, at…

After sitting out the first part of the 2020 riding season, A#ride5000miles members made it their mission to pack in as many outings as possible in September, and were rewarded with glorious weather. Loading up your machines for one last hurrah in the glow of the late summer sun, you lot racked up thousands towards your annual totals, exploring every accessible inch of the UK and Ireland either on larger tours, or single day epics. “There’s so many good places to ride over here,” Banbury-based Kawasaki Z1000SX rider, Ivor McCullagh, told MCN. “It’s nice to go abroad and it feels more like a holiday when you’re on the other side of the road, but there’s an awful lot right here, just a few hours from where you live.” Setting off…

NORTH Scottish sensation Location South Lanarkshire / Dumfries & Galloway Length 45.2 miles Start B740 / B7078 junction End A702 / A76 junction There’s some terrific riding to be had in the south of Scotland. A milder climate than the north also means it’s accessible for more of the year. Stop off at Abington services before heading for Crawfordjohn and the B740, a sinuous strip of tarmac that gets ever twister as it winds along the natural curves of Crawick Water to Sanquhar. Turn left onto the A76 and on the right you’ll spot Burnside filling station, a better bet for gas and a top-notch tearoom to boot. Push on and take the left for the B797, where a wriggle through the heather peppered peaks of the Mennock Pass will…

Start off from the filling station on the A153 to the east of RAF Coningsby, the only operational airbase en route. Take the A155 from the roundabout and meander across open farmland to East Kirkby, where you’ll find the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre. At West Keal turn left to follow the A16 to the Ulceby Cross roundabout, then take the second exit for Louth and the A1104. Be sure to turn left at Maltby Le Marsh for the A157 where the bends flow thick and fast. You’ll rejoin the A16 just after Kenwick – head towards Boston, take the first exit at the Elkington roundabout and bear right for the A361. Keep a look out for the little black and white rural signpost for the road to Binbrook – turn…

Eleveit X-Legend boots £399 A super-strong off-road boot has been created by Italian experts ELeveit. The X-Legend offers incredible Levels of protection around the ankle, shin and calf and also features breathable 3D lining. There are four hook fastening straps for extra security and huge levels of adjustability to get the fitting spot on. www.eleveit.it Alpinestars Syncro V2 Drystar glove £69.99 Short-style glove designed for urban commuting, the Syncro V2 Drystar feature a waterproof and breathable membrane and touchscreensensitive index fingertip, plus knuckle protection and pads on the palm and backhand. www.alpinestars.com Wunderlich Key Case £39 Relay theft is a when a professional scumbag uses technology to copy the RFID code from your bike’s keyless fob in order to steal your bike. Stop it happening with this key case. Effectively…

Electric bikes don’t have engines, they have motors. The motor is generally air-cooled, which is why they have fins on their outer cases, however a few higher performance bikes such as the Energica Ego use liquid-cooling. The motor consists of a stator, which is fixed to the motorcycle’s chassis, and within this is a rotor, which is free to turn and powers the drive train. In petrol terms, think of the stator as crank cases and the rotor a crank (with no gearbox). Attached to the inside of the stator are coils/windings of copper wire while the rotor holds a number of permanent magnets around its outside, however the two units are separate and can’t touch. When three-phase electricity is introduced into the stator, its windings flick from positive to…

CHIEF ROAD TESTER £27,290 MV Agusta Brutale 1000RR • 998cc 16v inline four • 205bhp/86lb.ft • £313.97 per month PCP £14,000 as tested, £11,675 basic spec BMW S1000R • 998cc 16v inline four • 163bhp/86lb.ft • £165.77 per month PCP MV Agusta’s new Brutale 1000RR is all about big, pub-bragging numbers. It makes a claimed 205bhp at 13,000rpm and costs £27,290. That makes it one of the most powerful roadgoing super-nakeds you can buy, and the priciest by a country mile. It’s also dressed to impress. Every inch of the Brutale is styled and manicured, from the tiny seat pads – one for each cheek, to the red–pinstriped Batmobile-like wings, fairground rear lights and colour dash graphics that are pure Italian supercar. It’s a riot of detail everywhere you look and…

KITKATS TO SIDECARS “I left Rowntree’s to work with my dad as a mechanic. We’d do cars in the day and bikes at night. It got to the stage when we’d do just mornings on cars and the rest of the day on bikes. Then it was 100% bikes: ‘B******s to cars! We’ll go sidecar racing!’” MEETING CHRISTEN “If there’s one person who has carried on helping with finance, organising and everything, it’s Louis Christen of LCR. He helped me so much in all my World Championship years. Sometimes he gave me a bike and let me pay later.” FIRST WORLD TITLE “Winning the first World Championship in 1987... you feel you’ve actually achieved something. You’re striving all the time, that’s what you’re aiming for, and when you finally win…

• MCT (www.mctsuspension.co.uk) is just one of several specialists around the UK who can offer services ranging from a basic setup of your existing adjustable suspension to a complete overhaul and bespoke tuning to your individual needs. Costs will vary, but expect to pay something in the region of £100 for basic tweaks, to around £1000 for a full custom road bike setup. You can go further, but unless you’re spending most of your time on a track the extra expense will get you little noticeable gain.…

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the phrases ‘dropping one tooth at the front’ or ‘going up two at the rear’ were commonly uttered In the carparks of biker meets across the country. Back in the days when most motorcyclists were sportsbike-obsessed, fitting a smaller front sprocket or a larger rear was a way for road riders to release a little more bottom-end performance for their top-speed geared race reps. It was both an easy, relatively cheap and very effective modification. Likewise, the opposite could also be employed by long distance tourers who wanted smooth, low rpm cruising capabilities for comfort and efficiency at high motorway speeds – a larger front or a smaller rear had the effect of lengthening the gearing – making it more ‘stretchy’. Caution needs to…

A rapid but frustrated Cal Crutchlow salvaged eighth place in Aragon on Sunday with his LCR Honda hobbled by a slipping clutch. The issue was a brutal blow to Crutchlow’s ambitions to race at the front after a stunning qualifying run to third fastest, his first front row of an injury-riddled season. Without Honda’s holeshot device and a slipping clutch sending RPM skywards Crutchlow dropped to 12th before the issue cleared on lap six. “In the first three laps the clutch slipped in every acceleration from corner to corner and shifting from fifth to sixth on the back straight,” Crutchlow said. “You can’t fight like that. I did a good job to get to eighth but I’m disappointed, it could have been a strong result.” Cal’s LCR teammate Takaaki Nakagami…

ARAGON CIRCUIT STATISTICS • Length 3.15 miles• Corners 17 – 10 left, 7 right• Longest straight 0.601 miles 16 Bagnaia 4217 Espargaro A 27 18 Crutchlow 21 19 Lecuona 20 20 Smith 11 21 Bradl 8 22 Rabat 8 23 Pirro 4 FINAL POSITIONS MOTOGP FINAL POSITIONS MOTO 2 TOP TEN CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS 1 Bastianini 155 2 Lowes 153 3 Marini 150 4 Bezzecchi 130 5 Martin 95 6 Nagashima 79 7 Roberts 74 8 Gardner 72 9 Luthi 72 10 Schrotter 61 FINAL POSITIONS MOTO 3 TOP TEN CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS 1 Arenas 144 2 Ogura 131 3 Vietti 126 4 Arbolino 115 5 McPhee 109 6 Masia 108 7 Fernandez 89 8 Suzuki 83 9 Binder 82 10 Rodrigo 77 Fastest lap Pole lap Circuit record lap POSITIONS Gains…

Carmelo Ezpeleta ‘I hope it is mild, that he is better soon and that he can return. Vale is one of a thousand-odd people in the paddock and we’re all exposed to this. The good thing is that he has not travelled and the rest of his team are fine and have no problems.’ Maverick Viñales ‘It is like a lottery and you don’t know where you could catch it. I am trying to take maximum precautions so I stay at home or I am at the track. Anyone tht you come into contact with can have it. I hope Vale is OK and he will come back strong.’ Fabio Quartararo ‘I’ve already said this to my family and my mechanics but it feels more stressful to me when I…

STUART HIGGS Series Director “The calm head prevailed. Josh has been there, seen it, done it. When you’ve won a championship, I guess there’s some muscle memory that reminds you how you did it. He’s a great champion and a great ambassador.” SHANE BYRNE 6-time BSB champion ‘We’ve had more winners than we normally have which made the racing great but when it it all came down to it Josh got out of the right side of the bed this morning.’ JAMES WHITHAM Eurosport pundit “He’s got better as the season’s gone on. People didn’t have him down for doing what he’s done now even midway through the championship. It’s not just his experience that showed, but also his class.”…

MAKE A NOTE OF YOUR MILEAGE The aim of the group is to encourage you to ride 5000 miles over the next 12 months and enjoy the thrill of two wheels. Make a note of your bike’s mileage and then ride a further 5000 on from there. It’s as easy as that. Remember to post pictures of trips and activities on our Facebook group, which has around 12,800 members. JOIN THE GROUP Head to: www.facebook.com/groups/ride5000miles. Answer the simple sign-up questions and one of our admins will approve you. Once inside, you’ll have access to a wealth of biking knowledge, with riders on multiple continents sharing images from their latest trips and offering helpful advice to anyone that needs it. GET INVOLVED Ask questions, share tips and post plenty of pictures…

Day-dreaming Mark Bayford and Susan Allan enjoyed a number of day trips across September, after their holiday to France was cancelled. Taking advantage of the good weather, the pair used their Suzuki GSX-S1000F and Honda CBR650F to visit the Gospel Pass in Wales, the Norfolk coastline, Goodwood and more. Mark even managed a trackday at Snetterton aboard the Suzuki. Irish Photo Rally In a bid to see more of his home country of Ireland, Yamaha Tracer 900GT owner, Luke O’Mahony covered 1650 miles between September 12 and September 15 completing the Iron Butt Association Ireland Wolfhound Rally and Irish Photo Rally – two annual challenges to ride to a number of locations across the nation, taking photos as you go. Birthday blast To celebrate his birthday, Russell Quinlan headed for…

Although there is plenty of opportunity for some cracking riding during autumn and winter, it’s important to adjust your behaviour to suit the conditions. We’ve enlisted the help of Rapid Training riding coach, Mark Edwards, to bring you eight bitesize tips to remember. Previously serving with Thames Valley Police for 30 years, including 18 years on a motorcycle, Mark has been coaching with Rapid since 1997. He now rides around 15,000 miles a year, training bikers on safer roadcraft in all conditions, all year round. With both a Honda Fireblade and BMW R1250GS in his garage, Mark has been providing advanced coaching to the MCN team for more than a decade. 1 Fewer bikes around Bikes make up a small amount of UK road users and in the winter, it’s…