It wasn’t a dream home Grand Prix victory or podium for Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) or Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) in front of the 110,000 strong French faithful, but it was still a magical weekend at the SHARK Grand Prix de France.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Imagine Dragons • Whatever It Takes
Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
To tell the story of the legendary Aerostich riding suit is to tell a story about America. The dream of it, but also the tenacity required to navigate its possibilities. Because running a successful small business in America these days demands more than a clear vision and hard work. It requires staying power.
RELATED: Aerostich R-3 One-Piece Suit | Gear Review
Native Duluthian Andy Goldfine was committed to the dream of creating a small business long before he knew what product or service he might offer. Separately, the concept of a lightweight, armored, easy-to-use coverall to wear over clothes as one commuted to and from their job was born from a personal wish to own such an item. These two ambitions merged when Goldfine conjured the first Roadcrafter one-piece riding suit back in 1983.
What Schott is to leather and Belstaff is to waxed cotton, Aerostich is to synthetic-fiber textiles used to create durable, high-performance motorcycle gear. The world is overflowing with it now, but back in the early ’80s, people weren’t talking about things like breathability or tensile strength or viscoelastic foam armor. Cordura and Gore-Tex were still exotic. And so, without any kind of roadmap, Goldfine created a totally new type of riding gear, and boy, did that suit show us what our leather gear was missing.
I (literally) stepped into my first Roadcrafter back in 1986 when Goldfine was visiting the Rider offices in California, and I have been living in these suits ever since. Like so many motojournalists of that era, I found the Roadcrafter wasn’t just the gold standard for commuting, it was also magic for sportbike riding and touring. Newer designs (R-3 Darien and AD1) from the Aerostich factory in Duluth might be just as popular these days, but when I last visited the shop I was hunting for a new Roadcrafter Classic two-piece to fit my now middle-aged bod.
It was my first time in Goldfine’s very Minnesotan three-story brick building – a former candy factory – and it was obvious right away this is a cool place for bikers to chill. After I was fitted for my new suit, I got a tour of the different floors and stations where skilled craftsmen and craftswomen, a fair number of riders among them, cut and assemble the various fabric into “kits,” which are then handed over to expert sewers and finally seam-taping machine operators before each garment is inspected and prepared to meet its new owner.
RELATED: Andy Goldfine: Ep. 14 of the Rider Magazine Insider Podcast
The handcrafting of the suits is enjoyable to watch, especially since everyone working here – some who have been with Goldfine for decades – seems to enjoy their craft.
But one of the things I leave most impressed by is how fiercely this operation works to remain “Made in the USA.” For example, Goldfine explains that, due to current trade policies, the tariff on bringing in fabric from Asia is about twice as high as the tariff for bringing in completed riding gear. “It’s as if the USA doesn’t want commercial/industrial sewing activity done in this country,” he told me.
Supply chain issues caused by Covid have only deepened the challenge. Yet Goldfine remains true to his standards, a rare example of an apparel manufacturer uneasy with the lure of inexpensive offshore production, even as many consumers take the bait, sometimes unwittingly trading quality for low prices on everyday goods.
While the riding suits remain the pillar of Aerostich offerings, Goldfine has created and collected a dangerously desirable array of complementary apparel items, accessories, and equipment to make riding “easier, safer, and more comfortable.” It might be a heated mid-layer, a unique tool, perfect-fitting earplugs, stink-resistant socks, or a new tent you didn’t know you needed until you saw it on the website or in that cherished catalog that occasionally shows up in the mail.
And while he finds satisfaction in his artful curation of products and the affirmation of Aerostich loyalists, Goldfine’s core intention isn’t driven by being fashionable or even making money. His deeper motivation is about promoting the physical, psychological, and societal benefits of riding motorcycles every day. It’s why he created Ride to Work Day, to remind us of the Rx effect of being on the motorcycle, even for a short “useful” ride each day. He believes riding makes us “better-functioning, calmer, clearer” people and also brings economic, environmental, and congestion-lessening benefits to our communities.
It’s with these big thoughts in mind that I step into my fresh Roadcrafter a week later. How the heck can a riding suit feel like home? This one does. No matter what newfangled riding apparel comes into my life to be tested, it’s the all-American Aerostich that endures.
For more information, visit aerostich.com.
The post Aerostich: The Great American Motorcycle Suit first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com
Found a schmick trophy in 🇫🇷 I think I like this one, gonna take it home! 😆🥈🤟
Source: Jack Miller on Facebook
The manic start to proceedings continues back at the front. Bagania and Rins had both picked off Bastianini to drop him out of the podium places, though for the GSX-RR, his race ambitions would come crashing to a halt at the beginning of the third lap. In a scary moment, Rins went off track at Turn 2 and travelled at speed through the gravel before coming back on track at Turn 4, but unfortunately, he couldn’t keep his machine upright as it returned to the tarmac. He temporarily rejoined but retired soon after.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) has moved into the lead of the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup after a thrilling victory in Race 2 at the SHARK Grand Prix de France. The fight for line honours went all the way down to the eighth and final lap at Le Mans, when Aegerter passed Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40) for the lead. Joining them on the podium in a career-first was Niccolo Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team), after he beat Kevin Zannoni (Ongetta SIC58 Squadracorse) to the line by 0.008 seconds.
Casadei had taken the spoils in Race 1 on the afternoon prior at Le Mans and, from pole position, he took up the early lead in Race 2. Aegerter slotted into fourth spot when he lost two positions off the start, bot got both of them back with passes of Hikaro Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE™) and then Zannoni at Turn 3 on Laps 2 and 3 respectively. It meant he was released to go after Casadei, and could start chipping away at the Italian’s one-second margin.
After about half a dozen laps, Aegerter had caught up. Then, as they started the final tour, he went for the pass at his preferred spot, executing a brilliant overtake into Turn 3 to snatch the lead. Casadei tried to respond but ultimately took the chequered flag 0.567 seconds in arrears.
While the contest for victory was only settled late in the race, the final podium position was not even locked in until right at the finish line. In the early stages, it was pre-race World Cup leader Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) who was on a charge, dropping as low as eighth on Lap 1 but getting into the top five when he passed Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) at the start of Lap 4. On Lap 5, he used a cutback to overtake Okubo for fourth spot as they accelerated off Garage Vert (Turn 8), but then the Brazilian found himself under threat.
Canepa took advantage of Okubo’s attempt to immediately hit back with a pass of the Japanese rider at Chemin aux Boeufs (Turn 9) and that set up a vigorous duel with Granado, who had to be careful due to a track limits warning. Nevertheless, they continued to chop and change positions until Canepa made a decisive move on Lap 7, but that was bad news for Zannoni. The SIC58 rider could not hold out his fellow Italian, losing a drag to the finish line by eight thousandths of a second.
Granado, Okubo, and Ferrari crossed the line just behind in fifth through seventh, with Hector Garzo (Tech3 E-Racing) eighth. Xavi Fores (Octo Pramac MotoE™) and Xavi Cardelus (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) were ninth at the 10th chequered flag but copped three-second penalties for a shortcut and failure to comply with a long lap penalty respectively. That meant the official top 10 was rounded out by Marc Alcoba (Openbank Aspar Team) and Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team).
Jordi Torres did not start the race after sustaining a broken left fibula when he crashed and was struck by two other riders on the opening lap of Race 1, but was in good spirits as he stayed at Le Mans to cheer on Pons Racing 40 team-mate Casadei.
Granado might have won both races when the season began in Jerez, but Aegerter’s first MotoE™ win since 2020 has helped him go to top of the World Cup standings with an eight-point margin over the Brazilian. Casadei, who matched Aegerter’s 45 points for the Le Mans weekend, is nine points further behind in third.
The FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup is back again in just a fortnight from now, when the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley is held at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello.
MotoE™ Race 2 Top 5:
1. Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE)
2. Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40) + 0.567
3. Niccolo Canepa (Withu GRT RNF MotoE Team) + 1.688
4. Kevin Zannoni (Ongetta SIC58 Squadracorse) + 1.696
5. Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) + 1.831
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
This Sunday, May 15, fans will be able to enjoy the fourth MotoE™ race of 2022, which will take place right after the MotoGP™ race, at 15:30 (CET). For this reason, the live coverage will focus on all the action of the electric competition, ahead of the press conference and After The Flag.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Augusto Fernandez has broken a drought of almost three years by taking the Moto2™ race win at the SHARK Grand Prix de France. While it was joy for the 24-year-old at Le Mans, it was a different story for his rookie team-mate Pedro Acosta, who crashed out of the race lead on Lap 11. Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) finished a distant second, and Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) made the podium after re-passing Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) late in the piece. World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) limited the damage to his title hopes by finishing eighth from 18th on the grid in the 25-lap encounter.
Acosta converted his first Moto2™ pole position into the early race lead while Fernandez slotted into second, one up on where he had qualified. Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) was third initially before being passed by Alonso Lopez (MB Conveyors Speed Up) on Lap 2, then Canet was into the podium places when he got by Lopez on Lap 5 at Turn 3.
By then, the top two had a margin over the rest of three seconds and growing. Still, Fernandez was keeping in touch with Acosta, thanks in part to a big wobble for the latter exiting Raccordement (Turn 14) on Lap 5. A lap later, Lopez and Arenas were down in the gravel together when they made contact as the Aspar rider tried to go through a diminishing gap at Le Musee (Turn 7).
The pole-sitter had just started to put the hammer down when he lost the front through La Chapelle (Turn 6) on Lap 11 and crashed into the gravel, his hopes of a breakthrough Moto2™ victory dashed. Acosta’s spill elevated Fernandez to the lead and a distant Canet to second position, but the man with the bowtie was coming under pressure from Beaubier and Chantra.
When Beaubier ran just a little wide at Le Musee on Lap 14, Chantra pinched third position, then put a forceful move on Canet a lap later at Garage Vert (Turn 8). In doing so, he made room for the American in that battle pack to also go past Canet and reclaim third position. However, the Spaniard turned the tables on Lap 18, passing Beaubier from a long way back at the Turn 3/Turn 4 chicane.
As Fernandez continued to enjoy a margin of six to seven seconds over the rest, second-placed Chantra outbraked himself at Garage Vert on Lap 18 and had to let his bike run wide. Not only did he cede position to Canet and Beaubier, the Thai rider had cost himself a full second of time, handing a big free kick to his rivals in the battle for the minor placings.
Still, he was hardly down and out. Beaubier invited pressure when he ran wide at La Chapelle on the third-last lap of the race, and Chantra made the pass on the second-last lap as they ran through Turn 13. Meanwhile, Vietti was finally into the top 10, despite running through the gravel at Garage Vert earlier in the race.
Fernandez eased off in the closing laps and cruised to victory by an official margin of 3.746 seconds. The win is his first since the 2019 San Marino Moto2™ Grand Prix, and his first altogether for Red Bull KTM Ajo. A further 0.882 seconds behind Canet was Chantra in third, with Beaubier a career-best fourth.
Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) prevailed in a late battle with Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) as they finished fifth and sixth respectively, ahead of Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), Vietti, Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40), and Stefano Manzi (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team).
Arenas managed to remount after his incident with Lopez but could only get back to 19th, missing out on the points. His Inde GASGAS Aspar team-mate Jake Dixon, who did not get away well from the middle of the front row, also pressed on after an early crash from eighth position, but finished even further back in 21st spot. Among those who did not make the chequered flag at all were Lopez and title contender Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team).
Arbolino and Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) went down in synchronised fashion at La Chapelle on Lap 2, although without contact, and that capped off a horror day for the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team. Before the race had started, it was down to one bike due to the withdrawal of Sam Lowes. The Briton had qualified fourth-fastest and rode in the Warm Up but was later declared unfit after reporting neck pain and the onset of dizziness, following a nasty highside in Q2.
In the World Championship, Vietti has moved to 108 points, second-placed Ogura is slightly closer at 16 points behind, and Fernandez has climbed to fifth.
That’s it for another intriguing weekend of Moto2™. Join us next time when Round 8, the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, unfolds at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello on 27 May – 29 May.
Moto2™ Race Top 10:
1. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo)
2. Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) + 3.746
3. Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) + 4.628
4. Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) + 4.745
5. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) + 15.376
6. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) + 17.547
7. Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing) + 19.035
8. Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) + 19.854
9. Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40) + 20.766
10. Stefan Manzi (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp) + 20.879
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
In typical barnstorming Moto3™ fashion, fans were out of the seats at a restarted lightweight class race went down to the wire at the SHARK Grand Prix de France in Le Mans. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jaume Masia earned victory after a thrilling final corner move past Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) while Izan Guevara stole the final podium place with another dramatic final corner manoeuvre past poleman Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing).
The threat of rain loomed large over Le Mans on Sunday, and we saw the effects just a few spits of rain can have on the asphalt as the Red Flags were waving by the end of the opening lap. Initially, Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) got a brilliant launch from the line to take the holeshot going into the Dunlop Curve, with a brilliant move on the outside seeing him take P1. Despite a good start, poleman Foggia had dropped to third behind teammate Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) while the Italian then had to contend with Masia, who recovered from a poor opening sector to move back into the top three places at the expense of his title rival.
Before we even completed the first lap, there was mayhem on track as the final corner Raccordement saw seven different fallers. Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) and Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) were the first to go before five riders went down in simultaneous but separate crashes. GASGAS Aspar duo Sergio Garcia and Izan Guevara were joined in the gravel by Sasaki, Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Riccardo Rossi (SI58 Squadra Corse) as the spits of rain began to play havoc.
On the second lap, Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) went down after making contact with Elia Bartolini (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) at Turn 3 while at the front Suzuki had hit the lead, but that was that as the Red Flags began to wave due to the rain, and offering those fallers a reprieve as a full race start procedure was signalled.
With a new race distance of 14 laps set, it was always going to be a tight affair with the sun shining again, and so it proved. In a carbon copy of the first race start, Moreira managed to push himself into the lead from the second row while a superb effort from Championship leader Garcia saw him move up into the podium places behind Foggia. Behind them, there was lots of chopping and changing as Suzuki battled with Migno and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) throughout the first lap.
The race began to settle somewhat by the time the third lap rolled around, while Masia was finding his groove, picking off Suzuki at Garage Vert before getting the better of Foggia on the next lap at the Turn 3 chicane. The Italian tried to return the favour one lap later, but Aki Ajo’s prized asset was in control of the race and fended him off. The race had lost Scott Ogden by this stage, with the VisionTrack rookie crashing out at La Chappelle.
The race began to settle somewhat by the time the third lap rolled around, while Masia was finding his groove, picking off Suzuki at Garage Vert before getting the better of Foggia on the next lap at the Turn 3 chicane. The Italian tried to return the favour one lap later, but Aki Ajo’s prized asset was in control of the race and fended him off. The race had lost Scott Ogden by this stage, with the VisionTrack rookie crashing out at La Chappelle.
Behind Masia, Garcia had moved up to second after getting past the Leopard Hondas, while Öncü in P4 had entered the podium conversation. All the chopping and changing at the front brought the leader of the second group, Sasaki, into contention.
Back at the front, Foggia pushed himself back into second at the expense of Garcia. The GASGAS man tried to respond into the chicance, but got it wrong and was forced wide, costing him his drive out of the corner and dropping him the sixth overall. That gave Masia a couple tenths of breathing space out front, but it didn’t last long as he was soon reeled in by Foggia and Sasaki at S Bleu with just over three laps to go.
La Musee is another hot spot for overtaking, and that’s where Sasaki picked off Foggia, relegating the poleman to third. Having bided his time all race, the Japanese rider looked like he would steal the win with just two corners to go, taking the lead on the flick back left at S Bleu. The drama was still far from over, with Masia producing a sensational last corner lunge up the inside to take the win, while Guevara had done something similar to Foggia to deny the pre-season Championship favourite a podium.
La Musee is another hot spot for overtaking, and that’s where Sasaki picked off Foggia, relegating the poleman to third. Having bided his time all race, the Japanese rider looked like he would steal the win with just two corners to go, taking the lead on the flick back left at S Bleu. The drama was still far from over, with Masia producing a sensational last corner lunge up the inside to take the win, while Guevara had done something similar to Foggia to deny the pre-season Championship favourite a podium.
Garcia recorded a P7 finish, meaning his title lead has been cut to 17 points as Masia took the maximum to move into second overall, leapfrogging Foggia. Suzuki finished fifth ahead of Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing Pruestel GP), whose teammate Xavi Artigas recorded a DNF with three laps to go. Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) ended the day eighth, ahead of Öncü with Migno rounding out the top 10.
Holgado, John McPhee (Sterilgarda Max Racing), Riccardo Rossi, Diogo Moreira and Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) are your other points finishers
Next up for Moto3™ is a date in the rolling Tuscan hills of Mugello for the Italian Grand Prix.
1. Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – 14 laps
2. Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) + 0.150
3. Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.220
4. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) + 0.322
5. Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) + 0.529
6. Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrustelGP) + 1.594
7. Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) + 2.007
8. Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) + 2.275
9. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) + 2.502
10. Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) + 2.917
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
As far as the other front row starters are concerned, Jack Miller was sixth on a 1:31.920, while pole-sitter and fellow Ducati Lenovo Team rider Francesco Bagnaia ended up 13th on a 1:32.176. On another Ducati, Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing) had a spill at Turn 3 – rider okay – after setting a 1:31.955 which saw him finish eighth on the timesheet. The session ran in dry conditions but, with the threat of rain later in the day, Miller was among those who practiced a flag-to-flag bike change and some even briefly ran wet Michelin tyres.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here