Anomaly in 50km motorcycle rule

Queensland riders have expressed dissatisfaction with the 50km limit on travel from tomorrow (2 May 2020), as an anomaly has surfaced with boaties given free rein.

Under the new rule, boaties can tow their boat to a 50km radius from home and then put their boat in the water and travel as far as they like … “within reason”, whatever that means.

Similarly, the anomaly extends to cyclists who can take their bike 50km from home and then go cycling.

So presumably motorcyclists can trailer their bike to an off-road park 50km from home and go riding.

However, you won’t be able to trailer your road bike 50km and then ride further as you would be more than 50km from home.

It’s yet another strange anomaly that has surfaced as the travel restrictions are hastily drafted and amended.

Rule anomaly

It seems strange that we should be thankful we are allowed to exercise our basic right to go where we want.

But worrying about a rule anomaly won’t get us any more leeway on travel.

Of more concern is that some riders this weekend may not act responsibly.

If there is a resultant spike in infections in the next two weeks, restrictions could tighten again.

Remember how Sydney beaches opened up last week only to be quickly closed again when they became crowded.

So, if you stop for coffee or fuel, maintain social distance.

Also, consider alternatives to the usual routes, such as the Old Pac which could become quite crowded.

Riders should also carry disposable gloves to use at the bowser, hand sanitiser and a credit card rather than cash.

You can expect a large police presence on the roads this weekend and remember that random speed cameras are back in use.

50km limit

The 50km limit is fairly restrictive and for some country riders it may not get you to the next town. 

For most Brisbane riders, that would mean they would get half way up Mt Glorious before having to turn back.

Gold Coast riders would get to Beechmont for a coffee before turning around while Sunshine Coast riders would be able to explore the Blackall Ranges.

Of course, you still can’t cross the border and come back without a special permit and 14 days of isolation!

For a rough guide to a 50km radius from your house, click here.

restrictionsGoogle Maps shows how far Ipswich riders can go.

Queensland Health confirms we can ride with a pillion, or with one other rider or several members of the same household.

Adventure riders will also be allowed to ride through some national parks so long as they are within 50km of home.

Flagrant breaches

State Disaster Co-ordinator Steve Gollschewski says police will “assist people to understand the new rules but will still enforce flagrant breaches”.

“Police will be understanding but this isn’t an invitation for people to undo everyone’s hard work,” he says.

Steve Spalding RACQ voidSteve Spalding

RACQ safety officer and Triumph Bonneville rider Steve Spalding has welcomed the move.

“It’s a good start,” says Steve who is hoping to get away for a three-day ride in June if restrictions are further eased.

“At least it will give riders the opportunity to get some fresh air and ride for enjoyment.”

However, he warns that if your bike has been parked or stored since mid-March, you should check it before heading out.

“Riders can make sure their bike is ready by checking basic safety and maintenance items such as tyre pressures, chain adjustment, oil level and that all controls operate smoothly,” he says.

“Always check tyre pressures when the tyres are cold and follow manufacturer’s recommendations on pressure, while the air available in servos is convenient, buying a reliable pressure gauge is a worthwhile investment and will give piece of mind that you are setting the tyres at the correct pressure.

“Similarly with engine oil, check it’s level according the manufacturer’s recommended procedure, which is also usually when the engine is cold. You might need to call on the help of another person if the bike needs to be kept upright and doesn’t have a centre stand.

“Basic checks such as making sure the brakes and clutch are working smoothly and not grabbing or sticking are essential to safe operation and should be part of any preparation before riding.”

Further easing?

Further loosening of travel restrictions will be subject to flattening the curve and that may only happen if motorists obey these eased restrictions.

There is no change yet in other states, but we will keep an eye on developments.

Easing of restrictions in Victoria may depend on how well Queensland goes.

In Tasmania you can visit a family member and in the ACT you can visit anyone so long as there are not more than two of you visiting at the one time.

ACT Police are not yet issuing COVID-19 infringement notices as they are prioritising public education over coercive sanctions.

In South Australia and Northern Territory there are no fines for leaving the house for non-essential reasons, however unnecessary socialisation is discouraged.

West Australian riders can ride within nine zones, but not cross from one to the other.

Official sites

These are the official rules for your state or territory:

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

NSW eases motorcycle travel restrictions

New South Wales riders can ride to visit friends from today (Friday 1 May 2020) as the state eases its coronavirus travel restrictions.

You can ride in pairs only to visit other households for social gatherings.

There is no limit on how far you can ride, but border crossings are still out of the question.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has asked people to be “responsible” and not spread the virus or the rules could be reversed.

While riding up and down the Old Pac wouldn’t be classified as legitimate under these new rules, you could say you were riding for exercise.

Old Pac gets more ‘safety barriers’A rider on the Old Pac (Photo courtesy of Valley Images)

Exercise

Earlier this week, the Premier acknowledged on Sydney radio that riding a motorcycle is exercise and therefore legal.

She says NSW Police have not booked anybody, because riding a motorcycle is “akin to riding an exercise bike”.

However, that claim is not correct.

On Thursday (9 April 2020), a motorcyclist was stopped by police on Oxford Street, Gateshead.

Officers spoke with the 36-year-old man, who allegedly provided “multiple conflicting reasons for not being home before stating he was on his way to help a friend fix a bike”.

The officers deemed his reasons for travel as non-essential and issued the man with a $1000 fine.

Note that NSW Police have interpreted the rules to say people can leave their house for “brief exercise in your own neighbourhood”.

So it’s not a free-for-all under the pretence of exercise.

Qld also eases restrictions

As NSW eases restrictions, Queensland will also allow riders to travel a 50km radius from their home from tomorrow (2 May 2020).

The Australian Motorcycle Council says they are “always pleased to see recognition by government authorities of motorcycling in any form, but especially the recent statements from Queensland and NSW acknowledging that motorcycling is allowed in the current COVID19 restrictions”.

“Most other states and territories also allow recreational riding in some form, and we can only hope that the more reluctant state government of Victoria join this nationwide approval and allow Victorian riders to get out safely and without risk to others,” their statement says.

After all, riding a motorcycle is both a physical and mental exercise.

The mental side cannot be stressed highly enough. Experts expecting a wave of depression if riders are cooped up for too long.

Responsible riding

lLegal defences to a speeding fine dangerousA rider on the Old Pac (Image: YouTube)

It seems strange that we should be thankful we are allowed to exercise our rights to right.

However, riders, as well as other motorists, have a responsibility to behave and not spread the virus.

If there is a spike in infections in the next two weeks, premiers have promised to tighten restrictions again,.

Sydney beaches opened up last week only to be quickly closed again when they became crowded.

So, if you stop for coffee or fuel, maintain social distance.

Also, consider alternatives to the usual routes, such as the Old Pac which could become quite crowded.

Riders should also carry disposable gloves to use at the bowser, hand sanitiser and a credit card rather than cash.

You can expect a large police presence on the roads this weekend.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

New Gear: Shoei Transitions Shield for Hornet X2

Shoei transitions shield for Hornet

Now adventure and dual-sport riders can enjoy the convenience of a Transitions photochromic shield, with the CNS-2 Transitions shield for the Shoei Hornet X2 ADV/dual-sport helmet. The CNS-2 shield detects UV light and heat, and automatically and constantly adjusts for the optimum tint to match ambient light conditions. Then when the sun goes down, it transitions back to clear so you won’t have to worry about carrying a spare shield or sunglasses again! 

See your dealer or visit shoei.com

Source: RiderMagazine.com

New Gear: Klim Carlsbad Gore-Tex Jacket

Klim Carlsbad gore-tex jacket

ADV and enduro apparel specialist Klim has redesigned its Carlsbad jacket ($599.99) and pant ($499.99), making them even better at their ADV touring mission. New fabrics, more abrasion protection, upgraded CE level 2 D3O LP2 Pro armor in the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and back, improved pocket designs and better ventilation combine with existing features like a Gore-Tex shell and Spot/GPS tracker chest pocket to set a new standard at this price point.

Call (208) 552-7433 or visit klim.com

Source: RiderMagazine.com

FREE TO WATCH: Rossi’s nine title-clinching races

From The Doctor’s 1997 125cc World Championship win at Brno that set him on his way to becoming one of the greatest of all time, to his last title win at the Malaysian GP in 2009. The 00s era undoubtedly belonged predominantly to Rossi, and now you can sit back and relive some of his finest moments for absolutely FREE!

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Introducing Honda’s new Virtual Motorsports Land

The website covers everything from MotoGP™ to WorldSBK, even offering some fun to those that enjoy four-wheeled action as well as two. Plus, their new Facebook and Instagram accounts will definitely be worth following as they offer fans a real insight into their racing activities and help keep people’s motorsport passion alive and well during this difficult period.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Motorcycle sidecar developments through the war years and beyond

By Murray Barnard


Almost everyone you meet reckons that the Russian Ural and sidecar is a wartime copy of a captured BMW R75. Well romantic as the notion maybe, the fact is that even if the Russians did capture some German sidecars (and early in the war the Russians lost vastly more men and material than they ever captured), they were too busy moving all their factories behind the Ural mountains to tool up for an R75 copy. Besides that, tanks, guns and ammunition were way ahead on the production schedule.

Where did the inspiration come from? Were the Germans the sidecar pioneers we tend to believe? Lets go back a bit to 1937, before the war.

Looking at the military outfits in production it was probably FN that inspired the BMW and Zundapp military outfits. Even Puch tried to build one until the Nazis asked them politely to concentrate on other war essentials.

The Belgian FN M12 outfit of 1937 had sidecar wheel drive, high and low ratio and reverse gearbox, additional filtration, interchangeable wheels and cross country tyres. A range of sidecars were produced with or without armoured shields. These outfits were so good that after the Nazi invasion the Wehrmacht kept these machines in production.

Sidecar FN

Sidecar FN

FN M12 was manufactured from 1937 to 1940 by the Belgian company Fabrique Nationale de Herstal

The French, always adaptable, were quite taken by the Belgian idea and Gnome-Rhone produced a Boxer twin outfit from 1938-40, the sv AX2 800cc.

Gnome Rhone

Gnome Rhone

Gnome Rhone – Image by Phil Aynsley

The sv AX2 800 outfit also featured a reverse gear and a shaft drive to the sidecar wheel. Again the Wehrmacht was impressed and continued production after conquering France in 1940.

Gnome Rhone AX twin driven sidecar

Gnome Rhone AX twin driven sidecar

Gnome Rhone AX sidecar

It wouldn’t surprise me if these machines are at times mistaken for BMWs or Zundapps under their camouflage and Wehrmacht markings. There are suggestions that France built more military outfits for the German war effort than BMW and Zundapp combined. It wasn’t until the autumn of 1940 that the BMW R75 and Zundapp KS750 models were introduced with similar features to the Belgian and French models.

BMW R Sidecar ImagebyDainGingerelli

BMW R Sidecar ImagebyDainGingerelli

BMW R 75 with sidecar – Image by Dain Gingerelli

The yanks were taken by these machines as well after capturing a few in North Africa. The Harley XA prototype was based on the BMW and Zundapp models but in particular a captured 750cc BMW R12. Wherever possible the XA was kept common to the WLA and a sidecar version the XS was prepared. The Jeep killed off this particular venture after 1000 machines were built. However much we like our outfits when it comes to war…4 wheels are better than 3.

Harley XS Sidecar OpposedTwin

Harley XS Sidecar OpposedTwin

Harley-Davidson XS Sidecar

Back to the Russians……where did their sidecar outfit come from? Well in 1938 they were licensed by BMW to produce copies of the BMW R71 as the M-72, a side-valve boxer which received some additional work such as extra finning to cope with Russian conditions. This machine was produced during the war (though niceties such as paying royalties to BMW were no doubt overlooked by then).

Production continued after the war as the K750. Unlike the war-time BMWs and Zundapps, the Russian model was not OHV, did not have sidecar wheel drive or inter-connected brakes, but remained in production until 1983. In 1968 Ural produced the ubiquitous 650cc OHV flat twin which is still with us today in various forms.

Condor A

Condor A

Condor A-750

Interestingly the Swiss also built late in the war their own flat twin sidecar outfits…. the Condor A-750 side-valves.

So only Germany led with OHV in these machines, the others all went for side valves and Russia didn’t copy the R75 and KS750 during the war as production limitations were pretty severe but probably did capture a heap and use them in Russian markings, especially in films after the war.

Irbit Sidecar MX

Irbit Sidecar MX

Irbit Sidecar in off-road trim

Russian Irbit and Kiev side valve machines were built from the early 50s.

Ural Dnepr K

Ural Dnepr K

Ural Dnepr K

A 650cc OHV model based on the BMW was built from 1968 and is more commonly known as the Dnepr, Neval, Phoenix or Cossack in Western markets.

Chang Jiang

Chang Jiang

Chang Jiang Sidecar

Chinese machines are based on the early Russian side-valve model and also the later OHV 650. I imagine they are direct copies of the Russian versions.

Chiang Jiang

Chiang Jiang

A 1994 Chinese Chang-Jiang 750 KNUJ. Rather heavily based on the BMW via the Russian Ural – Image by Phil Aynsley

The Chang Jiang certainly looks like the Russian side-valve motor. The more up-market Chang Dong uses an OHV boxer twin.

Ural Sidecar CT

Ural Sidecar CT

The modern day Ural (this is 2019 model) is based on designs from the 1960s, could there be demand for a truly modern sidecar set-up for the modern motorcycle market…?
Source: MCNews.com.au

Speed cameras back as travel bans eased

Queensland Police have reintroduced random speed cameras just in time for the eased pandemic travel restrictions from Saturday (2 May 2020).

Riders will only be allowed to travel within a 50km radius of their homes, not outside the state and only with one other rider or several if they are from your household.

When the lockdown started in early March, Queensland Police stopped using random speed cameras.

However, they will be back in force along with patrols to ensure motorists do not travel further than 50km from home. Otherwise, they face a fines of $1330.

Police released a video of speeding examples, including  a rider doing 161km/h in a 110km/h zone on the Pacific Highway at Pimpama on Monday (27 April 2020).

Other speeding motorist examples were:

  • 73km/h and 152km/h in 100km/h zone on Old Goombungee Road, Birnam (April 26);
  • 168km/h in 100km/h zone on the Bruce Highway between Barretts Road and Howard Heights Road, Cherwell (April 27); and
  • 153km/h in 70km/h zone Albert Street and Logan River Road, Bethania (April 27).

The police move to bring back speed cameras follows our recent article which showed traffic offences are understandably down as there are fewer vehicles on the road, but the lockdown is also creating lonely roads where motorists are hitting some ridiculous speeds.

It seems some riders and other motorists have been exploiting the lonely roads and lack of speed cameras, often with late-night and early morning high-speed runs.

Two 20-something motorcyclists riding at speeds up to 200km/h were charged following two separate pursuits with NSW Police in Sydney’s south west.

NSW Police say that during the lockdown there has been a 40% increase in high-range speeding offences over 30km/h and 45km/h compared with the same period last year.

Queensland Police gave us three other examples of high-speed riders who recently copped high-range speeding offences costing $1245 and eight demerit points:

  • On April 1 around 4.14pm a 31-year-old man riding a Harley Davidson was allegedly detected travelling 194km/h in 100 zone on Logan Motorway at Larapinta;
  • On April 2 around 10am a 37-year-old man on a Yamaha motorcycle was allegedly detected travelling 126km/h in a 60 zone on to Logan Motorway onramp at Drewvale; and
  • On April 6 around 10.30am a 61-year-old man on a Honda was detected travelling 102km/h in a 60 zone on Tamborine Oxenford Road at Wongawallen.

Rules eased

restrictionsGoogle Maps shows how far Ipswich riders can go.

This weekend, Queensland restrictions will be eased allowing riders to travel 50km from their home for recreation.

It is among several eased measures that will be used as a test to see if the public can exercise some restraint and control.

Authorities say they will penalise flagrant abuses.

Keep Calm Key Tag

They may also penalise the rest of the community by tightening restrictions again if too many people flout the rules as we saw last week when Sydney opened beaches only to close them again after they became overcrowded.

Meanwhile, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says riding a motorcycle is exercise and therefore legal.

She says NSW Police have not booked anybody for riding a motorbike, “because that is akin to riding an exercise bike”.

However, NSW Police have further interpreted the rules to say people can leave their house for “brief exercise in your own neighbourhood”.

But you can ride to visit a “partner” with whom you don’t live.

So it’s not a free-for-all under the pretence of exercise.

Gladys’s claim that police have not fined riders is also not entirely correct.

On 9 April 2020, a motorcyclist was stopped by police on Oxford Street, Gateshead.

Officers spoke with the 36-year-old man, who allegedly provided “multiple conflicting reasons for not being home before stating he was on his way to help a friend fix a bike”.

The officers deemed his reasons for travel as non-essential and issued the man with a $1000 fine.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Cal Crutchlow checks in from lockdown in the USA

“In the end I have given it my all 100-percent, but I don’t think I’m finished yet. My motivation is very high for 2020.”

By Eric Johnson


Cal Crutchlow arrived in MotoGP in 2011 and ultimately managed to score Rookie of the Year honours as a member of the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 outfit.

Cal Crutchlow on the Tech3 Yamaha – Image by AJRN

Tech3 Yamaha was where Crutchlow raced to his first podium finishes and pole positions with the French-managed team before moving over to the Ducati Team for 2014.

Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team #35) – 11° (1’46.221) - “I’m not pleased with the result today but I am pleased with the speed. I thought we could have maybe been in the front five in that session but I got held up in my fast lap. I could have been a lot closer than what I was so I’m happy with this and it means we can work well for tomorrow. I had some problems in the session and didn’t get out in the first ten minutes due to a problem with the brake. Now I’m looking to rest because I’ve not been feeling well at all today due to a bit of flu, so maybe tomorrow I can have a better performance.”

Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team #35) – 11° (1’46.221) - “I’m not pleased with the result today but I am pleased with the speed. I thought we could have maybe been in the front five in that session but I got held up in my fast lap. I could have been a lot closer than what I was so I’m happy with this and it means we can work well for tomorrow. I had some problems in the session and didn’t get out in the first ten minutes due to a problem with the brake. Now I’m looking to rest because I’ve not been feeling well at all today due to a bit of flu, so maybe tomorrow I can have a better performance.”

Cal Crutchlow at Motegi on the Ducati in 2014

Signing up to race for LCR Honda the year after, Crutchlow’s greatest glory came in 2016 when he rode to a stunning victory in the wet at rain lashed Brno – the first British MotoGP Grand Prix winner in 35 years – and then followed that up with another win at Phillip Island, Australia.

Cal Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow became the first Brit to win the British GP in 35 years when he took victory at Silverstone in 2016

Top Independent Team rider in 2016 and a podium finisher once again in 2017, Crutchlow remained with the LCR team in both 2018 and 2019 where the Englishman, despite starting off strong during the first half of the ‘19 season (Cal hit the podium three times), placed an off-song ninth overall in the MotoGP World Championship.

So now it is the very tail end of the month of April and MotoGP, as it is with virtually every other form of motor racing at the time being, has yet to hold the first race of the year. And Cal Crutchlow wants to get things rolling.

With MotoGP 2020 still out in the pandemic wilderness, Cal, along with wife Lucy and young daughter Willow, found their way out of England and in recent weeks, have been bed down in the outskirts of San Diego, California waiting for Dorna to tell him where to go next. On Sunday evening, this writer tracked down Crutchlow who was, for the most part, in a Golden State of mind.

“We’re doing good,” said the good spirited HRC pilot of his California walkabout. “We’re just trying to buckle down and hide from the coronavirus. We’re down near Santa Fe Springs and I’m glad you called.”

MotoGP Sepang Test Day Crutchlow

MotoGP Sepang Test Day Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow – Sepang Test 2020

Cal, you mentioned in your text to me that you’re here holding station in Southern California. I thought you were back in the United Kingdom.

“Yeah, we’re down here in Rancho Santa Fe, California. As soon as they cancelled the first race, Eric, I said to Lucy, ‘The first race is going to be Austin, so let’s go to California because when the race happens, we’ll already be there.’ So we came here then, so we’ve been in California since before Austin. It’s been over a month now, at least. We’re down in San Diego, we have our house here and we’re enjoying the weather as much as possible and we’re really happy because we have a bit of land here. Lucy and Willow are not going out at the moment. They’re sort of on a lockdown thing. Willow can still go outside and she’s got the pool. Her and Lucy are here and hanging out and very happy, so that is good.”

MotoGP Rnd Valencia QP Crutchlow

MotoGP Rnd Valencia QP Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow – Valencia GP 2019

What have you been up to as far as keeping occupied, motivated and burning time off the clock? I know you’re an avid cyclist…

“Well, I’ve been very, very lucky in that I’ve still been able to go out and cycle! As you know, that’s all I do. I enjoy to ride my bicycle and spend hours in the saddle over the week and here in California because we are able to go outside and I’ve been riding alone and keeping my distance from others. As you said, Eric, there is no set plan to go back to racing, so you just have to maintain. We just have to take it as it comes. I think there are more important things in the world at the moment than worrying about motorcycle racing. Having said that, we have to make sure that we are in good shape if it suddenly comes to the time that we’ll race in a few months, or towards the end of the season.”

MotoGP Test Sepang Day Cal Crutchlow

MotoGP Test Sepang Day Cal Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow – Sepang Test 2020

What do you think my man? Will we get some MotoGP racing in this approaching summer or fall?

“I hope so. I really hope so. I think the FIM, Dorna and IRTA, the International Racing Teams Association, are doing a great job in regards to the situation, the rules for the bikes at the moment have been frozen so development can’t carry on, which has been completely fair for all the teams and all the manufacturers. And I think, and as I said, Dorna are doing a great job with keeping us up to date with what’s going on; they’ve been keeping us up to date with the local governments and other situations. I do think we’ll get some racing in towards the end of the season. I really hope we can and I hope we can get to racing that the fans can see, as well, but we have to make sure that it is safe to do so. If we have 200,000 people come out to an event, everyone needs to be safe before we think about opening up the doors. We race and we’re in the entertainment business. We’re in the entertainment business and there is nothing we like more than to race and to entertain the crowd at the circuits. Hopefully, we can get the racing underway, and once we do, the fans can come as well.”

MotoGP QatarTest Day Crutchlow

MotoGP QatarTest Day Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow – Qatar Test 2020

While locked down in So. Cal., have you been in close communication with Honda and the LCR Castrol Honda race team?

“Yes, I keep in close contact with my team and with my manufacturer and HRC and I’m constantly speaking to all the members of the LCR Castrol Honda Team. I’m constantly talking with HRC and all the bosses in Japan to keep up with the situation and to keep positive about the situation, as well. Also, on the other hand, I’ve been speaking to my sponsors. I keep in daily contact with the people at Monster Energy (located in Corona, California) and I’ve spoken to Rodney [Sacks] as well (Monster Energy CEO). I mean it’s important in these times. Although they sponsor us to be in MotoGP, they are also great people and great friends and it’s nice to be able to check on them as well and make sure that things are well. What we can do for them during this time is to keep promoting and keeping the excitement going so that when we are able to start racing again. I like that type of thing and I like being competitive in all ways.”

MotoGP QatarTest Day Crutchlow

MotoGP QatarTest Day Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow – Qatar Test 2020

There was some talk of you retiring in 2020. I spoke with Jonathan Rea a few days back and he too appeared to be contemplating retirement, however when the coronavirus pandemic hit and Jonathan made it back home to Northern Ireland to wait it all out, he wasn’t too stoked to be doing something close to nothing. Thoughts? I mean could this clampdown be something of a retirement “test” for you?

“Ah, I don’t know… I mean with regards to my situation, I’m happy with what I’ve done, I’m happy with what I achieved, I’m having a great career that I’ve enjoyed. It could have been better, it could have been worse, but in the end I have given it my all 100-percent, but I don’t think I’m finished yet. My motivation is very high. Even at the end of last year I also said I could continue in 2021 and I feel like I’m in a good position to do so motivated and the want to be able to continue is there, so I don’t think this break has changed anything in that aspect because we’re already talking to Honda about renewing even before we went racing this year. We’ll see how it turns out this year.”

MotoGP Sepang Test Day Crutchlow

MotoGP Sepang Test Day Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow – Sepang Test 2020

You were termed as something of a test mule during the MotoGP pre-season tests. In fact, you did 64 laps at the Sepang test alone. How did you feel? How did the motorcycle feel?

“Well, I think Honda made a step in regards to the engine and the electronics on the engine. We had a little issue with the turning of the bike and in Qatar we finally found something that was maybe making the turning a little bit worse than last year, but that’s what it’s about: doing laps around the track every chance and giving information to Honda and the engineers there, who are very, very clever and work very, very hard for us. All of this is very important and very key to improving the bike and doing a lot of laps. For some people, testing can be not beneficial and doing too much might not be beneficial, but I feel I find the good balance with the guys with doing enough, but not too much. I can still give good information and give feedback to them and make sure that they get that information. I’ve always been the guy to test a lot over the years. Yeah, we just try our best. No doubt. Yes, I’m ready to go. My ankle feels good. I feel good. I feel trained enough. I feel healthy enough and ready to go when they say go. But on the other hand, we know that we’re not racing for a couple of months and you need to take the time right now to do things. As I said, you have to maintain your health and enjoy yourself a little bit, as well, in this period. Parts of it have been great. Willow loves ice cream and I love ice cream. We enjoy ice cream, but I’ll be ready to go when they say go, no doubt.”

MotoGP Test Valencia Crutchlow GPT AN

MotoGP Test Valencia Crutchlow GPT AN

Cal Crutchlow – Valencia Test 2019

Hey, I always wanted to ask you about this… Mike Hailwood, Geoff Duke, John Surtees, Barry Sheene, Phil Read an all of the spectacular history and success that is English MotoGP, does that stuff matter to you? Do you ever think about it?

“No, not really. Obviously, I know how important it was. When I say not really, I mean that I don’t look at the statistics. I just try and do my best week-in and week-out. To finally be the guy that got the win after 35 years was a great achievement. It was something that will go down in the history books. Barry Sheene won 35 years before, I was number 35 and it took 35 years to get it.”

MotoGP QatarTest Day Crutchlow

MotoGP QatarTest Day Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow – Qatar Test 2020
Source: MCNews.com.au