An epic long weekend with the neighbours! 😁🤟🏻
Source: Jack Miller on Facebook
Monthly Archives: May 2020
BMW Boxer scale model in time for lockdown
If you are still restricted from riding due to the pandemic lockdown, you could spend a few hours putting together this BMW Boxer engine scale model with realistic working parts.
BMW’s famous Boxer engine is now available as a working 1:2 scale model of the engine from the 1973 BMW R 90 S.
The scale model costs about $A250 through Amazon and features 200 parts which lock together and do not need gluing. BMW claims it will take a bout three hours to put together.
Scale models
And when it’s all finished, all the internal mechanical parts — pistons, crankshaft, valves, pushrods and rockers — move realistically thanks to a small electric motor.
If Lego is more your scene, you can buy a BMW R 1200 GS ($A104), a Harley Fat Boy ($A159.99) or wait a little while for the Lego Panigale V4 R model.
Boxer engine history
The Boxer engine design was invented by German engineer Karl Benz in the 1890s. Yes, the man who helped establish BMW’s main competitor, Mercedes-Benz!
However, boxer engines weren’t used in motorcycles for a couple of decades and they were all placed with the cylinders in line.
BMW was the first to place the Boxer engine sideways in their R 32 motorcycle in 1923 with the heads sticking out the sides for more effective cooling.
It is called a Boxer engine because the pistons counterpunch like a boxer’s firsts.
The R 32 engine was designed by aircraft engineer Max Friz who used lightweight materials borrowed from aircraft manufacture, such as alloys in the pistons for the first time.
It also departed from other bikes of the time with no chain-drive between the engine and the gearbox and no chain or belt leading to the rear wheel. Instead, it had a sealed valve shaft which kept the bike and rider clean and was easier to maintain.
This model is based on the engine in the venerable R 90 S which was the inspiration for modern R nineT.
BMW R 90 S
It had a 49kW 898cc, four-stroke Boxer engine with large Dell’Orto carburettors and was capable of 200km/h.
The R 90 S was also the first series-produced motorcycle to come with a fairing fixed to the handlebars.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Honda NSR500V | Two-stroke 500 twin-cylinder GP racer
As raced by Jurgen van den Goorbergh
With Phil Aynsley
The Honda NSR500V was introduced in 1996 to take advantage of the lower weight limit for twin-cylinder machines and to be sold as a viable privateer team bike.
van den Goorbergh’s Honda NSR500V
However for the first year it was run solely as a factory entry. As with the Aprilia V-twin, its advantages of better handling and higher cornering speed weren’t quite enough to overcome the V4 bikes’ superior acceleration.
The better handling and weight couldn’t overcome the V4 advantage on the NSR500V 
The twin would see good success in privateer hands
Tadayuki Okada placed his twin on pole for its first race, in Malaysia, and went on to score six top five placings, including a second at Phillip Island. He finished the the 1996 season in seventh place.
Honda NRS500V 
Honda NRS500V 
Honda NRS500V
Only 20 NSR500Vs were built from 1995 to 2000, with a further two being provided for the Shell Advance team in 2001. Unlike the NSR500 the 500V was sold, not leased to the privateer teams.
The NSR500V was sold to teams, where the NSR500 was only leased 
Honda NRS500V 
This is Jurgen van den Goorbergh’s 2000 bike with 2001 engine
This is one of Jurgen van den Goorbergh’s 2000 bikes and is fitted with a TSR frame and swingarm, together with works Nissin forks and front brakes. It has chassis number 001 (of the three run by the team). Van den Goorbergh won Best Privateer for 2000, finishing in 13th place for the season.
Nissin provided the brakes and forks 
Honda NRS500V 
Honda NRS500V
The bike was fitted with the uprated 2001 motor for the following season (which featured new crankcases and transmission) and raced by Haruchika Aoki – who also won that year’s Best Privateer award.
Honda NRS500V 
Honda NRS500V
Output was 148 hp compared to the standard producing 135hp at 10,250rpm, while weight was a svelte 103 kg.
Source: MCNews.com.au
Vinales wins Virtual GP of Spain
Virtual GP Round Three
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales has finally tasted Virtual MotoGP glory after capitalising on late crashes by Pramac Racing’s Francesco Bagnaia and Repsol Honda’s Alex Marquez in Sunday’s Red Bull Virtual Grand Prix of Spain. The Spaniard was beaten by both Marquez and Bagnaia at Mugello and then by Bagnaia in an epic last-lap scrap at the Red Bull Ring, but it was third time lucky in Jerez as he beat both to clinch victory.
The event was in aid of the official charity of MotoGP, Two Wheels for Life, raising funds for their campaign to fight Covid-19.
Red Bull Virtual GP of Spain
As the lights went out, breath was bated as the opening corner approached and once again it was nothing short of chaos as six riders went down, including poleman Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and eventual race winner Viñales. In the early stages at the front, Bagnaia and Alex Marquez were looking to escape and making themselves some space, but then Marquez crashed out after contact with the Italian in the final sector and it was game back on.
Red Bull Virtual GP of Spain
Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Iker Lecuona found himself in second after he managed to stay clear of the carnage in front of him, but his chances of finishing on the podium evaporated on Lap 3 when he crashed at the penultimate corner. In an incident that also saw Quartararo caught up, suddenly Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was then promoted to second and had a debut Virtual rostrum finish in his sights… but it was far from over.
Red Bull Virtual GP of Spain
The reigning World Champion was put under all sorts of pressure by both Viñales and Alex Marquez after the pair had rediscovered their form following earlier crashes, and both swooped through on the number 93 after a mistake at Turn 2. The trio were split by nothing on Lap 5, but the gaps would quickly grow as Alex Marquez edged clear of Viñales for second and the number 12 did the same to Marc Marquez.
Red Bull Virtual GP of Spain
Behind, Quartararo and Lecuona came together again as the Frenchman couldn’t seem to stop crashing; the same issue that cost him in the opening two Virtual MotoGP races, but there were a few mistakes up and down the board still to come. At half race distance, Viñales ran wide, allowing Marc Marquez back through for third, but the number 93 didn’t hold the final podium place for long, crashing out just moments later.
Alex Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia engaged in battle
With just three laps remaining, Alex Marquez then crashed out of second at Turn 2, only for the leader Bagnaia to then suddenly crash as well, the Italian at the penultimate corner, allowing Viñales to go from third to first in the space of a lap. The Spaniard coped with the pressure in the closing stages and remained cool, calm and collected to take the chequered flag for his first ever virtual victory, particularly sweet after just missing out on his previous two attempts. Alex Marquez ultimately finished second, with Bagnaia dropping down to third but all three once again showing their impressive virtual skills.
Red Bull Virtual GP of Spain
Marc Marquez ended up fourth, despite slowing up on the final two laps to have a fight and some fun with Ducati Team’s Danilo Petrucci, coming out on top as the Italian eventually crashed out during that self-made scrap. Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins, a big victim of the Turn 1 drama, pounced on Petrucci’s error to take the final top five spot ahead of the Italian in sixth.
Petrucci and Marquez
Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Miguel Oliveira came across the line in seventh, ahead of Quartararo, although the Frenchman can take some solace from setting the fastest lap. Lecuona took ninth, ahead of Aprilia’s test rider Lorenzo Savadori in tenth on his virtual debut for Aprila Racing Team Gresini. Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) took eleventh, and he was also deemed the likely culprit for the Turn 1 chaos – but had no regrets about trying.
Maverick Viñales – P1
“The race has been quite exciting, because I battled a lot. I crashed two times, so I didn‘t expect to win that race, but I kept a good rhythm and I did many fast laps in a row. For me it was really good that I was able to keep my concentration until I crossed the finish line. But anyway I would have been happy, because this race is for a charity event, Two Wheels for Life, and I hope this helped them raise a good amount of money to help people in Africa battle Covid-19. I want to thank Yamaha and all the staff because the bike was fantastic. On a serious note, a sincere thanks to all the fans who are watching us race virtually. It‘s helping us and motivating us to do things that make these challenging times easier, so we can all do better and be happier.”
Alex Marquez – P2
“Another difficult race! The crash really wasn’t good and I’m confident that without it I could have won, it’s a shame but the second place moves us to the top of the points. It was really fun though, I really enjoy putting on a show for the fans and it’s also nice to have some jokes with the other riders. Next time we aim to go one better!”
Marc Marquez – P4
“A pretty similar race to the Red Bull Ring, avoiding crashes and trying to take the podium. Congratulations to Alex for another podium, he has impressed a lot in these opening races. I feel myself getting better but still there’s those three or four guys who maybe have another step over me. A bit more time on the PlayStation should help me to make another step. I hope everyone who watched enjoyed, stay safe everyone!”
Virtual GP of Spain Video Replay
Red Bull Virtual GP of Spain
- VINALES Maverick SPA Monster Energy Yamaha
- MARQUEZ Alex SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda
- BAGNAIA Francesco ITA Pramac Racing Ducati
- MARQUEZ Marc SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda
- RINS Alex SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki
- PETRUCCI Danilo ITA Ducati Team Ducati
- OLIVEIRA Miguel POR Red Bull KTM Tech 3 KTM
- QUARTARARO Fabio FRA Petronas Yamaha SRT Yamaha
- LECOUNA Iker SPA Red Bull KTM Tech 3 KTM
- SAVADORI Lorenzo ITA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini
- RABAT Tito SPA Reale Avintia Racing Ducati
Rider Standings
- VINALES Maverick 61
- MARQUEZ Alex 61
- BAGNAIA Francesco 61
- MARQUEZ Marc 37
- QUARTARARO Fabio 32
- RINS Alex 21
- PETRUCCI Danilo 20
- OLIVEIRA Miguel 17
- LECOUNA Iker 14
- RABAT Tito 11
- ROSSI Valentino 9
- MIR Joan 9
- NAKAGAMI Takaaki 8
- PIRRO Michele 7
- SAVADORI Lorenzo 6
- ESPARGARO Aleix 6
Source: MCNews.com.au
Vinales breaks through in Virtual Grand Prix of Spain
News 4 May 2020
Vinales breaks through in Virtual Grand Prix of Spain
Section: Competition
Moto2 race won by Baldassarri as Rodrigo takes out Moto3 affair.
Image: Supplied.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Vinales has finally tasted Virtual MotoGP glory in Sunday’s Red Bull Virtual Grand Prix of Spain.
He was beaten by both Alex Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia at Mugello and then by Bagnaia in an epic last-lap scrap at the Red Bull Ring, but it was third time lucky in Jerez.
The event is in aid of the official charity of MotoGP, Two Wheels for Life, raising funds for their campaign to fight Covid-19. The world first Red Bull Virtual Grand Prix of Spain – with three classes all racing – saw some incredible drama and good behind-the-scenes laughs.
As the lights went out, breath was bated as the opening corner approached and once again it was nothing short of chaos as six riders went down, including poleman Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and eventual race winner Vinales.
In the early stages at the front, Bagnaia and Alex Marquez were looking to escape and making themselves some space, but then Marquez crashed out after contact with the Italian in the final sector and it was game back on.
Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Iker Lecuona found himself in second after he managed to stay clear of the carnage in front of him, but his chances of finishing on the podium evaporated on lap three when he crashed at the penultimate corner.
In an incident that also saw Quartararo caught up, suddenly Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was then promoted to second and had a debut virtual rostrum finish in his sights, but it was far from over.
The reigning world champion was put under all sorts of pressure by both Vinales and Alex Marquez after the pair had rediscovered their form following earlier crashes, and both swooped through on the number 93 after a mistake at turn two.
The trio were split by nothing on lap five, but the gaps would quickly grow as Alex Marquez edged clear of Vinales for second and the number 12 did the same to Marc Marquez. Behind, Quartararo and Lecuona came together again as the Frenchman couldn’t seem to stop crashing.
At half race distance, Vinales ran wide, allowing Marc Marquez back through for third, but the Spaniard didn’t hold the final podium place for long, crashing out just moments later. With just three laps remaining, Alex Marquez then crashed out of second at turn two, only for the leader Bagnaia to then suddenly crash as well.
Vinales coped with the pressure in the closing stages and remained cool, calm and collected to take the chequered flag for his first ever virtual victory, particularly sweet after just missing out on his previous two attempts. Alex Marquez ultimately finished second, with Bagnaia dropping down to third.
Marc Marquez ended up fourth, despite slowing up on the final two laps to have a fight and some fun with Ducati Team’s Danilo Petrucci, coming out on top as the Italian eventually crashed out during that self-made scrap.
Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins, a big victim of the turn one drama, pounced on Petrucci’s error to take the final top five spot ahead of the Italian in sixth. Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Miguel Oliveira came across the line in seventh, ahead of Quartararo, although the Frenchman can take some solace from setting the fastest lap.
Lecuona took ninth, ahead of Aprilia’s test rider Lorenzo Savadori in 10th on his virtual debut for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini. Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) took 11th and he was also deemed the likely culprit for the turn one chaos, but had no regrets about trying.
FlexBox HP40’s Lorenzo Baldassarri was eventually able to cruise to victory in Moto2 after somehow managing to stay upright during a raucous fight in the early stages, with Petronas Sprinta Racing’s Jake Dixon and Bo Bendsneyer (NTS RW Racing GP) completing the podium and both after plenty of drama of their own.
Kommerling Gresini Moto3’s Gabriel Rodrigo made a little history on Sunday as he claimed victory at the Red Bull Virtual Spanish Grand Prix, fighting off home heroes Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Albert Arenas (Aspar Team Gaviota) for the win.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
My wee mate Brno getting all Simba! What about this weather in the UK folks, hope you all having a great weekend wherever you are?
My wee mate Brno getting all Simba! What about this weather in the UK folks, hope you all having a great weekend wherever you are?
Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
Viñales: first corner crash to the top step
Viñales had previously finished P3 and P2 respectively at Mugello and the Red Bull Ring, but the Spaniard managed to go one better on home soil. And the Yamaha star managed to claim the win despite crashing at the first corner in an incident with Reale Avintia Racing’s Tito Rabat. However, Viñales was back up to P5 at the end of the first lap as subsequent crashes for Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) allowed Viñales into the podium positions.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Viñales becomes third different Virtual winner at Jerez
Behind, Quartararo and Lecuona came together again as the Frenchman simply couldn’t stop crashing; the same issue that cost him in the opening two Virtual MotoGP™ races. At half race distance, Viñales ran wide allowing Marc Marquez back through for third but he didn’t hold the final podium place for long, crashing out just moments later.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Virtual win makes it two in a row for Baldassarri at Jerez
Sixth was Marcel Schrötter, just ahead of Canet who failed to recover after his earlier coming together with Bendsneyder. Completing the top ten were Jorge Navarro (Beta Tools Speed Up), Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) and Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team).
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Baldassarri cements Jerez hat-trick in maiden Virtual Race
“I think this race was even tougher than the others. It was not easy to achieve victory,” said Baldassarri after the race. “I was sweating and so nervous that I had trouble controlling my fingers. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was diagnosed with compartment syndrome,” joked ‘Balda’, who reviewed his initial battle with Marini and Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) on the opening laps.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here