“We’ve done the whole season with two engines, we’ve managed the best we can. It was not safe to ride with the other engine, because maybe I can create oil in the track, so we decided to put a new engine, for safety first, and then, I have a fresh engine, doesn’t matter because finally the speed is the same. We will see. Our problem is not that. The problem is that we are not on the level, I don’t know why but from Misano we lost everything and we can’t find grip. It’s very difficult to ride the bike.”
MotoGP™ Legend Randy Mamola is back with some key points to look out for at the two Valencia round
Ahead of the Gran Premio de Europa and Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, MotoGP™ Legend Randy Mamola is back with his key points to look out for across two blisteringly crucial couple of weekends in the race to become MotoGP™ World Champion.
“So hey, it’s Randy Mamola here and we’re back with another ‘things to look out for’! It’s the penultimate preview of the season and I’m super excited about this Championship with Joan Mir leading it and Alex Rins, his teammate, 32 points back. So that’s six riders covered by 32 points and believe me, they’re hot on his heels and it’s all to play for in the last triple-header. We’ve got back to back races in Valencia which is going to be exciting, as this all starts to play out.
1. WATCH OUT: TURN 4 AND TURN 10 CAN BITE
“I wanted to talk about this corner because it catches a lot of riders out every single year across each class. Why is that? Well, the Circuit Ricardo Tormo has 14 corners, nine of them are left which are predominately aggressive – a lot of speed and sinning on the left-hand side, which means you get a lot of temperature. On the right side, it’s used only five-time on the lap. One of the reasons why riders go down at Turn 4 is because the last time they touch the right-hand side of the tyre is Turn 12. Then you have left-hand corners at Turn 13, 14, a long straight, then Turn 1, 2 and 3 before you get to 4. That’s 45 seconds of the tyre cooling down, so therefore in November, this time of the year, ambient temperature can be quite cool and if you aren’t cautious enough in the early laps you can get caught out very easily.
“The other one is Turn 10. Again, you have two right-hand corners at 4 and 5 but then you have left-handers at 6, 7, 8 and 9, then when they flick it back at the 10-11 chicane, they get caught out on that side. That’s again because they get a false feeling for how much grip they have on the left side, because they have so much tyre temperature in it, no matter what the ambient temperature is, because of the aggressiveness of using the tyre on the left-hand side.
“So keep your eyes peeled for those in Free Practice and qualifying and in the race. If the track temperature and ambient temperature goes up we’ll have less crashes, but even the best riders can get caught out. If I was the owner of the team I’d put a note on the inside to say “caution Turn 4, caution Turn 10.”
2. DUCATI – CAN THEY BOUNCE BACK?
“Can Ducati bounce back? After a very difficult Aragon 1 and 2, going into Valencia 1, Ducat still has a chance of winning the Championship – albeit 28 points behind with Dovizioso. They have to make up this gap by winning races or definitely being on the podium. Valencia in particular is not one of the favourite tracks for Ducati but last year, Jack Miller finished 3rd and Dovizioso was 4th, both just three seconds off Marc Marquez’ win. But they did beat the Suzuki of Alex Rins which was just behind them in 5th. It’s going to be interesting to see what Ducati can do and if they can turn away the bad feelings with the rear tyre. They’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain, I’m going to be really interested in seeing not just Miller and Dovizioso, but also Bagnaia and Zarco to see what they can do. First call will be to see if any of the six Ducatis can get into Q2 straight away after the three Free Practices.”
3. FACTORY VS INDEPENDENT YAMAMA
“Yamaha has the most wins in 2020 so far with six – three courtesy of Quartararo, two from Morbidelli, the only riders in the Championship to win more than one race in 2020, and one for Maverick Viñales. These riders are all in the running to be crowned MotoGP™ World Champion and it will be really interesting to see which one comes out on top in the fight to be the best Yamaha. The one man I haven’t mentioned here is Valentino Rossi. We’re still waiting to hear if he will ride this weekend but let’s hope he can after Garrett Gerloff, someone I know really well and someone that I think was a great choice by the way, did such an excellent job as his replacement rider on Friday.”
4. SUZUKI ON SONG!
“Team orders for Suzuki? No way. With Alex Rins 32 points behind his teammate Joan Mir who’s leading the Championship, and with 75 still on the table, anything is still possible. Sure, Suzuki’s best hope right now is Mir but Rins has three victories to his name in MotoGP with one coming just a few weeks ago. Suzuki has been fantastically strong, especially coming away from Aragon, and they’ll be looking for more of the same in Valencia. Things could then might change as we edge towards Portugal depending what happens in both races at Valencia but, right now, there will be no team orders at Suzuki. Whatever happens in the final three races it’s just awesome to see Suzuki back fighting for a World Championship, both of their riders have been very special to watch this year.”
5. A NINTH WINNER? IT’S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE
“Dare I say another winner in 2020? Number nine. Could it be? Probably because take a look at this list of riders who have battled for the podium and been on the podium this year but have not won yet. They all have a great chance of standing on the top step over the next couple of weeks. Those guys are Joan Mir, Jack Miller, Pol Espargaro, Valentino Rossi, Alex Marquez, Takaaki Nakagami, Francesco Bagnaia and Johann Zarco. Believe me, there’s a few guys who haven’t been on the podium yet that can easily win a race too. You would have to say though that, after taking six podiums so far this year and leading the World Championship, if there was to be a number nine, the most likely man is Joan Mir. But what about you guys, if not Joan Mir then who do you think will be number nine?”
SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE RIDE
“Well there you have it guys, that’s my preview for Valencia 1 and 2. I want you to enjoy the races and I’ll see you in a couple of weeks for the final preview of the season in Portimao. I’m super excited about seeing what happens this weekend, I wish everybody the best of luck in all three classes. For the fans out there and your families, stay safe!”
Every practice session, qualifying battle and race, exclusive interviews, historic races and so much more fantastic content: this is VideoPass!
After a wet FP1, no rain fell in the afternoon and it allowed the intermediate class to get some valuable dry running in, despite the track still having plenty of damp patches. In the opening exchanges, Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) – who didn’t venture out in FP1 – crashed at the notorious Turn 4. He was flicked off his Kalex violently and unfortunately for the in-form British rider, it was confirmed later that he had fractured his right wrist.
Yesterday (Thursday 5th November), the Italian took a PCR test and tested negative for the Covid-19 virus. As per Italian law, the Yamaha rider was allowed to end his self-isolation and take part in everyday society again from then on. Rossi took this opportunity to fly to Valencia, Spain, in the evening. However, he remained in self-isolation throughout the night. This morning (Friday 6th November), the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider took a second PCR test, as per FIM regulations, and again it came back negative. The two consecutive negative test results allow Rossi to reunite with the factory Yamaha squad and take part in the remainder of the Gran Premio de Europa.
In the closing couple of minutes, rather crucially, Championship leader Mir was P12. His teammate Rins popped up into P8 before Mir then went P6 just before the chequered flag came out, with Quartararo lingering in P17. That changed on his final lap though, the Frenchman shot up to P6 with teammate Morbidelli taking top spot. Miller then produced a late time to claim P1 for the second time today, Aleix Espargaro demoted Morbidelli to third and this movement saw Mir drop to P11. Title contender Morbidelli, like Miller, showed strong pace in both conditions.
Celestino Vietti (SKY Racing Team) tops the combined timesheets following Friday’s Free Practice at the Gran Premio de Europa, with the Italian stealing P1 on his final flying FP2 lap thanks to a 1:45.356. It meant he edged out Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) by two tenths, with Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) completing the Top 3.
The UK’s National Motorcycle Museum applied for a grant from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage, and it recently received news that it will not get that grant.
The museum has been hit hard by the impacts of COVID-19, and this is especially dire because the museum typically receives no external funding whatsoever according to its website.
It is funded by visitors to the museum and income from the conference business and two sister hotels. With no large gatherings happening, this means the museum is without the funds it needs to operate.
The grant sought by the museum would help it resume allowing visitors to come and visit. However, According to an email the museum received, it “did not meet the criteria for the programme, and the board has decided not to award a grant through the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage.”
MoreBikes reported on this unfortunate turn of events and shared the museum’s correspondence. The museum noted that it applied for funding in the under-£1-million category. These funds would have been used to retain the expert team and preserve the collection of British motorcycles, which is the largest in the world.
Now the museum is providing two options in an effort to raise the £500,000 needed just to break even. First, you can donate to the museum. Second, you can enter a raffle. The raffle will go to help the museum but it will also enter you in a chance to win one of three motorcycles shown in the picture above.
The first prize will get a 1977 Norton commando 850cc motorcycle. The second price will get a 1948 Ariel NG 350cc Motorcycle. The third prize will get a 1959 BSA B31 350cc motorcycle. The drawing will take place on Monday, December 21st, 2020.
Note that only UK residents can participate in the raffle due to gambling laws. However, anyone can donate, and I’d love to see motorcycle lovers from around the world donate.
It is the first tracker to be fully integrated with an app. It not only helps detect and pinpoint motorcycle crashes to guide first responders, but also tracks stolen bikes, scores riders on their skills and safety and doesn’t drain the motorcycle battery.
Slovenian high school student Žan Pignar, 17, says he owes his life to Vigo Smart Track.
Žan was hit by a car that drove in front of him at an intersection. The tracker detected the impact when the bike’s speed fell from 95km/h to 0km/h in 1.5 seconds and activated the automatic SOS notification.
An ambulance arrived at the crash scene within three minutes.
“On the day of the accident I remember I was riding home from a friend. I don’t know what exactly happened during my unconsciousness, but I remember the moment when I woke up in the hospital,” Žan says.
“My family was worried, sad, and at the same time so glad I’m alive. Even though I had this accident, I’m looking forward to the moment, when I’ll be able to ride a motorcycle again. Vigo Smart Track saved my life.”
Movalyse co-founder and COO Rok Upelj says that when it comes to saving lives, “reaction time, from accident detection to rescuing the injured, is crucial”.
The Vigo Smart Track includes sensible sensors to detect forces and movements that are characteristic of accidents. The tracker has a SIM to notify a nominated emergency contact and provides the exact GPS accident location.
It has three emergency levels:
Level 1: When you crash on high speed, the system recognises it immediately. It calls your emergency contact, listed in the app, and provides exact GPS location.
Level 2: If you have a low-speed accident, the system sends an app notification asking you if you’re okay. If you don’t respond to the notification, your emergency contact will be called.
Level 3: If your bike gets knocked over the system is alerted. If you continue to ride, there will be no notification. But if the bike isn’t moved after it’s been knocked over, you will get a notification.
Besides the automatic SOS notification, Vigo Smart Track has an advanced algorithm that includes GPS, Bluetooth and mobile antenna.
If the motorcycle is moved when the user isn’t around, the app will immediately inform the owner and provide live data of the motorcycle’s location if it is stolen.
Bluetooth and Mobile data do not have to be on all the time. The device has its own SIM card and senses if your phone is near. If the Vigo Smart Track cannot sense your phone, you will immediately get a free SMS with the theft notification.
Rok says Vigo Smart Track also has a platform that scores a rider on their riding abilities and safety, encouraging them to ride safely.
It issues a score out of 10, based on acceleration, braking, speed, lean angle and position of the rider and compares to a professional motorcycle safety instructor.
“Crucial for ensuring and improving safety on the roads are being cautious on every curve and respecting other traffic participants,” Rok says.
“The scoring system enables the rider to get to know its riding style to the core, which is a great basis for improving it and becoming the best possible rider.”
Users must register their details, emergency contact, motorcycle’s data and use a QR code to pair their phone with the device.
The Vigo Smart Track suits most bikes and is easy to install; just connect the red cable is connected to +, and the black to -. The device should not be covered by any metal and the rider should not sit directly above it as that would interrupt the GPS signal.
World Championship challenger Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) and man of the moment Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) sit fifth and sixth respectively, with Federal Oil Gresini’s Nicolo Bulega less than a tenth back on both men in seventh. Italtrans Racing Team’s Enea Bastianini had a close call during the session, making an impressive save at Turn 14, and ended up eighth. Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (FlexBox HP40) rounded out the top 10.
Harley-Davidson Australia has now recalled its LiveWire electric motorcycle for switching off while running, more than a fortnight after it was recalled in the USA.
Company spokesman Keith Waddell says there have been “no instances in Australia” of the fault occurring.
The issue affects 41 LiveWire motorcycles sold in Australia since it was launched a couple of months ago. The Vehicle Identification Numbers of all bikes affected are listed at the end of this article.
The official recall notice, issued through the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission warns that the bike may switch off while running, causing a crash.
“The software in the On-Board Charging (OBC) System on affected motorcycles may initiate a shutdown of the electric vehicle powertrain, without providing reasonable indication to the rider that a shutdown sequence has been initiated,” the notice says.
In some cases, the vehicle may not be able to be restarted or, if restarted, may shortly thereafter shut down again. In some cases, indicator lamps may be illuminated on the instrumentation prior to loss of propulsion.
“These indicator lamps include: The Traction Control (TC) lamp, the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) lamp, and the Failure Indicator Lamp (FIL).
“Unexpected loss of propulsion of the vehicle while in motion without the ability to restart or remain restarted may increase the risk of a crash, increasing the risk of serious injury or death of the rider(s) or other road users.”
Owners are urged to contact their Harley-Davidson dealer “immediately to arrange a service”.
“The dealer will install new updated On-Board Charging (OBC) System software to rectify the issue, at no cost to the consumer,” the notice says.
The recall is Harley’s first in Australia for 2020.
Even though manufacturers and importers usually contact owners when a recall is issued, the bike may have been sold privately to a rider unknown to the company.
Therefore, Motorbike Writer publishes all motorcycle and scooter recalls as a service to all riders.
If you believe there is an endemic problem with your bike that should be recalled, contact the ACCC on 1300 302 502.
To check whether your motorcycle has been recalled, click on these sites:
