Showdown Spoiler Irwin heads off Hickman at Donington Park Andrew Irwin snatched the top spot in the second Bennetts British Superbike Championship free practice at Donington Park for Honda Racing, setting his fastest time on the final lap of the afternoon session to steal the advantage from Peter Hickman at the chequered flag.
Andrew Irwin – Honda Racing
“Today’s been much better, to be honest. I’ve had a tough three rounds really, the past three haven’t been fantastic. It’s only Friday, don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to get carried away, but it gives you that little bit of confidence going into Saturday and Sunday so I’ll take that as a positive. The bike feels good in these conditions, the wet, dry, kind of mixed conditions. To be honest, it is always something that I’ve been horrendous in before, so it’s good we’ve taken a step forwards in that, and P1 is always a good day. I look forward to tomorrow and hopefully we can do a good job come Sunday.”
Andrew Irwin
The morning session had also taken place in mixed conditions, with Showdown contender Danny Buchan and FS3-Racing Kawasaki edging out Joe Francis by 0.159s.
Conditions looked set to be dry for the second 45-minute session. Just as it got underway, there was a brief shower but the conditions continued to improve and the times began to tumble. At the beginning, title contender Josh Brookes had set the initial pace from Christian Iddon before another of the Showdown protagonists, Tommy Bridewell, edged ahead.
Iddon though was on a run of laps and he went to the top for Tyco BMW, before Showdown contender Tarran Mackenzie fired the McAMS Yamaha ahead. The places again kept changing at the top with Iddon then Brookes trading blows.
As the Showdown contenders mixed it up, Taylor Mackenzie became the second Tyco BMW rider to have a spell at the top, before Brookes then pushed him back down the order. A flurry of activity in the closing minutes again saw a change, with Hickman hitting the top of the times as the chequered flag was shown, but Irwin was still on a flying lap and he had the edge by 0.203s.
Josh Brookes
Taylor Mackenzie held third place on his debut with the Tyco BMW team in the afternoon, holding off championship leader Scott Redding who had been running second earlier in the session, and Iddon who completed the top five.
Honda Racing’s Xavi Forés managed to move ahead of Brookes in the final moments of free practice two with Joe Francis again having an impressive session in eighth place for the Lloyd & Jones Bowker BMW team.
Ben Currie and Luke Mossey completed the top 10 with Showdown Title Fighters Tarran Mackenzie in 13th place and Bridewell ending the session 26th.
Should you crimp or solder your connections? A reliable joint can be made with either method if the proper technique is used. Soldering kits are cheap and the process is easy to master with some practice. Photos by the author.
Adding electrical accessories to your bike is an age-old custom for street and touring riders. Heated grips, fog lights, USB charging ports, GPS systems, sound systems, gear-position indicators and auxiliary brake lights all add to our comfort, enjoyment and safety out on the road. All of these devices need power, however, and it’s important that any electrical connections you make are done properly and that your bike’s charging system is up to the task.
Before you ask anything more of your motorcycle’s electrical system (it’s already supporting a headlight and taillight, fuel pump, gauges, an ignition system, and the occasional turn signal, brake light and horn) you’ll want to verify the health of your battery. A good place to start is by checking the resting voltage with a multimeter. Despite being a “12-volt” battery, it should actually show closer to 12.6 volts when fully charged, with 12.0 volts correlating to an unhealthy 50-percent state of charge.
Proof that Iron Butt Rally riders are either completely loco or some of the most resourceful long-distance strategists on the planet. This rider has used the Farkleshelf for the Honda GL1800 Gold Wing from Firecreek Accessories (firecreekacc.com) along with some ruthless ingenuity to connect and support a redundant array of GPS units, satellite communicators and half-a-dozen electronic devices we can’t even identify.
Modern absorbed glass mat (AGM) and gel batteries have a lifespan of about four to seven years, so you would be wise to swap it for a fresh one if it’s getting on in years. If there’s any corrosion on the terminals, remove the battery and scrub the lugs with a wire brush and a one-to-one solution of baking soda and water. It’s important to keep those terminals nice and clean to reduce resistance to current flow.
Next, you’ll want to make sure your bike’s charging system is doing its job by checking the voltage at the battery with the bike running at about 3,000 rpm. You should see 14.4 volts or more. Verifying that your charging system has enough surplus wattage is a good idea if you intend to run especially thirsty accessories like head-to-toe heated apparel, but alternator output can be an elusive or nonexistent spec in the owner’s manual. Thankfully, most modern charging systems have plenty of strength to support your bike’s vitals plus another 100 or so watts’ worth of accessories.
If your new farkle is a factory part, it’s possible that the manufacturer has already provided an electrical plug to power it. Check your fuse-box lid for an “aux” circuit and reference your owner’s manual for the plug location. (Hint: It’s often under the seat or behind the dash.)
Without a factory connection, the easiest way to power your new gadget is to tap right into the battery. While this may be convenient, bolting up to the lugs poses two major problems. For starters, there’s only room for a few ring terminals before those battery bolts run out of thread, so if you’re aiming to add more than one or two accessories you may not have room. Second, there’s the very real possibility of draining every available volt out of the electrolyte if you were to say, leave your heated grips on accidently after parking the bike for the night. You think you’ll never forget to turn ’em off, but when you eventually, inevitably do, your battery is going to be as useless as a brick when you come back to the bike.
A better alternative is to use switched power, so current only flows when the key is on. Tapping into the headlight or taillight wiring will work for low-draw items like a cellphone or GPS charger, but if you ask too much of an existing circuit you’re liable to blow a fuse.
So why not run dedicated, switched, fused circuits for accessories? The best way to do that is with a relay and a fused distribution block, both of which can be sourced at your local autoparts store or purchased as a single, integrated unit from companies like Twisted Throttle, Aerostich, Centech and others. With a relayed setup your accessories will only pull power when the key is on, and using a distribution block allows you to easily add or remove accessories, consolidate wiring and keep your battery top tidy.
However you decide to pull power, it’s critical that the new component be fused to protect both the accessory and your bike’s wiring. Push too much current through an unfused connection and things may melt or even catch fire. Good grounding is another key consideration for any electrical component. You can connect to the main chassis ground, tap into the wiring harness or connect directly to the battery’s negative terminal.
It’s gotta be fused! Fuses are a critical safety feature that protect your bike’s circuits from being overloaded. Every accessory you install should incorporate a fuse of the appropriate amperage.
Speaking of the negative terminal, disconnecting it is the first thing you should do when working on your bike’s electrics and the last thing you should reconnect when you’re done. With the negative terminal unplugged there’s no risk of a sparks show if a live wire touches the frame or your wrench slips while fiddling with the positive terminal.
Finally, it’s important to ensure that any electrical connections you make are secure and well insulated. Shield bullet and spade connectors with rubber boots or plastic covers, and use heat-shrink tubing for any soldered joints. Don’t be tempted by electrical tape — the adhesive often fails after just a short time, exposing wiring and making a sticky mess.
Vampire clips (top) and Posi-Taps (bottom) are two common ways to tap into wiring. Posi-Taps, while usually a special-order part, provide a more secure connection and are less likely to sever the wire.
Electrical accessories can keep you warm when the weather is miserable, provide a soundtrack for your journey, make you more visible on the road and improve your riding experience in numerous other ways. Outfitting your motorcycle with the latest farkles is a time-honored tradition, and if you follow these tips and precautions you’ll be powered up in no time.
Do loud pipes really save lives or is it more about machismo and attention-seeking behaviour?
This hilarious video lampoons the latter theory.
Loud pipes theory
I won’t be popular for this, but “Loud Pipes Saves Lives” is a theory, not a proven fact.
I’m sure many readers will provide examples of how they reckon a loud motorcycle exhaust saved their lives.
But let’s look at this scientifically.
Supporters of this contention say that loud pipes alert motorists that there is a bike somewhere about.
In a situation of impending collision, the bike is approaching the vehicle it is about to collide with, right? It’s not going in the opposite direction, is it?
They may be approaching from the side, from in front or from behind, but they are not riding away from the vehicle with which they are about to collide.
So the noise of the bike really needs to precede the bike to alert the impending collider, right?
But exhaust pipes don’t face forward. They face backward with the bulk of the noise trailing behind, not going out in front of them.
High frequency sounds are easy to discern direction. However, low frequencies such as exhaust noise can be omnidirectional.
That makes it difficult for a driver in an air-conditioned cabin with the radio on to discern where the noise is coming from.
Guilty driver
I have been guilty of driving a car and having no idea that a motorcycle is rapidly riding into my blind spot. Not until they are alongside or already past do I actually hear their exhaust pipe.
Just how loud would exhaust pipes have to be for people in front to hear them clearly and be a truly effective safety alert?
Rather than adding to the already cacophonous state of our urban traffic, wouldn’t it actually be better and safer for riders to alert traffic with a short blast on the horn?
If you are riding along a street and see a car sitting at an intersection and you are not sure they have seen or heard you, wouldn’t it be more effective to give a couple of quick taps on the horn to gain their attention?
A horn blast surely has more of an alert tone than the gradually increasing rumble of an exhaust pipe facing the wrong way. (Be aware that in some jurisdictions, blowing the horn may be illegal, except for emergency warnings.)
There are other things you can do to get yourself noticed such as changing speed and moving around in your lane. (Dare I say, bright riding gear may help, but certainly not your machismo.)
All these proactive safety measures are much better than the ingrained and misguided trust in the safety values of a loud pipe.
In fact, reliance on a loud pipe could be hindering your active safety avoidance measures and placing you and your machismo in greater danger.
Machismo note
MBW’s Triumph Street Scrambler has an aftermarket pipe that is not illegal
Don’t get me wrong, I love the sound of a baritone exhaust note. Not that gets my machismo going! That rumbling sound is music to my ears and motivation to my soul.
However, I detest those barking, angry pipes that give me a headache and only serve to upset most of the population.
In fact, noise (barking dogs, traffic, trains etc) is the most complained about issue in suburban life. Do we really need to attract more anger against bikes and bikers?
While loud pipes may not necessarily save any lives, they most assuredly are bad PR for a minority group that gets enough bad press as it is.
Let’s be honest, the people who advocate loud pipes love the sound of the pipes and/or love people hearing them and being intimidated.
Just go back and watch the video again.
While I’ve never witnessed a loud pipe saving my life or anyone else’s I have witnessed loud pipes causing dogs to start barking and horses to run into barbed wire fences.
Favourite noise
MV Agusta Brutale 800 RR “organ pipes”
My favourite bike noise is actually the roar of the bike inhaling, rather than exhaling. The MV Agusta Brutale has beautiful “organ pipes”, but it’s the induction roar that is absolutely glorious.
And best of all, it sounds like a Singer sewing machine when it goes past pedestrians, motorists, dogs and horses. That’s because the induction sound is cleverly pointed at the rider and not the passerby.
Motorcycle and car manufacturers have been spending millions of dollars on research into how to best channel these “good” sounds toward the rider/driver rather than at the passing scenery.
This has mainly been forced on them by increasingly stringent noise limitation laws, but the byproduct is that we get more entertaining motorcycles to ride and we cheese off fewer motorists, pedestrians, dogs and horses.
What do you think about loud pipes? Leave your comments in the box below.
The Built to Ride Tour is a new type of event bringing builders and riders together with our editors for a few days of riding incredible roads through the South. This was the first year of the tour, and everyone involved had an awesome time. The tour started out in Nashville, Tennessee, then went to the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Alabama, on to Chattanooga, then finally the last two days in Johnson City where riders enjoyed live music, stunt shows, vendors, and more.
Not everything can be stored on the bike itself, sometimes you have to be the one carrying the load and not the bike. MOLLE backpacks are an option.Karel Kramer
MOLLE backpacks are most commonly seen on, but not limited to, tactical personnel. MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment), however, can be used by motorcyclists as well. When one backpack could be adapted to carry more or less gear, it is understandable why you often see riders with this style of pack. Motorcycle riders tend to need storage options since not everything needed for a ride can fit into pockets, under the seat, or in saddlebags (if you even have them). From Nelson-Rigg gear to hydration packs, many have implemented the MOLLE webbing for attaching additional MOLLE-compatible pouches to increase storage. Here are a few selections of MOLLE backpacks to choose from.
Nelson-Rigg Hurricane 40L Backpack/Tail Pack
Strap it down or sling it on, the Nelson-Rigg gear with the MOLLE panel makes for an adaptable adventure pack.Nelson-Rigg
With a removable MOLLE panel that can also be flipped to show the waterproof map, this backpack just shines in the rainy weather with its adventure-readiness, not to mention the waterproof tarpaulin material and seams that are electronically heat welded together. The MOLLE-styled panel allows you to clip on additional items to the back. Within the 40-liter capacity compartment you can fit extra riding gear or tools for your journey, and if you have fuel bottles, the two mesh side pockets can hold those as well. Getting the pack compacted down is made possible with the purge valve and rolltop mouth.
Lancer Tactical Hydration Backpack
Unlike Dos Equis’ motto, you don’t want to stay thirsty on a ride, therefore a hydration pack is a key item to have.Lancer Tactical
Going for a ride on your dirt bike or dual sport? You need to take a mobile hydration station with you to ensure you don’t get thirsty on the trails. Now while this pack primarily focuses on storing a 2.5-liter bladder (sold separately), you can attach other items using the MOLLE-compatible straps. The pack is constructed out of 600-denier polyester material.
Seibertron MOLLE Backpack
A multitude of clips cinch many elements of the Seibertron backpack together.Seibertron
While any determined rider can clip his/her helmet using a carabiner clip and D-rings onto the MOLLE webbing of any backpack, this is designed to hold a full-face helmet in a designated helmet pouch. The 900-denier polyester material is claimed to be waterproof, however the zipper is not. Something to keep in mind when you take it with you on your ride. The expandable main compartment has an interior mesh enclosure for smaller gear. There is also a middle compartment with zippered interior small gear pouches, as well as a small exterior zippered compartment on the outside. It can be used as a hydration backpack, but you do need to purchase the 2.5-liter hydration bladder separately.
Round 15 – Thailand, Buriram International Circuit
Fabio Quartararo headed a Yamaha 1-2-3 in Thailand on Friday ahead of Maverick Vinales and Franco Morbidelli.
Fabio Quartararo – P1
“I felt really good all day today, and we were able to do a lot of work on our pace, and we went quite fast not only on time attack but also when I was in a rhythm. We’ll need to take some time tomorrow to compare the tyres, but so far I’m really happy with my performance. We know that Marc [Marquez] will be strong, so we’ll need to keep concentrating on our pace because it’s not enough yet. We’ve got some good ideas to try though, and the team and I will work hard tonight on that.”
Fabio Quartararo
Maverick Vinales – P2
“This is a track where we’re usually quite fast. We still have some points where we can improve, but I‘m quite happy. We did a good job today and for tomorrow there are still opportunities to further improve, as I said. I‘m quite happy and confident, and we‘ll see where we are after qualifying. There‘s more potential for us in sector 2. Today, I used the tyre that I thought had the most potential. I‘m quite pleased with the lap times and the rhythm, and tomorrow for sure we‘ll make another step.”
Maverick Vinales
Franco Morbidelli – P3
“This afternoon we were able to get into the top three, which is always a positive when you’re not sure how the weather is going to react. It’s quite a pleasant surprise that we were able to top sector two as well, because it’s full of long straights! It was a positive day for us, and the bike is working quite well for me, as it has for a few races now. We’ll have to see what happens if there’s rain tomorrow, but we know we’ve got good speed. We’ll try and improve again, of course, as it will be important to get on the front two rows.”
Franco Morbidelli
Jack Miller was the fastest Ducati in P4 while Valentino Rossi made it all four Yamahas in the top five.
Jack Miller – P4
“The feeling is good and the bike is working very well. We tried some solutions and it was an intense day of work. The weather forecast is not good for tomorrow. That’s why our goal today was to be in the Top 10, and we have achieved it convincingly.”
Jack Miller
Valentino Rossi – P5
“It was a positive day because all the Yamahas are at the top, they are strong, we are fast. Especially when we put in the softer tyres for the time attack, the bike worked very well. In terms of race pace we suffered a bit more. Our opponents are very strong, so for the race we need to work, especially to make the right tyre choice for the front and rear. For the time attack we are very fast.”
Valentino Rossi
Marc Marquez survived an absolutely monumental crash on Friday morning to bounce back to lead most of FP2 before being gazumped in the dying minutes. Tellingly Marquez never bothered slotting in a soft tyre late in the session, unlike most of the others. Perhaps that was still to just underline his speed, and the ease that he could do it, even after an absolutely frightening crash in the previous session.
Marc Marquez – P6
“We started the day well but in the last run we had a big crash on our out lap. I was feeling OK when I arrived in the medical centre but we followed the doctor’s procedures and went for some checks. The most important thing is I am OK, I’m in some pain but OK. In the afternoon I was able to ride well and I am happy with what we achieved. We only had to modify our plan a little bit but I was able to be fast immediately.”
Marc Marquez
Aleix Espargaro again putting in an encouraging performance for Aprilia to finish day one in P7 ahead of Andrea Dovizioso, Joan Mir and Alex Rins.
Aleix Espargaro – P7
“Yesterday we analysed the setup used last year very carefully and we decided to start with a completely different configuration. I felt good straight away, but we still need to improve something in the first two sectors where being able to use a slipstream makes a big difference. If we look at the standings, the gaps are minimal. I think that the positivity we are bringing from Aragón is also making a difference. Now we need to keep working on tyre choice. While I don’t have any big doubts about the front, on the rear I have the possibility of assessing a couple of options. Making the right choice could be vital, especially in the race finale.”
Aleix Espargaro
Andrea Dovizioso – P8
“Today I had a good feeling and we did a good job with the set-up: we also tested something important and it went well. We are consistent but there are a lot of quick riders and it’s still difficult to see how everyone is really going on the track. As I said however, I’m happy with the bike and also the tyres are performing well: unfortunately, I have a neck problem and also a sore throat, so I’m taking antibiotics, and in this heat I’m physically struggling a bit, but I hope I won’t suffer too much in the next couple of days”.
Danilo Petrucci was just outside the top ten but only seven-tenths away from Quartararo’s Friday benchmark time.
Thailand MotoGP Friday Combined Times
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
F.Quartararo
YAMAHA
1m31.170
2
M.Viñales
YAMAHA
+0.193
3
F.Morbidelli
YAMAHA
+0.221
4
J.Miller
DUCATI
+0.294
5
V.Rossi
YAMAHA
+0.329
6
M.Marquez
HONDA
+0.487
7
A.Espargaro
APRILIA
+0.603
8
A.Dovizioso
DUCATI
+0.623
9
J.Mir
SUZUKI
+0.682
10
A.Rins
SUZUKI
+0.690
11
D.Petrucci
DUCATI
+0.711
12
F.Bagnaia
DUCATI
+0.750
13
C.Crutchlow
HONDA
+0.940
14
T.Nakagami
HONDA
+1.020
15
P.Espargaro
KTM
+1.095
16
A.Iannone
APRILIA
+1.108
17
K.Abraham
DUCATI
+1.184
18
T.Rabat
DUCATI
+1.528
19
M.Oliveira
KTM
+1.532
20
J.Lorenzo
HONDA
+1.545
21
M.Kallio
KTM
+1.587
22
H.Syahrin
KTM
+2.180
Moto2
Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) was the quickest man out the blocks at Buriram on Day 1 of the PTT Thailand Grand Prix, but it wasn’t by much. A stunning performance from Thai rookie Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) put him second overall by only 0.008, with Tetsuta Nagashima (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) rounding out a top three split by an infinitesimal 0.013 on Day 1.
Hot but dry, at least barring the typical humidity, Friday was one of the closest opening days of the season as the top 24 were all within a second. With the weather a question mark for much of the event, getting the most from that track time and trying to secure a place in Q2 was high on the agenda – and it’s less than four tenths that cover those who’ll provisionally go through.
Behind the top three it’s still hundredths deciding the timesheets as Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) finished the day just 0.036 behind his teammate; the Australian taking P4 and just ahead of Championship leader Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS). The number 73 was fifth but only 0.077 off Marini.
Sixth belonged to Italian rookie Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team), with ‘The Beast’ just getting the better of KTM riders Iker Lecuona (American Racing KTM) and Aragon GP winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Key title challengers Augusto Fernandez (Flexbox HP 40) and Jorge Navarro (Beta Tools Speed Up) completed the top ten in P9 and P10 respectively, although Navarro remains just two and a half tenths off the top.
Andrea Locatelli (Italtrans Racing Team) was P11, ahead of Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Marco Bezzecchi (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), with Tom Lüthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) the last man who currently stands to move through should the weather worsen conditions in FP3 on Saturday morning.
There were a few surprise names further down including Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) in P18, just ahead of Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), who crashed in FP2. Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) returned from injury and was 20th despite an FP1 crash, with Mattia Pasini (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) another faller in the afternoon as he ended the day just behind the German.
Moto2 Friday Combined Times
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
L.Marini
KALEX
1m35.956
2
S.Chantra
KALEX
+0.008
3
T.Nagashima
KALEX
+0.013
4
R.Gardner
KALEX
+0.049
5
A.Marquez
KALEX
+0.077
6
E.Bastianini
KALEX
+0.094
7
I.Lecuona
KTM
+0.104
8
B.Binder
KTM
+0.157
9
A.Fernandez
KALEX
+0.166
10
J.Navarro
SPEED UP
+0.249
11
A.Locatelli
KALEX
+0.308
12
J.Martin
KTM
+0.313
13
M.Bezzecchi
KTM
+0.385
14
T.Luthi
KALEX
+0.391
15
S.Manzi
MV AGUSTA
+0.412
16
D.Aegerter
MV AGUSTA
+0.550
17
N.Bulega
KALEX
+0.561
18
L.Baldassarri
KALEX
+0.576
19
S.Lowes
KALEX
+0.589
20
M.Schrotter
KALEX
+0.600
21
M.Pasini
KALEX
+0.613
22
X.Vierge
KALEX
+0.622
23
X P.Oettl
KTM
+0.925
24
B.Bendsneyde
NTS
+0.928
25
F.Di Giannanto
SPEED UP
+1.007
26
J.Dixon
KTM
+1.020
27
J.Roberts
KTM
+1.143
28
J.Raffin
NTS
+1.578
29
L.Tulovic
KTM
+1.602
30
X.Cardelus
KTM
+2.023
31
A.Norrodin
KALEX
+2.328
32
D.Ekky Pratam
KALEX
+2.671
Moto3
Andrea Migno (WWR) ends Friday at the PTT Thailand Grand Prix as the fastest man in Moto3, with the Italian quickest in FP1 by over a quarter of a second and nobody able to better his laptime in the afternoon. The two men who completed the top three also set their fastest laps in FP1: Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers) and Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse), who were second and third respectively.
Conditions at Buriram were as scorching as ever on Day 1 and with weather looking likely to change as the weekend goes on, every bit of dry track time was valuable in the fight for a provisional place in Q2. But despite a flurry of activity at the end of FP2 as the majority of the field pushed to improve, the heat and different track conditions leave the overall timesheets a mixture of best efforts from both sessions.
Behind the top three, all from FP1, the next four all set their best efforts in FP2: Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) was quickest in the afternoon and fourth overall, with Dennis Foggia (Sky Racing Team VR46) – who took his first Grand Prix podium at the venue last year -completing the top five. Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PrüstelGP) was sixth, and by just 0.006, although the Czech rider is now on damage limitation in practice and qualifying after having been given a 12-place grid penalty for slow sectors in FP1. Makar Yurchenko (BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race) was only another 0.004 further back as he impressed to take P7 on Friday.
Eighth overall went the way of Alonso Lopez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) as the Spaniard headed up another gaggle of riders who set their best laptimes in FP1. That group comprised Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing) in ninth, Albert Arenas (Gaviota Angel Nieto Team) in tenth and Marcos Ramirez (Leopard Racing) in P11. Sasaki, however, is another who received a penalty for slow sectors on Friday and his is a back of the grid start.
So where are the Championship leaders? Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) ended the day 12th overall, just ahead of Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) as the Japanese rider separated him from key title rival Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team). After missing the event through injury last season, this is Canet’s first race weekend at Buriram and he was able to at least secure himself a provisional place in Q2 should the weather change in FP3. The Spaniard was P14 and the last of those who could stand to gain from worsening conditions.
John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) was a surprise name to miss out as he was 17th, just behind Aragon podium finisher Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia). Meanwhile Celestino Vietto (Sky Racing Team VR46), who currently leads Ogura in the fight for Rookie of the Year, was 20th on Day 1.
On Saturday, there is a 60% chance of rain overall, with scattered thunderstorms looking set to roll in throughout the area. This could make today’s Free Practice sessions incredibly important, which would mean five manufacturers are in the crucial top ten. Unfortunately, there’s more of the same on Sunday, with scattered thunderstorms all the way up until mid-day, where it will turn partly cloudy, just in time for the Moto2™ and MotoGP™ races.
Finally, it was a catch up with Aprilia’s technical chief Romano Albesiano, who firstly, reviewed Aragon: “It was a very nice weekend. On that track we always have good feedbacks, honestly, it’s not obvious to find the reason for this special performance there. The track has fast corners, slow corners, a long straight so it’s quite a complete one. Probably, it lacks grip which helps and has a very hard braking from high speed to low speed. This is probably the most critical point for us which is quite typical of this track.”
Dominating the leading positions, Yamaha look like they could be staring down the barrel of a second victory of 2019, with all four of their machines inside the top five. With the ideal times, Yamaha would be far and away clear in the leading positions, with Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) able to withhold the potential of being nearly three tenths a lap quicker than the next non-Yamaha of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) – however, these are on ideal times.
Ending the day on top, Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was the rider to beat as he set a best lap of 1’30.404, less than four tenths outside of last year’s pole position time on his first visit to the circuit on a MotoGP™ bike. Backing him up was Assen race winner, Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). Viñales was second and fractionally behind Quartararo, although the Spaniard set a strong pace and looks to have good race speed. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) made it yet more joy for Yamaha, as he was third whilst Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was fifth.
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