MotoGP Misano Test: Quartararo Quickest, Marquez Hits 100 Laps

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September 8, 2022

Crews are packing up after the completion of two days of action at the Official MotoGP Misano Test, and it was the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team on top of the timesheets. Fabio Quartararo finished Day 2 with a 1:31.054, the fastest time of the test overall, while at the Repsol Honda Team, Marc Marquez continued to accumulate laps in his comeback.

Yamaha
Much of the pre-test talk centred around Yamaha’s new engine, and the top speed charts made for very encouraging reading indeed. Quartararo clocked 298.3km/h in the pre-lunchtime running on Wednesday, third on that metric at less than 2km/h slower than Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) recorded on one of the Bologna bullets otherwise known as a Ducati. ‘El Diablo’ admitted he used a slipstream to achieve that speed, but was still quite happy with what the Iwata manufacturer has rolled out. He was fastest in that morning session on a 1:31.116 before shaving off a little more time in the afternoon to consolidate his place at the top.

Yamaha also worked on a new chassis, as well as new aerodynamic pieces, with different versions seen on the bikes of Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli, who finished the test 12th-fastest overall. While Misano is very much about developing a bike for the following season, it might also give Quartararo a big boost to his hopes of back-to-back World Championship titles, given Team Manager Massimo Meregalli says that the new chassis could appear as soon as the upcoming Gran Premio Animoca Brands de Aragon. Intriguingly, Meregalli also reported that Yamaha may have found a way to achieve more power this year, which would require a development somewhere other than the engine. What have they got up their sleeve, and we will see the evidence of that in Aragon also?

Marquez broke into the top ten earlier on Day 2. "I don't even know if I'm riding tomorrow" - he did ride tomorrow, and he rode another 60 laps. — Marquez broke into the top ten earlier on Day 2. “I don’t even know if I’m riding tomorrow” – he did ride tomorrow, and he rode another 60 laps.

Honda
Marc Marquez fans rejoice! The eight-time World Champion completed another 61 laps on Day 2 of the Misano test. It was certainly not the most mileage, but he notched up a solid haul in both of the Wednesday sessions – an extremely positive sign for the Honda rider’s fitness after his arm surgery in June, and therefore a positive sign for Honda in general.

As for the machinery, there was plenty going on at Honda as well. The Kalex swingarm which HRC Test Rider Stefan Bradl tried out on Day 1 was back again on Day 2 – and this time, it was seen on one of Marc Marquez’s bikes. The #93 had three different examples of the RC213V at his disposal, those being a pair of 2022 versions and more of a 2023 model, and Honda tested three different air intakes across its fleet of motorcycles. Bradl also tried out a different exhaust, and even did some back-to-back running with the 2021 bike.

Marc Marquez fans rejoice! The eight-time World Champion completed another 61 laps on Day 2 of the Misano test.

On the timesheets, Marc Marquez was Honda’s best in 13th for the test on combined times, having gone as fast as a 1:31.642 in the morning session on Day 2. More importantly, however, there is plenty for the Japanese marque’s technical gurus to pore over in coming weeks and months as preparations for next season ramp up.

Ducati
San Marino GP winner Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) finished the test second-fastest thanks to the 1:31.172 which he set before lunchtime on Day 2, while the man who was runner-up last Sunday, Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) claimed fourth in the test on a 1:31.260. None of the Ducati riders ventured onto the track in the afternoon, while Mooney VR46 Racing Team had already wrapped up its testing on Day 1.

The Misano test was an opportunity to start testing the latest innovations ahead of next year. — The Misano test was an opportunity for Ducai to start testing the latest innovations ahead of next year.

In the main, the Bologna marque worked on chassis and new aerodynamics, although only with Bagnaia and Bastianini. Meanwhile, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) had a spill at Turn 4 – rider okay.

Aprilia
Both of Aprilia Racing’s full-time Grand Prix riders, Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaro, finished in the top five, the former third on a 1:31.189 and the latter fifth on a 1:31.333 – both set in the morning session on Day 2. Of particular note, however, was that Espargaro’s crash in that session has left him with a broken little finger on his left hand. Thankfully, he will not need surgery, and while the Argentina GP winner admitted to being in pain, he expects to be okay to ride at the Aragon GP.

The Noale manufacturer tested different chassis and, like Yamaha, could roll out a new specification as soon as Aragon. There was also new aerodynamics to trial as well.

KTM
Despite chatter in the paddock, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager Francesco Guidotti said that the Austrian manufacturer did not have a 2023 prototype at Misano, although it did test 2023 parts. Miguel Oliveira was quickest of its riders on a 1:31.585 although much of the development work was done by Brad Binder and test rider Dani Pedrosa – with the former putting in a big effort of 46 laps on the Wednesday afternoon.

Despite chatter in the paddock, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager Francesco Guidotti said that the Austrian manufacturer did not have a 2023 prototype at Misano.

Suzuki
Team Suzuki Ecstar completed its programme on Day 1 of the test, and was not in action on Day 2.

That’s a wrap on the Misano test, but make sure you check out motogp.com for more news and insights from two fascinating days of action which will shape not only next year, but also the rest of the 2022 season. Then, tune in for MotorLand on September 16-18!

MotoGP Misano Test Top Three (Full Results Here)

1 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – Yamaha – +0.492
2 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.024
3 Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – Yamaha – +0.492

Aprilia Busy At MotoGP Misano Test

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September 8, 2022

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The main news of the two days of MotoGP testing at Misano is the enormous amount of work carried out by Aprilia. Always among the first to take to the track and the last to close, with practice starts on the main straight, even on the final day…

A total of 427 laps were clocked over the two days by the RS-GPs of Aleix Espargaró, Maverick Viñales and Lorenzo Savadori, all of whom were involved in both tests related to the current season and in comparisons and simulations that could help the development of the 2023 prototype.

Caught up in a crash at Turn 13, Aleix had to interrupt his test towards the end of today’s morning session, having suffered a micro-fracture to the little finger of his left hand that is not cause for concern ahead of Aragón.

Aleix Espargaró
“The injury will fortunately only require a little rest. We’ll check it tomorrow with more detailed tests but I’m not worried ahead of Aragón. The test overall was positive. We tried some concepts with a view to 2023 but we will have to analyse the data well, because Misano is a track with a lot of grip, especially after a race weekend. So it will be necessary to reconfirm the sensations on other tracks”.

Maverick Viñales
“We have definitely taken a step forward with these tests. I am satisfied with the work Aprilia is doing, both with a view to 2023 and to help me in this season finale. In the second part of the race on Sunday I lost something compared to the best riders and in these two days we have also had the opportunity to analyse that situation and work to improve it.”

A total of 427 laps were clocked over the two days by the RS-GPs of Aleix Espargaró, Maverick Viñales and Lorenzo Savadori. — A total of 427 laps were clocked over two days by the RS-GPs of Aleix Espargaró, Maverick Viñales and Lorenzo Savadori.

Romano Albesiano
“Despite what might come naturally seeing the results of this season, our path to perfect competitiveness is still a long one. We are not satisfied and we won’t be until we manage to fill all the gaps in the RS-GP. We are already working on the ideas that will go on to define the 2023 prototype but the analysis process has to be meticulous, the risk of missteps is always just around the corner. There are concepts that seem to work, others that don’t clearly improve, so after so many laps we will have to be good at analysing the data collected. We are at a good level of performance, but this does not allow us to slow down development.” he finished.

Positive Two Day Misano Test For Ducati Lenovo MotoGP Team

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September 8, 2022

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Francesco Bagnaia, fresh from winning his home Grand Prix at Misano, was one of the first riders to hit the track on Day 1, which saw him using all the track time available to complete his busy testing schedule.

The two days of post-race collective testing concluded this afternoon at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, stage last Sunday of the San Marino GP. For the Ducati Lenovo Team riders, it was a chance to work on their Desmosedici GP machines before tackling the last part of the season.

Francesco Bagnaia, fresh from winning his home Grand Prix at Misano, was one of the first riders to hit the track on Day 1, which saw him using all the track time available to complete his busy testing schedule. On the other hand, today, Pecco only took part in the morning session. With 131 laps completed, Bagnaia ended the test in second position with a fastest time in 1:31.172.

Jack Miller also made the most of the first day and the morning of the second before both of his final sessions were cut short by a crash just minutes from the end. During the test, Miller focused mainly on testing different setup configurations, completing a total of 86 laps and setting the eighteenth time overall in 1:31.927.

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 2nd (1:31.172 – 131 laps)
“These were two very productive days of testing: we tried several new things, and the Ducati engineers now have a clearer idea of which direction to take to continue the development work on next year’s bike. During these two days, we focused mainly on our corner speed, and every test gave positive feedback. The feeling with the bike was excellent, as demonstrated by my consistent and competitive pace on used tyres. I’m satisfied with the work completed over these two days, and I can’t wait to get back on track next week in Spain.”

Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 18th (1:31.927 – 86 laps)
“This morning’s crash at Turn 4 was very similar to the one I suffered in the race, and now we’ll have some more data to analyse to understand what exactly happened, as, at that point, I had the feeling I was doing the same as the lap before. In any case, yesterday and today, we worked on different setup configurations but didn’t try any new components. Now we’ll analyse the information gathered over these two days to improve the bike further ahead of the next race at Aragon”.

Having been in the top three the entire race at Silverstone, Miller eventually claimed third, with Maverick Vinales passing him late to bump him out of second. — Jack Miller also made the most of the first day and the morning of the second before both of his final sessions were cut short by a crash just minutes from the end.

The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action from 16th-18th September for the fifteenth round of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, the Aragón GP, at the MotorLand Aragón in Alcañiz, Spain.

Yamaha Riders Anchor Australian ISDE Success

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September 8, 2022

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Blake Hollis also was on debut at the 2022 ISDE and proved to be a consistent and reliable anchor man for the team, coming home in eighth in JSE1, 12th pace in JWT and 56th Outright.

Australia’s Junior and Women’s ISDE teams both stood on the podium at the end of the Six Day International off road event with a third-place finish respectively, anchored by impressive individual performances by Yamaha mounted riders.

The Junior Trophy team consisting of Kyron Bacon (Yamaha), Blake Hollis (Yamaha) and Kory McMahon (GASGAS) finished the event in third after a gruelling six days of competition. The team were always in contention from a podium finish right from the get-go and kept in the fight right to the end to snare the final podium spot in a rewarding week for the three riders.

Bacon led the charge finishing an incredible third in the JSE1 class, fifth in JWT and 26th outright for the event on board his 250cc machine. Bacon has been nothing short of sensational in the 2022 season, winning the Australian Four Day Enduro, currenting leading the Australian Off-Road Championship and now a podium result at the most prestigious off road event in the world.

The 2022 ISDE was Bacon’s first attempt at the event and the experience gained will hold not only him, but the Australian team in good stead as he know has better knowledge of how the event is run and the skills required to compete on the world stage.

“That was pretty tough,” Bacon said not long after the finish. “Six long days on a bike, all done at close to race pace throughout on challenging and tricky trails and tests makes it super draining and such a hard event to contest.

“Each day presented another challenge as the tests were dry and dusty, then become rough and rocky so you really had to be on your game and stay focused. But being a team event, it’s awesome to have the support of everyone around you who help and offer assistance and I’m stoked to be able to stand on the podium with Blake and Kory to finish third. Thank you to Joakim and Yamaha Europe for this assistance during the event as well as AJ and everyone at Yamaha Australia who always support us. Also, thanks to Motorcycling Australia and the team sponsors who invested in us. It was a great event and I look forward to doing many more of these in the years to come.”

Blake Hollis also was on debut at the 2022 ISDE and proved to be a consistent and reliable anchor man for the team, coming home in eighth in JSE1, 12th pace in JWT and 56th Outright. Hollis battled some sickness during the week but continued to front up each and every day giving his all and helped his team mates to the podium result. Hollis also gained plenty of experience from the event and believes that it will do him good both domestically as well as the next time he competes at the ISDE.

“It’s pretty cool to be racing against the best off riders in the world and I got to watch and learn from them first hand. None of us in the junior team have had much international experience, so I think we learned a lot and worked well together to get a good result.

“We had a lot of people here supporting us, some of them volunteers who just wanted to be a part of it, so I’m thankful to them as well as everyone on the team and Yamaha. I would love to come back and do this event again as I think I can prepare better and achieve a better result, so I hope to get back and give another one a crack in the future.”

Jess Gardiner led the Women’s team to another podium result at the ISDE. Gardiner, an experienced campaigner who already has six ISDE gold medals to her name, can now add a bronze as the team of Gardiner, Emilie Karlsson and Ebony Nelson finished third in 2022.

For Gardiner, she found this one a challenge as conditions were tough and the riding long, but the ever determined rider she is enabled her to charge all the way to the finish and take fourth in individual honours and lead Australia to a third place finish.

“We had a bit of everything thrown at us this week, from dust to rocks and some rain here and there so it was a tough event and the tests were used several times so it was also rough. The girls did a great job, and I can’t thank them enough for giving it their best every day and I’m proud to be standing on the podium with them this week after some a gruelling event.”

"The girls did a great job, and I can’t thank them enough for giving it their best every day and I’m proud to be standing on the podium with them this week after some a gruelling event.” said Jess — “The girls did a great job, and I can’t thank them enough for giving it their best every day and I’m proud to be standing on the podium with them this week after some a gruelling event.” said Jess

The only blemish during the event was the forced retirement of Josh Green. Green was riding well and consistently posting good times in the opening days of competition but on day four fell on rocks and severely injured his hand and fingers. This meant Green had to go to hospital as a nasty gash and cuts required clean up surgery and some wires placed to secure and stabilize his hand. He spent the last two days cheering on his teammates.

“It’s a disappointing way to finish the event and I feel bad for letting the senior team down. Daniel, Todd, Andy and myself were all battling away and trying to get towards a podium but that all went out the window when myself and Todd went down with injury. I’m gutted that I couldn’t help my teammates to the end. Doing an event like this is a huge effort from so many people. The work that goes on behind the scenes is massive, so a huge thank you to everyone who has had a handing in helping team Australia in all divisions. We all worked well as a team and it would have been awesome for everyone of us to be on the podium at the end, but it wasn’t to be,” Green said.

METZELER Rewards The Best Customizers At European Bike Week

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September 8, 2022

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The tyre brand is present at the largest European motorcycle rally with a booth and onsite tyre change service, as well as sponsor of the Harley-Davidson Custom Bike Show and promoter of the Metzeler Award.

METZELER have a leading role at European Bike Week, the largest European motorcycle rally that takes place in Faak am See, Austria, from today to Sunday 11 September 2022. — METZELER have a leading role at European Bike Week, the largest European motorcycle rally that takes place in Faak am See, Austria, from the 6th to 11th of September 2022.

The German-born tyre brand and two-wheel specialist is present at the 2022 edition of the iconic event in the Customizer Area of the Harley-Davidson Village with a booth completely dedicated to Cruisetec and ME888 Marathon Ultra, the tyres designed for the latest generation of cruisers. METZELER is promoting different initiatives in these six days that will see thousands of motorcyclists from all over Europe flock to the small Austrian town. In addition to offering a free tyre pressure check-up service, motorcyclists will be able to buy (and have fitted) METZELER tyres during the rally, thanks to the METZELER service present on site.

METZELER is also sponsor of the official Custom Bike Show – which takes place on Friday 9 September – the competition, which elects the most beautiful bikes in different categories (Sport, Cruiser, Tourer, Classic, Adventure and Radical Custom), rewarding their creativity and the complexity of customization. The show is free to enter and best in Show will also receive a unique Harley-Davidson custom petrol tank. METZELER will be giving away several sets of Cruisetec tyres for the winners and, in addition, will be promoter of the METZELER Award, a prize for the bike that is considered the most beautiful creation by the tyre brand’s judges. This award, intended for customizers and individuals since 2018, will be given for the first time at the rally on the shores of Lake Faak.

The German-born tyre brand and two-wheel specialist willl be present at the 2022 edition of the iconic event in the Customizer Area of the Harley-Davidson Village.

With the European Bike Week the METZELER custom tour ends in style. This year saw the tyre brand participate in events such as the Riding Season in Milan, the 29th European HOG Rally in Portoroz in Slovenia, the Sporty Meeting in Grazzano Visconti, the Swiss Harley Days in Lugano and Eternal City Custom Show in Rome.

METZELER Wins Six Days Enduro With English National Team

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September 8, 2022

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The Six Day 2022 included a race course divided into three zones for a total of five Special Tests for the first five days of competition followed by the usual cross manche at the end of the event.

The most historic and most followed race in the enduro world took place in France and the English national team – with METZELER riders Steve Holcombe, Nathan Watson and Jed Etchells – was the winner, followed by Italy in second place and Spain in third.

The 2022 edition of the FIM Internation Six Days Enduro was held in Le Puy-en-Velay, a small characteristic village in the Haute-Loire department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpe. — The 2022 edition of the FIM Internation Six Days Enduro was held in Le Puy-en-Velay, a small characteristic village in the Haute-Loire department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

The 2022 edition of the FIM Six Days Enduro was held in Le Puy-en-Velay, a small characteristic village in the Haute-Loire department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes which, for many years, has hosted all the GPs of the FIM EnduroGP World Championship.

The Six Day 2022 included a race course divided into three zones for a total of five Special Tests for the first five days of competition followed by the usual cross manche at the end of the event. On Day 1 and 2 the Special Tests were located in the villages of Haute-Loire, Haut-Allier and Gévaudan while the race course of Day 3 and 4, always included the departure from the village of Haute-Loire and then move to Lozère and finish in Langogne. On the fifth day of competition it started from the village of Haute-Loire with a passage to Le Puy-en-Velay and the conclusion of the day of competition in Emblavez. For the highly anticipated final on Saturday 3 September, the organizers have chosen the cross track a few steps from the paddock in Le Puy-en-Velay.

In France, the METZELER riders raced for all six days of competition on hard and dusty terrain made even more slippery and demanding by the rains that fell during some days. In addition to the classic French special tests on a counter slope, the riders faced some wooded parts with some roots and numerous natural obstacles.

The French Six Days began with a protagonist, Josep Garcia (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) who, with his speed, brought the Spanish national team to the provisional first place after Day One. Starting with the handbrake on, the English national team finished Day One in third place but from the following day the English team, led by Nathan Wattson and Steve Holcombe, took the lead until the end of the sixth day Motocross manche. The English team including METZELER riders Nathan Watson (Honda Racing RedMoto World Enduro Team), Steve Holcombe (Team Beta Factory Enduro) and Jed Etchells (Fantic D’Arpa Racing) won the 96th edition of the Six Days.

Throughout the duration of the Six Days, the fight for second place in the World Trophy saw the Italian and Spanish national teams fight each other to the last breath. Spain started strong right away but Italy ran a constant race. The Italian team led by Andrea Verona (Gas Gas Factory Racing), Thomas Oldrati (Honda Racing RedMoto World Enduro Team) and two other METZELER supported riders Alex Salvini and Samuele Bernardini arrived at the motocross manche of the sixth day in third position with Spain in second place. At the end of the sixth and final day, the Italian national team managed to overtake the Spanish national team by snatching the second final place in the World Trophy.

Australian rider Daniel Milner (Fantic D’Arpa Racing) failed to shine as in the FIM EnduroGP World Championship, while Mikael Persson (Husqvarna Factory Racing) after five days as protagonist threw away the third overall individual place in the last motocross race. Roni Kytonen (Honda Racing RedMoto World Enduro Team) took her Finnish national team to second place in the Junior Trophy.

Results – Individual Overall

1 GARCIA Josep
2 VERONA Andrea
3 WATSON Nathan

Results – World Trophy

1 UK
2 Italy
3 Spain

Results – Junior Trophy

1 Italy
2 Finland
3 Australia

Gaerne: All New GRT & GRS Race Boots

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September 8, 2022

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GRT is a new racing boot from Gaerne suitable for sporty riding! The upper is made in micro-fiber, while the inside is fully lined with a breathable Airmesh.

Gaerne say they are proud to release two new motorcycle boots for Australian riders. The Italian boot specialist has two new styles suited to riders who enjoy both track and street riding. CE approved levels of safety and Gaerne levels of performance, fit and comfort on track or on road. Available now around Australia.

The Italian boot specialist has two new styles suited to riders who enjoy both track and street riding.

Gaerne GRS
A racing boot suitable for track and street. The GRS has the exclusive Gaerne floating system to surround the ankle while at the same time flowing with your natural movement. The heel cup is designed for maximum strength, while a wide shin plate in PU and gear lever protection add further safety.

Inside is a breathable lining and shinbone area with special padding for extra comfort. There is also a side-entry system with elastic zip panel and velcro for customized fit, non-slip and oil resistant sole and changeable toe sliders.

Gaerne GRT
GRT is a new racing boot from Gaerne suitable for sporty riding! The upper is made in micro-fiber, while the inside is fully lined with a breathable Airmesh. The heel cup, the front plate and the gear support complement the technical features of this new boot.

Inner side elastic zip pannel and wide velcro allows a perfect closure of the boot. Exclusive dual compound, anti-slip rubber sole, replaceable sliders, Anatomic and removable insole complete the awesome features of this boot!

Keen on either pair? Head into your local motorcycle store now or contact Cassons Australia directly regarding stock availability. Check out the 2022 Gaerne Australia catalogue here…

ISDE: Team Australia Wrap-up From 2022 Six Days Enduro

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September 8, 2022

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With Day Six – and therefore ISDE 2022- now all wrapped up, MXstore Team Australia have secured third place in both the Junior World Trophy and Women’s World Trophy. With Senior World Trophy Team members Todd Waters and Josh Green out, the World Trophy result saw Team Australia in 21st overall.

With Senior World Trophy Team members Todd Waters and Josh Green out of the event, the World Trophy result saw Team Australia in 21st overall.

Daniel Milner was a consistent presence near the front, ending the event 12th overall, 11th in World Trophy and third in the E1 class overall.

In the Junior World Trophy, the top performer was Tasmanian wunderkind Kyron Bacon who was 26th overall, 5th in his Junior World Trophy class and 3rd in E1 (Junior) and finally, 13th in E1 overall.

In the Women’s World Trophy division, Jess Gardiner was a strong presence from day one. She was 116th overall, 5th in Women’s World Trophy and 56th overall in E1.

Daily Summaries
Day One: ”Day One of the 2022 International Six Day Enduro has seen the Australian tilt have mixed bag as they settled into the new environment of the French countryside, with the understanding that the Six Day Enduro cannot be won on the first day, but a crash can end it very early.”

Day Two: “As one of the most challenging events in world motorsport, the nature of the ISDE is that it rewards consistency and determination. The Aussies had a slow first day, but thanks to their persistence, the slow climb up the rankings has begun…”

Day Three: “MXstore Team Australia hit the half-way mark after completing Day Three of the FIM ISDE in France. Our JWT riders move up to third in the overall while WT and WWT hold firm in seventh and fourth. Day Three brought us a new location as Loop 2 made its debut, bring a whole new set of tests.”

Day Four: “A really tough day four- the day that can often bring teams undone and it was MXstore Team Australia on the wrong side of the motorcycling gods with Todd Waters crashing out of the event.”

Day Five: “Day Five was once again a day of both positives and negatives, as the challenge of the new Loop, unfortunately, contributed to Josh Green crashing out during stage two. While it’s been an extremely tough competition for our MXstore Team Australia Men’s World Trophy contingent, our Junior and Women’s teams have both solidified their contention for podiums with consistent performances helping to extend the gap from fourth in both categories.”

Day Six: “Day Six wrapped up the 2022 Six Day Enduro. MXstore Team Australia have secured third place in both the Junior World Trophy and Women’s World Trophy.”

Check out the full results from the event here…

Cannon Encouraged By MXGP Experience

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September 8, 2022

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Cannon qualified in ninth place and after quickly learning the Afyon track and getting accustomed to the JK Racing Yamaha YZ250F.

Yamaha’s Charli Cannon has returned to Australia buoyed and inspired by her MXGP experience with plenty of positives and motivation to take away from an exciting weekend for the recently crowned Australian motocross champion.

The Sunshine Coast based teenager contested the final round of the Women’s Motocross Championship in Turkey, as a guest rider for the JK Racing Yamaha team. It was her first appearance on the world stage and despite clearly being nervous, she was able to showcase her obvious talents and prove she belongs at an international level.

Cannon qualified in ninth place and after quickly learning the Afyon track and getting accustomed to the JK Racing Yamaha YZ250F. With each passing lap, she felt more comfortable on the track and a little more settled, as the big stage can be daunting.

Race one saw her off to a top 10 start and battling to move forward. As the race progressed, she was able to make some passes and moved into seventh place and in a tight knit bunch from positions four through nine. In the waning stages, she lost a position and after nearly 30 minutes of racing, crossed the finish line in eighth place. She wasn’t happy with her performance and was determined to make improvements in race two.

Cannon stormed out of the blocks in race two and quickly established herself in the top five. She then moved into fourth and after another lap, charged her way into third, well within striking distance of the race leaders as she had just recorded the fastest lap of the race at that stage.

Cannon crashed out in race two and unable to continue with what was later diagnosed as a broken collar bone. It was a disappointing ending to a very promising start in WMXGP.

As she zeroed in on second place, she landed in a wet section of track and the front wheel slid from under her and she fell on the rock hard Afyon dirt. She remounted as quickly as possible but was outside the top 10 and well behind the pack.

She put in a charge and got to the back of the main group before going down again, this time falling awkwardly on her shoulder. She was in pain and unable to continue with what was later diagnosed as a broken collar bone. It was a disappointing ending to a very promising start in WMXGP.

“Right after the race, I was just disappointed and upset as I felt I let some many people down by not being able to finish the race and not getting a good result,” Cannon said. “But now that I have had some time to think about it, there is a lot of positives I can take from it and it has motivated me to make sure I get back and do more of these events as I believe I can be competitive with the best women racers in the world.

“I started the weekend out pretty slowly as I was so nervous and a bit overwhelmed by everything happening around me. I think I was four seconds a lap off the pace and that was a bit disheartening, but I knew I didn’t ride well and I could make improvements. By the time race two had finished, my best lap was under a second away from the fastest of the race and I felt like I could have run that pace for the whole moto. Hopefully, I can get the opportunity to do more GP’s as now that I know how things run and have a relationship with a lot of the people, it will make things easier for me.”

“I see this as just the beginning and I have come home motivated to get to work once my collarbone heals." she mentioned. — “I see this as just the beginning and I have come home motivated to get to work once my collarbone heals.” she mentioned.

“I have so many people I want to thank for making this happen for me. The Yamalube Yamaha Team have been amazing this year and working with both Mike and Nash is unreal. Having Nash on the trip with us made things so much easier. The JK Racing team were so good to us and nothing was ever a problem as well as Yamaha in Australia and Europe with Nikki and Paul Malin taking care of us.”

“Also a shout out to all the people that supported us from the riders who donated their jerseys and the people that purchased them to help us raise money for the trip as well as Motorcycling Australia for their support of Women’s racing. I see this as just the beginning and I have come home motivated to get to work once my collarbone heals. I loved the atmosphere of the GPs, and everyone was so helpful. I can’t wait to get back to do more in 2023,” Cannon ends.

HRC Take Home The 2022 FIM EWC Suzuka 8 Hours

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August 25, 2022

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Whilst there might have been heartbreak behind, it was a dominant win for #33 Team HRC in 43rd Suzuka 8 Hours with the line-up of Tetsuta Nagashima, Takumi Takahashi and Iker Lecuona taking the chequered flag by over a lap in the third round of the FIM Endurance World Championship.

Whilst there might have been drama and heartbreak behind, it was a dominant win for #33 Team HRC in 43rd Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours.

There has been late drama and a safety car in the final hour of the race after the leading season-contender #7 YART – Yamaha Official Team YZF-M1 got caught up with the #74 Akeno Speed – Yamaha Superstock bike at T13 such that rider Marvin Fritz had to dig the Yamaha out of the air barriers to get it back to the pits.

The late issue for the #7 gifted the championship leading #1 Yoshimura SERT Motul with the two-rider line-up of Gregg Black and Kazuki Watanabe taking maximum series points and third on the overall podium. Ahead of the Yoshimura SERT bike on the all-Bridgestone shod podium was the #10 Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8H ZX-10R of Jonathan Rea, Alex Lowes and Leon Haslam, with a T12 slow lowside for Rea in the fourth hour seeming the only real cause for concern over the 8 hours.

WorldSBK rider Iker Lecuona helped score the win for HRC, while Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes were out flying the Kawasaki green flag too... — WorldSBK rider Iker Lecuona helped score the win for HRC, while Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes were out flying the Kawasaki green flag too…

After another late visit to the pits for a Stop and Go penalty for the #7 with Karel Hanika on board, the YART bike still came second of the full season runners – and seventh overall – with Niccolò Canepa the third of the rider line-up.

Next across the line of the full season contenders, the #5 FCC TSR CBR1000RR-R Fireblade with Josh Hook and Mike Di Meglio in action had fought back up the order after its earlier brake master cylinder change to finish in tenth overall. The #88 Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA was the next of the permanent entries, with Zaqhwan Zaidi, Garry Slim and Helmi Azuman bringing their CBR1000RR-R home eleventh overall.

Yet another iconic year for the Suzuka 8 hour. Plenty of heartbreak and drama out on the Japanese track.

In fifteenth overall, the full-time #11 Webike SRC Kawasaki France entry was further down the order than they would have liked, with an early visit to the pits after a drop at Degner 2 from Randy de Puniet and a later lack of fuel the primary culprits delaying their charge.

Finally, of the permanent entries, for the #37 BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM it was heartbreak at halftime as the M1000RR ridden by Markus Reiterberger, Illya Mykhalchyk and Jérémy Guarnoni was pushed back to the pits by Mykhalchyk for terminal diagnosis by the squad with the bike unable to retain its engine coolant.

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