February

Year: 2017

Month: February

BSB: Brad Ray makes Buildbase Suzuki Superbike debut

22 February 2017 by Oli Rushby

Bradley Ray got his first taste of the Buildbase Suzuki GSX-R1000 he’ll campaign in this year’s MCE British Superbike Championship at Mallory Park today. Tipped as one of Britain’s quickest...

Roads: Michael Dunlop gets first taste of Bennetts Suzuki GSX-R

22 February 2017 by Stephen Davison

Michael Dunlop had his first ride on the Bennetts Suzuki that he hopes will carry him to victory on the roads in 2017. The 13 times TT winner completed a series of steady laps on the unliveried GSXR...

MotoGP: Michelin to run wet track test at Valencia

22 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP tyre manufacturer Michelin will take the almost-unprecedented step of running a special wet track test later this season at Valencia, with plans to douse the Spanish track in water to test...

Gallery: Red Bull KTM's 2017 MotoGP RC16

22 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

With the 2017 MotoGP season now well underway after the completing of the second test at Phillip Island last week and with the Red Bull KTM squad dashing back to Austria to launch their new bikes at...

Roads: Tyco BMW to make switch from Metzeler to Dunlop

22 February 2017 by MCN Sport

The 2016 roads battle between Michael Dunlop and Ian Hutchinson has been reignited after Northern Ireland journalist and Tyco BMW’s Press officer suggested on Twitter that the 13 times TT winner was...

Roads: Michael Dunlop joins Bennetts Suzuki dream team

21 February 2017 by Oli Rushby

Michael Dunlop will race the all new GSX-R1000R in Bennetts Suzuki colours at this year’s Isle of Man TT after signing a deal to remain with his trusted Hawk Racing squad. The 13-time TT winner’s...

WSB: Competitive Melandri finds extra pace with new tyres

21 February 2017 by Oli Rushby

Marco Melandri made vital progress in improving his pace on new tyres at Phillip Island today to lap just 0.030sec slower than fastest man Jonathan Rea. The new Ducati recruit has been a revelation...

Gallery: Dakar winner Sunderland rides through London with MCN

21 February 2017 by Oli Rushby

2017 Dakar Rally winner Sam Sunderland turned heads as he rode his KTM 450 Factory Rally through London on Friday as he travelled to the Carole Nash London Motorcycle Show. Sunderland became the...

WSB: Rea quickest as pre-season testing draws to a close

21 February 2017 by Gordon Ritchie

Jonathan Rea led the field home on the final day of pre-season testing, posting a 1’30.545 that was well under the race lap record and closing in towards the Superpole best from 2016. Marco Melandri...

WSS: Champion Sofuoglu out for first two rounds

21 February 2017 by Oli Rushby

Reigning World Supersport Champion Kenan Sofuoglu will miss the opening two rounds of the 2017 season after finding he was unable to ride in this week’s Phillip Island test. It was always going to be...

MotoGP: Smith and Espargaró reveal KTM contender

20 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

The Red Bull KTM duo of Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaró have pulled the covers off the 2017 MotoGP machine that the pair will campaign in the coming season. The pair flew directly from Australia and...

Enduro: Brit Jarvis makes history at Hell’s Gate

20 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

British race and extreme enduro legend Graham Jarvis has cemented his place in history at Italy’s Hell’s Gate race, taking a record-breaking fifth win on the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna at Sunday’s...

WSB: Fores on top as Phillip Island test gets underway in mixed conditions

20 February 2017 by Gordon Ritchie

The WorldSBK Championship riders had a changeable day of testing action to negotiate as the final track sessions before the start of the season begins at the magnificent Phillip Island circuit in...

Moto3: McPhee out to make the most of Honda potential

20 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

2016 Moto3 race winner John McPhee has come away from his first test of 2017 – and his first time on a bike since his season-ending crash at Phillip Island last year – delighted with the potential of...

Moto2: Rossi and VR46 Academy take on the world

19 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Valentino Rossi and his army of VR46 Academy protégés have set themselves the ambitious target of securing victory in all three classes in 2017. In Moto3, Rossi’s SKY backed team of Andrea Migno and...

WSS: Race against time for Sofuoglu to be fit for Phillip Island

19 February 2017 by Gordon Ritchie

Multiple World Supersport champion Kenan Sofuoglu has already had a troubled approach to his latest championship defence after dislocating and breaking a bone in his right thumb during a training...

BSB: Giugliano gets first taste of BMW power

19 February 2017 by Oli Rushby

Davide Giugliano got a first taste of BMW power as he tested the all-new HP4 Race in Spain earlier this week. The former WSB star is set to join the Tyco BMW team in the MCE British Superbike...

Opinion: Why does MotoGP test where we race?

18 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

One complaint that was issued more than any other this week during MotoGP’s three-day testing visit to Phillip Island was the weather. Now, with beautiful sunshine, no rain, and track temperatures...

MotoGP: KTM pleased with progress despite positions

17 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

The KTM duo of Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaró have come away from the second of MotoGP’s three pre-season test pleased with the progress made on the new RC16 machine, despite the timing screens...

MotoGP: Rookie Folger fires warning shots

17 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP rookie Jonas Folger has fired an important warning shot on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine during three days of testing at Phillip Island, taking the machine to fourth overall and coming away...

BSB: Tyco BMW unveil 2017 livery

17 February 2017 by Oli Rushby

Tyco BMW have lifted the covers off the BMW S1000RR Ian Hutchinson will campaign at the 2017 Isle of Man TT and other major international road races today at the Carole Nash MCN London Motorcycle...

BSB: Quattro Plant FS-3 Kawasaki unveil 2017 colours

17 February 2017 by Oli Rushby

Quattro Plant FS-3 Racing Kawasaki have today unveiled the colours of the ZX-10RR Billy McConnell will campaign in the 2017 MCE British Superbike Championship. With the Superbike machine busy on the...

MotoGP: Rossi improving, but not fast enough

17 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Valentino Rossi has admitted that despite some positive results form this week’s three-day MotoGP test at Phillip Island, he and his Movistar Yamaha team didn’t find the progress that they were hoping...

MotoGP: Viñales and Marquez throw down gloves in Phillip Island

17 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Movistar Yamaha new signing Maverick Viñales and reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez have thrown down gloves – and perhaps shown us the direction of the 2017 season – after they went head to head on...

BSB: Backlund to sit out 2017 after Brands Hatch crash

16 February 2017 by Oli Rushby

Swedish racer Filip Backlund has decided to sit out the 2017 MCE British Superbike season following the injuries he sustained in a serious crash in the final round of 2016 at Brands Hatch. Backlund...

WSB: Bradl confident of success with new Fireblade

16 February 2017 by Oli Rushby

Stefan Bradl has said he is confident that the Red Bull Honda team will be able to make a success of the all-new Honda Fireblade SP2 despite the challenges they face after getting the bike just a few...

MotoGP: Crutchlow a danger man according to Viñales

16 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Cal Crutchlow is a danger man for the 2017 MotoGP season according to Maverick Viñales, who says people are forgetting the potential of last season’s double race winner despite another strong...

MotoGP: Redding lucky to avoid injury in Bautista collision

16 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Scott Redding was lucky to escape injury free from the second day of testing at Phillip Island today after a high-speed collision with fellow Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista on the start-finish straight...

MotoGP: Suzuki and Aprilia roll out new winglet design

16 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Suzuki and Aprilia have become the latest MotoGP manufacturers to roll out a newly designed aerodynamic package as they try to skirt rules banning winglets for the 2017 season, with unusually designed...

MotoGP: Viñales demolishes field on day two at Phillip Island

16 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Movistar Yamaha rider Maverick Viñales has demolished his 2017 MotoGP opposition on the second day of action at the Phillip Island pre-season test, setting a fast time early on and backing it up in...

MotoGP: Government advisor calls Circuit of Wales ‘highly risky’

15 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

A leading economist who acts as an advisor to the Welsh Government on strategic infrastructure investment has slammed the Circuit of Wales project, casting doubt on plans to underwrite the £425...

MotoGP: ‘Much better start’ for Lorenzo and Ducati

15 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Jorge Lorenzo has admitted that the Phillip Island test has gotten off to a much better start than the first Sepang test of the 2017 season did earlier this month, with the triple world champion...

MotoGP: Yamaha duo start strong in Australia

15 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

The Movistar Yamaha duo of Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales have made a strong start to testing in Phillip Island, finishing the opening day of three second and fourth and pleased with the work...

WSB: Melandri: 'It's not going to be easy'

15 February 2017 by Oli Rushby

Aruba Ducati’s new recruit Marco Melandri is not expecting it to be easy when the 2017 Superbike World Championship gets underway at Phillip Island next week marking his return to racing after two...

MotoGP: Marquez leads Rossi on first day at Phillip Island

15 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Marc Marquez has topped the first day of MotoGP’s three-day outing at Phillip Island, finishing the second official test of 2017 well clear of Valentino Rossi as the field got the chance to take to...

BSB: Westmoreland back to BSB with Gearlink Kawasaki

15 February 2017 by Oli Rushby

British Supersport Championship runner-up James Westmoreland will return to the MCE British Superbike class this year after signing a deal with the Gearlink Kawasaki team. The former BSB podium man...