MotoGP on MCN

Here at Motor Cycle News we deliver bespoke MotoGP news from expert reporters on the ground at every major event. We get everything that's new in MotoGP before anyone else.

Year: ALL

Proton V5 to join MotoGP tests

03 March 2004

Proton Team KR will join the big guns for shakedown tests of its V5 at Valencia in Spain this weekend. The March 6-7 tests bring together HRC, Ducati, Suzuki and Kawasaki, too. Valentino Rossi and the...

Weather limits Rossi’s progress in Oz

03 March 2004

Damp conditions have limited world champion Valentino Rossi’s test progress at Phillip Island, Australia. He was only able to get in 14 laps on a drying track in an afternoon bright spell. But he did...

Hayden quickest at Valencia tests

03 March 2004

Honda’s Nicky Hayden was fastest at the MotoGP tests in Valencia over the weekend. The test brought together Honda, Ducati, Suzuki, Aprilia and Proton with Kurtis Roberts getting his first ride on the...

Ducati dominates day two at Phillip Island

18 February 2004

The second day of MotoGP testing at Phillip Island, Australia, proved to be a memorable one for Ducati with rookie GP rider Ruben Xaus crashing badly and factory rider Loris Capirossi setting the...

Tyre supply hampers Hodgson’s test times

18 February 2004

WSB champion Neil Hodgson finished the third and final day of his latest MotoGP test down on time and feeling down in the dumps. He says his struggle has not been helped by a lack of the new Michelin...

Rossi ups the pace despite slower engine

11 February 2004

Valentino Rossi looks set to disprove his doubters, closing the gap on the Hondas on the second day of MotoGP testing at Sepang, Malaysia. This was despite using a prototype engine down on power from...

Hodgson crash at first major test

11 February 2004

D’Antin Ducati rider Neil Hodgson had a bad start to the opening day of GP testing in Sepang after crashing his Ducati Desmosedici only a few hours into the test. The 2003 World Superbike Champion was...

Edwards tops first day at Phillip Island

11 February 2004

Colin Edwards immediately stamped his mark at the top of the time sheets as the MotoGP circus moved on to Phillip Island, Australia, after its week-long session in Malaysia. The Honda rider clocked a...

Hayden fastest in Sepang

11 February 2004

Honda’s Nicky Hayden has finished the final day of MotoGP testing at Sepang as the fastest rider, posting a time of 2:02.041 on his factory Honda RC211V. The American headed fellow Honda riders Max...

Share your memories of Sheene

04 February 2004

Barry Sheene touched the lives of millions of motorcyclists so to commemorate his death MCN is planning a special tribute. Everyone who met the great man has a story to tell, and we’d like to hear...

Hodgson and Davies go head to head

01 February 2004

Grand Prix stars Neil Hodgson and Chaz Davies were racing head to head for the first time last week when they met up for the launch of Scalextric MotoGP. The two Brits were given the first go on the...

Suzuki star Hopkins breaks both ankles

28 January 2004

Suzuki MotoGP star John Hopkins has undergone surgery following a crash in a supercross event. American Hopkins fractured both ankles in practice for a ‘cross over’ event at San Diego on Saturday,...

Rossi closes the gap on Biaggi

21 January 2004

Valentino Rossi has knocked 0.63 seconds off his best time in his second day of testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. Rossi had his first ride on the Yamaha YZF-M1 on Saturday after winning the...

Yamaha Sepang MotoGP test, official release

21 January 2004

In gruelling heat Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team) was inside his own previous lap record of 2m 03.82 seconds at the 5.548km Sepang track in testing today. He recorded a best time of 2m...

Biaggi ends test 1.2 secs faster than Rossi

21 January 2004

Max Biaggi has continued his dominance of Honda’s pre-season MotoGP testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia by ending the final day with a best lap 1.2 seconds faster than Valentino Rossi’s best...

Rossi plays down title hopes

21 January 2004

Valentino Rossi is talking down his chances of clinging on to his world title on the eve of his debut test with Yamaha. The reigning MotoGP champion has seen Max Biaggi beat his lap record at Sepang,...

Rossi 1.2 seconds down on Biaggi

21 January 2004

These are the first pictures of Valentino Rossi as he takes his debut ride on the Yamaha YZF-M1. The 2003 world champion has just finished his first day of testing on the new bike and ended the...

Suzuki riders close to Biaggi's best

21 January 2004

MotoGP testing in Sepang came to a close on Friday for the Suzuki, Kawasaki and Moriwaki teams, with all the squads claiming a big improvement over last year’s machines. Suzuki riders John Hopkins and...

Rossi rattles rivals in first Yamaha test

21 January 2004

Defending world MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi looks like making it business as usual in this year’s title race, despite his move from the all-conquering Honda to a struggling Yamaha. He completed 59...

Biaggi dominates Sepang day two

21 January 2004

Max Biaggi continued his domination of preseason testing at Sepang in Malaysia by improving on his first day best by half-a-second. Biaggi had the benefit of using a 17 inch front wheel, compared to...

Nakano signs for Kawasaki GP squad

14 January 2004

Former Yamaha GP and 250cc star Shinya Nakano has signed to ride for the Kawasaki MotoGP squad in 2004, alongside Alex Hofmann. The 26-year-old Japanese rider rode for the D’Antin Yamaha squad in...

Biaggi beats Rossi’s best in first GP test

14 January 2004

Max Biaggi set the fastest time on the first day (January 20) of the first big MotoGP test of the year at Sepang in Malaysia. And he beat World Champion Valentino Rossi’s lap record in the...

Sheene's team boss dies

14 January 2004

Rex White, the man who managed Barry Sheene’s Heron Suzuki team during his 1976 and 1977 500cc GP wins, has died at home. White was the manager of the official Suzuki GP team throughout the 1970s and 1980s and had been unwell for some time. The cause of death has not yet been confirmed. We will bring you more information as it becomes available. To comment on this story click the link on the right...

2004 MotoGP dates

16 December 2003

After changes to both the British GP and the Brazilian GP the final dates for the 2004 MotoGP season have now been confirmed. The updated calendar is as follows: April 18, South Africa, Welkom; May 2, Spain, Jerez de la Frontera; May 16, France, Le Mans; June 6, Italy, Mugello; June 13, Catalunya, Catalunya; June 26, Netherlands, Assen; July 4, Rio, Jacarepaguá; July 18, Germany, Sachsenring; July...