The latest 2018 Royal Enfield Thunderbird X series has just been unveiled in India.
Both the new Thunderbird 350X and 500X are designed for the younger generation with blacked out details and bright fuel tanks.
Priced from 156,000 INR (RM9,374), there is no news on whether the new Thunderbirds will be made available outside of India.
The demand for modern classic motorcycles is on a rise and more manufacturers are taking notice of this. One of the oldest motorcycle manufacturers in the business that is Royal Enfield is coming up with a new strategy to get to the younger generation using their latest offering, the 2018 Royal Enfield Thunderbird X. (more…)
All 11 teams have been confirmed yesterday to join the 2019 MotoE World Cup during the Qatar MotoGP round.
Representatives from Tech 3, LCR, Marc VDS, Pramac Racing, Angel Nieto, Reale Avintia and Gresini sat down for a briefing yesterday.
Sky Racing VR46, Pons Racing, Dynavolt Intact GP, and SIC Squadra Corse from Moto3 and Moto2 will be joining as well.
The folks over at Dorna and MotoGP have finalised all the teams that will be racing in the very first 2019 MotoE World Cup series which will start next year. After announcing the Energica Ego electric superbike as the official race machine just last month, the teams who will be joining the cup have been selected to compete in the inaugural world cup. (more…)
Andrea Dovizioso beat Marc Marquez at the last corner to win the first 2018 MotoGP race.
Pole sitter Johann Zarco had to contend with 8th place.
Valentino Rossi fought hard and finished 3rd.
Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso made it count when it matters by winning 2018’s opening MotoGP race at the very last corner.
It had looked like France will have her first premier class winner since Regis Laconi in 1999 but the other riders had other plans. Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider and pole sitter Johann Zarco had taken the holeshot from the start and held on tenaciously, fighting off the intentions of first Marc Marquez on the Repsol Honda, then Valentino Rossi on the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP.
Johann Zarco – from MotoGP.com
Rossi then followed Zarco around for a great number of laps until 10 laps to go when he decided to pass Zarco into Turn 1. Unbeknownst to him, however, was Marc Marquez slipstreaming up the inside. When both Zarco and Rossi overbraked into Turn 1, Marquez capitalized and overtook Rossi.
Valentino Rossi – from MotoGP.com
Rossi then either lost his rhythm or made further mistakes and got kicked back to as far as 5th, where he had to battle hard against Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), Alex Rins (ECSTAR Suzuki), Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Ducati) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda).
Alex Rins – from MotoGP.com
Dovizioso had fought all the way to the front soon, passing Marquez but couldn’t find a way past Zarco for a few laps, until 5 laps to go when got into the perfect slipstream position. Dovizioso outbraked Zarco into Turn 1. Marquez was smart to tag behind Dovizioso, counting on the Ducati’s speed to also blast past Zarco.
Dovizioso held an small gap going into the last lap, but Marquez pushed hard to get back onto the back of the Ducati within three corners. As the pair braked for the final turn, Marquez went wide at the exit and Doviziso had a better drive to the finish line.
Marc Marquez – from MotoGP.com
By now it was visible that Zarco’s tyres were cooked as he started fading backwards. Rossi retook third and finished in that position.
Cal Crutchlow had been fast, fought with everyone in the group and held on to fourth at the flag.
Cal Crutchlow – from MotoGP.com
Danilo Petrucci, who had been equally as impressive as the top guys all weekend couldn’t find a way up higher than 3rd and ended in 5th.
Danilo Petrucci – from MotoGP.com
Dani Pedrosa looked promising at the start but fell behind in quick succession by midpoint to come home in 7th.
Dani Pedrosa – from MotoGP.com
Poor Johann Zarco who had worked so hard was packed all the way back in 8th.
The biggest comeback, however, belonged to Maverick Vinalez (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) on the factory Yamaha. He had a difficult weekend, only managing to qualify in 12th, where he pushed all the way back into 6th.
Maverick Vinalez – from MotoGP.com
Hafizh Syahrin had a great start to the season as he finished 14th in his first MotoGP race to earn Malaysia’s first two points in the class.
Francesco Bagnaia held off Lorenzo Baldassari to win the first Moto2 race of the 2018 MotoGP season.
Poleman Alex Marquez had to accept third place due to a brake problem.
Other than that, the race had been processional.
Just when the first Moto2 race of the year seemed like another procession, a mechanical problem threw the race open.
Francesco Bagnaia, Lorenzo Baldassarri and pole sitter Alex Marquez (younger brother of Marc) took off into the lead a few corners after the start as the rest fell behind.
Bagnaia managed to pull out an early gap and started riding at a consistently high pace, leaving Baldassarri and Marquez to battle it out. Indeed, the pursuing duo started to trade places, including three times in one lap before Marquez prevailed. He started chasing down Bagnaia.
Alex Marquez – Pic from MotoGP.com
With just a handful of laps to go, Marquez went straight past a corner, letting Baldassarri through. It was soon apparent that Marquez’s rear brake was glowing red hot, signaling that it had jammed.
Baldasasarri then hunted down Bagnaia; catching and then passing into the lead on the last lap. But he went wide at the exit and Bagnaia repassed and held on all the way to the finish line to win.
Lorenzo Baldassari – Pic from MotoGP.com
Marquez continued to struggle with the stuck rear brake and was in danger of falling victim to Mattia Passini. Fortunately, the glowing went away in the last two laps and Marquez pulled away to maintain his third place on the podium.
Behind him, Passini finished in fourth, followed by the KTMs of Miguel Oliviera and Brad Binder. The much-fangled late charge of the KTMs due to their rear tyre preserving qualities failed to materialize.
Jorge Martin wins the first Moto3 race of the 2018 MotoGP season.
Unlike last year’s race where as many as 17 riders fought for victory, the leading duo broke away from the chasing pack.
The Malaysian Petronas Sprinta Racing riders finished 8th and 11th.
Jorge Martin held on to edge out compatriot Aaron Canet to the line, to win the first Moto3 race of the year.
The pair had broken away from the pursuing group from early on to establish a two-horse race. The Losail International Circuit has the longest front straight of any circuit on the GP calendar and Canet had trailed Martin out of the last corner to set up a slipstream pass. But Canet could only show his front wheel alongside Martin just as the latter crossed the line first.
Aaron Canet – Pic from MotoGP.com
The real spectacle, however was the manic battle for third among those in a group of ten riders, including eventual third-placed finisher Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Niccolo Antonelli, Ayumu Sasaki, John McPhee, among others. Gentlemanly racing soon gave way to argy-bargy and paint-swapping hard moves with two laps to go, John McPhee was among the casualties. It was heartbreak for the Scotsman having fought up through the field into the fight for the final podium position.
Ayumu Sasaki – Pic from MotoGP.com
Ayumu Sasaki of the Petronas Sprinta Racing team fought tooth and nail to come away eighth at the checkered flag, having gone as high as fifth. He had lost the slipstream to the group midway through the race but had managed to fight back into the group. Adam Norrodin languished in the 15th to 16th positions all days, but crashes up ahead promoted him up to 11th at the finish.
15-time Isle of Man TT winner Michael Dunlop has confirmed his split with Suzuki for this year’s road races.
The Ballymoney Ace released a statement on his Facebook page last night stating his situation.
He will be racing his own MD Racing machines in the Superstock and Supersport races.
15-time TT winner Michael Dunlop has confirmed that he won’t be racing with the Suzuki squad this year at the Isle of Man TT and other road race events. This was confirmed by the man himself after months of speculations and rumours. (more…)
