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MotoGP 2019: Why did KTM CEO Stefan Pierer Say, “Johann Zarco is a Disappointment”?

KTM CEO Stefan Pierer said, “Johann Zarco is a disappointment.”
It follows Zarco’s outrage by calling the RC16’s frame and delivery “sh*t” in Spain.
But Pierer conceded that the bike needs more work.

The KTM MotoGP saga continues with KTM CEO Stefan Pierer saying, “Johann Zarco is a disappointment.”

Pierer uttered the statement following Zarco’s struggle to achieve better results. The two-time Moto2 champion’s best was 13^thin Austin, Texas. He placed 15^thin the season opener in Qatar and Argentina, and 14^thin the Spanish round last week.

Zarco has said that he couldn’t adapt to the KTM RC16, a bike which he said, “only goes well down the straight and only wants to go straight.” He had also been caught on camera calling the frame and power delivery as “sh*t” in Jerez, Spain. This, coming from one of the nicest MotoGP riders was certainly something.

But his statements didn’t go well with KTM’s management.

KTM CEO Stefan Pierer told Speedweek, “Johann is a big disappointment and I’m very sorry about that. We hired him so that he and Pol (Espargarò) could push one another but the opposite happened. Espargarò is on his own.”

The other KTM rider pushing Espargarò was new signing Miguel Oliveira in the Red Bull Tech 3 KTM Racing team, instead. Apart from struggling in Jerez to finish 18^thahead of his teammate Hafizh Syahrin, Oliveira had come home in 17^th, 11^thand 14^th, respectively. KTM was so impressed that they’ve extended Oliveira’s contract through 2020.

In addition to struggling with a completely new bike, Zarco had to contend with his manager and mentor (and friend) Laurent Falon switching camps to Honda. Falon had kept Honda’s offer a secret from Zarco and team through 2018.

“When an athlete at this level doesn’t have everything under control, then he has a problem. They told me that he was already very rude in the garage in Texas and the situation worsened in Jerez. But I want to say that we will do all we can to improve this year. We’ve already got the new materials, following his indications, and he’ll be joined by Jean-Michel Bayle,” added Pierer.

But Pierer was quick to add that KTM is not seeking to end Zarco’s contract. The French rider was signed also through 2020.

“We still have 15 races to run this year. Going from Yamaha to the KTM requires adaptation and that takes time. There are two different kinds of bikes in MotoGP: Yamaha and Suzuki with the inline 4-cylinders and Honda, Ducati, KTM and Aprilia with the V4. With the latter, you have to ride a certain way. You need to be bold and throw the bike down into the corners, you can’t go easy. Consider how, post Stoner, it took Ducati from 2010 to 2016 to find someone else who could win with their bike.”

On the other hand, Pierer didn’t deny that the RC16 needs more development. He revealed that the bike needs to lose another 4 to 5 kilograms and that the electronics are still an issue.

But what Pierer didn’t mention was the KTM RC16’s chassis architecture, which uses a steel-lattice frame and WP suspension. All MotoGP bikes use Öhlins suspension and aluminium frames. Ducati had suffered with the carbon monocoque for many years (including with Valentino Rossi) before swallowing their pride and reverting to an aluminium frame. It may not make a difference to you and I who ride on the streets and in the occasional track days, but it does for riders who push their bikes to the limits.

Why not change riding styles then? Both Zarco and Syahrin are suffering with turning into corners. Syahrin, Espargarò and Oliveira have all stated that one needs to be “aggressive” with the bike, echoing Zarco’s call.

Zarco has stated before that changing his smooth riding style will result in the team having with too much inconsistent data, especially while developing a new riding style. Setting up a bike is based on how the bike reacts to the rider’s inputs, after all. The best rider to illustrate this was Jorge Lorenzo who also rides with the “traditional” smooth style. He had suffered to no end during his first year with Ducati before the team solved his woes for his second year.

Changing a riding style, especially one that had brought past successes is not easy. The last thing a rider needs to concern himself about is his riding style in the heat of competition. It is the team’s job to provide the rider a bike that he doesn’t have to worry about, to allow him to concentrate on his race strategies i.e. lap times vs. tyre degradation, him vs. his opponents, etc.

The KTM factory had better come up with some solutions fast because all the new riders are at their mercy, rather than the other around.

Yamaha YZF-R125 Monster Energy MotoGP Edition Launched in the UK

The Yamaha YZF-R125 Monster Energy MotoGP Edition was launched in the United Kingdom.
The bike looks great in the MotoGP livery.
We don’t have the R125 here, but the R15 with 150cc engine.

Well, well, looky here. It turns out that the Yamaha YZF-R125 is not only popular here in Malaysia but also starting to edge into the best-seller list in the United Kingdom, too. As such, Yamaha UK launched the Yamaha YZF-R125 Monster Energy MotoGP Edition.

We don’t have the YZF-R125 here in Malaysia, as we’re lucky to have the YZF-R15, instead. We publish this story because the bike looks great in the MotoGP livery. Besides that, we’re sincerely hoping that Hong Leong Yamaha will also launch the Monster Energy MotoGP edition for the latter. It will cost more, without doubt, but we feel that the new livery adds an even sportier dimension to the bike, as did to the YZF-R1.

We’ve reviewed the Yamaha YZF-R15 earlier this year and found the bike supremely entertaining. The application of variable valve actuation technology as part of Yamaha’s Blue Core solution made the engine torquier and more tractable throughout the rev range. One does not have keep banging off the upper RPM reaches and red line.

And we say again, the bike was definitely faster than the Y-Suku (Yamaha Y15ZR).

So, HLYM, what say you about the Monster Energy MotoGP Edition?

Andrea Dovizioso to Race in DTM (German Touring Car Championship)

Mission Winnow Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso will drive in the DTM (German Touring Car Championship) at the Misano round next month.
He will be behind the wheels of an Audi RS 5 DTM.
The round takes place on 8^thto 9^thJune.

Mission Winnow Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso will drive an Audi in the DTM (German Touring Car Championship) at the Misano round next month.

He will head to San Marino track on 8^thto 9^thJune for the DTM race immediately after the Italian MotoGP round at Mugello. Dovizioso will drive the Audi RS 5 DTM for the one-off outing, in replacing Pietro Fittipaldi in the Audi WRT Team as the latter attends to his duties in Formula 1. Fittipaldi is the Reserve driver at Haas for the Canadian F1 Grand Prix.

Dovizioso first test the Audi RS 5 DTM at the Neuburg track on 7^thMay and will test again at Misano on 22^ndto 23^rdMay as his final preparation.

“I love cars and I feel lucky to be able to race with the Audi RS 5 DTM,” Dovizioso said. “It’s tough to find the time to prepare for it during the MotoGP season but I am really looking forward to compete in such a high-level context such as the DTM.”

Head of Audi motorsport Dieter Gass is naturally thrilled to welcome Dovizioso to his DTM fold and is thankful to Ducati bosses for permitting the Italian’s one-off outing.

“I’m delighted that in Andrea Dovizioso we managed to get a real superstar to race as a guest in the DTM,” Gass said. “MotoGP riders are true heroes in Italy.

“Andrea hails from the Misano area, won the Motorcycle Grand Prix there last year and is going to attract many additional fans.

Audi is Ducati’s parent company and focuses in DTM, Formula E, TCR and GT racing.

As for the DTM, three guest drivers made their appearances last year including World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier (driving a Mercedes), 2016 World Rallycross Champion Mattias Ekstrom (driving an Audi) and former F1 and Indy Car driver and paralumpian Alex Zanardi (driving a BMW).

Other MotoGP riders have tried their hands in four-wheeled racing, including Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa, who tested for the Red Bull F1 team last year. Valentino Rossi competes in the Monza Rally annually.

The BMW S 1000 RR Flies in this UL-39 Albi

A team from the Czech Technical University stuffed a BMW S 1000 RR engine into a UL-39 light aircraft.
It propels the 350kg plane to 290 km/h.
Skyleader Aircraft is now selling the plane.

We sometimes get the sensation of flying too low especially when riding fast bikes such as the BMW S 1000 RR.

Why not? Snapping the throttle open from 80 km/h in sixth gear had us seeing more than 200 km/h in a jiffy, while the scenery flew by in multi-coloured ribbons.

But now, thanks to a team from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Czech Technical University and their collaborators LA Composite and Zall Jihlavan Airplanes, the S 100 RR takes flight. Well, the engine anyway.

The UL-39 Alb is a replica of the original L-39 Albatross flown by the Czechoslovak Air Force in the 70s. However, the team swapped out the Ivchenko Al-25 jet engine with the previous generation’s BMW S 1000 RR inline-Four which produces 193 bhp.

The engine is placed in a duct and drives multiple blades, hence called a “ducted fan jet.”

For your knowledge, a “true” jet engine ignites fuel in nozzles at high pressures at the back of the engine. The combustion expands gases which blast out the back of the engine, driving the turbine blades. The turbine blades are mounted to a shaft which the compressor blades are mounted to at the front of the engine (you can see them when you board a passenger aircraft). The compressor draws in and compresses the air for combustion, creating thrust which propels the aircraft forward.

The S 1000 RR engine, on the other hand, drives compressor blades at the front like a propeller plane. But since the air is ducted, the fans create a higher pressure than chopping at air in the open.

The UL-39 is made mostly from carbon fibre and weighs just 350 kg and has a top speed of 290 km/h for up to a 547km range. It carries two occupants.

The plane is now part of the Skyleader Aircraft line-up. The company has been producing light aircraft since the 1990s.

Is a Kawasaki Ninja ZX25R Inline-Four in the Works?

A Kawasaki Ninja ZX25R prototype was spotted testing in Indonesia.
It was reported to feature a 250cc inline-Four engine.
It may be officially unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October.

There’s a tasty rumour that a Kawasaki Ninja ZX25R with an inline-Four engine is being developed.

A prototype was recently spotted undergoing testing at a facility in Indonesia. The report also stated that it was equipped with a racing exhaust system.

Remember the Kawasaki Ninja ZXR250 which appeared in 1997? It had a screaming inline-Four engine with an astronomical 18,000 RPM redline. But most of all, it looked a lot like a ZXR400, or better yet, the ZXR750 (better known as the ZX-7) superbike racer. It even had those iconic “washing machine drain pipe” air intakes. Oh, those were the days (wiping off a tear).

1997 Kawasaki ZXR250 – Photo credit www.bikepics.com

So, a 250cc inline-Four should spark the interest of many enthusiasts. It not only covers those who reminisce the old machine but also new fans who favour the sound of an inline-Four over parallel-Twins that currently flood the market.

However, we wonder how a current 250cc inline-Four will fare against a parallel-Twin of the same capacity. Sure, an inline-Four sounds better while producing more horsepower but Twins are better at producing low- and midrange power. For comparison, the current Ninja 250 produces 38.2 hp, making it the most powerful 250cc production four-stroke.

Anyway, the new bike should be equipped with LED lighting, assist and slipper clutch, in addition to up-to-date chassis and electronics.

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX25R could be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October.

Source: Zigwheels

Target Fixation and Improper Braking Hurts

As we’ve posted before, accident videos can help us learn.
In this video, two bikes crashed together through improper braking and target fixation.
We’re not criticizing anyone, but here are tips on how to avoid such tragedy.

A Singaporean Facebook page shared a video of an accident involving two motorcycles this morning. But rather than just condemning the parties involved we could perhaps learn that target fixation and improper braking is dangerous for us motorcyclists.

We are not trying to be experts here either. But after years of practice and riding in the same situation at least three times per trip per day, one tends to learn.

Watch the video below:

Part 1 – First rider

First rider panicked as he was trying to slip between the bus and car. He grabbed his front brake with full power, resulting in the front tyre washing out.

First lesson: Overtaking

If you need to overtake, do it quickly to get out of the “sandwich zone.”
But don’t ride more than 40 km/h faster than the vehicles around you.
Too fast and you won’t have time to react.
We humans normally take 0.5 second to react.
A vehicle covers 13.8 metres in 0.5 second at 50 km/h, and 27.7 metres in 1 second at 100 km/h. You decide.

What if he didn’t overtake?

Better to just follow the car if you’re not confident enough of overtaking.
The best place to follow is NOT directly behind, but to the side where there’s a good chance of the driver picking you up in the rearview mirror.
Additionally, it gives you room to avoid the car should he brake suddenly.

How should we brake?

Never, ever grab your front brake lever full-on.
Always increase the braking pressure progressively even when under threat.
Applying the front brake progressively allows the front suspension and tyre to soak up the weight transfer progressively, as well.
Jamming on the brake, on the other hand, transfers weight abruptly, causing the weight transfer to overwhelm the suspension and tyre.

Solution:

We know it’s easier than it sounds, but every motorcyclist should practice emergency braking. And we’re not talking about dragging the locked rear wheel like in JPJ tests!

Find yourself a large and empty parking lot.
Ride to 30 km/h and pull in the front brake lever progressively harder and harder until the bike stops.
Increase the speed you being to brake from gradually if you feel confident enough.
If you always ride at 150 km/h, we suggest you practice stopping from that speed – a lot.

Would ABS have helped?

It may but the first bike looked like a kapchai/scooter, hence it probably isn’t equipped with ABS. Even then, the best way is to ease up on the pressure at the lever to let the bike’s momentum stabilize itself. This can be helped through practice.

But what if there’s ABS?

It doesn’t mean one can get away with crashing even if there’s ABS.
We must first learn how it feels like when ABS activates.
The lever will pulsate when ABS activates, surprising some riders to let go of the lever too abruptly and the system stops functioning.
Secondly, ABS keeps the previously locked wheel rolling in order to provide the chance of swerving away from danger. However, this is always defeated by target fixation (refer part 2 below).
Thirdly, ABS can cause some riders to keep holding on to the brake lever will full power until the bike stops dead. The rider will then lose balance and topple over (jatuh bodoh).
So, if the ABS activates, keep braking until you scrub off enough speed for you to still retain control of the bike and maneuver. But let go of the brakes progressively.

Part 2 – The following rider

The following rider saw the crashed bike ahead and applied his brakes a fraction later. Remember? A human’s nominal reaction time is 0.5 second. He kept braking but still ran into the poor man on the road.

What went wrong?

First and foremost (remember these words): Target fixation.
Keep in mind that the motorcycle goes where you look.
In this case, he was looking directly at the first rider (he didn’t turn his head at all).

Target fixation sent second rider directly toward the fallen rider

What is target fixation?

Target fixation is a subconscious human instinct which instructs us to keep our eyes on a dangerous situation.
Yes, it helped us to survive through almost a million years, but it doesn’t agree when you’re riding or handling any vehicle at speed.
Being fixated on the first rider, he jumped on the brakes in panic, his body tenses up, his arms went straight.
Now he has no way of steering the bike even with the ABS on (see the front pogos up and down).

What should have been his response?

He should’ve looked to either side of the crashed rider ahead.
Both vehicles on either side have slowed down, leaving both lanes empty.
So, he could’ve swerved to avoid the fallen rider and apply some gas to get away, even without needing to slow down.
Situational awareness helps here, consequently he would know if either side were clear without needing too look.
Not tense up and lock his arms. Having relaxed arms allows the rider to steer even during hard braking. See how the MotoGP riders do it even when they’re braking from 330 km/h to 80 km/h to make a corner?

What are the solutions to target fixation?

Overcoming target fixation needs practice.
Next time you come across a pothole, look to either sides and steer.
You’ll be surprised at how easy that was.
Keep practicing when traffic is clear.
You can even ride up to an imaginary hazard on the road, look to the sides and steer.
This practice will suppress your instinct to target fixate.

What are the solutions to braking hard and still being able to steer?

On braking and body position, do recall that fuel tanks have knee cutouts for a reason.
Hence, clamp your knees on the tank to support yourself and take the pressure off your arms and torso.
This way, you can brake much harder and have a better feel of the suspension and tyres’ limits.
Please refer above about brake practice.

Conclusion

Every rider needs to be critical about his/her own riding skills and learn. It’s far better than relying on others to give way.

Oh, and look up videos or articles on riding tips. It’s time and energy well spent rather than be like keyboard warriors who only know how to criticize.

Video source: Xianghui Chaw on ROADS.sg

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Latest News

KTM CEO Stefan Pierer said, “Johann Zarco is a disappointment.”

It follows Zarco’s outrage by calling the RC16’s frame and delivery “sh*t” in Spain.

But Pierer conceded that the bike needs more work.

The Yamaha YZF-R125 Monster Energy MotoGP Edition was launched in the United Kingdom.

The bike looks great in the MotoGP livery.

We don’t have the R125 here, but the R15 with 150cc engine.

Mission Winnow Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso will drive in the DTM (German Touring Car Championship) at the Misano round next month.

He will be behind the wheels of an Audi RS 5 DTM.

The round takes place on 8th to 9th June.

A team from the Czech Technical University stuffed a BMW S 1000 RR engine into a UL-39 light aircraft.

It propels the 350kg plane to 290 km/h.

Skyleader Aircraft is now selling the plane.

A Kawasaki Ninja ZX25R prototype was spotted testing in Indonesia.

It was reported to feature a 250cc inline-Four engine.

It may be officially unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October.

As we’ve posted before, accident videos can help us learn.

In this video, two bikes crashed together through improper braking and target fixation.

We’re not criticizing anyone, but here are tips on how to avoid such tragedy.