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HONDAS DOMINATE OPENING TEST OF 2012 |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 02 February 2012 10:48 |
HONDA RACING INFORMATION
MotoGP Test Sepang Day 3
MotoGP Test Sepang, Malaysia
Day three of three-day test.
February 2, 2012
Weather: Hot and sunny
Track temperature: 42 degrees
Ambient temperature: 35 degrees
HONDAS DOMINATE OPENING TEST OF 2012
Repsol Honda riders Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa finished first and third after three days of testing on the sweltering Sepang Circuit, validating the off-season development of the Honda RC213V that they'll take into battle when the 2012 MotoGP World Championship begins in Qatar in April. The newest Honda riders, Alvaro Bautista (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC213V) and Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) both improved their times on the final day of the test and gathered valuable data for when they return at the end of the month.
Stoner, the 2011 MotoGP World Champion, finished this test with the fastest ever lap by a motorcycle around the 5.548km circuit. On the second of 21 laps, the 26-year-old Australian lapped in 1m, 59.607s, lowering the mark of 1m, 59.665s that he'd set a little less than a year earlier at the second Sepang test of the 2011 winter season. Stoner was the only rider to lap under two minutes and finished the test with a margin of .591s on the second fastest rider, Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha). The time might have been even lower had he not continued to suffer soreness in his back, which compromised the strength in his right arm as he tried to compensate.
Now Stoner returns to his home in Verbier, Switzerland to be with his wife Adriana as they await the birth of their first child. The child is expected to arrive between this test and the next three-day Sepang test which begins on Feb. 28.
Like Stoner, Pedrosa took advantage of the slightly cooler morning temperatures to set his fast lap early. His best of 2m, 0.256s was run on the third of 26 laps and was only .058s off the time set by Lorenzo. More importantly was that Pedrosa improved his time by 1.252s from Wednesday and by nearly two seconds from the start of the test. Having run 109 laps over the three days in searing heat, Pedrosa admitted that the testing had left him exhausted but happy.
Still, there's work to be done when the teams return to Malaysia later this month. There is a need to improve braking stability, as well as the electronics to manage the newfound power of the 1000cc machines. Handling all that power is what Pedrosa found taxing, but the Spaniard said he would increase his training regimen to be ready for the second test.
San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Bautista improved his lap time by nearly 1.5s over the course of the test, finishing with the ninth fastest time to Stoner, who was in a league of his own. Bautista was just over a second behind the second fastest rider and about half a second from a top five position. What most impressed the Spaniard was the electronics and engine management, which allowed him to make the most of the brute power of the RC213V.
Bradl continued to improve day by day, even though he maintained the same 11th place position in his first extended MotoGP test. The 2011 Moto2 World Champion gained experience with each of his 107 laps over three days. Today he tried a different geometry by changing the offset, and also shortened the swingarm; the whole bike got shorter, he said. They also sorted out the electronics, fine tuning the wheelie and traction control. The team worked so efficiently that they were able to finish their program by 2:00 p.m. What they didn't do was a long run-it wasn't in the plan-but they will when they return for the second test. From the beginning to the end of the test, Bradl lowered his lap time by 1.774s, finishing with a best of 2m, 1.894s.
HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES
Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda RC213V): 1st, 1m, 59.607s
"It's been a good test in general. We only managed two out of the three days, unfortunately, but the weather has been really good to us and we've been able to do what we planned. The day I missed hasn't affected us too much and we've managed to complete our testing programme. To be honest, I think track conditions on the first day weren't that great anyway, as the lap times were not so fast. I'm still not feeling great with my back, but the bike is ok, so we've made progress in reducing the chatter a little more and trying a few different things, some small settings on the shock that we haven't tried before amongst other points. So far it's been pretty positive, we'll just have to wait and see what we have for the next test and hopefully improve a little more. Now I'm looking forward to getting home to Switzerland to see Adriana and await the arrival of our baby!"
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V): 3rd, 2m, 0.256s
"Three days testing here in Malaysia is very tiring. This morning when I woke up I was pretty sore and stiff, but once I got running I was a little bit better. Anyway, it's been worth it to do a general test of the engine, chassis and tyres and overall it is the biggest test we have done on this bike and we have good data to analyse and can start to build up points we need for the second test. As I said yesterday, the biggest point to improve is on braking, and we are also working on the electronics to improve the management of the power and the grip level. The chatter is still there; I know it's something very difficult to fix, but I'm sure Honda is working hard on it. In general, it's been a positive test for us and we will come back here in three weeks with new ideas. This bike is physically more demanding, you feel the power in the acceleration, the speed under hard braking and also the extra weight, but it's alright. I will keep working hard physically to prepare for the second test."
Alvaro Bautista (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC213V): 9th, 2m, 1.384s
"I finished the first test and my evaluation of these three days I think is positive. Even today I made another step forward especially in the rhythm. We have worked very well and the first contact with the RC213V has been particularly good. Now, before the next test later this month ever here at Sepang, I have a little 'time to reflect and think about all the wealth of knowledge acquired in these three days. We must put them all in the right place and be ready for the next three days of testing in Malaysia. I'm happy, satisfied and very confident for the future. The synergies with the guys and Honda are wonderful and this will enable us to achieve positive results. Lastly, I have to say that the thing that most impressed me the RC213V is definitely the electronics and its management that allows you to drive linearly and progressively ease with the incredible power of 1000. "
Stefan Bradl (Team LCR Honda RC213V): 11th, 2m, 1.894s
"Considering the three-day overall work I feel quite satisfied about my first performance aboard this new bike. Everyday we made some little adjustments to help my riding style and I feel more comfortable now. We gathered important data for the next test session here at the end of the month and I am sure there's still more to come. There's a lot of work to do, but in general I had a positive first experience. Of course I want to thank Lucio (Cecchinello), the guys and HRC technicians for their support during these three days." |
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Ducati Team completes first winter test at Sepang |
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Written by Kenn Stamp
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Thursday, 02 February 2012 10:47 |
Ducati Team completes first winter test at Sepang
The first winter MotoGP test finished today at Sepang International Circuit with a day that was affected by rather variable weather conditions, with intense heat in the middle of the day and a shower that cut short the planned work schedule at 5:25 p.m. Nicky Hayden had already finished riding around noon after having tried riding with heavy taping on his painful left shoulder. Still lacking the necessary strength to push hard, he and the team agreed it was best to finish early. As for Valentino Rossi, he continued until the rain arrived, finishing the session with the fifth-best time.
Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 5th, 2:00.824 (42 laps)
“We on the team are all happy with how this test has gone, especially today. With a 2:00.8, we’re starting to get to a decent time. The two Hondas and the two Yamahas are still ahead of us, but we consider this test to be a starting point. The most positive things we’ve achieved are that the front now lets me ride a little more as I’m able, that the bike reacts well to changes and that we have very clear ideas on what’s still missing. In particular, if we manage to improve the bike’s behaviour on acceleration, we’ll be able to take a consistent step forward. I know that the work has never stopped at Ducati, and now with the information we’ve gathered, they’ll keep working on the areas that we’ve identified. That might take a while, but there’s still some time before the first race. We have to keep improving, so we’re not getting too excited, but I’m pleased with how things have gone so far.”
Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) 10th, 2:01.729 (19 laps)
“Obviously, I’d like to have done more. I can’t really say it was a real test for me, but I did a few laps each morning in order to at least get a feel for the new bike, get a little data and understand a couple of things. Even in that limited time, I was able to make small improvements and go quicker each day. Ducati did an amazing job with this bike in a short amount of time. It’s smoother than any other Ducati I’ve ever ridden, it looks slick and it’s good to work on. It’s got good power, and the front end is working well, but with the extra power, now we’ve got to find better rear traction at the first touch of the throttle. With the few adjustments we’ve made, everything seems to be going in a good way, so now I just need to get healthy.”
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Yamaha Factory Racing Complete Successful Test at Sepang |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 02 February 2012 10:45 |
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Test Times |
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1. |
Casey Stoner (AUS) |
Repsol Honda Team |
1'59.607 |
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2. |
Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) |
Yamaha Factory Racing |
2'00.198 |
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3. |
Dani Pedrosa (SPA) |
Repsol Honda Team |
2'00.256 |
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4. |
Ben Spies (USA) |
Yamaha Factory Racing |
2'00.495 |
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5. |
Valentino Rossi (ITA) |
Ducati Team |
2'00.824 |
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6. |
Hector Barbera (SPA) |
Pramac Racing Team |
2'00.929 |
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7. |
Cal Crutchlow (GBR) |
Yamaha Tech3 |
2'01.108 |
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8. |
Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) |
Yamaha Tech3 |
2'01.257 |
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9. |
Alvaro Bautista (SPA) |
Honda Gresini |
2'01.384 |
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10. |
Nicky Hayden (USA) |
Ducati Team |
2'01.729 |
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11. |
Stefan Bradl (GER) |
LCR Honda |
2'01.894 |
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12. |
Karel Abraham (CZE) |
Cardion AB Motoracing |
2'02.218 |
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13. |
Katsuyuki Nakasuga (JPN) |
Yamaha Factory Racing |
2'02.334 |
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14. |
Franco Battaini (ITA) |
Ducati Team |
2'03.033 |
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15. |
Colin Edwards (USA) |
NGM Mobile Forward Racing |
2'04.722 |
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16. |
Ivan Silva (SPA) |
Avintia Racing |
2'08.225 |
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17. |
Robertino Pietri (VEN) |
Avintia Racing |
2'09.640 |
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18. |
Jordi Torres (SPA) |
Avintia Racing |
2'10.184 |
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HARLEY-DAVIDSON TO CELEBRATE 110 YEARS OF GREAT MOTORCYCLES AND EPIC RIDING EXPERIENCES |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 02 February 2012 10:42 |
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HARLEY-DAVIDSON TO CELEBRATE 110 YEARS OF GREAT MOTORCYCLES AND EPIC RIDING EXPERIENCES
Global 110th Anniversary Celebrations in 2013 in Rome, Milwaukee and More
MILWAUKEE (Feb. 1, 2012) –Harley-Davidson will celebrate 110 years of great motorcycles and epic riding experiences with an array of global events and activities in 2013. Among the events during the year-long celebration will be a rally in Rome, Italy, June 13-16, and a massive party over Labor Day weekend, Aug. 29 - Sept. 1, inMilwaukee.
Harley-Davidson will also celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) globally, including during the Labor Day weekend in Milwaukee in 2013. H.O.G., the official riding club of the Motor Company, boasts about one million members worldwide.
“Harley-Davidson is synonymous with adventure, passion and the experience of the open road,” said Mark-Hans Richer, Harley-Davidson Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “For this 110th celebration, our customers all around the world – with our support – are going to be taking everything to the next level and making their own history.”
Information on housing options in Milwaukee and Rome is available at www.harley-davidson.com/110. Further details about the global 110th Anniversary will be announced in the coming months.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson's Web site at www.harley-davidson.com. |
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.jpg&contenttype=jpeg "MC Superstore Tire Sale!")
