MotoGP Sepang 2 Test Summary – Day 1: Hard Work, Heavy Weather, & New Bikes

If the purpose of testing in Sepang is to ensure that as little time as possible is lost to the weather, then the first day of the MotoGP test fell well short of its objectives. The Malaysian circuit sweltered under oppressive tropical heat all day, rendering most of the day of little use for testing.

With track temperatures approaching 60°C in the early afternoon, the grip disappeared, and the heat made riding a MotoGP bike a punishing affair.

Then, just as the riders returned to the track as the air began to cool, a tropical thunderstorm washed the track out, with lightning causing the session to be red-flagged for a while. It was not a day in which the teams could get an awful lot done.

That was a shame, as they had an awful lot to do. Ducati had brought the GP15 for its on-track debut, Yamaha had its fully seamless gearbox, Suzuki had unleashed a few more horses from its GSX-RR, and Aprilia had a stack of chassis and electronics solutions to test on track. With on a couple of hours of productive track time, much was left untested.

The biggest question mark at Sepang would be how the Ducati GP15 would work. Would the new bike built under the direction finally cure the understeer which has plagued all previous iterations of the Desmosedici? Andrea Dovizioso had that question answered in the first two corners, he told reporters.

When he went to turn the bike in, he found himself on the inside of the kerbs. All of the effort the previous bike required was gone. The GP15 turns, which was exactly what was required of it.

“I’m really happy,” Dovizioso said. “Now we can work in a normal way. When the bike turns like the competitor, I think you can adapt the bike to your riding style.”

The word Dovizioso used to describe the bike was both surprising and revealing. It felt ‘normal’, he said. That very normality of having a bike that turned was something which was missing from the GP13 and GP14, and from the bikes which came before.

The Desmosedici has probably always suffered from understeer, but once Bridgestone stopped making tires built especially around the Ducati, it was only the mercurial genius of Casey Stoner that allowed him to ride around the problem.

Having a ‘normal’ bike may be progress, but that does not mean that the GP15 was quick. It is a brand new bike, every component still needs testing, and Ducati have cut revs to ensure that the engines will last the duration of the test.

Dovizoso’s best lap time was a 2’01.6 on the GP15, three tenths slower than he set on the GP14.3. The newness of the bike, and to an extent the lack of understeer means that Ducati don’t have a working base setup for the GP15, and are running into unforeseen problems.

The balance of the bike was different, Dovizioso said, and the setup they had for the GP14.3 was of little use. The bike needed work in braking, and plenty of other areas. It was not quite starting from zero, Dovizioso said, but pretty close.

So can we pass judgment on the GP15 yet? So far, all we can say is that the main objective of the new bike has been achieved. Understeer has been eliminated, according to German publication Speedweek by having the engine spin backwards, as the Yamaha does.

Whether the rest of the bike can perform remains to be seen. But for a shakedown of a completely new bike, the GP15 performed well. If you heard a loud gust of wind this morning, it was the sound of engineers in Borgo Panigale breathing a collective sigh of relief.

You might say the same thing about Yamaha’s seamless gearbox. The Movistar Yamaha riders finally got to try the fully seamless box on Monday, and were generally pleased with the improvement.

There was a clear improvement in braking, the bike staying more stable. It was now possible to slide the bike a little, Valentino Rossi said, something which was impossible with the previous iteration of the gearbox, the bike becoming far too nervous.

But here, too, the full potential of the gearbox has yet to be unlocked. Being freed of needing the clutch for downshifts, and with smoother braking on corner entry, the setup from last year is no longer ideal.

The hard work put in by Ramon Forcada for Jorge Lorenzo and Silvano Galbusera for Valentino Rossi will have to start all over again, to find the perfect balance once again. Like a figure in an MC Escher picture, once MotoGP engineers reach their destination, they get to start all over again.

There was progress too for Suzuki, both Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales posting quick lap times. There were very few riders who got close to their times from the first test, but both Viñales and Espargaro were among those who did best.

Despite the very short time since the previous test, Suzuki found a little more horsepower, and that, combined with a new fairing that provides a little more aerodynamic protection, made the GSX-RR a little more competitive. It was, Aleix Espargaro said, a clear step forward, but there is still much to do.

At Honda, there was much less to test, with both Marc Márquez and Dani Pedrosa aiming to work on setup. That went pretty smoothly for Pedrosa, the Repsol Honda man saying his work now was to provide more precise detail to work towards a base set up with which to start the year.

That involves doing longer runs and race simulations, though the weather did not help in that area.

Things went a lot less swimmingly for Marc Márquez. The reigning champion struggled with a strange brake issue all day. Braking power would be perfect in one corner, terrible in another, with no rhyme or reason as to a cause. It made riding positively dangerous, and Márquez spent most of his day trying to figure out a solution, together with Brembo.

Even switching bikes, and switching to a brand new braking system didn’t solve the problem. It left Márquez and his crew rather stumped. While they were trying to figure out their braking issues, they were unable to test the various chassis setups they had come to Sepang hoping to work on. Work will continue tomorrow.

The Aprilia garage was once again a hive of activity, but once again, the riders did not like the new chassis. Alvaro Bautista complained that the new RS-GP chassis would not turn in, even in the revised version he was testing.

Marco Melandri, meanwhile, continues to struggle with the feel of the Bridgestones, having problems finding confidence in the tires. Aprilia brought a version of the bike much closer to the old Superbike, in an attempt to help him build confidence, and the fact that the gap to the front was much reduced was a positive sign.

New electronics also helped both riders, power delivery being a little smoother than at the previous test. But there are still mountains of work ahead for the Noale factory, and progress will only be steady.

Among the satellite and Open class riders, progress was clearest for the Honda riders. Both Scott Redding and Cal Crutchlow made steps forward with the bike, Redding happiest with the RC213V.

The Marc VDS rider had had a very tough Sepang 1, but immediately felt a lot more comfortable at the second test. The bike felt his bike, Redding said, and he was starting to dig deeper into the electronics of the bike. He is slowly feeling his way forward with the bike, and should be a lot closer to the front by the end of this test.

The biggest improvement was with the Open class Hondas, with both Eugene Laverty and Nicky Hayden much closer to the factory riders from the start. Honda had helped with some input, advising on chassis, suspension and electronics, and that had made an improvement.

At the first Sepang test, the HRC engineers had been too busy with the factory riders, but now that the Repsol men were working on setup, they had time to sort out the Open class bikes.

In the Cardion AB garage, Karel Abraham was working on suspension, having taken over the role as Showa development team from Gresini. He had made good progress, as the Honda rider closest to matching his lap time from the first test.

The heavy rain which fell at the end of the day chased everyone off track for a while, and even caused the session to be red-flagged for a brief period, once lightning struck. But it also provided the riders with some useful time on wet tires, especially among the rookies.

Valentino Rossi was one rider who spent a lot of time out in the wet, the Italian having not felt comfortable with his wet set up last season.

For Maverick Viñales and Jack Miller, they had time to get used to Bridgestone’s wet tires, which are legendary for their grip. Just adapting to what the tires are capable of takes some getting used to, so the time was not lost.

Tomorrow, the work continues, under conditions comparable to Monday. Extreme heat and the threat of rain will limit track time, forcing the teams to compress their testing programs into a limited period. Even so, we should know a little more about MotoGP in 2015 by the end of the day.

Pos	Rider	Bike	Time	Diff	Prev
1	Valentino Rossi	Yamaha M1	2:00.414	-	-
2	Dani Pedrosa	Honda RC213V	2:00.543	0.129	0.129
3	Pol Espargaro	Yamaha M1	2:00.876	0.462	0.333
4	Aleix Espargaro	Suzuki GSX-RR	2:01.055	0.641	0.179
5	Jorge Lorenzo	Yamaha M1	2:01.162	0.748	0.107
6	Marc Márquez	Honda RC213V	2:01.190	0.776	0.028
7	Cal Crutchlow	Honda RC213V	2:01.222	0.808	0.032
8	Bradley Smith	Yamaha M1	2:01.241	0.827	0.019
9	Maverick Viñales	Suzuki GSX-RR	2:01.317	0.903	0.076
10	Andrea Dovizioso	Ducati GP15/GP14.3	2:01.355	0.941	0.038
11	Scott Redding	Honda RC213V	2:01.592	1.178	0.237
12	Alvaro Bautista	Aprilia	2:01.740	1.326	0.148
13	Hector Barbera	Ducati GP14 Open	2:01.926	1.512	0.186
14	Nicky Hayden	Honda RC213V-RS	2:02.062	1.648	0.136
15	Andrea Iannone	Ducati GP15/GP14.3	2:02.142	1.728	0.080
16	Danilo Petrucci	Ducati GP14	2:02.225	1.811	0.083
17	Karel Abraham	Honda RC213V-RS	2:02.394	1.980	0.169
18	Stefan Bradl	Forward Yamaha	2:02.410	1.996	0.016
19	Yonny Hernandez	Ducati GP14	2:02.606	2.192	0.196
20	Eugene Laverty	Honda RC213V-RS	2:02.730	2.316	0.124
21	Mike Di Meglio	Ducati GP14 Open	2:02.941	2.527	0.211
22	Jack Miller	Honda RC213V-RS	2:03.006	2.592	0.065
23	Michele Pirro	Ducati GP14.2	2:03.105	2.691	0.099
24	Loris Baz	Forward Yamaha	2:03.316	2.902	0.211
25	Katsuyuki Nakasuga	Yamaha M1 Test	2:03.337	2.923	0.021
26	Alex De Angelis	Aprilia ART	2:03.966	3.552	0.629
27	Marco Melandri	Aprilia	2:04.000	3.586	0.034

Photo: Ducati Corse

This article was originally published on MotoMatters, and is republished here on Asphalt & Rubber with permission by the author.

Source : asphaltandrubber[dot]com

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2015 MotoGP Sepang 2 Test Preview – Seamless Gearboxes, Brand New Ducatis, & Fast French Rubber

The engineers have had two weeks to pore over the data from the first MotoGP test at Sepang, identify problems, analyze strengths, and find more ways to go faster. Their analyses have been translated into designs, into new parts, into yet more software, ready to put their theories into practice.

On Monday morning, at 10am Malaysian time, the MotoGP riders get to try out all of the new parts and ideas thought up by their factories and teams in search of a few more fractions of a second.

The eyes of the world will not be on what the engineers did between Sepang 1 and Sepang 2, however. Attention will be focused on Yamaha and Ducati, who will be testing hardware which has been a long time coming.

Yamaha is bringing its fully seamless gearbox to the Sepang 2 test, and Ducati will roll out its Desmosedici GP15 for the first time. Both could make a significant impact.

In the short term, Yamaha’s seamless gearbox is likely to be the most important development. It has not been officially confirmed that Yamaha will be bringing the full seamless gearbox (seamless in both upshifts and downshifts).

Officially, people wearing Yamaha shirts will tell you that nothing has been decided yet, but well-informed gossip says that the seamless gearbox will be there, for both Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.

Yamaha’s test riders have been using it for several months now, Colin Edwards having tested it extensively at the end of last year.

Will it make much difference in terms of lap time? That is not directly what the fully seamless box is aimed at doing. The new gearbox will help tire life, and will make the bike a little easier to ride, taking away one more thing for the rider to think about.

The Yamaha YZR-M1 will not suddenly be a tenth or two a lap quicker, but over race distance, the new gearbox should offer some gains. At the team presentation, Yamaha’s MotoGP project chief Kouichi Tsuji said the goal was to cut 2 seconds over a full race distance.

That will be hard to see from the timesheets showing just a single lap, but we may be able to see it once Rossi and Lorenzo try race simulations, towards the end of the test.

The Ducati Desmosedici GP15 should be a very different story. The new creation, the brainchild of the Ducati Corse department under the direction of Gigi Dall’Igna, is aimed at fixing the understeer which has plagued every Ducati since the introduction of the spec tire.

The bike is smaller, shorter, with a radically redesigned frame (see my analysis of the bike from the launch, here), and even the engine sounds different, as you can hear in this video posted on Instagram by Andrea Dovizioso. This bike has to be faster round the track than the GP14, or Ducati Corse will have failed its design objectives.

Will it be faster by the end of this test, though? This bike is completely new, and almost completely untested. The GP15 has had a single run out at a secret location, which neither Paolo Ciabatti nor Gigi Dall’Igna would disclose to me at the launch.

All they would let slip was that it was not ‘a suitable location’, explaining that Michele Pirro had only really given the bike a shakedown. The bike runs, and will withstand a certain amount of riding without destroying itself. Ducati have a starting point for the GP15, nothing more.

What that means is that the Andreas, Dovizioso and Iannone, will not get to ride the bike on Monday, the hard work being delegated to Michele Pirro. Though that will be frustrating for the two Andreas, it is an understandable course of events.

First, Pirro has to go out and test the bike at speed, on a proper, full-sized race track under punishing conditions. If the brand new engine can withstand the punishment, then the Andreas will get a go.

Should it turn out to have a serious problem which they had not yet uncovered, then it will be test rider Pirro thrown from the bike, and not a factory racer. Test riders are expendable, and part of their duties is to risk injury trying out completely new parts.

If Pirro gets through Monday unscathed, then the factory riders get their hands on the bike on Tuesday.

Even when Dovizioso and Iannone do get on the GP15, they will have their work cut out for them. Their teams will have to look for a base setting, a starting point from which to try to improve.

Ducati will no doubt have a range of other parts to test with the bike, looking for the right combination with which to start the season. There is so much work to be done on the new bike that they cannot even think about chasing lap times.

All Dovizioso and Iannone will be doing is getting a feel for the new bike, and trying to fathom its behavior.

If we won’t be able to see the difference in the lap time, how will we know if the GP15 is a better bike? That should be clear the first time Dovizioso takes off his helmet. If the smile is large enough, then the operation can be regarded as a success.

While the big changes are at Yamaha and Ducati, the work at Honda is rather more subtle. After working their way through four different iterations of the 2015 RC213V at Sepang 1, Marc Márquez and Dani Pedrosa will be focusing on refining the chassis they have selected to go forward with.

Both settled on a frame which improved braking and corner entry, but was still weak in drive out of the turns. Honda’s engineers – both hardware and software – will have been working on solutions to create more grip. If they are successful, then expect to see the two Hondas at the top of the timesheets once again.

At Suzuki, the focus will also be on refinement, as they work to prepare the GSX-RR for the start of 2015. The engine blow ups at Valencia last November caused a major delay for the Hamamatsu factory, as they were forced to focus on solving that most pressing issue before doing anything else.

Suzuki’s engineers spent the winter working on reliability, rather than chasing the extra horsepower the GSX-RR so badly needs. With Sepang 1 having proved that their quest for reliability had been successful, engineers can turn their attention to providing more go.

That is neither simple, nor fast, however, and Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales will have to be patient.

Espargaro will be the man leading development, as his rookie teammate continues to settle in. Viñales was deeply impressive at Sepang 1, his rate of learning exceptionally rapid.

If he continues on this path, he will be matching his teammate very soon. If Suzuki give him some horsepower as well, things could get very interesting indeed. For the moment, the gap to his teammate is the key factor to watch.

The fifth factory in MotoGP faces much more of an uphill task. Aprilia debuted a new bike at the Sepang 1 test, and while the engine was a clear improvement, neither Alvaro Bautista nor Marco Melandri had any time for the new chassis.

The new bike sat discarded in the Aprilia garage, with only Michael Laverty giving it some time on the track. There is clearly masses more work to do for the Noale factory.

Most of that will have to be done by Alvaro Bautista. The Spaniard was strong at Sepang, despite being a long way off the pace. Bautista was motivated and sharp, unlike his teammate.

Marco Melandri looked like a man who would rather be anywhere than riding Aprilia’s MotoGP bike, and ended the test dead last, behind the Open bikes, behind the factory test riders, and even behind Alex De Angelis on the Ioda Racing Aprilia ART, the much older and much slower version of Aprilia’s MotoGP machine.

Melandri will have to turn himself around, before he can work on improving the bike.

While the satellite and Open class riders are unlikely to be getting any new parts, they too will have their hands full. Especially in the Honda garages, where the pace of Cal Crutchlow and Scott Redding was well below expectations.

Crutchlow was struggling with rear grip – a familiar refrain from the factory riders as well – while Redding was surprised by how very different the factory RC213V was to the Open class Honda RCV1000R he rode last year.

Redding spent his test working methodically on making progress, and will continue that for Sepang 2. Hopefully, he will have figured some things out for this test.

As for Crutchlow, he will be chasing the one fast lap which he needs to build his confidence. After a big crash at Valencia, he made slow progress at the first Sepang test.

He too will be working slowly, methodically, looking for the feel which will give him the boost he seeks. After the team’s high profile launch in London last weekend, the pressure will start to rise on the LCR Honda rider.

Though there is much to interest MotoGP fans on the first three days, the fourth day of the test could be the most interesting. Then, the factory riders will get to test Michelin’s development tires which they are preparing for the 2016 season, when they take over the spec tire contract.

Michelin will have three different types of tire for the factory men to try, in pursuit of the right direction to follow.

Once the factory riders have ridden the Michelins, there will follow a very delicate PR dance. Bridgestone still have the single tire contract for 2015, and though they have been gracious enough to allow Michelin to test, it puts them in a tricky situation.

On Wednesday night, Bridgestone stickers will be removed from the bikes, and from the riders leathers and helmets, so that no tire branding is visible when they test.

The factory riders will be allowed to speak to the press about the tires, but comparisons with the Bridgestones have been explicitly banned.

They will be able to give their opinions on the Michelins, saying what they like about the tires and what they don’t like, but they will not be allowed to say that the Michelins do something better than the Bridgestones, or something worse.

The media and the fans will be left to extrapolate the message from the words the riders use. It will certainly be interesting to see just what times the factory riders post on the Michelin tires.

The test riders were already lapping very quickly on the Michelins, and some were suggesting that once the factory riders get on the tires, they will soon be lapping well under record pace. Thursday could provide a very fascinating glimpse of the future.

Photo: © 2014 Tony Goldsmith / TGF Photos – All Rights Reserved

This article was originally published on MotoMatters, and is republished here on Asphalt & Rubber with permission by the author.

Source : asphaltandrubber[dot]com

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WSBK: Round #1 Race Two Race Report – Phillip Island The many faces of an Indian Chief.

wSBK Press Release:

The second race of the Australian Round was another one to remember, given the thrilling finale that saw Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) edging out Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) for the win at the finish line by just 0.010. The 31-year-old from Derby, England, enjoyed better drive out of the last turn and managed to get on the outside of Rea, eventually prevailing over his rival by the smallest margin. The two former team-mates are now tied at the top of the standings with 45 points apiece. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team) completed a solid weekend by again finishing in third place.

Ironically enough, the last time Haslam stepped atop the podium was in 2010 at Kyalami (Race 2), when he managed to defeat Rea by half a second.

Leon Haslam:

“Yeah I am really happy with the way we operated this weekend and with the team. In Race 1 I made a small mistake which cost me the win but I felt I had a lot in reserve to go faster and the tire was feeling really good. In Race 2 van der Mark had a really good pace but he was running too fast and I felt that by running at that pace the tires might have had worn off a bit more. Then, when I made my move I didn’t feel I had the same reserve as the first race. I then made another small mistake and I went from first to third. I had to push very hard in the last two laps and it made it very difficult for me again. In the end we managed to get the win so that’s perfect.”

Jonathan Rea:

“It’s really great to come out of here with 45 points, I didn’t think this was going to be the strongest track for the Kawasaki. The guys have worked very hard throughout the weekend on race pace. I would have shook the hand to who would have told me I would have done so well here. Obviously Kawasaki and the team have done a great job, but I admit the Aprilia was really fast on the straight. Anyway this is a great about the result and looking forward to Thailand.”

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was fourth at the checkered flag, ahead of Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike), Nico Terol (Althea Racing Team Ducati), Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) and Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), with six different manufacturers within the top-8.

Reigning World Supersport Champion Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) had his shot at the lead throughout the race, eventually dropping down to fourth in a single lap. The Dutchman then lost some more ground to the front runners before crashing out of turn 10 at the end of Lap 19, thankfully without injury. Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) also fell a lap earlier, losing the front of his RSV4 RF at Turn 1 on Lap 19 while he was running in fourth place.

Troy Bayliss (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team) started well, once again moving through the field making it as high as 7th until the triple champion entered the pits to change his front tyre on lap 14. He rejoined finishing outside of the points in 16th.

Niccolò Canepa (Team Hero EBR) was ruled unfit following his race 1 while Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) was forced to pull out of the race due to a technical problem at the end of lap 2, after starting the encounter from the pit-lane.

2015 World Superbike – Phillip Island

Race Two Results:

1. Leon Haslam (Aprilia)
2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki)
3. Chaz Davies (Ducati)
4. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki)
5. Sylvain Guintoli (Honda)
6. Nico Terol (Ducati)
7. Randy DePuniet (Suzuki)
8. Leon Camier (MV Agusta)
9. Matteo Baicco (Ducati)
10. Roman Ramos (Kawasaki)

Complete Results HERE.

For more information: www.worldsbk.com

Source : cycleworld[dot]com

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WSBK: Round #1 Kawasaki Superpole Report – Phillip Island The many faces of an Indian Chief.

Kawasaki Racing Press Release:

2015 season Kawasaki Racing Team signing Jonathan Rea took his Ninja ZX-10R to pole position after Superpole 2 was cut short by a red flag incident, meaning Rea scored his first Kawasaki Superpole win at the first attempt. Tom Sykes was unlucky to not have a real chance to set a fast lap early on because the second Superpole session would not run its full course.

Rea set his pole lap on a race tire and like the rest of the main riders was set to make another lap on a qualifying tire. After David Salom (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) suffered a fast and hard highside crash the Superpole 2 session was red-flagged and eventually not restarted, leaving Rea on pole and in the perfect starting place for Sunday’s two 22-lap races. Salom underwent medical checks at the circuit after his crash and has not suffered serious injuries.

Sykes was left disappointed to not have the chance to set a fast lap of his own as he was preparing to go for his ultimate lap time when the red flags came out. Because the session was not restarted to run its full planned 15-minute duration he is now faced with a third row start on Sunday. Tom was particularly disappointed because he had realistic ambitions of being on the front row after finishing second in the free practice session that precedes Superpole.

The 4.445km long Phillip Island circuit is expected to offer its usual tough challenge to all comers on Sunday, especially as temperatures are expected to be hot and the track temperatures correspondingly high.

Jonathan Rea:

“It was a strange way to end the session. From my point of view we did a good job with a race tire in the high temperatures and the Kawasaki is working very well. We made a good set-up breakthrough in free practice four. I am really happy with pole position because it is the best possible result from qualifying. I also wanted the chance to use the qualifying tire, however, because I know the Kawasaki uses the Q tires very well too. So the lap time could have been quite good. But, this is still the best possible result for me after Superpole.”

Tom Sykes:

“I feel very strong for the two races tomorrow but starting from this position on the third row of grid is obviously not what we wanted. I do not know about having a second chance to set a good time, it was just having a chance. I am a little bit speechless. I saw David have a very, very big crash and my first thoughts were with him but the final grid order is completely mixed up because everybody was building up to use a qualifying tire. I am on the third row and this gives us a lot more work to do on our tires. We will do the best we can tomorrow now.”

The heavy crash experienced by David Salom (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) looked severe but David was conscious afterwards, talking, moving his limbs and not seriously injured – although heavily beaten up in the trackside gravel.

He qualified an eventual 11th, having made it into Superpole 2 directly, after ending combined qualifying eighth quickest earlier in the day.

Local wildcard rider Jed Metcher had the honor of qualifying in front of Aussie legend Troy Bayliss before Superpole, taking his Race Center – Demolition Plus Ninja ZX-10R to 16th at that stage, and the ending up 15th on the grid after Superpole’s final qualifying results were declared.

For more information: www.kawasaki.eu

Source : cycleworld[dot]com

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Not-A-Review: 2015 MV Agusta Motorcycles

As promised, here is the second part of our trip down to Fontana, California to meet with MV Agusta USA, go over the company’s new business plan for not only America, but also worldwide, and to ride the current crop of their 2015 machinery.

I should preface right out of the gate that this is not a review in regards as to what you’ve come to expect from Asphalt & Rubber. I am not-so-cleverly calling this a “not-a-review” assessment of MV Agusta’s 2015 models. I say this because we had a very limited amount of time on each bike, as there was roughly 10 machines to divide our attention amongst.

Our course was the infield section of AutoClub Speedway, which is very tight and short. And to add to the mix, we had intermittent light rain, which made half of the course fairly slippery.

Think of this article as not far from someone test riding a bunch of motorcycles at a dealership, with similar duration and limits put in place…except that this someone rides motorcycles for a living.

MV Agusta F3 800

The MV Agusta F3 800 is perhaps the best place for us to start, as it is the staple of Varese’s lineup. The F3 was originally designed to be an 800cc machine from its start, but Claudio Castiglioni put a higher priority on getting MV Agusta’s racing program together, and ordered that the de-stroked 675cc model arrive first for consumers.

In its 800cc format, the F3 feels at home. The engine is superb from an operator’s perspective, with plenty of torque, and I’m told by those who build and engineer motors for a living, that the MV Agusta triple is a real prodigy. The shame of course is that its attached to MV Agusta’s ride-by-wire system, which even in its updated state, is still with its quirks.

There is nothing more frustrating than coming out of the turn, whacking the throttle, and having nothing happen. This “false neutral” of throttle inputs is something I have seen on both the 675cc and the 800cc models, and it leaves you thinking the F3 800 isn’t quite done.

I don’t know if it is something that can be fixed in software, or if it requires a mechanical upgrade, but the throttle response certainly is the weak spot on the F3 800.

That’s the shame really, because the MV Agusta F3 800 is really a superb machine. Developed while MV Agusta was part of Harley-Davidson, it is hard to fault the larger brushstrokes of this painting, but it is the detail-work that lets you down. No better example of this is the dash, which is just a mess of numbers, some too small to read standing still, and certainly all of it too hard to digest while at speed.

Don’t get me wrong though…I lust for this machine, and would be willing to overlook some its quirks for the beauty and performance it provides otherwise.

MV Agusta F3 675

The MV Agusta F3 675 is not that different from the 800cc model, which should surprise no one considering the only real different between the two machines is in the engine casings.

Naturally the supersport-ready F3 675 has less power and torque than its 800cc sibling, but what surprised me more was how much less engine braking the baby F3 had in comparison. The bike almost felt like a two-stroke going into the turns, just free-wheeling away.

That’s probably a good thing, since with the F3 675 you need to keep your cornerspeed up, in order to get drive out of the apex, as you don’t have the same cheater-power as you do on the F3 800 or F4.

Priced just above $14,000 USD, I like what the F3 675 has to offer, but for $1,500 more, getting the F3 800 is a no-brainer situation. For the amateur racers that want to stay in the supersport class, this is the machine for you…if you’re a street rider or track day enthusiast, just get the 800cc model and enjoy the extra grunt between your legs.

MV Agusta F4

The last of the sport bike models at our test, the venerable MV Agusta F4 is nearing the end of its tenure. MV Agusta has not so subtly hinted that a new four-cylinder engine is coming down the pipe, and it would not surprise me to see the F4 updated for the 2016 model year.

At just shy of 200hp, a bike like the F4 is absolute overkill on a course like Fontana. Maybe if MV had opened the banked turns on the NASCAR track to our disposal, I could give a better assessment of the machine, but stuck in the infield, where shifting out of first is optional, it is harder to say.

I have always found the ergonomics of the F4 to be tough — it is a race bike with lights, and you are perched on top of it, holding on for dear life.

Colleagues that have spent more time on the F4 on proper circuits complain of the chassis, perhaps the worst in the liter bike category, but here at Fontana, as the rain is hitting us, I can neither confirm nor deny those thoughts.

A beautiful machine, to be sure, my $19,500 would be better spent on a Ducati 1199 Panigale though, or better yet, on an Aprilia RSV4 or BMW S1000RR (with money to spare).

MV Agusta Brutale 1090

Talking about the MV Agusta F4 makes for a good transition to the MV Agusta Brutale 1090, which is a hard bike to get behind when the Italian marque has the Brutale 800 as well, just 4hp shy and easily the better machine.

The Brutale 1090 RR makes a better distinction, however. With 158hp and higher-spec components, the 1090 RR is by far worth the added price tag. I thoroughly enjoyed riding all the Brutale models (sans the Dragster 800, but I’ll get to that in a minute), and on the tight infield circuit, the brakes, suspension, and wheels shined.

I think any street rider would be able to tell the added value of these better components on the RR models, which is not something I normally say. Like the F4 though, the Brutale 1090 is long in the tooth, and it shows, especially when jumping onto a Brutale 800 right after; or worse, a Brutale 800 RR.

2015

Like with the F3 800, I enjoyed the Brutale 800 — especially in its RR version. That being said, what you get for those extra R’s isn’t as large on the 800 as it is on the 1090 — I think riders would genuinely be happy with a base model Brutale 800, whereas upgrading from the base model Brutale 1090 is an absolute must.

On the Brutale 800 RR, I spent most of my time trying out the new EAS 2.0 system. This is MV Agusta’s acronym for electronic shifting, with the 2.0 version sporting clutchless upshifts and downshifts. The features works as advertised (mostly), and combined with the slipper clutch, it makes “imprudent” downshifts a fairly uneventful affair.

That being said, I still like having to use the clutch for massive downshifts and clutch dumps — modulating the transmission to the rear wheel with my left hand. MV Agusta’s electronics make massive downshifts a jerky affair — a reminder that this is clutchless shifting, not seamless shifting.

Otherwise I found the Brutale 800 a fun bike for our tight race course, especially as the rain dried out and we could start pushing the limits of the machine.

All-in-all, the Brutale 800 is a good little bike. Would-be Ducati Monster owners should swing a leg over one of these machines, just to check it out…leave your wallet in the car maybe.

MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800 RR

There isn’t too much to say about the MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR, other than I need a glass of water after every time I say that name. I think MV Agusta was trying to give Aprilia a run for its money in the alphabet soup naming scheme, but I digress.

On paper the Dragster RR is a Brutale 800 with some different pieces — a shorter tail, wire-spoked wheels, and a couple different plastic parts. Getting on the bike though shows a completely different beast.

Where as one can move around on the Brutale seat, the Dragster seat holds you firmly in place. I found the front-end of the Dragster RR to be really vague in its feedback, with substantial understeer, which is weird as MV Agusta claims only slight differences between the machines’ technical dimensions.

Chalk the issue up to tire pressure or suspension settings perhaps, as I’ll never know as we didn’t have that kind of time to drill into each machine with that level of details. It left a sour taste in my mouth though, on what is otherwise a striking bike.

I’m not sure where the Dragster fits on MV Agusta’s product lineup. I think it was meant to go head-to-head with the Ducati Diavel, which it doesn’t really do. Instead it crowds the Brutale range, which is already three different models of confusion.

MV Agusta Rivale 800

The MV Agusta Rivale was perhaps the machine I was most looking forward to riding, for my own personal amusement, and it was the machine I spent the most time on during our test at Fontana.

You see, my daily rider is a Ducati Hypermotard SP, and the Rivale is obviously MV Agusta’s attempt at a similar machine. Priced right between the base and SP models from Ducati, the Rivale 800 is an intriguing bike not only for its three-cylinders of hoon, but also its price point.

To that end, I think most riders would be impressed with the Rivale. It is a tall and upright bike, a shock after coming off the compact Brutale models, but it has lots of power (again, that beautiful 800cc triple), and the chassis inspires elementary schoolyard things to occur — I am pretty sure I spooked one of my fellow colleagues the first time I let the rear get squirrelly going into a turn. So for partying, John!

You’re going to either love or hate the looks of the Rivale, there is just no way to get around that; and the machine comes with the obvious faults I have mentioned before, sans the dash…which is actually laid out like how a sane person would read it.

Would I trade my Hypermotard SP in for one though? That’s the question…and the answer is probably no, though that has less to do with anything being wrong with the Rivale, and everything to do with just how done right the Ducati is.

I certainly wouldn’t scoff at a Rivale in my garage though, and you’d be certain to be the talk of your local bike night if you owned one. I’d call this bike a hit, if I didn’t already know that the naked bike / maxi-motard market is already so small in the USA.

MV Agusta Stradale 800

If the Rivale is MV Agusta’s equivalent to the Hypermotard, then the MV Agusta Stradale 800 is Varese’s riff on the Hyperstrada. Hopping onto the Stradale, and I immediately had déjà vu to being on the Hyperstrada, as both bikes have this weird “high-chair” feeling, where your ass is high off the ground, but your feet are still pretty low.

This leaves you going through turns, certain that you’re going to drag your pegs through the turn, or catch a boot on something you shouldn’t. For as similar as the Stradale is to the Rivale, I found the ride less confidence inspiring — as the bikes feel remarkably different from each other.

I chalk the differences up to the riding position, and the subtle changes MV has made between the Stradale and the Rivale. On the positive side, I really liked the integrated tail lights on the panniers. That’s a pretty clever move from the Varese brand…expect other to copy it.

While the Rivale is your wheelie around town option, the Stradale is meant to be the weekend escape. MV Agusta has been smart enough to give the Stradale a larger fuel tank for that end, but the seat becomes uncomfortable rather quickly. True tourers will want to remedy this.

Like the Rivale, the overall market for a bike like the Stradale is fairly small. I don’t see too many of these machines selling, which is a poor reflection on the Stradale, as it’s otherwise a pretty nice machine.

I just hope that this isn’t a sign from MV Agusta that we’ll see other models with bags and screens attached, as the company hopes to hop on the “touring” trend in the USA and Western Europe. That’s one move Ducati made that MV Agusta needs not to copy.

MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800

I was really disappointed that we didn’t get a chance to ride the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce. I was in Milan for the bike’s launch, and ever since the I have been curious to see how this 800cc adventure-sport handles on the road. Adrian Morton certainly did a good job of drawing a continuous design path between the Turismo Veloce and the the F3 motorcycles, and at $16,000 the MV Agusta hits a good price point.

But how will an 800 fare in world dominated by 1,200cc+ machines? Will we be wanting more power? Or will we be impressed with the lightweight handling of a stout middleweight? We will have to wait several more months it seems to answer those questions.

For the mean time, the bike sits as a reminder as to why OEMs shouldn’t release models that aren’t ready for public consumption — the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce will be nearly two years old in the public by the time it finally gets to dealers, after all.

Conclusion

MV Agusta’s 2015 model year lineup of motorcycles by-in-large is a good set of bikes. Note though, I did not say they are great. The ride-by-wire setup needs to be reworked, which may be as simple as using a different parts supplier. I know for example on the Ducati range, the RbW can vary greatly depending on whether it is a Mitsubishi or Magneti Marelli unit.

I hate to be one of those journalists that nit-picks a seemingly innocuous design flaw — like I know some of my colleagues spend god knows how much ink about every horrible rearview mirror on every sport bike every produced — but for me the dash on many of the models is a problem indicative of a larger issue, and that’s an issue regarding attention to detail…and in the premium motorcycle market, details count for quite a lot.

I worry that by the time that MV Agusta fixes these more refined problems, the company will have wasted away any good faith it has left with motorcycle consumers, which is a shame because a lot of these bikes are really quite good (there is that word again).

With the kinks sorted out, I think the MV Agusta F3 800 could be bike of the year material. The Rivale is super fun to ride, but its face is perhaps too polarizing.

I’m genuinely intrigued to ride the Turismo Veloce, and see what 2016 has for the MV Agusta F4 superbike. Meanwhile, The Brutale line is full of good looking bikes that I think outshine anything on offer from the other OEMs in terms of aesthetics.

There are good bones here in the MV Agusta lineup. Hopefully the company can continue to raise its standards and be ready to compete on a level beyond one of a beauty pageant.

On the merits, MV Agusta is not there yet. But they are close, and that encourages me…and it should encourage you. If you have a dealer nearby, stop in for a test ride, and lets compare notes in the comments section.

Action Photos: © 2015 Jose Gallina / MV Agusta – All Rights Reserved

• pedantic

  except. not expect.

• grahluk

  Funny thing happened between your Pt1 & Pt2 MV story. Pt1 piqued my interest back over to the F3 675 I drooled over last summer. I did a little further investigating. As rare as these bikes are I found a few of them floating out on the market within purchasing distance. Some new ones, some slightly pre-owned ones, and one new old stock 2013 F3 for a very doable price. Knowing that I was tempting fate by considering swapping out a bike that has been flawless for one that I simply lust after I started looking around at how people that own and live with MV’s are getting on. Wow. I was shocked when wading into one of the dedicated MV forums. They’re almost entirely filled with discussion of problems that vary from the inconvenient or unpleasant (partial throttle roughness) to the downright dangerous (bike dies on downshifts into corners). By and large it seems their owners really, really want to love their MV’s. They want the relationship to work for the same reasons I wanted to get into an MV love affair. The bikes are inarguably (I’ll stand by that) the most beautiful bikes on the road. They offer a take on several segments of motorcycling in a compelling way but these owners are paying for it in frustration and aggravation. It seems the few MV dealers out there are doing their best to back them up and that MV are trying to streamline support but it’s just the bikes themselves that are failing the owners, dealers, and folks of MV. Really a shame. As difficult a challenge it is to try and carve out a place in the premium motorcycle market it makes it every more so if the product has issues that could work against the best way to grow their presence on the roads and that is owner/rider satisfaction and word of mouth. MV are like 8/10ths there but in a market that requires 10/10ths of product awesomeness to even get the brand noticed among more established rivals I fear for their future. I still really, really lust after the F3. Its everything my dream moto could be. Pin up girl good looks, slim almost GP250 package, a raft of the latest electronic bells & whistles, and a compelling triple motor. I so want it but at this point I’m very relieved that my dime a dozen CBR600RR does as most Hondas. It just works so competently that I totally take for granted that people have problems with running and maintaining some motorcycles.

  Still I will be cheering for Jules Cluzel to win the title on the F3 in WSS. Hopefully MV sorts out their bikes before they run out of investment & good will.

• AUSDAVIDZ

  ” Developed while MV Agusta was part of Harley-Davidson” YEAP all they where told to do is the fly-by-wire, done a great job yanks…

• Jack Meoph

  There is no way in hell the end user should become the de facto testing mule for a modern day motorcycle. MV gets nothing but a big fat fail for bringing to market test bed motorcycles at a premium price. This kind of garbage is happening all over the spectrum of consumer goods, and it’s an absurd business model to run. The angular design has also become tiresome. I had a 2005 Triumph Daytona 650 (which was a solid, street worthy supersport) that had the angular design, and that was a decade ago. On the MV’s it looks overwrought and wasteful, like they’re trying too hard to build a two wheeled Voltron. The only positive is that the rich will be the ones getting burned on these boutique POS.

• Superlight

  I’m not making excuses for MV, but they are in about the same situation Ducati was 15 years ago regarding “character flaws”, few dealers and parts difficult to obtain. I bought my first Duck in 1982 when all these traits were most associated with the Ducati brand. The question is whether MV will move beyond these facts to become a truly competitive brand. In the meantime I accept my F3 for what it is (an exciting, great handling and raw middleweight).

• Dustin Nisbet-Jones

  If you haven’t seen the Motorcycle.com quick ride report on these bikes at the same press event, check it out on YouTube. Mr. Beeler makes a guest appearance in the on-track shots. :) I saw the A&R logo on some leathers and had a ‘hey, look who it is!’ moment.

• sburns2421

  I have to wonder if MV woldn’t get more mileage out of developing a big triple for the F4 replacement rather than another four. 1125-ish cubic centimeters displacement and short stroke design would allow an engine to rev, sound great and still make competitive power. Get it homologated for WSBK and make an apples to apples comparison tough with twins or fours other than outright performance.

• http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/ Jensen Beeler

  Yup, I helped Troy with some chase video since I wanted extra time on the Rivale.

Source : asphaltandrubber[dot]com

post from sitemap

ArenaX: Ricky Carmichael Interview

ArenaCross Press Release:

The inaugural AMSOIL Arenacross, featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross, visit to Tampa, Florida, this Saturday night will also serve as a homecoming for one of the sport’s most legendary figures. Ricky Carmichael, a native of nearby Tarpon Springs and resident of Tallahassee, will make a special appearance inside Amalie Arena, supporting both AMSOIL Arenacross and the Road to Supercross, which he created. Following the recent announcement that Carmichael will be a 2015 inductee into the American Motorsports Hall of Fame, there is even more excitement and anticipation for his homecoming. AMSOIL Arenacross caught up with Carmichael to get his thoughts on the 2015 season and his visit to Tampa.

Ricky, being a Florida native and racing both two and four wheels here, you have been a big supporter of growing both Monster Energy Supercross and AMSOIL Arenacross. How does it feel to have the sport back in the Sunshine State?

RC: It’s great to have any of those races in the great state of Florida, but what is really cool is that AMSOIL Arenacross is happening in Tampa, which is so close to my hometown of Tarpon Springs!

Matt Goerke will be racing here in front of his home state, hoping to earn back-to-back wins. What was it like for you racing in Florida in front of all your family and friends?

RC: Well, it’s a great feeling anytime you have family, friends and a huge support group at the events cheering you on, but it was definitely an added value racing in my home state and it made winning there that much more special.

With the Race to the Championship just a few weeks away, every point counts towards getting in the top 10 of the championship points standings before they reset. What are your thoughts on the action we’re going to see this weekend in Tampa?

RC: Yes the Race to the Championship is just right around the corner as you said, and it will be exciting when that happens. For this weekend, I expect to see some great racing as I always do when I attend  AMSOIL Arenacross but I think the guys that are on the bubble of making it in the top 10 will have a little more pressure to make it happen and will be giving it everything they have.

This is the most intense season we’ve seen in AMSOIL Arenacross history. Talk about the competition. We have new faces, returning veterans, as well as top Road to Supercross riders this season.

RC: This season has been incredible! There’s been a lot of parity out there, which has brought a ton of excitement and the unknown of who will win. It has been really exciting from a fan’s aspect. It’s great to see the young talent coming up through the Road to Supercross program as well. It amazes me how good these riders are they come up through the ranks.

You have been helping develop AMSOIL Arenacross over the past three seasons. How has the series progressed and elevated since you first got involved?

RC: It’s been a lot of fun to be involved I can tell you that. There are so many areas where the series has progressed. One being how competitive it is, these guys are going for it all, each and every time they are on the track and to sit and watch that happening makes me believe we’re heading in the right direction. The number of fans in attendance each week has been phenomenal; it’s so exciting to see all those people there to witness one of the greatest seasons in history! As much success as we have already had though, I feel like we still have room to grow and make it even better for years to come.

Do you feel that riders are now entering Monster Energy Supercross with better preparation and planning as a result of racing AMSOIL Arenacross?

RC: Absolutely! 100 percent!  When I attend the Monster Energy Supercross races I feel that the non-seeded riders talent level is substantially higher, which is good to see and is proof that the program is working. I look forward to seeing the growth and development years to come!

The sixth round of AMSOIL Arenacross kicks off Saturday, February 21, from Tampa, Florida, for the championship’s debut inside Amalie Arena. Racing begins at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET.

AMSOIL Arenacross – Coming to a City Near You in 2015!:

Tickets for each round of AMSOIL Arenacross are on sale now!

The entire AMSOIL Arenacross season will air on FOX Sports 1, including re-airs on Fox Sports 2, beginning Sunday, February 8, at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET.

For more information: www.arenacross.com

Source : cycleworld[dot]com

post from sitemap

WSBK: Round #1 Pata Honda Race Preview – Phillip Island (Video)

http://cf.c.ooyala.com/pydnBnczrFWSwTdRt1VAIv5ia7EL59BC/3Gduepif0T1UGY8H4xMDoxOjBzMTt2bJ

Pata Honda Press Release:

Following the conclusion of yesterday’s final pre-season test ahead of this weekend’s opening round of the 2015 World Superbike championship at Phillip Island in Australia, it is our great pleasure to bring you a video news release.

The Pata Honda team’s two WSBK riders, Sylvain Guintoli and Michael van der Mark, summarize the two-day test at the 4.445km Phillip Island circuit and look ahead to the weekend’s action.

For more information: www.patahonda.com

Source : cycleworld[dot]com

post from sitemap