Honda debuted the new CBR1000RR-R for the World Superbike Championship this Thursday in Jerez, during the first of two days of testing with Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge. Initial indications are positive, but there is caution

Speaking to the championship’s official website, team manager Leon Camier stated: ‘There are a few changes with the new bike; the split throttle bodies is something that’s a good step in the right direction for the race bike and what we want on track. The normal thing to expect is more edge grip and better connection when you first touch the gas because you are only opening two cylinders, not four. Many other manufacturers are running this but for us, it’s something we wanted for the race bike. For the lighter crankshaft, it’s a small difference but we should expect a little bit better acceleration and deceleration. We have a different weight distribution of the bike; Honda wanted to go in this direction because it’s better for what we need for racing; it’s all going in the right direction’.

Regarding the innovations in the motorcycle, the official detailed: ‘The first feelings with the bike are quite good, even though there are positives and negatives. With it being the first test, it’s good that the riders are feeling the positives and with the negatives, they are things we have to work with. Setting the bike up, putting things in the right places… it’s normal that it takes time to smooth things out. Both riders need time to set it up for their style and their way of riding. First impressions are positive so we need to get through these two days, see where we are at the end of it and keep making a step forward’.

Despite the innovations, Camier revealed that the super concession, which Honda is entitled to for 2024, has not been incorporated. The British leader talked about more details about the new CBR1000RR-R: ‘It’s done in a different way with a different weight distribution; the centre of gravity is a little bit different. Overall length, I’m actually not sure where we are but I think it’s something similar but you can play around with that anyway. Alter the swingarm length a little bit and you can have a big change, so it’s just done in a slightly different way’.

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O conteúdo New CBR1000RR-R encourages Honda for the next WSBK season aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

O piloto da HRC Honda no Mundial de Superbike, Xavi Vierge revelou que a saída de Marc Márquez da Repsol Honda no MotoGP acabou por ser um dos temas mais abordados no paddock do campeonato das motos derivadas de produção.

‘Também se notou isso no SBK, porque está tudo interligado. Por isso, houve esta demora em anunciar as renovações’, confessou o piloto, citado por vários meios de comunicação social espanhóis.

No âmbito desportivo da sua parceria com a Honda, Vierge sublinhou que o objetivo é claro e passa por chegar aos títulos:

– Houve um momento que parecia que essa notícia poderia ter afetado a parceria, mas o objetivo de todos é tentar levar a Honda a ganhar o Mundial de Superbikes, o objetivo não é estar no top- três, mas sim ganhar.

O conteúdo Saída de Marc Márquez foi tema nos bastidores do WSBK, revela Xavi Vierge aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Team HRC is opting for continuity and renews with Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge in the World Superbike Championship for 2024 and 2025. Both riders are currently in their second season with the manufacturer.

The Spanish riders have been affected by injuries since their arrival, but they have shown that the project is progressing. In 2023, Lecuona has been a regular presence in the top ten and has been called upon more than once to replace injured Honda riders in MotoGP. As for Vierge, he has already secured a podium and is the best-placed rider from Team HRC in the championship, currently holding the eighth position.

The General Manager of Honda Racing Corporation’s Race Operations Management Division, Tetsuhiro Kuwata, stated: ‘In nearly two years of working together, we have come to appreciate Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge in every respect, and we are therefore happy and pleased to announce that both will remain HRC factory riders for the next two years. Xavi and Iker are two young, fast and competitive riders, always ready to face every challenge with positivity, dedication and team spirit. These are values that we fully share because they are the ones that allow us to strive and progress in the competitive world of racing. Good work to both our riders and our technicians for both the 2023 season finale and the years to come’.

O conteúdo Honda renews with Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge in WSBK until 2025 aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Tim Gajser won this Sunday’s MXGP of Great Britain, that marked the end of the MXGP Motocross World Championship season. The final round took place at the Matterley Basin circuit.

In the first race, Glenn Coldenhoff (Monster Energy Yamaha) led for a significant portion of the race but couldn’t hold onto the position in the final laps. Gajser (Team HRC) overtook him with three laps to go, and then he lost the second-place position to his teammate Jeremy Seewer on the final lap. Seewer finished 1.627 seconds behind Gajser. Jorge Prado (Red Bull GasGas), the reigning champion, finished fourth in this race despite briefly being in second place.

Coldenhoff again started as the leader in the second race but was overtaken by Gajser in the third lap. The Slovenian set the pace from there, eventually winning by 5.868 seconds ahead of Romain Febvre (Kawasaki). The Frenchman made a strong recovery to finish second in the ninth of the 14 laps. During the final lap, Seewer also lost a position to Rúben Fernández (Team HRC). Coldenhoff finished fifth. Prado suffered a fall and could only recover to 18th place.

With the double victory, Gajser won the MXGP of Great Britain, scoring a perfect 50 points. Seewer was second with 40 points, followed by Febvre, Coldenhoff, and Fernández in the top five. After his setbacks in the second race, Prado finished tenth overall.

Race 1 Results:

Race 2 Results:

MXGP of Great Britain Results:

O conteúdo Tim Gajser closed out the MXGP season dominating in Great Britain aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Tim Gajser won the MXGP of Turkiye in the MXGP Motocross World Championship in Afyonkarahisar this Sunday. It marks his return to the top step of the podium, which he has been missing since last year.

In the first race, Gajser (Team HRC) took the lead in the first lap but was constantly pressured by Romain Febvre. The Frenchman from Kawasaki completed the overtake on the seventh lap, and from then on, Gajser couldn’t regain it – finishing 4.675s behind his rival.

Maxime Renaux (Monster Energy Yamaha) finished third with a comfortable gap, but nearly ten seconds behind Gajser. Calvin Vlaanderen (Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha) and Alberto Forato (SM Action Racing Team/KTM) completed the top five. Jorge Prado (Red Bull GasGas), the championship leader, had issues on his bike at the start and couldn’t do better than 13th place.

As for the second race, it was dominated by one rider. Prado took the holeshot but was once again betrayed by his GasGas’s mechanics and lost several positions. Gajser took the lead and never lost it. The four-time MXGP world champion crossed the finish line 5.834s ahead of Renaux, who hadn’t much problems to secure the second place.

Febvre finished third, where he stayed throughout the race, followed by Rúben Fernández (Team HRC) and Vlaanderen. Prado could only recover to ninth after the initial mishap.

The overall winner was Gajser, with 47 points – two more than Febvre. Renaux was third with five fewer points than Gajser, followed by Vlaanderen and Forato. Prado finished tenth in the MXGP of Turkiye.

Race 1 results:

Race 2 results:

Overall results:

O conteúdo Tim Gajser won for the first time in MXGP 2023 season aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

A thunderstorm forced the cancellation of the qualifying race for the MXGP of Turkey, part of the MXGP Motocross World Championship. The race was scheduled for Saturday in Afyonkarahisar.

With no qualifying race, the results from the timed practice session were taken into account. Tim Gajser (Team HRC) was the fastest in the session, beating Jorge Prado (Red Bull GasGas) by 0.798s, with Jeremy Seewer (Monster Energy Yamaha) following 1.572s behind the leader.

The points that would have been awarded in the qualifying race will not be awareded. Therefore, only the main races on Sunday will have an impact on the championship at the MXGP of Turkey.

Timed practice results:

O conteúdo Qualifying race for the MXGP of Turkey cancelled due to a storm; Tim Gajser on Pole Position aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.