I think all along, I knew it had to end this way…
After 13 years of writing about motorcycles, it is time for me to pursue the next challenges in my life, and pass the Asphalt & Rubber keyboard to someone else.
Despite being back to something resembling relative normality, MotoGP is off to a strange start in 2022. The season opener at Qatar saw the favorites fall short, and a surprise winner and championship leader.
The second race, at Mandalika in Indonesia, nudged uncomfortably close to farce, the rain saving the MotoGP race from disaster. But like many wet races, the result was far from representative.
For round 3, MotoGP heads to Argentina, and the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit. The track in Argentina is a lesson in contrasts.
A broken down cargo freighter has thrown the schedule for the Argentina Grand Prix at Termas de Rio Hondo into chaos.
One of the aircraft carrying some of the freight from Indonesia to Argentina suffered problems, causing the freight to get stuck in Mombasa, Kenya, and delaying its arrival at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit.
With bikes from a number of teams missing – including the Gresini Ducati of MotoGP championship leader Enea Bastianini – it was decided to cancel practice for all three classes on Friday, and to begin the weekend on Saturday instead.
Episode 86 of the Brap Talk motorcycle podcast is out with another “weekly” episode, for your two-wheeled listening pleasure.
In this episode, we start things off by talking about the new MotoGP Unlimited series on Amazon Prime, and how its launch was similar, but not the same, as Drive for Survive was for Formula 1.
Episode 269 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one sees us previewing the Argentina GP at the Termas de Rio Hondo.
On the mics, we have a half crew, with David Emmett and Adam Wheeler looking at MotoGP’s sole stop in South America this year.
It was four years ago when we first saw Yamaha’s electric trials motorcycle, and the Yamaha TY-E was certainly an interesting entry into the space. That statement only becomes truer with version 2.0.
A such, the Yamaha TY-E 2.0 just officially debuted at the 49th Tokyo Motorcycle Show, and our initial wave of information shows a refined bike in Yamaha’s lineup.
The Repsol Honda team has announced that Marc Marquez is to miss the Argentina round of MotoGP at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit.
The Spaniard met with the specialist treating him for diplopia, or double vision, on Monday, who judged that it would be better for him to sit out the race weekend taking place in Argentina.
Honda went into the Indonesian Grand Prix widely seen as potential front runners. Pol Espargaro had been fastest in the test at Mandalika a month previously, Marc Marquez had been quickest on the second day of the test, Honda riders had set a consistently fast pace, looking better than their single-lap speed.
What’s more, Espargaro was coming off a podium at the season opener at Qatar, the race where Marc Marquez had finished fifth.
To say the Indonesian Grand Prix ended badly for Honda is an understatement. Pol Espargaro was fastest Honda once again, but the Repsol rider crossed the line way down in 12th, 33 seconds behind the winner, Miguel Oliveira.
Espargaro was one of only two Honda riders to finish in the points, crossing the line just ahead of Alex Marquez on the LCR Honda in 13th. Takaaki Nakagami could only struggle to a 19th place, 49 seconds behind the winner.
That wasn’t the really bad news, however. The worst blow for Honda was the fact that Marc Marquez manage to miss the race, and perhaps endanger his chances of the 2022 title, or worse. Much worse.
Looking for stability at high speeds, and easier turning at low speeds, Yamaha has created a unique steering solution that the company is currently testing in a dirt bike application.
Officially named the Yamaha EPS Steering Support System, this lightweight electromagnetic setup doubles as an active steering damper and power steering assist.
When it comes to states that are friendly to motorcyclists, we can add Arizona to the list, as the Grand Canyon State has passed a law that makes it legal to lane-filter on a motorcycle.
The states that motorcyclists can pass between stopped vehicles, at a speed no faster than 15 mph, and only on roads with speed limits below 45mph.
Can-Am isn’t the first name when you think of motorcycle manufacturers, but the Canadian brand has a rich tradition in the two-wheeled world, especially when it comes to off-road racing.
They are getting back to their roots now though, albeit with a modern twist, as Can-Am has announced that it will return to the two-wheeled space, brining a lineup of electric motorcycles by the year 2024.