Two things can be said about Spa-Francorchamps. One is that the Belgian track is one of the most iconic race circuits in Europe, and the other is that it is one of the most harrowing race courses anywhere in the world.
It is for the second reason that motorcycles do not race there at the international level, and it is for the first reason that it is a great shame that they do not. Things are about to change, however.
For the past five years, Belgian brand Sarolea has been at the Isle of Man TT honing its electric superbike. The results haven’t always been there for the boutique company, but Sarolea set its best time around the Mountain Course in 2017 with Dean Harrison at the helm, posting a 108.064 mph lap.
Taking what it has learned on “the roads” and applying it to the road, the Sarolea MANX7 has been born. Basically the race bike with lights, the Sarolea MANX7 Limited electric superbike is breaking cover for the 2018 model year.
Carbon fiber everything, and a truly bespoke machine, the overall aesthetic of the Sarolea MANX7 Limited might not be for everyone, but it certainly is a sight to be seen, with very clever details hidden in its retro-modern design.
If you are one of those motorcycle enthusiasts that longs for the days back when men were men, and bikes were carbureted, then vintage endurance racing at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps should be right up your alley.
Throw in a superb-looking Katana race bike, with Guy Martin at the helm, and well…you’ve got some YouTube gold right there, that’s what you’ve got.
Such is the case with Suzuki and its Team Classic Suzuki Racing squad, which came out to Belgium for the second round of the European Classic Endurance Championship, at the Spa Four-Hour endurance race.
There are so many iconic names at play here, it’s amazing that the event didn’t get more coverage. Thankfully, Suzuki made a video to help share the experience, which we think you will find highly enjoyable.
After last week’s announcements from the Circuit of Wales and the Hungaroring, there comes news from two more circuits this week. Firstly, that the legendary Belgian Spa Francorchamps circuit is looking to host a MotoGP round.
And secondly, that MSV has taken over the lease to run the Donington Park circuit, also possibly opening the door to a return for MotoGP.
Nine races down, nine to go. The Sachsenring marks the mid-point of the season, and in all three Grand Prix classes the outlines of the championship are becoming clear.
In Moto2 and Moto3, there is one rider who can dominate, winning often, taking a hefty points haul when he can’t, and having luck work in their favor and against their opponents. In MotoGP, the title looks to be settled between the Movistar Yamaha teammates, with the Repsol Hondas playing a decisive role.
The three races in Germany all played out following the broader patterns of their respective championships. In the Moto3 race, Danny Kent steamrollered his way to victory, his teammate Efren Vazquez helping him to extend his lead in the championship to 66 points by taking second ahead of Enea Bastianini.
In Moto2, Johann Zarco narrowly missed out on victory, the win going to Xavier Simeon. The Belgian plays no role in the championship, while Zarco’s nearest rival Tito Rabat was taken out by Franco Morbidelli in the final corner. Rabat’s crash means Zarco now leads Moto2 by 65 points.
Both Kent and Zarco can start to pencil their names in for the respective championships, their leads starting to edge towards the unassailable.
In MotoGP, the title chase is still wide open, with both Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo easily capable of winning. The championship started strongly in Rossi’s favor, then the momentum swung towards Lorenzo, before creeping back towards Rossi in the last two races.
Belgian outfit Saroléa is back for the 2015 Isle of Man TT, after debuting the 2015 version of its SP7 electric superbike this past weekend. If you’re saying to yourself that the 2015 model looks very similar to the 2014 model, you are in fact correct, though the bikes are not actually identical.
The 2015 Saroléa SP7 has improved aerodynamics (namely a slimmer body), a revised center of gravity (for better handling), a reduction in weight (more carbon fiber and titanium parts), and proprietary fiber optic network that connect the vehicle control unit to the battery management system.
All of those changes are good for a 22 lbs overall reduction, but the biggest change though for 2015 is the new motor, which was built in-house and is rated at 150hp (down 25hp from last year’s machine).
Torsten Robbens, Project Manager at Belgium based Saroléa Motorcycles, has announced the company would be competing in the 2014 Isle of Man TT Zero challenge and the FIM eRoad Racing series.
After a 50 year hiatus this comes as a bit of a shock, since the company went defunct in 1963. Saroléa is one of Belgium’s oldest motorcycle companies and is seeking to reinvent itself with a new electric superbike.
A video we should probably save for a Throwback Thursday, we bring you this short film by Tim Buys, which features last year’s Belgian TT Classic. A race open to any motorcycle of 40 years age or older, the Classic Racing Motorcycles Belgium (CRMB) holds the Classic TT in Gedinne, Belgium on a short road course that measures 3.15 miles in length.
With 22 proper turns and one chicane, it is interesting that the longest straight on the course is only 200 meters long, still the road course is considered to be quite fast for the vintage bikes that race on it. If you like your race bike older than their racers, and your race courses on public roads then we’ve got a special treat for you after the jump. Happy Monday.
It’s Monday, and EICMA hasn’t even officially started yet, but that hasn’t stopped coming out of the Milan venue. To give us you a break from the madness, here is a video of Belgian trials rider Fred Crosset doing what he does best. We’ve been known to do a lot of stupid things here at A&R, but riding a bike on top of the support beams of a bridge is not one of them. Chalk one point up for Belgium, and watch it all the way through for the surprise ending.
Source: The Kneeslider