28 ❘ MOTOR CYCLE NEWS OCTOBER 8, 2008
ROAD TEST Street Triple and the R, far right, might look identical but do small changes make a big difference?
Worth £500
As the credit crunch bites, buyers will ask Triumph’s new R version of the Street Trip
michael.neeves @motorcyclenews.com
W
MYKEL NICOLAOU
ITH its new Street Triple R, Triumph have taken the already brilliant, and hugely successful Street Triple and added Daytona 675 bling and sports ability – all for £500 extra. But is it worth it? And who will get the most out of it, a novice or sports bike nut? Read on to find out the answers... Triumph put all its rivals in the shade last summer when it brought out the magnificent Street Triple, which was, for many, the bike of 2007 – so much so that if you want to get your hands on a new one, you’ll have to wait until January or February . The genius is in its simplicity. Essentially, Triumph took one of its brilliant Daytona 675 supersport bikes, pictured centre, (which has just won the British Supersport Championship in the hands of Glen Richards against the best the Japs have got to offer). Then it ripped off the fairing, retuned the motor for added low-down grunt, slowed the steering and wacked a couple
The Street Triple is a class act that was an instant sales hit
The R versio
of their iconic bug-eye headlights on. To keep costs down they fitted non-adjustable suspension and simple non-radial twin-sliding brake calipers to the front end. But because Triumph have some of the best test riders in the world – real fast blokes riding on real British roads – the basic chassis setup was perfect out of the box and you never felt you’d been cheated out of something better. No sooner had Triumph announced that the Street Triple would cost £5349, Triumph dealers’ phones melted with orders. The price has since gone up to £5720, but even now it’s still
inspiring ha high-speed looks, spine track and fun-factor. We even p the mighty Speed Trip year. Altho Triple coul bigger bike being able third gear w it had it lick areas, includ weight (16 braking and naked Day sports bike, Sorry to b about the S it really is t
‘What an extra £500 buys is immediately noticeable’ a bargain. Riding the Street Triple again now, it comes flooding back why it’s so good and easily won every group test MCN put it in. It thrashed its middleweight rivals, like the Ducati S2R, Honda Hornet, Kawasaki Z750, Suzuki GSR600S and Yamaha FZ6 S2, thanks to its userfriendliness, scintillating performance, confidence-
OCTOBER 8, 2008 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS ❘ 29
www.motorcyclenews.com
0 more?
k if it’s worth spending more on ple? We put them head to head
on offers improvements but they come at a price
andling, low and manoeuvrability, e-tingling soundabove all, its
pitched it against 1050cc Triumph iple earlier this ough the Street ldn’t manage the e’s party trick of to clutch up a wheelie at 90mph, ked in most other ding agility, light67kg v 189kg) d handling – it is a ytona 675 super, after all. be all misty-eyed Street Triple, but that good, and if
you don’t believe me go and take a test ride. As it is, it’s the only bike you ever really need on the road. It’s only limitations are its lack of wind protection (even with the optional Triumph fly screen fitted) and slightly small dimensions that would put off hardcore cross-continental tourers. (But I’d be happy going to the South of France on one, especially when you reach the twisties down there). Also, if you were going to do lots of trackdays, the non-adjustable suspension could be a limitation. And that last point is where the £6220 Street Triple R comes in. The R is almost
identical to the standard model, right down to its liquid-cooled 675cc in-line three-cylinder engine, which punts out 97.6bhp at the rear wheel on our dyno, and 46.9ftlb of torque. That’s enough to propel it to a top speed of 140.77mph, 060mph in 3.69 seconds and a standing ¼-mile in 11.93 secs at 117.14 mph. What your extra £500 buys you is fully-adjustable 41mm upside side forks and rear shock and radial four-piston Nissin front brake calipers, biting the same 308mm twin disc set-up. You also get a different seat, Speed Triplestyle Magura handlebars and a choice matt grey or orange colour options. Although these changes don’t sound like much, they’re immediately noticeable the second you jump aboard. Even on standard suspension settings, the R doesn’t sink down under your weight as much as the standard bike. The forks are actually shorter (giving a shorter trail figure: 89.1mm versus 92.4mm) and the shock higher than the stocker, so couple that with the firmer suspension and Continues over
THE BIKES
TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE £5720
This is more than just a naked Daytona 675 supersports bike, or a baby Speed Triple, it’s a staggering Triumph success story. Ever since its launch last summer there’s been a two or three month waiting list and it’s the same now. This demonstrator from Picdocks Triumph comes with the optional fly screen, belly pan and Arrow 3-1 racing exhaust.
TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE R £6220
Fresh into dealers now, the Street Triple R is a subtlytweaked version of the standard bike. While the engine has been left alone, the suspension is now fullyadjustable and the trail shortened to give faster steering. The brakes are now four-piston radially-mounted Nissin items. It also comes with Speed Triple-style Magura handlebars and a restyled seat.
TRIUMPH DAYTONA 675 £7320
Although a new version of the Daytona 675 is coming out at the beginning of next year, the current model is still a cracker and is the most usable of all the supersport machines out there, thanks to its grunty three-cylinder motor, which churns out lots of real-world grunt. It handles like a 250cc Grand Prix too. This Pidcocks Triumph Demonstrator comes with optional carbon fibre mudguard, heel guards, hugger, chain guard and exhaust cover.
Thanks to Pidcocks Triumph for the loan of their Steet Triple and Daytona 675 demonstrators for this road test. 0115-946-2220. www. pidcock.com
32 ❘ MOTOR CYCLE NEWS OCTOBER 8, 2008
ROAD TEST
Seventeener superm Supermotos are now the must-have learner bikes. Suzuki’s all-new DR125SM takes on the class-leading Yamaha XT125X and Aprilia’s much lusted-after SX125 adam.child @motorcyclenews.com
I
N the beginning, 25 years ago, the original supermotos were the preserve of mad Frenchmen who turned their MX-ers and trailies into city scalpels with the substitution of road wheels and brakes. Three decades on, their
popularity and has grown to the extent that factory-built 125cc versions are now the beginner bikes of choice for any 17-year-old worthy of their Saltrock hoodie. It makes perfect sense. They’re cool-looking, easy to ride, make great commuters, are able to bounce over speed ramps, up and down kerbs, and even attack a bit
It’s 26 years since the worthy types in the big house with the clock on it limited learners to 125cc machines. From left: Suzuki DR125SM, Aprilia SX125 and Yamaha XT125X
of the loose stuff. Which is where Suzuki’s new DR125SM comes in – a supermoto version of its popular DR125 trailie. But how does it measure up? To find out we decided to pit it against its main rivals: the market-leading Yamaha XT125X fourstroke and, the Desmosedici RR of learner super-
‘Supermoto 125s are the 17-year-old’s bike of choice’ motos, Aprilia’s rip-snorting, but a hefty £600 dearer, twostroke SX125.
We took all three to the perfect ‘urban kid’ battleground – central London. There’s no getting away from the fact that potential buyers of these bikes are image-conscious youngsters (or their dads). So to succeed, a significant part of their appeal is their looks. Which, to be blunt, is where the new Suzuki falters
even before the start. Compared to the (admittedly pricier) Aprilia the DR seems very basic and budget. Some parts look flimsy, others no better than you’d expect from more obscure, cheaper Chinese machines. It’s certainly no looker. In fact, it has about as much street credibility as Asda jeans and a flat cap.
OCTOBER 8, 2008 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS ❘ 33
www.motorcyclenews.com IAN JUBB
motos hit town Take the clocks, for example. Tacky looking or, at best, plain. Even the bars look low-rent. And yes, I know Suzuki is striving to make it price competitive, and it’s far cheaper than the Aprilia at just over £2500 – but so is the Yamaha. And that bike, on looks alone, easily outshines the Suzuki. Obviously it’s the fancy Italian, the Aprilia, which wins the pose battle but you could easily argue that so it should at that price. Put another way, is the SX worth the extra £600 on looks
alone? Probably not. I actually prefer the styling of the little Yam, even if the Aprilia does have a slightly posher spec, an air of quality about it and a racy feeling… But there’s another downside to the Aprilia’s pure single-mindedness – the kickstart. The last bike I started with a kicker only was a timewarp Enfield. And like the Enfield, once I’d developed the knack the Aprilia started first time. But the fact there’s no electric starter rankles and is an inconvenience. This is
brand-new, top-spec, modern Italian motorcycle costing over £3000. What’s more, because it’s a left-side kickstart (not the more usual right) the awkwardness is heightened. Trying to restart the SX in busy London traffic after you’ve stalled is not just awkward and annoying, it can be embarrassing and tiring, as you kick like Frankie Dettori in the final furlong with sweat running down your face. Of course, once up and running, the Aprilia is an entirely different kettle
of halibut. Off the throttle, the derestricted SX sounds just like a racy two-stroke should. There’s a lovely zing from the expansion chamber, an intoxicating whiff of twostroke fumes. After that, the two Japanese four-strokes could only ever come over as plain and dull. They may have electric starters and be unquestionably useful and worthy, but they also rev slowly and are so quiet it’s sometimes hard to tell if they’re actually running. On the road, the contrast is equally great and instantly
Chinatown, Soho and Suzuki leads Aprilia leads Yamaha on the 125 supermotos’ big day out
...then it’s off down The Mall to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace felt in terms of performance. The derestricted two-stroke zaps along addictively, revs quickly and has enough punch to out-accelerate most cars from the traffic lights. Flat out you’re looking at an indicated 80mph, possibly more with a tailwind a favourable hill. And all that’s important if you’re 17. The four-strokes, meanwhile, are inevitably slower, more laboured, have nowhere near the same acceleration as the two-
stroke and struggled to reach an indicated 70mph. It’s enough of a difference to be hung out to dry on dual carriageway sprints. But although there’s a world of difference between the stroker and the fourstrokes, it’s virtually impossible to split the two Japanese. They’re almost identical in terms of power (although, if anything, the Yamaha has the slight edge and managed to pull away from the Suzuki on the open
road). In truth, both fourstroke engines are donkeys’ years old. Why couldn’t Suzuki have given its newcomer a trick water-cooled lump? Ah yes, that old favourite cost strikes again... However, there is a downside to the Aprilia’s performance and this is where the four-strokes come into their own. Around town, and especially in inner city London, the knife-edged, all-or-nothing delivery of Continues over
48 ❘ MOTOR CYCLE NEWS OCTOBER 8, 2008
SPORT RESULTS GP
Phillip Island, Australia/October 5, 2008 ROUND 16/18
MOTOGP
° 27°C 45 17 C
Pos Rider
Race time
Top speed
Best lap
Grid
1
C Stoner, Australia (Ducati)
40:56.643
204.992
1:30.067
1
2
V Rossi, Italy (Yamaha)
41:03.15
201.949
1:30.284 12
3
N Hayden, USA (Honda)
41:03.848
200.024
1:30.059
4
J Lorenzo, Spain (Yamaha)
41:08.14
200.210
1:30.702 2
5
S Nakano, Japan (Honda)
41:08.557
199.837
1:30.595
6
J Toseland, GB (Yamaha)
41:08.89
199.651
1:30.802 5
7
A Dovizioso, Italy (Honda)
41:09.423
198.347
1:30.585
8
C Edwards, USA (Yamaha)
41:22.56
200.272
1:31.083 7
3 9 8
9
R de Puniet, France (Honda)
41:22.680
197.291
1:30.873
10
L Capirossi, Italy (Suzuki)
41:23.44
198.720
1:30.971 11
11
T Elias, Spain (Ducati)
41:23.670
201.700
1:31.201
12
A West, Australia (Kawasaki)
41:44.45
200.583
1:31.915 18
13
J Hopkins, USA (Kawasaki)
41:44.976
200.955
1:32.010
14
S Guintoli, France (Ducati)
41:45.54
204.619
1:31.528 14
15
C Vermeulen, Australia (Suzuki)
41:45.578
196.794
1:31.313
16
M Melandri , Italy (Ducati)
42:08.41
203.812
1:32.519 17
4 13 16 15
DNF A de Angelis, Italy (Honda)
0 laps
10
DNF
0 laps
6
D Pedrosa, Spain (Honda)
Phillip Island saw three MotoGP champs on the podium
250 GRAND PRIX
° 33°C 37 18 C
Results (25 laps – 69.06 miles): 1 M Simoncelli, Italy (Gilera) 39:02.553 – 106.12mph, 2 A Bautista, Spain (Aprilia), 3 M Kallio, Finland (KTM), 4 J Simon, Spain (KTM), 5 A Debon, Spain (Aprilia), 6 R Locatelli, Italy (Gilera), 7 Y Takahashi, Japan (Honda), 8 A Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), 9 R Wilairot, Thailand (Honda), 10 F Lai, Italy (Gilera), 11 K Abraham, Czech Republic (Aprilia), 12 A Baldolini, Italy (Aprilia), 13 I Toth, Hungary (Aprilia), 14 L Pesek, Czech Republic (Aprilia), 15 S Grotzkyj, Italy (Gilera), 16 D Arcas, Spain (Aprilia), 17 D T Pradita, Indonesia (Yamaha). DNF: H Aoyama, Japan (KTM), M Pasini, Italy (Aprilia), H Faubel, Spain (Aprilia), F Sandi, Italy (Aprilia), M Hernandez, Spain (Aprilia). Fastest lap: Bautista 1:32.710 – 107.26 mph. Championship positions after 14 of 16 rounds: 1 Simoncelli 240pts, 2 Bautista 203, 3 Kallio 191, 4 Debon 166, 5 Barbera 142, 6 Takahashi 134, 7 Pasini 125, 8 Simon 109, 9 Aoyama 108, 10 Luthi 95. British: 20 Laverty 8.
125 GRAND PRIX
° 33°C 36 20 C
Results (23 laps – 63.53 miles): 1 M di Meglio, France (Derbi) 37:55.589 – 100.51mph, 2 S Bradl, Germany (Aprilia), 3 G Talmacsi, Hungary (Aprilia), 4 A Iannone, Italy (Aprilia), 5 P Espargaro, Spain (Derbi), 6 S Cortese, Germany (Aprilia), 7 E Rabat, Spain (KTM), 8 S Corsi, Italy (Aprilia), 9 M Marquez, Spain (KTM), 10 S Redding, GB (Aprilia), 11 E Vazquez, Spain (Aprilia), 12 L Zanetti, Italy (KTM), 13 P Nieto, Spain (KTM), 14 J Olive, Spain (Derbi), 15 R Lasser, Germany (Aprilia), 16 M Ravaioli, Italy (Aprilia), 17 A Martin, Spain (Aprilia), 18 C Carrillo, France (Honda), 19 E Jerez, Spain (KTM), 20 J Metcher, Australia (Honda), 21 R Krummenache, Switzerland (KTM). DNF: B Smith, GB (Aprilia), B Chesaux, Switzerland (Aprilia), S Gadea, Spain (Aprilia), S Bonsey, USA (Aprilia), R Moller, Australia (Honda), J Cluzel, France (Loncin), B Gross, Australia (Yamaha), H van den Berg, Holland (Aprilia), R Muresan, Romania (Aprilia), R de Rosa, Italy (KTM), A Masbou, France (Loncin), N Terol, Spain (Aprilia), T Nakagami, Japan (Aprilia), D Aegerter, Switzerland (Derbi). Fastest lap: Bradl 1:37.908 – 101.56mph. Championship positions after 15 of 17 rounds: 1 di Meglio 237pts, 2 Bradl 187, 3 Corsi 184, 4 Talmacsi 181, 5 Terol 149, 6 Olive 133, 7 Smith and Cortese 117, 9 Espargaro 114, 10 Redding 97. British: 18 Webb 35. DRY RACE
JT enjoyed a hammerand-tongs battle with Valentino Rossi on his 28th birthday at Phillip Island
DRY/WET RACE
WET RACE
GROUND TEMP
HUMIDITY
AIR TEMP
Toseland’s enjoys a birthday bash in Oz
Big battle with Rossi ends with a top-six finish as a present matthew.birt @motorcyclenews.com
B
IRTHDAY boy James Toseland restored his belief that he can become a major force in MotoGP after a memorable performance in Australia. Having claimed four sixth places in his first seven races, Toseland had only taken one further top six in eight races leading up to Phillip Island. Yet he staged a devastating return to form on Sunday to finish sixth. He held third for all but two of the first eight laps in a pulsating encounter and said: “I might have been in for a podium at one stage. To be only 12 seconds off Casey Stoner on his home track is great. A podium would have been an unbelievable birthday present, but I’ll take a sixth considering how well I rode.” Sixth seemed like scant reward for Toseland’s heroic efforts as he marked his 28th birthday with a ding-dong battle with Valentino Rossi. On laps nine and 12, Rossi surged by Toseland as their dice for third place captivated a 50,000-strong Aussie crowd, but the British rider retaliated with inch-perfect clinical passes on the newlycrowned world champion.
Toseland said: “When Valentino came by me, I knew I had to pass him straight back. If he got away I’d have no choice but to push at the absolute limit to try and follow and that would have worn the tyre a lot quicker. “The rear was already spinning at that point and I didn’t want to make it any worse. I’d got straight back by him twice and when he passed for the third time going into the first corner, I tried to stick it straight back under him again. Not many people do that but he just covered his line out of the first corner.” Rossi complimented Toseland’s relentless determination and said: “He was fair and it was a great battle. He rides like a devil, he rides like his life is depending on it.
TITLE TABLE
GP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Rossi Stoner Pedrosa Lorenzo Dovizioso Hayden Edwards Vermeulen Nakano Capirossi
Phillip Island ROUND 16/18 ITA AUS ESP ESP ITA USA USA AUS JPN ITA
332 245 209 182 145 131 126 118 106 102
He wants to keep his position, but he is very fair. “Unfortunately I was too relaxed the first time I passed him and thought I was faster than him. Then James came back and I said ‘f**k’. He was in front with a good pace and he is always very difficult to overtake – the third time I
passed him, I had to push a lot to pull away.” Toseland said: “Just to be battling up there and passing Valentino is a great honour. But you can see why he is so bloody good. Even when his bike or tyres are not at their best, he’s still so smooth.” The Brit then staged a great rearguard action to defend fourth from Jorge Lorenzo, Andrea Dovizioso and Shinya Nakano for 12 laps. But Dovizioso launched another scathing attack on Toseland after they tangled for a third time in 2008. The Italian was forced wide by an aggressive Toseland move on the brakes on the last lap, with Nakano diving under both of them to steal fifth. Dovizioso was left to finish seventh and said of Toseland:
‘A podium would have been a fantastic present, but I’ll take sixth’ JAMES TOSELAND
Sixth and a fish supper sealed JT’s happy birthday in Australia
“He is just way too aggressive. Maybe he needs to do kick boxing instead of MotoGP. In MotoGP you have to use your head – but
he is not using his. I was fifth, but ended up in seventh because of him.” Toseland responded: “There were hard moves, but Andrea’s move on me into the first corner was a tough when he went under me and Jorge. They were all ballsy moves, but nothing dangerous. “I went a bit wide, but it was the last lap of a race where we were fighting for fourth. Everybody was on the limit. I’d have been p*ssed off if I hadn’t had a go.” Lorenzo said: “He did a bit of blocking, but his riding was absolutely correct. He doesn’t carry anywhere near the same corner speed as us, but he is really brave and was in that group fighting.” Toseland got a rapturous reception from the crowd and said: “That was just what I needed. It has been such a tough year but I have enjoyed the challenge. I’ve gone from getting lapped to passing Valentino now! “It’s been a real rollercoaster and I’m sorry it hasn’t been as consistent as I’d have liked, but I have to put on a good show at places where I was good in World Superbikes. When you have a ride like that and pass Valentino, it encourages me even more.”
OCTOBER 8, 2008 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS ❘ 49
www.motorcyclenews.com
Stoner ignores pressure and wrist injury to win home GP CASEY STONER believes his dominant home victory in Phillip Island should silence critics who say he has buckled under pressure this year. He survived intense early pressure from Nicky Hayden to hand Ducati victory in its 100th MotoGP race and score his 15th win for the Bologna factory. After taking his first win since the German GP in July, Stoner denied he had been rattled this season after being harried by Rossi, leading to mistakes in Brno and Misano when he crashed out of the lead. The 22-year-old Aussie said: “I’ve never been rattled before in my life, so why would it happen now?” He eased to his second successive home win, having broken Hayden’s brave resistance on lap 10. He added: “I made mistakes, had some bad luck and it’s been a rough season so I’m just going to forget about it. “Everyone thinks that the championship is just about
Valentino and me, but it was Nicky who was on my arse today and the battle was with him. He was riding well and without a tyre problem he might have made it a little more difficult for us to take an advantage. Stoner admitted suffering more pre-race nerves than
Yamaha top brass have warned Colin Edwards to get better results or be transferred to WSB
‘Nicky was on my arse today and the battle was with him’ CASEY STONER usual, due to concern about the set-up of his factory Ducati. He said: “All weekend the rear shock had a problem in the damping – it was trying to put me through the roof. We changed a couple of things and just put a little bit more weight in the front and the lap times came so easy for the race.” Stoner will now delay ‘career saving’ surgery on his
Edwards faces WSB transfer
Despite serious pre-race nerves, Stoner dominated in Oz left wrist until the end of the season. An old 2003 scaphoid injury flared up again in Misano this year and he recently confirmed he would go for a bone graft to repair the damage immediately after the final GP. But now he’s insisting he will participate in the two-day Valencia test session immediately after the final race.
Stoner wants to give vital feedback on Ducati’s new carbon-fibre-framed GP9 contender in Valencia and said: “I’ve decided to do both days of the Valencia test. “I’ve tested the GP9 once but I need more time on the bike, especially as the team will have that next three months to make changes before next year.”
COLIN EDWARDS was given an incredible ultimatum by Yamaha to drastically improve his results or risk being axed as James Toseland’s team-mate for 2009. The Texan was hauled before senior Yamaha management at the recent Japanese GP and told his performances in the second half of the season simply weren’t good enough. Edwards had a superb first half of 2008 and looked a major threat for fourth in the championship. But since his podium at the Dutch GP in June, he has scored just 28 points in seven races. Yamaha’s senior boss Masao Furusawa left
Edwards in no doubt that he expected him to drastically improve on the Tech 3 Yamaha, or he would contemplate axing the 33-year-old and moving him to World Superbikes. The suggestion was that Yamaha would in turn make Ben Spies (who recently signed a deal to partner Tom Sykes in Yamaha’s factory WSB squad) Toseland}s team-mate. Edwards confirmed he had been given a ‘pep talk’, and while he also confirmed he had been told about Yamaha contemplating switching him to WSB, he said Spies’ name was never directly mentioned as his replacement.
Edwards told MCN: “Ben was not talked about, but the fact about the results is true. They are looking at my results and pinning the blame [on me], instead of saying Michelin f**ked us over for a few races in a row. “They just said: ‘we are not happy with your results’ and that’s pretty ballsy of Yamaha anyway. It’s not like I’m out there having a Sunday cruise. I’m out there pushing my ass off but they want to see an improvement in results. “They did mention about fiddling with line-ups and they wanted to see results. I like where I’m at and I would love to stay right here – that’s all I’m thinking about.”
54 ❘ MOTOR CYCLE NEWS OCTOBER 8, 2008
RESULTS WSB
Magny Cours, France / 5 October, 2008 ROUND 13/14 ° 14°C 56 12 C
RACE ONE Pos Rider
Race time
Top speed
Best lap
Grid
1
N Haga, Japan (Yamaha)
38:33.367
176.488
1:39.976
1
2
F Nieto, Spain (Suzuki)
+6.223
176.488
1:40.210 2
3
T Bayliss, Australia (Ducati)
+6.875
173.755
1:40.112
4
M Biaggi, Italy (Ducati)
+7.237
174.190
1:40.382 8
5
M Neukirchner, Germany
+8.925
174.190
1:40.347
6
T Corser, Australia (Yamaha)
+10.714
173.321
1:40.380 12
7
C Checa, Spain (Honda)
+16.176
171.520
1:39.834
8
Y Kagayama, Japan (Suzuki)
+22.661
175.122
1:40.984 15
3 6 4
9
K Sofuoglu, Turkey (Honda)
+27.224
172.886
1:41.036
10
G Lavilla, Spain (Honda)
+31.300
165.993
1:40.973 16
14
11
R Laconi, France (Kawasaki)
+35.558
171.520
1:40.892
12
K Muggeridge, Australia
+35.774
173.321
1:41.125 18
21
13
S Gimbert, France (Yamaha)
+36.078
167.670
1:41.467
14
S Nakatomi, Japan (Yamaha)
+36.289
175.556
1:41.334 19
13
15
C Walker, GB (Honda)
+40.472
170.216
1:41.372
23
16
A Badovini, Italy (Kawasaki)
+40.497
170.216
1:41.528 20
17
M Bauer, Austria (Honda)
+43.350
174.190
1:41.384
18
M Tamada, Japan (Kawasaki)
+54.263
170.650
1:41.724 22
19
S Aoyama, Japan (Honda)
+54.382
172.389
1:41.887
17 28
20
I Silva, Spain (Honda)
+54.513
174.190
1:41.704 27
DNF
J Smrz, Czech Republic (Ducati)
22 laps
172.886
1:41.137
26
DNF
C Zaiser, Austria (Yamaha)
21 laps
166.862
1:44.715 24
DNF
L Lanzi, Italy (Ducati)
20 laps
169.346
1:41.099
10
DNF
M Fabrizio, Italy (Ducati)
19 laps
165.993
1:40.046
9
DNF
D Checa, Spain (Yamaha)
17 laps
171.954
1:41.008 7
DNF
R Rolfo, Italy (Honda)
16 laps
174.190
1:40.635
DNF
R Xaus, Spain (Ducati)
14 laps
169.346
1:41.203 11
DNF
V Iannuzzo, Italy (Kawasaki)
6 laps
164.378
1:43.266
5 25
° 20°C 38 17 C
RACE TWO Pos Rider
Race time
Top speed
Best lap
Grid
1
T Bayliss, Australia (Ducati)
38:33.579
173.755
1:39.818
3
2
N Haga, Japan (Yamaha)
+0.909
176.053
1:39.840 1
3
T Corser, Australia (Yamaha)
+2.966
180.276
1:39.939
4
C Checa, Spain (Honda)
+7.175
173.755
1:40.238 4
5
R Xaus, Spain (Ducati)
+12.822
174.190
1:40.237
6
M Biaggi, Italy (Ducati)
+13.004
174.190
1:39.967 8
7
Y Kagayama, Japan (Suzuki)
+18.876
176.053
1:40.497
8
F Nieto, Spain (Suzuki)
+19.512
173.321
1:40.499 2
12 11 15
9
M Neukirchner, Germany
+19.627
175.122
1:40.805
10
R Rolfo, Italy (Honda)
+21.425
176.053
1:40.719 5
6
11
L Lanzi, Italy (Ducati)
+25.133
170.216
1:40.838
12
G Lavilla, Spain (Honda)
+30.538
168.104
1:40.926 16
10
13
J Smrz, Czech Republic (Ducati)
+35.334
172.389
1:40.970
14
M Fabrizio, Italy (Ducati)
+38.453
166.428
1:40.528 9
26
15
C Walker, GB (Honda)
+40.008
175.122
1:41.002
16
S Nakatomi, Japan (Yamaha)
+40.802
175.122
1:41.235 19
23
17
A Badovini, Italy (Kawasaki)
+46.941
170.650
1:41.263
18
M Tamada, Japan (Kawasaki)
+50.172
171.520
1:41.726 22
173.321
19
K Sofuoglu, Turkey (Honda)
+58.616
20
R Laconi , France (Kawasaki)
+1:00.422 171.520
21
I Silva, Spain (Honda)
+1:02.852
22
S Aoyama, Japan (Honda)
+1:21.378 171.085
173.755
1:41.389
20 14
1:41.760 21 1:42.021
27
1:42.356 28
23
V Iannuzzo, Italy (Kawasaki)
+1:32.289
169.346
1:42.745
25
DNF
K Muggeridge, Australia (Honda)
22 laps
172.389
1:41.119
18
DNF
C Zaiser, Austria (Yamaha)
11 laps
163.571
1:45.927 24
DNF
D Checa, Spain (Yamaha)
10 laps
171.520
1:41.104
DNF
S Gimbert, France (Yamaha)
4 laps
158.168
1:42.692 13
DNF
M Bauer, Austria (Honda)
3 laps
167.235
1:41.796
WORLD SUPERSPORT
7 17
° 15°C 46 17 C
Results (22 laps – 60.26 miles): 1 A Pitt, Australia (Honda) 37:57.929 – 95.239mph, 2 B Veneman, Holland (Suzuki), 3 J Brookes, Australia (Honda), 4 M Lagrive, France (Honda), 5 D van Keymeulen, Belgium (Suzuki), 6 M Roccoli, Italy (Yamaha), 7 G Nannelli, Italy (Honda), 8 F Foret, France (Yamaha), 9 J Hayes, USA (Honda), 10 J Rea, GB (Honda), 11 G Vizziello, Italy (Honda), 12 K Fujiwara, Japan (Kawasaki), 13 P Vostarek, Czech Republic (Honda), 14 I Clementi, Italy (Triumph), 15 R Harms, Denmark (Honda). British: 16 C Martin (Kawasaki). Fastest lap: B Parkes, Australia (Yamaha) 1:42.593 – 96.12mph. Championship positions after 12 of 13 rounds: 1 Pitt 194pts, 2 Rea 164, 3 Brookes 157, 4 Parkes 139, 5 Lascorz and Foret 105, 7 Jones 100, 8 Veneman 92, 9 Harms 71, 10 Nannelli 60. DRY RACE
DRY/WET RACE
WET RACE
GROUND TEMP
HUMIDITY
AIR TEMP
Bayliss crowned champion Aussie claims third WSB title… and celebrates by winning race two michael.guy @motorcyclenews.com
T
ROY Bayliss wrapped up the 2008 World Superbike Championship in style at Magny Cours to cement his place in history as one of WSB’s – and one of Ducati’s – all time greats. The 39-year-old arrived at the penultimate round of the championship with a 79point advantage, needing to score just 21 points from both races to secure his third WSB crown regardless of what his rivals did on track. The Xerox Ducati man only needed one chance to clinch the title and did so by finishing third in the opening race to outscore his closest rival Troy Corser. Having come within a few hundred metres of lifting the crown in Vallelunga two weeks ago, before crashing out, Bayliss made no mistakes this time around. The 2001 and 2006 champion got to stand on the podium and raise the championship trophy above his head for the third time in his six-year WSB career. Bayliss said: “It’s been a very special day – and to win on the 1098 has been a dream. It’s been a great bike right from the off and I’ve really enjoyed riding it. It’s been perfect to win the championship in race one and then take the win on track in race two.” Having been in control of the points standings since winning the opening race of the year at Qatar, actually clinching the title has been more about relief than satisfaction for the Australian. “Today when we took the championship in race one it wasn’t emotional at all. Before the start of the year we knew that we were going to have to be really on form, not make any mistakes and be really consistent. Everyone’s had good results and everyone’s had a few DNF’s. But it just happens that our good results have been better than anyone else’s and
TITLE TABLE
WSB 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Magny Cours ROUND 13/14
Bayliss Haga Corser Neukirchner Checa Biaggi Nieto Fabrizio Kiyonari Xaus
AUS JPN AUS GER ESP ITA ESP ITA JPN ESP
410 325 316 298 284 235 234 203 193 171
‘I wanted to win on three generations of Ducati’ TROY BAYLISS finally I got it. For me today wasn’t about winning the championship, it was about not losing it.” Bayliss won his first WSB crown way back in 2001 riding the Infostrada Ducati 996. He lost to Honda’s Colin Edwards in 2002 before spending the next three years in MotoGP for Ducati and Honda. In 2006 he returned to WSB to ride the Xerox Ducati 999 on which he won first time out. Now he’s done it again on the Xerox Ducati 1098. He said: “All the titles I’ve won have been great. The
first one was obviously very special and this one is like a dream because I always wanted to win on three different generations of Ducati. I feel like I’ve achieved something now and it feels the correct way to finish. “You never know what’s round the corner in racing but I want to go out on top. It’s like in 2006 when I went to Valencia [winning the MotoGP race]. I closed that book and I’ll never open it again and nobody can say anything and we’re going to do the same again here. That way I’ll be able to walk around with a chip on my shoulder for the rest of my life! [laughs].” Bayliss now has four weeks for his achievements to soak in before heading out one last time for the final round of the 2008 championship at new circuit Portimao at the beginning of November. But in true Bayliss style he’s vowed to carry on pushing as hard as ever. “I’ve still got one round to go and anything can happen. There is no way I’m going to go there and ride around, I want to finish on a high. I’ve got two more races to go and my Superbike career will be over and I can’t wait. It’s time for me to go now but I’ve got just about enough energy to make one last good race, maybe two, so I hope to go out with a bang.”
FLAMMINI: ‘BAYLISS IS AN ICON’ WSB boss Paolo Flammini has paid triubute to Bayliss’s WSB career. “Troy is going to be a big loss. Not only is he a great rider he is a great person. I really hope that even if we lose Troy as a competitor we will not lose him as a Superbike icon. He’s such a positive person and in my opinion he still has a lot to give from his experience. “We are very sad that he will not race next year but at the same time I think his decision to retire is completely right.”
Flammini hands Bayliss his third WSB trophy
GOLD AND GOOSE
SPORT
Triple champion: Bayliss with the jubilant Xerox Ducati squad
OCTOBER 8, 2008 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS ❘ 55
www.motorcyclenews.com TITLE RELIEF FOR TARDOZZI Xerox Ducati team boss Davide Tardozzi appeared calm the moment Bayliss wrapped up his third WSB crown and Ducati’s 15th constructors title in 21 years of WSB, but sources reckon that he’s hardly slept since Vallelunga. Tardozzi said: “It was obvious to us that it was a matter of time before he won the championship. Troy made the mistake in Vallelunga, but we were sure that he could win in the following races. “We are very happy because with every new bike in the last few years we have always won. This is proof that we are building some good bikes.” With Bayliss’ imminent retirement Tardozzi will no longer to be able to rely on his trump card, but remains confident that he and the dominant Ducati team can continue their winning ways in the future. “It’s going to be tough because now we have to prove that it is not only Troy that is winning races for us, it is Ducati. I think that in 2009 we will have a really strong team and that both of our riders can compete for the championship.”
Tardozzi can rest easy now Bayliss has the title
Late run sees Haga runner up
A huge wheelie and delight in the Ducati camp as Bayliss seals the title
NORIYUKI HAGA moved up to second in the World Superbike standings after another emphatic performance saw him win race one only to be beaten by newly crowned World Champion, Troy Bayliss in race two. Once again Haga’s title challenge has come on strong in the second half of the year but the Japanese star has had to settle for runnerup spot, unable to match the pace and consistency of Bayliss throughout the season. He said: “This is the story of my career and for next year I have to start the season much stronger from the first race. I don’t know why it happens every year but it always happens at the same tracks, maybe I just don’t like Phillip Island and Qatar.” In the opening race Haga was completely dominant
MICHAEL GUY
PIT PASS
Bayliss is superhuman. If you need proof, just look at the way he trashed the MotoGP pack THERE wasn’t a single person begrudging Bayliss the 2008 WSB crown at Magny Cours. From the first race at Qatar in February to the second race at Magny Cours, Bayliss has been relentless – and it’s this level of determination that has seen him become a legend. Before the season even started he revealed he was going to quit at the end of the year, but any of his rivals thinking that he would be easy picking at the age of 39 had another thing coming. During 2008 he’s ridden hard, passed hard, crashed hard and shown that he has the undisputed pace and talent to still be the best in the world. From 150 race starts he’s taken an incredible 50 wins and 92 podiums. He’ll leave the WSB paddock after six years through the big door, as world champion and one of the few riders in history to retire at the top of their game, not mid pack or through injury. From my memory the last person to quit bike racing in one of the premier classes as world champion was John Surtees in 1960! His attitude to racing seems simple. He doesn’t let it become too complicated. Instead he works hard every day and when he gets to the track steps it up a gear, sometimes to superhuman levels. Proof of that, other than his countless wins in WSB, has to be at the Valencia MotoGP race in 2006.
On that sunny day in early November 2006 Bayliss turned up to ride a Ducati Desmosedici in MotoGP and promptly destroyed the field, leaving the GP paddock in a state of shock. Yes he’s been beaten, but not by many. Colin Edwards had to put it all on the line to win after their epic battle at Imola in 2002 and James Toseland had to ride at his very best all year long to get the better of the Australian in 2007. For his rivals I’m sure many will be happy that they won’t have to fight with him anymore, but
‘He’s ridden hard, passed hard and crashed hard’ WSB will lose something when he goes. Through his gutsy rides he has crossed the boundaries of his own nationality to be a major star in whatever country he races in. At Phillip Island he is adored, in the UK he is deeply respected and in Italy his link with Ducati means he is treated like one of their own. And if you needed any proof of Bayliss’ popularity, at Vallelunga he was getting bigger cheers than Biaggi and Vallelunga is in Biaggi’s home town. Troy, it’s been emotional. Thanks for the entertainment.
Haga leads Bayliss at Magny Cours. A suspension change wrecked his chances in race two and looked unstoppable but in race two a change to the bike back-fired, leaving the Yamaha man unable to maintain the pace needed to secure his third double of the 2008 season. Haga said: “In the first race Bayliss won the title, so in
‘Next year I have to start the season much stronger’ NORIYUKI HAGA
the second race he was free. I knew he could push harder and he also made a tyre change which helped him a lot. I made a suspension change but it was worse for my tyre life and the last five laps I had no grip and this is where I lost the race.”
Bayliss stunned MotoGP regulars at Valencia in 2006
Tell us what you think www.motorcyclenews.com