lundi 6 octobre 2014
WSBK : doublé Aprilia sous la pluie de Magny-Cours / Aprilia double whammy glory at wet Magny-Cours
Les deux pilotes Aprilia Racing Team, Sylvain Guintoli et Marco Melandri, se sont partagés la victoire lors de l’avant-dernière épreuve du Championnat du monde Superbike à Magny-Course (France). En Supersport, la victoire est revenue à Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse).
Les deux courses Superbike ont été déclarées « Wet » et réduites à 19 tours chacune. En première manche, les consignes d’équipe ont été imposées chez Aprilia et Kawasaki Racing Team alors que Marco Melandri a refusé de laisser la victoire à son coéquipier lors de la seconde course.
Sur une piste détrempée, Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) a pris le meilleur départ et a mené les premiers tours avant de céder aux attaques de Sylvain Guintoli, à l’aise dans ces conditions.
Alors que le poleman Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) luttait avec Rea et Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) pour la troisième place, Marco Melandri, nettement plus rapide lors sur la seconde partie de la course, s’est emparé de la tête aux dépens de son coéquipier. Mais l’Italien a été sommé de laisser la victoire au Français toujours en lice pour le titre mondial qui se jouera dans quatre semaines au Qatar. Jonathan Rea complète le podium.
De même, Loris Baz a été prié par son équipe de laisser filer la quatrième place au profit de Tom Sykes. Le Français, qui rejoindra le MotoGP en 2015 avec l’équipe Yamaha Foward, termine cinquième.
Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike) s’est classé sixième devant Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team), qui avait chuté en début d'épreuve.
Jonathan Rea a mené les 11 premiers tours de la seconde manche avant de partir à la faute, laissant ainsi les commandes aux deux pilotes Aprilia, Guintoli et Melandri. L’Italien s’est imposé pour la sixième fois de saison ne respectant pas les consignes de son équipe. Sylvain Guintoli est deuxième devant Leon Haslam qui signait sa meilleure performance de l’année.
Tom Sykes a rallié l’arrivée en quatrième position devant Lorenzo Lanzi (3C Racing Ducati) Max Neukirchner et Loris Baz.
Au classement général, Sylvain Guintoli est revenu à 12 points du leader Sykes. Le titre se jouera dans quatre semaines lors de la finale au Qatar.
En catégorie Supersport, Jules Cluzel s’est imposé à domicile devant le nouveau Champion du Monde Supersport, Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport) et Roberto Rolfo (Go Eleven Kawasaki). La course a été arrêtée par drapeau rouge bout du douzième des 17 tours prévus.
Prochaine épreuve : Qatar, Losail, 2 novembre
Aprilia Racing Team’s Sylvain Guintoli and Marco Melandri shared the spoils at the penultimate round of the Superbike World Championship at Magny-Course, France. Supersport honours went to Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse).
Both superbike races were declared ‘wet’ and shortened to 19 laps each. Team orders were issued by Aprilia and Kawasaki Racing Team for the first clash, but Melandri refused to hand victory to his team-mate in Race 2.
The first encounter saw Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) get away well in the wet to lead for the first few laps before succumbing to pressure from Guintoli who appeared to revel in the conditions.
While pole-winner Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) scrapped with Rea and Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) for third place, Melandri was much faster in the latter part of the race and managed to dislodge his team-mate from the lead. However, the Italian was requested to leave victory to the Frenchman who is still in contention for the world title which will be settled in Qatar next month.
Rea was third, while Baz was asked by his team to allow Tom Sykes to come fourth. The French youngster – who is set to join MotoGP team Forward Yamaha in 2015 – consequently ended up fifth.
Sixth place went to Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike), ahead of Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) who recovered from an early fall.
Rea led the second race for the first 11 laps but a mistake led to him being passed by both Aprilia riders. Melandri went on to claim his sixth victory of the season after choosing not to comply with team instructions. Guintoli was second, ahead of Haslam who enjoyed his best weekend of the year.
Sykes crossed the line in fourth place, chased by Lorenzo Lanzi (3C Racing Ducati), Max Neukirchner and Baz.
In the championship standings, Guintoli has closed the gap to Sykes to 12 points. The title will be decided at the last round in Qatar in four weeks’ time.
The Supersport battle was won by Cluzel on home soil, ahead of the class’s recently-crowned 2014 champion Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport). Roberto Rolfo (Go Eleven Kawasaki) was third. The race was halted after 12 of the 17 scheduled laps.
Next round: Losail, Qatar (November 2).
LA BUSCA’S THE DISPATCH
Working in the music industry, tattooing folk or building motorcycles must be some of the most enviable jobs going. Well Jez seems to have done something right in a previous life as he incorporates all three. His new shed-venture La Busca Motorcycles has produced its first build, The Dispatch, using a donor that is a break from the norm. Whilst on a climbing trip in Asia (seriously Jez, anything else cool that you want to chuck in?) he noticed one of Honda’s VRX400s parked up, which set the creative juices going. Not only that, a BMW engine won’t fit down the path to the shed so a donor with cylinders the correct way up would be needed.
Honda didn’t export the VRX to the UK as most punters on our shores would quaff at such a weedy engined Harley-Davidson look-a-like, but I think Jez is onto something here. 400cc, smooth V-twin, with a low straight frame and sensible fuel tank, let me just see if eBay stocks such a thing. No, it doesn’t. During a bike trip to Norway (Come on Jez, give it a rest) a VRX came up for grabs so a call went into Steve Bentley of Dust Motorcylcles to sort the logistics. By the time Jez was back at home in Yorkshire, the Honda had been delivered. (Yorkshireman, I knew there had to be something wrong with him, he was starting to sound a bit too cool).
After many years modding adventure bikes Jez wanted a machine that could go more or less anywhere so rather than strip the donor to the bone, storage spaces and cubby holes were retained. A rack, tool roll holder and 12v socket were added in case the wilds of Yorkshire become overbearing.
Working in the confines of a shed meant Jez had no room to step back and check on aesthetic progress, which is a good thing because his lines and balance seem about right, and you can’t go wrong with black with a silver V-twin in the middle. The “night grey colour” was applied in the newly kitted out spray booth, also known as the greenhouse, handy.
For a WW2 dispatch rider look, a pair of Harley XR bars were fitted and the rest of the cockpit put to one side. A Suzuki speedo sits where the ignition used to be and a keyless system wired in to do away with unsightly lock barrels.
A bullet style lamp mounts to Triumph headlight ears, again in black with fairly generic tinted indicators blending in without fuss. The mudguards have been shortened slightly and the radiator will just have to fend for itself.
Rebuilt forks with heavier oil beef up the damping to cope with Jez’s off road intentions. Progressive shocks jack the rear up a tad to give a more balanced stance and provide improved ground clearance for when the chunky Mitas tyres are given their moment to shine. Slash cut pipes improve the little twin’s rumble and shed unnecessary weight.
For something a bit different and for a first build Jez can hold his head high, this VRX looks great and as I set out onto London’s mean streets in the pouring rain, I think I’d rather be on The Dispatch.
Since completing this bike another VRX has cropped up, so expect to see another one here soon.
via The Bike Shed
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