1997 Suzuki Tl1000 Sportbike on 2040-motos

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Moto blog

Schwantz and Mackenzie on the Nurburgring box

A 500GP bike never fails to stop me in my tracks and that’s exactly what happened when I spotted this Schwantz example from the early nineties, proudly displayed on the Arai stand at the recent Motorcyclelive show.  On loan from Crescent Suzuki and accompanied by a rostrum publicity shot from the 1990 German GP at the Nurburgring, I felt the urge to write a few words on that special weekend. I started the year running my own 250 GP team with fairly standard TZ Yamahas but was drafted in as Kevin Schwantz’s team mate after Kevin Magee suffered a serious head injury at the second Grand Prix in Laguna Seca.  With no testing and some major Spanish food poisoning I finished 8th at the next round in Jerez then followed that up with a 5th place in Misano. Next up was the Nurburgring and after qualifying on the second row of the grid, my crew chief Geoff Crust informed me he had a premonition of a race day rostrum finish. He also told me I better make it come true as he was already looking forward to a few post race celebratory refreshments. While I hoped Crusty was the new mystic meg, the truth was I would have been more than happy to buy the beers if I made it to the flag inside the top five. I had an outside chance of catching one major scalp as Wayne Rainey was riding with a nasty hand injury but I suspected adrenalin would see him through the day. I also followed Mick Doohan a fair bit in practice but he was beginning to find his feet on the Rothmans Honda so was going to be another problem.  When the lights went out Schwantz and Rainey went straight to the front I while I hung in behind Doohan and Pier Francesco Chilli, and then it happened. Coming out of the bottom right hand hairpin, Doohan and Chilli simultaneously high sided in one of the most spectacular crashes of the season. I never liked seeing any fellow riders crash but I made the most of this early race gift and rode my 160bhp/115kg RGV hard to the flag, claiming my first podium of the season.  We partied hard (win or lose we always did) that night and I went on to have my best ever season finishing fourth overall in the championship. After the last round in Australia, I finished second to Kevin at Sugo in Japan then won in Malaysia at another international race that KS didn’t attend. I also tested at Eastern Creek for the following season but then was flicked from the team for reasons that still remain a mystery. Hey Ho!       

R&G announce cheaper engine case cover kits

R&G Racing has reacted to the rising cost of official motorcycle parts from manufacturers by creating money saving packages on its Engine Case Covers.As a reaction to the parts price rise, the crash protection leader has created a kit package on its Engine Case Covers (ECC) – offering an overall saving of more than 10% when compared to buying the items individually. The ECCs are designed to protect the engine cases and the inner workings of the motor in the event of a drop by acting as a sturdy ‘second skin’.By simply bolting over the original items, fitting the durable Engine Case Covers doesn’t require draining any engine fluids or replacing gaskets. Extensively developed in the ACU R&G Racing Suzuki GSX-R600 Trophy, as well as being tested and approved by the California Superbike School in the UK and USA, the covers can allow a bike to be ridden after a crash or prevent terminal engine damage from oil leaks or casing punctures.Protection benefits aside, financial savings for riders are evident by looking at official parts prices; to replace only the clutch cover on a Suzuki GSX-R1000K7 would cost £206 including a new gasket, but all three R&G Engine Case Covers for this bike cost only £143.

Hopper,Cogger and Rossigate

Rizla Suzuki welcomed back John Hopkins to Jerez and by the end of day one the American was posting some very respectable lap times. To me it seems like yesterday, but it was way back in 2007 when he last rode for the British based team ending the season 4th in the World Championship. The dry qualifying went well but he wasn’t too upset when it rained on race day as he admitted to not being bike fit and would have struggled to maintain a fast dry race pace.