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Checa sits on top after first day of testing at Phillip Island

 

Privateer Ducati rider Carlos Checa set the quickest time of the first day of track action at the official tests in Phillip Island, taking his Althea Ducati to a 1'31.959 lap time. His pace was less than one second slower than the track best in this class, 1'31.050, which was set in qualifying for the 2009 race.


The official Ducati Xerox machine of Michel Fabrizio was second quickest in the opening sessions, 0.390 seconds behind the flying Checa around the 4.445km circuit in Victoria.


Both top riders set their best times in the afternoon session, when track surface temperatures reached, 46°C, but in the slightly cooler morning session Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) was still fast enough for third in the combined times, with Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) fourth.


Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) pushed his machine to fifth place, just over half a second behind leader Checa, while another British rider, Shane Byrne (Ducati Althea) was sixth.


After suffering many injuries in 2009, Max Neukirchner (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) proved himself fast and focused on day one, going seventh, heading off Max Biaggi, on the leading Aprilia Alitalia machine.


A top day for the private Ducatis in general saw Jakub Smrz ninth on his Pata B&G Racing 1098R, while DFX Ducati rider Lorenzo Lanzi rounded out the top ten.


Leading Yamaha rider was James Toseland (Sterilgarda Yamaha) 11th quickest while the top Kawasaki lap was set by Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), 13th fastest of 23 riders.


Top local rider proved to be Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) and the local favourite was also the highest ranked BMW competitor, in 14th.

 

Carlos Checa: "A very good start, quite positive. We didn't expect this performance this early and especially not at this track, which is not easy. But we know that the Ducati can work quite well here and we arrived in Phillip Island after a quite good job in testing at Valencia. The team's understanding of the bike is good, and also they helped me a lot to understand how to ride this bike in the right way. The feeling on the bike is special and so far it is a good experience to ride it."

 

Michel Fabrizio: "We went quite well but the pace of Carlos Checa was very, very fast. I have a new engineer and we are working well. We made things better as we changed more and more on the bike but we just ran out of time in the afternoon session. We did not so bad, and I am sure we can improve tomorrow if the conditions remain good."

 

(SP) Ducati 1098R 1'31.959; 2. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'32.349; 3. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'32.484; 4. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'32.518; 5. Rea J. (GBR)  Honda CBR1000RR 1'32.544; 6. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'32.671; 7. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1'32.735; 8. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'32.832; 9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'32.912; 10. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'32.979; 11. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'33.135; 12. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'33.190; 13. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'33.222; 14. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'33.299; 15. Crutchlow C. (GBR)Yamaha YZF R1 1'33.444; 16. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'33.498

 

 
Haga & Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) Set Strong Pace On Day One Of Testing At Phillip Island

Phillip Island (Australia), Sunday 21st February: in very warm conditions (air temperature 26°, track 34°), the Ducati Xerox riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio made the most of the track time during this, the first of two days of testing before the championship opens here next weekend.


In the first of the day’s sessions both riders were immediately comfortable, setting some very fast lap times right from the start. The team worked with Noriyuki and Michel to find a strong race pace and understand which tyres will work best in the Australian heat. Having completed more than 40 laps each in the morning, Noriyuki and Michel closed that particular session with the second and third fastest laps respectively, followed by the three private Ducatis of Checa, Lanzi and Byrne.


The Superbike riders returned to the track at 3.30, the asphalt having reached 41°. Despite the heat, both riders continued to make fast laps and towards the end of the session Michel was able to improve on his best time set this morning to close day one with the second fastest time overall. Nori spend the second part of the session testing Pirelli’s different solutions, and finished today in fourth place, just two tenths of a second behind his team-mate.


Noriyuki Haga

“It’s been a positive day. We tried various things, making changes to the rear suspension setting and testing the different tyres on offer. The problem is being able to identify a direction during these test days that will also work next Sunday, it’s difficult to predict how the conditions will be in a week’s time. Anyway we’ve worked hard today and made some good progress.”


Michel Fabrizio

“It hasn’t gone badly today. We’ve worked mainly on tyres, trying to find a good race pace. We’re not quite there yet but we’ve made a good start and know what there is to do tomorrow. It’s very hot but after our recent cold and wet tests in Portimao and Valencia we can’t complain!”


TIMES – DAY 1 – Checa (Ducati) 1m31.9s; Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 1m32.3s; Haslam (Suzuki) 1m32.4s; Haga (Ducati Xerox) 1m32.5s; Rea Lanzi (Ducati) 1m32.5s; Byrne (Ducati) 1m32.6s; Neukirchner (Honda) 1m32.7s; Biaggi (Aprilia) 1m32.8s…..

 

 
Fiat Yamaha Off To Flying Start

Reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi got his pre-season off to the best possible start today, finishing fastest on the first day of testing in Sepang. His Fiat Yamaha team-mate and last season's runner-up Jorge Lorenzo also made a strong start, ending the day in fifth.

Both riders concentrated on completing as many laps as possible on the latest evolution of the 2010 YZR-M1 and, with the weather staying dry until just a few minutes before the end of the session, it was a productive day all round. Rossi led the way and was one of four riders to dip under the existing lap record. His time of 2'01.411, set this morning on his 15th of 54 laps, was half a second quicker than second-placed Casey Stoner.

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Aprilia replacement engines are at dealerships

Aprilia USA, the North American importer and distributor of award-winning Aprilia scooters and motorcycles, today issued an update to its RSV4 recall.  New replacement engines have arrived at RSV4 qualified Aprilia dealers and the company expects certified technicians to complete all work on RSV4 models in customers’ hands within two to three weeks.  This recall, reviewed and approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has been given the reference number 10V-029.

“The Aprilia RSV4 is the most technically advanced super bike we’ve developed, and numerous industry awards already underscore the level of excitement about this motorcycle,” said Paolo Timoni, President and CEO, Piaggio Group Americas. “That is why we felt it was especially critical to minimize both downtime and inconveniences to our customers, who want nothing more than to unleash their RSV4 on the road.  All of us at Aprilia USA are most appreciative of our customers’ continued patience, as well as the great commitment of our Aprilia dealers and technicians to meet our promised completion time.”


Technicians brought to the U.S. from the Aprilia factory in Noale, Italy, have been working around-the-clock with the Aprilia USA Technical Services Department and dealers to ensure proper installation of the new engines and to expedite the replacement process. As a result, RSV4 owners can expect to get back on the road within two to three weeks.


Aprilia USA will issue a new two-year warranty to owners impacted by the recall, effective after the engine replacement is complete.


The recall, announced last month, affected a limited number of 2010 Aprilia RSV4 motorcycles.  While only a small number of production units were involved worldwide, Aprilia and their dealers will be replacing all RSV4 engines on motorcycles delivered to the U.S. market.


Additional information on the RSV4 engine recall can be found at
www.apriliausa.com or by contacting your local Aprilia dealer.


About Aprilia and Piaggio Group Americas
Aprilia world headquarters are in Noale (Venice, Italy).  Founded in 1962, the company designs and manufactures motorcycles in Noale, with production facilities in Scorzè.  With 43 motorcycling world championship titles (36 road and 7 off-road)  and 274 speed GP wins under its belt, Aprilia is the only European manufacturer to have a complete on- and off-road model portfolio, ranging from sporty scooters, innovative off-road bikes and tough adventure tourers to award-winning super sport bikes.  For information on Aprilia's complete U.S. model line, visit the company's website at
www.apriliausa.com.


In December 2004 Aprilia became part of the Piaggio Group, Europe's leading manufacturer of two wheelers and one of the world's most recognized and respected names in motorcycle and scooter production.


With approximately 7,000 employees, approximately 650,000 vehicles sold in 2008, 5 R&D centers, 7 production facilities in Europe and Asia, and commercial operations all over the world, the Piaggio Group has a consolidated leadership in the European 2 wheeler market.  Its production includes scooters, motorcycles and mopeds in the 50cc to 1,200 cc displacement range, marketed under the Piaggio, Vespa, Gilera, Derbi, Aprilia, Scarabeo and Moto Guzzi brands.

 
Fiat Yamaha Unveils 2010 GP Bike

The Fiat Yamaha Team unveiled its new 2010 livery today, on the morning of the first MotoGP test of the pre-season in Sepang, Malaysia. The championship-winning team will field the same line-up as last year with World Champion Valentino Rossi and runner-up Jorge Lorenzo once again spearheading its attack.

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