MotoGP Archives - Page 15 of 18

Getting Closer to Number One

Just over a year after Tyres & Accessories reported that a newly rejuvenated Michelin two-wheel department was aiming to lead the market, T&A met up with department head, Dr Olivier Gros and Jonathan Brett, manager of the new two-wheel Michelin Business Programme to find out how much progress has been made.

The short story is that Michelin is definitely moving towards its goal of becoming the UK’s number one motorbike tyre manufacturer. Last year, the company gained a six-point share in the sports/sport tyre segment compared with the other leading premium brands (such as Pirelli/Metezler, Dunlop and Bridgestone). And what’s more, because the total market size has remained relatively static, this means that the French manufacturer has actually been gaining sales from its competitors. Looking forward, Michelin is just as confident about next year and Olivier Gros predicts that the company will achieve a further six-point growth next year. In Olivier Gros’ words, 2008 will join 2006 and 2007 as “very successful years” for Michelin motorbike tyres in the UK. When you consider that 2006 and 2007 were both sales records for the company, its demonstrates just how confident the team is that they will achieve their stated aim of becoming number one.

29th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone ‘Most Popular Tyre CV Show’

Premium, Product News

More Bridgestone tyres were fitted to display vehicles at the CV Show than any other brand. According to a company press release, 628 Bridgestone tyres were on display, 41.2 per cent of the total tyres on display at this year’s show.

Bridgestone’s brand new, state of the art stand at the CV Show this year was also reportedly its busiest to date with over 800 visits from new and existing fleet customers and dealer partners. The stand, promoting Bridgestone and Truckpoint, incorporated the McLaren F1 Car of Lewis Hamilton and Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP Fiat Yamaha motorcycle.

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9th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Stoner Lights Up Losail with 11th MotoGP Win

Product News

The first ever night MotoGP race has been added to the impressive tally of Casey Stoner victories after the 2007 champion rode his Bridgestone shod Ducati across the line in 42 minutes 36.587 seconds, narrowly edging out pole position holder Jorge Lorenzo at Qatar’s Losail International Circuit. The Losail victory, Stoner’s eleventh in MotoGP, came despite what the tyre major has described as “challenging night-time track conditions…which have made for a difficult weekend for Bridgestone.”

“At the start of the race, I hung back a bit because I wanted to wait until things calmed down a bit, keeping out of trouble and not losing pace with the front pack,” commented Stoner. “Although qualifying did not go too well, we knew we had quite a good race pace, but this win is a fantastic result and I don’t think we really expected it. At the start, I lacked side traction and traction in general, but once the tyres warmed up, we could put in some good lap times. The rear grip was dropping towards the end of the race and we had a couple of front end slides, but as the fuel level dropped, the pace was still good.”

10th March 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone to Present Fleet Tyre Programme at CV Show

News

Bridgestone is to present its Total Fleet Tyre Management program at this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show, held at the NEC in April. And what’s more the company has built a brand “state-of-the-art stand” to highlight the fleet tyre management programme. Bridgestone will showcase its new generation truck tyre range, fleet services and focus on the support offered to fleets through their Total Fleet Tyre Management package. The stand will also exhibit a race winning F1 car and a MotoGP motorcycle.

3rd March 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Students Invited to Become Bridgestone E-Reporters

Product News

Once again Bridgestone is offering students throughout Europe the opportunity to have their budding journalistic talents noticed. The 2008 Bridgestone e-reporter competition is open to all full-time students in Europe who are aged between 18 and 30, and submissions are being sought by those who wish to, in the tyre major’s own words, “help launch their reporting career.”

Entry into the competition is as simple as penning a 300 word article (and interview questions) on a newsworthy story, and completed pieces can be submitted online at www.bridgestone.eu/e-reporter. A panel of highly respected media personalities and international journalists will critique the respective merits of each received entry, and eight finalists will be selected. Each will attend a European Formula One Grand Prix weekend, where their skills will be honed as they report upon the Bridgestone backed GP2 Series. All eight finalists will also be invited to the first European Grand Prix of the 2008 season, in Barcelona (25 – 27 April), to launch and celebrate the Bridgestone e-reporter competition’s fifth year.

5th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Launches Battlax BT-016

Product News

Bridgestone recently launched its Battlax BT-016 on Cambrian Tyres’ Motorcyle Trade Expo stand. An advanced hypersport tyre seen for the first time at the EICMA 2007 in Milan, it is designed to give “maximum performance to riders who are passionate about sport bikes” and features Bridgestone’s MotoGP multi-layer compound technology. Compared to the BT-014 it will progressively replace, the new BT-016 is said to provide total handling improvement in all riding modes – with noticeably better contact feel, feedback, stability and grip – as well as longer wear life and lower noise levels.

One of the focuses of development in the new tyre has been in its compound. Bridgestone has combined its top MotoGP construction technology with its latest multi-compound technology from SACT (Straight And Cornering Technology) and says this produce a sport tyre that gives high-level grip performance in braking, cornering and acceleration.

5th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Stoner Not Worried About Rossi’s Bridgestone Switch

Product News

Bridgestone’s motorsport poster-boy for 2007, MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner, has told reporters he’s unconcerned about the threat rival Valentino Rossi may pose in the upcoming season following the Italian rider’s switch from Michelin to Bridgestone tyres. Speaking at an Italian ski resort, venue for the launch of a new Ducati cycle, Stoner commented: “Everyone is always asking me if we’re worried about it. We’re just worried about our own situation.

“I’m not afraid of the fact that Valentino is on Bridgestones,” stoner added. “We saw at the first test there was nothing in particular very special, but we will have to see as the season goes on.” Rossi finished the year two places behind his Australian counterpart, and his negative comments regarding the performance of his Michelin tyres were widely circulated in the media.

9th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Rossi’s Bridgestone Decision “Difficult to Understand” – Weber

Product News

According to an article published in the Italian magazine Motosprint, Michelin’s Jean-Philippe Weber could not readily comprehend the logic behind the decision made by MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi to switch to Bridgestone for 2008. The director of motorcycle racing commented that “this decision of his is difficult to understand, but that’s what he’s decided. It could be a good or a bad choice, we’ll see in a while.”

27th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Farewells Motocross WGP

Product News

Bridgestone Europe has announced it will cease supplying tyres to teams participating in the Motocross World Grand Prix championships after the 2007 season. After a decade of top-level motocross, including three world titles, the company has decided to concentrate resources on MotoGP track racing from 2008.

“With an increased number of MotoGP teams riding on Bridgestone – including new world champion Casey Stoner with the Ducati Corse team – and a year-round development and testing program, Bridgestone has reluctantly decided to stop supporting the FIM motocross world championships and concentrate resources on MotoGP,” said Gunther Podevyn, senior manager Motorcycle Tyre Products, Bridgestone Europe.

23rd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Releases MotoGP Technology in New Tyre

Product News

The latest addition to Bridgestone’s Battlax range of tyres was shown off for the first time at the EICMA 2007 show in Milan. The Battlax BT-016, an advanced hypersport tyre, is designed to provide riders with maximum sport performance via the grip performance offered by Bridgestone’s MotoGP multi-layer compound technology. Compared to the BT-014 it will progressively replace, the new BT-016 provides handling improvement in all riding modes – with noticeably better contact feel, feedback, stability and grip – as well as longer wear life and lower noise levels.

Bridgestone has combined its top MotoGP construction technology with its latest multi-compound technology from SACT (Straight And Cornering Technology) to produce a sport tyre that gives high-level grip performance in braking, cornering and acceleration. The BT-016 front tyre features a new 3-Layer Compound (3LC): a centre compound for linear handling and longer wear life, flanked by a shoulder compound to secure high grip and a strong contact feeling. The rear BT-016 tyre features Bridgestone’s new 5-Layer Compound (5LC) technology, its first ever use on a street tyre. The centre compound gives good stability and higher mileage; the shoulder compound transfers the engine power to the road with strong traction; while the edge compound provides strong side grip and a sense of sure-footed contact at deep lean angles. Bridgestone comments that the line holding feels almost like riding on a rail.

21st November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone’s Yamada Happy to Work with Rossi

Product News

Bridgestone Motorsport’s Hiroshi Yamada appears to have put his past criticisms of Valentino Rossi’s bid to switch tyre supplier for the 2008 MotoGP season behind him, and is reported to have said he is looking forward to working with the Italian rider next year. Comments to this effect, made by the manager of Motorcycle Sport regarding Valentino’s switch from Michelin to Bridgestone Rubber, have been published by Motorcycle News.

“Always we like to have a good rider and obviously Valentino is one of the greatest riders in history and still I believe he has top potential,” Yamada told Motorcycle News. He added, however, that working with the current number three ranked rider would also require a few adjustments. “We are happy to have such a great rider, but this is also a new challenge because we have no experience with Yamaha. We have never worked together. This is a big challenge but we will try hard.”

9th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Yamaha Riders Divided Over Tyres

Product News

Reports say that Yamaha has confirmed that its two main riders in the 2008 MotoGP competition will be racing on different brands of rubber. Valentino Rossi, five-time world champion, is set to switch to Bridgestone tyres from his current Michelin. However, the recently-signed Jorge Lorenzo, who has won the 250cc World Championship twice, will race on Michelins. To avoid any potential problems and to ensure total confidentiality, the two riders will have separate pits, managers and technicians.

5th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

MotoGP to Remain a Multi Tyre Series

Product News

The spectre of a single tyre rule that has lingered over MotoGP since late September has evaporated. On October 24 series organiser Dorna Sports withdrew the single tyre championship proposal from the Grand Prix Commission.

Originally suggested by Dorna’s Carmelo Ezpeleta at the Japanese Grand Prix on September 22, the proposal was not well received by many riders, including high profile current champion Casey Stoner, who believed such a plan would change the entire nature of the series. The idea also apparently failed to capture the enthusiasm of both Bridgestone and Michelin.

24th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

MotoGP Tyre Decision Delayed

Product News

The ongoing discussion about MotoGP’s 2008 tyre regulations look set to continue, following the delay in a final decision on a control tyre for next season. A decision is now expected to be formulated by Tuesday 24 October. Following intense discussions, an official announcement by the Grand Prix Commission, which comprises representatives of FIM, MSMA, IRTA and Dorna, is expected by Friday 26 October.

“Since Motegi there have been many developments and positive developments, but they are not finished yet. The feeling is good because we think some small changes need to be made and they will be confirmed by Wednesday,” said Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, perhaps hinting that a large charge such as to a single supplier may be ruled out.

22nd October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Control Tyre Almost Certain for British Superbikes

Product News

It appears that at least one motorcycle championship will definitely change to a single tyre supplier for 2008. The Motorcycle Circuit Racing Control Board of Great Britain (MCRCB) has been evaluating the feasibility of the competition with a single tyre supplier since September, and after much dialogue with riders and their teams, as well as with tyre companies, has elected to proceed with its plans for a switch to a single brand for both the Superbike and Supersport classes next year.

The two main contenders for the job are Dunlop and Pirelli, with the Italian manufacturer considered to have an edge on Dunlop in terms of experience in managing the type of logistics that would be involved. However Dunlop, who currently supplies the majority of the Superbike class teams and around half the Supersport teams with its products, is by no means in a weak position.

16th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

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