Road Racing Guide2015
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Road Racing guide 2015 Your definitive guide to all this Year’s action on the roads TYCO BMW: Guy Martin’s time to shine? –The TT’s scariest corners 2015’s rookies, stars and best events –Plus lots more! NUMBER ONE ON WET ROADS. WATERWON’T CATCHYOU UNPREPARED. With ROADTECZ8INTERACT™ we onlyhavetoworry aboutour next destination. Roadtec™ Z8 INTERACT M/Ohas been considered N°1onwet roadsaccording to atestperformed in February2012comparing it with DunlopSportmax RoadsmartII, Michelin PilotRoad3,Bridgestone BattlaxBT023 andContinentalRoadAttack2,ona120/70 ZR and180/55ZR17set. The season’s end, at Macau... Time to focus CONTENTS 04 Introduction very yeyear,ar, just after Christmas when bikes are sorely missed and 06 Stars of 2015 testosterone levels rereachach new highs, I fancy a crack at roroadad raracing.cing. 10 Tyco BMW S 1000 RR ENothing else on the planet can contest the undiluted thrills of the 14 TT’s scariest corners sport, the close spectator proximities and the general vibe of a roroadad raracingcing 21 Paul Phillips paddock. But then rerealityality hits home, I look down and rerealisealise I haven’t got 24 A year in the life of the gargantuan testicles of these gladiatorial mavericks. Instead, I enjoy 26 New blood writing about them and looking at pretty/utterly insane pictures. 28 Metzeler By the time yoyouu rereadad this, the Irish roroadad raracingcing season will be getting 30 Calendar the green light closely followed by the North WeWestst 202000 kicking off the international season. It’s all veveryry wewellll wawatchingtching on the TV, but standing in a hedgerow with yoyourur mates, beer in hand as a bike flashes past at 200mph, is a completely different and utterly essential endeavour. It’s the old cliché, but it gets better every year. More manufacturers, bigger teams, better sponsors: the pure road racing world is set for an epic 2015, as new blood joins the fray and some of the more elder statesmen, like Keith Amor and Ryan Farquhar, return for more thrills. The inherent danger is an intrinsic and accepted aspect of the sport, but that doesn’t make things any easier. In 2014, we lost two big names and two massive characters from the paddock in Simon Andrews and Karl Harris. We also said goodbye to several other fallen riders last year, all of whom contributed to the sport we love. So here’s to a safe but spectacular 2015 – Alastair 2015. Guy’s year? www.faSTbikESmag.COm EDITORIAL Independent publisher since 1885 Editor: Alastair ‘A-Force’ Fagan, Media Centre, Mortons Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, LN9 6JR [email protected] Join us on Facebook: Facebook.com/ The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If you are sending Design: Charlotte Fairman FastBikesMagazine material to us for publication, you are strongly advised to make copies and to include a stamped addressed envelope. Original material must be submitted and will be accepted solely on the basis that Reprographics: Simon Duncan the author accepts the assessment of the publisher as to its commercial value. © Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any Tel: 01225 571551 Join us on Twitter: @FastBikesMag form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information Email: [email protected] storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Road RacinG Guide 2015 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 3 Get the show on the roads 2015 promises so much in the road racing world. New bikes, epic circuits and some of the most skilled and brave racers you’re ever likely to meet... N a world where health and safety reigns across all classes. This’ll be your first chance to supreme, it’s refreshingly to see the road see household names and big teams in 2015 Iracing world growing in stature. From new action, after some major off-season seat laws that allow flexibility for road closures in swapping and new partnerships. Ireland – an essential piece in the puzzle for Just weeks after the NW200, the circus moves weather and financial intentions – to a near to the Isle of Man for TT fortnight; the focal certainty that we’ll see a TT ‘World Series’ in a point for anyone’s road racing season. And in few years from now, the sport is undoubtedly August we have the world’s fastest race – the going from strength to strength. Ulster GP – before heading back to the Isle of Early this year, it was announced that plans to Man for the Classic TT. The 62nd Macau Grand stage an international World Series have been Prix rounds off 2015. given the go-ahead to start cementing proposals. Looking at the big boys, Phillip and Hector The Manx government has put the promotion Neill’s Tyco squad switch from Suzuki to BMW rights up for tender, which will also include a machinery for 2015 and retain their rider pairing ‘commercial partner’ to run the TT itself. With of Guy Martin and William Dunlop. Honda also 43,000 race fans flocking to the island and keeps the same bums on seats with John contributing around £25m to the local economy, McGuiness and Conor Cummins, while Valvoline someone is onto a winner... Racing by Padgett’s field Bruce Anstey. This is massive news and could spell the end It’s a shame that Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh of motorcycle racing’s ‘off-season’, with events in Brookes will be absent from the roads to the southern hemisphere during the UK’s winter. concentrate on short circuit obligations, although This is welcome news for riders, who could signing Michael Dunlop boosts the team through potentially earn a living throughout the year the roof. Dunlop will run his owN bikes in rather than relying on a small wage and supersport and superstock. start/prize money. It could also be a catalyst for James Hillier will be looking to improve on a riders to make a proper career out of the sport. disappointing 2014 and once again spearheads The North West 200 once again kicks off the Kawasaki’s chances on Quattro Plant Ninjas. international calendar with a massive entry list Also representing in an official Team Green capacity is GBMoto, who make their pure roads debut with Gary Johnson. And Paul Bird’s PBM squad returns to the TT with Ian Hutchinson. Although Michael Dunlop dominated 2014, Peter Hickman nearly stole the show with a frankly ridiculous 129mph TT lap, and makes his return with the RAF Reserves BMW team. Others worth a shout include MarTrain Racing’s Dean Harrison, who looks to build on his Lightweight TT win last year. A shout goes out to our technical partners at JHS Racing, who have landed a big-name rider in the form of local lad, Dan Kneen. And ex-WSS madman, Robbin Harms makes his TT debut this year. Who’s going to take the big wins? Who knows! There’s no time to be enjoying the scenery at over 180mph... here are a staggering T dozen riders STARS entered in the TT superbike classes who have lapped at OF over 130mph –and this year’s racing will be the most open for years. With entry lists bigger then ever across all the major road races, 2015’s action is sure to be sizzling all season. Here 2015 is how we rate all the big boys’ chances… Michael Dunlop John McGuinness We shouldn’t be surprised if McGuinness is still riding motocross and enduro bikes, but heads into Mickey Dunlop rocks up and 2015 without any debilitating injuries. A buggered scaphoid pretty wins the lot. Plenty of much screwed the Morecambe brickie’S efforts armchair fans have been last season but he’S now fighting fit. Ish. writing him off after the ex- A ‘clash of sponsors’ means that McPint won’t BMW man signed for Shaun be riding the Padgett’S bikes (Valvoline Muir’S Milwaukee Yamaha sponsors Padgetts, Motul doesn’t). squad, claiming that the all- Instead, he will join Conor Cummins on new R1 isn’t proven. The BMW Jackson Racing CBR600RRs in wasn’t a proven package supersport classes, and gets all Guy either, and look what Martin in the superstock class – happened in 2014... And running his own Fireblade out of judging from the way Roosty the back of his van. Whatever has been waxing lyrical about the team, McGuinness will be a the R1, Dunlop is a guaranteed favourite and goes after each way bet. He looks fitter Joey Dunlop’S all-time than ever, too. Let’S say wins record. Might sneak a at all the International races few from Dunlop, but Having a and four at the TT. not on a 600… little nap... Winner! 6 Road Racing guide 2015 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM Not beaming, WilliaM Dunlop but a Beemer... The elder and much quieter of the Dunlop duet remains with the TAS Tyco squad, but like Guy Martin, should enjoy switching to BMW power in 2015. He’ll also enjoy riding again after that horror smash at Graham Memorial at last year’s TT, which broke his leg. Like Guy, William has never won a TT (taking five podiums) but is a winner on the roads. Remember that race with his brother at the NW200 last year? He’s certainly hungry. Podiums. Guy Martin It’s now or never for the lorry mechanic/pork scratchings connoisseur/tea drinker/TV star. Some would argue that the out-dated Tyco Suzuki machinery of the past few years hasn’t been good enough, but now he’s riding verified, race-winning bikes across all classes, although we’re sure Michael Dunlop won’t be sharing BMW set-up data.