Monster Tech 3 Yamaha’s Bradley SmithValencia MotoGP Test Tire AnalysisMany of MotoGP’s top riders remained in Valencia following the finale for some post-season testing. This was the final test until Sepang in February.
Taking the top time was the man who captured the 2013 MotoGP Championship – Reposl Honda’s Marc Marquez. The 20-year-old Spaniard, who participated in two of the three days in the session, posted a 1:30.287 aboard his RC213V.This fast time was set on the final day of testing – Wednesday – with a soft compound Bridgestone tire up front, and a medium rear slick.Marquez was 0.311 of a second quicker than Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Bradley SMith. Third went Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo, who was 0.481 of a second back.Bridgestone reports weather conditions for the Valencia test were similar to the race weekend, with fine, dry weather and track temperatures reaching a peak of 33°C on the afternoon of the second day of testing. All slick tires in the test allocation were utilized during the test, with a total of 2318 timed laps being completed by riders over the three days, Bridgestone reports.Following is some further analysis from Bridgestone:Hiroshi Yamada (Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department) says: “The three-day test at Valencia was a good way to wrap up the season, with fine weather allowing us to gather a lot of usage data and rider feedback on our slick tires.“It was great to see some new riders make their introduction to the MotoGP class, while some established riders made the switch to their new teams all of which has created a lot of anticipation for next season.“I’d like to thank all the teams and riders for their cooperation throughout the 2013 season and Bridgestone will be back bigger and better for the 2014 season with a new range of tires that will feature the latest technological developments to deliver even higher levels of safety and performance.”Masao Azuma (Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport Tire Development Department) says: “Thanks to the good weather over the three days, this was one of the most productive end-of-season tests in years.“The riders were able to make a lot of laps which helped us to collect a lot of data, with the on our new specification hard rear slick and getting preliminary data on how the open-class machines use tires. We now have a lot of data to work with over the winter break, during which time we will be developing new tyre options for the riders to evaluate at next year’s pre-season tests.” Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Extra-soft & Soft. Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric) Bridgestone wet tire compounds available: Soft (Main) & Hard (Alternative)
Our first segment introduces you to the new Arch 1s. This latest, slightly more sporting American V-twin, adds to the original KRGT1 coming from the boutique manufacturer based in Hawthorne, Southern California. Senior Editor Nic de Sena rode through Malibu with Gard Hollinger, who co-founded Arch Motorcycle with his friend, Keanu Reeves. The 1s is a unique ride for sure, and Nic explains what makes the bike really stand out.
For the entertaining story behind Arch Motorcycle from Gard Hollinger himself, you must listen to his podcast episode on Motos & Friends HERE
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The guest segment of Motos and Friends is brought to you by the faster and most technologically advanced, 2023 Suzuki Hayabusa—visit your local dealer or suzukicycles.com to learn more.
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In our second segment, Associate Editor Teejay Adams chats with multiple Emmy award-winning writer, Producer, Director, and actor, Thom Beers. the former Chairman & CEO of Fremantle Media North America, responsible for American Idol and America’s Got Talent.
Thom’s fertile imagination led to most of the really big reality TV shows such as ‘Deadliest Catch’ (now in its 17th season!), and many others. Of course for us in the motorcycle world, you’ll be interested to hear the genesis and story of how he started the first real fabrication reality show ‘Monster Garage’, that showcased Jesse James, and then how that led to ‘Biker Build Off’ and the ‘Zombie Choppers’ movie.
You’d imagine that most of Thom’s time is spent sitting behind a desk and on his phone. Not so. His intense stories of capturing much of the content for these shows make for some hair-raising listening.