Superprestigio Conspiracy Update

After airing a conspiracy theory that was floating around about the Superprestigio, we had a load of great feedback and discussion.  

JP wrote...

 Marc had a hotrod CRF that had several maps that he was choosing from during the heats. a few times he was on the straight reaching over to the right bar with his left hand changing settings on the bike. The commentators on Fanschoice.tv pointed it out a few times, wondering what he was doing, then saying he had multiple engine maps to choose from, and his bike was being worked on by his MotoGP engineers. Brad (if I heard him right while the commentators talked over him)[edit- just read a Crash.net post with him saying that he really messed up tire selection, so yeah, I heard him right] though did mention he missed the tire setup for the last race and had no traction. 

Also, the bikes don't look to have the needed wiring for TC to be used. Speed sensors for both wheels would be needed or some other way to judge bike speed vs wheel speed/spin. I'd bet it wasn't the TC that was the advantage, but the engine controls where he had a selection. TC also tends to have a particular sound when on a bike without a fly-by-wire throttle because it isn't able to shut the butterflies, so it uses ignition and dropping spark. But. if you start losing traction, and can select a different ignition and EFI map to soften the engine, et viola. Marc was the only one I saw doing that during a race. Big advantage, anyhow. Elias wasn't on a Honda and was out to lunch until getting setup help from his old MGP mechanic, and Jared Mees via phone calls. So saying him also having TC was because he won Moto2 on a Honda engined is a bit of a reach. I doubt Yoshimira Suzuki or Catalan Suzuki (Who Elias said were all faster than him Thursday) gave him a TC setup from Honda. Did Brad send a bike this time, or was it provided to him?

 Lots of good stuff in there. It was me, who made the mistake about Elias being on a Honda. And yes, it is a bit of a reach, but that's why it's a conspiracy theory, not a news story. I'm not sure the sound of well set up traction control would be audible over a TV feed with so much other noise, and bikes geared to hit the rev limiter on the straights, but that's just more conspiracy fuel.

None of the original post was supposed to put any doubts about Marquez being a hell of a rider, Elias too. But who doesn't love a good conspiracy theory? G

Baker in Superprestigio Shock

Well, it was a shock to me. My cast iron, put-the-house-on-it prediction that Brad Baker would win the Superprestigio came up short. How short? As short as Dani Pedrosa stood in a pothole.

Baker was slightly off the pace in timed practice, being out-qualified by Supermoto champ, Thomas Chareyre, but it wasn't a concern to me or my prediction, because Baker's a racer.

The 2014 GNC champ comfortably made the Superfinal to race Marquez for the first time in the night. After a mid-pack run to the first corner, Marquez kept tight and exited turn 2 in the lead, with Baker behind him, then checked out. Even, and I say that with all due respect, Toni Elias passed Baker, pushing him back to third at the flag. It just wasn't Brad's night.

 The American said tyre choice was crucial and showed on Flat Track Live's feed that his soft Michelin Supermoto wet was chewing up. It seemed the same for everyone though. The official Superprestigio website quoted him as saying 'I haven’t feel at my ease in the race track and honestly I’ve been much more nervous in this event than in my current competition in flat track in the US.'

In a crash-strewn night, the British DTRA riders had mixed fortunes. A strong travelling support saw Ollie Brindley make the Open Finals, but one of the UK's brightest stars didn't progress to the Superfinal this time. George Pickering just missed out on the Open finals in his first Superprestigio, while Alan Birtwistle was out of sorts after having his van was broken into and robbed outside the event. Young Toby Hales had the bad luck too, when he couldn't avoid a crash bike on his line, was catapulted over the bars and broke his wrist.

 Keep an eye out for 2017 DTRA dates being released this week. G

Hard racing, decent crowd.

Ollie looking relaxed before the battle.

The appearance of 16/17in wheels on DTX bikes made the machinery look too much like Supermoto for some hardcore fans, others didn't care.

 Avoiding first corner carnage was crucial. 30, Alan Birtwistle about to go up the inside.

Baker leads Chareyre

 Japanese rider Masatoshi Ohmori styling it up for the crowd.

British rider Alan Birtwistle styling it up for the crowd. Rad his 'Get Schooled' How To guide tips for winning a championship without team back up in Sideburn 27.  

Ollie Brindley Flying at the Superprestigio

Young DTRA racer Ollie Brindley posted a quicker lap time than Brad Baker in Friday night's Open Class class practice. Marc Marquez topped the Superprestigio class and was quickest overall, Ollie second quickest.

Ollie has always qualified well at the big races, but hasn't always had the best luck in the races. He has made the grand final in the past.

Contrary to what we posted the other days, the Fanschoice stream is for the US only. Motors TV are showing the live footage in the UK. Go to DTXBarcelona for other country details.

The other Brits out there are Alan Birtwistle (who gives us his Get Schooled tips in Sideburn 27); George Pickering and Toby Hales. 

 Photo: Anthony Brown

Superprestigio: This Weekend

Superprestigio is on this weekend and the evening main event is being livestreamed for free around the world on fanschoice.tv.

2015 Superprestigio champion Brad Baker has been in Spain since early November, training on the bike he is going to compete on, including a visit to Rossi's Ranch. As long as he doesn't get tangled up in a crash he is going to win it, he's an indoor short track animal. He did crash in the Barcelona event in 2014, breaking his shoulder, with experts blaming it on unfamiliar 17in wheels. They're not unfamiliar any more. The Superprestigio rules demand 17in wheels and Michelin road race wets, not the regular 19in wheels regular dirt track races use. This is because Michelin are a sponsor and don't make suitable 19in tyre.

British interest is stronger than ever. The DTRA has four riders in contention - Superprestigio regulars Ollie Brindley and 2017 DTRA champion Alan Birtwistle, plus George Pickering and Toby Hales.

The DTRA were allowed to field extra riders when the troubled Spanish National dirt track series fizzled out before it could hold its end of season qualifying race.

For those unfamiliar with the format, the entry is split into two: Superprestigio and Open. The former is for road racers. The only current MotoGP rider in the whole field this year is Marc Marquez, where in the past there has been a handful of MotoGP men. There are still plenty of Moto2 and Moto3 riders and, for the first time, former WSB factory Ducati rider Ruben Xaus (see him below on a Ducati Hypermotard), but the entry is nowhere near as eyecatching as previous years, but don't let put you off. Indoor short track is never boring.

The open class is for riders who compete primarily on dirt - flat trackers, speedway, long track and also, supermoto. There are top racers from Spain, Italy and the UK, plus Baker, the only American this year after Jared Mees pulled out because of injury.

The top four from each class face off in a Super final.

Here is the Superprestigio schedule so you can plan your fanschoice viewing. G

BOTT XR1R

We have been big fans of Spanish company Bottpower since we first saw their computer modelled concept in 2011 and we were the first magazine in the world to featured their first production bike, back in Sideburn 13, 2013. Now they've developed their niche furhter with this titanium framed, XR1R. Bottpower are MotoGP level engineers, working in Moto2, World Endurance and top Superbike series'. This Found David Sanchez says about their new flagship.

The BOTT XR1R is a special version of our BOTT XR1. The XR1 is a street bike, while the XR1R is a bike that we are developing to use only on the track.

We see it as a big supermoto bike, which feels at home on twisty tracks. This XR1R unit is a Bottpower laboratory bike, that we are using to test and develop new solutions for our bikes and customers.

We have a very good customer who ordered us a BOTT XC1 cafe racer with titanium frame and racing electronics and one of the targets of the XR1R is to develop those components, so the BOTT XR1R has a titanium frame and also an EFI Euro4 ECU which allows to use adjustable traction control, launch control and 3 different engine maps.

I have been working for 10 years as data engineer in different championships and categories, so for us to add a data acquisition system was a mandatory step to make a good development work. With this bike we will measure things that we do not measure normally, like the stress in different points of the frame using extensometry gauges.

We have a testing program for this year with several tests on different tracks. We will also organize a test in which some journalists and some of our best customers will test the bike.

And as culmination of this project, we are working to race with the BOTT XR1R in next year Pikes Peak race. In principle we won’t be able to use the titanium frame because it is not allowed by the technical rules, so we will need to look for another solution (probably an evolution of our XR1 steel frame). Our target with this bike in race configuration is to achieve a power to weight ratio better than 1:1. This is, more than 150 HP and less than 150 kgs.

Bottpower is a very small company with very limited resources, so in this case the first challenge for Pikes Peak will be to find the necessary sponsors and supporters to complete the budget. We plan to explain the whole process in a very detailed way on our blog, so we invite everybody to follow us in this great adventure!

BOTT XR1R Technical specifications

Engine
Air/oil cooled 1203cc Buell Thunderstorm V-Twin, 1203 cm3.
Fuel system: 49 mm downdraft DDFI II fuel injection
Gearbox: 5-speed
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate, compensated
Final Drive: Belt
Electronics: EFI Euro4
ECU

Chassis
Titanium central Spine Bottpower frame, with vibration isolation system
Front Suspension: Showa inverted fork from a Buell 1125
Rear Suspension: Öhlins shock absorber
Front Brake: 8 pistons ZTL2 type brake, 375 mm stainless steel floating rotor
Rear Brake: 240 mm stainless steel rotor, single piston floating caliper
Tyres: Slicks, Front 120/70xZR17 and Rear 190/55xZR17
The bike has a top fuel tank and 2 secondary fuel tanks.
Original Buell fuel pump located in the left secondary fuel tank.

Dimensions 
Wheelbase: 52in / 1321 mm
Seat Height: 30.1 in / 765 mm
Ground Clearance: 4.3 in / 109 mm
Weight: Not declared yet.
Fuel Capacity: 13 liters.

www.bottpower.com
http://twitter.com/bottpower
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bottpower-Project/117279678290426

El Rollo Report

This post is now over two weeks late for a variety of reasons, one being that I inadvertently deleted it after nearly finishing it. The other being Dirt Quake USA, new magazine, book to write, Greenfield TT to race...

Anyway, A couple of weeks ago the excellent Wheels and Waves festival of stylish motorcycling took place in Biarritz. Every year the event has developed, introducing the Punks Peak hillclimb a few years ago, the Village dealer area and, for 2016, Vincent and the Southsiders wanted to introduce a flat track race. They contacted Sideburn to help make it happen.

The Wheels and Waves organisers employed Spanish motorsports promo company, Fly Group, to create the track and staff the event. Fly Group are more used to running international MX events and spectacles like Red Bull X Fighters, but both agreed they wanted some grassroots dirt track involvement and expertise and that's where Sideburn came in.

Wheels and Waves has expanded from a 2-3-day event into one that runs from Wednesday to Sunday.  The El Rollo flat track race was set to open the event on Wednesday. I arrived in Biarritz on Tuesday evening. It was the first time I'd been back to Wheels and Waves since 2013 and there seemed to be more bikes in town on this Tuesday night than at the height of the 2013 event. It really has grown massively. That growth has led to the organisers using venues all over the basque region. This year more happened in Northern Spain than in Biarritz.

The El Rollo race was held on a brand new track formed within the middle of a mile-long horse track at San Sebastien's Hippodromo. On a good run the track was just 40 minutes on the autoroute from the centre of Biarritz, but the motorway often gets chewed up with lorries stuck in the toll booths and at the border. I had been loaned a fire-breathing BMW S1000XR for the couple of days I was in town. This is the unholy alliance of S1000RR superbike engine and R1200GS ergonomics. Wicked machine. I met up with UK DTRA regular Frank Chatokhine, his mate Treust and the Bike Shed's Ross Sharp who were all racing. I followed their van and we were the second racers to arrive at the track, shortly after 8am.

There were slightly too many cooks with Fly, various Southsiders and Sideburn all trying to make the right decisions and sometimes standing on each others toes, unintentionally, but for a first event, on a track that didn't exist two weeks previously, it went pretty smoothly. The classes could have been organised a little better, but the Southsiders had specific ideas on that and it was a fun race. Riders came from all over the world and seemed to enjoy themselves. Everyone deemed it a success and it was good to be a part of it.

Early arrivals - Cristian from Yamaha, Ale from Deus Milano and Jason from Leicester. Jason's tasty TR6C.

 Neat Yam 500

 And another

Thor from See See was a guest of Harley-Davidson. He rode the gorgeous Shaw H-D Mert Lawwill replica harder than anyone should be able to.

Tasty Trackmaster Triumph had just been imported from the US.

 BMW beast

 El Solitario's girder fork Zaeta.

 Sideburn 21 cover bike, Olivier's 1949 WR racer.

 Roland Sands was over racing one of his Indian hooligan bikes. Read all about them in Sideburn 24.

 Jason, ready to race. He was second vintage race bike in the combined race bike final.

 Hugo from Blitz and Treust.

 Road legal XR750 from Italy - Wild Hogs/ Holy Freedom team.

 Yamaha Faster Sons promo girl. Notice the Sideburn logo on her shirt arm.

 Jacopo Monti on the New Brutalist KTM 690 Duke we featured in Sideburn 21

 The setting was glorious. The weather baking hot.

 I got to race Go from Bratstyle in the Faster Sons Yamaha race.

Marco Belli race this Yamaha XSR700 twin. He and Thor had a hell of a race, Marco just edged it. Here Marco is getting a man hug from an emotional Jason.

 Good bikes, great people, fine times. Thanks Wheels and Waves. G

Wheels and Waves El Rollo Flat Track Race

Wheels and Waves have introduced a flat track race and asked Sideburn to get involved. this is one of the most influential events in the biking world and we're very happy to be in on it.

The Biarritz-based event is going from strength to strength, extending this year from four to five days.

The track is being built within a horsetrack in nearby San Sebastien, Spain. It is being constructed to the dimensions of the World Speedway host track of King's Lynn, UK and by the company that has been organising Red Bull X Fighters for several years. They are not messing around.

The race takes place on Wednesday 8 June.

CLASSES
The amount of entries is very limited, just 40 bikes. This is not a Dirt Quake style event, but there is an opportunity to race your street tracker (subject to approval)

Thunderbikes/Framers (singles and twins. DTRA rules)
Street Trackers/ Classic road bikes

Dirt track or road legal tyres only, no off-road knobblies.
No DTX bikes - sorry.

EMAIL US at dirt @ sideburnmagazine.com if you want to race.

Here is the official blurb...

The Wheels and Waves team is happy to announce the opening of the registration for the Wheels and Waves festival edition of 2016!

http://www.wheels-and-waves.com/en/registration-ww-2016

The registration will allow you to participate to the following activities : 

The ArtRide III exhibition will take place in the port of Pasaia San Pedro (close to the Spanish border) at Casa Ciriza (Euskadi Etorbidea street) - Location: 43°19'20.3"N 1°56'06.8"W

Two races :

The Punk's Peak, the sprinter race on Friday June 10th in the magical place that is « Jaïkzibel », half way between sea and the mountains - Location : 43°21'11.3"N 1°50'30.4"W

And the new flat track race, the « El Rollo » race. El Rollo will take place in Spain at the San Sebastian Lasarte hippodrome, in Wednesday June 7th, in partnership with Sideburn Magazine - Location: 43°15'58.1"N 2°01'25.0"W

The surf contest, the Thirsty Fins which will take place on the Milady beach. This year, we organize a five day long waiting period in order to enjoy the best day offering the greatest swell.

Three rides organized on Saturday June 11th ride, between the ocean and mountains.

And of course, access to the Village at the Cité de l'Océan with its 128 stands, concerts, screenings.

Address : Cité de l’Océan, Avenue de la plage, Biarritz - Location  43°27'43.8"N 1°34'22.8"W

Opening hours :

Wednesday June 8th - 11:00am to 11:00pm

Thursday June 9th - 10:00am to 1:00am

Friday June 10th - 10:00am to 0:30

Saturday June 11th - 10:00am to 0:30

Sunday June 12th - 10:00am to 6:00pm

Non contractual document, schedules are subject to change