Photos

Tom's Tech Treasures: Aero And Frames From The Barcelona Test, Part 1
Thu, 2019-06-27 13:05
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Thomas Morsellino is a French freelance journalist and photographer, with keen eye for the technical details of MotoGP bikes. You may have seen some of his work on Twitter, where he runs the @Off_Bikes account. Peter Bom is a world championship winning former crew chief, with a deep and abiding knowledge of every aspect of motorcycle racing. Peter has worked with such riders as Cal Crutchlow, Danny Kent, and Stefan Bradl. After every race, MotoMatters.com will be publishing a selection of Tom's photos of MotoGP bikes, together with extensive technical explanations of the details by Peter Bom. MotoMatters.com subscribers will get access to the full resolution photos, which they can download and study in detail, and all of Peter's technical explanations of the photos. Readers who do not support the site will be limited to the 800x600 resolution photos, and an explanation of two photos.


Valentino Rossi's finger-operated rear brake
Peter Bom: To be able to apply the rear brake deep into right-hand turns (where space to operate the foot pedal runs out), some riders are experimenting with the idea of operating the brake with one or two fingers of the left hand. Valentino Rossi is one of those riders, trying the system at the Monday test after the Barcelona race. The current state of technology in MotoGP, and especially the type of tires being used, makes using the rear brake crucial at various points around a circuit. The rear brake is used particularly to help the bike turn mid-corner. The question is now whether we will see more riders use finger brakes, and at more points in the track.


Spirit level on Dani Pedrosa's rear wheel
Peter Bom: A spirit level in the rear wheel, at a right angle to the direction of travel. Never seen one before or heard of one being used outside of endurance racing, where the wheel stand is asymmetric to be able to stand the bike up horizontally in a pit lane which is not horizontal. I would take an educated guess that the MotoGP teams use a spirit level to ensure the rear wheel is horizontal to be able to zero out the accelerometer sensors, especially the lateral sensor.


The aero fairing on Stefan Bradl's Honda RC213V To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


Yamaha YZR-M1 swingarm with two rear wheel speed sensors To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


KTM RC16 - Dani Pedrosa without a carbon swingarm, but a different tail To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


New Honda RC213V aero fairing with a lower winglet which is a little bit wider and larger (Cal Crutchlow) To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


Under the tank cover of the Yamaha YZR-M1 (Franco Morbidelli) To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


New Honda RC213V aero fairing (Jorge Lorenzo) To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


Carbon insert on Andrea Dovizioso's Ducati Desmosedici GP19 To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


New Honda RC123V aero fairing (Jorge Lorenzo, from the other side)


KTM RC16 - Pol Espargaro To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


Carbon insert on Andrea Dovizioso's Ducati GP19 To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


Carbon swingarm, link, load cell for the quickshifter, transponder (KTM RC16 Pol Espargaro) To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.

If you would like access to the full-size versions of these technical photos and all of Peter Bom's explanations, as well as desktop-size versions of the other fantastic photos which appear on the site, you can become a site supporter and take out a subscription. A subscription will also give you access to the many in-depth and exclusive articles we produce for MotoMatters.com site supporters. The more readers who join our growing band of site supporters, the better we can make MotoMatters.com, and the more readers will get out of the website. You can find out more about subscribing to MotoMatters.com here.

If you would like to buy a copy of one of these photos, you can email Thomas Morsellino

Cormac Shoots Catalunya: Ups And Downs In Barcelona
Fri, 2019-06-21 21:56
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Jack's Ass


Alex Rins complained he had no grip on the right side of his tire. Getting the bike sliding sideways at T1, suspension compressed, when trying to pass Danilo Petrucci suggests he might be right


Rins had a lot of ground to make up again after this


Ritual: fist bumps for the crew holding the bike. Every single time


Tito Rabat demonstrating there are no slow riders in MotoGP anymore


Pol Espargaro bullying the KTM RC16 into the corner


Jorge Lorenzo's mistake let Marc Marquez escape, but the battle for the remaining podium places was fierce and entertaining


Yamaha's present and future?


Oh, nothing. Just a one-handed wheelie while looking behind to see where everyone else is.


From Superstock 1000 racer to MotoGP winner. And yet massively underrated.


Except by his teammate


Miguel Oliveira is to be found at the lower end of the result sheet. But anyone who follows him will tell you the kid can ride


A podium. He can barely believe it

If you'd like to have very high-resolution (4K) versions of the fantastic photos which appear on the site, you can become a site supporter and take out a subscription. A subscription will also give you access to the many in-depth and exclusive articles we produce for MotoMatters.com site supporters. The more readers who join our growing band of site supporters, the better we can make MotoMatters.com, and the more readers will get out of the website. You can find out more about subscribing to MotoMatters.com here.

If you would like to buy a copy of one of these photos, you can email Cormac Ryan Meenan

If you'd like to see more of Cormac's work, you can follow him on Twitter or Instagram, or check out his website, cormacgp.com.

Tom's Tech Treasures: Wheel Covers, Carbon Swingarms, And More From Mugello
Tue, 2019-06-11 17:20
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Thomas Morsellino is a French freelance journalist and photographer, with keen eye for the technical details of MotoGP bikes. You may have seen some of his work on Twitter, where he runs the @Off_Bikes account. Peter Bom is a world championship winning former crew chief, with a deep and abiding knowledge of every aspect of motorcycle racing. Peter has worked with such riders as Cal Crutchlow, Danny Kent, and Stefan Bradl. After every race, MotoMatters.com will be publishing a selection of Tom's photos of MotoGP bikes, together with extensive technical explanations of the details by Peter Bom. MotoMatters.com subscribers will get access to the full resolution photos, which they can download and study in detail, and all of Peter's technical explanations of the photos. Readers who do not support the site will be limited to the 800x600 resolution photos, and an explanation of two photos.


Maverick Viñales' seat
Peter Bom: An old trick, seen a lot in 125s and Moto3: The rider can move their butt up by sliding backward. The advantage of this on most bikes is that it reduces wind resistance. The air flow stays attached to the rider's back for longer, making the rider's wake smaller, and reducing drag. Maverick Viñales gains more from this, as he is shorter than Valentino Rossi, so lifting his rear puts his back into the same spot as Rossi's without the seat pad. There is a downside to using this on a MotoGP bike: support in hard, low-gear acceleration is less.


Carbon swingarm on Pol Espargaro’s KTM RC16
Peter Bom: In terms of shape, this swingarm is identical to the aluminum version. The advantage is primarily weight, of course, but also that you can modify stiffness in multiple directions quite easily. You do that simply by laminating in a different direction, by placing the layers of carbon at different angles. We can expect to see KTM bring a lot more carbon swingarms now. The initial investment is very high for the first version; making a mold to lay the carbon up in is expensive. But because you can create swingarms with different stiffnesses by changing the way the carbon is laid, it is much less expensive in the long term.


Carbon swingarm on the KTM RC16, interior view To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


Aluminum swingarm with carbon cover on Johann Zarco's KTM RC16 To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


Rear wheel cover on Michele Pirro’s Ducati GP19, left hand side To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


Rear wheel cover on Michele Pirro’s Ducati GP19, right hand side To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


Rear wheel cover and swingarm attachment on Danilo Petrucci's Ducati GP19 To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


Carbon discs, calipers and front wheel covers for the Ducati GP19 To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


Aprilia RS-GP swingarm attachment To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


Special livery for Pramac at Mugello on Jack Miller's Ducati GP19 To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.


Moto2 rear wheel speed sensor – relocated at Mugello, as up until Le Mans, it wasn't set up correctly To see the technical explanation for this photo, sign up to be a site supporter.

If you would like access to the full-size versions of these technical photos and all of Peter Bom's explanations, as well as desktop-size versions of the other fantastic photos which appear on the site, you can become a site supporter and take out a subscription. A subscription will also give you access to the many in-depth and exclusive articles we produce for MotoMatters.com site supporters. The more readers who join our growing band of site supporters, the better we can make MotoMatters.com, and the more readers will get out of the website. You can find out more about subscribing to MotoMatters.com here.

If you would like to buy a copy of one of these photos, you can email Thomas Morsellino

Cormac Shoots Mugello, Part 2: Where Dreams Are Made And Broken
Thu, 2019-06-06 11:45
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100% raw, unfiltered emotion. Motorcycle racing doesn't get any more real than this


"The position at the start doesn't really matter," Alex Rins said. Makes you wonder what might have happened if he hadn't started 13th,though


Front row photo after Marc Marquez mugged the Ducatis and stole pole from Fabio Quartararo


It would not be their day on Sunday


There is nothing that Pol Espargaro loves more than trying to wrestle a MotoGP bike into submission. That's why he is so fast on the KTM


Not so Tranky Franky - Morbidelli crashed out of the race early on, falling at the last corner


Room with a view: the large farmhouse which looks out over Arrabbiata 1 and the circuit entrance


Rookies always have it tough in MotoGP, but some have it tougher than others. Despite this, Miguel Oliveira has shown signs of promise.


Spectacular doesn't begin to describe it


One of the best corner combinations in the world: Casanova - Savelli, and on to Arrabbiata 1


Jack Miller gets it crossed up up to get it turned in


Best Yamaha rider at the moment? Arguably Fabio Quartararo

If you'd like to have very high-resolution (4K) versions of the fantastic photos which appear on the site, you can become a site supporter and take out a subscription. A subscription will also give you access to the many in-depth and exclusive articles we produce for MotoMatters.com site supporters. The more readers who join our growing band of site supporters, the better we can make MotoMatters.com, and the more readers will get out of the website. You can find out more about subscribing to MotoMatters.com here.

If you would like to buy a copy of one of these photos, you can email Cormac Ryan Meenan

If you'd like to see more of Cormac's work, you can follow him on Twitter or Instagram, or check out his website, cormacgp.com.

Cormac Shoots Mugello, Part 1: Tuscany Always Delivers
Tue, 2019-06-04 15:44
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Hell of a setting for a motorcycle race


Fabio Quartararo had all the speed in the world during practice and qualifying, but overheated his tire during the race


No matter how hard he hustled the bike, Valentino Rossi wasn't going anywhere


Mugello, home of Ducati. It is thanks to Michele Pirro's hard work that Ducati have now won the last 3 races in a row at the track


"Please do not ignite flares during the ... oh. Too late"


It has been a long, hard, and winding road to victory for Danilo Petrucci. When he got there at last, there wasn't a dry eye in the house


Perhaps Zarco's struggles on the KTM are a sign that the Japanese Imperial flag needs to go


Black and yellow (Pecco Bagnaia) ...


Or yellow and black (Jack Miller)? Pramac Ducati rolled out the stunning Lamborghini liveries at Mugello


... and then, the world drops away from you


Special helmet designs at home have a checkered history of success. Andrea Iannone's brought him just a solitary point


Ups and downs for Joan Mir, who is slowly figuring out how to ride a MotoGP bike competitively


Maverick Viñales is fast when he gets going. But he struggles to get going

If you'd like to have very high-resolution (4K) versions of the fantastic photos which appear on the site, you can become a site supporter and take out a subscription. A subscription will also give you access to the many in-depth and exclusive articles we produce for MotoMatters.com site supporters. The more readers who join our growing band of site supporters, the better we can make MotoMatters.com, and the more readers will get out of the website. You can find out more about subscribing to MotoMatters.com here.

If you would like to buy a copy of one of these photos, you can email Cormac Ryan Meenan

If you'd like to see more of Cormac's work, you can follow him on Twitter or Instagram, or check out his website, cormacgp.com.

Tom's Tech Treasures: Carbon Swingarms, New Seats, And Sensors Galore At Le Mans
Tue, 2019-05-28 13:36
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Thomas Morsellino is a French freelance journalist and photographer, with keen eye for the technical details of MotoGP bikes. You may have seen some of his work on Twitter, where he runs the @Off_Bikes account. Peter Bom is a world championship winning former crew chief, with a deep and abiding knowledge of every aspect of motorcycle racing. Peter has worked with such riders as Cal Crutchlow, Danny Kent, and Stefan Bradl. After every race, MotoMatters.com will be publishing a selection of Tom's photos of MotoGP bikes, together with extensive technical explanations of the details by Peter Bom. MotoMatters.com subscribers will get access to the full resolution photos, which they can download and study in detail, and all of Peter's technical explanations of the photos. Readers who do not support the site will be limited to the 800x600 resolution photos, and an explanation of two photos.


Carbon swingarm on Pol Espargaro's KTM RC16
Peter Bom: Interesting to note that KTM's first attempt at a carbon swingarm gave an immediate improvement. At Aprilia, for example, we have seen a number of different prototype carbon swingarms, but the riders have so far always reverted to the aluminum items. Apart from the weight – Pol Espargaro says the bike is still around 5kg too heavy – carbon fiber has one major advantage as a material for a swingarm: you can modify stiffness in both force and direction just by changing layering, using the same mold. Producing a mold can be expensive, but because it can be reused to produce different swingarms, it is still an attractive proposition.


Load cell on the Ducati GP19, used for the quickshifter
Peter Bom: The red cylinder is a so-called load cell. It measures extremely precisely exactly how much pressure (in compression or tension) is being put through it. This information is used by the ECU to make changing gear up or down easier, by cutting the ignition once the load reaches a preset value as the rider presses the gear lever down or up. The sensors used in MotoGP have to be extremely precise, and most importantly, they have to provide stable output even when exposed to severe vibration and high temperatures. The bolt thread on a sensor like this broke on Fabio Quartararo's bike at Jerez, leaving him unable to change gear.


Handlebar of the KTM RC16 (Syahrin) with the new carbon fork used by Tech3 since Jerez


The standard Honda seat on Jorge Lorenzo's RC213V


KTM Moto3, Can Öncü


Yamaha-like carbon rain deflector used on the KTM RC16


A new carbon fiber cover used on several Kalexes, this one on Sam Lowes' Gresini bike


Carbon cover for the brake fluid on the KTM Moto2


The 2019 aero package on Franco Morbidelli's Petronas Yamaha SRT bike


GP19 front wheel with several sensors (disc temp., gyroscopic sensor, wheel speed). Note the titanium screws


Special livery for France, replacing "Mission Winnow"


Honda RC213V steering damper on Cal Crutchlow's LCR Honda

If you would like access to the full-size versions of these technical photos and all of Peter Bom's explanations, as well as desktop-size versions of the other fantastic photos which appear on the site, you can become a site supporter and take out a subscription. A subscription will also give you access to the many in-depth and exclusive articles we produce for MotoMatters.com site supporters. The more readers who join our growing band of site supporters, the better we can make MotoMatters.com, and the more readers will get out of the website. You can find out more about subscribing to MotoMatters.com here.

If you would like to buy a copy of one of these photos, you can email Thomas Morsellino

Cormac Shoots Le Mans: Mixed Fortunes For Many In France
Tue, 2019-05-21 17:41
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Fabio Quartararo came to his home Grand Prix with enormous pressure from the French fans, but he acquitted himself remarkably well


A sea of yellow awaits Valentino Rossi


Joan Mir came to Le Mans with high hopes...


Which were dashed by three crashes on Sunday, including one on the warm up lap


A shadow falls over Maverick Viñales


Danilo Petrucci needed a result at Le Mans. He got not one, but two, with a front row start and a podium


Compare and contrast: Pol Espargaro finished less than six seconds from the winner at Le Mans. He made a big step forward with the KTM RC16


Johann Zarco ... didn't.


Jack Miller demonstrates why riders are using thumb brakes. There's barely room for his leg under the bike now


Miller lead the race for a while, before Marc Marquez got back in front of him


The smile of a man who had hoped for so much more. Second place was small comfort indeed for Andrea Dovizioso


Alex Rins heading up the stairs to the press conference on Thursday. Little did he know how rough his weekend was about to get

If you'd like to have very high-resolution (4K) versions of the fantastic photos which appear on the site, you can become a site supporter and take out a subscription. A subscription will also give you access to the many in-depth and exclusive articles we produce for MotoMatters.com site supporters. The more readers who join our growing band of site supporters, the better we can make MotoMatters.com, and the more readers will get out of the website. You can find out more about subscribing to MotoMatters.com here.

If you would like to buy a copy of one of these photos, you can email Cormac Ryan Meenan

If you'd like to see more of Cormac's work, you can follow him on Twitter or Instagram, or check out his website, cormacgp.com.

Tom's Tech Treasures: Carbon Frames And Aero Updates From Jerez
Wed, 2019-05-15 12:35
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Thomas Morsellino is a French freelance journalist and photographer, with keen eye for the technical details of MotoGP bikes. You may have seen some of his work on Twitter, where he runs the @Off_Bikes account. After every race, MotoMatters.com will be publishing a selection of Tom's photos of MotoGP bikes, together with technical explanations of the details. MotoMatters.com subscribers will get access to the full resolution photos, which they can download and study in detail, and all of the technical explanations of the photos. Readers who do not support the site will be limited to the 800x600 resolution photos, and an explanation of two photos.


The carbon fiber covered chassis on the Honda RC213V test bike used by Stefan Bradl
David Emmett: This was the talk of the Jerez weekend. Stefan Bradl had two bikes at his disposal, this one, featuring a different chassis design (see the scalloped section in the center of the main beam), and the standard aluminum chassis. After Honda spent the winter working on the engine of the RC213V, they are now diverting their attention to the chassis. Riders have complained of a lack of front end feel from the 2019 frame, and this seems to be an experiment to create a bit more feel, especially on corner entry and mid corner. Marc Márquez tested this chassis at Jerez on Monday, and set his fastest time on the bike.


Another view of the carbon fiber covered chassis on Bradl's RC213V
David Emmett: A view of the full frame. The welds appear to be in the same place as the standard frame, but the top beams are different.


Bradl's standard Honda RC213V aluminum chassis


Ducati GP19 front wheel cover with brake cooling ducts (Danilo Petrucci’s bike)


Yamaha YZR-M1 swing arm attachment


Aprilia RS-GP swing arm attachment


Speed Up carbon swing arm used in Moto2


Honda RC213V "bento box" on Stefan Bradl's bike


ECU cooling system for the Aprilia RS-GP

If you would like access to the full-size versions of these technical photos and all of the explanations, as well as desktop-size versions of the other fantastic photos which appear on the site, you can become a site supporter and take out a subscription. A subscription will also give you access to the many in-depth and exclusive articles we produce for MotoMatters.com site supporters. The more readers who join our growing band of site supporters, the better we can make MotoMatters.com, and the more readers will get out of the website. You can find out more about subscribing to MotoMatters.com here.

If you would like to buy a copy of one of these photos, you can email Thomas Morsellino

Cormac Shoots Jerez: MotoGP Photos Bathed In Spanish Sun
Wed, 2019-05-08 16:17
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A star is born at Jerez. We knew Fabio Quartararo was quick. We were surprised at just how quick


Whoops


Maverick Viñales had at least some of his mojo back. He was quick, strong from the start, and ended on the podium


You can't tell a photographer what to do. Even if your name is Valentino Rossi


Fresh from his success in Austin, things didn't go to plan for Jack Miller


Johann Zarco keeps struggling with the KTM. A lot of work still to do


Sweeping through Turns 3 and 4. The left side of the tire gets a real work out at Jerez


In MotoGP, even the doctors are rockstars. Dr. Charte (left, in the nomex racing suit) looks the part too, especially when he is in the safety car. On the right, in the white shirt, the racers' favorite surgeon, Dr. Mir


Ducs in a row


Tranky Franky (copyright Neil Morrison)


Joan Mir is fast, but still learning. Moves around a bit too much on the bike still


Quartararo's secret? He doesn't seem to move or hang off the bike as much as the others. It works for him, clearly


Cal Crutchlow, locked and loaded


Despite it being a tough year for Miguel Oliveira, the Portuguese rookie is making real progress

 

If you'd like to have very high-resolution (4K) versions of the fantastic photos which appear on the site, you can become a site supporter and take out a subscription. A subscription will also give you access to the many in-depth and exclusive articles we produce for MotoMatters.com site supporters. The more readers who join our growing band of site supporters, the better we can make MotoMatters.com, and the more readers will get out of the website. You can find out more about subscribing to MotoMatters.com here.

If you would like to buy a copy of one of these photos, you can email Cormac Ryan Meenan

If you'd like to see more of Cormac's work, you can follow him on Twitter or Instagram, or check out his website, cormacgp.com.

Subscriber Exclusive: Photo Gallery Of Ducati's New Aero Devices
Fri, 2019-05-03 21:29
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Ducati's new, larger aerodynamic wheel covers (photo: Niki Kovacs).


The original wheel covers from Qatar.

To see the rest of this gallery of changes to Ducati's aerodynamics, you need to sign up to become a MotoMatters.com site supporter by taking out a subscription. You can find out more about subscribing to MotoMatters.com here.

For more background on these changes, see the Jerez 2019 Friday MotoGP round up. 

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