BSB » Gowland to race Moto2 machine in Spain

Gowland's a very talented rider and definately deserves a shot at the moto2 championship next year - get out of the 'rob mac rut' now while you have the chance!!

Makes a change for a Spanish team to be choosing a British rider over one of their own. Let's jsut hope there are no lakes nearby, we don't want any new bikes written off.

Maybe a Moto2 bike will suit Graeme better?

There is a good article on this bike in today's edition of MCN also a very interesting interview with Steve Bones on Crash.Net today.

Great news for Graeme, but the bike just looks like a CBR600. If this is moto2 why not just run a CBR cup instead?

To the casual observer one bike looks pretty much like another - I have some biker friends who can't tell the difference between BSB and MotoGP when they catch a bit on the telly but they are both different.

Check out the bike in more detail in todays edition of MCN. Moto2 bikes have a fully adjustable prototype chassis, racing brakes and suspension, slick tyres and weigh about 30 kg less than a CBR600. The only thing it has in common with a CBR600 is that the engine is derived from one. This bike has more in common with a MotoGP bike than a road bike - lap times are already faster than a 250 and because of the incredible grip lap times will be faster than WSB at some circuits.

That recipe of incredible grip and full adjustability of all chassis elements is what will make it an ideal apprenticeship for aspiring MotoGP riders.

A supersport bike by comparison has hardly any adjustment so doesn't teach the rider and team the setup skills needed for MotoGP.

I hope we have a national series for Moto2 soon because riders coming from national series which run these rules will have a huge advantage when they progress to Moto2 e.g. Spanish riders.

Why were they so much slower then the supersport bikes at the last CEV Spanish race? And the FTR was slowest.

Graeme is quite possibly the nicest guy in the BSB paddock. His ride this season cost him money out of his own pocket and he wasn't too far behind the wiley old dog Walker. I'd love to see this ride go well for him and give him a decent ride next season.

The moto2 bikes were just slightly faster ... 1 18 JORDI TORRES MR GRIFUL TEAM HONDA ESP 16 29:03.096 - - 156.2 13 1:48.168 157.3
2 54 KEV COGHLAN HONDA JOE DARCEY HONDA GBR 16 29:03.334 +0.238 +0.238 156.2 16 1:47.929 157.7
3 30 IVAN MORENO ANDALUCIA CAJASOL YAMAHA ESP 16 29:04.047 +0.951 +0.713 156.1 13 1:48.165 157.3
4 21 XAVIER FORES SIEMENS GIGASET LAGLISSE YM-2 ESP M2 16 29:04.222 +1.126 +0.125 156.1 2 1:47.743 157.9
5 7 DANIEL RIVAS BLUSENS BQR-Moto2 HONDA Moto2 ESP M2 16 29:04.356 +1.260 +0.134 156.1 3 1:48.037 157.5
6 23 ADRIAN BONASTRE YAMAHA SPAIN YAMAHA ESP 16 29:09.464 +6.368 +5.108 155.6 12 1:48.525 156.8
7 8 JOSEP PEDRO SIEMENS GIGASET LAGLISSE YA

Speedy14 - Re why the FTR was the slowest - it is very early in the bikes development - it was a first run out. Some of the bikes have been campaigned since the start of the season so are at a later stage - the Moriwaki framed bikes for instance are currently on their 10th frame evolution and will be on the 11th by the start of the 2010 season. I would expect the Moriwaki teams e.g. Gresini and the Blusens team to have an advantage at the start of next season.

It will be unfair to expect great times from Graeme, but his team will know whether he is doing a good job.