Jonathan Rea and Hiroshi Aoyama have concluded their three-day test session at Phillip Island. For both riders it was coming to grips with the 2012 CBR1000RR Fireblade and testing an array of new chassis and suspension components and continuing development on the ride-by-wire system that the team introduced last season during the Imola round.

Rea who after getting hit by a bird on Tuesday, yesterday ended up running over snake (check out the pic here) talked about the test.

“We’ve had a good three days, completed a lot of laps and tested a whole heap of new parts. We’ve also done quite a few long runs and race simulations which, to be honest, was really good – for the simulation we did today, we even used the lights! The full race-run allows us to see exactly where we are, even though the disadvantage of testing on your own is that you’ve got no-one to measure yourself against. But the whole team is working really well and I’m really enjoying riding the bike again. Step-by-step we’re making things better and, although when you test this many parts you can end up going round in circles, I think we’ve got a bike with a good base setting to go into the 2012 season with.”

Continue reading: Honda World Superbike team concludes three-day test at the Island

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Jonathan Rea and Hiroshi Aoyama concluded another positive day of private testing at Phillip Island. The Honda World Superbike team is currently working on chassis and suspensions on the 2012 Honda CBR1000RR 2012, however the Irish rider also ran into some trouble with the local fauna.

While Phillip Island is famous for motorcycle racing, but it also famous for their birds who seem to like to wreck mayhem on riders and their bikes.

Rea tweeted that he was their latest victim, but he didn’t take any survivors, “Hit a magpie today about 140mph today with my knee. The old chap didn’t survive and got stuck in my rear-sets! Feel a bit bad to be honest! “

Rea may feel bad but he was pretty lucky, because both Troy Corser and Noriyuki Haga have both suffered bruising injuries caused by ‘kamikaze’ birds.

Continue reading: Positive second day of testing for Rea and Aoyama at Phillip Island

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With the testing ban finally lifted, the first team to hit the track preparing for the new season is Honda World Superbike team with riders Jonathan Rea and Hiroshi Aoyama.

Rea and Aoyama who will be racing with #65 and #4, are currently at Phillip Island in a three day private test with the new race spec 2012 CBR1000RR Fireblades for the first time since the 20th anniversary version of Honda’s iconic sports machine was launched last September.

The team will start its 2012 campaign boosted by news that, following a year as title sponsor, Castrol will remain as a key secondary partner until the end of the 2013 season, so with all probability the team will no longer be officially known as Castrol Honda.

Continue reading: Video: Jonathan Rea and Hiroshi Aoyama testing at Phillip Island

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The Castrol Honda Superbike team has concluded their private three day test session at the Losail International circuit in Qatar. For Jonathan Rea and Superbike newbie Hiroshi Aoyama it was a positive test with both riders despite the broiling track temperatures were able to lap under the lap record.

Rea continued his work on chassis parts for the 2012 machine and on the ride-by-wire system that the team first introduced at the Imola round, while Aoyama spent the three days getting used to riding a superbike spec Honda and Pirelli tires, and according to team owner Ronald Ten Kate, the team will have to make him some specific parts due to the Japanese rider’s small size and weight.

Jonathan Rea: “We’ve got through a lot of work these three days and ended with two long runs today, which was pretty tough in the heat. We’ve tried heaps of stuff and, like the last couple of tests, we ended up running out of time. But it’s still been really productive and I’m looking forward to starting the next test on my favourite combination of components because we weren’t able to finish on that today. We’ve been making some quite big changes to the bike, just to feel the difference between the various set-ups and everyone has been working really well. It was good to be back at this circuit too; I like it here, and I’m really looking forward to getting back on the bike again in January.

Hiroshi Aoyama: “I got food poisoning before I left Spain to go for the test so I was a bit uncomfortable to start. Also, my leather suits didn’t arrive in time so I was forced to use an old one. But it was a very interesting test and a good opportunity for me to meet my new team and spend some time getting used to the new bike and the tyres. We still have some work to make the bike more comfortable for me to ride so I was not able to push really hard. I don’t know much about the bike yet and there is still a lot to discover, so I will continue to learn, little-by-little. But the test has been really good and I hope we’ll get some new materials for the next time I ride the bike.”

Castrol Honda will resume testing after January 15th when the testing ban is lifted and will be holding a private test at Phillip Island in Australia,

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First thing, that is not Jonathan Rea on the Castrol Honda, but new team mate Hiroshi Aoyama who has decided to run the #4 plate that he used when he won the 2009 250cc World Championship title, while Rea has reverted back to his old #65.

The Castrol Honda team has gotten a head start on testing for the 2012 season and decided on the Losail track in Qatar this time for their testing sessions after being hit by constantly bad weather when they conducted their tests at Miller Motorsports Park, Portimao and Aragon last season.

Aoyama is getting his first taste of the CBR1000RR and Pirelli tires, while Rea is testing the 2011 Superbike with 2012 parts. Testing will continue tomorrow.

Photo source | CastrolHonda@twitter.com

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Hiroshi Aoyama has to celebrate his 30th birthday (today) in the most unhappy way by speaking about the death of Gresini Honda team mate Marco Simoncelli

On his personal blog ‘Hiro Hero’ paid this tribute to his fallen team mate:

“My team mate Marco crashed during the race. He was fighting hard for his life but unfortunately he passed away. I cannot think of any words to describe this tragic loss.

He has been my rival since the 250’s and since we both started in Moto GP class, I could feel the tension in between us and we were always aware of each other as rookies. And now, we have been competing in the same championship as a team mate. He is such an openhearted person, no matter where he is. I know everyone had a high expectation of him since he has been performing so well.

He is loved by so many people and I know why. Last week he came second and was on the podium. And this week again he was so powerful on his bike….. but why…..? How…..? That is all I can think right now.

I would like to give my condolences to Marco’s family, fans, teams and staff. Rest in peace Marco.”

Aoyama will be switching from MotoGP for Superbikes at the end of season and with Fausto Gresini announcing that his MotoGP and Moto2 teams will not be competing at Valencia, the Japanese rider will have to leave the series in the saddest way possible.

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It wasn’t exactly a surprise as the rumor that Hiroshi Aoyama would be another MotoGP refugee joining the World Superbike championship in 2012 has been floating around lately, and today Honda Motor Europe and Ten Kate Racing have officially confirmed the former 250cc World champion has signed with them.

The 29-year old Aoyama has always been a Honda faithful, having ridden for the Japanese manufacturer all his career and he’ll be joining Jonathan Rea in the Honda WSBK team next season. The soon-to-be ex Gresini rider is currently 10th in the MotoGP standings and today at Phillip Island qualified 12th after a crash.

Hiroshi Aoyama:

I have raced in MotoGP for the last couple of years and it has really been a great experience for me. I really want to thank Fausto Gresini and all the staff and technicians of Team San Carlo Honda Gresini for this extraordinary period in my career. Now I have the opportunity to go to World Superbike with Honda and Ten Kate Racing and I’m very excited about this new challenge. I don’t know very much about Superbike but I really hope to make a good job together with my new team.

Continue reading: Hiroshi Aoyama joins World Superbikes with Ten Kate Racing

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Red Bull is continuing their 1000 fps series and after Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso, it’s Hiroshi Aoyama’s turn to get the slow motion treatment for the ‘Perfect Lap.’

The former 2009 250cc World Championship who is currently 10th in the MotoGP standings says that going 300 km/h is scary, but he “likes that feeling.”

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Marco Simoncelli seemed to be on his way to his first MotoGP win at Jerez de la Frontera opening up a big gap between himself and the rest of the field, but on the 12th lap on the tricky turn 1, the bushy haired Italian lost the front on his Gresini Honda and crashed out

The disappointment was evident, but what frustated everyone around was the behaviour and the lack of assistence by the marshals who didn’t help Simoncelli nor Casey Stoner enough to get back on track and try to re-join the race.

“I am really disappointed! said Simoncelli. “I knew after the first five laps that the tyres were struggling but I managed to hold my advantage over Lorenzo. Unfortunately I lost the front in turn one and the rear came round on me – I tried to get it back under control but I couldn’t manage it. It happens in racing and even though I am disappointed I am also happy to have shown again that I am a contender this year. The most frustrating thing about today though was that I got no help at all from the marshals, unlike other riders today. The bike was okay and if I could have had some help I am sure I could have still had a good race. That is not good but as I said before I showed I can run with the best today and that’s the main thing we’ll take away with us. A major result is around the corner.”

Continue reading: MotoGP Jerez: Marco Simoncelli and Fausto Gresini slam marshals

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Yamaha’s 2009 video of a Day at the Office made a big splash among racing fans and it certainly seems to have impressed San Carlo, the snack food company who is the title sponsor of Gresini’s MotoGP team, because they’ve released this video with Marco Simoncelli and Hiroshi Aoyama doing pratically the same thing, moonlighting at their plant.

While not as funny as Yamaha’s and poor Aoyama looks like a fish out of water and really needs to get acting lessons from Colin Edwards, the video is kind of cute, so enjoy.

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Yesterday at the Monza racetrack, Team San Carlo Honda Gresini officially presented their 2011 team and confirming their continuing sponsorship with snack food company San Carlo, who is celebrating their 75th anniversary this year.

Besides the usual positive words by riders Marco Simoncelli and Hiroshi Aoyama, Fausto Gresini who turned 50 recently, confirmed that their team is now 100% factory backed. So not only will Marco Simoncelli continue getting the official equipment (he’s on HRC’s payroll not Gresini’s, since he moved up to MotoGP in 2010) but also his team mate Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda continuely pins their hopes on a Japanese rider) who has been testing a satellite RC212V with excellent results, will also be getting factory goodies.

With five factory riders Honda has pulled out all stops (and to hell with waning sells and cost saving measures) and wants this last MotoGP 800cc title to be theirs.

Source | asphaltandrubber.com

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Hiroshi Aoyama has yet to be officially confirmed in Team Gresini, but the Japanese rider is wearing Honda Gresini clothing and we’ve seen his Honda RC212V bike with his racing number 7 at Valencia.

Aoyama will be teamed up with Marco Simoncelli, who will be testing a new fairing and suspensions on his bike.

Regarding the test, Loris Capirossi went out for a couple of laps as did Ducati’s Franco Battaini and Valentino Rossi is now preparing to leaving the Ducati garage with his new bike.

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