Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/737253
IN THE WIND P44 LORENZO TESTS HAMILTON'S F1 MERCEDES J orge Lorenzo real- ized a dream last week when he tested the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship- winning Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone. The Spaniard, an avid fan and prolific collector of Formula 1 memorabilia, was granted his chance to test the machine thanks to Monster Energy, whom he and Lewis Hamilton share as a sponsor. No lap times were made avail- able, but Lorenzo is said to have impressed the Mercedes team with his feedback and pace in the turbo-charged weapon around a circuit he has won many times in MotoGP. "It's been an amazing day," said the three-time MotoGP World Champion when talking to Autosport. "I'm very satisfied with the lap time in the last run. From what the engineers were saying, my times were really competitive." Lorenzo worked with engineer Richard Lane, who was impressed with the Spaniard's determination to adapt to the car. "From the moment he arrived he's been full of enthusiasm and keen to get stuck in," said Lane. "Between each run he's been poring over the data, and look- ing to find areas for improve- ment. You can see why he's a multiple world champion on two wheels." CN ROLAND SANDS GOES CLASSIC ON THE R NINET W e don't normally dabble in the custom bike scene, but we couldn't let this one slip through our fingers. This is a BMW R nineT given the classic makeover treatment by Roland Sands, one of the most prolific bike customizers of our time. Sands' classic take on the retro BMW is in tribute to the immortal R5 of 1937, arguably one of the finest examples of BMW design. "We wanted to draw from the classic, beautiful lines of the early BMW machines," reads a statement from Sands' website. "They really had a very clean, chopped look that I think is tough to duplicate with a new machine. Luckily the 9T [R nineT] is a pretty simple machine to cut up and this was the first one we dissected since the Concept 90. The function of the bike, outside the 19-inch Hutch front wheel, is pretty much as it was in stock trim. But we used GP suspension to rebuild an amazing fork and fully black it out. We also used an Ohlins shock in the back. The suspension on this bike is a few notches above the stock bike even with the slightly larger front wheel. I like the fact that the silhouette echoes the R5 but has sticky tires and aggressive suspension and brakes. It's what customizing today is really about for us." CN Another box ticked as Lorenzo drives Lewis Hamilton's world-title- winning F1 car. Isn't that pretty? RSD keeps pumping out the goods!