BatiFan Blog | The Alvaro Bautista Fan Blog | Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

With the Qatar tests underway, and the race at Losail kicking off the 2009 season this weekend, it seems an opportune time to go over the tech specs for Alvaro’s bike…

ENGINE
Type: two strokes
Configuration / number of cylinders: one cylinder
Diameter: 54×54,5
Cubic capacity: 124,5
Compression: 18:1
Admission: rotary side valve
Gear Box: 6 gears
Clutch: dry multidisk

CHASSIS
Chassis – manufacturer and material: Aprilia/aluminium
Front Fork – Type, manufacturer: inverted/Ohlins
Rear Suspension – Type, manufacturer: Pro-link/Ohlins
Direction shock absorber – Type Manufacturer: Ohlins

BRAKES
Front brakes: two disks/ Diameter 218:steel/manufacturer: Brembo/ Clips: 2 Brembo
Rear Brakes: one disk/ steel/ manufacturer: Brembo/ Clips: Brembo

TYRES
Wheel rim: 17/ Aprilia/ Carbon
Front: Dunlop 95/70-17”
Rear: Dunlop 120/70-17”

DIMENSIONS
Distance among axles: 1230 mm
Total distance: 1830 mm
Height seat: 760 mm
Dry Weight: 72 kg
Tank capacity: 14 litres

Here’s some words form Alvaro at a press conference held in Talavera de la Reina, both about his collarbone injury and also about the season ahead…

“I have the normal pains and aches after surgery, but I can already ride a bike again, although I must follow the path of recovery. I hope to be without any problems at next the test.
No injury comes at the right time, but in my case we can speak of luck, since the crash and the collarbone fracture happend when we have enough time to recover, to continue with the training and to be prepared for the first test of the championship.

…The season looks to be very difficult and complicated when we have to try and be better than the guy with the number one and, in addition, better than strong riders who moved up a class and other riders who already had two seasons in 250cc and have the same goals we have. We are going to approach the season with calm, tranquillity and will go race by race and, mainly, we know that the pressure is on the rider who defends the title.

Last season we wanted too much too quickly, to be leaders as rapidly as possible and that made us commit errors. We have learned from that and we know more than last year – in my case among others things that I already know how to race against the present champion who I haven’t battled before.
We are all very determined, with much motivation and, mainly, optimistic after seeing the laptimes we managed to do in the tests. The whole team is in high spirits and, which is also important, having a good base in this moment of crisis”.

All very positive sounding on both counts, and we look forward to seeing him follow such positivity through very soon

Team Aspar were at Valencia, running both 125 and 250 bikes.
Here’s how the 250s fared…
1.- Álvaro Bautista ESP Aprilia 1.37.1 53 laps
2.- Gabor Talmacsi HUN Aprilia 1.38.1 41 laps
3.- Mike di Meglio FRA Aprilia 1.38.9 55 laps

Keep up with all the news, stats, pics and comment here…

We at BatiFans want to try and push the campaign for Alvaro Bautista diecast models further afield than Minichamps, and would appreciate your help in also filling up the Suggestion Boxes at Spanish company Altaya (who already produce some nice 1:24 MotoGP bikes) and Chinese manufactrer Ixo (who produced the 2005 Alvaro Honda in 1:24).
Obivously the 2006 and 2008 bikes are probably going to be the most important to suggest, but particularly with 1:24 scale why not push for a full “collection”…

Altaya have a suggestion page on their website: Click here…
And here is the page translated into English…
Please can you submit the suggestions to this site (pmaybe be courteous and write in Spanish if you can, using Google’s translation page) – and on this occasion make sure you remind them that as a Spanish company they could use Alvaro’s popularity in Spain to sell such a collection.
By the way – If you have problems submitting the form it is because it demands a postcode (Spanish I guess) – I just filled that field with 11111 and it worked.

As for IXO, they have a page also saying they welcome suggestions, so please don’t be shy.
As ever let’s campaign for all bikes from 2003 through to 2008 – including the red & yellow World Championship end of season 2006 livery. Here’s the contacts for IXO…
Trade inquiries: sales@ixomodels.com
Customer Service: cs@ixomodels.com

Please write, and get other fans to write, and let’s get some momentum behind this!
Thanks
gb