Moto3™: MotorLand Test

Lightweight bikes back in business on Monday

After the 2016 Moto3™ World Championship got wrapped up in a spectacular Sunday showdown at MotorLand Aragon, freshly crowned King of the lightweight category Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was back to business on Monday, testing. The new world champion rode in the second and third sessions of the day but sat out the first as contemporaries pounded in the laps around the 5.1km of MotorLand Aragon.

Test at the Motorland, Aragon for Moto2 and Moto3

Those present in the lightweight class were RBA Racing Team, race winners Estrella Galicia 0,0, Gaviota Mahindra Aspar, MH6, Sky Racing Team VR46, Ongetta-Rivacold, CIP-Unicom Starker, Peugeot MC Saxoprint and the fresh-from-celebrating Red Bull KTM Ajo squad.

As some in Moto2™ tested the 2017 Kalex chassis and the new KTM Moto2™ chassis, Moto3™ saw the arrival of the 2017 KTM bike. Öhlins also brought some front forks for the lightweight class, as well as a small change to the rear shock.

Brad Binder, Test at the Motorland, Aragon for Moto2 and Moto3

Aragon GP victors Estrella Galicia 0,0 had a three bike setup in the garage as they tested options for 2017. Race winner Jorge Navarro was the rider out on track and on duty to use his Moto3™ experience ahead of a move to Moto2™ next season, testing back-to-back with the current bike.

Meanwhile, Sky Racing Team VR46 were busy in the first sessions with new full-time Moto3™ World Championship rider Lorenzo Dalla Porta out on track to get kilometers on the bike, and Andrea Migno also putting in the laps. Following an incident in the race, Nicolo Bulega sat out the test as he concentrates slightly further forward on the upcoming flyaway stint.

Peugeot MC Saxoprint riders Albert Arenas and John McPhee also sat the test out, with the team running Red Bull Rookies Aleix Viu and Patrik Pulkkinen, as well as Dakota Mamola and FIM CEV Repsol Moto3™ rider Vicente Perez. At Ongetta-Rivacold, Niccolo Antonelli was working on trying to solve some top speed woes encountered in the Aragon GP.

Test at the Motorland, Aragon for Moto2 and Moto3

Mahindra had a busy schedule following their recent 100th GP celebrated at Misano World Circuit, with a whole new engine never previously tested, new swingarm and new forks as they continue to make fantastic progress on the world stage and target more wins following their first in 2016.

Next stop: Twin Ring Motegi, where Moto3™ will do battle once again as the championship runner up spots remain up for grabs - and Binder finds himself able to race without pressure, targeting more victories.