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Kevin Ash, one year on

I’ve lost dozens of friends in bike racing over the years, and while each death was a shock and incredibly sad, I’ve always had some kind of internal coping mechanism that allowed me to carry on relatively unaffected.  Maybe it’s because I was always extremely passionate and committed when taking part in my dangerous sport so was also prepared to pay the ultimate price should things go wrong.  Rightly or wrongly I’ve taken comfort from the fact that these unfortunate racers have checked out while doing something they love.   I’ve also lost a few journalist friends in bike accidents over the years but for some reason these have hit me harder.  The worst and possibly as it is the most recent is Kevin Ash who was killed last January while on a BMW launch in South Africa.  Starting in 2001, over a period of ten years, I was in Kevin’s company on countless new bike launches in pretty much every corner of the world.  At times he was cocky and occasionally irritating but always entertaining with a wicked sense of humour.  He was many things but no one can deny he was a brilliant journalist and his technical knowledge was second to none.  I always appreciated his complete enthusiasm to all things biking as he would ride through any weather on a daily basis to jobs or airports and seemed to always be tinkering with winter projects (mainly Ducatis) at home.  I also admired how much work he got through as he had columns in more than one weekly publication plus all his launch and web work. He was a competent safe rider who was certainly quick enough to evaluate any new bike thrown his way.  Kevin also drove a Porsche but then none of us are perfect!   I looked to Kevin as a wise Owl so not long after I started working with TWO/ Visordown, I asked him on an R1 launch in Australia he thought the motorcycle industry was currently in a good place.  His reply was, ‘we’ve just been flown here business class, been taken by speed boat to our five star hotel under Sydney Harbour Bridge, Yamaha have wined and dined us and furnished us with expensive gifts each day, what do you think Niall?  How times have changed.  On the subject on air travel he once told me, ‘when travelling business or first class it’s not about the pampering, comfy beds or fine dining, the important part is looking smug as you walk straight past all the people lining up at the cattle class check in! On more than one occasion I had food or drink spurt out when Kevin would deliver unexpected one line funnies at the dinner table.

"That's one small step for man..."

TO CELEBRATE the 40th anniversary of man's first steps on the moon, Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo will wear an astronaut-style paint job on his helmet at this weekend's Portuguese GP. The Spaniard's lid has been sprayed to look a little like a spaceman's helmet and has Neil Armstrong's immortal words: "That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind" written on the rear. Let's just hope Lorenzo doesn't launch himself this weekend.

Yamaha M1 Engines Available for Leasing for 2014-2016 MotoGP Seasons

Yamaha announced it will offer a leasing arrangement for its YZR-M1 engines to teams interested in racing in the MotoGP World Championship. The Japanese manufacturer has signed a leasing arrangement with MotoGP promoter Dorna Sports to supply engines for the 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons. Racing teams will be able to lease a Yamaha M1 engine on a per-year basis for their own race bikes.