In Turn 6, on the 5th lap of the Portuguese Grand Prix in Estoril, the race, Nicky Hayden's title hopes, and a large part of the world's motorcycling fans exploded. Seconds after Dani Pedrosa's impetuous passing attempt on Hayden, taking both riders out, even the official MotoGP ...

To visitors from the lush north of Europe, their first impression of the Circuit Ricardo Tormo is an overwhelming sense of desolation. As you leave the bustling Spanish coast and the metropolis of Valencia behind you, and head along the highway towards the parched Spanish meseta,...

Nicky Hayden arrived at Valencia with some new artwork on his bike and his leathers. The left-hand side of his fairing depicted a hand of five cards: the ten, jack, queen and king of diamonds, and one more card face down. Besides the cards was a large pile of poker chips, and the...

James Toseland's announcement that he would be leaving World Superbikes and Ten Kate Honda to join Tech 3 Yamaha in MotoGP next season has divided opinion in the motorcycling world. On the one hand, there is delight that Toseland, a charming and obviously talented young rider, is...

When it comes to racetracks, the most damning accusation that MotoGP fans can make is that a particular circuit is a "cookie cutter track." What they mean by this is that the track consists of a bunch of symmetrical, computer-designed turns stuck together to resemble something wh...

MotoGP is the very pinnacle of technological innovation when it comes to motorcycle racing. Whether it be the carbon brakes, advanced engine electronics, trick engine internals or complex chassis design, MotoGP really is pushing the envelope, what's known in computing circles as ...

In theory, motorcycle racing is incredibly simple. Rent a racetrack for a weekend, invite a bunch of riders to bring their bikes with them, lay a set of ground rules to try and ensure fair competition, give the riders a couple of sessions to get to know the track, then come Sunda...

The medical profession has thrown up many colorful and memorable phrases. One such is "the bed nearest the door", which is said to be where nursing staff would put the patients they considered most likely to die during the night, so they could be removed without bothering the oth...

motorcycle racing is all about: off-track mayhem and on-track action, all under a hot southern sun. The Phoney War is over, and battle is about to be joined in full force. Roll on Sunday.Read more of David Emmett's articles over on MotoGPMatters.com

the weather can change at a moment's notice. It's almost as if Nature stands ready to lend a hand, just in case the racing gets predictable. The only sure thing on Sunday is that anything could happen. It should be a gripping spectacle.Read more of David