MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

 
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And so it begins ...

How do you see what manufacturers have been up to during testing? You have two choices. Head down to pit lane and try to get shots of bikes without mechanics or riders getting in the way. Or go stand at a certain point of the track with a long lens and carefully photograph every bike that comes past.

The latter approach is exactly what Cormac Ryan Meenan did at Qatar. As a consequence, he captured a few shots which make the changes between old and new bikes very clear. A few examples.

How do you start a MotoGP test? On something you know, to get up to speed and remember what the old bike felt like.

The new livery - more bright red, less dark red, but very similar to the old paint job

Photographers love Valencia, because the late afternoon light makes for spectacular shots

Expectations foiled again. Yamaha brought small improvements to the test where big ones were needed

Having taken a stroll down pit lane on Friday at Misano, here's a few photos that caught my eye. Excuse the lack of cropping, framing, and lighting, but they are mostly in focus. Click on the photos for much larger versions