Joined Sep 2005
4K Posts | 3+
Lancashire UK
This makes interesting reading!
Travelling By The Numbers
As the exhausting three-in-a-row sequence of consecutive MotoGP races has just drawn to a close in Japan, the grand Pan-Pacific tour underlined the true meaning of ‘long-haul’ races for all those involved. None more so than the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP squad. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to get the people, machines and backup equipment around the world and back again, the following numbers can’t fail to impress…
21 days - the amount of time the team was away from its UK base, having left on 4th September and returned 25th September.
4,330 Euro - the cost of each team member’s business class seat for the London - Malaysia - Melbourne - Japan - London flights. And there were over 20 people flying!
48.35 hours - the average time each member spent in the air. Doesn’t include stop over time and extra check in time for security at Heathrow.
Circa 10 USD per kilo - cost of transporting equipment, per flight.
12,000 kilo - approximate total freight weight.
45 - the number of customised aluminium honeycomb/composite flight cases to fit all equipment in.
1480 to 3700 Euro - the individual costs of each flight case, depending on size and construction.
Eight sets - bodywork.
Eight sets - crash damage parts - handlebar assemblies, footrest assemblies, cowling brackets, etc.
40 sets - wheels.
Six sets - general bike parts.
Eight sets - engine rebuild parts.
Eight sets - suspension parts.
Four - frames (optional specs affect total quantity).
Eight - swing-arms (optional specs affect total quantity).
Six sets - electronics packages i.e. harnesses, sensors, etc.
30 sets - power adaptors for each country visited.
2,000 - parts per machine/mobile workshops.
Six - industrial disposable paper rolls for workshop use each race.
How did it get there? - IRTA/Dorna appointed freight company Tempora Freight, Italy ships all items on ATA carnets - from entire machines to a throttle cable. Spare parts and special repair equipment for the freight boxes were even included in the very same cases they are used to repair, as all the loading/unloading takes an inevitable toll on them on this particular triple-headed trip.
Out of the ordinary? - As well as the essentials to keep the bikes running and the tools twirling, the human needs during this hectic period meant that some personnel carried some of the strangest things. How about hair trimmers, to keep them neat and tidy? Or thermal underwear? Because Phillip Island can be so cold and windy, many a team uniform had a thermal layer underneath. As you might expect from a team based in the UK, they even took along their own teabags! PG Tips were the infusion of choice - and only Nescafe coffee (decaf and caffeinated) - was shipped along with everything else.
How tough is this trip? - Despite the pressure of travel and the intense work schedule - from the steamy heat of Sepang to the sometimes-bitter chill of Phillip Island - some of the team actually prefer the fact that all the equipment was in boxes, and they didn't have to drive it everywhere. As Parts and Logistics Manager for the team, Russell Jordon, says, “I prefer the fly-aways. Once we are packed and working from flight cases, it all seems easier to manage. For me, I would prefer all races to be fly-aways.”
Travelling By The Numbers
As the exhausting three-in-a-row sequence of consecutive MotoGP races has just drawn to a close in Japan, the grand Pan-Pacific tour underlined the true meaning of ‘long-haul’ races for all those involved. None more so than the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP squad. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to get the people, machines and backup equipment around the world and back again, the following numbers can’t fail to impress…
21 days - the amount of time the team was away from its UK base, having left on 4th September and returned 25th September.
4,330 Euro - the cost of each team member’s business class seat for the London - Malaysia - Melbourne - Japan - London flights. And there were over 20 people flying!
48.35 hours - the average time each member spent in the air. Doesn’t include stop over time and extra check in time for security at Heathrow.
Circa 10 USD per kilo - cost of transporting equipment, per flight.
12,000 kilo - approximate total freight weight.
45 - the number of customised aluminium honeycomb/composite flight cases to fit all equipment in.
1480 to 3700 Euro - the individual costs of each flight case, depending on size and construction.
Eight sets - bodywork.
Eight sets - crash damage parts - handlebar assemblies, footrest assemblies, cowling brackets, etc.
40 sets - wheels.
Six sets - general bike parts.
Eight sets - engine rebuild parts.
Eight sets - suspension parts.
Four - frames (optional specs affect total quantity).
Eight - swing-arms (optional specs affect total quantity).
Six sets - electronics packages i.e. harnesses, sensors, etc.
30 sets - power adaptors for each country visited.
2,000 - parts per machine/mobile workshops.
Six - industrial disposable paper rolls for workshop use each race.
How did it get there? - IRTA/Dorna appointed freight company Tempora Freight, Italy ships all items on ATA carnets - from entire machines to a throttle cable. Spare parts and special repair equipment for the freight boxes were even included in the very same cases they are used to repair, as all the loading/unloading takes an inevitable toll on them on this particular triple-headed trip.
Out of the ordinary? - As well as the essentials to keep the bikes running and the tools twirling, the human needs during this hectic period meant that some personnel carried some of the strangest things. How about hair trimmers, to keep them neat and tidy? Or thermal underwear? Because Phillip Island can be so cold and windy, many a team uniform had a thermal layer underneath. As you might expect from a team based in the UK, they even took along their own teabags! PG Tips were the infusion of choice - and only Nescafe coffee (decaf and caffeinated) - was shipped along with everything else.
How tough is this trip? - Despite the pressure of travel and the intense work schedule - from the steamy heat of Sepang to the sometimes-bitter chill of Phillip Island - some of the team actually prefer the fact that all the equipment was in boxes, and they didn't have to drive it everywhere. As Parts and Logistics Manager for the team, Russell Jordon, says, “I prefer the fly-aways. Once we are packed and working from flight cases, it all seems easier to manage. For me, I would prefer all races to be fly-aways.”
