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INTOUCH MOTO
ISSUE 13

02
Introduction
to MXGP 2015
Two changes in venue
feature on the 2015
calendar: MXGP riders have
already ridden at Argentinian
Nequen and USA’s Glen
Helen track will host the
season finale. Hopes are high
for a strong season finish,
especially for American Ryan
Villopoto, one of the new
riders in the MXGP Monster
Energy Kawasaki Racing
Team, who has raced at
Glen Helen en route to his
many World Supercross titles.
Villopoto is partnered by
South African Tyla Rattray,
2008 MX2 champion.
Frenchman Gautier Paulin,
winner of two Grand Prix has
moved to Honda’s Team
HRC, joining injury-recovered
Russian Evgeny Bobryshev.
Villopoto currently leads the
Dunlop charge lying fourth
in the standings followed by
Paulin in fifth, Bobryshev in
seventh.
Dunlop’s rider numbers
have increased substantially
following 2014’s successful
year. Eleven riders are
competing in the headline
MXGP with another ten in
MX2.
Ryan Villopoto
Monster Energy
Kawasaki Racing Team

02
Moto2
Moto2 continues to produce ultracompetitive
racing. Several riders from the
Dunlop one-brand series have more than
held their own in the top formula including
reigning champion Marc Marquez, with 2013
Moto2 champion Pol Espargaro and Scott
Redding not only moving to MotoGP for
2014 but finishing very creditably 6th and 12th
respectively in the standings. Maverick Viñales
is the sole Moto2 graduate for 2015.
Moto3
Moto3 was the only one of the three
MotoGP championships going to the wire
in 2014 and finally saw Alex Marquez crowned
in Valencia. Jack Miller did everything he
could at that last round in Spain but winning
the race wasn’t enough. Miller’s season
performance was enough though to earn
a place in MotoGP with Alex Marquez
making the same leap.
The 250cc four-stroke engines are open to
manufacturer competition unlike Moto2
that has a controlled Honda engine. Dunlop
has three slick compounds available with two
front and two rear compounds selected for
each round.
Losail International Circuit, Qatar
29.03.2015
Introduction
to MotoGP 2015

03
Kiara Fontanesi
MX Fonta Racing - Yamaha
Eddy Seel is a former world champion
himself having competed at the highest
level, including ten years in 125cc MX
World Championship with his success
including the 2003 World Supermoto
title. His experience and ability to relate
to tracks and conditions give teams and
riders confidence in his advice. Eddy
explains about the current tyre range and
riders’ tyre choice:
Expert
Corner
“We have made a huge amount of
progress in just three season. To begin
with we had a good range of tyres but
with more track time and rider feedback
we have developed the tyres so that
we now only have three main variants
for 2015 MXGP. The MX32 was launched
last season and is extremely popular with
the riders but both the MX32 and MX52
work well in a wide range of conditions,
which is perfect for our racing. Gautier
Paulin commented last year that with the
new range ‘there is no such thing as a
wrong tyre choice’. That is very good for
us because riders can really get to know
their favourite tyre well and know it will
work. Our third tyre is the MX11 sand tyre,
which was also an MXGP and WMX race
winner in 2014 and helped us dominate at
the Motocross of Nations.
“Our sport is completely different to
circuit racing. In Moto2 or Moto3
there are many options and the best two
are nominated for the event depending
on the track conditions. Changes in
temperature and abrasion levels mean
that different tyres are needed. MX is
completely different for Dunlop riders.
Last year Kiara Fontanesi won her title
using the same tyre choice for 10 of the
12 races – she had MX52 on the front and
MX32 on the rear and the races varied
from the heat of Qatar to the cold of
Europe and soft to hard pack. She only
changed for one event where the track
was sand and she used the MX11 ‘scoop’
tyre on the rear. By contrast Gautier raced
most of the time on MX32 front and rear
but won the last round in Mexico using
MX52 all round. For me it’s interesting how
individual riders get the best from their
preferred tyre and how our MX tyres give
riders the ability to keep the consistency
of tyre performance while adapting to
different circuits.”

The FIM Moto2 and Moto3 World
Championships are globally renowned
as the showcase for the best young
motorsport talent. There’s another
reason why the championships are so
popular with fans: the sheer amount of
action and overtaking.
Dunlop, the official tyre supplier to the
two championships, has launched a
new overtaking league table that will
reward the battles through the field,
the fightbacks from adversity and the
determination of the best riders in
wheel-to-wheel combat.
The #ForeverForward league table will
be published after each race on
www.motogp.com and will show
which riders have made the biggest
improvement from their starting
position to finishing position. At the
end of the year, the rider (from either
championship) who has made the
most progress during the season will
receive the prestigious new Dunlop
#ForeverForward trophy.

MX52
Geomax MX52
as OE fitment on
Husqvarna MX
models
BRAND MODEL FRONT SIZE REAR SIZE
HUSQVARNA FC 250 80/100-21 51M TT 100/90-19 57M TT
FC 350 80/100-21 51M TT 110/90-19 62M TT
FC 450 80/100-21 51M TT 110/90-19 62M TT
TC 125 80/100-21 51M TT 100/90-19 57M TT
TC 250 80/100-21 51M TT 110/90-19 62M TT
Legendary brand Husqvarna have chosen Dunlop as original equipment
tyre supplier for their 125 up to 450cc motocross model range for 2015.
Geomax MX52’s are fitted on the two-strokes TC 125 and 250, as well as the
four-stroke models FC 250, 350 and 450.
Husqvarna is one of the oldest motorcycle brands in the world, and has
been hugely successful since the recent renewal of its full line-up.
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