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It was a bit like Russian Roulette on the weekend if you got your bike over the border into Russia, or didn`t.
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By Ian Miles:
Josh Coppins' spare Honda was put to use in Russia ... by the team he is joining next year.
Paul Cooper from British-based CAS Honda rode the Lizzard's number two CR250R, while Pit Beirer's spare bike went to Jussi Vehvilainen. The CAS Honda bikes were among those posted as missing, held up in a truckload of Brit machines by Customs at the Russian border.
Josh and his mechanic Fabio Santoni always have the number two bike at GP-ready level and standing by in the pit in case of any problem with the number one machine. It also doubles as a main race bike when the other CR has been shipped to a distant race meeting.
As a factory rider, Josh also has a number three bike for practice, although often he does race-prep laps on either of the two main bikes.
The bikes are not constant for the season. After about three GPs, the number one bike is downgraded to number two status, number two becomes number three, number three falls off the bottom of the system (and is sold) while a brand new bike is broken in for GPs.
At the Russian GP Josh announced he has signed to switch from European Honda (based in Italy) to Honda UK, riding for the CAS team next year out of the British midlands.
Finnish rider Vehvilainan becomes his teammate, along with Irishman Gordon Crockard (switching back from KTM to CAS for whom he took third in the 250 championship two years ago) and Japanese rider Atsuta. Coppins is expected to ride the new-model CRF450 four-stroke in the revamped 250 class, carrying his newly-won number two plate.
After tbe financial collapse of the Berni team this year, German Pit Beirer is understood to be leaving the Italian setup for KTM.
