Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 65 Issue 16 i Australian Motorcycle News

Naming an issue can range from hilarious to totally stressful during the run to deadline The name game WHAT’S IN A name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet. All good and well if you’re Juliet trying to tell Romeo you wouldn’t mind a shag, but here at Gassit HQ, naming an issue can range from hilarious to totally stressful and back again, all during the run to deadline. When I say naming the issue, I’m talking about the headline on the cover. Referring to an issue by its cover headline makes it easier to put a hand on it quickly rather than trying to remember issue numbers. Howler is how I’ll always refer to my first issue as editor, and when I…

Superbikes #16 Josh Hook Kawasaki ZX-10R Grillini Racing Team #25 Joshua Brookes BMW S1000 RR Milwaukee BMW Wildcards Mike Jones, Ducati 1199R DesmoSport Ducati Supersport #68 Glenn Scott Honda CBR600RR GEMAR Ballons -Team Lorini #41 Aiden Wagner MV Agusta F3 675 GRT Racing Team #83 Lachlan Epis Kawasaki ZX-6R Response RE Racing Wildcards Mitch Levy Yamaha YZF-R6 Landbridge Racing Yamaha Ant West Yamaha YZF-R6 GreenTeaX50 Kane Burns Suzuki GSX-R600 Burns Racing Suzuki Alex Phillis Honda CBR600RR AARK Racing…

TOP FIVE Canberra Motorcycle Centre has become a top five finalist in Ducati’s global dealer build-off and will head to WDW in Misano with its Panigaleinspired Scrambler. FOOTY FANS The handful of NRL stars currently on a three-week tour around NSW on Harley-Davidsons to raise money for homeless kids. UP YOURS Marc Márquez’s management company officially confirmed Marc and his brother Alex have split with Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Apparel, the company licensed to produce and distribute their merch. ROTTEN RIDER The Queensland bloke posing as a potential buyer who police believe is responsible for five motorcycle thefts in the state. He test rides the bike and doesn’t come back.…

ONE OF THE many highlights of this year’s Penrite Broadford Bike Bonanza being held over the Easter weekend (26-27 March) will be the Saturday night Gala Dinner at the Memorial Hall. Following a hectic day of action, old friends will have the chance to reminisce over a few drinks and dinner, while listening to the event’s MC Mark Bracks. Bracksy has vowed to ‘roast’ selected Aussie superbike riders with no topic off limits. The evening will include a memorabilia auction and the awarding of two Legends of Motorcycling awards. Tickets for the Saturday night dinner are still available for $95 but are selling fast. Tables of 10 can be reserved, otherwise roll up with your friends and just pick out the best seating available on the night. For those who…

VHC is the obvious next step from HHC. There must have been a fairly major forehead slap when, 12 months after the release of HHC, someone inside the hallowed hallways of Bosch said: “Let’s make it work for longer, and on downhills, too.” Pull up on a hill, either facing up or down, and the bike’s newly coded sensors have already recognised where you are. Apply either or both the brakes again once you’ve stopped and, like the HHC, it memorises the pressure, but this time it’ll hold only the rear brake on for 10 seconds. The system will work on a flat surface, too. This means you can sit up, scratch your leg, zip up your right-hand jacket pocket, or any of those other right-handed things you previously had…

...leaving the rider’s head jammed between an embankment and the car’s mudguard USING THE RIGHT of way beside the rail line, his de Dion shod by Dunlop and powered by Shell, ‘Billy’ Elliot was the first to ride a motorcycle from Melbourne to Sydney. The year was 1900 and, spurred on by the publicity, many followed. When Dunlop offered a gold watch to the first rider to break 24 hours it created a wave of attempts. The unluckiest of them was Eric Tyler who, even after two nasty falls which left him with badly mangled fingers, failed by only 39.5 minutes. With the advantage of sheer horsepower, the first big twin then entered the fray. James Bolger left Melbourne at 2.35am on 14 February 1913 on his 6hp NSU and…

I’stut-tut! The word is Zulu, and means motorcycle. Anybody reared on a diet of modern multis would immediately understand why, if they came anywhere near the DJ Rally. It is exactly the sound emitted by a 1930s Velocette. Or BSA, Norton or Triumph etc, as long as they have only one cylinder. DJ stands for Durban to Johannesburg, and the annual rally commemorates a completely crazy 400-mile public roads race, that ran from 1913 until 1936, until finally ‘sanity’ prevailed, in the form of state intervention. But the DJ was not to be forgotten. In 1970 the event was revived as a regularity rally (where the aim is to complete each stage as close as possible to a set time and average speed) rather than a flat-out blinder, but open…

Show time 28 FEBRUARY Craigieburn Car, Truck & Bike Show, Craigieburn Central, Craigieburn, Vic. 10am-3pm. DJs, trophies and door prizes. Bike entry $10. Raising funds for the Isabella and Marcus Paediatric Brainstem Tumour Fund. For more details call Jim on 0408 305 558 or email craigieburn.carshow@gmail.com. 12 MARCH 2016 Bike & Trike Show, 132 Meakin Rd, Kingston, Qld. Hosted by Vietnam Veterans and Veterans MC Queensland Chapter. Gates open 9am. Events include burnouts, gumboot throw, keg throw and raffle draws. Bar and live music. All entries must be ridden to the show. Free camping with amenities. For information email events@qldvvmc.com.au. 19 MARCH Touratech Adventure Challenge, Pioneer Park, Bright, Vic. This inaugural event will see riders tackle a number of skill-based challenges, while spectators can look on and test ride bikes…

Honda’s V4 engine is a wild thing, making oodles of untamed horsepower. Enough to overwhelm the chassis, the electronics, and the riders FIRST TESTS DONE at Sepang; second tests shortly … and what do we know? Quite a lot, and also not so much. These are still early days. One thing is certain, however. The glummest faces were at Honda, as the team continued to battle with familiar problems, while watching the Yamaha and Ducati riders cruising round smoothly and fast. Not even Loris Baz’s exploding under-inflated Michelin could overshadow this impression: Honda was starting the year in trouble again. And it was the same sort of trouble that spoiled last year for defending champion Márquez and the eternal bridesmaid Pedrosa – not to mention Cal Crutchlow and co on…

you’ll definitely get more buzzing midsize hornets of a Sunday IF THE FIM Supersport World Championship were a bikini model, she has invested in a bigger cup size with a plastic surgeon for 2016. Radical technical operations to limit electronics, reduce tuning and keep costs down have been one major facet of the winter break. The addition of a class within a class for the European rounds is another. The result is that the permanent field for European races is set at a dizzying 34 riders, and even if you take the FIM European Supersport Cup riders out (as will be the case at PI) you still have 23 – plus a veritable green and gold painted Olympic village worth of local Aussie wildcard talent. The bike rules are the…

CASEY STONER SHOWED just how much MotoGP is missing his awesome talent and speed with a breathtaking outing at the Sepang test. Stoner’s first run since returning to Ducati, riding last year’s GP15, showed that he would be a front-runner if he decided to race again. The twice world champion had not ridden a MotoGP bike for 12 months and was using the 2016 Michelin tyres, and new unified electronics, for the first time. Stoner’s best time was just 0.5s slower than Yamaha star Valentino Rossi, with the Australian sticking to his test plan and refusing to engage in a time attack by throwing new tyres on. Stoner said: “It was a little disappointing last year when some people said that I would not be competitive if I did a…

Rohan Tungate may have only placed fourth in the Australian Speedway Solo Championship, but he is undoubtedly the King of Kurri Kurri. Tungate rode in four meetings at the Kurri Kurri track this summer and was the standout performer in all of them. At the evening meeting on Boxing Day, Tungate took out the Jason Crump Invitational after winning the B Final to get to the decider. He then got his Australian title chase off to a perfect start by dominating the opening round. Next up came a Four Team Challenge where new Australian champion Brady Kurtz and Tungate were the individual top scorers. And finally, Tungate wrapped up his home track outings by winning the Tex Macdonald Forever Young Cup. That last victory did not come easily as Tungate…

Riders were greeted by atrocious conditions in the Be Wiser Insurance Hawkstone International Motocross event held in the UK on 7 February. In the premier MX1 class, Shaun Simpson (KTM) had a fierce battle with Clement Desalle (Kawasaki) to finish equal on points and joint overall winners after the two races. Coming out of retirment, Kiwi Ben Townley (Suzuki) seemed at home on the cold and rainy 1.85km circuit. He piloted his RMZ-450 to an impressive sixth in the first Moto, and second in Moto 2 for third overall. “I was super excited to be behind the start gate again and race,” Townley said. “The track conditions, however, were hard and after the first race, I asked myself what I was doing in Europe again, coming away from the New…

618 HOURS Is how long it took mini model maker Pere Tarragó to build his impeccable small-scale replica of the 250cc four-cylinder Benelli with which Tarquinio Provini won the 1964 Spanish GP. [Turn to page 68 for a fascinating look at the man and his hobby] “There’s no reason not to have two MotoGP events in Australia” FIM chief safety officer and former Grand Prix racer Franco Uncini on the development of SA Motorsport Park in South Australia. The circuit operators are currently jumping through hoops to gain the A-level grading required to host FIMsanctioned motorcycle races. MUM, CAN I RACE? There are a few options for affordable road racing at the moment between the newly announced Yamaha R3 Cup one-make series and international road racer Damian Cudlin’s new venture,…

SUZUKI’S STILL-SECRET GSX-R250 has been spied in finished form and this computer-generated image reveals what the production version will look like. According to our Japanese sources, the new GSX-R is being made to rival machines like Yamaha’s YZF-R3 and Kawasaki’s Ninja 300. Honda’s soon-to-be-launched twin-cylinder CBR250RR – which was shown as the lightly-disguised Light Weight Super Sports concept at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show – will make it a full house for the class. While blurry spy pictures suggest that the new Suzuki’s engine cases look very similar to those of the much less powerful GW250 Inazuma (which manages just 18kW from its 250cc twin), our Japanese sources say the engine is significantly different. It needs to be if the bike’s performance is to meet that of its rivals. The…

The year was... The population of Australia was 15 million and the Libs were in charge with Malcolm Fraser at the helm and John Howard by his side. Our country was in the grip of the worst drought in the 20th century – it would eventually cause losses of $3 billion and create the conditions for the Ash Wednesday fires the following year. Meanwhile, tensions were growing over a project to dam the Franklin River in Tasmania, eventually culminating in a protestor blockade. And Random breath testing was introduced in NSW. How much? Before wireless intercoms, we had this system (helmets not included) from Sonic. It allowed rider and pillion to communicate with each other, or the rider could plug in a portable cassette or transistor radio. Era tech Music…

Letter of the issue The good oil! Lucas oil pack valued at over $85 www.ctaaustralia.com.au Include your full name and address, via letter or email. Long letters will be cut to fit, so keep ’em short and to the point. Oh, and the views expressed by readers here are not necessarily those of the editor AIR YOUR THOUGHTS OR VENT YOUR SPLEEN Access, AMCN, PO Box 2094, Oakleigh, Vic, 3166 access@amcn.com.au Letter of the issue Those three-wheeled things Hello to all at AMCN, Firstly a little history. I am 68 years old and suffered from polio as a child resulting in limited use of my legs, right one worse than left. In the early 80s I became interested in all things motorcycling, road racing, tests etc. and have been an…

THE FIRST EVENT in 1913 actually ran from Jo’burg to Durban on the coast, 675km away. Contemporary reports describe a three-day epic, for a large part on farm tracks or ox-wagon trails little more than deep ruts. On one mountain section the road disappeared among two-metre-tall grasses. The route was littered with farm gates, which had to be opened and then (by law) closed again. Three riders came to grief against a wire stretched across a gate hidden in a dip. One merely lost his cap, another broke his jaw and lost several teeth. After he got back to his feet he nobly walked back to warn other riders of possible decapitation. Another regained consciousness after a heavy fall only to discover his leg was broken when he tried to…

THIS BELL HELMET not only looks trick but is also a great fit for me. The removable washable cheek pads contour well with my face, and the crown liner makes seamless contact with my forehead. I haven’t experienced any discomfort during long days in the saddle and the ventilation works well, even in hot conditions. The RS-1 is comprised of a Kevlar/Fibreglass composite shell to keep weight down and strength up. I’m a big fan of the bold design which is exclusive to the Australian market. On the track, the strong patterning makes it easy to distinguish from other riders’ lids. On the road it has the added benefit of improving your visibility to other road users. There’s a unique magnetised helmet strap joiner that does away with the need…

OUR HYUNDAI ILOAD has been put to good use carrying around some very precious cargo over the past couple of months. When AMCN moved from its old digs to its new ivory tower we wanted an armoured vehicle and a police escort to ensure our 65 years of history made the move safely. In the end, we were forced to rely on our long-termer, and as you can see it worked out perfectly. The iLoad’s massive cargo area with rear lift-up door complemented by two sliding side doors easily allowed us to pack up all of our priceless AMCN magazines and newspapers dating back to 1951. The whole process would have gone a lot quicker if we’d been able to stop leafing through the mags we were meant to be…

Sure, it’s only eight little kays, but Gazza … maaaaate … every kay over is a killer, right? DID ANYONE ELSE giggle like little girl when they heard Victoria’s Chief Commissioner of Police, Graham ‘Where’s My Concentration?’ Ashton was nailed for 108km/h in a 100 zone? I did. In fact, I sounded more like the entire audience at a Frankie Boyle gig. If I was incontinent, my dad-nappies would have hit the ground with a wet splash, such was my joy. My schadenfruede (that marvellous German word for the feeling you get when you experience joy at someone else’s misfortune) spikes every time I hear of such a thing. Every time a police officer gets caught betraying the public trust by dealing drugs, molesting female colleagues, taking bribes, or breaking…

I’ve got to get my fix as often as possible; there just isn’t a part of me that considers life away from the track IT’S ALWAYS QUITE interesting to take a look at the people you’ve grown up with, schooled with, met in recent years and compare how you all live. Most people fall into fairly similar scenarios: kids, marriages, mortgages, careers, all that ‘grown up’ stuff. And then there is me… For 10 years now I’ve been racing, delving deeper and deeper into an obsessive state. Some people can race as a hobby, pop in for a few years then walk away, ride when it suits them, but not me. No, I’ve got to get my fix as often as possible; there just isn’t a part of me that…

Nicky Hayden has marked his shift to the World Superbike paddock by testing the 2016 Honda CBR1000RR SP Fireblade and setting lap times that put him right up alongside the championship frontrunners. After his recent struggles in MotoGP, it’s easy to forget that the Kentucky Kid holds the most coveted trophy in motorcycle racing, and a highlight reel spanning several decades. He’s a big drawcard in this year’s production bike championship, but does he have the talent to become the first rider to take both WSBK and MotoGP titles? Nicky, how do you feel about starting off your World Superbike campaign in Australia at Phillip Island? Yeah, one of the good things about it is I get to come back to Australia, It’s going to be nice to go to…

YAMAHA AUSTRALIA HAS announced that its new, entry-level YMF/YMI R3 Cup will be contested over five rounds in 2016, with four of these to be held alongside rounds of the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK). The other round will be held at the Phillip Island circuit as a support event to the Victorian Road Racing Championship. Sponsored by Yamaha Motor Finance and Insurance, the R3 Cup is aimed at entry-level road racers, junior MX and dirt track riders. In an effort to keep initial costs to a minimum, YMA has also announced a subsidising scheme. For $7900 Yamaha will supply participants with a road trim YZF-R3 as well as a full race kit. The package will allow owners to use their R3 as a racebike throughout the season, then return it…

“I’m old but not scared – so book me in! Which way do we go and what’s the lap record?” Aussie GP legend Michael Dowson when asked if he’d line up in the SuperKart Challenge during the upcoming Aussie WSBK weekend. “I don’t sleep more than three or four hours each night, and I even dream about MV, so maybe I am working on MV for 22 hours a day.” Owner and president of MV Agusta Giovanni Castiglioni making AMCN look like a doddle. “I could have hung it up and went home, but I still enjoy riding motorcycles.” MotoGP legend Nicky Hayden on his switch to the World Superbike Championship for 2016.…

IN 2013 AMCN revealed CFMoto was developing an adventure tourer under the name 650MT. Now we know what it looks like. The heavily Kawasaki-inspired machine is a neat, clean design which could even be described as good-looking. That’s in line with the yet to be released next-gen 650NK, which has also been seen in patent filings and looks much better than the current model. Legal documents with CFMoto trademarking reveal the new bike’s 650 MT as well as the logo that goes along with it. In terms of tech, it’s likely to be near-identical to the current 649.3cc parallel-twin offerings. This means the full-power version will make around 52kW, but the vast majority set to make their way to Australian shores will be limited to around 41.5kW for the LAMS…

You’ve applied the brake to stop on a steep incline. While you’ve got one eye on the impatient tin-top driver in your mirror and the other on the traffic lights to make sure you get this big heavy bike away in a clean and tidy manner, the control unit has already done the work for you. The unit’s longitudinal acceleration sensor has realised you’re stopped on a hill and it has memorised the pressure you’ve applied to the front brake lever and/or the rear brake pedal. As you release the brake to take up the couple-of-hundred-kilo slack with the drive chain, HHC will leave the brakes applied at the same rate for one second longer after you’ve released them. This means you won’t roll backwards in the short moment between…

1978 Honda CBX1000 Honda’s reputation for predictability was turned upside down with the unveiling of the ‘Super Six’ in 1978. The CBX1000 project was the brainchild of Honda’s acclaimed GP Racing Engineer, Shoichiro Irimajiri, who oversaw the production of around 40,000 units from 1978 to 1983. The model attained cult status with enthusiasts, and is still renowned for its silky smooth high revving engine and its spine-tingling note. What it’s got The CBX1000 is powered by an air-cooled, four-stroke, transverse six-cylinder 1047cc, 24-valve, carbureted engine with DOHC. Power runs through a five-speed gearbox. Front suspension is a 35mm air assisted telescopic fork with 160mm of travel. The rear has preload adjustable shocks with variable compression and rebound damping and 100mm of travel. Braking is handled by twin 276mm discs up…

Congratulations Peter, as this issue’s Giz a Squiz winner you’ve won a copy of the Hitting the Apex DVD. Hitting the Apex is available now on DVD & Digital. To be in the running for a Hitting the Apex DVD send an image and details about your two-wheeled pride and joy to access@amcn.com.au Giz a squiz Rider Peter Dicks Ride 2012 Kawasaki ZX-10R He says Hey guys hope you’re all well, here is a picture of my 2012 Kawasaki ZX10R. Mods quickly! Dymag CA5 cf rims, full Öhlins front FGRT817 rear TTXMK2, full Brembos front rear GP4RX. Guard, hugger, chain guard, radiator spoilers, dash inlays, front petrol tank cover, hugger inner guard carbon fibre. Nearly all hardware titanium. PCV, 02 optimiser, servo eliminator, BMC race filter, Starlane quick…

Somehow it’s appropriate that Pere Tarragó, creator of the finest and most intricate miniaturised motorcycles made in Europe, should live in Barcelona. For this is the continental capital of motorcycles – no matter what they may think in Paris or Rome – where more people ride powered two-wheelers through its streets each day than anywhere else in the European Union. The Catalan capital was also the crucible in which the Spanish motorcycle industry flourished during the regime of General Franco, but then died away with his passing in 1975, in the face of competition from Japan. So it’s ironic that today the only Bultaco and Montesa motorcycles still made there are the exquisite 1:5 scale models created by Tarragó in the workshop attached to his home in the Barcelona suburb…

THESE ÜBER-COMFORTABLE Kevlar jeans have just turned up from the folks at Draggin Jeans. Their stylish cut manages to provide generous length to prevent them from flapping around your calves, and the cuffs are wide enough to fit over your boots without looking like a pair of saggy bell bottoms. There’s plenty of internal Kevlar protection but they still feel smooth, stretchy and suitable for wearing all day long. We’ll be thoroughly testing these jeans during the hottest summer months and throughout Melbourne’s wet and dreary winter, so keep an eye out for a full review later in the year. $299.00 Draggin Jeans (03) 8327 8888 dragginjeans.net…

FEB-MAR Don’t forget your mum’s birthday Top 3 TV 1 Bikelife 4ME On demand On demand If you missed out on the first series of Bikelife, don’t fret, because you can catch all five episodes whenever you want at 4me.net.au. The show covers on-and off-road bikes, track action and much more. 2 World Superbike, Live Foxsports Sat & Sun 27 & 28 Feb Check guides The 2016 WSBK season kicks off at Phillip Island with an army of Aussies on the grid. This year Superbike Race 1 will take place on Saturday afternoon, and Race 2 on Sunday – don't miss it! 3 AMA SX, R8 Atlanta LIVE Online Sun, 28 Feb 10.30am You can catch all the action from Atlanta, Georgia by logging on to amasupercrosslive.com. The main event…

We see no reason not to keep on doing what turns us on. ‘If it feels good, do it’ was our seventies mantra JEEZ, YOU KNOW you’re getting old when you start to outlive your seventies longhaired rock heroes. We’ve a few ‘go on us’ recently, to use an Old School expression of the day. Let’s see. David Bowie at 69 years. The Eagles’ Glenn Frey at 67. Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner at 74. Not to mention the Afro-haired creator of Earth, Wind & Fire, Maurice White, also 74. He helped us transition from rock into disco (and pick up younger chicks more easily). None of them were famous for riding motorcycles, but their music was the soundtrack to our youth. In the pre-internet-download age, we heard them on LPs…