Innholdsfortegnelse for March 19, 2015 i Australian Motorcycle News

Bravo Vale I REMEMBER MY dad telling me about a rider he was watching. “He rides a 125, he’s got coloured hair and there’s just something about him,” he said. “I reckon he’ll go places.” It was the 90s and my dad was going through some hair-colour phases of his own, so I didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t until some time later, when this lanky kid was making it look easy, that it clicked. Twenty years on my dad was right and, through more ups than downs, he’s now the veteran on the grid. The kid that went on to do great things. I’m a big fan. I always have been. Of course, I have very fond memories of the big things. The things no one can deny…

Scout recall Polaris has issued a recall on its Indian Scout bikes manufactured prior to 27 Feb 2015. The piston retaining ring located in the rear master cylinder may not fully seat – which may cause a loss of fluid pressure to the rear brake. Affected owners will be notified by letter – alternately you can contact your nearest Indian motorcycle dealer or further information. Police fine themselves A pair of overzealous Victorian motorcycle highway patrol officers are headed to court after fining each other. While working in a pair on the outskirts of Melbourne, Sergeant Pebblehead directed his colleague, Constable Roentgen, to pull over and then issued him with a fine for wearing a tinted visor. In reply, Constable Roentgen fined his partner for having a camera attached to…

The official start of this year’s AMCN Winter Jacket Drive may still be a couple of weeks away, but Yamaha Australia is already right behind the idea – donating two pallet loads of winter warmth. There is no bad time to donate a jacket to the homeless, and sure enough when we contacted Dan Strickland from Mission Australia to tell him the news, he just happened to be in Goulburn, which is preparing for an early winter cold snap. Like most cities, Goulburn has more than its fair share of homeless people in need of warm clothing. “The evenings are starting to be a tad fresh, so the jackets will come in handy straight away,” Strickland told AMCN. “Thanks to Yamaha Australia, we are now also prepared for when the…

The year was... Four premier class Aussie racers compete against the world’s best in the 1990 Grand Prix series. Mick Doohan, Wayne Gardner, Kevin Magee and Peter Goddard brought tons of talent to the track – with Doohan taking third place on the podium, losing the title to two Americans – Kevin Schwantz in second place and the championship winner Wayne Rainey. How much? These spiffy pants with elasticised shoulder straps from R.Jays Leathers are claimed to offer protection against drafts, with stretch panels offering unrestricted leg movement. Era tech The Human Genome Project gets underway. The exciting venture examines the sequence of chemical pairs that make up human DNA. The organic chain maps genes from a physical standpoint and its function is to chart human uniqueness, with organic links…

How difficult was it to swap from a four-cylinder Superbike to a three-cylinder Supersport in 2014? It’s a lot different. Firstly it seems like there’s no power, but this is normal because you’re going from 1000cc to 600cc in engine capacity. But the second is the sound of the MV. The sound is incredible – so different compared to the four-cylinders. When I first rode it I felt like, oh – there’s no power, because the deep engine sound makes you feel like you should use more low rpm. But then you realise you must rev it really, really hard, and when you do that the performance is incredible. Even if I didn’t make a lot of laps last winter I went very quick on the MV Agusta right away,…

Brushed Cotton Cap $15 Gassit Beanie $15 Magazine Binder $11.50 Set of three Binders $30 AMCN Patch $9 Stubby Holders Black, blue or red Price: $8 If you missed Giacomo Agostini at the 20th Anniversary AMCN Island Classic, grab the souvenir program for features, historical pieces and all the goings on from this unrivalled event. Official program AMCN International Island Classic Souvenir Program Price: $8.50 Struggling to find a copy of the Gassit special, Fireside Tales of Uncle Fred? You can order it here, but hurry – copies are selling fast! Fireside tales of uncle Fred Price: $8.50…

To celebrate the WSBKwinning RSV4 Superbike, John Sample Automotive has announced a special price for the Aprilia RSV4R: which is now $24,000 ride-away, while the RSV4 R Factory is $30,000 ride-away. And for a limited time only, customers will receive $2000 worth of genuine Aprilia accessories and/or merchandise of their choice. The accessories include a genuine Aprilia Akrapovic slip on exhaust and motorcycle clothing – if your fantasy is to see yourself dressed as part of the Aprilia World Superbike Team. You can read our tests of both bikes in AMCN Vol 63 No 24. Both machines pack a 135kW punch and have 117Nm of torque. The RSV4 R Factory is 5kg lighter than the RSV4R – measuring 181kg (dry) compared to 186kg. Contact your local Aprilia dealer for a…

Triumph’s 1700cc parallel-twin cruiser, the Thunderbird Storm, is being offered with 12 months free comprehensive Triumph insurance. The Thunderbird range comprises of four models: the 1600cc Thunderbird, followed by the 1700cc range of the Thunderbird Storm cruiser, the urban-dwelling Thunderbird Commander and the Thunderbird LT tourer. Triumph’s Thunderbird range is supported by over 100 customising accessories, as well as a host of branded rider apparel. The special free insurance offer is only available on the new Thunderbird Storm, while stocks last, until 31 May, 2015. Please note the free insurance is issued at the point of purchase. The purchaser must also be eligible for comprehensive insurance and approved by Swann. The offer cannot be redeemed for cash. Go to: www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au for full details.…

WHO CAN FORGET the launch of the Ducati MotoGP team late in the 2002 – perhaps the only good thing about that year’s switch to four-strokes? The event included much speechifying but only a single purpose. The word that finished almost every sentence and also started quite a few was: passion. For a while, passion seemed enough. The Desmosedicis were extremely powerful and passionately fast. At pre-season tests, Loris Capirossi clocked an amazing 341km/h down Catalunya’s long straight. He won Ducati’s first premier-class GP, also in Spain, adding two more over the next two years, including the first of three at Motegi, in the Japanese rivals’ back yard. And in 2006 he might have won the title, had he not been knocked off in a first-corner disaster by his own…

THIS WEEKEND , 20-22 March – just one week before the opening round of the Swann Superbike Series in Sydney – a fortnight of world-class motorcycle racing at Sydney Motorsport Park will commence with the Barry Sheene Festival of Speed. It’s the 10th anniversary of this fantastic event which celebrates the life of double 500cc World Champion, the late Barry Sheene MBE. The event features classic racing motorcycles of all types. The Organising club – the Post Classic Racing Association of NSW – has pulled out all stops to make sure this is an anniversary to remember. Top of the billing is very special guest and triple World Champion Freddie Spencer. And making it even more of a special occasion, it also happens to be the 30th anniversary of his…

LOOKING AT THIS spy photo, you might initially think it’s just another retro-styled Triumph, but this is arguably the most important bike to emerge from the British firm in a decade – the replacement for the iconic Bonneville. The launch of the Hinckley-built Bonneville in 2000 gave John Bloor’s interpretation of the Triumph brand all-important ties to the original Triumph manufacturing company. The move pre-empted the booming interest in retro-styled bikes, placing Triumph on a rock-solid financial footing. During the early 2000s, the planned Suzuki Hayabusa rival, and a number of other projects, were dropped as Triumph refocused on the Bonneville and its derivatives. The model remained the company’s centrepiece, largely unchanged apart from detail tweaks and a boost to 865cc. The engine in the spied prototype is still a…

Remembering Sheene It’s been 12 years since dual 500cc World Champion Barry Sheene passed away aged 52. The annual Barry Sheene Festival of Speed at Sydney Motorsport Park celebrates a decade of Barry’s life. KTM Expands KTM has released two new machines to bookend its adventure range – the entry model 1050 Adventure and the range-topping 1290 Super Adventure. Don’t be Back Whoever came up with the idea of having Arnold Schwarzenegger interview the top three drivers on the podium at the Melbourne F1 GP should be shipped off to a deserted island. Bike Bomb A UK motorcyclist who left his bike chained to a fence in London sent the anti-terror squad into action. Despite being surrounded by scores of parked cars with the potential to carry multiple bombs, the…

A proposed second motor racing circuit at Mount Panorama, which could see the return of motorcycles to the iconic location for the first time in almost two decades, is another step closer to reality with Bathurst Mayor Gary Rush telling local media his council was close to signing off on a two-year, $20 million dollar funding deal. He also advised a further $5 million would be chipped in by the New South Wales State Government. While a second Bathurst circuit has been in the pipeline for a number of years, Mayor Rush has been giving the idea a strong push recently. The existing Mount Panorama circuit has long been unsuitable for motorcycle racing, as well as a host of international car categories. However, the goal of advocates pushing for a…

As if Victory’s factory custom Magnum model wasn’t outrageous enough, the Polaris-owned company has just released a special edition, the X-1. The bagger, unveiled at Daytona Bike Week, features a wild red and black custom paint scheme, as well as a 10- speaker – 200-watt sound system. The extras mean it’s not only the loudest-looking bike in the Victory range, it’s also the loudest sounding. Other features include billet aluminium wheels and a smoke-tinted LED headlight. The Magnum X-1 will no doubt be popular with the growing factory custom cruiser crowd. Powering the Magnum X-1 is the same 106cui Freedom V-twin engine found in the rest of the Victory range.…

WHAT’S IT COST? Arrow slip-on silencer $995 Weight saving 2.6kg Available at www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au (03) 9381 9733 SINCE ITS SERVICE we’ve been enjoying our time with our long-term Triumph Tiger Sport 1050. From city commutes to country tours, it’s been a great workhorse, a beaut tourer and a surprising head turner. We rewarded it (and us) with some visual and aural bling, just to make it a bit more tasty. Triumph Australia was kind enough to sling an Arrow slip-on silencer our way. The plug-and-play stainless steel muffler features a carbon-fibre end, and sheds 2.6kg off the overall weight of the bike. It also comes with everthing you need for a DIY job – which can be done in well under an hour. As with most exhausts mods, It's best to…

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Avoid examples showing signs of neglect or damage. A bike that has been flogged is likely to have gearbox issues. Check battery charging voltage (around 14v) to rule out regulator and/ or stator issues. Drive belt life of 50-60,000km and a professional replacement cost of $600-plus means you need to know when it’s due for a change while also factoring in the cost of other almost-spent consumables like tyres and brake components. The safest choice is a nice XB12S with good service records and reasonable kilometres. SERVICE HISTORY The XB12S is a reasonable proposition for routine servicing by DIY owners. Access for oil and filter changes at 4000km intervals is good. Hydraulic lifters are maintenance-free. Primary chain adjustment isn’t difficult. Tight space between frame rails and…

New stuff 1 Load Hauler Cassons From $129.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassons.com.au The new Dainese D-Exchange expandable backpack comes with features including a rain cover, adjustable shoulders, reflective inserts, Fidlock closure, iPad pocket, laptop holder, pen holder and five inner pockets. The 15-20L version costs $129.95, while the 18-23L is $149.95. 2 Tiny Starter CTA Australia $169.95 (02) 9820 4444 ctaaustralia.com.au The new Micro-Start XP-5 Mini is claimed to be the world’s smallest jump starter. It can also be used for charging USB devices. It has a 6000mAh capacity and a peak of 300 amps for jump starting. It weighs just 226g and measures 127 x 71 x 13mm, so it’ll easily fit under your seat or in your pocket. 3 Protected Duke Kenma Australia From $339 (02) 9484 0777…

Top 3 TV 1 AMA Supercross ESPN Sun, 22 Mar 10am Hot off his first win this year at the Georgia Dome, Aussie supercross legend Chad Reed remains in contention for the AMA SX crown, although it’s a long-shot, with Ryan Dungey way out in front in the championship standings. 2 World Superbike Foxsports 5 Sun, 22 Mar 2pm The Superbike World Championship heads to Thailand for the first time and Foxsports 5 will have all the action live from 2pm. Coverage of the World Supersport and World Superbike races runs through to 8pm. 3 MotoGP Qatar Foxsports 5 Sun, 29 Mar 2pm The season opener kicks off at the Losail Circuit in Qatar, with the Moto3 race live on Foxsports 5 from 2pm, followed by Moto2 at 3.20pm. The…

BMW has announced that two Aussie racing celebrities will attend its upcoming RR Experience events. Chris Vermeulen – World Supersport champion and MotoGP winner – will attend the event at Sydney Motorsport Park on 7 and 8 April, while Cam Donald – Isle of Man TT winner – was at Phillip Island on 17 March – so were we! Customers attending the events will get to ride on the track and chat to the stars teach day. The RR Experience will give attendants useful riding tips and will allow them to test out the capabilities of the BMW S 1000 RR and other models. There are still some test ride spots available in Sydney, while Phillip Island is almost booked out. All trackday positions are sold out for both venues.…

MOST MOTORCYCLISTS I know like to get their self-importance on about how the speed limit is too low and travelling above it can actually make you safer, relatively speaking. I have long been one of those riders – but we are wrong. Partly, anyway. Yes, sitting in a mob of four-wheelers at exactly their pace is a sure way to be ignored and, therefore, run into. I still firmly believe travelling just faster than the traffic can be a help in certain situations, just as travelling slower than a mandatory, unchanging speed limit can be better at times. A rider should be able to bend the rules a little to keep themselves out of trouble. On this, I am agreed. But then there’s the speed limit. I love the idea…

Supporters of the Ku-ring-gai Mini Wheels Training Club (KMWTC) – on the outskirts of Sydney – are fighting to keep their club alive. This follows Ku-ring-gai Council’s announcement that it was preparing to evict the club after 40 years in its current location at the St. Ives Showgrounds. The council, which has not offered an alternative venue, claims lack of sediment control at the track contributes to environmental damage affecting endangered species in the surrounding Duffy Forest. The club claims the council has not attempted to work with them to control these issues, preferring to totally cease the club’s activities. Being 20km from the CBD of Australia’s largest city, the club is in a rare and valuable position, not just in terms of real estate, but also in its ability…

We see new things this year, but there’s more to come? It takes time. We are happy with the new rules for WSBK – we believe it is the right way. We have five manufacturers close together. The lap time is not much different from last year, and to be there on the grid is cheaper and easier. A guy like Roman Ramos (Go Eleven Kawasaki) who is coming to this championship for the first time has a very basic bike and is only 1.5 seconds from the top. For this we are very happy. Next round is a new venue. We are very happy to go to Thailand. This is very important for all of us. The dealer that sells the most Ducatis in the world is in Bangkok,…

FRANCO FARNÈ, ONE of the legendary engineers behind Ducati’s Desmodromic 90° V-twin engine, passed away recently – aged 81. His career with the famous Bologna-based motorcycle manufacturer spanned more than half a century, and together with Fabio Taglioni the pair spearheaded a small but dedicated team which took Ducati to the highest levels of racing success on the world stage. Farnè’s tenure with Ducati commenced in 1951. His mother resigned from the company to make a position available for him. When Fabio Taglioni joined Ducati in 1954, he appointed Farnè team mechanic and test rider. As a racer, Farnè won the Italian Junior Championship in 1956, 1957 and 1958 – riding a Ducati 100 and Ducati 125 Desmo. He also claimed victory at Daytona in 1959, the first Italian to…

AS THE LAST DECADE rolled to a close, Suzuki was at the forefront of a movement to bring hydrogen fuel cells to the masses. It teamed up with British firm Intelligent Energy to develop working prototypes and production plans for electric bikes using fuel cells rather than batteries. While Suzuki’s fuel cell Burgman scooter prototype was revealed in 2009, and still makes annual appearances at the major bike shows, not much more has been said about the idea – until now. A new patent has surfaced in Japan which shows Suzuki is still beavering away at the idea in the hope of getting its fuel cell system off the ground and into showrooms. Just as several entrants to the battery-powered electric bike market have used off-road bikes as their starting…

Did You Know? As well as building a V8 motorcycle, Ian Dysdale is also the brains behind the 1990 Dryvtech 2x2x2 motorcycle. The two-wheel drive, two-wheel steering Dryvtech had no direct connection between the engine and the wheels, or the handlebar and wheels. Got something you’d like us to compare? Let us know by emailing amcn@bauer-media.com.au and we’ll do the rest!…

ACCORDING TO THE company’s race boss Brian Gillen, the F3’s transverse in-line three-cylinder engine – already in a high state of tune in customer street form – employs no trick factory parts that are unavailable to customers. The compact engine weighs just 54kg – 3kg less than the comparable Triumph Daytona 675 it’s inevitably compared with, and it’s also 80mm narrower. With its slant-block cylinders inclined forward at 35° – much steeper than the more upright Triumph engine – the MV engine measures 79 x 45.9mm for exactly 675cc in capacity, against its British rival’s much longer-stroke 74 x 52.3mm format. Under World Supersport rules the engine is entirely stock mechanically, but with the compression ratio raised to 14.8:1 by skimming the cylinder head, rather than fitting a thinner head…

THE 67TH SEASON of Grand Prix racing starts in the dark at Qatar. The 18-race calendar is pretty much identical to that of 2014, with Brazil – originally scheduled for last year – now a nonstarter, and hopes for races in India, Thailand and Indonesia still on hold. The biggest change is the venue of the British GP, moved from Silverstone to return to Donington Park, and then back to Silverstone again. The contract is with the Circuit of Wales, but it hasn’t been built yet. 1. 29 MARCH Qatar, Losail Only if you like late nights and debilitating heat 2. 12 APRIL Americas, Austin Great track, great venue, but too many slow corners 3. 19 APRIL Argentina, Termas de Rio Hondo Proper wacky event – another great track. Old-time…

Is your short-term goal for 2015 to regain the Moto3 world title from Honda? Yes, for sure! In 2014 we collected 15 world titles, including retaining the Manufacturers road-racing title in Moto3, which if you ask Honda – same as us – they will say it’s the most important one. The Riders title is more visible, but industrially speaking it’s clear the Manufacturers is the best. We plan to do better next season, although without Jack Miller. The saying goes that to finish first you must first finish, and he crashed three times, so he came up short – though maybe you could say he crashed twice, but crashed once when Marquez hit him at Aragon. But he did an outstanding job, and we were very happy with him –…

BUELL S2 THUNDERBOLT 1994 – The S2 Thunderbolt, the first to be powered by a modified H-D Sportster engine, sets the stage for similarly powered Lightnings. DUCATI MONSTER M900 1994– Legendary Ducati designer Miguel Galluzzi’s pioneering Streetfighter, the M900 Monster, catches the attention of Erik Buell. BUELL XB9R FIREBOLT 2002 – The innovative all-aluminium fuel-in-frame chassis of Buell’s new Firebolt provides the architecture for Buell’s streetfighter: the Lightning.…

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Show time 29 MARCH Zorro’s Show & Shine, Mordialloc, Vic. Live music and other entertainment, licenced bar and cafe. Trade vendors and new showroom. Show bike entry 11am; general entry from noon. Prize giving 5.30pm. Zorro’s, Factory 10, 95 White Street, Mordialloc, Vic, 3195. For more information call 0433 106 669 or see facebook.com/events/241667262710072/ 3 APRIL Bankstown Custom Motorcycle Show, Bankstown, NSW. Trophies, stunt riders, flat track demo, supermoto demo, H-D Australia custom shop, live rock band Toxic Dolls, burnouts, trade stalls and much more. No dogs or BYO. Entry $30. See www.hardnfast.com/motorcycle-show/bankstown.html or call (02) 9565 1793 for details. 9 MAY Silverwater Motor Festival, Silverwater Park, Clyde, NSW. 11am to 4pm (set up from 9am). Incorporating the Silverwater Street & Custom Motorcycle Show, this grassroots event will showcase street…

The Honda Racing Out Sale, running until 21 March, 2015, will be your last chance to grab several 2014 models at a great price. Both the CRF250R and CRF450R are available with $2000 Honda Dollars – which can be used at the dealership on accessories such as helmets, gloves and jackets, for servicing, or as a credit toward the motorcycle purchased. The CRF50F comes with a $200 Honda Dollars offer, while all 2014 Honda scooters will be sold with $200 Honda Dollars. For on-road riders, you can save up to $700 on the CBR300R, while the CB500F is being offered with $500 Honda Dollars. Honda’s flagship sporstbike, the 2014 CBR1000RR – which boasts 113.78kW and 98.09Nm of torque (AMCN’s own measurements), is being offered with $1000 Honda Dollars. To make…

IT GIVES ME great pleasure to write my first AMCN column, and I’ll kick it off by saying what a busy start to 2015 it’s been! It all began at the end of January at the AMCN International Island Classic, where I was lucky enough to throw my leg over Barry Ditchburn’s 1978 Yamaha TZD 750. What a super-cool bike this was to race. And what made it even cooler was the fact that I was a part of the Aussie team for the first time. Sure enough the results weren’t flash hot, but one day I’ll be able to say I was a part of the green and gold team alongside some of the heavyweights of the sport such Shawn Giles, Steve Martin, Cam Donald, Paul Young and Jed…

Russia bags 18th It’s usually the most predictable result across all disciplines of motorcycle racing – but it came close to becoming the biggest shock of 2015. Russia did manage to win the MOTUL FIM Team Ice Speedway Gladiators World Championship Final staged in Berlin – for the 18th time in 19 years – but it took them until the penultimate race over the two days to wrap it up. Final scores were Russia 54, Austria 52, Czech Republic 42, Sweden 37, Germany 29, Finland 19, Switzerland 15. PB Aussies on top The British speedway season opened with the annual Ben Fund Bonanza meeting, which raises funds for injured riders. It was held at the Swindon track on 8 March. The Australian quartet of Rory Schlein, Nick Morris, Sam Masters…

Australian Motorcycle News road test photographs are posed for by skilled, professional riders under controlled circumstances. Attempting to imitate their actions may be dangerous. Australian Motorcycle News supports and endorses rider training and wearing protective riding gear. Our super-talented staff journalist Antoinette Dakota has taken the safety message a touch too far. She’s fallen in love with our long-termer KTM RC390 and has been fanging the little beauty around the hills on her daily commute between Horror HQ and her home at Mount Dandenong. Nuffink wrong with that you say. Sure – but she doesn’t bother to change out of her Alpinestars leather pants and matching boots all day. ‘Aren’t you all hot and sweaty in those?’ we keep askin’. Apparently not. Goes to prove the old saying that horses…