Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 65 Issue 18 i Australian Motorcycle News

KAWASAKI HASN’T MADE its classic stand-up Jet Ski since 2011, but the firm has been looking at resurrecting the idea – in an electric scooter! If you just flicked to the front cover to check the date, you’ll realise it’s not our annual April Fools yarn, Kawasaki has thrown time and money at the idea and these patent pictures show how the design works. It’s basically a platform filled with battery packs and an electronic control unit. At the back lies a swingarm packing a hub-mounted electric motor and the front carries another swingarm incorporating a hub-centre steering mechanism. Nothing too strange so far, but in the middle there’s no provision for a seat. Instead there’s a standing area and an extended, swinging set of hand controls exactly like those…

HARKING BACK TO the 1970s, it seems there’s a new craze around road-legal adult-sized mini-bikes. Honda tested the waters some years ago with the reintroduction of its Z50 to celebrate the bike’s 40th anniversary, and more recently it released the strangely named Grom 125. Now, Kawasaki has thrown a small-wheeled 125cc rival into the mix with its 2016 Z125 Pro. On monikers alone, the Kawasaki is streaks ahead, but specs-wise the two bikes appear to be on par. Both are powered by a 125cc air-cooled engine matched to a four-speed gearbox. They both run 12-inch tyres, have a similar seat height (754mm for the Grom, 805mm for the Z125) and both weigh within cooee of 100kg. Honda has announced the Grom will hit Australian shores by the middle of this…

2015 Norton Commando 961 Sport Factory MKII The Norton Motorcycle Company was a parts manufacturer founded in 1898 that went on to produce its own models with bought-in engines in 1902. From 1908 it began incorporating its own powerplants, and continued to grow through WWI and WWII with its race-winning single and twin-cylinder bikes. Despite closing its doors in the late 70’s due to stiff competition from Europe and Asia, the Norton brand was revived in 2010 with the release of the ‘961’ model. What it’s got The 961 Sport Factory is powered by an air/ oil-cooled, four-stroke, parallel-twin 961cc, fuel injected engine with two pushrod acuated valves per cylinder. Power runs through a five-speed constant mesh gearbox. The front suspension is a fully adjustable 43mm Öhlins USD fork with…

Speedy Suzi Morning guys, Just opened my copy of Feb-March edition (Vol 65 No 16) of AMCN and came across your article ‘Small Suzuki set to race.’ I have just returned from a bike trip through Rajasthan and spotted this little fella in a Suzuki dealership there. Hope you like the pics! Great mag by the way, the best out there. Gary Barrow Via email Top racer Hello Chris, Just read Aiden Coote’s Rev Racer article in AMCN Vol 65 No 16. Mate, I was glued to me seat all the way through. Not sure if a ghost writer was used but the article is very well written. One of the best I’ve read in AMCN in ages – probably since Wootton’s day. Had to mention it to you. John…

“We wanted a bike that flicks the finger at the established order” 1. Tight package Confederate’s own cassette-style stacked-shaft five-speed gearbox is a format Confederate was the first to employ two decades ago, two years before Yamaha supposedly invented it on the R1. It is mounted in a fully machined housing and bolted directly to the back of the S&S V-Twin engine. The short 44mm belt primary drive is mounted on the lefthand side, matched to a multi-plate hydraulic Bandit dry clutch, and with chain final drive to the rear wheel on the right. 2. Easy start Starting the X-Wedge engine used to take a little work, but no more. Cranking compression is reduced via two exhaust cams fitted with spring-loaded lobes, at the point where the valve would normally…

I’M A TRUE BELIEVER IN THE old saying the louder your bike is the safer you are on the roads. It all started around 18 years ago when my mate’s old man imparted one of the best pieces of riding advice I have even been given, “When you are out on the road, act like you’re invisible”. My mate and I looked at each other, shook our heads and rode off, taking no notice. Now I look back and know Mr Cameron was right – people on our roads don’t see you, they don’t look out for you, they don’t really care about you. This was once again proven last week when I was enjoying my daily commute from Sydney’s Northern Beaches to the Sydney CBD on our Harley-Davidson Iron…

...a series of well-sealed bitumen corners that immediately vindicate the decision to take this detour Freeways have their place in modern society – they get traffic moving between major centres more efficiently. But that’s not what we look for when we go for a ride. A case in point is the new bypass around Bulahdelah on the NSW Mid North Coast, built to shoot holiday and commercial vehicles up and down the Pacific Highway. Instead, we left the major thoroughfare and headed out of Bulahdelah on The Lakes Way for a more leisurely and enjoyable ride through the Great Lakes, where the scenery and the roads turned out to be an excellent detour around the boring highway stretch. Leaving the town of Bulahdelah, it’s a very short run on the…

FORMER AUSTRALASIAN SUPERBIKE champion Matthew Walters (Kawasaki Connection/ Kawasaki Motor Finance/ Repsol) has shown he’s the man to beat for the Ipone Oils supported 2016 Swann Insurance superbike series by taking out the opening round at Sydney Motorsport Park. Walters claimed victory in Friday’s national series, securing one championship point and the opportunity to start from pole for Saturday’s three-race event held under a scorching sun. Walters claimed victory in Race 1 ahead of new Kawasaki recruit Robbie Bugden (Bcperformance/Kawasaki Aus) and Yamaha rider Michael Blair (Ipone/Blairbuild/Campbell’s Home Hardware). In Race 2 Blair latched onto the tail of Walters and pushed him all the way to the flag, but was unable to find a way past the Kawasaki – he finished second ahead of Bugden. Walters had a comfortable 10-point…

Suspension of belief AFTER THE COST capping rules for brakes and suspension were brought in a couple of seasons ago, the question was just how many new suspension manufacturers would either join, or remain, in the numerically Öhlins dominated WorldSBK paddock. The Swedes from Öhlins still supply official and unofficial teams, from Ducati, Honda, Yamaha and others, with a new front fork for this year specifically designed to suit the costs capping rules. Japanese-made Showa units have been the favoured choice of the official KRT squad for years, and now Showa also supplies Pedercini Racing and their ZX-10Rs too. There is a new rear shock for 2016, in many of its components at least. The Italian Bitubo brand has had success in WSS in the past and this year the…

THE SWITCH TO Michelin tyres could very well be the platform for a successful MotoGP championship defence by Jorge Lorenzo. Michelin has combined a less predictable front tyre with a massively grippy rear that is set to change the influence of heavy front braking and gravity-defying corner lean angles. Lorenzo will go in search of his fourth MotoGP title when the season opens in Qatar having dominated both the outright times and race pace at the final test at the Losail Circuit. And the Michelin tyre character is looking like a near-perfect recipe for Lorenzo’s unique, silky-smooth style. Two-time champion Casey Stoner, now a Ducati test rider, has been an eye witness to Lorenzo’s impressive preseason pace aboard Yamaha’s new YZR-M1. “Jorge always struggled with getting maximum rear traction with…

HONDA STAR MARC Márquez is relieved that a squadron of factory software engineers have finally found direction after a frustrating test season with the control Magnetti Marelli ECU. The Marelli systems, while retaining multiple parameters for traction control and engine braking, were far removed from the Honda’s sophisticated factory gear, but after a series of confidence inspiring fast laps late in the Qatar pre-season test, on the back of electronic solutions and weight distribution changes, Márquez was all smiles. The performance suggests that he is back to his 2014 title winning form and ready to be Jorge Lorenzo’s main rival in the championship fight. “I followed Jorge for some laps at the test, I had to do it, and I saw we are still struggling on acceleration. But I was…

AFTER A THRILLING start to the season at Phillip Island, the ASBK series heads to Wakefield Park in NSW for Round 2 on 26-27 March, following a lengthy hiatus away from the technical 2.2km circuit. Round 1 saw Glenn Allerton rack up all three race wins on his Yamaha YZF-R1M, but he was pushed to the limit by factory riders from all three major teams, with Mike Jones putting in an especially impressive effort considering it is his first season aboard the DesmoSport Ducati. Reigning ASC Champion Troy Herfoss will also be out for vengeance on his home track in Goulburn where the superb chassis of his CBR1000RR SP Fireblade can be used to best advantage. In the Supersport class, ASC Supersport Champion Callum Spriggs will go head to head…

AUSSIES JOSH STRANG (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) and Daniel Milner (N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha) have stamped their authority on the world’s premier domestic enduro championship with a one-two finish in the XC1 class at the opening round of the Grand National Cross Country at Rodman Planation in Palatka, Florida. Triple GNCC Champion (KTM Factory Racing) Kailub Russell came third. The Aussie pair have also been competing in, and winning, the Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series where Milner currently sits on top of the points table. He claimed the first two rounds in the series ahead of Strang’s two podium results. NSW export Mackenzie Tricker also showed her mettle in the Women’s Pro class of the Alligator Enduro by completing an incredible clean sweep of all six tests.…

FROST, 34, WRAPPED up his first national superbike championship at the final round at Hampton Downs on 5-6 March and also claimed the TT (Tourist Trophy) race, to add to his victories in the Suzuki Series in December and the NZ Grand Prix in January. “I won the first race [at Ruapuna] and increased my lead every race,” said Frost after racing his Suzuki to three wins and a third. He paid tribute to his Australian team, NextGen Motorsport: “I used to have what you could call bad luck, but they’ve made me lucky! “Now I’m going to do the Australian championship this year, as a learning year, and aim to win the ASBK title in 2017.” Nine-times champion Andrew Stroud won the other race on his Suzuki and finished…

Blow wave Gimmick or game-changer? Kawasaki and Suzuki both seem intent on exploring a turbo-charged future KAWASAKI’S SUPERCHARGED H2 hit us right between the eyes with its big numbers, but now it has our attention, the firm is planning a lighter more usable supercharged machine in a bid to attract a wider audience. This image might be a computer-generated impression but it’s based on information from Japan about the direction Kawasaki will head with its supercharged technology. Miniaturised and more mass-made than the H2, the bike – likely to be called the Ninja R2 – is said to be around 800cc and will use a version of the balanced supercharged engine Kawasaki displayed at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show. The capacity comes as a surprise. Last year Kawasaki spoke of…

THE NEW OWNERS of Erik Buell Racing – now renamed EBR Motorcycles and officially a ‘new’ company – has plans to restart production of the existing 1190RX and 1190SX models but it's still looking for partners or investors to help secure the brand’s future. EBR folded last April, and its remains were bought earlier this year by Liquid Asset Partners. Despite specialising in selling off the assets of defunct companies, the new owner – which coincidentally handled the dismantling and auctioning of the original Buell business back in 2009 – plans to get EBR up and running again as a manufacturer. It’s a low-key restarting of production, and exactly how fast the bikes will be built isn’t known, however, EBR’s workforce is now around 12, a tenth of its pre-closure…

INDIAN HAS JUST revealed the new Springfield, a model that’s both a bagger and a cruiser wrapped into a single package, making it simple to switch between two types of riding. Named after the firm’s birthplace, Springfield in Massachusetts, the bike is based around the air-cooled, 1811cc ‘Thunder Stroke’ V-twin and looks like a straightforward extension of the Chief line-up. However, it’s been designed to be able to convert from a bagger – complete with screen and hard luggage – to a naked cruiser in a matter of minutes with no need for tools. The screen and lockable hard panniers simply clip into place or can be left at home when they’re not needed. The passenger seat can also be removed when you’re only riding one-up. The chassis has the…

IF YOUR WISH list includes a new KTM Duke 390, you might want to consider hanging out for a little while longer – AMCN understands the Austrian manufacturer is feverishly working on an update for the popular entry-level nakedbike. Of course some updates to the engine internals are necessary to meet the new emission regulations coming into force in 2017 and, if recent history is anything to go by, more efficient fuelling and a cleaner burn often results in a slightly higher output, as well as the added bonus of better fuel economy. Expect a side-mounted conventional exhaust to replace the sleek under-belly affair currently being used. Now in its fourth year of production, and still very much holding its own in the popular and lucrative LAMS market, the newbie…

IT WAS THE late 1970s when the anti-lock braking system debuted on a passenger vehicle. A decade of development later and the high-tech system was altered to cope with the unique braking behaviours of two-wheeled transport. So in 1988, BMW’s K100 was the first production motorcycle to be offered with optional ABS. At the time, it added a whopping 11kg to the overall weight of the bike. It also added a 10 per cent premium to the overall price, but it was the pinnacle of safety enhancing technology and BMW was at the forefront. Rival manufacturers scrambled to catch up. Suzuki and Bosch quickly got their heads together and started work on a system of their own. Kawasaki took the challenge on alone, as did Honda, who began developing a…

Nick holds an ever pervasive and humbling memory of the hospitality of strangers SCOOTING HOME FROM Betws-y-Coed, Wales, one Sunday evening back in 1958, Nick Lidstone fantasised that, if he just kept the throttle pinned on his newly acquired 125cc Douglas Vespa, it could transport him around the world. Next morning he handed in his notice before the dream completely faded. With no fixed itinerary in mind, except to travel in a Easterly direction, Nick set out on 6 August 1960, his intent being a leisurely loop of the globe. Ready to roll, the scoot resembled a badly stamped wool bale on wheels, however, to this day Nick maintains the overloading actually aided stability, though he paid the price in punctures, which totalled 23 by the time he reached Calcutta!…

ONE AFTERNOON IN 1974, aged seven, I took my first wobbly ride on a mini-bike, and I’m pretty sure it was a Deckson. It was my first ride on a motorised vehicle of any type, so I took all the necessary safety precautions: no adult supervision, thongs, shorts, no shirt and no helmet. The owner of the bike (another seven-year-old) started it for me as I had no idea how the pull-start worked. I jumped on, twisted the throttle and promptly crashed into the fence sustaining a nasty gash to my right foot. It’s unusual to feature a bike in these pages without actually riding it, but I’m happy for my childhood memories to guide me in this instance. Undeterred by the fence-crushing incident I progressed to riding around the…

The smell of castor oil soon wafts up from the exposed valve springs Maybe it’s the styling: silver paint set off with black striping; a humped-back seat with red piping: a small flyscreen set above low handlebars. Maybe it’s the noise: A barruummmba, barruummmba roar that only a single-cylinder racing motor with an open megaphone exhaust can make. Maybe it’s the stories: tall tales and true from the Continental Circus. Make no mistake, the Manx Norton is a mythical motorcycle. It was the backbone of privateer racing for two decades and was seen on grand prix grids long after the little British single had passed its used-by date. Manx Nortons were still scoring world championship points in 1971. Let’s look at the Featherbed Manx that started it all – a…

The engine was stroked to 100mm, increasing the total capacity to 1571cc There can be few more improbable road racing champions right now than Beau Beaton, winner of the 2015 Australian ProTwins/Nakedbike Championship. Aboard a big-engined Irving Vincent, Beaton defeated fields of Ducati Panigales and Aprilia RSV Tuonos to wrest the title from defending champion Angus Reekie on his importer-backed KTM 1290 Super Duke R. It’s always nice when the underdog triumphs, though in this case it also proved that, done right, there’s still no substitute for cubes. Those poor little 1199cc Panigales, used to beating up 1000cc fours in Superbike racing, had the tables turned by the Irving Vincent, with a pushrod motor measuring a whopping 1571cc for 142kW at the crank at 7250rpm, in a bike scaling 175kg…

Fangs are bared for MotoGP – as Rossi swears revenge on Márquez, the youngster steps forward to accept the villain’s role, and a sneering Jorge Lorenzo strives to rise above it all. Teeth are showing elsewhere, but in smiles of anticipation. A raft of technical changes and an across-the-board levelling out promises intriguing shifts in the ground rules. Which riders and which bikes will adapt quickest to the new Michelin tyres? Which technicians will be able to make the most of the dumbed-down supplied electronics? New for this year is relatively low-level Magneti Marelli software, to go with the already standard M-M hardware, plus an agreement that factories should share all development ideas for the electrickery. This year is the 48th for the World Championships, and as it approaches its…

The name Bell is one of the most recognisable brands in the helmet caper. Look back through the history of motorcycle racing, both on and off road, and you will see the famous Bell logo in photographs dating back to 1971. The American company actually began manufacturing helmets for motor car racing in 1954, making it almost as old as AMCN. When Bell decided to produce a heritage range of full-face helmets it didn’t need to look too far for inspiration. It was Bell that pioneered the full-face helmet back in 1968 with its Star model. While Bell had prior form producing funky 1970s helmets, designing a heritage range was a much greater task than just pulling out the old plans. Modern day safety standards mean the 21st century motorcycle…

1 Leather Style Cassons $649.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassons.com.au The Dainese Michelle Lady leather jacket combines style and safety. It’s made from 100 per cent aniline leather with a waxy finish, has a TF liner, reflective inserts, pro-shape protectors and pant-connection loop. There’s provision for fitment of a G1 back protector and it’s available in sizes 40-48. 2 Road & Track Monza Imports From $194.95 (03) 8327 8888 monzaimports.com.au The Dunlop Q3 sports radial features the brand’s innovative carbon-fibre technology (CFT). It’s claimed to provide excellent grip and class-leading mileage, and is suited to both street and trackday riders. Available in a variety of sizes to suit most sportsbikes. Fronts from $194.95; rears from $264.95. 3 Power Packed Yuasa Powersports From $249 1300 362 287 yuasa.com.au Yuasa’s new GYZ maintenance-free,…

Big in the fifties Matchless (1899-1966) Leafing through old AMCNs for this heritage issue, it was interesting to see the marques that used to be advertised... Matchless was a London-based concern that made an early name for itself by winning the ACU 1000-Mile Reliability Trial in 1903, then the very first Isle of Man TT in 1907, as well as in 1909 and 1910. Its unspectacular but dependable range helped it through the depression and even allowed it to buy up AJS (1931), Sunbeam (1938) and eventually Norton (1952). Post-WWII, Matchless enjoyed racing success again with the G45 single, which won the 1952 Senior Manx Grand Prix, and the G50 (1958), which like the Norton Manx was a popular choice on the world’s racetracks – Jack Ahearn even raced an…

A win apiece for the KRT duo of Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes, and a second place for each rider in the other race, makes this sound like a harmonious two-day contest of give and take between teammates. On track at least it was full on, full push, with the final laps of Race 2 in particular a demonstration of how much each rider wanted to win. Both riders are recent world champions; both are riding a bike that is different from last years. After the second race, in which Tom Sykes used his skills and a lot of defensive aggression to keep Rea behind – after losing the first race on Saturday by just 0.22s seconds – Rea was less than happy. He was also clearly conflicted, as he…

APRILIA HAS SET modest targets of consistent top 10 results for its all-new RS-GP 2016 prototype. The bike, with a narrow angle V4 motor, is unrecognisable from the superbike based RSV-4 test mule which raced in MotoGP last year. The RS-GP 2016 only made its public appearance against factory rivals at the Qatar test in the hands of factory riders Álvaro Bautista (18th) and Stefan Bradl (21st) who completed 210 laps. “The bike is completely new and main change is the engine layout. It is smaller and lighter and with much less internal friction and a crankcase and sump system designed for racing,” said race boss Romano Albesiano. “Our target is the top 10 from the mid-point of the season but I do not expect this at the opening races.”…

EVEN AFTER JUST two rounds it is clear that the best four-cylinder machines on the grid in 2016 have not just made up ground in the performance stakes, but have also recouped some of the concessions made to other engine configurations since the adoption of lower levels of engine tuning last year. This is frustrating for some riders, including last year’s runner-up Chaz Davies. “The bike in general is better, 100 per cent, but I was a little bit disappointed the way things worked out in PI, and the speed difference is a little bit more than I am happy to accept. Kawasaki is our main competitor and those are the ones we need to look out for, so we need to do better.” Davies was unsurprised at how fast…

THE NITRO MAX event was held at Perth Motorplex over the weekend of 5-6 March and featured two rounds of the 400 Thunder Top Bike Championship. On the Saturday, Mark Drew grabbed the pole in qualifying with a 6.71 ET at 332.42 km/h and went on to set the pace with a 6.54 pass over Greg Durack in the first round of eliminations. Chris Porter defeated Tony Wood with a 6.80 ET while Matheson knocked out Terry Burnett with a 6.81 run. Les Holden then closed the round with a 7.68 run to beat Ben Stevens. The quickest two – Drew and Porter – then faced each other for the A Final. Drew looked to have the race won, however he got close to the wall and backed off, effectively…

Hayabusa chicane There really are some bloody idiots out there! I came across this pair doing a U-turn on a blind corner with double white lines at a place called Dundas, bottom of Mt Glorious on Sunday 6 March 2016. Anybody who knows Mt Glorious knows the pace that is often used by boy racers in small packs up and down the mountian but particulaly from the bottom of the mountain to Wivenhoe-Somerset Rd. I was going slow because there was a woman standing on a bridge holding a camera two corners before I met this pair. I thought she was a cop with a radar gun so I was in caution mode. The look on the first guy’s face said it all, eyes like dinner plates, the second guy…

There is a good turn of real world power here and it is delivered with the cultural refinement that BMW has made its own I’VE BEEN a big fan of the R nineT since the stylish model first made its way to our shores back in 2014. When offered the chance to ride one down to the annual AMCN Island Classic at Phillip Island, I jumped at it. Okay, I admit it. I like a bike to look good. That’s important to me. Of course, it has to perform dynamically, but good looks are certainly a bit of a bonus when you’re image conscious. This one fits the bill nicely. The R nineT has a fashionable minimalism to its styling adding to its street cool in spades. In fact, BMW…

In America’s deep south, a revolution is taking place. After an era of manufacturing malaise, new companies are establishing themselves again, placing an emphasis on craftsmanship, small production runs and impeccable quality and styling. Big names include the Bienville Studios, Motus, and also Confederate – the maker of this incredible machine. Having been forced from its New Orleans home by the destructive forces of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Confederate then had to withstand the GFC. It survived thanks to 63 sales of the first-generation (G1) P120 Fighter that emerged from its new Alabama base in 2009. The company’s self-styled ‘Art of Rebellion’ has now been taken a step further with the visually stunning new P51 Fighter Combat. Powered by a 2163cc V-twin, this latest example of functional eye candy delivers…

I’d like to lay my cards right on the table here. I’m not your average ‘package tour’ kind of guy, I’m not your regular ‘GS’ kind of guy, and I’m not even a particularly sociable kind of guy. Which probably makes me the worst possible choice to invite on an event like the GS Safari. On the other hand, I do love an adventure, love riding motorcycles of absolutely any kind, and love getting sideways in the countryside. I have also been known to organise all kinds of dirty-road-trips in order to drag my mates out to do stuff I know they love but rarely seem to do due to … well, due to life. You know, that stubborn thing which always seems to get wedged between your dreams and…

In steaming hot temperatures of over 35°C the FIM Supersport World Championship competitors gave it their all, and in some cases too much according to their peers. Although PJ Jacobsen (Honda World Supersport) led the race for 15 of 17 laps, the winner was Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse). He was aided in his escape to a final margin of victory of 0.812 seconds, first by a mistake from Jacobsen and then a fight between PJ and eventual second-place rider Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki). For Cluzel it was a welcome return to the top step – a limping one in his case – after a long-term injury to his left lower leg. He has to get his leg up to speed on each weekend now, but once…

A LIMPING BUT motivated Jack Miller will start from ground zero as he looks to boost his career in his second season of MotoGP. The Queenslander got his first taste of the 2016 model RC213V in the recent Qatar test and recognises that he must make the most of his second year with a coveted HRC factory contract in the MarcVDS Honda squad. “This is a really important season for me, probably the most important of my career. I’m extremely motivated, more than I have been for a long time,” Miller said. “I feel like I’m starting my career again. Last year almost felt like a year off, it felt like shit… I came into a championship as a rookie with a lot to learn and a bike that wasn’t…

ROUND 9 OF the AMA Supercross saw 450cc rider Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki) lead from the front at Florida’s iconic Daytona Speedway, taking his first victory of the season. Red Bull KTM riders Ryan Dungey and Marvin Musquin gave chase to round out the podium. Australian Triple Daytona winner Chad Reed struggled on his Factory Yamaha but salvaged 12th position, while Kalgoorlie local Jarrad Hockley (Blue Spec Drilling Kawasaki) lined up for qualifying but failed to progress to the heat races. In the 250SX East, Jeremy Martin piloted his Factory Yamaha to a win after hounding Malcolm Stewart (Geico Honda) all race before charging past with just three laps to go. Justin Hill (Red Bull KTM) scored a second place finish while Martin Davalos (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) snuck into…

DANIEL ‘CHUCKY’ SANDERS got his VORC Championship title defence off to a perfect start during the opening round at Rawson on Sunday, 6 March. Gunning for his third straight Pro VORC title, Sanders was on fire, taking all six sprints aboard his KTM 30O-EXC. Chris Davey came second and Jack Simpson rounded out the podium. Tasmania’s Sophie Coldicutt made the trip across the pond to race in the Women’s VORC round, and dominated by winning all six sprints with a total time of 50m57.119s. Tegan Hall and Kate Norman came second and third respectively. Coldicutt and Sanders will both line up this weekend at Kilkivan in Queensland for the first round of the Australian Off Road Championships.…

SEVEN AUSTRALIAN DIRT track motorcycle champions are among the entries for the Woodlands 2016 Grand Slam meeting to be staged at Temora, NSW, this weekend, 19 and 20 March. This event will be just one part of a calendar of events that looks set to give motorcycle dirt track racing in the Riverina area a huge boost in 2016. Temora Motor Cycle Club has extended entries for the Grand Slam, but those already entered represent the elite of this discipline of competition. The Grand Slam meeting will be the first open meeting staged by the Temora club in several decades, and it will have one of the biggest payouts for riders ever in a feature event. The lure of the rich payday for the premier Pro 450 class has enticed…

THREE-TIMES 1970S Australian GP winner Robert Hinton will be 72 in August and is still active as a racebike owner in historic racing events. His Yamaha TZ350F has won three Australian Forgotten Era (Period 5) championships with three different riders. Hinton last raced on that bike in the 2007 Australian Historic Championship at Eastern Creek. Today he lives in Forster, New South Wales, with partner Lyn, having previously been on the Gold Coast and in Taree after moving out of Sydney. Robert is the surviving son of multiple Bathurst winner Harry Hinton. Eldest brother Harry Jnr died of pneumonia a week after crashing at the 1959 Imola Gold Cup meeting and Eric Hinton, 10 years Robert’s senior, died last December after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease and the effects…

 NEW SOUTH WELSHMAN Josh Hook finally fullfilled his ambition of securing a full-time world superbike ride when it was announced he would ride for the Grillini Kawasaki team in 2016. It was the break Hook had been working hard for over the past few years – a chance to launch himself onto the world stage. Unfortunately, a crash during free practice for the opening round at Phillip Island forced him out of not only his home race, but also last weekend’s second round in Thailand. AMCN caught up with a disappointed but determined Hook for a frank chat. “I feel I can be in the points... Maybe even a few top 10s” Josh, this ride meant a lot to you. How disappointing is it to miss these rounds? Obviously it’s…