Innholdsfortegnelse for October 1, 2015 i Australian Motorcycle News

Back where it began MY TENURE IN the AMCN editor’s chair began on the Tuesday prior to AUSTest, and coincidentally my first day of employment with this fine publication was also the Tuesday prior to AUSTest. The incumbent staff greeted me with: “perfect time to join AMCN, it’s AUSTest week!” They were not wrong – it was perfect timing. Like any motorcycle rider worth their salt, I required no introduction to AUSTest. I had been one of the many to call in sick for work each year so I could head out to Eastern Creek Raceway and watch the AMCN guns and a sprinkling of lightning-fast legends ride the bejesus out of the best production superbikes on the planet. Being the new kid on the AMCN block, and lacking any…

Herfoss strikes back Just when it looked like Yamaha was getting the ASC upper hand, Team Honda struck back at Wakefield Park. Pedrosa can scrap The fight Pedrosa put up to keep Rossi in third at Aragon revealed a side of the Spaniard we don’t see enough of. Márquez out When Márquez crashed on lap two of the race in Aragon it ended any slim hopes of a title fightback by the Spaniard. VW troubles for Ducati Volkswagen being busted cheating on the emissions certification for millions of cars could have long term implications for Ducati.…

Access, AMCN, 12/20 Edward St, Oakleigh, Vic, 3166 access@amcn.com.au I recall the advent of the 16-inch front wheel on racers and sportsbikes, which coincided with the advent of the front-end tuck Letter of the issue Serious long-termer I would like to congratulate Kellie Buckley on a wonderful tenure as editor of this great magazine. I met the remarkable George Lynn in 1951 when he hand-delivered the mag to Ballarat. We formed the Ballarat Rovers MCC in 1952 and George attended an early meeting as a speaker. I enclose a current photo of my 50th anniversary VFR 800 Honda, purchased new 1999. It has now clocked 80,000km. I turned 80 last year and still enjoy motorcycling. Regards, Keith Jolly Sebastopol, Victoria Keith, I hereby declare you reader number one. Love the…

AUSTEST 2015 IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY MICHELIN “Low tyre wear allowed the riders to keep lowering the lap times” Dimensions A 815mm B 435mm C 760mm D 600mm BORE SIZE 80 x 49.7mm There’s no denying the S1000RR is the one bike which all other manufacturers fear most in the big-bore sportsbike sector. Its motor is an absolute monster of muscularity, and it boasts the most complete electronics package in the class, even down to the extravagant luxuriousness of heated grips and cruise control. I sure know which superbike I’d choose to race in a damp and frosty Le Mans 24 Hour! It made sense to use our current long-term S1000RR for AUSTest 2015, and this bike is certainly not the $21,990 + ORC base model. It has the Dynamic…

Craig Coxhell “The Blade was stable, with smooth power delivery, smooth gearbox, and good braking stability. It’s also got a good clutch, and was really easy to get off the line. Some modern electronics would have given me more confidence in this bike. It’s a real shame it’s got no electronics, as this bike could be so much better." Cam Donald "With standard street settings you could commute, sports tour, and track ride the Fireblade happily. There are few sportsbikes you could manage that on without wanting to make suspension and chassis adjustments. Considering it has no TC or other electronic aids it still instils confidence in the rider." Shannon Johnson “It’s impressive that a 10-year-old design can still hold its own. The chassis is the most balanced and gives…

AUSTEST 2015 IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY MICHELIN “Faster than you would predict by looking purely at the numbers” Dimensions A 810mm B 440mm C 800mm D 625mm BORE SIZE 74.5 x 57.3mm As the longest serving model in our AUSTest line-up, the current GSX-R has been resting on its laurels since 2009, when the last major update was unveiled. It’s a good thing for Suzuki that its ageing superbike has such illustrious laurels on which to perch – 30 years of heritage no less, including numerous world and national championship titles and race victories. While many consider it a dated bike, the SERT (Suzuki Endurance Racing Team) GSX-R1000 has just regained the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC), a series which has seen a resurgence in recent years, with all four…

Craig Coxhell "A very comfortable and a great-sounding bike, which handled well and was stable on the track. The traction control and quickshifter were almost perfect, and the wheelie control was really good, on par with the BMW. The dash was easy to read, but the throttle response off the bottom wasn’t as smooth as I’d like." Cam Donald "The engine is very powerful and its midrange and top end will always put a smile on my face. Excellent TC and race ABS give you confidence to push your limits. Feeling from the front was great, knife-edge accurate on corner entry. Braking power and feel was also impressive. I didn’t like the throttle connection on the R1 so it lost some points there." Shannon Johnson “You need to spend more…

NOW THAT THE weather is starting to warm up, and more importantly, the skies are clearing, there’s less and less need to wear textiles when you go for a ride. Perfect then that Draggin has sent me a pair of its stylish Twista jeans. I have been a big fan of these for a while now, as my current pair of protective jeans are too daggy and too baggy for my liking. I'm keen to see how comfortable these snug bad boys really are, since they are lined with CE certified Kevlar and are also equipped with armour pockets for knees and hips. Hopefully they’ll pass the style test of all my café-racing, latte-sipping, bearded, tattooed, hipster mates. Stay tuned. Dark Blue Sizes 28-44 $299 Draggin Jeans (02) 4962 3511…

YAMAHA FZR1000 1987 The FZR1000 series lifted the bar further, introducing the Delta-Box frame and the EXUP exhaust system, laying the foundations for the YZF1000R Thunderace and ultimately the R1. YAMAHA XS1100 1978 Yamaha finally produced a four-cylinder four-stroke. Like Suzuki it had been late coming to four-strokes. Its first was the XS650 twin in 1971 followed by the XS750 triple in 1976. YAMAHA FZ750 1984 With the arrival of its radical FZ750 20-valve Genesis engine Yamaha demonstrated a serious commitment to four-stroke performance as well as technical leadership.…

Show time 4 OCTOBER Euroa Show & Shine, Seven Creeks Park, Clifton St, Euroa, Vic. 8am to 3pm; judging starts at 10am. More than 1000 bikes/ cars on display, 90 trophies up for grabs, live music in three different locations, 80-stall street market, trade stalls, plenty of hot food and children’s rides. Visitors $2; show vehicles $5. Food drink and entertainment. For more information see australiannationalshowandshine.com.au. 30 OCT-1 NOV Perth Motorcycle and Scooter Show, Claremont Showgrounds, Claremont, WA. See custom and vintage bike displays, a show ’n’ shine and a live stage show with new bikes, products, reviews and fashion. There will be huge outdoor and indoor entertainment areas with stunts, jumps, races and more. Charity ride on Saturday morning with proceeds to YouthFocus. Prospectus is available now for interested…

...AND COME AGAIN another day. Thus we rewrite an old nursery rhyme for modern times. For modern grand prix racing, anyway. Wet races are much more interesting than those in the dry, for many reasons, and here are just three. First, it removes the technical advantage held by the factory guys, especially with the use of control tyres. Every rider is always living life on the edge, even the guys coming last. But when it’s wet, the edge comes back to meet you all on more equal terms. Second – and this is a consequence of the first – it emboldens lesser riders to feats of derring-do that normally seem out of reach. And thirdly (though this is not a main reason), it gives the mechanics something to do, other…

A DECISION TO race a harder-option rear tyre did not deliver the late-race surge that Jack Miller thought would put him in the points in the Aragon Grand Prix. While dismayed by the outcome, Miller was boosted by a competitive performance in a torrid battle for top Open class honours before being forced to slow with five laps remaining. Miller eventually finished 19th after struggling with rear grip issues from the early laps that forced him to over-work the front to stay in the contest. Miller said the bonus was the learning experience of a six-rider, mid-race brawl with just two seconds covering 13th to 18th positions. The group included fellow Honda riders Eugene Laverty and 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden, as well as Maverick Viñales and Stefan Bradl. “It…

THE FINAL ROUND of the IDM German Superbike Championship was held at Hockenheim last weekend. Markus Reiterberger (Van Zon - Remeha - BMW) got away cleanly in the first race of the day with Xavi Forés (3C Racing Team) and teammates Max Neukirchner and Damian Cudlin (Yamaha Team MGM) in hot pursuit. Mechanical issues forced Cudlin into the pits on just the second lap, and he stayed there for the day. It was Forés who battled to take the lead from Reiterberger by lap eight. And Forés stayed in front for the remainder of the race to take his third win of the season, ahead of Reiterberger and Neukirchner. Reiterberger and Forés each took a win and a second place which was enough for Reiterberger to retain the title lead…

TWENTY YEARS AFTER setting the Superbike lap record – a record which to this day remains unbroken – three-time Australian Superbike Champion Shawn Giles will return to Tasmania’s Baskerville Raceway for the 2015 Motorworks 2-Hour Endurance race on 31 October. Giles will team up with Launceston’s Quentin Blazely on a Suzuki GSX-R1000. Blazely qualified on pole for the 2014 event, and he and Giles should make a formidable team. Giles set the current lap record of 53.28sec at the ASBK round held at Baskerville in September, 1995. The circuit last hosted a round of the ASBK in 1999. Newly crowned Australian Superbike Champion Mike Jones will team up with five-time New Zealand Superbike Champion Robbie Bugden on the Deep Underpinning Honda CBR1000RR for the event – the same bike ridden…

OFF THE HOOK Round seven of the All-Japan Superbike Championship, which was due to take place at Tsukuba Circuit on 26-27 September, was cancelled due to heavy flooding in the area as a result of the recent Typhoon Etau. The decision to cancel the event was made on the grounds of emergency resources in the area already being stretched, as well as disruptions to traffic routes leading to the circuit. Aussie Josh Hook currently lies sixth in championship. FRENCH AGAIN France’s stellar line-up of Gautier Paulin, Marvin Musquin and Romain Febvre have taken the trophy at Motocross des Nations. The Aussie team of Luke Clout (Yamaha), Todd Waters (Husqvarna) and Dean Ferris (Husqvarna) finished seventh. Kiwi veteran Ben Townley (Honda) put in a top performance taking sixth in moto one…

THE TAREE MOTORCYCLE Club and its Old Bar track had a very significant place on the dirt track calendar. For many years it hosted the first meeting of the year on the Australia Day weekend in January, in some years featuring teams of British grasstrackers, and finishing with the last meeting of the year in late November. It was the Twilight meeting staged early in 2011 that led to the Club inviting Troy Bayliss to “come home” the following year, and in turn led to the Troy Bayliss Classic being held for the first time in 2013. Crowds for the Bayliss Classic have put a focus on facilities at the Old Bar track and the club has been able to utilise several grants to build a new control tower with…

The year was... 002002 QUEEN ELIZABETH the Queen Mother died aged 101 at Royal Lodge, Windsor. The average price for a litre of milk was $1.40 and China tried to ban access to Google with the “Great Firewall of China”... good luck with that! How much? A must have for any hardcore DIY motorcycle mechanic, The Bike Lifter boasts heavy-duty steel construction, a hydraulic hoist with 500kg lifting capacity, and a lockable wheel chock system. The price excludes freight from Sunshine Coast. Pick up recommended! Era tech Ever wondered what your canine is really thinking? Japanese toy manufacturer Takara Toys solved this issue by inventing the “Bowlingual”. The device consisted of a collar-mounted radio microphone and a handheld receiver to translate whines, yelps and growls into intelligible human phrases such…

AUSTEST 2015 IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY MICHELIN “Finally the bike with the fastest looks has the power to back it up” Dimensions A 838mm B 440mm C 825mm D 610mm BORE SIZE 78 x 52.3mm All previous incarnations of the RSV4 have intrigued with their plethora of chassis adjustments, enchanted with their V4 character, and entertained with that glorious exhaust note, but there was just one thing missing. In a modern world where a horsepower for every kilogram is the expected superbike standard, the RSV4 simply didn’t cut the mustard. This has all changed. For 2015, Aprilia has taken to the mustard jar with a 65° V4-powered chainsaw. Finally, the bike with the fastest looks has the power to back up its devastating beauty, with the RSV4RR a whopping 20kW…

Craig Coxhell "Good all-round bike, fast on the track, comfortable on the road, and gives you a lot of confidence. Could be too much for someone not used to so much power, but it handled well, and the TC was really good, making it all a bit easier to control." Cam Donald "The BMW is extremely stable both on turn entry and over the back crest at Broadford, a good test for high-speed stability. My confidence in the BMW’s electronics built more quickly than on any of the others. ABS in race mode is exactly how it should be, you can lock the rear wheel, and no matter how hard I braked the front lever didn’t pulse. And a modern-day sports bike with heated grips and cruise control? Awesome!" Shannon…

AUSTEST 2015 IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY MICHELIN “The number one choice for privateer Superbike Superstock racers” Dimensions A 812mm B 440mm C 800mm D 625mm BORE SIZE 76 x 55mm Superbike World Champion in the hands of both Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes, and now also World Superbike Manufacturers Championship winner, it’s none other than the mighty Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. To conduct this year’s AUSTest without one would have been unthinkable, so with ZX-10R currently unavailable on Kawasaki Australia’s press fleet, big thanks must go to our friends at SA Motorcycles in Gepps Cross, South Australia, to whom we are eternally grateful for loaning us their own demo bike. The fact KMA don’t have a press bike suggests the new ZX-10R may be even closer than we think. The heart…

Craig Coxhell “The Suzuki was an easy bike to ride, comfortable on the road and the track. If it had the same electronics as the BMW it would be a great bike. Most impressive thing was the clutch, which gave killer standing starts at the drag strip. The footpeg position was too low for me, and I found it hard to weight the outside peg." Cam Donald "Smooth power delivery is the Suzuki’s strong point. I felt confident on it because there are no hidden surprises in either engine or chassis departments. Great throttle connection allows you to manage 1000cc of sports bike without traction control. Everything the bike does is predictable, apart from the front ABS!" Shannon Johnson “The best thing about the Suzuki is its comfort, and how…

Mick Doohan Some racers foolishly got on the wrong side of Doohan – big mistake. Few have ever had the iron-tough mentality of the Aussie who mercilessly crushed his rivals, either on the racetrack or in the paddock. Valentino Rossi Rossi’s unique achievement of winning grands prix over a 20-year period tells you all you need to know. Here is a man who uses his mental strength and dazzling intelligence to always stay several steps ahead of the game. Ian Hutchinson Any normal human being who suffered what Hutchy suffered after he nearly lost a leg in 2010 would’ve given up racing and started stacking supermarket shelves. The Yorkshireman’s mental strength is superhuman. Jorge Lorenzo He may go all Buddhist on us now and then, but Lorenzo’s inner strength has…

THERE WAS A time when the motorcycle gear bag was a motocross rider thing. Dirtbike riders would throw their muddy gear inside an oversized bag and forget about it until the next ride when the whole lot was simply thrown into the back of a ute. Eventually the rest of us cottoned on to just how handy a big, sturdy bag can be when you head to the track, or if you are heading overseas or interstate to ride. Ogio’s gear bags are legendary in the industry and the new Ogio Rig 9800 Rock and Roll model is like Dr Who’s Tardis – when you open it you find more internal room than you think possible from the external dimensions (406mm x 432mm x 915mm). The Rock and Roll is…

LIKE MANY WATCHING the Misano MotoGP race, I figured Rossi had “boxed” two laps too late. Marc Márquez took the right option for the race win, Jorge looked to have outfoxed The Fox himself, and my late-developing Rossi-fan status looked to be taking a kick to the nuts as Jorge Lorenzo seemed likely to pull a points gap on Rossi. But I was wrong. Suddenly the television picture flashed to the forlorn figure on hands and knees in the gravel, Lorenzo, and I found myself shouting at my poor wife: “He’s done it again! Rossi has broken the brain of another one!” Rossi wasn’t just trying to win that race, he was trying to win the title, and while he could never have foreseen his tactic would pressure his points-rival…

Only when someone has had the kind of season that Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) has had up to now do people speak about a tough round as two fourth places. Coming into Race 1, 10th place would have been enough to make Rea World Champion. So, although he finished off the podium in fourth, he still got to enjoy his well-rehearsed and highly touching warm-down lap celebrations. It was a reminder that he is from Northern Ireland, and that he is not the first World Champion to come from there. First he stopped at turn two and put on a new helmet – actually it was Brian Reid’s old helmet from when he was twice TTF2 champion in the mid-80s. Then at turn six he put on one of…

Superstock 1000 Roberto Tamburini (Team MotoxRacing BMW) set the class on fire with a win that means he can draw level on points at the top of the table in the final round – if leader and Jerez third-place rider Lorenzo Savadori (Nuova M2 Racing Aprilia) does not score in Magny-Cours. Raffaele De Rosa was second on his Althea Racing Ducati. Bryan Staring was ninth, and first Kawasaki rider home. Superstock 600 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki) won after champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) practised but did not quality or race, after a recent training accident that broke his collarbone. Local rider Augusto Fernández (Pata-Honda Junior Team) was second, and Davide Stirpe (Scuderia Maran.ga. Racing Kawasaki) third. Superpole Finishing third in the Superpole contest at Jerez,…

Dani Pedrosa has shown increased fighting spirit in recent years, but usually comes off second best when it gets physical. It was impressive when he repulsed Rossi’s first attack, and increasingly amazing as he did it again and again, six times in all. Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Jack Miller MotoGP 19th “I was happy with about 90 per cent of our race, until about five laps to go, then the front tyre gave way. I was already struggling with the rear. After that I couldn’t hold the pace of the group any more. But we stayed › in that big group for a long time, and gained a lot of experience.” Remy Gardner Moto3 19TH “Shit. Again. The biggest problem was the qualifying. It’s like a lucky dip. With the slipstream…

The best thing: The best part about the 8 Hour is racing with all the international riders from around the world. All the riders are very talented and it sure does bring the best out of your riding throughout the weekend. The worst thing: Hands down the worst thing about the event is the heat! It’s just way too hot and the racing goes for too long. As much as it’s fun, the heat is the only downside to racing there. The funniest thing: After the race we ended up at a karaoke bar. I was singing Du Hast by Rammstein with Dominique Aegerter with broken ribs. It was the only song he knew the words to as well as I did.…

TWENTY-YEAR-OLD Brayden Elliott is more than likely set to make the leap up to the premier Superbike class in 2016. “At this stage it looks like I’m going to jump up to a Superbike next year,” said Elliott. “I was lucky enough to have a test on one of Phil Tainton’s ex-Suzuki GSX-R1000s at Phillip Island a few weeks ago but only put about seven laps in. so I haven’t really had a lot of time on one to say that’s what we are going to do next year. But I’m pretty confident that it is the direction we’re heading.” Although he didn’t have much time with the bike, first impressions were good – in fact, Elliot says the GSX-R1000 blew him away. “I knew the Superbike was going to…

THE 2016 SWANN Insurance Australasian Superbike Championship provisional calendar was released on the week building up to round five at Wakefield Park. Australian Road & Track Rider Promotions (ARTRP) announced a six-round series, round one is on the second weekend of March at Sydney Motorsport Park which will be a Friday/Saturday day/ night round. The championship then heads to Wakefield Park, Mallala, Queensland Raceway and Winton, before returning to SMP on 16-17 December with another day/night round. The Australian FX-Superbike Championship which be run in conjunction with the ASC series.…

CUDLIN QATAR DOUBLE 'S! Alex Cudlin (QMMF Kawasaki ZX-10R) impressed during the opening round of the Qatar Superbike Series at Losail circuit on 18-20 September, taking two victories from two starts ahead of 2014 runner-up Mashel Al Naimi. The Australian has racked up five championships in the series to date and was elated to start the season with a dominant race-winning performance. TEST RIDER PROVES WORTH Michel Pirro was the stand-in for the injured Davide Giugliano in the Aruba.it Racing Ducati WSBK team. Fresh from some top riding on a MotoGP bike at Misano, he was seventh in Superpole, just one place behind Chaz Davies. Once a medium to good WSS rider for Ten Kate, Pirro’s recent experiences of testing MotoGP and WSBK Ducatis on Pirelli, Bridgestone and Michelin tyres…

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. We also recommend leaving plenty of time to get to your destination, especially if you’re Youngy and on your way to an interstate race meeting. He may be the fastest motorcycle journalist in Australia, but he still struggles to get to the airport on time. Three missed planes in two trips! A new record.…

One track mind "so f*ck, I thought that maybe now the other riders are faster than me" Valentino Rossi Psychology of a racer p78 60 Years looking good! As part of its six decade celebrations, Yamaha has released a limited-edition YZF-R1 with the famous yellow and black Speed Block paint scheme. No word yet on Australian availability or pricing. Barn-find Harley stays home One of the rarest Harleys in the world has turned up for sale in Melbourne. Believed to be a 1927 eight-valve racer, and one of less than 50 ever built, it was last raced in the 1930s and has spent at least 50 years in storage. At auction, it fetched $600,000 and the new owner said it’ll stay right here in Melbourne – and it won’t…

Craig Coxhell "I loved this bike, there wasn’t a lot that didn’t impress me. It was stable, had good brakes, turned the best of all the bikes, and was good on both road and track. Good quick shift and traction control, but the wheelie control was too intrusive. In my opinion it is also the best looking bike" Cam Donald "I love the look and sound of the Aprilia, it’s unique on both fronts. The anti-wheelie was too intrusive and needs refining, but the ability to adjust TC on the fly with easy to reach finger paddles is brilliant. Riding position is a no compromise superbike. Bum high and plenty of weight on your arms, fine for track work but not so comfortable for road miles" Shannon Johnson “I just…

AUSTEST 2015 IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY MICHELIN “An extra 6Nm of boom and 9kW of kappow HRC has coaxed out of that old motor” Dimensions A 820mm B 450mm C 830mm D 620mm BORE SIZE 76 x 55.1mm With much anticipation and excitement we awaited the delivery of Honda’s CBR1000RR SP Fireblade. Odd really, as the model is hardly new news, or even cutting edge in terms of its features. So what is there to get so excited about? Well, there’s the lustrous Márquez replica paintwork, which really is impressive up close, and will guarantee you never lose your bike in a blackout. And there’s the gold-standard bling factor of Öhlins and Brembo hanging in garish glory off either end. But to me the most exciting thing about this special…

Craig Coxhell “The power was smooth, and it held its line nicely mid -turn. This gave me a lot of confidence cornering, but it lacked a bit of straight-line stability. The ABS caused the front lever to pulse, and the clutch wasn’t the best for getting off the start.” Cam Donald “I found the ZX-10R easy to gel with. It’s got a stable chassis and smooth power delivery – I rate it highly. Its stability, both under drive and especially hard braking, gives you a lot of confidence. One issue was the front ABS intervening in hard braking, causing me to run on. Electronics are basic but purposeful, with just three power and TC settings. But I’m not a fan of the hard-to-read dash and the clutch." Shannon Johnson “The…

AUSTEST 2015 IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY MICHELIN “The boys and girls in blue must be feeling pretty pleased” Dimensions A 855mm B 430mm C 820mm D 660mm BORE SIZE 79 x 50.9mm When full details of Yamaha’s 2015 YZF-R1 were released I breathed a deep sigh of relief and smiled smugly. At last! The first 100 per cent all-new superbike to come out of Japan since the arse fell out of the world economy, the 2015 R1 is a milestone of great significance for the sportsbike market, and comes amid an air of renewed confidence in the sector. What’s even more pleasing is that the new R1 is an absolute cracker, and has gradually been winning hearts and trophies all over the world since it hit the scene. With Yamaha…

Well I hope your brains aren’t aching too much from digesting the STATfest page. We could have easily filled 10 pages with all the data we recorded, but we have tried to stick to the key numbers and present them in an informative and entertaining manner. As you can see from those numbers, there is one bike which invariably gravitates towards the top of the charts across all measurements: the BMW S1000RR. While both Aprilia and Yamaha have made massive improvements over last year’s models, BMW has also moved on, fine tuning what was already a benchmark bike in many ways. An increase in the power of the BMW, which in itself is substantial, is actually the update that has the least influence on the bike’s outstanding performance. Faster processing…

Sportsbikes come in all shapes and sizes and can be sub-categorised depending on the application you have in mind. By definition though, they are all designed to go around corners at a decent pace and give the rider a taste of the sportier side of motorcycling. The best place to test the limits of your motorcycle’s lean angle and handling is at the racetrack, but for your daily or weekly “fix” you need to get out into your local area and find some suitable roads where you can add a bit of a play. There are also a number or roads in Australia that are iconic motorcycle routes worth putting on your bucket list, even if it means travelling interstate for a once-in-a-lifetime ride adventure with friends or family. The…

Sete Gibernau It was Gibernau’s misfortune to be up against Rossi, who psychologically dismantled him on and off the track. Rossi’s crew even nicknamed him “Liberace”. James Toseland Toseland won two World Superbike titles, but struggled in MotoGP. The tipping point was a terrifying high-speed highside while testing Bridgestone tyres which left him gun shy and ultimately cost him his job. Marco Melandri The former 250 world champ had miserable periods at Ducati in 2008 and more recently at Aprilia, both caused by incompatibility with bikes and tyres. Somehow he was unable to ride through the problems. Manuel Poggiali Some racers have astonishing talent but don’t understand where they get it from. Italian youngster Poggiali was such a rider. Fast enough to win the 2003 250 world title, his speed…

ROAD RACING is a tough and sometimes painful sport, and it can be particularly tough on your feet and ankles. These often disregarded appendages are extremely vulnerable parts of your anatomy when riding bikes, and let’s face it, we are pretty buggered without them. As careful as I am, I’ve still managed to be highsided, lowsided, long slided, and run over in the past two years since I took delivery of my Alpinestars Supertech R boots. Subsequently, the boots looked quite knackered, but happily my feet have remained completely intact. The old boots are still usable and more than capable of continuing to save my little piggy’s bacon for many more racing seasons to come, but being a fashionable young man, I have updated my boots with some dashing fluoro…

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Yamaha R1s are pretty much bullet-proof mechanically, if they’ve been maintained well. Look for clutch and lower-gear issues and notchy steering-head bearings as evidence of constant thrashing. Drilled drain-plugs and caliper bolts, and rim-edge damage from frequent tyre changes help identify ex-racebikes. If a sports-can is fitted, check that the carbs have been rejetted. Adjust your offer to cover almost worn-out consumables like chain, sprockets, brake pads and brake rotors. A gem would be a low kays example with a full service record and no evidence of damage or neglect. SERVICE HISTORY The Yamaha R1 is reasonably straightforward to service, with a great record for reliability. Minor services are required at 4000km intervals, with sparkplug changes at 8000km. Valve clearances require checking at 42,000km intervals. Access…

Top 3 TV 1 World  Superbike, Live Foxsports Sun, 4 Oct 7pm Foxsports has all the action from Magny-Cours in France, live. Race 1 of the World Superbikes kicks off at 7.30pm, followed by World Supersports at 8.40pm and Race 2 of World Superbikes at 10.10pm. 2 H-D TV 4ME Mon, 5 Oct Mon 12, Oct 8pm Australia’s only show dedicated to Harley-Davidsons includes detailed technical segments, latest products and apparel, and the best people from Harley-Davidson dealers. Episodes also available online at 4me.net.au. 3 MXTV 4ME Thu, 1 Oct Thu, 8 Oct 8pm All the racing action, big events, freestyle mayhem, riding and bike tips, plus all the latest news, views and interviews from the best in the business. If it’s happening on the dirt, it’s on MXTV. OCT…

A QUICK HELLO from the off-road world. I got a call from the guys at AMCN who were keen to hear a little about life on the Australian off-road scene. For those who don’t know me, a brief intro. I’m Glenn Kearney, racer and team manager of the Husqvarna Enduro team here in Australia. I’ve been racing in MX, SX and enduro events for a bit over the last two and a half decades. (Sounds like a long time when I put it like that!) The last 12 years have been pretty much focused on the enduro side of things, with six years spent in the USA racing against some of the best off-road riders in the world. I’ve won a few Aussie and NSW titles and represented Australia a…

Alex Phillis WSBK 19th/19th “We had a good start, and then unfortunately we had a bit of a big crash in the second session and went through a bike. From then it was keeping my confidence up and keeping everyone happy. The races were a lot better but it is not where I want to be, or where I should be as I know I can do a lot better.Onwards and upwards.” Aiden Wagner WSS 13th “My race was okay. I got to 12th in the last lap but made a mistake in the last turn and dropped back to 13th. Not ideal for me as we are still having a few little gremlins with the set-up of the bike for my style. Each weekend we get stronger so I…

The chances of Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) taking possession of a fourth WSS title rose exponentially when his nearest and closing rival Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) broke his leg so badly his season is probably finished. With Cluzel out, it was up to America’s Patrick PJ Jacobsen (Core Motorsport Thailand Honda) to try to haul back Sofuoglu. On the back of a win at Sepang last time out he had every right to be confident, but third in qualifying turned into a hard and slippery second behind Sofuoglu, who used his new bike specs from Kawasaki and his team to great effect. “Today the tarmac was very warm but I knew this race was very important for me and I had to take maximum points,” said Sofuoglu.…

The first attempt lasted less than two laps, when Dominique Aegerter was knocked off by Xavier Simeon, and the former lay doggo by the track, bringing out red flags at once. Simeon made the restart; Aegerter did not after bouncing back, his Technomag team unable to get his Kalex repaired in time. Tito Rabat (E-G VDS Kalex) started from pole, his second this year, leading away on both occasions from Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas Kalex) and Sam Lowes (Speed Up). It was a two-man race, with Rabat taking over, but never more than a tenth of two ahead. The defending champion was intent on victory to salvage a so-far erratic season; the new boy had the boost of racing close to his home village. Rins shadowed his senior rival, awaiting…

MARC MÁRQUEZ’S CRASH-riddled season continued with another embarrassing glory-or-bust exit from the Aragon Grand Prix. Afterwards, Márquez had no choice but to offer an apology to his team and home fans for his fifth crash in 14 races. Unlike some of his earlier spills Márquez did not point to the engine character of the Honda V4 motor as a contributing factor. “This crash was completely my mistake,” Márquez said when asked. “On the second lap, when braking for Turn 12, I made a mistake and lost the front. It was my fault and I apologise. “I can only apologise to the team and the fans ... we had a very good pace all weekend. Márquez’s response is to try and win the most races for the season, even if a…

THE 2006 MOTOGP world champion Nicky Hayden (right) is still being chased by Honda to ride for its official WSB team in 2016, alongside Michael van der Mark. It seems Sylvain Guintoli is likely to leave the team and be one half of the new Crescent Yamaha line-up (see above). Alex Lowes has not yet signed a contract to stay with Crescent in 2016, but AMCN understands it’s all sorted, and just needs final details and a contract to be signed to make it official. Leon Haslam faces the prospect of exiting his Aprilia team at the end of 2015, even if it stays in the paddock. Of course, there may not be an official Aprilia squad at all, unless the money is found by Milwaukee from BSB and WSBK…

MOTOAMERICA, THE NEW USA road racing series launched in 2014 in an effort to resurrect the ailing North American racing scene, has seen a promising growth in participation and interest in its inaugural year. The series’ organisation is headed by three-times 500cc World Champion Wayne Rainey and former racer and Team Roberts manager Chuck Aksland, along with motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges and businessman and entrepreneur Richard Varner. A preliminary seven round schedule has been released for the 2016 series, starting at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, where the MotoAmerica series will make up the support program for round two of the MotoGP World Championship. Negotiations are underway to secure two additional rounds for the series, which will include Superbike, Superstock 1000, Supersport and Superstock 600 classes, and…

TIM GASJER (Gariboldi Honda, below) placed fourth overall at the final round of the Monster Energy MXGP Championship in Glen Helen to secure the 2015 MX2 Championship over Pauls Jonass (Red Bull KTM) and Max Anstie (Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki). Newly crowned MXGP Champion Romain Febvre (Yamaha Factory Racing) took the round win, beating local Cooper Webb (Star Racing Yamaha) in moto one, and finishing second to Josh Grant (Monster Energy Kawasaki) in the second moto. Australian Todd Waters (Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna) managed 17th overall (19th & 13th) just in front of Dean Ferris (Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna) who claimed 18th overall (18th & 14th). Waters finished his first complete season in ninth, and Ferris closed out his MXGP career in 11th. Kirk Gibbs (KTM Motocross Racing Team) had a…

IN A REMARKABLE turnaround, Preston Motorcycle Club (MCC) will host the 2016 Victorian Road Racing Championship (VRRC). The announcement marks the restoration of the relationship between the club and the state’s controlling body, Motorcycling Victoria (MV), and will also spell the end of the current series resulting in a major revamp of the formats so that they more closely mirror those of the Australian Superbike Championship. According to president Bruce Hill and secretary Lauren Weaver, the inclusion of two memorial races into the VRRC is a high priority for the club, although no final decisions have been made and negotiations with MV are ongoing. For the new Preston MCC Executive Committee the task of running the 2015 series was daunting. “It was a steep learning curve and we had big…