Australian Motorcycle News October 15, 2015

Operation Shambollocks IMAGINE IF PRIOR to the recent AFL and NRL Grand Finals, police announced all Hawthorn and Brisbane Broncos fans should expect delays getting to the ground because there will be roadblocks for them. Only Broncos and Hawthorn fans, no one else. There would be outrage from all sections of the community, and rightly so. In a recent VicPol press release, which seems to have been removed from its official web page, motorcyclists were told to expect long delays getting to the MotoGP due to Operation Moto Safe, which will include roadblocks, random breath tests and a check for illegal motorcycles. Apparently this is all because 47 people have been killed on eastern region roads during the month of October between 2010 and 2014. That’s motorists, not motorcyclists; AMCN…

KAWASKI UNVEILED its 2016 ZX-10R last week, and it appears its engineers have dug deep into the SBK winning bag of goodies. Included in the new box of tricks is a revised engine, featuring lighter internals, updated cylinder head, titanium exhaust system, electronic throttle valves, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and SBK-derived gas fork technology. Power output of the 998cc four-cylinder engine remains at 2015-spec with 150kW (200hp), climbing to 156.5kW (210hp) with ram air. The cylinder head intake ports have been machined and the exhaust ports polished with titanium exhaust valves fitted. Lighter internals have resulted in a faster revving engine. The trick 43mm Showa fork has been developed alongside Kawasaki’s SBK team with an astounding 60 versions made prior to the final unit. The fork features an external…

A CHEAPER VERSION of Yamaha’s YZF-R1 has been unveiled in America, eliminating some of the race-oriented goodies in favour of a lower price tag. The R1S sits below the R1 and R1M in the range, and in America will be US$1500 (AUD$2040) cheaper at US $14,990 (AUD$20,430). At the moment, however, it’s not clear if the bike will also be offered in other markets. The cost-cutting comes from the use of steel instead of titanium for the conrods and the exhaust manifold, while the magnesium parts of the R1 – including the wheels, engine covers and sump – are replaced with lower-cost aluminium on the R1S. The bike also gets different valves, which along with the steel conrods reduce the engine’s peak revs. Detailed power figures haven’t been revealed, but…

NEWLY-FILED PATENTS reveal Honda is working on the idea of a mass-made superbike using an engine derived from the quarter-million-dollar MotoGP derived RC213V-S. A V4 superbike, priced above the Fireblade but still within reach of a mass-market audience, would give Honda a machine to compete with the likes of Ducati’s 1299 Panigale S and Yamaha’s R1M. Honda has filed at least four detailed patents, revealing a range of key technical details. Most important is the chassis, which is nothing like the hand-fabricated, MotoGP-derived aluminium beam frame of the RC213V-S. Instead, it’s a cast aluminium monocoque, sitting above the engine and incorporating the airbox, much like the chassis on Ducati’s Panigale. A second section, incorporating the swingarm pivot, is mounted at the back of the engine, and the seat subframe is…

HERE’S NEXT YEAR’S Triumph Tiger Explorer in high-spec XRT form, captured on final shake-down tests in production-ready guise. Forget camouflage, the bike here is showroom-ready, with only a piece of white tape on the back of the fuel tank to stop it getting scratched ahead of the official debut. All indications are that Triumph will launch the revamped Explorer within days. So, what’s new? Well the styling is revamped, with new side panels, exhaust and nose, and the range is being rejigged to reflect the Tiger 800 line up. Wire-wheeled versions will be branded XC, XCa and XCx while the road-oriented models like this one will be known as the XR, XRt and XRx. All the new Explorers get radial Brembo brakes and a new electronics suite including traction control.…

Wing-dings The Yamaha MotoGP team used aerofoils again at the Japanese MotoGP, but only on Lorenzo’s bike. The Ducati team ran a second wing. More on wings on pg68 Long-range arachnid Can-Am has produced a bugged-up version of its new three-wheeled, F3 and F3-S Spyder models with fitted hard pannier cases and a screen, to tap deeper into the lucrative touring marker. Aussie pricing TBA. Good morning Vietnam Cambodia and Vietnam Motorcycle Tours has released its 2016 calendar with a choice of 26 different tours through the two gorgeous Asian countries. With tour names like Tough Guy, Went ’n’ Wild, Tomb Raider and the popular Top Gear, fun appears to be high on the organisers’ agenda. Check out vietnammotorbiketours.com. and cambodiamotorbiketours.com for more info. Mexicans filter Lane filtering in…