Innholdsfortegnelse for October 15, 2015 i Australian Motorcycle News

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…

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…

More Aussies The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix call-ups for Ant West (MotoGP) and Josh Hook (Moto2) mean Aussie fans now have at least one Aussie in each of the three categories to cheer on. Casey still rated In an interview with our own Colin Young, Jorge Lorenzo said Casey Stoner will never know what could have been. Check it out at amcn.com.au Cost of racing The entry fee for the Aussie Moto3 wildcard entries is approximately $5500 which covers nine sets of tyres, control ECU and all fuel and oil. It does not include the wiring loom or the wheels. Plod Alert Victorian Police has decided to renew their discriminatory approach to motorcyclists heading to Phillip Island for the MotoGP. Look out for Operation Motosafe…

AMCN: What was the biggest challenge in building this new model: finding more power, improving the chassis for track use, or passing Euro 4? GC: For sure the biggest challenge of designing this new Monster 1200 R was the Euro 4 regulations. These are not only for emissions, but also for the fuel vapour and noise, and for us it was especially challenging from a noise point of view. We had to find a muffler design which would not only be the right shape from an aesthetical point of view but also compliant to the homologation. This is why we had to change the shape from the cylindrical shape of the other bike to this shape of the Monster 1200 R. We had to make almost two litres extra volume,…

IN AN ENCOURAGING preview of the 2017 season, when all bikes will be Open using identical software and hardware, we’ve seen some thrilling battles for the last of the points. The Aprilias started basically ex-CRT bikes, and have been upgraded through the season. Veteran Álvaro Bautista has been there from the start, with two 10th places; ex-Forward Yamaha rider Stefan Bradl replaced Marco Melandri mid-season, and has adapted well. Forward Yamaha has run French rookie Loris Baz throughout, and eventually replaced Bradl with Toni Elias. Baz has gone well, several times top Open finisher with fourth at muddled-up Misano making him to Open points scorer as well. Héctor Barberá (Avintia Ducati) is the man he displaced, yet to claim a top 10; teammate Mike di Meglio is struggling. Four Open…

SUZUKI’S FIRST GRAND prix riders – Toshio Matsumoto, Mitsuo Itoh and Michio Ichino – stand proudly by the factory’s first grand prix bike before heading west for the 1960 Isle of Man TT. The trio have just completed testing the RT60 twin-cylinder 125 two-stroke at the factory’s test track, a strip of tarmac cut through paddy fields. The following year a Suzuki tester died there when a famer’s horse-drawn cart crossed the track at the wrong moment. The RT60 wasn’t a great success. Matsumoto was Suzuki’s top finisher at the 1960 TT, taking 15th place, almost 16 minutes down on the winner. The following year was even worse, with all three bikes breaking down. And that’s when Suzuki started to think about getting their two-stroke knowhow from elsewhere… DEGNER WARMS…

While it’s sorely tempting to buy the cheapest thing you can get your scone-grabbers on, the rash of ultra-cheap imports has comprehensively demonstrated that they’re a false economy. They fail and their safety is highly questionable. The price of a basic 50cc minibike from one of the major makers – such as Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki – starts a little under $2000, which is somewhat eye-watering. However, a reasonably well cared-for one will be a cinch to resell (particularly in the lead-up to Christmas) and you’ll get most of your money back. Entry-level models tend to be semi or fully auto and sometimes have an adjustable restrictor, so you can alter how much power is available until the kid gets up to speed. Entry-level models are easy to look…

IT’S TIME TO welcome a new member to the AMCN long term fleet: Yamaha’s MT-07 LAMS model. The bright yellow 655cc parallel-twin powered naked bike has a special task ahead of it – to teach AMCN’s sub-editor Mark Vender how to ride a motorcycle. Okay, the MT-07 isn’t going to be doing any teaching in the literal sense, but everything the newest riding member of the team learns about motorcycle control over the next year will be on this machine. Readers often write in to share details of first experiences on the open road, so we decided to try out a cross-section of motorcycling training courses. The plan is to provide valuable information on the best ways to improve as a rider through the experiences of our own genuine learner…

New stuff 1 Soft Rear BMW Motorrad $250-$300 1800 813 299 bmwmotorrad.com.au BMW’s new rear softbags are made from flexible ripstop polyester material and are claimed to have a waterproof main compartment with a roll-and-seal closure. They have adjustable straps for easy bike fitment and are available in 30L and 50L sizes to carry up to 5kg and 6kg loads respectively. 2 Black Jack Cassons $119.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassons.com.au The Dainese Blackjack glove stands out for its classic design and vintage look. Made from goatskin, features include adjustable cuff strap, soft inserts on the knuckles and back of the hand, and palm reinforcement. Available in black and brown, in several men’s and women’s sizes. 3 Raging On Bruce Collins Ent. $99 (03) 9645 2919 bce.net.au The XRH Road Rager…

EARLIER THIS YEAR, while I was interviewing Australasian Superbike Championship/FX Series promoter Terry O’Neill for an AMCN feature, he told me something that caught my attention and has stuck in my mind. Terry asked me what other features I was working on and I mentioned I was compiling a retrospective on Gregg Hansford and also trying to get the inside information on the many modified motorcycles in the then upcoming Mad Max reboot, Fury Road. “You know,” he said. “I’m one of those guys for whom road bikes didn’t exist in the 70s. Motorcycling for me was all about dirtbikes and motocross.” This got me thinking because dirtbikes were barely on my radar back then. My life as a 70s longhair revolved around riding and modifying British roadbikes into lowrider…

If there was any thought that Jonathan Rea (KRT) may have taken his foot off the gas after winning the title last time out in Spain, a weird raceday of two halves put paid to that idea. In scoring another two wins, his 13th and 14th of the year, and his fifth double, he made up for not even getting on the podium in Spain during his title-winning weekend, in the best way possible. Clearly a man happy in his work, Rea was grinning from ear to ear from the start of the weekend and even more tickled at the end of it. “I am super-happy, especially to win in the wet and the dry,” said Rea. “It was a double bonus. When I got back here it was just…

Superstock 1000 FIM Cup A brilliant Superstock 1000 race saw multiple lead changes, but only one champion: Lorenzo Savadori (Nuova M2 Racing Aprilia). He finished eighth, but with his only rival Roberto Tamburini (Team MotoxRacing BMW) fifth and not winning, the title went to the Aprilia rider. Jeremy Guarnoni (Trasimeno Yamaha) gave the YZF-R1M its first win after Ondrej Jezek (Triple M by Barni Ducati) crashed out of the lead, with Aprilia rider Kevin Calia second and Raffaele De Rosa third for Althea Racing Ducati. Aussie Bryan Staring was ninth and the first Kawasaki rider home. Superstock 600 Euro Championship Augusto Fernández won the final round of the Superstock 600 season on his Pata Honda Junior CBR600RR, 8.205 seconds clear of Axel Bassani (Berclaz Racing) and new champion Toprak Razgatlioglu…

Superbike Results Round 5 of 5 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 1 M JONES 225, 2 D FALZON 163, 3 RYAN HAMPTON 144, 4 BEN HENRY 111, 5 PHILIP CZAJ 99 Supersport Results Round 5 of 5 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 1 B ELLIOTT 200, 2 K BURNS 176, 3 A COOTE 150, 4 C QUINN 130 5 S LAMBERT 111 Moto3/125GP Results Round 5 of 5 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 1 T BRAMICH 280, 2 B HOUGHTON 274, 3 M BARTON 256, 4 T COLLINS 232, 5 B LEONARD 173 300cc Production Results Round 4 of 4 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 1 J HALL 242, 2 D SELLS 225, 3 M MARAIS 196, 4 I ROSS 189 5 J MCHENRY 183…

MotoGP Motegi, Japan Circuit length 4.801km Race distance MotoGP 115.224 km Moto2 72.015km Moto3 62.413km 2014 winners MotoGP Jorge Lorenzo 42m21.259s Moto2 Thomas Lüthi 42m50.219s Moto3 Álex Márquez 39m26.830s Did you know? Although Motegi is Honda’s home track – the company purpose-built it in 1997 – Yahama had won the previous two races here. POLE POSITION J LORENZO 1m43.790s FASTEST LAP J LORENZO 1m54.867S RIDER STANDINGS AFTER 15 OF 18 ROUNDS 1 V ROSSI 283, 2 J LORENZO 265, 3 M MÁRQUEZ 197, 4 A IANNONE 172, 5 D PEDROSA 154, 6 B SMITH 152, 7 A DOVIZIOSO 150, 8 C CRUTCHLOW 98, 9 D PETRUCCI 93, 10 P ESPARGARÓ 88…

Romano Fenati (SKY VR46 KTM) was on pole for the first time in his career, from Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) and Jorge Navarro (EG Honda), but it was young compatriot Niccolò Antonelli (Ongetta Honda) who showed the way on a streaming wet track, taking an immediate lead fthen controlling the gap to the end for his second GP win – the first was at Brno. Livio Loi (RW Honda) was heading the pursuit from Oliveira and Hiroki Ono (Leopard Honda), but the Japanese rider crashed out on lap three. Loi lasted only a couple more lap before he too slipped off, with Oliveira second but more than three seconds behind the Honda. Oliveira then had to face a threat from teammate Brad Binder, and had seen him off when…

Josh Hook into Moto2 Aussie Josh Hook has scored a ride for three rounds of the Moto2 championship, including this weekend’s Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, when he stands in for injured Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter (Technomag Racing Interwetten). Hook competed in the first of his three stand-in races at the Japanese Grand Prix but suffered a DNF in the difficult conditions. The 22-year-old from Taree, NSW ,currently competes in the All-Japan Superbike Championship for the FCC TSR team, on a Honda CBR1000RR. Price highs and lows The Final Race of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship in Morocco was held 3-9 October. In the first stage in Zagora, Toby Price finished second behind Joan Barreda, before the Australian rider struck some poor luck. Price’s navigation instruments on his Factory KTM…

A SECOND WORLD Speedway Championship for Tai Woffinden has seemed inevitable for much of the season, but it came in a strange way at the Speedway Grand Prix of Poland on 3 October. Consistency paid off for Woffinden as his points lead became insurmountable despite missing the semi-finals, when his nearest rival Greg Hancock came last in his semi. Woffinden’s ultimate glory overshadowed two significant features of the result of the round. First, Nicki Pedersen became the only rider to win three rounds this year, and with it issued a strong challenge to Hancock for the silver medal. Second, Aussie Jason Doyle finally achieved what he has threatened to do all year, making his first final and only being denied victory by an on-song Pedersen. At the end of the…

HIS ECLECTIC LIFESTYLE dependent on the sale of Dunlop bicycle tyres, Harry James realised his future lay in motorised transport, particularly the rudimentary motorcycles affordable by the hoi polloi, though he was ever mindful that car tyres used more rubber – and there were four of them to every sale. The marketing task was easy – in 1903 there were only 60 motorcycles and 30 autos in Victoria and Harry simply invited every owner to the pub for lunch. A few weeks later the group had formed the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, with Harry as the Hon. Secretary, a post from which he soon stepped down, citing a conflict of interest because he worked in the motor trade. That didn't prevent Harry from organising regular trials, hillclimbs and sprints…

Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) Winner of 86 premier-class races, four of them this year, and five at Phillip Island. Rossi’s revival at the age of 36 is increasingly surreal. At what point does “evergreen” turn into “everlasting”? Already seven times 500cc/MotoGP champion, the fans’ favourite is hanging on with determination to the chance to add another. Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha) Mr Perfect generally lives up to his name when the conditions are also perfect. When that happens, he’s pretty much unbeatable. Six wins this year, all leading every lap, prove the point. But give him a dodgy tyre, some dodgy weather, or even a loose helmet lining, and his margin is lost. Even so, he’s formidable. Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) For the past two years, the Spanish stripling couldn’t help…

LOSING THE MOTO3 title by a whisker in no way dented Queenslander Jack Miller’s status with HRC. The team had already signed him up as a future MotoGP star, and helped place him as second rider in the LCR team. While there are whispers that his austere Japanese bosses have concerns about his dedication (he’s clearly enjoying himself too much), his riding has been impressive, and he has outpointed everyone on the Open Honda RC213V-RS. Riding with four times the horsepower of his Moto3 bike, and having missed the usual intervening Moto2 apprenticeship, Jack quickly got to grips with the task. He’s crashed a few times, and he’s been criticised and given penalty points for some hard moves. But he’s also earned championship points on five occasions, more than any…

SUMMARILY DROPPED BY his QMMF team after the Misano GP, perennial Aussie battler Ant West was cast into the wilderness yet again. And this after winning the Moto2 race at Assen for them last year. Did they think it would never rain again? Westy’s season hadn’t gone that well, and if the team was disappointed with a tally of seven no-scores and several low-scores, so was he, with a bike that just didn’t feel right, even with a chassis change. Westy’s career has included a factory Kawasaki MotoGP spell and race wins in World Supersport, and he has run through setbacks and bounce-backs before. His quick response to this latest challenge shows that he hasn't lost any of his desire to get onto the track. After the news of his…

Matt Barton Matt Barton has high hopes for this year’s wildcard ride in the Moto3 class after securing a double win aboard his new FTR Honda during the last round of the ASBK Championship held at Phillip Island. Despite some technical issues with his clutch in the final race Matt’s new bike has been supplied by Leopard Racing Team and appears to be a significant step in the right direction, helping the Victorian to a new personal best lap time and securing third place overall in championship. The bike has a Dellorto fuelling system and will be greatly enhanced on Moto3 raceday with the addition of a new electronics package, engine, wheels, and super sticky racing tyres. Olly Simpson Olly, also a wildcard for the 2014 Phillip Island Moto3 aboard…

DUCATI STARTED OUT at the same time and in the same way as Soichiro Honda – in the immediate post-war years with a 50cc two-stroke engine bolted to a bicycle. The object was also the same: to produce cheap transport for difficult times. The Cucciolo (Italian for puppy) is seen here on its way to its first victory, with Glauco Zitelli on board in the 1948 Gran Premio Fiera di Milano. Ducati had started out in the 1920s as an electronics company, producing everything from radios to razors. Near the end of the war the factory was bombed flat by the US Air Force. Ducati built its first Cucciolo engines under licence from French firm Rocher. Within a couple of years the factory was building its own four-stroke engine and…

YAMAHA’S FIRST GP bike wasn’t really a Yamaha. It was made by Showa, a rival company that Yamaha bought in 1959. The RA41 produced less than 20hp (15kW) and was badly outclassed by the opposition in Yamaha’s first grand prix, at Clermont-Ferrand in May 1961. THE FINISH LINE of the Mount Fuji volcano race, where Yamaha won its first-ever race in July 1955, just 12 days after the company had been established. Yamaha’s YA1 had only been in production a few months when it comfortably beat off the challenge of more experienced teams from Honda, Suzuki and Japan’s many other bike brands. Like Honda and Suzuki, Yamaha achieved its earliest successes by copying rival brands. The YA1 was essentially a copy of German factory DKW’s RT125, Europe’s most popular bike…

Top 3 TV 1 MotoGP, Live Phillip Is, Foxsports & One Sun, 18 Oct 1pm The MotoGP circus is finally in town, and it’s the pointy end of the most exciting championship in years. Foxsports and One HD will have all the action live. Moto3 starts at 1pm, followed by Moto2 at 2.20pm and MotoGP at 4pm. 2 WSBK , Qatar , Live Foxsports Mon, 19 Oct 3am You’ll have to stay up late to catch the final round of the Superbike World Championship from Qatar. Race 1 of the Superbikes airs at 3am, World Supersports at 4.15am and Race 2 of Superbikes at 6am. 3 MotoGP, Live Sepang, Foxsports & One Sun, 25 Oct 3pm Catch the penultimate round of the MotoGP World Championship live from Sepang on Foxsports.…

MIKE WHO? MAD Mike, Jonesy, Mick, MJ, the list goes on, but that’s not who I am or what I do. I’m a 21-year-old Brisbane boy competing in the premier category of Australian motorcycle road racing for the Australian Outdoor Living – Cube Racing Team. In what is my second season aboard a superbike, I’ve claimed the 2015 Australian Superbike (ASBK) Championship, a goal I’ve been dreaming of achieving since I started racing mini-moto bikes 10 years ago. I certainly think it’s a great accomplishment and one that I’ll reflect upon in the years to come. Currently there are really only a handful of riders in the country that can ride a superbike to its full potential and I think that winning this little title proves my ability to do…

Alex Phillis WSBK 19th/22nd “On raceday it was difficult as I had not really ridden the bike in the proper wet. We got good info after Race 1, although I did struggle a bit for rear grip. The second race was not so bad. Unfortunately, with two laps to go, I got involved with another rider and taken out but managed to rejoin the race” Aiden Wagner WSS 13th “We qualified 10th in the wet, which was good since I highsided early in the session, so it was a rush to repair the bike. In the first race I was ninth but it got red-flagged; at the restart I chose the wrong tyres – inters, instead of full dry, and at the end I lost pace and dropped back. We're…

By taking second in the penultimate Supersport round, Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti) won the title, despite rival Patrick Jacobsen (Core Motorsport Thailand Honda) winning the race. Both led, both had the will to win, and both realised unless something strange happened in the final, shortened 11-lap race, Kenan would be crowned for the fourth time. It’s been a difficult year for him – his son Hamza was born and then died of a stroke. Dedicating the win to Hamza, Kenan praised his team for a bike on which he could win the title a round early. “We came here to get the title, not to win the race,” said Sofuoglu. “That was most important for us. I am happy because I did not make any mistakes and the team did…

For the third time in four races, the weather was the winner at Motegi. The weather, and Dani Pedrosa. The former had closed in on race morning, mist and rain delaying proceedings by almost two hours and cutting race distance for both smaller classes. The latter had made the most of it, with career win number 50 finally preserving his record of at least one win every year, in all classes. Changing conditions turned what had started as another workaday race for the Repsol Honda rider into a serendipitous tactical triumph, as he caught and passed both Movistar Yamaha riders. Tyres, and their preservation, were the key to survival. The conditions – still wet, but with a drying line, especially in the seven hard-braking areas – had thrown a twist…

Moisture at Motegi The start of proceedings on race day was delayed by two hours and 40 minutes, after two dry days of practice were followed by drifting and rain and thick morning mist at the mountain-top circuit. Apart from the visibility and standing water, the major concern was that the medical helicopter would not be able to fly, particularly after it had been used for Alex de Angelis the day before. Eventually, as the mist cleared slightly, the decision was taken to get going, with a new assurance of local police assistance to transport any hospital victims by road, which could be accomplished in “no more than 50 minutes”, according to an official statement from the Medical Director and Chief Medical Officer. Happily, no further emergencies arose. de Angelis…

ON SATURDAY 24 October, Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium will host the Don Smallgoods Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix. The event is the grand final of the 2015 championship. Despite regular strong showings from Aussies in the competition – including three world titles for Jason Crump – it’s been 13 years since Australia hosted a round of the SGP. Anticipation is at fever pitch and organisers will be hoping for a capacity 50,000 crowd. Here is a list of who will be in action at the event. What to expect While Tai Woffinden secured his second world championship in the penultimate round (see report on page 171), there is still plenty to race for in Melbourne. The battle for second and third still rages between the rider nobody doesn’t like, Greg Hancock…

BENJAMIN CURRIE SHOWED incredible form at Silverstone to win the BSB 600 Superstock race. The Victorian teenager led the race from start to finish and managed the gap perfectly. “What a great weekend for me and the CF Motorsport team,” he said after the race. “We bounced back in perfect fashion after a few tough rounds and we have come out with the win…Full focus for me is on another win at the final round – let’s see if we can make it 3 wins in 2015!” Although the title is out of reach, Currie has now moved up into second position ahead of Tarran Mackenzie. The final race in the National Superstock Championship will be held at his favourite track, Brands Hatch, from October 16-18.…

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…

Access, AMCN, 12/20 Edward Street, Oakleigh, Vic, 3166 access@amcn.com.au “The Victorian safety people literally refuse to approve its use, although the USA did okay it after I raised it with them” Letter of the issue Great Scott G’day, Is there any chance you’d have room to run a small picture of my mate Scott Fisher? Scott is one of the genuine good guys of speedway, a bloke who would literally give you the shirt off his back and never ask for anything in return. A few months ago, Scott was diagnosed with cancer. He’s currently in Brisbane Hospital undergoing pretty aggressive chemo and radiation therapy. Amazingly though, just two days before starting aggressive treatment, Scott brought the Goodtime Speedway Sidecar out to race at the East Coast Sidecar Round-up. Scott…

A few decades ago grand prix racing was packed with Aussie stars who had made the trip halfway around the world to showcase their skills. It started in the 1950s and 60s with tough pioneers like Jack Ahearn, Tom Phillis, Ken Kavanagh, Jack Findlay and many more. These were happy adventurers who sailed the oceans to race in the Isle of Man TT, then travelled the highways and byways of Europe, nursing their Manx Nortons around hideously dangerous street circuits and living hand to mouth, like gypsies. Then there was the 1970s crew: Gregg Hansford, Jeff and Murray Sayle, Vic Soussan, John Dodds, Warren Willing and the rest, plus Kiwis Kim Newcombe and Graeme Crosby. The vast majority of these riders went to Europe with pretty much nothing, apart from…

WHILE IT IS impossible to say who did what first, South African-born Colin Lyster was definitely an early pioneer, making a set of large aerofoils and fitting them onto a modified Honda CB450 race machine in 1970. Two deep winglets approximately 280mm wide by 150mm deep were attached to the fairing sides, while a huge aerofoil with end plates was attached to the rear. A rear wing approximately 600mm wide and 400mm long was attached to the frame, and the angle of incidence could be adjusted via a paddle linked to the seat! When the rider braked the seat moved forward which lowered the aerofoil. After a few outings it was banned. Suzuki introduced a “super fairing” in March 1974 on its TR750 featuring an angled front with a twin…

Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha) Second at Misano was in unusual conditions, but Smith has been solidly impressive at every race this year. He is not only beating his more favoured teammate Pol Espargaró but also easily best satellite-teamster. Bradley fluked a podium at Phillip Island last year. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) If the experienced Márquez has been having trouble staying on this year’s RC213V, it is excusable that new Honda rider Crutchlow has also suffered too many race crashes. Has still far exceeded the performance of second satellite Honda rider Redding, with a dry podium in Argentina. His never-give-up style is always good to watch. Maverick Viñales (Ecstar Suzuki) Ex-Moto3 champion, last year’s top Moto2 rookie, and now a rapidly improving MotoGP rider. Also makes light of the Suzuki’s lack…

Johann Zarco Ajo Kalex Although Zarco may already be World Champ by the time he arrives Down Under, its just possible he will be crowned here. After being robbed of a clear first-race win by a gear linkage failure, he’s been on the podium at every other race bar the last European one (Aragon), and has taken the top step six times. He makes it look easy. Sam Lowes Speed Up Racing Speed Up Former World 600 Supersport champion is one of only nine riders not on a Kalex, and the only one in the top 13 overall – he's currently fourth with one win and three more podium finishes. The Englishman’s spectacular sideways braking is a popular hallmark. Álex Rins Páginas Amarillas Kalex In from Moto2 and followed in…

MOTO3 RELIABLY PROVIDES the closest and most exciting racing of the day, and especially so in Australia. Last year, the first five crossed the line within less than a quarter of a second. Strangely, the closest racing produced the biggest winner for the first half of the year, as Danny Kent ran away with it. In the latter part, however, Italian teenager Enea Bastianini has hunted him down. Possible winners Danny Kent Leopard Racing Honda Cool, calm and collected, Englishman Danny Kent has kept a stiff upper lip as his massive early lead has been eroded since the summer break. Three of his six wins have been by record margins … but a couple of crashes spoil the record. He’s still going to be hard to catch. Enea Bastianini Gresini…

YOU CAN TRACE a line all the way from Honda’s first GP engine of 1959 to Marc Márquez’s 2015 RC213V. Honda was in a bit of a panic preparing for its first World Championship race at the 1959 Isle of Man TT. Its single-cam 125 wasn’t fast enough, so at the last moment Honda built a twin-cam engine that had to be rushed to the boat taking the bikes to Britain. The RC142 was the first Honda with four valves per cylinder, a layout that Soichiro Honda had suggested to solve valve problems. Smaller, lighter valves worked better at high rpm and this became the Honda way to world glory. The RC142 revved to 13,000 and produced 18hp (13.4kW). Seven years later Honda’s five-cylinder RC148 revved to 21,000 and produced…

Show time 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 exhibitors at www.perthbikeshow.com.au or by calling (08) 9445 9333. 14 NOVEMBER Bombala Bike Show, Bombala Showgrounds, Bombala, NSW. This year’s event will have a street-carnival style and gives entrants the opportunity to show off their pride and joy, with plenty of trophies and prizes on offer. There will be trade stalls, entertainment for the kids, plenty of displays and full catering. Entry is free…

PERFECTION VERSUS PASSION. Exactitude versus adaptability. Lorenzo versus Rossi. What a surprising season this last of (almost) full factory bikes has turned out to be. The Aragon GP brought the season past the three-quarter mark and closed out the European sector. And while Marquez’s fifth race crash of the year finally put paid to the last remote chances of taking a third title in a row, the narrowing of the focus to just the two Movistar Yamaha teammates has taken nothing away from the spectacle. Rather the reverse. The difference between the two after that race was just 14 points – in Rossi’s favour, against all odds. After all, Lorenzo has taken six wins this year, Rossi only four. And, rather amazingly, at Aragon he failed to beat Pedrosa in…

IN 2015 THE Superbike World Championship went through its biggest raft of technical regulation changes for years – perhaps even since the start of it all back in 1988. The limits on engine tuning meant everybody on a full Superbike in 2014 lost between 10 and 20 horsepower at the top. The concept was that by bringing everybody closer to a common set-up, teams would be more evenly matched. Super-trick bits on the Aprilia and Kawasaki would be nixed and lower-power teams would have to spend less and tune less to catch up. That simply hasn’t happened, as the two manufacturers most looking forward to the results of reduced horsepower, Suzuki and Honda, have been outgunned and out-teched again in 2015 by bikes with better starting points. Over the winter,…

Jack Miller MotoGP DNF (CRASH) I tried hard to be a little bit calmer this time with the wet. But then I had small loss of the front. After that I tried to work my way back into the points, but I locked the brake up on the white line and that was the end of my race. Josh Hook Moto2 DNF (CRASH) In warm-up it was not so bad, but the conditions changed a little bit. The bike was very unstable, I had problems with the rear from the start and I lost it on turn four. I want more and I have a chance to prove it next weekend. Remy Gardner Moto 3 DNF (CRASH) I got a good start, but a bad lap one because of where…

Already crowned champion, Zarco’s plan was to focus on the race as if nothing had happened. The result was a faultless win. Thomas Lüthi (Derendinger Kalex) was alongside the French Ajo Kalex rider on the grid, and then double race winner Jonas Folger (AGR Kalex). Sam Lowes (Speed Up), Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas Kalex) and Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Kalex) were on row two. The track was wet as they set off, with Folger making the perfect start to lead Zarco into the first corner. The German stayed up front for the first four laps; by then he and his shadow Zarco were some five seconds clear. Then, with the track drying, Zarco decided to go away alone. Folger had little left to do but to stay wheels down – the…

THE EXPECTED SIGNING of Nicky Hayden to the Ten Kate Honda squad has been confirmed. The 2006 MotoGP world champion for Honda will be the first MotoGP/500cc world champion to take on the challenge of a full season in SBK, riding alongside multiple podium-scoring rookie Michael van der Mark. Hayden said of his new challenge, “Well, my next stop is Superbike with Honda! I’m very excited…it’s where I’ve had the most success in my career. World Superbikes is a championship that I followed closely as a kid when a lot of American riders were fighting at the front. It just seems like the right time and the right team to go with. I know I’ve got a lot to learn and it’s going to be a big challenge, but also…

JOSH BROOKES (Milwaukee Yamaha) planted one hand firmly on the 2015 MCE British Superbike Championship trophy by taking the double win at Round 11, Silverstone, increasing the gap to 47 points ahead of nearest rival Shane Byrne (PBM Kawasaki). Brookes looked fast from first practice, going on to take pole position for Race 1. When the lights went out, American John Hopkins (Lloyds British Moto Rapido Ducati) started well from second on the grid, but was soon reeled in by Brookes and James Ellison (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) and was passed by both before the end of the lap. Brookes’ best efforts were thwarted by Ellison who refused to let him build a gap at the front. This in turn allowed Byrne to remedy his 10th place start and begin stalking…

Injured speedway star Darcy Ward made his first public appearance since sustaining spinal injuries on 23 August, attending a benefit meeting for him at the Poole track in England. On a very emotional night he thanked his family, friends, clubs and fans. Eight Australian riders participated in the Poole meeting. Closer to home, two Australian tracks are staging meetings which will raise funds to benefit Ward’s rehabilitation – the NSW Speedway Riders Association meeting at Nepean Raceway near Sydney on Saturday 17 October and Gillman Speedway in Adelaide on 7 November. To make a donation to Darcy’s treatment fund, you can visit: https://pledgie.com/campaigns/30061.…

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. Sub editor Mark Vender already has enough to contend with being a learner rider, including wearing a fluro vest. After two days of riding the SYM GT300i sports scooter Vender reported that the little 300cc commuter kept stalling when he came to a stop. Turns out it was the stop-start technology. He kept re-starting it, it kept stopping.…