Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 67 Issue 06 i Australian Motorcycle News

WE’VE KNOWN FOR a year Kawasaki has been planning to produce a new Z900RS model and now we’ve seen official documents that give 100 per cent confirmation it will form part of the 2018 model range – and even reveal some of the bike’s technical details. AMCN’s Japanese sources had previously told us the new bike would be based on the new-for-2017 Z900, but with its engine tweaked to look more traditional, with fake air-cooling fins on the sides of the cylinders. The traditional look will be completed with retro styling harking back to the original Kawasaki Z1. The new technical information we’ve seen appears to confirm much of that. The engine will indeed be a 948cc four-cylinder, and its internal engine code – ZR900BE – reveals that it is…

Heavy metal! As the first 250GP motorcycle to break the 90kg weight barrier in its class, the Exactweld racer had to carry lead to be able to race! Turn to page 78 for our feature on this 80s stainless-steel special GP gains Urban Alley This year’s Australian round of the MotoGP will have a hipster flavour, with the newly announced Urban Alley taking shape within Gardner Village. As well as street artists producing live works during the weekend and the Urban Garage playing host to a swag of cool custom bikes, GP goers can swing by the Urban Chop Shop for a new do, a beard trim, or a hot-towel straight-razor shave. Conveniently inconvenient Swann Insurance has launched four Inconvenient Stores around the country, located at the end of revered…

SOME 26 YEARS after Matt Chambers founded Confederate Motorcycles, he has confirmed that the brand is to stop making petrol-powered machines altogether and will be renamed ‘Curtiss’ to reflect its new direction. The rebrand also comes as the brand’s connotations to the Confederate army in the American Civil War becomes increasingly sensitive. With dozens of American towns and cities tearing down statues of Confederate generals, and the Confederate flag increasingly seen as a racist banner rather than a symbol of Southern culture or rebellion, the name Confederate isn’t as suitable for a bike firm in 2017 as it was in 1991 when the company emerged. The Curtiss name – chosen as a tribute to Glenn Curtiss, the aviation and motorcycle engineering pioneer who is remembered particularly for his 1907 land…

There’s no record of any forward planning at all on Boberg’s part LONG BEFORE THE term photojournalist was coined, John (‘Jack’) H Boberg convinced his literary editors at the Sydney Daily Mail that taking a year to circumnavigate Australia with his trusty Graflex camera would result in a unique thousand-image photo essay. The editors bought it. So, using the power of the fourth estate, Boberg secured an Indian Scout complete with a custom Goulding ‘miniature masher cart’ sidecar. The odyssey would test the Indian’s reliability and so, as was expected on such occasions, Dunlop Tyres and Castrol Oils signed on. However, there’s no record of a motor spirit sponsor. Actually, there’s no record of any forward planning at all on Boberg’s part. His concept was to follow the coastal tracks…

Yamaha has decided the time is right for major revision of its mid-sized missile Over the past decade, it looks as though the supersport market has been largely forgotten by manufacturers. While they concentrate on adding electronic safety gizmos to tame their 1000cc flagship models, the bikes in the 600-700cc range have fallen sadly out of the limelight. Just last year this lack of interest in mid-sized class saw rumours circulate. There was talk of canning supersport racing and replacing the category, relegating the mid-capacity class to the history books. The Japanese certainly seemed to have lost interest. Yamaha’s YZF-R6 had not been majorly upgraded since 2006, when it gained ride-by-wire and a completely new engine. Then in 2008 a sharper-handling chassis was added. This base bike went on to…

Production superbikes have become the Ferraris and Lamborghinis of the motorcycling world APRILIA RSV4 RF Configuration V4 Capacity 999cc RRP $31,990 (+ ORC) HONDA CBR1000RR SP Configuration In-line four Capacity 999cc RRP $28,499 (+ ORC) BMW S1000RR Race Configuration In-line four Capacity 999cc RRP $25,690 (+ ORC) SUZUKI GSX-R1000R Configuration In-line four Capacity 999.8cc RRP $25,490 (+ ORC) DUCATI 1299 Panigale S Configuration V-twin Capacity 1285cc RRP $35,490 (+ ORC) YAMAHA YZF-R1M Configuration In-line four Capacity 998cc RRP $31,999 (+ ORC)…

Price $35,490 Power 138.86kW Torque 133.03Nm AS THE MOST expensive superbike of the bunch, Ducati’s Panigale S has a lot of work to do to justify its price tag. Ducati has always had a history of drawing non-biker’s attention, and that’s part of the allure of owning one. The Ducati is instantly recognisable, yes, but there is also something about riding the thumping V-twin that sends endorphins running and causes goosebumps to rise every time that throttle is twisted, creating a special vibe that only a machine of this calibre has. The Panigale has been in production since 2011 and has received major improvements over the years. It increased in capacity to its current 1285cc in 2015, making it a real torque monster and adding a lot of excitement to…

Price $31,999 Power 132.49kW Torque 105.03Nm IT’S NOT OFTEN a Japanese bike creates a presence like the R1M does. Its immaculate finish and unique features created a storm when it burst onto the scene in 2015. The first bike fitted with a TFT dash and the first with a built-in GPS data recorder, it offered the user more electronic information than ever before, all accessible by wi-fi connection to an iPad. It had real carbon fairings and an Öhlins suspension package that was a massive improvement over the Kayaba kit on the base model. It was sure-footed, good-looking, and with its slimmer, lighter and more powerful second-generation big-bang engine it ruled the streets. A couple of years down the track and the M is as beautiful as ever. Of the…

Four days, six bikes, eight riders and nine categories of scoring saw our closest ever AUSTest result. The top two bikes were separated buy just two points with Suzuki’s brand new GSX-R1000R coming so close to taking the crown and Honda’s CBR nipping at its heels. Each and every one of the bikes on test excelled in different areas, but in the end it came down to the best all-rounder … and that was the BMW. It’s not the first time that the Beemer has taken the AUSTest crown – it won back in 2011 with its then spectacular top-of-the-range HP4. It’s a credit to BMW that after three years of cosmetic and only minor technical upgrades, it has been able to come out on top, especially against the brand-new…

SIXTEEN RIDERS COMPETE in the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series. 15 are permanent GP riders, with one wildcard being nominated for each round. There are two track reserves at each round ready to step in. The top eight riders at the end of each SGP season automatically qualify for next year’s series. Three riders qualify from the GP Challenge and four permanent wildcards are chosen by the FIM and event organisers. An SGP consists of 20 heat races, with Ticket masters Tickets for the 28 October 2017 QBE Insurance Australian Speedway Grand Prix are available through Ticketmaster four riders in each heat completing four laps. Each rider has five rides, meeting every other rider once. The top eight progresses through to the two semi-finals, then four compete in the final.…

 WELL THIS IS a column I never expected to be writing. It’s intense, a little humbling and character-building…but incredibly fun and addictive A few weeks ago boss man Dobes let me know he would be racing elsewhere during the Morgan Park ASBK round. This meant the AMCN Yamaha R3 was available – did I want to ride it? Think about it. How many times in your life is the boss going to offer up the company racebike? If there is one thing the army taught me, it’s the unforgettable mantra of ‘use it, abuse it and lose it’. I had no experience racing but I wasn’t going to refuse that offer! Then I did think about it a bit. I recalled Dobie and I had similar pace on a racetrack…

TED COLLINS IS now the Motul Australian Supersport champion on his Nextgen Motorsports/ Saint Unbreakable Suzuki GSX-R 600 with one round to spare after a dominant, consistent display during 2017. It was ironic that Collins’ title-clinching round was not one of his strongest, as Mark Chiodo (Repsol GAS Racing – Triumph 675) took pole position after dominating Friday’s practice. Another leader through practice was Newcastle gun Aaron Morris (Maxima Yamaha/YRT/Motow M-cycles Transport/JBE Refrigetation Yamaha YZF-R6), making a one-off entry and securing third place on the grid behind Tom Toparis (Cube Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R) and Chiodo. Chiodo nailed the start in contrast to Toparis, who got sideways off the line and fell down the order. Morris was showing impressive speed not only in lap times but also with his sideways style,…

Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Kalex) was on pole for a fourth race in succession but it did him little good – in a race of maximum attrition he was one of the early fallers, going down almost in formation with second-row starter Lorenzo Baldassarri (Forward Kalex) into Turn 4. By then, Luca Marini (Forward Kalex) and Tarran Mackenzie (Kiefer Racing) had already gone down, and during the rest of the race there would be another 18 crashes, some riders falling off twice on a track with lots of standing water and very little grip. Some crashed more significantly than others, like title leader Franco Morbidelli (VDS Kalex), who finished lap three almost 2.5 seconds clear, but didn’t finish lap four. This put fellow front-row starter Dominique Aegerter (Kiefer Suter) in an…

BACK IN 2013, Jemma Wilson, Jessica Gardiner and Tayla Jones took on the ISDE in Italy and completely dominated their class. In the three years since then, there has rarely been an occasion when the Aussie trio didn’t score the trifecta in over 50 successive ISDE special tests. And last year when they took out an unprecedented fourth Women’s Trophy in Navarra, Spain, the talented Aussie trio rewrote ISDE history. In 2017, with Jones competing in the USA, Gardiner in Europe and Wilson here at home, the ISDE was the first time they’d ridden alongside each other all year - a year in which the competition had become considerably tougher. Spain’s Laia Sanz took the fight to Jones on every occasion; the result 4-2 in Sanz’s favour with a 1m24s…

WITH SIX CHAMPIONSHIP shootout spots up for grabs at the Silverstone Circuit’s round nine of the British Superbike Championship, the on-track drama came thick and fast. Nine riders in contention over three races put bums on seats while dramatic weather changes forced a five-rider protest on the opening race’s grid, led by BeWiser Ducati’s Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne. Faced with a half wet and half dry 5.9km circuit, riders deemed the track unsafe to race as no tyre would work in the conditions, but race direction classified it a wet race and the lights went out on the first of three epic battles. The top six riders will now fight for the 2017 British Superbike Championship at the remaining three rounds; Oulton Park, TT Circuit Assen and Brands Hatch. This is…

THE FIRST-EVER Moto2 world champion Toni Elias won the 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship with a victory at New Jersey Motorsport Park on Saturday 9 September. With three races still left to run, the win was the Yoshimura Suzuki rider’s’s ninth so far this season, his title adding to the marque’s unprecedented AMA title tally, which now sits at 14. The 34-year-old MotoGP race winner finished ahead of teammate Roger Lee Hayden in the race, who also secured second place in the championship, an impressive feat for a team debuting an all-new GSX-R1000 for 2017. “I am so happy,”Elias said after the race. “It was amazing to take the championship by winning. That was the way I wanted to do it, but Roger and Josh [Hayes] were riding so strong it…

UNHERALDED VICTORIAN ADAM Miller overcame big-name rivals to win the inaugural Oceania Supermoto Championship at the Newcastle Showground complex over 2-3 September. With two wins split by a fourth place, Miller was a clear winner over Ben Attard (3,6,3), Michael Kirkness (5,2,5) and Luke Richards (2,5,6). Unluckiest rider was American Gage McAllister who ground to a halt with an electrical failure in the first leg, before a win and second which left him fifth overall. Other class winners were Andy McLiesh (Pro), Michael Kirkness (Race of Champions), Joel Tuckett (Open), Meghan Rutledge (Women) and Paul Caslick (Postie Bike). In the Veterans, the various age brackets were won by Brad Trivett (35-Under 40), Troy Bayliss (45 – Under 50), Rob Jones (40 - Under 45) and Brok McAllister, USA (over 50s).…

WHILE THEY TAKE the wind out of Ducati’s PR sails, the pictures confirm plenty of details about the new bike, most importantly that it will be an evolution of the Panigale, rather than a radical new design. It’s the same with its moniker; the Panigale name also gives the bike a handy connection to both the existing Panigale V-twin, which will remain Ducati’s WSBK racer in 2018, and to the smaller 959 Panigale that will be on sale alongside it as Ducati’s junior superbike. This is the ‘S’ version of the bike – it says so on the side – confirming that Ducati is going to stick to its normal model line-up policy. There will also be a base Panigale V4 with lower-spec suspension and eventually a Panigale V4 R…

HONDA’S THAI SUBSIDIARY has revealed the production version of the 150SS Racer concept that it showed in March this year. When the 150SS Racer first appeared at the Bangkok Motor Show in March it looked a far cry from a production model. Carbon-fibre disc wheels, a rear-view camera and futuristic café racer styling all smacked of eye candy rather than production potential. But while the showroom version is toned down a lot, it retains a surprising amount of the original bike. Of course the rear-view camera and carbon wheels are gone, along with the oversized tyres and perspex panels on the tail unit. But the overall style is instantly recognisable, from the massive round LED headlight to the stubby tail and slash-cut exhaust exit. The big change is the name,…

MOTOGP WORLD TITLE leader Andrea Dovizioso has been consistently getting his race strategy so spot on lately, it’s almost like he can predict the future. Turns out, that’s not so far from the truth, because the Ducati squad recently inked an exclusive two-year deal with vehicle dynamics modelling mob MegaRide. What MegaRide is particularly good at, and what piqued Ducati’s interest, is tyre modelling software that can simulate in real time and predict both tyre grip and degradation during a race. So, while other teams use the 165min of practice to assess and decide which tyre will provide them with the best chance of winning, it seems the crafty Ducati crew has a computational advantage. A handy one, too, when tyres play such a critical role. So often this season…

Dear Chris, On page 9 of AMCN Vol 67 No 3 there’s a picture of a retro Benelli. Tasty! Then on page 11 the new single Benelli. Where was Glynn Kerr when he was needed? The new bike seems to be a mishmash of current designs, like when the first Chinese bikes came out. It just doesn’t seem to gel, well to my poor old eyes anyway. I reckon Glynn could make something better of it, even going back to a retro design. Your thoughts? Colin Hopkins Via email Hi Colin, are you talking about the new Benelli single-cylinder? I always hope early leaked images are not an accurate representation of the final product, and most of the time they aren’t. Glynn could have made it like his cool Fischer…

It revs right to the 12,000 limit without screaming for mercy EXPECTATIONS ARE FUNNY. Roll out a Suzuki Inazuma 250 and you won’t get a lot of sportsbike lovers crowding around for a closer look. But pop more or less the same engine in a new fairing, cover it in that beautiful Suzuki racing livery and call it a GSX-250R – note the R placed craftily after rather than before the engine capacity – and suddenly a lot of people will think you’ve got a little tom thumb cracker on your hands. Sadly, they will be mistaken. Although very schmick bodywork has been added, the dash modernised and the engine and exhaust brought up to Euro 4 levels, it’s still a 248cc parallel-twin doing the work, with the same bore…

Daniel Falzon rode his first Yamaha YZF-R6 in 2011. His career as a motorcycle racer started looking promising and he was offered factory support from Yamaha Australia to compete in the 600 Superstock category. From that point, he won the 600 Superstock title in 2012, then the Supersport championship in 2013 and 2014. With so much R6 experience on hand, we had to hear his thoughts… Why did you choose the R6 in the first place? My family always had Yamaha motorcycles! I grew up when the likes of Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies in 2009 were having so much success on M1s and R1s respectively. Also at a local level, the Yamaha R6 had won 600cc titles and with current regulations of bike modifications, the rider is…

Name Troy Guenther Age 18 Height 178cm Weight 65kg Experience 2016 Australian Supersport champion. Raced dirt track 2004-2010. Road racing from 2010 to present. Now in ASBK Superbike championship. Random fact Born in the USA Top sportsbike moment AUSTest! Before this I had only ridden one brand of superbike, so it was surreal to have all the various manufacturers lined up and ride them back to back. Name Aidan Hayes Age 33 Height 178cm Weight 73kg Experience 20 years on the dirt, one and a half years road racing. Currently competing in ASBK Supersport championship. Random fact I am a sparky by trade. Top sportsbike moment Meeting my father-in-law for the first time on a road ride and then passing him while doing a stand-up mono on a GSX-R600R. Name…

Price $31,990 Power 132.93kW Torque 105.33Nm WHEN APRILIA DECIDED to design and manufacture the RSV4 series back in 2008 it was made with one thing in mind: winning the World Superbike title. And win it did, with dominant performances by Max Biaggi and Sylvain Guintoli proving the bike’s worth. The roadbike, however, had always been disappointing, lacking power compared to its souped-up racetrack-modified form. Aprilia put that right last year with both the standard RSV and the RF version receiving big horsepower gains, transforming the roadbike from a show pony to a real trackday weapon. It’s easy to have a soft spot for these V4 masterpieces, and judging from the crew’s comments about the RSV, it won a lot of hearts with its passionate design and styling. It’s a beautiful…

Price $28,499 Power 130.59kW Torque 107.71Nm THERE IS NO doubt Honda needed to release a new Fireblade this year. The last major revamp happened back in 2008, and since that time Blade owners have been crossing their fingers that something new was around the corner. When Honda’s RC213V-S production bike appeared there were faint hopes we would also see a cheaper version of the V4 – a configuration that could have grabbed some real attention – but alas we have to wait a bit longer yet. Detailed refinement was the path chosen for the new Blade and when AMCN tested the standard model at Phillip Island earlier this year I thought it was the best Blade I’d ever ridden. That’s not true anymore because the SP has upped the ante…

APRILIA RSV4 RF ENGINE Configuration 65º V4 Cylinder head DOHC four valves per cylinder Capacity 999.6cc Bore/stroke 78 x 52.3mm Compression ratio 13.6: Cooling Liquid Fuelling: EFI, ride-by-wire, 4 x 48mm throttle bodies Power 148kW @13,000rpm (claimed) Torque 115Nm @10,500rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet, slipper Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material Aluminium Frame layout Twin-spar Rake 24.5° (adjustable) Trail 105mm SUSPENSION Ohlins Front: 43 mm Nix USD, fully adjustable,120mm travel Rear: TTX piggyback monoshock, fullyadjustable,130mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Cast aluminium, three split spokes Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 6.0 Tyres Pirelli Super Corsa Front: 120/70ZR17 Rear: 200/55ZR17 BRAKES Brembo M50 Front Twin 330mm discs, four-piston radial calipers Rear Single 220mm disc, twin-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 204 kg (kerb, claimed) Seat height 845 mm Length 2055mm Wheelbase…

Harley Borkowski Aprilia RSV4 RF As much as the GSX-R1000R is an incredible bike, and the cheapest of all the models on test, I have to give it to the Aprilia RSV4 RF. I just love everything about this bike: the styling, the build quality, how it makes me feel when I see it, how it makes me feel when I ride it. I rode my fastest laps on the track with the Aprilia. It’s not the best bike to ride on a long-distance trip, but I don’t care. I’d stop more often, just to sit back and look at it. No other bike on the test excited me as much as the RSV4. It feels like a proper, angry superbike, but with all the technology to make use of…

For guys like Steve Martin, a worn-out clutch would mean no more wheelies. Which would then mean tears. Thankfully, replacement is pretty straightforward. This article uses the trusty AMCN ‘How To’ muse, a 2011 Ducati Monster 1100. The main thing to note here is that the Monster is fitted with a dry clutch with hydraulic actuation. These days most clutches are wet, meaning the working parts are surrounded by the oil of the engine, so the plate construction will be different to allow for that. Because wet clutches are covered in oil, they run cooler and are better lubricated, meaning longer life and ability to handle more abuse from the rider. However, many manufacturers – including Ducati, BMW and Moto Guzzi – still use dry clutches. This How To focuses…

Cruiser goggles by Bobster RRP$29.95 Moto National 1300 885 355 motonational.com.au Motley neck tube by Zan Headgear RRP$34.95 Moto National 1300 885 355 motonational.com.au Rebel Jeans by Draggin Jeans RRP$299.00 Draggin Jeans (03) 9646 0377 Dragginjeans.net Riot Flame Red Glitter helmet by Airoh RRP$399.95 Moto National 1300 885 355 motonational.com.au Jones Jacket by Segura RRP$699.95 Ficeda (02) 9827 7545 Urban Air Brown boots by Moto Dry RRP$139.95 Moto National 1300 885 355 motonational.com.au WITH AN INVITE to the Harley-Davidson MY18 world launch in California in my pocket, I needed to look the part. When it comes to being a motorcycling fashionista, a launch like this requires a whole new wardrobe – you don’t want to turn up in the same gear as someone else. After a few frantic phone calls…

1 Track Suit Cassons $3099.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassons.com.au The Dainese Misano D-Air track suit has airbag technology and features D-Skin 2.0 leather construction, Bi-Axial elasticised inserts, aluminium shoulder and knee inserts, titanium elbow inserts and replaceable elbow sliders. Designed exclusively for the track, it’s available in sizes 50-54. 2 Air Vest MonzaImports $1595.95 (03) 8327 8888 monzaimports.com.au The Alpinestars Tech Air Race Vest is an integrated airbag system that works independently of the motorcycle and provides upper body protection before the first impact in a crash. It covers chest, back, shoulders and kidneys, and can be used with a range of Alpinestars Tech-Air suits and jackets. 3 Double Bubble Procycles $197 (02) 9564 8000 procycles.com.au The Wunderlich BMW S1000RR Double Bubble Screen offers an optimal profile and uniformly distributes…

NAME HUNTER LAWRENCE AGE 18 EVENT MX2 – MXGP AUSSIE TEENAGER HUNTER Lawrence took a personal best at the recent MXGP of USA, recording an awesome double podium 3-2 result in the MX2 class. Lawrence, who missed much of last season due to a knee injury in the EMX250 class, made the step up this year with the Stefan Everts-backed Suzuki World MX2 Team, and it looks to be paying dividends. “I’m really happy with my second overall, in my first time at an American GP,” said Lawrence. “I’m just super happy with how the day went!” Assen in the Netherlands was the next stop for the MXGP riders – head to our Sports pages for a full report on the round.…

The first race of the day set the tone – a crash-fest of fluctuating fortunes, except for Romano Fenati (Rivacold Honda) who bolted to a crushing victory, winning by almost 30 seconds. It was a demonstration of wet-weather bike control, but nobody was near enough to watch and learn. Jorge Martin (Del Conca Honda) inherited pole after Enea Bastianini (EF Honda) was penalised three places and he led away, with Fenati, title leader Joan Mir (Leopard Honda) and Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM) in pursuit. Mir survived a big moment on the warm-up lap and would suffer another on lap six. By then Fenati was over four seconds clear and Martin had fallen into Mir’s clutches, running off after a major slide. Martin fell off soon after, leaving Mir in…

BY NO MEANS could Australia’s Junior Team be considered rookies. Each is a class champ in the 2017 Australian Off Road Championship: Lyndon Snodgrass in E3, Wil Ruprecht in E1 and Mike Driscoll in EJ. Yet the pressure of representing Australia weighed heavily on their young shoulders. So no one was more surprised than Snodgrass when he was outright winner of the first special test. However, after this burst of adrenaline (and a quick crash on the second special stage) he settled into a more considered pace, no doubt thinking of the five days still to follow. Ruprecht and Driscoll took readily to the task in hand and the team was third after the last test on the opening day with only 30 seconds covering Sweden, Italy and Australia. Then,…

ITALIAN MX LEGEND Antonio Cairoli wrapped up his ninth Motocross World Championship at Assen in The Netherlands over 9-10 September, with a 2-6 scorecard, enough to give the Red Bull KTM rider an unassailable lead in the 2017 MX1 title, with two rounds still left to run. KTM teammate Jeffery Herlings claimed two race wins and the overall ahead of Yamaha’s Romain Febvre who’s 4-3 scorecard just edged out Husqvarna’s Max Anstie (3-4) for second overall. In the MX2 category, fresh from his stunning double podium one week earlier, Australia’s Hunter Lawrence (Team Suzuki) rode a tough round to finish inside the top 10 in both races (10-6) for eighth overall. Compatriot Jed Beaton (14-14) finished 14th overall while the round spoils went to Jorge Prado Garcia (KTM) with a…

HAS HONDA’S ODDBALL X-ADV adventure-tourer-scooter crossover started a new class of bike? Strange as it seems, that might be the case as Kymco has revealed images of a concept that goes down the same route. The Taiwanese brand last week revealed an image of the C Series concept at the AK 550 super-scooter launch at the Motegi circuit in Japan. It is based on AK 550 but gains a new look with the typical adventure bike ‘beak’ at the front, a tall screen and jacked-up suspension. It’s likely the actual concept bike will appear at shows later this year, with a production version expected to follow about 12 months later. From a technical perspective, the bike appears to be based directly on the AK 550. That means it will use…

BOUTIQUE JAPANESE CRUISER company Zero Engineering (not to be confused with electric bike pioneers Zero Motorcycles) revealed a single-cylinder concept bike – the K2C – at the Tokyo Show in March. Now, patents reveal it is heading for production. The bike marks a major departure for Zero, which has spent the last quarter of a century crafting short runs of Harley-powered V-twin custom bikes aimed at the very top end of the market. Instead of a whopping twin, it’s powered by an air-cooled, single-overhead-cam, single-cylinder engine of just 250cc. That means its performance is likely to be as vintage as its faux-hardtail styling. The roots of the single-cylinder engine are not known, but it’s unlikely to be purpose-made for the Zero Engineering machine. The concept had few concessions to road…

Good to be back Twenty-nine years ago I was riding home from work on a wet day when I T-boned a sedan, whose driver says he didn’t see me. My bike was written off. I fared better but was still left pretty shaken all the same. My fiancée at the time (now married 27 years) was not keen on me having a roadbike. With a young family on the way and starting a new business we had made an agreement that if I was involved in an accident that was my fault then it was my decision on future road riding, but if I was taken out then the roadbike had to go. I honoured our agreement. I still had a passion for roadbikes and kept up with all the…

INAZUMA MEANS LIGHTNING in Japanese. But it’s a little more complex than that. It’s also the first name of a legendary sumo wrestler from the 19th century, a Japanese battleship and a famous 1950s Japanese film about the search for personal happiness. No coincidence, then, that Suzuki also attached the name to a bike like this. It’s a fast, powerful fighter that’s put a smile on more than a few dials, so the name seems perfectly suited to both the factory bike and this little reworking of a ’00 Suzuki GSX1200 Inazuma by Polish company Ugly Motors. Ugly Motors is run by 31-year-old builder and IT specialist Jakub Beker, who has clearly found his passion in real steel 70s and 80s motorcycles. Currently occupying a first-floor workshop that requires him…

The minute the first bike shot down the quarter mile, everyone had 50 amcn their .com.au stopwatch out Day 1 Sydney Dragway It’s a known fact that there’s no quicker way to get away from the lights than to use a machine producing in excess of 130kW and weighing just 200kg. Now, imagine a set of traffic lights where you don’t need to shut the throttle before changing to second gear and obliterating the speed limit. Such a place exists at Western Sydney. With a surface as sticky as shit on a blanket, and electronic timing with reaction times and speed traps, it’s a quarter mile of international-standard heaven that hosts some of the fastest drag bikes and cars in the world. We lined our six AUSTest combatants up two…

Price $25,690 Power 136.89kW Torque 110.22Nm BMW IS TAKING no prisoners in 2017, bringing four different variants of its S1000RR to our shores. The RR is in its third generation now and has benefitted from the lessons learnt over the last decade, keeping the Bavarian missile competitive on all fronts. The S1000RR Race is a single-seat version of the RR fitted with light forged-alloy race rims, Sachs-developed Dynamic Damping Control and comes standard with a dongle that allows the user to exchange the standard maps for BMWs user and slick riding modes. The general feel of the bike has been unchanged since its last major overhaul in 2015 with only minor modifications to ensure the RR meets Euro 4 standards. While complete redesigns are always exciting to see, there’s still…

Price $25,490 Power 132.13kW Torque 108.75Nm SUZUKI UNLEASHED ITS new GSX-R1000 RR on the world at Phillip Island earlier this year with a promise of renewed strength, pride and racetrack domination. A head-to-toe rebuild and the use of some very innovative MotoGP-inspired technology has seen the superbike king claw its way back to competitiveness in the big-bore class. Like the Honda it needed to make a big change, because although last year’s bike was an amazing machine it was still very basic internally. Finally, Suzuki has joined the 21st-century, fitting all the extras the modern rider expects: an updated IMU6-activated electronics package and ride-by-wire throttle system, a brand-new frame, styling and the fitment of the MotoGP-inspired Suzuki Racing Variable Valve Timing (SRVVT). Suzuki claims it has experienced no failures in…

BEHIND THE SCENES THE LOGISTICS INVOLVED in organising AUSTest is enough to make an editor lose the little hair he has left. Thankfully, the event comes with a huge amount of satisfaction, and let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to spend three days riding the fastest sportsbikes in the world on a dragstrip, race circuit and roads, before putting them all on the dyno to see if the numbers match up with the performance? This year three new locations made their AUSTest debut. Sydney Dragway was the scene for day one, and despite the heavens opening just before our scheduled start time, John Henman and his team pulled out all stops to make sure the track was ready to go asap. Mick Withers looked after the side-by-side runs, getting us…

The current globalisation of road racing means that, in almost every country of the world, in every class, the same identikit array of ‘supersomethings’ line up on the grid. The same superbikes, the same supersports, the same superstocks, all with engines and chassis basically more or less just as they rolled off the assembly line in Hamamatsu or Bologna, Hinckley or Iwata. To make matters worse, Dorna and the FIM conspired to bin the 250GP class in favour of Formula Honda 600, where not so long ago there used to be lots of variety, with small manufacturers or specialist tuning houses producing their own complete bikes – think Parisienne, Armstrong, Pernod – or just slotting a Yamaha or Rotax motor into their own unique chassis design. Look at the 250GP…

THE X-LITE SERIES is Nolan’s top-of-the-range helmet line, and the 802RR Ultra Carbon sits at the top of the X-Lite tree. In other words, you can’t buy better from Nolan. The original plan was to use my striking black and green X-Lite 802RR for racing, but I soon discovered it’s more comfortable than any other sports-style road helmet I owned, so now it’s now my everyday lid, and it’s a keeper. The naked carbon-fibre look of the Puro design may not be to everyone’s liking, so for those wanting a bit of colour in their life, there’s a Casey Stoner replica version and the interestingly named Marquetry scheme, which adds a dash of colour while allowing the carbon-fibre look to remain the star. We liked As the name suggests, the…

Sodwalls Rd is an excellent stretch of bitumen with a few deceptive bends The network of roads out to the Central West of NSW provides excellent riding opportunities, with many businesses in the small villages dotting the map catering specifically to motorcyclists. We checked out a couple recently while enjoying a short day ride across to Tarana and back to Sydney via glorious back roads that led us from the panoramic views of the Great Dividing Range, into the rolling hills of a rich green fertile valley and back up a ridgeline featuring expansive scenery stretching out on either side. There are many routes through this particular area, but we kicked off on Magpie Hollow Rd just south of Lithgow. The Coles Express on the Great Western Highway at the…

AS THE WORLD’S best enduro riders converged on France for the 92nd running of the International Six Days Enduro, it was USA – the defending World Trophy champions – who appeared set for a repeat. But their expectations were shattered, along with Thad Duvall’s left wrist, in the very first special test. His teammates battled on for individual honours, but a mouth-watering three-way battle between the Americans and 2015 protagonists France and Australia was sadly not to be. Despite Loic Larrieu being hit with a penalty, France dominated the opening day ahead of Finland with the Australians over two minutes adrift in third. This, and the fact that our own Junior Trophy contender – and ISDE rookie – Lyndon Snodgrass scored an outright win in the opening test, provided a…

VALENTINO ROSSI MUST be physically fit to race and complete a track test before his bold bid to ride at the Aragon Grand Prix becomes a reality. And the urgency for a fast return by the seven-time MotoGP champion dramatically faded after the San Marino GP with the Italian now 42 points behind in the championship game. Yamaha MotoGP boss Lin Jarvis said things may have been different if two of Rossi’s main rivals — Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso — had failed to score at Misano. As AMCN went to print, Rossi’s idea for a dramatic return to racing is to try and ride in Friday free practice at Aragon just 22 days after breaking his right leg in an enduro bike crash that forced him to miss Misano.…

Whiteside turns tables on Kelso in Moto3 CLUBSPORT TAKES ON a national flavour this issue as the Sydney Motorsport Park ASBK round also hosted the second round of the Australian Moto 3/125 GP Championship. Dylan Whiteside (Aussie Crane Trucks Honda NSF250R) was able clinch the round ahead of Joel Kelso (JDS Moto Honda NSF250R), tying the championship chase on 136 points each. Whiteside took pole position by almost a second from Kelso, but their battle in the opening race went down to the final straight, with Whiteside winning by a narrow 0.028 of a second. It was a stellar defensive effort from Whiteside who had Kelso on his tail for the entire eight laps. In third was the valiant Dallas Skeer (Ron Angel Classic Racing, Honda NSFR), who was able…

 You’re a well known guy in the racing scene and many readers will know your face, but fill us in on what it is that you do. Parts from China look great, but generally speaking they just aren’t constructed well enough On race days I look after everyone’s tyre needs with my role at Pirelli, but I’m also a Level 2 accredited Motorcycling Australia coach. I operate Advanced Rider Training, where we help and assist riders and try and prevent a lot of heartache and injury. We see anyone and everyone from juniors to everyday riders, we try and help them to think ahead about what are the right things to do and what might catch them out. It’s about passing on many years of experience between myself and the…

IN 1983-84, Bruce Collins (then 26) and passenger Chris Dinuzzo gave the Australian championships a red-hot go, sometimes literally. In 1983 at Oran Park they beat multiple champions Geoff Taylor/ Barry Frazer, and in a brutally hot 1984 opening round at Baskerville Collins chased Doug Chivas/Marg Halliday to the finish despite a burnt foot. They finished second to Chivas again in the ’84 Australian GP at Bathurst. These days, Collins and Peter de Angelis compete in F2 with an LCR-Honda 600, bought from 2016 Isle of Man TT winner John Holden, and selected classic races on a Yamaha TZ500. Last year they rode in the Assen round of the Sidecar World Championship. “It was a lifelong dream to compete overseas,” Collins said. “In the 1980s, that’s what Aussies did –…