Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 67 Issue 09 i Australian Motorcycle News

NEXT YEAR THE Tiger Explorer will be gone from Triumph’s range, replaced by this nearly-identical, rebranded Tiger 1200 with a smattering of technical improvements as part of a newly rationalised line-up across both the 1200 and 800cc platforms. The Tiger 1200 is seen in this spy shot in its range-topping XCA form. From next year, the eight-bike Explorer family will be replaced by a six-model Tiger 1200 lineup comprising the XR, XRX, XRX Low, XRT, XCX and XCA. Those models mimic the existing Tiger Explorer line, but there’s no replacement for the Tiger XC or Tiger XCX Low variants. The bodywork is unaltered, with the main distinguishing feature a new LED headlight unit, possibly with cornering lights. On this high-end XCA model, the auxiliary lights are also updated. The exhaust,…

HONDA HAS DEVELOPED a new version of the VTEC variable valve timing and lift specifically for two-wheelers. While Honda has offered Hyper-VTEC on its bikes since the 1990s, the motorcycle system is actually a rebranded version of the earlier REV arrangement, used on the CB400 since 1983. It shuts off two valves in each cylinder at low revs, converting a four-valve into a two-valve. Honda’s true VTEC system started on cars in 1989. It features two separate cam profiles for each valve, allowing completely different timing, lift and duration. The engines switch between cam profiles by engaging or disengaging an additional rocker, using a hydraulically-moved pin. But this system has never been used on bikes. Now Honda has created a true VTEC system for motorcycles. More compact and simpler than…

AS THIS ISSUE hits the shelves Kawasaki will be pulling the covers off its new Z900RS in Tokyo, but we’ve already got access to a few details. While it’s clearly derived from the existing Z900, the changes are significant enough that it looks nothing like the base machine. Retro styling pays homage to the 1972 Z1 900, right down to the ducktail rear end and the optional brown-and-orange paintwork. The engine is the Z900’s, but with dummy cooling fins and more traditionally shaped exhaust headers. Surprisingly, though, these headers lead into a single exhaust rather than the classic four-pipe layout of the Z1. Figures leaked to AMCN reveal that its power is down from 92.2kW to 82kW, and peaks 1000rpm lower at 8500rpm. The wheelbase is 20mm longer at 1470mm,…

Water tight I have been buying your mag for the last 20 years and have really enjoyed the good spread of bike info, latest news, future bikes, retro stories, readers’ stories, Fred Gassitt... A few years ago I bought a 1972 Suzuki water bottle, a bike I was always keen on since I saw one cruising around our home town when I was a 13-year-old. After buying the bike, which was in need of some work and tidy up, I found the wonderful world of eBay. First purchase was a parts book. Next, with a very understanding wife, I proceeded to surf the internet and was amazed what was out there. With a careful study of part numbers and a lot of ‘BUY NOW’ I received regular parcels in the…

It may look cute, but its 780mm seat height puts it in the same league as BMW’s K1600GT Funky monkey Touches that set the TnT apart from the competition include the Brutale-like pipe, the Monster-like trellis frame and the ornate tail light. Cool bananas! Smart stoppers The TnT125 features Benelli’s Combined Braking System, which activates one piston of the front caliper when the back brake is applied. Would the difference between one single kilowatt of power and 99 bucks matter to you when it came to choosing your next motorcycle? It might when that one kilowatt represents well over 10 per cent of the bike’s total power. Those two figures are the difference between Honda’s 125cc Grom and its all-new European-branded challenger, the Benelli TnT125, which I recently spent a…

The route took us through a myriad of paths, forests and tracks to the northernmost tip of Australia Having lived overseas for 12 years of my life, I’ve been blessed to have seen a lot of the world. Most of the travelling was organised by me or my wife and included many miles of Autostrada in Italy, Autobahn in Germany, mountain passes and so on. We’ve seen some crazy places and been to some countries that I never would have imagined visiting before the journey started. But all that time spent gallivanting around the world has meant I haven’t seen a lot of our own great land. Yes, I’ve seen the dump located next to Sydney Motorsport Park, the beach at Phillip Island and the solidarity of the community of…

I MENTIONED WHEN this lid first arrived that I wasn’t usually a fan of peaks on helmets, as back in the day they were pretty ordinary when you got up to highway speeds. But helmet design has come a long long way since then and this Just 1 is proof. When we saddled up for our big AMCN adventure ride (Vol 67 No 01) I was contemplating using my daily road-riding helmet for the road run up to Mansfield, but in the end I decided to give this new adventure lid a real-world test. And I didn’t want to look like the odd one out. When I first put it on I was really impressed by the amount of vision it provided – I expected the peak to create a…

Bike racing is great, isn’t it? This fact, understood by all its fans, wasn’t just underlined at Motegi, it was projected on the surrounding clouds in letters hundreds of metres tall; burned into the consciousness with the force of a laser; tattooed on the moon. Or it might as well have been, after just over 47 minutes of heightening tension in atrocious weather culminated in a breathtaking last lap, in turn ending in a last-corner shootout between the two remaining title contenders. It was like Austria all over again, with the same result: Andrea Dovizioso getting his Ducati back in front of Marc Márquez’s Repsol Honda only in the sprint to the line. The difference was it all happened on a more difficult circuit in much more difficult conditions, after…

T aka Nakagami had claimed pole in the wet ahead of Álex Márquez (VDS Kalex) and front-row first-timer Xavi Vierge (Tech 3), but the focus was further back, with title rivals Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Kalex) and Franco Morbidelli (VDS Kalex) 13th and 15th respectively. The Japanese Idemitsu Kalex rider served the local fans well as he took off in the lead, and stayed there for 10 laps. Pressing him hard was Márquez, who had come through to second from fourth on lap one. And Nakagami had no reply when the Spaniard attacked at Turn 11. Márquez immediately pulled clear for a dominant third win of the year, his first outside Spain. Nakagami had more trouble to come, soon dropping to fourth as both Vierge and a charging Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas…

Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP) found himself in the position of almost certainly being the new world champion, after finishing fifth at Jerez in a 19-lap race that was won by his teammate Federico Caricasulo. The Frenchman’s only remaining rival in the championship – after Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insurance) finished second – is Kenan Sofuoglu, 20 points behind, but back at home in Turkey with a broken pelvis. Unless Sofuoglu makes a miracle comeback he will not be able to ride to win or place second in the final round in Qatar, as he must do to stop Mahias becoming champion. In Jerez, Mahias just wanted to get it done and was fast before bad luck struck. “It was a very difficult race because I didn’t have a…

Title leader Franco Morbidelli (VDS Kalex) started in the middle of row two, with his main rival Thomas Lüthi (CarXpert Kalex) in 10th. Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Kalex) was on pole, from front-row first-timer Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Suter) and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM). Oliveira streaked away, with Morbidelli and Binder in pursuit, the latter taking second on lap three. The lap before, Lüthi had been promoted to head the pursuit group by another crash – Schrötter had highsided violently at the Southern Loop, taking Pasini down with him and costing Dominique Aegerter (Kiefer Suter) some 10 places. But there was a crucial gap to the three leaders, and it would grow over the coming laps as a big gang piled up behind Lüthi. Up front, class rookie Binder was holding…

JOSH WATERS (Suzuki Ecstar GSX-R1000R) has completed a remarkable homecoming season by clinching the Phillip Island Superbike title. After his late-season surge just a fortnight earlier to secure his third ASBK title, Waters continued his amazing run of form to take out three of the four races on the big stage in the MotoGP support races. Waters qualified on pole and asserted himself from the opening race, gapping the field and pulling away to a commanding victory. He was briefly challenged by a determined Bryan Staring, who was still chasing an elusive first win for the year. Just further back Troy Herfoss (Crankt Protein Honda CBR1000RR) and Cru Halliday (R Star Mining Yamaha YZF-R1) battled for the final podium spot, with Halliday making the decisive move at MG corner on…

THE 2017 SEASON-ENDING Australian Speedway Grand Prix at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne this Saturday night (28 October) will be very different to the previous two years, because this time it will decide whether an Australian rider will be world champion. Aussie Jason Doyle holds a 14-point lead over Patryk Dudek, who is now the only rider who can stop Doyle from becoming the sixth Australian to be crowned world champion. It would be the ninth time in total an Aussie has won the title, but none of those who went before him were crowned in front of their home fans. For Doyle, riding the last round at home is like having a two-goal lead with a few minutes remaining in an AFL match, or needing three runs in the last…

REPSOL HONDA’S MARC Márquez laid one hand on his sixth world championship trophy when he won a brutally contested 27-lap Australian GP. The Spanish star now has the safety net of a 33-point lead over the crumbling challenge from Andrea Dovizioso with just two races remaining, and he needs only a 25-point advantage after the next race to guarantee the title. Márquez took control of the championship on lap 23 when, despite declining rear grip, he posted his fastest lap of 1m30.001s to signal his race winning assault to a trio of Yamaha rivals. Valentino Rossi, Johann Zarco and Maverick Viñales had no response as they fought among themselves. Three laps later Márquez had a 2.1s lead and stranglehold on the title Rossi finished second, Viñales third, with Dovizioso straggling…

RECENTLY CROWNED AUSTRALIAN over 300 Supersport champ Billy Van Eerde has made it through a tough selection process to be granted a berth in the 2018 Red Bull Rookies Cup. At Spain’s Almeria Circuit, the 15-year-old needed to prove his mettle within a group of 109 riders from 31 different countries in order to become one of just 10 successful riders. Fellow Australians Joel Kelso and Ned Faulkhead also travelled to Spain for the selection process and while Kelso made it through to the final group of 49 riders, he missed out on the third and final day. “On that third and final day, the first session was wet, I was going well but then I had a big highside out of one of the corners,” van Eerde said following…

TWO WSBK GREATS will do battle at next year’s AMCN International Island Classic again with both Troy Corser (right) and Colin Edwards confirmed to head their respective teams. It will be two-time world champ Troy Corser’s first on-track appearance at Phillip Island since 2011, and it’s been four years between Island drinks for the double WSBK champ and 12-time MotoGP podium-getter Colin Edwards. The soon-to-be 46-year-old Corser is one of the best riders the WSBK has seen, laying claim to not only the most pole positions (43), but also the most podiums (130) as well as the most career points (4000). “It’s time to get back and race at home in front of a Phillip Island home crowd,” said Corser. “I have been doing the Goodwood events with a great…

AS IF WINNING her maiden French Enduro title just seven days after finger surgery wasn’t hard enough, Australia’s off-road legend Jess Gardiner has now claimed the European Enduro Championship on a borrowed two-stroke, after her regular Yamaha WR250F was stolen leading up to the final round of the series. But despite not having ridden a two-stroke for almost a decade, the enormously talented Australian got on with the job and wrapped up the European title ahead of Sweden’s Hanna Berzelius with one day to spare. “I definitely didn’t miss any power getting up the hills,” laughed Gardiner after becoming the first Aussie to ever loft the title trophy. “It’s great to be able to win the championship with a day remaining – I’ll be able to go into tomorrow with…

“I’M THE LUCKIEST man alive!” says 1960s international racer Malcolm Stanton. The 74-year-old Aussie and wife Terri now follow the sun around the country in a fifth-wheel trailer, so mail collection can be iffy, but in April he did receive a government bowel-cancer screening kit. On 30 May, he had a very aggressive cancer cut out and is now in remission, undergoing chemotherapy. Racing contemporaries and local journalists still rave about Stanton’s style on Manx Nortons at home against Kel Carruthers and John Dodds, and on the Continent he was a top-six GP finisher. Carruthers’ daughter Sharon recalls him having the coolest ‘gypsy’ caravan, complete with a pot-belly stove. But in 1968, Stanton switched to Italian machines that needed deep pockets to achieve reliability. He went broke and spent several…

IT WAS FOUR years ago that Kawasaki whipped the covers off a supercharged four-cylinder engine at the Tokyo Motor Show. A year later, in 2014, the firm unveiled the H2 and H2R models, which are still the only supercharged production bikes currently available from a mainstream manufacturer. In 2015, the Tokyo show was again the platform for a new, supercharged engine. Called the ‘Balanced Supercharged’ engine, it was much like the H2’s motor but featured a variable intake on its supercharger. Moveable vanes could alter the airflow, maximising the supercharger’s compressing effect at all speeds and boosting bottom-end torque. Now Kawasaki has confirmed that the Balanced Supercharged engine will form the basis of a new sports-tourer that will be revealed at the EICMA show in Milan in November. But apart…

100,000,000 No, it’s not Doctor Evil giving Austin Powers an ultimatum, but how many units have now been made of the world’s most successful vehicle ever. This month, the 100,000,000th Honda Super Cub rolled off the line. RM-Z ride days Suzuki will host a ride day for potential RM-Z owners across all five states next month. Maitland Motorcycle Club will host the NSW event (15 November), Moreton District Motocross Club will host Qld (16 November), the SA event will be at Gilman Motocross Track (21 November), Wanneroo MX Club will host the WA event (22 November) before the last one is held at Broadford in Victoria (24 November). Participants must pre-register at suzukimotorcycles.com. au/ryi/rm-z. Sexchange, anyone? The Sexchange Hotel in Far North Queensland is the result of a couple of…

WITH EACH PASSING year, the traditional problems with electric bikes are being resolved. But as we head towards an electrically powered future, there’s the question of whether the new bikes will stick to the familiar idea of batteries to store their energy, or if they’ll opt instead for hydrogen fuel cells. Batteries have a huge head start; we’re all comfortable with the idea of plugging in and charging up, and every commercially available electric bike on the market uses them. But batteries have two drawbacks. One is the charging process – it’s slow and there’s a hurdle in creating the infrastructure needed to make it convenient to recharge large numbers of cars and bikes across entire nations. Their second drawback is they’re heavy and nowhere near as power-dense as a…

“Those Harleys were heavy and didn’t have the greatest brakes, but he’d run the thing into the turns faster than anyone else” Born in San Diego in 1940, Cal Rayborn first rode a motorcycle when he was eight. In his teens he worked as a delivery boy after school and over the summer holidays, riding of course. Cal turned to scrambles and TT Steeplechase in the early 1960s and tried road racing, beating many top Californians aboard his production machine. He turned pro in 1965, recording two podium finishes – a second at the Des Moines road race in Iowa and third at LA’s half-mile Ascot Park. He won his first AMA road race at Carlsbad near San Diego in 1966. Legendary Harley-Davidson race boss Dick O’Brien recognised Rayborn’s raw…

“I thought, why spend $100,000 on a bike? It’d be better if I built my own” Nowhere other than in Australia do visionary engineers produce V8 motorcycles powered by their own design of engine. In fact, there must be something in the Yarra River water because the three men who have done it – Ian Drysdale, Paul Maloney and now Vincent Messina – were all Melbourne-based when they created their cocktails of technical excess. And here, making its entry onto the world motorcycling stage, is the Aurora Hellfire V8, created from the ground up by a former Australian sidecar champion and ex-Ford Motor Company engineer. Vincent Messina conceived the Aurora V8 in Australia, created a 2.4-litre proof-of-concept prototype in New Zealand (which debuted at the 2015 EICMA Milan Show) and…

When the riders go over the edge and get hurt, it’s their job to keep riding through the pain Valentino Rossi’s recent comeback from a broken leg is already the stuff of legend. Or is it? Rossi fractured his right tibia and fibula when he slid off a dirtbike. His tibia was fixed with the usual surgical nail, inserted by drilling through the top of the tibia and hammering the nail through the bone, but the leg should immediately be as strong as it was before the break. The pain, however, is another matter. Motorcycle racers are used to dealing with pain. Rossi raced at Aragon 23 days after sustaining his injury, which isn’t unusual. Most famously, Jorge Lorenzo raced at Assen in 2013 less than 48 hours after having…

Barry Sheene CADWELL PARK, 1975 When Sheene’s rear tyre went pop at 280km/h on the Daytona banking he fractured a femur, arm, collarbone and several vertebrae. Seven weeks later he raced again, battling for the lead at Cadwell before retiring in agony. A week later he tried to make his GP return but doctors refused to let him race. Kenny Roberts SALZBURGRING, 1979 King Kenny crashed at Yamaha’s test track, rupturing his spleen and breaking his back, a foot and a collarbone. He was in a Japanese hospital for a month and returned to racing at the Salzburgring eight weeks after that. He won the race and went on to secure his second 500cc title. Valentino Rossi LAGUNA SECA, 2010 Rossi has been luckier than many but has still proved…

Delayed and curtailed, the Moto3 race was also drenched. For most riders, it was hell in the spray. Just seeing where you were on the track was something of an achievement. Nicolò Bulega was on pole for the first time, and the SKY VR46 man led off the line, only to run wide and drop back to 15th at the end of lap one. It was fellow front-row starter Niccolò Antonelli (Red Bull KTM) making the running, from Romano Fenati (Rivacold Honda), Arón Canet (EG Honda) and teammate Enea Bastianini. Marco Bezzecchi (CIP Mahindra) was fifth, ahead of Jorge Martín (Del Conca Honda). Some fancied riders would fall away in the confusion of the dense spray, while the steadfast would take the benefit of being up front. Fenati is a…

Feverish redline WITH THE 2018 technical rules about to be finally made public, meaning the likes of Kawasaki, Aprilia and Ducati will lose chunks of their top rev ceiling, the reality of what this means for the engineers is hardening into a new challenge. While Kawasaki will lose about 1000 or more rpm off the top of the factory bike’s vocal range, and Ducati a similar amount in relative terms, the biggest losers actually look like being Aprilia. Not exactly howling at the moon in terms of results, the Aprilia nonetheless has a lot of top-end power, thanks to its high revving capabilities. If the Noale engineers lose, as is expected, 2200 rpm from the top, it may fill in what lead rider Eugene Laverty says is a hole in…

Love hurts. So can racing, when it’s this close. The protagonists and their motorcycles will wake up tomorrow covered with the MotoGP version of love bites. The MotoGP race was brutally, even scarily, close and hard-fought. Regrets? None. As winner Marc Márquez said later: “It was a bit dangerous. But it is racing. If we go down with our limit, it will become like Formula One. But this is MotoGP.” Brave words, in the absence of disaster. And a celebration of what Rossi described as “the best race of the year”. In a very good year, that is high praise. With a lead pack of eight separated by barely a second for much of the distance, and with constant overtaking, nobody’s arguing. Good racing is always expected at the magnificent…

Jorge Martín (Del Conca Honda) was on pole number eight, from Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA KTM). But Joan Mir completed the front row on the Leopard Honda, and had his eyes on the prize. His last remaining title rival, Romano Fenati (Rivacold Honda), was in the middle of row two, and had his eyes on Mir. Now followed a breath-taking bout of hand-to-hand combat, with a huge gang exchanging positions constantly, Not among them, fancied runners John McPhee (BTT Honda), who crashed out on the second corner; Niccolò Antonelli (Red Bull KTM), out on lap two; Arón Canet (EG Honda) or Fabio di Giannantonio (Del Conca Honda), both falling on lap five. With the race scheduled for 23 laps, by ‘half distance’ of 12 the lead group was eight-strong, the first…

TEAM MANAGER DAVIDE Tardozzi said Ducati must take responsibility for the crushing defeat at Phillip Island that dealt a critical blow to Andrea Dovizioso’s title chances. The Island result was a reality check in what had been a composed but unexpected title challenge against Repsol Honda’s Marc Márquez. After finishing 13th, Dovi needs a miracle to make up the 33-point deficit to Márquez in the last two races. “The performance of our bike here has been a disaster, this is our problem and it is not the fault of the riders,” Tardozzi said. “We have to fix this because to win a championship you have to be competitive at every track. “The first Ducati in the race was Scott Redding at 21 seconds behind the winner. This is too far.”…

VALENTINO ROSSI (MOVISTAR Yamaha) and Johann Zarco (Tech 3 Yamaha) admitted to some scary moments in a rough and at times dangerous Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island. Rossi, at 38, was the oldest but still one of the fastest riders in a fiercely contested lead group that had an average age of 25 including Repsol Honda’s race winner Marc Márquez (24) and Rossi’s teammate Maverick Viñales (22). “It was a classic Phillip Island race, I enjoyed it a lot,” Rossi said “It was very aggressive but this is normal when you fight against riders like Márquez, Iannone, Viñales and Zarco. “This is the game now, more dangerous but you play or stay at home.” At one point Rossi was aggressively moved aside by Márquez’s Honda at 160km/h in Turn…

AS AMCN WENT to print, 11 young Australian road racers were making their way to the Sepang International Circuit after passing the initial selection process of the 2018 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup from 500 applicants. A total of 127 riders from 20 different countries have been shortlisted by the event’s selection committee, which is headed by rider mentor and former grand prix winner Alberto Puig. Billy van Eerde made it through to both the Asia Talent Cup and the Rookies Cup selection event, but after successfully earning a berth in the 2018 MotoGP rookie event it’s very unlikely he’ll compete in this week’s Asian-based event. Ned Faulkhead will make his journey from the Red Bull Rookies selection event in Spain to Malaysia for the test, while Australian Supersport 300 front…

MIKE JONES, ROBBIE Bugden and Jed Metcher will appear alongside Tasmania’s best in this year’s Baskerville 2 Hour event over 2-3 December 2017. Fresh from a stellar maiden year in the European Superstock 1000 Championship, Mike Jones will do his best to claim victory in the event he narrowly missed out on winning last year when he was beaten by reigning champions Robbie Bugden and Chris McGrath. Instead of riding solo like he did in 2016, Jones will team up with local gun Marcus Burns on an Emilia Wines-sponsored Ducati Panigale. The McGrath/Bugden duo will do everything possible to retain their crown on board the BC Performance Kawasaki ZX-10R, and if Bugden succeeds it’ll be his third consecutive win. Meanwhile, former European Superstock 600 champion Jed Metcher will team up…

DUST HUSTLE RETURNS for its fifth instalment, this time at North Brisbane (Mick Doohan Raceway) on Saturday 4 November. If you haven’t seen Dust Hustle before, it’s all about having fun in the dirt on a bike that might be considered ‘inappropriate’. For the riders there are plenty of races, but it’s not about who’s the quickest – it’s more about having fun with your mates on whatever machine you can put together for the day. Unfortunately, entries are now closed for this year’s event. The guys at Ellaspede (who run Dust Hustle) say it sold out in record time, with some classes filling up in under five minutes. It’s still a great day out for spectators, with not only the on-track action but also some quality merchandise on offer…

MOTOROiD THE FIRST OF them has been given an early showing, including a concept bike dubbed MOTOROiD (Vol 67 No 08). Although pictures of MOTOROiD have been released, information is limited. Yamaha simply says it’s an “experimental machine” that “employs artificial intelligence and explores the feasibility of concepts for creating new forms of personal mobility”. MOTOROiD is an electric bike – the motor appears to be in the rear hub, fed from stylised batteries looking like oversized AAs slung under the chassis. An unusual blade-shaped fork is the stand-out chassis technology. Cameras in the front are presumably part of the bike’s claimed self-awareness. Yamaha says it’s capable of ‘recognising its owner and interacting in other capacities like a living creature’. Chances of production? Zilch. MOTOBOT NEXT UP IS Yamaha’s second-generation…

AS AMCN GOES to print, Honda is set to officially reveal the new Goldwing, and we’ve got hold of the first solid technical information confirming that it’s significantly lighter and more powerful than its predecessor. Within Honda the new Goldwing is designated SC79. It replaces the SC68 Goldwing, which itself was a development of the SC47 model that debuted in 2001. The new bike’s engine is still a flat six, but it’s not simply the old motor. While the SC68 Goldwing was listed as using the SC47 engine, the new bike’s engine is designated SC79E. It has increased in capacity by a single cubic centimetre to 1833cc, which hints at a potential change in the bore/ stroke ratio. Peak power still chimes in at 5500rpm, but the actual figure rises…

MANY READERS WILL recognise Torrot as the Spanish brand that threw a financially struggling Gas Gas a lifeline about this time last year, but Europeans closer to the marque know it as a brand with almost 70 years of history, and a reputation for using cutting-edge tech. Specifically, Torrot has been exploring technology surrounding emission-free mobility, and while it remains true to its bicycle beginnings with battery-powered and pedal-assist pushies, more recently it has produced electric-powered scooters and a large range of trick electric-powered enduro, supermoto and trials bikes aimed at kids aged from as young as three through to nine-year-olds. These bikes have now been rebranded Gas Gas and are available in two sizes: 10 is aimed at three to seven-year-olds, while the 12 has more poke, roomier ergonomics,…

Adjust it to suit route, riding partner, mood or destination Servicing 1000km first service then every 15000km WHEN THE XDIAVEL was launched just over a year ago Ducati was adamant that this was a proper cruiser, but opinion was divided. It has the dimensions of a cruiser, as well as the almost mandatory V-twin powerplant, and of course it’s got those forward-mounted controls, just like a cruiser. But the bike refused to be pigeonholed. It’s certainly a different animal compared to the original Diavel that grabbed headlines about six years ago. It’s got similar styling, but that’s about it. It looks a treat on the stand, starting with the ultra-wide 240-section rear tyre, single-sided swingarm, wide ’bars and streamlined rear section. The whole package screams attitude, with the lines of…

The slightly curved handlebar is nice and wide for comfort and steering leverage Suzuki was a late arrival to the supernaked class, releasing its GSX-R1000-derived contender in 2015. Since then, the Japanese manufacturer has been channelling a fair chunk of its resources into the development of the championship-winning GSX-R1000R, meaning some of the other bikes in its range have remained mostly unchanged. In the case of the GSX-S1000, this is understandable; it makes zero economic sense to release a revamped supernaked ahead of an all-new flagship superbike. This means that for 2018 the GSX-S1000 has received only a handful of changes, but as I quickly discovered, it is still a leader when it comes to bang for bucks. The key thing you need to know about this bike is the…

 “WHEN I RACED at Silverstone 2012 with a busted ankle, that wasn’t the worst,” says Cal Crutchlow recalling some of the horrific injuries he has endured in MotoGP. “ I’d absolutely KO’d myself in morning warm-up, so I could hardly see in the first three laps of the race” “I shouldn’t have raced at Mugello in 2015, that’s for sure. I’d absolutely KO’d myself in morning warm-up, so I could hardly see in the first three laps of the race. Honestly, it wasn’t great. I’d also broken a scaphoid in the crash, but I never told anyone because I needed to race and I wanted to race. I crashed three laps from the end – nothing to do with the concussion – and dislocated an ankle. “The worst was Sachsenring…

The only indication we are walking on a racetrack are the fluorescent orange signs on the walls of the buildings lining the street that read: Zona Peligrosa, Prohibido al Publico. The message is clear: ‘Danger zone, no public access.’ With less than 24 hours before the streets of La Bañeza are to host one of Spain’s last remaining road races, work is just beginning on transforming the 1.75km maze of narrow streets into a racetrack. Motorcycles have been racing in La Bañeza, a small dusty town in north-west Spain’s Castille province, since the 1950s. For the first couple of years it was an ‘unofficial’ event, according to local journalist Oscar Falagan. Moto Club Bañezano was then set up in 1954 to formally run the event as part of the town’s…

Blade Runner Cassons $309.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassons.com.au The Momo Blade is an urban helmet. It has an ABS shell with a special metal paint finish that provides a “materic visual and tactile effect”. It has removable and washable cheek pads, real stitching with technical fabric border, inner dark sun visor and chinstrap with micrometer buckle. Sizes XS-XL. African Airways CTA Australia $199.95 (02) 9604 3377 ctaaustralia.com.au K&N has developed a new high-flow air filter to suit the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin. A pleated cotton media is designed to offer a large surface area for maximum airflow and excellent filtration. The washable K&N filter fits directly to the OE airbox and is supplied pre-oiled and ready to go. Two filters per box. Riders on the Storm Link International $89.95 (set)…

NAME TARAN OCEAN AGE 23 CLASS 125CC GP EVENT MOTUL AUSTRALIAN 125CC GRAND PRIX CHAMPIONSHIP TASMANIAN TARAN OCEAN and the B-Spoke Design team produced sensational results at Phillip Island to be crowned 125cc GP Champion. Ocean secured pole position and won all three races to overcome a 25-point deficit to his second-placed teammate, Scott Topping (WA). After some ‘interesting’ incidents during the year, Ocean revealed he won the third race with virtually no brakes, saying, “My lever went straight to the ’bar as I was leaving the pits and with no time to fix them I headed for the start grid trying to get as much heat into the front disc as possible. Who needs brakes at Phillip Island anyway!”…

Having made a very big mark in WSBK history last round by winning an unprecedented third consecutive title, Jonathan Rea (KRT) achieved a few more landmarks in Spain. He took his 51st and 52nd wins, drawing himself level with triple champion (just not consecutively) Troy Bayliss in the process. They are tied now as the second most successful WSBK race winners of all time, with only four-time champ (again, not consecutively) Carl Fogarty on 59. With his second race win of the Jerez weekend, Rea then moved ahead of Fogarty for the number of career podiums. Foggy has 109, Rea 110 and only Noriyuki Haga (116) and Troy Corser (130) have more. Kawasaki added the Manufacturers’ title to the Riders’ (Rea) and Teams’ (KRT/ Provec) this weekend, mostly thanks to…

MotoGP JACK MILLER  Qualified 5th Finished 7th Fastest race lap 1m30.040s JACK MILLER PUT on an electric display, stunning the MotoGP field to lead the opening four laps of his home race. He set a frantic pace before eventually falling back into the clutches of a rampant pack, but still managed to run with the leaders for the whole race, finishing seventh. “When I was leading, I don’t know if it felt long for you guys, but it felt like effing forever for me!” Jack said. The 22-year-old fired up Aussie fans from the opening Friday practice, laying down times that saw him reach Q2 directly and qualify fifth, stopping the clock with a time of 1m28.963s. Racing with a fractured right tibia sustained in a training accident just 24…

THE SUPERSPORT 300 class showed the future of Aussie racing is in good hands, with the typical close battles of the class captivating the MotoGP crowd. KTM’s Max Croker took overall honours for the three action-packed races, finishing with a 2-1-4 result. Croker worked hard to qualify on pole position, but when the lights went out for Race 1 that meant nothing as up to seven riders fought tooth and nail for victory. Oli Bayliss (Cube Racing Kawasaki Ninja 300) produced some daring moves through the fast Turn 1 and Hayshed sections, only to be caught in the slipstream on Gardner Straight. Hunter Ford (Ford Brothers Yamaha YZF-R3) was also in the mix, dropping as low as sixth before fighting back for the win. The top seven were covered by…

JUST 23 DAYS after breaking his leg, Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia Marc VDS) never imagined he could make a heroic return to MotoGP at Phillip Island. Even when he made his bold dash to the front just a couple of corners after the start, ahead of world champions Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha), Miller thought he was dreaming. “I was thinking bloody hell, is this really happening?” Miller said. “When Márquez opened the door after the start I thought f*ck, there is no better place to be than first on the opening lap.” Miller loves the Island and here he was, leading a dry MotoGP race for the first time on the MarcVDS Honda. It was a memorable, throttle-happy four laps of a 27-lap race that…

BE WISER DUCATI’S Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne has defended the British Superbike Championship under an unexpected British sun in a hard-fought final round at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit over 13-15 October. It came down to three contenders: Byrne, JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam and Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha Racing’s Josh Brookes. And tension was high from the moment the bikes left the grid in Saturday’s Race 1. Leaking fluid from Dan Linfoot’s Honda brought out a red flag in the opening laps with both Jake Dixon (RAF Regular and Reserve Kawasaki) and Sylvain Guintoli (Bennetts Suzuki) falling victim. Tyco BMW’s Christian Iddon was on pole for the restart, but after only two laps of the reduced 16-lap race, Byrne had moved up from third to second. Brookes, meanwhile, tucked into…

THE PENRITE HONDA duo of Justin Brayton and Gavin Faith both claimed wins at the second round of the Australian Supercross Championship held at Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, on 14 October. The victories saw both Americans come away from the event in possession of the red plate. For Brayton, it was business as usual in the SX1 class. His clinical riding ability shone brightly on the demanding track, as he easily negotiated the sections that otherwise claimed many casualties throughout the night. Dean Ferris (CDR Yamaha) was the best chance to challenge Brayton, after beating him in his heat, but the Aussie lost ground early in the final and was unable to reel him in. Todd Waters (Crankt Honda) stepped back onto the podium with a solid ride to claim third.…

THE POST CLASSIC Racing Association of NSW wrapped up a successful year with class champions crowned after the final round of racing held on 23-24 September at Sydney Motorsport Park. Graham Percy (Yamaha YZF600) took out the Pre-Modern F2 class, and said the highlight of the year for him was his first outright race win at Wakefield Park in Round 1. “I had these thoughts of disbelief and ‘who do I follow now’ as I took the lead, followed by a few seconds looking for a red flag thinking the race had been stopped due to an accident. It took a little while to realise what had happened. When I crossed the finish line in first place I was ecstatic, fist pumping and waving to the flag marshals as I…

“After I finished pooping my pants, I started preparing for the season with Ducati” How did you get started in your career? I grew up racing motocross, became a mechanic and worked for motocross teams here in Australia. I went overseas for the Motocross of Nations with one of my riders and wanted to stay in Europe. A contact at Öhlins said they were looking for a suspension technician to work in 125GP so I went to Stockholm to meet them, only to be told the position didn’t exist anymore! They did have an opening in World Superbike at the factory Ducati team, however, so right after I finished pooping my pants and getting myself together, I started preparing for the season with Ducati. The first guys I worked with…