Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 67 Issue 16 i Australian Motorcycle News

AT LAST YEAR’S EICMA reveal of the new BMW F850GS and its cheaper F750GS sister, there was one variant conspicuously absent. The new machines replaced the old F800GS and F700GS, but there was no version to supersede the F800GS Adventure, but this pic confirms it’s on its way. The formula for the F800GS Adventure was simple; more rugged styling, a much bigger fuel tank, greater luggage capacity and more wind protection. And BMW isn’t messing with the recipe when it comes to the new one. The appearance changes in relation to the F850GS mirror those of its predecessor. The beak is accentuated, the screen is taller with additional side elements, the flanks are deeper and the crash protection is more extensive. The new F850GS has a smaller tank than the…

Little bike, big adventure In December last year, I rented a Honda XR 150 (the largest dirtbike I could find, and nudging a litre in capacity less than my Ducati) and took off on a solo 21-day ride through the highlands and mountains of northern Vietnam. My essential items were: a strong sense of adventure, reliable off-road bike, maps and money. Maps were confusing with no two having the same details like place names. Some roads just didn’t exist, even though I was riding on them. Phone map apps and GPS only provide where you are, not the big picture such as where you have come from and the day’s destination, for that you require a good old-fashioned paper map. Every day was an adventure into the unknown. Regions entered…

RIDER PROFILE Name Chris Dobie Age/weight 50yo/90kg Riding experience A few decades Dream Bike Bimota DB1 I WALKED INTO the garage the other day to ride the KTM Duke 390 to work, when I realised it had been at least two weeks since I’d started any of the other bikes sitting in Gassit HQ. The little KTM has been able to deliver so much riding pleasure, I just didn’t feel the need to jump on anything bigger. That’s not to say I prefer smaller-capacity bikes, during that period I’ve attended a couple of launches for machines that will add a couple of inches to an arm length, but as far as day-to-day urban use goes, LAMS bikes offer a fantastic amount of value – and versatility – for money. As…

Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo is a technical track, the current crop of production superbikes will spend a lot of the lap in second gear, snatching third a few times, and fourth gear as you round the arcing left-hander that leads onto the straight. Down the main chute, fifth gear and and a rapidly approaching 290km/h is what you’re going to get. While Ducati’s new 157.5kW (214hp) V4 engine wrapped in a 195kg (kerb) package may want for something of Phillip Island proportions, there is more to Ducati’s latest offering than just impressive power figures. The technical Valencia circuit is a place where a joyous smorgasbord of electronics and a sweet-handling chassis can be put to the sword – and the all-new Panigale V4 has both of those things in spades.…

Retro is cool right now, but only when it’s done right. And Norton’s Commando 961 California is a two-wheeled equivalent of today’s acclaimed Mini or Fiat’s 500. It’s a properly re-engineered, successful re-interpretation of a classic-era icon, that’s functional, stylish and completely authentic. This year commemorates the original Norton Commando’s decade of production being kickstarted 50 years ago in April 1968, after the iconic twin-cylinder model’s debut in 750cc guise the previous year. To mark the occasion, today’s reborn Norton Motorcycles has introduced a trio of 50 limited-edition bikes based on the existing Commando 961 Sport and Café Racer, as well as adding a third new variant – this California – representing a modern take on bringing yesterday once more to Norton dealerships around the world. This new interpretation of…

Evil was afoot in Europe in 1937. In April, the Spanish town of Guernica was destroyed by Nazi bombers. In September, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini visited Adolf Hitler in Berlin, watched by one million adoring locals. In November, the British government started building air-raid shelters and drew up plans to evacuate London. Most people knew what was coming next. But some people weren’t going to let anything get in the way of their ambitions. While the 1930s were a miserable time for much of the world, the decade was high noon in the race for the motorcycle land-speed record. The record was broken at least 10 times in the course of eight years, changing hands mostly between British riders on JAP V-twins and Ernst Henne on BMW’s new flat-twin. Those…

Anthony West falls into a particular category of motorcycle racers that is so extreme in its modern-day context we could even create a name for it: West-ism. In a more monochrome privateer era, any number of wide-eyed young Aussie hopefuls would go champagne hunting in Europe. They had not much more in their suitcases than a heart full of dreams and a bloody-minded determination that put many of their Eurocentric competitors in the shade. It was not so much going walkabout in Europe as rampage-about. Some, as we know, became legends. Millionaires. Others, the fast-enough, with a decade or two of various trophies and a satisfying career under their belts usually had enough to set themselves up for life back on red Australian soil. So what can we make of…

ONCE UPON a time, two-stroke was king. The undisputed champion of piston power per cubic centimetre. Now, despite road-going two-strokes being as rare as rocking horse spit, and even long out of flavour for some dirtbike makers, two-dingers are still the dogs. Kilowatt for kilogram, they’re still the king and, just in case you missed the memo, King Two Ding never abdicated. Shamed for being overly-noxious and often utterly obnoxious, our smokey sage was all-but banished from two-wheels, instead forced onto sleds and skis to reign over the sea and the snow. It’s saddening to think how many riders have now graduated from grommet to grown-up without ever feeling their bejesus forcibly evicted by the sudden and unexpected SNAP! of a ferocious twoey’s powerband. Is there still time for two-strokes…

NAME HUNTER LAWRENCE AGE 18 CLASS MX2 EVENT ITALIAN MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 1 QUEENSLANDER HUNTER Lawrence has started his 2018 campaign in fine form by taking out the opening round of the MX2 class in the Italian Motocross Championship, held at Riola Sardo, Sardinia, on 4 February. The young Australian talent lost his ride in the world MX2 championship at the end of 2017 following the withdrawal of his factory-backed Team Suzuki squad, paving the way for him to join Honda 114 Motorsports for the 2018 MX season. The four-round Italian series is used as a warm-up for the MXGP season starting in March, after which Lawrence will make the move to the USA, having signed a three-year deal with Geico Honda.…

MOTOGP SERIES PROMOTER Dorna used the Vallelunga Circuit near Rome to unveil the electric-powered motorcycle which will be raced in the newly launched FIM Enel MotoE World Cup from 2019 onwards. Based around the Italian-built Energica Ego roadbike, the MotoE machine boasts 108kW (145hp) of power, it weighs 259kg and is said to be good for a top speed of 240km/h. Made up of 18 entries, the MotoE World Cup will run in conjunction with the MotoGP World Championship, initially at just five of the European rounds, with a view to eventually expand it into a global event. Each of the seven MotoGP independent teams will receive two of the Energica machines, while another four will be provided to any Moto2 or Moto3 team wishing to enter. Races will be…

THE SUCCESSFUL GP Junior Cup is gaining momentum in its second year with the first three rounds confirmed to run in conjunction with selected rounds of the Australian Superbike Championship. The first round will be held with the ASBK’s round two at Wakefield Park over 16-18 March, with rounds two and three slated for the rounds five and six of the ASBK to be held at Queensland’s Morgan Park (17-19 August) and Victoria’s Winton Raceway (7-9 September) respectively. Series promoter Mark Bracks revealed there’s at least three more rounds planned for the 2018 season. “We’re in the final stages of negotiations, but we’re excited about running a round in conjunction with Damian Cudlin’s MotoStars series,” said Bracks. “And we’re looking to implement district meetings in a bid to unify junior…

BY THE TIME Hedge won his first hat-trick in the epic Sydney to Darwin Safari, he was already being referred to as Australia’s Stéfane Peterhansel; something he found a touch cringeworthy. “Back then, all our information about the Paris-Dakar was secondhand hearsay,” Hedge recalls. “Comparing Dakar with the Safari was completely hypothetical; as we later found out.” Hedge’s modesty didn’t prevent him from continually improving the performance of his Honda XR600, winning a second Safari hat-trick between 1994 and 1996. He admits to having some luck along the way, but six wins in seven attempts proved his navigational skills, preparation and mechanical sympathy were second to none. These attributes were underscored when Hedge took what was to be his final Safari ride. Dakar winner Edi Orioli was out early with…

EVEN AFTER THE American icon unveiled its Project LiveWire prototypes in 2014 it was still hard to imagine Harley-Davidson being at the vanguard of the electric bike revolution. But the 115-year-old company has promised a production version will be launched within 18 months. While we’ve had many major bike firms nosing around the electric-bike market over the past few years, and electric prototypes and concepts have been a mainstay at bike shows for ages, we’re yet to see an established company make a serious showroom push for battery-powered machines. Harley’s rival, Victory, came closest when it purchased electric start-up Brammo in 2015 and rebranded its creations as Victory models, only to be closed down by its parent firm, Polaris, in 2017. It’s not clear whether the Brammobased machines will ever…

THE EHRET VINCENT Series C Black Lightning (tested in AMCN) which Aussie Jack Ehret rode to an Australian land speed record of 141.5mph (228km/h) in 1953, is heading home to Australia following its record-breaking auction price of AUD$1.19m at Bonhams Auctions in Las Vegas (AMCN Vol 67 No 15) Sydney motorcycle dealer and racer Ehret purchased the bike in 1952 and was still winning races on it more than four decades later. In 1999, noted Vincent enthusiast Franc Trento purchased the Black Lightning, and preserved the bike in its ‘as used’ condition, which included regular outings at the Broadford Bike Bonanza. The bike left Australia in 2014 headed for France in the hands of collector Nicolas Dourassoff who asked Vincent expert Patrick Godet to recommission it. Dourassoff also made sure…

WORD FROM JAPAN is that Yamaha’s three-wheeled Niken will form the basis of an entire new range of leaning trikes. The MT-09-engined Niken might not be the first bike to use tilting three-wheeled tech, but with 84.6kW (113hp) it’s by far the most powerful take on an idea that’s previously been limited to scooters. It’s also the first from a major manufacturer to incorporate a manual transmission. That means it’s aimed not at new riders looking for an easy commuter, but at established motorcyclists looking for something different. And with twice the front tyre contact patch of a conventional bike, it promises to offer an unprecedented level of exploitable front-end grip, along with all the confidence it offers. Given the Niken’s close tie to the MT-09, it’s no surprise that…

Those of us baby boomers whose highlight of the week was Saturday night at Sydney’s Speedway Royale will well remember the Levy name. International Solo champion Lionel Levy, sidecar star Clarence Levy. And Bob Levy; the only man in history to have enjoyed success at the Royale on two, three and four wheels. Often handicapped to the point where he may well have started from the adjacent Sydney Sports Ground, Bob Levy was the man to beat for more than six years; twice winning both the sidecar Scratch and Handicap pointscores with regular swinger Col Lewis. But Bob was probably best known for winning back-to-back Australian Sidecar Championships as a swinger, before going on to take the hat-trick as a rider. With Mal Byrne in the chair, Levy won many…

THE LETTER FROM Edward Turner’s secretary to Bill Johnson, the West Coast importer of Triumph motorcycles, is tantalisingly brief. Dated 6 October, 1954 and headed Class C Racer, Nancy Plant writes: “Mr Turner has had to go off to a meeting but before leaving he asked me to send you the enclosed specification for the above machine. Would you be good enough to confirm that you are entirely satisfied with this. We shall be preparing for you very shortly a batch of 50.” It may be brief, but the letter gives us a glimpse of the links between Triumph’s Managing Director Edward Turner, his American friend Bill Johnson and the special racers built to take on the might of Harley-Davidson in flat-track racing. Here is how it happened. Class C…

1 MotoGP know how The 90° V4 engine has been derived directly from the Ducati’s MotoGP Desmosedici powerplant. There’s Desmodromic valve control, an 81mm bore (the maximum allowed in MotoGP), a counter-rotating crankshaft, and the 42° rearward banking mirrors the MotoGP bike. 2 Smarty springs The Öhlins semi-active electronic suspension features second-gen Smart Electronic Control system (SmartEC 2.0). In dynamic mode, the system responds to the riding style of the pilot in real time. The level of intervention can also be adjusted. In manual mode, compression, rebound, and damping can be manually set and saved via virtual clicks (32 clicks on the fork legs and 10 for the rear shock). 3 Sticky Bits It’s the first time Pirelli’s new super-sticky Diablo Supercorsa SP tyres have been factory fitted to a…

Standing there looking at it, I honestly don’t know whether to boof it or ride it. If you read my column last issue (AMCN Vol 67 No 15), you’ll know I hold so-called trophy bikes in low regard – bikes are for riding, not staring at. Except, perhaps, anything which rolls out of the MV Agusta factory. I recently had the same struggle with the boof-a-licious Brutale 800 RR (AMCN Vol 67 No 14) and here I am again, staring down a drizzly pitlane at the mesmerising sight of a F3 675 RC, ready for a day at the track. The raw, punch-on attitude of the Brutale is a different breed to this plastic-dipped track refugee though. Where the Brutale wanted to just fight, after blinding you with its prettiness,…

The 13-round FIM Superbike World Championship ends with the Omega round in the desert sands of Qatar in October, but begins with the Alpha round at the seaside right here in Australia in just under 10 day’s time. Phillip Island has hosted more individual WorldSBK races than any circuit in the world (53) and been a permanent fixture on the WorldSBK trail since 1994. And it’s no wonder, everyone loves coming here. The riders, to take on the frightingly fast and varied circuit. The spectators, to watch the close and exciting racing it invariably turns on. The track layout is a natural wonder enhanced by mankind’s inputs. Phillip Island has been the first round on the calendar for more than a decade, to maximise the impact of the event from…

INTAKE SYSTEMS Breathe in… Disco fever As the name suggests, induction timing on disc-valve engines is controlled by a disc. As the disc spins in front of the inlet port, a cut-out in the disc opens and closes the port. The disc is usually mounted on the end of the crankshaft, but in some cases a cut-out section of the crankshaft itself is used as the valve. Like piston-port two-strokes, early disc-valve engines tended to be more abrupt in their power delivery than reed-valve motors (more on those later). However, developments in digital ignition systems and electronic exhaust valves enabled disc-valve motors to regain competitiveness against their reed-valve rivals towards the end of the two-stroke Grand Prix era, helping Aprilia achieve great success with its disc-valve 125s and 250s against…

1. Aussie Jack Miller was fifth fastest every day Jack Miller’s consistency on just his second ride on the Alma Pramac Ducati GP17 was remarkable, with the Australian finishing fifth fastest at the end of each of the three days. Miller matched the pace that Viñales set to top the Sepang test this time last year. Impressive, eh? 2. Yamaha takes two steps back for one step forward Movistar Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales tested a chassis based around the 2016 version of the YZR-M1, while Tech3 star Johann Zarco spent two days trying to make sense of the 2017 version. He’d been quick on it at the Valencia test and was initially fast in Sepang, but his times were inconsistent. By the third day, Zarco was back…

Let battle commence! THE ASBK SEASON will open with three 12-lap races during the Australian round of the World Superbike Championship, and with more entries than spaces on the grid, the qualifying sessions will be scorching as 50 riders (as AMCN went to print) vie for a spot on the 40-place ASBK grid. Joining the Superbikes in the line-up of Aussie supports will be the Supersport, Supersport 300 and YZF-R3 cup all of which also feature full entry lists. The Superbike qualifying will kick off at 1.40pm on Friday 23 February to determine who will make the cut. The first of the three races will be held on Saturday at 4.40pm with the remaining two on Sunday at 11.35am and 4.30pm. THREE-TIME AUSTRALIAN Superbike champ Glenn Allerton topped the first…

YOU’RE GOING TO have to look pretty closely to spot the visual differences between the new 2018 Triumph Speed Triple 1050 models and their predecessors. But those familiar looks belie a host of changes under the skin that should offer a significantly different riding experience. With no fewer than 105 new engine components, both versions of the revamped Speed Triple get a seven per cent power boost, from just under 103kW (138hp) to a fraction over 110kW (148hp), along with a torque increase from 112Nm to 117Nm. More notably, the torque peak drops from 7850rpm to 7150rpm while the power peak rises from 9500rpm to 10,500rpm, along with a 1000rpm hike in the engine’s red line. The broader spread of performance means a racier top-end allied to a more muscular…

WHAT IS SET to be a year-long celebration to mark the 30th anniversary of the World Superbike Championship, kicked off at New Zealand’s annual Pukekohe festival over 3-4 February, and there was a selection of antipodean Superbike Champions on-hand to join in the celebrations. Along with Australia, New Zealand’s Mansfield circuit hosted the final round of the series for the first two years before a calendar reshuffle saw the Kiwi event dropped from the series altogether. Troy Bayliss, the Peter Pan of motorcycle racing, leapt up on stage at the event presentation and poked the president of the New Zealand Classic Motorcycle Racing Register, Ken McGeady, in the bum. “Typical Aussie!” boomed MC Kevin Grant. “It’s underarm all the way!” Tomfoolery aside, Bayliss is looking super fit and was happy…

Sad numbers In your Ed’s Desk (Vol 67 No 14 ) on NSW’s Christmas road toll, you said “motorcyclists were part of that number” when talking about a doubling of overall statistics for this year 2018. Of course they were, but the official stats in the measured period (1/1/2018 to 19/1/18) state there were only two motorcycle fatalities – the same as last year and, in fact, the three-year average is minus two fatalities in 2018. After researching the NSW stats for this period, I sat back thinking, well at least this 2018 period (and 2017) is a better start to the 2016 period with four deaths. Just like you Chris, I too feel saddened each time I hear of another motorcycle fatality. I was wondering whether riders took note…

John started on a mission to build the best Triumph T100/R in the country NOBODY IN THEIR right mind would attempt to build a 1955 T100/R that was correct right down to the last nut and bolt if all they had to start with was a frame and most of an engine. But John Melniczuk did. His father ran New Jersey-based Triumph dealership Bauer Cycles from 1952 to 1983. “Dad used to sponsor some of the faster dirt riders with a loan of a bike and travel money,” recalls John. “I remember the T100/R parked in a corner of the shop when it was pensioned off, Dad took the motor out and used it in a drag bike. But the frame was always lying around. “Then one day the drag…

1 Front Frame WEIGHT CONTROL WOULD have been atop the long list of challenges the engineers faced when they decided to jump from two cylinders to four. Ducati’s Jenny Craig plan included the all-new cast-aluminium Front Frame which weighs just 4kg, replacing the monocoque design of the 1299. It uses the Stradale engine as a stressed member which is also narrow, minimising the additional girth adding two extra pots brings, especially around the tank-seat merge zone. The Front Frame secures directly to the crankcase in front of the forward two cylinders, and to the front of the rear cylinder head. The result is a claimed increase in kerb weight of just 5.5kg from the Panigale 1299 S to the Panigale V4 S (189.5kg to 195kg). However, with a claimed 157.5kW…

1 Reparto Corse What the hell does Reparto Corse mean? And why is it of such significance to MV Agusta that it has made it part of the bike’s moniker – and an up-spec name (RC) at that? As well as meaning ‘racing department’ in Italian, Team MV Agusta Reparto Corse is MV’s race team, partnering with the Vamag team for 2018. The same team ran Leon Camier in WSBK in 2017, the paint scheme of whom is replicated with the 675 RC. The team will run Spaniard, Jordi Torres this year in his place. The star of this story, the MV Agusta 675 RC, will be piloted by Italians Ayrton Badovini and Raffaele de Rosa in the 2018 Supersport World Championship. 2 Electronics The Race Kit ECU allows a…

THE INITIAL COMMERCIAL success of Norton’s first parallel-twin, the Bert Hopwood-designed OHV Dominator, bankrolled the development of the Manx Norton racing singles. It also funded the factory-backed GP team which won three world championships in the hands of Geoff Duke between 1951 and 1952. Though when the singles could no longer compete with the Italian fours, Norton turned its attention to the famed Manx Norton, which in privateer hands formed the bulk of 350/500cc grids during the heyday of the Continental Circus. The Manx’s Featherbed frame came to the street in 1951 with Norton’s 600cc Model 88 Dominator, a new 650cc appeared in 1960, and the twin-carb 650ss in 1961, but a short time later the cost of producing the Manx Norton’s DOHC single-cylinder had become prohibitive. Norton developed a…

AS IS USUAL in any class linked with potential oblivion sometime soon, the entry list for the 2018 WorldSSP championship is strong, bursting with proven podium finishers and featuring a vast array of nationalities. An impossibly dramatic finish to last season, where new world champion Lucas Mahias (GRT Official Yamaha) and nearly world champion (for what would have been the sixth time) Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti) arrived to fight it out carrying injuries, is already legendary. Mahias had a broken wrist on his throttle hand and Sofuoglu a broken pelvis, in several places. Turkish legend Sofuoglu, injured and missing rounds more than once last season, is still the all-time class act to beat for Kawasaki Puccetti Racing. Five titles do not come by accident. But half a dozen riders could…

1 Super Safe Suit Cassons $5999.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassons.com.au The Mugello R D-Air race suit from Dainese is made from kangaroo hide. It has Tri-Axial elastic fabric inserts for comfort and titanium plates on shoulders, elbows and knees. The D-Air airbag now extends down to the ribcage area and there’s an LED intelligent emergency lighting system. Sizes 50-54. 2 Maximum Flip McLeod Accessories From $319.95 (07) 3621 9000 mcleodaccess.com.au The HJC IS-MAX II System helmet features a composite shell with adjustable polycarbonate chinbar. The lightweight lid has a one-touch integrated visor, single button chinbar/face shield release, tool-less shield replacement, ventilation system and removable/ washable cheek pads. Sizes XS-2XL. 3 Carbon Light Moto National $799.95 1300 885 355 motonational.com.au The Airoh ST701 Yellow Gloss Carbon helmet weighs from just 1300g…

TWENTY THREE-TIME Isle of Man TT winner John McGuinness has confirmed his much-mooted switch from Honda to Norton for the 2018 Isle of Man TT, forming a two-rider team alongside Aussie rising TT star Josh Brookes. The move, which brings together two of the biggest names in TT lore, has been rumoured since an image of McGuinness sitting on a Norton SG7 turned up on social media and gained momentum when the longtime Honda rider didn’t renew his contract for 2018. Both McGuinness and Brookesy will compete in the Superbike TT and the blue-riband Senior TT on the British-branded machinery, though it’s unclear at this stage which numbers the pair will run. Former Norton TT rider Aussie Dave Johnson wore the number-one plate on his SG6 in the 2017 event…

I thought it would be a good thing to develop a pathway for Australian riders What prompted you and the team to make the leap to compete in Italy? We just felt like our bikes and riders were competitive enough to compete in Europe. Seeing what riders had to go through to try and find a good stepping stone to race in Europe, I thought it would be a good thing to develop a pathway. When Australians want to make the move, they can now do it with an Australian team – an Australian crew chief, things that would make them feel most comfortable, especially since they are still young. How do you plan around something like this? We wanted to be able to hit the ground running with all…