Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 67 Issue 19 i Australian Motorcycle News

LONG AFTER TRIUMPH’S air-cooled 865cc Bonneville range had been superseded by the latest water-cooled 1200cc and 900cc machines, one bike, the Scrambler, held on, finally being dropped at the start of this year. But now the Scrambler is back, and the all-new model is bigger and faster, based around Triumph’s 1200cc water-cooled engine. The new Scrambler model will be an aggressive, high-spec neo-retro off-roader. And it’s a stunner. Our spy shots show the bike in near-final form. Technical goodies include Ohlins suspension fore and aft, Brembo radial stoppers, and an upside-down fork. The styling addenda includes enough machined and polished aluminium to satisfy the most obsessive detail freak. The 1200cc parallel-twin engine is straight from the existing Bonnie range, although it’s not clear which state of tune it’s in. The…

$3990 That’s the ride away price of Suzuki’s new GSX-R125, which we tested in the last issue of AMCN. The GSX-S125 is $3890. Both were listed as +ORC. 480km/h wild ride Valerie Thompson was well on the way to her 650km/h target on the Lake Gairdner salt when her world turned upside down – literally. Download the app and scan the QR code with your smartphone to see the incredible footage, or google 'Valerie Thompson crash'. TONY SHAKES THE SALT Salt racing newbie Tony Lam (AMCN Vol 67 No 18) has realised his goal of exceeding 200 miles an hour on his modified Kawasaki H2 at the recent Lake Gairdner Speed Week. Lam’s fastest run saw him post a top speed of 328.736km/h (204.267mph), claiming him the self-proclaimed title of…

WITH PETROL-POWERED bikes increasingly being banned from its cities, China could soon become a powerhouse of electric motorcycle development, thanks to government incentive-driven projects. One of the oddities of the Chinese bike market – that the best bikes built often appear first as police or military specification – is because the enormous contracts handed out by the Chinese government can largely fund the development of new bikes for the services to use. Production versions then follow soon after. A recent government tender in China called for the development of new high-performance bikes, with at least 105kW and 120Nm. That tender also included a second request, for an electric bike to be used by motorcades and police forces in cities. What you see here is the submission from Zongshen. Its appearance…

The same charm that served us all well enough in days gone by HANG ON A second, before you go and judge this motorcycle too quickly, it’s important to realise it’s not really aimed at you or me. The new-to-Oz Rumbler 350 is to Royal Enfield what the Street 500 is to Harley-Davidson. It’s a bike Royal Enfield Australia hopes will lure future enthusiasts towards the old-school brand by offering new riders an inexpensive and uncomplicated route into the wonderful world of retro riding. And in a time when there’s money to be made in the old’s-cool way of life, the Rumbler 350 may be just the ticket. It’s retro riding in every sense of the word. Forget the token halogen halo daytime running light or the LED tail light…

THE SV650X STARTED life as a concept model called the SV650 Rally in 2015. It visited all the major shows and Suzuki’s marketing department kept a keen eye on the response. After some fine tuning and a catchy paintjob were added, other subtle touches now work in unison to give the production version its mojo. It starts with the face, where a minimalistic cowl smooths the appearance of the front end. There is no aerodynamic benefit, rather a cosmetic addition that, together with the clip-ons, complete the look. Sure, sit-up-and-beg ’bars would be much more sensible, but the first thing any cool cat would do is rip anything sensible off a bike like this. Hence, clip-ons become cool again. The X has a 500ml-larger tank than the standard SV, but…

Knowing the father helps you know the son. Valentino Rossi’s dad, Graziano, is a former teacher, an intellectual and a hippy. Casey Stoner’s dad, Colin, is an Aussie battler who fought his way up from nowhere, the Stoners against the world. Jorge Lorenzo’s dad, Chicho, is a perfectionist and an obsessive. There’s no doubt Chicho’s son inherited those traits – it’s obvious in the way he rides and in the way he carries himself. Chicho taught Jorge from the age of three with a highly scientific approach. It doesn’t involve tearing around a dirt track faster and faster until you fall off; it demands endless repetition of low-speed riding exercises around cones and go-kart tracks until perfection becomes the rider’s subconscious self. Jorge’s 2015 success was exactly that – seven…

What inspired the company to create such a major motorsport venue? The motivation is inspired by a passionate desire to create a development so unique in Australia that it will propel us deep onto the world stage of motorsport. Australia has produced many world champions and we have the talent to produce many more. The Bend will be very proud to have contributed by providing a proving ground for those aspiring champions to hone their skills in Australia. You started with a blank canvas of land. Talk me through that please. The Bend is very unique; there is no similar development anywhere in the world. As exciting as that may sound, it is a major challenge to attempt to build something for the ‘first time’. We have no benchmarks and…

IN 1961, AFTER a rich and varied history of domestic and international motorsport in South Australia, the focus moved to the decommissioned RAAF base at Mallala. This was converted just in time for the 1961 Australian Grand Prix. Mallala went on to host many Australian motorcycle championship rounds and, following the passing of longtime owner Clem Smith early last year, has been purchased by the developers of The Bend. The common thread thoughout the history of SA motor racing has been the Sporting Car Club of South Australia, which was founded in 1934, and involved in most of these big meetings. In recent years, it has run Adelaide’s Motorsport Festival on part of the old central-city GP circuit. Nicknamed ‘a museum in motion’, the club has ensured motorcycles are a…

 I DIDN’T’ KNOW a great deal about the Kabuto helmet range before attending the Aussie launch of the company’s new Aeroblade 5 helmet late last year. Since then I’ve been putting one through its paces and learning a little more about the Japanese company. What I’ve discovered is that Kabuto has a long history of making a bloody good quality helmet at an attractive price. “The Aeroblade 5 outclasses many others in the same sub-$500 price point” Kabuto’s Aeroblade range is designed primarily for street use, it’s RT33 range has been developed for racing, but I discovered it’s not out of its comfort zone on the track. What we liked The Aeroblade 5 has a sub-$500 price tag, but delivers a product which outclasses many others in the same price…

Much of the ride is on unsealed tracks and, although it is relatively easy going on a dual-sport bike, it is beyond the scope of most roadbikes – although not impossible if you are brave-hearted, foolhardy, or both. It is a great ride through some typical Central West New South Wales scenery; plenty of wildlife and points of interest along the track. Best of all you will find very few other vehicles along most of the route except for the occasional farm ute, or lost tourist. From Wellington, take the highway north from town then turn right towards Gulgong on Goolma Road. The Twelve Mile Road forks to the right after a few kilometres and winds past rural properties as you head east. We like to take the unsealed dirt…

A SUPERB FIVE-RIDER fight for the podium in the early laps of the Chang WorldSSP race was once again something of a Yamaha festival. In a combative 17-lap race, the last corner was most combative of all, as Randy Krummenacher (Bardahl Yamaha) made his WorldSSP return count. He, and now joint series leader Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha), arrived at the exit of the final right-hander on exactly the same asphalt, and hit each other hard. But there was no aggro from runner-up (by only 0.048sec) Mahias, who said: “For me no problem, it’s racing.” Krummenacher’s second career WorldSSP race win came after he had to let the fastest men go at it early on, dropping back to fourth. “In the beginning it was a bit difficult, but we knew that…

AUSTRALIAN RISING TALENT Bill Van Eerde’s international campaign got off to a flying start with a narrow, but very classy, victory in Race 2 of the Asia Talent Cup at the Qatar MotoGP. The Townsville teenager’s first win in the series came after the setback of a heavy high-side crash in free practice. While Van Eerde, 15, was unhurt he was knocked-out in the final corner spill before recovering to finish seventh in Race 1. In Race 2, Van Eerde led the final seven laps of the 14-lapper to hold-off Japanese rider by Haruki Noguchi by just 0.013s. “I’m stoked to get this first win, there were a couple of scary moments, it was a hectic race,” Van Eerde said. “I wasn’t sure I could fight at the front because…

RECENT CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER and double race winner at Phillip Island Marco Melandri had a good first day of practice in Thailand, but it all went wrong for him in race one on Saturday, in hotter conditions. Even on Friday his bike was plainly having issues on the straights, weaving and wobblingly alarmingly. Back then, Melandri thought it was also a factor of the circuit itself, despite suffering some hairy moments during his double winning weekend in Australia. “The straight is very bumpy – wavy more than bumpy – and in those waves the bike is moving,” said Melandri on Friday. “I do not know why. It is not easy and I did not expect it, but it is much easier than PI. And the movement is controllable.” On raceday one,…

KTM’S MARVIN MUSQUIN won round 12 of the AMA Supercross championship in Indianapolis, ahead of Husqvarna’s Dean Wilson to move himself into second place, just 35 points behind series leader Jason Anderson (Husqvarna), who finished fourth. Honda rider Justin Brayton retained the momentum of his first round win in Daytona and backed it up with a third-place finish, which moves the 33-year-old inside the top 10 in the overall standings, in ninth place. Aussie veteran Chad Reed (Husqvarna) finished ninth to move into 15th position overall. In the 250SX category, it was Jeremy Martin (Honda) from Adam Cianciarulo (Kawasaki) and Luke Renzland (Yamaha) who took the round spoils. Husky’s Zach Osbourne’s seventh-place finish was enough to see him retain the overall 250SX lead ahead of Austin Forkner (Kawasaki) and Jordon…

More than one Beast Despite being used as the base for other KTM models such as the 1290 GT and Super Adventure R, the Super Duke 1290 R has only been available in one flavour, but that looks set the change in 2019. Our spied 1290 R has the same WPbranded 48mm fully adjustable fork and rear shock as found on the existing model, but our photographer reported seeing a second bike with a different style of fork. Odds are that at least two variants of the Super Duke will be offered – one with fully adjustable WP kit, and the other fitted with semi-active electronic suspension. A suite of programmable riding aids, including traction control, stability control, cornering ABS and an IMU are sure to be standard fitment across…

KTM IS SET TO massively expand its production capabilities thanks to a new partnership with Chinese company CFMoto. The partnership was first previewed at CFMoto’s annual dealer meeting in December when the covers were taken off the CFMoto V.02 NK concept powered by KTM’s 999cc 75-degree V-twin LC8 engine. The LC8 will be produced exclusively in China from 2020, and power an all-new range of CFMoto models. KTM president Stefan Pierer has also entered into a joint venture with CFMoto owner Lai Guogui that will see the manufacture of KTM’s range of middleweight parallel-twin 799cc LC8c models – including the new 790 Duke – transferred to China from 2020. It’s all part of Pierer’s plan to build 400,000 KTM and Husqvarna motorcycles annually by 2022. The joint-venture company, known as…

IF THIS LEAKED image emerged with claims of being from an American manufacturer, it wouldn’t be too hard to believe. But it’s the next machine to be made by Chinese firm Chongqing. This motorcycle is currently dubbed the CQ800, but that codename could change before production starts. At 800cc, it’s the largest production bike offered by any Chinese firm, and the latest in a trio of 800cc V-twin cruisers, joining the 2016 Motrac 800V concept and the unnamed cruiser that emerged on the website of engine-builder Gaokin Industry. All three share the same Gaokin-made engine and an identical chassis. They also appear to bear the stylised ‘M’ badge of Motrac, suggesting they will be marketed under the Motrac name. The Gaokin engine makes a claimed 45kW at 6000rpm and 75Nm…

There’s the bikes I’ve never stopped regretting selling because the affinity was so deep Cheese cutter concern I’ve just returned from a cruise along the Hume and fell into disbelief at the amount of Wire Rope Barrier (WRB) VicRoads is erecting. Soon it will be wall to wall cable from Melbourne to Albury. I heard a VicRoads spokesman say on the local radio that VicRoads is going to install 20,000km of WRB across Victoria, and it presents no threat to motorcyclists. Of course, it doesn’t – if you don’t run into it! If there is no threat, then why has VicRoads put infill under the barrier to stop motorcyclists from hitting the support posts? We rode in Italy a few years ago and the only thing between us and the…

THE PRICE RIVAL It’s easy to see you’re buying into the culture of the Royal Enfield brand when you’re handing over hard-earned for a rather rudimentary Rumbler 350. Look at bikes in the same price category and you realise there’s way more technologically advanced machinery around for more-or-less the same money. But with a richer heritage? Probably not. Kawasaki’s new-for-2018 Ninja 400, for example, with its ABS, downdraft fuel injection, fancy instrument cluster and LED lighting all round is the perfect example of modern bike almost the same money can buy ($7690 ride away). But a hipster head, it will not turn. THE FAMILY RIVAL If there’s one thing cooler than old-school, it’s when old school is just too cool for school. In 350cc Royal Enfield circles, that’s the Classic…

Rodger Freeth was a multiple New Zealand champion who could win on anything. Born in Picton, a town on New Zealand’s South Island, on Christmas Eve in 1953, a Suzuki 150 would become Freeth’s first motorcycle when he was 17 years old. His first race came just 19 months later on a Triumph T500 and it took the Kiwi just a few years to earn his first national title during the 1975/’76 season, when he won the NZ Open Production Championship. Freeth raced a number of big-bore production bikes during the following years, including in the prestigious Castrol 6 Hour. Showing versatility while studying at university, he was NZ Open Racing Champion in 1976/77 (Suzuki TR500) and 1977/78 (Yamaha). He picked up the NZ Open TT and Senior TT trophies…

Phillip Island, Australia’s longest motorcycle racing circuit, is loved by racers and spectators alike. It is a fast, undulating and flowing track that encourages close racing. At 4.445km in length, it has 12 turns. The Bend’s ‘International’ circuit, host of the upcoming ASBK-Asia Championship, is also fast and undulating, and is 500 metres longer. It has 18 turns. Aussie Superbikes circulate PI in the low-1m30s bracket, with 1m32s the current lap record. South Australian-based Yamaha Racing Team rider Daniel Falzon estimates The Bend will take about 15 seconds longer, and riders will still hit more than 290km/h down the main straight. AMCN was granted a world-first preview of the circuit, so YRT’s ASBK star Daniel Falzon grabbed his 2017 Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike while AMCN’s Old School columnist Hamish Cooper dusted…

 SUZUKI’S FIRST BANDIT models were versatile 250cc and 400cc nakeds launched in the late ’80s. Larger-capacity versions followed in the mid-’90s. The lovely big engine will seamlessly, smoothly and very rapidly transport you from 100km/h to 230-plus The ‘Big Daddy’ version, the air/oil-cooled Suzuki GSF1200, arrived in 1996. Its stunning big-bore performance made it a pioneer of the muscle-bike category, perhaps contributing to the model’s ‘hooligan’ reputation. While its successor, the Suzuki GSF1250 Bandit launched in 2007, gave away nothing in performance and was still a bargain in ‘bang for bucks’ terms, it was a more refined motorcycle. The new Bandit, a heavily revised bike, is powered by an all-new liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 1255cc engine. Although the power and torque figures for the new engine were close to identical to those…

WE HAVE BEEN clocking up more kilometres in the Toyota Fortuner, getting a feel for not only how it performs as a tow vehicle, but also what it’s like as a family workhorse. It’s entry-level price means it has hard plastics on the interior, a split key/central-locking button set up and a CD player. On the plus side, it’s got a chill box, seven-inch touchscreen with basic multimedia and Bluetooth, but no Sat Nav. You are also getting Toyota’s legendary reliability and build quality for just $44,590 (or $42,590 for the manual). The Fortuner feels like a proper 4WD should, and like its Hilux brethren, it could go just about anywhere. Our most recent towing duties saw us head to Goulburn, and while the four-cylinder 2.8-litre turbo diesel would have…

DUCATI IS POISED to confirm it will keep Australian MotoGP rider Jack Miller in the Ducati’s clutches for next season, exercising their option on the Aussie for 2019 when he will be joined in the Pramac squad by Italian young-gun Francesco Bagnaia. The yet-to-be announced deal means Miller will be upgraded to a GP19 with full-factory support, the level enjoyed by current teammate Danilo Petrucci. Ducati has signed Bagnaia, a product of the VR46 Academy, for two years from 2019. “99.9 per cent our plan is for Jack and Bagnaia to be teammates next year, it would take something exceptional for this not to happen,” Ducati’s sporting director Paolo Ciabatti told AMCN. “Jack will have a GP19 and factory support in Pramac. We will exercise Jack’s option at the proper…

REIGNING WORLD MX champ Antonio Cairoli took two wins from two starts during the Spanish Grand Prix at Valencia over 24-25 March. Cairoli’s Red Bull KTM teammate took a pair of second-places during the third round, while Yamaha’s Romain Febvre and Husqvarna’s Gautier Paulin shared a third-place finish a piece. It was Monster Kawasaki’s Clement Desalle who would take third overall for the round, however, after a pair of fourth-place finishes proved more consistent. “I am really happy about the weekend, we are still searching for the best bike set up but we are going the right way and we made some good changes,” Cairoli said. “Everything went well here in Spain, it is my 84th GP win so it is very nice and the season is going really good…

COREY TURNER continued his strong conversion to Suzuki machinery, taking out three races and the round in the Northstar Yamaha Formula 1 class held at Morgan Park Raceway over 24-25 March. Turner was up against solid competition from fellow GSX-R1000R-mounted Mitchell Paynter who won the opening race of the weekend. Paynter is using the club fixtures to prepare for the Morgan Park ASBK round in August, saying, “Racing this weekend was always going to be tough against Corey (Turner) and Ryan (Yanko). Both Corey and I exchanged some good pace, and I’m very happy with the result considering I haven’t been able to experience the ASBK paddock with the new Suzuki GSX-R. “The weekend was a nice breakthrough for myself, XXX Rated Suspension and the Elite Motorcycles GSX-R 1000 and…

Suzuki has revealed its interest in reusing the Katana name SUZUKI APPEARS SET to resurrect the famous Katana name, having reapplied for a trademark on the Katana name and logo in America. There’s a strong chance its plans are to apply the name to the upcoming production version of the Recursion concept bike. That turbocharged parallel twin was originally shown at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, powered by a 588cc SOHC engine making around 100hp. However, in 2015 Suzuki revealed the near-production version of the engine, reworked with DOHC cylinder heads and a capacity of about 700cc. That should push its performance up quite significantly, probably to around the 150hp mark. The production version of the bike is expected in 2019, carrying the title GSX700T. The ‘GSX’ bit refers to…

More power than passion Do you remember the first ride of a motorised two-wheeler you ever had? Do you remember how exciting it was? Did you consider it a bit of a bore because there were faster bikes in the world? Of course not, what nonsense! If the claim Chris Dobie made in his Ed’s Desk column The buzz of electric (AMCN Vol 67 No 17) that most of us ride bikes because of performance, then our dream garage would contain only one bike – the fastest. As far as I’m concerned, there’s a joy to be had in simply riding and all the more so when the bike is one that you feel an affinity with, don’t get me wrong, any day that accommodates the odd 160km/h wheelie or…

IN THE 1950S, people had a glassy-eyed vision of the coming millennium. They imagined a jumpsuit-clad future propelled by sleek, metallic, rocket-shaped cars and bikes to zoom around in. But we’re here now, and instead we ended up with the Yamaha TDM900. It’s not fair. But Singapore’s Bandit9 aimed to change that with its latest build, the Honda-based L•Concept, a motorcycle that blends retro futurism with incredible design engineering. The L•Concept is the next logical step for Bandit9, who has produced some of the most awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, genre-bending bikes we’ve seen. If you’ve missed Bandit9’s prior work, it’s so named because it produces a limited run of nine motorcycles of each of its designs. Output is exclusive and always different and the L•Concept is no exception. “It’s loosely based around…

If you are in the market for a motorcycle that boasts an extra bit of pizazz – that wow factor – then it’s generally the European brands that will accommodate. The Euros have a flair that the Japanese can’t often match; they add personality to their machines virtually every time. Sure, the big four Japanese brands make reliable and well-made bikes that perform great, but they tend to lack that something. Bikes like a KTM, Ducati or Aprilia just have that ‘I want to own you’ feel. What chance do the Japanese have? They have been trying, upping their efforts in the quest to build more than just the perfect motorcycle. In Suzuki’s case, it has achieved brilliant results from a platform that started life at the turn of the…

You turn off the main highway from Melbourne and drive towards a huge building with a tower and viewing platform. Outside is enough tarmac parking for several thousand cars. First impressions are that you have entered an airport terminal and this seems to be confirmed as you walk into a cavernous foyer entrance. Walls of glass draw you to the eastern side and you half expect to see runways and passenger planes. Instead you look across a kilometre-long 300km/h main straight disappearing into the distance and realise that there are many more kays of race track in front of you. Walk or take a lift one level upstairs to the main viewing platform and you can see 90 per cent of what is the world’s second-longest permanent racing circuit. Only…

IT’S NOT HARD to find an Ixon-clad rider on the grid of WSBK or ASBK, so when I mentioned to the team at Ficeda that I was heading to Queensland to test the new Kawasaki Ninja 400 they said they had just the thing for me to look the part – I didn’t know they meant part of the factory team. Ixon’s leather Vortex suit is the latest offering from the French company. My maiden test saw it face cold, rain and heat in one day, so I already have a good base to work from for my full product test review which will appear in an upcoming issue of AMCN. $1199.95 (02) 9827 7561 www.ficeda.com.au…

1 Cool Head Cassons From $749.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassons.com.au The Arai XD4 helmet has a new shell shape for optimum aerodynamic stability and maximum airflow. It has peel-away temple pads for a tailored fit, removable/ washable liner, large peak and Pinlock provision on the visor. It comes in various designs in sizes S-2XL. 2 Laser Check AMC $1462 (07) 5451 8733 amcmotorcycles.com The HealTech Electronics Rapid Laser from Australian Motorcycle Components is a cost effective frame and chassis check-up tool for workshops, race teams and dealers. It detects misalignments of suspension components and can reveal hidden frame damage in a fast and precise manner. 3 Adventure Hoops McLeod Accessories From $179.95 (f) (07) 3621 9000 mcleodaccessories.com.au The new Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A41 uses multi-compound layer technology for grip in…

THE ATTRACTIVE FACTORY- backed Honda seat currently occupied by Dani Pedrosa – who has gone 12 seasons without a MotoGP title – is being openly sought by both the fast-learning Frenchman Johann Zarco, as well as the HRC-contracted LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow. Crutchlow made his opening play with fourth place in the Qatar GP, crossing the line two spots ahead of Pedrosa on the factory Honda RC213V. A bullish Crutchlow said he would be “absolutely disappointed” if he did not get the factory Repsol Honda slot if Pedrosa is not retained by the championship-winning squad, while Zarco’s stunning pace makes him hot property. Zarco will also have chances at an ambitious Suzuki with their inline four-cylinder bike becoming a mirror image of the Yamaha YZR-M1, on which the Frenchman…

AUSSIE BRITISH SUPERBIKE hopeful Josh Brookes ended the final pre-season test eighth fastest behind JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider Leon Haslam at Donington Park this week. Brookes, who narrowly missed out on his second British Superbike title last season, has swapped his Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha for the factory-supported McAMS Yamaha for the 2018 season and finished the rain-hampered test as the quickest Yamaha. Riding the same make and model machine he won his 2015 BSB title aboard, Brookesy’s best lap was some 8.5sec quicker than his Superbike rookie teammate Tarran McKenzie who finished the test 54th in the field of 56 riders across both the Superbike and Superstock classes. Aussie Jason O’Halloran finished 14th overall on his factory Honda Racing CBR1000RR, while South Australian Billy McConnell was the fifth quickest…

BSI SPEEDWAY MANAGING director Torben Olsen has confirmed the Australian round of the 2018 SGP world championship has been officially scratched. Etihad Stadium’s website hasn’t made mention of the event all this year, and while the Speedway Grand Prix’s official site had the Aussie round as TBC, the FIM made no mention of Melbourne. Despite Aussie Jason Doyle claiming his maiden SGP world title on home shale in October, spectator attendance was low and reports that crowd numbers had gradually dwindled since the series first appeared Down Under in 2015 wasn’t helping the cause. It’s not all bad news, however, with BSI teaming up with Paul Sergeant Events, the mob (and man) instrumental in bringing the series to Australia in 2015 after its 13-year hiatus. “We are confident that we…

AMERICAN DRY-LAKE racer Valerie Thompson broke her own speed record to become the fastest woman in the world on a motorcycle, when she recorded a 328.467mph (528.616km/h) run in her three-litre V4 streamliner at Australia’s Speed Week and World Speed Trials events held at Lake Gairdner over 17-19 March. Aiming to break the outright land-speed record of 376.36mph (605.697km/h) set by the twin Hayabusaengined ‘Ack Attack’ in Bonneville, Utah, almost eight years ago, Thompson’s plight was hampered by a frighteningly fast crash at over 550km/h on the South Australian salt, from which she remarkably escaped unhurt. “Our trip to Australia had a wonderful beginning and a rather tragic end,” she wrote on social media. “We set a new record of 328.467mph during the Dry Lake Racers Australia Speed Week event…

AS WELL AS running the Southern Downs Road Race series, The Motorcycle Sportsmen of Queensland also conduct Supermoto meetings held at Carnell Raceway, Stanthorpe. The latest event, the Stanthorpe Supermoto of Champions, was run on 10-11 March which saw Andrew McLiesh take a clean sweep of all six races in the Open class. In the Pro class Ben Attard almost accomplished the same result, taking five race wins with McLiesh the only other winner. Darren Webb was the victor in the Veteran class with other class winners being Nick Hallas (Clubman), John Lytras (Junior) and Harrison Voight (Junior Lites).…