Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 66 Issue 04 i Australian Motorcycle News

EVER SINCE ITS 2008 rebirth, Norton has built itself around a Commando range that can trace its heritage back to the original 60s machine. But it has finally announced plans to unveil new models worthy of carrying the Norton name into this century. The headline machine is a 1200cc, V4-powered superbike, using an engine specifically developed for the firm rather than the Aprilia V4 that’s powered the company’s TT racers for the last few years. Expected to make at least 200bhp (149kW) – a figure that should be easily within reach given the bike’s 200cc capacity advantage over most of its rivals – the V4 engine has been under development for several years already. The first bike to carry it will be a limited-edition superbike that’s due to make its…

Wheelie stupid Hi Chris, I recently went to the Australian Supermoto Championships in Mareeba, near Cairns, just to spectate. It’s a fair trip from Mount Gambier in SA, but I like to watch bikes sliding and wheelying, always have. I was simply stunned. Excellent display of riding talent, but imagine my shock when I hear that when an above average rider celebrates a race win with a wheelie, Motorcycling Australia respond by issuing the rider a $100 fine? I watch moto for the wheelies and slides. Exceptional talent is required for good wheelies, and race wins. They should be celebrated, not banned. Can’t wheelie on the road, can’t wheelie after a race win that’s just proved you have above average riding ability? What a joke. Am I out of touch…

AUSTRALIANS, LIKE OUR American and British brethren, are spoilt for choice when it comes to buying and customising bikes. We’re lucky enough to have global access to virtually any bike we desire. But spare a thought for those riders living in Asia and South America that don’t have that luxury. For whatever nutso reasons their governments or the manufacturers may have, checking out the top speed on a bling Hayabusa down the local village’s main road and/or dirt track just isn’t possible. Go figure. But bike customisers are a determined bunch – put them on an island with nothing but a BMX and an outboard motor and you can guarantee what will happen next. So it should come as no surprise when we see plenty of quality, smaller capacity custom…

Low-down grunt Increased low-rpm torque in the V7 II was achieved via revamped Heron-type cylinder heads and pistons. The combustion chamber is recessed in the piston crown, improving combustion and fuel economy. The heads are machined flat to deliver a 10.5:1 compression ratio, each with two parallel valves matched to a single Dell’Orto throttle body feeding both cylinders via twin injectors. There’s a single camshaft at the base of the cylinder vee, with threaded adjusters on the rocker arm, while the ECU has been refined for a friendlier throttle response. Dirty rubber We know, the modern breed of scramblers are generally better suited to riding down to the local café than riding down a dirt trail. Although the original Stornello 125 Regolarità was used in the ISDT in the sixties,…

 As AMCN went to press, Braaap was serving a suspension of Identification Plate Approvals and a recall for the Moto3. This is just a small part of the trouble which Braaap’s owner and management has found itself in lately. But that's a story for the news, not a bike review. Quality control is an issue which needs some serious attention Braaap's Moto3 certainly seems relatively inexpensive, but it’s important to know why this is so to work out whether it's actually good value. The Moto3 is less complex than the other bikes, with a carburettor fed air-cooled single-cylinder engine, and has cheaper OE parts such as tyres, chain, and so on. Quality control is an issue that needs some serious attention on these Chinese-built machines. Our test bike suffered constant…

 AMCN's team are very familiar with KTM’s racy little RC390. We’ve had one as our extra-long long-termer since 2015, and recently I’ve raced it in the ASBK production championship. Like most bikes penned for KTM by design house Kiska, the RC has looks you either love or hate. The same can be said for the bright orange livery for which KTM is synonymous. The one thing about the KTM which galvanised opinions among our test team was that little bike with the KTM’s ace card is its light weight and narrow-profile single-cylinder engine (t)horny looks was an absolute hoot to ride. With very little in terms of kW power to split the bikes other than the Braaap, the KTM’s ace card is its light weight and narrow profile. This is…

A Tidy Rear End Kenma Australia $129 1800 251 145 kenma.com.au Want to give your LAMS bike that full-on racer look? Oggy Knobbs has developed a fender eliminator to suit the Kawasaki Ninja 300 and Z300 models. The plug and play fitment is straightforward with no need to cut wires or drill holes and the fender eliminator is completely legal when fitted using the OEM lamps. Fitted All Round Ficeda Accessories $249.95 (02) 9827 7561 ficeda.com.au Sartso 360 Brown Stretch Cotton pants are constructed with a cotton drill and are are aimed at novice or experienced riders in the 18-45 age bracket. The feel is fitted but they have room in the areas that need it when on the bike. They feature four-second Kevlar, hip and knee armour pockets and…

THE BEST PART about owning a Harley-Davidson is that your bike is your bike, and it will be unlike any other one out there. You can turn up to your local show ’n’ shine event and not see another one that matches it. That’s because Harley-Davidson has a history of offering riders like you and me a blank canvas to work on from the start, kind of like the ones Pablo Picasso used. You can dress it up or dress it down, make it semi-casual or black tie ... the choices are endless. The Harley-Davidson parts and accessories catalogue really does have something for everyone and leaves the owner spoilt for choice – even if you’re just selecting a black gloss, it feels like there are about 300 different options…

Troy Herfoss “ITS HARD TO describe how good a weekend it was for me. I think it’s the first time I have done this in my career – track record, lap record, pole position and two race wins! It’s a bit like I have got the monkey off my back with the two race wins as I have had opportunities to do it in the past at Wakefield and Winton but have found a way to screw it up. Today was just unbelievable, the way the team worked and the way the bike worked. It was a weekend where everyone felt good, and it all just came together. You have to make the most of those weekends, and we go to Winton now with just a seven-point deficit which is…

Rookie Joan Mir (Leopard KTM) took a career-first pole at the expense of a hitherto dominant title leader Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM), who complained his fast lap had been blocked, and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Honda). They finished a typically frantic race in exactly the same order, after plenty more banging and shoving in the closing laps. The three of them had done most of the leading, and Binder most of that, but it was typical Moto3, with plenty of shuffling, and both Fabio Quartararo (Leopard KTM) and Philipp Öttl (Schedl KTM) taking turns up front. The lead group was still 10-strong as they approached half distance, but thereafter the five of them broke clear and duked it out to the finish. Binder looked the strongest, but the track’s layout…

THE ICONIC BRANDS Hatch circuit saw Round 7 of the British Superbike Series reward Aussie riders with mixed results. After two slow starts, championship leader Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne took out both races on his Ducati from Leon Haslam’s Kawasaki. Early race leader Jason O’Halloran hung on to finish fourth in Race 1 on his Honda, and then finished on the podium after the safety-car interrupted race 2. Michael Laverty’s BMW dropped its guts on the track so the safety car was despatched while the oil was cleaned up. Byrne (231), Haslam (206) and O’Halloran (175) lead the 2016 BSB title chase with two rounds remaining before the start of the three-round Shootout. After a fall in practice, Broc Parkes claimed fourth in qualifying and sixth in the first race, but…

VINTAGE TRAIL RIDERS (VTR) is currently one of Australia’s fastest growing clubs. After just two years, there are already over 180 members, a statistic of which any club would be proud. Currently, seven events are held each year between March and September, all across NSW. VTR events are keeping alive the conventional style of technology from the golden days of enduro and trail bikes. Machines must be 25 years of age or older, have no rear disc brake or USD fork, must have a headlight and be sufficiently well muffled to meet MNSW GCRs. To ride at these events, a competition or recreational licence is required. Club president Dennis Myers is really happy with the way the club is growing, with the focus of events more on fun than competition:…

 WHEN HORSHAM’S JOSH “I was offered a great deal via Husqvarna Australia and just couldn’t say no” McLean decided 2015 was the year he would jump ship from motocross and inject a little tar into his life by chasing his supermoto dream, it was obvious his dirt-track riding skills would be of some assistance. However, he has surprised even himself at how well he has adapted. In his first year, McLean finished second in the state championships and fifth in the national titles. Buoyed by his success, he embarked on a shoestring-budget trip to California earlier this year for an attack on the opening round of the prestigious AMA Supermoto National Championship. Riding a borrowed bike McLean claimed a fourth place in the opening race of the two-race round. He…

Take III Indian Motorcycle Australia has released the third in a series of locally inspired Scout Limited Edition models, this one called Mk III. Differentiating it from the standard bike is black wire wheels, a solo seat, pinstriping on the the tank as well as gold-coloured Indian decals in script font. Only 10 examples exist and they carry a $4000 price premium over the stocker, taking its ride away price to $21,695. AGO AFICIONADO? In which year did Giacomo Agostini win his last GP and what kind of bike was he riding? You’ll find the answer on page 58 . SIX That’s how many land speed world records a certain long-time AMCN correspondent holds. Find out about his other exploits on page 66 . Is that you? Does…

MV teases all-new F4Z ON 4 SEPTEMBER, MV Agusta is planning to announce its future plans, new investment and an all-new bike – the F4Z. MV and Italian car styling firm Zagato both tweeted a teaser image, giving the date of 4 September 2016 and showing a strange-looking, computer-generated image of a bike. More recently, a mysterious video has been released – check it out at www.amcn.com.au. The images have the look of a concept bike rather than a production-ready machine, with details such as exhausts seemingly embedded in the fabric seat. Outlines, close-ups and silhouettes in the video show a streamlined bike with a tubular trellis frame, curvaceous solo seat and DZUS fasteners on the bodywork. Details include exquisite styling and engineering on the components of what is apparently…

2016 Ducati Sixty2 The Sixty2 is 404cc shy of the other five models in Ducati's newly released Scrambler range, but perfectly suited to the massive LAMS market in Australia. The name Sixty2 is a nod to the original Scrambler that was released in 1962, but thanks to its modern oversquare design this reincarnation boasts a far higher RPM ceiling than the early models. Ducati has also seriously scaled up its parts catalogue for the latest generation with over 50 accessories available to for buyers who want to customise their ride. What it’s got The Ducati Sixty2 is powered by a liquid-cooled, four-stroke, V-twin 399cc, fuel-injected engine with SOHC and two valves per cylinder. Power runs through a six-speed constant mesh gearbox. The front suspension is a non-adjustable 41mm Showa fork…

The MT bloodline needed a big daddy – a true leader In 2014 Yamaha pulled the covers off the MT-09 in what was arguably the pinnacle launch of the MT (aka Monster Torque) range thus far. Nearly every year since – even multiple times a year – the company has added to the MT line-up to create one big family. From the moment a new rider swings a leg over a LAMS-approved MT model, Yamaha is attempting to build brand loyalty, with the ultimate goal of keeping the rider in the fold by offering model step-ups as both their skill and desire increase throughout their riding life. Until now the MT-09 was the top of the tree with its 847cc three-cylinder engine. And while it is a fantastic motorcycle in…

 I was fortunate enough to ride the roads that make up the proposed Sunshine TT course as part of the MT-10 launch. The 47km route is situated around Maleny and includes a run up Bald Knob Road (yes, you can laugh). Parts of the course are quite tight, especially up Bald Knob, but it does have faster sections too. Most of these proposed events pop up from time to time and then disappear, as they never get approved, and the organisers have their work cut out for them to get this one up and running. But good luck to them, and if it does get the go ahead they can count on me as a spectator. has the habit of bringing out your inner hooligan If you’re interested in the…

THE ORIGINAL MOTO Guzzi Stornello debuted late in 1959 in 125cc guise, and went on to become one of the Italian factory’s best-selling models, remaining in production until 1974. The Stornello’s design was entrusted to Guzzi’s famous chief engineer Giulio Cesare Carcano, creator of the firm’s famed 500cc V8 GP racer and its multi-world champion ultra-lightweight 250/350 singles. The Stornello was Carcano’s first streetbike design, and its pushrod OHV wet-sump engine with four-speed transmission featured a single air-cooled cylinder inclined forward by 25°. It produced 5.2kW at 7200rpm, delivering a top speed of 100km/h. The twin-loop, open cradle tubular steel frame was eventually entirely robot-welded – the first time this technology was used in the Italian motorcycle industry. The Stornello quickly proved successful, first as a practical everyday bike, then…

For more than 35 years we have lived vicariously through the exploits of ‘Sir’ Alan Cathcart while he travels the world to sample the most exhilarating motorcycles ever built. But all the while his identity has remained somewhat of a mystery, concealed behind a set of Kushitani leathers and his trademark Arai helmet emblazoned with the Union Jack. We decided it was time to find out more about the enigmatic moto-journalist’s life, and discover how he made a career from riding factory racebikes and one-off custom builds. Okay, let’s get it out of the way – were you really knighted? (Laughs) Unfortunately not! The title is purely honorary and it was dreamt up by Grant Leonard, the Editor of Superbike magazine in the UK around 1990. The first time I…

 In a class all of its own in the supersport world, Honda's CBR500RA bridges the gap between the gaggle of bikes gathering loosely around 300cc and 600cc capacity marks. It also fills a gap in the market price wise, and this may be where Honda have pulled a very smart move. The Honda’s two-grand premium over a Yamaha R3 or KTM RC390 may seem a little steep for a mere extra 150cc and 98cc respectively, but I think the buyer who gravitates toward the CBR will already have prepared their justification for a higher budget. To me, the CBR seems to be the bike here most likely to be bought as a long-term keeper, rather than just something to ride out your learner licence restrictions on. I can also see…

 To motorcycling newbies, Yamaha's latest supersport model will just seem like a flashy new challenger to the long-standing class-leading Ninja 300. But for us who've been around the block a couple of times, the sharp looking red, white and black pocket rocket is a welcome return for Yamaha to a market it has conquered before, albeit in the two-stroke era. Yes indeed, the YZF-R3 has a little bit of the RZ350 allure about it for any red-blooded girl- and boy-racers with an L plate fresh off the press. Even our real life learner was seduced into pushing his limits The R3 projects the image of Yamaha's proud racing heritage, with the colour options mimicking some of their most recognised team liveries. How about a Yamaha 60th anniversary special edition in…

When I park my bike, should I leave it in neutral or first gear? Gowen Getter, NSW I like to leave it in gear. That way every time I cimb aboard, I pull in the clutch, kick the thing in the guts and mono away, impressing the girlies. Can I do a trackday on my Ls? It would be a top way to learn, surely. Con Fused, Vic Some trackdays might let you ride with your Ls and a one-day rec licence. And, if you’re the sorta bloke that doesn’t mind lookin’ like a tool, and I think you just might be Con, make sure you’re wearing your fluoro vest. People tell me that you’re supposed to nod at other riders when they pass you on the road, but I’m…

TALL BLOKES OFTEN struggle to find a perfect partner, but from the moment I threw my leg over the Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally I knew we were meant for each other. A sweet sounding 1179cc V-twin engine, 114Nm of torque, plenty of luggage carrying capacity and a good stretch to reach to ground – what’s not to love? Unfortunately, our time together was all too brief and the big yellow beauty has now been returned to Aprilia. The Rally may be the off-road orientated sibling in the Caponord 1200 family (to see its dirt credentials seriously put to the test, check out Youngy’s review in AMCN Vol 65 No 15) but the Rally shouldn’t be overlooked by those wanting more of a straight tarmac tourer. The 19-inch and 17-inch spoked…

AUSTRALIA’S FINEST YOUNG talent was on show at Morgan Park Raceway with 2016 World Supersport rookie Lachlan Epis (Response RE/Blue Tongue Finance/Shock Treatment/Race Dynamics) taking advantage of the mid-season break in the big league to join local up-and-comers Sam Clarke (Banham WA Racing), Troy Guenther (Graffiti Alley Racing/YRD/Link/Motosure/ RaceArt Australia/RST/Arai) and Luke Mitchell (JNL Racing Yamaha/Maxima Racing Oil/TRD/Duspeed/Earmold Racing Oil) in giving us a knock-down drag-out Supersport battle where the only consistent podium finisher was series leader Clarke. In qualifying, Mitchell and Clarke swapped lap records with Mitchell finally taking out pole position, a bonus point and the record from Clarke by 0.237 seconds. And it was tight at the top, with Guenther just a further 0.03 seconds back. Then they took it to the track! In Race 1 Mitchell…

THE RED BULL Ring took just two practice sessions to oust Phillip Island as the fastest track on the MotoGP calendar, by a handsome five km/h, with more to come as Friday’s cold conditions gradually improved. Speed and danger were a talking point, with the proximity of the barriers and a dearth of gravel traps identified as issues. After a relatively slow first session, Iannone’s Ducati set the fastest lap of qualifying at an average of 186.9km/h, outranking Phillip Island’s best-ever lap (set by Lorenzo) at 182.1km/h. Dovi said that he felt every km/h of it, “especially because the guardrail is very close on the straights. The maximum speed is not so high here, but you are on full throttle and with our bike when you are on full throttle…

MILLER SUFFERED THREE crashes at the Red Bull Ring, and while crash number two during qualifying was a spectacular highside, it was a bruising crash number three during the race-day warm-up that forced him onto the sidelines. “I hit the bump on the inside of Turn 8 and the tyre bounced,” Miller said. “I tucked the front and slid down the track, but when I hit the gravel I started going arsehole over elbow. “I landed really hard and I was winded. It was unbelievable, and I didn’t start breathing properly until I was in the hospital.” The accident caused a hairline fracture to Miller’s T6 vertebra as well as a fracture of the radius bone (right wrist), and painful swelling to his previously fractured lower right leg, putting him…

DIRT TRACK HAS seen a real resurgence of late, and this has been reflected in the numbers that have shown up at the meetings. This year’s Australian Dirt Track Championship attracted more than 100 of the country’s best junior competitors and in excess of 130 seniors. Seniors The Senior Championships was staged at the picturesque Barleigh Ranch Raceway in Eagleton, NSW, in near perfect weather conditions on 13-14 August. Luke Richards took out dirt track’s premier national title, the Pro 450, in emphatic style. From the moment the gate dropped there was little doubt his Dr Mak fettled Chris Watson Motorcycles CRF450 Honda would power him to the finish line for the victory. His long sweeping slides had the crowd on their feet – it was a legendary ride and…

AMERICAN GREG HANCOCK became the sixth different winner in as many rounds when he claimed the Swedish Speedway Grand Prix. Racing commenced at 10am on Sunday morning (14 August) at the Malilla track after the scheduled Saturday night staging was rained out. Following 36 attempts, this was the first ever SGP victory for Hancock in the country that he calls home for half of every year. Now with SGP wins in 11 different countries across his glittering career, he has opened up the biggest title lead so far this year. It wasn’t all bad news for Australian duo Jason Doyle and Chris Holder as both made the final, with Doyle now sitting equal second in the championship chase while Holder moved from seventh to fifth overall amid some significant movement…

For bikes that were once on the bleeding edge of motorcycle technology, it’s a sad state of affairs COINCIDENCE? Despite the imminent application of the new rules, there have been no spy pictures or major rumours of new 600cc bikes from any manufacturer. IF YOU’D SUGGESTED a decade ago that the 600cc supersport market was living on borrowed time you’d have been laughed out of the room, or worse. Back in 2006, sales were on a high that had been consistent since the early 1990s. Who could forget the launch of the screaming new R6 – the first bike to claim 200hp-per-litre, the first bike to have ride-by-wire ... all eyes were on how Yamaha’s competitors would react. The supersport arena was the most hotly contested in the worldwide bike…

WHILE GUY MARTIN is at the Bonneville salt flats stealing the world record-setting headlines with his high-tech carbon-fibre turbocharged streamliner, a fellow by the name of Eddie Braun is getting his low-tech steam-powered Evel Knievel on – and hoping for a particular world record of his own. This page is normally reserved for revolutionary technology carving out new ground in motorcycle circles, but the idea of a bloke going around in circles and carving the very same hole in the ground Evel Knievel did when his Skycycle X-2 fell out of the sky in 1974, piqued our interest so much, we had to run with it. Get this: 42 years after Evel Knievel failed spectacularly at his attempt to clear Snake River Canyon in a primitive steam-powered rocket, Eddie Braun…

The year is 2003 and Queensland’s Jono Porter is slumped in a chair as he starts an interview with AMCN’s Ken Wootton on the main stage at the Sydney Motorcycle Show, Darling Harbour. Appearing a little tired, Porter is nevertheless engaging, reflective and lucid. For 20 minutes, 22-year-old Porter – the first rider in the world to perform a back-flip on a four-stroke – talks about the pressures of being a professional motorcycle racer, combining MX/SX and FMX, and dealing with the huge expectations he places on himself to come up with the latest freestyle trick. On the flipside, he hints at his big plans for the future and the rewards that could come his way. He strokes his recently broken wrist while he stares at it, saying he has…

LET’S BE BLUNT: the BN302 is Benelli’s first Chinese-built motorcycle, and its most affordable model to date, but if you think that equates to cheap and nasty, you’d be mistaken. In fact, it’s a great LAMS-approved nakedbike that does all things well, with an alluring price of $5590 plus on-roads. Benelli’s local distributor, Urban Moto Imports, says the BN302 would be up to $2000 more if it were built with its larger siblings at Benelli’s Pesaro plant in Italy. But Benelli was purchased in 2006 by the Qianjiang Group, one of Asia’s largest motorcycle manufacturers. The 300cc baby Benelli is up against some serious competition, including Honda’s CB300F and Kawasaki Z300 ($5699 and $5999 respectively), and both are fitted with ABS as standard; something lacking on the BN302. The BN302…

The new gear change seems light years ahead of that on past V7 Guzzi models Yep, everybody’s doing it these days – Triumph, Ducati, BMW and Yamaha are all making scramblers, and now Italy’s most historic motorcycle manufacturer is joining in the fun. As a further celebration of its 95th birthday in 2016, Moto Guzzi has introduced a new retro-themed addition to its V7 II model range: the Stornello. While it’s easy to make accusations of bandwagon jumping, it should be noted that the Mandello-based marque was there right at the beginning, effectively creating the street scrambler market along with Ducati in the early sixties with the original Stornello. In the Moto Guzzi museum you will find evidence of this, as well as a 1972 Stornello Scrambler that the new…

“I wanted to try again with MV, but I understood that the two-strokes were getting stronger every year” The cacophony is difficult to describe, but it sounds something like Maria Callas and Sid Vicious doing a duet, with Yehudi Menuhin on violin and Keith Moon on drums. The discordant racket also tells a story: it is old technology fighting a losing battle with new technology, the Old World retreating before the New World, and priceless hand-built exotica buckling under the irresistible force of mass production. Fifteen-time world champion Giacomo Agostini is stretching the throttle cable of his MV Agusta 500 four as tight as it’ll go, while privateer Stu Avant and his over-the-counter Suzuki RG500 get set to pounce through the Salzburgring’s deadly curves. The Kiwi young gun had paid…

Dazzzler Job: Designer Alter ego: Rock Star Weight: 83kg Height: 178cm Years in the saddle: 20 Doberman Job: Editor Alter ego: Porn Star Weight: 89kg Height: 193cm Years in the saddle: 25 Vendernator Job: Sub Editor Alter ego: Literary Star Weight: 90kg Height: 189cm Months in the saddle: 8 PeeMacc Job: Sport Editor Alter ego: MotoGP Star Weight: 80kg Height: 183cm Years in the saddle: 15 The Young One Job: Road Test Editor Alter ego: Wandering Star Weight: 69kg Height: 173cm Years in the saddle: 37 Junior Supersport How? Road Over a couple of weeks we gave the LAMS supersports plenty of the sort of action that most of these will see throughout their life: city traffic. Although they look like racers, it's important for all these bikes to be…

 Stand on any street corner and I’ll bet you’ll spot a Ninja 300 long before you need to take a comfort break. They're friggin' everywhere! And it makes you wonder why it has taken other manufacturers so long to give the Ninja some real competition. Honda’s single-cylinder CBR300 was never in the running because of its comparatively lacklustre power, which explains why they are rumoured to be working on a 350cc twin-cylinder CBR. While Yamaha was wise enough to slap on an extra 25cc and undercut on price to tempt would-be Ninja disciples over to their twin-cylinder R3, which is quite plainly targeted directly at the Ninja's fanatical following. Yet still the Kwaka has topped the latest Australian roadbike sales charts, as it has done for several years now. In…

the little VTR has probably rounded up a couple of lardy middleweights mid-bend. 1 The trellis frame looked purposeful and ensured the engine was a stressed member 2 Old school round headlight is simple but looks right on the VTR 3 Single disc with twin piston caliper is pretty standard 250 fare 4 Carbs were the go on the first gen VTR with subsequent models getting fuel injection The rush to focus on the larger-capacity middleweights that were suddenly allowed under LAMS led many novice motorcyclists to ignore some excellent lightweight machines. But not for long. Soon the real charm and practical benefits offered by the best of the traditional learner bikes was again recognised, stimulating fresh demand. And Honda’s lovely lightweight naked, the VTR250, is a perfect example. Honda’s…

Hands up if you’ve felt the cold on your travels this winter. As bike riders, we’re particularly exposed to windchill, and no area more so than our fingers. So it’s little surprise that many of us have been reaching for the winter gloves lately. Winter gloves face a challenging design brief – they need to be waterproof and well insulated, while still remaining thin and supple enough for the rider to operate the controls of a motorcycle. To test these qualities, we selected nine pairs of gloves and rounded up the same number of staff at Gassit HQ, then sent them off for a month of riding through the cold and rain in the middle of winter. On top of this real-world assessment, we also conducted a science-based experiment, immersing…

THOSE WITH A keen eye (and looking to the rear of the field) during the second round of the Yamaha YZF-R3 Cup at Sydney Motorsport Raceway would have seen Editor Dobie wobbling around on the Yamaha R3 looking like he’d crossed to the Dark Side with the bike in its undercoat black. With so many awesome paint schemes on the grid, something needed to be done prior to young Kiwi Lewis Dray taking over riding duties at the third round of the series at Queensland’s Morgan Park Raceway. So the bike was shipped off to Darren Sciberras at R3 Cup Race Centre where his team gave it a mechanical once-over before stripping off all the panels and sending them to Richard at Coburg Body Works for painting. The end result…

Same riders, different year, different series – but could it be the same result? In 2015 Troy Herfoss won the ASC championship by a single point from Wayne Maxwell. The difference between them? Herfoss getting a point for taking out the final qualifying Superpole! After an eventful round five of 2016 at Queensland’s Morgan Park Raceway, the Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship heads to the final Round at Winton Victoria with Yamaha Racing Team’s Maxwell leading the series by seven points from his 2015 nemesis Herfoss (Crankt Protein Honda Racing/Crankt Protein/Honda/Motul) and Yamaha Racing Team teammate Glenn Allerton just a further four points back in third position. Maxwell had a poor start to the weekend, losing the front end during qualifying and banging his shoulder up in the process,…

Everyone thought in advance that a Ducati would win at the Red Bull Ring. The question was: which one? Andrea Iannone provided the answer with a daring on-the-grid tyre gamble, and a race of careful tactics at odds with his hot-headed reputation. The result was his first premier-class win, and the first for Ducati for six long years. The last man to achieve that feat, Casey Stoner, was in the pits to share a moment that drove the long-denied Italian team wild with ecstasy. All except for Andrea Dovizioso. He had led his teammate for a chunk of the 28-lap race, but was outfoxed at the end and beaten by almost a full second, as Iannone’s softer-tyre-choice gamble paid off. By then the pair had outpaced the next-best bikes at…

Title leader Johann Zarco (Ajo Kalex) was on pole for only the second time this year, from Franco Morbidelli (EG-VDS Kalex) and Thomas Lüthi (Derendinger Kalex), with his main title rivals Sam Lowes (Federal Oils Kalex) and Álex Rins (Páginas Amarillas Kalex) seventh and ninth. Lowes would not be a factor – he crashed on lap four, and then again terminally with 16 laps to go; Rins seemed to have ruled himself out of the front group running wide on lap one. Zarco also got a poor start, braked late for the tight first corner, and ran wide, leaving Morbidelli to escape, chased by Alex Márquez (EG-VDS Kalex) and Marcel Schrötter (AGR Kalex). Márquez would drop back, and after seven laps he was sixth, out of touch with the lead…

THE LOSING STREAK had been an embarrassing 2128 days. Little wonder that Ducati Corse boss Gigi Dall’Igna was relieved to finally win again. Andrea Iannone’s clinically executed victory in the Austrian Grand Prix was the first Ducati MotoGP success since Casey Stoner’s 2010 win in the Australian GP at Phillip Island. But as the champagne flowed in the Ducati garage, Dall’Igna told AMCN that this was only the beginning. Dall’Igna’s holy grail is the MotoGP world championship, a title the red team has not won since Stoner’s 2007 crown. “This win in Austria is just another step in the right direction, but the reality is our target is to win the MotoGP world championship, not just win races,” Dall’Igna said. “If you want to win the championship you need to…

ROUND 15 OF the 2016 World Motocross Championship took riders to the unknown hard-pack Schweizer Zucker track in Frauenfeld for the first Swiss MX GP since 2001. In MXGP, KTM’s Antonio Cairoli claimed a win in Race 1 and a fifth to take the overall victory ahead of Honda’s title-leader Tim Gajser, who won Race 2 comfortably and finished ninth in the first heat after a crash bent his bars and destroyed his front brake. With an eighth and a second, Frenchman Romain Febvre (Yamaha) claimed third place overall. Run over 18 laps of the 1560m track, Race 1 had the top finishers spaced out, but in Race 2 there was a battle to the line for fourth. That place went to Russian Evgeny Bobyshev (Honda) from Cairoli and Brit…

WITH TWO ROUNDS remaining in the 2016 Yamaha AORC, Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders has built an almost insurmountable points lead over KTM Enduro teammate Tye Simmonds. At Monkerai, Sanders moved even further ahead of his rivals in both cross-country and sprint formats. Host to the 2014 Australian Four Day Enduro, the Monkerai venue in the Hunter Valley, was in prime condition and the weather was perfect. The track held more than a few off-camber sweepers on the gnarly hills and enough mossy logs – not to mention the swamps – to keep the crowd entertained. Sanders won Saturday’s cross-country event in a little under three hours, barely a minute ahead of teammate Simmonds (KTM 450, E2) with Beau Ralston (Active8 Yamaha, E3) in third and an increasingly competitive Broc Grabham (Husqvarna…