Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 68 Issue 10 i Australian Motorcycle News

HOW MANY MOTOGP stars would approach a journalist in an airport lounge to say g’day? Mike Jones does, and I reckon Jack Miller might also. But I’m yet to find myself in the same airport as the Ducati rider. It makes his ‘Mad Mike’ nickname something of a misnomer It’s no coincidence that both of these riders are Aussies. As a nation, we have a much less intense upbringing; sport is meant to be fun as a kid, and we (mostly) take that mindset into our adult life, even when that sport makes us famous. Miller’s rise through the MotoGP ranks has also been an enjoyable journey for the AMCN crew, he’s been a friend of the mag since his junior days. At the Australian GP he once again gave…

Shineray has relaunched SWM, using the former Husqvarna/BMW plant at Lake Varese, to build dual-purpose four-stroke singles there, supplementing inexpensive 440cc roadbikes made in China. Zongshen has revived Fantic (pictured) and has more than quadrupled production of motorcycles since 2014. It uses Chinese-made 250/500cc four-stroke single-cylinder engines, which are shipped to Italy. Five-time 125/250cc GP world champ Mondial constructs its entire range of models in China, using the same Zongshen engines as Fantic, but in a very different kind of product.…

Lucky stars No matter how many times you watch the footage, it’s hard to believe Marc Marquez and Johann Zarco were uninjured after their 300km/h hit at Phillip Island Like father, like son Three-time WorldSBK champ Troy Bayliss and son Oli shared the spoils in the support races at the PI MotoGP, both overall winners of their classes. Not such a bright spark After a decade of electric dirt-bike innovation US company Alta Motors runs out of money. Oh, Dani boy! Dani Pedrosa crashes out of his final race at Phillip Island. But let’s not forget this 51kg Spaniard has 54 GP victories to his name in a career spanning 18 years.…

THE HIP FLASK awarded to the first-ever winner of a motorcycle TT held on the Isle of Man in 1907 sold at a different Bonhams Auction last month, where it fetched $46,171. It might sound like a hit to the hip pocket for a century-old hip flask, but Rem Fowler’s hard-earned prize is widely regarded as one of the TT’s most significant pieces of memorabilia. Other notable items sold at the same auction were an as-new 1989 Honda RC30, which went for $87,026, and the Super MMX1 CRT class machine that Texan Colin Edwards rode to 20th place in the 2012 MotoGP World Championship, which attracted $84,901.…

News One of Australia’s most respected and well-liked motorsport personalities, former motorcycle ace Gregg Hansford, was killed in a freak accident at Phillip Island on 5th of March 1995 during an Australian Super Touring Championship for 2.0-Litre cars. Sport Kevin Schwantz confirmed his retirement at an IRTA test session at Jerez in early Feburary. “This will be my last GP season,” said the Texan ace. “I’d like to go out as champion again, but no matter where I finish at the end of the day, I don’t see anything happening to persuade me to go on.” Bike test In a 600cc sportsbike shootout guest testers Michael O’Connor and Peter Goddard put Kawasaki’s ZX-6R [73kw at 12,000rpm] and Honda’s CBR600FS [76kw at 12,500rpm] through their paces. Both testers compared the bikes…

Fred’s my man I was pleased to see some talk about my old mate Frederick (Fred to those who’ve never met him) Gassit. I have known Fred for many years now, although I only occasionally run into him. I do not know if this is why he seems, to my old eyes, to be a shadow of his former self, with pale lines and fairly indistinct appearance. I put this down to old type and his pensioner budget. Fred has always been an inspiration to me, more so than the late ’60s early ’70s hit songs which gripped my imagination in the most implausible way. His close companion not only tells Fred’s story with precise accuracy, but with all the minutia that any long-time rider feels within himself about his…

CARBON LOOKS TRICK, but it can be really practical, too, when it comes to a bike getting around a track at a cracking pace. The downside can be its varying strength factors and it can also be very unforgiving in the feel department. But BMW hasn’t compromised on feedback for the sake of it looking trick. Instead, it broke the carbon into three categories and given each a specific purpose (and cool marketing name). The best bit? It works! Carbonview is in the bling category. Any dress-up bits with a cosmetic function fall into this group and, using the traditional hand lay-up method, delivers a gorgeous deep and symmetrical weave in the form of the bodywork. Carboncore is stronger and made by inserting the carbon fabric in a mould before…

THIS HAS BECOME an incredibly busy space over recent years. Not so long ago, most manufacturers felt obliged to have a litre-class naked on the books. The effort they put in varied, but really there were times when the offerings were a bit of a yawn-fest. There were lots of pleasant and powerful-enough bikes, sometimes with handling that got decidedly unruly when really pressing on. This segment has become a real battleground and we’re seeing a very long list of players, often with very real sporting credentials. Yamaha’s MT-10 boasts around 10 horses over the Honda, but comes at a price premium. Really, where this bike sits comfortably is in direct competition with Triumph’s Speed Triple, Suzuki’s GSX-S1000 and Kawasaki’s Z1000. In that pack, it’s a very formidable competitor.…

“INDIA IS REALLY BIG for us,” says Matt. “We do about six tours a year up to the Himalayas, Rajasthan we do about the same – we only do it in the good seasons there. Vietnam has taken off, we’re doing about four or five a year, and Tasmania has just gone crazy! We only started that in February this year – we took a fleet of bikes down there and thought we’d see how it goes. “We keep eight bikes down at Launceston airport and fly people down from Melbourne every couple of days. You can do a one-day trip or a three-day trip, then you fly home – it’s been a massive hit. Come winter, we’re looking at moving those bikes up to Brisbane and offering winter escapes…

We started this project last time with an emphasis on ensuring the basics of the bike we are resurrecting were workable before spending any money on other items. We found the pistons weren’t seized in the bores and they are still moving well now. We now need to identify what other items need to be addressed before we can finally see if the engine will run. We will need to look at the fuel, air, and electrical systems, but before we do that we are going to give it a belly full of new oil – by sighting the old oil, we can garner some useful information, and we’ll replace the filter. Both of these are important elements to giving a motorcycle the best possible chance at a second life.…

Top 3 TV 1 MotoGP Rd19 LIVE Valencia Fox/Videopass Sun 18 Nov 9pm (AEDT) The final MotoGP round of the year takes place at Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, Spain. Catch the action live on Videopass or Fox Sports with Moto3 starting at 9pm, Moto2 at 10.20pm and MotoGP at midnight. 2 Trial des Nations 2018 Red Bull TV On demand Anytime Trials fans can relive all the mind-blowing action from the Trial des Nations event on redbull.tv, with riders from 23 nations competing in the Czech Republic. In addition, redbull.tv has race recaps from all the previous TrialGP rounds of 2018. 3 WESS Red Bull TV On demand Anytime If you missed any of the 2018 World Enduro Super Series, you can catch full coverage anytime at redbull.tv, with wild action…

FOR THE FIRST time in years, perhaps ever, I found myself standing at Phillip Island surrounded by MotoGP fans – and I was just one myself. I had no work to speak of – I was there to simply love the sport that I’ve been a part of for so long. Brilliant. And yet, from the confines of the general admission ticket I was holding, it was easy to spot bits we could definitely do the Australian GP better. As riders, we all know the sight of those police, dressed like riot squad officers and looking like they may just pop a cap in your arse any second as they, ahem, direct traffic, I couldn’t help wonder what our international visitors thought. Why so angry? This event hauls in big…

For a man who did not really know he was going to be racing in WorldSSP in 2018 until shortly before the first round, former Moto3 world champion Sandro Cortese (Kallio Racing Yamaha) made a fantastic fist of it to take the title in an impossibly scripted final day. After much track cleaning and discussion, the WorldSSP race finally got the go-ahead to run over a shortened 12-lap duration, despite standing water running onto the circuit. A river at Turn 15 caused problems for all and contributed to a number of crashes for some. After the slightly surprising re-instatement of a Portimao race win for Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha), Jules Cluzel was suddenly five points behind long time points leader Cortese. Those were the three men who fought out the…

MotoGP Phillip Island, Australia Circuit length 4.448km Race distance MotoGP 120.096km Moto2 111.200km Moto3 102.304km 2017 winners MotoGP M Marquez 40m49.772s Moto2 M Oliveira 39m25.920s Moto3 J Mir 24m51.490s Did you know? Now that Maverick Viñales has ended Yamaha’s longest-ever winless drought, will eyes turn to other marques’ streaks? It may be a bit much to expect either Aprilia or KTM to break their MotoGP ducks any time soon, but the speed of the Suzukis in recent races suggest a win is not far off. Andrea Iannone’s dislike of Turn 4 might have been the one thing that stopped the streak ending at Phillip Island. That barren period now stretches 40 races, back to the 2016 British Grand Prix that was won by – yes, Virgiña – Viñales. Round 17…

Cross the line within a second of the winner and you might usually be on the podium. In Australia’s breathtaking opening Moto3 race, you were only just in the points. The top 14 were over the line in 0.959 of a second. There might have been 15, had Philipp Oettl not been batted wide on the first corner. For example, points leader Jorge Martin’s Del Conca Honda led over the line on lap 17, but as they piled into the first super-fast Doohan Corner, he had dropped to eighth. It was like that from first lap to last, with the Hondas generally gaining time through the corners and the KTMs taking it all back on the run down the straight. Eventually, Angel Nieto KTM rider Albert Arenas took his second…

MotoGP Sepang, Malaysia Circuit length 5.543km Race distance MotoGP 110.860km Moto2 105.317km Moto3 99.774km 2017 winners MotoGP A Dovizioso 44m51.497s Moto2 M Oliveira 40m29.955s Moto3 J Mir 40m14.545s Did you know? Dani Pedrosa did not win his final Malaysian GP but he is still in pretty good company. The compact Spaniard is one of only four riders to have won there in three classes. He won on a 125 in ‘03, a 250 in ‘04 and three times on a MotoGP, in 2012/’13/’14. The others do to it are Loris Capirossi, who won a 125cc race (at Shah Alam) in ‘91, on a 250 in ‘99 and on a MotoGP Ducati in 2005; Casey Stoner (125cc in ’04, 250cc in ‘05 and MotoGP in ‘07); and Valentino Rossi, who won…

LCR HONDA RIDER Cal Crutchlow was scheduled to be released from the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on Tuesday 6 November following surgery to his fractured ankle suffered in a high speed turn one crash in the Australian GP at Phillip Island. Crutchlow has had two plates and 10 screws inserted to repair the injury, with doctors forecasting a recovery time of up to eight weeks. Crutchlow is planning to fly home to the Isle of Man upon release to recuperate. He is expected to return to MotoGP action for LCR Honda at the pre-season test scheduled for Sepang in February 2019.…

DUCATI TEAM MANAGER Davide Tardozzi revealed that it was “a really big surprise” for the red bikes to suffer so much at a track where they usually dominate. Factory star Andrea Dovizioso was mystified by his grip issues after finishing a lacklustre sixth, 11 seconds behind Marquez. “We don’t know what happened in the race because we were absolutely thinking that Dovi would compete for the win,” Tardozzi, inset, said. “All of the Ducati riders said there was no grip compared to what they had in Friday practice using the same tyres. We have to investigate this.”…

TROY AND OLI BAYLISS have pulled off a rare double victory as the father and son duo took the overall wins in their respective MotoGP support classes at the Australian round of the MotoGP at Phillip Island. The three-time World Superbike champion ended the year on a high with a 1-2-2 result in the Superbike class, capping a remarkable comeback season for the 49-year-old. Bayliss managed to tame his Desmosport Ducati Panigale FE in the second half of the year, and won the final ASBK round at Phillip Island, in the process securing third in the ASBK championship points. “I’m really happy with the weekend,” Bayliss stated. “In the last two race meetings we’ve had overall wins, so it’s really satisfying. To do it at Phillip Island on grand prix…

THE 2013 WORLD Superbike champion Tom Sykes will campaign the all-new BMW S 1000 RR in the 2019 WorldSBK Championship. The experienced Shaun Muir Racing squad will field Sykes alongside German Markus Reiterberger, who won the 2018 Superstock 1000 championship on a BMW. SMR, which raced BMWs in the 2016 WSBK, ran Aprilias in 2017-’18 under the Milwaukee Racing banner, and the team’s return to BMWs leaves Eugene Laverty without a ride for 2019. The tie-up should see the Bavarian manufacturer have a much greater involvement in the championship, with factory input into development of engines, electronics and chassis. Until now, BMW has offered engines and electronics support on a customer basis, no matter if it were for local or national championships or WorldSBK. The company’s return will not be…

THE BENEFITS OF a full season racing in the European speedway leagues was evident when Jaimon Lidsey and Jason Stewart finished 1-2 in the Victorian Solo Championship staged on their home track, Olympic Park Speedway in Mildura, on 27 October. Queenslander Ryan Douglas took third in the final ahead of another local Justin Sedgmen, the result duplicating the order of the quartet over the 20 heats, with Sedgmen needing to win the B Final ahead of Ben Cook, Matthew Gilmore and Robert Medson. The result of all state championship meetings is vital for young Australian riders, as the top three in those title meetings can apply for a work permit to race in the UK. That will be particularly pleasing for Lidsey, who did not qualify to ride in the…

A touching occasion AT 2PM, THE crowd gathered around Reverend John McMahon, who stood next to a race bike bearing the number 121 as well as a cage full of white doves. The official ceremony began with Marcel expressing his gratitude towards all the riders who braved the elements to support their event before he and Sabine released the first couple of doves in memory of the riders who are no longer with us. Next up was Councillor Stephen Fullarton, who delivered a brief speech in which he reaffirmed the Shire’s support to the event, followed by renowned DJ Carl Cox, who also thanked riders for making the effort despite the challenging conditions. The Rev took the stage along with Tracey Bowes, who released another white dove in memory of…

WITH 1000 EXHIBITORS from 156 countries, the EICMA Motorcycle Show in Milan, Italy, is one of the world’s most important. The show, which started in 1904, showcases new motorcycles from every corner of the industry: cruisers, adventure bikes, sport bikes, luxury tourers, dual-sports, motocross and enduro machines. Custom bike builders also show off their latest creations. EICMA 2018 runs this week, ending on 11 November. AMCN dug out some pre-show nuggets and our next issue will have a full analysis of all of the show’s highlights.…

CRACKER DAWN! The first two years of World Superbikes were decided at the last round at Manfeild, New Zealand, while the penultimate round at Oran Park gave a glimpse of the future, with locals thrashing the established stars. Our exclusive insight begins on page 74 100 (AND COUNTING) That’s the number of exhibitors at the 2018 Moto Expo held over 23-25 November 2 at the Melbourne Showgrounds. The major door prize is a new BMW motorcycle and there is a VIP unveiling of new models on the Friday, as well as static displays there are a range of outdoor activities. Go to www.motoexpo.com.au for details. Way to go! A mighty team effort has produced an international winner for South Australian Harley-Davidson dealer Adelaide Bike Works in the firm’s Battle of…

Congratulations Stuart, you’ve scored a beaut Motul cap and T-shirt valued at $35, kindly supplied by our mates at Link International. Send an image and details about your two-wheeled pride and joy to access@amcn.com.au Rider Stuart Bell Bike Suzuki Katana 750S He says My parents were not too fond of their 15-year-old taking up motorcycle riding. So pictures of my early bikes are non-existent, I had to save and buy what I could afford. My first bike was a Honda CB100, which I completely repainted in a metallic bronze. My second bike took me off-road, it was a Suzuki PE175. My third was a Yamaha RD400, the bike that really got me into road riding, it had a ’Stone’- style bikini fairing fitted. My fourth bike was the…

ENGINE Configuration Four-cylinder inline Cylinder head DOHC, four valves per cylinder Capacity 999cc Bore/stroke 80 x 49.7mm Compression ratio 13.7-13.9: 1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI Power 158kW @ 13,900rpm (claimed) Torque 120Nm @ 10,000rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet, anti-hop Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material Carbon fibre Frame layout Monocoque Rake 24º-25.5º (adjustable) Trail 95-112mm (adjustable) SUSPENSION Öhlins Front: Öhlins FGR 300 Superbike World Cup, adjustable spring pre-load, rebound and compression damping Rear: Öhlins TTX 36 GP Shock, adjustable spring pre-load, rebound and compression damping, ride height WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Carbon fibre Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 6.0 Tyres Pirelli Diablo Slick Front: 120/70R17 Rear: 200/60R17 BRAKES Brembo Front: Twin 320mm discs, GP4-PR four-piston radial calipers Rear: Single 220mm disc, four-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 171.4kg (kerb, claimed)…

“I’VE BEEN IN the motorcycle world with Polaris for about 15 years, so I’ve got to work on Victory and Indian, and I’ve had the honour to work on a lot of these projects. But the FTR 1200 project is the most fun of any I’ve ever worked on, and I think the design team made a really awesome machine.” “The tagline that we started off with was, ‘Born on the Dirt, Built for the Street’, which was an interesting challenge from an engineering perspective. But what we needed to make sure of was that we delivered on the style of the FTR 750 flat-tracker – we knew the styling was right, but we needed to figure out how to execute it on a bigger bike. A key element was…

By far the most intriguing of the warning lights is the large unit on the right-hand edge of the cluster, which I came to know as its personal mood lamp. It will change colour according to how the bike’s ridden, including green for when you’re in eco mode. It is a cute distraction you may learn to love, or completely disregard. The exhaust is a 4-into-2-into-1 design with catalysers. There’s a balance pipe just before the cats, which the company says helps the midrange. Meanwhile its note changes markedly as the revs rise, going from a quiet burble to a fairly convincing rasp. Single-side swingarms were the hot fashion in the later 1980s and through the 1990s, but kind of fell out of favour over the years. Honda introduced it…

2008 CB1000 This model ran very similar overall architecture to the current bike, along with some very angular styling. With less electronics and power, it was regarded as lively and capable for its time. However it was more expensive than the current generation. 2001 900 Hornet Most easily spotted by its twin pipes exiting under the tailpiece, the Hornet was very typical for the period, with an ultra-conventional spec but well packaged. Capable of surviving ultra-high mileage, it had a legion of fans at the time, who tended to ride them into the ground. 1992 CB1000 Super Four Closer in concept to the CB1300 that came to follow, this was intended more as a retro offering that paid at least a visual nod to the glory days of the Bol…

LORENZO ALREADY THINKS he has a good idea of what it feels like to ride the Honda. On the eve of August’s Austrian GP, Lorenzo and several other top riders were asked to draw their ideal racetracks. Lorenzo, drew two layouts: one for this year, the other for next year. His 2018 track was a square, with four right-angled corners. His 2019 track was a squiggle of twists and turns. “This year I prefer a track with hard braking and acceleration,” he grinned mischievously. “Next year I’d prefer the opposite: corners, corners, corners!” Lorenzo obviously believes that the Honda turns better than the Ducati, but Marquez and Crutchlow have been quick to disabuse him of that notion. “I said to Jorge that in your 2019 track layout the Honda won’t…

Show time 10 NOVEMBER Broadwater Bikefest, Broadwater State School, Texas Rd, Broadwater, Qld. Registration from 7.30am; bike ride departs 9am to Glen Lyon Dam and back by 12pm for 2pm presentations. Trophies for Classic Road Bike, Modern Road Bike, Junior Dirt Bike Boys, Junior Dirt Bike Girls and Champion Bike of Show (People’s Choice). Barbecue, drinks, jumping castle and more. Ride and bike entry $10; $5 per bike/vehicle for show ’n’ shine. For information phone Terry on 0438 180 447 or Jeff on 0427 462 954. 16-17 NOVEMBER Bombala Bike Show, Bombala Showgrounds, Bombala, NSW. Live entertainment, burnout comp with $2000 prize pool, family friendly, camping available and firewood provided. Camping $30; street entry $20; Kids $10; Family Pass $50; and Under 6 free. For information see bombalamotorcycleassociation.com or facebook.com/thebombalabikeshow.…

WHO DESERVES WHAT in racing? Some answers are obvious. Marquez deserves all the support and success he enjoys. Rossi deserves all the adulation. And every one of them, every rider fast enough to even qualify for a GP, deserves the fullest respect. What Cal Crutchlow didn’t deserve was such bad ankle injuries in the Australian GP that he will almost certainly lose out on his excellent fifth overall in the championship, and also the position of top Independent Team rider. Nor did he deserve the painful surgery and lengthy rehabilitation that will follow. And you could say the same thing about pretty much any rider who gets hurt while racing. Though to be honest there are some who often seem to be looking for trouble. But deserving has nothing to…

Yamaha’s wait in the wilderness is over. The company’s longest-ever winless streak – 25 races – was ended, emphatically, at the beautiful seaside circuit of Phillip Island, where Maverick Viñales rode the factory MoviStar YZR-M1 to a clear and assured victory. It was a moment of massive relief for the 23-year-old Spaniard and the whole team. But while it proved there may be light at the end of the tunnel, the rider sounded a note of caution. “Today was so good, after a difficult time, and I’d lost a bit of self-confidence,” he said. “We have a great chassis, but we need to improve the engine and the electronics before we can make a challenge next season.” And teammate Valentino Rossi fell back from an early second to finish sixth,…

Crutchlow out BRITISH INDEPENDENT-TEAM star Cal Crutchlow’s strong late season form came to an abrupt end in Australia, with a high-speed crash at the notorious Turn One on Friday afternoon. At the track medical centre, doctors diagnosed “a bimalleolar fracture and anterior tibia part right ankle fracture”, according to an official statement. As well as Phillip Island and Sepang, he will almost certainly miss the Valencia finale as well. Now his chances of finishing top independent-team rider are in jeopardy, with Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci just 11 points adrift after Phillip Island’s race, with Johann Zarco another four behind that. Bradl in HRC TEST RIDER Stefan Bradl took over the vacant factory LCR Honda RC213V at Sepang, and looks likely for Valencia also. It will be the former Moto2 champion’s…

The last time Rossi and Marc Marquez clashed at Sepang was in 2015, and one of them fell off. It was Marquez, and there is still controversy over whether Valentino had caused it by kicking him. The same thing happened in 2018, but the other way around. This time Marquez didn’t need to be close enough to kick. He just had to apply pressure on the longtime leader, grabbing back a few tenths of a second every lap, so by lap 16 of 20 of the fine 5.543km circuit he had halved what had four laps earlier been a lead of 1.2sec. As the much-decorated veteran Movistar Yamaha rider wheeled into the first corner, a tight right-hander, he demonstrated just how much both riders were on the limit – by…

Marked down MARC MARQUEZ QUALIFIED qualified on pole for the Malaysian GP. But after a stewards penalty, he was given a six-place penalty and dropped to the third row of the grid. The Repsol Honda rider was judged to have baulked Andrea Iannone during Q2, while riding slowly on the racing line, above. Marquez said he’d seen Rins behind him and stayed tight for that corner, but was unaware that Andrea Iannone was also there and about to pass him on the inside. Stats-wise, he keeps the pole. “The important thing is I was fastest,” Marquez said. Rossi to quit? RUMOURS WERE RIFE in Malaysia that Yamaha’s multi-champion Valentino Rossi might not see out his full two-year contract, if there is not a radical improvement next year. The Italian, whose…

JACK MILLER WAS reinforced by the upwards surge that awaits him in 2019 following a seventh-place finish in the Australian GP. It was Spaniard and fellow Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista who gave Miller a clearer view of next year. Bautista finished an impressive fourth aboard a Desmosedici GP18, having been upgraded from his usual GP17 riding for the Angel Nieto team as replacement for Jorge Lorenzo. “I didn’t really feel comfortable out the front, I was just trying to be calm” The comparison was stark and Bautista was an instant podium threat on the latest machinery. Miller rode a GP17, the same bike that could do not better than 11th at the Island one year earlier. Third placed Andrea Dovizioso was third, and the top Ducati man, aboard the GP18.…

DESPITE THREE BIKES in the top seven, Ducati stretched its Phillip Island winless streak to nine years. Despite progress made with the latest Desmosedici GP18, number-one factory rider Andrea Dovizioso could only manage third place. Dovizioso finished 1.8s behind winner Maverick Vinales and could not add to Ducati’s last Island win by Casey Stoner in 2010. Before the race, Stoner told AMCN he was convinced the GP18 had a race-winning chance and outlined how to overcome the Ducati’s DNA of poor mid-corner turning (AMCN Vol 68 No 09). While Dovizioso agreed with Stoner’s rear-wheel steer concept that requires patience, precise throttle control and just a little bravery, a Ducati Island win must wait for another day. “Technically Casey is correct,” Dovizioso began. “ But at the Island in mid-corner I…

RECENTLY CROWNED ASBK Supersport 300 champ Tom Bramich is the latest Aussie to head overseas, recently securing a ride to compete in the 2019 World Supersport 300 championship with the newly formed Carl Cox – RT Motorsports by SKM team. Hailing from Beaconsfield in Victoria, 21-year-old Bramich completed a successful 2018 season with the bLU cRU Yamaha team, winning 21 races and scoring 16 podium finishes. Bramich will race a Kawasaki Ninja 400 with the team that is being fronted by the familiar faces of Rob Vennegoor and Frank Krekeler. Vennegoor has guided several Australians to European success in the past including Jed Metcher (2011 WSSTK Champion), Gareth Jones and David Johnson. “This project creates a lot of hype Down Under, with one of the biggest motorsport enthusiasts in DJ…

THE AUSTRALIAN MOTORCYCLE racing community is the poorer after the death of Kevin McDonald, at the age of 86. For more than half of his life his name was synonymous with dirt track, speedway and motocross racing, from importing Godden machines in to Australia to running a motorcycle business in his home town of Bathurst, a city where long-track racing would not have happened but for his drive. He was also the chairman of the first Dirt Track Commission appointed by Motorcycling Australia and a regular official at dirt track, supercross and motocross meetings at national and international level. McDonald was recognised for his contribution to motorcycle sport in the 2016 Australia Day honours list. The sport of motorcycle racing has lost a true champion.…

Super vets Ron Matthews has been racing since the 1950s and even a recent crash at Phillip Island, which hospitalised the 81-year-old, has failed to dent his enthusiasm. At Wakefield Park, he accepted an offer from 87-year-old Ken Lucas from Wangaratta, to ride one of his vast stable of racing bikes, a 1937 250cc Velocette – a marque that Ron raced quite successfully in the early 1960s. Ken is still racing too, making him probably the oldest regular racer in the world, and fronted for the meeting on one of his favourite motorcycles – a 1928 690cc Douglas. Tom’s Manx Australia’s second world champ Tom Phillis, who won the 1961 125cc championship for Honda, made his name on the ubiquitous Manx Nortons, and one of these was later purchased by…

MV Agusta stunt rider Lukey Luke braved the conditions to entertain event goers on his Brutal 800 RR. After postponing his first session, the weather gods eventually allowed him to fire up his bike and put on a show that included rolling burnouts, wheelies and fast runs ending with 180 degree U-turns, planting his back wheel just inches from the spectators. A lucky lady got to kiss the stunt rider, but not before being made to stand still so as Lukey could perform a stoppie at her feet.…

Australian Motorcycle News road test photographs are posed for by skilled, professional riders under controlled circumstances. Attempting to imitate their actions may be dangerous. Australian Motorcycle News supports and endorses rider training and wearing protective riding gear. Especially if you’ve just dropped a bombshell that has caught nearly everyone by surprise. Before the dust can even settle, you then book a ticket overseas which means while everyone’s slogging it out on deadline, you’re chugging down cocktails on the beach and sending photos of such as proof! Good on ya, Dobes. You deserve it.…

The differences One model, two versions THERE ARE DIFFERENCES in suspension spec. The XE gets a 47mm fork with 250mm of travel, compared to the XC’s 45mm/200mm. The XE has a 32mm longer aluminium swingarm, again helping increase the suspension travel. Both versions have side-laced wire spoked wheels, a 21-incher at the front and a 17-inch rear, with 90/90-21 and 150/70-17 tyres. Both models have multiple riding modes but the XE gets a sixth ‘off-road-pro’ mode that disables the ABS and traction control. The XE also has cornering ABS and cornering traction control. Both get a new TFT instrument pack, keyless ignition and cruise control. While both bikes share the same styling, the XE has hand guards, heated grips and gold-coloured forks. It also gets two-tone paintwork. Dozens of accessories…

LAST ISSUE WE reported how Australian motorcycle sales had declined 6.2 percent over the same January-September period of 2017. The reverse is happening in Italy, with sales up nearly five percent. This has been partially fuelled by increasing Chinese involvement in historic Italian brands, either through outright purchase or key supply deals. These include manufacturing complete motorcycles in China to exacting European standards, exclusively for sale in Western markets. The trend started when Benelli was acquired in 2005 by Qianjiang – now part of the massive Geely Auto empire, which also owns Volvo and, with 10 percent of the total equity, is Mercedes-Benz’s largest shareholder. Now Benelli is in the process of releasing an ever-expanding and well-priced range of motorcycles. With vast financial resources and a growing desire to manufacture…

Answers AMCN Vol 68 No 09 Last issue’s might have looked easy, but was a fair challenge to put dates to the images. In the end, David Mulholland from Queanbeyan, NSW, swooped in with all the right answers. Here they are Mental Twisties will return in Vol 68 No 11 1 Casey Stoner, 2007 2 Casey Stoner, 2009 3 Wayne Gardner, 1989 4 Casey Stoner, 2008 5 Casey Stoner, 2011 6 Mick Doohan, 1998 7 Mick Doohan, 1992 8 Casey Stoner, 2012 9 Wayne Gardner, 1990 10 Casey Stoner, 2010 11 Mick Doohan, 1995…

EVERYONE WAS SHOCKED when Steve McQueen’s bashed-up 1963 Triumph desert sled fetched $143,000 a couple of years back, but now, that’s looking fairly cheap! Last month, Bonhams put the hammer down at $320,814 when Steve McQueen’s 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross – the very bike ridden in the film ‘On Any Sunday’ – went up for auction in Birmingham, Alabama. Then his Bell helmet took an astounding $30,446. For a little less, you could have had a set of ex-Mike Hailwood leathers, from the 1971 Daytona 200, which sold for $23,486, or a much older Hailwood pudding basin helmet for a bargain (perhaps) $5219. The auction was held in association with the Barber Motorsports Museum.…

Fight! Fight! Fight! I had to laugh at Peter Ward’s bitch-fest in AMCN Vol 68 No 08 where he lectured us to stop sniping about the Marquez versus Rossi rivalry and asked each group to stop ridiculing the other. Then, instantly ignores his own advice and goes on to bag the shit out of me for my past letters – it’s a bit hypocritical to cherry pick a target while, in the same breath, tell others to stop sledging. My observations might have been over the top but I completely blame it on the lash, rum and being patriotic to Stoner My observations might have been over the top in the past, and possibly deserved a few uppercuts, but I completely blame it on the lash, rum and being patriotic…

ENGINE Configuration 60-degree V-twin Cylinder head DOHC, four valves per cylinder Capacity 1203cc Bore/stroke 102 x 73.6mm Compression ratio 12.5: 1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 2 x 60mm Mikuni throttle bodies Power 90kW @ 8250rpm (claimed) Torque 115Nm @ 6000rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material ALS steel Frame layout Tubular trellis Rake 26.3° Trail 130mm SUSPENSION Sachs Front: 43mm USD fork, 150mm travel (fully adjustable on S model) Rear: Monoshock, 150mm travel (fully adjustable on S model) WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Cast alloy Front: 19 x 3.0 Rear: 18 x 4.25 Tyres Dunlop DT3-R Front: 120/70R19 (60V) Rear: 150/80R18 (70V) BRAKES Brembo Front: Twin 320mm discs, twin-piston radial calipers Rear: Single 265mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 225kg (dry, claimed) Seat height 840mm Max…

IT SEEMS YOU can’t buy a high-end motorcycle these days without a suite of electronics that truly boggles the mind of anyone who hasn’t kept up with this stuff. There is of course the safety net factor, primarily ABS. Honda is also pretty keen on what it calls Honda Selectable Torque Control (HTSC), which effectively helps dictate how loose (or not) you want the motorcycle to get. At maximum intervention, there are no skids and none of that wheelie nonsense. From there you can have your misbehavior in degrees. And of course we have to have selectable modes. In this case it varies how the machine responds according to preset parameters, altering the engine tuning, throttle response and how it behaves in individual gears. Essentially they ‘talk’ across the motorcycle’s…

ENGINE Configuration Inline four cylinder Cylinder head DOHC, four valves per cylinder Capacity 998cc Bore/stroke 75 x 56.5mm Compression ratio 11.6:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 4 x 44mm Mikuni throttle bodies Power 107kW @ 10,500rpm (claimed) Torque 104Nm @ 8250rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet, slipper-type Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material Steel Frame layout Backbone Rake 25° Trail 100mm SUSPENSION Showa Front: 43mm SFF-BP USD fork, adjustable preload, compression and rebound, 120mm travel Rear: Monoshock, adjustable preload, compression and rebound, 131mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels 10-spoke cast aluminium Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 6.0 Tyres Dunlop Sportsmax Front: 120/70ZR17 Rear: 190/55ZR17 BRAKES Brembo Front: Twin 310mm discs, four-piston radial calipers Rear: Single 256mm disc, two-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 212kg (wet, claimed) Seat height 830mm Max width 789mm…

FRED MERKEL’S HONDA championship win in 1988 overshadows the amazing efforts of Fabrizio Pirovano and Yamaha. The Italian took his FZR750 to second overall, ahead of the Bimota YB4s of Tardozzi and Mertens. This means Yamaha-engined machinery finished second, third and fourth in the first World Superbike championship. Pirovano’s Italian-supported Yamaha was based on the production model’s steel frame. Mick Doohan’s Aussie-supported Yamaha was a semi-factory racer with aluminium frame, in many ways the precursor of the 1989 OWO1 Superbike.…

What to look for Excellent engineering and manufacturing quality contribute to the V-Rod’s remarkable reliability record. I’m unaware of any consistent issues beyond reports of some fuel-gauge malfunctions. Drive-belts are apparently good for 160,000km but damage from trapped stones can cause premature failure, so check belt and pulley condition carefully. Then it’s down to allowing for tyres, brake pads, steering head bearings and brake rotors that will soon need replacing. Service history A properly serviced V-Rod will be a trouble-free long-term proposition. Routine servicing can be done readily by DIY owners. With valve shims instead of H-D’s usual hydraulic lifters, valve-clearance adjustments are costly. Not only must the camshafts come out, the engine has to be partly unbolted from its mountings and lowered to get access. Service intervals are 8000km…

I WOULDN’T WANT to do anything ridiculous like stick my neck out and predict that Jack Miller can win the 2019 Australian Grand Prix. Except, I think that Jack Miller can win the 2019 Australian Grand Prix. One of the more inadvisable things in motorcycle racing is to draw lines where none should be drawn. But sometimes – rarely – the planets line up, the angels sing and you just can’t help yourself. Yes, I know that at Phillip Island Maverick Vinales reminded everyone just why Yamaha signed him; because he has the talent to win the world championship (that, and because Valentino Rossi is 39). True, Marc Marquez has won everything else and probably would have won at the Island as well, were it not for Johann Zarco and…

The Losail International Circuit in Qatar provided a great backdrop for what would surely be even more all-time record breaking from the four-time champ Jonathan Rea (KRT). He was going for what would have been a new high water mark of 12 straight wins, 18 race wins in a season and more than the 556 points that already make him the biggest points scorer in a single season. Rea lost Superpole to his departing teammate Tom Sykes (KRT) but hit the highs with a Race 1 win, despite some issues with front tyre life. But in Race 2 the high water mark was measured in actual water. Even some of the locals had never seen such a sandstorm, then a determined rainstorm, and then endless lightning strikes all around. Even…

Jack Miller MotoGP 7th “I didn’t expect to lead early on; I didn’t want to, but the opportunity arose. After that I was trying to conserve the tyres. When I switched to a more aggressive power map, I started to lose the rear. But I’ll take sixth. It was a good weekend.” Remy Gardner Moto2 DNF “I’m really pissed off. I think I could have gone for the podium. I went into that corner normally, not trying to do anything. But then Mir tried to pass Aegerter or something, and he stalled in front of me, and I couldn’t avoid him.” Mike Jones MotoGP 18th “My main goal was to finish the race and I felt like I rode my best so I’m happy with that. It was unreal to…

Moto2 reminded former Moto3 champion Brad Binder of his days in the smaller class, after he powered to his third win of the year. It wasn’t quite as close as that earlier race… but it wasn’t far off, with a battling lead group still eight strong as they approached half-distance. By then, the South African Red Bull KTM rider had led from laps three to 11, but had been unable to escape. Most of the leading after that was done by Spaniard Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Kalex), with Pons HP40 Kalex rider Lorenzo Baldassarri having a stab, and his teammate Augusto Fernandez threatening to make it a team one-two. But Baldassarri fell after running out of road at the Turn 10 hairpin; and with two laps to go Binder reassumed control.…

Jack Miller MotoGP 8th Everyone else was using the soft rear tyre, but being so hot I thought I’d try the medium. My decision. If it had worked it would have been a master-stroke. But what cost us the most was having a few moments with overheating the front tyre. Remy Gardner Moto2 DNF (Crash) I was really trying in the first laps and was being held up a bit by Oliveira, so I was quite confident. But when the tyre dropped, Marquez passed me at the last corner. We touched a bit, and it put me off line onto the dirty part, and I lost the front.…

PRAMAC DUCATI TEAM boss Francesco Guidotti said Miller’s rear tyre choice was not a gamble, given the issues suffered by all Ducatis in Sepang. “Almost immediately after the start the rear tyre twisted on the rim and had a vibration, especially on the edge, so Jack could not open the throttle properly,” Guidotti told AMCN. “He overheated the front tyre trying to recover on the brakes but it was impossible to keep a fast pace. “But I’m happy with Jack’s performance, he was always in the top five on the weekend and Petrucci and Dovizioso also had grip issues, but we don’t understand why at the moment.”…

Mike Jones IT WAS mission achieved for Mike Jones at Phillip Island, despite the former Australian Superbike champion not repeating the heroics of his 2016 points-scoring finish in the Australian GP. Jones was making his third MotoGP outing as a late stand-in aboard a Ducati GP16 with the Angel Nieto team, a big step up from the GP14 he rode into 15th at the Island in 2016. “My main goal was to finish the race and I felt like I rode my best so I’m happy with that,” said Jones after finishing 18th. “I had to be realistic knowing that to try and be competitive with the world’s best riders was not easy. “It was unreal to be back in MotoGP but the biggest thing to get my head around…

Max is back! It’s official. Former 250 and World Superbike champion and 500cc/MotoGP winner Max Biaggi is returning to the paddock as team chief next year, taking over the Schedl Moto3 squad, currently running Philipp Oettl. The announcement, made the week before the Malaysian race, confirmed that current EG-Honda rider Aron Canet has signed for the team, which will mean switching to a KTM. Biaggi will join the current rider’s father Peter Oettl, also a former GP winner, in running the team, which has been renamed Max Racing Team. Tito, too! Tito Rabat, who suffered serious leg injuries after aquaplaning on standing water in practice at Silverstone in August, is hoping to return to action for the final GP of the year at Valencia in two weeks. This has been…