Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 68 Issue 11 i Australian Motorcycle News

WELCOME TO MY 80th issue as AMCN editor, it’s also my last with the magazine. The past three-and-a-bit years have been an incredible journey, but it’s time to move on to a new challenge; one which still involves motorcycles but not the crazy deadlines of journalism. Since 2015, I have lived and breathed AMCN, but history dictates that one’s time in the AMCN big chair will be limited. My goal was always to be able to look back, confident in the knowledge I gave it my best shot, and I have. It feels like only yesterday I decided to become a journalist with the goal of one day writing for AMCN; to have my name on the masthead as editor was beyond even my often lofty dreams. Thankfully I had…

Honda CB650R For 2019, the CB650F is replaced with the CB650R that adopts the same round-headlight looks as its newer CB siblings. As well as upside-down Showa SFF fork and radial Nissin calipers, it gets a power hike, higher revs and a lighter steel frame. BMW R 1250 R Using BMW’s new ShiftCam variable valve timed 1254cc boxer twin, the R 1250 R replaces the R 1200 R. There is a new bellypan, revised panels around the radiator and a TFT dashboard. Kawasaki Z400 Given that the old Ninja 300 was replaced a year ago with the Ninja 400, it’s little surprise to see a new Z400 appearing as a replacement for the Z300 in 2019. It gets identical chassis specs as the faired bike, as well as the same…

“I’ve never been asked to design a bike before, so I was a bit nervous” King Carl Fogarty talks about his role in the limited-edition CCM Spitfire Foggy Edition street-tracker. “When I first went from BMW to Ducati, it was like somebody switched the engine off” V-twin veteran Chaz Davies explains how Ducati’s new V4R Superbike has given him revs again. “A golden opportunity for me to enjoy riding again” Two-time world Superbike champion James Toseland on his new job as Triumph’s worldwide Moto2 racing ambassador.…

AT THE OUTBREAK of World War II, Kevin Rohrlach was of an age where he was mesmerised by machinery and was already recycling; disused farm implements, wire, leather strapping, bolts, pipe and other rubbish. Whilst other lads haunted the Meccano hobby shop, Rohrlach collected enough detritus to build himself a wind-powered electric motor. An old ‘Redbird’ pushie soon taught him that pedalling around the back blocks of Angaston with a can of milk hanging from the bars was hard yakka. Already making a good quid from rabbit, fox and water-rat pelts, Rohrlach agreed that seventh grade was enough for a farmer’s boy and, at war’s end, secured a job as an apprentice mason. As expected, he quickly progressed from shovelling sand to some of the finer points of brickwork. In…

1. WHO? Who is this top Aussie racer on his 350 at the Assen TT in 1979 in front of 200,000 mad spectators? Clue He was a Queenslander 2. WHAT? What make and model of BMW is this? Clue It’s not an R 1200 GS 3. WHERE? At which Aussie circuit are these 125cc riders waiting on the grid. Clue It’s not Oran Park email your numbered answers to comps@amcn.com.au for your chance to win!…

to this year’s MotoGP which are extremely practical and versatile, and not just for chopping. They’re strong, waterproof, easy to drill or shape and readily available. The larger of the two was a simple fix; I simply attached it to the rear rack with a handful of decent-sized zip-ties and tripled its size in the process. I then zip-tied a stool to the board, which again lengthened the area on which my 60-litre SW-Motech bag could perch atop. WHEN THE MONKEY lobbed fitted with the genuine accessory rack that wasn’t much bigger than a CD case, I had to get resourceful. With the Monkey in my possession for only two weeks, said resourcefulness needed to be relatively quick to achieve, it needed to be inexpensive and whatever I did needed…

FOR A MOTORCYCLE that is half a century old, the CB750 still represents a glorious riding experience. And considering the number that ended up as weekend racers, as power plant donors for racing sidecars or as scrap metal, there are literally thousands still in use. Classic rallies around the world are heavily populated by various CB750 models, and there are a number of worthwhile and discrete modifications that add to the modern riding experience. One of the 750’s biggest drawbacks is what was originally touted as a major selling point – the front disc brake. Adding a second disc has long been a popular modification but this adds weight and is only a partial solution. However modern pads, braided brake lines, new master cylinders and more recently, replacement disc rotors…

“WHEN I THINK back to the early days of World Superbikes I ask myself, ‘how did we do that?’,” says Kiwi Eddie Kattenberg. In 1989 he bought a Suzuki GSX-R750 from his local bike shop and fronted the final round of the series at NZ’s Manfeild circuit. Only basic race preparation was undertaken but ‘The Kat’ qualified in 21st and finished both races, in 11th and 13th and ahead of some big names. Just one year later he was racing a factory-supported Yamaha OWO1 for the Len Willing Motorcycles team in Australia. Bimota’s YB4 was a dream bike for self-funded racers like Kattenberg until classic racing expanded to include a Pre-1990 class. Three years ago Eddie bought his YB8, an evolution of the FZR750-powered YB4, from a wrecking yard in…

Bar-End View Cassons $159.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassons.com.au Tarmac Stealth (round) and Hornet (rectangle) bar-end-mounted mirrors are available in black or silver. Both the Stealth and Hornet mirrors come with a spacer sleeve for fitment to 7/8-inch handlebars, although there may be some adjustment required depending on the handlebar wall thickness. Highway Head McLeod Accessories $149.95 1300 300 191 mcleodaccess.com.au The Dririder Highway has an ABS shell and a UV-protected, tinted drop-down visor plus a removable and washable interior liner. It has a three-piece EPS impact liner, D-ring retention system and weighs just 1kg (M). The Highway is available in sizes XS-2XL in gloss black, matt black or white. Synthetic 2-Stroke C4 Industries $32 (1L) 0416 307 325 c4industries.com.au Rock Oil’s Synthesis 2 Injector Off Road is a fully synthetic…

Dramatic weather made for a dramatic – even historic – final grand prix of a fine season at Valencia, where Andrea Dovizioso took Ducati’s 50th win and his fourth this year, though first at the Ricardo Tormo circuit; and Ecstar Suzuki’s Alex Rins took a second-successive second place. And one of the bits of history was about absences. This was the first top-three podium in more than 10 years with not one Honda or Yamaha rider on it. The last was in Misano in 2007, when Casey Stoner’s Ducati led the Suzukis of Chris Vermeulen and John Hopkins. On the flip side, on a day when KTM won both other races, it was the Austrian marque’s first MotoGP podium, thanks to an extraordinary performance by Pol Espargaro, who had crashed…

Samurai’s send-off DANI PEDROSA’S ELEVATION to official MotoGP Legend status, on the eve of his 295th and last grand prix start, was a star-studded affair, with a galaxy of Spanish compatriots including several fellow world champions past and present paying tribute to the diminutive superstar. Pedrosa spoke of how grand prix racing had defined his life. With 54 wins and 153 podiums, Pedrosa’s name is up with the best. His greatest record is one win every year for 16 years. Only Giacomo Agostini comes close, with a 13-year stretch. MotoE grid final FORMER 500CC AND MotoGP title contender Sete Gibernau is to make a surprise racing return at the age of 46 – the latest entry to the new-next-year MotoE Cup. The entries were released in the run up to…

DUCATI IS PLANNING a low-risk evolution of the Desmosedici for Andrea Dovizioso’s 2019 MotoGP world championship campaign, according to Ducati Corse boss Gigi Dall’Igna. The Italian team will focus on two crucial areas in a bid to end the nightmare 11-year title losing streak since Casey Stoner’s 2007 championship. Dall’Igna hopes to find a final solution to the turning and corner-speed issues, while continuing to retain an engine and electronics performance advantage that is a Ducati strong point. The handling bugbear has played like a broken record since Stoner highlighted it three years ago when the Australian returned to Ducati as its test rider. Engine performance will centre on integrating the unified Inertial Management Unit (IMU) that will be imposed on all ECUs next year in a bid to close…

DANI PEDROSA’S ELEVATION to official MotoGP Legend status, on the eve of his 295th and last grand prix start, was a star-studded event, with a galaxy of Spanish compatriots, including several fellow world champions past and present, paying tribute to the diminutive superstar. It was a cheerful affair, with FIM president Vito Ippolito and Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta flanking Dani on the stage, before presenting him with the medal. Dani, said Ippolito, “is really an example for the clean way he races”; while Ezpeleta recalled how, as part of the management team of the MoviStar Aktiva talent-spotting series that discovered the 14-year-old, they had lowered the age limit specifically so that he could be included. “I remember he needed help to get on the bike.” Pedrosa spoke of how grand…

Kawasaki W800 It looks much the same as before, but the new Kawasaki W800 has a redesigned frame, an 18-in front wheel, a revamped 773cc air-cooled engine (that now passes Euro4) and ABS-equipped disc brakes front and rear. Two versions are on offer – a naked Street and bullet-faired Cafe model. With 35kW, it’s hardly a powerhouse, but the W800 will be a genuine rival to Royal Enfield’s new 650cc twins if it’s priced low enough. Royal Enfield Concept 1140 KX Going right outside its comfort zone, Royal Enfield unveiled this spectacular prototype it claimed was just a “design exercise”. The feedback it got should convince the company to put it into production. Powered by a water-cooled 838cc V-twin, it pays tribute to Royal Enfield’s luxury tourer of the 1930s,…

MOPED POWER An e-moped ride-sharing service has just been launched in New Zealand’s biggest city, Auckland. Smartphone users unlock a scooter for $NZ2 using an app and pay 35 cents for each minute of riding. Should try it here. Power of four MA’s Peter Goddard, Tracy Simpson, Dr Brent May and Simon Mass have been appointed commissioners for a four-year term to the FIM, the world governing body for motorcycle sport. “It was disturbing to see parcel tape being used to attach straw bales to a statue” As if road racing on public roads isn’t mental enough, we hitch a ride to three little-known racing events on the verge of extinction 15,000 That’s the number of dollars raised in the online Charity Stars auction that finished a week ago to…

ENGINE Configuration In-line four cylinder, DOHC, four valves per cylinder Capacity 948cc Bore/stroke 73.4 x 56mm Compression ratio 10.8.1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 4 x 36mm Keihin throttle bodies Power 82kW @ 8500rpm (claimed) Torque 98.5Nm @ 6500rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet, slipper type with assist Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material Steel Frame layout Tubular diamond Rake 25° Trail 98mm SUSPENSION Front: 41mm USD fork, adjustable preload, compression and rebound, 120mm travel Rear: Horizontal back-link, adjustable preload and rebound, 140mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Spoke-style cast Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 5.0 Tyres Dunlop GPR-300 Front: 120/70ZR17 (58W) Rear: 180/55ZR17 (73W) BRAKES Front: Twin 300mm petal discs, four-piston calipers, ABS Rear: Single 245mm disc, single-piston caliper, ABS DIMENSIONS Weight 215kg (wet, claimed) Seat height 820mm Max…

Despite routing underneath the engine to hide what is actually a rather long exhaust system, side-on the pipe appears to exit the engine at the same place and follow the same lines through to the muffler. The two covers are similar, too. The round, chrome-rimmed headlight use the same triangular mounts off the fork. The little Z50 uses a six-volt conventional bulb affair, compared to the Monkey’s 12-volt LED setup. Large and comfortable, the single seat is, in many ways, the centrepiece of both bikes Simple and singular, the small lone round instrument panel harks back to the single circular speedo on the original road-registrable Z50. Straight away, the balloon tyres with their off-road block pattern is instantly recognisable as a Honda monkey bike. It’s the attention to detail that…

IN REALITY, THE CB750 changed little through the series that culminated with the K6, before the complete makeover than resulted in the CB750F, F1 and finally the F2. And let’s get one thing straight; the original model is not (officially) a CB750K0. The original 1969 CB750 was produced for nearly two years before the K1 came along. ‘K’ represents the Japanese word ‘kairyo’, which means ‘improve’ or ‘update’; hence the K1 was the update of the CB750. However, just to confuse things, Honda built what they termed a transition model, a batch of just 121 bikes, that were identical to the original CB750 except for the use of the rocker-operated carburettor slides and push-pull cables. This, for reasons unexplained, was termed the K0 to identify the difference between the original…

MOTOGP MACHINES ARE special and so are their riders. Seventeen years and more than 290 races into the new four-stroke era, the technology is extraordinary. Author Neil Spalding talks of bikes flying on the ground. In this book’s introduction he says these 270hp machines are “controlled by a rider under what would normally be considered combat conditions, and they do it with precious little overt assistance other than their own sense of balance and reaction speeds.” Spalding does a good line in dry humour and the occasional stark assessments For the last decade and a half Spalding has quizzed designers and race engineers, and patrolled pit lane at the grands prix, observing and photographing, to chronicle and explain machine development. A works team rolls out a chassis alteration during a…

Top 3 TV 1 MotoGP Relive Classics Videopass On demand Anytime Sadly, MotoGP is over for another season, but for those who just cant get enough of road racing’s premier class, subscribers to Videopass can watch Classic GP Races from the sport’s rich history whenever they want. 2 Bike World 7plus On demand Anytime 7plus has all the episodes from season one of British show Bike World covering everything to do with motorcycling, from superbikes to adventure bikes, road riding to trackdays, touring to drag racing and big events such as World Ducati Week. 3 Parallel Universe Red Bull TV On demand Anytime This half-hour film is about top enduro racer Taddy Błażusiak and amateur enduro racer Andy Noakley. These riders might be from vastly different backgrounds but they both…

IT’S OFFICIAL. RETRO motorcycles are a market niche that is here to stay. Many of us former Seventies longhairs were sceptical of this sales segment when it suddenly got legs five years ago. We thought it was a fad that would fade. But the world’s biggest motorcycle expo, Milan’s EICMA, has confirmed that retros will remain, with several new models launched. Us Seventies originals have struggled to understand how major manufacturers are happy to invade a subculture and adapt the key aspects of custom bike builders’ one-offs into retro production models. Back in our day, we were poking two fingers at convention when we chopped and changed our roadbikes. And we did it all on our own, not forking out our hard-earned cash to a self-styled metal guru, like the…

Jack Miller MotoGP DNF “I was a bit unlucky, just hit my normal line through Turn Three, but got on a puddle or something to aquaplane and looped out, as we all did. I don’t think there was one crash on the front end. Maverick crashed almost in a straight line. A day to forget but we aren’t the only ones. To see the race finish like that is a shame. Remy Gardner Moto2 5th A podium would have been nice, but I’ll take fifth any day. I’m ecstatic. It was a race I had to use my head and feel my way in. Unfortunately I wasn’t as fast in the wet as at some other tracks, and I used a new tyre, when I probably should have scrubbed it…

so many others – 15 in all – including American Joe Roberts (NTS), who had been dropped to 19th by the tangle on the first lap. Revelling in the wet conditions, he was back up into the top 10 when he tumbled. Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Kalex), who led lap one, was fourth pretty much throughout. He’d almost gained third as Marquez remounted just in front of him, but had lost touch again by the end. A lively quartet had closed up in the latter laps, and Remy Gardner (Tech 3) had worked through to the front of it, a second down on the veteran. He was a career-best fifth, a couple of seconds clear of Fabio Quartararo (Speed Up), who had started from the back after stalling on the form-up…

THAT CASEY STONER will be a free agent next year with the end of his three-year role as Ducati test rider and brand ambassador comes as no surprise. But reports he will make an instant return to Honda as test rider as early as the season-closing test at Jerez in Spain are unfounded. Stoner will not test for Honda at Jerez, with AMCN learning that his Ducati deal formally ends later this year. In September, Stoner told AMCN of his frustration that his test feedback and advice was not being fully appreciated, despite his ability to ride close to the limit to assess development. He has long urged Ducati to focus on fixing the mid-corner turning weakness of the Desmosedici, motivated by a desire for Ducati to again be world…

Jack Miller was relieved to walk away from a personal crash-fest that ended his season in the gravel in monsoon conditions at the Valencia Grand Prix. Miller’s usual mastery of wet conditions was severely tested by five bruising crashes over the weekend, including a sudden early exit in the race. The DNF result left him in 13th place in MotoGP standings on 91 points. Miller had the pace to be a race contender in conditions not unlike Assen in 2016 for his maiden MotoGP win. Keeping his GP17 on two wheels was the missing link. “It was a shocker,” Miller lamented after the wet and cold race. “I’d been fast all weekend but I struggled to stay on the thing. I felt good but to spin out like that, losing…

Graeme Evans Sidecars “The season has been all about reliability and consistency, we have been up there in the top three all year,” the recently crowned sidecar champ said. “We (Evans and Jarrod Scott) finally beat Jero Joyce and Corey Blackman. They are the guys in-form and were the defending champions. “Huge thanks to Rick (Hanger), who builds these amazing outfits. Without him the sidecar scene in WA would really struggle. We made the trip east for the final round of ASBK and came away with third overall for the weekend. And now we are the State Sidecar Champions in WA, so it has definitely been a good year for us.” Ben Stronach Superbike “It has been a pretty enjoyable year for me,” he said. “It is a bit different…

BMW R1250RS The 2019 BMW R 1250 RS is the next model to get the new 1254cc ShiftCam engine. While the chassis and bodywork is mostly unchanged, reshaped LED headlights and a bellypan give a new look. Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE+ The new Ninja H2 SX SE+ benefits from semi-active suspension, Brembo’s new Stylema calipers, colour TFT instruments and Kawasaki’s self-healing paint, which slowly flows back into minor scratches. Yamaha NIKEN GT The NIKEN was screaming out for more touring ability and now a GT version delivers, with a taller screen, 25-litre panniers, a centrestand and another 12v power outlet.…

Out West Motorcycle racing is on track to return to WA’s Barbagallo Raceway next year following commitments to circuit upgrades that meet MA requirements. Et’s Hecky! TT and Island Classic star Peter Hickman will race New Zealand’s upcoming three-round summer series on a Carl Cox-sponsored BMW. Arrivederci Casey Stoner ends his dual role as test rider and brand ambassador for Ducati. We wonder if Honda will give him a call? Bali, on ice A man who smuggled almost 20kg of methamphetamine into WA in a bid to pay debts after a horrific motorcycle crash in Bali is jailed for 11 years.…

ENGINE Configuration 75º V-twin Cylinder head DOHC, four valves per cylinder Capacity 1301cc Bore/stroke 108 x 71mm Compression ratio 13.6: 1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 2 x 56mm Mikuni throttle bodies Power 128.7kW @ 9750rpm (claimed) Torque 141Nm @ 7000rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper-type Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material Chrome-moly steel Frame layout Tubular trellis Rake 24.9° Trail 107mm SUSPENSION WP Front: Semi-active, 48mm USD fork, fully adjustable, 125mm travel Rear: Semi-active monoshock, fully adjustable, 156mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 6.0 Tyres Pirelli Angel GT Front: 120/70R17 (58W) Rear: 190/55R17 (75W) BRAKES Brembo, switchable ABS Front: Twin 320mm discs, four-piston radial calipers Rear: Single 240mm disc, two-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 209kg (dry, claimed) Seat height 835mm Max…

ENGINE Configuration Single cylinder Cylinder head SOHC, two valves Capacity 124.9cc Bore/stroke 52.4 x 57.9mm Compression ratio 9.3: 1 Cooling Air Fueling Electronic fuel injection Power 7.2kW @ 7000rpm (claimed) Torque 11Nm @ 5500rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Four-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material ALS steel Frame layout Tubular single backbone Rake 25° Trail 81mm SUSPENSION Front: 31mm USD, non-adjustable fork, 100mm travel Rear: Non-adjustable dual rear shocks, 104mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Cast-aluminium alloy Front: 12 x 2.5 Rear: 12 x 2.5 Tyres Vee Rubber Front: 120/80-12 Rear: 130/80-12 BRAKES Nissin Front: Single 220mm disc, twin-piston caliper Rear: Single 190mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 107kg (kerb, claimed) Seat height 765mm Max width 775mm Max height 1030mm Wheelbase 1155mm Fuel capacity 5.6L PERFORMANCE Fuel consumption 1.9L/100km (measured)…

HONDA SPRANG a surprise with its CB750A – the Hondamatic of 1976. Apart from the two-speed, dual clutch, semi-automatic transmission replacing the five-speed manual gearbox, the CB750A differed in many ways, with alloy wheel rims and steel mudguards sourced from the Gold Wing, and frame, tank and side covers similar to the US-spec K7. The top end of the engine was the same as the manual bikes, but from the rear of the barrel back it was all-new. In place of the clutch a large casting housed the torque converter. The two gears were still shifted manually, but without the need for a hand clutch. The Hondamatic was not a big seller and production lasted just three years.…

The Antique Motor Cycle Club of America – Australia states that its aim is “to host an annual National Meet to promote all makes and models of vintage and classic motorcycles 35 years and older… and to become Australia’s premier motorcycle event each year, and bring like-minded enthusiasts together.” The second running of the Bulli Bike Show took place at the Bulli Showgrounds, north of Wollongong, and has gone a long way to furthering these aims. This year dodgy weather kept crowd numbers down on Sunday, but the venue was packed on the Saturday, particularly for the highly anticipated auction, which saw the main pavilion completely filled. The biggest sales of the auction were both Harley-Davidsons; a 1946 EL61 Knucklehead fetching over $70,000 and a 1953 FL Hydra Glide (with…

IT’S NOT EXACTLY easy to find a pair of high-quality and high-spec adventure boots that both fit and suit my small lady feet. They’re either too broad, too black, too flimsy, too blokey or, for reasons that will forever be a mystery to me, too pink. Forma’s Terra Evo boots are none of those things. In fact, I was quite surprised to find that they not only were available in sizes small enough to fit me really well in both the length and width of my foot, but they go even two sizes smaller again – as well as all the way up to a men’s size 15. As for features, they’re top notch: they’re CE-approved and constructed from a full-grain oiled leather with moulded external protection on the shin,…

Show time 23-25 NOVEMBER Moto Expo, Melbourne Showgrounds, Epsom Rd, Ascot Vale, Vic. Australia’s biggest bike show including the Baylisstic Scramble Flat Track Race and Crumpy’s City Slide. Adults $25, kids $16, Seniors $20 and families $70. See troybaylissevents.com for information and pre-purchase of tickets. 24 NOVEMBER Goulburn Car & Motorcycle Show, Poidevin Oval, 240-246 Addison St, Goulburn, NSW. Show entries ($20) 8-9.30am; general admission (gold coin) 8.30am-2pm. Trophies for Best European, British, American, Japanese and more. Kids entertainment and canteen. Funds to Can Assist Goulburn and District. For information phone Ian on 0419 147 099, Mick on 0438 661 000, Chris on 0400 127 667 or Simon on 0419 462 815 or check out facebook.com/goulburncarandmotorcycleshow. 9 DECEMBER Maddie Hill Breast Cancer Show & Shine, Newcastle Kart Racing Club, Cameron…

THE TROUBLE WITH writing about Valentino Rossi is that you never know quite what he is going to do next. The Doctor is massively talented, ruthlessly charming, reliably Sunday-fast and infused with a competitive spirit beyond the understanding even of some of his on-track rivals, let alone what you and I might call “normal people”. Quite apart from being one of the very greatest racers of all time, Surtees and Hailwood and Agostini and Roberts (and, yes, Marquez) all rolled into one; quite apart from being a one-man promotional genius, the key figure in making MotoGP popular worldwide; quite apart from having become The Godfather of a revival in Italian racing – quite apart from all these accomplishments, he is also apparently just unstoppable. I’ve predicted Rossi’s downfall before. Each…

MotoGP Valencia, Spain Circuit length 4.005km Race distance MotoGP 108.135km Moto2 100.125km Moto3 92.115km 2017 winners MotoGP D Pedrosa 46m08.125s Moto2 M Oliveira 43m15.843s Moto3 J Martin 40m02.193s Did you know? Maverick Viñales found himself in pretty good company after putting his Movistar Yamaha on pole at Valencia. It was only the second time this season the pole man has had to come through from the first qualifying session to join the 10 riders seeded straight into Q2 from the three Practice sessions. The first rider to do it was, inevitably, Marc Marquez, who had to take the long way to pole after setup problems with his Repsol Honda in Buriram. Of course, Marquez managed to win in Thailand, but this time around Viñales had to be content with a…

The FIM had to change the rules to allow Can Oncu to race in Valencia. That decision was justified when the Turkish rider, yet to turn 16, not only rode well, he won at his first attempt, in so doing becoming the youngest-ever GP winner in the sport’s 70-year history. The 15-year-old, wild-carding on a Red Bull Ajo KTM, stunned the sport and overcame conditions that saw 15 crashes, to defeat new champion Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Honda) by four seconds. Oncu inherited the lead after pole starter Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Honda) slipped off after 12 of 23 laps, after having built up a lead of almost three seconds, yet another victim of a cold and puddled Ricardo Tormo circuit outside Valencia. So Oncu continued alone, and survived…

BRITISH RIDER PETER Hickman has added to his trophy of road racing silverware for 2018 after picking up the win at a dramatic 2018 Macau Grand Prix. While the horrifying Formula 3 car GP crash grabbed many headlines a less dramatic, but just as thrilling contest unfolded in the 52nd running of the event at the classic Guia road circuit. Veteran Michael Rutter led the opening laps on his Aspire by Ho Bathams Racing Honda RC213V-S, before BMW-mounted teammate Hickman took the lead with nine laps to go and showed why he’s the current Isle of Man TT record holder as he edged away at the front. He left Rutter to contend with Gary Johnson (Briggs Equipment Kawasaki), Danny Webb (MGM by Penz13 BMW) and Martin Jessopp (Tak Chun Group…

THE QUEENSLAND SOLO Championship was decided over two nights at the Pioneer Park track near Ayr, with victory in the decider on 3 November going to Hugh Skidmore ahead of Mason Campton, Zane Keleher and six-time champion Josh Grajczonek. After the New South Wales Championship at Woodstock near Cowra on 1 December, there is an additional title meeting added to the calendar one week later. That will be the Tasmanian Solo Championship, which will be staged at the Kurri Kurri track in New South Wales on 8 December. Meanwhile Mildura hosted its annual Jason Lyons Trophy meeting on 10 November, with Jordan Stewart taking out the final from Justin Sedgmen and Brutish duo Tom Brennan and Zach Wajtknecht, after Josh Pickering fell. Brennan, Wajtknecht and countryman Kyle Bickley will be…

Brook Carter Production class In her first year of racing, Brook was desperate to get her race licence before the first round. She left work on a Saturday at 12.00pm and along with her father, drove the 220-plus km south to Collie Motorplex on a tuning day. She rode under the guidance of Coach Rob Clarke, got her licence and packed up, and they drove home to Perth that night. She has now had seven races at the Collie circuit and in her final race for the year, she lowered her PB to 54.03sec. The fastest Production riders were getting around in the 52s on the day.…

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’re the Human Resources manager at Citrus Media. Because while Christopher Dobie may have officially resigned from the role as Editor of Australian Motorcycle News, it needs to be known it’s not the first time he’s pushed a resignation letter across a desk at Gassit HQ – in fact it’s the third time he’s tried to leave! There’s still a few hours left in this day, and until we see him riding off into the sunset with our own eyes, there’s a bloody good chance you’ll see his mug back at…