Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 68 Issue 19 i Australian Motorcycle News

I’VE BEEN TAKEN to task (page 21) by a reader concerning my comments in last issue’s Access regarding cycling. It’s the same issue we’ve always had: cyclists know their road rules and exercise their right to ride two abreast uphill at 15km/h in a 90km/h zone, while the rest of us go nuts behind them – because 15km/h is really slow. Cyclists have the law on their side, but common decency would indicate that rather than expect everyone else to fit in with you, you’d make some sort of effort to allow motorised traffic to get past effectively, without risk to either road user. It’s often possible. I understand wanting to maintain lane position on a pushie to keep yourself from being squashed – if I’m not on a motorcycle,…

If it was a paddock basher you found in a shed, or a shiny new showroom model you saved your hard-earned for, no one forgets their first two-wheeled love. Show us yours! This was my first bike that my dad bought me when I was six years old. I’m not sure what year it was made, but the pic is from 1976. My dad bought it from the local lawnmower shop and did it up for me. Paul King The first bike I ever bought, a 1973 Yamaha FS1E; 49cc, for-speed, two-stroke, 32mph flat out (a little more with the exhaust baffle removed). The bike that started my love affair with all things two-wheeled. Tim Alston This is me in Blighty, 1975 (hence the flares!) I was 14. The bike,…

FANCY THE CHANCE to be a KTM factory supported rally racer and pick up a 790 Adventure R for free!? Well, sorry, it’s too late for this year! The 2019 contestants have already been announced, with Aussies Robert Nowak and Steve Robertson lining up in Morocco on 30 March to compete in the Merzouga Rally against 10 other finalists from around the world, all chosen from their regional KTM Ultimate Race qualification events. The lucky 12 will be supplied with a rally-prepared KTM 790 Adventure R to compete in their own class, fully supported by KTM, and will receive coaching from rallying legends Marc Coma, Chris Birch and Quinn Cody. The prize for the Ultimate winner? They get to keep their race bike, plus a VIP trip to see the…

THE DOOHAN NAME races on in 2019, but on four wheels. Jack Doohan is in for a busy year. The 16-year-old will race in two Formula 3 series, firstly in Europe in the Euroformula Open series with British team Double R Racing. That team was founded in 2004 by Formula 1 star Kimi Raikkonen and former racer Steve Robertson, who managed the career of World Champion Jenson Button. Doohan Jr will drive Double R’s HWA (Mercedes-Benz)-powered Dallara F3 car in the nine-round series, which starts 27-28 March at Paul Ricard in France. Closer to home Jack will also be racing in the Formula 3 Asian championship with the Dragon Hitech GP team. That five-round series gets underway at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, on 6-7 April. All the drivers in…

FRANCO MORBIDELLI SAYS his career has been “blessed” by being surrounded by so many experienced and knowledgeable bike people, starting with his father, Livio, who built his first mini-bike when Franco was just two years old. Morbidelli grew up around bikes in his father’s workshop and then it was off to Tavullia and into the orbit of riders like Valentino Rossi and Marco Simoncelli. When Morbidelli’s big Moto2 chance came with the MarcVDS squad, his crew chief was the hugely experienced Pete Benson, who had guided Nicky Hayden’s 2006 MotoGP World Championship with Honda. Morbidelli says Benson helped him focus and understand racing, and all with a “we’ve got to win” mentality. And now Morbidelli’s transition to a Yamaha YZR-M1 with the Petronas squad is being supervised by his new…

Band of brothers No room for egos in this group. John McGuinness, Glen Richards, Michael Rutter and Jeremy McWilliams with the Harris F1 that Rutter has won on at the Manx Classic TT and McWilliams has taken to victory at Phillip Island’s International Challenge. The last time the team raced at the Island Classic a crash by Glen Richards denied the UK yet another win over Australia in 2018. But that’s racing. The outing at InterFoS was the last time Roger Winfield’s team will compete until the Manx Classic TT in August. What about 2020? Organisers are considering options for next year, after fielding approaches from other racing disciplines to get involved. One plan could see the event expanded into a mini-Goodwood and run over a week. But it’s early…

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Build quality on CBR600s is high, and the engine is robust. Check for the usual wear and tear on a motorcycle that has travelled long distances or been used for track days – swingarm and steering-head bearings; brakes and brake lines; tyre wear; leaking fork seals; rear shock absorber damping; noisy tappets; oil weeps around gaskets. Oil weeps could indicate sustained high-speed track use or an over-heating engine. Check for crash damage or gravel rash on frame rails that could indicate track abuse. SERVICE HISTORY Honda’s CBR600 is a long-running design that has proven reliable and robust. Oil change intervals are recommended at 12,000km, with valve adjustment every 2›,000km. Air-filter and sparkplug replacement will depend to some extent on the type of use. All the aforementioned…

FUEL UP AT Nowra or Braidwood as there is nothing in between. The Albion Café in Braidwood is housed in the old Albion Hotel building on the main street and offers good meals and great coffee. If you are in a hurry or on a budget the bakery down the street is our favourite option. The Nerriga Pub has food and drinks and is the only real stop along the route for a lunch break. Fix It You are on your own between Nowra and Braidwood so carry what you need. If you have to get to a bike shop for repair we can recommend Glenn Henry Motorcycles at 61 Albatross Road, Nowra. (02) 4422 0833. We have always found them to be very helpful with mechanical assistance. Sleep The…

THE BIG BUZZ at the moment is Suzuki’s brave decision to relaunch the Katana, its icon model of the Eighties. If Suzuki’s car division can relaunch the Jimny, why shouldn’t it do the same for the Katana? Both are instantly recognisable to former Seventies longhairs and have a simple kind of honest kudos that appeals to seekers of the simpler things in life. I remember watching an early-model Jimny pull a bulldozer out of a New Zealand ditch in the early 1980s. It was powered by a two-stroke, three-cylinder, 550cc engine so was relying on the low gearing and strength of its high-low transfer case to do this. Another time a friend and I had struggled to get a V8 Land-Rover 109 wagon down a steep and dangerous track in…

KENAN SOFUOGLU, FIVE times champion in WorldSSP, was back in the paddock at the Buriram round in Thailand, helping his Turkish compatriot Toprak Razgatlioglu to take on the challenge of the second round of the WorldSBK championship. Sofuoglu is setting up a return to full race action at the Imola round of the WorldSSP Championship – a one-off ride – as he is now 100 percent fit after the many racing injuries that ultimately forced his retirement. In an interview with AMCN last year (AMCN Vol 67 No 24), the likeable Turk made it clear his decision to retire wasn’t his. “Personally I love racing, but I have to respect the people around me,” he said, revealing that he even received a phone call from the Turkish President personally asking…

AGV Helmet Awards This year Link International is offering two new awards at each round for the Supersport 300 class. As the fastest qualifier Max Stauffer received an AGV Veloce Award, while Tayla Relph (pictured) received the AGV Extreme Standards Award for being the top-placed female rider. Both riders received an AGV Veloce S helmet. Croker on the mend Superbike rookie Max Croker was in the crowd with a well-bandaged hand after his big crash during testing a few weeks ago. At this stage there is no date set for a return to racing due to the severity of his injury. Josh Waters was another to crash during testing, damaging his shoulder. On race day, Lachlan Epis had a nasty fall during the second race, bringing out the red flag.…

Dirt track THE DIRT TRACK season in New South Wales has opened with a bang with meetings on three consecutive weekends – just like the good old days! The 2019 New South Wales Senior Track Championships at Balcary Park, Gunnedah was held over 9-10 March, and saw honours shared. The main winners were James Chapman (Pro 250 and MX Open), Jarryd Oram (Pro Open), Thomas Herrick (Pro 450) and local team Daryl Woodhead/ Shaun Fuller (Dirt Track Sidecars). The annual Stay Upright Kings & Queens of Canberra long track meeting held over 16-17 March saw teenage brothers Connor and Harrison Ryan sharing the spotlight. Connor won the feature Pro 450 final while Harrison dominated the junior results, and Thomas Herrick won the Pro Open final. Kurri Kurri staged its annual…

Remy’s revved up Remy Gardner has finally thrown off the shackles of uncompetitive machinery to kick a bit of butt in the new-format Moto2 class. Keep it up, kiddo! McPint’s on the gas TT ace John McGuinness underlined his focus on winning races again by coming from the rear of the grid after a DNF at Sydney’s International Festival of Speed to challenge for the podium. Film star A Melbourne car driver has become an internet sensation after knocking a motorcyclist down in Sydney Road, Brunswick, then driving off. Broken, not busted Victorian motorcycle racing identity Brendan Wilson, who has been a longterm helper to so many fellow racers, is recuperating from a major accident. Get well soon, matey.…

News Yamaha announced that its VMAX was to make a long-awaited return to the motorcycling world. Its designers said they put an enormous amount of effort into developing the VMAX’s new 1679cc V4 powerplant that put out a claimed 149kW and a whopping 167Nm. Sport Valentino Rossi takes out a win at the Misano MotoGP round, a whopping 3.168sec ahead of then Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo. Rossi clutched victory after title rival Casey Stoner crashed early in the race, leaving The Doctor to open a 75-point gap over the Aussie Ducati ace. Bike test Honda’s CBR1000RR won both AMCN’s Motorcycle of the Year and the MOTY Readers Choice Award in 2008. With a price tag of just $17,990 and its then impressive specs sheet, a lot of readers said that…

Reckon you’re pretty quick when it comes to two-wheeled trivia? Then have a crack at our who-what-where series. If you’re finding it hard, here’s a clue – all the answers have appeared in AMCN at some time over the past 67 years. When you reckon you’ve worked out the bloke, the bike and the track, email your numbered answers to comps@amcn.com.au for your chance to win! 1. WHO? Who is this legendary Australian road racer competing at the 1982 Isle of Man TT? 2. WHEN? When did Loris Capirossi win the last GP held at Sydney’s Eastern Creek? 3. WHAT? What Australian racing circuit was recently re-opened to motorcycles? 4. WHY? Why is Honda offering a gold version of some of its products, including this lawn mower? 5. WHERE? Which circuit…

IN JULY THIS year Piaggio plans to launch the Elettrica X, a serial hybrid version which will double the range to 200km or even more. That’s because the self-same brushless electric motor in it will be paired with an air-cooled 100cc two-valve four-stroke combustion engine with belt-driven sohc. Fuelled by a three-litre fuel tank, according to the firm’s head of development Antonio Cappellini, this generator will run at up to 2800rpm to recharge the battery, thus extending the range. “It’s important to recognise this is not a true Hybrid, but a Range Extender – hence the X designation,” he emphasises. “We retain electric drive at all times with the X, but with a supplementary internal combustion engine to recharge the battery when the charge drops below a certain level.” With…

BMW F 850 GS Adventure Arguably the KTM’s closest competitor in terms of price, specification and performance, the GS Adventure’s top features include a 23 litre fuel capacity, heated grips and cruise control as standard, and a three-year warranty. Fuelled up and ready to ride weight for this 853cc parallel twin is a relatively hefty 244kg, with 230mm/215mm suspension travel front and rear. It’s claimed power figure is 70kW with a whopping 92Nm of torque. Seat height is 875mm, although the GS can be specced with anything from 815mm with a short-travel suspension kit, up to 890mm with the optional Rally seat. Pricing starts at $21,280 ride away. Triumph Tiger 800 XCa Triumph’s middleweight adventurer is powered by a high revving 800cc inline three-cylinder engine with 70kW of poke and…

ENGINE Configuration Parallel twin Cylinder head DOHC, four valves per cylinder Capacity 799cc Bore/stroke 88 x 65.7mm Compression ratio 12.7: 1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 2 x 46mm DKK Dell’Orto throttle bodies Power 70kW @ 8000rpm (claimed) Torque 88Nm @ 6600rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet, slipper Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material Chrome Molybendum steel Frame layout Tubular trellis, with engine as a stressed member Rake 25.9° (R model: 26.3°) Trail 107.8mm (R model: 110.4mm) SUSPENSION Front: WP Apex 43mm USD, nonadjustable, 200mm travel (R model: WP Xplor 48mm USD, fully adjustable, 240mm travel) Rear: WP Apex monoshock, adjustable spring preload, 200mm travel (R model: WP Xplor monoshock with PDS, fully adjustable, 240mm travel) WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Wire-spoked, aluminium Front: 21 x 2.5 Rear: 18 x 4.5 Tyres Avon…

THERE IS A risk and reward ratio for Valentino Rossi racing against one of his star pupils on identical bikes. The reward is the satisfaction of producing world champions and top level MotoGP riders which was always the aim of the VR46 Academy. The downside is how long can Rossi, now 40, use his 20 years of experience to stay ahead of the young pretenders? Could it be that Morbidelli, on the basis of performance over the next two years, is the man to put the squeeze on his hero for superiority on track? “When we started with the project of the academy, we didn’t expect this problem,” Rossi said. “We didn’t expect our riders to arrive to fight with me! “So from one side I am very worried, from…

Just south of Nerriga is a turnoff to Oallen Ford, taking you across the Shoalhaven River and west through Windellama to Bungonia, before spitting you out on the Hume Highway at Marulan. This is a good alternate ride through to the Southern Highlands, with much of the route being fast straight bitumen past the rural properties and weekenders. It is not as scenic or interesting as the road through Sassafas, but is still a good ride that avoids some of the more major tourist roads. We sometimes use it to form a loop ride when we are pressed for time.…

Top 3 TV 1 AMA SX Rd13 Houston Video Pass 31 March 11am (AEDT) AMA SX fans get ready for an action-packed Sunday morning thanks to the final round of the 2019 Triple Crown in Houston. You can see all the action at supercrosslive.com. Racing kicks off at 11am (AEDT) on Sunday. 2 MotoGP Rd2 Argentina Videopass, Fox 1 April 2am (AEDT) This ain't no April Fool's day joke; you're going to have to get up early to catch Rd2 of the MotoGP World Championships live from Argentina. Moto3 starts at 2am Monday, Moto2 at 3.20am and MotoGP at 5am. 10 Bold will air the MotoGP race on free-to-air. 3 WSBK Rd3 Aragon, ES Videopass 6-7 April 11pm (AEDT) WSBK heads to Aragon for Round 3 and you can watch…

Troy Herfoss IN RACE ONE the guys did a good job with the pit board – they know how I like to ride and helped manage the gap – but I knew I had to put my head down for five laps and break Wayne. Riders like Wayne can really lift when their back is against the wall. I’m really happy with how the bike is going, but still disappointed with how things went at Phillip Island. The reputation we’ve tried to build on the CBR1000RR, I feel like I didn’t do it any favours there. I’m just glad to move on from that with a strong performance here and earn the victory.…

YMF R3 Cup Max Stauffer continued his good form, also claiming the round win in the YMF R3 Cup. He recorded a 1-1-2 result, with John Lytras being the only rider able to steal a victory from him. Lytras (2-3-1) finished runner up for the round ahead of Hunter Ford (Yamaha – YRD). Ford was also able to break his own race lap record in race two, dropping the new mark to an impressive 1m05.706sec. Stauffer then went out in race three to lower it even further to 1m05.600sec. Oceania Junior Cup The inaugural round of the Dorna-endorsed bLU cRU Oceania Cup was run at Wakefield Park with Carter Thompson taking out all three races. The Wakefield Park layout produced some very close racing throughout the field, with the top…

Under-where? Despite Asia being the epicentre of small sportsbikes, scooters and ‘underbones’, the WorldSBK weekend in Thailand still features no WorldSSP300 class. It was WorldSBK and WorldSSP from the regular World Championship line-up, but also rounds of the Asia Junior Cup and local Superbike Championship – the PTT BRIC SB1000cc series. Still red (faced) With Leon Camier and Ryuichi Kiyonari having tested their official HRC machines at Chang in the pre-season, some expected they would be in better shape against their rivals. Not so, as the long straight killed Camier’s ambitions all in one section of asphalt. “We have to work on speed for sure, top speed is not so bad, but we are still 12km/h down on Alvaro,” said Camier. “But acceleration is a big thing. If you look…

THIS MONTH'S SECOND round of the WorldSBK Championship could well have been the final visit of the series to the Chang International Circuit, as there is no contract in place for 2019. With the new Asian venue of Lombok in Indonesia on the cards for 2021, there will be a race in this important region in the future, but not next year. It will take another year for the unique new venue to be ready for both WorldSBK and MotoGP. There may be moves to get another long-haul Asian race into the WorldSBK calendar for next year at least, with Sepang a one-year possibility. South Africa, at the revamped Kyalami, was supposed to be on the calendar in 2019 but (among other things) it lost a three-way fight for an…

Booze bike Indian’s long-running association with the famous Tennessee whiskey distiller has resulted in the Jack Daniel’s Limited Edition Indian Springfield Dark Horse. A jumbo-sized, 1890cc, Thunder Stroke V-twin engine powers the bagger-styled cruiser, which features a woodgrain finish on some components. Tri-cycle Yamaha’s Niken leaning three-wheeler has been announced as the official support bike for the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and La Vuelta. The three-year deal will raise the Niken’s profile worldwide, including Australia, as these cycling grand tours are widely televised. Naughty naked Aprilia’s 2019 Tuono V4 1100RR and Factory are on their way to Australia. This naked 130kW (175hp) sportsbike is claimed to have the most advanced semi-active electronic suspension system currently available on the market. Technology also includes cornering ABS, quick shift active (even in…

Honda on the radar NEW PATENT applications published in Japan show that Honda is working on front-mounted sensors for motorcycles that could be part of a radar-assisted cruise control or auto-braking system to help prevent accidents. This would likely activate an adaptive cruise control, accelerating or braking to keep a constant distance from a vehicle ahead, or even emergency braking when an obstacle appears. BP R means race? INDIAN'S RECENT new application for a stylised ‘R’ trademark appears to hint at a future sportsbike range. The trademark application, notably filed in sportsbike-oriented Europe rather than cruiser-mad America, is simply the letter ‘R’ in a distinctive, modern font. Indian has already filed trademark applications for the names ‘Renegade’ and ‘Raven’, which are expected to be used on sporting derivatives of the…

Send an image and details about your two-wheeled pride and joy to access@amcn.com.au Rider Jared Mireylees Ride 1982 Kawasaki 250 LTD and 2019 Harley-Davidson Street 500 He says Here are my two bikes. I’m still on my Ls. My first bike was the Kawasaki Z250 LTD, I actually got it for free off my older brother since it wouldn’t start and had no rego. We managed to get it up and running and since then it’s been a pretty important part of my life, even though its not the best bike. I felt it was time to get something a bit bigger and newer, so I decided to splurge on a brand-new Street 500, which has been pretty damn great so far, although with the world seeming to be flooded…

MOTOR Configuration Wheel-mounted brushless motor with two-stage KERS Batteries 4.2kWh lithium battery with built-in charger Controller Piaggio Cooling Air Power 4kW @ (not given) rpm Torque 200Nm @ 1rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Direct single speed Clutch Not applicable Final drive Not applicable CHASSIS Frame material Steel sheet Frame layout Monocoque Rake Not given Trail Not given SUSPENSION Front: Single-arm fork with coil spring and monoshock absorber, non-adjustable Rear: Monoshock, non-adjustable WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 12 x 3.0 Rear: 11 x 3.0 Tyres Pirelli Angel Scooter Front: 110/70-12 Rear: 120/70-11 BRAKES Front: Single 200mm disc, single-piston caliper Rear: 140mm drum brake DIMENSIONS Weight 102kg (claimed) Seat height 790mm Max width Not given Max height Not given Wheelbase 1350mm PERFORMANCE Charger Underseat charger with four-hour charging time to 100 percent charged…

AT THE HEART of KTM’s new middleweight adventurer is the company’s newest powerplant, the 799cc DOHC parallel-twin LC8c engine. Compared to the unit first revealed in the 790 Duke, the emphasis has been shifted to low- to mid-range torque for better off-road drivability. Four steel valves per cylinder are actuated by DLC coated finger-followers. Forged three-ring pistons are connected to the forged and crack-split conrods by DLC coated piston pins. Nikasil lined aluminium cylinders are integrated into the crankcases, helping to keep the engine light, compact and aid cooling. The forged one-piece crankshaft has a 75 degree offset, and uses twin balance shafts to keep it running super-smooth. The LC8c employs a 435 degree firing order, giving it a familial note akin to KTM’s larger LC8 V-twin engines. A cable…

THE BUDAWANG REGION is one of the most popular bush walking sites in NSW, with many well maintained trails leading to the natural formations that the region is famous for, including Pigeon House Mountain. There is an entrance at Sassafras with parking and a campground available. A number of the tracks are for multi-day extended treks, but there are also several shorter day walks that are more suited to riders passing through. The Tianjara Falls are not far off the road at Tianjara and worth a look, particularly after heavy rain. The water cascades over the escarpment and can be spectacular at these times.…

Show time 31 MARCH SEQ Swap Meet, Car, Truck & Bike Show, Hills College, cnr Mt Lindsay Hwy and Johanna St, Jimboomba, Qld. Trade entry from midday on 30 Mar; general entry from 6am on 31 Mar. Show entry $10; traders $10; campers $20 and general entry $5. Drinks, food and hot showers on site. No dogs and no fires. Hosted by SEQ Speedway Club Inc. For information phone Kerrie-Anne on 0431 291 074. 28 APRIL Muscle In Maculata, Maculata Family Park, Mitchell St, Riverview, Qld. 10am to 2pm. Bikes, cars, market stalls, entertainment, food trucks, free rides for kids and more. Hosted by Riverview Neighbourhood Watch.See facebook.com/events/146257069644044, email riverviewnhw4303@gmail.com or phone 0410 762 350 for more information. 5 MAY Berry Charity Bike Show, Berry Bowling Club, 140 Princes Hwy,…

WHAT A FORTNIGHT it’s been. Smouldering resentment after the Qatar GP protests followed by crackling flames at Jerez, when the all-new E-bike series turned itself into toast. Luckily not while any riders were on board. These incandescences might appear to be unrelated, but they are linked, albeit from opposite directions. Both have to do with innovation. The first is an attempt to crack down on it. The second smacks of a bit too much; trying to run before being able to walk. The Qatar protest against Ducati came straight after the opening round, and while promptly over-ruled, an immediate appeal meant that results will not be finalised until the whole legal rigmarole has been completed. Ducati chief Gigi Dall’Igna has complained clearly and repeatedly about MotoGP’s ever-tighter aerodynamic restrictions. He…

The astounding performances put in over the first two rounds of the 2019 WorldSBK Championship by former GP rider Alvaro Bautista and the equally all-new Ducati Panigale V4R have coloured every podium top step red. Everybody knew Bautista would be a contender this year, and everybody imagined that the Ducati would be competitive at some stage. But the shock and awe with which the man in red has delivered in the early rounds of the 2019 World Championship are game changing. Bautista scored a new Superpole record and a new lap record in Race 1, as he decimated the hopes of the best of his rivals that somehow Buriram’s long straights and hard corner exits would be fertile ground for their own winning ambitions. On the other works Ducati Chaz…

“Inside of my helmet I was very angry ... they were playing with me on the straight” WHILE HIS ANGER has dissipated, Suzuki’s rising Spanish star Alex Rins is hoping for faster, more truly-run races to boost his chance for MotoGP race wins and podiums. Rins does not want a repeat of the dawdling pace used by Honda and Ducati rivals to dominate the season opening Qatar Grand Prix. The Qatar race, lauded by some pundits as a classic contest, was more correctly a bogus race that only extended rider talent and bike speed over the final six laps. It was another example of what Valentino Rossi describes as the “cycling race” trend in MotoGP, with an artificially induced dash to the finish that mirrored the predictable tactics of the…

THE BRITISH SPEEDWAY season opened on 17 March with the annual Ben Fund Bonanza Meeting (for the Riders’ Benevolent Fund) at Leicester. Newcastle’s Sam Masters was best of the Australians involved, winning the semi-final, with Ryan Douglas third, before Masters retired in the final. Former British champion Scott Nicholls won the meeting. Two young Aussies who will line up for their first season of UK league racing, Queenslanders Zaine Kennedy and Jedd List, have both received late call-ups to join the line-up. Kennedy and List have signed for Sheffield and Scunthorpe, respectively, in the second-tier Championship League, while dual Australian Under-21 championship Jaimon Lidsey steps in to the Belle Vue team in the top-tier Premiership competition in his first UK season after racing in Poland last year. Sadly, not joining…

Ferris has an off day as Cairoli leads Aussie off-road star Dean Ferris, who has been given a berth in the MXGP series deputising for Yamaha’s Romain Febvre for three rounds, had a disappointing weekend at the British Grand Prix and suffered a crash in the second moto, injuring his knee. “It was a tough weekend, but I got more comfortable in every session,” said the Aussie. “The last 15 minutes of the race I found my groove and had some really good lap times, so I was content with that. In moto two, I went down at the start and I have hurt my knee, so that will need to be assessed.” Ferris currently sits 23rd overall on six points. Nine-times MXGP world champion Antonio Cairoli (Red Bull KTM)…

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. How could Rusty have known that Australia Post would be switching to electric bikes? Few people did, and after all, he was just a bulldog. This change caught him by surprise. He had learned the sounds the soldier in the yellow vest made every day as he invaded, and each time Rusty would be ready to defend the boss’s property. Now he was here, unexpectedly and silently, in full view. The man had the upper hand and Rusty felt desolate. Life as he knew it would never be the same again.…