Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 68 Issue 20 i Australian Motorcycle News

I LIKE TO play with traffic. When someone runs a red light in front of me, it’s funny to flash your high beam as much like a camera flash as you can. They are worried about red light cameras, but not enough to actually respect an amber. Or when I spot the car driver next to me on their phone, I shatter their ambience by yanking in the clutch and hitting the rev limiter as hard as I can. Or when a car driver purposefully moves over to prevent me filtering – ’cos, you know, “if I am stuck in traffic, everyone will be” – I like to just follow them for a bit, then, really, really slowly filter past them, my mirror 1mm from theirs. Playing with traffic is…

TO SIMPLIFY PRODUCTION it appears that the engine and frame are taken wholesale from the F 850 GS, along with that bike’s swingarm and even its instruments. That means a pressed-steel main chassis section with a tubular subframe and aluminium plates at the swingarm pivot, providing mounting brackets for the footpegs. Those plates have been changed for the XR’s more rear-set pegs and to accommodate brackets for pillion pegs, extending back from the frame rather than hanging down from the subframe.…

43 JACK MILLER HONOURED the victims of Christchurch’s mass shooting by changing his race number at Argentina’s MotoGP to include a silver fern motif. Onya, Jackass! WINGIN’ IT! WE'VE HEARD OF wing mirrors but Honda’s got the idea fitting bikes with mirror wings to cash in on the fast-growing trend for downforcecreating aerodynamics on sportsbikes. A new patent application reveals it’s out to grab the intellectual property on an idea of using a bike’s mirrors to create downforce, taking its inspiration from the upturned wingtips that improve the efficiency of modern airliners. The concave upper surface and convex lower give a downforce-creating wing shape. Sexy Swede HUSQVARNA'S SVARTPILEN 701 STYLE is a new version of the highly-regarded neo-retro that incorporates wire wheels, a bronze paint scheme, CNC-machined footpegs and bar-end-mounted…

THE CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE world is mourning the death of Arlen Ness, aged 79 years. While the Californian will be remembered for his more recent flamboyantly styled choppers and the one-off models he designed for Victory motorcycles, the famed designer created his greatest legacy in the early 1970s. Ness redefined the custom scene by creating the ‘digger’ or ‘lowrider’ chopper – the exact opposite of the high-handlebar, tall-sissy-bar style made famous just a few years earlier by the movie Easy Rider. Ness used key elements from California’s drag-racing scene, which was entering a golden period of competition, to break new ground in design. His frames were low, usually with a goose-necked steering head. The handlebars were flat, the seat minimal, and the petrol tank often followed the angular shape of the…

If it was a paddock basher or a shiny new one, no one forgets their first bike. If you get printed, you’ll get an Oxford lock, Fred’s fave gets the Ipone kit. Show us yours! Starting out small The Honda Mini Trail Z50A was my first taste of motorcycling back in 1970, when I bought a brand-new model at the age of 15. It was an amazing experience, so much so that I still ride (as does my wife), it is my favourite thing to do, and I have owned many bikes over the years. This was so shiny and special, and I had to do it up after watching Easy Rider with the sissy bar, and the tank painted in stars and stripes along with many extras, including having…

TYRE WARMERS? CAME the reply. I was sitting at breakfast on the morning of my ride, about 30 minutes after I’d flung open the curtains in my hotel room to be met with a flurry of snowflakes. I videoed it and sent it to AMCN HQ. What concerned me was the Kyoto-based hotel was 1000 metres above sea level, but our Arashiyama-Takao Parkway test route was in the mountains in the north west of the city. Far higher, and much, much colder. Of course there were no tyre warmers fitted to the 120-section front or 190-section rear, but it made for a pretty tough testing ground for Dunlop’s Sportmax Roadsport 2 tyres. I baulked at the 36psi front and 42psi pressures, especially given the cold and sketchy conditions, and even…

YAMAHA BROUGHT TWO YZF-R3 Cup racebikes for us to compare to the standard roadbike. The main changes involve the removal of all the road gear, replaced with lighter race fairings and replacing the exhaust with a full system from Akrapovic. Both of these steps adding up to a worthy weight reduction. Yamaha didn’t know exactly how much, but last year’s equivalent resulted in a 10kg weight deficit. An upgraded ECU changes the power curve to better suit swinging off the throttle around a track, too. An Öhlin’s rear shock went into the racer, allowing compression damping and rebound damping adjustment, along with ride height adjustment to help an already-fast turning roadbike turn faster. The standard shock is only adjustable for preload. Like most racebikes, the gearing also changes from track…

ENGINE Configuration 90º transverse V-twin Cylinder head SOHC, two valves per cylinder Capacity 853cc Bore/stroke 84 x 77mm Compression ratio 10.5:1 Cooling Air/oil Fueling EFI, 1 x 52mm Dell’Orto throttle body Power 59kW @ 7750rpm (claimed) Torque 80Nm @ 5000rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet, single-plate Final drive Shaft CHASSIS Frame material Tubular-steel Frame layout Trellis Rake 28° Trail 128mm SUSPENSION KYB Front: 41mm USD, adjustable preload and rebound, 170mm travel Rear: Monoshock, adjustable preload and rebound, 170mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Aluminium alloy Front: 19 x 2.50 Rear: 17 x 4.25 Tyres Metzeler Tourance Next Front: 110/80R19 Rear: 150/70R17 BRAKES Brembo Front: Twin 320mm discs, four-piston radial calipers Rear: Single 260mm disc, two-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 229kg (kerb, claimed) Seat height 830mm Width 950mm Length 2240mm Wheelbase 1530mm Fuel…

JEREMY BURGESS WAS Wayne Gardner’s crew chief in 1986-87-88, but the ’89 Australian GP was his second race with his new charge, Mick Doohan. “We had done Japan two Sundays earlier with Mick. He slid off at Turn 2 during practice and took a lot of skin off his fingers, so it was fairly hard for him in the next few races,” Burgess told AMCN. “Phillip Island, as it always has, creates close racing without being orchestrated. We had great races there before it became a game of tyre conservation. “Wayne went on to win that day (in 1989) after a great battle. In 1990 we witnessed another great race. Mick had recorded his first win in the previous race in Hungary, but Wayne won again at Phillip Island.” Burgess…

MACNA HAS BEEN in the motorcycle apparel manufacturing game since 1991, yet the brand is a relative newcomer to the Australian market. But, we had our, er, eye on the Vosges Night Eye jacket from early on. It’s pretty bulky when you first throw it on, in fact someone remarked that it looked like it could repel an arctic blast at the time. Prophetic, actually, ’cos that’s more or less what we asked it to do in New Zealand towards the end of last year, thanks to an unexpected dumping of snow. The Vosges is an adventure-style jacket that will easily double for commuter duties as the days get shorter. The outer layer is made from a tough, heavy-duty Durylon, and internally there is a Raintex breathable waterproof membrane and…

Top3TV 1 WSBK Rd4Assen, ND Videopass 13 April 10pm (AEST) WSBK heads to Assen for Round 4 and you can watch it on Videopass. Superbike Race 1 starts at 10pm Saturday and Race 2 at 10pm Sunday. The Supersport race starts at 8.15pm Sunday. All times are AEST. 2 AMA SX Rd15 Denver, CO Video Pass 14 April 10.30am (AEST) It's coming down to the wire in the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Championship in Denver, Colorado. You can see all the action at supercrosslive. com. Racing kicks off at 10.30am (AEST) on Sunday. 3 MotoGP Rd3USA Videopass, Fox 15 April 2am (AEST) It'll be another late (or early) one to catch MotoGP action live from the US. Moto3 starts at 2am Monday, Moto2 at 3.20am and MotoGP at 5am. Videopass…

Jack Miller MotoGP 4th A great race, and very intense battles with Petrucci and Morbidelli and those guys. I enjoyed it a lot but it cost me a little bit of time. My strategy was to save the tyres for the last laps, which I did quite well. I was able to pass Rins, Petrux and Morbidelli, but it took too many laps. I was catching Dovi and Valentino, but wasn’t able to do it today. But it was a big improvement from Qatar. Twenty-five laps with a seat were easier than 13 laps without one. Remy Gardner Moto2 2nd “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this. I could have won it, but Balda touched me, got a big squirrelly on the brakes. I did it…

Tom Edwards WorldSSP300 Kawasaki ParkinGo Grid 29th, Race 19th, No score yet “A difficult weekend, definitely not the best way to start the championship. There were quite a few different problems in all of the sessions prior to the race but the bike performed well in the end, so I am looking forward to Assen next weekend.” Tom Bramich WorldSSP300 Carl Cox - RT Motorsports Grid 33rd, Race 24th, No score yet “I probably wasn’t aggressive enough in the first two laps and did not make up enough positions early in order to stay in the main group. Once the group split, it was really difficult to make any inroads. Disappointing, but plenty to build on.” Jack Hyde WorldSSP300 2R Racing Team Grid DNQ, Last Chance Race, DNQ, “It’s definitely…

"REMY ON THE podium was unreal, I’m stoked for him. He probably should have been on the podium in Qatar but he made it work here, he had pace all weekend. He’s looked impressive while doing it — he’s 10 out 10 in the style points. He’s bringing some old school riding back into it. “Remy and Wayne have put a lot into it and having a father who has been world champion can be both a blessing and a curse. They’ve had to work their arses off because no one gives them a chance. “It’s good to stick the finger out to all the people who said no.”…

AFTER DEPUTISING FOR the injured Troy Bayliss at the recent ASBK round at Wakefield Park, the Desmosport Ducati team has announced that Queenslander Mike Jones will ride the twin-cylinder Panigale FE for the remainder of the season. Jones finished fourth for the round at Wakefield Park and now sits third in the championship, just 13 points adrift of series leader Cru Halliday. This comes after an eye catching appearance at Phillip Island, where he raced on a borrowed Kawasaki ZX-10R, setting a lap record in the final race. Desmosport Ducati’s Troy Bayliss told fans he still intends to race this year, but will now be switching focus to develop the new V4 R. After injuries sustained at the opening round, Bayliss knew it put him at a severe disadvantage in…

YES AND NO. Compared to the original Concept 9Cento, the biggest change is at the seating area for practicality. But the front styling is instantly recognisable as the 9Cento, with twin headlights – symmetrical, thankfully – and just a hint of an adventure bike ‘beak’. Distinct, ‘floating’ side panels are another clear link to the 9Cento concept. Sure, the production bike is missing the 9Cento’s bellypan, but something similar is sure to appear in the options list. It also lacks the weird shark fin on the concept bike’s rear hugger but looks all the better for this omission.…

Hot buns! Honda has applied for a patent for its development of a heated motorcycle seat. Wonder if they’ll do a chilled version for Oz? Sanity prevails (so far) Racing at Auckland’s Western Springs stadium, Kiwiland’s biggest speedway venue, will continue with the lease extended another year while a suitable new venue is organised. Buggered up Two bungling burglars have been filmed in WA riding their sportsbike into a shopping centre’s jewellery store, then dropping their loot on the way out! Grim reading In the past two weeks riders have died in Queensland (bike-truck collision), WA (police chase), western Victoria (solo accident) and coastal South Australia (bike hit fence). In SA, motorcyclists make up nine of 31 road deaths so far this year.…

News Honda considers releasing a fuel-injected two-stroke roadbike. Rumours circulate about Honda moving to electronic fuel injection for its 250 GP bike, with the word on the street being that regular 500 rider Shinichi Ito is to race the EFI 250 in Japan during July 1990. Sport It was reported that Kevin Schwantz “rode with a new found maturity to victory” at the Dutch TT, to take his third win of the season. The Texan improved his fastest time at Assen by six seconds after the only slow corner on the track was replaced with a banked second-gear sweeper. Bike test Alan Cathcart checks out the Yelen Prototype built by Yves Kerlo, a pretty wild custom bike builder. The Mad Max-styled beast was powered by a stock Yamaha FZR1000 motor,…

Send Fred a photo of the first bike you ever owned or rode. If you don’t have a pic of the first, he’ll accept one of the first. Email your entry to comps@amcn. com.au and make sure you include your full name and postal address so he can send out the loot to his favourite! Even on the dole, I managed to save enough to buy this Honda XL250. I would pay my board to my mother in front of my father, only to have her stuff it back into my pocket when he wasn’t around! Served me well on many a camping trip with a mate, who bought an identical one. Chris Randall Here’s a photo of my first bike, a Suzuki RGV 250. It’s a shame you can’t…

KAWASAKI Z900RS Capacity 948cc Configuration Inline four Power 83kW Torque 98Nm Weight 215kg (wet) Price $16,499 plus on-road costs HONDA CB1000R Capacity 998cc Configuration Inline four Power 107kW Torque 104Nm Weight 207kg Price $16,499 plus on-road costs SUZUKI KATANA Capacity 999cc Configuration Inline four Power 111kW Torque 108Nm Weight 215kg (wet) Price $17,490 plus-on road costs DUCATI SCRAMBLER 1100 Capacity 1079cc Configuration V-twin Power 63kW Torque 88Nm Weight 206kg (wet) Price $17,990 plus on-road costs…

ENGINE Configuration Inline-four cylinder Cylinder head DOHC, four valves per cylinder Capacity 999cc Bore/stroke 73.4 x 59mm Compression ratio 12.2: 1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 4 x 44mm throttle bodies Power 110kW @ 10,000rpm (claimed) Torque 108Nm @ 9500rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper type Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material Aluminium alloy Frame layout Twin spar Rake 25° Trail 100mm SUSPENSION KYB Front: 43mm USD fully adjustable fork, 120mm travel Rear: Monoshock, adjustable rebound and preload, 130mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Six-spoke cast aluminium Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 6.0 Tyres Dunlop Roadsport 2 Front: 120/70ZR17 Rear: 190/50R17 BRAKES Brembo, ABS Front: Twin 310mm discs, four-piston radial calipers Rear: Single 245mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 215g (wet, claimed) Seat height 825mm Max width 830mm…

THE DIAVEL’S ABILITY to impress as an all-rounder on the streets and mountains will attract all kinds of riders. But this bike will particularly suit a few types. First and foremost, if you’re the type of rider who wants to look like a badass, this bike will suit you down to the ground. You could be wearing full leathers with a racing helmet and boots, or you could achieve the same result riding to your local coffee shop in a pair of jeans while wearing an open face helmet. Ultimately, the owner of this bike will be someone who loves the thrill of high power output, wants to go for a cruise on the scenic route but who wants to go home via the twisties to ruffle a few sportsbike…

ENGINE Configuration Parallel-twin Cylinder head DOHC, four valves per cylinder Capacity 321cc Bore/stroke 68 x 44.1mm Compression ratio 11.2: 1 Cooling Liquid Fueling Fuel injected, 2 x 32mm Mikuni throttle bodies Power 30.9kW @ 10,700rpm (claimed) Torque 26.9Nm @ 9000rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet, slipper-type Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame layout Diamond Rake 24.5° Trail 95mm SUSPENSION KYB Front: 37mm USD, non-adjustable, 130mm travel Rear: Monoshock, adjustable preload, 125mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels 10-spoke, cast aluminium Front: 17 x 2.5 Rear: 17 x 4.0 Tyres Dunlop Sportsmax GPR300 Front: 110/70R17 (58W) Rear: 140/70R17 (75W) BRAKES Front: Single 298mm disc, two-piston radial caliper, ABS Rear: Single 220mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 167kg (kerb, claimed) Seat height 780mm Max width 720mm Max height 1140mm Wheelbase 1380mm…

When did you first see the Phillip Island circuit and what was your first impression? “In 1981. I raced there for two years in the historic events and it was where I damaged my Elfin Formula Junior car. The left suspension pickup let go half way through Turn 3, so I steered it off onto what I thought was nice green grass and found one of Len Lukey’s filled-in sand traps. I loved the layout, but of course it was a complete shambles. Some of my colleagues would not race there because the stone chips damaged the cars. As a driver, you do not really look at how many obstacles there are – not until I went there with the knowledge from building (the Formula 1 circuit in) Adelaide.” We…

GIVI IS KNOWN for designing practical products that improve bikes in the areas of safety, comfort and versatility. It offers a number of screen options for Honda’s popular Africa Twin, one of which I’ve just taken possession of in order to set-up for some serious adventure and touring duties. On the face of it, this low sports screen in solid matt black appears to be aimed more at improving the bikes look than any practical consideration but, while it is a very good-looking addition, it does actually offer a few not-so obvious rider enhancements. We will cover these properly in our follow-up review when we have had more ride time with the screen fitted. On that point, it was very simple to fit using the four OEM Allen-head bolts from…

Show time 14 APRIL Ol’ Skool Motorcycle Show, Ellis Beach Bar & Grill, Captain Cook Hwy, Ellis Beach, Qld. Breakfast from 7am, gates open 9.30am. $5 ticket to win a 1979 80 c.i. Harley motor, or signed training glove used by Geoff Horn prior to winning his boxing world title. Live music and bar and food all day. Entry $5; under 16s free. For information phone 0457 098 582. 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, Berry, NSW. Registration 8am-12pm; judging…

THE MENTAL PICTURE of Freddie Spencer standing in aloof silence with his arms folded, facing up to an irately gesticulating Cal Crutchlow, will linger long in the mind. That at least was how Crutchlow described what happened after the Argentine GP, and it is easy to imagine. Crutchlow is one of those people who does irate pretty comprehensively. And Freddie is well-practiced at being impassive. It’s the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object, all over again. In the unlikely event that you haven’t seen the widely circulated video of Crutchlow supposedly jumping the start, for which he was hit with the standard ride-through penalty, then let me explain. The winner of the race the year before was poised on his factory LCR Honda, eyes on the lights, clutch to the…

Circuit length  4.806km Race distance MotoGP 120.15km Moto2 110.538km Moto3 100.92km 2018 winners MotoGP C Crutchlow 40m36.342s Moto2 M Pasini 40m37.538s Moto3 M Bezzecchi 41m43.822s Did you know? Remy Gardner’s second-place finish in Moto2 makes him the 32nd Australian rider to score a podium finish since GP racing started in 1949. Should he go one better, he would become the 20th Aussie to stand on the highest step and the first Aussie second-generation GP winner. Father and son GP-winning families all include at least one world champion; Les and Stuart Graham, Nello and Alberto Pagani, Angel and Pablo Nieto, Helmut and Stefan Bradl, and Graziano and Valentino Rossi. And in the case of the Roberts family, two world champs; Kenny and Kenny Jr. Round 2 Finishing positions…

Gonzalez up, Ana down The start of the WorldSSP300 season was as massive in thrills as it was in numbers, with over 50 riders trying to qualify for each race now. The first win went to local 16-year-old in his second season, Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO), from Hugo De Cancellis (Team Trasimeno Yamaha) and the hard charging Scott Deroue (Motoport Kawasaki). Champion in 2018, Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec) was knocked off while in the usual mass group contesting the win and didn’t get any points on the board. Future is bright There are so many WorldSSP300 riders on show in 2019 that they have had to be split into two groups, A and B for qualifying. This makes the job of any rider harder pre-race now, of course, but that…

MOTORCYCLING AUSTRALIA SAYS the pathways for young riders to pursue a career in international road racing is just as effective as anywhere in the world, pointing to the recent opening round success of the Oceania Junior Cup at Wakefield Park and the graduation of several Aussies to World Supersport 300 this year. “We really need to prepare our junior riders for competition in Europe, that is where they have the best chance of forging a career,” MA’s Chief Executive Officer Peter Doyle told AMCN. “With the Oceania Junior Cup, the top four have the option of trying out for the Asia Talent Cup at the end of the year, and they can then progress to the Red Bull Rookies Cup, which is where all the top Moto3 teams look for…

Concession calculations AFTER THE FIRST three rounds of the 2019 WorldSBK Championship, calculations have been made for concession parts, but there is not enough of a points gap between Ducati and Kawasaki to warrant it. There is expected to be rev limit changes, with 250rpm less for the dominant Ducati, and maybe as much as a 500rpm more allowed for the still-struggling Hondas. GORDON RITCHIE Rad-elaide 3 Hour WILLIAM STRUGNELL and Brad Miller (Suzuki GSX-R1000) took out victory in the 2019 Auldana Foundations Adelaide 3 Hour race at Mallala, SA, on 7 April. The pair finished two laps ahead of last year’s winners Graham Snaith and Kym Grosser (Honda CBR1000RR and BMW S 1000 RR). HC Rea’s race starts JONATHAN REA'S FIRST race at Motorland was his 250th start in…

Australian Motorcycle Newsroad 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. And protective casings on your computer, too. Cos in a world that’s getting smaller and more connected by the minute – we had news editor Hamish in Thailand riding the new Scramblers, we had Youngy swinging off a secret chassis in Siberia, we had Phil shovelling in six-course breakfasts in Malaysia, Andrews was designing from the saddle of his cycle, Sam flew to Melbourne for the Speed Twin launch and Kel was so crook she didn’t know where she was – it’s remarkable you’re even reading this at all.…

AMCN IS URGING all big-hearted readers to think about updating their winter jacket for what’s looking like an extremely cold season, using the opportunity to help warm Australia’s homeless by donating the used jacket to AMCN’s annual Winter Jacket Drive. Now in its eighth year, the annual drive supports Australia’s most vulnerable by collecting unwanted motorcycle jackets and, with the help of Mission Australia, distributing them to the alarming and growing amount of people sleeping rough in this country. With both thermal and protective properties, an unwanted motorcycle jacket collecting dust in your wardrobe could make a tremendous difference to a less fortunate person forced to call the outdoors home. A full list of drop-off points will be published soon, but as the days get shorter and the nights get…

OFFICIAL SALES FIGURES for the first quarter of 2019 weren’t officially released before AMCN went to press but we understand the grim downturn of 2018 is continuing, with the small-capacity segment propping up what growth there is. Large-capacity sports models continue their slump while sub-500cc motorcycles are experiencing sales increases as much as 150 percent. There are some big questions to be answered. Why is the market for new motorcycles declining in such a strange way? Are the amount of older riders hanging up their helmets outweighing the amount of new riders pulling on gloves? The number of people signing up for new license rider training is experiencing decade-high levels, but are they opting for secondhand motorcycles? How is your local motorcycle shop surviving and adapting to this changing world?…

BROADFORD'S BIKE Bonanza held over the Easter long weekend is shaping up to be one of the biggest speedway celebrations ever held in Australia. Event organisers have gathered together a rolling hall of fame including both riders and machines. As well as honouring the past they will be looking to the future, with a number of younger riders and their machines joining the legends on the track. One of many highlights will be three generations of the Crump family on track. Young road racer Seth will join his father Jason and grandfather Phil for demo runs on some iconic machines. Provided by speedway hyper collector Rod Hunter, of RH8 Motorcycles, the machines include a rare Neil Street four-valve Jawa SR4 and a totally original, new Cody USA four-valve Jawa, which…

HALF-WAY THROUGH the bloody campaign that would later define the ANZAC tradition, the curtain of censorship denied Australians any real means of understanding the real state of affairs in Çanakkale. Australian newspapers blithely reported that “Great Britain is fortunate, having come through the first and most critical year of the war without any increase in petrol prices. This despite the fact that the Dardanelles operations have taken incomparably longer than was ever anticipated.” Sadly the tragedy of Gallipoli had yet to hit home when the only conflict Australian newspapers could accurately report on was the interstate battle between Victorian Jack Booth and South Australian Ed Ferguson. Booth, who held both the one- and five-mile motorcycle records at 84mph (135km/h) and 76mph (122km/h), knew he could do better, and in August…

Send an image and details about your two-wheeled pride and joy to access@amcn.com.au He says Here are my prized possessions, my R 1200 ST and Cagiva Raptor, both bikes are pretty standard, except for the cans, so they both sound absolutely amazing and go like they should! The BMW does have a foot throttle for those long rides and a phone holder for GPS purposes so I don’t have to pull over to find my way around. It’s got about 120,000kms on it now and still going strong. The Cagiva is just for those day blasts into the Mary Valley about an hour and a half from where I live in Queensland and an absolute truckload of fun. Clearly I’ve made the right choice of bikes for my location, it…

ONE YEAR AFTER the original GSX1100S wowed motorcycling, Suzuki released a smaller-displacement GSX750S, first into the Japanese market and then into Europe and America. Using the same chassis, suspension and aesthetics as its 1100cc sibling, the 750cc version was the most powerful 750 on the market at the time of its debut. It remained in production until 1984. Come 1992, Suzuki tried again to continue the momentum of the Katana legacy, this time with a similarly styled GSX250S and GSX400S based around the firm’s four-cylinder Bandit platforms. Both disappeared a couple of years later without a lot of fanfare but, given the popularity and lucrative potential the sub-400cc market holds today, I can’t help but wonder whether Suzuki is doing the sums. And while Suzuki refused to be drawn on…

1 The throttle response is direct and linear, however, this changes with different modes. Sport and Touring retain full power, while Urban mode reduces the power significantly to a reduced peak of (75kW) 100hp. It’s a handy feature on greasy roads, but it also delays the throttle response, which isn’t particularly necessary because there’s a noticeable lag. 2 The customisable settings for the electronics seem endless, but is it really necessary? I suppose for some people it may well be. It’s definitely worth reading the manual and learning just what the brain of the bike is capable of to take full advantage of what’s on offer. 3 The Öhlins suspension on the S model is fully adjustable, which again adds another dimension to the bike. Premium European bikes often come…

ENGINE Configuration 90-degree V-twin Cylinder head DOHC, four valves per cylinder Capacity 1262cc Bore/stroke 106 x 71.5mm Compression ratio 13.0: 1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 2 x 56mm Bosch throttle bodies Power 117kW @ 9500rpm (claimed) Torque 129Nm @ 7500rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper-type Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame layout Trellis Rake 27° Trail 120mm SUSPENSION Öhlins Front: 48mm, fully adjustable, 120mm travel Rear: Monoshock, fully adjustable, 130mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Cast aluminium alloy Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 8.0 Tyres Diablo Rosso III Front: 120/70ZR17 Rear: 240/45ZR17 BRAKES Brembo, with Bosch Cornering ABS Evo Front: Twin 320mm discs, four-piston Monobloc calipers Rear: Single 220mm disc, two-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 244kg (kerb, claimed) Seat height 780mm Width Not given Height…

I HAVE SPENT a lot of time on sportsbikes, big and small, and the R3 has nailed the cockpit feel and layout. Yamaha has put in a bit of effort, too, to make me immediately feel at home sitting there. For 2019, Yamaha dropped the bars below the top triple clamp, clip-on style. This aided considerably to that feeling of control and feedback from the front end – I’m so impressed with feel on offer, even on a cold morning. The seat is comfortable and, for my 175cm height, offered ample room to slide from side to side and back and forth if I was needing to tuck in like a Maverick Viñales wannabe. The new, broader front fairing gives a feeling of being on a larger bike, and while…

REDDING MAY BE British born and bred but he doesn’t know half the BSB tracks, because he took the European route to racing success. Has he raced at Knockhill? “No, don’t even know what it looks like.” Cadwell? “Kind of, I raced a Metrakit 80 there in the rain.” Snetterton? “I think I did Snett on a Moto2 two-seater, with someone on the back.” Oulton? “No.” In other words, he will have a lot to learn during 2019, when he will ride a Ducati Panigale V4 for the PBM team owned by Paul Bird, who first helped Redding when he was a kid. But he’s not bothered. “I’m not worried because one of the strongest things I’ve got is new tracks – I’ve got feeling for that,” he says. “What…

PHOTOGRAPHER LOU MARTIN made two decisions when the Australian GP was announced – visit Phillip Island to check out camping areas and book a flight to Europe. These moves resulted in Martin promoting the Real Racing camp ground and supplying images to a range of outlets before the 1989 race. He called it Real Racing because he regarded Grand Prix as the real deal. “I knew a lot of people in the paddock from being in Europe in 1979-80-81 and I figured the first event would be very big, because (Bob) Barnard was a dreamer,” he said. “The 1989 race would be the second of the season and people would need images, so I went to four or five GPs in 1988. I hoped to cover expenses and ended up…

THIS IS MY side of the story on what’s going on with my race licence. It started in 2012 when I was racing Moto2 with the QMMF Racing team. Ahead of the French Grand Prix, I missed breakfast at the hotel to get to the track for morning warm-up. I grabbed a pre-workout drink and some water out of the back of my truck and decided to eat after warm-up, where I finished 15th in wet conditions. I discussed race set-up with my team before I headed back to my truck, changed, and ate my usual race-meeting meal of chicken and pasta. I had a great race, finished seventh in the wet from 28th on the grid and was taken for a drug test for the first time ever in…

Ducati protest; Cool your jets WITH THE PROTEST against Ducati’s swingarm device comprehensively defeated at the Court of Appeal, it seemed that the protesters – Aprilia, Honda, KTM and Suzuki – were left with egg on their faces. But as the weekend unfolded, the spotlight fell on Technical Director Danny Aldridge, who faced criticism for wording on a guideline to the rules that left a loophole in the interpretation. It’s now been established the device is there to cool the rear tyre – with Ducati chief Gigi Dall’Igna telling press that it can make a difference of as much as seven degrees. It does also generate a small amount of downforce… but with the rules guideline concentrating only on the primary purpose of any such device, this is beside the…

REMY GARDNER CAN'T be far from joining the select seven-strong group of father-son GP winners – which includes Valentino Rossi. But the 21-year-old, whose never-give-up riding style demonstrates that the apple has not fallen far from the tree, has his eyes on a greater distinction… to join the Roberts family as the second father-son World Champions. Second in Argentina was the Sydney-sider’s first podium, and the first for the family since 500cc champion Wayne finished second in the South African GP in 1992. Remy, whose career has been assiduously fostered by Wayne, races with the number 87, commemorating his dad’s 1987 World Championship.…

ASBK REGULAR YANNI Shaw has won the New Zealand Moto 3 Championship, taking out the 2019 title with one round to spare. Shaw, who said it was “daunting heading to a new country to ride a new bike”, adapted quickly to the KTM Kalex 250 GP mono prepared by Double Six Motorsport. With the NZ championship starting in early January, Shaw said he felt a bit like “a ping pong ball” jumping between countries, also juggling his ASBK commitments. He proved to be in a class of his own, however, taking opening round wins at both Mike Pero Motorsports Park and then Levels Raceway. Round 3 at Hampton Downs Motofest also proved to be a happy hunting ground, winning from pole position in all three races and taking the title…

AUSTRALIA'S MUDDIEST ENDURO, the C&R Constructions Kamfari on 5 May, will see riders battle mixed conditions for the unique and coveted Buffalo Horns Trophy. The Kamfari is held at Cox Peninsula, about 80km south of Darwin and caters for quads as well as bikes. For well over 40 years the Kamfari’s unique format has captured the hearts of local racers and off-road riders from Australia-wide. Many see it as a bucket list race, as there is nothing like it elsewhere in the country. Darwin’s Chris Warwick will be back again, looking for his third straight win. With races like the Baja 1000, Erzberg and Red Bull Romaniacs under his belt, Warwick knows all about extreme enduro and pushing rider and bike to the limit. Spectators are well catered for, with…