Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 68 Issue 21 i Australian Motorcycle News

I RECENTLY SPENT two days riding a big bike off-road with TV personality and all-round legend, Kate Peck. Not, as some assumed early on, on the same bike – Kate was on her own big BMW R 1250 GS – and so she should have been. Her fluid riding style should be the envy of many blokes, something she hammered home as we rounded up bloke after bloke during the ride. But by the ride’s end, I was still shaking my head at the sheer bullshit she had to endure throughout. It started with questions like: “So, which bike are you guys on?” Followed by sheer disbelief and a full head-to-toe body check (read perve) when we both produced keys to check which bikes we were, individually, riding. The fact…

BMW'S BIG BOXER may have a rival in an equally large new water-cooled twin from Indian. A heavily-disguised prototype has been seen on test, looking a lot like a current Chieftain but with an upside-down fork and Brembo brakes. The real clues have been revealed in a patent that focuses on its cylinder head and valve train. The new engine, which appears to be about the same size as the existing air-cooled Thunder Stroke 111 (1811cc with pushrod-operated valve gear) features a single overhead cam in each cylinder head, with a huge radiator. The patent shows each cylinder’s single overhead cam operates four valves, with the camshaft sitting deep in the head between the intake and exhaust valves and acting on roller-rockers. This makes the top end nearly as compact…

69 Nicky Hayden’s race number is retired from MotoGP. It was first used by Nicky’s father Earl. Read the full story on page 123 “It’s entirely our own engine” Norton’s head of design Simon Skinner isn’t exaggerating when describing the powerplant in the all new V4-SS. It was all done in-house, right down to the ECU, the ride-by-wire and the constantly variable intake system. It’s one impressive piece of kit and we have the report from the world’s first ride! Read the full test starting on page 52 BUSHBASHERS This is what we like; dirtbikes getting really dirty as 62 Yamaha WR250R owners rock up for the third annual one-model rally held around New South Wales’ Hunter region. Rider ages ranging from 19 to 84 years old came from right…

Congratulations Steve, you’ve scored a beaut Motul cap and T-shirt valued at $35, kindly supplied by our mates at Link International. Send an image and details about your two-wheeled pride and joy to access@amcn.com.au Rider Steven Rouse Ride 1983 Yamaha IT490K He says Here’s my old trusty IT490. It has never failed me hitting the trails up around the escarpment near my house and has absolutely no trouble getting the front wheel up in the air. It’s a shame you don’t see many of these two-stroke rockets racing around on the trails anymore. The picture is of me crossing a river the day I showed my daughter’s boyfriend (who’s more of roadbike fan) how real men cross rivers. Honestly, I think I prefer this to any of those new trail…

ENGINE Configuration V-twin Cylinder head Desmodromic, two valves per cylinder Capacity 803cc Bore/stroke 88 x 66mm Compression ratio 11: 1 Cooling Air Fueling EFI, 1 x 50mm throttle body Power 54kW @ 8250rpm (claimed) Torque 57Nm @ 5750rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper type Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame layout Trellis Rake Not given Trail Not given SUSPENSION KYB Front: 41mm USD fork, nonadjustable 150mm travel (DS: 46mm USD fork, fully adjustable, 200mm travel) Rear: Monoshock, adjustable preload, 150mm travel (DS: Monoshock, adjustable preload and rebound, 200mm travel) WHEELS/TYRES Wheels 10-spoke alloy (DS: Wire-spoke aluminium) Front: 18 x 3.0 Rear: 17 x 5.5 (DS: Front: 19 x 3.0 Rear: 17 x 5.5) Tyres Pirelli MT 60 RS (DS: Pirelli Scorpion Rally Star) Front:…

How many V4s have you delivered so far? Just a few dozen, because we’re right at the start of producing them. But we’ve spoken to all of our first 200 buyers, and it’s been really wonderful how supportive they are. People talk about Italian bike owners buying into the family, but our Norton customers have done just the same. How many orders have you got for the new V4? Several hundred, with all 200 examples of the limited edition SS version under deposit, selling for £44,000. Probably 50 percent are UK orders, and the rest from all over the world. We’re manufacturing those first, and then we’ll start on the RR, retailing for £28,000 in the UK. We’ve already received over 300 deposits for that bike, so most of 2019…

THE HYPERSPORT TYRE market is hugely competitive and as such, the quality of the product needs to be high. Top end manufacturers are all having a crack at the hypersports market as it grows steadily, which is great for end consumers like us, as there’s constant development and improvement right across the market. If you’re interested in the S22, these may also be worth comparing. Dunlop Sportmax Q3+ Michelin Power RS Pirelli Diablo Rosso III Metzeler Sportec M7RR…

Top 3 TV 1 ASBK Rd3 The Bend, SA SBS, Fox & ASBK 27-28 April TBA SBS and Fox will broadcast live coverage of ASBK Round 3 from The Bend Motorsport Park, SA. The racing will be live-streamed on the asbk.com.au website too, which will also have the full schedule when available. 2 AMA SX Rd16 NJ Video Pass 28 April 7am Catch the penultimate round of the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Championship live from East Rutherford, New Jersey, at supercrosslive.com. All the racing action kicks off at 7am (AEST) on Sunday. 3 MotoGP Rd4 Jerez, ES Videopass, Fox 5 May 7pm MotoGP heads to Europe for Round 4, meaning a return to 'normal' scheduling. Moto3 starts at 7pm (AEST), Moto2 at 8.20pm and MotoGP at 10pm. Videopass and Foxtel…

MOTORCYCLE DRAG RACING has two big rounds over the next few weeks and it’s going to be a great showcase for our sport. I compete in the Pro Stock bike class of the 400 Thunder series. We have rounds at Sydney Dragway on 4 May and at Queensland’s Winternationals at Willowbank over 6-9 June. I had my first 400 Thunder win at Willowbank in January, running PBs and getting down to 7.1secs. So I can’t wait to get back there. For me, drag racing is like being a kid on a roller-coaster who keeps running around to start again because the run is over so quickly. I’ve been racing for 15 years and involved since I was a kid, helping my dad Glen when he raced in Modified Bike. That’s…

Jack Miller MotoGP 3rd “My last podium was in 2016. It’s been a long time between drinks. We got lucky this weekend. In hindsight choosing the soft front was a mistake, but it was the penalty for missing FP3. I was having a lot of moments, and I had to go all-out on the last lap, because Dovi was coming. I thought, just don’t make any mistakes. It came off alright.” Remy Gardner Moto2 11th “It’s been a really unlucky weekend with a strange crash in qualifying. Starting from 18th I had a really good first couple of corners and I thought I could have run with the top seven, but I lost a bunch of time when Baldassarri fell in front of me, and I shot my front tyre.…

Tom Edwards WorldSSP300 Kawasaki ParkinGo Grid 17th, Race DNF, No score yet “I passed three or four riders each lap in the early stages to gain 10 positions. Two riders pulled alongside me in the slipstream down the back straight, because I was on a wider line than normal, I hit bumps and lost the front. I’m sore, but will start training.” Tom Bramich WorldSSP300 Carl Cox - RT Motorsports Grid 31st, Race DNF, No score yet “The qualifying and race didn’t reflect our true potential here this weekend. I believe we could have fought for championship points, but after only completing 1 lap in qualifying before it started snowing and starting 31st, it made our work even harder.” Jack Hyde WorldSSP300 2R Racing Team Grid DNQ, Last Chance Race,…

FORMER AMCN STAFFER Rennie Scaysbrook will once again try to claim the coveted heavyweight title at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, an invitational event held over the last weekend in June in Colorado Springs, USA. Swapping the KTM Super Duke he’s raced for the last two years for an Aprilia Tuono 1100 Factory, Scaysbrook is hoping 2019 will finally be the year he achieves the win, which has narrowly escaped him in his previous attempts. Last year he finished just 0.69sec shy of Carlin Dunne’s winning run and you can be sure he’ll be doing all he can to snatch the so-far elusive winner’s trophy. Scaysbrook will be up against the dominant Dunne again in 2019, though if that’s not tough enough, he’ll also have Isle of Man…

SOME OF THE highlights of the opening weeks of the UK season have been former world champion Jason Doyle winning the prestigious Peter Craven Memorial Meeting at Belle Vue, beating Kenneth Bjerre, Max Fricke and Rory Schlein in the final. On the same night Kevin Doolan edged out Aaron Summers to win the final of the Bordernapolis Classic at Berwick. Ryan Douglas and Schlein both made the final of the Steel City Championship (Sheffield’s 90th anniversary meeting), which was won by French rider David Bellego, and Brady Kurtz has broken the track record in a meeting at Peterborough.…

AUSTRALIAN AMA Supercross legend Chad Reed is hoping to be fit enough to make his race return by the season-ending AMA SX round in Las Vegas on 4 May. The 37-year-old Suzuki rider crashed heavily during the early stages of the Main Event in Seattle, which left him with eight broken ribs, a broken scapula and a collapsed lung. The Australian posted pictures of him undergoing recovery training on a bicycle last week, giving fans positive signs he’s well on his way.…

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. Surely it is time for a modern remake of Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte’s 19th-century story of love, loss and loneliness – but with motorcyles. In a modern setting, could it be that Heathcliff was driven his bitterness after trying to rewire a pre-unit Triumph? Or balance the carbs on a Ducati 750SS? When Cathy laughs at Heathcliff, he could wheelie off into the night and plot his revenge. Cue thunder and soundtrack. Over to you, Baz Luhrmann...…

A SWATHE OF new patents from Yamaha make it abundantly clear the tuning-fork brand is working on ideas for electric models across its entire range. Its latest patent application focuses on a small but important detail of any electric bike; where to put the charging socket. While it might seem sensible to position it on top of the ‘tank’, there are reasons to put it elsewhere. One of Yamaha’s new designs, based on the 2015 PES2 concept, sticks to the conventional positioning, but where the PES2 concept featured a distinctive, hollow ‘tank’ you could see through, the patent shows that area packed with batteries. Two possible charging configurations are shown – one placed on the top of the tank, the other at the front of the right-hand side. The patent…

GRIM FIGURES SHOWING an annual 10 percent decline in new bike sales don’t tell the full story. There are 870,000 registered motorcycles in Australia, and that figure doesn’t include recreational registration figures. Registration figures have actually increased while new bike sales have declined. Growth is at a very slow rate but shows a ray of hope. More worrying for the manufacturers and distributors is the average age of Australia’s fleet of registered motorcycles. In 2013 the average registered motorcycle was 9.3 years old; in 2018 it was 10.5 years old.…

“I felt at home on the bikes straight away … we are all happy!” Aussie Davo Johnson after his two-day shakedown test at Castle Combe Circuit with his Honda Racing squad ahead of this year’s Isle of Man TT. “There’s more to come from us I think, I don’t see this as being a one-off” Ducati MotoGP racer Jack Miller after his COTA podium. He’s an entirely different man from the one who tore off his seat at the season opener. “We were fighting issues before the weekend even started” Round 2 of the Brazilian Superbike Series was tough for Ant West, but he hung on for third overall and still leads the series.…

Norton ups the ante As John McGuinness finally tests the 660cc Superlight twin he will race at the upcoming Isle of Man TT, Norton undertakes a 1000 square-metre extension to its Donington Hall factory, with the aim of producing 4000 Atlas Ranger and Nomad twins a year. Electric dreams Zero will contest this year’s Pike’s Peak Hill Climb in June while former MotoGP and World Superbike star Max Biaggi will attempt to hit 328km/h on the Bolivian salt flats early next year on Voxan Motors’ Wattman for a new electric bike record speed. Rider restriction plan A South Australian university review of motorcycle safety has recommended Learner rider ages be lifted to 18 years (with a full 12 months on ‘L’ plates) and unrestricted licence holders to 21 years and…

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 issue’s coolest six have picked themselves up an Oxford Cable Lock and Fred’s fave gets an IPONE Care Kit, all thanks to the team at Ficeda Accessories! This was my first bike, a Honda XR75. My first love, 10-years-old and I’m still riding Hondas 42 years later. Tim Jackson On my first new bike, a 1971 Honda CB450. Still enjoying riding on my 15th new bike and reading AMCN, been reading since the Green Horror days. Peter Longobardi Here is a photo of my first road bike. I wish I still had it. Neil Ross My old…

BEAR WITH ME. So here we have a bike with a beautifully controlled engine, an accurate and crisp throttle, oodles of torque and modest top-end power. We also have three power modes and traction control (switchable, thankfully). My question is, why the electronics? The traction control, when I tested it on gravel, is smooth and fast. It works fine. And the modes, which like most bikes, simply reduce the speed the throttle activates the EFI butterflies, or vice versa, certainly changes the character of the bike. But, when you are seated on one of the easiest to ride 1200s around, why is it festooned with gear that is easier to manage by simply using your right wrist? Triumph obviously feels these are selling points for such a bike, and I…

PRESENTERS TALKED ABOUT how the Scrambler was a milestone, becoming Ducati’s first sub-brand. Ducati’s success over the past few decades has been all about style, technical perfection and sophistication. “We had to change our DNA from a race-track focus to riding for just fun, freedom and self-expression,” said one presenter. As I took in the resort launch scene, with a 2019 Café Racer floating on a wooden plinth in an endless swimming pool, my mind went back to the selected lifestyle events Ducati has chosen over recent years. From Wheels and Waves in France to similar events on both coasts of the USA, the message has been spread in an almost subliminal way.…

ENGINE Configuration 72º V4 Cylinder head DOHC, four valves per cylinder Capacity 1200cc Bore/stroke 82 x 56.8mm Compression ratio 13.6: 1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 4 x 48mm AT Power billet shaftless throttle bodies Power 149kW @ 12,500rpm (claimed) Torque 130Nm @ 10,000rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper-type Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material Tubular aluminium Frame layout Open cradle Rake 23.9° (adjustable) Trail 98mm (adjustable) SUSPENSION Öhlins Front: 43mm NIX30 USD fork, fully adjustable, 120mm travel Rear: TTXGP bespoke monoshock, fully adjustable, 150mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Forged aluminium Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 6.0 Tyres Dunlop Sportmax GP Racer D212 Front: 120/70ZR17 Rear: 200/55ZR17 BRAKES Brembo Front: Twin 330mm discs, four-piston Monobloc calipers Rear: Single 245mm disc, two-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 179kg (kerb, claimed)…

TO TEST TYRES consistently and safely, you need a reliable and safe environment. The S22 launch was held at the international GP Circuit of Jerez in Spain, where Bridgestone had a multitude of bikes that included the superbikes, some midrange capacity Supersport bikes, hypermotards and nakedbikes, offering me the opportunity to test the tyre back-to-back on a wide range of equipment. I did six on-track sessions, two of which were wet and four completely dry. Jerez offers heavy braking from over 250km/h, fast flowing sweepers and high-speed changes of direction. The circuit is an ideal test ground for wet and dry conditions; its safety rating is excellent, allowing me to really ask some big questions of the tyres on your behalf.…

ESSENTIALS Fuel, including PULP, is available in Smithton and Waratah, but not along the route itself, until you get to Zeehan. Fix it There are no mechanical workshops on the Western Explorer so make sure you have enough tools and tyre changing equipment to be self-sufficient. It’s best to travel with company, and carry a tow strap. Sleep The Bischoff Hotel in Waratah is a great stop for accommodation and food. It is motorcycle friendly to the max. In fact they have now converted an old stable to provide covered parking for bikes, and even have a drying cabinet in case your gear is wet! The hotel has a range of overnight accommodation starting at $29 for a single, or en suite rooms and a spa room if you can…

Show time 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 12.30pm; and presentations 1.30pm. Categories include European, British, Asian, American, Modified, Dirt Bke, Oldest and more. Entry $5 (any number of bikes); public entry gold coin donation. Proceeds to Yumaro. Hosted by Shoalhaven Classic Motorcycle Club. For more information email Joe Lester at jlester@bigpond.com. 5 MAY Time Warp Festival, Main St, Palmwoods, Qld. 10am til late. Celebrating everything vintage, rockabilly and Kustom Kulture, with more than 200…

THERE’S A COUPLE of riders currently ruining racing. They’re just too good. I’m talking about Marc Marquez. And (over in the Proddie-bike paddock) compatriot Alvaro Bautista. Why should they win so much? It just spoils everything for everyone. This at least is a view clearly cherished by the control-tower cronies who run both series. Why else would Dorna and their FIM allies conspire to make racing more equal? In general life, it is humane to succour the disadvantaged, and to help make things fairer for all. I’m not so sure that an active social conscience is quite so desirable at World Championship level. It’s hard for excellence to thrive, when it is hobbled at source. In MotoGP, the thrust of dumb-down regulations and control tyres, electronics and aerodynamics has come…

Circuit length 5.513km Race distance MotoGP 110.3km Moto2 99.2km Moto3 93.7km 2018 winners MotoGP M Marquez 41m52.002s Moto2 F Bagnaia 39m30.016s Moto3 J Martin 39m12.869s Did you know? The Austin result creates a modern-day record for the podium. At 23, Rins was 16 years, nine months and 22 days younger than the man he passed to take the win, Rossi. Rins also becomes the ninth Spanish rider to win a 500cc/MotoGP race, after Alex Criville, Alberto Puig, Carlos Checa, Sete Gibernau, Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez and Maverick Viñales. It’s the third time that three different riders have won the opening three MotoGPs of the season but the first time since 2008 that three different brands did, when Casey Stoner, Pedrosa and Lorenzo split the opening three rounds. Round…

THE BEND WILL also play host the second round of the Asian Road Racing Championship, the series that now includes a 1000cc Superbike category for 2019. Aussie World Endurance veteran Broc Parkes is contesting the 2019 Asia Superbike 1000cc season and, after topping the timesheet in the pre-season tests, currently sits second overall in the championship after a 3-5 scorecard in the opening round held at Sepang last month. He will be joined by ASB1000 regular Aussie Patrick Li, as well as Aussie wildcards Stephanie Redman, Mason Coote and Yanni Shaw.…

Spanish armada FORMER GRAND PRIX rider Toni Elias (Yoshimura Suzuki) has got his 2019 MotoAmerica campaign off to a excellent start, having scored a win and a second-place finish in each of the first two rounds of the American Superbike championship. The veteran Spaniard’s consistency has put him 13 points ahead of reigning champ Cameron Beaubier (Monster Energy Yamaha) who sits second in the standings on 77 points after one win, two thirds and a second. Elias’ teammate Josh Herrin sits thirds overall on 49 points, despite a DNF in the opening race of the season. Australian-born David Anthony (Fly Street Racing) finds himself in eighth overall after the second round with 36 points. KB Showy Miller ONE-RACE SPONSORSHIP of the Pramac Ducati MotoGP team by Lamborghini meant a luxury…

Classic Dirt Track Entries are now open for the 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship, set to be held at the Broadford State Motorcycle Complex in Victoria over 8-9 June. Entry forms can be downloaded via the Motorcycling Australia website and any entries received in the week following the 10 May cut-off date will incur an additional fee of $30. Any queries regarding entries should be directed to the race secretary Kelly Spargo via email on kelspargo@gmail.com. KB Ten Kate comeback Dutch duo Gerrit and Ronald Ten Kate, plus their previous team manager in the Red Bull Honda/Ten Kate Racing team Kervin Bos, were in attendance at their home WorldSBK round at Assen. They will soon be competing again on Yamaha R1s that will be initially supplied by Yamaha from…

Timo Resch, Vice President Sales and Marketing BMW Motorrad, said last week: “We will be showing a BMW Motorraddeveloped concept bike featuring this engine in the first half-year of 2019. BMW Motorrad will present a series production motorcycle with the Big Boxer for the Cruiser segment in the course of 2020.” We reckon BMW’s own concept bike, likely to be a thinly-veiled preview of the 2020 production model, will be the centrepiece of its display at Italy’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in late May.…

SALES OF NEW motorcycles in the first quarter of 2019 declined 14.6 percent compared to the same period last year, with road models slumping 19.2 percent and off-road 9.3 percent. But scooter sales soared 29.6 percent with Suzuki (+166.7 percent) and Honda (+95.7 percent) making significant gains compared to traditional heavyweights Piaggio (-23.2 percent) and Vespa (+2.3 percent). Despite a 17.8 percent drop, Harley-Davidson led roadbike sales ahead of Yamaha (-8 percent) and Honda (-37.9 percent). However it should be noted that Honda had an unusually good start to 2018, selling 2076 models in the first quarter a year ago. Honda retained leadership of the overall market, followed by Yamaha, Kawasaki and Harley-Davidson. The trend towards smaller-capacity motorcycles was confirmed in the first quarter. Honda’s CRF50F minibike (+101 percent) led…

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Mason Coote, Yanni Shaw and Stephanie Redman are MA wildcards for the Asia Road Racing Championship at The Bend this weekend. Rins is king Suzuki rider Alex Rins holds off nine-time world champ Valentino Rossi for his first MotoGP victory at COTA in Austin, Texas. Careful what you post A package with a motorcycle battery inside exploded at a US post office near Rockford, Illinois, last week. Fortunately there were no serious injuries. Deafening silence We’re still waiting for the FIM to answer our questions regarding Ant West’s doping debacle described in our last issue.…

News Yamaha’s new FZR1000 lands in Australia to be put on display at the Sydney Motor Show. The 1991 model features Yamaha’s latest tech, the upside-down fork, and its four-cylinder 1002cc engine put down a claimed 98kw and 107Nm of torque. Sport Peter Goddard clutches a hometown victory at the Phillip Island round of the World Superbike Championship. After qualifying on pole position Goddard went on a charge, resulting in him winning by a massive 10 seconds in front of second place man Fabrizio Pirovano. Bike test Richard Attenborough road tests BMW’s new R 80. The 797.5cc Boxer engine was the subject of the question “does the Boxer still have a place in the 1990s?” We all know the answer to that question now, with BMW rolling out multiple models…

ENGINE Configuration Parallel-twin Cylinder head SOHC, four valves per cylinder Capacity 1197cc Bore/stroke 97.6 x 80mm Compression ratio 11: 1 Cooling Liquid Fueling Multi-point sequential fuel injection Power 71.5kW @ 6750rpm (claimed) Torque 112Nm @ 4950rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material ALS steel with aluminium cradle Frame layout Cradle Rake 22.8° Trail 93.5mm SUSPENSION Front: 41mm non-adjustable telescopic fork, 120mm travel Rear: Twin shocks, adjustable preload, 120mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Seven-spoke, cast aluminium Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 5.0 Tyres Pirelli Diablo Rosso III Front: 120/70ZR17 Rear: 160/60ZR17 BRAKES Brembo/Nissin Front: Twin 305mm discs, four-piston calipers, ABS Rear: Single 220mm disc, two-piston caliper, ABS DIMENSIONS Weight 196kg (dry, claimed) Seat height 807mm Max width 760mm Max height 1110mm (excl. mirrors)…

“THERE'S A NUMBER of reasons why we chose to build a V4 1200cc rather than a 1000cc. This costs a bit more, but partly because of that it’s a premium engine, with a great exhaust note, good power and lots of feedback for the rider. “We wanted a fast roadbike, not a track-day special – so it’s a torquey motor with a road-friendly power delivery, which was very important to us. “We tuned it for lots of torque. On typical corner-exit speed, it revs to 8500rpm or so – but we have 40hp more at those revs than a BMW S 1000 RR, for example. It’s a deceptively potent bike, which I think in most customers’ hands will be quicker than almost anything, as well as easier to ride if…

AUSSIE RIDER JOSH Brookes lapped the 37¾-mile Isle of Man TT course at 131.745mph in 2018 en route to fifth place in the 2018 Senior TT on the Norton SG6-2 racebike, using a factory-supported version of Aprilia’s three-time World Superbike champion RSV4 motor. Teammate John McGuinness was forced to sit out the race due to a longterm injury, but ‘McPint’ is now finally match fit again, and as proof won the Senior Classic TT last August on his comeback ride on a Paton 500. Brooksey has confirmed his BSB commitments will rule him out of the 2019 event, but McGuinness is busting to barrel down Bray Hill next month.…

Terry’s facility at Wallacia is purpose-built for suspension and mechanical work and his staff are really professional and well trained. Terry personifies the old school philosophy, a process-based, mechanical approach to problem solving. He works patiently and methodically until he gets the right result – a rare skill these days. For all suspension and general workshop or engineering needs we highly recommend Shock Treatment. Find it at 639 Greendale Road, Wallacia, NSW. (02) 4773 9115…

"YOU FIND DUCATIS in the most unusual places,” I told my dining companion in Phuket a week or so ago. “Five years ago I was travelling down the Irrawaddy River and was amazed to see a Ducati Monster being ridden down the main street of Mandalay.” “Oh, we have a Ducati dealership there now,” was the reply. I was speaking to one of Ducati’s Thailand-based executives at the Asia-Pacific launch of the 2019 Scramber 800cc range but I still found this almost inconceivable. Mandalay is the second-largest city in Burma (the country’s democracy movement prefers to call it Burma rather than Myanmar because they do not accept the legitimacy of the unelected ruling military regime, which changed the name). Mythical Mandalay is considered the centre of Burmese culture. It has…

Should one always expect the unexpected? It certainly would have helped in Austin. On a weekend when dire weather cut free practice, leaving everyone somewhat guessing tyre choice and bike settings, the best-laid plans went right out of the window – and all predictions went crazy. Nobody expected Álex Rins and the out-powered Suzuki to win on a track with the longest straight of the year – though perhaps Jack Miller’s first dry-weather podium was easier to predict. And certainly nobody expected the King of COTA, Marc Marquez, on target for a seventh successive GP of the Americas win from a seventh successive pole position, to suddenly turn from a flawless god of speed into a normal human being. But that’s what he did, throwing away a 3.6sec lead, then…

Cal-culating WHILE JUMP-START victim Cal Crutchlow insisted he had “moved on” from the ride-through penalty that robbed him of a podium finish in Argentina, rival riders were torn between approval of a firm rule and sympathy for the disproportionate severity of the penalty. Crutchlow had inched forward on the start line, explaining that he was moving onto tip-toe, and seemed to have stopped again before the lights went out. The Stewards Panel, headed by new chairman Freddie Spencer, judged otherwise, and the 2018 Argentine GP winner was dropped to the back of the field as the consequence of the resultant ride-through, the penalty that is dictated by the rules. Jumpin’ in Texas TWO MORE RIDERS fell foul of the rule at CotA, with video evidence showing more obvious transgressions by…

WorldSSP300 Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO) took a second successive win in the WorldSSP300 class, after his success at home last weekend in Spain. Scott Deroue (Motoport Kawasaki) was second at his home round in the Netherlands, and sits second overall as a result. Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec) was leading on the final lap but somehow seven other riders got past her, including Jan-Ole Janning on his Freudenberg KTM, who took third place. The top 10 were covered by just over a second, but the leading group ran out at more like 19 riders… Gonzalez has 50 points, Deroue 36. Fortunate flag A red flagged Superpole qualifying on Saturday saw Alvaro Bautista get a little fortunate when he set his fastest time on his Ducati, and then a red flag was…

THE CIRCUIT OF the Americas was hammered by riders for the danger of the increasingly bumpy surface, especially in windy conditions. None were more explicit than Miller, who said he was lucky to take his place on the grid after a scary moment in the pre-race warm-up. “I almost killed myself down the back straight. I got big head shake on the first lap in the warm-up,” said Miller of his rodeo ride at 340km/h. “I thought it was game over. The wind was in the wrong spot and it started tank slapping and I had no idea what was going on. “My feet came off, the brakes were gone to the bar and I had to pull the lever six times for Turn 12. “In the race I had…

ALVARO BAUTISTA DESERVES the credit for Ducati’s current domination of World Superbikes not just the outstanding performance of the new Panigale V4 R, according to Ducati’s Sporting director Paolo Ciabatti. Ciabatti dismisses claims that the high-revving Panigale is the sole reason for success, with Bautista bringing a new level to WorldSBK. Bautista’s latest double in the Assen round took his unbeaten run to 11 consecutive SBK race wins, including Superpole races. He has humbled the once unbeatable four-time world champion Jonny Rea and the Kawasaki ZX-10RR. “It’s clear that without Alvaro we would now be talking about the continuing dominance of Rea, who would have won 10 of the 11 races, there has been no other Ducati ahead of him except Bautista,” Ciabatti said. “Without these wins everyone would have…

NEWLY CROWNED New Zealand Supersport Champion Avalon Biddle will contestthe remaining five rounds of the 2019 Australian Supersport Championship, kicking off her campaign at this weekend’s third round in South Australia. Teaming up with Cube Racing’s Oli Bayliss for her five-round challenge, the deal has came about thanks to former 500cc GP rider Stu Avant after the 26-year-old rode his Suzuki RG500 during a historic racing event in 2018. “Don’t be fooled by the smile,” Avant said. “Avalon’s done those lonely hard years in Europe. She’s a tough racer, she has the talent and she’s smart.” Biddle cut her teeth in the first year of the Australian-based Motorcycle Road Race Development Association alongside the likes of former Aussie champ Mike Jones and reigning World Endurance champ Josh Hook. And she’s…