Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 68 Issue 24 i Australian Motorcycle News

We need to be at that high level of preparation on our bikes, too I RECENTLY READ an article written by Kiwi mountaineer, Lydia Bradey, the first woman to climb Mt Everest without supplemental oxygen – a controversial feat – but some things in that article really struck me hard. How can climbing Everest be so similar to riding a motorcycle on the road? One quote, in the story written for the ABC, was uncannily like how we motorcyclists should think. “I feel my huge amount of experience and excellent support team significantly reduces the risk of getting sick or dying (on Everest). I know how to turn around on the mountain, I can read my own oxygen bottle to be sure I don’t run out, I can abseil on…

NOT CONTENT GETTING funky with its R18 Concept, BMW is opening another window on the future with hybrid technology. Hybrid cars are fast becoming the norm, but the technology hasn’t been pursued much by motorcycle manufacturers. BMW wants to change that with a patent application showing how to beat the big problem of packaging up a battery and an electric motor. The images show a cutaway of an R 1250 GS fuel tank that incorporates a battery (marked 15) and a flexible fuel tank. With the battery fitted, the lower part of the fuel cell moulds itself over it, reducing petrol capacity. To get full fuel capacity, simply remove the battery. The idea appears to be to fit the battery for short or low-speed trips only. While the patent doesn’t…

BY THE MID 1970S, live TV coverage had demonstrated the reliability of production motorcycles, so when Rob Atlee approached fuel supplier Ampol to sponsor a reliability trial, it readily agreed and fronted up $7000 prizemoney. NEVA RICHMAN, A 24-YEAR-OLD PHOTOGENIC PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT FROM LINDFIELD IN SYDNEY, RIDING A KAWASAKI Z900, WON THE EVENT “The Ampol Around Australia Motorcycle Competition will be the largest ever motorcycle promotion undertaken in this country,” announced Atlee at the time, adding that the event would be “conducted under the authority of the police and councils of each state, with the emphasis on normal road speed limits and safety conditions.” The tabloids never bothered with the disclaimer, of course, and the headlines which read ‘$7000 Bike Race’ and ‘15000km Around Australia Motorcycle Road Race’ immediate put…

Congratulations Michael, 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 Michael West Ride 2018 Honda CB650F He says After many years of sliding around on a dirt bike, I finally decided to go out and get my Learner’s permit, so I could find parking at work a bit easier. After riding a few bikes, I decided to go with a CB650F, after finding it was best suited to my needs – it’s hard to believe you can ride one of these things before you get your full licence. I haven’t modified anything just yet, but I plan on making a few small mods over the…

THE LONG-STROKE vertical twin was engineered to pump out the tell-tale engine note, which meant retaining the original W’s 360° crack configuration. The twin mufflers tell the story, with a unique note crackling out the pea shooters, and giving the bike’s existence an aural yes vote! The exhaust was also aimed at producing that note and it works. It just sounds like a classic bike. It’s torquey, for its engine size, thanks to that stroke, its long, slim intake funnels and a heavy flywheel – it’s a good looking engine, too. The bevel-driven cam adds to that and Kawasaki has excelled in keeping most wires and EFI hardware hidden from view. It looks clean and mostly authentic, and was designed to look good from the very start. There’s a balance…

ZERO INCLUDES integrated Level 2 charging as standard on the SR/F, while offering two more powerful Level 2 charging options, one of which is included as standard on the Premium version. The 3kW Level 2 charger in the standard bike will recharge the bike’s battery from 0-95 percent in four hours. The SR/F Premium model has a 6kW charger as standard, essentially halving the charge time again, to two hours for 0-95 percent capacity. Additionally, an updated Power Tank will be available later this year to offer an additional 6kW of capacity, bringing the total to 12kW and allowing a 0-95 percent charge in just an hour, with a full charge just 30 minutes longer (the last five percent balances out the cells). However, the charging station must be capable…

Production of the new Brutale won’t actually start for another three months after MV Agusta’s staff return from their summer break, but I was offered a test of the pre-production prototype at the Pirelli test track at Vizzola, about 30km from the MV factory. Not being an MV employee, I was neither sunning myself on a summer break, nor allowed out on the highway with the firm’s trade plate. The Italian marque finally has wind in its sails after Russian investor Timur Sardarov invested over 60 million euros ($ 97m) to buy a controlling percentage in MV Agusta from Giovanni Castiglioni (who remains President of the firm, with Sardarov as CEO, and former Ducati technical guru Massimo Bordi as a consultant). It also has a slew of ultra-desirable new models…

ENGINE Configuration Four-cylinder inline Cylinder head DOHC, four valves per cylinder Capacity 998cc Bore/stroke 79 x 50.9mm Compression ratio 13.65:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, Mikuni ride-by-wire throttle bodies Power 153kW @ 13,450rpm (claimed) Torque 115Nm @ 9300rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed, two-way quick shift Clutch Wet, back torque limiter Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material CrMo steel Frame layout Tubular trellis Rake 24° Trail 97mm SUSPENSION Öhlins, electronic semi-active Front: 43mm NIX USD fork, electronically adjustable compression and rebound, manually adjustable preload, 120mm travel Rear: TTX36 monoshock, electronically adjustable preload, compression and rebound, 120mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Carbon Fibre Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 6.0 Tyres Pirelli Supercorsa III Front: 120/70 ZR17 (58W) Rear: 200/55 ZR17 (78W) BRAKES Brembo, with Bosch 9 Plus ABS, with rear wheel lift…

ONE MAJOR ARGUMENT for higher highway speeds is that they would reduced road accidents caused by fatigue. Get there faster, and you might be more likely to get there, which is pretty much the reasoning behind the Northern Territory having the unique – at least in this country – maximum speed of 130km/h and why, for many years, it had no speed limits at all. With the vast distances that Territorians drive, on largely straight and empty roads, it’s clearly safer to drive faster. Up until 2007, the NT infamously had no speed limits at all outside of major towns, but that year a general limit of 110 was imposed, with the speed for its four major highways cut to 130km/h. Over the next few years, the Country Liberal Party…

THIS STILL WASN’T the end of the Revolution technology. In 2014 Harley introduced the Revolution X engine line in the new 500cc and 750cc Street model line. The Revolution X engines also have a 60-degree angle between the cylinders, use four valves per cylinder, liquid cooling and, just like the VR1000, they feature a counterbalancer. And even though the Rev-X engine is equipped with single overhead camshafts instead of doubles, its engine can still be related back to its grand forefather, Harley-Davidson’s VR1000 Superbike.…

IT WAS SATURDAY, 9 June, 2012. I was sitting in a tent in a caravan park in Ballina NSW, watching my breakfast bacon being eaten by the magpies. The weather was terrible, and I was listening to the Isle of Man TT on the internet. The Senior race was due to run after rain postponed it the day before. But for the first time in the event’s history, the Clerk of the Course was forced to cancel the Senior TT. In March 2013, I made the decision that I’d just go to that year’s TT. I purchased some new cameras, booked my flights, trains and ferry and I was going to the holy grail of road racing. And from that very moment, it lit a fire in my belly that…

It was always going to be rough at magic Mugello. There could only be one winner of the closest MotoGP race since the multi-bike brawl at Assen last year, and after almost 40 minutes, though some had fallen by the wayside, there were still four prime candidates as they started the last beautiful lap. Who would have thought that by the end of it, the winner wouldn’t be able to stop apologising? That man was first-timer Danilo Petrucci, and the “sorry, so sorry” was meant for his Mission Winnow Ducati teammate Andrea Dovizioso. As they started the last lap, Marc Marquez – waiting for the moment – had put his plan into action and taken the lead into the first corner. He ran a little wide, as Dovi had anticipated,…

GP20s all ’round! FORMER PRAMAC DUCATI teammates Danilo Petrucci and Jack Miller are going head to head for the second factory Ducati seat alongside Andrea Dovizioso for 2020. Petrucci’s maiden GP win at Mugello was a major boost to his status with the factory, and even if Ducati decides to reward him for that, and for promised loyal support of Dovi, Miller, above, will again get the latest factory bike at the satellite team. At the same time, his current Pramac teammate, rookie Pecco Bagnaia, has also been promised a GP20, which would put the Pramac team technically on the same level with the official team. TM, not KTM THE HONDA-KTM Moto3 duopoly may be coming under threat, with an impressive appearance by Italian manufacturer TM. In only his third…

KAWASAKI BRAZIL RIDER Anthony West is still in control of the Brazilian Superbike Championship after a third-place finish at the third round of the series at Interlagos on Sunday 26 May. On a weekend hampered by rain and with very little knowledge of the circuit compared to his rivals, including former Grand Prix star Alex Barros, Westy started the round strongly when he qualified in the middle of the front row in second place. When the lights went out, the Aussie got the holeshot but quickly lost out to pole man Eric Granado. Barros also caught and fought with the Aussie, allowing Granado to eke out an uncatchable lead. Barros eventually beat Westy to the flag for second, reducing West’s lead in the series to just eight points in the…

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. It’s an important lesson, and one to keep in mind if you are starting a new job that involves tossing a leg over, and then writing about, miscellaneous scoots and moto-bikkies. Typing is an advantage, but spelling is way ovverated, and something that those knuckle-headed Sub Editors can pick up. What it really takes is a willingness to work crazy hours, in all kinds of weather. Many are called, few are chosen. Be careful what you wish for Petey V, and welcome aboard.…

Last drinks Drunk road users will lose their licences immediately for at least three months under new laws enacted by NSW authorities, which aim to reduce road fatalities by 30 per cent in the next two years. About time Finally the Kiwis have followed Australia’s lead to form a working party examining mandatory quad bike safety improvements after a spike in deaths and injuries, mainly on farms. Becks banned Motorcycle-mad ex-soccer star David Beckham has lost his licence for six months after being pinged for using his phone while driving. He already had six points on his UK licence for other offences. TT torrents Crap weather totally buggered up TT practice week and the start of the race program. A rainy week in the UK is like a prison sentence…

ALREADY THE JACKETS are starting to roll in and we thank you enormously – it takes a bit of time and effort to do this every year and the results are well worth it. Not only do we all get to help those disadvantaged people sleeping rough out there, we also feel good doing it. And you can’t put a monetary value on either. So dig out those unwanted jackets, make sure they are in usable and clean condition, and get them to us via either post or a drop-off point. All sizes, even children’s jackets are welcome. We’ve been doing this since 2012 and Mission Australia, along with Shannons Insurance, are on the journey with us again for 2019. Drop it off! Shannons Insurance is again throwing its support…

THIS ALL GOT me thinking – I want to know more. What happens when it goes – if it even does? I am assuming the loss of grip from the front end, which would take a big effort, would be progressive and give you a chance to fix it, but now I really want to know. And if the two front wheels don’t go, but the single rear wheel does, then what? And how does it go compared back to back to an MT-09? Yamaha is keen for us to find out, too, and has agreed to a MT-09 test bike to compare against. Coming soon to an AMCN near you……

ENGINE Configuration Parallel-twin Cylinder head SOHC, bevel drive with two valves per cylinder Capacity 773cc Bore/stroke 77 x 83mm Compression ratio 8.4:1 Cooling Air Fueling Direct fuel injection, two 34mm throttle bodies Power 35kW @ 6000rpm (claimed) Torque 62.9Nm @ 4800rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Five-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material Steel Frame layout Double cradle Rake 26° Trail 94mm SUSPENSION Front: 41mm non-adjustable telescopic fork, 130mm travel Rear: Twin shocks, 5-way adjustable spring preload, 130mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Spoked Front: 18 x 2.5 Rear: 18 x 3.0 Tyres Dunlop K300 GP Front: 100/90R18 (57H) Rear: 130/80R18 (66H) BRAKES Tokico Front: Single 320mm disc, twin-piston caliper, ABS Rear: Single 270mm disc, twin-piston caliper, ABS DIMENSIONS Weight 223kg (dry, claimed) Seat height 790mm Max width 825mm Max height…

ZERO HAS CREATED the first commercially available connected motorcycle in the marketplace. All the benefits of connectivity are offered for free for the first two years and the cloud-based cellular system allows the rider to remotely monitor the bike in four main areas: Bike Status & Alerts THE SR/F CAN alert you with interruptions in charging, tip-over, or unexpected motion notifications. It’ll warn you of a low state of charge during storage, and the ‘Find My Bike’ function allows you to keep tabs on it at all times. Charging YOU CAN REMOTELY set charging parameters, and notifications allow you to control all aspects of charging and to monitor charge status even when away from the motorcycle. You can even set a notification for when the SR/F reaches a desired charge…

Winglets on a nakedbike? THE QUICKEST I saw at the end of the 800-metre long straight was 233km/h. But at that speed, the new Brutale remained totally planted on the asphalt, thanks to the radiator shroud added after the team encountered a problem in early testing. “When we rode the bike the first time, we discovered we had the rider completely in the wrong spot,” says Brian with a grimace. “From 278km/h up it was trying to wheelie backwards, so we had to completely rethink where we were putting the rider, and how we could hold the front wheel down. We realised we needed to incorporate wings into the design – but it’s a nakedbike so how do you do that? “Morton did another design which successfully integrated the wings…

THE MUNICIPALITY OF Corupá is located in the State of Santa Catarina, in the South region of Brazil, surrounded by the mountain range of the Serra do Mar. The region has approximately 13,000 inhabitants distributed over 407km² and it’s in the area’s extensive banana plantations where thousands of riders meet to slip and slide their way to Bananalama glory. The muddy Bananalama track is approximatively 55 kilometres long but, since 2017, the ATVs have been separated for safety reasons (and use a longer, 70km track). It takes most riders approximately four hours to reach the finish line on this tricky one-lap event. There’s a noman’s-land half-way around where riders can rest if they need to, refill the bike and hoe into some fresh coconut before starting the race, and the…

WHAT TO LOOK FOR There are a few things to be weary of when buying a 2007 R1. Clutch wear is a big one, and can give a good indication as to whether the bike’s been loved or lashed. The air filter can be prone to clogging if ridden in crappy weather for long periods and the rear linkages can seize up if not maintained. Make sure when you buy the bike that it comes with the red master key, as this key will allow you to get access to the ECU and play with things like individual cylinders’ fuelling. The key barrel itself likes to have a drop of light oil from time to time, and this will stop you breaking the key off when pulling it out. Also…

Top 3 TV 1 WSBK Rd6 Jerez, ES LIVE Videopass 8-9 June 10pm (AEST) WSBK heads to Jerez for Round 6 and all the racing action will be aired 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 FIM EWC Rd4, DE LIVE Eurosport 9 June 9pm (AEST) Foxtel subscribers can catch all the action from Round 4 of the FIM Endurance World Championship, the 8 Hours of Oschersleben, live on Eurosport. The race starts at 9pm AEST. 3 MotoGP Rd7, ES LIVE Videopass, Fox 16 June 7pm (AEST) Round 7 of MotoGP takes place at Catalunya, Spain. The Moto3 race starts at 7pm (AEST), Moto2 at 8.20pm and MotoGP at 10pm.…

IT HAD BEEN 96 days since I busted my collarbone in a racing incident on my Yamaha YZF-R1 and I was thinking about how quickly I had been sorted out by all the people that make these days possible for us racers. Most of the officials are volunteers and work as marshals, flaggies, timing people, medics etc. I heard help was needed at Broadford for Round 2 of the Pirelli Motul Victorian Road Racing Championships so I thought, why not go and see what happens behind the scenes? What is the worst that could happen? They could sack me from a volunteer job. I contacted Preston Motorcycle Club Assistant Race Secretary Lauren Weaver and she arranged for me to help Chief Scrutineer Eric Saunders get the last bunch of bikes…

MotoGP Mugello Circuit, Italy Circuit length 5.245km Race distance MotoGP 120.635km Moto2 110.045km Moto3 104.090km 2018 winners MotoGP Jorge Lorenzo 41m43.230s Moto2 Miguel Oliveira 39m42.018s Moto3 Jorge Martin 39m20.810s Did you know? ... how fast a Moto2 is? At Mugello, they can now lap faster than the old 500cc two-strokes. The new Triumph-powered bikes took to the Italian tarmac for the first time and set new marks in lap times. In Qualifying Marcel Schrotter took pole with a 1m51.129s lap. By comparison Valentino Rossi set the best time for the strokers in 2001, Vale’s Honda NSR500 lapping in 1m52.554s. But top speed-wise, there is way to go; Nicolo Bulega’s 765cc Kalex hit 300.6km/h in FP2, while The Doctor’s Honda was good for 315.6km/h in the race 18 years ago.…

JACK MILLER IS unfazed at the prospect of remaining with the Pramac Ducati team in 2020 if he misses the factory gig alongside Andrea Dovizioso. The win by Danilo Petrucci at Mugello means the Italian holds most of the aces as Ducati edges towards a decision of the factory line-up. While Miller is off contract at the end of this season, Ducati sporting director Paolo Ciabatti has eased any concerns that he may have about receiving full factory support next year. Ducati and Pramac have Italian star and Moto2 world champion Francesco Bagnaia under contract for 2020, with a guaranteed upgrade to the latest GP20 Desmosedici. “I’d be happy to stay here, I’ve got a great deal and it’s a good team,” Miller said. “But it will be interesting to…

THE UNIQUE COMBINATION of terrifying top speeds and fast, sweeping curves at Mugello highlighted the mutual jealously of the Ducati and Suzuki riders. Ducati riders crave the precise, best-in-class corner speed of the Suzuki GSX-RR while the Suzuki men can only dream of the power and acceleration of the 356km/h Desmosedici. Not for the first time this season was Ducati rider Jack Miller stunned by Suzuki’s sublime cornering speed, which was used to the maximum by Alex Rins to finish fourth in the Italian Grand Prix. “That chassis is unreal with very good tyre consumption,” said Miller of the Suzuki. “It can turn on a dime and there wasn’t even a metre between me and the kerb when Alex came past me for the first time in the race. “It…

DUAL AUSTRALIAN UNDER 21 champion Jaimon Lidsey will contest the three-round final series of the 2019 World Under 21 Speedway Championship after taking one of the three permanent wildcard berths. Only the top four riders from each of the three Qualifying Meetings on 25 May were guaranteed a berth in the final line-up, and Lidsey finished in fifth place at Pardubice, Czech Republic, after a fall in one ride. Another Mildura rider, Jordan Stewart, is second reserve after finishing sixth at Krakow, Poland. But there was no joy for Matthew Gilmore, who was 12th in the other meeting at Stralsund, Germany. The first of the three finals is scheduled for Lublin in Poland on 22 June. PB…

Ageless Jarvis VETERAN YORKSHIRE RIDER Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) has won the gruelling Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble ahead of Manuel Lettenbichler, 21, in the race which formed the third round of the World Enduro Super Series. The win, which was Jarvis’s fifth Erzberg victory, moved him into third in the title standings, which Lettenbichler leads with five rounds left to run. “I think this could be the most important Erzberg victory of my career,” Jarvis said. “A lot of people were talking about my age and, at 44, I did have some doubts about my fitness for the full race, but I just kept my focus and kept pushing.” KB Where are the Aussies? MAX FRICKE, ROHAN Tungate and Chris Holder will attempt to get closer to a berth in…

DON'T BE FOOLED. This isn’t just BMW’s bobber concept finally unveiled. It’s the basis of a whole new-model line-up that will shake the cruiser market to its core. This is the engine and chassis that will form the backbone of a entire model range, from full-dress bagger tourers to stripped-down street cruisers to bobbers. And after months of teasing with unofficial projects using the new 1800cc air-cooled Boxer engine, BMW’s finally spilled the beans. BMW design boss Edgar Heinrich and cruiser project chief Bart Janssen-Groesbeek chose Italy’s annual homage to motoring design, the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, to unveil its Concept R18. That engine will be as significant to BMW as the Milwaukee-Eight is to Harley-Davidson. H-D’s big V-twin appears in everything from the Fat Bob and FXDR114 to the…

MV AGUSTA'S SUPERVELOCE 800 – a neo-retro sportsbike based on the F3 800 – became an instant dream bike when shown at last year’s EICMA. Now MV Agusta has doubled-down on its promise to put it into production, with an Instagram message featuring the silhouette and the words: “We feed your desire. The MV Agusta Superveloce. Coming 2020.” Originally, MV Agusta said that a production version of the Superveloce would be ready by late 2019, so this news confirms it’s on schedule. The image doesn’t show us anything new so we expect the original bodywork, penned under the guidance of MV’s design boss Adrian Morton, isn’t likely to change. Its neo-retro style harks back to machines from the 1960s and 1970s but doesn’t try to be a replica, combining the…

News A Harley-Davidson powered Superbike from American company Roehr Motorcycle was unveiled to the world on the 27 March, 2007. Powered by a 1200cc Harley V-Rod engine, the Roehr was claimed to produce 134kW, and cost US$39,995. Sport Valentino Rossi took victory at the second MotoGP round at Jerez. Despite having a top speed of 269.9km/h (compared to Casey Stoner’s Ducati’s 277.6 km/h), Rossi managed to hold off Dani Pedrosa by 1.25sec. Colin Edwards was third ahead of Toni Elias and Stoner. Bike test Mick Matheson rides the 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 to check out if it’s up to the task of taking on the other 1000cc bikes in the category. With a claimed 136kW and a top speed of nearly 300km/h, it would be hard to imagine that it wouldn’t…

Back when I was 17, I purchased a 1942 ex-Army BSA WM20 as my first bike. It was built like a tank and was amazingly reliable. Doug Nutley Here’s my first bike, a wonderful Honda CB400. Although I’m almost onto my unrestricted licence and looking at bigger bikes, it’s going to be a difficult decision whether it stays or goes. Hearing the VTEC engage every time I twist the throttle is still as addictive as the first day I bought it. Alex Robb Back in 1987, my love affair with Suzuki two-strokes began with this RG250FG. Thirty-two years, one RG500 and five RGV250s later, I’m still smokin’ with my current RGV project bike. Marc Viannenc…

ENGINE Type Z-Force 75-10 enhanced thermal efficiency, passively air-cooled, interior permanent magnet AC motor Controller High efficiency and power dense, 900 Amp, 3-phase AC controller with regenerative deceleration Power 82kW @ 5000rpm (claimed) Torque 190Nm (claimed) BATTERIES Type Z-Force® Li-Ion intelligent integrated Max capacity 14.4kWh Recharge time 4.5 hours (standard charger) for full charge, or 1.8 hours (with optional 6kW rapid charger) CHASSIS Frame material ALS steel/aluminium Frame layout Trellis, with battery pack as stressed member Rake 24.5° Trail 94mm SUSPENSION Front: Showa 43mm USD fork, adjustable preload, compression and rebound, 120mm travel Rear: Showa monoshock, adjustable preload, compression and rebound, 140mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Ten-spoke, cast aluminium Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 5.5 Tyres Pirelli Diablo Rosso III Front: 120/70-17 Rear: 180/55-17 BRAKES Front: J-Juan dual 320mm…

I WANTED TO offer our riders something that can be pushed hard, but is not as scary as everyone might expect when they see the horsepower numbers. There’s a bit of a stigma attached to having a big engine producing a lot of horsepower, a lot of torque – people think the bike must be dangerous and unfriendly, so you need to be an expert to control it. We’re repositioning the Brutale around high performance, but a performance that you can manage, that’s usable, that’s all within your control. We want to give the rider more fun and more performance, without being scary.…

WE'VE ALL BEEN told that speed kills so often, and for so long, that it’s become an accepted fact, but really, it depends where you get your numbers from. According to the NSW RMS, “speeding remains the leading behavioural factor in death and injuries on our roads, contributing to about 40 percent of road fatalities”. And yet in the US, the NHTSA says that speeding is involved in “approximately one third of all motor vehicle fatalities” and in 2017, across America, it was “a contributing factor in 26 percent of all traffic fatalities.” Clearly, it depends how you define whether speed caused the accident, or whether it was merely involved. Speed is often counted as a factor even when it was lower than the speed limit where the accident occurred,…

OF COURSE, THE big story in TT proddie racing was always the big bikes. It all started steadily enough with Geoff Johnson winning the ’84 and ’85 1300cc races on a GPz900R and VFR1000, bikes we’d now call sports tourers. In ’84 Johnson’s lap record stood at 102mph, but such was the pace of sportsbike development that five years later, in the fateful and final proddie TT, Johnson and his stock FZR1000 lapped at 117.3mph, faster than the outright record had been in ’84. Some people said the big proddies were an accident waiting to happen, that 170mph roadbikes on road tyres and road suspension were too much of a handful around the notoriously bumpy, ridiculously fast Mountain Course. The accident did happen in 1989, when Mez Mellor and Steve…

FRESH FROM ITS eighth consecutive record sales year in 2018, after delivering a total of 165,566 units last year en route to its self-imposed target of breaking the 200,000 annual sales barrier in 2020, BMW Motorrad is now getting ready to go head to head with Harley-Davidson and Indian on the American giants’ home turf. It’s developing a range of Cruiser models as a means to help achieve the coveted status of the world number one in the premium motorcycle sector, which it also wants. Dr. Markus Schramm, 56, took over as CEO of BMW Motorrad last year. He’s been with BMW since 1991, and immediately before assuming his new role was previously responsible for Corporate and Product Strategy Planning for the entire BMW Group. He would have been intimately…

TANK BAGS ARE a convenient and simple way to carry the smaller essential gear that you have to access quickly on a ride. There are several different methods used to attach the various tank bags on the market and Givi has devised this fiendishly clever system, which we really like. You simply fit the flange suited to your bike onto the petrol tank filler using the longer bolts supplied, then the bag clicks straight on, locating itself perfectly each time, and can be removed in seconds by snagging a small lever underneath. The mount seems completely secure and it means the bag won’t be moving around on top of the tank scuffing the paintwork over time. There is also a secondary strap at the front of the bike, which we…

Show time 8 JUNE Deni Shovel Muster & Bike Swap Meet, Pretty Pine Hotel, Cobb Hwy, Deniliquin, NSW. Gates open 12pm; judging 4pm. Live music, trophies and more. Entry $20; U16 free. Patch clubs by prior arrangement only. For information phone 0498 648 204. 29 JUNE 3rd Annual Mountain View Bike Show, Mountain View Hotel, 864 Gillies Range Rd, Little Mulgrave, Qld. 10am to midnight. $5 entry. Raising money for services supporting women and children affected by violence. For information email Toni at toni-78@live.com.au or see facebook.com/mountainviewbikeshow. 20-21 JULY Lowood Swap, Lowood Showgrounds, Lindemans Rd, Lowood, Qld. Vendors from 2pm Saturday; gates open 6am Sunday. Vendors $10 per site; general admission $5 (partners and children free). Meals and refreshments available. Motorcycles only; no dogs and no bric-a-brac. Hosted by Historical…

I WAS STRUCK again in a close dinner-table encounter at Le Mans just how small and delicately built is Jorge Lorenzo. On screen in leathers, you’d have no idea. Especially if he’s crashed and inflated his airbags. It’s easy to forget that MotoGP’s superheroes are just ordinary blokes, with unusual talents and obsessional drive. Lorenzo’s drive is particularly obsessive. There’s always been a special intensity, in word and deed. In MotoGP, he could have stuck with Yamaha and added to his three titles with them. His style suited the bike, and they suited him. But that would have meant staying with teammate-from-hell Rossi, who has no pity on anyone so fast, and who did everything to make Jorge’s life uncomfortable. Jorge, accepting no compromise, is somewhat unearthly himself, though in…

Jack Miller MotoGP DNF It was a great race, really enjoyable though a bit scary. With 10 laps to go Danilo was pushing the pace and opened up a gap. I wanted to get past Rins, but that Suzuki can turn on its armpit. I released the brakes a bit early and had too much lean angle, and I was down. I felt really comfy in the group; I’d like to have made it a Ducati 1-2-3. Remy Gardner Moto2 13TH We took a gamble on settings, but I got a good start. Then there were some suicidal moves, I got hit by Manzi, and I lost about 10 places in three corners on the first lap. Then the mass damper fell off my teammate’s bike and hit my foot……

PETRUCCI'S DECLARATION of working for Dovizioso confirms just how difficult Ducati regards the task of toppling Marc Marquez and the Honda RC213V as the benchmark performers in MotoGP. “It is incredible how fast Marquez can be on any track, he is always fighting to win races,” said Ducati sporting director Paolo Ciabatti. “He is amazing; he has already won five MotoGP world titles and is a rider who is capable of changing motorcycle racing history. “But we are in there and we will fight hard to the end of the championship.”…

Tricolore skid lid CROWD FAVOURITE VALENTINO Rossi’s traditional special Mugello helmet was relatively restrained this year. Eschewing previous essays into narrative cartoons or ironic caricatures, Rossi’s special lid was based on the Italian red-white-and-green Tricolore flag. Rather than slabs of colour, however, the three colours were rendered in softly-striped brushstrokes. Previous Mugello iterations have included a rendition of his terrified face on the front of the helmet, indicating the tension of braking from 340km/h at the end of the straight, as well as cartoons of his personal heroes. MICHAEL SCOTT Kent to BSB with Aussie backing MOTO3 WORLD CHAMP Danny Kent has landed a ride in the British Superbike Championship with backing from Western Sydney’s MV Agusta Parramatta dealership. The 25-year-old has been without a ride since 2018, but will…