Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 66 Issue 13 i Australian Motorcycle News

If you haven’t got anyone looking over your shoulder and telling you something is impossible, then maybe it isn’t I HOPE YOU all had an enjoyable Christmas break that involved eating and drinking too much before falling asleep on the sofa part way through a re-run of some classic old bike race. The Christmas present from Mrs Ed this year was a couple of Burt Munro books. I always enjoy reading the actual story behind a Hollywood blockbuster, then I usually go back and watch the movie again through different eyes. My interest in Burt Munro was piqued during a recent visit to the annual Burt Munro Challenge held at Invercargill NZ, which you can read about on page 84. As is usually the case with Hollywood movies, Munro’s story…

AS AMCN WENT to press, legendary off-road racer Toby Price was champing at the bit on the starting line of the 2017 Dakar Rally to defend his 2016 crown. But don’t let his speed and dominance blind you to the host of other Aussies lining up alongside the Factory Red Bull KTM man. Aussie off-road veteran Rod Faggotter will be trying his hand at the notoriously difficult event for the third time, this year on board a factory-built Yamaha. He’ll be running the number 43. Finke specialist and enduro extraordinaire Todd Smith will be piloting a KTM in his first ever Dakar Rally – look out for the race number 79. Another Dakar debutante, Matthew Hart, takes the Aussie tally to four. The Husqvarna rider will compete for the charity…

CHINESE BIKES HAVE long been the underdogs of the motorcycle world, often seen – rightly or wrongly – as derivative, poor quality and often ugly machines that pursue low price at the expense of all else. But that’s changing. The latest creations from the likes of CFMoto are good-looking bikes, and Benelli’s Chinese-developed new models – the Leoncino and TRK502 – have won plaudits. And now another manufacturer has emerged from China with a surprisingly well-developed range of models. Taizhou Moray – which sells bikes under the name Motrac – has revealed an attractive 500cc adventure bike and a 400cc naked machine, both using parallel-twin engines, and it has plans for a sportsbike in the future. Motrac has previously only offered mini-bikes and scooters, so producing larger-capacity models is a…

The MG500 is the most convincing. It’s a good-looking adventure bike with a hint of Ducati Multistrada in its styling. The chassis combines a steel trellis front section with a cast aluminium rear, plus an upside-down fork, radial calipers and an aluminium swingarm – a specification that looks good in the flesh, and on paper. The engine is familiar. Externally it looks like Honda’s CB500 motor. However, the internal dimensions reveal significant differences including a larger 491cc capacity (471cc on the Honda) and a different bore and stroke ratio. The 76mm bore and 55.1mm stroke are extremely oversquare – the sort of dimensions you’d expect to see on a high-revving superbike. Despite this, claimed power (35kW at 8500rpm) is identical to the CB500, as is the 43Nm of torque. The…

Electro Punk New standard fitment electronics for 2017 include the TPMS tyre pressure monitoring system, cruise control, and full colour TFT dash which adjusts its brightness automatically according to the ambient light. KTM Race On System incorporates keyless operation of the ignition, steering lock and fuel cap via a transponder in the key fob, which also houses a conventional key for use in the fuel cap and seat unit release. Slammin’ As well as delivering a good dollop of extra punch, the revised LC8 engine is claimed to produce its peak power 550rpm higher (9500rpm) and peak torque 800rpm lower (6750rpm) than the 2016 model dyno-tested by AMCN earlier this year. It also has an extra 500rpm at the top end before the rev limiter calls time to change up…

ENGINE Configuration L-twin Cylinder head Desmodromic SOHC, two valves per cylinder Capacity 748cc Bore/stroke 88 x 61.5mm Compression ratio 10:1 Cooling Air Fuelling 2 x Dell ’Orto PHF36 pumpers Power 54kW @7900rpm Torque Not given TRANSMISSION Type Five-speed Clutch Dry multi-plate Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame layout Single top tube, open cradle Rake 30º Trail 125mm SUSPENSION Front: USD Showa 43mm Rear: YSS twin shocks WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Morad alloy rims, custom made hubs, stainless spokes Front: 18 x 3in front, 17 x 5in rear Tyres: Michelin Pilot Road Front: 120/70 ZR18 Rear: 170/60 ZR17 BRAKES Front: Brembo 320mm disc, radial twin-piston Brembo calipers Rear: Single Ferodo 292mm disc, Brembo twin-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 220kg Seat height 740mm Max width 800mm Max height 1030mm Wheelbase 1430mm Fuel…

In 2011 you were third in your rookie year in Superbike but then you went overseas to the IDM. What happened there? In 2011 I got on a Superbike and was on the podium all year round and I thought ‘I am going overseas and I am going to take on World Superbike’. The IDM was going to be the first step towards that. I may have been a little ahead of myself. I was competitive straight away but lost my ride because I had no money behind me. Once the teams realised I had no money I didn’t have much hope. I got a little angry at how things worked out because up to that stage of my career I had gotten through on my results. I had no…

Top 3 TV 1 AMA Supercross LIVE Online Mon, 8 Jan 1.30pm The main event of the 2017 AMA Supercross season kicks off at 6.30pm in Anaheim, which is 1.30pm Monday AEDT. You can catch all the action live at www.supercrosslive.com. 2 Dakar Rally Red Bull TV/SBS 2-15 Jan 11am (AEDT) Don’t worry if you’ve missed the first few days of Dakar action – there’s still plenty to go. You can catch all the highlights from South America on Red Bull TV daily at 11am or see the excellent nightly wrap on SBS, just before the World News, at 6pm. 3 21 Days Under the Sky Netflix On demand Anytime This documentary looks at four adventurers on vintage motorcycles tackling a challenging ride through some of America’s most beautiful landscapes.…

 I’VE DREAMED OF becoming an Australian Champion since I first started riding. In 2016 I competed in the highly competitive ASBK 300cc Production class, and it has been amazing but also very tough. The racing has been so close – you have to be switched on every second you are out there! Keeping my head this year was a massive part of the success. I knew I had to finish every race and lined up on the grid week in, week out, with the championship in mind. I only finished off the podium in three races this year and managed to notch up two round wins, two second places and a third. I also competed in the Victoria Road Race Championships (VRRC), where I won 11out of 12 races and…

ROBBIE BUGDEN (SA Kawasaki/ BCperformance) claimed the 2016 Australasian Superbike Championship crown at an action-packed double-points showdown at Sydney Motorsport Park on Saturday 17 December. Bugden appeared to be in the box seat to claim the title going into the final round, but he was made to fight for every point throughout the three race finale by stand-in teammate and former BSB champ Josh Brookes, who was determined to claim the round victory. Brookes did just that, marking his first race on home soil in 11 years by winning the round courtesy of a 3-1-1 result. From the opening race he showed there were no team orders within the SA Kawasaki team by racing hard with teammate Bugden as well as an equally determined Michael Blair (Ipone/Blairbuild/Campbells Hardware) and Beau…

ALTHOUGH NOT YET officially revealed, the firm has also filed patents for the design of an MT2 sportsbike model based on the MT400’s mechanical components but using a full fairing. What’s more, the company has also released outline teaser drawings of a 500cc nakedbike that will be based on the mechanical parts of the MG500 and an 800cc V-twin cruiser. Whether any of these machines reach international attention in the longer term will depend largely on whether the company can get the right certification for sales in other countries and establish a solid network of importers and dealers.…

BSB STAR AND recent Macau Grand Prix winner Peter Hickman (Harris Yamaha) is the newest recruit to the AMCN International Island Classic’s UK team, joining the likes of John McGuinness (Harris Honda), Conor Cummins (Harris Yamaha), Jeremy McWilliams (Harris Yamaha) and James Hillier (Harris Yamaha) in its bid to defend the coveted trophy for a second time. Alex Sinclair (Ducati TTF1), Michael Neeves (1981 Suzuki GSX1000) and Glen Richards (Suzuki Harris F1) complete the team. Hickman is standing in for Ryan Farquhar, who will miss the 24th running of the event due to injury. “It was John McGuinness who put me forward for the ride, he thought I would be a good fit for the team,” Hickman said. “I’ve never been to Australia before, let alone Phillip Island, so I’m…

COVER Mighty Mick Doohan sealed his fourth successive 500cc world championship after winning at the British GP at Donington. The year was... 001997 PRIME MINISTER JOHN Howard increased the Medicare levy to pay for the National Gun Buyback program and Senator Mal Colston was found guilty of rorting his expenses. He wouldn’t end up in Pentridge because that was closed in May. Pauline Hanson co-founded One Nation, and Jeff Kennett decided Melbourne needed a Casino. British yachtsman Tony Bullimore was thankful that he was rescued from the Southern Ocean by the Aussie Navy, and Stuart Diver survived the Thredbo landslide disaster that took the lives of 17 people. Mother Teresa left us, and the world was shocked to hear of the death of Princess Diana in a high speed car…

ENGINE Configuration Parallel twin Cylinder head DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder Capacity 798cc Bore/Stroke 82 x 75.6mm Compression ratio 12.0:1 Cooling Liquid Fuelling EFI Power 55kW @ 7300rpm (claimed) Torque 77Nm @ 5300rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet Final drive Chain CHASSIS Material Tubular steel Frame layout Trellis Rake 26° Trail 95mm SUSPENSION Front 41mm conventional fork, nonadjustable Travel 170mm Rear Monoshock, preload and rebound damping adjustable Travel 165mm WHEELS/TYRES Wheels 5-spoke cast aluminium Front: 19 x 2.50 Rear: 17 x 3.50 Tyres Michelin Anakee III Front: 110/80/19 Rear: 140/80/17 BRAKES Front: Twin floating 300mm discs, two-piston calipers Rear: Single 265mm disc, single-piston caliper ABS: Standard DIMENSIONS Weight 209 kg (wet, claimed) Seat height 765-860mm (820mm standard) Max height 1215mm Max width 880mm Max length 2280mm Wheelbase 1562mm PERFORMANCE…

ENGINE Configuration 75° V-twin Cylinder head DOHC, four valves per cylinder Capacity 1301cc Bore/stroke 108 x 71mm Compression ratio 13.6:1 Cooling Liquid Fuelling RBW, Keihin EFI, dual 56mm throttle body Power 130kW @ 9750rpm (claimed) Torque 141Nm @ 7000rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Wet, slipper Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material Chro-mo steel Frame layout Trellis Rake 24.9° Trail 107mm SUSPENSION WP Front: 48mm USD, fully adjustable, 125mm travel Rear: Monoshock, fully adjustable, 156mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 6.0 Tyres (std) Metzeler Sportec M7RR (as tested) Metzeler Racetec Front: 120/70ZR17 (58W) Rear: 190/55ZR17 (75W) BRAKES Brembo, Bosch cornering ABS Front: Dual 320mm discs, radial-mounted four-piston calipers Rear: Single 240mm disc, two-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 195kg (dry, claimed) Seat height 835mm Max…

AFTER STEVE WYNNE, owner of UK Ducati dealer Sports Motor Cycles, persuaded Mike Hailwood to race a Ducati in the 1978 Isle of Man TT on his comeback to top-level bike racing in Europe, he requested the factory’s support. He was supplied with two prototype motors. Hailwood duly won the race, and on the back of this success Ducati technical chief Fabio Taglioni decided to bring the engine to production. A pattern maker was commissioned to start making the requisite moulds, but before this could be completed the government managers of Ducati decided to start winding down motorcycle production in favour of building diesel motors. The partially finished moulds were discovered in the early 1990s by a retired Italian engineer who wanted to create a totally faithful replica of the…

Frame game The engine hangs from only two mounting points. There is a single 48mm diameter high-carbon steel top tube, with one pair of 26mm tubes coming down to pick up the mounting point between the cylinders with a second pair of tubes extending to the rear engine mount. Another pair of tubes runs back from midway down each rear frame tube to suport the seat and top mounts of the YSS twin shocks. Tanks a lot On top of showing his talents in tube bending and frame fabrication, Don crafted the seat unit and the alloy petrol tank. “He had an old CB450 tank lying around, and that provided the inspiration for the shape,” says Mick. “Don also came up with the idea of polishing the ‘side panels’ so…

It’s one of the most spectacular riding roads in NSW With recent reductions to speed limits along the length of the Oxley Highway and potentially more to come, we figured this might be a good opportunity to encourage those riders who haven’t yet sampled this glorious motorcycling wonderland to get out there and do it asap. For those who have, take this as a friendly nudge to get out and do it again before some of the magic is stolen from us. We already have our ride up there planned for next month. The Oxley Highway is always high on rider lists of favourite roads due to the variety of corners and great scenery on offer. Heading inland from Port Macquarie the ride starts at Wauchope and continues due west…

Show time 18-19 FEBRUARY Sellicks Beach Historic Races, Sellicks Beach, SA. The Sellicks Beach Speed Trials started in 1913 and soon became the main annual fixture of the Levis Social Club (as it was called). The course was laid out over a 1.6km (1 Mile) stretch of beach between Silver Sands and Sellicks Beach, and at each end riders had to make a 180º turn. The last official Levis MCC race meeting at Sellicks Beach was in 1953. There have been two re-enactments since (1986 and 1992). In 2017 the racing will start from the Silver Sands Ramp running south toward Sellicks. Tickets already on sale. Because of the environmental and cultural significance of the area the event is limited to 10,000 people each day. Entry to the track on…

 THE ROLE OF the journalist is to pick holes. To find fault. To puncture pomposity, to tease, and to pick at scabs. Hardly a dull moment as records for the number of winners, crowd figures, TV ratings, close finishes and all sorts of other things were smithereened For all the right reasons, obviously. Reviewing the 2016 MotoGP season, this isn’t easy. 2016 was a doozy. Hardly a dull moment as records for the number of winners, crowd figures, TV ratings, close finishes and all sorts of other things were smithereened. I guess the person I have to tease now is myself. I’ve hitherto consistently deplored Dorna’s dumb-down program. The control tyres, the backward step in electronics, the freeze on engine development. All militate against GP racing as a pinnacle of…

6 DAYS 17 HOURS 6 MINS That’s how long it took Gary Van Straten and Rich Willey to ride around Australia in October 1987. Read how the record was set and broken (and set and broken, etc.) in our Lap of the Map feature on page 70 . Hats off to… Guy ‘never do things by halves’ Martin, who gave speedway sidecar a burl for the first time at the Burt Munro Challenge … piloting an R1-powered outfit! Check out the action on page 84 . The four finalists for AMCN’s 2016 RK Chains Samurai Trophy have been announced. Troy Guenther, Tom Toparis, Sam Clarke and Brayden Elliot are in the running for the coveted award with the winner decided by both key industry personnel and you, the…

Congratulations Arthur, you’ve scored a Mini Road Chain Lube ($12.90) and a Mini Chain Clean ($11.90) kindly supplied by Link International. Send an image and details about your two-wheeled pride and joy to access@ amcn.com.au Giz a squiz Rider: Arthur Schmidt Ride: 2006 Aprilia Tuono R He says: This is my third one. All up I’ve done about 160,000km on these grunty beasts – even shipped one to Europe and rode around the glorious roads in Spain, France and Switzerland. I often look at other bikes but haven’t found anything yet that puts such a naughty smile on my face. This one’s got Akrapovic pipes and a bit of other stuff. It’s a drag bike, a scratcher, a tourer, or just about anything you want it…

ENGINE Configuration 90º V-twin Cylinder head SOHC, two valves per cylinder and bevel-gear camshaft drive Capacity 992cc Bore/stroke 94 x 71.5mm Compression ratio 13.5: 1 Cooling Air Fueling Carburetted, 2 x 41mm Keihin FCR Power 91kW @ 8500rpm (claimed) Torque 129Nm @ 5000rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Five-speed Clutch Multiplate dry Final drive Chain CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame layout Open cradle spaceframe Rake 25° Trail 99mm SUSPENSION Öhlins Front: 43mm USD FG511, fully adjustable, 120mm travel Rear: Dual 36PL high-pressure gas piggyback shocks, fully adjustable, 100mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Akront wire-wheeled Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 5 Tyres Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp Front: 120/70-17 Rear: 180/55-17 BRAKES Brembo Front: Twin 320mm discs, four-piston M4 Monobloc radial calipers Rear: Single 230mm disc, two-piston P32G caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 168kg (kerb,…

Based in Cork, Ireland, Mick O’Shea and Don Cronin, along with electrics guru Chris Harte, build show-winning motorcycles – and they don’t hang about. Road Fever was road ready in only eight months. Check them out at www.medaza.com. Rondine The 2013 AMD World Championship winner, Rondine – Italian for Swallow – uses a Guzzi Nuovo Falcone engine, which is mounted in Don’s own frame. Don also made the sculpted petrol tank and fork, while Mick used his engineering skills to machine many of the unique components. And yes, Don does ride it. Ducafe This time the engine is a 350cc Pantah pinched from a Cagiva Alazzurra. Wheels are from a Harley-Davidson V-Rod, while the fork is off an Aprilia RSV Mille. Don also made the frame and tank for Mick’s…

You started road racing quite late, in 2009. Was there any reason for that? The reason is money. When I was 15 my dad and I were looking at a magazine and we saw a thing called Super Moto which was road and dirt. I had never seen it before. My dad said ‘Why don’t we get some Super Moto wheels and that way we can get some experience on the road and if we crash it won’t cost us much money’. He had a Husaberg 650, and I just tagged along and watched him ride. When I was 16 he let me ride his bike and that’s when I started Super Moto. One thing led to another and I got myself into a team with Paul Feeney at Husqvarna…

 THOSE FEW SHORT weeks before Christmas bring back faded memories for us former 70s longhairs. Then we think a bit deeper and they become vivid. Almost like they happened yesterday. In 1973 motorcycling was being torn in two. On one side were the mainstream protagonists, as portrayed in the documentary On Any Sunday. On the other side was a typical 70s alternative We may be hardened by life’s experiences but we are still yearning for the innocence of those times. The air right now has the dryness that promises us a long hot summer, like it did all those decades ago. Then the sunlight fades and we get that slight chill to remind us that winter still isn’t that far behind us. Warm days and chilly evenings. The smell of…

CASEY STONER BELIEVES a crucial chassis tweak will be a key factor in making the 2017 Ducati a serious MotoGP world championship contender for superstar signing Jorge Lorenzo. The aim is to add finesse to corner exit and make even greater use of the acceleration and top-end performance of the V4 Desmosedici, widely regarded as MotoGP’s benchmark motor. Maximising the transition to the fatter, drive area of the rear tyre is the priority to boost Lorenzo’s title chances following his switch after nine years on a Yamaha M1. This cornering concept was one that Australia’s double world champion, and still Ducati’s only title winner in 2007, turned into an art form. The chassis direction is planned to work in parallel with development for even smoother power delivery from the Desmo…

IN THE KAWASAKI Ninja 300 category Sam Condon (BikeBiz Insurance/Swann Insurance) took the outright and Under 20s championship spoils while Mark Rogers (PM Racing/Northside M-cycle Centre) was crowned FOB champion. Young Keegan Pickering (Maroochydore Beach Motel/Howsafe/DTCC) claimed the Ladies title. In Formula Oz, Simon Galloway (Chris Watson M-cycles/ Bodywise Smash Repairs) put the icing on an impressive season, sealing the championship on his Yamaha YZF-R1. Dominic De Leon (At-1 Pro Race Suits) was all but unbeatable in the C&D Grade championship, scoring more than double the points of his nearest title rival. Beau Beaton (Racer’s Edge Performance/Craig McMartin Racing/K H Equipment) claimed the F1 and outright Pro-Twins and Nakedbike title, with the individual categories going to Adrian Pierpoint (Nakedbike F1), Danny Thomas (Nakedbike F2), Trent Thompson (Nakedbike F3), Mick Johnston…

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. And if you’re riding around Thailand, like our design maestro Paul Andrews has been lately, it also pays to have a few Baht at the ready. After getting stopped by a local lawman for going the wrong way down a street, he innocently asked if it would really be necessary to go down to the station, or if they could sort it out there. Luckily, the policeman was only too happy to process an ‘on-the-spot fine’, and PA was soon on his way – albeit without money for his usual afternoon beers and,…