Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 66 Issue 15 i Australian Motorcycle News

THIS SPY SHOT shows a very early mule for Triumph’s next-generation Tiger 800. It’s a testbed machine intended to experiment with different geometries and riding positions, allowing engineers to narrow it down to certain dimensions before taking the next step and sketching out a purpose-made chassis. The centre section is stock Tiger 800, including the engine and much of the frame. At the front, the steering head has been hacked off and replaced with a massive piece of billet aluminium. This will allow the head angle and steering tube position to be adjusted to simulate different chassis layouts. Similarly, the handlebars are mounted on adjustable brackets to allow them to be moved around. At the back, an extension has been welded to the swingarm to add more scope for lengthening…

ASK ANY MOTORCYCLIST how they feel about being a pillion and you’ll likely hear rumbles of negativity surrounding things like trust and discomfort. But ask those same motorcyclists if they’d prefer to sit in the back of a taxi during Friday afternoon traffic watching the meter tick over at twice the rate of the odometer and most of them would opt for the back of a safely handled, lane-filtering bike any day of the week. Just last month, Honda South-East Asia signed an unprecedented deal with ridesharing company GrabBike. The Japanese motorcycle giant is not known for daring or risky business practices, so if it is jumping feet first into the sharing economy, then perhaps we ought to be taking notice. Honda and GrabBike signed “a memorandum of understanding to…

How far it will go before it runs out of steam? I’m sure I would have worn out before it did AS THE YEARS tick by it’s getting harder and harder to find places to ride motorcycles easily and legally, especially for kids and those of us who are just getting into the sport and don’t want to travel to the ends of the earth to ride a bike. OSET has recognised these issues and set about making an alternative that may not be completely green, but is at least inconspicuous by its stealth. In 2004 Ian Smith showed serious vision to produce a light yet robust electric trials bike for his son, and it created a new niche market. In fact, the OSET philosophy since those early days ticks…

In unrestricted form, the 650NK will continue to produce power to around 52kW Interior The smaller NK’s engine achieves a total capacity of 400.4cc with a reduced bore and stroke of 68.4 x 54.5mm, and has a lower compression ratio than the 650NK. At 83 x 60mm bore and stroke, the 649.3cc engine’s stroke is around 7.4 per cent shorter relative to its capacity than the 400NK, but due to its LAMS restrictions doesn’t get to take full advantage of a short stroke engine’s potential ability to breathe better at higher rpm. In unrestricted form, the 650NK will continue to produce power all the way to the rev limiter, with a maximum output of around 52kW along with the wider spread. Sadly, there are no plans to bring a full…

Riders milled around the Phillip Island pits, checking and re-checking their bikes as I waited anxiously for the most dominant racer in World Superbikes since the late 90s to appear. Thanks to the clandestine efforts of a public relations mastermind, none of the trackday riders at the circuit – or indeed Jonathan Rea himself – had any idea what was about to unfold. And given Rea’s reputation as a fierce competitor and a man of measured words, I was not anticipating a positive reaction when we interrupted his morning fitness regime for an interview. Rea had been doing a good job of keeping a low profile with his Australian wife Tatia and young sons Jake and Tyler on their usual pilgrimage Down Under. Few would know that he escapes the…

THE ‘AMERICANA’ EVENT was again a crowd favourite. This is where four heats of 10 riders are whittled down by progressively eliminating last-placed riders until only three of the original 40 riders are left. There are twelve races in all, just three laps at a time, so starts were paramount and survival was more important than race wins – at least until the final when Herfoss delighted the fans by holding off American pair Jared Mees and Sammy Halbert. Michael Kirkness, American Henry Wiles and early leader Luke Gough bowed out in the semi-final. Mees saw the irony in that result as the Americana was held around the oval track, which is Mees’ specialty in the US, while all the other races at Old Bar were conducted on the specialised…

THE 2017 DUCATI Desmosedici has the potential to be competitive without winglets despite losing the advantage of two years of aerodynamic development. That’s the feeling of double world champion Casey Stoner as he opened the winter tests at Sepang aboard the GP17 which will carry the hopes of Jorge Lorenzo’s ambitious world title bid. Winglets are now banned in MotoGP with strict regulations allowing only one fairing design update during he season. Ducati Corse boss Gigi Dall’Igna has been a leader in aero development and it was feared that the winglet ban could have a negative impact on the handling and performance of the Ducati. But on used tyres and without pushing for a fast time Stoner was on a fast race pace - an unofficial 2m01.1s in less than…

A HONDA HORSEPOWER boost is on the agenda as the Japanese giant plots the defense of Marc Márquez’s world championship for the season ahead. Top-end power was once a Honda signature, but not so in 2016 with the RC213V overshadowed by Ducati’s V4 rocketship. Even Yamaha got in on the act. Reality struck early at the power-hungry Qatar circuit for the opening race with Andrea Iannone’s Ducati topping out at 351.2 km/h compared to Márquez’s Honda at 342.7 km/h. Rossi’s M1 came in at 344.9 km/h on the speed sheets. Despite winning last year’s championship, Honda now believes it needs a top power upgrade to go with the improved midrange power delivery and stability from its latest V4 with a counter-rotating crankshaft. In 2016 all factories got an easy top-end…

THERE WAS A lot of 2017 in the Honda Fireblades that Nicky Hayden and Stefan Bradl rode for the first time at Jerez, but there were still some significant touches of 2016 as the Honda World Superbike/Ten Kate squad only got their new bikes a couple of weeks before the start of the new test season. The first day was very much a shakedown, but things improved as time went on. “Of course yesterday we had a lot of little shakedown stuff we had to do,” said Hayden, “but today I can say the bike ran all day. We didn’t break any track records but we ran all day and made a couple of little steps. The reality is we are really behind. So there is not a lot we…

“This is the best country ever and we’re just going to see how things go for the next couple of years” You started your pro riding career two decades ago and have always had a knack for attracting attention and doing things differently. Tell us about the time you almost rode the whole range of KTM bikes to victory in America’s Grand National Cross Country? Just a pissing contest, that’s all it was. Just to prove a point. One of the dickheads over there – one of the guys I was racing against – said I could only win on a 125. I heard that on the break over Christmas after winning the previous year (1999). KTM wanted me to ride a 200 in the first round for marketing purposes,…

What got you into bikes? My dad owned Peter Rice Honda at Capalaba and I started racing motocross and dirt-track on a RM80 and then a CR80, which I finished fourth on in the Australian championships at Rocky in ’85. I quit racing for a while, then I came back racing those Honda trikes and finished second in the Nationals. It was fun and I guess it gave me a different skill set. Your dad had quite a different training regime for you and your brother. Throughout my racing career, no one taught me anything, but we had a place that was built on that hard, red clay and whenever it rained Dad would send me and my brother out to the clay on our little bikes. We spent most…

 THE 2018 REPLACEMENT for Ducati’s 1299 Panigale is set to use a 1000cc V4 engine derived from the Desmosedici MotoGP bike. “It is a masterpiece of engineering” — Claudio Domenicali Speaking to the press after the firm’s 2017 MotoGP team launch, both Ducati boss Claudio Domenicali and Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti referred to the forthcoming bike. Domenicali said: “The engine development we have made in MotoGP has been exceptional; we have an engine which is very reliable, very light, compact and has a lot of interesting technology. We are seriously thinking of introducing it to regular customers as it is a masterpiece of engineering.” He went on to explain that such a bike would be a mass-made model rather than a limited-edition überbike like the firm’s old GP replica, the…

DESPITE THE NAME, the Ducati Diavel Diesel isn’t a radical leap into the world of compression-ignition engines for the Italian firm. It’s actually a tie-in with the Diesel fashion label, following on from the Monster Diesel offered in 2013. However, Ducati’s description of the bike is nearly as insane as the idea of powering it with diesel fuel. If you’ll indulge us for a moment, the press release accompanying the bike’s unveiling says that the designers “were inspired by a hyperkinetic dynamism of a post-apocalyptic, retro-futuristic world.” Huh?! The bike is covered in brushed-steel panels, with visible welding and rivets. Despite having the appearance of an unfinished special, the Diavel Diesel is a limited production model. The bike’s mechanical spec is stock Diavel; the special parts include bodywork, Diesel logos…

MOTO PARILLA’S PLANS to bring a new range of 750cc parallel-twin bikes to production are still largely secret, but these new patent drawings show the latest development from within the Italian-owned company. Last year we revealed how Parilla was the latest home for the SUV750, a bike that started life back in 2012 as the Brutus 750 concept. It reappeared at shows in 2013 under the Caterham name, but again didn’t reach production. Now that bike, designed by Alessandro Tartarini, is the basis of the Moto Parilla plans. More recently, we revealed design drawings for a retro-style scrambler using the same engine and chassis as the SUV750, and now the company has registered patents on a third set of drawings that show a quite different style of bike. The new…

Letter of the issue Life: better with bikes I have just returned from a ride. Didn’t have anywhere to go, I just felt like a ride. A few kays down the highway, and then some backroads from Herons Creek to Wauchope, and out to the highway at Telegraph Point before returning via the highway again. It felt great all the way. I used to ride a bit on a farm – on an old DT250, which was a great bike for that job – but it was work. Then I didn’t ride at all for a long time. Never had a licence. Then a few years ago, my son-in-law had a Vespa in Sydney that he wasn’t riding, so we bought it and brought it back to Port Macquarie on…

The bike’s appearance in the The Great Escape has become the stuff of legend IN RECENT YEARS auction houses like Bonhams and Mecum have sold older motorcycles for insane amounts of money, with vintage Brough Superiors, Harleys and board trackers fetching up to and even beyond one million dollars. But an auction can also be a great place to buy a much cheaper custom bike, with bargains to be had and rare gems offered up. It was at one such auction in Las Vegas that Cleveland’s Jesse Basset from The GasBox met Kirk, a future client and owner of this incredible 1960 pre-unit Triumph TR6 sprung bobber. Kirk was there to buy; in fact, he was bidding on one of Jesse’s creations, a perfectly timeless Indian. But auctions can be…

Mark Vender He may frown a lot, but Mr Young is a softy at heart. While orchestrating the recent MOTY ride on very non-learner bikes, he somehow found room in the van for the 650NK and then pointed me in the direction of the Forrest-Apollo Bay Road with orders to ‘go have some fun’. I duly followed his instructions. The 650NK was a joy to ride along those twisting roads, with more than enough grunt for a LAMS rider right through the rev range, reassuringly powerful brakes, easy handling and an upright postition with scope for leaning into the ’bars. Back in Melbourne I found it an excellent commuter – thin enough to filter to the front of the queue, and punchy enough to blast away. I tried the 400NK…

PRACTICALLY THE ENTIRE CATALOGUE OF BOLT-ON GOODNESS HAS BEEN TICK-BOXED FOR THIS MODEL Ural Australia has added an Adventure-spec sidecar to its range so that tricyclists who want to go bush no longer have to DIY. There are many home-brewed hi-mile rough-road rigs out there, but it’s fair to say that no two are the same and each one represents one owner’s view of what’s needed to tame the wide brown land. Predictably, the Russians have a slightly different view. The Ural Sahara isn’t actually a new model, but is rather a Ranger with the lot. Think of an adventure-related accessory and chances are it’s already there; practically the entire catalogue of bolt-on goodness has been tick-boxed for this model. Long-range LED spotties? Check. Barkbuster-style handguards? Check. Spare wheel?…

The line between failure and success is so fine that we scarcely know when we pass it Elbert Hubbard, writer and philosopher, 1856-1915 There’s a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line Oscar Levant, composer, actor and comedian, 1906-1972 It’s such a fine line between stupid and clever. David St. Hubbins, Spınal Tap, 1947-. Fewer than five hundred Bimota 500 V-Due two-strokes emerged from the Rimini firm’s tiny factory, and the bike has gone down in history as a spectacular disaster. Hyped as the saviour of the two-stroke, it instead became the final nail in the coffin for two-banger sportsbikes. Revealed in late 1996, the V-Due (Italian for V-Twin) was arguably the most talked-about bike of 1997 while its development continued, with the promise that production…

WHEN FIRST I put together my ‘retro boot wish list’ I realised how much of a fussy bugger I’ve become. I’m not trying to be difficult, I just detest products that prioritise fashion over function, and unfortunately that accounts for a lot of what’s on offer in the vintage market. But that’s definitely not the case with RST’s Roadster boot. This classically styled boot meets all my unreasonable demands, and also comes with a handy zipper for easy donning and doffing. The laces are retained for authenticity and a proper fit, but they’ve also ticked the safety box by including internal ankle and heel support as well as a toe box. On top of all that, it’s nice to see that RST hasn’t plastered them in gaudy branding so you…

A CHRISTMAS BREAK at AMCN wouldn’t be complete without a binge on awesome biking adventures at places we ordinarily don’t get the time to visit. Thankfully our rapidly improving Fiat was more than up to the task of ferrying a load of road and dirtbikes on a round trip to Sydney from Melbourne. We also made the most of the journey with a detour to the majestic Blue Mountains for some bush bashing, and a day of rubber-smoking good times at one of the most underrated tracks in Australia – Wakefield Park. If trackdays on a shoestring are your thing, Wakefield is one of the lowest priced around, and it also has reasonably priced on-site cabin accommodation perfect for visitors from interstate. At the end of the week-long journey our…

ESSENTIALS The distance between Rylstone and Denman is around 125km. While both towns offer fuel options, you will only find 95 octane; there’s no Premium 98 available outside the bigger towns in the region. The bakery at Kandos is a good option for breakfast or lunch. There are a couple of cafés in Rylstone where you can pick up a pie and a coffee, or something more substantial. The Globe Hotel in Rylstone is our favourite for a meal or cheap overnight accommodation. It has plenty of character and a bistro open seven days a week. Fix It There are few options along this route for mechanical assistance, so take your own tools and spares, particularly if you follow our detour. If you get into trouble your best bet is…

LONG-TIME FANS of the sport revelled in watching the Legends in action as big names from various disciplines brought memories flooding back. Recently retired dirt track star Darren Herrick was the standout, taking out the Barry Cockle Trophy by outpointing road racer Damon Buckmaster, world speedway champion Jason Crump and dirt track legend Chris Watson over the three rounds. The exciting support events held in the afternoon session produced wins for Kurtis Tydd in the 450cc class, Kye Thomson over American Henry Wiles in the 500cc two-stroke class, and Amy Wedd in the keenly contested Women’s class. The junior classes were also appreciated by fans with wins for 10-year-old Senna Agius (Under 13s) and two Taree club riders – seven-year-old Hayden Nelson (Under 10s) and 13-year-old Kye Andrews (Under 16s).…

STONER ALSO SAYS THAT factory riders Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso are in for a “sweet” surprise with the 2017 edition of the Desmosedici V4, an engine that is already regarded as the fastest in MotoGP. A focus on midrange response and a smoother first touch of the throttle will be welcomed, especially by Lorenzo with his precise cornering style. “I think the engine is something our riders will like,” Stoner said. “Ducati have been working at making the engine a little sweeter coming off that first touch of the throttle and the latest version is better from the midrange all the way through… It just feels softer and works much better in conjunction with the traction control, more progressive.” A new exhaust system is part of the package too. The…

MIKE JONES MADE his first steps into the European Superstock 1000 Championship with a two-day test at Jerez in Spain between 24 and 25 January, on his 1200cc Aruba.it Racing Ducati team Panigale. For the 22-year-old the timing of the move overseas is perfect. “As an Aussie I raced Superbike in Australia for three years and had success there,” said Jones, who finished the Jerez tests with 111 laps under his belt and a very respectable best lap of 1m43.670s, set on day two. “I think the next step for me was definitely coming here to race in the European Superstock 1000 Championship. I think it will take me to another level because I’m riding at new circuits with new competitors who will push me further. This for me is…

MANY FANS WOULD expect the reigning World Under 21 Speedway champion and 2017 Speedway Grand Prix reserve to win the Australian Under 21 Championship – and that’s exactly what Max Fricke did. Fricke actually won the Australian crown for the fourth time with an emphatic victory at the Kurri Kurri track last Saturday (28 January). Riders get five years in the Under 21 ranks and Fricke put his name alongside Leigh Adams and Chris Holder as four-time winners – Adams placed third in his second year, Holder was unplaced in his first, and last year (his fourth) Fricke placed third behind Jack Holder. At Kurri Kurri, the big three of Fricke, Holder and Brady Kurtz could not have had more varied nights. Fricke was superb, a 15-point maximum in the…

DUCATI MAY BE disappointed to be losing the now-banned winglets from its MotoGP machine in 2017, but a new patent reveals that the company has another idea that could more than make up for the loss. It’s going to turn its exhaust pipes into jet engines. No, it’s not April Fools’ Day. Ducati’s idea is to add a clever variable-size outlet to the exhaust pipe of the Desmosedici that looks and works like the variable-area jet outlet of a fighter plane. On fighter aircraft the size of the exhaust nozzles on the engines can be varied by changing the angle of the overlapping metal petals. The Ducati system is a miniaturised version of the same idea, using a worm gear operated by a remote electric motor via a flexible cable…

TESTING IS UNDERWAY on the Benelli 750cc parallel twin we first scooped last year – suggesting it will be ready for an official reveal before the end of 2017. Videos have emerged in China, where the Benelli is being developed by parent company Qianjiang, showing finished-looking bikes in action. The as-yet-unnamed bike is even proudly displayed at the firm’s headquarters, as seen in this picture. The red prototype reveals there have been few changes made since our last pics. The exhaust silencer has been mildly reshaped and there are new castings for both the main and pillion footpegs. The headlight is fractionally different and the rear brake caliper has been repositioned from above to below the swingarm. The 750cc twin being developed in Italy is basically two cylinders of Benelli’s…

ITALIAN ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE manufacturer Energica has revealed a retro-styled electric bike called the Midnight Runner. The distinctive machine is a collaboration between Energica, which provided the 100kW electric motor, and Verona-based Apache Custom Motorcycles, which created the old-school styling. According to Apache, inspiration for the look came from grand prix racebikes of the 1970s, with the hand-made fairing and bodywork finished in a British Racing Green colour scheme. “Midnight Runner is a roar of the engine to the eye, not to the ears,” an Apache spokesperson said. “It is a perfect fusion of past, present and future. It’s a race in the night, a beacon that lights the way, and it is silence.” According to Modena-based Energica, the Midnight Runner can go from 0 to 100km/h in three seconds and…

1995 Bimota DB3 Mantra Just 454 examples of the Bimota DB3 Mantra were produced from 1995 to 1998. The powerplant was sourced from a Ducati 900SS, with a chassis and groundbreaking styling from French designer Sacha Lakic. Likened to a gold-plated Versace toaster, the Mantra’s weird look was helped greatly by its highly capable running gear and chassis that was later used in Bimota’s razor-sharp DB4. In 1996 the model received styling tweaks to the front and rear ends, and the gaudy yellow paintwork was joined by a more dangerous-looking red-and-black option. What it’s got The Bimota DB3 Mantra is powered by an air and oil-cooled, 904cc, 90° SOHC, carburetted four-stroke V-twin with two valves per cylinder. Power runs through a six-speed constant-mesh gearbox. The front suspension is a 43mm…

Big brother Capacity: 649.3cc Power : 39kW (measured) Torque: 50Nm (measured) Price: $6990 ride away Little brother Capacity: 400.4cc Power: 28.5kW (measured) Torque: 30Nm (measured) Price: $5990 ride away Chinese manufacturer CFMoto may have only been producing complete motorcycles for 16 years, but it has led the way in improving the reputation of a country sometimes known more for its cheap knock-off items than its premium motorcycles. The low-cost element is still there, but rather than just giving you what you pay for (in other words ‘not much’), as it has been in the past, Chinese bikes increasingly represent an attractive combination of good value, performance, and reliability. By prioritising quality control and in-house R&D investment, and collaborating with established global motorcycle industry heavyweights, CFMoto has been able to propagate…

Sales of electric motorcycles are on the rise, as improvements in range and charging time make them ever more appealing. But it’s one thing to swish along enjoying the sound of silence on your daily commute to and from work, and quite another to do serious mileage – isn’t it? Like, making a week’s tour of northern California. Yet that’s just what I did aboard a 2016 Zero DSR. I’ve been riding each new Zero model for the past six years and have seen the gradual improvements. For 2016, energy density was boosted, giving models with the PowerTank supplementary battery a claimed 317km range in urban use, or 158km at 113km/h on the highway, and a combined city/highway range of 174km – the first time this has exceeded 160km on…

Photos show how much the engine provides structural rigidity Tesi 500 racer Piero Caronni has long since sold all the old-stock bikes that he bought from Bimota’s bankruptcy sale in 2003, but he’s still got his own collection of very special V-Dues. Among them are the original Tesi 500 racer and an original V-Due prototype. Starting with the Tesi 500, there’s clearly little relationship between the firm’s original vision of a hub-steered GP machine and the roadbike that came four years later. The engine is recognisable, but made of magnesium, and that’s where the similarities end. The Tesi’s hub-steered layout means the frame is completely different, and strip-down photos show just how heavily the engine is relied on to provide structural rigidity. It’s basically all that connects the pivots for…

Step1. Strip off The rear mudguard and rack were the first to go. As the intention of this makeover is to obtain maximum visual impact for minimal effort – and do all the work myself in a standard home garage – I will not be cutting the subframe or any other part of the bike. Step 2. Look good as is Once I had all the lights, guards and tank off I could see a multitude of custom possibilities for this bike. Step 3. Look Ma, no ’bar The dirtbike-style handlebar was next to go, set to be replaced with the Clubman ’bar. Care needed to be taken to make sure I drilled the holes in the correct places for the switchblock locating lugs. The lugs on the Nemesis switchblocks…

1 Gear Haulers Kenma Australia From $449 1800 251 145 kenma.com.au The light and stable Ventura Aerodynamic Bike-Pack is now available for the Suzuki SV650. Once fitted with L-Brackets, the SV650 can accommodate a range of luggage options via the Astro Top-Box, Sport-Rack, Pack-Rack or Grab-Handle, from a capacity of 10 to 102L. See the website for full details. 2 It’s Got Your Back MonzaImports $199.95 (03) 8327 8888 monzaimports.com.au The Alpinestars Nucleon KR-1 Back Protector is a lightweight protector designed for street or performance riding. It features hard-shell vertebrae protection and energy absorbing viscoelastic memory foam. It’s ergonomically profiled for sport riding, has plenty of ventilation and comes in sizes XS-XL. 3 Tank Pod Andy Strapz $245 (03) 9786 3445 andystrapz.com The all-new Andy Strapz Safari Pod is a…

AUSTRALIA’S TOP DIRT track racers and a sprinkling of top riders from other disciplines could not stop US star Jared Mees from becoming the first two-time winner of the Troy Bayliss Classic when the 2017 Motul Pirelli Classic meeting presented by Shannons Insurance was staged at the Old Bar track in Taree, NSW, on 21 January. It was back-to-back wins for the four-time AMA Grand National champion, who also won here in 2015 (last year’s Bayliss Classic was washed out). Mees capped an exciting day and night of racing in ideal conditions. Trade displays and two shows by a stunt plane added to the on-track activities, which was not just the 57-event program but also included another sensational display by Japanese rider Masatoshi Ohmori getting his bike down to some…

CASEY STONER HAS faith in Jorge Lorenzo’s ability to adapt to Ducati’s red devil after nine years on a Yamaha M1. He believes Lorenzo’s trademark style – based on precision, corner speed and smoothness – will ensure that the Spaniard makes a successful transition to the Desmosedici. “I have no doubt Jorge will adapt and so far his adaptation has been quicker than I thought, he will only get better,” Stoner said. “It might take a little time because he’s been riding Yamaha for a lot of years and that bike was a very similar package for all that time. “It’s all up to Jorge, he knows how to ride, he knows what he wants and I know how much talent he has. I had to deal with that a…

WITHOUT RESORTING TO qualifying rubber Jonathan Rea scored the fastest time of the Jerez January tests on his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR, thanks to some small power lifts from his engine, work on his Showa rear suspension and a gigantic boost to his confidence and personal fitness after a winter spend training hard in Australia. “I’ve been working really hard on my bicycle, and dropped some kilos, and I’ve also been in the gym a little bit. But there is nothing like bike fitness.” Rea set his fastest time over both test days – a 1m39.809s – after a rare heavy crash that required him to change leathers and helmet and take an hour or two out. His toughness and determination to go again saw him back on top of the…

RED BULL KTM rider Ryan Dungey took his first win of the season at Anaheim II, but it was a bittersweet victory as rival Ken Roczen (HRC) suffered a horrific crash that could put him out for the remainder of the season. Dungey’s teammate Marvin Musqvin came home second, seizing the opportunity when HRC rider Cole Seely stalled briefly before recovering to third. Chad Reed (Yamalube Yamaha) was seventh and fellow Australians Joel Newton (Suzuki RM-Z450) and Geran Stapleton (Honda CRF450) both lined up but failed to qualify through. Round 4 in Pheonix saw Eli Tomac take the holeshot and his first win of the season. Chad Reed put in a classy ride to charge through to second position at the midway point, and Dungey gave chase but had to…

ON 18-19 FEBRUARY, the Levis Motorcycle Club will revive the Sellicks Historic Beach race for the first time in 60 years. When our ancestors were looking for somewhere to go fast and break records, the beaches south of Adelaide (Sellicks and Silver Sands) provided the perfect venue. Motor racing was first conducted on Sellicks Beach in the early years of the 20th century and, apart from some time off during the Second World War, the club ran the Sellicks Beach event through to 1957. Many early racers rode their bikes to the beach, stripped them down to the bare minimum, raced for a couple of days, then put the bike back together and rode home. Those competitors with a bit more money might have brought their bikes to the beach…