Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 66 Issue 25 i Australian Motorcycle News

HONDA CEO AND president Takahiro Hachigo has confirmed that the EV-CUB electric concept scooter will go into production in 2018. He also revealed the company is developing a second electric bike as a delivery machine for the Japanese Post Office. It will use charging stations at post office buildings and have a hot-swappable battery, allowing a fully charged pack to be slotted in with no break in the bike’s use. This same concept could also find its way into consumer machines. The electric bikes are part of a huge push towards battery, fuel-cell and hybrid power announced by Honda. By 2030 Honda expects two-thirds of its automobiles to be electric or plug-in hybrids and has set up a specific Electric Vehicle Development Division within its R&D department to cater for…

PATENT DOCUMENTS FROM Japan show that Suzuki is working on a new battery-powered bike that could be the company’s first superbikestyle electric. Suzuki has been relatively active in electric bike development in recent years, although it has often focussed on fuel cells rather than batteries. But we’ve never seen a design anything like the one shown in its latest patent application. The interesting bit is the layout. Most electric machines follow a similar general design under the skin, with the electric motor mounted transversely and a reduction gearbox between it and the front sprocket. This design is different, as the electric motor is mounted longitudinally – with its spinning central shaft lengthways in the bike’s chassis. Suzuki’s unconventional configuration allows an array of slim, flat battery packs to be fitted…

How to lose 15kg … fast! Just follow the 2017 Fireblade diet Read our full Aussie launch report of Honda’s lighter, faster and smarter track toy on page 36 The man behind The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride hopes to get an equally successful and global initiative off the ground when the inaugural Ride Sunday takes place on 2 July. Ride Sunday’s Mark Hawwa said “Our aim is to bring together charities, causes and manufacturers to create an event that is going to change the world.” The 2017 event has a fundraising goal of $2 million, which Hawwa aims to up to $20 million by 2020 and to $50 million by 2022. To find out more, head to www.ridesunday.com. FITTING FAREWELL Australian sidecar legend Bob Levy had a fitting send-off earlier…

“As far as Dave was concerned, everything had already gone arse up all those years ago in Angola” WHEN DAVE BARR set out from Perth in 1996 to circumnavigate Australia, he wasn’t attempting the record for fastest lap of the map. He may have hit new heights of determination and downright perversity, but speed wasn’t on the agenda. He’d already been on the road for four years, during which time he’d ridden the length of Africa, across Europe from the Mediterranean to the Arctic Circle, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, then through China, Mongolia and Siberia. Now Dave was in Australia. A lap around National Highway One would be relatively simple, but ride to the mainland’s four most extreme points and it becomes a tough and unusual adventure. Even…

IT’S EASY TO parrot the line ‘I don’t like Harleys’. It’s a simple trap to fall into – until you realise the huge selection of amazing customs that have been crafted out of Milwaukee’s finest. There are cafe racers, bobbers, choppers and flat-trackers aplenty, but my personal favourite has to be the rarely seen board-tracker style. And here’s the best one you’ll find – a stunning turbocharged Harley Evo-engined special crafted by Argentina’s Lucky Custom. Dubbed ‘The Cheetah’, this gorgeous bike is the 47th build by the Córdoba-based workshop. So it’s safe to say the team there, led by Lucas Layum, know what they’re doing. They’ve produced all manner of bikes from every manufacturer and in every style you can imagine. “This time I wanted to do something special to…

1 Do all those numbers on the side of my tyres actually mean anything? Yes … and no. Although the size of a tyre is always displayed on its sidewall, it’s not always entirely correct. The last number in the sizing sequence signifies the rim diameter, and will always represent the only wheel diameter the tyre is suitable for. However, the first set of numbers refer to the tyre’s aspect ratio, and these are very rarely 100 per cent accurate. The aspect ratio loosely describes the tyre’s profile, and is displayed as the width of the tread area in millimetres, and then the height of the sidewall given as a percentage of the width, in that order. I say loosely describes, because the tolerance band that manufacturers have to play…

This bypass offers an awesome mix of good roads, excellent scenery and absence of tourists Sometimes you can find alternate routes to the major roads when riding around Australia, and the road less travelled often turns out to be a hidden gem that makes a little extra navigation very worthwhile. This bypass to the far North Coast of NSW is a great example and offers an awesome mix of good roads, excellent scenery and an absence of the tourists running the radar gauntlet further east on the Pacific Highway. We start this ride at Coffs Harbour, but if you’re riding from the south-west it’s best to come in from Dorrigo, a great little spot that sits atop the northern tablelands and has some spectacular motorcycling roads leading in and…

If results in this closest class are to be considered a lottery, what does it take to keep winning? Clearly something more than luck took Leopard Honda rider Joan Mir to his fourth win of the year, seizing control with an incisive and unique last-lap move to displace pole starter and frequent leader Jorge Martín (Del Conca Honda). Martín then lost another place on the run to the line, when Romano Fenati (Rivacold Honda) took advantage to slip ahead as well. Enea Bastianini (EG Honda) moved through in the late stages for fourth ahead of his teammate Arón Canet. Marcos Ramírez (Platinum Bay KTM) managed to hang on to seventh, and with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Honda) eighth, it was another Honda whitewash. It had been an entirely typical…

JUST SEVEN RACES into the season Aleix Espargaró has used five engines of his allocation and is likely to take a sixth unit at the upcoming Assen TT. Espargaró has not disguised his “anger and frustration” at the situation after he started the season with an impressive sixth place in Qatar. Regarding the moves to seek a replacement for Lowes for 2018, Espargaró said: “I am angry. It’s race five or race six and I think we need to have more respect for a rider that last season won races in Moto2. We cannot forget these things in just f*cking three months.”…

FORMER AMCN STAFFER Rennie Scaysbrook will once again line up in a bid for a slice of glory at the 2017 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb held 20-25 June. As AMCN went to press, the new first-time dad had completed a two-day pre-event tyre test on his 2017 KTM 1290 Super Duke R in the lead-up to qualifying, where he finished second fastest on the opening day and topped the timesheets on the second and final day. “The top three are really really close, but [2016 Heavyweight winner] Bruno [Langlois] clearly has the advantage over the top, so we really have to pull our finger out,” Scaysbrook said, despite his result. “Today was frustrating, I couldn’t get the rear to grip, but it’s early days. The track temperature’s going to…

BORN ON HIS family’s farm in Tauranga in New Zealand, Stefan Merriman was just 12 years old when he was introduced to competitive trials riding. Four years later he won the NZ Trials Championship, the Australian Trials Championship and then the World Junior Trials Championship held in Yorkshire, all in quick succession. This led to three years competing in the UK, including the notoriously gruelling Scottish Six Day Trial, in which he finished third outright in 1992. On his return Down Under, Stefan captured both the Australian and NZ Trials titles, the NZ Supercross Championship, and triumphed over Stephen Gall in the Triple Challenge, an eclectic mix of motocross, trials and supermotard (“Though Gally beat me in the Supermotard race,” recalls Stefan). Then, as if to prove he was equally…

AS IF MV Agusta motorcycles weren’t special enough, the Italian firm has provided a new level of special in the form of its Reparto Veicoli Speciali, or Special Vehicles Department. And the first creation to come from it is the boringly but rather aptly named RVS#1. Beginning with the already gorgeous Dragster 800, MV has thrown the book at it in terms of special parts to make it stand out even more. The most noticeable change is the headlight. Gone is the swept-back lamp of the stock bike, replaced by a large, round lamp with just a hint of scrambler. But it’s not old fashioned. Behind the lens lies a host of adaptive LEDs, which light up depending on speed and bank angle to provide an optimum light pattern. Two…

THE DEAL FOR Triumph to supply Moto2 engines from 2019 onwards is now official. The tie-up means Moto2 will move away from its current 600cc format to adopt the British company’s 765cc three-cylinder engine for three years from 2019. Perhaps more importantly, it’s another nail in the coffin for the once-celebrated 600cc four-cylinder sportsbikes. It’s a market sector that’s been shrinking fast for several years, and Honda has decided not to update its CBR600RR despite the fact it no longer meets European type approval and emissions regulations. Honda’s decision to leave Moto2 is more or less confirmation that there will be no replacement for the CBR600RR by 2019. No other 600cc four-cylinder manufacturer was willing or able to put together a package to beat Triumph’s 765cc three-cylinder proposal. Like the…

FROM STRAIGHT AHEAD this new Yamaha patent appears to show something very much like its existing Tricity leaning three-wheeler. But the side view reveals it’s actually rather different. Nearly as short as it is wide, it combines the tried and tested leaning two-wheeled front suspension system with a stubby electric powertrain. But there’s no seat – you stand on platforms mounted either side of the rear wheel. Those platforms are attached to the front suspension rather than the rear, so your feet are active in the leaning process. Rather than simply standing still atop the trike, you lift your inside foot and extend your leg on the other side during corners. As well as making for a more involving riding experience, the design means the foot plates can be mounted…

HEAD-UP DISPLAYS and rear-facing cameras aren’t new in terms of vehicle technology, but a mixture of both that can be retrofitted to any motorcycle just might be. It’s a simple enough concept, but one that has been very well executed. A hi-tech camera is fitted to the rear of your motorcycle and powered directly off the bike’s battery. Rather than starting with the bike’s ignition, it uses a motion sensor to know when to switch itself on and off. A receiver is fitted to the rear of your helmet, and this beams the live feed through a very small display that you shove between your helmet’s cheek pad and EPS liner. It remains to be seen whether this system offers the user any benefits; some argue the distraction of what’s…

#stopfordavid Dear sir, I would like to say thanks for a great motorbike mag. I enjoy reading it every two weeks from the cover to the back page, and the competition articles are also enjoyable to read. I live halfway between Perth and Bunbury on the South West Highway, and on the weekend hundreds of bikes go past my house. It’s a great sound and sight. I often go and stand out the front and wave at everyone on their bikes, and they do the same back to me. I suffer badly from bipolar and just want to pass on to your readers that if they want to stop for a cuppa and a chat they are quite welcome. This would really make my day and would also be good…

The road to Mallala near Adelaide is a boring affair – as straight as a die. I was on a 1993 CBR600 heading back from the track and my mate was on the then new first model 900 Fireblade. We were flat out lying prone on the tanks, speed rising all the time. I was slipstreaming him and just hanging in there. As he gradually pulled away I remember thinking how futuristic that bike looked, and that memory has stuck with me over the years. In 2007 I rode in the WSBK championship on the then current underseat pipe version of the Fireblade. To be honest I hated every minute of that animal – it was more like riding a seesaw than a motorcycle. It was super aggressive and turned…

“Already feels more powerful than my current racebike” Troy Herfoss Troy Herfoss and Bryan Staring are two guys that know Honda’s current Fireblade better than anyone. Bryan won the Australian Superbike Championship back in 2010 and Troy gave us a masterclass lesson last year by winning the 2016 championship on what many thought would be an uncompetitive mount. After riding the new road-going blade for the first time here’s what they had to say… Troy: I can’t believe how slim the new bike is, it’s so much easier to move around on and then there’s that engine, it’s amazing. I can’t wait to pass someone down the straight because that’s something I haven’t been able to do in the last couple of years. The roadbike as it sits here already…

True fans of the Dakar Rally will longingly remember the era of the late 1980s and early 90s when ground-pounding dinosaurs plundered the endless sand dunes of the deserts of remote North Africa. Bred in captivity, these hand-reared beasts – which featured booming twin and four-cylinder powerplants of up to 1000cc shoe-horned into long travel skeletons – ultimately spawned road-going replicas that instantly began thundering around the most far-flung reaches of the globe. And they did it bearing such exotic names as Africa Twin, Adventure, Dakar, DR Big, Elefant, Rally, Super Enduro, Super Ténéré, Ténéré and Tengai, to name but a few. Then, a decade or so later, the beasts were as good as extinct. They were legislated out of the Dakar Rally and replaced by smaller but just as…

Price List Puig›’bar›ends›with›rings $73.10 Puig›side›cover›panel $319.70 Puig›rear›hugger/fender››› $456.30 Puig›touring›screen $179.00 WHEN SUB-EDITOR Mark Vender told me that Online Racing Spares had offered to jazz up the BMW R1200RS with a bit of bling I assumed we were planning to give the big boxer some track time! But it turns out you don’t have to be a racer to shop at ORS. If you want to trick or tweak your pride and joy it doesn’t matter if it’s to terrorise the track, dig a ditch, or just get you to the café on Sunday after church, these guys will have it and can bolt it on for you. And conveniently for us, the workshop is located just around the corner from Gassit HQ in the Melbourne suburb of Moorabbin. If you…

NAME: Jess Gardiner AGE: 24 CLASS: Enduro EVENT: Trèfle Lozérien AMV AUSSIE ENDURO RIDER Jess Gardiner (Rider Camp Yamaha) is having an incredible run of results after finishing 49th outright (out of 546 riders) in the Trèfle Lozérien AMV. With 200km covered on each of the three days, the event is one of the most prestigious enduro races in France, and Gardiner won every test in her class to take outright Women’s honours. Gardiner, who loves France and considers it her adopted country, said the most nerve-racking part of the weekend was speaking publicly to the media and crowd in French. The 24-year-old has also had a stunning start to the Championnat de France d’enduro, winning the opening two rounds. Jess now has to prepare herself for the second round…

THREE RIDERS LOST their lives in 24 hours at this year’s TT. Englishman Davey Lambert (right), who had crashed his Kawasaki ZX-10R at Greeba Castle during the opening Superbike TT, succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday evening of race week. On Wednesday morning Dutch rider Jochem van den Hoek was killed in a crash at the 11th Milestone on the first lap of the Superstock race, and later that afternoon Irishman Alan Bonner was killed instantly when he crashed his BMW on dropped oil on the approach to the 33rd Milestone during a practice lap for Friday’s Senior race.…

DUCATI MAY YET have a say in the outcome of the 2017 MotoGP World Championship despite the words of caution from back-to-back race winner Andrea Dovizioso. An important evolution of the GP17 aimed at improving mid-corner turning and acceleration is planned for the forthcoming races in the Czech Republic and Austria in August. The Brno race will be round 10 of 18 and will come after an intense period of testing and development by Ducati. If the transformation of an upgraded GP17 meets targets, it could be a turning point, according to Ducati Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti. “Depending on how these updates work and what our competitors do, then it is not unreasonable to think about the possibility of a title challenge if we go in the right direction,” Ciabatti…

REIGNING MOTOGP WORLD champion Marc Márquez says the key to his title defence is extracting more from the balance of his riding style and the intricate set-up demands of the Honda RC213V racebike. Márquez rides on a knife-edge limit, a style that leaves little room for error, as he has found already this season with two costly DNFs and just one win in seven races. And while Márquez is languishing 23 points adrift of championship leader and Yamaha rival Maverick Viñales, he isn’t concerned, saying he is ahead of the curve compared to a year ago when he recovered from a lacklustre start to the season to win his third world title. With Michelin’s policy of tinkering endlessly with tyre specifications, Márquez’s focus remains, unsurprisingly, on the Honda’s chassis. “I…

REIGNING WORLD CHAMP Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) won a session-ending shootout with Yamaha rival Maverick Viñales to end the post-race Catalunya test on top of the timesheets by 0.366sec. Márquez’s flyer came on lap 81 of his 82 completed laps, where he and teammate Dani Pedrosa (fourth fastest) focussed on setup for the forthcoming Assen round. The donkey work was left up to LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow, whose 60 laps were spent working on geometry, electronics, aerodynamics and suspension, and who finished the day sixth fastest. Movistar Yamaha came with two new frames for the YZR-M1, though Viñales stuck with one while Valentino Rossi tested the other. And it was Viñales who posted the quickest time of duo, well over a second clear of the nine-times world champ. For…

RAF REGULAR & Reserve Kawasaki’s Jake Dixon had a weekend to remember at Round 4 of the British Superbike Championship at Knockhill over 16-18 June. He registered his maiden Superbike win on Saturday, then backed it up with another win in Race 2. The tight and technical circuit caught out multiple competitors and sadly for Leon Haslam, his weekend was over before it started. With the JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider out, it was all up to his teammate Luke Mossey, who secured pole for Race 1. But despite qualifying on top, Mossey succumbed to Dixon’s speed, finishing the first race 3.7 seconds behind the 21-year-old, while the battle for third went down to the wire with Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati) beating out Aussie Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) and…

CUBE RACING WILL expand its rider line-up in the ASBK Supersport class, with team manager Ben Henry announcing that Aidan Hayes will be joining the team for the remainder of the 2017 season. The move opens up the opportunity for Hayes to ride the Kawasaki ZX-6R, which he believes will complement his riding style. Hayes, who’s thrilled with the move, said, “With this deal I get to concentrate on riding completely. The Kawasaki seems to have strong power right throughout the rev range which should make it easier through corners.” He went on to say he was keen and eager to get on track and racing, with a top-five finish as his initial goal. “I have to say a big thanks to Ben Henry, Troy Bayliss and the entire team…

YAMAHA HAS MADE a surprise leap into the luxury tourer segment with a new high-tech V-twin. The 2018 Star Venture might be based around a development of the old 1854cc pushrod V-twin from the XV1900, but it’s heavily revamped and slotted into a bike that’s otherwise completely new and packed with technology. Engine changes include a new six-speed shaft-drive transmission and a complete electronics overhaul, including ride-by-wire, traction control, multiple riding modes and cruise control. A new Sure-Park system provides an electrically powered, walking-speed forward and reverse gear so you never have to push the Star Venture’s heft unaided. Built-in electronics include heated grips, seats and backrests for both rider and pillion. There’s also a seven-inch touchscreen to provide information and entertainment. A Transcontinental Option Package can also be specified…

THERE WAS NEVER much hope of Kawasaki having a new ZX-6R in the wings for a 2018 launch, but by type-approving its existing 636cc ZX-6R in the American market for the 2018 model year, any lingering hope has been dashed. Once again the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has given the game away. On 8 June, Kawasaki’s 2018-spec ZX-6R got the green light for sale in the emissions-conscious state, and the official documents show that there are no changes from the current model, at least in terms of weight and exhaust emissions. Since the ZX-6R is one of the many bikes that do not meet the latest Euro 4 emissions standards, it is currently sold in Europe under derogation rules designed to let manufacturers sell small numbers of non-compliant machines,…

AN INJECTION OF $10 million from the NSW government could spell a return to the heady days of motorcycle racing at Bathurst. The funding is a pledge to the regional council’s VeloCity Park project, which aims to build a second, permanent circuit adjacent to the iconic Mount Panorama, and it is expected to eventually gain FIA and FIM approval. Preliminary plans reveal a 4.58km circuit that can be used in up to nine configurations of differing sizes, plus two separate circuits that can be run concurrently. The site earmarked for the new venue is on a pocket of land west of the McPhillamy Park and Reid Park precincts. According to Mount Panorama Second Circuit Action Group convener Lachlan Sullivan, the next step is to select an accomplished, internationally recognised circuit…

It passed the ‘wow’ test with both my sons A LOT HAS changed since 1969 when our own Kel Carruthers won the world championship on a Benelli. True, Carruthers was riding a 250cc bike, the same capacity as this BN251, but that and the badge on the tank are pretty much where the similarities end. Over the past half-century Benelli has been completely reinvented, with the key change being the 2005 takeover by the Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Quianjang. Since then, new bikes have been designed in the West but built in the East, and perhaps as a consequence, the brand still seems to be defining its identity. It has one foot in China and one foot in Italy; one foot in the 20th century, and one in the 21st. The…

There’s not much I would rather do after a ride than share time with a bunch of mates around the campfire, drinking, laughing and bantering. This is what our sport is all about – recounting the tribulations, the roads and conditions over a few drinks. And that’s just what we were doing in the BIG4 Wye River caravan park after a successful squirt around the Victorian countryside. Our celebrity chef Paul Mercurio (yes, of Strictly Ballroom fame) was feeding us magnificently with nothing more than a mighty Weber, and we could hear the food sizzling in the background as he poured beer on every dish. After some dinner and more laughs, our attention turned to our steeds – the reason we were all there in the first place – and…

Geoff Duke wrote that Campbell was quite sure of himself, being both fast and safe Sixty years ago, Keith Campbell won the 350 Dutch TT at Assen and the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, iconic circuits that required riding precision. He became the first Australian to claim two world championship GPs in a calendar year, and captured the lead in a title race he would eventually win. The Assen victory on 29 June 1957 was special on several counts for the then 25-year-old from the Melbourne suburb of Prahran. Two years earlier he had been part of a riders’ strike at the circuit over poor starting money and was suspended from GP racing for six months. This time the Netherlands would be remembered more happily. It was also special because…

Price List Carrier $85.78 50lt›Top›Box $85.78 Barrel›Lock $85.78 yshop.yamaha-motor. com.au I MUST HAVE caught Mrs Ed at a weak moment when I floated the idea of a multi-day two-up ride to northern NSW – because she agreed. However, there was one condition: a topbox that doubles as a backrest needed to be fitted to the Yamaha MT-10 before we set off. This request suited me perfectly as I had already ordered a genuine accessories rear carrier and 50-litre Top Case from Y Shop because I didn’t think there would be enough room in the soft side case set and tank bag (AMCN Vol 66 No 17) for all our gear. Y Shop also has a backrest for $98.39 which can be fitted to the topbox for added comfort. As with…

The fantastic racing at TT 2017 was watched by the highest number of visitors to the event since the centenary event a decade ago, but this year’s TT will be remembered most of all for the terrible weather that wreaked havoc with the schedules of both practice and race week. Unseasonal heavy rain and dense fog forced the cancellation of four nights of practice and the second Supersport race. With so little track time, beleaguered clerk of the course Gary Thompson took the unprecedented step of allowing riders to practice from the startline to Ramsey before travelling marshals brought the pack back to the grandstand over the mist-shrouded Mountain section Thompson has already announced the likely re-introduction of afternoon practice at next year’s event to help prevent a repeat of…

All he could do now was hold it pinned all the way back to Alice THERE AND BACK. AGAIN THE MADNESS STARTED with a challenge in 1976 to local hotshots to create some excitement over the Queen’s Birthday weekend. The ‘There and Back’ idea couldn’t have been simpler: a thirst-building three-hour ride to the Finke pub and an even tougher return to Alice Springs the following day. Good news spreads quickly and in no time interstate riders joined the pilgrimage to show the locals a thing or two, which was a tough ask. So what started as a local derby turned into a high-pressure, two-hour adrenaline rush, followed by an overnight rebuild and an even faster return – without the hangover. The intense rivalry between the Territorians and the Rest…

Home hero Álex Márquez had set a resounding pole position, with only Mugello winner Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Kalex) able to get close to the EG-VDS rider. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Forward Kalex) joined them on the front row, while Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda) led the second from Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Kalex) and points leader Franco Morbidelli (EG-VDS Kalex). Márquez remained in total control from the green light, leading Pasini and Morbidelli away and stretching out an advantage of a full second on the first lap. The lap chart tells a story of an austere race behind him, but it was not without tension. Morbidelli was second at the end of lap one, but was promptly displaced by Pasini, who also held the position to the end. Morbidelli was then pressed by Miguel…

APRILIA IS NOT winning on track and seems to be embroiled in paddock politics and deal making, rather than finding a much-needed performance boost for its unreliable RS-GP engine. And rejection is looming for the Italian factory from some key players, too, including the high-profile Pramac team and leading riders Andrea Iannone and Cal Crutchlow. Pramac is about to ink a renewed deal with Ducati, having declined approaches from Aprilia to accept a supply of the current 2017 bike for next year. Pramac, it is said, showed “little interest” in making a “backwards technical step” from the high-level factory support it gets from Ducati. Aprilia is now looking at 2019 for a satellite team. Meanwhile, a misguided move to chase other riders as a replacement for the contracted rookie Sam…

JASON DOYLE WON his second straight Czech Republic Speedway Grand Prix in Prague on 10 June before rattling off some well-worn, but oh-so-true sporting clichés. He admitted he “got out of jail again” after “the hardest night of his life” and that “it’s not over until the fat lady sings”! But he could be excused after opening with an exclusion for touching the tapes, then a third and a second, before he won his next heat with the ride of the night as he brushed aside two Poles to finally break into the top eight. He was only assured a berth in the semis with a second in his last outing, and along the way he used three bikes. As last qualifier Doyle (8) had no choice of gate in…

MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI Racing Team’s Clement Desalle claimed his second consecutive Motocross World Championship round win, and his second of the year, in Russia over 10-11 June. The Belgian rider, who has moved up to second in the championship with his recent points haul, rode consistently in the muddy conditions to finish third in the opening race behind KTM duo Jeffrey Herlings and Antonio Cairoli, before winning the second from Yamaha’s Romain Febvre and Husqvarna’s Gautier Paulin. Herlings’ eighth-place finish in the second race was enough to earn him second overall, while Paulin’s 5-3 scorecard got him onto the last step of the overall podium. Cairoli’s ninth placing in Race 2 put him fifth overall and was enough to retain the lead in the title chase ahead of Desalle. In…