Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 69 Issue 01 i Australian Motorcycle News

THE NOISE. THE SHOCK of realising it’s definitely going to happen. The pain of it happening. Sky, earth, sky, earth. Then the world stops moving, your mind settles. And the pain kicks in. Crashing sucks. We don’t use the C Word much in AMCN, when related to roadbike crashes, but it’s the bloated elephant in the room. It doesn’t just suck for the crashee, either. Family, friends, emergency workers, witnesses – it sucks for them, too. Crashing sucks to different levels, sure – a slow dirtbike crash is different to messing up a fourth gear road corner, before joining the scenery at speed – but they both suck. That being the case – motorcycle crashes sucking – you’d think more of us would do more to prevent it happening. We…

Crash through VicRoads has launched a $1m education safety campaign to try and get a message of vigilance through to motorcycle riders. The ‘Every Second – Always On’ campaign encourages riders to brush up on their safe riding skills and focus on – speed, cornering, road positioning, road hazards, and other road users. Read how motorcyclists are overrepresented in road trauma in our exclusive investigation starting on Page 50, or to take the test, head to alwayson.spokes.com.au Postie trike The Australian-designed and built electric postie bike on which we reported in AMCN 68-17 is undergoing further testing on mail runs at Lilydale, in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. It aims to address the growing number of parcels Australia Post processes due to the increase in online shopping. Fingerless H-D gloves Expect ‘Bareknuckle’…

21 That’s the percentage motorcyclists make up of all road-related accident victims taken to hospital emergency departments. Find out why we’re crashing from page 50 Defending ASBK Superbike champion Penrite Honda’s Troy Herfoss talks exclusively to AMCN about his disastrous first round at Phillip Island. Exclusive interview starts on page 82 “Was I riding bad? Was it the bike?” CLASS ACT Supercross/motocross legend Chad Reed will race a Lamborghini in two rounds of the US one-marque championship. New kid on the block After 12 Moto2 and Moto3 victories, 2019 MotoGP debutant Miguel Oliveira joins local Portuguese learner riders to get his road bike licence. INDIAN POW-WOW More than 60 Indian riders from around Australia led the recent Cooly Rocks On custom car fest parade, followed by a gaggle of tiny…

Not my first roadbike; it went Honda CB350, Kawasaki Z650, Yamaha XS1100 then this Suzuki GSX1100 with my then girlfriend, now wife recreating the famous AMCN poster of the time. It’s the picture I keep on my desk. Peter Woodberry My first bike, a Honda CB250 I bought in 1980. It cost me $150 and it had oil leaks everywhere. The charging system was shot, so I had to put the battery on charge whenever I was at the girlfriend’s house. It was my ticket to freedom and the first of many bikes. Bob Back This was my first ride in 1981. A Suzuki AP50 in the UK, I was 16 years old. I’m 22 bikes down now and still going strong on a Victory Cross Country. Jon Briddon This…

METZELER SET OUT to achieve performance-cruising, if you will. By creating new profiles, with higher curvature than other tyre options in the same segment, Metzeler wants to offer a new level of handling and line holding. The new tread pattern, compound recipes and the dual-compound rear are aimed at better response and higher grip, even in wet conditions. The dual-compound rear layout – which adapts tyre technologies from the sport-touring world to suit the higher torque, weight and durability – aims for higher grip without sacrificing durability.…

1 Open Face Lid Cassons $239.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassons.com.au The Bell Scout Air is a cruiser helmet with an innovative ‘In-mold’ construction combining a ‘Tri-Matrix’ composite shell with an internal EPS liner, resulting in lightweight (900g) protection. There are five shell sizes, two snap-in visors and an accessory shield is available. Matte Black in XS-2XL. 2 Warm in Winter Ficeda Accessories From $399.95 1300 437 711 ficeda.com.au The new Oxford Continental combination is designed to keep you warm and dry, thanks to thermal and waterproof liners and a breathable membrane. Features include stretch panels, vents, drawstrings and connection zips. The pants are $399.95 and jacket is $479.95 (in grey or fluro). 3 You’re In Command Link International $299.95 (07) 3382 5000 macnaridinggear.com.au The Macna Command Plus is a short…

ONE OF THE things that racing on two wheels or four have in common is that competitors rarely show much patience before making the next step. In 25 years of writing about Formula 1, I can count on one hand the number of drivers who have knocked back the chance to race (or even test) an F1 car, even if they are not ready. And a list of those who made the step to the highest level and bombed because they were not up to it would fill an eight-page sealed section in this issue of AMCN. It’s not all that different in MotoGP, so a recent quote caught my beady little eye; “I would sign up right now for another year in Moto2 and then a move to MotoGP…

Ana builds Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec) outsmarted her five rivals for the SSP300 win, helped by a fight between two of them late on. She won her first race in her championship defence, by a relatively wide 0.822sec. Kawasaki ParkinGo Team rider and championship leader Manuel Gonzalez was second and Andy Verdoia (BCD Yamaha MS Racing) was third. Gonzalez leads Carrasco by 108 points to 65. Let the old times roll With a newly cleaned track surface at Misano slowing overall dry pace, and overnight rains adding to the effect, Superpole at Misano was slower than in 2008. Jonathan Rea pimped his personal Superpole winning total to 19 over his career by going 0.355sec faster than surprise package Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha). Making it count The BMW WorldSBK team could…

Jack Miller MotoGP 9th “Maybe the most boring race of my life. On the third or fourth lap I started having problems with the right of the tyre. It was coming round every time I opened the gas. And I was getting pushed off line by the wind. But I never lost a position in the race, so I’ll take it as just one of those days.” Remy Gardner Moto2 DNF (crash) “Problem after problem. I couldn’t get neutral on the line, then the clutch had a strange feeling… and I kept getting neutrals or jumping out of gear in the slow corners. I was looking at the top three when I got a neutral and ran into the dirt, lost 10 places. Pushing like a maniac to get back…

MOTOGP'S REPSOL Honda rider Jorge Lorenzo had a raft of modifications made to his bike ahead of the Dutch TT in Assen, as HRC strives to make the bike built for teammate Marc Marquez’s aggressive style suit the much smoother, older rider. As at Ducati for the past two years, the five-time world champ had requested different ergonomics, among other things – and the Assen bike had a revised version of the ‘wings’ on the dummy tank cover, for him to hook his knees under during braking and cornering. Lorenzo’s (but not Marquez’s) bike also had new aero bodywork, with a larger and slightly more complicated version of the bow-tie top winglets, while he also had one bike with the carbon-wrapped frame tested but not used by Marquez earlier this…

Proud Stroud Jacob Stroud, son of nine-time NZ Superbike champ Andrew, will race in four rounds of MotoAmerica’s Junior Cup series starting at Sonoma on August 10. Trauma training Tassie group First Aid For Motorcyclists is offering an accident management course on 13 July at Ross Town Hall. Those bastards UK motorcycle thieves are taunting owners with Instagram photos of bikes they claim they have “repossessed”. What a Charley Blabber-mouth Charley Boorman boasts he and Ewan McGregor will film Long Way Up (South America). Then it all goes quiet as nothing’s been finalised.…

News No, this is not a render you are looking at. It’s the Egli Red Shark, with a turbocharged 1325cc Kawasaki in-line four pushing it to a claimed top speed of 427km/h. Also fitted with nitrous-oxide, it was set to break three speed records; the 1km flying start, the 10km standing start and the 100km standing start. Sport Daryl Beattie was signed to race the HRC Formula One RVF750 in the All-Japan Formula One Championship for 1991. Although the contract did not include any world championship grands prix, there was a clause to allow 20-year-old Beattie to contest additional events, at the discretion of HRC. Bike test It’s a rare thing to say that one motorcycle changed the course of racing, but this one did. Alan Cathcart rode what he…

Reckon you’re pretty quick when it comes to two-wheeled trivia? Then have a crack at our who-what-where series. If you’re finding it hard, here’s a clue – all the answers have appeared in AMCN at some time over the past 67 years. When you reckon you’ve worked out the bloke, the bike and the track, email your numbered answers to comps@amcn.com.au for your chance to win! 1. WHO? Who is the international Aussie rider known as the “O Show”? 2. WHEN? When did Honda stop producing its famous CBR1100XX Blackbird? 3. WHAT? What make and model bike won Race 1 at the first-ever round of the World Superbike Championship in 1988? 4. WHAT? What is the name of the oldest Harley-Davidson dealership outside of America? 5. WHERE? Which track on the…

Why did you purchase Moto Morini? We could see that in China and in Southeast Asia, the sales of larger displacement motorcycles are growing very fast. We decided to purchase Moto Morini in order to continue selling and improving their existing range, and also to use the expertise of Morini engineers and designers to develop some new models with midsize engine displacement from 400cc up, including 500cc, 600cc and 800cc models. We will expand the Moto Morini range considerably, but we will not consider any models smaller than 400cc. What type of engines will you develop for these models? We must make sure that one of the engines is a V-twin, to recognise the Moto Morini historic tradition. We will develop a V-twin engine platform for certain types of models…

OF ALL THE state and federal agencies contacted for this article, none presented hard data on the effect of pre-learner practical training. Transport NSW is “currently evaluating the Motorcycle Graduated Licensing Scheme (MGLS) which includes the pre-learner training course.” A 2017 motorcycle safety review in Western Australia (where pre-learner training is not a part of getting a motorcycle licence) suggests investigating “the benefits of a competency-based practical riding assessment” and “mandatory or voluntary pre-training.” So far, they’ve noted that “evidence [of benefit] is inconclusive but many jurisdictions have some form of off-road qualification scheme which could be replicated or modified for use in Western Australia.” And the result of WA’s wilful avoidance of sensible policy? Well, despite representing only 5.6 percent of the registered vehicles in WA, 18 percent of…

METZELER'S CRUISETEC range runs both radial and cross-ply structures, coupled with either bias or 0° steel belts depending on the size and target use of the various tyre sizes. Sizes vary wildly in this segment – the sportsbike/nakedbike staple of a 120/70 front and 180/55 rear doesn’t apply. The structure is aimed at an improvement in the response to fast changes of direction, regardless of which format a particular Cruisetec follows, maintaining overall carcass stiffness for such heavy machines to offer support under load and torque, and to improve the on-road manners. The Cruisetec therefore features a stiffer carcass and belt cords than a standard tyre of the same segment. Metzeler claims the layout has clearer plies to make room for an increased amount of structural rubber. The structure is…

THE FRONT COMPOUND layer features a single-compound layout; the recipe includes a combination of fillers from the firm’s sport-touring tech. Plasticisers aim to enhance the way the rubber conforms with road surfaces, with 25-plus percent silica making fast warm-up a feature and Metzeler claims the best chemical grip of the segment when it comes to wet conditions. The rear features a dual-compound layout. The rear-centre compound employs a percentage of Carbon Black close to 40 percent – a value comparable to that used on average in the segment – which, combined with a plasticiser, aims at improved grip but also stability on the faster straights – no one wants a wobbly cruiser. A whopping 80 percent of the upright footprint stands on the centre compound, which is aimed at strength…

Top 3 TV 1 WSBK Rd8 Donington, UK, LIVE Videopass, Fox 6-7 July 11pm (AEST) WSBK heads to Donington Park for Round 8 and all the racing action will be aired live on Videopass. Superbike Race 1 starts at 11pm Saturday and Race 2 at 11pm Sunday. The Supersport race starts at 9.15pm Sunday. 2 MotoGP Rd9, DE LIVE Videopass, Fox 7 July 7pm (AEST) Round 9 of the MotoGP World Championship takes place at the Sachsenring in Germany. The Moto3 race starts at 7pm, Moto2 at 8.20pm and MotoGP at 10pm. Videopass and Fox air all races while 10 Bold airs MotoGP only. 3 WSBK Rd9 Laguna Seca, LIVE Videopass, Fox 14-15 July 7am (AEST) Backing up just a week after the UK round, the WSBK crew heads to…

WHEN I CAME back home from the UK last year I didn’t think I’d be able to get a job in the Australian motorcycle industry. That all changed when I went to a test day at Winton to catch up with Kelvin Reilly (Kawasaki BCperformance Racing Team) to see how their Kawasaki was going. I got talking to Troy Bayliss, who told me about the plan to take his son Oli into the Supersport 600 class, now that MA had lowered the rider age. I was still crew chief for Jake Dixon and the RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki team in BSB Superbikes and flying back and forth from Australia to attend the meetings. We were a privateer team but still managed to come second in the championship. Jake wanted…

Tom Edwards WorldSSP300 Kawasaki ParkinGo Team Grid 35th, Race 24th, 19th overall “I struggled in qualifying so I was glad to find enough pace to make the race. It was a difficult weekend for me in Misano, so it’s time to keep training hard and pushing to prepare myself for the CIV round at Imola and the WorldSBK round at Donington Park.” Tom Bramich WorldSSP300 Carl Cox – RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki Grid 8th, Race DNF, No score yet “After a great qualifying in eighth place, I made a good start, moving up to fifth, but I crashed in the first lap. I still don’t know why we crashed, nothing was different, but this is racing. I feel like we’re constantly progressing and improving, so let’s see what happens…

Circuit length 4.542km Race distance MotoGP 118.092km Moto2 109.008km Moto3 99.924km 2018 winners MotoGP Marc Marquez 41m13.863s Moto2 Francesco Bagnaia 39m30.436s Moto3 Jorge Martin 38m56.485s Did you know? While Remy Gardner’s quest to be the next Australian racer to join the list of winners in the Intermediate GP class goes on, he put himself in pretty good company at Assen anyway. Apart from becoming the first Aussie to start a Moto2 race from pole position, he is the fourth to take a pole in the intermediate class. John Dodds was the first to take a 250cc pole for Yamaha in 1971, followed seven years later by Kawasaki’s Gregg Hansford and Casey Stoner, who took his first pole on an Aprilia in 2005. Round 8 Finishing positions…

DENIZ ONCU, TWIN brother of rookie Moto3 rider Can, is to make his own grand prix debut later this year, with planned wildcard rides alongside his brother in the Red Bull KTM team. Can made an under-age debut, reward for winning the Red Bull Rookies Cup, at Valencia last year, and won at his first attempt. But Deniz, runner up last year, will have to wait until he turns 16, during the summer break on 27 July. Deniz, currently lagging in the CEV Junior World Championship, rides for the same team in that series.…

AUSTRALIA HAS BOOKED a berth in the final of the FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship after being the higher scoring runner-up from the two semi-final meetings staged last weekend. The final will be staged at the Belle Vue track in Manchester on 12 July, where host nation Great Britain will be joined by Poland, Denmark and Australia. Poland not unexpectedly finished on the top of the score chart at Daugavpils, Latvia with 49 points, heading Latvia (36), Germany (19) and the Czech Republic (18). The final scores at Vetlanda, Sweden saw Denmark on top with even contributions from all five riders in their total of 50 points, ahead of Australia (40), Sweden (36) and Finland (2). Australia had the individual top-scorer of the meeting in Jaimon Lidsey who scored…

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. We must ask Fred what he thinks of racing electric motorbikes. The FIM MotoE series kicks off in Germany this weekend, and it will be entertaining to see the bikes in action. The noise; not so much. Surely it won’t be long before promoters come up with some kind of artificial soundtrack to play over the bikes? Or better still, music? No not yer highbrow classics; we suggest ‘Kickstart my Heart’ by Mötley Crüe is not a bad place to start.…

A LIST OF BMW'S unchanged 2020 models, published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, gives an insight into next year’s line-up. Although the list only mentions existing models that will remain in the 2020 range without getting changes, by looking at the bikes that are missing we can make some educated guesses that they’re being replaced or revised. Unsurprisingly, the outdated F800GT and F800R have been removed for 2020. We already know that BMW is preparing a new model based on last year’s Concept 9Cento, likely to go on sale as the F850XR as a 2020 machine. We ’ve even seen the firm’s BMW design patents for the final production model’s styling. As a sports-tourer, albeit with a hint of adventure bike in its riding position, it’s likely…

AFTER THREE SUCCESSIVE podiums every year since 2016, Australia’s Rennie Scaysbrook has won the 97th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, setting a new motorcycle record in the process. Riding a factory-supported Aprilia Tuono, the ex-AMCN staffer claimed the win in the heavyweight division with a stunning run up the 156-turn hill climb in 9m44.963sec. “That was the most intense 10 minutes of my entire life,” the Aussie said, out of breath in the thin air on 14,000-feet Pikes Peak summit. “To be perfectly honest, it didn’t feel that good. I blew at least three of those hairpins – one, I nearly hit the same wall that I did in 2016 and I thought, ‘nah, I’m not doing it again!’ It felt good, it felt smooth and the…

Congratulations Tristen, 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 Tristen Jeffrey Ride 1998 Suzuki RGV250 He says I thought I’d show you old boys [Hey, I’m not old or a boy! Kel] something you could appreciate. This is my newly restored, 1998 Suzuki RGV250 VJ22. I’m a relatively young bloke in my 30s, but I also remember watching MotoGP at Phillip Island in the two-stroke era as a young kid. Having owned several bikes, including Suzukis and Ducatis, I decided to add something smaller to the garage, but something that was still a crotch rocket. The RGV was something I could pour my heart…

ENGINE Capacity 150.6cc Type Single-cylinder SOHC, two valves Bore & stroke 57.4 x 58.2mm Compression ratio Not given Cooling Air Fueling EFI, single throttle body Transmission CVT Auto Clutch Not applicable Final drive Direct drive PERFORMANCE Power 8.3kW @ 8500rpm (claimed) Torque 11Nm @ 7000rpm (claimed) Top speed 115km/h (measured) Fuel consumption 3L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aides Single-channel ABS CHASSIS Frame material Steel Frame type Tubular lattice Rake Not given Trail Not given Wheelbase 1350mm SUSPENSION Type Peugeot Front Conventional nonadjustable telescopic fork, 85mm travel Rear Monoshock with adjustable preload, 80mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast steel Front: 12 x 3 Rear:…

ENGINE Capacity 1187cc Type 87-degree V-twin, DOHC, eight valves Bore & stroke 107mm x 66mm Compression ratio 11.3:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, twin throttle bodies Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate with ‘anti-hopping’ system Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 85.4kW @ 8000rpm (claimed) Torque 108Nm @ 7000rpm (claimed) Top speed 225km/h (claimed) Fuel consumption Not given ELECTRONICS Type TBA ECU, Rider aides Bosch 9.1 ABS CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame type Trellis, TIG welded Rake 25° Trail 108mm Wheelbase 1490mm SUSPENSION Type Mupo Front 46mm USD telescopic fork, adjustable preload, damping, compression, 120mm travel Rear Single-sided trellis swingarm with monoshock, hydraulic adjustable preload, height and rebound, 110mm travel WHEELS…

"IF YOU'RE YOUNG, full of your own bullshit and reckon you already know all there is about riding, don’t read this. “Just because you know how to operate the controls of a motorcycle does not mean you’re a safe rider. Learning how not to crash is an internal process that is different for everyone, because we think differently and complete different tasks with different mental skills. “Learning not to crash is about using reason to assess rewards and risks. It’s like growing up. The entire course of life is utterly dependent upon what we think about and how we think about it. But like the logic embedded in computer code, if we start with a false premise, we get a false answer. If you believe that someone or something else…

THE 2018 SOFTAIL range featured a completely new frame built around the all-new Milwaukee-Eight engine platform. The Milwaukee-Eight engine in either 107 or 114 capacities offered reduced induction noise, increased power and torque, and a dual counter-balancer system to reduce vibration without eliminating the traditional Harley feel. The all-new frame is stiffer and lighter than the old one, with an improved monoshock residing under the seat to retain the classic hardtail look. The improvements didn’t stop with the engine and frame package, with the electrical system receiving a major upgrade and the addition of Showa dual-bending valve forks for improved damping performance.…

SERVICE COSTS The 2003 Suzuki SV650S service intervals are every 6000km. The first service would set you back around $300 – $350, and involved a general lube and adjustment of cables and chain, as well as the standard engine oil and filter replacement, but the throttle bodies were also checked for balance which added another half hour or so to the labour cost. The second service at 12,000km was similar to the 6000km one, with the spark plugs getting replaced for around $250 – $300. At 18,000km, the coolant came in for replacement, as did the air filter along with new engine oil and filter etc for $350 – $400. The major 24,000km service saw the SV650S get new spark plugs, oil and filter but the valve clearances also came…

Show time 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 Motorcycle Club Qld. For information phone Darryl Harris on 0425 174 258 or email darryl49@bigpond.com. 20-21 JULY Baffle Creek Car/Bike Muster, Cnr Coast & Ferfield Rds, Baffle Creek, Qld. Entertainment, food and bar from 4pm Saturday; gates open 6.30am Sunday for competitors and 9am for public. Entertainment, prizes, raffles, markets (site fee $10), food and bar. Early-bird entries $10; entry $15 on the day. For information phone Brian Lamb on 0408 541 494 or email vehiclemuster@gmail.com. 27 JULY Relay for Life Classic Car & Bike…

MOTORCYCLE RACERS SUFFER all sorts of injuries – strain, sprains, arm-pump, broken bones and wounded pride being among them. The one most likely to afflict Marc Marquez at the moment is a stiff neck – from looking over his shoulder, and seeing what’s coming. And it’s not just his teammate Jorge Lorenzo, whose bowling-ball action in Catalunya took out Dovi, Rossi and Viñales, and only missed the back of the leader’s Repsol Honda by millimetres. Marquez might be more wary of something that only six years ago, he himself represented. In spades. The tide of youth. And while the current dominant rider is himself only 26, he’s not too young to be feeling a bit jaded. Marquez shows no sign of running out of steam. But neither did Freddie The…

Round 8 Assen TT Circuit, Netherlands 28-30 June 2019 MotoGP World Championship YAMAHA'S LONG WAIT is over. After eight barren races and a sea of doubts, Maverick Viñales washed away the pain with a convincing victory at classic Assen. It came for the Spaniard one race after he’d expected it, after he was knocked flying by Jorge Lorenzo at Montmelo a fortnight before. But it proved what he had thought possible there, that “somehow we’ve found a good set-up for races.” It helped that the Yamahas thrive on the high-speed changes of direction that still characterise the only circuit to have hosted a GP every year since 1949, in spite of the 2006 changes cutting its length and introducing a very slow first to-and-fro loop. The factory Monster Energy team…

Horror Jorge Jorge Lorenzo’s difficult start to his first year on the factory Repsol Honda got a good deal worse at Assen, after a high-speed crash in the first practice session. He walked away, but only to be put into an ambulance and eventually to hospital, where a fracture in his thoracic T6 vertebra was diagnosed. Soon afterwards he returned to Spain for treatment, where a microscopic “trabecular” fracture was found in T8. Lorenzo escaped damage to the spinal cord and the nervous system, but will have to spend “three or four weeks” wearing a body brace. As well as sitting out the Dutch TT he will also miss this weekend’s German GP. “We hope he will be back after the summer break at Brno,” said HRC team boss Alberto…

JACK MILLER WAS a bored and decidedly unhappy spectator at the Dutch TT. From his seat aboard the Pramac Ducati GP19, Miller’s frustration was triggered by early signs of rear tyre problems. He was mystified by his tyre issues, saying he had no option but to race the hard compound rear on his Ducati, which is normally suited to softer compounds. Miller was in sullen mood as he lamented his surprise with the issues, and buffeting from strong winds, which saw him finish a lonely ninth and 26sec behind race winner Maverick Viñales (Yamaha). “It was shit, the most boring race of my life. After three or four laps I had warning lights coming on saying I was going to f*** the right hand side of the tyre,” Miller said.…

IN THE SUPERSPORT class Tom Toparis will be the man to beat after returning to Australia from Europe, where he is sitting second in the German IDM series after three rounds. Queenslander Broc Pearson will be lucky to make the grid after a massive crash during testing that destroyed his bike, however many others will be snapping at the heels of Toparis including Nic Liminton, Oli Bayliss and Reid Battye. Max Stauffer faces a fight in the Supersport 300s after Motorcycling Australia announced the Kawasaki Ninja 400 would receive an extra 650rpm to hit a limit of 10,300rpm. All the race action from Sunday will be live streamed and broadcast live on SBS Television. Check asbk.com.au for details.…

AUSTRALIA'S RENNIE Scaysbrook celebrated a much-deserved victory at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado on Sunday 30 June, hours before it was confirmed that four-time Pikes Peak winner Carlin Dunne had succumbed to injuries sustained in a race-day crash. High profile entrant and Pikes Peak first timer Michael Dunlop was forced to withdraw from this year’s event after a high-speed crash during a rally event in his native Ireland, from which the 19-time Isle of Man TT winner suffered “serious injuries”. Dunlop’s teammate, this year’s only female two-wheel competitor and 2018’s quickest rookie Lucy Glöckner began her race to the clouds just after 10am and was the first rider to crack the 10-minute barrier. The German talent rode her Tyco BMW S 1000 RR to an impressive…