Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 69 Issue 11 i Australian Motorcycle News

The most likely candidate for the radar system is an updated version of the Versys 1000 IT’S BEEN A busy few months for Kawasaki. Not only has it pulled the covers off an electric sports bike project, it’s also revealed new radar technology. Then there is the Kawasaki-assisted rebirth of Bimota. This is what you need to know. Bright spark KAWASAKI HAS revealed an electric motorcycle claimed to create the feel of a typical combustion-engine-powered model. Under development since 2012, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Motorcycle and Engine Company president Yuji Horiuchi last week described the KH1 as having “more rider features than current EV machines in the market”. “We have focused on the riding sensation during road testing combining the electric power source – which enables high level of flexibility in…

SUZUKI IS OFFERING two limited-edition models based on the DR650 (right) and DRZ-400 (above) developed for the Australian Outback. The Tanami Edition sees the long-running and trusted DR650SE beefed up with a 20-litre Acerbis polyurethane fuel tank, Genuine Suzuki aluminium crankcase bash plate and Barkbuster VPS hand guards. Pirelli MT21 Rallycross tyres, developed specially for on/off-road motorcycles, are also included in the $9490 ride-away price. “The DR650SE has a rich history in Australia and was the top-selling adventure touring motorcycle sold in Australia in 2018,” says Suzuki Australia’s Motorcycle Marketing Manager Lewis Croft. “So for MY20 we have injected even more adventure into the DR’s DNA.” Suzuki’s DR-Z400E gets similar treatment with the Cape York Edition. Major components include Pro Taper SE aluminium handlebars, Genuine Suzuki alloy bash plate, hand…

“Harry Peel became the first to break the ton with a lap of 103.1mph” IT WASN’T THAT Maroubra lacked the same resonance as Brooklands, Indianapolis or Monza. More that the sand hills of La Perouse were at the end of the tram line that travelled right past the popular speedways at Sydney Sportsground and the Sydney Showground. Yet, out west, the new Speedway at Penrith had proved an instant success, so why not Maroubra? Conceived in 1923 as a suitable venue for prestige competition marques such as Delage, Bugatti, Lancia, Alvis and Alfa Romeo the new, fully paved Olympia Motor Speedway would include provision for cricket, hockey, polo, Lacrosse and tennis – plus a swimming pool and a nine-hole golf course. Constructed at a cost not far short of a…

WHEN I TOOK on Royal Enfield’s new-ish 650 Continental GT, I drew parallels between it and the original 2004 Triumph Thruxton. And for good reason; the similarities are remarkable, right down to the fork diameter and seat height. But at a remarkably different price point, I wanted to find out if the made-in-India machine that theoretically saved a would-be Triumph owner somewhere in the region of $5500 could match the British twin on quality and relative performance. Relative performance is an easy one. For your $8840 plus on-road costs, the parallel-twin engine is really versatile and really fun. Not in a ‘fast and furious’ kind of way, but in a ‘this is why we love motorcycles’ way. And that’s not a ’round about way of saying it’s gutless, either. Cos…

Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, has always been a “Funkytown”, to quote late-Seventies US disco act Lipps Inc. Crowded around an ocean bay with steep, forested hills as a backdrop creates an edgy setting for this mini-city of 400,000. For well over 100 years, Wellington has inspired generations of free thinkers and has always punched above its weight, whether in the arts, technology or business. Modernist short-story writer and poet Katherine Mansfield was born there, as was Hollywood blockbuster film director Peter Jackson. William Pickering, a pioneering space rocket scientist who headed the California Jet Propulsion Laboratory for 22 years until 1976, started life there. More recently, Sam Morgan showed typical Wellingtonian business acumen. As a struggling student he founded Trade Me, New Zealand’s largest online auction house, later selling…

THE CB900 IS one of those true go anywhere, do anything roadbikes that Honda seem so good at building. Released in 2002, the CB was the prelude to the CB1000R that we have today, and was aimed at a slightly different sector of the nakedbike market. Sporting a re-tuned version of the firm’s 1998 CBR900RR 919 engine and a new chassis, the new machine went head to head with the king of the day – the Yamaha FZ1 – but wasn’t quite as hard-edged. In typical Honda fashion, the CB became almost the softer option of the two, bringing a claimed 80kW to the table as opposed to the Yamaha’s 105kW. The Honda did have the edge in the weight stakes however, coming in 14 kilograms under the Yamaha at…

We spend miniature fortunes on improving our bikes. They’re covered in protective equipment, trinkets, electronics, luggage systems and paint jobs. But one thing that’s often overlooked is comfort. Everyday comfort isn’t a big deal if you only use your wheels for sunny Sundays and nicking to the shops, but it makes a huge difference to those who tour and travel. The good thing is that you can improve your riding comfort with easy – and mostly inexpensive – changes. A few little tweaks and modifications here and there will affect your riding, the distance you cover in a day and how your body feels when you get off the bike. Take a little time to set your bike up, try these tweaks and you’ll go further for longer in comfort.…

SENNA AGIUS (SCHUBERTH, Held – Kawasaki Ninja 400) held his nerve to win the round and pip Max Stauffer (YRD / Racers Edge – Yamaha R3) for the 2019 Australian Supersport 300 title by a single point. It was a disappointing result for Stauffer after he held the championship lead for most of the season. His advantage was only eclipsed in the final two rounds, where Agius rode brilliantly to take four race wins and 140 points from the 150 available. Agius began the final round with a 1.172sec victory in race one over Stauffer, with Hunter Ford in third. With a lead gaggle of riders approaching the final corners in race two, it was Luke Jhonston (Proworx – Kawasaki Ninja 400) who was able to score the win with…

CARTER THOMPSON HAS won the inaugural bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup, taking the title by 31 points from Angus Grenfell with round pole sitter Tom Drane a further 15 points adrift. An excited Drane said Sydney Motorsport Park was now his favourite track after he took out the opening race held on Saturday, adding, “The YZF-R15 is so much fun, you just get in under the screen and go!’ Thompson, who has been selected for the Asia Talent Cup along with Max Gibbons, had to finish ahead of Grenfell in the second race to be sure of the title. The top ten were covered by less than a second in race two which was won by the overall round winner, Marinaos Nikolis with Drane runner up and Jacob Hatch third.…

SERGIO GARCIA WAS too young to race in the opening round in Qatar. At the other end of the season, the 16-year-old EG-Honda rider claimed a brilliant first race win at Valencia, in a thrilling five-bike battle that closed off a shortened and incident-packed race. A horrendous multi-bike crash on the third lap of the first attempt had caused a long delay, a depleted field, and a cut from 23 to 15 laps, with action suspended while teenage SKY VR46 KTM rider Dennis Foggia was treated in the middle of the track. He was reported conscious at the time, and news from his team was of a head injury, but “without complications”. A possible cause was an oil leak from Aron Canet’s KTM. Canet had fallen on the sighting lap,…

IN A SHOCK announcement following the ASBK season finale, Suzuki Australia has officially suspended its road racing program with Team Suzuki ECSTAR Australia. The decision leaves incumbent Superbike riders Wayne Maxwell and Josh Waters scrambling for a ride in 2020, with Maxwell initially breaking the news last week, stating, “It was fun while it lasted…” Both riders had a 2020 contract in place with Suzuki and it is unknown what the future holds for 2017 champion Waters. Maxwell, who finished a fighting third in the 2019 championship, ended his post by saying, “Now the big task of piecing together a deal for 2020 and beyond.” The current team was formed in 2017 by Team Manager Dale Brede from Canberra Motorcycle Centre and immediately found title success with Waters, with the…

THE MAIDEN OCEANIA Solo Championship will be staged at Adelaide’s Gillman Speedway on 23 November. Reigning British champion Charles Wright is one of three Brits in the field along with Dane Emil Grondal and Pole Szmon Szlauderbach. Rohan Tungate, Jack Holder, Justin Sedgmen and Jaimon Lidsey are the best of the Australian hopes. The domestic speedway season got under way when Sedgmen won the Victoria Solo Championship meeting at Undera on 9 November. He led home Queenslander Zane Keleher and NSW’s Josh MacDonald in a re-run final, after Lidsey had led the final before falling. On the same date Kurri Kurri hosted three NSW Championships. Jedd List beat Zach Cook, Isaac Hawes and Jacob Hook in the Under 21 final, while the Under 16s title winners were Maurice Brown (250cc…

The top four riders taking the podiums were separated by just over a second THE FINAL ROUND of the Victorian Road Racing Championships saw record entries, with over 130 competitors, and most classes hosting a fight for series points. Leaders in the Superbike class were separated by just 22 points going into the final. Jed Metcher put a spanner in the works by winning all three races, going under his 2014 lap record on four laps in the final race. The new Superbike lap record now stands at 56.518secs. Second overall at the weekend but series winner was Nathan Jones. Championship runner-up was Jake Drew followed by Kurt Sushames. Steve Tozer finished 10th in the series but showed his previous series-winning form finishing on the podium in the first two…

There are huge changes afoot in the vast markets near Australia THE REALLY BIG news out of the recent EICMA expo wasn’t just Honda’s new MotoGP-inspired Fireblade. It was CFMoto’s unexpected and impressive debut at the world’s most signficant motorcycle show. You can read all about EICMA in our special report starting on Page 54. We’ve heard for years that the Chinese will be a force to reckon with once they start challenging the European and Japanese establishment with large-capacity models, and that time is fast approaching. Chinese brand CFMoto is working on an even bigger motorcycle than the trio of 700cc models it debuted at EICMA. This new 1250cc tourer uses a KTM-based V-twin. Revealed in design patents, you’ll notice that the new bike has police lights and sirens.…

THE TURBOCHARGED TWIN- cylinder Suzuki previewed as the Recursion concept bike way back in 2013 is still under development. The latest update on the so-called GSX700T comes via a new patent application published in Japan. This reveals Suzuki is working on its final exhaust system layout and catalytic converters. Believed to be around 700cc capacity, the turbocharger means it should be good for at least 112kW. The latest patent shows that the engine is still the DOHC design, but it’s gained additional strengthening on the clutch cover. The real focus here is the exhaust. A catalytic converter has been added right at the outlet of the turbocharger, where it will get to operating temperature very quickly after start-up. There are two radiators and a water-cooled oil cooler is positioned next…

Edition models. These classy-looking single-cylinders pay homage to the company’s amazing history of success in trials and off-road endurance events dating back to the early 1930s. ROYAL ENFIELD IS offering a limited run of Bullet 500 Trials The Bullet dominated ISDT and other famous long-distance events such as the Scottish Six Day Trial all through the 1940s and 1950s. Royal Enfield was an early innovator of rear suspension and its rugged, off-road performance gave it worldwide success, including in Australia and New Zealand. Royal Enfield relives those glory days with two models available in red or green. The off-road focus comes with a rear luggage rack, reinforced handlebars, and block-pattern tyres on 19in rims. ABS comes standard and the Bullet is powered by Royal Enfield’s reliable four-stroke, air-cooled, fuel-injected, 500cc…

Fob’s fine Not a major issue, but I disagree with you. I’m not fobbed off by keyless ignition. My bit of technology sits in the bottom right pocket of my jacket and there it stays. Just walk up to my bike and push the button, don’t need to drag it out to open the petrol cap either, and I’ve replaced the battery in it once when it warned me it was getting low. My wife agrees with you, and thinks it unnecessary technology, but we have spent many hours over the years retracing our steps looking for her motorcycle key, checking every pocket of every garment she was wearing, and have even found it in the bottom of her motorcycle boot. More important than keys though, it was so good…

If you keep between 5500rpm and 9000rpm, it has more than enough squirt to keep you amused The SuperSport is akin to a Ducati Monster that absconded with a bunch of bodywork from the Italian marque’s Panigale section. Like the Monster 821 (AMCN Vol 69 No 08), the SuperSport is endowed with a versatile engine and great handling, but wrapped in sexy bodywork that makes it a better touring option than its naked stablemates. And while there’s no denying the Panigale Superbikes’ performance credentials, it’s probably not the first choice if you want to get your tour on. First introduced in 2017, the SuperSport promised Panigale-esqe looks in a comfortable, yet sporty package. The SuperSport is available in the fruity Öhlins-clad $20,250 ride-away S model, or the $17,790 ride-away base…

She’s no showroom queen, and off-road the XE feels like some amped up retro motocross bike Triumph pioneered the 1950s scrambler look and seven decades later has produced a retro-themed package jammed with modern technology. The build quality and finish are both excellent and it’s a striking looking motorcycle with its high stance, blacked-out engine and upswept exhaust. Looks are subjective of course, but from a tech point of view the Scrambler bristles. Heated grips, cruise control and LED lighting are all standard features, as well as lean-angle sensitive ABS and traction control, and six switchable ride modes in Road, Rain, Off-Road, Sport, a rider-configurable mode and Off-Road Pro. Off-Road Pro disables the traction control and ABS systems completely, and the other five adjust the ABS, traction control and engine…

KTM has had a smash hit with the 790 Duke, its first ever parallel-twin model launched two years ago powered by the LC8c (as in, liquid-cooled eight-valve compact) engine. Dubbed ‘the scalpel’ by many for its focused design and pared-to-the-minimum weight and bulk, it’s provided Europe’s largest manufacturer with a unique contender in the lucrative middleweight sector. And it’s been a top seller thanks to being competitively priced and fun to ride. With its highly distinctive sharp-edged styling by Kiska Design, the 790 Duke has filled the pretty big gap between the single-cylinder 690 Duke and 1290 Super Duke V-twins in the Austrian firm’s roadbike range, and in doing so has brought an entirely new level of electronic sophistication to the mid-size sector, with features that some 1000cc Japanese Superbikes…

In the age of the internet the traditional motorcycle show is a dying institution, with manufacturers increasingly opting for online launches and interminable teaser videos rather than the glitz of a live unveiling. But despite the changing landscape, the EICMA show in Milan remains the focal point for new model reveals and this year’s event proved no exception. Look beneath the glitz of the show launches, where even the most minor tweak is claimed to be somehow revolutionary or extreme, and it’s clear that among the tucks and tweaks for 2020 there are some clear directions that the world’s motorcycle manufacturers are taking. And they’re not necessarily the ones that you might expect. For another year, the long-expected swing towards electric bikes failed to appear, with the traditional internal combustion…

“Great park, f***ing perfect!” I’d just nosed the BMW R 1250 GS I’d piloted to the Australian Motorcycle Festival into one of the free motorcycle parking slots, and the parking attendant was giving me a proper Aussie appraisal of the manoeuvre. She was almost as excited as the surrounding throng making their way to the open-air festival enclosure – thank god it wasn’t raining. The weather was perfect on the Saturday I arrived. I had ridden into the Wollongong surrounds with a classically excited bunch of riders, too, along with my pillion, for whom it was her first motorcycle show. The excitement was rubbing off. That’s a good thing, because running a new motorcycle show in Australia is not easy. As it was, the most important bike show in the…

1 Wheelie Cool Bag Cassons $659.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassons.com.au The Ogio RIG T-3 is a three-in-one bag with separate and removable ‘Head Case’ helmet and boot bags. It has a wide lid opening for easy access to gear and an under-lid storage space. The helmet case is accessible through the top panel only. The T-3 has Ogio’s SLED System for optimum handling and durability. 2 Vintage Leather Harley-Davidson $623.07 harley-davidsonmotorclothes.com.au The Harley-Davidson Double Ton Slim Fit Jacket features a washed and waxed finish for a vintage look. It features dirty embroidered patches, dirty leather appliqué graphics and dirty stripes. It also has underarm venting grommets, a two-way zipper front and zipper cuffs, and inside and outside pockets. S to 3XL. 3 Silicon Hoses John Titman Racing $149.95 (07) 3286…

THERE WAS A crackle of electricity in the air that could only be matched by the tension of a pre-race session at the Isle of Man TT. It was the feeling that something really big and possibly life-changing was about to happen. The chatty types suddenly seemed to have gone quiet while those usually of few words became talkative. A distant look of distraction was etched on the faces of most key riders and their technicians. It’s called the thousand-yard stare. Minds were clearly being focused on a crucial moment. As ASBK counted down to its closest finish in living memory it was almost what you would think a war zone was like before the first shot was fired in anger. But, truth to say, you only had to look…

TOM TOPARIS (LANDBRIDGE Yamaha) has finished his third season in the 600cc category with an undisputed title victory, scoring over 400 points and being beaten only once. This weekend saw the return to Australia of Tommy Edwards (Bikebiz Yamaha), fresh from the final round of the World Supersport 300 Championship held in Qatar. After Toparis set the benchmark in qualifying, the initial race was red flagged on the second lap after Dallas Skeer (Barry Francis Motorcycles – Suzuki) had a coming together with Kiwi Richie Dibben (The Barracks – Suzuki). Toparis showed why he is the 2019 champion with a brave overtake On the restart it was Jack Passfield (Stay Upright Rider Training) and Edwards who led into turn one. Edwards was showing his Supersport 300 experience and pulled away,…

HUNTER FORD (HELD Australia) has posted a 1-2-8 result to claim the 2019 and his second YMF R3 Cup. Zac Levy (Puma RVs) rebounded from a jump start in race one to record a 8-1-1 result to secure the round win while the only rider that could have challenged Ford for the R3 Cup, John Lytras (Caboolture Yamaha), finished with three third place podiums. Ford opened his account for the weekend with a hard-fought victory from a resurgent Brandon Demmery (Gorilla Energy Drink – Rustic Flooring) and Lytras. It was a very tight finish with fourth placed Max Stauffer just 0.150sec off the lead. Benny Baker (Warwick Noland Racing) broke the lap record in that outing only to see his mark bettered by Ryan Smith (DK Heavy Plant Services) in…

UNSTOPPABLE. MERCILESS Marc Marquez sealed off his record-breaking season with yet more of them in the final round at Valencia. His 12th win of the year not only netted a new lap record, a record points score (420) and a record winning points margin (151). Even he said “it’s not normal like this. It’s been my best season so far. Maybe it will be the best in my career.” He had also, virtually single-handed, won the teams’ prize against the two race-winning Ducati riders, giving the Repsol team and the Honda factory a third successive triple crown. The 26-year-old Spanish racing genius had tied up the riders’ title with four races to spare, and the constructors’ one race later in Japan. The final prize went to the climax but with…

FORMER DIRT-TRACK rivals Brody Nowlan and Josh Pickering again combined to make it three years in a row as winners of the Cessnock Mitsubishi Australian Postie Bike Grand Prix staged on 10 November. This sixth staging of the event again brought together big names from most disciplines of motorcycle racing, all performing crazy things on machines not intended for how they were thrashed around the streets of the New South Wales town of Cessnock’s CBD. It continues to be a great event for the community, giving fans the chance to get up close to some classy motorcycling talent. While there are many well performed riders in the field, there are also plenty of ‘oncea-year’ racers who simply want to be part of it. Three teams were sidelined in their heat…

JACK MILLER BECAME the most successful independent team rider in Ducati history at the Valencia Grand Prix. Miller rated his fast and mature third place, ahead of factory Ducati star Andrea Dovizioso, as the best of his five 2019 podiums. The Aussie ace was dismissive of a rumoured Ducati-inspired rider swap for next year, denying he would replace Danilo Petrucci in the factory team. “I haven’t heard from anybody about this. Danilo is going through a tough patch, but let’s not forget he was race a winner at Mugello, I don’t want too see anyone lose their job,” Miller said. Pramac Ducati boss Francesco Guidotti said: “This rumour is 100 percent bullshit. This topic has never been raised by Ducati with us. Next year we want to build on what…

TWO WEEKS AFTER the 2019 WorldSBK season ended, the 2020 season got underway at vigorous pace both on and off the timesheets. With the all-new HRC Honda squad of Leon Haslam and Alvaro Bautista missing, five-time world champion Jonathan Rea (KRT) was fastest in the second half of day one, before opting to miss the risk of a wet and cold second day. His opening best 1m50.416s would be eclipsed most adeptly on day two by the new star of the show, Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) with the only sub-1m50 lap, a 1m49.929s which he set on a soft, qualifying rear tyre. Recently an experienced MotoGP rider, the 2019 British Superbike champion seems a great fit for a WorldSBK lead man’s role in 2020. “I felt a bit better…

NEW PATENTS FILED in Japan reveal Honda is working on a scrambler-style retro bike based on the engine and chassis of the CMX500 Rebel cruiser. And it could be called the Elsinore. Honda’s new patent clearly shows the Rebel’s frame and the 471cc parallel-twin engine, but with its footpegs repositioned rearward. Much lateral thinking has gone into modifying a cruiser frame to become a scrambler. A linkage positions the master cylinder and brake light switch behind the chassis plate that mounts both the footpeg and the swingarm pivot – giving a clean look while protecting those components from damage in a tip-over. The patent also shows how the bike’s exhaust is protected with a bash plate around the catalytic converter and that it rises sharply behind the footpeg before levelling…

100,000 yays! I have been reading your mag for more years than I care to remember due to the excellent content and coverage. In one of your fine editions, I read that you wanted to know about people and their big-kilometre rides, so I thought I would send in my partner’s efforts. Pam brought her BMW F 800 S new in 2009 – without even taking it for a test ride – loves riding it whenever she can, and doesn’t muck around either. The photo I’ve sent was captured by her on purpose, as she just went for a ride on a very cold day to bring this 100,000km milestone up. Pam loves her Beemer and I’m sure it won’t be traded in for a long time yet. It has…

2019 Ducati SuperSport $17,790 ride away 2019 Ducati SuperSport S $20,250 ride away WHILE THE STANDARD SuperSport package provides enough performance for most, those looking for more sporting prowess or just up spec’d bling level, while not foregoing the faired touring capabilities, there’s the SuperSport S. The S boasts a fully adjustable 48mm Öhlins front fork and rear monoshock, as well as a quickshifter and pillion seat cowl. It’s also available in traditional Ducati red and will set you back $20,250 (ride away), which still represents bloody good value.…

THE SCRAMBLER 1200 is available in two variants. The off-road orientated XE and the slightly more road-focused XC. While they share much the same componentry, the XC is equipped with smaller 45mm fully adjustable Showa fork and fully adjustable Öhlins piggyback rear shocks, which provide 50mm less wheel travel at both ends than the XE’s 250mm. The XC’s suspension travel and wheelbase are both reduced by the use of a shorter swingarm that aids manoeuvrability on road. And with the addition of the Off-Road Pro mode, the XE offers six ride modes versus the XC’s five, and the XE also comes standard with heated grips, and an IMU to actuate the lean-angle sensitive rider aids. TRIUMPH SCRAMBLER 1200 XC $20,300 plus on-road costs TRIUMPH SCRAMBLER 1200 XE $21,700 plus on-road…

ALTHOUGH WE REALLY expected BMW to show the production version of its upcoming R1800 cruiser at EICMA, we had to make do with another concept, following on from the R18 that was shown earlier this year. The new version, R18/2, demonstrated how BMW’s new 1800cc, air-cooled, pushrod engine will look when it’s fitted in a more modern-style custom bike. With the same chassis as the R18 but allied to alloy wheels and modern suspension and brakes, it’s very likely that once the production R1800 appears, one version of the bike will be just like the R18/2 concept.…

ALTHOUGH APRILIA CALLED the Tuono 660 a concept bike, it made it quite clear that a production version is coming – even confirming that the power is reduced to 70kW from the 73.5kW of the RS660 it’s based on. Here’s hoping Aprilia engineers can further reduce it to 35kW to fit into the learner-approved category for restricted riders. Otherwise, it’s literally an RS660 with the fairing stripped off and replaced with a skimpier version, and wide bars to replace the sports bike’s clip-ons. Expect it on sale in 2021.…

IT WAS THE finale that lived up to the hype: Daniel Falzon (Yamaha Racing Team) took pole position, with Herfoss alongside him. Maxwell was in fourth and Jones showed cracks of pressure down on the third row in seventh. Maxwell, holding momentum from previous rounds, exploded from the start to take the holeshot. Herfoss settled in third place while Jones was already on the move, pushing past Bryan Staring (BC Performance Kawasaki) to be in the top four by the middle of the opening lap. With the pressure building Falzon was relegated to fourth, smack in the middle of a leading group of six that also included mathematical title hopefuls Staring and Halliday. Lap five, turn nine is where the complexion of the race changed. Jones pushed hard under brakes…

AARON MORRIS HAS once again proved unstoppable on the C&M Motorcycles Yamaha FZR, taking top honours in all three races with hefty winning margins. Teamate Stephen Kairl did take the lead at the start of race three after Morris had a ‘sluggish’ start. Kairl commented on the podium that he thought the slow start from Morris was a ‘stich up’ and he fully expected him to come flying past. Morris did exactly that a few laps later, typically circulating three seconds faster than the rest of the field throughout the weekend. With Kairl finishing second, the podium battle was the most hotly contested. Filling the final spot was TZ-750 rider John Allen, making it three C&M Motorcycles prepared machines on the podium in every race. Race two had an identical…

RED BULL KTM’S Brad Binder took a third race win in a row and his fifth in the last eight races, to secure second in the championship ahead of long-time race leader Thomas Luthi. And with new World Champion Alex Marquez (EG VDS Kalex) falling and remounting to finish out of the points in last place, it was only just too late for the South African, who finished a mere three points adrift in the standings. There were four riders in the front battle, with Dynavolt Kalex rider Luthi taking the lead and holding it until the last two of 16 laps of a race delayed and shortened from a planned 25, because of the revised schedule following the Moto3 carnage. Binder twice nosed ahead only to run wide directly…

A MARC MARQUEZ masterclass reinforced the six-time MotoGP champion’s status as Honda’s most influential powerbroker by delivering the MotoGP triple crown at Valencia. Marquez won his 12th race of an incredible season to almost single-handedly add the 2019 teams’ title to the constructors’ and riders’ championships in Honda’s trophy cabinet. The scene is now set for the Marquez name to dominate the factory Repsol Honda squad in 2020 with HRC in the final stages of putting together a deal that would see Marc to be joined by younger brother Alex. As AMCN went to print, sources close to the deal said Alex Marquez was “top of the list” for a fast track to the Repsol Honda squad as the new Moto2 world champion. While Marc Marquez denies exerting undue influence,…

VALENTINO ROSSI WILL have to decide sooner rather than later whether he races as a 42-year old for Yamaha in 2021. With all the factory contracts up for grabs for 2021, Rossi’s declaration that “during the next season” he will assess his speed and motivation may not be a good fit with the pace of the rider market. Rossi finished this season without a race win and seventh in the standings. He finished eighth in the season-ending Valencia race, 21 seconds behind second-placed Petronas Yamaha rookie Fabio Quartararo. “We have an understanding he will chose the right moment, but it needs to be early in the season in terms of Yamaha’s planning for 2021,” said Yamaha MotoGP Lin Jarvis. “It would be a difficult decision to make in July. “It…

MOTORLAND ARAGON WELCOMED recent MotoAmerica regular and 2020 WorldSBK rookie Garrett Gerloff to the WorldSBK Championship last week. He built into his two days of testing well, which made a front end crash just as he started a final long run in the second afternoon an unpleasant end to an otherwise positive experience. “The front tyre was one degree colder,” said Gerloff after his fall. “It was my second lap back out but I am okay, I just slid. I was hoping that the bike was going to do the same thing but it hit the sand, and then broke everything.” Gerloff’s day was over from that point due to bike damage but he had made real progress from the opening day, which was also truncated because of bad early…

AFTER FINALISING THE rider line-up for the 2020 Speedway Grand Prix series there have been changes announced regarding the point score system for the world championship. Previously riders accumulated points from every race (heats, semis and finals) but from next year they will be awarded championship points according to their finishing position in the SGP rounds. The winner of an SGP event will earn 20 championship points, with the runner-up 18, the third-placed rider 16 and the rider in fourth 14 points. The other 12 riders will earn points from 12 down to one depending on their finishing position in the meeting. Director of the FIM Track Racing Commission (CCP) Armando Castagna explained the new system will add value to the championships by rewarding riders who reach the finals and…