Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 69 Issue 15 i Australian Motorcycle News

I KNOW, I know, they don’t make brmmm-brmmm noises, so we shouldn’t accept them. I get that. But electric-powered vehicles are a thing, and the two-wheeled versions of such contraptions are becoming more and more viable as proper modes of transport and recreation. There’s also a whole generation of future travellers coming online who think they are great… Ask most late-teens what car they lust after and they won’t say Ferrari, they will say Tesla. It’s a shock. But this is what changing generational aspirations look like, and while I can’t see my kids wanting a BST Hypertek (the cover bike) when asked just yet, there’s a solid chance they will own such a two-wheeler in their lifetime. By the time they get a motorcycle licence, my oldest in five…

IF INDIA CAN’T even get the electric motorcycle market fired up, how can Australia? Despite a pledge to make one of the world’s most polluted countries combustion-engine free within a decade, the electric motorcycle market has stalled there. Here in Australia we have simply missed the boat altogether. Electric motorcycles are dead in the water here. They have been killed by electric bicycles, ranging from retro cruisers to high-end mountain racers. With no registration or riding licence fees and minimal policing and safety standards, they have become the new freedom machine. I might buy one and put Triumph logos on it.…

AMONG THE MANY changes for the incoming 2020 model, is the ability to tune the bike with your smartphone, using the on board wifi and app. This, coupled with the bar-mounted map switch, gives me hope I will be able to remove the motocross-inspired hyperactivity from the throttle of the 2020 bike, mellowing it for bush use. Then, if I get to hit a grass track, I can play with the ignition and fueling to spice up the throttle response again. I was able to do this with the 2019 WR450F, playing with the ignition and fueling to mellow the off-closed-throttle snappiness, and it worked well, though not completely to what I was chasing. This kind of technology makes bikes even more versatile than before, and the thought of a…

ACCORDING TO NORTON CEO Stuart Garner, none of the bigger Western manufacturers would work with Zongshen, because they’d see that as helping a competitor. “Yet Norton can do so since they’re a small-capacity engine/mass-market manufacturer, and we’re a large-capacity engine/niche-market company,” he said. “So we’re very happy to work with them, and vice versa, and working with us was a perfect way for them to develop a premium engine at the high end of their range. “We’ve negotiated a non-brand deal only for engineering – so they have no rights to use the Norton name – under which we’ve given them certain design rights over our 650 engine, with engineering support from Norton under which our engineers have been going to China to help them get that engine into a…

WHAT BEGAN AS the Wynn’s Safari became the Australian Safari in 1989 and then the Australasian Safari, an event I competed in both 2002 and 2003. I regard each of those events as among the dumbest things I have ever done, right on par with the Macau GP. Why? Because in that many kilometres, at that speed, things happen that you have zero ability to fix. The hard-as-nails attitude of the Wynn’s Safari carried over to the Australasian event, brilliantly run as it was by Octagon Motorsports when I competed. Long 700km days in the saddle off-road – leaving before first light and, if you ran into trouble, arriving in the dark – are hard yakka. I loved it, though, and each event made for so many stories I could…

● The FL was introduced to the Harley-Davidson model line in 1941. It used a 74ci (1210cc) version of the Knucklehead OHV engine from the 61ci (1000cc) EL form. ● The FL continued relatively unchanged until 1948, when it was given the redesigned Panhead engine. The Panhead had aluminium cylinder-heads to reduce weight and improve cooling and self-adjusting hydraulic lifters. ● In 1949, a year after receiving the Panhead engine, the FL was given hydraulically-damped telescopic forks. In honour of its first production motorcycle so equipped Harley-Davidson named the FL the Hydra Glide. ● In 1952 the Hydra Glide’s transmission format was reversed from hand-shift/foot-clutch to foot-shift/hand-clutch, although the original format was offered as an option until 1978. ● A more highly-tuned engine with high-compression heads, higher-lift cams and polished…

MAT OXLEY CALLED them superheroes in his 2010 book An age of Superheroes. Referring to the protagonists of 500cc Grand Prix racing in the six seasons spanning between 1988 and 1993, a time, he said, when macho colonials slugged it out on evil two-strokes capable of well over 300km/h. He’s right. It was when traction control was unheard of, racetrack safety was minimal and a rear tyre snapping sideways and launching riders into orbit was always imminent. Then, towards the end of last decade, a new term appeared describing the other-worldly capabilities of motorcycle racing’s elite. This time we called them ‘aliens’, referring to the half-a-dozen front-runners with supernatural levels of talent, ability and courage; they must beunearthly. I’ll never downplay the supreme talent and fearless commitment of a top-level…

KW Trophy winner, a humble hero Two wins, a second and a third gave Alex Phillis a two-point win over Jed Metcher with Josh Hayes just one point behind in third. “I’m pumped to win,” said Phillis. “Everyone has their day at this meeting and this year it was my turn. We had a good pace all weekend. The fact that my bike is built more to Period Five than Period Six means I have a skinny rear tyre that gives me a faster entry speed that I have to carry through the corners. I made it all work for me this weekend.” “We ain’t done yet” Josh Hayes summed up an ultimately frustrating weekend. "It was never going to be easy,” he said. “We built a strong team this…

Legend Lorenzo Five-time world champ Jorge Lorenzo is one of three riders who will become MotoGP Legends during the course of 2020, with the recently retired Spaniard joining five-time world champ Kiwi Hugh Anderson, as well as four-time world champ Max Biaggi. Lorenzo’s induction will take place at Jerez, the circuit where he made his debut as a 15-year-old and where he has a corner named after him. “To be able to win five World Championships is something that far outweighs what I expected, and to be a MotoGP Legend is something even more difficult to achieve. To be named a Legend means you’ve left a mark on the people and history of this sport.” Biaggi’s induction will take place at Mugello and the location of 84-year-old Anderson’s induction is…

CHINA’S NEW-MODEL market is up five percent (see following news pages) and its motorcycle manufacturing industry is going gangbusters. Fuelled by joint ventures with big-name European brands and flush with cash from wealthy industry backers, China is throwing off its old reputation of small, cheap motorcycles. Our industry sleuth Ben Purvis has the scoop on the latest developments that will see big-bore Chinese motorcycles being produced and exported for the first time.…

India The world’s biggest motorcycle market saw December 2019 mark 13 months of negative growth with a 14.4 percent slump. Even Royal Enfield sales dropped. China Up 5 percent. After years of decline, the traditional combustion segment grew while the electric scooter segment, the world’s largest, eased. Japan Lost 1.7 percent to create a new record low. An increase on sales tax is partly to blame. UK Modest 1.6 percent increase with sales led by Honda, followed by Yamaha and BMW. Royal Enfield was the star, up 124 percent. US Down 2 percent with Harley-Davidson expected to announce on January 28 that it is starting to stabilise its declining sales trend. European superhero France, Europe’s largest motorcycle market, experienced a 15.7 percent increase, the highest since 2012. Shock-horror result Recession-hit…

Starry eyed Back in my teenage longhair days I discovered vintage veteran Eric ‘Debbo’ Debenham’s achievements on a unique Corish Vincent and it stole my imagination. I’ve had an eye out ever since for more in-depth coverage of this fascinating legend and I’m surprised he does not receive more frequent recognition in your magazine (or elsewhere); he certainly rates a write-up in your ‘They did what?’ section. Recent internet research provided very little in the way of details I hadn’t already managed to discover over the years. At the age of 65, I’m beginning to wonder how I will ever learn more about this Aussie motorbike ace. I’m sure that many of your readers would appreciate a thorough report, or maybe even a series of them. I discovered Eric ‘Debbo’…

So what are my plans while this is in my shed? AS WELL AS gaining confidence each day using it as a runabout, I plan on saddling up and setting off for a proper road trip. A couple of days in the saddle, seeing the world through a visor, is one of the things I’ve really missed in my 12-month hiatus, so it’ll be good to see how the Speed Twin handles those duties. It’ll be good to see how I hold up, too, and how quickly it takes for my bike fitness to return. I’m looking forward to getting some decent kays under the belt and, if the last few weeks are anything to go by, it should be a helluva lot of fun! Stay tuned.…

ENGINE Capacity 250cc Type Single cylinder, four-stroke, DOHC, four-valves Bore & stroke 77 x 53.6mm Compression ratio 13.5:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power Not Given Torque Not Given Top speed 145km/h (claimed) Fuel consumption 6.9L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Not applicabe CHASSIS Frame material Aluminium Frame type Semi double cradle Rake 26.1 degrees Trail 114mm Wheelbase 1446mm SUSPENSION Type Yamaha Front: USD telescopic fork, adjustable compression, rebound and spring preload, 310mm travel Rear: Monoshock, adjustable preload, compression and rebound, 318mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Aluminium, spoked Front: 21 Rear: 18 Tyres Metzeler Six Day Front: 90/90-21 54M Rear: 130/90-18…

ENGINE Capacity 135cc Type Single-cylinder, SOHC, four valves Bore & stroke 54 x 58.8mm Compression ratio 9.8:1 Cooling Air Fueling EFI, 1 x 28mm throttle body Transmission Five-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 9.5kW @ 9000rpm (claimed) Torque 10.8Nm @ 7000rpm (claimed) Top speed 115km/h (est) Fuel consumption 3.3L/100km (claimed) ELECTRONICS Type Not applicable Rider aides Not applicable CHASSIS Frame material Steel Frame type Trestle Rake Not given Trail Not given Wheelbase 1215mm SUSPENSION Type Benelli Front: 41mm USD fork, non-adjustable, 120mm travel Rear: Lateral monoshock, adjustable pre-load, 126mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Aluminium alloy Front: 12 x 3.0 Rear: 12 x 3.5 Tyres…

ENGINE Capacity 649.57cc Type Parallel twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 82 x 61.5mm Compression ratio 11.5:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 2 x 48mm Jenvey throttle bodies Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 63kW@11,000rpm (claimed) Torque 64Nm@11,000rpm (claimed) Top speed 215km/h (claimed) Fuel consumption Not given ELECTRONICS Type Mechtronic ECU Rider aides Continental ABS Modes Not applicable CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame type Perimeter Rake 24.2 degrees Trail 100mm (Ranger: 114mm) Wheelbase 1442mm (Ranger: 1470) SUSPENSION Type Marzocchi Front: 50mm USD fork, fully adjustable, 150mm travel (Ranger: 200mm travel) Rear: Monoshock, electronically adjustable preload and rebound, 150mm travel (Ranger: 200mm…

IT’S GREAT TO be able to talk about the resurgence of racing in Tasmania. I have been road racing for four years now and I’ve seen it gaining more interest over that time. Next year we take another step forward with a class for Juniors. I am also taking a big step forward, up from the Supersport class to Superbike on a Ducati Panigale V4. It’s the 1100cc version, which is eligible for club and state championship racing. It sure is a dream bike and it was a dream to make its race debut late last year at the Baskerville Two Hour with newly-crowned ASBK champ Mike Jones. It was a last-minute deal as Mike’s nominated race partner busted his wrist a couple of weeks before. All I can say…

FROM TUMOUR TO DAKAR Former British enduro champ Mick Extance who was diagnosed with a brain tumour almost three years ago and was told his chances of waking up from his lifesaving surgery being able to see was just one percent. He’d raced Dakar seven times between 2002 and 2009, so when the 56-year-old defied the odds and retained his vision, he committed to Dakar 2020. It looked to be all over for Extance on stage seven when a damaged rear wheel bought his Dakar to an end, but a donor wheel from another competitor put his race back on track. “Dakar 2020 makes overcoming a tumour a breeze,” he joked. DIA-BEAT-IES Daniel Alberto Puig’s plight to become the first insulin-dependant Type 1 diabetic to finish Dakar was curtailed for…

Killer effort from Keo Keo Watson made a clean-sweep of his classes to win the Phil Irving trophy for overall winner across all classes outside the International Challenge. “It’s a real ‘wanted to get this moment’,” said the son of Aussie champ Ken Watson. Keo showed skill and consistency racing 1970s and early ’80s two-strokes with just four years experience under his belt. Kiwi’s mammoth effort Jason Easton had big shoes to fill. The G50 McIntyre Matchless he raced had previously won an Australian Pre-1962 championship. He didn’t disappoint owner and tuner Ross Graham with some giant-killing efforts in combined classes. Also racing an early-’80s Yamaha two-stroke, he ended up with three trophies at prizegiving. Let me race more Beau Beaton, who returned from a horror crash at last year's…

NOTHING, NOT EVEN the opening rainy day of the Jerez test could dull the interest shown in the new main event for tech-heads – the first public appearance of the comprehensively new HRC Honda WorldSBK squad and the equally unknown Fireblade at the two-day event over 22-23 January. Leon Haslam topped the wet times on Wednesday with his new Fireblade, which added an extra frisson to what already looks like a strong WorldSBK season build-up even before Round One in Australia at the end of February. Conditions improved on day two, enough to let five-times champion Jonathan Rea (KRT) go – just – into the 1m40s and his time would remain on top, although he only did 19 laps. Behind him was new Pata Yamaha signing, Toprak Razgatlioglu, and then…

CURRENT AUSTRALIAN SUPERSPORT Champion Tom Toparis will line up on the 2020 World Supersport grid, after having scored a seat with the Benro Racing outfit for the European rounds. The Australian, who has scored points as a wildcard during the last two Australian rounds of WorldSSP championship, will race a Yamaha YZF-R6 at 10 of the 13 WSSP rounds. Toparis had a stellar 2019, winning all but one of the races he contested in Australia and gained international racing experience in both the German IDM Supersport category and the British Supersport championship. “I’m so grateful and lucky to get this opportunity,” he said. “I know what to expect after a number of wildcards, so hopefully I can start out with solid results and build as the season progresses. With the…

AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS confidence hit an eight-month low in December. Factoring in the economic effects of our widespread bushfire disaster doesn’t make 2020 look like the start of a decade of recovery. Slow wage growth and continued lacklustre economic growth combined with renewed downward pressure on interest rates paints a bleak picture of despair. Factor in a potential ‘sweetheart’ deal between China and US President Donald Trump that could cut Australia’s export markets further and it becomes even more depressing. Time to buy a motorcycle, strap on a sleeping bag and get the hell out of reality.…

Blockbuster ASBK Rider swaps, new Honda and Ducati models, new tyres, seven rounds in five States, including a double-header Supercars/Superbikes in Perth. ASBK 2020 will be a ripper. Immortal legend Fan favourite and all-round nice-guy Carlin Dunne will be inaugurated posthumously into the 2020 Pikes Peak Hill Climb Museum Hall of Fame. Licence age hike South Australia proposes to increase the motorcycle licence age from 16 to 18 years, although statistics show most fatalities and injuries occur in the age group higher than 24 years. Vale Ian Irving Much respected Yamaha technician and rider mentor Ian Irving has died following a short illness. Our thoughts go out to his loved ones.…

The year was... 002003 News The big news was the passing of Barry Sheene. The double 500cc world champion died on 10 March after a battle with cancer. Just 52, Barry was survived by his wife Stephanie, daughter Sidonie and son Freddie. Sport Ricky Carmichael trucked into the record books at Daytona’s 10th round of the AMA Supercross Championships on 8 March. The future off-road G.O.A.T lapped the field up to third position to record his fourth Daytona win in a row, equalling the all-time record set by Jeff Stanton. Bike test We assembled a gaggle of three Euro bikes for our 2003 naked comparo. Two Italians, Aprilia’s Tuono and Ducati’s Monster, were pitted against the best of Britain, a metallic snot coloured Triumph Speed Triple. The pommy mount scored…

ENGINE Capacity 124.9cc Type Single-cylinder, SOHC, 2 valves Bore & stroke 52.4 x 57.9mm Compression ratio 9.3:1 Cooling Air Fueling PGM-FI Transmission Four-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 7.2kW @ 7000rpm (claimed) Torque 10.7Nm @ 5500rpm (claimed) Top speed 110km/h (est) Fuel consumption 2.1L/100km (claimed) ELECTRONICS Type Not applicable Rider aides Not applicable CHASSIS Frame material Steel Frame type Tubular single backbone Rake 25 degrees Trail 81mm Wheelbase 1200mm SUSPENSION Type Honda Front: 31mm USD fork, non-adjustable, 100mm travel Rear: Mono shock, nonadjustable, 104mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 12 x 2.75 Rear: 12 x 2.75 Tyres IRC Front: 120/70-12 Rear: 130/70-12…

Electricity is the cornerstone of modern life. You only need to be deprived of it for a few minutes in the comfort of your own home to realise that without it we’re paralysed – we rely on it for everything from communication to entertainment and rarely go more than a few waking minutes without flicking a switch, pressing a button or using an electronic device. But despite all that, electric motorcycles that can truly replace their internal combustion engined equivalents seem to be forever just out of reach – the technology of a tomorrow that never dawns. Now, though, while most of us will still be burning dead dinosaurs for years to come, the menu of electric alternatives is becoming increasingly appetising and the first half of the 2020s is…

THE LINTO COMPRISED a tubular steel space frame with a 360° OHV parallel-twin engine consisting of two horizontal 250cc Aermacchi cylinders and heads on a specially-designed crankcase. Essentially, everything outside the crankcase mouth, including conrods, was Aermacchi; the rest made by specially-commissioned outside suppliers. A dozen race bikes were sold, and a prototype streetbike completed, but never developed. Lintos soon gained a reputation as troublesome devices that were frustratingly fast when they chose to perform as intended. Ignition problems were a constant plague, until in 1970 Premoli installed Dansi electronic ignition, which completely solved the difficulty. Customers all suffered brief but frustrating glimpses of the promised land with the occasional good result, and Swiss-Hungarian Gyula Marsovski managed to make his Linto reliable enough to finish second in the 1969 500cc…

NEW PRICE $32,995 (2006) - $33,850 (2010) SECONDHAND $26,6000 - $30,7500 WHAT TO LOOK FOR HARLEY ELECTRA GLIDES get ridden – and ridden long distances. Check for the usual wear and tear on a motorcycle that has travelled long distances – swingarm and steering-head bearings; brakes and brake lines; tyre wear; leaking fork seals; rear shock absorber damping; blue colouring of exhaust headers; noisy tappets; oil weeps around gaskets. Oil weeps and blue pipes could indicate sustained high-speed use or an over-heating engine. The dark days of AMF ownership are long gone, with current Harley’s bullet-proof and reliable. There’s no need to be put off by an Electra Glide with high mileage. SERVICE HISTORY HARLEY’S 45-DEGREE V-twin Twin Cam engine is a proven and robust design that has a lifespan…

Show time 13 FEBRUARY Classic Motorcycle Mecca, Invercargill, NZ. Check out the George Begg exhibit at one of the leading motorcycle collections in the Southern Hemisphere. In total there will be more than 300 motorcycles on display at the Classic Motorcycle Mecca including three out of four publicly displayed John Britten bikes, the largest display of Brough Superior south of the Equator, Harley-Davidsons, Vincents, and tributes to icons such as speedway legend Ivan Mauger and more. For more information see motorcyclemecca.nz. 28-29 FEBRUARY 3rd Annual Drags & Bike Show, Gippsland Motorplex, 150 Aerodrome Rd, Bairnsdale, Vic. Gates open 12pm Friday; night racing from 6pm. Bitumen and dirt drags, 50cc kids racing, trailbikes, roadbikes, quads, stunt riders, burnouts and grudge racing. Live music, trade stalls, food and drink kiosks, and onsite…

HYDROGEN-POWERED TWO-strokes? The more imaginative elements of the motorcycle press leapt on the idea, when it was proposed as a piece of blue-sky thinking for Formula 1 a week or so back. “MotoGP to return to two-strokes” was too tempting a headline to resist. If only. Dump those big diesels… and let’s get back to real racing bikes, no? But there are several pungent reasons why more than just the one grain of salt is required here. Perhaps most important is simply the vast difference between F1 and MotoGP. F1 cars are completely specialised, serving no purpose other than to race against one another, and having as close a relationship to (say) a mass-market SUV as does a malaria mosquito to a blue whale. Two-strokes are 100 times better suited…

Paolo Ciabatti has revealed the three-step strategy with which it will try and end the domination of Marc Marquez. Fed up with being the bridesmaid to the Spanish superstar, Ciabiatti said: “With the 2020 Ducati we are bringing some new ideas because to challenge Marquez for the championship you need three things. “First you need a bike that is superior to the Honda and with riders who are giving 100 percent at all tracks,” he said. “And then you hope that Marquez will not maintain the same splendid form he has at the moment.” Therein lies the problem. Marquez won 12 races last year and Dovizioso just two, well down from a career-high of six wins in 2017. “Can Marquez be beaten? Yes, we believe so.”…

TRIBUTES HAVE BEEN flowing for Aussie racing legend Ian Irving, who passed away on 17 January after a battle with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. Highly respected technical guru and a generous mentor to many past, present and, no doubt, future champions, the racing world flooded social media with an outpouring of love for a man who will perhaps be remembered more for his personal qualities than his immense technical skill. Ant West wrote, “This one hurts in my heart. I talked to him on the phone last week as he always liked to check in on me. You won’t find him in social media. He was old school, no text, he only called you. It wasn’t his racing knowledge I loved about him. It’s the fact he stood by me always,…

JAIMON LIDSEY WON his third consecutive Australian Under 21 Speedway Solo Championship but he had a much tougher battle than most fans would have envisaged. After finishing fifth overall in the recent senior title, Lidsey went to the Undera Park Speedway on 25 January as a red-hot favourite, but it was Zac Cook who won their Heat 20 clash to finish on maximum points, with Jedd List the third rider going direct to the final. Matthew Gilmore recovered from a first ride fall to win the B final from Jacob Hook, Mitchell Cluff and Cordell Rogerson, and that made it three of last years’ finalists in the decider again. Cook did lead briefly in the final before Lidsey took control, List finishing third ahead of Gilmore who fell and remounted.…

Juniors MX boost Australia and New Zealand’s efforts to promote Junior motorcycle racing now include motocross. The FIM Oceania Junior Motocross Tri-Nations Cup, to be held at Horsham over 4-5 April, will see the best young riders from Australia, New Zealand and France go head-to-head. Races will run under FIM Junior MX World Championship formats and rules, and be the perfect lead-up event before the FIM Junior MX World Championships in Greece in August. HAMISH COOPER Future stars Luke Killeen became only the third Western Australian rider to win the Australian Under 16 125cc Solo Speedway Championship at Pinjar Park Speedway on 17 January. Third-placed last year, and the winner of the past two WA titles, Killeen triumphed ahead of South Australia Harry Sadler, Victorian Riley McCarthy and another local,…

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. E-bikes on the cover, eh? There are some tasty pieces of machinery on the horizon and the future looks inevitably electric, but you do have to wonder how that will change things like the Dakar. Two-wheelers and buggies humming through the desert? What about those (mostly Russian) blokes in the Truck division? Nah... on the other hand, please pull this issue out again in 2030 and check for us.…