Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 69 Issue 17 i Australian Motorcycle News

WHAT’S WITH THE assertion you need to still be a ‘boy/ girl’ or you’re refusing to ‘grow up’ if you choose to ride a motorcycle? If there is something more grown up than making non-stop life and death decisions at 100km/h, please point it out to me. Time and again I see and hear references to riders “staying young” by riding a motorcycle, or themselves saying things when sitting on their machine like “I’ll grow up one day”. If riders themselves aren’t buying into this rubbish, their spouse, mates or family are. It’s bullshit. It’s not about “staying young.” Aside from the fact it’s impossible to do so, while the “feels” we get from riding may relate to youth, it’s for the exact reason that we aren’t young that many…

40 The age of Californian Greg Hancock, the four-time world speedway champion, who has just announced his retirement. “PHILLIP ISLAND IS THE CLOSEST THING TO A HOME ROUND FOR ME” SBK’s most winning rider, Irishman Jonathan Rea, whose wife Tatia is an Aussie. Read our revealing one-on-one with the WorldSBK great on page 126. SUPERBIKERS GET FIRED UP The World Superbike paddock has united to stage a charity auction with all funds raised going to BlazeAid. This is a volunteer-based organisation that works with rural communities impacted by fires and floods. The auction, which features some amazing personal possessions from the world’s leading racers, ends on 3 March. Go to charitystars.com for more. Meanwhile, a Fire Aid Ride series, with assistance from the team behind The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, is…

I found some old shots of my first bikes. My Dad and I built my first minibike from an old mower and parts scavenged from a motorcycle wrecker in Hornsby, NSW. The fuzz picked me up and ended my early exploits. When I could eventually get a licence, I opted for a RD250 (no photos unfortunately) and then the Pantah, which I had for 10 years and wish I still did. Jeremy Cox This is my Katana 1000 SD that I bought with 11,000km on the clock and retired to the shed at 106,000km. I still have it, and I’m currently restoring it, which is coming along slower than I hoped. My current motorcycle is a 1999 Kawasaki ZX-7R but must admit being targeted as enemy number-one and a lack…

BENELLI QJ – AS Italy’s oldest existing motorcycle marque is now officially known – continues to roll out new models. Attractively priced, well-engineered and crisply styled, all these are developed in Italy and built in China. Its TRK 502 middleweight adventure tourer was the Italian market’s third best-selling model of any kind in 2019 behind the BMW R 1250 GS and Honda Africa Twin, outselling anything from Yamaha, Ducati or KTM. It contributed to a 6.7 percent increase in global sales for Benelli QJ last year, with 63,200 bikes delivered, to smash through the 60,000-bike mark for the first time in the Italian firm’s history.…

The bodywork is the most visible and obvious difference between the pair. The wide fairing, hand guards and two-way adjustable screen offers excellent wind protection. They reduce fatigue and let you cover more kays. The ergonomics are different, too. The R’s footpegs are 15mm higher and 5mm further back than the XR’s, while the handlebars are 25mm further forward and lower than on the long-legged tourer. The XR pays more attention to the pillion. The rear seat uses 7mm thicker foam, freeing up legroom to the pillion ’pegs, which are 45mm lower and 25 mm further forward. The standard rider seat height of the R is 815mm, the XR is 825mm. Suspension travel is longer on the F 900 XR compared to the sportier F 900 R. The non-adjustable 43mm…

VALENTINO ROSSI MONSTER YAMAHA “THIS YEAR, LIKE always, everyone is very fast and strong, but it seems like we are not so far from the top. Yamaha have worked hard and the new bike has better potential than last year’s, but we need to continue working because the other manufacturers have also made a step. “The idea of the new chassis is to improve rear grip. Also the new rear tyre from Michelin is better for grip, but unfortunately this tyre is for everybody! We have worked a lot and made a step in the right direction to improve tyre degradation for the last part of races which was always our main issue. We have found some good things, especially for grip and for race pace. The new bike is…

ALL TO PLAY FOR KTM HAS A NEW 90-DEGREE, MORE TYRE-FRIENDLY, V4 ENGINE IF SPENDING MONEY and expending engineering resources were all it took to succeed in MotoGP, KTM would without a doubt be counting the silverware by now. But while they’ve been getting closer, the final edge has proved elusive. Yet more progress was evident at the tests, however, with Pol Espargaro placed sixth, and diminutive test rider Dani Pedrosa putting the latest version in ninth place, barely three tenths off Quartararo’s top time. One problem since KTM’s arrival in 2017 has been in attracting the best riders. Another has been the uncompromising nature of the bike. Like the Honda, it needs forceful handling. This was what went wrong with Zarco, who had been threatening race wins on the…

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ APRILIA “THE NEW BIKE isn’t a new chapter for Aprilia, it’s a new book! From my first run on the bike I felt great. The bike is a revolution, a good step forward, even though we are still missing some things. “During the tests we tried many different things, including different crankshaft inertia [like MotoGP’s other V4s the RS-GP has an external flywheel, so that engineers can adjust crankshaft mass, which affects traction and turning]. “The bike is a lot better in terms of agility and stability, and the turning is much, much better, but we are still missing some acceleration from the bottom. This is very important because Ducati, Honda and KTM have really, really strong acceleration, so it’s difficult to fight with them, because it’s impossible…

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, the main rules in 2020 will remain as was in 2019 for the most part, but there will be the usual advances in tyres and cost-capped racing materials. Despite talk of MotoGP bikes with stickers for headlamps, there are so many stock parts inside a contemporary WorldSBK engine, and cost capped race parts, that overall top performances has seldom been more evenly matched or accessible. World class riders and team staff still make the main performance gains in races. 2020 INITIAL WORLDSBK REV LIMITS 16,100RPM Ducati V4 15,600RPM Honda 14,950RPM BMW 14,950RPM Yamaha 14,950RPM MV Agusta 14,900RPM Suzuki 14,700RPM Aprilia 14,600RPM Kawasaki 12,400RPM Ducati V2…

Show time 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 camping. General admission $20; campsites $20; and race fee $100. For information or bookings phone 0402 375 199. 14 MARCH Bike, Trike & Hotrod Show, 132 Meakin Rd, Kingston, Qld. Gates open 10am; all entries must be ridden in. Bar, stalls, live music, burnouts, competitions, food and drinks. Child friendly til 7.30pm. Free camping, no dogs and no BYO. Hosted by Vietnam Veterans and Veterans MC Queensland Chapter. For information phone 0432 832 494 or see qldvvmc.com.au. 22 MARCH…

IT’S ALWAYS BEEN pretty hard to get to the top of GP racing. First, you need a formidable combination of talent and determination. Then you need an entry pass. These are generally very expensive, even for the most talented – although the lucky ones find sponsors early on. There is not a rider in MotoGP who wasn’t richly supported as a teenager. Marc Marquez, for example, had big guys paying the bills from his earliest road-racing years. By contrast the Binder family coffers were heavily and persistently raided to get Brad where he is today (his father is a successful industrialist. Without his money it is highly unlikely Brad would have reached GPs at all). After his long think... he got back on a MotoGP bike But this column is…

DUCATI TEAM MANAGER Davide Tardozzi is at a loss to explain why Dovizioso is undervalued by some rivals and many pundits. . “Absolutely Andrea is underrated as a rider and I don’t understand why some speak about him like a loser,” Tardozzi said. “For three years he has shown his potential in MotoGP so what about all the other riders, what do we say about them? “After Marc [Marquez] then Andrea is the rider who has won many more races over the past three years. “And our bike has not always been suited to every circuit. Andrea is a very clever guy with a great attitude, he should not be under valued.”…

DUCATI CORSE BOSS Gigi Dall’Igna loves a gadget although alarmingly none of his innovations have yet contributed to Ducati winning a second MotoGP world championship. Holeshot device, swingarm spoilers, aerodynamic wheel covers, ride height adjusters. The list goes on. Ducati have been title losers since 2007, and that crown largely credited to the sublime talent of Casey Stoner. Meanwhile Honda have won six out of the last seven MotoGP championships with their own gadget man: Marc Marquez. Despite the illogical fuss at the Qatar test, Ducati’s rear suspension ride height adjuster to assist acceleration on corner exit has existed for upwards of five months, having made its race debut on Jack Miller’s Pramac GP19 in the second half of last season. The Thailand GP was the likely starting point, with…

The machines of six Australian speedway sidecar teams have fallen victim to coronavirus! No, they were not on the Diamond Princess cruise ship or quarantined near Darwin, but simply delayed being cleared by increasingly stringent Australian Quarantine protocols on their return from a trip to New Zealand. It led to two scratchings and two others quickly preparing spare bikes for the New South Wales Sidecar Championship last Saturday at Tamworth and another missing a major meeting in Adelaide. Riding a spare bike did not stop Darrin Treloar/Blake Cox winning another title, beating Brodie Cohen/Damian Egan, Brad Pitt / Nathan McFadden and Steve & Clarissa Saunders in the final. Jackson Milner/Adam Niesche were the junior winners. Meanwhile, over in Western Australia, the State Solo Championship at Pinjar Park was won by…

Hero Hayes is back Four-time AMA Superbike champ Josh Hayes is taking on the locals in ASBK’s Round One at Phillip Island this weekend. We bet Troy Bayliss is kicking himself… Boost to our sport Mobile phone company Boost backs ASBK with naming rights to Wayne Maxwell’s Ducati Superbike team. Life on two wheels Giancarlo Morbidelli, who devoted his life to manufacturing motorcycles and Grand Prix racing, has died in Italy aged 86 years. Believe it or not! A South Australian motorcyclist has been charged with 92 traffic and theft offences the cops say he committed in just 96 days.…

The year was ... 002005 News We reported on motorcycles sales for the 12-month period from 1 January to 31 December 2004. During the year 89,374 new motorcycles were sold, with Honda taking the number one spot in overall sales, roadbikes and off-road machines by selling 25,498 units. Fast forward 15 years and 89,199 motorcycles where sold in Australia in 2019 – 175 fewer motorcycles than back in 2004. Gold Wing Challenge Cup If our April’s Fool’s gag fooled you and you’re reading this, we are sorry, and it’s okay to be different. We reported on a new Honda-backed one-make series, to nurture Aussie talent on a level playing field, while keeping a reasonably low cap on expenditure. The weapon of choice was to be the ultra-sharp edged Gold Wing.…

Mountain memories Thank you for the Bathurst photos in the last edition (Those were the days!, AMCN Vol 69 No 16). I have included two photos of my fondest memories of a Bathurst walk-around on a Saturday morning circa 1981. On the umpteenth attempt to kick start it, a recalcitrant Triumph exploded into flames right in front of me. Bikers attempted a recovery by throwing copious amount of gravel at the bike, to no avail, at which point I divested myself of the camera and, realising I had a ready-made extinguisher in my pocket, I shook the shite out of a can of XXXX and directed the resultant retardant foam towards the fire source… job done! Thankfully I did not have to resort to utilising the tinnie in the other…

ENGINE Capacity 374cc Type Single cylinder, four-stroke, SOHC, two valves Bore & stroke 72.7 x 90mm Compression ratio 8.5:1 Cooling Air Fueling EFI, 1 x 37mm throttle body Transmission Five-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 15.5kW @ 5500rpm(claimed) Torque 29Nm @ 4500rpm (claimed) Top speed 135km/h (est) Fuel consumption Not measured ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aides Not applicable Modes Not applicable CHASSIS Frame material Steel Frame type Double cradle Rake 25 degrees Trail Not given Wheelbase Not given SUSPENSION Type Royal Enfield Front: 41mm telescopic fork, non-adjustable, 110mm travel Rear: Twin shocks, nonadjustable, 65mm shock travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Aluminium, steel spokes…

JACK MILLER PRAMAC DUCATI “I’M REALLY HAPPY with the work Ducati have done over the winter. We’ve got a new engine which feels quite similar to last year’s, but there’s a bit more power and the delivery is good, so the bike is still rideable. “Sometimes when you increase power you lose rideability, but the new engine isn’t too aggressive, which is really important with the Michelins because you have to be very smooth with the rear tyre. “I felt good with the latest chassis right away. We’ve gained some more turning, not a massive difference, but another step in the right direction. “I’m happy with the new Michelin rear. If we can take the positive out of the tyre, which is drive grip, it’ll be good for us. The…

POL ESPARGARÓ RED BULL KTM “THE BIKE GETS better and better – it feels like things are getting real now. Our race pace is up there with the fastest, so I’m really happy with the situation. “The new engine is a big improvement – it’s fast and it controls the electronics in a better way. It’s much better coming out of corners, so it gives us the grip we were looking for. Also the engine helps me stop the bike better, which is super positive. “The new frame is also really important, especially in fast corners. With the old frame it was easy for the bike to start shaking and then lose stability out of corners, which made everything harder because you couldn’t use so much corner speed, so you…

2020 MOTO2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TRIUMPHANT AGAIN WITH THE TOP two last year – Alex Marquez and Brad Binder – gone to MotoGP, the fancied runners in the second Triumph-powered season will renew battle between the dominant Kalex chassis and a few Speed Ups, MV Agustas and NTSs, KTM having pulled out. The regular Speed Up pair of Jorge Navarro and Fabio Di Giannantonio are joined by interesting rookie Aron Canet and MotoGP refugee Hafizh Syahrin. MV’s top prospect is doubtless Stefano Manzi, who was so strong at the end of last season. But the main men are among the 22-strong Kalex faction, and it is an impressive list. Last year’s race winners Lorenzo Baldassarri, Luca Marini, Thomas Luthi and Augusto Fernandez are backed by rising stars, Aussie Remy Gardner, Jorge…

The 600cc Supersport category is alive and well, even if Sportsbike sales in Europe and other markets are nothing like they were even 10 years ago. But developing markets and a big gap between the 1000cc Superbikes and WorldSSP300 tiddlers, add in some fresh talents now surplus to requirements from the shrunken Moto2 grid, this class is very relevant and the grid vibrant. The category will feature some familiar names and rider/bike pairings. And some changes. World Champion Randy Krummenacher takes his number one plate to MV Agusta Reparto Corse, swapping a four-cylinder YZF-R6 for a three-cylinder 675cc F3. Raffaele De Rosa and Federico Fuligni also stay in that official MV squad. Yamaha has been the dominant bike in recent seasons, and its riders vastly outnumber the other marques once…

1 COME AND JOIN THE PARTY IN THE PADDOCK PURCHASE A THREE-DAY pass and get free access to the paddock. The paddock is the place to be to check out the riders as they ditch the bikes and head for the podium. While you’re in the neighbourhood check out the Paddock SuperShow. You’ll get the opportunity to press the flesh with WSBK, SSP and ASBK riders, jag some autographs, pose some questions and hear your favourite riders interviewed by SuperShow MC Michael Hill (not the jeweller). There’s also chat shows, rider karaoke, and prizes to be won, including your chance to win a spot on the grid. There’s super screens strewn throughout the paddock so you can watch the action unfold, while the jeweler commentates live with the help of…

HILLCLIMB HAS HISTORY in America. Home to the world’s largest, meanest and steepest hill climbing events, there’s one family who stands out, the Petersons. Father Kerry has won nearly everything he entered since he began the sport in 1972, including five world titles, five Widow maker championships, four Great America titles, two Canadian championships and countless regional crowns. He retired in 1998, but a decade later sons Brett and Robbie were racking up the silverware. Robbie, who started hillclimb racing when he was just five years old, had a world championship to his name and the pair a bunch of NAHA titles between them. These days, Team Peterson Racing is the most victorious professional motorcycle Hillclimb team on the planet. Their current riders, Jake Anstett and Sammy Hummel, dominated the…

Filling up with petrol at Bathurst is wise as there is no other reliable fuel between there and the Castlereagh Highway. There are only a few places to get food and drink along the way too, so grab it when you can. There is a range of accommodation from camping to pub stays, as well as B&B options. Fix It There are no mechanical workshops in this area so carry essential tools and spares and travel with others whenever possible. Bathurst and Mudgee are your best bets for parts, but both are an hour away. Fuel Up Caltex 17 Great Western Hwy, Kelso, (02) 6331 4477 Capertee General Store & Cafe Castlereagh Hwy, Round Swamp, (02) 6359 0127 Eat There is a café right next door to the pub on…

I JUST BOUGHT a new mobile phone. It’s an LG which, it turns out, is the world’s seventh biggest maker of smartphones, in a market dominated by Samsung and Apple. Yes sir, I am living the dream. It was a bargain buy and the ‘Life’s Good’ decision was made, in part, because of a large-ish LG UHD TV that has sat in my lounge for three years. That has been flawless so, I figured, it must be able to make a decent phone (and, it turns out, it does). With many purchases brand loyalty is important and that got me thinking; would I spend my own money on an LG motorcycle? Who fancies a Cannondale sportsbike? What if Bang & Olufsen made a cruiser? Silly question. LG does not make…

SUZUKI TECHNICAL manager Ken Kawauchi says that factory riders Alex Rins and Joan Mir, both with stunning lap speed in testing, will have chassis options in 2020. The target of the new GSXRR frame is improved braking stability and acceleration without using the carbon-fibre clad aluminium spars of 2019. The alloy 2020 Suzuki frame has deeper side beams and has been run in back-to-back tests against the race-winning 2019 frame. “I don’t want to force the riders to use the new chassis, if they feel better with the older chassis they can use it. We are trying to keep our strong points without using the carbon inserts,” Kawauchi said.…

THE NEW FOR 2020 Aprilia RS-GP is a bold step forward in performance but has triggered a fall-out between factory riders Aleix Espargaro and Andrea Iannone. While the heavily revised RS GP, now powered by a 90-degree V4, has impressed in early tests and still requires a lot of development, Espargaro has called time on his relationship with Iannone. The trigger was Iannone taking most of the credit for being the primary force behind the bike’s development. “What he said is a big disrespect to me, my engineers and Bradley (Smith, test rider). He knows perfectly well that’s not true,” Espargaro said. “That’s the end of our good relationship.” Espargaro is now into his fourth season with Aprilia, while Iannone – currently suspended pending a drug test tribunal outcome –…

TWO MULTIPLE WORLD speedway champions have moved in opposite directions as American Greg Hancock announced his retirement while Jason Crump is returning to full-time competition. Four-time world No.1 Hancock had a career spanning more than a quarter of a century, contesting the last two one-off World Finals before the Speedway Grand Prix series started in 1995 with the American contesting the first 177 rounds through to 2014 until he missed a round. He did not race in the 2019 SGP season after his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, but was allocated a wildcard berth for the 2020 season. This month Hancock has called it quits, to be replaced by German rider Martin Smolinski. Hancock’s four world championship wins came in 1997, 2011, 2014 and 2016 – the last three…

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. Especially if you think it’s a great idea to pedal to your Valentine’s Day dinner, fresh air and exercise on a warm summer’s evening can only be good things. It was all going to plan, until the bartender bought out the Tawny Port anyway. ‘No!’ she said, ‘But it’s on the house!’ he said. It all started with good intentions. And it ended in nine screws and a metal plate embedded in a wrist... Next time, try an Uber?…

Boomer Beemer call Henning Jorgensen, owner of a 1970 BMW R75/5, is calling all “/5” owners to contact him at hpj333@gmail.com for expressions of interest in a major anniversary event in central western NSW in mid-October. The “/5” range inspired last year’s retro R nineT /5 BMW twin. HC Blind ambition Kawasaki Australia is helping Ben Felten and his Blind Speed team return to Lake Gairdner, South Australia, in March to attempt to average 300km/h over a measured mile. This would break his existing speed record for a motorcycle ridden blindfolded. HC Ripper day of riding Victoria’s Broadford circuit hosts an International Women’s Day for riders on 8 March. They can ride road race, motocross, enduro and dirt track. Contact www.motorcyclingvic.com.au. HC Aussie first Rideshare company eMoped Motosharing are launching…

@jakesgubin_adv While riding along a very exposed ridge line in thick fog yesterday, I encountered a fairly bad thunderstorm. The Verandah of this unoccupied house was the only shelter I could think of for miles. So I headed there as quick as I could to let the weather pass for a while. Yes I left my trusty steed out in the rain! #thunderstorm @gtr_fan Suns out bikes out!! #sunsoutbikesout #goprohero8 #zx14r #zzr1400 #kawasaki #ninja #motorbike #motorbikesofinstagram #motorbiker #motorbikelife #motorcycle #motorcyclesofinstagram #motorcycle_moment…

ENGINE Capacity 895cc Type In-line twin-cylinder, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 86 x 77mm Compression ratio 13.1:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling Fuel injection Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet multiplate Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 77kW @ 8500 rpm Torque 92Nm @ 6500 rpm Top speed 200+km/h Fuel consumption 4.2l/100km CHASSIS Frame material Steel monocoque Frame type Bridge, engine as stressed member Rake 29.5 degrees Trail 114.3mm (R) 105.2mm (XR) Wheelbase 1518mm (R), 1521mm (XR) SUSPENSION Type ZF Front: USD 43mm fork, R 135mm travel, XR 170mm travel Rear: Monoshock link suspension, adjustable spring preload and rebound damping, R 142mm travel, XR 172mm travel. WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels cast…

MARC MÁRQUEZ REPSOL HONDA “OF COURSE MY target for 2020 is the championship. Last year it was already difficult to finish in the top two at every race, but I can already see that it will be very, very difficult to do that this year. “Honda need to keep working because especially Suzuki and Yamaha have improved a lot over the winter. In fact I’m more worried about the technical side of things than about my shoulder. “The character of the new bike is similar to 2019, it’s an evolution. With the latest engine we need to understand how it affects the electronics and the adjust all the parameters. It looks like we have a bit more top speed and acceleration, but we still have the same pushing from the…

JOAN MIR ECSTAR SUZUKI “WE HAVE A new frame and swingarm that turns easier and gives us more braking stability, which is important because top speed isn’t our strongest point. We also have a new engine – there’s not a huge improvement in top speed, but the power delivery is smoother and the first touch of the throttle is nice, which is an advantage because you can ride more easily and more smoothly, which is better for race pace and for tyre life. “The changes aren’t huge but we can feel them and for sure they will make a difference, so we hope that there are no areas where we are struggling anymore. But the chassis is so new that we still have a lot of work to do because…

ALL SUPERSPORT riders will run slick tyres, in larger sizes than used previously, in 2020, which will be a real opportunity to have a more regular competition at Phillip Island than the stop-start or shortened races of recent times. Heavier to turn but more consistent seems to be the main comment so far in testing. The limits are 17 individual tyres, per rider, per meeting. To level things a little more, differential weight limits are used. Even more importantly, as in Superbikes, rev limits are also used as a balancing measure. See the tables below for details. And control electronics? Yes, from Mectronik. 2020 WORLDSSP REV LIMITS 16,400RPM Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha 15,800RPM MV Agusta 15,500RPM Triumph 2020 WORLDSSP MINIMUM WEIGHTS 160KG Honda, MV Agusta 161KG Suzuki, Triumph 164KG Yamaha…

The words genius and tragedy are often overstated, but it is beyond question that New Zealander John Britten was an engineering genius, and that his death exactly 25 years ago from skin cancer, aged 45, was a tragedy of significant proportions for the world of motorcycling. Though a crowded existence meant he had to combine family life with two full-time careers as a commercial property developer, as well as a hands-on two-wheeled visionary, John Britten’s achievements have received justifiable acclaim the world over. By their technological excellence and avant-garde engineering, the motorcycles John developed would have been sufficient by their very creation to ensure his name was remembered. The fact that they also won races around the world by defeating the products of established manufacturers with far greater resources only…

BUT THEN THERE’S Antoine Damien’s BMW. With some out-of-the-box thinking, he turned his flat-twin BMW engine 90 degrees, so instead of running across the frame, it’s now in line. He then flipped the whole thing upside down! A small pump keeps the oil pressure up to the heads and, instead of the conventional fuel injection, he pressurises a small tank using a bicycle tyre pump which feeds just enough fuel to the engine to get him up the hill. The ingenuity in this paddock is nothing short of astounding.…

A LOT OF thoughts were going through my head as I put my Kawasaki ZX-10R back in the van after a great weekend of racing at The Bend Motorsport Park. Race One of the combined Victorian-South Australian State Championship Round One had exceeded all expectations. I was part of a grid of 43 Superbikes and finished fourth in the B-grade class and just outside the top 20 overall. But for me the racing was a relief from the months of organisation that our two clubs had put into this event. I’d suggest this was the first time states have come together to collaborate on a series and cross-promote. It all started after becoming the new president of the Preston Motorcycle Club and introducing myself to Roy Ankan, president of CAFNIX,…

IF HE IS to finally go one better and topple Marquez this season Dovizioso admits he must improve his performance in the maximum grip, soft-tyre qualifying runs. In 2019, Dovizioso never qualified on pole and he started tenth or worse in five races. “I am very good at managing the bike and tyres over the race distance especially in the slide,” Dovizioso said. “But when the grip is really good I am not the best at using the potential of the bike and that was a big limit last year, many times I started too far at the back. “I have to improve that.”…

FOUR-TIME AMA Superbike champ Josh Hayes has been granted a wildcard entry into the opening round of the Australian Superbike Championship, which is running as a support category to the WorldSBK Championship’s curtain raiser at Phillip Island later this month. Riding Yamaha YZF-R1 machinery and under the Addicted to Track Racing team banner, the 44-year-old will go head-to-head against Australia’s hottest Superbike talent in the three 12-lap races. Familiar with the circuit after competing in the last two editions of the International Island Classic, Hayes won two of the four international challenge races last month, to finish third overall in the individual points chase behind Aussies Alex Phillis and Jed Metcher. “It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful setting for a racetrack than Phillip Island,” said Hayes. “I have always…

DESPITE BOTH DAN Milner and Dan Sanders suffering crashes early in Round One of the 2020 Australian Off-Road Championship, they continued their battle for outright supremacy at Toowoomba, with Milner topping the timesheets at the end of both days. With four special test podiums and outright third, off-road rookie – and Aussie motocross champ – Todd Waters showed great speed with two second places ahead of Josh Green. A number of riders doubled up in Queensland. Korey McMahon won the juniors over rookie Blake Hollis in both rounds, while Jess Gardiner enjoyed a good start in her quest for a sixth championship with two wins. Lee Stephens started the defence of his Veterans Title, also taking two wins.…

Wacky weather Rain and wind was good news for a state battling bushfires but challenging for riders. Fortunately the weather cleared for the main race day on the Sunday. Man of vision “I think this is the future of the sport, where clubs need to collaborate across borders and find innovative ways of keeping the grass roots series alive,” said CAFNIX president Roy Ankan. “I think as volunteers we are doing important work here as this is the only avenue for aspiring riders and hobbyists to race affordably at world class circuits, which we are very lucky to have between our states. We will look to build on this.” Recipe for success Pirelli and Motul are the naming right sponsors for the Victorian titles while the SA championship has Unitech…

JORDAN SZOKE IS one of Alan Cathcart’s favourite riders. Sir Al loves the Canadian’s passion, professionalism and longevity that so many of his cohort seem to be enjoying, not forgetting his success in disparate disciplines. Szoke, 41, has won 13 Canadian Superbike Championships and 23 Canadian championships in his 24-year career. That includes four Canadian Trials Championships in 2009-10, ’12 and ’13. He was also a member of Team Canada in the Trials De Nations for 12 years running. Oh, he’s also won a national mountain bike championship. If it’s got two wheels, Jordan can master it. “My dad was a trials rider and club rider, so I’ve been around racing since the day I was born,” he reveals. “I began riding when I was two and started out on…