Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 70 Issue 07 i Australian Motorcycle News

Horses for courses HORSEPOWER HAS LONG ruled Aussie’s hearts when it comes to motorcycles. We love to go the most powerful one available and we equate that with value, fun factor and, I have to admit, ego. One look at this issue’s cover image, however, is enough to remind you horsepower ‘ain’t all dat’. Don’t get me wrong; firing the 220hp BMW HP4 Race around a racetrack was one of my life’s greatest pleasures, not to mention taking a Hayabusa down the Avalon air strip back in 2002. But so was riding one of my first bikes, every time – a 1996 KTM 620 Duke, the left-hand kickstart-only model. It had 55hp on a good day, but my god I loved riding it. It had ››hp on a good day,…

Is your motorcycle affected by this recent recall? › MODEL Triumph Tiger 1200, 2018-2020; Street Triple RS, 2017-2021; Speed Triple S and Speed Triple RS, 2018-2020 › IMPORTER PS Importers › NUMBER OF AFFECTED MOTORCYCLES 928 › ISSUE The front brake pad may detach from the back plate. › POTENTIAL HAZARD Reduced brake performance may result in a dangerous fall or collision. › ACTION REQUIRED Owners of affected motorcycles will be contacted and asked to attend an authorised Triumph dealer to have brake pads replaced free of charge.…

Four in a row Maverick Viñales, Franco Morbidelli, Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi create Yamaha’s first qualifying 1-2-3-4 in the MotoGP era at Misano’s first doubleheader. Go Gardner Remy Gardner takes a huge step towards MotoGP by joining Red Bull’s Ajo KTM Moto2 squad for 2021. Check out our interview on page 104. Fingers crossed Covid hasn’t quite killed the ASBK season calendar, with Round Two at The Bend, SA, on November 20-22 and a double-header at Winton on December 3-6, but only if Victoria gets the virus under control. Ride on, Brum Former Heavy Duty magazine editor and publisher Neale Brumby, a passionate H-D rider, succumbs to a year-long battle with cancer.…

BENELLI HAS been producing motorcycles since 1919 making them one of the oldest manufacturers of motorcycles on the planet. Established in Pesaro, Italy, the company enjoyed showroom and racing success through until the 1980s when production finally ended under Moto Guzzi ownership. The marque was relaunched in the early 2000s and produced the fully-faired Tornado 900 and naked TNT ranges before being purchased by current owner Qianjiang Motorcycle, one of the largest manufacturers in the world, in 2005. Under Qianjiang ownership Benelli moved away from big-bore roadsters and focussed more on economical, mid- to low-capacity models until the release of the 752S this year. Despite the Chinese-based production facility, Benellis are still designed in Pesaro in Italy, retaining an element of the brand’s heritage.…

I HAVE SEEN the future. And there are some surprises. One of them concerns Valentino Rossi. He is still in it. This didn’t necessarily seem likely in the run up to Misano, with the internet rife with rumours that he was to announce his retirement. Not that this is a new theme. Now aged 41, and with a grand prix career in its 25th year, many fans have thought this due – and becoming overdue – for a couple of years now. I myself described him as a “bed-blocker” hindering Yamaha from finding and fostering new talent a couple of years ago. His waning results – his last win way back in 2017 and only two podiums last year – seemed to bear this out; pretty marginal for a top…

Circuit length 4.226km Race distance MotoGP 114.102km Moto2 106.650km Moto3 97.198km Big brother is watching Alex Marquez is having a tough rookie season at the back of the MotoGP field. Being compared to Marc Marquez is a big burden to carry, but at the San Marino round Alex Marquez ‘beat’ his brother in a race. A year ago Marc won at Misano, riding the wheels off his Honda in the time of 42m25.163s. Last weekend Alex rode to 17th place but did it in a time of 42m24.475s – nearly a second quicker over 27 laps. Yes, we know that the track has been resurfaced, and that the 2020 Honda is faster/slower/more/less terrible than the 2019 version, depending who you ask. And to think that MM93 would have finished 18th…

WorldSSP300 Qualifying for the 300 category saw Tom Booth Amos (RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki, above) come back to form after some tough recent races, and lead a four-rider Kawasaki charge to the front row. Booth-Amos won the first race by over six seconds, in damp conditions, which is no mean feat in this usually impossibly close category. He becomes the first British race winner, too. Samuel Di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo Kawasaki) was second and third was sudden comeback rider Marc Garcia (2R Racing Kawasaki). In the second race, in the dry this time, Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki Motoport) was the first Japanese rider to win a race in the 300s, with Scott Deroue (MTM Kawasaki Motoport) second and Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki MotoPort Kawasaki) third. Buis leads Deroue…

Jack Miller MotoGP Qual 2nd, DNF “I am really sad because I had started well and we could have had a good race. We had all the right conditions to be up there. Unfortunately, it was nobody’s fault, it was a very unlucky day because a tear-off got stuck in the air box. I am also sorry for the team, who had worked so hard. We’ll come back to Barcelona even stronger.” Josh Hook MotoE Qual 8th, DNF “Starting towards the front is much better for getting away cleanly. I felt like I had much more pace than the group I was riding in but it was very difficult to pass. The passes that I did make immediately you’d have someone passing you back. Unfortunately, I lost the front going…

THE AUSSIES DOMINATED the podium at round four of the British Superbike Championship starting with McAms Yamaha’s Jason O’Halloran taking his first wins of the season at Oulton Park over 18-20 September. Despite coming very close this season, O’Halloran finally made that dream a reality when he stole the show in race one, becoming BSB’s eighth different winner so far this season. VisionTrack Ducati’s Christian Iddon got the job done for second place, while Rapid Fulfillment FS-3 Kawasaki’s Danny Buchan celebrated third. From the start to the finish of race two O’Halloran led, and did an impeccable job, setting the pace on his McAms’ Yamaha R1. Iddon and Buchan, despite attempts to change positions, sat behind the leader and finished second and third respectively. “It’s a long, long wait to…

TIE ME YAMMIE DOWN, SPORT! Using Aussie and Kiwi input, Yamaha is releasing a lighter, better-balanced and more powerful WR450R enduro with a special local version that even features a kangaroo logo. Only 400 will be available at $17,099 ride-away. SUZI’S SPECIAL TREAT To celebrate 100 years in business (it started making weaving looms), Suzuki has produced a range of colours that pay homage to its 1960s Grand Prix racers. Looking every bit like Joan Mir and Alex Rins’ GSX-RR MotoGP machines, the limited-edition versions of the entire GSX-R model range get the classy retro treatment.…

TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES, performance options and an increased range of factory accessories are key elements of Indian Motorcycles’ 2021 range. As well, the cruiser lineup is boosted by the new Indian Vintage Dark Horse, which has fully blacked-out styling, while the Roadmaster Limited joins the touring range. Vintage Dark Horse pricing starts at $33,495 with the Roadmaster Limited at $41,995. Using customer feedback, Indian has been working hard on its new products. The result is rider aids that include the ClimaCommand heated and cooled seat, Apple CarPlay for improved control of music, navigation preferences and mobile device information, and the Pathfinder adaptive headlight that senses lean angle to activate individual LED projector beams. New exhaust, intake and camshaft upgrade options are available to improve the performance of the air-cooled Thunderstroke and…

COMPARING DIFFERENT  bikes to each other without a set criteria is close to impossible, so we take each bike and hold it up to the long-standing MOTY testing criteria, as below. The Indian stood out in each category, consistently delivering against all five to cement it the win, and it’s time to test those winning points over a longer period. 1 BUILD QUALITY It’s gotta be built well to earn this crown 2 INNOVATION Is it advancing development, or responding cleverly to the market? 3 DESIGN BRIEF Does it deliver what it promises it’ll do on the tin? 4 FUN FACTOR Why else do we ride? Bland commuters need not apply 5 VALUE FOR MONEY Remembering that an expensive bike can still represent top value Here’s what we said in…

ENGINE Capacity 1079cc Type V-twin, desmodromic, two valves per cyclinder Bore & stroke 98 x 71mm Compression ratio 11:1 Cooling Air Fueling EFI, 55mm throttle body Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 63kW @ 7500rpm (claimed) Torque 88Nm @ 4750rpm (claimed) Top speed 220km/h (est) Fuel consumption 5.7L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids Cornering ABS and traction control Rider modes City, Journey and Active CHASSIS Frame material Stubular steel Frame type Trellis Rake 24.5º Trail 111mm Wheelbase 1514mm SUSPENSION Type Öhlins Front: 48mm USD fork, fully-adjustable, 150mm travel Rear: Monoshock, preload and rebound adjustable, 150mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels…

ENGINE Capacity 754cc Type Parallel twin, DOHC, 8 valves Bore & stroke 88 x 62mm Compression ratio 11.5:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 2 x 37mm throttle bodies Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 56kW @ 8500rpm (claimed) Torque 67Nm @ 6500rpm (claimed) Top speed 200km/h (est) Fuel consumption 6.43L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type DELPHI ECU, Benelli ABS CHASSIS Frame Steel Frame Trestle Rake Not given Trail Not given Wheelbase 1460mm SUSPENSION Type Marzocchi/KYB Front: 50mm telescopic USD fork, fully adjustable, 130mm fork travel Rear: Monoshock, adjustable preload, 60mm shock stroke WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Aluminium alloy Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 5.5 Tyres…

In the years following WW2, motorcycle scrambles flourished across the south eastern regions of Australia. Yet it was a small number of diehards who dominated: Ken Rumble, Roy Dungate, Charlie Scaysbrook, John Burrows and – believe it or not – Monty South, Charlie West and Roy East. Riding an eclectic mix of British machines; BSA; Matchless; Velocette; AJS and Norton, it was standard practice for many top riders to contest a minimum of three classes with some entering every solo class: 125, 250, 350, 500cc and Open; often with time for no more than a longneck of Reschs Dinner Ale between events. And, with venues as far flung as Baulkham Hills in New South Wales, Tanunda in South Australia and Geelong in Victoria, it was inevitably a very long drive…

REMEMBER THE HALCYON days of SuperSport 600 racing? It coincided with the decline of two-strokes as production-based, smaller-capacity racers. So I’m talking about the late 1980s and early 1990s… mullet hairdos, stubbies shorts and gym boots, and those unforgettable purple and pink paint schemes. Every Japanese factory had an in-line, four-cylinder, four-stroke screamer that could rev like a racer but still be ridden to work. How good was that? No more hunting around the shelves of your local auto-parts outlet to get the right “performance” two-stroke oil. You just fuelled up and rode. The actual open-roads experience was underwhelming at low revs but when you wrung the throttle you definitely got that sensational and highly-addictive rush of two-stroke-type revs. And it all felt controllable. Try that on a so-called Superbike…

Tom Edwards WorldSSP300 Grid 20th, Race One DNF, Race Two DNF, 20th overall, 9 points “In FP1 I came into the circuit not knowing it at all and used the first session just to learn the circuit. Then in FP2 I would put in a fast time – but then it ended up raining in all the other free practices. I did not get myself inside the top 30 in that first session. That put me in the last chance race and I had some good pace, was riding at the front, but then I had a technical problem and I retired. Weekend over.” Tom Bramich WorldSSP300 Grid DNQ, Race 1 DNS, Race 2 DNS, No Score Yet “Learning the track in FP1 was good, ending 31st and 1.6 off…

Circuit length 4.226km Race distance MotoGP 114.102km Moto2 42.26km Moto3 97.198km Maverick is no Goose The win by Maverick Viñales made him the sixth winner of 2020, lifted a great weight off his shoulders and also puts him in pretty good company. The ‘Misano II’ victory was his eighth in the premier class, a distinction he shares with Luca Cadalora, Kenny Roberts Jr and Gary Hocking. But including the other classes Maverick took his 24th GP win at Misano, tying him with some of the sport’s greats; Walter Villa, Wayne Rainey and Kenny Roberts Sr, as well as his current rival, Andrea Dovizioso. It also lifted Viñales to sixth on the list of Spanish GP winners across all classes. Ahead of him are Angel Nieto (90), Marc Marquez (82), Jorge…

MOTO2 10 LAPS DNF P BIESIEKIRSKI (POL, NTS), X VIERGE (SPA, KAL), J ROBERTS (USA, KAL), K DANIEL (MAL, KAL). POLE POSITION (NEW RECORD) L MARINI 1m35.271s (S LOWES 1m25.170s, RD 7) FASTEST LAP (NEW RECORD) S LOWES 1m36.195s (L MARINI 1m37.013s, RD 7) STANDINGS AFTER 8 OF 15 ROUNDS 1 MARINI 125, 2 BASTIANINI 120, 3 BEZZECCHI 105, 4 LOWES 83, 5 MARTIN 79, 6 NAGASHIMA 68, 7 VIERGE 59, 8 CANET 53, 9 LUTHI 52, 10 SCHROTTER 48, 11 ROBERTS 45, 12 GARDNER 41, 13 BALDASSARRI 39, 14 FERNANDEZ 36, 15 NAVARRO 28.…

“THERE IS DEFINITELY an option there with KTM to step up (to MotoGP),” Gardner revealed. “They said they really believe in me and that’s where they’d like to see me. But first the work has to be done in Moto2. But first we need to show some good results and not just have the MotoGP thing handed to me on a platter. “The KTM option for MotoGP could be an awesome step up. Especially how good they are doing and I definitely believe in their project. For sure I think it’d be a bit more of a natural fit for me in MotoGP. In Moto2 I think we’re doing okay. With the body size it could help, in the change of directions, manhandling a beast of a bike. For sure…

Plans are underway for the 2021 Australian Four day Enduro slated for 19-22 May next year in Harvey, Western Australia. The Trail and Enduro Motorcycle Club of WA is working with both the Shire of Harvey and the Parks and Wildlife Services to ensure the event makes up for what was lost in 2020. “Each of the first three days will be held in a different area and the fourth day will have a short one-hour trail section culminating in the spectacular final natural terrain motocross heats,” said the club’s Collin Jennings, who has everything crossed that confirmation of border restrictions being lifted comes before February when entries open.…

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, and triple checking the exhaust bracket and gear-shifter rod if you’re going to participate in an endurance race. Cos sure as Ted Bullpit, one of them will go if you’re leading the race. And even if you fix it and find yourself back in 25th position, and then barge and push your way back up to third place, if your pre-race checks aren’t thorough, the other one is sure to break – breaking three fighting hearts along with it as the gear-shift rod cries no more. Isn’t that right, Youngy?…

A NEW, POTENTIALLY powerful motorcycle lobby group has already won the backing of Australia’s peak industry body in its fight to get rid of inefficient legislation. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) has quickly come out in support of key initiatives presented by the newly formed 2 Wheel Action Group (TWAG). With ex-Honda boss Stuart Strickland and former world 500cc GP champion Wayne Gardner on board, TWAG has started a bold move to “get a better deal for powered two wheels”. Key objectives include getting registration laws standardised nationwide and fees lowered, green fund rebates for electric-powered motorcycles, exemptions from tolls and free parking, including on footpaths where appropriate, and other incentives to make it easier to become a motorcyclist. In a call to arms for all Aussie motorcyclists,…

FIRST HELD IN the late summer of 1938, Sturgis started as a circus-like event involving impromptu stunt riding. Called the Black Hills Motor Classic, by the 1960s it had expanded into competitive hillclimbs, flat-track and motocross-style racing. As its popularity grew, the rally was lengthened to a week and the name officially changed to Sturgis in 1991. Attendance soared from around 30,000 in the early 1980s to a world-record motorcycle crowd of 739,000 for its 75th anniversary in 2015. The only years the rally wasn’t held was during World War II in 1942-43. An indication of how it is welded into the culture of American motorcycling was explained by Willie G. Davidson in his book 100 Years of Harley-Davidson. The rally helped inspire him to turn the original Low Rider…

Sydney’s electric Fonzarelli NKD has won gold in Australia’s Good Design Awards, held in Brisbane recently. The awards attracted a record 835 design submissions with the Fonz taking out the Automotive – Best Exterior category. Judges praised its styling for “developing a solution that targets global emerging trends… towards greener and more sustainable mobility solutions”. They said its use of recyclable materials and ability to tap into renewable energy “adds to the positive environmental messaging of the brand and product”.…

IN MASSIVE NEWS for tourers everywhere, motorcycle trailer dude Frank Wheeler of Sangster Australia added to his impressive range of tow-along kit with the release of the mightily impressive Tagalong trailer. Not only did the Tagalong boast a capacity voluminous enough to carry everything from your dog to the kitchen sink, but also boasted such enviable additions as mags and an electric plug connector hidden within its seductive fibreglass shell. SPORT Half-pint-sized BMW factory team rider Gaston Rahier gave BMW its third Paris-Dakar win when he took line honours aboard his Penthouse Beemer. The 35-year-old Belgian gained a place in the Penthouse-backed factory team alongside Raymond Loiseaux and 1983 Dakar winner Hubert Auriol after a sterling early performance in the previous year’s event. Rahier had previously won the 125cc World…

HERE ARE A FEW pics of some of my bikes over the years. My first was a Honda CBX250, followed by my first rebuild attempt on a 1981 Kawasaki GPZ1000B. It was fun to ride, as it was my first big bore. The Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic is my weekend cruiser and the Suzuki Bandit 1200s is my weekly commute. There’s nothing better than getting out on the bike, either touring, cruising or just commuting. Going by bike is the only way. Keep up the great work on a top magazine. Mick Cork THIS IS A PIC of my 1982 Honda CB750 Covid project that kept me entertained in lockdown. And if we get locked down again, I’ll finish the next one. Loz Shaw THE FIRST PICTURE was taken at…

WHILE LOATHE TO plan much in this crazy year, first steps are the main machine for an upcoming AMCN story, plus a participant in our huge retro-bike comparo which is coming your way soon. Then we’ll share it among the AMCN staff who are based in Sydney to get different perspectives on how the bike works in a variety of real-world situations. Then, depending on how our Victorian mates are going, a borderline swap is on the cards, to give the bike a chance to delight them as well. And let’s face it, Victorians can use some cheering up right now!…

ENGINE Capacity 692cc Type Single-cylinder Bore & stroke 105 x 80mm Compression ratio 12.7:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 1 x 50mm Keihin throttle body Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 55kW @ 8000rpm (claimed) Torque 73.5Nm @ 6500rpm (claimed) Top speed 200km/h (est) Fuel consumption Not given ELECTRONICS Type Keihin ECU Rider aids Traction control, cornering ABS Rider modes 1 (street mode), mode 2 (off-road mode) CHASSIS Frame material Chromium-Molybdenum steel Frame type Trellis Rake 26.4º Trail Not given Wheelbase 1470mm SUSPENSION Type WP XPLOR Front: 48mm telescopic USD fork, fully adjustable, 215mm travel Rear: Monoshock, fully adjustable, 240mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES…

HARLEY SCRAMBLE WINNERS 1928 Ken Vincent 1929 Aubrey Melrose 1930 Roy Charman 1931 Aubrey Melrose 1932 Jack Kiely 1933 Roy Charman 1934 Aubrey Berryman 1935 Aubrey Melrose 1936 H. P. Teske 1937 Jack Kiely 1938 H. K. Griffith 1939 Les Clinton (senior) 1939 Keats Wilkinson (junior) 1940 Les Clinton (senior) 1940 Keats Wilkinson (junior) 1946 Les Clinton 1947 Rube Merralls 1948 Les Clinton 1949 George Scott 1950 George Scott 1951 Peter Nicol 1952 George Scott 1953 Peter Nicol 1954 Peter Nicol 1955 Peter Nicol * 1956 A Bentley 1957 Peter Nicol 1958 Charlie West 1959 Charlie West 1960 R Cutts…

WOW, WHAT A year it’s been so far in American Flat Track. I’ve gone from waiting to see if the season would even start to regular podiums and even a ride on a Production Twin on the legendary Springfield Mile, a long-term ambition for me. It all started in late February when I got to the ’States to prepare for the AFT season opener at Daytona Bike Week. We leave our RV and trailer at Dover and I leave my racebikes at Don’s Kawasaki, a dealer in Pennsylvania. A third-generation family business that started in 1968, they help me with a workshop to prep my bikes and somewhere to stay. This year I bought my engines home to Australia and had Jamie Stauffer tune them. Before Daytona I got to…

Jack Miller MotoGP Q5, P8 “I understood from maybe lap five that I was going to be in some difficulty later in the race with the soft tyre. So by lap seven I’d already switched the map, tried to conserve the tyre and still anyway at the end I suffered a lot. To be honest my heart was more set on using a hard or medium. But the guys (in my team) were convinced the soft would make the distance. So I think in future I need to trust a little bit more my instincts. It was not a fantastic race for us but we know already that our pace was not fantastic. We made a step today so we’ll take that as a positive.” Remy Gardner Moto2 Q2, DNS…

DEPENDING ON HOW you view the controversial Romano Fenati (Max Racing Husqvarna), this was either a tale of redemption or a reminder of what could have been for one of the paddock’s great wasted talents. Two years ago, he left this round with his career in tatters thanks to a rush of blood to the head that led him to grab a rival’s front brake midway through a Moto2 bout. His racing license was suspended for three months. But Fenati was granted a place on the Moto3 grid for 2019 and since then the 24-year-old has only occasionally reminded us of his gifts. This was one of those rare occasions as he took full advantage of a last lap coming together between Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing VR46 KTM) and Jaume…

FIRST IT WAS Marc Marquez. Then came Cal Crutchlow. Last Friday the 2020 Honda RC213V claimed another victim with Marquez’s stand-in Stefan Bradl withdrawing from the grand prix due to injury. The demands of the 2020 machine were such that HRC test rider was feeling a numbness in his right hand. A small operation was performed on Tuesday to free up a nerve in his arm. “In the little break between races in Austria I always had kind of a numb feeling when I woke up in the morning in these two fingers, but I didn’t think this was bad,” he explained. “So in the end, the process just kept going and I was coming here to this race last weekend, and I felt bad straight away from the beginning…

Australian Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider Jed Beaton has celebrated his best MX2 result since 2018 picking up a fourth-place in the opening moto of the MXGP of Emilia Romagna before going one better to celebrate on the last step of the podium in the second. The 4,3 scorecard secured the Aussie third overall in the round behind KTM’s Tom Vialle and Yamaha’s Jago Geerts. “It feels great,” said Beaton. “My starts weren’t the best today but I made it work, especially in the second moto. I’m really happy to finally get onto the podium this season for myself and the team. It’s extra special because it’s my first [overall] podium result for Husqvarna. I’ve had a few second-place finishes, but the first moto has let me down so it’s great…

“This machine still has enough potential to reach our target” After Alvaro Bautista’s podium at Aragon, are you where you expected to be? You know this bike is completely new. So we expected some struggling for the beginning of the season, sure. But our target is always winning the race. So we’re working hard to make some steps for the good races. But sure, it takes a long time to reach to that position last week. But it is a fact. So we have to accept this, but also we try to continue working hard to reach our target. Anyway, we are sure we are still struggling with some parts for the machine point of view. Now we are focused on the fix of this problem with the development team.…