Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 70 Issue 10 i Australian Motorcycle News

EXCUSE MY LACK of respect, but are the current crop of MotoGP riders a little bit shit? With the shining light of Marc Marquez out of “catch me if you can” leadership mode, the resultant inconsistency has been remarkable, as spotted by some of our Access letter writers this issue. When Mick Doohan had a relatively clear run to the title, an opportunity Andrea Dovizioso and Fabio Quartararo surely shared with the five-time champ this year, he stormed to 10sec wins. He did make the odd mistake, we can all remember him setting fire to his right knee slider trying to save the inevitable crash at Phillip Island in 1997 – but to make bike set-up mistakes, qualify poorly, etc? He wouldn’t have done it. Would Doohan make bike set-up…

AS WELL AS the new learner-approved Trident, Triumph has plenty more coming for 2021 including a ‘Tiger 850 Sport’ based on the existing Tiger 900. We already know about a 1160cc triple powering a completely new Speed Triple and Tiger 1200 models. Now a Tiger 850 Sport has popped up in US emissions documents, which lists it as a 2021 model. It uses the same 69.9kW, 888cc engine as the existing Tiger 900 range, so the ‘850’ name is a marketing exercise to link it to the current 1050cc Tiger Sport. It will compete with the likes of BMW’s F 900 XR. At the same time, an image from a Triumph dealer meeting has emerged online that suggests the new 660cc Trident will spawn a whole new entry-level range. A…

EVER SINCE THE debut of the current Africa Twin we’ve expected Honda will use its compact, lightweight engine in more models. Now a spate of patent applications show the 1084cc DCT twin in, of all things, a Rebel-style bobber. While the patents revolve around relatively dull elements, such as suspension and the relationship between the engine mounts, radiator and exhaust headers, there’s no question the semiautomatic, twin-clutch version of the Africa Twin engine has been bolted to a tubular steel, cruiser-style chassis. The Africa Twin’s torquey 75kW, 1084cc, SOHC engine would be remarkably well suited and would help create a tempting step up for riders of existing Honda Rebel 300 or 500 models. The DCT transmission is a further draw. It’s clearly shown in the patents, with no gear shifter…

YAMAHA HAD a bunch of new models including some now very desirable RZs. The models included restyled RZ250 and RZ350 models. The RZ250RR was announced as having a half fairing while the RZ350RR smoker would lob with a full fairing. Both two-bangers featured revised carburation that bumped power up by a hefty two horsepower. No specs were available when we went to print, but the wait is over and we have them now. SPORT Italian manufacturer Cagiva was gearing up to sue its ex-works rider and former world champ Jon Ekerold after he took court action against the company because it owed him $15,000 for the 1983 season. Cagiva coughed up the dough but were pretty dirty about it and decided to counter-sue ol’ Eko (that’s what his mates used…

I’VE LOVED THE XSR900 since the first time I got on it for the 2017 Aussie launch, and nothing has changed for me. It’s easy to ride, exciting, looks good – though not as good as some of this group – and ticks every box a motorcycle needs to for me, retro theme or not. Then there’s that price… Next in line is the Kawasaki Z900RS. I want to paint everything I own the same colour as this thing – it looks amazing. It rides as well, too, and is very close to the XSR for me. It’s as close to faultless as a bike gets, finished beautifully and priced right too, after starting life a bit too exxy. It was the best new bike I rode in 2018, and…

The peppy little single revs its freckle off THE VITPILEN IS small in size and displacement, tall people need to fold themselves onto it, the name is strange and it looks a little odd. However I reckon the design brief that got emailed to Husky’s engineers simply read ‘Just make it fun’. They nailed it and with road-going singles becoming more and more of a rarity these days, it’s easy to forget how fun a single can be. But aim the Vitpilen at any series of corners and you’ll soon be reminded. With a relative low horsepower output from its 373cc single-cylinder engine, proper gear selection and corner speed are king. When I say relative low power think about this, at just 151kg (kerb, claimed) and with 32kW of power…

I THINK THE best all round package of the group is the Z900RS. The silky smooth four-cylinder engine makes plenty of power for being a hoon or carving up the traffic. It’s comfortable, it has modern plush suspension that can still handle a good thrashing. The paint and finish looks amazing and the induction roar makes the hairs on your neck stand up. Second goes to the Vitpilen 401. It’s the smallest of the bunch, but makes you feel like a Moto3 racer banging the quickshifter with the throttle tapped and cutting corners everywhere while you re-adjust your brain to its rapid handling. I can only imagine how much fun the 701 would be. Just don’t look at your reflection in a shop window if you wear a shirt bigger…

IF YOU’RE CLOCKING up the kays and want comfort, then the Kawasaki Z900RS is hard to go past. Tonnes of low-down torque on tap without wanting more from the top end, all bar the top-end power void, it reminded me of a sportsbike just half a dozen years ago – minus the post-roadtrip sore back, that is. The Yamaha XSR900 comes in at a close second and the Katana third. The Husky was the surprise for me. Happy to admit I didn’t gel with it at first, but once I figured out it was a Moto3 bike with a bonus rego plate (thumbs up on the dual direction quick shifter), just hold it pinned and click through the gears, you can’t complain about that. Just don’t expect to be comfortable…

BENELLI LEONCINO 500 ENGINE Capacity 500cc Type Parallel twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 69 x 66.8mm Compression ratio 11.5:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 2 x 37mm throttle bodies Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multiplate Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 35kW @ 8500rpm (claimed) Torque 45Nm @ 5000rpm (claimed) Top speed 200km/h (est) Fuel consumption 4.5L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Bosch Riders aids ABS Rider modes Not applicable CHASSIS Frame Steel Frame Trestle with plates Rake 24.5 degrees Trail 95mm Wheelbase 1443mm SUSPENSION Type Benelli Front: 50mm telescopic Up-side down fork, non-adjustable, 135mm travel Rear: Monoshock, adjustable preload and rebound, 145mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Aluminium alloy,…

URAL MIGHT LOOK all WW2 – after all, you can still buy a machine gun mount from the genuine accessories catalogue, but they are also regularly developing new technology. The engineers are constantly tweaking the design; such as moving all models to an EFI system using Keihin throttle bodies, or increasing the surface area of the cooling fins and shortening the exhaust port to reduce heat retention. These days they employ gravity cast pistons instead of drop forged, using teflon and manganese phosphate coatings on the piston and rings. They even have a very flash looking electric prototype whooshing through the mountain passes in Russia! Clearly Harley-Davidson isn’t the only one sitting up the front of the class in the old skool.…

Wrap your peeping holes around these! 1970 Triumph T100C 1970 Triumph Bonneville 650 1971 Rickman RE Interceptor 750 1971 BSA A65 Lightning 650 1972 Laverda 750SF 1973 Norton Commando Fastback 750 1973 Yamaha TX750 1974 Benelli Tornado 650S 1974 Kawasaki 650 W-3 1974 BMW R90/6 (Black) 1975 Suzuki T500 Titan 1975 Ducati 860 GT 1976 Honda CB500T 1976 Honda GL1000 1976 Moto Guzzi 850T3 1976 Kawasaki KZ750B1 1976 Yamaha RD400C 1977 BMW R100/S + EML sidecar 1977 Yamaha XS650D 1977 Harley Davidson XLCR 1977 Yamaha XS750 1978 Honda CX500 1979 Moto Morini 500 Strada 1979 Moto Guzzi V50 1983 Suzuki GS550ES…

ROSE-TINTED GOGGLES. Most of us have a set packed away somewhere and I have this fear that, as we age, the more rose-tinted they get. Yours Truly is as good an example of this as any. There was a time when I’d give anyone riding a motorcycle older than me that thousand-yard stare of incomprehension. Why on earth would you want to battle with that old shitbox when there are perfectly good late-model toys out there that will do it faster, easier and probably cheaper? “Get a life,” I’d mutter. This rather harsh judgement was backed up by the experience of riding to the wonderful All British Rally each year, back when it was held out at Dunkeld, Vic, by the BSA Owners Club. Unlike most of the participants, I’d…

LISTENING TO FRANCO Morbidelli (Petronas SRT Yamaha) can be a soothing tonic to the chaos around us. Amid rising Covid-19 numbers across Spain, the Teruel Province prepared for a fresh lockdown the day after this weekend’s running. A reason for mild panic in some respects. Yet it was the half Italian-half Brazilian who instilled a sense of calm on track and breathed fresh life into his championship hopes. This wasn’t calm of the most watchable kind. The first four turns aside, Morbidelli led this race in its entirety, finding a zone of concentration so intense he likened it to the experiences of Formula 1 icon Ayrton Senna. As colourful as he made it sound (the 24-year old revealed he “had dynamite for breakfast” and likened the race to “a trip”),…

Dismal Ducati Sitting fourth, 15th points back of the title lead coming into the Teruel Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso harboured realistic goals of winning a maiden MotoGP World Championship. But those hopes are all but lost after a disastrous weekend in which all 2020-spec Ducatis struggled at the Motorland Aragon Circuit. The factory’s inability to adapt its machine to the 2020-spec Michelin tyre was compounded by the Motorland Aragon layout bringing the bike’s weaknesses to the fore. Asked where the Ducatis were losing time, Dovizioso quipped, “I think it’s more difficult to explain where we gain! But this is a track where the turning of the bike is pretty important, and the way you have to ride with this tyre, where on the maximum angle you don’t have a lot…

HONDA WAS MOVED to provide an update on the recovery of reigning world Champion Marc Marquez after a story in Spanish sports daily El Mundo Deportivo emerged claiming the 27-year-old Spaniard may require a third operation on the upper right arm he initially broke in July’s Spanish Grand Prix. Speaking to Spanish TV, Repsol Honda Team Boss Alberto Puig said, “Marquez is on the mend. He’s trying to get well again. (The recovery) is slower than we thought, but the idea is to try to get the bone to heal well and that he can continue to recover. “The truth is that it’s going slowly, but he is moving forward. Right now, there is no reason to think about anything else, let’s hope. “Obviously, I am not a fortune teller,…

ASBK Rnd2 canned, again Closed borders have forced Motorcycling Australia too cancel the second round of the Australian Superbike championship scheduled for South Australia’s The Bend later this month. The move means an Australian champion will be crowned after just three rounds, assuming the planned double header at Winton goes ahead, currently scheduled for 3-6 December. SERT and Yoshi merge for 2021 Two big names in the Endurance World Championship will merge for 2021, with the French Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) and Japanese Yoshimura outfit partnering for next season. The Yoshimura squad has four Suzuka 8 Hour wins to its name, while SERT has claimed the EWC title no less than 16 times since 1983. Beaubier leaves America on top Cameron Beaubier scored 16 wins in 20 starts of…

THE MYSTERY OF Suzuki’s long-running saga to build a 700cc normally-aspirated parallel twin middleweight derived from the turbocharged XE7 Recursion project is slowly being solved. A new patent adds more flesh to the bones of a project that began as a turbo-powered SOHC, 588cc twin concept way back in 2013. It morphed into 700cc XE7 form in 2015, but didn’t reach production. Now details of its engine induction and clues to the chassis it will power, have been revealed. In normally-aspirated form, the parallel twin is an ideal replacement for the long-running 650cc V-twin that powers the SV650 and V-Strom 650, as it has a more compact design and lower production costs. The patent application details the new engine’s airbox and throttle bodies. Unusual curved intake funnels run up and…

THE PRODUCTION VERSION was a generally faithful replica of his Intermot showbike, though in what at the time seemed a curious move, this original prototype was put up for auction by the Ducati factory at Sotheby’s Chicago sale in September 1999. It failed to reach its US$1million reserve, but was still bid up to a startling US$750,000. Good publicity for the one you could shortly buy for a fraction of that amount! However, equally curiously, it later transpired that Ducati had failed to contact Pauline Hailwood, Mike Hailwood’s widow, and their son David for approval to use her late husband’s name in connection with the MH900e, and thus had made no arrangements to pay the family a royalty on each model sold. In 2001 Pauline sued Ducati for misusing Mike…

USUALLY, WHEN DISCUSSING price, it’s relatively simple: look at the competition and see where it fits. But what is the competition? The RS is nowhere near as radical as a Yamaha YZF-R6, for example, and it can’t match the Yamaha’s power, but Aprilia has more rider aids and tech. Yamaha’s outstanding R6 is $17,849 (plus on-road costs) but is very much a one-trick pony built to win races. You could argue the Aprilia is more entry-level like Honda’s CBR650R, but comparing the RS660 to the Honda is a little like comparing a hot-hatchback to a family station wagon; the Honda is similar in power but significantly heavier. The Honda is considerably cheaper ($10,849 plus on-roads), which makes it a tempting prospect, but doesn’t even come close on tech or appeal.…

The nine bikes cover the retro spectrum pretty well WE ASSEMBLED NINE vastly different bikes that pull their inspiration from four decades of motorcycling history. Benelli’s Leoncino is one of three parallel twins on test and, along with Ducati’s V-twin-powered Scrambler Sport Pro, flies the flag for the classic scrambles look of the 50s. The Royal Enfield looks like it has been transported in a time machine straight out of the 60s and Kawasaki’s Z900RS and Suzuki’s Katana fly the inline four flag and hark back to the muscle bikes of the 70s and 80s. Indian’s FTR 1200 S encapsulates the classic flat tracker look, Triumph’s parallel-twin Thruxton RS is pure café racer while Husqvarna’s single-cylinder Vitpilen 401 brings a modern edge to the same style. Yamaha’s triple-cylinder XSR is…

The performance of the Scrambler surprised a few of the testers THE UNKIND HAVE said Ducati Scramblers are for hipsters that can’t afford Monsters. Until I actually rode one, I could understand that concept. But that thought bubble evaporated immediately when I gave the Scrambler a fistful and the traction control system was forced to lean on every bit of computing power at its disposal to keep the rear wheel in check. Although it would make a fine inner-city hipstermobile, the Scrambler is capable of so much more than that. The air-cooled 1079cc V-twin is packing a whopping 88Nm of torque at just 4750rpm, meaning that tooling around town or blasting out a backroad is an absolute hoot. Peak power is made at 7500rpm, so it’s an engine that is…

“Hey Pete, how was the Thruxton on that bumpy as hell road back there?” I yelled. “Got a spare spine you could lend me?” he yelled back? “Couldn’t be worse than the damage the Katana did to me, I used to be six-two!” Twenty minutes later: “Pete, what are you on about? This Thruxton is plush!” “No, this Katana is way better on the rear end.” Somehow Pete and I just have different preferences in bikes. What suits me does not suit Pete, but of course I’m right. The Triumph Thruxton is the perfect retro for me, followed by the Royal Enfield then the Indian. They have a red-hot go at being more than a nod to the past. I like ’em skinny, knees tucked in, leaning forward and peering…

THE MOST SURPRISING bike for me and my favourite is the Vitpilen 401. It looks the part with a unique design giving it a custom retro build look. Riding this makes you feel like a cafe racer; it’s heaps of fun on a mountain road. The smaller-capacity engine makes you ride it harder and the aggressive ergonomics put you in the mindset. Accelerating and smashing through the gears, its light weight means you can leave braking to the last second, leaning hard into the corners – it’s crazy agile. All of this adds up to a thrilling ride that feels faster than it really is, perfect for Australian roads. Second for me is the Thruxton. Everyone knows it and it’s exactly what you imagine it to be. The epitome of…

The Thruxton is capable of putting many a bike to shame when the roads get interesting THE THRUXTON IS a stunning-looking motorcycle and despite being arguably the most convincing retro-styled bike on test, it comes equipped with everything a modern motorcycle needs. There’s been a whole heap of hype about this thing since its release and it did not disappoint! The Thruxton’s 1200cc parallel twin feels almost sleepy at idle and gives no clues as to the fun locked away in the water-cooled donk. But the instant you’re on your way, and I do mean the instant, the RS surprises with its low-down grunt. There’s a tyre frying 112Nm of torque that’s served up at just 4250rpm and 77kW of peak power at 7500rpm and with such a broad spread…

THERE IS A lot to love about Ducati’s 2020 Scrambler 1100 Sport Pro. Besides being on the sexier side of the pack, it’s an effortless beast. Simple, easy to ride, comfortable and confidence inspiring on the street makes this machine one of my favourite of lineup. It sounds as good as it looks and there is plenty of usable power in its air-cooled 1079cc L-twin. But the leader of the pack for me is Yamaha’s XSR900. I was on this through the twisties and oh boy, did it deliver. The sports-orientated geometry of this bike blends well into its wheelie-inspiring throttle and the spit and gurgle of this beast makes you wish you had one. So much so that I’m seriously considering purchasing this weapon. What review would be complete…

ENGINE Capacity 765cc Type Horizontally opposed twin, OHV, four-valves Bore & stroke 78 x 78mm Compression ratio 8.6:1 Cooling Air Fueling EFI Transmission Four-speed, plus reverse Clutch Dry, twin-disc Final drive Shaft PERFORMANCE Power 31kW @ 5500rpm (claimed) Torque 57Nm @ 4300rpm (claimed) Top speed 125km/h (est) Fuel consumption 6.6L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids Not applicable Rider modes Not applicable CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame type Double loop Rake Not given Trail Not given Wheelbase 1475mm SUSPENSION Type IMZ/Sachs Front: Leading-link front fork Rear: Double-sided swingarm with twin shocks, preload adjustable Sidecar: Double-sided swingarm with twin shocks, preload adjustable WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels…

MY WILDCARD RIDE at Magny-Cours was a short-notice opportunity which was made possible with the assistance of Rob Vennegoor and Fusport Boots. It allowed me to compete in the World Supersport 300 Championship as part of SMRZ Racing onboard a Kawasaki Ninja 400. This was my first-ever time riding a Kawasaki Ninja 400 and my first time at Magny-Cours. The weekend in France started off very wet and cold, and remained this way for every session I had on the bike. Although it was tricky conditions, this helped me gain a good understanding for the bike at a slower pace and allowed me to have good feel for what it was doing underneath me. A shame to end this way... but a valuable experience Friday’s first two practice sessions were…

Jack Miller MotoGP DNF “Really exciting race, lasted all of two corners. Unfortunate what happened, that’s racing. I got a decent start, got to the inside, passed about three blokes, was doing nothing really strange but got hit from the rear and the bike sort of half high-sided me and then kept shaking and then got worse and worse and I ended up going into the gravel. I saw Brad and I was like, ‘What the f***?’ He needs to come to his senses sometimes, but we’ve all done it, I’ve done it, so I’m not going to sit here and curse him out.” Remy Gardner Moto2 4th “It was a good race and I am really happy with the points we scored. Aragon has always been a place where…

HAVING BEEN SOMEWHAT fortuitous at the previous week’s Grand Prix, there could be no doubting who was the number one here. Seven days on from inheriting a late lead, Sam Lowes (Marc VDS Kalex) put on an exhibition as dominant as anything witnessed in any class this year to take hold of the Moto2 championship. Lowes was irrepressible from Friday afternoon. He smashed the lap record on his way to pole on Saturday, led four of the weekend’s six sessions and annihilated the field from the first lap. His fastest lap the second time around was 0.6s faster than any other rider managed through 21 laps. Tyre supplier Dunlop had introduced a softer rear tyre compound this weekend with the caveat: the rubber had to be managed in the closing…

TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI IS to be rewarded for his sterling efforts this season by HRC as the 28-year old signed a two-year contract with HRC and will remain in the LCR team. Crucially, the Japanese rider will have the same spec-bike as Repsol riders Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro when the 2021 season eventually kicks off, meaning all four Honda riders will be on the latest-spec machinery. Nakagami has always been competing with year-old RC213Vs since joining MotoGP in 2018. “Another two years fixed for the future,” he said on Thursday. “Now I can focus on the last races. For next season, I can say I will ride the latest bike. I mean four bikes exactly the same. So this is good news for me because the last three years I…

RACE DIRECTION AND the FIM Stewards decided to toughen up the consequences of irresponsible riding in the Moto3 class. The decision came after 17 riders were punished because of touring during qualifying for the previous GP. Prior to this announcement, riders were forced to sit out a set amount of time in certain Free Practice sessions. Repeat offenders had to sit out longer spells of more crucial sessions, like missing the final 25 minutes of FP3. Yet the Aragon II weekend there were six fourth-time offenders. The Stewards concluded these punishments were lacking in severity. They also determined previous misdemeanours only punished practice or, potentially, a qualifying position. The new penalties will now have a direct effect on the race. First time offenders now will be forced to complete a…

JASON DOYLE HAS wrapped up the 2020 season with victories in two special meetings – both times winning the title for the third year in a row. The prestigious Czech Golden Helmet meeting staged in Pardubice saw Doyle unbeaten, leading home Jan Kvech and the only other Australian in the meeting, Brady Kurtz. Vaclav Milik, Oliver Berntzon and Rune Holta also made the six-man final. It was the 13th time in the past 24 years that an Aussie has won speedway’s most significant non-championship meeting, with Doyle now one short of matching the record of Leigh Adams. The final meeting of an even more troubled season in the UK saw Doyle come in as a late replacement for Jaimon Lidsey in the Peter Craven Memorial meeting at Belle Vue. After…

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. Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road. Healthy, free, the world before me. The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose. Henceforth I ask not good fortune; I myself am good fortune. Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing. Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms. Strong and content I travel the open road – Walt Whitman…

Sydney lights up St George Motorcycle Club, in conjunction with Motorcycling NSW, is testing the possibility of running race events under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park. 2WD for real Ural has brought its Gear Up 2WD sidecar model to Australia. It meets ADR compliance and we’ve nabbed the first ride. Check it out on page 70 Mayor to face court Popular Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill has been ordered to face court over a car crash that ended in the death of a motorcyclist. Head injury Despite wearing a full-face helmet, Dignity Party SA founder Garry Connor has suffered severe injuries in a motorcycle crash on a rural property near Mount Compass.…

› MODEL 2020 Can-Am Road Ryker 600 ACE 20 INT › IMPORTER Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) › NUMBER OF AFFECTED MOTORCYCLES 30 › ISSUE The front wheels’ assembly may not have been installed properly (torque application and installation of the red locking clip). › POTENTIAL HAZARD This could result in a wheel loss, reducing the vehicle’s handling and control, increasing the risk of a serious accident. › ACTION REQUIRED Do not ride your vehicle until it has been inspected and repaired. BRP will contact affected consumers by mail and arrange to repair involved vehicles, free of charge.…

ENGINE Capacity 904cc Type V-twin, desmodromic valve operation, four valves Bore & stroke 92 x 68mm Compression ratio 9.2:1 Cooling Air Fueling EFI, 2 x 45mm throttle bodies Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 55kW @ 8000rpm (claimed) Torque 76Nm @ 6500rpm (claimed) Top speed 222km/h (measured) Fuel consumption Not given ELECTRONICS Type Magnetti Marelli ECU Rider aids Not applicable Rider modes Not applicable CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame type Spaceframe Rake 24º Trail 98.5mm Wheelbase 1415mm SUSPENSION Type Marzocchi/Paioli Front: 43mm USD fork, nonadjustable, 100mm travel Rear: Offset direct-action monoshock, non-adjustable, 120mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 17…

ENGINE Capacity 659cc Type Parallel-twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 81 x 63.93mm Compression ratio 13.5:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 2 x 48mm throttle bodies Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 73.5kW @ 10,500rpm (claimed) Torque 67Nm @ 8500rpm (claimed) Top speed 230km/h (est) Fuel consumption 4.1L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids Traction Control (ATC), Wheelie Control (AWC), Engine brake (AEB), Engine map (AEM), cruise control (ACC) up and down quickshifter. Rider modes Road: Commute, Dynamic and Individual. Track: Challenge and Track Attack CHASSIS Frame material Aluminium Frame type Twin spar Rake 24.1º Trail 104.6mm Wheelbase 1370mm SUSPENSION Type…

This one can be ridden away for less than 10 grand THE LEONCINO HAS been well received since its release. In fact, the sub-$10K Benelli placed second in our 2018 Motorcycle of the Year shootout, only just losing out to Ducati’s mega-dollar Panigale V4. The finish is pretty good and it’s only when you look closely that you pick up the cost-cutting features that hint at the Leoncino’s affordability. But the bike boasts plenty of features that would have been unimaginable to punters purchasing an original scrambler-style bike back in the late 50s. Like the radial-mount, twin disc brakes, ABS and electronic fuel injection. The 500cc parallel-twin powerplant’s 35kW of power and respectable 45Nm of torque is enough to carry you along at legal speeds, and it’s a smooth and…

I LOVE OLD clunkers and I love tinkering with something old and greasy in the shed. I think I secretly even like the anxiety of not knowing whether the old school ride I’m on is going to make it to its destination without something dropping off. But there’s a time and a place for that, and when I’m not tinkering, I want to get to my destination as fast as the law will allow, and I want to have as much fun as possible doing it without spending the proceeding week at the chiropractor. And that’s why I reckon the Katana is the retro I’d jam in the shed. It’s the most sportsbike-like in its handling, it’s bloody fast, long haul comfy, and apart from the rear end that looks…

The FTR handles quite well considering the 19-inch front wheel IS THE FTR even retro? Sure, it looks similar to a modern-day flat tracker, but they’ve looked the same since the 70s, so I reckon it’s retro. One thing that can’t be argued is that it looks trick and unique, there’s nothing else like it. Look past the Tracker styling and lavish glittery paint job and you’ll find a vast array of modern electronics, superbike-spec componentry and a torquey modern V-twin powerplant. Three ride modes, lean-angle sensitive stability control, ABS, traction control, wheelie control, TFT touchscreen dash, cruise control and LED lighting all around. And with figures like a massive 120Nm of torque, 92kW of power and Brembo front brakes squeezing big 320mm twin discs appearing on its specs sheet,…

THE DUCATI SCRAMBLER 1100 Sport Pro is by far the sexiest bike of the lot for me, but it’s a Ducati and I’d expect nothing less. The bar-end mirrors look the retro part, the buttery leather seat, two-toned black shine and matte painted tank, and gold Marzocchi forks are all sexy. A solid amount of torque, very comfortable on long rides, decent size tank and handles well at high speeds – it also has an excellent seat height for all sized humans. Take one out and keep it pinned! Next for me is Yamaha’s XSR900. I would walk past it and think ‘well done Yamaha, that’s a good looking bike’, but I’d never ridden one until now. The 900cc delivered on comfort, style and speed. All inputs are forgiving. This…

BEING 165CM, I was apprehensive riding a bunch of bikes that I wasn’t completely familiar with – but it was short lived. The ride was epic, we rode on some beautiful country roads and experienced all the seasons in one day, a great culmination of events to get the best out of a bike. The best for me was Triumph’s Thruxton RS. Overall just a well-balanced and put-together bike. Great power down low… actually everywhere, it was never lacking. It has a comfortable seat height for all heights and a nice riding position perfect for long rides. Second place for me is the Royal Enfield. A bare-bones, no-nonsense classic retro ride – an underdog that surprised me! It wasn’t trying to be anything too fancy; it was retro, and you…

It’s out with the Ranger and in with the Gear Up UNTIL NOW, ONE of the most commonly asked question at Ural HQ is why can’t Australia have a two-wheel drive outfit? Before the release of the Gear Up 2WD Down Under, the factory didn’t produce a machine suitable for riding on the left-hand side of the road like we do here. The new Gear Up machine is basically the same spec as the popular single-wheel drive Ranger model, and the model the two-wheel drive machine will replace moving forward. The Gear Up represents pretty good value, too, when you take into account the base-model 2020 Ranger carried a retail price of $26,490 (plus on-road costs), with the new two-wheel drive Gear Up machine coming to the Aussie market at…

IT WAS THE ever-direct and controversial Casey Stoner who came up with the notion: the 2020 MotoGP series – well, it’s not really a world championship. He has a point. Firstly, it doesn’t span the world. All 14 (rather than the planned 20) MotoGP races are in mainland Europe (the opening round in Qatar went ahead, but only for the junior classes). Eight of the 14 are on the Iberian peninsula, one of them in Portugal and the rest in Spain. Secondly, the main man isn’t there. With Marc Marquez on duty, the main question was always: who will come second? But he’s AWOL. And it really isn’t quite the same without him. Less of a championship. The same is true, thanks to the curtailments and cancellations of Covid, of…

Circuit length 5.077km Race distance MotoGP 116.771km Moto2 106.617km Moto3 96.463km Sunday too far away In parc fermé Franky Morbidelli noted that the race was run at a pace much faster than the week before at Aragon, and he was right. His Rd 11 winning time was 6.739s faster than that of Alex Rins in Rd 10. In fact, Morbidelli found 11.495s over the seven days, a handy gain. Most riders went faster; Rins, Joan Mir and Johann Zarco gained 4s-5s, while Tito Rabat sliced 6s off his race time. The really big improvers were on KTMs, with Pol Espargaro picking up just over 10s and Miguel Oliveira 12s. One rider, Bradly Smith, had almost a dead-heat, his race time just 0.21s faster in a week (that’s a gain of…

FOR JAUME MASIA (Leopard Honda) it’s a case of better late than never. The 19-year old had to watch teammate Dennis Foggia win before him this year and saw victory challenges come undone on five previous occasions. But in the space of a fortnight he has launched an unlikely championship bid, becoming the 100th different rider to win a GP for Honda (at the Aragon GP) and here he became the victor of Honda’s 800th GP win. Not bad for a rider set to leave his current squad for Aki Ajo’s KTM squad in 2021. For the second time in seven days, the Spaniard showed a new, clinical eye in a typically chaotic last-lap scrap in which Albert Arenas (Aspar KTM) came within two corners of taking a significant step…

AT THE TERUEL GP Riccardo Rossi became the latest pit figure confirmed to catch the Covid-19 virus, missing the Moto3 race as a result. Many riders are nervous about their health and the chances of finishing the year. “I’m really worried about that honestly, because it’s something that is difficult to control,” said MotoGP title leader Joan Mir. “After this race, I will go home (to Andorra) like normal, but then at home it will be difficult, I don’t want to go out. It will be crucial for us to not miss any races.” Fabio Quartararo agrees. “I’m more nervous when I’m home than at the races, because even if you stay at home, you train at home, you do everything at home, until you get your negative test, you…

DALLAS SKEER finished the season on a high, being presented with the inaugural Kenny Blake Scholarship just a few days after finishing third in the South Australian Supersport championship. Skeer, aged 18, ended the 2019 ASBK Supersport championship seventh overall, and was showing promise again this season before it went into hibernation. He received a package of financial and riding skills support from the Mayor of the Alexandrina Council, Keith Parkes. The Blake scholarship is a Strathalbyn initiative supported by Motorcycling South Australia. It follows on from the unveiling of a statue by the SA Governor last year in honour of the town’s famous motorcycle racer. On display at the presentation was a Ken Blake racer from the days when he raced for Ron Angel. Angel is now one of…