Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 70 Issue 18 i Australian Motorcycle News

WHO DOESN’T LOVE the anticipation ahead of the first round of any MotoGP season? The wait between the final round in Valencia and the first race in March feels every bit the four long months it is, so when preseason testing gets underway, I’m glued to it. The pressure’s on Jack to capitalise on the strengths of his Ducati But it’s this bit now, between the last test session and the first practice session of the opening round that crackles with expectation; who’s kept what up their sleeve, who looks to be struggling but has concentrated on race rhythm instead of one-lap pace and what unexpected twists and turns – cos there’s going to be plenty – are going to shape the 2021 MotoGP season. One thing that is clear…

FIVE-TIMES WORLD 500cc champion Mick Doohan is fighting for more government funding for all branches of Australian motorsport, including motorcycling. In an exclusive guest column, Doohan, the inaugural chair of the newly-formed Australian Motorsport Council, says the decades-long success Australians have had on the world stage has been almost completely overlooked by governments when it comes to funding and development. “I believe Australia’s internationally recognised sanctioning bodies working together for the good of all motorsport is long overdue,” he says, describing the AMC as an important lobby group that will raise government and commercial awareness of motorsport by directly approaching relevant ministers. “At a time when government money is being poured into other sports, it’s never been more important for motorsport to get its message across. The Federal Government, through…

THE NEXT BIG new model launch for Harley-Davidson will be its long-awaited water-cooled DOHC custom model, a replacement for the phased-out Sportster. We already know it will be powered by the sophisticated and powerful V-twin engine first revealed in the Harley’s new Pan America. But what will it be called? Harley has filed trademark applications for the Nightster name in Australia, the US, UK and European Union, all on the same day in March to establish worldwide rights to the title. That’s because while it sold a Sportster-based Nightster model from 2007 to 2012, it’s since let its trademark on the name lapse. The original Nightster set the pattern for the Sportsters that followed, particularly bobber/ lowrider models like the Forty-Eight and Iron. History could well be repeating as the…

Industry giants unite in gamechanger NOT CONVINCED ELECTRIC motorcycles are getting traction? The world’s leading manufacturers are, with Honda, Yamaha, KTM and Piaggio announcing they are working together on what could become an industry-wide specification for batteries. Swappable batteries could make electric motorcycles a truly viable alternative to petrol power. This would eliminate long waits for recharging and allow lighter, smaller battery packs to be adopted. At present, most electric bikes have built-in batteries that are big, expensive, heavy and take hours to recharge. This is so they can match the useable range of internal combustion-engined motorcycles. A standardised, swappable battery specification could instantly slash prices, cut weight and make ‘refuelling’ the work of seconds.…

I’ve been keenly following news on the new Triumph Trident 660, watching launch reviews, etc, as I’m in the market for a mid-sized roadster-style bike. I love the retro theme as well, and the triple engine appeals to me, giving ME the best of both worlds in comparison to twins and four-cylinder engines. Also, I have a full licence, which means I’m not after a restricted LAMS version. What I can’t understand is why we are only getting a LAMS-approved version of the Trident that apparently can’t be de-restricted, when the Euro-spec version can be restricted to A2-approved power and then changed back to full power. I understand that this is an entry-level model aimed at learners, and I’m sure the Aussie LAMS-approved version is still a hoot to ride,…

1 ENGINE Capacity remains the same 888cc, as does the unique T-plane crank and unique firing order 1-3-2. The engine has been electronically detuned to 62.5kW @ 8500rpm and 82Nm @ 6500rpm. 2 BRAKES Class-leading Brembo Stylema four-piston monobloc calipers up front grabbing 320mm discs, with a Brembo unit on the rear. ABS is standard, and can’t be deactivated. 3 WHEELS Cast alloy wheels, 19x2.5in on the front, and 17 x4.25in at the rear, both wrapped in dual purpose Michelin Anakee rubber. 4 RIDER AIDS Compared to the Tiger 900 the IMU has been removed, this means the traction control and ABS are not lean-sensitive. Two rider modes, which change the power character and traction control, but not ABS. TC can be deactivated. 5 CHASSIS Suspension has dropped down in…

ENGINE Capacity 888cc Type Inline triple, DOHC, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 78 x 61.9mm Compression ratio 11.2:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling Multi-point sequential EFI Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 62.5kW @ 8500rpm (claimed) Torque 82Nm @ 6500rpm (claimed) Top speed 210km/h (est) Fuel consumption 6L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids Traction control, ABS Rider modes Rain and Road CHASSIS Frame material Tubular-steel Frame type Trellis Rake 24.6º Trail 133.3mm Wheelbase 1556mm SUSPENSION Type Marzocchi Front: 45mm USD fork, nonadjustable, 180mm travel Rear: Monoshock, adjustable for preload, 170mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast alloy Front: 19 x…

WHY HARLEY? “BIKES were my hobby, cars were my business,” Jim explained in 2001. “I’d done some bike project stuff for American Honda, but nothing directly for a manufacturer, then I got a call from Harley’s chief engineer Earl Warner. Harley were towards the end of their P22 programme which resulted in the Twin Cam 88 – but they’d reached a crossroads and had to decide whether to abort it, or pursue it. Warner called me and said, ‘Jim, we’ve got a real problem here and my job’s on the line. We’ve been to Porsche, to Cosworth and a bunch of other companies, and everyone says we should tear up the design and start again – but we’re $54 million in, and I need help.’ “So I looked at his…

LAST YEAR’S CALENDAR was badly bombed when Covid travel restrictions hit the opening round in Qatar. The restrictions got worse, while a massive rescue job by Dorna saved 15 races (14 for MotoGP) from a planned record 20 rounds. Cancellations came pell mell through the year, and ultimately every MotoGP round was in Europe, and mostly in Spain, with ten of them on back-to-back weekends on five tracks. This year’s plans also had 20 races scheduled in last November’s provisional calendar, down to 19 in a new one on 22 January. Again, long-haul races in the USA and the Argentine were early casualties, replaced by a double-up in Qatar and a welcome return to Portugal. Then a hoped-for return to normality with the start of the European season as usual…

THE DEPARTURE OF 2020 Moto2 champion Enea Bastianini to MotoGP continues a trend that reinforces Moto2’s role as a training ground for the big time. It is rare for title winners to stay in Moto2 to defend their titles, and only Johann Zarco has done so successfully. Only one of them has so far gone on to repeat title victory in the big class – Marc Marquez. But it’s not a closed book. In 2021, former Moto2 champions Morbidelli, Bagnaia, Pol Espargaro, Alex Marquez and Zarco all have at least a chance of winning MotoGP races, while only one serious MotoGP contender, Jack Miller, has not had Moto2 experience somewhere along the way.…

MOTO3 IS A longstanding struggle between Honda and KTM, the latter seizing back the advantage in 2020 after a spell of Honda domination. In a field of 28, there are 12 each Hondas and KTMs. The balance is made up of… well, four more KTMs, but called something else. Reflecting the burgeoning Austrian brands acquisitions of European marques, there are two Husqvarnas and (new this year) two GasGas machines. And they are in respectable teams: Husqvarna fields race-winner Fenati and podium finisher Alonzo Lopez; GasGas runs Sergio Garcia (ninth last year) and rookie Izan Guevara. Good for marketing, but not for the Constructors crown. KTM has won it four times in the past 10 years, but because Fenati took a Husqvarna win last year, they ceded it to Honda for…

IT DIDN’T TAKE long for me to make up my mind when approached to be the inaugural chair of the Australian Motorsport Council (AMC). Motorcycle racing gave me a career that took me to the top of my sport five times. Now I see it from another angle as my son Jack is racing in the F3 class, a stepping stone to Formula 1 car racing. He started in karting, while I started in dirt-track and 250cc Proddie racing. The pathway Jack is taking is much the same as any aspiring motorcycle, car, kart or drag racer has to take. We are all branches of the same family tree. Already our work as a lobby group has had an impact I believe Australia’s internationally recognised sanctioning bodies working together for…

“In the first race I was just watching my lap board, you don’t have time to look behind you or anything. I had a bit of a gap on Broc but he started pulling me back in. I was really under pressure and we ran a really fast pace, which was good. The second race was really fun. Broc and I have raced each other since we were young. I was behind him and I had a little bit of wear on the front tyre on the right. I was waiting for him to make a mistake but he didn’t all race, he rode it perfect. It’s good to have an advantage at the start of the season.“…

“THE LAST TIME I raced at Winton was 2019 in OJC. Damo (Cudlin) has helped so much over the time, he has helped on every coaching day. We started with old tyres through practice and I was really just working on setting consistent times, so that’s when qualifying and races came I wouldn’t have to think so much about it. Before every race I was getting really nervous, I didn’t get the best of starts in the second race and dropped back, so I had to fight through, but that gave me confidence. I did manage good starts in the last couple of races, I was just so happy with the result.”…

THE LAP TIMES during the preseason tests at Qatar were quicker than they’ve ever been at Losail, despite riders using harder-compound tyres than used previously. Michelin Two-Wheel Motorsport Manager Piero Tarramasso confirmed this year’s compounds are a step harder than they were last year, which means last year’s so-called soft tyre is now this year’s medium-spec tyre, and so on. Tarramasso confirmed that Miller and Zarco set their record-setting lap times and top speeds on the soft compound, and said he expected most riders to opt for soft-soft compounds for the opening race next weekend, assuming the weather conditions and grip levels stay reasonably consistent. “The medium showed less grip than the soft, but greater stability,” he said. “With the hard, they could be used in FP1 and FP3 as…

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. After he won his maiden MotoGP event at Assen in 2016, Jack Miller said he “canride a bike, I’mnotan idiot”. Few who have met him would ever think he is an idiot; and better still, have a look at some of the compliments he pays other racers, even when he comes out on the rough side of a battle. After pre-season testing he is truly looking like a man who can lead Ducati to more glory. And whatever happens, he’ll fly the Aussie flag with distinction. The Year of the Ox? It might…

SINCE 2014 THE latest incarnation of the Brough Superior brand has been turning out small numbers of high-end V-twins from its base in Toulouse, France, and now the firm has unveiled its first ever two-seater model – the Lawrence. Unless you know a bit of Brough folklore and history, the name might seem an odd one, but it refers to TE Lawrence – Lawrence of Arabia – who owned a string of seven Brough Superiors, naming them all ‘George’. He even died as a result of crashing the last one, George VII, in 1935 (an accident that sparked the development of the modern crash helmet, but that’s another story). The Brough Lawrence features the same 102hp, 997cc, DOHC V-twin as the firm’s other models, but where the rest of the…

Sweet Suzi deal SUZUKI HAS A run-out offer on its 2020 V-Strom 1050 (base model) at $15,990 ride-away. This includes a bonus accessory bar set and centrestand supplied and fitted, valued at $798. Sporty commuter CFMOTO IS offering a free dress-up kit on its first fully-faired sportsbike, the 300SR ABS. Worth $699, it includes adjustable alloy levers, footrest assemblies and fuel tank filler surround and cap. The 300SR sells for $5790 ride-away. Top-spec Chieftain TO CELEBRATE 120 years, Indian is producing the same number of Chieftain Elite baggers featuring a hand-finished paintjob that takes 24 hours to complete. Price is $49,995 ride-away. Classic cruiser BMW’S R 18 CLASSIC arrives in Australia to bolster BMW’s first-ever cruiser line-up following the launch of the R 18 last year. Featuring a large windscreen,…

As if Casey Stoner returning to ride a Repsol Honda in 2013 isn’t the biggest news ever and deserving of this issue’s cover. Okay, maybe if he announced he was covering while MM was out injured in 2021 that would be bigger news. In other news, we rode five bikes under $12K – and that’s each under $12k, not collectively.…

Facebook Post of the issue Jack Miller’s best-ever testing lap time at Qatar went down quite well... Instagram Comment of the Issue Dave Miles liked Yamaha’s retro look on Cal Crutchlow’s M1, with some reservations That paint job won’t last with Crashlow at the controls... Reaching out Want to see your pride and joy featured in AMCN? The only thing we love more than writing about bikes is looking at your bikes. Tag your social pics with @ aumotorcyclenews on Facebook or @ amcn_mag on Instagram, or fire them off in an email to amcn@amcn.com.au And don’t forget to tell us why you love it. Get it off yer chest! Got something funny, new, old or wise to say or share? Do it! Head to www.facebook.com/aumotorcyclenews AMCN’S WEBSITE IS…

ENGINE Capacity 292cc Type Single cylinder, SOHC, 4 valves Bore & stroke 70 x 75.9mm Compression ratio 10.9:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI Transmission V-Belt automatic Clutch CVT centrifugal PERFORMANCE Power 20.6kW @ 7250rpm Torque 29Nm @ 5750rpm (claimed) Top speed 140km/h (est) Fuel consumption 2.7 litres per 100km (claimed) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids ABS, traction control Ride modes NA CHASSIS Frame material Steel Frame type Backbone Rake 26.5 Trail 95mm Wheelbase 1540mm SUSPENSION Type Yamaha Front: 33mm fork, non-adjustable, 110mm travel Rear: Twin-shock, nonadjustable, 79mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels 10-spoke cast aluminium Front: 15 x 3.50 Rear: 14 x 4.00 Tyres Dunlop Scootsmart Front: 120/70-15 Rear:…

AS I SAID BEFORE, on its $15,990 (plus on-roads) price tag alone the Tiger 850 seems a tempting proposition. But let’s look at the competition. BMW has the F 750 GS, which, like the Triumph, performs a similar trick of being described as one thing, a 750, when it’s actually another, a (detuned) 853cc parallel twin, an engine that’s also found in the 850 GS. The 750 GS starts from $14,290 (ride away), similar on spec and torque, but is significantly down on peak power compared to the Tiger 850. The base BMW F 850 GS has more power than the Tiger 850 and is more desirable than the F 750 GS, but its price is just over $18,000 (ride away) for the base model at $18,140 (ride away). Another…

MICHAEL SCOTT Precedent says Marc Marquez Heart says Jack Miller Head says Fabio Quartararo Dark horse Miguel Oliveira KEL BUCKLEY Heart says Jack Miller Head says Alex Rins Dark horse Marc Marquez PETE VORST Heart says Valentino Rossi Head says Jack Miller Dark horse Valentino Rossi HAMISH COOPER Heart says Jack Miller Head says Franco Morbidelli Dark horse Marc Marquez PHIL BRANAGAN Heart says Franky Morbidelli Head says Jack Miller Dark horse Alex Rins ALAN CATHCART Heart says Franco Morbidelli Head says Franco Morbidelli Dark horse Pol Espargaro PAUL ANDREWS Heart says Jack Miller Head says Fabio Quartararo Dark horse Pecco Bagnaia…

SIGNS THAT SPANISH domination of Moto2 are waning are clear from the numbers. Spanish riders may have won five of the 11 crowns since the four-stroke class kicked off in 2010, but Italians have claimed three, and all in the past four years, including the last one with Enea Bastianini. Italians dominate on numbers in 2021, with 10 Italians to eight Spaniards. No other nation has more than two riders; most (like Australia) have just one. This reflects the success of Rossi’s Tavullia training ranch, with both Morbidelli (2017 champion) and Bagnaia (2018) alumni of the school he founded to bring Italy back to winning prominence.…

IF ANYTHING GOT on our collective goats back in the day, it was the late great Ken Wootton’s insistence we keep ‘Where’s Woose?’ going. For him at least, one tiny little picture of his head hidden in the pages of the mag he presided over for so long was most likely some form of recognition for the pound of flesh he served the title every fortnight. For us, his overworked staff dragged along with his one-eyed dedication, it was a chance to needle the hardest task master I have ever worked for. It had become a battle. As soon as he was out of the office for deadline day, on some launch or the other, we would ‘forget’ to include Where’s Woose, then sit back and watch him thumb through…

“There’s been plenty of chit chat but at the front it’s the same two blokes. I led the first half of race one and then dropped off and made a few mistakes, started thinking about other things and Troy came by. At least I knew that he was pushing and not just sitting there foxing… I worked out where I was stronger than him and sailed on in there. He’s a great competitor and keeps me coming back, I love it. With my team, we were in a world of trouble on Friday but the guys just keep pulling through when I need them. This is for them.”…

THE MONSTER YAMAHA duo of Maverick Viñales and Fabio Quartararo made good use of a new chassis and aero package for the 2021 season, finishing second and third behind Miller with last year’s runner-up Franco Morbidelli (Petronas SRT Yamaha) finishing in fourth place on old machinery. Showing just how much the pace has improved this year, Yamaha’s fourth rider Valentino Rossi (Petronas SRT Yamaha), who has won more races at Qatar than any other rider, posted his fastest-ever time around the 5.4km circuit, which was only good enough for 11th overall, just over eight-tenths slower than Miller. Still with concessions, Aprilia turned up with an all-new machine for 2021, which Aleix Espargaro used to loiter around the top of the timesheets all week, eventually finishing in sixth overall, ahead of…

Cat on the prowl ASBK’s Caterpillar-sponsored Yamaha YZFR1 racer Daniel Falzon sets a new outright lap record on his way to winning the Adelaide Three Hour enduro at Mallala. Hungary for MotoGP action A new circuit will be built so Hungary can host MotoGP in 2023 while WSBK will visit a new track in Spain called Navarra after the 2020 season is delayed again. Classic TT cancelled This year's Classic TT has been cancelled, citing a lack of medical staff and marshals due to Covid-19. Vale Murray Walker The Formula 1 commentary icon started his career calling the IoM TT with his father Graham, who raced for Norton and Rudge.…

THE SYSTEM ALSO means that your motorcycle would never suffer from battery degradation, and instead could actually improve over time as battery technology gets better. KTM’s CEO Stefan Pierer says: “Sustainability is one of the key drivers to the future of mobility and electrification will play a major role in achieving this. The constraints of electric drivetrains regarding range, charging time and initial cost are still evident. To overcome these challenges and provide a better customer experience, a swappable battery system based on international technical standards will become a viable solution.”…

Moto mum I loved your article on Moto Guzzi’s history (AMCN Vol 70 No 15)! My father was a Guzzi dealer in California in the early 1970s. (Also Ducati, Laverda, Husqvarna, Monark, Penton, and some minibikes). Dad, my brothers and I were all into dirt bikes. Mum took a light interest, so dad brought home one of the minibikes and, with some basic instruction, set her loose in a nearby field. She got off the hardpack and into the rough, and crashed. But she still wanted to try riding, so dad thought something more stable might be a better idea. I’m not sure a Moto Guzzi Eldorado was the right choice, but he put her on it, taught her the basic controls – clutch, throttle, brakes, etc – and told…

YOU ESSENTIALLY HAVE a choice of three different Tigers to chose from. The new Tiger 850 Sport replaces the standard 900 – this is now the base Tiger. The 850 is only available in one format with alloy wheels, however, I wouldn’t bet against a more off-road biased 850 in the future, but still no official word from Triumph. Next in the price range is the Tiger 900 GT, which was launched last year, distinguishable by its road presence and alloy wheels. The 900 GT is available in variable levels of tech and spec. The next model in the line-up is Triumph’s 900 Rally, which is more off-road biased with wire-spoked wheels and again available with different accessory packages. Finally, you have the Tiger 1200, a five-tiered range in itself,…

The late Jim Feuling may have acquired an alternative degree in beach culture during his college days growing up in Hawaii, but his pursuit of a Marine Biology major with a minor in surfing got cut short when he was drafted in the mid-’60s. Having survived his stint serving in the Special Forces battalion, Jim aborted his interrupted college career in favour of following his heart and going first car racing, then with bikes, in each case on his own self-tuned equipment. “I always liked working on engines as much as actually racing the result, and since being a racer is gambling with the law of diminishing returns, I started my own business in 1974, doing race prep as well as R&D for various people in the industry.” Feuling Technologies…

ROSSI TURNED 42 in February; even Marc Marquez hit 28, in a 22-strong pack with an average age of 26.5. Take Valentino out, and the average drops under 26. You get the point. Youngsters are taking over. Also beyond the average; Aleix Espargaro (31), Johann Zarco, Taka Nakagami and Danilo Petrucci (30), Pol Espargaro (29), rookie Lorenzo Savadori (27) and Maverick Viñales (27). There’s a couple of lads on the cusp of 26: Franco Morbidelli, Miller and Miguel Oliveira. Then the up-and-comings, ready to make all the above look over their shoulders: Brad Binder and Alex Rins (25), Pecco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez (24) Joan Mir, Luca Marini, Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini (23), then Fabio Quartararo and Iker Lecuona (21). At 20 Marc Marquez deposed Freddie Spencer (21) as…

MOTOGP’S BACK. The European spring is back. The latest revised calendar is back. Testing has begun at Qatar. And the groundswell is… well, swelling. It is (to coin a phrase much beloved of sports TV commentators) the greatest comeback since Lazarus. I was hoping to reserve this favoured source of cliché for the return of Marc Marquez, when he jumps straight back onto his orange Honda and wins the first five races going away, leaving the rest of them with eyes like saucers. But this may be a dream too far… not only that he will be straight back to domination, but even that he’ll be on the bike at all. Word from Qatar is he’s likely to miss the first two GPs in the desert, only returning for Portugal’s…

CARTER THOMPSON (Motostars) backed up his form in the Supersport 300 class with a round win in the R3 Cup as well, winning two races and finishing second in the other. He also scored pole position, making it a remarkable weekend for the 13-year-old Central Coast racer. Race one was a very close affair with Thompson just claiming the win from Jacob Hatch (Jekyl and Hyde) with Brandon Demmery (Mini Rev Heads) third and Tom Drane fourth (Conctruction Supply Specialists). In race two Ben Baker claimed victory over Thompson by 0.013sec with Drane third. In the final race Thompson romped home again by 4.3sec to Baker with Cameron Dunker (Motostars) filling the podium. Thompson picked up the round win and leads the points from Ben Baker. Thompson also picked up…

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONS COREY and Danyon Turner (52 Motorsports) dominated the first round of the F1 class of the Australian Sidecar Championship, winning the first race by an incredible 46 seconds. The brothers also broke the lap record, set in 2010 by Darrin Treloar and Justin Plaisted, and became the first pair to lap Winton under 1m30, with a time of 1m29.112s on their Suzuki-powered LCR outfit. But it was far from a perfect weekend. Steven Bayliss and Charles White took out the second race after the Turners rolled in the wet conditions – though they still rejoined the race to finish second. Race three saw the Turners once again dominate, leading home Bayliss and White by 47 seconds. In the F2 class Bruce Collins and Pete DeAngelis were first home…

SOME MORE POSITIVE news is coming out of the UK about speedway getting up and running in 2021. Plans announced by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, along with the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out, means that fans can return to sporting venues from 17 May. Speedway bosses have formulated a calendar of meetings from that date for the premiership, the championship and the National Development League. There are only a handful of berths among the six premiership and 12 championship teams’ line-ups that have not been declared, so chances are running out for a few Aussie riders. Connor Bailey will not take up his team place at Glasgow, citing cost and logistical issues caused by the pandemic, but Zach Cook has found a place at championship team Plymouth, alongside triple world champion…

Toparis undergoes successful arm surgery Two-time Supersport Champion Tom Toparis recently underwent arm surgery to rectify a problem caused back in 2011 after an accident riding motocross. The break in his arm fractured the growth plate, meaning one arm is significantly shorter than the other. Over the next three months Toparis will use a magnetic machine to wind out a telescopic titanium rod approximately 0.75mm each day, bringing his arms closer to an even length. MATT O’CONNELL Thompson and Drane to ATC Carter Thompson and Tom Drane have flown out to Qatar where they will live for the next month while competing in the Asia Talent Cup. The series was incomplete last year due to COVID and both boys are looking forward to jumping back on Moto3 machinery. Practice starts…