Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 71 Issue 18 i Australian Motorcycle News

I WAS GOING to write about how crap deadline Mondays can be on AMCN, especially when you get a phone call first thing and you find out that someone intrinsic to the production of the magazine has just tested positive to the ’rona (get well soon, mate), which will bugger up the best-laid plans for the rest of the week. But then I looked at how much awesome content we have in this issue, produced by so many awesome people from around Australia and the world, that it soon turned my frown into a smile. Let’s start with bikes. On the new-bike front we have a couple of fresh long-termers on our fleet consisting an electric Super Soco CPx scooter and a Yamaha YZF-R7 sportsbike; we have an on- and…

MAIN: Melbourne’s Ken Kavanagh became one of the few riders to get the better of Geoff Duke in Europe in the early 1950s AS THE 1953 Grand Prix season opened, Geoff Duke – already a 500cc World Champion and Isle of Man TT Winner – had deserted the Norton works team for what was to be his first of a hat-trick of 500cc World Championships for Italian marque Gilera. Duke’s move was prescient but Duke’s ever-loyal teammate Ken Kavanagh stayed with the British brand. The single-cylinder Nortons of Kavanagh and his new teammate Jack Brett were clearly no match for the powerful four-cylinder Gileras, but a surprise was in store when the circus moved on to the Ulster Grand Prix. The sixth round of the season was to be staged…

Retail price $9990 ride away Distance covered 145km Fuel Economy N/A Servicing First: 300km Minor: 10,000km Major: 20,000km Options added None This scooter isn’t aimed at motorcyclists, so assessing it the same way I would say, Yamaha’s 155cc NMAX scooter is both irrelevant and unfair. And I know Yamaha’s NMAX isn’t probably aimed at motorcyclists either, but the petrol-engined scoot can at least be measured with a similar yardstick in terms of expected performance and componentry. The Super Soco is a whole new kettle of fish. It exists because this is where the future’s heading. And because the future isn’t quite here – so through no fault of its own – the Super Soco is the awkward gangly teenager of full-grown electro mobility. But like plenty of awkward teenagers, there’s…

AS WELL AS the usual financial and environmental advantages of electric over petrol power, there are also some specific benefits to trials bikes that aren’t so obvious. To start with, there is virtually no mechanical maintenance necessary. Outdoor trials riding is typically conducted in muddy conditions, or up and down streams, with water and dirt the enemies to your engine. On a petrol bike, you usually need to clean the air filter after a ride, possibly the oil too, and at some stage the engine will need a service. Not so the Epure. Simply pressure-wash it, lube the drive chain and you’re done. And, yes, the Epure can be ridden in deep water. Conventional trials bikes have a kickstart to save the weight of an electric start mechanism. And while…

THE 2020 AND 2021 seasons were definitely challenging years. Covid was a real frustration for everyone, but it was also difficult trying to find a way to get the most out of the Desmosport Ducati V4 R – and my own riding. From a set-up point of view, it was a massive learning curve for all of us because the bike was new to everyone in the team. Then throw in new electronics on top of that and there is a lot of development that needed to be done. Unfortunately, it took a long time to find the setting with the V4 R to ride it the way I wanted to and I still don’t believe we were able to extract the full potential of the Magneti Marelli system. This…

Lusail International Circuit, Qatar Circuit length 5.380km Race distance MotoGP 118.360km Moto2 107.600km Moto3 96.84km 2021 winners MotoGP M Viñales 42m28.663s Moto2 S Lowes 40m03.123s Moto3 J Masia 38m39.620s Did you know? How deep a hole is Yamaha in? A year ago, Maverick Viñales’ M1 won in Qatar by 1.092sec, from Johann Zarco’s Ducati. On the same GP21 this time around, Enea Bastianini went 15.45sec faster over the 22 laps. The leading Yamaha rider, Fabio Quartararo, also went faster than Maverick did a year ago, by 4.92sec, but still finished 10.5sec behind The Beast. Round 1 MOTOGP 20 LAPS DNF B BALTUS (BEL, KAL), L DALLA PORTA (ITA, KAL), F SALAC (CZE, KAL). POLE POSITION VIETTI 1m59.082s FASTEST LAP VIETTI 1m59.053s STANDINGS AFTER 1 OF 21 ROUNDS 1 VIETTI 25,…

AFTER A WINTER’S worth of deliberation, Suzuki finally filled its team-manager vacancy, 14 months after Davide Brivio’s departure. The Hamamatsu factory opted for Livio Suppo, formerly of Ducati and Repsol Honda, to steer its ship and free up time for Project Leader Shinichi Sahara to focus on technical affairs. The Italian was asked whether extending the contracts of Joan Mir and Alex Rins – whose deals expire at the close of this year – was a priority. Suppo indicated he was in no rush. “Sahara-san said, when you have two strong riders like Joan and Alex, the priority is to keep them on board, because it’s not easy to replace them. But on the other side – maybe this is because I’m getting older – if the MotoGP paddock could…

THE OPENING DOUBLE header of the 2022 Australian Off-Road Championships will be the first time competitors have gone head-to-head in more than 12 months. Held at Cherrebah, Queensland over 19-20 March, it is shaping up to be an intriguing season with the absence of of recent frontrunners Daniel Milner and Daniel Sanders, with plenty of talent across all three classes capable of taking outright victory. In addition, there are three new manufacturers lining up for 2022, with GasGas, Beta and Sherco contesting this year’s senior championship, which could be won by any one of 10 riders. Riders to watch will be Yamaha’s Josh Green, Michael Driscoll and Kyron Bacon, Husqvarna’s Todd Waters, KTM’s Stefan Grandquist, Sherco’s Jonte Reynders and this issue’s Grid Talk subject (see page 112), Beta’s Fraser Higlett.…

WHILE WAR RAGES on the ground in the Ukraine, major corporations are waging a worldwide strategic campaign against Russia using economic sanctions. Most of the world’s leading manufacturers, along with tech, mining and resources companies, have suspended trading with Russia and operating on its territory. The motorcycle industry is also involved. Here’s what we know. OPEN LETTER FROM MV AGUSTA CEO ONE OF THE quickest responses to the threat of invasion came from Moscow-born venture-capitalist Timur Sardarov on 2 March. While many Russian oligarchs were ducking for cover and moving assets to safe havens, Sardarov – who saved MV Agusta from potential bankruptcy in 2018 – stood up and took aim at his country’s leadership. This is the open letter he sent to MV Agusta employees and the worldwide media.…

AS WE LEARN to live with the Covid pandemic, our world of motorcycling is opening up again. AMCN plans to be at the forefront of this and the first step is to revive our Events spread early next month. With a calendar covering shows, events and bike rallies, as well as race schedules for key Aussie and international events, it will be one of the pages you turn to first when your AMCN arrives in your letterbox. If you are hosting, promoting or organising any motorcycle-related event, please send us the details at amcn@amcn.com.au.…

Access, AMCN, PO Box 6, Bittern, Vic, 3918 access@amcn.com.au Motomuck Win 5L of Motomuck Motorcycle Cleaner to keep your ride shiny valued at $59.95! Include your full name and address in your letter, via post or email. Long letters will be cut to fit, so don’t ramble. The views expressed by readers are not necessarily those of the editor. Letter of the issue Back in action What heartening news to learn that Wayne Rainey will ride at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed on his 1992 championship-winning Yamaha YZR500. I have great admiration for Wayne, for what he achieved as a racing motorcyclist and for what he has achieved in his life since his terrible accident. His races with the likes of Eddie Lawson, Kevin Schwantz and our own Wayne…

Retail price $15,649 ride away Distance covered 1041km Fuel Economy 4.6L/100km Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 10,000km Major: 20,000km Options added None… yet! Ireally wish my first ride of the Yamaha YZF-R7 could have been under better circumstances. I was already dripping wet before I laid eyes on the bike, having ridden through a hundred clicks of mist, fog, pissing-down rain and dirty road spray just to get my soaked mitts on it. Yep, it’s been a seriously wet few weeks for motorcyclists living up and down Australia’s east coast, made even worse by the ribbing we’ve copped from those who reside in ‘sunny’ Melbourne. If you live down south, remember, winter is coming. There’s no doubt the R7 is a great-looking bike, particularly when it’s wearing its optional white and…

The first thing to go through my head is ‘where the hell is the clutch lever?’, closely followed by my foot stabbing around in thin air looking to select a gear. An automatic adventure bike is definitely alien at first, but after a couple of rides, it all starts to feel quite natural. The Africa Twin is a daunting machine. The screen is high, the fuel tank’s wide and there are enough displays and buttons to launch a rocket. Taking styling cues from its 1988 model grandfather, the Africa Twin is a great-looking bike. The twin LED headlights, adjustable screen, large fuel tank, engine protection, handguards, gold wheels and tri-colour paint job all point towards a capable all-road adventure bike with a sprinkling of Dakar pedigree. On the road the…

1 GET LOW AND GO GO GO Whites Powersports From $279.99 (03) 8720 6000 whitesmoto.com.au Koubalink lowering links are machined from billet aluminium and replace the OEM link to provide better front-end stability by lowering rear suspension geometry. Koubalink links are claimed to offer superior strength over OEM units and come with all required bearings and seals. Available for a range models. 2 VERY ABLES Cassons Australia From $999.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassonsmedia.com According to Arai, the Japanese manufacturer put safety above all else when creating its new Quantic helmet, and it is one of the first helmets to meet the new ECE standard. The handmade Quantic helmet features a strong, lightweight shell, a Pinlockequipped visor and is now available in new solid colours. 3 VERY ANDY Andy Strapz From…

EVERYTHING WAS WRONG at the opening round in Qatar. Or if not actually wrong, somehow inverted. Yes, a Ducati won, as expected. But it was the wrong Ducati. Yes, the all-new Honda came out of the crate fighting fit. But it was the wrong Honda. Yes, KTM arrived down in the mouth, at a track where they have always struggled… and came close to victory. And yes, the Suzukis showed themselves massively improved, topping the speed charts. But come the race and they once again left their riders needing superhuman efforts for relatively down-beat results. What was the biggest surprise? Not that sophomore Enea Bastianini won, for he had already shown a depth of talent in his rookie 2021 – in particular an ability to save tyres and go fast…

AMONG THE THREE names that regularly appeared as popular picks as preseason favourite, Celestino Vietti’s (Mooney VR46 Kalex) was absent. But not after this. The Italian built on a quietly efficient preseason of work here, notching up a maiden Moto2 pole on Saturday while chief rivals Augusto Fernandez (Ajo Kalex), Aron Canet (Pons Kalex) and Pedro Acosta (Ajo Kalex) struggled in sixth, ninth and 10th, respectively. From getting the jump into turn one, Vietti never looked back, using the added grip of Dunlop’s softer rear tyre option and managing to make it last. From a 0.3sec advantage at the close of lap one to 6.1sec at the flag, this was a demolition job by the 20-year-old as he ran riot for a first Moto2 win. As Canet tried unsuccessfully to…

ENEA BASTIANINI BECAME MotoGP’s ninth first-time race winner in the past two seasons with a brilliantly judged ride in the 2022 curtain raiser in Qatar. It was a performance that led Marc Marquez to claim he’s a possible title contender. Well, the 24-year-old has graduated from a Ducati GP19 to the Gresini Ducati GP21 this year, the machine that won four of the final six races of 2021. But more than that, the Italian has ironed out weaknesses from the past, principally a lousy qualifying record. “He made a step in the winter,” said Bastianini’s personal manager Carlo Pernat. “We spoke a lot. He worked a lot mentally and knew he had to work on this. He’s the kind of guy that when he wants something, he won’t stop working…

YET ANOTHER DUCATI innovation has caused a stir. The front ride height device, viewed in preseason testing on all Ducati GP22s, could well be banned from competition in 2023 or 2024. It’s believed the class’ other five manufacturers are in favour of the move, having put forward a proposal to be discussed in the next GP Commission. Marc Marquez was the most outspoken rider on the ride height devices. “It’s something that in the future they must remove,” the Honda star said. “For the show, we don’t gain anything. “Okay, it’s a prototype bike, but for streetbikes, it’s not necessary. Run-off areas we are always trying to increase, now we are arriving faster on the brake point, now we are braking later. For the future, it makes no sense.”…

THE ROUND ALSO catered for older riders with four support classes. ASBK Superbike rider Alex Phillis took out the GP-0 class (10 inch, 160cc machines) in dominant fashion, even winning the last race after receiving a 10sec jump-start penalty. Phillis also took the lap record with his fastest lap of the weekend the final lap of the last race. In the GP-2 class for the larger 190cc four-speed Ohvales, former Aussie Superbike rider Scott Charlton took the class win from current Superbike rookie Chandler Cooper. Charlton also claimed the Veterans class (over 35s) from road-racing debutant Matt Watkins. Ritchie Abolins took out the Mini Motard/Grom class.…

ENDURANCE RACING ALWAYS throws up the unexpected and that was the case in the Wanneroo 300. The first long-distance road race to be held in WA in over 30 years attracted 23 teams at Wanneroo Raceway on 6 March. A flying Superpole lap decided the grid positions after practice with the result no surprise. Pole position went to the team of Ben Stronach/Steven Martin. Second was the Adam Senior/Steve Kelly pair with the front row completed with the Joshua Cook/Jack Langley combination. The race was set down for 125 laps of the Wanneroo circuit, or 2.5 hours, which ever came first. When the lights went out Stronach went straight to the front and put in some sizzling laps, catching and lapping the back markers after only four or five laps.…

A SPANISH UNIVERSITY has created a system to 3D-print steel frames that are lighter than alloy designs. Nebrija University’s Materials and Advanced Manufacturing Group, backed by steel firm ArcelorMittal, has come up with the system using existing metal 3D printing technology and readily available powdered steel. As with other metal 3D prints, lasers are used to fuse layers of powdered metal together, but with a clever computer algorithm to work out the layout of the organic-looking frame tubes. Unlike previous 3D-printed aluminium frames – and BMW notably created a prototype S 1000 RR with such a design back in 2018 – the Nebrija University’s steel design uses hollow tubes with very thin walls, between 0.8mm and 1mm thick. Cleverly, the system works out how to orient the frame tubes so…

Did you know? You did not! Until 2022, the furthest a Yamaha had finished from the winner at Qatar in the 1000cc era was 0.7s. Quartararo was 10.5s behind. “I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET RUN UP THE ARSE BECAUSE THE BIKE WAS SO SLOW, EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE THROTTLE WIDE OPEN”Jack Miller relives his Qatar DNF nightmare when his MotoGP Ducati’s electronics went haywire. 50 Get online and enter or book tickets to the Shannons Insurance Broadford Bike Bonanza this Easter, celebrating half a century of the legendary Kawasaki Z1. Mental Twisties Although he didn’t read the bit about including his address, Conrad Maul is this issue’s prize winner… 1. Double cylinder 2. Helmet logo 3. Forkfork logo 4. Yellow fork gaitor 5. Blue triangle NEW BLOCK…

RICHIE RICH Fancy a new Harley for $1545? How about a BMW Paris-Dakar replica for $1056, or Yamaha Virago for $1067? What’s the catch, you may ask? Well firstly, those prices are in 1990 dollars, the equivalent of a new small car these days, and, believe it or not, that kind of moola would get you an electric-powered mini bike for your spoilt brat (or drunken dad). And you thought the LiveWire was the first electric Harley. WATER BIKES Testing the latest two-wheeled bikes is a pretty sweet job and we’re all very thankful for that. But flicking through this issue, we came across a seven-page personal watercraft comparo. Martin Hone was the lucky duck charged with putting the Kawasaki 650SX, Yamaha Waverunner, Bombardier Sea-Doo and Suzuki Wetbike through their…

Facebook Post of the issue The opening ASBK round at The Island fired up AMCN’s faithful! Instagram Don’t Forget #amcn_mag Comment of the Issue Peter Bosz was not shy when it came to expressing his admiration for Wayne Rainey: “How fantasic Wayne, so happy this can happen for you! “You are an amazing individual.” 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?…

THERE IS AN Africa Twin and an Africa Twin Adventure Sports to choose from. The base model, which weighs 226kg, has a smaller tank at 18.8L with slimmer bodywork to match as well as a smaller sub-frame without a grab rail or provision for carrying luggage. This model is available in red and black and a manual gearbox only. It comes with all of the same tech but in a lighter package for hitting the more adventurous trails and is priced at $20,999 ride away. Then there are the up-spec Adventure Sport models, which all come in the tricolour paint scheme. The Adventure Sport is available in a manual gearbox for $24,699 ride away, DTC gearbox $25,649 ride away (as tested) and also a range-topping DCT and Showa electronic suspension…

BLOODY HELL, THERE are things tucked into corners of the sheds I’d forgotten I had. Tools, jacks, parts, filters, wire for the welder, why is so much stuff tucked into so many corners? WTF happened? We’re downsizing. One word, a host of sins uncovered. I’m learning more about myself than a host of ex-girlfriends ever pointed out. Weird isn’t it? Here I am, not far off the biblical span of three score and 10, and owning more stuff now than ever. Partly because the last 20 years were money makers, mostly because we’ve stayed put, happy with enough acreage to grow a family. That’s a record for me. As a kid, I moved more often than Santa on Christmas eve. Seventeen times I started a new school and never lived…

ANYONE WATCHING THIS season’s curtain raiser through their fingers may have thought MotoGP had picked up where it left off after the joint shortest winter break – 112 days – in history. Close racing, tight gaps through the field and Ducati winning all sounded very similar to what was witnessed in the autumn of 2021. But take a closer look and something different was at play here. This 2022 version of MotoGP was faster than it had been before – the race-winning time was 10.7sec quicker than the previous record, the ’21 Doha GP. Even by Qatar’s standards, there were a host of surprises, mainly the struggles of Ducati’s factory team, as well as world champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha). And the order was turned on its head, with…

AS THE HIGHEST Moto3 winning margin in the previous five outings in Qatar was a colossal 0.053sec, it was natural to assume a similar close contest would develop here. But for just over half of this race Ayumu Sasaki (Max Racing Husqvarna) made a mockery of that claim. The pole-sitter stretched the field at his whim, breaking clear to hold a three-second lead on the 10th lap. His job was helped somewhat by penalties dished out before the race. Pole sitter Izan Guevara (Aspar GASGAS), preseason favourite Dennis Foggia and Tatsuki Suzuki (both Leopard Honda) all started from the back of the grid, thanks to some brainless antics in qualifying. To make matters worse, Guevara and Suzuki had to serve one Long Lap Penalty, Foggia two. Sasaki was almost home…

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 a mask could come in handy, too. Cos even though you don’t own an open-face helmet, it turns out a full-face lid won’t keep the bastard lurgy at bay if you’re galavanting around the countryside creating content for this terrific title. Isn’t that right, Pete? Get well soon!…