Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 71 issue 19 i Australian Motorcycle News

REMEMBER WHEN YOU could watch WorldSBK on free-to-air television? I gotta admit, when the series first disappeared from free-to-air several years ago, I stopped watching it, getting all my WorldSBK and WorldSSP info from AMCN. With some of my weekend viewing time freed up, I found that I was able to ‘concentrate’ more on MotoGP, which was still free to watch. In fact, I became obsessed enough with MotoGP that I signed up through motogp.com for a yearly subscription, giving me access to all the practice sessions and qualifying, and I soon found these sessions to be almost as unmissable as the races themselves. Of course, I had to pay for this privilege, to the tune of a couple of hundred bucks every year depending on the exchange rate at…

A BOLD TALISMAN stands as one of the most significant figures in Australian motorcycling. Born of Jewish and Indian ancestry in Redfern, Sydney in 1908, Lionel Van Praag grew up to be handsome, intrepid and a magnet for misadventure. Bright and athletic at school, Lionel was apprenticed as a typewriter mechanic. Within months of the opening of the Speedway Royal at the Sydney Showgrounds in July 1926, Van Praag began his Speedway career. He had an outstanding 1926-27 season in Brisbane in addition to success in New Zealand. He soon ventured to England where he rode for the Wembley Lions, with whom he won the national league in 1932 and later captained. Van Praag’s victory in the inaugural Speedway World Championship at Wembley Stadium in 1936 wasn’t without taint. Fellow…

Iker Lecuona A MotoGP rider without a podium and without a ride in the paddock that made him, becomes a factory rookie WorldSBK rider in the iconic HRC set-up. A big gamble or a big enough talent right away, Honda has thrown not one but two sets of dice down the green baize table this year. There is no reason why Lecuona cannot challenge at the front right away, but he will need a Honda with more feel and consistency than the one on which Alvaro Bautista scored a podium, while crashing with greater irregularity. He’ll be worth watching. It will be riveting, either way. Xavi Vierge As Lecuona, a real gamble that probably nobody outside of the entire HRC set-up actually understands. That said, the jump from Moto2 to…

In the summer of 1966, Sports Illustrated magazine sent journalist Bob Ottum to spend some time with Giacomo Agostini, multiple motorcycle world champion, part-time movie star and full-time Italian heartthrob. At the end of his visit Ottum surmised Ago’s job thus: ‘to race and skid and crash and then make love and drink wine.’ All those decades ago, top bike racers didn’t usually have steady girlfriends. They lived on the edge of death and behaved like it, celebrating each Sunday survival by boozing and chasing women, or “birding it up,” as 1967 125cc world champion Bill Ivy so charmingly put it. More than half a century later, MotoGP is a cold, hard science. The motorcycles are ruled by algorithms and the riders are ruled by pitiless training regimes that leave…

AFTER TWO YEARS away, I’m on my way back to the UK and about to jump into the deep end of BSB racing, followed by the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT. My team, Rich Energy OMG, has stuck by me over the Covid shutdown period and bought some awesome motorcycles for me to race. The team wants me to do the first two rounds of BSB to get up to speed on the Yamahas. We have the YZF-R1s that won last year’s BSB Superbike championship and WSSP-spec Supersport YZF-R6s. People ask me what it’s going to be like sitting on the start line at the TT’s Bray Hill after two years away. It’s going to be freaken awesome! And I’m pumped up just thinking about it. The…

AS TEMPERATURES ROSE, concerns grew over the track surface. The tarmac around Turns 2, 3 and 17 was breaking up. Race direction suitably reduced race distance from 25 laps to 16. Things got even stranger from there. For Somkiat Chantra (HTA Kalex) posted the performance of a seasoned contender, rather than the crash-happy, erratic performer we have seen over his three previous years in the class. Starting from fourth, the Thai rider made an inspired start, passing pole-sitter Jake Dixon (Aspar Kalex) and Sam Lowes (Marc VDS Kalex) at Turn 1 and never looking back. This was no walk in the park, as rain began to pepper the track on lap four. But by then Chantra’s lead exceeded 1.5sec and any fears he may crack under pressure were emphatically shattered…

Supersport Lytras breaks through IT WAS A weekend of high drama as John Lytras (Caboolture Yamaha) broke through for his maiden Supersport victory and round win, while chief rival Tom Edwards (Bikebiz) faced disqualification for illegal modifications to his Yamaha. Edwards took pole position, but Lytras converted his pace in practice and qualifying to take the opening holeshot, leading Olly Simpson (Simpson Crash), Edwards and Scott Nicholson (Traction Control Motorsports) through the initial laps. And by lap three, championship leader Tom Bramich had fallen. Edwards bided his time before taking the lead on lap 7 to take control of the race. Nicholson gapped both Lytras and Simpson as Lytras’s steering dampener had broken free of the frame and was causing problems on the bumps. With two laps remaining there were…

AUSSIE BEN CURRIE has suffered a major setback on the eve of his World Supersport debut after suffering severe spinal damage in a motocross training accident. Currie revealed the accident happened on 16 February in Spain, where he fractured his L1 vertebrae and separated his spine. He was rushed to Barcelona hospital in an unstable condition, but had full feeling in his lower limbs. A bout of anaemia and low oxygen levels in his blood during recovery was another unwanted setback which required further blood transfusions. “I’m super motivated to be fit enough for the start of the season in Aragon in April, however I can’t say for sure if that will actually happen,” he said. “I want to thank my family and friends, including all the staff for looking…

Big changes for QR Under the new ownership of Tony Quinn, Queensland Raceway was in the midst of redevelopment during the recent ASBK round with construction of new pit facilities well underway. A rumoured change of layout is also edging closer to reality, with the track likely to be redesigned – but still operating within the existing footprint. MO Walking wounded Last season’s ASBK Supersport 300 and R3 Cup champion Ben Baker made the trip to QR following his round one crash at Phillip Island. “The main damage was to my collarbone but I’m aiming to be back after Wakefield,” Baker told us, his arm still in a sling. Laura Brown was another to break a collarbone, this time in qualifying at QR, with the injury forcing her out of…

THE LEAD-IN to the Australian Speedway Sidecar Championship at Gillman over the Easter weekend has continued with feature meetings at both Mildura and Gillman in recent weeks. The Bob White Cup at Gillman saw former national champion Mark Mitchell with passenger Tony Carter pull off a last ditch pass on Brodie Cohen/Jesse Headland with Byren Gates/Eli Bock third. Shane Hudson/Adam Constable matched Cohen with 14 points from the heats, one up on Mitchell, but ran infield after making a good start in the final. The 45th staging of the Mildura Sidecar Spectacular produced a win for comeback ‘kids’, former national champions Justin Plaisted and passenger Simon Cohrs ahead of Chris Walker/April Cottrell and Steve Fowler/Willy Walker. Mick Headland/Brenton Kerr won all the heats in which they they finished but again…

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. Diplopia is defined as “the simultaneous perception of two images of a single object that may be displaced horizontally or vertically in relation to each other. Also called double vision, it is a loss of visual focus under regular conditions.” Just imagine experiencing that at 350km/h. Get well soon Marc.…

“I DID THE WHOLE RACE WITH THE RIDE HEIGHT DEVICE COMPLETELY DOWN” KTM’s Brad Binder confesses after battling to an eighth-placed finish at the Indonesian MotoGP round. That’s pretty damn impressive. 36 The number of races in this year’s bumper WorldSBK championship. Our in-depth season preview starts on Page 48. BLESS THESE BIKES A five-day Phillip Island Motorcycle Festival, which includes the popular Blessing of the Bikes, will lead into the MotoGP weekend in October. New organisers will also expand the Blessing of the Bikes, which attracts more than 5000 riders, to NSW and Queensland in November. More info at events.humanitix.com/phillipsislandmotorcyclefestival. Mental Twisties Our spot-the-difference with Joel Kelso proved hugely popular, but it’s Kathy Stackpool who takes the loot. TUNED-UP BONNIE Triumph has partnered with Gibson to create a one-off…

➔MODEL 2021 Triumph Trident 660 ➔IMPORTER PS Importers Pty Ltd ➔NUMBER AFFECTED 79 ➔ISSUE The sidestand mounting bracket may become damaged over time. The sidestand may fail when the motorcycle is parked. ➔POTENTIAL HAZARD The motorcycle may fall over. ➔MODEL 2021-2UBCO 2X2 ADV ➔IMPORTER UBCO Ltd ➔NUMBER AFFECTED 134 ➔ISSUE Due to a manufacturing issue with the wheel hub component, the wheel hub may become loose. If this occurs it may cause the wheel motors to seize. ➔POTENTIAL HAZARD Wheel motors seize without warning. ➔MODEL 2020-22 Yamaha MTN890, MTN890D, MTT890D and variants MT09A, MT09ASP, MT09TRASP ➔IMPORTER Yamaha Motor Australia Pty Ltd ➔NUMBER AFFECTED 835 ➔ISSUE Due to a software fault in the vehicle’s Electronic Control Unit (ECU) the engine may stall, resulting in an unexpected loss of vehicle control, accompanied…

ALWAYS DIFFICULT TO pluck this year’s true star from this far out, as previous seasons have shown all too well. This is a science made all the more inexact by the fact that so many of the top 2021 riders have moved on. Yuta Okaya is a good bet, as much for his MTM team’s winning experience as anything else. Consistency wins this championship more than any other. Hugo De Cancellis, Samuel Di Sora, Bruno Leraci and maybe even 2017 season champion Marc Garcia are ones to look at as potential champions. But this being the craziest class of all, any one of the 300 cast could have their name in lights by the end.…

1 HARDLY SHOCKED Suspensions R Us $1595 (03) 9786 4414 suspensionsrus.com.au YSS RX362 rear shocks are claimed to offer improved performance over OEM Harley Touring Model shocks. YSS RX362 shocks offer adjustable preload and 30 clicks of both compression and rebound damping adjustment, with the remote reservoir and exposed adjusters also adding a decent lick of style. 2 MASTER BLASTER Cassons Australia From $479.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassonsmedia.com Ixon’s Blaster jacket boasts a 600D polyester outer construction with additional 1200D protection in the shoulders and elbows. The Blaster has a waterproof and windproof liner, removable thermal liner, adjustable zippered vents on chest, sleeves and back, and shoulder and elbow protectors, in sizes S to 3XL. 3 KEEPER’S FINDER Whites Powersports $299 (03) 8720 6000 whitesmoto.com.au The Monimoto 7 Smart GPS…

“THE BIGGER THEY are, the harder they fall.” This truism comes from boxing, but applies everywhere. Marc Marquez adds a new twist. “The faster they are, the more often they fall.” It’s easy to make light of crashing, when you crash as often as he does. He even joked at round one in Qatar that he obviously wasn’t back to his full form “because I only fell off once.” His fifth crash of the new season, on the morning of the Indonesian GP, was far from funny. A very fast and very brutal highside left him visibly dazed and ruled him out of the race. Worse followed. The concussion became more complicated: vision problems on the flight home. Straight to the specialist, and he was diagnosed with a return of…

THE LAST TIME GP racing’s junior class raced in Indonesia, a shaggy teenager by the name of Valentino Rossi dominated proceedings, just as he had done right the way through his 125cc championship year. If Sunday was anything to go by, Dennis Foggia could repeat his countryman’s feats as the Leopard Honda rider destroyed the Moto3 field at Mandalika to the tune of 5sec. At times, the Italian was 0.7sec a lap faster than the rest, making a mockery of the claim the high-speed 4.1km track would bring about close racing in the junior class. After breaking clear of battling Aspar GasGas teammates Izan Guevara and Sergio Garcia on the second lap, Foggia was in a class of his own, cruising across the line 2.6sec clear to assume the championship…

PRESEASON TESTING AT this venue taught Michelin it had to veer on the side of caution for its maiden Indonesian GP weekend tyre allocation. “We quickly realised that because of a combination of the new track surface, the fast layout and the high temperatures, that the tyres were being stressed too much and overheating,” said Michelin’s two-wheel manager Piero Taramasso. “We kept the same compounds that during the test gave very good grip levels and consistency. We have put them on special casings that are designed to control the temperatures more effectively.” The more rigid casing was last used in MotoGP at the 2018 Thai GP and caused several riders into set-up and riding-style adjustments. On day one, Suzuki was the factory most impacted, with Joan Mir outside the top…

AFTER TASTING 21ST-century minibike success with the Grom and reinventing its classic Monkey as a 125cc machine, Honda is adding the 1970s-style Dax to the line-up. The Dax originally appeared in 1969, two years after the first Z50, in response to American demands for a slightly larger machine that could carry a passenger. The new Dax, officially a 2023 model, brings back just the same style chassis and sits it above the engine and transmission from the latest version of the Super Cub. That means it’s the same 125cc engine that’s used in the Monkey and Grom, with 6.9kW on tap, but instead of the five-speed manual transmission, it uses the centrifugal clutch and four-speed box of the Super Cub, eliminating the clutch lever. Like the original Dax, the new…

Kiwi high Suzuki GP pioneer Hugh Anderson, a four-time world champ, finally gets the chance to pick up his MotoGP Legends Hall of Fame award from back in 2019. Miller proposes Jack Miller became engaged to girlfriend Ruby Mau after proposing on Miami Beach in Florida. “Got my knee down in a different way today,” he said on socials. Dr Rossi gone Dr Raymond Rossi, Moto America's popular Medical Director since the series' inception in 2015, has died from a suspected heart attack. He was 67. Horror crash A motorcyclist has died after a truck smashed into cars and a motorbike at the scene of an earlier crash on the Bass Highway, in northern Tasmania.…

SEEMS LEGIT We brought you the sensational news that American stuntman ‘Dangerous’ Dirk Dunderberg was getting ready to attempt to jump Uluru on a jet-powered motorcycle. The crazy Yank was said to be hoping like hell that his Uluru jump attempt wouldn’t end up like his previous Wembley Stadium 12-bus jump, which went pear-shaped after his Harley-Davidson seized on the run-up to the take-off ramp. Dirk’s amazing Uluru jump plans were only slightly more remarkable than the fact that we wasted so much time on 500 words of April Fool BS for our own amusement. DR BIG Suzuki seemed to have a knack for producing bikes that were outrageously different back in the 80s. The first Katana was a case in point and the DR BIG of 1988 was no…

Facebook Post of the issue Marc Marquez’s massive highside prompted many (and varied) comments Instagram Don’t Forget #amcn_mag Comment of the Issue Bill White said what many were thinking with a glimpse of Honda’s 1100 Hawk: “I loved my VTR1000 but [it] lacked some ponies. If this is lighter with a more lively motor, I’d be tempted. Till then I’ll stick with my 1098 S” 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…

Four Dominique Aegerter, the current champ for Ten Kate, should be the best bet for top 600cc rider. Could this be Jules Cluzel’s year, however? If he remains uninjured, and is supplied with a peppy enough engine, possibly. Three Soomer is most experienced in this arena but Manzi is also highly regarded. Tuuli has raved about the bigger MV triple since he got on it, and has lots of experience now. If he finds consistency in himself and his bike, he is highly capable. Two Raffaelle De Rosa could even be it if he can change his riding style to suit. Federico Caricasulo could be a dark horse as he has some great WorldSSP results from previous years. Nicolo Bulega is highly rated by many, and also on the ‘factory’…

ON THE SPUR of the moment I decided to phone an old friend. He answered straight away: “Hey, I haven’t heard from you for a while. We’ve just got to Tocumwal.” “Tocumwal?” I replied. “What the hell are you doing in Tocumwal?” “On our way back home from racing in the Roaring Sporties at Broadford, mate,” he replied. “What the hell are you doing on the racetrack; you helped invent that series last century, surely it’s time to move on?” “Oh, mate, it’s still a heap of fun,” Chris Beattie said. A former editor of AMCN back in the 1980s, Beattie founded Heavy Duty, a magazine devoted to all things involving Harley-Davidsons, in 1991. Together with ‘Fast’ Eddy Garner and Peter ‘Pedro’ Russell, Chris persuaded H-D importers, dealers and fellow…

BUILD IT AND they will come. Never mind that the track surface was coming apart or the grandstands were empty for much of the weekend, MotoGP finally made its long-awaited return to Indonesia. And the trials and tribulations over the three days were such that everyone was just relieved there was a race come sundown on Sunday. And a pretty good race it was at that. In many ways the deluge of rain that arrived just after Moto2 and delayed the main event by 75 minutes saved the show. Such were the concerns that parts of the track surface of the picturesque Mandalika International Street Circuit would be unable to withstand the various forces put into the ground by grand prix prototypes in the dry, the MotoGP race was shortened…

MIKE JONES AND THE factory Yamaha Racing Team delivered two knockout results at Queensland Raceway’s second round of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, with a double victory and a new qualifying lap record. Jones’s R1 was fast from the start, possessing incredible stability and drive out of corners, and put the fancied Ducatis of reigning champion Wayne Maxwell (Boost Mobile with K-Tech) and Bryan Staring (Desmosport Ducati) on the back foot. It had been eight years since the national championship last competed at ‘the Paperclip’, a six-corner circuit renowned to be hard on machinery. Staring was off the line quickest in the first race, gaining three or so lengths at the lights to take the holeshot with Maxwell and Jones slotted in behind. Also strong was former Queensland…

RACE DIRECTION AND the stewards at Motorcycling Australia have been kept busy at the opening two ASBK rounds. Following penalties for oversized throttle bodies in the Supersport 300 class at Round 1, more penalties were dished out at Queensland Raceway. Lachlan Epis was disqualified from the first Superbike race after his ECU was found to be running incorrect firmware. He was able to ride in the final race on his second bike, but retired due to mechanical issues. Oceania Junior Cup competitors also copped their share of attention from the stewards, with several penalties being handed down for ‘reckless or dangerous riding’. A series of one-second penalties were handed out over the weekend in an attempt to clamp down on some of the swerving in the dash to the line.…

JASON SPENCER (HONDA) easily won the Superbike class at Round 2 of the Tasmanian Road Race Championships at Symmons Plains recently from Scott Campbell and Scott Honeychurch. First-timer John Allen impressed on debut racing a Honda CBR1000RR after winning the previous round’s Clubman race at his first attempt. A notable absence was Jason Wyllie, who highsided his Ducati V4 on the warm-up lap for the first Superbike race, smashing his hip. As usual the Supersport racing was the closest of the day with Mitch Hawksley (Honda CBR600RR) again winning after close tussles with Marcus Delaney (Yamaha R6), Mathew Long (R6) and Jesse Woods (R6). Several Tassie racers then travelled to Victoria for their state titles while others headed off to South Australia for the national historic championships.…