Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 72 Issue 06 i Australian Motorcycle News

FIFTY YEARS AGO it was the introduction of Japanese inline fours that essentially killed off the big parallel twin and with it the British bike industry. But now, half a century on, Suzuki is the latest Japanese manufacturer to jump on the parallel-twin bandwagon. We have spy shots in this issue (p12) revealing the Hamamatsu firm has a new 700cc parallel twin in the pipeline for use in new naked and adventure bikes. This new twin will replace Suzuki’s ageing 650cc V-twin that currently sees service in the SV650 and the V-Strom 650, and will compete against the likes of Yamaha’s successful mid-capacity twin used in the MT-07 and YZF-R7. Why all this investment in new parallel twins? There are several benefits While Honda has also offered a range of…

SO FAR, DUCATI has launched the first of its new 2023 models in the form of the Streetfighter V4 Lamborghini, and there are six more unveilings planned between now and November. These are expected to include a new Monster SP – probably on 15 September, a launch dubbed ‘Ready for More?’ – and a new Panigale V4 R homologation special on 7 October at the ‘This is Racing’ presentation. The ‘Unlock Earth’ unveiling on 29 September is surely an additional Multistrada model, and we know that one of the remaining launches will be the all-new Scrambler line-up – probably the final one on 7 November called ‘Next Gen Freedom’. That leaves two slots for the Diavel V4, 20 October ’22 at an unveiling called ‘Push Forward’ or 28 October ’22…

SUZUKI’S LONG-RUNNING V-Strom 1050 soft-roader is taking the challenge to its rivals in the mid-priced adventure category, with a more serious off-road DE version joining a more road-oriented standard model. This means a 21-inch/17-inch wire wheel combination, a longer swingarm, increased travel, engine guards and revision to the electronic rider aids that include a “gravel mode” and the ability to turn off the rear ABS. There’s no dispute that the V-Strom is a popular model in Australia, largely based around its price and the fact that it isn’t an intimidating off-roader. Designed primarily for Europe, where looks mean more than off-road ability, the upgrade recognises that Suzuki had to try harder both to get current owners to upgrade and also attract buyers tempted by harder-edged rivals in this market segment.…

APRILIA IS DEVELOPING a new 250cc parallel-twin engine that could see the revival of the legendary RS250 name on a future small sportsbike. Of course, the new engine isn’t a two-stroke like the Suzuki-made unit that powered the original RS250, rather it is expected to be made in China to keep costs down. This will be done through the Piaggio-Zongshen joint venture which already makes 250cc single-cylinder versions of the Aprilia RS125 and Tuono 125. Aprilia already sells a 250cc sportsbike in China, the GPR250R, essentially the same as the RS125 but with a larger engine. This was released as the RS250 SP in 2020 for track use-only in some other markets. An additional naked version – dubbed GPR250S but looking identical to the Tuono 125 sold elsewhere – was…

“I ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT THEM. IT’S ABOUT OTHER CARS NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE YOU. I’M ALWAYS TELLING MY SONS THAT” King Charles III talking a few years back about how he feared for the safety of his motorcycle-obsessed sons William and Harry. 100 The man who crashes without crashing using an uncanny natural instinct and his elbow clocks up 100 laps in the recent Misano MotoGP test session and ends up fastest Honda rider. Results on page 104 COFF UP, MATE! Flat-track, motocross, a huge motorcycle show plus ‘Champions of the Dirt’ and the popular Sultans of Slide” events will be held around the Coffs Harbour area in November. It’s part of the upcoming inaugural Coffs Coast Festival of Motor Sport to be run over two weekends from 5…

THEY BOTH HAVE British heritage, they’re both parallel twins and they both do retro better than most, but that’s where the similarities between the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Triumph Bonneville T120 end. The Trumpy’s parallel-twin engine is almost twice as big as the RE’s, it produces almost twice the power and torque, and the T120 costs almost twice as much as the Interceptor, but is it twice the bike? Well, kind of… but kind of not. Ridden in isolation, the LAMS-compliant RE Interceptor is a sweet machine. It off ers adequate performance, decent handling and reasonable comfort, along with fabulous looks. It sounds great, too, thanks to its 270° crank. Sure, it’s a bit light-on for features (no TC, no cruise control) but that’s partly why it’s so…

01 MotoGP Rd15, Aragon, LIVE Videopass, Kayo, Foxsports 18 SEPTEMBER From 5pm AEST Pecco Bagnaia is coming! The Italian can do no wrong and he’ll want to continue piling on the pressure to Fabio Quartararo. Moto3 will air from 7pm AEST, followed by Moto2 at 8:20pm and MotoGP at 10pm. 02 FIM Speedway GP, Rd10, Malilla, LIVE Kayo, Foxsports 17 SEPTEMBER From 3am AEST British rider Dan Bewley has hit a purple patch with victories in the last two Speedway Grand Prix rounds, but has he left his title run too late? Aussie trio Jason Doyle, Jack Holder and Max Fricke are due for big results. 03 WSBK Rd8, Catalunya, LIVE Videopass, Kayo, Foxsports 24-25 SEPTEMBER From 6.25pm Sep 10 AEST The clamour to become the 2022 WorldSBK champion continues…

AFTER SO MANY injuries, this year has definitely produced more than I’ve expected. Last weekend’s Moto3 wildcard was an incredible experience; the whole grid is so fast and I really felt like a small fish in a big pond. That was only my second visit to Misano, so I was still trying to get my head around how the rest of the field do things, how they approach the corners. I have to change some things in my riding style; it was a challenge but a very good experience. I know I made some errors but I now know where I need to improve to come back stronger. Even with my Red Bull Rookies experience, the thing that struck me the most was that as soon as the bikes rolled…

FROM A RIDER without a job to Moto2’s next hot prospect, Alonso Lopez (Speed Up Boscoscuro) capped a remarkable 21-month turnaround at Misano. The 20-year-old led every lap of Sunday’s Moto2 race to become the first non-Kalex rider to win in the class since the final race of 2019. Lopez stood strong in the face of early pressure from Albert Arenas (Aspar Kalex) and polesitter Celestino Vietti (VR46 Kalex) before easing clear in a race that saw 12 riders fall. It wasn’t always a given he would breeze home to win. Aron Canet’s (Pons Kalex) mid-race pace was a cause for concern, after he dropped early battlers Ai Ogura (HTA Kalex) and Augusto Fernandez (Ajo Kalex) to join the fight for second. Canet’s speed forced a crucial error from Vietti,…

LORENZO BALDASSARRI (EVAN Bros Yamaha) scored his third straight win in race one by holding off another Yamaha rider in the shape of Glenn van Straalen (EAB) after what were a final 12 laps of often tough action in the front. Championship leader Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Yamaha) was eventually third but was down the order for some time. The Kawasaki Puccetti Racing duo of Can Oncu and Yari Montella were fourth and fifth, in a red-flagged race that saw Bahatthin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Kyle Smith (VFT Yamaha) collide. Sofuoglu lay prone trackside, bringing out the red flags and the race being called, with full points, after 12 laps. Pole man and convincing leader Federico Caricasulo (Althea Ducati) had a sudden technical issue while leading and had…

REMY GARDNER ISN’T the only rider feeling snubbed by a brand with Jorge Martin questioning the need for Ducati to create “a war” between himself and Enea Bastianini for a seat in the factory team in 2023; a battle he lost. The Spaniard said he felt Ducati management had lost some confidence in his ability during a shaky season, where he had scored just two podiums in 13 races; a run that contributed to Bastianini gaining the edge. “I think it’s not good even for Enea or for me, this war they create, the media or even… a lot of people were talking. But I mean, I just try to make my good results. I suffer a little bit at the beginning of the season. Then from Barcelona I started…

DOMINIQUE AEGERTER (INTACTGP) clinched the MotoE World Cup in the first outing at Misano after title rival Eric Granado (LCR) crashed out at Turn 14 as the pair were scrapping on track for victory. Aegerter sealed his title success with second place behind Mattia Casadei (Pons) with Matteo Ferrari (Gresini) third. With the pressure off, Aegerter very nearly won race two, but a last-lap mistake saw him drop from second to fourth. Matteo Ferrari (Gresini) produced a stellar T13 last-gasp pass on Casadei, who couldn’t recover despite a desperate lunge at the final turn. Granado grabbed the final podium spot. As a reward, Aegerter was given the opportunity to ride Joan Mir’s GSX-RR at the opening day of the two-day test in Misano. He ended the test in 27th, 0.01sec…

AUSSIE TOM DRANE made the most of a rain-affected American Flat Track Springfield Mile, taking a stunning victory in the AFT Singles Dash for Cash after the bulk of the main events were cancelled following heavy rain. Super Twins leader Jared Mees was promoting the event, with the season now having just two rounds left to run. Drane, who had flown over especially, was up against in-form compatriot Max Whale (Red Bull KTM), Trevor Brunner (Estenson Yamaha) and Chase Saathoff (American Honda). After a strong start in perfect conditions, Drane put the elbows out for a convincing victory. “Just getting here was a bit unusual, Jamie Stauffer travelled with us and had built my race bike. We had to load it into an esky to protect the engine on the…

A MOTORCYCLE THAT can be spoken about in the same breath as the Interceptor 650 and T120 is the BSA Gold Star, which was launched at Motorcycle Live in Birmingham last year. Named after the company’s most illustrious sporting model, the Gold Star is now being delivered through UK showrooms in five different liveries with prices starting at £6500 ($A11,000). The Gold Star has a Euro 5 compliant, liquid-cooled (the radiator isn’t too obtrusive), fuel-injected, 652cc single-cylinder engine, the design sourced from Rotax in Austria. It has a five-speed gearbox and slipper clutch and produces a claimed 33.56kW at 6500rpm at the crankshaft and peak torque of 55Nm delivered at 4000rpm. That would put it under the LAMS umbrella in Australia, but there are plans to crank up the output…

ROAD RACING MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Rd15 18 Sep, Aragon, ES Rd16 25 Sep, Twin Ring Motegi, JP Rd17 2 Oct, Chang International, TH Rd18 16 Oct, Phillip Island, AU Rd19 23 Oct, Sepang, MY Rd20 6 Nov, Ricardo Tormo Valencia, ES SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Rd8 24-25 Sep, Catalunya, ES Rd9 8-9 Oct, Portimao, PT Rd10 22-23 Oct, El Villicum, AR Rd11 12-13 Nov, Mandalika, ID Rd12 19-20 Nov, Phillip Island, AU ASBK Rd6 18-20 Nov, Philip Island, Vic Rd7 25-27 Nov, The Bend, SA FIM MINIGP AUSTRALIA Rd4 30 Sep-2 Oct, Oakleigh, Vic BRITISH SUPERBIKE C’SHIP Rd9 24-25 Sep, Oulton Park, CHS Rd10 1-2 Oct, Donington Park, LCE Rd11 15-16 Oct, Brands Hatch, KEN MOTOAMERICA Rd11 24-25 Sep, Barber M’sport Park, AL FIM JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Rd7 8 Oct, Aragon,…

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WHAT IS ONE of the worst fates to befall a MotoGP rider? Oddly, it’s the same as one of the best. It’s joining the factory Honda team. For the past decade or so, riding a Repsol Honda has offered one of two outcomes. You have all the potential to win the championship. Or your career hits the buffers. The last factory Honda rider other than Marc Marquez to win a GP was Dani Pedrosa in 2017. And by 2022, the usually dominant manufacturer appears to have switched off the light at the end of the tunnel. Take Jorge Lorenzo. A triple-champion and a sublime rider, with 47 race wins, all but three on a Yamaha, where his super-precise style meant he ousted Rossi from the top spot. He moved to…

WEEKENDS DON’T GET much better than what Dennis Foggia (Leopard Honda) experienced. The Italian triumphed in his home GP, becoming the first Moto3 rider in history to win three races at the same track a day after confirming his promotion to the Moto2 class next year with the Italtrans team. Among a hoard of KTM and GasGas machines, Foggia flew the flag solo for Honda up front. He was smartest of all in a last-lap fight with Jaume Masia (Ajo KTM), Izan Guevara (Aspar GasGas) and Deniz Oncu (Tech3 KTM) after they had broken clear of the field. It was a messy start to the race. Ayumu Sasaki (Max Racing Husqvarna) was taken out on the first lap by Nicola Carraro (Avintia KTM). Title leader Sergio Garcia (Aspar GasGas) ran…

VICTOR STEEMAN (MTM Kawasaki) looked like the rider most likely to take the win in Race 1, having taken pole after very strong pre-race practice sessions, but his early leading pace got quashed by his pursuers. He was to cause a multiple rider pile up that saw several fellow top Kawasaki riders taken out, leaving Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsports Yamaha) the narrow winner from Marc Garcia (Yamaha MS Racing) and Alvaro Diaz (Arco Motor University Team). An all-YZF-R3 podium. Lone KTM campaigner Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM Paligo Racing) was fourth, leaving the Inigo Iglesias (SWM Racing Kawasaki) in fifth. Race 2 saw a remarkable turnaround of fortunes for Steeman. Fastest in every session except Race 1 early in the weekend he was penalised with two long laps in Race 2…

ANDREA DOVIZIOSO WAVED MotoGP farewell in his 346th and final GP. “The weekend was really crazy,” he said. “I really didn’t expect so many people would support me in a crazy way. I was crying last night [Saturday] with the video [tribute]. I’m really happy and it couldn’t have been any better. My decision to stop here was right and thank you to Yamaha and the team. When you are not fighting for the championship it’s normal [to not be in the limelight] because you are not so important during the year. But when you decide to retire all the people look at you in a different way because they start to really focus on what you did and then what you are doing.” He signed off in fine style,…

ONLY TWO ROUNDS of the 2022 Speedway Grand Prix series remain which means the chances for rivals to deny Polish rider Bartosz Zmarzlik a third world title are running out – as are the chances for Australia’s trio to force their way into a top six finish. Zmarzlik is 20pt clear and only has to outpoint Leon Madsen in this Saturday’s Kaeser FIM Speedway GP of Sweden at Malilla to wrap up the title. The last two rounds have seen both Dan Bewley and Zmarzlik triumph for the second time this campaign, while there was little joy for the Aussies with just one semi-final outing between them. All three Australians are adrift of the top six, although it matters not to Jack Holder. And with Bewley entrenched in the top…

THE EXISTENCE OF the production Suzuki parallel twin raises one key question – what’s happened to the turbocharged twin idea that started with the Recursion and the XE7 engine in 2013 and 2015 respectively? Suzuki’s patents over the intervening years have suggested that the boosted version of the new parallel twin engine is still very much in development. At the launch of the updated Hayabusa a year ago, engineers admitted that turbocharged versions had also been trialled, showing that Suzuki’s interest in boost is still alive and well.…

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I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but if you’re actually interested in riding your motorcycle in any meaningful way then that cut-down Honda CX500 with its hand-stitched leather seat is not going to meet your motorcycling needs. And I don’t care how much you’ve paid for it, but neither is that stripped-back, pod-filtered Kawasaki Z550. The manufacturers that originally built these machines spent months, maybe years, and many thousands of R&D dollars to ensure their bikes did things the right way, and decades before a so-called ‘bike builder’ in some reclaimed innercity factory started chopping subframes, fitting dumb-looking tanks and generally striving, it seems, to create the ugliest motorcycle possible before slapping a hefty price tag on it and flogging it as a retro motorcycle. I love the retro thing,…

Born on 18 January 1936 and raised on a New Zealand dairy farm, Hugh Robertson Anderson played rugby league, began his working life in a foundry before moving into a coal mine. He loved motorcycles and knew from as young as 10-years old that he’d one day race the Isle of Man TT. At 17 years old, Anderson won every race he entered during his first off-road race meeting and, not long after, riding an eight-year-old bike purchased in pieces he also won the first road race he entered. A multitude of wins and races culminated in double Senior and Junior victories at the 1960 New Zealand TT and a one-way ticket to England, aged 24, to take on the world. Three weeks after arriving in the UK, he qualified…

CONCAVE CHEST, SPARROW legs, possessing minimal muscle definition, I was a typical example of an early-1970s tearaway. We took inspiration from images of our rock gods, such as guitarist Keith Richards, singer Robert Plant and drummer Ginger Baker. Look at any image of Robert Plant circa 1972 and you see him flaunting his bare chest. It may have been the hot look of the era but he was certainly no Charles Atlas – rather a contestant in the Mr Puniverse world title. Atlas made a fortune turning “97-pound weaklings” into “real he-men”. However it bore little relevance to our existence. In fact, we scoffed at those obsessed with body shape and muscular development. And it bears little relevance to the stars of MotoGP today. Multiple world champions such as “Mighty”…

AT THE CLOSE of 27 laps packed with tension, it was impossible to forget the words of Johann Zarco (Pramac Ducati) three days before. In a press conference previewing the 14th round of the year, the Frenchman was asked whether the Bologna bods had given their men directives to aid Francesco Bagnaia’s (Lenovo Ducati) title quest. “(Gigi) Dall’Igna (Ducati’s General Director) said if you have the opportunity to get the victory, go for it – but be clever,” he said. Could those words and that pep talk have been playing on Enea Bastianini’s (Gresini Ducati) mind in those final laps as he bore down on Bagnaia, whose late-race speed had split the lead group of four and left Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Luca Marini (VR46 Ducati) behind? How could…

AT MISANO, THE MARQUEZ brothers explained the reasoning behind their split with long-time manager Emilio Alzamora, who had been advising Marc since he was 12. Both will be managed by Jimmy Martinez from now on, a figure who held the position of Head of Motorsports Marketing at Red Bull. And while Marc was light on details when explaining why he split from the 1999 125cc world champion, he admitted relations had been strained over the past three years. “You don’t have the same mentality when you are 18 years old or when you are 30. And sometimes in the relations is important to choose the correct moment to stop, to finish in a good way. “It’s true that the last two or three years already was difficult. I’m not the…

TOM TOPARIS MADE his return to racing at BSB’s previous round at Cadwell Park, riding a Triumph 765 in the Supersport category. The appearance followed an almost two-year recovery from complex arm surgery, with Toparis saying he was happy with his 12-10 results considering the learning curve of a new bike and layout. Toparis was again in the points at Snetterton with an 8-10 scorecard. The Aussie contingent in Superstock 1000 grew to four at Snetterton with the addition of Mark Chiodo (Tamworth Yamaha), but it was Billy McConnell (Jackson Racing Honda) making news for losing the championship lead after being taken out on the opening lap, an incident which also claimed Brayden Elliot (CFS Filtration No Bull Racing Honda), now fourth in the standings. Levi Day (Powerslide Motorcycles Suzuki)…

FOR THE FIRST time since Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne, Great Britain has won the Senior Trophy at the International Six Days Enduro, this year held in Le Puy-en-Velay, France. From the off, EnduroGP champion Josep Garcia led defending champ Spain to a narrow lead before Great Britain took command on day two and didn’t look back. “It’s probably the most technical Six Days I’ve ever ridden,” said former outright ISDE champ Daniel Milner, who rode for the Aussie Senior Trophy team. Milner’s teammates Todd Waters and Josh Green both failed to finish the gruelling event with injuries, leaving Andy Wilksch and Milner to last the distance. Australia fell back to 21st position after the injury woes, while the Brits finished five minutes clear of Italy – just scraping…

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 carrying plenty of food and water, and maybe a box of matches and even a satphone, especially if you’re going to head into the bush on your Pat Malone on a brand-new KTM 1290 Super Adventure and get it bogged up to the axles in a mudhole. What time did you get out again PV? What? 2.30am?!…