Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 72 Issue 10 i Australian Motorcycle News

TITAN JEAN PROTECTIVE JEAN $239.95 • Heavy duty stretch denim• Safety stitching• Lined with DuPont™ Kevlar® fibre based fabric in all major crash zones• CE Level 2 knee armour• Hip armour pockets (sold separately)• Regular jeans pockets• Slim fit ZEUS JEAN PROTECTIVE JEAN $199.95 • Heavy duty stretch denim• Safety stitching• Lined with stretch Aramid fabric in all major crash zones• CE knee and hip armour available as optional extras• Regular jeans pockets• Slim fit XENA JEAN LADIES PROTECTIVE JEAN $239.95 • Heavy duty stretch denim• Safety stitching• Lined with DuPont™ Kevlar® fibre based fabric in all major crash zones• CE Level 2 knee armour• Hip armour pockets (sold separately)• Regular jeans pockets• Slim fit URBAN HOODY 2 CASUAL LOOK $299.95 • Outer shell: 500D woven nylon• CE Armour in…

TRIUMPH’S MOTO2 Edition, the hero of the new Street Triple range, follows the recent release of Ducati’s MotoGP-liveried Monster and KTM’s quick sellout of its new track-only RC 8C twin. So what’s going on here? It doesn’t seem that long ago when glamour models were mostly Superbikes? Long-time Triumph employee now Chief Product Manager Steve Sargent got straight to the point when AMCN asked at the Street Triple virtual launch why the Moto2 Edition doesn’t come with a fairing. He said the marketplace “doesn’t demand it anymore”. He also confirmed that the middleweight market segment was the real hotbed of sales competition. Sargent nominated Yamaha’s MT-09, Kawasaki’s Z900 SE, KTM’s Duke 890 R and various Ducati Monster models as Triumph’s rivals. Asked how Triumph got involved in Moto2, Sargent said:…

DARK T700 This ultra-cool Tech Kamo colour is one of three new liveries available on Yamaha’s 2023 Tenere 700. Upgrades included in the European 2023 model (TFT screen and smartphone connectivity) won’t be available as standard on the local version with Yamaha Australia saying it wants to keep the price “cost affordable”. Model availability and pricing are yet to be set. HAPPY TRAILS Aprilia is rolling out a test ride program for its new Tuareg 660 adventure bike in real-world conditions – bitumen and bush. NSW and Queensland riders get the chance at two locations in November: Wisemans Ferry, 19-20 November, and Mount Glorious, 26-27 November. A BIT ON THE SIDE Great to hear that sidecars are on the jam-packed program at The Bend Motorsport Park-hosted ASBK season finale in…

DOMINIQUE AEGERTER (Ten Kate Yamaha) THE WINNINGEST thing on two production-derived wheels, Aegerter has got WorldSSP completely worked out as a rider, and his 10-time champion team Ten Kate has got the bike and setup on a higher plane as well. Domi’s flush of success should see him champion again in 2022 before he even gets to Phillip Island. That and the prospect of his forthcoming GRT Yamaha Superbike ride may just let him ride completely free from any thoughts at Phillip Island beyond winning a double. One of many ex-Moto2 riders who have made WorldSSP a happy home. LORENZO BALDASSARRI (Evan Bros Yamaha) THIS YEAR’S EVAN Bros challenger has won races and shown some great talent, but he’s simply been beaten by Aegerter on a similarly fast bike almost…

01 WorldSBK Rd11, Mandalika, LIVE Videopass, Kayo, Foxsports 12-13 NOVEMBER Check local guides The series looks like going down to the wire between Razgatlioglu and Bautista. It could be decided in Indonesia – although we’d prefer Phillip Island did that the week after! 02 ASBK Rd6 Phillip Island, LIVE SBS, ASBK 18-20 NOVEMBER Check local guides After a huge break we’re back into it, with Mike Jones heading to Phillip Island with a 29pt lead over Wayne Maxwell in the premier Superbike class. Who will get the job done around the magnifricent 4.45km grand prix circuit? 03 OZ SX, Rd3, Newcastle, LIVE australiansupercross.com.au 26 NOVEMBER Check website The Australian Supercross Championship is currently a cut-throat affair, especially in SX1 with Honda’s Justin Brayton and Yamaha’s Aaron Tanti levelpegging at the halfway mark. Live…

HERE WE GO again. TVS, the latest “new owner” of Norton, has revived the Commando, a model it said it would retire after fulfilling a final run to satisfy buyers who had plonked down a deposit with the previous and now disgraced owner, Stuart Garner. So why bring it back to life again? It’s all about so-called heritage brands and the marketing power they wield with iconic model names. Norton dates back to the dawn of motorcycling in 1902, and won the first ever Isle of Man TT in 1907. But it has always had a long and troubled history, mostly because it was underfunded. Even its founder, the legendary James Pa Landsdowne Norton, went bankrupt in 1913. However, having already leveraged brand prestige to an extent that had models…

DO YOU BELIEVE in fairytales? For most of the final weekend of an exhaustive season, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) attempted to write his own one here, as he fought and scrapped for a podium until the bitter end to make this a championship showdown that featured a reasonable degree of jeopardy. While the Frenchman eventually fell short, it was left to Alex Rins (Ecstar Suzuki) to deliver, the Spaniard scoring an incredible send-off win in Suzuki’s MotoGP swansong. His lights-to-flag triumph – a second in three outings – was as surprising as it was convincing, with the #42 getting a supreme launch to lead into the first corner. Despite the close attentions of Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati) and, latterly, a resurgent Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM), he was never…

AFTER SCORING DUCATI’S first MotoGP title for 15 years, Pecco Bagnaia pointed to the defining moment of his season: the moments after his crash at the Sachsenring, when he fell 91 points behind then leader Fabio Quartararo. “I remember that I just lost the faith in the championship like half an hour after the Sachsenring race, but from that moment I was knowing that there was still a chance to be world champion,” he said. “In that moment, I recognised that I was a rider with a lot of ups and downs. With a good speed, but not consistency. To accept that was not easy. So, from that moment, I tried to improve myself.” Despite the shortcomings of his Yamaha YZR-M1, and being 24 points in arrears, Quartararo didn’t take…

MOTOGP WILL have a new FIM Safety Officer from 2023 after Franco Uncini confirmed his retirement from the role he has held since 2013. His replacement raised a few eyebrows. Tome Alfonso Ezpeleta has experience as a track marshal at Jarama, timekeeping coordinator at Dorna, General Manager of Losail International Circuit, and most recently Managing Director of Motorland Aragon. But he is also the nephew of Dorna CEO, Carmelo Ezpeleta. But riders generally waved away calls there was possible nepotism at play. On whether he’d have preferred an ex-rider appointed, Maverick Vinales explained: “But we don’t know about the tarmac. I think you have to be a specialist about tarmacs, gravel, run-off areas and so on.”…

HARRISON WATTS and Teerin Fleming made their international debuts representing Australia in the FIM MiniGP World Series at Valencia alongside the final MotoGP round of the season. The top 32 MiniGP riders from 16 countries around the world took part, eventually won by Italian Gabriel Vuono after he took victory in the double points Super Final. For Aussies Watts and Fleming, the learning curve was steep. “Although this grand final showed that us Aussies really need to step up to be competitive on the world stage, I can take so many positives away from this experience,” Watts said after picking up a best result of 11th in his second qualifying race. Both riders also had to adapt quickly to the Ohvale GP-0 Evo-spec bike, with Watts also having to deal…

TASMANIA’S POPULAR two-hour endurance race is bouncing back from Covid-19 lockdowns on 2 December with the return of mainland co-riders to Baskerville. Renamed the Horizon Motorcycles/Michelin 2-Hour, it sees Tasmania’s recently crowned Superbike champion Jason Spencer (Honda Genuine Parts/Motor Cycle City Honda CBR1000RR) teaming with Victorian Ted Collins. Another top local Brett Simmonds (Total Fork Lift Honda CBR1000RR) has again teamed with ASBK frontrunner Jed Metcher, while the dark-horse entry is Tasmanian B-grade champion Jeremy Huddlestone (Huddlestone Fishing/Tatnell Painting Yamaha R1) who is combining with ASBK star Mike Jones. With entries still to close at time of writing, the only Kawasaki in the Superbike class is Mark Delanty, who is negotiating with Paul Grant-Mitchell to co-ride his ZX-10R. The Supersport class entry is headed by Mitch Hawksley (Webb Racing Honda…

CONGRATULATIONS FRANCESCO BAGNAIA, a deserved 2022 MotoGP World Champion, with seven wins this season ahead of Enea Bastianini’s four, Fabio Quartararo’s three, two apiece for Alex Rins and Miguel Oliviera, and one each for Jack Miller and Aleix Espargaro. Despite Ducati’s dominance in 2023, and the sheer number of Bologna Bullets on the MotoGP grid, it’s interesting to note that all the manufacturers took a win this year (other than Honda!). But there’s no denying the bike to beat once the early-season gremlins were ironed out was Ducati’s GP22, so we’re pretty stoked that Simon Crafar got to test Pecco’s bike for this issue of AMCN. Turn to page 32 to see what he thought of it, and the impressive laptime he managed around the Misano circuit. Just when you…

AMCN IS SADDENED by the news that two local legends have left us in the past week. Heath Buckley, an enormous supporter of AMCN, was killed in a motorcycle accident, while Ken Phelps, whose 400,000km-old Norvin we featured in March (AMCN Vol 71 No 10), died after hitting a kangaroo during the Pacific Cannonball run near Deniliquin. Heath started the Fans of Australian Motorcycle News – AMCN Facebook years before we started our own, and his unrivalled enthusiasm and entertaining posts will be greatly missed. Like so many of us, his lifelong passion started with a Yamaha PW50 (right).…

→ MODEL 2022 BMW S 1000 R, S 1000 RR, S 1000 XR, M 1000 RR → NUMBER AFFECTED 211 → ISSUE Due to a manufacturing issue, the clutch cover screws may become loose. If this occurs, engine oil may leak onto the road and come in contact with the right side of the rear tyre. → MODEL 2018-22 Certain Harley-Davidson Touring / CVO Touring / Trike / CVO Trike models → NUMBER AFFECTED 3788 → ISSUE Due to a software issue, the brake light may remain illuminated when the brakes are not applied. → MODEL 2021-22 Harley-Davidson Nightster → NUMBER AFFECTED 31 → ISSUE The handlebar may have a weld quality issue that could lead to separation between its inner and outer sections. → MODEL 2019-22 Indian FTR →…

WorldSSP racing went through a massive upheaval in 2022, with new engine capacities allowed to compete against each other. Those changes have created a lot of conversations, but in the rider market there’s also been a lot to focus on – including the debut season of Australian Oli Bayliss. Riding for the Barni Spark Racing Team on a slightly neutered 955cc Ducati Panigale V2, Oli has had his ups and downs, including in the most recent round in Argentina. The biggest thing that has caught his breath in his rookie year isn’t anything about himself, but the calibre of the competition. They are bloody quick! “THERE ARE TWO MORE RACES WHERE I DON’T KNOW THE TRACKS, BUT THEN THERE IS PHILLIP ISLAND” “I honestly didn’t expect the field to be…

ROAD RACING SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Rd11 12-13 Nov, Mandalika, ID Rd12 19-20 Nov, Phillip Island, AU AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Rd6 18-20 Nov, Phillip Island, Vic Rd7 25-27 Nov, The Bend, SA OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP Rd6 2-4 Dec, The Bend, SA 2023 MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP* Rd1 26 Mar, Portimao, PT Rd2 2 Apr, Termas de Rio Hondo, AR Rd3 16 Apr, Austin, US Rd4 30 Apr, Jerez, ES Rd5 14 May, Le Mans, FR Rd6 11 Jun, Mugello, IT Rd7 18 Jun, Sachsenring, DE Rd8 25 Jun, Assen, NL Rd9 9 Jul, Sokol, KZ Rd10 6 Aug, Silverstone, GB Rd11 20 Aug, Spielberg, AT Rd12 3 Sep, Barcelona, ES Rd13 10 Sep, Misano, IT Rd14 24 Sep, Buddh, IN Rd15 1 Oct, Motegi, JN Rd16 15 Oct, Mandalika, ID Rd17 22…

She said ARAI’S PRO SHADE system has received mixed reviews at Gassit HQ, and I stand firmly in the big-fan corner. However as also a fan of the drop-down inner sun visor offered in a lot of rival helmet brands, I needed convincing. But there’s plenty to love. And not just the fact that the integrity of the shell is higher than brands with hollowed-out sections required to accomodate the drop-down versions. So much so that it means the difference between Snell-approved and not. Optically, both the clear visor and the red iridium shield I’m running are as accurate as anything I’ve ever worn. I like that I don’t have to fumble around on the side of my helmet looking for a lever, instead it’s a thumb under the centre…

NEW PRICE $12,990 SECONDHAND $3990-$5990 WHAT TO LOOK FOR THE TRANSALP IS a trouble-free bike with no pattern of problems. Rusting fuel tanks in some early models will have been replaced long ago under warranty. If there’s more than 65,000km on the clock and the normally quiet engine is noisy, budget for a new camchain. Check for signs of neglect and abuse, in particular any frame, wheel or casting damage resulting from crashes or frequent unsealed road work. SERVICE HISTORY THE TRANSALP XL650V is a straightforward enough bike to work on, with DIY owners appreciating its accessible carburettor-era technology. Valve clearance adjustment on the front cylinder is tricky, however, requiring a special bent feeler-gauge to do the job. Regular cleaning, lubing and adjusting of the chain is important, particularly after…

THE WAY I got into riding an Ohvale and MiniGP is an interesting story in itself. I was building a house alongside Nic Angeopoulos, one of the partners at Ohvale Australia. He invited me for a few rides at Oakleigh go-kart track and, within a few months, I’d purchased my own bike. In my 20s I had owned bikes; I rode the streets, fell offand went to the odd rideday. I’d always wanted to race bikes but the money and family side always got in the way. I used to play basketball on a Wednesday night which was my sport time for the week, but now it’s motorbikes. Once a week I can go for a ride and not have it affect my weekends or time with my kids. I…

TITLE CONTENDERS AUGUSTO Fernandez (Ajo Kalex) and Ai Ogura (HTA Kalex) had each slipped up in the two previous encounters. With the former arriving here 9.5 points clear, there was every reason to suspect another twist in the title race lay in wait. Ogura attacked the showdown with all he had from the second row, while Fernandez was flustered from the third row on the grid. By lap two, the Japanese rider appeared the man more likely, as he slotted into second, behind Tony Arbolino (Marc VDS Kalex) and ahead of polesitter Alonso Lopez (Speed Up Boscoscuro), Pedro Acosta (Ajo Kalex) and Fernandez, describing the first eight laps as “a nightmare”. Yet Acosta was soon pressing Ogura, who was already riding above and beyond. Entering Turn 8 on the eighth…

SUNDAY WAS further proof Suzuki’s decision to leave MotoGP at the close of the year was daft. Alex Rins’ final performance for the Hamamatsu factory was impressive when taken all alone, never mind that he had an emotional moment with mechanics on the grid. “It was amazing to finish the season like this. Suzuki is leaving, so I couldn’t do it better, getting the first position. First of all, during this weekend, many emotions come to my body, to my mind, so I try to keep it at the side because yesterday the qualifying was so important and we did it quite well, starting on P5. Also, the concentration was so difficult. “But there on the grid I was saying goodbye to the mechanics and I was crying. All the…

THERE WAS some joy for Australian riders as the UK speedway season finally wrapped up in the first week of November after dispensation was granted to race beyond the usual 31 October deadline because of a spate of washed-out meetings. In the top-tier British Premiership league, Australian team manager Mark Lemon managed Belle Vue to league glory with Max Fricke, Brady Kurtz and Jye Etheridge in his line-up. In the final, Belle Vue beat Sheffield which is managed by British team manager Simon Stead and with Jack Holder and Justin Sedgmen in the team. Sheffield took some consolation in winning the League Cup against Kings Lynn which is captained by Josh Pickering. Ipswich was crowned Premiership Pairs champion after winning three of the five rounds before the last round could…

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… We also realise that the MOTY test is a special event with very special demands placed on machines and riders and, as such, this year we learnt that it’s best to wear protective gear during drunken arguments – or when unsuccessfully attempting to clamber up a grass hill. It’s also perfectly acceptable to break your leg to get out of riding in the rain, and using an ironing board as a makeshift bar, and we also endorse fully insuring your Triumph in Lavington, and that being in possession of above average levels of…

“FABIO CAN’T USE ANY DATA TO IMPROVE HIMSELF, BUT DUCATI HAS SEVEN RIDERS IN THE TOP 10”Yamaha Team Director Maio Meregalli on the frustrations of battling the dominant force that is Ducati 2006 The year Troy Bayliss jumped off his world championship-winning Ducati Superbike to win the MotoGP season finale at Valencia and become a deadset Aussie legend. Mental Twisties The winner of the coveted AMCN neck sock this issue is Patrick Smedley. Has there ever been a triple shoey on a world championship podium before the Australian GP? 1. Actual liquid 2. ‘a’ missing on wall 3. Prosscco spelling 4. Hat Logo gone 5. Jack missing finger IN THE BAG Curious about Ixon’s airbag system for racers? The inflators, controller and bladder are integrated into the suit lining and…

The year was… 10-E We created this image of the yet to be released Yamaha Super Ténéréand, we must admit, we were pretty bloody close. Details were limited at the time, but we did know that it would be a shaft-driven 1200 with a parallel-twin donk, 270-degree crank, switchable engine mapping, traction control, ABS and linked braking. Touted as Yammie’s answer to BMW’s R 1200 GS, the T-10 never really put up a fight to the Beemer in the sales stakes and not a whole lot has changed since its release. DRAG QUEEN Twelve years ago our very own Kel Buckley became a drag queen. Six journos from Aussie bike mags took part in an elimination shootout as part of the Triumph Rocket Roadster World Cup Challenge at Heathcote Dragway…

THE LEONCINO 800 Trail has a few differences that actually make it capable off-road, rather than a pretender. And to my mind, those features also make the Trail variant a far more appealing proposition – especially when there’s only 500 bucks in it. While the suspension looks identical, travel at both ends increases from 130mm on the 800 to 140mm on the 800 Trail. As a consequence, ground clearance is increased from 150mm to 191mm and seat height grows from 805mm to 834mm. The Trail rolls on a 19-inch front and 17-inch side-laced tubeless wheels, whereas the 800 runs on 17-inch cast-alloy wheels. The rubber is different as well, with the Trail wearing Pirelli Scorpion STR rubber while the 800 rolls on less aggressive Pirelli MT 60 trail-style tyres. The…

YOU MAY HAVE expected Troy to be at every single round of Oli’s debut season, but for lots of reasons he has only been to a smattering. “My role now is to just be his dad,” said Troy inside the back of the Barni Spark truck. “I came over in February with him, basically just to give him some support and help him get settled in. An 18-year-old being out of home by himself is not ideal, so I was here just to help get him started, really. That rolled on for a while. “I kind of helped him get sorted and now they’re by themselves and starting their own life. I love the guys and I love the team, but it’s him and them – they have to gel.…

I’VE BEEN RUNNING Cardo’s new Packtalk Edge for a few months now and it’s been fantastic. Coming from the Packtalk Bold, there’s not a whole heap of extra functionality that I’ve had call to use, but it’s slimmer, has a new magnetic attachment system and loses none of the performance that I like so much on the Bold. The Edge was super easy to install into my helmet, except for the JBL speakers which took a bit of fiddling to fit into my Shoei NXR2 lid. This is more to do with the speaker pockets in the Shoei which are quite small, as they fit perfectly in my Arai road helmet and Bell adventure helmet. I’ve used Cardo’s Packtalk Bold and Freecom 4+ in the past, and in my experience…

New stuff 1 GUN LID Royal Enfiled Australia From $164 (03) 9350 3731 royalenfield.com.au The Royal Enfield ‘Old Boy’ Helmet sports a classic design, thermoplastic shell and three-piece EPS liner, as well as a knit, leather and polyester combination comfort liner. It also boasts metal vents, chrome trims, a ball bearing visor mechanism, UV-treated visor and paintwork and ISI & ECE 22.05 certification. 2 LEATHER FIST Ficeda Accessories $99.95 1300 437 711 ficeda.com.au The Fist Road Warrior glove features a full-grain leather construction with an accordion stretch panel on the knuckles for maximum comfort. The Road Warrior also sports a Velcro wrist strap closure, contrast stitching on the palm and fingertips, and an embossed Fist logo. It’s available in black or tan. 3 BOOTS OF TROOPS Moto National $199.95 (07)…

A CLIFF-HANGER. A title going to the last race. Not that usual – in more than 70 years of GP racing there have been just 19 occasions when the premier-class championship was decided only at the last race. And one occasion when two rivals ended the season equal on points. That was in 1967, MV versus Honda, Giacomo Agostini versus Mike Hailwood. Ago got the nod, because though they were equal on five wins apiece, the Italian had three second places to Mike’s two (coincidentally, the same year Hailwood and Phil Read were equal on points in the 250 class, but Mike was crowned by virtue of better subsidiary results). But does the best rider always win? Is the championship anything more than a game of percentages, rewarding reliability as…

IZAN GUEVARA (Aspar GASGAS) demonstrated exactly why he wrapped up this championship with two races to spare to expertly keep his cool in a tight last-lap fight with Deniz Oncu (Tech3 KTM) to claim a seventh win of the year. Like many of his other triumphs, Guevara’s performance had the hallmarks of classic Jorge Lorenzo. The 18-year old got the holeshot from pole position and stretched the pack from the front on the very first lap. Initially, Oncu, Sergio Garcia (Aspar GASGAS) and Ivan Ortola (MTA KTM) were the only men who could go with him. But soon, Oncu was the lone shadow as he and Guevara streaked clear. Aside from Oncu disposing with something that had come loose on his fairing on lap 10, it was clear this would…

HOT ON the heels of losing WithU as a title sponsor, RNF Racing, Razlan Razali’s beleaguered satellite outfit, announced it has a new majority shareholder: CryptoDATA Tech. The company, described in an official release as a blockchain-applied technologies pioneer and developer of hardware and software cybersecurity solutions, found a way in to MotoGP via title sponsorship of the Austrian GP. This partnership comes on the back of reported financial issues for Razali’s year-old RNF outfit, with certain team members thought to have gone considerable time without getting paid. Next year, the team will switch from Yamaha to Aprilia machinery.…

JOEL KELSO and Senna Agius are the latest big names to be announced as wildcards for the ASBK final round at The Bend Motorsport park over 25-27 November. Both will ride in the Superbike class, with Kelso expected to line up alongside Glenn Allerton on the second Maxima BMW, while Agius will be on a Honda alongside Troy Herfoss. The announcements come after the news that MotoAmerica Stock 1000 champ Travis Wyman will be competing at both Phillip Island and The Bend after securing a Yamaha YZF-R1 with the Addicted to Track team. The trio joins a star-studded list already confirmed for The Bend in Jack Miller, Josh Hook and Marcel Schrotter.…

THE VICTORIAN Speedway Solo Championship kicked off the summer of title meetings at Mildura’s Olympic Park Speedway on 5 November. Former World Under 21 champion Jaimon Lidsey won the Victorian crown after being unbeaten in his heats and then beating defending champion Justin Sedgmen in the final with Cooper Reardon third. James Pearson won the B Final but trailed in the decider and finished in fourth position. There were two titles for the juniors (Under 16s) on the same program, with WA riders Mitch McDiarmid and Linkin Metcalf finishing 1-2 in the 250cc Championship, ahead of NSW rider Beau Bailey in third while Noah Grabham fell. Cooper Antone triumphed in the 125cc Championship, taking the final ahead of Kobi Canning, Mitch McDiarmid and Blake Schlein. Next up Kurri Kurri will…