Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 72 Issue 11 i Australian Motorcycle News

AS A BUSY 2023 draws to a close, I can’t help but feel excited about what’s coming up in the world of motorcycling in 2023? in terms of new bikes, racing, events and more. When it comes to new bikes, we got a good glimpse of what’s in store for us next year at the recently held EICMA show in Milan. I won’t go into all the details here (you can see the highlights in news starting on page 8) except to mention a few of the bikes I’m particularly excited about. Firstly, the exquisite retro-done-right MV Agusta 921 S concept. Simply stunning and, although there’s no guarantee it will go into production ‘as is’, one can assume the production version won’t stray too far from the concept. Secondly, I…

TO BRING it in line with its premium European rivals, Yamaha unveiled electronic updates for its Tracer 9 GT at EICMA, but Yamaha Australia has already confirmed it will not make the radar-assisted technology available Down Under. The popular triple-cylinder machine received adaptive cruise control (ACC) and a radar-linked braking system – which Yamaha claims is a first for “the motorcycling world" – as well as electronic suspension, switchable riding modes and a new and updated seven-inch TFT dash. The firm has also added a GT version of the Tracer 7 to the line-up, both of which also gain a few updates for the new model year. There’s larger brake discs (now 298mm), a five-inch TFT dash with smartphone connectivity, a wider screen and revised fork setting. An updated Niken…

BENELLI BURST onto the EICMA stage with a pair of 698cc adventure bikes that have Yamaha’s Tenere 700 firmly in their sights. We’ve previously nabbed pictures of the TRK702 and more off-road-oriented TRK702X from Chinese type-approval documents, but this is their first official showing. Powered by a new parallel-twin that’s almost identical to CFMoto’s 700CL-X engine, the TRK702s both make 56kW and 68.2Nm of torque at 8750rpm and 6250rpm respectively. They are mounted in a steeltube frame not unlike that used on the smaller TRK502 models. It’s all wrapped in styling similar to the larger, 754cc TRK800 that was first shown a year ago. This bike now seems increasingly redundant, since it has an identical peak power output to the new TRK702 models but is a heavier and probably more…

“A COUPLE WILL END UP IN SOME MUSEUM, OTHERS WILL BE CRUSHED, ALONG WITH SPARE PARTS AND EVERYTHING”Suzuki team manager Livio Suppo confirms what will become of the factory’s gorgeous GSX-RR prototypes. 368km That's how many kays Fabio Quartararo completed at the MotoGP test after the Valencia finale. He did the most laps with 92, while Marc Marquez, who was disappointed by what Honda rolled out as a 2023 prototype, did the least with 50 laps (200km). Check out Simon Crafar’s report from pitlane starting page 58 Mental Twisties The winner of last issue’s spot the difference is seven-year-old Harvey Farrar from Adamstown Heights in NSW. Top job! 1. Extra person 2. ’66 number 3. Tyres removed 4. Logo removed 5. Bracket shortened DUC HUNTING Long-time contributor Alan Cathcart, who…

IF YOU’RE NEW to this adventure caper, you might not know the importance of air filters and their maintenance. The DesertX comes standard with a paper-type air filter. For 90 percent of the bikes sold around the world this is fine, but if you’re going to ride in the dirt, and often, an oiled foam filter is a non-negotiable upgrade. All the launch bikes were fitted with aftermarket foam filters as Ducati doesn’t have a genuine foam filter – yet. Changing the air filter on the DesertX is a bit more in-depth than your average dirt or adventure bike though, to the point where it is a fuel tank-off job. If you plan to do this yourself, set aside an hour for your first time, but Ducati Sydney tells us…

SIMON SAYS… SIMON SAYS… BRAD BINDER PUT the new chassis he was supplied at the Valencia race to excellent use. It is visibly different in the steering head and swingarm pivot areas. Brad said that it was much better accelerating off corners (more grip) but had less feel on braking and entry. At the test, there was a 2023 prototype KTM in Brad Binder, Jack Miller and Pol Espagaro’s garage. Augusto Fernandez had a base 2022 model to experience the incredible power, brakes and tyres. Interestingly KTM sent Miller straight out on the 2023 prototype – no warming up on the 2022 KTM first. I understand the thinking: the Ducati will only stay crystal clear in Jack’s mind for the very first run, and then the human mind immediately starts…

HEY, LOOK AT that! I’m still here! Despite buying a BMW GS. The first thing I’ve noticed about owning a GS is that you’re invisible. Yep, no matter how hard I wave at other riders, they look the other way. A bloke could stand up in the saddle, wave both hands around like he’s playing helicopters and the world looks at its watch. Talking watches, my GS didn’t come with a clock. That surprised me given it’s loaded with technology. However after setting fire to the old R 100 and having the Road King fall apart from too many potholes, the decision to go modern was made following due process. ‘Due process’ in this case meant getting half pissed and ringing Brian Rix. Brian and Shirley have done about 20…

ONCE UPON A time WorldSBK racing was a playground for Ducati. Its early commitment to the WorldSBK series, well over 30 years ago, and initial rules that were plainly more favourable to the twins than the fourcylinder machines helped Ducati dominate the WorldSBK statistical records. Strange then to think that it was 11 years ago, very much back in the pre-Panigale era, that Ducati last won the Riders’ Championship with Carlos Checa and a sort-of-privateer Althea Racing Ducati 1098R setup. Fast forward to 2022 and another Spaniard, at 37 and almost as old as Checa was when he won his title, has proved the class act of a championship season that is not quite over. In reaching out to clutch star status from the overheated skies above Mandalika, Bautista took…

NO ONE NEEDS to tell you how awesome Phillip Island is. Having last competed here in the very first round of 2020, the paddock regulars and new riders were very keen to get back to Australia and onto the 4.448km circuit. But this is La Niña. And PI turned on some grey, cold and often angry weather moods after some bright sunny weather on Friday, but all was forgiven once the racing began at one of the great grandaddys of WorldSBK racing. We had three very different races, in three different sets of challenging conditions, but as always the PI weekend never disappoints for thrills and talking points. After a dry Friday and a sodden FP3, a ding-dong Superpole session in dry conditions allowed Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati) to swagger…

TOM BRAMICH (Apex Group) was the class act at Phillip Island – fastest in practice, qualifying on pole position and then scoring two breakthough victories in the Supersport class. Jack Passfield (Stay Upright Rider Training) was the other race winner in another maiden result. Race 1 was full of chaos in the Yamaha-dominated class as Bramich took the lead in the opening laps before being passed by Passfield on lap three. Championship leader John Lytras (Sol Invictus Motorcycles) was close behind in third, while Scott Nicholson (Traction Control Motorsport) sat in front of Lytras’ closest challenger, Tyra Lynch (727 Moto) and Dallas Skeer (Penrite Oils). Two laps later, just as Lynch had accounted for Lytras, rain forced the red flags to come out – but not before Nicholson had crashed.…

THREE YOUNG AUSSIE riders have recently inked new deals for 2023, with Luke Power to join the Supersport World Championship with Motozoo Racing by Puccetti. Power, who competed in the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship this year and scored two podiums in a quality field, will campaign a Kawasaki ZX-6R and become the second Aussie in WorldSSP alongside Ducati rider Oli Bayliss. After a frustrating rookie WorldSSP season hampered by injury and eventually being let go early, Ben Currie will return to BSB Supersport in 2023 racing a Ducati Panigale V2 for the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team. The bike will be built by the Moto Rapido workshop and fully supported by Ducati UK and Ducati Corse. “I honestly cannot wait to ride the V2,” Currie said. “I have been racing against…

The year was… MELBOURNE SHOW The 2005 Australian Motorcycle Expo in Melbourne attracted 42,000 revellers and featured a bunch of public debuts, world premieres and new models. The biggies included the unveil of Yamaha’s YZF-R6 and Honda’s very red Jesse James-styled VTX1800. Other bikes making their way into the public domain included KTM’s 990 Super Duke, Buell’s XB9SX, Benelli’s TnT 1130, MV Agusta’s F4 Brutale America and Suzuki’s RM-Z450. KRUSTY’S DOUBLE Victorian Superbike rider Adam ‘Krusty’ Fergusson capped off a sterling 2004 with victory in round seven of the Shell Advance Australian Superbike Championship at Phillip Island on 12 September. After his booming year, Fergusson put himself into the local history books by becoming the first rider to win the Superbike and Supersport double in the same season – a…

Facebook Post of the issue Instgram Don’t Forget #amcn_mag Comment of the Issue Ross McCoy Conditions across Mount Hotham were, err, a tad difficult for some riders heading to the WorldSBK round at Phillip Island. Shades of Binder at the Red Bull Ring… “Brad Binder challenge accepted” 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 THE…

SIMON SAYS… THE MOST OBVIOUS new hardware I saw were two shiny new (unpainted) aluminium chassis, one for Fabio and one for Franky. I recognised they were visually the same as the chassis at the Misano test that Fabio liked and used for the remainder of the season, but the difference was they had extra welding/bracing up near the steering head. During the day they tested a new-shaped front fairing, recognisable by the grooves running vertically above the engine air intake to the screen. Two new front aero/wings were also tested on this new fairing, the first of which was a simple wing protruding from each side of the air intake, the second a more extreme version shaped similar to Ducati’s front wings – but larger, not unlike KTM’s. A…

SIMON SAYS… THERE WAS NOT much visibly different on the Aprilias, but that didn’t mean there weren’t new things. I spotted a new chassis, a different swingarm, some engine components, and the riders did a lot of work on electronic settings which was one of the areas they came up short on during the latter stages of the 2022 season. Aleix was very down about how things had gone in the final rounds and showed no signs of being recovered at the post-test debrief, basically saying nothing was better. My impression is the Aprilia is very close and that it is not easy to improve the hardware when the parts you have are so good. Plus, because Aprilia had concessions until now, it was allowed to conduct tests during the…

YOU’LL NEED a valid driver’s licence and passport and must be over 21. But that’s about it. All the riding gear including helmet, intercom, gloves, boots and suit are included. So just take clothes for the evening and a bit of money. It’s best to carry cash for small town cafes. Included in the price is the bike (KTM 790 or 1290 Adventure), luggage, route, GPS, riding gear, hotels (4 or 5 star), breakfast and dinner, transfers, road support, medical and vehicle insurance. It’s literally a turn up and ride service. Our five-day, four-night accommodation tour was $A3908, which ups to $A5880 with a pillion. You’ll need to factor in flights as well, which we paid around $A270 return each on top from the UK. There are options for shorter…

01 OZ SX, Rd3, Newcastle, LIVE australiansupercross.com.au 26 NOVEMBER Check local guides The 2022 Australian Supercross Championship is delicately poised, with Brayton and Tanti level pegging in SX1. The gloves will be out in the final two rounds in Newcastle and Wagga Wagga. Live streaming for both. 02 ASBK Rd6, The Bend, LIVE SBS, ASBK 2-4 DECEMBER Check local guides How much phenomenal talent can we shoehorn into one event! Maxwell, Jones, Herfoss, Waters, Allerton, Staring, Halliday, West, Miller, Schrotter, Kelso, Agius, Hook, Wyman, et al. This one’s going to be very special! 03 2023 Dakar Rally, Saudia Arabia, LIVE SBS, live streaming 31 DEC-15 JAN Check website and local guides Still a month-and-a-bit before the iconic event goes around again, but with Aussie duo Toby Price and Daniel Sanders expected…

5-27 NOVEMBER Coffs Coast Festival of Motor Sport, Coffs Harbour and environs, NSW. Motorcycle and car action galore, from competition (hillclimb, dirt track, etc. at Coffs Harbour and Kempsey) to a motorcycle show on 12 November. Packed timetable of two-and four-wheeled events at a beautiful part of Austalia. For details visit www.coffscoastmotorsport.com. FROM 23 NOVEMBER: COUCH EVENT! Tourist Trophy, a feature film that will deliver a compelling insight into the passion of the riders who compete in the Isle of Man TT. Featured riders include Mike Russell as he strives to compete in every race, newcomer Glenn Irwin, TT legend John McGuinness, sidecar racers Tom and Ben Birchall and Peter Hickman. Tourist Trophy will be free on TT+, the official digital streaming channel for the Isle of Man TT. To…

I FIRST CAME over to Australia six years ago and did a couple of days with the California Superbike School at Eastern Creek and Phillip Island. I made so many good connections here and met so many amazing people. I’d always wanted to race outside of the United States before I retired so I reached out to a buddy I’d met through the Superbike School and asked if there were any teams looking for riders for the final two rounds of ASBK. I was put in touch with Mark at Addicted to Track and we came up with a deal that worked. We can modify the bikes a little bit more in MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 than what can be done here, but it’s fairly similar. A big part of the…

DOMINIQUE AEGERTER (Ten Kate Yamaha) wrapped up his second big trophy of the season in WorldSSP Race 1 at Mandalika, by finishing fourth – higher up than he needed to be. The race was won, remarkably, by the hard-charging Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse). His first win for five years and also the first win of the 800cc ‘nextgeneration’ MV Agusta triple. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Ducati) was second and Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) third. MV, Ducati, Kawasaki, neatly colouring-in the podium. Stefano Manzi (Dynavolt Triumph Street Triple RS) led the second group on track for a time but he was hit with a longlap penalty for an incident with his Estonian teammate Hannes Soomer. Aegerter’s only championship rival Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) highsided himself out of…

MORE STRANGE results, more strange weather, and two novelties of the highest order were the watchwords of Race 1. Yari Montella (Kawasaki Pucceti Racing) used his front-row qualifying position to ride in the front group and end up in a man-to-man fight with Federico Caricasulo (Althea Ducati). The fully wet weather made for a tricky surface, and there were seven non-finishers, including both MV Agustas of Niki Tuuli and Marcel Schrotter who will join the paddock full time in 2023. The most significant faller was Caricasulo, on the very last of the 19 laps, as he lost the front under braking at Turn 4, leaving Montella the Ninja-riding rookie a free run to the chequered flag. Second place went to early fastest rider on the final weekend of the year,…

CAMERON DUNKER was the round winner at Phillip Island with 2-2-1 results and, in the process, strengthened his championship lead over main rival Henry Snell (Megacycle Racing) who had a DNF in Race 3. Race 1 saw Snell relegated to eighth with one lap left to run before producing a withering finish to seal a stirring victory. Fellow Yamaha YZF-R3 rider Dunker was second with Taree’s Hayden Nelson (Taree Motorcycles YZF-R3) completing the podium. Race 2 saw Snell and Dunker facing the same challenges but the finishing order was the same – Snell from Dunker with Glenn Nelson (YZF-R3) completing the hard-fought trifecta. Race three saw Dunker push hard in the windy conditions to gap the field. And it worked a treat, as he crossed the finish line 2.4sec clear…

THE WORLDSBK PADDOCK will reconvene at Phillip Island in 12 weeks’ time when the picturesque circuit plays host to the opening round of the 2023 world championship in the last weekend of February. And it’ll be the third such highprofile event to be held at the circuit in a handful of months after the MotoGP circus made its long-awaiting return to the 4.45km circuit. The short turnaround demonstrates how much Phillip Island has missed world level racing after such stringent and long-lasting lockdowns in Victoria during the worst of the global pandemic. As a result, not all the equipment that was flown to Phillip Island for the finale round of the world Supers will be heading back to Europe, with both the organisers and teams opting to hire storage facilities…

CAMERON STRONACH has won the WA Dynapumps Superbike Championship by 1pt after a dramatic day of racing at CARCO.com.au Raceway (formerly named Barbagallo Raceway). The deciding round could have gone any way with just 10pt separating the top three. Adam Senior (Hydroquip Yamaha R1) held a 4pt advantage over Cameron Stronach (Track Action/Motorcycle Movers R1), who in turn was just 6pt ahead of elder brother Ben Stronach (Road2Race R1). Ben was returning after serious injuries sustained in a rideday crash that nearly totalled his bike. But he showed he and bike were back to their best with two wins and a second place. However Cameron’s win in the first race, followed by two very hard fought second places, gave him the most slender of championship wins. Senior finished third in…

THREE YEARS after filing a patent application for a scrambler-style bike built around the chassis of the CMX500 Rebel cruiser, Honda has launched the CL500. By using the Rebel’s chassis as its basis, the CL500 gets twin shocks that help with the old-school appeal, and a small, circular headlight set well back between the fork that helps with the classic scrambler vibe. Switching the Rebel’s 16-inch wheels for an 19-inch front and 17-inch rear boosts ground clearance, and the suspension is noticeably different, particularly at the rear, where it sits higher to make sure the steering head angle isn’t too relaxed. While the front section of the frame is recognisably Rebel, a new rear subframe mounts the seat much higher. The engine is Honda’s stalwart 471cc parallel-twin that powers all…

KAWASAKI FOLLOWED up its recent Suzuka 8 Hour teaser of its eco-friendly future with a launch of its electric and hybrid models, although detailed specifications weren’t revealed. The two electric models are confirmed for 2023 release. Kawasaki has yet to reveal their final names, simply referring to the naked version as the ‘Z-family’ model and the faired version as ‘Ninja-style’. Both share a steel tube frame and an 11kW electric motor. The next step in Kawasaki’s electrification plan comes in 2024 with the launch of a hybrid model shown in near production form. Currently called simply the HEV, the hybrid is another Ninja-style bike that takes elements from the Ninja 400, including its parallel-twin engine. It’s bolstered by an electric motor, with both the electric powertrain and the combustion engine…

AFTER YEARS of prompting by its fans, Royal Enfield finally released its middleweight cruiser-bobber range. Powered by the same 648cc parallel-twin engine as used in the Interceptor and Continental GT since 2018 are the newly unveiled Super Meteor 650 and Super Meteor 650 Tourer. Royal Enfield claims 80 percent of its 52Nm of torque is available in these new models at an accessible 2500rpm. A new steel chassis is aimed at highway comfort and stability and suspension is by way of a 43mm upside-down front fork – a first for Royal Enfield – and twin rear shocks. There’s a 19-inch wheel at the front, matched to a 16-inch rear, the seat height is a low 740mm, and weight is 241kg. They employ a single-disc front-end, consisting of a twin-piston caliper…

Retail price $8790 ride away Distance covered 1595km Fuel Economy 3.3L/100km Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 10,000km Major: 20,000km Options added See breakout I’d just spent a few days blatting around on some of the most impressive bikes launched in the past 12 months for next issue’s AMCN Motorcycle of the Year test when I must’ve subliminally thought that a change of pace was in order. After all, what else could explain my desire to head out to Pete’s and pinch the keys to the Royal Enfield Classic 350? Well, it wasn’t all subliminal, because I really like the look of the Classic 350. I reckon RE has nailed the styling, retaining the overall profile of the original Bullet but in an all-new package with modern electronics and, seemingly, modern levels…

UNLIKE AIR-FILTER placement, Ducati knows a thing or two about accessories and the DesertX does not miss out on the fun. There are a few packages to choose from or you can add individual parts. Anyone who plans to take their bike off-road should invest in the off-road accessory package. At $2286.90 it includes crash bars, radiator guard, beefed-up engine and hand guards and water pump guard. From experience – yes, I’m writing this with a broken leg – when a DesertX falls over the leading edge of the metal tank will hit the ground, even at low speed. So crash bars are a must. The list of accessories is almost endless: tall, short and one-piece Rally seats, heated grips, exhaust systems, multiple luggage options, taller windscreen and the auxiliary…

The 2002 GSV-R (otherwise known in-house as project XR-E0 - ‘E’ as in experimental, ‘0’ as first of a series) was a pure-bred 60° V4 four-stroke racer completely unlike anything else the Japanese company had ever built before. “We wanted to use the existing RGV500 Gamma chassis as the basis for the new four-stroke machine, which in winning the 500cc World Championship Mr. Roberts proved had excellent handling characteristics,” said Suzuki’s GP technical guru Yasuo Kamomiya, leader of the youthful group of engineers charged with producing the RGV-R as part of the company’s policy of focusing new minds on a new generation of racebike. “This meant the engine must be very compact, to occupy the same space as the old twin-crankshaft 500cc two-stroke V4, and so we opted for a…

SIMON SAYS… THE BIKES IN the Ducati factory garage were obviously freshly built from new parts. The used 2022 factory bikes showing the small, telltale signs of use were the ones in the satellite team garages (Gresini and VR46), as that’s the exact spec that they were promised – “the last spec of 22,” team boss Davide Tardozzi confirmed to me. Pecco said he had an “evolution, rather than a revolution” to test and that the new engine, first time on circuit, that “it already looks good”. He said it felt “smooth” (remembering the problems the abrupt power delivery of the 2022 engine initially caused), but caught himself before revealing “has more…” (torque?). Both the factory boys and Pramac tested an entire new fairing. Being an update on the 2022…

MOTORCYCLE TOURS take the stress out of planning a trip. They’re perfect for those who might not have the time to ride their own bike to a foreign country or spend hours researching routes, roads and hotels. Instead, that’s all sorted by professionals who know their country inside out. All the leg work is taken care off so all you have to do is book a flight, turn up and have fun. Organised tours are a great and easy way of exploring countries on two wheels. Guided tours are led by a professional tour guide and there will usually be more riders with you. So, if you have a bunch of like-minded mates and enjoy the social aspect of riding in a group then this is a great option. A…

ROAD RACING AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Rd7 25-27 Nov, The Bend, SA OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP Rd6 25-27 Nov, 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 Oct, Phillip Island, AU Rd18 29 Oct, Buriram, TH Rd19 12 Nov, Sepang, MY Rd20 19 Nov, Losail, QA Rd21…

New stuff 1 CELESTIAL BODIES Ficeda Accessories $329.95 1300 437 711 ficeda.com.au The Bering Astro jacket features a Fibretech 600D outer construction with a waterproof and breathable membrane and removable thermal liner. There’s also CE approved shoulder and elbow protectors – with provision for a back protector, trouser connection zip and multiple inner and outer pockets. 2 BUBBLE TROUBLE Link International From $369 (07) 3382 5000 agvhelmets.com.au AGV’s K3 SV helmet runs an aerodynamic thermoplastic shell construction, with an internal dropdown visor and Dry-Comfort fabric liner. The K3 also features a highly efficient ventilation system, excellent field of view, toolless visor removal, ECE 2205 approval and has a starting weight of just 1490g. 3 DUCATI AL-MANAC Motoitaliane 35 euros ($A55-ish) motoitaliane.it/en In Ducati Superbike 1988-2001, Alan Cathcart recounts the technical…

IN A YEAR when Honda failed to win a single race, when Yamaha had to rely on superhuman riding to compete, when KTM struggled to consolidate its gains and when Aprilia blazed bright only to slip back out of the limelight, Suzuki closed the season on a high. Two wins in the last three races showed a bike and a team finding superb form. The much-admired GSX-RR, finely balanced, well-rounded and sleekly handsome in a way the aero-bedecked rivals had long since abandoned, was the bike to outrace even the dominant Ducatis. All the more shocking that this was the swansong. The last cards in their hand. Suzuki quit, at least while it was ahead. Suzuki played a blinder when the Hamamatsu top brasses decided earlier this year that the…

OLI BAYLISS (Barni Spark Racing Ducati) qualified 18th in Superpole and went on to score points in the opening race for 14th place. In Race 2 he was 14th again, but learning the circuit on a narrow racing line was hardly ideal. “Race 1 went well and I made a good start; for the first 10 laps I felt quite strong and was able to fight for the top-10 places. From the middle of the race onwards, things started to get worse, a wrong tyre choice didn’t allow us to be as fast as at the start. Another hard day on Sunday. We unfortunately missed warm-up due to a technical problem so we didn’t get to try the things we wanted to. We used the same setup as Race 1,…

JOSH WATERS HAS returned to the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship with a stunning round win on the Boost Mobile with K-Tech Ducati V4 R, as well as lowering the national Superbike best lap in qualifying. Meanwhile, championship leader Mike Jones played it smart on the factory Yamaha YZF-R1 to extend his lead heading into the final round. Desmosport Ducati’s Bryan Staring clinched Race 1, Wayne Maxwell (Boost Mobile with K-Tech Ducati V4 R) dominated Race 2 and Waters celebrated victory in Race 3. For Maxwell, the mission this weekend was simple: cut down the points gap to Jones. With a long break since the previous round at Morgan Park in early August, competition resumed with a fierce opening three sessions and it was Waters who, fresh from a…

THERE WERE TWO highprofile WorldSBK paddock figures retiring after this season’s finale at Phillip Island – or even three if you count Kev Havenhand, Jonathan Rea’s omnipresent assistant. But the big-name retirees are both highly popular figures, with a trail of race wins that stretch from Phillip Island over to Paris or Dublin – but not quite with a world championship trophy in their respective travel bags. Jules Cluzel is the first out the door, and he’s the third most successful WorldSSP rider in terms of race wins. Since he headed to the WorldSSP paddock from Moto2 in 2012 he has ridden Hondas, MV Agustas and lots and lots of Yamahas. His 26 career wins and 63 podiums have come inside 134 race starts – impressive by anyone’s standards. To…

THIS SEASON’S 2022 BSB Superstock 1000 runner-up Billy McConnell has completed the first weekend of his ASBK cameo with the 727 Moto team, recording a highest placing of 14th in Race 2. It was McConnell’s first visit to Phillip Island in eight years, but has confirmed he and the team have been able to squeeze in some limited testing at The Bend. “The R1 compared to the Honda I ride in the UK is a completely different beast, so it’s hard to compare – but we have some data to take to Tailem Bend (The Bend) next weekend,” McConnell said, adding that he thought the standard of ASBK is very high. “The pace of the boys here is absolutely rapid, it’s basically the same as the WorldSBK guys.” For Travis…

THREE WINS IN challenging weather conditions at Mallala Raceway has given Michael Kemp (Yamaha R1) the South Australian Superbike title. In a weekend that saw torrential rain, flooding and major power blackouts, Kemp stayed focused to finish ahead of hard-charger Paul Van Der Heiden (BMW S 1000 RR) in the final three races after Van Der Heiden won the first. Van Der Heiden’s heroic efforts weren’t enough to pull back a big points deficit and he finished fifth in the championship. Benjamin Liebig (R1) rode consistently to finish second overall while third place in the championship was a total surprise. Despite missing the vital last round, Victorian Ted Collins (R1) finished just 24 points behind Liebig. Teenager Declan Carberry (Suzuki GSX-R600) successfully defended the state Supersport crown he won last…

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 to spend at least a couple of weeks off the grog to make sure you fit in said gear before heading to tropical climes to test tyres and hobnob with ex-WorldSBK stars and cruise pitlane like a rockstar. Better than spinning spanners, eh PV?…