Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 72 Issue 20 i Australian Motorcycle News

“LIKE ABS, OTHER TRACTION AIDS WILL LIKELY ONE DAY BE MANDATED BY GOVERNMENT” BIKES THAT can steer themselves and not fall over? It appears the technology is closer than we might think, at least according to Japanese manufacturers Honda and Yamaha it is. Yamaha’s Advanced Motorcycle Stabilization Assist System (AMSAS) consists of a steering-assist system and an electric drive mounted on the front wheel to provide stability at low speed. It can be mounted to any bike. Honda has developed a self-balancing system ostensibly for use on its flagship Goldwing, allowing riders to move the big beast around at walking speeds without fear of it toppling over. Some modern motorcycles are already packed with tech to help riders avoid accidents, such as radar cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and lane-change…

Suzuki’s updated V-Strom 1050DE (AMCN Vol 72 No 18) stands as an example of the brand’s intention to breathe more off-road potential into the V-Strom range. In that regard, the 1050DE is certainly a step forward compared to the big-bore V-Stroms that came before it. And now Suzuki has upped the ante even further with the introduction of its all-new V-Strom 800DE. Suzuki reckons the 800 is the most off-road ready V-Strom yet and, after stepping off the 1050DE a couple of weeks ago, and riding the 800DE machine in New Zealand recently, I firmly agree. The 800 is not a replacement for the V-Strom 650 – the standard 650 is a fine roadbike capable of tackling some light off-road terrain but will never be accused of being a true…

THERE ARE actually no fewer than five members of the Streetfighter family: the familiar and current V2, the new V4, V4 S, V4 SP2, and the very exclusive V4 Lamborghini. The base Streetfighter V4 features manually adjustable suspension, 43mm Showa BPF forks and Sachs single shock on the rear as opposed to the semi-active Öhlins units on the V4 S and up models. The standard V4 comes with cast alloy wheels, the V4 S forged alloy Marchesini, and the SP2 lighter still with carbon-fibre wheels. The base and S model come with the same Brembo Stylema stoppers, but the SP2 gets the upgraded Stylema R calipers. Quoted wet weights are slightly different: 201.5kg, 197.5kg for the S and 196.5kg for the SP2, but power and torque remain the same across…

AFTER HARLEY-DAVIDSON finally went racing properly in 1917, the Indian and H-D rivalry blazed into life over the next four decades, then remained dormant for several more after Indian’s corporate demise first time around in 1953. Until now, hostilities were confined to the dirt – or on the Murderdrome board tracks. But after Indian was purchased in 2011 by Polaris and relaunched as a major manufacturer not long after, it returned to America’s dirt oval racetracks in 2016 with the FTR750, which has since made the American Flat Track (AFT) series its own in a comparable way to Harley’s previous four decades of dirt track dominance with the iconic XR750. Now that rivalry has been extended to what used to be called pavement racing back in the day, as America’s two…

1 RIDE COMMANDER Moto National $699.95 1300 885 355 airoh.motonational.com.au The Airoh Commander helmet features a composite shell construction with two shell sizes employed for a custom fit. The Commander features an extra-wide visor with integrated Pinlock lens, a three-point ventilation system, aerodynamic peak, retractable sun visor and a removable and washable hypoallergenic liner. 2 RIDE THE CHOOB Andy Strapz From $28 (03) 9786 3445 andystrapz.com The Choob neck tube from Andy Strapz boasts a 18.5-micron, super-fine merino wool construction that is claimed to be non-stink, non-itch and moisture wicking. The Choob is also fire-retardant, bio-degradable, light, easily washable, fast drying and, most importantly, made in Australia. 3 BACK TO BASE Kriega Australia From $315 0409 959 737 kriega.com.au Kriega’s 700 OS-Base is an ‘over the seat harness’ for mounting…

“RIDERS WHO RELIED ON THEIR WEIGHT TO GAIN A SLIPSTREAMING ADVANTAGE NOW HAVE TO ACTUALLY PUT A DECENT LAP TOGETHER” THE REASON why we’re riding 300s is all about budget. I’d love to race a 600, I really would, but we don’t have the budget to do that. It is good fun though. This year, a lot of the more experienced riders have stepped up to Supersport, so the group at the moment is a little bit less experienced as a collective than they have been in the last couple of years. Cam, Brodie Gawith, Henry Snell, Jai Russo – they have all been around for a few years now and are very good racers, but they are the older heads of the class other than me. It is good…

UCCIO SALUCCI, Team Director of Mooney VR46 Ducati, spoke of the immense pride he felt at the team’s maiden MotoGP triumph. “I just spoke with Vale and told him today’s obviously different but I have the same feeling. I have a big emotion because this project started in 2014 with our Moto3 team. Then we entered Moto2 with the same guys. "We have a lot of passion in our team. We have great riders, we brought them through the (VR46) Academy. This makes it even more special. "To see Marini on the podium yesterday, and Bezzecchi winning today and first in the championship, first in the Team’s Championship, and it’s in our second year! "Woah, it’s like a huge dream for me. Bezz is a dark horse! He’s a fantastic guy…

THE PAIRING of Jack Langley (MotoMAX Yamaha R1) and Josh Cook (CMS Aprilia RSV4) won a hard-fought Wanneroo 3 Hour race that involved several safety car call-outs. Second in the season opener were reigning WA Superbike champion Cameron Stronach and George Moorhead (Yamaha), with the 600cc class pairing of Lino Mazzali and Paul Joshua (Yamaha) taking third. The fastest of the pairs among the 58 riders entered contested Superpole with Ben Stronach (Yamaha) taking the honours ahead of younger brother Cameron, with Langley third. Cameron led the race for 36 laps until Steven Martin (Kawasaki) took over for 12 laps. Langley took the lead on lap 52 and stayed in front for 24 laps, with rider changes adding another dimension. The safety car was deployed after several incidents, but the Langley/Cook combination…

“IT WAS THE ONLY PENALTY I INCURRED IN FIVE SAFARIS” IN THE 1980s, there’s no doubt the Wynn’s Sydney to Darwin Safari had a profound impact on Australia’s off-road racing enthusiasts. By that time, the BP-sponsored Sunraysia Desert Rally had come and gone, and the Broken Hill-based AMCO 1000 proved a one hit wonder. Only the Tattersalls Finke Desert Race survived, but in those days it was only the very accomplished or the very ambitious who weren’t thrashed by the locals on the arduous track between Alice Springs and Aputula. Held in 1987, the third Wynn’s Safari was routed through Condobolin, with many locals on the checkpoints. Enthused by the concept of cross-country rallying, the Condo Auto Sports Club, with guidance from Safari course director Bob Carpenter, designed its own…

This time last year BMW trademarked the name ‘Roctane’ to use on a motorcycle. Now we can reveal this will be a significantly revised version of the R 18 cruiser with a stance and style unlike any of the four existing variants. The R 18 Roctane has been type-approved in Europe, meaning key dimensions and performance figures have been put on paper. Even in the absence of a photograph, the numbers reveal that the Roctane is a distinct departure from the existing R 18 range. At present, the four R 18 models can be split into two groups. There’s the original R 18 and the R 18 Classic, both based around a 32.7-degree head angle and a 1731mm wheelbase, while the heavier R 18 B and R 18 Transcontinental tourer…

Yamaha and Honda have set the challenging target of eliminating motorcycle fatalities by 2050, which is only a couple of generations of machine development away. That means the relevant technology needs to be introduced to production motorcycles within the next few years. At present car safety features such as radar-assisted cruise control and lane assist are filtering down to motorcycles. However, behind the scenes a much great revolution of design is unfolding with the aim of making motorcycling fatality-free. THE ‘PILLARS’ OF ITS STRATEGY ARE TECHNOLOGY THAT ASSISTS WITH RIDER RECOGNITION, JUDGMENT, OPERATION AND DAMAGE MITIGATION Idiot-proof R3 Yamaha’s recent announcement of its Jin-Ki Kanno x Jin-Ki Anzen Safety Vision program gives an insight into both the technology and the theories behind it. Its reveal of Yamaha’s Advanced Motorcycle Stabilization…

“We're the last independent distributor of this size or scale in the region”The scale and size bit in UMI CEO Joe Elasmar's quote is important, because we name UMI as the only independent distributor in our intriguing interview with him on page 60. So to the Clare Maillers (Ural), Patrick Lowrys (Beta, YCF) and Tobin Pages (Energica) of the world, we're sorry! 2,000,000 That’s how many kays WorldSBK riders have logged on Pirelli rubber during two decades of competition. Mark Fattore spent a day at the Island recently sampling the latest fare from the Italian tyre manufacturer. Check it out on page 54 MIKE’S FIRST BIKE It’s not oft en that something belonging to Mike “the Bike” Hailwood comes up for sale. This time it’s the 1960 Ducati 125cc Desmodromic…

As a teenager, New Zealand-born Joy McKean sailed to the United Kingdom to train as a nurse in Edinburgh, and then suffered the misfortune of completing her internship in London during the Blitz. Surviving in a bomb shelter all night and coping with the resulting trauma all day proved extremely harrowing so, on her short respites from the never-ending mayhem, Joy took to cycling; as far away from the devastation as possible. Over the war years she managed to cycle through most of the British Isles, including the Outer Hebrides Islands in Northern Scotland, which was about as far away from it all as it was possible to get a bicycle. After the war, Joy managed a quick pedal around Ireland before sailing home to New Zealand for a much…

“If it looks grippy, it probably is.” A sentence that’s probably been uttered thousands of times when the conversation turns to motorcycle tyres and, after sampling the latest incarnation of Pirelli’s Diablo Supercorsa hoops, I can now add to the chorus: the tyres look like sticky merchants, and they damn well are! The release of the Diablo Supercorsa V4 range now completes the fourth-generation of Pirelli’s road-based hypersport family, which also includes the Diablo Rosso (‘the sporty tyre for the road’) and Diablo Rosso Corsa (‘the fiercer version of the Diablo Rosso’). It was apt that AMCN ventured to the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit to sample the new product, just a day after defending champion Alvaro Bautista had swept the floor in the opening round of the Superbike World…

My Ixon RS Ring short gloves have had a hard life. I’ve only had them for a bit over 12 months but already they have travelled with me over many thousands of kays. I would say they are on my hands for at least 95 percent of my riding time, which in this game is substantial. The glove is a full-leather design with hard-knuckle protection, elasticated single Velcro wrist closure, and Ixon’s Anti-Twist system which consists of stitching the pinkie finger and ring finger together. There’s PU protection on the heel of the palm and on both the ring and the up-yours fingers as well. Despite the extensive use over the last year, the only sign of wear is the deterioration of the finish on some of the fingers, especially…

“WHEN THE STEWARDS SCORED AN OWN GOAL WITH THEIR PENALTY AGAINST MARQUEZ, THE CRITICS RUBBED THEIR HANDS IN GLEE” FREDDIE SPENCER’S stewards panel has been especially busy this season, flinging out sanctions like a sinking ship’s captain jettisoning unpopular passengers. It’s hard not to imagine them feeling proud when, two races in, they’ve found reason to apply no less than 15 penalties, including one (for Moto2’s Vietti) carried over from 2022. All in the name of improving safety, for sundry offences, including being “overly ambitious” (which some might consider part of the job description for a world championship wannabe). Improving safety is of course a noble aim. Particularly in the thrillingly lunatic new sprint races, where riders throw caution to the winds in an intensely concentrated gallop which (to anyone…

POL ESPARGARO is recovering well from his horror smash in Portugal. But the Catalan faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines as he recovers from four fractured vertebrae in his back. “If we want to see the positive side, Pol is going to come back with a possibility to have a normal life and be a full-time MotoGP rider again,” said team boss Hervé Poncharal. “We weren’t sure about this when we saw the crash. This is good news. “The negative news is he’s in a lot of pain. He’s had an operation on his jaw and can’t open the mouth. The lungs are okay now, but a few vertebra have been broken without any consequence for the future. He needs to wear a corset for a while for the bones…

ENTRIES MAY have been down slightly for Round 1 of the Tasmanian Road Race Championship but spectators watched some exciting racing at Symmons Plains on 19 March. The Superbike class saw the return of Brett Simmonds (Honda) but this time his usual total dominance was challenged by Jason Spencer (Honda). Spencer pushed hard, leading several races before Simmonds took the win in the dying stages. Their pace was so hot that Scott Campbell (Yamaha) and Scott Honeychurch (Kawasaki) couldn’t stay with them. Low numbers meant the Supersport class was combined with the Superbikes. Lockie Curtis (Suzuki) rose to the challenge, winning his class and finishing either sixth or seventh overall in the four races. The combined race for Clubmen and Clubmen Pro proved to be the most exciting set of four…

The new-for-2023 ASBK SuperTwins Cup class is hanging in the balance, with nine entries required to run at the Queensland Raceway event scheduled for 28-30 April. In the initial press release it was announced the class would run alongside Supersport, prompting immediate safety concerns. There were also concerns based around cost and the overall benefit of providing a stepping stone between Supersport 300 and Supersport. The class debuted at the opening Phillip Island round in February with only four entries and the performance disparity was largely proven well founded, complicated by a swollen Supersport grid. SuperTwins had to be conducted as a race within a race, with the SuperTwins riders pulling in after five laps. Suzuki SV650-mounted Brian Bolster was one of the inaugural entrants, and he was happy with…

INDIAN IS about to launch an ‘Elite’ version of its liquid-cooled Pursuit tourer with documents confirming its existence emerging in both Europe and Australia. It was first named in approval filings in Australia a few weeks ago and has now been approved in Europe, along with the remainder of the 2023 Indian range, suggesting a launch is imminent. While type-approvals sometimes give clues to substantial technical changes, in this instance they tell us that the Pursuit Elite will be all but identical to the existing versions. This suggests its updates will come in alterations to appearance and equipment levels rather than substantial mechanical revisions. That’s in line with existing ‘Elite’ variants of the Chieftain and Challenger, which are limited-edition machines with a smattering of optional extras and distinctive paintwork to set…

Honda Riding Assist program has been operating for six years. The latest development is a self-balancing Goldwing. This model has been the subject of a wide range of patent applications related to a next-generation version to be released within the next few years with the focus on rider-assist systems intended to make it harder to crash. The latest application shows that the future Goldwing won’t only help while you’re riding, but also when you’re pushing it around. The system seen in the new patent document is based on a setup that’s already been subject of several other patents, namely a steering-assist system for the Goldwing. The same mechanical components – an electric steering servo that sits alongside the headstock and can act as both power-assistance and as an accident prevention…

Triumph is celebrating a 10-year collaboration with the worldwide Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride by offering 250 exclusive Bonneville T120 Black DGR Limited-Edition motorcycles. The model underlines Triumph’s commitment to the charity run founded in Sydney by Mark Hawwa in 2012 with Triumph coming on board two years later. Up to now, Triumph has offered one-of-a-kind twins to the top fundraiser, but has gone one step further with a fully branded DGR derivative of the ‘high torque’ 1200cc Bonneville Black. The metallic black and white paint scheme is a nod to the DGR rider style of ‘dapper dressing’ in pinstriped suits or dinner jackets. Official DGR branding includes a custom logo on the tank and side panels, gold detailing and distinctive brown seat. Each of the 120 examples comes with a numbered…

The last time I rode a Yamaha YZF-R15 I was ripping around Sydney Motorsport Park like a teenager, slipstreaming, ducking and weaving while trying to pass an equally ‘old’ bloke on another R15. I could hardly see for the tears in my eyes I was laughing that hard. What a blast! Yamaha has recently seen fit to upgrade the smallest model in its supersport range, and in doing so has created an even more fun tiny tearaway. And while the model designation now sports an M indicating it’s a top-tiered item, there’s still only one version on offer for 2023 and this is it. Sure, the R15M’s little 155cc water-cooled single only musters a claimed 13.5kW (18hp) at 10,000rpm and 14.2Nm at 7500rpm, but if you keep it on the…

Ducati hasn’t made vast changes to the new Streetfighter V4 S for 2023, mainly because the planet’s most ferocious nakedbike didn’t really require any. Power from the immense V4 Desmosedici Stradale remains at a claimed 155kW (208hp). So hardly an issue there. Peak torque also remains capped at 123Nm, an amount that no sane human being would complain about. Top-spec Brembo Stylema brakes remain, as does the main chassis and its superbike-inspired geometry. Ducati has, however, tweaked the ergonomics and electronics, a similar bag of tricks performed last year to the Panigale V4, to make the Streetfighter V4 faster, madder and, believe it or not, easier to ride than ever. To test the new 2023 updates, we headed to the tricky and challenging Circuito de Andalucía in Spain to see…

IT’S HARD to believe it’s been 20 years since Pirelli first became the official tyre supplier for WorldSBK. The financial commitment, resources and dedication to remain a technical partner for that long deserves massive kudos – and of course what Pirelli gets in return with brand awareness, consumer engagement, product development and reputation is worth its weight in gold. And it’s been the key driver in the development of the Diablo Supercorsa V4 family. And the numbers over two decades of WorldSBK competition are bewildering: one million tyres have been used, and two million kilometres logged across 18 countries and 32 different circuits. Its winning percentage is okay, too……

Of all of the different road racers, factory MotoGP and 500GP bikes, countless world Superbike contenders and numerous home-brewed and factory-built musclebikes, nothing I’ve ever ridden compares to the factory Indian Challenger on which Tyler O’Hara won the 2022 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers crown. In terms of its sheer improbability coupled with its mammoth size, hefty weight and downright belligerence, nothing comes remotely close. And when O’Hara and Indian snatched the crown off their Harley-Davidson rivals at the end of last year, it reignited the century-old on-track warfare between America’s two leading manufacturers. Indian versus Harley is the oldest brand rivalry in motorcycle sport, and the pair has been at each other’s intakes to earn bragging rights to road racing’s King of the Baggers (KotB) crown, in the ultra-ridiculous…

16 APRIL 2023 Mirboo North Motorcycle Swap Meet Castle Street Oval, Mirboo North (Vic). Coffee and barbecue on site, and entry is $10 per person. Gates open at 6:30am for set up. For more information on the bi-annual event phone 0428 684 267, look up ‘mirboo north motorcycle show’ on Facebook or email mirboo.n.motorcycle.show@outlook.com. 6 MAY 2023 Dubbo Motorbike Rally Dubbo, NSW. From Harleys to Hondas, Buells to Beemers and Piaggios to posties – all bikes and riders welcome. The event will be held in Talbragar Street from 9am to 4pm (you can park in ‘Bike Street’ any time, for as long as you like, during this period). Just don’t leave your ride at the motel, as everyone else wants to see it too! There will be stalls, entertainment, local rides and…

“BARRY SHEENE HERE, I’M A PHONE MAN, NOT A FAX MAN; THAT’S WHY I’M CALLING” THE BEDSIDE phone rang at 6.30am. I sleepily picked it up and the voice on the other end of the blower said: “Barry Sheene here, I’m a phone man, not a fax man; that’s why I’m calling.” A few days earlier I’d faxed Barry Sheene MBE, two-time world 500cc grand prix champion, after Classic Racer magazine had commissioned me to interview him about his new retirement life Down Under. “So, Bob Berry’s put you in touch with me?” he asked. Berry was a former sports editor for the UK’s Motor Cycle News and now editor of Classic Racer. “Well, does he know that the last interview I did was with Hello magazine and they paid…

FRANCO MORBIDELLI enjoyed his strongest weekend since the start of 2021 – before his serious knee injury – as the Italian finished fourth and the top Yamaha in a pair of combative performances in Argentina. Morbidelli appeared devoid of belief and shot of confidence through preseason, unable to find a direction aboard the new Yamaha YZR-M1. But on a low-grip track he was transformed, leading the early laps of the Sprint and defending well from faster Ducatis at the end, notably on the 1.1km back straight where he could defend from their slipstream. “They did a great work on improving the engine,” he said of Yamaha’s off - season. "We have much more potential this year and that's great. It feels so good. I’m so full of joy.” Teammate Fabio…

JASON DOYLE has made a great start to the European speedway season with victories in two major meetings in England. When Sam Masters staged his testimonial meeting at Wolverhampton on 26 March there were 11 Australians among the 18 riders who took to the track. Doyle led the scorers from the heats and then beat Freddie Lindgren, Scott Nicholls and Jacob Thorssell in the final. Max Fricke was the next best of the Aussie contingent bowing out in the last-chance qualifier. The Peter Craven Memorial Meeting was staged at Belle Vue on 3 April and Doyle left as the first-ever four-time winner of the meeting. Brady Kurtz was the top qualifier to go straight into the six-rider final where he finished fourth behind Doyle, SGP duo Robert Lambert and Dan…