Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 72 Issue 21 i Australian Motorcycle News

“PONDERING THAT THE HORNET HAS THE GOODS TO BEAT THE CURRENT CLASS HERO, THE YAMAHA MT 07” THERE HAVE been plenty of exotic new motorcycle models launched over the past couple of years and, as a result, we have run a lot of AMCN covers featuring high-end $20k-plus bikes from the likes of BMW, Ducati, Husqvarna, Triumph and others… but not a lot of bikes at the more affordable end of the market. We have obviously deviated from that formula with this issue’s cover featuring Honda’s all-new $13k midsize nakedbike – the 755cc parallel-twin Hornet. And what a ripper of a bike! Road test editor Pete Vorst came away impressed from the local launch, pondering that the Hornet has the goods to beat the current class hero, the Yamaha MT-07.…

NOT CONTENT with developing its new Motocompacto, a folding scooter that fits in a car boot, Honda wants a version that can be packed on a motorcycle. Patent applications reveal an even more compact derivative that allows a motorcyclist to ride to a station, unload the foldable, electric-powered standon scooter, take it on public transport and ride it around a city centre. The scooter could be attached to virtually any motorcycle using brackets mounted on the passenger footpeg hangers. And simple wiring gives the ability to recharge the scooter’s batteries from the motorcycle’s alternator while it’s in transit. Honda also suggests a pair of more complex mounting systems: a tube-shaped pannier on one side of the motorcycle that the folded scooter can slide into; or a purpose-made motorcycle that has storage…

THE BROUGH Superior Nefud is powered by the same 71kg, liquidcooled 880 V-twin eight-valve engine as the SS100, Lawrence and Pendine Sand Racer sister models. It was specially developed for Brough by Akira Engineering in Bayonne, France, which is the builder of the factory Kawasaki ZX-10R engines which powered Jonathan Rea to six world Superbike titles. This 997cc engine measures 94 x 71.8mm, and functions as a fully load-bearing chassis component with a small titanium upper spaceframe bolted to the cylinder heads to locate the front suspension. The swingarm rotates in the horizontally split crankcases, which incorporate the cylinders cast into the upper half. Running 11:1 compression, the eight-valve engine has its forged steel conrods sitting side by side on a shared crankpin, with the forged crankshaft running on plain…

WHEN POL ESPARGARO crashed heavily in practice of the season-opening MotoGP round at Portimao in March, the motorsport giant lost far more than one of its satellite riders. Hugely experienced, the 2023 season is the 10th premier-class campaign for the 31-year-old Spaniard. But more importantly, when he’s back to race fitness, it’ll be the fifth season with the Austrian manufacturer after a two-year hiatus with the other giant, Honda Racing Corporation. After three successful years with Tech3 and Yamaha between 2014 and 2016, the 2013 Moto2 World Champion joined the KTM project as a factory rider alongside Briton Bradley Smith to help guide the manufacturer’s uphill battle to MotoGP supremacy. “KTM is really new to MotoGP compared to other brands and we’re making huge steps,” he said at the 2017…

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WEB HOT! Check out the website for the latest reviews at amcn.com.au TESTED VOL 67 NO 10 BIKE SPOTLIGHT BMW G 310 GS ENGINE 313cc single POWER 25kW (34hp) TORQUE 28Nm WEIGHT 175kg (wet) PRICE $8390 (+ORC) “It’s a great bike for novices or comeback riders, simply because it’s so easy to ride with a wide spread of torque” TESTED VOL 72 NO 03 BIKE SPOTLIGHT INDIAN PURSUIT LIMITED ENGINE 1768cc V-twin POWER 90kW (122hp) TORQUE 178Nm WEIGHT 413kg (wet) PRICE $47,495 (ride away) “Prepare to be impressed by the handling qualities of this all-in full-dress tourer”…

A PRECURSOR FOR the year ahead? Let’s hope so. Sunday gave crowds the first glimpse of what could well be the championship fight as preseason favourites Pedro Acosta (Ajo Kalex) and Tony Arbolino (Marc VDS Kalex) went head-to-head in a thrilling race-long duel, which went right the way to the wire. The pair was among an early four-man fight, along with Alonso Lopez (Speed Up Boscoscuro) and Aron Canet (Pons Kalex), which Acosta had threatened to break until he found a false neutral at Turn 12 on the second lap. Three laps on and Arbolino hit the front, executing a clean move on Lopez, again at Turn 12. The race’s danger man, Acosta was then through to second at the first turn of the following lap. The pair then broke clear,…

IN THE first WorldSSP race, held over the full 18 laps, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba Ducati) only had Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti) as his shadow for a while, but as the Kawasaki rider’s front tyre went off after so much abuse trying to hold onto the clearly faster rider, Bulega was racing only his shadow at the end. Marcel Schrötter (MV Agusta Reparto) was second after catching and passing local hero Glenn van Straalen (EAB Yamaha) late in the race, but the local crowd seemed happy whatever colour of top three medal was awarded to their rider. Fourth was French challenger Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha), and fifth Stefano Manzi on the first of the local Ten Kate Yamaha machines. In Race 2 there were crashes at the front of the field as…

FRANCO MORBIDELLI’S place in Yamaha’s MotoGP team was under scrutiny again after 2021 WorldSBK world champion, Turkey's Toprak Razgatlioglu, was invited to a two-day MotoGP test at Jerez prior to the Grand Prix of the Americas. It was believed Razgatlioglu, who has recently expressed his desire to move across to MotoGP, ended the two days 0.7sec off the fastest time set by Yamaha’s test rider Cal Crutchlow. It was observed by Lin Jarvis, Yamaha’s team principal, who said of Razgatlioglu’s performance: “It’s very different riding an R1 on Pirelli tyres and riding a MotoGP M1 on Michelins. And you need more time to adapt.” On whether he could move to Yamaha’s MotoGP team in 2024, Jarvis played the prospect down. “The ideal scenario for us is that Franky continues to…

JARED MEES has ridden his Indian Motorcycle FTR750 to the Super Twins victory at the American Flat Track Devils Bowl Half-Mile, held in Texas on 22 April. Mees was the fastest qualifier and led the most laps, staving off chief rival Dallas Daniels (Estenson Racing Yamaha) in a thriller. While Daniels never had the pace to attempt a pass on Mees, he was happy to maintain his podium streak and points lead, calling it “a good day for the team". An injured Brandon Robinson (Indian FTR750) batt led through for third from Davis Fisher (Indian FTR750) and Briar Bauman (KTM 890 Duke) after JD Beach (Estenson Racing Yamaha) crashed out of podium contention. Beach led the opening six laps before tucking the front and going down. In AFT Singles, Aussie…

BOOST MOBILE Honda Racing Jed Beaton has conquered a wet and muddy track at Round 3 of the ProMX Championship in Wodonga, Vic to take the red plate for the first time this season with a 1-2 round scorecard. Beaton smashed through the mud in the first moto to take the win by over a minute from 2019 champion Todd Waters (Raceline Husqvarna Berry Sweet Racing) and New Zealander Hamish Harwood (CML Davey Motorsports KTM). Previous championship leader Dean Ferris (Brisbane Motorcycles Yamaha) crashed out and failed to remount. Beaton started the second moto as he finished the first, until a late charge from Ferris saw the Yamaha rider take the lead and cross the line ahead of Beaton, with Kirk Gibbs (KTM) in third. The results mean Ferris loses his…

LETTER OF THE ISSUE High praise Great to see a large nakedbike comparison (AMCN Vol 72 No 19) which few would realise the time it takes to coordinate and arrange. I thought it was a good test, but I would like to add a few comments from the man in the street about the motorcycles as I’ve ridden most of them. Aprilia, I haven’t ridden it. I couldn’t get a test ride for over a year. I was interested in the V4, not the Factory Tuono. Now there is a $1500 cash back as well as a fitted Akrapovic system – that’s a hell of a bargain – I’d be spewin’ if I’d purchased it 12 months ago. I’ve ridden a BMW S 1000 R (not the M model) and…

SPORTS PACK $990 The sport pack includes a quickshift er which works beautifully, and is a must in my mind; a fly screen that gives some protection from the elements; trick-looking anodised rider footpegs; and rear seat cowl. The seat cowl looks great but does impinge on the already compact rider’s seat area. STYLE PACK $950 The style pack, as its name suggests, is a bunch of bling for your Hornet. You get anodised alloy bar-end weights and crash knobs, a handlebar upper clamp holder, tank pad, and rim stickers. TOURING PACK $1870 The touring pack is a good option if you like to drag stuff around with you or flee the city. You get a set of 16.5-litre rear panniers that are fast and easy to fit and remove,…

EVEN MORE shocking is that I didn’t know what to expect when I turned up to the launch of the first air-cooled Multi, so I arrived in race leathers, treating the new concept as a sports-touring-supermoto hybrid oddity. I liked the first bike, with it’s questionable looks and which may well become a future classic, but next up was the 1200 Multi in 2010 and much more like the Multi we have today. In 2015 came the third generation 1200 DVT bikes, featuring an IMU, which meant lean-sensitive rider aids. The fourth generation was launched in the middle of the global pandemic in 2020 and came complete with radar technology, and still today the technology keeps on coming. I’ve ridden and loved them all, but now they do make me…

1 2023 MotoGP, Rd4, LIVE Fox Sports, Kayo & Video Pass 30 APRIL Check website and local guides Welcome back to the European jungle! After visiting Argentina and America, the MotoGP title returns to the Continent where we should get a clearer picture of who’s who. 2 2023 WorldSBK, Rd4, LIVE Fox Sports, Kayo & Video Pass 5-7 MAY Check website and local guides Into the motorcycle racing heartland of Spain for the first time in 2023, and Bautista would like nothing better than to do the business in front of his home crowd – while Razgatlioglu and Rea will go all out to spoil the party. 3 2023 ASBK, Rd3, LIVE SBS, livestream 28-30 APRIL Check website and local guides Can someone find a chink in the armour of…

CRISIS… WHAT CRISIS? Alex Rins ended Honda’s wretched recent run by claiming a highly unexpected victory at the Circuit of The Americas, confounding logic with a performance that wasn’t in keeping with the factory’s recent fortunes. On an afternoon when nine of the 22 starters crashed out, including leader Francesco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati), the Spaniard made light of myriad issues with the unruly RC213V. Even if Austin has historically been Honda territory (it’s taken seven of the nine wins on offer here), few gave the Big H any hope when Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) opted against travelling to the States with his right hand – injured at Round 1 – not yet healed. But Rins (LCR Honda) was competitive all weekend, ending both qualifying and Saturday’s Sprint in second position…

IVAN ORTOLA (MTA KTM) scored his maiden triumph in memorable style, fighting back from 23rd to win a dramatic five-way fight. This was a race of two comebacks. Ortola’s was the first that caught the eye. A mistake on the kerbs outside Turn 2 as he challenged for the lead on the first lap threw him out of the seat and dropped him back in the pack. His response was as swift as it was ruthless, as he rejoined the fight for victory on lap six. The second was Jaume Masia’s (Leopard Honda). The polesitter spent the early laps tucked in behind longtime leader Ayumu Sasaki (IntactGP Husqvarna), and ahead of Diogo Moreira (MSI KTM), Dani Holgado (Tech3 KTM), Xavi Artigas (PruestelGP CFMoto) and latterly Ortola. The lead pair exchanged the…

THE FIRST world championship race of the weekend and the action ended in the stewards' room, not the racetrack. A Kawasaki clean sweep, featuring Petr Svoboda, (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM Kawasaki), Samuel Di Sora (Prodina Kawasaki) and Jose Manuel Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR Kawasaki) finally saw Perez Gonzalez taken out of the top three; demoted one place for passing under a yellow flag. That put Dirk Geiger into third in the final results, adding a KTM to the podium mix. The top Yamaha machine was in fifth place, ridden by Marco Gaggi. In Race 2, Svoboda won again, eventually, but only after Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing AD78 Latin America Racing) had been relegated to second for exceeding track limits, and Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsports Italia) had been put to…

HE MAY NOT approve entirely of Honda’s working methods, but Alex Rins made the most of the Japanese factory’s hardware in Austin. Rins began the weekend by expressing his disappointment that there was no direct contact with factory engineers during a race weekend. Also, he wasn’t granted use of a new chassis Joan Mir had been using. “I notice that Honda does not rely on me very much; I feel wasted,” he said. “I don’t feel like yelling at the Japanese. It’s not that they don’t listen to me very much; it’s that they don't take advantage of me.” Still, the Spaniard was the star of the third round, making his smooth riding style, which places emphasis on carrying high corner speed, work around COTA’s twists and turns. It came…

THE FIRST two NSW rounds of the Australian Off-Road Championship at Mendooran saw Shop Yamaha teammates Josh Green and Kyron Bacon tied for the outright lead ahead of GasGas teammates Korey McMahon and Jye Dickson. Then Bacon broke his leg in a local Tassie derby becoming a non-starter at Queensland Motorsport Park allowing Green to capitalise with a win on Saturday’s Round 3, a second on Sunday’s Round 4 and the outright lead in the 2023 title chase. after a mediocre start to the year, Jonte Reynders put his Sherco on the top step in Sunday’s Enduro to move into the top five, while 2022 EJ Champion Will Dennett remains unbeaten in 2023. Sam Pretscherer (Husqvarna) leads the E3 class in seventh outright. Jess Gardiner continues to dominate the Women’s…

THE EXISTENCE of a Vitpilen 901 suggests that a wire-wheeled knobby-tyred Svartpilen 901 will be hot on its heels, but these aren’t the only upcoming bikes to feature the 889cc KTM LC8c engine. GasGas is also developing a pair of bikes around similar components – the ES 900 and SM 900 – which take on a vastly different appearance with motocross-inspired body panels. Meanwhile, KTM is about to take a step forward with its parallel-twin Duke models, probably for the 2024 model range, with a next-generation version of the LC8c engine. More compact than the current engine, but with a longer stroke to increase its capacity to nearly 1000cc, this engine and chassis are also expected to be shared by the upcoming – and much-anticipated – RC990 sports model.…

FACEBOOK Post of the issue INSTAGRAM Don’t Forget #amcn_mag Comment of the Issue Doug Collier isn't an MM fan but knows where to draw the line! “I don't like him very much but execution seems a bit harsh!” 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 PLACE TO BE! Get all the latest motorcycle…

BENELLI 752S Engine 754cc parallel-twin Power 56kW (75hp) Torque 67Nm Weight 220kg (dry) From $12,990 (ride away) CFMOTO 700CL-X SPORT Engine 693cc parallel-twin Power 55kW (73hp) Torque 68Nm Weight 205kg (wet) $10,490 (ride away) SUZUKI GSX-8S Engine 776cc parallel-twin Power 61kW (83hp) Torque 78Nm Weight 202kg (wet) $14,190 (ride away) YAMAHA MT-07HO Engine 689cc parallel-twin Power 54kW (73.4hp) Torque 67Nm Weight 184kg (wet) $14,449 (ride away)…

AS YOU would expect, the Rally arrives with a lengthy list of accessories, including hard luggage that can be solid-fitted for off-road or floating, and has also been moved further back to create more room for a pillion. The Touring aluminium accessory package ($4327) adds heated grips and aluminium panniers, the Performance Accessory pack ($2881) adds an Akrapovic muffler and a carbon-fibre front guard and, if you want a racing exhaust, you’re looking at $5772. There’s a dry clutch kit, yes really, for $6463, steel engine guards ($1085), a plastic topbox ($960), additional LED lights ($744), tyre-pressure sensors ($630) and a high GPS mount ($693).…

SATURDAY’S SPRINT in Austin Texas was run in almost double the track temperatures of what riders had experienced previously that weekend, causing many to have difficulties managing front-tyre temperatures and pressures. If riders were following others for more than a lap, front-tyre temperature and therefore pressure rose to critical levels, making overtaking in braking areas close to impossible. Many simply limped home with their hands metaphorically tied rather than crash. Sunday’s main race was held in much lower ambient and track temperatures. This improved overall grip and solved the tyre-pressure problems, but the combination of bumps, inconsistent surface and grip levels and the necessity to use hard front tyres – which are stronger in the hard braking zones but which have lower edge grip – on a punishing layout saw…

My R75/5 was built halfway to BMW’s centenary this year but the model was more of a milestone than just being a midpoint. The /5 series was a make-or-break decision for BMW’s motorcycle division, which was fading while the car division was raking in evergreater profits. Almost everything was new when the /5 range debuted in 1969, from the positioning of the camshaft below the crank to the manufacturing happening in Berlin instead of Munich. BMW’s hierarchy almost decided not to back the plan but the subsequent success of the R50/5, R60/5 and R75/5 ensured BMW’s two-wheelers would eventually clock up their century. The early 70s was a boom period for motorcycling with Honda fours, Kwaka nines and all the rest setting new benchmarks. For BMW, the /5 models brought…

ROAD RACING 2023 MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 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 26 Nov, Valencia, ES 2023 AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Rd3 28-30 Apr, Queensland Raceway, Qld Rd4 16-18 Jun, Hidden Valley, NT Rd5 14-16 Jul, Morgan Park Raceway, Qld Rd6 27-29 Oct, Phillip Island, Vic Rd7 1-3 Dec,…

1 PRIME TIME Moto National $499.95 (07) 3120 4228 five.motonational.com.au The Five HG Prime GTX heated glove features a seamless Softshell upper, with goat leather palm, Gore-Tex membrane and HG Dual Control heating system with a single-button temperature control. Further protection from the elements is provided by a PrimaLoft Gold thermal layer and an aluminium foil insert. 2 STAY POSITIVE Remco From $239 1300 133 980 remcoenergy.com.au Remco’s AGM Powersport XTRA batteries with their 120-400CCA (Cold Cranking Amp) capacity promise to satisfy the high output needs of modern motorcycles to keep them rolling. The new Powersports range features a reinforced design to provide resistance to vibration and is backed by an 18-month warranty. 3 EAZY BROOZER Cassons Australia From $429.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassonsmedia.com The Bell Broozer helmet features a…

FINALLY, A SPRINT that was more sedate by comparison to the year’s opening two encounters. This was an exercise in control for Bagnaia, who led from start to finish. Rins harried and harassed him on the first lap, but a mistake braking for Turn 12 saw him run off track on the second, allowing Espargaro through. That mistake gave Bagnaia the breathing space he craved, and the reigning champ cruised home from there. Marini, Bezzecchi and Viñales endured forgettable starts and first turns, ruling them out of the podium fight. Even in their absence, it was still a fierce five-way fight for second. Quartararo, Marquez and Martin were all involved, until the Yamaha man crashed out at Turn 1 on the fifth lap, with Marquez following suit two laps later.…

IT HAS been a very long seven weekends since the last overheated WorldSBK round at Mandalika in Indonesia, even if we had some significant in-season tests at the likes of Aragon and Barcelona. But testing is testing, and racing is racing, and once again Alvaro Bautista (Aruba Ducati) was untouchable in each points-scoring adventure, even the final one when both Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) tried to beat him up a bit in the early laps. In each race, no matter the occasional chaos that was going on around him (actually behind him), Bautista overcame his penalised start to Race 1 to win them all at Assen. Eight wins from nine races, and it shows little sign of stopping. And his final Race 2 win…

Exclusive! NEWS FROM THE PADDOCK BY MOTOGP COMMENTATOR NEIL MORRISON AFTER CRASHING out on Saturday at COTA, Fabio Quartararo was left to bemoan his Yamaha M1’s lack of competitiveness in a group fight. In Saturday’s Sprint, the Frenchman was outgunned when in a battle with a Honda, Aprilia and Ducati. Yet, when riding after rejoining, he was posting faster pace than race winner Pecco Bagnaia. “I could not even try to fight with them. Alone, we can be fast, but with the others we are struggling so much.” If Quartararo is unable to use the lines that come naturally to the M1 in a battle, it brought about the discussion of whether it was time for Yamaha to move away from the inline four engine configuration that is its hallmark…

FRIDAY AT COTA was the first chance for the MotoGP media to meet Dorna’s new Chief Commerical Officer, Dan Rossomondo. The American, who was previously working as Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships and Media at the NBA, expressed his excitement at his new role during a special press conference. A career in advertising sales at Madison Square Garden, IMG, Time Warner Global Media, as well as the NBA, has him well equipped to deliver on his goal: to grow MotoGP and WorldSBK’s global following, especially among younger fans. “These guys are exceptional athletes,” he said. “It’s hard for me to understand how they do these things with their bikes. We need to tell the world about their exceptional nature. This sport has so many attributes that people will want…

TWO WEEKS after celebrating on the podium of the Australian Sidecar Championships, Warren Monson was fatally injured in an incident at Heathcote Park Raceway in Victoria on Sunday 23 April. The former FIM World Cup and Oceania Speedway Sidecar Champion was an enormous part of motorcycling in this country, and not just in his first love of sidecar racing. As well as celebrating a record nine Victorian speedway sidecar titles, Monson was a highly respected ASBK mechanic who enjoyed success with the likes of Shawn Giles, Troy Herfoss, Josh Waters and Wayne Maxwell. He was a keen dragway competitor and even chased land-speed records on his Suzuki Hayabusa at this year’s Speed Week. AMCN sends its condolences to Warren’s family and friends.…

AS IT HAS done for the last five decades, Kamfari will kick off on the first Sunday in May with a four-hour enduro that will test man and machine in the perennially tricky Top End terrain. Each lap is approximately 10km, and at the end of each lap riders can choose to pit for fuel, repairs, hydration or food. Hosted by the Darwin Motorcycle Club, the event kicks off at 10am sharp on Sunday 7 May and will be held at Cox Peninsula, approximately 80km south of Darwin.…

HOULIHAN EXTENDS LEAD AUSSIE ANDREW Houlihan finished fifth outright in the third round of the FIM Baja World Cup to extend his lead in the Veterans' Division to 37 points over Qatar’s Mahommed Al Kaabi. At times exceeding 150km/h on his KTM 450 EXC, Houlihan finished the 890km Baja TT Extra-madura with severe cramps. He said the “extremely dangerous” rocks and potholes hidden in the bulldust forced him “to back off in order to finish.” Round 4 heads to Spain over 21-23 July. PW NO I IN DOYLE AUSTRALIAN SPEEDWAY star Jason Doyle has reversed his decision that he would no longer be part of Australian teams in international competition, calling it “just too big an opportunity to miss”. The Speedway World Cup format utilises five-rider teams and the 2023…