Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 72 Issue 22 i Australian Motorcycle News

“HERE IN AUSTRALIA I RECKON THE COLDER MONTHS CAN BE THE BEST TIME FOR RIDING” IT STARTED snowing last night not too far from my place. I live down on the coast but it’s only a 40-minute ride to the top of the escarpment where the white stuff was falling, and when I woke up this morning I could tell that the seasons had most definitely turned. The sudden onset of what feels like winter got me thinking just how bloody lucky we are here in Australia where, for the most part, our winters are relatively benign. In vast parts of Europe and North America, at the first hint of snow and ice, millions of motorcyclists would be readying their bikes for winter hibernation, propping them up on paddock stands,…

DID YOU KNOW? Bob Rosenthal forged his mum’s signature so he could go racing underage in the 1960s. The racing legend will be back at it competing at next month’s Historic Winton race meeting held over 27-28 May. “Road racing seemed heaps cooler than dirtbikes” This observation is out of the mouth of young South Australian racer Archie Schmidt. The Oceania Junior Cup rider is under the guidance of Ty Lynch and is in his second year of road racing after riding for a few years on the dirt. He currently sits second in the championship. For full ASBK coverage from Queensland Raceway, head to page 94. KAWASAKI READIES 450cc CRUISER Kawasaki took the wraps off its new Eliminator 400 and Eliminator 400 SE for the Japanese market at the…

IT MIGHT sound unlikely, but BMW has filed a patent application for a motorcycle seat that incorporates an electroluminescent layer just below a transparent or translucent surface, allowing it to take on a red glow when the seat heater is turned on. The illuminated section is just at the front of the seat but it extends far enough back to give the impression – when you’re sitting on the bike – that the whole surface underneath you has adopted the same glow. The result, according to BMW, is twofold. Firstly, it will be immediately obvious when the heated seat is turned on, and secondly, it will make you believe that the seat is warmer than it really is. According to the patent: “It is generally known that the human perception…

WINNER LETTER OF THE ISSUE Motomuck Win five litres of Motomuck Motorcycle Cleaner to keep your ride as clean as a whistle. Valued at $59.95! Include your full name and address in your letter, via post or email. Long letters will be cut to fit, so don’t ramble. The views expressed by readers are not necessarily those of the editor. AIR YOUR THOUGHTS OR VENT YOUR SPLEEN Access, AMCN, PO Box 6, Bittern, Vic, 3918 access@amcn.com.au LETTER OF THE ISSUE Old’s cool! I just picked up this old girl – a 20 years young Latvian tractor. This is my second one; I just put new rotors, pads, braided brake lines, cleaned up the header pipe and installed bigger jets. She starts well. A bit of a project, old school! Simon…

I was out of my depth. In one corner sat current Australian Superbike champion Mike Jones, in the other was reigning ProMX champion Aaron Tanti, and over there among some pretty experienced motorcycle media was national women’s motocross champion Charli Cannon. Presumably, AMCN’s senior go-fast throttle turners thought it would be funny to throw their resident photographer into the lion’s den. Either that, or they were intimidated by a need to pedal Yamaha’s newest offering. The YDX-Moro 07 might be Yamaha’s first foray into the world of e-mountain bikes (E-MTB) but it is far from a newbie when it comes to pedal-assist bikes. In fact, Yamaha invented the world’s first electrically power-assisted bicycle in 1989 and, three decades and more than five million pedal-assist system (PAS) units later, I reckon…

There are a few single-cylinder entry-level machines on the market, but when it comes to the price of entry, it’s hard to go past the CB125F at $2999 plus on-road costs – that’s around $3500 ride away depending on where you live. Having said that, some of the crew below come with more bells and whistles than the CB, such as six-speed gearboxes, disc brakes all-round, ride modes and ABS. CFMoto 150NK $4290 ride away Capacity 149.4cc Weight 135kg (wet, claimed) Seat height 775mm Fuel capacity 10 litres KTM 200 Duke $5895 ride away Capacity 199.5cc Weight 140kg (dry, claimed) Seat height 830mm Fuel capacity 13.4 litres Suzuki GSX-S125 $5690 ride away Capacity 124cc Weight 133kg (wet, claimed) Seat height 785mm Fuel capacity 11 litres…

THE FIRST TIME I took Bob out to the drags he was absolutely stock. Losing my drag-strip virginity to him, I ran Bob down the quarter-mile eight times that evening and, despite not having a previous interest in drags, I was hooked – it was fun with a capital F. The best I could manage on Bob that first night was a 12.744sec pass with a slow 0.719sec reaction time. With some experience under my belt and the Stage II kit fitted, we did better and shaved 0.52sec off our quarter-mile time. We completed 15 runs with a fastest run of 12.216sec, a far more respectable reaction time of 0.123sec and a top speed of 173.41km/h (107.75mph). Apart from the Stage II kit, I also dropped the rear tyre pressure…

JARNO SA ARINEN was a member of a great generation of Finnish talent, which made such an impact in the 1970s. Others included Teppi Länsivuori, Penti Korhonen, Eero Hyvärinen and Pekka Nurmi. Like his countrymen, Saarinen started racing bikes on frozen lakes, earning money by working in a local bicycle factory while also studying engineering at technical college. His talent for riding bikes, half out of control on the ice, as well as his engineering abilities, were immediately obvious. He contested his first GP season in 1970, after convincing his bank manager he needed a loan to further his education. He rode an air-cooled TD2 to fourth overall, despite missing several rounds while studying for his engineering degree. By 1972 Yamaha Europe had seen enough to equip the 25-year-old with…

1 2023 MotoGP, Rd5, LIVE Fox Sports, Kayo & Video Pass 13-14 MAY Check website and local guides With a full complement of riders expected to back on the grid at Le Mans, including Marquez and Bastianini, it’s going to be a ripper. Can Miller get it done on the Kato? 2 2023 SGP, Rd2, LIVE Fox Sports, Kayo 13 MAY Check website and local guides Jason Doyle was in top form when the SGP season opened in Croatia, and the Aussie will be determined to maintain the rage in speedway-loving Poland. Max Fricke and Jack Holder are the other two Aussies in action. 3 2023 AMA SX, Rd17, LIVE Fox Sports, Kayo 14 MAY Check website and local guides The last round of another enthralling season, with Aussie Jett…

TROY HERFOSS (Penrite Honda) has silenced doubters by dominating the third round of the 2023 Australian Superbike Championship at Queensland Raceway to close the points gap to Josh Waters and the McMartin Racing Ducati V4 R. Herfoss started the weekend strong, topping practice and taking an intense pole position from the Yamaha Racing Team duo of Mike Jones and Cru Halliday who, based on previous results, were expected to be very competitive. And while Waters hadn’t lost a race all year, there was something about Queensland Raceway that didn’t suit his machine, which was fitted out in the green of Gozinger Smallgoods for this round. But whatever the cause, Waters still qualified fourth on the grid. Off the line it was Jones who took the initiative, charging away with Herfoss,…

IT WAS A Saturday Marcus Hamod will never forget, breaking through on his Motocity Yamaha R3 to take victory in both the Supersport 300 and Yamaha R3 Cup opening races. In Supersport 300, the batt les were fierce. Hamod took the first race from Brandon Demmery (Surface Clean Australia Yamaha) and Brodie Gawith (Megacycle Racing Yamaha). Fourteen riders made up the lead pack at half distance in the second, with Kawasaki pair Joshua Newman (GCE Australia) and Casey Middleton (RaceDNA Motorsports) sharing time at the front. Demmery made his way forward with Hamod, but late-braking heroics from Gawith set the scene for a grandstand finish and he broke the experience of Demmery for his maiden win in the class. “I had a plan for the last couple of laps and it…

WHAT EXACTLY ARE the hallmarks of a champion? Putting disappointment – even embarrassment – swiftly to one side? Maintaining cool and recovering from adversity in a short space of time? Perhaps it’s showing supreme racecraft in high-stakes situations, doing things those around you seemingly can’t? Or maybe it’s holding your nerve under the most intense pressure? Pecco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) showcased all of the above at Jerez as he came out on top of a vintage scrap with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) to secure one of his most impressive victories to date. Forgetting the crash out of the lead in Austin. Recovering from 13th on Friday, a day when his confidence deserted him. Carving through the pack at a track where overtaking was tricky in extreme temperatures, which restricted…

WIN ONCE, and they start flowing. Ivan Ortola (MTA KTM) was the latest rider to prove this maxim as he held off rookie sensation David Alonso (Aspar GASGAS) and Jaume Masia (Leopard Honda) in a thrilling nine-rider fight to take his second grand prix victory just two weeks on from a debut success in Austin. At a track that so often lends itself to epic Moto3 encounters, Ortola and Dani Holgado (Tech3 KTM) initially threatened to break the field. But Masia and Ryusei Yamanaka (Aspar GASGAS) quickly joined the fray. As did Xavi Artigas (PruestelGP CFMOTO), Alonso and Jose Antonio Rueda (Ajo KTM), just after Yamanaka retired with a broken gear lever on lap seven. On lap 16, the race really came alive, as Ayumu Sasaki (InactGP Husqvarna), polesitt er Deniz…

HUMBERTO Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) scored pole position, but was soon relegated to the back of the grid for irresponsible riding. He would climb back up to take fourth place in a remarkable show of determination. Out front, Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) extended the record of race wins for one rider in this class to eight. Second was Prodina Kawasaki rider Samuel Di Sora, with Yamaha Team BR Corse rider Mirko Gennai third. A huge crash at Turn 10 late in the race claimed many potential podium competitors, but the top nine were still covered by a mind-blowing 0.849sec. The second race saw riders taking to the grass on the straight to stay upright, leading to sanctions, and no fewer than two long-lap penalties for Di Sora alone.…

EVEN IF officiating by the FIM stewards has come under the microscope already this season, their decision-making hit new lows in Jerez. The penalties awarded to Fabio Quartararo (long lap) and Pecco Bagnaia (drop one position) were greeted with astonishment and anger by their respective teams. “Maio [Meregalli – Team Manager] and Lin [Jarvis – Managing Director] went to Race Direction to have some explanation,” said Quartararo. “No clear explanation was given.” Aleix Espargaro aside, riders addressed their disapproval of both decisions after the race. And it’s got so bad, they have requested to meet with the stewards' panel at the next race to understand the exact criteria to earn a penalty, and put to them that consistency in decision making is severely lacking. It was a nightmare weekend for Yamaha.…

ADDING HIS Stage 4 win in Sonora to his consistency at Dakar and Abu Dhabi, Queenslander Toby Price (KTM) extended his lead in the 2023 FIM World Rally Raid Championship ahead of Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) and Adrien Van Beveran (Honda). With Argentina’s Ruta 40 Rally and the Rallye du Maroc still on the calendar, Kevin Benavides (Honda) and Daniel Sanders (Gas Gas) still remain very much in the chase for the 2023 title. After the Sonora Rally, Price has a seven-point advantage over Benavides (62 to 55) with Van Beveran (53), Kevin Benavides (43) and Sanders (39) in hot pursuit. 2023 SONORA RALLY TOP FIVE…

GREEN FONZ Australian electric bike manufacturer Fonz has picked up the Promoting Sustainability gong in the 2023 Telstra Best of Business Awards. TT FOR $42.99 Just over 40 bucks will buy you live streaming of all 11 days of this year’s Isle of Man TT’s qualifying and racing action. DOWN Gresini Ducati issued a press release featuring two interviews with Alex Marquez: one with the questions and answers created using ChatGPT and one using actual humans. Go figure. ELLIOTT OUT After topping the pre-race tests, a highside during qualifying ruled Australian Brayden Elliot out of the British Superstock race at Oulton Park’s Round 2.…

COCO-CABINA This is Honda’s all-weather scooter – the Cabina. Despite being a dead cert to attract the opposite sex with its curvy roofline and windscreen wiper, the Cabina never made it Down Under. The roofed runabout was only available in Japan and could be had in either a grunty 50cc version or an ‘off its dial’ 90cc version. Aimed at non-motorcyclists, the Cabina sported a large windscreen, a roof, automatic transmission, electric centrestand and would have set you back around $3500. SPECIAL KS Kawasaki used the Cologne show to reveal its 1995 range of bikes. New to Big K's range was the ZZ-R1100-powered GPZ1100; the electric-start KLR650 that looks more trailie than adventure bike these days; and one of the most Harley-looking non-Harleys ever made – the VN800. But in…

FACEBOOK Post of the issue INSTAGRAM Don’t Forget #amcn_mag Comment of the Issue Victor Marshall asked the question of Pedrosa’s KTM that many of us were thinking… “What is the bracket for? Presumably not a roll bar!” 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 news and…

ROAD RACING 2023 MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 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, The Bend, SA 2023 SUPERBIKE…

1 HUSKY HIDE Husqvarna Australia $438.24 NA husqvarna-motorcycles.com/en-au The Gotland waterproof off-road jacket from Husqvarna features a multilayer outer design with a hydrophobic membrane and waterproof zippers. The Gotland boasts front and rear vents, zip-off sleeves, preformed shoulders and elbows, and multiple inner and outer pockets including a detachable chest pocket. 2 LIBERTY RIDE Moto National $249.95 1300 885 355 falcoboots.com.au Falco’s Liberty 3 touring boot sports a micro-synthetic upper construction, with a High-Tex waterproof membrane and ventilated textile inserts. Toe and heel sections are reinforced, and other safety measures include D3O-backed ankle cups, PU-moulded gear pad, durable injected rubber sole and rear reflective piping. 3 EURO TOOLS Touratech $742 (03) 5729 5529 touratech.com.au The Touratech professional tool set for KTM, Husqvarna and Ducati motorcycles contains 68 high quality pieces…

CAMERON DUNKER backed up his maiden Supersport win at Sydney Motorsport Park with more success, taking his GTR MotoStars Yamaha YZF-R6 to victory in Race 1 and second place in Race 2. With another packed field of 24 riders and strong depth of talent, qualifying was critical with Dunker seizing pole from Tom Bramich (Apex Civil Yamaha) and Ty Lynch (Unitech Racing Yamaha). In Race 1, Oli Simpson (Simpson Crash Yamaha) exploded off the line from the second row, leading Dunker and Lynch with Bramich not far behind. Reigning champion John Lytras (Caboolture Yamaha) was the first to strike trouble, losing the front on lap two. The late-braking began and Jake Farnsworth (Worth Race Developments Yamaha) pushed deep to pressure the leaders, enough to hit the front. It all came…

BODIE PAIGE has taken a clean sweep of victories as well as pole position to complete a perfect weekend in the second round of the Oceania Junior Cup. He fought back from a bad start in Race 1, dropping as low as seventh at one stage but at the line it was Paige from South Aussie Archie Schmidt and Riley Nauta. Race 2 saw a series of red flag stoppages following an initial crash from Nixon Frost. after the restart Ella McClausland and Alexander Cody went down to trigger a three-lap sprint. Paige led every lap, claiming victory from Valentino Knezovic and Rikki Henry. “That was hectic and one of the closest races I’ve ever been in,” Paige beamed.…

TWO CORNERS IN, Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha) tagged Marquez, sending both riders down midpack, before Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Ducati) ran over Morbidelli’s YZR-M1 bringing out the red flags. Miraculously, all riders made the 11-lap restart. Brad Binder grabbed the early initiative from Miller after Espargaro veered off the line, clearing the way for the South African to his left. The Australian gained the upper hand on lap three, while Bagnaia, Martin, Espargaro, Oliveira and Pedrosa followed. The lead group was whitt led down to six as Espargaro crashed out on lap six. With three to go, the front four had pulled clear and Binder was never likely to give this up. An outrageous out-braking move at Pedrosa Corner on lap nine didn’t quite work out. He made sure it…

NOW WITH 11 wins from 12 race starts in 2023, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba Ducati) makes it look so easy. His margins of victory in Barcelona were almost at his 2019 levels, but of course it is a complete package deal of bike, team and rider – and the Spaniard has to ride his bike on the very edge to pull it off so convincingly. No other Ducati except his own teammate could get near him or the podium this weekend, as they cannot ride it the way Bautista does, proving it is not just all about the bike. That myth was set ablaze in the spring sunshine at Barcelona-Catalunya as Bautista won a long first race in hot conditions, a 10-lap sprint with light rain halfway through and a final…

Exclusive NEWS FROM THE PADDOCK BY MOTOGP COMMENTATOR NEIL MORRISON TWO THINGS stood out from the performance of the factory KTMs in Jerez: their rapid starts, and both Brad Binder and Jack Miller’s ability to scrub off speed with their rear tyre completely out of line with the front in the braking zone. Engineers have set up a bike that works brilliantly when both attacking and defending in a group fight. Aleix Espargaro, watching on from behind, was impressed. “Congratulations to KTM, the job they did is amazing. The riders, Jack, Brad and the whole team it’s crazy what they're doing. But my feeling is that my bike is better than them. This is why I'm even more frustrated because their bike allowed them to be really aggressive on the…

MARC MARQUEZ revealed he could be risking his career by returning to competition too early after he surprisingly opted to sit out the Spanish GP due to injury. The eight-time champ revealed three separate teams of doctors advised him to sit out this weekend as the first metacarpal in his right hand, which he fractured at round one, has not fully healed. “I tried to recover in four weeks, but honestly speaking the doctors from the beginning said between 6-8 weeks. After Tuesday’s CT scan we check with the Madrid medical team and they say that it was too risky. Then they reconfirmed with the Mayo Clinic and also we reconfirmed with the Red Bull APC Centre and by unanimous decision, they say that it was too risky. “The main…

GLENN IRWIN has taken his Beer Monster Ducati V4 R to the top of the British Superbike standings after a strong showing at Oulton Park’s second round, winning the third race of the weekend, placing second in Race 2 and third in the sprint. “It’s been a brilliant day,” he said. At each round so far there have been three different race winners, with Irwin’s Beer Monster teammate Tommy Bridewell taking out Race 2. Aussie Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) maintained his early-season form with a win in the sprint, but went 6-5 in the feature races on the UK Bank Holiday Monday. “We made a change to the bike for the first race today, although it looked perfect in theory, as it turns out… I wasn’t able to…

DEAN FERRIS banked a dominant performance at Round 4 of the ProMX Championship in Maitland, NSW, with the Brisbane Motorcycles Yamaha rider winning all three MX1 races. Ferris now leads by nine points over Boost Mobile Honda Racing rider Jed Beaton (136) and CDR Yamaha Monster Energy's Aaron Tanti on 119. Rhys Budd (Serco Yamaha) was the overall MX2 winner and lies in fourth in the standings behind KTM’s Nathan Crawford (116), Polyflor Honda Racing’s Brodie Connolly (120) and Wilson Todd (Honda Racing, 147). Cambell Williams (Empire Kawasaki) took the MX3 round win and sits third in the series behind Jack Mather (Raceline Performance Husqvarna, 135) and Byron Dennis (GasGas, 139). Next up is Gillman, SA on 28 May.…

VOGE Loncin’s luxury Voge brand is working on the RR660, which is a 660cc four which revs to 13,000rpm and is expected to make more than 75kW (102hp), driving through a six-speed transmission fitted with a two-way quickshifter. Electronics will include traction control and ABS, as well as a TFT instrument pack. Voge calls the bike a 2023 model, suggesting a full unveil is due very soon. NOOMA Codenamed NM663, the number is likely to represent the machine’s capacity and, like several other recent Chinese fours, the engine has clear physical similarities to the Honda CB650R unit. It’s bolted to what appears to be a modern cast-aluminium frame, with a swingarm made the same way, and wrapped in race-inspired styling that doesn’t seem to be a straight copy of any…

The first vehicle propelled by an internal combustion engine to arrive in Australia was a Hildebrand-Wolfmüller motorcycle. This particular specimen was unloaded at the Brisbane city wharves shortly after Christmas 1895. The importer, noted violinist James Brunnich of Mackay, was greatly dismayed when he learnt that the coal tar-based Benzol required to power his new acquisition was not available in Brisbane. Some weeks later, when sufficient supplies of Benzol had been obtained from Sydney, renowned cyclist Knight Eaton tested the Wolfmüller, reporting that when ridden around the streets of Brisbane “the only noise was the discharge of the exhaust gasses from the cylinders” and that “at 30 miles an hour, the vibration on the hands is very great”. Not surprising, really. An extremely loud exhaust and significant vibrations might well…

MY FIRST motorcycle was an air-cooled Honda single and, despite this new CB125F rolling off the production line some 46 years after my XR75 did, the engine character is unmistakably similar. Sure, the 125 has more poke than the 75, but the easy and linear way in which it makes its power has me reminiscing – as does the sound of the OHC single, albeit more heavily muffled in CB roadbike trim. It’s the easy-to-ride nature that makes the CB so well suited to novice riders, along with the bike’s light weight and its low seat height. Having said that, I got a bit of a shock when I stomped on the rear brake to test the ABS, because the drum brake locked up and left a nice black line…

HOW TO RENT A BIKE OR JOIN A TOUR There are a lot of rental and tour companies offering their services in Ha Giang, and you’ll find a lot of questionable looking bikes up there too. We went with Rentabike Vietnam, which is based in Hanoi and run by Danny Pearce – a Brit who has been living and running rentals and tours in Vietnam for the last 20 years. Our bikes were immaculate and the service perfect, so we’d recommend them. www.rentabikevn.com RENT OR JOIN A TOUR? Most people riding the loop do it in a tour group or with a private guide. That’s a great idea as an experienced guide knows where to go, what to see, where to find fuel, food, accommodation… and can translate for you.…

Phillip Island Ride Days / 0490 281 840 Phillip Island, Vic Sydney Motorsport Park Ride Days/0490 281 840 SMSP, NSW Murray Valley Training Co 0459 415 787 Barnawartha North, Vic Champion’s Ride Days (07) 3287 4144 Broadford, Vic Collie Motorplex, WA Morgan Park, Qld The Bend, SA Trakdayz 0401 484 898 Barbagallo, WA California Superbike School / 1300 793 423 Phillip Island, Vic SMSP, NSW Broadford, Vic Morgan Park Qld Mount Gambier MCC Coaching / Ride Days 0448 951 163 Mac Park, SA Ride-Tek MTA 1300 788 382 Sandown, Vic Ridedays WA (08) 9409 1002 Barbagallo, WA Collie, WA Top Rider 1300 131 362 Various venues, Qld Phoenix MCC Junior Coaching 0403 386 788 Tailem Bend, SA Mallala, SA…

WEB HOT! Check out the website for the latest reviews at amcn.com.au TESTED VOL 69 NO 21 BIKE SPOTLIGHT VESPA GTS 300 SUPER TECH ENGINE 278cc single POWER 17.5kW (23.8hp) TORQUE 26Nm WEIGHT 160kg (wet) PRICE $12,890 ride away “The most powerful and well equipped version of what’s arguably one of the world’s most famous two-wheel brands” TESTED VOL 68 NO 15 BIKE SPOTLIGHT TRIUMPH SCRAMBLER 1200 XC ENGINE 1200cc parallel twin POWER 66.2kW (90hp) TORQUE 110Nm WEIGHT 230kg (wet) PRICE $23,450 (ride away) “The Scrambler 1200 XC is a genuine adventure bike that just happens to have retro styling”…

STARTING FROM seventh on the grid in the R3 Cup, Marcos Hamod latched on to the front group of six. Every braking zone was a battleground with multiple overtaking manoeuvres, but Hamod held on for his breakthrough victory with Henry Snell and Brandon Demmery completing the podium. In Race 2 the next day it was Sam Pezzetta (Unitech Racing) who led on the final lap, holding on to record a thrilling victory after fending off moves from Snell and Demmery. An impressive triumph for Pezzetta who is still recovering from injury. “The last two rounds have been very mentally challenging for me, a massive learning curve,” he said. Race 3 was more of the same, a group of six with Demmery and Cameron Swain both searching for a win. Swain,…

ALPINESTARS SUPERBIKE ROUND 3 STANDINGS AFTER 3 OF 7 ROUNDS J Waters 160, T Herfoss 142, C Halliday 115, G Allerton 115, M Jones 104 MICHELIN SUPERSPORT ROUND 3 STANDINGS AFTER 3 OF 6 ROUNDS O Simpson 119, T Lynch 116, C Dunker 109, J Passfield 92, T Bramich 86 SUPERSPORT 300 ROUND 3 STANDINGS AFTER 3 OF 6 ROUNDS B Demmery 187, B Gawith 162, M Hamod 154, C Swain 143, J Russo 142 R3 CUP ROUND 2 STANDINGS AFTER 2 OF 5 ROUNDS B Demmery 124, C Swain 122, B Gawith 106, M Hamod 103, H Snell 100 OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP ROUND 2 STANDINGS AFTER 2 OF 5 ROUNDS B Paige 118, V Knezovic 108, H Fordyce 105, R Nauta 98, A Schmidt 87…

SAM LOWES (Marc VDS Kalex) turned the intermediate class event into a procession, as he eased to his 10th win in the class – his first since suffering a serious left shoulder injury last August. after the Englishman claimed pole position by 0.5sec on Saturday, this was a billed as a two-way fight with weekend pace-sett er Pedro Acosta (Ajo Kalex) starting second. Indeed, the first lap indicated this would be how the race played out, as the Spaniard got the jump into Turn 1 with the polesitter close behind. But once Lowes executed a block pass at the final turn of the first lap, the contest was all but over. He consistently gapped his pursuer to the tune of 0.1sec per lap to eke out a lead in excess…

WITH NICOLO Bulega (Aruba Ducati) on pole and then in the lead of Race 1, it looked like another Ducati V-twin metronome of a race result. However, Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) chased and almost caught Bulega at the flag, finishing just 0.626sec down. Another MV Agusta, of Bahatt in Sofuoglu, would get on the podium in a photo finish that ended up with Sofuoglu and not Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Yamaha) being awarded third. The stewards stretched their close fight out beyond the chequered flag by slapping Manzi with a three-second penalty for not completing his long-lap penalty properly. That put him down into sixth place, which was hardly where he wanted to be after such a strong ride from ninth place. The top Yamaha then ended up being…

KTM PLACED a lot of value on Dani Pedrosa’s wildcard appearance as it provided him with the chance to ride with other riders, something that isn’t always possible when testing alone. “I always ride alone and with the aerodynamics we are testing riding behind others, I could already feel how different it has become to follow someone,” Pedrosa said. How different is it to follow in a group compared to when he finished racing in 2018, he was asked. “It’s super different,” he said. “In the past, already at the end of my career you could feel it changing. Anyway, the wings or aerodynamics weren’t like they are now. Even if you were in the slipstream, or alone, yes you could feel tiny difference, but it was pretty much similar.…