Australian Motorcycle News Vol 72 Issue 24

“YOU MIGHT WONDER WHY AN ADVENTURE BIKE WOULD NEED ANY MORE GRUNT” OUR LEAD news story in this issue reports on BMW’s upcoming R 1300 GS. As you’d expect of this new adventure weapon, changes will be extensive, and headlined by a larger capacity and even more powerful 1300cc boxer engine. Considering the current R 1250 GS makes 100kW (136hp) of power and a stump-pulling 143Nm of torque, you might wonder why an adventure bike would need any more grunt, but with most bike manufacturers now competing in the adventure bike segment the BMW boffins must feel as though they need an impressive peak power figure to compete with the likes of Ducati’s 125kW (170hp) Multistrada V4 range, for example, or the 118kW (160hp) KTM 1290 Super Adventure range. But…

These spy shots plus type-approval documents we’ve uncovered show BMW’s R 1300 GS is almost ready to be launched. Few models have as much significance for a company as BMW’s R-series GS boxer, so this is a huge moment for the German manufacturer. Having started life as a niche oddball with the original G 80 GS, it hit its stride with 2004’s R 1200 GS and has been a perennial chart-topper ever since. In the process, it has redefined BMW, making it one of the most important motorcycle makers on the planet. This latest model is a giant step forward, using design and technology substantially different to its predecessors. The R 1300 GS is bigger in almost every dimension, packs a brand-new chassis and heavily reworked boxer engine, and even…

The return of Beijing’s International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition last month proves China’s giant motorcycle industry and market has shrugged off the Covid pandemic and is back in expansion mode. The expo, which ran from 19-22 May showcased the entire Chinese motorcycle industry including new models, accessories and future technology. Held in an area encompassing 80,000m², it’s estimated around 100,000 people attended. There were more than 30 new models launched. Unexpected debutante BENDA’S first all-out sportsbike, the LFR700, was shown in Beijing without any details being released. Rather than being the expected turbocharged version of its 300cc V-twin teased a few years back, it clearly uses the same inline four-cylinder engine as the LFC and LFS700 models. This is a 16-valve, DOHC design that has some similarities to Honda’s CB650 engine…

“It’s amazing! It’s as if the principal’s going to come out any minute and tell you you’re not supposed to do it”Josh Brookes sums up his enjoyment of being back on the Isle of Man TT course for the first time since 2018, where he finished in a brilliant fifth on the Norton in the closing Senior TT with a 131.745mph lap making him the fastest Australian TT racer. More from the TT on page 98. STEP BACK IN TIME You can walk around the remains of the famous Catalina Park Raceway at Katoomba in the NSW Blue Mountains. The 2.4km circuit still exists just metres from the town’s main street. Its splintering wooden walls and rusting Armco railings are a reminder of its golden era of the early 1960s.…

Norton will put the prototype V4CR into production as a limited-edition of 200 to be available for delivery in 2024. Owned since 2021 by India’s giant motorcycle company TVS, Norton’s new factory will hand-build the CR alongside the redeveloped and renamed V4SV superbike based on the old V4SS. Benefitting from UK’s ‘Single Vehicle Approval’ regulations aimed at small manufacturing runs that skirt the tough Euro 5 emissions standards, the V4SV isn’t encumbered by catalytic converters and other next-gen tech. Priced in the UK at around $A79,000, the target is clearly the rider who values exclusivity above everything else. The V4CR’s spec includes that big V4 engine, with 140kW (187hp) at 12,000rpm and 125Nm at 9000rpm, mounted in a frame TIG-welded by hand from aluminium tubes. Like the V4SV superbike, it…

THE NEW single-cylinder X440 is the latest step in Harley-Davidson’s journey to unlock the world’s biggest motorcycle-buying markets. We’ve already reported on the debut of the X350 and X500 parallel-twins, manufactured by Qianjiang in China, and now this new Harley ‘X’ bike comes from Hero MotorCorp in India. The X440 looks likely to remain an India-only model with its design clearly aimed at meeting Indian regulations and expectations. It’s powered by an air/oil-cooled single, clearly around 440cc from the model name. Detailed specifications aren’t expected to be revealed until the X440’s launch next month. A simple, steel tube chassis has twin rear shocks and an upside-down fork. The two-piston front brake caliper is from ByBre, Brembo’s low-cost brand. Indian motorcycle media speculates the X440 will match the performance of Royal…