Australian Motorcycle News Vol 72 Issue 25

“IF YOU’RE SQUEAMISH, YOU MIGHT WANT TO GIVE SOME OF THE POSTS A MISS” HE’S NOT the first young Aussie to do it and he won’t be the last, but if you want to know what commitment is when it comes to making it on the world stage, check out Jacob Roulstone’s Revolving Racer column this issue starting on page 118. Like many antipodean racers before him, Jacob and his family are sacrificing so much to help him realise his dream in Europe, and he’s doing a top job in both the Red Bull Rookies Cup (currently sixth in the standings) and Junior GP (currently second). We’re right behind you, Jacob, as well as all the other young Aussies competing in Europe including fellow Red Bull Rookies racer Carter Thompson,…

We’ve got our hands on some recently issued type-approval documents relating to the Australian market, which are granted to a product that meets a minimum set of regulatory, technical and safety requirements. In this case, they relate to the MV Agusta 931cc Lucky Explorer adventure bike, as well as BMW’s R 1300 GS. And while we’ve already published several spy photos of the upcoming R 1300 GS and scooped technical details courtesy of the model’s European type-approval, these documents include undisguised photos which, together with the Australian documents, lift the lid on what’s surely the segment’s most important 2024 model. Lucky Explorer 9.5 in Despite doubts over the brand’s future in the segment, MV Agusta has achieved Australian type-approval for its first adventure model, the Lucky Explorer 9.5. Since KTM…

SUZUKI’S ADVENTURE range is set to expand to three in 2024 with both a base model and Adventure version of its new V-Strom 800 set to flank the existing V-Strom 800DE in the line-up. Although the documents reveal little more other than confirming the bikes will use an unchanged 62kW (84hp), 776cc parallel-twin engine and no substantial change in weight, the names alone give an indication what to expect. We only have to look at the V-Strom 1050 model range to see what the removal of the ‘DE’ suffix means for the model. The base model 1050 wears cast alloy wheels, with a smaller 19-inch front. It also uses simpler, shorter-travel suspension and has a lower ground clearance, while ditching off-road elements like the bash plate. Expect the Adventure model…

Honda filed detailed patents a year ago showing what appeared to be a next-generation CB1000R – a winged, Firebladepowered nakedbike to compete against the latest crop of super-powerful unfaired machines – but this latest design shows that an even more radical variation is also under consideration, dropping a telescopic fork and a conventional chassis in favour of a completely different setup. Honda already has form when it comes to funny front-ends. The Goldwing has adopted a variation on the Hossack-style girder fork, something that’s already used by BMW’s K 1600 models, and the new CB1000R-style bike seen in this patent takes the same route. In this instance, the girder-style fork, supported on parallel, front-facing wishbones and sprung by a central, coil-over shock, aren’t being championed for the usual reasons of…

ONE OF THE most intriguing new bikes expected from China is the upcoming Benda VTR300 Turbo – a forced-induction 300cc V-twin sportsbike that’s been teased but not yet officially shown. Now a new patent reveals it has flip-out winglets that emerge from the side fairings when they’re needed and drop out of sight when they’re not. What simply looked like access panels on design registration imagery, the new patent document shows how these panels are actually mounted on servo-driven arms, allowing them to pop out when required. The angled arms mean the winglets adopt a front-down attitude when extended. Along with a sculpted underside, this helps them generate downforce even though they lack the exaggerated wing profile of some fixed-position designs. Although Benda’s international presence is limited at the moment,…

A SURPRISE update to Kawasaki’s ZX-6R for 2024 gives the bike a new lease of life and could have wider implications to a category that was once the most fiercely fought battlefield in motorcycling. Today, tight emissions laws – particularly in Europe, which was once the key market for supersport 600s – mean they’re a dying breed. Euro 5 regulations implemented in 2021 eliminated all the four-cylinder supersport bikes from sale in Europe, and with other countries adopting similar standards the outlook for the class has been bleak. But for 2024 the Kawasaki ZX-6R is revamped and, unlike its rivals, clean enough to achieve Euro 5 certification. The 2024 ZX-6R is an evolution rather than a revolution, carrying over essentially the same 636cc engine, frame and suspension as its predecessor. What’s…