Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 73 Issue 08 i Australian Motorcycle News

THE DESERTX is already the most convincing off-road model in Ducati’s range but for 2024 the new DesertX Rally raises the bar. The DesertX Rally gets a larger diameter 48mm KYB fork with 20mm more travel at 250mm. It’s a closed-cartridge system, similar to those used on many motocross bikes, that uses pressure inside the cartridges to prevent cavitation in the fork oil over rough surfaces. At the back there’s also a 20mm travel increase, rising to 240mm, thanks to a new, fully-adjustable shock, and Ducati has added an adjustable Öhlins steering damper. Ground clearance rises from 250mm to 280mm. There are also new wheels with milled aluminium hubs, carbon steel spokes and Excel rims, designed to be used with tubed tyres. The diameters are unchanged, with a 21-inch front and…

AMERICAN EMISSIONS approvals have betrayed another of Ducati’s planned 2024 models – revealing that a special Panigale V4 SP2 to mark three decades since the launch of the legendary 916 is set for production. The Ducati Panigale V4 SP2 30th Anniversario 916 name is a bit of a mouthful, but the certifications show that the machine itself will be essentially similar to the existing Panigale V4 SP2, the second-most expensive variant behind the homologation-special Panigale V4 R. Like the standard SP2, it has the 158kW (215.5hp), 123.6Nm, 1103cc V4 engine that’s also used on the stock Panigale V4, but it will have higher-spec components elsewhere, including the SP2’s alloy fuel tank and Brembo Stylema R brakes. Öhlins is also a foregone conclusion, and the carbon-fibre wheels that mark out the SP2…

AIR YOUR THOUGHTS OR VENT YOUR SPLEEN Access, AMCN, PO Box 6, Bittern, Vic, 3918 access@amcn.com.au LETTER OF THE ISSUE Grand let down In case you hadn’t heard, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation have cancelled the Barry Sheene Tribute Run, previously held on the Thursday prior to the Phillip Island MotoGP. Haven’t seen a statement from them, but it came out in a press release from the East Gippsland Shire Council. They, plus the traders in Bairnsdale, several hundred riders, the police motorcyclists, spectators in the towns along the route, and the charities that benefit, are very disappointed. On a positive note, I really got a kick out of Dean’s article on the purchase of his dream MV Agusta (AMCN Vol 72 No 07). Doesn’t make a lot of sense,…

1 PEDRO ACOSTA Long before the circus even left Europe for the flyaway fights leading up to Phillip Island, Pedro Acosta was already the dominant figure in the middle class. No surprise; rookie Moto3 champion in 2021 (when the Australian GP was one of very few races where he didn’t score points), the Spanish teenager was runaway Rookie of the Year in Moto2 last year, and was always expected to win the title in 2023. In fact, it hasn’t always been that clear cut. He’s had a few mis-hits, one crash out of the lead in France, and has been defeated in straight fights three times since. All without breaking a sweat, however. He clearly shares the opinion that the title is his by right. He was second here last…

1 DANIEL HOLGADO Nothing can be taken for granted in Moto3, where packs of 10 or 15 riders fight for the front, and are often still jostling for position on the last lap. Results are volatile. Nobody illustrates this better than Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Danny Holgado, in his third year in the class, and earlier in the year looking like a runaway title winner. Three wins in the first six races were followed by a pair of thirds in the next three. But they sandwiched 25th place at Assen… which became something of a bad omen, where consistency is important. Thereafter the 18-year-old Spaniard took another second in Austria, but then went missing from the points altogether for two more races. He managed to come back through to fourth…

“A SMALL STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION” In the Monster Yamaha garage, Fabio Quartararo had one of his race weekend machines to use as a benchmark – as all riders did. Next to it was what I guessed was his second bike from the race weekend fitted with a completely new aero package, and then third machine which I had confirmation was fitted with Yamaha’s first effort at the 2024 engine. On Franco Morbidelli’s side of the garage, he had one machine with a chassis I’d not seen before sitting beside one of his race weekend machines. Morbidelli, who has a contract to race with the Prima Pramac Ducati squad in 2024, ran through things Yamaha can use at races this season, while Fabio, who is staying put next year,…

“KTM HAS MADE ANOTHER SMALL STEP FORWARD” Both Red Bull KTM riders of Jack Miller and Brad Binder had one of their previous day’s race machines to warm up on – and no doubt test some things on – before they moved to the other machine they had to test, which was one each of test rider Dani Pedrosa’s Misano race machines, which used the carbonfibre chassis. The mechanics changed setup – springs and geometry – from Pedrosa’s to each riders’ before their first runs out. Both riders times looked good pretty much immediately. Then they both had turns on a black-chassis machine, which there was just one of. I believe this was KTM’s first attempt at its 2024 machine. When Miller rode it, the chassis was set slightly differently,…

The 2023 season represented the opportunity of a lifetime for Australian Joel Kelso. Now in his second full year riding in the world championship, the 20-year-old stepped into the well-funded PruestelGP CFMoto squad, complete with full KTM backing. With a year of experience at this level under his belt, the rider from Darwin was intent on building on a promising campaign. But as the season enters its final stretch, Kelso finds himself some way from where he wants to be – 21st overall. There have been just two top-10 finishes and 19 points scored. What’s more, he lost his seat in his current team and his chances of staying in the world championship next year are dependent on paying hundreds of thousands of Euros for a ride in a Moto3…

The hallowed ground that is the 4.45km-long Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit has played host to so many racing fan’s most vivid memories. With its stunning scenery, unpredictable weather and fast flowing tarmac, Phillip Island has the ability to turn on spectacular and nail-biting racing like no other circuit on the calendar. Who could forget Wayne Gardner, complete with a freshly broken scaphoid and his fairing flapping in the wind, defying the odds to take that hugely popular victory in 1990. Just as significant was Daryl Beattie’s 250cc wildcard that same year where he raced his NSR250 to a remarkable fourth place in just his second GP appearance. Speaking of wildcards, 30-year-old Troy Bayliss rode a gritty race on an under-powered 250cc Suzuki to finish sixth place in the 1997…

CASEY STONER and Valentino Rossi are equal on the amount of times they’ve stood on the top step (six), but Stoner has six consecutive wins between 2007 and 2012, while Rossi has five consecutive wins between 2001 and 2005 with his sixth coming during the 2014 event. Marc Marquez (2015, 2017 & 2019) and Mick Doohan are next, both with three top-step visits each, while Wayne Gardner has stood on the top step twice (1989 & 1990). One time premier-class winners include Marco Melandri (2006), Jorge Lorenzo (2013), Cal Crutchlow (2016), Maverick Vinales (2018) and Alex Rins (2022).…

TESTED VOL 68 NO 20 BIKE SPOTLIGHT MOTO GUZZI V85 TT ENGINE 853cc V-twin POWER 59kW (79hp) at 7750rpm TORQUE 80Nm at 5000rpm WEIGHT 229kg (kerb, claimed) PRICE $22,230 (ride away) “The engine feels more modern than any other Moto Guzzi” TESTED VOL 69 NO 01 BIKE SPOTLIGHT PEUGEOT DJANGO 150 ENGINE 150.6cc single POWER 8.3kW (11hp) at 8500rpm TORQUE 11Nm at 7000rpm WEIGHT 129kg (dry, claimed) PRICE $5490 (ride away) “It makes really good second-vehicle sense for the urban dweller” WEB HOT! Check out the website for the latest reviews at amcn.com.au…

FOR THE SECOND weekend in succession Jaume Masia (Leopard Honda) looked the rider most likely to emerge from a hectic fight and become world champion. The Spaniard topped every session bar one and fought back from a subpar opening to claim a second comfortable victory in succession. Pole sitter Masia was on the back foot in the early laps as Deniz Oncu (Ajo KTM) set a relentless early rhythm, with Dani Holgado (Tech3 KTM), Stefano Nepa (MTA KTM), Ayumu Sasaki (IntactGP Husqvarna) and Ivan Ortola (MTA KTM) all in tow. Yet once up to speed, Masia began gaining places, riding from fourth to second on lap six, before passing Oncu. By then that pair, Sasaki and Holgado had broken clear of the rest. And Oncu soon made his life a great…

THE FIRST race had no shortage of drama for new world champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) when he went from potential winner to a ride-through penalty and then demoted one place for irresponsible riding on the straight. With Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR Kawasaki) third in the race, behind Yamaha Team BR Corse teammates Mirko Gennai and Marco Gaggi, Buis was in a commanding 22-point lead entering the final race of 2023. But this being WorldSSP300 racing, anything could happen. Race 2 saw Buis skirmish up front then drop back to finish 11th, more than enough to be champion even if first rider across the line, Perez Gonzalez, had kept his ‘win,’ instead of losing it to Gennai for irresponsible riding into Turn 2. Dirk Geiger (KTM)…

27.10.24 Next year’s Australian round of MotoGP will be one week later, according to the provisional 2024 calendar. Australia will mark the 19th round of the 22-round series, which kicks off in Qatar on 8 March and concludes in Valencia on 17 November. R 90 S TRIBUTE The BMW Club of Victoria and Bendigo Historic Motorcycle Club combined to mark the 50th anniversary of BMW’s iconic R 90 S on 25 September, where a stunning turnout of 24 bikes – evenly split between the TT Silver Smoke and Daytona Orange variants – sparkled in the spring sunshine. ANDY WHITE MENTAL TWISTIES This time around, the AMCN neck sock is heading off to Rhod Edwards’ mailbox in Muswellbrook, NSW. Thanks Rhod! 1. House removed 2. Yellow shirt 3. New bike 4.…

OH, WHEELIE American Doug Domokos set a new world record for distance covered on the back wheel. Domokos ripped out a monster 233.2km wheelie on his Honda. There was a chance he could have gone on longer but the Honda ran out of fuel. The current record is held by Masaru Abe, who wheelied a Yamaha Jog scooter over 500km. Meanwhile Alan Cathcart's Denco-powered Britten launched him into the stratosphere when the V-twin lost power, then chimed in again. TIGHT-ARSE In a clear sign of how governments looked upon motorcycling and its proponents back in the day, both the Victorian and Federal governments turned down requests for financial assistance to hold the inaugural Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. This was in contrast to the many millions of dollars thrown at the…

DUCATI MONSTER • 937cc Testastretta V-twin • 82kW (111hp) @ 9250rpm (claimed) • 93Nm @ 6500rpm (claimed) • 166kg (dry, claimed) • Cornering ABS, traction control, wheelie control, launch control, two-way quickshifter. From $19,700 (ride away) KTM 890 DUKE R • 889cc parallel twin • 89kW (121hp) @ 9250rpm (claimed) • 99Nm @ 7750rpm (claimed) • 166kg (dry, claimed) approx. 181kg wet • Cornering ABS, cornering traction control, wheelie control From $20,760 (ride away) TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE RS • 765cc Inline triple • 95.6kW (128hp) @ 12,000rpm (claimed) • 80Nm @ 9500rpm (claimed) • 188kg (wet, claimed) • Cornering ABS, cornering traction control, front wheel lift control, two-way quickshifter From $20,890 (ride away)…

1 TONY ARBOLINO At the start of the year, the Italian would have been a shoo-in for a podium spot, and he even led on points after the first couple of races, after winning round two in Argentina. Another win in France after Acosta fell off boosted his hopes, but by and large he’d been playing second fiddle to the dominant Spaniard. Three more second places had kept him at least numerically in the hunt, should Acosta suffer any more no-scores or sustain an injury. Then something went wrong. Tiger Tony lost the intimate feeling with his Kalex, and the results fell off a cliff. At the Dutch TT he finished seventh, the first time he hadn’t at least challenged for the podium. Next time out at the British GP…

“DUCATI IS BACK TO LEADING THE WAY” With both Lenovo Team riders Pecco Bagnia and Enea Bastianini injured, and Prima Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco leaving the Ducati fold next year, it was up to his teammate Jorge Martin to test the early version of the GP24. He, of course, got up to speed on one of his GP23 racebikes from Misano before trying the new version. Both had been fitted with the wide, ground-effects lower fairing and not the earlier downdraft-style fairing he had raced recently. My guess is the factory requested that the GP24 be tested with the wide ground-effects lower fairing, and the accurate way to get a comparison in machinery is to have them set up the same. So even though Martin raced and won at Misano…

MICK ON THE MIC Want to spend the night with Mick Doohan, Casey Stoner and Jack Miller? Well, you can if you have $80.49 spare, some free time from 8.15pm on 18 October and the ability to sit still and listen for more than half an hour. Mick will sit down for an in-depth chat about his career with television presenter Stephen Quartermain and will be joined by Casey and Jack during the evening. The unimaginatively named An Evening with Mick Doohan will be held at The Palms at Crown in Southbank, Melbourne, and bookings are filling fast so don’t dilly-dally. To book your tickets head to www.ticketmaster.com.au HOME AND HOSED Although the long-running annual Barry Sheene Ride has been cancelled this year there is another, er, avenue for riders…

Jacob Roulstone had not long turned two years old when Marc Marquez made his debut in the Moto3 World Championship, a milestone the Australian teenager will replicate when the lights go out to start the opening race of the 2024 series. And by all accounts, it was about the time Roulstone’s hero had won his first world title just three years later, that the kid from Jamberoo in New South Wales began to set his heart and sights on racing motorcycles. His first bike came at age five, his first race start just 18 months after that, and within the next 10 years he’d picked up three Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships, a berth in the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup, and was on a plane heading for the 2020 FIM…

LORIS CAPIROSSI At 17 years and 165 days, Loris Capirossi became the youngest 125cc world champion in Oz in 1990. VALENTINO ROSSI Valentino Rossi won the last 500cc crown at Phillip Island in 2001, and his history-making 2004 title. MAX BIAGGI In 1997, Max Biaggi clinched his fourth-consecutive 250cc world title here from pole. MARCO MELANDRI Marco Melandri claimed the 2002 250cc world title from Fonsi Nieto by a tiny 0.007sec margin in 2002. MICK DOOHAN Mick Doohan clinched his fifth world title in 1998 by winning the Oz 500cc GP ahead of Simon Crafar. DANI PEDROSA Dani Pedrosa wrapped up his first 250cc title and second world championship at the island in 2004. CASEY STONER Casey Stoner dominated the 2011 MotoGP race to nab his second world championship in…

WAYNE GARDNER VERSUS WAYNE RAINEY, 1989 A battle to the very end between Wayne Gardner and Wayne Rainey (with Christian Sarron and Kevin Magee hot in the mix, too) saw Gardner victorious. It’s a race the Wollongong Whiz still hails as the most memorable of his career. MARCO SIMONCELLI VERSUS ALVARO BAUTISTA, 2008 The pair were battling for the world title as well as the race win under the Australian sunshine that day, and while Marco Simoncelli reigned supreme by 0.223sec, Bautista’s second-place finish meant the Italian was forced to wait until Sepang to win the 250cc world title. SETE GIBERNAU VERSUS VALENTINO ROSSI, 2004 With one hand on the title trophy and the rivalry between the Spaniard and the Italian as fierce as ever, the 2004 Australian round was…

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THIRTY-THREE years ago Darryl Flack started his motorcycle journalism career as the Sydney Editor of Australian Motorcycle News. This year he’s released his second hardcover book titled The Immortals of Australian Motorcycle Racing: The World Champs. Celebrating Australia’s greatest ever riders, Daz takes the Immortals concept used in a similar tome about motorsport – think Peter Brock and Alan Moffat – and applies it to two-wheeled racing, choosing the best of the best from the 500cc and MotoGP eras, Bathurst’s road racing era, the Dakar Rally, motocross and speedway. Forced to select just 12 riders from a deep pool of Australian legends (that’s a great story in itself, we’ll publish it in an upcoming issue), he then delves into the careers of what he calls “the true greats”. Riders profiled in…

SUCH WAS the head of steam Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati) had built up by the Sprint race at the Mobility Resort Motegi, chief contender Francesco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) would have been forgiven for praying for an act of god to halt the Spaniard’s charge. Had he done so, the reigning champion was granted his wish on Sunday. Surely MotoGP’s first flag-to-flag race, where the entire field started on slick tyres before rapidly pitting to change bikes fitted with wets would throw Martin off balance. After all, not one of the weekend’s sessions before the race had been in anything but dry conditions. How about that for a curveball? Yet Martin displayed a tenacity and confidence that will have given Bagnaia much to ponder. The 25-year old fought back from a…

THE GLORIOUSLY hot sun followed the WorldSBK caravan as it decamped from Motorland Aragon and reassembled itself in the Algarve coast of Portugal. But things were serious this time. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba Ducati) was in his first potential title-winning position and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) needed to stop him. Jonathan Rea (KRT) wants to win at least one more time on a Kawasaki before leaving for Yamaha and, at a track he loves dearly, now was his chance. Rea took his third pole of the season, and this time his recently operated-on teammate Alex Lowes was right behind him. The final Superpole order was chopped and changed due to yellow flags and other infringements, but it mattered little when the first few laps of Race 1 quickly descended into…

AUSTRALIA WILL be represented in all three categories of the 2024 MotoGP World Championship, with Senna Agius and Jacob Roulstone signing rides in next year’s Moto2 and Moto3 line-ups. The two talented 18-year-olds have been contracted by well-appointed outfits in their respective championships. Agius gains a berth in the Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP squad in Moto2, while Roulstone’s debut season will be with the hugely experienced Red Bull KTM Tech3 Moto3 team run by Herve Poncharal. Agius, who we featured recently in an exclusive nine-page interview (AMCN Vol 73 No 05), celebrated his news by wrapping up the 2023 Moto2 European Championship last weekend. He showed his class by achieving this despite missing a two-race round due to being drafted in as an injury replacement in the world championship.…

ASBK SUPERSPORT 300 riders Cameron Swain and Marcus Hamod finished strongly at the Yamaha bLU cRU R3 European Cup Superfinale, held at Portimao as support to the World Superbike round over 29 September – 1 October. The pair adapted to the Portuguese layout quickly, with Swain qualifying on the front row and finishing seventh in the first race. Hamod qualified on the second row but had a quickshifter fail in the opener, causing a crash. “It was definitely a big learning curve,” Hamod said, adding, “I really wanted to see how I compared to riders internationally, and I felt competitive on the world stage.” In the second race Swain landed on the podium in third while Hamod also pulled out a top result, finishing not far behind in fifth. Swain…

AUSSIE MAX FRICKE will not be part of the line-up of permanent riders for the SGP series in 2024 after being only named as first reserve. The top six from this year automatically carry on, as does the European Championship winner (Mikkel Michelsen), three who came via the Challenge Meeting (Jason Doyle, Szymon Wozniak and Jan Kvech) and five selected riders. After several years of only minimal changes in the line-up, for 2024 there is more emphasis on having as many countries represented as possible. Fricke pays the penalty for being only the third-ranked Australian and he is the highest-placed rider from 2023 to miss out for next year. Briton Dan Bewley, seventh this year, gets a wildcard as does countryman Tai Woffinden, who is surely on his last chance,…

THREE SIGNIFICANT names from dirt track and speedway have died in recent weeks. Firstly, William Trevor ‘Herb’ Jefferson was one of the all-time greats of Australian dirt-track racing. Those who saw him race or tried to catch him on the track spoke glowingly of his talents in the golden era of short circuit as it was called then, when championship successes were so hard to come by. Jefferson won many of them. He was 81. English speedway rider Gordon Kennett, aged 70, was runner-up in the 1978 World Speedway Final and also won the World Pairs Championship that year partnering Malcom Simmons. He toured Australia with a British Lions test team. Finally Robert ‘Bob’ Crump, who opened the pit gate at his beloved Mildura Olympic Park Speedway for over 40…

Australian Motorcycle News road test photographs are posed for by skilled, professional riders under controlled circumstances. Attempting to imitate their actions may be dangerous. Australian Motorcycle News supports and endorses rider training and wearing protective riding gear… especially if your name’s Hamish Cooper, who’s still pulling himself admirably through what is undoubtedly one of the toughest periods of his life to take on a new role at Gassit HQ in the form of Sub Editor. And not only did he need to learn new processes, new software and a new operating system, but his introduction to the role coincided with it being the bumper 164-page MotoGP special while Deano was away in Japan! He nailed it with poise, grace and professionalism, which is why we’re stoked to have him back!…

1923 R 32. BMW’s first motorcycle is a boxer from day one. 8hp, 500cc, side-valve. 1925 R 39. BMW’s first single-cylinder bike, a 250 with 6.5hp. 1928 R 63. BMW was already making OHV engines but the R 63 raised capacity to 750cc for 24hp and a 120km/h-plus top speed. 1929 R 11 was the first to employ a pressed-steel frame and fork tubes, intended for sidecar use. 1929 R 16’s twin-carb motor takes power to 33hp. 1935 R 12 was the first motorcycle to have a hydraulically damped telescopic front fork. It also had BMW’s first four-speed transmission. 1936 R 5. Rudolf Schleicher made significant changes to the boxer engine’s design, introducing the engine ‘tunnel’ housing, twin cams, foot gearshift, a new tubular frame and adjustable fork damping. 1938…

RACING HAS rarely held much importance during BMW’s 100 years of motorcycle manufacturing. BMW’s racing efforts increased as its ambitions grew in the 1930s but WWII quashed all that before it really paid dividends. Privateer and distributor-backed racing in the 1970s brought some victories and publicity, notably Helmut Danne’s European wins on an R 90 S, and Reg Pridmore’s 1976 AMA championship win also on an R 90 S. More recently, the S 1000 RR has scored podiums in World Superbikes, plus victories in other competitions, maintaining a public focus on BMW’s prowess. The Paris-Dakar Rally though, may have been pivotal. BMW claimed the desert race as its own in 1982, ’83 and ’84 when the G/S was new, and this probably went a long way to creating public hype…

THIS YE AR ISN’T BMW’s 100th birthday, but it is the 100th year of motorcycle manufacturing by the German company. The corporation commemorates 1916 as its founding year, when Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG (BFW, or Bavarian Aircraft Factory) was established. In 1917 it became Bayerische Motoren Werke and made six-cylinder aircraft engines for the German military. Restarting slowly after Germany lost the war, BMW set up its motorcycle business and also began making cars under licence and then, in the 1930s, cars of its own design with six-cylinder engines. In WWII, BMW went back to aircraft engines, producing the 801 radial engine that powered the dreaded Focke-Wulf 190 fighter. The company was also involved in the successful development of jet and rocket engines. Afterwards, the victorious Allies banned BMW from making…

TRIUMPH SCRAMBLER ownership can be had for as little as $9990 ride away after pricing for its 400cc range was announced last week. The sub-$10k price buys you the single-cylinder Scrambler 400 X that’s powered by a liquid-cooled four-valve single-cylinder good for 29kW (40hp) and 37.5Nm bolted into a steel frame. It rolls on a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear cast wheel combination, has a 43mm upside-down fork and monoshock pairing allowing for 150mm travel both ends, while ByBre looks after the basic ABS-equipped braking package. The road-biased Speed 400 (right, centre) is $1000 less expensive again at $8990 ride away.…

1 JACK MILLER Never underestimate the home-race boost factor. Jack’s strong start with Red Bull KTM featured a double podium at Jerez, and another Sprint third place in Germany. Since then he has struggled to match his earlier results. But now he is racing on home turf. Miller joined KTM after five years with Ducati, during which he added three wins to his first on a satellite Honda in the rain at Assen, and finished fourth and fifth in the championship. He did nothing wrong in the factory team, but was surplus to requirements with the advent of a number of young continentals. Rather than drop a tier to a second-team role he had an offer for a factory seat at KTM. The new partnership got off to a flying…

1 DENIZ ONCU A relative veteran in his fourth year in the class, the Turkish twin of Can Oncu had to wait a long time to emulate his brother’s feat – in 2018, wildcard Can became the youngest-ever GP winner. Size and weight are a drawback for the hard-charging KTM star; and a lack of straight-line speed has cost him victory many times… until the Austrian GP this year, his 66th start. Still only 20, size is about his only weakness. He is a regular front-row qualifier in the most competitive class of all, and reliably a major presence in the front group. He also has the best Phillip Island record here, second last year, by three-tenths to champion Izan Guevara. This year his title chances were hampered in the…

“THIS MADE ME ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS!” Monday morning I looked into the Repsol Honda Team garage and saw that Marc Marquez and Joan Mir both had one of their normal race weekend machines on one side of the garage and one of test rider Stefan Bradl’s machines that he used during the Misano race weekend on the other side. Bradl raced with a completely new HRC chassis – not one made by Kalex as Honda had previously tried – this was a HRC version that I had not see before. To the naked eye, it looked to be both longer and lower, which has been a trend all manufacturers have followed in recent times. Both Marquez and Mir got up to speed on their race-weekend machines before trying the new bike.…

“THEIR STARTS ARE MORE CONSISTENT” Inside the Aprilia garage it was difficult to see anything new for the test, but to be fair the Italian factory hasn’t stopped during the past 12 months, updating almost everything. I was reliably informed it was testing a new, slightly different chassis that looked the same from the outside. They were also trying some setup changes, I imagine working towards trying to improve the braking phase, an area Aprilia feel it is still lagging behind its toughest opposition. The clear big step forward I believe Aprilia made at the Misano test was during the practice starts. All season Aprilia riders have struggled to keep consistent torque delivery to the rear wheel. I have learned that all the European manufacturers have struggled in this area…

All in all, it’s a decent time to be Jack Miller. The Australian is nearing the end of his first year as a factory KTM rider, a project that has undoubtedly moved forward since his arrival. Having married partner Ruby Mau last October, the pair welcomed their first child – Pip Florence – into the world on 14 September. And he returns to race on home soil with something of a point to prove after last year’s cruel ending. “We left some unfinished business there last year,” he says. The 28-year old hasn’t been on the easiest run of late. In some ways, Miller has been the victim of his own early success after a truly impressive start to life as a KTM factory rider. Just a fortnight on from…

After 11 seasons with HRC in the premier class, Marc Marquez will walk out of his final year of a four-year deal with Honda – and a reported $20 million-plus salary – to seek new inspiration. That will be with the satellite Gresini team aboard a superseded but factory fettled Ducati GP23. It is unsurprising that the tightly controlled autocracy and technical excellence that is Dall’Igna’s Ducati kingdom appeals to Marquez’s hard-core racer mentality. But it so easily could have been in reverse. For in their desperate bid to appease Marquez’s demand to bring European engineering talent on board, Honda made a bid to poach Dall’Igna from Ducati. That bid failed and a disgruntled Marquez walked anyway, unconvinced that Honda had the technical answers to satisfy him for a 12th…

GONE! It’s just the opening lap of the first ever Australian Grand Prix in 1989 and Lucky Strike Suzuki rider Kevin Schwantz is caught out by cold tyres at Turn 10. He launches skywards in a highside, breaking his wrist. “A PISSY LITTLE FIRST-GEAR CORNER. A D-GRADER COULD GO AROUND AS FAST AS I COULD”WAYNE GARDNER HE’S NOT… HE IS! Jack Miller’s first-ever premier-class podium in front of home fans came as a result of Maverick Vinales dumping it at Turn 10 on the final lap in 2019. “Nooo… yes!” “I’VE MADE MISTAKES THERE. I’VE LOST POSITIONS, BUT I’VE MADE A LOT OF PASSES”CHRIS VERMEULEN RACE GLORY There’s been some epic race-winning moves at MG. Who can forget Shinya Nakano and Olivier Jacque (2000), Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau (2004)…

1 2023 MOTOGP, Rd15, LIVE Fox Sports, Kayo and Videopass 14-15 OCTOBER Check website and local guides MotoGP heads to Mandilika for Round 15. The MotoGP Sprint kicks off at 6pm Saturday (AEST), then Sunday;s racing starts with Moto3 at 2.35pm, Moto2 at 3.55pm and MotoGP at 5.50pm. Next stop: Phillip Island! 2 2023 MOTOGP, Rd16, LIVE Fox Sports, Kayo and Videpass 21-22 OCTOBER Check website and local guides The MotoGP circus finally makes its way to Phillip Island. You can look elsewhere in this issue for the full schedule of racing and events, and if you can’t make it to the Island there are plenty of ways to watch on the box. 3 THE TACTICIAN: CODY WEBB Red Bull TV ON DEMAND www.www.redbull.com/au-en/ Cody Webb is described as America’s…

14-15 OCTOBER 2023 35th Butterball Rally, starting at Wodonga Services Club, 2 Havelock St, Wodonga Vic. Breakfast from 8am Saturday; stands up 10am. This is a moving rally and as you will be not returning to start point on Saturday night, you will need to carry your own gear, there will be a backup vehicle to carry your gear if needed. Entry $50; pillions $15. Hosted by Albury-Wodonga Motorcycle Enthusiats Club; all welcom. For more information email Rally Director Neil Hillas at neil_hillas@bigpond.com or phone him on 0438 271 693. 15 OCTOBER 2023 Coffee & Bikes Meet, Woods Reserve, off Corin Dam Rd, Paddys River, ACT. Hosted by the Canberra Districst Ducati Club. Catered from Saturday lunchtime by the CDDC Latte Sipping Catering Division, Starring Chef Taso. Firewood and real…

1 LIFT THE LID McLeod Accessories From $949.90 1300 300 191 mcleodaccessories.com.au HJC’s new RPHA 91 modular touring helmet features a new lightweight shell and distortion-free face shield and sun shield designed to provide clear and increased peripheral vision. The 3D-engineered interior is claimed to reduce road noise significantly and the EPS design accommodates riders with eyewear. 2 FRESH AIR FLAIR Cassons Australia $249.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassonsmedia.com The Ixon Fresh Jacket promises maximum ventilation via wide hard-mesh panels on the front, back and sleeves, and excellent protection thanks to the 600D polyester construction. It also features a fixed mesh lining, Level 1 protection in the shoulders and elbows, and is compatible with the Ixon IX AIRBAG U03 vest. 3 TALL TAILS Whites Powersports $409.90 (03) 8720 6000 whitesmoto.com.au The…

NO ONE COULD deny Somkiat Chantra (HTA Kalex) on Japanese soil – not even teammate, home hero and last year’s victor Ai Ogura (HTA Kalex) as the Thai rider capped a dominant weekend with a comfortable win – his second in the class. Chantra had topped each and every session before the race. And he was never headed over the 19 laps, as he almost immediately broke clear of an intense early fight for second. With Chantra 1.1sec clear after just two laps, it left Jake Dixon (Aspar Kalex), Alonso Lopez (Speed Up Boscoscuro) and Ogura to scrap it out behind, while Pedro Acosta (Ajo Kalex) was seventh, behind Sam Lowes (Marc VDS Kalex) and Filip Salac (Gresini Kalex). By the time Ogura disposed with Dixon and Lopez on lap four,…

NICOLO BULEGA (Aruba Racing Ducati) won his first WorldSSP Championship by winning his opening race at Portimao. He led his last arithmetically possible challenger Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Yamaha) over the line by two seconds, and in doing so won the first WorldSSP Manufacturers’ title for Ducati. Manzi was a brilliantly hard-riding second, unlucky to be on the previous best bike in the class in the year when tech changes generally allowed the Ducatis to be more competitive than their rivals. Third in Race 1 was Jorge Navarro’s Ten Kate Yamaha, for a new personal best for the Spanish rider. Race 2 was a solid-gold classic race to gladden the heart. The big two of Manzi and Bulega were joined in ’bar-to-’bar combat by Yari Montella (Barni Spark Ducati), who even…

MARC MARQUEZ JUMPING ship from Honda to Ducati is the biggest rider news since Valentino Rossi’s multiple bed-hopping. It raises at least two burning questions. The first concerns the status quo. By joining the largest gang on the grid, is Marquez risking becoming just another fast Ducati rider? Or is the ageing multi-champion’s formidable combination of talent and willpower still strong enough to turn them into also-rans? He’s 31 years old next February. Time will, of course, tell but don’t bet against him humbling – and seriously upsetting – the current Ducati troops. Anyone who has studied Marquez’s career can only be in awe. His run of championships from 2013 to 2019, missing only one year, is evidence enough of riding prowess. The determination has shown even more strongly in…

THIS FORTNIGHT the drama focused on the British Superbike Championship, with our sources within the paddock reporting the feeling towards Tommy Bridewell and Glenn Irwin is split pretty evenly after their crash at Melbourne Loop. And it was no surprise to learn that the tension in the PBM box is on an absolute knife edge. Publicly, the pair are mostly keeping it clean however Irwin announced on social media that ‘there is no secret who the team want to win’. Aussies Jason O’Halloran and Josh Brookes are still in the frame with everything to play for at Brands Hatch. Now, we just need Fox Sports to get that final round televised live… Last issue we wrote that several overseas based Aussies are finalising their plans to compete at the Phillip…

We cannot talk about BMW’s centenary of motorcycle manufacturing without first mentioning six-cylinder engines. If you know your cars, you’ll know BMW is famous for its exquisite sixes. Sixes are in BMW’s DNA — they made BMW’s name and reputation way back in the Great War, when Fokker D.VII biplanes powered by BMW IIIa engines dominated aerial dogfights over the trenches. Despite BMW’s efforts, Germany lost the war and the Allies banned BMW from making its powerful six-cylinder aircraft engines. BMW made households goods and brakes to stay afloat until inspiration hit: motorcycles. Motorcycles saved BMW. BMW has since given us some of the most interesting, innovative and endearing two-wheelers of all. Significantly, the first BMW, the R 32, was entirely of BMW’s own design at a time when so…

FEW MANUFACTURERS can be credited with starting an entire genre, which makes BMW’s creation of the adventure-touring motorcycle a standout example of innovation and imagination. Before the R 80 G/S, there was nothing like it; since then, almost every major brand has jumped on the bandwagon. The GS, as the series is now known, could have had its roots in the testing regime of the /5 boxer models, when BMW campaigned prototypes in off-road racing. The boxer engine’s low-slung weight and good torque suited it well. However, the concept never went any further and within 10 years it was effectively forgotten. In 1978, designer Hans Muth and product planner Hardy Müller had to find something new to inject market enthusiasm into the motorcycle range to stop sales flagging. They got…