Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 73 Issue 10 i Australian Motorcycle News

“A POTENT SINGLE-CYLINDER MOTARD THAT TIPS THE SCALES AT JUST 151KG DRY” WE RECEIVED some feedback a few months ago regarding the weight of current-model motorcycles, which despite the development and use of new lightweight materials and construction techniques have in many cases packed on the kilos over the years rather than shed them. Modern motorcycles aren’t as a rule any bigger than bikes of yesteryear, but they are packed with more equipment than ever. Twin discs up front, for example, running two multi-piston calipers and all the associated plumbing, along with an ABS wheel-speed sensor and the computer that operates it must surely weigh more than a single disc gripped by a single-piston caliper. Likewise, a Euro 5-compliant exhaust system with a pre-chamber and catalytic converter is much heavier…

IF THE M 1000 XR is a bit flashy, the standard S 1000 XR has also been upgraded for 2024 with a power boost and tweaks to the ergonomics and comfort. Peak power has risen by 4kW (5.3hp) compared to the 2023 version, hitting a peak of 125kW (168hp), with revised intakes and new mapping. Comfort is improved thanks to a new seat that offers more space for the rider, but it’s also 10mm taller than before at 850mm to make for a sportier riding position. It’s flanked by new side panels and air intakes, while other styling tweaks include revised textures for the radiator cowls and a body-coloured front beak instead of black. The rear shock is revised to improve comfort, and there’s a new ’bar clamp at the…

VISUALLY SIMILAR, the mechanical changes to Triumph’s 2024 Tiger 900 range are noteworthy as they see the bikes get a 13 percent increase in power thanks to a more efficient engine design that also cuts emissions and fuel consumption by nine percent. For 2024, Triumph has simplified the range to just three models: the entry-level GT, the midrange GT Pro and the high-end Rally Pro. The old Rally variant is gone, as are the Low versions. The revamped engine gets new pistons that boost the compression ratio from 11.2:1 to 13.0:1, hiking power from 70kW (93hp) to 79.5kW (106hp) as a result. These are aided by a new cylinder head with larger intake ports and revised exhaust openings, new camshafts, longer intake trumpets and a completely new exhaust system. The extra…

When did the idea come about? The opportunity for a new exhibition spanning the whole mezzanine space came about when the Forshaw Speedway loan, which was previously on display in half of the mezzanine space, was returned to its owners. The museum has always had a selection of British motorcycles as part of its collection, but it has never had the opportunity to be celebrated as it is in the new exhibition. How long has it taken to get from idea to reality? The redevelopment began almost a year ago, which has taken it from concept to reality. What problems did you have to overcome? One of the biggest challenges was the movement of motorcycles around construction. It’s important the bikes within the collection did not get damaged during this…

1 MOTOGP RD18, SEPANG, LIVE Fox Sports, Kayo and Videopass 12-13 NOVEMBER Check website and local guides It’s getting tight at the top; can Jorge Martin continue to close the gap to Pecco Bagnaia? The Saturday Sprint will air at 6pm*. Sunday’s racing starts with Moto3 at 3pm, Moto2 at 4.15pm and MotoGP at 6pm. 2 MOTOGP RD19 LOSAIL, LIVE Fox Sports, Kayo and Videopass 18-19 NOVEMBER Check website and local guides It’s back-to-back racing action for MotoGP fans with Rd19 taking place at the Losail circuit in Qatar. Set your alarm; the Sprint will air at 4am Sunday, Moto3 at 1am Monday, Moto2 at 2.15am and MotoGP at 4am. 3 FLIGHT MODE BY TOM PAGÈS Red Bull TV ON DEMAND www.redbull.com/au-en/ After reinventing FMX on land, in this short…

10-12 NOVEMBER 2023 Fish Holes Rally, Enduro Road, Cape Bridgewater, Vic. Signposted from Shell service station in Portland. Firewood, showers and toilets on site. Fully catered rally, beer, spirits, water, soft drinks, tea and coffee, music Friday and Saturday nights, gymkhana Saturday afternoon, usual rally awards and prizes. Cost is $25 prepaid and $30 at the gate. For information call 0401 522 786 or 0418 528 002. 17-19 NOVEMBER 2023 Walcha Motorcycle Rally Walcha Showground, Walcha NSW. Camping opens from 12pm Thursday; welcome drinks 4pm. Loads of fun and activities including organised rides, burnout comp, show ’n’ shine, skills demos, Enduro-X, Postie-bike soccer, trade exhibitors and displays, swap meet, live music, food and bar facilities and heaps more. The Rally will be celebrating Australasian Women’s Ride Day (AWRD) with a…

I’VE BEEN wearing the same pair of summer gloves for over a decade. I picked them up from a shop in Sydney’s Surrey Hills well before AMCN moved to Melbourne in 2013 and I instantly loved them. They’re a short glove (I can’t stand dealing with the combined bulk of a long glove and a zippered/velcroed jacket cuff) constructed from sturdy non-perforated leather thin enough to be comfortable in high summer, but thick enough to see me through spring and autumn, and even creep into the dawn of winter on those short rides. They started out black, but they’ve had so much use their tops have now faded to brown, but the small section of cuff where I pull on them on has just started to tear away, so I…

IF RACES IN Indonesia and Australia had raised doubts, Thailand dispelled them. Here Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati) proved his true title credentials in thrilling fashion, after prevailng in an epic three-way fight with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) and chief contender Francesco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) with a ride that suggested he is every bit a champion in waiting. Just eight days on from a devastating last-lap reversal in Australia, there was not one aspect of Martin’s performance that could be faulted in Thailand. He righted the previous weekend’s wrongs by conserving his rear tyre out front before going toe-to-toe with Binder in a thrilling finale, with the ever-present Bagnaia menace looming behind. Martin had admitted events of the previous fortnight had taken their toll in the lead-up to Sunday. So focused…

THE TAG OF pre-race favourite had befallen Pedro Acosta (Ajo Kalex), who arrived in Thailand with his first chance to seal the world title. It appeared well within reach after he dominated practice while principal contender Tony Arbolino (Marc VDS Kalex) struggled. Yet Fermin Aldeguer’s (Speed Up Boscoscuro) relentlessness and Arbolino’s spirited recovery ensured Acosta would have to wait until Malaysia. Polesitter Aldeguer led from the first corner and gradually eased clear. To both his and Acosta’s surprise, he was able to maintain a frightening pace that not even the championship leader could live with. Once his lead hit 2sec on lap 10, Acosta acknowledged it was time to “compete with our heads more than our hearts”. Aldeguer went on to win a processional encounter by 3.4sec. Moto2 racing in…

THE NEW WORLD champion is the old world champion, as Alvaro Bautista became the first Ducati rider since Carl Fogarty in the 1998/99 seasons to double up a championship win. It was all wrapped up by the first race on Saturday, too, a race which Bautista led across the line for all 20 laps. He won that race like he meant it, even if he only needed to score two points, no matter what else second-placed rider in the first Jerez race (and the championship) Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) may or may not have done. To his credit Bautista wanted to win it like a champion ideally would, hence he took his 25th race win of the year, extending his own record for wins in a single season after that…

BACK FROM A long layoff due to a tricky shoulder injury, Oli Bayliss (D34G Ducati WorldSSP) had a tough Superpole: 30th and last. In Race 1 he ended up a creditable 18th from 24 finishers. He was also 18th in Race 2. He ended his season 21st in the championship. “I had ligaments tied back on and ligaments anchored, plus the joint put back in place in my shoulder. A list of things… The surgeons said that there was no point in riding before three months had passed. I understood being back here would be hard, not having ridden for three and a half months, and this is a new track for me. I felt not bad. "I struggled at the start but got better and better. It is going to take…

AFTER QUALIFYING on pole Haydyn Fordyce came through with a race win, a second and a fourth to clinch the overall round honours in the Oceania Junior Cup. It was extremely close all weekend with Riley Nauta taking victory in the opening bout from Fordyce and Bodie Paige in a tight contest that saw the leading group of eight cross the line covered by eight tenths of a second. As is often the case at Phillip Island, use of the slipstream was vital and, in Race 2, championship leader Archie Schmidt prevailed from Valentino Knezovic and Paige. Fordyce set a new race lap record but unfortunately found himself sent to the back of the grid for Race 3 after an incident involving Ella McClausland. Undeterred, Fordyce fought his way through the…

ALPINESTARS SUPERBIKE ROUND 6 STANDINGS AFTER 6 OF 7 ROUNDS J Waters 293, T Herfoss 293, G Allerton 226, C Halliday 222, M Jones 220 MICHELIN SUPERSPORT ROUND 5 STANDINGS AFTER 5 OF 6 ROUNDS C Dunker 196, O Simpson 182, T Lynch 180, D Skeer 125, J Passfield 125 SUPERSPORT 300 ROUND 5 STANDINGS AFTER 5 OF 6 ROUNDS H Snell 261, C Swain 260, M Hamod 259, B Demmery 256, B Gawith 241 R3 CUP ROUND 4 STANDINGS AFTER 4 OF 5 ROUNDS C Swain 231, B Gawith 227, H Snell 226, B Demmery 221, M Hamod 198 OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP ROUND 4 STANDINGS AFTER 4 OF 5 ROUNDS A Schmidt 252, B Paige 251, H Fordyce 242, R Nauta 220, V Knezovic 196 SUREFLIGHT SUPERBIKE MASTERS -…

“I’m convinced that we won’t see the end of the combustion engine that quickly” There are plenty of people who mirror the thoughts of the bloke responsible for BMW Motorrad’s global success for the last five years… let’s hope that wasn’t the reason he finished up this month! Read our interview with Marcus Schramm from page 68. 100 Speedway will celebrate its 100th birthday on 15 December at this year’s Maitland Show, at the very venue long been considered the world's birthplace of speedway. On 15 December 1923, Johnnie Hoskins staged a motorcycle race as part of his Electric Light Carnival at Maitland Showgrounds, and the rest is history. As well as a display of historic racebikes and memorabilia, there’ll be interviews, demonstration laps and a celebration dinner before the…

TOKE-YO! The 31st Tokyo Motor Show had the usual mix of bread and butter models, but there was plenty of new metal to pique people's interest. Honda showed off its new NX650 Dominator-powered Super Mono 644 and essentially conceded that its engineers regularly participate in recreational drug use by releasing the 1500cc V-twin-powered Zodia. Yamaha mainly stuck to the cruiser thing showing off a variety of new Stars, Kawasaki made very little effort, but Suzuki showed off its spicey new RGV250SP and its landmark GSX-R750WT also known as the SRAD (pronounced SHRAD, as in fully sick SHRAD, bro). OLD AND CRUSTY PV insisted on putting this new product in Headcheck. PV, like just about anyone interested in dirtbikes in the mid-naughties was gripped, inspired and disgusted by the craziness that…

THE NEW GS is offered in three suspension variations – Standard analogue, Sport – which provides an extra 20mm of firmer travel at each end for those looking to go a little more extreme – and the electronic Dynamic Suspension Adjustment (DSA) suspension. The latest generation DSA kit not only controls the damping setting, as on the 1250, but now also controls the spring preload rate as well based on the ride mode you’re in. You can also adjust the suspension settings via the menu to suit your preferences. Unless you have specific needs, this isn’t something most people are going to do. For my ability, the settings for the various ride modes were spot-on and required no fiddling. But the kicker is the new adaptive height control function. This…

I found these two bikes a little confusing. The words Trail and ADV emblazoned on the bodywork suggest off-road capability, but they sat in the shed looking more like nakedbikes with chunky tyres – albeit very capable Pirelli STRs. I guess they fit into the ever-expanding adventure subcategory of ‘scrambler’. The Benelli crew followed a very Italian style and good on ’em. It’s a clean and integrated look. The CFMoto, to me, looks like a well combined package of parts, with a gentle tap of the BMW ugly stick. They are both well finished but the CFMoto gets the edge in the fitted-fruit stakes, boasting features that put some established manufacturers’ newly released bikes to shame. Of the two engines, I liked the Benelli’s 748cc unit the most; it makes…

1 A SHARK NAMED GALE Ficeda Accessories $449.95 1300 437 711 ficeda.com.au Shark’s Skwal i3 features a Lexan injected polycarbonate shell with a multi-density EPS liner and boasts an integrated accelerometer-controlled active brake light and front LED running lights. The Skwal exceeds ECE 22.06 standards, sports a toolless visor system, anti-scratch visor with Pinlock and is intercom ready. 2 GO WITH THE FLOW Cassons Australia $119.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassonsmedia.com The IXflow summer gloves from Ixon feature a lightweight, flexible and abrasion-resistant mesh knit upper construction with an AX suede double-reinforced palm. The IXflow also sports short knitted cuffs, Velcro wrist closure, carries a CE certification and are available in black in sizes S to 3XL. 3 I NEED AIR McLeod Accessories From $1249.90 1300 300 191 mcleodaccessories.com.au The new Shoei GT-Air 3…

IN MANY RESPECTS Miller’s weekend was defined by qualifying 15th, as he felt Marc Marquez’s breath on his shoulder, with the Spaniard picking him for a tow in Q1. The only man to run the hard rear in the Sprint, he enjoyed a solid run to 10th after running off track at Turn 5 on the first lap. “It was the hardest I ever fought for zero points,” he said. Sunday didn’t go to plan, as Miller struggled to avoid excessive spinning, and lost big time exiting on to the track’s numerous long straights – an issue he suffered in previous weekends this year when Michelin brought a stronger reartyre construction: “Gave it everything I could. Struggling all weekend to get off Turn 1 and 3. Bike didn’t feel terrible but…

DOES ANYONE WANT to win this Moto3 World Championship? Here, the year’s three big contenders fell short in a dramatic 19-lap dash, allowing David Alonso (Aspar GasGas) to snatch a fourth win of an impressive rookie campaign, and keeping him within reach of scoring a shock championship win. The race was less than two laps old when sixth-placed David Muñoz’s BOE KTM encountered gearbox issues through Turn 10, causing him to slow. Two bikes behind, Ayumu Sasaki (IntactGP Husqvarna) had little time to react as he clattered into him from behind. To add further drama, title contender Dani Holgado (Tech3 KTM) had to take avoiding action, dropping him from ninth to 27th. From there, it was the usual chaotic fight up front, with 2sec covering the top 13 with four to…

REMY GARDNER (GYTR GRT Yamaha) had an up and literally down weekend, qualifying in fifth, crashing in Race 1, sixth in the sprint and a season best of fourth in Race 2. He ended the season ninth overall. “To be honest, today I wasn’t even sure about racing due to the crash I suffered yesterday. After Warm Up I felt I could do the races but it was painful. The Superpole race was a decent one, unfortunately due to the red flag our rear tyre was quite used, and I struggled with grip in the latter stages of it. Then, in Race 2, I could smell the podium. We finished so close and I could catch the group fighting for the victory. Unfortunately, I missed a bit of pace in the…

IT WAS A must-win situation for Josh Waters and the McMartin Racing Team at Phillip Island for round six of the mi-bike Australian Superbike Championship, and the three-time champion showed he could handle the pressure and injury pain. He came through with the round win to erase the points deficit to Troy Herfoss and his Penrite Honda Racing Team. The Island turned on much calmer conditions than the bleak, stormy downpours MotoGP experienced one week earlier, but in the aftermath the circuit required extensive cleaning – which meant less than ideal grip was available. Teams used the Friday practice to adapt to the “green” surface and at the end of a blustery qualifying session on Saturday, it was Desmosport Ducati’s Broc Pearson who stunned the field by snatching his maiden…

MEGACYCLE DUO Henry Snell and Brodie Gawith have dominated both Supersport 300 and the Yamaha R3 Cup at Phillip Island, with Snell snaring two victories and a second to now lead the Supersport 300 championship. The opening race saw Snell take the top spot in a six-bike train from Gawith, with Ryan Larkin third. Crucially, championship protagonists Cameron Swain fell early on while Brandon Demmery managed sixth. All three races consisted of slip streaming battles, with Snell taking Race Two from Demmery and Swain. “Both of us sat down with our mechanic before the races and developed a plan for the weekend and it’s worked out for us,” Gawith said. Race Three saw Gawith grab the win, with Snell staying consistent in second and Marcus Hamod third. Swain and Casey…

DIGGIA LINKED TO ONE-YEAR HRC DEAL FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO is edging towards a one-year deal with Repsol Honda in 2024 after Miguel Oliveira ruled himself out of the running. While Spanish Moto2 rider Fermin Aldeguer has also been linked to the ride, the Portuguese star had previously indicated he was interested in replacing Marc Marquez. AMCN understands Oliveira was keen on a two-year deal, when Repsol Honda was only keen on offering one. Asked on the Thursday of the Thai GP if he was in talks with Honda, Oliveira replied: “No, we are not.” NM HONDA OKAYS VALENCIA TEST HONDA HAS given permission for Marc Marquez to test the Gresini Ducati at the crucial post-race test at Valencia on 28 November. Repsol Honda Team Manager Alberto Puig confirmed HRC would…

THE SPORTS RIDER Club of Tasmania hosted the final round of the State Road Race Championships at Baskerville where many protagonists rode with one eye on the trophy. While Brett Simmonds (Honda CBR1000RR) won a convincing title, his season-long shadow in Jason Spencer (CBR1000) finally lead a few laps until a small technical problem dropped him to fifth in the third race. Spencer finished second overall ahead of Scott Honeychurch (Kawasaki ZX-10R), who battled with an impressive Superbike newcomer Oscar O’Donovan (ZX-10R). Consistent front-runner Lachlan Curtis (Suzuki GSX-R600) sealed the Supersport title, despite the best efforts of Mitch Hawksley (Yamaha YZF-R6) and Chad Wyllie (YZF-R6), the latter leading the first race until the front-end let go in the esses. Marcus Delaney (YZF-R6) ended the series runner-up ahead of Jesse Woods.…

IT’S BEEN A decade since the Yamaha MT-09 burst on to the scene and instantly established itself as a middleweight performance bargain with a soulful three-cylinder soundtrack – and to mark the occasion the company has unveiled the fourth-generation version with a new look and improved tech specs. There’s no change to the 87.5kW (117.3hp), 890cc three-cylinder engine, which still puts out 93Nm of torque at 7000rpm and its max power at 10,000rpm, but there’s a tweak to the airbox to improve its sound, which is fed directly to the rider via “acoustic amplifier” grills on top of the fuel tank. Yamaha is a musical instrument maker, of course, so it knows about this stuff. The electronics controlling the way that power is put to the ground are also improved,…

AIR YOUR THOUGHTS OR VENT YOUR SPLEEN Access, AMCN, PO Box 6, Bittern, Vic, 3918 access@amcn.com.au LETTER OF THE ISSUE Indo-horrific I don’t know if the word has filtered through in regards to the 2023 Mandalika MotoGP being an absolute shitshow. A total shambles in relation to the ticket entry for patrons. I bought tickets through the official website and it was a requirement to print off the e-ticket to show as proof, which I did. But someone in their wisdom decided that the printout then needed to be redeemed for a wristband at one location only – near the airport – but this was not stated anywhere on the ticket. Nobody was allowed entry on the Friday without a wristband and it meant transport to the airport, which we…

THE BETA XTRAINER is not just another piece of the Beta puzzle. The 300 and 250 Xtrainers are a must-try if you are not interested in high-speed dirt riding. They didn’t miss out on the upgrades either. The Xtrainer 300 is one of Beta’s most popular selling bikes and for good reason. While most of us dream of cutting lap after lap of a super-fast enduro track or zooming down fire roads at warp speed, the reality is that a lot of people are riding hard-enduro style trails and singletrack. The Xtrainers copped an overhaul last year to bring them closer in appearance to the bigger RR siblings, but that’s where the similarities end. The Xtrainers are lighter, lower in seat height, softer in the suspension and a lot easier…

THE R 1300 GS Trophy, which I managed to bag a quick ride on at the launch, comes with spoked wheels, which I reckon makes the bike look so much more off-road ready and changes the overall look. As well as the wheels, the Trophy is equipped with heated seats, LED fog lights, electronic screen adjustment, a centrestand, an adaptive headlight and BMW’s DSA electronically adjustable suspension. At this point, there are six different R 1300 GS variants. Basically, the base-model R 1300 GS is road-biased, then there’s the Trophy and Trophy X, the latter gets Sports suspension, a dual-outlet muffler, and Enduro Package Pro. You’ve got the R 1300 GS Triple Black, which adds fruit aimed at the long-distance tourer, and the R 1300 GS Option 719, which is…

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 72 NO 24 BIKE SPOTLIGHT FONZ NKD MOTOR Three-phase permanent magnet POWER Up to 11kW (claimed) TORQUE Up to 265Nm (claimed) WEIGHT 111kg (claimed) PRICE $11,990 (ride away) “The NKD [is] such a logical and cleverly executed electric commuter” TESTED VOL 68 NO 20 BIKE SPOTLIGHT SUZUKI KATANA ENGINE 999cc Inline four POWER 110kW (148hp) @ 10,000rpm TORQUE 108Nm at 9500rpm WEIGHT 215kg (wet, claimed) PRICE $21,990 (ride away) “It’s relatively basic compared to some of its European counterparts but, frankly, so is its price”…

JUST AFTER RACKING up his fourth pole of the year, Martin sounded caution for the afternoon ahead: “I feel stronger for the main race than (the Sprint).” But any doubts were soon banished. After easing the brakes off to manoeuvre around Marini at Turn 1, he was in the clear. Success was a given from there. As Martin streaked clear, his most likely challengers were trapped behind Marini. Binder (front tyre pressure) and Espargaro (aerodynamic kickback) laboured behind the satellite Ducati for different reasons. It was even worse for Bagnaia. A fluffed start brought about early chaos, with Zarco and Alex Marquez barging him wide – “useless moves” – and relegating him to ninth. By the time the lead KTM got through to second, Martin was 1.5sec clear. Martin controlled…

FRESH FROM THE finest weekend of his GP career, Kelso carried confidence into Thailand, where he progressed through Q1 to qualify 14th. He was part of the lead group, albeit at the back in 13th, but struggled to overtake due to front-tyre temperature issues. A last-corner pass on Diogo Moreira (MSI KTM) was enough for 12th, just 2.3sec back of the winner. “Not over the moon but I’m content. This weekend we were strong but we were never really there with a used tyre. That’s just due to me needing to do a bit more training in tricky conditions with bigger bikes, spinning up the rear. That’s the part where we’re losing. In the middle, I dropped back to cool down the bike and drop the temperature of the front tyre. Then…

NEW CHAMPION Nicolo Bulega took pole despite running off on to the gravel on one hot lap. In Race 1 of an otherwise "dead rubber" weekend for him, he stuck in another fabulous Saturday win. He had blown the rest away with only two laps gone, and ended up almost five seconds clear of Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Yamaha). The best Yamaha rider of the year was just 0.039sec ahead of third-place Federico Caricasulo (Althea Ducati). In Race 2, a punctured airfence and a long delay cut the started-and-stopped race to an eventual restart of just seven laps. This gave Beluga the chance to post race win number 16 of a 23-race season and show his domination again, no matter how long the races were. Second was once again Manzi,…

CAMERON DUNKER and his GTR MotoStars Yamaha R6 have taken full advantage of a tricky situation in Race 2 to emerge leaders of the Michelin Supersport Championship. Tom Toparis made his homecoming after wrapping up the BSB Supersport season in third, riding a Stop and Seal Yamaha YZF-R6 prepared by Ben Henry at Cube Performance. Toparis was on the pace immediately, qualifying on pole over half a second clear of second placed Olly Simpson (Simpson Crash). Toparis carried that form into the opening race, surging to the lead despite an early challenge from Simpson. As Toparis pulled away, Simpson then had to face a challenge from Dunker, who managed to get past a short time later. That trio held station for the remainder of the race, with the real battle…

THE SUPERBIKE Masters returned to Phillip Island with a bumper 37 entries and it was Ryan Taylor on the Pablo’s Tyres-prepared Suzuki GSX-R1100 who got the overall win. Keo Watson (C&M Motorcycles Yamaha FZR1000) won a tight first race from Murray Clark (MCR Suzuki GSX-R1100) and Taylor. “I’m struggling a little bit with this bike this weekend, just because it is so different to everything else I’ve ridden here,” Watson said. “The wind knocks me around a lot more on this bike than the little bikes, which I found a bit surprising.” Scott Campbell (LKA Workwear) was first of the smaller-capacity machines, his Honda RC30 finishing ahead of Corey Turner (Classic-Film Autos) on a Suzuki GSX-R750. Taylor took the next two races outright, which were both close encounters with Watson and…

IN WHAT MIGHT be their only Aussie appearances before returning to America, Max Whale and Tom Drane will be riding at Gunnedah at the final round of the Aussie Flat Track Nationals series this weekend. • If the rumours I’m hearing are true, we will definitely have an Aussie Supersport wildcard at the Phillip Island World Superbike round. Aussie wildcards are few and far between these days but, if true, this one could be a shoe-in for a hot result. • There have been plenty of YZF-R1 race-fairing purchases, which means several Aussie Supersport talents are making the step up next year. John Lytras and Jake Farnsworth are two names we know to be considering the move, and both have the riding style to suit. • Tom Bramich didn’t compete…

TAMWORTH KICKS off a busy spell for speedway when it stages four Australian championships over 17-18 November. The Under-16 125cc Individual showdown is on the Friday night, before those riders contest the Teams Championship on the Saturday afternoon. The championships for both the Under-21s and Under-16 250cc class will be held on the Saturday night. State championships then follow in four states. Pioneer Park Speedway, near Ayr on 24-25 November, will stage five Queensland championships. Friday sees the Under-21 and Under-16 125cc Individual titles, before the Under-16 125cc Pairs, Under-16 250cc and Seniors do battle on the Saturday. Victorian Solo Championships for Seniors and both Under-16 classes will be staged at Undera on 25 November, Tamworth will host New South Wales Championships for both Seniors and Under-16 125ccs on 2 December, then…