Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 73 Issue 19 i Australian Motorcycle News

CFMOTO’S NEW XO Papio Trail and Racer have shown a light-hearted side of the Chinese motorcycle industry that has parallels with some of the more frivolous Japanese bikes of the 1980s – and now rival Zongshen is homing in on the same market segment with two new models. Revealed in new Chinese type-approvals, the ZS150-A and ZS150-B are likely to get more interesting names when they reach production, and the presence of a panda on their tank badges hints of a title. The ZS150-A is the more straightforward variant, with definite hints of Honda Monkey or Gorilla in the fuel tank shape, high-mounted front fender and a simple, flat seat. The ZS150-B, meanwhile, is a retro race rep with a full fairing, more enclosed front mudguard and single seat tail…

Late last year China’s Voge – the premium arm of motorcycle making giant Loncin – showed its first four-cylinder sportsbike in the form of the ‘RR666S’. Now the production version has appeared in new type-approval documents that appear to confirm a name-change to RR660S and reveal technical details for the first time. The bike is part of a surprising new wave of four-cylinder sportsbikes from China, with brands including QJMotor, Kove and Zonsen all jumping into the arena along with lesser-known companies Vinto and Yingang. At the RR666S’s unveiling, all Voge confirmed was its 660cc capacity and 74kW (100hp) output. New type-approval documents show the engine carries the codename LX467MT – denoting four cylinders and a 67mm bore – with a precise capacity of 663cc. A bit of maths confirms…

THE YEAR WAS… GEORGE'S EDITORIAL: CONGRATULATIONS In the 1957 International Tourist Trophy races in the Isle of Man last week, marking the Golden Jubilee of the most famous of all motorcycle races in the world, history was made in the establishment of record speeds in all five TT races, and the achievement of the magic 100mph lap of the difficult 37.75-mile Mountain Course. SAFETY THROUGH COURTESY The above reproduction is taken from the bright and helpful folder Safety Courtesy available now free of all charge at motorcycle houses throughout Australia. KORWEINGUBOORA, THE MUD BATTLE SCRAMBLE Events Solo 125, 250, 350, All Powers 'B', Open Invitation, Handicap, Sidecar and All Powers Sidecar Handicap. Entries, at 3/-per event (plus riders' insurance at 2/-), close on 23 June, with K. Whykes, 203 Windermere…

Retail price $12,099 (+ORC) Distance covered 3821km Fuel Economy 4.5L/100km Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 12,000km Major: 24,000km. Warranty Two years, unlimited km From the moment I hit the starter, I nicknamed our Honda long-termer the African Hornet. Not a bad thing, it just sounds exactly like an Africa Twin, which really shouldn’t come as a surprise to me as the engine is basically a sleeved-down version of that engine. But it does make me wonder what an 1100cc Hornet would be like. Perhaps Honda could call it the Super Hornet or should that name be saved for a naked version of the new CBR1000RR-R? Dibs testing that one if it ever happens (which it should). Anyway, the CB750 Hornet has made itself a little nest in my garage and has…

ACCESSORISING YOUR pride and joy is the best form of retail therapy and an essential part of the motorcycling journey. Let’s face it, you’ll only spend the money on coffee and donuts anyway, so why not give your bike a boost of self-esteem and yourself a boost in life expectancy. My picks are the Remus high-line silencer in silver, because I’m old school, a brushed aluminium radiator spoiler set to match and off-road ’pegs to validate the scrambler cred of my Svartpilen. The Svart’s tank rack has a dedicated five-litre weatherproof tank bag, that’ll have to go on. Smartphone bracket and wireless charger module are virtually essential. And there’s plenty of anodised swag like reservoir caps, oil plugs and chain adjuster blocks. Don’t crash, but if you do, make sure…

BIKE SPOTLIGHT BMW R 18 ROCTANE HIGHLINE ENGINE 1802cc flat-twin cylinder POWER 67kW (91hp) @ 4750rpm TORQUE 158Nm @ 3000rpm WEIGHT 374kg (kerb, claimed) PRICE $30,990 (plus onroads) “You’d be nuts not to fork out for the Highline package as it includes a reverse gear” BIKE SPOTLIGHT DUCATI DESERTX RALLY ENGINE 937cc V-twin POWER 81kW (108hp) @ 9250rpm TORQUE 92Nm @ 6500rpm WEIGHT 211kg (wet, not fuel, claimed) PRICE $36,600 (ride away) “Arguably the best roadlegal ‘big’ adventure bike off-road with race-quality suspension and set-up”…

“IT’S JUST A MOTORBIKE RACE, AS THE WONDERFULLY MATTER-OF-FACT MICK DOOHAN ONCE SAID” AFTER ONE year, opinions about Sprints remain split. Fans love them. Riders? Maybe not so much. A few (Jack Miller springs to mind; plus the most frequent Sprint winner Jorge Martin) relish the chance to go racing twice as often. Others (Fabio Quartararo for one) believe that – among other negatives – the extra race trivialises what should be a weekend dedicated to one serious contest. To them, the Sprint undermines the gravity of the world championship weekend. To me, I’m not sure that motorcycle racing is matter of gravity. The thought seems a bit precious. A bit up itself. It’s just a motorbike race, as the wonderfully matter-of-fact Mick Doohan once told an over-enthusiastic interlocutor. A…

IN ORDER TO succeed first you must fail. Dani Holgado (Tech3 GasGas) proved the motto to be true as he righted the wrongs from his opening round performance by holding on for victory despite a last-gasp attack from Jose Antonio Rueda (Ajo KTM) in Portimao. Unlike Qatar, Holgado sat behind the leader in a lead group of six that included Rueda, David Alonso (Aspar GASGAS), Ivan Ortola (MSI KTM) Joel Kelso (BOE KTM) and Collin Veijer (IntactGP Husqvarna) while first Rueda and then Alonso took turns at leading. Yet Alonso didn’t look as comfortable out front as he did lurking in the pack. Despite holding a 0.4sec lead on lap 13, Holgado and Rueda had reeled him in two laps later and were then in control of the contest. All…

WE HAD A first round/first time Superpole winner, in the shape of Julio Garcia Gonzalez and the Chinese Kove. The Saturday ‘race winner’ Inigo Iglesias Bravo (Kawasaki) was penalised by a three-second time addition, after causing a T5 accident. That promoted first time KTM rider Jeffrey Buis to a winner first time out. Second was Yamaha BR Corse rider Aldi Mahendra, with Samuel Di Sori (Yamaha) was third. Race 2 went to Iglesias Bravo, for real this time, from Gonzalez and Kawasaki’s Bruno Leraci. In the points Iglesias Bravo leads Mahendra, on the same total of 28.…

THE RACE AND Road Supersport 300 championship kicked off with Kiwi Jesse Stroud taking his Kawasaki to the opening race win ahead of local Joshua Newman (Wet4U Race Fairings) and Valentino Knezovic (Motocity). Stroud had dropped as low as tenth before working his way forward to slipstream Newman for the win. Newman went one better in race two, able to forge a gap to Harry Watts (Champions Ride Days) and Mitch Simpson (Simpson Crash) with Stroud fourth and Jordy Simpson (Simpson Crash) fifth – a group Knezovic would have been a part of if not for a jump start penalty. The third race was full of drama with light rain beginning to fall - but that didn’t phase the young field, with nine riders fighting in the front group. Stroud,…

MAVERICK VIÑALES was just a lap away from crowning the best weekend of his Aprilia career, but a gearbox issue caused a dramatic late crash, which denied him a sure second place. “Basically after the uphill on the finish line, I tried to put sixth, but it didn’t go in,” he said. “So the bike went into neutral and I hit the limiter. I just take out the leg to Bastianini to understand that I had a problem. I tried to really put sixth. It didn’t go in. I went back to second and when I touched the gas, it went in immediately and then I highsided.” The Catalan produced his best performance since 2021 when he won the Sprint in thrilling fashion. There were positives to take from the weekend…

AFTER BEING scheduled to ride a Yamaha YZF-R1M Superbike for this round of ASBK, Tom Toparis and his Stop and Seal team did an about turn and stuck to the familiar Supersport option for Round 2. Toparis won both races and obliterated the lap record. “Even though Turn 6 is a little bit different now, Jamie (Stauffer)’s record has still been there a long time. I’m stoked to do this for the team, because they are doing so much work for me to be here”. Asked whether he would be on a Superbike in Queensland, Toparis said, “I personally wanted to ride the Superbike here, but it isn’t really set up properly yet and if I want to race overseas, I need to stay race fit on the 600.” When…

THE 2024 speedway season in the UK is off and running with the usual washouts hitting some meetings over the opening days. Three levels of league competitions will feature 27 Australian riders in team line-ups as the tracks open their season. Invariably other Australians head to the UK to try to win a team berth during the season, while others will confine their racing to Poland, Germany and Denmark where they will not have to meet the stringent Work Permit requirements that apply in the UK. The Premiership, the top tier of league racing in the UK, still has seven teams in 2024 despite both Peterborough and Wolverhampton closing after the sport was ‘evicted’ from those long-established venues. Birmingham and Oxford are the new teams in the Premiership. Only Kings…

It’s 1981, when a 250cc competitor could actually earn a living racing in Australia. Here Chris Oldfield leads Paul Lewis, Lee Roebuck, Peter Walker and Greg Johnson. Affordable two-strokes, along with decent prizemoney at even state level, made this a golden age of racing. 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… and toothpicks to keep your eyes open when double-screening to watch MotoGP and WorldSBK at the same time, straight after watching SBS’s excellent coverage of ASBK’s night round at SMSP. Tired? You betcha… but worth it!…

NEW PATENT applications from Suzuki show the company is working on a new small-capacity parallel twin with variable valve timing and lift thanks to a VTEC-style system. Suzuki is no stranger to variable valve timing, having used an unusual, centrifugal cam-phasing system in its most recent GSX-R1000 models, but the new design uses an approach more like the old Honda VTEC system, with two sets of lobes for the intake valves and the ability to switch between them by using hydraulic pressure to insert or remove a locking pin. It’s designed around a single overhead camshaft engine and, in the patent illustrations, the bottom end and cylinders appear to be from the GW250 Inazuma (pictured) parallel twin. Suzuki has previously used the non-VVT version of this parallel twin in various…

THE RR660S isn’t the only new bike heading to production from Voge in 2024 – the company has also type-approved a small V-twin cruiser under the ‘CU250’ name. The bike is powered by a liquid-cooled, 250cc V-twin with under-square dimensions: a 53mm bore is accompanied by a 57mm stroke, putting the emphasis on torque rather than outright power. The approval documents say it maxes out at 20kW, with a 128km/h top speed. While the bodywork includes traditional shapes for the tank and rear fender, the wheelbase is a moderate 1460mm, suggesting reasonably responsive handling.…

Wilfred Steward Lamont was but 15-years-old when Johnnie Hoskins ‘invented’ speedway at West Maitland in December 1923. Speedway was much later defined as ‘racing motorcycles on oval dirt tracks by professional riders in organised leagues on single gear machines with no brakes’. That may well be, but whatever he was riding, brakes or not, young Wilfred proved to be devastatingly adept around the growing number of ragtag events held at showgrounds and horse trotting tracks along the east coast of Australia. Now known as Billy, he’d yet to turn 21 when he was signed up to the team Johnnie Hoskins had pulled together to sail to England in March 1928. Independent as ever, Billy elected to travel solo via Los Angeles and San Francisco rather than join the team on…

CHOOSING BETWEEN these two pint-sized city slickers should be easy. Are you an urban explorer, or urban roadster. Do you dig scramblers or crave cafe racers? They both come with the same electronics, engine performance, brakes and suspension. Both are nimble and peppy, so ideal for metrocentric transport. But for my garage, the answer is clear. The Svartpilen offers slightly better confidence on all surfaces, is more relaxed and comfortable, its grab rail gives improved pillion security, it comes standard with a small but useful screen and even a tank rack. Around town or out on the open road, I’d choose the darkside any day. The fact that both 401s have identical pricing just seals the deal. If I were to be very picky, the only downsides would be the…

IN HINDSIGHT, MotoGP’s self-labelled rollercoaster in Portugal was always going to offer up thrills and spills. That much wasn’t so clear 19 laps into Sunday’s race at the Algarve International Circuit before hell broke lose. Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati) had controlled affairs, keeping Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Enea Bastianini (Lenovo Ducati) at arm’s length. Then it became a blur of action with enough drama to last a full weekend. Pecco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) clashed with Marc Marquez (Gresini Ducati) at Turn 5, taking both riders down with just three laps to play. Then Viñales’ (Aprilia Racing) stellar weekend came to a cruel conclusion as a transmission issue first forced him off track and out of second place at the start of the final lap before he highsided out. Aprilia’s…

THREE RACES IN Catalunya, three full races as they were planned after Phillip Island’s short-race weekend festival, underlined how close WorldSBK is in 2024 and how exciting it can be when things fall into place. Toprak rode his heavily-winged BMW chariot to a new track best and therefore his first ever Superpole win for BMW. A lap of 1m39.489s saw him finish up one place ahead of Bulega and two places up on another remarkably quick rookie, Andrea Iannone (Go Eleven Ducati). Five riders in all dipped under the magic 1m39 mark. But the pre-race predictions were still in place; the BMWs may be strong to start but the Ducatis would be better over 20 laps. And, so to script, Toprak made a break into the lead but soon Sam…

JOSH WATERS and the McMartin Racing Team leave Sydney Motorsport Park with the round win and points lead in the Australian Superbike Championship courtesy of solid dry pace and daring in the wet. A clean sweep was spoiled by the determination of Yamaha Racing Team’s Cru Halliday. Halliday pounced on the McMartin Ducatis of Waters and Harrison Voight with several laps remaining in the opening race, disrupted earlier by a red-flag stoppage following a crash at the fast Turn 1 by Matt Walters (Newcastle Hino). Halliday, who set the standard in opening practice, looked good from the restart but it was Waters that soon took control. Voight, in his last appearance before heading back to Europe, settled in behind him to make it a Ducati 1-2 for most of the…

FERMIN ALDEGUER is the latest Moto2 hotshot to be signed up by Ducati for its MotoGP program. The Spanish teenager will ride for the Pramac squad after signing a two-year contract, with Ducati having an option to extend that for another two campaigns. “I’m really happy to announce my jump to MotoGP,” he said. “But now it’s time to stay focused on Moto2. In Qatar I felt pressure from people saying I’m the favourite for this year, but I have to manage that pressure. My season starts here in Portimao.” Aldeguer will most likely replace Jorge Martin, who is sure to leave for a factory team in 2025. “I hope I will be wearing red,” he quipped with regards to his hopes of landing the factory Ducati seat. Fellow Ducati…

THE PORTUGUESE GP was momentous in many ways. Firstly, Pedro Acosta became the third-youngest premier class podium finisher in history at 19 years 304 days of age. Only Randy Mamola (19 years 261 days old - Finland 1979) and Eduardo Salatino (19 years 274 days old - Argentina 1962) were younger. During preseason and the first two rounds, Acosta has astounded his Tech3 team. “It’s amazing,” Kiwi crew chief Paul Trevathan (pictured) told AMCN. “I still don’t know the limit of the guy. Every time he rides the bike he improves. He makes little changes to his riding and I haven’t seen the limit yet. “Coming here there were tricky conditions on the first day. He went out on the second, put FP together, and that was him– it wasn’t…

THE PRESTIGIOUS Peter Craven Memorial meeting is always a highlight of the opening weeks of the British speedway season and in 2024 there was another Australian rider taking the win – not surprising after four Australian riders made it to the six-rider final. Brady Kurtz added his name to the honour roll of winners leading home Dan Bewley, Max Fricke, Fredrik Lindgren and Ben Cook, while Jason Doyle was denied the chance of a fifth victory when Lindgren’s footrest went into Doyle's rear wheel and ripped the spokes out soon after the start. The previous day saw the Charles Wright Testimonial meeting at Redcar where Ben Cook finished third behind Fredrick Lindgren and Erik Riss but ahead of Dan Bewley.…

REMEMBER ROYAL Enfield’s 883cc V-twin KX cruiser concept revealed in late 2018? Benda has created a 250cc knock-off and has type-approved the V-twin. It looks every bit the 2018 concept, right down to what appears to be a girder-style front suspension system, but Benda has a history of placing cowls over a conventional fork design to give the appearance of a pre-war girder design, as it did with its Napoleon 500. The new type-approval shows that the BD250 weighs 182kg wet and uses 18-inch wheels at each end with 130/80 rubber at the front and 160/70 at the rear. The top speed is a mere 120km/h but it’s clearly a bike that’s about being seen on, not going fast.…

BRIXTON UNVEILED a rugged-looking concept model during EICMA 2022 called ‘Storr’, which used the same 486cc twin-cylinder engine as its existing Crossfire 500 models. Now it’s heading into production virtually unaltered as revealed by new type-approval documents we’ve sighted from China. The production Storr, seen here for the first time, is all but identical to the original concept, including the same built-in, black crash protection panels either side of the signature horizontally-split headlight and even wearing the same military green paintwork, albeit without the concept’s additional graphics. With the bike now type-approved in China, production is surely imminent. So an official announcement of the availability of the Storr (the name derives from a rock formation on the Isle of Skye off the coast of Scotland) can’t be far off.…

AIR YOUR THOUGHTS OR VENT YOUR SPLEEN Access, AMCN, PO Box 6, Bittern, Vic, 3918 access@amcn.com.au LETTER OF THE ISSUE For the love I will be 68 years old soon and have been buying your magazine since it was in newspaper form. Your recent issue with the Cathcart Ducati 750SS was another classic – I had a 750SS back in 1978 and it was my turn on to motorcycle love. I still have my Paul Smart Ducati I bought in 2006. But it was the interview with Peter Doyle that reminded me of why I still buy your mag. Great stuff – keep it up. Bruce CleggClifton Park, WA Thanks for the feedback Bruce. I agree – the Peter Doyle interview is a ripper and he certainly told it how…

YAMAHA’S POWER Tuner was launched 16 years ago as a plug-in tool before it became the first off-road brand to offer connectivity via a smartphone in 2017. Seven years later, the newest version of the app – which is available for both Apple and Android devices – offers a wider range of adjustment, while having a simplified and easier-to-use interface. Once connected to the bike’s wifi using the serial number on the bike’s CCU as the password, riders can access and adjust settings relating to fueling (power), ignition timing (throttle response), traction control and launch control, the latter letting you set a specific rpm the bike will stay on at launch while activating launch-specific mapping and traction settings. As well as a detailed adjuster that you can set across two…

In January 2020 Norton Motorcycles, then owned by UK entrepreneur Stuart Garner, collapsed into bankruptcy. On 17 April that same year, it was acquired from the liquidator for a cash payment of £16 million ($32m at the time) by India’s third largest motorcycle manufacturer, TVS Motor Company. Currently manufacturing more than three million powered two-wheelers annually at its Hosur factory 70km south of Bangalore, TVS has also been tied up with BMW Motorrad since April 2013, when the two companies signed a long-term strategic partnership contract for TVS to manufacture sub-500cc BMW-branded motorcycles for global sale. Since its introduction in November 2015 over 100,000 of the single-cylinder BMW G 310 R and the G 310 GS, which followed two years later, have been built. BMW’s new CE-02 electric scooter was…

THERE HAVE been spills, heartache and a series of near misses in the past 68 races. But Aron Canet (Fantic Kalex) finally has a Moto2 victory to savour after winning the second race of the season with some style to put his name among those fancied to fight for the title. 69 not out. Even still, the Spaniard received something of a helping hand. First, Fermin Aldeguer (Speed Up Boscocuro) jumped the start. A pair of long-lap penalties dropped him from second to 13th on lap seven. Then teammate Alonso Lopez crashed out of the lead at Turn 13 on lap 11, allowing Canet, Joe Roberts (American Racing Kalex), Manuel Gonzalez (Gresini Kalex) and Ai Ogura (MSI Boscoscuro) to contest the lead. Yet when Gonzalez passed Roberts for second six laps…

ADRIAN HUERTAS (Aruba Ducati) kicked a second goal in Superpole qualifying, after his first-time success at Phillip Island. He made his next career step by winning Race 1, after some early troubles fighting off Can Öncü (who would eventually drop to eighth with severe tyre wear and arm pump). In second place, Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Yamaha) was only just over a second behind Huertas, but over four seconds ahead of the leading MV Agusta in Marcel Schrotter. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing) placed fourth with Valentin Debise fifth on his Evan Bros. Yamaha. Race 2 proved to be a very short affair after the first start was red flagged. The six-lap mini-sprint provided mega-action, with Huertas eventually crashing and then finishing last and Manzi taking his first victory of 2024…

MANY EXPECT Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia to challenge for the 2024 MotoGP title and their controversial crash toward the end of the Portuguese GP could be the first of many throughout the year. Unsurprisingly, the pair were in disagreement over who was in the wrong. “When he overtook me, he went wide,” reasoned Bagnaia. “So when a rider in front of you that you are battling goes wide, what do you want to do? From my side, it wasn’t a risky move.” Marquez didn’t see it that way. While accepting it was “a racing incident”, the Catalan felt it it was Bagnaia’s mistake. “For me was a mistake from Pecco, but not just the incident. Because in the end he tried to come back. It was too optimistic. “We…

A LOT OF people will be wondering what is going on with Arthur Sissis this year. After being a podium threat last season, this year he looks right off the pace and not his normal self. Arthur tells us there has been a persistent electrical/electronic problem with the bike and, despite best efforts to fix it, it keeps popping up. Hopefully it will be fixed for Queensland. Matt Walters has had more bad luck after going down at SMSP’s ultra-fast Turn 1 at in the opening Superbike race last Saturday. His Aprilia RSV4 wasn’t damaged too badly, but Walters has broken his collarbone, meaning he won’t be fixed for Queensland A big shout out Leanne Nelson (Grid Talk, AMCN Vol 73 No 18). A big hit with the crowd, Leanne…