Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 74 Issue 15 i Australian Motorcycle News

THE WILL-THEY-or-won’t-they enigma of BMW’s potential entry to MotoGP has been raised a few more notches with its patent application for a radical exhaust that sounds like an April Fool’s Day prank. But it there’s one thing these clever Germans aren’t joking about it’s raising tech levels. We’ve reported on a variety of race-oriented aerodynamic ideas from BMW in recent months. Its latest patent application introduces the concept of a switchable exhaust system that can, via an electronic actuator, direct exhaust gases to fire sideways out of one side of the bike or the other. In the simplest terms, the concept is to use the pressure of that exhaust gas as a jet to help push the bike into the corner, but the idea also opens the door to more…

When Ducati dropped its 1158cc V4 Granturismo motor into its all-new Diavel muscle bike two years ago, it seemed logical to expect the feet forward XDiavel cruiser would follow. Finally the XDiavel V4 has been revealed and should reach dealers by mid-year. This isn’t just a case of slotting the V4 engine into the existing XDiavel, the last V-twin powered model to use the 1262cc Testastretta DVT engine and a holdover from an earlier generation of twin-cylinder, desmodromicvalved, trellis-framed Ducatis. The new XDiavel V4 joins its modern siblings by adopting not only a V4 engine but a cast alloy monocoque chassis. The V4 Granturismo engine is already familiar from the Multistrada V4 and the Diavel V4. Larger than the 1103cc unit used in the Panigale V4 superbike, it’s a much…

LETTER OF THE ISSUE Summer Lovin’ It was great meeting AMCN’s Matt O’Connell at the presentation of the AMCN Summer Series Award on February 8 after the final round of the 2025 Motul Summer Night Series run by the St George Motorcycle Club in Sydney. As part of the team that looks after Dominic De Leon, it was a great surprise and honour for him to receive such an award from the country’s most esteemed publication. “IT WAS A GREAT SURPRISE AND HONOUR FOR DOM TO RECEIVE SUCH AN AWARD FROM THE COUNTRY’S MOST ESTEEMED PUBLICATION” The AMCN presence at the Summer Night Series can only add to the series – and who knows? We might even end up with some internationals coming to Oz as they did back in…

For those of us who grew up admiring thunderous Yank cruisers, seeing the Indian’s Challenger Limited in the flesh for the first time feels a bit like meeting a rock idol. It’s a gleaming edifice of American grunt on two wheels – purpose-built for conquering the sort of sun-blasted vistas that Australia has in abundance. Unlike the lumbering heavyweight cruisers of yore though, this bagger comes fitted with enough electronics to rival a JB Hi-Fi store, along with a level of comfort that’ll make you wonder whether your favourite old recliner might be destined for the nature strip. As always in the cruiser segment, there’s a big HD-badged elephant in the room. But, If Indian is the Joe Frasier to Harley-Davidson’s Ali, the Challenger might just have landed a mighty…

These are strange days indeed for MV Agusta. The 80-year-old Italian motorcycle manufacturer was, up until very recently, majority owned by the financially stricken Austrian bike behemoth KTM. But now, with former owners the Sardarov family about to regain full control, MV Agusta is charging ahead with a bullish attitude and a multitude of new models on the horizon. And it’s clear that the heritage brand believes at least part of its future success lies in the booming adventure bike segment. Enter the Enduro Veloce, MV Agusta’s first real foray into the off-road arena, where it faces some stiff and very capable competition, particularly from European big boys BMW and Ducati. FIRST IMPRESSIONS Seeing the Enduro Veloce in the flesh for the first time is a bit of a paradoxical…

I first met Ibin in the summer of 2023. I was in Chongli, China, shooting a massive trail-running event for a local company. From the moment he started guiding me around, I felt an immediate bond. His English was excellent, still a rarity in China, and our conversations ranged from everyday humour to deeper discussions of culture and politics. One evening, as we relaxed from a long day, Ibin showed me photos from a motorcycle trip he’d taken: snaking mountain roads, remote villages perched on cliffs and breathtaking panoramas of snow-capped peaks. It didn’t take much convincing. By that night, I’d already texted my friends Thomas, Oliver and Ralf back in Switzerland. “Guys, what if we rode through China next autumn?” Their enthusiastic responses sealed it. We set the date…

It’s the oldest trick in the MotoGP journo’s book. Whenever you sit down to interview a rider you start with the easy questions: flatter his ego, or, in pit-lane speak, “tickle his balls”. Only later do you hit him with the hard questions, so if he decides he’s had enough of you and storms out, you’ve already got enough to write. So that’s how I start this interview with MotoGP’s latest sensation, Pedro ‘The Shark’ Acosta. We’re talking in KTM’s paddock office, and I’ve scribbled some numbers in my notebook, which lies on the table between us. Everyone knows that last year’s MotoGP championship was a Ducati walkover. The Bologna brand won 19 of the 20 GPs and filled 53 of 60 podium places. Who filled the other seven? One…

Triumph struck gold with the launch of the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400X a year ago – attracting a whole new crowd of customers and creating a pair of instant best-sellers – and now it’s set to double its 400cc lineup with higher-spec versions of both bikes. Let’s start with the Speed 400, which will be joined soon by this bullet-faired cafe racer version. The retro cafe racer style, complete with a racing cowl to give a single-seat look, paired with dropped ‘bars and a small, chassis-mounted fairing, gives a clear family tie to the Speed Triple RR, but also harks back to faired versions of the now-discontinued Thruxton. Triumph could opt for either title, calling it the Speed 400RR or the Thruxton 400. Regardless of the final badge, it’s…

As radar and camera based advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) become increasingly commonplace – and even mandated in some countries – many vehicles with automatic emergency braking systems still fail to ‘see’ motorcycles clearly enough. The latest set of test results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the US shows that while crash-avoidance tech is generally improving, with 22 out of 30 new car models’ tests earning ‘good’ or ‘acceptable’ ratings, the IIHS still points out that motorcycles are ‘a special area of concern’ because they’re harder for ADAS systems to recognise and their riders are relatively unprotected. Of the 30 vehicles tested, seven were given a ‘poor’ rating, and all of them failed to avoid hitting a stationary dummy representing a motorcyclist during automatic emergency braking…

WHILE its rivals have fiddled with and then forgotten carbon frames, Aprilia is powering on with developing this technology. Structural details of the latest Aprilia RS-GP’s prototype carbon chassis have emerged thanks to a patent application from its parent company, Piaggio. It reveals a chassis combining carbon fibre and aluminium using glue rather than bolts. Aprilia has been among the latest to experiment with carbon frames, testing them on its MotoGP bikes in 2023 and 2024, but yet to commit to racing with it. Previously Ducati and KTM tried carbon frames. The patent papers show the front section is almost entirely carbon, including the steering head, with upper and lower metal bushings for the steering shaft embedded into it. The external shape of the steering tube is oval, giving better…

So what secrets does the GP25 hold? And what are Aprilia, Honda, KTM and Yamaha doing in their efforts to catch up? Fed up with Ducati’s MotoGP steamroller? Too bad, you’re going to have to put up with it for a while longer, because right now there’s no indication that MotoGP’s balance of power is about to change any time soon. SIt’s not that Aprilia, KTM, Yamaha and Honda are slow, because during this year’s first preseason tests at Sepang the entire grid lapped at least eight-tenths inside the lap record! And the fastest seven Sprint race simulations were faster than Jorge Martin’s 2024 Sprint-winning race pace! But Ducati is still way ahead, with factory riders Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia expected to dominate in 2025. DUCATI: CATCH US IF…

It’s early 2011 and I’m running a custom motorcycle blog out of my inner western Sydney apartment. Despite our relatively small audience, we’re beginning to be contacted by manufacturers for reviews. Soon bike blogs will be all the rage and we’ll be offered overseas trips and VIP passes, but for now the idea of people with real jobs caring about what we think of the bikes they make is blowing our minds. And, remarkably, a certain Zero Motorcycles Australia is the first company to give us a loaner. Fast forward a few days and I’m hellfully humming around Marrickville on an MY 2010 Zero S. Barely four years old, Zero bikes are still clearly in the experimental stage. And while they are road-legal and registrable in Australia, they look and…

“IF IT’S TIME FOR A PLONKER LIKE ME TO GET OUT OF THE WAY, THERE’S NO-ONE I’D RATHER MOVE OVER FOR” BACK IN MY DAY, there was no Tarzy, but geez her dad could ride! Now there is a Tara Morrison and geez she can ride! If it’s time for a plonker like me to get out of the way, there’s no-one I’d rather move over for. As she engages first gear as a columnist and dumps the clutch, I’ll tell you a little bit about where she came from, and you’ll know why I reckon she is a champion off the track as much as on it. I used to knock around with her dad, Allan Morrison, who in the 1990s was a budding stunt rider. I was editing…

“WHAT SUCCEEDS IN RACING IS WHAT WON LAST YEAR, PLUS A COUPLE OF PER CENT” SOMETHING OLD, something new; something borrowed… or just something old? Ducati’s back-track dilemma has been both enviable and indicative. While rival factories scrabble to catch up, the Italians have put their stallions into reverse. All the work over the winter to improve their 2024 title-winning bike was for nothing. They might as well have gone to Barbados instead, and got themselves a decent suntan and some sex on the beach (the cocktail, of course, or the real thing). Because the old bike has turned out to be so much better that they’ll carry on using it for the next two years. The new one goes straight in the bin. This is a denial of a…

A RACE TRACK is perhaps the last place you’d expect to see Triumph’s baby Scrambler being tested – but it’s an indication of how serious the British firm is on upgrading this popular model. We busted this higher-spec ‘XE’ version of the Scrambler 400 being track-tested alongside the upcoming cafe version of the Speed 400. Like the Speed 400, the Scrambler 400X now looks set to get an uprated spin-off. We reckon it will be an XE version and our spy shots confirm it will have a more rugged, off-road look. The new prototype isn’t a huge redesign, and many of the parts are harvested from Triumph’s existing accessory catalogue. Add-ons include the high mudguard (normally $181.65), lower engine bars ($198.95), sump guard ($274.20) and screen ($207.82) with its associated…

ELECTRIC REVERSE gear systems are becoming increasingly commonplace on large-capacity touring bikes and CFMoto looks like it’s joining that trend after publishing patent applications for a reverse gear on its big 1250TR-G tourer. The 1279cc 1250TR-G is CFMoto’s biggest bike and currently the only model in the company’s range to use the V-twin engine developed from KTM’s LC8. It was launched in China nearly five years ago and, while it’s gone on sale in parts of Asia, including Malaysia, its main sales are in China, including to law enforcement agencies. For the past year there have been reports that it is being prepared for a European launch and even evaluated for a possible future Australian release. Its tech is impressive, including a massive 12.3-inch colour TFT dashboard, keyless start, radar  assisted…

"If Superbike continues like this also in the future, I am not thinking to race here anymore" Reigning WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu threatens to pull the pin after being an unwilling spectator to absolute Ducati dominance at Phillip Island. BMW’s great hope was the only non-Ducati rider on the podium and later said he thought the class was turning in a ‘Ducati Cup'. SCRAP VALUE! Gotta love this! Spend no more than $1k on a shitter, somehow get it running and registered and you are eligible for the annual Scrapheap Adventure Ride. The event has raised more than $1m for Downs Syndrome Australia. Last year’s event was based at Candelo, in the NSW Bega Valley. This year’s date and venue are yet to be decided so get a bike and…

One of the Classic 350’s most endearing assets is that it doesn’t feel like a smallcapacity motorcycle. By that I mean it’s a bike that feels robust and roomy. Where motorcycles in this category can often feel small, narrow and light, the Royal Enfield is wide and weighty. It feels substantial as you’re perched atop its thick, plush seat reaching out to the ends of its wide handlebar. That’s the legacy of an ancestry we can trace back to the late 1940s, when the bike’s early predecessors – the Bullet 500 and Model G2 – were big bikes and cutting-edge. In another way, it feels every bit a small-capacity motorcycle. The peak 15kW (20.2hp) and 27Nm available from the 349cc single-cylinder engine is hardly noteworthy, especially when you consider KTM…

The 2025 WorldSBK season opener at Phillip Island marked the start of a new era. Alongside BMW’s mission to attempt to defend its championship title from Ducati, it saw the return to the grid of one of the most historic brands in Superbike competition: Bimota. Or rather, Bimota by Kawasaki, because the Japanese company – which since 2008 has been the only one of that nation’s four manufacturers to exclusively contest WorldSBK at the expense of any involvement in MotoGP – has completely re-imagined its participation in streetbike-derived competition. It has shuttered its Kawasaki Racing Team operation and transferred its support to its Bimota subsidiary. To run the company as COO, it hired Pierluigi Marconi, famed creator of a host of iconic Bimota models from the hub-centre Tesi family, and…

“I CAN PROMISE YOU ONE THING: IING: WE WORK HARD FIRST, SO WE CAN PLAY f HARD LATER” LATER)} WOW! I can’t even begin to explain how overwhelmed and excited I am to be writing a column for AMCN. This is a huge moment for me, and I’m so stoked to be sharing my journey with all of you. For those who don’t know me, I’m Tara Morrison, 21 years old, from South Australia. I’ve been immersed in motorcycles for as long as I can remember, and racing is practically in my veins. My first encounter with AMCN was on my first birthday, when my dad turned a rocking horse into a Rossi-inspired rocking bike! From day one, it was clear: bikes were my thing. Motorbikes have always been a…

RACING WHAT, WHERE & WHEN ROAD RACING AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Rd2 28-29 Mar, SMSP (under lights), NSW Rd3 2-4 May, Qld Raceway, Qld Rd4 13-15 Jun, Morgan Park, Qld Rd5 8-10 Aug, Qld Raceway, Qld (Sbike only) Rd6 6-7 Sep, Phillip Island, Vic Rd7 3-5 Oct, One Raceway, NSW Rd8 7-9 Nov, The Bend Motorsport Pk, SA AUSTRALIAN SIDECAR CHAMPIONSHIP Rd2 28 Feb-2 Mar, The Bend Motorsport Pk, SA Rd3 5-6 Apr, Qld Raceway, Qld Rd4 23-24 Aug, SMSP, NSW Rd5 8-9 Nov, CARGO Raceway, WA AUSTRALIAN MINIGP SERIES Rd1 7-9 Mar, Cameron Park, NSW Rd2 11-13 Apr, Oakleigh, Vic Rd3 TBA, Qld Rd4 4-6 July, Monarto, SA Rd5 12-14 Sep, Port Melbourne, Vic AUSTRALIAN HISTORIC ROADRACE CHAMPIONSHIP 13-16 Nov, Broadford, Vic MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Rd1 26 Feb-2 Mar, Buriram,…