Australian Motorcycle News Vol 74 Issue 16

“WHAT ON EARTH is going on with that cover?” I hear you cry. “Has AMCN turned into a comic book?” Okay, now hear me out. The inspiration came from a few sources. Firstly, having a chat with Gassit creator Simon O’Leary about a triumphant return for all-new adventures of his iconic, mischievous and insert-your-own-adjectivehere character certainly played a part. More on that as the possibilities develop. Then AMCN’s Matt O’Connell returned from commentating at Round One of the cyclone-blasted MiniGP in Newcastle to report the series is going from strength to strength (see p34) – and that Australia is truly beginning to put in place a legitimate “Road to MotoGP” for our future stars. This inspired us to get MotoGP expert analyst Peter Bom to walk us carefully along that…

A recent patent filing could usher in a new era of brake technology for production motorcycles. Atemo might not be a name you’re immediately familiar with but it’s a giant Japanese automotive supplier that’s parent to big motorcycling names Showa, Nissan and Keihin – putting it in an ideal position to take a holistic view of motorcycle components. Its latest patent shows how a front fork can be designed to help with cooling the braking system. With Honda owning 40 per cent of Astemo and electronics brand Hitachi taking another 40 per cent, designs from the company have a direct route into mainstream production, so we are getting a glimpse into the immediate future here. The idea is simple and builds on a concept presented at last year’s EICMA show. Astemo…

ANOTHER ASTEMO project that’s edging its way towards a potential production home in a future Honda is a rider assist system based around stereo cameras rather than the more common front radar used by rivals. Honda is falling behind in terms of these systems, lacking any bikes to compete with the radar cruise control and crash mitigation systems offered by Ducati, BMW, Kawasaki, KTM and Yamaha. All those buy their radar systems from Bosch, giving them a leg-up by accessing off-the-shelf components, while Honda prefers to develop its systems in-house. Astemo’s system uses two front-facing cameras rather than a radar, mimicking the stereoscopic vision of the rider to judge distances and recognise obstacles. Unlike a radar, camera-based crash mitigation or adaptive cruise control systems can pick out colours and lights,…

DESPITE BEING nothing more than a bare chassis and engine, Honda’s V3 concept model was the undoubted star of last year’s EICMA show in Milan – and now it’s taken a big step closer to production as Honda files for trademark rights to the name ‘V3R’. Honda has been clear it hopes to get the V3, shown complete with a radical electric supercharger at EICMA, into production, but the new trademark gives a clue as to the style of bike – or bikes – that the engine will appear in. Think back to Honda’s previous model branding and there’s a fairly rigid structure to the combinations of letters and numbers used. For example, ‘CB’ always means ‘street, four-stroke’ and adding an ‘R’ means you get a fairing thrown into the…

Rumours of a new Honda CB1000F are swirling in Japan with reports that it could be shown as soon as the end of March after Honda announced the long-lived CB1300 Super Four and Super Bol d’Or models are about to be retired. Both the Super Four and Super Bol d’Or are direct descendants of the 1992 CB1000 Super Four that was Honda’s first ‘retro’ four-cylinder machine, drawing on the legacy of the CB750 that defined the superbike class in 1968. They’ve become a staple of the Japanese motorcycle landscape, remaining in production and on sale in Honda’s homeland long after exports ended. With the air-cooled CB1100 also now gone from the Honda range, the demise of the CB1300 models – which are going out with a set of ‘Final Edition’…

PLANNED TYRE CHANGES for the 2027 MotoGP championship mean every team and rider will have another variable thrown into the mix in a season of widespread rule change. Pirelli will replace Michelin as the sole supplier of MotoGP tyres from 2027 until 2031. With Moto2 and Moto3 already monopolised by Pirelli, along with the WorldSBK championship and, on four wheels, the Formula 1 championship, the Italian brand looks set to dominate the upper echelons of motorsport. Pirelli will also be the supplier for the MotoE series from 2027, again replacing Michelin, so all the Dorna-operated championships will share the same tyre brand. While using a single tyre company for each championship helps level the playing field for riders and teams and preventing an expensive tyre war between multiple brands, the…