Australian Motorcycle News Vol 74 Issue 17

“RIGHT NOW, HIS ONLY JOB IS TO REST, TO HEAL, AND TO FIND THE STRENGTH TO GET THROUGH THIS” WHAT A JAM-PACKED few weeks. Normally this page is reserved for vague musings on the contents of the issue, but this time I’m using it to touch on the sheer volume of items we weren’t able to find room for. In no particular order, then… Jack Miller, once prematurely ejected from the ‘elite contender’ club by the internet’s armchair critics, is having the last laugh – or at the very least a satisfied smirk – after his best weekend in MotoGP since Portugal last year. In Austin, Miller outpaced all the other Yamahas to grab a sweet slice of redemption. Turns out he wasn’t just ‘lucky’ to land at Pramac Yamaha…

The letters ‘GS’ have become a signature for generations of the world’s most successful adventure bike. Now that model run has gained a spiritual successor with the retro R12 G/S that BMW has just added to its 2025 line-up. Way back in 1980 the original BMW R80 G/S added a new dimension to touring, being compared in BMW’s Australian advertising to the 4WD Range Rover. Why G/S? It stands for Gelände/Straße – that means ‘offroad/street’ and is a pretty straightforward explanation for the role that the original R80 G/S played in BMW’s range. The G/S range spent the first two decades as niche machines in Europe although they soon set a standard for backroads touring in Oz. That all changed when the 2004 R 1200 GS broke through into the…

BACK IN MAY last year CFMoto took the wraps off its 500SR Voom – the company’s first four-cylinder sports bike and the brand’s Australian distributor asked on its Facebook page “Should we bring the 500SR Voom to Australia?” The answer appears to have been a resounding ‘Yes’ as the 500SR Vooms just appeared among the latest vehicles to be type-approved for in the Australian market. Arival to the likes of Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-4RR, which breathed new life the small-capacity four-cylinder segment, the CFMoto 500SR Voom one of several new Chinese-made fours in the 400cc-500cc class, but far the most interesting one when it comes to styling. Instead of mimicking larger superbikes, the 500SR Voom takes Inspiration from 1980s and 1990s, dual air circular intakes on the nose that evoke the…

Triumph has taken one of its biggest corporate steps in the Hinckley era with the announcement of the 2026 TF 250-E and TF 450-E, its assault on the enduro segment. Orders are now open, with pricing $18,290 rideaway for the TF 250-E and $19,690 rideaway for the TF 450-E. Deliveries are expected to begin in June. Triumph’s Chief Product Officer, Steve Sargent, says the models are designed to meet “the diverse needs of both professional and amateur riders”. They follow on from Triumph’s release of its track-only motocross models. Developed in collaboration with multiple-time World Enduro champions Ivan Cervantes and Paul Edmondson, the all-new models feature in-house designed and built chassis and race-focused powertrains. The TF 450-E’s 450cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine delivers 43kW (57.6hp) and 49.3Nm with high torque in…

AFTER RECEIVING a cash injection of $A90m, KTM has restarted production at its Mattighofen factory in Austria. It has revealed it is running one shift only but won’t say what models it’s assembling. However, the cash has come from Indian giant Bajaj, which holds a 49.9 per cent stake in Pierer Bajaj AG, which in turn owns 75 per cent of KTM’s parent, Pierer Mobility AG. It’s being reported in India that the KTM 390 Enduro is about to be launched there, followed by the 390 SMC, so it’s not hard to work out what bikes are KTM’s focus. Bajaj’s board recently agreed to make $A275m available for international investment. KTM creditors have said another $A180m is needed to be raised for production to continue in the short term. KTM…

BACK IN FEBRUARY, Honda filed a European trademark application for rights to use the name ‘V3R’ on a production motorcycle – essentially confirming that the V3 concept engine shown at last year’s EICMA event is heading for production. Now it’s backed that up with a pair of new trademark filings in the US. As well as targeting rights to the V3R name in America, Honda has added a trademark application for the title ‘V3R E-Compressor’ and in doing so eliminates any lingering doubts that the unusual electric supercharger that was fitted to the bare-bones EICMA prototype is set to reach production alongside the V3 engine itself. Both the new trademark applications are specifically intended to be used on motorcycles and their parts, and recent changes to the US trademark laws…