Australian Motorcycle News Vol 75 Issue 5

“BIG OR SMALL, BRUTAL OR BLISSFUL, EVERY RIDE HAS THE POTENTIALTO BE AN ADVENTURE IF YOU TREAT IT THAT WAY” ADVENTURE. It’s a word we throw around a lot in the motorcycling world, but the truth is it means something different to all of us. For some, it’s getting lost in the desert with nothing but a swag, a dodgy map and the hope of a pub at the other end. For others, it’s a lazy loop through the hills, a passport in the pannier, or a weekend’s escape that feels a million miles from home. The beauty of adventure riding is that there’s no single way to do it. Take Jemma Wilson and her dad Ted. Their month-long, 11,250km odyssey across the Simpson Desert, the Kimberley and beyond (p82) had…

Speculation is running riot in India with local media predicting the upcoming Himalayan twin will not use Royal Enfield’s exiting 650cc engine after all. The general consensus is the twin will be stretched to at least 750cc and possible up to 850cc. The Himalayan 650 was first revealed as a future model by Royal Enfield in 2022. Since then we’ve regularly published shots of prototypes in various stages of development. Earlier this year the company officially released photos and video of nearly production-ready versions being ridden by company execs and testers in the Himalayas. But the actual launch has been slow in coming adding to speculation that a new engine is being developed for this model. That would make sense as a Himalayan 650 needs to have fairly serious luggage-pillion…

SUZUKI’S UPDATED DR-Z400 will be available in December while Kawasaki’s road-legal KLX300 arrives early next year. The KLX300 is based on the off-road-only KLX300R and is LAMS approved. Being fully road-legal means it has a digital instrument panel featuring a speedo, clock, odometer, dual trip meters and warning lights. A thick urethan seat is designed for comfort on longer rides (935mm seat height) and a compact LED headlight retains the off-road version’s race styling. It’s powered by a fuel-injected, liquid-cooled 292cc single-cylinder engine with electric start and six-speed gearbox. Long-travel suspension is adjustable and the KLX300 has a 21in front wheel and 18in rear. Fuel capacity is 7.5 litres and claimed kerb weight is 137kg. It will sell for $7849 plus ORC. Suzuki’s DR-Z400 was the backbone of the Australian…

Aprilia has tapped into a rich seam with its limited-edition runs of ‘X’ branded, track-only bikes it’s been offering since 2019 – each is pricier than the last but collectors snap them up nonetheless. The latest is the most extreme yet: the RSV4 X-GP, with carbon MotoGPtype bodywork and a highly tuned V4 engine. Following on from the original RSV4 X of 2019, the 2020 Tuono V4 X, 2022’s RSV4 XTrenta and 2024’s RSV4 X ex3ma, the RSV4 X-GP uses the same formula as its forebears. Unleashed from the constraints of road legislation or race homologation, each has been intended purely for use on the track, with engines tuned to near-WorldSBK levels and extraneous parts stripped away to save weight. The formula for the new X-GP is unaltered. Power from…

THE ONLY Chinese brand in WorldSSP is QJ Motor. The original SRK800RR has been raced for some time, but a new model – in two versions – finally arrived in the recent French round, ready homologated, for Raffaele De Rosa and Niki Tuuli. The latest SRK800 R and RS models share the same base, but the RS model is the one now being raced in WorldSSP. De Rosa was an impressive 13th in Race 1, and Tuuli was 12th in Race 2 on the new bike. New features for both R and RS models include a full aluminium frame (previously steel) that offers reduced weight and greater stiffness. A central air vent improves airflow while a larger airbox and optimised injection and intake systems are claimed to give better performance…

Global electric motorcycle sales (scooters and small motorcycles) grew seven per cent in the first half of this year, prompting Stark Future and Ducati to start pushing back the frontiers in road performance. Stark Future, a highly successful electric motocross pioneer, now aims to beat the best ICE streetbikes with the sales carrot being a super-quick recharge time. Meanwhile Ducati, despite MotoE being suspended for 2026, is giving the bike that’s been at the heart of this world championship – its electric V21L – a second life as a testbed for battery tech. An official statement from Dorna and the FIM said MotoE “has not be able to gain sufficient traction within our fanbase during its seven seasons, during which time the electric performance motorcycle market has not developed as…