Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 75 Issue 5 i Australian Motorcycle News

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…

ROYAL ENFIELD has confirmed the Goan Classic 350 will join its Australian line-up, with preorders now open following a Melbourne launch party hosted at Saint Clothing in Fitzroy. Already available in India since early 2024, the Goan 350 takes the familiar Classic platform and filters it through the Indian city of Goa’s custom culture. The result is a bobber-inspired take on Royal Enfield’s biggest-selling model, complete with chopped fenders, a mid-ape handlebar, low-slung solo seat and a splash of bold 70s-style colour schemes. Priced from $8890 ride away, the Goan Classic 350 sits above the standard Classic 350 in the local range, effectively becoming Royal Enfield’s new premium offering in the 350cc segment. It’s powered by the 349cc air-oil-cooled J-series single, delivering 15kW (20.2hp) at 6100rpm and 27Nm at 4000rpm. That…

SCOTT NICHOLSON mastered the conditions for the round win after Tyler King took the opening race, with Nicholson describing the wet track as ‘atrocious’ after many riders went down – including three on the sighting lap, then three more before a red flag restart was required. Seven more fell, including Mitch Simpson, who crashed out of the lead leaving Nicholson and King to slide about for victory. King took the honours with Tara Morrison third – with Tara herself going down twice on the sighting lap and breaking her screen. The track was still damp for the second race and this time two of the podium placegetters from race one – King and Morrison – both fell. Nicholson was riding a superb race, coming through on the penultimate lap from…

IT’S CONTRACT time in the GP paddock. And two of Moto3’s Aussie runners had been a tad anxious regarding their future prospects over recent weeks. Joel Kelso signed with MLav Honda for 2026 and 2027, something of a surprise considering the team’s lack of performance this year. And Jacob Roulstone is still hopeful of finding a spot on next year’s grid. “I didn’t get any opportunities in Moto2. I don’t know what more I could’ve done,” said Kelso. “I waited until I thought I was ready to go there but nothing came up. I had the chance to stay in Moto3 with KTM but I like challenges. It’s true that MLav’s bikes aren’t at the top but I believe I can bring the team to the top. “It’s a two-year…

CAN ONCU (Yamaha bLU cRU Evan Bros Racing) smashed in a new track best - 1min39.442s - to win Superpole, while his season-long rival for the title, Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), knocked back another double of wins. With three Yamaha R9s on the front row, Oncu and Manzi scooted off in the opening race from a fourrider, all R9 group, which included eventual fourthplaced rider Lucas Mahias (GMT94-Yamaha). Mahias had been third but got pinged a three-lap penalty for cutting a corner. Stand-in rider Alberto Surra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) was thus a surprise podium visitor. In Race 2, an almost sure-fire win for Oncu was gradually turned into a lastlap Manzi victory for the second time. Manzi timed his run beautifully to give Oncu no chance…

“CAPE YORK IS LIKE A MOTORING MUD MAP, DRAWN IN THE DRY AND WIPED OUT BY THE WET” ADVENTURE ISSUE, huh? Well, Editor Greg, I spent last night shuffling the adventure deck to see which one would come up trumps. Err, that’s in the old sense of trumps, as in a great hand of cards. Not the new sense of all mouth and motor. The winner? A crazy Cape trip with a mob of US Marines on TTR250 Yamahas in the early 1990s. Why? Because our customers only had two weeks in March available before shipping back Stateside. The Cape in March was an unknown. They’d all done time on the Marshall Islands, so they knew the tropics and knew they were asking a lot. Fortunately, they were prepared to…

1 MOBILE MAGIC Rocky Creek Designs Australia $78.70 NA rockycreekdesigns.com.au The Motopressor Puncture Repair Tool crams a whole garage into your pocket. Four tools in one (pliers, rasp, insertion tool and knife) without the mess of glue tubes or a pile of loose parts. Prevulcanised strings seal the hole and patch inside your tyre. Compact, tough and always ready for roadside drama. 2 CLUB REGO LOG POUCH Andy Strapz From $25 plus freight (03) 9786 3445 andystrapz.com The Historic Rego Pouch keeps your club logbook and pen right where you need them… on the bike. Tough 17oz canvas, clear sleeve and reflective trim mean it’s built to last. Wraps neatly around ‘bars or mirrors so you never “forget” that pesky legal scribble before a ride. Comes in singles ($25), three-pack ($68) or…

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…

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…

“In some areas we’ve already made progress compared to this year’s M1. We just need time” Jack Miller sounds positive after his first test of Yamaha’s all-new V4 MotoGP M1. Having raced for four different manufacturers over the past 10 years, he has experience to offer, which is why Yamaha extended his contract. The V4 scored points on debut at the San Marino MotoGP round. IT’S ZERO TIMES TWO Australian Electric Motor Co has been elevated from a dealer to the distributor of Zero’s range of electric motorcycles, parts, accessories and apparel. Its UK sister company has been a Zero retailer since 2017 and shares extensive knowledge with the Australian team. DUCATI’S MULTI-TOOL Ducati’s Multistrada V4 RS has been updated for 2026, with improved strategies for its semi-active Öhlins Smart…

MTM PRODIGAL son Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) set a new track best to take pole position at Magny Cours and then went on to win the opening race from Matteo Vannucci (Pata AG Motorsports Italia Yamaha) and his new teammate, Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki). In Race 2, another Kawasaki rider, David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI Kawasaki), would time his push from inside a final eight-rider group perfectly to win from Vannucci. Thompson escaped a nasty looking two-rider last complex crash to head off Daniel Mogeda (Pons Motorsport Italika Racing Kawasaki) for third. Benat Fernandez (11th and fifth in France) now leads Salvador by just 11 points, with the injured Julio Garcia now 17 points from the lead.…

THE BRITISH Superbike Championship visited Donington Park for the second time this year over 5-7 September where Kyle Ryde was able to extend his points lead by winning three of the four races on offer. Meanwhile Henry Snell wrapped up the Superteen title with a round remaining. The Queenslander has won 12 of the 14 races so far this season. Ryde was pumped after his successful weekend: “This is the best Sunday I’ve ever had in BSB – I’ve never done the triple before, so it feels great to get that one ticked off the list.” It it was a packed program for the Superbike category with four sprint races being scheduled over the weekend with Scott Redding taking the opener for Hager PBM Ducati by over one second. Redding…

A quick history lesson to impress your know-it-all mates down the pub. The first production GS, the R 80 G/S, rolled out of Berlin back in 1980 and, despite multiple victories at the Dakar in 1981, 1983, 1984 and 1985 with a highly modified, monster-version of the road-going enduro, was a slow-burner in sales terms. In fact, it wasn’t until 1994 when the G/S morphed into the R 1100 GS that it became anything more than a niche ride and, even then, it wasn’t until 2004/2005 with the arrival of the R 1200 GSA that sales finally rocketed. But before any of that, the very first BMW GS, a prototype from 1978, was little more than a crazy idea to put a boxer engine in an off-road chassis and see…

When the term ‘adventure’ is used in conjunction with motorcycle touring, we’re all too often conjuring images of rocky mountain passes or vast desert plains aboard unwieldy machines ready for the Paris-Dakar. Those heroic illusions may keep our dreams alive, but our reality is much more modest. While that dusty road may exist in our mind, there’s no shame in breaking it up with lashings of tarmac. No, I’m not talking about six lanes of dual carriageway, rather a meandering strip of bare bitumen heading to the unknown horizon. Let’s go find some. CUBA Castro’s communist time warp is alive and well in Cuba and among the battered Chevrolets and Plymouths on the pot-holed roads the Harlistas ride. Despite the strained relations between the two countries, American metal is still…

“PRESSURE MAKES DIAMONDS, RIGHT? EVERY OVERTAKING MOVE HAD TO COUNT, EVERY CORNER PERFECT” WELL, WELL, WELL… Phillip Island! The ASBK had to do it twice, and I had to put it on the podium twice too! Round 6 at the legendary Grand Prix circuit was an absolute whirlwind. And the weather? Phew. Rain, hail, wind, sunshine – all before breakfast on Sunday. This round was only two days instead of the usual three, so crunch time started the second we arrived. Friday was bump-in, and it was amazing having fans come up saying they’d read my Tarzy columns. Love it! We got the pit shed looking pro, because as Dad always says, “the better you look, the faster you go”. (True stunt rider logic!) By the time we finished setting…

RACING WHAT, WHERE & WHEN ROAD RACING AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Rd7 3-5 Oct, One Raceway, NSW Rd8 7-9 Nov, The Bend Motorsport Pk, SA AUSTRALIAN SIDECAR CHAMPIONSHIP Rd5 8-9 Nov, CARGO Raceway, WA BLU CRU OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP Rd4 3-5 Oct, One Raceway, NSW Rd5 7-9 Nov, The Bend Motorsport Pk, SA AUSTRALIAN HISTORIC ROADRACE CHAMPIONSHIP 13-16 Nov, Broadford, Vic MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Rd17 26-28 Sep, Motegi, JP Rd18 3-5 Oct, Mandalika, ID Rd19 17-19 Oct, Phillip Is, AU Rd20 24-26 Oct, Sepang, MY Rd21 7-9 Nov, Portimao, PT Rd22 14-16 Nov, Valencia, ES SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Rd10 26-28 Sep, Aragon, ES Rd11 10-12 Oct, Estoril, ES Rd12 17-19 Oct, Jerez, ES WORLDWCR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Rd6 17-19 Oct, Jerez, ES BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Rd10 3-5 Oct, Oulton Park Rd11 17-19…

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…

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…

IT WAS A weekend to remember for BC Performance Kawasaki’s Olly Simpson as he clinched the round win ahead of Jake Farnsworth, while Jack Mahaffy was pleased to consolidate his points lead. Stop & Seal’s Archie McDonald had obliterated his own qualifying lap record on the Saturday, setting a 1min33.808sec lap for pole, but that meant little on race day as the field bore the brunt of the weather. “We have a championship to win, not a race,” McDonald said. In the opening laps it was Farnsworth who looked right at home, gapping Mahaffy and Simpson by over two seconds by mid-race. The pair were soon joined by McDonald and Tom Bramich, setting up a four-way battle for the podium. With a lap remaining, the win for Farnsworth seemed inevitable,…

CHLOE JONES (GR Motorsport) took her first pole position in this class, before Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team) opened her experience portfolio and beat Jones to take the Race 1 win. Third place went to Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) but another top rider, Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team), crashed during the race. Tayla Relph (TAYCO Motorsports) finished eighth. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) ended a highly combative Race 2 with a 0.314sec advantage, after a five-rider fight for the podium places. A moment of high drama saw Jones ranked second, then third, then finally second, with Lucie Boudesseul (GMT94-YAMAHA) third. The top five riders were separated by just 0.667sec after 11 laps. Relph (TAYCO Motorsports) was disqualified for ignoring a black flag but posted…

THE PENULTIMATE round of the 2025 World Speedway Championship, the DeWalt FIM GP of Poland at Wroclaw on 30 August, started with a sprint completion where series leader Bartosz Zmarzlik grabbed two points for third place ahead of Max Fricke, but behind Dan Bewley and Robert Lambert. The other three Aussies bowed out in the first round of the Sprint. Zmarzlik was at his supreme best, reeling off a 15-point max over the 20 heats, but again Brady Kurtz was next best on 13, dropping points to Zmarzlik and Fricke, as the two frontrunners dodged the Last Chance Qualifiers. Fricke (11 from two thirds and three wins) had first pick of gate for his LCQ but got shoved aside and fell, being excluded. Jack Holder (seven from a third, three seconds…

Adventure riding is about more than the route. It’s the breakdowns, the bruises and the bogs, the strangers who lend a hand and the triumphs that only come after the struggle. We’ve unearthed a swag of memorable rides, each with its own measure of hilarity, hardship and survival. At the heart of it all is multiple ISDE Women’s World Champ Jemma Wilson’s 11,250km journey with her old man Ted, a month-long odyssey across deserts, stock routes and the Kimberley that shows adventure is as much about persistence as it is about the path. THE RIDER Jemma Wilson THE BIKES Husqvarna 701 Enduro and 901 Norden THE ROUTE Gympie, Qld - Birdsville - Alice Springs-MacDonnell Ranges - Tanami Road - Broome - Gibb River Road - Honeymoon Bay - Hell’s Gate…

If you’ve ever dreamed about throwing a leg over your motorcycle and just riding until the road runs out, Kiwi Michael Ruegg has already lived your dream – and then some. Back in 1985, while most university graduates were brushing up their resumes and preparing for the corporate grind, 22-year-old Michael had a different idea. Fresh from completing a degree in Agricultural Science, he looked at the world, and his Yamaha XV750 cruiser, and thought: Why not? “I didn’t want to work, so I went for a ride,” he tells me in the most understated fashion. What followed was an extraordinary seven-and-a-half-year journey that saw him circumnavigate the globe solo, long before the era of GPS, mobile phones or travel blogs. Armed with a tent, a few tools and an…

After three highly rewarding seasons in the USA, simultaneously campaigning in both the World Off-Road Championship and the National Grand Prix Championship, Jack Simpson returned to Australia at the end of 2024, announcing his intention to switch from enduro to motocross. It’s been 10 years since we last spoke for Grid Talk. At that time you’d just jumped from motocross to contest the Australian Off-Road Championship – since then, winning the 250 Division of the World (USA) Off-Road Championships. What’s the format of those events? WORCS is a 20-race crosscountry series held across western USA – Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, California and Arizona. Gate starts as in MX, then 10 to 12 cross-country laps over two hours; really different terrain and considerably longer than Aussie enduro events. You were riding for…