Innholdsfortegnelse for #373 20-06 i Just Bikes

Yamaha Racing Team (YRT) have confirmed their rider lineup for the 2020 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK), with incumbent Cru Halliday to be joined by Aiden Wagner. Wagner comes to the factory Yamaha team with no small measure of experience, having raced in ASBK and other domestic categories previously. More recently, Wagner has been running partial seasons in the World Supersport Championship. At the start of 2019 ASBK season, Wagner set the field alight when he won the opening round on a privateer Yamaha YZF-R1 in a tightly contested battle against the likes of Wayne Maxwell, Bryan Staring, Troy Herfoss and Halliday. Unfortunately for the 25-year-old Queenslander, his season came to an end at the next round. In Friday practise at Wakefield Park, Wagner was baulked by other riders exiting the…

While the 2018 ‘silly season’ in World Superbikes was intriguing, 2019 was even moreso, with major rider movements seeing almost every team in the category change a rider. Most of these have been transfers between teams, but there are some new arrivals, too. Here’s a rundown of who’s gone where ahead of the WSBK season opener at Phillip Island this coming 28 February to 1 March. KAWASAKI RACING TEAM Who’s Out? – Leon Haslam Who’s In? – Alex Lowes One of the biggest moves of the silly season has been 29-year-old Alex Lowes’s decision to defect from Pata Yamaha to join five-time world champion Jonathan Rea at the all-conquering Kawasaki Racing While Lowes added nine podiums to his tally in 2019, will he start winning races now he’s on the…

The prime objective of any helmet is to protect a rider’s noggin in the event of a crash, but this life-saving headgear also needs to be comfortable and quiet, offer ventilation and weather resistance, as well as provide the rider an ample outlook of his/her surroundings. Oh, and it shouldn’t be so heavy that it’s a pain in the neck. Most roadbike helmets are designed in the wind tunnel. Not only does this help the designers and engineers to develop a helmet that’s quiet at high speeds, but also one that isn’t buffeted by wind. These factors are not as important on a dirtbike helmet as riding speeds are much slower, but in many cases wind-tunnel design is still employed to ensure clean airflow around the peak, ample airflow into…

Rod Faggotter will take part in this year’s Dakar rally after securing a privateer entry. The Queensland Yamaha dealer will ride a Yamaha WR450F prepared by the French-based Drag’On Rally team, who will also be assisting Rod on this year’s 12-stage Dakar that will be held entirely in Saudi Arabia. Yamaha Motor Australia will also be supporting Rod on his sixth Dakar campaign. Faggotter’s Dakar history includes starts in 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019, with a best finish of fourteenth in 2013. It was that result that secured Rod a place on the factory Yamalube Yamaha Rally Team from 2017, as a ‘water carrier’ (ie. support rider) for riders like Adrien van Beveren and Xavier de Soultrait. While being on the factory team had its benefits, Faggotter says that,…

After a successful inaugural event in 2019, the Husqvarna 701 Enduro Trek returns this year. The ‘Northern Explorer’ event will take place in northern New South Wales this 27 April - 1 May. Riders who take part in the one-model trek will be treated to an unforgettable four-day experience with fellow adventurers. An assortment of terrain will feature on the 1200km adventure riding trek; everything from sandy coastal tracks to lush rainforests with rocky water crossings, impressive hillclimbs and open cattle country. For more experienced and adventurous Husqvarna 701 Enduro owners, each day’s course will include alternate routes that offer more challenging trails and terrain. Starting and finishing in Coffs Harbour, the 701 Enduro Trek: Northern Explorer will explore northern NSW from coast to country. The route, including overnights in…

In a depressed motorcycle market, it’s a pretty ballsy move to run a motorcycle expo. It’s even ballsier to do it at a new venue, do it outdoors at the mercy of the weather and do it with an unproven format. But that’s exactly what Troy Bayliss Events (TBE) did on 9-10 November with the ‘Australian Motorcycle Festival’. That title sounds grandiose, but based on my time at the event, it came very close to living up to its name. THE GOOD First reason for the success of the Australian Motorcycle Festival was the location – Lang Park in Wollongong – that allowed for numerous activities and fan engagements, including stunt bike displays and test rides from several brands. The Wollongong Harbour waterfront location allowed Personal Watercraft to be part…

The third annual Antique Motorcycle Club of America – Australia meet was held at the Bulli showground over the weekend of 24 and 25 August, 2019. A bumper crowd of over 5,000 people attended the 2019 ‘Bulli Antique Motorcycle Weekend’, with the display of classic (35yo & older) motorcycles being just one of the many elements to enjoy. For the third annual event, there were 300 bikes on display, including one that is a significant piece of Australian motorcycling history. BLACK MAGNETISM The 1951 Vincent ‘Black Lightning’ was undoubtedly the biggest attraction at Bulli 2019. Thanks to its Australian speed record and star performance at auction, this is the bike that pretty much every motorcyclist in the country is now familiar with, but everyone who attended the Antique Motorcycle Weekend…

1 MACNA VELOCITY MEN’S JACKET Link International macnaridinggear.com.au New for 2020, the Macna Velocity jacket is light in weight and super comfortable, with large mesh panels for ventilation on hot summer days. CE-approved for abrasion resistance and impact absorption, with built-in CE Level 1 breathable shoulder and elbow armour, there’s also provision for a back protector. A soft polyester mesh lining, strap waist/cuff adjustment and a coat hanger loop are other practical features. Available in men’s S-3XL sizes and Olive Green/Black or Black Camo colours, priced from $229.95 RRP. 2 X-LITE X-803 RS ULTRA CARBON HELMET Ron Angel Wholesale ronangel.com.au Born from racing experience, the X-lite X-803 RS Ultra Carbon helmet features a strong carbon fibre shell, NEW Racetrack Aerodynamic Spoiler, Racing Air Flow ventilation, double-action Lexan dark-tint visor, two…

Shannons Sydney Spring Classic Auction saw 14 rare and unusual motorcycles consigned, including a first series Honda CB750, ‘Walter Wolf’ Suzuki RG500, Laverda 750F and classic BSA Bantam, as well as rarities, like a Malvern Star Autocycle and an Excelsior Universal 125. Ahead of the 18 November auction, the hero lots were the Walter Wolf Suzuki and a 1989 Honda VFR750R RC30 – the model developed as an homologation special for the World Superbike Championship. Costing almost twice the price of a standard 750 when new, the RC30 was the Formula 1 racer of motorcycles, with its 748cc liquid-cooled four-stroke V4 engine featuring 16-valves, gear-driven double overhead camshafts, titanium conrods, forged alloy pistons, matched to a close-ratio six-speed gearbox. Coming to auction with a low 17,100km on the odometer, this…

In the long history of Royal Enfield, the brand has been prominent in many areas, including trials competition. Granted, we’re talking 50 or more years ago and the bikes used for trials back then are a far cry from what’s being campaigned now When Royal Enfield launched their Bullet model in 1932, they advertised it as being excellent for trials. That “excellence” was proven with successes in competition, including the International Six Day Trial, throughout the 1930s. After World War II, that success continued, driven by the 350cc Bullet and Royal Enfield’s introduction of a twin-shock rear end against the rigids still being produced by most of their competitors. Riders like Johnny Brittain, Don Evans, Peter Gaunt and Tom Ellis delivered trials success for Royal Enfield throughout the 1950s, while…

At the recent Australian Motorcycle Festival in Wollongong, the Royal Enfield display was humming, due in large part to six custom motorcycles created by Royal Enfield dealers and based on Royal Enfield’s 650 twins. Dubbed the ‘2019 Busted Knuckles Build Off’, the Festival marked the public debut of all six bikes. SIX SHOOTERS The competition kicked off with Royal Enfield calling for submissions from their dealer network for building a custom motorcycle. The brief was simple: it had to be based on the Continental GT 650 / Interceptor 650 twin and it had to be customised. And Royal Enfield meant SERIOUSLY customised - a change of pipes and lick of paint wasn’t going to cut it for this competition! From the submissions received, Royal Enfield selected six finalists, giving each…

There’s no doubt that leather provides the ultimate in rider protection but as the weather heats up it can be stifling inside a leather jacket. And if that sunny summer day suddenly turns into a summer storm, a leather jacket isn’t going to provide much in the way of rain resistance. Of course, you could always throw on a rain suit if the weather takes a turn for the worse, but without any breathability it can be like sitting in a sauna, so you’ll end up wet anyway. The solution? Hang your leather jacket in the cupboard and throw a quality all-weather textile jacket when you jump on your bike in the summer months. Not all textile jackets are created equal, and you can pay top dollar for some top-shelf…