(Sponsored post for our North American readers interested in a bike license)
Do not be one of those drivers who think that they can get away without having a rider’s license, especially when you are riding a motorcycle. As much as you think you can evade the law, you will eventually get caught. Remember that the penalties and consequences are extreme. After buying your motorcycle, you should, therefore, have your motorcycle license completed as well. Here’s how:
1. Take a motorcycle safety course.
Before you are given the papers for you to comply with motorcycle licensing requirements, you must first take a motorcycle safety course. Whether or not this aspect is required, you should still go through it as a precautionary measure. It has been found that a majority of motorcycle deaths and accidents result from drivers who have never been through any formal motorcycle test.
As thrilling as your motorcycle might be, remember that you are at the mercy of only two wheels, which is so much more dangerous than the more stable four-wheeled vehicles. Consider taking a motorcycle practice permit test before taking the actual exam so that you can enhance your driving performance.
2. Comply with the motorcycle licensing requirements in your state.
You cannot be presented with your motorcycle license if you don’t comply with all the requirements. One of the most common requirements that you will have to comply with is a written exam. Apart from the exam, you will also need to comply with the following requirements:
Age requirement
Motorcycle permit requirements
To be more specific about the requirements, you can go one step further by checking with your local licensing office as this can vary from state to state.
3. Pay the necessary fees.
Obtaining a motorcycle license is not free. You will have to pay for the issuance. Therefore, you have to be ready for this expense as well. As an additional cost, apart from paying your necessary fees, do set aside some money to buy yourself safety gear and helmets, too.
Conclusion
Although the law varies from one state to another, the process of obtaining your motorcycle license will most likely just be the same. If there is any difference, it might only be the minor specifications or requirements of each state, which one may have over another. As taxing as it may seem for you to have your license made, you should make it a point to get one, before you hit the road.
2019 WorldSBK Round Five – Imola Sunday Superpole Race
Jonathan Rea had broke the winning streak of Alvaro Bautista on Saturday afternoon with victory in race one at Imola and the Northern Irishman did it again Sunday morning with victory in the ten-lap Superpole race. Rain then stopped play ahead of the Sunday afternoon race.
On a damp but drying circuit, there was drama before the race even started, as Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) missed the warm up lap and was forced to start from pit lane. leaving the 2013 WorldSBK champion with plenty of work to do in the early stages.
2019 WorldSBK Round Five – Imola Sunday Superpole Race
With the race underway, Chaz Davies got the jump from pole position with Jonathan Rea side-by-side with the Welshman but it was the Ducati man that had his nose in front at turn two. Championship leader Alvaro Bautista (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) was third whilst Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) held fourth in the opening stages of the race.
2019 WorldSBK Round Five – Imola Sunday Superpole Race
With the race then settling down, a mistake from Chaz Davies at the final chicane allowed Rea and Bautista to push him back to third. Davies now had to put in the hard work all over again, as the reigning champion began to pull out an advantage.
2019 WorldSBK Round Five – Imola Sunday Superpole Race
A heady battle unfolded for fourth place, this time with Michael van der Mark leading the battle from Toprak Razgatlioglu, Alex Lowes and Haslam, who had once again dropped down the order after a combative couple of laps from the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team riders.
2019 WorldSBK Round Five – Imola Sunday Superpole Race
Toprak Razgatlioglu however wouldn’t stay in the fight long, as he began to drop back through the field, his Superpole Race tyre not able to go the distance.
Similarly, Alvaro Bautista, who had also opted for the same compound, began to drop back towards his team-mate and with just five laps to go at the second part of Rivazza, Davies squeezed down the inside.
2019 WorldSBK Round Five – Imola Sunday Superpole Race
Then, the two dominant forces of WorldSBK in the past four seasons – Rea and Davies – went head-to-head in terms of lap times, right on lap record pace and both having to keep that pace up right until the end.
The gap momentarily came down to below a second, but Davies was unable to get on terms with Jonathan Rea, whilst Bautista looked on from behind unable to run with the leading duo.
Jonathan Rea took the win with Davies and Bautista coming home behind him.
Jonathan Rea – P1
“It was a really positive weekend, to get my feeling with the bike here and be able to really get the maximum out of it. To pick up two race wins makes me really happy. I want to thank all the team for always believing and keeping on pushing. We never stopped believing that this weekend was a perfect opportunity for the chance to win. With our form here in the past, the way our bike works here and the way I ride – it was our chance. So we had to take it and I did, in both races. That was positive but unfortunately race three was cancelled because of the weather which came in. I completely understand and I am sure we will get our chance again.”
Chaz Davies – P2
“It’s a bit of a shame we never got the chance to do race 2 here at Imola but unfortunately in the wet this track has quite a few limits. Imola is not a normal circuit, and with these ups and downs you get a lot of standing water especially in the corners and these conditions meant that they had to cancel today’s race. It was the right decision, but I’m sorry for all the fans who stayed here in the rain all afternoon just to see us race. The positive thing is that we managed to do the sprint race, and judging by the result, it was a pity not to have been able to do the full-length second race. After a tough start to the season, I’m starting to see the light and my feeling with the Panigale V4 R is improving all the time. I go home from Imola knowing that I’ve made a lot of progress in view of the next races.”
Álvaro Bautista – P3
“Unfortunately the bad weather affected the second race, and it was raining really hard. The track conditions were dangerous, with a lot of water in some parts and streams crossing the track. It was too risky for the riders and it was the right decision to cancel the race. We feel really bad about that because we know that there are a lot of Superbike fans here, but rider safety is the most important aspect. Having the support of all the Ducatisti is incredible and even though I didn’t win a race, it was one of the best weekends in my entire career because I really felt their support. For this reason, I feel a bit sorry for them, but I think they will understand the situation.”
Michael van der Mark took his best Imola result in fourth position while his Pata Yamaha team-mate Alex Lowes rounded out the top five after battling sickness all weekend.
Michael van der Mark – P4
“We changed quite a lot on the bike for the Superpole Race and I immediately felt that the bike was better, especially in the areas we identified for improvement after Race 1 yesterday. This gave me a lot of confidence and my pace was a lot quicker compared to yesterday. I got a good start and had a little battle in the beginning, but that meant I just lost contact with Alvaro, who managed to pull a gap that I didn’t have time to close. But I had a good lead over the guys behind me and, while it wasn’t the most exciting race I’ve ever had, I was really happy with the feeling of the bike and my pace in the race. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to take advantage of the improvements in Race 2 this afternoon, as it was cancelled due to the weather. It’s a shame because we wanted to race and everyone who’d braved the weather to be here wanted to see us race, but with so much standing water on the track it just wasn’t safe.”
Alex Lowes – P5
“The bike felt great in the Superpole race. I had a good battle with the Leon and Toprak in the early stages of the race, before pulling a bit of a gap on them. My best laps were near the end of the race and I felt that, maybe, if I’d have got clear sooner then I might have been able to have a good battle with Michael. But for us to finish fourth and fifth on what has previously been a tough track for us shows just how much we’ve improved. It gives me a lot of confidence going forward, now that we’ve been so competitive at what was probably our worst track last year. I’m really happy with the weekend; I’ve been up against it a bit with the sickness, but I’m quite proud of myself for how I’ve dealt with it and come out of it with some decent points. A big thank you to all the fans that turned out over the weekend, but especially today. Luckily, they got to see the Superpole race and then a thrilling Supersport race, but it was a shame they missed out on Race 2 because of the weather conditions. We had a lot of rain in a short space of time and there was a lot of standing water on track. This circuit has a couple of third and fourth gear kinks, which are really fast, and that’s exactly where the standing water was collecting. On a bike, surrounded by other riders at those speeds, it simply wasn’t safe enough to race this afternoon, unfortunately.”
After figuring more highly early on Leon Haslam eventually finished sixth.
Leon Haslam- P6
“I had exactly the same problem as in race one. I could not pass, could not follow the guys. When I had a gap I could go really fast. Compared to Jonathan we are losing under braking but on a positive note, in cornering, in the exits, and how I adapted my style in other areas, we made good steps. Jonathan is very good here and I knew it was going to be a tough weekend trying to adapt my style with the things I have struggled with, but it was a lot harder than I expected. We will take a fifth and a sixth.”
2019 WorldSBK Round Five – Imola Sunday Superpole Race
Razgatlioglu was caught but not passed by a charging Sykes that had started from pit-lane, they finished seventh and eighth respectively.
2019 WorldSBK Round Five – Imola Sunday Superpole Race
Jordi Torres was ninth while Markus Reiterberger completed the top ten.
2019 WorldSBK Round Five – Imola Sunday Superpole Race
Less than a second back, super-substitute Tommy Bridewell was 11th, a great ride from the Briton.
Wildcard Lorenzo Zanetti was in 12th, ahead of Sandro Cortese Hector Barbera and Michael Ruben Rinaldi completed the point scorers.
Shaun Muir, Team Principal BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“The summary of the day is that we proved again that the BMW S 1000 RR is getting very quick now. We have a good pace and I was looking forward to a dry race. In the Superpole race, Tom unfortunately had to start from pit lane. He did the sighting lap to the grid on race tyres. Due to the low temperatures, the tyre pressure slightly dropped below the limit. We will adapt the procedures to avoid this in the future. Tom’s race then was very positive. With his lap times he could have been battling for fourth position which is a fantastic position to be in. Markus went with a different tyre scenario. He was one of only four riders to opt for the SCX tyre. It was a gamble and he would have been very, very good if that would have worked out but unfortunately he lost the tyre before the race was finished. But anyway, we are happy with the top ten for Markus. Overall we can say after this weekend that we are now showing that with its pace the bike can be fast now at many circuits. We can carry this forward and it’s also important that we will have a test at Misano before Jerez because we once again have many things to test.”
2019 WorldSBK Round Five – Imola Sunday Superpole Race
Race Two Cancelled
Following severe rain on Sunday afternoon in Imola, and after lengthy delays, the decision was finally made to cancel WorldSBK Race 2 and WorldSSP 300 races of the Pirelli Italian Round at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola.
2019 WorldSBK Round Five – Imola
With the heavy rain failing to stop, conditions deteriorated and therefore Race Direction and the Safety Commission took the difficult decision to cancel Sunday’s races in order to guarantee riders’ safety.
2019 WorldSBK Round Five – Imola
Unfortunately, that signalled an early end to the fifth WorldSBK round of the season, which currently sees Alvaro Bautista with 263 points leading the WorldSBK championship standings followed by Jonathan Rea in second position on a strong 220-points.
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship will return into action at Circuito de Jerez Angel Nieto for the Acerbis Spanish Round from 7th June – 9th June 2019.
Round 5 of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship arrived in Mantova, Italy over the weekend, with KTM’s domination continuing as Tony Cairoli claimed the MXGP win with a dominant display, leaving Honda and Husqvarna riders Jonass, Jasikonas and Bogers to fight over the remaining podium positions.
In MX2 it was Jorge Prado showing everyone how it’s done claiming both wins and moving to within seven-points of Championship leader Thomas Kjer Olsen. Jed Beaton claimed a podium position in MX2 Race 1, with a consistent Mitch Evans going 8-6 and claiming fourth overall for the round, with Beaton seventh.
The round marked MXGP’s return to the Mantova venue for the first time since the 2016 season, and fans watched on as the world’s best athletes showed their skills on the soggy sand. While the winds of change brought dramatic conditions they also provided epic action in a race where anything was possible.
MXGP
After evening storms the hard and dry surface was nowhere to be found, however Antonio Cairoli let it have no effect on his results starting race one with the Fox Holeshot. Cairoli’s biggest competitor as of late, Tim Gajser had a good jump off the line but lost traction on the front of his Honda heading into turn one which sent him over the bars along with several others.
Tony Cairoli – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
While Cairoli had the lead from the first turn, fellow Italian Ivo Monticelli and his teammate Max Anstie where in second and third. A mistake from Monticelli saw Anstie go past almost taking both down while Cairoli tipped over just a corner later. The bobble from Cairoli put Anstie on the Sicilian’s rear wheel but quick to regroup the #222 pulled back away.
Gajser’s race one went from bad to worse when he was clipped by another rider midair causing the Slovenian to resample the soil. The strong riding of Monticelli in third was all for nothing when his bike gave out just as Pauls Jonass took the spot halfway through the race.
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
More crashes from Gajser held him to 10th while both Jonass and his teammate Arminas Jasikonis passed Anstie. The first checkered flag then went out with Cairoli taking the win 10 seconds ahead of Jonass, Jasikonis, Anstie, and Clement Desalle who rounded out the top five just ahead of Gautier Paulin.
Race 2 again saw Cairoli with the FOX Holeshot, his seventh of 2019, while Gajser came away clean but behind Cairoli was Paulin and Brian Bogers. Monticelli again had bad luck crashing in turn 2 and pulling out of the race.
Brian Bogers – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Not long after Monticelli’s mishap his teammate Max Anstie crashed together with Shaun Simpson. With Anstie also pulling out of the race Glenn Coldenhoff was now the lone Standing Construct rider as he ran in fifth position.
Brian Bogers took over second from Paulin early in the race with Jonass also getting past the #21. Jasikonis, unlike Jonass, was unable to match his strong race 1 result as he fought from 23rd on the first lap up to 15th by the finish.
Pauls Jonass – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
At the front it was all smooth sailing for Cairoli who recorded the perfect weekend leading 42 laps of the 42 available via 12 laps in Qualifying, 15 in Race 1, and another 15 in Race 2. The domination and double race win scored him the GP overall at Mantova for the fourth time in his career with two in MX2 (2007 & 2008) and two in MXGP (2010 and now 2019).
Gautier Paulin – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Taking the best single race result in his MXGP career was Bogers in second while Jonass took third, Paulin took fourth, Coldenhoff fifth, and Gajser sixth. The overall top five was filled out by Jonass taking his first MXGP Podium, Paulin, Desalle, and Coldenhoff.
Antonio Cairoli
“It was very nice to be back in Italy and despite the weather there was a lot of people here today. The race itself went perfectly and we knew the start would be important, especially on a track that was so rutted – it was completely different to what it was yesterday. I’m really happy and thanks to all the team for their great work. It is very early to look at the standings so my focus is to stay in front as long as possible and try not to make a mistake. Hopefully we can be on the podium again next week in Portugal. It is important to be consistent and my goal this season is to always be in the top three. We’ll see how it goes.”
Tony Cairoli – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Pauls Jonass
“This weekend has been really great. I think the qualification race, even if I didn’t get the result I hoped for, was really important for me. Getting a good start and running close to the front really gave me a lot of confidence, which I took into today’s racing. Of course, the track was muddy, but I like the mud, so I felt good. I didn’t get perfect starts, but I managed to make some quick passes and avoid making any big mistakes. Getting the runner-up result in the first moto felt so, so good. The track was a little more one-lined in the second moto but again I felt good. I felt like I was a little quicker than Bogers but I got sideways a few times trying to pass him, so I decided not to take any more chances and just settle down. Getting a good overall result is much more important. To finish second overall, to get my first MXGP podium, to be stood on the box with Cairoli, it’s a very special moment for me. I feel like something has clicked in a positive way now with racing a 450. I’m not at 100% yet but I’m feeling a lot more confident and this result gives me a lot of motivation to keep working hard.”
Pauls Jonass – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Gautier Paulin
“Today we had a difficult track, but we worked really hard over the last five weeks and made a big step forwards with the bike. I didn’t expect this result, but I am happy to be on the box. I am already looking forward to the next GP in Portugal, I really enjoy the track there so I can’t wait to get back behind the gate.”
Gautier Paulin – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Arminas Jasikonis
“This has definitely been a special GP, but it’s not gone like I hoped it would with my result in the second moto. I had one positive race and one where I just focused on survival, if I’m honest. The first race went well, but I was a little too steady possibly. I had a good rhythm going and didn’t make any bad mistakes – it was good to get two Rockstar Energy Husqvarnas inside the top three. Race two was tough. I had to shut off down the start straight and from there things were difficult. I also fell and, well, it was a tough moto. I finished the race, I didn’t pick up any injuries and I’m still fourth in the championship, so things weren’t too bad. My speed in the opening race was good, so I’ll take that into the next GP, in Portugal.”
Arminas Jasikonis – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Clement Desalle
“When I saw the track this morning I wasn’t so confident as at the moment it’s difficult for me to put my leg on the ground if the bike slides. But it didn’t change my plan; the goal was to do the best I could and I think I achieved that. I had a good gate pick and got some decent starts in both motos. Fifth in the first race was a good result; I didn’t want to crash so I didn’t take any risks. The second moto was similar and I finished sixth for fourth overall. It’s a positive result if you consider that I couldn’t train on the bike for one month. I will continue to work this week physically and maybe get in some riding. This evening I feel some pain in my hands and shoulders but that’s normal after so long off the bike and I know that it will be better next week.”
Clement Desalle – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Tim Gajser
“It was a tough day, after a whole night of raining. The track was a bit sketchy and one-lined and it made the start very important. Unfortunately in the first race I crashed right at the beginning and had to go directly into the pit lane to change my goggles and remove my neck brace. During the race I made a few mistakes because I had to leave the main line to make the passes and this was where the track was very tricky. I was really disappointed to finish 10th and it’s not where I wanted to be. I had a slightly better start in race two, rounding the second bend in around 10th or 12th position. I was able to make a number of quick passes but when I got to behind Coldenhoff, I just couldn’t make the pass. I knew I was faster and I posted the fastest lap of the race but I just couldn’t get around him because of how one-lined the track was. Because of all the roost, I had to throw my goggles away and then it was very difficult. It was a horrible day but that’s sometimes how motocross can be. I will move on from here and head to Portugal extremely motivated to get back to winning ways.”
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Jeremy Seewer
“Tough conditions today, so considering that, my result was okay. A lot of people have bad races in these conditions and I was able to post two solid results. When you look at it like that, you have to be happy. I was 7th overall in the GP which is two places behind where I want to be, and I moved up to 6th in the championship, but it is not about that right now. I want to do better; I just need to learn to get through the first few turns without being bullied.”
Jeremy Seewer – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Brian Bogers
“My good day actually started last night when it started raining, so that made the track a bit of a mess but I actually quite like these sort of conditions. Overall it wasn’t too bad and definitely not as bad as something like Russia a couple of years back but I knew that I could do well. In the first heat I got a terrible start because I crashed and got stuck under the bike and I couldn’t move until somebody helped me. After that I had to change my goggles and even with that I ended up 20th. It wasn’t the result I wanted so I was very focused for the second race, especially at the start and that helped me turn the first corner in third place. After a couple of laps, the rider in front of me crashed, so I stayed in second place for the rest of the race. My speed was very good, my fitness was good and I’m just really happy with this result. This whole team do a great job, they support me and keep believing in me and I know with their help I can do this on a normal track too. We are still building and this is great step in the process.”
Brian Bogers – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
MXGP of Mantova 2019 Results
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 36:48.024
Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:10.064
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:21.379
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), +0:27.299
Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:39.542
Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:49.512
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:52.425
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:57.535
Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +1:03.646
Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +1:10.362
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 35:37.572
Brian Bogers (NED, Honda), +0:07.068
Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:11.327
Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:15.790
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:15.887
Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:17.780
Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:47.849
Benoit Paturel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:51.229
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:54.290
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +1:11.509
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 42
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 33
Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 30
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 29
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 26
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 26
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 26
Brian Bogers (NED, HON), 23
Benoit Paturel (FRA, KAW), 19
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 241 points
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 201
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 175
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 146
Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 142
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 124
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 118
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 109
Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 100
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 94
MX2
While Cairoli dominated MXGP his young apprentice Jorge Prado took MX2 by storm. Prado took his sixth Fox Holeshot of 2019 to start race one as fellow Red Bull KTM rider Tom Vialle was second.
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Several riders were caught in a first turn pile up however including Calvin Vlaanderen, Henry Jacobi, and Mitch Evans. Michele Cervellin and Jago Geerts were both quick to get past Vialle and take over second and third while Prado led.
Vialle’s race only worsened as he fell and remounted in 18th before losing even more spots. On the contrary it was the red plate holder, Thomas Kjer Olsen, from Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing who improved as the race went on. Olsen was around 23rd on the opening lap but by lap 5 had already made his way up to eighth.
Mitch Evans – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Cervellin then lost his second position to Geerts and to Jed Beaton before the Italian’s bike came to a halt. Olsen decided to take advantage of his gap and use the new Goggle lane for a fresh set of vision before passing both Iker Larranaga and Maxime Renaux for sixth.
With Olsen back in 6th Prado took the race and gained 10 points in the championship standings while Geerts came across the finish 5.8 seconds later in second ahead of Beaton, Davy Pootjes, and Bas Vaessen.
In race 2 Vialle got the better of Prado for the Fox Holeshot with Pootjes in third. Prado made his way past Vialle before the end of the lap however. Olsen then passed Pootjes to get into third along with Jacobi but Pootjes quickly retook fourth from the German.
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Olsen and Pootjes went on to pass Vialle while Beaton had a hard crash in sixth place. Jacobi’s bike then gave out just like many others as a result of the demanding conditions while Prado took the win ahead of Olsen, Vialle, Pootjes, and Dylan Walsh.
The undefeated overall winner for the fourth time this season was Jorge Prado while Olsen took second and Pootjes achieved his first career podium finish. The win from Prado was not enough to take over the red plate from Olsen but the gap now drops from the previous 20 points to only 7.
Tom Vialle – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Jorge Prado
“After a month off it was good to come back and get on top of the podium; for the confidence also. I felt really good here from the beginning and it was important to make good starts today: that was the key of the race, as well as staying on two wheels! I enjoyed the second moto a lot. It was really nice to ride that track. It is a place where you need to get the rhythm and let it flow and roll. I could make it happen today. It is very difficult to stay at this level and not make any mistakes and good starts every time: it’s tough. I need to keep concentrating and catch the lead.”
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“That was a tough GP, especially the first moto. Considering I got caught up in the first corner, as well as needing to make a goggle change, I’m pleased that I was able to work my way back to sixth. It’s never ideal to have so much work to do in a race, but I kept my cool and worked my way forward. I’m pleased with the way I rode. The track was tough, but I kind of enjoyed it. It was tricky in places but not too difficult, having some sand in the terrain meant it wasn’t full-on mud. I felt good in the second moto. A good start helped me a lot. I moved forward a few places and ran second for most of the moto, which I’m pleased with. It’s been a positive weekend and I’m looking forward to Portugal now.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Davy Pootjes
“It is really good and I am really happy because it has been tough. This podium should have happened maybe 4 years ago but because of crashes, injuries, and some bad luck it didn’t happen. Last winter, together with DIGA Procross, we made a plan, worked really hard, and it payed off. I feel this is the place where I should be and I am not done yet.”
Tom Vialle
“A much better second race and a good start. Jorge passed me on the first lap so I decided to follow him and I’m pleased with my feeling on the bike. The track was difficult with long ruts and I had some pain after my crash yesterday but to come back with that result in the second moto was good: I’m happy and a big thanks to all the Red Bull KTM team.”
Australia’s Ruprecht records 3-8 scorecard in J1 category.
Image: Supplied.
Beta-mounted Bradley Freeman has earned victory on both days of racing at Santiago de Compostela in Spain for round three of the 2019 Maxxis FIM EnduroGP World Championship.
Freeman topped reigning champion Steve Holcombe (Team Beta Factory) in the EnduroGP standings on day one, as Daniel McCanney (TM Factory Enduro) locked out the top three.
It was Freeman who comfortably took out the E1 category, completing the stage in front of Thomas Oldrati (Honda RedMoto World Enduro) and Matteo Cavallo (Sherco), while in E2, Loic Larrieu (TM Factory Enduro) beat home Alex Salvini (Honda) and Giacomo Redondi (Husqvarna). The E3 category was taken out by Holcombe ahead of McCanney and David Arbgrall (Beta Oxmoto).
Freeman was once again dominant in the outright EnduroGP classification on day two, this time defeating McCanney and Redondi. Freeman claimed top honours in E1 over Davide Guarneri (Honda) and Cavallo, as Redondi, Salvini and Larrieu completed the podium in E2. The E3 division saw McCanney emerge victorious over Holcombe and Arbgrall.
Australian contender Wil Ruprecht (Yamaha Johansson MPE) concluded the weekend with a respectable 3-8 scorecard in the J1 category. The EnduroGP series now heads to Serres in Greece on 14-16 June.
The prices of electric motorcycles will eventually come down like the prices of flat-screen TVs did, but right now they are very expensive.
We’ve charted the top 10 world’s most expensive motorcycles and were surprised to find they even include two pedal-assisted bikes, the $US80,000 (about $A114,500) Black Trail electric mountain bike and the eROCKIT at $US40,000 ($A57,250)!
However, they also include the world’s fastest motorcycle, the 150kW (200hp) Lightning LS-218 in 10th position at $US38,888.
It will not come to Australia and New Zealand until 2020. No price has yet been released, but it could be as expensive as the top-of-the-range Harley Tourer.
However, it pails in comparison to these electrics.
In 2017 their fleet ( Zero S, SR, DS, DSR, FX and FXS) ranged in price from $18,000 to $25,000 on the road. That’s quite reasonable.
Now they have released their top-of-the-range SR/F at $US18,990 with 82kW of power, 190Nm of torque, a top speed of 200km/h and range of about 130km on the highway and up to 260km in the city.
Zero SR/F
Good on you if you want to be an early adopter of electric motorcycles at these prices.
But while we love the acceleration exhilaration of electric motorcycles, we think we’ll wait until the price and charging times come down, range goes up and infrastructure is in place.
Dual Imola WorldSBK victories for Rea as race two is cancelled
Poor weather conditions prompt abandonment of racing in Italy.
Image: Supplied.
Four-time reigning champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) has secured his first two victories of the season at Imola’s fifth round of the 2019 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK), while poor weather conditions prompted the cancellation of race two.
Rea blitzed the opposition in vintage fashion during race one, taking his first win of the season to end the run of victories by Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).
The Spaniard maintains a healthy championship lead with a second place finish, while in the battle for third, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) held on for his third WorldSBK podium. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) and Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team) completed the top five.
At the front of the Tissot Superpole Race, Rea took the win commandingly – his first of the newly-added race for 2019. Aruba.it Racing – Ducati duo Chaz Davies and Bautista came home behind him, while van der Mark took his best Imola result of fourth ahead of teammate Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK).
It was an action-packed WorldSSP race at Imola, which had drama, intrigue and battles scattered right the way through the 17-lap encounter. In a race that saw a group of five whittled down to the leading duo in the championship of Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) and teammate Federico Caricasulo, it was an exciting race that went down to a vintage WorldSSP final lap.
The duo finished ahead of Raffaele De Rosa (MV AGUSTA Reparto Corse), followed by Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Ayrton Badovini (Team Pedercini Racing).
With the heavy rain failing to stop, conditions deteriorated and therefore Race Direction and the Safety Commission took the decision to cancel Sunday’s WorldSBK race two and WorldSSP300 race one to guarantee riders’ safety. The next stop on the WorldSBK calendar is scheduled for 7-9 June at Jerez in Spain.
Prado wins MX2 as Evans and Beaton finish fourth and seventh respectively.
Image: Supplied.
Nine-time world champion Antonio Cairoli (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has dominated a rain-soaked weekend at Mantova for the fifth round of the 2019 MXGP World Championship in Lombardia, Italy.
The factory KTM pilot put on a stellar display, taking out both MXGP motos commandingly to extend his championship lead to 40 points over Tim Gajser (Honda HRC).
Premier class rookie Pauls Jonass (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) broke through for second overall, as Gautier Paulin (Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP) locked out the podium in third. Fourth and fifth were credited to Clement Desalle (Monster Energy Kawasaki Factory Racing) and Glenn Coldenhoff (KTM).
In the MX2 category, reigning world champion Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) notched up a double race victory for the overall, moving to just seven points of series leader Thomas Kjer Olsen (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing), who was second on the podium at Mantova.
Davy Pootjes (Team DIGA-Procross Husqvarna) was third ahead of an impressive showing from Australian Mitch Evans (Team Honda 114 Motorsports), lodging 8-6 moto scores for fourth, as the top five was completed by Marchetti Racing Team KTM’s Iker Larranaga.
Australia’s Jed Beaton (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) finished seventh overall, charging a to a well-earned P3 in moto one before a heavy fall in the final encounter saw him salvage 17th. The MXGP World Championship now heads to Agueda in Portugal on 19 May.
The world’s best motorcycle is now even better with the BMW R 1250 GS getting a bigger, cleaner and more powerful engine and a range of useful technology.
My impression was confirmed after Ballina Motorcycles owners Andy and Steve Fisher recently invited me to ride the new GS around their beautiful neck of the woods.
Steve and Andy of Ballina Motorcycles
GS models
I’ve owned every GS model since the R 1150 GS, except for the first of the liquid-cooled models, although I have ridden them on several occasions.
The quantum leap from the 1150 to 1200 convinced me that this was the best bike in the world.
It could tour and haul luggage comfortably, it could challenge sports bikes on twisting tarmac, it could tackle gravel, sand and mud, and I even enjoyed it as a commuter because it was so manoeuvrable with good height to see over the traffic.
The GS then received a twin cam engine which improved power and then went to liquid cooling.
MotorbikeWriter’s BMW R 1200 GS Rallye
Each updated improved the world’s best motorcycle a little more.
However, there have been some issues:
The switchgear proved faulty when BMW moved from separate indicators to the conventional one-button system;
I had some scary tank-slapping moments on the first liquid-cooled model, until they added a steering damper as standard;
The liquid-cooled model’s soft spoked wheels could easily be dented; and
The new 1250 models had spokes working their way loose. They now have a quick fix for the problem.
Those issues aside, the GS is an astounding vehicle that makes bad riders look good, skilled riders look amazing and even caters for lazy riders!
R 1250 Shiftcam tech
The latter is thanks to the new drivetrain.
BMW’s new 1254cc boxer engine comes with Shiftcam Technology which is a type of variable valve timing (VVT) similar to the systems used by Ducati and Honda.
VVT has been proven in cars for years. It not only boosts power, but also reduces emission and improves fuel economy.
It not only makes the Boxer engine cleaner and more powerful, especially through the all-important midrange, but also makes it so much more refined, mechanically quieter and smoother.
There has always been a coarse feel to these big Boxer engines and there is still plenty of “character” in the sideways thumping pistons, but it is now just so smooth with power and torque wherever you need it.
Transmission update
But it’s not just the engine that has improved the drive.
Previous models have always had clunky gear shifts. In fact, I adapted to preloading the shifter before changing gears for a smoother shift.
Now the transmission its nearly as slick as on a four-cylinder Japanese superbike.
Gearbox and clutch are now integrated into the new engine housing to reduce weight and increase “torsional response”.
The multi-plate wet clutch has eight friction discs and the clutch system is fitted with an anti-hopping mechanism.
What that means is that gear changes now feel smoother and quieter and the up/down quickshifter makes shifts almost seamless.
Together with the 14% more torque and 9% more output, you can be the laziest rider around and still reap plenty from the powerplant.
Just quick shift through to fifth or sixth and leave it there like an automatic.
If you suddenly need to drop a gear or two for a tight corner, just slam it down without touching the clutch and there is no rear-wheel hop, just a planted feel as the rear hunkers down and tracks around the bend.
More tech
The GS range has gradually added more and more technology with each new model over the years.
It would take a book to learn about all the features. But there are two worth a special mention.
First is the fact that you can now customise your settings and save them with the optional “Riding Modes Pro” plug.
No more will you have to stop and fiddle with ABS and traction control settings when your wheels hit the dirt. Just change engine modes on the fly to the Pro setting.
The other is the magnificent 6.5-inch colour TFT instrument screen.
It’s like having a flat-screen TV in front of you.
The screen is so enormous with big, clear numbers and letters you can see them in your periphery vision without having to look away from the road.
Not that you have to look too far, as it is set further forward and higher.
We rode the Rallye model around the hills and valleys of the Northern Rivers region where you ride through thick forests that are almost like midnight even on a bright, sunny day.
Yet riding in and out of these lighting extremes, the screen was clear and easy to see.
Knobby tyres
Andy and Steve of Ballina Motorcycles let me ride the knobby-shod Rallye version, even though they say less than 10% of GS customers ever fit knobby tyres.
In their neck off the woods, some of the tarmac roads are so poorly maintained they are like riding off-road, anyway.
The Karoo knobbies lack tar grip so the traction control light was constantly flashing as I rode around the region.
And at the end of the day’s ride, the knobs had been chewed substantially. These tyres really are designed for the dirt and you can expect low life if you do too much asphalt.
If you opt for this model and these tyres, you need to do about 80% of your riding on gravel.
Ride
One of the biggest attractions of the GS range is the ride and handling.
The clever telelever front suspension is an amazing mix of plushness, precise steering and unflappable stability on the tar and dirt.
Together with the electronic suspension adjustment with an automatic preload mode that adjusts for load, you can select the right setting for every type of terrain.
At the end of our day riding some of the most jarring roads imaginable, my delicate rear end and my damaged back felt like they’d been to a day spa!
BMW R 1250 S model pricing
All that extra tech, engine capacity and power has added about $1600 to the starting price of the GS range.
But it’s worth it for the upgrade in sophistication and useful technology.
While many bikes are a jack of all trades and master of none, the GS range continues to master a variety of terrain and riding purposes.
1-1 in Imola, feels so good. I doesn’t always go down like this but we must take our chance when we can and never ever give up. Big positives to take from the weekend Thanks for all the support! #team65 📸 @geebeeimages
It was a really positive weekend, to get my feeling with the bike here and be able to really get the maximum out of it. To pick up two race wins makes me really happy. I want to thank all the team for always believing and keeping on pushing. We never stopped believing that this weekend was a perfect opportunity for the chance to win. With our form here in the past, the way our bike works here and the way I ride; it was our chance. So we had to take it and I did, in both races. That was positive but unfortunately race three was cancelled because of the weather which came in. I completely understand and I am sure we will get our chance again. http://jonathan-rea.com/news/rea-doubles-rain-stops-play
