From there the field will also race at Oulton Park, Donington Park, Snetterton, Knockhill, Brands Hatch, Thruxton and Assen throughout the year, with a couple of venues featuring twice. The first visit to Donington is on the national layout and the second on the full layout, and at Silverstone the Cup race on the national layout with BSB and then the Grand Prix layout with MotoGP™, creating 10 unique race weekends.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
The 1200 S is the manufacturer’s top-shelf version that showcases its trick hardware and software which includes the latest Testastretta 11° engine, slipper clutch, ride-by-wire throttle, ABS, ABS Cornering, Traction Control, Wheelie Control, Öhlins suspension, Brembo M50 brakes, and of course a healthy dose of sex appeal from the bodywork and chassis. The Monster S oozes class whether it’s moving or sitting still.
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com
“After the Misano podium I’m feeling extra optimistic about coming here in Aragon,” previews Viñales. “Like every Spanish round, this GP is very special to me because the fans and atmosphere are great, and I really like this track. We have been doing good work in the previous rounds, so I expect to be fast here too.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Despite criticism from motoring organisations and a motorcycle cop being hit by a driver, NSW has extended its rule to slow traffic to 40km/h past emergency services.
The 12-month trial will be extended to a permanent law on September 26 but with some changes.
It will now include tow trucks and and motorway recovery vehicles, police will stop in visible locations and new warning signs will be deployed by emergency services.
However, it will no longer apply on roads with speed limits of 90km/h or more.
Instead, motorists will have to slow to a “safe and reasonable” speed, give “sufficient space” to emergency workers and “change lanes to keep the lane next to the vehicle free if it is safe to do so” as is required in most US states.
Then Motorcycle Council of NSW Chairman Steve Pearce told us when the trial started that it was “just a matter of time until a serious incident occurs as a result of this rule”.
He was right. In December 2018, a NSW motorcycle cop was hit by a car when he pulled over another car on a 100km/h highway.
The 70-year-old female driver was one of 936 fined $446 and three demerit points during the trial period.
Steve’s major concern with the rule was that vulnerable motorcyclists, such as the NSW police officer, would be at risk of being rear-ended.
In fact, the person the rule was meant to protect became the victim.
The extended rule could be confusing for motorists travelling interstate during holidays.
Emergency vehicles are defined as police cars, fire engines and ambulances displaying red and blue flashing lights and/or sounding their siren.
In Victoria it includes all “escort vehicles”. In SA, SES vehicles are included and in WA it extends to all emergency vehicles, including tow trucks, RAC roadside assistance patrol vehicles, and Main Roads Incident Response Vehicles removing road debris and broken-down vehicles.
The rule does not apply if the emergency vehicle is on the other side of the road where there is a median strip.
In South Australia, you can cop a maximum fine up to $1007 and some motorists have been disqualified for six months. In WA it is $300 and three points.
Victoria’s fine is $272.05, but there is a maximum court penalty of $777.30 if you unsuccessfully challenge the fine. The RACV says it could be difficult for motorists to see flashing emergency vehicles’ lights over a hill and have enough time to slow down to 40km/h.
The Queensland Government has rejected Police Union calls for a similar road rule.
If riders see the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle, there are several things they can do to avoid a rear-ender.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
French motorcycle helmet company Roof is releasing a new helmet, the RO200 Carbon, which is expected to be the lightest full-face helmet in the world.
At just 1090g, it beats the previous lightest helmet, the Nolan-made X-Lite X-803 Ultra Carbon at 1249g.
The 1090g weight is for their small shell size to fit XS to M sized heads, while their ML to XXL helmets weigh 1150g which is still lighter than the X-Lite.
Roof helmets have been around since 1993 and have ECE22.05 certification, so they are legal here.
They are imported to Australia through Cassons, now owned by Motorcycle Holdings which also owns TeamMoto dealerships.
There is no word yet from Cassons about price and arrival.
In Europe they start at €699 (about $A1130), depending on colour and graphics.
Features include UV and anti-scratch visor with Pinlock anti-fog insert, removable and adjustable lining, intercom compatible, glasses channels, six air intakes and two extractors, and a double-D ring chin strap clasp.
Despite its light weight, Roof says the helmet is suitable for race-standard protection with “advanced technologies and innovative solutions” including “Evolutive EPS protection with five densities”.
They claim the face aperture provides 210° of horizontal vision and 100° vertical.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Suzuki contender returns from injury for maiden SX1 assault.
Image: Foremost Media.
Pirelli MX Nationals standout Jayden Rykers intends to line-up for the entire 2019 Australian Supercross Championship in the premier class, the Western Australian managing just two rounds of the discipline since making his debut in 2016.
Rykers, who suffered lung bruising and multiple rib fractures in a frightening crash at Moree’s MX Nationals, experienced a breakout season in the outdoor series, where he was challenging for a top five championship ranking prior to the incident.
The Suzuki-mounted contender is taking a new mindset into his maiden SX1 campaign after injuries in 2016 and 2017 cut his supercross season short after one round, while shoulder surgery last year saw him ruled out of the championship altogether.
“I plan to do the whole series,” Rykers told MotoOnline.com.au. “Obviously I’m on the backfoot after going down at Moree – I’ve been rehabbing a few injuries from that and I spent a few weeks just getting back into motocross. I think it was at the four-week mark before Brisbane that I had my first day riding supercross.
“It’s cliche, but I want to try and learn the ropes a bit more, rather than rush into learning it – I think that’s where I’ve come undone in the last couple of years and hurt myself. I think it’s important to learn it and become more versatile [as a rider] when getting approached for motocross and supercross contracts.”
Rykers, racing in a largely privateer effort, had been receiving support from KSF Racing throughout the MX Nationals, however following the team’s split with Suzuki, it’s understood he’ll be provided with a level of backing from SB Motorsports Suzuki Ecstar. The Australian Supercross Championship launches on 12 October at Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
Source: MotoOnline.com.au
Australian holds three-point advantage heading into Assen.
Image: Supplied.
Australian Josh Brookes says leading the Bennetts British Superbike Championship (BSB) is ideal as the Showdown commences this weekend Assen’s 10th round in the Netherlands.
The top six riders in the championship standings only become the title fighters for the final three rounds, with each rider beginning the Showdown with 500 points, plus additional points for each podium position they’ve obtained in the first nine rounds.
Brookes’ seven race wins and five podiums place him atop the standings, where he currently lead Be Wiser Ducati teammate and WorldSBK-bound Scott Redding by three points.
“Going into the Showdown leading the standings is ideal – it is only a small few points but it is still nice to have it,” Brookes explained. “The last few tracks that are in the Showdown have been good for me in the past, so I am hoping that happens again.
“I like Assen, not just because of race results I have had there, but because it is a great track and I am ready to put on a challenge for the championship in these last races.”
Just three rounds remain in the BSB series, where regular points will be paid in the final races to determine the champion.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
YZF-R1 Motorcycle Test by Wayne Vickers
Given that the updated 2020 R1 has just been announced (link), Wayne thought it might be an opportune time to have a quick look at the current model before its relegated to the second hand only category. Take it away Wayne…
It only occurred to me as I picked up the keys that I’d never actually had the chance to throw a leg over an R1 before. I have covered well over 100,000 kilometres on my fireblades, both on road and track, and have spent time on all of the other Japanese manufacturers wares, along with most of the European options. But before Trev sorted this YZF-R1 for me I had never before had the chance to wring the neck of an R1.
Not that I hadn’t wanted to mind you. The cross-plane crank engine had me at ‘hello’, and gets me all wobbly knee’d and excited in the nether regions. Truth is that I’ve been lusting after one since the first ’09 incarnation for the exhaust note alone, but as my own circumstances had moved me away from full bore sports bike ownership, I’d resisted the temptation to ride one… Probably a good thing for my wallet as it turns out.
Initial impressions were, as expected – it’s quite compact, the riding position is suitably extreme, the suspension is stiffer than a Pfizer intern on date night and… holy cat snot this thing sure has some poke. It used to be a nonsense marketing phrase but modern sports bike really are race bikes with lights these days.
As soon as I got it home I couldn’t help but start raving about the engine. My wife and kids heard about it. My mates heard about it. The coffee guy heard about it. My mates heard about it some more. It’s other-worldly. Smooth and impeccably fueled even off idle, the throttle feel is just superb. It’s low rev big-bang-burble, transforms into a gutteral mid-range growl with a healthy dose of angry air-box thrown in and then a top end howl. It’s a banshee.
And it absolutely hammers. Jesus does it lay down some hump. From second gear on, as the electronics start to loosen the reins a little, its after-burner city. 200 big, energetic thoroughbreds. Big horses. And you feel every one of them. It’s mad. It’s ridiculous. It’s unnecessary. It’s addictive and I’m more than a bit smitten. Sounds proper horn too, even though the bike I rode was running the standard muffler it was epic! With a slip-on they frighten the four horsemen.
‘That’ engine, combined with a near perfect quick shifting six-speed box completes the driveline, it’s a performance masterpiece. Clutchless upshifts are a doddle, but are slicker from the mid-range up and I still used the clutch on down shifts, as sometimes the lever felt a bit reluctant to drop down a cog. It is worth noting that the bike only had a bit over a thousand kilometres on it when I got it, so I’d imagine it would loosen up a little more with time. Either way it wasn’t an issue.
When on the charge the electronics are flattering (too many acronyms to list but rest assured there’s a shit ton of tech). Even on my first cold, dampish run down to Lorne I was quickly feeling confident and finding a rhythm, such is the seamless nature of the traction and slide control systems. They don’t get in the way at all. You can just roll on the gas confident in the knowledge that you have a safety net smarter than you… And smart they are.
It comes with four engine modes, A-D. ‘A’ being the most powerful, stepping down to ‘D’ being the wet map. There’s little difference between A and B modes on the road until the top end ,where the B map feels a little (but not much) softer. I ended up using the B mode in the wet, it’s a pussy cat down low when you want it to be. Each map adjusts power, traction and slide control settings but unfortunately these aren’t able to be changed on the move, however you can tweak individual settings for power, traction and slide control. Which is a bit odd. Handy though, because the C map doesn’t have the Lift Control System (Yammies anti wheelie tech).. So you could give everything full welly without the fun police stopping the front coming up. Not that I would of course. Just sayin. For research purposes.
When activated, it’s very reluctant to lift the front in the first three cogs. It won’t come up unless seriously provoked, at which time its then gently brought back down to Earth. While it might be a bit of a buzz kill when you want to have a play, it is brutally effective when you’re in the twisties. The front is positively glued to the deck. No doubt helped by the aforementioned weight forward riding position. There is something to be said for having the front hover a few centimetres above the deck under full acceleration, the front dipping to kiss the tarmac as you as you snick through the lower gears. During those moments, and quite a few others to be fair, I felt like a riding god.
While we’re banging on about electronics – the TFT dash is a bit on the small side for my liking, but it’s nice enough on the main. Couple of minor gripes from me, no distance to empty meter and some fairly pointless info being displayed in spots. I get that Yamaha wanted to show off some tech and added a brake activation force meter, a g force meter as well as an indicator for the quickshifter to tell you if you’re accelerating or braking.. but I’m not convinced that you’d want to be looking at the dash when getting really hard on the gas or the picks. And I definitely don’t need to be shown if I’m accelerating or decelerating.. Seems like some distraction waiting to happen.
Suspension on both ends is of course, firm. Really firm. Race bike firm. As is the seat. Sure the ride is stiff, but surprisingly it’s not actually overly harsh on big impacts as the suspension is well spec’d and damped, and has plenty of adjustment to fine tune things. It’s manageable on everyday roads and doable for a regular commute, but becomes an effort for me with my fairly extreme loop. The straight stretch from Geelong to Melbourne is not fun on something like this. But you endure it for the weekend’s play time.
It is a trade off. The aggressive weight forward geometry comes at a price comfort wise at regular speeds and anything below two-thirds attack. It comes into its own and starts making sense as speeds and intent rise. And the faster and harder you go the better it feels. Mid corner it is mega – super planted and giving you the ability to run centimetre perfect, precise lines. And it’s impeccably light and easy to flick left to right and change direction. Phenomenal for a full litre bike.
Brakes are a match for the rest of the bike. Super strong with plenty of bite and feel – they neither feel wanting or overpowered. And you can’t feel the linked system working – it just does its thing. I didn’t even know they were linked until I re-read the specs. Noice.
Sports bikes are a pretty extreme thing these days. They’re now at the point where they’re so focussed on outright performance, that they are arguably a little compromised as a road bike. It wasn’t always that way mind you. Up until about 15 years ago, sports bikes were still reasonably adaptable as all-rounders. But they’re getting seriously focussed now. I’d probably put my Osteo’s kids through Uni if I commuted on one full time. But it might nearly be worth it. I did the Deans Marsh – Lorne return run three-times in a row on it and it was Nirvana, I haven’t felt that connected to a sports bike for a while.. even if it was only 10 degrees and I wasn’t even remotely getting near the bikes limits.
Time to wrap it up.
Is it a brilliant sports bike? Unquestionably. Utterly ridiculous levels of performance and a soundtrack to die for – even more so with a pipe. That engine is off the charts good. Suspension, handling and brakes are epic. Feels way more nimble than litre bikes of a generation ago. There’s no weak link really.
Is it a brilliant road bike? Well yes, and no. Like most of the current crop of focussed sports bikes it makes some serious comfort concessions for such high levels of performance. Performance that realistically is now well out of reach of most riders on the road. I’d need and love to have a few days at a dry track to fully appreciate its capabilities. Ultimately the assessment of whether those concessions are acceptable is your call to make, depending on your situation and requirements. If my commute was shorter I reckon I’d be making some phone calls to a Yamaha dealer, as those moments on a bike like this, up your favourite stretch of road, are something to truly behold.
| Specifications | |
| Engine Type | Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4-valve, forward-inclined parallel 4-cylinder |
| Displacement | 998 cc |
| Bore x Stroke | 79.0 x 50.9 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 13.0 : 1 |
| Lubrication System | Wet sump |
| Fuel Management | Fuel Injection |
| Engine Management | YCC-T, YCC-I, TCS, SCS, LIF, QSS, UBS, ABS, LCS |
| Ignition | TCI |
| Starter System | Electric |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 17 L |
| Final Transmission | Chain |
| Transmission | Constant mesh 6-speed |
| Frame Type | Aluminium Deltabox |
| Suspension Front | Telescopic forks, 120 mm travel |
| Suspension Rear | Swingarm (link suspension), 120 mm travel |
| Brakes Front | Hydraulic dual discs, 320 mm – ABS |
| Brakes Rear | Hydraulic single disc, 220 mm – ABS |
| Tyres Front | 120/70 ZR17MC (58W) Tubeless |
| Tyres Rear | 190/55 ZR17M/C (75W) Tubeless |
| Length | 2055 mm |
| Width | 690 mm |
| Height | 1150 mm |
| Seat Height | (mm)855 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1405 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 130 mm |
| Wet Weight | 199 Kg |
| Price | $26,399 Ride Away |
Source: MCNews.com.au
Monster Energy Yamaha favouring Spanish circuit this weekend.
Image: Supplied.
Maverick Vinales has expressed he’s feeling ‘extra optimistic’ ahead of the Aragon grand prix after landing on the podium last weekend at Misano.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider topped Friday practice and qualified on pole at the Italian round before earning third, boosting his confidence as he takes on a favoured Aragon circuit in Spain this weekend.
“After the Misano podium I‘m feeling extra optimistic about coming here in Aragon,” Vinales revealed. “Like every Spanish round, this GP is very special to me because the fans and atmosphere are great, and I really like this track. We have been doing good work in the previous rounds, so I expect to be fast here too.
“We will try to stay focused on our goal, we want to keep improving during every race weekend. We‘ve seen our potential get better and better since starting the second half of the season, so I think that we can do a good job.”
The Spaniard is currently ranked fifth in the point standings as six rounds remain in the MotoGP World Championship.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
