Roberts will have hoped for more from his first season with American Racing, with a best result of 14th in Le Mans and Assen, whilst Ramirez, who finished third with Leopard Racing in Moto3™ moves to the intermediate class, replacing Iker Lecuona who moves to the MotoGP™ team Red Bull KTM Tech 3.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Finally, the POW has jumped the second barbed wire fence and escaped the Nazis for freedom in Switzerland … even if it was just a stunt for a British TV show.
Performing the stunt from the 1963 World War II POW film, The Great Escape, was former TT racer and all-round larrikin daredevil Guy Martin.
And he made it look easy on his specially prepared Triumph Scrambler 1200.
Don’t try this at home … that bike is substantially different to the street-wise model with different suspension, a lot of weight stripped off, punchy little exhaust and god knows what else under the skin.
The bike was used to complete the second failed jump by Steve McQueen’s character in the 1963 World War II POW film, The Great Escape.
Guy even had his trademark unkempt hair cut to look just like McQueen’s!
The jump was aired on the UK’s Channel 4 overnight and you had to be a British TV licence holder to watch it.
The video is not yet on Guy’s or Channel 4’s YouTube channel nor social media and there is no word yet on when it will be available.
Meanwhile, here is the preparation video.
Guy’s next stunt will be to break the 300mph (482.8km/h) speed barrier on a motorcycle within a mile (1.6km).
The last person to attempt the record, Bill Warner, crashed and died after a tyre failure.
“If anything goes wrong, if it all goes to shit, they’re all right,” says Guy. “Sharon and Dot are all right, and the dogs, Nigel and Steve.”
Meanwhile, the Great Escape movie stunt, which is one of the most famous in movie history, remains a bit of a mystery.
We know it was not done by McQueen – not because he couldn’t do it, but because the filmmaker’s insurance company wouldn’t let him.
Many believe it was done by his friend and bike fettler Bud Ekins who died earlier this year and has been honoured with special edition T100 and T120 models.
However, there remains some doubt.
Several endurance riders who were competing nearby at the European motocross championship were invited by McQueen to visit the filming.
They included Australian Tim Gibbes (who swears it’s not him in the film) and another unnamed Aussie rider who had a go while the cameras were rolling.
It is still not clear which take was used.
Some home movies of the filming shot by Tim have recently been unearthed.
Guy jumped a reconstructed 2.4m barbed wire fence to complete the failed leap to freedom in Switzerland.
The video apparently had a part where the team didn’t think they would have the fence done in time. Typical reality TV dramatisation!
Not that the jump needs much dramatisation.
In the film, McQueen jumps the first 5ft (152cm) fence, but fails to clear the 8ft fence (244cm).
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
More riders can now wear helmet cameras and bluetooth intercom attachments and fit tinted visors after South Australia joined the ACT in formal acknowledgement of 2015 changes to the Australian Road Rules (ARR).
That leaves Victoria as the only state where police have an issue with these attachments, although we have not heard of any recent fines.
It has never been an issue in Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory or Queensland where a former Police Minister actually encouraged helmet camera use for evidential reasons.
Australian Motorcycle Council Protective Clothing sub-committee chair Brian Wood says their advice from the NSW Centre for Road Safety is that cameras and communication devices are legal provided the helmet manufacturer approves their use.
“I’m not aware of anyone in NSW being booked for having a camera or communication device on their helmet for a couple of years,” Brian says.
South Australian Ride to Review spokesman Tim Kelly says the state accepted their submission to accept the ARR.
Hew says it means the requirements for adherence to a helmet standard “become point-of-sale only”.
“This means helmet attachments will become legal, tinted visors will become legal and MX sun visors will become legal,” he says.
The only amendment to the ARR was the inclusion of a reference to a helmet being in good repair and proper working order and condition.
In 2017, Adelaide rider Erica Aria went to the Sturt Police Station to submit video of drivers cutting him off in traffic but instead received an official warning for an “illegal helmet camera”.
The police said he could cop a $450 fine if he was caught again with the camera.
Eric has now welcomed the changes to the state rules.
“At least now people know if they can legally wear them or not and there’ll be no double standards with police wearing them and not the riders who genuinely need the camera for safety and insurance reasons,” he says.
Brian says the NSW Centre for Road Safety did some “oblique impact testing” at Crashlab several years ago on the effect of helmet attachments.
It has been suggested that they can rotate the rider’s head in a crash, causing neck injuries.
However, the Centre’s report on this testing is yet to be released.
“It should eventually be released, we just don’t know when,” Brian says.
The Centre told us they had completed three sets of tests on attachments fitted to motorcycle helmets:
The final series of tests were completed earlier this year. The results and recommendations from the tests are currently been reviewed and a report is expected to be published in 2020.
Brian points out that in the ACT it is legal to have a camera or communication device on a helmet provided that the mount is ‘frangible’ which means it easily breaks off in a crash.
“What constitutes a frangible mount is not defined,” Brian says.
“Hopefully, the CfRS report will give guidance on this.
“The NSW Police wear cameras and communication devices on their helmets.
“I believe they have done their own oblique impact testing at Crashlab. They use a 3M product called Dual Lock.
“I believe Dual Lock was part of the CfRS testing. However, there are several versions of Dual Lock. I don’t know which one or ones have been tested.”
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
In the run-up to the usual Christmas crackdown on motorists, Queensland Police have released this video compilation of the stupid things some motorists do.
We’ve edited down the bodycam vision a bit as it gets boring.
However, it includes a rider doing 160km/h in a 60km/h zones, stupid drivers holding mobile phones, not wearing seatbelts and a drunk driver spinning his 4WD out of control on a damp corner when it hits white lines — all riders would know about that one!
Interestingly, bike cops were involved in several incidents including the detection of a driver at night on his mobile phone.
Queensland police are today launching Operation Romeo Sleigh to focus on road safety from this Friday (13 December 2019) and running until January 31.
“The Queensland Police Service is releasing this vision as a reminder to all motorists using our roads during this busy holiday period, to do safely,” they say.
There will be a similar crackdown on motorists in all states, with higher police patrols and speed camera deployments.
Just last month NSW police announced a crackdown on stupid driving in regional areas.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Despite last-minute financial difficulties, bushfires and road closures, the recent Walcha Motorcycle Festival was deemed such a success, it will become an annual event.
Walcha Tourism manager Susie Crawford says they have already set a date for next year’s event on 20/21 November 2020.
“An estimated 700-plus attended the weekend (15/17 November 2019), with possibly everything thrown at us in the lead-up – fires, road closures etc, so we were over the moon with the attendance considering the circumstances,” she says.
“Thank you to the local businesses, community and to all the wonderful riders who made the weekend such a great success.
“It definitely will become an annual event.”
The Walcha Motorcycle Festival was hastily organised to replace the Freak Show Festival of Motorcycles and national Harley Owners Group (HOG) rally which were axed at the last minute after the organisers went into administration.
Then, in the week leading up to the reorganised event, much of NSW was declared a disaster area with bushfires all around the town.
The main access to the town, the Oxley Highway, had also been cut off and still remains closed.
Harley-Davidson Australia (HDA) had planned to have a presence but also pulled out because they couldn’t get their truck to the town.
However, they did sponsor shuttle buses from neighbouring towns and have reimbursed HOG members for tickets to the original event.
HDA have not yet committed to the 2020 event.
Susie says next year’s event will have “a similar feel”, although hopefully without the thick blanket of smoke.
“We haven’t set out a program as yet but the skeleton program will feature similar events”
They include:
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Patent drawings seem to suggest Honda may be reviving its high-speed Blackbird sports bike with eight aerodynamic winglets.
In September, patent drawings of winglets that automatically deployed above a certain speed were accompanied by drawings of the Africa Twin and Fireblade.
When both were unveiled at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan last month, neither had these wings.
Now the new drawing looks suspiciously like the CBR1100XX Super Blackbird.
It includes eight winglets which seems to indicate ultra-high speeds.
That would fit in with the ethos of the Blackbird as once the world’s fastest motorcycle.
Then along came the Suzuki Hayabusa named after the peregrine falcon, the world’s fastest bird, and natural predator of the blackbird!
Then manufacturers agreed to limit speeds to 299km/h after European officials threatened to ban high-speed motorcycles in the 1990s.
Don’t get too excited about Honda returning the Blackbird, though.
This new Blackbird patent joins the following from Honda over the recent past:
Meanwhile, Suzuki Motorcycles has filed its second patent for a major upgrade to its Hayabusa speed demon with semi-automatic transmission.
The ageing Hayabusa has only had two major upgrades in its 17-year history as the world’s fastest production motorcycles of the last century.
While many are expecting turbo or supercharger technology, the two patents so far have been for a semi-automatic transmission.
The first patent in February 2018 details how actuators will be used to control clutch engagement and the shifting of gears.
So it’s not totally automatic as riders would still need to change gears but without the need to use a clutch.
While the patent application used a drawing of a Hayabusa, it was not necessarily meant for that bike.
However, the second patent describes the gear position sensor, confirming that it is destined for the Hayabusa.
The rest of the drawings show the bike much as it is now which means it could probably be powered by the same 1340cc in-line four-cylinder engine with 148kW of power.
However, there is talk of a 1400cc version and possibly forced induction.
Suzuki president Toshihiro Suzuki has confirmed that Suzuki engineers are working on the new bike, but has not said when it would be due.
He says it will follow the same style, but gain several electronic riding aids.
There is not much they can do with the styling as the bike was designed to be aerodynamically stable at high speeds.
It was apparently designed on paper by aerodynamic experts, but not tested in a wind tunnel until several years later when it was confirmed the aero theories actually worked.
So when it was updated in 2008 and 2017, there was no need to change the shape.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Japanese company Arai is the first helmet manufacturer to win a gold safety medal from the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme.
In fact, no other gear manufacturer has received the prestigious Nicolas Rodil del Valle gold medal since the awards began in 1983.
The gold medal is awarded to individuals who make significant contributions to “two-wheel racing activities and management of businesses”.
The awards were announced last week and Australian safety and comfort ratings system for motorcycle clothing, MotoCAP, won the road safety section.
Arai says the award was vindication of their “achievement in contributions to the safety of many riders and numerous advancements to motorcycle sports over many years”.
“Understanding the reason for this award, Arai Helmet continues to make helmets without compromise for the sake of rider protection since the company’s founding as the first motorcycle helmet manufacturer in Japan,” their official press release states.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say these contributions are recognised around the world by the granting of this award.”
The company began was formed in 1926 by Hirotake Arai as a hat making company and was the first Japanese company to make motorcycle helmets in 1950.
The annual Australian Canstar Blue customer satisfaction survey usually rates Arai fairly highly, but it was missing from this year’s survey.
The survey doesn’t include safety as a criterion, but judges on customer satisfaction, durability, vision, comfort, cleaning, features, design and value.
Most of their helmets are fairly expensive.
In the latest round of safety and comfort ratings by the NSW Consumer Rating and Assessment of Safety Helmets (CRASH), Arai’s open-face helmets scored just one star for safety, but its Renegade-V scored three out of five stars.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
It’s easy to see how successful the FIM CEV Repsol and Rookies Cup Championships are as breeding grounds for the World stage. Even MotoGP™ has a high tally of riders who have experience in the FIM CEV Repsol, 15 to be exact, with three having raced in the Rookies Cup: Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). In regards to Champions of a Road to MotoGP™ title, six premier class riders have at least one. The oldest of them is Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro, the Spaniard winning the FIM CEV Repsol 125cc crown in 2004. Younger brother Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) – a double Junior World Championship winner – are the other stars.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
With Phil Aynsley
Luigi Peripoli began making motorcycles in 1957 and by 1967 the company was the 7th largest manufacturer in Italy. Production continued up until the late 1980s. Originally their bikes used DEMM motors but later Motori Morini Franco and Minarelli units were fitted.
Many of their 50cc bikes were marketed under the Giulietta name. This is a 1959 Super Sport. I love the touch of American car stying in the rear bodywork – even if it did result in the tail light having to be mounted upside-down!
The company also produced mopeds, a couple of scooters and three-wheel delivery vehicles.
Peripoli were sold in the US under the J-Be name, imported by the Berliner Corporation.
In the UK they were sold under the AJW brand (which had been making bikes since 1926 and had been reformed in 1974) and of which Mr Peripoli was one of the directors.
Source: MCNews.com.au
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman have been spotted riding their specially equipped Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycles in Ecuador on their Long Way Up adventure.
Photographer and tour guide Raphael Erhard (pictured with Ewan and Charley above) says he ran into them while leading a tour for Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental last month.
“They were really friendly and curious about what we were doing, especially Charley,” he says.
“They seemed to be enjoying South America a lot, they told me they’d just stayed at a small coastal lodge the night before and were heading to Quito the day we met. They seemed just really chilled out and open.”
Since the pair started in Tierra del Fuego in September and were last month in Ecuador, they are now expected to be somewhere in Guatemala or Mexico.
Charley and Ewan have both previously said they would like to ride the Baja Peninsula, so that could be a detour as they head north to Alaska on their adventure.
While Charley and Ewan are riding LiveWire electric motorcycles, their videographer, Claudio Von Planta is on a petrol bike.
“They told me they were really happy with their bikes, the range being somewhere between 250 and 350km, I don’t remember which,” he says.
According to Harley, range is about 150km on the highway and about 235km in the city.
“Charley said they wanted to focus on electric motorcycles on this journey and after trying out a Zero and a few other brands, they chose the LiveWires as they felt best.
“They’ve made it so far, so it seems to be working. And no, I haven’t seen any generator-laden back up trucks anywhere.”
The adventure started in September when some of the crew posted the Instagram images on this page.
There have been a few modifications to the bikes for this adventure and there is quite an extensive back-up crew involved.
Apart from new wheels, other bike modifications include: windscreens, engine guards, highway pegs, bash plates, auxiliary lights, saddlebags and fender bags.
They also seem to have removed the rear guard and plate holder.
The crew consists of two electric Rivian R1T pick-up trucks which have 650km of range.
They are also supported by two Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4WD vans and a Ford F350 pickup truck.
So we suspect they are carrying DC fast chargers with them.
Harley claims their Fast Charge (DCFC) technology will recharge a flat battery to 80% in 40 minutes and full in 60 minutes.
Maybe the trip won’t benefit Harley’s LiveWire or electric motorcycles in general, like Long Way Round and Long Way Down did for adventure riding and the BMW GS range.
However, it should be hugely entertaining!
Harley certainly doesn’t need another PR disaster with the LiveWire.
It has so far experienced one disaster after another.
Firstly the bike was delayed a month going into North America dealerships.
Then several dealerships refused to pay big money to instal DC fast chargers in order to sell them.
Sales have also been a disaster as customers have baulked at the $US29,950 (about $A44,000) ticket price.
The long-awaited third Ewan and Charley travel documentary has been a long time coming.
Charley has been telling us they have been planning their Long Way Up America trip for about 10 years.
The problem has been that Ewan has been so busy with Hollywood movies he could not afford a few months off.
There was also the fact that Ewan is ambassador for Moto Guzzi and Charley is ambassador for Triumph.
The pair rode BMWs in their 2004 Long Way Round and 2007 Long Way Down.
In 2015, Ewan said he may ride from California to the tip of South America on a Moto Guzzi Stelvio. That never happened and the Stelvio was retired a year later.
Charley told us last year that Ewan’s relationship with Moto Guzzi would not necessarily foil their plans:
We’ve been talking about it a long time and if the stars align we will do something like a Long Way up from Tierra Del Fuego to Alaska in the next couple of years. It really is close now. Ewan’s always had a loose relationship with Moto Guzzi so there’s no conflict there.
But rather than Moto Guzzi and Triumph, the pair have opted for the new Harley-Davidson LiveWire.
While it was thought they would go all the way to Alaska, Charley recently said the ride would go from Argentina to LA.
Maybe they don’t want to cover the same territory through Canada and Alaska that they did in the Long Way Round.
It’s been a long time between trips for Ewan and Charley.
From 14 April 2004 to 29 July 2004, they rode across Europe and the USA in Long Way Round and from 12 May to 4 August 2007 they rode from the top of Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa for Long Way Down.
With Ewan becoming increasingly busy with Hollywood movies, Charley squeezed in the 2006 Dakar rally for his series, Race to Dakar, and has produced several other travel shows.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
