Former volunteer firefighter John England is selling his collection of Aussie motorcycle racing memorabilia and donating a portion to aid the bushfire appeal.
John says his collection of 22 commemorative bottles of Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix port, six Mick Doohan plates, various mirrors, signed prints and collectible toys could be worth as much as $10,000.
John and Rose England’s patriotic Can-Am Spyder and trailer
He is also selling his 1981 Honda Bol d’Or 900, bored out to 1000cc, with handmade exhausts.
John and his wife, Rose, plan to retire this year and hit the road in their caravan, towing their Can-Am Spyder around the country.
“We don’t want this collection gathering dust in storage, so we thought we would sell it,” John says.
“I used to be a volunteer firefighter, so we’d be happy to make a donation of a portion of the sale of this collection.”
“I just want it go to a motorcycle lover who appreciates it.”
He says he would prefer to sell it as one collection and the bike separately.
However, he would also consider splitting it up, preferably in groups such as all the ports or all six commemorative plates honouring Mick’s five consecutive GP titles plus a sixth lap of honour plate.
John, a former Sydney track racer, started collecting when he bought the first Australian GP port for $25 in 1989.
John has been told by the seller of the commemorative port that his first bottle could now be worth as much as $500.
“How that didn’t get drunk I’ll never know,” he laughs.
“It was all bought to drink. I’d usually buy two bottles each year; drink one and keep one.”
The commemorative port line ceased in 2008 and John has one from each year.
He also has a Harley-Davidson-styled port holder with six ports released each year. He says the “gearbox” bottle of port, alone, cost $196.
Harley port carrier
Most of the items in his collection come with certificates or letters of authenticity.
If you are interested in buying his collection and helping the bushfire appeal, you can contact John on 0408 880616.
Bushfire appeal
Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, two-time Dakar rally winner Toby Price and MotoGP racer Jack Miller are raising money for the bushfire appeal.
Toby is auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
Current highest bid is still $13,001.
Auction closes on 18 January at 5pm (AEST).
If you can’t bid, please donate on this link. So far he has raised $2777.
The auction is open worldwide until Friday at 5pm (AEST).
Bushfire appeals
There is a host of bushfire appeals you can donate to. See the list below.
Otherwise, we suggest helping local communities by waiting until the emergency has passed, then visiting the areas and spending your money on fuel, food and gifts.
Royal Enfield Australia has announced a five-day “Coastal Tour” departing from Melbourne on 7 March 2020, navigating the east coast to Noosa on 11 March.
The event is open to all Royal Enfield riders for the full ride or partial rides in their local areas. Click here to register.
The Thrive E+ EX Pro is part of Giant’s Liv brand, the only major industry brand to cater specifically to women. An identically-equipped men’s version of this bike called the Fastroad E+ EX Pro is also available. Photo by Mark Tuttle.
Electric-assist bicycles, or e-bikes, are hot right now. They’re like regular bicycles, but more fun: a small electric motor kicks in when you pedal, providing an extra boost to your efforts. They’re also a natural crossover point between bicycles and motorcycles, which is why we’re starting to see some familiar names — Yamaha, BMW, KTM and Kawasaki, for starters — eyeing the market, eager to take advantage of explosive e-bike growth in the face of stagnant motorcycle sales.
From the other direction, bicycle manufacturers are already ahead of the game, with nearly every major player offering its own lineup of e-bikes. This includes Giant, the world’s largest bicycle manufacturer, which built its first e-bike way back in 1999 and has been perfecting the technology ever since. Giant is no stranger to our side of the two-wheeled life — it’s partnered with well-known riders like four-time 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Eddie Lawson and motocross champion and multiple-time X-Game gold medalist Travis Pastrana as brand ambassadors — and, for the first time ever, it’s exhibiting its e-bike lineup at all of the 2019-2020 Progressive International Motorcycle Shows. It’s a smart move on Giant’s part, and a fortuitous one for us.
Given e-bikes’ crossover appeal and potential to bridge the gap for beginning motorcycle riders — it’s easier to handle an electric-assist bicycle than a 400-plus-pound motorcycle — we figured the time is right to do our first Road Test Review of an e-bike. We chose the new-for-2020 Thrive E+ EX Pro, built by Giant and sold under its Liv brand (which happens to be the industry’s only major brand dedicated to female riders); a men’s version called the Fastroad E+ EX Pro is also available. This sleek machine is bicycling’s version of something like a Ducati Multistrada or BMW S 1000 XR: it’s fast — as a Class 3 e-bike its motor provides assistance up to 28 mph — it rolls on road-oriented but ready-for-anything tires, and it has built-in front and rear fenders to control rain splash and pebbles, a headlight and taillight and a rear luggage rack that’s ready to accept optional panniers. For someone looking for a first experience on (semi) powered two wheels, or who’s looking to replace a car trip or three, the Thrive and Fastroad are game changers.
The Thrive E+ EX Pro comes with nearly everything you need to crush a commute or replace errands in your car: a headlight, taillight, front and rear fenders and a rear luggage rack. Photo by Mark Tuttle.
The appeal of an e-bike over a standard bicycle lies chiefly in the way it opens up opportunities — you’ll get less tired, which means you can ride farther and are not a sweaty mess when you get to where you’re going, and it’s impossible to overstate how much fun it is to ride. When people ask me what it feels like, I say that it’s like a normal bicycle, but with an invisible hand gently pushing you along. Or a monstrous and perpetual tailwind that doesn’t blow dust into your eyes and never surprises you with a gusty crosswind.
The Tech
The Thrive E+ EX Pro looks like a regular, modern bicycle at first glance, and cyclists amongst our readership will recognize its quality components: Shimano Tiagra shifters, GRX RX400 rear derailleur and BR-MT200 hydraulically-actuated disc brakes, and Kenda Kwick Seven.5 tires with reflective taping on the sidewalls that gives a cool “Tron” effect and increases nighttime visibility. The frame and fork are Giant’s ALUXX SL aluminum, designed specifically for female body geometry. (The Fastroad E+ EX Pro is identically equipped, but with a men’s frame.)
Providing the electric boost is a Yamaha-powered Giant SyncDrive Pro motor that generates an impressive 59 lb-ft of torque, with a 375Wh EnergyPak lithium-ion battery cleverly integrated into the downtube so as to be nearly invisible. The battery can be charged either on or off the bike via the included 6A Smart Charger, which can achieve 80% charge in just 1.4 hours and doubles as a battery maintainer for storage.
The SyncDrive Pro electric motor is a large part of what sets the Thrive apart from lesser competitors. It’s not only smooth, quiet and powerful, but Giant’s proprietary PedalPlus software gives it a fluid, intuitive feeling that won’t intrude on your pedaling experience. Plus, it’s built by a name we know we can trust: Yamaha. Photo by Mark Tuttle.
The SyncDrive Pro is Giant’s most powerful and sophisticated motor, with tunable support ratios (how much assistance the motor is giving you in each mode) up to a maximum of 170 rpm — in human, not ICE terms, that’s fast, more than two pedal revolutions per second. The brain behind this is Giant’s PedalPlus 6-sensor Smart Assist technology — think of it like the IMUs in our motorcycles that use input from various sensors to provide optimal ABS, traction control, throttle response, wheelie control, etc. The PedalPlus uses six measurements: torque (pedaling input), bike speed, pedal cadence, slope (i.e. pitch; how steep of a hill you’re climbing), acceleration/deceleration and lastly, the internal rotation and operation of the motor itself, to deliver smooth, optimum power. Response is instantaneous and fluid, a noticeable improvement even from the PowerPlus 4-equipped Giant e-mountain bike I borrowed for a Woman Rider story in 2018. It feels like riding a regular bike, but with more “oomph” and all of the grins.
Just like a motorcycle, the Thrive E+ EX Pro sports a backlit LCD instrument called RideControl EVO that displays battery charge, ride mode and speed, and switchable odometer, tripmeter, range to “empty” and cadence. It’s controlled by switchgear on the left grip, where two large arrow buttons run you through ride modes: Eco, Basic, Active, Sport and Power, plus an Auto mode that automatically selects the ideal mode using the six PedalPlus sensors, and Off. The display can be dimmed for night riding and the head/taillights turned off, and there is even a “walk mode” that propels the bike alongside you while walk — useful for pushing it up ramps or into the bed of a truck should the need arise.
The RideControl EVO display shows battery level, speed, ride mode and switchable tripmeter, odometer, cadence and range. Notice I still had 45 miles to go with nearly three-quarters remaining on the battery. Photo by Mark Tuttle.The display is controlled by left switchgear; the two arrows move you through the ride modes, and the power button is also located on this switch. The bike will turn off automatically after sitting still for a while to conserve the battery. Photo by Mark Tuttle.
Also, just like a motorcycle, the display isn’t just for riding data anymore. RideControl EVO allows the rider to connect an ANT+/Bluetooth heart rate monitor, and the system will automatically adjust pedal support to reach and maintain a desired heart rate. It also connects to your phone via Bluetooth and Giant’s RideControl app, enabling turn-by-turn on-screen directions via bike-friendly routes; allows you to tune and customize pedal support settings for each mode; and displays incoming messages, calls and emails. Lastly, the app ties into the heart rate monitor function for tracking and maximizing fitness goals and viewing post-ride stats.
The Thrive’s riding position is comfortably upright and neutral, and doesn’t place a lot of weight on the rider’s hands. Photo by Mark Tuttle.
The Ride
Fitness is a happy byproduct of e-biking for me; I wanted to test the Thrive E+ EX Pro primarily as a commuter and errand-runner. I live in a city with numerous bike lanes and paths, and since the majority of my in-town car (or motorcycle) trips are less than five miles I was able to replace nearly all of my driving with e-biking.
Giant loaned me a set of removable panniers ($79) that snapped easily onto/off the Thrive’s rack, and each side easily held a large bag of groceries or my gym bag. The panniers have a semi-rigid structure that holds its shape and makes it easy to load/unload, and each side has a special hook-and-loop strap to hold a spare EnergyPak battery. I also used the Thrive to commute to work, leaving our 2020 Suzuki Katana tester looking rather forlorn in my garage. Commuting by e-bike obviously takes a bit longer than using a car or motorcycle, but the fresh air felt quite nice, and I quickly learned to find the balance with the bike’s power modes that gave me just a bit of exercise without walking into the office feeling sweaty.
The water-resistant Giant panniers were large enough to easily swallow bags of groceries and my gym bag. Photo by the author.
The vast majority of my riding time was spent in Eco mode (the lowest), which in stock configuration delivers 100% of your pedal input (doubles your power), and I found it to be more than enough for cruising around mostly-flat Camarillo. When approaching a hill, I’d downshift a gear or two and bump it into the next-higher mode, grinning as the invisible hand pressed against my back to help me up the incline. Only when climbing the long, steep hill to my driveway would I use the third mode, and even then only if I was tired. In the highest two, it almost would’ve felt too easy! The SyncDrive Pro’s instantaneous power delivery meant I could launch from traffic lights with enough speed to keep up with the car next to me until we were both through the intersection, and it was nice knowing that power was there if I needed it.
Given my size, riding style and terrain, I was able to get a lot from the Thrive’s battery in terms of range. Giant claims a maximum range of about 68 miles, which is a lot of 5-mile trips for me! The nice thing about an e-bike (as opposed to an e-motorcycle) is that, as long as you can carry the charger with you (which I did, in the Thrive’s panniers), charging it is just a matter of pulling the battery, taking it inside with you and plugging it in. Alternatively, you can leave the battery installed and plug into the bike itself, as long as it’s close enough to an outlet. It’s also possible to carry extra batteries, as noted above, or to upgrade with an EnergyPak Plus to extend your range.
The Thrive is equipped with a headlight and taillight, greatly increasing visibility. In fact, in my city it is technically illegal to ride in on-street bike lanes without lights. Photo by Mark Tuttle.
Everything else about the Thrive was top-notch. Shifting action through the 10 Shimano gears was smooth and positive, and the hydraulic disc brakes provided strong stopping power with just one finger on each lever without a hint of grabbiness. Fit and finish overall is outstanding, down to the satin paint finish and the smooth frame welds. It cruises at speed with stability, the wide Kenda tires helping to absorb some of the bumps transmitted through the stiff aluminum frame, and the occasional dirt or gravel road is no problem. The frame geometry and flat handlebar put me in a neutral riding position that gave me a commanding view and allowed for easy weight transfer back and forth during longer rides. The installation of an aftermarket rearview mirror into the end of the left grip was all I needed to make the Thrive E+ EX Pro a darn-near perfect urban warrior.
I added a bar-end mirror ($15 at my local bike shop) for increased situational awareness on the road, but otherwise the Thrive is commute-ready right off the showroom floor. Photo by the author.
Don’t worry, I’m not giving up motorcycles, but I have to admit that thanks to my two weeks with the Thrive I might be developing an alternate two-wheeled addiction. It’s fun, it’s good for me (and the environment), it reduces traffic congestion, it’s a great way to crosstrain as a motorcyclist and it’s another way to enjoy two wheels. Consider me an e-bike believer.
2020 Liv Thrive E+ EX Pro/Giant Fastroad E+ EX Pro Specs
Base Price: $3,500 Website:liv-cycling.com/us/ and giant-bicycles.com/us/ Motor: SyncDrive Pro (built by Yamaha) Battery: EnergyPak 375, 36V lithium-ion Sensors: PedalPlus 6 Display: RideControl EVO, remote button Charger: EnergyPak 6A Fast Charger
Components
Handlebar: Giant Connect XC Riser 31.8 x 640mm Stem: Giant Contact Seatpost: Giant D-Shape, aluminum Saddle: Liv Sport
An e-bike built by Giant under its Liv women-oriented brand. This model, the Thrive E+ EX Pro, comes with a head light, taillight, front and rear fenders and a rear luggage rack. Photo by Mark Tuttle.
It’s official: e-bikes (bicycles with a small electric motor that kicks in to assist the pedaling action) are a thing, and they’re here to stay. According to the most recent (2017) study from market research firm NPD Group, the U.S. bicycle market is a $5.9 billion/year industry, and e-bikes represent $77.1 million of that, up 91% over the previous year. Sales grew more than eightfold since 2014, and seem to be showing no signs of slowing. Contrast that with the stagnation we’ve been seeing in the motorcycle industry recently…we’ll revisit that in a moment.
E-bikes appeal for a variety of reasons: they make pedaling easier, which means you can ride farther and arrive less sweaty. They open up a whole new world to those who aren’t already well-conditioned riders and, most importantly, they’re fun. But what does all of this mean to those of us more accustomed to turning a key and twisting a throttle?
Well, e-bikes are an obvious and natural crossover point between our motorized world and the human-powered world of bicycles. In 2018, we posted a story on our womanrider.com site that made a case for riding a bicycle as a way to cross-train and improve the skills we need as motorcyclists — balance and leg strength — and increase our fitness at the same time.
Back then we reached out to Giant, the world’s largest bicycle manufacturer, which happens to have its North American headquarters just 15 minutes away in Newbury Park, California, to borrow one of its e-bikes for the story. Now here we are, nearly two years later, and Giant has taken the…ahem, giant…step of exhibiting its line of e-bikes at all of the 2019-2020 Progressive International Motorcycle Shows. It’s a smart move for them and a fortuitous one for us. It’s no secret that the motorcycle industry’s future survival depends upon new riders, an infusion of fresh blood — and the rapidly growing e-bike market might be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Let’s consider from a prospective new rider’s perspective: we’re curious about motorcycles and all they entail — fun, exhilaration, new friends and social circles, perhaps consideration for a reduced environmental impact and being #onelesscar — but we’re not sure we’re ready to jump headfirst into that world. Motorcycles are powerful and require special licensing and a whole new wardrobe of protective apparel. There’s the insurance to buy and you gotta have space to park it safely out of the elements and away from prying eyes.
But you already know how to ride a bicycle. In fact, there’s one in your garage right now. Your city painted designated bike lanes a few years back, and when you think about it, your daily commute to work is only eight miles. That sounds like a lot…until you consider the possibility of an e-bike.
We’re not pulling all of this out of thin air; according to the AAA, more than 50% of all car trips are shorter than 10 miles, and the average is 5.95 miles. And a March 2018 survey of nearly 1,800 e-bike owners found that 94% of non-cyclists rode daily or weekly after buying an e-bike. Among those who already owned a bicycle, the number riding daily or weekly jumped from 54% to 91%. In addition, survey respondents reported that they’d replaced 46% of their vehicle commutes and 30% of vehicle errands with the e-bike; 28% bought one to replace a car entirely.
The way we see it, getting people out of their cars and accustomed to going places on two wheels — especially if those wheels are powered somehow — is a logical way to bridge the gap to motorcycle ownership.
Good Ride is a 501c3 charity started freestyle motocross rider, custom bike builder and hooligan racer Carey Hart. Starting on Thursday, January 9, 2020, Good Ride will host an online silent auction to benefit the Infinite Hero Foundation, whose mission is “to combat the most difficult front line issues–mental and physical–facing military heroes and their families.”
The Tanks for Troops auction includes 22 Indian FTR 1200 tank covers custom-painted by different artists, as well as 1,000 Good Ride challenge coins that will be autographed with personalization by Carey Hart.
The auction closes at 9:00pm Pacific on Thursday, January 16, 2020.
The auction site is available HERE, where you’ll find images and details about each one-of-a-kind tank cover. A selection of tank covers up for bid are shown below.
Custom FTR 1200 tank cover by Tagger Designs.Custom FTR 1200 tank cover by Beam Designs.Custom FTR 1200 tank cover by Air Oil + Lead.Custom FTR 1200 tank cover by Lumpy’s Garage.Custom FTR 1200 tank cover by Ryan Roadkill.
Defending champion Price moves to fourth in the overall standings.
Image: Supplied.
Day four of the 2020 Dakar Rally was once again dominated by the Monster Energy Honda Team, as Jose Ignacio Cornejo won the stage while teammate Ricky Brabec continues to the lead the overall standings.
Cornejo topped stage four with 35-second advantage over teammate Kevin Benavides (Monster Energy Honda Team), while it was KTM-mounted privateer Ross Branch who impressed with a P3 result.
Paulo Goncalves (Hero) was fourth followed by Brabec, while Australian Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had a consistent day to finish sixth on the results sheets.
Overall, Brabec leads Benavides and Cornejo, while Price has promoted himself to fourth ahead of Pablo Quintanilla (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing).
Australian Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha Motor Australia) wound up 18th on day four for a ranking of 17th, as fellow Aussies Phillip Wilson (Bas Dakar KTM Racing Team), Ben Young (Duust Rally Team), Trevor Wilson (Husqvarna) and Matthew Tisdall (Bas Dakar KTM Racing Team) are now ranked in positions 73, 76, 97, and 120.
The Honda factory team is shaping to be the biggest threat to Aussie Toby Price scoring his third Dakar Rally win and the 19th consecutive victory for KTM.
Honda has the top three outright positions after yesterday’s 453km stage four of the rally in Saudi Arabia with Toby biding his time in fourth place outright.
It was a close stage with all top 20 riders, including Queensland veteran competitor Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha), within 13 minutes.
Rodney Faggotter
“Crazy amounts of different terrain and dusty conditions have made for another tough day, a real reminder that we’re at the Dakar Rally, “says Toby.
“As tough as today was I’m happy to have a consistent day with only a couple of little mistakes. We’re sticking to our plan and are in a great position with plenty more racing ahead of us.
“I just need to stay focused and stick to my guns, with navigation being so damn full on my brain is fried and actually makes me feel like I do have some brains up there.”
The stage was won by Chilean rider Jose Florimo (Honda) followed by teammate Kevin Benavides with Toby sixth and less than three minutes behind.
He is now just over 12 minutes behind Honda rider Ricky Brabec who is hoping to be the first American to win the gruelling rally.
(Sorry it’s in Spanish, but the images are in English!)
Top 10 outright rankings
POS.
N°
EXP.
DRIVE-TEAM
MARK-MODEL
TIME
VARIATION
PENALTY
1
9
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
15H 06′ 43”
2
7
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
15H 09′ 13”
+ 00H 02′ 30”
3
17
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
15H 15′ 14”
+ 00H 08′ 31”
00H 01′ 00”
4
1
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
15H 18′ 52”
+ 00H 12′ 09”
00H 02′ 00”
5
5
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
15H 24′ 35”
+ 00H 17′ 52”
6
3
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
15H 25′ 54”
+ 00H 19′ 11”
00H 05′ 00”
7
12
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
15H 32′ 03”
+ 00H 25′ 20”
8
16
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
15H 33′ 13”
+ 00H 26′ 30”
9
2
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
15H 33′ 46”
+ 00H 27′ 03”
10
59
KLYMCIW RACING
15H 41′ 11”
+ 00H 34′ 28”
Other Aussies
Rodney Faggotter
Rodney Faggotter finished 18th and moved back two places to 17th outright.
“It was a brutal day and plenty of potential to hurt yourself, so I just rode smooth as possible though most of the time the throttle was wedged non stop.
“Fast tracks, fast sand and a million rocks littered throughout to make it interesting.”
Other Aussie Ben Young (KTM) finished a respectable 64th and moved up 10 places to 78th while Matthew Tisdall (KTM) finished last (121st) and moves up to 124th.
Tomorrow’s 353km special stage is mainly sand with large boulders as navigation markers.
Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, Toby (right) is raising money for the bushfire appeal.
He is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters
Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
Oh, my bad. It’s not a new Kawasaki triple at all. It’s a very cool 5-minute video of an old 750 Mach IV rolling through and off the assembly line in 1971. That’s nearly 50 years ago, for you kids.
See all the latest manufacturing techniques and modern motorcycle electronics up close and personal, enjoy a time when Euro 5 was probably a boy band. Actually it was concerns about emissions regulations, even then, that caused Kawasaki to throw over its 2-stroke triples for the Z1 just two years later.
If you are a fan of Kawasaki's 750 two stroke triple you'll love this! – A detailed look at the legendary 750 Mach IV on the production line, in testing and on a ride.Introduced In September 1971 the H2 was a 3-cylinder two-stroke with an engine displacement of 748 cc which produced 74 horsepower at 6,800 rpm, a power-to-weight ratio of 1 hp to every 5.7 lb of weight. This made it the fastest accelerating motorcycle then in production with a reputation for less than perfect handling and an ability to pull instant wheelies in almost any gear!
2019 Royal Enfield Continental GT 650. Photo by the author.
MSRP $5,999 Odometer: 1,958 miles
When Royal Enfield unveiledto the world its pair of all-new 650 twins, the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT, at EICMA in November 2017, the anticipation was already buzzing. We’d just visited its sparkly new state-of-the-art UK Technical Center on the Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, near Leicester in central England, where the new twins had been wholly conceived, engineered and tested. We had to wait nearly a year, until September 2018, before we were able to swing a leg over each bike and take them for a spin through the redwoods at the global press launch in Santa Cruz, California (Rider, January 2019 and here), and it was shortly afterward that an example of each showed up at the Rider garage for a complete test.
Identical except for styling details, the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT share an all-new air/oil-cooled 648cc parallel twin, a chassis designed in conjunction with Harris Performance and standard Bosch 2-channel ABS. After a few rides we determined that both bikes not only look and feel the part, but considering their attractive price tags ($5,799 for the Interceptor and $5,999 for the GT) and three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty with free roadside assistance, they were also worth a serious look as “keepers.” The question at the forefront of everyone’s mind, however, was reliability. So we hung onto the GT for about seven months, with rides ranging from easy cruises down the coast highway, to full-on thrashing in the tortuous twisties of the Santa Monica Mountains, interspersed with stretches of just sitting in the garage as other deserving bikes got their test rides.
And it never missed a beat. The GT’s riding position is compact and sporty and the seat is about as comfortable as it looks (the Interceptor is a better choice if comfort is a priority), but leaning through the gentle curves of Highway 1, heading west out of Malibu into the setting sun, the Enfield just felt right. Goldilocks would understand. As Milwaukee-based Royal Enfield North America gradually builds a support base, the number and proximity of dealerships is the only concern for prospective new buyers, but if you’re lucky enough to have one close by, the new 650 twins are the genuine article.
KTM’s Sam Sunderland has led home the Monster Energy Honda duo of Jose Ignacio and Kevin Benavides in Stage Four of the 2020 Dakar Rally, with Stage 2 winner Ross Branch fourth, and Paulo Goncalves completing the top five.
Sam Sunderland – 2020 Dakar Rally Stage Four
Previous stage winner Ricky Brabec had to settle for seventh, 11-seconds faster than defending champion Toby Price, but it was enough for Brabec to retain his overall lead, while Price moved up the standings into fourth – 12min-9s off the combined lead.
Stage Four of the Dakar Rally offered a long day in the saddle for riders, who needed to complete a total of 672 kilomtres, including a 453-kilometre timed special, offering a mix of sandy pistes and travel tracks, traveling from Neom through to Al-Ula.
Following the GPS and waypoint issues of the previous stage, Stage Four also saw the the Top-10 separated by just five-minutes, however the combined leaderboard continues to stretch out.
Aussie Rodney Faggotter finished Stage Four in 18th position on his Yamaha Motor Australia mount, 13min-4s off the leader, moving into 17th in the standings.
Toby Price – 2020 Dakar Rally Stage Four
The overall standings now see Ricky Brabec leading Kevin Benavides by 2min-30s, while a more distant Jose Ignacio is third making a Monster Energy Honda Team 1-2-3. Toby Price and Sam Sunderland complete the top five, as the leading KTM riders, while Pablo Quintanilla is top Husqvarna pilot in sixth.
Replacing the Motostar series, the British Talent Cup will become the sole British Moto3™ class in 2020; acting as the breeding ground for the next two-wheeled talent in the country. With 20 races taking place over ten race weekends, the riders will face challenging UK circuits, including Silverstone, Oulton Park, Donington Park, Snetterton, Knockhill, Brands Hatch and Thruxton, as well as the iconic ‘Cathedral of Speed’, Assen. Alongside that, the British Talent Cup will also race alongside the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in August.
John and Rose England’s patriotic Can-Am Spyder and trailer
Harley port carrier
Jack Miller’s MotoGP helmet
