Ciabatti shed light on the news, saying: “As you know, it’s something we’ve been working on for quite some time. Actually, last year, we already started talking to the late Fausto Gresini about this possibility and honestly, in Portimao, we basically designed a little bit what the agreement will be. Unfortunately, it happened what happened [with Fausto’s passing] but we have to be able to go ahead with the family and the people working in the team, and we were able to reach an agreement, and to be able to announce it yesterday with great Italian riders, with Enea and also Fabio Di Giannantonio joining as a rookie next year in MotoGP.”
Seven-time Supercross and motocross champion Ryan Dungey joins us for Episode 11 of the Motorcyclist Podcast. (Red Bull Content Pool / Garth Milan/)
Seven-time AMA Supercross and motocross champion Ryan Dungey had one heck of a racing career. Having been plucked from the amateur ranks and fast-tracked into the cutthroat world of the pros, during his 11-year professional career he netted seven 450 championships. After exiting the sport on top, Dungey has settled into his new life back at home in Minnesota. In Episode 11 of the Motorcyclist Podcast, we catch up with Ryan and chat about some of his achievements, on and off the track. We also discuss being a family man and his new coffee venture, RD Coffee.
Outside of the top three places was Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who got off to a solid start as he looks set to continue his battle with teammate and Championship leader Remy Gardner. Fifth belonged to Augusto Fernandez (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), who was marginally clear of an impressive Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team), who set his best lap on his final lap of the session. There was an array of crashes throughout the session, with Cameron Beaubier (American Racing), Marcel Schrotter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2) and Hafizh Syahrin (NTS RW Racing GP) all in the gravel, although all were OK.
The Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland saw the MotoGP™ World Championship’s premier class take to the track in the sunshine, with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) maintaining his mantle of ‘King of the Ring’ by leading the way with a 1’21.660 and completing 25 laps. It is the first dry session with all riders on the grid since his comeback that Marquez has topped. Despite a crash, it was Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) who shadowed the Spaniard and was less than two tenths behind, whilst Japanese rider Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda IDEMITSU) made it two Hondas inside the top three.
The Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland has got underway at the Sachsenring, with John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) leaving it late to take top slot with a 1’26.739. The 26-year-old left it late to displace Japan’s Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse), who was leading the way before McPhee took over, whilst third place went Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesia Racing Gresini Moto3), as the top three were covered by 0.370s.
We had a chat with Shane Kinderis this morning after the NextGen BMW head honcho had just sent his latest acquisitions out on track at the opening practice session of the Hidden Valley round of the Australian Superbike Championship in Darwin. Shane picked up two new BMW M 1000 RR motorcycles in Darwin on Wednesday afternoon and has been burning the midnight oil ever since in a quest to prepare the bikes for competition this weekend. We spoke to him just after FP1, but before FP2 today.
Trev – Anecdotally, I have heard the wings on the bikes have made a dramatic difference to the confidence your riders had on the bikes when you previously tested the M bodywork on your current race bikes before actually getting an M bike. Has this surprised you? And them?
A standard BMW M 1000 RR as it comes off the showroom floor
“Yes. We have had some bodywork for a while and tested it at Wakefield and both Glenn and Lachy came in, I guess more confused than anything else, because where they expected the benefits to be there wasn’t, but where they weren’t expecting it, there was. Mostly under braking, the bike is so much more stable under brakes, it really grounds the bike I guess would be the best way describe it. While at high speed their first comments were that it made it harder to change direction, the bike sort of wanting to resist, which is once again, not what we expected. They definitely do something, and that was on the old bikes, we actually had to put 10 mm more pre-load on the front forks to get them off the bottom under brakes, obviously we would get to changing spring rates etc. but when we were just trying the bodywork out for the first time, we literally just ran the fairings for one session at Wakefield to see what they did, and yeah, we were very surprised.”
NextGen BMW M 1000 RR being prepped in the pits in Darwin on Friday morning – Image RbMotoLens
Trev – And I know we have been across this before in previous chats, but just again for our readers can you again explain the advantages the rear suspension linkage has on the M model, compared to the linkage designed for the much longer travel stroke of the Marzocchi electronic Dynamic Damping Control shock on the other S 1000 RR models?
“So basically the new M has a more, I guess a known rate, your normal 2:1 linkage ratio, which means you don’t have the shaft speeds that you do with the other linkage which works the poor (race) shock so hard that it just overheats it, as with the linkage designed for the electronic shock it works our conventional race shocks twice as far as it should. But with the M we gain more benefits than that, it’s just not the linkage, the swing-arm is different, the back of the frame is different, the linkage ratio is actually adjustable also. It is quite a complex mechanism in the back linkage now.”
BMW M 1000 RR
Trev – And have you been working with and taking advantage of the ShiftCam technology by changing the phasing of the cams at all in race trim? As standard the cams change over at 9000 rpm.
“ShiftCam is used in our race package, we would never remove it. They remove it in British Superbike because the spec’ ECU used in that series doesn’t have the capability to drive it, but for sure we are using ShiftCam.”
Trev – As for the independent control of the throttle bodies in pairs. For the uninitiated this essentially enables tuners to smooth out the power delivery at major lean angles by feeding one pair of cylinders more air-fuel mixture to increase drive, before then progressively adding more power by bringing in the remaining two cylinders at a different rate as lean angle lessens and grip increases. Riders can also toggle this functionality on or off while on track.Have you been working with this functionality during testing Shane? It must almost be a time black-hole development wise, if you really want to use this feature to its maximum extent?
“To be honest, since the latest software update, we haven’t touched it, we are just using it ‘as supplied’. We have put the same software package in the new M bikes we have just got, but we had to change the internal firmware of the ECU, because these bikes generate so much more power, there are different torque numbers etc. used in the calculations, to make it all work, even though the ECU is the same, we have had to put the firmware version in it that is specific to the M.”
BMW M 1000 RR
Trev – Are Glenn and Lachlan changing their power delivery or traction control maps on the fly during race conditions, as the tyres go away later on in the race?
“Yes, always, always.”
Trev – Is the launch control good enough now for the racers to use all of the time? Again, for the uninitiated, the launch control on even a standard S 1000 RR can be programmed for rider weight and whether the launch will be on a slight incline or decline, for the ECU to work out how best to launch the bike and feed the power in.
“We have never not used it, since the newer bikes came along, generally Glenn and Lachlan always gain places on every start, we used to get poor starts, but since the bikes got launch control I don’t think we have ever gone into turn one a position lower down than what we had qualified.”
Trev – A few years ago BMW moved away from using Brembo calipers to the American made Hayes caliper, along with a Nissin master cylinder. Now for the M bike Nissin calipers are used with zinc-nickel coated steel pistons with added cooling features integrated into the calipers and thicker disc rotors. This might be a significant step forward, have the boys mentioned anything about the bikes this morning?
NextGen BMW M 1000 RR – Image RbMotoLens
“Their first comments were wow.. obviously Glenn is one of the hardest brakers in the championship, and he came in and said heading to turn one he had to let go of the brakes and get on the throttle again. Up until now we have used the same GaleSpeed master cylinder that we used on the previous bikes, so literally the only difference this morning was the Nissin caliper and they both said ‘holy’, ‘just unbelievable.’”
BMW M 1000 RR uses different calipers made by Nissin
Trev – You going to be running the carbon rims that come standard on the M?
“Funny story… The carbon wheels, the M has different wheels, nobody told us, so we only have one set of wheels for each bike for the weekend. We were unaware they were different.”
NextGen BMW M 1000 RR – Image RbMotoLens
Trev – Different how?
“Because of the under-slung rear caliper, the rear disc rotor sits out about 40 mm wider. It is actually outside of the line of the wheel. That said it is proper World Endurance stuff it drops straight in. I would have thought that they would simply produce some sort of adaptor for the disc and use the same carbon rims as are available for the other S 1000 RR models, as I wouldn’t imagine they would engineer a whole new carbon rim design, but they have.”
Quite a few valve-train changes for M 1000 RR
Trev – BMW claim 212 horsepower (5 up from S 100 RR) at 14,500 rpm stock from the M 1000 RR. 113 Nm at 11,000 rpm and an increased rev-limit to 15,100 rpm. The M engine has lighter but stronger Mahle two-ring pistons (each piston is 12 grams lighter), tweaked combustion chambers, new camshafts with more lift and an increased compression ratio to 13.5:1 (from 13.3), along with longer and lighter shot-peened Pankl titanium (S 1000 RR uses tempered steel) rods. Fully machined intake ports, even smaller and lighter rocker arms (width reduced from 8 mm to 6.5 mm – weight reduction of six per cent) and various other small tweaks.Are you using the stock M engines this weekend or are you putting the engines out of your current race-bikes into the M bikes this weekend until you get the engines in the M machines run in and prepped?
BMW provided dyno charts comparing S 1000 RR and M 1000 RR
“Both boys just came in smiling after that first session, going ‘crikey’ it’s fast. And that was just after getting off the previous race bike on to this new standard M model and they were pulling another gear down the straight.
“One of the main objectives of the M is the engine. Obviously, I am a well-seasoned engine builder but check out the photo I took on my phone of the CNC ports last night.
Purdy ports
“They are spiralled CNC ports, so they put a spin in the air before it even goes into the port, which can only really be done with CNC machining, they are an unbelievably magnificent piece of equipment, I am seriousy impressed.
“Air-box is completely different, the variable intake trumpet mechanisms are different, and we’ve got another 1000 rpm with the titanium con-roads and all that. Both boys just came in and they were literally both gobsmacked at how much faster the bike was, how much quicker it accelerates.
“The engine changes are significant, cylinder head different, rods are different, pistons are different, two-ring pistons not three. They are claiming five more horsepower difference, but I have never seen with all these changes, CNC head etc. and all the other bits and pieces make only five horsepower.
“Lachlan come in and said he was behind Oli and caught him and could have passed him, the first time he has been able to draft the V4 Ducati.”
Trev – The chassis geometry is also quite markedly different on the M bikes. Steering head angle and fork offset are different, the swingarm is a significant 12 mm longer and you now have more adjustments available in regards to pivot point. The front-rear balance of the standard M bike is also quite different with less weight on the front end (52.1 per cent on the M compared to 53.8 per cent on the R). With all those changes, suspension and set-up wise, you seem to be essentially starting from scratch this weekend despite the limited practice time available. So with this in mind I have to ask, are you mad?
Completely. “Absolutely and completely. I cannot thank our guys enough for what we have done. We had two road bikes at 3pm Wednesday, and we haven’t had much sleep since then.”
Glenn Allerton shaking down the new M 1000 RR at Hidden Valley today in ASBK Free Practice – Image RbMotoLens
BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Video on the M 1000 RR
ASBK Hidden Valley Schedule
Friday, 18 June 10:25am – Practice 1 (40 min) FOX Sports 2:20pm – Practice 2 (30 min) FOX Sports
Saturday, 19 June 10:15am – Qualifying 1 (20 min) FOX Sports 10:40am – Qualifying 2 (15 min) FOX Sports 2:05pm – Race 1 (16 laps) FOX Sports/Channel 7
Sunday, 20 June 10:50am – Race 2 (16 laps) FOX Sports 2:05pm – Race 3 (16 laps) FOX Sports/Channel 7
2021 ASBK Championship Calendar (Updated)
Round 1 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC February 18-21 Cancelled
Round 2 Winton Motor Raceway, Benalla, VIC March 12-14
Round 3 Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn, NSW April 16-18
Round 4 Hidden Valley Raceway, NT – Supercars 2+4 (Superbikes only) June 18-20
Round 5 Morgan Park Raceway, QLD August 20-22
Round 6 The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, SA September 23-26
Round 7 Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn, NSW October 15 – 17 *
Round 8 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC November 5-7 *
Riders got out for their second session of the day this afternoon at Hidden Valley with a 30-minute FP2 session. The track temperature had passed 56-degrees, while ambient was a sticky 32-degrees.
That didn’t stop Wayne Maxwell from dropping in a 66 on his first flying lap then putting a 66.508 on his second and a 66.379 on his third to further underline his potential here this weekend. Some lapped traffic then slowed him back to a 67 before he then got straight back down to a 66.335s, which he then backed that up with a 66.177, undercutting his FP1 topping time from the morning.
Troy Herfoss had gone out at the beginning of the session and completed a lap but then returned to the pits, presumably with some sort of problem. The Penrite Honda man lost almost ten-minutes before getting back out on circuit.
Troy Herfoss – Image RbMotoLens
Mike Jones went a tenth quicker than his FP1 time early in the session, a 66.5, which he then repeated again a few minutes later.
Glenn Allerton had turned his first laps on the new M 1000 RR late in FP1 and immediately dropped another three-tenths in FP2 with a couple of 66.7s in succession.
Oli Bayliss had demonstrated great speed in FP1 but was running somewhat under the radar in FP2, that was until the teenager got wound up with ten-minutes left in the session and went top! A 66.072 putting the youngster on top of the time-sheets. His DesmoSport Ducati team-mate Mike Jones also improved his standing to 66.306 at this juncture and it was a Ducati 1-2-3 atop the timing screens. Oli then put in a 66.153 to show that 66.072 hadn’t been a flash in the pan.
Oli Bayliss looking strong this weekend – Image RbMotoLens
With six-minutes to run almost the entire Superbike field were on track. Maxwell was putting in more quick laps, a 66.213 not quite as good as his earlier 66.177, but again underlining how consistently he is able to turn in quick laps.
South Australian privateer Daniel Falzon dropped in a 66.520s to declare to the paddock that he was going to be a force to be reckoned with this weekend, despite a long time away from competition.
Herfoss didn’t really get down to business until the dying minutes, a 66.524 shaving a few thousandths off his FP1 time but only good enough for fifth. He improved further in the dying seconds to 66.381 to push Falzon back to fifth.
Wayne Maxwell – Image Half Light
With two-minutes to run Maxwell put the Boost Mobile Ducati back on top with a 66.051. That time set amidst a run of low 66.1s. While other top runners had put in a fast lap here and there, Maxwell was just reeling lap after lap off around this pace every time he was on the circuit. So far, he is looking without a doubt the man to beat.
Wayne Maxwell
“We worked through our plan today, and it was satisfying to end the day on top, but it hasn’t been without its challenges,” Maxwell said. “Our head engineer, Adrian, is stuck in Melbourne at the moment, so he’s been working remotely. Without the personal interaction, it makes it harder, but a full credit to the Boost Mobile with K-Tech crew – they’re doing their best in difficult circumstances and as usual, they’ve given me a very good bike. I did my fastest time on a used tyre, so I’m confident heading into qualifying tomorrow.”
Wayne Maxwell – Image RbMotoLens
Hugely impressive for Oli Bayliss to run Wayne so close and take second overall for the day, three-tenths ahead of his vastly experienced team-mate Mike Jones who completed that Ducati 1-2-3 on Friday. Neither of them displayed the consistency at that pace demonstrated by Maxwell though.
Oli Bayliss
“My only previous experience at Hidden Valley was on a Supersport 300 bike, so I knew I had to train as hard as I could to prepare for a weekend of Superbike racing in hot conditions,” Bayliss said. “We improved in both sessions today and I was really happy with my times before the clutch let go, so we’re in good shape for tomorrow.”
DesmoSport Ducati – Image RbMotoLens
Herfoss fourth but I suspect it was not all plain sailing today at Penrite Honda and he is yet to really demonstrate his full potential. I think they will be stronger tomorrow.
Troy Herfoss – Image Half Light
Glenn Allerton and NextGen BMW will be absolutely pumped off the back of today’s first run on the new M 1000 RR. They are only scratching the surface of the set-up potential of the bike yet they were only half-a-second off P1 and well in the game.
South Australian family privateers the Falzons will be pretty happy with their work today – Image Half Light
Daniel Falzon sixth on the privateer JD Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 a huge boon for the family squad as they took the honour of being top Yamaha.
Bryan Staring got the BC Performance Kawasaki into the 66s, a 66.780 good enough for seventh quickest and giving the squad more encouragement after what has been a difficult start to season 2021 for the Sydney based outfit.
Bryan Staring – Image RbMotoLens
Cru Halliday was eighth quickest just ahead of Jed Metcher while Lachlan Epis rounded out the top ten ahead of Josh Waters, Arthur Sissis and Aiden Wagner.
The qualifying lap record at Hidden Valley was set by Troy Bayliss here a few years ago at 65.601s, and the race lap record set by Troy Herfoss the same year at 65.904s.
Qualifying gets underway tomorrow morning ahead of Race One on Saturday afternoon followed by two more races on Sunday.
Friday Combined Times
Pos
Rider
Bike
Lap
1
Wayne MAXWEL
Ducati V4R
1m06.051
2
Oli BAYLISS
Ducati V4R
1m06.072
3
Mike JONES
Ducati V4R
1m06.306
4
Troy HERFOSS
Honda CBR RR
1m06.346
5
Glenn ALLERTON
BMW S RR
1m06.519
6
Daniel FALZON
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m06.520
7
Bryan STARING
Kawasaki ZX10R
1m06.780
8
Cru HALLIDAY
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m06.865
9
Jed METCHER
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m07.007
10
Lachlan EPIS
BMW S RR
1m07.194
11
Josh WATERS
Kawasaki ZX10R
1m07.199
12
Arthur SISSIS
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m07.256
13
Aiden WAGNER
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m07.378
14
Matthew WALTERS
Kawasaki ZX10R
1m07.392
15
Corey TURNER
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m07.722
16
Anthony WEST
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m07.895
17
Luke JHONSTON
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m09.469
18
Yannis SHAW
Suzuki GSX-R
1m09.914
19
Jack DAVIS
BMW S RR
1m09.928
20
Mark CHIODO
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m10.199
21
Michael EDWARDS
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m12.622
ASBK Hidden Valley Schedule
Friday, 18 June 10:25am – Practice 1 (40 min) FOX Sports 2:20pm – Practice 2 (30 min) FOX Sports
Saturday, 19 June 10:15am – Qualifying 1 (20 min) FOX Sports 10:40am – Qualifying 2 (15 min) FOX Sports 2:05pm – Race 1 (16 laps) FOX Sports/Channel 7
Sunday, 20 June 10:50am – Race 2 (16 laps) FOX Sports 2:05pm – Race 3 (16 laps) FOX Sports/Channel 7
2021 ASBK Championship Calendar (Updated)
Round 1 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC February 18-21 Cancelled
Round 2 Winton Motor Raceway, Benalla, VIC March 12-14
Round 3 Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn, NSW April 16-18
Round 4 Hidden Valley Raceway, NT – Supercars 2+4 (Superbikes only) June 18-20
Round 5 Morgan Park Raceway, QLD August 20-22
Round 6 The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, SA September 23-26
Round 7 Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn, NSW October 15 – 17 *
Round 8 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC November 5-7 *
There was a 20-minute delay to the start of the opening 40-minute practice session for Superbikes as a track clean-up was underway from one of the four-wheel classes. Riders were called to the end of pit-lane before then being sent back to get tyre-warmers back on. The track temperature was already nudging towards 50-degrees celsius and the ambient passing 30-degrees, perfect weather for standing around in your leathers…
Wayne Maxwell was the first rider into the 6s, a 66.942s recorded 15-minutes into the session then immediately backed up with a 66.830s, which was then followed up with a 66.879. He drifted back into the 67s briefly before then lowering the morning benchmark to 66.673s, followed by a 66.737 as the session passed its halfway point.
Glenn Allerton had spent the first half of the session on the S 1000 RR before then returning to the pits to ride the new M 1000 RR that they only took delivery of in Darwin less than 48 hours ago. On the initial shakedown laps the rear brake locked on due to the pedal free-play not being set quite correctly on the hastily prepared bike but that was quickly sorted and Glenn was back on track familiaring himself with the new bike.
Glenn Allerton shaking down the new M 1000 RR – Image Half Light
Troy Herfoss had put in a few 67.0s in the first half of the session before returning to the pits and then rejoining the track with 15-minutes remaining to drop in a 66.729s which was then immediately backed up with a 66.732s.
Young Oli Bayliss and his DesmoSport Ducati team-mate Mike Jones then also dropped into the 66s, a 66.775 to Oli and 66.899 to Oli. The youngsters bike had a wardrobe malfunction during the session also and has some bodywork flapping in the breeze.
Some bodywork came adrift on the DesmoSport Ducati during the session – Image RbMotoLens
Wayne Maxwell left the pits with just under ten-minutes left in the session and immediately put his head down to lower the benchmark once again, a 66.265, then immediately backed that up with a quicker 66.240, then went quicker again with a 66.215. He then ran off briefly before rejoining the circuit and returning to pit-lane.
Oli Bayliss then moved up to P2 after putting in a 66.515 with just over five-minutes remaining in the session. Jones then pushed Herfoss further back to P4, a 66.704s to the #46 DesmoSport Ducati. Second laters though Herfoss demoted Jones to P4 once again after putting in a 66.536s to spoil the Ducati 1-2-3.
In the dying seconds of the 40-minute session Maxwell then put in new fastest split times across the first two splits but then failed to improve across the final split, this his 66.215 on his 19th lap of the session the early benchmark here this weekend. That compares to the qualifying lap record set by Troy Bayliss here a few years ago at 65.601s, and the race lap record set by Troy Herfoss the same year at 65.904s. The Boost Mobile Ducati squad without their crew-chief Adrian Monti this weekend as due to COVID restrictions he is working from Melbourne in constant communication with team personnel on the ground in Darwin.
Oli Bayliss a brilliant second place in this opening session. Seriously impressive for the 17-year-old who only joined the Superbike ranks this year, and previously has only ever ridden a 300 around this circuit.
Troy Herfoss (66.536s) third ahead of Mike Jones (66.704s) in fourth place. BC Performance’s Bryan Staring next best on 67.012s ahead of NextGen BMW’s Glenn Allerton whose best of 67.077s was set on the fresh new M 1000 RR only put together overnight.
Bryan Staring – Image Half Light
Privateer Daniel Falzon ranked seventh in the morning session on the back of a 67.583s as he gets back up to speed after a lengthy break from competition. Cessnock Kawasaki privateer Matt Walters P8 ahead of the YRT entry of Cru Halliday while privateer Arthur Sissis rounded out the top ten.
Anthony West was 11th this morning ahead of Aiden Wagner and Josh Waters.
FP2 is schedule to get underway at 1420 Darwin time, which equates to 1450 AEST.
Wayne Maxwell sporting a new graphics design on his Shark helmet for this round – Image RbMotoLens
Superbike Hidden Valley Friday FP1 Times
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time
1
Wayne MAXWELL
Ducati V4R
1m06.215
2
Oli BAYLISS
Ducati V4R
1m06.515
3
Troy HERFOSS
Honda CBR RR
1m06.536
4
Mike JONES
Ducati V4R
1m06.704
5
Bryan STARING
Kawasaki ZX10R
1m07.012
6
Glenn ALLERTON
BMW S RR
1m07.077
7
Daniel FALZON
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m07.583
8
Matthew WALTERS
Kawasaki ZX10R
1m07.668
9
Cru HALLIDAY
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m07.693
10
Arthur SISSIS
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m07.727
11
Anthony WEST
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m07.895
12
Aiden WAGNER
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m07.953
13
Josh WATERS
Kawasaki ZX10R
1m07.956
14
Lachlan EPIS
BMW S RR
1m08.098
15
Jed METCHER
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m08.354
16
Corey TURNER
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m08.361
17
Mark CHIODO
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m10.199
18
Yannis SHAW
Suzuki GSX-R
1m10.283
19
Luke JHONSTON
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m10.609
20
Michael EDWARDS
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m14.844
ASBK Hidden Valley Schedule
Friday, 18 June 10:25am – Practice 1 (40 min) FOX Sports 2:20pm – Practice 2 (30 min) FOX Sports
Saturday, 19 June 10:15am – Qualifying 1 (20 min) FOX Sports 10:40am – Qualifying 2 (15 min) FOX Sports 2:05pm – Race 1 (16 laps) FOX Sports/Channel 7
Sunday, 20 June 10:50am – Race 2 (16 laps) FOX Sports 2:05pm – Race 3 (16 laps) FOX Sports/Channel 7
2021 ASBK Championship Calendar (Updated)
Round 1 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC February 18-21 Cancelled
Round 2 Winton Motor Raceway, Benalla, VIC March 12-14
Round 3 Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn, NSW April 16-18
Round 4 Hidden Valley Raceway, NT – Supercars 2+4 (Superbikes only) June 18-20
Round 5 Morgan Park Raceway, QLD August 20-22
Round 6 The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, SA September 23-26
Round 7 Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn, NSW October 15 – 17 *
Round 8 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC November 5-7 *
On the eve of the ASBK showdown in Darwin getting underway we had a chat with Penrite Honda’s Paul Free, Crew Chief for Troy Herfoss. Hopefully some of these insights will help interested readers get more of an understanding of how things work these days in Australian Superbike.
Trev – What have you been working on primarily since the previous round and at recent test sessions?
“Electronics. Really just been focussing on electronics. Up until now I just haven’t had a lot of mind space to really focus on the electronics side of it. With the help of Charlie Hallam, he has been coming to the track with me to collectively try and get our heads around the system, as it is really quite a complex system, we’ve just been working our way around that. The manual for it is in Jinglish, so it is quite difficult to navigate, but spending time together with young Charlie, spending time at the track and just playing with stuff and seeing what it does, looking at that on the data-logger, as some things don’t appear on there as they are necessarily meant to, so that’s been an interesting process, and something we will be spending a lot more time with ongoing.”
The dash on the Penrite Honda
Trev – Is gearing fairly set and forget these days? With the bikes having such a broad spread of power, or is it something that still requires on-track testing rather than simple maths back in the pits?
“When you go to a new track, like this (Hidden Valley) is new to this 21 model Fireblade then yes perhaps. But we will just start with the older bikes gearing from when we were here last, 2018 I think, as a reference, and then will change that accordingly to the Michelin tyres and this new bike.We might change a tooth perhaps, but to be honest most likely won’t have to.We went to Queensland Raceway to test recently, and we hadn’t been there for many years, and just used exactly the same gearing as we did at Winton and it worked perfectly. We do change it, but the bike has such a massive spread of power. Troy rides this current Fireblade right down to as low as 5000 rpm, right up to the 15,000 rpm limiter, so you’ve got a 10,000 rpm power-band there, which is a pretty damn useable power spread.”
Penrite Honda setting up in Darwin this morning – Image RbMotoLens
Trev – I believe some of the earliest challenges you had with getting the new Fireblade set-up for racing here in Australia was in the mapping of the fly-by-wire throttle. Which is something the Kawasaki boys have been struggling with this season after receiving their new bike. Results wise it certainly looks as though that’s well and truly sorted now on the Penrite Honda, or are you still tweaking it from day to day in response to changing conditions and from track to track?
“The stuff we initially had problems with was self inflicted. I will honestly say that. We played with some stuff and caused ourselves our own mischief. Once we learned that, it was pretty easy to see what and why things were happening.But yes, like I mentioned earlier, we are starting to put a lot more emphasis on electronics, and opening up more of the package on that side. There is just so much adjustability in there.
“Superbike race teams in Australia Trev are honestly getting to the point, you can see with the Ducati teams, you need a dedicated person to just be looking at electronics all day. Focussing on the data, interpreting that data, then talking to the rider and making the necessary changes based on those two inputs. But probably more so the data than the rider input. It’s getting very, very complicated and increasingly challenging, but I suppose it is just the way of the world… I can see before too long that each proper team will have one person that is just an electronics person, where that is all they do.”
Penrite Honda setting up in Darwin this morning – Image RbMotoLens
Trev – It is almost an endless black hole that you can pour infinite resources into essentially, and certainly employ more than one guy to focus on, particularly for a two-rider team.
“100 per cent. But in the end budgets rule everything. If you have one person dedicated in that electronics role, even in a multi-rider team, in fact that may even help speed up some processes, having data inputs from two different riders and bikes, but yes even for a single rider team it’s not far away. It adds a lot of costs to a team operation, that’s another person that has got to be paid, got to be fed, got to be accommodated and moved around the country, you know that adds up, but it is what it is.”
Trev – With the new bike does Troy have the facility to change engine, traction control or engine braking control during a race as grip levels change? Or does he leave well enough alone and just trust his right hand?
“To date no. He hasn’t been changing that during a race, to date, but that will change after what we have recently learned.”
Trev – From what I have witnessed, after spending so much time in pit garages with you over the past 20 years or so, is just how much work you put in to tweaking the suspension package, to a degree so fine that the uninitiated will never understand. Despite the bikes producing so much power now, we know that the power delivery is also now so refined and smooth that it does make putting the power down to the ground perhaps easier than it ever was. Thus it seems in modern racing you really win or lose on entry speed, so is the focus of the suspension tuning now much more critical on the front than the rear?
“It’s balance. It’s completely balance. If the bike is not balanced you haven’t got a motorbike. When you know what you are looking at you can see that from a mile away, when you are looking at a bike and a rider, entering, going through and exiting a corner, a mile away.“
Trev – Has that balance changed more towards one end than the other in recent times?
“I don’t know if I can actually comment on that, because I have always concentrated on having a very, very well balanced bike, and a bike that is easy to ride. There is no point in having a motorbike that you can rip the ears off for one lap, because that doesn’t help you on lap 16 does it? So a really balanced bike, whether that was five years ago or now, I don’t think that has really changed.”
Trev – You have worked with Troy for a long time now. Where has he most improved of late do you think?
“A good question. A hard one to answer. I know that his level of determination, and his desire to succeed, at any time, is unwavering. He is just such a focussed individual, it’s crazy. To see that race at Wakefield Park, race two I think it was, six laps to go and he is two-seconds behind the leader, and he has an ability to pull him in and pass that guy, in six laps, I don’t know that anyone else can do that. But this guy here, he is just mental for success.”
Troy Herfoss and Paul Free – Behind Herf’s Colgate smile the intensity burns white hot
Trev – In recent times it does seem as though Troy and Wayne are performing a cut above the rest. Different bikes and different tyres, yet they never seem to be far apart.Your time is spent giving Troy the best package you can provide, and Wayne’s team work hard to do the same. With the fine tuning of all the systems on these latest model bikes do you think technicians now are perhaps more important than ever?
“Mmmm.I don’t know if they are more important than ever, it has always been extremely important that a rider has a good technician, a clever technician, someone that can assist the rider at every point throughout a race weekend, right down to a championship. I think there is ultimately plenty of riders in any championship that could be successful, if they had the right level of support, I think that is the big difference with Troy and Wayne at the moment. That’s not taking anything away from those guys, they are right now at their very, very best. I don’t want to sound like I’m a crew chief in Troy’s team and I am making him win, that’s not what I am saying at all, but I think it is vitally important that a rider has the right people around them, people that know what they are doing, understand the motorcycle, understand the rider, understand what’s required to make that bike and rider package be at its best, every day, every weekend, and make sure it is there and stays in that position. So I don’t know if they are more important now, than in the past, I don’t think so, I think it has been the same.“
Trev – Are there any specific extra challenges thrown up this weekend in regards to the tyre allocation for the three-race format put in place for Darwin?
“No, we have got nine tyres, in total, over the three races and the qualifying sessions. So we have no challenge with tyres whatsoever, we have ample tyres in that allocation, no problem at all. The big challenge here will be the outright temperature. We see this track temperature at different circuits, around the country, and when we go testing and stuff. We just checked the track temperatures here now, mid-afternoon on Thursday here, and it was 50-degrees. We see those temperatures throughout the year, but what you don’t see is just the outright heat of the ambient temperature. It is so, so humid and hot here, I think the biggest challenge up here in Darwin is just keeping your rider physically hydrated, if you can keep him physically strong and fit all weekend then come Sunday you will be right on top of it.“
Trev – Thanks for your time Paul, a pleasure as always, good luck for the weekend.
Penrite Honda setting up in Darwin this morning – Image RbMotoLens
ASBK Hidden Valley Schedule
Friday, 18 June 10:25am – Practice 1 (40 min) FOX Sports 2:20pm – Practice 2 (30 min) FOX Sports
Saturday, 19 June 10:15am – Qualifying 1 (20 min) FOX Sports 10:40am – Qualifying 2 (15 min) FOX Sports 2:05pm – Race 1 (16 laps) FOX Sports/Channel 7
Sunday, 20 June 10:50am – Race 2 (16 laps) FOX Sports 2:05pm – Race 3 (16 laps) FOX Sports/Channel 7
2021 ASBK Championship Calendar (Updated)
Round 1 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC February 18-21 Cancelled
Round 2 Winton Motor Raceway, Benalla, VIC March 12-14
Round 3 Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn, NSW April 16-18
Round 4 Hidden Valley Raceway, NT – Supercars 2+4 (Superbikes only) June 18-20
Round 5 Morgan Park Raceway, QLD August 20-22
Round 6 The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, SA September 23-26
Round 7 Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn, NSW October 15 – 17 *
Round 8 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC November 5-7 *
Describe your dream tour, anywhere in the USA. Win the use of a V85 TT adventure bike for 14 days and a $2,500 travel budget.
I threw down a route. Start in Seattle, ride east to Glacier National Park, then follow the Rocky Mountains south through Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Flaming Gorge, Capitol Reef, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and finish in Las Vegas. Eight days, seven states, six national parks and monuments, 2,600 miles. Epic!
When the Piaggio Group called me last August to tell me I had won, it didn’t leave much time to prep and hit the road to beat the cold weather in Glacier National Park. My buddy Kit agreed to join me, and Moto Guzzi generously offered us a second bike. The adventure/dual-sport market isn’t Guzzi’s typical realm, so when I read that the TT stands for tutto terreno (all-terrain), I figured the least we could do is put them through a genuine off-road test. Part of the budget went toward Michelin Anakee Wild tires; billed as 50/50 on-/off-road, they have a surprisingly aggressive tread pattern. At 500-plus pounds, the V85 TT is no dirt bike, but if adventure is your goal, sooner or later you’re going to find yourself off the beaten path, and that’s exactly where we planned to be.
Our Chariots Await
We flew to Seattle and first saw our V85 TTs parked outside at Optimum Performance Motorsports. Their styling reminded me of old Paris-Dakar bikes. I took the Adventure edition, sporty in bright red and white livery, with only a gesture of a windscreen. Kit took the Travel edition, with a sophisticated metallic sand color and a larger windscreen, auxiliary lights and heated grips. Both bikes were fitted with excellent panniers, and the Adventure also included a top box, which I removed to allow more room for my DrySpec soft bags. After a chat with Alan Kwang, the dealership owner, he handed us the keys and wished us well. It was surreal riding away on brand new bikes without having exchanged anything more than a conversation.
A Dash Across an Apocalyptic Plain
It was nearly noon by the time we packed everything on the bikes and rode east out of Seattle. U.S. Route 2 climbs into rugged, pine-strewn mountains and goes over Stevens Pass (4,061 feet) before descending along the floor of a dramatic, glacial valley. During a late lunch in Leavenworth, the smell of smoke reminded us there were wildfires still burning across Washington State. After crossing the Columbia River, a steep ascent took us out of the rocky canyon onto a vast, windswept plain. Rolling grassland swept off to the horizon in all directions. Huge areas, scorched black by the recent flames, were still smoldering. It was like riding through the wake of a recent battle. We raced across the plateau for 140 miles, and then descended into Spokane and made quick time to our hotel in Ponderay, Idaho.
Going-to-the-Sun Road provides panoramic views of the dramatic arêtes, cascading valleys and ribbon lakes that make up Glacier National Park.
Majestic Glacier National Park and Deer in the Headlights
Still refining the bike-packing process, we began the first of 440 miles much later than planned. Just shy of the Canadian border, Route 2 turns east near Bonners Ferry, into the dense fir and spruce forests of Montana. Entering Glacier National Park, crystal-clear Lake McDonald sweeps up the valley alongside Going-to-the-Sun Road, a narrow strip of asphalt (and an engineering marvel) carved into the side of a mountain range. Logan Pass (6,647 feet) offered awesome views, as sheer valleys tumbled down to the lakes below and knife-edged arêtes towered above us. The light was fading by the time we got on the deserted forest road to Missoula. Kit spotted a mule deer, her almond eyes reflecting brightly in the Travel’s auxiliary lights. She was the first of many, and it was 10 p.m. when we finally walked into the Missoula Club bar, famous for its burgers and beer.
The Glorious Mountain Roads of Montana
After refueling in Hamilton, we turned east into the Sapphire Mountains on a steep gravel track and climbed up to Skalkaho Pass (7,257 feet). It was our first off-road test for the bikes and tires, and we quickly found our confidence on the hard-packed gravel. Abundant torque served us well, especially in 2nd and 3rd gears. By afternoon, the towering canyons had relented to reveal panoramic views of the dramatic scenery. We swept up another pass, riding into Virginia City, a marvelous authentic gold-rush town established in 1863. Following the Madison River south from Ennis, we had a breathtaking sight as the setting sun lit up a colossal rift running along the western bank. Eventually, we made it to our hotel in the dark, tired and hungry, only to discover the nearest restaurant was eight miles away, in West Yellowstone.
Clouds of sulphur-smelling steam billow up from boiling pools along the road through Yellowstone.
Enchanting Yellowstone and Towering Grand Teton
As the sun came up, we brushed the ice off our seats and rode into Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park. We rode a clockwise loop around the park, passing steaming geysers, volcanic hot springs that belched scorching, sulfurous gas, and bison that grazed the roadside meadows, eventually coming upon enormous Yellowstone Lake. We made a quick stop at the amazing Old Faithful Inn, just as its namesake geyser erupted.
The Tetons looming over Jackson Lake
The road exiting Yellowstone’s southern entrance runs along the edge of a sheer canyon, ending at Jackson Lake, where the Tetons, a series of three spectacular peaks, soar up from the western bank to over 13,500 feet like giant fossilized teeth. It was late afternoon when we stopped at Alpine to buy supplies. The Guzzis always drew a small crowd and a flurry of questions. I discovered our next leg, a 95-mile dirt track through Bridger-Teton National Forest, was only graded for the first 40. Undeterred (somewhat), we proceeded anyway and soon found an idyllic spot to make camp by the river.
Scarlet Sockeye and the Stunning Beauty of Flaming Gorge
After a chilly, restless night, we rejoined the track running along Greys River, a ribbon of blue and lush green framed by rocky bluffs. As predicted, the track became steep and challenging, but the V85 TTs’ suspension capably soaked up the abuse, while their V-twins churned out torque with a lovely, distinctive rumble. We savored awesome view after awesome view as our fifth day’s route took us out of Wyoming’s forested mountains and into the painted desert canyons of Utah.
Steaming in the early chill, bucolic Madison River flows into Yellowstone National Park
Desolate plateau roads delivered us to a series of tight corners cut into the red rock, descending hundreds of feet into Flaming Gorge. At the bottom, we stopped at Sheep Creek, where the shallow, limpid water was teeming with sockeye salmon. A series of thrilling sweepers and twisties climbed out of the gorge, providing a spectacular view of the sheer, banded cliffs of crimson and terracotta strata and the reservoir below. The plateau finally ended with a dramatic zig-zagging 3,000-foot descent to the town of Vernal, Utah. We used every electrical socket in the room to charge the crap out of everything — cameras, phones, drone — making the most of our last night in a hotel.
Ridge Riding on Top of the World and A Steer Standoff
After a dash across the vast Uinta Basin, we descended into Scofield (pop. 23), home to Snack & Pack, a quirky gas station where customers broil their own burgers. With us and the Guzzis refueled, we climbed into the mighty Manti-La Sal Mountains and onto Skyline Drive Scenic Backway, a rough unpaved road that follows a knife-edged ridge at over 10,000 feet, with sheer drops down both sides to the valleys below. I tried to focus on the riding, despite the arresting views at every turn. This was not a good place to screw up.
Skyline Drive can test the nerves, but at 10,000 feet the views are worth the effort
With one eye on the clock, we reluctantly turned off Skyline, riding down into the valley, where we found our route blocked by a herd of belligerent bovine. Stores are scarce in this remote part of Utah, and we were forced to ride 20 miles past our exit to buy supplies, starting the last leg as the sun began to set — a steep, 18-mile dirt track that provided plenty of butt-clenching moments in the dusk. We pitched our tents on patches of sand among boulders and stunted juniper. There was no moon, and when the last of the firewood burnt out, we could see the Milky Way painted across the night sky, with shades of purple, blue and red in an ocean of stars.
We Max Out the V85 TTs and Reluctantly Ride to Vegas
The morning sun blazed across the desert as we tore off down the rocky trail and into Cathedral Valley, where a group of distinctive striped mesas rise up from the plain like a village hewn from rock. Capitol Reef National Park is amazingly varied. Terracotta cliffs are the backdrop to white and yellow hoodoos, vivid green yuccas and gnarly juniper, as well as a formidable mix of sand-and-rubble tracks. Our pace had increased, and at times we asked more from the Guzzis than they were designed for, but what a ride! Inevitably, a deep sandy section proved too much of an ask, and I dumped my Adventure — scuza amore.
The Milky Way, spanning the sky on a moonless night at our camp in Capitol Reef National Park’s Cathedral Valley
As we neared its end, the trail entered a dense line of trees and abruptly ended at the Fremont River. The fast running water was muddy, and Kit was the first to ford with little notion of depth and no idea what lay below. A breathtaking narrow road perched atop a meandering ridge separated by two yawning canyons delivered us to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Completely exhausted, we began looking for a campsite along Cottonwood Canyon Road. I found a ledge with a panoramic view across the valley. A series of sheer, striped ridges ran across the horizon, and towering above these, the giant mesa we had traversed all afternoon. We toasted our last night as the last of the sun’s rays set alight Escalante’s vivid strata. It had all gone so fast, and yet Seattle seemed like a lifetime ago. The view from my tent the following morning was worthy of its own trip.
Our last campsite, overlooking a majestic valley in Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, was in itself worthy of riding 2,600 miles
On our final day, we thundered down a deserted, undulating track running along the floor of Cottonwood Canyon, a dust cloud in our wake and rocks pinging off the sump guards. With the road through Zion National Park closed, we had to take a southern loop through Arizona before starting the last, searing leg down to Las Vegas.
The Moto Guzzi V85 TT, È Tutto Terreno?
After riding hundreds of miles on dirt tracks, some seriously challenging, the V85 TT has convinced this skeptic that it will handle anything you can reasonably expect to throw at it. Overall build quality is excellent. Even with its handsomely sculpted 5.6-gallon tank full of gas, the V85’s center of gravity feels surprisingly low, and coupled with the Michelin Anakee Wild tires, inspired the kind of off-road confidence usually associated with lighter bikes. On the road, more midrange power would make fast overtaking maneuvers less of an exercise in physics, but otherwise, the V85 TT was a superb ride.
A new day in Cathedral Valley, and the most challenging terrain yet
Both Kit and I are over six feet tall, and I’d figured we’d be folded up like a couple of deckchairs, but with some huge miles undertaken, we appreciated the excellent ergonomics and supremely comfortable seat. In terms of range, comfort, durability and handling on- and off-road, the V85 TT is a credible contender at a competitive price, and the folks in Mandello del Lario deserve credit for also making it so very beautiful. We were reluctant to hand back the keys. Arrivederci bellissima! Thanks for the good times!
Thundering down the deserted Cottonwood Canyon Road in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
