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Monthly Archives: June 2021
10 Best Motorcycle Jackets For Women
Let’s face reality here: it’s only really been in the past two decades that women’s jackets have been coming out in force. Before then, in what was historically a “male-dominated hobby,” women had to make do with either custom gear or modifying men’s gear to fit. We put the quotations there because ever since the 1970s, we know that women made up a good portion of riders, usually hovering in the 5 to 10% ridership range.
Flash forward to 2021, and now women account for about 22% of riders, worldwide. That is refreshing to see and has forced even a lot of the “old school” to recognize that there are badass ladies all over the globe that will swing a leg over and crank the right wrist. It’s also refreshing to see that in what was once traditionally a male-dominated sport, road racing and even MotoGP are seeing more and more women rising in their ranks.
What this means is that many of the big manufacturers and gear makers have had to adapt to provide proper racing suits and gear for these women. This, naturally, has led to the traditional trickle-down style of motorcycle gear from racing to street, which means that more and more jackets, pants, boots, gloves, and other pieces of gear are appearing every month.
Rev’It Eclipse Women’s Jacket
Price: $179.99
Buy: Revzilla
Rev’It is one of those companies that has made women’s protective gear pretty much since their incorporation, as there are quite a few female riders in the Netherlands. On top of that, they have a history in both circuit racing and enduro racing, so both the full leather track jackets and hot weather mesh jackets are packed full of cutting-edge design.
The Eclipse is just one such example of this, with an open, flowthrough style mesh that would seem to not have any abrasion resistance at all. However, that mesh is made of polyester ripstop material, as is the main chassis of the jacket. While the solid panels are rated to 600D, the mesh itself commands a respectable 400.
With adjustable bicep and wrist closures, full YKK zippers, two external pockets, and one internal pocket, the Eclipse is also quite fashionable to boot. The armor comes in the form of Knox Flexform in both the shoulders and elbows, which feels extremely light but carries CE-rated impact protection. An optional back protector can be fitted to the jacket.
Roland Sands Mia Women’s Jacket
Price: $525.00
Buy: Revzilla
Roland Sands, with the Mia jacket, ticks off two-rider fashion styles in one go, without sacrificing any protection. The retro and cafe crowd will love the classic British asymmetrical styling, while the sport and the sport-touring crowd will love the aggressive fit with the included thermal lining that doubles as a hoodie when the leather is taken away.
That leather is one-grain style better than cowhide, as it is oiled buffalo leather at 1.0 to 1.2 mm thicknesses. In areas requiring stretch, premium-grade elastic ripstop polyester is used. The hoodie liner is also breathable and waterproof, meaning that even if you have to do a dash from the bike to your front door in a downpour, simply flip up the hood and you’ll get there dry.
Protection comes in the form of Knox micro lock CE level 2 armor at the shoulders and elbows, with the leather jacket’s inner mesh liner holding a back protector pocket for optional armor. Accordion panels at the elbows and a quilted stitch design around the shoulders allow the jacket to move freely, despite being pre-curved for a front tuck position. Ventilation comes via some very well hidden shoulder intakes and vents, which keep the jacket looking premium when zipped up.
Alpinestars Alice Women’s Jacket
Price: $479.95+
Buy: Revzilla | Amazon
If Roland Sands has the women’s cafe market cornered, it’s fair to say that Alpinestars, realizing there was a gap to step through, made a sporty cruiser jacket with the Alice. Carrying all the right looks of the double-breasted front flaps, the asymmetrical zipper, and the relaxed arm curvature makes this both a classic and a modern sports cruiser jacket, all in one.
Don’t let its old-school looks fool you into thinking it’s not armored to the nines. Alpinestars has included their super lightweight, breathable Nucleon Flex armor, which is certified to CE level 2, at the shoulders and elbows, with a forearm extension on the elbow armor. This is carried in a mesh-backed cowhide 1.3mm leather chassis, with a back protector pocket for optional armor.
As with other jackets of the sporting style, the thermal liner of the jacket is easily detached and serves as a hoodie. Ventilation is hidden well in the underarm stretch panels, allowing just enough air to pass to wick away heat without being overly cold.
This is a jacket that would look at home being used while riding either Honda Rebel 500 or an Indian Roadmaster. Classic, timeless styling with modern armoring deserves a spot on this list.
Roland Sands Riot Jacket
Price: $650.00
Buy: Revzilla
Roland Sands strikes again with a superb classic English cruiser jacket. Solidly in the retro cruiser fashion sense, the Riot jacket would look perfectly at home being worn in the crowd at an Iron Maiden or Judas Priest concert as much as it does astride a Royal Enfield or a Triumph Bonneville.
Much more of a summer cruise jacket, the Riot is made of microperforated top grain cowhide sourced from Blackstone, which means it is soft, supple, and abrasion resistant with a thickness of 0.9mm throughout. The asymmetrical zipper is, of course, full YKK, and is of the bronze classic style. Quilted leather highlights and aggressive cuff YKK zippers make the jacket scream “Rock n Roll!” in that quintessential British understated-but-loud way.
The jacket is also, of note, made with a very aggressive black dye process, as the color will lighten the more it is exposed to UV light until it reaches the classic light black that well-worn leather fashion jackets eventually reach. This is also the only jacket recommended on this list that does not come with pre-installed armor. However, pockets for elbow, shoulder, and back protectors are ready to accept your own choice of the best armor, from Alpinestars’ Nucleon Flexto Icon’s D3O and Rev’It’s SeeSoft.
Alpinestars Stella T-GP Plus R V3 Air Jacket
Price: $239.95
Buy: Revzilla | Amazon
With the increase in women’s participation in BSB, ASA, MotoGP feeder series, and the like over the past three decades, Alpinestars has had a lot of exposure to creating gear that is suitable to both genders, or those in-between genders. For the men, the T-GP Plus R v3 Air is one of the best mid-range sport and track rated jackets you can get, and by simply adding a Stella to the front of that name, that same legendary jacket is available to women.
The Stella T-GP Plus R v3 Air, apart from being one hell of a mouthful of words, is made of 600D highly abrasion-resistant polyester. Interspersed between these polyester panels, abrasion-resistant, tightly woven polyfabric mesh allows just enough air to wick away heat, but not chill you to the bone. A full mesh lining also helps boost that airflow’s effectiveness in carrying away sweat and warm air.
Protection is in the form of Alpinestars’ Nucleon Flex CE level 1 armor, with the shoulders being additionally armored with GP Lite slide shields. As sport riders will often choose between vest-style back protection or using jacket pockets, no back protector is included. However, Alpinestars has included both chest and back protector pockets, suitable for Nucleon KR-Ci CE level 2 armor.
A definite warm-weather riding winner, those that ride sportbikes where it never really snows have a go-to jacket that can be armored up as the need arises.
Dainese Racing 3 Perforated Women’s Jacket
Price: $579.95
Buy: Revzilla
If you want a sport riding jacket that is both warm-weather rated and contains the abrasion resistance of leather, Dainese has you covered with the Racing 3 Perforated women’s jacket. The “mortal enemy” of Alpinestars on the MotoGP grid, Dainese uses a special treatment on all the leather they use for track and street gear, naming it “tutu leather.”
This leather is always 1.2mm or greater in thickness, while the treatment makes it highly water-resistant, supple, and reinforces the abrasion resistance through chemical bonding. And if that wasn’t enough protection for you, the stretch panels between the leather chassis panels are made of S1 bi-elastic, a Dainese and Cordura co-development that mixes the elasticity of regular polyfabric with the 500D+ abrasion resistance of pure Cordura.
The jacket is also microperforated in key areas and includes zip closure vents in the upper chest, with intake and exhaust vents on the sides of the jacket. Protection comes in the form of Dainese composite CE level II elbow and shoulder armor, with the shoulders being covered by an aluminum impact and slide plate that is mounted on a composite base, meaning the plate is replaceable. The jacket features a back protector pocket suitable for a Dainese G1 back protector, or a Dainese D1 airbag vest can be worn under the jacket itself.
It’s a premium leather and polymer jacket that passes CE EN 1621.1 and CE Category II – 89/686/EEC Directive protection standards, meaning it is ready for track use. Dainese themselves note that the jacket does tend to run on the tighter sport fit side, so they recommend buying one size up from your measurements.
Klim Artemis Women’s Jacket
Price: $699.99
Buy: Revzilla | Amazon
If you have spent even two seconds at the local gear store’s ADV and off-road touring gear section, Klim is a name that is plastered literally everywhere. Specialists in the long-distance touring style of gear, both on- and off-road, the Artemis is a design that is not shared with any other jacket in their lineup, making this one of the very few women’s only jackets.
Named after the Ancient Greek goddess that protected nature, the Artemis does a very good job at protecting whoever is within its confines. A true three-season touring jacket, this jacket is made of Klim’s own Karbonite textile, which is rated at least 600D, and up to over 750D, abrasion-resistant across multiple certification tests. Behind the chassis sits a full GoreTex membrane layer, which itself is over a Klimatek mesh layer that acts to both wick away hot air and sweat, and supports the jacket on the body.
In making the Artemis specifically for women, Klim did not have to worry about ventilation for the male torso, so airflow has been mapped specifically for the female torso. Ventilation is controlled via two centerline chest vents, two cross-core vents, 2 forearm vents, and two bicep vents, all of which exhaust out two massive vertical back vents.
Protection beyond abrasion is reinforced by D3O level 1 armor in the back, shoulders, and elbows. The Karbonite fabric is also penetration resistant, so no sharp rocks on an off-road trip should leave much more than a small bruise and a memory. The collar is comfort-lined to not be abrasive to the neck, and both sides of the collars can be pinned back to the upper chest to allow ventilation air to pass down from the neck roll into the body of the jacket.
If you are going to be off-road for any duration, you really cannot get a better ADV jacket than the Artemis. It’s designed for, built for, made for the active off-road riding woman, and it shows!
Merlin Madison Women’s Riding Shirt
Price: $159.00
Buy: Revzilla
The latest trend in protective gear in 2021 has been the major push forward with armored shirts and hoodies. Either out of a desire to not look “kitted up,” or purely for comfort, there are varying degrees of quality with these newer pieces of gear, and Merlin has been at the forefront of the highest-rated, best quality shirts.
Looking like your average long-sleeved plaid shirt that isn’t out of place on a farm, the Madison shirt is much more than just a fashion statement. The Buffalo Plaid fabric, itself tear-resistant, is backed by a full, interwoven, 100% DuPont Kevlar lining that is rated to 1000D abrasion. A light mesh lining keeps things comfortable, as does a relaxed street fit, while the kevlar holds CE level 1 elbow and shoulder armor in place. There is a pocket in the mesh liner for a back protector as well.
What looks like a button up front is in fact a storm flap closure over a full YKK zip, with YYK zippered vents cleverly hidden along the tops of the chest pockets. The pockets have small inner pockets designed to hold hand-warmer packs, and if that wasn’t enough, the whole shirt is water-resistant but breathes easily.
If understated but superb protection is in your checklist for gear, or if you just want a good all-around riding shirt that pairs beautifully with some riding jeans and boots, Merlin has just the shirt for you.
Helite Xena Women’s Airbag Jacket
Price: $800.00
Buy: Revzilla
To say that this jacket is revolutionary is understating just how important it is. It may not look like much, it may even look bland compared to some of the other options on this list, but Helite has made a women’s fit jacket that has the single most important protection feature that any jacket can have. Enter the Xena, a leather sport touring and cruiser jacket with a built-in, tether deployed rider airbag system.
Made from premium 1.2mm cowhide leather, the Xena hides stretch polyfabric under a cleverly designed panel at the top back of the jacket, whose importance we will discuss shortly. As well, the sides and lower back feature floating leather on stretch panels, allowing the jacket to keep a tight, close fit at all times. The arms are relaxed in their curvature, making it comfortable for long-distance cruising.
The importance of both the large stretch panel at the top of the back and the stretch panels on the sides and lower back is so that if you do come off your bike, in any way, shape, or form other than stepping off of it when it’s parked, a tether attached to a solid point on your motorcycle yanks an activation valve open, inflating the airbag hidden in the liner of the jacket in 0.1 seconds. This airbag, along with the full Sas-Tec CE level 2 back, shoulder, and elbow armor, provides extreme impact protection into the high tens of G’s.
As it is a tether-operated system, with no fancy electronics or GPS sensors, it works every time you need it to. In fact, the airbag will self-deflate over about half an hour, and as long as the jacket has not been penetrated by any object or otherwise damaged, all you need to do to reset it is replace the spent 60cc CO2 cartridge in the right lower front of the liner, and it’s ready to deploy again.
For disguising a life-preserving safety feature in a fashionable cruiser and sport-touring jacket, while it is expensive, nothing is more expensive than your life. Either this or the wearable Helite Turtle 2 airbag vest, comes highly recommended.
Dainese Lola 3 Women’s Jacket
Price: $599.95
Buy: Revzilla | Amazon
Much like a couple of the other jackets in this list, if you’re going for a retro look that hides otherwise superior protective features, Dainese has a retro jacket for you in the Lola 3. Just looking at it, you’d think it was a slightly heavier track jacket, or a zip-up spring jacket to wear on the walk to the grocery store.
However, the Lola 3 is so much more. Combining high-grade Iride matte leather with S1 bi-elastic polyfabric panels and Dainese Pro-Armor impact zones, the jacket passes both prEN 17092 Class A jacket protection and EN 1621.1 armor class 1 standards. The Pro-Armor elbow and shoulder protectors are also rated CE level 1, which, while not as protective as CE level 2, allows for the armor to be more flexible and comfortable, while still being able to take an incredibly harsh whack without passing the impact to you.
And the piping on the jacket is not just for fashion, either. It is fully reflective material in an artificial shape, so the eye at night recognizes an artificial shape among the organic clutter of the environment in their headlights. A pocket for an optional Dainese G1 or racing G2 grade protector is inlaid into the TechFrame internal comfort liner just in case that person doesn’t see you.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Le Mans 24 Heures Motos practice underway
2021 FIM Endurance World Championship
24 Heures Motos
The FIM Endurance World Championship returns to action with the opening round or 2021, the 24 Heures Motos at the legendary Bugatti, Le Mans.
The Bugatti Circuit, located in Le Mans, France, was constructed in 1965 and featured on the World Endurance calendar for the first time in 1978. At 4.185km in length, Le Mans is the third-longest circuit on the 2021 calendar but by far one of the toughest.
Unpredictable weather conditions, as well as a mixture of low, medium and high speed corners, heavy braking zones, elevation changes and fast changes of direction, makes the 24-hour race one of the most demanding races on the calendar.
Defending World Endurance Champions Yoshimura SERT Suzuki field a four-rider team of Gregg Black, Xavier Simeon, Kazuki Watanabe and Sylvain Guintoli – Suzuki’s MotoGP test rider. SERT were fourth quickest overnight in the opening Free Practice sessions ahead of the season opener.
Damien Saulnier – Team Manager
“We are all really happy to start this season. It’s good to get together, hear the bike and see it ride. Our riders needed some time to get back in shape but by the end of the day everyone has found their bearings. We are in the top five with a bike fitted with racing tyres, which is very positive. We have an excellent package with the Yoshimura technicians who know this GSX-R1000R perfectly well, a SERT team specialised in Endurance, good tyres and a trio of fast riders who are discovering and progressing together. So everything looks good for us.”
Honda’s endurance specialists F.C.C. TSR Honda France will feature riders Josh Hook, Mike Di Meglio and new recruit Yuki Takahashi, targeting the top step of the podium aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, where they claimed victory last year. With two victories at the 24 Heures Motos for Di Meglio and Hook, the F.C.C. TSR Honda France squad are quietly confident of holding the trophy again at the prestigious 24-hour race but have some pace to find as they were only seventh quickest overnight.
Josh Hook
“It has been a long wait, which is not good for us because it has been a long time since we’ve been to the track racing, but finally, we are underway, so we are really looking forward to that. From the test, it was very positive in all conditions the bike is working very well and from what I’ve heard from the team, in that little bit extra time that we had, they made some improvements with the electronics which is the part we were struggling, so it is a step in the right direction. This time of the year, the weather is going to be warmer, so definitely it is going to be more physically on the bike, so we’ll see.”
Other Honda powered teams competing in the event are National Motos and RAC 41 Chromeburner, both in the Superstock category. National Motos have moved into the Superstock class this season, with their aim to win the FIM World Cup aboard the Fireblade SP with a new ride line-up of Guillaume Antiga and Kévin Trueb who join Frenchman Stéphane Egea, who has been with the team since 2017.
YART Yamaha EWC Team are also set to start their 2021 campaign this weekend, eight months after victory in the final round of the 2019/2020 season in Estoril, Niccolò Canepa, Karel Hanika, and Marvin Fritz are raring to get their 2021 season underway as the series returns to the iconic Bugatti Circuit in north-western France this weekend. They were second quickest overnight.
Mandy Kainz – YART Yamaha Team Manager
“We feel ready for the first round but 24-hour races almost make their own rules! To win you need to be clever but also lucky, so we will try to be clever and we know both our bike and riders are very good. But a 24-hour race is a 24-hour race and anything can happen so we need to hope for that bit of luck too! If we are clever and the luck is on our side, we are confident we can fight for the victory.”
For Werner Daemen’s BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team it is their second year in the endurance world championship after a strong maiden season. The new #37 bike in action is the BMW M 1000 RR. The regular riders Markus Reiterberger (GER), Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR) and Xavi Forés (ESP), as well as Kenny Foray (FRA) as the fourth rider make for an experienced, strong rider line-up.
At the official Pré-Mans Test at the end of March, the team set the best time with new record laps with the BMW M 1000 RR on both days, and backed that up overnight by topping the opening Free Practice sessions held overnight and is now eager to build on that performance at the first race weekend of the season.
Werner Daemen – BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team Manager
“I think that we are better prepared for Le Mans than last year, so I’m expecting a good result. We are very happy with the new BMW M 1000 RR and the pre-test at Le Mans was superb for us. All our riders are in top form. We are ideally positioned with Ilya, Markus and Xavi as our regular trio, and I can honestly say that with Kenny we have the fastest reserve rider in the world. He proved that once again last weekend, when he finished second in the French championship. Now the team is working on fine-tuning every detail. I’m looking forward to the race, and if everything goes according to plan, we should be up there at the front.”
The Wójcik Racing Team are also in high spirits ahead of the upcoming season. Two podiums in 2020 rewarded them with a fourth-place finish in the overall standings. Adam Stepien’s team will field the experienced Gino Rea, 36-year-old Sheridan Morais and the 2019 World Supersport Champion, Randy Krummenacher, giving the team an ultra-strong and crucially an experienced rider line-up for 2021 on the Yamaha YZF-R1.
The Moto Ain team will compete in the Formula EWC class after taking back-to-back championships in the FIM Endurance World Cup. Team principal Pierre Chapuis has chosen former 250cc and Moto2 Grand Prix race winner Roberto Rolfo, Swiss rider Robin Mulhauser and French veteran and MotoGP podium finisher Randy de Puniet on another YZF-R1.
A new independent team joined in the fray at the front end amid the factory teams overnight. Tati Team Beringer Racing posted the 3rd-fastest time in FP1 with a 1:36.514 lap on their ZX-10R. The team are heading into their third season in the EWC with big ambitions.
Patrick Enjolras – Tati Team Beringer Manager
“We’ve just worked on the new Kawasaki electronics with dedicated engineers. Now we know we have a very good machine.”
Among privateer teams capable of giving the factory outfits a run for their money are VRD Igol Experiences, Moto Ain who are debuting in EWC after two back-to-back FIM Superstock World Cup wins, Maco Racing and 3ART Best of Bike, all four Yamaha-mounted.
Despite the 24 Hours Motos being held behind closed doors due to the global pandemic situation, the 44th edition will see 50 teams battling on track.
The 24 Heures Motos officially gets underway on Thursday 10th June with free practice, qualifying and night practice. The final positions on the starting grid will be determined after the last qualifying sessions, which takes place on Friday 11th June.
The FIM EWC 2021 consists of four events in France, Portugal and Japan. After the opener at Le Mans, the season continues on 17th July with the 12 Hours of Estoril in Portugal. The 24-hour classic ‘Bol d’Or’ will be held at Le Castellet (FRA) on 18th/19th September, before the season draws to a close with the 8-hour race at Suzuka, Japan on 7th November.
Wednesday LeMans Test Combined Times
| Pos | Team | Bike | Cat | Time/Gap |
| 1 | BMW MOTORRAD | BMW | EWC | 1:36.260 |
| 2 | YART – Yamaha Official | Yamaha | EWC | +0.206 |
| 3 | TATI TEAM BERINGER | Kawasaki | EWC | +0.254 |
| 4 | YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL | Suzuki | EWC | +0.518 |
| 5 | WEBIKE SRC KAWASAKI TRICKSTAR | Kawasaki | EWC | +0.775 |
| 6 | VRD IGOL EXPÉRIENCES | Yamaha | EWC | +0.903 |
| 7 | F.C.C. TSR Honda France | Honda | EWC | +0.922 |
| 8 | MOTO AIN | Yamaha | EWC | +1.175 |
| 9 | MACO RACING Team | Yamaha | EWC | +1.330 |
| 10 | ERC Endurance Ducati | Ducati | EWC | +1.498 |
| 11 | 3ART BEST OF BIKE | Yamaha | EWC | +1.557 |
| 12 | BMRT 3D MAXXESS NEVERS | Kawasaki | SST | +1.845 |
| 13 | Team LRP Poland | BMW | EWC | +2.292 |
| 14 | TEAM 18 SAPEURS | Yamaha | SST | +2.462 |
| 15 | National Motos | Honda | SST | +2.675 |
| 16 | Team Bolliger Switzerland #8 | Kawasaki | EWC | +2.708 |
| 17 | Wójcik Racing Team 2 | Yamaha | SST | +2.796 |
| 18 | Wójcik Racing Team | Yamaha | EWC | +2.879 |
| 19 | JMA MOTOS ACTION BIKE | Suzuki | SST | +2.937 |
| 20 | TEAM 33 LOUIT APRIL MOTO | Kawasaki | SST | +2.956 |
| 21 | RAC41-CHROMEBURNER | Honda | SST | +3.162 |
| 22 | METISS | Metiss | EXP | +3.178 |
| 23 | Motobox Kremer Racing #65 | Yamaha | EWC | +3.184 |
| 24 | OG MOTORSPORT BY SARAZIN | Yamaha | SST | +3.423 |
| 25 | Team Aviobike | Yamaha | SST | +3.462 |
| 26 | Aprilia Le Mans 2 Roues | Aprilia | SST | +3.805 |
| 27 | FAST TEAM RACING | Kawasaki | SST | +3.824 |
| 28 | JUNIOR TEAM LMS SUZUKI | Suzuki | SST | +3.881 |
| 29 | PITLANE ENDURANCE | Yamaha | SST | +3.900 |
| 30 | No Limits Motor Team | Suzuki | SST | +3.978 |
| 31 | FALCON RACING | Yamaha | SST | +4.239 |
| 32 | TEAM Univers racing/ACRacing | BMW | SST | +4.257 |
| 33 | TEAM LH RACING | Yamaha | SST | +4.680 |
| 34 | TEAM GT ENDURANCE | Yamaha | EWC | +4.784 |
| 35 | Slider Endurance | Yamaha | SST | +4.810 |
| 36 | Space Moto | Suzuki | SST | +5.204 |
| 37 | TEAM RACING 85 | Kawasaki | SST | +5.234 |
| 38 | Mana-au compétition | Suzuki | SST | +5.261 |
| 39 | ENERGIE ENDURANCE 91 | Kawasaki | SST | +5.281 |
| 40 | TRT27 BAZAR 2 LA BECANE | Suzuki | SST | +5.451 |
| 41 | Moto sport endurance #20 | Yamaha | SST | +5.487 |
| 42 | MOTOSTAND ENDURANCE | Kawasaki | SST | +5.523 |
| 43 | TMC 35 | Yamaha | SST | +5.763 |
| 44 | PLAYERS | Kawasaki | SST | +5.831 |
| 45 | Z RACING | Suzuki | SST | +6.200 |
| 46 | TEAM 202 | Yamaha | SST | +6.408 |
| 47 | Fullgas Racing Team | Kawasaki | SST | +7.815 |
Entry List
| N° | Team | Rider | Bike | Cat |
| l1 | YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL | BLACK Gregg | Suzuki | EWC |
| 4 | TATI TEAM BERINGER | TECHER Alan | Kawasaki | EWC |
| 5 | F.C.C. TSR | HOOK Joshua | Honda | EWC |
| 6 | ERC ENDURANCE | GINES Mathieu | Ducati | EWC |
| 7 | YART | HANIKA Karel | Yamaha | EWC |
| 8 | TEAM BOLLIGER | WALRAVEN Nigel | Kawasaki | EWC |
| 11 | WEBIKE SRC TRICKSTAR | GUARNONI Jérémy | Kawasaki | EWC |
| 14 | MACO RACING | LEBLANC Grégory | Yamaha | EWC |
| 15 | LE MANS 2 ROUES | BOUÉ Marco | Aprilia | STK |
| 18 | TEAM 18 SAPEURS | CLERE Hugo | Yamaha | STK |
| 20 | MOTO SPORT ENDURANCE | SIMON Anthony | Yamaha | STK |
| 22 | TEAM 202 | PARRET Florent | Yamaha | STK |
| 23 | UNIVERS RACING / AC RACING | MEUNIER Léo | BMW | STK |
| 24 | BMRT 3D MAXXESS NEVERS | LOISEAU Anthony | Kawasaki | STK |
| 27 | TRT27 BAZAR 2 LA BECANE | ERUAM Cyril | Suzuki | STK |
| 30 | TEAM GT ENDURANCE | LAGEON Camille | Yamaha | EWC |
| 33 | TEAM 33 LOUIT APRIL MOTO | GAMARINO Christian | Kawasaki | STK |
| 34 | JMA RACING – ACTION BIKE | CARRILLO Cyril | Suzuki | STK |
| 35 | TMC 35 – PMO | BILLEGA John Ross | Yamaha | STK |
| 36 | 3ART BEST OF BIKE | ESCUDIER Nicolas | Yamaha | EWC |
| 37 | BMW WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM | REITERBERGER Markus | BMW | EWC |
| 40 | FAST TEAM RACING | BOUVIER DAVID | Kawasaki | STK |
| 41 | RAC 41 CHROMEBURNER | FASTRÉ Grégory | Honda | STK |
| 44 | NO LIMITS MOTOR TEAM | SCASSA Luca | Suzuki | STK |
| 45 | METISS JBB | PONS Gabriel | Metiss | EXP |
| 51 | TEAM MOTOSTAND ENDURANCE | REGOUBY Baptiste | Kawasaki | STK |
| 53 | MANA-AU COMPETITION | RICHARD Jérôme | Suzuki | STK |
| 55 | NATIONAL MOTOS | EGEA Stéphane | Honda | STK |
| 65 | MOTOBOX KREMER RACING | DEHAYE Geoffroy | Yamaha | EWC |
| 66 | OG MOTORSPORT BY SARAZIN | HEDELIN Camille | Yamaha | STK |
| 71 | Z RACING | SCAGLIARINI Nicola | Suzuki | STK |
| 72 | JUNIOR TEAM LMS SUZUKI | RENAUDIN Martin | Suzuki | STK |
| 73 | TEAM SPACE MOTO | ROCHE Charles | Suzuki | STK |
| 77 | WOJCIK RACING TEAM | REA Gino | Yamaha | EWC |
| 85 | TEAM RACING 85 | JACOB Kévin | Kawasaki | STK |
| 86 | PITLANE ENDURANCE – JP3 | PELLIZOTTI Maxim | Yamaha | STK |
| 90 | TEAM LRP POLAND | VINCON Dominik | BMW | EWC |
| 91 | ENERGIE ENDURANCE 91 | NAPOLI Christian | Kawasaki | STK |
| 94 | TEAM LH RACING | FONTANELLE Benjamin | Yamaha | STK |
| 96 | MOTO AIN | ROLFO Roberto | Yamaha | EWC |
| 101 | AVIOBIKE | BOSCOSCURO Andrea | Yamaha | STK |
| 116 | KINGTYRE FULLGAS RACING TEAM | DEJEAN Arnaud | Kawasaki | STK |
| 119 | SLIDER ENDURANCE | CORTOT Charles | Yamaha | STK |
| 121 | FALCON RACING | CHEVALIER David | Yamaha | STK |
| 156 | PLAYERS | DE KIMPE Arnaud | Kawasaki | STK |
| 333 | VRD IGOL EXPERIENCES | ALT Florian | Yamaha | EWC |
| 777 | WOJCIK RACING TEAM 2 | SZKOPEK Marek | Yamaha | STK |
| N° | Team | Rider | Bike | Cat |
| 1 | YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL | SIMÉON Xavier | Suzuki | EWC |
| 4 | TATI TEAM BERINGER | SUCHET Sébastien | Kawasaki | EWC |
| 5 | F.C.C. TSR | YUKI Takahashi | Honda | EWC |
| 6 | ERC ENDURANCE | ROSSI Louis | Ducati | EWC |
| 7 | YART | FRITZ Marvin | Yamaha | EWC |
| 8 | TEAM BOLLIGER | BÜHN Jan | Kawasaki | EWC |
| 11 | WEBIKE SRC TRICKSTAR | NIGON Erwan | Kawasaki | EWC |
| 14 | MACO RACING | BOULOM Enzo | Yamaha | EWC |
| 15 | LE MANS 2 ROUES | PARISSE Emmanuel | Aprilia | STK |
| 18 | TEAM 18 SAPEURS | NIGON Johan | Yamaha | STK |
| 20 | MOTO SPORT ENDURANCE | LE BRAS Youenn | Yamaha | STK |
| 22 | TEAM 202 | CREUSOT Amandine | Yamaha | STK |
| 23 | UNIVERS RACING / AC RACING | MEUNIER Lucas | BMW | STK |
| 24 | BMRT 3D MAXXESS NEVERS | HARDT Jonathan | Kawasaki | STK |
| 27 | TRT27 BAZAR 2 LA BECANE | BRUNET LUGARDON Cyril | Suzuki | STK |
| 30 | TEAM GT ENDURANCE | CROIX Karl | Yamaha | EWC |
| 33 | TEAM 33 LOUIT APRIL MOTO | SANCHIS MARTINEZ David | Kawasaki | STK |
| 34 | JMA RACING – ACTION BIKE | BONNET Julien | Suzuki | STK |
| 35 | TMC 35 – PMO | DIARD Maxime | Yamaha | STK |
| 36 | 3ART BEST OF BIKE | LAGRIVE Mathieu | Yamaha | EWC |
| 37 | BMW WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM | MYKHALCHYK Illya | BMW | EWC |
| 40 | FAST TEAM RACING | CHERON Hervé | Kawasaki | STK |
| 41 | RAC 41 CHROMEBURNER | TESSELS Wayne | Honda | STK |
| 44 | NO LIMITS MOTOR TEAM | MASBOU Alexis | Suzuki | STK |
| 45 | METISS JBB | GOETSCHY Jonathan | Metiss | EXP |
| 51 | TEAM MOTOSTAND ENDURANCE | NOEL François | Kawasaki | STK |
| 53 | MANA-AU COMPETITION | JOUIS Bruno | Suzuki | STK |
| 55 | NATIONAL MOTOS | ANTIGA Guillaume | Honda | STK |
| 65 | MOTOBOX KREMER RACING | STRÖHLEIN Stefan | Yamaha | EWC |
| 66 | OG MOTORSPORT BY SARAZIN | PERRET David | Yamaha | STK |
| 71 | Z RACING | SCAGLIARINI Mattia | Suzuki | STK |
| 72 | JUNIOR TEAM LMS SUZUKI | RAYMOND Guillaume | Suzuki | STK |
| 73 | TEAM SPACE MOTO | BRARD Christophe | Suzuki | STK |
| 77 | WOJCIK RACING TEAM | SHERIDAN Morais | Yamaha | EWC |
| 85 | TEAM RACING 85 | HERAULT Jérémy | Kawasaki | STK |
| 86 | PITLANE ENDURANCE – JP3 | SARRABAYROUSE Alex | Yamaha | STK |
| 90 | TEAM LRP POLAND | KRZEMIEN Kamil | BMW | EWC |
| 91 | ENERGIE ENDURANCE 91 | NAPOLI Federico | Kawasaki | STK |
| 94 | TEAM LH RACING | CRONIER Nicolas | Yamaha | STK |
| 96 | MOTO AIN | MULHAUSER Robin | Yamaha | EWC |
| 101 | AVIOBIKE | AUBRY Jean-Edouard | Yamaha | STK |
| 116 | KINGTYRE FULLGAS RACING TEAM | HENRIQUES David | Kawasaki | STK |
| 119 | SLIDER ENDURANCE | MARMONT Clément | Yamaha | STK |
| 121 | FALCON RACING | EISEN Théo | Yamaha | STK |
| 156 | PLAYERS | THIBAULT Matthieu | Kawasaki | STK |
| 333 | VRD IGOL EXPERIENCES | MARINO Florian | Yamaha | EWC |
| 777 | WOJCIK RACING TEAM 2 | BERGMAN Christoffer | Yamaha | STK |
| N° | Team | Rider | Bike | Cat |
| 1 | YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL | GUINTOLI Sylvain | Suzuki | EWC |
| 4 | TATI TEAM BERINGER | ENJOLRAS Julien | Kawasaki | EWC |
| 5 | F.C.C. TSR | DI MEGLIO Mike | Honda | EWC |
| 6 | ERC ENDURANCE | MASSON Etienne | Ducati | EWC |
| 7 | YART | CANEPA Niccolò | Yamaha | EWC |
| 8 | TEAM BOLLIGER | PELLIJEFF Jesper | Kawasaki | EWC |
| 11 | WEBIKE SRC TRICKSTAR | CHECA David | Kawasaki | EWC |
| 14 | MACO RACING | LAMBRECHTS Bram | Yamaha | EWC |
| 15 | LE MANS 2 ROUES | DUPUY Eddy | Aprilia | STK |
| 18 | TEAM 18 SAPEURS | LUSSIANA Matthieu | Yamaha | STK |
| 20 | MOTO SPORT ENDURANCE | OLLIVIER Jimmy | Yamaha | STK |
| 22 | TEAM 202 | MEJANE Bastien | Yamaha | STK |
| 23 | UNIVERS RACING / AC RACING | QUETEL Jimmy | BMW | STK |
| 24 | BMRT 3D MAXXESS NEVERS | PILOT Julien | Kawasaki | STK |
| 27 | TRT27 BAZAR 2 LA BECANE | GIRARDET Hugo | Suzuki | STK |
| 30 | TEAM GT ENDURANCE | DUFOUR Paul | Yamaha | EWC |
| 33 | TEAM 33 LOUIT APRIL MOTO | PEROLARI Corentin | Kawasaki | STK |
| 34 | JMA RACING – ACTION BIKE | CUDEVILLE Maxime | Suzuki | STK |
| 35 | TMC 35 – PMO | LE BAIL David | Yamaha | STK |
| 36 | 3ART BEST OF BIKE | BERCHET Morgan | Yamaha | EWC |
| 37 | BMW WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM | FORÉS Javier | BMW | EWC |
| 40 | FAST TEAM RACING | DAGAULT Manu | Kawasaki | STK |
| 41 | RAC 41 CHROMEBURNER | LEESCH Chris | Honda | STK |
| 44 | NO LIMITS MOTOR TEAM | CALIA Kevin | Suzuki | STK |
| 45 | METISS JBB | RIZZA Ludovic | Metiss | EXP |
| 51 | TEAM MOTOSTAND ENDURANCE | HUGUEVILLE Alexis | Kawasaki | STK |
| 53 | MANA-AU COMPETITION | TRUEB Samuel | Suzuki | STK |
| 55 | NATIONAL MOTOS | TRUEB Kévin | Honda | STK |
| 65 | MOTOBOX KREMER RACING | COLLIAUX Benjamin | Yamaha | EWC |
| 66 | OG MOTORSPORT BY SARAZIN | PLANCASSAGNE Alex | Yamaha | STK |
| 71 | Z RACING | ECCHELI Davide | Suzuki | STK |
| 72 | JUNIOR TEAM LMS SUZUKI | SUCHET Valentin | Suzuki | STK |
| 73 | TEAM SPACE MOTO | LOUAUT Olivier | Suzuki | STK |
| 77 | WOJCIK RACING TEAM | KRUMMENACHER Randy | Yamaha | EWC |
| 85 | TEAM RACING 85 | BACHELIER Marc | Kawasaki | STK |
| 86 | PITLANE ENDURANCE – JP3 | PARASSOL Adrian | Yamaha | STK |
| 90 | TEAM LRP POLAND | LEWANDOWSKI Bartlomiej | BMW | EWC |
| 91 | ENERGIE ENDURANCE 91 | CHOY Martin | Kawasaki | STK |
| 94 | TEAM LH RACING | HEMMER Lothaire | Yamaha | STK |
| 96 | MOTO AIN | DE PUNIET Randy | Yamaha | EWC |
| 101 | AVIOBIKE | KEMMER Christopher | Yamaha | STK |
| 116 | KINGTYRE FULLGAS RACING TEAM | HAUSER Ludovic | Kawasaki | STK |
| 119 | SLIDER ENDURANCE | BUISSON Dylan | Yamaha | STK |
| 121 | FALCON RACING | MILLET Loïc | Yamaha | STK |
| 156 | PLAYERS | Kawasaki | STK | |
| 333 | VRD IGOL EXPERIENCES | TEROL Nicolás | Yamaha | EWC |
| 777 | WOJCIK RACING TEAM 2 | FILLA Michal | Yamaha | STK |
| N° | Team | Rider | Bike | Cat |
| 1 | YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL | WATANABE Kazuki | Suzuki | EWC |
| 4 | TATI TEAM BERINGER | Kawasaki | EWC | |
| 5 | F.C.C. TSR | Honda | EWC | |
| 6 | ERC ENDURANCE | BARRIER Sylvain | Ducati | EWC |
| 7 | YART | LAVERTY Michael | Yamaha | EWC |
| 8 | TEAM BOLLIGER | BRENNER Marcel | Kawasaki | EWC |
| 11 | WEBIKE SRC TRICKSTAR | Kawasaki | EWC | |
| 14 | MACO RACING | SVITOK Tomas | Yamaha | EWC |
| 15 | LE MANS 2 ROUES | Aprilia | STK | |
| 18 | TEAM 18 SAPEURS | Yamaha | STK | |
| 20 | MOTO SPORT ENDURANCE | DUBOURG Freddy | Yamaha | STK |
| 22 | TEAM 202 | Yamaha | STK | |
| 23 | UNIVERS RACING / AC RACING | MULHMEYER Philippe | BMW | STK |
| 24 | BMRT 3D MAXXESS NEVERS | MANGE Romain | Kawasaki | STK |
| 27 | TRT27 BAZAR 2 LA BECANE | STOLTZ Régis | Suzuki | STK |
| 30 | TEAM GT ENDURANCE | GUILBOT Thomas | Yamaha | EWC |
| 33 | TEAM 33 LOUIT APRIL MOTO | STOLL Clément | Kawasaki | STK |
| 34 | JMA RACING – ACTION BIKE | Suzuki | STK | |
| 35 | TMC 35 – PMO | Yamaha | STK | |
| 36 | 3ART BEST OF BIKE | Yamaha | EWC | |
| 37 | BMW WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM | FORAY Kenny | BMW | EWC |
| 40 | FAST TEAM RACING | PICOT Sébastien | Kawasaki | STK |
| 41 | RAC 41 CHROMEBURNER | Honda | STK | |
| 44 | NO LIMITS MOTOR TEAM | Suzuki | STK | |
| 45 | METISS JBB | Metiss | Experimental | |
| 51 | TEAM MOTOSTAND ENDURANCE | VIELLARD Antoine | Kawasaki | STK |
| 53 | MANA-AU COMPETITION | POTILLON Simon | Suzuki | STK |
| 55 | NATIONAL MOTOS | Honda | STK | |
| 65 | MOTOBOX KREMER RACING | Yamaha | EWC | |
| 66 | OG MOTORSPORT BY SARAZIN | Yamaha | STK | |
| 71 | Z RACING | BONIFACIO Nico | Suzuki | STK |
| 72 | JUNIOR TEAM LMS SUZUKI | LAMIRE Alexis | Suzuki | STK |
| 73 | TEAM SPACE MOTO | Suzuki | STK | |
| 77 | WOJCIK RACING TEAM | Yamaha | EWC | |
| 85 | TEAM RACING 85 | Kawasaki | STK | |
| 86 | PITLANE ENDURANCE – JP3 | FORAY Joseph | Yamaha | STK |
| 90 | TEAM LRP POLAND | BMW | EWC | |
| 91 | ENERGIE ENDURANCE 91 | Kawasaki | STK | |
| 94 | TEAM LH RACING | NACIMIENTO Erik | Yamaha | STK |
| 96 | MOTO AIN | Yamaha | EWC | |
| 101 | AVIOBIKE | GESSLBAUER Geri | Yamaha | STK |
| 116 | KINGTYRE FULLGAS RACING TEAM | BERGERON Lionel | Kawasaki | STK |
| 119 | SLIDER ENDURANCE | DILLER Charles | Yamaha | STK |
| 121 | FALCON RACING | ROBERT Hugo | Yamaha | STK |
| 156 | PLAYERS | Kawasaki | STK | |
| 333 | VRD IGOL EXPERIENCES | WESTMORELAND James | Yamaha | EWC |
| 777 | WOJCIK RACING TEAM 2 | WIELEBSKI Artur | Yamaha | STK |
Source: MCNews.com.au
O’Show leads Yamaha 1-2 at Donington BSB Test
BSB 2021 Testing Wraps up
Jason O’Halloran topped the times in the final Official Test ahead of the opening round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship later this month. The McAMS Yamaha rider snatched the top spot on his final lap of the day to bring a thrilling end to pre-season testing in front of the returning fans at Donington Park.
O’Halloran had been at the top of the times during the early stages of the final session ahead of Honda Racing’s Glenn Irwin, but with 20 minutes remaining Christian Iddon had moved into second.
The final ten minutes of the test produced a flurry of faster laps and Danny Kent, who had been quickest in the opening session for Buildbase Suzuki, went fastest with just over eight minutes remaining.
O’Halloran then reclaimed the position just seconds later as Glenn Irwin moved back into second place, but the order didn’t remain for long as Kyle Ryde fired the Rich Energy OMG Racing BMW ahead with four minutes remaining.
It wasn’t over however, as Tarran Mackenzie leapt up the order to post the benchmark time as the session approached the final two minutes.
The McAMS Yamaha rider didn’t remain fastest though, his team-mate saving his best till last. O’Halloran’s final lap of the day was enough to put him 0.184s clear by the finish. The Aussie had also topped the previous test at Oulton Park.
Ryde held onto third place at the chequered flag, narrowly holding off Glenn Irwin with Kent completing the top five. The Buildbase Suzuki rider edged out defending champion Josh Brookes into sixth place as five different manufactures featured in the top six positions.
Josh Brookes
“I’m happy enough with how today went, it was good to get some more dry track time and to continue developing our overall package as well as getting more data about the tyres. Whereas the time sheets don’t reflect our hard work and performance, I’m not really taking much notice as we are only six-tenths off the riders who concentrated on putting a fast lap in and we can do our times all race long. We have had a good, solid testing schedule over the past few weeks and are now raring to get the season started at Oulton Park in a couple of weeks.”
Christian Iddon was seventh fastest on the second of the VisionTrack Ducatis with Gino Rea, Lee Jackson and Peter Hickman completing the top ten.
Peter Hickman was not the only ‘Road Racing’ star at the test as Michael Dunlop and Dean Harrison also used the event to get seat time in.
The opening round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place over the weekend of 25/27 June at Oulton Park for the first of 11 rounds, all containing three races.
British Superbike Donington Test
| Pos | RIder | Nat | Time/Gap |
| 1 | Jason O’HALLORAN | AUS | 1m05.725 |
| 2 | Tarran MACKENZIE | GBR | +0.184 |
| 3 | Kyle RYDE | GBR | +0.282 |
| 4 | Glenn IRWIN | GBR | +0.335 |
| 5 | Danny KENT | GBR | +0.415 |
| 6 | Josh BROOKES | AUS | +0.685 |
| 7 | Christian IDDON | GBR | +0.723 |
| 8 | Gino REA | GBR | +0.741 |
| 9 | Lee JACKSON | GBR | +0.746 |
| 10 | Peter HICKMAN | GBR | +0.838 |
| 11 | Ryan VICKERS | GBR | +0.925 |
| 12 | Bradley RAY | GBR | +0.940 |
| 13 | Rory SKINNER | GBR | +1.084 |
| 14 | Tommy BRIDEWELL | GBR | +1.319 |
| 15 | Andrew IRWIN | GBR | +1.337 |
| 16 | Dan LINFOOT | GBR | +1.380 |
| 17 | Joe FRANCIS | GBR | +1.451 |
| 18 | Josh OWENS | GBR | +1.459 |
| 19 | Danny BUCHAN | GBR | +1.644 |
| 20 | Storm STACEY | GBR | +1.988 |
| 21 | Bjorn ESTMENT | RSA | +2.023 |
| 22 | Ryo MIZUNO | JPN | +2.965 |
| 23 | Michael DUNLOP | GBR | +3.406 |
| 24 | Brad JONES | GBR | +3.634 |
| 25 | Brian McCORMACK | IRL | +3.879 |
| 26 | Joey THOMPSON | GBR | +4.853 |
| 27 | Dean HARRISON | GBR | +4.893 |
Superstock 1000
Luke Hedger topped Superstock 1000 ahead of Taylor Mackenzie and South Australian Billy McConnell who finished the test in P3.
Levi Day, another South Australian, finished the test 12th quickest while Tumut’s Brayden Elliott was P19.
Kiwis Shane Richardson and Damon Rees were 11th and 20th respectively amongst a field of 41 Superstock 1000 competitors.
Jack Kennedy topped British Supersport ahead of Brad Perie and Korie McGreevy while Victorian Ben Currie was fourth.
Currie the only Aussie in a Supersport field which numbered only 12 competitors. The ranks of GP2 have grown for 2021 though, with the Moto2 styled category having nine competitors participating in the test.
There are no Australians in the GP2 or Ducati TriOptions Cup classes this year but Seth Crump is contesting the Pirelli National Junior Superstock Championship. Seth finished the Donington Test 19th in Jnr STK.
Superstock 1000 / Supersport 600
| Pos | Class | Rider | Nat | Time/Gap |
| 1 | STK | Luke HEDGER | GBR | 1m07.681 |
| 2 | STK | Taylor MACKENZIE | GBR | +0.019 |
| 3 | STK | Billy McCONNELL | AUS | +0.041 |
| 4 | STK | Chrissy ROUSE | GBR | +0.179 |
| 5 | STK | Alex OLSEN | GBR | +0.234 |
| 6 | STK | Luke MOSSEY | GBR | +0.310 |
| 7 | STK | Ian HUTCHINSON | GBR | +0.338 |
| 8 | STK | Tim NEAVE | GBR | +0.434 |
| 9 | STK | Lewis ROLLO | GBR | +0.441 |
| 10 | STK | Tom WARD | GBR | +0.485 |
| 11 | STK | Shane RICHARDSON | NZL | +0.543 |
| 12 | STK | Levi DAY | AUS | +0.560 |
| 13 | STK | Keith FARMER | GBR | +0.586 |
| 14 | STK | Richard KERR | IRL | +0.649 |
| 15 | STK | Tom OLIVER | GBR | +0.688 |
| 16 | STK | Leon JEACOCK | GBR | +0.773 |
| 17 | STK | Matt TRUELOVE | GBR | +0.786 |
| 18 | STK | Brent HARRAN | RSA | +0.822 |
| 19 | STK | Brayden ELLIOTT | AUS | +0.919 |
| 20 | STK | Damon REES | NZL | +0.973 |
| 21 | STK | Ashley BEECH | GBR | +0.974 |
| 22 | BSS | Jack KENNEDY | IRL | +0.989 |
| 23 | STK | Fraser ROGERS | GBR | +1.085 |
| 24 | STK | Tom NEAVE | GBR | +1.147 |
| 25 | BSS | Bradley PERIE | GBR | +1.261 |
| 26 | STK | James EAST | GBR | +1.373 |
| 27 | BSS | Korie McGREEVY | GBR | +1.527 |
| 28 | BSS | Ben CURRIE | AUS | +1.561 |
| 29 | STK | TJ TOMS | GBR | +1.718 |
| 30 | STK | Shaun WINFIELD | GBR | +1.796 |
| 31 | STK | Caolan IRWIN | IRL | +1.817 |
| 32 | BSS | Lee JOHNSTON | GBR | +1.821 |
| 33 | BSS | Brandon PAASCH | USA | +1.876 |
| 34 | STK | Sean NEARY | GBR | +1.898 |
| 35 | STK | Jordan WEAVING | RSA | +1.899 |
| 36 | STK | Milo WARD | GBR | +1.966 |
| 37 | STK | Tom TUNSTALL | GBR | +2.006 |
| 38 | STK | David ALLINGHAM | GBR | +2.162 |
| 39 | STK | George HOGTON-RUSLING | GBR | +2.202 |
| 40 | BSS | Rhys IRWIN | IRL | +2.222 |
| 41 | STK | Ben LUXTON | GBR | +2.237 |
| 42 | BSS | Eunan McGLINCHEY | GBR | +2.347 |
| 43 | BSS | Harry TRUELOVE | GBR | +2.541 |
| 44 | BSS | Sam MUNRO | GBR | +2.777 |
| 45 | STK | Craig NEVE | GBR | +3.138 |
| 46 | STK | David BROOK | GBR | +3.321 |
| 47 | BSS | Phil WAKEFIELD | GBR | +3.479 |
| 48 | STK | Michael NORBURY | GBR | +3.698 |
| 49 | STK | Sam WEST | GBR | +4.015 |
| 50 | STK | Max MORGAN | GBR | +4.258 |
| 51 | STK | Anthony MOORE | GBR | +4.465 |
| 52 | STK | Brad CLARKE | GBR | +6.207 |
| 53 | BSS | Ed PEAD | GBR | +7.584 |
GP2 / Junior STK / Ducati TriOptions
| Pos | Class | Rider | Nat | Time/Gap |
| 1 | GP2 | Charlie NESBITT | GBR | 1m09.277 |
| 2 | GP2 | Mason LAW | GBR | +0.326 |
| 3 | GP2 | Jamie PERRIN | GBR | +0.575 |
| 4 | GP2 | Jake ARCHER | GBR | +0.629 |
| 5 | GP2 | Cameron HORSMAN | GBR | +0.637 |
| 6 | JSTK | Zak CORDEROY | GBR | +0.964 |
| 7 | JSTK | Jack NIXON | GBR | +0.988 |
| 8 | DUC | Josh DAY | GBR | +1.028 |
| 9 | JSTK | Joe TALBOT | GBR | +1.183 |
| 10 | JSTK | Kade VERWEY | GBR | +1.374 |
| 11 | JSTK | Simon REID | GBR | +1.374 |
| 12 | JSTK | Eugene McMANUS | GBR | +1.469 |
| 13 | JSTK | George STANLEY | GBR | +1.522 |
| 14 | GP2 | Cameron FRASER | GBR | +1.536 |
| 15 | GP2 | Dan JONES | GBR | +1.599 |
| 16 | JSTK | Sam LAFFINS | GBR | +1.612 |
| 17 | JSTK | Liam DELVES | GBR | +1.672 |
| 18 | DUC | David JONES | GBR | +1.902 |
| 19 | GP2 | Conor WHEELER | GBR | +1.941 |
| 20 | DUC | Chris WALKER | GBR | +2.017 |
| 21 | JSTK | Max COOK | GBR | +2.051 |
| 22 | JSTK | Owen JENNER | GBR | +2.231 |
| 23 | JSTK | Luke VERWEY | GBR | +2.233 |
| 24 | JSTK | Connor THOMSON | GBR | +2.398 |
| 25 | JSTK | Asher DURHAM | GBR | +2.447 |
| 26 | JSTK | Charlie FARRER | GBR | +2.467 |
| 27 | JSTK | Daniel BROOKS | GBR | +2.552 |
| 28 | GP2 | Harvey CLARIDGE | GBR | +2.597 |
| 29 | JSTK | Franco BOURNE | GBR | +2.677 |
| 30 | DUC | Craig NEVE | GBR | +2.847 |
| 31 | DUC | John McGUINNESS | GBR | +2.984 |
| 32 | JSTK | Matt BOWER | GBR | +3.035 |
| 33 | JSTK | Seth CRUMP | AUS | +3.070 |
| 34 | JSTK | Jack BEDNAREK | GBR | +3.077 |
| 35 | DUC | Michael TUSTIN | GBR | +3.170 |
| 36 | DUC | Matthew JONES | GBR | +3.386 |
| 37 | DUC | Jacque FOLEY | IRL | +3.449 |
| 38 | DUC | Daniel BOUCHER | GBR | +3.849 |
| 39 | DUC | Ewan POTTER | GBR | +4.020 |
| 40 | JSTK | Kayla BARRINGTON | GBR | +4.111 |
| 41 | DUC | Craig CURRIE | GBR | +4.119 |
| 42 | DUC | Oliver SAVAGE | GBR | +4.337 |
| 43 | JSTK | Trystan FINOCCHIARO | GBR | +4.495 |
| 44 | DUC | Lee McLAUGHLIN | GBR | +4.553 |
| 45 | JSTK | Lynden LEATHERLAND | GBR | +4.561 |
| 46 | DUC | Matt VENN | GBR | +4.902 |
| 47 | DUC | Matt STEVENS | GBR | +4.905 |
| 48 | JSTK | Michael OWENS | GBR | +5.067 |
| 49 | DUC | Craig KENNELLY | GBR | +5.229 |
| 50 | JSTK | Harry LEIGH | GBR | +5.410 |
| 51 | DUC | Matt BAINBRIDGE | GBR | +6.017 |
| 52 | DUC | Tom STEVENS | GBR | +6.018 |
| 53 | JSTK | Kevin COYNE | IRL | +6.343 |
| 54 | JSTK | Jake CAMPBELL | GBR | +7.136 |
| 55 | JSTK | Joe HOLDSWORTH | GBR | +9.342 |
Tarran Mackenzie
Taylor Mackenzie and Billy McConnell #3
Levi Day – STK1000
Damon Rees- STK1000
Brayden Elliott- STK1000
Billy McConnell – STK1000
Ben Currie – Supersport
Ben Currie – Supersport
BMW M 1000 RR Dash – Peter Hickman
Peter Hickman
Peter Hickman
Michale Dunlop
Josh Brookes
Josh Brookes
Josh Brookes
Josh Brookes
Seth Crump – Junior Superstock
Seth Crump – Junior Superstock
Jason O’Halloran
Jason O’Halloran
Jason O’Halloran
Jason O’Halloran
Glenn Irwin
Dean Harrison
Danny Kent
2021 British Superbike Calendar
| Round | Location | Date |
| Round 1 | Oulton Park | 25-27 June |
| Round 2 | Knockhill | 9-11 July |
| Round 3 | Brands Hatch (GP) | 23-25 July |
| Round 4 | Thruxton | 30 July – 1 August |
| Round 5 | Donington Park | 13-15 August |
| Round 6 | Cadwell Park | 20-22 August |
| Round 7 | Snetterton | 3-5 September |
| Round 8 | Silverstone (NAT) | 10-12 September |
| Round 9 | Oulton Park | 24-26 September |
| Round 10 | Donington Park (GP) | 1-3 October |
| Round 11 | Brands Hatch (GP) | 15-17 October |
Images by Dave Yeomans
Source: MCNews.com.au
Recall: Suzuki scooter speedo issue
Suzuki Australia is recalling UH200 scooters over an issue with rusty speedos that could cost the rider a hefty speeding fine.
The official notice, issued through the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, says 60 scooters from 2018 and 2019 are affected. The full list of vehicle identification numbers (VIND) are included at the end of this article.
“The speed sensor power supply circuit may experience corrosion,” the ACCC notice says.
“The corrosion may cause the speed sensor to lose power supply and could result in the speedometer and odometer not working correctly.
“If the speedometer is not working correctly, it may not show the correct speed. The rider will be unable to correctly determine the operating speed of the scooter.
“This may increase the risk of an accident, causing injury or death to the rider, passenger or other road users.”
It could also mean the rider could cop a speeding fine!
Owners will be contacted by Suzuki Australia in writing to take their scooter to their nearest authorised Suzuki dealer service department to arrange a free repair.
So far this year there have been 24 recalls. This is the second recall for Suzuki after the GSX250F was recalled over a headlight bulb issue.
Even though manufacturers and importers usually contact owners when a recall is issued, the bike may have been sold privately to a rider unknown to the company.
Therefore, Motorbike Writer publishes all motorcycle and scooter recalls as a service to all riders.
If you believe there is an endemic problem with your bike that should be recalled, contact the ACCC on 1300 302 502.
To check whether your motorcycle has been recalled, click on these sites:
VINs of affected scooters
| MLCC9131300300305 | MLCC9131300300335 | |
| MLCC9131300300306 | MLCC9131300300336 | |
| MLCC9131300300307 | MLCC9131300300337 | |
| MLCC9131300300308 | MLCC9131300300338 | |
| MLCC9131300300309 | MLCC9131300300339 | |
| MLCC9131300300310 | MLCC9131300300340 | |
| MLCC9131300300311 | MLCC9131300300341 | |
| MLCC9131300300312 | MLCC9131300300342 | |
| MLCC9131300300313 | MLCC9131300300343 | |
| MLCC9131300300314 | MLCC9131300300344 | |
| MLCC9131300300315 | MLCC9131300300345 | |
| MLCC9131300300316 | MLCC9131300300346 | |
| MLCC9131300300317 | MLCC9131300300347 | |
| MLCC9131300300318 | MLCC9131300300348 | |
| MLCC9131300300319 | MLCC9131300300349 | |
| MLCC9131300300320 | MLCC9131300300350 | |
| MLCC9131300300321 | MLCC9131300300351 | |
| MLCC9131300300322 | MLCC9131300300353 | |
| MLCC9131300300323 | MLCC9131300300354 | |
| MLCC9131300300324 | MLCC9131300300355 | |
| MLCC9131300300325 | MLCC9131300300356 | |
| MLCC9131300300326 | MLCC9131300300357 | |
| MLCC9131300300327 | MLCC9131300300358 | |
| MLCC9131300300328 | MLCC9131300300359 | |
| MLCC9131300300329 | MLCC9131300300360 | |
| MLCC9131300300330 | MLCC9131300300361 | |
| MLCC9131300300331 | MLCC9131300300362 | |
| MLCC9131300300332 | MLCC9131300300363 | |
| MLCC9131300300333 | MLCC9131300300364 | |
| MLCC9131300300334 | MLCC9131300300352 |
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Scorpion EXO-R1 Air Carbon Helmet | Gear Review
Carbon fiber helmets have been around for a long time, and they offer a great combination of lightness and strength, as well as the high-tech look of the carbon fiber weave. We’ve seen (and tested) more of them in recent years because improvements in manufacturing have made it possible to produce high-quality lids at a lower price. Premium carbon fiber helmets used to cost upwards of $1,000, but now you can buy them for about half as much.
Scorpion’s EXO-R1 Air Carbon helmet is a perfect example. Its resin-infused TCT-U 3K carbon fiber shell composite weave is said to provide aircraft-grade impact dispersion. Compared to the standard EXO-R1 Air we tested last year, the Carbon version is 3.5 ounces lighter (49 ounces for size medium) and has the same aerodynamic shell that’s designed to reduce drag and improve balance. The Carbon feels really light in my hands and all but disappears when it’s on my head.
Between the carbon shell and the comfort interior is a multi-layer EPS liner designed to absorb impact energy and it has built-in channels to allow air to flow around the head. Scorpion’s Ram-Air intake system sucks air in, which then moves through the helmet and returns to the atmosphere by way of a four-port exhaust spoiler. With a race helmet level of ventilation the EXO-R1 Air Carbon can be a tad noisy, but that’s what earplugs are for. The clear MaxVision Pinlock-ready face shield has an anti-scratch coating and blocks 95% of UV-A and UV-B radiation. A dark smoke shield, a Pinlock anti-fog insert and a helmet bag come in the box. Shield changes are a breeze, and the shield closes securely with a center lock.
In terms of comfort, the intermediate oval Carbon was initially pretty snug, but after a full day’s ride the removable/washable KwikWick III antimicrobial interior molded to my Charlie Brown head. Scorpion’s Airfit inflation adjustment system provides a custom fit for the 3D-contoured Kwikfit cheek pads, which also have an emergency release. Other features include speaker pockets, a breath deflector, a chin curtain and titanium D-rings on the chin strap.
If you’re looking for a lightweight, feature-packed, stylish, and functional full-face helmet, the EXO-R1 Air Carbon is a solid choice. DOT/ECE certified and backed by a 5-year warranty, it’s available in sizes XS-3XL in Gloss Black or Matte Black for $549.95.
For more information: See your dealer or visit scorpionusa.com
The post Scorpion EXO-R1 Air Carbon Helmet | Gear Review first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com
Highway 61 Remastered: Riding Along Minnesota’s North Shore
If you go when the snowflakes storm
When the rivers freeze and summer ends
Please see if she’s wearing a coat so warm
To keep her from the howlin’ winds
— Bob Dylan, “Girl from the North Country”
I had forgotten about that feeling of violence that rises up through the ancient volcanic rock of Minnesota’s North Shore, where Highway 61 carves a thin rivulet of asphalt against a dead mountain range that descends into deep, dangerous water.
REVER Route — MN North Shore: Duluth to Gunflint Trail via Highway 61
The sun had yet to rise. The air was cold but there was no frost. Cars with bright lights and loud trucks with loads of lumber cut through the darkness on their way to the Canadian border. My mind wandered, from Bob Dylan’s youth to the geologic time scale to the warm, soft bed my wife and I had just left.
My wife was huddled, bundled tight, hiding from the wind in a wave-carved basalt pocket. Besides a flashlight and the burning ember of my Newport, it was completely dark. Slowly the sun rose, turning purple, red, orange, and finally yellow. The lake turned blue again, and behind the lodge, the forest that covered the mountain came alive with color. It had been over 10 years since I had looked clear to the horizon over Lake Superior.
“It’s hard to believe this place is real,” Sahlee said.
We were on the third day of a four-day motorcycle trip along Lake Superior to capture the peak autumnal colors before the heavy Minnesotan winter tightened its grip. And it was our first long ride together in many years. We started our journey at St. Paul Harley-Davidson, where we borrowed an Ultra Limited in Vivid Black — a beast of a machine in both weight and power, a 900-pound workhorse designed for regal riding. It turned heads, and with a 114ci Milwaukee-Eight V-twin, it chewed up miles without hesitation.
We had checked into the historic Cascade Lodge, located between Lutsen and Grand Marais — a ski resort and a bohemian art enclave, respectively — shortly before dark the night before, following a 100-mile brisk ride north from Duluth. The lodge was established in 1927 to serve affluent Duluthians and wealthy socialites. Profiting from fishing, forestry, mining, and trade along the Great Lakes, some had predicted that Duluth would rival Chicago. F. Scott Fitzgerald, a Minnesota native, would have fit in well there. Thom McAleer, who has run the Cascade Lodge with his wife since 2017, said business was good year-round, with plenty of motorcyclists in summer and snowmobilers in winter.
The geology of Lake Superior has always fascinated me. It is a history of violence that can still be felt today. Long before human barnacles — from the ghostly-white Scandinavians to the soiled French fur trappers on down to the spirits that guided the Ojibwe — clung to life on this rocky, inhospitable shore, billions of years of primeval and powerful forces created, shaped and sculpted what we see today: the world’s largest freshwater lake that has claimed thousands of mariners’ lives and at least 550 ships, including the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank in 1975.
As we rode into Grand Marais (French for “big swamp”), we followed advice we received the day prior from Andy Goldfine, founder of the legendary riding apparel company Aerostich, and scanned the sky, hoping to see a congregation of seagulls darting at a skiff loaded with fresh herring.
“If you sneak behind the Angry Trout Cafe, you can find fishermen cutting up the day’s catch, and freeze packing them to be sent to a rabbi in Chicago to make them kosher,” Goldfine told us.
When we met Goldfine the day before at his factory in west Duluth, we were greeted by a short, thoughtful, balding, and bespectacled man. Andy and I commiserated over our time at the University of Duluth, albeit decades apart, him with his philosophy major and English minor, and me with the exact opposite. As our conversation moved from topic to topic, from technology and its effects on society (good and bad), to the absurdity of the global fashion industry as satirized in the movie “Zoolander,” to the history of Duluth’s post-WWII economy, to global trade and how America has become a consumerism-driven throw-away society and finally trends in motorcycling, it became clear that Goldfine was not just an inventor, but a sage.
He started Aerostich in 1983, when Duluth was in an economic recession and on the verge of becoming another hollowed-out Rustbelt town. U.S. Steel closed its coke plant in 1979. A decade prior the Air Force shuttered the base that housed the 11th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, a secretive Cold War defense outpost that housed 2,500 to 3,500 servicemen tasked with aircrafts that would be deployed in the event of a Soviet invasion.
When I was living in Duluth 16 years ago, the west side of town was rundown and largely abandoned. Tourism, college kids with bar money, and gentrification have revived the area, with craftspeople, brewers, and restaurateurs operating in clean, modern industrial spaces like you’d find in Brooklyn. Goldfine observed all of the changes to this historic part of town. What hasn’t changed is his philosophy regarding Aerostich’s Roadcrafter suits, which have been an integral part of the riding community for decades.
“Our customers are everyday riders because Aerostich makes equipment. Just like a farmer’s overalls, a carpenter’s pants, a lawyer’s or banker’s suit, it is the equipment that these professions invest in, not fashion,” Goldfine said. “Our logic is that our products are sacrificial. [A Roadcrafter] keeps you safe from the elements, and say you crash going 60 and you are okay, it did its job.”
We toured Goldfine’s factory, met with his tailors, and checked out his waterproofing testing equipment and impact armor fabrication set-up. When we left, he wished us a happy marriage and I felt better knowing that guys like Andy Goldfine are so dedicated to their craft.
From Grand Marais, we rode north and then northwest, 15 or so miles up the beautiful Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway that, further north, terminates at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness — a 150-mile stretch of hard-to-reach pristine lakes along the U.S./Canada border that skirts the Laurentian Divide, which separates water flow from either going down to the Gulf of Mexico or up to Hudson Bay. Starting in the 1600s, voyageurs would make a special stop here to collect flint from chert deposits for their rifles.
A loaded lumber truck with two blown-out wheels partially blocked our path up the Gunflint, so we turned around and returned to the lake, thundering down the road on the mighty Ultra Limited as a kaleidoscope of fall colors became a blur.
“The Lake Superior Basin … sits dead center over an ancient rift [that] was active 1.1 billion years ago when Minnesota was really the center of the North American continent,” wrote geologist Ron Morton, in his 2011 book A Road Guide: The North Shore of Lake Superior on Highway 61. “Hot molten magma rose upward from deep within the earth, and as it approached the surface, it caused the crust to arch or bow upward, and then split like an overcooked sausage,” he added. A heavy, miles-deep pancake of basalt lava spread across the region, with larger eruptions piling pyroclastic rocks around the edges of what today is the rugged Lake Superior shoreline. When the volcanic activity stopped, the weight of the lava started to sink the earth.
But long before that, a massive mountain range — larger than the Alps or Rockies today — had formed. As the mountain range eroded over eons, the sinking basin filled with sediment, creating a swampy plain. Then came what’s known as the Last Glacial Period, starting a mere 115,000 years ago. Thick sheets of ice covered the land and pushed southward, violently scooping out the basin like excavators. The earth warmed, the glaciers melted and a lake was formed — the world’s largest in terms of area, third-largest in terms of volume. Geologic instability causes the south and southwestern sides of Lake Superior to rise a few centimeters each year, raising the waterline on the Canadian side.
From Grand Marais, we drove up to the Lutsen Mountains Ski and Summer Resort, where we paid $24 each to take the gondola up to the summit for impressive and expansive views of the landscape. From a western outlook hundreds of feet above the valley floor, the trees were dead brown and red, a couple of days past peak, while to the east, yellows, oranges, and reds mingled with the green, winter-hardened conifers.
Our final sightseeing stop was Tettegouche State Park to see Palisade Head, a large rock formation with staggering 300-foot sheer cliffs that end in a jumble of jagged rocks along the shore. I remember coming here when I was in college. The wind would whip so hard it felt as if it would blow you right off the cliff edge, creating a mix of fear and excitement. Palisade Head and I have both aged. It looks and feels the same. Can’t say the same about myself.
Biting cold wind meant that Old Man Winter would arrive soon. Time to get back down to St. Paul to return the Harley and hunker down.
The post Highway 61 Remastered: Riding Along Minnesota’s North Shore first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com
Massive Benelli End Of Financial Year Sale
EOFY SALE – Terms & Conditions
The Benelli EOFY sale will begin on 1st June 2021, and end on 30th June 2021. By purchasing a 752s online or in-store during the EOFY SALE campaign, customers will receive $1,000 off the full price of the 752s, making it $11,990 down from $12,990. Customers will also receive a free Benelli Pack, consisting of one (1) Benelli jacket, one (1) Benelli helmet, one (1) pair of Benelli gloves and one (1) Benelli t-shirt (design/style subject to availability). These items will be ordered by your dealership, and shipped directly to your dealership. You may mix and match the colours of your free items, but must consist of what is in the gift pack. Only Benelli branded helmets, jackets and gloves are applicable to the promotion. Promotion excludes demonstrator or used vehicles.
**Finance Terms & Conditions:
Finance to approved customers. Advertised finance payments based on a term of 84 months at 7.99% (comparison rate 8.93%) based on the distributor’s suggested ride away price of $11990. WARNING: Comparison rate of 8.93% based on a 5 year secured loan of $30,000. This comparison rate applies only to the example or examples given. Different amounts and terms will result in different comparison rates. Costs such as redraw fees or early repayment fees, and cost savings such as fee waivers, are not included in the comparison rate but may influence the cost of the loan. Actual rates used to calculate monthly payments vary and will depend on each individual’s financial situation, contract type, term, deposit and balloon repayment. The repayment amount provided above is an approximate guide only and may not take into account all fees and charges. Finance arranged through Urban Motor Finance, Australian Credit License number 483180. ABN: 58 165 692 017.
Source: MCNews.com.au
KTM World Adventure Week, July 5-11
Mark your calendars, World Adventure Week will take place on July 5-11, 2021. Encouraging mass participation by all adventurers no matter what bike they ride, the goal of WAW is to ride 1,000 km (621 miles) or more in seven days.
Powered by KTM and Riser, World Adventure Week is an invitation to go explore tracks and trails and share your favorite places with the global adventure bike community.
RELATED: 2021 KTM 890 Adventure R On/Off-Road Review
The most adventurous riders will be rewarded with daily and weekly prizes and the chance to be featured on theworldadventureweek.com and KTM’s global social media channels. There will be different challenges to complete on each of the seven days, with all riders completing 1,000 km or more in total receiving a personalized award.
The challenges will be open to all adventure riders from all brands. The goal is to strengthen the growing adventure community and bring together riders who share the passion for adventure motorcycling.
To enter, download the Riser app from the App Store or Google Play and start recording your rides.
For all adventurers keen to learn more about this exciting new challenge, more information is available on theworldadventureweek.com.
The post KTM World Adventure Week, July 5-11 first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com
2022 Suzuki Hayabusa | First Ride Review
Rewind the clock to 1999. We were approaching the end of the millennium, and it felt like the science-fiction future was just around the corner. The carefree among us were ready to party like Prince, while worrywarts feared a Y2K-induced doomsday for the world’s computers.
That’s the same year that Suzuki introduced a big, bulbous sportbike called the GSX1300R. Appended to its alphanumeric model designation was an unfamiliar name — Hayabusa — the Japanese word for the peregrine falcon, a bird renowned for its ability to exceed 200 mph. Was Suzuki’s 173-horsepower bird of prey capable of the same feat?
Not officially.
The top-speed wars of the late ’90s, with the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11 defeated by the Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird, and the Blackbird defeated by the Hayabusa, caught the attention of European bureaucrats. To avoid regulation or an outright ban on powerful sportbikes, motorcycle manufacturers voluntarily agreed to a top-speed limit of 186 mph (300 kph).
With its slippery bodywork and long wheelbase, the big ’Busa wasn’t designed for roadracing. But that didn’t stop us — back in the day I was part of a team that raced two Hayabusas in a WERA 24-hour endurance event at Willow Springs. Meanwhile, it was the hottest bike on the dragstrips.
Fast forward two decades, and I’m riding the third-generation Hayabusa on the track at Utah Motorsports Campus, pushing the limit to the point of being uncomfortable. Was I tempting fate?
Near the end of UMC’s long front straight, my speed approaches 175 mph. Pop up out of the bubble, get on the binders, set up for Turn 1. Adrenaline is flowing, everything’s happening really fast. Is it possible to have a blast and shit yourself at the same time?
Yes, yes it is.
Suzuki’s design brief for the new Hayabusa was “The Refined Beast.” In other words, make the bike better without reinventing the wheel. The Hayabusa’s last major update was back in 2008, when it got a larger engine, a new frame, and other upgrades. Architecture and displacement of the 1,340cc inline four haven’t unchanged, but the engine was thoroughly revised to meet Euro 5 and deliver more low- and midrange power.
Compared to the previous model, peak horsepower and torque are lower — 188 horsepower at 9,700 rpm (down from 194) and 111 lb-ft at 7,000 rpm (down from 114) — but there are sizable gains in the heart of the rev range. Suzuki claims the new Hayabusa goes 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds, a couple of tenths faster than its predecessor.
Most of the engine’s internals were lightened, strengthened, or refined — cylinder head, valve springs, pistons and piston pins, connecting rods, and crankshaft. Less internal friction helps the engine run quieter and smoother, and critical components are now more durable. Cam profiles were revised to reduce valve lift overlap, redesigned dual injectors for the throttle bodies improve combustion, and revised intake ducts increase pressure flowing into the higher-capacity airbox. A revised radiator improves cooling and a new exhaust system saves 4.5 pounds.
Wrapped in panels of wind-tunnel-tested aerodynamic bodywork and weighing 582 pounds, the Hayabusa is a big bike, almost intimidating at first. With its swooping lines and aggressive curves, it looks as fast as it goes. A 50/50 weight distribution and a low center of gravity help the Hayabusa feel agile. The tight, sporty rider triangle and 31.5-inch seat height suit my 5-foot, 9-inch frame. I was able to move around the cockpit freely and use the controls easily.
Suzuki hosted a two-day launch, and we spent the first day plying canyon roads in the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake City. On the road, the ’Busa was in its element and exhibited confident, stable handling. Negotiating tight sections required some effort, but I had no problem picking a line, turning in, and making midcorner adjustments as needed. The fully adjustable KYB suspension provided a comfortable, compliant ride, and it just floated over rough pavement.
Throttle response was spot-on, with no hesitation or flat spots, and there’s a ridiculous amount of velvety-smooth power available at all times. All it took was a small amount of throttle to make the scenery blur, and gear choice was irrelevant. On the freeway, the Hayabusa never felt stressed, there was a ton of roll-on power for quick passes, and the new cruise control was really well sorted.
On a bike this big and fast, strong brakes are essential, and the new Brembo Stylema front calipers and 10mm-larger 320mm rotors did an excellent job of slowing the beast down. The new linked ABS system, which distributes braking force between the front and rear, worked well on the street. Trail braking into corners, I could feel the system engage the rear brake to settle the chassis.
As expected, the new Hayabusa gets a full IMU-based electronics package called the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System. Six riding modes (three presets, three customizable) adjust power, engine braking, traction control, and quickshifter mode. SIRS also includes linked cornering ABS, a speed limiter, launch control, slope-descent control, hill-hold control, and cruise control. Everything is adjusted via buttons on the switch clusters, with menus and info displayed on the TFT display centered between the analog speedo and tach.
For both street and track riding, the electronic riding aids allowed me to tailor the Hayabusa’s performance and behavior to the conditions. On public roads, I selected mode B (Basic), which softened throttle response but still allowed full power and put traction control and anti-lift (LF) control in the middle of the range. Mode C (Comfort) reduces power and maximizes TC and LF intervention. On the track, I opted for Mode A (Active), which provides more aggressive throttle response, max power, and minimal intervention. Suzuki’s linked ABS, which uses the IMU to adjust intervention based on lean angle, can’t be turned off. It was helpful on the street, but I found it to be somewhat of a hindrance on the track.
A closed course is the only suitable place to explore the Hayabusa’s limits. There’s more than enough power, so the challenge comes with managing chassis dynamics. There’s no getting around the ’Busa’s size and weight, but its stout twin-spar aluminum frame communicates the desired feel and feedback for attacking corners at a sane pace. As my laps accumulated, my speed and comfort level both increased.
The bike was well-balanced and responsive to inputs, allowing me to confidently throw it from side to side to the point of scraping the peg feelers and the exhaust. After a few sessions we made some suspension adjustments — less rebound, more compression — that reduced the Hayabusa’s tendency to pitch front to back on corner exits. Then it really came alive, making corner entry and exit much more predictable.
New Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 tires provided good grip, and the limits of their adhesion were kept in check by the lean-angle-sensitive traction control. Late in the day when the bike was sorted, I was having a great time. I had found my rhythm, and the TC light was flashing out of every corner while I was leaving black marks in my wake. The onboard computer tracks all sorts of cool data — max lean angle, braking pressure front and rear, rates of acceleration and deceleration, etc. — which made for some fun bench racing between sessions.
All in all, the new Hayabusa is an impressive bike. Looks fast, goes fast, and has all the modern bells and whistles. Maybe it’s time to repeat the comparison test we did back in 2008, when we strapped tank bags and tail bags to a Hayabusa and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R and hit the road for a couple days of hypersport touring.
2022 Suzuki Hayabusa Specs
Base Price: $18,599
Website: suzukicycles.com
Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse in-line four, DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl.
Displacement: 1,340cc
Bore x Stroke: 81.0 x 65.0mm
Horsepower: 187.8 hp @ 9,700 rpm (claimed, at the crank)
Torque: 110.6 lb-ft @ 7,000 rpm (claimed, at the crank)
Transmission: 6-speed, cable-actuated assist-and-slipper wet clutch
Final Drive: O-ring chain
Wheelbase: 58.3 in.
Rake/Trail: 23 degrees/3.5 in.
Seat Height: 31.5 in.
Wet Weight: 582 lbs.
Fuel Capacity: 5.3 gals.
The post 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa | First Ride Review first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com