Third in the session went to another Ducati rider, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), from Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), while FP3 fast man Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) took seventh. Michelin’s hard compound looks to be the choice for the race based on FP4 running while most of the field ran the medium on the rear, although some opted for the soft.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Another session, another Red Bull KTM Ajo one-two, but that does not tell the whole story in Moto2™ at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana. As was the case in FP2 at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Pedro Acosta edged his World Championship-leading teammate Augusto Fernandez to P1 in FP3, by an even slimmer margin of 0.066 seconds. However, the gap between Fernandez and his title rival, Idemitsu Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura, has also come down, with those two now separated by five positions and 0.453 seconds on the timesheet. The key take-out, of course, is that Ogura is also into Q2 and now he can figure out how he will try and take pole position this Saturday afternoon.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Francesco Bagnaia has earnt a precious spot in Q2 at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana but it was a nervous conclusion to FP3 for the MotoGP™ World Championship leader. Fellow Ducati Lenovo Team rider Jack Miller was the fast man on a 1:29.921 but Bagnaia had been pushed back to ninth after the chequered flag came out at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo. Fortunately for him, that was as far as he would slip, although he was only 0.064 seconds quicker than P11. Pecco’s only remaining rival for the title, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), finished the session in P5 – after a late front-end scare.
Somewhat low track temperature seemed to catch out several riders in the opening half of the session although, ironically, it was heat being generated less than two minutes in when Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) crashed at Turn 7 and his Ducati caught fire – thankfully, the Italian was clear of the flames. That incident triggered a brief red flag period before a close call between Bagnaia and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) when both ran wide at Turn 2, then separate crashes for Raul Fernandez (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing), Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), Brad Binder, Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), and Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing).
RED FLAG: Bezzecchi’s GP21 explodes into ball of flames
Miller was among the first to go for a time attack when he went out with new soft Michelin slicks and rose from P3 on combined times to P1 for the weekend to date with a 1:30.095 just inside the final quarter of an hour. That was the benchmark until Ducati stablemate Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) set a 1:30.026 in the final couple of minutes before the chequered flag, but Miller quickly responded with the only 1:29 of the morning. Brad Binder moved up to third with a late 1:30.188 and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) is fourth on combined times thanks to the 1:30.217 with which he topped FP2.
Quartararo needed a few laps to improve his pace when he went out on new Michelins midway through FP3, but eventually did enough to claim P5 with a 1:30.231 on his final run, and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) jumped from outside of the top 10 to P6 with the chequered flag out courtesy of a 1:30.279. Bagnaia had been briefly outside the top 10 in those final minutes and Marquez’s lap pushed him back down to ninth, as the Italian struggled for pace. He could not improve on his 1:30.324 on his final lap but stayed ninth, although he did need some help to get back to the pits when he apparently ran out of fuel – and this time Zarco was on hand to provide a push.
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) took P7 on a 1:30.300, a boost for his hopes of third in the World Championship considering Bastianini is classified 12th on the combined timesheet. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) is eighth, one up on Bagnaia, and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) is the last rider through to Q2 as it stands, taking 10th at 0.462 seconds off the pace. Bezzecchi finished 18th-quickest after another crash this morning, at Turn 6.
FP4 is due up at 13:30, then it’s the final Q1 of the year from 14:10 (GMT +1)!
MotoGP™ Combined Top 10
1. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1:29.921
2. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) + 0.105
3. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.267
4. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) + 0.296
5. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) + 0.310
6. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.358
7. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) + 0.379
8. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) + 0.401
9. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.403
10. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.462
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Ryusei Yamanaka is the man to beat after Moto3™ FP3 at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana. The Japanese rider clocked a 1:38.482 in the final few minutes of the Saturday morning session at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo to claim Free Practice honours, 0.103 seconds ahead of third-placed MT Helmets – MSI teammate Diogo Moreira. Splitting them on the timesheet was Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) at just 0.055 seconds off the pace, while fourth was Leopard Racing’s Dennis Foggia. ‘The Rocket’ finished ahead of Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team duo Izan Guevara in fifth and Sergio Garcia in sixth.
Leopard Racing’s Tatsuki Suzuki was quickest on Friday with a 1:39.467 and that stood as the benchmark until the new Moto3™ World Champion, Guevara, set a 1:39.318 just past the halfway point of the 40-minute FP3 outing. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) then briefly took over P1 with a 1:39.136 before Guevara was back on top ahead of the final time attacks with a 1:39.037.
Ortola had already experienced an eventful morning when he pulled off in the opening minutes with an apparent technical problem, then had a loose fairing. However, he put it all behind him when he jumped into the ascendancy with a 1:38.537 while in the slipstream of Guevara. Unfortunately for him, Yamanaka was two bikes back in what was a four-bike train and immediately went faster, but no one else was going to better them and both were safely into Q2.
Foggia claimed fourth on a 1:38.627, ahead of Guevara on a 1:38.684 and Garcia on a 1:38.720. Foggia and Guevara are, of course, the two main contenders for runner-up in the World Championship, the former trailing the latter by eight points. The other rider in that fight, Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max), has some extra work ahead of himself this afternoon having crashed late in FP3 and been shuffled back to 16th. That left him one position ahead of Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and three ahead of Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power), who engaged in some theatrics at the side of the race track after contact at Turn 11 saw both go down, right at the end of the session. Suzuki, meanwhile, slipped down the order but was comfortably into Q2 in eighth position, and Öncü was classified 13th.
Can Yamanaka convert his practice pace into pole, and will his compatriot Sasaki escape Q1? Find out later on Saturday from 12:35 (GMT +1)!
Moto3™ Combined Top 10
1. Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) – 1:34.948
2. Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) + 0.031
3. Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) + 0.180
4. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) + 0.606
5. Izan Guevara (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.623
6. Sergio Garcia (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.675
7. Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP) + 0.733
8. Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) + 0.775
9. John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) + 0.776
10. David Salvador (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) + 0.816
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
This weekend is all about enjoying my final MotoGP with my Ducati family, no pressure and hopefully a bit of this 💨🍾🏆
Source: Jack Miller on Facebook
Open the box of the Cardo KTM Packtalk Edge and you’ll be dazzled by the eye-popping, bright orange housing this aesthetically enhanced communicator wears. The orange pops visually when compared to the comparatively drab grey-colored housing found on the base model Packtalk Edge.
As everyone knows, putting the KTM logo on anything adds 10% more horsepower, but detractors claim it also negatively affects reliability. For die-hard KTM riders, I’m sure that’s a price they’re willing to pay.
On a serious note, this device seems well-built, although everything I can touch on it is entirely made of plastic with a bit of rubber on the rotary switch and charging port cover. That makes it lightweight, but will it also be durable? Will it degrade and fall apart after long-term exposure to UV light, rain, cold, heat, dirt, dust, and mud? Is it even made for adventure riding?
In order to properly field test the KTM Edge, my plan was to take it on a long and taxing adventure trip in the real world. Specifically, on a 5000-mile (8100 km) ride from Canmore, Alberta, Canada southwards, keeping mainly off-road along the Continental Divide Trail before ending at the Mexico border in Antelope Wells, New Mexico. Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, will all be featured as beautiful backdrops along the way as well.
That’s exactly how it went.
Temperatures during my testing ranged from a low of 41 Fahrenheit (5 Celsius) to a high of 102 Fahrenheit (39 Celsius). The KTM Edge braved high winds, plenty of dust, and heavy rain at times, but the elements proved inconsequential to its performance over the 18 days used to complete our journey.
Our Cardo contacts Kasey and Zach were so confident in the Edge they sent us 5 more base model devices at no cost to equip the rest of my riding group for this trip of a lifetime. This way we could not only stay safer by keeping the 6 of us connected verbally using the Dynamic Mesh intercom feature but also allowing a wider sample of the product for testing. In my mind, that yields more accurate results.
Three members of our team (myself included) wore Klim Krios Pro helmets on this trip. The Edge was an excellent fit in all three sizes (Medium, Large, and XL). I popped it in my helmet and stuck the velcro-backed JBL speakers directly to the microsuede-lined speaker pockets.
The Krios Pro has a perfect location right above the chin bar vent to mount the button-style microphone and there’s a hole in the neck roll to route wires from the Air Mount bracket on the exterior to the interior where the speaker and microphone connections are housed. Installation took about 15 minutes.
My helmet and the Cardo KTM Edge paired up especially well from a visual perspective since it has the Loko Striking Grey pattern which mirrors the orange/black KTM Edge colour scheme. It was a match made in heaven!
There were two Scorpion EXO AT950 modular helmets (ADX-2 outside North America) in the group. The owners equipped the boom-style microphone in lieu of the button-style mic in their flip-front lids. Again, no issues with mating the Cardo with these helmets.
Unfortunately, one of the boom mics was non-functional right out of the box, but we had 3 spare, unused ones from the Krios Pro wearers’ kits. A warranty claim was made through the usual Cardo channels and a replacement mic arrived 4 weeks later. That wasn’t the most stellar example of a speedy replacement, to be sure, and I hope Cardo improves on it.
The Arai was the only helmet that gave us issues with the Edge installation.
We just couldn’t find a good location for the microphone to sit where it wouldn’t be picking up some wind noise at highway speeds. We tried both the boom and button mics to no avail, and in the end, we all just learned to live with the whistling wind noise constantly accompanying Ian’s witty banter out on the road.
The same issue was there with the Sena 10C Evo microphone I experimented with in my own Arai XD-4, so I’m positive it’s a characteristic of the helmet and not a fault of the Cardo.
We found the microphone quality to be exceptionally clear and good once the correct level of sensitivity was dialed in using the Cardo App, but the boom mics need to be placed almost inside the user’s mouth in order to be top-shelf clear.
On the Great Divide Trip, the boom mic in Ian’s Arai XD-4 was a constant struggle to position ideally because the Edge’s built-in Noise Canceling technology would inadvertently lower the volume of his speech while working to cut down the wind noise being transmitted to the rest of us.
If you have an Arai helmet you may need to invest in a better wind muffler for your microphone regardless of whether it is a Cardo Edge or something else.
Here’s a summary list of the features we found to work very well on the Cardo KTM Packtalk Edge and base Packtalk Edge.
Those are the things that worked well on the KTM Packtalk Edge, but in the rest of this review, I’ll dive into the things that really set it apart and the areas it could improve upon.
The first thing to do when you remove the KTM Packtalk Edge from the box is to charge it fully, although mine arrived that way.
The second thing to do is update the firmware wirelessly… which I found to be an absolute piece of cake. Unlike other devices, you don’t need to plug it into a laptop to do this and it’s entirely painless to use WiFi or even cellular data for it.
Some things are so freaking good that once inserted into my life that I can’t imagine how I got by before having them. The Cardo Voice Command is one such thing.
My first Cardo device (a Freecom 4X) also had this feature and it showed me that I should never need to take my hands off the handlebars again to poke at the buttons on an in-helmet comms device.
Since that Freecom 4X, I’ve not touched a Cardo button other than when turning on or off the device’s power… with one lone exception while riding by an airport in Montana!
Airports are the Kryptonite of Cardo devices.
I’ve no idea what happened when I was riding home from Sturgis in July 2022, but the airport in Billings, Montana shut down all voice command functionality on my Edge. I can’t explain why, but after rebooting the device things were back to normal.
Overall the Voice Command has operated at roughly 95% accuracy in my Krios Pro helmet. Even when I mumble or fake a Scottish accent—it’s nearly flawless.
This feature allows a rider to verbally manage all of the Edge functions.
You can even activate Siri or Google to do things like making a phone call. The photo below shows the list of available Cardo KTM Packtalk Edge commands.
The Edge is safer to use than other similar in-helmet devices because it’s the easiest to control verbally.
As mentioned above, my hands stay on the bars instead of fumbling around on the helmet while attempting to find the volume wheel or phone button.
The new Sena 50 series devices also have a good voice command feature on them which can accomplish the same thing, but the user has to make a distinct pause between activating the voice command feature (“Hey Sena”) and issuing the command (“stop music”).
With the Cardo Edge, you can string both parts together into one, run-on sentence. A minor difference to be sure, but it’s easy to appreciate when you’re trying to quickly shut off your music when your significant other, or a police officer is trying to speak to you out on the road.
Another small advantage the Cardo KTM Pactalk Edge has over the competition is its USB type C connector which can plug into the device both ways.
My Sena devices sometimes frustrate me when I’m attempting to get the charging party started because its USB mini connector only fits in one way without damaging the charge port.
The Cardo Edge is a cut above the competition when it comes to playing nicely with non-Cardo devices. It can trick my Sena 10C EVO and 20S devices into thinking it’s a smartphone when it comes to establishing a Bluetooth intercom grouping. Doing that makes the Sena devices pair up immediately when asked to make a Bluetooth intercom connection between them.
The way to do it is to initiate a standard Bluetooth intercom connection using the Cardo app and then activate the phone pairing feature on the Sena. They’ll link up and you can chat while out on the road.
This is a huge draw if you ride with friends who don’t own a Cardo device because getting earlier Cardo and Sena devices to connect successfully has been so difficult that I’d just give up after multiple attempts.
Cardo 40mm JBL speakers and Sena’s HD speakers sound comparably close in quality and clarity, but I give the JBLs the “edge” at higher volume.
It’s possible to upgrade the 40mm speakers to JBL’s 45mm speakers for $90 US if you’re a complete and utter audiophile who insists on having the best of the best. I haven’t yet tried the 45mm speakers, but thus far the 40mm ones have met or exceeded my requirements.
No problem charging on the fly with the KTM Packtalk Edge. This is a big deal if, like me, you ride 10 to 12-hour days… or on occasion forget to charge the night before.
The KTM PT Edge housing will jump through the air and attach itself to the Air Mount cradle when moved within 2 inches of the intended landing strip thanks to the power of magnetism.
Magnets draw the two halves together but it’s a plastic latch that securely bonds them as one. Never once over the 5000 miles ridden over rough and smooth terrain did any of my riding group’s Edge devices separate from the Air Mount. Cardo did an excellent job with this design even though I worry at times I’m about to break the plastic latch when releasing the device from the Air Mount. The latch feels on the flimsy side but thus far refuses to break or bend.
In fact, removing the Edge from the Air Mount is a two-handed endeavor for my clumsy meathooks.
Each time I charged my KTM Edge, I removed it from the cradle and cleaned the two surfaces to prevent wear and tear on it. The two halves are installed so close together that they seem flush but I found traces of fine dust inside. Water will get in between them as well (as seen in the photo above).
It’s my observation that the members of my riding group who followed my lead (cleaning when charging) versus those who left the devices coupled when charging them experienced fewer electrical glitches.
Interestingly, the dust and water never did manage to invade the electrical connectors on my device thanks to the improved seal Cardo put around them.
Electrical issues were few and far between on the 6 Edges tested on the Continental Divide Ride my group completed, but I’ll mention the examples found here anyway. This is in addition to the airport phenomenon already mentioned.
The intercom usage in our group was 100% of the Dynamic Mesh variety because Bluetooth wouldn’t allow 6 of us to be linked together all the time. We found riders 4 through 6 in the group wouldn’t hear complete sentences from rider 1 if there were hills or other large barriers between the front and back of the group. It was necessary to have rider 3 repeat important information and only then would the signal be clear for all.
Occasionally the gap between the front and back of the group would grow too large and someone would drop out of range, but the Mesh pairing would instantly heal anytime line of sight was re-established. The range astounded us at times! We easily could have 2 miles between the front rider and rear rider with crystal clear audio if there weren’t too many large barriers in the way.
As mentioned one boom mic didn’t work at all out of the box, but the same rider also had an isolated issue with the replacement boom mic in his Scorpion AT950 helmet at the two-week mark.
We don’t know why, but at the beginning of the day, his mic simply wouldn’t work at all until we unplugged the 3mm connector and rebooted the Edge device (switched off then back on). Not a huge problem in reality, but worthy of noting along with the fact that none of the button-style microphones experienced any issues whatsoever.
Noise wasn’t a problem with any of the devices as it has been with some of my Sena 10C EVO, 20S, and 30K devices. These Cardos just seem to do audio better overall although I haven’t tried the Sena 50 series yet to comment on the latest generation of comparable Senas.
The charging light indicator glows red while the device is charging but then switches off entirely when the battery reaches full. I’d prefer it to glow green when fully charged to let me know it was successful with a glance.
Alternatively, I’d like a visual battery life gauge on the device, even though whenever the Edge is switched on or off the battery status is verbally announced to the wearer.
The microphone has a foam wind muffler on it but this is largely inadequate for helmets like the Arai XD-4 which channel wind at the wearer’s mouth and muck up the audio quality. A “dead cat” style muffler would help deal with this problem.
The Cardo App is better than the Sena App in almost every way except one: connecting intercom groups. Cardo should copy Sena and have an individual QR code on each person’s phone app that gets scanned using the camera on the group creator’s phone to establish the desired connections.
The charging port seal is easy to accidentally leave open when charging is finished. Once properly closed it stays put to keep water and dirt out at least.
The Edge will connect with older Packtalk Bold and Black devices for intercom, but in order to do it the newer Edge will need to create the group and then have the older devices connect to it. Doing the inverse has resulted in frustrated Edge owners due to incompatibility. I confirmed this with a couple of my friends who own Bolds but it wasn’t an issue for me to be the intercom group creator. YMMV of course.
The KTM Pactktalk Edge is a device for people like me: KTM fans who don’t already own a Cardo Packtalk Bold or Black. The wireless firmware updates and awesome voice command features set it above all competitor devices I’ve used and the KTM livery is the exclamation on the “love it!” recommendation I am happy to label it with.
The only good reason I can think of to buy a Sena or other brand is if you want a built-in camera on your helmet communicator. That’s where the new Sena 50C might have the advantage or edge over the Edge, if you know what I mean.
Hopefully, Cardo will soon build a device to compete with Sena in that regard.
The KTM PT Edge is (sometimes) $30 more expensive than the base model PT Edge. This is annoying, but understandable since KTM isn’t in the habit of letting their logo get used for free. Although at the time of this writing I see Cardo has dropped the price of the KTM Edge to $389 US making it the same price as the base model Edge.
The KTM Packtalk Edge is impressive but not the best value in Cardo’s lineup.
People looking for the best value should instead cast their gaze towards the Cardo Packtalk Black.
The Packtalk Black can be had for $350, has the upgraded 45mm speakers, still has Dynamic Mesh, Voice Command, and the majority of the same features as the PT Edge. The Black lacks the unnecessary but nice-to-have Air Mount but so what? The only real downside to it is the missing wireless firmware updates, thus having to use a Cardo-specific cable to upgrade the software on it using a laptop.
Food for thought…
For myself, I’d wait for an end-of-the-season sale and buy myself a KTM Packtalk Edge because it’s far too easy to misplace the original charging cable for the Black. Apparently, only the original cable or specific ones like it can be used to update the Black and Bold.
Maybe I’m just too fancy for my own good, but I’d pay $40 more for wireless updates and an orange housing.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Franco Uncini: “I’m here to announce my retirement and I have a long list of people to thank. For sure Carmelo Ezpeleta is the first, he’s our boss! And a fantastic person. Mike Trimby, and IRTA President Herve Poncharal, and the past Presidents. FIM President Jorge Viegas and his predecessors. Then, the MotoGP Safety Commission. Carlos Ezpeleta! And Loris Capirossi, who I’ve spent the last ten years with! Thank you to, not all but almost, the circuits on which I’ve worked. All the IRTA, Dorna and FIM people. I’ll stop here otherwise I’d be here for hours. I love it and I love this sport. It’s been the centre of my life forever. Thank you FIM, IRTA, Dorna and the Safety Commission, we’ve done an extraordinary job for safety. I’ve had many sleepless nights but I’m happy and satisfied with what we’ve achieved. 30 years doing this job, 20 with IRTA and 10 with FIM. I’m a grandfather to two, I have two daughters, and my wife who has been at my side since 1981 and who still can bear me! Thanks, and thanks to my daughters. I need to slow down and make room for young people. I feel Tomé can continue this excellent job, and as the President said, Tomé was also my choice. He’s the person I believe can continue this job. Thank you very much everybody.”
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
The Indian Honoring Heroes apparel collection allows riders to support active-duty military personnel with military-inspired clothing. This extensive new apparel line will be available until Nov. 30, 2022, and 100% of the profits will go toward Armed Services YMCA and its Operation Ride Home program. Read the press release below for more information.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Indian Motorcycle has unveiled its 2022 Honoring Heroes apparel collection – a military-inspired line that allows riders and fans to proudly display their support for U.S. military service, while also directly supporting active-duty military with their purchases. From now until Nov. 30, 2022, Indian Motorcycle will donate 100% of the collection’s profits to benefit the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) and its Operation Ride Home program, which assists active-duty United States military personnel in traveling home to visit their families.
Related Story: 2022 Indian Scout Rogue | First Ride Review
With 13 new styles, the 2022 Indian Motorcycle Honoring Heroes collection includes a mix of military-inspired khaki, black, and camo casualwear pieces for men and women. The men’s line features a zip-up hoodie, a crewneck sweatshirt, and various shirt styles, including a button-up short-sleeve, standard t-shirt, sleeveless, and long-sleeve options. The women’s line features a zip-up hoodie and three shirt options: V-neck t-shirt, tank top, and three-quarter sleeve. To complete the collection, Indian Motorcycle has also introduced a new Camo Icon Trucker Hat and Black Icon Cap.
“Support for the United States military and the men and women who serve our country has long been a cornerstone of the Indian Motorcycle brand, and we’re always exploring meaningful ways to make a difference for our active and retired military,” said Michael Dougherty, president of Indian Motorcycle. “Last year’s collection garnered positive feedback across the board, and that success motivated us to not only bring it back for 2022, but to turn it into a significant fund-raising engine for our friends at the Armed Services YMCA.”
Related Story: Veteran Takes a 15,000-mile ‘Ride for Light’
The ASYMCA is an independent, national nonprofit, specifically dedicated to serving active-duty military service members and their families. The oldest military support organization in the U.S., the ASYMCA was established in 1861 and has long provided care and comfort for military troops through unique and specialized programs for service members, military spouses and military children.
As a gesture of appreciation for their service, Indian Motorcycle employees who are veterans themselves were featured in the official product photography for the Honoring Heroes collection. Learn more about them here.
The Indian Motorcycle Honoring Heroes collection is available now at select Indian Motorcycle dealers around the country. Until Nov. 30, 2022, all profits from purchases made will be donated, up to a total of $100,000, by Indian Motorcycle to benefit the ASYMCA and its Operation Ride Home program.
To learn more about the collection visit the Indian Motorcycle Outpost. For more information about Operation Ride Home, or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit OperationRideHome.com.
The post 2022 Indian Honoring Heroes Apparel Collection first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com
KTM has announced updates to the aesthetics of the KTM 690 Enduro R and KTM 690 SMC R for 2023.
See all of Rider’s KTM coverage here.
Both bikes still feature the liquid-cooled 693cc LC4 single-cylinder engine, which KTM says has “proven to be the ideal baseline for the KTM 690 range,” as well as a 6-speed gearbox with Quickshifter+, throttle-by-wire, a PASC slipper clutch, and dual balancer shafts.
The LC4 machines also still benefit from cornering ABS, Motorcycle Traction Control (MTC), and two ride modes: Street and Offroad on the 690 Enduro R and Street and Sport on the 690 SMC R.
On the 2023 KTM 690 SMC R, the optional Supermoto ABS mirrors this feature. When activated, ABS sensitivity is reduced on the front wheel and completely disabled on the rear, which KTM says allows for “big drifts into corners and tire-smoking powerslides out of the apex.”
An optional Offroad ABS (just add a dongle) on the 2023 KTM 690 Enduro R reduces ABS intervention on the front wheel and completely disables ABS on the rear, allowing riders to lock up the rear when they need to slide the rear into a tight turn or drag the brake down a technical descent.
The 2023 KTM 690 Enduro R has adjustable WP XPLOR suspension with separate damping circuits and 9.8 inches of travel. Stopping power is provided by Brembo brakes with wave discs, 300mm on the front and 240mm on the rear. The 2023 KTM 690 SMC R has adjustable WP APEX suspension with separate damping circuits, 9.8 inches of travel, and Brembo brakes with 320mm front and 240 rear discs.
Related Story: 2017 KTM 690 Enduro R | Long-Term Ride Review
From an aesthetics standpoint, the 2023 KTM 690 Enduro R takes its styling cues from the competition-Enduro range, and the KTM 690 SMC R brings an all-new blue and orange adornment to the fray.
KTM says the 2023 KTM 690 Enduro R and KTM 690 SMC R models will be available at authorized KTM dealers from November onward. Pricing is TBD.
For more information on KTM’s full model range, visit the KTM website.
The post 2023 KTM 690 Enduro R and 690 SMC R | First Look Review first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com
Friday Free Practice is done at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana and, fittingly, there is almost nothing between the two MotoGP™ World Championship combatants at #TheDecider. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) set the pace in FP2 with a 1:30.217 during the time attacks at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, but the back end of the top 10 makes for very interesting reading in the context of the title fight. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) secured P8 for the session and the day, just one position and 0.005 seconds ahead of the man he is trying to overhaul in the Championship standings, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team).
Quartararo had set the fastest lap of FP1, a 1:31.399, but it took only minutes into FP2 before Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) bettered it with a 1:31.238 and then Quartararo himself moved the marker even further to a 1:31.149 with a new Michelin hard front slick tyre and medium rear. The opening 10 minutes of FP2 also saw a spate of crashes, first Franco Moribdelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) at Turn 5 then Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) at Turn 2, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) at Turn 1 – his second tumble of the day after going down at Turn 2 in FP1 – and Alex Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) at Turn 5. Fortunately, rider okay in each case.
Marini was next to take over P1 when he set a 1:31.110 in the 27th minute of the session – but, on used medium tyres, he was only warming up. Still, he remained the fast man at the beginning of the final runs, by which time Bagnaia had crept up to seventh despite a couple of detours into run-off areas, and Quartararo had emerged unscathed from a close call going past Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team) at Turn 13 on the half-hour mark.
Then we moved into the time attack phase of the session, and there were new soft rear Michelin tyres everywhere! Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) clocked a 1:30.608 to go P1 inside the final five minutes of proceedings, but then Marini fired in his 1:30.217. Bagnaia got as high as P2 when he set a 1:30.447 with less than two minutes to go, but would be shuffled back several positions by the time the music stopped.
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) would claim second on a 1:30.322 and Miller made it an all-Ducati top three when he improved to a 1:30.345, ahead of Marc Marquez on a 1:30.390 and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) in fifth on a 1:30.394. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) took sixth on a 1:30.422, ahead of Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) on a final-lap 1:30.424.
Quartararo got down to a 1:30.442 in his time attack and Bagnaia finished ninth on that 1:30.447, while Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who had been sampling a radical new chassis spec on Friday, rounded out the top 10 on a 1:30.519 – only 0.302 seconds off the very best pace! That means that the likes of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Aprilia Racing duo Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaro will certainly need to find more time if they are going to go straight into Q2, given they currently occupy 11th through 13th respectively. Cal Crutchlow (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™) sits 19th with a 1:31.345 which he set after a spill at Turn 2 at the halfway mark.
One more Free Practice session remains before the first 10 Q2 riders are locked in, and neither of the Championship contenders are safe yet. Tune in for a crucial FP3 session on Saturday from 09:55 (GMT +1)!
MotoGP™ Top 10 on Friday
1. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – 1:30.217
2. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) + 0.105
3. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.128
4. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.173
5. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) + 0.177
6. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.205
7. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) + 0.207
8. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) + 0.225
9. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.230
10. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.302
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
