However, in March 2020 they plan to unveil their first American-built bike and it will be powered by an electric motor.
It will join other American motorcycle manufacturers Harley-Davidson, Lightning Motorcycles and Zero Motorcycles in the race to win market share of this nascent market.
There is not much detail yet except the blurred image at the top of this page and this video on their Facebook page where they talk about electric bikes with another bike under a blanket in the background.
The photo and video show a light and basic street model with a sit-up-and-beg riding position, MX-style bars, upside down forks, bench seat, sprocket for chain drive, electric motor and battery forward of the footpegs and same-size road tyres front and back on spoked wheels.
We can’t see a clutch lever, so it could be twist-and-go, although they do talk about the use of a clutch on another electric bike in the Facebook video.
If it’s like their other product, it will be aimed at the bargain end of the market, not the top end like Harley, Lightning and Zero.
This is the official Cleveland CycleWerks announcement:
A New Concept in E-Mobility, to be released live to the world 03-20-2020 @ the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland Ohio.
This will be our first made in the USA product, which is exciting in itself.
This will be the first bike we have ever run pre-orders on, which will come soon. The project’s code name Falcon Rising represents our brand’s rise in the E vehicle space. It also brings a new chapter to our company, looking inward and local to grow globally. We have wanted to product bikes ourselves, here in Cleveland for 10 years. The time is now, and we are seizing the opportunity.
This vehicle represents 10 years of consumer insight, feedback from loyal customers, and a unique take on the market, that Cleveland has always had.
In the opposite corner, racing and long gauntlet gloves are way too big to fit under most cuffs.
However, there are many gloves with a moderate sized wrist section that will fit either over or under a cuff, giving you the option depending on comfort and safety.
Comfort
Comfort is very important for riders as an uncomfortable glove can not only be annoying, but also a dangerous distraction.
So it may be up to the individual and the type of glove or jacket sleeve whether over or under makes you feel more comfortable.
We suggest not trying to squeeze too much gauntlet under your sleeve as this can reduce the movement in your wrist.
The other comfort issue is temperature.
Merlin Maple summer gloves
Under the cuff will allow air to ventilate up your arms on a hot day.
However, you don’t want a loose sleeve as this can dangerously ride up your arms in a slide down the road.
If you like wearing your gloves under your sleeves in winter, you’d better make it a tight fit.
We haven’t come across a gauntlet glove that allows enough ventilation when worn over the cuff in hot weather.
Rain
The other comfort issue is riding in the rain.
You may think a gauntlet on a waterproof glove is going to offer more protection from the rain.
However, water can still find its way around the end of the gauntlet and back down into your sleeve.
To prevent this, some waterproof gloves have a cord to pull the gauntlet tight at the end. Most are available on overgloves which are meant to be worn with other gloves underneath.
Touratech waterproof Overgloves
In some cases, a shorter glove that fits under a tight sleeve will provide better rain protection.
Some gloves, have the best of both worlds with two gauntlets; one that goes under and one that goes over.
There is also the clever Siima Sibirsky which have a zip-off gauntlet and a shorter gauntlet underneath for the best of both worlds.
Siima Sibirsky
Safety
The more protection you have the better, which means race gloves with big gauntlets that have extra padding and protection.
These are bulky and can only go over the top of the cuff.
Short gloves are never going to offer decent protection.
However, a mid-length glove that goes under the cuff gets the extra protection of the sleeves.
Another aspect of safety I hadn’t thought about until I got stung was insects.
If you have a gaping hole between your glove and your sleeve, you could get a wasp or bee up your arm like I did last year.
It was painful and caused me to suddenly jerk the bars.
Since then I always make sure the gloves are over the top or tucked in tight!
Do you wear gloves over or under your cuff? Leave your comments below.
Sunderland leads Dakar Rally as Branch wins stage two
Section: Competition
Price 17th on day two for an overall ranking of ninth.
Image: Supplied.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland leads the 2020 Dakar Rally, while it was KTM-mounted privateer Ross Branch who claimed victory on stage two.
Sunderland was second during the stage, promoting him to the top spot overall, while Pablo Quintanilla (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) locked out the top three.
Monster Energy Honda Team’s Kevin Benavides (ARG) was fourth, followed by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides. Overall, Quintanilla and Kevin Benavides sit behind Sunderland, trailed by Luciano Benavides.
Australian and reigning Dakar champion Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) endured a difficult day two after winning the opening stage, finishing 17th for an overall ranking of ninth.
Compatriot Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha Motor Australia) wound up 18th on day two for a ranking of 19th, as fellow Aussies Phillip Wilson (Bas Dakar KTM Racing Team), Ben Young (Duust Rally Team), Trevor Wilson (Husqvarna) and Matthew Tisdall (Bas Dakar KTM Racing Team) are now ranked in positions 87, 88, 121, and 130.
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
What happened this week
Justin Barcia claims opening 450SX win at Anaheim 1
Justin Cooper tops 250SX – Jett Lawrence ninth
Riders talk Dakar Rally Stage 2
Woffinden swinging in WA – Speedway with Graeme Sidden
2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
2020 MXGP
2020 American Flat Track
2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway
2020 FIM Speedway GP Championship
2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship
2020 Australian Track Championship
2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC)
2020 FIM SuperEnduro Championship
2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West
2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship
2020 King of MX
2020 Australian Motocross National Championship Calendar
Justin Barcia claims opening 450SX win at Anaheim 1
Justin Barcia proved unstoppable at Ahaneim 1, taking a clear win from Adam Cianciarulo, with a 5.646s lead, while Cooper Webb laid claim to the final podium position seven-seconds in arrears. Aussie Chad Reed came home in 18th.
Vince Friese scored the holeshot from Justin Barcia and Justin Brayton while Adam Cianciarulo was in fourth. Barcia took the lead from Friese halfway through that opening lap. Justin Hill was fifth at the end of lap one, ahead of Cooper Webb and Ken Roczen.
Justin Barcia & Adam Cianciarulo – Image by Hoppenworld
Barcia was getting away while Brayton was hanging on to second place while being chased by Cianciarulo, while Friese, Roczen and Webb tripped each other up in their desperate quests to work their way forward in what was a busy pack. Barcia though had clear air up front and a 2.7-second advantage with 16-minutes remaining. Jason Anderson was eighth and Tomac was in ninth place.
Cianciarulo then got the better of Brayton to move up to second place and immediately pulled away from the Honda man. Cooper Webb was in fourth and despite battling the flu was clear of Ken Roczen and Blake Baggett.
Barcia looked safe up front but then a mistake with 12-minutes remaining saw the Yamaha man throw it all away! A 2.5-second lead turned into a 1.5-second deficit to Cianciarulo after Barcia’s clash with the tough blocks lost him his advantage.
Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper Webb started to pile the pressure on third placed Brayton and with eight-minutes remaining the defending champ made his move to take that third spot. Brayton then had his hands full fending off the advances of Roczen and Baggett.
Barcia then got the better of Cianciarulo after the Kawasaki man made a big mistake that could have ended very badly but he managed to recover and rejoin the track 1.4-seconds behind Barcia.
Brayton then went from fourth to seventh in one corner after he was gazumped by Roczen and Baggett before then being used as a berm by Jason Anderson which put Brayton momentarily on the floor. Tomac then relegated Brayton further down to eighth place just ahead of Malcolm Stewart and Vince Friese.
Justin Brayton & Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
Jason Anderson got the better of Roczen with two-minutes left to run to move up to fifth place. Up front Barica had a handy buffer over Cianciarulo who in turn had an even larger buffer over Cooper Webb. And that was how they finished, Barcia the winner of the A1 season opener, 450 debutante Cianciaurlo in second, while defending champ Cooper Webb rounded out the podium.
250SX Main Event Podium – Cianciarulo – Barcia – Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Blake Baggett clinched fourth place with a handy buffer over Jason Anderson while Ken Roczen claimed 17-points for sixth. Eli Tomac took seventh ahead of Justin Brayton and Malcolm Stewart, while Vince Friese rounded out the top ten.
In his record breaking 250th main event start Chad Reed finished in 18th place.
Justin Barcia – P1
“It doesn’t get much better, honestly. We had a really nice day. I qualified alright. The Heat race was great, I got a great start and won. And the main event, wow, just unbelievable. I got another great start, led a lot of laps, but I made a mistake and got passed. I regrouped and got into the lead again and took the win. I’m feeling over the top right now. It’s phenomenal! It’s going to be a long season though. I just want to keep having a lot of fun and keep putting that bike on the podium.”
Justin Barcia – Image by Hoppenworld
Adam Cianciarulo – P2
“I fell in love with Supercross watching Anaheim 1back in 1999. Ever since then I’ve been dreaming about what I got to experience tonight. Everything from opening ceremonies to getting my first 450 podium. I was bummed we couldn’t capture the win, but regardless I am stoked on this result. It is a long season, I still have a lot to learn and build on from here, but I am already fired up to go racing next weekend in St. Louis.”
Adam Cianciarulo – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper Webb – P4
“It’s been a struggle today with the sickness but that’s what makes this sport so gnarly, you have to be able to go out on Saturday and perform despite how you’re feeling. I’m just pumped to be on the podium, I feel like I dug deep and pushed through it tonight and it’s a good start to the season for myself and the team.”
Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Jason Anderson – P5
“My weekend went pretty decent, in the Main Event, I started in the back and I had to make some passes to get into fifth-place. Once I got behind [Blake] Baggett and Cooper [Webb], that’s all she wrote.”
Jason Anderson – Image by Hoppenworld
Ken Roczen – P6
“Anaheim 1 started pretty good but the main event was definitely not the greatest. We were a little off on our bike setup, with it being way too stiff. That really showed in the main because of the way the track deteriorated so much. I didn’t feel like I was able to keep a good flow or attack the track the way I needed to. For sure this is not the position we wanted for the night, but it’s good to get the first race out of the way and leave healthy. We know what we need to work on for the upcoming race and have a plan in mind moving forward to implement those changes. Overall we’re not going to let this first race get us down, and I’m looking forward to St. Louis.”
Ken Roczen & Blake Baggett – Image by Hoppenworld
Eli Tomac – P7
“Man, the first race of the season is always an interesting one. The whole day is just chaotic. I started feeling a bit of a flow by the end of the last qualifying session today, but in both the heat race and main event tonight I got decent starts but got shuffled back in the first turn and the way the track broke down tonight it became very one-lined and difficult to make passes. The competition this year is deeper than ever, so we will regroup this week and come out swinging in St. Louis next weekend.”
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Main Event – 2020 Anaheim 1
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Justin Barcia
Yamaha YZ450F
22 Laps
2
Adam Cianciarulo
Kawasaki KX450
+05.646
3
Cooper Webb
KTM 450SX-F Factory Edi
+12.693
4
Blake Baggett
KTM 450SX-F FE
+14.216
5
Jason Anderson
Husqvarna FC450 Factory
+18.187
6
Ken Roczen
Honda CRF450R Works E
+22.127
7
Eli Tomac
Kawasaki KX450
+23.789
8
Justin Brayton
Honda CRF450R
+26.191
9
Malcolm Stewart
Honda CRF450R
+27.043
10
Vince Friese
Honda CRF450R
+32.922
450SX Standings – After Round 1
Pos
Rider
R1
Total
1
Justin Barcia
26
26
2
Adam Cianciarulo
23
23
3
Cooper Webb
21
21
4
Blake Baggett
19
19
5
Jason Anderson
18
18
6
Ken Roczen
17
17
7
Eli Tomac
16
16
8
Justin Brayton
15
15
9
Malcolm Stewart
14
14
10
Vince Friese
13
13
11
Justin Hill
12
12
12
Aaron Plessinger
11
11
13
Dean Wilson
10
10
14
Zach Osborne
9
9
15
Martin Davalos
8
8
16
Justin Bogle
7
7
17
Tyler Bowers
6
6
18
Chad Reed
5
5
19
Kyle Chisholm
4
4
20
Chris Blose
3
3
21
Fredrik Noren
2
2
22
James Decotis
1
1
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Justin Cooper tops 250SX – Jett Lawrence ninth
Justin Cooper led a Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 1-2 in the 250SX Main Event, with team mate Dylan Ferrandis runner up, and Christian Craig bringing his Honda home into the final podium position. For Aussie Jet Lawrence, Anaheim 1 also proved a strong debut, riding to ninth, 45.924-seconds off leading pace.
When the 250SX Main Event kicked off, Austin Forkner got a great run off the line but it was Justin Cooper out front ahead of Forkner, Christian Craig and Mitchell Oldenburg in the 250SX final. Luke Clout was in eighth place at the end of the opening lap while young countryman Jett Lawrence was running 11th in his first ever senior main event on American soil.
Austin Forkner & Justin Cooper – Image by Hoppenworld
Michael Mosiman and Dylan Ferrandis pushed OIdenburg back to sixth place. Jett Lawrence got up to ninth place behind Clout but then dropped five positions after making a mistake that relegated him all the way back to 14th with ten-minutes remaining.
Forkner worked his way through to the lead after pushing Cooper back to second place, while with five-minutes remaining Dylan Ferrandis was in third place ahead of Christian Craig and Michael Mosiman. Luke Clout was now out of the race but Jett Lawrence had recovered from his stumble and was back up to ninth place.
Dylan Ferrandis & Christian Craig – Image by Hoppenworld
Forkner then made a mistake while under pressure from Cooper and ran into the tough blocks and then cut the track when he remounted. Ferrandis pushed Forkner further back to third place but it was also expected that Forkner would also be given some sort of penalty for cutting the track which would push him even further down the order…
Justin Cooper went on to take a clear victory over Dylan Ferrandis while Austin Forker finished in third place at the flag ahead of Christian Craig and Michael Mosiman. Ultimately though Forkner was relegated to fifth place for cutting the track after his crash, which promoted Christian Craig on to the podium and Mosiman to fourth.
Jett Lawrence finished his maiden AMA Supercross event with a ninth place finish, crossing the line 46-seconds behind the race winner. Countryman Jay Wilson finished 17th while Luke Clout went out early in the race.
Justin Cooper – P1
“It’s indescribable. Everyone says that about their first win, but it honestly it is. I felt like I needed to pinch myself after I went over the finish line. Looking up into the crowd and all the lights and realizing what I had just accomplished – my first win at Anaheim — it’s unreal! I can’t wait to go home and sleep on it and see how I feel tomorrow. I really don’t want this feeling to end.”
Justin Cooper – Image by Hoppenworld
Dylan Ferrandis – P2
“The day was good as a whole, I just got a bad start in the Main. I came back pretty strong, but I’m a little bit disappointed because I think I should have finished a little bit closer than I did. I was riding a little bit tight today. It’s the first one of the year, a lot of pressure, a lot going on. Everyone wants to win the first one. But it’s good. Last year, I finished second and went on to win the championship. So no problem, we’ll move on to next weekend.”
Dylan Ferrandis – Image by Hoppenworld
Michael Mosiman – P4
“It was good to come out of here with a top-five result but I’m not super stoked on how I rode. It’s comforting, though, because I know I’ve got a whole lot more in the tank.”
Michael Mosiman – Image by Hoppenworld
Austin Forkner – P5
“It was a split-second decision to be as safe as possible,” said Forkner. “That’s what they always tell us to rejoin safely and with me pointed backward and slightly left, I thought that after the next rider went by I would be fine. I didn’t gain any position by doing what I did. It’s a bummer they (the officials) didn’t feel the same way. After knowing I was able to put a good pace out front, I’m more fired up than ever to get back out there next weekend.”
Austin Forkner & Justin Cooper – Image by Hoppenworld
Cameron McAdoo – P6
“After so much preparation, it’s nice to finally get on the track and get a finish under my belt,” said McAdoo. “We took away a lot of good from this round that I’m hoping we can work on this week to go after an even better result. I would love to be challenging for the podium and proving to these guys that I am able to run up front.”
Jett Lawrence – P9
“My first A1 is in the books.I did some good things out there and learnt a lot. Look forward to St Louis where I’ll be 100% healthy so no excuses next weekend.”
Jett Lawrence – Image by Hoppenworld
Mitchell Oldenburg – P16
“It was a tough night for me so I am looking forward to being better for the next round, I know what I need to work on before St Louis. The team are great and the bike feels good so we are on track for stronger results. After the Heat I felt sore because I had a couple of crashes but mentally I’m in a really good spot so as much as I am disappointed in tonight’s result, I need to keep in mind that its only race 1 of 10, I have a bit of time for redemption.” Oldenburg added.
Mitchell Oldenburg – Image by Hoppenworld
Jay Wilson – P17
“I dreamt about being in heat one at A1 for as long as I can remember. Last night I got to make that dream a reality and sit on the start gates for the opening ceremony before going racing at the biggest race of my career so far. I’d be lying if I say the nerves didn’t get the better of me. Seventh in the heat and 17th in the main. I rode tight, I was learning and processing the whole night, and just a week earlier we weren’t sure if we would be there after practice crash, but we’ve got the first one out of the way, and now I’m excited to see what we can do.”
Jay Wilson – Image by Hoppenworld
Luke Clout – P21
“My riding was good for most of the day but I am just so bummed, I was sitting in 8th and pushing hard but I made a mistake and it cost me really big. I’m a bit banged up but there are a lot of positives to take away from the night, its been good to see where I’m at over here against some of these guys and I know I will only get better from here. I havant had too much time on the 250 and the whoops were a challenge for me tonight but I will keep grinding, I’ve only been back on the 250 for 3-4 weeks and its been about 4 years since I’ve been on one so its an adjustment. Only upwards from here.”
Luke Clout – Image by Hoppenworld
250SX Main Event – 2020 Anaheim 1
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Justin Cooper
Yamaha YZ250F
17 Laps
2
Dylan Ferrandis
Yamaha YZ250F
+02.450
3
Christian Craig
Honda CRF250R
+13.581
4
Michael Mosiman
Husqvarna FC250
+15.251
5
Austin Forkner
Kawasaki KX250
+15.251
6
Cameron Mcadoo
Kawasaki KX250
+21.244
7
Brandon Hartranft
KTM 250SX-F Factory Edi
+35.905
8
Derek Drake
KTM 250SX-F Factory Edi
+36.589
9
Jett Lawrence
Honda CRF250R
+45.924
10
Alex Martin
Suzuki RMZ250
+55.420
250SX Standings – After Round 1
Pos
Rider
R1
Total
1
Justin Cooper
26
26
2
Dylan Ferrandis
23
23
3
Christian Craig
21
21
4
Michael Mosiman
19
19
5
Austin Forkner
18
18
6
Cameron Mcadoo
17
17
7
Brandon Hartranft
16
16
8
Derek Drake
15
15
9
Jett Lawrence
14
14
10
Alex Martin
14
13
11
Jacob Hayes
12
12
12
Michael Leib
11
11
13
Robbie Wageman
10
10
14
Killian Auberson
9
9
15
Carson Brown
8
8
16
Mitchell Oldenburg
7
7
17
Jay Wilson
6
6
18
Logan Karnow
5
5
19
Derek Kelley
4
4
20
Chris Howell
3
3
21
Luke Clout
2
2
22
Mitchell Falk
1
1
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Riders talk Dakar Rally Stage 2
Stage two at the 2020 Dakar Rally presented riders with several new challenges with the introduction of pre-coloured road books and limited time to work on bikes, following an opening Stage which led competitors from Jeddah up the coast to Al Wajh with a 319 km timed special seeing Toby Price taking an initial lead.
Stage 2 saw Sam Sunderland take control of the overall Dakar lead with a 367-kilometre special, but it was Botswana’s Ross Branch who took the stage win.
As the fifth rider to enter the day’s 367-kilometre special, Sam Sunderland was able to maximise his advantage and push right from the start. The 2019 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion was able to improve his position throughout that stage to ultimately post the second-fastest time. Sam now enjoys a lead of just over one minute in the provisional overall standings.
Sam Sunderland
“It was a really tough day today and it felt very long. There was a huge mix of terrain with high speed tracks and then slower technical sections. In and out of the canyons there were a lot of lines visible and that made navigation more of a challenge. I made a couple of mistakes, but I think everyone did out there today. All-in-all though I had a good run, just trying to stick to a steady rhythm and build up my pace as the race goes on.”
Sam Sunderland
Quintanilla also excelled on the extremely challenging stage two of the 2020 Dakar Rally to finish in third place. In doing so, the Chilean rider moved himself up to second in the provisional overall standings.
Pablo Quintanilla
“I’m really pleased with my day today. Navigation was challenging all through the special but I didn’t make too many mistakes. I enjoyed the mix of terrain today, a lot of it was very similar to back home in Chile and so I felt comfortable on the bike. Toward the end of the stage I decided to play a little strategy and try to improve my position for tomorrow. I think it will work well and I’m looking forward to the stage.”
Pablo Quintanilla
Luciano Benavides in only his third Dakar, placed fifth on the day’s special to elevate himself to seventh in the overall standings. With a strong start position for stage three, Benavides is confident of another good result.
Luciano Benavides
“It’s been a good day for me – I finished inside the top five and I’m really happy with my rhythm here in Saudi. I enjoyed the stage today but came very close to crashing at one point. Luckily, I was able to stay on and from there I decided to bring the bike home safely and make sure it is good for tomorrow.”
Luciano Benavides
Kevin Benavides stood out in Stage 2’s special and replicated his fourth final place to move up into third overall position in the rally, some ninety seconds behind the leader.
Kevin Benavides
“Today was a very good stage for me, even better than yesterday’s. I started in fourth position and at kilometre 140 I reached the other riders in front and I went out in front and opened the track. For me there were good feelings, I navigated fairly easily for quite some time. Ricky finally overtook me but I think I did a very good job finishing in fourth position. Above all today we were able to take care of the motorcycle that was something important and it is in perfect shape for tomorrow’s stage.”
Kevin Benavides – Image by Rally Zone
Another fast-paced rider was Joan Barreda, who might have even won the stage had it not been for a minor fall when he was looking at the roadbook notes. The Spaniard finished sixth on the day and eighth overall in the rally.
Joan Barreda
“Today it went well during the first part of the stage; I had a good pace and was close to Quintanilla. Around kilometre 200 I fell while looking at the roadbook. I hit a rock and fell, not very hard, but enough to distract me a little. Right after, in the canyon area, I took a mistaken track and got a bit lost, but I was quickly been able to recover from it. In the end I was able to manage the stage quite well as today is the Super Marathon stage and I did not want to push too hard. Luckily the bike is perfect so we’ll see how it goes tomorrow.”
Joan Barreda – Image by Rally Zone
Matthias Walkner was able to navigate the technically demanding route, making the minimum of errors to complete the stage in a solid eighth place. Now lying an excellent fourth overall, the Austrian rider will enjoy an advantageous start position for the second half of the Super Marathon stage.
Matthias Walkner
“I had quite a good day today – the navigation was tough but I was able to push on from the start and at about 45 kilometres I was able to catch Toby. From there I opened the piste to the halfway point. We then rode in a group of four until the finish, which can be tricky as the dust from any riders in front makes it difficult to see stones and rocks hidden in the soft sand. Thankfully I was able to look after the bike and it’s all ready to go for tomorrow.”
Matthias Walkner
Xavier de Soultrait initially improved from his 13th place starting position, working his way up to ninth by the first waypoint he then struggled with dust and sensibly opted not to take any unnecessary risks, maintaining that position.
Xavier De Soultrait
I had a lot of dust during the first 150-160 kilometres, so it was a balance between riding safely and also trying to overtake. Finally, when I managed to get ahead I could increase my speed and things went well. My goal is to be around the top 10 for the first four days or so, so things are ok for me. It looks like tomorrow the navigation will be a little easier, we will see. Everything is good with my bike, so I just hope I can have a clear day tomorrow with not too much dust.”
American Ricky Brabec, also managed the situation skilfully and, in spite of having to start the day from second position, was able to post eleventh final place which leaves the rider in fifth position overall some four minutes shy of the overall leader.
Ricky Brabec
“The day was good. We knew coming into it that we were going to lose a bit of time. We started up front. It wasn’t too tricky. Up front you have a lot more focus. I lost the way a bit about kilometre 50. We all grouped up and tried to be smart and manage our motorcycles. We have the Super Marathon tonight. It’s not key to wreck your motorcycle as you have no mechanics and no assistance. I’m looking forward to day three. The team’s good and all the bikes are in one piece. We’ll keep pushing. The bikes are really good. Motorcycles don’t really carry any tools or parts, so the only thing we can do is either adjust the lever or zip-tie some things together. Other than that even if you wreck the motorcycles, you have to deal with it. We are very fortunate that all the riders have nice motorcycles for day three. So that’s a plus for Honda.”
Ricky Brabec – Image by Rally Zone
Winner of the first day, Toby Price had the unenviable task of opening stage two. That, combined with the limited time to acquaint himself with the road book, made navigating the stage extremely tricky from the front of the pack. Despite the disadvantages, the reigning champion put in a good ride to 15th place and now lies ninth in the provisional overall standings.
Toby Price
“Today was always going to be tough, leading out from the start without having had much time to read the road book. The stage went ok, I lost some time to the others but the most important thing is I looked after my bike and the tyres so should be in good shape to close down on the leaders again tomorrow. There’s still a long, long way to go, but the bike is working great, things are looking good and I’m happy.”
Toby Price
Fellow Australian Rodney Faggotter proved consistent, following up his Stage 1 19th placing, with a strong 16th in Stage 2, claiming 17th overall.
Rodney Faggotter
“17th quickest today. Saw a couple crashed riders today and some other riders that had started in front of me were with them – so I will possibly slip down from 17th position depending on what time they are given nack for stopping – but all good! Solid day. Had dust for about 200klms then led out in front of my group which means a lot of navigation but no dust! The riding here is so diverse and so far.. fun!”
Other Australians included Ben Young finishing 92nd in Stage 2, Trevor Collin Wilson 111th, and Matthew Tisdall 131st.
2020 Dakar Rally – Stage 2 Provisional Results
Pos
Rider
Team
Time/Gap
1
Ross Branch
BAS DAKAR KTM RACING TEAM
03H 39′ 10
2
Sam Sunderland
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
+ 00H 01′ 24
3
Pablo Quintanilla
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
+ 00H 02′ 21
4
Kevin Benavides
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
+ 00H 03′ 40
5
Luciano Benavides
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
+ 00H 03′ 44
6
Joan Barreda Bort
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
+ 00H 04′ 57
7
Jose Ignacio C F
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
+ 00H 04′ 58
8
Matthias Walkner
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
+ 00H 05′ 59
9
Xavier De Soultrait
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
+ 00H 06′ 08
10
Andrew Short
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
+ 00H 07′ 00
11
Ricky Brabec
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
+ 00H 08′ 45
12
Paulo Gonçalves
HERO MOTOSPORTS TEAM RALLY
+ 00H 09′ 32
13
Adrien Van Beveren
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
+ 00H 09′ 48
14
Franco Caimi
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
+ 00H 09′ 50
15
Toby Price
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
+ 00H 12′ 13
16
Rodney Faggotter
YAMAHA MOTOR AUSTRALIA
+ 00H 17′ 17
17
Lorenzo Santolino
SHERCO TVS RALLY FACTORY
+ 00H 18′ 25
18
Adrien Metge
SHERCO TVS RALLY FACTORY
+ 00H 18′ 32
19
Antonio Maio
YAMAHA FINO MOTOR RACING
+ 00H 19′ 30
20
Juan Pedrero Garcia
LS2 AVENTURA TOUAREG
+ 00H 19′ 49
Dakar Overall Standings – After Stage 2
Pos.
Rider
Time/Gap
1
Sam Sunderland
07h 05′ 22”
2
Pablo Quintanilla
+ 00h 01′ 18”
3
Kevin Benavides
+ 00h 01′ 32”
4
Matthias Walkner
+ 00h 02′ 00”
5
Ricky Brabec
+ 00h 04′ 11”
6
Ross Branch
+ 00h 04′ 19”
7
Luciano Benavides
+ 00h 06′ 01”
8
Joan Barreda Bort
+ 00h 06′ 09”
9
Toby Price
+ 00h 07′ 34”
10
Andrew Short
+ 00h 09′ 24”
11
Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo
+ 00h 09′ 34”
12
Xavier De Soultrait
+ 00h 10′ 11”
13
Adrien Van Beveren
+ 00h 13′ 01”
14
Paulo Gonçalves
+ 00h 13′ 10”
15
Franco Caimi
+ 00h 19′ 14”
16
Skyler Howes
+ 00h 20′ 52”
17
Adrien Metge
+ 00h 24′ 55”
18
Stefan Svitko
+ 00h 26′ 43”
19
Rodney Faggotter
+ 00h 36′ 32”
20
Johnny Aubert
+ 00h 37′ 17”
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Woffinden swinging in WA
With Graeme Sidden
A big shout out went to Popular WA sidecar passenger, Jamie Thomson who received some unfortunate injuries when he fell from Chad Harvey’s sidecar during the preliminary heats of the Jeff Gittus Memorial Sidecar event on Saturday evening at Perth’s Pinjar Park Motorcycle Speedway. Jamie suffered a broken wrist and is waiting to undergo shoulder surgery after his untimely fall.
Cam Heeps being interviewed by Grant Woodhams
Another sidecar passenger in young Jesse Thomas also took a ride on the wild side with defending Champion Reece Liptrott when they backed their outfit into turn three and flipped it during a desperate attempt to go underneath the ultimate victors Darren Nash and Ash Brown. I have no official report on Jesse Thomas injuries and outcome, only to say he was very ginger walking from the venue after the meeting.
The very experienced and talented Trent Headland with Tai Woffinden on the back did a stirling job to avoid the stricken outfit and prostate riders on the track. They were rewarded for their efforts finishing up in second spot for the night.
Sidecar podium for the EUROCARS sponsored Jeff Gittus Memorial Sidecar Classic – Winners Nash & Brown, Headland & Woffinden second, and Mitchell & Cornwall third
Three times world solo Champion, Tai Woffinden looked right at home on the back of the Headland outfit and was all smiles as usual on the podium during the trophy presentations.
Racing was fast and furious all evening long in both sidecars and solos where the Darren Nash/Ash Brown combination came out on top in the prestigious Gittus event and WA’s International solo sensation Cam Heeps, fresh home from a very successful English season recorded a fine win in the solo final from another WA Champion, Dan Winchester, UK’s Leon Flint and under 19 British Champion Drew Kemp rounding out fourth place after doing it the hard way winning the B final to make the final four.
Nash and Brown with happy sidecar builder and former sidecar star Tony ShieldWeekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross race schedule
May 17 – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA
May 24 – Fox Raceway National – Pala, CA
May 31 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, CO
June 7 – Florida National – Jacksonville, FL
June 21 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, PA
June 28 – Southwick National – Southwick, MA
July 5 – RedBud National – Buchanan, MI
July 19 – Spring Creek National – Millville, MN
July 26 – Washougal National – Washougal, WA
August 16 – Unadilla National – New Berlin, NY
August 23 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, MD
August 30 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, IN
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar
Jan. 4 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 11 – The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Jan. 18 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 25 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Feb. 1 – Ringcentral Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
Feb. 8 – Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
Feb. 15 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 22 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Feb. 29 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
March 7 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.
March 14 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianpolis, Ind.
March 21 – Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
March 28 – Centurylink Field, Seattle, Wash.
April 4 – Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Co.
April 18 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
April 25 – Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
May 2 – Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah
2020 MXGP Calendar
March 1 – Great Britain, Matterley Basin (EMX125, WMX)
March 8 – The Netherlands, Valkenswaard – (EMX250, WMX)
March 22 – Patagonia, Argentina, Neuquen
April 5 – Trentino I, Pietramurata – (EMX250, EMX 2t)
April 19 – Spain, (TBA) – (EMX125, WMX)
April 26 – Portugal, Agueda – (EMX125, EMX250)
May 10 – France, Saint Jean d’Angely – (EMX125, EMX Open)
May 17 – Italy, Maggiora – (EMX Open, WMX)
May 24 – Germany, Teutschenthal – (EMX250, EMX Open)
Dutch company Icon Motorcycles plans to hand-make new-age Triton motorcycles with Norton featherbed frames and modern Triumph 900cc engines.
Original Triton
The original 1960-70s Tritons were not factory models but private builds where enthusiasts mated the lithe-handling Norton featherbed frame with Triumph Bonneville engines.
Now Dutch company Icon Motorcycles plans to supply handmade Triton cafe racers for private orders with bespoke specifications. However, they won’t bear the name “Triton”.
Wouter Pullens of Icon Motorcycles says the frame is special build.
“It’s a replica from the famous Norton ‘featherbed’ frame of the sixties,” he says.
They will use the air/oil-cooled 900cc parallel twin from the previous model Thruxton, so it’s not liquid cooled and doesn’t have an ugly radiator.
He says the “Triumph engine is standard, not tweaked”, so that means 51.5kW of power and 71.8Nm of torque.
“They are available in the second half of this year, I expect about July,” he says.
“This is depending on the final inspection/approval of the Dutch Government.”
There is no word on pricing because each bike will be handmade to order, but Wouter says they can can “ship to every country”.
As a bit of a guide, Triumph 900 models cost around $15,000 while Norton 961 models cost more than $30,000.
So we expect they will cost around the Norton prices, or more depending on how much exotic kit you want to add.
Hyperbole
Icon Motorcycles says the original Triton was “perhaps the most influential motor movement the world has ever seen”.
Certainly the cafe racer seem was seminal, but they may be overstating the case a bit.
Here’s more hyperbole from their website:
Icon motorcycles guarantee you exclusivity as exclusivity is intended. You invest in craftsmanship and quality. We see every Icon engine as an investment in life that only becomes more beautiful with the years. You never really own a motorcycle really look after it for the next generation. Authentic hand assembled engines , we create an interesting investment . This is how we achieve our goal, creating rare motorcycles for the owner. Because of the exclusivity and rarity we create, you are guaranteed a right investment. Courtesy is timeless class, you must be able to enjoy the ownership.
At Icon Motorcycles we don’t just produce motorcycles, we go back deep into history. We let our hands do the work and lay our soul and salvation in every model, with the greatest care for the smallest details and that with only one goal let man and machine come together in perfect harmony.
Tough navigation, rocky terrain and a super marathon second stage of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia dropped two-time winner and current title holder Toby Price down the order.
He finished 15th on the day and is now ninth overall, but still happy with his performance.
Super marathon
Toby works on his bike in parc ferme
A super marathon stage lasts two days and all riders have to work on their own vehicle without any assistance, putting team riders such as Toby from the Red Bull KTM team on the same level as the privateers.
“A very challenging day with our first Super Marathon stage complete, it is all new for everyone and doesn’t really allow us much time to work on the bikes which made things interesting,” he says.
“Navigation today was really difficult and the conditions were tricky with so many lines to choose from.
“With such heavy navigation, it leaves you feeling like you’re gambling with your decisions all day, but it makes it interesting for all competitors.”
“Starting first is always going to be a disadvantage and today was a day I knew the rest of the field would make time on me,” e says.
“I don’t plan on starting first too many more times after my efforts today.”
Toby usually reserves his efforts in the first week to attack in the second week, like his come-from-behind win last year.
He is conserving his KTM for today’s 504km second stage of the super marathon.
Stage winner
The 367km special stage of largely rock and sand was won by Bostwanan Ross Branch who finished 13th last year on his first attempt.
It was the KTM rider’s first stage win and he now sits at the top of the standings.
He was followed by Toby’s teammate and 2018 winner Sam Sunderland (ourtight 2nd) of the UK with Portuguese rider Pablo Quintanilla (Husaqvarna) third and Argentinian Kevin Benavides (Honda) fourth.
KTM is gunning for its 19th consecutive win.
Sam Sunderland (UK)
Aussie competitors
The three other Aussies in the motorcycle category performed well in stage two.
Queensland veteran competitor Rodney Faggotter finished just two spots behind Toby in 17th and is 17th outright for the stage.
Rodney Faggotter
He said the rocky terrain was difficult and said he was grateful for his Shock Treatment suspension on his Yamaha and Citi knee braces.
Ben Young (KTM) finished 93rd and is 92nd in the outright rankings while Matthew Tisdallfinished 132nd and is 131st outright.
Ben Young
For the first time the Dakar rally is being run in the one country, Saudi Arabia, after being run in 35 countries on three continents since 1978.
Toby aids firefighters
Toby (right) is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters
Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
Stiff bike setting restricts Roczen at opening round
Section: Competition
Adjustments to be made at Team Honda HRC prior to St. Louis.
Image: Octopi Media.
Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen has revealed the settings on his factory CRF450R were too stiff for the track conditions at Anaheim 1, especially affecting him in the main event.
Roczen knew entering the weekend that he had opted for a stiff bike setting, however, as the track deteriorated into the evening it became apparent a softer set-up was required.
Despite those difficulties and after finishing second in his heat race behind teammate Justin Brayton, Roczen rode to sixth in the 450SX final to salvage a decent bunch of points at the opening round.
“Anaheim 1 started pretty good, but the main event was definitely not the greatest,” Roczen confirmed. “We were a little off on our bike set-up, with it being way too stiff. That really showed in the main because of the way the track deteriorated so much.
“I didn’t feel like I was able to keep a good flow or attack the track the way I needed to. For sure, this is not the position we wanted for the night, but it’s good to get the first race out of the way and leave healthy.
“We know what we need to work on for the upcoming race and have a plan in mind moving forward to implement those changes. Overall we’re not going to let this first race get us down and I’m looking forward to St. Louis.”
The 2020 Monster Energy Supercross season moves directly across to St. Louis, Missouri, for round two of the season this Saturday night, where Roczen is expected to refine the setting with Honda and move forward.
California Superbike School celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2020. Images courtesy CSS.
California Superbike School marks its 40th anniversary in 2020, with a U.S. schedule that includes 86 days of training at 10 different tracks, including Laguna Seca, Barber Motorsports Park, The Ridge, Virginia International Raceway and New Jersey Motorsports Park, and an updated fleet of 2020 BMW S 1000 RRs (there are also bring-your-own-bike options). Full rental gear is also available.
The California Superbike School has trained 153,000 students, most of whom are regular street riders. Racers also occasionally attend, with graduates claiming 65 National and World racing championships. Keith’s teachings have been the basis for motorcycle riding programs all over the country and along with his son, Dylan Code, have brought more technology and advanced metrics into the program to better educate students of all skill levels and learning styles.
Toby Price may have won Stage 1 even after a two-minute penalty, but it was Ross Branch who put in the fastest time on Stage 2, becoming the first rider from Botswana to take top honours with a Dakar stage win.
Stage two at the 2020 Dakar Rally also presented riders with several new challenges. The pre-coloured road books used for the first time this year were only given to competitors 25 minutes before the start of the 367-kilometre timed special. Also, with the day marking the first half of the event’s Super Marathon stage, riders were only allowed 10 minutes to work on their bikes at the end of the day, with no outside assistance permitted.
Starting the day from fourteenth, Branch took advantage of the tracks opened by other riders, to ride his own race, with navigation also proving a strong point.
Ross Branch
“Today was really good and I had a lot of fun on the bike. Starting fourteenth this morning helped a lot because there were some tracks that opened the road. I had a lot of fun and tried to ride my own race. I navigated well today which was really good for me and I think it helped a lot. Then I just took it easy…”
Stage 2 runner-up was Sam Sunderland, proving consistency is key and sitting 1min-24s off Branch’s winning time of 3:39’10”. That was enough to claim the overall lead, by 1min-32s from Pablo Quintanilla.
Sam Sunderland – Image by Rally Zone
Quintanilla improved on his Stage 1 result of sixth to claim the final place in the top three on day two, which also earnt him runner-up position in the combined standings.
Rounding out the top five for the day were Kevin Benavides and Luciano Benavides, just 3min-40s and 3min-44s off stage-winning pace respectively.
Luciano Benavides – Image by Rally Zone
Toby Price had to settle for 15th for the day on board his Red Bull KTM Factory Team machine after tackling the challenge of starting first, but held onto a top-ten position in the overall standings in ninth – 7min-34s off Sunderland’s leading pace.
Toby Price
“A very challenging day with our first Super Marathon stage complete, it is all new for everyone and doesn’t really allow us much time to work on the bikes which made things interesting. Navigation today was really difficult and the conditions were tricky with so many lines to choose from! With such heavy navigation, it leaves you feeling like you’re gambling with your decisions all day, but it makes it interesting for all competitors. Starting first is always going to be a disadvantage and today was a day I knew the rest of the field would make time on me, I don’t plan on starting first too many more times after my efforts today but I’m feeling good, the bike is in good shape for tomorrow and I’m looking forward to Stage 3!”
Toby Price – Image by Rally Zone
Fellow Australian Rodney Faggotter proved consistent, following up his Stage 1 19th placing, with a strong 16th in Stage 2, claiming 17th overall.
Rodney Faggotter
“17th quickest today. Saw a couple crashed riders today and some other riders that had started in front of me were with them – so I will possibly slip down from 17th position depending on what time they are given nack for stopping – but all good! Solid day. Had dust for about 200klms then led out in front of my group which means a lot of navigation but no dust! The riding here is so diverse and so far.. fun!”
As yet another action packed year draws to a close, what better time than now to reflect on some of the most dramatic MotoGP™ photos of 2019? The skills of riders involved were higher than ever, leading to a host of barely believable saves across all three grand prix classes.
Bringing you the Best Motorcycle News from Around the Web!
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
