All posts by mcnews

Motegi comeback grants Dovizioso third in Japan

News 22 Oct 2019

Motegi comeback grants Dovizioso third in Japan

Italian contender charges from the third row at the 16th round.

Image: Supplied.

Starting from the third row, Andrea Dovizioso put on an incredible charge at Motegi’s 16th round of the MotoGP World Championship to land on the podium.

The Ducati Team ace positioned himself inside the top five in the opening stages before going onto make his way inside the top three, hunting down runner-up Fabio Quartararo (Petronas SRT Yamaha) in the closing laps, however ultimately falling shy of the number two position.

“At the end of the race my feeling with the bike was really excellent, so much so that we did our fastest lap on the penultimate lap,” Dovizioso explained. ‘Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to pass Quartararo, who I saw was in a bit of difficulty in the final stages, but I think I could have overtaken him if there had been one more lap.

“I’m quite disappointed with my first part of the race however, because despite having good grip we were unable to be fast enough. We’ll now have to analyze the situation in detail to understand what the problem was and be ready for the race at Phillip Island.”

The Italian has a firm grip on second in the championship standings as the series heads to Phillip Island this weekend for the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Source: CycleOnline.com.au

Asia Talent Cup confirmed to join ASBK at The Bend in 2020

Asia Talent Cup adds Australian round for 2020

The provisional calendar for the 2020 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup has been announced, mapping out another awesome year of competition for the Road to MotoGP initiative. As ever, the season begins with the now-traditional season opener alongside MotoGP in Qatar before taking to Buriram, Sepang and Motegi, but there’s also an exciting addition for 2020: Australia.

The IATC is a one-make series featuring Honda NSF250R motorcycles and is contested by riders from 12 to 21 years old from Asia and Oceania.

Next season, the IATC will take on the spectacular Bend Motorsport Park, a state-of-the-art new circuit in Tailem Bend near Adelaide that opened its doors in 2018.

Sam Shahin – The Bend Motorsport Park

“The vision for The Bend Motorsport Park is to be a world class facility which hosts international standard events of the highest calibre. The Idemitsu Asian Talent Cup is an exciting series that will challenge its riders at The Bend. We look forward to welcoming them along with Dorna, the first-class organisation behind the series.”

international circuit The Bend
The Bend International Circuit detailed in orange

Peter Doyle, CEO of Motorcycling Australia

“Motorcycling Australia and the Australian Superbike Championship are thrilled to welcome the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup to Australia in 2020. The International Motofest has quickly become a standout event on the Australian motorcycle calendar and the addition of IATC is a perfect fit. This provides a great opportunity for the fastest young talent within the Asia Pacific region to compete together and to start their journey on the Road to MotoGP. Young Australian riders have already succeeded on this pathway and we hope that the Australian Superbikes Championship continues to play a pivotal role in also developing great racing Down Under. I am sure the IATC racing will be action-packed alongside Australia’s best rider in action and this makes the event a race weekend not to be missed.’’

Ahrens topped the Race 2 podium from Aju and Sanjaya
The Asian Road Racing Championship has visited The Bend but 2020 will be the first time the Asia Talent Cup has visited our shores

As the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup aims to discover talent from across Asia and Oceania, this round Down Under is an important addition to the calendar and between that and Australian Billy Van Eerde having taken the 2018 Cup, the future is looking ever brighter for young riders in the region.

Asia Talent Cup Billy Van Eerde Champ sign
Billy Van Eerde – 2018 Asia Talent Cup Champion

This announcement also comes at a fitting time as MotoGP gears up for the Australian Grand Prix this weekend; an event sure to show off the country’s incredible passion for the sport once again.

Carmelo Ezpeleta – CEO of Dorna Sports

“The Asia Talent Cup is one of the most important projects in our Road to MotoGP program and it’s an unrivalled opportunity for young riders in the region to begin their path to the top. We are excited to be heading to The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia, as it adds a new track to the Cup, which is always good for competition. Australia is an important country for Grand Prix racing, with MotoGP having race there since 1989 and multiple World Champions hailing from the nation, and is therefore also a pivotal presence in our Road to MotoGP program.”

Asia Talent Cup Rnd Thailand Race field
2019 Asia Talent Cup – Round 2 – Chang International Circuit
2020 IATC Calendar
  • Pre-season test. 11-12 February – Sepang, Malaysia
  • Races 1 & 2. 6-8 March – Losail, Qatar
  • Races 3 & 4. 20-22 March – Buriram, Thailand
  • Races 5 & 6. 8-10 May – The Bend, Australia
  • Races 7 & 8. 7-9 August – Sepang, Malaysia
  • Races 9 & 10. 16-18 October – Motegi, Japan
  • Races 11 & 12. 1st November – Sepang, Malaysia

Source: MCNews.com.au

The Bend to host round of Asia Talent Cup series in 2020

News 22 Oct 2019

The Bend to host round of Asia Talent Cup series in 2020

MotoGP development program to feature alongside ASBK in South Australia.

Image: Supplied.

The Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup will travel to Australia in 2020 when it joins the Australian Superbike Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia between 8-10 May.

Won by Australian talent Billy Van Eerde last year, the single-make Asia Talent Cup is part of Dorna’s Road to MotoGP program utilising Honda NSF250R machinery.

“Motorcycling Australia and the Australian Superbike Championship are thrilled to welcome the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup to Australia in 2020,” Motorcycling Australia CEO Peter Doyle commented.

“The International Motofest has quickly become a standout event on the Australian motorcycle calendar and the addition of ATC is a perfect fit. This provides a great opportunity for the fastest young talent within the Asia Pacific region to compete together and to start their journey on the Road to MotoGP.

“I am sure the IATC racing will be action-packed alongside Australia’s best riders in action and this makes the event a race weekend not to be missed.”

Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta also threw his support behind the event: “The Asia Talent Cup is one of the most important projects in our Road to MotoGP program and it’s an unrivalled opportunity for young riders in the region to begin their path to the top.

“We are excited to be heading to The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia, as it adds a new track to the Cup, which is always good for competition. Australia is an important country for grand prix racing, with MotoGP having race there since 1989 and multiple world champions hailing from the nation.”

This year, Harrison Voight, Jacob Roulstone and Luke Power have represented Australia in the Asia Talent Cup series, which also features events in Qatar, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan through six rounds.

Source: CycleOnline.com.au

Harley-Davidson trademarks Rude Boy

Harley-Davidson trademarks often end up as names for their motorcycles, but in this case, Rude Boy will be used for their upcoming range of electric bicycles.

The company has struck some trouble with the recent launch of their LiveWire electric motorcycle:

  • The bike was delayed a month going into North America dealerships;
  • Several dealerships refused to pay big money to instal DC fast chargers in order to sell them;
  • Sales have also been a disaster as customers have baulked at the $US29,950 (about $A44,000 when it arrives in Australia late next year) ticket price; and
  • They temporarily pulled the plug on production to fix a problem with one charger.

    Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle electric highways short circuit
    Riding the LiveWire in Orgeon

Rude Boy electric bicycles

The company has filed its application for the Rude Boy trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office for use with “electric bicycles; electric bicycle parts and accessories”.

Harley already has a Fat Boy Softail motorcycle which has been a huge success over the years, so they will be hoping for the same with with Rude Boy.

So far Harley has shown three pedal-assisted electric bicycles, an electric scooter and electric balance bikes for kids.

Harley and Indian announce 2018 sales results electric scooter bicycle
harley electric scooter

With Harley sales down and an ageing demographic, the company is keen to bring in new, younger customers.

This shift toward two-wheeled electric bicycles is part of their future-proofing strategy.

Harley electric bicycle LiveWire ID specs rude boy bicycles
Harley electric mountain bike

Harley has previously shown their electric mountain bike (above) and their electric bicycle prototypes (below) under the “Future Vehicles” tab on their website.

We expect the latter will be the Rude Boy bikes.Harley-Davidson electric bicycle balance kids rude boy bicycles

It says they are not yet available for sale, but “coming soon” and “future models shown may not be available in all markets”.

They include mid-mounted electric motors, belt drive and one with a step-through “female” frame.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Yamaha NZ forms multi-tier NZ Superbike Championship squad

Yamaha New Zealand forms new road racing structure

Yamaha Motor New Zealand (YMNZ) has a breadth of experience in its 2020 New Zealand Super Bike (NZSBK) racing team structure.

With a commitment to fostering the talent of younger racers in the entry capacity categories, through to supporting its top-tier riders in their desire to claim the Superbike title, YMNZ has covered all bases.

The Yamaha Racing Team (YRT) will consist of Christchurch’s Alastair Hoogenboezem and Jake Lewis, of Rangiora. These two seasoned high-flyers will be on-board their 1000cc YZF-R1 race machines in the Superbike class and they will be managed by engine and suspension tuning guru Dave Cole and experienced team manger Peter Fenton.

Alastair Hoogenboezem
Alastair Hoogenboezem pictured here in 2015

At 27-years-old Hoogenboezem is the team’s most ‘senior’ rider and enters his fifth Superbike season. Although the thrill of hurtling down a straight at 290kmh is second nature now “it still definitely puts a smile on my face,” he says.

He has national 125cc and 600cc class titles to his name and is looking to add a third championship to his trophy cabinet this season. His team-mate Lewis (24) has the same ambition and no doubt the two Yamaha riders will spur each other on to great things on their Yamaha YZF-R1 motorcycles this season. Lewis returned from a five-year stint racing overseas in 2018, winning the New Zealand 600 Supersport title that year.

Like Hoogenboezem, he joined the YMNZ team last year and his goals are to be consistently on the podium and “represent the Yamaha brand the best I can,” Lewis says.

Jake Lewis - Image by Brian J Nelson
Jake Lewis raced in MotoAmerica, pictured here in 2017 at Road Atlanta – Image by Brian J Nelson

For the 2020 season, YMNZ has developed a satellite squad, the Yamaha Racing Development Team (YRDT) managed by Steve Lloyd. It forms the pathway for the up-and-coming younger riders to progress into the YRT when they have built up the necessary skills and speed. Wellington’s Rogan Chandler (22) will compete in the Supersport 600 class onboard his Yamaha YZF-R6 for his third year in this class. YMNZ also welcomes Timaru’s Harry Parker to the team and the 19-year-old will contest the Supersport 300 class, on his YZF-R3.

Lloyd says that since he sold his motorcycle business in 2012, he has been involved with the Off-limits Trust, which organises and runs events such as the Tussock Buster and Boundary Buster. The trust also develops young riding talent in New Zealand.

“We are excited to be able to do this now through the establishment of the Yamaha Racing Development Team. We are operating alongside the Yamaha Racing Team with the shared goal to provide an environment that allows riders to develop skills not just on the track but off the track as well. We hope that success on a national level will allow our riders to progress to being picked up by Yamaha Racing in Australia, or Asia, and even further afield internationally,” Lloyd says.

With a rule change by Motorcycling New Zealand from a single manufacturer 150cc class, to now open to all manufacturers within the Supersport 150 class, Yamaha is extending support to 13-year-old Southlander Cormac Buchanan – supported by his home-town dealership Rogers Motorcycles in Invercargill – who will be leading the charge in this class on a YZF-R15. Despite his young age, Buchanan has a packed international schedule leading into the NZSBK’s first round in January. He has been racing in Australia in the Oceania Junior Cup; was nominated to attend the prestigious Red Bull Rookies Cup in Spain last weekend; and has been selected to ride in the Asia Talent Cup in Malaysia later this month.

“I’m absolutely stoked to be part of the bLU cRU and have the chance to learn from riders the calibre of Jake, Al, Rogan and Harry. As I’m just starting my road racing career, having positive and talented role models willing to mentor me within the Yamaha teams was a massive drawcard,” Cormac says.

Cormac Buchanan
Young Kiwi Cormac Buchanan pictured in ASBK Oceania Junior Cup gear

Former international motocross star and more recently, successful team manager Josh Coppins has taken on a new management role at the helm of Yamaha’s racing programme, which will span across all disciplines.

“I’m looking forward to the season ahead. We have a great group of riders and have been able to provide them with a clear pathway and structure which we believe will help the sport, the Yamaha brand and will ultimately help the riders to get the championships they deserve,” Coppins says.

The road racing season kicks off with the Tri-Series starting on December 7 and 8 at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park in Taupo.

The YZF-R15 v3 will be available to dealers late October and Yamaha is looking forward to seeing the support of the brand within this class. Yamaha will be offering a limited number of R15 fairing kits for racers and also have a race-ready apparel package available through Ficeda. These will be available directly via YMNZ. 

2020 NZSBK Championship Dates
  1. NZSBK Round One – 11th & 12 January 2020 (Ruapuna, Christchurch)
  2. NZSBK Round Two – 18th & 19th January 2020 (Levels, Timaru)
  3. NZSBK Round Three – 7th & 8th March (Hampton Downs, Waikato)
  4. NZSBK Round Four – 28th & 29th March 2020 (Manfeild, Palmerston North)
  5. NZSBK Round Five – 4th & 5th April 2020 (Bruce McLaren Park, Taupo)

Yamaha Motor New Zealand New Zealand Super Bike racing team
Yamaha Motor New Zealand 2020 New Zealand Super Bike racing team.

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcyclist killed in truck collision

NSW Police are at the scene of a fatal collision between a motorcycle and a truck in McGraths Hill in Sydney’s north-west.

About 12.35pm (Tuesday 22 October 2019), police attended the intersection of Windsor Road and Pitt Town Road following reports of a collision between a motorcyclist and a truck.

“The male rider was thrown from the bike and suffered serious injuries,” NSW Police say.

“The man was treated at the scene, however died.

“The driver of the truck was not injured and has been taken to Hawkesbury Hospital for mandatory testing.

“A crime scene has been established and the circumstances surrounding the collision are being investigated.

Windsor Road is closed in both directions and local diversions are in place. Motorists are advised to avoid the area.

A brief will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.

Our sincere condolences to the rider’s family and friends.

It follows four tragic days for motorcyclists in NSW with four riders killed, and five riders and a pillion injured in six separate motorcycle crashes.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Alex Milledge was an Aussie motorcycling stalwart

The Australian motorcycle industry has lost a stalwart with the passing of Alexander Milledge, OAM, on 6 September 2019, aged 89, says industry veteran Stuart Strickland.

He credits Alex with recognising the rise of Japanese motorcycle manufacturers, becoming Yamaha’s first overseas distributor and supporting many motorcycle champions. 

Eulogy

Speaking at his funeral service at St John’s Anglican Church, Toorak, Stuart said Alex had led the Milledge Brothers to success as the nation’s largest motorcycle business and had “invested heavily over countless years supporting all forms of motorcycle sport”.

Stuart began his 40+ years in the industry at Milledge Brothers, the first motorcycle shop in Elizabeth St, Melbourne. He was parts and general manager from 1971 to ’81 and, like Alex, he also was awarded an OAM for service to the industry.

Obit Alex Milledge
Milledge Brothers store

“Milledge Brothers was an enjoyable company to work for because its leader was a man of action, never standing still,” Stuart said.

“Alex possessed fantastic business acumen and was a great mentor. I, like many, built careers from foundations learnt whilst at Milledge Brothers.”

Stuart said many motorcycle dealers around Australia benefited financially through Milledge Brothers’ success.

He also acknowledged Alex’s “exceptional” ability to “gain, build and maintain relationships with manufacturers across world markets”.

“I think his greatest achievement was chasing distribution rights for Honda, being unsuccessful, but through perseverance landing distribution rights for both Yamaha and Suzuki.

“His premonition that British domination of the market would cease through the rise of Japanese manufacturers was accurate, leading to many very successful years for the company.

“Alex broke new ground with Yamaha Motor, becoming their first overseas distributor. He held an exalted position with Yamaha’s hierarchy throughout his life,” he says.

Alex Milledge

Obit Alex Milledge
Alex and Sue

Alex was born on 5 August 1930, the only child of Alexander and Mary Ellen.

He lived nearly his entire life in Birdwood Ave, Elwood; was educated at Melbourne Grammar; and worked in the family business, becoming general manager in 1956 at the young age of 26.

In 1988, the Yamaha franchise was sold and Alex became semi-retired.

He is survived by his wife Sue, three children – Jane, Sarah and Libby – eight grandchildren and one grandchild. Sadly, his son Tom died in 2002.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Pope’s Harley sells for bargain price

A Harley-Davidson signed by Pope Francis has sold at the Bonham’s Autumn Stafford sale in the UK for a bargain at less than half what it was hoped to fetch.

The bike was sold for the bargain price of £42,000 (almost $A80,000) which is a tidy sum that will benefit Catholic Overseas Missions.

However, it’s not as much as was expected with auctioneers tipping the 2016 Custom Cycle “White Unique” would fetch up to $A180,000.

White Unique was created at the suggestion of Dr Thomas Draxler, founder of the Jesus Bikers group in Austria, as a fundraising vehicle, to be donated to the Pontifical Mission Societies (Missio), the official support for Catholic overseas missions.

Pope with holy Harley custom for auction
White Unique

Bavarian-based Harley Davidson dealer, Würzburg Village, supplied the Softail and collaborated with the Jesus Bikers on its customisation.

As the name suggests, the machine is finished in pearlescent white, with Chicano (Mexican American) style detailing, numerous gold-plated components, a Dorne wreath ornament, a sunken cross and Pope Francis’ signature on the tank.

The Harley Davidson was unveiled to the public in Würzburg on 29 June 2019 before being accompanied by the Jesus Bikers to the Vatican, via Assisi, where the ‘Pope Bike’ was handed over to the Vatican at a ceremony with His Holiness in St Peter’s Square on 7 July.

Holy bikes

Pope Harley
Holy Softail

The holy Harley is the latest in a short succession of holy motorcycles and cars donated to the Papacy and sold on for charity.

In 2014, a Harley-Davidson owned by the previous Pope sold at a Paris auction for the “bargain” price of $67,700.

The Harley Heritage Softail was one of two Harleys gifted to Pope Benedict XVI to celebrate Harley-Davidson’s 110th anniversary in 2013.

When he resigned, Pope Benedict was replaced by Pope Francis who decided to sell the bikes for homeless charities in Rome.

Pope Francis with the Harley Dyna expensive motorcycle holy
Pope Francis with the Harley Dyna

The first bike, a Dyna Super Glide, sold for $364,476, while a Harley leather jacket also sold for an astounding $86,829.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Gardner admits Japanese GP error his own doing

News 22 Oct 2019

Gardner admits Japanese GP error his own doing

SAG Racing ace crashes out at the Twin Ring Motegi.

Image: Supplied.

Australian Remy Gardner has admitted the error that saw him crash out of the Japanese grand prix on Sunday was his own doing.

The SAG Racing contender was caught up in an earlier incident, and admittedly pushed too hard while attempting to make up time on the main group of riders, going down in the process.

“When the race started, I dropped back but didn’t panic,” Gardner commented. “It wasn’t perfect but I felt comfortable and then I got caught up in the Vierge/Lecuona incident and lost a bunch of time to the group.

“I went down because I was pushing too hard, it’s as simple as that. The next race is my home GP at Phillip Island and I will give it everything to get a result that we deserve there.”

Gardner is ranked 12th in the Moto2 World Championship following a string of difficult rounds, as the series heads to Phillip Island this weekend for the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Source: CycleOnline.com.au