DGR founder Mark Hawwa says Skram Motorcycle Eyewear is “a product that as motorcyclists we wanted to wear” and was a joint effort by him, colleague Rocco Repice and optometrist Elias Combes.
The flexible sunglasses cost $199 with earlybird investors getting some extras.
They are claimed to have 100% UV protection with shatterproof glass that makes them the “most protective” sunglasses on the market.
Mark claims they “searched for years testing over 50 different lenses until we found the set that we could put all of our trust into”.
Skram style
They come in three styles with a choice of brown tortoise shell or black frames and clear or yellow lenses that increase tint when exposed to the sunlight.
Prescription lenses will also be available for $99 extra ($79 for earlybird Kickstarter backers).
“Most importantly it had to be adaptive in different lighting conditions. Meaning no longer do you have to carry two pairs of glasses around. No longer do you need to change lenses,” Mark says.
“It is perfect for those who wear open-face and 3/4 helmets as well as those who like to ride with their full face helmet visor open.”
However, the glasses are not wrap-around, nor do they have gaskets to keep the wind out, so we’re not sure how they would go at highway speeds.
Riders should be careful of windburn in their eyes which can lead dry, itchy eyes and possibly blurred vision.
Funding goal
The Skram fundraising goal to go into production and start shipping in November is $A20,000.
Already more than $6000 has been pledged with about seven weeks to go.
They guarantee backers will get their money back if they do not meet their November delivery deadline.
Riders and lovers of classic motorcycles should save the 2020 Australia Day long weekend for the 27th running of the International Phillip Island Classic.
It is the southern hemisphere’s largest historic motorcycle meet.
The Island Classic returns to the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from 24-26 January 2020.
It will feature a century of motorcycles from pre-war through to the new era machines.
The circuit will play host to more than 450 bikes, 300 riders and 50-plus races starring in a packed agenda.
“I was really concentrated from the beginning as there were still some wet patches, especially at Turn 1. I knew I needed to keep my rhythm as the Yamaha riders were starting from behind and they were strong in Warm Up. Then I saw that Dovi was behind me so I had to keep pushing and pushing. I had a little warning on lap 10 because that is when I started to push more to try and open the gap. Delaying the race was the best decision that could have been made because the track was in a mixed condition and it could have been quite dangerous. A crazy weekend with the weather but the whole Repsol Honda Team were perfect and helped me a lot to achieve victory!”
Marc Marquez – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Andrea Dovizioso – P2
“I’m happy with my second place today and the fact that we were fast all through the weekend, even though unfortunately it wasn’t enough to win the race. I opted for a different rear tyre to Marquez and at the start I pushed hard to stay close to him, but when he began to brake harder I didn’t have any margin to push harder at the front. Pity, but we weren’t that far away from him, so we have to continue to believe in ourselves: I’m still positive because tomorrow there will be an important test day here at Brno, with a lot of new material to try out.”
Andrea Dovizioso – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Jack Miller – P3
I am very satisfied with this result and I thank the team because this weekend we have done an extraordinary job. When Rins overtook me I stayed calm and this allowed me to manage the tyre and then attack him in the final. The delayed start? Turn 1 would have been very dangerous. It was the right decision and it’s nice to see how much Dorna cares about our safety.
Jack Miller – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Alex Rins – P4
“I was really close to the podium, and it’s a bit of a shame because I was fighting hard all race and trying to close Dovizioso in front of me. But in the last five laps I felt that the grip had dropped, however, but I’m still pleased to get fourth place. Tomorrow we’re testing and we’ll try many things, this should allow me to go to Austria next week feeling fresh and ready to fight again in the top group.”
Alex Rins – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Cal Crutchlow – P5
“At the end of the first lap, or the first two or three anyway, I was already 3.8 seconds down or something like that, so I lost a lot of time in the first few laps as I was not able to get through. Maybe I wasted one lap too many behind (Danilo) Petrucci and Valentino (Rossi), but I tried my best, had a good pace and we’re happy with the result considering where we came from on the grid. I made a good start and had a good race, but I just wore that rear tyre out coming across the gap to the front guys. I was four seconds down and got it back to two at one point, but that put a lot of stress on the rear tyre on a day when the track condition was really, really bad. Overall we’re happy, the team did a good job, Honda did a good job and we should be pleased to come away with a top five result after not a good qualifying and not having a great feeling with the bike this weekend.”
Cal Crutchlow – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Valentino Rossi – P6
“Starting the race at 2PM would have been very dangerous, especially with the first sector being full wet, because everybody would have used the slicks and then arrive at the first corner all together. For me that is one of the most dangerous things you can do. So, I asked if it’s possible to delay, and I think that was the right choice because in the end we had a real race that was completely dry. For sure, we’re not happy about a sixth place, but I was able to ride my bike in a better way and in the end it wasn’t too bad. The guys that arrived in front were faster than I was, but it was better than the last races, so this is quite positive. We have some things we want to try tomorrow. We have a new engine specification and also some other things, so as always it will be an important test and we will see.”
Valentino Rossi – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Fabio Quartararo – P7
“Saturday was a tough day so Sunday’s goal was to be top rookie and to try and be in the top eight, and we achieved both goals. It’s the first race where I feel like I really had to work to save the tyres, and I learned a lot from doing that. The conditions were strange and I was a little bit stressed in the beginning because I don’t have much experience, but we’re happy with our result. I overtook a few riders in the race and I learned a lot from doing that, about how to save the tyres so I can be more aggressive when I need to. I tried to push at the end to catch Rossi to try and fight with him for the first time and it’s a shame I wasn’t quite able to close down the gap to him.”
Fabio Quartararo – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Danilo Petrucci – P8
“For sure this was the most difficult race of the year for me. I missed out on being able to lap in the dry yesterday, because already on Friday I was struggling a bit at this circuit. The race was tough because right from the start I didn’t have much grip and the leaders went away immediately, and then it was also difficult to fight with the others because in the final stages I had finished the tyres. Pity, because Rins made up a few points on me in the standings even though I’m still in third, but luckily tomorrow we’ll have an entire day of testing to understand what to improve.”
Danilo Petrucci – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Takaaki Nakagami – 9th
“It was really hard to concentrate because I think everyone was ready to go and then we had a 40-minute delay. I tried to stay focused, then I made a good start and at the beginning I was behind Cal and tried to follow him. It was a tough race, it was hard to keep the lap times and maintain your position. I was always P10 but at the end I had a chance to pass Pol (Espargaro), so it’s not a fantastic result but I’m happy to finish another race in the top 10. It’s very important for us and I must continue to try and keep improving my riding. We have a test tomorrow and we have some ideas to try, so let’s keep working hard for the next race.”
Takaaki Nakagami – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Maverick Viñales – P10
“I started on the damp part of the track and for sure that was a small disadvantage, but Álex started in front of me, on the same side of the grid, and he was OK. I think we lost a lot of grip compared to the morning, which is something we often struggle with, with our bike, so it’s something we have to improve. Tomorrow, during the test, I don’t want to start thinking about 2020 already, it’s too far ahead. I want to be in front in Austria, so this will be an important test to improve the bike for next weekend.”
Maverick Vinales – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Pol Espargaro – P11
“Qualifying went very well, and today we could keep the rhythm near the front for the first four-five laps after making a good start in very tricky conditions. Then we had some wheel-spin as the tyre dropped, mostly on the straights, and it meant we lost some positions. I tried to go with Valentino [Rossi], [Danilo] Petrucci and [Cal] Crutchlow but it was complicated. I was losing a lot each lap. So, some positives and negatives today and we’re looking forward to tomorrow to see if we can make some improvements. We have a big target for next weekend.”
Pol Espargaro – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Pecco Bagnaia – P12
“It’s been a very difficult weekend. We didn’t have much time to work because of the rain on Saturday. We found the right direction in wet conditions and we were able to replicate that set up in the dry. From the warm-up the feeling was positive. It was important to finish this race. I can’t wait to be in Austria on a track where the Ducati have always been very fast.”
Pecco Bagnaia – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Miguel Oliveira – P13
“It was a nice race: difficult for everyone, especially to manage the grip of the rear tyre. The pace was the best I could do. We did a great job after having only one day of practice in the dry, the team gave me a nice bike to ride, so I’m really happy for that. The gap to the first is not so big, it’s the second-best gap that we had all season. We are definitely on a line of improvement and we just need to keep working like this.”
Miguel Oliveira – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Johann Zarco – P14
“Not the plan we had. The start was a disaster. I think I had some spin because I was on the right side of the track where there were some wet patches. It was the right decision to wait forty minutes and start the race with the slick. I messed-up the start but it was good to fight and I did my best to be as constant as possible. In the end it was good to be in the points and to beat the guy I was racing with at the end. I want to say I am happy but it is because I did not finish the last two races and that is the most disappointing thing. Compared to yesterday 14th is not so satisfying but it’s where I am at the moment.”
Johann Zarco – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Stefan Bradl – P15
“I’m not happy with the final result because I think we had a lot more potential. Since Friday we have been improving but the conditions of Saturday and lack of time hurt us in the race today and I struggled with rear grip and turning during the race. It has been a very busy weekend and we were able to work a lot for Honda. To score was good but I am hoping for more in Austria. I’m excited to be asked to join the Repsol Honda Team once again next week and I am already thinking about the race.”
Stefan Bradl – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Tito Rabat – P16
“It has been a difficult weekend, it is a shame because it is a circuit that we are good at. The bad conditions did not helped me but we have been able to fight until the end. I’ve finished close to the points’ positions, which is positive. I am happy with the team and the situation, tomorrow we stay to do a test to continue improving.”
Tito Rabat – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Andrea Iannone – P17
“Unfortunately, we struggled throughout the weekend. In the race, I tried to manage the tyre in the first part so that I could try to recover in the finale, but it wasn’t enough. Tomorrow we have an important day of tests. We need to react and focus on being more reactive. Despite the difficulties, we will not give up. We want to grow this project and races like this must be further motivation for everyone, for the team and for those working at home.”
Andrea Iannone – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Aleix Espargaro – P18
“Today, after an outstanding start, I found myself just behind the top ten and, to be honest, I thought I would be able to do another race like the Sachsenring because the bike did not seem bad at all. But after a few laps, I started to have abnormal spin at the rear tyre, even in the higher gears. It’s a pity, because besides this problem, the feeling was good. Tomorrow I’ll have a new frame and a new swingarm available, in addition to a few ideas that we want to try with the electronics. I’ll be the first one out on the track, and we will try to take a step forward.”
Aleix Espargaro – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Karel Abraham – P19
“I am not happy because it was the race in which I had to be, at least, riding with my teammate. During the first part of the race he was a little faster and we were not far between us, but something happened, I felt something was different on the bike and I slowed down. I tried to adapt, but I think the problem was bigger and now we have to try to find out what it is. Then I had problems with the rear wheel, it was sliding too much and I had no traction.”
Karel Abraham – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Sylvain Guintoli: P20
“I didn’t feel very good during the race and I struggled, but overall the weekend has been good for me. During FP1 and FP3 I was able to show some good pace, and that was pretty exciting for me. I had hoped to perform much better in the race, but it wasn’t possible. I’m ready to work hard with the team in the next days and discover some useful things during the test.”
Sylvain Guintoli – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Joan Mir – DNF
“I was on the outside of Morbidelli coming off the start and when he went down there was nothing I could do to avoid him. This type of incident is always an extra risk when you start towards the back of the grid, and it was a shame that my race ended there. I had a good feeling with my bike during the warm-up in the dry and I was disappointed not to discover how I could convert that pace in the race. But anyway, these things happen, let’s think about Austria next week!”
Joan Mir – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Hafizh Syahrin – DNF
“I’m very disappointed. It was a really good race. I felt confident and I was one of the only three riders to choose the hard tyre in front but for some reason we suddenly lost the front. Plus, the start was strange. I tried to put in the launch control, but it was not working and also the dashboard was a bit confused, so I needed to start without launch control, which was very difficult for me. But on the first lap I was really strong and on the second one, I caught back up with the group. I arrived in 15th and knew I would be able to pass Aleix [Espargaro], but first I tried to stay with Maverick [Viñales] and to pull away a little bit and then the crash happened. That’s racing, I feel sorry for everyone.”
Hafizh Syahrin – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Franco Morbidelli – DNF
“It’s a pity because it looked like I was going to be able to have a good race because I had a good feeling in warm-up and in the first few laps. It certainly felt like Zarco made an inelegant move on me, but that’s racing and we’ll try to come back strongly again next weekend. It’s good that we’ve got testing tomorrow both to improve the bike a little more and to unload some of the pressure that a day like today creates. It’s even better to jump straight into another race weekend too.”
Franco Morbidelli – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Team Managers
Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“The sudden rain before the start gave us a hard time, because these are the conditions in which we usually suffer the most. We received different feedback after the race from the riders: Vale felt better in the afternoon compared to this morning, whilst for Maverick it was the complete opposite. Valentino had a decent start. He lost a bit of time in the opening laps behind Pol Espargaró but pushed to the max to get the best result possible, which today was sixth place. Maverick had a small disadvantage at the start in that he was on the wetter side of the grid. After a difficult start he had to climb up the rankings from 15th place, while overtaking with our current bike is hard. Knowing the level of performance he had in nearly all the practices, it’s a shame we lost a good opportunity. We hope that the weather will be stable and dry tomorrow, because it will be an important test.”
Valentino Rossi – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Wilco Zeelenberg – PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team Manager
“It was mixed fortunes because Fabio did good but Franco basically got smashed off the track. We had a lot of good sessions throughout the weekend and learned a lot from riding in the wet and in mixed conditions; that will be important for other races later in the year. It was a difficult situation on Sunday but the team managed well, staying calm and keeping the riders well-informed. We knew the guys would have to manage the riders. It’s a pity to have a DNF in the first lap when all you’re doing is fighting and that’s really disappointing as a team after preparing the race well. Fabio’s target was clear and he managed the tyres very well to overtake three or four riders. He can be proud of what he achieved this weekend.”
Fabio Quartararo – 2019 MotoGP Round 10, Brno
Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Team Manager
“In general the weekend for KTM was not so bad but for sure our target was the top ten. Pol nearly did it but lost the rear tyre quite dramatically after mid-race distance and could not keep his position. He did a great job and we need to work harder so our tyre life stays longer. Johann rode well to get a good position on the grid but the bad luck with the weather meant it was very wet on that side and it affected him to focus and make a good start. He scored two points and all of us are not so happy with that but it’s where we are right now. Miguel had a decent race and we had three bikes in the points. Tomorrow we’ll test and try some items to improve lap-times and stability for the race. Next week is our home GP and we are focussed on our target there and to finish in a good position.”
Increíble! 50 victorias en MotoGP! Gran trabajo de todo el equipo en cada una de las carreras. Gracias a todos! 😃
Incredible, already 50 wins in MotoGP. Hard work from all the team in each race. Thanks everybody! 😀 MotoGP
In the opening MXGP race it was Glenn Coldenhoff who took the FOX holeshot from Romain Febvre and Tim Gajser. Arminas Jasikonis was down in last after a crash in the first corner as well as Max Anstie who crashed in the first corner and struggled to get going again. Gajser moved into the lead while Jeremy Van Horebeek moved into the top ten.
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
After a lap the lead was a little more than a couple of bike lengths as Gajser continued to shine in the Belgian sand until Febvre moved into the lead on lap two.
Five laps in and Febvre had just two seconds over Gajser while Coldenhoff was closing up on the Slovenian. The top three remained close, but not close enough for any passing.
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Jasikonis moved into eight position and dropped Gautier Paulin to ninth position. After nine laps the lead of Febvre was two seconds with Coldenhoff in third a further two seconds behind, Seewer was fourth and Jonass fifth.
Arnaud Tonus made a pass inside on Pauls Jonass for fifth while Van Horebeek closed up on those two. Febvre was starting to get away from Gajser on lap 10 with four seconds between himself and Gajser.
Jeremy Van Horebeek – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Gajser put in a quick lap time and close the lead to just two seconds and looked like he was going after Febvre, but then just as quickly Febvre put in a good lap and got the lead back to five seconds.
Febvre was pushing hard and the lead was seven seconds on lap 14 while Gajser had a four second lead over Coldenhoff. It was a kind of lonely race for the top three.
MXGP Race 2
In the second MXGP race it was Tim Gajser in the lead from Van Horebeek, Anstie, Coldenhoff, Koch, Tonus, Jonass, Strijbos, Monticelli and Tixier in 10th. Febvre started in 11th place. Anstie quickly moved into second place while Febvre was quickly into sixth position.
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
One lap in and Gajser was just ahead of Anstie, with Van Horebeek a further seven seconds back in third place. Jonass had trouble with the bike and had to drop in 14th while Febvre, Jasikonis and Seewer moved past. Anstie moved into the lead on lap four and after four laps it was Anstie, Gajser, Van Horebeek, Coldenhoff and Febvre to round out the top five.
Anstie was on fire up front as he pulled to more than four seconds ahead of Gajser, with Van Horebeek 17 seconds back, and Coldenhoff and Febvre right on him for third place. On lap eight Jonass again stalled on the track and tried to get his bike running.
Max Anstie – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Anstie pushed hard in the mid stages as he made the gap between himself and Gajser more than nine seconds and Van Horebeek 20 seconds behind the leader. Jasikonis passed Febvre and the Frenchman’s chances of a GP victory slipped away. Febvre did fight back and re-passed Jasikonis and around the same time Anstie went down and Gajser moved into the lead.
Things got interesting with Anstie, Van Horebeek, Coldenhoff and Febvre all right behind the Slovenian rider. Van Horebeek tried to get past Anstie, and it all helped Gajser who was suddenly more than six seconds in the lead.
Glenn Coldenhoff – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Van Horebeek fell down after handing Coldenhoff third place and the Belgian also let Febvre into fourth position, but up front Gajser was in complete control. Anstie pulled back the lead by Gajser and passed the HRC rider on lap 14. Gajser though was too strong over the two races and won the overall with 2-2 scores.
Max Anstie won his first race of the 2019 Season and the first ever in top class ahead of Gajser and Coldenhoff while Tim Gajser won the GP with 2-2, for the Slovenian is the first Belgian GP win ever and it marked the first win for Honda in the premier class in Lommel. Romain Febvre missed the GP win for 1 point shy as for Glenn Coldenhoff was the first podium appearance of the season.
Tim Gajser topped the podium from Febvre and Coldenhoff – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Tim Gajser 2-2
“It was a great weekend, finishing two-two for first overall in Lommel. My riding was good, especially because in the past I’ve struggled here but we’ve worked hard this year with the team and it really paid off. We’ve prepared a lot better for these tough conditions and it was certainly helped by two good starts, just like we have done so often this year. I wasn’t able to win a moto but I rode smoothly and smart and I minimised any mistakes. I’m just so happy to win here in Lommel, because it is a special GP and a good test and just shows how much I’ve progressed as a rider.”
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Romain Febvre 1-4
“This weekend was good. I took the holeshot in the first moto which made life easy, and I won that race, so I am happy about that. My speed was good. I didn’t get a good start in the second race and had to work hard to fight back which cost a lot of energy. I knew I was close to winning the GP, but I could not make it, so I am pleased with second overall.”
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Glenn Coldenhoff 3-3
“It is great. Two weeks ago I didn’t feel good in the sand, but the team helped with a great bike and I give it to those guys. I am happy to be back up here and I enjoy it. The sand always suits me well, and it is easier than hard pack for me. Yesterday I felt good. I went into qualification to save energy for today’s race and maybe that was wrong, because I couldn’t find my rhythm and I struggled a bit. I pushed this morning and had that good feeling again pulling also the FOX Holeshot. I have to thank my boss and the whole team. We have been through difficult time, but we are back. The team has done an amazing job to have me comfortable in the sand.”
Glenn Coldenhoff – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Jeremy Seewer 4-5
“The first moto was one of the toughest races I have had all season. I slept really bad last night, and I think I was still sleeping on the starts today. I was catching up on sleep in both races on the gate. They kept the gate really long and a lot of guys kept trying to jump it. I worked hard to get into the top-five. I happy with my consistency. This is always the goal. Overall, fourth place in Lommel is really good because it is easy to crash here. Now I look forward to a few days rest before we go again.”
Brno ‘most difficult race of the year’ says Petrucci
Section: Competition
Factory Ducati pilot musters up eighth place finish at Czech GP.
Image: Supplied.
Mission Winnow Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci says Brno’s 10th round of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship was his ‘most difficult race of the year’, the Italian ultimately mustering up an eighth place finish.
Racing at the Czech grand prix was delayed to offer better track conditions from recent rainfall, however Petrucci admits he was already struggling to gel with the circuit before running out of grip in the 20-lap encounter.
“For sure this was the most difficult race of the year for me,” Petrucci stated. “I missed out on being able to lap in the dry yesterday, because already on Friday I was struggling a bit at this circuit.
“The race was tough because right from the start I didn’t have much grip and the leaders went away immediately, and then it was also difficult to fight with the others because in the final stages I had finished the tyres.
“Pity, because Rins made up a few points on me in the standings even though I’m still in third, but luckily tomorrow we’ll have an entire day of testing to understand what to improve.”
Petrucci still holds down third in the standings as the series heads to the Red Bull Ring in Austria this weekend.
If you’re sick of fiddling with the fiddly screws to mount your Bluetooth intercom, this budget EJEAS Quick20 is worth considering with its excellent audio quality.
It is Chinese made (as most Bluetooth units probably are!) and costs just $A185 each ($US129, €113,￡103) through their EJEAS website.
Quick clasp
Slimline unit
This unit is as slim as the top-of-the-line Sena 30K which is good for reducing drag and wind noise.
It features a fast-attaching bulldog-clip-type clasp attachment, so there is no need for fiddling with small allen keys and tiny screws that you can drop and lose.
Clasp attachment
The clasp simply grips the side of your helmet. There is also a stick-on pad and velcro attachment, if you prefer or your helmet doesn’t have access.
I thought the clip-on clasp might shake loose, but it hasn’t moved after prolonged riding in high winds and on bumpy roads.
However, the control unit doesn’t lock into the clasp firmly and while it won’t shake loose, you can bump it off when taking off your helmet, so be careful.
Bluetooth
As for the quality of the Bluetooth 4.2, it’s excellent.
It will only link up with one other EJEAS unit and won’t connect to other Bluetooth brands I have, but it does work very well between the two units.
It pairs quickly to your phone, GPS or another EJEAS intercom with handy audio prompts and always re-pairs when you turn the units on.
In fact, if you go out of range, it will revert to music or FM if you’ve been listening to them and will automatically reconnect once back in range.
They claim range up to 1200m, but it starts getting crackly about 800mm and you need line-of-sight connection.
Deploying the antenna improves reception a little as well as improving weak FM signals.
Use the antenna
Controls
The button arrangement is similar to the Sena units with a rotating knob and central “multi-function button” (MFB) that is easy to access even with thick winter gloves.
However, the raised motorcycle icon which is the on/off and intercom button can be difficult to find with thick gloves.
There is a separate FM button on the back and a “RST” reset button on the top that quickly turns off the unit.
Not sure why you need the RST button as you can turn the unit off and on using the motorcycle icon button by holding it for two seconds. Perhaps that’s a second you can save!
I also found that holding the MFB button two seconds only ever switched the unit on at the second attempt.
The rotating button handles both volume adjustment and radio station selection or skipping/replaying music tracks. To toggle between functions you have to hit the MFB again which makes it a little confusing.
Selecting FM stations is also difficult as there is no audio prompt to tell you the station you have selected.
Audio
The thick and large diameter speakers provide excellent audio quality with nice bass and plenty of volume.
But that makes them quite bulky, so they may not fit in some helmets.
However, there are soft foam covers you can fit to the speakers to improve comfort against your ears.
It also comes with a choice of boom microphone for open-face helmets and bud mic for full-face.
Despite the loud wind noise in this helmet, the microphones effectively dampen background noise even at highway speeds.
Switching between music and intercom or phone calls is easy with a touch of a button.
But there is a delay of several seconds during which time you might think it’s not working and hit the button again.
After a while, you learn to have some patience and trust it will work.
Messy wires
One thing I don’t like is the messy speaker and mic wires.
Also, the plug is big and hangs low, getting caught on the collar of some of my jackets as I turn my head.
Even though this is made in China, the instructions are well written in easy-to-understand English. But the print is way too small for me to see even while wearing my reading glasses!
Conclusion
If you want high-quality audio and only need two-way intercom, the EJEAS Quick20 is well worth the money.
Moto X medal haul for Australians at X Games Minneapolis
Section: Competition
Eight medals awarded to Australians at the 2019 edition.
Image: Supplied.
A selection of Australian contenders have dominated the Moto X categories at the 2019 summer X Games in Minneapolis, hauling in a number of medals throughout the weekend.
Yamaha-mounted Jarryd McNeil was the first Australian to earn a gold medal at the 2019 edition, taking home top honours in Moto X Step Up ahead of Bryce Hudson, Colby Raha and Ronnie Renner – the duo sharing bronze.
Queenslander Corey Creed earned his first-ever X Games gold medal in Moto X Quarter Pipe High Air, joined on the podium by Tyler Bereman and Raha, as McNeil finished in fifth.
Moto X Freestyle was dominated by Australians with Rob Adelberg taking home gold ahead of Josh Sheehan and Jackson Strong, compatriots Harry Bink and Clinton Moore were fifth and sixth respectively.
David Rinaldo topped the Moto X Best Trick category with an incredible body variation backflip, besting pair of Aussies Strong and Sheehan. Adelberg was fourth followed by Moore, while Bink claimed seventh.
Finishing out the weekend with Moto X Best Whip, Bereman claimed gold over Tom Parsons and McNeil, who earned two medals from three events, as Sheehan finished in fourth.
2019 British Superbike Championship Round Seven – Thruxton
Images by Dave Yeomans
Thruxton saw an exciting weekend of racing conclude on Sunday, with Andrew Irwin claiming the opening Bennetts British Superbike race win of the weekend – his first win in the series – ahead of Scott Redding and Josh Brookes.
In Race 2 however, it was Josh Brookes who maintained his momentum at the high-speed Hampshire circuit to claim the victory for Be Wiser Ducati, regulating Irwin to second-place, while Peter Hickman completed the podium, with Aussie Jason O’Halloran just tenths of a second behind in fourth.
Josh Brookes – 2019 British Superbike Championship Round 10, Thruxton
This marked O’Halloran’s second fourth place of the weekend in a solid result. Fellow Aussie Ben Currie was a DNF in Race 1, and came home in 20th in Race 2.
Taylor Mackenzie claimed the Superstock 1000 race win from Lee Jackson and Billy McConnell, with Richard Cooper launching into the lead from the start but finishing in fourth.
Kyle Ryde – 2019 British Superbike Championship Round 10, Thruxton
The Supersport class meanwhile saw Kyle Ryde take a narrow win in the second race of the weekend from Jack Kennedy with a tenth of a second between them, with Mason Law a distant third.
Bennetts British Superbike Race 1
At the start of Race 1 Peter Hickman launched off the front row to hit the front of the pack ahead of Andrew Irwin and Jason O’Halloran, but the Honda Racing rider hit the front of the field at the end of the opening lap.
Peter Hickman – 2019 British Superbike Championship Round 10, Thruxton
His rival instantly hit back to retake the position on the next lap, but Andrew Irwin was back on the attack and he was back in the lead as the pack streamed across the line to start the third lap. O’Halloran though was in fourth place, but he put a move on Christian Iddon and then as the freight train of riders headed into Club on lap four, the Australian had been able to claim the lead for McAMS Yamaha.
As O’Halloran led, the pack had shuffled again and Iddon was then into second place ahead of Andrew Irwin, Hickman, Tommy Bridewell, Scott Redding, Danny Buchan and Josh Brookes on lap six.
A lap later and Andrew Irwin and Hickman were inseparable, but Redding was also on the move and he was into fifth on the leading Be Wiser Ducati. Meanwhile O’Halloran was holding off the chasing pack, but the lead group of nine riders were all in contention.
Jason O’Halloran – 2019 British Superbike Championship Round 10, Thruxton
On lap ten Hickman moved back into the lead with Iddon then following him through on the brakes as the BMWs held first and second ahead of O’Halloran and Andrew Irwin. O’Halloran was ready to fight back, he made a move at Club a lap later and was back into second place.
The Smiths Racing BMW rider was trying to make a break from the pack, but his rivals could match his pace, while Iddon was dropping back and the Be Wiser Ducati pairing of Redding and Brookes were into fourth and fifth respectively with six laps remaining.
On lap 14 Andrew Irwin then went for a move to take the lead, pushing Hickman pack into second and into the clutches of Redding, O’Halloran and Brookes. Championship leader Redding made his move, lunging ahead of Hickman to move second with O’Halloran still pushing for his first podium of the season.
Andrew Irwin – 2019 British Superbike Championship Round 10, Thruxton
O’Halloran was back into second a lap later before hitting the front of the field on lap 16 as the final strategies were coming into play over the final five laps of the race. The McAMS Yamaha rider was then holding off the pack that had again changed with Andrew Irwin back in second ahead of Brookes and Redding.
With two laps remaining Andrew Irwin had scythed his way back to the front of the pack with O’Halloran then back in second with Brookes and Redding fighting for third, however the 2015 champion was hungry for a top three finish and he was up to second, but on the final lap Redding was ahead of his teammate again.
On the final run into Club Redding looked to try and make a move on Andrew Irwin for the lead as equally Brookes was looking to move ahead of his teammate, however the Honda rider had the edge to cross the line ahead of the Be Wiser Ducati pairing.
Andrew Irwin topped the Race 1 podium from Scott Redding and Josh Brookes – 2019 British Superbike Championship Round 10, Thruxton
O’Halloran just missed out on his first podium finish of the season ahead of Hickman and Buchan, who had worked his way through the pack into sixth. Xavi Forés had another strong performance to hold on to sixth place in the standings ahead of Tommy Bridewell and Luke Mossey. Ryan Vickers was back inside the top ten in his rookie season for the RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki team.
Bennetts British Superbike Race 2
The second race had started with a battle for the lead between O’Halloran and Brookes with Hickman and race one winner Andrew Irwin in the mix, but on lap nine the race was red flagged as light rain began to fall.
Jason O’Halloran – 2019 British Superbike Championship Round 10, Thruxton
When the race restarted, Hickman had the jump off the line to lead on the opening lap from Brookes, Andrew Irwin and Bridewell. On the second lap Brookes was coming under fire from a determined Honda Racing rider, but Dan Linfoot was also on the move and he was up into third ahead of Hickman.
However a crash for Glenn Irwin at the Club chicane caused another red flag when the stricken Tyco BMW was in the middle of the track and leaking fluid. The Racesafe marshals worked to clear the scene before the race was restarted again with an eight-lap sprint to the chequered flag.
On the final restart Brookes wasn’t taking any prisoners and he fired himself into the lead and then went to make a break, eventually crossing the line 4.276s ahead of the chasing pack to claim his fifth victory of the season for Be Wiser Ducati.
Josh Brookes – 2019 British Superbike Championship Round 10, Thruxton
The battle for second ensued behind with Andrew Irwin and Hickman banging fairings in their quest to break into the top six in the standings. The pair were trading blows with Bridewell, Hickman, Iddon, O’Halloran and Redding also all in the mix.
However, a mistake on lap three saw Redding run on at Club and having not completed the re-join into the race correctly, he was issued a long lap penalty. The Be Wiser Ducati rider had three laps to complete the long lap as the race laps counted down, however he failed to do so, and despite crossing the line in a podium position, he was given the ride through equivalent penalty of 15 seconds. That dropped him down to 22nd and outside of the points.
Andrew Irwin – 2019 British Superbike Championship Round 10, Thruxton
Andrew Irwin meanwhile had his strongest weekend of his career claiming a second place in race two, ahead of Hickman who was third to take the first podium finish for the new BMW S1000 RR.
O’Halloran had completed his best performance of the season to finish in fourth place for McAMS Yamaha, holding off Bridewell in the closing stages.
Josh Brookes topped the Race 2 podium from Irwin and Bridewell – 2019 British Superbike Championship Round 10, Thruxton
Iddon equalled his best race result of the season in sixth place ahead of Xavi Forés, who just dropped outside of the top six in the points ahead of Cadwell Park. Buchan maintained his position inside the top six with an eighth place ahead of Luke Mossey and Linfoot who completed the top ten.
Andrew Irwin – 1-2
“Thruxton has probably been the best weekend of my life, it’s one that you never think will happen! I’ve had so much fun riding this weekend. We did loads of homework on Friday and Saturday and the Fireblade has been so good in all sessions, the boys did an awesome job! It is such an amazing feeling to win! I think I passed Jason going into the last lap or something like that and I felt like I had some tyre left. The pace was funny it went up and down a lot with whoever went to the lead. I just wanted to put a strong lap together on the last lap. It is a dream come true, it’s been a tough road to get here, the best road and I’ve learnt a lot along the way. Whenever I won a Supersport race, I only won one but my team-mate helped me along the way so this feels like my first proper win that I’ve ever got so I’m delighted and I can’t thank Honda enough for all their hard work.”
Andrew Irwin – 2019 British Superbike Championship Round 10, Thruxton
Josh Brookes – 3-1
“Tyre conservation is on your mind all weekend here at Thruxton so with the second race going from 20 laps to 13 laps and then down to eight laps, I could ride exactly how I wanted to and just went full speed as the tyre was always going to last eight laps.I just got my head down and went for it and whilst it may not have been as close as the first race, I enjoyed it a lot more. The field is so level now, every race is tough but Pirelli have done a great job with the tyres and they’re a little bit easier to manage around here now and although I still wanted more from myself, I was happy with the first race podium.I got pushed around a bit too much on track and needed to find a little bit more confidence, so the second race win has given me exactly what I needed and it’s great to be back on the top step.”
Josh Brookes – 2019 British Superbike Championship Round 10, Thruxton
Jason O’Halloran – 4-4
“It was good to get some solid finishes. I am a little bit disappointed not to be on the podium as I felt we had really good pace in both races. We’ll take fourth today, the boys have done a good job. I’ve said it the last couple of rounds, if we get a full weekend without any issues in practice and qualifying and we’ll be back up the sharp end and that’s what we’ve done this weekend. Everybody has done a great job and it feels nice to have some momentum and build through the first two days of the weekend. I had a crash at Snetterton and to be honest I’ve had a bit of an issue with my left shoulder, so I have to thank my physio and the physio team at the track. We’ve got a couple of weeks off before Cadwell, so I’ll try and get a bit fitter and see if we can carry this momentum to Cadwell.”
Jason O’Halloran – 2019 British Superbike Championship Round 10, Thruxton
Xavi Forés – 7-7
“To be honest I feel frustrated this weekend, I had good pace to be on the podium, but starting towards the back of the grid was hard to manage. The first few laps here are crazy and I had to adapt quite a bit to be strong in the first part of the race. The second race I did the third fastest lap, which means I am always improving lap-by-lap. Coming home with two seventh place finishes is good for me, especially at this kind of track where I have not ridden before and it’s not easy for me to defend my position. I feel if we can improve our qualification for the next races we will be so much more competitive. Good job from all the team, we had a great weekend and especially with Andrew’s win and podium, I feel we now have a really good package with the Fireblade.”
Patience key to thrilling Brno podium declares Miller
Section: Competition
Australian records second podium of the season at the Czech grand prix.
Image: Supplied.
Australian Jack Miller has declared patience was key to earning a third-career MotoGP podium at Brno yesterday, making a pass on Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) for third with just two laps to go.
The Pramac Racing rider, who started from P2, waited until the dying stages of the race to make the manoeuvre as the Suzuki ran short of grip, ultimately riding to his second podium of the season.
“It was nice to fight there at the end,” said Miller. “I stayed rather calm. Rins was spinning quite a lot with the rear tyre. I just waited and waited and he was really struggling, especially up Horsepower Hill, he was spinning a long way up the hill and I thought, ‘he’s getting close to base rubber now’.
“That Suzuki turns so well – I held my line really tight at turn one, but it wasn’t quite enough. I just knew I had to be patient and take my time. My front tyre was probably my biggest downfall.
“I’m glad we chose [the hard tyre] – it would have been nice to have more dry track time over the weekend but hey, we’re here. Thanks to the team. We’ve been pushing really hard over the last couple of races. It’s really nice to stand back here.”
Miller is now ranked seventh in the championship standings as the MotoGP World Championship heads to Red Bull Ring in Austria this weekend.
