After a full weekend at Overland Expo West, not only do we think it is one of the best overlanding shows on the planet, but we can pretty much guarantee that we’ll be heading back there year after year. There is just so much to do, and we love the culture that is built around this overlanding community. If you’re into adventure motorcycling and are looking to get more involved or keep up your involvement, mark your calendars for next May to be in Flagstaff. Or, if you can’t wait until then, check out Overland Expo East, which will be held in Arrington, Virginia, on October 11–13, 2019.
We recently received a Green Light Trigger unit which is basically two powerful magnets that attach to the underside of your motorcycle and promise to trigger a green light.
Read on and find out if the Green Light Trigger actually works!
We contacted several state transport departments for their technical advice.
They say these lights are controlled by an inductor loop cut into the pavement.
It creates an electro-magnetic field and detects ferromagnetic metals such as iron, cobalt, nickel, steel and manganese.
Some people erroneously believe these rectangles are actually scales that detract the weight of vehicles and therefore don’t pick up light motorcycles!
For the best possible detection of the metal in your motorcycle, you should position your bike longitudinally right above one of the cut lines.
Stop over that centre longitudinal cut line
If there are two rectangles cut into the pavement, line up over the centre line for the best effect.
Be aware that lining up over a side cut line next to a running lane exposes you to the danger of being rear-ended by an errant driver straying out of their lane.
It has also been suggested that if you deploy your side stand directly over a cut line it will help trigger the lights.
We tried it and it doesn’t seem to work, but it may depend on the metal composition of your sidestand. Some modern motorcycles have non-ferromagnetic alloy sidestands to save weight.
Sensitive issue
The transport departments tell us the the sensitivity of the loops is set to detect all vehicles.
However, sensitivity is a delicate balancing act: too low and it won’t pick up a motorcycle or bicycle; too high and it will pick up false readings for cars in adjacent lanes.
If you believe the sensitivity is set too low at a set of lights, you can contact the relevant department in your state or local council area and ask for it to be increased.
Green Light Trigger
But what about this $US30 Green Light Trigger which is basically two powerful neodymium or rare-earth magnets?
The science suggests they could work because the inductor loop creates a magnetic effect which should detect other magnets: either attracting or repelling.
I tried it out on my Triumph Street Scrambler and a Kawasaki Versys 1000 test bike which do not trigger a set of lights near my home in western Brisbane.
The Green Light Trigger made no difference.
Believing the sensitivity is just too low, I tried another set of lights where my bike does trigger green.
Green Light Trigger can be attached by the magnet or a cable tie
Instead of using my motorcycle which I know is detected, I placed two of the Green Light Trigger magnets directly on the cut lines. They failed to trigger the lights.
I gave the device to a friend who has complained about lights near his house which don’t detect his bike and he says it worked.
However, RACQ technical officer Steve Spalding is sceptical, believing that the lights may simply have changed as part of the scheduled traffic pattern.
Traffic phases
RACQ Principal Traffic and Safety Engineer Gregory Miszkowycz says if your motorcycle is detected, it won’t necessarily speed up the light change process.
“It just registers a demand for that movement in the traffic controller,” he says.
“If all movements at the intersection have a vehicle waiting, the traffic controller will move through its usual pattern or phases of traffic movements at the intersection.
“There may be three to four movement phases at a typical intersection as all the different movements receive their turn before it returns to the first phase again, which is one complete cycle, usually 60-100 seconds in total.
“Some intersections at certain times of the day will ‘skip’ certain phases where there are no waiting vehicles. This improves the efficiency of the intersection and reduces delays for motorists by not wasting green time.
“In essence, this speeds up the light change, but only because the traffic controller has skipped other unnecessary phases.
“There are other intricacies of vehicle detection, like terminating a right turn movement as soon as the queue has gone. It is all to squeeze the most out of the intersections and minimise lost time.”
Mugello offers potential for breakthrough Lorenzo result
Spaniard’s feeling progressing with Repsol Honda RC213V.
Image: Supplied.
This weekend’s sixth round of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship at Mugello could serve as the venue that Jorge Lorenzo experiences a breakthrough result with Repsol Honda, having claimed six victories at the Italian circuit.
The Spaniard has finished outside of the top two in the premier class just twice in his career at Mugello, and with recent improvements in form aboard the RC213V, there’s potential on offer for the number 99 to make headlines on Sunday.
A key to Lorenzo’s recent enhanced feeling with the Honda is switching to the standard RC213V seat, which he reverted to for Le Mans’ fifth round.
“We made good progress in Le Mans with the setting of the bike and were able to be much closer to the front,” said Lorenzo. “I’ve had similar success in the past in Mugello as to Le Mans, so I am hopefully of continuing to improve our position. The Repsol Honda Team has been working very hard and I am sure soon I will be able to achieve some results to thank them.”
Yet to finish inside the top 10 this season, Lorenzo sits 14th in the championship standings. Teammate and reigning world champion Marc Marquez currently tops the points rankings.
Event organisers have since confirmed Raceline KTM Thor’s Hayden Mellross will strengthen the line-up, joined by MXD points leader and teammate Regan Duffy – who’ll pilot a 450 SX-F – and fellow Western Australian Kyle Webster (Penrite Pirelli CRF Honda Racing), who’ll also step up to a CRF450R premier class machine.
The international contingent will feature American duo Kyle Cunningham (Honda) and Adam Enticknap (Suzuki), while a list of Western Australian locals are entered as they endeavour to upset the visitors.
For the second year running, the Manjimup 15,000 will host a stop of the Australian Women’s Motocross Championship, the WA venue serving as round three of the series.
The BB1 Supermono was Bimota’s only single cylinder motorcycle. First displayed at the Cologne Show in 1994, production began the following year with 524 made, including 140 of the Biposto version (with pillion seat and painted dark blue in production from 1996).
Bimota BB1 Supermono
The BB1 used the same Rotax 650cc four-stroke motor that was used by BMW for their F650. The twin carburettor motor made 48 hp at 6500 rpm and gave the 145 kg machine a top speed of 177 km/h.
The Bimota BB1 Supermono was powered by a Rotax 650Fuel tank in the bellypan!
A single front disc was standard but a second was an option. One interesting design feature was the placement of the fuel tank under the motor for a lower centre of gravity.
A single front disc brake was offered, with an option to add a secondDual undertail exhausts
A €10,000 race kit was offered that included magnesium wheels, upgraded suspension, fuel-injection and other go-fast bits.
A race kit was also availableBimota BB1 Supermono dashBimota BB1 Supermono fuel cap
Bimota campaigned a modified BB1 in the Italian Super Mono series which used a 725cc motor that made 75hp.
Dovizioso to celebrate 300th grand prix at Mugello
Ducati ace to mark milestone at home Italian round this weekend.
Image: Supplied.
Mission Winnow Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso will celebrate his 300th grand prix this weekend at Mugello’s sixth round of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship in Italy.
Dovizioso, who started his full-time grand prix career in 2002, has contested 49 races in the both the former 125cc and 250cc classes, and a staggering 201 races in the premier category since graduating to MotoGP in 2008.
The milestone will be made even more special this weekend, as Mugello plays host to Dovizioso’s home round and will deliver a passionate Italian crowd to mark the occasion.
“300 is a big number,” Dovizioso stated. “I’m really happy to be in Mugello at this moment in the Championship because it’s for sure our good track, and we need a good result. I think after a good result in Le Mans with three Ducatis, we can be really competitive here to fight with Marc.
“For sure he’ll really want to win here in Mugello but I think we have every chance to fight with him and all the other riders. This is our home race and I believe we can be competitive and fast, so our goal is first of all to step on the podium once again.
“As we’ve seen in these first races, this year our rivals are also particularly fast, so it’s difficult to make predictions. As for us, we will not settle for what we achieved so far and we’ll try our best, analysing the data, to keep working and understand where we can make further improvements.”
With one victory to his name this year, Dovizioso is ranked second in the championship standings.
Back in 2018 at EICMA the Superveloce concept wowed the crowds and earnt the ‘Queen of the Show’ award. This week MV Agusta announced the model will reach production and be rolling out of the Schiranna factory in 2020.
MV Agusta Superveloce 800 Serie Oro
Delivery of the first 300 units series of “Superveloce 800 Serie Oro” is expected in March 2020 and will be exactly the same as the concept presented at EICMA last November. A combination of 1970’s flair and modern-day state-of-the-art technology, the Superveloce 800 literally stole the show and requests for a production version started raining in at Schiranna.
MV Agusta Superveloce 800 Serie Oro
Many iconic details of the Superveloce 800 are reminiscent of MV Agusta’s glorious legacy, utilising a steel trellis chassis, a 148 HP in-line three-cylinder 799cc engine with a counter-rotating crankshaft coupled to a six-speed gearbox and an iconic triple-exit exhaust system.
MV Agusta Superveloce 800 Serie Oro
The Superveloce 800 also includes a TFT dashboard as well as state of the art engine and vehicle control electronics incorporating Ride-by-Wire, multi-maps and traction control.
MV Agusta Superveloce 800
Timur Sardarov – CEO of MV Agusta
“This is one of the meanest and most stylish bikes we’ve ever produced. It certainly lives up to MV Agusta’s heritage of craftsmanship, design and technology. From the moment it went on display at EICMA last November, we knew we had an instant classic.”
MV Agusta Superveloce 800 Serie Oro
For the first time MV Agusta is offering potential customers the possibility to pre-order their dream bike online through a dedicated section of the official web site at www.mvagusta.com/superveloce-800-serie-oro (link)
MV Agusta Superveloce 800 Serie Oro
The launch of the Superveloce 800 Serie Oro will be accompanied by an exclusive merchandising line that will include backpacks, jackets and helmets and many other items.
MV Agusta Superveloce 800 Serie OroMV Agusta Superveloce 800 Serie Oro
The Iron Man statue is actually named “The Emergence of Man Through Steel” and honors miners’ work through the Industrial Age. Photos by the author.
“It’s not the destination, it’s the journey,” says the motorcycling adage. That’s true! Most highlights of motorcycling are experienced during the ride. I choose journeys with an interesting place to turn around (destination) before heading back home. Riding the Iron Range in northeastern Minnesota provides wide choices of appealing destinations and journeys, riding through forests, hills and curves in Minnesota’s “arrowhead.”
Map of the route taken, by Bill Tipton/compartmaps.com.
Aptly named due to the huge iron ore mining economy formed in the late 19th century, we started our ride from the town of Mountain Iron, at the Holiday Inn Express. Riders will appreciate the covered parking for a few motorcycles. The Iron Range Tourism Bureau publishes ride guides every year. My wife Jean and I picked up one at the inn and selected potential routes to try during our few days “on the Range.” We modified and combined our routes to fit in a few destinations that piqued our interests. After our complimentary breakfast, our journey began.
Downtown Cook’s main drag, River Street, is just beggin’ for a parade.
The Mines and Pines tour was our warm-up ride for Memorial Day weekend. Heading north on U.S. Route 53 to Cook, turning west, we rode through the rural settings on Trunk Highway 1. Logging and farming appeared to be the main economic activities. Heading south on County Road 5 there was a noticeable change from farming to tourism as we rode to McCarthy Beach State Park for a break. Out of the saddle, we rehydrated, and off we went.
The northern part of the Mines and Pines tour is filled with rural settings.
Finally, we arrived at the “mines” part of the Mines and Pines tour. We ended up at the Iron Man, a tribute to the miners who worked the iron mines. After a quick lunch under the shade tree at The Stand, we were refreshed and ready to explore our destination for the day, the Minnesota Discovery Center. The Center is an exhibition of the mining and cultural artifacts associated with mining in the Range. A rail trolley used for transporting miners to and from the mines is still in operation for tourists. Some of the original buildings, homes and boarding houses still stand and are well maintained, providing a glimpse into the past’s daily life above ground.
The mine trolley is still running. Our conductors shared the history and evolution of mining technologies
with us on the loop around an open pit iron mine.
We finished back at our starting point and went out to dinner. We discovered a nice new restaurant in the neighboring town of Virginia, The Northern Divide, which provided an excellent dinner and outstanding service.
The next day was dark and gloomy in the north woods of Minnesota. Another adage for motorcyclists is, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad wardrobe choices.” We mustered up the right perspective with, “Today is a good day to test our rain gear!” Since it was raining, we decided our journey should take us to an indoor destination. More than indoors, we picked an underground destination. Trunk Highway 135 runs from Gilbert north to Tower. It’s smooth and wide, and the forest is cut back from the roadway, providing good visibility for any deer, moose or other forest creatures that might wander onto the roadway.
All the public mine overlooks were closed due to expansion of the mining operations, but we knew a guy who knew a guy who could give us a private tour of the new overlooks still under construction. Mining technologies allowed more efficient open pit mining of lower grade ore. Although the iron ore in the Soudan Mine is much higher quality, steel can be produced at lower costs with ore from the open pit processes.
After we arrived at Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park, a three-minute elevator ride took us down 2,341 feet below the surface. From there we rode a trolley in total darkness. Arriving at a “stope,” a steplike excavation that is formed as the ore is mined in successive layers, we could see and hear how miners worked one of the richest iron ore mines in the world.
James, our guide, is a geologist and miner with experience in underground mines in North America and South America.
Back on the surface, the rain had stopped but the roads were still wet. Back in our rain suits and off we went to Ely via Trunk Highway 169. The journey on the two-lane road was through heavy forest and light traffic, just the way it should be. We had two destinations in Ely, the International Wolf Center and the North American Bear Center. I can’t say enough about these attractions. The quality and educational value of the displays are superb! We arrived at each just before feeding time, so the wolves and bears were up and active. Both centers have large glass viewing areas great for photographers.
As the bears meandered back into the woods, it’s time to get back on the motorcycle and head for dinner ourselves.
Backtracking west on Highway 169, then south on Highway 135, our destination for the night was The Lodge at Giants Ridge. It’s open year-round for skiers, travelers and golfers. Tomorrow’s ride would be over to the north shore of Lake Superior.
The North Shore Scenic Drive is a must for any rider. Our destination was Two Harbors, where all the iron ore from the mines comes by rail then ships out to destinations all over the world. County Highway 110 winds through Aurora and Hoyt Lakes, then County Highway 11’s sweepers took us into Silver Bay. I mentioned to Jean, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many shades of green.” The north woods were waking up from the long winter and the brilliant sunshine illuminated the greenery from every angle. Following the designated scenic route, we leaned into the curves going up and over the rolling forest terrain.
Built during World War II, this is one of the “locomotives that defeated Hitler.” Manufacturing the Baldwin Yellowstone Mallet #229 was a higher priority than military tanks and ships. It was so powerful that it pulled ore trains that would require four diesel locomotives today. An average of 10,000,000 tons of ore are shipped every year.
Reaching Silver Bay, we turned southwest on Trunk Highway 61. The road hugs Lake Superior’s north shore. It is smoother and straighter than it used to be, but the scenery is still a beautiful shoreline drive all the way to Two Harbors. Along the way we stopped at The Rustic Inn Café. It has the best pie on the north shore. Although the day was sunny, it was also cool and windy. With a hot cup of coffee, a warm piece of pie and a scoop of ice cream, I agreed with my GPS navigation when it said, “You have reached your destination.”
Make sure your winter riding is warm and comfortable. To make it so, Held is offering the best winter riding-gear package you’ll ever find, and all for under $1900. You can’t get more warmth for a better price.
Held Carese II Touring Jacket
And the gear is engineered to be entirely adaptable. So it’s warm in winter and cool in summer – except the gloves. They are always warm.
Held Carese II Touring Jacket – Article 640
The outer is 500D DuPont Cordura. It is lined with 3D mesh panels and a Coolmesh liner to promote air circulation. The membrane is removable Gore-Tex three-layer technology. It can be worn inside or over the jacket.
The external magnetic closure pockets are waterproof, as are the three internal pockets (and Smartphone pocket and map/document pocket). The collar is soft, and a full-length back protector is easily integrated into the lining. There is dual-adjustment on the arms, a waist belt, and zippered air-vents on the arms, chest and back. And there is a connecting zip for pants.
Held Carese II Touring Jacket
It is armoured with Held’s exclusive EN 1621-1 CE-approved cloverleaf SAS-TEC shoulder and elbow protectors, and comes in a range of colours. It is available in sizes from Small through to 5XL, as well as exclusive women’s sizing (from DXS to D4XL), with an RRP of $950.
Held Torno II Touring Pants – Article 6460
The outer is 500D DuPont Cordura, lined with 3D mesh panels and Coolmesh liner to promote air circulation. The membrane is removable GORE-TEX three-layer technology and can also be worn inside or over the pants.
The pants feature a Pittards leather anti-slip patch on the seat, zippers and Velcro-sealing at the ankles, stretch panels at the knees, four magnetic-closure external pockets which double as air-vents, double leg-adjustment, a high waist with adjustable Velcro flaps and button fixtures for optional braces.
Held Torno II Touring Pants
They zip perfectly to the Carese II jacket and come with Held’s famous EN 1621-1 CE-approved height-adjustable SAS-TEC 3D knee protectors. There are also pockets for the optional coccyx protector and hip protectors.
You can have them in short-leg or long-leg styles and for men the size range goes from Small to 5XL. For ladies, it runs from DXS to D4XL, and they come in black, grey-black and grey-red for an RRP of $650.
Held makes the finest gloves in the world. It stands to reason its winter gloves will be the best you’ll ever have for staying warm without the bulk.
Held Cold Champ Winter Gloves – Article 2270
The outer shell is Taslan with a leather-detailed back and the palm is goatskin. The lining is supremely warm 3M Thinsulate, with Thermoplush Fleece on the back of the hand. The membrane is polyurethane-coated Gore-Tex for maximum warmth.
Held Cold Champ Winter Gloves
The gloves come with a tunnel-strap, Velcro adjustment at the wrist and cuffs, a visor wipe, and stretch-fabric panels on the back for an excellent fit. The hard-plastic knuckle protectors are leather-covered and the reinforced edge of the hand utilises Superfabric for superior protection. The Held Cold Champ Winter glove is available for an RRP of $290.
The German riding gear you will never regret buying.
A Toronto rider has developed an affordable but ugly head-up display (HUD)for a motorcycle helmet that provides speed alerts only so you don’t have to stare at your speedometer all the time.
Colin Lam, who has started producing the HUD for just $US79, admits the controller unit is bulky and ugly, but says it could just save your licence and your life.
“I just thought it was a cool idea and there weren’t any on the market at the time and the ones that were promised cost $700+,” he told us.
Colin’s HUD display unit fits in the visor aperture of any helmet while a bulky and ugly controller attaches to the back with a GoPro-style mount.
Ugly controller
The display unit shows coloured lights that relate to your speed which it gets from a Bluetooth connection to an Android app.
You can set the coloured lights for brightness via the app.
App controls
Colours change from blue (0-9km/h), green (10-19km/h, yellow (20-29km/h), orange (30-39kmh) to red (40-49km/h).
Then it repeats the cycle, going back to blue for 50-59/km/h, green (60-69km/h, yellow (70-79km/h), orange (80-89kmh) to red (90-99km/h).
That’s a lot to remember and it could become a little confusing and distracting trying to remember which colour is which speed.
Hardware engineer
Colin and his Kwaka
Colin is a hardware engineer who started while he was living in California a few years ago.
“I started working on the idea when I got back to Canada in 2016, after I realised that there wasn’t really much helmet display tech out there (this was at the same time that Skully went down),” he says.
“I envisioned something like a fighter pilot’s HUD, but I wound up with this thing. It’s a hell of a lot simpler.”
Bulky issue
He agrees that the controller unit is bulky, but says slimming it down could be difficult.
“The best way to slim down the rear unit is to replace the three alkaline AAA batteries with lithium ion,” he says.
“But Li-ion batteries don’t do well when they’re punctured or abraded. They explode.
“Alkalines, on the other hand, are usually okay, even when they’re sawn in half.
“Keeping the price tag low means using off-the-shelf batteries that are still safe, so I’m kind of stuck.
“As for the ugliness, you know, I figured that it’s kind of like Crocs. It’s kind of obvious, so I shouldn’t bother hiding it. If it’s useful enough, though, I think people will look past that.”
