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.”
Riders will be spoilt for choice this November as two major motorcycle events compete in NSW and the Melbourne Moto Expo returns.
The events will be run over three consecutive weekends, stretching the motorcycle industry resources.
Meanwhile, other states are missing out altogether.
Competing events
Moto Expo
The biannual Moto Expo has been held in Sydney and Melbourne for the past few years and even included Brisbane in 2014.
This year the Sydney Moto Expo, which is owned by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, will become the Australian Motorcycle Festival and move from Sydney to Wollongong from November 8-10. The Melbourne Moto Expo will also return to Melbourne Showgrounds on November 23-25.
These events are run by Troy Bayliss Events which the three-time World Superbike champestablished after retiring 11 years ago.
Some motorcycle companies have complained about the expense of displaying at the biannual Moto Expos, resulting in some brands being absent.
Consequently, the organisers have now chosen to change the NSW event from a Moto Expo to the Australian Motorcycle Festival and move to Wollongong where Harley-Davidson Australia held two Harley Days festivals in 2016 and ’17.
While NSW and Victoria get a wealth of shows and festivals, other states are missing out.
A Troy Bayliss Events spokesman says they continue to talk with manufacturers about a major motorcycle show returning to Brisbane.
“At this point we don’t have enough manufacturers willing to support more than one major exhibition each year,” he says.
“We would love to come back to Queensland soon.”
Inaugural festivals
Stunt displays
The inaugural Australian Motorcycle Festival will be held at Wollongong’s Lang Park on November 8-10 and include Round 3 of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship.
Instead of just motorcycle displays, the event will feature test rides, motorcycle demonstrations and stunt riding.
Similarly, the inaugural Freak Show of Motorcycles, which will be hosted in the same town as the HOG rally, will feature hillclimb, custom show, flat-track exhibition racing, stalls, music, outdoor cinema, trade show, globe of death, donuts and burnouts in a closed-off arena.
The Troy Bayliss Events spokesman says they are “glad we haven’t clashed on the same weekend as the HOG Rally”.
“We had actually discussed dates very early on to ensure we didn’t clash with HOG Rally, along with numerous other manufacturers so we did not clash with events such as Snowy Ride, ASBK and other events taking place in November and October,” he says.
“It’s great to see so many motorcycle events in Australia, hopefully more major motorcycle events are taken to the wider community to promote the motorcycle Industry in positives ways.”
DAB Motors lets you completely customise your new bike from enduro to motard to scrambler even before taking delivery, with the promise it’s street legal.
Meet the LM-S developed by engineer Simon Dabadie who established his company in the Basque region in 2017.
Henry Ford once said of his Model T Ford: “Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black.”.
Those days are now gone with this new motorcycle.
Customers can change everything except the steel double-cradle frame, eight-litre tank and Husqvarna 500cc DOHC single-cylinder engine.
Strangely the exhaust — one of the most popular parts to customise — can’t be changed as it has to meet European emissions regulations.
That means customers can select handlebars, suspension (Kayaba or Ohlins), subframe, seat, wheels, tyres and even the braking system.
You can also select the colour scheme which can vary between subframe, bodywork, tank, rims, spokes, etc.
DAB says each customised motorcycle will look different yet they will all roll out of their factory homologated for legal European road use, so the coppers can’t harass you.
Although we notice there is no headlight! Seems to be a glaring omission.
DAB hand at customising
Maserati and Bentley allow similar personalisation which can lead to some interesting results that show that wealth doesn’t necessarily mean good taste.
For example, the Queen has her seats covered in her family tartan weave while one Italian family chose different coloured leather seats for each seat in their Quattroporte. Yuk!
DAB makes things easy for their customers with a configurator on their website so you can select items and see how they look on the finished motorcycle.
Here’s one we prepared earlier.
And here’s another.
Pricing
The DAB LM-S is quite expensive starting at around $A27,250.
The configurator will tally up how much your bike will cost as you make your selections.
Customers will have to wait about three months from order before taking delivery.
We all get tired of tackling the same old city routes on our motorcycles. City streets are boring and they don’t challenge the capabilities of the machines we ride. Unleashing their potential requires challenging routes that will trigger our primal instincts and get our adrenaline pumping.
If you are an adrenaline junkie or a travel addict, then you may want to challenge yourself with the world’s most dangerous routes. Narrow passes, sand and hairpin turns will test your physical and mental abilities to the limit. All these routes are only for seasoned riders. However, once you have conquered them, you can consider yourself a truly experienced traveller and upload your photos to all social media, your travel landing page template or frame them and put them on the wall. It is really something to be proud of.
Brace yourself, here are the most dangerous routes for motorcycles in the world.
1.Bolivia – North Yunguas Road
If you are up for a roller-coaster ride without much in the way of safety, then North Yunguas Road is for you.Also known as Bolivia’s death road, this place is extremely dangerous due to high cliffs that drop hundreds of metres at every turn. Nearly 300 motorists and cyclist were killed almost every year on this road until 1994. You should be extra cautious if you are afraid of heights.
2.China – Guoliang Tunnel Road
How about riding through a mountain? Sounds fun, but it’s also hazardous. The Guoliang Tunnel Road was opened to traffic in 1977. It’s only 1.2km long and 4m wide. The road was built through the Taihang Mountains heading towards the village of Guoliang and it’s now a big tourist attraction with lots of traffic to negotiate.
However, don’t be fooled by all the fuss, the road is still a dangerous place to ride. You need to be 100% focused on the road and you need to be experienced.
3.Australia – Canning Stock Route
The Canning Stock Route in Western Australia is regarded as the most remote road in the world. The road is 1850km long with sand and bulldust to challenge riders. There are no fuel or water stops along the way so you have to carry your own which makes it particularly difficult for motorcyclists.
4.Sichuan – Tibet Highway
This road is an excellent chance to explore Tibet with your motorcycle. It’s also considered one of be the world’s most risky roads because of its rugged nature, extreme weather and altitude. The 2142km road runs from Chengdu in Sichuan to Lhasa in Tibet.
You would need approximately 14 to 15 days to complete this road. However, the ride is an incredible adventure as you will be passing 14 mountains with heights ranging between 4000m and 5000m.
5.Pakistan and China – Karakoram Highway
This road has an amazing history as it was once a part of the famous Silk Road network of trading routes.It’s 1200km long, has altitudes over 4000m and is a great way to explore the amazing mountains of both countries.
Andrea Dovizioso: “It was a bit strange, I’ve never come to the race on a bike! And on the really nice Multistrada. The weather wasn’t so great for us, but it was a really nice experience, and to be here in Mugello already the day before and with the other Italian riders. Normally I come the day after.”
The Italian then spoke about a milestone he hits this weekend – 300 Grands Prix.
“300 is a big number! 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.”
Danilo Petrucci: “It’s always very nice, every year I arrive at Mugello in a different way! Last year in a Lamborghini, this year on the Multistrada. It was very nice, I’d never tried the bike and we went on a great road coming here, had a very good lunch and I’m really looking forward to see what’s going on on Friday.
“It’s always nice for an Italian rider to ride in Mugello, especially with the Ducati and for me it’s the first year with factory colours. It’s always a good race for us and we want to have a good weekend, we arrive from Le Mans and a really good race for us. But we want to get on the top step. It’ll be very difficult but we’re at home.”
“I’m glad it’s time for Mugello, it‘s a special weekend and a special race for all the Italian riders,” said Rossi, as he prepares to try cut the 23 points separating himself and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in the World Championship. “It has a fantastic atmosphere, but it’s also a bit tricky to manage with all the fans, but it‘s really great.
Quartararo has been a sensation so far on board his YZR-M1 and if it wasn’t for a slice of serious bad luck in Jerez when running second, slight inexperience on the grid in Qatar and a mistake in the opening exchanges in France, where he was running the pace of race winner Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), his 25-point tally would be looking a lot healthier.
