Derived from Suzuki’s popular GSX-R litre-bike, the GSX-S1000 offers a street focused nakedbike package, with iconic styling and a host of technology, with 2019 models arriving next month in new colour schemes – Metallic Triton Blue and Metallic Matte Black (Z-model).
2019 Suzuki GSX-S1000 – Metallic Triton Blue
Powered by a modernised version of the same long-stroke engine that drove the legendary K5 GSX-R1000, the GSX-S1000 is tuned for the streets with a fatter bottom-to-mid while still retaining a stonking top-end, and the in-line four-cylinder boasts 110kW power and 108Nm of torque. A back-torque-limiting clutch also contributes to smoother downshifts, through the six-speed gearbox.
2019 Suzuki GSX-S1000 – Metallic Matte Black
High-end Brembo monobloc calipers are the same specification as those featured on the GSX-R1000R. The calipers each have four opposed 32mm pistons acting on a 310mm floating-mount disc for strong stopping power. The antilock braking system (ABS) helps the rider stay in directional control even during hard braking.
2019 Suzuki GSX-S1000 – Metallic Triton Blue
43mm KYB inverted front forks provide a sporty yet plush ride. Featuring fully adjustable compression and rebound damping as well as spring preload. A single KYB rear shock features adjustable rebound damping and spring preload.
2019 Suzuki GSX-S1000 – Metallic Matte Black
A lightweight LCD instrument cluster provides a wealth of information to the rider. Readouts include speedometer, tachometer, odometer, dual tripmeters, gear position, coolant temperature, driving range, average fuel consumption, instantaneous fuel consumption, traction control, and a clock. The white backlight gives great night-time visibility and also features 6 different rpm display settings.
2019 Suzuki GSX-S1000 – Metallic Triton Blue
The 2019 Suzuki GSX-S1000 will be available in March for a special promotion price of $15,490 Ride Away under the “Own The Street” campaign and is backed by Suzuki’s two-year unlimited-kilometre warranty.
For further information on the GSX-S1000 and the rest of the GSX-S street sports range, interested customers should visit their local Suzuki dealer, who can be found through the Dealer Locator on www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au (link).
The Battlax Adventurecross AX41 is Bridgestone’s new trail off-road tyre, aimed at allowing riders to take on any type of path, while enjoying the ride, even when you go into the unknown!
Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41 tyres arrive in Australia
As can be seen in this new pattern’s name, the Battlax Adventurecross AX41 is real mix of Bridgestone’s know-how in the standard trail onroad category with Battlax technology and the state of the art development capacities of block positioning in the off-road world with the Battlecross series.
The AX41 adopts block design and positioning to ensure on and off-road performance, durability and stability. Apply a high cross section area and a small pitch length – increasing the cross section area by 30% compared with the A41. Shorter pitch length increases with the higher diameter of the tyre the amount of blocks over the circumference.
Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41
Anti – Irregular Wear Technology or A-IW technology reduces the heel and toe wear at the trailing edge of the block thanks to block deformation under braking forces constraints. This new block profile counters the deformation and ensuring the durability of the tyre.
Redesigning the tyre dimensions to increase the total amount of blocks on the tyre, and an increase in both compound rigidity and strength ensures the balance between durability and off-road performance.
Many sizes of the Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41 tyre are available now, as listed below, with additional sizes arriving during February and March.
Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41 tyres
Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41 sizes
100/90Q19 (57Q) AX41F Tbl $169.95 RRP
110/80BQ19 (59Q) AX41F Tbl $189.95 RRP
120/70BQ19 (60Q) AX41F Tbl $199.95 RRP – Arrives February
90/90Q21 (54Q) AX41F Tbl $169.95 RRP – Arrives March
130/80BQ17 (65Q) AX41R Tbl $249.95 RRP
140/80BQ17 (69Q) AX41R Tbl $259.95 RRP – Arrives February
150/70BQ17 (69Q) AX41R Tbl $269.95 RRP
170/60BQ17 (72Q) AX41R Tbl $289.95 RRP
150/70BQ18 (70Q) AX41R Tbl $299.95 RRP – Arrives March
The Nmoto Nostalgia is based on the BMW R nineT. Photo courtesy Nmoto.
After its successful debut at the New York International Motorcycle Show in December, the Nmoto Nostalgia project is now entering limited production.
The Nmoto Nostalgia is a one-of-a-kind endeavor to capture the ambition of the legendary BMW R7. With the comfortable suspension and unique steering mechanisms encased in a canonical design inspired by the BMW R7 pre-war prototype, the Nostalgia motorcycle gives enthusiasts a slice of the past without sacrificing performance or rider experience.
The core of the Nostalgia is a modern BMW R Nine T, outfitted with 96 handcrafted pieces. This includes more than 11 premium parts from reputable aftermarket companies. Constructed primarily of aircraft-grade aluminum, the Nostalgia motorcycles are lighter than a stock R Nine T and the original 1934 prototype. Modern technology also provides more power and maneuverability so riders get the best of both worlds – Art Deco design and looks with contemporary performance and reliability.
Enthusiasts and collectors know that vintage motorcycles require constant maintenance and attention, which is why they are more often kept as collectibles than for utility. Nmoto believes that the primary pleasure in motorcycle ownership is in riding, which is why they created the Nmoto Nostalgia. Beyond just being beautiful and wholly distinct, it’s reliable, safe and comfortable enough to ride every single day.
“The response in New York was tremendous,” said Nmoto founder Alexander Niznik. “We had a lot of interest from the public and the media, a lot of positive feedback, and we’re already taking orders, including from famed musician Billy Joel and renowned BMW historian Peter Nettesheim.”
Available in a limited production series, orders are now being taken with a finished base price of $49,500 and an expected wait time of 3 to 6 months. For more details and information, visit nmoto.com.
What comes to mind when you imagine a European motorcycle tour? Great roads, beautiful scenery, history and amazing food? If that sounds enticing, but you’re not ready to commit to days of hair-raising Alpine passes or two weeks away from home, the Best of Europe Tour with Edelweiss Bike Travel might be right up your alley. Photos by the author.
Booking your first overseas motorcycle trip can be stressful enough, but that first day in the saddle in an unfamiliar place, on an unfamiliar bike, on unfamiliar roads marked by unfamiliar and probably unintelligible signs, can be a little overwhelming. Fortunately everyone (with the exception of yours truly) on my recent Edelweiss Best of Europe tour was in the exact same boat, something Ursula, our lead tour guide, didn’t find at all surprising.
This aptly-named weeklong tour allows you to taste a sampling of the best Europe has to offer, including plenty of castles, newly-forged friendships with other riders and of course some spectacularly beautiful roads and scenery.
According to her, the Best of Europe tour is extremely popular with first-timers, and for good reason. It’s an ideal introduction to riding in Europe: smooth, not-too-technical roads that allow you to focus on enjoying the quaint villages, spectacular scenery, delicious food and castles everywhere you turn. I recognized it for what it was immediately. This was a gateway drug, what the savvy dealer gives you to get you hooked. (Given how many hands went up at our farewell dinner when Ursula asked who would return for another tour, I’d say the hook was firmly planted.)
One of the great things about taking an overseas motorcycle tour is the new friendships you’ll forge.
As for me, the Best of Europe tour was my pick for a variety of reasons, but a large part of the decision might surprise you: genealogy. Genealogy is a hobby of mine and over the years I’ve traced back both sides of my family to some specific areas, including southwestern Germany, Alsace (now a part of France) and Switzerland–all of which we’d be visiting on the tour.
Navigating narrow, cobblestoned streets is the norm in Europe.
I’m probably preaching to the choir, but if you’re going to visit Europe, doing it on a motorcycle is the way to go–with the possible caveat that you choose the right tool for the job. European roads tend to be narrower than what we’re used to in the U.S. or Canada, especially in villages and cities where cobblestones and tight turns are common, and they’re rarely straight.
Gentle switchbacks ascend and descend the Swiss countryside as we warm up for our first Alpine pass near the mountain Säntis.
For these reasons, I opted for a BMW F 800 GS with its ready-for-anything suspension, lighter weight and nimble handling. My tour-mates also chose wisely: there were several R 1200 GS models, a couple of R 1200 RTs, and one-up riders on the Triumph Tiger 800, Honda NC700X and BMW R 1200 RS. Two couples traveling together from Pennsylvania opted for big Harley touring bikes–ideal for wide American roads, but as they learned as the week went on, a bit of a handful on our brief Alpine sections.
Carving curves on the optional ride into the Vosges Mountains on our rest day.
The Best of Europe route was thoughtfully designed to incorporate progressively more technical roads, allowing riders to get accustomed to their bikes and the foreign surroundings before hitting the serious twisties on the last few days. Our tour would loop us out of Erding, north of Munich, through undulating farmland and along river-carved valleys west and then south to the famous Black Forest, before ducking into France for a rest day. Refreshed, we’d then head back east into Germany, slip into Switzerland’s impossibly green hills studded with jagged gray peaks, then finish with a day of endless curves in Austria before returning to Erding.
The Best of Europe tour loops west out of Erding, near Munich, heading into France, then Switzerland and Austria before returning to Germany.
The gently rolling farmland we encountered on our first two days, from Erding to Rothenburg and then on to Heidelberg, reminded me why German immigrants to the U.S. felt so at home in places like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin.
Well, apart from the castles. They’re everywhere it seems, from 11th century ruins to gilded 18th century monuments to excess. Our first night’s stop was in Rothenburg, a beautifully preserved medieval walled city where we followed a “night watchman” on a twilight tour of the old town. Day two brought a stop at the partially ruined Hirschhorn castle and a finish in famous Heidelberg, with its mammoth palace lording over the city below.
Every village in Bavaria has a Maypole, and each one is different, with figures and decorations that represent the local characters and industry.
We usually had a couple of free hours each evening between arriving at the hotel and dinner, and by the second night in Heidelberg it was clear I’d need to devote mine to getting some exercise. German food is serious business, made even more so by the ubiquitous beer served with dinner (I opted for local wines, also very good and far less filling), and if I was going to have any hope of maintaining my girlish figure on this weeklong tour I’d need to do some walking.
German food is serious business, as this dinner (a single serving!) attests.
When I announced my intention to walk the steep path up to Heidelberg’s palace rather than take the tram, one tour-mate teased me with a quote from “The Princess Bride”: “Have fun storming the castle!” The joke stuck, and from then on storming castles became a central theme of the trip. There was the trio of ruins guarding the medieval Alsatian town of Ribeauvillé; the circular 16th-century fortress called Munot surrounded by vineyards at the center of Schaffhausen; and King Ludwig II’s ostentatious tribute to his idol Louis XVI, Castle Linderhof, a lunch stop for the group on our last riding day.
Royalty for a day at Castle Linderhof in Bavaria.
Between castles, our Edelweiss guides let us sample just about every type of road found in the heart of Europe, from the limitless autobahn to meandering country roads to the sinuous switchbacks of the Austrian Alps. They led us through and to places we’d likely never have found on our own, like the hidden Hexenlochmühle (“mill of the witch place”), a cuckoo clock workshop and café where we enjoyed slices of Black Forest cake.
We spotted this East German relic at a lunch stop in Germany.
That said, riders are always encouraged to explore on their own if they so choose–Edelweiss furnishes a detailed map with the daily route highlighted, plus a guide book–so on the rest day in Ribeauvillé several of us decided not to go on the optional group ride into the Vosges Mountains, opting instead to head off on solo adventures. After breakfast with the group, I hopped on my GS and headed back toward the Rhine River and Germany, my destination a village where my great-great-great grandfather was born.
Our rest day in Ribeauvillé allowed us to relax in the hotel, explore the countryside or wander the many shops.
But first a visit to a piece of world history: the Maginot Line. This series of fortifications and tunnels was built to deter a repeat of Germany’s rapid invasion of France during WWI, and stretched along the French border all the way to Belgium. Today several Maginot Line structures still exist, and one happened to be just a few kilometers away from Ribeauvillé.
After a sobering walk through the bunker’s chambers and a stroll over the grounds where American vehicles from the liberation force were on display, I headed for my ancestor’s German village. Ichenheim sits only a couple of kilometers from the east bank of the Rhine, surrounded by flat fields of golden-tasseled corn and lush green woods; to the east rise the dark hills of the Black Forest. Agrarian but hilly Southern Indiana must’ve felt very familiar to him.
Each hotel on our tour had its own special history and flavor; this one in Rothenberg dates from the 12th century.
After our rest day, the riding difficulty was cranked up a notch as we traversed the Black Forest again and entered Switzerland. Rolling green hills and gentle curves gave way to our first Alpine pass and a lunch break at the mountain Säntis, at 8,200 feet the highest in eastern Switzerland. From there, the curves continued nonstop as we crossed into Austria and ascended the famous Hochtannberg Pass.
Outdoor dining is a European tradition, and with beautiful weather all week we were happy to take part.
By the next morning, our last riding day, the entire group was salty and ready for anything–a far cry from the slightly nervous, curve-shy bunch that had begun the ride. We’d stormed castles, eaten our weight in spätzle, toasted our perfectly sunny riding days with liters of beer and wine each evening and scuffed the sides of our tires on roads so pretty it can be hard to keep your eyes on where you’re going. The Best of Europe tour really is a gateway drug to the joys of motorcycle travel in Europe, a dip of the toe, a sampling of the smorgasbord. Just be warned: you might get addicted.
The Edelweiss Best of Europe tour runs once a month from May to September. For more information visit edelweissbike.com.
In Moto2™, 14 riders are in southern Spain. EG 0,0 Marc VDS’ Alex Marquez and Xavi Vierge are at Jerez after also being present in Valencia. With them is Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), Dynavolt Intact GP’s Marcel Schrotter and Tom Luthi, Speed Up Racing’s Jorge Navarro and rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio, along with Italtrans Racing’s Enea Bastianini and Andrea Locatelli. In addition, Ekky Dimas Pratama (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), his teammate Somikat Chantra, Lukas Tulovic (Kiefer Racing) and SKY Racing Team VR46 representatives Luca Marini and Nicolo Bulega.
On Tuesday 12th February, the Austrian factory will display their 2019 bikes in Mattighofen at 14:00 local time. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders Pol Espargaro and Johann Zarco will be joined by Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Miguel Oliveira and Hafizh Syahrin, as four RC16s take their place on the premier class grid this season.
According to some media outlets, several engine specs were brought by the Austrian factory to test in Sepang. As well as parts such as a carbon swingarm, a new fairing, carbon front fork suspension and a new tail on the RC16, which saw a redesigned tail exhaust appear, Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) tested a new seat backrest as the Frenchman continues to adapt to his new bike.
“Yes, I’m happy about today because we did exactly what we wanted to do,” began Morbidelli. “We improved our pace and we also improved our pure speed, so this is good. Still, we have to work a lot because we have seen Ducati, at a certain point of the day, were unreachable. So, we still have to work a lot but we are improving.”
Moto News Wrap for February 11, 2019 by Darren Smart
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Moto News Latest
Webb and Faulkner Take Minneapolis AMA SX
Taddy Wins SuperEnduro in Budapest
Cairoli and Prado Wrap Up Italian Motocross Championships
Dean Wilson to Rockstar Husqvarna
Hunter Lawrence Injured
Traralgon Hosts Successful 2 Stroke Nationals
FIM Speedway of Nations News
Applications Open for Australian WJMX Team
Webb and Faulkner take Minneapolis AMA SX
The sixth round of the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship was held in Minneapolis last weekend and the racing has once again held the fans of the sport on the edge of their seats as two of the brightest stars in the sport in Cooper Webb and Austin Forkner took out main event wins the 450SX and 250SX East classes respectively.
AMA Supercross kicks off at Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Report
Kawasaki’s Joey Savatgy scored the holeshot in the main event and for the first half of the race Webb was looking for a way around Savatgy while holding off Ken Roczen, Blake Baggett and Marvin Musquin but when Webb got around Savatgy on lap 15 the flood gates opened allowing Roczen, Baggett and eventually Musquin get around Savatgy.
AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Webb reeled off the closing laps without any mistakes to score his third win of the year ahead of Roczen who also kept himself tidy for second place ahead of Musquin who was gifted yet another podium after Baggett went over the bars on a tricky seat-bounce double-triple combination.
Marvin Musquin – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Eli Tomac was almost dead last after his poorest start of the season but the former championship leader whittled his way to sixth place, one spot ahead of Chad Reed who encountered his own problems during the main event to not only score seventh place but also move into eight in the championship, just 14 points out of the top five.
Eli Tomac – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
The 2019 season has set a new record with the top four in the Championship standings only separated by two points after six rounds with Roczen on 125, Webb on 124 while Eli Tomac and Marvin Musquin are both tied with 123 points – even more amazingly, Roczen and Musquin are yet to win a round!
AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper Webb
“To get three wins this year is pretty spectacular, especially bouncing back from last week – having that bad race in the mud – but I never lost belief, never lost faith and knew I was still good. I felt good all day today and to be able to apply it in the heat race, win that, and then win the main was pretty special. It’s cool, I have to pinch myself because I’ve come such a long way in a short amount of time. It’s crazy what a year or half a year will do to you. The last two years this place ended my season, so it’s pretty cool to bounce back from that and never give up, never doubt myself, make a change and stick to it. I want to keep doing well and doing what I’m doing. I definitely feel like I have a lot to improve on and a lot to learn but we’ll see if we can keep going.”
Cooper Webb – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Ken Roczen
“I felt really good, and early on when Joey was still leading, I had a couple of good spots, and I kind of came up on Cooper a little bit. But I couldn’t pass him. After Cooper passed for the lead, I noticed that Joey was getting tired or whatever, but he was still going enough where we couldn’t pass. I had to pick my battles a little bit. The way these turns are, and the intensity that we brought, I didn’t want to do a silly, aggressive move and bump up on the inside. I just wanted to do it in a smart way, but I waited too long, for sure.”
Ken Roczen – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Marvin Musquin
“It was definitely a tough night. I made it really hard on myself going down in the heat race while running in second – I made a little mistake that cost me big time and then again, I hit neutral and went down again. With a really bad gate pick, I knew it was going to be hard to choose either inside or outside on the gate but I chose to go very far inside and I didn’t get the start I wanted. I was tight inside and came out top-ten but on a track like that, it’s super tough to be in that position to make passes. It took me a long time to get into the top-five and I was pushing to get around [Blake] Baggett and unfortunately, he went down hard, hopefully he’s okay. Once I was in third, I tried to give a push for second but there was a gap and physically I gave a lot when I was trying to pass guys for most of the Main Event. Definitely tough, but to be third on the podium tonight is a good result considering where I came from with the heat race and the start, so I’ll definitely take it.”
Marvin Musquin – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Dean Wilson
“The night wasn’t great but not too bad, either, I’m not super pumped on it but I came out healthy. I think the past couple weeks of not getting into my normal schedule, due to the rain and resting the week after Oakland because of my knee, definitely had me feeling it and it was a tough Main Event the whole time. I think just trying to get back to my normal schedule will help a lot. It was awesome to be back with the team this weekend and we’re just going to get better from here.”
Justin Barcia
“Going into the main event I didn’t make any bike changes, or anything like that I was really comfortable. I was right on the main pack of guys in front of me, I just came into the corner pretty quick, pushed my front end and ended up going down pretty hard and rode home to ninth. For me it was a frustrating race to say the least because I felt like I was capable of being on the podium tonight and fighting for the win. It’s definitely frustrating, but I felt like I was back to myself again, comfort wise and stuff, I felt good on the bike. I was happy with my riding, just wish I could’ve done better in the main event. Moving on to next weekend I just want to have good starts and get back up front.”
Justin Barcia – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Aaron Plessinger
“It was a rough one for me. I definitely struggled on my starts. I got a break in the heat race. I got a bad jump, but shot the gap and made it. In the main event I didn’t have that gap and I got shut off; I definitely need to keep working on it. We’re going to go back to California this week, we’ll get some more testing in on the bike and try and dial it in a little more for me. I just need to keep working on it, getting used to it. I’m going to go back and do some more homework and come back ready for Dallas.”
Aaron Plessinger – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Main Event Results
Cooper Webb
Ken Roczen
Marvin Musquin
Joey Savatgy
Justin Brayton
Eli Tomac
Chad Reed
Dean Wilson
Justin Barcia
Aaron Plessinger
Cole Seely
Vince Friese
Justin Bogle
Tyler Bowers
Kyle Chisholm
Alex Ray
Ben Lamay
Daniel Herrlein
Cheyenne Harmon
Casey Brennan
Blake Baggett
Aj Catanzaro
450 Podium 1) Cooper Webb, 2) Ken Roczen, 3) Marvin Musquin – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Points after 6 of 17
Ken Roczen – 125
Cooper Webb – 124
Eli Tomac – 123
Marvin Musquin – 123
Dean Wilson – 95
Justin Barcia – 88
Blake Baggett – 82
Chad Reed – 81
Aaron Plessinger – 79
Cole Seely – 77
Justin Brayton – 70
Vince Friese – 65
Justin Bogle – 60
Joey Savatgy – 59
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
250SX East Report
Austin Forkner was fast all day and it wasn’t good news for his opposition when the Kawasaki pilot grabbed the holeshot and he never looked back to take the win but the action behind was a little more riveting with Jordon Smith surviving a flat tyre change on the start line and a small crash mid race to finish second ahead of Justin Cooper who looked smooth and untroubled on his way to third head of Chase Sexton and Alex Martin.
AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Austin Forkner
“Basically, you don’t want to think about not making mistakes because that’s when you make them. I was just trying to click off laps. My starts were killer tonight in the heat and the main. I was just out there trying to maintain it, and I saw, whenever Jordon [Smith] got into to second, I might have to try to turn it up. He was maybe going a little bit faster, but then he went down. But when you get to that settle stage, sometimes that’s when mistakes happen, so I just tried to keep focused forward.”
Austin Forkner – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Jordon Smith
“We got a flat tire and Christian, my mechanic did an amazing job, they started the bikes before he had the nut off the rear wheel, I was afraid the gate was going to drop and we weren’t going to be ready.”
Justin Cooper
“The bike was awesome all day and the team made adjustments to fix anything I was uncomfortable with. I was able to predict exactly what the bike was going to do throughout the race, even with the track conditions getting worse. I had a terrible start, but felt great on the bike the whole main and just had to maintain the race as best I could with all the chaos around me. Everything about the day went smooth except a little first race jitters in the heat race. First podium at my second Supercross race ever… what more is there to say? It’s a great feeling!”
Justin Cooper – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Mitchell Oldenburg
“Today was decent. Practice went well for me, I felt really comfortable and the bike was working awesome. Tonight though, just wasn’t the best night for me. I didn’t feel that great. Not racing for a year was tough, and it showed tonight. I’m looking forward to building off of this and getting ready for the next few races and Dallas next weekend.”
Mitchell Oldenburg – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Jordan Bailey
“It was a good start to my first supercross, practice went well and the track was pretty good. I got fourth in the heat race, and in the main my start wasn’t very good but we got ninth. I’m happy with it to start with but we’ve got to keep getting better.”
Jordan Bailey – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Thomas Covington
“It was a solid first weekend for me, I was definitely a little bit nervous and tight throughout the whole day but each session got a little bit better and I squeaked into the Main Event in the heat. In the Main Event, I just went out and had as much fun as I could out there and it turned out pretty good. I was happy with how the bike was working and everything, just have to get back to work this week and hopefully progress next weekend.”
Thomas Covington – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Alex Martin held Justin Cooper at bay for nearly the whole main but he ended up getting bumped off the track by Cooper and missed the transponder line at the finish so his team had to go and request a manual rescoring of that lap for Alex to be credited with fourth place after initial results had him back in 13th.
250SX East Results
Austin Forkner
Jordon Smith
Justin Cooper
Alex Martin
Chase Sexton
Mitchell Oldenburg
Kyle Cunningham
Brandon Hartranft
Jordan Bailey
Kyle Peters
Thomas Covington
Blake Wharton
Martin Davalos
Christian Craig
250 Podium 1) Austin Fornker, 2) Jordon Smith, 3) Justin Cooper – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
250SX East after Round 1 of 9
Austin Forkner – 26
Jordon Smith – 23
Justin Cooper – 21
Alex Martin – 19
Chase Sexton – 18
Mitchell Oldenburg – 17
Kyle Cunningham – 16
Brandon Hartranft – 15
Jordan Bailey – 14
Kyle Peters – 13
Thomas Covington – 12
Blake Wharton – 8
Martin Davalos – 7
Christian Craig – 3
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Taddy Wins SuperEnduro in Budapest
Budapest hosted round four of the 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship last weekend and it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak who took the win ahead of teammate Cody Webb and Husqvarna’s Colton Haaker.
Superpole went to Webb, with Blazusiak finishing a close second before Webb took the lead in the first of the three finals and set about opening up a good margin over the chasing riders. Although pressured early on by his teammate, Cody went on to claim a flag-to-flag victory with Blazusiak fighting off the challenges from Colton Haaker to finish second.
In the reverse-grid race two, it was Blazusiak who got the best start of the championship contenders but Haaker took over the lead and quickly opened a gap that he would maintain to earn the win over Blazusiak and Webb.
In the final race, it was Blazusiak who took the holeshot over Haaker with Webb close behind in third and for the first half of the race the three leading riders pushed hard, maintaining a fast pace on the demanding course but Taddy managed to hold his nerve to ultimately take the race three win over Haaker and Webb and with it the overall victory.
Taddy Blazusiak
“To take the win tonight feels great. I’ve been mostly off the bike since I hurt my knee in Madrid, so to come here and claim the overall is amazing. I didn’t quite have the out-and-out speed this evening, so I knew I would have to be clever and use my race craft. I got two second places and then in the last race I got a good start and knew it would be difficult for the others to pass. I rode clean but defensively and it paid off. Budapest has been great – the track was not too technical, but it was physically demanding and tricky to make time on. I’m really looking forward to Bilbao now in April.”
Webb edged Haaker by one point in the overall standings in Budapest so going into the final round in Spain on April the 6th, Haaker holds a 12 points lead in the championship.
Cody Webb
“It’s been a good night for me overall – I’m happy with second. I got a really good start in the first race and was just able to run away with it. In the second race, I started off right on the inside from the second row but I got caught up early and had to fight my way through the whole pack back up to third. In the last race it was good fun battling with the guys up front but it was so tricky to make a good pass – we were all pushing so hard and the pace was relentless. I struggled with traffic later on and couldn’t quite close up to the two leaders. We have got a bit of a break now before the last round so I’ll keep training and work on my intensity before Bilbao and hopefully be in a good position to fight for the championship.”
Cody Webb – SuperEnduro Round 4 – Hungary 2019
Results — 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, Round 4 Prestige Race 1
Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 6:44.923
Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 6:50.858 +5.935
Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 6:51.421 +6.498
Alfredo Gomez (ESP), Husqvarna, 7:22.186 +37.263
Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 7:28.249 +43.326
Prestige Race 2
Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 6:38.691
Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 6:47.256 +8.565
Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 7:00.298 +21.607
Alfredo Gomez (ESP), Husqvarna, 7:10.778 +32.087
Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 6:52.969 +1 lap
Prestige Race 3
Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 6:36.278
Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 6:38.226 +1.948
Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 6:50.587 +14.309
Alfredo Gomez (ESP), Husqvarna, 7:13.035 +36.757
Diogo Viera (POR), Yamaha, 6:43.492 +1 lap
Alfredo Gomez proves consistent in fourth across the events races- SuperEnduro Round 4 – Hungary 2019
Prestige Class — Overall
Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 56 points
Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 53 pts
Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 52 pts
Alfredo Gomez (ESP), Husqvarna, 39 pts
Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 32 pts
Championship Standings (After round 4)
Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 211 points
Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 199 pts
Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 184 pts
Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 122 pts
Alfredo Gomez (ESP), Husqvarna, 119 pts
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Cairoli and Prado Wrap Up Italian Motocross Championships
Mantova hosted the final round of the three round Italian Motocross Championships last weekend and it was Tim Gajser who scored the MX1 win before Jorge Prado dominated the MX2 race then Antonio Cairoli managed to win a the Superfinal.
Italian Motocross Championship 2019 – Round 3, Mantova
HRC Factory rider Tim Gajser won the MXGP race at Mantova ahead of 2015 World MXGP champion Romain Febvre, Antonio Cairoli, Gautier Paulin and Max Nagl with Cairoli being crowned MX1 champion of Italy for 2019.
Tim Gajser
“It is great to win again, it is just Italian championship, but a great race. I wanted to pass Tonus quickly and I tried to gap Romain, but he was really close. We had a good pace, and I liked the track. I look forward to the second race.”
Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo
Romain Febvre
“It went good, I had a good start, not very good but good start. I was quick to second and battled with Tim, really close to him and I made some mistakes. Sometimes I was faster, sometimes he was faster. I was happy, but I got some arm pump and that is why I slowed down.”
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jorge Prado earned the Italian Championship with the MX2 race win in Mantova over early leader Moreau, Tom Vialle, Jago Geerst and Stephen Rubini while Aussie Mitch Evans ended the race in 11th of the 40 starters.
Tom Vialle – Italian Motocross Championship 2019 – Round 3, Mantova
The Superfinal saw a massive first turn pile-up but out front Cairoli managed to etch out a lead before taking a comfortable win ahead of Nagl who had to fight off a fast finishing Prado who started well outside the top ten to narrowly miss out of second place while Mitch Evans ended the race in a credible ninth place.
Antonio Cairoli – Italian Motocross Championship 2019 – Round 3, Mantova
Cairoli and Prado ended up 1-2 in the Superfinal Championships.
Antonio Cairoli
“The Italian Championship is always a good series because we have a lot of champions on the line, this year especially, with four different world champions. We had a lot of things to test and the best way to do that was with racing. We had a perfect series, except for that first moto today: I was upset with my start. It was good in one way, and that’s to be able to make some passes and work through the pack and learn about that. This is also good training for the GPs. When we are on the line in the world championship it is a little bit different; everyone is extra motivated and doing their best to keep up with me and Jeffrey. I think since last year people have been working with us in mind. We will improve but they will improve also. We’ll see when the gate drops in MXGP but the championship there is very long and you have to be consistent and don’t make mistakes. This is the key.”
Antonio Cairoli – Italian Motocross Championship 2019 – Round 3, Mantova
Jorge Prado
“It’s been a really good championship and great pre-season training. Mantova was a different kind of track today: big ruts and with some special demands. I won my MX2 race and then had a good jump [from the gate] against the 450s. I was battling a long time with [Max] Nagl and I couldn’t make the pass, but anyway I’m happy. The bike was working great in these races. We have some weeks of training ahead but we are in the good way and will go to Argentina in the best shape possible.”
With Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team having no fit 450SX riders, Dean Wilson has been given a seat with the team for the remainder of the AMA Supercross season.
Jason Anderson and Zach Osborne are currently out with Anderson sustaining a season ending broken arm injury, while Osborne (Broken collar bone) is expected to return to the team in the coming weeks.
Wilson started with the team at Minneapolis last weekend where he finished a solid 8th place in the main event to maintain 5th in the championship standings.
Dean Wilson
“I am really excited to be back with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team. They have been a great help with my privateer effort. I am looking forward to putting in good results and making everyone proud.”
Dean Wilson
Bobby Hewitt
“Dean has been a part of our program for many years. I am very excited to have him back under the truck for the remainder of the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship Series.”
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Hunter Lawrence Injured
On the eve of making his AMA Supercross debut Australia’s Hunter Lawrence has crashed and aggravated a collarbone injury which he sustained some eight to nine weeks ago.
Hunter Lawrence
A timetable for Lawrence’s return has not been set but he could be back in time to compete in some supercross rounds or the Geico Honda pilot might be out until the Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship which begins in May.
Hunter Lawrence
Below is his Instagram post.
‘Absolutely heartbroken to say the least guys. I wont be lining up at round 1 this weekend. Some of you know a few months back I had a collarbone injury that I have now re-injured. And it isn’t in a condition where I am not able to plate it. A misfortunate crash and part of the sport. Will do everything i can like always to get back to 100%. I want to thank my amazing @fchonda team and supporting sponsors for all their great support. And a massive shoutout to all of the Aussie fans that were behind me and following along. Super bummed, but with the aussie grit and determination i’ll be back soon.’
Traralgon Hosts Successful 2 Stroke Nationals
Traralgon has hosted the opening round of the Yamaha bLU cRU 2 Stroke Nationals and it was Pro racer Joel Milesevic who won the premier YMI All Powers Cup ahead of Deakin Hellier and Ryan Kenney.
Meanwhile Blake Fox (125cc Junior Cup), James Hanson (Hallman Retro Cup), Hunter Collins (Yamaha 85cc Cup) and Ky Woods (Raceline 65cc Cup) earned the top spots in the support classes.
Coolum will host the second round of the series on March 3, before Canberra get the final round on April 27.
YMI All Powers Cup
Joel Milesevic
Deakin Hellier
Ryan Kenney
Taylor Potter
Jai Walker
Yamaha 125cc Junior Cup
Blake Fox
Alex Larwood
Blake Hollis
Ricky Chalmers
Ryan Alexanderson
Hallman Retro Cup
James Hanson
Steven Bowen
Jake West
Paul Grant
Kade Dunscombe
Yamaha 85cc Cup
Hunter Collins
Cambell Williams
Ryder Kingsford
Jett Burgess-Stevens
Seth Burchell
Raceline 65cc Cup
Ky Woods
Jett Williams
Jack Deveson
Koby Hantis
Kayd Kingsford
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
FIM Speedway of Nations News
The start position draw for Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Race Offs 1 and 2 in Landshut and Manchester in May has been confirmed.
Germany host Poland, Sweden, Slovenia, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Italy at Race Off 1, which takes place in Landshut on Saturday, May 4, before the Lions come up against Australia, Denmark, USA, France, Finland and Latvia at Race Off 2 in Manchester on Saturday, May 11.
The start position draw sees GB line up in the white and yellow starting gates against fellow 2018 finalists Australia and Denmark, with the Danish clash coming in race six and the Aussie showdown taking place in heat 15.
With gates two and four producing 14 winners compared to the nine that triumphed from gates one and three at Race Off 2 in 2018, the Lions will be hopeful the draw works in their favour at the National Speedway Stadium.
The hosts come up against neighbours France in their opener in heat three, with Australia kicking the night off against Finland in race one and Latvia taking on Denmark in heat two. The USA get their night started against the Aussies in race four.
The Landshut round sees Germany face tough finish to their heats as they come up against Sweden in heat 13, Ukraine in race 17 and Poland in heat 20 to round off the night. They will be keen to pile up the points early on, starting in their opener against Italy in race two.
Their fellow 2018 finalists Poland and Sweden collide in their opening heat – race three – a clash that could have a massive bearing on who tops the podium in Bavaria, with the Poles starting from gates one and three.
The top two teams from both Race Offs are guaranteed a spot at the Monster Energy SON Finals in Togliatti alongside hosts Russia on July 20 and 21, with the teams placed third to fifth competing in two knock-out heats to decide the final qualifier from both meetings.
Applications Open for Australian WJMX Team
Applications are now open for Australian riders who want to compete in the 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship which will take place at Russia’s cosmopolitan capital, Moscow, in July.
Australia’s 2018 WJMX team
2018 was a massive year for Team Australia with the event held on home soil and Australia taking out the Team of Nations trophy, and competitors Bailey Malkiewicz and Braden Plath taking out the 125cc WJMX title and 65cc World Cup respectively!
Team Australia will be split out according to the 2019 WJMX classes:
FIM Junior 65cc Motocross World Cup: Age Restrictions-minimum 10 years of age and maximum 12 years of age.
FIM Junior 85cc Motocross World Championship: Age Restrictions-minimum 12 years of age and maximum 14 years of age.
FIM Junior 125cc Motocross World Championship: Age Restrictions- minimum 13 years of age and maximum 17 years of age.
The Australian squad will be supported by the 2019 Team Manager, Mark Willingham who will continue in this role for the third year running.
Applications close in less than a month so click on the link below for more information:
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