Stefan Bradl: “I am very pleased that the Repsol Honda Team have continued to put their faith in me and return to ride the RC213V again. We have done some testing at Valencia in the past and in Aragon we made a good step with the bike, I think we can have a good weekend here and again battle with riders further ahead as we did in Aragon and Le Mans as well. Always at around this time of the year in Valencia the temperature, especially in the morning, can be critical so we will have to pay attention to this.”
Izan Guevara: “I am very happy and excited to be able to make the jump to the World Championship with the Aspar Team. I have felt very comfortable with the team from the first moment and we have made a very good group, which is the important thing. I want to continue growing with this structure that has given me very good feelings and has helped me win the Moto3 Junior World Championship. The balance of this year has been very positive, at the beginning my goal was to fight to enter the top ten and get a podium, but thanks to the great teamwork I felt very confident with the bike and I was able to get the title. Now, our goal this next season will be to gain a lot of experience, get to know the circuits and continue to grow as a rider.”
Italy and the rest of Europe saw major jumps in terms of sales recently, recovering from the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic that was quite bad there. Now, things are trending back down.
August and September proved to show positive growth and a real boom for two-wheeled machine sales. That has been disrupted in October, according to Motociclismo.
The publication reports that October sales in Italy closed in the negative when compared to last year. Sales for vehicles with a displacement greater than 50cc weredown nearly 14 percent.
Scooters were the biggest culprit with a decrease in sales of 22.29 percent. However, other sectors of the two-wheeled market like motorcycles and mopeds were also down.
The overall for all sectors is 11.51 percent across all types of two-wheeled machines and all displacements. In Italy, 17,554 vehicles made it to the road in total in October.
The year-to-date numbers obviously don’t look too great either. While sales came back strong for a few months, they dropped considerably during the first wave of the pandemic.
One exception to all this is electric bikes. Zero-emission mopeds, scooters, and motorcycles saw growth of 115.2 percent in October. Year-to-date numbers indicate growth of 127.11 percent compared to 2019.
I’m hoping the second wave of COVID-19 isn’t as bad as the first, especially in Italy, for both the sake of the people there and the motorcycle industry and the nation’s economy. While other markets around the world saw increases in sales for motorcycles, this could be a worrisome start of what’s to come if the second wave of the pandemic proves to be
Riders should be aware of truck blind spots, the possibility that drivers are on stimulants and that trucks may be unroadworthy, says a university expert.
Dr. Christopher Walker, a regulation and policy expert from UNSW Arts & Social Sciences, says Australia needs to put pressure on the trucking industry to improve safety standards.
He is also calling for truckies and all other road users to learn to share the road and be aware of the sight limitations of trucks and the vulnerability of riders.
Trucks are responsible for the deaths of more than 200 people a year in Australia and 4500 a year in the US.
Professor Bill Russell, deputy director of Melbourne University’s Australasian Centre for the Governance and Management of Urban Transport, has said Australians would be safer if more freight was moved by rail.
His research showed that moving 10% more freight by rail would save 25 lives in Australia every year, and 100 serious injuries such as quadriplegia or brain damage.
In 2019, 53 Aussie truck drivers died on the job, with 34% being linked to fatigue.
Dr. Walker says it is not uncommon for drivers to haul loads and work beyond the 12-hour daily limit and an 80 or 100 hour plus working week is not uncommon. The legal limit is 72 hours over a seven-day period.
“I’ve interviewed truck drivers, and they’ve said to me, ‘I’d get my pay in one hand, and my pills in the other,” he says.
Motorbike Writer has published several articles about sharing the road with trucks and the dangers of their large blind spots which can easily lose the presence of a small motorcycle.
Dr. Walker says riders need to be aware of the dangers of trucks, but also says all road users, not just truckies, should be given education on sharing the road with motorcycles.
“All truck drivers are also car drivers and so their interaction with motorcycles on our roads can occur when they are operating a range of light and heavy vehicles,” he says.
“It would be important to highlight what particular concerns trucks present for motorcyclists but this should be part of an education package that is targeted at all road users and licence holders.
“This way all road users that share the road with motorcyclists have a better understanding of the challenges and risks they present for motorcyclists.”
Dr. Walker also says small trucking companies cut corners on costs and industry regulation is lacking with owner-operators only needing a truck licence, a truck and an ABN to start a trucking company in Australia.
“They don’t have to prove they’re financially viable or that they don’t have a compromised driving record,” he says, unlike in the UK where the industry is regulated through licensing in a process that is similar to the taxi industry in Australia.
I remember the first time I realised just how important a trusted teammate can be on two wheels. It probably comes as no great surprise that Phil Read, seven times World Champion and without a doubt the most underestimated rider in the history of Grand Prix racing, sparked the interest. There is absolutely no doubt Phil was not your ideal teammate as both Bill Ivy and Giacomo Agostini found out.
Motorcycle theft data for the 2019-20 financial year reveals that the state of Victoria suffered the worst number of thefts overall with 2056 stolen motorcycles reported.
Victoria records most motorcycle thefts in Australia
Victoria took the dubious mantle from NSW where motorcycle theft experienced an 11.6 per decline (1909) in comparison to the 2018-19 FY. In contrast, thefts were up by a marginal 0.9 per cent in Victoria.
WA worst by far on per capita basis
However, Western Australia (1914) continues to suffer by far the worst rate of theft on a per capita basis. Despite a significant 9.8 per cent drop in reported motorcycle theft compared to the previous reporting period, more motorcycles were stolen in WA than were reported stolen in NSW, even though the WA population is only one-third that of NSW. The Local Government Areas of Cockburn, Stirling and Rockingham are the worst hot-spots for motorcycle theft in Western Australia.
Brisbane a major hot-spot
Motorcycle theft in Queensland (1956) is up 4.9 per cent and on a per capita basis, The Sunshine State has a much higher rate of motorcycle theft than Victoria, NSW, the ACT or the Northern Territory. The City of Brisbane LGA is the hot-spot with 599 thefts, a marked 28.5 per cent increase and more than twice as many thefts as reported on the Gold Coast, which ranked second in the national LGA hot-spots.
Tassie records significant jump in motorcycle theft
Tasmania (216) reported the biggest jump in reported thefts with a 27.1 per cent increase.
South Australia not doing too well either
Theft was up by 10 per cent in South Australia and SA had the second worst rate of theft per capita behind Western Australia, but WA’s rate of theft was much worse than SA.
NT on a positive trend
The Northern Territory recorded the largest drop in theft, down 23 per cent on the previous reporting period.
As no reliable indicator of motorcycles across the various states are available, we resorted to using population figures to compare the state by state results on a per capita basis.
When do most motorcycles get stolen?
By far the most common time for motorcycles to be stolen was on a Friday evening between the hours of 1600 and 2000. Sunday evening in the same time bracket was the second most opportune time for thieves. Two-thirds of thefts are from the home of the victim.
Which brands fare the worst in the figures?
Honda (1938) was the most stolen brand ahead of Yamaha (1574), Kawasaki (884), Suzuki (819) and KTM (598). Harley-Davidson was surprisingly down in ninth with only 186 reported thefts. BMW, Triumph and Ducati fared even better.
What engine sizes are the most targeted by thieves?
The most stolen capacity range was that of 251-500 cc (1301), followed by 101-150 cc (1113), 501-750 cc (877), 201-250 cc (867), 50 cc or less (802) and 751-1000 cc (415) while the 1000 cc plus segment recorded 282 thefts. These figures suggest that dirtbikes likely make up a significant amount of the recorded thefts, more than a third at least.
Is my motorcycle more likely to be stolen if it is fairly new? Yes…
Your motorcycle was most likely to be stolen if it was made in the decade of 2010-2020 with that bracket accounting for almost half of all motorcycles stolen. 2000-2010 models are just over a quarter of the volume of total thefts.
The overall tally
Over the reporting period 9,021 motorcycle thefts are included in this data for the 2019-20 FY. This was a decline of 2.7 per cent compared to the 2018-19 FY, which was the worst in recent history recorded by the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council. Over half of all motorcycles stolen are never recovered.
State or Territory
2018/19
2019/20
% change
Thefts
% of thefts
Thefts
% of thefts
ACT
104
1.1
110
1.2
5.8%
NSW
2,160
23.3
1,909
21.2
-11.6%
NT
100
1.1
77
0.9
-23.0%
QLD
1,864
20.1
1,956
21.7
4.9%
SA
711
7.7
783
8.7
10.1%
TAS
170
1.8
216
2.4
27.1%
VIC
2,037
22
2,056
22.8
0.9%
WA
2,121
22.9
1,914
21.2
-9.8%
AUS
9,267
100
9,021
100
-2.70%
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Horse Country in Dutchess County Excellent riding not far from the Big Apple.
Caffeinating at The 9W Market is a pre-ride must.
The good news about riding out from New York City is that it takes surprisingly little time to get to some nice roads. (The bad news is, at some point, you have to get back into the city, and the less said about that, the better.) On a recent August morning, I opted for a run-up to Dutchess County, which is about 80 miles north of New York City and home to rolling hills, horse farms and some really excellent motorcycle roads. The longest way I know to get there starts with detouring west to New Jersey in order to start the ride off properly with coffee and maybe a pastry at The 9W Market.
As I crossed over the George Washington Bridge, a peek to the south revealed the City of Dreams draped in fog, so I pulled off at the Rockefeller Lookout to soak in the view. The 9W Market is a just a mile or so off Exit 4 of the Palisades Interstate Parkway (PIP) and is always worth a stop for good food, good coffee and often a chance encounter with good friends.
The 9W Market is great any day of the week and hosts Bikes & Breakfast on the first Sunday of every month.
From The 9W Market you have the option of continuing north on slower two-lane State Route 9W to SR 202, or backtrack to the PIP. Though it can get congested, and those of us who have ridden it a thousand times might take it for granted, the PIP is a pretty ride. It’s two lanes each direction, winding through woodland, with plenty of gentle curves and some old stone bridges that reverberate exhaust pipes quite nicely. The miles fly by and soon enough I hit the Bear Mountain Bridge (aka Purple Heart Veterans Memorial Bridge).
Built in 1924, the BMB predates the GWB by seven years. When it went up, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world…for just over a year and a half before a newer model took the title way.
In addition to having some of the most finicky EZ Pass readers in all of New York State, the Bear Mountain Bridge carries not just cars and motorcycles, but also the Appalachian Trail. Over the bridge, I made a left on State Route 9D, which rolls north through some lovely, historic towns along the Hudson River. If you can resist the temptation to keep going north up to Cold Spring or Beacon, hang a right on County Route 11, Snake Hill Road. If you’re lucky and there isn’t a car in front of you, you can enjoy a spirited ride through a golf course and up to U.S. Route 9, Albany Post Road. It’s a short stretch but it will put a smile on your face.
Canopus Lake in Clarence Fahnestock State Park.
Make a left on Albany Post Road and enjoy a more trafficked but still pretty ride — there are a couple of lazy S-curves that might have been designed by a rider — and drop down to the light at the intersection of State Route 301. Make a right there, fingers crossed you get to the turn before a car does. Route 301 is a rider’s road — lots of curves but nothing too technical so it’s an easy, fun ride, swinging around as you flash through a forested area and even parallel a pretty stream for a bit. 301 has two nice turns up a hill into Clarence Fahnestock State Park where the speed limit rises to 55 mph, and you may well be tempted to pull over alongside Canopus Lake just to enjoy the view.
The road roughens up for a mile after the lake, so put your weight down on the pegs, then you’ll hit the intersection of 301 and the Taconic State Parkway. Like the PIP, the Taconic is underappreciated. It’s two narrow lanes in each direction, with plenty of accidents but beautiful views and few straights, and if you ride smartly you can usually find a place in between clumps of cars where you can breathe a little easier.
The Millbrook Diner. Not sure what the ship’s figurehead is about but I’m digging it.
Just a few miles up the Taconic and you have your choice of roads that go east into Dutchess County—try State Routes 9, 82 or U.S Route 44. This day I opted for 82, which is a lovely little ride through farm country. Route 82 crosses SR 343 just outside of Millbrook, one corner taken up by an eerily decrepit cluster of buildings dating to 1890. Keep on 82 into Millbrook, one of the most affluent towns in the state, and grab lunch at one of the handful of restaurants that line the quaint main street. My favorite is the Millbrook Diner.
After lunch it’s time to do a loop. There are dozens of horse farms in the area and they make for extremely scenic riding. The roads are generally without a shoulder, and the combination of blind curves and the occasional slow-moving horse trailer (or actual horse) means its heads-up riding, which is to say absolutely terrific. Leaving Millbrook, I made a right on U.S Route 44, then a left on 83 at the Amenia Steakhouse. There are some jaw-dropping homes set back from the road and hundreds of acres of horse farms. There’s the occasional field of cows, of course, and if you’re lucky, you might see those sheep that look like cotton balls on sticks. Make a right on 44 into Amenia proper, then go right at the light to follow 44 up the hill to a lovely horseshoe curve and a scenic lookout.
There are plenty of roads to explore in the area, but if you’re ready to head home, 44 will take you back to the Taconic. Between the roads and the scenery, Millbrook is a compelling riding destination and, if you’re coming up from the city, you can make a nice 250-300 mile day of it — roughly the same number of smiles just about guaranteed.
Hard to imagine this view is just 80 (or 130) miles north of New York City.
Favorite Ride: Horse Country in Dutchess County Photo Gallery
According to a post today in NHK World-Japan News:
Leading Japanese machinery maker Kawasaki Heavy Industries says it will spin off its struggling motorcycle and engine businesses next year as part of a major restructuring.
The company announced on Monday that it plans to spin off its motorcycle manufacturing and sales division and Rolling Stock division, which manufactures both conventional and bullet trains.
Kawasaki says it hopes the move will speed up decision-making and improve its financial situation.
Motorcycle sales in Southeast Asia have dropped sharply due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company expects to see an operating loss of about 5 billion yen, or 47 million dollars, for the current business year.
Kawasaki says it is strengthening intra-industry cooperation to address compliance with environmental regulations and other issues.
Kawasaki President Hashimoto Yasuhiko said at a news conference that he hopes the motorcycle business will continue to build the strong Kawasaki brand and revitalize the market through collaboration with other companies.
Being spun off isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A parent company will spin off part of its business if it expects that it will be lucrative to do so. The spin off will have a separate management structure and a new name, but it will usually retain the same assets, intellectual property, and human resources. The parent company will continue to provide financial and technological support in most cases.
Kawasaki’s motorcycle business is a tiny part of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, one of Japan’s three major heavy industrial manufacturers. KHI also makes bullet trains, heavy equipment, aerospace equipment, industrial robots, gas turbines, boilers, ships….
If you’re an avid sim-racer or just picked up your new copy of ‘TT Isle of Man Ride on the Edge 2‘ you may be in the market for a Kawasaki H2 branded gaming chair to add a few more virtual horsepower to your gaming experience.
Who knows, perhaps you have your gaming set up located in your luxurious home garage next to your $55,000 USD H2 race bike. This probably isn’t the case, but if your heart bleeds green and your racing gear happens to match why not tickle your inner enthusiast with a green Ninja H2 gaming chair to satisfy your inner love for all things Kawi.
Kawasaki partnered up with esteemed Japanese luxury furniture maker, Contieaks, to bring consumers an H2 inspired gaming chair to satisfy your gaming room needs. Personally, I have a full sim-racing set up in my home office and if Ford offered a blue Ford Racing gaming chair, I’d be all over it. So I understand the allure for you Kawasaki fanboys that just added this chair to your Christmas list.
As with most gaming chairs, it features 75mm height adjustability, can recline 160°, and has 3d printed armrests to keep you comfortable during a sweaty virtual hot-lap around the Isle of Man.
The chair will be available in Japan at Kawasaki Plaza and they will be accepting orders beginning yesterday, November 1st, and will close sales November 30th, 2020 with deliveries coming in late February of 2021.
What’s cooler than a classic motorcycle modified in modern times to accommodate a race-oriented look and style? The same thing, but with the modifications actually being done during the period of the initial sale.
This bike was modified way back in the ’70s when it was new and was fully restored in 2001 by its current owner after buying it from a collection in 1991.
The engine is a 750cc parallel-twin that was taken from a ’69 TR6R and married to a five-speed gearbox. What makes this a racebike? The Trackmaster frame, racing fairings, and all the performance add-ons a 1970’s racer could dream of.
The engine has been modified with Mikuni carburetors, a full racing exhaust system, an alloy fuel tank for added weight reduction, clip-on handlebars and rear sets, original Grimeca triple-disc brakes, and a Ceriani fork with Works shock to top it all off.
You won’t be able to ride this motorcycle on public roadways in its current shape, as its been fully kitted for the racetrack and features a headlight, signal, and taillight delete to keep it track-spec.
The total mileage is unknown, but the bike comes with an Oregon bill of sale and I would assume it has a clean title otherwise it would be specified in the bringatrailer.com ad.
This may be one of the most beautiful period-correct replica racebikes I have ever seen, and it could be yours if you act fast and win the auction found on bringatrailer.com. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that this motorcycle will fetch quite a pretty penny, as bids currently sit at $7000 USD with 4 days remaining on the auction as I type this article.
