There are 12 activities for the family to indulge in, including a crossword, colouring in three MotoGP™ stars (Maverick Viñales, Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso), creating your own racing leathers, watching some memorable MotoGP™ moments, learning what each flag means and much more!
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
The 23-time Grand Prix winner revealed his cheat meal was pizza, while a skill he’s learned during lockdown is how to be organised. And talking of organised, Viñales then took us for a quick tour of his home museum. Leathers from when he was a kid to his current Yamaha uniform, all his helmets, some if his rivals’ helmets, trophies and more – can you guess which trophy was one of his favourites? Viñales ended the MotoGP™ Instagram takeover by showing us what he had for tea – potatoes and peas, a typical Catalan dish – while watching some Netflix.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Finally, what message do you want to send to people at home and, above all, to those who are working every day to combat the pandemic?
“I would like to send a message of support to both those who are at home complying with the lockdown, and all those people who have to go outside to go to work and to help us. They are crucial to overcoming this pandemic. Hopefully all this will end soon, with the minimum possible negative consequences.”
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Australians and New Zealanders will commemorate the 105th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli this unusual Anzac Day in a lonely tribute at home due to the coronavirus pandemic.
You can mark the day in your own way, or watch the Australian War Memorial annual Anzac Day service in a live ABC broadcast.
Riders should take particular note of the significant role played by military motorcycles and their riders in wartime.
Royal Engineers on the beaches of Gallipoli
As the above image shows, motorcycles were present on the famed beaches of Gallipoli. This Admiralty official photo shows members of the Royal Engineers (Signal Service).
Military motorcycles at the Indian Motorcycle Museum, Brisbane
Military motorcycles have played a number of vital roles in times of war and peace and are a significant feature in many motorcycle, and military and war museums around the world, including the Harley museum in Milwaukee, the Indian Motorcycle museum in Brisbane and the Australian War Memorial. We have included photos from museums we’ve visited as well as images from the Australian War Memorial on the Motorbike Writer Pinterest page.
Norton Big 4 military motorcycle
Most motorcycle manufacturers have, at some time, produced military models. They include Harley-Davidson, Indian, Norton, BMW, Moto Guzzi, Royal Enfield, Honda and Velocette. In fact, some of them started life because of their military use. For example, BSA stands for Birmingham Small Arms company, a manufacturer of military firearms.
Military motorcycle uses have been many and varied over the years. Apart from use in the cavalry as a rapid and manoeuvrable machine to mobilise troops, they have also played vital roles in signals regiments, for mail despatch, medical use and chaplaincy.
Despatch male and female riders were brave and highly skilled.
They had one of the most dangerous tasks delivering maps, orders, intelligence and situational updates in frontline situations.
They also had to be highly skilled riders as the roads were often bombed out and the terrain worse than a motocross course!
BRD electric donor bike for DARPA hybrid project
While the motorcycle’s various uses have been replaced by modern communications and helicopters, there is still a role for motorcycles in today’s military and into the future. For example, the American military is researching and developing a hybrid-powered motorcycle for stealth operations by special forces.
Wartime necessitates the research and development of innovative military machinery including motorcycles. One of the more interesting motorcycles developed for wartime use was the Mark 2 Welbike. It was a collapsible motorcycle powered by a Villiers 98cc two-stroke engine. Originally designed by the British Special Operations Executive for use in covert operations, the Welbike was used by British airborne and parachute regiments. The bikes folded down into a parachute container and were dropped with the airborne units for rapid deployment on landing.
Mark 2 Welbike
The Welbike pictured from the Australian War Memorial display is understood to have been retrieved from the island of Moratai where it was used by a Light Aid Detachment to fetch the mail.
So, on this unusual 105th anniversary Anzac Day, let’s not forget the importance of the motorcycle in helping our troops. And, of course, the brave and talented soldiers who rode them!
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
With the current break in racing activity we thought it a good idea to start rolling out this series that I have dubbed ‘Twisted ASBK Interviews’.
This is a somewhat comedic departure from the norm that hopes to shed some light into the personalities of ASBK Superbike riders.
Some of these were conducted in person at the track earlier this year, while others were conducted more recently over the phone.
A few of them certainly got me laughing out loud and I hope you view them through the prism of good fun they were taken in.
Glenn Allerton is our third rider featured in the series and generally has a great dry sense of humour, but his game was particularly strong when I sat down for a chat with him to get his answers to this edition of Twisted ASBK Interviews. In fact, I wish I had it on video as we had a great laugh while completing the questions.
Glenn Allerton leading Ben Attard and Brent George in an Australian 250 Production race at Phillip Island back in 2001
MCNews.com.au: Who is the dirtiest rider you least trust when racing against?
Glenn Allerton: “Falzon, cause he’ll just dive bomb me out of nowhere.”
Glenn Allerton testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image
MCNews.com.au: Who would you most like to punch in the ASBK paddock?
GA: “I’d probably like to punch Falzon for the same reason.”
Glenn Allerton with his dad George at SMP last year – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: Who would you least like to be punched by in the ASBK paddock?
GA: “One of the backmarkers, on the Suzuki motorcycle, Brendan McIntyre. I wouldn’t fight him.”
Glenn Allerton – 2008 Australian Superbike Champion
MCNews.com.au: If you were stuck on a deserted island, which rider would you choose to be stuck with?
GA: “That’s a hard one, because most of the boys at the top are interested in the same stuff, cycling and motocross, it’d have to be Herfoss or Halliday for the entertainment value.”
Glenn Allerton testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image
MCNews.com.au: Who is the king of swiping right during ASBK race weekends?
GA: “That would be Lachlan Epis, he was on Tinder all night long swiping right, didn’t matter what it was, he was up for it.”
Glenn Allerton at the Phillip Island ASBK Test in January, 2020 – TBG Image
MCNews.com.au: Which rider has the hottest sister?
GA: “It’d have to be Aiden Wagner, but I’m pretty sure she’s getting married. So that sucks.”
Glenn Allerton – TBG Image
MCNews.com.au: Who is the biggest princess in the ASBK paddock?
GA: “Cru Halliday, wouldn’t be racing if he didn’t look good is one of his quotes, that’s a princess act.”
A younger Glenn Allerton pictured with his championship trophies in 2008
MCNews.com.au: What is the worst track ASBK visits?
GA: “Morgan Park, by far.”
Glenn Allerton on the grid – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: Which corner on the calendar is your favourite?
GA: “Stoner Corner, here at Phillip Island.”
Glenn Allerton at the Phillip Island ASBK Test in January, 2020 – TBG Image
MCNews.com.au: Which corner would you liked to see nuked from orbit?
GA: “If it was a nuke, it would be the whole track, and the whole of Morgan Park would be great, if there was a crater there, it’s a shit hole, we shouldn’t be there.”
Allerton is no fan of Morgan Park – TDJ Image
MCNews.com.au: If you could overtake one rider, on one corner, who would it be, and where, and how?
GA: “Wayne Maxwell in the last corner for the win, on the last lap, but that’s already happened though hasn’t it… that caused some controversy.” *laughs*
Glenn Allerton on the grid at SMP last year – TBG Image
MCNews.com.au: Which animal would you most liken yourself to?
GA: “I would have to say I am like a Tiger, king of the jungle.” *laughs*
MCNews.com.au: You need to borrow tools. Who would you ask first? Who would you never ask?
GA: “I would ask my NextGen Racing Ream, I don’t reckon anyone else would lend me tools.”
NextGen Motorsports BMW S 1000 RR – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: If you weren’t racing, what would you be in jail for?
GA: “Driving too fast on the streets – like an idiot, which I’ve been in a lot of trouble for before.”
MCNews.com.au: If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
GA: “‘What The Fuck Went Wrong Here’, would be the title.”
Glenn Allerton testing at Morgan Park last year – TDJ Image
MCNews.com.au: How would you describe yourself in three words?
GA: “Disorganised, ‘body full of metal’, ‘living the dream’. That’s three descriptions.”
MCNews.com.au: If you won a million dollars on Lotto what would be the first thing you would buy?
GA: “A million is not enough, I need like ten. The first thing I would buy would be a house, pay my house off, that would make me comfortable.”
Glenn Allerton leads Jason O’Halloran in 2008
MCNews.com.au: If you could keep one of your race bikes from throughout your career which one would it be? And why?
GA: “It would be my 2008 CBR1000RR for no other reason than it was my first Superbike Championship, that one was pretty special, and I won that one in pretty tough circumstances and I’m proud of that achievement.”
Glenn Allerton won the 2008 Kings of Wanneroo and the Australian Superbike Championship
MCNews.com.au: What is your plan for life after racing…?
GA: “Enjoy life, and be fit and healthy, and just make sure my son has a good life ahead, and live with my family.”
Glenn Allerton with Dale Breede, Troy Herfoss, Mark Chiodo and Josh Waters – TDJ Image
Source: MCNews.com.au
A history by Murray Barnard, Trevor Hedge and Phil Aynsley
While living in Rimini, Italy, in the early 70s, Massimo Tamburini could not help but be keen about bikes. His hobby of building special frames for road bikes soon caught the attention of local sporting enthusiasts and his hobby became a full-time passion.
In 1972 Massimo joined with Signors Bianchi and Mori to form the Bimota Motorcycle Company. The first frame kit, the HB1 (Honda/Bimota) was released in 1973 and the chrome molybdenum wrap around frame housed the common SOHC CB750 Honda Four. Ceriani forks, Marzocchi rear shocks, sporting tank and seat, cast wheels and cast iron brakes and Brembo calipers transformed the Japanese machine. These machines are now exceedingly rare. Few people could afford the price tag in those days.
Bimota HB1
Bimota’s real interest and passion was racing and in 1973 Amando Corecca rode a Paton engined Bimota in the Grand Prix. The 500cc Paton four-stroke twin produced 65bhp at 10,500rpm but it could not compete with the MV or racing two stroke Suzukis and Yamahas.
TZ350 engined Bimota won the 350cc World Championship at the hands of Johnny Cecotto
Bimota’s reputation was enhanced when in 1975 Johnny Cecotto won the 350cc World Championship on a Bimota framed Yamaha and also in 1976 when Walter Villa won the 250cc and 350cc World Championships on a Bimota framed Aermacchi Harley-Davidson (H-D).
Also attracting attention that year were Bimota framed mono-shock Morbidelli engined 250s. In 1976 a machine of this caliber was capable of 260km/h pumping out 64bhp from a water-cooled two-stroke twin.
Bimota built an Aermacchi H-D 500cc race bike in March 1976 which used a 500cc twin water-cooled two-stroke engine with 4 carburetors and 90bhp. The machine was extremely quick but very temperamental. H-D preferred to concentrate on its 250s and 350s with Walter Villa.
Suzuki TR500 engined Bimota
The same year Suzuki commissioned Bimota to produce 50 frame kits for its water-cooled TR500 twin. These attractive machines produced 83bhp at 9,000rpm and ran Bimota magnesium wheels, Brembo disc brakes and Ceriani forks. Dry weight was 121kg. Whilst rare one of these machines can still be seen at Governor’s Bridge Motorcycles in the UK.
GS750 Suzuki powered Bimota SB2
The success of this machine led to the GS750 Suzuki powered SB2 which appeared at the 1977 Bologna show. It was the first Bimota available as a frame kit or as a complete machine. The road version featured a spectacular wrap around frame with swooping bodywork. Very expensive, probably fewer than 70 of this model were made. Although retailing at 3,800 UK pounds, at the time, the razor sharp handling and Japanese power made this a very desirable machine. One of the first real superbikes which handled as well as went like stink.
Kawasaki Z1 powered Bimota KB1
Next and the start of a long line of street machines was the 1977 KB1 which housed a 900/1000cc Kawasaki DOHC Four in a beautiful package.
Although Bimota again came to attention on the race scene, when Jon Ekerold won the 1980 350cc World Championship on a YB3 Yamaha, the company chose to concentrate on the road market. The result a string of high priced Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki and Ducati exotica.
Bimota SB6R
The likes of the Suzuki GSX-R1100 engined SB6R and the Yamaha YZF1000 engined YB11 were some of the highlights for Bimota. This was a period where the Japanese made incredible engines but put them in fairly average specification chassis. Bimota housed those Japanese powerhouse engines in stronger frames fitted with much higher specification suspension and braking components.
In 1988 the first ever World Superbike race was won by Italian Davide Tardozzi on the voluptuous YB4EI-R.
Virginio Ferrari and Davide Tardozzi on the Bimota YB-4R
In a strange twist of fate, and some say the curse hanging over Bimota, Tardozzi crashed in the second race and due to a very strange scoring system in that inaugural year of WSBK forfeited his points from the round. If not for that strange state of affairs Tardozzi and Bimota would have gone on to win the 1988 World Superbike Championship but that honour instead ended up going to America’s Fred Merkel on the Honda RC30. Tardozzi and team-mate Stephane Mertens instead finished third and fourth on the championship points at the end of that first WorldSBK season.
The YB4 was powered by a 20-valve Yamaha FZ750 engine and Virginio Ferrari rode an early carburetted version to the 1987 TT F1 Championship crown. 1988 saw Bimota add Weber-Marelli fuel-injection to what was the time a pioneering sportsbike with its aluminium twin-spar frame that set the scene for what was to eventually become the new norm in performance motorcycles.
Davide Tardozzi won the first ever WorldSBK race on a YB4EI-R at Donington Park in 1988.
In 1990 Bimota released the Ducati 851 powered Tesi 1D. While the hub-centre steering worked very well it was reliant on careful set-up and constant maintenance. As a result most 1Ds had somewhat problematic handling, most of the time.
The Bimota Tesi 1D – Image by Phil Aynsley
A Rotax powered Supermono came in 1994 with the release of the BB1. A €10,000 race kit was offered that included magnesium wheels, upgraded suspension, fuel-injection and other go-fast bits. Bimota campaigned a modified BB1 in the Italian Super Mono series which used a 725cc motor that made 75hp.
The Bimota 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 – Image by Phil Aynsley
20 years ago Anthony Gobert took Bimota’s last World Superbike victory with a suprise win in the wet at Phillip Island. A story we recently ran on MCNews.com.au relives that memorable weekend (link).
Anthony Gobert won a race on the Suzuki TL1000R engined Bimota SB8R at Phillip Island in 2000.
Building their own fuel injected 500cc water-cooled two-stroke engined GP/road bike in the late 90s (the V-Due) led to financial collapse when the bike proved unreliable, predominantly due to problems with the fuel injection system which eventually saw the bike released with carburettors. A brilliant concept but one that essentially sank the company.
Bimota V-Due 500 – Image by Phil Aynsley
The company was then bailed out after going into receivership only for them to go belly up again a few years later.
Following ongoing fuel injection problems the two-stroke Bimota V-Due 500 was eventually released with carburetors instead – Image by Phil Aynsley
The last remaining Bimota stocks in Australia were then sacrificed by up to $10,000 off their previous prices. Which caused major heartache for owners of later model Bimota machinery, who saw thousands knocked off the resale value of their motorcycles overnight. The market for Bimota models then subsequently rebounded somewhat in more recent years.
Bimota seemingly had some stability after being taken over by Swiss based Italian business partners Daniele Longoni and Marco Chiancianesi. After making their money in construction and real estate the partners had big plans for Bimota including the release of a new range of supercharged machines. The plans went somewhat awry but a recent significant investment by Kawasaki could be the road to success for Bimota. Pictured here is the Db8 Oronero introduced in 2014.
A new group of investors then purchased the Bimota name,. Scientologists Marco Chiancianesi and Daniele Longoni headed the company but again Bimota fell into trouble and in 2017 the Rimini factory was reportedly closed.
Late last year though Kawasaki took a 49 per cent stake in the company and Bimota is set to release the avant-garde Tesi H2 complete with a supercharged Kawasaki engine.
2020 Bimota Tesi H2
One would have hoped that the design influence of the Italians would have finally given us a good looking supercharged Kawasaki engined motorcycle, but unfortunately that does not appear to be the case…
2020 Bimota Tesi H2
What is the first new bike for Bimota in five years is then expected to be followed later this year by a KB4 model powered by the engine from the Ninja 1000 SX.
2020 Bimota Tesi H2
This time around is Bimota in for the long haul thanks to the involvement of Kawasaki? Time will tell…. But with Kawasaki on board the odds are probably better than they have ever been for this bespoke Italian brand.
2020 Bimota Tesi H2
Mr. Hiroshi Ito – Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd
Motorcycle & Engine Company, Planning Division Manager
“I am Hiroshi Ito from Kawasaki Japan. I’m very happy and very excited to be able to share the revival of Bimota here with you all. Kawasaki has established Italian Motorcycle Investment here in Italy as a subsidiary of Kawasaki Motors Europe. IMI will be renamed Bimota S.P.A., with B and Motion S.A. (former BIMOTA S.A.) as 50.1%,and Kawasaki Motors Europe as 49.9% shareholders.
2020 Bimota Tesi H2
“The story has began three years ago. A small investment bank approached us inquiring if we were interested in an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. The company name was veiled, but when I checked the documents I instantly noticed. Oh it’s Bimota !!!. Yes, that Bimota. For motorcycle enthusiast at my age, Bimota was legendary motorcycles that we used to dream of with its incredible chassis, jewel-like parts and an unaffordable price tag
“I immediately flew to Milan and met Sig. Marco, CEO of Bimota S.A. November, 2016 — just three years ago. He talked he was so excited about his racing activity on Bimota, I thought “this project will be a success”. Because he is a real motorcycle enthusiast.
2020 Bimota Tesi H2
“Later, I had the chance to spend almost whole day with Bimota’s legendary designer Sig, Marconi. We forgot all about the time when we talked. “Combining this engine and that chassis… adding these parts… we can make a great bike.” I was convinced our project will make a great success and we can make new history.
“Bimota is Italian premium motorcycle brand born and grown in Rimini, Italy and has been Italian Motorcycle Investment S.P.A. Bimota is a jewel of Italy. So It must be based in Rimini, Italy. It must be designed by Italian designers. And it must be built by Italian craftsmen otherwise it will lose it value.
2020 Bimota Tesi H2
“So, our mission is clear, we will support Sig. Marconi and his team will make new legendary history of Bimota with Kawasaki’s legendary engines! We’d like declare now “Bimota is here as most premium motorcycle in the world. “
2020 Bimota Tesi H2
Source: MCNews.com.au
Product Advertorial
Ixon 2020 range
What a year 2020 has been thus far, causing chaos for many businesses around the world. Ixon however, has taken on the role of a much-needed bearer of good news. It is business as usual for the all-new 2020 winter range that will leave you wanting more!
Ixon say they are all about ‘Riding Your Way,’ choosing the routes and directions you will take, and just as importantly, your style.
Ixon Winter range 2020
Ixon continues to co-innovate with its customers, designing and creating the products you love.
So, don’t let winter or COVID-19 get you down. Simply jump on your beloved bike with your new gear and make those essential rides a full and enjoyable experience.
Ixon Brixton
Ixon AirBlock Hood
Locate your nearest dealer: www.ficeda.com.au/dealerlocator
Source: MCNews.com.au
Unless your bike is brand new, one of the most common areas that give away its age is the condition and vibrancy of plastic trim components, especially the black trim.
They tend to fade to a dull grey and look tired after a year or two of weathering and UV exposure.
I recently noticed this on my Ducati Monster 1200 so I promptly rode to a local store to pick up a suitable product and this is what confronted me:
Where to begin!
There were about eight or more products that specifically referenced “restoring plastic trim” or similar “back-to-black” type products with prices ranging from about $20 to over $50.
The most expensive products seemed to lean more towards actually depositing black pigment and I had visions of mess and potential for black sticky residue on paintwork and cloths which I was keen to avoid.
So without overthinking it, I decided to buy three products and pit them against each other so I could answer the questions in my head: Do they work and is there much difference between them?
I settled on testing three prominent brands (left to right):
To test the products head to head, I took a freshly washed (and dried) bike and selected a number of the black/grey plastic trim sections/items on either side of the bike.
I tested each product against each other, appraising the (1) Ease of application (2) How much product was needed (3) The resulting appearance – before and after and combined into an overall value score out of five taking into consideration the cost of the product.
Caveat & disclosure: It was quite difficult to capture on camera the side by side performance of the products as light tends to reflect differently on both sides of the bike – which obviously tilts when on the stand and confounds the comparison. To mitigate this as far as possible I used my swirl finding light and compared/guesstimated performance based on the ‘shine’ i.e. reflection of the light on the surface:
Again, this is not perfect where the reflection angle of the light can vary but what I aim to capture in the picture above, and it was more obvious to the naked eye, was that there is less brilliance in the example on the right (Mothers) VS. the left (Meguiar’s). It is possible to argue that this is not 100% fair which is true, however, the test was undertaken across a number of different trim parts, and looked at from many different angles and a subjective determination made across the test.
I had not expected a significant difference in the performance of the products though suspected that the most expensive product by Mothers would be the front runner. I was wrong. There was a noticeable difference between the products as overviewed below.
Application was least easy – requiring multiple applications to get a good finish and actually tricky to not over apply and leave excess on the surface. The end result was reasonable but just did not quite perform at the level of either Meguair’s/Autoglym.
As the most expensive product in the test by about 25% it was quite disappointing.
Meguiar’s product outperformed Mothers, most notably, in ease of application and final appearance. It went on with ease and immediately yielded a good finish.
Autoglym really stood out in terms of both ease of application and high shine finish, for this reason I chose to remove the ignition surround and use Autoglym on this prominent piece of trim to really showcase the performance.
As shown with the before and after photos the finish was very good indeed with no streaking or a need to use much effort to achieve the results.
I was so impressed with the result from Autoglym that I also applied it to some of the hard plastics e.g. exhaust heat shield and again, the results were stellar as you can see below:
Having since ridden the bike, made it dirty, and washed the bike again, I was moderately disappointed (perhaps unreasonably so?) that none of the products seemed to remain/retain the ‘new’ look. The obvious implication being that I would need to re-apply to maintain the results and it is for this reason I marked all of the products down by -1 .
So back to my original questions: Do these products work? Answer: Yes! Is there much difference between them? Answer: Yes!
For $20 and 30 minutes you can transform the look of the plastics on your bike. However, the only down side is that you can expect to have to reapply every every wash.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Chad Reed and Jett Lawrence are giving you the chance to own their Milwaukee toolbox and tools, where they hope to raise much needed funds and greater awareness for the Good Friday Appeal.
The toolbox up for auction was used last year when the duo competed in the final round of the Australian Supercross Championship in 2019.
Milwaukee 46” (1.68mm) High Capacity steel tool box and roll cab combination with built in power center
The tool box unit is a Milwaukee 46” (1.68mm) High Capacity steel tool box and roll cab combination with built in power center. Hand tools included in the set are:
Milwaukee 46” (1.68mm) High Capacity steel tool box and roll cab combination with built in power center
Additionally, MX/SX hero, Malcolm Stewart has added his framed signed jersey to the collection of goods to be auctioned.
The auction is open for anyone to bid and all proceeds will be donated to the Good Friday Appeal.
Milwaukee 46” (1.68mm) High Capacity steel tool box and roll cab combination with built in power center
Chad Reed has three kids of his own and notes the importance of the Good Friday Appeal for families who have sick kids.
“My kids are my world and their health and happiness mean everything to me. The Good Friday Appeal raises money and awareness to support kids in need and I am proud to be involved,” said Reed.
Jett Lawrence’s father, Darren Lawrence is proud of both his boys’ achievements and appreciates the importance of a supportive health system.
“Watching your kids grow up and chase their dreams is something all parents should get to witness so I’m proud of Jett and his idol Chad Reed for contributing to this cause in any way they can and I hope they can raise as much as they can for this cause.” Said Darren Lawrence.
For those who want to place a bid for the toolbox or Malcolm Stewarts signed and framed jersey, visit:
Malcolm Stewart has added his framed signed jersey to the collection of goods to be auctioned.
Source: MCNews.com.au
Part 1 – The new European Standard EN17092.
Over the past seven years, Europe has developed a new clothing protection standard (EN17092).
We have asked Dr Chris Hurren to explain the new European standard and what it means for Aussie riders.
Dr Hurren is a research scientist at Deakin University in Geelong where he and his laboratory works on protective motorcycle clothing. He worked with Dr de Rome and others to produce the protocol that is used by MotoCAP for their testing regime.
Chris Hurren and his Honda GB400
This is the first in a four-part series explaining the new standard and what you will see in store.
Increasing numbers of motorcycle garments are appearing in our stores labelled as being certified to a new standard – EN17092 or sometimes to Directive 89/686/EEC.
Australian and New Zealand riders are likely to see a lot more gear with this labelling on it. What is going on? How can riders interpret the five-level classification system of this new standard?
Many riders would be aware of the European standards for motorcycle protective clothing, including EN13595 for motorcycle jackets and pants.
Although in force for almost 20 years, until recently few manufacturers were submitting their garments for CE certification because the standards were not enforced in Europe.
That situation changed in April 2019 when the European Commission made it mandatory for all motorcycle clothing sold in Europe to be independently tested for CE certification.
In response to industry pressure, a new standard for motorcycle jackets and pants was developed (EN17092 1:2020) which allows for a wider range of protective performance than those of the original standard EN13595.
The two standards will operate in parallel until 2023, but many manufacturers are already choosing to work to the new standard.
Examples of labelling showing the new standard
There is much debate amongst manufacturers that the original European Standard EN13595 was set too high.
It was developed back in the days when leather was king and street clothing had not even been thought of. Most companies did not produce clothing that complied with it because it was not easy to achieve.
Now we appear to have the opposite with a standard that is set quite low with most products already in the market passing it.
A low standard will see everything certified but is this an advantage or disadvantage to riders?
Click here for the next article which explains the different levels of the standard.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
