Marc Van der Straten, Estrella Galicia MarcVDS Team’s owner:“I’m very happy to announce the addition of Augusto Fernandez to our team. This year he has proven to be one of the best riders on track. He has been able to fight and win against more experienced riders. We are convinced of his talent and possibilities to continue fighting for the front positions. With his arrival, we complete a fantastic Moto2 team for 2020 with which we will continue dreaming and, above all, enjoying ourselves”.
Marc Van der Straten, EG 0,0 Marc VDS Team Owner:“I’m very happy to announce the addition of Augusto Fernandez to our team. This year he has proven to be one of the best riders on track. He has been able to fight and win against more experienced riders. We are convinced of his talent and possibilities to continue fighting for the front positions. With his arrival, we complete a fantastic Moto2 team for 2020 with which we will continue dreaming and, above all, enjoying ourselves.”
Passing long trucks can be easy for motorcycles with their rapid rate of acceleration, but there are several dangers you can encounter when you overtake a truck.
Here are our four safety tips for passing a truck.
1 Beware the blind spots
Goldwing Facebook page warning photo
When passing a truck, you need to be aware that they have a lot of blind spots that can swallow a small motorcycle.
The Goldwing World Facebook page published the photograph above warning of the extent of these blind spots claiming that all the bikes in the photo are in the truck’s blind spots.
Note that the photo is American, so the positions are reversed for left-hand-drive countries.
Remember, not all trucks, buses and other big vehicles are the same. Fixed vehicles such as vans and buses/coaches have different blind spots to B doubles or prime movers with trailers. There are also extra blind spots for trucks with hoods (eg Mack) rather than cab-over trucks (eg Hino) with flat fronts.
For fixed vehicles, the worst blind spot is close on the inside (left in RHD countries and right for LHD countries) of the vehicle. Most heavy vehicles have blind-spot mirrors, but fast-accelerating bikes can zoom into view so quickly on a slow-moving vehicle, the driver may not have had a chance to see them.
Prime movers also have the problem that when they turn, their mirrors, which are fixed to the prime mover, show only a view of the trailer on one side and a wide view on the other, creating a massive blind spot area.
For trucks like Mack with a big bonnet, almost everywhere from the mirrors forward is a blind spot, especially by the inside fender. Drivers say riders can slip into the gap in front of a truck without them seeing the bike, which could result in a rear-ender as they approach a red traffic light.
2 Overtake quickly
Motorcycles accelerate quickly so passing a truck can only take a couple of seconds.
Despite it being illegal to speed, I always overtake quickly to spend as little time beside the truck as possible.
The above video was recorded in 2016 on the Logan Motorway in Brisbane, but it could happen anywhere.
Just look at the amount of truck tyre debris on our roads. Any one of those tyre blowouts could easily have claimed the life of a rider.
When passing a truck, it’s probably better to risk a speeding fine and ride by quickly than to sit alongside, or if a truck decides to overtake you on a multi-lane road, either speed up or slow down.
Also, take a wide berth by moving into the furthest wheel track of the adjacent lane.
Be aware that the rear trailer on a road train can suddenly wag sideways by a couple of metres.
Way too close!
3 Prepare for the blast
Trucks have a lot of wind resistance creating “dirty air” or turbulence that can unsettle a small motorcycle at highway speed.
The worst are not the closed-in trailers, but open trailers such as car carriers and livestock trailers. (Another tip: Don’t follow livestock trailers too closely unless you want to be showered in sh*t!)
Closed-in trailers tend to create “still air” as you pass, then you suddenly get hit by a blast of wind.
So be prepared as you pass, lean forward, hold on tight and power through.
Riders steer clear of trucks
4 Don’t cut in
Don’t cut into the truck’s lane as soon as you pass.
For a start they may not see you and drive right over the top of you at the next set of traffic lights.
Also, if you have to brake suddenly, the truck will have a lot less stopping power than you and will simply drive straight over the top of your motorcycle.
5 Show courtesy
They are bigger than you and they deserve respect.
Also, if you show a little courtesy, truckies will show some back. Many even flash their indicators to show you when it is safe to pass.
That’s handy as they have a high view and can see a lot further ahead.
Owners Mahindra Motorcycles are only licensed by the original Czech Jawa company to make and sell the bikes in India.
The bike has been a roaring success and put a dent in domestic Royal Enfield sales. It has been beset by production delays and deliveries, but seems now on track to deliver a third model.
Jawa Perak bobber
However, the factory still has no plans to export.
“We are currently not looking at any international tie-ups for exporting, sales or dealerships for Jawa Motorcycles,” Jawa tells us.
“However, we shall make a public announcement once we start exploring those avenues.”
Meanwhile the Jawa Classic and Jawa 42 will next year be joined by the Perak cruiser for the Indian market.
Jawa Classic
Jawa 42
The Classic and 42 are powered by a new 293cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine which has been styled to resemble the original air-cooled motor.
However, the Jawa Perak bobber is powered by a 334cc, four-stroke, fuel injected, single-cylinder engine producing 22kW of power and 31Nm of torque.
Jawa Perak bobber
It will next year be introduced to the Classic and 42.
Indian prices are Rs 1.64 lakh for the Classic, Rs 1.55 lakh for the 42 and Rs 1.94 lakh, respectively. That’s about $A3130-$3600 ($US2280-2600, £1780-2050).
They would make very cool LAMS bikes for Aussies novices!
The new bobber features a solo seat, telescopic forks, monoshock rear and a mean matte black paint job, even though the name means silver in Malaysia.
Andrea Dovizioso has indicated this week’s MotoGP test at Jerez will define the Ducati Desmosedici GP package for 2020, which comes after a positive first impression at Valencia last week.
The Ducati Team rider completed a number of back-to-back tests with a selection of new components in Spain, however he’ll reassess the updates at the two-day Jerez test to confirm a direction for the GP20 machine.
“It was important to deliberate on several components of the new bike on which we did back-to-back tests, and we were also able to try out a new experimental front tyre brought here by Michelin,” Dovizioso explained.
“The next test at Jerez will be very important for us to be able to give a definitive opinion about the 2020 package, but the first impression is positive.”
Dovizioso was joined by Ducati Team test rider Michele Pirro during the Valencia test, while Danilo Petrucci completed minimal laps on day one as he recovered from a shoulder injury. He’s expected to be back on-track this week.
Organisers of the 2019 Monster Energy AUS-X Open Melbourne have released an official track map for this Saturday’s event, which will see it hosted inside Marvel Stadium for the very first time.
Over 6000 tonnes of dirt will be brought into the Docklands venue to build the full-size supercross circuit that will feature two complete rhythm lanes amongst a whoop section, triple, and ramp-to-dirt finish line jump.
The Repco Shortcut, which played an interesting role at the S-X Open Auckland earlier this month, will allow riders the opportunity to take advantage of the shortened lane just once across the triple crown main event format.
The AUS-X Open Melbourne will feature a number of AMA Supercross regulars including Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing), Chad Reed (Penrite Racing Mountain Motorsports Honda), Justin Brayton (Penrite Honda Racing) and Joey Savatgy (JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing).
Youthful America-based Australian Jett Lawrence (Geico Honda) will also make his pro supercross this weekend, while the Australian Supercross Championship will come to a close, with both the SX1 and SX2 titles on the line.
Rising to the occasion at AUS-X Open Richardson’s target
Section: Competition
Popular SX1 contender hopeful of positive finish to AUS Supercross campaign.
Image: Foremost Media.
SX1 rookie Jackson Richardson is hopeful of rising to the occasion at this weekend’s Monster Energy AUS-X Open Melbourne as he looks to put a positive end to what has been a challenging Australian Supercross Championship campaign.
The two-time SX2 champion has endured a luckless debut season in the premier class, injuring his foot at Brisbane’s opener before suffering heaving crashes at both Port Adelaide and Wollongong.
The Honda-mounted privateer rebounded at the S-X Open Auckland with a consistent 8-9-11 scorecard for seventh overall, encouraging him to elevate at this Saturday’s prestigious season-finale inside Marvel Stadium.
“New Zealand was a good step in the right direction,” Richardson told MotoOnline.com.au. “Now that I’ve had a week, I’ve actually been able to ride and get some training in, because since the start of the season, I haven’t been able to do too much. It’s good to be able to get some quality bike time in.
“Right up until this point, I haven’t exactly had a stellar performance at the races. This weekend I’m looking forward to putting together a good result and showing everyone what I’ve really been working towards all year and riding where I should be.
“Everything was going well at the start of the season and I was feeling great, but some things just don’t go to plan and things go south. It’s been a rough season, but I’ve rebounded – I’m just looking forward to finishing off strongly and trying to battle for a podium.”
The popular Queenslander is ranked 14th in the Australian Supercross Championship standings, while he’s seventh in the
After a great season finale with two victories in the MotoE category, the Reale Avintia Racing Team will reward Brazilian rider Eric Granado by giving him the opportunity to ride the Ducati GP18 during the test that will take place this week at the Jerez circuit.
Eric Granado topping QP in MotoE
Despite a challenging start to the year, Granado concluded the first MotoE season in third position overall, overcoming the adversities that he had to face throughout the year.
Eric Granado
The Reale Avintia team is to offer the riders of our structure what they deserve and this is a great opportunity to see the potential and feelings of this young pilot in MotoGP.
Eric Granado with his Energica Eva
Jerez marks the second 2020 test, with the two-day event taking place on Monday and Tuesday. Maverick Vinales was fastest at the previous Valencia test, leading the Yamaha trio including Quartararo and Morbidelli, with top Ducati being Dovizioso back in eighth, followed by Jack Miller in 11th.
CFMoto mades some waves with their concept ATV at EICMA this year, showing off a futuristic design that looked more like a moon-rover than a traditional ATV and looks to pack some interesting technology, while offering an all-electric four-wheeler.
CFMoto ‘Evoltion A’ ATV concept
There’s no doubt CFMoto have made an impact on the ATV segment, with the brand reported to be outselling Kawasaki and Can-Am in Australia back in 2014 for ATVs, with a range of highly affordable motorcycles offering new options to riders in the LAMS segment as well.
CFMoto ‘Evoltion A’ ATV concept
Quality has seen enormous improvement over recent years, and the Evoltion A, an all-electric ATV concept only continues to show the innovation going on at CFMoto.
CFMoto ‘Evoltion A’ ATV concept
The Evoltion A is also a pretty stylish piece of kit for a vehicle in the rugged, hard working ATV segment, and seems to have more in common with a Can-Am Spyder as far as styling, than a traditional ATV.
CFMoto ‘Evoltion A’ ATV concept
Sleek lines, high tech lighting, cool rims and low profile tyres also make this look like a tasteful ‘Pimp my Ride’ creation.
CFMoto ‘Evoltion A’ ATV concept
Being all-electric is a big factor, with the way development is heading, everyone’s expected to have something in the works these days, even if riders often seem pretty wary of where electric bikes are going, but for unregistered vehicles on private properly, where sound may be an issue and range expectations can be limited, electric makes a lot of sense.
CFMoto ‘Evoltion A’ ATV concept
The Evoltion A also boasts technology like riding modes and suspension modes, although the former, being all electric is probably easier to implement, than on motorcycles where RbW normally needs to be implemented.
CFMoto ‘Evoltion A’ ATV concept
A dash that looks like it belongs on a premium adventure-touring machine looks like it will include phone connectivity, and much more too.
CFMoto ‘Evoltion A’ ATV concept
While it’s a bit hard to see the practical applications of the Evoltion A here in Australia, it’s an interesting offering from CFMoto none-the-less, as the brand stretches its wings a bit and shows off what it is capable of.
CFMoto ‘Evoltion A’ ATV concept
It’ll be interesting to see what ends up reaching the showroom floors in the future either way.
CFMoto ‘Evoltion A’ ATV conceptCFMoto ‘Evoltion A’ ATV conceptCFMoto ‘Evoltion A’ ATV concept
MotoGP rookie Iker Lecuona will focus on adapting his style to the RC16 in the official two-day test at Jerez this week in Spain.
The Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider, who made a surprise debut at the Valencia grand prix in place of Miguel Oliveira, completed his first testing sessions at the Spanish venue last week.
The time on-track has narrowed his focus for Jerez, where he intends to work on his lean angle and body position aboard the premier class machine.
“I know that I still need to continue my work and adapt my riding style a lot more,” Lecuona commented. “For the next test in Jerez, I want to change some more things regarding lean angle and my body position. On the brakes, I already feel better and also with the electronics but there’s still a lot to do for us.”
The youthful talent was 13th and 15th fastest respectively during last week’s test.
