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Montesa 250GP two-stroke GP racer

Montesa 250 two-stroke GP racer

With Phil Aynsley


Montesa GP
Montesa 250GP two-stroke racer

One of the only two such bikes ever built, this 250cc two-stroke twin was developed in conjunction with the Villa brothers in 1967. Francesco sold his 125 and 250 designs (which he had originally conceived for FB Mondial) to Montesa in return for becoming the company’s exclusive importer for Italy.

Montesa GP
Montesa 250GP two-stroke racer
Montesa GP
Montesa 250GP two-stroke racer

While extremely fast it proved too fragile to be a success – its best result was a second place behind Mike Hailwood on the Honda 250/6 at the Italian Riccione circuit in April 1967, with Walter Villa riding.

Montesa GP
Montesa 250GP two-stroke racer

Montesa GP

However with Montesa’s efforts becoming increasingly focused on off road bikes the road racing team was disbanded at the end of the year. The Villas went on to producing bikes under their own Moto Villa name.

Montesa GP
Montesa 250GP two-stroke racer
Montesa GP
Montesa 250GP two-stroke racer

An interesting technical feature was the part water cooling system. The rotary disc valves were water cooled while the heads were air cooled. An eight-speed gearbox was used, and power output was claimed as 35hp at 9800rpm.

Montesa GP
Montesa 250GP two-stroke racer
Montesa GP
Montesa 250GP two-stroke racer

Source: MCNews.com.au

Rio de Janeiro secures MotoGP return from 2022

News 11 Oct 2019

Rio de Janeiro secures MotoGP return from 2022

All-new Rio Motorpark venue signes five-year deal for Brazilian grand prix.

Image: Supplied.

The MotoGP World Championship will be returning to Brazil from 2022, with a five-year contract with Rio Motorsports (RMS) securing the sport’s return to Rio de Janeiro until 2026.

The all-new Rio Motorpark, set for construction in Deodoro, will host the grand prix, which is back in Rio after 15 years.

Brazil, and Rio de Janeiro, have already staged some incredible chapters in the history of the sport, most recently in 2004 at Jacarepagua, which had hosted MotoGP since 1995. The development of a new venue to replace Jacarepagua, which was repurposed as an Olympic Park, makes for an exciting prospect for both the sport and the city.

“I’m very proud to announce that MotoGP will be returning to race in Rio de Janeiro, one of the world’s truly iconic cities and in such an amazing country,” said Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta.

“Brazil is an important market for motorcycles, motorcycle racing and motorsport, with a history to be proud of – and a future that I’m excited to see MotoGP play such a vital part as we return in 2022.”

Rio Motorpark is forecast for completion in 2021 and features a 4.5km layout of seven left and six right-handed corners, with an approximate MotoGP lap-time of 1m38s.

Source: CycleOnline.com.au

Narrate your video while you ride

Sena’s new 10C Evo helmet intercom arrives this week with a slimmer profile and an integrated 4K camera that allows you to narrate and include background music.

Tracey Pola of Sena Australia says the $589 unit will arrive this week and the entire shipment is pre-sold.

The popularity of both intercoms and cameras to record rides for entertainment and evidence in the case of accidents is increasing.

So units that combine the two should be winners, especially in such a compact unit as this Sena 10C Evo.

Be warned that police in Victoria and South Australia still believe cameras attached to helmets render the helmet non-compliant.

However, since we have not heard of any police fining a rider for having an intercom on a helmet, you may be able to fool the cops by telling them it’s just an intercom!

Sena 10C Evo

The new 10C Evo intercom will pair with four other units with range up to 1.6km (1 mile).

It includes all the usual intercom functions, as well as FM and pairing with a device up to 15m away.

Despite also including a 4K (30 frames per second ) camera, the unit is now 10% slimmer at 95mm long, 59mm tall and only 31mm wide. That’s only about 5mm wider than their 30K unit.

Narrate videoSena 10C Evo allows you to narrate over your video

However, the big attraction with this integrated unit is that you can easily narrate over the video.

You can even add background music with their Smart Audio Mix tech – all on the fly!

No need for editing all this into the video later on.

You can start recording at the touch of a button and voice prompts will keep you updated on your videoing.

There is also a video tagging function to save important events from a continuous loop of video to create highlights.

Apart from video, it will also take photos in still shot, burst, or time-lapse mode (one shot every second or every 2, 5 or 10 seconds).

A full battery charge will provide about 20 hours of talk time and 90 minutes of video recording.

The 10C EVO accepts MicroSD cards up to 128 GB.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Dobson still uncertain of contesting full supercross season

News 11 Oct 2019

Dobson still uncertain of contesting full supercross season

Husqvarna privateer hopeful of securing funding for all five rounds.

Image: Foremost Media.

Leading SX1 privateer Jesse Dobson is hopeful of gaining enough funding to complete the entire Australian Supercross Championship which kicks off this weekend in Brisbane, admitting he’s not a certain starter for all five rounds of the series at this stage.

Piloting a Husqvarna FC 450, Dobson is coming off a strong Pirelli MX Nationals campaign that saw him finish as the highest-ranked privateer in the premier class.

Revealing offers were on the table through a selection of teams, the popular contender elected not to pursue them in favour of increasing his opportunities for 2020.

“At this stage, I’ve had some incredible support from all my sponsors that got me through the motocross season, and again they’ve stepped up so I can line up at Brisbane,” Dobson explained.

“I actually did have one or two offers to join teams just for supercross, but the reality was short term positives and leaving some of the people that have been with me all year, and I need to really work on my plan for 2020.

“I still don’t know if I can do the entire supercross series yet, but I need to get good results this weekend regardless, so that’s where I’m starting.”

Brisbane Entertainment Centre will host round one tomorrow night before the series travels to Gillman, Wollongong, Auckland and Melbourne.


Source: MotoOnline.com.au

How will direct importing affect riders?

Ducati is the latest manufacturer to announce it will take over the direct import of its bikes into Australia from local company NF Importers next year.

It follows a similar announcement by KTM/Husqvarna earlier this year and Harley-Davidson about 15 years ago.

From next year there will be 11 direct importing manufacturers in our market and there could be more to follow.

So what does manufacturer direct importing mean for customers and dealers?

Retired industry veteran Stuart Strickland says there are both good and bad affects from direct manufacturer imports.

The 70-year-old has more than 40 years’ industry experience and was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2012 for his service to motorcycling. (See more career highlights at the end of this article.)

Affect on dealersDucati test ride demo motorcycle sales showroom selling motorcycles pace sales slide

“My introduction to the motorcycle industry was at Milledge Brothers. Alex Milledge had a great relationship with his dealers. He was a consistent entity as were his dealers,” Stuart says.

“Policy was straightforward and consistent. His door was open to his dealers and together they did well selling bikes he imported.”

Stuart says that when manufacturers move into direct importing, their policy is “not straightforward and corporate manoeuvres occur regularly”.

“Senior appointments often come from head office without local industry knowledge.

“Their emphasis is mainly on ‘moving iron’,” he says.

“Factories may force their subsidiaries to take numbers local management don’t want.”

Stuart also says there can be a lack of talent among the Australian staff.

“Locals who work for the manufacturers can be an issue as they don’t have any skin in the game and it’s rare to find one who has actually run a successful business,” he says.

“Dealers get frustrated with the constant changes and the regretfully incompetent representatives appointed by incompetent management. It creates havoc for dealers who work under a dictatorial franchise system.”

Stuart says manufacturers do not seem concerned about the business viability of dealers.

“Rarely does return on investment get discussed,” he says.

“Dealers are issued with constant franchise breaches which are used to intimidate and wear down resistance to policy that is often unfair.” 

Cheaper bikes?sell buy test ride demo motorcycle sales showroom selling motorcycles regrets

Pricing motorcycles can be a complex issue for the direct importer, Stuart says.

One of the most vexing points for importers are the tax implications.

He says the tax office in the manufacturer’s home country as well as the export country each want their fair share of the manufacturer’s revenue.

“It’s easy for manufacturers to set pricing so they make more profit in their home country than in the subsidiaries countries,” he says.

“But the tax offices are on to this. They compare revenue and tax with like businesses and if they believe there is anything irregular there can be heavy fines.”

Stuart says exchange rates also have a huge impact on retail pricing.

“A weak Australia dollar is great for exporters but bad news for importers,” he says.

“No manufacturer wants to be sitting on piles of obsolete or uncompetitive models, impeding financial competence.”

He says there are many factors influencing retail price and buyers should be wary of manufacturers who get the local release price wrong.

This can result in massive discounting when the model fails to sell at a too-high price.

“This can have a huge impact on resale and trade values,” Stuart says.

Model choicemotorcycle sales showroom selling motorcycles blunt

Australia’s market size also has issues for direct importers on which models to import.

“A great degree of skill is required to pick models that the buyers want and more skill to price it right at introduction,” he says.

“Australia has very little if no influence on model development and currently sits in 32nd place in terms of volume in the world.”

However, he says companies such as Honda which he worked for have been able to use Australia to test new models.

“If they can get it wrong here, there isn’t too much global impact on the company.

“Although it’s not big, Australia is a sophisticated market, so it’s an excellent place to trial things.”

More direct imports?

Will more manufacturers decide to take over their own imports?

“There has to be a tipping point where they show interest,” Stuart says.

Ducati sold less than 2000 last year and the only brand with more sales that is not directly imported is Triumph (2122).

“Triumph would have to be having a look at it,” Stuart says.

“It all comes back to what the parent company is doing and whether they are interested in investing money and staff in Australia.”

Stuart Strickland, OAM, career highlights

Stuart Strickland blunt criticism
Stuart in the ’80s

  • Motor Trades Association of Australia executive chairman Australian Motorcycle Dealers Association from 2014 to his retirement last month;
  • Chairman of the Motorcycle Division of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and life member since 2007;
  • Victorian Motorcycle Advisory Council board member;
  • Australian Scooter Federation co-founder;
  • Ulysses Club member from 1990;
  • Honda Australia MPE managing director 2005-2010, executive 1990-2010 and employee 1981-1990;
  • Honda Australia Rider Training program co-developer 1989;
  • Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce motorcycle chair;
  • Director and Board Member, Motorcycling Australia from 2011;
  • Milledge Brothers parts and general manager 1971-81.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Electric Honda motorcycles may warn pedestrians

Future Honda electric motorcycles and scooters might feature an alarm to warn pedestrians unaware of the approaching quiet vehicle.

Japanese company has secured a patent through the Indian patent office for the device.

Honda’s compact alarm device fits under the seat with speakers on the front of the bike.

It features an audio processor that sounds the alert and controls the sound level depending on the time and the level of surrounding environmental noise.

We imagine it would be similar to the beeping tone on some vans and trucks when they are in reverse to warn pedestrians.

Most electric motorcycle and scooters make no more noise than a bicycle, so pedestrians could step out in front of them, causing a collision.

While it may be a safety device for both the rider and pedestrian, it could make traffic noise even more annoying than it is now.

Honda patents

This latest patent from Honda continues its blitzkrieg of patent applications.

honda patent drum brakes variable riding position emotions
Honda patent for variable riding position

This is one of many patents Honda has lodged in the past year and we are not sure how many of these they will put into production.

This new patent join the following from Honda over the past year:

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Toby Price misses out on The Don Award

Double Dakar Rally champion Toby Price has missed out on the prestigious Don Award which has gone to tennis player Ash Barty.

Toby had been considered for the award announced last night (10 October 2019), but he did not even make the short list.

That included: tennis grand slam champion Dylan Alcott OAM, 2018 NRL premiership hero Cooper Cronk, three-time Tour de France stage winner Caleb Ewan, 2018 world surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore, seven-time Bathurst winner Craig Lowndes OAM, Ashes winners Ellyse Perry and Tim Paine, and swimming world champion Ariarne Titmus.

In January, we put forward Toby’s name to the Australia Sport Hall of Fame Selection Committee and Board for consideration for The Don award named after Don Bradman.

Also, we also launched a petition calling for a national sporting honour for Toby. It attracted more than 15,000 signatures.

The petition is still live and relevant for consideration for next year’s Don Award.

And if Toby wins his third Dakar Rally in January 2020 when it moves from South America to Saudi Arabia the judges surely can’t ignore it.

Click here to sign the petition

The Don

Toby Price FIM Cross Country Champion Australia's first Dakar Rally winner and newly crowned Cross Country Rallies World Champion Toby Price is urging riders to get their bikes out of the garage for Ride to Work Week. honour
World Rally Champion

The Don Award would be a fitting honour for Toby since it is given to a sportsperson who “inspires the nation” like Don Bradman.

The award began in 1998 when five-time world GP champion Mick Doohan was a finalist. The Don was shared that year by cricket captain Mark Taylor and athlete Heather Turland.

It will be difficult for Toby to win The Don as no motorsport identity has ever won.

Two-time MotoGP champion Casey Stoner is a three-time nominee and two-time finalist, but never a recipient of The Don. Last year F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo was a finalist on his second nomination, joined by Indy driver Will Power.

In March, Toby was awarded the inaugural Ronald J Walker Award for Excellence by the Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame. 

However, we reckon it’s time for a motorcycle racer to win The Don. Hopefully, that will be next year!

Our petition also calls on state (Queensland and NSW) and federal sports ministers to consider Toby for a state or national sportsperson of the year honour.

Each time you sign, an email goes to the ministers’ offices, so they would be well aware of Toby’s community support.

We approached Queensland and NSW sports ministers because Toby was born in NSW and now lives on the Gold Coast.

Your signatures on the petition will help sway the ministers, so keep sharing the petition with your friends.

Why Toby deserves an award 

Toby Price Dakar Rally consistency honour don
Toby in action

Australia has a long history of Dakar entries, most notably rookie and privateer Andy Haydon who placed third in 1998, Simon Pavey who competed 10 times and the late Andy Caldecott who competed from 2004 to 2006 when he tragically died during the race.

The Dakar is a gruelling rally that has claimed the lives of 24 competitors since it started in 1978. It is referred to as the toughest motorsport event in the world.

Toby started racing the lethal Dakar in 2015, finishing an astounding third on debut.

The following year he rode for the KTM Factory team and became the first Australian to win the rally.

He broke his leg in 2017 and last year finished third despite not racing for a year due to injury.

Just a month before this year’s Dakar, Toby broke his wrist in training. His second victory while nursing a “burning wrist” is all the more brave and worthy of an honour.

In fact, has been in for more surgery after the screw in his wrist wore away at the bone like a ‘windscreen wiper’ during the race.

Last year Toby also became the first Australian to win the FIM World Cross Country Championship and scored a record sixth win in Australia’s toughest motorcycle rally, the Finke Desert Race.

Toby Price honour don
Toby wins sixth Finke

In fact, he won that race on debut, a feat he also achieved in the Hattah Dessert Race.

Toby has also won two Australian Junior Motocross Championships and the Australian Off-Road Racing Championship.

Dakar’s most prolific winner, Stéphane Peterhansel, scored his sixth win the year he turned 33. Marc Coma won his fifth Dakar Rally at the age of 39. So Toby, aged 31, still has several years of racing ahead of him and is hopeful of more Dakar wins.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Enhancing the Africa Twin | Stage 1: Minimal Weight Gain, More Protection

Our Editor-in-Chief got the farkling bug, and outfitted his Africa Twin with enough crash protection to cover any unexpected dirt naps, plus hard luggage and more. Photos by Kevin Wing.

It started innocently enough. At 507 pounds ready to ride, Honda’s CRF1000L Africa Twin is the lightweight among the liter-class ADV machines, and given my short legs and lukewarm off-road riding skills I had little desire to make it any heavier. What goes down must come up in order to carry on, and much beyond 550 pounds or so there’s little chance I’m picking it up by myself.

But before riding off into the sunset, every proper ADV machine should have a centerstand and heated grips, right? Both are Honda accessories and were easily installed. Hard saddlebag mounts were next — Honda’s bags are good-looking and convenient since they drop and lock right onto the bike’s built-in mounts, but aren’t quite sturdy enough for the adventures I have in mind. Wanting to mount either soft waterproof saddlebags to save weight or locking aluminum panniers for riding behind enemy lines, a good option is the Hepco & Becker Fixed Side Carrier ($281.18), distributed in the U.S. by Moto Machines. This adds just 10 pounds and carries my Hepco & Becker Alu-Case Xplorer 30-Liter Panniers ($821) quite securely, providing some tipover protection as well as storage. The bag/carrier combination on the bike is about an inch wider than the handlebars, and asymmetrical since neither the carrier nor right bag wraps around the muffler, but the offset is only two inches (which can be symmetrized by mounting a 40-liter Xplorer on the left). 

Here is a good view of the National Cycle VStream Sport/Tour Windscreen, Touratech Headlight Guard, Hepco & Becker Tank Guard and BDCW Connector Rods, Lower Engine Bars and Ultimate Skid Plate.

Now, I swear I was going to stop there, but the Moto Machines website sucked me in and before I could tame the mouse it had clicked on Hepco & Becker Handlebar Protection bars (2.75 pounds, $163.33) and its Tank Guard (8 pounds, $301.68) for the Africa Twin. I like the style and wind protection of the stock plastic hand guards on the AT — the sturdy steel Protection bars beef them up like an exoskeleton and install in about 10 minutes. And Tank Guard is kind of a misnomer — it protects far more than just the tank by mounting the tubular-steel bars solidly to the bike’s frame at top and bottom and wrapping around the front and sides of the AT’s fairing. Should make a good grab point as well.

K&N air filters are washable and last up to 100,000 miles; oil filters often come with a nut on top for easy removal and installation.

When I was installing the Tank Guard, I noticed just how exposed and vulnerable the Africa Twin’s radiators are to flying rocks and such, and that the thin plastic grates Honda has installed over them aren’t much better than soft cheese. That led me to Black Dog Cycle Works (BDCW), which offers a pair of well-made aluminum Radiator Guards ($95) that bolt on over the stock ones and don’t impede airflow. Turns out BDCW has lots of nice stuff for the AT, including tubular-steel Lower Engine Bars (6.5 pounds, $285); lightweight aluminum Connector Rods (1.75 pounds, $160) that link its Engine Bars to the Hepco & Becker Tank Guard; an aluminum Rear Rack (3 pounds, $149) extension; and large aluminum Traction Footpegs ($229). All of this stuff somehow found its way onto my bike in about 2.5 hours, helped by good instructions, well thought-out design  and an underpaid second pair of hands.

Mark’s Gear
Helmet: Arai XD4
Jacket: Olympia Dakar
Pants: Olympia Airglide
Boots: Sidi Canyon Gore-Tex

But what really blew me away was BDCW’s Ultimate Skid Plate (11.5 pounds, $349). Not only because it covers so much more of the bike’s tender underbits with tough 3/16-inch-thick aluminum than the stock 3-pound unit, but because its clever design takes less than 10 minutes to install, and it comes off for oil changes and such with just two bolts. The smooth bottom lets the Skid Plate slide over obstacles, and it’s contoured to the frame for maximum ground clearance.

Add combo wrenches for axle nuts and tire repair tools to this CruzTools RoadTech M3 Tool Kit and you’re good to go.

Oh boy, I was on a roll now. More wind protection: National Cycle’s VStream Sport/Tour Windscreen ($159.95) is about 3 inches taller and wider than stock, and quiets wind noise down quite a bit. Protection for that expensive LED headlight: Touratech’s Quick-Release Clear Headlight Guard ($139.95) is like a pair of safety goggles, straps on and can be removed in seconds. It doesn’t seem to affect the headlight beam either. More aggressive DP559 and DP121 Brake Pads from DP Brakes, a Nelson-Rigg Adventure Tank Bag ($101.95) and Sahara Duffel ($112.95), and I was nearly finished except for suitable rubber. We gave Michelin’s new Anakee Adventure Tires (MSRP front $202.95, rear $287.95) a thorough review in the June 2019 issue, and found them to be an exceptional choice for 80/20 ADV work. In addition to greater grip off-road than the Africa Twin’s stock tires, the Anakee Adventures sacrifice very little wet or dry on-road performance, and don’t make any noise riding in a straight line, just a mild hum in faster bends.

DP Brake Pads give the AT’s brakes more feel and bite.

All told I ended up adding about 50 pounds to my 2018 Africa Twin (not including the Xplorer bags), but now it’s ready for almost any adventure, and some of that weight should pay for itself the first time it takes a dirt nap….

Keep scrolling for more detailed photos.

BDCW Rear Rack.
Hepco & Becker Alu-Case Xplorer 30-Liter Panniers and Nelson-Rigg Sahara Duffel.
Trails End Adventure Tank Bag.
National Cycle VStream Sport/Tour Windscreen.
BDCW Traction Footpegs.
BDCW Skid Plate.

Source: RiderMagazine.com

Joe Rocket Ballistic Touring Boots | Gear Review

Joe Rocket Ballistic Touring Boots.

Touring boots are often plainer and simpler than sport versions, yet these Joe Rocket Ballistic Touring Boots defy that trend with lots of extra features. Drop a yardstick into the shaft and you will see the front comes up 13 inches to protect that tender shinbone. At night reflective panels at the top alert motorists to your presence, and these tall boots are very easy to get your feet into and out of, with a zipper running part way up the inside of each boot covered with hook-and-loop panels. I do wish that the pull-tabs on the SBS zippers were bigger, to ease the pulling up.

Should you suffer the embarrassment of parting with your motorcycle while at speed, these Ballistics provide good protection from the top to the toe, with double stitching in critical areas. There is injection molded toe armor at the front of the boots, as well as those very sporty-looking replaceable toe sliders should you lean over way more than I do.

Constructed of synthetic leather, Joe Rocket says the Ballistic Touring boots are water resistant, and though California’s serious rainy season was over by the time I got this pair to evaluate, I did run through a few brief showers and they seem to be quite “showerproof.” I’d still carry a pair of nylon rain covers if I were headed out on a long trip.

The ankle sections are well-articulated so walking is relatively easy, though I might not want to wear them on a lengthy hike. I believe we all know that there is a break-in period; the longer you wear them, the more comfortable they become. Both toe sections have little protectors so that shifting gears will not mar the well-polished surface, even on your old Brit bike. The full-length, one-piece soles are said to be non-slip, and traction while walking over rough ground was good.

Best of all, the Ballistic Touring boots are relatively lightweight — my size 12 pair weighs in at 3.5 pounds. They’re available in black or white/black in men’s sizes 7-13 for a very reasonable $110.  

For more information, see your dealer or visit joerocket.com.

Source: RiderMagazine.com

Brazil and MotoGP™: a rekindled relationship

In 1995, Brazil was back. This time though, the World Championship headed to Rio de Janeiro and the Nelson Pique Circuit. Italy’s Luca Cadalora was the maiden premier class winner in Rio but between 1995-2004, another one of Italy’s greats became the master. Valentino Rossi boasts the most wins in Brazil, winning there in 1997 (125cc), 1999 (250cc), 2000 (500cc), 2001 (500cc), 2002 (MotoGP™) and 2003 (MotoGP™), ‘The Doctor’ crashing out of the aforementioned 2004 race.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here