If any cold comfort can be taken in today’s release of the latest motorcycle sales figures for the Australian market it is that, despite the efforts of regulators to make obtaining a motorcycle licence as painful and expensive as possible, it is again the learner legal machines that are propping up the road motorcycle sales volume.
Honda’s affordable CB125E again led the way ahead of Yamaha’s MT-07L. Kawasaki’s Ninja 400 took third place ahead of Yamaha’s YZF-R3 and MT-09.
The chrome is still shining for Harley-Davidson with the big-bore breakout defying the overall negative trend to rank as Australia’s sixth biggest selling road motorcycle and earn the mantle once again as the country’s favourite cruiser style motorcycle.
Next best is the baby cruiser from Honda. The CMX 500 continues to do very well and Honda will be very pleased to have bested Harley’s Street 500 in the sales figures. 330 new CMX 500 machines hit the streets in the first six months of 2019 while in equal eighth with the Honda Grom was the H-D Street 500, that unlikely pairing registering 298 sales apiece while Yamaha’s MT-03LA rounded out the overall road-bike top ten.
Amongst the big-bore boy racer Superbikes Honda topped the charts with the CBR 1000 RR Fireblade by a handy margin. In fact, Fireblade sales almost doubled that of any of the other Japanese litre-bikes. Ducati is making progress with V4 sales while the S 1000 RR also did reasonably well considering that BMW have been waiting a long time for stock of their latest model.
2019 Road Motorcycle Sales
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Road
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Harley Davidson
2925
3629
-19.4%
Yamaha
2749
3014
-8.8%
Honda
2738
3853
-28.9%
Kawasaki
2012
2344
-14.2%
BMW
1156
1367
-15.4%
Suzuki
1097
1327
-17.3%
Triumph
906
1195
-24.2%
KTM
866
794
9.1%
Ducati
662
738
-10.3%
Indian Motorcycle
323
453
-28.7%
Husqvarna
109
143
-23.8%
Moto Guzzi
65
74
-12.2%
Aprilia
60
111
-45.9%
TOTAL
15668
19042
-17.7%
Road Bikes Top Ten Overall
Top 10 by Category – Road Bikes
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Honda
CB125E
569
637
-10.7%
Yamaha
MT07L
525
504
4.2%
Kawasaki
NINJA 400
488
443
10.2%
Yamaha
YZF-R3A
471
445
5.8%
Yamaha
MT-09
395
384
2.9%
Harley Davidson
FXBRS
383
384
-0.3%
Honda
CMX500
330
350
-5.7%
Harley Davidson
XG500
298
466
-36.1%
Honda
GROM
298
355
-16.1%
Yamaha
MT03LA
292
376
-22.3%
Learner Approved Motorcycle Sales
Top 10 by Category – LAMS Approved
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Yamaha
WR450F
671
620
8.2%
Honda
CB125E
569
637
-10.7%
Yamaha
MT07L
525
504
4.2%
Honda
NSC110
496
238
108.4%
Kawasaki
NINJA 400
488
443
10.2%
Yamaha
YZF-R3A
471
445
5.8%
Suzuki
DR-Z400E
350
435
-19.5%
KTM
300EXC
344
519
-33.7%
Suzuki
ADDRESS
342
203
68.5%
Honda
CMX500
330
350
-5.7%
Adventure-Touring Motorcycle Sales
Top 10 by Category – Adventure Touring
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Suzuki
DR650SE
229
274
-16.4%
BMW
R 1250 GS Adventure
194
0
100%
Honda
Africa Twin
176
318
-44.7%
KTM
790 Adventure R
169
0
100%
BMW
R 1250 GS
155
0
100%
Honda
CB500XA
141
111
27.0%
Suzuki
DL650
116
109
6.4%
Kawasaki
KLR650
112
137
-18.2%
BMW
G 310 GS
108
112
-3.6%
KTM
690 Enduro
92
88
4.5%
Cruiser Motorcycle Sales
Top 10 by Category – Cruiser
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Harley Davidson
FXBRS
383
384
-0.3%
Honda
CMX500
330
350
-5.7%
Harley Davidson
XG500
298
466
-36.1%
Kawasaki
Vulcan S
268
378
-29.1%
Harley Davidson
FLFBS
235
222
5.9%
Yamaha
XVS650/A
231
226
2.2%
Harley Davidson
FLSB
195
168
16.1%
Indian Motorcycle
Scout
178
258
-31.0%
Harley Davidson
FXBB
132
240
-45.0%
Harley Davidson
FXFBS
95
137
-30.7%
Nakedbike Motorcycle Sales
Top 10 by Category – Naked
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Honda
CB125E
569
637
-10.7%
Yamaha
MT07L
525
504
4.2%
Yamaha
MT-09
395
384
2.9%
Honda
GROM
298
355
-16.1%
Yamaha
MT03LA
292
376
-22.3%
Kawasaki
Z900RS
167
246
-32.1%
Yamaha
XSR700LA
152
152
0.0%
KTM
390DUKE
139
156
-10.9%
Honda
CB300R
114
22
418.2%
Yamaha
MT10
108
131
-17.6%
Sport-Touring Motorcycle Sales
Top 10 by Category – Sport Touring
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Yamaha
YZF-R3A
471
445
5.8%
Kawasaki
Ninja 650L
141
161
-12.4%
Yamaha
MT09TRA
99
65
52.3%
Suzuki
GSX-S125
87
76
14.5%
Kawasaki
VERSYS-X 300
69
73
-5.5%
Honda
CBR650FL
63
181
-65.2%
Yamaha
MT07TRL
57
37
54.1%
Kawasaki
Ninja 1000
54
75
-28.0%
BMW
S 1000 XR
53
69
-23.2%
Suzuki
GSX-R125
52
41
26.8%
Touring Motorcycle Sales
Top 10 by Category – Touring
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Harley Davidson
FLHXS
177
122
45.1%
Harley Davidson
FLHTK
101
69
46.4%
Harley Davidson
FLTRXS
86
46
87.0%
Harley Davidson
FLHRXS
69
70
-1.4%
Harley Davidson
FLHTCUTG
65
65
0.0%
Indian Motorcycle
Chieftain
53
36
47.2%
Yamaha
FJR1300
50
50
0.0%
Harley Davidson
FLHXSE
45
40
12.5%
BMW
R 1250 RT
43
0
100%
Harley Davidson
FLHX
41
60
-31.7%
Supersport Motorcycle Sales
Top 10 by Category – Super Sport
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Kawasaki
NINJA 400
488
443
10.2%
Honda
CBR500R
222
310
-28.4%
Honda
CBR650R
138
0
100%
Honda
CBR1000RR
112
65
72.3%
Ducati
Superbike
102
0
100%
KTM
RC390
81
125
-35.2%
BMW
S 1000 RR
75
108
-30.6%
Suzuki
GSX-R750
69
80
-13.8%
Yamaha
YZF-R1
68
73
-6.8%
Suzuki
GSX-R1000
62
62
0.0%
Scooter Sales Figures
Honda’s NSC110 is smashing it in the scooter market and along with Suzuki’s Address this pairing along are taking a hefty slice of the overall scooter sales in Australia.
Vespa continues to do pretty well while Yamaha’s new XMAX 300 is starting to grow in popularity.
It is so pleasing to see that Australian consumers have now almost completely shunned the cheap and nasty no-name shite that once sold in good numbers in this space, but now thankfully have died a natural death.
Honda has now established themselves as the clear market leader in scooter sales.
2019 Scooter Sales
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Scooter
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Honda
969
557
74.0%
Vespa
379
434
-12.7%
Piaggio
375
498
-24.7%
Suzuki
375
252
48.8%
Yamaha
261
236
10.6%
BMW
82
28
192.9%
Aprilia
44
86
-48.8%
TOTAL
2485
2091
18.8%
Scooter Sales
Top 10 by Category – Scooters
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
In the off-road market it is again the tiddlers leading the way with both Kawasaki’s KLX 110 and Honda’s CRF50F marking up big improvements to take the 1-2 spots in the off-road market.
Of the big bikes again it is Australian bush bashers perennial favourite the WR450F that won more hard-earned Aussie dollars then any of its competitors in the enduro space. Next up in the Enduro category though were a quartet of KTM machines led by the 300 EXC two-stroke.
Yamaha also topped the motocross charts with the YZ250F and YZ450F siblings but there was little good news to be had in the MX sector with sales of almost every model well down across the board.
2019 Off-Road Motorcycle Sales
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Off Road
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Honda
4182
4180
0.0%
Yamaha
4135
4740
-12.8%
KTM
2444
2682
-8.9%
Kawasaki
1793
1663
7.8%
Suzuki
1157
1226
-5.6%
Husqvarna
955
1089
-12.3%
TOTAL
14666
15580
-5.9%
Top Selling Off-Road Motorcycles
Top 10 by Category – Off Road Bikes
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Kawasaki
KLX110
870
539
61.4%
Honda
CRF50F
763
614
24.3%
Yamaha
WR450F
671
620
8.2%
Yamaha
PW50
628
625
0.5%
Honda
CRF110F
570
504
13.1%
Honda
CRF230F
494
668
-26.0%
Yamaha
TTR50E
452
580
-22.1%
Honda
CRF250F
392
0
100%
Suzuki
DR-Z400E
350
435
-19.5%
KTM
300EXC
344
519
-33.7%
Top Selling Enduro Motorcycles
Top 10 by Category – Enduro
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Yamaha
WR450F
671
620
8.2%
KTM
300EXC
344
519
-33.7%
KTM
500EXC
321
337
-4.7%
KTM
350EXCF
304
257
18.3%
KTM
450EXC
161
188
-14.4%
Yamaha
WR250R
141
152
-7.2%
Husqvarna
TE300
141
156
-9.6%
Honda
CRF450L
134
0
100%
Yamaha
WR250F
122
219
-44.3%
Husqvarna
FE350
109
123
-11.4%
Top Selling Motocross Motorcycles
Top 10 by Category – Moto Cross
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Yamaha
YZ250F
336
359
-6.4%
Yamaha
YZ450F
247
397
-37.8%
Honda
CRF450R
229
369
-37.9%
Kawasaki
KX450F
196
173
13.3%
Honda
CRF250R
175
310
-43.5%
KTM
450SXF
175
148
18.2%
KTM
85SX
174
197
-11.7%
KTM
250SXF
156
165
-5.5%
Yamaha
YZ85/LW
146
90
62.2%
Yamaha
YZ65
143
113
26.5%
Top Selling Farm Motorcycles
Top 10 by Category – Farm
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Honda
XR190
323
309
4.5%
Suzuki
TROJAN
278
353
-21.2%
Yamaha
AG200
158
203
-22.2%
Honda
XR150L
93
155
-40.0%
Yamaha
AG125
87
92
-5.4%
Kawasaki
Stockman 250
72
82
-12.2%
Suzuki
TF125
27
32
-15.6%
Honda
CTX200
8
17
-52.9%
Yamaha
AG100
3
17
-82.4%
Top Selling Fun Motorcycles
Top 10 by Category – Fun
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Kawasaki
KLX110
870
539
61.4%
Honda
CRF50F
763
614
24.3%
Yamaha
PW50
628
625
0.5%
Honda
CRF110F
570
504
13.1%
Yamaha
TTR50E
452
580
-22.1%
Yamaha
TTR110E
300
367
-18.3%
Honda
CRF125FB
252
269
-6.3%
Kawasaki
KLX140
248
201
23.4%
Honda
CRF150F
186
187
-0.5%
Honda
CRF125F
166
170
-2.4%
Top Selling Trail Motorcycles
Top 10 by Category – Trail
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Honda
CRF230F
494
668
-26.0%
Honda
CRF250F
392
0
100%
Suzuki
DR-Z400E
350
435
-19.5%
Honda
CRF250L
327
440
-25.7%
Yamaha
TTR230/A
144
213
-32.4%
Kawasaki
KLX150BF
126
167
-24.6%
Suzuki
DR-Z250
75
134
-44.0%
Yamaha
XT250
74
84
-11.9%
Kawasaki
KLX250S
68
97
-29.9%
Suzuki
DR200S
58
51
13.7%
ATV
If there is no rain then ATV machines don’t sell, and there is still very little rain to be had in many of the larger parts of agricultural Australia thus there continues to be much pain in the quad-bike sector.
Polaris is still #1 overall but Honda and Yamaha are the next big performers in the sector with a slew of models across various capacities.
2019 ATV Sales
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Manufacturer
ATV
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Polaris
2685
3098
-13.3%
Honda
2385
3065
-22.2%
Yamaha
1814
2095
-13.4%
BRP Australia
1333
1308
1.9%
Kawasaki
728
711
2.4%
Suzuki
693
919
-24.6%
TOTAL
9638
11196
-13.9%
Top Selling ATV’s
Top 10 by Category – ATVs
January – June 2019 compared to January – June 2018
Herfoss confirmed for Suzuka appearance with Moriwaki Honda
Section: Competition
Australian Superbike champion lands seat for prestigious endurance event.
Image: Foremost Media.
Following a recent test with the high-profile KYB Moriwaki Racing team, reigning Australian Superbike champion Troy Herfoss has confirmed his spot within the squad for the 2019 Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan.
The prestigious event will mark the final round of the 2018/2019 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) on 28 July, where the Australian will joined on the team by Yuki Takahashi and Tomoyoshi Koyama.
“We did a track day at Morgan Park, which was really brief, and then I got a last-minute invite to go and test the Moriwaki Racing bike at Suzuka,” Herfoss explained.
“I didn’t get a lot of time riding in Japan either – about 17 laps over two days – but it went well and I was able to secure the ride over there. I’m looking forward to getting back over there straight after Morgan Park.”
Herfoss, who claimed seventh overall last year as part of the Honda Asia Dream Racing team, will be accompanied at the event by fellow ASBK contender Josh Waters (Team MotoMap SWAT Suzuki), along with EWC regulars Josh Hook (F.C.C. TSR Honda France) and Broc Parkes (YART).
The Gold Coast-based athlete returns to ASBK duties this weekend at Morgan Park in Queensland following an extended break in the series.
“It’s been a long break between rounds and I’ve been off the bike for a long time, but I’m hoping it will be business as usual,” he added. “The bike is set-up well and we were competitive in race three at Tailem Bend, so although I haven’t ridden a lot, I feel good heading into this weekend.
“This stage of the year is when you will start to see the guys who are going to potentially win the championship will establish themselves further. It’s definitely a really important time and I’m happy that I am within striking distance.
“If I was to come out of this weekend like last year, it’d only take my main opponents to have a couple of third or fourth-place finishes and I would almost be in the lead – it’s so close that it is almost anybody’s at the moment.”
Factory Yamaha pilot hopeful to race this weekend with broken radius.
Image: Supplied.
Just two weeks after violently high-siding and subsequently fracturing his right radius, Michael van der Mark will attempt to line-up this weekend at Donington Park’s eighth round of the 2019 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship in Great Britain.
Immediately undergoing surgery, the Dutchman always believed this weekend’s British round was a possibility, however all will be determined following the opening practice session on Friday.
If van der Mark isn’t at an adequate level to race, the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK squad has British Superbike regular Tarran Mackenzie on standby for a fill-in role.
“I knew as soon as I’d had the surgery on the wrist that a return to racing at Donington Park was a possibility, so that’s what I’ve been working towards since,” van der Mark explained. “I haven’t lost any strength in the wrist, which was my main concern. The movement is still slightly restricted, but I’ve been having physiotherapy since Misano to improve this.
“It has hardly impacted on my training and I’ve been able to train with the same intensity as I did before the injury, so I hope to be passed fit to ride this weekend.
“It’s good to have Tarran there on standby, as the medical assessment and actually racing the bike are two very different things. I will only really know if I’m fit to race, rather than just fit to ride, after FP1 on Friday.”
Van der Mark is currently ranked third in the championship standings despite missing all three races at Misano.
Evans ‘all clear’ for MXGP of Indonesia this weekend
Section: Competition
Australian contender overcomes injury scare from German grand prix.
Image: Supplied.
Two weeks after suffering an injury scare at the German grand prix, Australian Mitch Evans is ‘all clear’ for a return this weekend at the MXGP of Indonesia.
The Team Honda 114 Motorsports rider crashed heavily during the opening moto at Teutschenthal, withdrawing from the race and the remainder of the day with a suspected lower back and shoulder injury.
Evans will return home between the Indonesian rounds, the first taking place this weekend in Palembang, followed by Semarang on 14 July.
“I had scans done last week in Belgium on my lower back and have come back all clear,” Evans said in a MXlarge interview. “Thankfully no serious injuries, just beat up and bruised. Honestly, I don’t know the tracks in Indonesia, and I didn’t watch those rounds last year.
“I understand the first one is different to last year. It will be cool and different, and I have never been there. [It’s] close to home, so I plan to go home in-between the races. I heard some people got sick last year, [so] I will go home, see my family for a bit and catch up with some friends.
“I am looking forward to the heat a lot. Being in Europe for the winter and the cold I had to get used to the heat again, but Russia and Latvia were hot, and it didn’t affect me that much, so I look forward to that.”
Evans is currently ranked seventh in the MX2 World Championship standings ahead of the weekend’s 11th round.
Ducati extends contract with Petrucci for 2020 MotoGP season
Section: Competition
Italian ace to remain with factory Mission Winnow Ducati outfit.
Image: Supplied.
Mission Winnow Ducati has signed Danilo Petrucci for the 2020 MotoGP World Championship following a strong opening half to his maiden season with the factory outfit.
Petrucci made his debut this year with the squad after four seasons onboard the Ducati fielded by the Pramac Racing team and has immediately shown great form with three podiums, including a fantastic win at Mugello in front of a home crowd.
The Italian currently sits in third position in the world championship, eight points behind his teammate Dovizioso. The two Ducati Team riders have been the most competitive pair on track this season so far and lead the Team rankings with 224 points scored in total.
“I’m very happy to continue with Ducati for another year,” said Petrucci. “It was my goal ever since the beginning of this new chapter, because we immediately found great chemistry with the team. In this first half of the season we were able to progressively increase our competitiveness, taking two podiums and an unforgettable win.
“To renew our collaboration before the summer break makes me even more serene and confident about the future. Now I simply want to stay focused and continue to improve as a rider to achieve even better results on track. We’re third in the Championship, and we want to finish the season within the top three.”
Australian junior championship brought back to July date for Queensland edition.
Image: Supplied.
Motorcycling Australia has revealed the 2020 KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX) will take place at Rockhampton in Queensland on 6-11 July.
The event, historically hosted during the months of September and October, has been brought back to July, which is set to offer favourable weather conditions at the central Queensland venue.
“It is a complete honour, and a reward for the effort our members have given to the sport for many years,” said Rockhampton and District MX Club president Peter Dark.
“The event will bring approximately 500 of Australia’s best junior racers from across every state in Australia, including a few international racers.”
This year’s KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championship is set to be staged at Gillman in South Australia, scheduled for 28 September-5 October.
The 2019 German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring will be the 81st Grand Prix event to be held on German soil and the 22nd successive year at the new Sachsenring circuit.
The first motorcycle Grand Prix to be held in Germany was the West German Grand Prix held at the Solitude circuit in 1952. It was reported that 400,000 spectators turned up to watch. Reg Armstrong won the 350cc and 500cc races riding a Norton while home riders Rudi Felgenheier won the 250cc race on a DKW and Werner Haas won the 125cc race on an NSU.
The first East German Grand Prix was held at the Sachsenring road circuit in 1961. The original circuit used for this event was a closed road circuit 8.73 km in length. The East German GP continued to be held at the Sachsenring each year until 1972, after which the original road circuit was considered too dangerous for Grand Prix racing.
The West German Grand Prix was held every year from 1952 through to 1990, when East and West joined to become a unified Germany. Four different circuits were used during this period 1952 to 1990: Solitude, Schotten, the Nürburgring and Hockenheim.
There has been a German Grand Prix held every year since unification; from 1991 to 1994 at the Hockenheim circuit followed by three years at the Nürburgring. Since 1998 it has been held at the new Sachsenring circuit.
In addition to those mentioned above, one other Grand Prix event has been held in Germany: the Baden-Wurtemberg GP held in 1986 at the Hockenheim circuit for just the 80cc and 125cc classes.
The newly built Sachsenring circuit was initially just 3.508 km long with one short section of track from the old road circuit. Major modifications to the circuit in 2001 and then additional slight alterations in 2003 resulted in the current 3.671 km track layout.
The Sachsenring is one of just five circuits on the current Grand Prix calendar that run in an anti-clockwise direction, along with Austin, Aragon, Phillip Island and Valencia.
A total of 115 Grand Prix races for solo motorcycles have been held at the Sachsenring since 1961 as follows: MotoGP – 17, 500cc – 16, 350cc – 11, Moto2 – 9, 250cc – 24, Moto3 – 7, 125cc – 26, 50cc – 5.
The best result for a German rider in the premier class at the Sachsenring since racing returned to the circuit in 1998 is the second place for Jonas Folger in 2017.
There have been seven other podium finishes for German riders at the Sachsenring circuit since 1998: Ralf Waldmann was third in the 250cc race in 1999, Steve Jenkner was third in the 125cc race in 2002, Stefan Bradl finished second in the 125cc class in 2008, Sandro Cortese finished third in the 125cc race in 2010, Stefan Bradl was second in 2011 in Moto2, Sandro Cortese won the Moto3 race in 2012 and in 2016, Jonas Folger was second in the Moto2 race.
Honda is the most successful manufacturer at the Sachsenring circuit since racing returned to the Sachsenring circuit in 1998, with 15 wins, including the last nine races.
Yamaha has had four wins in the premier class since 1998 at the Sachsenring circuit, with two different riders: Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi.
Ducati has won only once in the premier class at the Sachsenring circuit, with Casey Stoner back in 2008. Ducati has had four other podium finishes in this track in the premier class: Troy Bayliss was third in 2003, Loris Capirossi second in 2007, Casey Stoner third in 2010 and Andrea Dovizioso third in 2016.
The only win for a Suzuki rider at the Sachsenring circuit was in the 500cc race in 1999 with Kenny Roberts Jr. The best result for Suzuki in the MotoGP class since 2002 at this track is when Chris Vermeulen crossed the line in third back in 2008.
The best result for an Aprilia rider in MotoGP since 2002 is a seventh-place finish with Aleix Espargaro back in 2017.
Last year, Bradley Smith was the only KTM rider across the line at the Sachsenring, in 10th place, which is the best result for the Austrian manufacturer at this track in the premier class.
Honda riders have also qualified on pole for the German GP for the last eight years; the last non-Honda rider to start from pole for a MotoGP race at the Sachsenring was Jorge Lorenzo in 2010 on a Yamaha.
Marc Marquez is the most successful at the new Sachsenring circuit with a total of nine wins over the last nine years, six in MotoGP, two in Moto2 and one in 125cc. His closest rival is Dani Pedrosa with six wins (2x 250cc, 4 x MotoGP).
Previously… in MotoGP
2015
At the Dutch TT, Marc Marquez became the seventh rider in history to reach the milestone of 2000 points scored in the premier class of Grand Prix racing. With his second-place finish, he scored his 2015th point since he stepped up to the MotoGP™ class in 2013.
123
The second-place finish for Marc Marquez at the Dutch TT was the 123rd time he has been on the podium in his Grand Prix career. Only five riders have been on the podium on more occasions in Grand Prix racing.
84
This was the 84th podium finish in the premier class for Marc Marquez, four less than Giacomo Agostini, who is in fifth place on the list of riders with most podium finishes in the class.
31
Since the opening Grand Prix in Qatar, 31 different riders have stood on the podium across all classes, this is the first time this has happened since 1998 (31 different podium finishers). Only Marc Marquez, with seven podium finishes, has finished on the podium more than four times in the opening eight Grands Prix of the season.
7
This is the seventh time this year there have been at least five different manufacturers within the top 10 in MotoGP. The last time there were at least five different manufacturers within the top 10 in seven (or more) of the first eight races of the year was in 1993.
5
Maverick Viñales is the fifth different winner in the MotoGP class over the opening eight races of the season, which is the third time there have been five different winners at this stage of the season since the introduction of the class in 2002, along with 2006 and 2017.
4
With Honda, Ducati, Suzuki and now Yamaha, this is the third time in MotoGP since 2002 there have been at least four different manufacturers winning in the premier class in a single season along, with 2007 and 2016.
MotoGP Facts and Stats
At the Dutch TT, Maverick Viñales won for the first time since Australia last year, the sixth time in the MotoGP class and the 22nd in his Grand Prix career, equalling Andrea Dovizioso and Marco Melandri.
Maverick Viñales is the fifth different winner in the MotoGP class over the opening eight races of the season, which is the third time there have been five different winners at this stage of the season since the introduction of the class in 2002, along with 2006 and 2017.
After a winless streak of nine successive races, this is the Yamaha’s 228th win in the premier class and the 503rd in Grand Prix racing.
With Honda, Ducati, Suzuki and now Yamaha, this is the third time in MotoGP since 2002 there have been at least four different manufacturers winning in the premier class in a single season, along with 2007 and 2016.
Marc Marquez has failed to score points only three times since the Catalan GP last year (Australia and Valencia in 2018, and Austin this season). Over the last 17 races he has finished, he has always been on the podium and finished third only once, in Brno.
With Maverick Viñales and Marc Marquez, this is the first Spanish 1-2 since Malaysia last year with Marc Marquez and Alex Rins, the second with both riders along with Austin last year, and the 48th overall in the premier class of Grand Prix racing.
In Assen, Fabio Quartararo (20 years 71 days) crossed the line in third, becoming the second-youngest rider to take back-to-back podium finishes in the premier class, behind Marc Marquez who finished third in Qatar and won in Austin in 2013 at the age of 20 years 63 days.
At the Dutch TT, Fabio Quartararo finished as the top rookie and the highest-placed Independent Team rider. He is still leading the fight for the Rookie of the Year with 67 points ahead Joan Mir (30 points), who scored his third top 10 finish of his rookie season so far in Assen, Miguel Oliveira (15) and Francesco Bagnaia (11). In addition, Fabio Quartararo is now also leading the Independent Team rider classification, seven points ahead of Jack Miller (60 points).
With Maverick Viñales and Fabio Quartararo, this is the first time there were at least two Yamaha riders on the podium since the German GP last year with Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales. Following the Dutch TT, Yamaha have scored 133 points in the Constructor’s World Championship classification, which is the lowest points accumulated after the opening seven races by Yamaha since 2006 when the Japanese manufacturer had 127 points after the Dutch TT.
Following the Dutch TT, Suzuki have scored 109 points in the Constructor’s World Championship classification. In MotoGP era, 2007 is the only season where Suzuki had scored more points after the opening eight races of the season, with 111 points. Andrea Iannone crossed the line in 10th place in Assen, which is his first top 10 finish since he joined Aprilia this year and his first since he was second in Australia last year.
With Ducati, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Aprilia within the top 10 in Assen, this is the seventh time this year there have been at least five different manufacturers within the top 10. The last time there were at least five different manufacturers within the top 10 in seven (or more) of the first eight races of the year was in 1993. The only time there were less than five manufacturers this year was in Spain.
Alex Rins crashed out at the Dutch TT, which is the first time he failed to score any points (16 successive races) since Germany last year when he crashed on the opening lap. Only two riders have now scored points in all eight of the Moto- GP races in 2019: Danilo Petrucci and Pol Espargaro.
Valentino Rossi crashed out of the race at the Dutch TT, making it the first time he failed to score any points in three successive races he competed in since Japan, Australia and Valencia back in 2011, riding a Ducati.
The only one of the four rookies in the MotoGP class this year to have previously won at the German GP in any of the smaller classes is Joan Mir (2017) in the Moto3 class.
However, fellow rookies Miguel Oliveira and Francesco Bagnaia have stood on the podium at the Sachsenring, both in Moto2 two years ago.
In Assen, Fabio Quartararo (20 years and 71 days old) crossed the line in third, becoming the second-youngest rider to take back-to-back podium finishes in the premier class, behind Marc Marquez, as shown in the table below showing the riders under 21 who did it:
Riders Age Back-to-back podium finishes
1
Marc Marquez 20 years 63 days Qatar/Americas/2013
2
Fabio Quartararo 20 years 71 days Catalunya/Assen/2019
3
Randy Mamola 20 years 197 days Spain/France/1980
4
Dani Pedrosa 20 years 234 days China/France/2006
5
Norick Abe 20 years 332 days Great Britain/Austria/1996
In Germany, Fabio Quatararo, who will be 20 years and 78 days old, will be aiming to become the second-youngest rider to take three successive podium finishes right behind Marc Marquez who was 20 years 77 days old after the 2013 Spanish GP.
Marc Marquez aiming to equal Valentino Rossi in Germany
In each of the last nine years at the Sachsenring, Marc Marquez has qualified on pole and won the race; 2010 in the 125cc class, 2011 & 2012 in Moto2 and for the last six years in MotoGP At the German GP, Marc Marquez will be aiming to win for the seventh successive time in the premier class at the Sachsenring to equal Valentino Rossi, after missing a first opportunity to reach that milestone in Austin earlier this season:
Successive Circuit Wins
9
Giacomo Agostini Imatra (1965 – 1973)
8
Giacomo Agostini Spa-Francorchamps (1966 – 1973)
7
Valentino Rossi Mugello (2002 – 2008)
6
Giacomo Agostini Sachsenring (1967 – 1972)
6
Mick Doohan Mugello (1993 – 1998)
6
Casey Stoner Phillip Island (2007 – 2012)
6
Marc Marquez Sachsenring (2013 – 2018)
6
Marc Marquez Circuit of the Americas (2013 – 2018)
Last year was his ninth successive victory in Germany including his Moto2 wins at the track in both 2011 and 2012 and his 125cc win in 2010. Giacomo Agostini holds the record in Finland with 13 successive wins in Imatra: 8 x 500cc (1966 – 1973) and 5 x 350cc (1969 – 1973).
Historic first MotoE race at the Sachsenring
The FIM Enel MotoE World Cup begins on the 5th to 7th July at the Sachsenring circuit. 18 riders represent 12 teams, and wildcards are not permitted. There is a single tyre supplier: Michelin. Here is the entry list:
Name
GP Titles
GP Wins
Total
125
Total
MGP
250/M3
125cc
Nico Terol
1
1
16
/
3
13
Mike Di Meglio
1
1
5
/
/
5
Sete Gibernau
/
/
9
9
/
/
Randy De Puniet
/
/
5
/
5
/
Alex De Angelis
/
/
4
/
4
/
Bradley Smith
/
/
3
/
/
3
Xavier Simeon
/
/
1
/
/
/
Xavier Simeon
/
/
/
/
1
/
Total
2
2
43
9
13
21
The strength and depth of the MotoE grid can be illustrated by the following facts about the riders lining up, together with the table below:
Seven of the riders on the full-time entry list have previously won Grand Prix races. Between them, these seven riders have scored 43 Grand Prix race wins; the only rider who has won in the premier class is Sete Gibernau.
Two of the riders competing in MotoE in 2019 have won the 125cc World Championship: Mike Di Meglio (2008) and Nico Terol (2011).
The oldest rider is Sete Gibernau, who will be 46 years 204 days old at the opening race of the year in Germany. The other MotoE rider past the age of 35 in Sachsenring are Randy De Puniet (38 years 143 days old) and Alex De Angelis (35 years 131 days old).
The youngest rider on the MotoE entry list is Mattia Casadei, who will be 20 years and five days old when he lines up on the grid.
On this day…
At the 1950 Belgian GP, Umberto Masetti won the 500cc race, becoming the first rider to reach a race average speed over 100 mph.
In 1977 at the Belgian GP, Barry Sheene won the 500cc race with an average speed of 217.370 km/h, which is the highest ever average speed in the premier class. 70 years ago, Les Graham won the 500cc race in Berne, which was the first of the six premier class races held in Switzerland.
20 years ago, at the 1999 British GP, Alex Criville won the 500cc race – his fifth of that season on his way to clinching the title – on what was his 100th start in the premier class, despite injuries sustained in Assen. At the 1982 Belgian GP, Freddie Spencer (20 years 196 days) won the 500cc race becoming the youngest rider to win in the premier class at time; a record hold until the 2013 Americas GP with Marc Marquez (20 years 63 days). That was also the first Honda victory since the Canadian GP 1967.
At the British GP held in Donington, Simon Crafar won the 500cc race, becoming the third rider from New Zealand to win a Grand Prix race in the premier class. At the 1970 Belgian GP, Christian Ravel finished second behind Giacomo Agostini in 500cc, becoming the youngest French rider to stand on the podium until Fabio Quartararo in Catalunya earlier this year.
At the 1980 Belgian GP held in Zolder for the only time, Randy Mamola became the youngest rider to win in the premier class at that time, while another American rider, Freddie Spencer, made his Grand Prix debut. At the same Belgian GP, soon-to-be MotoGP Legend Stefan Dörflinger won the 50cc race, which was the first of his 18 GP wins, seven years after making his GP debut. At the 1958 Belgian GP, Alberto Gandossi won the 125cc race, giving Ducati the first of their 52 wins so far in GP racing.
At the 1963 Belgian GP, Fumio Ito won the 250cc race, giving Yamaha the first of their 503 Grand Prix wins.
Thursday means it’s Press Conference day so ahead of track action at the HJC Helmets Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was joined by Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team), who recently re-signed with the Bologna factory squad, as well as rookie sensation Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Dutch TT winner Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and rookie Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar).
First on the agenda for Marquez, who spoke first, was the Championship – and he’s got a good points buffer coming into the last race before the summer break, as well as nine wins from pole in a row at the Sachsenring…
“I feel good, I feel good because we are in a very good position in the championship. We’re in good form. Of course in Assen we had a really good weekend. It was one of our worst during practice but in the race we took 20 important points. We will see during the weekend. The opponents will show us the level, the target is to work in the best way, try to be competitive from the beginning and then we will see. Everyone expects a victory. Austin is the worst part on the calendar in the first part… We will try to be focused.
“For me, our key point, the most import thing is consistency. To have a bike and setup that is working pretty much good at all tracks and this is how to win a championship. And it’s the way were working. Doesn’t mean some weekend arrives somebody… for me in all weekends we need to be fast enough to be on the podium. We are working in that way, in that way our strong points are a little bit weaker but our weak points are a bit stronger so we need to manage in a good way.”
Crutchlow in doubt for German GP
On the eve of the German GP Cal Crutchlow sustained a knee injury on his bicycle but remains hopeful of proving competitive once the action gets underway on Friday.
Cal Crutchlow
“I’m heading into the weekend with a bit of an injury to my right leg as yesterday, when I was out training on my bicycle, I slipped whilst I was off the bike checking something and hit my knee. There’s a small damage to one of the ligaments, which we think is the ACL, and we’ve had to have some fluid removed as it was swollen. We’ll have to see how I feel tomorrow on the bike, but hopefully I can bend the knee enough to be able to be competitive this weekend.”
Petrucci secures Ducati contract extension
Next up was Petrucci, and for him it was a little more a longer term talking point than simply Sunday’s race, with the Italian having been announced as remaining at the factory Ducati Team. Naturally, that dominated the first part of what he talked about.
“For sure it was a thing that both parts wanted to continue, this adventure,” says the Mugello winner. “The first part of this season has been very, very good. Since the first interview, I’ve said my target was to stay in this team for as many years as possible. Now, in the next season, I have a big opportunity. Now everybody says I can race with less pressure but actually we’re fighting for the top three in the championship and both Andrea and I want to enjoy some better races than Assen. We have a very, very big challenge. We’re halfway through the season and I think we can now be more focused on the track than off the track.
“In Assen, it was one of the strangest weekends of the year because on Saturday morning the bike was perfect, I rode one of the best bikes I’ve ever ridden, but in the afternoon, it was the opposite. Just two hours later with the hot temperature. In the Sunday, we sorted our problem a little bit but for sure it was big gap to Maverick.
“We have to work on those conditions. For sure, we must work better with Andrea for a better strategy in qualifying, not the races because we’re free to do what we want. For sure, to be faster than our challengers is hard, the competition is really high.”
Fabio Quartararo took to the mic next, and the Frenchman kept it short and sweet. Off the back of a second premier class podium and becoming the youngest ever rider to take back-to-back premier class poles, it’s all going well – despite his ongoing recovery from arm pump surgery.
“First of all its good to be back on a weekend,” he begins, with Germany arriving so soon after the Dutch TT. “Assen was really positive for us. We made really good pace in the first part of the race and for sure, here being at the new track for us on a MotoGP bike means I’m looking forward to it.”
So did he do some homework ahead of his Sachsenring debut?
“Yeah! I looked at the last few races here in MotoGP and it looks like the Yamaha is working well at this track. At all the tracks the bike has been working well and I expect the same from this track.”
At Assen, especially, the Yamaha was working well, especially in the hands of eventual winner Maverick Viñales. On the top step for the first time this year for rider and manufacturer, was that win important? In a word, yes.
“It was very important. Especially to prove the work that we do on Friday and Saturday finally was then also done on Sunday. That was the most important, to keep working, keep fighting as always and prove we can be there fighting for the races.”
And at Germany? It’s a tall ask to beat the unbeaten, but history has shown no one is unbeatable. “I think Honda and Marc are the favourites, they are the ones to beat. We’ll try follow their speed, but it’ll be very difficult for sure. We’ll try and work in the same mentality as Montmelo and Assen, try be strong every session and then you never know. In the race you never know, we’ll prepare for the race the best we can and then let’s see. But the motivation is there, I feel really good, I have nothing to lose so I’ll push to maximum.”
Morbidelli shared some thoughts after his fellow Yamaha rider, after equalling his best premier class result last time out.
“Well…it’s been a good season so far. We were strong, we were having quite a good speed. Maybe we didn’t get what we were aiming for in some races due to crashes and mistakes. The speed is there, I’m having fun on the bike, of course there is always room to improve, there’s always room to improve, but its going well and I’m having fun.
“Sachsenring is a track where somehow I have always been fast from the first year I was here, I don’t know why. But that was Moto2. We will see what will happen in MotoGP, I didn’t ride last year due to injury. As Fabio said and as you know, the Yamaha works pretty well here so I am curious to see how the bike will react and how I will go at the track.”
Mir was the final man on the mic and he, of course, is also gearing up to ride the track for the first time on a premier class machine. After a tougher few races after a solid debut in Qatar, Assen saw him lead for the first time and get back in the mix.
“The truth is that during the first races I was struggling a little bit: bad luck, some mistakes; rookie mistakes sometimes. Now it looks like from Barcelona we’ve made a step every time. I’ve been stronger and can finish in good positions. It looks like we’re going in a good way, which I’m happy about. It’s my first time on a MotoGP bike here so it’ll be interesting to see how I react and how strong I can be. In past years we haven’t seen any good Suzuki results here, maybe we’ve struggled a bit, but this year we have a competitive bike at all tracks so let’s see.
“In the past, I have been quite strong here, winning some races. But also, this is MotoGP, it’s another story but I’m looking forward to it.”
Germany has knocked back a plea by a Sikh rider to wear a turban instead of a helmet on religious grounds.
However, the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig says wearing a helmet does not infringe on Sikhs’ freedom of worship.
It follows the appeal plea by a Sikh man who also argued that the helmet would not fit over his turban.
Applications for turbans to be worn instead of helmets have also been knocked back in France.
Denmark is cracking down on helmet exemptions that require a doctor’s note or a legitimate non-medical reason such as religious grounds.
Exemptions
Sikhs are exempt from wearing motorcycle helmets in Indian, Pakistan (in Peshawar only), the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and British Columbia, and the UK introduced the exemption in 1976.
In New Zealand, Sikhs can ride with a turban instead of a helmet at speeds under 60km/h.
The Sikh Motorcycle Club of Australia told us in 2017 that motorcycle and bicycle helmet rules are discriminatory.
They were calling for an exemption for all cyclists and for motorcyclists and scooterists riding at low speeds only.
Founding member Daljeet Singh told us that while initiated male and female Sikhs must cover their hair with a turban, Sikh Motorcycle Club members wear a bandana-style scarf underneath their helmets.
The Central Coast of NSW Sikhs say they have campaigned to Coffs Coast Council for the right to not wear helmets on city streets signposted up to 60km/h.
However, the matter would have to be decided by the NSW Centre for Road Safety (CRS). Neither council nor the CRS can find any record of contact from the group.
There are about 126,000 Sikhs in Australia, according to the 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics census. It is the fifth largest religion after Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism.
Victoria has seen the sharpest increase in the number of Sikhs with 52,762. The state with the second highest Sikh population is NSW with 31,737 Sikhs, Queensland 17,433, Western Australia 11,897, South Australia 8808, ACT 2142 and Northern Territory and Tasmania have under 700 Sikhs each.
Unshorn hair (‘Kesh’) are also an essential part of the Sikh Code of Conduct. This makes Turban an essential part of a Sikh’s attire. Like the ‘Kirpan’ issue, this is another issue where the Government and its departments as well as the wider Australian community need to be informed about the importance of the Turban for a Sikh. More importantly, in order to tackle the hate crimes and discrimination based on the ‘looks’ the Australian community is being educated about the distinction between a Sikh and other members of the community who may also wear a Turban or cover their head or perhaps may look the same due to other items of clothing (for example the salwar and kameez for the women).
Hopefully the Government will introduce measures which will allow the wider Australian community to be more aware and tolerant and not discriminate against someone wearing a Turban and not assume that they might be a terrorist.
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