“I stopped Rins every time because he wanted to be faster too soon, and that was bad for the tyre and I was right,” continued the Italian. “I stop him every time, fortunately I have more power on the straight. I lose a little bit of time in the middle of the corner because his speed in the middle of the corner is amazing, but I was able to overtake him every time and stop him and continue to save the tyre, that was the key to try and put Marc on the limit in the last few laps. And that was the key, I’m so happy I was able to do that.”
Yamaha Active8 Yamalube contender third on both days in Toowoomba.
Image: Foremost Media.
Two-time Under 19’s champion Michael Driscoll has made a stunning start to his rookie season in the E1 category, landing on the podium in both rounds one and two of Toowoomba’s Yamaha bLU cRU Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) stop over the weekend.
The Yamaha Active8 Yamaha Racing rider strung together a pair thirds in the brutally tough conditions, making for an impressive start in the highly-competitive category.
Strengthening his weekend were two solid times in the unofficial outright classification, recording the sixth fastest overall time on both days aboard his WR250F.
“The weekend was a great start to the championship for me with two good results and some consistency across the whole weekend,” Driscoll commented. “I was a little off Luke and Lyndon in a couple of the tests, but it gives me plenty of motivation to keep working on my riding and get onto the level of those two and battle for the championship.
“But I am really happy with the progress I have made over the off-season and I feel like I’m on the right path. Thanks to Josh Green for his help and also to the team fore their support and hopefully this is the start of a great year for us all.”
The E1 class was taken out by Driscoll’s teammate Luke Styke on Saturday, while KTM Enduro Racing Team’s Lyndon Snodgrass traded places with the reigning champion on Sunday.
Sunday’s round two in Toowomba declared three tests in.
Image: Foremost Media.
KTM Enduro Racing Team’s Daniel Milner has addressed safety concerns alongside fellow riders that ultimately led to a shortened day of racing at Toowoomba’s second round of the Yamaha bLU cRU Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) yesterday.
With a severe lack of moisture, conditions were brutally dry for both Saturday and Sunday’s racing, prompting officials to release riders in 40-second intervals for round two, which saw the pro class take on a far less forgiving circuit than Saturday’s opener.
Milner, who topped the outright and E2 times on both days of racing, was one of a large selection of top riders and team managers to unite following the third test and approach officials with their thoughts on the conditions, expressing safety as a priority, resulting in Sunday’s proceedings being declared.
“I think it got to the point where it was too dangerous,” Milner told MotoOnline.com.au. “That’s when all of us riders came in and said the same thing – Chucky said ‘come on, let’s go down and talk to the officials and get them to sort it out’. We all went down there, had a chat, and put our thoughts out there.
“It’s us that are racing out there, not them, so that’s where they have to see it in our eyes and see what we’re dealing with. When you have that many riders saying the same thing, it speaks for itself. It’s one of those thing where you have to pull it up before someone gets seriously hurt.
“The only people that seem to have a problem with that were the ones who weren’t in the lead and were real close to getting the lead – if it was the other way around, they would definitely want it cancelled, that’s for sure. It’s a bit disappointing to see that, but it’s good no one got seriously hurt.”
The reigning AORC, ISDE, and A4DE champion described the circuit as one the toughest he’s ridden in recent years, explaining the high speeds and an extremely dry surface created a ‘scary’ encounter.
“It was really technical and a bit scary to be honest. There were a lot of downhills that were really fast with sketchy rocks – it was pretty much survival mode. Chucky and I both had a real big off in the last one just going for it – we weren’t doing anything stupid or anything, we just got caught out on a couple bumps.
“I think I went down a little earlier than he did – he just got into my dust and then had a big one. Condition wise, it’s probably the hardest track I’ve ridden in a long time. The ISDE has difficult tracks, but they seem to hold together a lot more and they’re a bit slower in spots, where as this was a lot faster.
“It was pretty scary, but I’m stoked to come away from the weekend unscathed and only taking a bit of bark off the arm – I got away with it pretty good.”
The Australian Off-Road Championship returns to action on 6-7 April in Dungog, New South Wales, for rounds three and four.
Australian extracting positive feeling from unfortunate situation.
Image: Supplied.
Jack Miller was forced to make an early retirement from Qatar’s opening round of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship after experiencing a seat malfunction in the beginning stages.
The Pramac Racing ace, who qualified in P4, started the 22-lap encounter strongly immediately moving into second, however his seat foam malfunctioned, prompting the Australian to ditch the unit.
Pushing on, albeit towards the rear of the field, Miller called time on the race approximatively half way through the encounter after struggling to control his Ducati Desmosedici GP19.
“It’s a real shame because we went very fast through the whole weekend and I was convinced that I could stay with the leading group until the end,” Miller explained.
“Unfortunately, after the problem with the seat, I couldn’t control the bike in the corners and it was impossible to keep on. All things considered, the feeling is still positive and I can’t wait to be in Argentina.”
If I pass roads with names such as Goat Track or Hell Hole Creek Road, it’s like a red rag to a bull and I simply have to explore it.
Sometimes these roads have warning signs that ban trucks or caravans, or warn of tight curves, gravel and other hazards.
It’s only more reason to explore further.
Road names
But it’s the road names themselves that sometimes give the best hint as to what lies ahead, especially if it includes of the following words.
Old, Historic, Heritage: if these words are present, it indicates the original road before bulldozers and surveyors with theodolites carved a straight line through the hills. These roads follow the natural contours, usually in a very entertaining fashion.
Way, Drive, Track: while you should avoid anything called a motorway or freeway, words such as Way, Drive and Track usually indicate much more fun. However, even some highways can be motorcycle roads. Anything called a street should probably be avoided at all costs.
Scenic, Vista, View: often these indicate roads that wind around a mountain, although they are also used by land developers to dupe buyers into purchasing a block which has much less than panoramic views.
Hill, Mountain, Ridge, Range: if any of these words are present in a road’s name, you have a pretty safe bet that it will be fun.
Valley, Gorge, Canyon: same deal.
Creek, River, Dam: ditto. The word “River” in a road’s name can even make a flat plains road interesting as rivers meander more through flat land.
Welcome to Hell Hole Creek Rd!
So, if you see a “Gravel road” sign on “Old Farmview River Track”, click down a gear and have fun. That’s a motorcycle-friendly road bonanza!
GPS to your aid
If you get lost you may eventually need to consult Google maps or your GPS to find your way home.
Riders should be able to choose to pay a 5c-per-kilometre congestion tax in return for lower rego under a proposal by a leading transport economist.
Sydney University transport economist Professor David Hensher says the congestion tax could cut peak hour traffic up to 10% or to “school holiday” levels.
His plan would be cost-neutral for motorists as it would include a reduction in registration charges.
Motorcycles exempt
However, motorcycles and scooters only could choose to be exempt from the proposal in recognition that bikes reduce congestion and have a lower road impact.
This is in accord with the Belgian consultancy Transport & Mobility Leuven study that found if 10% of all private cars were replaced by motorcycles, it would reduce traffic congestion by 40%. If 25% went from steering wheel to handlebar, traffic congestion would cease.
It also acknowledges motorcycle lane filtering laws that ease traffic congestion because they take motorcycles out of the queue at traffic lights and other snarls.
The Professor says the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies research he headed found that “70% of road users would be prepared travel in off-peak periods if given a financial incentive to do so and to save time”.
He rejected the NSW government’s policy of cutting registration fees for motorists who paid more than a certain amount in tolls over a 12-month period as it would only subsidise toll operator Transurban.
“Sydney now has more toll roads than any other city in the world,” he says.
“Transurban basically controls our road network and that is a problem because it is a commercial concern, not one that’s going to benefit society as a whole.”
Professor Hensher has proposed a trial of his 5c/km tax with several hundred motorists in return for reduced registration charges.
“They may also choose to stay in the peak and drive or switch to the free off peak time and drive or even consider using public transport,” he says.
While the original plan was to include all motorists, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies founding director Professor David Hensher says authorities should look at exempting motorcycles and scooters.
He says the exemption makes sense since the aim of the proposal is to move cars out of peak hours.
“So motorbikes could be exempt as is the case in London initially when they had a congestion charge into Central London,” he says.
However, from April 2019 the new London Ultra Low Emissions Zone will charge £12.50 (about $A23) a day for motorcycles and scooters that do not meet Euro 3 emissions standards.
Congestion tax and bike bans
Singapore traffic congestion
Cities around the world have introduced or are introducing congestion charges and bans on motorcycles not only to reduce traffic congestion but also air pollution:
Singapore has road-user charges in a CBD zone resulting in a 20% reduction in delays and plans to ban pre-2003 motorcycles throughout the city in 10 years;
Milan’s Ecopass charges all vehicles entering a designated traffic restricted zone and bans old cars and bikes that do not meet set emissions standards;
A cordon charge in Stockholm has led to 24% fewer commuter trips by car (motorcycles and scooters are exempt), with most people switching to public transport and Gothenburg following the same example;
China and Brazil are considering congestion charges in various cities;
Oregon, USA, has trialled a voluntary pay-per-mile distance charge resulting in a 22% drop in traffic in peak hours and a 91% approval by participants; and
London’s Low Emissions Zone charge has helped stabilise traffic congestion over the past decade despite population growth of 1.3 million. Motorcycles, scooters and electric vehicles are exempt, but from next month some older bikes will cop a £12.50 daily fee to access the new London Ultra Low Emissions Zone.
Riders everywhere should be concerned because these taxes and bans are likely to become more widespread in other congested cities in future.
In 2017, the Grattan Institute suggested congestion charges in Sydney and Melbourne during peak hours.
Last year, Melbourne’s Reducing Traffic for Better Streets paper suggested a charge per kilometre to replace vehicle registration fees and/or fuel excise.
The Federal Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics also recommends a similar tax in major cities saying congestion costs Australia upwards of $16 billion each year.
“I’m super happy about this win, especially because after the tests I wouldn’t have expected to be so fast. We stayed focused and we made progress in each session. Our strategy in the race was simply to preserve the tyre, and this made the difference, but it wasn’t easy because I led for most of the race and I couldn’t really study my opponents. Marquez gave it everything he could, as usual, and pushed me to the limit. We made the most of our strenghths, that is, acceleration and top speed, but we still need to improve our corner speed. This year there are plenty of quick riders and it’ll be crucial not to lose too many points on less favorable tracks. We need to keep our feet on the ground and continue working in this direction.”
Andrea Dovizioso – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Marc Marquez – P2
“It was exactly the same as last year! I tried to push hard but here when you overtake you just run wide and you can’t keep the line. I tried to be there, to push a little and just be there until the end. I’m very happy with these 20 points because normally we struggle here and this weekend especially we worked a lot. We changed some things that meant I couldn’t push like I normally do in braking. But we finished the race and take good points.”
Marc Marquez – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Cal Crutchlow – P3
“It’s great to even be back racing in MotoGP, let alone come away with a podium finish, but my LCR Honda Castrol Team did a great job. We worked hard this weekend because the tests were a bit of a waste of time for me. This weekend has been difficult, and if you had asked me after warm-up if I’d finish on the podium I would have laughed! I played my cards in the race, I felt good and once we started the race myself and Marc Marquez had similar tactics – saving the rear tyre and managing things a little bit more. What a great start to the season for everybody, for my team, for the riders and the fans here in Qatar and for the people watching at home. It seems every race in MotoGP is always a battle and it was nice to be in it and race and get a podium. It’s a dream to be honest. At one point we didn’t know if I was going to be coming back at all.”
Cal Crutchlow – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Alex Rins – P4
“It was an incredible start to the season, it shows all the hard work we’ve done in the winter. The race pace was quite slow and I was constantly trying to get to the front to pull a gap, but Dovi and Marquez overtook me down the straight and it was difficult. We know this isn’t our best track but I felt good and we’re all pleased with this result.”
Alex Rins – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Valentino Rossi – P5
“We worked hard from yesterday to today, we modified the setting of the bike, also for the race we made some other adjustments. We worked well and I’m happy, it was a good race. I felt good with the bike today and I also enjoyed coming from the back, so it’s not so bad. I arrived in fifth, that’s good, especially because I’m 0.6s from the victory, but at this track we are always good. We have to keep working because in some other places maybe we’ll have more problems, but we’ll take this result. I tried to get on the podium, but I was not strong enough.”
Valentino Rossi – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Danilo Petrucci – P6
“My sixth place is still positive because we scored important points for the championship. Unfortunately, I was hindered by a less than optimal start, but the race pace wasn’t very fast and I was able to recover positions quite quickly. Still, I struggled to pass other riders and push hard in braking. In retrospect, choosing the soft tyre for both the front and rear was a gamble, but we expected the temperatures to drop further and we also weren’t as fast as usual on the straight. That said, the championship has just begun and I’m confident we’ll bounce back soon.”
Danilo Petrucci – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Maverick Vinales – P7
“At the start I got a lot of wheelie, I couldn’t keep the gas fully open and I missed the inside a little bit, so I couldn’t keep a good line. Obviously, we have to improve the bike. When I’m alone I can do really good lap times, even in the middle of the race I could ride 1’55s-lows on my own, but as soon as I’m behind another rider I suffer this lack of grip on the rear, and I couldn’t attack and overtake. We have to improve, and so do I. We need to keep working. The positive point is that we now know where we have to improve, and this is very important.”
Maverick Vinales – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Joan Mir – P8
“I’m so happy about the race. We showed good pace in FP4 and I was able to bring this speed to the race. I learned a lot from the top guys and this was one of the most important and interesting things about this race for me. It was a shame that my tyre went off a bit at the end so I was unable to push more, but anyway, I hope to continue this way – improving race by race, and trying to stay with the front guys.”
Alex Rins – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Takaaki Nakagami – P9
“It was a bit of a struggle today, but I’m really comfortable on the bike and, especially at the start of the race, I felt really strong. Last year, I struggled to get the speed I wanted after the start, but this time there was a real improvement I think. After that I was a little bit disturbed by (Joan) Mir and (Jack) Miller during the race. After that I tried to overtake them and maintain my rhythm and, in the end, the lap time was quite good. The race was good and I’m really happy to finish in the top 10, of course we can still improve but, for the first race, P9 is not so bad. The team looks happy so I’m happy as well!”
Takaaki Nakagami – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Aleix Espargaro – P10
“Not bad at all! Finishing in the top ten for the first race is definitely positive. Since I started well, I tried to stay up with the leaders. Our engine is now competitive, especially in the top gears, and I have good speed on the straight, but with the new tyre, I never had good traction. Then, grip started to drop for everyone, I felt very competitive. It’s a shame that we lost a lot of time overtaking Miller, but when I did, I was also able to get past Morbidelli and finish in the top ten. We can build our growth on this good result.”
Aleix Espargaro – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Franco Morbidelli – P11
“I would split my race tonight into two parts. The first half was good despite a bad start, because I was able to recover positions easily, run with the front group and manage the tyres. Unfortunately, we made a bad choice with the rear tyre and went for the soft option when the majority of riders went for the medium. I had to make the tyre last for as long as I could, but from around the halfway stage I started to struggle to stay with the group. It is a shame because we had the pace to finish higher up and we worked really well, being reasonably strong throughout the weekend, so we need to focus on the positives and keep this dynamic going in Argentina.”
Franco Morbidelli – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Pol Espargaro – P12
“A mix of feelings but we must be happy because the gap to first place is not so far. We were close…but we also finished twelfth. It feels like it’s good, but also that it’s not enough. When you are close to the top guys you start to look what is going on and thinking about where we lose such a small gap per lap. I think we are talking 0.3 per lap: it is not much. I think it is in some acceleration. We are so close but twelve seconds away.”
Pol Espargaro – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Jorge Lorenzo – P13
“There are many positive things today even if where we finished is not what we thought we could achieve. I was very limited by the crash yesterday, it was a very big impact everywhere and especially on my shoulder. It limited everything. From then, I was always slower than at the start of the weekend. I had some problems in the opening laps and lost about three or four seconds there. Without doubt we have much more potential and if we’re not unlucky we can be stronger.”
Jorge Lorenzo – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Andrea Iannone – P14
“Overall, it was a positive race. On my début with Aprilia, we finished 14 seconds behind the leader and that means that we worked well. There was no lack of difficulties: on the first turn I lost the left winglet due to contact and that certainly didn’t help. I am pleased, we improve every time we go out onto the track and a team of skilled people who believe in me has my back. These are fundamental ingredients that allow me to be positive. We are on the right path.”
Andrea Iannone – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Johann Zarco – P15
“The beginning of the race was pretty good. I was controlling the bike well and the others were not much stronger than me. It was a good way to analyse the performance of the others. I’m happy because I expected to have some struggles but I saw other riders were also having problems: I know at the moment we don’t have the package for winning, not even for the top five but with good work and good control I really trust that a top ten is possible and that is the target throughout the year. Let’s see in Argentina if I can catch it. I wanted it here but because of the up-and-down of Friday and Saturday finally I was not ready. That is part of experience, and doing 22 laps in a row was really important and the first time we do it. I have a factory team and I know they have the quality to make a strong analysis of this race.”
Johann Zarco – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Fabio Quartararo – P16
“I made a mistake before the start, which was a shame, but it is better to make mistakes at the start of the season rather than in the middle. The first lap was very difficult because the tyres were still cold so I had to really concentrate under braking, I stayed calm and was very careful until the tyres got up to temperature before I increased my rhythm and pushed. I struggled a little towards the end of the race but I am happy with the job we have done here during the weekend and also at the test. The biggest thing I learned from my first Grand Prix is that it is much harder to overtake in this category than it is in Moto2 and Moto3, but we did learn a lot during the race. I want to thank the team for all their support during my first Grand Prix in this category. Now I can’t wait for the next one.”
Fabio Quartararo – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Miguel Oliveira – P17
“The race was quite interesting. I was trying to keep up with this little group of Aleix Esparagaro and Taka Nakagami and after seven, eight laps to go I felt a big drop of tyre, I had a lot of sliding with vibration on the rear, so I honestly thought the tyre was going to explode. Obviously, I couldn’t do much. I’m disappointed, because I knew I could have finished in the points. It was quite hard to manage it, but anyway, I’m glad we finished the race, I had good fun and gathered some good information.”
Miguel Oliveira – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Hafizh Syahrin – P20
“It has been a difficult race for me. We have a big gap to the front and I don’t know how to explain it well. I couldn’t keep the pace and while I played with the electronics the gap got bigger and bigger. To be honest, I’m slow at the moment and I don’t have the confidence to push more. I try to learn from today’s race and improve further. I’m disappointed with myself, but we keep on working hard, we are patient and I hope it’s coming soon.”
Hafozh Syahrin – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Pecco Bagnaia – DNF
“I got off to a good start taking a line that allowed me to gain positions. In the first corner, however, there was a very aggressive overtaking on Petrucci who touched me breaking the right wing. I tried but it was impossible to continue. It was a good weekend in which we worked well and the first laps were important to understand how the others ride”.
Pecco Bagnaia – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Jack Miller – DNF
“It’s a real shame because we went very fast through the whole weekend and I was convinced that I could stay with the leading group until the end. Unfortunately, after the problem with the seat, I couldn’t control the bike in the corners and it was impossible to keep on. All things considered, the feeling is still positive and I can’t wait to be in Argentina”.
Jack Miller – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Bradley Smith – DNF
“It was not the weekend finale that we expected. As we had already figured during the tests, after the first 5 laps in which I felt very good, we inevitably began to lose ground. During the final laps, I tried to pick up the pace a bit, but I crashed on turn 1. We’ll need to analyse this behaviour well. We have some ideas about it already and we’ll start working on it as early as the next tests in Jerez.”
Team Managers
Luigi Dall’Igna – Ducati Corse General Manager
“We couldn’t have started the season off in a better way. Hats off to Dovizioso, who rode a clever race, without making mistakes, preserving the tyres and managing the situation until the very last corner, where he played his cards wisely. Thanks also to the team, who worked hard all winter to make sure we were ready for Qatar. We’ll keep putting in the same effort to allow both our riders to be protagonists in the next races.”
Andrea Dovizioso – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“After yesterday’s qualifying, the team worked really hard to prepare something for Vale to give him a better feeling for the race. He did a great job riding to fifth place, especially considering that he had to come through mid-pack, which is always a bit chaotic. He was only 0.600s off the race win. Coming from 14th on the grid, that is a solid achievement. It’s a shame Maverick couldn’t exploit his pole position today. His rhythm in the middle and towards the end of the race was pretty good, but unfortunately the rear tyre he used in the race was performing less when he was riding behind another rider. We will try to find out what the reason is for this change. These are not the results we were hoping for at the opening round, but it’s an indication of where we can improve. We will regroup and learn from this GP weekend and this race day, to prepare for the next round in three weeks’ time.”
Valentino Rossi – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Wilco Zeelenberg – PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team Manager
“I want to start off by thanking the team for their excellent work throughout preseason and here at the first round of the season. Everything went really well up until the race. I think that’s the best way to summarise the Qatar GP! Fabio [Quartararo] stalled the bike on the grid and had to start from pit lane. Unfortunately, it was a small mistake that had a big consequence. However, he didn’t throw in the towel and he put together a strong pace in the race, making it up to sixteenth. Morbidelli didn’t have an easy start, dropping from 8th to 12th on the first lap. Then he had to push to recover, whilst managing the tyres, but after fifteen laps the left side was very worn and the performance dropped off, losing speed and a lot of time under acceleration. 11th and 16th position was not what we were hoping for from this GP, but considering the exceptionally high level of this championship and the difficulties we ran into on Sunday, we can be proud of the job we did.
Fabio Quartararo – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Davide Brivio – Suzuki ECSTAR Team Manager
“It has been a great race and we were very close to the front – fighting for the win for the whole race. Alex did a great job and achieved a lot, despite the fact that our bike suffers a bit on the straight. We feel very positive because this isn’t our best track but we still had a very good result. Joan put together an incredible debut, we hoped he would be in with a group so he could learn, and it turned out he was in the best possible group to get important lessons! He made some great moves and fought with the fastest guys.”
Alex Rins – Qatar MotoGP 2019
Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Team Manager
“Round one and generally we are really happy to have four bikes on the grid and have all four finish: this sounds like something quite easy but it is not always like that. Both Pol and Johann were quite happy with the performance of the bike and we know we have to improve our package and continue to grow. When we first came here we were thirty seconds from the race winner and we have to be realistic. This was never an easy track for us but in the middle of the race we were only 5-6 seconds away and this is very motivating for everybody in the team to keep pushing. We have eighteen more races now and we will try often as possible to get into these top ten positions.”
Throttle and bottle may not usually mix, but it does when Indian Motorcycle and Jack Daniel’s get together to produce yet another gorgeous limited-edition motorcycle like this Springfield Dark Horse.
In the US and Canada the bike will cost $36,999 (about $US52,600) and will only available in those countries via a lottery.
Indian Motorcycle Australia brand manager Peter Harvey says he is not sure how many will be allocated to Australia, but will have pricing and availability details in the next couple of days.
The “standard” Springfield Dark Horse costs $35,995 ride away, but this bike adds a ton of customisation.
Plus buyers will get a Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel bottle display and have their name engraved on the bike together with the limited-edition number and VIN.
There will only be 177 bikes produced to signify the Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Brand trademark. They will be delivered in September.
The 2020 Jack Daniel’s Limited Edition Indian Springfield Dark Horse features Heavy Metal Crystal and Thunder Black Vivid Crystal paint inspired by the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select packaging.
Indian’s craftsmen have hand-painted the graphics and custom Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select badging. There are also Single Barrel Select wood-grain finishes on the saddlebag hinges and tank badge.
Other styling features include:
Premium leather gunfighter seat and tank strap with Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select logo;
Rider and passenger floorboards with Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select engraving;
There will also be a charity auction for the Jack Daniel’s Limited Edition Indian Springfield Dark Horse #001, it will through Richie Bros Auction Company in Arizona.
All proceeds go to the Jack Daniel’s Operation Ride Home, a military-related charity that reunites service member families during the holidays.
Australian Broc Parkes has described his weekend at Sepang International Circuit’s opening round of the 2019 Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) in Malaysia as a ‘mixed bag’ after lodging a 3-5 scorecard.
Contesting the newly-introduced ASB1000 with Yamaha Racing Team ASEAN, Parkes started the weekend strongly by placing his YZF-R1 on provisional pole at the conclusion of practice before qualifying in sixth position.
The Endurance World Championship (EWC) regular charged through for third in the opening encounter on Saturday, returning on Sunday to complete the outing in P5.
“Bit of a mixed bag for the first round of the ARRC,” said Parkes. “Happy to come away second in the championship and a podium. Expectations were higher but we will fix a few things and come back stronger for round two in Australia. Thanks Yamaha and team.”
Positioned second in the standings, Parkes will make his next ARRC appearance at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia, scheduled for 25-18 April and set to run in conjunction with round three of the Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK).
Festival Director Peter Woods says the number of new attractions planned for the free event would help attract more than 6000 people.
“This year we are presenting a big focus on adventure hike riding, Peter said.
“Adventure motorcycling is becoming increasingly popular as more and more people opt for taking their bike off road,” he says.
“We are going to celebrate everything to do with adventure bikes and riding, and hopefully inspire riders to get out and give it a go.”
Billy Biketruck
Billy Ward
Helping to inspire riders will be Charley Boorman’s sidekick Billy Ward, or Billy Biketruck as he is known.
we met Billy when he joined Charley several years for a motorcycle tour to the Flinders Ranges and he is an extremely funny and entertaining speaker.
He’s also a very competent adventure rider who has recently returned from a filming trip through Afghanistan with Claudio von Planta who filmed Charley and Ewan McGregor in Long Way Round.
Billy (left) and Claudio
“It started – as so many good stories do – with excessive alcohol consumption, and ended up with a trip through a war zone,” Billy says of his Afghan trek.
“Though standing on the front line in Mosul surrounded by military of one type or another, listening to the coalition jets above made me ponder ‘What the feck am I doing here?’.
“An incredible journey into the Middle East with Claudio opened up my eyes to many things — political, social, economic, power and control. Our legacy, if we have one should be our understanding. My story is about how I fell into this adventure and how wonderfully good and bad, people can be.”
Billy will tell his story at the festival and present some videos and photos of his trip in what he calls an exciting, funny and sad story, with only a little bit of nudity!
Catch Billy at the York Mill on the Saturday at 3pm, and Sunday at 1pm.
Billy with Chris Vermeulen and Charley Boorman
Free York festival
The family-friendly free festival includes the usual Mt Brown vintage hillclimb, show and shine competition, vintage collective markets, children’s bike rides, displays of new bikes and products, and the Harley-Davidson family concert in Peace Park from 4pm.
Aussie stunt rider Lukey Luke will stage stunt shows burning up South St on his new BMW F800R on the Sunday and champion trials rider Neil Price will demonstrate his amazing skills.
Lukey Luke
If you want to joinin the fun, you can enter the hillclimb. Riders get two timed passes and need to replicate the next three timed passes as close to their nominated time as possible.
The York Motorcycle Festival will raise funds for beyondblue with a charity ride for on the Sunday from Midland Gate Shopping Centre carpark, Great Eastern Highway, from 8.30am.
Cost is $10 per rider, $5 per pillion, and all money goes to beyondblue.
There is plenty of motorcycle parking available on Avon Terrace and throughout the town.
The York Motorcycle Festival is supported by Department of Tourism Western Australia, Department of Regional Development, Royalties for Regions and the Shire of York, and proudly sponsored by Shannons Insurance, Harley-Davidson, 5 Star Yamaha and Indian Motorcycles.
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