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Moto2™ World Champion and Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s Remy Gardner has successfully undergone an operation on his right wrist after suffering a minor fracture. The Australian had to have two screws inserted in his arm as a result of a motocross training incident, but initial reports from Dr Xavier Mir in Barcelona are positive.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
People have been creating top 10 lists for years proffering opinions as to what the best motorcycle movies of all time are. The internet has only further clouded the debate, having granted the hordes—well-informed and otherwise—a soapbox to sound off on the subject. Instead of a “best of” list to add to the morass, I thought it might be more illuminating to explore how the image of motorcycles has evolved over the years in tinsel town, focusing on a handful of Hollywood films that shaped perceptions.
Since the earliest days of motion pictures motorcycles have made appearances. Initially employed merely as props, presented as action devices or comic relief, motorcycles were always an easy add-on to stir up an audience. Plenty of black and white bank heist movies invoked the obligatory cops-on-bikes chase scene.
Related: Coronavirus Quarantine Tips—Watch These Motorcycle Films
Then, in 1953, Hollywood bankrolled a film that placed motorcycles front and center. The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando, blasted onto screens across the country and set the tone for the coming years of how motorcycles and the people who rode them would be regarded. The film was inspired by an article in Life magazine about bikers descending on a small town for a rally. The Hollywood wordsmiths embellished the story, turning it into a sensationalistic movie that had the bikers taking over the town and threatening the moral fabric of its well-heeled citizens. Despite Brando’s pouting good looks, what audiences took away was that motorcyclists were either trouble, or troubled. Teenagers loved it. Parents were alarmed. And Brando began his ascension to stardom. The film is significant in the annals of motorcycling in that it was the first mainstream, studio-backed movie that prominently featured motorcycles—albeit in a somewhat negative light. Motorcycles continued to make their cameos on-screen over the next decade, usually employed as a device to shore up a character’s persona or as a vehicle of danger and/or thrills.
The next significant milestone for motorcycles in the movies came a decade after The Wild One. In 1963, The Great Escape hit theaters. The motorcycle chase sequence of Steve McQueen evading the Nazis on a commandeered Triumph, bounding over the rolling, verdant hills of Germany, culminating with the famous breathtaking leap over the barbed wire border fence, had audiences riveted. (Author’s note: Although McQueen did a majority of the riding, as both himself as well as one of the pursuing Germans, it was Bud Ekins who actually did the jump.) There’s no way to quantify how many people that scene inspired to get on a motorcycle. I was one of them, the sequence instantly putting the motorcycle hook in 5-year-old me. Another was filmmaker Bruce Brown, who was in Japan to promote his surfing film Endless Summer. He went to see the movie and came away thinking, “That looks like fun!”
Although McQueen’s daring motorcycle-riding hero performance undid some of the residue negative stereotypes of The Wild One, the movie studios chose to bet on the more sinister aspects of motorcycles to ensure box office, spawning a rash of low-budget B-grade biker films throughout the ‘60s. The Wild Angels, The Born Losers, Hells Angels on Wheels, and The Glory Stompers, to name just a few, were predominantly of the thugs-on-choppers variety, with rudimentary storylines to justify a lot of boozed-induced rebel-rousing. Although crafted for sheer sensationalism, these exploitation films carried antiestablishment themes, inadvertently reflecting the air of rebellion that was sweeping America in response to the Vietnam War. When Peter Fonda’s character, Heavenly Blues in The Wild Angels, delivered the line, “We want to be free to ride our machines without being hassled by The Man,” he seemed to be speaking directly to the first generation of Americans who had become mistrustful of their government. In some circles these films were regarded as relevant social commentary—a viable argument for art imitating life, and vice versa.
This tumultuous decade came to an end with perhaps the most significant dramatic motorcycle movie yet. Easy Rider, a small, independent film opened to astonishing success. The film effectively rewrote the narrative of motorcycle movies by giving us two chopper-riding characters that defied convention: Peter Fonda as the reserved and quiet Captain America, and Dennis Hopper as the impetuous Billy—with a highly memorable cameo by Jack Nicholson. Ironically, these three actors had helped spearhead the exploitation biker movies several years earlier. Easy Rider (read the Captain America – Easy Rider Chopper Goes Up For Auction article) tapped into the disenchantment of an entire generation grappling with the upheaval of the previous decade, giving young audiences authentic and relatable characters. The theme of two men who go looking for an America that is no longer there, perfectly encapsulated the bewilderment permeating the ‘60s. In a radical departure from the shopworn themes of previous biker films, it’s not the unruly actions of the bikers that seal their fate. Rather, rednecks in the deep South unload twin shotgun barrels into the peaceful long-haired protagonists. The film was a box office smash, much to the surprise of studio executives who couldn’t understand why people were paying money to watch long montages of two guys riding choppers while acid rock and folk songs played on the soundtrack.
The success of Easy Rider helped legitimize motorcycles. This was reflected in the network series Then Came Bronson, a TV show about a disillusioned reporter who goes soul-searching on the Sportster left to him by his best friend after he jumps off the Golden Gate Bridge. The series enjoyed modest success in prime time, suggesting motorcycles were finally shedding the bad reputation. That same year, Little Fauss and Big Halsy, starring heartthrob Robert Redford as a freewheeling motorcycle racer brought megastar legitimacy to a motorcycle-themed movie—though it didn’t translate at the box office.
The next and most significant milestone in motorcycle movies was the groundbreaking documentary On Any Sunday. Released in 1971 it remains the high-water mark for motorcycle enthusiasts. Bruce Brown, having had a huge success with his surfing documentary, Endless Summer, and who was inspired to start riding after seeing McQueen’s leap in The Great Escape, was looking to make a new film. He decided to make a movie that presented motorcycles and the people who rode them through a very different lens, showcasing the world of racing and racers. The result was the holy grail of motorcycle documentaries. Again, studio executives were baffled as to why people were flocking to see 90 minutes of endless motorcycle footage. In a fitting serendipity, Brown made the film with Steve McQueen, who had inspired his indoctrination to motorcycles all those years earlier.
Documentaries notwithstanding, in the years since On Any Sunday, there have been only a handful of dramatic movies that employed motorcycles as an essential element. Electra Glide in Blue, about a disillusioned motorcycle cop who undergoes a fateful change of heart, provided a seamless, genuine bond between motorcycle and character. The beautiful and engaging The Motorcycle Diaries and the biographical The World’s Fastest Indian are two examples of films that integrated motorcycles as important dramatic elements, key to the main character’s path in life as opposed to just being add-ons.
Unfortunately there have been huge cinematic misfires (think Torque and Biker Boyz), which effectively took motorcycles back to the tired, overwrought theme of outlaw thuggery. Over the years motorcycles have received some quaint, yet barely audible lip service in films like Top Gun, The Matrix, No Time to Die, Mission Impossible, etc., all of which fell back on the motorcycle-as-action prop thinking of yesteryear—with increasingly escalating, unrealistic CGI stunts that have become embarrassingly cartoonistic, essentially overlooking the inherent excitement available to straight ahead riding at speed sans all the artificial fluff (i.e., think of the realism of the car chase in Bullitt versus the unrealistic stunts in the Fast and Furious franchise). On television, Sons of Anarchy managed to dust off and resuscitate the corpse of biker gang stereotypes to decent success, while at the movies, motorcycles were reduced to comic relief as a silly metaphor of escape by pathetic men suffering midlife crisis in Wild Hogs, the movie hardly warranting mention.
Through it all, motorcycles have maintained a kind of mystique among moviegoers. Although still representing danger and thrills, freedom and individualism, they have certainly seen an easing off of the negative stereotype, no longer arbitrarily associated with lawlessness. After all, Marcus Welby, M.D. had a motorcycle-riding doctor/son, making house calls on a Honda Scrambler. But when the Fonze rode into primetime on his Triumph on world I knew the revolution was over. Bikes had finally emerged from that cloud of misrepresentation set in motion by Marlon way back when.
Over the years there have been hundreds of films, documentaries, and TV shows featuring motorcycles, with but a handful that have captured any genuine sense of what motorcycles are all about. Eventually someone is going to make a dramatic film that effectively captures the essence of the bond between rider and motorcycle, weaving the magic that comes with being up on two wheels, untethered, into a compelling storyline with the motorcycle truly integrated as a genuine character, a vehicle for the main protagonist’s journey. Now that would truly be a wild one.
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com
Riders of Brisbane hinterland’s motorcycling Mecca that is Mt Glorious should be aware of upcoming roadworks that could delay their ride on the twisting tarmac.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) completed upgrades along the seven-kilometre section of Samford-Mount Glorious Road between Dawson Creek Road and Mount Glorious Road in April last year.
Now they are about to begin stage two construction.
TMR says investigated the full length of the road, between Samford-Mount Glorious Road at Mount Nebo and Wivenhoe-Somerset Road at Dundas, and prioritised “known and potential crash locations for safety treatments”.
Key works will include:
Hopefully they have improved the tar surfaces as the last works left a lot to be desired with melting tar causing major slippage issues for riders, according to the Motorcycle Advocacy Group Facebook page.
TMR told us back then that road spray seals require time to settle and “given its newness, the Samford-Mount Glorious Road seal is performing within our standard limits”.
We shall see.
I also hope the speed limits aren’t dropped as they were after the roadworks on the “bus stop” section north of Mt Nebo a few years back to a ridiculous 40km/h!
This is what riders can expect when works start shortly:
“Every effort will be made to keep disruptions and noise to a minimum while the works are undertaken,” TMR says.
For more details about the project please visit www.tmr.qld.gov.au and search ‘Mount Glorious Road and Samford-Mount Glorious Road, improve safety’.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Trevor Hedge: G’day Josh, thought we were probably more than overdue for a quick chat, so thanks for your time today. You have been doing some adventure riding again this time while home, a bit of that two-up with your wife, what have been the highlights of some of those travels?
Josh Brookes: “It’s just been local stuff really this time around, but at the start of the last year, just before I left to go back to the UK for last season, we went down to Tassie and did a five-day ride, which was great. The temperature wasn’t ideal though, you’d think march in Australia would be quite warm still, but Tassie can be still quite cold.. I hadn’t been there at all even during all my racing career in Australia, so it was a good experience to see more of the country. I also travelled with a sponsor Milspec, Steve Burns, and some of his friends. So it was good to catch up with them as it’s important, with the limited time I have here in Australia, to be able to spend some time with people who support my racing.”
You were out at the St. George Summer Series at SMSP the other week, were you tempted to try and organise a bike to ride? Although a spare Panigale R is probably not all that easy to come by, and I guess due to contractual reasons that would be the only bike you would be allowed to race?
Brookes: “That’s all true and correct, I would like to, I mean I just like riding Eastern Creek – I know they call it Sydney Motorsport Park – but I still call it Eastern Creek. It’s just a good track, and to have it under lights as well adds another element. I look forward to the chance to get to ride the circuit again and if it’s at one of the St George races even better. But unless I’m riding a Ducati it’s not politically correct.”
Trev: The 2021 BSB season seemed to be quite a difficult season at times for you, there was some paddock talk that the bikes had a new and more powerful engine for last season that made it really hard to get the power down, is that correct? Or what is the real story about what held you back at times?
Brookes: “Yes to a degree, that’s it, the engine got updated from ‘19 to ‘20 and then updated again in 2021, obviously with every motivation to make things better, as nobody intends to make it worse, that’s not the motive, but the team committed to the latest spec’ engine and purchased them all ready for this season, and as the rounds went on it was becoming more evident to me that there was a problem.
“So when you know that chassis wise it is all exactly the same, and we even swapped swing-arms to check it wasn’t that, plus I had a crash in testing so we put a new chassis in, just to make sure it wasn’t any of these other elements that could be contributing, and all we were left to think was that it was the spec’ of the engine, because everything else seemed more or less the same.
“We were left to wonder, was it our spec’ ECU, the engine has improved but the fact we don’t have the ability to tune it the way other series do. Is that where the element or area of question is? Or is it just purely the engine, for gaining more top power lost its efficiency in corners?
“So, I wouldn’t say it was harder to ride, the bike felt very linear in the power but it just didn’t have any grip, maybe something to do with the harmonics of the engine, it’s getting a bit technical, but it wasn’t that it was difficult, it was that it didn’t perform in regards to grip.
“You know it was harder on the tyre and just didn’t drive off the turn the way I am used to, and at least to match my competitors, so something was lost through the search for more power. But the desire to get more power was achieved, because we topped almost every top speed for all the tracks. But if there was a speed check that was on the exit of the corner, I would have been well down that list. But if it was just middle of a long straight I was always top, or in the top two. But most times top. So that’s more or less what I was dealing with.”
Trev: On the metric of race wins and podiums, you are the second most successful rider in British Superbike history, 54 wins and 147 podiums across four different brands of machinery, Ducati, Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda. Two titles, four-time runner up. Only six-time BSB champ Shane Byrne has more wins and podiums. You have also been inducted into the BSB Legends. That’s a mighty record indeed, and one you can be justifiably proud of. Amongst all that success, what are a couple of your most memorable moments in BSB?
Brookes: “I mean it’s hard to go past the championships, they are the thing that everybody strives for and for the two that I’ve won, they easily stand out for highlights for me. Probably the next biggest highlight or standout point was 2017 when I just came back from WorldSBK and I rode for an independent team that everybody kind of shunned, and was thought it was a lower quality bike and team than what you would think would get anywhere near the top and I was able to win races and narrowly missed out on the championship by just three points.
“It was a number of weekends where I thought if I hadn’t made that mistake or crashed here that would have easily made those three points I needed up, so that was quite a standout year really. Particularly because it was independent private, family run team, there was no special access to anything, parts, wires, or special treatment for anything. It was all just a private family run team, so to get second was as good as winning in some ways.”
Trev: McAMS Yamaha were fairly dominant in 2021, and we nearly saw another Australian crowned champion with Jason O’Halloran scoring so many wins only to be gazumped at the final juncture by his team-mate under BSB’s Showdown regimen. We are yet to see the official rev limits that are to be imposed for each motorcycle under BSB’s parity regimen for the start of season 2022. What’s your take on how that worked in 2021, and your thoughts about the system used by BSB in regards to trying to equalise the field?
Brookes: “I think it works really well, if the question was ‘what do you think makes the BSB so strong,’ I think it is that parity between the bikes, the spec’ ECU that everybody has to run, the adjustments they make to keep – as you say – parity between teams and bikes, I think that works perfectly.
“Obviously I’ve got a biased opinion, but I don’t think that last year the championship stepped up a notch, I think it was that we lost performance, so I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the bike, or the rules, or how it’s been policed, or designed. That was our own issue from my point of view, my own or our own area of lack of performance that stopped us from being more competitive.
“I wouldn’t try and reflect that on the design of the championship and I do genuinely think that the parity between bikes is ideal, because at some tracks you get Suzuki winning, at other tracks the Ducati are stronger, and then obviously the Yamahas are good at their strong tracks too. BMW did get good results too… so it doesn’t really favour any bike and doesn’t really hinder any either, so I think it’s a well-rounded design that they’ve got for the bikes spec…”
Trev: The control MoTeC unit employed by BSB, with no ‘traction control’ system allowed. I, and I am sure my readers, would also be interested in your thoughts in regards to that situation. There is still a massive amount of time, and money to pay for that time, invested in getting the best out of the electronic systems available to you in BSB. Do you think the banning of ‘traction control’ per se, could be a false economy somewhat as teams then spend so much time essentially trying to work around those restrictions to try and provide riders with traction?
Brookes: “No, not at all, I don’t feel like and I haven’t heard comments from any other riders or teams to feel that they feel like that either. My opinion is that it does work, it does limit the costs, does mean that independent teams have equal opportunity as factory ones, because even a factory team in BSB is still a private run team, just with a factory banner sort of thing. So I think that the whole way that the ECU is controlled is part of the previous statement, saying how well rounded the series is and how well matched, and I think the ECU is heavily influencing that balance. Without going into every small detail, I think the answer is that it’s a good thing and I don’t think there’s any negatives around it at this point.”
Trev: I still hear anecdotes that might be right or wrong, that some BSB teams still employ full time one, or perhaps even two guys, that just concentrate on electronics smarts. Is that true? Are people still spending that sort of money despite the control ECU? Do you still see from your experience such a massive investment in time even with an ECU that like you say, is quite well controlled?
Brookes: “Every team does have a specific person, there is someone that has that skillset, even though there’s a control ECU, there’s equally a lot of tuning you can do, throttle maps, torque curves, and engine brake control, fueling, stuff like that, it’s still very complex world, when you’re not trained in that area. So I think it is still absolutely necessary to have a data person in each team, and I think it’s a necessary evil, the cost of one person isn’t going to bankrupt a team… if for a BSB team the difference between being able to race competitively or not, or not being able to race at all is over one staff member, I think they are out of their depth – in a lot of ways – because one crash can often do the damage of what some of these staff members are on for a year.
“So I don’t think the costs of the data person is enough to say it’s a negative. But racing is expensive, let’s not get away from the fact that racing motorcycle is an expensive and luxury sort of sport, so it’s just to try and you know, for the lack of a better word, instead of taking the piss and letting it get out of hand – like the money that some teams spend in World Superbike for example – the British Championship has been able to step a long way back from those expenses and that’s due to only needing let’s say one data guy and the ECU package has been affordable from the get go.”
Engine brake controls are something you’d spend a significant amount of time mapping? Can you map corner by corner and have engine brake control corner by corner, with the MoTeC ECU that you use in BSB?
Brookes: “No not corner by corner, there’s a heavy focus on engine brake that’s probably one of the main areas of adjustment during a race weekend, or at least with communication between me and the crew. I don’t know the correct terminology, but it’s a very two dimensional platform. I don’t know if that’s the correct term, but it’s basically you can’t make changes unless you come into the pits and plug in, and changes are made at that point. The engine brake is controlled by rpm vs wheel speed and stuff like that, so it’s fixed figures. It doesn’t change corner by corner, or use GPS or anything fancy like that. It allows it to make adjustments to the bike so that people can set the bike to their personal preference, but it doesn’t make it a laptop championship. It’s still down to the rider, but it’s how well I guess the crew and the rider can communicate what they want to achieve and how to go about achieving that.”
Trev: You’ve still got to do your best with the tools provided… What’s your thoughts about ASBK currently being fairly open in regards to electronics, as now we have some pretty sophisticated electronic packages available on some of the bikes. We have systems on some of the ASBK bikes that are capable of corner by corner engine torque maps, and corner by corner engine braking control maps, by the rules our ASBK bikes are not allowed to use the corner to corner functionality, but M.A. technical staff don’t actually have the tools to plug in to the bikes and see if any of the teams here are using that functionality, so it is effectively unpoliced… What’s your thoughts on that, and what we should be doing back here at home?
Brookes: “I’m only saying it because purely because it works in BSB, I don’t have any other evidence to back up my claim, but purely from my own experience racing in British Superbike, I think that the controlled ECU is a cost effective yet not limiting option, so if you have got skills and feedback that can improve the bike, you have the ability to adjust, it just doesn’t have a price tag which is outside of most team’s reach.
“I wouldn’t be keen to say what I think should happen, but if there was a way for Australia to develop or somehow tailor their championship regulations off of what they can see the BSB are doing, that’s proven to work well, and in my opinion that would be a good thing. Because like you’ve explained, some of the teams have probably gone to a level now which most private riders teams wouldn’t be able to imagine purchasing, let alone having the ability to tune…”
Trev: There is also a worldwide testing ban for all riders on the 2022 Bennetts BSB Official Provisional Entry List in force from January 1 through to March 10, and then from March 11 through to October 13 testing will be restricted to 12 days only at permanent circuits, and those 12 days are inclusive of the official BSB Tests, which pretty much means if you do the official tests you are allowed essentially no extra testing at all during the season, outside of the official ones. What are your thoughts in regards to these testing restrictions?
Brookes: “It’s a double edged sword, me personally on a selfish level I’d like to test more. But the reality of it, cost-wise, circuit availability, cost of staff for those extra days, how the team obviously put their package into the budget, and doing the official tests before the season is sort of what they’ve calculated for.
“Last year it almost made it impossible to do any extra testing anyway, because rather than starting in April and running 12 rounds till October we started in I think June and ran 11 rounds into October, so it was the same amount of rounds nearly, minus one, but had three races per round to make up the difference which heavily increased the amount of races we had, so the reality of trying to add testing into that program as well, probably would have become quite problematic.
“I think this year being that the championship starts in April and is spread out over more space and time, I’m gonna kind of want to do more testing, but that’s the rules, as long as it’s the same for everybody, it’s like the ECU, as long as no one else is getting an advantage, it doesn’t have any burden or disadvantage on anyone.”
Trev: There has been no official announcements from the team you rode for in 2021, Visiontrack Ducati, about their plans for 2022, will you be with them again in BSB this season on a Ducati?
Brookes: “We had an agreement made before the end of season last year, but I think the reason for having no press releases and the like, is that I believe at the moment the team is in the process of trying to bring new people into the racing sponsorship world, so if and when that’s achieved is when announcements will be made. They will try and put as much focus on a new sponsors as possible but for the moment it’s just an agreement that we know we’ve got.”
Trev: I know you are a keen follower of motocross and supercross. Have you been following the progress and success of the Lawrence boys over in America? And who is your tip for the MXGP title this season?
Brookes: “I don’t follow the MXGP a great deal, I once did a bit more because of Cairoli, and Herlings and there’s some old key names that I like to hear of where they are finishing and how they are going. I knew that Cairoli was retiring at the end of last season, so I was kind of paying attention to where he was running as it was his final year. As a general rule though when it’s in front of me I watch it, but I don’t have a religious sort of thing where every time it’s on I sit down to watch it. I have a pretty busy lifestyle.
“You’d have to be a blind and deaf person not to have seen the success of the Lawrence brothers last year, so I mean anyone that’s Australian that’s got any interest in motorbikes would have been excited for Hunter and Jett to watch them do what they are doing. It’s good, I’ve kept an eye on what was happening and it was good to see some Aussie guys going to the top, so I’ll keep focusing on that. Most of my motocross stuff is focused on myself personally, getting out as often as I can and trying to ride as opposed to the sit down and watching other people have the fun…”
Trev: World Superbike was certainly an interesting season in 2021, what thoughts do you have, if any, on the Razgat versus Rea battles and how your old team-mate Scott Redding went? And who is your tip for 2022?
Brookes: “I was a bit disappointed that Scott wasn’t able to do more, we were definitely rivals in 2019 and being in the same team stirred the pot a bit, but for 2020 and last year I kind of wanted Scott to do well. During the season when you race against them, you kind of cursing every time he does well, and then the very following year you’re sort of finding yourself promoting what he is doing. So I was hoping more, for Scott, I don’t know his personal circumstances, with the bike or the team, so I can’t comment on why his performances weren’t stronger.
“Then Jonny and Toprak were exciting to watch, it was good, so for the first time for a long time, I’ve been interested in following what’s been happening in the World Superbikes. I feel guilty as a motorcycle racer and fan of motorbike racing to say that World Superbikes kind of got a bit stale. And I feel that Jonny’s success has contributed to that, not that it’s Jonny’s fault, anyone that would have won repeatedly like he did would start to get the same sort of reaction. Even I think, when there was a period when Valentino seemed to win everything, and then also when Marquez was appearing to just win every weekend, it was sort of almost got a bit ‘eh.’ There wasn’t enough excitement, which motorbikes have always been able to claim being exciting spectator sport. It’s always had that claim to fame so when you see it sort of becoming a bit boring, it’s quite upsetting. It’s known for being such an exciting watch, and it’s sort of become a bit mundane. So any time there’s a strong rivalry at the front it’s good…”
Trev: Some of those braking maneuvers by Toprak were just unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, with the back wheel in the air from about 200 metres back, then carrying all the way nearly to the apex with the back still off the ground and the bike already getting a fair bit of lean angle. It was just ludicrous really, pretty good fun to see though…
Brookes: “Yes as a rider myself, and someone racing, it’s good to see people finding new limits, it kind of motivates yourself to look where you can change and improve, in areas that you can do things different. You know, it’s not a new sport, unlike freestyle motocross, the amount of change you’ve seen in that game in the last 10 years is unreal. Or if you go back 20 years let’s say, the change you’ve seen at the top of the sport is mind blowing. Unfortunately because road racing is such an old sport and been going for such a long period of time, change at the top and things that riders can do is sort of limited, so when you do see someone doing something different it’s encouraging that the limit hasn’t been found. There’s still areas to explore and things you can do that for most people would end up in a crash, but if someone can prove it doesn’t always have to be a crash it can be controlled, it opens your mind up to what else can be achieved. So I think it’s all positive stuff.”
Trev: Your thoughts on MotoGP season 2021 and who would you like to see win in 2022?
Brookes: “It was good, I mean it’s good to see a lot of new names in the championship, but then to see Valentino finish the way he did, felt unjust – like I said earlier I don’t have a lot of evidence to back up my comments but – I don’t feel like he was on a competitive bike last year, so to watch him finish his racing career when he was such a highlight for all of my racing time, it was a bit I guess an anti-climax. I felt disappointed that he didn’t have an opportunity to do better on his final year.
“I think Quartararo was a deserving winner, throughout the year he showed class, and consistency, and it was a deserving championship win for him. I really find looking into next year it’s probably one of the most difficult years for me to say who I think would be the strong, or the pick of the bunch. There’s so many variables with the bikes improving throughout the off-season, the question marks around Marc and how his condition is, there’s so many little elements to each person’s story that makes it very difficult to put a good idea together as to who is going to be the best.”
Trev: Who would you want to win in MotoGP?
Brookes: “I suppose people are going to say it’s because I ride for Ducati, but one of the Ducati guys would be a nice change, I mean obviously being an Australian it would be awesome to see Jack Miller become the champ but in the most respectful way, I just don’t know if he’s got the last couple of per cent that a couple of others have got. I don’t know what that is, I couldn’t say. I don’t know what he’s missing, but it seems like over the course of a year he’s just missing something, maybe something that can be found in himself, or his team or his bike for this new year. I do feel like in one way I’d like to see him win, but do I think he could do it? I’m hesitant; I’m on the side of saying no, I don’t know if he can. But I would love to see him pull it all together and do it.
“Even to see one of the satellite Ducati’s come through, it feels like Ducati have been trying so hard, and the reason I feel like that is because they seem to be the ones pushing the envelope of development, bringing out the wings first, and all these little quirks that the rest of the teams and brands seem to follow. I think that because they’ve been so long on the cutting edge, it would be justified if they could put a championship win under their belt.”
Trev: Thanks for your time today Josh, and all the best for this coming season.
Source: MCNews.com.au
Australia’s most renowned freestyle motocross stunt king, Robbie Maddison will headline The Freestyle Kings show coming to the NSW Central Coast on 19 February 2022.
The one exclusive night-time show will be staged at the Central Coast Stadium in Gosford.
The two-hour family fun event will include several world-first attempts and be choreographed to music, fireworks and firebreathers.
There will be front flips, double backflips, side by side jumps performed bigger, faster and higher than before, hitting heights of more than 25m.
Robbie Maddison, who is back in Australia for the first time in three years, will headline the show.
He is perhaps best known for his riding-on-water stunt in Sydney’s Darling Harbour.
The Australian FMX champ holds several world records including the longest distance jumped on a motorcycle.
His stunt work includes riding across the roofs of Istanbul for the James Bond movie Skyfall, riding down an Olympic ski jump for the One Any Sunday sequel, back-flipping over the Tower Bridge in London, jumping the Corinth Canal in Greece, and leaping up to and jumping off the Las Vegas Arc de Triomphe replica.
He will share the show with FMX Champion and thirteen-time X Games medallist Rob Adelberg, two-time World Games Champion Pat Bowden, X games Gold medallist Jackson Strong, Japan Gold medallist Taka Higashino, 15-year-old Ry Davis, Lance Russell from Sydney, plus veteran rider and local heroes Dayne Kinnaird and Michael ‘Chucky’ Norris.
“I can’t wait to get back to Australia with an elite team of riders and crew,” Robbie says.
“These guys are the best in the business, and we are so excited to put on an explosive show for the fans. We have some pretty special stunts planned and world firsts.”
All riders will appear exclusively to Freestyle Kings Live and won’t be seen on any other freestyle motocross show in Australia.
The family friendly event will cater to fans of all-ages and will give them the opportunity to meet their idols at a pre-event meet and greet in an open air stadium which provides a safe environment for all.
Tickets are on sale now at Ticketek from $50.75 for kids and $76.90 for adults.
The show starts at 7.30pm.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
With Mark Bracks
Australian road racing has faced challenging times in the past couple of years, but thankfully there has been some racing on a state and national level that has kept the kindling of what was a flickering fire, alight.
One aspect of the recent dramas that has not diminished is the dreams and aspirations of young riders as they strive to make a reality of what fills their days at every waking hour. And more than likely, while they sleep.
Down Under has a proud history of rider representation on the world stage and 2022 will see the greatest participation of aspiring world champions than has been seen in a number of years. Testament to the dedication and commitment of everyone concerned in ensuring the avenues to world championship success have remained open, no matter what the limitations and protocols of the new world we live in.
At the moment, eight riders are heading off for their first overseas sojourn, while there are others returning to ply their trade to build on what they have achieved.
Check out the list of who’s racing where this year.
In the lead up to the season, mcnews.com.au will look at some of the riders – in no particular order – as they prepare to head off on their individual adventures and quests for success.
Lives: Gold Coast (Queensland)
For 2022 Harry will continue with the SIC58 Squadra Corse Team in the CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship and also return for another tilt at the Red Bull Rookies Cup (RBRC).
Hopefully, it will be a year of more rewards compared to the character building set-backs he went through in a year that could be best described as a season characterised by recovery, toughness and resilience.
Harry’s year unravelled at the fourth round of the CEV at Portimao, Portugal. In the opening laps, he high-sided over the infamous crest of the roller coaster circuit, unsighted from following riders he was run over, breaking his femur and fibula, with a compound fracture of the tibia for good measure. Proper job that…
Harry had started out road racing after a pretty successful career on dirt. While still competing in dirt track titles and bagging trophies, he added road racing to the CV commencing with the GP Juniors Australia competition in 2017, winning the 85 cc two-stroke class.
In 2018 dirt was still a major focus as he won the Australian Long Track and Dirt Track championships as well as taking out the FIM Supermoto Junior Lites Championship at Newcastle. The icing on the cake that year was finishing second in the AMA Grand Nationals Junior Half Mile TT Short Track Championship at the legendary Springfield Mile in Illinois, where he scored a win and two second places.
In 2019 he was invited to compete in the Asia Talent Cup where he finished 13th overall, his best result a fourth in the third round at Sepang, Malaysia.
As we know Covid had a devastating impact on 2020, with only one round of the ATC held at the local circuit in Qatar where he claimed third place. Additionally Harry was fortunate to be able to keep racing in the European Talent Cup and scored a brace of third place finishes
For 2021 he was accepted into the Red Bull Rookies Cup and signed to the SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda team with fellow Aussie, Senna Agius for the CEV Championships.
The year started very well for Voight, with a 12th place in the opening CEV race, but then soon turned to crap. At the next round, he had a coming together with another rider, crashed and broke his collarbone that forced his withdrawal for a few weeks from both competitions.
Harry made his return from that collarbone injury for the fourth round of the RBRC at Sachsenring (Germany) and finished eighth in the second race. His best result of the year, so a great confidence boost.
He then headed to Portimao for the fourth round of the CEV title. Which of course was the scene of the aforementioned terrible accident that saw his leg so badly broken. It was an horrific incident and if the impact had been 30 cm higher, up around the vital organs, who knows where the 15-year-old would be.
Harry was now out of both titles, but through massive hard work and determination made a remarkably rapid recovery from what were such serious injuries.
He competed in the final round of the CEV at Valencia after a medical clearance with strict instructions not to go too crazy. Easier said than done for a teenager, but Harry listened and scored 20th and 17th places to finish the year before returning home, to then go through quarantine and compete on a not-so-new race bike at the final round of the ASBK Supersport 600 at The Bend Motorsport Park.
At the moment he is at home on the Gold Coast, but it hasn’t all been about relaxing and having fun.
Mark Bracks: You did extremely well to get back on track at the end of the year at Valencia after getting a medical clearance.
Harrison Voight: “Race one at the last round wasn’t ideal but the second race I was a bit more in there. I was only 19-seconds off. My best from the first race of the season was only 12-seconds so it wasn’t a crazy amount of time.”
Bracks: So are you fully recovered after everything that happened last year?
Voight: “I just got my collarbone plated the week before Christmas so I’ve just been working on that as well. When I got taken out at Valencia earlier last year it healed in a trianglular shape and every time I knocked it, when I had a pretty decent crash it just re-fractured every time. Even when I crashed at the Bend I hit it and it was so sore. I went to get a CT scan and found out I had to get it plated. The movement is fine. It’s coming good. But, I’ve still got screws and rods in my leg which will stay there for awhile.”
Bracks: What are your aims this year after a confronting year last year?
Voight: “I don’t know yet. I’d like to get the season started and see where we are at, because every year the competition keeps getting better and better, but I think we can do ok.”
Bracks: What is your main focus; CEV or Red Bull Rookies?
Voight: “My focus is pretty much even. Maybe a little bit more towards Red Bull but they’re pretty equal. I want to do very well in both to set me up for the future.”
Bracks: So when do you head off?
Voight: “I’ll be leaving end of March. During the season I am based about 45-minutes out of Barcelona. I’ve had a little bit of down time and about to start ramp up training again. A bit of gym work but nothing crazy. I’d love to get back on a bike again. We are doing the ASBK test at the end of the month, and maybe I’ll do the first round but we are still undecided on that.”
If the “Ying” and “Yang” can find a balance for Harry after such a traumatic 2021, let’s hope he can do what Joel Kelso did in CEV and follow in his wheel tracks. He’s proven to have the talent as well as the determination to recover from the setbacks and prove that he is faster than ever.
Source: MCNews.com.au
I cannot understand why it hasn’t happened sooner, but BMW Motorrad is only now applying for a patent of a design for a seat that can be adjusted for width as well as height.
As far as I’m concerned, the riding comfort of a motorcycle is one of the most important facets of a motorcycle.
It contributes to your enjoyment, your ability to travel long distance and even primary safety. After all, you are a lot more alert and a better rider if you aren’t squirming around in your seat distracted by the pain in your butt.
All motorcycle seats are a compromise in height and with and comfort.
Soft, wide seats may be comfortable on a touring bike, but they don’t connect you with the bike the way a slimmer and harder seat on a sportsbike can.
And adventure bikes need to be narrow so you can stand up without having to have bowed legs.
Stock seats on motorcycles are usually quite uncomfortable, yet even aftermarket seats don’t address the problem of adjustment.
BMW’s patent-pending design is a quite simple solution to an age-old problem.
It consists of two separate parts underneath the seat cover that are on sliding brackets.
The application, issued through the US Patent Office, doesn’t say how the parts will be adjusted.
Hopefully it is a simple lock that can be adjusted by hand.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Our guest on Episode 28 of the Rider Magazine Insider Podcast is Brian Case. Brian is an industrial designer is the former Chief Designer for Confederate Motorcycles. From 2008 to 2018, he was Co-Founder and Design Director for Motus Motorcycles, where he led the design and development of the MST V-4 sport-tourer. Brian joined the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in 2019, and last year he became the Director of the new Barber Advanced Design Center. He and his team are working with Pierre Terblanche on the Mono Project, a reimagining of Terblanche’s iconic, ’90s-era Ducati Supermono racebike using state-of-the-art techniques such as 3D printing.
Links: Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, Barber Museum YouTube Channel
You can listen to Episode 28 on iTunes, Spotify, and SoundCloud, or via the Rider Magazine Insider webpage. Please subscribe, leave us a 5-star rating, and tell your friends! Scroll down for a list of previous episodes.
Visit the Rider Magazine Insider podcast webpage to check out previous episodes:
The post Brian Case: Ep. 28 Rider Magazine Insider Podcast first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com
Ducati posts record sales in 2021, with 59,447 motorcycles delivered worldwide, an increase of 24% over 2020 (48,042) and 12% over 2019 (53,183).
RELATED: 2021 Ducati Multistrada V4 S First Ride Review
Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO: “2021 was a magical year for Ducati. We delivered over 59,000 motorcycles, a number never achieved before in 95 years of the company’s history. We also won the title of MotoGP Constructors’ World Champion for the second consecutive year, and we started the electric era of our company with the V21L prototype, which foresees the bike that will race in the MotoE championship from 2023.
“The pandemic, which is still underway, in addition to generating so much suffering, has also made activities more complex, forcing us to conduct a continuous internal reorganization. Supply chains created delivery delays for which I want to apologize to all Ducatisti, thanking them for their patience. Despite all these difficulties, the desire to excel of our employees here in Borgo Panigale and in our subsidiaries around the world helped us to achieve these record results.
“We are investing in an extremely ambitious growth path that will lead the company to improve even further, by entering new market segments. With the DesertX we will have from this year on an extremely attractive proposal for adventure fans, and other ambitious projects are currently in development. The core values of the brand – Style, Sophistication, Performance, and Trust – are more current than ever. Future growth will take place in compliance with these values, offering our enthusiastic customers products that are increasingly representative with a unique mix of beauty, technology and distinctiveness, such as the best of Made in Italy.”
In 2021 Ducati’s growth came in all major countries, starting with the United States, which regained the place of leading market for Ducati with 9,007 units (+32% over 2020), followed by Italy with 8,707 bikes (+23%) and Germany with 6,107 units (+11%). The Chinese market also grew, with 4,901 motorcycles (+21%), as well as France with 4,352 units (+12%) and the UK with 2,941 units (+30%).
RELATED: 2021 Ducati Monster First Ride Review
Francesco Milicia, Ducati VP Global Sales and After Sales: “With 59,447 motorcycles delivered to customers, Ducati notches up a historic result and once again underlines its solidity, despite the difficulties encountered across all sectors due to the supplies crisis. Sales grew double-digit in all major countries, from the United States to Australia, where the new subsidiary achieved an increase of 50%. These results are also the outcome of extraordinary work aimed at the continuous improvement of the global sales network both in quantitative terms, with 84 new dealerships, and in qualitative terms, focusing on the digitization of processes and omnichannel to guarantee our Ducatisti an ‘unforgettable’ experience, which fully reflects the company’s values. Now we are starting 2022 with an even more complete range, which is already receiving high praise as demonstrated by the best order portfolio ever at the beginning of the year.”
The enormous success obtained during the year is confirmed by the Multistrada V4, which was by far the biggest-selling and most-loved bike for Ducatisti in 2021, with 9,957 motorcycles delivered to customers. The Ducati Scrambler 800 family followed with 9,059 units, and the Monster, with 8,734 motorcycles sold.
These results were achieved despite the unpredictable situation generated by the supply crisis that has been on-going for some time. It is still a very volatile situation and is destined to continue further.
For 2022, Ducati presented nine new models to the public during the Ducati World Premiere web series, helping to create an even more complete range ready to satisfy the desires of every type of motorcyclist. Expectations are particularly high for the DesertX, the Ducati bike designed to tackle the most demanding off-roads with 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels, long suspension travel and ample ground clearance.
For more information or to find a dealer near you, visit ducati.com.
The post Ducati Posts Record Sales in 2021 first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com
Dainese has signed a multi-year agreement to be the official apparel supplier for Yamaha Champions Riding School. Instructors will be equipped with Dainese gear including apparel equipped with its D-Air wearable airbag technology. Students will be able to rent or purchase Dainese gear through YCRS.
Begin Press Release:
Multi-Year Deal Combines Expert Rider Education with World’s Best Protective Wear
Dainese (www.dainese.com) the world leader of protective wear for dynamic sports, is proud to announce a multi-year partnership with the esteemed Yamaha Champions Riding School (YCRS). The partnership combines expert rider education and world-class safety apparel with a single goal: improve safety and enjoyment for enthusiasts and beginners alike.
Dainese will be the official apparel supplier for Yamaha Champions Riding School, and all Riding School instructors will be equipped with the latest in Dainese protective technology, including the original and industry-leading D-Air wearable airbag system. Students of the 2-Day ChampSchool programs will also have access to the complete line of Dainese apparel, for rent and purchase.
The shared goal of creating a safer, more sustainable riding experience for riders of all levels is the cornerstone of the partnership. In addition to support for ChampSchool in-person training events, Dainese will also be the technical apparel partner for online training events with ChampSchool, racer and new-rider training events, as well as the ability to host their very own Dainese Experience events with support from YCRS.
“Dainese is the perfect partner to help supply students who may not have their own equipment,” said YCRS CEO Nick lenatsch. “Having a complete line of safety equipment available to students eliminates one of the main objections to acquiring proper motorcycle training, and our students deserve the best technology available, which is why we’re honored to be partnering with Dainese.”
“Improving safety and education has always been the top priority at Dainese,” said Fabio Alt, General Manager and CFO, Dainese USA. “The partnership with Yamaha Champions Riding School is a commitment to that. The YCRS ChampSchool is taught by some of the best instructors in the world and at the best racetrack facilities in North America. Through this collaboration, we will have the ability to connect with new riders across the country and help support their advancement as motorcyclists.”
The post Dainese Parters with Yamaha Champions Riding School appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
