Just because you are riding a cruiser doesn’t mean you have to find a detour when the road turns to gravel or you hit some rough roadworks.
We can understand those riders who choose to avoid such situations because they don’t want to get their chrome dirty or their paintwork pitted by stone chips.
However, there is no need to take the long way round just because you are scared of dropping or crashing your cruiser in gravel.
There is a special way to ride a cruiser on gravel roads and through roadworks but it basically comes down to slow and steady. Don’t be a hero!
Check out this video where a female successfully rides a Harley down a gravel road while a male on a BMW R 1200 GS embarrassingly drops his bike!
Advantages
In fact, there are even some advantages in riding a cruiser on a dirt road:
The big flywheel keeps the bike stable at a slow pace;
The low centre of gravity;
Wide handlebars to control the front wheel which may be pushed around by stones or a soft surface;
Some cruisers have a big and slim front wheel which cuts through gravel and soft stuff without flicking around;
The effectiveness of the rear brake; and
The low seat height that allows you to reassuringly put a foot on the ground.
All these will allow you to ride dirt roads and roadworks if you take a slow and steady pace.
Although, competent riders can take cruisers at a more brisk pace.
Check out this video of US Army dispatch riders training on Harley WLAs.
Disadvantages
We’re not saying cruisers are off-road bikes.
There are several disadvantages of a cruiser on dirt:
The excessive weight may get you bogged in loose stuff;
If you lose your balance, they come down quickly;
They are more difficult to pick up if dropped; and
They don’t have knobby tyres to dig into the surface.
So how do you overcome these issues?
The first rule of riding in dirt is to stand up. That allows the bike flop around without alarming you and your weight adding to the movement.
It also gives you a better look ahead for obstacles.
However, it is difficult to stand on a cruiser, so we suggest just remaining seated.
And don’t bother dropping the tyre pressures unless you are riding in sand. You won’t puncture a tyre if you are going slow.
Gravel busting tips
So here are 10 things you can do to ride your cruiser on dirt:
Breathe. You will get through this, but first you have to breathe deeply, relax your shoulders and handlebar grip, and don’t get too stressed. The more relaxed you are, the less likely you will overreact to any bike movements. It’s important to let the bike squirrel around a little bit.
Leave a gap. If you are in a conga line of traffic, don’t tailgate. Leave a fair gap to the motorist in front and if you are being followed closely by a vehicle, turn around and ask them to back off while you get through or they could run over you if you do drop the bike.
Be smooth. Accelerate, change gears, brake and steer smoothly. Sharp inputs can have drastic effects.
Don’t paddle. Keep your feet on the footpegs. This gives you more control. Paddling with your feet will only slow you down and may not prevent you from falling, anyhow. However, a low cruiser will still allow you to have the odd dab at the ground for added stability.
Look ahead. Don’t look down or that’s where you will end up. Keep an eye ahead so your bike goes where you are looking. It also helps you identify any obstacles such as ruts, mud or deep gravel.
Accelerate. Ride into the roadworks very slowly so you can gradually increase your speed without having to touch your brakes. By applying a bit of throttle through the roadworks, you control the bike though the back wheel and keep pressure off the front, preventing it from tucking under. If the road ahead is sand, you may be in a bit of trouble as that requires a light front end and acceleration. But it can be done with some practice and bravery pills!
Don’t brake. Only if absolutely necessary, should you apply the brake. And then, it should be smooth and mainly rear brake. If you have ABS, that’s actually an advantage in dirt when you are sporting road tyres!
Turn slowly. If the roadworks goes around a corner, you will have to turn, but try to make a big arc through the corner by staying in the outside wheel track.
Pick a wheel track. Even if you go around a corner and need to arc out the angle a bit, try not to get out of the wheel tracks as these are drier and firmer.
Don’t stop. Most riders drop a cruiser when they stop in tricky situations. Try to keep the bike moving, even if very slowly. Rely on that big flywheel and maybe slip a little clutch to monitor your speed.
(Thanks to my mate Peter Davis who rode his Honda cruiser up and down this steep gravel hill for the video.)
The never ending battle between man and the vagaries of historic machinery played out in earnest under clear skies at Phillip Island today during qualifying for the 2020 Island Classic.
Work in the pits is an ongoing frenzy of trying to keep antiquated machinery, generally being pushed to make more horsepower than was ever intended, from dropping their guts somewhere around the fast and flowing 4445 metres of tarmac that is the magnificent Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
Many of the internationals are having their first taste of Phillip Island this weekend after a lifetime spent watching MotoGP and WorldSBK broadcasts from what is widely recognised as one of the best motorcycle racing circuits in the world.
Jed Metcher
Australian riders filled the top four places in opening qualifying with Jed Metcher leading the way with a 1m38.728s lap on the T-Rex 1984 Yamaha FJ1200 based machine ahead of Alex Phillis on an XR69 Suzuki. Steve Martin wound up the big TBR Katana to third place ahead of Beau Beaton on the 1300cc Irving Vincent. Josh Hayes had some mechanical problems with the CMR Yamaha FJ1250 that prevented him from putting in a competitive time thus it was Larry Pegram leading the way for Team USA in the opening qualifying session on an almost identical machine to that of Hayes. Pegram also suffered an engine failure in the session in a sign that does not bode well for the Team USA machines. I can see a mad scramble for parts unfolding overnight with the generosity of the Australian hosts being called upon at times to help search for parts and/or machinery to ensure that Team America can successfully complete their mission.
Some serious open heart surgery has been going on in the Team USA pit garage…
In the couple of hours between the opening session for the international challenge and the final qualifying session in the afternoon it was all hands on deck in many pit garages. Engines out, carburettors being disassembled, some complete engine changes already taking place after some blew motors. And all this before even final qualifying got underway! Clearly it is going to be an uphill battle trying to get a lot of these machines to hold together over the course of the race weekend.
In the final qualifying session it was again Jed Metcher leading the way, the 29-year-old dropping his benchmark to 1m37.248 to sneak pole position by a nose over countryman Alex Phillis while Steve Martin was in P3 yet again. Metcher has chosen to race the T-Rex FJ over the much stiffer Harris framed Honda this weekend, the more compliant Yamaha giving him more feedback and confidence.
David Johnson
David Johnson improved to P4 while an engine change saw Aaron Morris move up to fifth to make it an all Aussie top five.
Larry Pegram and Josh Hayes both got in five laps during Q2 with Pegram leading for Team USA on a 1m38.388s to Hayes’ 1m38.575s. Hayes had to resort to using Jordan Szoke’s bike to qualify after continuing problems with his machine.
Michael Gilbert was next best on 1m38.966s while Australia’s Shawn Giles and Beau Beaton rounded out the top ten. Giles is getting his head around Pirelli rubber after a life-time competing on Dunlop.
Shawn Giles and Steve Martin on Suzuki Katana machinery
International Challenge Combined Qualifying Results
Pos
Rider
Class
Bike
Time
1
Jed METCHER
AUS
1984 Yamaha FJ 1200
1m37.248
2
Alexander PHILLIS
AUS
1980 Suzuki XR69 1100
1m37.354
3
Steven MARTIN
AUS
1982 Sukuki Katana 1294
1m37.870
4
David JOHNSON
AUS
1982 Suzuki Katana 1100
1m38.260
5
Aaron MORRIS
AUS
1980 Suzuki Katana 1300
1m38.266
6
Larry PEGRAM
USA
1983 Yamaha CMR FJ 1250
1m38.388
7
Joshua HAYES
USA
1983 Yamaha CMR FJ 1250
1m38.575
8
Michael GILBERT
USA
1983 Yamaha CMR FJ 1250
1m38.966
9
Shawn GILES
AUS
1992 Suzuki Katana 1294
1m39.152
10
Beau BEATON
AUS
1982 Irving Vincent 1300
1m39.344
11
Taylor KNAPP
USA
1983 Yamaha CMR FJ 1250
1m39.513
12
Craig DITCHBURN
AUS
1978 Yamaha TZ 750
1m39.688
13
Jordan SZOKE
USA
1983 Yamaha CMR FJ 1250
1m40.597
14
Cameron DONALD
AUS
1982 Irving Vincent 1300
1m41.152
15
John ALLEN
AUS
1978 Yamaha OW31 750
1m41.736
16
Brendan WILSON
GBR
1980 Suzuki Harris 1170
1m43.729
17
Michael NEEVES
GBR
1984 Suzuki Harris 1230
1m44.301
18
Scott WEBSTER
AUS
1982 Suzuki Harris 1200
1m45.498
19
Jorge GUERRERO
USA
1982 Suzuki XR69 1200
1m46.523
20
Joe PETHOUD
USA
1984 Yamaha Harris 1250
1m47.066
21
David CRUSSELL
USA
1978 Yamaha TZ 748
1m47.436
22
Damien KAVNEY
GBR
1982 Suzuki XR69 1260
1m48.174
23
Robert RUWOLDT
USA
1980 Kawasaki Harris 1200
1m48.324
24
Melissa PARIS
USA
1978 Yamaha TZ 748
1m48.325
25
Alexander SINCLAIR
GBR
1982 Suzuki XR69 1080
1m48.884
26
Brian FILO
USA
1978 Kawasaki Z1 1260
1m49.782
27
Roger GUNN
GBR
1982 Harris F1 1170
1m49.842
28
Tony HART
GBR
1982 Suzuki Harris 1085
1m49.911
29
Richard PEERS-JONES
GBR
1979 Yamaha TZG 347
1m51.992
30
Hasse GUSTAFSON
GBR
1972 Ducati 750
1m52.012
31
James AGOMBAR
GBR
1978 Yamaha TZ 750
1m52.784
32
Richard LLEWELLIN
GBR
1982 Ducati TTF1 750
1m53.679
33
Laurie FYFFE
AUS
1980 Suzuki GSX 1166
1m54.198
34
Johnny NORDBERG
GBR
1972 Ducati V2 Imola 748
1m54.572
35
Bruce LIND
USA
1975 Yamaha TZ 748
2m03.544
36
Paul GASKIN
GBR
1978 Suzuki GS 1000
2m08.372
Pre-War / 125 PC / Forgotten Era / New Era / 250 Classic & PC Qualifying Results
Pos
Rider
Class
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Tait COGHILL
1NE
1990 Honda RS 125
1m53.165
2
Stephen KAIRL
1NE
1990 Honda RS 125
+3.055
3
David MANSON
1NE
1990 Honda NF4 125
+4.898
4
Simon OLIVER
1FE
1980 Waddon WD 124
+7.091
5
Shane WILCOX
1NE
1989 Honda RS 125
+9.532
6
John SEDY
1NE
1990 Honda RS 125
+11.157
7
Roland ORR
2PC
1972 Yamaha TR2/3 250
+11.830
8
Brian FILO
2PC
1968 Kawasaki A1R 250
+14.547
9
Jonathan
2CL
1962 Motobi GP Rep. 250
+20.910
10
Lorraine CRUSSELL
2PC
1967 Honda CB 200
+20.976
11
Edward MARSDEN
1NE
1990 Honda RS 125
+23.511
12
Paul MANSON
1NE
1990 Honda RS 125
+27.171
13
Philip PRICE
VNT
1939 Velocette KTT 350
+31.216
14
Bruce MEREDITH
2CL
1961 Ducati Diana 250
+33.053
15
Miles VICARY
1FE
1980 Moto Villa TT4 125
+33.323
16
Andrew COGHILL
1NE
1990 Honda RS 125
+33.799
17
Darrell BAILEY
2CL
1961 Ducati Diana 250
+34.104
18
Philip BRISTOW
2PC
1972 Yamaha TD3 249
+37.474
19
Hunter JONES
2PC
1972 Yamaha TD3 250
+38.885
20
Davey KEENAN
2PC
1970 Yamaha TD2 250
+48.470
21
Stacey HEANEY
1PC
1971 Honda CB 125
+50.167
22
Allan MURRAY
2PC
1972 Suzuki GT 250
+1:21.414
23
Keiron REES
2PC
1970 Yamaha 125
+1:52.834
250 Forgotten Era / 250 New Era Production Qualifying Results
Pos
Rider
Class
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Keo WATSON
NE
1990 Honda CBR 250
1m53.321
2
Adam HARDING
NE
1990 Honda CBRR 250
+1.534
3
Mitchell KUHNE
NE
1998 Honda CBR 250 RR
+3.894
4
David BANBURY
NE
1990 Honda CBRR 250
+5.729
5
Christopher DUFFY
NE
1990 Honda CBRR 250
+6.097
6
Sandy MARTIN
NE
1990 Suzuki RGV 249
+7.968
7
Gregor ROBERTSON
NE
1990 Honda CBR 250
+8.018
8
David HALL
FE
1979 Rotax N’Bakker 250
+8.321
9
Grant BOXHALL
FE
1984 Armstrong Rotax 250
+8.592
10
Mark FLETCHER
NE
1990 Honda CBRR 250
+8.698
11
Clodagh HENNESSY
NE
1990 Honda CBR 250
+10.846
12
Louis PITMAN
FE
1981 Yamaha RDLC 250
+11.239
13
Luke MACGREGOR
NE
1990 Honda CBRR 250
+12.101
14
Andy PITMAN
FE
1981 Yamaha RDLC 250
+13.860
15
Anthony SARA
FE
1980 Yamaha RDLC 250
+14.193
16
Paul GREENUP
NE
1990 Honda CBRR 249
+14.975
17
Stephen WARD
FE
1980 Armstrong CM35 250
+15.410
18
Dean NICHOLLS
NE
1988 Honda NSR 250
+16.117
19
Luke HURST
NE
1988 Suzuki RGV 250
+16.370
20
Francesco BIETTO
NE
1992 Honda CBR 250 RR
+16.553
21
Rocco IORLANO
FE
1981 Yamaha RD 250
+16.882
22
Wayne GOW
FE
1977 Yamaha TZE 248
+21.843
23
Damien MEREDITH
NE
1988 Honda CBRR 250
+22.743
24
Melanie CROCKFORD
NE
1989 Suzuki RGV 250
+22.771
25
Patrick POVOLNY
FE
1980 Yamaha RDLC 250
+23.441
26
Dick LODGE
NE
1989 Honda CBRR 250
+24.087
27
Stacey HEANEY
NE
1988 Honda CBR 250
+24.710
28
Rhet ARMSTRONG
FE
1980 Yamaha RDLC 250
+30.751
29
Terrence LISTON
FE
1980 Yamaha RDLC 247
+32.719
30
Mark GRAY
FE
1980 Yamaha RDLC 250
+34.393
31
Bruce WILKINSON
NE
1989 Suzuki RGV 250
+37.711
32
Des HEANEY
NE
1990 Honda CBR 250
+52.619
33
Rebekah PEARCE
NE
1990 Honda CBRR 250
+55.863
34
Daniel WILLIAMS
NE
1983 Suzuki RG 250
-1:53.321
500 Forgotten Era / Unlimited Post Classic Qualifying Results
Pos
Name
Class
Vehicle
Time/Gap
1
Dean OUGHTRED
UPC
1970 Honda CR 1000
1m53.948
2
Hasse GUSTAFSON
UPC
1972 Ducati 750
+1.905
3
Jason EASTON
5FE
1976 Yamaha TZ 350
+2.342
4
Paul SMITH
5FE
1979 Laverda Alpino 500
+2.963
5
Robert WALLACE
UPC
1972 Honda CB 985
+3.178
6
Brian FILO
UPC
1972 Yamaha XS 750
+5.225
7
Owen WARD
UPC
1972 Honda CB-K2 970
+5.356
8
Grant BOXHALL
5FE
1980 Yamaha TZG 350
+5.921
9
Andy PITMAN
5FE
1981 Yamaha TZ 350
+6.603
10
William SAYER
UPC
1972 Triumph Triton 750
+10.647
11
Murray OGILVIE
5FE
1978 Yamaha TZE 350
+13.446
12
Geoffrey MARTIN
UPC
1969 Honda Drixton 500
+14.406
13
Colin MEREDITH
5FE
1982 Ducati TT2 500
+16.149
14
Stacey HEANEY
UPC
1971 Yamaha XS 650
+17.749
15
Kent JRNEVALL
UPC
1972 Ducati Imola 748
+19.214
16
Daniel AHERN
5FE
1962 Matchless G50 500
+20.417
17
Paul COUGHLAN
UPC
1972 Norton Fastback 750
+21.962
18
Neil STUART
UPC
1972 BSA B50 500
+25.841
19
John STUART
5FE
1977 Yamaha TZ 350
+44.344
NC
Keo WATSON
5FE
1981 Yamaha TZH 350
-1:53.948
NC
Laurie FYFFE
UPC
1972 Honda CB 1100
-1:53.948
Unlimited Forgotten Era Qualifying Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Michael NEEVES
1984 Suzuki Harris 1230
1m43.446
2
Craig DITCHBURN
1978 Yamaha TZ 750
+0.228
3
Martin CRAGGILL
1979 Yamaha TZ 750
+1.268
4
Scott WEBSTER
1982 Suzuki M’Martin 1200
+5.020
5
David CRUSSELL
1978 Yamaha TZ 748
+5.482
6
Stephen STANWIX
1982 Kawasaki GPZ 1100
+6.168
7
Glenn HINDLE
1980 Suzuki Katana 1260
+6.238
8
Dean CASTLETON
1981 Honda CBR 1100
++7.236
9
Robert RUWOLDT
1980 Kawasaki Harris 1200
+7.737
10
Glenn CRUTCHLEY
1979 Kawasaki P&M 1200
+8.679
11
Albert TEHENNEPE
1982 Kawasaki Harris 1200
+9.078
12
Denis ACKLAND
1979 Kawasaki Z1 1260
+9.370
13
Steven DOBSON
1978 Kawasaki Z1R 1000
+10.294
14
Richard LLEWELLIN
1982 Ducati TTF1 750
+10.754
15
Paul SMITH
1979 Laverda Alpino 500
+10.952
16
Hasse GUSTAFSON
1972 Ducati 750
+11.589
17
Mark RODDA
1979 Suzuki GS 1100
+11.594
18
Michael MOLONEY
1980 Suzuki GSX 1170
+11.686
19
Patrick POVOLNY
1979 Suzuki GSX 1166
+12.086
20
Paul WALSH
1980 Kawasaki Egli 1100
+13.037
21
Johnny NORDBERG
1972 Ducati V2 Imola 748
+13.180
22
Gary NAYSMITH
1981 Kawasaki Z1J 1166
+13.471
23
Laurie FYFFE
1980 Suzuki GSX 1166
+14.219
24
Anthony LOGAN
1980 Suzuki GSX 1166
+14.961
25
Paul RIGNEY
1982 Kawasaki Harris 1075
+15.941
26
Allen BROMLEY
1980 Suzuki GSX 1170
+16.091
27
Daniel POWELL
1981 Suzuki Katana 1100
+16.847
28
Daniel SANDLER
1976 Kawasaki Z 1075
+16.971
29
Garry KELLALEA
1976 Kawasaki Z 1015
+18.849
30
Darren LARK
1980 Suzuki GSX 1150
+24.105
31
Bruce LIND
1975 Yamaha TZ 748
+24.490
32
Ross DOBSON
1982 Suzuki GSX 1290
+24.527
33
Bruce ANDREW
1981 Suzuki GSX 1190
+25.417
34
Paul GASKIN
1978 Suzuki GS 1000
+26.589
35
Ryan McLAUCHLAN
1983 Ducati TT2 750
+26.871
36
Glen FOSTER
1980 Suzuki GSX 1166
+28.981
37
Stephen LEEMBRUGGEN
1981 Kawasaki Z 1286
+35.084
38
Craig HUNTER
1981 Yamaha XV 1000
+49.959
39
Marc CRICHTON
1979 Suzuki GS 1085
+50.044
500 Post Classic / 250 New Era GP / 350 Classic Qualifying Results
Pos
Rider
Class
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Colin SLEIGH
2NE
1990 Yamaha TZA 249
1m48.263
2
Tait COGHILL
2NE
1989 Honda CBR 250
+4.745
3
Levi DAY
2NE
1990 Yamaha TZ 250
+4.821
4
Adam HARDING
2NE
1990 Honda CBRR 250
+7.400
5
Alexander SINCLAIR
5PC
1969 Vincent Grey Fl. 500
+8.685
6
Shaun RUGEN
2NE
1990 Yamaha TZ 250
+8.823
7
David MANSON
2NE
1990 Honda NF4 125
+9.386
8
Gregor ROBERTSON
2NE
1990 Honda CBR 250
+9.959
9
David BANBURY
2NE
1990 Honda CBRR 250
+10.396
10
Sandy MARTIN
2NE
1990 Suzuki RGV 249
+12.381
11
Robert WALLACE
5PC
1972 Yamaha Zeger 500
+12.409
12
Roland ORR
5PC
1969 Yamaha TR2 350
+13.833
13
Anthony LOGAN
5PC
1970 Honda Drixton 350
+13.986
14
Shane WILCOX
2NE
1989 Honda RS 125
+14.261
15
John SEDY
2NE
1990 Honda RS 125
+14.313
16
Keith CAMPBELL
5PC
1972 Honda CB 350
+14.567
17
Luke HURST
2NE
1988 Suzuki RGV 250
+15.626
18
Philip PATON
3CL
1962 Bultaco TSS 270
+16.496
19
David WOOLSEY
5PC
1971 Seeley G50 500
+17.149
20
Geoffrey MARTIN
5PC
1969 Honda Drixton 500
+17.307
21
Luke MACGREGOR
2NE
1990 Honda CBRR 250
+17.863
22
Neil MAY
3CL
1961 Norton Manx 350
+18.041
23
Paul GREENUP
2NE
1990 Honda CBRR 249
+19.432
24
Melanie CROCKFORD
2NE
1989 Suzuki RGV 250
+19.766
25
Edward MARSDEN
2NE
1990 Honda RS 125
+20.038
26
Robin WILLIAMS
5PC
1972 Honda CB 500
+21.764
27
Shaun OLIVER
5PC
1972 Honda CB 350
+21.885
28
Adam DONOVAN
3CL
1961 Honda CB72 350
+22.934
29
Anthony TAYLOR
5PC
1968 Triumph Daytona Rep. 500
+24.619
30
Colin MEREDITH
3CL
1961 Ducati Diana 341
+29.270
31
Neil STUART
2NE
1988 Yamaha TD3 250
+29.452
32
Michael McCORMICK
5PC
1972 Honda CB 498
+35.653
33
Brendan BURNS
5PC
1971 Honda CB 500
+38.426
34
Ross HOLLANDS
3CL
1955 Norton Manx 350
+1:02.321
NC
Mitchell KUHNE
2NE
1998 Honda CBR 250 RR
-1:48.263
NC
Eric GANT
2NE
1990 Honda NSR 250
-1:48.263
NC
Allan MURRAY
5PC
1970 Suzuki T 500
-1:48.263
New Era Formula 750 Qualifying Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Scott CAMPBELL
1987 Honda RC30 750
1m42.600
2
Nathan SPITERI
1989 Honda RC30 750
+0.413
3
Malcolm CAMPBELL
1987 Honda RC30 750
+0.982
4
Ryan McLAUCHLAN
1989 Ducati 926
+2.885
5
Quentin BLAZLEY
1989 Suzuki GSXR 750
+4.808
6
Benjamin BURKE
1988 Honda VFR 750
+4.954
7
Phillip BURKE
1988 Honda RC30 750
+6.237
8
Keith MULCAHY
1992 Honda CBR 400
+7.468
9
Peter BELLCHAMBERS
1988 Suzuki GSXR 750
+8.060
10
Russell BAKER
1990 Honda CBR 400
+8.280
11
Michael JOHNSTON
1987 Ducati TTF1 985
+8.590
12
Kurt GRAINGER
1989 Ducati 851
+8.647
13
John RILEY
1988 Honda VFR 750
+9.164
14
Christopher DUNSTER
1995 Honda RVF 400
+9.336
15
Anthony CARROLL
1990 Honda VFR 400
+9.409
16
Adam STOCKDALE
1990 Honda CBR 400
+9.479
17
Richard EASTON
1990 Suzuki GSXR 750
+9.680
18
Anthony BANN
1989 Kawasaki ZXR 750
+9.963
19
Stacey VAN WETERING
1989 Honda VFR 400
+10.802
20
Matt BROWN
1989 Kawasaki ZXR 400
+11.035
21
Rodney SCHMIDT
1985 Suzuki GSXR 750
+11.199
22
Michael MORALEE
1990 Suzuki GSXR 750
+12.124
23
John CHIODI
1988 Suzuki GSXR 750
+12.606
24
Andrew GARRETT
1987 Suzuki GSXR 750
+12.822
25
Paul JOSHUA
1988 Suzuki GSXR 750
+13.187
26
Damion DAVIS
1989 Honda CBR RR 400
+13.488
27
Brad LOPATEN
1989 Suzuki GSXR 771
+13.686
28
Karen WEBB
1989 Suzuki GSXR 749
+13.831
29
Steven HARLEY
1985 Yamaha FZ 750
+13.863
30
Christopher COONEY
1989 Kawasaki ZXR 400
+14.133
31
David O’CONNELL
1990 Honda VFR 399
+14.329
32
Aaron LINHAM
1989 Suzuki GSXR 750
+14.342
33
Mark POWELL
1989 Ducati 851
+16.156
34
Warren McWHIRTER
1986 Bimota DB1 985
+16.240
35
Tony OLIVER
1989 Honda VFR 400
+17.905
36
Robert FRY
1990 Honda VFR 399
+18.036
37
Malcolm ENGLAND
1985 Suzuki RG 500
+18.799
38
Daniel WILLIAMS
1988 Suzuki GSXR 750
+19.637
39
Thomas NASH
1989 Honda VFR 399
+21.535
40
Wayne WOODS
1990 Honda VFR 400
+23.789
41
Jonathan BYRNE
1990 Honda VFR NC30
+24.162
42
Bruce WILKINSON
1988 Suzuki RGV 750
+41.004
350 Forgotten Era / Unlimited Classic Qualifying Results
Pos
Rider
Class
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Lachlan HILL
3FE
1979 Yamaha TZ 350
1m48.840
2
Keo WATSON
3FE
1981 Yamaha TZH 350
+0.613
3
Richard PEERS-JONES
3FE
1979 Yamaha TZG 347
+2.757
4
Alexander SINCLAIR
3FE
1980 Yamaha TZ 350
+4.632
5
Stephen KAIRL
3FE
1979 Yamaha TZF 350
+6.425
6
Jason EASTON
3FE
1976 Yamaha TZ 350
+6.943
7
Garth FRANCIS
UCL
1962 Norton Atlas 750
+8.038
8
Kane BURNS
UCL
1962 Norton ES2 500
+9.485
9
Andy PITMAN
3FE
1981 Yamaha TZ 350
+10.726
10
Grant BOXHALL
3FE
1980 Yamaha TZG 350
+10.993
11
Louis PITMAN
3FE
1981 Yamaha RDLC 250
+15.382
12
Murray OGILVIE
3FE
1978 Yamaha TZE 350
+16.658
13
Shaun RUGEN
3FE
1976 Yamaha TZD 350
+17.859
14
Bruce MARCHETTI
3FE
1981 Yamaha RDLC 350
+18.401
15
Rocco IORLANO
3FE
1981 Yamaha RD 250
+19.656
16
Andrew MAJERNIK
UCL
1961 Harley XLH 900
+21.100
17
Ian HOULDER
3FE
1978 Yamaha TZE 349
+22.245
18
Stephen WARD
3FE
1980 Armstrong CM35 350
+22.463
19
William SAYER
UCL
1962 Norton Atlas 750
+23.031
20
Anthony TAYLOR
UCL
1962 Norton Mane 500
+23.589
21
David WEATHERHEAD
UCL
1958 Triton Triumph 6T 750
+24.224
22
Ryan FRANCIS
UCL
1962 Norton Triton 828
+27.026
23
Mark GRAY
3FE
1983 Yamaha RDLC 350
+29.615
24
Terrence LISTON
3FE
1980 Yamaha RDLC 347
+31.319
25
Stephen MAJERNIK
UCL
1958 Harley KRTT 750
+40.736
26
William MOONEY
UCL
1958 Harley KR 900
+41.873
500 Classic / 350 Post Classic Qualifying Results
Pos
Rider
Class
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Glenn HINDLE
3PC
1972 Maxton TR3 350
1m52.583
2
Kane BURNS
5CL
1962 Norton ES2 500
+0.922
3
Adam DONOVAN
5CL
1962 Norton Manx 500
+5.504
4
Jason EASTON
5CL
1962 Matchless G50 500
+6.089
5
Bob ROSENTHAL
5CL
1962 Matchless G50 496
+6.196
6
Anthony LOGAN
3PC
1970 Honda Drixton 350
+7.485
7
Garth FRANCIS
5CL
1962 Norton Manx 500
+7.549
8
Keith CAMPBELL
5CL
1962 Honda CB77 500
+7.820
9
Roland ORR
3PC
1969 Yamaha TR2 350
+10.269
10
Jonathan HOUSTON
5CL
1962 Ducati Dayt. 500
+12.324
11
Neil MAY
3PC
1972 Honda CBF 350
+14.703
12
Michael NEASON
5CL
1962 Norton Manx 500
+14.752
13
Daniel AHERN
5CL
1962 Matchless G50 500
+16.490
14
Anthony TAYLOR
5CL
1962 Norton Mane 500
+20.948
15
Shaun OLIVER
3PC
1972 Honda CB 350
+21.614
16
Hunter JONES
3PC
1972 Yamaha TR3 350
+24.298
17
Bruce MEREDITH
3PC
1971 Ducati MK3 350
+24.941
18
Lloyd CROOK
5CL
1962 Norton Manx 500
+26.432
19
Gregory KENNEDY
5CL
1961 Matchless G80 500
+28.742
20
Davey KEENAN
3PC
1969 Yamaha TR2 350
+33.909
New Era Formula 1300
Ryan Taylor took pole on the Pablo’s Motorcycle Tyres 1986 Suzuki GSX-R1100 in the New Era Formula 1300 class ahead of Scott Campbell on an RC30 and Dean Oughtred on a 1990 FZR1000.
Finland’s KymiRing still subject to FIM homologation.
Image: Supplied.
The calendar for the 2020 MotoGP World Championship has been made official with no changes from the provisional schedule released in August last year.
Finland’s new KymiRing venue marks a new addition to the calendar, subject to FIM homologation, marking the first time the nation will host a grand prix since 1982.
The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island will remain in October, scheduled on the 25th, once again sitting in the middle of the three back-to-back flyaway races that include the Japanese grand prix and Malaysian grand prix.
2020 MotoGP World Championship calendar: Rd1 – 8 March – Losail International Circuit, Qatar Rd2 – 22 March – Chang International Circuit, Thailand Rd3 – 5 April – Circuit of the Americas, USA Rd4 – 19 April – Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina Rd5 – 3 May – Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto, Spain Rd6 – 17 May – Le Mans, France Rd7 – 31 May – Autodromo del Mugello, Italy Rd8 – 7 June – Barcelona, Spain Rd9 – 21 June – Sachsenring, Germany Rd10 – 28 June -TT Circuit Assen, The Netherlands Rd11 – 12 July – KymiRing, Finland Rd12 – 9 August – Automotodrom Brno, Czech Republic Rd13 – 16 August – Red Bull Ring, Austria Rd14 – 30 August – Silverstone, Great Britain Rd15 – 13 September – Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, San Marino Rd16 – 4 October – MotorLand Aragón, Spain Rd17 – 18 October – Twin Ring Motegi, Japan Rd18 – 25 October – Philip Island, Australia Rd19 – 1 November – Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia Rd20 – 15 November – Valencia, Spain
The Mission Winnow Ducati Team has launched the Desmosedici GP20 bikes that will be piloted by Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci in the 2020 MotoGP World Championship.
The historic Palazzo Re Enzo in Piazza Maggiore at Bologna in Italy set the stage for the 2020 team launch, where a brand-new and exciting livery was unveiled.
“Last year we finished as runner-up for the third consecutive time behind Marc Marquez, a rider that for sure made the difference last year, but we also did our best managing well our potential,” said Dovizioso.
“Every year has its own story, and it is not easy to predict what will happen in 2020. Our goal is clear – we want to challenge for the title again.
“Both Ducati and I are working hard to be back stronger than ever before. Compared to last year, I expect to find more competitive rivals, but we have also grown a lot, and I am confident that we will be able to continue with our positive trend.”
Petrucci added: “2019 was positive for me, despite a few difficulties towards the end of the year. It was my best season in MotoGP in terms of results. I took my first win in Mugello in a fantastic race in front of my home crowd and all the Ducati fans.
“This result boosts my confidence and motivates me to improve even more this year. I know our rivals will be back stronger this year, but that counts for me too. I have been improving and growing each season, and this year I want to confirm my results and make further steps forward compared to last year.”
The Mission Winnow Ducati Team will make its first on-track appearance at the Sepang test on 7-9 February.
Evans hails Gajser a ‘great teammate’ in MXGP preparations
Section: Competition
Team HRC rider set for rookie premier class campaign.
Image: Supplied.
Australian Mitch Evans has hailed reigning MXGP world champion Tim Gajser a ‘great teammate’ as the pair prepare for the upcoming 20-round season aboard the all-new CRF450RW.
The Queenslander says Gajser has been the perfect benchmark in his pre-season campaign, although he’s concentrating on himself as the season-opener looms on 1 March.
“It was a dream come true to sign with Team HRC at the end of last year, and even though I’ll be riding in a new class on a brand new bike, I feel ready to show everyone what I am capable of,” Evans explained.
“I know it won’t be easy because the MXGP class is filled with top riders, but with the help of everyone in the team I believe I am ready to go out there and get some good results. My off-season has gone well and when I jumped on this brand new Honda CRF450RW, I felt good right away.
“Each time I get on the machine I feel like I am improving and when I’m riding with Tim, I have the perfect gauge to see just how well I am doing. He has been a great teammate so far but I know the results are down to me and that’s what I am concentrating on when the season begins at the MXGP of Great Britain on 1 March.”
Champion Rea fastest on final day of Jerez WorldSBK testing
Section: Competition
Razgatlioglu and Redding round out the top three on day two.
Image: Supplied.
The final day of Jerez testing brought the only sunshine available out to play for a handful of hours before more rain meant that most teams remained in their garages with a couple of hours to go.
With Honda on top of day one, it was Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Kawasaki who were on top after doing 19 laps across the two days. Behind him, 2019 rival Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha) and Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati), making it three manufacturers inside the top three.
There was very little track action across both days for the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK outfit, as they vowed to keep their reigning WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea in the box for the entirety of day one, before he ventured out on day two. With little to try because he already knows the ZX-10RR so comprehensively, new teammate Alex Lowes did more work.
The WorldSBK race winner experimented with launch control settings and wasn’t worried about the lack of dry time, as he was fast in testing in years gone by but then got to the first round and it had been a different story. Heading to Portugal, Rea is on top and Lowes is fourth.
Two-time race winner Toprak Razgatlioglu was in fine form across the test and despite suffering a turn one crash on Wednesday, he bounced back to lead the way for the majority of the second day. However, once Jonathan Rea had gone out, Razgatlioglu was pushed back to second, although just over two tenths behind the Ulsterman. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha) joined his teammate at the sharp end and completed the top five, 1.7s behind Rea.
Making it three manufacturers inside the top three, Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took his Ducati Panigale V4 R around the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto track.
Having raced at the track more than most of his competitors from his MotoGP paddock days, the 27-year-old British ace had a good run at a circuit he knows well in order to learn the WorldSBK-spec of the V4 R’s intricacies. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had a tough test and was 15th at the end of it all, crashing twice on the first day and completing less than 30 laps on day two.
Day one saw the highly awaited first public appearance of the all-new Honda CBR1000RR-R and it ended the day on top of the WorldSBK pile in the hands of Leon Haslam (HRC Team). On Thursday, the bike couldn’t quite replicate the position, but it was a good indicator of what the bike was capable of in drying conditions.
The ‘Pocket Rocket’ finished in sixth come the end of play and hailed the support of HRC, giving him the confidence to achieve great things. For Bautista, the objective is still to find a good base setting and to learn the technicalities of an in-line four-cylinder motorcycle, something he has never ridden before. Bautista ended day two in eighth.
In seventh place was the first of the Independent riders and Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha). The 26-year-old WorldSBK race winner was right in the mix across the two days of testing, testing with the new 2020 Yamaha YZF R1.
The wet weather running was confirmation that the team have improved the set-up of the bike in general, whilst they also practiced race starts and refined their electronics. Along with Baz in the top ten were other Independent riders were Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GoEleven) and Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team), the latter of which suffered two crashes.
Outside the top 10 was Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in eleventh, as the BMW squad didn’t try too much during the second day. Combined with teammate Eugene Laverty, the two did 65 laps in total across the second day with a primary focus on Laverty, who hailed the chassis but has engine desires in order to move forward. With two chassis to test, the Shaun Muir Racing team will be busy with more development at Portimao; ‘Norge’ was 18th.
ORELAC Racing Verdnatura were up in 12th place with WorldSBK rookie Maximilian Scheib, who quietly impressed around the WorldSBK paddock at Jerez. The Chilean rider’s main aim was to familiarise his way with the ZX-10RR, whilst placing fourth out of the Independent riders.
Third on day one, it was 13th for Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) on day two, whilst Sandro Cortese (Barni Racing Team) was 14th on his deputising duty. The German rider, who liked the feeling from his Ducati Panigale V4 R, is still without a ride on the 2020 grid. Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) was 16th on his Ducati, ahead of Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing).
Jonathan Rea completed the WorldSBK winter test at Circuito de Jerez today with the fastest overall time of 1m 40.983s. Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
The final day of Jerez testing saw a few hours sunshine before the rain returned to dampen proceedings in Spain. While Haslam and Honda topped the wet day one, it was Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki who were on top after completing only 19 laps across the two days.
Behind Rea, 2019 rival Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha) and Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati), made it three manufacturers inside the top three.
There was very little track action across both days for the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK outfit, as they kept their reigning WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea in the box for the entirety of day one, before he ventured out to stamp his dominance on day two.
Jonathan Rea
“The weather was not playing ball really. We sat out yesterday because the conditions were quite wet and changeable. One minute it was monsoon weather and then a drying track. Today were found a track that, although it wasn’t perfect and had a few damp patches that compromised the racing line, was consistent enough to try some items on the bike. We tried to focus on getting the bike to turn a little bit easier and I think we made a step forward in that direction. We need to confirm that in our test at Montmelo on Monday before we get to go Australia. We also managed to get a few laps in on Tuesday, where we basically confirmed all the items that we had in November. The positives were that we got to try a different balance of the bike.”
Jonathan Rea
Pere Riba – Crew Chief for Jonathan Rea
“Yesterday it was raining all day but the day before we got some track time in during the afternoon. We could make some small tests that were in the plan. We did that because the weather forecast said we would have two days of rain afterwards. For us there was no point to ride in the rain on Wednesday. On the final day today we had maybe three hours on slick tyres but some corners were still damp and the lap times were maybe 1.5 seconds from where they should be. We did 19 laps today with standard tyres. Now we go to Montmelo on Monday, which is new track for Johnny and us. I am excited to go there because we have never been there with the Superbike.”
New team-mate Alex Lowes had more work to do in order to familiarise himself with the KRT ZX-10RR and experimented with launch control settings and wasn’t worried about the lack of dry time, as he was fast in testing in years gone by but then got to the first round and it had been a different story. Heading to Portugal, Rea is on top and Lowes is fourth.
Alex Lowes
“It was a real good test and I am happy I got to ride the bike in mixed conditions. I was fast in the wet and the drying conditions and I am starting to feel a lot more comfortable on the bike. I really enjoyed it and I feel like we are making some steps in the right direction before Phillip Island. I feel I have a good riding position now; one that I can keep. We did not get that much dry track time but I certainly do feel more comfortable than when I got here, so that is positive. Any time you get to ride a new track is great and Montmelo is a new addition to the calendar. It will be important to get in as many laps as we can and a good a understanding of the bike. Any track time is important to let me keep building on my confidence for the first race.”
Alex Lowes
Two-time race winner Toprak Razgatlioglu was in fine form across the test and despite suffering a turn 1 crash on Wednesday, he bounced back to lead the way for the majority of the second day. However, once Jonathan Rea had gone out, Razgatlioglu was pushed back to second, although just over two tenths behind the Ulsterman. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha) joined his team-mate at the sharp end and completed the top five, 1.7s behind Rea.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Making it three manufacturers inside the top three, Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) took his Ducati Panigale V4 R around the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto track. Having raced at the track more than most of his competitors from his MotoGP paddock days, the 27-year-old British ace had a good run at a circuit he knows well in order to learn the WorldSBK-spec of the V4 R’s intricacies.
Scott Redding
“My first goal is to get to know the bike well, to get to know the team, to understand the tyre behaviour in the best possible way, to work to create a solid base. If I have to be honest, I am very satisfied with what we have done so far. I have had a good feeling during these two days even if, obviously, the weather has not helped us. I still feel comfortable in both wet and dry conditions. There are some areas where we need to improve but the balance of these days is very positive”.
Scott Redding
Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) had a tough test and was 15th at the end of it all, crashing twice on the first day and completing less than 30 laps on day two.
Chaz Davies
“We worked on the bike and that didn’t allow me to focus on performance. I can’t hide the fact that we have encountered some issues in these tests but I am sure we can be much more competitive in the next two days at Portimao. The base to work on, obviously, is very good but we need to put together many laps. That is why I hope to have four days in dry conditions between the tests in Portugal and Australia. This would allow us to arrive in the best conditions in the first race of the season”.
Day one saw the highly awaited first public appearance of the all-new Honda CBR1000RR-R and it ended the day on top of the WorldSBK pile in the hands of Leon Haslam (HRC Team). On Thursday, the bike couldn’t quite replicate the position, but it was a good indicator of what the bike was capable of in drying conditions. Haslam finished in sixth come the end of play and hailed the support of HRC, giving him the confidence to achieve great things.
Leon Haslam
“Tricky weather conditions of course but every time we made an exit, we were testing something different, getting through the list of things we wanted to try. Our priority is to get through the many items we need to test, so we need dry conditions for a lot of that, but it didn’t hurt to complete some laps in the wet on Wednesday. Today the track was never fully dry, but all in all we did what we needed to do. We put together something we wanted to try at the end of the day but then it started to rain again so we’ll keep working on that in Portimão. Hopefully we will have some better weather conditions there. It’s exciting to have a competitive team-mate like Alvaro, it looks like we both have a similar understanding of the bike. Having the backing of Honda and HRC is so important; it’s a new bike and so a lot of development goes into that. The team also really wants to succeed, and that confidence really inspires me to do my best.”
For Bautista, the objective is still to find a good base setting and to learn the technicalities of an in-line four-cylinder motorcycle, something he has never ridden before. Bautista ended day two in eighth.
Alvaro Bautista
“Wet, mixed testing days like this are never easy, especially for us with a brand-new bike as we have development to do. We need more mileage in the dry obviously, but we have been able to collect some useful data at least. We start with no references so time will tell where exactly we need to focus our efforts on the bike. I am working to adapt my riding style, having ridden different machines in the recent past. Today the conditions were a bit better than yesterday, albeit not completely dry, and we had the chance to use the slick tyres. My impressions were good, I think we have a lot of potential and that we need to work to fine tune everything. Basically, the initial goal in this early phase of the project is to push hard with the set-up so that we can perform at the top level as soon as possible.”
Alvaro Bautista
In seventh place was the first of the independent riders and Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha). The 26-year-old WorldSBK race winner was right in the mix across the two days of testing, testing with the new 2020 Yamaha YZF R1. The wet weather running was confirmation that the team have improved the set-up of the bike in general, whilst they also practiced race starts and refined their electronics. Along with Baz in the top ten were other Independent riders were Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GoEleven) and Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team), the latter of which suffered two crashes.
Outside the top ten was Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in eleventh, as the BMW squad didn’t try too much during the second day. Combined with team-mate Eugene Laverty, the two did 65 laps in total across the second day with a primary focus on Laverty, who hailed the chassis but has engine desires in order to move forward. With two chassis to test, the Shaun Muir Racing team will be busy with more development at Portimao.
Tom Sykes
“Despite how bad the weather conditions have been we have actually been able to do some good fundamental work on the electronics and some small changes on the chassis. In an ideal world we would test all our parts at racing speed however having said that we have been very productive in the small time we have had. In conditions like this I’ve not been looking at the time sheets, the track changes every 20 mins and there is nothing I would achieve by risking everything, we’ve used the track time to understand some electronic parameters and now we can take this understanding forward and pencil it into our testing plan over in Portimao this weekend.”
Tom Sykes
Eugene Laverty
“We are in a much better position than where we were from the last test, however the lap times may not reflect that as I’ve taken a role of test rider over the last two days. We have made good progress with the electronics and other small parameters on the bike so heading into Portimao with some good weather hopefully we can kick on a little and start improving our lap times.”
Eugene Laverty
Shaun Muir – BMW Team Principal
“We’ve had a big list of parts to run through this test, the wet conditions did change the sequence of what we were going to be testing but this allowed us to give extra emphasis on our electronic updates. Both Tom an Eugene worked through our list which was definitely a benefit, unfortunately we didn’t get to work on the chassis and swing-arm during this test but heading over to Portimao in a couple of days this will allow us to gain a clear direction to work in. In summary of the two-day test and the constant changing conditions we have not been looking at the lap times, in any respect that’s not what we are here to do and our focus has solely been on development and overall I feel it’s been a valuable and constructive test.”
WorldSBK rookie Maximilian Scheib familiarises himself with the ZX-10RR, whilst placing fourth out of the Independent riders.
Third on day one, it was 13th for Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) on the dry day two, whilst Sandro Cortese (Barni Racing Team) was 14th on his deputising duty. The German rider, who liked the feeling from his Ducati Panigale V4 R, is still without a ride on the 2020 grid.
Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) was 16th on his Ducati, ahead of Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing).
Jerez Test Day Two Times WorldSBK/WorldSSP
Rea 1m40.983s
Razgatlioglu 1m41.214s
Redding 1m41.407s
Lowes 1m41.642s
Van der Mark 1m42.707s
Haslam 1m42.797s
Baz 1m43.384s
Bautista 1m43.579s
Rinaldi 1m43.789s
Caricasulo 1m43.811s
Sykes 1m44.014s
Scheib 1m44.153s
Gerloff 1m44.214s
Cortese 1m44.258s
Davies 1m44.276s
Barrier 1m44.322s
Mercado 1m44.451
Krummenacher 1m44.535s
Laverty 1m44.543s
Fuligni 1m45.643s (SS)
Cluzel 1m46.345s (SS)
Odendaal 1m46.437s
Perolari 1m47.040s (SS)
Ponsson 1m47.058s
Van Sikkelerus 1m47.711s (SS)
The 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship launches their season in Australia at the thrilling Phillip Island, with the Yamaha Finance round from February 28-March 1. Tickets available at Ticketek. For info www.worldsbk.com.au