Motorcycle News, News

Tanks for Troops

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Tanks for Troops is a silent auction of custom-painted Indian Motorcycle FTR 1200 tank covers to raise funds for the  Infinite Hero Foundation. In 2018, TforT raised $30,000. This year, Carey and team are hoping to surpass this mark, and all funds raised will go to support U.S. military veterans and military families who suffer from physical or mental challenges and are in need of financial support and additional resources.

Carey Hart doing the right thing.

Bidding goes live on Thursday, January 9th (here), and will close at 9pm on January 16th. With 24 Indian Motorcycle tank covers designed by various artists, these works of art range in style from tattoo and motorsport to fine art and military inspired pieces. Among the artists participating is Carey’s eight-year-old daughter Willow, who designed her own Indian tank cover with bright colors, creative designs and of course… the poop emoji.

How proud must Carey and Pink be? Again, go here to bid, and to have an expanded look at all 24 custom-painted FTR tanks. Looks like the bidding begins at $200 on all of them.

AP Designs

The post Tanks for Troops appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.

Motorcycle News, News

Is fire retardant really a danger to riders?

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Apart from riders being aware of rapidly changing bushfire conditions, we have also been warned about slippery fire retardant on roads and falling debris in ravaged areas.

A social media alert to riders from Sydney truck driver William Moncrieff carrying fire retardant to rural fire brigades says the substance can be slippery when wet.

He supplied the above photo of the red residue on the Princes Highway near Lake Conjola, south of Nowra, NSW.

Fire retardant

To verify if it really is an issue for riders, we contacted the fire service media centres in all states, but only South Australia and Victoria replied; with differing responses.

Simone from the South Australian Country Fire Service says there are a few different types of chemicals that can be dropped from planes on fires, but they all present hazards for all road users when they get wet.

“When it rains, any retardant will become slippery, the foam residue will re-expand and the gel also reactivates,” she says.

“If motorbike riders are in an area where there have been bushfires, the CFS encourages them to take extra care when driving on the roads.

“The reactivated substances will cause the road to become slippery and create increased hazards.

“The substances are highly visible when they are wet, so motorbike riders should be able to see areas to avoid.

“After bushfires, roads can also be dangerous with debris, falling tree limbs and loose stock. Make sure you take care and always ride to the conditions.”

Oxley highway work
Debris on the Oxley highway after bushfires

The Victorian Country Fire Authority had a different response.

“Any road impacted by retardant would be subject to a safety assessment and any necessary maintenance before it is reopened to the public,” they said.

We did not get a response form other authorities, but given the current situation, that’s not surprising.

If they do respond, we will update this article.

Slippery when wet

Fire retardant
William and his Spyder

Truckie William, who also rides a Can-Am Spyder,  says he drove his truck over a road with red retardant near Moruya after some light rain and it caused the traction control to kick in several times.

“It feels like soapy water to touch, and indeed it’s also known as ‘Wetting Agent’,” he says in his post.

“Note that the retardant I delivered was not red. It was opaque and will be invisible on a damp road surface.

“If you ride through firegrounds please take it easy on the twisties unless you’re positive there has been no aerial water bombing during fire fighting operations.”

Bushfire survival

The best advice is for riders to steer well clear of these areas.

If you are caught in a sudden bushfire alert, please click here and read our life-saving tips.

Once the alerts are over and the roads cleared of retardant and debris, as is the case now on the Oxley Highway, let’s help the ravaged communities the best way we know how: travelling there and spending our cash in their towns on food, gifts and fuel.

Riders who have since ridden the Oxley Highway say one of the few positives form the bushfire crisis is that you can now safely see further around corners because of the cleared debris.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 Released at CES in Las Vegas

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The Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 system is now designed to be a standalone product, wearable under any properly fitting jacket. 

Begin Press Release: 

ALPINESTARS – LAUNCHES TECH-AIR 5: THE NEW GENERATION OF AUTONOMOUS ELECTRONIC AIRBAG SYSTEMS

Alpinestars Tech-Air 5

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, LAS VEGAS – Alpinestars has been redefining protection for motorcyclists ever since the company was established in 1963, and today sees the brand launching Tech-Air® 5, the all-new, autonomous motorcycling airbag system.

Tech-Air® 5 is the latest addition to the Alpinestars Tech-Air® family, which includes the Tech-Air® Race and Tech-Air® Street systems. Alpinestars continues to lead the way in active air-bag technology for riders and their passengers and Tech-Air® 5 is a powerful demonstration of Alpinestars commitment to making the technology more freely available as the best possible choice of ‘active’ airbag protection in the market.

Tech-Air® 5 is a slim, self-contained wearable airbag vest that can be worn under any proper fitting textile jacket1 or Tech-Air® compatible jacket, or any leather jacket with 4 cm of space around the circumference of the rider’s chest. Tech-Air® 5 offers unrivaled upper body protection keeping motorcycle riders safe by uniquely covering the rider’s shoulders, chest, ribs and full back. Shoulder protection is critical in a road impact, and rider’s shoulders are uniquely protected by Tech-Air®, effectively and efficiently minimizing the risk of the rider sustaining shoulder and collarbone injuries. Alpinestars Tech-Air® 5 provides the most comprehensive coverage of any airbag currently available.

The state-of-the-art, wearable Tech-Air® 5 vest comes with an active electronic system that features six integrated sensors (3 gyroscopes and 3 accelerometers) and a crash algorithm that leverages AI to accurately monitor when to deploy the airbag in the event of a crash. Developed from years of research with over 50% of the world’s top MotoGP riders, and Alpinestars customers, riding data from millions of kilometers and thousands of crashes have been analyzed to continuously improve the intelligent crash detection algorithm. Upon the identification of a crash situation, a protective airbag is deployed, providing unrivaled protection to the rider with a maximum inflation time of 20 to 40ms based on the volume of the airbag size. The impact absorption while wearing the airbag results in a decrease of the impact force by up to 95% compared to a passive protector. The Tech-Air® 5 airbag system offers the same protection as that provided by 18 back protectors.2

The system is also extremely easy to use, just zip up the vest and close the magnetic flap and you’re ready to ride. An LED display indicates the airbag’s operational status and the integrated, certified lithium-ion battery has a battery life of 30 hours of riding time. The system comes equipped with a magnetic micro USB charger that allows quick, easy and convenient recharging.

Tech-Air® 5 has Bluetooth connectivity and an accompanying Tech-Air® App, which uses the rider’s phone to display the system’s operational status, battery status and a detailed analysis of a ride; the system’s firmware can also be updated directly via the app.

Nearly 20 years ago, Alpinestars began development on the original Tech-Air® system. When launched in the market in 2014, the Tech-Air® system was recognized as the world’s first airbag providing full upper body protection with a completely independent electronic management system, in addition to having the versatility of the vest which could be easily zipped into a variety of Tech-Air® compatible jackets. In December 2019, Tech-Air® 5 has already been recognized by CES as one of the must-see innovative products in the Wearables Technology Marketplace.

Alpinestars Tech-Air 5

A History of Alpinestars Tech-Air®:

2001: Tech-Air® Airbag system project begins.
2004: Alpinestars performs its first electronic airbag test; at this time with outer airbag balloons of 2 x 60 liters. Alpinestars decides to use electronic triggering for the airbag as the company analyzed and studied all solutions and discovered that with a mechanical system the activation is not fast enough to guarantee first impact protection.
2004: Alpinestars also starts collecting riding data from professional riders in, e.g. MotoGP.
2009: Alpinestars introduces Tech-Air® Race in MotoGP.
2011: Tech-Air® Race is integrated into Alpinestars top leather suit and becomes become available to final customers.
2014: The Tech-Air® Street airbag system is launched to the market at the EICMA show in Milan as a modular self-contained electronic airbag system that provides first impact protection for the full upper torso. Tech-Air® Street is the first system in the market to provide this level of protection. Additionally, the system allows the rider to easily switch between Tech-Air® compatible garments and to adapt these garments to his/her riding requirements and the weather conditions.
2016: Tech-Air® Race is introduced as a modular system that allows riders to not only choose between a wide variety of compatible suits and garments, but to choose between algorithms; riders can switch between race track use and public road use. Tech-Air® Race is the first system in the market to allow this option.
2020: The Tech-Air® 5 system is launched, joining the Tech-Air® Race and Tech-Air® Street vests, in the Alpinestars Tech-Air® line-up.

For more information visit the Tech-Air® 5 microsite: alpinestars.com/tech-air-5

Notes:
1 The Tech-Air® 5 wearable vest is designed to be worn under any proper fitting textile jacket, keeping in mind that the jacket must be large enough to accommodate the expansion of the airbag in the event of a crash. For textile jackets this requires an additional 4 cm of space around the circumference of the body. For those riders who want to wear a sports leather jacket, Tech-Air® 5 may also be worn with Tech-Air® compatible leather jackets which have built-in leather expansion panels to accommodate the inflation of the airbag. Riders who wish to wear a leather jacket that is not Tech-Air® compatible must be sure that the leather jacket has an additional 4 cm of space around the circumference of the entire chest.

2 The Tech-Air® 5 airbag system offers the same protection as that provided by 18 CE Level 1 back protectors, as verified by SGS, an Official CE Certification company, that provides independent testing of product conformity with European Personal Protection Regulations

The post Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 Released at CES in Las Vegas appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.

Motorcycle News, News

Rev’It Metropolitan Ladies Jacket | Gear Review

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Rev'It Metropolitan Ladies Jacket.
Rev’It Metropolitan Ladies Jacket.

From the outside, the Metropolitan looks like a stylish, well-tailored 3/4-length parka, but on closer examination this is a thoughtfully designed, protective motorcycle jacket. Its outer shell is made of a water-repellent polycotton material that feels like a soft, supple lightweight canvas, backed with a waterproof Hydratex membrane. Cuffs are designed to snug down around your wrists, with elastic on the underside and a two-position snap, making it easy to pull your glove gauntlets over them. A thickly padded hood with subtle reflective striping zips to the tall collar, and heavy-duty snaps hold it in place at each side and the back so it doesn’t flop around in the wind. Pockets abound, with two large front stash pockets, two zippered ones on the chest and numerous inner pockets for documents, your phone, etc. I only wish the big stash pockets opened wider; it can be tough to get my hands inside, especially with gloves on. My favorite feature, though, is the luxuriously plush detachable thermal liner, with an extra-tall puffy collar that acts as a cushion between your face and neck and the stiffer polycotton shell. With the liner snapped in, slipping on the Metropolitan is like getting a hug from a cloud made of silk.

Rev'It Metropolitan Ladies Jacket.
Rev’It Metropolitan Ladies Jacket.

One of my jacket pet peeves is zippers with small teeth; they always seem to get snagged and the tiniest amount of grit or dirt is enough to choke them up. So imagine my relief when I discovered the Metropolitan’s zipper is made of big, beefy teeth and glove-friendly metal pulls. It’s a double zipper, so you can zip it up as far as you’d like, then unzip the bottom for comfort while sitting on the bike (see photo above). The Metropolitan is an urban-styled jacket meant to transition seamlessly from riding to casual wear, so Rev’It uses unobtrusive, soft Seesmart CE level 1 armor in the shoulders and elbows; there’s a pocket for an optional Seesoft CE level 2 back protector. If you want more protection, all of the armor is removable and replaceable.

True to its design, I found the Metropolitan to be supremely warm and comfy not just while riding, but also when walking around off the bike, plus it’s fashionable and completely unrecognizable as a motorcycle jacket. The Metropolitan is available in women’s sizes XS-XL, for an MSRP of $359.99.

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

Source: RiderMagazine.com

Motorcycle News, News

Roadbook controversy hits Dakar Rally

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An error in the roadbook has forced officials in the 2020 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia to amend the finishing results after a controversial day three and the second stage of the super marathon.

Aussie two-time winner and current title holder Toby Price was running in the top four when he and Frenchman Xavier de Soultrait veered 900m off the track because of the error late in the stage.

Toby price
Toby spent time lost in the Saudi desert

The error was only in the roadbook for the motorcycle category. It showed a waypoint wasn’t where it was indicated.

Rally officials wisely decided to record the stage times only up to that point, which meant Toby went from finishing 11th to fifth.

Toby now moves up from ninth overall to sixth and less than 12 minutes off the lead. That gives him plenty of time for an attack in the second week of the gruelling event as he did when he won last year.

He described it as a “difficult day”.

“In the early parts of the stage we were getting on pretty damn good but unfortunately, I made a few mistakes which really cost me,” he said before the officials changed the finishing times.

“One of those mistakes was towards the end of the stage, where I had a hard time tracking down a specific WPC which was marked in a really tricky position; not sure what the go is here.”

Honda looks set to challenge KTM which is pressing for its 19th consecutive victory with the factory team taking four of the top six slots for the 427km stage led by American Ricky Brabec (top photo).

The two-day super marathon stage is a field leveller as riders have to do their own work on bikes and even teammates can’t help.

Toby Price Dakar Rally super marathon stage
Toby works on his bike

Top 10 outright rankings

POS. N° EXP. DRIVE-TEAM MARK-MODEL TIME VARIATION PENALITY
1 9 MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020 10H 39′ 04”
2 7 MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020 10H 43′ 47” + 00H 04′ 43”
3 2 RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM 10H 45′ 06” + 00H 06′ 02”
4 12 MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020 10H 50′ 06” + 00H 11′ 02”
5 17 MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020 10H 50′ 23” + 00H 11′ 19” 00H 01′ 00”
6 1 RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM 10H 51′ 02” + 00H 11′ 58” 00H 02′ 00”
7 5 ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING 10H 51′ 41” + 00H 12′ 37”
8 16 RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM 10H 53′ 24” + 00H 14′ 20”
9 3 RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM 10H 56′ 14” + 00H 17′ 10”
10 10 MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM 10H 58′ 59” + 00H 19′ 55”

Other Aussies

Rodney Faggotter

Queensland veteran competitor Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha) finished 14th on the revised times, moving up two places to 15th outright.

“Had a good solid ride and feeling good,” he says.

“Bit of chaos late in the stage with a missing waypoint that wasn’t set up in the motos GPSs but was in the quads and cars.

“Fortunately commonsense prevailed and they took the stage times up to that point. Was funny for a while and even had a chat and trail ride around in circles with my old mate Toby.

“Was funny until we were still searching for that bastard waypoint a half hour later.”

Other Aussie Ben Young (KTM) finished 90th and moved up four places to 88th and Matthew Tisdall (Duust) finished 124th, with only two riders behind him. He was 131nd outright but is now 124th after riders dropped out.

Tomorrow’s 453km special stage is equal parts stony and sandy.

For the first time the Dakar rally is being run in the one country, Saudi Arabia, after being run in 35 countries on three continents since 1978.

Toby aids firefightersToby Price Dakar Rally super marathon stage

Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, Toby (right) is raising money for the bushfire appeal.

He is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters

Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.

It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.

Current highest bid is still $13,001.

Auction closes on 18 January at 5pm (AEST).

If you can’t bid, please donate on this link.

Jack Miller's MotoGP helmet
Jack Miller’s MotoGP helmet

Meanwhile, Aussie MotoGP racer Jack Miller is also putting his 2018 MotoGP helmet up for auction to raise money for the bushfire crisis.

The auction is open worldwide until Friday at 5pm (AEST).

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

News, Reviews

2020 Indian Motorcycle Challenger Dark Horse Review MC Commute

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In terms of raw performance, this Indian delivers. Its engine is fast, fun, and powerful, and the well-sorted chassis is equally apt to play. However, considering its rich history, the Challenger is missing the type of fit and finish we expect, especially considering its price tag. Still, if outright performance is the end game, for a bagger-style bike the Challenger gets it done.

Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Ricky Brabec tops Stage 3 to take the lead | Dakar 2020

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Ricky Brabec has won Stage 3 of the Dakar Rally, taking the lead over runner-up and team-mate Jose Florimo, while fellow Monster Energy Honda Team 2020 rider Joan Barreda took out third for the stage in the provisional results.

Updated results have since been released, marking a noticeable reshuffling of the stage results, general standings and times posted, as well as gaps, with Kevin Benavides since listed as third fastest overall.

Dakar Rally Ricky Brabec rallyzone
Ricky Brabec – Image by Rally Zone

The result catapults Brabec into the lead of the standings after Stage 3, marking the third rider to claim the lead and a stage win in as many stages, after Toby Price and Sam Sunderland took the lead in stages one and two respectively.

Dakar Rally Ricky Brabec rallyzone
Ricky Brabec now holds the general standings lead by 15-minutes

Updated results have Matthias Walkner fourth, ahead of defending champion Toby price, while Joan Barreda placed sixth ahead of Luciano Benavides.

Toby Price led the Australian contingent, originally being posted as taking 12th for the stage in the provisional results and sitting 35-minutes off the leading pace for the day, but retaining his ninth place overall in the standings. Updates results have since placed him at fifth for the stage, and sixth overall, with further clarification expected, with a statement from Price on social media reflecting the original results listed.

Toby Price

“Today was a difficult day, in the early parts of the stage we were getting on pretty damn good but unfortunately, I made a few mistakes which really cost me. One of those mistakes was towards the end of the stage, where I had a hard time tracking down a specific WPC which was marked in a really tricky position. Not sure what the go is here? But all in all, it was a rough day and I’m glad to have Stage 3 behind me. Time to recharge and press on to Stage 4!”

Toby Price Stage Dakar Rally
Toby Price

Early results reported Rodney Faggotter completed the stage in 35th, leaving him ranked 21st overall, however updated results have him running 13th.

Adrien Van Beveren, who was running 14th after Stage 2, had to withdraw after an early crash during Stage 3, and was quickly attended to by the medical team.

Provisional Stage 3 Results – Dakar Rally 2020

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, News

Honda take top 4 in Dakar day 3

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Honda has stamped its authority on the 2020 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia by dominating the top four overall positions after day three and the second day of the super marathon.

Meanwhile, Aussie two-time winner and current title holder Toby Price was running in the top four when he and Frenchman Xavier de Soultrait veered 900m off the track.

Toby price
Toby spent time lost in the Saudi desert

He lost valuable time trying to navigate his way back on track. There was also controversy when a waypoint wasn’t where it was indicated on the road book.

Toby remains in ninth place, biding his time for an attack in the second week of the gruelling event.

The Monster Energy Team took five of the top five slots for the 504km stage led by American Ricky Brabec (top photo), while Tony came in 35 minutes later in 11th.

He is 38 minutes from Brabec in overall timing in his fight to defend his title and pick up a 19th consecutive Dakar win for KTM.

The two-day super marathon stage is a field leveller as riders have to do their own work on bikes and even teammates can’t help.

Toby Price Dakar Rally super marathon stage
Toby works on his bike

Top 10 outright rankings

POS. N° EXP. DRIVE-TEAM MARK-MODEL TIME VARIATION PENALTY
1 9 MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020 11H 17′ 56”
2 17 MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020 11H 32′ 58” + 00H 15′ 02” 00H 01′ 00”
3 12 MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020 11H 33′ 10” + 00H 15′ 14”
4 7 MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020 11H 34′ 08” + 00H 16′ 12”
5 2 RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM 11H 35′ 52” + 00H 17′ 56”
6 16 RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM 11H 37′ 40” + 00H 19′ 44”
7 5 ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING 11H 39′ 21” + 00H 21′ 25”
8 3 RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM 11H 52′ 34” + 00H 34′ 38”
9 1 RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM 11H 56′ 19” + 00H 38′ 23” 00H 02′ 00”
10 10 MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM 12H 11′ 56” + 00H 54′ 00”

Other AussiesRodney Faggotter

The three other Aussies in the motorcycle category have not yet finished.

They are Queensland veteran competitor Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha) who was 17th outright, Ben Young (KTM, 92nd) and Matthew Tisdall (Duust, 131).

Tomorrow’s 453km special stage is equal parts stony and sandy.

For the first time the Dakar rally is being run in the one country, Saudi Arabia, after being run in 35 countries on three continents since 1978.

Toby aids firefightersToby Price Dakar Rally super marathon stage

Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, Toby (right) is raising money for the bushfire appeal.

He is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters

Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.

It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.

Current highest bid is still $13,001.

Auction closes on 18 January at 5pm (AEST).

If you can’t bid, please donate on this link.

Meanwhile, Aussie MotoGP racer Jack Miller is also putting his 2018 MotoGP helmet up for auction to raise money for the bushfire crisis.

The auction is open worldwide until Friday at 5pm (AEST).

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Competition, Motocross, News

Price hoping to reduce gap to leaders in Dakar day three

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News 7 Jan 2020

Price hoping to reduce gap to leaders in Dakar day three

Section: Competition

Australian ranked ninth after challenging second stage.

Image: Supplied.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price is hoping to reduce the gap to the leaders on day three of the 2020 Dakar Rally after losing considerable time during stage two.

The defending champion claimed victory on day one, prompting him to start first on the second day of proceedings with a challenging route ahead.

As a result, he was demoted down the order as anticipated, finishing the stage in 17th for an overall ranking of ninth – 7m34s down on lead and teammate Sam Sunderland (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).

“Today was always going to be tough, leading out from the start without having had much time to read the road book,” Price explained.

“The stage went okay, I lost some time to the others but the most important thing is I looked after my bike and the tyres so should be in good shape to close down on the leaders again tomorrow. There’s still a long, long way to go, but the bike is working great, things are looking good and I’m happy.”

Stage three will see riders complete a looped course starting and finishing at the city of Neom. Of the 504 kilometres covered, 427 will be a timed special.


Source: MotoOnline.com.au

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Helmet

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I’m putting my MotoGP Helmet from 2018 up for auction to raise money for the bushfire crisis that’s happening now right at home 🇦🇺 Head to the link below to bid – auction is open worldwide from now until this Friday at 5:00PM AEST and I’ll ship it to the winner, I can sign it or make it out to someone. If you’d like to donate direct to the NSW Rural Fire Service you can do it here 👉🏼 https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/volunteer/support-your-local-brigade


Auction item ‘Helmet’ hosted online at 32auctions.
Source: Jack Miller on Facebook

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