Fast charging time and competitive pricing for this electric motorcycle
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com
Founded in Marseille 30 years ago, SHARK Helmets has since grown to become one of the most prolific, popular and respected helmet brands in the world, protecting multiple World Champions such as Jorge Lorenzo and Johann Zarco. Pushing to innovate and invent to assure that every rider can push to the limit as safely as possible, SHARK Helmets is a perfect partner for MotoGP™ and a fitting title sponsor for their home Grand Prix de France.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
We catch up with the Pramac Ducati GP racer during the MotoGP winter break
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com
Australian overcomes the odds to earn second Dakar Rally crown.
Image: Supplied.
Toby Price says he thought he would’ve been lucky to make it halfway through the 2019 Dakar Rally after entering with a broken scaphoid, let alone win the gruelling event for the second time in his career.
It was a remarkable and heroic effort from the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing ace, who pushed through each and every stage despite the adversity, consistently positioning himself in contention to win at the conclusion of 10 long and demanding stages.
A three-way battle ensued on the final day of racing, with Pablo Quintanilla (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) tipped to overcome Price as he sat in second before a brutal fall crushed his chances victory, allowing the now two-time Dakar winner to ride somewhat safely to the chequered flag.
“It feels amazing to stand here knowing I have won the Dakar, I don’t think it has really sunk in yet,” Price explained. “I thought at the beginning of the event I would be lucky to even make the rest day. My Red Bull KTM bike has been amazing, I want to say a big thank you to my mechanic for that.
“The whole crew here do an amazing job – without them I would be no one. The team put in so much work on the lead up to the event and when we get here it’s down to me out there on the track so it feels amazing to be able to reward them all with this result and keep KTM’s winning streak going.
“It was so tight going into the stage this morning, both Pablo and I knew we would have to push right from the start. Unfortunately for him, he went too hard off a dune but he really deserves a win too – everyone that starts this race deserves a win. The plan now is to go home and relax for a little while, I know I need to have my wrist seen to, so I’ll get that sorted and then it won’t be long before we start it all over again.”
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team manager Jordi Viladoms commented: “It’s been an amazing race with many ups and downs, often stressful, but I am extremely proud of the whole team’s performance. The rally has been far tougher than expected. Despite being shorter than usual it has included days with tricky strategy, navigation and the level of riding has been so close.
“To win our 18th consecutive Dakar is incredible and a lot of it is thanks to Toby, he won the race even with a lot of pain in his wrist. Personally, I would like to thank KTM for their ongoing support of this rally programme, but all of this is only possible because of how the team works together.”
Last year’s Matthias Walkner wound up second ahead of Sam Sunderland, making it a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing lockout in the top three. Quintanilla recovered from his incident, salvaging 22nd position in the stage for a fourth overall ranking.
Source: MotoOnline.com.au
The world’s fastest electric motorcycle, the 351km/h Lightning LS-218, will soon have a mass-market brother called the Strike that beats Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire electric.
A teaser photograph of the Strike above) shows a Ducati-esque set of headlights.
It will start at $US12,998 (about $A18,000) when it is released in March, compared with the LS-218 at $US38,888 (about $A51,150).
That’s even cheaper than the Zero SR at $US16,495 (about $A23,000).
When the company pulled the plug on importing to Australia in 2017 their prices ranged from $18,000 to $25,000 on the road.
The Strike is also a lot more affordable than the Harley-Davidson LiveWire at $US29,799 ($A41,699) plus on-road costs when it arrives in North America and Europe in September. It will not come to Australia and New Zealand until 2020.
When it comes to tech specs, the Strike is also a lot more electric bike than the LiveWire.
Harley promises just 177km of range, a top seed of 190km/h and 0-100km/h in “under 3.5 seconds”.
In its photographic teaser of the Strike’s headlights, Lightning Motorcycles claim the bike will have 150 miles of range (about 240km) and a top speed of 150mph (240km/h).
Lightning Motorcycles say the Strike will charge in just 35 minutes on a DC fast charger.
There are no details yet on the LiveWire’s battery size or charging times, power.
Lightning Motorcycles does not yet import to Australia and is a small-scale company.
However, its price and tech specs should cause concern to both electric newcomer Harley-Davidson and the world’s biggest electric bike company, Zero Motorcycles.
Meanwhile, Zero also promises a new “effortlessly powerful” naked bike this year.
Their SR/F will be unveiled on February 25.
It’s looking like a big year for electric motorcycles – at least overseas.
Curtiss electric motorcycles is now taking orders for their Zeus electric bikes which will not be released until 2020.
Their Zeus Bobber and Cafe will each cost $US60,000 (about $A83,000, £46,845, €53,000) with a holding deposit of $US6000.
The aluminium and carbon bikes have 140kW of power, 196Nm of torque and maximum range of 450km although they don’t indicate how that was achieved.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Australian MotoGP contender one of three riders named by Ciabatti.
Image: Supplied.
Ducati sporting director Paolo Ciabatti has named Jack Miller amongst three riders on the Italian manufacturer’s radar to take up a seat that could potentially open at Ducati Team for the 2020 MotoGP World Championship.
Ciabatti mentioned the Australian alongside its current investments Danilo Petrucci – who was promoted the factory team for this season – and Miller’s new teammate at Pramac Racing, premier class rookie Francesco Bagnaia.
Results in this year’s championship will ultimately determine who will race alongside Andrea Dovizioso next season, with Petrucci’s one-year signing ensuring it will be a make or break year for the Italian with the company,
“The results of Petrucci, Jack and Pecco will lead us to decide which rider will be in the official team in 2020,” Ciabatti told Motorsport.com. “We have three good candidates to fight for the 2020 factory ride. Pecco did an amazing season in Moto2 – we hired him in January and it was a gamble.
“We signed him thinking about our future, and now we know it was the right decision. Next year he will ride a 2018 Desmosedici, and we’ve demonstrated that it is a very competitive bike, although I expect the 2019 [version] to be even more competitive. Debuting in MotoGP is always difficult, but I think he will learn a lot and very quickly, having Jack as reference [at Pramac].”
“Danilo will have to face more pressure, and his goal will be to win for the first time and always fight to end up within the top five. Danilo’s target isn’t beating Dovizioso, although if he can do it, that would be perfect. The idea is that he needs to gain confidence rather than try to show that he’s better than Dovi.”
The 2019 MotoGP World Championship will officially commence on 10 March at Losail International Circuit in Qatar, while the first test of the season is scheduled for 6 February at Sepang in Malaysia.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
Dakar contender recovers for fourth overall ranking.
Image: Supplied.
A brutal fall at the beginning of the 10th and final stage of the 2019 Dakar Rally crushed Pablo Quintanilla’s hopes of earning a maiden title, although it wasn’t enough to completely rule him out of the competition.
The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider sat a close second in the classification ahead of the day’s proceedings, granting him prime position for victory, however his plans came unstuck after over-jumping a broken dune, resulting in a heavy landing that momentarily sidelined the Chilean contender.
The incident pushed him down to fourth in the standings after finishing the stage in 22nd position, allowing an injured Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to somewhat comfortably ride home to a second Dakar Rally crown.
“Today I gave it all for the overall win, but things did not go as planned,” Quintanilla admitted. “A few kilometres into the stage there was a broken dune and it was hard to see it. I jumped it and landed heavily on my foot. Luckily the medical crew arrived a few seconds later and they helped me get back on the bike.
“The rest of the day it was just a struggle to get to the finish. If you want to win the Dakar you do need to take some risks and that’s what I tried to do today. I was really trying my best today for myself and for the team. It was a tough day but still I’m happy I’ve finished this Dakar.
“I take my fourth-place result and focus on the future. Overall, I’m happy I gave 100 percent at this Dakar and took some risks while battling for the win. I will come back even stronger next year.”
Quintanilla proved to be one of the most competitive racers in the event this year, leading the overall classification on numerous occasions and looked set to disrupt KTM’s now 18-year winning streak before his campaign came to a brief, yet abrupt, halt.
Source: MotoOnline.com.au
Popular Queenslander not ruling out supercross return.
Image: Foremost Media.
Two-time Australian supercross SX2 champion Jackson Richardson has declared he’ll provisionally step away from professional racing after failing to sign a deal for the 2019 season.
The popular Queenslander, one of the largest personalities of the sport, was initially attempting to strike a deal in the premier class last November, however his endeavours were fruitless, prompting a return to full-time work in the construction industry.
Richardson’s decision to pause his racing career comes after sitting out majority of the 2018 Pirelli MX Nationals with a shoulder injury, which later impacted his title defence in the Australian Supercross Championship.
“I’ve got nothing lined up and won’t be doing the nationals at this point,” Richardson revealed to MotoOnline.com.au. “I’m honestly not sure how to feel about it – it’s the way it is sometimes.
“The thing for me right now is that I’m going to put racing to the side for now, so I won’t be racing the nationals and I’m unsure about supercross – I’m just working as a carpenter right now.
“Really, there are no rides left or available. I figured that out a little while ago, and I think the best thing for me right now is to not go racing for the moment and try and do something else.”
The Cairns local, who’s continuing to ride recreationally, isn’t ruling out a return for supercross should an opportunity arise, although his immediate future in racing will be determined as the year progresses.
“I’ve got a bike at the moment, but I haven’t been doing much riding as of late – I’ve just been working,” he added. “I’m trying to get a ride in where I can for a bit of fun, but as far as racing competitively, I’m not sure when I’ll get back into that.
“I’ll have to wait and see how I’m going throughout the year. I’ll get to a certain point where I’ll decide if I’ll put something together or not for supercross. Until then, I’ll just wait and see how everything turns out.”
Richardson wound up second at the Monster Energy AUS-X Open season finale in the quarter-litre category last year before making a guest appearance at the S-X Open Auckland in the SX1 division, exiting the New Zealand event seventh overall amongst an international field.
Source: MotoOnline.com.au
File this under “Duh…”
Begin press release:
Motorcyclists have long championed riding as their main road to stress relief and positive mental health. Today, the results of a neurobiological study conducted by a team of three researchers from UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior yielded pioneering scientific evidence revealing the potential mental and physical benefits of riding. Funded by Harley-Davidson, the study found that motorcycling increased metrics of focus and attention, and decreased relative levels of cortisol, a hormonal marker of stress.
Researchers recorded participants’ brain activity and hormone levels before, during, and after motorcycling, driving a car, and resting. While riding a motorcycle, participants experienced increased sensory focus and resilience to distraction. Riding also produced an increase in adrenaline levels and heart rate, as well as a decrease in cortisol metrics – results often associated with light exercise and stress-reduction.
“Stress levels, especially among young adults, continue to rise, and people are exploring pathways to better their mental and physical health. Until recently, the technology to rigorously measure the impact of activities like motorcycling on the brain didn’t exist,” said Dr. Don Vaughn, the neuroscientist who led the research team. “The brain is an amazingly complex organ and it’s fascinating to rigorously investigate the physical and mental effects riders report.”
Results Highlights:
●Riding a motorcycle decreased hormonal biomarkers of stress by 28%
●On average, riding a motorcycle for 20 minutes increased participants’ heart rates by 11 percent and adrenaline levels by 27 percent—similar to light exercise
●Sensory focus was enhanced while riding a motorcycle versus driving a car, an effect also observed in experienced meditators vs non-meditators
●Changes in study participants’ brain activity while riding suggested an increase in alertness similar to drinking a cup of coffee
“While scientists have long-studied the relationship of brain and hormone responses to attention and stress, doing so in real-life conditions such as these is rare,” explained UCLA Professor and senior team member, Dr. Mark Cohen. “No lab experiment can duplicate the feelings that a motorcyclist would have on the open road.”
“The differences in participants’ neurological and physiological responses between riding and other measured activities were quite pronounced,” continued Dr. Vaughn. “This could be significant for mitigating everyday stresses.”
Research Overview
The research team monitored participants’ electrical brain activity and heart rate, as well as levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol. To be presented later this year, the Harley-Davidson funded study, entitled “The mental and physical effects of riding a motorcycle” measured the biological and physiological responses of more than 50 experienced motorcyclists, using mobile EEG technology.
“We’re leveraging the latest technologies as we shift our focus from exclusively motorcycles to growing ridership, so it only made sense to tap technology to explore the impact of riding itself,” said Heather Malenshek, Harley-Davidson’s Senior Vice President of Marketing & Brand. “The research findings Dr. Vaughn and his team identified helps explain what our riders have felt for the past 116 years – there’s a vitality and heightened sensory experience that comes from the freedom of riding a motorcycle. We hope their findings inspire the next generation of riders to experience these benefits along with us.”
The Ultimate New Year’s Resolution: Learning to Ride
For those who wish to experience the heightened sensory experience of riding first-hand, H-D Riding Academy will introduce you to motorcycle riding and build your skills in just a few days, regardless of experience level. Offered at select Harley-Davidson dealers, H-D Riding Academy provides expert guidance from Harley-Davidson certified coaches. In the classroom, you get to know basic motorcycle functions and learn the basics of rider safety skills. On the practice range, you build skills and confidence, learning everything from braking, turning and skilled maneuvers. Best of all, you will be connected to a growing community of new riders. To find available courses near you, contact your local dealer or search for classes at www.h-d.com.
1 Radosevich, P. M. et al. Effects of low- and high-intensity exercise on plasma and cerebrospinal fluid levels of ir-beta-endorphin, ACTH, cortisol, norepinephrine and glucose in the conscious dog. Brain Res. 498, 89–98 (1989).
2 Hill, E. E. et al. Exercise and circulating cortisol levels: the intensity threshold effect. J. Endocrinol. Invest. 31, 587–591 (2008).
3 As measured by the concentration ratio of DHEA-S to cortisol
4 Hill, E. E. et al. Exercise and circulating cortisol levels: the intensity threshold effect. J. Endocrinol. Invest. 31, 587–591 (2008).
5 Zouhal, H., Jacob, C., Delamarche, P. & Gratas-Delamarche, A. Catecholamines and the effects of exercise, training and gender. Sports Med. 38, 401–423 (2008).
6 Boutcher, S. H. & Landers, D. M. The effects of vigorous exercise on anxiety, heart rate, and alpha activity of runners and nonrunners. Psychophysiology 25, 696–702 (1988).
7 As measured by the mismatch negativity (MMN) – the change in the amplitude of evoked auditory responses, to standard versus deviant tones
8 Biedermann, B. et al. Meditation and auditory attention: An ERP study of meditators and non-meditators. Int. J. Psychophysiol. 109, 63–70 (2016).
9 Srinivasan, N. & Baijal, S. Concentrative meditation enhances preattentive processing: a mismatch negativity study.Neuroreport 18, 1709–1712 (2007).
10 Luo, Y., Wei, J. & Weekes, B. Effects of musical meditation training on auditory mismatch negativity and P300 in normal children. Chin. Med. Sci. J. 14, 75–79 (1999).
11 As measured by the commensurate reduction in alpha frequency band power between baseline and riding to caffeine vs placebo
12 Barry, R. J. et al. Caffeine effects on resting-state arousal. Clin. Neurophysiol. 116, 2693–2700 (2005).
13 Dimpfel, W., Schober, F. & Spüler, M. The influence of caffeine on human EEG under resting condition and during mental loads. Clin. Investig. 71, 197–207 (1993).
14 Angelakis, E., Lubar, J. F., Stathopoulou, S. & Kounios, J. Peak alpha frequency: an electroencephalographic measure of cognitive preparedness. Clin. Neurophysiol. 115, 887–897 (2004).
15 Reeves, R. R., Struve, F. A., Patrick, G. & Bullen, J. A. Topographic quantitative EEG measures of alpha and theta power changes during caffeine withdrawal: preliminary findings from normal subjects. Clin. Electroencephalogr. 26, 154–162 (1995).
16 Kaplan, G. B. et al. Dose-dependent pharmacokinetics and psychomotor effects of caffeine in humans. J. Clin. Pharmacol.37, 693–703 (1997).
The post Riding A Motorcycle Reduces Stress Levels, Harley-Funded Study Finds appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
Pisco > Lima – 359 km Jan 17th
Toby Price had been nursing his recently pinned broken wrist throughout Dakar 2019, but the 31-year-old had saved his best for last in order to decimate the competition on the final run home to the chequered flag in the Peruvian capital of Lima overnight to claim his second Dakar crown.
“It feels amazing to stand here knowing I have won the Dakar, I don’t think it has really sunk in yet. I thought at the beginning of the event I would be lucky to even make the rest day. Pretty much all I can say that it feels like there are about five people driving a knife in my wrist now. It’s not very comfortable, it’s not very enjoyable, but at the end of the day the victory has been paid off. I’ll forget about the pain now, that’s for sure. The win takes away all the pain. For sure, if it was not for this, it would not have been as sweet, but at the end of the day I was just happy to make the finishing line.
“My Red Bull KTM bike has been amazing, I want to say a big thank you to my mechanic for that. The whole crew here do an amazing job – without them I would be no one.
“The team put in so much work on the lead up to the event and when we get here it’s down to me out there on the track so it feels amazing to be able to reward them all with this result and keep KTM’s winning streak going.
“It was so tight going into the stage this morning, both Pablo and I knew we would have to push right from the start. Unfortunately for him, he went too hard off a dune but he really deserves a win too – everyone that starts this race deserves a win.
“There are so many guys that can win this race and we had strong competitors like Pablo and RickyBrabec , Sam Sunderland, Matthias Walkner … everyone is strong. You can never count anybody out. Kevin Benavides did a great job and at the end of the day we all fight to finish the line and it’s been a hard rally. I just do not like giving up, I do not like quitting, that’s for sure. That’s about it. I love being on my bike and I love riding and to be here with all the Dakar family and the KTM team it’s amazing. So, yeah, we’re pumped .
The plan now is to go home and relax for a little while, I know I need to have my wrist seen to, so I’ll get that sorted and then it won’t be long before we start it all over again.”
To win one Dakar is a life changing experience, winning two confirms legend status.
The injuries Toby has battled back from over the years have been themselves almost life altering. His fairly quietly spoken while carrying a big stick demeanour, which is almost borderline self-deprecating at times, has served him well as he has overcome some very large obstacles put in his way.
Right back from his junior motocross days he displayed the tenacity that has helped him to get where he is today.The first time I interviewed a then 14-year-old Toby Price it was 2002. Back then he told me his dislikes were ‘flat tyres and dirty bikes’, and his ambition was ‘To be world number one’.
2002 wasn’t his crowning year in Junior Motocross but 2003 would be. Like 2019, he was also coming back from injury, which in that case was two broken wrists. Nonetheless he went on to win both major categories at the 2003 Australian Junior Motocross Championships, the 15 years 125cc category, and the 13-16 years 250cc four-stroke class.
More injuries plaged his successive years and perhaps it was that which first put him on the path of competing in the bush rather than on the motocross track. At 22 he went on to win the AORC in 2009 ahead of Stefan Merriam, and also starred at the ISDE in Portugal that year.
The next year he won the AORC once again while also winning both the Finke and Hattah Desert Races at his first attempt.
More AORC, Finke and Hattah success came in the years that followed, along with more than a few injuries. The big one was when he broke his neck which required extensive surgery to repair and kept him off the bike for the most of 2013.
The next year he would test his mettle on the International Rally circuit, racing to an eighth place in Morocco. That year he also won the E3 category at the ISDE and the Red Bull Day In The Dirt.
2015 was Toby’s first crack at the Dakar. A stage win on the way to a podium on his first attempt set the scene for what was to come.
KTM signed Toby to replace the retiring Dakar legend Marc Coma for 2016, and was on the way to building his own legend.
The following year, 2016, as a fully fledged member of the KTM Factory Rally squad, Price dominated Dakar.
2017 involved more pain, a broken femur put him out of the Dakar while he was leading. Complications and setbacks delayed his return to motorcycle competition and he was not racing on two wheels again until Dakar 2018. A few navigation errors were very costly to Price’s 2018 Dakar campaign but once again he was on the podium.
In the lead up to Dakar 2019 everything was going to plan. Toby had won the 2018 Cross Country Rally World Championship, was fighting fit and ready to rock Dakar. But then, only a few weeks before Dakar was about to start he broke his scaphoid in a training accident.
Nonetheless Toby rode a smooth and steady Dakar and saved his best for last, his only stage win of Dakar 2019 coming in the tenth and final stage of the Rally.
Despite more and more determined challenges from both Yamaha and Honda in recent years, Price has continued the theme of KTM domination of Dakar. Since the orange machines from Austria captured their first victory in 2001, courtesy of Fabrizio Meoni on a KTM 600, they have remained unbeaten.
Cyril Despres and Marco Coma won ten of those Dakars between them, five apiece between the years 2005 and 2015.
Over the past four years, it is the current main KTM strike force trio that have brought home the silverware for the Mattighofen manufacturer. Price in 2016, Sam Sunderland in 2017, Matthias Walkner in 2018, and now Price again in 2019. That current KTM trio also finished Dakar 2019 in a 1-2-3 podium for KTM.
While Toby Price is the indisputed hero of Dakar 2019, there were also a couple of Aussies competing in the shadow of the KTM Factory Rally star. 47-year-old Ben Young completed the Dakar in 55th position. While Young had some assistance with the back-up from the Polish Duust Rally Team, the Newcastle based rider was going it alone and still managed to complete the Dakar in 67th position.
Source: MCNews.com.au