Championship leader Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) finished P17 in FP1, 1.6 seconds off Miller and one place behind debutant Gerloff. The American, standing in for Valentino Rossi, impressed in the difficult conditions on his first outing on a MotoGP™ bike to end the 45-minute session just 1.5 seconds from P1. Second in the Championship Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) endured a difficult session, the Frenchman was P21 and 2.7 seconds off Miller.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
France, Italy, Catalunya, Germany, Netherlands and – subject to homologation – Finland will lead us to the 11th of July, with the next venue on the list currently down as TBC. If the provisional calendar becomes the final one, then Austria and Great Britain host MotoGP™ races in August, before the Aragon and San Marino rounds take place in September.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
The tricky conditions saw a few riders hit the deck. Yuki Kunii (Honda Team Asia), Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team), Jason Dupasquier (CarXpert PrüstelGP) and long-time session leader Suzuki were the first riders to crash, with Barry Baltus (CarXpert PrüstelGP), Khairul Idham Pawi (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Championship leader Albert Arenas (Valresa Aspar Team Moto3) going down too. The latter high-sided on the exit of Turn 4 but thankfully, despite a heavy crash, the Spaniard was ok. Alonso Lopez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) and Max Kofler (CIP Green Power) also crashed at the end of the session, with Dupasquier and Pawi heading to the medical centre for check-ups.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Following a negative PCR test result obtained on Thursday 5th November, Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) made his way to Valencia, Spain. This morning (Friday 6th November) he took another PCR test as per FIM requirements. Should the Italian test negative again, he will take part in this weekend‘s Gran Premio de Europa from tomorrow‘s FP3 onwards.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Indian motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield have revealed another retro cruiser style machine that will replace the Thunderbird 350 X that is not currently sold in Australia.
It is unclear as yet which Meteor 350 variants will come to Australia but overseas markets have the Meteor 350 Fireball as the most affordable. More up-spec variants dubbed Stellar and Supernova continue the space inspired naming regimen.
In India the machines are expected to sell for the equivalent of around $3500 but with Australian import duties and licencing costs we can probably expect our ride-away pricing to be in excess of $5000.
The 349 cc singe-cylinder might be air-cooled but it is fuel injected. A little over 20 horsepower is claimed along with around 27 Nm of torque from the long-stroke engine.
Cooling fins add to the retro look of the machine while a single exhaust port dumps in to a long and low slung almost peashooter style chromed exhaust. Even from the amateur videos with so-so audio quality the machine appears to sound quite good, particularly on start-up.
A massive reduction in vibration and improvement in refinement is promised over the machines somewhat agricultural predecessor thanks to a balancer shaft.
A five-speed gearbox and chain final drive completes the drivetrain.
The new Meteor 350 rolls on alloy rims and tubeless tyres. A 19-inch front will aid stability on rougher roads and combines with a 140/70-17 rear. A generous 170 mm of ground clearance combining with that 100/90-19 front hoop should allow for plenty of soft-roading.
A single 300 mm disc with twin-piston floating caliper up front is backed up by a dual-channel ABS system and large 270 mm rear disc.
A circular LED ring surrounds and contrasts with what otherwise looks like a conventional halogen headlight. Huge old school indicators protrude on stalks from the headling housing.
A large round conventional speedometer has a central LCD insert that displays fuel level, gear selected along with a clock and normal odometer/tripmeter functions.
It is flanked by another smaller round display that on start-up displays the Royal Enfield logo followed by ‘Built With Google’. This ‘Tripper’ display enables some extra functionality via an app and Bluetooth, with simple navigation prompts fed from Google Maps and displayed on this additional screen.
Pillion grab-rails and an optional sissy bar will make carrying pillions and/or luggage a simple affair.
The rider controls are a somewhat foot-forward affair but the rider is positioned quite upright with high-set bars. Seat height is 765 mm.
Chassis wise a new double-cradle frame forms the backbone of the Meteor with conventional 41 mm telescopic forks that have 130 mm of travel. A six-stage pre-load adjustable twin-shock rear helps to smooth out the bumps. The wheelbase is 1400 mm.
A 15-litre fuel cell should offer a range in excess of 300 kilometres.
We will have to wait and see which variants Urban Moto Imports will decide to bring to our shores and what price point they will pitch it in the market. With all the improvements in this new model it certainly seems well-engineered enough for our shores, and if priced smartly it might get a decent reception in the Australian market.
Source: MCNews.com.au
Motorcycling Australia has announced that the ASBK Grand Finale double-header is now confirmed to go ahead as planned on December 3-6, however due to limitations to some state borders, the event will now be staged at Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn, NSW.
After recent announcements by State Premiers, opening of borders and ongoing restrictions in Victoria, Wakefield Park Raceway located in Regional NSW, now becomes the only venue capable of hosting the Grand Finale Double Header rounds of the 2020 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul.
While the event has now shifted North up the highway only a few hours drive, the event date, Double Header event format, and event specific regulations all remain unchanged from the planned Winton event.
‘’It’s been a long wait for the ASBK Paddock since Round 1 back in February, and a tough year for the sport and its riders,” said Motorcycling Australia CEO, Peter Doyle.
“However, we are extremely pleased to be finally heading back to the track to finish off the ASBK Championship and crown the 2020 champions.
“Our thanks go to the Winton Motor Raceway, Wakefield Park Raceway and Benalla Auto Club Group, owners of Winton and Wakefield Park for their flexibility with the adjustment to the location.
“Both Winton and Wakefield have been long time hosts of ASBK and the conclusion to this year’s championship wouldn’t be possible without them.’’
With the ASBK final showdown now confirmed for the first week of December, sadly ASBK Race Fans will be unable to attend the event in person due to COVID-19 restrictions. Instead, fans can catch all the action live via ASBK TV partners SBSHD, Fox Sports Australia and Fox Sports Asia on both Saturday and Sunday.
ASBK rider entries will open at 5pm today (Friday Nov 6) via Ridernet, and riders are advised that due to COVID-19 restrictions entries will be limited to approximately 100 riders for this event. It is recommended to get your entries in early to avoid disappointment.
Again, due to COVID-19 restrictions, each rider will be restricted to a limited number of crew personnel for each class. More information can be found in the Additional Supplementary Regulations (ASR) via ASBK.com.au or Ridernet.
Following a stop/start year for ASBK and due to some riders being able to ride, practice or race in different states across Australia. ASBK Management Team advises in reference to ASBK Sporting Regulations 2.6 – Unofficial Practice; that Unofficial Practice will not be allowed at this round venue for the period commencing 30 days prior to the event. This 30 day rule replaces the 8 day rule for these double header rounds.
Finally, all in the ASBK Paddock are again reminded that COVID-19 is a rapidly changing pandemic and the event and its conditions are subject to additional Government COVID-Safe regulations or changes without notice, which are beyond the control of ASBK Management.
All ASBK Paddock personnel attending the event must follow ASBK, Venue and State Government regulations. Failure to follow may result in sporting and/or government penalties and enforcement.
Teams and riders will be provided with additional information on COVID-Safe plans and requirements for this event. Further information will be sent out in the coming weeks.
| Round | Track/Date |
| ROUND 2-3 | Wakefield Park, NSW: December 3-6 |
 |
|||||||
| Pos | Name | Machine | Pole | R1 | R2 | R3 | Total |
| 1 | Wayne MAXWELL | Ducati V4R | 1 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 76 |
| 2 | Cru HALLIDAY | Yamaha | 20 | 20 | 20 | 60 | |
| 3 | Josh WATERS | Suzuki | 18 | 15 | 18 | 51 | |
| 4 | Bryan STARING | Kawasaki | 17 | 17 | 15 | 49 | |
| 5 | Troy HERFOSS | Honda | 16 | 16 | 16 | 48 | |
| 6 | Daniel FALZON | Yamaha | 14 | 14 | 13 | 41 | |
| 7 | Arthur SISSIS | Suzuki | 15 | 10 | 12 | 37 | |
| 8 | Mike JONES | Ducati | 18 | 17 | 35 | ||
| 9 | Jed METCHER | Suzuki | 12 | 11 | 10 | 33 | |
| 10 | Glenn ALLERTON | BMW | 5 | 12 | 14 | 31 | |
| 11 | Linden MAGEE | BMW | 10 | 6 | 9 | 25 | |
| 12 | Matt WALTERS | Kawasaki | 13 | 11 | 24 | ||
| 13 | Max CROKER | Suzuki | 9 | 7 | 7 | 23 | |
| 14 | Aiden WAGNER | Yamaha | 13 | 9 | 22 | ||
| 15 | Sloan FROST | Suzuki | 8 | 5 | 8 | 21 | |
| 16 | Beau BEATON | Ducati | 7 | 4 | 6 | 17 | |
| 17 | Glenn SCOTT | Kawasaki | 4 | 8 | 4 | 16 | |
| 18 | Brendan McINTYRE | Suzuki | 6 | 3 | 5 | 14 | |
| 19 | Josh HAYES | Yamaha | 11 | 11 | |||
| 20 | Matthew TOOLEY | Yamaha | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | |
| 21 | Giuseppe SCARCELLA | Ducati | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 22 | Dean HASLER | BMW | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 23 | Nathan SPITERI | Suzuki | 1 | 1 | |||
Source: MCNews.com.au
News 6 Nov 2020
Section: Competition
AUS SX Holdings to elevate series involvement across multiple areas.
Image: Foremost Media.
The Australian Supercross Championship will be enhanced from 2021 by series commercial rights-holders AUS SX Holdings in a bid to solidify the sport, which could see the AUS-X Open organisers promote multiple rounds on the calendar.
Since becoming involved in 2018, AUS SX Holdings has taken an arms-length approach in the series operation while utilising an assortment of individual promoters, but will elevate that involvement from next season.
Last year, Troy Bayliss Events hosted the Brisbane, Gillman and Wollongong rounds before the S-X Open International FIM Oceania Supercross Championship events in Auckland and Melbourne completed the calendar. However, from 2021, expect AUS SX Holdings to promote at least one round internally and will potentially partner with incoming event promoters for additional rounds.
“We’re definitely looking at it, whether we expand the amount of events that we run, although there will still be only one AUS-X Open event,” confirmed AUS SX Holdings co-founder Adam Bailey. “If there’s the potential for another Australian championship round or more, we’re evaluating that.
“The plan is five rounds in total for next year. That seems to be the general consensus within the industry – the manufacturers and brands – that they’d rather have five good ones than stretch to more than that until we can. That gives us the platform to build from and hopefully it might grow further again in 2022.”
AME Management, which is the operated by the same team behind AUS SX Holdings and the AUS-X Open, will takeover the commercial and sponsorship elements of the entire championship, which will add integral consistencies and opportunities across all rounds. The series will be rebranded altogether as part of this broad overhaul off the back of the 2020 series’ cancellation.
“Since we bought the rights to the series from MA, it’s been a staged approach,” Bailey explained. “When we first got involved, we were very gently involved, because we didn’t want to make any drastic changes, but slowly over time we are becoming more integrated, giving it more time and also focus.
“Last year we were more heavily involved in the background, which highlighted some areas that needed even more attention. AUS-X Open at Marvel Stadium had been such a huge focus for us, but now that we’ve been through that and done it, we can now ensure the rest of the series continues to move forward and grow as well.
“The next stage is for us to completely rebrand the series, which we had planned for this year, but it will obviously now roll out next year. All sponsorship elements will be managed internally by us, which allows us to have a consistent message across the whole series, to ensure that the delivery of sponsorship is done properly and that’s such a crucial, super-important area.
“That’s what we do full-time at AME Management – that’s our specialty in a lot of ways. For us to be able to bring that in-house, it will help other promoters, but will also help us attract new promoters that may not have experience or contacts in the motorcycle industry. A concert promoter, for example, could get involved in Supercross not having to handle any of those elements.”
A post-produced television broadcast is being targeted for all rounds in addition to the live AUS-X Open event in Melbourne, while AME Management will also continue to produce its behind the scenes ‘Supercross Life’ program in order to further showcase the personalities of the sport, according to Bailey.
“We obviously need to make sure that we will have the commercial support, which we have already started working on, but that’s definitely the goal to have a post-produced TV package for the whole series,” he added. “That will include at least Fox Sports and Kayo, perhaps a free-to-air network as well, to increase exposure for the series and value for the sponsors so we can lift the sport.
“Supercross Life is our behind the scenes series away from the racetrack, which we definitely want to do because we feel that’s the best style of content to show who the athletes are and get non-hardcore fans engaged with who our riders are. Unless they really know their stories and what goes on behind the scenes, it’s really hard to expect them to become true fans, so that will be in addition to the highlights packages.”
Source: MotoOnline.com.au
Kawasaki Heavy Industries released a statement this week that may have a few Kawasaki Motorcycle fans a little nervous, but we don’t think they have anything to worry about.
The huge conglomerate that is KHI builds ships, trains, planes, helicopters, hydraulics and robotics along with gas turbines and jet engines that run on hydrogen, amongst many other things.
Thus while Kawasaki is a massive global force in the motorcycle world, in the grand scheme of things, the motorcycle business is not their core asset, not even close.
This month in market and planning updates Kawasaki have indicated that they plan to ‘spin-off’ their motorcycle and engine business around October next year, 2021.
Now what does this actually mean… Well in essence, the motorcycle side of the business will be separated from KHI and placed into a new company structure that endeavours to give them more flexibility as a separated entity. So this could actually be a good thing for Kawasaki Motorcycles in the long term.
An increased focus on their off-road and side-by-side development has been indicated in other strategic documents we have seen along with mentions of more autonomy in the management of the powersports side of the business after the split away from KHI.
The Power Sports Business which comprises a part of the Motorcycle & Engine Business, includes motorcycles and off-road four wheelers, and is Kawasaki’s only mass-production consumer-facing business. Spinning off this business will speed up decision making, and by offering products and services in sync with customers – including new lifestyle offerings – Power Sports will further enhance its role as the flagship Group business building the strong Kawasaki brand.
In the short term, we will continue working to improve our financial situation. However, when taking a broad view of the industry as a whole, it faces significant issues such as an aging customer base and compliance with environmental regulations. Kawasaki is strengthening intraindustry cooperation – such as through joint development of electric drive and advanced safety technologies as well as greater commonality of functional parts – in order to catalyze growth in the Power Sports Business and achieve market revitalization.
The Motorcycle & Engine Business is also instigating innovative projects to capture new business opportunities. Its initiatives include extending corporate resources to mass-production businesses in cooperation with the Precision Machinery & Robot Business, collaborating in the agricultural machinery and turf care markets in hydraulic systems and general-purpose engines, and promoting the development of near-future mobility such as by incorporating robotics and remote technologies.
Source: MCNews.com.au
Today (Thursday 5th November), Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi has taken a PCR test and the result came back negative for the Covid-19 virus. As per Italian law, the Yamaha rider is now allowed to end his self-isolation and take part in everyday society again. Rossi will take this opportunity to fly to Valencia, Spain, this evening.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Following a negative PCR test result received overnight (Thursday 5th November European time), Valentino Rossi started making his way to Valencia, Spain.
On Friday Rossi will take another PCR test as per FIM requirements. If he again tests negative, the Italian will be able to take part in this weekend‘s Gran Premio de Europa.
Today (Thursday 5th November), Valentino Rossi has taken a PCR test and the result came back negative for the Covid-19 virus. As per the Italian law, the Yamaha rider is now allowed to end his self-isolation and take part in everyday society again. Rossi will take this opportunity to fly to Valencia, Spain, this evening.
Tomorrow (Friday 6th November), he will do a second PCR test and if the result is negative again, he will be able to reunite with the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team and take part in this weekend‘s Gran Premio de Europa. Should Rossi test positive tomorrow, then standby replacement rider Garrett Gerloff will take his place.
Source: MCNews.com.au