Skyler Howes shows that he’s up to the challenge with a win in Northern Africa.
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Rookie Skyler Howes Wins the Morocco Desert Challenge
And Leaves north Africa Celebrating a Victory, Birthday and His First Year in Rally Raid
The Morocco Desert Challenge (MDC) is not an occasion to be taken lightly. Considered by many a stepping stone on the pathway to World Class glory, the dune-heavy terrain showcases many of the obstacles one might face at the Amaury Sport Organisation’s (ASO) most infamous motorsport event, the Dakar. Special Stages at the MDC offer no liaisons, so every mile counts. And for the competitors, it’s the perfect setting to sharpen their skills as they prep for the coming Dakar Rally – this year making the seemingly controversial move to Saudi Arabia. So, when privateer Skyler Howes hits the scene in Agadir and quietly finishes his crusade atop the inevitable pile of carnage, it comes as a surprise to all but his fans.
Skyler Howes (#106) isn’t your average 20-something Millennial. Otherwise wholesome and good-natured, Howes took out his teenage aggressions on his dirt bike – pushing the limits every time he’d twist the throttle. But ambition, fearlessness and determination mix up a dangerous cocktail without limitations, and soon the young rider suffered a series of injuries slowing his progress significantly into adulthood. But determination dies hard. So, under the wing of racing legend Kurt Caselli, Howes learned to hold back just enough to find success consistently and safely, which is exactly what sent him to the top step of the podium in North Africa.
With the support of the Garrett Off-Road Racing team, Howes began navigation training and soon challenged the roadbook world of Rally – winning three out of the five events he’s entered, MDC included. Conquests aside, it’s safe to say his first trip to North Africa wasn’t a cakewalk. An epic battle was waged between he and veteran Joan Pedrero all week long, swapping 1st and 2nd place with each new stage. Pedrero was not going to let the formidable Rookie leave victorious without a fight. And although Skyler ultimately won the title, it was by a mere minute – 00h 01’ 06’’ to be precise. Still, duking it out with one of his idols, nabbing the trophy and venturing to Africa for the first time were quite the spread of gifts for this birthday boy who celebrated his 27th year of life at the rally.
“[An] unreal eight days through Morocco, battling it out with a legend in the sport, and coming home with the overall win at the Morocco Desert Challenge. After 3000 kilometers, the win literally came down to seconds. It was a blast racing through the African terrain and spending time with good people. Still don’t really know how to put the feeling into words” – Morocco Desert Challenge Champion, Skyler Howes #106
Follow the team’s racing efforts via social media as Garrett Off-Road Racing athletes – competing in everything from Rally Raid to Hare & Hound to ISDE to Hard Enduro – try to carve their names into Motorsport history.
It is the great common denominator, the one tool that nearly every licensed adult in the United States will work with over and over again in their lives. The humble fuel nozzle is both ubiquitous and woefully underappreciated. Its basic concept and design are more than 100 years old, but changing fuels, vehicles, technology, and regulations have forced constant, unseen evolution. And still, a modern nozzle is beautifully mechanical, free of burdensome circuitry. When you squeeze the handle, the main valve opens, allowing fuel to flow through the body, down the spout, and into your tank. It shuts off automatically by a bit of cleverness. As the gasoline rushes past a venturi, it creates a low-pressure area that pulls air through a small port at the tip of the spout. Once fuel reaches the port, the air stops, creating a vacuum that pulls on a small diaphragm that in turn closes the main valve—simple physics that keep us all riding.
Brad Baker demonstrates a champion’s resolve in this short video from Indian Motorcycles.
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Brad Baker – Racing Forward
Nothing’s ever easy when it comes to racing. Enter the mind of American Flat Track champion, Brad “the Bullet” Baker after an injury at last year’s X-Games that broke his T6 vertebrae.
To learn more and donate to the Wings for Life foundation which helps injured athletes, visits https://www.wingsforlife.com/us/
Among the swath of rare collectibles at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering, LITO Motorcycles will debut its SORA Generation 2 electric superbike.
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THE QUAIL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING ANNOUNCES DEBUT OF LITO SORA GENERATION 2 ALONGSIDE MULTIPLE DEMONSTRATION RIDES AT 2019 EVENT
The premier motorcycling culture celebration on May 4 will host the global debut of LITO Motorcycles’ newest electric superbike alongside new product displays from many different motorcycling brands and demonstration rides from Harley-Davidson, Ducati, Suzuki and Transitions/Shoei
Carmel, Calif. (April 25, 2019) – The Quail Motorcycle Gathering Presented by GEICO Motorcycle, a Peninsula Hotels’ Signature Motoring Event, has announced it will host the global debut of the LITO Motorcycles’ SORA Generation 2, the brand’s latest and most advanced electric superbike. The Saturday, May 4 show will also feature new product displays from sponsors including Atwyld, Stellar Moto Brand, Helite Moto, Corbin, Clearwater Lights, Energica, The 5th Invitational Why We Ride to The Quail and Harley-Davidson. Alongside these, the event will host demonstration rides for prospective buyers from Harley-Davidson, Ducati, Suzuki and Transitions/Shoei.
LITO Motorcycles pioneered the electric superbike in 2009 with the original LITO SORA, and to celebrate its 10th anniversary, LITO has completely re-engineered the SORA with a wide host of improvements. These upgrades include a more powerful battery for increased power output and 50 percent longer range along with an improved 0 – 60 mph time of three seconds. Many major components have been replaced with carbon fiber, and an electric adjustable seat will be available for added rider comfort. Only 20 examples of the new LITO SORA Generation 2 will be produced. Its appearance at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering will be its official debut.
“The Quail Motorcycle Gathering is proud to host the debut for the latest superbike from LITO Motorcycles,” said Gordon McCall, Director of Motorsports for The Peninsula Signature Events. “Electric bikes are an exciting gateway into the future of our hobby and brands like LITO are right at the cutting edge.”
In addition to the debut, many other displaying brands will showcase a selection of their newest products. Atwyld will display their collection of premium women’s leather jackets and kevlar-lined denim; Stellar Moto Brand will debut their men’s and prototype women’s denim armored one-piece riding suit, made with patented Dyneema materials; and Helite Moto will showcase its upgraded Turtle 2 airbag vest and new Free Air Vented airbag jacket in hi-vis yellow. Along with these, Corbin will display its new Solo Saddle and Passenger Pillion for 2018-19 Triumph Speedmaster and its electrically heated and cooled saddle for 2018-19 Honda Gold Wing 1800; Clearwater Lights will exhibit its 2019 product lineup; and Energica will display its Ego, Eva and Eva EsseEsse 9 electric sport bikes alongside a custom “Oil in the Blood” Eva sport bike. Lastly, Why We Ride to The Quail will raise funds and awareness for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Harley-Davidson will offer an exclusive augmented-reality experience of its upcoming LiveWire electric bike.
For those seeking a thrilling test ride experience, Harley-Davidson will offer its full 2019 model line for demonstration rides, including Sportster, Touring and Softail models. Additional demonstration bikes from Ducati and Suzuki will also be available for testing, along with demonstration helmets from Transitions/Shoei.
Witness this celebration only at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering on Saturday, May 4, 2019. Pre-sale tickets are $85 and are available online at www.quaillodgeevents.com. Entry includes a gourmet lunch, parking, and gear valet service for those riding a motorcycle to the event. Doors open 9:00 AM for VIP Lounge ticket holders and 10:00 AM for General Public ticket holders. Learn more on the event website and follow the action on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Josh Waters topped a 60-minute free practice session late this afternoon at South Australia’s The Bend Motorsport Park as riders prepare for this weekend’s triple header of 10-lap Australian Superbike races on the 18-turn, 4.945-kilometre ‘International Circuit’ layout.
A 1m52.695 was the opening benchmark set by Waters today on the Ecstar Suzuki GSX-R1000R on what could almost be called his new ‘home’ track. Mildura is still over 300-kilometres away from Tailem Bend but this is about as close as it gets to home for the 32-year-old.
Bryan Staring was second best today, two-tenths behind Waters on what is the longest circuit that Australian Superbike visits. Staring is pulling double duty this weekend as he is also racing for Team Kawasaki Thailand in the Asian Road Racing Championships Superbike class. The ARRC Superbikes will race two 12-lap races this weekend, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday, which makes for a busy schedule for the West Australian this weekend.
Wayne Maxwell was third quickest ahead of local favourite Daniel Falzon and DesmoSport Ducati’s Mike Jones.
Troy Herfoss turned few laps today and was almost two-seconds off the P1 pace of Waters and ranked sixth on the timesheets. No doubt that is not indicative of the pace we can expert from the defending champion this weekend as the Penrite Honda squad spent time today experimenting with different fork settings, and also had their schedule interrupted with a minor electronics issue.
Glenn Allerton was seventh ahead of championship leader Cru Halliday and local star Arthur Sissis while Matt Walters rounded out the top ten ahead of Mark Chiodo and Alex Phillis.
For reference the race lap record set on a green track here last April was a 1m52.939 set by Herfoss, but the pole record and circuit best lap went to Wayne Maxwell with a 1m51.275.
Nic Liminton at The Bend today – TBG Image
Nic Liminton topped proceedings in the Supersport category ahead of Broc Pearson, Tom Toparis and Oli Bayliss.
It was an Aussie 1-2 in Asia Superbike 1000 Championship practice with Broc Parkes besting Bryan Staring by a few thousandths of a second, 1m53.855 versus 1m53.859. Honda’s Zaqhwan Zadi was third quickest ahead of Yuki Ito.
Thirty-three days between events doesn’t seem such a long time, but thankfully we are now on the verge of the third round of the ASBK at The Bend Motorsport Park (SA) this weekend. It’s going to be a tremendous event – dubbed the “International MotoFest” – as we hook up with the Asian Road Racing Championship (ARRC) for the second year at the new venue.
The Bend in 2018
From a spectator perspective it is an excellent venue to see the majority of the track, as well as the world class facilities of a GP standard international circuit. As an added attraction to local race fans a number of Australian riders will be competing in the new Asian Road Racing Championships Superbike class, led by Broc Parkes.
The “new” venue is an unknown quantity this weekend, albeit a bit better than the first visit. A little over a year ago, the ASBK was the first major motorsport competition to take advantage of the facility. Back then the track was green and the infrastructure was about 90 per cent completed, the rest of the venue was brand new and there had been a reported $1 million of grass seed planted – as being on the edge of a desert, the surrounds tend to be dusty and bone dry.
ARRC returns alongside the ASBK to The Bend Motorsport Park in 2019
Besides making it aesthetically more impressive, it serves the purpose of keeping the dust down – somewhat – from the winds that blow off the desert. Hopefully these pristine autumn conditions will continue for the coming weekend with next to no wind, but the forecast contradicts what we wish for with very cool morning temperatures and gusty winds of up to 30 km/h predicted for the weekend…
Tory Herfoss holds the lap record on the championship winning Penrite Honda, but with only three ASBK races held here before, no doubt this will be blown away this weekend, with the dust adding another element to the grip problems that many are talking about.
Herfoss leading Falzon and Maxwell from Bayliss at The Bend in 2018
The recent test had the dynamic Team Ecstar Suzuki duo of Wayne Maxwell and Josh Waters ascend to the top of the time sheets. However as far as working out a favourite for this weekend, that time sheet will be about as meaningful as reading the TAB form guide the day after a hay burner race meeting.
Herfoss dominated Wakefield
At the previous round of the Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championships at Wakefield Park, in March, there were surprises, disappointments, season ending incidents, successes and lap records lowered. However the one constant that stood head and shoulders above all the proceedings was the continued dominance of the “Guvna of Goulburn”, Troy Herfoss on the Penrite Honda.
Troy Herfoss claimed the Wakefield win – Image by TBG
Simply irrepressible.
For the fourth year in a row, the defending Australian Superbike Champion ruled the roost on race day as he smacked all opposition to take the double win in the Kawasaki Australian Superbike Championship races, and lowering his own lap record in the closing laps of the opening leg.
The only thing that he didn’t achieve was extending his run of three consecutive pole positions. That honour (and the $500 Elite Roads Pole award), went to re-born Superbike rider, Cru Halliday. He claimed the top spot with the fastest ever lap by a motorcycle at the circuit.
Troy Herfoss in the lead – Image by Rob Mott
With a brace of impressive second place finishes Halliday confirmed he is a true dark horse for the title after his consistency across the opening two rounds.
Halliday leads the championship from Herfoss as we head to South Australia, with the new draftee into the DesmoSport Ducati Team, Mike Jones, a further eight-points adrift in third.
Aiden Wagner out with injury
Before the weekend at Wakefield Park really got into its stride, it lost a massive amount of gloss and oomph that had had the paddock salivating after the controversial opening round at Phillip Island in February.
A repeat action of Aiden Wagner’s air-to-ground strafing and bombing attack aboard the Landbridge Racing Yamaha R1 failed to eventuate when the pilot crashed in the opening practice session and severely damaged his starboard wing.
Injured Aiden Wagner tried to hold it together for the opening Superbike race at Wakefield – Image by Rob Mott
Wagner valiantly gritted his teeth and battled through with a severely damaged shoulder that kept popping out of its socket while he was riding the bike. It even popped out at night while he was sleeping.
It’s not the first time he has had trouble. He has had three shoulder reconstructions and this latest incident will ensure it is operation number four and he will, more than likely, be out for the season. It is a body blow to the intrigue of the title as he had brought an exciting element of mongrel to the championship. And in a lot of people’s eyes the ASBK needs a bit of that mongrel.
Aiden Wagner’s big off – TBG Image
It was saddening to see the Queenslander, sitting dejected during Sunday’s lunchtime Pit Lane Walk, trying to put on a brave face as he autographed his posters for the many fans in attendance. Luckily he is left-handed. You have to shake your head in bewilderment and respect for what many motorcycle racers put themselves through for their chosen sport.
Troy Herfoss – Penrite Honda Racing
While it was a disappointment to see the slow and painful, demise of Wagner’s season, it was refreshing to see “The Guvna” walking around the Goulburn paddock, a spring in his step that was definitely missing at Phillip Island, a few weeks previously where he had an absolutely wretched week splitting his time between WSBK and ASBK fields.
Troy Herfoss had a renewed spring in his step after Wakefield, after a less than stellar start to the season – Image by TBG
The less that is said about the WSBK challenge the better, and in the domestic races he finished with 9-6-7 results to be in sixth place in the championship coming into Wakefield.
The spring in his step and the confidence in his voice became more apparent as the weekend went on. Back on his home track was the best medicine to get his title defence heading upwards. Being in front of a very healthy bunch of locals could only but lift him to another level as he attempts to be the first rider since Jamie Stauffer, in 2006-07, to successfully defend his title.
Anyone who discounts that he cannot do the double better have a dozen eggs at the final round at Eastern Creek in early November.
There was no denying Herfoss. He again demonstrated his affinity for tight, twisty and challenging tracks. He may have qualified third fastest beside Halliday and Wayne Maxwell (who has quickly acquainted himself with the Team Suzuki Ecstar GSX-R1000R), but he was still on the all-important front row.
Herfoss and Halliday dueling it out at Wakefield – Image by Rob Mott
Herfoss has a secret groove around the tight, twisty and at times bumpy 2.2 km layout. More akin to a “Scalextric” groove. If he gets in front, put down the glasses. He also has a unique setup by holding one gear from turn two all the way to the final turn, that allows him to keep the bike settled and really attack the laps on what he calls a real rider’s track.
It’s not only Wakefield’s tightness that Herfoss excels in. Take last year for instance. Herfoss reigned supreme at Morgan Park to take the double (to follow up on from his win in the second race at the previous round at Hidden Valley in Northern Territory), and then wrapped up the title in 2018 with a win in the first race at Winton a few weeks later to record four wins in a row on his way to a second title in three years.
But the weekend wasn’t all about the dominance of Herfoss and the demise of Wagner’s title assault. There were plenty of subplots to keep the cauldron bubbling away, with a two-pronged attack coming to the fore.
Troy Herfoss took the overall round win from Wayne Maxwell and Daniel Falzon at The Bend in 2018
After a dominant display at Wakefield last year, Herfoss went on to win the round taking out two of the three races at The Bend as well as the lap record. He was never headed in the championship lead for the remainder of the year.
While Herfoss may have the historical consistency going into the third round, the man leading the title and undoubtedly supremely determined to keep it will be Cru Halliday on the Yamaha Racing Team R1M. As I have stated a few times this year, he is my true dark horse for the title and I reckon this weekend the track may well play into his hands.
Cru Halliday – Yamaha Racing Team
Last year, Halliday continued his domination of the Supersport field at The Bend and this experience should hold him in good stead. While he changed his riding style last year for the Supersport bike, this in turn has changed his language on the Superbike. His lines are a little different, as he incorporates a bit of what he learned being back on the Supersport machine. With 18 corners on the undulating surface of The Bend, he may just have the ingredients to even increase his title lead.
Halliday scored the $500 cheque from Elite Roads for taking pole position at Wakefield
Halliday has won Superbike races before – as a factory rider and as a privateer (2017). Now back on a fully supported ride in the premier class he has brought some of that refinement with him and is carrying more corner speed than the majority of the field.
You only have to go out trackside to do some corner split times to see that. Halliday is riding with the confidence that comes with winning and with such a dominant performance in last year’s Supersport title, he has brought his A-game to the premier class.
Mike Jones – DesmoSport Ducati
Mike Jones is proving again that he has what it takes. In recent years he has been an occasional visitor to the ASBK, as he predominantly chased his dreams to compete overseas and get back to where he was; racing in MotoGP and other top level competition in Europe.
This year, the opportunities were evaporating and he borrowed a bike off Matt Harding to compete in the opening round. It garnered impressive results including a new lap record – the first ASBK rider to dip into a 1:31 lap at Phillip Island.
Mike Jones kicked off the season on the Mike Harding Kawasaki- Image by Rob Mott
Every cloud has a silver lining and this is true for the Troy Bayliss/Ben Henry owned team. Bayliss’ championship aspirations evaporated in the second race of the year at Phillip Island when he suffered his second huge crash of the weekend, damaging the ring finger on his right hand so badly that it required surgery.
It was another blow to the championship as Troy has his own fair share of mongrel, and he appeared to be in the frame of mind and fitness to really take it to his younger rivals. Hopefully, he will make a return at the next round at Morgan Park aboard the new V4.
With the unfortunate withdrawal of Troy Bayliss from the second round, a ride on a top flight team was presented to Jones on a plate. He grabbed the plate and devoured the contents.
Mike Jones joined the DesmoSport Ducati for the season after Bayliss was injured
From the outset of Friday practice Jones looked comfortable as he became reacquainted with the bike and the team he last rode for in 2016. Jones also claimed the 2015 title on a Kawasaki, at that time the championship was at its nadir with no factory participation, as instead the majority of top flight teams were participating in Terry O’Neill’s Australasian FX Superbike Championship.
In just two rounds this year, Jones has demonstrated that he has the ammunition to reclaim the title, and this time around it would no doubt be so much sweeter for the depth of this field is so much deeper than in 2015. No doubt the overseas experience has been of a benefit ,but his pedigree in Australian racing is very impressive.
Mike Jones – TBG Image
It is a much needed boost for Jones as the opportunity he was looking for in Europe failed to materialise, so it opens the way for him to make a huge impact on the domestic scene, as well as keeping his name in the frame for future overseas forays.
Ben Henry – DesmoSport Ducati
“We’re looking forward to racing this weekend. It’s a challenging track, and the surface means the winner this weekend might not be the outright fastest, but instead, the rider that can be consistently quick while preserving grip in the Pirelli’s throughout the race. Mike hasn’t raced here before, but he rode well in the test, and looked really comfortable on-track, so together with Troy (Bayliss) and Paul (Free), I’m looking forward to helping him get some more strong results.”
Mike Jones – Wakefield Park – TBG Image
Troy Bayliss will not be on track but will be at the track.
“It was great to finally get the V4R out for a shakedown during testing for this weekend’s racing.” Said Troy. “It was a really good first impression, and I’d love to see it on-track this weekend, but with only one bike and still some work to do on settings, it’s just not quite ready to race yet. Mike had a solid test on the Panigale FE and with his style and feedback, will be in contention again as we chase the 2019 ASBK Championship.”
Wayne Maxwell – Team Suzuki ECSTAR
Discount any rider at your peril but Maxwell will be geed up for a stellar performance. He needs to pulls back points on the leaders after that much well publicised incident with Wagner at Phillip Island in February damaged his points tally.
Aiden Wagner – Maxwell tumbles – Image Rob Mott
With the tightness of the championship a rider can really only afford one bad race result throughout the year, if he is going to stay in contention Maxwell is hoping that his misfortune is behind him.
Ones that will be equally determined to get their title chase back on track will be three-times champions, Josh Waters and Glenn Allerton.
Josh Waters – Team Suzuki ECSTAR
Josh finished third overall at the opening round but in reality his results are only a poofteenth off securing a better result, such is the level of competition and the depth of talent in the field. In the opening round he finished third overall, stating that he was happy with the 5-3-5 results.
Josh Waters – TDJ Image
His then new team-mate, Maxwell, led him home in the opening leg, however he was in front until that incident in leg two. In the final race for the weekend Waters did beat his team-mate, but Maxwell was pretty well battered and at the finish line the gap between the pair was just 0.085 second, and Josh’s fastest lap in that race was just 0.082s faster.
In the other two races a fit Maxwell also carded the fastest lap times of the pair. They might have been only a tenth or so quicker but to a top line rider, the difference doesn’t matter. It’s the fact that his team-mate is faster and higher up the leader board.
The positive foundation of the opening round was negated at Goulburn as he could only manage a brace of sixth-place finishes. More worrying was the gap as in race one he was a massive 13-seconds behind the race winner, and in leg two over eight-seconds behind after 13 laps – a similar gap to leg one at the same distance…
Josh Waters – Image by Rob Mott
As we head west to South Australia Josh is running fourth in the title, only 16-points off the title lead and in front of his team-mate.
Last year at the Bend was where Waters’ title aspirations were derailed somewhat with electronic glitches in the Gixxer and brake problems then giving the then defending champion nightmares, his strong start to the year had started to unravel.
I expect that Josh will do something special this weekend. The 32-year-old from Mildura needs a solid bag of points. The test confirmed that he is very much in the game, but he won’t be happy if he doesn’t lead his team-mate home in both races as the series approaches the halfway point.
Glenn Allerton – Maxima Oils Next Gen Motorsports BMW
This first two rounds of this year’s chase have been a challenge for Allerton who sits in a lowly 10th position on the Maxima Oils, Next Gen Motorsports BMW. At the beginning of the year the team took a gamble and switched to Dunlop rubber which necessitated a change of set-up and development for the different characteristics of the rubber.
Glenn Allerton – TDJ Image
Additionally there is not a lot of development work being carried out on the S 1000 RR engine as the team await delivery of the BMW HP4. This is not expected before the half-way point of the year which no doubt adds to the frustration.
Compounding the situation was the decision after the first round, for a number of reasons, to revert back to the tried, and tested, Pirelli rubber.
Wakefield was a disaster for the team. Leg one arguably gave Allerton his worst on-track result in an ASBK race when he finished 16th. He managed to recover somewhat to finish 11th to cap off a completely forgettable weekend for the team. Hopefully a decent result is awaiting this weekend so we may see a collective smile reappear on the team’s faces.
Glenn Allerton
“I was hugely disappointed about my results at Wakefield Park. I know I can race a lot better than what I did, but sometimes you are going to have those tough days at the office and we certainly had a tough outing last time out. However, this has got me revved up for this weekend to improve on my results and get a better outcome for both myself and the team. I believe The Bend Motorsport Park will be a much better round for myself, as the Maxima BMW S1000RR suits the high speed and corners which the circuit lends its self to. Honestly, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so I’m just going to lay it all on the line and go for broke this weekend. After a tough opening two rounds, the team and sponsors deserve a good result and nothing would please me more than to deliver them that for their hard work they have put in. Regarding the Bend Motorsport Park circuit. I really like track and the overall layout. It’s got a bit of everything which makes for a good fun circuit to race on. I’m looking forward to getting back there and hitting the track for the First Practice session on Thursday.”
Glenn Allerton was chasing setup all weekend at Wakefield Park – Image by Rob Mott
Bryan Staring – Kawasaki BC Performance Team
Mentioning Dunlop brings us to the Kawasaki BC Performance Team of Bryan Staring. There is no doubting Staring’s talent; he is the only rider to win Australian Championships in 125cc, Supersport and Superbike classes, and also boasts an impressive resume on the world stage.
Bryan Staring – Image by TBG
Similarly to last year, the season has started off pretty well, he was third in the opening race and followed that up with a fourth and a sixth and is in a good spot in fifth overall, on equal points with Maxwell, and just 21-points off the lead.
Staring is a proven race winner but maybe his biggest disadvantage is being the only rider in the leading bunch that is on Dunlop rubber. Also to add to his challenge this weekend, he is doubling up in the ARRC as a replacement rider for Team Kawasaki Thailand.
He will be on the Dunlop control tyres that are used in the Asian championship, but these are different spec’ to what he is running in the Australian title. Maybe that might change this weekend.
Daniel Falzon – Yamaha Racing Team
Herfoss may have put on an impressive display in front of his home town fans, but expect a similar showing from crow-eater, Daniel Falzon on the second of the Yamaha Racing Team R1Ms. The paramedic is eighth on the championship ladder (behind the absent Wagner in seventh), on 65-points, 31-points off his championship-leading team mate, Halliday, and 10-points behind Maxwell and Staring.
Daniel Falzon – Image by TBG
Falzon has been within tenths-of-a-second a lap from fighting for the lead in the opening rounds, and with a huge contingent of fans in attendance this weekend he will be digging very deep to ensure he is fighting for the lead.
He gives 100 per cent every time he jumps on the bike but the situation is sure to provide him with a little more incentive and cunning. Besides, what more motivation do you need than when your team-mate is so far in front of you?
The Bend Motorsport Complex
Over qualifying and three races there are 76-points on the table for the main courses of the weekend. Around the table a bunch of rapid riders are poised to savage the offerings. A pack of screeching and screaming hyenas devouring a zebra carcass may be better behaved!
The Bend ASBK Round 2018 – TBG Image
Live coverage of the third round will be telecast on the weekend
Fox Sports Australia
LIVE coverage on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00-5:00pm (AEST)
Kayo Sports
LIVE coverage on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00-5:00pm (AEST)
SBS Australia
LIVE coverage of ASBK races on Sunday from 3:00-5:00pm (AEST)
Online streaming live at ASBK.com.au
LIVE extended coverage of Friday, Saturday and Sunday available free, with no geo-blocking and no paywalls, via ASBK.com.au HERE
“I’m on the main jet!” Have you ever heard that expression while bench racing with your riding buddies? What the heck does that even mean? Well, after this episode of MC Garage, you’ll know. Today we talk about main jet.
For the past few weeks we’ve been going through a carburetor piece by piece. If you haven’t watched the first videos in this series, jump back, and check them out. We will have the links in the description below. We’ve covered the basic layout of the carb, the float bowl, and the pilot jet. The next piece in the properly running carbureted-motorcycle equation is the main jet.
The main jet is responsible for supplying the fuel that mixes with the air as it makes its way through the intake tract after the pilot jet is done doing its job. Starting at about 20 percent throttle the fuel flows through the main jet. (There is another part that meters that fuel until 80 percent throttle, but we will cover that next week.) When you are wide open, you’re on the main jet.
The main jet is located at the bottom of the carburetor inside the float bowl. It’s the larger of the two jets, and it is installed in the needle jet—that part we will be covering next week. If this guy is plugged up, you’re in for a full carb cleaning ritual. Everything will usually be clogged if the main jet is plugged up. Check out Ari’s video on how to clean a carb.
So we are going to assume you have a clean carburetor so we can get into knowing if your main jet is too rich or lean. First, start with the manufacturer’s recommendation in the service manual. Just like we discussed in last week’s video, there will be recommendations according to temp and altitude. This is where you want to begin.
A “lean” condition means the ratio of air to fuel is too high. This can cause issues from not making full power at wide-open throttle and rpm to detonation and pinging that could damage your engine over time. Lean jetting is the kiss of death for two-strokes with a possibility of a quick meltdown and seizure. Damage can take longer in a four-stroke.
It’s fairly easy to hear pinging on a two-stroke. Think of a metallic tick that sounds like a rattling ball bearing in a tin can as the fuel charge detonates before it should, smashing into the top of the piston too early before it reaches top dead center (TDC). The same sound can be heard from a four-stroke, but the sound is masked by the sound of the valve train. If you hear this, you need to rejet before you do serious damage.
Also, a lean condition will have a crisp throttle response, but the top-end will feel weak and the bike will run hotter than it should. Many times I’ve heard two-stroke racers say it was running so crisp and snappy and then it just stopped. Classic case of a seizure from being too lean. To fix a lean position, go up a jet size and run the bike again; repeat until you find the right size. These numbers may not increase or decrease in increments of one; usually it’s by five or 10.
“Rich” means there is more than the optimal amount of fuel in the air charge. This leads to stumbling and poor overall running. It’s doesn’t lead to a premature death like a lean condition can, so if you must, err on the side of being rich. As the bike moves through the midrange and onto the top-end, the power will stumble and miss. It’s an easier condition to feel and hear for most people. It’s clear it is running bad. Just drop a jet size and retest.
On a two-stroke you can also do a plug chop to check for proper jetting, but this will be a separate video in the future. For now, that’s it for checking the main jet. It’s one of the simpler jets to get dialed in, but if it’s not right, it can cause issues with next week’s topic—the needle jet and needle.
In a patent published in late March of this year, it was revealed that Kawasaki has been contemplating an electric motorcycle since as far back as 2013. The patent goes a step further than most entering this space of late however, as it highlights designs for a swappable battery unit.
The patent was originally filed on July 3, 2013, but didn’t come to light until March 27, 2019. The figures included with the patent clearly show Ninja bodywork, but the kicker is a detachable portion of the frame that would allow riders to change out a spent battery for a fresh one. Another figure shows the need for a stand to do this, so it’s unlikely the design would be a viable solution to range and charge-time issues while away from home, but it could be a useful prospect for commuters who start and end at home.
There has been no announcement from Kawasaki whatsoever about the prospect of a forthcoming electric motorcycle. However it’s only a matter of time before Kawasaki and others make a bid for market share in this burgeoning segment.
Another questionable aspect would be the strength of the frame itself. The patent describes a detachable portion of the frame that anchors to the static parts of the main frame, and that the detachable piece would be an integral part of the main frame. Stiffness for this detachable piece would be higher than the rest of the frame. The battery, when installed, would be supported from the bottom.
Up until now the electric motorcycle market has been dominated by relative newcomers to motorcycling. Zero is the most successful brand at this point, but Harley-Davidson is rolling out its LiveWire this year and Erik Buell has just announced the start of Fuell Motorcycles. There’s also Energica and Lightning Motorcycles making headway in the market.
We’re definitely interested to see if Kawasaki follows through on this project. Stay tuned.
Sometimes the best motorcycle rides are right in your own backyard. That’s the premise of the Motorcyclist magazine Alley Rally. The event is a guided turn-by-turn tour through the center of Los Angeles by Editor-in-Chief Chris Cantle. The ride weaves through Cantle’s hometown and shows of some of the lesser known areas of this megatropolis.
Riders remained connected via Cardo’s slick Packtalk Bold Bluetooth-enabled communication device. Smaller than a pack of cigarettes, the device easily affixes to most any motorcycle helmet and allows riders to talk to one another, in addition to manipulating their smartphone when paired.
From winding bends to beat-up dirt roads, this tour shows off some of the most obscure portions of the city. Beautiful murals and street art line many of the narrow corridors which help expose the diverse nature of California’s largest city. But don’t take our word for it, watch the video and see for yourself.
Developing and fielding a competitive machine in MotoGP is no easy task. It takes years of track time testing, refining, and struggling after fractions of a second. It takes millions of dollars and numerous experienced technicians, engineers, managers, and riders. KTM knows these facts intimately, and we recently spoke to KTM boss Pit Beirer and KTM’s MotoGP Technical Director Sebastian Risse to learn more about the genesis of the RC16 and KTM’s MotoGP program as they mark the third season back in the big leagues.
“We have such a long tradition in off-road, so step by step we had to go through disciplines,” Beirer explains. “It’s not so long time ago that we had to start to do good things in Supercross in the US. That was definitely also a big milestone for us. Coming over here in 2010 and I found out that we were really representing KTM in the wrong way. Then we changed things, actually also to the point that we could cut Roger DeCoster over. So this was a really big and difficult thing to turn Supercross around. We didn’t even get proper parking in the Supercross paddock, and now lately we are winning championships.
“But then from there, this is of course by far the biggest challenge we took. We won quite many championships in different categories, but we went on in the street segment starting with Moto3. I have a really special relation to Sebastian because when we started on the street I was not responsible for roadracing, but then just in meeting at a certain time they told me, you are responsible from now also for the roadracing side. I was like, okay, wow. But things were not going so well. There was a team and things were prepared, but people weren’t so happy. Then I decided to stop with some technicians and give all the responsibilities to Sebastian.”
Risse was in his late 20s at the time, so faced a lot of pressure. But Beirer’s approach has been to put his faith in the younger members of his team. Not only to foster a respectful professional atmosphere, but to also show that the brand could elevate its roadrace profile with in-house talent.
“We did it in the first year because people told me I only know about off-road, and they told him that he’s too young. We said okay. We stepped in Moto3 as newcomers. Let’s learn together, because WP was new. The steel chassis was new. Us, we were also pretty new. So we said, ‘Okay, we need to learn now together and if things are getting better, we can grow together,’ but we won the championship in the first year.
“We didn’t know by that time, but without that project we would not have a MotoGP project because that’s when you really started to not outsource our roadracing program to somebody outside like we did in the years before. Then we said we do everything in-house with our young engineers. I was protecting them. I said, ‘They will fight until they win, but we need to believe in them and not say KTM can build great off-road bikes but on the street we will need an outside expert to run the team.’ Many of these guys from these days are still there, and they were the base for the MotoGP project. So from there we started to build up roadracing knowledge in-house. This mixed with some great engineers, and then also quite many guys from outside, that’s what is our MotoGP crew.”
Risse adds, “I think that’s also strong part from our CEO, Mr. Pierer. He really gives trust to really young engineers, even when he’s on the table. Some young people around, he will ask them their opinion. I think that was also a strong point in the last years; that also young engineers, they are allowed to bring their knowledge in and develop great motorcycles. We have some great older guys also there. So the mix between the young guys and experience is building great bikes. But here still we have to prove something. We are not there yet. We are just happy to participate and to survive every day.”
The faith is slowly paying off, with the RC16 making progress every time they hit the track. At Circuit of The Americas, where we spoke, times in FP2 were nearly three seconds faster than last year in the same session at the same circuit. The trick is to never feel satisfied, to always push forward for more.
“If you stand still in racing, they will pass you next day,” Risse says. “That’s also the crazy thing about racing. You always think you’re on the limit and from here we cannot go faster, but still every year you go faster and you find another second on a roadrace track on that level. It’s amazing. The guys are pushing so hard in that paddock, and all these young engineers are pushing so hard.”
Of course, the rider makes a huge difference as well, not only in their ability to ride the machine to its full potential, but also in terms of the direction of development. Some riders prefer to flow through corners, others prefer to jam hard on the brakes in a more point-and-shoot fashion. That makes a massive difference in the ways the bike progresses, and with four riders this year all bringing variations in style, KTM stands to make big leaps forward by Valencia.
“That was the biggest difference to last year and I think a big advantage, also a big challenge, especially on the tire side,” Risse explains of the expanded roster. “This is for me the most outstanding thing because when you have two riders and maybe one of them is injured or has a bad weekend, you have very, very limited amount of information, amount of data. The choice of the right tire and how to make these tires work is, especially in this class at the moment, number one, not only in terms of durability but also in terms of over-heating, treating it in the right way, not over-loading it, and so on. Then if suddenly you have the data of four riders, you can make big statistics and you can learn a lot from this. You have much more rider comments and in the end you can share this work because you need to sort out the tires. A lot of times when the conditions are not so constant maybe in two sessions, and then you don’t want to have this lucky punch for the race. You want to know what you’re doing. For this it helps a lot, for example.
“When you look at Pol (Espargaró), he’s really squeezing the bike to the maximum on the brakes,” Risse continues. “If I look at the data, I’m really scared. So he’s completely over the limit you think, but he does it, and he does it reliably and he’s not a crasher. So it is possible with a certain attitude and a certain feeling for the bike, but you have to let it really quite loose. If somebody doesn’t like to do that, already there the problem starts to have the right entry speed.
“Pol is on one extreme about V-shaping the corner, about stopping a lot in the last part of entry, preparing the exit very well. Then we have the guys coming from Yamaha on another extreme, focusing a lot on the entry speed. Then we have Miguel (Oliveira), kind of a wide paper who sucks up all this kind of information and tries to make the best out of this and gets a little bit of this, a little bit of that. You can see that this can also work very, very well, even with little experience. We try to feed him with information that he needs. He will tailor-make himself to our bike. Of course, when you only do this it can also mean that the bike moves into a direction that is maybe not perhaps optimum. But with the full package we have, I think it’s quite nice, helping out each other in every area.”
The opportunity in having four riders with different approaches is that it allows engineers to fill the gaps in knowledge that might otherwise exist with fewer or more similar riders. Johann Zarco, for example, is coming from Yamaha and immediately needed more confidence in the front end.
“The Yamaha is really a corner speed bike and an entry bike, so these were the areas where he was mainly struggling first before we adjusted the bike, confidence on the front, on brakes and entry. Then we were working on this, mainly with setting first to find the direction where you need to go, also with further developments. Then actually already during the winter break, we came to a point where he didn’t feel so bad anymore about this. For sure the Yamaha is more stable in some situations. The stability and then later on grip and turning were the points that he wanted to work on next. But it is iterative, so you solve one thing up to a point where you say, okay, this is not my main problem anymore. Then you go to another area and you improve this one, and then maybe the other one comes back. Not because you went back in the performance, but because you moved the limit. That’s racing. That’s all.”
The RC16 has, from the start, had massive potential. The machine was packing a powerful engine early on, which helps to alleviate a lot of issues when going up against more veteran machines.
“The engine was for sure our strong point in that phase. That’s clear. Also because other areas like the frame need iterations, need track time, while the engine is something where when you have very experienced people they can do this kind of steps in the background, in the factory, on the dyno, having certain development targets in mind so that we didn’t need a lot of iterations on the track, so they didn’t see them on track. But for sure a lot of hard work was in there to get to that point. Anyway, it was a strong and also very reliable basis which helped us a lot then also to improve the other things. Because what you don’t need is to have to change the engine every half day and to have problems here and there, but to have a basis where you can focus on the performance weak points of the bike.”
Where things could have gone awry is in the chassis, as KTM was and is the only team to run steel.
“Of course you can make a lot of benchmarking, look at different classes, put together what you think you know and start from there,” Risse says. “That’s what we did, and of course the starting point is anything but perfect. Then from there, it’s really not too much about concept and believing in this solution or that solution, but you have to just use what you have, follow the rider comments quite open-minded. I think then it’s quite independent of things like the material. It is about stiffness numbers. It’s about where you put the stiffness. Then on the stiffness number first to identify what you want to have, and on the other hand how you achieve it. So we have quite good knowledge in how to transfer our target to a frame that does it in terms of numbers. We have very good experience on the steel frame to produce this frame then. But to define the target is the biggest piece of the puzzle.”
“A huge piece of aluminum, we could not make a better frame,” Beirer adds. “It’s about that you know where you want the stiffness and how to put it there. Any material can do it. Then you still need to prove that you can build it in such a light, steel way that you are as light as an aluminum chassis. But, still, you need to know where you want to put the stiffness and how to put it there. Every garage wants to know from the other garage where the stiffness is, so it’s more about that.
“I think we know how to handle this material, but we still need to get more experience in how to do it. There was a question mark behind our suspension about our chassis, if we will ever make it. But in Malaysia, for example, from the race which was in the beginning of November we improved by more than a second to the test in February. So with that time from February, this was like Marc Márquez’s times from November in the race. So if you can build a bike in February which could be top three in November, from our position, if you look over to Honda and Marc Márquez, the level is incredibly high. But we are running still behind experience. These guys are building on many, many years of experience and we are just… Everything is new. Every day we do something that’s new.”
And even if it’s made from familiar materials, KTM’s MotoGP frame is anything but ordinary.
“We get the tubes from suppliers and even some production bikes have similar tubes in some points,” Risse explains. “But the way we build up the structure is quite different. On a racebike, normally you have quite a low front engine mounting point to have some lateral flex. On most of the production bikes you don’t see that except in supersport, superbike style. Then you have two engine mounts in the back which are basically also quite different to most production bikes because we are basically transferring the forces from the front. Part is through engine, part is through the frame.
“That means this is quite stretched out, while on most production bikes actually the swingarm is mounted either directly in the engine or it is kind of a hybrid system using also frame structure, but in the end it gets its strength a lot of times from the engine itself. So this concept is quite different to that. It also implies that actually the frame has to be more rigid and more loaded in this area. On the other hand, the way that you mount the engine when this is such a rigid structure has to be quite different. Normally, for example, when you look at production steel frames, they are kind of embracing the engine and you just clamp them to the engine. Now you have a stiffer structure, so you have to keep the engine between it but in a way that nothing is under tension. So there’s quite a bit of technology how you do this with engine spanner spacing out everything, how you tighten everything.”
Having your own in-house suspension company doesn’t hurt moving things forward either.
“The closer they are (WP Suspension), the better,” Risse continues. “This is just 300 meters so there is all the possibilities there to work together. Of course a big disadvantage is purely that the Öhlins guys have so many different bikes that they work on. Information, knowledge is transferred through the suspension company also between manufacturers, I believe. Of course this cannot happen when WP is just working with and for us. So we are kind of on an island that we have to develop together.”
But it all just takes time, and it’s clear that KTM has a solid approach. Will the brand take more podiums, or even its first win, this year? Unlike the past two years, we think it’s a completely plausible proposition in 2019.
