The 2022 KTM RC 8C has just been debuted to the world – and to say it’s landed with a bang is an understatement.
KTM just dropped the supersport, lightweight racing prototype this morning amidst a flurry of excitement.
The 140kg/309 lb. 2022 KTM RC 8C is a hand-built machine built specifically for the track grid.
The 128 Hp, 889 cc LC8c, DOHC, 8 valve parallel twin (the same as in the KTM 890 DUKE R) provides all the punch necessary while still making an easy-to-maintain, high-torque production engine for the client.
KTM also used carbon, Kevlar-reinforced GRP bodywork inspired from the MotoGP™ RC16, which encases a very pretty 25CrMo4 steel tubular frame.
We promised race-ready, so this also means the frame is augmented by a selection of WP Pro Components and fronted by a custom, 43 mm WP APEX PRO 7543 closed cartridge fork (put together in the same department that maintains suspension of the RC 16).
With zero hydraulic stroke limitation, you’re guaranteed fully customizable damping properties, and they’ve chucked in an equally adjustable WP APEX PRO 7746 shock with preload adjuster at the rear of the bike.
The body panels and gas tank are both quick-release and sit on a light, aluminum pair of Dymag rims with Pirelli race slicks.
The brakes are, of course, Brembo race-spec, with Stylema front brake calipers grabbing 290 mm fully floating brake disks and a two-piston caliper with a 230 mm fully floating disk for the hub.
The 2022 RC8C has a race dashboard (AIM MXS 1.2), a data logger that can be analyzed in AIM Race Studio, and a Brembo 19RCS CORSA CORTA radial master cylinder – a technical addition with many solutions taken straight from master cylinders used in MotoGP™, and one that lets the rider tailor the bite point exactly where it’s needed when it’s needed.
Fancy getting inside racing tips from the likes of superstar racers Dani Pedrosa and Mika Kallio? Clients who purchase the 2022 RC 8C will also have access to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing test team at the Circuito de Jerez – with just 100 bikes made and only 25 customers allowed to the event, you’ve got a 25% chance of making it!
Crazy for cocoa puffs? The RC 8C itself will dent pockets a bit at £30,999, plus extra for the ‘Race’ and ‘Trackday’ packages (tire warmers, stands, etc.), and an additional £2500 deposit through KTM’s online ordering system.
No it’s not April Fools, we have actually known about this development being in the wings for some time. Last year Triumph started to do some promotional tie-ups with Ricky Carmichael, often referred to in motocross circles as the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time), thus it didn’t take a rocket scientist to put two and two together and come up with the idea that Triumph was gearing up to enter the dirtbike market in some shape or form.
TR6 Triumph Trophy ridden by Steve McQueen in The Great Escape
Triumph have a long history in both Trials and Scrambles but that was a very long time ago. Today though Triumph have officially and publicly announced that development is well under way on a comprehensive range of all-new competition focussed Triumph Motocross and Enduro motorcycles.
Nick Bloor, CEO Triumph Motorcycles Ltd
“Today’s announcement marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Triumph brand, which everyone at Triumph is incredibly excited to be part of. We are 100 per cent committed to making a long-lasting impact in this highly competitive and demanding world, with a single-minded ambition to deliver a winning motorcycle line-up for a whole new generation of Triumph riders.”
Triumph ISDT bike from 1962 – The Triumph Twenty One also knows as the 3TA
Of course this is no new start-up brand entering the dirtbike arena as Triumph are now a huge company with major resources at their disposal. Triumph already have well established supply chain links with the likes of Bosch, Continental, Showa and Ohlins that all supply components for models in the current Triumph range.
Of course it will be the might of KTM AG with their KTM, Husqvarna and GASGAS brands that Triumph will be eager to try and compete with. Triumph already work closely with KTM via their WP Suspension subsidiary whose electronic suspension system they use on the Tiger 1200, there have also been other tie-ups where KTM brands have supplied components to Triumph.
The well-established global dealer network, parts supply chains and infrastructure mean that Triumph have the resources to really make an impact in the dirtbike arena.
Paul Chiodo, Managing Director Triumph Motorcycles Australia
“Triumph has a rich heritage in off-road motorcycling that harks right back to its roots. The confirmation that this beloved British brand is entering the off-road market is hugely exciting for Triumph enthusiasts across Australia and, through our network of passionate dealers, we look forward to welcoming them. This is going to be huge.”
The Scrambler 1200 XE (pictured) along with the Tiger 800 and 1200 models are the most dirt ready bikes to have come from the modern Hinckley Triumph era so far
Racing is a big part of the program
Triumph have also committed to proving their product on the racetracks and mountains of the world with an all-new Triumph factory race program focussed on top-tier championship racing in both Motocross and Enduro series. That’s the official word but one would certainly not discount a rally entry coming down the line.
Five-times Enduro World Champion Iván Cervantes has joined the Triumph family alongside Ricky Carmichael and both have agreed to be active partners in both bike testing and preparation for racing.
Ricky Carmichael
“I’m thrilled to announce that I’m joining the Triumph family and even more excited to be a part of their new endeavour into the off-road product category. This is an incredible opportunity for me to join this historic brand, and I’m honoured and humbled to be a part of the development and release of Triumph’s off-road motorcycles. Building something from the ground up is something that really is intriguing to me at this stage of my career. What is impressive to me is Triumph’s dedication and passion to develop a top-of-the-class product. Everyone who I have been involved with in this project, from the engineers, design groups, R&D department, has shown extreme passion for what they’re doing, and that’s a recipe for success and something that I love being a part of. We all share that same passion, and that’s to be the best. If you’re familiar with the Triumph brand, you already know the quality of craftsmanship is top-shelf, and the off-road models will follow suit to their past! Not only are these exciting times for me, but it’s an exciting time for the off-road industry to be adding another brand to the mix and the opportunities that lie ahead for all off-road consumers. I can’t wait to see the reactions when these models hit the dealer’s showroom floors.”
Ricky Carmichael
Ivan Cervantes
“I’ve loved Triumph motorcycles since I was a small kid, seeing them in films and on television. So to be working with Triumph from the beginning of this project is an amazing opportunity for me – not just because it’s working with one of the world’s greatest motorcycle brands, but also for being part of building something from zero. It’s a dream come true for any racer! Like me, everyone I’m working with at Triumph is focussed to make the bikes the best they can be. I cannot wait to see the bikes competing at a world level, but I also look forward to when I can stand in a Triumph dealer and know I was part of this very special project.”
Ivan Cervantes
Triumph also announced earlier this year that they had hired Jeremy Appleton away from Alpinestars and appointed him as Global Racing Manager.
The formula for dirtbike success
Of course the formula for success has now long been established across both the motocross and enduro scenes. Single-cylinder engines displacing 250 or 450 cc with punch but with the smoothest possible power deliveries, housed in motorcycles made as light as practical and suspended by suspension packages that are supple while retaining damping control and bottoming resistance under huge loads is pretty much the agreed formula. Any sort of remotely sophisticated traction control systems are banned from competition. There are dirtbikes on the market with traction control but those systems are quite basic and rudimentary that just reduce engine power when the ECU recognises that RPM is increasing too fast in that particular gear for traction to have been maintained.
If Triumph are going racing then the launch line-up simply have to be 250 and 450 cc with motorcycles that closely followed the established norms in the sector. This is a given.
With Triumph going racing the quiz as to what models will be coming is pretty solved from the off. They have to be coming to market with compact 250 and 450 cc singles. The engine pictured here is from a 2022 Husqvarna FE250
Triumph’s chances of success?
With all that in mind it is hard to imagine how Triumph will be able to come into the market with any significant point of difference from the brands that currently dominate the space. Modern Triumph though have proved time and again that they are certainly no dummies and pump out some great motorcycles with an enviable reliability record. Whatever they have in store for us, and while the base models have to be 250 and 450 cc singles, I really do hope they have been able to pin down some significant point of differences that might liven up the sector and make them stand out from the crowd.
With KTM currently selling both four and two-stroke enduro bikes for more than 15-grand, and selling them in record numbers, there is certainly the space for another manufacturer to have a red hot go at capturing part of that market, which in-turn, should hopefully also help prevent prices climbing even further in the future due to more competition in the sector.
All Triumph models, while still developed and tested in the UK, are now built in Thailand which might help Triumph undercut most of the established brands on pricing.
Electric has to form part of the picture eventually
At the end of the current decade the EU6 emissions restrictions that will come into force around much of the world will pretty much sound the death knell of internal combustion engined vehicles.
Cars and motorcycles that are already on the road will not be immediately impacted and will continue to be able to be driven and ridden for some time in the future. Those restrictions will probably vary widely across the globe but some countries have already mandated that no new petrol powered vehicles will be allowed to be sold on their soil from 2035 or even before. Thus any undertakings to design and produce new conventional engines will cease long before that date.
Research and developments budgets that would normally be used for engine innovation are already being curtailed and those funds directed towards research in battery powered technology and electric vehicles. The massive investments required to produce all new petrol powered drivetrains are rapidly disappearing thus we believe that Triumph will have electric technology in their off-road development schedule right from the off when it comes to their arrival in the dirtbike arena.
One would have to imagine that we are at least 12 months away from seeing dirtbikes with Triumph badges appear on dealer floors. If we look back at how the Triumph press announcements regarding new models that is the par for this course, so if that history rings true we can expect to be seeing Triumph motocross and enduro bikes in dealers floor by mid to late 2022.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing test rider Dani Pedrosa will make a debut competitive outing with the KTM RC16 by entering the tenth round of the 2021 MotoGP series: the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria at the Red Bull Ring, Austria on August 6-8.
The 35-year-old MotoGP Legend retired from full time racing with 31 victories and 112 podium results from 13 seasons in the premier class between 2006 and 2018. Since 2019 he has been an integral part of KTM’s development program for MotoGP and with the KTM RC16 that made its debut at the 2016 Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana and then joined the grid on a permanent basis in 2017.
Dani Pedrosa
“It’s been super-interesting to be part of this project from the beginning with KTM in MotoGP and being able to share my experience with them. Step-by-step we did the best we could and now it’s interesting again to go into a race because it gives you a different perspective compared to a normal test. It has been a long time since my last race and, of course, the mentality for a GP is very different to a test. My focus for the GP is to try to test the things we have on the bike in a race situation. I wish to understand the requests riders might have for different sessions and technical features. Watching from home I can sense the improvements in the bikes and the racing but in order to understand more about MotoGP now, the new technologies and how to race and use strategies against the others we’ll make this wildcard. It’s difficult to talk about my expectations after being so long away from competition. It might all click into a racing mentality or it might not but we’ll try to enjoy the weekend as much as we can.”
Pedrosa finished in the top five of the MotoGP championship 11 times from 13 campaigns and was a three-time runner-up. The Spaniard’s last Grand Prix was almost a thousand days ago with the 2018 event at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia where he classified 5th. He has since shared a race track with the current MotoGP field at both IRTA and private test days. Red Bull Ring will represent his first race with KTM.
The long-term Red Bull athlete will steer an adapted development version of the KTM RC16 to gain further valuable data in Grand Prix conditions.
Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Race Manager
“It will be curious to see Dani in MotoGP again. He has been away from racing for quite a long time but it will be valuable to have him in garage at Red Bull Ring to analyze the strong and not-so-strong parts of our KTM RC16 package in GP conditions and it will give him a good indication for his testing work. Dani has had a big influence in our MotoGP project thanks to all of his experience. The company was working and pushing hard to follow his requests, along with Mika’s [Kallio]. Dani was a good reference as he retired at the end of 2018 while still at the top of the sport and we can see some of his influence in the current success of the KTM RC16. He will have a mixture of the current race bike and some small upgrades and he will have some testing to do during the weekend but we also don’t want to overload him. We want him to enjoy the Grand Prix! There are a lot of young, strong riders in MotoGP at the moment, so he will be busy but this is a good way for him to learn more and feel the current benchmark in the sport and this will help us for future testing.”
“The company was working and pushing hard to follow his requests, along with Mika’s [Kallio]. Dani was a good reference as he retired at the end of 2018 while still at the top of the sport and we can see some of his influence in the current success of the KTM RC16. He will have a mixture of the current race bike and some small upgrades and he will have some testing to do during the weekend but we also don’t want to overload him. We want him to enjoy the Grand Prix! There are a lot of young, strong riders in MotoGP at the moment, so he will be busy but this is a good way for him to learn more and feel the current benchmark in the sport and this will help us for future testing.”
Melbourne, Western Suburbs: Administration & Office Support, Client & Sales Administration Full Time
Mojo Motorcycles is a well-established motorcycle, scooter and ATV (all-terrain vehicle) distributor, servicing 150 dealers throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Operating from distribution and administrative headquarters in Altona North (Vic), Mojo Motorcycles is the exclusive distributor for CFMOTO, Sherco, Kymco, Lambretta and Landboss in Australia and New Zealand.
CFMOTO 650NK
The company has enjoyed rapid growth since it was founded in 2003, with a vision to become a leader in its respective market categories.
To assist in the delivery of its ambitious future growth plans, Mojo Motorcycles is now recruiting for a Sales Administrator.
Reporting to the Managing Director, the position will be multi-faceted across a variety of administrative and support roles.
The primary responsibility of the Sales Administrator will be:
Answering incoming calls;
Updating dealers on stock arrival and allocations;
Preparing financial approvals for dealer floor plans;
Issuing invoices; and
Preparing sales and stock reports; and.
Other ‘ad hoc’ administrative and sales relates activities.
Attention-to-detail is paramount, as well an unwavering capacity to see tasks through in a timely, efficient and reliable manner.
The successful applicant will also possess excellent communication and organisational skills, a positive, energetic and a ‘can do’ mindset, and proficiency in the Microsoft suite of products – especially Excel.
This position is based in Mojo Motorcycles’ Altona office, with hours 8:30am-5:00pm Monday to Friday.
Spare Parts Interpreter & Dealer Support – Mojo Motorcycles
Melbourne – Western Suburbs: Trades & Services, Automotive Trades Full Time
Mojo Motorcycles is a well-established motorcycle, scooter and ATV (all-terrain vehicle) distributor, servicing 150 dealers throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Operating from distribution and administrative headquarters in Altona North (Vic), Mojo Motorcycles is the exclusive distributor for CFMOTO, Sherco, Kymco, Lambretta and Landboss in Australia and New Zealand.
The Sherco Enduro Factory line
The company has enjoyed rapid growth since it was founded in 2003, with a vision to become a leader in its respective market categories.
To assist in the delivery of its ambitious future growth plans, Mojo Motorcycles is now recruiting for a spare parts interpreter.
The spare parts interpreter supports customers with determination of parts and accessories requirements, accurately enters sales orders and promptly actions customer enquiries. The spare parts interpreter is dedicated to providing customers the highest level of service.
The primary responsibilities of the Spare Parts Interpreter will be:
Provide prompt, dependable, high quality service to all internal and external customers
Support customers with determination of parts and accessories requirements
Identify and promote parts and accessories which complement the customer requirement
Develop and share specialist knowledge of all genuine parts and accessories and history
Provide dealers updates on aged backorders
Develop and share an expert understanding of the electronic parts catalogue
Support the maintenance of parts catalogue master data
Champion the use of the electronic parts catalogue with retail, trade and dealer customers
Administer the complete return claim process
Analyse return data for root cause and implement corrective action
Liaise with suppliers to address queries and part quality, part not true to label etc
The successful applicant will possess the following qualities:
Mechanical aptitude – you will develop specialist knowledge of all genuine parts and accessories so an understanding of their application is essential.
Attention to detail – you love numbers and are detailed orientated in everything you do.
A great communicator – you will be working with customers as well as our international suppliers so being able to communicate with a broad audience is essential.
Computer skills – you will develop an expert understanding of our electronic parts catalogue as well as our supplier’s systems. An understanding of Excel and Outlook is essential.
Initiative – we want people who want to develop themselves and take ownership of their role.
Self-motivated – we want someone who can think on their feet and isn’t afraid to get stuck in and help other areas of the business when required.
This position is based in Mojo Motorcycles’ Altona office, with hours 8:30am-5:00pm Monday to Friday.
Dealer Technical Support & Warranty Assistant – Mojo Motorcycles
Melbourne – Western Suburbs: Trades & ServicesAutomotive Trades Full Time
Mojo Motorcycles is a well-established motorcycle, scooter, and ATV (all-terrain vehicle) distributor, servicing 150 dealers throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Operating from our distribution and administrative headquarters in Altona North (Vic), Mojo Motorcycles is the exclusive distributor for CFMOTO, Sherco, Kymco, Lambretta and Landboss in Australia and New Zealand.
The company has enjoyed rapid growth since it was founded in 2003, with a vision to become a leader in its respective market categories.
2021 CFMoto 650GT – Midnight Black
To assist in the delivery of its ambitious future growth plans, Mojo Motorcycles is now recruiting for a Dealer Technical Support & Warranty Assistant.
Reporting to our Warranty Manager, the primary responsibilities of the Dealer Technical Support & Warranty Assistant will be:
Provide prompt, dependable, high-quality service to our dealer network via phone and email
Adjudicate warranty claims across all our brands
Administer the complete warranty claim process using our propriety B2B system
Liaise with suppliers as required to address recurring warranty issues
Analyse warranty data as required and implement corrective action
The successful applicant will possess the following qualities:
Mechanical aptitude – You will be dealing with qualified mechanics across our dealer network, providing technical assistance to them as required. A mechanical qualification or experience in a similar position is preferred.
Attention to detail – you love numbers and are detailed orientated in everything you do.
A great communicator – you will be working with customers as well as our international suppliers so being able to communicate with a broad audience is essential.
Computer skills – you will develop an expert understanding of our B2B and supplier’s IT systems. An understanding of Excel and Outlook is essential.
Initiative – we want people who want to develop themselves and take ownership of their role.
Self-motivated – we want someone who can think on their feet and isn’t afraid to get stuck in and help other areas of the business when required.
This position is based in Mojo Motorcycles’ Altona office, with hours 8:30am-5:00pm Monday to Friday.
If this sounds like you, please have a cover letter and your CV emailed through by 6th August 2021.
BMW Motorrad has long been engaged in intensive development work on its sound systems. With its now agreed long-term partnership with world-renowned British company Marshall Amplification, the innovation and quality of BMW Motorrad sound systems are set to reach new heights.
For 60 years, Marshall, originally from Hanwell, London, now based in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (UK), have produced legendary guitar amplifiers used by the world’s best musicians. Since 2012 they have expanded their audio quality into award winning headphones and active speakers designed for music lovers.
BMW Motorrad promise to present the first new products resulting from this strategic partnership very soon and are expected to release the first details on the improvements at the end of this month.
The Marshall spirit combined with the development power of BMW Motorrad will in future be reflected in new innovative products for motorcycles and music, especially, Motorrad tells us, in the BMW Motorrad Heritage segment.
Currently the music sytems used by BMW that have speakers are on the heavyweight touring line-up consisting of the R 1200 RT and K 1600 GT models, thus we are intrigued as to what stereo systems BMW are going to use and in what models amongst their Heritage line-up. As the R 18 cruiser models are incorporated into the Heritage range we expect that more touring focussed models based on that platform will be where the new stereo systems will be used, rather than music systems being fitted to bikes of the R nineT range, which also come under the Heritage umbrella.
Kawasaki shooting for third Suzuka 8 Hours victory
While the 5.821km Suzuka circuit itself was opened in the September of 1962, the Suzuka 8 Hour first came about in 1978 and it quickly became the most important race for production based bikes in the world.
American duo Wes Cooley and Mike Baldwin won that inaugural duel on July 30, 1978, on a Yoshimura backed GS1000 Suzuki.
Australia planted its flag at Suzuka in 1979 when a Team Honda Australia squad consisting of Tony Hatton and Mick Cole rode a CB900 to victory.
New Zealand took their first top step on the rostrum the following year when Kiwi Graeme Crosby partnered with American Wes Cooley to win the race on a Yoshimura GS1000 Suzuki.
Honda are by far the most successful manufacturers in the history of the race with 27 wins. While Yamaha have been the most successful brand at Suzuka in recent years their overall tally still only numbers eight victories while Suzuki have five wins.
Kawasaki ZXR – Scott Russell – Aaron Slight – 1993
Until 2019, Kawasaki had only ever won the prestigious event once and that was some 26 years before when Aaron Slight and Scott Russell piloted a ZXR750R to victory. In 2019 Kawasaki were on the top step again after Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam piloted the KRT ZX-10RR to victory. The third member of the team, Toprak Razgatlioglu, did not ride at the event but was still part of the winning team.
Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam celebrate the win in 2019
The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled due to the pandemic but Kawasaki are out to back up their success in 2021 with a three-man team featuring both KRT WorldSBK riders and a former WSS600 championship winner. Running under the banner of “Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8H”, the official factory entry will seek success in the 2021 FIM Endurance World Championship “Coca-Cola” Suzuka 8 Hours event.
Fielding the new 2021 Ninja ZX-10RR, the Kawasaki entry for this year’s Suzuka event will be guided by Provec, the company that manages Kawasaki’s World SBK team, KRT. The three-man squad is entirely populated with previous Suzuka winners in the form of Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes plus rising star Lucas Mahias who, having previously won the WSS600 Championship, has moved to the WorldSBK stage riding for Puccetti Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea
“I am so excited that I will be part of KRT and Kawasaki factory taking part in the 2021 Suzuka 8 Hour race. I’ve been on the podium four times now at Suzuka, and my fondest memory was winning the race for Kawasaki in 2019. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do the race in 2020 due to the global pandemic going on, but we’ll be back in 2021 and I promise I will be making my best efforts to do the best for Kawasaki and all our fans.”
Kawasaki Racing Team – 2019 Suzuka 8 Hour
Alex Lowes
“I’m delighted that I’ll be part of the KRT Kawasaki factory racing team for the 2021 Suzuka 8 Hours. Already I’ve been on the winning team three times at Suzuka. It’s a fantastic event and a really great circuit – one of my favourites. Now I’ll have the chance to push for a Kawasaki win on the latest Ninja ZX-10RR. I’m really looking forward to being part of this famous race again. We have a great team, and the Ninja is an amazing machine.”
Jonathan Rea – Kawasaki Racing Team – Suzuka 8H 2019
Lucas Mahias
“I’m happy that I will be part of the KRT Kawasaki factory team taking part in the 2021 Suzuka 8 Hour race. Racing in Japan is always very special, and Suzuka 8 Hours is a world-famous race. It is so good to return to Suzuka after the 2020 pandemic. For all the Kawasaki fans, I promise that we will make the best preparations and I will do my best to be part of the winning team at Suzuka.”
Guim Roda of Provec and KRT
“The Suzuka 8 Hours is a global event, and it profiles not just the endurance of riders across these many hours but also the durability of the motorcycle. I’m sure Johnny, Alex and Lucas are the perfect weapons for this exciting challenge. Our job at Provec on behalf of KRT and the Kawasaki factory is to manage not just rider performance but also to work alongside the factory race staff to produce a Ninja ZX-10RR that is both fast and durable plus easy to maintain during pit stops and scheduled rider changes. I know this year’s 8 hour race is a big effort and commitment from many people to try come back to normality after a hard 2020 Covid year and not such an easy recovery back to “normal” in 2021. So will fully support this event to make sure the show goes on and we’ll work together with KHI to make the best result, for all fans and for all the world!”.
2021 Australian Classic and Post Classic MX Championships Cancelled
The 2021 Australian National Classic and Post Classic Motocross Championships hosted by Heaven VMX, originally set for July in Nowra, NSW that had been postponed due to concerns around COVID-19 have now officially been cancelled for 2021.
Due to the ongoing outbreak of Covid-19 across the country and the uncertainty in the current climate the Heaven VMX Club in consultation with Motorcycling Australia made the tough decision to cancel these events.
Kenneth Swan – Heaven VMX President
“The Heaven VMX club is passionate about the great sport of Vintage Motocross. The planned 2021 Australian National Classic and Post Classic Motocross Championships was intended to be an opportunity to extend our arms to, and share our passion with, all VMX racers from around Australia. Bring the whole VMX family together for a VMX Festival of Fun. When the Heaven VMX Club of NSW does run this event, we want to do it at the right time when all VMX racers from around Australia are safe and happy to travel and give it every chance to be the amazing event we have planned.
2021 Australian Classic and Post Classic MX Championships cancelled
“Therefore for 2021 for the Heaven VMX Club, have made the difficult decision to cancel the Australian National Classic and Post Classic Motocross Championships. With this news we are equally as disappointed as everyone is, we hope you understand though as this should be a truly national event for all our competitors.”
The Heaven VMX Club thanked all those riders that had already entered and supported the events. Over the next 2 weeks, all entry fees taken to date will be refunded through Ridernet and refunds will be finalised by July 31.
Australian Speedway Under 16’s 125cc Solo & Teams nominations open
Motorcycling Australia ihave opened nominations for the 2021 Australian Speedway under 16’s 125cc Solo and Teams Championships. The Championships will be held at South Australia’s Sidewinders U16’s Speedway Club, September 23-25.
Two New Zealand Oceania Speedway Sidecar rounds announced for 2022
FIM Oceania, Speedway NZ (SNZ) and Motorcycling NZ (MNZ) have revealed that competitors will be set to battle out the 2022 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship over two rounds on January 29th, 2022, at Moore Park Speedway, Christchurch, New Zealand and Oreti Park Speedway, Invercargill New Zealand on February 5th, 2022.
The FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship heads to New Zealand in 2022
This will be the first time the FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship has been hosted on New Zealand soil, and over two rounds. With both host tracks sporting a rich history in Motorcycle Racing.
Moore Park speedway was founded and named after the late Ronnie Moore, and Oreti Park Speedway, Invercargill has strong ties to Burt Munro.
The final round of this FIM Oceania Championship finishing in Invercargill the week before the annual pilgrimage to the South for the Burt Munro Classic, which is always a talked about two wheel event.
Peter Doyle – FIM Oceania President
“FIM Oceania was very pleased to be working with Speedway NZ and their host tracks, Moore Park & Oreti Park Speedways for what is sure to be an amazing 2022 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship. It is excellent to have this FIM Oceania Championship conducted in New Zealand and we encourage motorcycle racing fans from across New Zealand and Australia to get along and not miss a minute of this speedway action. There is a long history of excellent competition and hard fought battles between the Aussies & Kiwi riders across many motorcycle races over the years. I am sure in January 2022, there will be two rounds of sensational speedway racing.”
Speedway NZ will be seeking Expressions of Interest from New Zealand based riders for the event over the next six weeks before finalising the qualification process for NZ representation.
Motorcycling Australia and ACU have been delegated 8 of the 16 spots in the rider line-up, for what promises to be an action packed international event.
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Maciej Janowski tops Czech Speedway GP Round 1
Polish star Maciej Janowski was elated to end his Prague struggles as he topped the Anlas Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix round-one podium on Friday evening.
‘Magic’ delivered a dream start to his season when he overhauled Emil Sayfutdinov at the start of lap three to win the final. Great Britain racer Tai Woffinden was third, while Sweden’s Fredrik Lindgren was fourth after hitting the tapes.
Despite Sayfutdinov cruising through to the final after topping the heat score chart on 12 race points, it was Janowski who got the verdict when it mattered most to top the World Championship.
It’s the first time he has qualified for a Prague final since his SGP debut season in 2015, when he finished third. Janowski had reached the semi-finals at Marketa Stadium three times in seven appearances going into Friday night, so he was delighted to triumph at the opening round of SGP 2021.
Maciej Janowski
“For the last couple of years, I have been struggling on this track. But today I felt great and my team was working great. The bike was so quick and I really enjoyed racing. I want to say thanks to my team. I love you guys. We found a good setup from the beginning and that was very fast. I used good lines on the track. I got good points and I rode very well. So I am very happy and that’s a great start to the Grand Prix series. The season is long; we have 11 rounds. We need to be smart and fast like today. Tomorrow is a different day. We will try to focus on the same things as tonight and I hope tomorrow I can show the same speedway.”
Maciej Janowski
Double European champion Emil Sayfutdinov was content with second spot as reached his first SGP podium since 2019.
Emil Sayfutdinov
“It was very good. I felt good from the start and I was happy around the track because I had good speed. I would like to say thanks to my team, who have been working very hard. That’s the next goal, so we will just concentrate on that. It is always a different day and a different track. Today I will try to relax, have a good sleep and then we will see.”
Woffinden was pleased to pick up third place on the Marketa Stadium track where he won three SGP rounds on the bounce between 2013 and 2015.
Tai Woffinden
“We salvaged a third, which was pretty good. I started the night okay with a second and a win. The next two races were really bad and we were just trying to find the setup. We were chasing it all night. I needed to win my last race to make the semi, which I did. I needed to finish first or second to get into the final, which I did. If Freddie hadn’t touched the tapes, I wouldn’t have been on the podium. We learned a lot today for tomorrow.”
Australian Max Fricke finished eighth with nine-points, while Jason Doyle was 12, on five.
Speedway GP World Championship Standings after Round 1
Maciej Janowski 20
Emil Sayfutdinov 18
Tai Woffinden 16
Fredrik Lindgren 14
Artem Laguta 12
Bartosz Zmarzlik 11
Leon Madsen 10
Max Fricke 9
Martin Vaculik 8
Robert Lambert 7
Matej Zagar 6
Jason Doyle 5
Jan Kvech 4
Anders Thomsen 3
Oliver Berntzon 2
Krzysztof Kasprzak 1
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Artem Laguta claims Speedway GP Round 2 victory
Triple FIM Speedway of Nations world champion Artem Laguta admits the Prague rain clouds had a golden lining as he stormed to victory in Anlas Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix round two on Sunday.
Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix Round 2
The sport’s biggest stars returned to Marketa Stadium for an early-afternoon start after Saturday’s event was postponed due to heavy downpours in the Czech capital.
A rare afternoon round proved lucky for Laguta as he collected the second SGP victory of his career – following up his triumph at the 2020 season opener in Wroclaw.
Laguta raced past fellow SON winner Emil Sayfutdinov to hit the front, with Friday’s round-one winner Maciej Janowski joining him for second and Sweden’s Fredrik Lindgren rounding Sayfutdinov for third on the final corner.
Heavy rain followed by bright sunshine meant track conditions changed drastically for speedway’s biggest stars. But Laguta made the most of them to move up to second place in the World Championship on 32 points – just six behind leader Janowski.
Artem Laguta
“I am very happy today. It was a good day for me. It was a good meeting and I made good starts today. I am very, very happy with the win. Now I am looking forward to the next meeting. But Speedway Grand Prix is always very hard. There was a lot of rain on Saturday, but it went today and the track was okay. It was very hard with grippy starts, but for me it was no problem. I want to say thank you to my team and thank you to my family – they are my life. I am very happy. Thank you.”
Artem Laguta topped the Round 2 podium
Janowski admits the bike which fired him to victory in Friday’s first round didn’t have the same impact today. But a change of equipment saw him bounce back with a very handy second place – meaning he has dropped just two championship points from a possible 40.
Maciej Janowski
“They were two completely different days. After four heats I changed my bike. My first bike that I used on Friday lost some energy, so we changed and then everything was much, much better. It could have been better, but I am happy with what we got. Second place in the second GP sounds good and I scored good points – that’s the most important thing. We had a very hard day, but I am happy with how it finished.”
Maciej Janowski
Lindgren has made a habit of scraping into semi-finals and taking full advantage of the opportunity. He turned eight race points in the heats into a very useful 16 championship points with third place.
The Swede is now fourth in the World Championship on 30 points and was pleased to make his mark when it mattered once again.
Fredrik Lindgren
“Today was a big battle all the way through. I never really felt I had good speed. I was making decent starts and had good track craft, but I was struggling a bit and really had to scrape through to the semis. In the semi we found a bit more speed in the bike and I was very happy I made it to the final. In the final I just gave it everything I had. It was a big battle and a big blast around the outside on the last corner to make it on to the podium. I am happy with that.”
Round 2 saw Jason Doyle in sixth, claiming 11-points, with Max Fricke in 11th for six. Doyle and Fricke are now ninth and 10th in the standings respectively.
Next up for the FIM Speedway Grand Prix stars is Betard Wroclaw SGP of Poland rounds three and four at the legendary Olympic Stadium on July 30 and 31, as Janowski bids to extend his series lead in his home city, with Laguta and Tai Woffinden also lining up on their Polish home track.
Speedway GP Round 2 Results
Artem Laguta 20
Maciej Janowski 18
Fredrik Lindgren 16
Emil Sayfutdinov 14
Bartosz Zmarzlik 12
Jason Doyle 11
Martin Vaculik 10
Anders Thomsen 9
Tai Woffinden 8
10 Leon Madsen 7
Max Fricke 6
Matej Zagar 5
Krzysztof Kasprzak 4
Jan Kvech 3
Robert Lambert 2
Oliver Berntzon 1
Petr Chlupac 0
Daniel Klima DNR
Speedway GP World Championship Standings after Round 2
Maciej Janowski 38
Artem Laguta 32
Emil Sayfutdinov 32
Fredrik Lindgren 30
Tai Woffinden 24
Bartosz Zmarzlik 23
Martin Vaculik 18
Leon Madsen 17
Jason Doyle 16
Max Fricke 15
Anders Thomsen 12
Matej Zagar 11
Robert Lambert 9
Jan Kvech 7
Krzysztof Kasprzak 5
Oliver Berntzon 3
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DuQuoin Mile Cancelled Due to Weather
Due to the significant level of rainfall in the area, the 2021 DuQuoin Mile has been cancelled. Progressive AFT will continue its season with the Port Royal Half-Mile on Saturday, July 24 at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Penn.
Fans who have purchased advanced tickets for the DuQuoin Mile will receive information on refunds and ticket credits from Track Enterprises in the coming days.
2021 Capricorn XTreme – Grassroots Enduro Round 3
Round Three of the Australian Hard Enduro Championship has been run and won, despite the challenges to organisers and promotors of the national series, Grassroots Enduro Australia, who spent the week leading up to the race contending with Covid lockdowns and heavy rains.
A brand new venue located at Mount Morgan, eight hours north of Brisbane in Queensland saw 176 Hard Enduro nutters register for the Capricorn X-Treme.
Riders were meant to compete in the prologue in order to determine their starting positions for race day, with Juniors racing a two and a half hour event on the same day as the prologue. However 80 mm of rain preceeded the event, which saw the access road washed out, with the go-ahead only coming through 6 pm the day prior to racing.
2021 Capricorn XTreme – Grassroots Australian Hard Enduro
As such the the prologue was abandoned and Juniors race moved to the morning of race day. Gold, Silver, Bronze and Ladies classes raced on the 45 km track over a six hour time limit, while the Juniors track was eight km in length, with a reduced two hour limit.
The Pro/Gold class was won by Rob Nowak (KTM), a veteran of the Hard Enduro scene in Australia with international race experience such as RBR, Erzberg and Sea to Sky. Runner up went to Wade Ibrahim (KTM), who won round two, leaving him in a strong position on the points chart.
Sherco rider Chris Perry rounded out the top three with a solid performance and backing up his third place at the previous round.
In the Silver class Chris Dark took the win ahead of Trent Tucci, with just a minute separating them, while Frank Fee completed the podium.
Mac Vonthien won the Bronze category by a handy seven-minutes over Robert Brosig, while Adam DeCaria claimed the final podium positon.
Ebony Nielsen won the Ladies, ahead of Cheyenne Jones and Zeena Gadsby, with Amy Davidson a more distant fourth.
In the Junior class, Brody Reed took the win ahead of Toby Page, as the only two riders to complete five laps. Third placed Michael Blake completed four.
Traditional air spring suspension has been used on and off for motorcycles throughout history.
From the pneumatically-sprung bikes created by Associated Springs Limited (ASL) back in 1909 to the air forks present in the 2013-2016 edition of the Honda CRF450R, it seems companies have dabbled on and off in the concept of air suspension.
Now, a company named Carbon Air Limited has just come to the end of an exclusivity deal with Audi – and the UK firm is looking to introduce their tried-and-true activated carbon air suspension to the moto industry.
As seen in the video above, the concept is relatively simple.
Activated carbon has micro-pores. Air molecules are attracted to the surface on a tiny scale and are crowded more closely than usual, working with a fraction of the usual space.
To speak plain English, activated carbon breathes in an extraordinary amount of air. A cup of carbon-based air can contain around 6 times as much as a cup full of typical air – with that amount of space saved, chunky air suspension stiffness could be a thing of the past.
Best part, there’s no chemical bonding involved – nor, according to Carbon Air Limited, is there any wear or tear on the materials.
A close-up of the tried-and-true activated carbon suspension system for mountain bikes, which Carbon Air Limited will likely use as a base blueprint for other off-road two-wheelers.
According to a report from MCN, Audi has been using Carbon Air Limited’s suspension since 2017, giving the Audi A6 and A7 air suspension with limitless tuneability.
Now, the UK firm has a non-exclusive license agreement with key industry suppliers and is working on further projects with tier one suppliers and OEMs – from air suspension in automobiles and motorbikes to increased improvement in mountain bikes and eBikes.
“Being able to seemingly bend the laws of physics and change how air behaves under pressure has benefits in numerous mobility-related areas,” says Erwin Wolf, Chief Executive Officer of Carbon Air Limited.
“Innovative Carbon Air technology reduces dynamic suspension stiffness, without increasing roll or dive.”
Whether this technology will be adopted by off-road bikes first is yet to be seen, though I’d personally love to see what they do for the electric motorcycle industry.
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