Eight ‘new’ Harley models for 2022

Last year represented a revolution for traditional motorcycle company Harley-Davidson with the first new water-cooled engine since the V-Rod in 1999 and their first adventure model.

This year it’s more like an evolution than a revolution with eight slightly altered models including the same line-up of Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) limited-edition models.

Cruisers

Low Rider ST and S

In the cruiser category there is the Low Rider S and a Low Rider ST (sports tourer) with removable luggage, frame-mounted fairing and an audio system powered by Rockford Fosgate.

The biggest change is that they are powered by the 117 cubic-inch Milwaukee Eight engine with 167Nm of torque which was previously limited to the CVO models.

They will arrive in Aussie dealerships in mid-March at $A30,750 for the Low Rider S and $35,250 for the ST.

That compares with last year’s 114-cube Low Rider S at $27,995.

Baggers

Road Glide ST and Street Glide ST

In their bagger category, there are two ST model additions to the Street Glide and Road Glide, also powered by the 117.

Other features include including linked Brembo brakes with ABS, Boom! Box GTS infotainment system with colour touch screen and navigation, cruise control and Daymaker LED headlamps. 

They come with the following standard suite of hi-tech rider aids:

  • Cornering Electronically Linked Brakes;
  • Cornering-ABS; 
  • Cornering-Traction Control with modes; 
  • Drag Torque Slip Control; 
  • Vehicle Hold Control; and 
  • Tyre Pressure Monitoring.

They both arrive in Aussie showrooms in April at $A44,995 which compares with the 2021 114-cube models at $39,750.

Indian Chief Riding On Highway

CVO

Street Glide CVO

At the top end are the limited-production factory custom CVO models which are usually different versions of existing models rotated every year or two.

This year it’s once again the Street Glide, Road Glide, Road Glide Limited and Tri-Glide trike that get the CVO treatment.

So they are not really new models at all but just with some new features and paintwork.

They arrive in mid-March with the Rockford Fosgate audio and Boom! Audio 30K Bluetooth helmet headset, plus the electronic rider aids added to the bagger ST models.

CVO prices are: Street Glide $58,250 (was $55,495); Road Glide $58,750 (was $55,995); Road Glide Ltd $61,750 (was $57,995) and Tri Glide $76,250 (was $73,750).

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Call for urgent action on regional roads

For years riders and other motorists have been asked to report road hazards such as potholes to their state road authority.

However, local authorities seem to ignore the repot, respond slowly or respond with inappropriate measures.

In one recent instance, rider Mick Rider (no joke!) reported concerns about a section of the Hume Highway, that suffered melt damage and was covered in marble-like gravel by VicRoads, and speed reduced to 80km/h from 110km/h.

Photos supplied by Mick Rider

“This has resulted in a worse mess than when it was just melting, with VicRoads attempting to cool with water spraying the last few days,” he says.

“Insufficient speed reduction for motorcycles to navigate extremely hazardous surface now resulting in dual lane traffic showering with gravel. 

“In addition to that, the four-wheel traffic has created mounds of this gravel between wheel tracks in lanes.”

He reported the matter to VicRoads at 5.45pm on 25 January by phone. 

Motorcycle Riders Association of Australia regional spokesperson Cate Grace posted the comments on their Facebook page and another motorist posted footage on TikTok.

“Noted that one local had reported to VicRoads 5 days prior, and their response was blasé to say the least,” she says.

It’s not the first time melting tar has been an issue.

In 2018, we reported on how new roadwork immediately began melting on the Mt Glorious Road in Queensland and in 2019, sand and then water were used in an attempt to “fix” a similar issue on the Oxley Highway in NSW.

Melting tar on Oxley highway sand fix
Melting tar on Oxley highway

Over the past few years we have reported numerous cases where riders have crashed in unacceptable road conditions thanks to poor design, inferior surfacing and a lack of maintenance.

In one incident a rider successfully sued VicRoads after a crash on a poorly maintained Victorian road.

Potholes and other road maintenance issues are frequently cited in local and international studies.

A 2018 British Automobile Association survey found that while potholes cause damage to cars, they are a greater injury threat to riders with riders three times more likely to be involved in crashes caused by potholes and poor road surfaces than any other vehicle type.

A 244-page 2016 Austroads report, titled “Infrastructure Improvements to Reduce Motorcycle Casualties”, found that roads need to be better designed, funded and maintained to reduce the risk of motorcycle crashes.

And while riders are urged to report road defects, that only yields a result if the problem is promptly fixed.

Cate says five days after Mick’s complaint nothing had been done.

“VicRoads contractors and traffic management continue to ignore motorcycle riders and place them at risk, not just from the hazardous road conditions, but other road user behaviour in poor conditions not appropriately signed,” she says.

“How many times do we have to complain?  How many times do riders have to suffer damage to motorcycles, themselves, and death, before VicRoads comes down on their Contractors hard, and ensures they’re compliant?”

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Race Reports, Results, Points & Video Highlights from AMA SX Round Four

450 Post Race Press Conference

450 Championship Standings (Round 4 of 17)

Pos Rider Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Rnd4 Total
1 Eli Tomac 17 19 23 26 85
2 Chase Sexton 18 14 26 21 79
3 Jason Anderson 13 26 15 23 77
4 Cooper Webb 23 16 19 15 73
5 Justin Barcia 21 21 14 16 72
6 Malcolm Stewart 16 18 18 18 70
7 Dylan Ferrandis 7 17 21 19 64
8 Marvin Musquin 19 15 13 17 64
9 Ken Roczen 26 10 16 10 62
10 Aaron Plessinger 14 23 17 1 55
11 Dean Wilson 11 13 9 14 47
12 Max Anstie 9 8 11 12 40
13 Shane McElrath 5 9 10 13 37
14 Brandon Hartranft 6 7 8 11 32
15 Joey Savatgy 15 12 27
16 Justin Brayton 10 12 2 24
17 Adam Cianciarulo 12 11 23
18 Mitchell Oldenburg 8 7 8 23
19 Kyle Chisholm 5 6 7 18
20 Alex Martin 6 3 6 15
21 Josh Hill 0 3 5 5 13
22 Justin Bogle 0 1 0 9 10
23 Ryan Breece 1 0 4 4 9
24 Fredrik Noren 3 2 3 8
25 Justin Starling 2 4 0 6
26 Cade Clason 4 0 4
27 Joan Cros 0 2 0 2

250 Main

Vince Friese and Michael Mosiman got the best starts but Christian Craig was soon on the move and up to third after the first few turns.  Jo Shimoda then took the battle back up to Craig to move back up to that third position. Jalek Swoll and Hunter Lawrence were fifth and sixth respectively at this early juncture.

Shimoda and Craig

Mosiman moved through to the lead as Friese and Craig tussled over second position, after the championship leader had got the better of Shimoda once again. Their battle was allowing Mosiman to break away a little. Hunter Lawrence was now up to  fourth with 12-minutes still left on the shot clock. 

Christian Craig eventually broke away from Friese and chased down Mosiman. With five-minutes remaining Craig put a fairly stiff move on Mosiman, the GASGAS rider came back at him at the next turn and could have pushed him over the edge but instead kept his riding clean and stayed in second, that was a pivotal moment in the race.

Hunter Lawrence

Hunter Lawrence was attacking the track while trying to look for a way past Vince Friese for third place with two-minutes left on the clock. Jo Shimoda was not out of that battle either and could capitalise if either Friese or Lawrence make a mistake. The situation was tight with two laps to run.  Friese then went down in the whoops, perhaps succumbing to the pressure from Lawrence, Shimoda then hit Friese as the Kawasaki man had nowhere to go, it was ugly but both men were okay. 

Up front Christian Craig had pulled away from Mosiman and that pair looked settled in those 1-2 positions while the incident between Friese and Shimoda had made Lawrence’s third place finish look safe. 

Christian Craig

Christian Craig went on to victory and with it extended his championship lead over Hunter Lawrence to 11-points.  With second place Michael Mosiman strengthened his third place on the points table and is now only three-points behind Lawrence. 

A great consistent start to the season for Lawrence, who, while not visiting the top step on the podium yet, he has been on the podium at every round so far this season. 

Supercross next heads to Glendale in Arizona for round five of what is a ten round 250 West Championship.


250 Main Video Highlights

250 Main Results

Source: MCNews.com.au

2022 Harley-Davidson Street Glide ST First Look Preview

The 2022 Harley-Davidson Street Glide ST will start at $29,999.

The 2022 Harley-Davidson Street Glide ST will start at $29,999. (Harley-/)

Harley-Davidson adds a new bagger variation to its 2022 cruiser lineup with the Street Glide ST, a high-powered machine inspired by the racebikes used in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers races. It packs the most powerful, factory-installed engine Harley offers and will be available in two sharp and aggressive-looking colorways.

The Street Glide ST packs the largest factory-installed engine Harley provides.

The Street Glide ST packs the largest factory-installed engine Harley provides. (Harley-Davidson/)

The highlight of the Street Glide ST is the Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-twin, a 1,923cc mill which puts out 126 pound-feet of torque at 3,750 rpm. The air/oil-cooled engine features upspec components such as a high-performance camshaft, intake, and exhaust and is ripe for Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts upgrades for riders who want to shell out some extra cash.

All the things you love about the Street Glide in a package that honors the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers race machines.

All the things you love about the Street Glide in a package that honors the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers race machines. (Harley-Davidson/)

Chassis elements, from the 49mm Showa Dual Bending Valve fork, Reflex linked Brembo braking system, and preload-adjustable shocks are the same as found on other Street Glide models. Styling is similar as well with the iconic batwing fairing and low-slung cockpit. It also features the Boom! Box GTS infotainment system, electronic cruise control, color touchscreen, Daymaker LED headlight, and Smart Security System.

2022 Harley-Davidson Street Glide ST in Gunship Gray.

2022 Harley-Davidson Street Glide ST in Gunship Gray. (Harley-Davidson/)

The color options are the next major difference between the ST and other Street Glide models. Riders can choose from Vivid Black or Gunship Gray. Both colorways feature bronze accents and a Matte Dark Bronze finish on the Prodigy cast aluminum wheels.

Both color options will start at $29,999. Riders who aren’t put off by a bit higher price tag can add the Cornering Rider Safety Enhancements package which includes Cornering ABS, Cornering Traction Control, Drag-Torque Slip Control, Vehicle Hold Control, and a Tire Pressure Monitoring system.

2022 Harley-Davidson Street Glide ST in Vivid Black.

2022 Harley-Davidson Street Glide ST in Vivid Black. (Harley-Davidson/)

2022 Harley-Davidson Street Glide ST Technical Specifications and Price

Price: $29,999–$30,574
Engine: 1,923cc, air/oil-cooled V-twin; 8 valves
Bore x Stroke: 103.5 x 114.3mm
Compression Ratio: 10.2:1
Fuel Delivery: Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI)
Clutch: Pressurized, dry-sump with oil cooler
Transmission/Final Drive: 6-speed/belt
Frame: Mild steel tubular
Front Suspension: 49mm Dual Bending Valve fork; 4.6 in. travel
Rear Suspension: Standard height, hand-adjustable; 3.0 in. travel
Front Brake: 4-piston calipers, dual 300mm floating discs
Rear Brake: 4-piston caliper, 300mm disc
Wheels, Front/Rear: Bronze Prodigy cast aluminum; 19 x 3.5 in./18 x 5.0 in.
Tires, Front/Rear: Dunlop Harley-Davidson Series; 130/60-19 / 180/55-18
Rake/Trail: 26.0°/6.7 in.
Wheelbase: 64.0 in.
Seat Height: 26.7 in. (laden)
Fuel Capacity: 6.0 gal.
Claimed Curb Weight: 814 lb.
Available: 2022
Contact: harley-davidson.com

Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com

Ducati ramp up efforts to win World Endurance with new signings

ERC Endurance Ducati adds Checa and Fores for EWC 2022

After dominating racetracks around the world with the V4 R in sprint racing, Ducati are stepping up there efforts to win the FIM World Endurance Championship in 2022.  The EWC Endurance Team has also signed a new two-year agreement with Ducati Corse, which brings engineering support, among several other benefits to its attack. The team is planning pre-season testing at Portimão and Misano.

Spaniards David Checa and Xavi Fores will add further international flavour – and even more pace – to the ERC Endurance Ducati squad contesting the upcoming FIM Endurance World Championship season.

Joining Frenchman Mathieu Gines and Italian Lorenzo Zanetti, Checa and Fores will help to create a formidable line-up on the German team’s Ducati Panigale V4R.

ERC Endurance Ducati

Checa is one of the most successful and experienced riders in the history of endurance racing and is transferring from the factory Kawasaki outfit to the team from Karlsruhe. Winner of the EWC in 2004, 2014, 2016/17 and 2018/19, Checa also has experience in MotoGP and the World Superbike Championship. In addition, the 41-year-old has won the Bol d’Or twice and the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans on three occasions.

David Checa

Since first entering the EWC competition at Malaysia two years ago I was able to watch the Ducati very closely on track and from beside and from the beginning it was clear to see the potential of the Panigale V4R-EWC. The team has had a strong first season, showing the Ducati can mix it up front. They also learned a lot already and I am happy to now be part of this project. I will use all my experience on every single point to help bringing it further ahead.”

Fores, 36, joins ERC Endurance Ducati from the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, which he helped to finish runner-up in the 2021 FIM EWC Teams’ ranking. With experience and pedigree in GP125, Moto2, MotoGP, World Superbike and World Supersport, Fores is also a title winner in the German IDM Superbike series.

Xavi Fores

I had some great success with Ducati already and I think the ERC Endurance Panigale V4R-EWC can not only win podiums and races, but also fight for championships. I am looking forward to the new season and I think we can build on the great potential the team showed last year already.

Gines and Zanetti, meanwhile, helped EWC Endurance Ducati to ninth place in the battle to win the 2021 FIM EWC Teams’ title. A decision on which member of the team’s quartet will take the fourth rider role will be made a later date, along with the decision on the tyre partner.

EWC Endurance Ducati Team Manager Frank Hoffmann

With Mathieu Gines, Lorenzo Zanetti, David Checa and Xavi Fores we have four absolute endurance specialists that are quick as hell. For ERC Endurance it is a big honour to have four such high profile riders joining us after just one year as it shows we gained a lot of respect in our first season in the FIM Endurance World Championship. We were quick and our Panigale V4R was more than reliable with our mechanics doing a great job in the pits. Of course we had to learn a lot and we have to take the learned things to 2022 to even get better. But it is a fact that with this bike and those four riders we have all the tools to fight for podiums, wins and the sharp end in the overall standing of the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship.”

ERC Endurance Ducati

Source: MCNews.com.au

COTA enters final stages of resurfacing operation

The first section of the track features a slaloming run of short and quick corners before leading up into the sweeping left-hander at Turn 10, while the latter part is of tight corners at the end of the back straight. Using cutting edge technology to help complete the initiative, Leo Garcia, VP, Facilities and Track Operations, spoke in-depth to motogp.com regarding the process of the project, and believes that riders will “appreciate the work”.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Dovizioso and Lorenzo: the same, but different

“What Jorge [Lorenzo] did, he started to be competitive when he changed, in my opinion, his mental approach and he rode in a different way than on the Yamaha. He didn’t try and ride [it] like a Yamaha. But he took something of his riding style. That’s why I told you before that it’s very important to adapt because the MotoGP of today – tyres, brakes, electronics, chassis – it’s quite clear what you have to do on every bike.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Gresini Racing unveil Moto2™ and MotoE™ teams for 2022

Filip Salac: “Everything will be new for me after a difficult year in Moto3, I was too tall for that bike. This winter I trained with a bike more similar to Moto2 and I can say that I feel much more comfortable. It will be a new adventure for me and I will have to gain a lot of experience, I will do everything possible to learn quickly and I will always give my best. I really miss the action on track, but I will have to hold on a little longer for the February tests, I can’t wait to work with the team again, I had a lot of fun with them in the first test! While waiting, I’m concentrating on training at the gym, I need to strengthen my muscles and adapt them to the Moto2 which has a different structure. But to be honest, I like this kind of training even more!”

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Last year “too spiky” – Oliveira

“After finishing the race in Silverstone outside the points, I realised, three weeks after my injury, there was a long way to go. At that point I couldn’t come back and just say ‘I can’t ride anymore for three races and just rest’. It was quite difficult, a challenge mentally because you want to go forward but you can’t, you do things on the bike that on the data you see is not completely right and with the competition, it’s very easy to qualify 17th, 18th, 20th… and then just survive during the race and hope someone crashes so you can get points.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here