The rollercoaster Autodromo Internacional do Algarve provided a huge twist in the FIM Supersport World Championship title race. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) completed the double during the Pirelli Portuguese Round, and he benefitted massively from title rival Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) crashing at Turn 5 in Race 2, with the #99 eventually finishing in 12th place. It means Montella is now just 20 points behind Huertas as the second half of the season got underway.
In Tissot Superpole, Montella finished second behind Huertas after setting a 1’43.352s, around two tenths slower than the Championship leader. It didn’t impact him too much though as the Italian star got the holeshot when the Race 1 lights went out, claiming the lead and from there not looking back. He eventually took the chequered flag more than three seconds clear of Huertas to close the gap by five points in the standings and ended the Spaniard’s winning run at six races.
Reflecting on his Race 1 victory, his first outside of Australia in WorldSSP, Montella said: “Finally, we got it! It was incredible because I felt stronger than ever. I enjoyed the whole race. My strategy was just to push from the beginning. In these races, we saw Adrian pushes from the start. I tried to do the same thing. I understood he didn’t have a great start, so it was probably a little bit lucky. I think we were stronger than him. Now we just have to keep focused and try to make the same thing in Race 2.”
Race 2 was a completely different story. Both Huertas and Montella were close together on track as they fought for victory, with Montella leading the first six laps and Huertas the next two. However, on Lap 10, the race and the Championship battle complexion changed. Huertas came off his bike from P1 at Turn 5, dropping out of the points but eventually fighting back to finish 12th. That left Montella unchallenged at the front and the #55 converted his lead into an almost 6 second win over Stefano Manzi (Pata Prometeon Ten Kate Racing).
Talking about his Race 2 win, Montella stated: “I feel crazy! I’m happy about the result because we needed a weekend like that. After Misano Race 1, Donington Race 2, we fought in more races against Huertas for the win. Every time something happened, so we needed a weekend like this. Sunday was completely different from Saturday, there was a lot of wind, less grip and, at the start, I tried to push like Race 1 but I couldn’t. I decided to follow Adrian because I thought it was better to follow someone. Adrian tried to push but it was difficult conditions, and it was easy to make a mistake. We just now have to stay focused. We’re fighting for the Championship, and we need to continue in this way, fighting for the win in every race.”
In the title fight, it means Montella has more than halved the gap to Huertas. The 2021 WorldSSP300 Champion had been 46 points clear heading into Portugal, but his P2 in Race 1 and P12 in Race 2 mean the gap is now just 20 points with five rounds to go. Manzi was also able to gain ground on Huertas thanks to a double podium, with the #62 now 41 points behind Huertas and 21 behind Montella in second.
The 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 is a custom-ready solo cruiser. (Photos courtesy Royal Enfield).
Before writing this 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 review, I looked through back issues of Rider magazine to identify some of our favorite ads over the past 50 years, which were published in the Rider Rewind section of our September issue (available exclusively to subscribers). One that caught my eye was a Royal Enfield ad that ran in our September 2003 issue announcing the addition of an electric start to its iconic Bullet.
A Royal Enfield ad that ran in the September 2003 issue of Rider magazine.
Proclaiming “What’s Next…Astro Turf at Wimbledon?”, that ad was certainly cheeky – as was one that ran a couple years earlier that celebrated living in the past – yet it accurately characterized the company that built its first motorcycle in 1901, existed in the U.K. for more than half a century, and ultimately became an Indian manufacturer based in Chennai, spanning 123 years of continuous motorcycle production.
A Royal Enfield ad that ran in the April 2000 issue of Rider magazine.
By the time those ads were published, change was already under way. Under the direction of Siddartha Lal, who became CEO of Royal Enfield in 2000 at the age of 26 (he’s the son of Vikram Lal, who was CEO of Eicher Motors, Royal Enfield’s parent company, until Siddartha succeeded him in 2006), the company began a steady march towards modernization. Siddartha Lal is a motorcycle enthusiast, and he wanted to transform Royal Enfield from an antiquated, niche brand into a global player.
2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 in Stencil White
In 2009, Royal Enfield introduced an aluminum, unit-construction, fuel-injected 499cc OHV Single that replaced the decades-old cast-iron, carbureted mill. In 2014, Royal Enfield introduced the Continental GT cafe racer, which had been developed in partnership with assistance from Harris Performance (which RE later acquired).
Royal Enfield kicked it into high gear when it introduced the Himalayan adventure bike in 2016 (it made its U.S. debut in 2018) and its first twin-cylinder motorcycles, the Continental GT 650 and INT650, in 2019.
Royal Enfield was established in 1901. The Rock Store, a popular motorcycle hangout on Mulholland Highway near Los Angeles, was originally a stagecoach stop built from volcanic rock in the 1910s.
After a brief pause during the Covid-19 pandemic, more new models followed: the Meteor 350 in 2021; the Classic 350 in 2022; the Scram 411 scrambler, Super Meteor 650 cruiser, and Hunter 350 roadster in 2023; the updated and liquid-cooled Himalayan and Shotgun 650 in 2024; and the Guerilla 450 roadster recently announced for the 2025 model year. That’s six new models in the past four years plus another one on the way.
All Royal Enfield motorcycles are built in an ISO 9001-certified manufacturing facility, and they are backed by a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty with roadside assistance.
The Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 (shown here in the Plasma Blue colorway) can be customized with more than 30 factory accessories.
The focus of this review, the Shotgun 650, is a modular cruiser that Royal Enfield says is inspired by – and ready for – customization. Multiple colorways and accessories allow owners to tailor the bike to their personal preference. In stock trim it’s a stylish solo-seat cruiser, but with a few bolt-on parts, it can be transformed to accommodate a passenger or become a lightweight tourer.
As its name suggests, the Shotgun 650 is built on the same 648cc air/oil-cooled parallel-Twin platform as the INT650, Continental GT 650, and Super Meteor 650. Designed to have classic British style, the Twin has large cooling fins and hand-polished aluminum covers. A single overhead cam actuates four valves per cylinder, and a single-piece forged, counterbalanced crankshaft with a 270-degree firing interval allows the engine to rev up smoothly and generate a mild, rumbling exhaust note.
The standard 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 comes with a solo saddle, but a passenger seat can be added.
Built to be a global model that will be pressed into duty in places outside of its home country of India, the engine has a mild 9.5:1 compression ratio, burns regular fuel, and relies on Bosch systems for fuel injection and engine management. With claimed output of 46.4 hp at 7,250 rpm (redline is 7,500) and 38.6 lb-ft of torque at 5,650 rpm, performance is more workhorse than thoroughbred.
I opted for a Shotgun 650 in the Stencil White colorway, a $200 upgrade over the standard Sheet Metal Gray. The floating solo seat is perched at an agreeable 31.3 inches above the ground, and it is firm and supportive but doesn’t allow the rider to move around much. Built around a beefy tubular-steel spine frame, the Shotgun 650 is claimed to weigh 529 lb with a 90% fuel load, which is heavy for a bike in this class (the Kawasaki Vulcan S, a comparable 650cc cruiser, weighs 494 lb).
The Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 has a classic style and a carefree spirit.
But out on the road, the Shotgun doesn’t feel heavy, and its upright riding position, mid-mount footpegs, and compact dimensions give it a playful sensibility. It cruised along comfortably on L.A.’s rough, poured-concrete freeways, with all but the worst bumps absorbed by the nonadjustable inverted Showa Separate Function-Big Piston fork with 4.7 inches of travel and Showa twin shocks with 3.5 inches of travel and five-step preload adjustability.
The Shotgun 650 rolls on cast-aluminum tubeless wheels, with an 18-inch front and a 17-inch rear. Each wheel has a single-disc brake with a 2-piston caliper, the front pinching a 320mm rotor and the rear pinching a 300mm, and ABS is standard. The brakes get the job done, but the front lever requires firm pressure, and it doesn’t offer much feedback.
Our test bike was fitted with accessory bar-end mirrors.
On canyon roads through the Malibu hills, the Shotgun was a blast (ha!). It handles easily and feels solid and reassuring. Cornering clearance is limited, but this isn’t a bike for strafing apexes. Taking wide, gliding lines through curves rewards the rider with a sense of pleasurable ease. The definition of cruise is to “travel smoothly at a moderate or economical speed,” and that’s the sort of riding at which the Shotgun excels.
Up front is an LED headlight, a large round analog gauge with a digital inset, a small round display for the Tripper navigation system, and a USB charging port. Should you want to customize the Shotgun, Royal Enfield offers more than 30 dedicated accessories, including everything from auxiliary lights, bar-end mirrors, and a windscreen to a flatter handlebar, a passenger seat, contrast-cut billet wheels, two different skid plates, four types of highway bars, and luggage.
The Shotgun 650 is a worthy addition to the unique and diverse line of Royal Enfield motorcycles that caters to those who prioritize style, function, and value. They are straightforward, no-nonsense bikes that capture the true spirit of riding without pretense.
Alexandros Varvounis and other motor cops share some advice and tips with readers in this installment of Motor School.
For this month’s Motor School, I thought it might be cool to reach out to a few of my motor officer buddies from around the country and task them with dispensing some rider-safety wisdom to the class. That’s not to say you haven’t gleaned substantial lessons from your time out on the range, but I think you would agree that the more hands we have, the more wells we dig, and the more water we drink. In other words, more ideas from more people is, well, more. And more is better when it comes to ideas we can employ to be safer on the motorcycle.
Speaking of more, I’m confident your neighbor Bob has loads more ideas, rituals, concepts, routines, and opinions than what we’ve assembled below, so think of these ideas as jumping-off points. What I don’t want you to do is hunt around to see if one of your foundational safety routines made the cut, only to lose your cool when you find that it didn’t. Instead, challenge yourself to find something useful here. My expectation is that some of this will be new information and some will be old news, and that’s absolutely fine. After all, this isn’t your first rodeo.
The District of Columbia’s Alexandros Varvounis lives on a steady diet of police motor competitions and endless traffic details. It’s harder than it looks.
Always assume other cars are going to steer into you – in alleys, out of bus-lane drop-offs, at all intersections. It’s never if, but when.
Be ready to stop your motorcycle at any moment. You know that intense focus your dog has while he waits for you to throw the stick? Be ready like that.
While it takes practice and experience, try to anticipate the movements and actions of other drivers. Know what they are going to do before they do.
Calm down and ride accordingly. No good decisions will arrive when your mind is spun up.
Egos and motorcycles don’t mix. You will lose the game with that mindset.
Mike Ericson, California Highway Patrol
Now retired, Mike Ericson has tons of California miles under his belt.
In CHP motor school, my instructors told us that when faced with the choice of either laying the bike down in an emergency or keeping it upright and trying to ride it out, keep riding the motor. And I can tell you firsthand this one was a lifesaver.
Keep your head on a swivel. Threats come from all directions, not just from in front of you.
Keep working through the problem – don’t give up physically or mentally when things start to go bad on the bike. Maybe you can’t avoid a situation entirely, but odds are you can mitigate it to some degree.
Any time you find yourself angry at a driver who startled you by doing something that put you at risk, let that be a reminder that you didn’t see it coming, weren’t prepared, and didn’t have a plan. Sure, it’s the driver’s fault, but in the end, it’s the rider who loses.
As a “CHiPy,” Ericson completed the California Highway Patrol Academy, one of the toughest motor programs in the country.
Dale “Chip” McElhattan, Vienna Police Department, Virginia
Virginia’s “Chip” McElhattan is a tough-as-nails competitor, but he’s also one of the nicest motors you’ll ever meet…assuming you aren’t speeding, that is.
Try to keep eye contact with drivers when clearing intersections, changing lanes, or pulling into/out of driveways. If they’re looking at you, they probably see you.
Visually clear every intersection no matter what color the traffic light is. Not some of them, not most of them, all of them.
When stopped, make sure you’re checking your mirrors. Crazy stuff can happen behind you!
Have a ride routine: visual oil level check, quick air pressure check, start the bike and do a quick walk-around: check the headlight, turnsignals, and brake lights. Once you’re rolling, do three hard straight-line emergency braking runs from 25 mph. In all, you spent just two minutes to confirm your bike is set, your tires have some heat in them, and your body and mind are warmed up for the ride.
Dale “Chip” McElhattan
Luis Vela, Houston Police Department
Quinn teamed up with Luis Vela at a Texas motor competition last year, and he was impressed: “I can tell you, this guy knows how to ride!”
One of the best tips I was taught when I first came to motors was to not outrun your headlight in the dark. In other words, don’t speed at night!
Always have an escape plan so you can get out of a bad situation when needed – at a traffic light, on the highway, or on a canyon road.
Ride like you are invisible and assume you will be cut off every time you cross an intersection. That way you won’t be surprised when it happens, and you can get on with working through the problem.
Always keep your bike in gear when at a stop so you can get moving immediately if necessary.
If you have a powerful safety-related tip you want to share, shoot me an email outlining the finer points, and we’ll consider including it in a future issue. Remember, the road goes on forever.
Quinn wears Lee Parks Design gloves exclusively. Find Quinn at Police Motor Training.
The September issue of Rider Magazine has arrived!
A chill is in the air! Start planning an autumn motorcycle getaway with our Rides & Destinations Guide and in-depth tour stories, covering bucket-list rides in America’s most scenic locales.
Latest vlog from Portimão now live on my youtube channel.
It’s been a positive weekend in some ways, as we improved my feeling with the R1 a lot, but Portimao has highlighted where we need to improve. Yesterday in R… Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
Plan your perfect West Virginia motorcycle trip with our list of the Top 5 Motorcycle Roads in West Virginia.
Visitors to Rider’s Touring page regularly search for rides in West Virginia, and it’s easy to see why. Known as the Mountain State and nestled in the heart of the Appalachians, West Virginia offers superb riding, great scenery, and rich history. Our list of the Top 5 motorcycle roads in West Virginia includes must-ride routes in the state, with details, photos, and links to tour stories to help you make the most of your trip. Ride over mountains and into valleys, along babbling creeks and through dense forests, and take in everything West Virginia has to offer.
Seneca Rocks is one of the highlights of a ride on U.S. Route 33 in West Virginia. Photo by Nathan Cuvelier.
U.S. Route 33 is one of the highest-rated motorcycle roads in West Virginia. Start from Elkins and continue east 80 miles toward the Virginia border, passing through Monongahela National Forest along the way. This route includes lots of steep elevation changes and peg-scraping twists. This road also passes by Seneca Rocks, a must-see rock formation that rises 900 feet above the North Fork River. Hop off the bike here to stretch your legs and admire the area’s natural beauty along hiking trails.
The Germany Valley scenic overlook on U.S. Route 33 provides a nice view of the area. Photo by Scott A. Williams.
Continuing on U.S. 33 into Virginia takes you through the George Washington National Forest and Shenandoah Valley toward Harrisburg, with more thrilling riding along the way.
A bird’s eye view of the Midland Trail National Scenic Byway near the Gauley River and Hawks Nest State Park. (Photo courtesy Adobe Stock)
The Midland Trail is a National Scenic Byway that crosses the state from Kentucky in the west to Virginia in the east, covering 117 miles. The state’s capital of Charleston is a great starting location for this ride, with plenty to do in the city before hitting the road. Just south of Charleston is Kanawha State Park, a nice place for camping for those who prefer sleeping under the stars.
Heading east from Charleston, the road follows the Kanawha River with a particularly thrilling section of twisties around Chimney Corner. Just past this section is Hawks Nest State Park. From here, the road continues with a few more twisty sections to Rainelle, home of the Old Stone House historical marker, and on toward Lewisburg, where riders can fuel up, grab a bite to eat, and refresh.
U.S. Route 250 travels through the Monongahela National Forest. Photo by Nathan Cuvelier.
This road begins in Elkins, West Virginia, and continues southeast to the Virginia border after passing through the Monongahela National Forest. From Elkins to the border, the road traverses 50 miles. Much of this road follows large creeks and flowing streams, offering good variety with technical sections through the mountains and easy riding in valleys.
Through the Monongahela National Forest, several scenic pull-offs allow riders to stretch their legs and enjoy the scenery. From U.S. 250, a short trip south on State Route 92 will take riders to Green Bank, home of the world’s largest steerable telescope.
From the northern end of the Coal Heritage Trail, take a quick jaunt east on U.S. Route 19 to ride over the New River Gorge Bridge. Photo by Steve Shaluta.
The Coal Heritage Trail is a National Scenic Byway that starts in the town of Bluefield in southeastern West Virginia and continues north to Fayetteville. As the name implies, this route takes riders through coal towns and sites of industrial enterprises in the region – perfect for riders with a passion for history. Starting in Bluefield, U.S. Route 52 to Welch follows railroad tracks along Elkhorn Creek through the valley. As the road continues north of Welch as State Route 16, it varies from twisty sections up and over ridges, easy valley riding, and quaint small towns.
Along this road are historical stops like the World War Memorial Building to African American Veterans, the Coal Heritage Mural, the Helen Coal Miners Memorial, and more. From Fayetteville, riders can continue east on U.S. Route 19 over the New River Gorge Bridge, the longest steel single-span arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere and a not-to-be-missed feature of any West Virginia trip.
Part of West Virginia Route 20 follows the New River with beautiful views along the way. Photo by Scott A. Williams.
WV Route 20 is the longest state route in West Virginia at 256 miles. On the southern end, it starts in Bluewell and heads north, passing through small towns and following rivers, streams, and creeks. The route is mostly through heavily wooded areas, proving shade during hotter months.
The section of SR-20 from Buckhannon to Webster Springs is an ideal 55-mile route for motorcyclists, with plenty of curvy sections of road. It passes through Holly River State Park, which is surrounded by densely wooded mountains and offers campsites and cabins. Traffic is light in this section of SR-20, but the small towns the route passes through will have lower speed limits. The part of road closest to Webster Springs in the south is the most thrilling. SR-20 is an excellent choice for riders wanting to enjoy West Virginia’s small-town charm coupled with less crowded pavement and natural beauty.
Danilo Petrucci will remain with the Barni Spark Racing Team for a third season after inking a new contract with the Ducati-powered team. ‘Petrux’ made his MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship debut with the team in 2023 and was a podium contender in his rookie season, before building on that in 2024. Petrucci stated on Thursday at Portimao he wanted to remain with the team and his wish has been granted with his new contract. The team have also stated that they are working on fielding a second Ducati bike next year, although stopped short of confirming it.
THE FIRST BARNI STINT: STK1000 runner-up in 2011
Petrucci’s first experience of the WorldSBK paddock was in 2007 in STK600 and he completed two full seasons in the Championship in 2008 and 2009, finishing seventh and fourth in the standings, winning three races in the latter season. That earned him a seat in STK1000 for 2010 with Team Pedercini on the Kawasaki ZX-10R, where he finished ninth in the Championship. He moved to Barni Ducati in 2011 and it was a partnership that hit the ground running: seven podiums and four wins in 10 races helped the Italian to second in the standings, finishing two points behind Davide Giugliano.
PETRUCCI’S MOVE: a shot at MotoGP™
The Terni-born star’s performances on production-based machinery impressed so much he moved to MotoGP™ in 2012, joining the Ioda team with their CRT bike between 2012 and 2014. A switch to Pramac Racing for 2015 for four seasons put ‘Petrux’ in the shop window for a ride at the factory Ducati squad and he was rewarded with a seat there in 2019, where he took the first of his two wins at Mugello. He took another win a year later, at Le Mans, before a move to KTM for 2021 where he took a best of fifth. Although his full-time MotoGP™ career ended after this season, he made two one-off appearances – with Suzuki in Thailand in 2022 and Ducati in 2023 at Le Mans – since.
THE AMERICAN DREAM AND OFF-ROAD CHALLENGES: Petrucci goes stateside and rallying
For 2022, Petrucci took on a new adventure in the Dakar Rally with KTM and became a stage winner before returning to asphalt in MotoAmerica on the Ducati Panigale V4 R. He claimed five wins when racing in the USA and 16 podiums as he finished second. His performances secured him a return to the WorldSBK paddock with Barni Ducati.
BACK WITH BARNI: seven podiums in two seasons
After adapting to the Pirelli tyres and the WorldSBK format – new to Petrucci – the 33-year-old became a podium contender. His breakthrough weekend in terms of pace came at Misano, before the results followed at Donington with a first rostrum. He backed that up with two podiums at Most, and his next podium came at Phillip Island. He suffered a huge motocross training crash before the Dutch Round, which meant he missed the round, but was back on home soil at Misano and finished a heroic sixth in Race 2. He was back on the podium at Most at the halfway stage of the season before third at Portimao in Race 1 and the Superpole Race. His 2024 performances mean the team have committed to Petrucci for 2025, his third campaign with the team.
PETRUCCI SAYS: “I feel at home here… the renewal was what I wanted”
Expressing his excitement at his new contract, Petrucci said: “This is the team where I was before going to MotoGP™, and the one with which I returned to a World Championship after Dakar and MotoAmerica. In short, I feel at home here, and the renewal was what I wanted. Barni, his family, and his team give everything they have to make a competitive bike. I’m not that young anymore, but I still feel good, and as long as I’m in shape, I have no intention of staying home. Barni and I still want to enjoy some success together, this year and next.
BARNI DUCATI’S PLANNED EXPANSION: a potential second bike, rider unknown
With plenty to celebrate this year, from Petrucci’s incredible performances particularly after his comeback from injury to Nicholas Spinelli stunning the field at Assen to claim Race 1 victory on his debut thanks to an inspired tyre choice, the team have announced their plans to field two Panigale V4 R machines in 2025. Although it is not yet confirmed they will have a second bike, it is the team’s plan as part of their growth; Petrucci’s potential teammate has not yet been named.
THE TEAM’S VIEW: “Renewing with Danilo has always been our priority… goal is to win the Independent teams’ title and stand on the top step of the podium”
Team Owner Marco Barnabo spoke about Petrucci and the possibility of a second bike, adding: “Renewing with Danilo has always been our priority. We know his worth and have great confidence in his abilities. I’m very happy to continue racing with him next season. Together we are on a path that has already brought us great results, like during the weekend just concluded in Portimão. Our goal is to win the Independent teams’ title in 2024 and 2025 and stand on the top step of the podium in a WorldSBK race. I would like to thank Danilo for the trust and esteem he shows towards the team, and all the sponsors who support us and wanted this renewal with us. Together with Spark we are working for the growth of the team: the second Panigale V4 in WorldSBK. This has always been our goal, and we would like to have another rider alongside Danilo.”
The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s seventh round at Portimao was a firecracker with the Pirelli Portuguese Round delivering the goods once again. The rollercoaster gave everything, from new record win streaks to late race heart ache and of course, everything in between. Our trip to the Algarve left us with muito picante headlines, as you can see below.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “Alvaro is coming step-by-step… I’m waiting for him”
13 in a row for Toprak Razgatlioglu, who demonstrated that whilst you may be able to take a wing from him, you can’t take a win right now: “It’s special for me because with a total of 54 wins in WorldSBK, I’m happy! 13 wins in a row is also incredible. Race 2 was very difficult with the wind being very strong and the bike not turning at the final corner. When the Ducati riders came, I was ready to fight with them! I know that Ducati are very strong in the final corner and I was waiting to start fighting. Alvaro crashed at Turn 5 and after that, Nicolo came. We won again and it’s a very special weekend. Now, I look to Magny-Cours, one of my favourite circuits and we’ll see how good we are there with BMW. The bike works well and in general, everything is good. We improved the bike on Sunday at Portimao but not enough for an easy win. If we weren’t fighting then maybe I’d forget about the hard braking! The shooter is very famous now in the world and I did the same style. I think it is a good celebration! Alvaro is coming step by step but I don’t know why he’s destroyed this year. Last year, he was very strong but not this year. I am waiting for him because I really enjoy fighting a lot with him.”
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “It was the first time in 2024 that Toprak was very close and I had the possibiility to beat him”
A mighty effort from Nicolo Bulega saw the Italian battle illness and miss out on victory in Race 2 by just 0.035s: “I just want to go to sleep. I’m finished; unfortunately, before the weekend, there was too much air conditioning and I had a fever. It was one of the most difficult weekends of all my life. In sector one and two, Toprak was faster than me but in the last sector, I was faster than him but I was destroyed. In the last laps, I was just sitting on the bike and the bike was riding me. I played my card in the last corner because it was the only point where I was faster but it wasn’t enough. I’m happy though; P2 and almost a win is good. I think that I wasn’t at 100% so I think that it was the first time in 2024 that Toprak was very close and I had the possibiility to beat him. He was very strong like always.”
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “I smelt the blood and wanted to attack… I’m nearly 40 but I’m 18 inside!”
Another story of what may have been for reigning double World Champion Alvaro Bautista, who remained upbeat and remains determined to win in WorldSBK: “Races can be like this; the important thing is that we led the race, at least for some metres! I’m happy because our performance has been increasing this weekend and I have more confidence. What happened in the race could always happen; when I got to Toprak, in other conditions, I’d have said ‘OK, breathe a bit and attack’ but now, I smelt the blood and wanted to attack straight away. I felt strong and I had a bit of bad luck. When things happen, it’s easy to say but I’m nearly 40 years old. Inside, I am 18! I have the same as a rookie which is good but sometimes, not so good. Fortunately, I still have this feeling and that means that I want to do it. Not like that ‘P2 here is OK’; if I can win, I’ll try. There was no strategy for the last five laps; just full gas, the maximum I could. At the moment, I have nothing to lose. We were close to fighting with Toprak and I hope that at Magny-Cours, we keep making small steps and reduce the gap.”
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team): “I must be happy but I’m not!”
Two podiums out of three but missing out in Race 2, Danilo Petrucci summed up one of his weekends: “After the good result of the Superpole Race, I thought Toprak was a step ahead and he showed his true potential. I thought I’d be able to fight for the podium in Race 2 but the wind was so strong and a problem for me. I’m quite tall but I keep the rear really sat down and the front quite high, so I was suffering in the long corners. This meant that in the first part of the race I was there but losing time out of the last corner and down the straight. When I caught van der Mark, we were in trouble because in every straight, he put himself in front of me and we lost the connection with the front group and also Iannone. We didn’t have the pace for the podium but the bike was tough to ride; the front was very unstable. I must be happy even if I’m not because I was looking for a podium in Race 2 but two podiums in three races means we gain a lot of points and we’re close to fifth overall in the Championship. We’ve were in the top five all weekend, so we look forward to Magny-Cours where it was positive last year.”
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “It’s good to see the consistency at so many tracks now”
Two podiums on Sunday for Alex Lowes, who closes right in on the top three overall in the Championship: “The wind changed direction and was strong; the bike was really unstable and dificult to ride. All my braking markers were completely out and the problem was the wind was different each lap, one lap strong and one lap not. In my head, I was thinking that everyone’s going to be struggling, not just me so I ahd to relax and keep focused. On the straight, Toprak hit the back of me; I think he got sucked in with the slipstream. I tried to follow him for a couple of laps and where I’m strong on the Kawasaki is the trail braking because you can carry a lot of speed into the corner but the others don’t ride like that. I nearly hit Toprak at Turn 3, lost time but then I just tried to manage. It’s good to see the consistency at so many tracks now, so I’m looking forward to Magny-Cours. For the top three overall in the standings, I’m not fast enough on speed, so it depends on the consistency of the other riders. Some weekends, we’ll be strong and on those, I’ll need to be on the podium. If I can finish in 6th, 7th and 5th on a bad weekend instead of zero points, maybe I have a chance, especially if Alvaro has a DNF. I feel like I’m riding as good as I have ever ridden; I enjoy each weekend and the result will be what it’ll be.”
Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW): “Toprak’s making the difference”
After a season-best P4, Garrett Gerloff explained his Portimao strength and looked at the BMW performance and how Toprak makes the most of the package: “I had a good weekend in 2024; it’s a track that plays to our strengths, with a lot of braking on the side of the tyre and I feel like I have a good feeling with it and I can finesse it a bit. From FP1, I felt good and I said to the guys not to touch anything. The bike is working really well, I feel like I can predict what it’s going to do and that makes a world of difference in how I can ride. If you look at my race pace from this year to last, I think it’s the same. Toprak’s making the difference; I’d like to say it’s the bike but all my races this year have been slower. I haven’t had the feeling to ride this year how I wanted to ride and then it’s been a scramble to figure it out.”
The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship visited the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve and it was a strong weekend for Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who narrowly missed out on a return to the rostrum on Sunday in the Tissot Superpole Race. It was his joint-best result of the season as he continues to fight at the front during the campaign, backing up his fourth place with P7 in Race 2 during the Pirelli Portuguese Round.
Dutch rider van der Mark was inside the top ten in Friday’s combined classification as he showed his hand early, and claimed fifth in Saturday afternoon’s Tissot Superpole session. He posted a 1’40.246s to start from the second row, half-a-second down on teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu with the pair working together during the 15-minute session. In Race 1, the #60 finished in sixth before finishing two places higher in the Superpole Race, losing out to Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in a thrilling last-lap fight.
Reflecting on Sunday as a whole, the #60 said: “I think we must be happy. It was quite difficult because I was so close to getting onto the podium in the Superpole Race. I was lined up perfectly behind Alex into the last corner and unfortunately, just before the finish line, the bike started to wheelie, and I lost some speed. A shame to lose out on the podium but it was nice to fight again. One of the most important things is to have a good position again for Race 2. Starting fourth is not so bad, I had a good start in Race 2, but I immediately struggled a little bit with the bike; it didn’t feel as good as Sunday morning or Saturday. I think due to the wind. We had a good strategy with Toprak. I took the lead, tried to go but I didn’t have the pace I was expecting. I struggled a lot during the race. I fought as hard as I could but, at one point, I couldn’t go faster or fight back like I wanted. Finishing seventh is not where I wanted to be but, looking back at the weekend, the whole team had a fantastic weekend in Portugal.”
Van der Mark and Razgatlioglu were re-united for the 2024 season on the BMW M 1000 RR, having worked together at Yamaha in 2020. They have often shown they have a good working and personal relationship and that’s continued this year, with van der Mark celebrating Razgatliolgu’s Superpole Race win which was a record-breaking victory. Five-time race winner van der Mark spoke about the disappointment of losing out on a podium but also how Razgatlioglu is helping him fight for the top positions once again.
The BMW star said: “It was hard to accept. It gave me a lot of confidence as well. We know we’re getting closer, step by step. As an athlete, you always want more. I should be happy with P4, but I could smell the podium. We’ll keep building on this and I’m sure it’ll come. It’s nice to share the box with him. I think that’s one of the reasons I’m getting closer and closer to the podium, because I can learn a lot from him. This weekend, we showed we worked together really well already in practice. We have to work together because the competition is so close. Having him in the pit box is fantastic and it’s even better that we work together and want to help each other.
Riding BMW’s R 18 Transcontinental on this Pennsylvania motorcycle ride was a world away from the first bike I owned, a Kawasaki Ninja 750 (below). My choice to ride for a living worried and impressed my father in equal measure. (Photos by the author)
I’ve ridden Pennsylvania many times, and always in the presence of ghosts. Back in the early 1700s, my father’s family came from England to settle in the Keystone State. It wasn’t an easy life. The men in the family fought in the Revolutionary War and then the Civil War. And before my dad was born, his own father, a marine, fought in France during World War I.
Like so many veterans, my grandfather returned broken, and after a long struggle he died by his own hand. Just a few years later, on my father’s 16th birthday, his mother was taken by cancer.
My father and I with my first bike: a Kawasaki Ninja 750
More than once, I’d rolled up to the modest brick duplex where my father spent his early years. I’d hoped to see him there as a child, happy, before the hardening of loss left him so guarded. I’d ridden by his elementary school and a playground he’d talked about in old age. To me, it only felt somber. More like a visit to one of the state’s famous battlefields than a child’s happy place.
A tidy Amish farm.
There was one spot I had yet to try, an area called the Allegheny Plateau where my father had spent time camping as a boy, specifically in the hills south of Coudersport. Also known as the Pennsylvania Wilds, this region covers the north-central part of the state. My ride for the journey would be a luxurious BMW R 18 Transcontinental. Plenty of room to pack clothes, gear, camping equipment, and the heaviest of baggage: expectations.
The Starrucca Viaduct.
Grit and Grandeur | Pennsylvania Motorcycle Ride
I drop into Pennsylvania from the north via State Route 92, a quiet two-lane that sweeps along with the flow of the Susquehanna, which at 444 miles is the longest river in the eastern U.S., yet this midsummer it’s slow moving and choked with beautiful water lilies.
In Lanesboro I seek out the Starrucca Viaduct, a still-in-use Romanesque stone rail bridge that towers over the landscape for two-tenths of a mile. These are the strong shapes I expect from America’s backbone states, where I know from my own family history, the people are just as stoic and hard-working as this bridge that’s been shouldering heavy freight since 1848.
The BMW’s aesthetic fit well with Pennsylvania’s iron bridges and retired fuel pumps, yet underneath the bike bristles with new technology.
I’ve been on the BMW for about two weeks now and love the plush touring amenities, but today the space behind the huge windscreen feels like a mini sweat lodge as I trace slow backroads. I pick up the pace but want to stick to the smaller roads. Near the Marie Antoinette overlook, which affords sweeping views of the Susquehanna, I turn onto PA Route 6 (U.S. Route 6), which traces its crooked finger across the northern tier of Pennsylvania. This is how you learn a place: riding the commutes, filling up at the mom-and-pop stations, and asking those guys where to eat. A spot-hitting chicken cheesesteak at The Central On 6 in Burlington proves my point.
As I arrive at the Sherwood Motel in Wellsboro, I know I’m in the right place when I see all the bikes in the parking lot. There’s a pair of Yamaha Ténérés, a Harley Ultra Glide, a Gold Wing, and a mess of plated dirtbikes. It’s obvious I’ve made it to the edge of some kind of riding paradise, and the mood at the motel is Let’s Party. During an impromptu pizza fest at the pool, I pick up some route and site recommendations that leave me feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve when I finally hit the sack.
Grand Canyon East | Pennsylvania Motorcycle Ride
The first thing I want to check out is the Pine Creek Gorge, aka Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon. I get my first glimpse of the 47-mile-long canyon at an overlook in Colton Point State Park. It’s impressive, but what’s interesting to me is that in my father’s youth the gorge area would have been clear-cut to meet the country’s demand for lumber. It’s hard to imagine this lush landscape as the man-made desert it was just a century ago.
Most of my motorcycle riding in Pennsylvania has involved investigating battlefields and chasing family history. On this occasion I paid more attention to the fertile landscapes and the people at work and play within these scenes.
It’s here I set the BMW Motorrad Connected app, the only means of navigation on the Transcontinental, to the “winding roads” preference, with my destination as Waterville, where I know I can connect with State Route 44, a road REVER rates as Epic. I’ve had a love/hate thing with this system so far, but it’s tough to be mad when it leads me to Painter Leetonia Road, scenic and gravel, just one strand of a massive spider web of unpaved routes in this region.
In the crux of a hairpin, I stop to chat with a couple on dual-sports and find out this road is part of the Pennsylvania Wilds BDR-X, which makes me laugh. The Transcontinental is about as far from an adventure bike as you can get, yet thanks to its slow steering and low center of gravity, it handles these groomed gravel roads like it was made for them. I pop back onto the pavement at Blackwell and follow State Route 414 to Upper Pine Bottom State Park.
The look of the R 18 Transcontinental’s cockpit is one part nostalgic round analog gauges, one part futuristic map screen.
Highway to the Stars | Pennsylvania Motorcycle Ride
Finally on SR-44, I sink into the BMW’s plush saddle and let it glide along as intended, feeling I’m inhabiting a kind of throne-like magic carpet. The road sweeps in step with the same Pine Creek that, for the last 350 million years, has been etching the famous gorge I viewed earlier in the day. I stop to watch folks in rafts floating beneath rusty rail bridges that fasten the green grassy shores like lacing on a corset.
It’s these relics that make me wonder if the eyes of the boy who became my father had once seen the same views. He was a Boy Scout, I know that. He loved trains and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Did he camp in these hills? Did he road-trip here when his family was still intact? If so, I picture him in the backseat of some bubble-fendered car that would look fine next to my retro-scaped BMW.
Pennsylvania’s SR-44 is called Highway to the Stars because it lances an International Dark Sky Preserve that culminates in Cherry Springs State Park. This area within the sprawling Susquehannock State Forest is one of the best places in the eastern U.S. for stargazing, and although I’ve missed the park’s two annual star parties, I’m lucky enough to snag a campsite for the night.
As I looped-de-looped recommended roads on the Allegheny Plateau, I kept seeing signs for the Ice Mine. Was it a snow cone shop? What I found was far more refreshing.
I pitch my tent in the lawn-style area that’s not ideal for hanging out, so I decide to ride some more, heading south to the junction of SR-44 and SR-144 so I can make a loop up to Galeton, across U.S. Route 6, and back down to Cherry Springs from the top of SR-44 near Coudersport.
In the town of Germania, I see for the third time today a guy roaming around on a blue Harley Pan America with a mountain bike attached on the back. His bike is impossible to miss, and I wave dutifully, knowing my rig is likewise recognizable. I’ve lost count of the people who’ve popped a thumb my way, and I will say it is a pretty thing. In fact, this R 18 configuration is my favorite, with the stylish bags, trunk, and fairing balancing the visual heft of the outsized boxer Twin.
The way motorcycles turn complete strangers into fast friends is one of my favorite things about riding. Chatting with Brad outside the Ice Mine was a perfect example.
The Heart of an Ice Mine | Pennsylvania Motorcycle Ride
It’s National Ice Cream Day, or almost, so I decide it’s okay to have my second scoop for the day at The Brown Bull on Main Street in Galeton. I like the place immediately when I see the rack of custom kickstand pads welcoming bikers. I like it even more when the owner, Jim Bull, comes over to shoot the breeze about bikes. It’s a sweet spot where you can enjoy homestyle cooking with or without the ice cream course.
The ice mine.
I want to see Coudersport, a name my father had once mentioned, but the town’s closed off for an annual Eliot Ness Fest. Yup, that Eliot Ness, the Al Capone-chasing federal agent made so famous by The Untouchables movie and series. Evidently, he spent his last years here on the Allegheny Plateau, and that’s enough reason to throw a massive party each year. There’s also an Eliot Ness Museum in Coudersport.
Back on SR-44, I see a sign with an arrow that says Coudersport Ice Mine. I’m not sure what an “ice mine” is, but it sounds the opposite of hot, so I investigate. A steep gravel road takes me to what looks like a tiny chalet, and who’s parked there? My pal on the Pan America: “Brad Pitt without the Pitt,” I soon learn. It’s a fun chat, the kind that’s only possible between riders.
The Ice Mine, it turns out, is actually an ice cave and one of the wildest things I’ve come across in all my travels. At the chalet, you pay five bucks and are regaled with the history of the site before being led into the small stone-lined space where the ice cave is concealed. It’s staggering to feel the temperature shift from sweltering to icy cool in the single step it takes to go through the heavy door.
My favorite photo of Herbert Elvidge, a happy boy untouched by hardship.
To this day, no one fully understands why the ice wells up in the cave during the warm months then recedes when it’s cold. It couldn’t even be explained by the National Geographic Society when they studied it in the 1930s. That would have been in the days when my dad was a boy, full of energy and wonder and still safe from the tragic events that would shape his future. Had he peered into this wonderous cave, wide-eyed, as I am?
I’ll never know, of course, but I do know that for the short time I’m in the tiny, otherworldly space, I feel closer to that boy than ever before. And when I ride off into Pennsylvania’s darkest space, I am aglow with love for the man he became.
Jamie Elvidge has been a motorcycle journalist since beginning her career at Rider in 1986. In addition to testing the entire range of bikes for the major print magazines, she specializes in travel stories, receiving two prestigious Lowell Thomas Society of American Travel Writers Awards along the way.
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