As we sweat in an Aussie summer, Lithuanian motorcycle adventurer Karolis Mieliauskas will be riding 1000km across Siberia in temperatures down to -60C to research active meditation.
Aptly named The Coldest Ride, Karolis says the journey on a single-cylinder Yamaha Tenere across the Road of Bones will be a research exercise into what he calls “active meditation”.
Basically, it’s a way of forcing the mind to meditate by subjecting the body to harsh conditions; in this case, the cold.
But for others it is an enlightening experience. Some even refer to an out-of-body experience when the mind takes control of the pain and discomfort, divorcing the rider from their body.
“The Coldest Rideis an exploration of the connection between the body and how the mind plays with the coldin these situations,” Karolis says.
“In tough conditions such as these, I have a number of devices to show me where are my theoretical limits and going beyond them is something I think that we should all do.”
He uses the example of swimming in icy water. He says the mind tells us it will hurt and we will get sick, but it doesn’t and the body copes.
“Each time in moments like these, therealisation that not everything the mind believes is necessarily true,” he says.
“I hope that The Coldest Ridewill push all of us to challenge our own perceptions of things, whatever they may be.”
Epic ride
This is not his first or most epic ride in the cold.
In July 2016, he rode 11,000km from Vilnius to Vladivostok in 12 days and in March 2017 he rode 785km across the ice of Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world, with our support, camping gear or a satphone.
Lake Baikal
Active mediation
“I basically call endurance riding ‘active meditation’ because from early morning to late evening on these trips, I am just riding a motorcycle which is not designed for trips as long as these,” he says.
“As a result, this makes the journey physically uncomfortable.
“However it is a form of self-discipline.”
He says the most interesting part of these trips is when he asks myself “who am I?”
“By continually asking this question and again rejecting all possible answers, I finally experience the truth,” he says.
Karolis begins his ride in Yakutsk on February 4, 2019, and hopes to reach Oymyakon around February 10.
The ride will be filmed and featured on the BBC Travel Show later in 2019.
Have you ever had a similar experience when riding in harsh conditions? Leave your comments below.
I have learned that it definitely pays to wear versatile gear. On a single tour covering several days–or even on a single-day ride–one could experience searing daytime heat, evening cold, a touch of rain and then, of course, the constant wind blast while riding. That’s why versatile gear is a real plus.
I obtained Tourmaster’s Transition Series 2 Jacket several years ago and have worn it extensively since, which is why I was excited to test the Transition Series 5. While comparing the two I noted more similarities than differences. The styling and features are very familiar, but one newer feature on the Series 5 is the patented stretch nylon Aqua-Barrier hood that folds up behind the zippered collar, from where it can be deployed. This super thin, stretchy hood is designed to be worn under the helmet to prevent rain from seeping down the back of your neck while riding.
The Transition 5’s shell utilizes abrasion-resistant 600 denier Carbolex polyester fabric, with 1680 denier ballistic polyester in the elbows. The breathable Rainguard barrier lives up to its name, as I did encounter some rain during my test period and stayed dry. The removable, full-sleeve thermal liner zips and snaps in place–and removes just as easily. Stretch panels in the back and elbows, in conjunction with various tabs and the waist belt, allow for adjustability and comfort whether the liner is removed or in place. Reflective striping adds to visibility, and protection is provided by the back protector and the CE-approved armor that lives in the elbows and shoulders.
The Transition Series 5 includes a foam back pad and CE-approved elbow and shoulder armor.
On the outer shell are a large zippered pocket and wallet pocket, a pair of fleece-lined handwarmer pockets and a couple cargo pockets. There’s also a dual zippered fanny pack in back. Both the liner and the shell are equipped with a cell-phone pocket and an internal pouch.
For ventilation the Transition 5 offers two sets of paired, controllable slit vents in the chest, along with pairs in the shoulders and upper arms, and three sizeable exhaust vents in back. My only criticism is that the front vents are little more than slits, and despite their number they don’t move a lot of air, especially if your bike dictates a forward, crouched riding position.
Overall, the Transition 5 proved to be a very versatile jacket in terms of not only general temperature control, but also in adjustability with its belt and various tabs. It is available in several colors, in both men’s and women’s sizes, and retails for $269.99.
For more information, see your dealer or visit tourmaster.com.
The MotoBikeJack, which packs down into a bag measuring roughly five inches in diameter by 15 inches long, will jack up bikes weighing up to 1,000 pounds.
It may be safe to say that most (if not all) riders have, at one time or another, dropped a bike. After all, a motorcycle’s natural resting position is lying on its side. I’m not talking about crashing, but just your foot slipping out when you come to a stop. It happens, even in the privacy of your own garage. Then the bike has to be put back on its wheels, and it might well be too heavy for a one-person pick up–depending on the person, of course. It’s not bad when you’re riding with a group, except for the embarrassment, or when a pickup with two construction workers stops to help, but if it’s just you….
MotoBikeJack to the rescue. This lifting device weighs a mere eight pounds and comes in four pieces. The base is five inches square, big enough to support it if the bike is on soft ground. Three steel shafts fit into the base, giving a height of more than 30 inches, and the ratchet at the top holds 40 inches of webbed strap, with a vinyl-covered hook at the end. Hook entry is 1.25 inches wide. All this rolls into a storage bag, which ends up some 15 inches long, and roughly five inches in diameter.
The jack weighs eight pounds and comes in four pieces: three steel shafts with a base and a ratchet at the top.
Bike is on its side. We presume you have not carried the jack in a clamshell saddlebag that is now lying face-down on the ground. Assemble the four parts, pull the strap out from the ratchet, hook it to some secure place, like the frame or footpeg, and then place the assembly at mid-bike, touching the saddle. It’s best to inspect your bike when you first receive the MBJ to figure out where, on both sides, is the best place to hook the hook. Remember, if your frame section is 1.5 inches wide, the hook won’t fit.
Then ratchet away. Wait! Make sure the bike is in gear, or use the included hook-and-loop strip to secure the front brake. You don’t want it rolling.
As you ratchet, the bike will lift and the jack assembly will lean into the saddle, with the baseplate beginning to tilt up. Worry not, this is how it is supposed to work, and you can brace the plate with your foot. To protect the saddle put the empty storage bag between the strap and the saddle. Ray, the designer of this jack, says it has a 1,000-pound capacity.
Brace the plate with your foot and ratchet away!
Ratcheting away, the bike will rise to a full 90 degrees standing, but it’s best to stop a few degrees short of that, allowing you to get a leg over the saddle and get the kickstand down. If the bike fell on the right side, do put the kickstand down before you start.
There are hundreds of different scenarios to contemplate, whether the bike has fallen over on pavement, or flat ground, or a rutted dirt road or on a slope–and is it lying downhill or uphill? You might have to get creative. I tested the MBJ by picking up my 500-pound Suzuki V-Strom twice, then a kindly neighbor laid his 650-pound Harley Low Rider flat on a bit of grass; it was a crawl to get the hook in place using the rear peg. Finally a friend offered to drop his 800-pound Gold Wing 1800 on his lawn. All came up easily.
The website says the price for the MotoBikeJack is $216, plus shipping. Once you buy this jack and carry it wherever you might go, fate might well step in to make sure you never have to use it.
That was positive, very positive. I felt much better on the bike today and we found some good tyre consumption results. Yesterday the track was really green and I struggled a bit with that. Pirelli have brought some different tyres that we had to put in the plan today. Aside from that we just kept working with the chassis set-up and we found some big improvements. We are continuing to work with electronics but we are not doing too much fine tuning. We played around with wheelbase length a little bit. We had a clear direction in the last winter test and I preferred the bike a certain way. Here I just sacrificed a little bit of turning-in performance and that is what we tried to look for today, to make the bike a bit a little bit more manageable. I enjoyed today and started to ride with a smile on my face. Finding good improvements throughout the day kept motivation high and the track was in much better shape. I felt like over one lap, and in terms of consistent pace, we are in a really good place. http://jonathan-rea.com/news/rea-sets-pace-jerez-test
HRC MotoGP Test rider Stefan Bradl quickest on track, by a whisker…
Images by GeeBee/2Snap
Reigning World Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took to the track early on what was a warmer second day of testing at Jerez. The four-time world champion was able to return at the top of the timesheets with a 1’39.160 benchmark to head the regular WSBK runners after testing a number of small updates to the pace-setting ZX-10RR.
Jonathan Rea
“That was positive, very positive. I felt much better on the bike today and we found some good tyre consumption results. Yesterday the track was really green and I struggled a bit with that. Pirelli have brought some different tyres that we had to put in the plan today. Aside from that we just kept working with the chassis set-up and we found some big improvements. We are continuing to work with electronics but we are not doing too much fine tuning. We played around with wheelbase length a little bit. We had a clear direction in the last winter test and I preferred the bike a certain way. Here I just sacrificed a little bit of turning-in performance and that is what we tried to look for today, to make the bike a bit a little bit more manageable. I enjoyed today and started to ride with a smile on my face. Finding good improvements throughout the day kept motivation high and the track was in much better shape. I felt like over one lap, and in terms of consistent pace, we are in a really good place.”
Jonathan Rea
Also on track though was HRC MotoGP test rider Stefan Bradl, the German ended the day fractionally faster than the Pirelli shod WorldSBK spec’ Kawasaki ZX-10RR. Bradl only a slender 8-thousandths of a second ahead of Rea on the production based machine.
Stefan Bradl – HRC MotoGP Test Rider
There would certainly have been some effort made between the pair to try and set the pace as top dog, and the times also an interesting comparison pointing to the comparable performances between the Pirelli WorldSBK runners and the MotoGP Michelins…
Stefan Bradl – HRC MotoGP Test Rider
Alex Lowes was next best on 1’39.372 as he continued to make progress with the Pata Yamaha YZF-R1 as he completed 102 laps around the Andalusian race track today.
Alex Lowes
Alex Lowes
“It’s been a good two days here in Jerez. My best lap today was done on a qualifying tyre. I managed a 1’39.8 with the race tyre, so I found half a second on the qualifier, which is quite good because I think there’s not as much of a gap as there used to be. The bike felt good in qualifying trim and we did a good long run in race trim. The new track surface was quite hard on the tyres, especially the front, but it’s good to have this information now, ahead of the race. We tried a lot of things on the bike today, confirming some of the changes we made yesterday, which was positive given the change in track conditions. This afternoon we worked on the front of the bike and, at the start, we went a little bit in the wrong direction, but then came back and found some improvement, so a proper testing day. Now I’m looking forward to Portimão, where we’ll test what we’ve learnt here on a completely different track. Big thanks to the team and to Yamaha for the work they’ve done over the winter; it certainly looks to have paid off.”
Alex Lowes
Working on improving the acceleration of his bike and testing new parts for the YZF R1 machine, his teammate Michael van der Mark closed in seventh position with a fastest lap time of 1’40.145.
Michael van der Mark
“It’s been a really positive test. For me it was important to see how my wrist is after the winter break and I’m feeling quite good with it. I’ll certainly be fully fit once we get to Phillip Island for the first race. Once the track had cleaned up yesterday afternoon we tried so many things on the bike, with some big improvements that I like a lot and I think Alex thinks the same. There’s obviously been a lot of hard work done over the winter and it’s good for the people who put in the work to see their efforts rewarded at the first test of the season. I’m happy with what we achieved here in Jerez and now I’m looking forward to Portimão.”
Pata Yamaha
Focusing on getting more comfortable on his new bike, Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had a positive two-day test, as he closed also just 0.342 s off his teammate in third position. The British rider was fast on both days, building confidence with the ZX-10RR.
Leon Haslam
“This test was really good. We made some big steps and played around with a lot of set-up and adapted my style quite comfortably. From a race tyre point of view I am really happy. I am a little frustrated because I messed up while using a qualifying tyre. I was less than a tenth off until the last split and then a made two mistakes on both the qualifiers that I used. So I was actually slower on the qualifiers, but the race tyre lap time was really positive. To finish third with a race tyre, I am really happy with that.”
Leon Haslam
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) continued to impress, the Turk ranking fifth fastest.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Making an important step forward, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) brought his Ducati Panigale V4 R to fourth position.
Alvaro Bautista
Alvaro Bautista
“It’s been a couple of positive days. After the winter break, it was important to get back on track, in order to readjust to the speed but also to get accustomed to the new bike. The new tarmac made it a bit more difficult for us. The grip was very low and so were the temperatures, so we couldn’t find a good feeling in day one. Today, however, we managed to work better. The track improved and it was warmer outside. We’re still focusing on riding position and the base setup in general. We tried some changes that I’ve liked, and now we’ll make more evaluations at Portimão, a track that I don’t know, so it’ll be very interesting.”
Alvaro Bautista
The Spaniard had a busy day gathering as much information as possible to work on, and design the best base set-up for their all-new Ducati machine.
Ducati Panigale V4R
On the other side of the garage, Chaz Davies sat out on the opening hours of the day and took to the track later in the afternoon putting in only a few laps, closing the day in tenth. Davies was feeling some pain in his back after the crash he had on Wednesday and decided to take it easy as he aims to be back at his full strength for the next pre-season test that will be held later this month in Portimao.
Ducati Panigale V4R
Chaz Davies
“Today we focused on the engine, and in the end the lap time was OK given the short amount of time we had on track, but I think we could have made bigger improvements. Unfortunately, it’s been a tricky day. I just felt some pain in my back yesterday. It had nothing to do with the crash, but it got worse overnight. I managed to get treatment twice so I was still able to get some laps in, which was very important. It seems we’re going in the right direction. Next stop is Portimão, a completely different track, and the foremost priority will be to complete our full program before we head to Australia.”
Chaz Davies
Independent team riders Michael Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) and Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven), finished ninth and twelfth respectively. The pair worked alongside their new teams producing valuable feedback that will be used also by the factory team to improve their Ducati beast.
Ducati Panigale V4R
Continuing to adapt to a new team structure, GRT Yamaha WorldSBK rider Marco Melandri had a busy day as he put in a total of 87 laps onboard his Yamaha to finish eighth overall.
Teammate Sandro Cortese had his progression slowed by a small crash he suffered early in the morning. The German walked away from the accident on his feet but had to wait for his bike to be recovered and repaired before returning to the track in the afternoon and setting the sixth fastest time.
Towards the end of the day, the BWM Motorrad WorldSBK riders Tom Sykes and Markus Reiterberger finally fitted timing transponders to their new S 1000 RR machines. They registered the 14th and 15th best times.
BMW S 1000 RR
Among the WorldSSPriders Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) continued to lead the way also on day two with Frenchman Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) closing second just 0.222 s behind him.
Maria Herrera
Making her debut in the class, Maria Herrera was also out testing aboard the Yamaha YZF R6 of MS Racing. The Spaniard focused on getting acquainted with the new bike and finished her second day of testing with a fastest lap time of 1’46.957, the debutante the slowest of the 12 World Supersport riders that took to the track.
Maria Herrera
Whilst the Jerez Test may have finished some of the WorldSBK and WorldSSP riders who attended the two days will now head down to Portugal for the final pre-season test on European soil from 27th-28th January at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve Portimao before the first round of the 2019 FIM Superbike World Championship season in Australia.
WSBK Jerez Day Two Unofficial Times
Stefan Bradl (HRC MotoGP Test Team) 1m39.152
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’39.160
Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) 1’39.372 +0.212
Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’39.502 +0.348
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’39.620 +0.460
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) 1’39.942 +0.782
Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha Team) 1’40.075 +0.915
Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) 1’40.145 +0.985
Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha Team) 1’40.469 +1.309
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) 1’40.540 +1.380
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’40.621 +1.461
Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) 1’40.794 +1.634
The greatest rally rider in the world is currently Aussie Toby Price, but there are many other great reasons to celebrate motorcycling this Australia Day.
Most parts of Australia have year-round riding weather, not just on one day!
We have a host of great riding roads.
Our forests, beaches, outback and deserts offer some of the greatest adventure riding in the world.
Most country people are welcoming of riders dropping into their towns.
New helmet laws now allow us greater access to more and safer Euro-approved helmets.
Most states now have or are considering introducing lane filtering.
We have one of the widest varieties of motorcycle model choices in the world.
Motorcycles have never been cheaper in “real terms”.
REASONS TO BE ‘FEARFUL’
Road safety Nazis selectively pick on us with their scaremonger campaigns.
Police target riders for discriminatory licence and vehicle checks.
Insurance companies gouge us on premiums and compulsory third party.
Our road rules annoyingly vary from state to state (although this is gradually changing).
There is an epidemic of ever-decreasing speeds on our roads.
BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU’VE GOT
It could be worse.
Paris, for example, is preventing older motorcycles from entering the city.
Some Asian and Mid-East cities ban all motorcycles or impose a curfew.
Some countries also ban women from riding for “modesty” reasons!
In London, there were more than 14,000 motorcycle thefts last year.
In Malaysia, 26 unmarried couples have been arrested for riding together on a motorcycle.
AUSSIE BIKE HISTORY
More great reasons to celebrate motorcycling on Australia Day is our rich motorcycling history.
With its vast distances and rugged terrain, motorcycles were popular at the start of the last century. We even had a thriving motorcycle manufacturing industry, particularly during World War I when supplies of British motorcycles dried up.
While we have not had a motorcycle manufacturing industry for some time, Australia once built many motorcycles such as Lewis, Pasco, Blue Bird, Bullock, De Luxe, Peerless, Invincible JAP, Whiting, Mostyn, Rudge, FN and Norton.
Lewis motorcycles
Robert Saward wrote A-Z of Australian-made Motorcycles which details 396 brands of motorcycles, most of which were assembled here from imported engines and frames.
In 1928, the Auto Cycle Council of Australia was formed to represent the interests of motorcycle clubs and state associations at a national level. It is now called Motorcycling Australia which represents motorcycle racing.
RACING HERITAGE
Racing successes are more great reasons to celebrate.
Australians were among the first in the world to start racing motorcycles. Many believe the first speedway meetings were held in Australia and our speedway riders travelled to the UK to pioneer the sport.
Over the years, Australia has had many motorcycle champions. MA notes our first world champion as speedway rider Lionel Van Praag in 1936.
Here is MA’s list of champion Aussie riders and teams and more reasons to celebrate on our national day:
RIDERS
Lionel Van Praag
1936 Lionel Van Praag, Speedway
1938 Bluey Wilkinson, Speedway
1951/52 Jack Young, Speedway
1957 Keith Campbell, Road racing (350cc)
1961 Tom Phillis, Road racing (125cc)
1969 Kel Carruthers, Road racing (250cc)
1979/81 Barry Smith, Road racing (Formula TT)
1983 Steve Baker, Speedway (under 21)
1987 Wayne Gardner, Road racing (500cc)
1992 Leigh Adams, Speedway (under 21)
1994-98 Michael Doohan, Road racing (500cc)
Mick Doohan enters Hall of Fame
1995/2004/06/09 Jason Crump, Speedway (under 21)
1996/2005 Troy Corser, Superbikes
1997 Shane Watts, Enduro (125cc)
1997 Peter Goddard, Endurance Road Racing
2000/01/03/04 Stefan Merriman, Enduro
2000/02 Warwick Nowland,Endurance Road Racing
2001/06/08 Troy Bayliss, Superbikes
Troy Bayliss
2001/08 Andrew Pitt, Supersport
2001 Heinz Platacis, Endurance Road Racing
2003/08 Chad Reed, Supercross
2003 Chris Vermeulen, Supersport
2004 Karl Muggeridge, Supersport
2007/11 Casey Stoner, MotoGP
2009 Jay Wilson, Junior Motocross
2009/10 Darcy Ward, Speedway (under 21)
2009 Steve Martin, Endurance Road Racing
2010 Mick Headland, Jesse Headland, Track Racing Sidecar (1000cc)
2011 Darrin Treloar, Jesse Headland, Track Racing Sidecar (1000cc)
2012 Caleb Grothes, Junior MX (65cc)
2012 Chris Holder, World FIM Speedway GP
2013/14 Matthew Phillips, Enduro (Junior/E3)
2014 Jett Lawrence, Junior MX (65cc)
2015 Matthew Gilmore, Youth Speedway World Cup (250cc)
2016 Matt Phillips, Junior Enduro GP
2016 Toby Price, Dakar Rally
Toby Price
2017 Jason Doyle, World FIM Speedway GP
2018 Toby Price, FIM World Cross Country Champion
2019 Toby Price, Dakar Rally
Teams
1974 Pairs Speedway, 2nd
1976 Team Speedway (Phil Crump, Billy Sanders, Phil Hearne, John Boulger), 1st
2007 Team Speedway (Ryan Sullivan, Rory Schlein, Leigh Adams, Jason Crump, Chris Holder, Dave Watt), 3rd; Oceanic Motocross (Craig Anderson, Troy Carroll, Lee Ellis, Jay Marmont, Jake Moss, Cameron Tatlor, Danny Anderson, Lewis Stewart, Kristy Gillespie, Ashlea Bates, Adelia Barton, Tye Simmonds, Ross Beaton, Luke Arbon), 1st
2009 Junior Motocross (Tye Simmonds, Jay Wilson), 1st; Track Racing Sidecar (Mick Headland, Paul Waters), 1st; Team Speedway (Leigh Adams, Jason Crump, Chris Holder, Davey Watt, Troy Batchelor), 2nd; Women’s Team (Jacqui Jones, Alison Parker, Jemma Wilson), 3rd
2010 Junior MX (Wilson Todd, Mitchell Evans, Joel Dinsdale, Scott Mann, Matt Phillips, Errol Willis), 3rd
2011 ISDE Womens Team (Allison Parker, Jess Gardiner, Jemma Wilson), 3rd; ISDE Mens Team – E2 Class (Toby Price, Matthew Phillips), 1st; MXoN (Chad Reed, Brett Metcalf, Matt Moss), 3rd; Speedway World Cup (Jason Crump, Darcy Ward, Chris Holder, Davey Watt, Troy Batchelor), 2nd
2012 ISDE Womens Trophy Team (Jess Gardiner, Tanya Hearn, Tayla Jones), 3rd; Speedway World Cup (Chris Holder, Davey Watt, Jason Crump, Darcy Ward, Troy Batchelor), 2nd; Speedway World Cup U21 (Darcy Ward, Sam Masters, Dakota North, Alex Davies, Nick Morris), 2nd
2013 ISDE Womens Trophy Team (Jess Gardiner, Tayla Jones, Jemma Wilson), 1st; Speedway World Cup (Darcy Ward, Cameon Woodward, Jason Doyle, Troy Batchelor) 3rd
2014 ISDE Womens Trophy Team (Jess Gardiner, Tayla Jones, Jemma Wilson), 1st; ISDE Junior Trophy Team (Daniel Sanders, Tom McCormack, Lachlan Stanford, Scott Keegan), 3rd; Speedway World Cup (Chris Holder, Darcy Ward, Jason Doyle, Troy Batchelor), 3rd
2015 FIM World Junior Motocross Championships (Hunter Lawrence, Cooper Pozniak, Rhys Budd, Bailey Malkiewicz, John Bova, Regan Duffy), 3rd; Trial des Nations International Trophy Competition (Chris Bayles, Tim Coleman, Kyle Middleton and Colin Zarczynki), 3rd; ISDE Junior Trophy Team (Daniel Sanders, Broc Grabham, Tom Mason, Tye Simmons), 1st; ISDE Women’s Trophy Team (Tayla Jones, Jess Gardiner, Jemma Wilson), 1st; ISDE Senior Trophy Team (Daniel Milner, Matthew Phillips, Lachlan Stanford, Glenn Kearney, Beau Ralston, Josh Green), 2nd (Provisional); FIM Team Speedway Under 21 2015 World Championship (Max Fricke, Brady Kurtz, Nick Morris, Jack Holder), 3rd
2016 and 2017 ISDE Women’s Trophy Team (Tayla Jones, Jess Gardiner, Jemma Wilson)
Rechargeable batteries with magnesium instead of lithium could extend the range of electric vehicles as much as 50% and make them lighter and cheaper, new research has found.
CVMR Energy Metals says their eight-year research has found that magnesium (Mg) anodes in rechargeable batteries pack 50% more power as it has a higher energy density than lithium.
Rechargeable Li-ion batteries have dominated the rechargeable battery market since the 1990s and are the main energy source in electric vehicles.
Harley’s electric motorcycles, bicycles and scooters
However, lithium is rare and expensive, while magnesium is more widely available and therefore cheaper.
Other advantages are that Mg does not need an “intercalation” compound layer, so you can pack up to five-times more metal than lithium in the same-size rechargeable battery.
That also means batteries can be smaller and lighter, which is a huge boon for smaller electric vehicles such as motorcycles and scooters.
CVMR’s breakthrough comes in the use of a higher energy density cathode material and an electrolyte that helps the chemical reactions generate higher energy density than lithium batteries.
The American company hopes to have their magnesium-based batteries available in the next two years.
Magnesium batteries
Magnesium use in batteries is not new.
Non-rechargeable Mg batteries have been available for decades.
Magnesium dry batteries were widely used by the US military from 1965 to 1984 and Mg air batteries have been used as land-based backup systems and undersea power sources, using seawater as the electrolyte.
Although magnesium air batteries are primary cells (not rechargeable), they have the potential to become rechargeable by replacing their anode and electrolyte.
Rechargeable issues
The potential for rechargeable magnesium batteries has been known for some time.
However, finding a cost-effective high-energy density cathode material and suitable electrolytes has slowed progress.
The major problem has been the formation of a non-conductive layer on the Mg anode blocking the recharging of the battery.
In 2016, Honda’s Saitama Industrial Technology Center claimed they had a commercially viable Mg rechargeable battery that used vanadium as a cathode. However, these batteries have not yet hit the market.
Although CVMR owns one of the largest vanadium reserves in Africa, and vanadium has been touted as a suitable cathode in magnesium batteries, the company tested a host of other elements and compounds, such as zirconium, cobalt and tungsten.
They claim vanadium, manganese and transition metals are the most promising.
The US Department of Energy’s Joint Center for Energy Storage Research has also researched chemical reactions involving magnesium.
As part of those studies, Berkeley Lab discovered that the self-stabilising, thin oxide surface layer that forms on the magnesium has some inherent defects that cause unwanted reactions.
CVMR spokesman Kamran Khozan claims they have overcome these defects.
“Today’s scientific discoveries cannot take place in isolation,” he says.
“We all benefit from each other’s efforts, and owe a debt of gratitude to those who have the vision to be leaders in their field of specialisation.”
The 2019 GSX-S750 comes in a new Metallic Triton Blue or Metallic Matte Black colour options, with a special pricing offer available as part of their “Own The Street” campaign, making the GSX-S750 available for $11,990 Ride Away.
Suzuki’s GSX-S750 boasts new colours in 2019 and great special pricing – Metallic Triton Blue
The GSX-S750 is powered by a supersport engine, with the GSX-R derived 749cc, DOHC, liquid-cooled in-line four cylinder powerplant and has been optimised and refined for the street; with a maximum power output of 112hp (84kW) at 10,500rpm with 81Nm of torque at 9000rpm.
2019 Suzuki GSX-S750 – Metallic Triton Blue
Press the one-touch starter button and hear the induction noise emanate from deep within the acoustically tuned airbox. The 4-2-1 exhaust features equaliser pipes which contribute to stronger low-to-mid range output and produce a raspy exhaust note.
2019 Suzuki GSX-S750 – Metallic Matte Black
Tapered aluminium handlebars grace the cockpit, along with blacked-out levers and clean switch blocks. The lightweight LCD instrument cluster communicates a wealth of information to the rider including speed, rpm, traction control status, gear position, odometer, dual tripmeters, coolant temperature, driving range, fuel consumption, and the time. The rider even has the ability to personalise the tachometer readout from a choice of five display patterns.
2019 Suzuki GSX-S750 – Metallic Triton Blue
Braking duties are well up to the task with a set of Nissin radial mounted four-piston opposed front calipers, clamping 310mm floating, petal-type front discs. The lightweight and compact ABS is also from Nissin.
2019 Suzuki GSX-S750 – Metallic Triton Blue
Suzuki’s advanced Traction Control System provides greater confidence and reduces fatigue by delivering control over engine output that helps prevent rear wheelspin. The rider can select one of three modes or turn the system off altogether using the convenient handlebar switch.
2019 Suzuki GSX-S750 – Metallic Triton Blue
The 2019 Suzuki GSX-S750 is available for a special offer price of $11,990 Ride Away under the “Own The Street” campaign and is backed by Suzuki’s two-year unlimited-kilometre warranty.
Win two superbike races aboard a Kawasaki and you could walk away from the weekend with $40,000 in your pocket!
Begin press release:
Kawasaki’s Team Green program pays $15,000 to win a MotoAmerica Superbike race with $10,000 for second, $5000 for third, $2000 for fourth and $1000 for fifth. Team Green’s program pays $5000 to win the Stock 1000 class, $4000 for second, $3000 for third, $2000 for fourth and $1000 for fifth. The payout in Supersport and Twins Cup is $3000 for first, $2000 for second, $1000 for third, $750 for fourth and $500 for fifth. The payout for the Liqui Moly Junior Cup class is $2500 to win, $1000 for second, $750 for third, $600 for fourth and $500 for fifth.
“It’s great to see Kawasaki stepping up with its contingency program again for 2019,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “If you win a MotoAmerica Superbike race on a Kawasaki ZX10-R you will take home $15,000 from Kawasaki and another $5000 from MotoAmerica. Do it twice on the weekend and that’s $40,000. That’s a pretty impressive weekend by anyone’s standards. Kawasaki is also putting up a lot of contingency money in the other four classes: Stock 1000 pays $5000 to win, Twins Cup and Supersport pays $3000 to win and if you win a Junior Cup race you will get $2500 from Team Green. And Kawasaki pays down to fifth place in all of our classes. That’s a solid contingency program that will benefit a lot of our riders this season. We’re anticipating the best season of racing yet for MotoAmerica in 2019 and this kind of incentive for our racers only further ensures that.”
MotoAmerica’s purse payout for the 2019 season is set at $1,430,000 across all five classes of racing.
The 10-round MotoAmerica Series gets rolling at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, April 5-7, and concludes at Barber Motorsports Park, September 20-22.
The 2019 MotoAmerica Series schedule is as follows:
April 5-7 – Road Atlanta, Braselton, Georgia
April 12-14 – Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas
May 4-5 – VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, Virginia
May 31-June 2 – Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
June 15-16 – Utah Motosports Campus, Grantsville, Utah
July 12-14 – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California
August 10-11 – Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, California
August 23-25 – Pittsburgh International Race Complex, Wampum, Pennsylvania
September 7-8 – New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, New Jersey
September 20-22 – Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama
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