Queensland police and Transport Main Roads department officials will be on hand next month to answer riders’ questions on legislation, road rules, Australian Vehicle Standards and other topics.
The latest “Community Engagement Day” will be held on Saturday 16 February 2019 at Beechmont, between 8am-12pm.
Acting Sgt Adam Samuels says they will have a free barbecue for riders at the park where the hang gliders launch, opposite the new Flying Bean Cafe.
Questions and answers
Many riders may have questions about whether their tail tidy or handlebars are legal, but they may be reticent to approach the police for fear of being fined.
However, Adam assureds riders there is no need for concern about copping a fine.
“The event is for community engagement only not for enforcement,” he says.
“It’s about getting guys to come in and ask about their fender guards, exhausts and bars and clear stuff up.
“It gives them an opportunity to come in safely, knowing it is not about enforcement.
“They can ask questions and get ideas on what they can do to make sure their bike is legal. They can also book in with TMR for an inspection.”
North Upright
Police talk to riders at a previous Operation North Upright event
Operation North Uprighthas been operating in South East Queensland for the past couple of years.
Police say the operation is designed to “talk with any bike riders, give advice and listen to their concerns”.
Riders have claimed previous similar events have been accompanied by a high presence of police in the area, enforcing road rules and vehicle compliance.
Road Safety messages from Operation North Upright
The faster you go, the harder you hit. And on a bike, you’ll always come off second‐best. The only thing speeding gets you closer to is a crash.
Riding tired affects reaction times and impairs judgement. Take a break or don’t get on the bike if you’re tired.
Ride to be seen and don’t assume you’re visible to everyone.
Lane filtering is legal, remember to be safe and follow the road rules.
Look after yourself and your bike. The right gear and regular maintenance can save your life.
In 2017, 50 motorcyclists died and 953 were hurt or seriously injured in crashes on Queensland roads.
New products for the Ducati Panigale V4 from Competition Werkes.
Begin press release:
The Ducati Panigale V4 fender eliminator from Competition Werkes is here! Made from black powder coated lightweight stainless steel, the fender eliminator gets rid of the long, stick-like stock rear fender and relocates license plate and stock turn signals right under the tail section for a clean look. The fender eliminator kit includes brackets for stock or aftermarket turn signals of your choice, as well as an LED license plate light and all mounting hardware. Step-by-step installation instructions are included that make getting your new fender eliminator mounted a breeze.
The Competition Werkes GP Race Slip-On Exhaust for the Ducati Panigale V4 takes off pounds of weight and increases performance while making the V4 look and sound much, much better. Made from the finest stainless steel tubing, it is welded instead of bent to avoid weak spots, just like a MotoGP pipe. Much more affordable than a full system. Made in the USA.
You can hear the sound of the Competition Werkes GP Race Slip-On Exhaust for the Ducati Panigale V4 in the video below. The sound clip starts at 6:55.
Here at Motorcycle.com, we’ve always got a motorcycle laying around. Turns out more of America has one, too.
Begin press release:
If you’ve noticed more motorcycles tucked inside garages across the country, or parked out front, you’re not imagining things. Eight percent of U.S. households had at least one bike in 2018, the most ever recorded in decades of polling by the Motorcycle Industry Council.
Motorcycle households rose from 6.94 percent in 2014 (the last full survey) to a record 8.02 percent in 2018, an increase of more than 1.5 million homes. The United States Census Bureau’s most recent estimate put the number of U.S. households at 126,224,000. The MIC Owner Survey found that 10,124,400 of those homes had a motorcycle.
“The household penetration numbers have always been among the most important figures to us,” said MIC President and CEO Tim Buche. “We’re certainly happy to see more homes that have a motorcycle. Riders who talk about motorcycling to friends and neighbors help to inspire people who don’t yet ride.”
The number of motorcycles owned also reached record levels, according to the survey, jumping to 13,158,100 last year, an increase of more than 2.5 million motorcycles compared to 2014. It is even higher than the previous record from 2009 (11,704,500), which followed a long period of high-volume new-bike sales.
The estimated number of motorcycles in use rose to 12,231,000 in 2018, an increase of more than 2 million since 2014. And that number was more than 1 million better than the record figure from 2009, when 11,015,105 motorcycles were in use.
“Modern motorcycles are high-quality machines, enabling the pre-owned market to be a key part of the overall growth in the motorcycle and rider population,” said Jim Woodruff, secretary/treasurer of the MIC Board of Directors and COO of National Powersport Auctions. “The annual pre-owned market is actually three times larger than the new market. Used bikes appeal to many riders because there are so many options in terms of price and style.”
And what about riders who owned more than one motorcycle, or a home that had more than one rider and maybe more than one bike? The 2018 survey revealed that the number of motorcycles per household with a bike stood at 1.30, up slightly compared with 2014 when it was 1.23, but down compared to 1.53 recorded in 2009.
The percentage of motorcycles in running order was down 3 percentage points, from 96.1 percent in 2014 to 93 percent in 2018. But compared to a decade ago (94.1 percent) it was only down one percentage point last year.
“As used units become a larger part of the overall motorcycle population, it’s not surprising to see a slight decrease in the percentage of operating units,” Woodruff said. “Our research shows that the average age of a pre-owned motorcycle sold in the U.S. is approximately eight years old. Plus, vintage bikes are on trend now and many riders are keeping non-runners as part of their collection.”
Australian fan-favourite sets sights on 2020 Dakar Rally.
Image: Supplied.
Toby Price has undergone surgery to repair the damage sustained to his broken right scaphoid that was aggravated on his way to winning the 2019 Dakar Rally.
Upon returning home to Queensland, Price immediately sought a medical evaluation with Dr Steve Andrews, and underwent a successful operation on Wednesday.
“They’ve fixed your fractured scaphoid five or six weeks ago, and it looks like it’s all gone back together reasonably well,” Dr Andrews explained to Price in a social media video. Unfortunately, the load of you riding in that timeframe has put a fair bit through the hold that that screw’s got in your scaphoid, and it’s started to collapse.
“It’s not healing and the distal end of the screw is starting to windscreen wiper and cause a big cavity in the distal pole of your scaphoid, so it’s not going to heal if we leave it there because it’s not well-fixed and it’s actually collapsing into the wrong position.
“What we’re going to do is take the screw out, put a new screw in through a different angle so that we can get some purchase on what bone is still there and good, and we’re going to pack some graft in from your hip to encourage it to heal and fill the hole in the distal part of your scaphoid so it can heal up.”
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing ace is hopeful of plotting a title defence in the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, however his sights are already firmly set on the 2020 Dakar Rally.
“As per usual it’s going to be a busy 2019,” Price told MotoOnline.com.au in a recent interview. “Hopefully we can back-up the world championship as well and the countdown to Dakar 2020 has already started – it never ends! It’ll be a busy year, but we’re looking forward to it and it will be a good time.”
Motorcycle sales might be in a two-year slump in Australia, but there is no cause for general panic about the global motorcycle industry just yet.
Several motorcycle manufacturers are reporting growth in profits and even record sales, while many markets continue to increase in sales.
Perhaps the biggest saviour of motorcycling is the continued exponential growth in the Indian market.
Last year, more than 20 million motorcycles were sold in India. That’s up 2.6m from the previous year and almost double the sales of just seven years ago.
And don’t think that’s all scooters and 125cc motorcycles, either.
More and more motorcycles sold in India are what they call “superbikes” which are over 750cc in capacity.
China, Brazil and other developing countries are also recording massive growth in motorcycle and scooter sales.
No panic in mature markets
But it’s not just the developing nations that are doing well.
Mature markets such as Europe are up about 7% including the UK, up 2.9%.
The big concern is that the biggest big-bike market in the world, America, is marginally down last year.
However, there is no need for panic yet. US sales had been growing steadily since the big collapse from the 2008/09 GFC.
Maybe it’s a one-year blip. Let’s hope so, as it has a huge bearing on motorcycle manufacturers’ ability to turn a profit and keep bringing out new and exciting models.
Profit and panic
Meanwhile many manufacturers are continuing to post profits and/or record growth.
BMW Motorrad recorded its eighth straight year of global sales growth, up 0.9% with 165,566 bikes delivered;
Triumph was down slightly from 63,404 to 61,505, but still reported its second-biggest profit last year; and
Although slightly down, Ducati sold 53,004 bikes last year, its fourth straight year of more than 50k.
Ducati updated its popular Scrambler range in 2018
Japanese manufacturers are yet to post their 2018 figures.
All eyes will also be on Harley-Davidson who are expected to post a double-digit global slump in domestic sales, but good performances in developing markets.
Challenges
There is no doubt the motorcycle market is going through some changes and challenges:
Making their final preparations ahead of the 2019 season opener, 16 WorldSBK and 12 WorldSSP riders were out on track around Circuito de Jerez Ángel Nieto for the opening day of testing at the Andalusian circuit.
Despite chilly temperature, the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship riders were able to take full advantage of the good weather, putting in a considerable number of laps and working all day through their testing programs. With the track having been resurfaced over the winter break, they all had to wait for the tarmac to warm up before continuing with the work they had planned for the day.
Alex Lowes tops day one
Completing a positive day one of testing, Pata Yamaha WorldSBK rider Alex Lowes closed the day at the top of the timesheets, impressing with a 1’40.422.
Alex Lowes tops day one
Waiting for track condition to progress, reigning world champion Jonathan Rea sat out the opening hours of the day and came out of his garage around 1400. Working on testing different components for his ZX-10RR, the Kawasaki Racing WorldSBK rider has been focusing in getting the overall package ready for Australia, he will continue with the same program tomorrow. After a few laps done in the afternoon he was soon at the top of the timesheet before Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took the lead, pushing the WorldSBK champion back into second position just 0.008s behind him.
Jonathan Rea
Sitting in third the new Kawasaki Racing WorldSBK team recruit Leon Haslam, continued the familiarisation process with the WorldSBK machine. The British rider focused in putting in as many laps as possible, adapting to the new bike and learning the electronics. Thanks to a fastest lap in 1’40.885 he ended the day just 0.435 s off his teammate.
Impressing with his overall pace, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing ZX-10RR) finished the day in fourth position.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Testing a combination of chassis parts, settings and electronics Dutchman Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) set the fifth fastest lap.
Michael van der Mark
Working on their full factory configuration for the first time, the brand new GRT Yamaha WorldSBK team took their time to get acquainted with the new package. Both Marco Melandri and Sandro Cortese were able to get used to their machine and finished the day in sixth and seventh positions respectively.
Ducati Panigale V4R
Following just behind Chaz Davies and Alvaro Bautista had a lot of things to work on as they continued to improve their Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Not all clean sailing for Chaz Davies on day one
Davies completed a positive first day, despite suffering a small crash through turn 5 late in the afternoon. The Ducati rider ended the day eighth with a best lap in 1’41.375.
Alvaro Bautista
Spanish star Alvaro Bautista took his time to get used to the WorldSBK machine as he had only two days on the V4 before returning to Jerez today.
Chaz Davies
Davies and Bautista were not the only Ducati riders on track as also Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) were out taming their Ducati Panigale V4 R. The Irishman, made his debut on the new Bologna factory bike today, while Rinaldi was working on new suspension.
Michael Ruben Rinald
Spaniard Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing) rounded out the top ten. The Spaniard put in 82 laps as he tested new components for his Kawasaki ZX-10RR. Another Kawasaki rider, Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) finished eleventh as he got to know his new crew.
Tom Sykes – No transponder on the BMW men during the opening day of the test…..
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team were also out on track testing today. Both Markus Reiterberger and Tom Sykes were working on getting familiar with their bikes as well as a trying different electronic strategies. The BMW riders elected not to run timing transponders on the opening day of the test thus we can’t tell you how they ranked in what is their first real test of the new S 1000 RR.
Tom Sykes – No transponder on the BMW men during the opening day of the test…..
There were also FIM Supersport World Championship teams taking to the track around Jerez. Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) closed the day as fastest World Supersport rider, ahead of Raffaele De Rosa (MV AGUSTA Reparto Corse) and teammate Randy Krummenacher.
Action resumes on track tomorrow for day two of testing at Jerez.
WSBK/WSS Jerez Day One Unofficial Times
Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) 1’40.442
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’40.450 +0.08
Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’40.877 +0.435
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Kawasaki) 1’41.001 +0.559
Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) 1’41.047 +0.605
Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha Team) 1’41.119 +0.677
Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha Team) 1’41.203 +0.761
Stefan Bradl (Honda Test Team) 1’41.370 +0.928
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’41.375 +0.933
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’41.857 +1.415
Repsol Honda has launched its livery for the upcoming 2019 MotoGP World Championship at the squad’s headquarters in Madrid, Spain, where current riders Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo were joined by former champions Mick Doohan and Alex Criville in the presentation.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Repsol Honda recognised its history with past and present machines on hand, from the Honda NSR500 of Doohan and Criville to the RC213V of Marquez and now Lorenzo, detailing incredible statistics of HRC machines that have taken 168 victories in the premier class, 14 world championships and 427 podiums.
Reigning champion Marquez will now begin his final preparations for the Sepang test 6-8 February after undergoing shoulder surgery, where he and the RC213V will debut the 2019 livery for the first time on track.
“It is a privilege to be part of the family that is the Repsol Honda team,” said Marquez. “When I was young and when I watched races from the sofa at my house I wanted to be here wearing these colours. It was a privilege to start collaborating with Repsol and have their support in the Spanish Championship and, later, to work with them in the world championship.
“And now I’m here, helping Repsol and Honda win more titles, making their history even more successful. It’s something that makes me very happy. When I was in Moto2 I knew that I wanted to ride for Repsol Honda and I wanted to win the MotoGP title.
“That’s why, when journalists ask me if I’m going to change teams, I think: why would I change if I’m already part of this incredible team? Here we are a family, the relationship with Repsol and Honda is fantastic and this is something very important for achieving our goals, year after year. I hope that by the end of 2019 we can celebrate something beautiful together.”
Repsol Honda newcomer Lorenzo is set to commence an intense physical therapy routine in order to be as fit as possible for the Qatar test 23-25 February after fracturing his wrist in a training incident.
“Repsol Honda are on a different level in every way,” explained Lorenzo. “I could see it at the Valencia test, when I had many people around me listening to what I was saying. It is a dream for any rider to be part of this team. I am very demanding on myself and always try to get the best out of each situation.
“I want to repay the team for all the trust they have given me with good results. I am very proud to be on a team with as many victories and as much history as Repsol Honda. I like the bike a lot, it turns in very well and is very docile.
“In addition, the team gave me a very warm welcome from my first day here. My main objective for 2019 is, first of all, to recover 100 percent and be able to demonstrate on track that we really are the dream team that people are talking about.”
The MotoGP World Championship will officially commence on 10 March at Losail International Circuit in Qatar.
Kawasaki duo Rea and Haslam complete the top three in Spain.
Image: Supplied.
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK rider Alex Lowes kicked off the official two-day FIM Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) test in Jerez, Spain, with the fastest lap-time.
Despite the chilly temperature, the WorldSBK riders were able to take full advantage of the good weather, putting in a considerable number of laps and working all day through their testing programs. With the track having been resurfaced over the winter break they all had to wait for the tarmac to warm up, before continuing with the work they had planned for the day.
Completing a positive day one of testing, Lowes closed the day at the top of the timesheets, impressing with a flying lap in 1m40.422s. The British rider was not really focusing in making the lap times, but as the work on the bike was proceeding well for the rider, the fast lap times were achieved consistently, next steps are now all focused towards Phillip Island.
Waiting for track condition to progress reigning world champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) sat out the opening hours of the day and came out of his garage around 2pm. Working on testing different components for his ZX-10RR, the KRT rider has been focusing on getting his overall package ready for Australia and he will continue with the same program tomorrow.
After a few laps done in the afternoon he was soon at the top of the timesheet before Lowes took the lead of the opening day, pushing the WorldSBK champion back into second position just 0.008s behind him. Sitting in third was Kawasaki Racing Team newcomer Leon Haslam, who continued the familiarisation process with his WorldSBK machine.
The British rider focused in putting in as many laps as possible, adapting to the new bike and learning the electronics. Thanks to a fastest lap in 1m40.885s he ended the day just 0.435s off his teammate. Impressing with his overall pace, Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) finished the day in fourth position, after returning in the saddle of his ZX-10RR for the first time for 2019.
Leading during the first part of the day, the Turkish rider put in another strong lap in the afternoon closing in 1m41.001s. Testing a combination of chassis part, settings and electronics Dutchman Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) set the fifth fastest lap in 1m41.047s, just 0.605s behind his teammate.
Working on their full factory configuration for the first time, the brand new GRT Yamaha WorldSBK team took their time to get acquainted with the new package. Both Marco Melandri and Sandro Cortese were able to get used with their machine updates early on and finished the day respectively in sixth and seventh position.
Following just behind the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Chaz Davies and Alvaro Bautista had a lot of things to work on as they continued to improve their Ducati Panigale V4 R. Back at his full strength, as he was riding injured last time, Davies completed a positive first day, despite suffering a small crash through turn five late in the afternoon, meaning he couldn’t improve more.
The Ducati rider ended the day eighth with a best lap in 1m41.375s. Spanish star Alvaro Bautista took his time to get used to the WorldSBK machine as he had only two days on the V4 before returning to Jerez today. The Spaniard set a lap time of 1m41.857s after 44 laps ending the day in ninth position.
Davies and Bautista were not the only Ducati riders on track as also Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Barni Racing Team) were out taming their Ducati Panigale V4 R. The Irishman, who made the debut on the new Bologna factory bike today, finished in 12th position, while Rinaldi, who was working also on new suspensions, finished the day thirteenth.
Closing the top 10 Spaniard Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing) ended the day in tenth position. The Spaniard put in 82 laps as he was testing new components for his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team were also out on track testing today. Both Markus Reiterberger and Tom Sykes were working on getting familiar with their bikes as well as a trying different electronic strategy. With their focus on these aspects and not on the times, both the two riders had not been using a transponder today, meaning they didn’t have they unofficial lap times recorded. Bikes will return to riding tomorrow for day two of the test.
Two long running stars from Repsol Honda history joined reigning World Champion Marc Marquez and new HRC recuit Jorge Lorenzo on stage in Madrid.
Mick Doohan, Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo, Alex Criville
Mick Doohan and Alex Criville were on hand to help add yet more star power to the launch of Repsol Honda’s 2019 MotoGP World Championship campaign.
Mick Doohan, Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo, Alex Criville
Fresh from surgery on his broken scaphoid, Jorge Lorenzo was sporting bandaging and bracing to his left wrist.
Jorge Lorenzo
“Repsol Honda are on a different level in every way. I could see it at the Valencia test, when I had many people around me listening to what I was saying. It is a dream for any rider to be part of this team. I am very demanding on myself and always try to get the best out of each situation. I want to repay the team for all the trust they have given me with good results. I am very proud to be on a team with as many victories and as much history as Repsol Honda. I like the bike a lot, it turns in very well and is very docile. In addition, the team gave me a very warm welcome from my first day here. My main objective for 2019 is, first of all, to recover one hundred percent and be able to demonstrate on track that we really are the Dream Team that people are talking about.”
Jorge Lorenzo
Having taken eight of the last nine world championships in the premier class, Marc Márquez and Jorge Lorenzo form a perfect team to celebrate the 25th anniversary of HRC and Repsol joining forces.
Mick Doohan, Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo, Alex Criville
The first riders to run in these now iconic colours, Mick Doohan and Alex Crivillé, were also able to join the special presentation to share their memories from 1995 onwards.
Mick Doohan and Marc Marquez
Marc Marquez
“It is a privilege to be part of the family that is the Repsol Honda team. When I was young and when I watched races from the sofa at my house I wanted to be here wearing these colours. It was a privilege to start collaborating with Repsol and have their support in the Spanish Championship and, later, to work with them in the World Championship. And now I’m here, helping Repsol and Honda win more titles, making their history even more successful. It’s something that makes me very happy. When I was in Moto2 I knew that I wanted to ride for Repsol Honda and I wanted to win the MotoGP title. That’s why, when journalists ask me if I’m going to change teams, I think: why would I change if I’m already part of this incredible team? Here we are a family, the relationship with Repsol and Honda is fantastic and this is something very important for achieving our goals, year after year. I hope that by the end of 2019 we can celebrate something beautiful together.”
Marc Marquez
The riders were joined on stage by Tetsuhiro Kuwata, Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) Director, and Antonio Brufau, CEO of Repsol who both outlined and emphasized their plans for continual success. Carmelo Ezpleta, the CEO of Dorna and Begoña Elices, the General Director of Communications and board member at Repsol were also in attendance.
Honda NSR500
From the Honda NSR500 of Doohan and Crivillé to the RC213V of Márquez and now Lorenzo, the HRC machines have taken 168 victories in the premier class, 14 World Championships, 427 podiums, 182 fastest laps and 177 pole positions together with Repsol, forming not only the most iconic pairing in Grand Prix racing, but also the most successful.
Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo
Tetsuhiro Kuwata – HRC Director – General Manager Race Operations
“Repsol and Honda have worked together for years, 25 in fact, to achieve excellence; for our customers, for our fans and for our riders. In this long period we have maintained our determination and target of improving our products, raising the bar once again. And year on year we are getting closer and we are chasing our dreams of a better product constantly. Today, we are happy to reveal the new Repsol Honda team with two riders that have demonstrated the excellence in all areas that riders need to be the best. The Repsol Honda team is always looking for this excellent, it’s our duty to give the riders the best we can possibly can, and we believe there is no better combination than Repsol and Honda for this task.”
Tetsuhiro Kuwata
Among these accolades, the Repsol Honda Team have also produced four dominating titles for Mick Doohan, the first Spanish 500cc World Champion in Alex Crivillé (1999) and the youngest MotoGP champion in history – Marc Márquez. Now they celebrate their 25th anniversary and aim for even more success in the future.
Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo
Marc Marquez will now begin his final preparations for the Sepang Test (February 6 – 8) where he and the RC213V will debut the 2019 livery for the first time on track. Meanwhile, Jorge Lorenzo is set to commence an intense physical therapy routine in order to be as fit as possible for the Qatar Test (February 23 – 25). Finally the 2019 MotoGP season begins in under the floodlights in Qatar (March 07 – 10).
Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo
Antonio Brufau – Repsol CEO and Chairman
“It is an honour and a pleasure to celebrate, not only the 25th anniversary of the Repsol Honda Team, but also 50 years of Repsol supporting motor sports. The greatest riders have been part of this team and we can say that next season will not be different, since we have two athletes who have 12 world titles between them. It all started with two riders who became the references of the Motorcycle World Championship: Mick Doohan and Alex Crivillé. Today we are delighted to have with us the current World Champion, Marc Márquez, and another World Champion, Jorge Lorenzo. The sum of the best riders, the best machines and the best products is a formula of success clearly demonstrated throughout all the years that we have been together. We can affirm, with pride, that the alliance between Repsol and Honda is the most lasting and successful in MotoGP. A relationship in which values such as leadership, technology and innovation are shared, as well as teamwork, determination and the culture of effort.”
Motorcycle helmets are still being crash tested in Australia despite European-standard helmets being available here for several years because they provide riders with “more information”.
The NSW Consumer Rating and Assessment of Safety Helmets (CRASH) crash-tests 30 helmets a year and releases the details every November.
Centre for Road Safety active executive director Craig Moran says that while all helmets sold here meet either Australian Standards or global standard UNECE 22.05, CRASH ratings “give riders more information so they can chose the best helmet for their situation”.
Helmets tested
CRASH has tested 34 full-face helmets since 2017 and 1012 pre-2017, 17 open face helmets since 2017 and 35 prior and nine dual-purpose helmets since 2017 and 23 prior.
It is not as comprehensive as the similar British SHARP helmet safety scheme. It has tested and rated hundreds of helmets, almost all of which are now available for sale in Australia.
“The helmets are chosen based a number of criteria including their approximate number of sales or popularity or if the consortium identifies a particular helmet as requiring further performance testing,” Craig says.
“Helmets are proven to reduce the severity of head injuries as well as the likelihood of death and disability.
CRASH testing
“We also recently launched MotoCAP which is a consumer information program designed to provide riders with scientifically-based information about the protection and comfort of a range of motorcycle jackets, pants and gloves available in Australia and New Zealand.”
CRASH is run by a consortium of NSW government agencies and Swann Insurance.
It assesses and compares motorcycle helmets in terms of their ability to protect the wearer’s head in a crash and how comfortable the helmet is to wear.
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