Australian fan-favourite nursing wrist injury into the final stage.
Image: Supplied.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price says he’ll be more than happy with a podium finish in this year’s Dakar Rally as he leads the Bike category into the final stage.
Yet to take out a stage victory, the former Dakar victor took ahold of the standings on stage eight and carried his lead through to the penultimate day, where he now holds a 1m2s advantage over Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pablo Quintanilla.
“I got through stage nine today where we had the mass-start,” Price explained. “There was no chance to make up any time or lose time really, I just had to stick with the group.
“Tomorrow is only a 100-kilometre stage, but I think it’s going to feel more like 300. The boys are really going to up their pace and all I can do is try my best once more and try to stay with them. If I can get through tomorrow and finish on the podium, I’ll be more than happy.”
Quintanilla, who’s on the cusp of a history-making result for Husqvarna that could end KTM’s dominant 17-year winning streak, acknowledges he’s in a prime position to take out the win, which is what his eyes are firmly set on for the final day of racing.
“I’m in a great spot right now to battle for the win and I’m really happy about that,” said Quintanilla. “Securing a podium result would be great for me and the team, but honestly my eyes are set on getting the win here in Peru.
“Tomorrow I’m determined to give it all for the win. There’s just one minute separating me and Toby [Price] and the day will be long. No matter what happens tomorrow I am very satisfied with my performance at this Dakar. I gave 100 percent on each day and that’s what matters the most for me.”
Defending champion Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) sits in third, a further 6m35s behind Price, and still stands a chance at victory in the unpredictable event.
With the DS-2, SBS introduces a different technique for adjusting braking to the rider’s liking: mounting two different compounds for track use.
Begin press release:
After more than two years testing, the well-known racing brake pad compound DS-1 is now followed by DS-2 to match different braking performances. From the testing not only a new compound, but a whole new unique concept emerged: The combination of mounting two different compounds for track use.
SBS has been actively involved in road racing at the highest level since the 1990s. Over the last 2 seasons, selected teams in the World Superbike, Moto2 and Moto3 GP, British Superbike and World Endurance Championships have therefore actively participated in fine-tuning of the latest compound from SBS Friction A/S now launched as DS-2 Dual Sinter.
The DS-2 has been developed based on requests from riders wanting a compound with a little more human initial bite and more powerful braking power in the end of long brakings compared to DS-1.
During the development SBS received various feedback. SBS race manager Allan Østli: “Many riders were very satisfied with the new DS-2, but some still felt that the initial bite was reduced too much compared to DS-1. On the other hand some riders who preferred DS-1, occasionally missed a little more braking power at the end of braking with DS-2. Therefore a completely new braking concept emerged: The Dynamic Racing Concept combining the strong initial bite and linear in-stop performance from DS-1 and the smooth initial bite and progressive in-stop performance from DS-2”.
The Dynamic Racing Concept makes it possible to fit the DS-1 on the left hand side brake disc and DS-2 on the right hand side brake disc, thus achieving a combination of the different performance characteristics of the two compounds. In short, a fine tuning of braking performance for the individual rider’s brake preferences.
SBS riders still have different preferences and Kervin Bos, Technical Team Manager Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team and his team prefer the new DS-2 “Our partnership with SBS is a great asset for our team in the WorldSBK championship – the support we receive and quality of the product are second to none.
Our technical partnership with SBS allows us to develop the optimum brake performance to suit each rider. For us, the standout performer is SBS DS-2 brake pad”.
The cooperation between SBS and a large number of winning teams has made high demands on SBS Research and Development and has led to many titles in the World Superbike, Supersport and Superstock classes and even more titles in National Championships worldwide. All SBS DS brake pads are made using NRS technology. NRS Safe products exclusively use the NUCAP Retention System (NRS), the most advanced mechanical attachment technology with a zero failure rate in over 1 Billion units Worldwide.
Honda’s concept of an oval-pistoned engine (or more correctly, a bore/piston with straight sides and semicircular ends) began with the development of the 1979 NR500 GP machine. Honda had been out of Grand Prix racing for 12 years, and when they returned they wanted to showcase four-stroke technology.
Honda NR500
Of course at the time 500 Grand Prix was dominated by two-strokes, and that trend continued despite Honda’s best efforts with that original NR500.
“When I look back at it, I’m not sure if we were experimenting with cutting-edge technologies or obsessed with foolish ideas,” recalled Toshimitsu Yoshimura, an engineer involved in the development of the first NR500’s oval piston engine.
“At least we were doing something that was beyond the realm of conventional thinking. I’m not just talking about us, who were designing the engine, but also those who were creating the body.
“The emphasis was to create a difference-not just any difference but the difference that would work to our definite advantage. That’s why we decided that Honda should go with four-stroke engines. We wanted to achieve our target through innovative technology, and in so doing have the edge over our competition.”
Mick Grant – Honda NR500 – 1979
“We didn’t think much about whether the engine would actually turn over,” Yoshimura recalled, “or even whether it would be practical at all. We weren’t worried about those things, since we just wanted to make it work.”
Later they did achieve performance and reliability | Eventually the NR750 road bike was released in 1992 as a showcase of Honda’s engineering prowess – Seen here is the oval piston, eight valves, and two connecting rods that made up each of the V4s cylinders1992 Honda NR750 ‘RC40’
The original idea was to achieve the breathing advantages and characterists of a V-8, within racing rules that stipulated a maximum of four cylinders.
1992 Honda NR750 ‘RC40’
The NR750 endurance racer that was entered in the 1987 LeMans 24 Hour and other selected events.
1992 Honda NR750 ‘RC40’
In fact Tasmania’s Malcom Campbell (who had ridden the bike at LeMans), took the NR750’s only major victory in the first leg of the Calder round of the ’87 Swann Series.
1992 Honda NR750 ‘RC40’
In 1992 Honda released the NR limited production road bike, of which only 300 were made. It cost £36,500 in the UK – five times the cost of the freshly minted CBR900RR Fireblade released in the same year.
The 1992 Honda NR750 ‘RC40’ cost five times the standard Fireblade
Apart from the 750cc V-4 oval-pistoned, eight-valves, two conrods per cylinder motor other notable features for the time were the inverted front fork, magnesium wheels, twin spar alloy frame and underseat exhaust.
1992 Honda NR750 ‘RC40’
Another interesting touch was the use of a mirror in the dash to show the LCD display at “infinity” so the rider didn’t have to refocus when checking the instruments.
1992 Honda NR750 ‘RC40’
Power was 125 hp at 14,000 rpm, with a dry weight of 223 kg, and top speed of 257 km/h.
1992 Honda NR750 ‘RC40’
This bike was bought new from Honda Spain by its current owner who has put some 3,000 kilometres on it. It is still registered and ridden.
Factory Husqvarna pilot fourth with one stage remaining.
Image: Supplied.
Former AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross regular Andrew Short is on the cusp of earning his maiden Dakar Rally podium in just his second attempt.
The American, who transitioned to rally racing in time for the 2018 Dakar Rally after retiring from the AMA pro circuit in 2016, currently sits fourth in the classification with just one stage remaining in the gruelling event.
Despite sitting 34 minutes behind defending champion Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Short still stands a strong chance of podium success in the notoriously unpredictable race, which has seen numerous changes of the lead and DNFs amongst the leading crop of riders in 2019.
“There’s been a lot of chaos over the last few days,” Short admitted. “My plan from the beginning of this race was to just focus on my performance and try to be as smooth and consistent as possible. I’m happy to see my strategy is paying off. This fourth place in the overall is simply amazing.
“The moto start today was great fun for me. After the start, the terrain became a bit tricky and dangerous at some parts. There was a lot of dust and you really had to pay attention on the road book.
“That was stressful and there was this one waypoint at the end that was super tricky. The fatigue is setting in right now, but nevertheless I am really looking forward to reaching the finish line in Lima tomorrow.”
MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey is confident that the 2019 MotoAmerica Series will be the best yet – both on and off the track. Here he previews the season ahead for what is the American Superbike Championship, these days referred to as MotoAmerica.
For starters, we are very close to announcing a new television package for the 2019 season and we’re taking the production of the TV and digital package in house. It will be a lot of work, but it will give us complete control of what we’re doing and how our content looks, and it will be more accessible than it’s ever been. Since the very first announcement of MotoAmerica taking over the AMA Superbike Series in 2014, this is the biggest thing we’ve ever announced. It’s the next step and we can’t wait to tell you about it.
We are keeping our class structure the same for the coming season with Superbike, Supersport, Liqui Moly Junior Cup, Stock 1000 and Twins Cup back again. We’ve made a few small tweaks to some of the rules and those changes should make the classes even more competitive.
Josh Herrin & Cameron Beaubier lead the Superbikes at NJMP in 2018
It’s also been good to see some of the rider announcements that have come out lately. Of course, the biggest one was the second Yoshimura Suzuki seat that went to Josh Herrin. Throw in the fact that we get to see two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion JD Beach in the Superbike class and you can see why our fans are chomping at the bit for us to get started. We are as well.
Look at the Superbike grid and you’ll find defending champion Cameron Beaubier, his Monster Yamaha teammate Garrett Gerloff; the two Yoshimura Suzukis with Toni Elias and Herrin, the Westby Yamaha with Mathew Scholtz, the Estenson Racing/Attack Performance Yamaha ridden by Beach, the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki of Jake Lewis… and the list goes on. We also know more rider/team announcements are coming soon and it will be the strongest Superbike grid MotoAmerica has had in its five-year existence.
MotoAmerica Supersport at Barber in 2018
Supersport will again be hard fought. Just when Hayden Gillim might have thought things would get easier with his friend Beach moving to Superbike, along comes word that PJ Jacobsen will be doing the series on a Celtic Racing/HSBK Yamaha. As is always the case with racing, there’s always someone who is going to step up and compete and those two likely won’t have it all their way. Also, it’s good to see some of the kids moving to Supersport with Cory Ventura making the jump from Liqui Moly Junior Cup to Supersport, and Sean Kelly set to make his MotoAmerica Supersport debut for the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team.
We have already seen our entries to continue to grow in the two classes we introduced last year – Stock 1000 and Twins Cup – after seeing the success of those by the end of last year. In fact, we are already seeing a substantial increase in entries across all classes. Liqui Moly Junior Cup will be a slugfest as always and we’ll start the season with the parity that we saw by the end of last season with all the manufacturers having a chance to win.
MotoAmerica 2018 Round Ten – Barber – JD Beach
While the racing portion of our weekend remains number one, we are continuing our efforts to make the MotoAmerica weekends about much more than just racing. And that means more entertainment for our fans, more things for them to do when they’re not watching what’s happening on track. Last year at Sonoma Raceway we worked hard to make that event family friendly and we included a carnival that proved to be extremely popular. So much so that we’ve decided to go with that at the majority of our races this season.
JD Beach – MotoAmerica 2018 Round 9 New Jersey
To go with the extra family friendly activities, we’re also offering Free Fridays this year at most tracks. We will also offer a kids 16 and under for free with a paid adult ticket pricing at most of our venues. We’d love to have more families at our races so we’re going to make it as affordable as possible for families to attend.
It’s funny how at times the offseason seems to go quickly and at other times it tends to drag. We’ve been busy so time has gone quickly, but I still wish the racing started next week. I watch the countdown clock on our website and I eagerly await the start of the season at Road Atlanta the first weekend of April. I hope to see you all there.
Supersport in wet conditions – MotoAmerica 2018 Round 9 New Jersey
Race for the crown tightens on day nine of the rally.
Image: Supplied.
Australian Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has maintained his advantage at the top of the 2019 Dakar Rally standings on the penultimate day of racing, as top three newcomer Michael Metge (Sherco TVS Rally Factory) won the stage.
Stage nine of the rally saw another motocross style mass-start with riders setting off in waves of 10, determined by their finishing positions from the previous day’s stage. Heading into the dunes for the 313-kilometre timed special, the first group of riders stuck together for the majority of the stage.
Metge, starting in the second wave of riders off the line, lodged a time of 3h46m38s to edge out yet another top three newcomer Daniel Jager (MEC HRC), while Pablo Quintanilla (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) wound up in third.
Defending champion Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was fourth followed by Price, who leads Quintanilla in the classification by 1m2s, as the top five is rounded out by Walkner, Andrew Short (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) and Xavier de Soultrait (Yamalube Yamaha Rally).
Aussie Dakar rookie Ben Young (KTM) is now ranked 53rd, advancing two positions after finishing up 62nd in the stage, while compatriot James Ferguson (KTM) was able to re-enter the event for the second time, winding up 74th for a 68th ranking. Rodney Faggotter (Yamalube Yamaha Rally) was ruled out of the competition earlier in the event.
Stage 10, the final of the 2019 Dakar Rally will see competitors return to the host city of Lima, Peru. Covering a total of 359 kilometres, riders will face a short and intense 112-kilometre timed special.
One more day to go…. That is what is on the minds of Dakar Rally riders as they overnight in Pisco after completing the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019. Thursday will see competitors negotiate the final 359 kilometre Stage Ten to the finish line at the Peruvian capital of Lima. The final stage will include a timed special stage of 112 kilometres. Riders will then have to complete a liaison section that will bring them to the finish line on Magdalena Beach.
One stage left between Price and victory
For some though Stage Nine brought the ultimate heartbreak. After putting in a consistently fast performance throughout Dakar 2019 Yamaha’s Adrien Van Beveren went out of the rally with a technical failure on the WR450F. With Honda’s Ricky Brabec suffering a similar fate on the previous stage, albeit while leading the Rally outright, this puts the Austrian made KTM and Husqvarna brands into a 1-2-3-4 at the top of the outright leaderboard. Van Beveren spent four hours struggling with the issue but eventually had to admit defeat, his Rally has been run.
2019 Dakar Stage Nine Video
Alexandre Kowalski – Yamalube Yamaha Rally Team Director
“It is always disappointing to lose a good chance to battle for the victory, but the Dakar has left us with mixed emotions today. On one hand, we were glad to see Xavier move up in the overall standings. Xavier has worked really hard these last few months and he really deserves to be up there. As for Adrien, he was having an amazing race so far. He was one of the most consistent racers and never finished outside the top seven in any of the stages contested. Also, Adrien was opening the tracks for most stages showing his good navigation skills. This DNF might be a harsh blow for all, but Adrien proved again this year he’s one of the most complete rally racers in the world. Despite his young age he’s really mature as a racer and I personally believe there’s still more to come from him in the future.”
Adrien Van Beveren went out of the rally on stage nine
The stage saw another motocross style mass-start with riders setting off in waves of 10, determined by their finishing positions from the previous day’s stage. Heading into the dunes for the 313-kilometre timed special, the first group of riders stuck together for the majority of the stage.
It was somewhat of a cat and mouse game unfold among the top trio of Price, Quintanilla and Walkner with only a single second covering that trio at the end of the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019.
Toby Price has maintained his one-minute lead over Quintanilla heading into the final day. The wrist that the 31-year-old broke and had pinned in the lead up to Dakar 2019 is giving him major grief, but he is determined to hold on for the run to the finish line.
Toby Price
Toby Price – Stage P5 – Overall P1
“I got through stage nine today where we had the mass-start. There was no chance to make up any time or lose time really, I just had to stick with the group. Tomorrow is only a 100-kilometre stage, but I think it’s going to feel more like 300. The boys are really going to up their pace and all I can do is try my best once more and try to stay with them. If I can get through tomorrow and finish on the podium, I’ll be more than happy.”
One stage left between Price and victory
Pablo Quintanilla is currently placed second overall, one-minute and two-seconds behind Price, and is set to make history by securing Husqvarna’s best result at the prestigious annual rally.
Pablo Quintanilla – Stage P3 – Overall P2
“I’m in a great spot right now to battle for the win and I’m really happy about that. Securing a podium result would be great for me and the team, but honestly my eyes are set on getting the win here in Peru. Today’s stage worked quite well for me. The mass start made it all more interesting. There were some tricky waypoints to make, but overall I felt good and managed to get a good time. Tomorrow I’m determined to give it all for the win. There’s just one minute separating me and Toby [Price] and the day will be long. No matter what happens tomorrow I am very satisfied with my performance at this Dakar. I gave 100% on each day and that’s what matters the most for me.”
Pablo Quintanilla
Placing fourth on Stage Nine, Matthias Walkner lies third overall in the general standings, six minutes and 35 seconds behind Price. Despite the deficit, Walkner’s advantage over the fourth-placed rider is considerable, and the defending Dakar champion has no choice but to push on tomorrow’s stage to make up as much time as possible.
Matthias Walkner – Stage P4 – Overall P3
“The stage felt really long today, partly because the pace was up and down all of the time. Riding in a group sometimes someone will push and everyone gets faster and then things will slow down again. Riding in the dust was tough and it made navigation tricky – we got lost a few times trying to find waypoints. I didn’t lose any time to the others though and I have a good gap to the next rider in the standings. Tomorrow there is no time for strategy, so I will give it my best and see where I finish.”
Matthias Walkner
Remaining calm and focused, Andrew Short has climbed up to an impressive fourth place in the Dakar’s provisional overall standings after Stage Nine. Claiming a seventh place result for the day, the American racer is looking forward to tomorrow’s final stage.
Andrew Short – Stage P7 – Overall P4
“There’s been a lot of chaos over the last few days. My plan from the beginning of this race was to just focus on my performance and try to be as smooth and consistent as possible. I’m happy to see my strategy is paying off. This fourth place in the overall is simply amazing. The moto start today was great fun for me. After the start, the terrain became a bit tricky and dangerous at some parts. There was a lot of dust and you really had to pay attention on the road book. That was stressful and there was this one waypoint at the end that was super tricky. The fatigue is setting in right now, but nevertheless I am really looking forward to reaching the finish line in Lima tomorrow.”
Andrew Short
The first Yamaha on the overall leaderboard is now Frenchman Xavier De Soultrait, one position ahead of leading Honda ridden by young Chilean José Ignacio Cornejo, better known as Nacho.
Xavier de Soultrait – Stage P10 – Overall P5
“I felt good in the stage today and managed to control my rhythm from start to finish. That was possibly the first stage in this second week of the Dakar where I felt so confident with my navigation. It was a tough stage, but not that hard to create any problems for me. I really enjoyed racing in the dunes today and for a big part of the stage we were riding in groups with other competitors. My bike is running great and I feel it gives me the confidence to push in these tricky conditions. Tomorrow we will race a smaller special of just over 100km. This Dakar has been a tough one and this fifth place in the overall gives me the motivation to keep working hard for the future.”
Xavier de Soultrait
Nacho debuted last year as a last minute fill-in for the injured Paulo Goncalves and went on to finish in the top ten, and thus earned his position as an official HRC rider for 2019.
José Ignacio Cornejo – Stage P6 – Overall P6
“In this penultimate stage there was a mass start, so we were all pretty close together all day. As a consequence there was a lot of dust and we had to keep a distance so that it wasn’t so dangerous. In the dunes we all got together again and lost a few minutes looking for several complicated waypoints, but I was happy to see how quickly we solved the navigation problems. I’ve continued climbing positions in the general standings, and now I’m sixth which I’m happy about. Tomorrow is the last day and I will try to set the same pace as I have over recent day.”
José Ignacio Cornejo
Setting off in the first wave of 10 riders this morning, Luciano Benavides had his first taste of mixing it with the rally leaders on a mass-start stage. Despite losing time to the group when fog once again affected visibility on the route, Benavides was able to push on and navigate himself back to the other riders. Currently lying seventh overall, the Argentinian will be aiming for another strong ride on tomorrow’s final stage to secure his place inside the top-10.
Luciano Benavides – Stage P9 – Overall P7
“Today was good fun but really chaotic. We all started together and it was my first time in the lead group. I did manage to get lost at one point when I followed some old tracks but I was able to find my way again and catch back up to the pack ahead. At the finish I don’t think I lost too much time. My goal coming into the race was to get a top-10 result and hopefully if everything goes well tomorrow, I should be able to better that so I’m really happy.”
Luciano Benavides
Kevin Benavides had come out guns blazing and opened the track for much of the special. A hard-to-locate waypoint caused the first wave of riders to reach the leading group and narrow the times down even further. Benavides eventually posted the eighth fastest stage time but had been sanctioned with a three-minute penalty from Stage Eight after race authorities deemed that the rider had violated one of the new rules established for the race. The team is currently gathering all the necessary information to present an official claim against the sanction.
Kevin Benavides
Kevin Benavides – Stage P8 – Overall P12
“The truth is that today was difficult to start, as I was affected by the sanction given to me yesterday. I tried to get it out of my head and start from scratch. I opened the track most of the day and several of the riders grouped together. In the end there were some complicated waypoints and the riders of the second group starting catching us up. It was a good stage to finish on a high note. Honda has done things well, so let’s finish the race and see what happens.”
Kevin Benavides
Another rider penalised, but much more severely, was KTM’s Sam Sunderland. Officials deemed that the Briton had deliberately caused the reported fault in his navigation system at the start of Stage Eight. A stage that he was supposed to open the road on as the first rider away, but due to the delay with his machine he was able to start behind other riders. Sunderland finished Stage Nine in 12th place, just ahead of Laia Sanz. Sunderland, the 2017 Dakar winner, had still been in contention for an outright podium position but that one-hour time penalty pushes him back to eighth overall, one-hour and ten-minutes behind Rally leader Toby Price. There was no mention of the penalty in KTM’s official releases or in Sunderland’s quotes… Or whether they would appeal the penalty….
KTM Techs work on the 450 Rally machines ahead of the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019
Sam Sunderland – Stage P12 – Overall P8
“Today’s stage went ok, I found it a little tricky to focus and couldn’t quite get into my rhythm. I lost a little time on the group but all-in-all had a good day. There’s one last stage to race and of course I plan to give it my best.”
Sam Sunderland
Laia Sanz enjoyed another consistent ride on today’s stage. Setting off in the second wave, Laia successfully stayed with the group until a small issue caused her to lose touch. Quickly rectifying the problem, the Spaniard set off again to ultimately complete the stage in 13th place. She now sits 11th in the provisional overall standings.
Laia Sanz – Stage P13 – Overall P11
“I am really surprised with my result so far, I haven’t been pushing too hard on any of the stages, just keeping to a good rhythm. I had a small issue today that cost me about five minutes, which was a shame because I lost touch with the group I had been riding with. Physically I felt better today too, so I am pleased about that. We only have one more day to go and I know it will feel very, very long. You start to listen to every noise on the bike and hope that nothing goes wrong. The plan is to make it to the finish and I will be really happy.”
Laia Sanz
2019 Dakar Rally Provisional Results Stage Nine
METGE Michael FRA Sherco 03:46’38
NOSIGLIA Daniel BOL Honda +02’00
QUINTANILLA Pablo CHI Husqvarna +03’28
WALKNER Matthias AUT KTM +03’29
PRICE Toby AUS KTM +03’29
CORNEJO José Ignacio CHI Honda +03’30
SHORT Andrew USA Husqvarna +04’03
BENAVIDES Kevin ARG Honda +03’03
BENAVIDES Luciano ARG KTM +04’55
DE SOULTRAIT Xavier FRA Yamaha +04’56
2019 Dakar Rally Stage Nine
2019 Dakar Rally Outright Standings after Stage Nine
PRICE Toby AUS Red Bull KTM Rally Factory 32:42’15
QUINTANILLA Pablo CHI Rockstar Husqvarna Factory +01’02
WALKNER Matthias AUT Red Bull KTM Rally Factory +06’35
SHORT Andrew USA Rockstar Husqvarna Factory +40’01
DE SOULTRAIT Xavier FRA Yamaha Official Rally Team +47’44
CORNEJO José Ignacio CHI Monster Energy Honda +01:05’45
BENAVIDES Luciano ARG Red Bull KTM Rally Factory +01:05’50
SUNDERLAND Sam GBR Red Bull KTM Rally Factory +01:10’15
MENA Oriol SPA Hero Motorsports Team +01:52’20
NOSIGLIA Daniel BOL Honda Argentina +02:21’51 12 BENAVIDES Kevin ARG Monster Energy Honda +03:22’15
2019 Dakar Rally Stage Nine
KTM Techs work on the 450 Rally machines ahead of the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019KTM Techs work on the 450 Rally machines ahead of the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019KTM Techs work on the 450 Rally machines ahead of the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019
Suzuki Australia is doing a ride-away deal on the 2019 Boulevard M109R which now comes in two new colour schemes with dark accents.
Price is $18,990 ride away, which means a saving on rego and other delivery costs of about $1000.
The new colours are white with blue trim and wheel rims, or black and red.
Dark accents
With the current shift away from chrome, most of the parts from the standard M109R have been swapped from chrome to dark, matte black.
Dark features include rear-view mirrors, drag-style handlebars and switches, clutch and brake levers, tank, clutch, magneto, side and cylinder head covers, brake calipers, side stand and the slash-cut mufflers.
The Black Edition also features clear indicator and tail light lenses.
There has been no change to any mechanicals or performance.
It is still powered by a 109 cubic inch (1786cc), 54-degree, V-twin, liquid-cooled engine producing 92kW @ 6200rpm with 160Nm of torque.
The massive 240mm low-profile radial rear tyre is the largest used on a Suzuki motorcycle.
The 2019 Suzuki Boulevard M109R Black Edition comes with a two-year unlimited-kilometre warranty.
Not this incident in North Carolina reported by Fox8news:
Sergeant Daniel Battjes and Officer James Carter, both on motorcycles, were riding behind Morgan, driving a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, at about 2:23 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Reynolds Boulevard and Akron Drive.
Officers were trying to stop Morgan after seeing him commit motor vehicle violations, according to a news release.
That’s when the vehicle stopped abruptly, and both Battjes and Carter hit the back of the Malibu.
The sergeant and officer were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
***
There’s nothing to laugh at about this incident in San Francisco either, reported by the Los Angeles Times:
Two San Francisco police officers were injured Thursday afternoon after a collision with another officer while all three were on their patrol motorcycles, authorities said.
The officers were riding eastbound on Bryant Street at 5th Street shortly before 1 p.m. when the crash occurred, said Officer Robert Rueca, a spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department.
They were taken to a hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening, he said.
“Due to unforeseen reasons, there was a collision between three of the department vehicles,” Rueca said.
***
And there’s a lot fishy, but certainly nothing funny about this two-officer crash this morning in Irving, Texas, reported by Fox4news.
Irving police said the officers were monitoring traffic on the side of the road at the time.
Originally, police said a driver veered off the road and crashed into an officer, causing a domino effect and injuring the other officer. But after talking to witnesses, they said that was not the case.
“After interviewing multiple witnesses and viewing various video footage, this is no longer considered a hit & run accident and we are not looking for anybody that we consider to be a suspect,” Irving PD said in a Facebook post. “However, we are still looking to interview someone who may have witnessed the incident but left prior to giving their statement to responding officers.
Both of the officers were treated for minor injuries and have been released from the hospital.
Police have not released any more information about the wreck.
Switchbacking up to Passo Gardena. Photos by the author.
Every organized motorcycle tour worth its salt has interesting roads, captivating scenery, tasty food and comfortable accommodations. That’s what you’re paying for, in addition to experienced and knowledgeable guides and the convenience of having a motorcycle waiting for you when you arrive. All you have to do is show up and ride.
The sign at Passo Falzarego was remarkably clean. Signs at most of the passes are covered in so many stickers that it can be hard to read them.
Every tour also has a hook, something that catches riders’ eyes and convinces them to lay down a deposit and clear their calendar for a week or two. In the case of Ayres Adventures’ Switchback Challenges, the hook is short, intense tours that promise riders more hairpins, chicanes, kinks, sweepers and high passes than they can count.
A short break at Passo Gardena, only a few kilometers from our hotel.
Covering seven days, with two travel days bookending five riding days, these tours are reasonably priced (starting at $2,975), offer mid-level accommodations and, by staying at the same hotel during the riding days, require less hassle than tours that go from hotel to hotel each night. Ayres offers four Switchback Challenges–the Pyrenees, southern Spain, central Alps and the Dolomites.
Many valleys in the Dolomites are crisscrossed with twisting roads and ski lifts.
Lofty terms such as motorcycle “heaven” or “nirvana” are often used to describe the Alps, a huge, diverse mountain range of unrivaled beauty that, because it’s located in the heart of Western Europe and has been fought over and occupied for millennia, is densely packed with narrow, steep, winding roads, some in the most unlikely of places.
Descending from Passo Falzarego after taking a cable car to the top of the mountain. Even in late summer, a snow storm dropped several inches of snow on the Dolomites days before we arrived.
Even within an area as exceptional as the Alps, the Dolomites manage to stand out. Designated a World Heritage Site, Unesco describes the Dolomites as “a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps [that] features some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes anywhere, with vertical walls, sheer cliffs and a high density of narrow, deep and long valleys.”
The Dolomites are made up of nine distinct formations that rise up from the green valleys that surround them. BMW’s R 1200 GS Adventure is a big bike for such tight roads, but it handles well and its low-end torque came in handy.
What gives peaks and ridges in the Dolomites their distinctive jagged appearance–and the mountain range its name–is sedimentary carbonate rock with a high percentage of the mineral dolomite. Spread out over more than 550 square miles, the Dolomites are made up of nine distinct, enormous formations that tower high above valleys that weave between and around them, like giant gray teeth sticking up through green shag carpet.
Fresh asphalt and stunning views on the way up to Passo Sella.
With 18 peaks at or above 10,000 feet, parts of the Dolomites are blanketed in snow and glaciers year-round, the run-off from which crashes down steep ravines and creates dramatic waterfalls. Popular among skiers in the winter and hikers, bicyclists and motorcyclists in the summer, the Dolomites region is riddled with jaw-dropping vistas, tangles of asphalt and picturesque villages.
But first we had to get there.
Our tour guide Axel carving a fast line at Passo Nigra.
For convenience, Ayres’ Dramatic Dolomites Tour begins and ends in Munich, Germany, since its airport is a major European hub (I flew there nonstop from Los Angeles). Our affable guide, Axel Papst, with 18 years of experience leading motorcycle tours all over the world, picked me up at the airport and drove me to the hotel–a courtesy extended to all tour guests. After a tour briefing and giving our motorcycles a once-over, we walked to a local restaurant for a proper Bavarian dinner.
Passo Fedaia provides exceptional views of glacier-covered Marmolada, the highest peak in the Dolomites, and the crystal blue waters of Lago Fedaia, created by an enormous dam.
Over tall glasses of German lager, our small group–just four solo riders plus Axel–got acquainted. There was Tony, a retired executive from Indiana and a veteran of several Ayres tours–one being the Alps Switchback Challenge that he completed the week before our Dolomites tour. There was Jeff, a retired business owner and professor from Indiana who’s a riding buddy of Tony’s. And there was Lou, an engineer from Massachusetts. We quickly fell into easy conversation and shared lots of laughs, which continued throughout the week.
Our crew on the first day, during a lunch stop in Innsbruck, Austria.
On our first day, after taking the autobahn around Munich, we followed Axel on back roads through villages, forests and fields, heading south through Austria, and then into Italy via Brenner Pass, a major route through the eastern Alps that’s clogged with train tracks, a freeway, a local highway and an outlet mall. Having paid our dues for the sake of efficiency, we were soon rewarded with a steep climb up and over Passo di Pènnes, our first proper alpine pass. Even though it was the last week of August, the air was cold and windy and the mountains were dusted with snow. Weather can be unpredictable in the Alps, so it’s best to be prepared with rain gear and extra layers.
Tony, always easy to spot in his bright yellow Aerostich Darien jacket, rounding one of many hairpins on the way up to Passo di Giau.
As we would be for most of the tour, we were in South Tyrol, an autonomous province in northern Italy that was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Since more than 60 percent of South Tyroleans speak German and most of the rest speak Italian, signs typically list cities, passes, etc. in both languages. Most houses, hotels and barns are built in the alpine chalet style, with white walls, wide roofs, carved woodwork and large balconies, the railings of which exploded with colorful flowers in full bloom.
Known as Wolkenstein in Gröden in German and Selva di Val Gardena in Italian, this scenic ski town in a lush valley was our base camp during the tour.
We spent four nights in Wolkenstein, a charming ski town tucked in one of the Dolomites’ lush green valleys. Our home away from home was the cozy, recently renovated Hotel Comploj, run by a family that all but adopts its guests. The father is a gourmet chef, and he impressed us each night with freshly made soups, pastas and local specialties.
Located in the heart of the Dolomites, Hotel Comploj provided comfortable lodging, delicious food and charming hospitality.
Three of our riding days were spent exploring the best the Dolomites has to offer on loops averaging 150 miles. It was a garden of earthly delights, with the sort of smooth, winding pavement we all dream of delivering us to high-alpine pass after high-alpine pass, an up, down and all-around rollercoaster with a stunning backdrop everywhere you look. The list of passes we summited is long and glorious–Gardena, Valparola, Falzarego, Giau, Cibiana, Duran, Campolongo, Rolle, Valles, Cereda, Costalunga, Fedaia, Nigra, Pinei, Pordoj, Sella, Staulanza, Mendola and Erbe–each one unique, as are the roads that slither up and over them, and we lucked out with blue skies and cool temperatures.
With its countless hairpins, riding in the Dolomites will put any rider’s skills to the test.
Our daily mileage may seem modest, but when measured in terms of quality rather than quantity, our cup overfloweth. At the end of each day, as we hoisted celebratory beers back at the hotel, exhausted and exhilarated with sore shoulders from so many tight turns, no one complained of not riding enough. A Switchback Challenge, indeed.
Ayres Adventures’ Switchback Challenge tours run from August-October 2019. For more information and the full calendar of tours, visit ayresadventures.com.
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