The Smart Jacket utilizes the third-generation D-air Road range technology which includes a 25-hour battery life, plus fast charging capability while allowing maximum airflow thanks to the design of the front portion of the Shield. The unit is folded in half prior to deployment, which permits plenty of air to flow to the rider’s body. Once the Shield is deployed, it envelops the rider’s upper body in a split second and Dainese claims the back of the airbag provides the same amount of impact protection as seven Level 1 back protectors. It can also be repacked at any authorized Dainese dealer.
Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing) may have missed Day 1 of the official FIM Enel MotoE World Cup test in Valencia but the Brit made his presence felt on his return as he topped the timesheets with a 1m40.290 on Tuesday – just under a tenth faster than Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing).
Hector Garzo
To put that 1m40.290 time into perspective for the fledgling new MotoE category, the MotoGP fastest lap record at Valencia is 1m29.401, the Moto2 record is 1m34.879, and the Moto3 tiddlers becnhmark is 1m38.428.
Bradley Smith
Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama) completed the top three on the combined timesheets, but it’s Garzo who will start from pole in Wednesday’s race simulation.
MotoE Testing
On Day 2 there were three sessions: one practice in the morning, one in the afternoon and an E-Pole qualifying session simulation in which riders do one fast lap each. That was held around mid-way through the action and Garzo took the honour of the first, simulated E-Pole, although Granado was close as he ended the session just 0.025 in arrears. That session alone decides the starting grid for the race, and it’s Niki Tuuli (Ajo MotoE) who will complete the front row.
Nico Terol
Smith, although fastest overall, was fourth quickest in qualifying, ahead of Xavier Simeon (Avintia Esponsorama) and Nico Terol (Openbank Angel Nieto Team), but the Brit won’t be present for the race. Nevertheless, after a first ever run through of a race start on Tuesday – each taking grid positions and then blasting away to test the procedure – Wednesday’s simulation should be a thriller.
MotoE prepares for first race simulation
Overall, the last session was the one that decided the majority of the top ten on the combined timesheets. Both Smith and Garzo set their best efforts in that session, with Granado the only man in the top five who didn’t. The Brazilian’s fastest lap was his E-Pole lap, putting him ahead of late improvers Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) and consistent frontrunner Tuuli. The three were covered by just 0.065.
Maria Herrera
Mike Di Meglio (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) was sixth fastest overall with his time from the morning, ahead of Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE) and Maria Herrera (Openbank Angel Nieto Team), who both set their best efforts in the afternoon.
María Herrera
“Today we practiced the race start and also the pole system and I am happy with how the day went. This morning, after the practice start, I stayed out and didn’t come in to change tyres – just focused on setting my race pace, which I managed to improve by a second. I am riding well, understanding the bike more and more, and we are improving the set-up. I wasn’t quite as comfortable as normal in the fight for pole but I am still happy with the lap time we set.”
María Herrera
Simeon was ninth overall from his E-Pole lap, with Alex De Angelis (Octo Pramac MotoE) completing the top ten just 0.003 off the Belgian rider’s laptime.
Alex De Angelis
“It was a peculiar day for us, first with the technical problem in the morning session and then with the vibrations at the rear that didn’t allow me to do my best in qualifying. We will analyze the data to be ready for tomorrow’s simulation that will be important to limit the distance from the group in front.”
Alex De Angelis
The gaps were tiny from ninth to 13th: Terol was 0.018 off De Angelis, Niccolo Canepa (LCR E-Team) was next up and only 0.004 down, with Randy De Puniet (LCR E-Team) in P13 only 0.007 off his teammate.
Randy De Puniet
De Puniet, who crashed on Day 1, also went down on Tuesday. Josh Hook (Octo Pramac MotoE) missed Tuesday’s action due to gastro and also crashed on Monday.
Josh Hook
There remains another day of testing for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup on Wednesday, including the race simulation, so stay tuned for more.
Welsh invention MotoBrite increases the visibility of motorcycles broken down at the side of the road at night or in fog with its high-density LED hazard warning sign.
The hazard sign is hidden underneath the number plate and can quickly be deployed in an emergency situation.
It would be much more noticeable than motorcycle hazard lights, especially in foggy conditions. That’s probably why Welsh road safety innovation company, Road Safety Designs, thought of it first!
Over the past year, Road Safety Designs has established distribution networks in countries such as Australia, Dubai and Mexico.
It will now use these relationships to take its latest product to the international market.
However, company spokeswoman Claire Saralis says they currently only have the one big size to fit British motorcycle number plates.
“But if demand for different sizes was there, this is certainly something we would consider,” she says.
Obviously an Australian adaptation would have to be much smaller. We can’t see any reason why it would contravene any rules.
Visible MotoBrite sign
MotoBrite is visible up to 300m away in daylight and at night.
Road Safety Designs boss and MotoBrite designer Steve Wornham started the company after he narrowly avoided hitting a stranded motorist changing a tyre on a poorly lit road.
“We have now made it our mission to prevent this, or worse from happening again,” he says.
“There were a number of factors to consider during the design process, the main one being limitation of storage on a motorcycle.
“Designing something that would be a permanent fixture on the motorcycle seemed to be the best solution, and being battery powered meant that the MotoBrite would not depend on the motorcycle as its power source.”
KTM have produced some fap fodder for hard-core adventure motorcyclists worldwide with the announcement overnight of a limited edition KTM 790 Adventure Rally R. Only 500 will be sold world wide and as yet we are unsure as to how many have been collared for Australia but one thing is for sure, however many of that 500 they bring Down Under they will sell out of them.
KTM Adventure Rally R
Rest assured though if your pockets are deep enough all the kit that is standard on this machine will be available via your local KTM parts department to build your own KTM Adventure Rally R from the base machine.
KTM Adventure Rally R
Based heavily on the KTM 790 Adventure R, this exclusive model retains the same steel trellis chassis and the potent and compact 95hp LC8c parallel twin engine, with the major component difference being the addition of the special WP XPLOR PRO suspension. Built in the same department as WP’s Factory Racing equipment, it offers similar levels of performance for extreme riding. An additional 30mm of suspension travel front and back helps clear the most awkward obstacles and also creates a seat height of 910mm for this special model.
KTM Adventure Rally R
The WP XPLOR PRO 7548 fork uses cone valve technology; a unique valving system that KTM claims delivers almost limitless damping performance and combines comfort with bottoming resistance. Setting levels that normally can only be achieved by changing the shim stack can now be adjusted from the outside. The cone valve allows unlimited opening, so harshness of the suspension is reduced.
KTM Adventure Rally R
The high quality and fully adjustable WP XPLOR PRO 6746 shock absorber for the KTM 790 Adventure R Rally has been developed based on KTM’s unrivalled experience from top-level rally competition. Due to modern, low-friction components, the shock absorber shows a significant increase in its damping performance and reduces the physical strain for riders. The shock absorber employs a progressive damping system (PDS) and has completely – and easily – adjustable damping behavior.
KTM Adventure Rally R
To emphasise its Ready To Race credentials along with the WP XPLOR PRO suspension, the KTM 790 Adventure R Rally features a weight-saving Akrapovič exhaust, carbon-fibre tank protectors and Quickshifter+ as standard.
KTM Adventure Rally R
Easily distinguished by its unique color and graphic design with clear screen and winglets, yes winglets have now migrated from sportsbikes to adventure bikes, this special edition model comes with narrower rims fitted with tubes for hard off-road conditions, a high, straight racing seat to improve racing ergonomics and Rally footrests for comfort and grip when standing for long days.
KTM Adventure Rally R
Hubert Trunkenpolz (CMO KTM AG)
“Quite simply, we’ve built the KTM 790 Adventure R Rally because we can! At KTM we continually try to push ourselves and the development of our products – this is the Ready To Race way. We have the equipment at our disposal and we know how to make a truly special bike for our hardcore customers. With its Pro Components range, WP offers suspension close to the same level used by the Dakar-winning Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Rally team on the KTM 450 Rally. The new KTM 790 Adventure R Rally is exactly as it says: A rally bike ready for any adventure.”
KTM Adventure Rally R
Further details on pricing, availability and the ordering process for purchasing one of the limited number KTM 790 Adventure Rally R motorcycles will be announced in coming months.
The E-Pole practice went very well and for it, each rider will get three laps: an out-lap, one flying lap, then the in-lap. Every rider took part and the top three were Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing), Avintia Esponsorama Racing’s Eric Granado and Niki Tuuli (Ajo MotoE). But on the overall lap time charts from Day 2, it was Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing) who topped the times with a 1:40.290, 0.094 ahead of Day 1’s fastest man Garzo.
Tom Lüthi and Dynvolt Intact GP teammate Marcel Schrötter were trying new spec tyres for Dunlop, as well as testing different brake discs, different suspension specifications and the geometry of their Kalex bikes. Lorenzo Baldassarri (FlexBox HP 40) and ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team riders Remy Gardner and Tetsuta Nagashima were also testing the new Dunlop tyres, which include one front and two rear, as well as different chassis configurations.
“Yeah I’m really happy because we made a clever race,” began Rabat, but the number 53 rider wasn’t impressed by some of the antics at the beginning of the race. “We also made good laps times but at the beginning it was unbelievable. If you start at the back, the back guys are completely mad. The front guys are ok but the rear is crazy. They pass from here, they pass from here and they crash, the first two at Turn 1 and the second at Turn 10.
There are three stages of the 2019 MotoGP™ eSport Championship. The first is the Online Challenges, where players must beat pre-determined lap times in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, Moto3™, Moto2™ categories to progress through to the actual “time attack” with MotoGP™ bikes where the times are recorded and ranked. There are six Online Challenges in total, where riders play with a specific rider and machine at a certain track in predetermined conditions.
“I hope to continue on this line, to finish races because this is what makes you stronger, this is what I miss. I’m happy because this was the second normal race for me, the first normal one was in Qatar and the second was here. Looks like the results are coming, I’m so happy for the team and me. Let’s continue improving in the next races.”
HJC makes a lot of helmets–more than one million per year in four factories in South Korea and Vietnam, according to the company website. At the upper end of its product range is the RPHA lineup (Revolutionary Performance Helmet Advanced, pronounced “are-fah”), which includes two sport-touring helmets and two street/racing helmets. The RPHA 70 ST is the newer of the two sport-touring models, and there’s much to like about this sharp-looking lid.
The shell is made from HJC’s P.I.M. Plus, which comprises several layers of aramid, fiberglass and carbon material. A large central vent up top is easy to adjust into one of its three positions with gloves on, and two rear exhaust vents are small but also fairly easy to use. The scratch-resistant, tool-free, Pinlock-ready shield has a central open/close latch that trades sleekness for functionality–fine for a sport-touring lid–but I wish it had a slightly larger initial “vent” opening.
The integrated drop-down sun shield is also easy to use via the slider at the bottom of the chinbar. I installed a Sena 10C Pro Bluetooth communicator/action camera on my RPHA 70 ST, and the speakers were a snap to position thanks to the helmet’s large recesses that came with soft “loop” fabric ready for the “hooks” on the backs of the Sena’s speakers.
I’m usually a size small, and my RPHA 70 ST’s fit around the cheeks is on the snug side, but I prefer it that way; multiple sizes of the removable/washable cheekpads and top liner are available to dial-in fit. The neckroll fit is tight as well, making for a fairly quiet ride, and I appreciate the large reflective sections at the back for nighttime visibility. A large breath deflector and a chin curtain are included.
At 3 pounds, 8 ounces, my small RPHA 70 ST is on par with competitive lids. It’s DOT- and ECE-approved and carries a 5-year warranty, and is available in sizes XS-2XL spread across three shell sizes. Pricing starts at $399.99 for solids and $440.99 for graphics. If you’re feeling super, an Iron Man or Black Panther graphic is available for $609.99.
For more information, see your dealer or visit hjchelmets.com.
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