Our bike, with grip, was working incredibly well today, especially in the morning in the cooler conditions. I was able to build into that Superpole lap with a three stop strategy – first with a race tyre, then with a pre-qualifier and then at the end with the qualifying tyre. With the temperatures rising in the afternoon, maybe a combination of that, or what we changed on the rear of the bike a little, I really struggled right at the apex of the corners to turn around. It was putting so much stress on the front tyre. I tried to do the best I could, but when Alvaro came past it was on a completely different rhythm. I found myself on a similar pace to Alex. On the last lap I tried to be as close as possible to do something in the last corner. I saw him going wide on the racing line so I decided to do a cutback and go to the inside. Unfortunately at that point he was fully committed to the corner, I did not got through far enough, we had contact and he went down. I am really sorry for ending his race but it was a real racing accident; last lap, last corner battle. http://jonathan-rea.com/news/superpole-winner-then-fourth-rea
Jonathan Rea took his KRT Ninja ZX-10RR to a record breaking Superpole success at Jerez and then followed it up with an eventual fourth p Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
Five versions of the Gold Wing are available: Gold Wing, Gold Wing DCT, Gold Wing Tour, Gold Wing Tour DCT, and Gold Wing Tour Airbag DCT. All come with two smart keys and updated navigation software. (Those same updates, Honda says, are also available for 2018 models.) Prices range from $23,800 for the standard, non-top-trunk model to $31,800 for the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink edition.
Ducati designs its machines in-house. There are 20 motorcycle and accessory designers, and another 10 who work on apparel. They work under sealed-up opaque windows, at now-vacant workstations with big tablets and desks that show glimpses of their occupants’ personalities. Racing trinkets, Star Wars toys. Many are in the office slowly tinkering, turning the finished design of the Diavel over and over and over in their hands like it’s a smooth pebble. The rest of the design shop is displaced elsewhere, along with their sensitive work.
Penrite Honda Racing duo Simpson and Dooley-McDonnell lock out the top three.
Image: Foremost Media.
KTM Desert Racing Team’s David Walsh will start first tomorrow in the Bike category at the 2019 Tatts Finke Desert Race after topping today’s prologue.
With last year’s victor Toby Price solely racing the Car category, 2018 runner-up Walsh hit the prologue circuit first, lapping up the fastest time of 4m49s to defeat Penrite Honda Racing’s Jack Simpson, who was 5.2 seconds off from the pole sitter.
Penrite Honda Racing teammate Jack Dooley-McDonnell locked out the top three, finishing a fraction behind Victorian Simpson, while the top five was completed by Jacob Smith (Schwarz Husqvarna Desert Team) and Nathan Trigg (Motul Pirelli Sherco Factory Racing).
Positions six through to 10 were taken out by Beau Ralston (Schwarz Husqvarna Desert Team), Sam Davie (Schwarz Husqvarna Desert Team), Mark Grove (Penrite Honda Racing), Jerakye Andrews (Yamaha) and Lachlan Terry (KTM).
Riders will make the 226-kilometre journey to Finke tomorrow, returning back to Alice Springs on Monday where the 2019 Finke Desert Race champion will be crowned.
Ant West, who has raced in seven world championship series since 1998, announced his decision in a Facebook post over night:
Fuck FIM I’m done with this sport!!!! You will never see me on another motorcycle again in my life. You win FIM you dogs. Your really low shit people who should have nothing to do with the sport. FIM have pushed to make me lose my ride with Kawasaki here Brazil. FIM have destroyed my life many times and have put me into depression to point I wish I was dead. I’m done playing there bullshit political games. Fuck you FIM. Sorry to all my fans who have supported me all the way since 1999 when 1st went to world championship. I love you all!!!!
It follows a video post two days ago saying: “Last laps like this is why FIM don’t want me racing. Not meant to beat factory teams on a private bike.”
Doping scandal
The doping scandal started in 2012 when he was racing World Moto2 championship with the Qatar-based QMMF Racing Team.
Ant claims he skipped breakfast and had a “workout drink” which caused him to prove positive in a drug test later the same day at the Le Mans round.
The FIM claims they had changed the rules to add the drink, but Ant says it wasn’t on the doping list and is even used by Australian football players.
Several months later he was banned.
A legal wrangle followed, he was dope tested two more times, his team was disqualified over an engine technicality, he had a 2018 Asian championship win revoked and he lost his racing licence.
Ant claims this was FIM bullying because he challenged the original ban.
He switched to the Brazilian SBK Championship in 2019 to escape FIM rules, but now seems to have dropped out of that series.
If you are experiencing feelings of depression, contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 131114.
Royal Enfield is on a winner with its 650cc twins as American engine giant S&S Cycle has now added 750cc and 865cc big-bore kits.
This follows the recent announcement that premium Swedish suspension manufacturer Ohlins has developed suspension grades for the twins and the Himalayan.
Australia isn’t alone in the motorcycle sales slump with global sales down 5.4% in the first quarter of 2019, mainly due to slumps in the largest motorcycle markets, India and China.
Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) motorcycle spokesman Rhys Griffiths says the contraction of Chinese and Indian markets is one of the biggest threats to the future of motorcycling.
Rhys says the “gradual gentrification of Chinese society means the aspirational purchase is no longer a motorcycle, but a car”.
“This represents a gradual move away from motorcycles as a mode of transport,” he says.
“Maybe the Indians will follow as they become more prosperous,” he says.
Last year India surpassed China was the biggest motorcycle market in the world with more than 20 million motorcycle sales, up 2.6m from the previous year and almost double the sales of just seven years ago.
However, in a worrying trend, sales in India started to slow late last year and have continued to slump this year.
If the global sales slide continues, motorcycle companies will see less profit and therefore less money will be spent on research and development of new models.
Good news
There seems to be some good news on the horizon with the European market booming by 23%.
But most of that increase is in e-bikes or pedal-assisted electric bicycles which are counted in the motorcycle numbers, unlike Australia where they are not included.
Since then, sales have picked up their downhill pace with a 14.6% decline in the first quarter of 2019, the biggest quarterly drop since the slide began in 2017 and cause for concern.
An indication of the Aussie slide is the share price for MotorCycle Holdings which is the parent company of TeamMoto dealerships.
Since it went public in 2016 at about $2.50, shares reached a peak of $5.22 at the end of 2017 but plummeted to a record low of $1.08 in early May. They were $1.35 at the close of the ASX on Friday.
MotorCycle Holdings share price grap
Global sales
ASIA: Motorcycle sales down 8.8 million (-9.9%)
ASEAN: Sales are up 5.9% to 34 million, led by Indonesia with 15% growth, while the big markets of Vietnam and Thailand are dropping.
LATINAMERICA: Sales marginally down despite 15% growth in Brazil and 15.9% in Colombia. These were offset by heavy losses in Mexico, Argentina and Ecuador.
NORTHAMERICA: USA was down 3% and Canada down 5.2% in 2018 and the trend appears to be continuing in Q1 2019.
EUROPE: Up 23.6% in 27 of 28 countries in the first quarter. Greece was down 2.2%. The fastest sales growth was in Poland (87.3%), followed by Romania (86.9%), Hungary (72%), Lithuania (71%) and Slovakia (+54%). The top five were France (31.8%), Italy (17%), Spain (19.1%), Germany (22.1%) and the UK 10%.
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