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Source: Marc Márquez on Facebook
2018 Ducati Monster 797 Review
Some things just make sense: tacos from Baja, coffee from Colombia, and motorcycles from Italy. Last year, Ducati released the friendly and approachable Monster 797 to offer somewhat of a stepping stone into its premier Monster lineup. The Monster was first introduced back in 1993 and at one point accounted for more than half of Ducati’s sales worldwide. The beast from Bologna has been mostly praised for its exceptional performance and power, which can be intimidating for some. However, being such an iconic bike desired by riders of all skill levels, Ducati decided to aim the newest addition to the Monster family toward a more casual enthusiast.
The Ducati Monster 797 comes packed with the same 803cc air-cooled Desmodue twin as the Ducati Scrambler which produces a maximum 73 hp at 8,250 rpm and 49 pound-feet of torque at 5,750 rpm. Matched with a six-speed gearbox transmission, 50mm throttle body, suspended on a 43mm Kayaba USD fork and a preload- and rebound-adjustable Sachs monoshock, all enclosed in a steel trellis frame.
We spent a day putting the Monster 797 to work ripping through canyons and slaying freeway miles to get an overall opinion of the bike in a variety of road conditions. At first glance, the Ducati Monster 797 looks like a bike packed with performance for tight corners, fast speed, and big wheelies, however, looks can be deceiving. My initial impression when throwing a leg over the 797 is the bike offers a neutral, upright seating position that creates a comfy ride. However, this sporty-looking machine became a little disappointing from the initial turn of the key due to an extremely generic display, reading nothing more than mph, trip 1, trip 2, the time, and, well, that’s it. With a very limited electronics package offering only non-switchable ABS, I immediately felt as if I was on a dated motorcycle.
Once I was on my way, bobbing from one side of the tire to the other as I carved through the twisty roads of Julian, California, I found myself gaining confidence in the bike for its rugged chassis and stiff suspension that allows the rider to feel extremely stable and planted throughout the corner. However, the 803cc air-cooled Desmodue twin left me wanting more for its lack of character throughout the revs. Although this bike gets up to speed quickly it just doesn’t seem to do it in an exciting, perilous way that leaves the rider in an emotional spectrum between excitement and terror as they try to put power to the ground and keep the front wheel down. After gaining all that speed it’s time to slow down, and this is where the Monster 797 fell short for me with is twitchy, divvy front end feel when grabbing a handful of front brake.
Although the Ducati Monster 797 doesn’t offer the same raging performance as some of its competitors, the more time I spent in the saddle the more I appreciated Ducati’s vision for a simple middleweight naked bike. This particular Monster creates a traditional experience for the rider transforming them to a time where bikes were more raw and mechanical, and less computerized. This is where the bike excelled for me. It’s not the latest and greatest thing on the road, but for making some pleasant-sounding noise on the open road, this Ducati fits the bill.
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com
Map expert reviews TomTom Rider 550 GPS
TomTom has finally released their new Rider 550 satnav with new routes, wifi, personalised trips, smartphone connectivity, group sharing and voice activation.
It costs $599 and we wondered whether it is worth the money when smartphones these days seem to do so much of the tasks of a satnav.
So we handed over the unit to regular riding partner and map expert Peter “Worldmapman” Davis.
The qualified cartographer has spent 20 years as Sales and Marketing Manager of HEMA Maps and five years running his own geographic information consultancy, so he knows what he is talking about.
Here is his review:
Tom Tom Rider 550
Out of the box the first thing that impresses is the handlebar mount.
It is RAM brand which I believe to be the best, most secure and robust range of vehicle electronic mounts in the world.
When I attached the mount to the handle bars and went for a run, it did not disappoint; solid with virtually no vibration.
It also allows you to quickly swivel the unit from landscape to portrait mode depending on what you prefer.
The Rider 550 came fully charged and ready to go. And with faster processing, it fires up very quickly. No more waiting for it to load.
It includes a short cable with a proprietary plug on the end to connect to a cable with bare wire ends to route it straight to your battery terminal. There is also a cable with a USB plug to go to a USB charging port. Handy.
However, on my first test I didn’t bother plugging it into power. I ran it on full nav operation for more than four hours and it still had 3/4 battery left. (It is claimed to have six hours’ battery charge.)
I haven’t yet got around to plugging in the power cable and might never feel the need with that much battery power storage!
Speaking of storage, I downloaded the complete set of free world maps. Not many satnavs have that much storage capacity.
The instruction manual is concise but tells you everything you needed to know.
Wifi connection
Since it has wifi, you don’t have to connect to it to a computer for updates.
Once connected to home wifi, the TomTom Rider 550 tells you if there are any updates required and you do this while you are connected.
Operationally it is typical of any modern satnav devices. It is easy to use and quite intuitive. When you take a wrong turn it is lightning fast at recalculating. So much faster than any other GPS unit or smartphone navigation app.
Its stored POIs (points of interest) are also extensive.
On the bike, the screen visibility is very acceptable even in full sun. I could read the screen in all light conditions with minor head adjustments. It automatically reverts to night mode when it is dark.
Its touchscreen works with most gloves, so long as they are not too thick. So if using winter gloves, get a pair with touchscreen-sensitive fingertips like these from Macna.
Mapping data
The mapping data is very up-to-date which is underlined by the accuracy of the speed zone, speed camera and red light cameras.
Another thing that impresses me is that during school hours the speed in school zones automatically change.
Here’s another impressive feature: the strip map window down the side shows distance to speed cameras, fuel, etc. Very handy!
As you would expect, the device can connect to Bluetooth intercom units. However, if you turn up the volume, it’s easy to hear without Bluetooth connection at all but highway speeds.
Given that I don’t use Bluetooth much, I wasn’t able to test the voice activation or the new feature that reads smartphone messages aloud in your headset.
However, that sort of technology works well elsewhere so Im sure it’s fine, if you like that sort of thing.
My only concern was that the view randomly swapped orientation between horizontal to vertical, but it did correct quickly. (We noticed this with the previous model if you set it too close to horizontal. It needs to be positioned closer to vertical – MBW).
Conclusion
TomTom Rider 500 is a useful navigation tool and much more suitable to the rugged conditions on your bike than a delicate smartphone.
Given that traffic warnings, speed camera locations and worldwide mapping is included free for the lifetime of the unit, it could be taken and used anywhere in the world.
Tech specs
|
Price |
$599 |
|
Battery |
Rechargeable Lithium Ion |
|
Battery charge |
Up to 6 hours autonomous operation |
|
Screen type |
11 cm (4.3″) touchscreen. Capacitive, glove-friendly, sunlight readable screen |
|
Screen Resolution |
480 x 272 WQVGA |
|
Processor |
Quad-Core |
|
Memory |
16 GB |
|
RAM Size |
512 Mb |
|
SD slot |
Micro SD slot |
|
Waterproof |
IPX7 – Protects again any wet weather conditions |
|
Connectivity |
Smartphone Connected, Bluetooth audio |
|
Wi-Fi |
Update and download without plugging into a computer |
|
Features |
Hands-free calling. Smartphone messages. Siri & Google Now |
|
Services |
TomTom Traffic, TomTom Speed Cameras, QuickGPSfix via Bluetooth® on your smartphone |
|
Maps |
Pre-installed Australia, New Zealand, North America, Canada, Mexico. Worldwide maps available to download. Lifetime map updates. |
|
Services |
Lifetime Traffic and Speed Cameras Updates |
|
USB |
Micro USB port and 2.0 USB cable |
|
Dimensions: |
136.8 x 88.4 x 30.5 |
|
Weight |
280g |
|
Mount |
RAM universal mounting kit – fits nearly all bikes |
|
Bluetooth® |
Yes |
|
Bring Your Own Connectivity |
Yes |
|
Automatic Speech Recognition(ASR) |
No |
|
Tilt Sensor |
Yes |
|
Light Sensor |
No |
|
Wi-Fi |
Yes |
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Sanvenero 125 and 500cc GP Racers from the 1980s
Sanvenero 125cc & 500cc GP Racers
With Phil Aynsley
Emilio Sanvenero (a building contractor) was an enthusiastic bike racing fan and already a sponsor of MBA when he set up his own company in 1980 to produce race bikes with the aim of competing in the following year’s 125 and 500 World Championships.
The 125 proved to be quite successful with team riders Guy Bertin and Richard Tormo both winning a race and finishing 6th and 8th respectively in the ’81 season. In 1982 MBA closed and most of the staff moved to Sanvenero.
Tormo was joined by Pier Paolo Bianchi in the 125 class, with Tormo winning the Belgian GP but finishing the season in 4th, one point behind Bianchi’s 3rd.
After Sanvenero folded (during the German GP!) Bianchi was able to obtain several 125s from the receivers and continued to race them during 1983, scoring three podiums and 8th in the championship.
This 125 is fitted with a special swingarm designed by Antonio Cobas.
The 500cc project was both far more ambitious and far less successful. The engine was inspired by Suzuki’s RG500, but used a shorter stroke.
The crankcases were made by Campagnolo, the crankshafts by Hoeckle and pistons by Mahle. The first frames were made by Nico Bakker but a home-grown chassis was soon used.
At least four bikes were constructed during the ’81-’82 seasons. Riders were Carlo Perugini (no points) in ’81 and Guy Bertin (no points) & Michel Frutschi (14th) in ’82.
Indeed Frutschi won the French GP at Nogaro after all the top teams boycotted the race due to safety concerns.
When the team was declared bankrupt during the German GP at Hockenheim in September the circuit took possession of the two bikes entered and one can still be seen in the circuit museum.
The two ’81 bikes are in English and Italian collections while the one I photographed is with a German collector, was mechanically restored over 2012-13 and was ridden at the Bikers Classic meeting at Imola in 2013. It is in original condition (apart from the tyres), including the paint.
Source: MCNews.com.au
Pedrosa named MotoGP Legend as retirement looms this weekend
Spanish ace inducted into the Hall of Fame at Valencia.
Image: Supplied.
Three-time world champion Dani Pedrosa has been named a MotoGP Legend ahead of hanging up his leathers at the end of 2018, with the Spaniard inducted into the MotoGP Legends Hall of Fame at the season finale at Valencia.
Pedrosa won the 125 championship in 2003 and the 250 title in 2004 and 2005, and is one of the most successful riders of all time in the premier category.
After taking the third most podiums of all time behind only Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) and Giacomo Agostini, Pedrosa retires at the end of 2018 with 54 premier MotoGP class victories to his credit.
“First of all thank you to Carmelo and thank you for the nice words,” said Pedrosa.” Obviously it’s a very emotional moment you never expect it to arrive when you’re a kid, and now to be here is a bit strange but I’ happy because I felt a lot of support from all the fans, a lot from all the paddock.
“I’m really, really happy about this moment to see my rivals of a lifetime here. I feel that MotoGP gave me a lot of things in my life because basically I’ve always been here and I learned a lot in life thanks to MotoGP. In the same way I’m very happy that I could give something else to the sport like Carmelo was explaining.
“When I started it was a new generation winning races and championships, not only me but everyone here on the front row. This is good for me because it’s a nice feeling that we opened a door for a new generation. Luckily I don’t know all my numbers which is a good thing!”
Asked about a standout moment, the Spaniard added: “Obviously the moment that stands out for me is the first championship because you achieve something you dreamed of. You know you can get a podium or win a race but to get a championship it’s something that, as a kid, you see these guys going so fast and you don’t believe it.
“So when you achieve it all the emotions come out, and not only that year but for life because you’re been dreaming of it since you were born – watching races on TV and wanting to be that guy. So that day is unique and that’s what makes you, it’s the drive that makes you want more and want to keep going and get through the tough times – and the reaction from the people and the love you get is something I could never imagine so for me that’s the most beautiful.”
Pedrosa joins a long list of greats that have been made MotoGP Legends that includes Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan, Geoff Duke, Wayne Gardner, Mike Hailwood, Daijiro Kato, Eddie Lawson, Anton Mang, Angel Nieto, Wayne Rainey, Phil Read, Jim Redman, Kenny Roberts, Jarno Saarinen, Kevin Schwantz, Barry Sheene, Marco Simoncelli, Freddie Spencer, Casey Stoner, John Surtees, Carlo Ubbiali, Alex Crivillé, Franco Uncini, Marco Lucchinelli, Randy Mamola, Kork Ballington and the late Nicky Hayden.
The number 26 is set to take on a development role with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing next year, while his position at Repsol Honda will be fulfilled by multi-time world champion Jorge Lorenzo.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
Jawa Classic Legends unveiled in India
Jawa Motorcycles are back with a retro vengeance with the unveiling of three new Classic Legends models in India.
Unfortunately, owners Mahindra Motorcycles are only licensed by the original Czech Jawa company to make and sell the bikes in India.
However, we believe that could change in the next few years if these are successful.
Mahindra is releasing the bike under a new brand called Classic Legends Private Ltd which will also produce Yezdi (made Jawa-Yedi bikes in the ‘60s-‘70s) and BSA motorcycles.
Yes, that’s right, the company also has the outright ownership of the British brand and expects to make retro-styled BSA models soon for sale around the world.
New Classic Legends 
The new Indian-made Jawa motorcycles are currently only available for domestic sale.
They are the Jawa, Jawa Forty Two and Perak bobber which feature the traditional “egg-shaped” headlamp with integrated instruments. The Forty Two has a separate offset instrument pod.
Other iconic features include a tool box, dual shocks, twin peashooter exhausts and flat bars.
Indian prices are Rs 1.64 lakh, Rs 1.55 lakh and Rs 1.89 lakh, respectively. That’s about $A3130-3600 ($US2280-2600, £1780-2050).
The bikes will be available in India early next year with the bobber following later in 2019.
All are powered by a new 293cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine which has been styled to resemble the original air-cooled motor.
It has a very modest output of 20kW (27bhp) of power and 28Nm of torque.
The bikes come with a disc brake on the front with single-channel ABS and a rear drum brake. To be considered for global exported, Mahindra will first have to update to all discs and two-channel ABS.
Mahindra group chairman Anand Mahindra says it is “rare to get an opportunity to resurrect a legend”.
“Jawa is an authentic and iconic brand that represents the desire and yearning in all of us for freedom and adventure,” he says.
Jawa Classic Legends tech specs
- ENGINE: 293cc Single Cylinder, 4 Stroke, Liquid Cooled, DOHC
- BORE STROKE: 76 x 65
- COMPRESSION: 11:1
- POWER: 20kW (27bhp)
- TORQUE: 28Nm
Jawa Forty Two - TRANSMISSION: Constant Mesh 6 Speed
- FRAME: Double cradle
- TYRES: 90/90 – 18; 120/80 – 17
- SUSPENSION: Telescopic Hydraulic Fork; gas canister dual hydraulic shocks
- BRAKES: 280mm disc with floating caliper and ABS; rear 153mm drum
- SEAT: 765mm
- WHEELBASE: 1369mm
- WET WEIGHT: 170kg
- TANK: 14 litres
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Lorenzo plans Ducati outgoing at Valencia grand prix
Spaniard prepared for Repsol Honda debut at post-season test.
Image: Supplied.
After missing the last four races due to injury, Jorge Lorenzo will return to action this weekend at Valencia’s MotoGP World Championship finale, marking his last outing in Ducati Team colours.
Repsol Honda bound Lorenzo believes his wrist injury has improved drastically in the last two weeks since attempting to ride at Sepang, and is hopeful of putting in one final strong performance for the Italian squad prior to his departure.
“I will be riding on Sunday,” Lorenzo declared. “I think I’m quite well to be able to ride, in Sepang I wasn’t or I wasn’t able to fight for anything important. “But the injury has improved a lot in the last 10 days so now I feel good enough to try and achieve the best result possible for the team.
“It will be an emotional race because it will close an important chapter in my career. Maybe the rain will help me a bit to not stress the injury too much in the recovery too. I’m looking forward to getting on the bike. The first person I had to demonstrate something to was myself, but not even that because I always believed I can go fast on any bike it’s just a question of time.
“We’ve seen changing bikes in MotoGP is very difficult, the level is so high and every small bit of time is so important. In tenths you go from winning to losing ten positions. It was just a matter of time and with that time I showed I was competitive enough to win races. Not fighting for the target I wanted to achieve at Ducati, but here the good moments were very good and I want to give them the last present of a good race on Sunday.”
The multi-time world champion will experience his first taste of the Honda RC213V on Tuesday at the post-season Valencia test.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
Kawasaki Racing newcomer Haslam completes initial WorldSBK test
British champion acquaints himself with WorldSBK-spec Ninja ZX-10RR.
Image: Supplied,
Kawasaki Racing Team’s newly-signed athlete Leon Haslam has completed his first test aboard the 2019 Ninja ZX-10RR at Aragon, joining teammate and four-time world champion Jonathan Rea.
The British Superbike champion worked between two base settings on his WorldSBK-spec machines, making one clear choice of direction before losing some track time due to a minor technical issue just after lunch.
Setting a best-time of 1m51.479s, Haslam was almost two seconds adrift of Rea’s best-time in his first outing, with the test ultimately being cut short ahead of day two commencing with wet weather preventing any further riding.
“The test was positive and I am getting to know all the guys in the team,” said Haslam. “We missed some track time on the opening day, but even then it could have not gone any better. We got quicker each time we went out and the pace was quite competitive, considering we were not looking for that.
“We were just evaluating and understanding things. We are taking it step-by-step and we have another two days at Jerez to test again before the winter break. So far, so good.”
Haslam’s crew chief Marcel Duinker commented: “I was very happy and confident from the very beginning of the tests. We have a BSB champion in our house with a lot of experience on different bikes, different championships and different tyres. Day one went very well. We had two different bike set-ups to put us in the correct direction for chassis development.
“He clearly chose one of them and with some minor changes towards the end of day one, Leon was in the ballpark with our closest competition, who had won several races in the past few years. So from this point of view I am very happy, but unfortunately day two was wet. After this single day on track and with the positive results, we are confident we will continue doing well in Jerez.”
The Kawasaki Racing Team will continue testing next weekend at Jerez in Spain for the final outing of the year.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
Australia leads ISDE as Milner and Sanders top individual standings
Jones leads Women’s class as Australia strengthens team advantage.
Image: Supplied.
Day four of Chile’ FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) has concluded with no changes at the top of the World Trophy leaderboard, as Team Australia continues to control proceedings with a six-minute advantage.
Once again setting the benchmark, Australia secured yet another comfortable day win. Fastest from the outset, they continued to confidently build their lead over Team USA and Italy.
Team Italy is becoming the clear favourite in the Junior World Trophy claiming their fourth day win, while the USA sits second overall ahead of Chile. Australia is currently ranked fifth.
In the Women’s World Trophy division, defending champions Australia stretched their lead to eight minutes over the USA, withg Spain continuing to hold onto third.
In the individual category, Australia’s Daniel Milner (KTM Enduro Racing Team) was once again impressively fast in the dusty and rocky conditions, securing a comfortable 40s victory over teammate Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team), the duo being ranked first and second in the E3 standings.
Fellow Aussie Andrew Wilksch (Sherco) is currently 14th in E3, as Thomas Mason (KTM) shifted to 16th. Compatriot Josh Strang (Husqvarna) has moved to fifth in the overall E2 standings, as Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team) holds onto seventh in E1. Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM Enduro Racing Team) was ruled out of the competition on day two.
Tayla Jones (Husqvarna) maintains her lead in the individual Women’s class, followed by Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha) and Mackenzie Tricker (KTM) in fourth and eighth respectively.
Source: MotoOnline.com.au
Australia now six-minutes ahead | Milner stars | ISDE Day 4
Daniel Milner wins the day from Sanders
Australia lead USA by six-minutes
Australia remain dominant in Women’s Category
The fourth day of competition at the ninety-third edition of the FIM ISDE was another punishing one for competitors. With over three-hundred kilometres of riding in hot and dusty conditions on the same course used for day three, many weary bodies were relieved to reach the end of day four in the knowledge that a new loop would await them for day five.
Once again setting the benchmark in this year’s FIM ISDE, Australia secured yet another comfortable day win. Fastest from the outset, they continued to confidently build their advantage throughout the long and physically demanding day of racing and will start the penultimate day with an almost six-minute advantage over the United States.
Although unable to answer the pace of their rivals, moral remains high within the United States squad and as Steward Baylor (USA – KTM) explains there is still a lot more racing to come.
“We’re not giving up just yet,” asserted Baylor. “Australia had us today, but we’re still giving it our all – there’s a long way to go. The conditions are unique and I feel Chile has certainly stamped its character on this year’s FIM ISDE. Every special test is different and requires a lot of focus and race craft to get right. It’s difficult out there, but we’re keeping it fun.”
Ending day three one-minute and thirty seconds behind the United States, Italy maintain third overall – albeit three minutes and twenty seconds down. However, with France less than three minutes adrift in fourth, they can not afford to relax.
“With how difficult the riding is, positions are still quite tight in the overall standings,” told Giacomo Redondi (ITA – Honda). “Yesterday Alex Salvini (Husqvarna) had some problems and lost a lot of time. Tomorrow it could be one of us, so we can’t afford to relax. France are always within striking distance – we don’t want to lose the podium at this point in the race.”
Spain complete the top five and enjoy an eight-minute lead over Portugal with two days remaining.
Steadfast at the top of the FIM Junior World Trophy classification, Italy are beginning to look like clear favourites for this year’s title. Claiming their fourth day win, Andrea Verona (TM) and Matteo Cavallo (Beta) impressed on Chilean soil, finishing the day in sixth and seventh overall respectively.
The United States sit second overall, less than four minutes and thirty seconds behind the Italians, with hope that day five will deliver some surprises. The battle for the final step of the podium continues to heat up as Chile beat France for the second day running. Third on day four, Chile have closed to within one-minute of their rivals, setting up an exciting end to the proceedings. Australia and Sweden round out the top six.
There was no change at the top of the FIM Women’s World Trophy category as defending champions Australia stretched their lead to eight minutes over the United States. Spain continue to hold onto third, while France and Sweden are fixed in fourth and fifth respectively.
In the individual category, Australia’s Daniel Milner (KTM) was once again impressively fast in the dusty and rocky conditions, securing a comfortable forty-second margin of victory over teammate Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna), with Taylor Robert (USA – KTM) six seconds back in third. Milner’s day four victory pulls him almost one-minute clear of Robert in the overall standings, with Sanders third.
Claiming his second Enduro 1 class day win, Junior rider Verona extends his overall lead over Davide Guarneri (ITA – Honda), with Spain’s Victor Guerrero (Yamaha) overtaking Ryan Sipes (USA – Husqvarna) for third.
Collecting his fourth Enduro 2 victory, Robert remains the rider to beat and comfortably leads with two days remaining. A strong ride from Baylor builds him a thirty-six second cushion over France’s Loic Larrieu (Yamaha) in third.
Keeping things under control in the Enduro 3 class, Milner’s day four win sees him now lead Sanders by one-minute and seventeen seconds. Finding his feet in the Enduro 3 category, Redondi moves past home favourite Ruy Barbosa (CHL – Husqvarna) to take third.
Day four of the FIM ISDE also marked the start the FIM Vintage Trophy. Battling against both the Chilean heat, a rough and demanding course and two special tests, Germany’s Swen Schiller (Kram-It) recorded the overall fastest time of the ten class finishers, also topping the Evo 86 class. Jens Oestreich (GER – SWM) finished fastest in the ’76 class, Germany’s Jens Bossdorf (SWM) topped the ’79 class with Chilean rider Rodrigo Jara (Honda) winning the ’82 category.
With four tough days of racing now complete, competitors in the ninety-third FIM ISDE are beginning to see the home stretch come into sight with just two days remaining. The penultimate day marks the final day of traditional timecard Enduro racing, before concluding with the Motocross race on Saturday 17 November in Viña del Mar.
Images Sarah Kinrade
Source: MCNews.com.au