Factory opportunity opens for 2024 season in the United States.
Image: Supplied.
Triple Australian Superbike champion Troy Herfoss has landed a surprise deal with Indian Motorcycle Racing in MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers and Super Hooligan categories with the S&S Cycle-operated factory team.
“To have the opportunity to don Indian Motorcycle red leathers and compete on behalf of such a historic brand is a true honour,” Herfoss commented. “As a motorsports enthusiast in Australia, I’ve been envious of all the bagger racing taking place in the States, and I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to pilot an S&S Indian Challenger and ride for a factory team who has a championship to its name.”
Indian has signed Herfoss to join defending Super Hooligan champion Tyler O’Hara, the pair to be equipped with the Indian Challenger in the King of the Baggers and the Indian FTR in the Super Hooligan ranks.
The ride of a lifetime is just around the corner, with Harley-Davidson’s Model Year 2023 Run Out Sale coming to dealerships near you.
Moving into the new year, Harley-Davidson is putting some of their most iconic 2023 models front and centre with a price reduction of up to $4,000 across Sport, Cruiser and Touring models.
2023 Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide
Coming in a range of different styles and colours, there has never been a better time to get in the saddle and hit the open road with Harley’s 2023 models.
Riders can save $4,000 off Grand American Touring models, $2,500 off Cruiser models (excluding the Breakout 117), $3,500 off the Street Bob 114 and $500 off Sport models.
Thanks to the new Ducati online configurator it is now possible to customise all the 2024 Ducatis to your specific loadout, including photorealistic images with 4K resolution, new views, dedicated environments and a 360° vision of the bike.
The Ducati Panigale V4 S at the Racetrack in the configurator
The configurator provides over 400 original Ducati Performance accessories, which can be mounted on the bikes in real time.
Potential buyers can experiment with different combinations, adapting the bike to their preferences and needs.
The Ducati DesertX off-road at night in the configurator
Once the configuration is complete, each enthusiast will be able to send their Ducati directly to their trusted dealer and obtain a quote, as well as virtually photographing it in Full-HD to store the image on their computer or smartphone.
The new configurator even allows you to admire the selected bike in iconic locations for Ducati and Made in Italy, such as Piazza Maggiore, in the heart of Bologna, the finish straight of the Mugello International Circuit and the off-road paradise in Sardinia to get the full experience.
The Ducati Diavel in the Piazza at night in the configurator
It’s even possible to choose two moments of the day, between daytime and sunset, thus highlighting the light clusters (the DRL by day, the low beams by night) and the dashboard.
The new features are available on all models in the 2024 Ducati range, head on over to the Ducati Configurator and all its new features at https://configurator.ducati.com.
The Ducati Hyper RVE in the Piazza in the configurator
The new look electric balance bikes from Wired Bikes are exactly what future two-wheel champions need to develop and advance their core riding skills.
Wired Bikes new e-balance bikes have arrived in 12″and 16″ variants
Designed in Australia, the latest release 12” and 16” Wired Bikes have been completely redesigned from the original, taking cues from BMX and MX to make the ultimate combination of style and function.
Wired Bikes Brand Manager, Damien Ballinger, says the balance bikes are small but pack a punch with value, power and style.
Damien Ballinger
“We’ve completely redesigned the look to incorporate suspension forks, a more powerful motor and a battery that is now protected by the downtube. Whilst the overall styling of the bike is influenced heavily by BMX, the forks add more of an MX feel but are more than just an aesthetic choice. While the girls want the pink one and the boys just want to go fast, we’ve built in three levels of power providing adjusted torque, acceleration and top speed so kids can build up their skills and safely work their way to a more powerful ride”
Wired Bikes 16″ e-balance bike
Having the battery placed inside the main triangle means the chromoly steel frame can protect the battery from major impacts commonly associated with bikes that have the battery mounted under the downtube. This means there’s a lower chance of mud, debris, rocks or gutters causing a problem with your battery as your child rides along.
The forks allow improved handling and feel as well as cushioning to improve the overall comfort of the ride over rough terrain. This is important because depending on the throttle setting, your little ones could be zooming at up to 29 km/h on the 16” and 19 km/h on the 12”.
Wired Bikes 16″ e-balance bike
The throttle control has three settings, with the beginner requiring the child to push off like a traditional balance bike and then use the throttle once moving to get to a max speed of 10 km/h on the 16”.
This setting has minimal torque for softer acceleration to reduce the effect of kickback. The intermediate setting sees riders take off from a standing start with mid-level torque and a 17 km/h top speed. Advanced has unrestricted throttle control and torque with a top speed of 29 km/h.
Wired Bikes 16″ e-balance bike
Hidden in the rear wheel is the 16” hub drive motor, which pumps out 40 Nm of torque with 250W (max 400 W) and is powered by a rechargeable 36 V 5.2 Ah lithium battery.
The 12” bike, being aimed at much younger riders, has a 24V 5.2Ah battery with a 12” hub motor pumping out 24 Nm of torque and 250 W (max 350 W). Depending on the terrain and how hard you’re riding the bike, you’ll get up to 75 minutes of fun before having to recharge the battery.
Wired Bikes 16″ e-balance bike
The single rear disc brake means there’s no thinking required for the kids, with one hand making the bike go and the other making it stop; being a rear brake means they are less likely to go over the bars (and more likely to rip sick skids).
The 12” is for young riders up to 35 kg and is priced at $899.99 RRP whereas the 16” is for riders up to 45 kg and $999.99 RRP. Available in matte black, metallic pearl pink and pearl white across both sizes, all Wired Bikes are available at AMX Superstores and local motorcycle dealers nationally.
The Wired Bikes 12″ e-balance bikes are suitable for younger riders
Toprak Razgatlioglu forged his way to the top of the time-sheets at Portimao overnight to finish up the final European pre-season test on a high. The Turk’s 1m39.189s under the lap record to finally push Ducati WorldSBK rookie Nicolo Bulega off the top of the charts.
While this is no race win, it will still be an incredible shot in the arm for the BMW World Superbike project, and all who work inside the motorsport division at BMW Motorrad.
Marc Bongers – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director
“For sure, to come away with P1 in the list and four riders within the top ten makes me confident to start the season. We had some difficulties in December, namely testing in bad conditions and not having comparables to measure us against. We came to these tests with a good feeling but no proof where we were after the long winter. At Jerez and here at Portimão we luckily found good and stable weather conditions, luckily with most of the paddock being here because we need to know where we stand. We’ve been consistently in the top three with the fastest rider which is pleasing. Now we are packing everything up for Australia, a very different track with a new surface, with harder tyres than what we have used during these tests. So it will be a new situation but we have a lot of positives we can build on. It was also important to see that the setup we brought from Jerez worked immediately here. There are still things to improve, we even see some more potential but I am happy to see how the structure has been build up, I am happy to see how the entire team is working together and I am happy with the results. It makes me look very positively on the season. It will be hard, no doubt; we have seen last year how competitive the field is but we want to be with the competitors at the very top. I am confident that we will be there.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
The last race victory for BMW actually came at Portimao, when Michael van der Mark took the top step in 2021. And that 2021 victory had broken a drought that had stood since 2013, when Chaz Davies won at Nurburgring.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Christian Gonschor – Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport
“It was interesting and busy test days. The good thing was that we actually had six riders on the track simultaneously, operating up to a total of twelve BMW M 1000 RRs. This benefits us immensely for further development. With this setup, we were able to gather so much data and information that we can now make very rapid progress. I think it’s evident that we are making progress. We were consistently in the top three or top four, with Toprak mostly in first or second place from the first to the last minute in both Jerez de la Frontera and Portimão. It was nice to see our BMW racers always up there. It was also phenomenal to see during both tests that ideas generated in the race teams but not immediately tested were passed on to the test team. This approach is optimal, allowing us to support the race teams effectively. Among other things, we tested applications and provided feedback before the WorldSBK riders tried them. With the test team, we evaluated various chassis elements. Bradley (Smith) focused intensively on basic topics and couldn’t chase lap times much, but that’s not the core task of a test team anyway. Sylvain (Guintoli) pre-tested many things for the racing teams. All bikes were run with the new E40 fuel, which is mandatory in the WorldSBK starting this year. This also proved successful, and there were no technical problems. Overall, we can now travel to Phillip Island with confidence because the collaborative efforts of all involved of the past months are bearing fruit.”
Bradley Smith was also testing with BMW
Toprak’s immediate form on the bike will also buoy the hopes of other riders on the M 1000 RR who will, of course, be studying Toprak’s data closely in their own quests to find more speed. And there will be plenty of time to do that study, as now the bikes are about to get crated up and shipped to Australia, where teams will undergo one final pre-season test at the Phillip Island Circuit (19-20 February), before the season’s first races get underway at the same venue on the weekend of February 25th.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
“I have to say that I was also surprised when I saw the 1:39.2 with the SCX tyre. Before, I did a 1:39.8 with the SC0 tyre and then I said to the team, if I am feeling a little more grip with the SCX tyre, we will make a very good lap time. So we did. Then I wanted to try the Q tyre and we got one from the Bonovo team, thanks to them. We tried to do another good lap time with that but the bike setup is completely different and I had the feeling that the bike was just jumping because there was too much grip. But in general I am very happy. After this test, it looks like we are 99 per cent ready with the bike. But again, we are still learning, getting better every day. I don’t know how it will be in Phillip Island. We were very strong here on these two days. Also our pace on race tyres is really strong. But Phillip Island is completely different. We will see there, it is impossible to say anything before the race or the test. But in general, this atmosphere is very good, I am very happy and we did a very good job on these two days.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Other headlines from testing overnight included a big spill for MotoGP rider Franco Morbidelli. The Pramac Ducati rider, along with many of the other Ducati MotoGP pilots, had joined the WorldSBK regulars on track while riding lightly modified road bikes. Morbidelli spent the night at Faro Hospital under observation but it seems that he might have got lucky and avoided any major injuries.
Franco Morbidelli had a big off
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) continued to impress, securing the second-fastest time with 1m39.275s. Bulega had topped the previous day of testing, and also both days earlier this month at Jerez, and indicated that he was not pushing to his maximum potential.
Nicolò Bulega
Nicolò Bulega
“I am very happy with what we have done in these tests. The feeling was very positive both on the race pace and in the time attack and this shows the good work done with the team. Now we are going to Australia, and I can’t wait to be on track at my favourite circuit. Goals? I want to have fun: this is my rookie year and I certainly won’t have the same pressure as the top riders.”
Nicolò Bulega
However, his team-mate Alvaro Bautista faced a more demanding day, finishing in the 15th place, after ongoing work with ballast configurations, compounded by his struggles with strength due to the compressed discs he suffered during testing late last year.
Alvaro Bautista
Alvaro Bautista
“I can’t say I’m particularly satisfied with this test. During the first day, the sensations were not negative as I felt I had taken a step forward compared to the two days at Jerez. Today, however, I couldn’t find a good feeling and even at a physical level things didn’t improve. I’ll try to work as best I can at home these 15 days to arrive in Australia in the best possible condition“.
Alvaro Bautista
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed the third spot focusing on race pace and crucial chassis adjustments. Meanwhile, team-mate Axel Bassani worked on adapting to the in-line four, but faced challenges, finishing 11th.
Alex Lowes
Alex Lowes
“We have been working hard this winter with my crew chief Pere on used tyre settings. The final day here at Portimao was the first day where he was pushing me to focus on finding some speed as well. The electronics work we did, the set up work we did; we have definitely improved our pace on used tyres. We didn’t know how that would affect our one lap pace but when we pushed on with a run on the SCQ tyre, I did a couple of laps in the 1’39s and my best ever lap here. So we have to be happy because the bike was working well. We finished our winter testing in Europe with our best day yet.”
Alex Lowes
Pere Riba – Crew Chief for Alex Lowes
“Our lap time at the end of this test was good, but we focused on the weakest points of our package at the start, and adapting the bike to the new rules. We focused in Jerez and here in Portimao with the same items. We improved the electronics and the balance, in terms of chassis, swing arm and some other measures. We worked with Showa, as always. I would say that I am very happy. In Jerez Alex already showed a very good performance. We now need to go to the races and ride under hotter conditions. But, it seems Alex is very consistent, very linear with the lap times. He is doing the same lap times on the second lap that he can do on the 18th lap, and this is something very impressive. A very important point is that I am always working with the rider feeling. I think he is talking very deeply with the bike, understanding when there is a new tyre, when the tyre is dropping, when the bike behaviour is changing – he understands it. He made a big effort and a lot of laps. Well done to Alex as he made a very good job, as did everybody in the team. Now we are ready to go to Australia and keep working. We still have a job to do, as always, because it never stops.”
Alex Lowes
Axel Bassani
“This test was good and the family of Kawasaki is really nice. You feel like you are home. I am really happy to be here. The bike is not easy right now and we have to improve a lot but we are testing the bike here to do this. All the team are pushing a lot to try to be first in WorldSBK, and we have a lot to do. The first test at Jerez was not easy because the bike was completely different from the one I rode before, but step-by-step I am starting to learn a lot about this machine. I have had to completely change my style of riding. I have to think about everything I have to do. Especially in these two last European test days in Portimao, we have worked a lot on that. We improved a lot. We are ready for the next test in Australia.”
Axel Bassani
Marcel Duinker – Crew Chief for Axel Bassani
“I am impressed the way Axel is managing all these tests because it not easy to jump into a factory team. He has shown his professionalism even in his youth and is really committed to the job. This is not the easiest track especially when you are fresh to a bike and still have to learn to manage the bike properly. Our bike has a unique character and it takes some time to get used to it. But especially on the final day of this test the bike and rider became closer and we made some small adjustments on the chassis set-up. We reconfirmed some items we had at Jerez. Especially today, we had the first race at Phillip Island in our minds and we are really preparing ourselves for the opening round. We did a long run and Axel started to change his riding style to be more suitable for the Ninja ZX-10RR. He learned a lot over these 15 laps. In the end we used some softer tyres and Axel was able to improve his lap time with each set of tyres. We can say we did a good job in this test and really prepared ourselves for Phillip Island.”
Axel Bassani
Yamaha witnessed a day of two halves, with Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in fourth as the lead Yamaha rider. Remy put in a total of 168 laps across the two days.
Remy Gardner
Remy Gardner
“We had another positive test here in Portimao, we definitely enjoyed our time here in Portugal and in general the days of testing we had. On the final day we also focused on race performance, trying a long run. We’re still looking for the maximum performance, but I’m happy with the job done so far. Finally, I tried a flying lap as well; unfortunately I had some traffic on my fastest laps, but I’m satisfied overall with the lap time.”
Remy Gardner
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) impressing throughout, securing sixth place, while team-mate Jonathan Rea faced technical issues in the morning but finished in seventh.
Andrea Locatelli
Andrea Locatelli
“It was an interesting test, especially today because I think we made a big improvement particularly in the long run – we did a really good job. I always had a really good feeling on my R1 in all the days, so this is the main point – and at the same time, we have been working well to be ready for Phillip Island. Let’s see what can happen there, it’s always a bit of a strange track, but to do a good job here in Portimão and Jerez was really important. It was the first time working with Tom and we are working very well together in these days, everything looks positive – we changed some things in the way of working, for him it was the first tests with me and with this bike but I already know it very well! We have a lot of data and completed very good long runs, with fast lap times every lap – so we can be happy with our work and now I am looking forward to the first round of the Championship.”
Andrea Locatelli
Jonathan Rea
“We lost a little bit of time today, but we just focused on what we could with our workload. I was not completely satisfied with the feeling out there, but I did a longer run to understand the tyre drop here and I got faster and faster during that – so there are some positives. I think we need to improve our “out and out” pace a bit, but I wasn’t completely comfortable as we are still looking to find that optimum set-up for my style. First time here at Portimão on my R1 threw a few curveballs from what I’m used to, so a little bit of work to do – but still happy, confident and relieved now that testing is finished and we can move on to focusing on Phillip Island. We still managed a lot of laps so I have to thank everyone on the team, from AP and my electronics engineer Davide to all the mechanics – they worked tirelessly all day to get through all the items! It has been super cool to be in full 2024 colours, kudos to Yamaha and Paul for getting the bike looking so nice – it feels real now riding on track that I have joined Yamaha and I’m enjoying it.”
Jonathan Rea
Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Prometeon Yamaha
“All of the riders and teams have done a lot of mileage in four days across Jerez and Portimão – we’ve been really lucky with the weather and the conditions in general. The first “thanks” has to be to our Pata Prometeon Yamaha crew – tests are the hardest days for a race mechanic and these have been no different: lots of changes and some challenges, but the guys always give 100% and overall, we can be quite happy with the work completed. Loka’s test was smoother than Jonathan’s and this allowed him to complete two race distance simulations and a slightly wider test programme. He is riding really well, was very consistent and is looking to start the season strongly in Phillip Island. For JR, there were a few challenges to overcome for the first time at a different track with the R1 – and even if the ultimate lap time was disappointing by his extremely high standards – his consistency and ability to grind out very good lap times on old tyres is a positive sign not only for the demands of Phillip Island but the season as a whole. Now, there is a lot of work for the crew chiefs, electronics engineers and for Yamaha’s guys to ensure we go to Australia with the best start point possible. Testing is done, let’s go racing!”
Jonathan Rea and Paul Denning
Michael van der Mark, Razgatlioglu’s teammate, worked on bike setup and secured the fifth position overall.
Michael van der Mark
“I was really happy with the end of the day. Today we changed the setup of the bike, we had some ideas and we changed honestly the whole bike and immediately from the first lap that felt good. At the end of the day we were trying some new tyres, doing some good laps with the SCX and I felt happy. I felt good with the bike so I think I even could have gone a little bit quicker. But I am really happy. I am feeling more and more ready to race. Also doing so many laps in these perfect conditions I gained a lot of confidence again. I feel faster and more ready than last year. I feel that the old Mickey is coming back.”
Michael van der Mark,
Scott Redding and Garrett Gerloff were ninth and tenth respectively, making for four BMW machines in the top ten.
Scott Redding
“Portimão was a lot more difficult than Jerez. We knew that there was a possibility that this could be the case but it is also good sometimes to have this in testing because you have the time to work. We tried a lot of different things and nothing was really hitting the spot. It was a bit of confusion with the tyres and the track grip so that made it a bit time consuming for us. We managed to try some test items which was also important to do. We have a bit more a clear direction with the parts for round one at Phillip Island. After two days we finally made a little bit of progress and it was good to finish knowing you’re making steps. Going to Phillip Island it will be interesting what characteristics the bike will give us. In Jerez everything was running pretty easy, here it seemed quite difficult, so it will be interesting to see what is the outcome of the bike. Regarding the situation of what the track grip gives us we’ve done a lot of work in both areas. I’m looking forward to going to Phillip Island now. I’ve really enjoyed my time here testing with the team, having a lot of fun, laughing a lot and working hard. Now I can’t wait to go racing.”
Garrett Gerloff
“The test here in Portugal has been a bit up and down. Yesterday I struggled more than I like to admit but we finally found a setting on the last run yesterday that set up today as a really good day. Especially in the beginning of the day I felt really strong and I felt like I had a decent pace. I’m just frustrated with the end of the day. I had a crash and after that we struggled getting both the bikes to work like they should. That’s frustrating a little bit but I know that I have a team that’s on top of it and looking to solve all the problems that we have before the bikes go on the crates to Australia. That’s not the way I wanted to end the test but we still have positive stuff from these days, so that’s good.”
Other notable performances include Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW), and Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) displayed strong performances completing the top 10, contributing to the anticipation of a competitive 2024 season.
Danilo Petrucci
“Yesterday, we tried new solutions to improve corner entry, but we didn’t find what we expected. Today, we returned to a more ‘standard’ solution, and I immediately felt better and I was able to be strong. The test in Portugal was an important proving ground because on this track, we struggle a lot due to numerous weight transfers and poor grip. Compared to a year ago, after the Portimao test, we look at the opening race in Australia with more confidence: I feel good, the team supports me at its best, and our race pace is good.”
Danilo Petrucci
Honda showed some small signs of improvement, with Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and Iker Lecuona adjusting electronics and addressing traction issues.
Xavi Vierge
“After last week’s Jerez test the team put together a really good plan for us to follow here at Portimão. So yesterday we started by working on the base, looking for greater stability, and then we mainly focused on the electronics. I think we’ve taken a little step forward, working on our riding style to manage the traction issue a little better. Today we essentially continued in a similar vein, as without traction it’s hard to fully exploit the potential of the engine and tyres. Overall, and as I said after the Jerez test, the feeling on the bike is not bad. At the end of this test, I can say that we have more understanding and are moving in the right direction. We now have a huge amount of data to look at before Phillip Island, where I hope we can take a similar step to the one we’ve made from Jerez to Portimão.”
Xavi Vierge
Iker Lecuona
“I’ve definitely completed a lot of laps over the two days here, and we’ve worked very hard. Unfortunately, despite the great efforts of everyone on the team, we cannot be satisfied with our result or performance. We were honestly expecting more, especially considering this is a track where I had a strong race last year. We still need to find a way to establish a good base setup to exploit the potential of the new bike. We have another two days to test at Phillip Island, although there it will be more about preparing for the first races. We will see. I’ll go to Australia with the best possible attitude though. It was nice to see some of the MotoGP guys here too. I chatted with the Marquez brothers, Luca Marini, and at one point I was on track at the same time as Rossi, which is always a pleasure”.
Iker Lecuona
Tarran Mackenzie and Adam Norrodin, representing the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team, faced a mixed day, with Mackenzie experiencing a delay due to a starting issue, while both riders missed the action on day one.
Tarran Mackenzie
“This test was mainly about getting used to the new bike, which for now is a mix of 2023 and 2024 parts, for a variety of reasons. We should have the full 2024 spec ready in time for Phillip Island. I ran in the engine this morning before making some laps this afternoon and working with the 2024 parts, so we now have some data we can use. We worked out a few small issues during the session and I think some of the new electronic components can really help too; I could see an improvement there. Unfortunately, today was cut a little short after I crashed but, like I say, it’s a matter of working to understand what we have and how we can exploit it.”
Adam Norrodin
“I’m happy with what has been my first real test, considering we didn’t complete many laps last time out at Jerez. We only really had a few hours in which to set up the bike, after running in the engine this morning and mounting some new parts yesterday, so we’re running a little behind everyone else. We improved every time we went out on track, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us. Everything is new for me, so there are many things I need to understand. We will receive some new parts in time for Phillip Island, which I hope can offer better feeling.”
The rest of the field, including Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Motocorsa Racing), Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven), Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), and Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha), continued to work on various aspects of their setups and strategies during the test.
Top WorldSSP rider was Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team), ahead of Niccolo Antonelli (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team).
Adrian Huertas
Teams will undergo one final pre-season test at Phillip Island (19-20 February), before the season’s first races get underway at the picturesque venue between 23-25 February.
Tickets for the 2024 season opener are on sale now, check out your options at www.worldsbk.com.au
Indian Motorcycle and S&S will field Troy Herfoss alongside Tyler O’Hara for the King of the Baggers and Super Hooligan National Championship in 2024.
Troy Herfoss’ King of the Baggers Indian Challenger
Troy Herfoss transcends boundaries between on and off-road competitions, as he’s recorded championship titles in several forms of motorcycle racing, including Australian Dirt Track, Supermoto, and Supersport. Herfoss was the 2008 AMA Supermoto champion and a Moto X-Games silver medalist.
Troy Herfoss’ King of the Baggers Indian Challenger
Troy Herfoss
“To have the opportunity to don Indian Motorcycle Red leathers and compete on behalf of such a historic brand is a true honour. As a motorsports enthusiast in Australia, I’ve been envious of all the bagger racing taking place in the states, and I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to pilot an S&S Indian Challenger and ride for a factory team that has a championship to its name.”
Troy Herfoss alongside Tyler O’Hara for the King of the Baggers and Super Hooligan National Championship in 2024
Tyler O’Hara enters his fifth year aboard the S&S Indian Challenger, having won the inaugural KOTB race in 2020, and the class championship in 2022. In addition, 2024 will mark O’Hara’s second year piloting the S&S Indian FTR within the SHNC class, where he’s earned back-to-back class championships.
Tyler O’Hara and the King of the Baggers Indian Challenger alongside the FTR Super Hooligan machine
Gary Gray, Vice President Racing and Service for Indian Motorcycle
“We’re excited to welcome Troy to the Indian Motorcycle family, as he’s a seasoned road racer with a wealth of experience competing at a high level. Backed by the performance capabilities of Indian Motorcycle, we feel we have three riders who could each win a championship in 2024. Jared of course is eyeing a record-setting 10th-career AFT championship, while Tyler and Troy could both very well be in the hunt for the King of the Baggers and Super Hooligan championship. Our team has put in the work this offseason, so we’re excited to get the season rolling and head out to Daytona.”
Troy Herfoss and the King of the Baggers Indian Challenger alongside the FTR Super Hooligan machine
In addition to its factory efforts, Indian Motorcycle is offering up to $131,999 in KOTB privateer contingency and up to $67,249 in SHNC contingency.
The MotoAmerica road racing season will begin in just over a month with the Daytona 200 and round one of three of the series’ championships commencing on March 7 through 9 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Along with the 82nd running of the Daytona 200, the “Great American Motorcycle Race,” opening rounds of the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship, BellisiMoto Twins Cup Championship, and Mission Super Hooligan National Championship will also take place during the three-day event.
If you’re a fan of Rider’s touring stories, you’ve likely noticed that we have been using REVER maps to accompany the stories. The REVER app, available for free on iOS and Android, works in conjunction with the REVER website to help riders discover the world’s best roads, create custom routes, track epic rides, compete for bragging rights, and share riding experiences across social platforms. Recently, the company has upped its game with the ability to import georeferenced PDF maps into the app. These maps have embedded GPS boundaries that overlay on any existing map style and display your current location. For more information, read the press release below.
EAGLE, Colo. — REVER, the world’s largest motorcycle ride-planning, tracking, and sharing app, has introduced new capabilities to import and view georeferenced PDF maps in their Android and iOS apps. Georeferenced PDF Maps have embedded GPS boundaries that, when viewed in REVER, overlay on any existing map style and accurately display your current location. This allows access to detailed government maps and maps from other trusted sources – including trail details, topographical lines, and geographic features not found in traditional map styles. In addition, PDF Map Layers are stored on your phone and are available anywhere in the world without cell service. Yet another way to never get lost!
App users can browse a curated list of PDF maps sourced from the United States Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and United States Geological Survey (USGS) to import and view offline in the REVER mobile apps.
How it works:
Access the PDF Map Library and importer through the map settings on the main map tab in the REVER app.
Imported maps are stored, saved and organized in the REVER PDF Map Library which can be accessed offline.
Choose a PDF map to display as a layer on the main REVER map to assist with navigation and exploration.
PDF maps can be overlaid on any dynamic map currently available in the REVER app including topographic maps and satellite.
Once imported and overlaid on the map, any georeferenced PDF map can be rendered in 3D.
“We know REVER Riders push the limits of exploration every day. The REVER team is stoked on the daily challenge of improving how our users find new places to ride, plan trips and stay on course,” says Mark Roebke, co-founder of REVER. “PDF Map overlays are an exceptional way to add new detailed map content to REVER from trusted sources like the Bureau of Land Management and United States National Forest Service. We can’t wait to see how REVER Riders take advantage of this new opportunity in the mobile apps.”
REVER users with a Pro subscription can import unlimited PDF maps into their app. Free users are limited to one PDF map.
Faster lap times, new names rising and the established guard holding their own, the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has been sent into February – the month racing commences (AT LAST) – in some style. Once again, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was fast but even faster was Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who – for the first time since joining BMW – topped the timesheets.
BMW CONTINUE TO FLEX MUSCLES: Razgatlioglu turns heads to top final European test
Going into lunch time, Toprak Razgatlioglu was on top of the pile, courtesy of a quick stint on the SCX tyre which saw him set a 1’39.255, four tenths under the official lap record but still a couple of tenths shy of Alvaro Bautista’s time from last year’s preseason test. Toprak was testing with the updated swingarm on day one with “continued work” seeming to carry on across to day two. During the first half of the second day, ‘El Turco’ did a long run with the SC0 tyre, where he seemed to lap strongly with all laps in the 1’40s and the first ones being close to the 1’39 barrier. In his final run, he fired in a 1’39.189 to seal the deal; he’s topped a test for the first time with BMW with a full grid in action. The lap was also set with teammate Michael van der Mark behind him. van der Mark was working more on the setup of the bike which has “changed quite a lot”, meaning that he can “play more with the setup”, although they’ve already found a good base.
BULEGA LEADS DUCATI’S CHARGE: is the #11 the real deal?
Once more, Nicolo Bulega was in mighty form; whilst many may have thought that ‘Bulegas’ wouldn’t have been a threat to teammate Alvaro Bautista in 2024, he may already being giving the #1 a headache. Electrically fast all through testing, the reigning WorldSSP Champion was once again one of the benchmark riders on day two. Despite Marco Zambenedetti, Ducati Corse WorldSBK Technical Director, stating that Bulega is only “learning and understanding” the bike and being “positively impressed” with a “very good surprise”, he maintained that “races will be a different story” once the season gets properly underway. When asked about whether or not he will be a contender throughout the season, Zambenedetti said “for sure.” For Bautista, Ducati continued to work with the ballast configuration, although at lunch time, he was only P11 and the fourth Ducati before finishing a lowly 15th. Both Ducati riders were double checking items previously tried at Jerez.
RISE OF LOWES: Alex finds pace with Kawasaki to go P3, Bassani improves on day two
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) continued his work with the ZX-10RR, confirming items from Jerez, with the key focus on maintaining good race pace in the second half of the race. Electronics and chassis work were vital for Lowes, who also had Showa material to try on his way to P3 overall. As for teammate Axel Bassani, the #47 continued to try and adapt from V4 to inline four engine configuration, as well improve his feeling on corner entry. Anti-wheelie work was also carried out, as well as refining the engine braking setting. Whilst Lowes spent most of the day inside the top ten, Bassani struggled and was down in 17th heading into the second half of the day. Come the chequered flag, ‘El Bocia’ was 11th.
OUTSIDERS: Gardner, Petrucci, Redding and Gerloff strong
2024 is shaping up to be the year of revelations, as a variety of contenders were in the mix behind the main factory stars. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was up inside the top three going into the final hour as he worked on a variety of parts, whilst Danilo Petrucci went 1.5s quicker than he did as a rookie at Portimao last winter, up into the top ten at a circuit he’s historically struggled at; he’s been trying a new seat to improve his position on the bike. Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) and teammate Garrett Gerloff tried a variety of settings and finished the test both inside the top ten, meaning all four full-time BMW riders were strong, the only manufacturer with four bikes in that top ten, whereas Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) was still learning a Superbike and how it handles around the rollercoaster of Portimao.
YAMAHA: day of two halves for Rea and Locatelli
Third at lunch time and the first rider in the 1’39s during the day, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) has really found his feet in WorldSBK and was rapid across both days. Teammate Jonathan Rea was less fortunate, with a technical issue in the morning halting his track time and indeed the session. He returned to the track 40 minutes later but was only ninth at lunch. Having spent day one back-to-backing items previously tested at Jerez and understanding the bike on SC0, Rea stated he was still missing a one-lap attack going into day two. Come the conclusion of track action, ‘Loka’ was sixth, one place ahead of Rea.
IMPROVEMENTS FOR HONDA: encouraging signs but work to do
After doing more laps on day one than both days combined at Jerez, Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was an early faller on day two at Portimao. He tumbled out at Turn 7, with the bike needing repairing before it could go back out. Portimao was a track where the #7 was fast at in 2023, so whilst signs are more positive than at Jerez (a track Honda struggled at), it’s difficult to determine how competitive they are. The Spaniard moved up the order a little bit with a late lap to improve his time in the final 15 minutes. Both he and teammate Xavi Vierge spent time adjusting electronics, given that most of Honda’s are new for 2024. Vierge commented that they’re still missing traction, so day two was spent trying to resolve that so that they can use one of the bike’s strengths.
ROUNDING OUT: the rest of the stars
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Motocorsa Racing) was working on long runs and found steps on used tyres but much like Petrucci, struggled with fresh rubber. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) spent day two working on electronics and engine setup and the team even began working within the new fuel rules that come into force from 2025 and finished just behind the #21, whilst Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was next up, who worked on new triple clamps and swingarms on day one and tried to confirm his feelings on day two. Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) took 20th, ahead of Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) and the two BMW Test Team riders of Sylvain Guintoli and Bradley Smith. Top WorldSSP rider was Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team), ahead of Niccolo Antonelli (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team).
Top 10 after day two, full results here (laps are combined across two bikes):
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’39.189s – 74 laps 2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.086s – 61 laps 3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.332s – 90 laps 4. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.377s – 79 laps 5. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.428s – 76 laps 6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) +0.489s– 80 laps 7. Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) +0.496s – 64 laps 8. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.767s – 53 laps 9. Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.946s – 76 laps 10. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.947s – 59 laps
2024 IS HERE: WorldSBK’s new era is unmissable; enjoy it all, wherever you are, with the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Preseason testing in Europe is done; the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is another step closer to bursting into action at Phillip Island, meaning Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) is a bit closer to his debut for the Japanese manufacturer. Two days of testing at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve is over and whilst Rea was only seventh overall on day two, he’ll be happy to have had good mileage under his belt.
138 LAPS IN TOTAL: productive Portimao testing for #65
In the official blue colours for the first time instead of the black testing livery, Rea had an eventful day when he suffered a technical issue, bringing out the red flag. The six-time World Champion returned to the circuit, with 64 laps completed, he can be proud of a solid days work and getting acclimatised at a different track. Previously, Rea had only tested at Jerez but now with a total of 138 laps in Portugal, he has experience aplenty across the rollercoaster circuit.
“OUR OUTRIGHT SPEED, WE NEED TO IMPROVE” – race pace gains but one-lap lacks
Speaking after the second day, Rea stated: “The guys need to check exactly what happened but I just came to a halt at Turn 1; we parked that bike for the day, so lost a little bit of time with what happened and then obviously, we only had one bike for the rest of the test. We focussed on our workload again, confirming the bike and I’m not completely satisfied with the feeling out there. I did a longer run to understand the tyre drop but I got faster and faster during that, so there’s some positives.
“I think our outright speed, we need to improve a little bit. I wasn’t completely comfortable so we’re still working to find that optimum setup for that style; it’s our first time here at Portimao together and the bike was behaving a little bit differently to what I was used to do. There’s work to do for everybody but I am happy, confident and relieved that testing has finished.
“WE’RE IN THE BALLPARK” – optimism for Rea ahead of Australia
Talking about what was tested, the six-time World Champion explained: “We tested some suspension ideas, some chassis parts and normal, test items. We experimented with geometry and setup, just running through the ideas we had to improve our feeling. I haven’t done a full weekend at Portimao on the Yamaha so I was starting from a Jerez-based setup and we ended up somewhere similar to that. We’re in the ballpark but I think we can fix that right now and continue working on that in Phillip Island.
“The items were positive, step-by-step we are trying to understand how the tyre behaves, an area we are trying to focus right now, to give me some traction as I pick up the bike. Some ideas and parts were better, some were the same and not too different. We’ll keep working with that and see what we can do in Australia.”
2024 IS HERE: WorldSBK’s new era is unmissable; enjoy it all, wherever you are, with the WorldSBK VideoPass!
The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is readying for what could be one of the most enthralling seasons of racing yet; with a myriad of changes in the rider line-up, there’s no shortage of stories. After two days of testing at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, that’s exactly the case for Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who goes to Australia – somewhat incredibly – as the rider to beat after testing.
It was a busy day for the Turkish star, who set 74 laps and a best of a 1’39.189, closing right in on the 1’38s but unable to be the first Superbike to get into that bracket. However, besides the sub-lap record pace, it was Toprak’s consistency over race pace that impressed many: 15 laps on the SC0 tyre, a tyre of favour at Portimao, saw him in the 1’39s, astonishing considering this is only his second fully-dry test with the BMW M 1000 RR.
“WE ARE 99% READY TO RACE” – Toprak talks tough
“It was a fantastic day as we did a very good job,” began an elated 2021 World Champion. “I wasn’t focussed on the lap time but also on the race pace. After this test, we go to race and we need a good setup for the race. We are 99% ready to race. The feeling is good and every day, we are getting better as we keep improving the bike. Today, I did a 1’39.8 with the SC0 and did it three or four times. With the SCX, I did a 1’39.2 which is an unbelievable lap time and I am really surprised. At the end of today, thanks to Bonovo, who we asked for a Q tyre from, we got one but only improved by 0.1s. We used a different swingarm for a short bike and put the SCQ but the bike was jumping around and there was a lot of wheelie. I couldn’t make a 1’38 but do next time we can!
“I did a race simulation of 15 laps and did two lap times with the SC0 in the 1’39s. It looks like we’re ready to race but we’re still learning and we need time. Every day, we improve but in general, I am happy. We’ll see at Phillip Island because it’s completely different, as is the grip. After Jerez, we still improved the bike and tried different parts, finally finding the setup. Finally, I feel like the bike is my bike. It’s my style, sliding and with the grip improving too. The turning is not 100% but we are close. The team is very happy and the motivation is very high now; I’m happy with Michael, who did a very good job today. In the season, we’ll work together and make a very good race result. We need some time to adapt the bike.”
BONGERS ON TOPRAK AND BMW PAIRING: “The bike seems to give him confidence”
Adding to Toprak Razgatlioglu’s comments, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers said: “Australia and Barcelona are, in terms of results and grip and position, the odd ones out but as we carried our Jerez setup from there to Portimao and it immediately worked, we’re convinced that we have a good base package. I go there with a lot of optimism. The bike seems to give him confidence and Portimao is a track where the rider needs confidence on the bike, there’s a lot of rider dependency here. We’ve been able to give him the confidence to get him close to the lap record, so it’s pleasing. I think the main steps we’ve made have been on engine braking, especially for Toprak’s extreme style and for us to adapt to that. The chassis has been the normal tweaking.”
2024 IS HERE: WorldSBK’s new era is unmissable; enjoy it all on the go with the WorldSBK VideoPass!
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