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Fresh from securing his fifth-straight FIM Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK), Jonathan Rea is eager to enjoy the final rounds of the season as the series heads to Argentina this weekend for the penultimate round.

Rea is confident of earning a strong result at the San Juan Villicum circuit as he enters the round with the weight lifted from his shoulders, and is looking to continue celebrating his recording-setting achievement.

“I am so relieved to go to Argentina with the championship already done,” said Rea. “It means I can enjoy these last few races without stressing too much about the points situation and really enjoy the end of the season. Last year was our first visit in Argentina and we were really surprised with the reception we got, the level of the track and also the fans that turned out.

“I am excited to go out there and see what’s ahead. I am also looking forward to riding the bike again. I think this is going to be a circuit where we can be strong.

“Last year we were certainly strong in some areas. I am also looking forward to seeing the guys again and re-living what we did a little bit last weekend – it was really special. To do it with all these guys who have been with me every step of the way, every single year, it’s even more special.”

Rea’s 129-point championship lead allowed him to capture the title at Magny-Cours in France two weeks ago.

Image: Foremost Media.

Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Josh Waters says it was a relief to land on the podium at Phillip Island’s penultimate round of the the 2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) last weekend, his first time featuring on the box since round one in February.

The multi-time champion has fallen just shy of the podium throughout most of the season, however the Victorian was able to piece together a 4-3 scorecard on Sunday for third overall.

“It’s a bit of relief,” Waters stated to CycleOnline.com.au. “I haven’t been far from the podium all year, it just hasn’t clicked. Even in that race, I’m still a little bit disappointed to not be right there, but when everyone is fighting so hard, it’s quite hard and the boys got away.

“The middle of the year was quite difficult with the new tyre, but when I raced at Suzuka, I proved to myself how I can still go – the lap-time I was able to do on the same kind of bike, the same electronics, and same tyres was unbelievable.

“That was really good for me – it’s easy to give up on yourself, but I’m not. I really appreciate the people behind the scenes that haven’t given up on me.”

Waters sits fourth in the championship standings, 19 points off leader and reigning champion Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing).

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The latest figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) report indicate road bike sales are continuing decline in the third quarter of 2019 in comparison to last year, although the recorded 13.6 percent drop in sales marks an improvement over Q2’s performance.

The motorcycle market as a whole recorded an eight percent decline, with all market categories except scooters affected by the downturn.

Honda was the overall leader with a 23.1 percent share of the national market, followed by Yamaha with 21 percent and Kawasaki with 10.6 percent.

Harley-Davidson was the market leader in the road bike sector with a 19.6 percent share, followed by Honda with a 16.8 percent share and Yamaha with a share of 16.6 percent. KTM, Husqvarna and Moto Guzzi were the only manufacturers to post increases in sales.

Tony Weber, chief executive of the FCAI, said the softer motorcycle sales reflected what is currently a tough market: “The slower sales rate experienced by the new motorcycle market is in line with the broader economic environment in Australia.

“We have seen many factors, including multiple weather events, Federal and State elections, and tightened lending practices contribute to the overall economic conditions.”

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Remy Gardner admits he needs to ‘figure out’ his tyre selection moving forward after his front soft quickly deteriorated in the opening laps of the Thai grand prix last weekend.

The SAG Racing Team rider will evaluate whether switching to the hard option will be beneficial in the closing rounds of the series, the Australian scoring 12th position at the weekend.

“Today was a really frustrating day,” Gardner declared. “We struggled a lot with the speed of the bike and by lap five my front tyre was destroyed from the way I was having to ride in the turns and on the brakes.

“I spent the rest of the race saving the front from washing out, so it was not the result we wanted. I’m extremely disappointed and we need to figure out if we can keep using this soft tyre in all situations or if we need to change it for the hard tyre. The team and I know what we need to do, and we will fix it before the end of the year. Already looking forward to Japan.”

Gardner is ranked 12th in the MotoGP World Championship standings as the series heads to Japan on 20 October.

Image: Russell Colvin.

A motivating top five result at Phillip Island’s penultimate round of the 2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) has promoted the target of a podium finish for Matt Walters at the season finale next month.

The Kawasaki Connection rider rode strongly all weekend long at the Island, setting the third fastest time in qualifying to earn a front row start before recording a 7-5 scorecard for fifth overall.

The ASBK now heads to Walters home circuit of Sydney Motorsport Park, where he believes the podium should be the goal to complete his 2019 campaign.

“It’s one of the best weekends I’ve had in years, without a doubt,” beamed Walters. “The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR was working great from the moment we got here, we had a strong qualifying session and obviously the front row start really helped in the race.

“The first race wasn’t too bad. I got pushed around in the first few laps and wasn’t able to get going, but in the second one I got a good start and got away good. Towards the end of the race, the tyre started to give way a little, so I thought it was best to stay on it and not wreck it. I really would’ve liked to be on the podium, but I’ll take what I can get at this point of the season!

“It’s good to be riding on the same level as the guys at the front and I think staying in the top five would be a fairly good finish for us at Sydney Motorsport Park. If we can get a podium – we were nearly lucky enough to get one today – but, being my home race at Sydney, I think we should be aiming for the podium or another top five.”

The New South Welshman is now ranked seventh in the championship standings as the first privateer entry.