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Competition, Motorcycle News, News

Bautista dominates on debut in Phillip Island WorldSBK race one

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Rea second as Melandri scrapes into the top three.

Image: Russell Colvin.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) has dominated the opening race at Phillip Island’s round one of the 2019 FIM Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK), making his mark while on debut in the series and aboard the all-new Panigale V4 R.

The Spanish ace, who transferred from MotoGP to WorldSBK this season, put on a stellar display, gaining the lead immediately before crossing the line with an incredible 14.983s over reigning world champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team).

Rea had his hands full with new teammate Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team), the duo jostling for position in the opening half of the encounter before Haslam went down, recovering to finish 15th.

Marco Melandri, on debut with new WorldSBK squad GRT Yamaha, nabbed Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) at the line for third, just 0.050s separating the pair, while the top five was completed by Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK).

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) showed his nose inside the top five for much of the race before settling for sixth, as the top 10 was rounded out by Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK), Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha), Michael Rinaldi (Barni Racing Team) and Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).

Australian wildcard Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing) retired from the race six laps into the affair. The WorldSBK category will return to the circuit tomorrow for races two and three.

Detailed results

Source: CycleOnline.com.au

Competition, Motorcycle News, News

WorldSBK champion Rea surges to Phillip Island Superpole

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All-Yamaha front row in Supersport as Caricasulo clinches pole.

Image: Russell Colvin.

Kawasaki Racing Team’s defending champion Jonathan Rea has produced a record-breaking Superpole qualifying lap to claim pole position for the season-opening Motul Superbike World Championship Yamaha Finance round at Phillip Island.

The 32-year-old’s qualifying lap of 1m29.413 on the ZX-10RR is the fastest that a production-based Superbike has ever circulated around the Australian circuit, besting his previous benchmark set in 2017.

It’s Rea’s 17th pole position in WorldSBK racing and his third at Phillip Island. Rea’s extraordinary lap in the last few minutes of the 25-minute session saw him shoot to the top of the timesheets after Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha), Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) and Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team) had taken turns at the top.

Haslam and Bautista, who had been the dominant force in practice, will join Rea on the front row for this afternoon’s opening 22-lap race, with row two to be filled by 2018 pole-sitter Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad), Lowes – the final rider in the 29s and rookie Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha).

Last year’s Phillip Island winner Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha) starts from the third row after qualifying in ninth, as the first Honda in the field, ridden by Moriwaki Althea Honda Team factory pilot Leon Camier, will start from 10th on the grid.

Image: Russell Colvin.

Although Australian wildcard Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing) failed to meet the 107 percent qualifying cut-off, the national champion been given dispensation to compete in race one.

In World Supersport Superpole it was Federico Caricasulo (Bardahl Evan Bros Yamaha) who scored pole with a flying 1m32.604s, edging teammate Randy Krummenacher by just 0.079s while Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) will complete the front row.

Australian wildcard Tom Toparis (Landbridge Transport Yamaha), fresh from winning this morning’s opening Australian Supersport affair, will start out of 15th position in Sunday’s world championship race. He recorded an impressed 1m34.448s lap-time.

Detailed results

Source: CycleOnline.com.au

News

Distracted drivers force bike cops off road

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Distracted drivers are making riding so dangerous for motorcyclists they have forced one US motorcycle police unit off the road.

The St. Paul Police Department in Minnesota has now axed its motorcycle and horse-mounted units, citing an increase in crashes with distracted drivers.

It’s such as shame as both units not only had practical policing advantages but also community outreach benefits as shown in this photo.

cops distracted drivers
Image from St Paul Police Department Facebook page

Citizens in danger

It’s not just bike cops that face danger from distracted drivers, but all riders.

The Australian Automobile Association National Road Safety Strategy increased the motorcycle crash danger status from amber to red in 2015 citing an increase in crashes caused by distracted drivers.

It has stayed in red status ever since.

And it is not going to go away. It seems drivers are becoming more and more distracted by the various electronic gizmos in their cars.

But the biggest distraction is the mobile phone – not just for making calls. Police say they have seen drivers updating their social media and even taking selfies while they drive.Call to double driver phone penalties roundabouts distracted

In an ironic twist, St Paul’s is axing its bike cop unit while Australian motorcycle police are often deployed to patrol for motorists using mobile phone illegally.

They say the seat height of the bikes give police a good view into the driver “cockpit”.

Suspend licences

The Motorcycle Council of NSW has called for drivers who illegally use a mobile phone while driving to have their licence suspended as they do in Canada.

It’s a call that is backed by many motorcyclists as well as other motorists.

The RACQ’s annual “What drives us crazy” survey continues to find that driver distractions such as mobile phones are among the top five complaints among motorists.

Meanwhile, mobile phone fines vary across the nation:

  • NSW $337 fine and 5 demerit points;
  • Queensland $391 and 3 points;
  • Victoria $476 and 4 points;
  • Western Australia $400 and 3 points;
  • South Australia $308, plus $60 Victims of Crime levy, and 3 points;
  • Tasmania $300 and 3 points;
  • Northern Territory $250 and 3 points;
  • ACT $386 and 3 points.

Fines around the worldVietnam - double mobile phone penalties

Fines vary around the world from no fine in many Asian countries to thousands of dollars and licence suspensions in Canada.

New Zealand has an $80 fine which matches their low fines for speeding. Consequently 3.5% of Kiwi drivers use their phone while driving compared with about 1.5% in Australia.

Almost half (24) of American states have no hand-held phone ban. Some states only issue fines if the driver is in a school zone or committing some other traffic offence such as speeding. Arizona and Montana even allow drivers to text!

The toughest measures in the USA are in California. The state has a $US150 fine (about $A205) for the first offence and more than $US250 (about $A345) for a second violation and one point.

Canada has a distracted driving offence which attracts a $1000 fine and three demerit points. A second conviction could mean a fine of up to $2000 and a seven-day licence suspension. A third offence could mean a fine of up to $3000 and a 30-day suspension.

Fines in Europe vary from less than €50 (about $80) and one point in eastern Europe to €420 (about $A675) in the Netherlands and up to six points in the UK.Mobile Phones

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

News

A guide to scrapping your motorbike

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(Guest post for our UK readers)

When it comes to scrapping a motorbike, moped or scooter there are certain rules that you must consider in the UK. The DVLA make it necessary for you to comply to strict rules and if scrapping with a company, they must be authorised by the government and known as an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF).

Most scrappage services are free, however if you want to get rid of your motorbike you must ensure that all of the fluids must be removed, as well as the tyres, wheels and battery in order to help preserve and protect the environment. If your vehicle is missing parts, the scrapping company could possibly charge you if those parts are essential to the vehicle.

Once your motorbike has been crushed, the company will provide you with a Certificate of Destruction, this can be handed over up to seven days after you have dropped the vehicle off. If you fail to show proof of your CoD then you could receive a fine of up to £80 and be prosecuted, so it is essential that you get one once the motorbike has been crushed. The scrapping company will inform the DVLA that the vehicle has been scrapped, however you will have to complete and send off section 9 of your log book to the DVLA. You should receive a letter within a few weeks of sending the information to confirm that the DVLA have it.

You also need to be aware that as of new rules and regulations, you are not legally allowed to accept cash payments from the scrapping company. The new law was introduced in order to make car scrapping a more regulated process by the government.

What documents do you need?

Scrapping your motorbike is a simple process, however you will need a few documents in order to process the scrappage. In order to have your vehicle scrapped at an ATF then you will need:

  • Owner manual and book
  • V5C registration certificate
  • Full/part service history

Don’t have your V5C or logbook? You will still be able to scrap your motorbike, instead of sending this off to the DVLA you will simply have to write to them and give them information on:

  • Details of the buyer
  • The date of the sale
  • To confirm the motorbike has been sold to be scrapped
  • The make, model and registration of the motorbike

If your motorbike has been written off

If you are not choosing to have your car scrapped and it has been written off by your insurance company then you will have to fill out section V5C/3 of your registration certificate and send this to the DVLA. It may be the possible that your insurance company will ask you to provide them with your certificate. There are four categories that your motorbike can fit into if it has been written off:

Category A: The vehicle must be destroyed as it cannot be repaired

Category B: The vehicle is not roadworthy and cannot be repaired therefore the shell must be destroyed, however other parts can be salvaged.

Category S: The vehicle is classified as ‘structurally damaged’. The vehicle could be considered roadworthy and used again if repaired to legal standards.

Category N: The vehicle is classed as ‘non-structurally damaged’, and can be driven after being repaired to legal standards.

Once you’ve decided if it’s time to have your motorbike scrapped you can take the procedures described above in order to make sure you do it in a safe and legal manner. Sites such as Car.co.uk will give you an instant online quote and collect the vehicle for you without any hassles.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Indian Motorcycle Therapy

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In the latest effort to help veterans and first responders deal with the pressures of being themselves, Indian’s launched a competition between two Texas teams to see who can come up with the coolest Chief Dark Horse. Proceeds to flow to Motorcycle Missions, a group dedicated to helping those guys cope.

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE & MOTORCYCLE MISSIONS ANNOUNCE TEXAS-SIZED “MOTORCYCLE THERAPY” BUILD OFF

Non-Profit Organization Pins Austin Vs. Dallas in Competition to Benefit Veterans and First Responders Suffering From Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

AUSTIN & MINNEAPOLIS (February 21, 2019) – Indian Motorcycle, America’s first motorcycle company, and Motorcycle Missions, a non-profit organization that helps veterans and first responders find hope and healing through motorcycle therapy, today announced a motorcycle build-off competition between two groups of veterans and first responders in Dallas and Austin, Texas. The two teams will each design and build a custom Indian Chief Dark Horse to raise money for Motorcycle Missions.  

Each team consists of members who have formerly served in the military or as first responders, including several branches of the U.S. military and even local Austin and Dallas police and fire departments, for as many as three decades. Though each individual’s story is unique, these groups of heroes were brought together by their shared passion of motorcycles to find healing through this common thread.

“Whether riding or wrenching, Motorcycle Missions bring veterans and first responders together as they work towards one common goal. The trials and tribulations, camaraderie, and life-long friendships are what ‘motorcycle therapy’ is all about,” said Krystal Hess, Motorcycle Missions Founder. “If we can help these heroes get back to living healthy, joyful lives, while instilling them with a passion for motorcycles, we have fulfilled our mission.”

Team Dallas

Each team’s custom Indian Chief Dark Horse will be revealed on Friday, April 12 at John Paul DeJorias and Gary Spellman 17th annual Peace Love Happiness charity weekend benefiting The 100 Club of Central Texas. The 100 Club is devoted to providing immediate financial and emotional assistance to the families of first responders who have been injured or killed in the line of duty. On Saturday, April 13, fans can visit Motorcycle Missions’ and Indian Motorcycle’s Instagram and Facebook channels to vote for their favorite and help crown a winner. Each custom bike will then make its way to the legendary Sturgis Motorcycle Rally to be auctioned off on Tuesday, August 6, at the Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel and Casino, with all proceeds benefitting Motorcycle Missions.

“It’s pretty amazing how Motorcycle Missions has utilized motorcycles and craftsmanship to improve the lives of countless veterans and first responders, facing the challenges often associated with active duty,” said Reid Wilson, Senior Director for Indian Motorcycle. “It truly is an incredible program and we’re proud to support Motorcycle Missions and the veterans and first responders who have put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms.”

Each team is comprised of members who have distinctive histories of service. Among this year’s competitors is Team Dallas’ John Arroyo, Army veteran and survivor of the Fort Hood, Texas shooting in 2014. After recovering from severe wounds, Arroyo received the highest non-combat honor for valor. Team Austin will be flanked by Robert Richman, a law enforcement official of over 25 years. Richman specialized in multiple disciplines and has helped patrol crimes such as critical incident hostage negotiations, human-trafficking and child abuse.

-MORE-

For more information or to donate to Motorcycle Missions, visit Motorcycle-Missions.org. To vote for your favorite custom, visit Motorcycle Missions’ Instagram and Facebook channels on April 13. To learn more about Indian Motorcycle visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

The post Indian Motorcycle Therapy appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.

Motorcycle News, News

World Superbike 2019 Has Already Started

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World Superbike 2019 is off to an interesting start down under. At the end of practice Friday,  Alvaro Bautista’s new Ducati Panigale V4 was 0.14-second quicker than the Kawasaki ZX-10R of four-time Champ Jonathan Rea, followed by the other factory Kawi, followed by 2013 Champ Tom Sykes on a brand-new factory-backed BMW S1000RR – followed by a Yamaha, a Honda, and another Yamaha. We’ve got the top eight qualifiers, then, within 0.5-second of each other, on five different makes. If the goal was parity, so far so good.

Under WSBK’s new format, there’ll be another practice Saturday at 10 am, followed by Superpole at 12:15, then the first race of 2019 at 3 pm. On Sunday, there’ll be another Superpole Race at noon, followed by WSBK Race 2, again at 3 pm.

WorldSBK Friday Practice Combined Times
  1. Alvaro Bautista – Ducati 1:30.327
  2. Jonathan Rea – Kawasaki 1:30.341
  3. Leon Haslam – Kawasaki 1:30.482
  4. Tom Sykes – BMW 1:30.664
  5. Alex Lowes – Yamaha 1:30.783
  6. Leon Camier – Honda 1:30.792
  7. Sandro Cortese – Yamaha 1:30.850
  8. Markus Reiterberger – BMW 1:30.862
  9. Michael Van der Mark – Yamaha 1:31.049
  10. Toprak Razgatlioglu – Kawasaki 1:31.125
  11. Jordi Torres – Kawasaki 1:31.146
  12. Michael Rinaldi – Ducati 1:31.238
  13. Marco Melandri – Yamaha 1:31.259
  14. Chaz Davies – Ducati 1:31.334
  15. Eugene Laverty – Ducati 1:31.403
  16. Leandro Mercado – Kawasaki 1:31.545
  17. Ryuichi Kiyonari – Honda 1:31.790
  18. Alessandro Delbianco – Honda 1:32.669
  19. Troy Herfoss – Honda 1:34.314

Tons more info over here at WorldSBK.

The post World Superbike 2019 Has Already Started appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.

Competition, Motorcycle News, News

Day one of Phillip Island WorldSBK topped by Bautista

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Kawasaki Racing Team duo Rea and Haslam complete top three.

Image: Supplied.

The final session of the opening day of the 2019 FIM Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) concluded with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) taking over at the top of combined times. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and teammate Leon Haslam finished in second and third positions.

Bautista’s time was the fastest in the individual FP2 session. The Spaniard was once again quickest in the speed trap and was by far the fastest of the all-new Ducati Panigale V4 Rs. The Rookie set a blistering lap time of 1m30.327s to go ahead of Rea in the final minutes by just 0.014s! Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) had work to do in 14th position overall.

From the front three, Haslam was the first to improve – the 35-year-old five-time race winner has been impressive since the Yamaha Finance Australian round got underway. Spending some time on circuit with Bautista, the British rider was able to go fractionally quicker, before making big in-roads with less than 15 minutes left on the clock, finishing third overall.

Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) quietly went about his business, not troubling his lap time from FP1 in the session, remaining fourth overall. Teammate Markus Reiterberger also continued his development with the new BMW S1000RR but like Sykes, didn´t improve on his time with 20 minutes left, finishing in eighth overall and just over half a second off Bautista.

Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) jumped up the order to fifth position, making amends for FP1. The Lincolnshire rider then continued to improve his lap times, consistently fast although he took a tumble in the middle of the session. Dutchman Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) also continued the theme of great improvement for Yamaha, although remained ninth.

Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) continued as a revelation, closing the day seventh on combined times for much of the session. Cortese has started to understand the YZF R1 much better over the course of testing and subsequently is up at the sharp end. Teammate Marco Melandri continued to struggle, in 13th for most of the session.

Leon Camier (Moriwaki Althea HONDA Team) had a good session, consolidating his pace and moving up to sixth on the combined times. On the other side of the garage, Kiyonari was one of the first improvers as he continues to re-adapt to WorldSBK. The Japanese rider crashed towards the end of the session.

Completing the top 10 was Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing), taking his Kawasaki to within 0.800s of the top time posted by Bautista. Australian wildcard Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing) was 19th in the classification.

WorldSSP to come.

Detailed results

Source: CycleOnline.com.au

Competition, Motorcycle News, News

Wagner on pole for Phillip Island ASBK opener

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Halliday and Falzon complete Yamaha front row lock out.

Image: Russell Colvin.

Yamaha privateer Aiden Wagner has earned pole position for this weekend’s Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) opener at Phillip Island, lodging a stellar 1m32.191s lap-time in qualifying today.

The Queenslander leads a complete lock out of bLU cRU supported riders in the top three, as 2018 Supersport champion Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team) and Daniel Falzon (Yamaha Racing Team) make up the front row after recording quick times of 1m32.552s and 1m32.572s respectively.

Team Suzuki Ecstar Australia’s Josh Waters fell just short of a front row start, setting a best-lap of 1m32.624s, while three-time Superbike world champion Troy Bayliss (DesmoSport Ducati) concluded the first five with a 1m32.759s lap-time.

Wayne Maxwell (Team Suzuki Ecstar Australia) was fraction behind in sixth, followed by Mike Jones (Kawasaki), reigning champion Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing), Glenn Allerton (Maxima BMW) and Bryan Staring (BCperformance Kawasaki).

Supersport and Supersport 300 details and results to come.

Detailed results

Source: CycleOnline.com.au

Competition, News

Beta set to roll out ride days across Australia

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Two-stroke and four-stroke range available for test rides at Beta Days.

Image: Supplied.

Beta Motorcycles Australia has introduced a selection of Beta Days to be hosted around the country, allowing riders to sample the manufacturer’s 2019 range of two-stroke and four-stroke models.

The Tuscan manufacturer hasn’t just been working towards a more refined product with significant technical improvements for 2019 – it’s also introduced several new engine capacities and updates.

The dirt bikes available to ride include two-stroke models: RR 200, RR 250, RR 300, X-Trainer 300, and four-stroke models: RR 350, RR 390, RR 430, and RR 480.

2019 Beta Day calendar:
– West Gosford/Newcastle, NSW – Sunday, 24 February
– Inverell, NSW – Saturday, 2 March
– Biddaddaba, QLD – Sunday, 10 March
– Hobart, TAS – Sunday 17 March
– Ulverstone, TAS – Saturday, 23 March
– Mansfield, VIC – Saturday, 30 March

For more information, or register your interest, visit www.beta-motorcycles.com.au.


Source: MotoOnline.com.au

Competition, Motorcycle News, News

Compulsory pit-stop introduced for WorldSSP at Phillip Island

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Sunday’s outing to be run under flag-to-flag rules.

Image: Supplied.

The Yamaha Motor Finance opening round of the FIM Supersport World Championship (WorldSSP) season will take place under flag-to-flag rules, with a mandatory entry to the pits to change tyres for all bikes.

After speaking with the teams and based on the information gathered during the official two-day test at Phillip Island, the FIM and Dorna WSBK organisation have decided to implement the new format for Sunday’s race, adding a new challenge for the 24 riders set to line up on the grid.

Riders are free to choose when to do their pit-stop, under the condition that no tyre is used for more than 10 laps. Race distance has also been shortened to 16 laps.

This decision does not affect any of the three WorldSBK races, which are scheduled to be run in regular conditions as more flexible regulations for teams ensure that proper safety conditions will be met.

Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK executive director of sporting, explained the decision: “Due to specific track conditions seen at Phillip Island since Monday and some concerns regarding tyre life in race conditions, we decided that the best way to fully guarantee the safety of the WorldSSP riders and avoid any problems would be to do a flag-to-flag, which is in compliance with WorldSSP rules.

“This is unfortunate, but we believe that it is the best course of action and will guarantee an exciting race this weekend.”

This weekend’s WorldSSP opener will see Australian Tom Toparis (Landbridge Transport Yamaha) amongst the 24-rider field after scoring a wildcard opportunity.

Source: CycleOnline.com.au