Tag Archives: News

Competition, News

Riding return prompts modest round one target for Crawford

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Serco Yamaha contender recovers from lengthy leg injury.

Image: Foremost Media.

A return to riding this week following months on the sidelines with a leg injury as prompted MX2 title contender Nathan Crawford to set a modest target at round one of the Pirelli MX Nationals, scheduled for 17 March at Appin in New South Wales.

The Serco Yamaha talent split the top of his tibia at Coolum’s Australian supercross round in October last year while filling in for Dean Ferris at CDR Yamaha Monster Energy, which also marked his racing return after a shoulder injury sidelined him from Wonthaggi’s MX Nationals in May.

Cleared to ride three weeks ahead of schedule, the popular Queenslander is aiming to get through Appin’s opener healthy, admitting a top 10 result would be an adequate way of commencing his pursuit for the crown.

“I’m taking it pretty slow because I obviously had a bit of time off,” Crawford explained to MotoOnline.com.au. “I can only do a certain amount of days at a time, but I mean I’m stoked to be back on the bike. The leg feels exactly how I expected it to feel – it’s not bad and it’s not hurting, but it obviously doesn’t feel as strong as my other leg.

“I’m pretty happy with where I’m at considering I’m on the bike three weeks earlier than we planned. Honestly, the goal is to get to the finish line – I have personal goals, and realistic ones, but I think for round one I just need to put them aside and not let my ego take over.

“I know I’m more than good enough to finish inside the top 10, and a good day for me at round one would be inside the top five. We’ll just see how it plays out.”

Crawford will pilot the all-new 2019 Yamaha YZ250F this season alongside newcomer Aaron Tanti, and just after two days on the Serco-prepared machine, he’s already achieved promising feedback.

“The bike is good – all the Yamaha 250 teams are at a spot this year where we’re trying to develop the bike,” he continued. “Because it’s all-new, it’s going to take time make gains, but I think we’re getting there and bike is great from standard – it’s just fine tuning and I think we’re at a good spot with the bike.”


Source: MotoOnline.com.au

Competition, News

Osborne set for premier class debut at Arlington

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Two-time 250SX East champion recovers from broken collarbone.

Image: Supplied.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne will make his debut in the 450SX category this weekend at Arlington’s seventh round of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship.

The two-time 250SX East champion suffered a broken collarbone in the lead up the Anaheim 1’s season-opener, prompting him to miss the first six rounds.

He was initially scheduled to return last weekend at Minneapolis, however a suspected crash ahead of the first east coast stop further delayed his return.

Osborne will join Dean Wilson on the factory squad, who’s currently filling in for injured reigning champion Jason Anderson – the number one ruling himself out of the supercross season after crashing heavily during training last month.


Source: MotoOnline.com.au

Motorcycle News, News

Electric-powered motorcycles in Ducati’s sights

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Head of innovation’s Zampieri confirms developments currently in place.

Image: Supplied.

Production electric-powered motorcycles are in the sights of premium Italian manufacturer Ducati, according to the company’s head of innovation, Pierluigi Zampieri.

Development of electric motorcycles has increased across a number of manufacturers, with Ducati certain to enter the market at some stage in the future, as timing and demand are ultimately the determining factor.

“We’re still developing our production bikes with the aim of being the best on the track,” Zampieri explained to MCN. “But with electric the difficulty is a compromise between weight and performance or range. “Today the whole package is not as good as we would like it to be, because the energy density that you can store is not high enough. The main challenge, technically, is reaching our performance and weight targets.”

“Being a company that is usually state of the art, we could arrive [with a product] that’s state of the art or even better than all of our competitors. The problem is – is now the right moment? It’s a small market and we’re still trying to understand when it’ll be ready for such innovation.”

“The V4 choice was similar – we had a lot of discussions about whether our customers would appreciate it or not. Now we are having similar discussions. You try to push the customer but need to know if they like it or not. Would our customers appreciate an electric bike? Is it the right moment for them?”

With a fanatical and loyal following, Ducati faces the challenge of maintaining the renowned characteristics of its bikes, such as the unique sound and ferocious yet rewarding power, all of which are almost impossible to replicate in an electric motorcycle. However, Zampieri is confident of delivering an electric bike that’s true to Ducati’s character.

“It is a challenge, but I’m confident we can make an electric bike that’s pure Ducati with pure Ducati character,” he continued. “And if we look outside, Harley-Davidson for example, they’re starting from a situation that’s probably worse. If they’re able to shape a product and give it character, I’m confident we can do the same or better.”

Source: CycleOnline.com.au

Competition, News

Yamaha launches factory team for 2019 MXGP campaign

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Febvre and Seewer to pilot Yamaha YZ450FM this season.

Image: Supplied.

Yamaha has unveiled its look for the 2019 MXGP World Championship, launching both the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MXGP and Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP squads.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MXGP will field former world champion Romain Febvre – his fourth year with the outfit – and newcomer Jeremy Seewer, with the duo both piloting the YZ450FM.

Strengthening Yamaha’s 2019 efforts, Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP has retained Arnaud Tonus for a third season. In addition, the team has welcomed a familiar name back to the Yamaha damily in the form of Gautier Paulin.

“I feel we have a very strong line up in MXGP this season,” said Yamaha Motor Europe MX racing manager Erik Eggens. “This year Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP will have Romain Febvre and Jeremy Seewer under the awning. We drafted Jeremy into the factory team because I saw some great potential last year with the Wilvo team in terms of his determination, motivation and consistency, so I felt he deserved the opportunity to compete on the YZ450FM alongside Romain.

“And of course Romain is a rider that I think has the speed to win races. This year he is going into the new season following a fantastic winter. He missed some races at the end of last year and took the time required to recover fully, which he has done and I believe that he will come back even stronger than before.

“We are confident we will see some excellent racing from both Romain and Jeremy, and also from our Official MXGP team, Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP who also have a fantastic line up with Gautier Paulin and Arnaud Tonus. Both Gautier and Arnaud have an enormous amount of potential. Both riders look very comfortable on the YZ450F and have had a great off-season with everything going to plan thus far.”

The opening round of the 2019 MXGP World Championship is scheduled for 3 March at Neuquen in Patagonia Argentina.


Source: MotoOnline.com.au

Competition, Motorcycle News, News

ASBK announces Motul and Pirelli as naming rights partners

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Link International brands strengthen support of Superbike series.

Image: Foremost Media.

The Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) has announced Motul and Pirelli will become naming rights partners of the series for the 2019 season.

Link International, the Australian distributor of the two brands, has bolstered its backing of the ever-growing series in which it’s initially backed from 2015, while also further strengthening its support of motorcycle sport in the country as it holds the naming rights to the Pirelli MX Nationals – Australia’s premier motocross championship.

“The 2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship promises to be one of the biggest and best seasons yet, and we are proud to have supported the series through its recent growth to become an internationally recognised brand within the motorcycle racing community,” said Link International CEO Brenden Stoeckert.

“Both Motul and Pirelli are brands associated with excellence, passion, and technology. The ASBK is a perfect fit to help us tell the story of these brands to motorcyclists across Australia. We can’t wait to bring this racing spirit to the ASBK once again in 2019.”

Motorcycling Australia CEO Peter Doyle added: “We are proud to announce the new partnership between MA, Motul and Pirelli. Motul and Pirelli have supported the ASBK for a number of years now, and it’s fantastic to have their increased participation in 2019.

“The fact that they have moved into the naming rights sponsor’s role really speaks to their commitment to the ASBK, and we thank them for enabling us to continue to grow the championship.”

The opening round of the ASBK is scheduled for 21-24 February at Phillip Island in Victoria, which will run in conjunction with the FIM Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) opener.

Source: CycleOnline.com.au

News

Motorbike Response Crew keep traffic moving

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Motorcycles may soon be coming to the rescue of crash victims and broken-down vehicles on tollways around Australia to keep traffic moving.

It follows the Australian-first trial of a motorbike response crew on the Logan and Gateway motorways in Brisbane.

The trial is being run by Queensland tollway company Linkt, which is owned by Transurban that also operates CityLink in Melbourne and six tollways in Sydney.

Trial results

Trial results are expected in mid-2019. If it is deemed a success, it may be expanded to other cities.

“As part of an Australian-first trial, experienced motorbike responders will get to breakdowns and incidents sooner, providing much needed assistance to affected motorists during periods of high congestion, and helping to keep traffic moving,” Linkt says.

What makes motorcycles quicker to respond is their ability to legally filter through slow or stationary traffic.

So motorists will have another reason to be grateful for more motorcycles on our roads!

Motorcycle paramedics have been used in other states before, but this is the first by a private tollway company.

Linkt say their motorbike response crews are first-aid trained and equipped with “fuel, water, jump kits, and more”.

traffic
Logan Motorway

Trial crew

Incident Response Supervisor Paul Hillman, who is an ex-paramedic and part of the motorcycle trial, says the crew have more than 20 years’ motorcycle experience.

“To ensure their safety, motorcycles will only be deployed during daylight hours, during peak times and when incidents result in congestion,” he says.

“Breaking down on the motorway can be a very scary experience for people, so when we arrive on the scene to provide assistance, they are very grateful.”

Linkt say they respond to about 1000 traffic incidents each month across Transurban’s roads in Brisbane, including breakdowns, out-of-fuel and debris clean-up.

“Research has shown that the rate of crashes on Brisbane’s toll roads is 53% lower than on similar roads,” they say.

Keeping traffic moving

Transurban Queensland General Manager Operations David McLoughlin says their incident response fleet is the largest in Australia with four trucks fitted with crash cushions, two tow trucks and four utes.

“Since 2017, our average incident response times on these motorways has reduced to just over eight minutes and we expect this trial will result in further benefits for motorists,” he says.

“To ensure the highest safety standards are met throughout the trial, we have been collaborating closely with Queensland Police, who currently use motorcycles as part of their own fleet.”

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

News

Harley riders show intimacy to the brand

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Despite slowing sales and a war of words with President Trump, Harley-Davidson riders still seem to love the brand, according to a biennial report on brand intimacy.

Harley was sixth in the MBLM Brand Intimacy Report on more than 400 brands behind Disney, Apple, Amazon, Chevrolet and Netflix.

However, the love seems to be waning as Harley was ranked third in the 2015 report and fourth in 2017.

Brand intimacy is defined as “leveraging and strengthening the emotional bonds between a person and a brand”.

MBLM and Praxis Research Partners interviewed 6200 consumers in the US (3000), Mexico (2000), and the United Arab Emirates (1200) for the report.

IntimacyIron Run HOG rallies leasing

Harley was second in the automotive sector behind Chevrolet, while BMW (cars and bikes) was 18th overall and Honda (cars, bikes, etc) was 23rd.

Interestingly, the intimacy survey found that Harley riders are viewing it more as a nostalgia brand and less of an indulgence brand than they did in 2017.

It also found that 21% of Harley owners could not live without the brand and 10% said they would be prepared to pay more for their motorbikes!

That’s interesting considering the company reported a 6.1% drop in sales last year to 228,051.

It also comes after almost two years of chiding by President Trump for moving some of its production offshore.

Harley says Trump’s trade wars increase their costs of raw steel and aluminium and resulted in higher tariffs for their products in some overseas markets.

They claim these two factors wiped out their 2018 profits.

It may also have cost them a loss of intimacy by their followers, many of whom may also be Trump supporters.

Will riders really boycott Harley-Davidson? Trump intimacy
Bikers for Trump

Aussie survey

This comes after Harley rated third in a customer satisfaction survey released last year by Australian ratings business Canstar Blue.

Triumph was the most satisfying motorcycle brand in the market, according to about 700 surveyed riders.

It was the second year in a row that Triumph topped the annual motorcycle survey won by Yamaha in 2016 and Harley-Davidson in the first year of ratings in 2015.

The ratings compare motorcycle brands on factors including reliability, style, handling, comfort, value for money, point-of-sale service, technology features and overall satisfaction.

Triumph was followed by Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and BMW.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

News

Perth rider killed after police pursuit

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A 24-year-old Perth rider has died after a woman who had been involved in a police pursuit crashed into him early Thursday morning on the wrong side of the road.

Jordan Thorsager was riding his Kawasaki on the Leach highway just after midnight when he was hit head-on by the driver.

Police say they were not pursuing the woman at the time of the crash, but confirm they had been chasing her “on and off” over the previous hour. She was wanted on an arrest warrant.

Western Australia Police Major Crash investigators and police Internal Affairs officers are investigating the pursuit and are calling for witnesses.

Surprisingly, his family is willing to forgive the driver and does not question police conduct.

police pursuit
(Image: Channel 9 News, Perth)

Police may not have been pursuing the woman at the time of the crash, but did their pursuit over the previous hour affect the driving behaviour of the woman?

A 24-year-old man is now dead after police pursued a woman wanted on an arrest warrant for matters not made public. Does that seem like a fair outcome from a pursuit?

Police pursuit

The 2009 Australian Institute of Criminology study found the three most pressing issues for police reform around the world are use of force, policing of violence in families and high-speed pursuits.

It also found deaths in custody at police stations are declining but “deaths in custody” as a result of high-speed pursuits were rising.

While less than 1% of police pursuits results in a fatal crash, 38% of the people killed are innocent bystanders.

It’s much worse in the USA where one person dies every day as a result of a police pursuit. Of those deaths, 1% are police, 55% suspects and 44% bystanders.

Most police procedures acknowledge the judgement of the officer at the scene to begin a pursuit.

However, continuation of the pursuit is then deferred to a senior officer at the station or headquarters.

They have to make a quick judgement based on the lethal risk to the community of the chase versus the lethal risk to the community of letting a serious offender escape.

This must be backed by information, not just mere suspicion.

Queensland police figures show only about 3% of pursuits involved imminent threat to life or a suspect escaping after a homicide.

Police have a duty to not only prevent and control crime, but more importantly, they have a duty to protect the community and that includes from their own reckless behaviour and judgement.

Click her to read about a police and media pursuit that encouraged a motorcycle rider to perform stunts for the cameras.

Police pursuit pursuits
TV chopper captures pursued rider performing stunts

Restrictive practices

Despite criticism from police unions, most pursuit policies around the world, including the USA, are becoming more restrictive.

In many jurisdictions, pursuits are only allowed if there is a serious risk to public safety or in relation to a major crime involving death or injury.

However, there is an issue about making these pursuit policies public. Some say they should be public to show transparency while others believe it would give criminals clues on how to evade police.

Those who support pursuits point out that the number of people evading police is rising as a result of more restrictive pursuit policies, despite higher penalties for evading police.

Making the issue more complex is the degree of the pursuit.

Should there be an upper speed limit for police? Should police be allowed to break other road rules in the pursuit?

There have been incidences of police driving at more than 200km/h in a pursuit and on the road side of a major highway.

Another issue is whether police should be criminally culpable in the instance of a death resulting from a pursuit.

To a degree, technologies such as CTV and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) devices, negate the need for pursuits.

VicPol gets number plate recognition police pursuit
Number plate recognition device on the roof of a patrol car

WA police have ANPR, but it is not known whether it was available in the pursuit patrol vehicle.

In some cases, APNR may actually trigger a police pursuit.

* What do you think about police pursuits? Leave your comments below.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

One More Detail Emerges About The New Lightning Strike

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Lightning Motorcycles has been teasing us with multiple renderings and press releases about its new model, the Strike, without actually telling us anything. We’re annoyed by it just as much as you are, but now Lightning has sent us this photo that actually reveals slightly more information.

For the uninitiated, shown here is the new Strike’s motor, which Lightning says is based on the architecture of its flagship LS-218 superbike. We weren’t given details about the motor other than the fact it will be liquid-cooled (the three hoses leading into it are a telltale giveaway). For electrics, as it is with internal combustion engines, heat is the enemy of performance. Liquid-cooling has proven to be an effective means to combat that challenge. Lightning even says, “As far as we’re aware, the LS-218 is currently the only electric motorcycle in the world with the technology and ability to run flat-out at qualifying racing speed, pull in for a pit stop to fast charge and continue racing – all without ever overheating. Strike shares these exclusive performance characteristics while being fundamentally designed to be the ultimate street bike.”

Lightning’s tagline being “Engineered for the track. Designed for the street,” it doesn’t come as a surprise to also see an Ohlins shock in the photo, which will no doubt be included in the Carbon Edition of the bike, and (we assume) will be an option for the standard version. It’s also probably not much of a stretch to assume the Swedish suspension firm will provide suspenders up front, too.

As always, we’ll post more details about the Strike as we get them.

The post One More Detail Emerges About The New Lightning Strike appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.

Competition, News

bLU cRU YZ65 Cup set for MX Nationals return in 2019

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Popular junior support category to feature at three rounds this season.

Image: Foremost Media.

The bLU cRU YZ65 Cup will make a return to select rounds of the Pirelli MX Nationals in 2019 following a highly-successful showing last year.

The junior category runs in conjunction with the national motocross series, providing the next generation of Yamaha riders with the opportunity to race in front of huge crowds and share the spotlight with their bLU cRU heroes, including CDR Yamaha Monster Energy riders Kirk Gibbs and Luke Clout.

The YZ65 Cup kicks off at the opening round of the MX Nationals at Appin in New South Wales on Sunday, 17 March. The second stop will support round seven of the series on 14 July in Maitland, New South Wales, followed by the MX Nationals season-finale in Coolum, Queensland, on 3-4 August.

“The YZ65 Cup was such a rewarding experience to be involved with last year, and I’m excited to announce its return in 2019,” said Yamaha Motor Australia’s national sales and marketing manager Matthew Ferry.

“We’ve met so many great people, and it was rewarding to see the bLU cRU family grow at every race meeting we attended. The YZ65 Cup is a crowd favourite and we are proud to provide this opportunity to our future bLU cRU champions.”

MX Nationals promoter Kevin Williams added: “We are delighted to have the bLU cRU YZ65 Cup return, this is a great program that Yamaha has developed. It allows junior participants to play on the big stage. For these young competitors, it would be like playing Auskick at the AFL grand final.”

Participants in the YZ65 Cup will have the opportunity to track walk with riders Clout and Gibbs, tour of the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy race team truck, and pit out of the bLU cRU truck, as well as receiving a YZ65 Cup trophy, Yamaha merchandise, high-res images and professional video footage from each round, and two general admission tickets as part of the MX Nationals entry fee. For more information, visit www.yamaha-motor.com.au.


Source: MotoOnline.com.au