To put some fears to rest, the Lightning Strike will have a more relaxed riding position than the LS-218. We know this because Lightning sent us the following image:
The accompanying text read as follows:
Since Lightning’s initial announcement for the upcoming launch of Strike, one of the top questions from customers has been in regards to rider position. In response to this, we wanted to clearly demonstrate Strike’s rider position relative to the ultra performance focused Lightning LS-218 Superbike. Strike is a motorcycle engineered for the track, but designed for the street.
So we still don’t know much else about the Strike in regards to its aesthetics or its performance, but at least we know the riding position will be more relaxed. This is surely a good thing for a street-biased motorcycle. We’ll post more information as we get it, and of course, the Strike’s official unveiling is set for March 2019, at which point we’ll provide all the details we can.
German talent regains 450SX points lead for the second time this season.
Image: Supplied.
Ken Roczen has expressed his desire to win his still there despite going winless six rounds into the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship.
After injuries cut short his last two supercross campaigns, the Team Honda HRC talent has been taking a measured approach to his 2019 assault that has ultimately resulted in earning the red-plate on two occasions.
Despite feeling like Saturday’s encounter at Minneapolis was a missed opportunity, Roczen fought his way to second behind three-time main event winner Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
“I had a little wheelie on the start, and I came around in third,” Roczen explained. “I was just in third forever because it’s just really hard to pass out there – it gets rutty and we’re all kind of taking similar lines. I felt really good, but I couldn’t ever make the pass happen, and once Cooper [Webb] got by Joey [Savatgy], he gapped us.
“I wish I would’ve had a clear lap earlier because I feel like I could’ve done a charge toward the end, but with these turns and the intensity we brought, I didn’t want to just do a silly, aggressive move and bump up on the inside.
“I just took a little bit too long, but I’m happy with second place and back in the points lead. I still want to win, but it’s all good to get out of here healthy.”
The German ace leads Webb by one marker, while Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki) and Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) are tied for third on 123 points.
Important distinction: the below applies to the superbike class only. The other categories are still TBA.
Begin press release:
MotoAmerica and FOX Sports are pleased to announce that FS2 is now the “Home of MotoAmerica Superbike Racing” with the network set to deliver 90 minutes of live or same-day coverage of the MotoAmerica Superbike class on both Saturday and Sunday from each of the 10 rounds of the 2019 MotoAmerica Series.
In addition to the live and same-day coverage of the MotoAmerica Superbike Series, there will also be 90-minute re-airs within seven days of each event on FS2 with a total of 45 hours of MotoAmerica action scheduled for the 2019 season. FS2 has a reach of nearly 57 million households, according to Nielsen Media Research.
“We’re very pleased to have FS2 as the home of MotoAmerica Superbike racing,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “This is a big step forward for us as a series as nearly 57 million households will now have the opportunity to see what competitive, exciting racing we have in the MotoAmerica Superbike Series. We know that FS2 will do a great job of bringing our racing into the homes of our existing fans and it will also put our series in front of a lot of new fans as well.”
“Adding the MotoAmerica Superbike Series to FS2 continues a long history of exciting motorsports action available on the FOX Sports family of networks,” said Josh Oakley, FOX Sports VP Acquisitions & Programming. “FS2 is a destination for motorsports fans, and MotoAmerica delivers on the expectations of our viewers.”
Ducati riders lock out top four at Sepang MotoGP test.
Image: Supplied.
Andrea Dovizioso believes the strong presence of Ducati riders at the top of the timesheets on day three of testing at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia is confirmation of a solid platform provided by the Italian manufacturer.
Dovizioso wound up fourth in the official MotoGP test, trailing Ducati counterparts Jack Miller (Pramac Racing), Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) and pace-setter Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati).
The Mission Winnow Ducati contender sampled a new fairing in the final outing that has drawn a positive review, although he admits it’s still too early to come to a conclusion on his final set-up.
“All in all, this test has been positive,” Dovizioso declared. “It was important to push to the limit again today because we only have another test before the season starts, and we managed to post a competitive time even on a flying lap after being really consistent in yesterday’s race simulation.
“Also, to see so many Ducati bikes at the front confirms that we have a good base. We also tried a new fairing, with positive feedback. It’s still early to draw conclusions, but I’m happy with the work done here and now we’ll look for more ways to improve ahead of Qatar.”
The MotoGP World Championship returns to testing at Losail International Circuit in Qatar on 23 February, while the season kicks off at the venue on 10 March.
Australian earns top 10 result in Italian motocross championship finals.
Image: Supplied.
Queenslander Mitch Evans is continuing to learn and adjust to the increased intensity and aggression of racing on the European circuit, recently completing the three-round 2019 Internazionali D’Italia.
Evans, who’s set to challenge the MX2 World Championship this year with Team Honda 114 Motorsports, put in a spirited performance at the weekend’s Italian motocross finale in Mantova, winding up 11th in the MX2 outing before lodging an impressive ninth in the Superfinal, which sees the best MX1 and MX2 riders combined.
A strong end to the mini-series has offered the youthful Australian a positive feeling heading into his next pre-season event, scheduled for 24 February at the Motocross Masters International in Lacapelle, France.
“Despite struggling with my starts, I had a lot of fun racing in Mantova,” Evans commented. “The speed and aggression of the racing is very different to what I am use to, but I am learning and feeling more comfortable with each race I get under my belt. I am looking forward to having two weeks back in France to work on my weaknesses before we go racing again in Lacapelle.”
The opening round of the MXGP World Championship will take place on 3 March at Neuquen in Patagonia Argentina.
The INT650 and Continental GT are Royal Enfield’s first real global products since the brand’s rebirth, and these motorcycles required international input.
The road safety expert who advocates wire rope barriers, lower speed limits and mandatory hi-vis vests for riders, and alcohol interlocks and electronic rider aids on bikes has been honoured with a special award.
UNSW Sydney Professor Raphael Grzebieta has been honoured with the 2019 Kenneth A Stonex award in recognition of his lifetime contribution to reducing run-off-road injuries and transport deaths worldwide.
“In other words, any changes to current designs of road barriers will have almost no effect on reducing rider fatalities and serious injuries,” he says.
Prof honoured
Professor Raphael Grzebieta
The annual Stonex award was presented by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Transportation Research Board’s (TRB’s) Roadside Safety Design Committee AFB20.
It honoured the Prof for “identifying the leading causes of roadside fatalities and injuries and developing mitigation techniques using full-scale crash testing and computer simulation”.
WRB supporter
The Professor says he has “long advocated for installing nation-wide wire-rope barriers”.
“When wire-rope barriers are installed with rumble strips on rural roads, there is an 80 to 90% reduction in fatalities and serious injuries,” he says. Sweden halved their fatalities when they installed these barrier systems in 2000.
“Victoria has now installed 1200km of wire-rope barriers on rural roads to reduce their rising fatality count in 2016. They just recorded their lowest ever road fatality count (in 2018).
“Other states and in particular NSW are still lagging behind terribly. They are simply not investing the same scale of money to have a real effect on deaths and serious injuries.”
Victoria’s road toll in 2018 was 214, compared with 259 in 2017 and 290 in 2016 when they started installing wire-rope barriers, he says.
The Prof says the barriers have been controversial with motorcyclists because of misinformation.
They have also supported a petition by widow Jan White, whose husband, Phil, aged 60, died when his bike unavoidably hit a dead kangaroo on a 110km/h slightly sweeping bend of the Calder Highway in Victoria on November 5, 2017.
Phil and Jan White
Phil hit four support poles on the WRBs next to the road.
Prof Grzebieta helped launch a $1 million project examining motorcycle impacts into roadside barriers and how motorcyclists could be better protected in collisions, particularly with W-beam barriers.
“We disproved all of the myths promulgated by motorcyclists, providing strong support for continued installation of these lifesaving barrier systems,” he says.
“Sweden saw a 40 to 60% reduction in motorcycle fatalities.”
However, WRBs are banned in Belgium and Norway, not supported by the Netherlands government and have never been used in Germany or other European countries, except Poland, Iceland, Romania, Sweden and the UK to a lesser extent.
Speed freak
Professor Grzebieta also says the award recognises his research into the reduction of speed limits on highways, suburban and high pedestrian active streets.
“The speed limits throughout Australia, in particular NSW, WA and NT, are much too high,” he says.
“In NSW, the limit on parts of the Newell highway are 110km/h where there are no barriers installed. The speed should be reduced to the survivable limit of 80km/h unless median and roadside barriers have been installed.
“Also the speed limit in residential streets, the CBD and high pedestrian active areas should be 40km/h, preferably 30km/h, in line with best practise European countries that have half the Australian fatality rates,” he says.
“The Australian default speed limit for suburban roads is currently set at 50km/h.”
In a paper he co-wrote with his UNSW Sciences colleague Professor Jake Olivier, presented two weeks ago at the TRB’s annual meeting where Professor Grzebieta received his award, Professor Grzebieta said the reduced speed limits he proposed were commonly used by countries such as Sweden, Netherlands and the UK, which had the world’s lowest road fatality rates.
Kawasaki-supported rider to pilot new ZX-10RR in 2019.
Image: Russell Colvin.
Matt Walters has set his target to consistently finish inside the top of the premier class in the 2019 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK), which kicks off at Phillip Island on 21-24 February.
The Kawasaki Connection rider rounded out his 2018 assault strongly, finishing fifth overall at Phillip Island’s finale, granting him top privateer honours in the series.
“My plans for this year are pretty much the same as last year – I want to try and be the top privateer in the main game again,” Walters explained to CycleOnline.com.au. “I’m hoping to push forward as much as I can – the bike has obviously changed from last year, but it’s still very familiar.
“I’d love to be inside the top five every time I’m on the race track – I don’t think that’s unachievable for me. Out of our small outfit, we should be inside the top five every race. That’s what we aimed for last year, and we got there in the end.”
A notable absentee from last month’s official ASBK test at Phillip Island, Walters has been privately developing the ZX-10RR that he’ll pilot in 2019, being one of a selection of Kawasaki-backed riders who will campaign the all-new machine.
“We had a few key parts we had to test from Kawasaki, and we thought it would be safer to go to Eastern Creek because we had never tried them before – in case we had any dramas, we could come back to the workshop and fix them,” he continued.
“I would’ve loved to have done Phillip Island, but it was a little hard at the time. I’ll be on the new ZX-10RR – it’s quite a good bike and step forward from where we were before. Everything is really new to us, but it was good to be at Eastern Creek and sort out all the bugs.”
The ASBK opener will run in conjunction with round one of the FIM Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK), where the three-race format will be introduced for the first time.
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