No rider needed for this BMW R1200GS
BMW featured its riderless R1200GS at CES in Las Vegas, showcasing safety features we can expect to see in the future.
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com
BMW Showcases Autonomous R1200GS At CES
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Motorcycling’s British Invasion
Triumph, Norton, BSA, Ariel. Barry Sheene, Cal Crutchlow, Carl Fogarty. The British have been banging at the heart of motorcycling.
From the wild, wall-lined madness of the Isle of Man TT and gnarly bike racers, to Triumph and Norton’s resurgence, this small country punches above its weight.
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com
Plessinger ‘couldn’t back down’ in Anaheim 450SX debut
Plessinger ‘couldn’t back down’ in Anaheim 450SX debut
Monster Energy Yamaha rookie sixth in maiden outing.
Image: Supplied.
Aaron Plessinger says he couldn’t back down in his Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450SX debut at the weekend despite feeling the effects of the gruelling 20-lap main event in rain-soaked conditions.
Plessinger’s graduation to the premier class has been a strong talking point since his signing with Monster Energy Yamaha was made official last year, coming off a stellar 2018 season that saw him wrap up 250 titles in both supercross and motocross.
After finishing third in his heat, the newly-appointed number seven put on a charge in the made, riding a consistent race to ultimately wind up in sixth.
“Anaheim 1 went pretty well,” Plessinger admitted. “I got better and better every time I went out on the track. The heat race went awesome. I started out about fifth or sixth, got past some guys and finished third. I was pretty amped on that and I went into the main event pretty happy with myself.
“I got a great start and just maintained it. There were sometimes where I felt a little winded, but I couldn’t back down and pushed on to the finish and got sixth. I’d say Anaheim I, my first 450 race, was pretty good in my eyes. We’ll keep making improvements and head into Phoenix hot on the ball.”
Teammate Justin Barcia rode away to victory in the main event – his first since 2013 – while Ken Roczen (Honda HRC) and Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki).
Source: MotoOnline.com.au
Hampshire clash tough to swallow says Cianciarulo
Title contender recovers for fifth position at Anaheim 1.
Image: Supplied.
Popular 250SX West contender Adam Cianciarulo says it was tough to swallow crashing in Saturday night’s Monster Energy AMA Supercross opener, which came as a result of being taken down by Geico Honda’s RJ Hampshire.
The duo engaged in a battle for position, which quickly escalated in a heated scenario where Hampshire cleaned out the Pro Circuit Monster Energy Kawasaki rider’s front wheel, one corner after he himself was pushed wide.
Cianciarulo downplayed the incident, adamant he would’ve landed on the podium if it wasn’t for the clash, although he’s satisfied to exit Anaheim with full health and a fifth place finish.
“For me, there are a lot of positives to take away from today’s race,” said the number 92. “The day started out great as we were able to secure the fastest qualifying time in practice, which gave us first gate pick to start the evening races. In my heat race, I got a little squirrelly off the start but I was able to save it and charge to the front and get my first heat race win of the year, which was awesome.
“The main event is a tough one to swallow because I know I should have been on the podium. It is unfortunate that I came together with another rider, however, I am happy I was able to remount and safely walk away from Anaheim 1 with some decent points. I am already looking forward to next weekend in Glendale.”
Colt Nichols (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) was the eventual winner of the 16-lap main event – the first of his career – while teammate Dylan Ferrandis was second ahead of Shane McElrath (Troy Lee Designs Red Bull KTM) and Hampshire.
Source: MotoOnline.com.au
Waters reveals Australian return with DPH Motorsport Husqvarna
Former MXGP contender to challenge for premier class crown.
Image: Supplied.
Popular Queenslander Todd Waters has revealed he’ll make a full-time return to the Australian circuit this season with DPH Motorsport Husqvarna after racing internationally in 2018.
Waters, who landed a guest ride with Honda HRC in the MXGP World Championship last year, expressed his intentions in October to race this year’s AMA Pro Motocross Championship as a privateer as initially planned for the 2018 season, although he admits talks commenced with Honda in Australia before ultimately falling flat in December.
The 28-year-old hasn’t ruled out racing the highly-desired American championship, insisting he plans to make appearances at select rounds during the seven-week break of the Pirelli MX Nationals.
The move marks a return to Husqvarna machinery, the number 47 being one of the first factory Husqvarna riders in the world championship under KTM ownership in 2014, which saw him score his first grand prix podium at Maggiora, Italy, in 2015.
“It was pretty last minute – I was dedicated to Honda and doing a program with those guys, but nothing was set in stone and it got to December, so I started to look elsewhere,” Waters explained to MotoOnline.com.au. “I turned down everything to be with Honda when I returned from Europe, but nothing came of it. Then an opportunity came up with Husqvarna and DPH Motorsport.
“I’m pretty excited to be back with Husqvarna, because when KTM bought out Husqvarna, I was one of the first riders to represent the brand on the world stage. I know all the guys internally, I know all about the brand, so it’s nice to represent them here in Australia. The plan is to both the motocross and supercross championship with Husqvarna, and the plan is to also head over and do a couple of AMA rounds in the break.”
Waters, an immediate title threat this season, will make his first public appearance aboard the all-new 2019 FC 450 this weekend at the bLU cRU Coffs Harbour Stadium MX in New South Wales, where a number of high-profile contenders will appear, including Luke Clout (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy), Jay Wilson (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) and Aaron Tanti (Serco Yamaha).
“I’ve spent two days on the bike, and I thought I’d break up the drive on the way up and race there,” he added. “I haven’t raced one of these local races for a long time, and I’m going to try and get out and do state titles and some local races – get back to my roots and enjoy the family atmoshphere of out sport.”
MotoOnline.com.au gained confirmation from Wilson Todd on Monday that he will return to DPH Motorsport this season to defend his MX2 crown, while it’s understood MXD champion Bailey Malkiewicz will also join the Victorian-based operation, making for a powerhouse outfit in 2019.
Source: MotoOnline.com.au
Counterfeit motorcycle parts warning
Riders have been warned about fake motorcycle parts after New Delhi Police arrested four people selling the counterfeit products with the names of three prominent motorcycle companies.
Delhi Police police have not officially revealed the names of the motorcycle companies nor the specific parts.
Is it the 300th case of copyright infringement listed in New Delhi since 2016, resulting in 308 arrests.
Nationwide Research Group director Craig Douglas warns that the counterfeit parts could have found their way to Australia and other countries.
“There is a market for these cheaper parts and we have many buyers unaware of the background or history of parts sold through what look like official Aust based selling sites,” he says.
The Indian incident is one of many around the world including a major haul of counterfeit parts in 2017 in the United Arab Emirates.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and Nationwide Research Group have regularly warned motorists to be on the lookout for fake parts.
Basically, if the price is too good to believe, it’s probably a fake.
Fake parts could cause your motorcycle damage, make it unsafe and, in a crash, may void your warranty and/or insurance.
How to identify a counterfeit part
“These counterfeit parts parts are normally offered just a little bit cheaper than if purchased from a legitimate outlet so as to convince the buyers that they are genuine, albeit from a discount seller,” Craig says.
“There are many ways to offer these parts and the savvy buyer tends to surf the internet for cheaper parts thinking they are still real as they look genuine, have packaging that looks official, are sold by what appears to be legitimate sellers and are not too cheap to make it seem to be fake.
“If buyers see parts to be available they tend to think they are authorised or approved as they were not stopped at the border. And this is no different to auto parts or running shoes.
“As long as there is a market someone will look to exploit these options and the unaware public will always be a willing buyers if money can be saved and turn a blind eye to the dodgy sellers background.
“And remember sometimes these auto parts are purchased by the trusted local mechanic so the ultimate owner has no idea where they really came from and thinks the parts were sourced from a genuine seller.”
Genuine is best
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Vehicles promotes genuine parts through their Genuine Is Best program.
They urge all motorists to use genuine parts in regular maintenance and repairs.
They also warn about buying over the internet.
The program says the only way a motorist can guarantee supply of genuine parts is by buying them through the vehicle maker’s authorised supply chain.
“Use anything else and you may be taking a risk.” their website warns.
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
Ducati showcases car-to-bike communication technology
Italian manufacturer joins Audi and Ford in Las Vegas demonstration.
Image: Supplied.
Ducati has completed its first US demonstration of a communication system that interlinks vehicles, street infrastructure and pedestrians, technology in which it has developed alongside Audi, Ford and Qualcomm Technologies.
As a part of the 2019 Consumer Electronic Show (CES), a Ducati Multistrada 1260 as well as Audi and Ford vehicles, demonstrated driving situations utilising C-V2X direct communications.
All vehicles were equipped with C-V2X technology featuring the Qualcomm 9150 C-V2X chipset to demonstrate a cooperative intersection use case, exhibiting how C-V2X can be used between vehicles to negotiate the right of way in entering a four-way, non-signalised intersection where intention sharing and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions make the use of a wireless sensor such as C-V2X ideal.
The companies also exhibited additional Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) safety scenarios, demonstrating the maturity and potential of C-V2X technology. The V2V use case featured the Intersection Movement Assist (IMA) scenario, which is a key countermeasure to address angle collisions at intersections, while the V2P scenario exhibited how C-V2X can be used to protect vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and bicyclists.
The V2I use case featured the Work Zone Warning scenario, which is designed to provide drivers advanced warning of road construction ahead allowing them to manoeuvre in a safe manner.
This week’s Las Vegas demonstrations follow the successful showings of C-V2X trial validations and interoperability conducted throughout 2018 in Europe, Japan, Australia, China and the United States, as well as the first live C-V2X interoperability demonstration between a motorcycle, vehicles and roadside infrastructure, which was hosted by several leading automotive and technology companies, including Ducati and Qualcomm Technologies.
Ducati, Audi, and Ford are amongst several global automakers who have closely evaluated C-V2X technology for its reliability, high-performance capabilities and readiness through rigorous testing. Currently, C-V2X is the only V2X alternative that provides a clear evolution path to 5G, in a backward compatible manner, and is designed to deliver reliable and consistent performance in realistic driving scenarios.
While complementing other Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) sensors, such as radar, lidar, and camera systems, C-V2X direct communications supports an ever-expanding set of safety use cases, as well as enhanced situational awareness by detecting and directly exchanging vital information.
Additionally, C-V2X is designed with a focus on security, benefitting from established security transport layers and application protocols defined by the automotive standards communities, including ISO, ETSI and IEEE 1609.
Because C-V2X can be easily integrated into all wireless modems to offer direct and network communications, its implementation is cost-effective, which is especially important as the automotive industry continues to move towards adding wireless connectivity in all vehicles.
The demonstration by Ducati, Audi, Ford, and Qualcomm Technologies will be conducted live in Las Vegas by appointment and will also be livestreamed by Qualcomm Technologies.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
Barreda controls Dakar standings as Walkner earns stage two win
Australia’s Price advances with fourth on day two.
Image: Supplied.
Joan Barreda (Monster Energy Honda Racing Team) maintains his position atop the standings in the 2019 Dakar Rally, but it was reigning champion Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) who captured victory on day two.
Walkner charged through the fast and rough 342-kilometre timed special, lodging a time of 3h23m57s, bumping him up to second behind Barreda in the standings – just 1m31s separating the duo.
American Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda Racing Team) was second fastest in the gruelling stage followed by Barreda and Australian Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who overcame an issue in the dunes to edge out Pablo Quintanilla (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing).
The results from day two now see Brabec trailing the leaders in third ahead of Quintanilla and Price – the former Dakar victor advancing one position from his day one classification.
Compatriot Rodney Faggotter (Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team) was 29th in the stage, placing him 28th in the standings, as fellow Aussies Ben Young (KTM) and James Ferguson (KTM) wound up in 102nd and 115th, granting the pair positions 103 and 116 respectively in the overall results.
Stage three of the 2019 Dakar Rally leaves the bivouac at San Juan de Marcona and again heads south along the coast of the South Pacific towards the city of Arequipa. The 798-kilometre stage includes another long timed special of 331 kilometres.
Source: MotoOnline.com.au
Harley-Davidson Opens LiveWire Preorders And Announces Pricing
Two concept electric machines also revealed
Harley-Davidson opened LiveWire preorders in the US and revealed the electric motorcycle’s starting price.
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com
Inside The Oset 24.0R Electric Trials Motorcycle
The silent stump jumper
Oset bikes are quiet, approachable, and fun. Where neighbors may frown on a CRF50 lapping in the backyard, no one bats an eye at the near-silent electric Oset.
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com