Australian Motorcycle News

WHODATHUNK THAT FANGING around on motorcycles would ever be described as a quiet pursuit? As is often the case, it appears as though it’s the Swedes who’ve been thinking outside the box; at least that’s the impression I got when I read the Stark VARG

TRIUMPH’S ALL-NEW Tiger 1200 beats its number one rival – BMW’s R 1250 GS – in virtually every measurable way. But the big question is if that is enough to sway customers away from the big-bore adventure market’s default choice. A clean-sheet design,

THE SELL-OUT success of KTM’s super-expensive, rack-only RC8C appears to have inspired an affordable road version. If so it would be KTM’s first out-and-out sportsbike since the demise of the RC8 in 2015. The smaller RC8C was derived from the Kramer

IN A BOLD ATTEMPT to trump retro adventure models from MV Agusta (Lucky Explorer 9.5), Moto Guzzi (V85TT) and BMW (R NineT Urban G/S), Ducati has launched the DesertX. It’s a revised version of the prototype we revealed back in 2019, with the liquid-

TWO DECADES after Yamaha’s TMAX established the maxi-scooter class its revamp for 2022 gives an aggressive new look and technology you’d expect to see on a high-end sports-tourer. New headlights sit on a pointier-looking nose, above triangular air in

SUBTLE UPGRADES to Ducati’s Panigale V4 have resulted in major improvements to performance and handling for trackday riders. Changes include new aero, updates to the engine and ergonomics. Ducati claims dramatic improvement in lap times of over one s

Recently retired MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi surprised even himself after testing an Audi GT3 last month. Perhaps he needs to hear a cautionary tale from Wayne Gardner, who won races but also earned the nickname ‘Captain Chaos’ in the shark pool of

POURING RAIN COULDN’T prevent a turnout that would have made founders Carlo Guzzi, Giovani Ravelli and Giorgio Parodi proud as owners celebrated 100 years of Moto Guzzi. More than 150 motorcycles met at Harry’s Cafe de Wheels at Tempe in early Decemb

MID-1978, AMERICAN journalist John Ulrich sent a message to colleagues in Australia, asking in effect, ‘what have you guys done with Wes Cooley?’ Cooley was about to turn 22 and Ulrich reckoned he made a clear step forward from the ’77 season. What ‘

When I heard that Jack Miller was going to race at The Bend, me and a couple of mates rode over from Melbourne. The Bend is an amazing place, with the feel of a European GP circuit. We walked around to the grandstand between the last two corners. The

I get it, to some punters, looks, heritage and nostalgia are more important than performance and technology. That’s why the likes of Harley-Davidson and Royal Enfield are still doing well in the sales charts, I guess. To lots of diehard fans, the 202

When you think of modern iconic motorcycles, Suzuki’s Hayabusa and Kawasaki’s ZX-14R will feature in just about anybody’s list of dream bikes. Riders of all ages and skill levels dream of at least having a ride on one, perhaps even owning one. And th

As we explode into 2022 it’s increasingly clear that motorcycling is reaching several key turning points that will change the bikes we ride and the way they’re used over the next few years. For a long time, many of the world’s biggest brands have bee

AMONG THE first of those machines is the newly revealed MV Agusta Lucky Explorer 5.5. While the larger-capacity Lucky Explorer 9.5 is a significant machine, debuting the new 930cc version of MV’s three-cylinder engine that will surely spread in futur

FIRMLY ESTABLISHING itself as a kingpin in the process of western brands shifting to new smaller-capacity markets, Qianjiang’s 2022 plans also include manufacturing the smallest capacity Harley-Davidson in decades. Promised for years, the Harley 338R

IT’S NOT just Harley that’s tied in with an Indian brand to pad out its range – Triumph’s deal with Bajaj is forging ahead and will see the British brand gaining a range of machines that will target rival Royal Enfield head-on. We may well get the fi

THE UPDATED KTM Duke parallel twins might well find themselves up against new competition in the form of Honda’s reborn Hornet – teased at EICMA this year with a wireframe computer model but expected to appear in 2022 in the metal. We understand the

BAJAJ ISN’T just a key player for Triumph, as the firm is also the crux of a range of future plans for KTM and Husqvarna including both petrol-powered and electric models. The former, widely expected to be introduced in the form of a ‘490’ range of 5

IF A CHINESE-made, high-performance, three-cylinder machine sounds unexpected, how about a brace of new V4s from an even less well-known brand? Benda, which surprised the world in 2021 by launching a pair of 680cc inline four-cylinder machines – the

YAMAHA’S MT-09 has been the direct inspiration for another three-cylinder machine that’s expected to take a bow in 2022 – from an unexpected source in the form of China’s Zontes brand. While Zontes only makes single-cylinder bikes at the moment, the

STICKING WITH China but looking at a more well-established brand on the worldwide scene, CFMoto has upped its game in 2021 – launching the KTM-based 800MT adventure bike. Its next step looks all the more interesting, as it’s being teased by the SR-C2

Imagine shoehorning an engine into the chassis of a modern Indian Chief, replacing its OHV motor with a smaller-capacity yet higher performance powerplant aimed at securing bragging rights over Harley-Davidson. That’s exactly what happened over 70 ye

The first time I met Remy Gardner was in February, 2011. I was in Australia to do a series of interviews with Aussie racing legends: his dad Wayne, Mick Doohan, Casey Stoner, Troy Bayliss and 1960s 500cc GP winner Jack Ahearn. We arrived at the Gardn

Hisakazu Sekiguichi was on a mission. As Honda team manager, he had to ensure Tom Phillis won the final round of the 1961 125cc title in order to secure the crown. Phillis’ eight-valve twin had to complete 50 laps of the 2.652km Autodromo Municipal D

THE BREATHLESS PRESS release I received announcing Ducati’s DesertX said “the wildest travel dreams come true”. As I kicked back after hours with a beer and looked at the images and video, it was obvious the DesertX certainly is a stylish retro repli

WINNING THE 2021 ASBK Supersport Championship on the last lap and then being awarded the RK Chains Samurai Trophy for best young talent in Aussie racing sure made my 21st birthday memorable. That tough win means when I step up to the Superbike class

Eight years and countless yen already down the gurgler, it’s difficult to believe HRC parted ways with 2021 Dakar Champion Kevin Benavides due to rumoured budget constraints. Particularly when Honda immediately secured the services of Pablo Quintanil

Please explain how you will use control electronics and dyno testing to maintain a level playing field, no matter what engine configuration or displacement is used? The majority of the balanced performance is done by the electronics and a lot of it i

Australian Motorcycle News road test photographs are posed for by skilled, professional riders under controlled circumstances. Attempting to imitate their actions may be dangerous. Australian Motorcycle News supports and endorses rider training and w