Australian Motorcycle News

Editor Dean Mellor Deputy Editor Kel Buckley Sub Editor Mark Fattore Road Test Editor Pete Vorst News Editor Hamish Cooper Founding Editor George Lynn Art Director Brendon Wise Sir Alan Cathcart, Michael Scott, Ben Purvis, Mat Oxley, Neil Morrison, A

THE ROAD racing season is nearing and I’m bloody excited. The WorldSBK riders have already hit the track for the first test of the season aboard their ’23 bikes at Jerez on 25-26 January; by the time this issue hits newsstands, the first official ASB

Royal Enfield has taken significant pre-orders for its new Super Meteor 650 range, expected to be delivered in April. Its new 350 Hunter is also a sales success, especially among the younger, inner-city demographic and older riders returning to two w

MORE THAN 40 years ago Honda launched the Motocompo as a foldable bike that could be packed into the back of a car and used for the last leg of commutes in cities like Tokyo. Genius that was ahead of its time, the Motocompo didn’t hit sales targets a

According to recent research from an Australian university, 1978 was the year when the world’s quality of life peaked. We had it all: polyester flares, bouffant hair, Grease, the first test tube baby was born and Space Invaders was launched. Woo hoo!

During the end-of-year holidays, I rediscovered the joys of open-face helmets. In the past I have always purchased premium full-face helmets, with the occasional open-face or modular helmet being a disappointment for one reason or another. Last Decem

AN AMCN NECK SOCK EMAIL YOUR ANSWERS AND ADDRESS TO AMCN@AMCN.COM.AU FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! ANSWERS WILL BE REVEALED IN THE NEXT ISSUE ■

IF YOU live in Sydney and want to see what you and your two-wheel machine can do down the quarter mile, grab your gear and get on out to Sydney Dragway at Eastern Creek. Formerly called Western Sydney International Dragway, or WSID, Sydney Dragway ho

Last year Italian trophy brand Moto Morini made a successful start on its journey down the comeback trail after its acquisition by Chinese manufacturer Zhongneng Vehicle Group in October 2018. Its first new model to reach the marketplace under the ne

Bring me up to date on where Moto Morini is today. Moto Morini production in recent years was around only 300 motorcycles each year, with different versions of the models using our Euro 4-compliant 1200cc CorsaCorta 87° V-twin engine. But in 2022 aft

1200cc, V4, 193kg (dry) $TBC 999cc, inline four, 193.5kg (wet) $38,318 (ride away) 1000cc inline four, 201kg (wet) $52,999 (plus on-road costs) ■

THERE ARE riders getting around on DR-Zs now that weren’t even born when the yellow machine was released 23 years ago. However, when it first smashed onto the scene it was a no-nonsense enduro bike that held its own against the best 400cc enduro mach

WITH SUCH a solid pedigree, decent power and easy-going nature, the DR-Z400 has become a very popular adventure machine. If you’re out scouting areas popular with adventure riders, chances are you’re going to see at least one DR-Z400 kitted out for a

YAMAHA’S TZ250 and TZ350 parallel twins were as simple and effective as it’s possible to get in racing. The 250 started as the TZ250A in 1973 and ended as the TZ250W. The shorter-lived 350 started at A and ended at G. Most years Yamaha made upgrades

GOTTLIEB DAIMLER patented the first V-twin combustion engine in 1889. Two years later Peugeot became the first commercial buyer of Daimler’s engine, using it initially in a car and then in a motorcycle where it was mounted longitudinally in the frame

IN AMERICA, the first V-twin heads were described as F-head engines and used an overhead intake valve and a side-valve exhaust. The exhaust valve became much hotter and therefore broke more often than the intake valve. A broken side valve causes less

I haven’t done a lot of track riding over the past few years, so there were a couple of boxes I needed to tick before I tested the new BMW S 1000 RR late last year. The main priority was to see if I could squeeze into my 10-year-old Spyke leathers, s

Fox Sports, Kayo & Video Pass Check website and local guides Houston and Tampa are next in line for AMA SX duty, as the big guns continue to work themselves into what is a long and arduous season that places as much premium on endurance as speed. ttp

Phillip Island Ride Days / 0490 281 840 Phillip Island, Vic Sydney Motorsport Park Ride Days/0490 281 840 SMSP, NSW Murray Valley Training Co 0459 415 787 Barnawartha North, Vic Champion’s Ride Days (07) 3287 4144 Broadford, Vic Collie Motorplex, WA

Rd1 26 Mar, Portimao, PT Rd2 2 Apr, Termas de Rio Hondo, AR Rd3 16 Apr, Austin, US Rd4 30 Apr, Jerez, ES Rd5 14 May, Le Mans, FR Rd6 11 Jun, Mugello, IT Rd7 18 Jun, Sachsenring, DE Rd8 25 Jun, Assen, NL Rd9 9 Jul, Sokol, KZ Rd10 6 Aug, Silverstone, G

I’M SO excited to be returning to the ASBK Superbike grid, riding for Nathan Spiteri’s newly formed Livson BMW team. When I found out Nathan was thinking about running his own ASBK team, I contacted him to find out if he had a rider. From that, we co

ANYONE WHO’S spent any time here on the Wynnum Mudflats – sorry, that’s the ‘Esplanade’ since the bait shop turned into a cafe – knows it’s a slice of something long gone. I’m not just talking about the annual crab tickling party (talk about giving M

IN RACING lore, the number-one plate is meant to be an honour and a privilege, awarded to the defending champion. Mighty Mick Doohan, who reigned for five unbroken years, was not particularly impressed by icons. “It’s just something on the front of y

Former Moto2 world champ Remy Gardner was inside the top 10 on combined times after posting 162 laps during the two-day test at Jerez, which was his first time on the GRT Yamaha YZF-R1. About a second off after one day, he was pleased with his early

Queenslander Jack Miller is back in the Red Bull KTM fold after finishing runner-up to Alex Marquez in the 2014 Moto3 championship with the Aki Ajo-run Austrian squad. Ditching his Dainese getup for Alpinestars, the 28-year-old Australian said: “Join

Eight weeks out from the New South Wales state election, opposition leader Chris Minns announced Labor would put a $1m plan in place to reopen Wakefield Park if elected. The announcement comes after the Goulburn track’s owner, Benalla Auto Club, clos

Controversial Spanish rider Hector Barbera will be in the British Superbike paddock this year after signing for the TAG Honda Racing squad. The 36-year-old rode for the OMG Racing outfit in 2020 and spent the previous two seasons racing a BMW in Moto