Australian Motorcycle News

HE’S NOT the first young Aussie to do it and he won’t be the last, but if you want to know what commitment is when it comes to making it on the world stage, check out Jacob Roulstone’s Revolving Racer column this issue starting on page 118. Like many

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

ONE OF THE most intriguing new bikes expected from China is the upcoming Benda VTR300 Turbo – a forced-induction 300cc V-twin sportsbike that’s been teased but not yet officially shown. Now a new patent reveals it has flip-out winglets that emerge fr

A SURPRISE update to Kawasaki’s ZX-6R for 2024 gives the bike a new lease of life and could have wider implications to a category that was once the most fiercely fought battlefield in motorcycling. Today, tight emissions laws – particularly in Europe

After a lifetime dedicated to motorcycle sport, Jan Blizzard has been recognised with an OAM in the King’s birthday honours. After purchasing a stake in MV Agusta, KTM is taking over distribution of the brand in Australia and New Zealand. A change.or

Toby Price's star was rising following his third-place finish in Dakar at the beginning of 2015, but back home the Aussie was already well on his way to legendary status. Despite still carrying a foot injury, Price took out his fifth Finke victory, f

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

Don’t Forget #amcn_mag els.e_ And we agree! Michael Dunlop is the ultimate racer’s racer: uncompromising, tough as nails and with a level of willpower and bravery that very few can match – certainly around the famed Isle of Man. Want to see your prid

IN ADDITION to the aforementioned luggage, Honda offers a range of accessories to suit the CB500X including a centrestand ($341.23), a light bar ($558.43), LED fog lights ($770.86), LED fog light attachment kit ($602.68), a 12V accessory outlet ($45.

$10,690 ride away 499.6cc parallel twin 35kW/45Nm 213kg (dry) 19-in front/17-in rear $8790 ride away 649.3cc parallel twin 41.5kW/62Nm 218kg (wet) 17-in front/17-in rear $9463 plus on-road costs 652cc single 28.5kW/51.5Nm 210kg (wet) 21-in front/17-i

There are some standout events throughout the year that the AMCN crew really looks forward to, and one of those is our annual adventure issue and the bike test that goes with it. After all, what could be better than going riding with mates, getting s

Capacity 659cc Type Parallel-twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 81mm x 63.93mm Compression ratio 13.5:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling Marelli EFI Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper Final drive Chain Power 61kW (82hp) @ 9

The adventure bike market continues to grow with more manufacturers producing more models than ever before… including a couple of big-hitting midsize machines that have just arrived on the market: Honda’s new XL750 Transalp and Suzuki’s new V-Strom 8

• 313cc single• 835mm seat height• 170kg (wet) $8390 (plus on-road costs) • 286cc single• 885mm seat height• 152kg (kerb) $9399 (plus on-road costs) • 411cc single• 800mm seat height• 191kg (wet) $8390 (ride away) ■

As we’ve always said, adventure riding and adventuring doesn’t have a strict definition: approach it anyway you want! This example’s certainly a little unorthodox, but we like it all the same!

Forget about engine upgrades and bling: the best way to get faster is to get some rider training. Even if you’re an experienced rider with plenty of miles under your belt, you, like all of us, can still benefit from some coaching. There are countless

“MY FIRST TWO Dakar adventures were with the BMW Boxer team and, following that experience, I joined the KTM factory team where I not only worked at the Austrian factory but attended races all over the world. I lost track of how many World Rally Cham

I wake up just after dawn to the sound of rain lashing down on the little mountain village of Arthur’s Pass. Just two hours away from the coastal city of Christchurch, this saddle lies 920m above sea level in the heart of New Zealand’s mighty Souther

Our front tyre dug deeper into hot black volcanic sand as the rear sent plumes of charcoal-looking smoke into the sky. The weight of riding two-up with all our luggage wasn’t helping and we still had another 10km to go. We pushed on, determined to re

Fox Sports, Kayo & Video Pass 23-25 JUNE Check website and local guides Next up are the swooping and banked corners of the famous Assen, which has been hosting grand prix motorcycle racing since way back in 1949. Who will win in 2023? Fox Sports, Kay

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

Leatt’s GPX pack is perfect for those riders looking for a hydration pack that also offers plenty of room for your trail knickknacks. There’s 25 litres of cargo capacity and it sports a plethora of pockets including dedicated tool and goggle compartm

Cassons Australia From $449.95 (02) 8882 1900 cassonsmedia.com Ixon’s Ragnar adventure jacket features a ripstop outer shell and is equipped with an X-Dry waterproof and breathable liner and a removable thermal liner. Ventilation zips on the front, b

ADVENTURE BIKE SPECIAL? Fair enough, but all bikes are adventurous, not just the ones you need to park next to a ladder. The definition of adventure is an ‘unusual, exciting or daring experience’ and I can’t think of any bike I’ve ridden that didn’t,

HUGE SIGH of relief. The Isle of Man TT is over, with only (only!) one fatal accident. Writing that sentence, and I imagine reading it, leaves a queasy feeling. But be clear, no disrespect is meant to the sole victim of the unforgiving challenge of t

Graeme Crate, an 86-year-old TT fan from Surrey, made the 2023 Isle of Man TT the 43rd time he’s attended the fortnight of racing. Crate has turned up on the same bike and stayed at the same campsite for four decades. Sidecar ace Pete Founds may not

RARELY DO victory celebrations seem more apt. Less than a minute after winning his home grand prix for the second year in succession, Francesco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) stopped his Desmosedici, handed it to a marshal on the outside of Casanova and joi

FOR EIGHT MINUTES it appeared the racing gods weren’t going to play ball. Spits of rain peppered the track in Arrabbiata 1 and 2 during the first four laps, raising the possibility of the first ever flag-to-flag Sprint race. Understandably, Bagnaia r

CHANCES ARE PEDRO Acosta (Ajo Kalex) would have won this no matter what. Even if he was pipped to pole by Aron Canet (Pons Kalex), practice demonstrated the teenage sensation had a clear jump on everyone else. But the 19-year-old’s job was made all t

WHAT MORE CAN a rider do to win? Deniz Oncu (Ajo KTM) topped every weekend session, scored a dominant pole position, and appeared to time his last lap attack to perfection. There was even a scintillating move on Dani Holgado (Tech3 KTM) into Arrabbia

MARTIN MADE A mockery of the claim that Sprint races were close and exciting. The Pramac rider was in a class of his own from the moment he grabbed the initiative with a two-in-one pass on Miller and Bagnaia at Turn 12 on the third lap. His expert sp

THE GRID faced a cooler track temperature for the Saturday morning race, but things had become heated in the paddock with news breaking overnight of a technical protest lodged by McMartin Racing against the Penrite Honda Fireblade of Herfoss (see bre

AN EMAIL sent by Motorcycling Australia on Saturday evening revealed the McMartin Racing team had lodged a technical protest that concerned the swingarm linkage of the Penrite Honda of Troy Herfoss. The move caused tension in the paddock and prompted

CUE THE JAWS MUSIC. Spaniard Pedro Acosta (Ajo Kalex), a rider who aptly sports a shark on his helmet, made yet further ground on world championship leader Tony Arbolino (Marc VDS Kalex) thanks to dominating the second Moto2 race in a week. This was

FEW COULD LOOK past Ayumu Sasaki (IntactGP Husqvarna) for a first race win of the season after he took pole by a ridiculous margin of 1.092sec. And the first half of this race suggested he could coast to victory, after stretching the lead group apart

MCMARTIN RACING team boss Craig McMartin detailed the changes made to the V4 R for the 2023 season. “Most of the upgrades were made to the engine,” McMartin explained. “We’ve now got a lighter clutch, 800 grams lighter than the previous model. They’v

DISASTER WAS narrowly avoided on Friday afternoon when Marc Marquez crashed out at Turn 1, his stricken bike collecting Johann Zarco exiting pit lane. The two bikes were destroyed in the collision, but the Frenchman narrowly avoided a serious leg inj

PIRELLI IS IN talks with Dorna to take over from Dunlop as the sole tyre supplier for the Moto2 and Moto3 class in 2024, AMCN has learned. The contract of Dunlop, which has supplied tyres for both classes since both switched from two- to four-stroke

KTM says it will wait until 30 June to decide whether to off er a MotoGP seat to Pedro Acosta for 2024. The 19-year-old has made no secret of his desire to step up from Moto2 next year. But the Austrian factory is content with its current rider line

KE YNAN REW has won Australian Championships at Under 16 and Under 21 level and is now making an impact on the world stage. After making one appearance in 2022 as a stand-in in the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship, now known as the FIM SGP2 s

THE KING’S Birthday Awards announced this month have included the awarding of a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division ‘for service to motorsports’ to two significant names associated with the sport: Edwin Taylor and Jan Blizza