Australian Motorcycle News

By its own high standards Honda has had a terrible time when it comes to its racing record in the last few years, so it has revealed at Italy’s EICMA, the world’s most important motorcycle expo, major updates to the 2024 CBR1000RR-R SP that are aimed

HITTING THE market as Suzuki’s response to the Yamaha R7, the new GSX-8R borrows its main mechanical parts from the GSX-8S, including the 776cc parallel twin, putting out 61kW (82hp) at 8500rpm and 78Nm at 6800rpm and an identical steel frame with al

China’s CFMoto already offers twin-cylinder adventure bikes in form of the 650MT, 700MT and 800MT models and for 2024 it’s stepping down to the competitive smaller class with the new 450MT. While most rivals near that capacity opt for single-cylinder

Kawasaki’s Ninja 7 Hybrid is one of the most unusual bikes we’ve seen in years with its combination of a 451cc parallel-twin engine and electric motor promising to give 750cc-class performance with 250cc-beating economy. Now a second version has been

As he vents his frustrations at being dealt a dodgy tyre in Qatar, Jorge Martin stops short of having a ‘Raul moment’ and claiming to be the ‘moral world champion’ That’s how close Aussie star Josh Brookes came to standing on the podium at his first

AIR YOUR THOUGHTS OR VENT YOUR SPLEEN Access, AMCN, PO Box 6, Bittern, Vic, 3918 access@amcn.com.au LETTER OF THE ISSUE I’m in the process of buying myself a helmet. With my safety in mind, I’d like a white helmet. After doing the rounds of the bike

Thirty three years after retiring from racing, this 75-year-old is involved in a spectrum of building, property development, DNA technology, education and brand integrity roles for companies. So it’s been a busy three decades since Ron Taylor hung up

For three hours I’d been battling my way through Sydney traffic, the first couple of those heading north in pissing-down rain on a small and light single-cylinder nakedbike on the way to Harley-Davidson’s Sydney HQ, and the third heading back south t

Royal Enfield motorcycles have been scaling Himalayan mountain roads and trails for decades. However back in 2016, the Indian manufacturer released its first all-new mountain-conquering adventure bike designed and built entirely in-house. The Himalay

The world of sidecars and their owners is a strange one, and it’s one that not many of us normal motorcycle riders ever get to experience. You’re either into outfits or you’re not. However, being a lover of anything resembling a motorcycle I’ve alway

ROYAL ENFIELD really has dragged the Himalayan into the modern era with the new ‘Tripper’ dashboard. Its carefully and beautifully designed dash is made to look traditional analogue but has full functionality. The dash is operated by a toggle switch

It’s uncanny how history has a knack of repeating itself. Early last month, Marc Marquez announced that he’d be terminating his MotoGP contract with Honda/HRC at the end of this season, one year early. This ends 11 years of collaboration between him

Luca Cadalora’s bike was easy to spot on the brightly coloured 1996 premier-class grid. In amongst world champion Mick Doohan’s unmissable turquoise-and-orange Repsol Honda livery, Alex Barros’ striking yellow-and-green representation of the Brazilia

For those of you in motorcycle land who haven’t done a deep dive into the MV Agusta brand, it is a fascinating story of a glorious racing history combined with a dubious financial past that produces gorgeous high-end motorcycles few of us can afford

2023 Qld Solo Championships, Pioneer Park Speedway, Ayr, Bruce Highway, Brandon, Qld. Gates open Friday 4pm with racing at 6.30pm; entry $10. Saturday racing at 6.30pm; adults $25, kids/pension $15, families $60. 9th Annual Kilbirnie Rally 9.7km nort

Canberra, ACT, Full details can be found at events.canberra.com.au/whats-on/65448e450b65a07028714432/annual-mra-act-toy-run Hobart, Tas, Full details can be found at www.mratas.org.au contact@mratas.org.au Geelong Toy Run, Full details can be found a

Whites Powersports From $419 (03) 8720 6000 ls2helmets.com.au The FF811 Vector II helmet from LS2 runs a lightweight HPFC shell, which is claimed to be aerodynamic and stable, with a multi-density EPS liner. It also features a washable, breathable an

ENGINE 754cc parallel twin POWER 56kW (75hp) @8000rpm (claimed) TORQUE 67Nm @6500rpm (claimed) WEIGHT 243kg (wet, claimed) PRICE $13,990 (ride away) Check out the website for the latest reviews at amcn.com.au ENGINE 1160cc Inline triple POWER 132kW (

SAVE ON THE COVER PRICE FREE DELIVERY TO YOUR DOORSTEP MAKE SURE YOU DON’T MISS ANY OF THE ACTION! $109.50 save 30% $194.50 save 35% FOR MORE INFO OR TO PURCHASE YOURS HEAD TO SUBSCRIBE.AMCN.COM.AU ■

ENEA BASTIANINI (Lenovo Ducati) could point to changes in riding style and the adoption of a thumb-operated rear brake to explain one of the year’s more unexpected results, which overshadowed the Jorge Martin-Francesco Bagnaia championship duel. But

A RESURFACED Lusail International Circuit in Qatar in late autumn was always likely to throw up something unexpected. For Francesco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) it was a duff rear tyre in the Sprint race. For championship rival Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati

THE COMBINATION of long-time mates Brody Nowlan and Josh Pickering won another Australian Postie Bike Grand Prix on 5 November – their fourth victory in eight stagings of the event – around the rain-soaked streets of Cessnock, New South Wales. There

THERE WAS SHOCK in Sepang as it emerged Luca Marini has struck an agreement to join Repsol Honda in 2024 to replace the outgoing Marc Marquez. After names like Aleix Espargaro, Miguel Oliveira, Maverick Viñales, Pol Espargaro and Johann Zarco had bee

ALEIX ESPARGARO was fined €10,000 ($16,754) and given a six-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race after losing his temper and hitting Franco Morbidelli in an innocuous incident in FP2. The Catalan was apparently riled to find the Italian on track, bef

THE AUSSIE FLAT Track Nationals (AFTN) season has wrapped for 2023 at Gunnedah’s Balcary Park, with Mick Kirkness sealing back-to-back premier-class titles in a weekend that also saw returning international Tom Drane (KTM) go undefeated in the Pro 45

You’re known as a Ducati specialist in the Hunter Valley. Is the workshop still open? Well I’ve retired from working on belt-drive engines. Now I’m just working on bevel-drive engines, that’s it. I do lots of crankshafts and cylinder heads for people

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

Honda’s new E-Clutch system is one of the most intriguing technical developments for 2024 (AMCN Vol 73 No 09) and it’s now been officially launched as an optional upgrade for the CB650R and CBR650R – which both also get a new look and other improveme