RideFast Dec 2019

DECEMBER 2019 RSA R35.00 

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DECEMBER 2019 

BINDER 

EXCLUSIVE 

BRAD 

MOTOGP TEST 

An Exclusive behind-thescenes 

look at the Valencia 

GP & Brad Binder’s testing. 

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ED’S NOTES: TALKING MOTOGP 

S594/A 

“Rob, you lucky bastard – I hate you!”. That’s pretty 

much everyone’s opinion of me after my recent 

trip to the Valencia MotoGP. I really am a lucky 

bastard and I’m going to rub it in even more with 

the big spread of the trip I have put together in this 

issue. Just remember, jealousy makes you nasty! 

The trip was amazing – It was so good I was even 

jealous of myself when going through all the pics 

and videos on the flight home. I give a full run 

down of the trip in this issue so won’t go on too 

much more about that, but rather do my normal of 

late and Talk MotoGP! 

Goodbye #99 

The biggest news out of the Valencia GP was that 

of Jorge Lorenzo announcing his retirement from 

motorcycle racing after a “beautiful” career as 

he called it. My brother Shaun and I were lucky 

enough to be present at the press conference, 

which took place on the Thursday before the race 

weekend and we managed to find a spot in the 

packed media room. Every journo, MotoGP team 

manager and rider was present for the “special” 

conference, which Lorenzo called for that morning. 

It was an emotional conference for all involved as 

Lorenzo announced that he would be ending his 

racing career after the Valencia race, cutting his 

Repsol Honda contract by a year. “Hello everyone, 

thank you very much to everyone who accepted 

my invitation and attended this press conference, 

it really means a lot to me and makes me very 

happy,” began Lorenzo. “I always thought there are 

four significant days in the career of a rider. Your 

first race, your first win, your first championship 

and then the day you retire. Well, as you may 

imagine, I’m here to tell you this day has arrived for 

me. I want to announce this will be my last race in 

MotoGP, and that at the end of this race I will retire 

from professional racing. 

“I was 3-years-old when everything started. 

Almost 30 years of complete dedication to this 

sport, my sport. The ones who worked with me, 

know how much of a perfectionist I am, how much 

hard work and intensity I put into this. Being like 

this requires a high level of auto motivation, that’s 

why after nine unforgettable years with Yamaha, 

without a doubt the most glorious of my career, I 

felt I needed a change if I wanted to maintain this 

high commitment with my sport. Moving to Ducati 

gave me that big boost I needed and even though 

the results were bad I used that extra motivation 

as fuel to not give up and finally win that special 

race at Mugello, in front of all the Ducati fans. 

After that, when I signed for Honda I got a similar 

feeling, achieving one of the dreams of every rider: 

becoming an official HRC factory rider.” 

The 32-year-old then began to explain why he 

reached the decision to retire at the end of a 

difficult 2019 campaign. “Unfortunately, injuries 

soon came to play an important role in my season, 

being unable to ride in normal physical conditions. 

This, plus a bike that never felt natural to me, 

made my races very difficult. Anyway, I never lost 

the patience and I kept fighting, just thinking that 

was a simple matter of time and that after all 

things would get into the right place. 

“But, as I started to see some light I had this bad 

crash in Montmelo test, and some weeks later 

that ugly one in Assen. At that point I had to admit, 

that when I stopped rolling into the gravel, the first 

thought that came into my mind was “what the hell 

I’m doing here? Is this really worth it? I’m done with 

it.” Some days later after reflecting a lot about my 

life and career, I decided to give it a try. I wanted to 

be sure I was not making an early decision. 

“The truth is from that crash, the hill became 

too high for me, and even if I tried I couldn’t find 

the motivation and patience to be able to keep 

climbing it. You know, I love this sport, I love to ride, 

but above all things, I love to win. I understood, 

that if I’m not able to fight for something big, to 

fight for the title or at least to fight for victories, I 

cannot find the motivation to keep going especially 

at this stage of my career. I realised that my goal 

with Honda, at least in a short time, was not 

realistic. I have to say I feel very sorry for Honda, 

especially for Alberto, who really was the one who 

trusted me and gave me that opportunity. 

“I remember that day in Montmelo when we meet 

and I told him “Don’t make a mistake signing the 

wrong rider Alberto, trust me and you will not 

regret”. very sadly, I have to say that I disappointed 

him, so I did to Takeo, Kuwata, Nomura San and all 

my team, who I have to say they always treated 

me in an exceptional way. However, I really feel 

this is the best decision for me and for the team, 

Jorge Lorenzo and Honda cannot be here just to 

score some points!” 

Lorenzo left the room to a massive applause by all 

present - fitting for a man who gave and achieved 

so much in the sport. 

It was no real surprise when Lorenzo made the 

announcement. He has had a torrid time of late 

both on and off the bike. Injuries have taken their 

toll on his body and mind and that was clear for all 

to see this season where he has just not been at 

the races, so to speak. 

Where to from here? Only time will tell if Lorenzo 

will come back to the sport in some form, but 

judging by his “When I crossed the line I finally felt 

free” comment after the race I don’t think we’ll be 

seeing him for a very long time. 

Still cruising after all of these years 

Love him, or hate him, you just have to respect 

Valentino Rossi. The man, at 40-years old is still 

going strong and has outlasted many a top rider. 

Stoner, Pedrosa and now Lorenzo all retired 

from the sport not wanting any more part in the 

circus that is MotoGP. I say the circus because 

it really is just that. These guys are almost like 

trained performers there to please the crowed. 

Over the Valencia race weekend, I watched as 

Rossi’s motorhome and pit garage was constantly 

bombarded with adoring fans, patiently waiting for 

their hero to come out for a pic and autograph. This 

got me thinking… How, after almost 30 years’ in the 

spotlight has this guy still managed to keep his cool 

and carry on? How does he still find the hunger and 

patience to still go through all of this at every single 

race, never mind wherever else he goes. 

I was at Valencia from Thursday ‘till the following 

Tuesday and couldn’t help but think; does he 

really just stay at the track in his motorhome 

the entire weekend? Most people’s answer to 

that question was “yes, but he has a motorhome 

bigger and better than most of our houses”. While 

I understand that, I have a beautiful house which 

I love, but cabin fever sets in more often than not, 

no matter how amazing the house is. One of my 

mates here used the perfect words to describe 

this, “it’s a prison”. That’s exactly what it is. Rossi 

has no choice but to stay in the paddock the entire 

time. He does not have the luxury of just popping 

out to the mall for a quick bite to eat or a movie 

over a race weekend and test. He literally goes 

from his motorhome to his pit box and chats to 

the same people 90% of the time. That must get 

to him and that alone makes his presence and 

competing in the MotoGP world championship 

very impressive. Never mind the constant 

bombardment from fans and media. 

While on the plane home I got to thinking about 

the whole thing and can see why riders such as 

Stoner, Pedrosa and now Lorenzo walk away. If it 

were just about riding your bike on track it would 

be fine, but these guys are part of an ever-growing 

circus where they have to perform and cater to all 

sponsors and fan’s needs, no matter what or when, 

and if they don’t then they are assholes. That’s the 

price you pay I guess for “Living the Dream” of being 

a MotoGP rider, and one that our Brad Binder is 

going to have to get used to very quickly. 

Hot property 

I can tell you now that in terms of hot property 

in the MotoGP paddock it goes like this; Marc 

Marquez, Fabio Quatararo and then Brad Binder, 

in that order. 

I saw it first-hand. Brad is a superstar we all 

know that and the respect he has earned inside 

the paddock is phenomenal. Walking out of the 

track with him and big names like Gigi Dall’igna 

(Ducati MotoGP guru) and Davide Brivio (Suzuki 

MotoGP Team Manger) all stop Brad to have a 

conversation. Fans shout “Binder, Binder, Binder 

every time they see him and crowd around to get a 

snap shot and autograph. 

He is KTM’s property now but come 2021 the 

Austrians will do very well to hang onto the SA 

superstar as the rest are lined-up at the door 

ready to acquire his services. 

It was an honour having been with Brad from day 

one back in 2008, to see just how well respected 

he is and I am so proud of the man/rider both he 

and his brother Darryn have become. Spending 

the race weekend not only with them but also 

Trevor and Sharon Binder was awesome 

and they made the experience that 

much sweeter so to them I say a big 

thank you and well done on all the 

success and may there be plenty more 

in the future! 

So, go on and enjoy this amazing 

bumper issue we have 

put together for you and 

please don’t send me 

any more “I hate you” 

messages after seeing 

the Valencia spread. 

Until next month/year, I 

wish you all nothing but 

the best and hope you 

have a merry Christmas 

and a happy and blessed 

new year! 

Thanks for all the support!!! 

Rob Portman 

DUNLOPTYRESSA 

EDITOR & DESIGNER: 

Rob Portman 

rob@ridefast.co.za 

PUBLISHER: 

Glenn Foley 

foleyg@mweb.co.za 

ADVERTISING: 

Sean Hendley 

bestbikemagazines 

@yahoo.com 

071 684 4546 

OFFICE & 

SUBSCRIPTIONS: 

Anette 

anette.acc@ 

mweb.co.za 

011 979 5035 

CONTRIBUTORS: 

Sheridan Morais 

Brad Binder 

Darryn Binder 

Gerrit Erasmus 

Eugene Liebenberg 

Niel Philipson 

Greg Moloney 

Daniella Kerby 

Michael Powell 

Brian Cheyne 

Donovan Fourie 

Shaun Portman 

Mat Durrans 

Copyright © RideFast Magazine: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, 

or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, articles, or other methods, without the 

prior written permission of the publisher. 

RIDEFAST MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2019 1

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All the NEWS proudly brought 

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A gorgeous Italian “Queen” wins 

‘Most Beautiful Bike’ at EICMA 2019! 

Last month we showed off 

Ducati’s new Streetfighter V4 

and now a month later we are 

showing it to you again as it has 

now already won its first accolade 

after only a month. 

The Streetfighter V4 was selected 

as the “Most Beautiful Bike of the 

Show” at EICMA 2019, the world’s 

most important trade fair of the 

sector. The verdict was decreed 

by the general public, which 

participated in large numbers, 

crowding the pavilions of the 

Milan-Rho International Fair in 

its five days of opening, and who 

voted at the Show or online. 

The “Vote and win the most 

beautiful bike of the Show” 

competition, organized by the 

Italian magazine Motociclismo 

in collaboration with EICMA, 

reached its fifteenth edition 

this year, and for Ducati this 

is the tenth victory. Over 

14,500 enthusiasts expressed 

their preference and the 

Streetfighter V4 was the most 

voted motorcycle by both 

visitors to the Fair and users of 

the Motociclismo site. The new 

super-naked Ducati took first 

place with 36.7% of voters and 

a considerable advantage over 

the second-placed bike. 

The ballot of the votes received 

took place on Sunday 10th 

November, the final day of the 

Show, and was followed by the 

official ceremony outside on the 

stage of MotoLive in the presence 

of Giacomo Casartelli, Executive 

Director of EICMA and the Editorin-Chief 

of Motociclismo Federico 

Aliverti, who presented the 

prestigious award. 

The award for the Borgo 

Panigale Company was picked 

up by Andrea Ferraresi, Ducati 

Design Center Director: “We are 

particularly proud to receive 

this award in a competition 

where all the manufacturers 

participate with their flagship 

models and the general public 

of EICMA, the most important 

motorcycle fair in the world, has 

elected the Streetfighter V4 as 

the most beautiful”. 

The ceremony for the “Most 

Beautiful Bike of the Show” was 

the last act of an intense week 

of exhibition and events that 

saw over half a million visitors 

at EICMA, an increase compared 

to 2018, confirming the positive 

signs of recovery coming from 

the motorcycle sector. 

Right from the first day of 

opening the public crowded the 

Ducati stand. First among the 

three totally new bikes to be 

presented is the Streetfighter 

V4, the super-naked with high 

and wide handlebars, 178 kg in 

weight, Desmosedici Stradale 

1,103 cc engine with 208 hp, 

biplane wings and a latest 

generation electronic package. 

The result of this “The Fight 

Formula” is an exaggerated, 

modern and technological 

Ducati naked with an aggressive 

and exciting design. A bike that 

does nothing to hide top-ofthe-segment 

performance, but 

which guarantees enjoyment 

and fun even in daily use. 

In addition to the “queen” of the 

Show, the completely renewed 

Panigale V2 and the 2020 

version of the Panigale V4, the 

most sold sports bike in the 

world in the last two years. 

Five new versions have also 

been introduced for 2020, 

which we showed off in last 

months issue: the Multistrada 

1260 S Grand Tour, the Diavel 

1260 in the new “Dark Stealth” 

colouring and the Diavel 

1260 S in “Ducati Red”, the 

Monster 1200 “Black on Black” 

and finally the Scrambler 

Icon Dark. Interest and great 

acclaim also surrounded the 

two Scrambler DesertX and 

Scrambler Motard concepts, 

which polarized the attention 

of the public, as well as for the 

three new Ebikes presented by 

the Borgo Panigale company 

in collaboration with Thok: 

the exclusive MIG-RR Limited 

Edition, the MIG-S and the 

E-Scrambler. 

4 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2019



Kyalami Indoor 

Karting track 

now open. 

If you’re an avid watcher of the “Talking 

MotoGP” podcast featuring our own Rob 

Portman and Donovan Fourie on the RideFast 

YouTube channel you would have seen them 

recording at a very interesting looking venue a 

couple of episodes ago. 

The venue was the all-new Kyalami Indoor 

Karting circuit, based at the Mall of Africa 

in Midrand at Entrance 16, Level C4. It’s an 

awesome indoor karting facility offering not 

only the enjoyment of racing karts around a 

very technical circuit, but also refreshments 

to enjoy while relaxing/recovering in the very 

cool Brad Binder/KTM lounge. 

Do yourself a favour, if you are a karting fan 

or Brad fan and get down to the new Kyalami 

Indoor Karting circuit and not only check out 

the track and Binder wall, but also see if you 

can post the fastest time and put yourself on 

top of the time table. 

Tel 010 109 0927 

www.indoorkarting.co.za 

Crusaders Show Heart. 

Here is a heart-warming story of caring, 

compassion, generosity and humanity 

that really tugged at our heart strings so 

much so that we just had to share it with 

all of you. 

Nowadays, bikers doing matric dance 

escorts is a common sight so why take 

note of this specific one? 

Young Perrie Benadie has not had a great 

start to life. His father passed on when he 

was very young, and then a subsequent 

step father beat and abused him which 

sadly left him with permanent brain 

damage. Sadly, a short while later his 

mother also passed away. Fortunately his 

Grandmother stepped in to raise and care 

for him, however, only being able to earn 

a bit of money as a car guard created its 

own challenges. On weekends, Perrie also 

works as a car guard at the Bike Shop Pub 

& Grill in Boksburg, which is where the 

story of his ultimate night begins. 

The venue is frequented by many of the 

local bike clubs, and the Crusaders MC 

have made it their ‘Local’. When Perries 

situation came to their attention a week 

or so before his Matric Farewell Dance 

all the Crusaders felt they had to step 

up to make it a night to remember. Being 

no strangers to community actions, 

having supported numerous causes 

from children’s homes, abandoned and 

abused children and women in the past, 

Prez Theo Kloppers started put out a call 

to action through their vast network of 

friends and contacts. Within days they 

had a flash new suit for Pierre, shiny new 

shoes and a slick haircut. Then it was 

onto planning the route, arranging a date, 

sorting out some sweet wheels to roll 

in. The Crusaders MC arranged a Nissan 

Skyline GTR for him and a BMW M4 for 

his cousin who agreed at short notice to 

be his date along with a full Crusader MC 

Honour Guard to escort him to his special 

night in style. 

The love and support shown to this young 

man, (who … and let’s be brutally honest 

now…. Most of us would not have given 

a second thought to), by Crusaders MC is 

indicative of what the biking community 

as a whole is truly all about in general. 

Top left: A happy photo with Ouma, who has 

raised Perrie since the demise of his Dad and 

Mom on her meagre earnings as a car gaurd ... 

Maybe think twice before fubbing off the next 

car gaurd you meet. 

Top Right: A very happy young man... 

Bottom left: Come hell or high traffic the 

Crusaders were determined to get young Perrie 

to his Matric Farewell dance on time and in style. 




The Efesto Ducati 

hybrid Superbike. 

French company Efesto has built a kit that can take your 205-odd horsepower 

Ducati Panigale and turn it into a 300-horse hybrid widowmaker. 

The performance hybrid is 

becoming more and more 

common in the automotive 

world. And why not? Electric 

motors can provide massive 

torque and acceleration while 

your gasoline engine is clearing 

its throat and getting ready to 

roar. At the expense of weight 

and complexity, hybrids like the 

BMW i8, Ferrari SF90 Stradale 

and Aston Martin Valkyrie 

gain explosive performance, 

improved emissions profiles 

and the ability to tootle around 

short distances without 

burning any gas at all. Some of 

them can even nearly keep up 

with a Tesla in a straight line. 

The idea has understandably 

not made it through to the 

motorcycle world. Bikes are so 

tightly packaged as is that their 

mechanics can be identified 

by their freshly and frequently 

peeled knuckles. It’s no big 

deal to lose some trunk space 

in a car, but sportsbike riders 

are already lucky if they can 

squeeze their wallet under 

the seat. Where would all that 

bulky electric gear go? 

Well, now we know. Parisian 

company Efesto has leapt 

into the unknown and built a 

performance hybrid superbike, 

the likes of which we’ve 

never seen, beginning with 

the achingly beautiful Ducati 

Panigale as the donor platform. 

The three big things you’ve 

got to lump into your chassis 

somewhere are a motor, an 

inverter and a battery pack. 

Efesto has hung the motor 

underneath the rear of the 

L-twin engine’s crankcase, 

where it protrudes in a manner 

that reminds us of the back 

end of a bulldog. The output 

shaft of the electric motor gets 

a sprocket and small chain, 

which connects to a double 

sprocket on the countershaft 

to co-pull the drive chain to the 

rear wheel. 

The inverter has been plonked 

under the front cylinder, where 

it can be fully hidden under 

the fairings, although this has 

necessitated the creation of 

a thin, rectangular section 

exhaust that... Well, let’s just 

say that if Panigale designer 

Gianandrea Fabbro ever saw it, 

he’d go and take one of those 

showers where you sit in the 

corner hugging your knees and 

rocking back and forth. 

The battery pack, for its part, 

lives in a specially crafted 

subframe that makes the 

razor-thin Ducati tailpiece look 

like it’s had a bulky accident in 

its tracksuit pants. We’ve all 

been there. 

Moving past the aesthetic 

desecration of one of the 

motorcycle world’s most 

beautiful machines, we 

can start to appraise the 

genius behind this idea. One 

doesn’t have to look at this 

bike while riding it, after all, 

that’s a problem for your 

riding buddies, and the extra 

performance it adds could well 

make your own tailpiece look 

like it’s carrying a battery pack. 

The electric motor is a liquidcooled 

axial flux unit making 

some 108 horsepower and an 

enormous peak torque of 150 

Nm. Combine those figures 

with the Panigale’s alreadyexcessive 

205-horse, 1,285cc 

L-twin, and you get yourself 

a motorcycle that makes a 

terrifying 300 horsepower, and 

295 Nm. 

Where the combustion motor 

is massively oversquare, 

sacrificing low-end shunt for a 

flat-out top-end horsepower 

rush, the electric is precisely 

the opposite, pulling its 

hardest from a standstill and 

never having to pause as the 

quickshifter bangs up through 

the gears. The combination 

must be profoundly insane. 

We know what you’re thinking: 

It’s a porker? Well, compared 

to the original Panigale’s 

ludicrous 163 kg dry weight, 

it is a touch tubby at 194 kg. 

But that’s still well within the 

ballpark for a fast streetbike, 

and the absolute whimpering 

motherlode of toe-curling 

power this system adds will 

more than overcome the 

additional poundage. 

Efesto offers four riding modes 

for the hybrid system; the 

first is electric only, with a 

round-town range of “up to 

40 minutes in urban traffic.” 

Then there’s gasoline only, in 

which you still have access 

to regenerative braking. Then 

there’s a custom mode, which 

lets you set whatever torque 

and power you want from the 

electric motor. 

But the one you’re interested 

in is boost mode, in which 

you get the whole enchilada, 

and every stupid thing you’ve 

ever done flashes before your 

eyes, up to and including the 

moment you thought it’d be 

a good idea to go full throttle 

on a 300-horsepower hybrid 

superbike. Sign us up. 

There’s also a recharge mode; 

Efesto will happily let you sip 

power away from the petrol 

engine to fill up the battery if 

you don’t want to plug it in. 

Colour us intrigued. There’s 

very little wrong with the 

experience of riding a latemodel 

superbike as is; they’re 

already wildly excessive and 

ferociously overpowered for 

street use. But more is always 

welcome, and a hyper-hybrid 

like this thing gives you 

absolutely godlike torque 

without ever having to plan 

your rides around DC quick 

chargers. You will, however, 

want to avoid mirrors. 

There’s no word on whether 

Efesto plans to build and sell 

these demonic machines, or 

indeed how much they’d want 

for one. 




TRD Motorcycles - The new home 

of Kawasaki in the East Rand. 

Kawasaki, and by extension SYM and AEON, have found 

a new home in the East Rand on the corner of Atlas and 

Northrand road in Boksburg, just down from the N12 Freeway 

with the pre-owned motorcycles giants TRD Motorcycles. 

The pre-owned motorcycle specialists carry a huge amount 

of quality stock - we stopped counting at about one hundred 

and ten - of good, clean bikes of every description, brand, 

size and colour. TRD are known for their straight talking, no 

nonsense, professional, efficient and friendly service. Their 

staff are incredibly helpful and always quick with a smile. 

Chatting to Boss man Johan, he tells us of exciting future 

plans to extend the showroom and accessories department, 

as well as making the workshop bigger. 

So when Kawasaki was looking for a new base of operations 

on the East Rand it seemed only natural and logical to join 

forces with them. They now stock a wide and comprehensive 

range of new Kawasaki Motorcycles and parts as well as SYM 

and AEON as an extension to their already thriving business 

model. With more than ample parking and their close 

proximity to the N12 and R21 freeways, as well as the East 

Rand Mall, this makes them easily accessible from just about 

anywhere Gauteng. 

So, if you are in the market for a new Kawasaki, SYM or Aeon 

motorcycle or service parts, or looking at buying a good 

quality used bike pop into TRD Motorcycles. They also do 

trade-ins and buy bikes outright as well as a park-and-sell 

service. They are able to arrange finance and insurance and 

as we mentioned they have a professional workshop on site 

that can do everything from a puncture repair to a service. 

Give them a call on 011 051 9104, alternatively check out www. 

trdmotorcycles.co.za or visit them at the corner of Atlas road 

and Northrand road in Boksburg. 




Ducati Family Day. 

Exhaust System 

Innovator Luigi 

Termignoni Dies At 75. 

It was 50 years ago, in 1969, in the town of Predosa, 

Alessandria, Italy, that Luigi Termignoni would begin to 

change the history of the motorcycling world forever. 

Today, Termignoni exhaust systems are most readily 

associated with Ducati, and for good reason. However, the 

company has produced top-notch exhaust systems for a 

wide variety of manufacturers over the years. 

Luigi Termignoni the man first opened a motorcycle 

mechanic’s shop that focused on Ducati, Kawasaki, and 

Honda bikes in 1969. From there, he began to do race prep 

work on engines, and also began to build specialty parts 

for four-stroke engines. 

By 1971, Termignoni had zeroed in on exhaust systems as 

the niche where he could innovate and make his mark. His 

very first exhausts, according to company lore, were made 

completely by hand. 

Even if you don’t have a bike with a Termignoni exhaust 

fitted, if you use anything with an aluminum exhaust 

can, or a full titanium system, you have Luigi Termignoni 

to thank—no matter what company actually made 

your specific exhaust. The man and his company have 

consistently forged new paths forward, exploring what’s 

possible and making bikes around the world sound better 

while doing it. 

Termignoni exhausts are a vital and inextricable part of 

motorcycle racing in many series. So far, they’ve won 

10 MotoGP titles, 16 WSBK titles, 2 Paris-Dakar world 

titles, and also the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World 

Championship. Bikes in MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3, WSBK, 

WSS, SSTK, MX, Enduro, Trials, and Cross-Country Rally 

series regularly depend on Termignoni exhausts to 

perform their best. 

Luigi Termignoni remained president of his company until 

2015. His daughter Anna told Radio Gold that in recent 

years, he dedicated himself to horses of a different sort— 

the four-legged kind—as well as agriculture. 

Sadly, he died overnight, between November 17 and 18, 

2019, at the age of 75.. 

Ridgeway Racebar 

Yamaha R1 winner. 

Once again the greatest race bar in Africa stepped up to the plate 

and delivered on another incredible competition and give away. The 

team at Ridgeway Racebar have been running another one of their 

famous motorcycle give aways for the last 6 Months and this time 

the magnificent Yamaha R1 was the first prize. 

For a measly R350 spent on the day, anyone who came to Ridgeway 

was allocated one entry into the draw for the litre beast and on 

Sunday 17 November, the draw for the winner saw over 4500 entries 

in the box and about 2000 people in attendance, because in order to 

actually win the bike, the entrant had to physically be at the bar. 

It couldn’t have been a better day, with our own Brad Binder firstly 

sending the whole bar best wishes direct via a whatsapp video 

captured by editor Rob Portman and then Brad going on to finish off 

his Moto 2 career with the final race victory. 

After each race finished two of the eventual top ten were drawn, and 

then after the MotoGP podium the customers and fans present were 

given a further 40 mins to get their daily bills sorted and some last 

minute entries into the boxes before they drew the last 6 names. 

The top ten then were asked to draw (in reverse order of how they 

were initially drawn) a custom made Wink Promotions Ridgeway 

Racebar keying with a world famous Yamaha racers number on 

it. Ranging from #46 to one of his most famous rivals #15 Sete 

Gibernau. The stanchions were then removed around the R1 and 

each finalist now had a chance, once again in reverse order of the 

key ring draw, to step up onto the stage, stick the key into the ignition 

and turn the R1 on. First contestant stepped up and unfortunately 

it was not meant to be. Greg Moloney, the MC for the event called 

up number 2 and looked at his key rings number, #15, and jokingly 

stated its highly unlikely Gibernau is going to win at the home of the 

Valentino Rossi Fan Club, but his words had not even finished coming 

out of his mouth and the dash lit up and the bike turned on. Daryl 

Hancock, the lucky man who literally roared for about 30 seconds 

and then climbed over the tank and kissed his new toy. 

What an awesome feeling and certainly an early Christmas present. 

Congratulations to our lucky winner and we at RideFast were proud 

to be associated once more as the media partner. Next year, Grant 

Bloomfield has said there is something even bigger coming so 

make sure you get onto FaceBook and Like and Share the Ridgeway 

Racebar Page and stay tuned for the next evolution of this incredible 

run of give aways. 

Ducati SA hosted a family day at Redstar Raceway on Sunday the 

17th of November, where Ducati owners were invited to ride their 

gorgeous Italian machines around the track free of charge. Riders 

with other makes were also welcomed at the reduced rate of only 

R550 for the days riding.Five groups were available on the day. 

The main aim of the day was to support the Kideo Orphanage, which 

Ducati SA have supported for over 9 years. Riders and spectators 

alike were encouraged to bring not only gifts for their kids to put 

under the tree, but also for the kids of the Kideo Orphanage. 

Over 150 riders attended the event with even more family members, 

friends and spectators packing RSR to the max - the fullest the track 

has been in a long time according to those present. 

The RSR track proved to be the perfect playground for all as the 

riders got to enjoy the track action while Moms, Dads, Grandparents 

and all the kids had a blast in the pool and play areas. Hundreds of 

gifts were piled under the tree for all the kids to enjoy, this brought 

massive smiles to all their faces and despite there being plenty of 

beautiful motorcycles for all eyes to enjoy, it was the smiles on the 

kids faces that stole the show! 

Apart from the gifts for all the kids, they were also treated to a bit of 

track action as pillions, many for the first time. The smiles got even 

bigger and brighter making the entire day a huge success! 

A big well done to all involved and to Ducati SA for hosting yet 

another terrific event. They even had their mobile hospitality setup 

for all to enjoy. The new team at Ducati SA really are working hard 

and building up the SA motorcycle industry one smile at a time! 

Pics by Beam Productions. 

12 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2019 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2019 13



Win a Bike with Fire It Up! 

Fire It Up! are pleased to announce 

that they are giving a motorcycle away 

again this year. This year it’s a Ducati 

Pannigale 959 especially prepared by 

Performance Technic in Corse colours. 

“It’s an opportunity to have some fun 

and give back to the customers that 

have supported us so loyally this year” 

said Craig Langton. In order to qualify 

for the giveaway, customers must have 

purchased a motorcycle between 1/1/2019 

and 30/12/2019. Additionally, If you 

purchase accessories during the month of 

November and December 2019 to the value 

of R5000.00 or more, or if you sell your 

motorcycle to Fire It Up! you also qualify 

for the Bike Giveaway lucky draw. The 

draw will be posted on Facebook on the 

31st of December 2019 at 13H00. On behalf 

of the Fire It Up! and Performance Technic 

Team, we would like to wish our customers 

good luck and a very Merry Christmas and 

prosperous new year. 

Entering the competition is easy by 

following these simple steps: 

1: Make sure that you ‘LIKE’ the Fire It Up! 

Facebook page. 

2: Take a selfie instore. 

3: Post the picture on your timeline. 

4: Use hashtags #fireitup 

#bikegiveaway2019 

5: Send us a screenshot using messenger. 

Make sure that you enter by following the 

steps above, customers who are new to 

Facebook can send a mail to info@fireitup. 

co.za. 

Competition Rules 

1: The judges’ decision is final. 

2: Your selfie must be shared on your 

timeline to qualify. 

3: Competition closes on 30th December 

at 17H00 

4: Winner will be announced on Facebook 

on the 31st of December 2019 at 13H00 

5: Winner has 7 days to claim his/her prize 

6: Motorcycle may not be exchanged for 

cash 

7: All entries will be verified. 

8: No late entries will be considered. 

Grand opening of Formula K Circuit. 

On a very warm and sunny Friday morning 

in Benoni on November 15th 2019 – The 

state of the art Formula K Circuit at the 

Formula K Business Park in Benoni was 

ready to launch and will officially open to 

the public on the 18th of November 2019. 

Located in Benoni at Corner of Snake Road 

and Golden Drive, just off the N12 highway 

and has long been the source of much 

curiosity for passers-by, the finish line 

to a ten-year planning and development 

cycle was finally in sight. The Formula K 

project is set to rock the world of anyone 

who wants to experience high-end short 

circuit racing. The Formula K Circuit has 

been designed and constructed to the 

exact specifications required by the CIK/ 

FIA governing body to enable classification 

as a “Grade A” short circuit. This makes 

it the only circuit in South Africa 

currently eligible to host a karting world 

championship event, pending application 

for and completion of certification. 

The dream of two karting brothers: 

The circuit is the culmination of the 

vision in 2008 of two brothers, Phillip 

and Marius Swanepoel of Formula K SA, 

who’ve been involved in the karting world 

since the 1990s. The Swanepoels secured 

land in 2009, only to face an eight yearlong 

battle to establish the property. 

Construction began only after local and 

national authorities’ requirements were 

met. Circuits of this calibre are typically 

reserved for hard-core racers with their 

own machines – the owners of karts and 

bikes who are serious about competing. 

Herein lies the difference: The Formula 

K track will be furnished with a fleet of 

rental karts later this month when anyone 

in search of having a blast on the track 

will be able to take a spin. Further to that, 

the track will be a full-service centre with 

rental karts, kart sales, servicing as well 

as a driving academy. There will be 2 

daily rotations, mornings will be open to 

members and those who own karts, and 

afternoons will be geared towards group 

rentals, birthday parties, corporate events, 

and of course drop-in rentals.” Weather 

permitting; the circuit will be open every 

day of the year. 

Track specs 

In its standard karting configuration, 

the Formula K Circuit is 1.51 kilometres 

in length, but can quickly be modified. 

Add in the two back straights, the 

chicanes (essentially a tight series of 

fast, alternate- direction turns) and it 

grows to 2.1 kilometres. Subtract sections, 

and it shrinks to less than a kilometre in 

length – ideal for the baby karts as well 

as rental karting. Drivers can experience 

many aspects of the track: There are fast 

sections, technical sections, a great variety 

of corner types, elevation changes and 

several turns which are noticeably banked 

– a real test of driving acumen where 

simply figuring out your ideal racing line 

will take time, patience and skill. 

The property development will 

feature: 

· CIK/FIA approved Kart Circuit – a first in 

South Africa 

· Short circuit Superbike & Motard racing 

Supercar enthusiast facilities 

· Skidpan for advanced driver training 

· 4x4 training and obstacle course 

· K53 training grounds 

· Mountain bike & BMX course 

· Warrior obstacle course 

· 24/7 on-site security & access control 

· Pit building with conference facilities, 

restaurants and retail outlets 

Formula K Business Park 

The greater development in which the 

circuit is contained will be developed into 

a first-of-its-kind business and lifestyle 

park. The Formula K Business Park is a 

new commercial property development 

which will overlook the track, featuring a 

pit building with a clubhouse containing 

conference facilities, a restaurant, gym, 

restrooms, retail stores and more. This 

upmarket sport and business complex 

will house units designed to provide the 

ideal space for entrepreneurs, business 

owners and motorsport enthusiasts to 

mix business with pleasure, whether it’s 

providing a secure environment within 

which to run a business, park a beloved 

motor baby or entertain guests in style. 

Please take note that although the circuit 

is open to the public from Monday 18th 

November 2019, to avoid disappointment, 

those wishing to participate in racing 

should contact the track directly in order 

to ascertain the availability of karts as 

well as the formalised timetable. A fleet of 

rentable Formula K karts is expected in the 

following week, where after more track 

time will become available. 

To contact the Formula K Circuit directly, 

the public can email Marius Swanepoel: 

marius@formula-k.co.za or call him on +27 

83 289 9328. 


PADDOCK NEWS 

Brought to you by 

Why do Yamaha continue to 

ignore Marc Marquez? By Peter MacKay 

Marc Marquez’s dominant 

crusade on the 2019 Moto 

GP championship is arguably 

the finest season ever seen 

in motorcycle racing. 12 wins, 

6 second place finishes and 

only one crash in Texas. From 

a commanding lead. Although 

rookie sensation Fabio 

Quartararo has proved the 

sharpest thorn in Marc’s side, 

Honda’s precious asset has 

staved off each attack with ease. 

No rider has been able to mount 

a consistent challenge to the 

superhuman Spaniard. 

Since joining the premier 

class, as a 125cc and Moto 2 

champion in 2013, Marquez has 

consistently stunned the field. A 

world title in his rookie season 

and 6 world championships 

from 7 attempts is an 

astounding strike rate. 

Cervera’s most famous export 

has been backed by Spanish 

oil giant, Repsol, since his early 

teens. Moto GP powerhouse, 

Honda, have enjoyed the 

backing of Repsol since the 

1990’s. In hindsight, it’s hard to 

imagine Marc Marquez riding 

for anyone else. 

Valencia 2017 was the last time 

a team mate of Marc Marquez 

won a race. When, the now 

retired, Dani Pedrosa claimed 

the top step of the podium. Over 

the last 7 seasons, the other 

Honda riders have scored just 

12 victories. Marquez has won 

56 races over the same period. 

For further context, Ducati riders 

have scored 17 victories. Yamaha 

riders climbed to the top step of 

the podium on 37 occasions. 

If you want to win, Marquez is 

your man. But, bizarrely, Yamaha 

team boss Lin Jarvis recently 

stated the Hamamatsu factory 

will not make a bid for the 

Spaniards services in 2021. Jarvis 

revealed that Yamaha’s goal is 

to beat Marquez and his beloved 

Honda with their own rider. To 

fulfill such an ambition, a special 

rider will be required. 

Fast Frenchman, Fabio 

Quartararo, shocked the 

Moto GP paddock in 2019 with 

dazzling one lap pace and seven 

podium finishes. Unsurprisingly, 

Quartararo has risen to the 

top of most Moto GP team’s 

shopping list for 2021, when 

most riders are out of contract. 

Riding the Petronas Yamaha 

machine, Quartararo has 

punched well above both his and 

his bikes weight on a number 

of occasions. Inflicting constant 

pressure on Marc Marquez in 

the process. However, glaring 

weakness in the M1’s power has 

left Quartararo defenceless to 

Marquez’s rapid Honda. 

Yamaha will undoubtedly be 

delighted with their 20 year old 

protégé’s progress. However, the 

Japanese factory may fall victim 

of their own success with the 

French youngster. 

Italian factory, Ducati, look set 

to bid to poach yet another 

Yamaha superstar. Both Rossi 

and Lorenzo were lured away 

from the homely feel of the 

Yamaha M1 saddle by Bologna 

top brass. Since then, Ducati 

have a far stronger pitch as far 

as their motorcycle is concerned. 

Dubbed “The Bologna Bullet”, 

Ducati’s Desmosedici holds 

an ace card in close combat. 

Horsepower. During this year’s 

contest at Aragon, this power 

advantage was exhibited in 

blatant fashion. On the never 

ending back straight, Ducati’s 

Andrea Dovisioso enjoyed a 

14kph advantage over Fabio 

Quartararo’s Yamaha. A lifetime 

in modern day Moto GP. 

Ducati reportedly wish to pursue 

not only Quartararo but factory 

Yamaha rider, Maverick Vinales. 

This raid on Yamaha’s roster will 

certainly unsettle the crusade to 

dethrone Marc Marquez. 

Jarvis and Yamaha’s stance of 

shunning Marquez is certainly 

puzzling when considering 

the Japanese manufacturer’s 

long and illustrious history 

in grand prix racing. Back in 

2003, Yamaha were in a similar 

situation to where they currently 

find themselves. Minimal 

success and outpaced by rival 

Honda and their star rider, 

Valentino Rossi. Sound familiar? 

After a long courting process, 

Yamaha managed to pluck 

Rossi from Honda for the 2004 

season. At the very first race, 

in South Africa, Rossi won on 

the M1 after a titanic rival with 

bitter rival Max Biaggi. Rossi 

then romped to a world title 

with Yamaha at the first time of 

asking. 

Making a move for the Italian 

legend, spawned 4 world 

titles in 6 seasons for Rossi 

and Yamaha. Shortly followed 

by 3 world titles from Jorge 

Lorenzo. Given this history, I find 

it baffling that Yamaha would 

not at least bid to prize Marquez 

away from the Honda nest. 

Marc Marquez has clearly 

proven that in Moto GP, the 

standout rider makes the 

difference. Rossi proved the 

same at Yamaha. As did Casey 

Stoner at Ducati. 

If Quartararo is seduced by big 

horsepower and big bucks at 

Ducati, Yamaha’s all in strategy 

with the Frenchman will backfire 

spectacularly. Currently, no 

other challenger to Marquez has 

emerged. Therefore, the chances 

of Yamaha knocking the 8 times 

world champion from his perch 

remain slim. 

Peter MacKay is the host of 

The Peter MacKay Motorsport 

Podcast. Follow the show via 

the link below and never miss an 

episode: geqvgm.podbean.com/ 


PADDOCK NEWS 


In-depth with Jonathan Rea. 

From being a World Champion 

to a proud husband and dad, 

Jonathan Rea reveals what he 

took him to become the most 

successful rider in WorldSBK! 

Jonathan Rea doesn’t need an introduction. 

His records speak for himself. With five 

consecutive World Titles since 2015 and 

88 wins, and after an incredible 2019 that 

saw him scoring points in every single 

race, he has become the most successful 

rider in WorldSBK. Born in Northern Ireland 

in 1987, Rea started racing on the tarmac 

only in 2003 following an early career in 

motocross, and since then he has become 

a Motorsports legend. Besides being a 

professional athlete and a star, Rea is 

100% dedicated to his family and he still 

manages to be a “normal” guy away from the 

track! Meet the five-time WorldSBK World 

Champion as never before! 

Most of the riders find their ways to the 

top quite fast, but I had to fight every 

weekend for survival. Geographically, it 

was difficult coming from Northern Ireland. 

When I started road racing, my father 

and I had to take a boat to England every 

weekend and then drive all around to find 

competitions. Dad perfectly managed me, he 

understood me even in the most challenging 

times, and I think he moulded me, and 

whatever he did had a massive effect on 

what I have achieved. 

The biggest lesson in my life has come 

from years of difficulties. My upbringing 

in motocross also helped me achieve what I 

have achieved. I had to face almost endingcareer 

accidents, had to deal with hard 

moments before becoming a champion. 

Now I can look in the mirror and think 

“I am doing the best I can”. Now that I 

am 32 years old, I have started to learn to 

like myself. When I was young, I used to 

get angry when I had a bad day. Becoming 

experienced, older and having a family 

makes you rationalise things a lot better and 

I think I have become wiser. 

When I am at the track, the spotlight is 

on me, while at home is all about the kids 

and survival. When I am home, I try not to 

think about bikes at all. I am a real foodie, 

and I love preparing food. Sometimes Tatia 

and I work hard to be like Master Chef! I like 

normal things. I like sharing a bottle of wine 

with my wife and putting the kids at bed. 

Both are playing football, and so weekends I 

am at the football ground with them. 

The balance in WorldSBK is perfect 

for me. You can get to retain a certain 

level of normality at home. The biggest 

difference between winning my first World 

Championship and now, is that more people 

are interested, and I am busier for marketing 

reasons. But I can still be a dad, a husband 

and a normal guy, whilst doing my training 

and all the media activities. 

Having a family is the most difficult 

thing you can do in life, and it makes you 

realise that there is more in life than 

racing. I love this sport. Bikes is all I have 

known, but I know that this is a very selfish 

life. You are always travelling, and that is 

not normal when you have two kids. I feel it 

would be a shame to put my experience on 

a shelf in the future, but I also think that it 

depends on what the kids will do. If they’ll 

continue in football, or whatever, and they 

want to travel, then I should help them. I 

feel like my family are putting their lives on 

pause for me to live my dream. 

“Surround yourself with good people” 

is the first advice for those who are in 

our environment from the family point 

of view to the crew chief. The guys in the 

KRT team are like my brothers to me, and it’s 

easy to enjoy every weekend even if you are 

struggling. If I had a bad performance then I 

look forward to going to dinner, sit with the 

guys and joke about normal stuff. 

In WorldSBK, engineering is important, 

but the human still makes the 

difference. I won the World Titles because I 

have a good package, but there is more. You 

also have to manage the expectations and 

most importantly enjoy riding. 

I was thinking about retirement in 

2016. My goal in the past was to win at 

least a World Title. My grandfather always 

used to tell me: “One day you will become 

a World Champion” and I have always kept 

this with me. It was something for me to 

hang to. I could have happily retired at the 

end of 2015, but I am enjoying riding too 

much that I can’t let go of this feeling. My 

goal now is to keep trying to win because I 

am having so much fun! 

I still haven’t realised that I won the 

championship again. It was so unexpected 

to win in Magny Cours that when it 

happened, I wasn’t prepared for it. I think 

that when I’ll go to the FIM Awards, and I 

will take the real trophy and my medal with 

all the other champions in the room, that’s 

when it will become real. 

This year I have learned never to give 

up and to believe in myself more. From 

the outside I looked like the ice-man, but 

it was hard. Especially when we realised 

how strong the new Ducati was in areas we 

couldn’t be strong. Alvaro brought a very 

high level, and we had to do our maximum 

all the time. We scored in every race this 

year, and I am so proud of this. 

I am not stupid enough to think that I am 

going to win forever. I know that some 

racer is going to come or maybe a new bike 

or package, perhaps an injury, there is going 

to be difficult moments, but I want to try and 

keep what I am doing now. Let’s see! 

There is a little part of me that wishes I 

had the chance to go to MotoGP with a 

competitive package. But I have never had 

this opportunity so I can’t regret it. I made 

lots of mistakes but anything I can regret. 

Every season I treat myself to an end of 

the season bonus. I have a collection of 

watches, and I bought the first one in Qatar 

when I came first to WorldSSP. It is a sort 

of present that I do to myself at the end of 

the year. 

Something that nobody knows is that I 

have quite a strong faith, and I feel like 

someone is watching over me. When I am 

confused about something, I always ask 

for help, and I get some very good advice. 

This year I remember in one race exiting 

the pit box and asking for some help, and 

something happened that I can’t tell, and it 

changed the year entirely. That is why in the 

slowing down lap I am always pointing to 

the sky. 


PADDOCK NEWS 


Karel Abraham gets the boot via 

email - Zarco takes his place. 

On Saturday night, Karel Abraham told a 

meeting of his fans that he would not be 

back in MotoGP. The Czech rider found out 

on Friday that the Avintia team wanted to 

end their relationship, when he received an 

email from a notary representing the team 

stating in Spanish that the team would be 

terminating his contract. 

The move can as a massive shock 

to Abraham. It had been completely 

unexpected, as he had been told at Valencia 

that he would be back with the team in 2020, 

and to turn up for the test at Jerez. Only on 

Saturday was he told not to travel to Jerez. 

Abraham had already made arrangements, 

however. He also needed to recover his 

leathers and various other belongings which 

had been sitting in the Avintia truck when it 

was driven to Jerez for the test. 

While he was at the Jerez circuit picking 

up his belongings, Israeli TV commentator 

Tammy Gorali, present in Jerez to report on 

the test, grabbed him and spoke to him for 

on our behalf. That gave Abraham a chance 

to give his side of the story. 

Surprise 

“As much as many people were surprised, 

I was very surprised, because I absolutely 

didn’t expect it,” the Czech rider told Tammy 

Gorali. “Well, you could say I could have 

expected it, the season was not great. Yes, I 

agree, that’s true, but OK, we had a twoyears 

deal.” 

Abraham’s contract with Avintia ran through 

2019 and 2020, and talks had already taken 

place about improving the performance of 

Abraham and the team next season, the Czech 

rider said, and even prospects beyond that. 

“In the middle of the season I came to the 

team and said hey, look, we need to talk, do 

you want me to stay? And they were ‘yeah 

everything is going in line and everything 

is perfect and great’. But since we had this 

meeting, we also were talking about 2021, 

because Tito also signed a two-year contract.” 

Things in the team had taken a turn for the 

worse after that, Abraham told Gorali. “Since 

then things were not working really great,” 

he said. “When we came to Malaysia the guy 

from Ohlins was not in our team. 

“Our Ohlins guy was in Malaysia, but he was 

not allowed to work with us, because there 

were some issues.” Abraham would not be 

drawn on what those issues were, though 

he hinted at what they might be. “If you try to 

find out, it’s quite simple.” 

Looking for Solutions 

Those problems had been cause for 

Abraham to sit down with the team to try to 

work out a solution for next year. 

“We said, OK, look, everything is more or less 

alright, but there are a couple of things which 

we are not happy about and want to talk 

about. And we wanted to have a meeting in 

Sepang, which we did, we wanted to have a 

meeting again in Valencia, which we also did.” 

When rumors that Avintia was looking at 

putting Johann Zarco in the team in place of 

Abraham, the Czech rider spoke to Ruben 

Xaus, who handles team management 

together with Raul Romero. Xaus told 

Abraham he did not need to be concerned, 

Abraham told Gorali. 

“So we talked in Valencia again, and after the 

rumors with Zarco, I went to Ruben again, 

multiple times actually, and asked what is 

going on, is it happening or not happening? 

And on Tuesday – he missed the last day of 

testing on Wednesday – he confirmed and 

said don’t worry, you have your contract, 

everything is as it should be. I asked if they 

were talking to Zarco and he said ‘No, we are 

absolutely not talking to Zarco, this is just 

some rumors, it’s not true.’” 

That reassured Abraham. “So I said OK,I did 

one day of testing, which was not bad, then 

I went back home. We texted a couple of 

times with Ruben, but he did not answer, but 

I did not take it seriously.” 

Fired by Email 

It was only on Friday that Abraham received 

an email for the lawyers handling legal 

affairs for the team. “Late Friday evening, 

I opened my email and I received an email 

Words by David Emmett 

from a notary,” Abraham told Gorali. 

“I opened it and it was in full Spanish, not 

English or Czech, saying ‘Hello Mr Abraham, 

I am the notary of Esponsorama [the 

organization behind the Avintia team – DE], 

these are the documents and paperwork 

that this is the official notary’.” 

Because everything was in Spanish, 

Abraham could only get the broad lines of 

what the email was saying. 

Professional translation services were shut, 

it being Friday night, so Abraham had to use 

an online service to get a rough sense of the 

contents of the email. 

“When we put it into a translator, it was 

quiet clear that it was the termination of our 

contract. So we texted Ruben again, with 

‘Hey, what is this?’ No answer.” 

Abraham tried texting repeatedly, to no avail. 

“We texted him multiple times, but we didn’t 

receive any answer from him,” he said. 

“But on the next day, Saturday, I texted him 

again saying ‘Hey, Ruben look, you sent me 

this Spanish email, I have no idea what is in 

it and tomorrow I am leaving to Jerez, should 

I go to Jerez or not?’ Only then I received a 

message saying, ‘Correct, it’s the termination 

of the contract, don’t come to Jerez, and stop 

communication with me.’” 

Poor Form 

The way that Xaus had handled that had 

come as a real blow to Abraham, he told 

Gorali. “I am disappointed because he was 

always this kind of friendly guy, he borrowed 

a car from me, he went with me to the 

hotel, or in Australia we spent a lot of time 

together, very friendly.” 

“And then he says ‘don’t talk to me anymore’. 

So I was like, “Are you serious? You are 

basically kicking me in the ass after the 

season is done and while we have a 

contract, and not even talking to me?” 

Abraham had expected someone in the team 

to at least have the decency to phone him 

to explain, he told Gorali. “OK, Raul doesn’t 

speak English, but Ruben or somebody else, I 

don’t care who, they could pick up the phone 

and say ‘Hey Karel, this is the situation.’” 

“But they said nothing. I am also here in Jerez 

because as you can see I did not expect this, 

because they assured me it’s not happening, 

and I have all my stuff in the track, so I just 

came to pick it up and then I am gone. But it 

was a big surprise for me too.” 

Abraham had been given the ride in the 

Avintia team on the understanding that he 

would bring sponsorship to the team. The 

Czech rider insisted that he and his sponsors 

had paid the agreed sum for 2019 in full, but 

acknowledged that early payments for 2020 

had been put on hold, because he wanted to 

get assurances about changes in the team 

for next season. 

Leverage 

“What you hear is halfway true,” Abraham 

told Tammy Gorali. “This is what they used 

to kick me out, but honestly, all of 2019 

is paid for, there was no doubt. 2019 was 

completely paid for.” 

“There were some payments we were 

supposed to make for the 2020 season, 

but we did not pay them and postponed 

them, not for months, we are talking days. 

We postponed them because we had some 

doubts about things happening in the team.” 

The postponed payments were part of the 

negotiations for 2020, especially in light 

of losing an Öhlins technician in Malaysia, 

Abraham explained. 

“First of all, we postponed the payments 

because we did not get what we agreed in 

the contract, for example the Öhlins guy was 

missing and many other things happening. 

So we said hey, we want to talk about the 

next season before we fully commit.” 

“And they said, OK, we will talk in Malaysia, 

which we did, but there were new issues 

coming, so we said we will talk one more 

time in Valencia, and then we will proceed. 

In Valencia we agreed, we still wanted to 

do some adjustments, so we sent some 

proposals, but we received no answer, but 

the termination of the contract.” 

The postponed payments were used as the 

reason to terminate the contract, according 

to Abraham. “This is why they said they are 

kicking us out. Because we didn’t pay in time, 

because we broke the contract,” the Czech 

rider said. “But really, it’s not true, because 

we agreed to have those meetings, and 

postponed the payments.” 

Why Zarco? 

Though Abraham repeatedly said he had 

nothing against Johann Zarco, he was at 

a loss to explain why the Frenchman had 

been given his job. “I was talking to Ducati 

at Valencia during the test, not to Gigi but 

somebody else, and they told me they are not 

supporting Zarco,” Abraham told Gorali. 

“They are not against him, but they are not 

supporting him, so they are not giving him 

better material, they are not giving him a 

discount on the bike. They told me that Avintia 

has one contract, and it doesn’t matter which 

rider is on the bike, this is the bike they get at 

this price. This is what Ducati told me. If it’s 

going to be like this, I don’t know.” 

Abraham said that he had no knowledge 

of the situation beyond Avintia wanting 

to break the contract. “I know what is 

happening on my side, but I don’t know what 

is happening on Avintia and Zarco,” he said. 

“Honestly, I’m not even 100% sure it’s Zarco. 

It’s quite obvious, but not confirmed. So, I 

think it will be Zarco who is replacing me, 

but I didn’t see the contract, I didn’t see the 

official announcement or anything. It’s just 

one guy, and everybody is talking about him, 

so it looks like it’s going to be him.” 

He was surprised that Zarco was still being 

linked to Avintia after the Frenchman’s 

cutting comments about the team over the 

Valencia race weekend. Zarco had said he 

would rather not ride for Avintia, as Avintia 

was not ‘a top team’. “I’m not the one to judge 

Zarco’s moves,” Abraham said. 

“It’s his choice. But he was in a factory team. 

I know he didn’t like the bike that much, but 

he was in a factory team. He got a very good 

salary and everything was set. Next year, 

the rumors say that quite a few riders will 

leave factory teams, so good opportunities, 

everything.” 

“Anyway, Zarco left this team. He didn’t talk 

very well about them,” Abraham said. “After 

he didn’t even talk very well about Avintia. 

Then he fights for it, for Ducati Avintia team. 

He fights after going out of factory team, 

after saying bad things about Avintia. This 

is something that I don’t really understand, 

but this is the business of Zarco, not mine 

anymore.” 

Uncertain Future 

The whole situation was so fresh that 

Abraham had not yet decided on a course of 

action, he said. “Because it just happened on 

Friday night, so it is one day and one night 

away. We didn’t even make official translation 

yet, which we will do during the week. 

Then we will proceed to take the actions, but 

what are the actions we are not sure yet. We 

really don’t know. We don’t know what is in 

the letters that we received. We have to take 

the package together and think about it.” 

The overriding feeling for Abraham was 

anger mixed with disappointment, he told 

Tammy Gorali. “I am sad that I’m not racing, 

but mostly now I’m angry and disappointed, 

especially disappointed because to do this is 

really strange. They know that they received 

all the money from us, so they knew that 

they are going to receive all the money.” 

“In the paddock you can ask. There is nobody 

that we didn’t pay. In the past every time 

when we were supposed to do something, 

it happened. We don’t have a history of 

something bad.” 

The whole situation had left Abraham 

uncertain of his next move. “For the moment, 

it’s very fresh, but I’m not planning to stay in 

a racing environment,” he said. “Apart from 

the Brno circuit, obviously, which we are 

running. But MotoGP, world championship, 

I’m not planning for the moment to stay.” 

Abraham was aware that he was only giving 

his side of the story, but he also believed 

that his history, and the history of the 

Avintia team, would bear him out. “Obviously 

everybody can say that there are two sides 

that you have to look at. I think you should 

look into my history.” 


PADDOCK NEWS 


“Not professional riding, but professional 

acting in the paddock, what I did, how 

was our history, how was the history of 

Avintia, how is the history of the people 

involved. Listen to both stories and take 

whatever you want out of it. I’m telling 

you how I feel it. I think I’m telling you the 

facts. That what it is,” he told Gorali. 

Racing Life 

Although he is a trained lawyer, racing 

is the only life he has known since 

he was very young, Abraham said. 

“When I was fifteen, I started,” he said. 

“So it’s been fifteen years that I was 

around, living between the tracks in 

motorhomes, traveling all the time in a 

car and planes and everything. So it’s 

kind of the life that I’m used to.” 

“So we will see what will be happening. 

Now, I honestly have no idea. The 

speed, adrenaline… I need adrenaline. 

So the speed and adrenaline, people 

around, I’m sure I’m going to miss it. 

Maybe not in the first week. That’s more 

disappointment and anger, but you get 

hungry. That’s the time you will see. I 

don’t know yet.” 

What made Abraham most angry was 

the way the whole situation had been 

handled. Having his contract torn up at 

the end of the year, with no opportunity 

to go anywhere else, had been a body 

blow. “I understand that Johann Zarco 

might be a good guy to ride a bike,” he 

said. “I understand that. But this is not 

how you treat a person.” 

“This is not how you do business either. 

If we have a contract and the contract 

is there and everything is ready and the 

season is over, and right now they know if 

they kick me out, which they did, I have no 

chance of finding a place now. Basically 

no chance in Moto2. MotoGP, absolutely 

not. Superbike also, not a good place, at 

least. So basically what they did, they just 

screwed me. It’s just, I’m done.” 

If the Avintia team had told him earlier, he 

might have been able to find something 

else, Abraham said. “If they told me in the 

middle of season, we could have done 

something. Or, they could also approach 

me in Valencia and say, ‘Karel, look. We’ve 

got Zarco. This is the deal. He will bring a 

lot more money than you,’ or whatever is 

the deal. I don’t know. ‘What are we going 

to do about it?’” 

“Then I can say, okay, it’s bad, but 

maybe I was not so happy this year. 

Let’s talk about it and let’s do it the 

normal way. That’s how you do it. But 

you cannot have the contract and 

basically after Valencia it’s called the 

beginning of next season, right? So I 

was already testing 2019 bikes, and 

then they say, ‘Okay, stay home.’” 

Fired Crew Chief 

Abraham was not the only victim of 

this approach, he told Tammy Gorali. 

“Basically two weeks before they did it 

to me, they did it to my crew chief. I didn’t 

know about it. Ducati didn’t know about 

it. Nobody knew about it.” 

“He came to Malaysia and they told him, 

‘Next year you’re not working here.’ He 

said, ‘Are you serious? Because now all 

the crew chiefs in Moto2, MotoGP, and 

Moto3 are taken. So I need to stay home 

next year.’ They cut him off. When you 

leave for one year, it’s really difficult to 

come back.” 

Abraham could not see a future for 

himself in any of the other classes, 

he told Gorali. “Don’t take me wrong 

– Moto2 and Superbikes are amazing 

races. It’s great. But I have gone through 

it. I went to MotoGP. I left MotoGP. I 

desperately wanted to make some 

good results. I already said it before. I 

don’t want to make a step back.” 

He did not want to disparage either 

Moto2 or World Superbikes, Abraham 

insisted. “I don’t say it’s a step back 

like it’s bad. No. It’s great racing. But 

I already was there, and I would be 

coming back. This is something that I 

don’t want to do.” 

“It’s absolutely clear for me. I said there 

is only one condition under which I will 

do it, because I’m thirty-years-old. It’s 

not old, but for racing it’s not young. So 

going Moto2 or Superbikes, I would go 

if they gave me a really fast bike, and if 

they give me a good salary.” 

So Karel Abraham is to sit along the 

sidelines at Jerez, while the Reale Avintia 

team tests. Tito Rabat will be on one 

bike, while the Avintia squad’s MotoE 

rider Eric Granado will be on the second 

bike for the Jerez test, as a reward for 

winning races in MotoE for the team. 

MotoGP to limit 

wing flex in 2020. 

As part of the expanding wing regulations for the 2020 

MotoGP season, a new ‘flex test’ will be introduced to 

strengthen the ban on active aerodynamics. 

The current technical regulations simply state ‘moving 

aerodynamic devices are prohibited’. 

This clearly prevents any obvious form of active 

aerodynamics, such as mechanical wing movement 

controlled by an external power supply. But nothing is 

perfectly rigid and, like a tree blowing in the wind, every 

part of a motorcycle moves or flexes to a certain degree 

when out on track. 

Such ‘aeroelasticity’ of the bodywork can be exploited 

by crafting parts that deliberately flex more than 

necessary, or change shape in an advantageous way, 

depending on the speed of the motorcycle. 

For example, since the main purpose of the wings is to 

reduce wheelies, a clever design would hold the wings 

at maximum downforce until the bike reaches a speed 

where wheelies are no longer a factor. 

From that point on, the downforce created by the wings 

is not needed and they turn from being a benefit into 

a disadvantage, due to the drag they create hurting 

ultimate top speed. 

Therefore if, when exposed to the greater load 

generated at higher speeds, parts of the wing ‘pod’ 

sections that hang off the bike were designed to bend 

into a slightly more streamlined position, drag would 

be lowered and top speed increase. So it’s active but, if 

there are no specific flex limits, passes as accidental. 

Such minor gains would probably have been dismissed in 

the past, but in an era where the top ten is often covered 

by less than one-second a lap, any advantage must now 

be considered. 

The flex test forms part of a beefed-up range of 2020 

aerodynamic rules, which also includes more precise 

dimensions for the wing sections and introduction of 

Aero Body restrictions (one update per season) for all 

non-mechanical bodywork, including the infamous 

swingarm ‘tyre cooler’. 

Meanwhile, a recent announcement from the Grand 

Prix Commission revealed that in future teams will be 

able to remove wings from their bikes at Phillip Island, 

something that would currently mean breaking the Aero 

Body/Homologation rules (unless one of a rider’s two 

fairings allowed for the season was already wingless). 

The move implies that the wing sections are thought 

to have had an adverse effect on safety in the 

kind of extreme gusty crosswinds that forced the 

postponement of qualifying at last month’s Australian 

MotoGP, after Miguel Oliveira was blown off the circuit. 


2020 MotoGP Valencia Testing. 

Quartararo heads 

Yamaha trio after Day 1 

With plenty of new riders 

and motorcycles to keep an 

eye on, this was the start 

of the 2020 season and the 

first opportunity to see new 

parts featured across the 

manufacturers. Ending the 

day on top of the pile, Fabio 

Quartararo was just ahead 

of Maverick Viñales, whilst 

Franco Morbidelli made it a 

Yamaha 1-2-3. 

After a phenomenal rookie 

season, Fabio Quartararo set 

76 laps on his way to the top 

of the timesheets, but it wasn’t 

without drama. Testing a new 

carbon swingarm along with 

chassis parts, Quartararo 

crashed at speed at the 

infamous Turn 10. Shaken but 

not stirred and only suffering 

from dull rib injuries, he was 

back on track for the final hour 

before ending the day on top. 

Also testing new parts from 

Yamaha was Franco Morbidelli, 

who completed a Yamaha 

1-2-3 and spent most of the day 

inside the top five. 

Splitting the two Petronas 

Yamaha SRT machines was 

Maverick Viñales, who spent 

most of the day on the 2020 

bike, after completing a first 

run on the 2019 machine. 

Viñales was frequenting 

the top of the timesheets 

throughout the opening day of 

testing for 2020, finishing just 

over a tenth-and-a-half behind 

Quartararo. Valentino Rossi 

completed a solid day of work 

and was inside the top ten 

throughout. The 40-year-old 

Italian, along with Viñales, was 

testing the 2020 bike which 

featured a new air intake and a 

third evolution of 2020 engine 

and finished ninth overall. 

Over at the Ducati Team, Danilo 

Petrucci was testing a brandnew 

chassis ahead of 2020, 

before calling it a day early on 

after a shoulder injury picked 

up during the race weekend. 

For Andrea Dovizioso, it was 

a productive day as he led the 

Maverick Vinales with 

his new Aero fairing. 

fight to Yamaha. Like Petrucci, he 

was testing the new bike which 

featured a new chassis, as well 

as new parts for the engine and 

electronics. Between them, the 

pair racked up more than 70 laps 

to garner valuable data to take 

forward in their development 

for the new season. At Pramac 

Racing, Jack Miller was also 

trying new parts and completed 

43 laps on his way to completing 

the top ten. Francesco Bagnaia 

is absent from the test after his 

broken wrist from Saturday, but 

present was Michele Pirro, who 

finished the day in 18th as he 

leads the development for 2020. 

After an eventful weekend for 

the Repsol Honda Team, the 

drama continued in the second 

half of the day. With a little under 

four hours to go, Marc Marquez 

crashed his 2020 bike on the 

out-lap at Turn 13. Setting his 

fastest lap on his 33rd out of 56, 

the eight-time World Champion 

was fifth overall on the bike 

that he had already tested on 

at Misano. New teammate and 

brother Alex Marquez finished 

23rd on his full-time debut, 

recovering well from his crash 

in the first half of the day. Stefan 

Bradl finished 22nd on another 

chassis, different to that of 

Marquez’. Cal Crutchlow was 11th 

as he continued to test the new 

2020-spec machine. 

A new engine helped Suzuki 

to climb the top speed charts 

in the afternoon, although a 

technical problem for Joan Mir 

halted the Spaniard’s progress. 

Mir was top Suzuki after day one 

in sixth place, whilst teammate 

Alex Rins was just a tenth-anda-half 

behind in seventh. Both 

Suzuki riders set a strong pace 

throughout the day. 

It was a positive first day of 2020 

for KTM, who were sporting 

a completely new chassis. 

Constructed differently but 

remaining tubular and steel, 

Pol Espargaro made it five 

manufacturers inside the top 

eight. Espargaro set 58 laps 

and achieved his fastest exactly 

halfway through. His new 

teammate Brad Binder was 21st 

and continued his adaptation to 

MotoGP. Test rider Dani Pedrosa 

was 17th as he worked away 

whilst Mika Kallio didn’t take 

to the circuit. Iker Lecuona was 

sensational at the end of day one 

at the Valencia Test, up in 13th 

place and less than a secondand-a-half 

off the top slot. 

Whilst there was no new bike 

for Aprilia, Andrea Iannone was 

14th and just over a secondand-a-half 

from the best time. 

Two places further back was 

teammate Aleix Espargaro, 

whilst test rider Bradley Smith 

was up 20th and within two 

seconds of Quartararo at the 

top. Smith suffered a nasty 

crash at Turn 9 earlier in the day, 

bringing out the red flags but 

the hard-working Brit was soon 

back out on track and was the 

last rider to return to the pits at 

the end of the day. 

Viñales fastest to turn 

the tables on Day 2 

Maverick Viñales topped Day 2 

and it was once again a Yamaha 

1-2-3, with the trio at the top 

within three tenths. Viñales 

was the only rider in the 1:29s – 

true of Fabio Quartararo at the 

weekend – and the number 12 

narrowly beat the Frenchman’s 

pole time on the Wednesday. 

Quartararo was 0.164 in arrears, 

with Franco Morbidelli within 

0.265 of the top. Honda’s Cal 

Crutchlow was the only other 

man within half a second… 

Viñales fastest was set on the 

‘new’ bike – with a different 

chassis and new engine – and 

the Spaniard put in 67 laps on 

the final day of testing, topping 

the timesheets with his 56th. 

Teammate Valentino Rossi 

Pic by GP Fever.de 

was once again ninth, and 

‘The Doctor’ did 68 laps on the 

Wednesday. He was within 

0.968 of the top and suffered 

a mechanical problem in the 

afternoon, but got back out. 

Quartararo and Morbidelli, 

meanwhile, didn’t say much 

about what they were working 

on – “some small things” and 

the Frenchman said it was more 

a day of riding than testing as 

yet. For a man only just starting 

his second season, the 64 

laps were doubtlessly useful, 

however, and Morbidelli added 

another 52 to the team’s count. 

For Crutchlow it was a 

mammoth day of work. The Brit 

headed out on the ‘2020’ bike, 

suffered a crash but managed 

to prove Yamaha’s closest 

competitor on the timesheets 

and improve his laptime from 

the weekend after 73 laps. 

Speaking of the number 73, 

Alex Marquez, on the other side 

of the LCR Honda garage, was 

the only man to do more laps. 

The rookie did 79 on his second 

day as an HRC MotoGP rider, 

shaving six tenths off his time 

from Tuesday. 

Reigning Champion Marc 

Marquez made some more 

Honda headlines, however. 

The number 93 premiered the 

aero seen on Crutchlow the day 

before, with the all-black Honda 

breaking cover bearing a 93 in 

the afternoon, and he ended the 

day in seventh after 71 laps. He 

also suffered a failed getaway 

earlier in the day, and his 

teammate for the test – in the 

garage at least – also suffered 

an issue on the Wednesday as 

Stefan Bradl ground to a halt. 

Nevertheless the German was 

able to complete 53 laps by the 

end of play. 

Team Suzuki Ecstar were fifth 

and sixth on Wednesday. The 

new engine previously having 

been put through its paces by 

test rider Sylvain Guintoli was 

a big focus for the Hamamatsu 

factory as they look for a step 

forward in terms of outright 

speed, and Joan Mir was the 

quickest Suzuki on Day 2. He 

put in a 1:30.427 and did 61 laps, 

teammate Alex Rins was just 

0.076 off and did 47 laps. They 

plan to continue testing the 

The new 2020 KTM chassis 

looking good with Pol... 

engine at the Jerez test. 

KTM stole a few headlines on 

Day 2. For their speed – Pol 

Espargaro’s impressive showing 

and that of Red Bull KTM Tech 

3’s Iker Lecuona – and they had 

the new kids on the block, Brad 

Binder and Lecuona, taking some 

tips from the veterans. But there 

were also a few crashes, with 

each of the three racers all going 

down. Espargaro first, Lecuona 

later and Binder even later in 

the day. Espargaro’s crash, 

however, led to his fastest lap 

as he was then forced to switch 

bike to another new chassis – 

and found immediate positives. 

He was eighth and did 46 laps, 

Pedrosa 14th after 48 laps and 

Lecuona just 0.045 off the threetime 

World Champion by the 

end of play. Binder did 66 laps 

on Day 2. 

Marc Marquez with the new 

‘Hammer Head’ aero package 

ahead of his brother and new 

team-mate Alex Marquez. 

The Ducati Team’s Andrea 

Dovizioso, meanwhile, was 

focused on gathering more 

information on what they 

tested on Day 1, one big thing 

of note being a new chassis. 

Some sensors were spotted on 

the rear of the Borgo Panigale 

machine too on the Wednesday, 

and the ‘salad box’ was back. 

Danilo Petrucci, however, was 

not back. The Italian remained 

sidelined by his bothersome 

shoulder, although Michele 

Pirro was once again on track 

to put the laps in – 40 of 

them – and Jack Miller was all 

action stations too. The Aussie 

explained he’d been doing 

back to back comparisons with 

the first version of the 2020 

machines because the number 

09 was ruled out. Miller was 

fastest Ducati in 10th, just 

ahead of Dovizioso. Tito Rabat 

was 12th, ahead of Pirro. 

For Aprilia, it was another day 

of track action working with 

their 2019 machines. Aleix 

Espargaro was 16th after 43 

laps, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 

teammate Andrea Iannone in 

19th. Espargaro crashed at the 

final corner, and Iannone ran on 

at Turn 1 with the RS-GP then 

catching alight – rider ok. Test 

rider Bradley Smith was also 

on track and did another 32 

laps to add to the informationgathering 

tally.

Jerez 2020 test: Vinales on top. 

Yamaha lead Suzuki at 

the Circuito de Jerez- 

Angel Nieto as the 

weather and red flags 

disrupt action. 

Monster Energy Yamaha 

MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales 

set a 1:37.131 on Day 1 of the 

Jerez Test to head Fabio 

Quartararo by 0.754, with Joan 

Mir completing the top three 

on the timing screens. Repsol 

Honda Team’s Marc Marquez 

suffered a crash at Turn 13 as 

red flags and showers disrupt 

the opening day of action in 

Andalucia. 

At Yamaha, Viñales seemed 

content with using the 

aluminium swingarm as he 

immediately went quick in 

the morning, dipping into 

the 1:38s before getting his 

time down to a 1:37 not long 

after midday. Both he and 

teammate Valentino Rossi had 

one 2020 and one 2019 bike in 

the garage, with the nine-time 

Champion lapping on the new 

bike with the carbon swingarm 

for larger parts of the day. 

Rossi had some positive 

thoughts after Day 1, but also 

admitted Yamaha have areas 

to work on. 

At Petronas Yamaha SRT, 

neither Quartararo or 

Morbidelli have the carbon 

swingarm available on the 

Monday, but Quartararo and 

Morbidelli confirmed they’d 

been trying a 2020 Yamaha 

prototype engine on Day 1. The 

Frenchman had on off-track 

excursion in the morning, with 

both riders sitting up the sharp 

end of the times for most of 

the day. 

On paper, it was a solidlooking 

day for Suzuki. Mir and 

Alex Rins finished inside the 

top four as work continued on 

the 2020 GSX-RR engine. Test 

rider Sylvain Guintoli was also 

lapping around Jerez to help 

Mir and Rins, the Frenchman 

completing 63 laps on Day 1. 

Team Manager Davide Brivio 

confirmed to Simon Crafar 

that there was more positive 

feedback on the engine, with 

Brivio also placing importance 

on “back-to-back” testing with 

old and new parts.x’ was back. 

Danilo Petrucci, however, was 

not back. The Italian remained 

sidelined by his bothersome 

shoulder, although Michele 

Pirro was once again on track 

to put the laps in – 40 of 

them – and Jack Miller was all 

action stations too. The Aussie 

explained he’d been doing 

back to back comparisons with 

the first version of the 2020 

machines because the number 

09 was ruled out. Miller was 

fastest Ducati in 10th, just 

ahead of Dovizioso. Tito Rabat 

was 12th, ahead of Pirro. 

For Aprilia, it was another day 

of track action working with 

their 2019 machines. Aleix 

Espargaro was 16th after 43 

laps, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 

teammate Andrea Iannone in 

Joan Mir and the Suzuki getting 

better and better. 

19th. Espargaro crashed at the 

final corner, and Iannone ran on 

at Turn 1 with the RS-GP then 

catching alight – rider ok. Test 

rider Bradley Smith was also 

on track and did another 32 

laps to add to the informationgathering 

tally. 

Reigning World Champion 

Marquez was thankfully ok after 

a big crash, where he was later 

diagnosed with a dislocated 

shoulder but was given the all 

clear to continue testing after a 

trip to the medical centre. The 

Spaniard had three bikes in the 

box and on the other side, his 

double World Champion brother 

Alex Marquez had two bikes. The 

Jerez Test gives the 2019 Moto2 

World Champion a chance to 

spend more time adjusting to 

the premier class, with one of 

Alex Marquez’ Hondas featuring 

a carbon reinforcement around 

the headstock. The MotoGP 

rookie continued to work with 

the 2019 RC213V, finishing P17 

on the timesheets, with older 

brother Marc Marquez taking 

up the testing work on the 2020 

bike to end the day P6. Also 

testing 2020 parts for Honda 

was LCR Honda Castrol’s Cal 

Crutchlow, the British rider 

ended the day P7. 

Speaking in Valencia, Andrea 

Dovizioso (Ducati Team) said 

Jerez was important to confirm 

New HRC livery for Alex 

Marquez at this test. 

what they’d been trying at the 

Circuit Ricardo Tormo worked 

at another circuit. One of the 

Italian’s Desmosedici machines 

featured the new, bigger ‘salad 

box’ on the rear as Dovizioso 

continued to work on Ducati’s 

new chassis, comparing it to 

the old. The feeling, according 

to the man himself, was 

good, but more analysis and 

understatements are needed to 

make a bigger step in the future. 

Test rider Michele Pirro joined 

Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci in 

Jerez, just as he did in Valencia. 

The Italian was riding with some 

sort of sensor on top of the 

tail unit, with Pirro suffering a 

crash at Turn 6 – rider ok. The 

Ducati guys were unable to test 

everything planned, but it was 

crucial for Petrucci to get 48 

laps under his belt after having 

to miss most of the Valencia 

Test through injury. 

At Pramac Racing, it is unsure 

whether Jack Miller was testing 

Ducati’s new chassis in Jerez. 

The Australian said he would be 

in Valencia as he finished just 

behind Petrucci and Dovizioso 

on the Day 1 timesheets as 

Ducatis placed P9, P10 and P11 

respectively. On the subject of 

Ducati, Eric Granado was testing 

for Reale Avinita Racing, the 

FIM Enel MotoE World Cup race 

winner had small off but quickly 

returned to the garage, finishing 

the day just under six seconds 

off Viñales’ scorching pace. 

Francesco Bagnaia remains 

sidelined after his Valencia crash. 

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s 

Pol Espargaro had three bikes 

at his disposal, one old and two 

new ones. The Spaniard was 

very pleased after the Valencia 

Test with KTM’s progress and 

having finished P8 on the time 

screens on Day 1 in Valencia, 

it seems the 2020 RC16 is 

working well. The Spaniard 

did suffer a crash near the end 

of the day, he was ok though 

and Espargaro confirmed the 

new bike was getting better 

in the places where KTM had 

weaknesses. Teammate Brad 

Binder continued to get to grips 

with his new machine, the South 

African completed 67 laps and 

finished P21, 2.8 seconds from 

Viñales. Test rider Dani Pedrosa 

had to sit out of the action due 

to illness, while Iker Lecuona 

completing 38 laps to finish 

P20. The Spaniard crashed on 

Day 1 at Turn 4, he was ok, with 

Lecuona explaining how Jerez 

has been more difficult on a 

MotoGP bike than Valencia. 

Over at Aprilia Racing Team 

Gresini, there is nothing majorly 

new to report. Aleix Espargaro 

was the fastest RS-GP rider 

on track in P12, with Andrea 

Iannone sitting just behind his 

teammate on the time screens 

in P13. Bradley Smith continued 

his testing duties in Jerez, the 

British rider completing 67 laps 

on Day 1. 

Day two of the testing would 

take place the day after we sent 

this issue to the printers, so we 

just managed to scrape this bit 

of action in for you. For more 

info on how day two of testing 

went check out the MotoGP.com 

page or our RideFast Magazine 

Facebook page. 

Brad enjoying the grip from the 

Michelin MotoGP slick tyres.

TYRE TECH TALK 

by Bruce de Kock, owner of Bike Tyre Warehouse Midrand 

ALL THE PREMIUM BRANDS 

THAT COUNT UNDER ONE ROOF 

Holiday season already… I wish our bikes went 

as fast as time does! Anyway, it’s December 

and hopefully you’re all planning a lot of saddle 

time over the period. Remember, it doesn’t 

matter whether you’re going on a long tour or 

just a quick weekend getaway, you must make 

sure your tyres have enough tread for both 

legs of the journey - especially as it’s the rainy 

season and nobody wants to aquaplane on 

the tar. It’s just not worth the risk of dropping 

your bike or injuring yourself and ending up in 

hospital on New Year’s Eve, or worse. 

With these factors in mind, I’ve decided to 

give you info on the latest offerings from 

Pirelli - namely the Pirelli Angel GT II, as this 

tyre is available for sport tourers, supers and 

adventures. Also, the Pirelli Rosso Corsa 2, 

which is great for anyone wanting rubber for 

knee-down holiday action! I got quite intimate 

with the Rossa Corsa 2 last year while running 

full technical support at the international 

launch at Kyalami. Pirelli’s R25 million budget 

meant that the top international test pilots and 

motorsport journos were present to talk to. 

That, combined with 10 days at the track with 

access to the V4s, MVs and 1000RRs etc, and I 

can safely say I know a little about the handling 

of this tyre… 

The Pirelli Angel GT II is an upgrade on the 

ever-popular Angel GT and the successor to the 

Angel ST, making this tyre the 3rd generation of 

the famous Gran Turismo sports touring Angel 

range – which, in Pirelli’s words, has thousands 

of hours of testing on road and track to reach a 

new level for sports touring tyres. 

The Angel GT II boasts a new tread pattern, 

construction, EMS (Extended Mileage Sport) 

technology and new compounds for increased 

grip, confidence and mileage – all of which 

makes it an aggressive, attractive tyre! The 

new tread pattern provides improved water 

evacuation for confident handling when the 

weather turns. It was inspired by the trusted 

Pirelli Diablo Wet tyres, which were produced 

for intermediate wet weather track racing and 

feature the now shared twin radial grooves. 

Warm-up is fast and the tyres offer an excess of 

front and rear grip. They steer with the accuracy 

of a sports tyre and really shine in mixed 

BIKETYRE WAREHOUSE MIDRAND’S 

UNBEATABLE ‘ANGEL GT II’ 

Combo Tyre Deals: 

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• 120/70R-17 & 190/55R-17, R4370.00 

• 120/70R-17 & 180/55R-17, R4350.00 

• 120/70R-17 & 190/50R-17, R4465.00 

• 120/70R-17 & & 170/60-17, R4000.00 

conditions, allowing confidence all the time. 

What I find interesting – and this only applies 

to bikes with ABS and traction control – is 

Pirelli’s new tech which is designed to manage 

a stuttering tyre on the edge of grip. 

While the Angel II has not been given the 

exposure here that it has enjoyed in Europe, 

we’ve sold a surprisingly high number in the 

short time that it’s been available. So if you’re 

looking at new sport touring rubber for your 

holiday trip, this is definitely a tyre to consider. 

As I mentioned earlier, the Pirelli Diablo Rosso 

Corsa II launched here last year in our own 

backyard at Kyalami. This tyre transfers racetrack 

performance into street versatility and was 

definitely developed for fast riding (and more than 

the odd track day!). The Rosso Corsa II replaces 

the eight-year-old Rosso Corsa and sits nicely 

between Pirelli’s Rosso III sports tyre and the 

track-day focused Diablo Super Corsa SP. 

Highlights of the Diablo Rosso Corsa II include: 

• Pirelli technology developed within the World 

Superbike Championship 

• Bi-compound solution for the front tyre — 

applying the two compounds in three different 

zones 

• Triple compound on the rear distributed in five 

zones, which is a first for Pirelli 

• New tread pattern design 

The Rosso Corsa II particularly impresses on the 

road with the improvements in agility, which 

is thanks to the new front and rear profiles 

developed from WSBK racing. These aim to 

increase the contact patch on the side when 

cornering gets aggressive, while simultaneously 

featuring a narrower crown for easy steering, 

just like a race tyre. 

The massive amounts of rear grip stems from 

the new triple compound construction. 

At full lean you’re on the slick part of the tyre, 

which is constructed from the same sticky 

SC3 racing compound you’ll find in Pirelli’s 

endurance and track-day slicks. The mid-section 

is constructed with a blend of compounds 

allowing confidence and grip even in wet 

conditions. The hard compound middle is there 

to increase mileage. 

The dual compound front is soft on the edges, 

harder in the middle and a new tread pattern 

has just 2% more grooves than a Super Corsa. 

They also feature slick derived wear indicator 

dots, so you know when it’s time for a new one. 

In Pirelli’s own tests at Mugello they achieved 

lap times 2–3 seconds faster than the original 

Rosso Corsa, generating leaner angle and faster 

corner speeds. Away from the track, the new 

tyres have a sporty, but plush ride and definitely 

warm up quickly as experienced not only by the 

test pilots, but also by local journos Donovan 

Fourie and Rob Portman who have all written 

their own spreads on this tyre. 

Anyway guys and girls, that’s my contribution 

for the year as far as writing goes. I wish you 

all a fantastic holiday season; please be safe on 

the roads and remember DON’T DRINK & RIDE! 

If you do enjoy a couple, as we all do over the 

festive period, rather get a lift. 

We have great deals on these tyres for 

December, so pop in anytime to BTW Midrand 

A very simple break down of the tyre’s construction. 

for the #bestadvice #bestservice #bestprice. 

Even if you don’t buy, I’m happy to have my 

team inspect your tyres pre-journey, with no 

obligation. Let’s just make sure you are road 

legal & safe. 

Take care & enjoy the open road. 

Bruce de Kock 

Bike Tyre Warehouse Midrand 

BIKETYRE WAREHOUSE MIDRAND’S 

UNBEATABLE ‘DIABLO ROSSO CORSA II’ 

Combo Deals Tyre Deals: 

• 120/70R-17 & 160/60-17, R4290.00 

• 120/70R-17 & 180/55-17, R4415.00 

• 120/70R-17 & 190/50-17, R4525.00 

• 120/70R-17 & 190/55-17, R4630.00 

• 120/70R-17 & 200/55-17, R4685.00 

Tel: 011 205 0216 • Cell: 073 777 9269 / 083 467 1349 

Unit 9 Sable Park, 997 Richards Drive, Midrand 

Facebook @BikeTyreWarehouse • Twitter @biketyrewhse 

www.biketyrewarehouse.com

||| PRODUCTS FEATURE 

X-LITE X-803 ULTRA CARBON HELMETS 

The X-Lite helmet brand is now back in SA and their top-of-the-range 

X-803 Ultra Carbon range of helmets are simply stunning and really 

well priced. Featuring base graphics and replica lids from the likes 

of top MotoGP and WSBK stars Danilio Petrucci and Chaz Davies, the 

X-803 range has all the style and protection one could ask for. 

This is X-lite’s exclusive high-carbon content version of the full face 

racing helmet. Its reduced weight and compact size (thanks to the 

carbon-rich construction and the availability of three outer shell sizes), 

emergency cheek pad removal system (NERS - Nolan Emergency 

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system, efficient RAF (Racing Air Flow) ventilation system and Carbon 

Fitting Racing Experience inner comfort padding (with an updated net 

construction) make the X-803 ULTRA CARBON the most exclusive full 

face racing helmet for the most demanding of motorcyclists. 

Make sure you visit the X-Lite SA Facebook page for the full range 

of graphics available in the X-803 range - www.facebook.com/ 

xlitehelmetsSA/ 

Available from X-Lite SA starting from R10,500. 

xlitehelmets@gmail.com 

STYLMARTIN RAPTOR EVO SHOES 

Although more commonly identified with birds of prey or 

their ancestral velociraptor, raptor literally means “that 

which takes by force.” In the case of the Stylmartin Raptor 

EVO Shoes, both connotations accurately capture the 

temperament of these stealthy all-weather riding shoes. 

Touting multi-season functionality via a full waterproof and 

breathable membrane concealed beneath camouflage fabric, 

micro-perforated footbed, and swanky oiled leather accents, 

the Stylmartin Raptor Shoes have seized a position at the top 

of the food chain- a true apex-predator in their class. 

Features include: 

• Camo fabric and greasy water repellent leather inserts 

• Waterproof and breathable lining 

• PU internal malleuolus protection on both sides of ankle 

• Lace-up style 

• Rear reflective yellow insert 

• Anatomic, changeable and breathable micro-perforated 

footbed 

• Two-colored (grey and black) antislip rubber sole 

Available from Aprilia SA at R3,600. (010) 443 4596 

PAUL JACOBS 

2019 CSRA 

Champion 

Thanks to my Sponsors 

and Supporters for 

making this possible! 

Pic by Beam Productions 


THE PERFECT 

CHRISTMAS GIFTS 

Please people, soap-on-a-rope is so dark ages so why not spoil 

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R3,400 

ROSSI MOVISTAR 

YAMAHA 2017 

MINICHAMPS 

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R750 

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R750 

All the gifts featured here are available from Planes Trains Automobiles. 

Vist one of their two stores now for these and other great offers. They stock a massive 

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Shop 9 High Street Melrose Arch Johannesburg (011) 684 1100 

Shop UK2 Bedford Centre, Smith Rd, Bedford Gardens, Bedfordview (011) 615 4995

PANIGALE 

ESSENCE 

Following in the footsteps of it’s bigger, more illustrious brothers, the 959 

Panigale get’s a fresh new upgrade to be “More Panigale” and is now so much 

more than just the baby Panigale. Jensen Beeler from Asphalt & Rubber went 

along to the world launch test of the new Ducati Panigale V2... 

It has been four years since the Ducati 

959 Panigale replaced the 899 as 

the Italian brand’s “middleweight” 

superbike, and 26 years since the 

Ducati 748 Superbike first hit the 

streets, and started this smaller Italian 

v-twin adventure. 

In that two-decades-plus, we 

have seen this middleweight offering 

from Ducati outgrow the Supersport 

Championship rules, and it now 

approaches near liter-bike capacities 

– an inch-by-inch search for more 

power and performance. 

Updated once again for the 2020 

model year, it will be the Ducati 

Panigale V2 keeping those v-twin 

hopes alive for Ducatisti around the 

world, as the Italian brand continues to 

offer this curious motorcycle. 

Of course, better minds will know 

that the Ducati Panigale V2 is not 

a middleweight, as Ducati so often 

calls it (though to be fair, the term 

“super-mid” is starting to be used), 

but the oddly displaced machine is 

an excellent track bike, especially for 

those who have grown tired of chasing 

absolute horsepower, and instead 

want to make their lap times with 

actual on-bike talent. 

Finding ourselves at the demanding 

Jerez circuit in Spain, this tight and 

technical track proved not only to be 

a good testing ground for the Ducati 

Panigale V2, but also a testament into 

how much fun a superbike like this 

v-twin can be for those who aren’t 

swept up in the industry marketing and 

who aren’t hand-bound by racing rules. 

The Track Weapon Sales Pitch 

Here is a secret I will share with you: I 

don’t find myself enjoying superbikes 

as much as I used to…and that is 

an interesting statement from a 

“superbike guy” like myself. 

The trend is larger than my own 

personal preferences though, and in 

many ways, the Ducati Panigale V2 is 

a reaction to what is happening in the 

superbike category. 

As the power on these one-liter 

machines climbs beyond 200hp, 

the segment increasingly relies on 

electronics to make the bikes rideable, 

which detracts from the experience. 

These fire-breathers also demand 

more from the riders themselves. Not 

only are the physical demands larger 

for wrestling around these machines, 

but so are the mental demands that 

require extracting the total potential of 

a 200hp motorcycle. 

While there is reward in mastering 

the un-masterable, the fun factor drops 

when you get too far beyond 150hp, and 

the dropoff on that curve is quite steep. 

This is where bikes like the Ducati 

Panigale V2 come into play, and offer 

riders a performance machine that 

makes superbikes great again. 

Built with a unique v-twin, that 

helps play into the long history 

that Ducati has with this engine 

configuration, and shipped with true 

superbike electronics, the Panigale V2 

makes for an intriguing offer, and it is 

designed to go after a more selecting 

type of customer: the average track 

day enthusiast. 

This has been the pitch from the 

Italian brand since the Ducati 899 

Panigale first arrived, and while it has 

remained the same through time to 

where we are now with the Ducati 

Panigale V2, the idea is now even 

more relevant because of what has 

developed in the liter-bike space. 

Can We Call It a 959+ ??? 

In a way, it is the 200hp superbike 

category that has carved the Panigale 

V2 from the 959 Panigale. 

The most important changes that 

come with the Ducati Panigale V2 are 

those that are tougher to see, and 

the highlight of those has to be the 

inclusion of a six-axis IMU. 

ENGINE POWER 

TORQUE WEIGHT 

999CC 155 104 176 

34 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2019 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2019 3 5 

Liquid cooled 

4-stroke 16valve 

DOHC, Inline 4 

HP @ 10,750RPM 

NM @ 9,000RPM 

DRY WEIGHT

This simple device gives the 

Panigale V2 state-of-the-art 

electronics, which includes a 

cornering ABS package that has 

the rear-wheel slide feature. And 

yes, you can disable ABS on the 

rear wheel, and rear-wheel lift 

mitigation for the front wheel… 

as it should be. 

The six-axis IMU also 

enhances the traction control 

feature, letting the rear wheel 

slide when you are on the gas, 

with confidence and control. 

With that comes a separate and 

distinct wheelie control system, 

which is a welcomed addition 

to the v-twin superbike. Sadly, 

there is no separate slide 

control feature. 

But, other electronics include 

Ducati’s engine braking control 

feature, which is useful on 

the Superquadro engine (we 

prefer Level 3), and the up/ 

down quickshifter, which was 

absolutely flawless during our 

testing time. 

Lastly on the electronics front 

is the new 4.3” TFT dash, which 

should be familiar to anyone who 

has ridden one of Ducati’s bigger 

bikes recently. Though not as big 

as the 6” units that are coming 

out now from other brands (see: 

KTM and BMW), it still gets the 

job done reasonably well. 

Other enhancements for the 

the 2020 model year include 

a thicker seat (+5mm), which 

keeps the seat height the same, 

but narrows the leg gap when 

your feet are on the ground. 

As you might have noticed, 

the single-sided swingarm has 

been added for the first time 

since the 848 to “middleweight” 

machine from Ducati, and 

of course the “double layer” 

fairings are inspired by those on 

the Panigale V4. Ducati says that 

the front-wheel weight bias has 

increase by 1%, to 52/48. 

Our European readers will be 

happy to hear that the exhaust 

has been changed for 2020 as 

well, with the underslung design 

homologated for all markets, 

not just the USA, which means 

saying goodbye to the ugly 

shotgun unit that came on the 

Ducati 959 Panigale. 

The biggest change though 

is the one most overlooked one 

by the common rider, and that is 

the 955cc v-twin engine. Making 

now 153hp this 5hp increase to 

the peak power figure comes 

in spite of Ducati shipping 

the Panigale V2 as a Euro5 

compliant motorcycle. 

With the more stringent 

emission standards that are 

here and also coming down the 

pipe, OEMs will be struggling 

to maintain power numbers, 

without adding displacement. 

Ducati on the other hand has 

found a way to make the “mini” 

Superquadro engine quieter and 

more powerful at the same time, 

which isn’t easy to do. 

To achieve this, Ducati used 

a more efficient air intake into 

the airbox, and employed new 

injectors that have a higher 

flow rate and different angle of 

injection. 

As you can see then, this is 

really the Ducati 959 Panigale 

evolved further to become the 

Ducati Panigale V2…but the 

Italian brand has made these 

evolutions in very key areas of 

the motorcycle, and they are 

more than their sum when it 

comes to real-world value. 

How It Rides 

After describing the the changes 

for 2020, I could probably keep 

this review quite short. The 

Ducati Panigale V2 is exactly 

what it is. 

It is a Ducati 959 Panigale 

with V4 clothing. It is the old 

model, but with more and better 

electronics. It is the “cheaper” 

offering in the superbike line, 

but now with a single-sided 

swingarm. 

If you reduce the Panigale 

V2 to those thoughts though, 

you do a disservice to what 

Ducati has achieved with this 

motorcycle because at its 

core, the Ducati Panigale V2 is 

a track bike for the track day 

connoisseur. 

The 153hp Superquadro 

v-twin engine has a meaty 

powerband from 9,000 rpm to 

11,000 rpm that gives you a big 

window of operation when it 

comes not only to track riding, 

but also on the street. 

The torque curve is so flat, 

that you actually lose the 

acceleration rush that comes 

from a rumbling engine finally 

waking up. 

This can make it a little tough 

to tell where you are on the rev 

range from the butt dyno, but 

makes the machine very smooth 

to operate, and it doesn’t try to 

wheelie when ever the throttle 

rotates more than one degreee. 

For a criticism, that 

smoothness does venture into 

the subdued at points, but I would 

graciously take that over the 

inverse, which is part of the ethos 

surrounding the Panigale V2. 

As you would expect with 

the six-axis IMU and the 

lower horsepower engine, 

the electronics really work 

in concert with the machine, 

thanks to the work Ducati has 

made in its development with 

the Panigale V4. 

Because the 955cc v-twin 

engine doesn’t breath the same 

fire as the 1,103 V4, you see the 

interventions from the traction 

control and wheelie control less 

often, which gives you more of 

the impression that you are riding 

the machine, rather than the 

computer making your lap time. 

“The power delivery is enough to excite, 

but not overwhelm; the handling is solid 

though not sharp; and the components 

are sufficient but not flashy. Is this the 

latest a greatest? Not quite, but its very 

close…and very approachable. Most 

importantly though, the Ducati Panigale 

V2 is fun to ride.” 

This make the two-wheeled 

experience more enjoyable, and 

because of the power figures, 

you don’t fatigue as much on the 

bike. Despite the workout that is 

the Jerez circuit, with its plethora 

of heavy-braking zones, the 

Ducati Panigale V2 feels like a 

bike I could ride all day. 

Ducati has left no stone 

unturned on this mild update 

to the machine (let’s call it 

the third-generation of the 

“middleweight” Superquadro 

machines), but yet the chassis 

remains unchanged. 

The monocoque frame on 

the 959 always worked a bit 

better than it did on the 1299 

version, again because of the 

power differences between 

the machines, so this obviously 

remains true. 

Coupled with fully adjustable 

Showa BPF forks and a Sachs 

rear shock, the chassis feels 

good on the track, though it 

isn’t as precise in its cornering 

and turning as say some of the 

600cc inline-four bikes on the 

market. Road-going riders might 

see this as a positive trade off, 

however, with the Panigale V2 

more supple for canyon riding. 

Riders might scuff at the 

“low-spec” Brembo M4.32 

calipers on the front-end of the 

Panigale V2, but the braking 

system put together by the 

Italian brand is more than 

sufficient to get the job done. 

Intriguing to our eye was 

the fact that Ducati has put the 

a 180/60 sized rear tire on the 

Panigale V2, which provides 

ample grip when leaned 

over, though at the cost for a 

slower roll speed. It would be 

interesting to see what a 180/55 

option feels like on the Ducati, 

and if this would help improve 

the slightly sluggish handling of 

the v-twin superbike. 

Slightly tighter in its 

ergonomics than the Panigale 

V4, the bike at times does feel a 

little cramped, especially from 

the torso up on this 6’2” rider, but 

at the end of a long day at the 

track one does clearly benefit 

from the 5mm thicker seat. 

All-in-all, the Ducati Panigale 

V2 feels like a robust package 

for track riders…and it should, 

since Ducati has been perfecting 

this motorcycle for several 

generations now. 

The power delivery is enough 

to excite, but not overwhelm; 

the handling is solid though not 

sharp; and the components are 

sufficient but not flashy. Is this 

the latest a greatest? Not quite, 

but its very close…and very 

approachable. Most importantly 

though, the Ducati Panigale V2 is 

fun to ride. 

We spent five sessions on the 

Panigale V2 (which is more than 

normal at a press launch), and 

I still wish Ducati had given us 

more, as I wasn’t done enjoying 

this bike for the day…and that’s 

the true test of any motorcycle. 

Yeah, But Would You Buy It 

When I look at the space for this 

odd segment, four bikes come 

to mind. There is the Ducati 

Panigale V2, obviously. But, there 

is also the stout MV Agusta F3 

800, the newly released Triumph 

Daytona Moto2 765, and the 

venerable Suzuki GSX-R750. 

Despite starting this segment 

so many years ago, sadly Suzuki 

has yet to bring a meaningful 

update to the GSX-R750, though 

there have been creditable 

rumors. So while it is in the 

space, it is not sensible to 

throw its keys into the ring as a 

reasonable competitor against 

the Ducati Panigale V2. The other 

two bikes, however… 

For the Triumph, it will be a 

game of wait-and-see, as the 

British brand hasn’t released 

figures on pricing just yet. Rumors 

peg the limited edition machine 

at close to R350,000 MSRP, 

however, and if that its the case, 

then the Moto2-inspired machine 

will have some difficulties. 


Down in power in comparison 

to the others, and decidedly 

bland in what could have been 

an intriguing approach, the 

Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 

feels like far too little, far too 

late, from Hinckley. The potential 

for a Moto2 bike with lights is 

certainly intriguing, but instead 

we go the old Daytona with a 

massaged motor and expensive 

graphics. 

This really leaves the MV 

Agusta F3 800 to give the 

Ducati Panigale V2 a run for its 

money, and that is a formidable 

opponent. 

We rate the F3 800 as one of 

our favorite bikes on the market, 

with the 800cc three-cylinder 

engine providing good power 

and torque from a unique engine 

package. 

It doesn’t hurt that the MV 

Agusta F3 800 is perhaps one 

of the best looking motorcycles 

produced in the past 20 years 

as well. 

Despite the R10k premium 

the MV Agusta has over the 

Ducati though, the F3 800 feels 

like a less-refined package than 

its Italian counterpart. The MV 

Agusta F3 800 is more raw of 

bike from the handlebars back, 

which can be a positive contrast 

to how subdued the Panigale 

V2 feels. 

But from the handlebars 

forward, you can see the age of 

the F3 lineup. Ducati continues 

to set the standard when it 

comes to human interface 

design, and it shows in its 

approachable dash, easy to 

navigate menus, and precise 

finger controls. 

To put it simply, Ducati has 

put into the Panigale V2 the level 

of refinement expected at this 

price point, where perhaps the 

others have not. The price point 

is something of an issue though. 

At R255,000, the Ducati 

Panigale V2 is not a cheap 

motorcycle by any standard, but 

it is however cheaper than the 

current 959 Corse model. 

Do you get more for your 

money? Absolutely, and frankly, 

I would expect only top-shelf 

electronics from Ducati on a 

motorcycle like the Panigale 

V2, which does get a benefit in 

safety and ridability from its sixaxis 

IMU. 

Noticeably, Ducati has left 

enough breathing room in the 

pricing distance to the Panigale 

V4 for an up-spec Panigale 

V2 S to find a home, perhaps 

in 2021, which could feature 

Öhlins suspension pieces and 

Stylema calipers from Brembo 

(R280 to R300k MSRP would be 

my suggestion) – not that the 

bike really needs those items, 

of course. 

Ducati has also left space 

south of the Panigale V2 price 

tag, and this is what intrigues 

me the most. 

The complaint I have with 

the Ducati Panigale V2 – the 

point that keeps me from really 

loving this motorcycle – is that 

this near-superbike motorcycle 

comes with a near-superbike 

price tag…and superbikes have 

gotten properly expensive in the 

past few years. 

As such, Ducati has priced 

a meaningful portion of its 

younger superbike-loving 

owners out of this motorcycle 

(not to mention the insurance 

costs that increase as the 

displacement does), and it offers 

them no alternative but to find a 

home in rival brand Aprilia, with 

its recently debuted its twincylinder 

RS 660 sport bike. 

Faultless, the Panigale V2 

only really makes sense when 

you see the whole board from 

Ducati’s perspective, and if a 

true high-revving middleweight 

is also in the Italian brand’s 

quiver of two-wheeled offerings, 

then the Panigale V2 fills an 

important spot in the lineup. 

As it remains, the Ducati 

Panigale V2 remains the only 

v-twin superbike on the market, 

and it is a superbike that you can 

actually enjoy riding. 

When you outgrow the 

spec-sheet racing that comes 

with the superbike bike class, 

and the marketing hype of 200+ 

horsepower, Ducati has the 

Panigale V2 waiting for you, and 

it is truly a bike built to reward 

two-wheeled enthusiasts. 

The new V2 Panigale should 

arrive in SA early 2020. We 

suggest you call Ducati SA to 

book yours now - 012 765 0600. 

38 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2019 

Available at dealers Nation-Wide

3 3 - P A G E S P E C I A L 

2020 & 

BEYOND 

COMPETITION TIME! 

WIN A 

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HOW TO ENTER: 

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entry box and that’s in, you’re in. 

For those outside JHB wanting to enter simply get 

one of your mates in JHB to pop in and enter for you. 

While you are in-store make sure you take your copy 

of RideFast Magazine and use it to take advantage of 

the EXCLUSIVE specials they have for all readers. 

This competition is exclusive to RideFast and PTA. 

Entries close 31st December 2019. 

VR46 RENEGADE LIMITED 

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bikes seem to be the big theme for 2020 

along with wings, which seem to now be a 

standard feature on just about every machine. 

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“No mere sword could slice and dice like the 

new Fireblade. Honda’s apparently been laying 

low, honing its new weapon to the sharpest 

of edges. Unlike some of its track-focused 

competition, Honda claims the CBR1000RR-R 

is not merely ready to race. Instead, it is born to 

race. Consider that particular gauntlet thrown.” 

ENGINE 

999CC 

Liquid cooled 

4-stroke 16valve 

DOHC, Inline 4 

POWER 

214 

HP @ 14,500RPM 

TORQUE 

113 

NM @ 12,500RPM 

WEIGHT 

201 

WET WEIGHT 

HONDA’S 

N E W H O N D A C B R 1 0 0 0 R R - R & S P 

BACK IN THE GAME! 

Just when it seemed like 

everyone and their brother’s 

mother’s cousin were all 

over Honda to update 

the CBR1000RR Fireblade 

already, Honda delivered. 

As we suspected, wew 

CBR1000RR-R, the Fireblade 

is, at last, unsheathed. 

Probably the biggest and most 

anticipated release at this year’s Eicma 

Show in Milan was that of the new 

Honda CBR1000RR - or CBR1000RR-R 

as it is now know. Apart from the extra 

R, the new Fireblade has a host of new 

changes, which now makes it one of, if 

not the most competitive production 

superbike available to the public. 

Honda completely redesigned the 

CBR1000RR for 2020. It’s not the same 

bike with different colours, it’s not a 

facelift. The new Fireblade is a completey 

different beast. The engine is still an 

inline-four, but it’s heavily inspired by 

the RC213V-S - combustion efficiency 

and low-friction technlogies, while also 

sharing the same bore and stroke. It 

also features titanium con-rods and 

forged aluminium pistons. The result: a 

high-power, high-revving engine - 214 

hp@14.500 rpm and 113Nm at 12,500. 


Bringing the Fireblade closer in line with 

its legendary RC213V-S street-legal race bike 

was Honda’s goal. If that’s not enough to get 

excited about, the CBR1000RR-R also gets 

a new aerodynamics package descended 

directly from the RC213V race bike. In the 

promotional video we featured on our Facebook 

page, Marc Márquez described these winglet as 

“unbelievable.” Of course, he’s probably going to 

say something like that, but we can still take that 

exclamation for whatever it’s worth. 

Honda also reworked the electronics. The HSTC 

(Honda’s Traction Control) is revised and it also 

includes a start mode. Through the six-axes IMU 

you got total control on the power, engine brake, 

wheelie control and traction control. The ride-bywire 

throttle was also updated for an improved 

feeling. The info you need appears on a new fullcolor 

TFT dash. 

Honda once again offer a SP variant of the 

CBR1000RR-R, which will come with some very 

tasty upgrades: second-generation semi-active 

SEAT 

HEIGHT 

Öhlins EC 43mm NPX front forks, an Öhlins TTX36 

Smart-EC rear shock, Brembo Stylema four-piston 

radial front calipers, and the Brembo monoblock 

rear caliper previously seen on the RC213V-S. 

The CBR1000RR-R SP is also equipped with 

Start Mode (launch control) for race starts. It limits 

The new CBR1000RR-R 

is available in 2 colours 

- Matte Pearl Morion 

Black (above) and Grand 

Prix Red (below) 

WHEEL 

BASE 

831 1455 

MM 

MM 

Straight out of MotoGP 

Destined from the outset to compete 

in the World Superbike Championship, 

the CBR1000RR-R uses a chassis and 

bodywork derived from the Honda 

RC213V-S race replica with the inlinefour 

engine producing 214 hp at 14,500 

rpm and 113 Nm of torque at 12,500 rpm. 

Race technology is liberally applied in the 

CBR1000RR-R with the use of titanium 

connecting rods, forged pistons and fingerfollower 

rocker arms for valve actuation. 

The frame looks like it has been taken off 

the MotoGP grid, made from aluminium 

alloy and increased rigidity in the vertical 

plane as well as torsional resistance but 

with more ‘give’ in the horizontal to boost 

grip and feel. The swingarm of the 2020 

Fireblade is also longer than before to 

increase stability and is made from 18 

individual pieces of welded alloy. 

Electronic stuff 

Naturally, a full suite of rider aids 

accompanies the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade 

with Honda Selectable Torque Control 

(HTSC), power, engine braking and wheelie 

control with the addition of start mode for 

those holeshot starts. Also in the-fit out is 

a three-level electronic steering damper 

made by Showa for Honda, up-and-down 

quickshifter and second generation Ohlins 

electronic suspension. 

The Blade’s bodywork clearly demonstrates the huge aerodynamic strides that 

Honda has taken since its last major revamp. A trio of winglets hides behind the outer 

fairing panel on each side, creating – it’s claimed – as much downforce as the 2018 

RC213V MotoGP bike, so more stability under braking and out of the corners. Although 

not movable, these are very much like the design revealed in Honda’s recent activeaerodynamics 

patent, so don’t discount the idea of active versions in future. 

Stoppers 

Braking is done with Brembo Stylema 

callipers on 330 mm diameter discs and 

two-level ABS is standard. Aerodynamic 

sensibility pervades the new Fireblade 

with the rider position designed for pure 

racetrack work, aided by winglets on the 

sides of the fairing for downforce at speed. 

The RR-R’s full-colour TFT dash includes a 

lean angle display from the bike’s built-in 

inertial measurement unit (IMU) and all the 

other info you can dream of. 

One will notice there is no place to insert a key - that’s 

because the new Blade has a smart key system - not 

sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing... 


If there’s one thing that we as 

motorcycle journalists know 

to be a universal truth, it’s 

that adding R to a machines 

model name makes it faster. 

Honda - in a decidedly 

atypical “Hold my beer, watch 

this” move - decided to take 

that ideology to heart. 

We’re not entirely sure what 

kind of drugs the Honda 

powersports design team 

is on, but they’re clearly 

working. This thing is a beast. 

yet for the CBR1000RR-R 

Fireblade or Fireblade SP for any 

market, but we have heard that 

the new bikes will only arrive 

here in SA around May/June 

2020. Hopefully, Honda SA will 

provide more details soon. 

Engine sum up: 

• Finger-follower rocker arms, 

titanium con-rods and forged ali 

pistons reduce inertial weight 

• Airbox fed by ram-air duct tunnel 

through the steering stem 

• Titanium end-can developed in 

conjunction with Akrapovic 

engine rpm at 6,000, 7,000, 

8,000 and 9,000rpm set-points, 

even with a wide-open throttle, 

letting the rider focus on clutch 

release (and lights) alone. A 

quickshifter is also fitted as 

standard, with performance 

optimised for racetrack 

performance and reliability. 

We can’t tell from the images 

if Honda has released it with 

braided stainless brake lines 

instead of rubber on either 

version (especially the SP), but 

here’s hoping that’s another 

significant upgrade from the last 

SP. The new brakes are fitted 

with a track-mode ABS. 

Both versions also get a 

brand-new Bosch six-axis IMU, 

as well as a titanium Akrapovič 

exhaust. Additionally, both 

versions will only be available 

in your choice of two colour 

schemes: Grand Prix Red (the 

gorgeous HRC one), or Matte 

Pearl Black. 

Honda might have taken its 

time with this upgrade—but if it 

goes as well as it looks, it was 

clearly time well spent. The HRC 

one, in particular, looks like an 

entire meal—and we are totally 

dying for just a bite. 

There’s no pricing or 

availability information available 

Chassis and equipment sum up: 

• New ali frame and swingarm 

• Bosch six-axis Inertial 

Measurement Unit (IMU) 

• Full colour TFT dash 

• Three default riding modes plus 

options to customise Power, 

Engine Brake and Wheelie control 

• Honda Selectable Torque Control 

(HSTC) gains slip rate control 

• Launch control standard fitment 

Aero sum up: 

• Aerodynamic fairing reduces 

drag coefficient; lower fuel tank 

also provides more compact riding 

position 

• Inner fairing winglets drawn from 

the RC213V MotoGP machine 

• Honda Smart Key adds 

convenience and simplifies topyoke 

design 


REAL 

N E W A P R I L I A R S 6 6 0 

DEAL 

A year ago, Aprilia brought a concept to EICMA 

– a neat looking 660cc sportsbike built around 

half an RSV4 motor, with some weird active 

aerodynamics. Concept bikes usually get most 

of their fun bits filed down to nothing on the sad, 

sensible road to production, but the new RS 660, 

unveiled at this year’s EICMA show, is a rare beast 

indeed – a concept that has made it through the 

production process virtually unscathed. 

Sure, it’s got mirrors and a 

number plate hanger, slightly 

higher clip-on handlebars and 

a big, chunky, Euro-compliant 

exhaust. Fine, the weird active 

aerodynamics are gone. And 

yes, its red/white/blue/black 

colour scheme looks pretty 

terrible next to the cleaner, 

carbon-centric concept. But this 

is basically exactly the bike we 

were promised; the overall look 

is almost identical. 

And what a bike it’ll be for 

the road: a featherweight 169 

kg dry weight will make the 

RS 660 super approachable 

and a joy to fling around in the 

corners – it reminds us a little 

of Yamaha’s wacky SZR660 of 

the 1990s. The Yamaha was a 

bit lighter still, and despite the 

fact that its Ténéré-sourced 

single cylinder motor was 

hugely underpowered at about 

40 horses, it was still jolly fun to 

ride because it was so easy to 

manhandle. 

The new Aprilia 660 will 

be similarly manhandlable, 

but it won’t be even a little bit 

underpowered. It flatly crushes 

the rest of the middleweight 

parallel twin market by pumping 

out 100 horses – unless you 

count the larger KTM Duke 790, 

which makes 105. Combine that 

with the lightweight chassis 

and you’ve got a genuine road 

weapon on your hands that will 

likely take a lot of scalps on a 

racetrack as well. This thing is 

gonna rip. 

What’s more, the RS 660 will 

get all the electronic goodies 

too: a ride-by-wire throttle 

(pretty much mandatory for 

high-performance bikes wishing 

to comply with Euro emissions 

standards), a six-axis IMU, and 

the full suite of APRC riding 

aids: lean angle-sensitive 

traction control, wheelie control, 

cornering ABS, five riding modes, 

you name it. 

Price and availability? We 

don’t know yet. Looking at 

the spec sheet and the brand 

name, you can expect this to be 

a pricey bike, particularly for a 

middleweight, and even more 

so for a parallel twin. But it’ll 

be a joy to ride; a reasonably 

comfy looking, sharp-handling 

sportsbike with a throttle you 

can genuinely whack wide open 

on the regular. Spankability will 

be off the charts. 

The sexy ali 

swingarm and 

underslung, 

hidden exhaust 

looks great. 

The RS 660’s full color dash gives access 

to the APRC electronic rider aids suite. 

Weird, but cool looking double side fairings “optimise stability at high 

speeds, protecting both rider and passenger from the air pressure”. 


C O N C E P T : A P R I L I A T U O N O 6 6 0 

NAKED 

MASTERPIECE 

One good motorcycle deserves another, 

and Aprilia has shown its hand for the 

next year or so by giving us a look at the 

660 platform in “nakedbike” guise as 

well. The Tuono 660 concept is about as 

naked as the 1100cc Tuonos are these 

days: ie. not that naked at all, with plenty 

of plastic up front and a frame-mounted 

headlight fairing. But that hasn’t stopped 

the big Tuonos from being some of the 

baddest and most desirable streetbikes 

ever made. 

The Tuono 660 concept offers flat 

bars, a much lower screen, and side 

fairings that have been chopped back to 

give a better view of the engine. It looks 

like an absolute weapon, and will likely 

be lighter than the RS simply thanks to 

less plastic. Aprilia says it’ll be slightly 

detuned to 95 horsepower, which might 

make for a tad more wheelie-happy 

torque down lower. From the looks of 

things, it’ll get all the electronic goodies 

too, and interestingly Aprilia says it’ll 

also make a 45-horsepower version, 

which will meet learner-approved 

motorcycle schemes in several markets 

with graduated licensing. 

There’s no word on when the mini- 

Tuono (Tueenie?) will hit production, but 

it seems reasonable to assume it’ll debut 

at EICMA 2020 at the latest, and will look 

pretty much exactly like this concept 

when it does. Excellent! 

2020 Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 

Factory gets more carbon 

and new colours 

Tuono V4 1100 Factory is the most exclusive version in the Tuono 

range, dedicated to an extremely demanding public and equipped 

with components that largely derive from the Aprilia RSV4 superbike. 

The front mudguard, engine cover and side panels of the Factory 

are now in carbon fibre, a prestigious material that, as well as being 

lightweight and resistant, is able to boost the level of construction 

quality, now at a peak. The Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory offers, as 

standard, the most advanced and efficient electronic suspension 

system currently available, the latest technological frontier proposed 

by manufacturer Öhlins and developed in close collaboration with 

Aprilia engineers. The particular technology of the Smart EC 2.0 semiactive 

suspension system allows for simple and even customised 

calibration of the fork and shock absorber with two operating modes 

on the units: semi-active mode and manual mode, both of which can 

be selected using the buttons on the handlebar. The wide range of 

electronic equipment includes Cornering ABS as well as the advanced 

package of APRC electronic controls. The wonderful Aprilia V4 engine 

delivers maximum power of 175 HP and maximum torque of 121 Nm, 

values at the top of the category: a real generator of excitement, on 

both road and track. 

The new Tuono V4 1100 Factory will be arriving in SA soon, contact 

Aprilia SA on 010 443 4596 for more info. 

2020 RSV4 1100 Factory 

gets electronic Öhlins 

Thanks to new and highly sophisticated semi-active 

suspension, the fastest, most powerful and lightweight RSV4 

of all time becomes even more efficient on track and enjoyable 

on the road. The control unit that governs the Öhlins Smart EC 

2.0 suspension has access to all the bike’s electronic systems, 

meaning it is able to recognise all riding phases and therefore 

adapt calibration of the fork, shock absorber and steering 

damper hydraulics thanks to the development of an algorithm, 

the fruit of collaboration between Öhlins and Aprilia. 

The new V4 1100 Factory will be arriving in SA soon, contact 

Aprilia SA on 010 443 4596 for more info. 

Aprilia RS 250 SP 

Aprilia is on a roll. Besides the RS 660, Tuono 660 and 

updated V4 1100’s, they’ve added this Aprilia RS 250 SP. 

It’s a purpose-built race bike which the manufacturer aims 

to find the next grand prix superstar. 

The bike is the result of a collaboration between Aprilia 

and Ohvale. 

It’s fitted with the right high performance bits such as 17- 

inch wheels that will fit Pirelli race tyres, Brembo brakes, 

Ohlins suspension, SC Project race exhaust, among others. 

The engine is sourced from Aprilia, while Ohvale will be in 

charge of production. As promised, the Aprilia RS 250 SP 

will be the star of the Italian FMI Aprilia Sport Production 

Championship. The single-make series will run through 

six rounds in 2020, and Aprilia hopes to find the next 

Capirossi, Biaggi or Rossi. 

“The new championship takes up a tradition that makes 

Aprilia unique, a brand that has taken generations of 

young people onto the track and that has raised up great 

champions,” said Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia Racing. 

“From 2020, thanks to the partnership with the Federation, 

we will once again be providing fun for young people who, 

in this championship, will find a way to make their dreams 

come true and perhaps, this is our wish, the start of a path 

in the world of competitive motorcycling.” 

“This is why we have designed an easy bike and formula 

that will attract the highest number of young people to 

competitive motorcycling.” 

52 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2019 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2019 5 3

N E W K T M 1 2 9 0 S U P E R D U K E R 

MORE BEAUTY FOR THE 

BEAST 

They call it The Beast, and for good reason, because the KTM 1290 Super 

Duke is a v-twin monster for the street, and now for the 2020 model year, it 

is getting even more beastly as it just debuted at EICMA. 

The 1290 Super Duke R was a game changer in the supernaked 

segment, utilising brute power to blow everything else away and came 

to be known as “The Beast.” Some came close for 5 years since its 

launch in 2014, but it still ruled the roost as the King of Supernakeds. 

It’s because the 1290 Super Duke R’s 1301cc, 75-degree V-Twin 

made 177 bhp and it’s torque was the highest at 140 Nm at 7,000 rpm. 

But as beastly as it is, that power is held in check by some really 

smart electronics and chassis combination. KTM was the first 

manufacturer to utilise the inertial measurement unit in the 1190 

Adventure, and the component is in The Beast, as well. As such, there’s 

all the cornering traction control, cornering ABS, cornering lights, 

and so forth. But KTMs have one extra “supermoto” ride mode which 

allows the rider to power slide the rear wheel. 

For 2020 KTM knew that changes had to be made. They have new 

rivals emerging in the form of Ducati’s new Streetfighter V4, MV’s 

hyper naked’s and Kawasaki’s supercharged Z H2. These new bikes all 

boast ridiculous power figures of 200hp and up, while in the case of 

the Ducati still showoff slim weight figures. 

So, has KTM matched those power figures? Have they managed to 

shed some weight off the “Beast”? These were the big changes that 

needed to be made in order to keep it at the top of the food chain. 

“KTM’s original 1290 Super Duke R was dubbed The 

Beast when it was released in 2014. After it’s last 

comprehensive update in 2017 it became known 

as Beast 2.0 but for 2020 KTM are unleashing an 

essentially all-new Beast thanks to a new chassis 

and electronics harnessing a heavily revised 

version of the charismatic LC8 V-Twin.” 


What’s changed? 

Well, not much as far as the engine goes. It’s still the strong, punchy 

V-Twin pushing out slightly more horses (up 3 from 174 to 177) and 

actually dropping 1Nm of torque (141 down to 140). While complying 

with Euro5 has seen a very small increase in power, it’s at the expense 

of torque – only by a fraction, but it’s 14% higher in the rev range too 

(now at 8,000 rpm not 7,000). 

The engine’s capacity is unchanged at 1,301cc, while compression has 

dropped slightly from 13.6:1 to 13.5:1. 

The main changes for the new 2020 bike come in the form of the 

chassis and components. A new chassis has been thrown into the mix, 

which is closely based off what was seen on the KTM RC8 superbike. 

The Beast even loses weight in the process, with a claimed 189kg 

when dry, 6 kilos off the previous model. 

Gearing is the same as the previous model and the suspension is 

now the APEX fork and shock from WP. 

With all that brawn on tap, there is some brains as well. To that end, 

a six-axis IMU has been thrown into the electronics package, which 

helps power traction control, wheelie control, and cornering ABS (with 

rear-wheel “supermoto” mode, as it should be). 

Braking is handled by Brembo, with Stylema calipers featuring at 

the front. Of course, suspension is done by WP, with 48mm APEX forks 

at the front, and an APEX shock at the rear. There is even a big “fish 

finder” TFT dash to keep you warm at night. 

We will have to wait and see if we crack the nod to the world launch 

test and figure out wether or not this new bike is better than the 

previous gen. One big component missing from the new 2020 SD 1290 

R is that of wings, which every other manufaturer has seen fit to add 

and as a must to have featured on their bikes. 

Either way it looks like KTM’s rein at the top of the naked bike pile 

might come to and end with its competitors boasting more power 

figures and wings to help in the stability department. Having said that, 

the weight loss and updated electronics and suspension could help 

keep them at the top as big power figures don’t always translate to the 

overall best package. No doubt KTM will hope this is true... 

TORQUE 

140 

NM @ 

8,000RPM 

POWER 

177 

HP @ 

9,500RPM 

WHEEL 

BASE 

1497 

MM 

SEAT 

HEIGHT 

835 

MM 

ENGINE 

1301 CC 

2-CYLINDER 

V 75º 


99Nm of torque @ 7,750rpm, the new 890 Duke R 

gains 12Nm 250rpm earlier in the revs than the 790 

Duke and 16bhp 250rpm later in the rev range. 

Compression is increased in the 890cc motor from 

the 12.7:1 of the 790 to 13.5:1. The 46mm DKK Dell-Orto 

throttle body remains, and the motor still has four 

valves per cylinder. Equally, the gear ratios remain 

unchanged from the 790 Duke, and the slip/assist 

clutch is still used. 

Just like the Super Duke R, the 890 R gets WP 

Apex suspension front and back, plus those Stylema 

calipers and 320 mm brakes. 

Other tweaks compared to the 790 Duke include a 

steering head angle that drops from 66° to 65.7°, an 

increase in trail from 98mm to 99.7mm, an increase 

in wheelbase from 1,475mm to 1,482mm and a taller 

seat – now 834mm, up from 825mm. Being an R 

model, ground clearance is also 206mm, up from 

186mm on the ‘standard’ 790 Duke. 

No word on when the new 890 will arrive here in 

SA but we are hoping to be sent to the world launch 

test in early 2020 and should have all the info by then. 

TORQUE 

99 

NM @ 

7,750RPM 

N 

SUPER 

E W K T M 8 9 0 D U K E 

New 

SCALPEL 

Super Scalpel, huh? Well, the new 890 Duke R exists between 

the 790 Duke, aka the Scalpel and the 1290 Super Duke, 

so Super Scalpel it is. “Beast-Duke with a Scalpel” probably 

wouldn’t fit on the tank, anyway. 

You’re not remembering wrong, they 

did just introduce the all-new 790 

Duke a couple years ago. So why 

produce an upgrade this soon? The 

answer, we think, is that this isn’t a 

replacement. The meaner 890 R will 

be sold alongside the 790. They’re 

just expanding their range, mainly 

for coun tries like SA where there is 

no replacment for displacment. 

The 890 Duke R uses an 

upgraded 790 parallel twin, now 

making 121 horsepower! That’s 15 

more than the 790, and yet the 890 

weighs almost 3 kilos less at 166 

kilos (dry). Making a very strong 

WHEEL 

BASE 

1482 

MM 

SEAT 

HEIGHT 

834 

MM 

ENGINE 

890CC 

2-CYLINDER 

TWIN 

POWER 

121 

HP @ 

9,250RPM 

KTM 390 

Adventure 

The new KTM 390 Adventure has 

harnessed the attributes and DNA from 

the popular and highly rated KTM 790 

Adventure as well as the development 

information gleaned from nearly two 

decades of Dakar Rally success. 

A breezy, agile, and ideal entry model 

for riders keen to discover the ‘adventure’ 

sensation, this motorcycle offers added 

versatility for touring and light offroading. 

Using elements of the KTM 390 Duke 

as a base, the KTM 390 Adventure offers 

proximity to the feeling and performance 

found at the root of the all-conquering 

KTM 450 Rally, but entry-level licence 

compatibility and current Euro emissions 

standards as part of the package. 


ENGINE 

998CC 

4-CYLINDER 

16-VALVE 

POWER 

208 

HP @ 

13,000RPM 

TORQUE 

116 

NM @ 

11,000RPM 

WHEEL 

BASE 

1415 

MM 

SEAT 

HEIGHT 

845 

MM 

N E W M V A G U S T A B R U T A L E 1 0 0 0 R R 

BRUTALLY 

SEDUCTIVE 

It’s fair to say that MV Agusta stole the show at this 

year’s Eicma revealing some of the finest works-of-art 

the motorcycle industry has ever seen. The first being the 

new V4-powered Brutale 1000 RR... with wings. 

MV Agusta has unveiled the new 2020 

MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR and this 

time around it gets a new motor which 

is marginally downsized, but packs in 

more horses. It’s based on the MV Agusta 

Brutale 1000 Serie Oro which is a street 

bike with a new F4 engine. The 998 cc, 

liquid and oil cooled , inline-4 cylinder 

motor which is the key highlight of the 

new model, churns out 205 bhp at 13,450 

rpm and 117 Nm of peak torque at 11,000 

rpm offering enough pull to clock a top 

speed of 299 kmph. The engine is mated to 

a 6-speed transmission and channelizes 

power to the rear wheel through a chain 

drive system. To ensure smooth running, it 

gets a splitter lubricant system featuring a 

semi dry sump for optimum oil flow when 

bike is leaning at extreme angles. 

The new Brutale 1000 RR is kitted up 

fairly well to make the right sound and 

enhance performance. It gets a 4-1-4 

Arrow exhaust system with 

a throttle valve to deliver 

heavy torque at lower rpms 

and the Italian brand has 

partnered with Eldor for 

Electronics. It features full 

ride-by-wire technology 

with four riding modes- 

Sport, Race, Rain and Custom 

where the latter allows the 

rider to control the settings 

to suit your riding style. 

There is also an eight-level 

traction control system 

which can be deactivated 

if required, wheelie control, 

launch control, ABS with rear 

wheel lift mitigation, and 

quickshifter. 

The Brutale 1000 RR 

gets MV Agusta’s trellis 

frame made of steel and 

aluminium and incorporates 

a signature single-sided 

swingarm. It also gets semi 

clip-on handle bars along 

with improved ergonomics 

to offer a comparatively 

comfortable riding posture. 

It has a dry weight of 186 kg 

and suspension duties are 

handled by Ohlins electronic 

NIX EC fork upfront and TTX 

rear shock absorber along 

with EC electronic steering 

damper. Braking duties are 

handled by top-spec Brembo 

Stylema front calipers biting 

the 320 mm discs and at the 

rear you get a 220 mm disc 

with a dual piston caliper. It 

also features a Bosch 9 Plus 

anti-lock braking system 

(ABS) as standard along 

with a Race Mode. The 2020 

MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR 

is fairly loaded in terms of 

features being equipped with 

a 5-inch TFT screen, LED 

lights along with cornering 

lights, cruise control, forged 

aluminium wheels and 

MV ride navigation app 

connectivity among others. 

For more info on pricing 

and availability call Fire It! Up 

on 011 467 0737. 


N 

RUSHING 

E W M V A G U S T A R U S H 1 0 0 0 

AHEAD 

A spin-off from the Brutale 1000 RR the new MV 

Agusta Rush 1000 has looked to the sport of drag 

racing for inspiration to come up with the new look. 

System) has 8 injectors, 4 lower 

Mikuni and 4 upper Magneti 

Marelli with increased flow rate. 

The Eldor EM2.0 engine control 

unit intervenes on the throttle 

body full ride by wire Mikuni; the 

pencil-coil coils are equipped 

with “ion-sensing” technology, 

detonation and mismatch 

control. There are four engine 

management maps (Sport, 

Race, Rain, Custom), while the 

disengageable traction control 

has 8 intervention levels and 

wheelie control with an inertial 

platform. The MV EAS 2.1 

(Electronically Assisted Shift Up 

& Down) transmission system 

without friction has been 

further improved in terms of 

ease of use and speed of action. 

Technological features 

of the four-cylinder in-line, 

include the new crankshaft 

and the redesigned and lighter 

pistons. The completely 

revised combustion chamber 

has radial valves and was 

designed using the technology 

from Formula 1. The titanium 

connecting rods, derived from 

competition experience exploit 

MotoGP technical parameters 

and contribute decisively to 

reducing masses, loads and 

engine inertia. Again from 

the World MotoGP comes the 

choice of the central distribution 

chain, which is also traditional 

for MV Agusta: mitigating the 

effects of the camshaft twist at 

high rpm. 

The suspension (fork, shock 

absorber and steering damper) 

utilize the Öhlins EC units with 

electronic management of the 

compression and extension 

hydraulics; this system allows 

you to choose between 

predefined configurations 

and manual settings, so as to 

enhance the chassis based on 

the rider’s preferences and the 

course conditions. 

The special kit combined 

with the bike includes a rich 

package of components that 

make the Rush 1000 even more 

precious and exclusive. 

The only production bike 

utilizing radial valves and 

titanium connecting rods to 

assist in developing 208 hp in 

standard road homologation 

form (over 212 hp with nonhomologated 

exhaust and 

updated ECU). 

Born as an exercise in style, 

celebrating the technical and 

stylistic evolution that created 

the new Brutale 1000 RR, 

production of the Rush 1000 is 

scheduled to begin in the next 

few months. 

The front headlight unit, 

inspired by that of the exclusive 

RVS #1, offers a specific design 

and is distinguished with the 

technology implemented: it 

boasts is a Full LED unit with 

cornering function, designed 

to increase active safety and 

improve driving pleasure. 

The headlight support 

and the circular frame are in 

light CNC machined alloys, 

to enhance the design and 

functionality. The back cover 

of the optical unit is made of 

carbon fiber, a material also 

chosen for the minimalist 

passenger seat cover, as well 

as for the side panels of the 

tail. The tank cap is made of 

aluminum and is also CNC 

machined. 

The rear wheel is enclosed, 

a design sometimes found 

on drag strips: the rear rim in 

forged aluminum is concealed 

by a carbon fiber cover, 

designed to obtain the best 

aerodynamic performance. The 

fixing nut of the single sided 

rear wheel is in CNC machined 

aluminum alloy. To add contrast 

the front wheel is spoked. 

The rear tailpiece, passenger 

seat area and integration of 

the rear light unit have been 

specially designed for this 

vehicle. An exclusive specific 

exhaust system, has been 

hand-crafted from titanium 

with a carbon fiber heat shield. 

The mapping of the control 

unit is specific for the exhaust 

system, so as to make the 

delivery linear and obtain 

exemplary power values. 

The Rush 1000 boasts 

the technology and driving 

dynamics of the Brutale 1000 

RR. The four-cylinder in-line 

engine with integrated MVICS 

ignition-injection system (Motor 

& Vehicle Integrated Control 

ENGINE 

998CC 

4-CYLINDER 

16-VALVE 

POWER 

208 

HP @ 

13,000RPM 

SEAT 

HEIGHT 

845 

MM 

WHEEL 

BASE 

1415 

MM 

“The drag strip isn’t 

the only racing venue 

to influence the Rush 

1000. Although based 

on the Brutale 1000 

RR, the engine has 

a Formula 1-derived 

technology in the 

form of a revised 

combustion chamber 

complete with radial 

valves. MotoGP was 

the inspiration behind 

the inertia-reducing 

titanium connecting 

rods and centrallylocated 

cam chain that 

minimizes the effects 

of camshaft twist 

when running the 

engine to redline.” 

TORQUE 

116 

NM @ 

11,000RPM 


N E W M V A G U S T A S U P E R V E L O C E O T T O C E N T O 

NOT SO LIMITED 

ANYMORE 

You might remember the Serie Oro MV Agusta 

released earlier in 2019. If the name doesn’t ring 

a bell, the racy teaser of the Superveloce Serie 

Oro showing a naked lady giving the limitededition 

model some sugar should resonate 

like Liberty Bell the day of the reading of the 

Declaration of Independence. The admittedly 

incredibly sexy Superveloce model was initially 

launched in this super-limited edition that was 

the Serie Oro. The manufacturer has now made 

the model part of its regular production lineup. 

Meet the new 2020 Superveloce Ottocento. 

Ever since MV Agusta showed 

the Superveloce 800 concept 

at EICMA last year, the design 

has become one of the sexiest, 

if not the sexiest bike of 2019. 

Unless you had the R500K plus 

to put on one of the handful of 

Serie Oro the firm produced (it 

made only 300 units of it), you 

missed out on a chance to own 

the gorgeous model. Rejoice, 

plebians. The Superveloce has 

now been added to MV Agusta’s 

regulars. The bad news is that 

the price tag remains kind of 

steep (at least in Europe). 

ENGINE 

798 CC 

3-CYLINDER 

12-VALVE 

Look-wise, the Ottocento 

is just as gorgeous as the 

Serie Oro. We’re looking at 

the exact same bike with a 

few modifications to make it 

production-friendly. The new 

Superveloce is clad in your 

choice of a red and black or 

a white, red, and black livery 

instead of the limited-run 

version’ red and silver with gold 

accents scheme. The yellow 

headlight and windscreen have 

been replaced by standard 

clear components. The triple 

exhaust—with two pipes on 

one side and one on the other— 

has been replaced with MV 

Agusta’s standard three-tip 

unit. Ultimately, the Ottocento 

tips the scales at 173kilos— 

same as the limited edition. 

The suspension set up 

remains the same with a 43mm 

Mazzocchi inverted fork at the 

front and an adjustable Sachs 

spring at the back teamed 

with a single-sided aluminum 

swingarm. The brakes are also 

carried over with a four-piston 

Brembo caliper up front with a 

320-mm disc and a two-piston 

Brembo block at the back with a 

220mm disc. 

As for the engine, the 

Ottocento uses the same 798cc, 

three-cylinder mill as the Serie 

Oro, rated at 148 horsepower 

that can reach a top speed 

of 240 kph. Torque has been 

increased, however, to reach 

98Nm instead of 88. 

In Europe, the new model 

will go for 19,900€ (a 8,000€ 

drop from the Serie Oro’s price 

tag). Availability in the SA 

remains to be confirmed but we 

have heard via the grape vines 

on a few coming in. 

We suggest you call Fire 

It Up! on 011 467 0737 just to 

make sure as it might be by 

order and paid deposit only. 

POWER 

148 

HP @ 

13,000RPM 

TORQUE 

88 

NM @ 

10,600RPM 


N E W B M W F 9 0 0 R A N D F 9 0 0 X R 

BMW’S NEW KIDS ON 

THE BLOCK! 

N E W Y A M A H A T R A C E R 7 0 0 

EVERYDAY 

HUSTLER 

Designed to combine 

sports performance with 

the versatility of a tourer, 

the Yamaha Tracer 700 

has undergone an overhaul 

from the outset to share 

more styling cues with the 

Yamaha MT range. 

Not One But Two 

New BMW Twins 

Unveiled 

If you thought BMW had an F in the works, you 

weren’t wrong. There wasn’t one twin coming, 

but two. BMW had three models to unveil, two 

of which are underlined by a brand-new engine. 

One is the update of a model the global market 

is already familiar with and the other two the 

all-new 2020 BMW F 900 R and the F 900 XR. 

The new generation of the 

Tracer contains a Euro 5 version 

of Yamaha’s long-hailed 689cc, 

parallel-twin CP2 engine. 

In order to meet the new 

European emissions standards, 

the Japanese manufacturer 

optimizes the air intake, ignition 

settings, fuel injection, and 

exhaust system. Though the 

company revises the engine 

for 2020, the CP2 retains the 

uneven firing sequence and 

linear torque band emblematic 

of the cross-plane engine. By 

keeping the 270-degree crank 

and improving the fueling 

systems, Team Blue creates a 

standards-compliant engine 

that still sounds amazing. 

One of the first things people 

will notice about the 2020 Tracer 

700 is the new design and the 

aggressive headlight cowl 

resembling the YZF-R1 family. 

Yamaha carries over what they 

call the “slant-eye” LED from 

the company’s sportbikes and 

equips the new Tracer with a 

half fairing. The combination of 

additional wind protection and 

refined styling distinguishes the 

latest generation Tracer from its 

predecessors while equipping 

the sport-tourer for the long haul. 

The 2020 Tracer is one 

of the lightest bikes in the 

sport-touring class with a 

curb weight of 196 kilos. With 

a wheelbase extension to 57 

inches, Yamaha’s middleweight 

adventurer enjoys new roadholding 

attributes that allow 

owners to crush even more 

miles. To help in the areas of 

comfort and control, the new 

Tracer comes with preload and 

damping adjustable 41mm front 

forks and rear monoshock. 

Team Blue prepares the 

model to go the distance with 

wider handlebars, improved 

handguards, contoured seat, 

and a windscreen with 60mm 

of adjustability. The 4.5-gallon 

tank also keeps the rig on 

the road for long-intervals 

without dragging it down with 

additional weight. 

To put the bow on the new 

package, Yamaha provides a 

new negative LCD instrument 

panel and integrates the 

LED urn signals into the 

handguards. The streamlined 

design suits the city perfectly 

but doesn’t encumber the out of 

town getaways. 

Perfect for urban commuters 

and weekend warriors, the 

new Tracer will be available 

at dealers around mid 2020, 

hopefully, and is offered in Icon 

Grey, Sonic Grey, and Phantom 

Blue liveries. 

We expected an F 850, BMW surprised 

us with a 900. The new F 900 XR joins 

the new S 1000 XR in the adventuresport-touring 

segment. It borrows 

visual cues and the riding style of the S 

1000 XR’s, adapted to a smaller, more 

accessible format. 

The XR is equipped with an 

adjustable windshield and its fairing has 

been designed with weather protection 

in mind. The addition of this new 

model gives BMW an additional edge 

in the mid-range segment. The model 

isn’t as adventure-oriented as the F 

850 GS. Instead, if pushes the gauge 

further on the sport-touring end of the 

spectrum while still offering adventurelike 

qualities and features such as 

handguards, 6.68 and 6.77 inches 

of suspension travel front and back 

respectively, and a 15 litre gas tank. 

In comparison, the F 900 R, the 

evolution of the F 800 R, falls in the 

roadster family with a naked silhouette 

and a road-oriented setup. 

The two new models use the same, 

equally new 893cc, inline-twin mill 

rated at 105 horsepower and 92Nm of 

torque, cradled by a steel bridge frame 

and topped with a plastic gas tank 

meant to help keep the weight low. 

The new frame uses the engine as a 

stressed member for added rigidity. 

The Twins also receives a pretty 

comprehensive menu of techs and 

systems that includes keyless ignition, 

two standard Rain and Road riding 

modes, ABS, and for the European 

market, the intelligent emergency call 

system. 

Optional features are also 

available for further enhance the 

models’ convenience and on-road 

performance including two additional 

Pro riding modes, electronic suspension 

adjustment, ABS Pro, and adaptive 

cornering light. 

Pricing and availability of the new 

2020 BMW F 900 R and F 900 XR will be 

announced at a later time. 


N E W K A W A S A K I N I N J A 1 0 0 0 S X , Z 9 0 0 & Z 6 5 0 

LEANER, GREENER 

& MEANER 

After launching their new supercharged Z H2 Naked Hyper bike a few weeks before the 

EICMA Show, Kawasaki released a few more updated models for the 2020 season. 

NINJA 1000 SX 

So what’s new for 2020? Quite 

a number of things starting 

with a new face. The Ninja 

1000’s fairing was subtly 

reworked, showcasing a few 

minor line changes that only 

really stand out when you 

compare the previous and 

current model-year side by 

side. The two dual-tip exhaust 

pipes have been swapped for 

a single-sided, single exhaust 

unit, the windscreen has been 

redesigned for improved wind 

protection, and the pillion 

seat gives the bike’s tail-end 

an upswept look. The slight 

modifications made to the 

2020 Ninja have allowed the 

model to shed a few kilos, now 

weighing in at 233kgs. 

Behind the windscreen, the 

Ninja 1000SX receives a new 

TFT color screen that allows 

the rider to easily navigate 

through the four new riding 

modes (sport, road, rain, and 

rider (customizable))and the 

traction control modes. The 

system is also compatible 

with the Kawasaki Rideology 

smartphone app that not only 

records riding data but also 

allows the owner to change 

certain settings from a distance. 

Also new to the 2020 modelyear 

is the electronic cruise 

control, making the bike more 

comfortable on longer rides. 

The engine underlying the 

Ninja remains the same 1,043cc, 

inline-four we are familiar 

with but inside the block, a 

few changes were made. The 

cam profile has been modified 

to reduce running noise and 

cylinders one and four’s intake 

funnels are now shorter 

which helps reduce the bike’s 

emissions. At the back, the 

new single muffler is the last 

step of the new four-into-twointo-one 

exhaust system. The 

six-speed transmission mated 

to the engine is now equipped 

with Kawasaki’s proprietary up 

and down quick shifter. 

With these upgrades, the 

new 2020 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 

sheds a little more of its crotch 

rocket image to become more 

touring friendly. Prices and 

availability of the new model 

have yet to be announced. 

Z900 & Z650 

For 2020, the Z900 has a 

new, strengthened frame 

and new, revised front and 

rear suspension settings. It 

also boasts integrated Riding 

Modes, including KTRC and 

Power modes. A new TFT 

full-color dash with Bluetooth 

connectivity for your phone is 

at rider fingertips. As everyone 

expected, the new Z900 boasts 

cleaner emissions, as well—and 

LED lighting all around isn’t 

surprising either, but is still 

nice. It comes shod in Dunlop 

Sportmax Roadsport 2 rubber. 

Meanwhile, for 2020, the 

second-generation Z650 

features engine refinements 

to deliver both increased 

mid-range torque and cleaner 

emissions. Like its big brother, 

it features a full-color TFT 

display in its dash, along with 

the Bluetooth connectivity 

most of us expect from most 

bikes sold in 2020. LED lighting 

and Kawasaki’s signature 

aggressive styling all around 

make this middleweight look 

acceptably mean. 

Also like its big brother, 

the 2020 Z650 comes shod in 

Dunlop Sportmax Roadsport 

2 rubber. The pillion seat was 

also redesigned to offer added 

passenger comfort, so you 

can load up your pillion with 

confidence. 

The styling on both the 

2020 Z900 and Z650 is more 

aggressive and insect-like 

than ever. We definitely don’t 

mean anything negative in that 

assessment; Those otherworldly 

metallic and neon colours, 

and sharp angles not seen 

elsewhere in nature are just 

some of the reasons why—and 

are also why that’s where these 

Kawi designs fit, in our minds. 

BRIT ART 

This curvy, flat-helmeted thing is the result of an all-British partnership between Aston Martin and the revived 

N E W A S T O N M A R T I N A M B 0 0 1 

Brough Superior brand. Built on a 180-horsepower turbo V-Twin, the AMB 001 is Aston’s vision of what a 

cutting-edge motorcycle should be. 

One of a flurry of new bikes 

to be released at EICMA 2019 

in Milan, this isn’t a concept 

bike. It’s a limited-edition piece 

of “automotive art” that Aston 

and Brough plan to build just 

100 examples of for the wellheeled. 

It’s not, however, streetlegal, 

lacking much of the 

compliance gear you’d need to 

get out on the road, but which 

would also sully the purity of a 

beautifully weird design. 

Beyond the big 997cc V-Twin 

motor, little remains to identify 

it as a Brough build – and even 

that takes a back seat to the big, 

variable geometry, intercooled 

turbo spools. Aston’s creative 

fingerprints are all over this 

thing, and its car-like curves 

are not unintentional. Look at 

that front fairing – you’ve never 

seen anything like that on a bike 

before. But that underhanging 

carbon shape will be familiar 

to car people, because it’s a 

riff on a front splitter. Will it 

do anything on a bike? Look, 

probably not. But it’s cute, that 

can’t be argued. 

The chassis uses the motor 

as a stressed member, and 

includes a CNC-machined 

“backbone” with a carbon 

fibre rear subframe and 

“titanium interfaces.” The CNC 

machined swingarm has a 

very pretty curve to it, and the 

front suspension is built on a 

double-wishbone aluminum 

fork with a monoshock behind 

the front fairing, separating 

braking from suspension forces 

and removing brake dive from 

the riding equation as well as 

looking deadly cool. 

The carbon bodywork 

features a unique ridge 

down the centerline, which 

terminates right in the 

middle of the full-color dash, 

splitting it in half and blocking 

a sizeable portion out of the 

middle. We’re not sure why 

you’d put one of those there, 

but perhaps that’s part of why 

these guys are Aston Martin 


TWINING 

Harley-Davidson is not messing around. It’s on a moon-shot mission to save itself by metamorphosing into 

a modern motorcycle company, while trying not to tread on its “badass” Boomer cruiser base in the process. 

Step one: the all-electric Livewire, a next-to silent streetbike. And now, at EICMA, far from the stars, stripes 

and apple pies of home, the company has released its next two efforts to find new relevance in a changing 

age. One has to wonder how these things would’ve gone down at an American release full of die-hard Harley 

fans who hold the brand’s old-school image very dearly. 

N E W H A R L E Y - D A V I D S O N P A N A M E R I C A & B R O N X 

and we’re not. The saddle 

is a thin two-tone leather 

pad, and there are leather 

handlebar grips matching one 

of those two tones, along with 

very minimalist controls and 

buttons. The brakes are racy 

radial jiggers on non-vented 

discs, and the rims are barelythere 

forged aluminum jobbies. 

As far as motorcycle designs 

made by car companies go, 

the AMB 001 would have 

to rank as one of the better 

examples going around. Aston’s 

car designs are among our 

favorites in the auto world, and 

it seems the design aesthetic 

works on two wheels as well 

as four. Its looks are fresh, 

strange and shocking, and yet 

it still looks like it’d work as a 

motorcycle if you can deal with 

the seating position. That’s 

hardly a worry, as it’s only ever 

going to be ridden on racetracks 

and up onto display stands at 

events, anyway. 

It’s got more than enough 

special bits and street cred to 

make it a collectible, and we 

doubt Aston will have a problem 

moving those 100 individually 

numbered units – even at a 

price of €108,000 including 

tax. That would equate to 

around R1.8m, but prices can do 

weird things as they cross the 

Atlantic, so who knows what it’ll 

fetch on our soil. 

The new bikes are an 

adventure tourer and a 

streetfighter, both powered 

by a new Revolution engine 

platform. These will be 

60-degree V-Twins, naturally, 

but liquid cooled and with dual 

downdraft throttle bodies. 

They’ll also make a lot more 

power than Harley riders are 

accustomed to, by revving 

significantly higher than the 

big cruiser donks. The engines 

are narrow and compact, 

they form part of the frame 

for engineering purposes, 

and they feature internal 

counterbalancers to cut down 

on vibrations. 

The new bikes will have to 

stop as well as they go, and 

Harley has teamed up with 

Brembo to create a special set 

of radial, 4-piston monoblocs 

that should set new braking 

standards for the marque. 

Harley’s key input seems to 

have been minor and mainly 

aesthetic, adding a few “softer 

curves” to the caliper designs. 

Hopefully that’s all; Brembo 

knows a thing or two about the 

actual braking part. Likewise, 

H-D has teamed up with 

Michelin to develop special 

co-branded tyres for these 

two bikes, presumably to drum 

a few extra bucks out of its 

consumer base when it’s time 

for new hoops. 

The 2021 Pan America 

Adventure Tourer 

First up, the adventure machine. 

The Pan America 1250 is H-D’s 

answer to the R1200GS, the 

1290 Super Adventure, the 

Super Ténéré, and the rest 

of the colossal “big chook 

chasers” that make up the ADV 

segment. While late to the party 

(everyone else seems to be 

refocusing their efforts toward 

middleweight adventure 

tourers), the Pan America will 

use a 1250cc “Revolution Max” 

engine, with which Harley is 

targeting an output over 145 

horses and 122 Nm of torque. 

The company calls this 

its “two-wheel multi-tool, 

built to endure, designed to 

explore, and engineered for the 

unknown.” It looks the part, with 

its beefy bash-plate, touring 

screen, barkbusters, massive 

three-box pannier system, 

spoked wheels, chunky off-road 

tires, comfy looking dual seat 

and an exposed subframe that 

looks terrific to strap a tent to. 

There’s no weight figure as yet, 

or indeed a price, but Harley has 

committed to getting this 2021 

model into stores in late 2020. 

The 2021 Bronx Streetfighter 

Every bit as interesting is the 

Bronx, which takes some of 

the Livewire’s snub-nosed 

proportions and marries them 

with a 975cc version of the 

Revolution motor and a few 

licks of the kind of flair Erik Buell 

brought to the Harley stable in 

the late 1990s with bikes like 

the White Lightning. This is no 

Buell, though. H-D presumably 

still owns the patents on some 

of Buell’s outrageous ideas, but 

the Bronx has no rim-mounted 

disc brake, underslung exhaust, 

fuel-in-the-frame or oil-in-theswingarm 

business. 

Indeed it’s a fairly 

conservative effort at a 

streetfighter, especially in 

an era where things like the 

Super Duper Duke and Tuono 

V4 walk the Earth. Power and 

torque figures are targeted to 

be at least 115 horses at 95 Nm, 

respectively, which should be 

fun enough provided it’s not 

much more than the 225-odd kg 

it looks like it might be. 

Harley calls it a 

middleweight, but one with 

an “unapologetic attitude.” We 

feel it’d be a bit less apologetic 

if it had access to the full-fat 

1250cc motor, but it’s a nice 

enough looker to sell well if it 

rides well, and no doubt it’ll look 

and sound much more Harleyworthy 

and thunderous once 

owners have bled their way 

through the options catalog. 


WEIGHT 

240 

WET WEIGHT 

ENGINE 

998 

Liquid-cooled, 

16v, inline four, 

supercharged 

CC 

POWER 

227 

N E W B I M O T A ’ S T E S I H 2 

SUPERCHARGED 

ITALIAN 

Born-again Bimota launches hub-steered Tesi based on the Kawasaki H2. 

The rumours are true: 

Kawasaki has taken a 49.9 

percent stake in fancy-pants 

Italian brand Bimota, and is 

resurrecting it with a monster 

motorcycle. The Tesi H2 adds 

Bimota’s famous centerhub 

steering and chassis 

to the wild Kawasaki H2 

supercharged motor. 

The deal has been in 

progress for nearly three 

years, and the bike has just 

been unveiled at EICMA 

in Milan. Kawasaki Heavy 

Industries’ Motorcycle 

Planning Division Manager 

Hiroshi Ito spoke like a 

breathless fanboy at the 

launch: 

“A small investment bank 

approached us inquiring if we 

were interested in an Italian 

motorcycle manufacturer. 

The company name was 

veiled, but when I checked 

the documents I instantly 

noticed. Oh it’s BIMOTA!!!. Yes, 

that BIMOTA. For motorcycle 

enthusiast at my age, BIMOTA 

was legendary 

motorcycles that 

we used to dream 

of with its incredible 

chassis, jewel-like parts and an 

unaffordable price tag.” 

Thus, Kawasaki decided to 

invest, leaving Bimota based 

in Italy but providing it with 

engines and support. 

“BIMOTA is a jewel of 

Italy,” continued Ito. “So 

It must be based in Rimini, 

Italy. It must be designed by 

Italian designers. And it must 

be built by Italian craftsmen 

otherwise it will lose it value. 

So, our mission is clear, we will 

support Sig. Marconi and his 

team will make new legendary 

history of BIMOTA with 

Kawasaki’s legendary engines! 

We’d like declare now BIMOTA 

is here as most premium 

motorcycle in the world.” 

Most premium motorcycle in 

the world, eh? Let’s take a look 

at it, then. 

The Kawasaki part will 

be familiar to anyone who’s 

followed our motorcycle 

coverage over the years. The 

H2’s supercharged motor is one 

of the motorcycle world’s most 

iconic and crazed creations. 

Producing somewhere between 

200 and 300 horsepower 

depending on its state of tune, 

it’s beautifully smooth down 

low, but opens up into a topend 

rush of furious acceleration 

that has to be felt to be 

believed. It left me foaming. 

It is not, however, a 

particularly attractive thing 

to have at the center of your 

premium coach-built Bimota 

– either the engine itself, or 

the colossal bulk of the big ol’ 

exhaust it swings behind it. 

Kawasaki solved this problem 

with a gorgeous green trellis 

frame and jaw-dropping mirrorfinish 

bodywork that stole the 

TORQUE 

129 

eye away. Bimota ... didn’t solve 

it at all. 

The proportions of the 

Tesi H2 are a bit of a disaster. 

Where the old Tesi 3D had an 

interesting inverted cradle 

frame to act as the central 

design feature, and open trellistube 

swingarms at either end 

to reduce the bulky appearance 

of Bimota’s famous center-hub 

steering system, the new Tesi 

H2 has neither. In our opinion its 

middle is an industrial-looking 

mess of engineering, and the 

front end looks massive and 

ungainly. From the side, it looks 

like a sexy Italian sportsbike 


Bimota’s famous hub-center 

steering takes center stage 

Two shocks are better than 

one - Double Ohlins semi-active 

suspension controlling the front 

and rear. 

that has begun to sprout 

strange, fungal growths at 

either end. 

Move in closer, though, and 

the Tesi H2 begins revealing 

its continental charms. The 

bodywork is all very nice, with 

carbon accents aplenty and 

a simple, sexy cockpit. Every 

component is either pulled 

off the top shelf or lovingly 

machined. 

The two fully-adjustable 

shocks in front of the rear wheel 

will raise eyebrows, and they 

should. Each mounted on its 

own eccentric adjuster, they 

can be used to adjust the ride 

height of the front and rear of 

the bike independently, and 

while one shock takes care of 

suspension action at the rear 

wheel, the other appears to 

handle the front swingarm via 

a long linkage down the lower 

left hand side of the bike. 

As for the steering system, 

well, we do love a funny 

front end here at New Atlas. 

The Tesi H2 appears to run a 

fairly standard hub-center 

steering arrangement, with the 

handlebars connected back 

deep into the bike to rods that 

push and pull a lever connected 

to the front swingarm. This 

lever steers the front wheel 

around a static axle. 

The advantages of such a 

system are you get yourself a 

braking system that pushes 

braking force very efficiently 

back into the frame of the bike 

rather than putting a bending 

force on a pair of forks; you 

gain the ability to tune brake 

dive in or out, or even set it up 

such that the front end rises 

under braking; and braking, 

suspension and steering 

forces are nicely separated, 

giving riders the ability to 

brake later and deeper into 

corners without upsetting the 

bike’s ability to deal with bumps. 

The disadvantages are 

equally well known; a centerhub 

steered bike doesn’t 

offer much steering lock, 

so u-turns are a pain; 

the steering systems 

are complex, operating 

through a series of 

linkages that can remove 

feel from the steering, 

occasionally resulting in 

some slop at the bars 

when components 

start to wear; and from 

the looks of the Tesi H2, 

the front suspension has to 

go through a fair few complex 

linkages itself, which might 

cause suspension action to 

suffer similarly. 

Still, we’re delighted to 

see Bimota back in the game, 

with one of the world’s great 

engines to play with. This is a 

weird bike, and for our money 

there aren’t enough weird bikes 

on the road these days. Say 

what you will about the Tesi H2, 

it’ll be the center of attention at 

any bike night, and every rider 

that sees one, myself included, 

will be utterly fascinated to 

know what it’s like to ride. Few 

will find out, because the price 

will be astronomical, and that’s 

probably the way it should be. 

The front swingarm is 

suspended via a long linkage 

back to a rear-mounted shock 

“Word is that the Tesi H2 will be a 

very limited edition bike, and we 

probably won’t see one here in the 

Colonies unless it shows up in, like, 

Jay Leno’s garage or something.” 


CONCEPTS 

As always at EICMA Shows manufaturers like to show off some future 

concepts and this years show once again had some beauties on display. 

is implemented visually, with 

a brass-colored, fan forced 

radiator. There’s a second, 

ducted fan at the back of the 

battery pack, which presumably 

draws heat out of the battery 

and motor cooling systems and 

deposits it right onto the rear 

Supercorsa SP tyre, where it can 

make itself useful in bringing 

the rubber up to temperature. 

The footpegs are adjustable 

using circular locators, and there 

doesn’t appear to be a rear brake 

pedal. That’s odd, because BST 

says the Hypertek is one of the 

very few electric motorcycles 

you’ll see that runs a traditional 

clutch, so presumably that’s the 

left handlebar’s lever accounted 

for and we have no idea how 

you’re expected to operate the 

rear brake. 

The addition of a clutch, even 

though the bike is an electric 

single-speed, allows you to rev 

the motor at a standstill, but 

also to clutch up bulk wheelies 

and drop sick burnouts. And if 

you have (correctly) identified 

that as a bit of a personal point 

of glee for me, it should also 

be noted that BST itself says 

“burnouts and wheelies [are] 

standard features.” 

For those less inclined 

to antisocial shenanigans, 

there will be wheelie and 

traction control built in. Other 

electronics include cruise 

control and hill stop. ABS is not 

mentioned, but can possibly 

be assumed given that the 

brakes look absolutely savage: 

a single 330-mm, unvented 

disc at the front made from 

ceramic-infused aluminum and 

gripped by what looks like a 

Brembo monobloc caliper, with 

a smaller copy at the rear. 

The wheels, naturally, are 

carbon fibre. As is the slim, 

skeletal monocoque frame, 

which is a beautiful piece of 

design. The “tank” unit and 

subframe/tailpiece are barely 

there, they just hint at the 

human shape that’ll press 

against them. The tail and 

transparent brake light take 

an idea we first noticed in the 

late-model Yamaha R1 to the 

extreme, like some kind of 

floating wing. It would perfectly 

channel flatulence out into a 

pocket of negative pressure in 

LOCALLY 

ELECTRIFYING 

BST’S WILD HYPERTEK: A NEW AESTHETIC STANDARD FOR ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES 

Remember motorcycle 

designer Pierre Terblanche? 

SA’s very own master 

motorcycle designer.He came 

out from under the wing of 

probably the most famous 

motorcycle designer in 

history – Massimo Tamburini 

– to design a successor to the 

Ducati 916 series, which is still 

remembered as one of the most 

beautiful motorcycles ever 

made. Terblanche followed that 

curvaceous supermodel up with 

the 749/999 series, which many 

thought introduced a blocky, 

angular look that sucked the 

sexiness right out of the Ducati 

brand for much of the 2000s. 

Early, chunky, beakless 

Multistradas? That was 

Terblanche. The Sport 1000? 

Those weren’t too bad, and 

neither was the Hypermotard, 

although neither could be 

described as a style icon. In 

more recent times, he’s penned 

the surprisingly conservative 

Confederate X132 Hellcat 

Speedster and the Royal Enfield 

Himalayan, which has a kind of 

rugged Indiana Jonesiness to it. 

All in all, it’s a varied portfolio 

with an angular and technical 

sort of theme running through 

it that seemed like it was still 

searching for its ultimate form 

of expression. 

Well, with this extraordinary 

electric bike, we think we finally 

understand what Terblanche 

has been trying to get at all 

these years, and we absolutely 

love it. Designed and built in 

partnership with SA’s very own 

carbon wheel specialists BST, 

meet the all-electric Hypertek. 

There could be no better 

name for this thing and its 

unabashed, triumphant 

futuristicism. Every component 

and detail seems stripped back, 

technical, modular, functional. 

It’s like a Confederate jumped in 

a teleportation machine without 

realizing there was already a 

Dyson vacuum in there. 

The Hypertek is built around 

the reasonably unglamorous 

DHX Hawk water-cooled PMS 

electric motor, presumably 

chosen for its compact size and 

high torque output of 120 Nm. 

BST claims a peak power of 107 

hp, but we can’t find any motor 

on the DHX website capable of 

such peaks – the company’s 

largest advertised Hawk motor 

makes 120 Nm but peaks at 

74 hp and offers a continuous 

power of 46.3 hp. So perhaps 

it’s a custom build. 

Battery size is unspecified, 

but BST is claiming a 300-km 

range, with 30-minute DC quick 

charge capability. Liquid cooling 


the airstream, 

if flatulence 

hadn’t long ago 

worked out that 

the easiest path to freedom 

was up through the 

leathers, out the neck and 

directly into the helmet. 

But we digress. Weight 

will be 205 kg which is 

around the weight of 

most decent nakedbikes 

once they’ve got a full 

tank. The seat will be 

adjustable between 

790 mm and 820 mm, 

and BST says the bike 

will feature a sound 

generator designed to 

let pedestrians know 

you’re coming, provided 

they’re not bopping along 

to music in their Bluetooth 

earphones, which, let’s face 

it, approximately all of them are 

these days. 

You’ll notice there’s no dash. All 

instrumentation is built into a headup 

display in a custom helmet, which 

has been built by Cross of Japan. This 

is a highly futuristic choice, and by 

that, we mean we’re not aware of 

anyone who’s made a proper headsup 

helmet really work the way you 

want them to as yet. It feels like a 

slightly dicey decision and we don’t 

think the bike would suffer with the 

addition of a colour display, even 

if just as a backup for when your 

helmet runs out of battery. 

BST is promising to actually 

manufacture the Hypertek, in limited 

numbers. Make no mistake, it’ll be 

horrifically expensive. But we think 

this is the baddest-looking electric 

motorcycle we’ve ever seen up to 

this point. It’s like a Meccano set 

come to life. If we don’t see it in a 

sci-fi film within two years we’ll be 

amazed, and we wholeheartedly 

agree with Pierre Terblanche when 

he says “this is the best work I’ve 

ever done.” Outstanding. We hope 

it’s the first of many like it. 

EUROPANESE 

THE HONDA CB4X CONCEPT - JAPANESE QUALITY MEETS EUROPEAN FLAIR 

Every year at EICMA, we can 

look forward to some intriguing 

concepts from Honda’s design 

team in Europe. 

This is the fifth year the Rome 

R&D Centre has produced a 

concept, and the third year it 

used the CBR650R‘s inline-Four 

as the platform (the engine’s 

aesthetically-pleasing cascading 

header pipes definitely lends 

itself well to concept designs). 

Designer Valerio Aiello and his 

team developed the CB4X under 

the theme “fun seven days a 

week,” describing it as a sport 

tourer with a bit of a crossover 

(Honda’s term for adventure-ish 

styled bikes). 

The CB4X concept features 

a hunched half-fairing design 

that would redirect air around 

the rider but still leaves the 

engine and the aforementioned 

pipes exposed. The windscreen 

is adjustable, and the seat 

looks pretty comfortable, for 

a concept, and we presume 

that tail cover is removable for 

pillion seating. The way the 

aluminium subframe attaches 

to the side plates is rather 

elegant, making the two parts 

look fully-integrated. 

Other features include 

handguards, a single-sided 

swingarm, Öhlins suspension, 

Brembo brakes and a dual 

stacked silencers from SC 

Project. 

Like the Rome R&D Centre’s 

other concepts, we don’t 

expect the Honda CB4X to 

develop into anything more 

than a styling concept. 

Please, oh please Honda 

make this happen for all of us 

to enjoy... 


SWEDISH 

ADVENTURE 

HUSQVARNA NORDEN 901 ADVENTURE BIKE CONCEPT 

Husqvarna revealed an 

adventure bike concept called 

the Norden 901. If that alone 

wasn’t enough to get our juices 

flowing, there’s the fact the 

Norden is based around the 

awesome KTM 790 Adventure R. 

Husqvarna didn’t exactly 

come right out and say that, 

it’s clear from looking at the 

engine, the frame and the 790 

ADV’s distinct low-slung fuel 

tank that the Norden shares 

much of its DNA beneath the 

rally bike styling. 

For the Norden, Husqvarna 

increased the KTM bike’s 799cc 

engine 889.5cc, a change the 

orange brand is already making 

with its new 890 Duke R. For 

the Norden, the engine has 

been tuned specifically to suit 

adventure touring needs. 

The Norden being a 

concept, Husqvarna hasn’t 

released much detail about 

specifications. Husqvarna says 

the Norden strikes a perfect 

balance between “off-road 

performance and touring 

ability,” while also claiming 

class-leading lightness, which 

would mean coming in lighter 

than the 790 Adventure’s 

claimed 152 kilos dry weight. 

Husqvarna also reveals the 

Norden 901 is equipped with WP 

suspension and runs on a 21- 

inch front wheel and a 19-inch 

rear wheel. 

From the photos, we see 

what looks like dual TFT color 

screens, with the top screen 

showing a compass, and a 

tachometer on the lower screen 

completing the compass’ 

circular shape. Between the 

display and the handlebars we 

see a small panel bearing the 

USB symbol, obviously hinting 

at a USB port. 

The concept is shown 

carrying a pair of soft saddlebags 

and a tail bag designed 

specifically for the Norden. 

At the moment, the Norden 

901 is just a concept, but it’s 

safe to assume that Husqvarna 

has plans to put this adventure 

bike into production and they 

need to, especially here for the 

SA market where Husqvarna 

dealers are crying out for one. 


#NEVER FORGET 

VALENCIA 2019 

As with every year the final 

round of the 2019 MotoGP 

championship took place at the 

Valencia circuit in Spain. 

Our editor Rob has been there 

on a few occasions, but this time 

he dragged along his brother 

Shaun Portman and both had the 

experience of a lifetime! 

Where do I even begin? Do I start with the 

one-on-one interviews I had with KTM 

MotoGP riders Pol Espargaro and Miguel 

Oliviera? Or do I go with watching Brad 

Binder pick up another win in Moto2 and 

celebrating it with him on track and at the 

podium? Or, do I start with being there to 

witness the man take part in his first official 

test as a full factory MotoGP rider? I think 

it’s best I just start from the beginning 

and go through day by day. I hope you are 

comfortable because this is going to be a 

very long and very exciting story, of which I 

have no doubt you will be mighty jealous of... 

Rob with the new Ducati V4 Streetfighter. 

Thursday 

This was my third time in four years attending 

the final MotoGP race held at the Valencia 

track, and my sixth time in total visiting 

the iconic Spanish circuit. But, I had never 

been there on a Thursday before a MotoGP 

race weekend and had been told by many 

that it’s a great day to go as it’s not as busy 

and the riders are a bit more relaxed and 

walking around more freely compared to the 

overcrowded race weekend, so I was excited 

to see for myself if this was indeed true. 

Making it that bit more exciting was the 

fact that my brother, Shaun Portman, had 

never been to a MotoGP race outside of SA 

(only been at the Phakisa MotoGP races), so 

I was eager to see his excitement at seeing 

just how amazing a European MotoGP race 

weekend is, with all the race trucks, team 

hospitalities and rider’s motorhomes filling 

up the paddock. That’s something you don’t 

get to see at away races such as Thailand 

and Qatar etc. 

After landing, we waited at a packed 

Valencia airport for our car rental. The 

airport was jammed with MotoGP fans all 

sporting their favorite riders apparel – yes, it 

was mainly plasted with a bright yellow #46. 

We finally got hold of the keys to our 

rent-a-racer and it was time to head straight 

to the track. Shaun was the driver and it 

was his first time driving on the other side 

The riders motorhomes are amazing. 

A pic with Maverick. What a nice guy! 

Rob has a chat with 

Matt Dunn about MotoE. 


of the road, so tensions did flair a bit at the 

beginning. With no GPS and relying solely 

on my time in Spain, we made it to the track 

safe and sound. We got our media passes at 

the accreditation center before heading into 

the track. This is when the hairs all over your 

body stand at attention and your entire body 

fills up with tiny bubbles of pure joy. 

The paddock was not that busy, although 

a few die-hard Rossi fans were already lined 

up outside his motorhome – and it was only 

11am on a Thursday morning… 

Our first rider encounter was with a 

Mr Maverick Vinales, who happily greeted 

us with a big smile and as you can see 

cheerfully grabbed a picture with a very 

excited South African – my brother. What a 

great guy! That moment kicked off one of 

many we had throughout the weekend. 

From there we walked through the rest 

of the paddock, taking in all the sights of the 

team hospitalities and race trucks in all their 

splendid colours. A joy to the eye sockets 

and one that TV just does not do justice to. 

While walking around I was stopped by a 

Mr Matt Dunn – one of the many voices of 

the MotoGP paddock who you will mostly 

hear commentating on the Moto3 and 

Moto2 FP sessions. He asked if I would like 

to have a chat with him, and me being a 

very chatty person happily obliged. He went 

on to ask about my thoughts on the MotoE 

championship and how it could benefit 

electric bikes for the future etc. I gave him 

the politest answer I could, as I have no real 

excitement when it comes to the MotoE 

championship – although having said that 

the two races this particular weekend did 

excite me somewhat. 

I went on to tell Mr Dunn that electric 

bikes here in SA are not really on the radar 

yet, as one needs electricity to power them 

and we don’t have the luxury of a stable or 

well-run power supply company, so sorry, 

it’s combustion power all the way here in SA! 

A few steps later we gazed upon the new 

Ducati V4 Streetfighter parked outside the 

Ducati hospitality. What a gorgeous machine 

and I cannot wait to ride it at the world 

launch test coming up in early 2020. 

After taking in all the sights at the back of 

the paddock, we made our way to the front 

section where all the teams race trucks were 

parked in single file and lined up perfectly. 

This is where we met up with the Binder’s, 

who are always very welcoming. After a 

good chat and lots of laughs we were off to 

the media center where we could log on to 

the free Wi-Fi and catch up with what had 

been scheduled for the weekend. 

On arrival in the media center, we were 

quickly told about a special press conference 

called by Jorge Lorenzo, inviting all press and 

fellow riders to attend and so we did. It didn’t 

take long before the room was jammed 

packed with press from all around the world 

and all the MotoGP riders and team bosses. 

Literally a year ago, Dani Pedrosa sent out 

the exact same press release asking all to 

join him for a special press conference, where 

Rides for the weekend - Ducati Diavel 1260 S and Multistrada Enduro. 

Shaun will never fit on Darryn’s Moto3 bike. 

Signed Vinales and Rossi gear courtesy of 

Monster Energy Yamaha. 

The media room was packed for the Lorenzo retirement announcement. 

he went on to announce his 

retirement, so It was no surprise 

when Lorenzo did the same. The 

air in the room quickly filled up 

with emotion as Lorenzo made 

the announcement and while he 

fought to hold back the tears, one 

photographer yelled “Jorge” and 

that got everyone applauding. 

Say what you will, but the man 

was ridiculously good on a 

MotoGP bike and it’s a pity he has 

retired at the age of 32. 

Lorenzo is yet another victim 

of the “Marc Marquez” Honda 

RC MotoGP bike, which seems 

to be a career ender for anyone 

other than Marc himself. First 

Dani and now Jorge, with Cal 

Crutchlow set to follow suit 

come the end of 2020. 

Friday 

It was an early start to the day 

for us as we had to stop past the 

Ducati distributor warehouse 

40km away from the track to 

collect our rides for the weekend 

– the Ducati Diavel 1260 S and 

Multistrada Enduro. A big thanks 

to Gherado from Ducati Italy 

for organizing these bikes for 

us to use, they really did come 

in handy as the traffic in-andout 

of the track throughout the 

weekend was manic. 

With my headphones tucked 

neatly under my Scorpion 

Combat lid, and tracks location 

set in Waze we headed off to 

the track. 

This time it was a lot busier, 

thank goodness we had parking 

tickets so we could get ahead of 

the crowd. Thousands of fans 

poured into the track ready to 

witness the first bit of track 

action for the weekend. 

We headed straight to Darryn 

Binder’s hospitality to catch up 

with the Binder crew and grab a 

quick bite and some drinks. This 

was a huge blessing and saved 

us big money so thanks Daz for 

hooking us up. From there we 

headed off to one of the best 

parts of any GP – the shopping 

area. Situated at the back on 

the track around turn 1 and 2, 

it’s every MotoGP fans dream – 

nothing but MotoGP rider and 

team apparel in abundance! So 

much choice and for us South 

Africans who can’t help but 

do the maths and convert our 

useless rands into euros, it’s not 

easy. After a good hour and a bit 

of shopping we headed back to 

the paddock with a few shopping 

bags in either hands. Being my 

brothers first experience of 

MotoGP apparel shopping at a 

European race, he did go a bit 

over board, luckily, we came with 

literally just the clothes on our 

backs so had plenty of space left 

in our bags for the trip home. 

Now, this is where the 

weekend would really kick into 

gear for us. I had been to a few 

overseas MotoGP races with 

my media pass and only hung 

around the paddock area, as 

that’s the only place I thought I 

was allowed. For the FP1 Moto3 

session, Trevor Binder told us to 

go and watch with him on the 

inside of turn 1. I said we did not 

have access to the inside of the 

track. He then went on to tell me 

that we should as our passes 

were blue, which meant paddock 

and track access. Let’s give it a 

try we said, and thankfully we 

did as we got through and a 

whole new MotoGP experience 

opened up for the both of us. 

I could not believe just how 

close we could get to the action. 

Hearing, seeing and smelling 

those machines burning around 

the track was breathtaking, and 

this was only the Moto3’s. 

Heading into the Valencia 

round I had not yet heard the 

new Triumph powered Moto2 

bikes in real life and had been 

told by many who had that it’s a 

spine-tingling experience, and 

that’s exactly what it was. Those 

triple-cylinder 765cc motors belt 

out a tune that your ears will 

have wet dreams about for the 

rest of your days. 

After watching Darryn and 

Brad do what they do best out on 

track, it was time to watch and 

hear the MotoGP bikes scream 

around the circuit. I had seen 

and heard it all before, but never 

from this close so my eyes and 

mouth could not help but water 

when they came screaming out 

of the pits. I looked over at my 

brother who’s face looked like it 

was watching a porn movie for 

the first time – he was properly 

excited! It’s hard to put into words 

the experience of watching all the 

categories up close and personal 

like this. It’s an overwhelming 

reality like no other! 

After getting the feeling 

back in our knees and face we 

headed back to the paddock to 

once again catch up with the 

Binder’s. After a bite to eat it was 

time to head off to the Monster 

Energy Yamaha hospitality to 

collect our package, which Ryan 

Just had to get a pic with Brad. 

The Factory Red Bull KTM MotoGP invited Rob and Shaun along for a 

tour of their pits. No pics or videos are normally allowed but they were 

lucky enough to be able to snap some shots as all the bikes in the pits 

were fully assembled. 

The bikes up-close are simply breathtaking and the amount of tech 

is mind blowing. There is no wonder the MotoGP riders are able to do 

what they do - these thing are built to go fast! 

Pictured here are Mika Kallio’s bikes from the GP weekend. On the 

Tuesday after the race weekend, these would late become Brad’s 

bikes, with the #82 being pulled off and the new #33 being stuck on. 


Payne from Monster Energy 

SA had kindly organized for us. 

I was ecstatic when I received 

the package from the team’s PR 

lady – a team shirt, team cap 

and water bottle all signed by 

both riders Maverick Vinales and 

Valentino Rossi. This was for our 

auction on Saturday the 7th of 

December at Ridgeway Racebar 

and no doubt it would go for a 

big amount of money. 

Up next was another 

once-in-a-lifetime experience, 

organized by my good mate, 

Mr Riaan Neveling who is 

now the marketing manager 

of KTM street motorcycles 

worldwide. Riaan had chatted to 

Stephanie Zehenter, who is the 

Motorsports Project Manager 

for KTM global about getting us 

some exclusive interviews and 

signed merch for our auction. 

Stephanie really did treat us, first 

off with a one-on-one interview 

with factory Red Bull KTM rider 

Pol Espargaró, followed by 

another one-on-one with Tech 

3 KTM rider Miguel Oliviera. It 

didn’t end there. Stephanie also 

surprised us with a Red Bull KTM 

goodie bag, filled with a signed 

screen from Pol’s MotoGP bike, 

knee and elbow sliders as well 

as a signed KTM racing shirt 

and cap from both Brad Binder 

and Pol. Yes, I know I am a lucky 

bastard and you all hate me, and 

I can say at this point I was even 

jealous of myself… 

So, Shaun and myself sat 

down with Pol and had our 

interview followed by a picture 

together and getting our official 

caps signed. The interview was 

great, unfortunately I just did not 

have the time or the space to get 

it in here so look out for the full 

interview in next month’s issue. 

One question I did ask Pol 

was about his new team-mate 

and how he felt about Brad 

joining the team. He had heaps 

of praise for Brad and went on to 

say that “he is the perfect rider 

to join the team. His riding style 

and character is exactly what 

we need to help improve the 

package. He will for sure make 

the bike more competitive…” 

Again, after getting the 

feeling back in our knees and 

faces we finished the day off 

with a visit to Darryn’s pit box 

and Brad’s race truck, chatting 

about all things bikes of course. 

While in Brad’s truck we spotted 

a big bright trophy along with a 

Dunlop cap. It was his winner’s 

trophy from Sepang, which the 

team had brought back for him 

to take home. Another one for 

the ever-growing cabinet. We 

also spotted his race suit, boots 

and gloves, as well as his Bell 

race helmet. I won’t lie, this is 

when my SA mentality kicked 

in and thoughts of somehow 

trying to steal all his gear 

flooded my mind. Don’t worry, 

I didn’t steal anything other 

than a glance at his gorgeous 

girlfriend Courtney’s chest. 

Sorry Brad and Courts, and my 

Amz if you are reading this, I am 

a man after all… 

We then set off on our 25km 

ride back to our self-catering 

room situated in Valencia town 

center. Thank the Lord we 

were on bikes, as the traffic 

was horrendous! Trying to 

negotiate the Spanish roads 

was like trying to figure out 

what women really want – it 

was dam near impossible! If you 

think SA drivers are bad, wait 

until you drive in Spain – it’s a 

real s@#t show! 

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Always a great shopping experience at the track. 


Saturday 

Another bright and early start 

to the day. We wanted to get 

to the track early and not miss 

out on anything. This time there 

was drama on our way there. 

Ten minutes into the ride on 

the open A3 Madrid highway 

I looked back in the darkness 

to see that my brother was 

missing. I parked up on the side 

and waited 5 minutes, but there 

was no sign of him. At this point 

I was really stressing and went 

a bit further up to see if there 

was a gap to turn around and 

go find him. As I was about to 

turn around I spotted a bike 

coming, it was my brother who 

had one of the panniers from 

the Multistrada Enduro I was 

riding strapped to his backpack. 

The back-left pannier had fallen 

off whilst riding and my brother 

somehow avoided crashing after 

it smased into his front wheel. 

After a huge sigh of relief, and 

fitting the pannier on properly 

this time, we set of once again 

for the track. 

6.30am was a bit too early as 

nothing happened until around 

8am only. We set off back to the 

merch section to buy a few more 

things before having a breakfast 

with the crew at the hospitality. 

8.30 and we were once again 

spoilt by the KTM factory team, 

this time with a tour of their 

pits. We were instructed before 

heading in that no pictures or 

videos were allowed, but once 

inside we were told that we 

could take pics as all the bike 

were fully assembled. It was 

great seeing the orange workof-art 

that is the KTM RC16 Red 

Bull MotoGP bike up close and 

personal. We were on Mika 

Kallio’s side of the garage, the 

bikes that would soon have the 

#82 ripped off and replaced with 

a 33, that of Brad Binder. 

Straight from there we 

headed back out on track to 

watch the FP3 sessions as well 

as Darryn and Brad’s qualifying. 

We cheered as Daz managed to 

make it through Q1 and into Q2, 

where he would end up 9th on 

the grid. We were all over the 

moon as this would give him a 

proper chance at the podium. 

After dominating the day 

before, smashing the existing 

lap record, Brad’s team made 

a few unnecessary changes to 

the bike and he struggled in the 

qualifying session and ended 

up 7th on the grid. Naturally he 

Our boys with Pol Espargaró 

was upset, but we all knew he 

is a Sunday man and would be 

battling for the win. 

Walking back, we headed 

straight to Darryn’s pit box 

to congratulate him, but the 

thrill was short lived as Darryn 

was called up to race direction 

and handed a back of the grid 

penalty for riding slowly in the 

Q1 session. Now, this really 

pissed me off as I saw the whole 

‘so called incident’ happen. 

Daz, along with several other 

riders headed out of the pits all 

together. They all were riding 

slowly but did not impede any 

fast riders coming through or 

cause any danger, so why the 

hell the penalty was given I 

do not know. They really are 

spoiling the Moto3 class with all 

this nonsense, just let the guys 

race, it’s always been the most 

action-packed class to watch 

and these rules are going to ruin 

it. Having said that, these rules 

certainly don’t seem to apply 

to other riders. Aaron Canet 

caused huge drama at the start 

of Sunday’s race, dropping oil on 

the circuit causing a 14-minute 

delay to the race. He then went 

on to start from his original 

grid spot. Why no penalty for 

him? Oh yes, he is Spanish 

and his team owner is Max 

Biaggi, so of course no penalty. 

I saw first-hand just how the 

paddock is against Darryn and 

it’s wrong! Yes, there have been 

times where he was wrong and 

maybe deserved a penalty but 

there has been more than one 

Signatures from Rossi himself. 

A pic with Miguel Oliviera after interviewing him. 

occasion this year, including this 

one, where he has been unfairly 

treated. I hope this does not 

happen again next year as you 

can see it hits the poor guy hard. 

After dealing with the 

disappointment of both Darryn 

and Brad’s sessions we went 

K1600 Bagger, 2018 

5 900km 

R259 900 

GS 1200 

54 400km, choice of two 

From R159 900 

R 1250 GS HP, 2019 Demo 

2 500km, Akro slipon, Navigator, top box 

R269 000 

R 1200 GS Adv, 2016 

18 500km 

R185 000 

R nine T, 2017 

5 500km, Loads of extras 

R135 000 

GS 1200, 2015 

63 000km 

From R133 999 

GS ADVENTURE, 2014 

47 000km 

R159 000 

R 1250 GS Exclusive, 2019 

7 000km, top box, rally seat, dark screen 

R259 000 

R 1250 RT Exclusive, 2020 

Brand new and in stock 

P.O.A 

R 1250 GS Adventure, 2019 

4700km, Loads of extras 

R280 000 

HP 850 GS, 2019 

8 000km, tall screen, bashplate, choice 

of two 

From R159 900 

C 400 X, 2019 Demo 

3 500km 

R109 000 

R 1250 RS, 2020 

Brand new and in stock 

P.O.A 


on to watch the MotoGP qualifying session 

in Brad’s pit box, after a quick tour of him 

explaining to us just how all the gadgets on 

his bike works. Another real treat! 

And the treats just kept on coming as we 

headed off to the Tech 3 KTM hospitality to 

catch up with Miguel Oliviera, who was not 

riding due to his shoulder injury. Again, just 

like with Pol we had a great sit-down chat 

and sadly no space in this month’s issue, 

so that along with the Pol interview will be 

published in next month’s issue. 

That was it from the Saturday, it was time 

again to battle the crazy, and very impolite 

Spanish traffic… 

Sunday 

This time we left a bit later and only got to 

the track at 7.00am. Our plan for the day 

was to experience all the racing action 

from trackside, walking to every turn to 

witness it all. 

We first started by watching the warm-up 

sessions from outside the media room, so 

literally just above the pits down the main 

straight. Again, a great sight and sound seeing 

and hearing the bikes enter and leave pits, as 

well as scream down the long main stretch. 

After a quick stop at the hospitality, 

where we hooked up with Shaun and 

Brendan Meredith, we suited up in our Binder 

Brothers shirts, courtesy of Smashton 

Industries, grabbed the SA flag and proudly 

waved it around as we walked to turn 2 

where we would watch all the action. 

Our plan for both the Moto3 and Moto2 

race was to go out on track and celebrate 

with both Darryn and Brad after their races, 

no matter their positions. Sadly, Darryn 

would once again get the short end of the 

stick. After being released what felt like 30 

minutes after the rest from pit lane, the 

race was red-flagged after only 1 lap due to 

a massive crash. We cheered as this to us 

meant that Daz would line up at the back 

of the grid having served his pit lane start 

penalty. But, again, the big, unjust hand of 

the law smacked down on Daz who was 

forced to start once again from pit lane. 

This put him on the back foot big time and a 

couple of laps in, after being released from 

pit lane way too late again, Daz crashed out 

at turn 4 and was unable to get going again. 

Sad, as we really wanted to go out on track 

and show him just how much we love him 

and how proud we are of him. Oh well, there 

is always a next time. 

We stuck around at turn 2 for Brad’s race 

as we had a perfect exit point on to the track 

with no marshals in sight. We all know what 

happened next don’t we? Brad went on to do 

what Brad does best and win the race, the 

perfect send off to his time in Moto2. 

After doing a massive burn-out in turn 

one, Brad head over to us on the side. The 

rest was captured perfectly on live TV for 

all to see. Myself, my brother, Shaun and 

Brendan Meredith along with Clint Potgiter 

raced out on track to celebrate with our hero. 

A real proud moment for us all no doubt, 

Emilio Alzamora, manager of both Marc 

and Alex Marquez, taking some videos of 

Brad in FP2 to show Alex how it’s done. 

Rob enjoying some snacks trackside. 

Right up close to all the track action. 

Bromance! Rob and Darryn Binder. 

but especially for me who has been on this 

journey with Brad from day one and to say I 

was proud is a massive understatement. 

We then grabbed our gear and sprinted 

the 1.5km to the podium to celebrate 

with Brad. It was not easy and I’m pretty 

sure I left a lung somewhere along the 

way. Myself and Shaun Meredith made 

it there first after racing through the Ajo 

KTM pit, blasting past Brad’s team-mate 

Jorge Martin in the process. I then went 

on to sprint past a certain 8-times world 

champion in pit lane, which I later found 

out was also caught on live TV, before 

eventually making it to the podium. A few 

minutes later, a very red-faced Shaun 

Portman made his way through the crowed 

followed by a very tired, but happy 60 

Top: Hanging out with Brad in his race 

truck. The SA mentality came out of both 

Rob and Shaun who both tried stealing 

Brad’s Bell helmet, IXON leathers, TCX 

boots and his first place trophy from 

Sepang and the Dunlop cap. They never 

managed to do so, instead they went 

into Brad’s pit and watched the MotoGP 

qualifying action. 

plus year old Brendan Meredith – knee 

replacement and all. What a champ! 

Celebrating at the podium with Brad 

was another never forget moment. Being 

sprayed with champagne never felt so 

good, definitely not washing my Binder 

Brothers shirt after that. It will be signed by 

both boys and framed along with pictures 

from the race. 

After getting all of our emotions in check 

we went on to enjoy the MotoGP race out 

at various corners on the track. Watching 

these guys in full flight is poetry in motion. 

Marc Marquez is visibly faster than the rest. 

That riding style of braking late, digging 

the front tyre into the ground to scrub off 

speed and then hammering the throttle 

on harder and earlier than anyone else is 

Bottom: Rob and Shaun were lucky enough 

to get into Darryn Binder’s hospitality for 

the weekend. Thanks Darryn!!! 


Supporting Darryn and Brad from inside 

turn 2, there was a massive big screen 

to keep up with all the action. 

Top pic: Rob and Shaun at the podium with Brad’s winning machine. 

Left pic: Brad celebrates with the Motul SA crew. 

Right pic: Brad’s KTM Moto2 bike stripped down 30min after race. 

KTM will no longer be on the Moto2 grid from 2020 onwards and team 

Ajo already had a Kalex prepped in the race truck. 

Above two pics: A priceless picture - Our Rob and Shaun, along with 

Shaun Meredith, Brendan Meredith and Clint Potgieter celebrate with 

Brad and hand him the SA flag out on track after his final Moto2 win. 

From there they had to sprint the 1.5km to get to the podium and 

celebrate once again with Brad. 

very apparent. In total contrast, 

Jorge Lorenzo looked like a 

trackschool rider. Ok, obviously 

not that bad but the man just 

looked horribly uncomfortable 

on that bike. Gone are the nice 

wide, fast flowing lines, and 

replaced with ridged looking 

stiffness. He literally looked like 

he was just cruising around to 

get to the line in one piece. A sad 

sight in many ways from what 

was once an unstoppable force. 

Pictures just don’t do it 

justice. I wish I could lend my 

eyes and ears to you all for a 

day to experience all that I saw 

and heard. It’s something I truly 

wish every MotoGP fan could 

experience at least once in 

their lifetime. 

After the MotoGP race, we 

went to the hospitality for a 

much-needed foot up session. 

Over 22,000 steps recorded on 

race day, so after helping the 

team pack up the hospitality, 

we headed back to the room 

for a quick rest before meeting 

up with the gang for the official 

year end MotoGP party. Only 

the elite are invited to this, so 

another lucky strike for us. Free 

alcohol meant it was party time 

and we somehow managed to 

make it to the party that only 

started at 1am. We partied 

like rockstars and even Troy 

Corser climbed onto the Brad 

and Darryn Binder crew for the 

evening. A great time for sure! 

The videos will never see the 

light of day, I hope… 

Right: Good times at the official 

MotoGP end of season party with 

the Binders, their gorgeous gals, 

Shaun Meridith and Troy Corser. 


IN THEBIG 

Rob stayed over in Valencia for the 

official MotoGP test to capture Brad’s 

first official day as a MotoGP rider. 

LEAGUES 

Believe it or not, after reading all of could sit and chat with the multiple 

that, this trip got even more special champ about riding a MotoGP bike. 

a few days after the chequred flag Around 30-min after greeting Brad 

came down for the final time in 2019 he came walking down the paddock, 

bringing and end to the racing season. fully kitted and followed by a film 

We stayed for the first official day crew capturing the Rookies first 

of testing, which was held on the glance at his new MotoGP machine. 

following Tuesday. This was my first This would also be the big unveiling 

time attending an official MotoGP of Brad’s new race number, 33, made 

test so even more excitement. To to look like his initials, BB. It looked 

top it off, it was Brad’s first official great and judging by the response 

test as a new Factory Red Bull KTM on social media everyone else also 

MotoGP rider. 

approves of it. 

On arrival at the track, which was After meeting his new team, sitting 

like a ghost town compared to a few on the bike and getting the ergonomics 

days prior, I was greeted by a very right, it was finally time for Brad to 

happy looking Brad with Courtney by head out on track. My brother and 

his side. On the Sunday after the race, I went up to the media room and 

my brother helped Brad and Courts watched his first laps from above pit 

move all Brad’s gear over into his lane. Hearing and seeing him scream 

new race truck, which Mika Kallio had down the front straight for the first 

been booted out of. 

time sent goosebumps all over my 

Brad would share the truck with body – another very proud moment. 

test rider Dani Pedrosa for the twoday 

test, which he enjoyed as he before heading back into the 

Brad completed a couple of laps 

pits. 

Brad’s plan heading into the 

test was to not worry about 

lap times, but rather focus on 

understanding the bike and 

data as much as possible. He 

started off on the racebike used 

by Mika Kallio over the race 

weekend, after the team decided 

to keep Pol’s bike, which Brad 

was originally going to use, with 

Pol’s race setup so he could test 

it back-to-back against the new 

“Dani Pedrosa” spec 2020 bike 

as they called it. 

For the rest of the day Brad 

went in and out of pits, riding 

on his own to try get as much 

feeling as possible without 

trying to follow someone else. 

His times improved with every 

passing lap early on with the 

soft Michelin tyres, before 

switching to the harder tyre to 

help churn out as many laps as 

possible. Brad spent a lot of time 

in the pits, analyzing data and 

comparing it to Pol’s and Dani’s 

before heading out and trying 

new things. 

Towards the end of the day, 

once he felt more comfortable 

on the bike, Brad would try and 

tag onto Pol and did so for a 

lap and a bit before running off 

heading into the tough turn 10, 

which had already caught out 

fellow rookie rider Alex Marquez, 

Honda test rider Stefan Bradl 

and fast Frenchman Fabio 

Quatararo earlier on. Brad would 

also land up crashing out there, 

but on day two. 

Brad posted his fastest 

lap of the day earlier on when 

he managed to get a tow 

from another KTM rookie, Iker 

Lacuona, on the Tech 3 KTM. 

Iker had just completed the 

race weekend as a rookie and 

surprised all with his pace, 

including Brad. 

Brad ended the first day 

in 21st place with a time of a 

1,32.645, putting him 2.482 

seconds behind the fastest time 

set by Fabio. Brad completed 

over 70 laps, spending over an 

hour and twenty minutes in the 

saddle of his new machine. That 

is a lot of riding and big pressure 

on the body. By the time Brad had 

finished with his team de-brief, 

satisfied all the media requests 

it was 7pm and I finally got the 

chance to sit down and have 

a chat with him about his first 

day. You can go watch the full 

video interview on the RideFast 

Magazine YouTube channel – it’s 

well worth a watch. 

Watching Brad out on track 

and I could see him getting more 

and more comfortable with 

every passing lap. Getting to full 

gas early looked like his main 

problem, trusting the electronics 

will take some getting used to 

for sure. Corner speed and lean 

angle looked really impressive, it 

really was a case of not getting 

out as fast, that’s where he 

was losing all of his time. This 

was made more evident with 

his top speeds, which were 

down compared to most. On the 

brakes he was solid, although 

he did run off a fair few times. 

Watching him I think this was 

more down to the fact that the 

electronics would not let him 

slide the rear into the turns 

like he had done throughout 

his Moto2 career. Brad likes 

to attack the corners with the 

rear hanging out, squaring up 

the corner flat tack style. This 

helps him scrub off speed while 

keeping the front wheel as 

upright as possible so it doesn’t 

fold, while the rear pretty much 

steers the bike into the turns. 

Not being able to do this as 

pronounced as before will take 

some getting used to and he 

knows that he has to adapt his 

riding style to the MotoGP bike. 

Brad knows he has a lot 

of work to do and his aim for 

testing is to do as much as 

possible and learn with every 

passing lap. For now, lap times 

are not the main priority, but 

rather getting to grips with the 

bike and tyres. He has a very 

mature head on his shoulders 

and knows what is needed to 

get the job done to the best 

of his ability and with a great 

team-mate like Pol, and with 

Dani’s experience and expertise 

plus all the funding and tech 

available from KTM, I have no 

doubt that Brad will put in some 

great performances next year. 

Yes, he is not going to be at the 

front at every race, but I can see 

some solid rides coming from 

our champ and the main aim will 

be that rookie of the year title 

for sure. 

Brad went on to improve 

his time on day two, ending the 

test in 23rd place overall with a 

fastest time of 1,32.3, and if you 

consider that’s what most of 

the riders were racing at on the 

Brad getting to grips with the KTM MotoGP bike. 

Sunday, that’s good going after 

only 150 plus laps in the saddle. 

Speaking to Pol after the first 

days test having sampled the 

“Pedrosa” bike, he said there are 

huge gains and the new spec 

bike feels a lot more responsive 

in the handling and electronics 

department. For now, Brad 

will spend most of his time on 

the old spec bike until KTM are 

happy with the new spec and 

have enough parts to build 

atleast 1 machine for each rider. 

After the Valencia test Brad 

set off to Jerez for another two 

days of testing. We covered day 

one of this test earlier on in this 

issue and couldn’t get day two 

in as we had to send the mag to 

the printers. 

Whatever happens, these 

are exciting times for not only 

Brad but for all SA fans and the 

MotoGP class. 

Pic by GP Fever.de 


BSB Bike 

Show 

Business 

Mat Durrans is a very well known name in the South African motorcycle 

game and is one of the two ugly faces you will see on the weekly “The Bike 

Show” program featured on Ignition TV. We have managed to convince Mat to 

take time out of his busy schedule to supply us with a monthly column. 

A350 

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A010 

Eicma Promises Naked Glory 

I am a naked sport bike fan. 

Always have been, and I’ve 

no doubt I always will be. 

Essentially I’m a sport bike fan 

who wants it all, and that means 

I’ll always take a naked superbike 

over a full-on race replica. 

Sure, if you are actually racing, 

or your ultimate enjoyment 

boils down to going absolutely 

as quickly as you possibly 

can around a race track, then 

a superbike with its clip-on 

handlebar and full-fairing is the 

way to go. But, if you want to use 

the bike for anything other than 

those occasional fast laps then 

I reckon you’re better off with a 

naked version of that superbike. 

Even at a trackday I’d rather 

ride the naked version of a 

superbike than the actual 

superbike. My lap times would 

of course suffer, but not by 

much, and not by enough that I 

wouldn’t still be embarrassing a 

few genuine superbikes. Getting 

the better of someone on a 

supposedly more focussed bike 

will always raise your spirits, and 

playing the underdog means less 

pressure and more pleasure. 

The first bike I owned on this 

path to sporting enlightenment 

is a bike I would love to have 

in my garage once again. It’s a 

modern classic, the first bike 

to provide a naked version of 

its superbike-self without any 

dilution of power or chassis. 

The Aprilia RSV Tuono Factory of 

2003 was smothered in carbonfibre, 

had the same brutal 

engine (still one of the best ever 

V-twins for low rpm grunt) as 

the RSV Mille R and a chassis 

that was every bit the equal of its 

superbike stablemate’s. 

I get a lump in my throat and 

a tear in the corner of my eye 

thinking about it now, it may be 

the first bike I well and truly fell 

in love with. If you ever stumble 

across one (in black) that’s still 

immaculate, let me know. I 

want it. 

Another model that tugged 

at my heart strings in much the 

same way was Triumph’s 675cc 

Street Triple R. I’ve had two of 

them, and I’ll gladly tell anyone 

willing to listen that it’s probably 

the best bike that the modern 

incarnation of Triumph has made 

to date. 

I currently own another naked 

sport bike in the shape of a 2016 

BMW S 1000 R, and I love the 

fact that it delivers superbike 

levels of sophistication with its 

extensive electronics and track 

capable chassis. I respect this 

bike, but I don’t love it. In-line 

four-cylinder bikes inherently 

have less character than 

V-format engines, or even than 

in-line units with less cylinders, 

like the Street Triple. 

And there’s the annoying 

fact that the full performance 

of the 198 horsepower engine 

from the S 1000 RR has been 

retuned (actually marketing 

speak for ‘emasculated’) by a 

whopping 40 ponies for the S 

1000 R. Admittedly 158hp means 

it’s still spectacularly rapid, but 

I can’t help imagining – and all 

too often – what it could feel like 

with all that goodness restored 

to an engine and chassis that are 

already patently up to the job. 

That’s why I’ll never truly love 

this bike. 

That and the fact that I’ve 

already found a new love. This 

love will unfortunately remain 

unrequited for some time to 

come, given the performance 

gap between its price and the 

width of my wallet. Having spent 

a couple of days wandering 

the halls of Milan’s EICMA expo 

at the beginning of November 

I find myself nothing short of 

obsessed. 

I’ve never wanted a new bike 

so much before, and I haven’t 

even ridden it yet. It surely won’t 

be too long before that first ride 

happens, but I can’t see it being 

a disappointment. The Ducati 

Streetfighter V4 represents 

everything I look for in a bike. 

Undiluted superbike engine 

performance, circuit-ready 

chassis, good looks and no 

compromise to practicality other 

than the higher handlebar. 

Given the traditional 

indifference of South African 

bikers towards the naked 

superbike I may be shouting into 

the wind, but for the sake of a 

few enlightened kindred spirits 

let me say that there has never 

been a better time to be into 

bikes like these. 

EICMA also witnessed the 

unveiling of a naked H2, meaning 

Kawasaki’s admirably bonkers 

supercharged flagship now 

becomes part of the naked Z 

line-up. MV Agusta showcased 

a new 1000cc Brutale RR that, 

like the Ducati, pushes well past 

the 200 horsepower mark (the 

Kawasaki generates a puny 

197hp) and features components 

that would put many ‘ordinary’ 

superbikes to shame. 

There’s an updated KTM 1290 

Super Duke R and a completely 

new 890 Duke if 119hp seems 

more civilised than 180hp. 

If you want power with the 

sort of exclusivity even MV 

Agusta and Ducati can’t offer 

then there’s the tantalising 

prospect of a revived Bimota 

Tesi-inspired naked bike with 

Kawasaki’s H2 engine providing 

the power. 

2020 is set to be the year 

of the naked bike, and if that 

thought doesn’t excite you, 

you’re reading the wrong 

magazine. 

Francesco 

BAGNAIA 

2018 MOTO2 WORLD CHAMPION 

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