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ISSUE <strong>33</strong><br />
Watch it all on our<br />
YouTube Channel<br />
Two<br />
WHEELIE<br />
Cool Bikes<br />
NEW YAMAHA XSR900 & INDIAN FTR1200 R CARBON<br />
MOTOGP<br />
2024 SILLY SEASON<br />
TECH TALK THE DUCATI WAY<br />
SA RACING MRSSA KYALAMI
EDITOR’S NOTE<br />
CONTRIBUTORS<br />
Shaun Portman<br />
Beam Productions<br />
Adam Child “Chad”<br />
Sheridan Morais<br />
Hello <strong>MRW</strong> fans and welcome to issue <strong>33</strong><br />
of SA’s only motorcycle magazine. We have<br />
another great issue ahead for you to enjoy<br />
packed with reviews, all the latest news, and<br />
features from the wonderful world of MotoGP<br />
and World SBK.<br />
Headline topics are once again from the<br />
MotoGP paddock where the silly season is<br />
in full force. So many big question marks up<br />
in the air - Marc Marquez to leave Honda?<br />
Where does he go if he does? Franco<br />
Morbidelli to VR46 Ducati or Gresini Ducati?<br />
Alex Rins to Monster Energy Yamaha? Joan<br />
Mir to quit Repsol Honda? Pedro Acosta?...<br />
I get asked these questions all the time and<br />
honestly, I don’t know the answer. I think<br />
the relationship between Honda and Marc<br />
is gone and neither party are good for the<br />
other. Honda needs a fresh approach and<br />
needs to focus on a more long-term solution,<br />
like Pedro Acosta, rather than Marc who is in<br />
a rush and needs results now. Honda can’t<br />
give that to Marc so for his own sanity and his<br />
career he needs to move on, and quick. The<br />
problem is, where does he go? There are no<br />
options out there for him in MotoGP at the<br />
minute, other than staying at Honda for the<br />
remaining year on his contract, which again is<br />
not ideal for both. Honestly, I am so intrigued<br />
to see what happens with this story as it will<br />
no doubt shock the world.<br />
So much to digest and for sure big talking<br />
points which I address in our Talking MotoGP<br />
show, which you can find on our YouTube<br />
channel. With the summer break upon us<br />
it’s time to catch up on all the household<br />
chores the wife, or hubby, has been hassling<br />
you to do. But don’t worry. It’s not all doom<br />
and gloom. We are here to keep you as<br />
entertained as possible so keep an eye<br />
out on our Facebook page, Instagram, and<br />
YouTube channel for exclusive quality content<br />
from rider interviews to special guests on our<br />
Talking MotoGP show.<br />
I’ve just come back from my first visit to the<br />
famous Donington Park circuit here in the UK<br />
and I can 100% confirm it’s one of the most<br />
magical places I have ever been to in my life.<br />
As a fan growing up Donington Park was<br />
my favourite circuit to watch on TV. So many<br />
great races by icons of the sport. Watching<br />
World SBK there and the likes of Alvaro,<br />
Toprak, and Rea in action was a real treat.<br />
One of the best fan-friendly circuits I have<br />
visited to date for sure.<br />
Stay tuned to the <strong>MRW</strong> YouTube channel<br />
for the Bautista and Aegerter interviews I did<br />
over the race weekend.<br />
Cheers for now.<br />
Rob Portman<br />
CONTACT<br />
DETAILS<br />
EDITOR/OWNER<br />
Rob Portman<br />
082 782 8240<br />
rob@motoriderworld.com<br />
ANYTHING & EVERYTHING<br />
Shaun Portman<br />
072 260 9525<br />
shaun@motoriderworld.com<br />
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NEWS DESK<br />
Buell Freedom<br />
Edition Hammerhead<br />
Back in 1983, somewhere in Grand Rapids,<br />
Michigan, a new motorcycle company was<br />
born. Spawned from the mind of former<br />
Harley-Davidson engineer Erik Buell,<br />
the company adopted the man’s name,<br />
and went on to live a pretty complicated<br />
existence to our time.<br />
Somehow, the small company survived<br />
everything, and this year it is celebrating<br />
its 40th anniversary. It does so with a<br />
lineup of five distinct models, namely<br />
the Hammerhead 1190, 1190SX, Super<br />
Cruiser, Supertouring, and the Baja Dune<br />
Racer.
NEWS DESK<br />
Of all five bikes, the Hammerhead is perhaps the<br />
most important, and that’s why it was probably<br />
chosen by the company to be the base for a<br />
special edition version meant to celebrate both<br />
the anniversary and the “lifeblood of American<br />
freedom.”<br />
The model is officially called Freedom Edition<br />
Hammerhead 1190, and the main (and only)<br />
thing that sets it apart from its siblings is the paint<br />
scheme.<br />
Normally, the Hammerhead 1190 can be had in<br />
a variety of color schemes, binding together in<br />
various shapes grey, yellow, white, and red. The<br />
Freedom Edition however goes all in to celebrate<br />
the colors of the American flag, red, white and<br />
blue, but also the stars that dot it.<br />
The colors are skillfully applied directly on the<br />
bike’s carbon fiber bodywork, and can be seen<br />
almost everywhere, from the fairing up front to<br />
the fender at the rear. I said “skillfully” because<br />
this has got to be the most interesting use of the<br />
Stars and Stripes colors and design I’ve seen on a<br />
motorcycle.<br />
Underneath all that patriot guise however, the<br />
same Hammerhead 1190 can be had. The bike<br />
is powered by a liquid-cooled V-Twin engine<br />
72.6ci (1,190cc) in displacement. The powerplant<br />
develops 185 hp at 10,600 rpm and almost 138<br />
Nm of torque at 8,200 rpm.<br />
The two-wheeler is supported by an aluminum<br />
frame with an integrated fuel tank. Showa<br />
supplied the suspension hardware (inverted fork<br />
at the front and single shock at the rear).<br />
In normal configuration, the cheapest<br />
Hammerhead 1190 there is starts at $19,995, and<br />
can reach up to $25,995 fully loaded. Naturally,<br />
the Freedom Edition is a tad more expensive.<br />
As is, customers can have a 2023 Buell Freedom<br />
Edition Hammerhead 1190 from R525,000<br />
($24,990). Provided some enhancements and<br />
customizations are made, that price jumps to at<br />
least R565,000 ($26,775).<br />
Buell says the new iteration of the Hammerhead<br />
will become available on July 1, shortly before<br />
the U.S. celebrates its Independence Day. It’s<br />
unclear how many of them will be made, but we<br />
are informed the first 40 of them will be offered<br />
with a special four-year warranty. Additionally, the<br />
underside of the bikes will be signed by the Buell<br />
factory team.
NEWS DESK<br />
There Are Now One Million<br />
Boxer-Engined BMW GS<br />
Motorcycles in the World<br />
Exactly a century ago, in 1923, another<br />
motorcycle maker officially became a<br />
company: BMW Motorrad. Born in a<br />
country known for its passion for motorized<br />
vehicles, the brand is now the only German<br />
bike maker that matters in this world.<br />
Given how Motorrad is celebrating its<br />
centenary this year, all eyes are on BMW<br />
to see what else it is up to to mark the<br />
occasion. And BMW seems eager not to<br />
disappoint, as somehow it managed to<br />
reach an important production milestone<br />
right when it needed to.<br />
Earlier this week, BMW Motorrad<br />
announced the production of a BMW R<br />
1250 GS in Triple Black Style. Rolling off<br />
the production lines at the company’s<br />
facility in Berlin-Spandau, this particular<br />
bike will go down in history as the onemillionth<br />
Bavarian two-wheeler of the GS<br />
family to be powered by a boxer engine.<br />
The GS breed was born in the 1980s as a<br />
“new motorcycle genre of touring enduros.”<br />
It all started with the R 80 G/S, and then<br />
the breed quickly grew to become one of<br />
the most successful models in its class,<br />
or, as BMW itself says, “the most soughtafter<br />
touring enduros in the world to this<br />
day.” And this week’s achievement is an<br />
important testimony to that.<br />
The GS saga will continue, of course,<br />
and at the end of September, while it still<br />
has reason to celebrate its anniversary,<br />
BMW will reveal the latest addition to the<br />
family, the R 1300 GS. The Germans will<br />
pair the unveiling with the opening of the<br />
new BMW Motorrad Welt museum in the<br />
country’s capital.<br />
The opening takes place on September<br />
28, during a special exclusive event, but<br />
two days later the place will be open to all<br />
visitors as well.<br />
Before that happens though, the German<br />
bike maker will be hosting the BMW<br />
Motorrad Days in the Messe Berlin<br />
Summer Garden. Scheduled to take place<br />
on the weekend of July 7, it is a gathering<br />
expected to draw in thousands of people.<br />
Back to the BMW GS line, until the new R<br />
1250 GS gets here customers still have a<br />
wide choice of models to go for. Included<br />
in the Adventure range the bike maker<br />
is now selling, no less than eight models<br />
(six for the American market) take center<br />
stage, from the G 310 GS to the R 2150 GS<br />
Adventure. Two special edition models, the<br />
R 1250 GS Adventure - Edition 40 Years GS<br />
and R 1250 GS - Edition 40 Years GS are<br />
also on the table.
NEWS DESK<br />
are instantly recognisable thanks to their<br />
timeless Triumph silhouettes, signature<br />
sculpted fuel tanks and classic engine<br />
profiles and have been designed to deliver<br />
all of the quality, feel and presence of their<br />
larger capacity stablemates.<br />
Traditional touches, like the distinctive<br />
finned cylinder head and traditional exhaust<br />
header clamps combine with contemporary<br />
details like the upswept silencer, bold<br />
graphics and sensitively-incorporated<br />
technology, such as concealed liquidcooling<br />
and a flowing exhaust run with<br />
hidden primary silencer. All combining to<br />
deliver that unmistakeable Triumph modern<br />
classic style.<br />
The high-quality finish and elegant detailing<br />
continues with the trademark black<br />
powder-coated engine casings, tough gold<br />
anodised forks, high-quality paint and logo<br />
detailing which ensure the finish on these<br />
new models is premium throughout.<br />
The Speed 400’s two-tone paint schemes,<br />
each featuring a prominent Triumph tank<br />
graphic, reflect its dynamic roadster style,<br />
with Carnival Red, Caspian Blue and<br />
Phantom Black colours available.<br />
Accentuating the Scrambler 400 X’s allroad<br />
attitude are lots of purposeful and<br />
practical features, including protection for<br />
the headlight, radiator and sump, as well as<br />
handguards, a handlebar brace with pad<br />
and a longer front mudguard.<br />
The Scrambler 400 X is available in three<br />
stylish and contemporary colour schemes,<br />
Triumph release new Speed<br />
400 and Scrambler 400X<br />
The Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X: two<br />
all-new models joining the Triumph range<br />
in 2024. Born into a peerless bloodline,<br />
the Speed 400 roadster joins Triumph’s<br />
most successful modern classic line-up,<br />
the Speed Twin 900 and 1200 while the<br />
Scrambler 400 X takes its rugged design<br />
cues from the Scrambler 900 and 1200,<br />
with an off-road pedigree that goes back to<br />
the first factory Scramblers of the 1950s.<br />
Designed from the ground-up with a brandnew<br />
single engine platform at their heart,<br />
these new models are designed to deliver a<br />
fun, agile and confidence-inspiring ride for<br />
riders of all ages and experience levels.<br />
Together, with class-leading capability,<br />
rider-focused technology and categoryleading<br />
quality and detail, and with a<br />
high level of standard specification, long<br />
service intervals and a comprehensive<br />
warranty, these accessible new models<br />
represent incredible value for money and<br />
bring Triumph’s iconic style, quality and<br />
performance to a whole new generation of<br />
Triumph riders.<br />
Conceived and designed in Hinckley, UK,<br />
these two new additions to the modern<br />
classics line-up have been developed with<br />
the same exacting attention to detail as<br />
Triumph’s most celebrated models. They
NEWS DESK<br />
each featuring Triumph’s distinctive<br />
‘Scrambler’ tank stripe and triangle badge,<br />
with Matt Khaki Green and Fusion White,<br />
Carnival Red and Phantom Black, plus<br />
Phantom Black and Silver Ice options.<br />
THE ALL-NEW TR-SERIES ENGINE<br />
Named to celebrate the historic Triumph<br />
‘Trophy’ bloodline, whose roots can be<br />
traced back to the racing singles of the<br />
early twentieth century, and in particular<br />
Six Day Trial offroad competition. This allnew<br />
fuel-injected and liquid-cooled 398cc<br />
single-cylinder engine combines Triumph’s<br />
trademark modern classic style with state-ofthe-art<br />
engineering to deliver class-beating<br />
performance with a responsive, fun and<br />
characterful power delivery along with an<br />
evocative, rich and distinctive exhaust note.<br />
Technical highlights include a four-valve,<br />
DOHC cylinder head and a crankshaft<br />
that has been perfectly weighted and<br />
balanced to optimise inertia for low-speed<br />
rideability. A finger-follower valvetrain with a<br />
low reciprocating mass and DLC coatings<br />
that reduce friction also contribute to this<br />
free-revving yet tractable engine’s capacitydefying<br />
performance.<br />
The six-speed gearbox delivers light,<br />
precise gear selection with ratios<br />
perfectly spread to make the most of this<br />
characterful and torque-rich engine.<br />
For more information on the new 400s and<br />
the full range of Triumph motorcycles email<br />
info@triumphbikes.co.za
NEWS DESK<br />
2024 MotoGP silly season:<br />
what we know so far<br />
As we enter the summer break, MotoGP<br />
silly season for the 2024 campaign is alive<br />
and kicking. So, motogp.com decided to<br />
break down what we already know – and<br />
what could potentially happen in the rider<br />
market over the coming weeks and months.<br />
was the much-talked-about destination<br />
for the Spaniard, but those rumours have<br />
significantly cooled in the last couple of<br />
months. Now though, Martin has pretty<br />
much extinguished any conversation about<br />
him moving away from Ducati.<br />
WHAT WE KNOW:<br />
Let’s start with the easy stuff – who’s<br />
going nowhere in 2024? Reigning World<br />
Champion Francesco Bagnaia will be<br />
riding a Ducati Lenovo Team-painted<br />
Desmosedici next season, with Aprilia<br />
Racing’s factory line-up of Aleix Espargaro<br />
and Maverick Viñales also unchanged.<br />
The same goes for Red Bull KTM Factory<br />
Racing, they’ll be lining up with Brad Binder<br />
and Jack Miller, while Fabio Quartararo<br />
will remain as a Monster Energy Yamaha<br />
MotoGP rider.<br />
Now, we’ll take a factory-by-factory look at<br />
what’s the latest in the 2024 rumour mill.<br />
DUCATI:<br />
We know that Enea Bastianini (Ducati<br />
Lenovo Team) has a 2024 contract in place<br />
with Ducati, but not directly with the factory<br />
team. That being said, it would be a huge<br />
shock to see ‘The Beast’ not racing in<br />
Bologna red alongside Pecco next season.<br />
Earlier on in the year, Jorge Martin (Prima<br />
Pramac Racing) had been strongly linked<br />
with a move away from Ducati. Yamaha<br />
There’s a question mark over Martin’s<br />
current teammate Johann Zarco. The<br />
Frenchman doesn’t currently have a 2024<br />
MotoGP contract, so he’s a name that<br />
could potentially leave. The same goes<br />
for premier class sophomore Fabio Di<br />
Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP),<br />
with fellow Gresini star Alex Marquez also<br />
not currently signed up to Ducati for 2024 –<br />
but there’s a reason for that.<br />
Gresini Racing MotoGP aren’t yet<br />
confirmed to be racing Ducatis in 2024,<br />
but Ducati Corse Sporting Director Paolo<br />
Ciabatti hinted that Gresini looks set to<br />
continue being an Independent Ducati<br />
Team. Once that is 100% confirmed by<br />
both Ducati and Gresini, rider news should<br />
follow shortly after.<br />
One name that has been heavily linked<br />
to Gresini is current Moto2 World<br />
Championship leader Tony Arbolino (Elf<br />
Marc VDS Racing Team). “I would love to<br />
be there… I will sit and see in July, a long<br />
summer break,” said Arbolino ahead of<br />
the Italian GP. His personal manager, Carlo<br />
Pernat, is closely linked with Gresini, with<br />
the wise Italian also Bastianini’s manager.<br />
Then we come to Mooney VR46 Racing<br />
Team’s Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini.<br />
The latter looks like it’s all but confirmed<br />
that he’ll be staying in VR46 black and<br />
yellow in 2024, but in recent weeks, talk of<br />
title-chasing Bezzecchi moving elsewhere<br />
in the Ducati family have gathered a bit of<br />
pace.<br />
YAMAHA:<br />
We come to Yamaha next because if<br />
Bezzecchi was to move out of the Mooney<br />
VR46 squad, then Franco Morbidelli’s<br />
(Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP)<br />
name has been mentioned as a possible<br />
replacement. It would make sense.<br />
Morbidelli is part of the closely knit VR46<br />
Academy and if there’s an open seat,<br />
Valentino Rossi and co would obviously<br />
welcome Morbidelli with open arms.<br />
If Bezzecchi stays put, though, then<br />
the options for Morbidelli aren’t as<br />
straightforward. When pressed about his<br />
future at the Italian GP, the 2020 MotoGP<br />
runner-up said “WHO SAYS I WANT<br />
ANOTHER YEAR AT YAMAHA?”<br />
Once Toprak Razgatlioglu had confirmed<br />
he’d be switching to BMW in WorldSBK,<br />
Morbidelli signing up for another year<br />
with Yamaha naturally became a stronger<br />
possibility. However, that interview raised<br />
plenty of questions about Morbidelli even<br />
wanting to stay at Yamaha.
NEWS DESK<br />
Yamaha obviously have a decision to make.<br />
Speaking to motogp.com back in Austin,<br />
Yamaha’s Lin Jarvis said their “number one<br />
choice” would be Morbidelli. Jarvis also<br />
said, “All of these type of considerations,<br />
really, happen at the end of the first half<br />
of the season. Then we need to know, he<br />
needs to know, everyone needs to know for<br />
their planning for next year.”<br />
The end of the first half of the season has<br />
arrived, so Morbidelli is one of the big<br />
names to keep an eye on.<br />
KTM/GASGAS:<br />
As we’ve already discussed, the factory<br />
team are set. Binder and Miller aren’t going<br />
anywhere, so that means it’s all eyes on<br />
GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3.<br />
One name in particular has given the KTM<br />
and GASGAS hierarchy some headaches:<br />
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Acosta<br />
and his camp have made it clear that<br />
Moto2 “isn’t an option” for 2024, and<br />
it’s well documented that the deadline for<br />
KTM to offer Acosta a MotoGP seat is<br />
June 30th. The ball is firmly in KTM’s court<br />
on this one. Acosta will be moving to the<br />
premier class in 2024, but will it be with the<br />
KTM family?<br />
With Pol Espargaro having a contract for<br />
2024, it’s unlikely we’ll see the #44 – who<br />
hasn’t raced so far in 2023 due to the<br />
injuries he sustained in Portimao – not<br />
dressed in GASGAS Tech3 red again next<br />
year. That, then, more than likely leaves one<br />
seat for Acosta to fill if KTM decide to keep<br />
the Spanish starlet – and that’s the one<br />
currently occupied by reigning Moto2<br />
World Champion Augusto Fernandez.<br />
Fernandez has been impressive in his<br />
rookie premier class campaign, with the<br />
highlight coming with a superb P4 at the<br />
French GP. This is where KTM’s very tough<br />
decision comes into play. Do they risk<br />
losing Acosta to a rival manufacturer and<br />
keep Fernandez, or do they opt to bring<br />
Acosta into MotoGP and decide to let<br />
Fernandez go? It won’t be long before we<br />
know the answer.<br />
HONDA:<br />
The obvious, main topic of conversation<br />
when it comes to Honda is Marc Marquez’s<br />
situation. The eight-time World Champion<br />
has a contract with HRC for 2024, but after<br />
what’s unfolded in recent weeks – most<br />
notably the five crashes in Germany and<br />
subsequent injuries – the #93’s future isn’t<br />
certain.<br />
As Repsol Honda Team Manager Alberto<br />
Puig admits, Honda are in a “really bad”<br />
situation with their RC213V. That’s led to<br />
Marquez being in one of his “most difficult<br />
professional moments.” The summer break<br />
feels like a crucial five weeks for Marquez<br />
and Honda’s future. If a premature break<br />
up was to happen, and that’s a big if, the<br />
2024 silly season would rev into overdrive.<br />
Marquez leaving Honda before the end of<br />
2024 is a highly complex avenue. But it’s<br />
not an impossible one.
NEWS DESK<br />
Elsewhere, Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team)<br />
and Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) do<br />
have Honda contracts for 2024. With both<br />
Spaniards sustaining injuries at the Italian<br />
GP, we’ve not had the chance to quiz them<br />
about where they currently sit in the 2024<br />
jigsaw puzzle, but it would be a surprise<br />
to see either not riding at their current<br />
respective teams next season.<br />
Then we come to Takaaki Nakagami (LCR<br />
Honda Idemitsu). The Japanese rider’s<br />
HRC contract is up at the end of 2023, so<br />
Nakagami is one of the riders we might<br />
not see on the grid in 2024. Ai Ogura<br />
(Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) is the standout<br />
candidate for that seat, but has the<br />
Japanese rider’s serious wrist injury that<br />
has plighted his 2023 Moto2 campaign<br />
put a move to MotoGP in 2024 on hold?<br />
Possibly. Does Ogura also feel like moving<br />
to Honda – after his injury woes and given<br />
the factory’s current situation – in 2024?<br />
We don’t know the answer to that yet. An<br />
interesting decision lies ahead of Honda<br />
here.<br />
APRILIA:<br />
As mentioned, Aleix Espargaro and Viñales<br />
will spearhead the Noale factory’s efforts<br />
in 2024. Therefore, we turn our attention to<br />
CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team’s Miguel<br />
Oliveira and Raul Fernandez.<br />
Earlier this season, speaking at Aprilia’s<br />
All Star event in Misano, Aprilia Racing<br />
CEO Massimo Rivola shut down any talk of<br />
tweaks to their rider line-up being made for<br />
2024. Both riders penned two-year deals,<br />
so it doesn’t look like anything will change<br />
at RNF next season.<br />
With the summer break here, we’re going<br />
to begin to find out where some of the<br />
riders in question will be racing in 2024 and<br />
beyond. Keep your eyes peeled!
NEWS DESK<br />
Carlos Ezpeleta<br />
reveals 2024 plans for<br />
Concessions and more<br />
Ahead of the annual MotoGP summer<br />
break, Dorna Sports Chief Sporting<br />
Officer Carlos Ezpeleta has been chatting<br />
with Catalunya Radio about a number of<br />
interesting topics. Most notably, potential<br />
plans for Honda and Yamaha to receive<br />
Concessions.<br />
“We are working on being able to help, not<br />
only Honda, but also Yamaha, so that they<br />
can be competitive again in a faster way,”<br />
said Ezpeleta.<br />
“Honda and Yamaha were very considerate<br />
with the concession rules in the past, and<br />
that was vital for Ducati to be competitive<br />
and also for Suzuki to be competitive so<br />
quickly, and for KTM and Aprilia to officially<br />
enter the World Championship and be<br />
competitive as well. Dorna’s official position<br />
is that the concessions system should be<br />
updated,” continued Ezpeleta.<br />
Ezpeleta also explains that having more<br />
than 22 bikes – the current allocation – on<br />
the grid next year “isn’t planned”, and what<br />
that means for Marc Marquez’s Repsol<br />
Honda Team future. In addition, Ezpeleta<br />
touched on the potential of a Friday<br />
Free Practice MotoGP session being<br />
introduced into the weekend schedule.
NEWS DESK<br />
Pirelli to become exclusive tyre<br />
supplier to Moto2 & Moto3<br />
Pirelli will become the official, exclusive tyre<br />
supplier to the Moto2 and Moto3 classes<br />
from 2024 to 2026 inclusive. This new threeyear<br />
agreement, currently being finalised,<br />
will see the Italian tyre marque become<br />
an integral part of the lightweight and<br />
intermediate classes of Grand Prix racing.<br />
Pirelli already has a long legacy as the<br />
sole supplier for all classes of the MOTUL<br />
FIM Superbike World Championship and<br />
now extends their two-wheeled portfolio to<br />
include Moto2 and Moto3, the strongest<br />
feeder classes in global motorsport. Pirelli<br />
will supply their DIABLO Superbike slick<br />
tyres to both classes, reflecting a choice in<br />
line with Pirelli’s philosophy ‘We sell what<br />
we race, we race what we sell’.<br />
Thanks to this agreement, Moto2 and<br />
Moto3 will become an important driver<br />
for the further enhancement of the Pirelli<br />
brand in terms of both commercial growth<br />
and technological development. The<br />
MotoGP paddock offers the best racing<br />
laboratory on two wheels, ensuring the<br />
sport continues to drive innovation in safety,<br />
performance and sustainability that reaches<br />
real customers on the street.<br />
The deal also extends across the Road to<br />
MotoGP as Pirelli become the official<br />
and sole tyre supplier for all classes of<br />
the Finetwork FIM JuniorGP World<br />
Championship, the Idemitsu Asia Talent<br />
Cup, the Northern Talent Cup and the Red<br />
Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, joining their<br />
established commitment to the FIM MiniGP<br />
World Series. Unrivalled in motorsport,<br />
the Road to MotoGP is a global talent<br />
promotion initiative opening doors and<br />
widening access to motorcycle racing<br />
across the world.<br />
Further details on the supply and type of<br />
tyres that will be used will be disclosed in<br />
due course.<br />
Aldo Nicotera, Senior Vice-President and<br />
Head of Moto and Cycling Pirelli: “We<br />
are proud that Dorna has chosen us to<br />
become the new Moto2 and Moto3 supplier<br />
for the next three seasons. This is further<br />
recognition of our authority in motorsport<br />
and also a clear sign of appreciation for<br />
the work we have been carrying out in the<br />
Superbike World Championship for 20<br />
years. With this new supply agreement,<br />
we will accompany the young hopefuls<br />
of motorcycling to the top competitions,<br />
WorldSBK and MotoGP. And, faithful to the<br />
philosophy that has distinguished us for<br />
years, we will do so by continuing to use<br />
standard products on sale in the market and<br />
available for purchase to all motorcyclists.”<br />
Carlos Ezpeleta, Chief Sporting Officer,<br />
Dorna Sports: “We’re super happy to<br />
welcome Pirelli to the paddock as the sole<br />
tyre supplier for Moto2 and Moto3. These<br />
Championships are the best example in<br />
motorsport of strong feeder classes that<br />
also stand alone as high-level competitions,<br />
in terms of both their sporting and<br />
commercial value. So we’re very happy<br />
to have seen such a high level of interest<br />
from Pirelli and to reach this agreement.<br />
Welcoming a new partner also underlines<br />
our sport’s strong connections and<br />
relationships with the industry, and we’re<br />
very much looking forward to working with<br />
Pirelli across a number of areas, including<br />
performance, road-relevance and, of<br />
course, sustainability.”<br />
Dorna Sports would also like to thank<br />
Dunlop, exclusive supplier to the Moto2<br />
and Moto3 classes since their inception,<br />
and the most successful tyre brand of the<br />
previous era of 125cc and 250cc racing, for<br />
their loyal and outstanding collaboration up<br />
until and including 2023.
NEWS DESK<br />
Iannone linked with Barni<br />
Spark Ducati? “He is a great<br />
talent… never say never!”<br />
After stating his own claim to be on the<br />
grid in 2024 back at Misano, could Iannone<br />
have found a home to go to for his return to<br />
racing?<br />
We’re halfway there in the 2023 MOTUL FIM<br />
Superbike World Championship; six rounds<br />
down and six waiting in anger. As is always<br />
the case, the rider market for the following<br />
year is always active and looking to 2024,<br />
that’s no different. However, it’s not just from<br />
riders who are on the grid or are looking to<br />
move from other paddocks, its riders wanting<br />
to return to the sport as a whole.<br />
MORE THAN A RUMOUR: could ‘The<br />
Maniac’ cause the craziest jolt in the rider<br />
market?<br />
Andrea Iannone has been one of the names<br />
banded around the WorldSBK paddock for<br />
a few rounds now and was actually seen at<br />
the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”<br />
in May for the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna<br />
Round. There, he stated his aim to be on the<br />
WorldSBK grid for 2024 and that he enjoyed<br />
his experience within the paddock, even if<br />
it was as a guest for the time being. Now,<br />
after the Prosecco DOC UK Round, Marco<br />
Barnabo has said “never say never” on the<br />
possibility that ‘The Maniac’ joins up with his<br />
Barni Spark Racing Team.<br />
Speaking about the possibility of Andrea<br />
Iannone coming to join the WorldSBK<br />
paddock and potentially doing so with his<br />
team, Marco Barnabo said: “He is a great<br />
talent rider and I am sure he could be really<br />
good in this Championship. However, now<br />
my focus is on the work with Danilo. So, as<br />
the project is not well defined and until we<br />
start getting the results we set, I don’t know<br />
if we’ll be able to do something more of this.<br />
Never say never!”<br />
It comes after current rider Danilo Petrucci, in<br />
his Saturday afternoon debrief at Donington<br />
Park, responded to a question about Iannone<br />
being his potential teammate in a two-bike<br />
Barni Ducati line-up, as well as his good<br />
friendship with his ex-MotoGP rival: “He’s<br />
already texted me! We were texting just five<br />
minutes ago. He said ‘I wish I can be there<br />
next year’; it would be fun! It’s not my job this<br />
time for sure! Jokes apart, Andrea is a really<br />
a good talent. I would like to see him in this<br />
Championship. It would be a good step.”<br />
BARNI BACK ON THE BOX: “We never<br />
gave up in these five years”<br />
It was an emotional return to the podium for<br />
the team, with Marco Barnabo elated at the<br />
good turn in fortune for the team in 2023<br />
after a difficult period of time: “The project<br />
with Petrucci started a while ago. I tried for<br />
several years to bring him back with me after<br />
2011. Clearly, he had great opportunities<br />
but we always kept in contact, we trust each<br />
other and we’re friends. When this chance<br />
emerged, we took it.<br />
“I am very happy; we worked a lot on the<br />
bike as it’s very different compared to<br />
Bautista’s, and we still have to work to adapt<br />
it to Danilo. I’m sure if we can go on like now,<br />
we’ll get very good results in 2023 with him.<br />
We are very happy about this podium; it has<br />
been missed for a long time! I’m very proud<br />
of the team, we never gave up in these five<br />
years and this podium is a reward for all the<br />
sacrifices we did.”<br />
The five years that Marco talks about have<br />
been long; Xavi Fores taking second in 2018<br />
during the inaugural Argentinian Round’s<br />
Race 2 was the last visit to the podium for<br />
the Italian team. Top ten results came with<br />
Michael Ruben Rinaldi in 2019 but in 2020,<br />
Leon Camier’s star-signing for the team<br />
ended in the British rider getting injured<br />
in testing at Aragon, never recovering and<br />
thus retiring from the racing side of the<br />
sport. Marco Melandri was drafted in and<br />
achieved a top ten, but later went back to<br />
his own retirement, as Matteo Ferrari and<br />
Samuele Cavalieri stepped in. For 2021,<br />
Tito Rabat’s headline signing for the team<br />
ended in disappointment with a handful<br />
of top ten finishes, as Samuele Cavalieri
NEWS DESK<br />
once again returned, whilst a year later,<br />
Sammarinese rider Luca Bernardi was<br />
given an opportunity after an impressive<br />
WorldSSP campaign, but later replaced by<br />
Xavi Fores for the final three rounds.<br />
PETRUCCI TURNS IT AROUND: after<br />
Misano misfortune, Donington Park<br />
delight<br />
Already in 2023, Danilo Petrucci has returned<br />
the team to some kind of form, regardless<br />
of the podium achieved at Donington Park.<br />
Two top ten finishes at Phillip Island were a<br />
solid start, whilst a top five at Mandalika saw<br />
the team back towards the pointy end. Assen<br />
was consistent whilst Barcelona was difficult,<br />
but it was perhaps Misano where it was all<br />
about ‘what could’ve been’ for the team.<br />
Crashing out of a podium-contending fourth<br />
in Race 1, ‘Petrux’ salvaged a P7 in Race 2<br />
after a crash in the Superpole Race.<br />
The drought was almost ended in Race 1<br />
at Donington Park but Petrucci, back at the<br />
track for the first time since 2009, had one<br />
clear image from Misano stopping a late,<br />
potentially race-costing charge to Jonathan<br />
Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK),<br />
who eventually took P3: “I had a clear image<br />
in my mind of the team owner, Marco, with<br />
his head in his hands from Misano, and I<br />
thought, ‘I don’t want to repeat that again!’.<br />
So, I was on the limit. Maybe Jonny, when<br />
I was able to catch him, made two or three<br />
mistakes and I was able to catch him but<br />
then, the last two laps, I said, ‘I have nothing<br />
more to give.’ I decided, OK, maybe it is<br />
better to score some points!”<br />
Donington Park welcomed the 32-year-old<br />
double MotoGP race winner onto the front<br />
row for the first time, before a hat-trick of<br />
top five finishes and a first podium in Race<br />
2, with the #9 stating that he’ll “drink a lot of<br />
beers” in celebration. It’s the first time the<br />
Barni Spark Racing Team have achieved<br />
three consecutive top five finishes since<br />
Assen and Imola in 2018 with Fores, who<br />
achieved four in a row with 5th, 4th, 5th,<br />
4th. With Imola up next for Petrucci and<br />
Barnabo’s team, do bigger achievements<br />
lies ahead?
TECH TALK<br />
ELECTRONIC<br />
INNOVATION<br />
THE DUCATI WAY<br />
Words: Shaun Portman | Pics: Beam Productions<br />
Every Ducati is a magical mix of beauty and<br />
technology. A unique balance that the Bologna-based<br />
company has been able to build up over the years,<br />
combining attention to design with the constant work<br />
of R&D in the field of innovation. From the Multistrada<br />
V4 to the Scrambler, passing through the Panigale<br />
V4, each model is designed to offer Ducatisti only<br />
the best, thanks to sophisticated solutions capable<br />
of giving them unforgettable experiences every time<br />
they are on the bike.<br />
Every Ducati is a magical mix of beauty and technology. A unique balance that<br />
the Bologna-based company has been able to build up over the years, combining<br />
attention to design with the constant work of R&D in the field of innovation. From<br />
the Multistrada V4 to the Scrambler, passing through the Panigale V4, each model<br />
is designed to offer Ducatisti only the best, thanks to sophisticated solutions<br />
capable of giving them unforgettable experiences every time they are on the bike.<br />
In this sense, electronics play a fundamental role, and it is for this reason that,<br />
especially in the last 15 years, Ducati has invested daily in the development of<br />
cutting-edge technologies.<br />
The electronic solutions make it possible to refine the character of each bike<br />
according to the intended use: whether it is to enable the best performance on the<br />
track with the Panigale V4 or to provide the most comfortable and exciting journey<br />
possible with the Multistrada V4.
Thanks to this awareness, over the years Ducati has<br />
introduced many of the solutions that later became<br />
standard on motorcycles in the various segments.<br />
THE INNOVATIONS INTRODUCED BY DUCATI<br />
In 2008, with the 1098R, Ducati was the first<br />
motorcycle manufacturer to introduce Traction Control<br />
on a motorcycle, moving the performance and safety<br />
benchmarks of super sports bikes forward. Just<br />
one year later, the LED headlight introduced on the<br />
Streetfighter 1100 represented another Ducati world<br />
first. In 2010, Ducati presented the first motorcycle<br />
in the world capable of “changing character” thanks<br />
to the presence of the Riding Modes: the Multistrada<br />
1200 S. Other electronic innovations introduced by<br />
Ducati include the TFT instrumentation of the Diavel,<br />
in 2011, another example of a technical solution that<br />
has now become a standard on motorcycles in every<br />
segment. In 2012, the 1199 Panigale, which received<br />
the prestigious design award, the Compasso d’Oro,<br />
saw the introduction in the motorcycle field of the<br />
Full-LED light cluster and electronic engine brake<br />
management.<br />
In addition to working to introduce new technical<br />
solutions to the market, Ducati R&D works every<br />
day to evolve and perfect existing bikes, improving<br />
them year after year. This is what happened, for<br />
example, with Multistrada V4 owners, who received<br />
the Minimum Preload and Easy Lift systems free of<br />
charge when they were introduced on later models,<br />
and who continue to benefit from navigation system<br />
upgrades. Or the evolution that the Panigale V4 has<br />
undergone from 2018 to today.<br />
Creating safe, high-performance and accessible<br />
motorcycles is the basis of the development of every<br />
Ducati, which thanks to all these innovations and the<br />
continuous development of solutions already on the<br />
market, today offers a range in which each model<br />
represents a technological benchmark in the segment<br />
to which it belongs, also in terms of safety, given that<br />
all Ducati motorcycles are equipped as standard with<br />
ABS Cornering and Traction Control.<br />
Since safety is a very important aspect for Ducati,<br />
in 2014 the Bologna-based company, together with<br />
Dainese, introduced the first motorcycle with an<br />
integrated system capable of communicating with<br />
the airbag in the jacket: the Multistrada 1200 Touring<br />
D|Air. At the time, airbag systems did not guarantee<br />
current safety standards, while the sophisticated<br />
Multistrada 1200 Touring D|Air system sent the<br />
activation signal in just 20 milliseconds in the event<br />
of a crash or slide. In 2018 Ducati introduced the<br />
Slide By Brake system that allows controlled power<br />
sliding under braking on the Panigale V4, while<br />
in 2020, with the Multistrada V4, Ducati was the<br />
first motorcycle manufacturer to introduce radars<br />
to the world of two wheels, which allowed the<br />
implementation of the Adaptive Cruise Control and<br />
Blind Spot Detection systems. 2023 saw the arrival<br />
of extended deactivation on the Multistrada V4 Rally,<br />
a sophisticated system which, by switching off the<br />
two rear cylinders, reduces fuel consumption and<br />
heat. These are the innovations introduced by Ducati<br />
in the world of two wheels, many of which are now<br />
standard on motorcycles “over 500 cc”.<br />
INNOVATIONS INTRODUCED<br />
BY DUCATI AS WORLD FIRSTS:<br />
•2008, DTC Traction Control - 1098 R<br />
•2009, LED headlight - Streetfighter 1100<br />
•2010, Riding Modes - Multistrada 1200 S<br />
•2011, TFT instrumentation - Diavel<br />
•2012, Electronic Engine Brake<br />
Management (EBC) and full-LED headlight<br />
- Panigale 1199<br />
•2021, Adaptive Cruise Control/Blind<br />
Spot Detection - Multistrada V4<br />
•2023, Extended Deactivation -<br />
Multistrada V4 Rally
Ducati’s approach is to develop internally the<br />
technologies to be introduced on its motorcycles,<br />
together with its suppliers, simultaneously<br />
creating know-how within the Company. Concrete<br />
examples are the close collaboration with Pirelli,<br />
Brembo, Bosch and other suppliers with which<br />
the Bologna-based manufacturer participates in<br />
the development of components which are first<br />
mounted on the Ducati bikes. This approach is<br />
even more valuable when it comes to electronics<br />
because it allows Ducati to have full control over<br />
the technologies implemented, thus being able<br />
to customize them without constraints depending<br />
on the application, from the Panigale V4 to the<br />
Scrambler via the Streetfighter, Diavel, DesertX<br />
and the Multistrada V4, which represents the<br />
maximum expression of Ducati electronic<br />
technology.<br />
ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS:<br />
DEVELOPMENT AND CREATION OF<br />
EXPERTISE<br />
The drive towards innovation in electronics goes<br />
hand in hand with the growth of the Electrical &<br />
Electronic Systems department, which has seen<br />
its resources quadruple in just over ten years.<br />
Through the work of this department, which<br />
is part of R&D, Ducati studies, develops and<br />
introduces new and often innovative systems<br />
into series production, obviously also drawing on<br />
experience from racing competition. The constant<br />
work of developing and refining the technical<br />
and technological solutions has introduced<br />
a very broad range of functions and devices<br />
across the entire range, which today varies from<br />
the state-of-the-art available on the Panigale V4<br />
and Multistrada V4, to systems such as Ride-bywire,<br />
Traction Control, Quickshift, Riding Mode,<br />
Cornering ABS and TFT instruments also on more<br />
accessible models such as the Scrambler.<br />
Ducati innovation also involves new working<br />
methods. In addition to developing new<br />
technologies internally, Ducati has had several<br />
internal laboratories within the company for several<br />
years to carry out tests during the development<br />
phase, without necessarily having to rely on<br />
external resources or suppliers. One of these is<br />
Electrical & Electronic Testing which is responsible<br />
for testing the electrical and electronic components<br />
of the bikes in the range, putting them to the test<br />
to measure their quality and duration over time.<br />
The purpose of this activity is twofold: to quickly<br />
solve the problems that may arise during the<br />
development phases and to monitor the quality of<br />
the already existing models.<br />
Among the tests that are carried out by highly<br />
specialized personnel in the Electrical & Electronic<br />
Testing laboratory there are those for verifying the<br />
functioning of the components in extreme thermal<br />
and environmental conditions, made possible<br />
thanks to the use of cells capable of replicating<br />
temperatures ranging from –40°C to 180°C and<br />
atmospheric events such as heavy rain or salt<br />
mist. The components are also put under stress<br />
by means of robots which repeat operations<br />
thousands of times, such as, for example, the<br />
rotation of the handlebar to check the correct<br />
reliability of the wiring, or other operations such as<br />
the brake lever to turn on the brake light, in order<br />
to verify its resilience in real conditions of use.
Furthermore, inside the laboratory, we go as<br />
far as controlling each individual chip, even<br />
by sectioning them to analyse them under a<br />
microscope and verify their exact composition<br />
and consistency with the development<br />
specifications.<br />
Software debugging and mobile app activities<br />
are also carried out within Electrical & Electronic<br />
Testing. Over the years, connectivity is also<br />
becoming an increasingly important aspect in the<br />
motorcycle field and, given the growing number<br />
of smartphone manufacturers and the constant<br />
updating of the various operating systems,<br />
the presence of a group of people within the<br />
Company who deal with this aspect represents an<br />
added value to always keep up with the times. An<br />
example of this work can be found in navigation<br />
systems: from the Phone Mirroring solution<br />
adopted on the Multistrada V4, which makes it<br />
possible to transform the dashboard into a colour<br />
map navigator containing all the information<br />
required for riding the motorbike, to the Turn-by-<br />
Turn system which was introduced in 2023 on the<br />
DesertX and Diavel V4. These two solutions allow<br />
Ducati not to be bound to a specific operating<br />
system but allow compatibility with iOS and<br />
Android systems and the continuous evolution of<br />
the software which is then updated free of charge<br />
for customers.<br />
All of this is “the Ducati way”. A working<br />
methodology that has allowed Ducati to create<br />
increasingly innovative products with improved<br />
quality year after year, testifying to how the<br />
strategic commitments of the Bologna-based<br />
manufacturer, from racing competition to R&D,<br />
passing through investments in experimentation,<br />
are aimed, year after year, at giving Ducatisti the<br />
bikes of their dreams.
FIRST<br />
RIDE<br />
NEW YAMAHA XSR900<br />
Words: Shaun Portman | Pics: Beam Productions<br />
RETRO<br />
REVIVED<br />
The market for modern retro or sport<br />
heritage motorcycles as Yamaha calls them<br />
is on the rise worldwide. Styling cues from<br />
models of years gone by have been at the<br />
forefront of designing these bikes for years<br />
now, with most, if not all the manufacturers<br />
jumping on the bandwagon to get involved<br />
with this latest craze. Yamaha is the latest<br />
manufacturer to update one such model,<br />
which they released to the world back in<br />
2016, the XSR900 and we got our hands on it.
The XSR900 pays homage to Historic Yamaha<br />
models of years gone by thanks to its 1980’s<br />
inspired design and famous racing colour<br />
scheme, inspired by Yamahas legendary Deltaboxed<br />
framed bikes of the 80s. It’s strange to<br />
think that even today, motorcycle designs and the<br />
way they perform are influenced by a different era,<br />
in the case of the XSR, that of the 1980s with its<br />
old-school paint job and iconic Deltabox chassis.<br />
It’s effectively a mashup of different bikes, almost<br />
as if someone went back in time, stole a Yamaha<br />
in the 80s, brought it back into our time, stripped<br />
it back, and built it up again combining the best<br />
of modern and classic elements to bring you what<br />
we have in front of us today.<br />
The XSR900 is class-leading when it comes to<br />
electronics. Let’s face it most manufacturers<br />
don’t include fancy electronics on their modern<br />
retro bikes as they want a true analog experience.<br />
With the XSR900 though you get the best of both<br />
worlds. It’s like one of those watches that are both<br />
analog and digital, meaning you get the best of<br />
both worlds. It uses a YZF R1-derived IMU which<br />
allows it to have a plethora of riding aids and<br />
electronic aids. This includes Yamaha’s Traction<br />
Control System (TCS) with 3 settings, Slide<br />
Control System (SCS), Lift Control System (LIF),<br />
and Brake Control (BC). Each can be adjusted<br />
for different levels of intervention or turned off<br />
completely depending on rider preference. There<br />
are also four ride modes to choose from (1,2,3 and<br />
4)which adjust throttle sharpness and sensitivity<br />
according to the mode selected. The 3.5-inch<br />
TFT is rather small but does fit in with the 900’s<br />
retro looks. It’s also easy to read and displays all<br />
the information you could need. Other electronics<br />
include the addition of cruise control as standard,<br />
LED lighting, ABS brakes, and an up/down quickshifter<br />
which add more value and convenience.<br />
It’s a match made in heaven when you throw the<br />
XSR’s electronic suite in with the 890cc DOHC,<br />
liquid-cooled, inline three-cylinder; 12-valve motor.<br />
Yamaha increased the displacement for the new<br />
model from 849cc to 890cc which now produces<br />
just over 117hp and 93NM of torque. The changes<br />
internally include tweaked shorter conrods which<br />
increase the camshaft inertia by around 6%, a<br />
more aggressive camshaft, concave-top forged<br />
pistons, a hydraulic cam chain tensioner that<br />
replaces the older mechanical unit, and a more<br />
narrow and compact combustion chamber which<br />
aids in an increase of torque and help burn fuel<br />
more efficiently. Further updates and changes<br />
include that of the Airbox which now features<br />
three tuned intake snorkels which allow the<br />
XSR to breathe better and also create a better<br />
and more rageful intake note. Updated throttle<br />
bodies with a new injector angle also aid in better<br />
combustion efficiency while 3% taller gear ratios
THE MOTOR IS FEISTY AND<br />
THANKS TO THE CHANGES,<br />
MORE EAGER THAN EVER TO<br />
BE REVVED AND EXPLORED.<br />
smoothen out the ride and jerkiness the old XSR was<br />
plagued with at lower rpm and speeds. The motor is<br />
feisty and thanks to the changes, more eager than ever<br />
to be revved and explored. The addition of a bilateral<br />
quick-shifter enhances the XSR’s theme and fun factor<br />
as well. It’s both smooth and direct and creates the<br />
perfect wingman for the triple motor as they both work<br />
together in perfect harmony to create an orgasmic<br />
soundtrack as you race through the gears. The triple<br />
motor is a thing of beauty, silky smooth and soft when<br />
you want it to be, and then aggressive and sporty as you<br />
get more adventurous with it.<br />
The handling isn’t bad either as the XSR900 shares<br />
most of its chassis with the MT-09 but uses a bespoke<br />
subframe, a longer swingarm, and a lower steering head.<br />
It also uses Yamaha’s spin-forged wheels. The MT09-<br />
derived cast alloy Deltabox frame offers the right amount<br />
of flex and rigidity which aids in more predictable and<br />
better handling. In addition, the 900 is lighter than its<br />
predecessor weighing in at just 193kg. The suspension<br />
is rather basic but at the same time gets the job done.<br />
Up front, you have an upside-down fork that is adjustable
for preload, compression, and rebound. The rear shock<br />
is rather basic though and lacks compression damping<br />
adjustment. This is a place where it needs it the most as<br />
big bumps or sudden directional changes cause the rear<br />
travel to blow through the compression damping causing<br />
you to scrape the footpegs unexpectedly, especially<br />
around the track. The rebound is also a little quick<br />
causing the rear to snap, meaning you have to tone<br />
down your aggression more than you would like through<br />
the corners. The riding position is comfy and upright and<br />
that retro-designed seat unit also aids in supporting your<br />
lower back and prevents you from sliding around on the<br />
seat. The standard footpegs are also adjustable(2 levels)<br />
as standard which is a nice touch to dial the ergonomics<br />
in to suit your leg length while the 810mm seat height<br />
makes the XSR accessible to most riders, short or tall.<br />
POWER<br />
117.4 bhp @<br />
10,000 rpm<br />
TORQUE<br />
93 Nm<br />
@ 7,000rpm<br />
TANK<br />
CAPACITY<br />
14 L<br />
SEAT<br />
HEIGHT<br />
810mm<br />
WET<br />
WEIGHT<br />
193kg<br />
The XSR900 uses dual four-piston calipers and 298mm<br />
rotors in the front with a radial Brembo master cylinder<br />
and a single 245mm disc and single-piston caliper<br />
in the rear. Cornering ABS is standard and has two<br />
modes: BC-1 is standard ABS, not utilizing the IMU data,<br />
and BC-2 adds lean sensitivity and modulation as the<br />
bike leans. The brakes are direct and fade-free, even<br />
though the lines aren’t braided. The brake lever is reach<br />
adjustable and consistent to the touch. The ABS doesn’t<br />
interfere a lot but having the option to disable it would<br />
have been a nice touch from Yamaha.
The LED headlight lights up the night in such a way that<br />
Eskom could only dream of. Cars flash you, even when<br />
set to dims which can become a nuisance but hey at<br />
least they have noticed me riding. The LED tail light is<br />
snuggly fitted underneath the reto-styled tail unit and fits in<br />
perfectly and more importantly is still visible to the traffic<br />
behind you. The fuel tank is rather small in capacity at<br />
only 14 liters (+-200km range) but quite long and narrow,<br />
pretty much as most tanks were back in the 80s which is<br />
aesthetically pleasing and makes you feel like you are in a<br />
James Dean production. The real only issue for me is that<br />
of the nasty-looking standard underslung exhaust which<br />
would be the first thing I change. Also, the addition of a<br />
belly pan, seat cowl, and fly screen as standard would be<br />
nice and finish the looks off properly in my opinion.<br />
Attention to detail is great and it slowly seems as though<br />
the Japs are getting this right and taking styling cues<br />
from the Italians. No cables or wires sticking out creating<br />
an obvious eyesore. The styling is sleek, yet sharp and<br />
contemporary. Priced at only R219 950.00, the XSR is the<br />
perfect blend of modern meets retro and that makes me<br />
really happy indeed.<br />
Keen to go for a ride? Then call 011 259 7855 and book<br />
your demo ride on the Yamaha XSR 900, and if you do, let<br />
us know what you think of it. Email your impressions plus<br />
a photo of you with the bike to rob@motoriderworld.com<br />
and we might even put it in the next issue.
Words: Shaun Portman | Pics: Beam Productions<br />
FINE<br />
TUNED<br />
RACER<br />
INDIAN<br />
FTR1200<br />
R CARBON<br />
Indian Motorcycles is America’s first motorcycle company<br />
and over the years they have created some mouth-watering<br />
models. Perhaps the most sporty and unique of these models<br />
is the FTR1200, first released way back in 2019. The FTR can be<br />
seen racing in the Super Hooligan’s Class in the Moto America<br />
Series, racing against machines like the KTM 890 Duke R,<br />
Harley Davidson Pan America/XR1200, Energica Eva Ribelle<br />
RS, Energica Eva Ribelle RS, BMW R nineT and the Ducati Hyper<br />
Motard. Born from the Championship winning FTR750 Flattracker<br />
the Indian FTR1200 is a complete rethinking of the FTR<br />
platform from when it was initially launched. Is it a cruiser? Or a<br />
Naked Sportsbike? Both or neither? We thought we would pick<br />
it up, test it and see for ourselves.
The Indian FTR1200 R Carbon is<br />
dressed to impress and it most<br />
certainly does that. It’s a gorgeous<br />
motorcycle, from every angle.<br />
There are four models to grace the FTR line-up.<br />
Namely the Standard, S, R Carbon, and Rally.<br />
The Rally retains the dirt-track accouterments<br />
that Indian now call the “scrambler aesthetic”<br />
and is no doubt aimed at taking on Triumphs<br />
and Ducati’s Scramblers. The model we had<br />
on test was the Carbon R model. A very stylish<br />
bike from any angle, the R Carbon incorporates<br />
stylish aesthetics with high-tech engineering and<br />
components. Now fitted with a 17” wheel set<br />
as opposed to the 19” front and 18” rear and<br />
receiving less suspension travel the FTR is lower,<br />
meaning a lower center of gravity which aids in<br />
better handling and a 35.5mm lower seat height<br />
of just under 820mm, making it more accessible<br />
to a variety of different riders. The wheelbase<br />
is also slightly longer at 1540mm, making the<br />
FTR stable. This does however make the FTR<br />
nervous in tight corners and a little tricky to be<br />
aggressive with. Front suspension is taken care<br />
of by a fully adjustable Öhlins inverted 43mm fork<br />
while the rear suspension is by a Cantilevered fully<br />
adjustable Öhlins piggyback reservoir IFP shock.<br />
The suspension works well and is adaptable and<br />
firm, and it has to be as the FTR is no lightweight<br />
at just over 230kg. It soaks up the bumps well,<br />
however, is slightly too stiff for the road in my<br />
opinion. The FTR is sure-footed and stable but<br />
you cannot just throw it into corners aggressively.<br />
Small mistakes are smoothed over without a<br />
second thought by the FTR. However, with all<br />
that weight, big mistakes can be a bit more of a<br />
problem to correct. You have to think about your<br />
line, be smooth and carry momentum. Other<br />
goodies exclusive to the R Carbon include a black<br />
Akrapovič muffler setup, an upgraded seat cover,<br />
and lots of carbon fiber.<br />
The seat is wide and supportive, and Indian<br />
have kept the headers from intruding on your<br />
legs, except at stops where the heat does get<br />
rather hot, especially on warmer days. Without
any doubt, the FTR feels like a sportbike with<br />
its upright ProTaper handlebars, positioned just<br />
right for that sporty yet comfortable positioning.<br />
The seat hugs and supports your posterior well<br />
meaning that you don’t slide back under heavy<br />
acceleration. The footpegs are tucked in and<br />
sportbike positioned meaning you won’t often be<br />
scraping them around bends. Taller riders might<br />
find this a bit of a tight fit as the space down from<br />
the seat to the pegs isn’t what you would call<br />
first-class spacious but more economy-like, to<br />
be frank. The riding position is still more naked<br />
sports bike rather than cruiser or a blend of them<br />
both leaning more towards the sportier side, much<br />
like your Ducati Diavel and Triumphs<br />
new Rocket R.<br />
nervous rider. Rain mode is pretty self-explanatory<br />
and delivers the lowest power and slowest<br />
throttle response for when things get slippery.<br />
The Traction Control works well and doesn’t limit<br />
the amount of fun while riding and can be turned<br />
on or switched off on the fly on the FTR’s easyto-navigate<br />
system. Cruise Control is also a nice<br />
addition to the FTR and works great, although<br />
there is a slight delay and abruptness while trying<br />
to disengage it while on the move.<br />
The 1203cc, 60-degree V-twin produces 120hp<br />
and 118NM of vibratious torque. Power does<br />
seem quite low when you compare it with other<br />
The R Carbon also shares electronic<br />
rider aids enhancements with the S,<br />
along with a 4.3-inch TFT touchscreen<br />
dash that interfaces with your<br />
smartphone via Bluetooth for phone<br />
calls and music. You have access to<br />
three riding modes- Sport, Standard,<br />
and Rain. Sport mode is where I spent<br />
most of my time in, although it can get<br />
quite snappy at times with an aggressive<br />
power delivery and throttle response.<br />
Standard mode is far more laid back<br />
with a much smoother power and<br />
throttle delivery perfect for everyday<br />
riding or for the more laid-back and<br />
IT VIBRATES WITH THE<br />
UTMOST CONFIDENCE<br />
AND HAS THE SAME<br />
CHARACTER YOU<br />
WOULD EXPECT FROM<br />
YOUR OLD-SCHOOL<br />
MUSCLE CARS.
1200cc sportbikes but that’s not what the Indian FTR<br />
is all about. It’s more comparative to your middle<br />
naked sportbikes with regards to those aspects.<br />
Torque is where the FTR comes out to play at any<br />
rpm, in any gear, the torque and pull in thunderous.<br />
The six-speed gearbox is a bit industrial and finding a<br />
gear can sometimes be tricky and clunky, especially<br />
when riding aggressively, highlighted even more by<br />
the fact that there isn’t a quick-shifter and auto blip<br />
fitted. On an R405 000.00 motorcycle fitted with topspecced<br />
components, this is rather disappointing.<br />
A quick shifter, even just upwards would have<br />
transformed the riding experience and taken it to<br />
another level completely.<br />
The FTR accelerates quickly from robot to robot and<br />
has a top speed of around 235kph, although saying<br />
this it is at its happiest just cruising along at highway<br />
speeds or being ridden hard from robot to robot. It<br />
vibrates with the utmost confidence and has the same<br />
character you would expect from your old-school<br />
muscle cars.<br />
POWER<br />
120 bhp @<br />
6,000 rpm<br />
TORQUE<br />
117.9 Nm<br />
@ 6,000rpm<br />
TANK<br />
CAPACITY<br />
12.9 L<br />
SEAT<br />
HEIGHT<br />
780mm<br />
WET<br />
WEIGHT<br />
232kg
The brakes up front are 320mm discs with radially mounted<br />
Brembo calipers and a radially mounted Brembo master<br />
cylinder. The brakes need to be good to stop this behemoth<br />
and that they are. They provide good feedback although do<br />
require a firm pull of the delver to stop at their finest. The<br />
brake pedal can be difficult to locate at times and operate<br />
due to the exhaust header guard being in the way. The nonadjustable<br />
ABS does interfere quicker than most bikes and<br />
disappointedly cannot be turned off. More often than not I<br />
used the front brake and downshifts to slow me down. The<br />
engine braking is inconsistent and generally doesn’t exist<br />
below 3000rpm.<br />
The fuel tank is rather small at 12.9L so longer trips might<br />
be few and far between with around 150km on a tank<br />
possible. But then again this bike isn’t about long distance.<br />
It’s a phenomenal point A-to-B bike that is guaranteed to<br />
put a smile on your face and at the same time make those<br />
around you envious with its top-notch build quality and<br />
glamourous looks- ART on wheels effectively.<br />
Overall the Indian FTR is a great package but does fall<br />
short of 1 or 2 amenities that will elevate it to another level.<br />
So what is it then? Well, it’s not a cruiser, nor is it a naked<br />
sports bike. I would put it in the same category as that of<br />
the Diavel or Rocket with a little modern retro thrown in<br />
the mix as well. So effectively a retro naked sports cruiser<br />
would be the best way for me to describe it.<br />
Keen to go for a ride? Then call 011 259 7855 and book<br />
your demo ride on the FTR 1200 R Carbon, and if you do,<br />
let us know what you think of it. Email your impressions plus<br />
a photo of you with the bike to rob@motoriderworld.com<br />
and we might even put it in the next issue.
RACING<br />
LINE<br />
Words: Shaun Portman | Pics: Beam Productions<br />
SA RACING MRSSA KYALAMI<br />
PUSHING<br />
LIMITS<br />
Round 4 of the MRSSA(Motorcycle<br />
Racing Series South Africa) was<br />
recently held at many rider’s favorite<br />
track in SA, also a track that is rare<br />
to ride on in this country. Many riders<br />
will be lucky if they get to ride around<br />
Kyalami more than once or twice in one<br />
year. It’s a track that’s hard to access<br />
but the best track in South Africa<br />
according to many. With only three<br />
rounds left for the year, including the<br />
doubleheader at Aldo Scribante in PE, a<br />
good points hall is more vital than ever<br />
if the riders wish to place highly in their<br />
respective championships.
Sub 500<br />
For the Sub 500 riders, Kyalami is one of the<br />
fastest tracks in the country where they and their<br />
machines are put to the ultimate test. Who out of<br />
these future SA stars would emerge victorious at<br />
the end of the day? We will find out soon enough,<br />
but first, they headed out for qualifying.<br />
Pole man with a lap time of 2.00.473 was the<br />
talented Ryan van Nieuwkerk on his Kawasaki 400<br />
Ninja followed by teammate, Diego De Ponte in<br />
second, KJ Mononyane in third, Tyler Richardson<br />
making his debut in fourth, Oratilwe Phiri after a<br />
crash in fifth and lady rider Nicole Fourie in sixth<br />
who was battling with some mechanical issues on<br />
her Kawasaki.<br />
Race 1 was dominated by over 16 seconds by van<br />
Nieuwkerk who also set a very impressive 1.59.6<br />
lap time on his way to victory. De Ponte had a<br />
lonely ride into second with KJ Mononyane also<br />
with a lonely ride into third. The battle out on the<br />
track that everyone had their eyes on was between<br />
young Phiri and Richardson who were glued<br />
together the whole race. Eventually, Phiri crossed<br />
the line in fourth, less than two-tenths of a second<br />
ahead of Richardson in fifth. Fourie, unfortunately,<br />
had to retire due to a mechanical issue.<br />
Race 2 was once again won by van Nieuwkerk,<br />
the only man to set a sub-2-minute lap time. This<br />
time his victory would be 8.3 seconds over De<br />
Ponte in second. The biggest battle out on track<br />
this time was for third as Phiri found great pace in<br />
the second race and after a race-long battle with<br />
Mononyane took a well-deserved third place by<br />
less than 3 tenths of a second over Mononyane.<br />
Richardson had a lonely ride to fifth and a day to<br />
forget for Fourie who didn’t start race 2 due to the<br />
mechanical issue she encountered in qualifying<br />
and race 1.<br />
Super 600 SBK’s<br />
The Super 600 Superbikes which were combined<br />
with the Sub 500s for the day’s action would<br />
put on great racing, as always. Qualifying saw a<br />
new rider on Pole Position, with Keo Mokonyane<br />
setting an impressive 1.52.9 lap time to take his<br />
first Pole ahead of Clinton Fourie, Keegan Mills,<br />
Tristin Pienaar, and Matthew Schultz, all believe it<br />
or not on Yamaha R6s.<br />
Lap times dropped for race 1 as the riders<br />
fitted new, fresh rubber. Clinton Fourie took a<br />
comfortable win, setting a PB lap time of a 1,51,7<br />
on his way to victory. The race for second was<br />
covered by only 2 tenths of a second but was<br />
eventually taken by Mills ahead of Pienaar who<br />
looked to have solved the electronic issues he<br />
was having before the race. Poleman Mokonyane<br />
had to settle for fourth despite improving on his<br />
qualifying lap time. The ever-improving Schultz<br />
took fifth also setting a PB lap time.
Race 2 was a tighter affair with the top three riders all<br />
separated by less than a second over the line. Pienaar this time<br />
took a fine victory ahead of Fourie and Mills, with Mokonyane<br />
not too far behind the leading trio in fourth. Schultz took a<br />
lonely fifth but was still super impressive and will no doubt be<br />
one to watch in the future.<br />
Open Superbikes Novice<br />
Seven riders exited Pitlane for what proved to be an exciting<br />
qualifying session. Muhammed Essop took Pole Position on<br />
his new BMW S1000RR ahead of Donovan van der Merwe<br />
in second, Darryl Barrington in third, Thouca Mechanicos in<br />
fourth, Kevin Collings in fifth, Richard Wicks on his CBR600RR<br />
in sixth and Martyn Parry in seventh.<br />
Essop dominated race 1 by over 13 seconds and was the only<br />
man able to dip under the 2-minute mark with a 1.59.0 lap<br />
time. Barrington crossed the line in a lonely second ahead of<br />
van der Merwe in third, Mechanicos in fourth, Collings in fifth,<br />
Parry in sixth, and Wicks in seventh.<br />
Race 2 saw lap times plummet but it was once again Essop<br />
who took victory and the double win for the day, this time only<br />
1.6 seconds ahead of Barrington. Mechanicos had a fine ride<br />
to third ahead of van der Merwe, Wicks, Collings, and Parry.<br />
Open Superbikes Premier<br />
Seven riders headed out for the hotly contested Open<br />
Superbike Premier qualifying session which was combined<br />
with the Open Superbike Novice Class for the day’s action.<br />
Pole Position went to Warren Maasdorp, the only man able to<br />
set a sub-2-minute lap on his Yamaha R1. Jordan King took<br />
the first runners-up spot on the grid in second followed by<br />
Ryan Futter in third. Clive Turnbull took fourth ahead of Bradley<br />
Rehse in fifth, Danie Koekemoer in sixth, and Nkululeko Majola<br />
in seventh.<br />
Race 1 saw Maasdorp dominate the race, taking victory by<br />
over 17 seconds with a 1.55.1 lap time, ahead of King, Futter,<br />
Rehse, Turnbull, Koekemoer, and Majola.<br />
Maasdorp once again took the victory in race 2, this time by<br />
only 9.8 seconds and a PB lap time of a 1.54.3 ahead of King,<br />
Futter who just edged out Rehse for third, Turnbull in fifth,<br />
Koekemoer in sixth, and Majola 5 laps down with an issue and<br />
not finishing the race.
Masters<br />
One of the largest classes for the day was the<br />
Masters, with a 13-rider strong presence. Jaco<br />
Gous took Pole Position on his Suzuki with a<br />
1.52.310 lap time ahead of the ever-impressive<br />
Bradley Dawson on his BMW S1000RR in second,<br />
John Krige in third on his Suzuki. Tyron Piper<br />
put his BMW into fourth on the grid and is slowly<br />
getting back to the times and positions he is<br />
accustomed to after a couple of troubled years.<br />
Leon Horn took fifth ahead of Sfiso Themba who<br />
normally races in the Sunbets ZX10 Class in<br />
sixth, Derek Jacobs in seventh, Augustin Ntwari in<br />
eighth, Robert Ferreira in ninth, Jacques Schutte<br />
in tenth, Mornay Jonker in eleventh, Tim Green in<br />
twelfth and Wayne Morgan rounding out the grid<br />
in thirteenth.<br />
Race 1 and it was Gous who got the best start<br />
and used his early advantage to gap the field and<br />
take the victory by over 6 seconds. The battle for<br />
second was hotly contested and taken on the<br />
last corner by Krige who edged out Dawson for<br />
second. Piper had a great ride to fourth ahead of<br />
Horn, Themba, Ferreira, Jacobs, Ntwari, Schutte,<br />
Jonker, Green, and Morgan in last and thirteenth<br />
place.<br />
Race 2 saw the race get red flagged after only a<br />
couple of laps after a crash by Siphiwe Tom on his<br />
Ducati who was racing in the BOTTS class which<br />
was combined with the Masters for the days<br />
racing. It was a much closer affair up front after<br />
the restart but Gous once again took victory after<br />
a long battle with Dawson who took second and<br />
Krige in third. Piper took fourth ahead of Themba,<br />
Horn, Jacobs, Ferreira, Ntwari, Green, Jonker,<br />
Morgan, and Schutte with an issue, 1 lap down in<br />
thirteenth.<br />
BOTTS<br />
As he gets older, he seems to just get quicker, and<br />
taking Pole Position in the BOTTs with a lap time<br />
of a 1.54.7 went to Peter Bosch. Mick Landi took<br />
second place on the grid on his return to racing<br />
ahead of Alan Hulscher, Frans Fourie, Kaz Hauzer,<br />
Gavin Aab, Jaco Hennings, Desmond Acutt, and<br />
Siphiwe Tom rounding out the nine-rider grid.<br />
Race 1 was decided over the line by less than<br />
two-tenths of a second with eventual winner<br />
Bosch just edging out Hulscher. Landi took third<br />
on his return ahead of Fourie, Hauzer, Aab, Acutt,<br />
Hennings, and Tom.<br />
Race 2 was red-flagged due to Sipiwe Tom<br />
crashing out at the esses. After the race was<br />
restarted it was Landi who took top honors ahead<br />
of Bosch, Fourie, Hulscher, Hauzer, Aab, Acutt,<br />
Hennings, and Tom, 5 laps down after his crash.
Unlimited 1000s<br />
The Unlimited 1000s saw Kyran de Lange take Pole<br />
Position with a 1.49.387, on a road BMW S1000RR,<br />
indicators and all. Luca Bertolini took second with Tiaan<br />
Fouche in third, Tristan Mathews in fourth, and Tieme<br />
Nankervis in fifth. Lady rider Mo Mahope wouldn’t take<br />
part in Saturday’s action as she crashed during Friday’s<br />
practice and her BMW couldn’t be repaired in time.<br />
Race 1 saw Kyran de Lange improve his lap time to<br />
a 1.48.9, mixing it with the Ultimate 1000 riders and<br />
taking victory over Bertolini by over 4 seconds. Fouche<br />
took third ahead of Nankervis in fourth who had a good<br />
battle with Mathews in fifth.<br />
Race 2 was all about de Lange again ahead of Bertolini<br />
and Nankervis, with Mathews in fourth. Unfortunately,<br />
Fouche couldn’t get his R1 started before the race and<br />
therefore didn’t start the race.<br />
Ultimate 1000 Superbikes<br />
Marius Lloyd Racing rider Morne Geldenhuis took Pole<br />
in the Ultimate 1000 Superbike Class with a 1.46.303<br />
ahead of team mate Adolf Boshoff in second, Michael<br />
White on his Yamaha R1 in third, Damion Purificati on<br />
his BMW in fourth, AD van Dalen in fifth, defending<br />
champion Clinton Seller in sixth and lady rider Nicole<br />
van Aswegen in seventh.<br />
Race 1 was a close affair but eventually won by<br />
defending champion Clinton Seller on his King Price<br />
Xtreme Honda, ahead of Geldenhuis, White, Purificati,<br />
van Dalen, and van Aswegen who set her PB lap time of<br />
a 1.49.508. Unfortunately, Boshoff had a huge high side<br />
while exiting turn 1 and a nasty crash forced him out of<br />
the race.<br />
Race 2 was a tricky one. The race was red-flagged<br />
after Seller had a huge crash coming out of Wesbank,<br />
going down the mineshaft, forcing the marshalls to redflag<br />
the race. This created a little bit of confusion with<br />
regards to the results which will be announced ASAP.<br />
The next race of the MRSSA will be held at Redstar<br />
Raceway out in Delmas on the 18th-19th of August. See<br />
you all there!!!
Watch it all on our<br />
YouTube Channel<br />
FIRST RIDE<br />
GETTInG<br />
STUng<br />
FIRST RIDE<br />
SUZUKI<br />
V-STROM<br />
250SX<br />
HISTORY LESSON<br />
HERLINGS<br />
& KTM<br />
TALARIA STING MX3
Words: KTM Blog (Adam Wheeler) Pics: KTM Press<br />
RIDER<br />
FEATURE<br />
all orange<br />
HERLINGS AND KTM MAKE MX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
On the 25th April, 2010, at 15 years of<br />
age, Jeffrey Herlings won the MX2 Grand<br />
Prix of the Netherlands at Valkenswaard.<br />
It was just his third GP and would be<br />
the first of nine victories in the Dutch<br />
Eurocircuit sand alone. Forward on to<br />
May 7th, 2023, in Madrid and round six of<br />
the current MXGP campaign, the 28-yearold<br />
climbed the top step of a world<br />
championship podium for the 102nd time<br />
and put his name at the top of the record<br />
books. Here is what he had to say about<br />
the feat…<br />
It’s round two of 2023 MXGP, the FIM Motocross<br />
World Championship, in Sardinia during late<br />
March. Jeffrey Herlings has won with his KTM 450<br />
SX-F for the first time since the final round of his<br />
2021 title-clinching season. The revered Dutchman<br />
had missed all of 2022 with a broken heel and<br />
elective surgery to improve the condition of both<br />
of his battered feet. Sardinia brought relief but also<br />
surprise that he had scaled the rostrum so quickly<br />
again and after missing such a big amount of race<br />
mileage.<br />
The Sardinia success was also notable for<br />
delivering Herlings’ 100th triumph. He is only the<br />
second rider ever to ‘top the ton’ in the history of<br />
the FIM series that began back in 1957.<br />
One month later Herlings climbed to 101 for round<br />
five in Portugal. In doing so he equaled the great<br />
Stefan Everts’ record haul, set by the Belgian with<br />
his final world championship race appearance in<br />
France and the last event of the 2006 campaign.<br />
Herlings did not stop. His best Grand Prix<br />
performance in recent years came with a 1-1<br />
scorecard just seven days later in the heat of<br />
Arroyomolinos south of the Spanish capital on<br />
May 7th. With 102 wins now next to his name<br />
the #84 is the most decorated individual in world<br />
championship history. The figures could have<br />
been higher. Injuries prematurely ended his racing<br />
seasons in 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020 and 2022. Put<br />
simply though: when Herlings has raced, he has<br />
won. Importantly, every single one of his victories<br />
have been achieved in Red Bull KTM Factory<br />
Racing colors and with largely the same technical<br />
crew or management in place.<br />
The team has watched Herlings grow from a<br />
cheeky teenager with limitless potential to become<br />
the best sand rider in the sport, the most relentless<br />
and ambitious racer, a five times world champion,<br />
a dominator (his 2018 MXGP championship raised<br />
the level of Grand Prix) and a true ambassador of<br />
the performance of KTM SX-F technology. He has<br />
won in 23 different countries and at 43 different<br />
circuits. He has conquered Italian rounds on 18<br />
occasions and sent his home fans crazy 14 times.<br />
On the eve of the fateful, milestone Grand Prix of<br />
Spain and then directly afterwards we grabbed<br />
thoughts and reactions from KTM’s motocross<br />
talisman. A man from the Netherlands that painted<br />
the sport in his (and KTM’s) colors in his own<br />
words…<br />
Is the first one the most special? I would say<br />
‘yeah’ because it’s the moment you live for from<br />
the time you start. When I was small – five-six years<br />
old – the ultimate dream was to become world<br />
champion and to win a GP. One of the things you<br />
really fight for at the beginning is that GP, and the<br />
first one coming for me at home in Holland in just<br />
my third attempt, and being fifteen, was pretty<br />
amazing.<br />
If someone had said then: “yeah, this is the first<br />
and you’ll have one hundred more…” I would<br />
have said: “man, what have you been smoking?”<br />
It wasn’t realistic. But we made it…and we are still<br />
going strong. I also feel that I missed out on some<br />
wins. We could have reached this point some time<br />
ago. We’re still in a good position to win more in the<br />
future.<br />
“…the moment you live for from the time you start.” – Jeffrey Herlings about his first GP win; a<br />
special one for him in front of his home crowd (Valkenswaard, NL, 2010).<br />
One of Jeffrey Herlings’ favorite GP wins: Faenza 2012 – it brought him his very first World Championship title.
When did you first think the record might be<br />
possible? I would say in 2018, towards the end of<br />
that season I reached 84 wins, and I was only 23-24. I<br />
knew I was coming up fast and I had another seveneight<br />
years ahead. My average win rate was ten GPs<br />
a year until then. I also thought ten championships<br />
might be possible but that’s done now.<br />
When things do not go well, and you have<br />
setbacks and injuries then the motivation for<br />
training also drops. When I start winning then it’s<br />
like a snowball; it just gets bigger and bigger. I don’t<br />
need to do it for the money anymore. I do it because<br />
I’m still passionate about racing and winning. Even<br />
though I make some huge crashes that cause me to<br />
think ‘why the hell am I still doing this?!’ I get back<br />
up, and for moments like in Portugal when I lead and<br />
really dominate like I used to I’m like ‘yeah boy, this is<br />
why I’m out here’.<br />
I won today [Sunday in Spain] but tomorrow<br />
morning I’ll be back on the cycle…we don’t get<br />
time to really enjoy a win as much, that’s how racing<br />
goes. It’s the game, but this record has been on<br />
my bucket list for a while. I’m very happy to have<br />
accomplished that. Stefan was one of the best ever<br />
and he had strong opponents but so does every era.<br />
For me I had the likes of Jorge [Prado], Tony [Cairoli],<br />
Tim [Gasjer], [Gautier] Paulin, [Arnaud] Tonus; they<br />
were fast guys too, especially Tony, to fight with him<br />
was not easy. Some people say “Yeah, but you have<br />
60 MX2 wins…” Bull***t. A GP win is a GP win.<br />
Stefan won 500s and 125s. Everyone is in MXGP<br />
now whereas in those days it was split because there<br />
were good guys in 125s, good guys in 250s and<br />
500s. Yes, a 250 win is easier than a 450 win now,<br />
but a win is a win. I hope I can win one or two more<br />
championships and then I will be pretty satisfied.<br />
We’ll see where we end up.<br />
The ‘journey’ rather than the destination? It’s<br />
true. Especially all the hard work. On Friday morning<br />
before Spain, I did a huge interval training session<br />
and I was so tired but I told myself to keep pushing<br />
because, for me, the sacrifice and the journey to win<br />
a race and the tiredness and the training during the<br />
week brings the satisfaction and happiness on the<br />
Sunday.<br />
The orange crew celebrating a big milestone – all of Jeffrey’s 102 GP wins were achieved with<br />
the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team.<br />
Of all the wins I honestly don’t have one<br />
favourite…but if you asked me to make a list of five<br />
or ten then I could do it! Valkenswaard and my first<br />
one, the first 1-1 that brought me a championship<br />
in Faenza [2012], the 1-1 in Lierop [2012, where<br />
he lapped most of the field], the 1-1 at Assen that<br />
brought my first championship in MXGP [2018] and<br />
in front of so many home fans…then beating Tony at<br />
Matterley Basin [2018] was special. There have been<br />
plenty of nice ones, but apart from the first, not many<br />
that standout strongly.<br />
In Portugal I had matched the record…but<br />
someone else had already won 101 so I wanted to<br />
beat it! I wanted the next six days to go quickly. If I<br />
could not make it happen in Spain, then I at least<br />
wanted to try. 101 was a goal but I wanted to go<br />
beyond it and 102 means way-more than 101. I think<br />
100 was even nicer than 101.<br />
Celebrating his first MXGP title on home ground in Assen (NL), 2018, was a remarkable<br />
milestone for Jeffrey Herlings.
Words: Shaun Portman | Pics: Black Rock Studio & Chris Kunn<br />
FIRST<br />
RIDE<br />
SUZUKI V-STROM 250SX<br />
making<br />
a splash<br />
While out in Durban on the recent launch of Suzuki’s new<br />
DL1050DE V-Strom, they surprised us by bringing in the<br />
brand new and only V-Strom 250SX in South Africa for us<br />
to sample. Now, although we wouldn’t get to spend much<br />
time on the 250, it did in fact leave a positive and lasting<br />
impression on us. The addition of the 250SX to Suzuki’s<br />
line-up means there will soon be four capacities available<br />
in the V-Strom range, the 250, 650, and soon-to-bereleased<br />
800, and the big bruiser 1050 which we also have<br />
on test in this issue. So one for every rider wherever they<br />
are on their riding journey or financially.
“Weighing in at a<br />
mere 167kg the<br />
lightness and<br />
therefore nimbleness<br />
of the 250SX really<br />
does shine through<br />
especially when riding<br />
the 1050 V-Strom<br />
back to back.”<br />
POWER<br />
26 bhp @ 9,300 rpm<br />
Let me start with the price, which is by far the<br />
most impressive thing about the 250SX. R58<br />
900.00!! No, that is not a typo, you did in fact read<br />
that correctly. That is by today’s standards the<br />
same price as a mid-level mountain bike(bicycle).<br />
And if you think that it is no good because of how<br />
well-priced it is, then think again.<br />
I only did around 40-odd kilometers on the 250<br />
but right from the moment I sat on it for the first<br />
time, I knew I was going to be in for a treat and<br />
be pleasantly surprised. Weighing in at a mere<br />
167kg the lightness and therefore nimbleness of<br />
the 250SX really does shine through especially<br />
when riding the 1050 V-Strom back to back. The<br />
little V-Strom is as well-balanced as it is polite.<br />
Powered by the same 4-stroke, single-cylinder,<br />
4-valve, SOHC motor which is found in the Gixxer<br />
SF250, it’s not what you would call aggressive<br />
but it is rather peppy and exuberant with 26.5HP<br />
and 22.2NM of torque. It just loves to be revved<br />
through its 6-speed constant mesh gearbox to<br />
a top speed I achieved of 154kph. It will happily<br />
cruise at legal highway speeds all day long, even<br />
on long highway commutes.<br />
The 835mm seat height makes it adaptable and<br />
user-friendly, so even if you are held down by<br />
gravity you should have no problem getting your<br />
feet firmly on the ground. The tank is rather slim,<br />
meaning plenty of space for your knees, even if<br />
you are a Yetti. The riding position is upright and<br />
comfy and both seats are thick and plush. I would<br />
have liked a more anti-slip material to be used on<br />
them, but that is just me nitpicking. Now it’s no roughand-tumble<br />
adventure bike with its 205mm ground<br />
clearance and fitted with 19” Front/ 17” inch rear<br />
tubeless mag wheels but it can hold its own when<br />
things get dirty and a little bit rough much like your<br />
smaller cousin when you wrestle and play rough. As I<br />
said before it’s adaptable! Suzuki themselves market<br />
the 250SX as a ‘Crossover’ bike. The front telescopic<br />
forks spring are non-adjustable and the rear swing<br />
arm, coil spring, and oil-damped suspension are very<br />
basic and do bottom out when you ride the 250 with<br />
enthusiasm, but this doesn’t matter. It all adds to the<br />
charm and charisma that captivates you when you<br />
ride the SX.<br />
TORQUE<br />
22.2Nm @ 7,300 rpm<br />
SEAT HEIGHT<br />
835mm<br />
WHEELBASE<br />
1,440mm<br />
TANK CAPACITY<br />
12 L<br />
WET WEIGHT<br />
167 kg
The fuel tank is large enough at 12 Litres, not<br />
that it matters as the V-Strom 250SX isn’t thirsty<br />
at all. You should see around 250km on a tank<br />
or more if you ride normally and weigh less<br />
than, well I do. The maintenance will be low<br />
and reliability will be legendary as with most<br />
Japanese small-capacity motorbikes. The build<br />
quality is also typically Japanese with everything<br />
well thought out and bolted on properly. The<br />
controls are basic and so is its electronic suite<br />
or lack thereof should I say. The only modern<br />
addition is that of the Dual-Channel ABS which<br />
cannot be turned off and it is rather strict<br />
interfering quite a lot as does a boarding school<br />
headmaster. The modern dash is digital and<br />
very hard to see when dusty or in direct sunlight.<br />
However, it’s still a nice touch and still better<br />
than most in its class displaying all the important<br />
information you need like time, gear indicator,<br />
speed, rev counter, warning lights, ABS, odo,<br />
fuel gauge, trip, and a RPM shift light.<br />
The V-Strom 250 is made by Suzuki India, a<br />
subsidiary of Suzuki Japan. As with most Jap<br />
brands, Suzuki is very popular in India both with<br />
their two-wheeled and four-wheeled product.<br />
This means that they churn out millions of units<br />
per year and generally sell all of them and I can<br />
see why. Affordable quality is what you get in<br />
abundance with the new Suzuki V-Strom 250SX.
Words: Shaun Portman | Pics: Beam Productions<br />
FIRST<br />
RIDE<br />
TALARIA STING MX3<br />
GETTInG<br />
STUng<br />
Im sure that you’ve seen them on videos all over the<br />
internet, not bicycles and at the same time not a<br />
motorcycle. In fact, they are the perfect blend of both<br />
and are becoming more popular worldwide daily thanks<br />
to them offering freedom in a simplistic, yet quiet and<br />
efficient way. Electric bikes are taking the world by storm<br />
and have finally hit SA shores thanks to Cadenz Electric<br />
and the ever-increasingly popular Talaria Sting MX3. We<br />
took the opportunity to see what all the fuss was about<br />
and took the Sting to Benoni Country Club for the day to<br />
put it through its paces.
Featuring top-of-the-line components and expert<br />
craftsmanship, the Talaria Sting MX3 is a bike you<br />
can rely on and have fun on. Its strong lightweight<br />
aluminum frame(forged by over 6000 tons of<br />
pressure) and responsive adjustable(Compression,<br />
pre-load, and rebound adjustment) suspension<br />
system provide a smooth, comfortable ride, while<br />
the high-capacity 60v 38amp battery delivers<br />
hours of uninterrupted fun and combined with<br />
the 3000-6000W(Eco or Sport mode) of power<br />
delivered by the silent but powerful LPMSM motor<br />
(linear permanent magnet synchronous motor).<br />
With a range of up to 100km on a single charge,<br />
a quickly changeable battery pack, and a charge<br />
time from empty to full of only 3 hours, the Sting<br />
ensures minimal intervals in between riding fun.<br />
But the Talaria Sting MX3 isn’t just about<br />
performance - it’s also about style. With its sleek,<br />
modern design and attention to detail, this bike<br />
turns heads wherever you go as it did with us<br />
while riding around the outskirts of a golf coursetry<br />
doing that on a motorcycle!<br />
The Sting is a powerful toy but is suitable for<br />
the young and inexperienced as well as the<br />
seasoned rider and can be ridden in either Eco or<br />
Sport mode. It’s easy to maneuver and handles<br />
surprisingly well for a 63kg mass thanks to its stiff<br />
frame, fully adjustable suspension, 19” wheels,<br />
and grippy tyres. The model we had on test<br />
was standard except for a change in gearing/<br />
sprockets and wider, grippier tyres which made<br />
a huge difference in the terrain we were riding in. We<br />
also had access to a spare battery pack which we<br />
managed to change in less than 1 minute, meaning<br />
we were back out, enjoying the trails in no time. The<br />
ground clearance of 280mm is adequate but you do<br />
need to be careful over obstacles to ensure you don’t<br />
ding the thin metal bash plate. Seat height isn’t really<br />
an issue and it actually feels lower than the 870mm<br />
claimed.<br />
The thing about an electric vehicle is that you always<br />
have the maximum torque on hand, always and<br />
without hesitation. The 34NM of torque as standard<br />
on the Sting propels you to a top speed of 80-85kph.<br />
While accelerating though you can be certain that<br />
the front wheel will point skywards more often than
not. The Sting also boasts a 4-level regen system,<br />
adjustable in the Speedometer ensuring that<br />
you can get the most out of your battery life.<br />
The speedometer is small but visible, displaying<br />
all the important information you would need<br />
such as your speed, battery level, voltage, cycle,<br />
and odometer. For added security, the Sting<br />
also has an ignition and key, which is handy for<br />
those parents who wish to keep an eye on their<br />
grounded children and prevent joyrides.<br />
Overall build quality is great and you can be rest<br />
assured that the Sting can handle any or most<br />
abuse thrown its way, even when things get wet.<br />
All of the electric points are sealed off, watertight,<br />
and for the most part, will prevent water from<br />
damaging the electronics, meaning that it can be<br />
easily washed or dirtied through river crossings.<br />
The hydraulic brakes(much like those fitted to<br />
modern bicycles) are good and do their job,<br />
however, you can tell that they take strain. I do feel<br />
that the front brake especially could be better, but<br />
that’s the joy of the Sting. You can add, upgrade<br />
and customize it to your heart’s content.<br />
So the standard Sting is impressive but Cadenz<br />
Electric had a little surprise in store for us with<br />
a modified Sting, fitted with a conversion kit<br />
consisting of an upgraded controller unit, 72V<br />
57Amp battery, 21” front and 18” rear wheel fitted<br />
with wide and grippy MX tyres and seat brackets.<br />
What this does is take an already electrifying bike<br />
and put it on steroids. The whole bike is taller<br />
thanks to the wheels and seat brackets(needed<br />
to accommodate the larger battery) and this<br />
just aids in increased comfort, ergonomics,<br />
aggression, and increased ground clearance.<br />
This combined with the astronomical increase in<br />
power(10 000W-15 000W) is a match made in<br />
heaven and around a 200% increase over stock.<br />
The bigger wheels and grippier tyres now make<br />
sense and come into their own. The conversion<br />
kit transforms the Sting into a take-no-prisoner<br />
electric monster capable of speeds in excess<br />
of 120kph and makes it possible to wheelie all<br />
the way up to those speeds while you hang on<br />
for dear life. So with the updated controller, you<br />
get 3 riding modes as well as a reverse(Yes you<br />
heard correctly).<br />
The standard hydraulic brakes at this point<br />
take serious punishment and don’t cope well at<br />
all with this increase in power and speed and<br />
would also definitely need to be upgraded, as<br />
with the suspension if you are going to ride it<br />
aggressively. Have no fear though as Cadenz<br />
Electric is working on these upgrades as we<br />
speak on both the suspension and brakes, so<br />
stay tuned as we at <strong>MRW</strong> will revisit the Sting<br />
when pimped out in all her glory.<br />
Priced from just R89 900.00 the standard Sting<br />
is great value for money, for yourself or your<br />
child whether you live on a farm or in an estate,<br />
and that’s the joy about owning an electric bike<br />
like this. It’s a go-anywhere-at-anytime piece of<br />
kit. When I say go anywhere, it’s not road legal,<br />
not yet anyways!<br />
For more information on the Talaria Sting and<br />
the conversion kits or to arrange a test ride, you<br />
can call Cadenz Electric on 063 896 0626 or<br />
email them at jethson9@gmail.com.