MRW Issue 44

ISSUE 44
CROWN
TODD TAKES THE
EXCLSUIVE FULL REVIEW OF TT 2024
FIRSTSUZUKI
GSX-8R
SA RIDE
Blending superbike aesthetics
with real-world performance
and everyday usability.
ALSO INSIDE: SUZUKI WEEKEND AWAY | THE ULTIMATE TRACK DAY

EDITOR’S NOTE
Another issue of your favorite South
African motorcycle magazine has
come and gone. Can you believe
we are already on another issue? It
seems like only yesterday we were
putting together last month’s edition.
As always, here at Motorider World,
we strive to bring you only the best
content.
In this issue, we once again have a
jam-packed assortment of tests and the
latest happenings in the motorcycling
world. Recently, Suzuki South Africa
invited us to their Weekend Away event
in Hazyview. Held at the Hotel Numbi,
it was a fantastic gathering for Suzuki’s
car and motorcycle customers, filled
with activities and riding. We’ve
included a little write-up about this
memorable event.
While in Hazyview, Suzuki launched
their brand new GSX-8R in South
Africa. We were lucky enough to be
handed the keys and had the chance
to ride these beauties down to Sabie.
Alongside the brand-new GSX-
S1000GX, which was also available for
a test ride. Although my time on the
1000GX was brief compared to the 8R,
we have a comprehensive feature on
Suzuki’s GSX-8R, covering both road
and track performance. We thoroughly
put the bike through its paces.
Man TT 2024. It was a fantastic event
for AJ and his team, and we were
proud to be his official media partner
for the event.
In MotoGP news, there’s a lot
happening. Another piece of the puzzle
is in place for the 2025 rider market
line-up. Marco Bezzecchi has signed
a deal with Aprilia Factory Racing
and will ride alongside Jorge Martin
in 2025. We eagerly anticipate seeing
how the rest of the seats will be filled as
the year progresses.
Until next time, stay safe, keep it on
two wheels, and don’t do anything I
wouldn’t do.
Remember to like, share, and follow us
on all our social media platforms to stay
up to date with everything motorcycle.
Ride on,
Shaun Portman
CONTRIBUTORS
Beam Productions
Sheridan Morais
CONTACT
DETAILS
EDITOR/OWNER
Shaun Portman
072 260 9525
shaunpotman@gmail.com
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publication may be reproduced,
distributed, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, including
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methods, without the prior written
permission of the publisher.
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Also in this issue, we have a writeup
and spread on the recent Isle
of Man TT, where our very own AJ
Venter participated and performed
exceptionally well. We sent Greg
Moloney to the TT on behalf of MRW,
and he has crafted a brilliant story
about all the happenings at the Isle of
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Exclusive to KTM 1290 Super Adventure R 2023 model

NEWS DESK
GRESINI’S MÁRQUEZ-
REPLICA ITALJET
Gresini Racing was founded by two-time
World 125 champion Fausto Gresini, an Italian
motorcycle racer who became a team owner
upon retiring. Fausto shares the record (with
Ángel Nieto) for the most consecutive Grand Prix
victories – an astounding 11 consecutive wins in
the 125 class across the 1986 and 1987 seasons.
Initially, Gresini Racing fielded teams in the
smaller capacity classes, but it has now been
fielding two riders in the MotoGP class for a
quarter century, along with teams in Moto2 and
Moto3 (and their predecessors). This family
business has excelled at nurturing young talent
to championship success. After Fausto’s death
during the COVID-19 pandemic, his widow Nadia
took over the team, continuing his legacy with
notable success. Gresini’s innovative approach
includes a crowd-funding sponsorship scheme
that has successfully engaged their biggest
supporters and fans.
The Italjet Dragster, designed in 1995 by Italjet
founder Leopoldo Tartarini, a former Ducati
factory rider, is a lightweight, high-performance
motorcycle with its motor mounted on the rear
swing-arm. It was classified as a scooter due
to its initial 50cc engine capacity. Beneath its
bodywork lies an engineering masterpiece,
offering a low-cost urban sports bike capable
of delivering unparalleled metropolitan point-topoint
times. The Dragster gained instant success,
with the Italjet Dragster 50 LC named among
the 95 most significant motorcycles in history
by the Guggenheim Museum’s “The Art of the
Motorcycle” exhibition in 1998.
The Italjet Dragster stands out for its handling,
especially at speeds above 100 km/h (62 mph),
and its performance at urban speeds, earning it
the nickname “the urban superbike.” Tartarini’s
vision of creating innovative vehicles with great
mechanical sophistication, distinctive style, and
design shines through in the Dragster.
The Gresini Italjet Replica, while its price tag
and production run are yet to be announced,
is expected to draw significant interest. If Marc
Márquez can maintain his health, he is likely to
continue rewriting the record books, adding to the
Dragster’s storied legacy.
Provenance is one of those difficult-to-define
qualities that can increase the value of an object
by astonishing multiples. As elusive as it might be
to pin down, this limited edition “scooter” has it in
abundance, drawing from almost every aspect of
Italian motorcycle culture, innovation, and history.
The bike is essentially an Italjet Dragster 200
“special edition,” featuring a set of MotoGPstyle
forward winglets and another set of
“Stegosaurus” style wings behind the rider’s
seat, reminiscent of the controversial design
pioneered by Ducati in 2002.
This wild scooter has been created in
collaboration with Faenza-based Gresini Racing,
the Italian team that competes in MotoGP (the
highest level of motorcycle road racing) using
year-old Desmosedici Ducati machinery piloted
by the Márquez brothers, Marc and Álex. Álex
Márquez has won two world titles (2014 Moto3
& 2019 Moto2), but it is Marc Márquez who
steals the spotlight as he is considered one of
the greatest riders of all time. The 2025 signings
confirm Marc’s future with Ducati Corse factory
team, and Gresini Racing has been instrumental
in his career. The Gresini Italjet Replica
symbolizes the start of what promises to be one of
the greatest comebacks in sporting history.

NEWS DESK
BONOVO ACTION IS
WITHDRAWING FROM
WORLDSBK
The German team’s four-year adventure in the
Superbike World Championship will end at the
end of the year.
In 2020, the Bonovo action Team, which
was already active in Sidecar racing, joined
forces with MGM Racing Performance and
immediately achieved resounding success in the
International German Motorcycle Championship
(IDM). Jonas Folger, who dominated every race
of the season without exception and celebrated
the IDM Superbike title early on in his return to
active racing, caused much cheering among the
team around Bonovo action Team Owner Jürgen
Röder and Team Manager Michael Galinski.
The success story continued with a permanent
entry into the Superbike World Championship
and a new partnership with BMW Motorrad
Motorsport in 2021. Although Folger had a
difficult debut year in the WSBK, the Bonovo
action BMW Racing Team continued to develop
and started their second WorldSBK year with
Eugene Laverty and Loris Baz in the highest
class of production racing motorcycles. While
Laverty ended his long and successful active
career after the 2022 finale and took on a
leading role in the Bonovo action BMW Racing
Team, Baz continued his upward trend together
with Bonovo action BMW Racing.
In 2023, Texan Garrett Gerloff started alongside
the Frenchman. Both talents pushed themselves
to surprising heights. While Gerloff secured a
first pole position for the Bonovo action BMW
Racing Team in Magny-Cours, France, and
finished fourth in both races, Baz did his best
race in Imola, Italy, where he finished ninth in the
second race.
Scott Redding replaced Baz this year and
experienced a rather difficult start to the 2024
campaign alongside Gerloff, although both
riders had already achieved several top 10
results. After four of the 12 planned WorldSBK
events this year, team owner Jürgen Röder
decided after careful consideration that Bonovo
action BMW Racing would end the Superbike
World Championship adventure at the end of
this year for personal reasons.
Jürgen Röder, Bonovo action BMW
Racing Team Owner
“I will be leaving for personal reasons from 2025
and Bonovo action is therefore withdrawing
as a factory team from BMW. I would like to
personally thank all the fans who have stuck
with us so loyally, who have been happy with
us but also suffered with us. Thank you very
much, because without the enthusiasm of the
spectators and fans such a commitment would
not be possible. You are carried by the euphoria
and enthusiasm and I have enjoyed that in
recent years, whether in the IDM or the World
Championship. It was a nice feeling to delight
other people with our riders and to provide
entertainment and happy hours.”
“Then I would like to thank our entire team under
our Team Manager Michael Galinski, who have
always done an excellent job. We hope that we
can make a difference this year too. We are doing
everything we can to move forward and we hope
that we can still show some signs of life from our
side this season. My thanks also goes to BMW.
BMW has always been a fair and very reliable
partner who has supported us in everything,
including this year, when we are getting the
same material as our colleagues at SMR, so
we are actually equipped accordingly. BMW
and especially Marc Bongers deserve my most
heartfelt thanks for their support over the years.
He has been with us through the highs and lows
and has motivated us during the lows and helped
us looking forward. I think that cannot be valued
highly enough. At the same time, I would like to
thank our sponsors for their loyalty and strong
support over the last few years.”
“I wish all the teams in the entire WorldSBK
paddock all the best for the future, always an
accident-free ride, that is the most important thing
of all, and of course much success for everyone.”

NEWS DESK
TOPRAK AND MICKEY
TEAMMATES AGAIN IN 2025
BMW Motorrad Motorsport will compete in
the FIM Superbike World Championship 2025
(WorldSBK) with the ROKiT BMW Motorrad
WorldSBK Team and riders Toprak Razgatlioglu
and Michael van der Mark. The goal is to
continue the successful path to the top.
“We are very pleased to have Toprak Razgatlioglu
and Michael van der Mark, two absolute top
riders, in our factory team for the 2025 Superbike
World Championship,” said Marc Bongers,
Sporting Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
“Both have proved in recent years that they
belong to the best and will form a powerful duo
on our BMW M 1000 RR next season.”
Van der Mark will enter his fifth season as a
BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK rider in
2025, while Razgatlioglu has been part of the
BMW Motorrad Motorsport family since the
current 2024 season.
Van der Mark said: “I am very, very happy and
honoured to continue with BMW. I am really
happy that especially after the two difficult years
they still have the trust in me and I think that this
year’s results are showing improvements. I’m
really happy with how the team’s working, how the
BMW M 1000 RR is working and how we are still
improving it. So it’s fantastic to be able to stay. This
also gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the
season. I’m ready to keep building our momentum
and be even more ready for next year.”

NEWS DESK
NEW ENTRY CLASS TO
DEBUT IN WORLDSBK 2026
A new class, designed to make the transition
into WorldSSP more seamless, will replace
WorldSSP300 in 2026
The SBK Commission is currently working on
the introduction of a new entry class to the
MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship
in 2026, marking a significant evolution in the
racing landscape. This new class will replace
the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship
(WorldSSP300), which has successfully served as
a feeder class since its inception in 2017.
WorldSSP300 has fulfilled its mission of providing
a sustainable and affordable platform for emerging
talents to enter the World Championship. Building
on this success, the introduction of the new
class aims to further enhance the sporting and
commercial relevance of the entry category.
Launched in 2017, the WorldSSP300 class
provided a global platform for young talents,
allowing them to showcase their abilities and
learn the intricacies of a world racing series and
quickly becoming a popular entry point for aspiring
professional riders.
The final season of the WorldSSP300 series
will take place in 2025, providing teams and
manufacturers ample time to prepare for the
transition to the new class in 2026. This period
will ensure a smooth and well-coordinated shift,
allowing all stakeholders to adapt to the new
technical and sporting regulations.
One of the key objectives of this new initiative is to
smoothen the progression path for riders moving
up to the larger classes, particularly to the FIM
Supersport World Championship (WorldSSP). By
closing the performance gap between the entry
and intermediate classes, the aim is to create
a more seamless transition for riders, fostering
their development and preparing them for the
competitive demands of higher categories.
Additionally, this move is designed to attract
greater interest from manufacturers by allowing
them to showcase machinery that reflects a
growing market segment. The new class will
feature nimble bikes with more powerful midtier
capacity engines, details of which will be
specified by the SBK Commission in the coming
weeks and months.

NEWS DESK
BRIDGESTONE-SUPPORTED
TEAMS TRIUMPH AT SPA
The 8 Hours of Spa Motos saw thrilling
performances from Bridgestone supported
teams, with YART Yamaha Official, F.C.C. TSR
Honda France, and Yoshimura SERT Motul
showcasing exceptional skill and resilience. Held
at the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps,
the race was a testament to endurance, strategy,
and the unwavering spirit of motorsport.
YART Yamaha Official: A Perfect Execution
The YART Yamaha EWC Official Team delivered
a masterclass in endurance racing, securing
their second consecutive Spa victory in the FIM
Endurance World Championship. Overcoming
the challenges from their 24 Heures Motos
experience, YART Yamaha executed a flawless
race strategy, despite the additional pitstop
required due to fuel constraints.
Marvin Fritz, Niccolò Canepa, and Karel Hanika
pushed their limits, maintaining an aggressive
pace from the start. Fritz reflected on the race,
stating, “When we came here for the testing on
Thursday, we saw it would be tough because
we knew we would need a bit more fuel and one
more pitstop in the race than our competitors.
For sure in qualifying we were super-fast and
to have the new lap record at Spa is amazing.
But we knew the race would be tough and our
only chance was from the beginning to put
the pressure on all the others. Niccolò started
amazing and me and Karel continued how
Niccolò started and pushed every lap, we had
to, but we made it perfect and the team did
an amazing job, everyone giving 110 per cent.
Everyone deserved this victory.”
Despite these setbacks, Hook and Techer, racing
as a duo due to Mike Di Meglio’s pre-race injury,
mounted a commendable comeback. Their
resilience and teamwork secured a top-five finish,
highlighting their never-give-up attitude.
Looking Ahead: Suzuka 8 Hours
Yoshimura SERT Motul: A Solid Second Place
Yoshimura SERT Motul continued their strong
performance in the FIM Endurance World
Championship, finishing a commendable
second. The team’s consistent pace and strategic
pit stops ensured they remained competitive
throughout the race, demonstrating the reliability
and performance of their Bridgestone-equipped
machine.
The next challenge for our Bridgestone
supported teams is the 45th Suzuka 8 Hours
Endurance Race, taking place from July 19-21.
This legendary event marks Japan’s round of the
FIM Endurance World Championship. Our teams
are gearing up for another intense battle, aiming
to replicate and surpass their Spa performances.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France: A Courageous
Comeback
F.C.C. TSR Honda France faced significant
challenges but showcased remarkable
determination to finish fifth. Alan Techer’s
impressive recovery from an initial bike issue saw
the team leading after the first round of pit stops.
However, a crash by Josh Hook through the
Campus right-hander necessitated two lengthy
pitstops to repair the #5 machine.

NEWS DESK
So much has happened in those 75 years, both
in the world and on the racetrack. There have
been 3,392 solo Grand Prix races in the 50, 80,
125, 250, 350, and 500 cc classes. Thirty-one
countries have staged Grand Prix races. Seventyfive
circuits have hosted these races over time.
Some circuits, such as Brno, Sachsenring, and
the Nürburgring, have switched from road circuits
to purpose-built tracks. Assen in Holland is the
only remaining circuit from that original 1949
schedule to host Grand Prix races every season,
apart from the COVID-hit year of 2020.
Over 6,000 riders have competed in the World
Championship, representing 62 different nations
in a truly global competition. Out of those 6,000,
only 399 riders have stood on the top step of
the podium as a race winner. One hundred and
twenty-six riders have been crowned World Solo
Champions, representing twentyone
different nations.
years ago. Freddie Frith may never have realized
the significance of his 350 cc win, but New
Zealander Sid Jensen certainly did. Determined
to become the first rider to start practice for a
World Championship race, he took his 350 cc
AJS to the start line five or six hours before the
first practice session began at 5 am. His friends
guarded his machine overnight so he could take
his place in history as the sun rose over Douglas
Bay. Tragically, that first race also included the
first fatality in the World Championship. Ben
Drinkwater lost his life when he crashed on the
fourth lap.
On this day, as we celebrate 75 years of World
Championship racing, we remember and honor
those riders who lost their lives chasing their
dreams.
JUNE 13, 1949 - 75 YEARS AND
3392 GP RACES LATER
Little could those riders, who lined up on
Glencrutchery Road, have realized what lay
ahead. Not only in their battle over seven grueling
laps around the 60.721 km TT Mountain Circuit
but for the next 75 years. It was a pleasant,
thankfully dry, and clear Isle of Man morning
when the Manx flag dropped precisely at 11 am
on Monday, 13th June 1949. The Motorcycle
World Championship was born. Four hundred
and forty-seven kilometers later, Freddie Frith
acknowledged the chequered flag, riding his
350 cc Velocette to become the first winner of
a World Championship race. Seventy-five years
and 3,392 solo Grand Prix races later, that World
Championship continues to go from strength to
strength in a very different world.
Just four years after the end of the Second
World War, the FIM launched the very first
Motorsport World Championship series. The
six-round Championship was open to 125, 250,
350, and 500 cc solo machines and sidecars.
The six European venues selected were the Isle
of Man, Berne in Switzerland, Assen in Holland,
Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, Clady in Ulster,
Northern Ireland, and Monza in Italy. It was an
incredibly brave project to embark on so soon
after the end of the war, but it formed the very
solid foundations of what we witness today.
Three quarters of a century later, the MotoGP
World Championship consists of 20 rounds in 16
different countries and four separate continents.
The youngest rider to compete in a
Grand Prix went on to win five World
Championships, including three
MotoGP titles. Jorge Lorenzo was
just 15 years and one day old when
he made his 125 cc debut at Jerez in
2002. He had to miss the first day of
practice for the Spanish Grand Prix
because he was still only 14 years
old. The oldest rider to compete in a
Grand Prix was Frank Cope, who was
62 years old.
Italian Giacomo Agostini remains the
most successful rider in the history
of the Championship, with fifteen
World titles and 122 Grand Prix
victories in the 350 and 500 cc World
Championships—records that are
unlikely ever to be eclipsed.
Finally, cast your mind back to
that morning on the Isle of Man 75

NEWS DESK
2024 RIDER MARKET: CONFIRMED
SIGNINGS AND LATEST RUMOURS
Let’s start with who has been signed, sealed and
delivered for 2025. Brad Binder struck a new
deal with KTM at the tail end of the 2023 season,
which will see the South African remain until 2026
with the Austrian brand. Early in the 2024 season,
Ducati tied down the services of defending World
Champion Francesco Bagnaia until 2026, while
they also secured the future of Moto2 starlet
Fermin Aldeguer.
At Yamaha, 2021 World Champion Fabio
Quartararo committed his future to the Iwata
factory for a further two years as the Japanese
brand continue their rebuilding project. Whilst
Honda have both Luca Marini and Johann Zarco
locked in until the end of the 2025 season.
At the Italian GP, the Pierer Mobility Group then
confirmed star rookie Pedro Acosta would make
the jump across from the Red Bull GASGAS Tech3
garage to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing box.
Then, less than two weeks later, KTM confirmed
that Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales would
be joining the rebranded Red Bull KTM Tech3
squad in 2025, as the Italian and Spaniard make
the switch from Ducati and Aprilia.
Before that, the post-GP Mugello Test saw a
bombshell announcement arrive as Aprilia Racing
confirmed Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing)
would join them on a multi-year deal in 2025,
replacing the retiring Aleix Espargaro. A huge,
first piece of the silly season jigsaw now in place.
It didn’t take long for another major piece to fall
into place, as eight-time World Champion Marc
Marquez was announced as a factory Ducati rider
just two days later.
On Monday before the Dutch TT, Aprilia Racing
then announced that Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina
Enduro VR46 Racing Team) will be Martin’s
teammate in 2025 and beyond, with the Noale
factory confirming their all-new factory line-up.
The rumour mill
Ducati
With Bezzecchi now confirmed to be joining
Aprilia, Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team
will have at least one new name in their box next
season as we await to see what they and Fabio Di
Giannantonio will be doing next season. We also
are yet to hear official news on Franco Morbidelli’s
(Prima Pramac Racing) and Alex Marquez’s
(Gresini Racing MotoGP) futures. An intriguing
few weeks are coming as we continue learning
where riders will be racing in 2025.
KTM/GASGAS
Mugello unearthed the news that it will be Acosta
moving up to the factory team alongside Brad
Binder, with both Jack Miller’s (Red Bull KTM
Factory Racing) and Augusto Fernandez’s (Red
Bull GASGAS Tech3) futures undecided. What
we do know is that neither will be racing for KTM
next year following the aforementioned news that
Bastianini and Viñales are moving across.
Yamaha
With Quartararo’s contract extension sorted, the
main focus is whether or not Yamaha will have an
Independent Team in 2025. Prima Pramac Racing
have been linked to making the jump to Yamaha
from Ducati, but nothing is confirmed - in one way
or another - for now. That’s a big jigsaw piece to
keep an eye on.
Aprilia
At Trackhouse Racing, Miguel Oliveira and Raul
Fernandez’s futures are up in the air as they
continue to help bed the American team into
MotoGP. After a strong campaign and victory at
Mugello, American Joe Roberts has been linked
to one of the Trackhouse seats in 2025, but it’s all
rumours and talk for now.
Honda
Repsol Honda’s Luca Marini and Castrol LCR
Honda’s Johann Zarco both signed contracts
in 2023 that extend beyond the current season,
both having joined from Ducati over the winter
break. That leaves Idemitsu LCR Honda’s Takaaki
Nakagami and Repsol Honda’s Joan Mir seeking
to resolve their futures over the coming weeks.

NEWS DESK
“There was a moment when we met and talked
where he gave us the feeling that he wanted to be
with us. His commitment was very strong from the
beginning. Things went quickly. I also feel he has
a great team and bike at this moment so for us,
it was a positive surprise that he was really open
and serious about it, and not just trying to get an
offer from us to gamble with somebody else.”
Beirer also gave his expectations for Viñales
next year and his hope for creating the best
atmosphere for the #12.
BEIRER ON 2025: BASTIANINI,
VIÑALES, TECH3 AND MORE
The KTM Motorsports Director analyses their
2025 line-up after the recent signing of Bastianini
and Viñales.
The most recent piece of the puzzle for the 2025
MotoGP grid has fallen into place, with Enea
Bastianini and Maverick Viñales joining Red
Bull KTM Tech3 in 2025. Both riders will join the
Austrian manufacturer in a multi-year contract,
with Pit Beirer discussing this deal just one day
after the announcement.
A new look in 2025
Next year, the Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 team will
have a new look and a new name. The team will
be re-branded to Red Bull KTM Tech3, returning
to orange and complementing the Red Bull KTM
Racing team on track, with the riders receiving
identical machines. Pit Beirer spoke about how
important the re-brand is for Tech3.
“With our project, I find it difficult talking to a top
rider, ‘is it a GASGAS, is it a KTM, what is the
difference between the bikes?’ so in the end,
we decided it was a great time to show different
brands but we feel the project is strongest if it’s
a line-up with four Red Bull KTM riders. I’m so
thankful that Red Bull sticks to us for this project
and sees it as a four-rider team.”
The Viñales signing
One rider making the switch next season is
Maverick Viñales, who announced that he will move
from Aprilia Racing to Red Bull KTM Tech3 next
year. Just one day after announcing the contract Pit
Beirer discussed how this deal came about.
“For him, the human side and feeling at home
with good surroundings is super important, and
we all know he can do miracles. But we also
know, that if he doesn’t feel comfortable, he isn’t
just going back one or two positions, it goes
really wrong. So, I think we have good ideas
and good people in the team to work together
with him. If he wakes up in the morning and he’s
sure he will win that GP on that day, he’s almost
unbeatable.”
Expectations for Bastianini
Joining Maverick Viñales at the Red Bull KTM
Tech3 team next season will be Enea Bastianini.
The #23 will join the Austrian manufacturer after
spending the last four years riding a Ducati.
Beirer discussed his expectations for Bastianini
next year and what KTM aim to do on track.
“If he is happy and confident, he will perform. We
need to use the time until these boys are coming
on board to get the package as ready as possible
to perform. We hire the best riders in the world
to fight for the podium and I feel the pressure is
on us to deliver the right package so they can
perform.”
However, there is no clear leader in the team yet,
with Beirer reiterating that it is not a standard
factory and satellite team set-up.
“The team captain will be the number one in the
standings from our group, then number two, then
number three. It’s not the classic situation when
one garage is the factory team, the other is the
satellite team and the factory team gets it first.”
A difficult decision
However, this recent announcement leaves
no place at KTM for Jack Miller and Augusto
Fernandez, with both riders previously showing
great potential with the brand. Beirer discussed
just how difficult of a decision it was to make.
“Giving up on Jack and Augusto is really sad. I
was really hoping that Jack would show us that
we could get him back on the level he should be.
In Mugello, being out of the points is not where
Jack Miller should be. No matter what the future
brings, we have to turn that around because
that’s not how we want to end our relationship.
“We tried but, in the end, I thought we’d have
a longer time to give both riders the chance to
do it but the market was under such pressure.
If we didn’t take the chance in that one week to
start conversations and finish it the other day, we
wouldn’t have these chances anymore. So, we
took the hard decision to move forward. Giving up
on something wasn’t the plan, definitely not.”

NEWS DESK
VIÑALES’ NEW GREAT CHALLENGE:
WINNING WITH FOUR DIFFERENT
MANUFACTURERS
After his historic triumph in Austin with Aprilia,
‘Mack’ will face a new challenge with the RC16
after the announcement he will race for Red Bull
KTM Tech3 in 2025.
Maverick Viñales is a man of challenges. After
mastering the finer details of the Aprilia RS-
GP until tasting victory with it at the 2024 GP
of the Americas, becoming the first rider in
the MotoGP era to win with three different
manufacturers, the Catalan has decided to
undertake a new challenge by signing with Red
Bull KTM Tech3, which he will compete with
onboard the RC16.
in Argentina, starting his Yamaha career in the
perfect fashion. Four years later, his time with the
Japanese manufacturer ended abruptly in the
middle of the season. Weeks later, Aprilia opened
their doors for him.
A big bet for Viñales
After months of adaptation and racking up
several podiums in 2022 and 2023, Viñales was
finally able to claim his historic victory in Austin
on the RS-GP. It remained to be seen what
new challenges the future could bring him with
Aprilia, especially after knowing the plans of the
Noale manufacturer following the retirement of
Aleix Espargaro and the signing of Jorge Martin.
Finally, in the middle of a hectic silly season,
Maverick has made a big bet on joining Red Bull
KTM Tech3 in 2025. In this way, he will form a
stellar RC16 line-up alongside Brad Binder, Pedro
Acosta and Enea Bastianini, who will be his new
teammate. Will ‘Top Gun’ be able to make history
by winning with a fourth different manufacturer?
Rewriting history
Viñales made history in Austin by achieving his
first victory with Aprilia Racing, after a weekend
where he also achieved pole position and victory
in the Tissot Sprint. By doing this, he overtook
Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and
Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP),
who are also chasing the milestone of winning
with three different brands after their previous
victories with Honda and Ducati, and Suzuki and
Honda, respectively.
Chronology of a milestone
Maverick’s path to accumulating wins with three
different brands dates to 2016, when he achieved
a historic victory for Suzuki at Silverstone in his
second season on the GSX-RR. Months later,
he would dazzle the world with a stellar start
as a new Yamaha rider, filling the void left by
MotoGP Legend Jorge Lorenzo. A debut win
on the M1 in Qatar was followed up with victory

NEWS DESK
start, quickly advancing to 11th place. Although
she lost a position on lap 2, dropping to 12th, she
maintained this position with consistency and skill
for the remainder of the race, ultimately finishing
in 13th place.
Nicole’s performance across the weekend was a
testament to her adaptability and determination
in the face of adversity. The opening round
presented unique challenges, particularly with
many riders, including Nicole, having no prior
experience or testing at Misano.
Looking Ahead
RACING AGAINST THE WORLD:
NICOLE VAN ASWEGEN TAKES ON
THE WORLD’S BEST
As the championship progresses, Nicole van
Aswegen is focused on building her confidence
and familiarity with her bike. The experience
gained from this weekend is invaluable as she
prepares for the upcoming races.
“This weekend was tough but full of learning
opportunities. I’m looking forward to refining my
approach and coming back stronger,” she added.
Nicole extends her best wishes to all the injured
riders for a speedy recovery and is eager to
continue competing in this historic championship.
Source: Andalaft Racing Facebook page
Misano Adriatico, Italy - June 16, 2024 – Nicole
van Aswegen and the Andalaft Racing team
delivered a commendable performance in the
first round of the Inaugural FIM Women’s World
Championship, held at the Misano World Circuit.
Despite challenging conditions and several ontrack
incidents, van Aswegen showcased her
resilience and racing acumen over the weekend.
Race 1: Saturday Drama and Determination
The first race was marred by multiple accidents,
reflecting the unfamiliarity many riders had with
the track. Nicole started in 14th position and
made an early move to 13th on lap 1. However,
she briefly slipped back to 14th and subsequently
to 15th and 16th as the race progressed. A red
flag incident paused the race, offering a brief
respite and a chance for strategic adjustments.
Upon the race’s restart, Nicole demonstrated her
tenacity, steadily climbing back to 15th position
and ultimately finishing 11th by the end of the
day. Post-race, she expressed her mixed feelings
about the result:
“I’m happy with the progress I made today, but
I know I need to build more confidence in the
bike. This is my first time racing this particular
model, and it’s been a learning experience,” van
Aswegen commented. She also acknowledged
the difficult conditions and wished her fellow
riders a swift recovery from any injuries sustained.
Race 2: Sunday’s Steady Performance
Sunday’s race saw Nicole starting again from
14th position in row 4. She had a remarkable

NEWS DESK
ONE TRACK, ONE DAY, ONE RULE:
GET FAST! MONSTER ENERGY
MOTORCYCLE ‘LEGENDS’ LAY
RUBBER AT SILVERSTONE
Take the best in the world, the best of all-time,
the finest motorcycle sport tech, a smattering
of special guests and block-book the historic
Silverstone curves.
Take the best in the world, the best of all-time,
the finest motorcycle sport tech, a smattering
of special guests and block-book the historic
Silverstone curves. A big splash of English
sunshine? Why not. Monster Energy’s ‘Legends
Day’ couldn’t have been better named. Some of
the biggest personalities and fastest racers on
two-wheels in series and events like MotoGP,
WorldSBK, the IoM TT, BSB dropped into the
famous British Grand Prix circuit to hang out,
hoon and have a blast.
MotoGP world champion Francesco
Bagnaiaand fellow VR46 Academy members
Franco Morbidelli, Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio Di
Giannantonio were accompanied by Valentino
Rossi himself as the Ducati Panigales and
Yamaha R1s rattled the ceilings in the Silverstone
pitlane. A few boxes along more Ducatis were in
play for reigning WorldSBK #1 Alvaro Bautista
and teammate Nicolo Bulega. Superbike record
breaker Jonathan Rea headed the Yamaha
contingent but was chased by Monster Energy
Yamaha MotoGP duo Fabio Quartararoand
Alex Rins (even Yamaha Racing’s MD Lin Jarvis
zipped up the leathers for a few laps). Fresh
from scraping shoulders on hedgerows and
garden walls were TT icons Michael Dunlop and
John McGuinness and lap-record holder Peter
Hickman also twisting the cable.
Other visors were clicked into place: John
Hopkins, Randy Mamola, Darryn Binder, Cal
Crutchlow, Josh Brookes and even ex-F1 stars
like Mark Webber. Fuel was burned and rubber
abused as the vast collective of racing talent –
boasting well over twenty FIM titles – gathered
together for the first time.
Rossi, 45, is getting his adrenaline fix these
days through cars but was clearly vibed to be
back at Silverstone on two-wheels and find a
good climate: “I was worried about the weather.
I thought it might be eight degrees and rain but
this is fantastic”.
“I [always] try to have some time on the bike…
because I don’t want to give up. I feel in quite good
shape and, also, when you do a [track] day like this
then you can push but still have fun because there
is a bit of margin; you think ‘I’ll try the maximum…
but I don’t need the Pole Position’. It’s a great
feeling. It’s always difficult because it’s physical –
the cars are easier – but it’s always fantastic.”
“I’m embracing the event!” said Rea while sitting
in his race leathers and getting a trim in the
barbershop and tattoo parlour Monster Energy
set-up in the final box of pitlane. “This is so cool
because I never usually get the chance to hang out
with peers. I had a good chat with John McGuiness
and Michael Dunlop and then sharing the track with
GP guys, TT guys, BSB and my peers in Superbike
in a really relaxed atmosphere is cool. When you
are in the hustle and bustle of a race weekend then
you are in your own little bubble worrying about
your performance but here you can just enjoy
riding a motorbike, hanging out with the crew and
be less focused on performance.”

NEWS DESK
“It’s about having the chance to be on track with
riders that you never usually would,” offered
Quartararo who kicked back and even took his
boss Lyn Jarvis for a tow. “It’s been a lot of fun
and the first time I’ve ridden an R1 since 2021!
It’s a great opportunity to take part in something
unique.”
The Frenchman’s rival, Pecco Bagnaia, was even
taking profit of the laps as a ‘tune-up’ for the
Monster Energy British Grand Prix at Silverstone
on the first weekend of August. “It’s incredible
to have this mix of riders,” said the Italian. “Also,
useful! I always struggle a bit with my first laps
here at Silverstone and [riding the Panigale] is
completely different, but the more you ride where
you have to race then it helps.” The English venue
also got a thumbs-up from the champ. “It’s a
physically demanding circuit because it’s so fast
and you have to be very precise with the changes
of direction. I love it…but it’s also very tricky!”
Peter Hickman profited from ‘Legends Day’ to
get his markers for circuit racing back into the
ballpark after the daunting sphere of the TT. “I
find the transition from short circuits to the road
quite easy but coming back the other way is quite
difficult! It’s interesting how differently we see
things, view things or feel things.”
“Monster are good at looking after their athletes,
and then putting us in places and situations we
normally wouldn’t be in!” he grinned. “It’s cool
that they can cut across the sports. At the TT
recently we met some snowboarders that were
there for the first time. Monster are helpful and
they make things happen. I actually had no idea of
the specifics of this event. I think they deliberately
didn’t tell anyone. So, turning up to see Valentino
on track, Johnny Rea, Bautista…there are loads.
It’s a proper mix which is super-cool.”
Before the visors went down, the crew quaffed
the food and beverages at the Silverstone
Museum the night before. “General chit-chat
and usually not about racing,” reveals Rea. “I
mean, catching up with GP guys then you ask
them how it’s going and I’m facing a bit of a
difficult moment in Superbike and they are also
interested. But it’s more normal life stuff though
because the last thing athletes usually want to
talk about is the day job. It’s pretty relaxed.”
Schedules mean compromise, and the
‘Legends Day’ cast list is unlikely to form-up
again. Rossi summed it up best: “With Monster
it’s always like a big family. I think I started with
them in 2008 or 2009 so a long, long time ago.
I feel the oldest here! But it’s also a pleasure
because I have seen the evolution over the
years. The way they approach everything is a bit
like today: calm and trying to have fun together.
We’re having a good time.”

NEWS DESK
A GRIPPING SERIES! BATT-TECH
POWERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP
When thinking of exciting and long-standing
motorcycle racing championships in South Africa,
the 650 Super Twins Cup, part of the Power
Series at the Killarney circuit in Cape Town,
immediately comes to mind. This championship
attracts riders with its affordability, offering more
enthusiasts the chance to enjoy racing without
the enormous expenses associated with fullblown
superbikes.
For years, this championship has delivered
some of the finest racing in South Africa, albeit
without the acclaim it deserves. Featuring twincylinder,
four-stroke 650cc road-based production
motorcycles like the Kawasaki ER6, Kawasaki
EX6, Kawasaki Versys, Kawasaki Z650 Ninja,
Suzuki SV 650, Suzuki DL 650, Yamaha MT-07,
Hyosung GT, and Honda NC 700, the 650 Super
Twins Cup allows many riders to experience the
thrill of track racing on a significantly reduced
budget.
In 2024, the racing budget has been further
reduced with the introduction of BATT-Tech as the
control tyre provider for both the 650 Twin Cup
and Supersport 300 categories. All riders now
race on the same tyre and compound, ensuring
no competitive advantage in that department and
reducing tyre costs for everyone.
The Supersport 300 championship includes
machines like the Kawasaki Ninja 300
(EX300ADF), Yamaha YZF-R3, KTM RC390,
Honda CBR 500, Husqvarna 401, and Kawasaki
Ninja 400. Globally, Supersport 300 racing has
proven to be the perfect training ground for
future stars.
The tyre of choice is the BATT UHP-CS (Ultra
High-Performance Cut Slicks). At MRW, we are
very familiar with these tyres, having tested and
contributed to their development alongside
Sheridan Morais.
The latest spec BATT UHP-CS tyres offer
maximum grip and durability at an affordable
price. In the 650 class, the front tyre size
is 120/70/17, available only in a Medium
compound and must be used for two consecutive
race meetings (two qualifying sessions and
four races). The rear tyres, sized 160/60/17
and 180/60/17, come in Medium and Soft
compounds, with a new rear tyre allowed for
each race meeting (qualifying and two races).
The technical consultant (TC) will mark and keep
records of all tyres.
In the 300 class, tyre sizes are 110/70/17 and
140/70/17, available in Medium compound. One
set of marked tyres is used for two consecutive
race meetings (two qualifying sessions and four
races), with the TC marking and recording all tyres.
The switch to BATT UHP-CS tyres has been
a huge success, with riders appreciating the
reduced cost and the grip, feel, and longevity
these tyres offer. On-track racing action is faster
and more intense than ever, thrilling fans to no end.
A few rounds into this year’s championship
have seen Jamie Hall dominate the 650 class,
while Adrian Solomon is the frontrunner in
the 300 class. Jamie is currently leading the
650 championship, with Braddon Hutchings,
Matthew van Niekerk, Keegan Wasserfall, and

NEWS DESK
Andre Symes pushing hard to catch up. Both
championships have showcased world-class
racing, featuring both emerging young talents
and seasoned riders. The addition of the new
BATT control tyre has been well received, adding
extra excitement to the already thrilling races.
This partnership marks a significant step forward
for BATT and their UHP-CS tyres. Involvement
in championships like this provides valuable
feedback from riders on tyre performance and
wear, strengthening the brand over time.
A big shout-out to BATT Tech for their support
in promoting and developing local racing. Their
investment is significant and should not be
overlooked.
If you’re in the market for a quality track tyre that
offers exceptional grip and longevity without
breaking the bank, look no further than the BATT
UHP-CS. Available in a range of sizes for 300 to
1000cc machines, contact BATT Tech at +27 73
777 9269 or email b2b@batt-tech.co.za for more
information.
SAVE
R20 000
Exclusive to KTM 1290 Super Adventure S 2023 model

MEASURING YOUR HEAD FOR THE
RIGHT HELMET SIZE
The most important aspect of buying a helmet is
knowing your head size. Use a linen tape measure to
measure from the middle of your forehead, around
your head above the ears and eyebrows, and back
to the starting point. This measurement is crucial
because helmet sizes can vary. For instance, a head
measurement of 57/58 cm typically corresponds to
a Medium. This simple practice should be a standard
offering at any motorcycle accessory store to ensure
your helmet fits correctly and does its job effectively.
‘WHAT’S IN THE BOX?”
At Batt-Tech Specialised Helmet Division, we
emphasize understanding everything included in your
helmet box. We demonstrate the functionality and
fitting of all components, such as visors and Pinlocks.
A Pinlock is an anti-fog insert for the visor, essential
for preventing fogging in various weather conditions.
Other accessories might include a chin curtain, a
nose-cone (breather guard), and a drop-down dark
smoke visor, each with specific instructions for proper
use. Basic maintenance, such as cleaning the visor,
washing the inner linings, and clearing intake vents,
should also be part of your knowledge.
Essential Helmet
Safety Information
HELMET EXPIRY DATES
It’s crucial to be aware of the expiry dates of
helmets. Proper sizing is key, and merely fitting
any helmet to any shell size is risky. Accurate shell
sizing, when done correctly, enhances safety,
whereas improper fitting can be dangerous. This is
evident daily at B.T.S.H.D. Customers are entitled to
thorough instructions on what’s included in their
helmet package, such as Pinlocks, and ensuring
that the sales staff properly fit these components
in-store. Additionally, understanding the basics of
helmet maintenance and care for its 5-year lifespan
is essential. Always check the Date of Manufacture
(DOM) found on the fastening strap or the sticker
inside the helmet.
THE BASICS AND RIGHTS OF PURCHASING A
LIFE-SAVING DEVICE BY B.T.S.H.D: NOTABLE
MARKET TRENDS
There is a noticeable trend where high-end
helmets are being sold at significantly reduced
prices. It’s important to understand why. Helmets
are rigorously tested for safety across up to
25 global institutions, which all agree that the
optimal protection period of a helmet, from its
date of manufacture (DOM), is five to seven years.
This timeframe applies whether the helmet is
worn or not, covering all types of helmets, from
Thermoplastic (ABS) to full 4K carbon, Polyaramid,
and Fibreglass. If a helmet’s price seems too good to
be true, check the DOM under the headliner, cheek
pads, strap, or harness to determine how many
years of optimal protection remain.

“$10 HELMET, $10 HEAD”
The phrase “$10 helmet for a $10 head” underscores
the importance of investing in quality helmets. At
Batt-Tech Specialised Helmet Division, we ensure
you receive top-notch service and attention to
detail for both your safety and budget. Quality ECE
and DOT-approved helmets are available for under
R2,000.
COMPETITION TIME
Join our competition for a chance to win an
incredible limited edition prize! Answer these two
simple questions:
1. How many years does a helmet have from its
Date of Manufacture (DOM) to offer optimal safety,
whether worn or not?
2. Where can you find the DOM on the helmet?
Email your answers to max@batt-tech.co.za to enter
the lucky draw.
Thank you for following our series this month.
Good luck!
Max Godrich
0828977711 (WhatsApp)
max@batt-tech.co.za
Batt-Tech Specialised Helmet Division

SUZUKI
WEEKEND AWAY
Words: Shaun Portman | Pics: Black Rock Studio
We were recently invited by Suzuki South Africa to their annual Weekend
Away, held at the Numbi Hotel from the 6th to the 9th of June. This event,
hosted by Suzuki South Africa, brings together loyal customers and
media partners for a fun-filled weekend of activities, including plenty of
riding and driving for both motorcycle and car enthusiasts.

The event kicked off at 7 AM on Thursday
with a meet and greet at Suzuki South Africa,
accompanied by coffee and the mandatory
signing of indemnities. We were introduced to
the bikes we’d be riding: Suzuki’s brand-new
GSX-8R and one Suzuki GSX-S1000GX. By 8
AM, we departed towards Nelspruit, making a
pit stop at the ALZU One Stop for refueling, a
stretch, and a bite to eat. Our next destination
was Freedom Motorcycles, a newly appointed
Suzuki motorcycle dealer, where we stopped
for lunch. From there, we explored the scenic
Eastern Transvaal, taking the opportunity to ride
and capture photos and videos and sample
the capabilities of Suzuki’s new models on the
beautiful mountain passes and iconic roads like
the infamous 22 in Sabie which unfortunately
has seen better days and is in a terrible state with
roadworks, overgrown shrubs, and even a couple
of potholes thrown into the mix. Even so, it was
a thrilling day of riding where we all kept to the
speed limits- Promise!
We arrived at the Numbi Hotel around 6 PM,
freshened up, and got ready for dinner. The
evening included a presentation of the new
models, and a trivia/quiz session using an app,
which I was fortunate enough to win during the
BINGO session, earning a, um let’s say unique
miniature statue as a prize- Thanks Stuart! After
dinner, we retired to our rooms for some muchneeded
rest.
Friday began with breakfast at the Casterbridge
Motorcycle Museum which is filled with iconic
cars and bikes of yesteryear and definitely worth
a visit if you haven’t been there already, followed
by leisurely departures for more photo and video
opportunities. By 1 PM, we were back at the
Numbi Hotel, ready to officially kick off the Suzuki
Weekend Away event as guests and customers
started arriving. That evening we enjoyed a
delicious Buffett dinner followed by a briefing on
the next day’s activities before heading back to
our rooms to call it a night.
Saturday’s activities began with breakfast at 7
AM and a group photo at 8:45 AM. The Suzuki
Weekend Away event started at 9 AM, featuring a
full day of fun activities and riding. Now we were
told beforehand that it wasn’t a race…. So we
would need to slow down, despite our eagerness
to be the first to finish. We were told that the
first team to return is generally disqualified. Not
knowing if this was a joke or not our team wouldn’t
be taking any chances. The media formed a team,
humorously named (ask Bill Hunter for details),
and participated in various challenges while
riding point to point and following the instructions
of an application, including pretending to be a
buck and eating grass, digital clay shooting, and
other engaging tasks designed to enhance our
enjoyment and challenge our minds. The day was
filled with riding, camaraderie, and laughter. Our
team managed to secure third place by the end
of the day and we were awarded our prizes and
medals at that evening’s dinner and prize giving.

On Sunday, we departed the Numbi Hotel in the
morning, stopping once again at the ALZU One
Stop to refuel, stretch our legs, and enjoy some
KFC bucket meals. Up until now, I had only ridden
the GSX8-R (Full Road and track review in this
issue), so I took the opportunity to sample the new
GSX-S1000GX for the little stretch back to JHB.
My first impressions of the bike were positive,
typical Suzuki quality but this time with a lot more
gizmos and gadgets to play with including Cruise
Control which made the long straight highways
tolerable and was greatly appreciated. Our time
on the GX was short, so will be sure to get the
bike from Suzuki and do a full review. We arrived
back at Suzuki South Africa, marking the end of
our exciting weekend away.
I’m already looking forward to next year’s event,
which promises to be even bigger and better.
Kudos to Suzuki South Africa for organizing
such a fantastic launch event for the 8R and GX
models and for showing appreciation to their
loyal customers. Even if you don’t own a Suzuki,
it is still a great weekend away with like-minded
people. Be sure not to miss the next one!

FIRST SA
TEST
SUZUKI GSX-8R
NEXT
Words: Shaun Portman | Pics: Beam Productions & Black Rock Studio
GENERATION
During the Suzuki South Africa for a weekend getaway at the
Numbi Hotel in Hazyview, we were among the first to test-ride
Suzuki’s latest offering, the GSX-8R, a 2024 model. Building on
the foundation of the GSX-8S, this fully faired version is poised
to capture the growing mid-size capacity market. This segment
has seen a surge in popularity, with bikes like the Yamaha R7 and
Aprilia RS660 gaining traction. Notably, the GSX-8R has already
made its mark in racing circuits such as the America’s Super Twins
category where it has been victorious racing against the likes of
the Aprilia RS660 and Yamaha R7.

Bikes like the Suzuki GSX-8R, Yamaha R7, and
Aprilia RS660 are steering the future of racing
in the middleweight categories. The Women’s
World Championship, featuring exclusively
Yamaha R7s, exemplifies the growing focus on
these mid-sized bikes. Insights from the World
Superbike paddock indicate a potential shift
away from the current Supersport 400 category,
suggesting an evolution towards middleweight
parallel twin motorcycles. This trend is set to
include models like the KTM RC 990, Yamaha
R7, Aprilia RS660, and Suzuki’s GSX-8R.
The push towards these 700cc and upwards
middleweights represents a significant shift in
the racing landscape. These bikes offer a perfect
blend of accessibility and performance, bridging
the gap between entry-level models and the more
demanding 1000cc superbikes. The GSX-8R, with
its competitive specs and user-friendly design, is a
prime example of this new era.
The Suzuki GSX-8R is a testament to the brand’s
commitment to innovation and performance.
It’s a bike that caters to a wide range of riders,
from beginners to experienced enthusiasts. As
the middleweight category continues to evolve,
the GSX-8R stands out as a compelling option
that promises both excitement and reliability.
Whether you’re looking to dominate the track or
enjoy a spirited ride on the open road, the GSX-
8R is equipped to deliver an exceptional riding
experience.
The Suzuki GSX-8R
is a testament to the
brand’s commitment
to innovation and
performance. It’s a
bike that caters to a
wide range of riders,
from beginners
to experienced
enthusiasts.
In a market where mid-sized sports bikes are
becoming increasingly popular, Suzuki’s GSX-8R not
only holds its own but sets a new standard. With its
blend of power, handling, and comfort, it’s poised
to lead the charge in this burgeoning segment. The
future of middleweight racing looks bright, and the
GSX-8R is ready to take its place at the forefront.
The GSX-8R is powered by a 776cc, four-stroke
parallel twin engine, DOHC, and four valves per
cylinder. It delivers a respectable 83.1 horsepower
and 78 Nm of torque. This new model represents the
future of mid-sized sports bikes, stepping into the
space once dominated by 600cc super-sports and
smaller 300cc or 400cc bikes.
Our journey began in Johannesburg, taking the GSX-
8R on a scenic 1300km round trip to Hazyview and
then back to Joburg with riding in between. The bike
handled a variety of road conditions with aplomb. On
the open road, the GSX-8R was smooth, quiet, and
POWER
83 bhp @
8,500rpm
TORQUE
78 Nm @
6,800rpm
TANK
CAPACITY
14 L
SEAT
HEIGHT
810mm
WET
WEIGHT
205kg

The GSX-8R excels in
making the riding experience
straightforward and
enjoyable. The term “easy”
frequently appeared in my
notes while testing this bike.
feature is the Low RPM Assist, a function programmed into the
bike’s ECU. This system monitors engine speed, gear position,
throttle opening, and clutch engagement, intervening to smooth
out the revs at low speeds. This makes pulling away from a stop,
navigating traffic, and performing low-speed maneuvers much
easier and more confident.
The GSX-8R excels in making the riding experience
straightforward and enjoyable. The term “easy”
frequently appeared in my notes while testing
this bike. Whether you’re an experienced
subtle—ideal for longer rides, despite the absence
of cruise control. The handling was precise and
dynamic, though the Showa suspension was
a bit firm and nervous over bumps, resulting
in a slightly twitchy ride. The riding position
was a highlight, with low footpegs and clip-on
handlebars mounted above the top yoke, offering
a comfortable balance between a naked bike and
a supersport stance.
Typical of Suzuki, the build quality of the GSX-8R
is solid, offering great value for money. The sixspeed
gearbox with a bi-directional quick shifter
is silky smooth, enhancing the riding experience.
The Showa suspension includes a 41mm inverted
fork up front and a linkage-assisted shock at the
rear, both providing about 130mm of travel. The
braking system, featuring 310mm discs with fourpiston
Nissin calipers up front and a 240mm disc
with a single-piston caliper at the rear, is superb.
However, the non-switchable ABS can be intrusive
on the track and sometimes out on the road when
you want to be a hooligan.
The Suzuki GSX-8R is a prime example of how
modern technology can be seamlessly integrated
into a user-friendly package. Unlike some of its
more complex competitors, the GSX-8R boasts
Suzuki’s typical SDMS system, offering A, B, and
C riding modes along with various traction control
settings, which can be disabled for those who
prefer a rawer riding experience.
As a relatively new design, Suzuki’s 800cc
lineup, including the GSX-8R, benefits from the
latest in electronic advancements. One standout

ider or a novice, the GSX-8R’s intuitive handling and userfriendly
electronics inspire confidence from the get-go.
Available in four different color and graphic variants, the
GSX-8R combines sporty styling with practical design. It’s
a visually appealing bike from every angle, with its sleek
lines and modern graphics. Yet, beneath this attractive
exterior lies a motorcycle that is incredibly practical and
easy-going.
In an increasingly competitive market, the GSX-8R stands
out not just for what it offers, but for how it makes you feel
when you ride it. It’s a bike that welcomes you with open
arms, providing a smooth and enjoyable riding experience
from start to finish. If you’re in the market for a mid-sized
sports bike that is both high-tech and highly approachable,
the Suzuki GSX-8R deserves your attention.
Weighing in at 205.2kg, the GSX-8R feels lighter than it is.
The seat height of 810mm accommodates a wide range
of riders, making it accessible for beginners and veterans alike.
The 14-litre fuel tank proved efficient, offering over 250km
on spirited rides and potentially up to 350km when ridden
conservatively. Through winding roads and tight corners, the
GSX-8R remained forgiving and accurate, though the low
footpegs did scrape occasionally, suggesting that aftermarket
rear sets might be a worthy investment for aggressive riders.
Back in Johannesburg, we took the GSX-8R to Red Star
Raceway as we had it for a week of testing. On the track, the
bike’s harder suspension shone, delivering impressive lap
times around the 2-minute 10-second mark. Despite some
limitations in lean angle due to the footrests, the handling
was excellent. The brakes were reliable and fade-free, though
the ABS slightly hindered performance. The engine’s torque
was a standout feature, providing smooth and responsive
power across all RPM ranges as it also did out on the roads.
The quick shifter and auto-blip added to the seamless riding
experience, with the GSX-8R reaching speeds of 185-189 km/h
down the back straight.

The Suzuki GSX-8R is a confidence-inspiring and
versatile machine. It offers a balanced blend of
comfort, performance, and practicality, making
it an excellent choice for both road and track
enthusiasts. While it may not boast the refinement
of more expensive bikes, its value proposition
is undeniable. Whether you’re a novice or an
experienced rider, the GSX-8R promises to deliver
a rewarding riding experience.
If you’re in the market for a mid-sized sports bike
that excels in various riding conditions, the Suzuki
GSX-8R is definitely worth considering. It’s a
bike that embodies the spirit of Suzuki: reliable,
enjoyable, and ready for any challenge. Priced at
just R179 950.00 it is also one of the best bang for
buck bikes in its segment at the moment.

ISLE OF MAN TT 2024
LIFE ON THE
ISLAND
REAL RACERS,
RISKY ROADS AND
RECORDS REWRITTEN!
Words: Greg Moloney | Pics: Isle of Man TT

Once again Moto Rider World was back on the
greatest island any motorcycle fan could ever wish
to be on. We knew the 2024 TT and the 104th
edition of this famous road race would be the
one event of the year we had to cover, due to the
race sitting on a precipice, after nearly seeing one
of the longest-standing records broken in 2023,
when Michael Dunlop just missed out on equaling
his famous Uncle Joeys all-time race win tally.
Not only that though, but changes to some of the
teams and the possibilities of lap times getting
even faster, were a major draw card to the influx of
people to the island.
Other contenders expected to shine at this year’s
TT were none other than current Lap record holder,
Peter Hickman, who was certainly in the running
for multiple class wins and potentially going even
quicker than his previous outright lap record, set
in 2023, on his Stock BMW, of 136.358mph. If you
all recall, his unlimited bike had given issues, and
he chose to ride the Stocker in the Senior TT, only
to then set the outright lap record on it in the race.
And many people including the BMW Motorrad
division were hoping that he could now better it on
the unlimited superbike version, as per their plan in
2023 with FHO Racing. Joining Hickman in BMW’s
attempt to do this, would be BSB superstars, Josh
Brookes ( Hickman’s FHO Teammate) and now
BMW mounted, Davey Todd, on his Milwaukee TAS
Racing BMW. (In our editor’s view – Todd looked
like the favorite to win the Senior and possibly the
Superbike TT as well, especially if you looked at his
current form coming into TT 2024.
Dean Harrison made an epic move after 2023’s
TT and jumped ship to the Honda Racing UK
team, after a very successful few seasons on
board a very fast DAO Kawasaki. Harrison
joined TT legend John McGuinness and up-andcoming
TT star Nathan Harrison in the HRC team.
McGuinness, of course, coming off a podium
at the NW 200, only a few days before having to
climb back onto his CBR Fireblade and get that
famous tap on the shoulder to send him down
Bray Hill and into the 37 and ¾ mile lap, that
sees an average of 190 gear changes, and the
engine of any top superbike contender revving
over 12500rpm for just under 60% of the lap, not
to mention the ability to lap what in South African
terms is a 60,5km track in under 17 minutes
averaging about 210km/h.

In the sidecars, big news after the end of last
year’s event was the retirement of Tom Birchall,
from the all-conquering Birchall Racing outfit, and
this meant Ben, Tom’s brother had to find a new
jockey to hang off the side of his sidecar. Kevin
Rousseaux was that man and in the 3 Wheeling
FP1, Rousseaux was already in the record books
with his fastest-ever lap around the IOMTT course.
Last year’s runners-up and contenders the Crowe
Brothers and the only other outfit to get into the
elusive 120mph club, Founds and Walmsley also
looked good from their first laps out and had the
session not been disrupted by an oil spill, the
top three positions would certainly have been
contested by the outfits mentioned above.
Qualifying 1 (Monday 27 May 2024)
After a small delay and some incredible work
by the TT Marshalls to clear the oil, Q1 was all
clear and although it started later than scheduled
the riders would now have to deal with the
longer shadows of the afternoon and possibly
changeable road surface temperatures. But this
is exactly what you need to be able to do, to be
successful at the TT. Fortunately, and if you’ve
ever been to TT you will know, the light stays long
into the evening and the sun only sets at about
midnight SA time. So, the first day, was going to
be a long one, and being that it was a holiday and
there was no need to open and close the roads for
normal day-to-day traffic, Q1 was set to go.
Catch our pre-Q1 Interview with TT Plus and TT
Podcast Presenter and our favourite flyby” Power
Ranger” Steve Plater: https://www.facebook.com/
share/v/XrGStMrbbkiz71jj/?mibextid=oFDknk
In the SS Q1, other notable changes were seeing
James Hillier out on a 30th Anniversary coloured
Kawasaki ZX6R, the return of the only man to
have won 5 TTs in one week, and fan favourite,
Ian Hutchinson (Millenco by Padgett’s Honda)
and most notably two bikes that stood out in
terms of them not being 600s. One was Davey
Todd on a Ducati 959 and James Hind, who
was 3rd quickest at one point in Q1 on a Suzuki
GSXR750cc. The dispensation rule for these two
So, in saying all of that and to do the TT justice,
the only real way we can, we have decided to
cover all 15 days of action and in order not to miss
any of the nitty gritty, we as Moto Rider World
were able to uncover, this review will delve into
the heart of TT, class by class and give you the
chance to hear from some of the riders first hand,
via the links provided to each and every rider our
reporter, Greg Moloney, The Voice of Choice, who
was on the roads and in the paddock, to bring us
all the action and drama as it unfolded throughout
the 2 weeks.
We will also add in the Lekka Racing/ TH Racing
Tab, to take you through South Africa’s Allan Jon
Venter’s escapades in his 2024 TT. We will show
how well South Africa’s only TT rider faired on the
Isle in each of his classes.
So, alliteration aside, let’s get you into the RR, RR,
and RR of TT for 2024.
Practice Week
Free Practice 1(Monday 27 May 2024)
Despite the Bank Holiday Monday starting out wet
and overcast, by the time the first bikes made their
way out of the start line area, there were a few
damp spots on course, but these were relayed
to the riders and FP1 got underway. Supersport
(SS) and Supertwin (ST) were first to get the first
look at the race track, just after Richard “Milky”
Quayle, had lead out the newcomers on their
first official lap of the circuit. Being an untimed
session, it was used by most of the riders in the
two smaller classes as a sighting/shakedown lap,
and by the time the Superbike (SBK)/Superstock
(STK) session had opened up, conditions had
improved but nothing of too much significance
occurred which was expected. The two new 2024
Hondas of McGuinnes and Harrison seemed to
be giving the HRC UK team a few headaches, and
had there been timing, incredibly the “rookie” in
the team, Nathan Harrison, would have been the
quickest Honda out on track.

ikes to compete in the SS class was that they
ran different ECUs, sanctioned by BSB rules that
also only allowed the rider 79,5% throttle to be
used. But both were pretty much right up at the
front from the word go and both Todd and Hind
were keen to take on the usual suspects sitting
1st and second respectively after lap 1 of the
session. Speaking of the usual suspects, Dunlop,
4 times back-to-back winner of the SS class, had
arrived with his MD Motorsport/ Carl Cox Triumph
765 3 cylinder, as his choice of steed for the SS
class too. However, after the first lap MD came in
and rode straight into the back of his transporter,
to retire the Triumph indefinitely and climb back
on board his trusted R6 Yamaha. The only other
time he would look at it was when he showed
Ricky Carmichael the bike after the first SS Race,
but we’ll get to that in a bit. The top three would
eventually be Todd, with the fastest speed trap
time too at Sulby, of just under 175mph, just
0.533mph quicker than Hillier, who would finish
2nd and Dunlop 3rd, with all three already into the
125mph laps.
Dunlop having
a go on the
Triumph before
parking it and
going with
his trusty old
Yamaha R6.
In the Supertwins class (ST), big news
coming into TT was the return of House
Of Swan, a team synonymous with TT,
and joining Hickman as his partner on
the Swan Racing R7 Yamaha, after a 12-
year absence. Michael Rutter was also
suitably motivated to perform in not only
the twins’ class but in all the classes he
would be participating in, after the news
broke just days earlier, that the first entry
corner into Glen Helen section of the
mountain course would be now known
as Rutter’s. This of course is an honour
bestowed on both Michael and Tony and
their multiple successes on the island.
Both Mike Browne (Aprilia) and Baz
Furber (Yamaha R7) were impressive in
the first session too finishing 2nd and
3rd behind Hickman’s Yamaha at the
end of Q1.
AJs first two sessions ended very well,
with continued progress from his outing
at the NW200, for TH Racing on their two
bikes (SS – Honda CBR600 and ST –
Kawasaki Z650. Venter finished 23rd in
the SS on a 117,038mph lap and 17th in
the twins on a 109.771mph.
Catch his interview on the first session
on this link: https://www.facebook.com/
share/v/9bhdZGcxNEo2Junm/?mibextid
=oFDknk
Changing from the smaller bikes to the
bigger beasts is part and parcel of a
TT rider’s repertoire and adaptability is
crucial even in the early stages of the
TT. So, when the SBK and STK headed
out, all eyes were on the big teams and
their preparation was now going to be
seen for the first time, where timing
How good does
that look?
Davey Todd short
circuit racing style
on the Ducati
Panigale 959.

counted. One must also take into account that it’s
the rider’s and teams’ discretion as to which of
the two bikes they send their riders out on during
the combined session, which also becomes a
tactics issue later in the week, should there be any
delays or changes to the program. So, a clear first
evening Q1 was ideal to try get in laps on both
bikes, where possible.
Starting with the STK, it was awesome to see
a few new faces at the front end with Dominic
Herbertson (Burroughs Racing RK BMW) who
would eventually end 3rd quickest behind Dunlop
(Hawk Racing MD Racing Honda) and Hickman
(Monster Energy by FHO Racing BMW). Venter
was concentrating on the two smaller bikes
so only managed a standing start lap in the
Superstock class and ended with his first time on
the Lekka Racing Sandton Motorrad BMW with
33rd and a 118mph lap.
It was a bit more heated in the SBK class, seeing
the BMWs and Hondas chopping and changing
at the front end, but of course, with the different
tactics being employed by the teams we had
to wait until all the bikes had crossed the line
to see that Dunlop had lead the way with the
fastest overall lap of the day too, on a 129,5mph
lap. Todd was the quickest BMW in second with
Hickman just off his times. Dean Harrison and
McGuinness were battling with a few little niggles
on their 2024 Blades but their teams were working
hard to get the setups right. It’s amazing to think
that no matter how much time and effort a team
like Honda Racing UK, as an example, put into the
upfront work leading to TT, there is only one place
where they can actually see if all that work has
been beneficial or not, and that’s when their riders
head off down Glencrutchery Road and onto the
TT course. However, one bike that did perform
in the Honda team was Nathan Harrisons and we
caught up with him in the paddock:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/TnEDAN4i9A
XfX32X/?mibextid=oFDknk
We also checked in at Lekka Racing to see how
AJ was feeling after his first outings on the three
bikes and their individual challenges: https://
www.facebook.com/share/v/QpV9SG1bvrEwmac
n/?mibextid=oFDknk
Dean Harrison
sporting full
factory Honda
colours for 2024.

The final part of Q1 saw the 3 Wheeling Media
Sidecars go out on track for their first timed
session and as we saw earlier in the day the Crowe
Racing #7 team, who were now running #3 on their
outfit, went quickest, with a 155mph run through
the speed trap at Sulby and ending on Q1 time of
116.699mph lap. Late in the session the Birchall/
Rousseaux pair closed in on initial 2nd place
runners Founds/Walmsley and would eventually
just pip them for the 2nd quickest time of the day
in the sidecars. A big factor that all the teams were
getting to grips with was the new Hoosier tyres and
whether they would be able to take the pounding
required by the 600kg sleds they run in sidecars,
along with a few damp patches and resurfaced
areas along the course. Only time on track would
tell and everyone was looking forward to another
full day’s action on Tuesday.
But before heading back to the guest house we
were able to catch one well-known TT racer Lee
Johnston, who unfortunately couldn’t make it onto
his bike this year, but will be doing dual duties
off-track with the daily PA commentary on Manx
Radio Motorsport, and the TT Podcasts. Lee gives
us his feelings on the first day as well as how his
recovery is going after his big operation on his
leg.: https://www.facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/
videos/446636751439589/
Qualifying 2 (Tuesday 28 May 2024)
Day two dawned and the weather did not look
good initially with some rain overnight, but the
race control was still confident to let the Q2 run
and to double check on said conditions, we
went to find the hardest working man on the
Isle Richard “Milky” Quayle to get his thoughts
on whether we were going to get a session in:
https://www.facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/
videos/852889843544982/
After AJ had said there were a few issues,
particularly with the front suspension, we
caught him in the assembly area to see what he
thought was going to happen with Q2 and also
if they had made a plan with Mark Arnott from
MotoShox and Ktech to get the front end sorted:
https://www.facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/
videos/1193310295006155/
Things were not looking too good and continued
updates and announcements came over the PA
in the paddock, however, eventually a call was
made that the course was deemed too dangerous
to ride with scattered showers on different
sectors and that ended the day with no riding
taking place at all: https://www.facebook.com/
VoiceOfChoice/videos/344562068357040/
One thing we were able to do before it got
too busy was take up Arai Helmets and their
hospitality and helmet service marquee. I took my
The very
impressive
James Hind on
his Suzuki.
Nicky Hayden Replica to be serviced and detailed
up as they do for the racers using Arai. Arai was
also celebrating its 40th Anniversary at the TT;
incredibly 40 years ago, Joey Dunlop and Brian
Reid were the first riders to use Arai helmets on
the Isle. Mr Arai himself was on the Isle to join in
with the celebrations and to gift every TT rider that
was riding this year in Arai, the latest TT Replica
helmet, which they would all wear in place of
their own helmets in a special parade around the
course later in the week: https://www.facebook.
com/VoiceOfChoice/videos/971156571309414/

Qualifying 3 (Wednesday 29 May 2024)
Although Wednesday looked overcast initially,
the sun came out and the call was to get bikes
on track for a full session in the evening, starting
with SBK and STK, then SS and ST, and finally
Sidecars. Most teams were looking to stick
to their plans for Q2 and implement them in
Q3 now and try to get as much track time as
possible. Once again it was mixed emotions so
to speak as to who was on what bike to start,
with riders and teams mixing up their choice of
machinery between SBK and STK. Yet again
times would only be finalised once all bikes
were done with Q2. One big change that was
unavoidable to notice, was when Dunlop pulled
off just after Kirkmichael on board his ’24
Fireblade and rode back to the Grandstand to
get his ’23 Honda out of the truck and do his
rebooted first lap on the older bike. He just said
he wasn’t comfortable enough with the new
machinery and it wasn’t doing what he wanted
it to do, so he was going to stick to the tried
and tested one, as he had done in Q1 with his
change to the R6 from the 765 Triumph. This
move seemed to be a good one as he finished
2nd overall in the SBK, behind Todd on the
BMW, with a 0.092 gap between them. Hickman
in third and his teammate Josh Brookes set Isle
of Man Constabulary ablaze with his speed trap
speed at 205.098 mph.
Meanwhile, as the dust settled in the STK
class, it looked like Hickman was the man to
beat again, only to see him lose the top spot
with the chopping and changing of machinery,
to Todd who got his Stock BMW into the
130mph for the first time in the week. It was
a big surprise for all the Manx fans to see
their favourite coffee man in the top three,
and Connor Cummings on his Millenco by
Padgett’s Honda. If you recall Cummings was
literally plagued with stomach flu and gastro
throughout the 2023 TT and battled to even
start never mind finish any of his races back,
then. So, to have him in the running so early on
was great for his big fan base on the Isle.
Peter Hickman
wrestling his
superstock BMW
M1000RR around
the Island.
Manx man
Connor Cummins
on his stocker.
TT hero Ian
Hutchinson on
his Padgett’s
Honda.
It was then time to switch it back to the smaller
machinery and as we saw in the big bikes,
teams would be trying different things to find
the pace for the first races coming soon. Todd
who had topped the time sheets in both SBK
and STK was now looking for the first possible
treble for the practice week, on his Ducati 959.
However, when you know Dunlop is on arguably
his favourite bike and has 4 back-to-back wins
under him over the last two TTs, then you must
always be looking to the top of the time sheets
to spot the Carl Cox Motorsport and MD Racing
Yamaha. That’s exactly what happened with
Dunlop showing just how difficult he was going
to be to beat on Saturday in the Monster Energy
Supersport TT Race 1. For a while, the next
two spots on the time sheets were held by Paul
Jordan and Mike Browne, who were certainly
looking to be in contention for the race. As
was Jamie Coward, who was just as consistent
as ever, ending the SS Q3 in second place
just ahead of Todd and Dean Harrison on the
Honda, in 4th.

AJ Venter
finding the
pace on his SA
prepped BMW
S1000RR.
When it came to the top spots in the ST class it
was a bit more of a battle amongst the riders,
teams, and the manufacturers too. Yamaha vs
Suzuki vs Aprillia vs Paton vs Kawasaki. That
battle was won in this round by the Paton of
Coward. One thing we did notice when we caught
Jamie in the paddock, about was his ability
to always be the first man into the assembly
area and whether this was a strategy or not:
https://www.facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/
videos/439227549058925/
Second in Q3 was Hickman and only just sneaking
into 3rd when the flag came out was a fired-up
Mike Browne on his Aprillia. Incredibly Dunlop,
made it back into the pits just in time to climb off
his R6 and straight onto the Paton and get one
standing start lap in finishing 6th for the day.
AJ managed to complete his planned laps and
improved on both to 120.523mph on the BMW
and 113.423mph on the Kawasaki. As he had
said in his interview above, he was happy with the
setup on the Honda and it needed no changes,
which is why he concentrated his efforts on the
other two bikes. They did find a small issue with
the Kawasaki, and it meant some quick changes
to the Z650’s engine may be necessary before
the next qualifying. https://www.facebook.com/
VoiceOfChoice/videos/761575316169483/
Sidecars were the last session of the day again,
and in Q3 the Crowe brothers led the way again
for the first lap, with their fastest lap ever a
118,814mph lap. The fight was certainly on for the
rest of the top 5 positions and Founds/ Walmsley
and Birchall/ Rousseaux were fighting hard but
incredibly it was the World Sidecar Champions
Todd Ellis and Emanuele Clement that also
showed some pace in Q3. They would go on to
set a new lap record for a newcomer’s outfit in
Sidecars by the end of Q3, which unfortunately
had to be Red Flagged due to a crash at Bishop’s
court with Chris Schofeild and Tom Hawkins (both
were ok and taken for examination to Nobles
Hospital and subsequently discharged after
some treatment). The red flag meant that only lap
one would then count towards Q3 and therefore
nothing changed in the finishing order.
Qualifying 4 (Thursday 30 May 2024)
Due to the incident with the sidecar outfit, on
Wednesday evening the sidecars were sent out
first on Thursday and were able to get their first
fully timed session in. One notable absence from
Q4 was the outfit of Birchall/ Rousseaux who
had had a big moment in Q3 in Glen Helen, but
nothing further had been said in the reports of
the day, however, another issue later in the same
lap saw then crash out and have to get their team
to recover the bike and get to work on doing
whatever they could to get it repaired in time for
the first Sidecar TT on Saturday. This left the 3rd
spot on the time sheets wide open for other teams
to grab, which they duly did, seeing Reeves/
Wilkes in 3rd followed very closely by Blackstock/
Rosney and the world champs again in the top 5.
The Crowes remained unbeaten and were the first
team to get into the 119mph lap times.
The attention of all trackside then shifted yet again
to the big bikes as Dean Harrison, started the Q4
session for SBK and STK looking to see if all the
overnight work and lead-up development of the
new Blade was now going to work on track. It
certainly seemed so, as he was quickest into Glen
Helen. But we would only know how good, once
the 4th timed session of the week ended. AJ went
out on the BMW and ended his lap early, but did
make it back to the pits to get ready for the SS and
ST Q4. The Lekka Racing team now knew exactly
what was needed and headed into the paddock to
find another one of AJ’s TT friends to ask for a bit
of electronic assistance. Todd from Hickman then
Dunlop, Harrison, and Brookes was the SBK results
for Q4 but most importantly on those positions
were the laps and now all the top five were lapping
in the 131mph to 133mph bracket.
In a similar turn of events, the times started to
improve in STK as well with Dunlop getting his
Honda into the 132mph bracket incredibly only
.06mph off his SBK times. Harrison was much
happier on the stock blade as well with 2nd place
in Q4 followed by surprise of Q4, Craig Neve in
3rd just missing the 130mph club.
SS and ST were then the talk of the pits as riders
had to once again shift their mindsets and styles

James Hillier at
the Bungalow.
Hickman in full
flight on his
stocker.
overall for the first time ever, as an example, and
even our own AJ Venter found his best lap so far
and got into the top 30 with a 122.252mph lap.
There were now 9 riders in the 130mph club as
well, and Hickman who we chatted to earlier,
now topped both Superbike and Superstock,
respectively. His STK lap was the fastest lap of
the qualifying week so far 134.638mph.
to cope with the smaller machines and try to get
as much track time as they could. This is not
always easy if you’re top riders racing in all the
classes for the week. No one was going to bet
against Dunlop in the SS class, and he delivered
another stellar ride to top the sheets, but Jamie
Coward was slowly but surely, or should we say
quickly but surely closing him down and only
finished 0,4mph off MD. Todd stayed constantly
in the top 3 on his 959 with James Hillier
outgunning Hickman for 4th and 5th.
In the STKs, Hickman moved to the top followed
very closely as well by Dom The Bomb””
Herbertson (Burroughs RK Racing), and with only
his second lap of the week on his twin, Todd in
3rd. Notable mentions need to go out to Italian
Francesco Curringa and Ali Mclean who were just
outside the top 5 but not far away from getting
into it.
We once again caught AJ after a few program
changes had been made to the schedule
giving teams a few extra sessions Qualifying:
https://www.facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/
videos/8505768106116230/
Qualifying 5 (Friday 31 May 2024)
We also managed to catch the fastest man
around the mountain course… eventually, to get
his thoughts on the contingency plans of extra
qualifying and how this would affect his plans
and then asked the same to ever-improving
James Hiller in his assembly area pit box:
https://www.facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/
videos/470101728810797/
https://www.facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/
videos/376019455464219/
The movers and shakers of Q5 weren’t really
the top riders because they were continuing to
fight for that all-important fastest qualifying lap,
which in circuit racing terms would mean a pole
position start but at TT, its merely that racers
edge, that every rider looks for, despite it not
changing the starting order, well at least for the
top 20 seeded riders in each class. So, when I say
the movers and shakers were further down the
pack looking to bump themselves up from their
allocated higher-up, that’s where things started
to get interesting. Nathan Harrison for a start put
in a personal best lap time to move into the top 6
Dunlop fast
as ever on his
Paton twin.
It all flipped again as the SS and ST Q5 started
particularly in the SS class where for the first time
in ages Dunlop was not in the top 5. Todd was
the fastest and for the first time since Hailwood,
it looked like Ducati had found someone who
could possibly bring them a podium, or even a
win. Hind was absolutely flying too and put the
750cc Suzuki into P2 with Evans, Harrison, and
Hickman in the top 5. Dunlop was concentrating
on getting the final set up on his Paton for the
ST class and this showed as he went and ended
the Q5 with the fastest time of the twins ahead of
fellow Paton rider Jamie Coward.
AJ had been to see his friends at Milwaukee
TAS Racing and found the issue which is the
reason for his big improvement on the BMW,
but TH Racing and their change of engines, had
also now given Venter a top 10 bike in the Twins
and he finished 7th overall in Q5 with the fastest
lap he’s ever done on a twin of 115.271mph:
https://www.facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/
videos/1542773226271184/
Sidecars was yet again led out by the Crowe
brothers, and it was starting to look like they
would be taking over the mantle left by the
Birchall brothers and their sidecar’s dominance
of the last few years at the TT. Another big factor
for Q5 was still no sign of the return of Ben
Birchall and Kevin Rousseaux, who were still all
hands on deck in trying to repair their outfit in
time for Race 1 on Saturday. The sidecar world
championship pairing now set another record
with Clement becoming the fastest-ever lady in a
sidecar team, as they hit the top 5 again.

Qualifying 6 (Saturday 1 June 2024)
With the two days in the qualifying week affecting
the schedule, race control called for a final Q6
SBK/STK session and added it on Saturday
morning, before the first races got underway
and understandably no significant changes
happened at the top of the standings for both
classes. Unless you were a South African fan or
a McGuinness fan, because AJ arrived back into
the pits ready to go for the first Supersport race
having just gone the fastest he had been all week
on the BMW (123mph and 21st overall), whereas
McPint fans saw him into the top 5 for the SBK
class too. Timing is crucial in all motorsports but
was this now looking to be more perfect timing
from the Legend and at 53 years of age could he
maybe get another podium at the TT.
The most significant gauntlet though came
from Josh Brookes who went and set the fastest
lap for the STK class and was very happy with
his performance: https://www.facebook.com/
VoiceOfChoice/videos/409502952076033/
RACE WEEK
Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 1
(Saturday 1 June 2024)
From qualifying in the morning to getting
yourself all set for full-on TT racing which was
not originally planned and now riders had to dig
deep and set their mindsets on winning the first
race of race week.
Everyone had their money on Dunlop for the
win and in doing so would equal his Uncle
Joey’s all-time most-winning rider record. How
much pressure do you want after having to wait
a whole year again to try to do it? Cometh the
hour, cometh the man or something like that…
and man did Dunlop come out guns blazing,
increasing his qualifying times and opening up
a seemingly uncatchable lead of 8 seconds by
the time he crossed the line and set the first win
of his weeks attempt to win all. He also got job
1 done and now stood as equal most wins with
Joey. And fans got to see an uncharacteristically
emotional Michael Dunlop, who stopped at the
entrance of the return road and had to ask one of
the marshals whether he had done it or not. By
the time he entered the winner’s enclosure, the
emotions were quite noticeable, and he was soon
joined by Davey Todd and Dean Harrison who
completed the top 3 for the SS TT Race 1.
Was Dunlop on his way to becoming the
G.O.A.T.? Well Monser Energy, certainly thought
so and had arranged the other G.O.A.T. from the
dirtier side of the two-wheeled sport we love and
had Ricky Carmichael on the podium handing
out the winners’ trophies and how relevant would
those pics of MD and RC be later in race week.
AJ was very happy with his 21st place and
TH Racing was even more so as they saw
their Honda get into the 120mph lap times for
the first time. : https://www.facebook.com/
VoiceOfChoice/videos/476090708125527/
3 Wheeling Media Sidecar TT Race 1
(Saturday 1 June 2024)
Before we head into the first 3 wheeled actions,
check out what Ryan Crowe had to say earlier
in the week about their setup and chances:
https://www.facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/
videos/25702770866003055/
For the first time in so long that most media
representatives were at a loss for words, a Sidecar
TT started without any Birchall on the grid. History
was going to be made, no matter what!
The Crowe brothers were looking to continue
their perfect score so far in TT ‘24’and that’s
exactly what they did, speeding through the
Sulby speed trap with an almost full tank on
lap one at 157.235mph on their way to TT win
number 1 in their careers. The perfect score
also continued with Founds/ Walmsley as they
finished in second again 12 seconds back.
But as we said history would be made and it
was with the Crowes taking their first-ever win
on home soil and then fellow family members
Founds/Walmsley were joined by their family

Dunlop getting
some more
airtime.
too in Founds/ Gibbons for 3rd. Gibbons, Peter
Founds’s nephew’, added to the family affair and
records for race one, in being a newcomer on the
podium. The final record set in race one came
from Ellis /Clement getting the newcomer lap
record rewritten on lap two (113.786mph)
Hope you caught all of that but certainly an
incredible day for the 3 wheeled brigade.
RST Superbike TT (Sunday 2 June 2024)
Superbike Sunday dawned with almost perfect
weather conditions and Todd at the top of the
qualifying sheets, with a 133.942 lap under
his belt. All in the paddock were set to watch
the drama that always comes with the first big
bike TT of the week and there were at least 5
firm favourites for victory, depending on your
preferences as a fan of TT. John McGuinness
would set the race off down Bray Hill and the RST
Superbikes TT was on. Lap one going to Todd on
the Milwaukee TAS Racing BMW with Dunlop only
2.2 seconds behind him and charging to catch
Hiller who starts ahead of him on the road. Dean
Harrison was third out of the start arch and was
only 3rd at the end of lap 1. Retirements started
The mighty
McGuinness
still at it and
still looking
spectacular.
already in lap 1 too, with Brookes out with a loose
handlebar and Herbertson having to stop with a
mechanical issue on his BMW.
AJ finished lap 1 up 15 places from his 37th
on the grid and 22nd over the finish line with
his fastest-ever lap around the TT course of
125.492mph.
Lap 2 would see the riders coming into pit lane for
a stop, so Dunlop and Harrison seemed to realize
the urgency and upped the ante, so much so that
Dunlop went on to break the Superbike lap record
with a 135.543mph lap and now was controlling
things as he caught riders in front of him, most
notably McGuinness, who had started the race a
minute and a half ahead of MD. Harrison’s pace
saw him close the gap on Todd but behind all
of them, Hickman was also starting to find his
rhythm and moved to 2nd on the charts. But by
lap 3 Dunlop, was now in firm control of the race
and caught Harrisson at the end of the Sulby
straight. Lap boards at Ramsey Hairpin and The
Creg were telling Dunlop how much of a lead he
had, so he eased up slightly and maintained the
gaps that were being shown to him.

By lap 3 AJ too had made big moves and made
his way into the top 20 for the first time in race
conditions with a 119mph lap getting him into
19th. Lap 3 saw the demise of Connor Cummings
and Ian Hutchinson, and that meant both the
Milenco by Padgett’s Hondas were out.
Into lap 4 and the second put stop was imminent,
but Dunlop was a cool 25 seconds in the lead as
he entered pit lane, now also leading on the road.
The Pit stop went like clockwork, except for one
thing. The visor guy that always changes Dunlop’s
visor failed for the first time ever to correctly install
the left-hand side pod of MDs Arai and as he
rolled out under the limiter, suddenly, he realized
something was wrong and he slowed up as he
went past the pit return road. At the same time,
Todd was having to be pushed out of the pitlane
with what also looked like an issue on his BMW.
By the time even the TT + team knew what was
happening, and focused on the potential two
major retirements, Dunlop had got going again.
Only after the race when the fans at the top of
Bray Hill posted Dunlop stopped on the side of
the road, gloves off, helmet off, fixing the side
pod issue himself, did anyone actually realize
what the actual problem had been. An extremely
fired-up Dunlop headed back down Bray now 55
seconds in arrears and probably realising that his
dream win #27 was not going to happen in the
RST Superbikes. But just to add in some editorial
license, this just goes to show the different
mindset these riders have over track racers, in
them having the tenacity to stop and fix whatever
they can to get going again, even if it’s just an
equipment malfunction or the likes and not just
throw their toys out the cot and walk away usually
throwing a tantrum LOL.
His tenacity saw Dunlop back up into 4th place
in the standings by the time he reached Ballaugh
Bridge jump, with just Harrison, Todd, and
Hickman up the road to try and catch. The fight
for the lead was hotting up amongst these three
as well and Hickman eventually got to the front
and lead as they passed Ramsey’s hairpin on
lap 5. There were only 5 seconds in it for second
between Tod and Harrison so we were set for an
absolute classic finish to the RST Superbike T.
And at this point seeing his pit boards Hickman
knew that he could probably hold the two behind
off and didn’t need to push for a lap record.
Dunlop however had certainly not given up by
any means and although his valiant effort to
make almost a one-minute deficit in two laps was
thwarted in the end, he still went and set another
new outright Superbike lap record on the last lap
and crossed the finish in 4th with the record now
in his stable of a 135.970mph lap.
Hickman took his first win of the 7 races still
available for his TT aspirations for 2024 and
equaled Hailwood’s win record of 14 TT wins.
As Todd and Harrison joined Hickman in the
winner’s circle for their 2nd and 3rd places, the
Lekka Racing team was watching the timing and
waiting to see Venter cross the line in his best
finish ever in a Superbike TT and with a fastestever
lap of 125.653mph, mark take 13th overall
and become the fastest South African to ever
lap the TT course: https://www.facebook.com/
VoiceOfChoice/videos/1110200333401337/
More records tumbled or were matched on
Superbike Sunday, which meant only one thing,
how many more for the next 5 days of racing and
after the rest day on Monday 3 June.

Metzeler Supertwin TT Race 1 (Wednesday 5
June 2024)
The weather once again affected race week and
more race program changes had to be made
leaving the races moved from Tuesday 4 June
2024, and the Metzeler Supertwin TT Race 1
and Entire cover Superstock TT Race 1 onto
Wednesday 5 June. That too, then changed,
with only having enough clear weather to run
the Metzeler Supertwin TT Race 1. But it would
certainly be one to be remembered. The race
rules dictated that each bike must make a
compulsory pit stop after lap one and then can
carry on with stopping again, to the end of the
race two laps later.
Dunlop was fastest in qualifying and only his fellow
Paton mounted rival Jamie Coward was even
close to his times in all the qualifying sessions.
MD opened with a 162mph sped trap clocking
on Sulby straight and as he entered pit lane, he
was the only rider in the 120mph bracket with
his standing start to pit stop lap of 121.044mph.
The record number 27 victory was all his to
lose basically and having seen MD just before
he mounted his Paton on the start line, he was
certainly not going to do that. The fight behind was
an epic one with Hickman, Herbertson, Coward,
and Browne all on 119 mph laps and very evenly
split, so it would only take a mishap or error for
one of them to lose the chance of a podium. One
of the moments of this year’s TT happened in the
Ramsey hairpin where Hickman caught Herbertson
and as he went to outbreak him into the famous
hairpin, he pulled a road racing style block pass to
get through. This moved Hickman slightly ahead
in times on the board but also psychologically on
Herbertson who still held 3rd.
Heading into the final lap MD controlled the front
of the race comfortably and you could see by the
body language he was not going to do anything
to spoil this day and him becoming the rider with
the most wins ever at the Isle of Man. He caught
Coward at Ballaugh and now leads on the boards
as well as on the road. And Coward realising
probably the nature of that moment stuck right
behind his fellow Paton rider and followed him all
the way home and was literally right behind him
as Dunlop crossed the line to take the recordbreaking
27th victory. The Mountain G.O.A.TT.

AJ on the TH
Racing Supertwin
machine.
and changing positions on numerous occasions,
and showing just how spectacular sidecars can
be. Unfortunately, just as Ellis/Clement got up to
3rd on the time sheets and were starting to push
for second, they came off at the Waterworks,
fortunately with both team members ok after the
crash. Red Flag was out, and the outfits were
then brought back to the Grandstand and asked
to be on standby for a restart after the RL 360
Superstock TT Race 1.
RL 360 Superstock TT Race 1 (Thursday 6
June 2024)
Hickman kept Herbertson out for the last two
places in the winner’s circle and on the podium,
but Dom “The Bomb” was not worried at all as
he too made history and was on a TT podium
for the first time ever. Catch his interview as we
caught him the next day in the assembly Area:
https://www.facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/
videos/8119068451478295/
And while they were celebrating on the Metzeler
Podium ceremony, celebrations were happening
elsewhere too with AJ Venter’s best TT finish
ever in 9th place overall on the TH Racing
Kawasaki Z650: https://www.facebook.com/
VoiceOfChoice/videos/835520858480733/
3 Wheeling Sidecars TT Race 2 (Thursday 6
June 2024)
Due to the weather wreaking a bit of havoc on
proceedings, the organizers were forced into
another schedule change and made the second
race for sidecars just 2 laps, to try to get both the
Superstock and Supersport race in on the same
day. The Supersport race was also scheduled to
be a lap shorter than originally planned.
News out of pit lane was good too, as Birchall/
Rousseaux were back with what could only
be described as a miracle repair and were
exceptionally grateful to the local garages and
engineers who had repaired the tub of their rig
and get them mobile again. Founds/ Walmsley
were a little pensive as they had had to do an
engine swap and certainly had no chance to test
the settings or anything on their outfit. But the sky
was clear, and we were going racing.
A two-lap sprint format changed the team
strategies, and the crowds somehow knew
that there was certainly going to be the need
for overtaking and in a much more circuitstyle
attacking mode and that is exactly what
happened. The Crowe brothers having to
make decisions as to where to attempt this
kind of maneuvers and get through on the two
outfits ahead of them on the road. Passing on
a superbike on tight village lanes is a skill and
an art form, so how much more finesse and
awareness do you need to have on a 600kg
600cc Sidecar. Nevertheless, some of the most
incredible side-by-side action happened out on
the mountain course with the top three chopping
The riders in contention for a STK win were
certainly itching to get out on track particularly
Peter Hickman, who was looking for a 6th
consecutive win in the class. With the STK bikes,
the teams must also make a compulsory pit stop
after lap 1 and leave with a full tank of fuel to get
the last 2 of the 3 laps completed. In lap one
it was once again the cream of this year’s crop
who were locked into a much tighter fight for STK
honours, with Davey Todd setting the early pace
as the riders got to Ramsey, but it was only a
AJ waiting for
the famous tap
on the shoulder.

slender ½ second that held Hickman behind him
for second and a further second back to Dunlop.
AJ, who started in 40th place on the start line was
already up to 28th at Ramsey too, and it looked
like the issues were all now 100% sorted on the
purpose-built Stock BMW, out of Lekka Racing.
Pit stops saw all the top 5 over the 130mph mark
and lap 2 saw more of the same, a bit of timesheet
chess amongst the riders out front. One opened a
gap and the other closing it and it didn’t stop all of
the second lap with the margins all staying within
about 3 seconds of each other over the 37 ¾ mile
track. Hickman had certainly turned the wick up
though and was within 2 seconds of Todd heading
into the Gooseneck on lap 2. It looked like Dunlop
was also rocketing through as he passed James
Hillier, but his gap had now increased, and the 7
seconds would be a big margin to close onto the
last flying lap.
AJ was up to 23rd as he started his final lap and
had that top 20 target firmly set through his visor
heading up and over Ago’s Leap.
Davey Todd’s pit board at Ramsey warned him
that Hickman was now only half a second back
with half the lap to go, so the pressure was on the
Milwaukee TAS Racing BMW, and it was coming
from the man who had been the most dominant
factor in STK for the last 5 TT Races, Peter
Hickman. By the time each of them exited the
Bungalow, they both had some traffic to negotiate,
and this is where things can go either way for,
you’re a faster rider catching other riders on the
course. Hickman had to find a way past Hillier and
Todd had both McGuinness and Dunlop to pass
headed to Brandish. Todd pulled a very BSB-style
pass on them both to go around the outside of
Brandish and get through literally unhindered.
At the same time, AJ was now up to 19th place
coming out of Glen Helen and pushing hard with
lots of traffic for the company,
The Flag was waiting for Todd who crossed the
line first but had to wait a few seconds longer
and allow Hickman to cross the line too before
he could begin to celebrate his first-ever TT win
and once again the fans got to see a TAS Racing
machine back on the top step of the TT Podium.
Dunlop rounded off the top 3 and was followed
home by Dean Harrison and Jame Hillier. AJ was
still out on track and absolutely in full flight as he
would eventually cross the finish line in 17th place
(which was then corrected to 18th due to an issue
with Jamie Coward’s transponder) but he was
really concerned about that and the team were
ecstatic with their goal being achieved of a top
20 race finish in STK and to top it off AJ’s fastest
lap time ever – 126.2mph. Not bad for a little race
shop in the backyard of a little house in Edenvale
Johannesburg South Africa.
Check out how happy our only TT rider from
South Africa was after that little ride around
the mountain: https://www.facebook.com/
VoiceOfChoice/videos/762714702725542/
3 Wheeling Sidecars TT Race 2 RESTART
(Thursday 6 June 2024)
Before the restart got underway, we managed
to get a quick comment from a Sidecar legend
and 17x TT winner Dave Molyneux on how this
restart may influence the outcome of the second
race: https://www.facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/
videos/477684484782939/
As the outfits headed back onto the course for lap
1 there were once again a few top teams not in
the start area. Founds/Walmsley had more engine
issues and retired their outfit. However, things
kind of went back to normal, well in terms of the
3 Wheeling sidecars for 2024, and yet again and
now cementing their all-out dominance were the
two Manx boys named Ryan and Callum. Yes, the
Crowe brothers were out front and left the rest to
scrap it out for 2nd and third. We truly think Dave
Molyneux should take to us before all his races
because it seemed we might have given him a
bit of luck and he was now scything through the

field as he had done 17x before looking for his
first podium since 2017. Moly would eventually
end on the podium in 3rd place and what a way
to end an illustrious TT career, as he announced
his retirement the very next day. A fantastic
and opportunistic racing from Blackstock and
Rosney saw them on the 2nd step but a complete
whitewash of every session and race saw the
Crowe boys take a double win for the sidecars,
only just missing out on the 120mph club by 0.1
mph. They have certainly now laid down the law
and are going to be a difficult team to beat on
their home track.
From a great and full day of racing the next day
turned horrible again and it was a case of rain
on and off the entire day on Friday 7 June 2024
on the island. Several updated schedules and
programs were published but all in vain as no
track action took place at all. In fact, the only
action we saw was in the skies as the worldfamous
Red Arrows Display team gave the
Douglas Promenade a spectacular aerial display
again, and shortly after that, the standard TT
fireworks display took place too, with which all
the riders and teams were hoping that the size
of some of the fireworks that went off that night
would chase the clouds away and allow us to have
a trifecta of races to finish off the TT race week.
Saturday was scheduled to have the Monster
Energy Supersport TT Race 2 (2Laps) followed by
the Entire Cover Supertwins Race 2 (2Laps) and
then a shortened 4 Lap Milwaukee Senior TT to
finish off the week.
Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 2
(Saturday 8 June 2024)
Race 1 saw Dunlop win ahead of Todd and
Harrison, but a lot had happened since opening
day over a week ago and despite everyone
knowing that Dunlop had his sights firmly on a
three-race winning streak to take his tally to 30
wins by the end of the day, the newly crowned
King of the Mountain would have to work very
hard to stop Davey Todd putting his Ducati on top
or Dean Harrison, stealing a victory on his Honda
UK Racing CR600. The latter was the big surprise
at the end of lap 1 where Harrison was only 0.9
seconds off Dunlop’s lead. Todd was 3rd but
watching his rearview for a big push coming from
Hickman on his 4th bike of the TT, the Trooper
Triumph. AJ was up to 19th at the end of lap 1
after starting on the TH Racing Honda in 32nd
place on the grid. He was doing 120.438 mph
while MD was lapping at 127.386mph so this
was a big surprise for both the team on the pit
wall and those watching from SA to see AJ only
7mph down on the most dominant 600 rider in the
paddock.

Lap 2 Dunlop just maintained and without
knowing it pulled out a bit more over Dean, ending
the Supersport side of this year’s TT with his 28th
win and 6 SS win in a row as well as his 42nd
podium in his TT career. Harrison hung on to beat
Todd to the line and reverse their finish from race
one on the opening day. Many of Harrison’s fans
saw the improvements throughout the week and
realized that by 2025 Honda and Harrison are
going to be a big factor.
AJ takes us through his last Supersport finish for
2024 with another top20 place, in 18th with his
best SS lap too, 121.466mph, and just before he
climbs back onto the Kawasaki for the last time.:
https://www.facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/
videos/844190204249696/
Entire Cover Supertwins TT Race 2 (Saturday
8 June 2024)
Climbing off his Yamaha and onto the Paton,
Dunlop was now in that zone that everyone knew
him to be capable of getting into and when he was
there, he was a very difficult man to beat. Having
set the new record amount of TT wins in race 1
earlier in the race week, he knew that his bike was
the one to beat in the Twins and he was going to
make it even more difficult for anyone to beat him
as he headed onto track in search of #29.
The two laps had changed team tactics slightly so
MD literally hit the track and started to push early
to ensure he could control the likes of Hickman,
Herbertson, and Coward. There were problems
on the start line for Rob Hodson, who just could
not get his bike fired up and he would eventually
get away just in front of the TH Racing Kawasaki
of AJ Venter. The most incredible first lap we’ve
seen out of Dunlop not only saw him leading on
the time sheets as he completed lap one but also,
he had moved to the front of the field and passed
5 riders on lap one and now also led on the road.
Dunlop was on a record pace and six and half
seconds ahead of Hickman of the Swan Racing
Yamaha with Mike Browne in 3rd trying to catch
the R7. In fact, Dunlop was 3 seconds under the
lap record he set in 2018 when he got to Ballaugh
bridge and 17 seconds clear of the 2nd place
battle. However, the race would then be stopped
after and incident which called for a Red Flag.
Race control then made the announcement that
Lap 1 would count as the results for the Twins
race 2 TT and although the lap record would
possibly have been broken, it was not to be this
year. Dunlop stepped up onto the top step of the
podium for the 29th time and shared it with Peter
Hickman and a massively surprised but very
happy Mike Browne.
After the red flag AJ secured yet another top 20
in the ST with a 17th and 115,386mph Lap and
we caught as he climbed off the Z650 and set his
mind to the final race of the week, the big one,
the Milwaukee Senior TT: https://www.facebook.
com/VoiceOfChoice/videos/999191738495387/

Milwaukee Senior TT (Saturday 8 June 2024)
Let’s set the scene for the big one :
• 2023 Podium was Hickman from Harrison
from Dunlop
• Outright Lap record for Senior TT is a
135,507mph
• Outright Lap record from Hickman
136,358mph (on his Stock Monster Energy by
FHO Racing BMW)
• RST Superbike Podium 2024 was Hickman
from Todd from Harrison
• Dunlop with 29 wins and 42 podiums
• Hickman with 14 Wins and 30 podiums
• Harrison with 3 wins and 27 podiums
• Todd with 1 win and 2 podiums
• AJ on the Sandton Motorrad BMW is now
running at 126mph pace and finished 13th in
the RST Superbike TT and 18th in the Entire
Cover STK TT
So, let’s do this, 4 laps coming your way as
John McGuinness set off Glencrutchery Road to
start the Senior TT for 2024. Into the first timing
sector at Glen Helen, it was Hickman who had
the early pace just ahead of Todd, Harrison, and
Dunlop. However, by the time they all got to the
Ramsey hairpin, it was clear that Hicky was not
going to be waiting for anyone and was already
on lap record pace from a standing start.
The big drama unfolded as Dunlop exited the
Bungalow and as he started the descent of his
mountain, the clutch went on the Honda, and he
free-wheeled down the hill stopping just before
the Cottage. The King was out and would not
get the 30th win.
That left a small hush all around the track but
that was quickly broken by even more drama on
lap two with Hickman on a mission to get that
lap record using the bike BMW wanted the lap
record to be held with, pushed a bit too hard
and crashed on the exit just alongside Ginger
Hall ( aka Faulty Towers). With the two favourites
out did that leave a chance for our editor’s
prediction to come to fruition. It certainly did
and wow, was Todd up for the challenge. You
could literally see the surprise in his eyes through
his Arai visor in pit lane when they relayed the
news that both Dunlop and Hickman were now
out, and he had an 18-second advantage over 2nd
placed Josh Brookes. So, what were the two BSB
boys going to do now?
Well from Todd’s viewpoint it was still game on and
he just eked out more and more over Brookes over
the last two laps, whilst the same was happening
with Brookes over Harrison for 2nd and 3rd. It was
awesome to hear the TT+ commentators mention
Ian Hutchison as he made his way to 6th place on
the road, probably with a little wry smile knowing
that no one would be able to break his record of 5
wins in a week, well not this year anyway.
AJ was also ticking off a few riders at a time in his
pursuit of another top-20 finish but was battling
with traffic and was only 27th as he started his
final lap of TT ’24 on the Lekka Racing BMW.
As the leading 4 bikes were not going to risk
anything on the last lap our attention was drawn to

firstly McGuinness, who had now gotten himself
ahead of Hutchy and was in 5th overall. Such a
privilege to watch these two legends fighting for
a top 5 finish. McPint secured it as he crossed
the line at the end of the 4th lap and was only 10
seconds behind 4th-placed James Hillier. Dean
Harrison was actually the first bike to take the
flag, but it was still only good enough for 3rd in
the Senior. A valiant effort from the fastest rider
through the speed trap all week, Josh Brookes,
saw him on the podium for the first time this year,
but as predicted by our esteemed editor-in-chief,
Mr. Portman, Davey Todd lived up to expectations
and the adage that to finish first, first, you must
finish, and with that secured his second win ever
and how about that one…the Milwaukee Senior TT
on his Milwaukee TAS Racing BMW. A PR dream!
AJ who battled with traffic on the last two laps
was absolutely blown away with his results and
with 7 finishes out of 7 starts let’s let him say all
the thank you’s: https://www.facebook.com/
VoiceOfChoice/videos/406716462354106/
To wrap up 16 days of race action this good can
only be done with all your support and continued
love of Moto Rider World, and with the online
platform we have created, it gives us a chance to
show you and tell you everything that happens at
races like the Isle of Man TT. From my side, I just
want to thank Rob for his unwavering confidence
in me as part of his incredible team here. To my
own long-standing partners Suzuki Motorcycles
South Africa, Oakley (Mello Velo Cycles) Arai
Helmets, Monster Energy, Casio Watches South
Africa, Universal Racing, and all the fans and
friends on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok
for the absolutely mind-blowing engagement
over the last month taking my insights on all
three platforms into the 7,9 million mark, was
just phenomenal. To the other members of the
IOMTT Media who helped me with pics and stats
throughout the two weeks, I am always grateful
for the collaborations on social media too with the
three unofficial TT pages, thank you. And finally,
I would also just like to say to my ladies at home,
the biggest thank you for the unbelievable 50th
birthday gift, of allowing me to be on the Isle of
Man to witness the Real Racers on Risky Roads
Rewriting Records.
From #THeVoiCeoFCHoiCe until next year Take
Care Then, Bye Bye Now!
Herewith a few of the other Interviews we managed to get
and some other fun we had during the two weeks at TT ‘24
Timing is Everything, especially at TT: https://
www.facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/
videos/1771748860012777/
A view of note as Chris Boyd takes us to the top of
the Race Control Tower: https://www.facebook.com/
VoiceOfChoice/videos/1404125163593045/
Legend in the Paddock – Bruce Anstey: https://www.
facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/videos/998680918438008/
Matt “The Mullet: Stevenson: https://www.facebook.com/
VoiceOfChoice/videos/974018650964008/
Look who we found on the Start line: https://www.
facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/videos/834339208554311/
The GULLS: https://www.facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/
videos/7801962806516340/
Someone Faster than Hicky on the Isle: https://www.
facebook.com/VoiceOfChoice/videos/810543827678010/
Ons gaan nou Braai!: https://www.facebook.com/
VoiceOfChoice/videos/453836590726213/