Innehållsförteckning för #360 19-06 från Just Bikes

Australia scored an epic result at the 2018 FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE), with two of our World Trophy teams triumphing against the world’s best. Held at Vina del Mar in Chile, the 2018 ISDE saw more than 440 riders from 25 countries line up to battle for their nation. At the 2017 ISDE, Australia’s World Trophy Team finished second behind France and our Junior World Trophy Team were disqualified when two riders went outside the designated course. Australia’s Women’s World Trophy Team, however, were the class of the field, winning for the fifth successive time against strong squads from the USA, France and Spain. The Aussie squads for the 2018 ISDE saw Daniel Milner (KTM) and Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna) return to the World Trophy Team, with Matt Phillips…

With the iconic Honda CB750 marking its 50th Anniversary in Australia this year, there are a number of celebrations planned, including a big one from the Honda CB750 Owners Club of Australia. Scheduled for November, the club’s anniversary event has been almost two years in the planning and should be one of the biggest gatherings of CB750 Fours - and all their derivatives – ever seen in Australia. As part of that planning, the club decided to restore a trio of classic CB Fours, which will be raffled off in aid of the Black Dog Institute that supports Australians suffering with depression and anxiety. The three bikes to be raffled are a 1972 CB350 Four in silver, a 1972 CB500 Four in gold over black and a 1972 Honda CB750…

CDR Yamaha Monster Energy will start the 2019 Pirelli MX Nationals Australian Motocross Championship with an all-new rider line-up, led by Kirk Gibbs. The appointment comes after Dean Ferris, multiple MX Nationals MX1 Champion with CDR, announced after his third title that he’d be chasing opportunities overseas this year, while CDR’s second rider, Dylan Long, was dropped after his two seasons with the team failed to meet expectations. Despite having ridden KTMs for all of his six years in the MX1 class, Gibbs is no stranger to the blue bikes, having ridden YZ250Fs in the MX2 class from 2009 to 2012, where he finished second in the championship on two occasions. Gibbs joined KTM’s MX1 squad for the 2013 MX Nationals season, building on a solid debut year to finish…

Moto Expo made its biennial return to Melbourne in 2018 and those who braved the less-than-ideal weather across the three-day event were treated to a feast of new metal. Hosted by Troy Bayliss Events (TBE), the Melbourne event wasn’t just a bike display; there was plenty in the way of riding gear and motorcycle accessories, as well as travel and club displays and plenty of related industries. Entertainment in the outdoor area of the Melbourne Showgrounds included the Baylisstic Scramble Team Challenge dirt track event and Crumpy’s City Slide, which was a real “for the people” part of the show, where riders could experience flat track in a non-competitive environment alongside Aussie racing legends. Beyond that, there was also freestyle MX displays from Showtime FMX, the Jack Field Trials shows and…

Yeah, yeah, we know this isn’t the real deal, but with Yamaha only able to present the box for the new Tenere 700 at Melbourne (yes, really), maybe they should have wheeled out this tasty little custom, rather than hide it in the Bolt/Stryker cruiser section of their display. While we can’t shed much light on who created it or when, what we do know is that this custom is based on Yamaha’s XSR700 and looks to be pretty authentic to that model in terms of mechanical spec, meaning a 689cc inline twin, 6-speed gearbox, 41mm tele forks and monoshock rear, ABS brakes and retro-look head and (LED) tail lights. However, the classic Tenere tribute paint scheme and some cool custom touches, like the yellow fork gaiters, slimline seat and…

THEN – 1985 The Suzuki GSX-R750, launched to market in 1985, was a revolution in motorcycle design. It was the first aluminium-framed sportsbike, wearing a race-replica full fairing and twin round endurance-style headlights. As well as producing more than 100hp, the GSX-R750 weighed in at just 176kg (dry), which was significantly less than other sportsbikes of the time. To keep weight to a minimum, the Suzuki engineers decided air/oil cooling would be sufficient for the 749cc four, negating the need for a water-cooling system and radiator. Although there were tightly packed cooling fins around the cylinder and head, the engine’s primary cooling was by way of a large 5.6-litre oil capacity which was circulated around the engine and through a big external oil cooler by twin oil pumps. The marketing…

Suzuki’s factory-supported presence in the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) has expanded to three riders, with incumbent (and 2017 ASBK Champion) Josh Waters joined by Wayne Maxwell in the Team Suzuki Ecstar Australia factory squad run by Phil Tainton Racing, while Alex Phillis will compete alongside the factory team as a satellite-supported rider. Maxwell, an ASBK and Australasian Superbike Champion, has spent the last four years with the Yamaha Racing Team, where he finished runner-up in the championship on three occasions. Having achieved his first title on a Suzuki back in 2013, Maxwell is optimistic about returning to the brand and what he can achieve on the GSX-R1000 this year. “I’m really looking forward to getting back on the GSX-R1000, I know how fast and competitive the GSX-R is, having raced…

The second annual Australian Antique Motorcycle Weekend was held over the weekend of the 25-26th August at the Bulli Showgrounds, just north of Wollongong. Event organisers, the Antique Motorcylce Club of America - Australia (AMCA), attracted a mouthwatering variety of antique motorcycles, all 35 years of age and older, to the first show in 2017 and the variety of bikes on display in 2018 was just as impressive, if not better. VARIETY PLUS As attendees and participants alike wandered amongst the venue’s various ‘spots’, motorcycle manufacturers represented included Triumph, Norton, BSA, Royal Enfield, AJS and Matchless, BMW, Harley-Davidson, Indian, Laverda, Moto Guzzi, Ducati, Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki; which are the sort of marques you’d expect to see. But it’s what you wouldn’t expect to see that makes the Australian…

Making its world debut at Moto Expo Melbourne was Savic Motorcycles. Designed and built by 26-year-old Dennis Savic (pronounced Sav-ich), the ‘C40’ prototype electric motorcycle on display in Melbourne will be the forerunner of C Series production models to be released locally in 2020, with plans to go global by 2022. The C40 on display was described as combining a bespoke frame and hand-formed aluminium ‘fuel tank’ and rear cowl with conventional cycle parts (wheels, shocks, brakes, etc). The powertrain has been developed in-house by Savic, with a 40kW electric motor and 6kW/h battery pack for up to 150km range, with Savic claiming the concept will do 0-100km/h in around 4.5 seconds. Savic announced that a 10-unit ‘Founder Edition’ will be released this year, followed by a 50-unit production range…

Royal Enfield made a big splash at the last Moto Expo Melbourne when they debuted the Himalayan. This time around, it was the turn of the long-awaited twin-cylinder models in the form of the Continental GT 650 café racer and the roadster-style Interceptor 650. Formally introduced by Vimal Sumbly, Royal Enfield’s new Head of Asia Pacific, both models are 650cc air-cooled twins with a 270-degree firing angle that produce 47hp (35kW) and 52Nm: not huge numbers, sure, but these bikes are all about fun, accessibility and simplicity – what Royal Enfield calls “pure motorcycling”. A 41mm front fork and dual coilover rear shocks keep the old-school look going, with a 320mm front disc and 240mm rear disc brake with ABS common to both models. In fact, a lot of the…

1 MERLIN ‘HIXON’ JACKET Mid Life Cycles Ph: (03) 9421 3765 midlifecycles.com.au Combining safety with style, Merlin’s Hixon men’s jacket is the ideal accompaniment for your retro (or retro-styled) café racer. With premium aniline leather construction in a matt finish, the UK-designed, heritage-look Hixon also features CE-approved shoulder and elbow armour, with provision for a back protector. A removable thermal gilet liner and separate mesh drop liner are also included for improved comfort, with other features including reflective arm stripes, ventilation panels, multiple pockets, a Velcro hem adjustment and YKK zips. Part of the big Merlin range now in stock at Mid Life Cycles in Cremorne, VIC, the Hixon is available in black or brown, and S-4XL sizes, priced from $499.95. 2 MACNA ‘DARKO’ GLOVES Link International  linkint.com.au A new addition to…

Following its unveiling at INTERMOT in Germany and Australian presentation at the Phillip Island MotoGP round, Suzuki have announced a new colour option for the upcoming Katana, as well as an online purchasing programme. Unveiled at EICMA was a Glass Sparkle Black colour option to the Metallic Mystic Silver presented at INTERMOT. Both colours will be available when the Katana is released locally in the third quarter of this year (as a 2020 model), but due to high demand and limited supply, Suzuki Australia say they will only take online orders for the new model. A $1,000 deposit is required, but this process will come with what Suzuki says is a “premium buying experience”. The first 50 Katanas pre-ordered online will receive an exclusive bonus in the form of a…

After a ripping debut in 2017, historic motorcycle racing returns to Sellicks Beach this year, with the classic and vintage competition event to be held on 16–17 February. The success of the 2017 event, the first true racing to be held on the South Australian beach since 1957, has prompted a number of high-profile companies to get on board for 2019, with Harley-Davidson signing on as naming rights sponsor, while Shannons Insurance, the City of Onkaparinga and Motorcycling South Australia are joining local businesses CBS Bins, Titanium Security and Shingleback Wines in backing this year’s event. Organised by the Levis Motorcycle Club (Australia’s oldest motorcycle club), the 2019 Harley-Davidson Sellicks Beach Historic Motorcycle Races are open to MA-approved competition historic racing bikes and sidecars built before 1963, but as this…

While the 2019 grid for the FIM Motul Supersport World Championship is far from finalised, there have been a number of rider and team changes announced following the conclusion of the 2018 season. The main change, as reported in JUST BIKES #359, is GRT Yamaha’s move from World Supersport (WSS) to World Superbikes (WSBK) for 2019. For their first campaign in WSBK, the Italian-based team passed over their current WSS riders, Federico Caricasulo and 2017 WSS Champion Lucas Mahias, for 2018 World Supersport Champion Sandro Cortese and Italian veteran Marco Melandri. While understandably disappointed at being snubbed for the WSBK move, it didn’t take long for both of GRT Yamaha’s WSS riders to find new seats. FEDERICO CARICASULO – GRT YAMAHA TO BARDAHL EVAN BROS. YAMAHA WORLDSSP On 3 December,…

“A superbike that can tour” would be the best way to describe the Turismo Veloce 800 SCS, but MV Agusta call it a “tourer without compromise”. Either way, its numbers are pretty mental, with the 798cc triple producing 110 horsepower (81kW), a 230km/h top speed and 0-100km/h in 3.2 seconds. SCS stands for Smart Clutch System; a technology exclusive to MV Agusta that makes its production bike debut on this model. SCS is essentially an automatic clutch on the bike’s six-speed transmission, but still allows the rider to use the clutch in the traditional way if they wish. There’s also an integrated ignition-injection system, ride-by-wire throttle control, up-and-down quickshifter, standard ABS, a parking brake, MV Agusta’s Chassis Stability Control system, 30-litre-capacity hard panniers, Garmin navigation system, integrated GPS sensor, full-colour…

Art and Science rarely come together. Let’s be honest, they’re two very different things, so the distance between them is hardly surprising. That’s not to say the two can’t be successfully combined. For instance, some of the most technically-advanced motorcycles can also be the most artistically appealing (Ducati 916, anyone?), but such a happy marriage is more the exception than the rule. So, when anything appears that combines technical merit with artistic beauty, it not only stands out, but is worthy of special attention. ONE WAY’S HISTORY In terms of the current crop of custom bike builders, One Way Machine (OWM) sits in the upper echelon. That’s not just our opinion, either. This custom house, based in Staufenberg, Germany, has scored three trophies in the highly-competitive AMD World Championship of…

When Moto Guzzi launched the V7 Classic at the end of 2008 it proved no other manufacturer could do retro as well as the firm from Mandello del Lario. The V7 Classic retained many of the design elements of the original V7 launched half a century earlier, albeit using modern materials and technologies. The V7 Classic has spawned a number of new models over the past decade, culminating in the newest V7 III range. THEN – 2008 The Moto Guzzi V7 Classic was launched in Australia in December 2008 for $14,990 and it became an instant hit, with styling truly reminiscent of the original V7 that first saw the light of day back in the late 60s. At the heart of the V7 Classic was Moto Guzzi’s longitudinally mounted 744cc…