Innehållsförteckning för #371 20-04 från Just Bikes

Ahead of its local arrival next year, Yamaha Motor Australia have presented details on the 2020 version of their MT-03. The most heavily-modified MT-03 since the current-generation version debuted in 2016, the upcoming model will arrive with major styling changes, as well as new front suspension, a longer swingarm and full LCD instrumentation. Mechanically, the 2020 MT-03 appears unchanged from the current version, with a DOHC 321cc parallel twin engine, 6-speed gearbox and chain final drive. Performance from the 2020 version of this liquid-cooled twin has not been revealed, but with the same bore, stroke and compression ratio (and what appears to be the same exhaust system, too), outputs are likely to be same 30.9kW and 29.6Nm maximums of the current version. As such, the 2020 MT-03 will retain its…

An auction conducted by Scammell’s in South Australia this past August achieved good results and a strong clearance rate. The ‘August Collectors’ Auction’ on 31 August was loaded with hundreds of petroliana, garagenalia and other automotive-related collectable items, as well as more than two dozen classic British, European and Japanese motorcycles. Bike consignments included an Ariel KH500 Fieldmaster, ’64 Triumph Mountain Cub, ’23 Triumph LW Junior (the oldest bike on offer), C1981 Suzuki GS 850G, ’59 BSA Lightning 650,’57 James Captain and a ’75 Yamaha XS650. While some were projects, most of the lots offered were in complete, restorable condition. There were a few restored bikes, too. These included the aforementioned Fieldmaster (a ’54 model with the alloy head and duplex swingarm frame) and a C1950s/60s Jawa 250 559 that…

Given Spain’s incredible record of success in the annual FIM Trial des Nations (TdN), you can pretty much lock in their men’s team for victory before the event’s even started! Unbeaten in the premier men’s World Championship category since 2004, Spain came to this year’s TdN with an all-star team and a home ground advantage, as the 2019 showcase of the world’s best trials riders was held on the Spanish island of Ibiza on the weekend of 28-29 September. The balmy Mediterranean setting couldn’t be more different to last year’s TdN, which was held on a wet, cold and extremely challenging course in Sokolov, Czech Republic. As in past TdN events, the field for 2019 was split into three categories: Men’s World Championship; Women’s World Championship; and International Trophy for…

After last year’s FIM World Supersport 300 (WSS300) Championship went down to the wire, this year’s was concluded much sooner, with Manuel Gonzalez rewarded early for his season-long consistency. Riding for Kawasaki ParkinGO and in his second full season in the championship, the 17-year-old from Madrid secured the 2019 title at the Magny Cours round in September with a round in hand. After winning this year’s season opener at Aragon, Gonzalez repeated the feat at Assen, then followed up with a fourth and first in the double-header at Jerez. A runner-up finish at Misano was followed by a withdrawal from the Donington round with injury, but it still meant that Gonzalez came to the Portimao round with his first chance to secure the title. Despite qualifying on pole, Gonzalez had…

When a custom-built motorcycle is named after an AC/DC album, there’s an obligation to make it worthy of the connection to Australia’s rock legends. One look at the creation featured here, that Luke Crampton built for his brother Ben, makes it obvious that it’s not only worthy of the name ‘Powerage’, but worthy of closer inspection, too. APPRECIATION OF POWER It may be one of the more underrated albums in AC/DC’s extensive catalogue, but 1978’s Powerage is the one that true aficionados of the band really appreciate. Some consider it the peak of the Bon Scott era and those that “get it” include no less than Keith Richards, so that’s an endorsement in itself, right? Luke’s custom Harley is in the same mould. Those that understand the complexity of combining…

A baker’s dozen of collectable motorcycles, including some highly-desirable classics, will be part of Donington Auctions’ ‘Classic Automotive Auction’ this November. In a sale that includes collectable petroliana and garagenalia, books and signed memorabilia, number plates, automotive parts and even a couple of tractors, the Classic Automotive Auction certainly has diversity, but the motorcycles are expected to be the top sellers. Leading the field is a 1977 Ducati 750 Super Sport. One of only 100 square-case examples produced in ’77, this particular unit was Australian-delivered and comes to auction in good, unrestored condition. The 750 SS is expected to sell for somewhere in the $70,000 range. The other lots are mainly British classics, including a ’61 Triumph Twenty One, unrestored ’48 Velocette LE, ’34 Norton Model 19, C1949 Ariel Red…

Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez is MotoGP World Champion for the sixth time. With a last lap victory at Round 15 of the 2019 FIM MotoGP World Championship at Buriram, Thailand, Marquez secured his fourth successive MotoGP title and sixth in total. These premier class titles follow Marquez’s 125cc World Championship in 2010 and the Moto2 World Championship in 2012. SECURING THE ‘8 BALL’ Unlike 2017, when the championship went down to the final round, or 2016 and 2018, when he won with three rounds in hand, Marquez secured this year’s title with four rounds remaining. Marquez’s path to this year’s world championship – his eighth across all grand prix categories – started under a cloud as off-season shoulder surgery meant he arrived at Round 1 without his usual level of…

As 2019’s celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Honda CB 750 draw to a close, the Honda CB 750 Four Owners Club of Australia are offering the chance for you to join the classic Honda fraternity, too. In the lead up to the special anniversary year, the club restored three 1972-model CB Fours – a CB 350, CB 500 and CB 750 - that will be raffled off in support of the Black Dog Institute this November. FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL The history of the CB 750 has been repeated ad nauseum over the years, to the point where there are few who don’t know the story behind the big four-cylinder Japanese motorcycle that set the template for all that followed. Initially created to satisfy the American market, the CB…

Ideas are easy. Turning them into reality is the hard bit. Or, at least it is for most of us. But most of us aren’t Malcolm Oastler. You see, Malcolm is someone who not only has great ideas, he’s someone who can bring those ideas to life, as evidenced by the creation shown here – a creation that JUST BIKES inadvertently inspired! CHILD PRODIGY We usually associate child prodigies with 8-year-olds who can play the piano like a master, or kids barely out of kinder who can solve the sort of maths problems most of us can’t even fathom. There are different types of genius, though, so surely prodigy status can apply to a kid who builds his own motorcycle while still in primary school? That’s exactly what Malcolm did.…

Team France’s five-year dominance at the annual FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN) has ended, with the Netherlands breaking through for their first ever win. Team Netherlands had never achieved the ultimate goal in nations’ motocross – the MXoN’s Chamberlain Trophy – before this year but they had come close, including at last year’s MXoN at Red Bud, USA, when Dutch riders won each moto. But in a scoring system that requires strong finishes from all three riders on a team, a DNF and DNS from one rider ended the Team Netherlands charge. As strong favourites for this year’s 73rd MXoN, Team Netherlands came with a rider lineup unchanged from 2018 of Glenn Coldenhoff, Calvin Vlaanderen and Jeffrey Herlings. The Dutch also came with a home ground advantage – of sorts…

On Sunday, 29 September, the eighth annual Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride saw more than 115,000 riders on classic, vintage and classic-styled motorcycles join together to ride and raise money in support of prostate cancer research and men’s mental health initiatives. Rides were held in 678 cities and towns worldwide this year, including 35 in Australia. More than 5,200 Aussies dressed dapper and took part, including 819 men and women in Sydney alone. Rides in New York, Berlin, Los Angeles and London, to name a few, attracted big numbers, too. Bigger numbers included the US$50,000+ raised by some individual DGR participants, with the top three American DGR fundraisers raising more than US$160,000 between them. The top Aussie had raised US$26,856 at time of writing (fundraising closed on 31/10/19). The biggest number, though,…