Australian Motorcycle News Vol 68 Issue 07

The Romano Fenati saga has been as sad as it has been intruiging WHAT WINDS SOMEBODY up so much that they go into a complete mental meltdown, and the only thing they can think of is exacting revenge on someone they deemed had done them wrong? The Romano Fenati saga has been as sad as it has been intriguing. To chase down an opponent and grab his brake lever at more than 200km/h is beyond stupidity, and the condemnation from fellow riders and fans was justified, as was his immediate sacking from the team he raced for, as well as the shredding of his 2019 contract. The lenient two-race ban handed down by the FIM stewards following the race may not have fitted the crime, but the series of sackings that followed…

BMW IS TAMING its next-generation 1250cc Boxer engine with a camshaft system that turns one engine into two. Called the Shift Cam, it’s the most highly developed version of variable valve timing and lift seen so far on a motorcycle. It cleverly switches between two completely different cam profiles, altering the timing, valve lift and overlap. The new technology is the highlight of BMW’s launch last week of the 2019 GS and RT models. The bigger Boxer engine now produces peak power of 100kW, until recently only the realm of Superbikes. Yes, we’ve seen VVT before. Think Ducati XDiavel and Multistrada 1260, as well as Kawasaki’s ZX-14. And Suzuki’s latest GSX-R1000 has a clever, mechanically-operated version. But all those bikes can do is change the cam timing. BMW’s Shift Cam moves the whole…

SUZUKI WILL BRING back the iconic Katana moniker on an all-new model due to be launched on 2 October, and the company is teasing fans of the legend with some quirky videos. As reported last issue [AMCN Vol 68 No 06], a blacksmith is filmed hammering out the distinctive blade of a Japanese Katana sword, accompanied by the slogan ‘Feel the Edge’. And the latest video now also adds a shadowy close-up of a fuel tank that appears to be off last year’s Katana 3.0 concept bike. The Katana 3.0 idea is certainly a front-runner for the production Katana. Based on the mechanics of a stock GSX-S1000, it was created last year in Europe. However, Suzuki claims it is creating a “completely new category” and “brand new bike”. So we reckon it’s going…

NOT SATISFIED WITH trying to redefine its big-twins, BMW has done some blatant corporate boasting by releasing a video of a self-riding R1200GS development mule. If you’re wondering what the point of a riderless bike is, you’re not alone. But as well as being a display of BMW’s technological muscle it’s a useful engineering exercise. Like Yamaha with its MotoBot, developing computer systems and control methods to ride a bike completely unassisted helps designers learn more about the dynamic subtleties of riding, while designing more effective riding aids.…

WE HAD BIG raps on this motorcycle in the new-model digest of our special Adventure Issue [AMCN Vol 68 No 01]. Now Moto Guzzi has announced its retro-modern adventure tourer V85TT will be available in Australia mid-2019 – and we think it could be the Italian firm’s best seller. Rather than launch its new-generation 850cc V-twin engine in a road model, it’s gone straight into the new V85TT. This step back into the hugely popular adventure touring market should create a sales belter for Moto Guzzi. But the Italians sometimes operate in strange ways. Despite this significance, it emerged first as the little-trumpeted V85 Concept at last year’s EICMA show in Milan. Now the production version has been slipped onto the Moto Guzzi website in advance of this year’s shows, and without…

Multistrada 1260 Enduro WE’VE MANAGED TO get our hands on a spec sheet for the 2019 Enduro, and it confirms that it uses the same 1262cc DVT (variable valve timing) V-twin as the Multistrada 1260. Power is 116.4kW, up from 112kW on the 1198cc 1200 Enduro, and the peak chimes in at 9500rpm. Similarly, torque will be up from 128Nm to 129.5Nm, but the peak figure doesn’t tell the whole story. On the more road-oriented Multistrada, the move from the 1198cc engine to the 1262cc version gives an 18 per cent boost in torque at 5500rpm, just where it’s needed, and the same is sure to apply to the 2019 Multistrada 1260 Enduro. In terms of other specs, we don’t think the 2019 Enduro will be a huge leap forward. 2019 Ducati Scrambler…