Australian Motorcycle News Vol 67 Issue 22

I HAVE BEEN lucky enough to ride on some of the world’s greatest circuits. As a youngster I dreamed of travelling the globe as a professional racer before reality came crashing through the door. Two decades after those dreams faded, I’m now doing it, but as a journalist rather than a racer, and in a lot of ways it’s a better deal. Choosing a favourite is always going to cause arguments, but of the tracks I’ve ridden so far, Phillip Island is the best in the world and we’re lucky it’s right here in our own backyard. But I now have a new second-favourite track – Kyalami in South Africa. Well, perhaps until I ride The Bend, anyway, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. “The horrible scene was captured on…

DUCATI SAYS IT will have a radar-equipped production model on sale in 2020. While the designated model was not specified, details of the system reveal it will feature both front and rear radar systems that will provide the basis for an unprecedented level of rider assistance. Taking a leaf from the car industry, Ducati has developed front- and rear-facing radars with the help of the Politechnico di Milano. Ducati has already applied for one patent on the designs and says they’ll be in production within two years. The front radar is intended to work in concert with a cruise control system. Like the adaptive cruise controls already available on many cars, the set-up will allow the bike to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead when the cruise control is turned on. Ducati hasn’t…

THE NEW APRILIA NEW RSV4 RF LE is basically the same as the current RSV4 RF aside from one styling change that we’re sure other manufacturers will be copying in the near future – MotoGP-style wings on its fairing. Sure, Kawasaki has already been there with its H2, but the RSV4 RF LE’s bolt-on wings are more in keeping with those used on the latest MotoGP machines. In addition to the wings, the LE also features a special paint scheme that harks back to the firm’s 1980s 250cc GP bikes, marking 30 years since Loris Reggiani took Aprilia’s first win in the 250cc class. But the wings – which are removable, just as on the latest GP bikes – are the real talking point. The sad new for Aussie fans is that Aprilia…

AS AMCN PREDICTED in February, BMW’s new F-series range will gain an F850GS Adventure model in 2019. The new model will sit at the top of the line-up, offering a stepping stone between the parallel-twin GS and the more expensive R1200 GS boxer. We already knew BMW was developing just such a bike, having seen it on test in February (AMCN Vol 67 No16), but this is the first confirmation that the Adventure model will definitely be offered as part of the 2019 model range. The news comes via the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which certifies the emissions of all bikes before they can be sold in the States. Its latest bulletin includes several 2019 models, including the new BMW F850GS Adventure. It’s listed as using exactly the same 853cc parallel-twin engine…

FEW OTHER BIKES released for 2018 are as intriguing as the Yamaha Niken. The three-wheeled enigma is in uncharted waters, combining its leaning trike layout with performance that would have been class-leading for a superbike not so long ago. Even though Yamaha is opening the order books in mid-May, there is still little indication of what we can expect to pay for the MT-09-based three-wheeler. Normally, it’s easy enough to guess a ballpark figure for a new bike’s list price before it is announced. Simply look at the competition. But the Niken has no competitors – at least not yet. Will it mimic the MT-09, and come in at a surprisingly reasonable cost? Or will Yamaha be forced to price it high to recoup development costs from its sales? We now have a hint…

ITS PLAN TO fit 3D printers to its R1200GS range may have been an April Fool’s Day joke, but BMW isn’t kidding with its latest creation, a 3D-printed S1000RR frame and swingarm. The firm unveiled the bike as part of its Group Digital Day, an event exploring the use of ‘digitalisation’ in personal mobility. Rather than the term 3D printing, BMW calls the processes ‘additive manufacturing’. However, it means the same thing; building up structures from thin layers of molten material – metal or plastic – to create single-piece components. Often, these are shapes that couldn’t be cast, pressed, machined or moulded as a single part, and the S1000RR chassis illustrates precisely that. Currently, 3D printing is particularly useful for prototyping parts that will later be mass-made using more traditional processes. The system is fast…