Australian Motorcycle News

“EVEN ANOTHER 80HP WOULDN’T HAVE HELPED ME KEEP UP WITH SOME OF THE FAST BLOKES” HOW MUCH power does anyone really need? That’s a question I asked myself after testing Triumph’s new Street Triple 765 RS the other day, and I guess the answer depends on where you’re riding, and who you’re riding with. While even another 80hp wouldn’t have helped me to keep up with some of the fast blokes on track at the Street Triple launch down at The Bend, the 765’s 128hp and 80Nm was certainly more than enough for the road. It’s so flickable, thanks to its light weight, well sorted suspension and wide handlebar, that it’s a bagful of laughs on any twisty road, or on the racetrack. Another midsize nakedbike I’m itching to get my mitts on…

The smaller models in BMW’s range are about to get the same ShiftCam variable valve timing and lift system used in its R 1250 boxer twins and S 1000 RR inline four. It’s not clear whether the ShiftCam single will replace the 310cc engine in the current G-series BMW models or if it’s intended for a larger-capacity single-cylinder. A super single would plug the substantial gap between the G-series and the 853cc F-series parallel twins. The advantages of the Jekyll-and-Hyde ShiftCam system design are a torquey, less polluting engine at low revs with a performance boost at high revs. A new patent application shows a version mirroring that used in the R 1250 boxer twins. The intake camshaft can slide laterally to bring either a low-rpm lobe or a more aggressive high-rev lobe…

DOUBLE BRITISH Superbike champion Josh Brookes will return to this year’s Isle of Man TT alongside last year’s sensation Peter Hickman. Riding for the successful FHO Racing squad, Brookes will contest the RST Superbike, RL360 Superstock and Milwaukee Senior TT Races aboard a BMW M 1000 RR. The Aussie has a strong TT pedigree with his best result an amazing fifth on the Norton prototype in the 2018 Senior TT. His 131.745mph (212.023km/h) lap made him the fastest Australian ever at the TT and he remains the 11th fastest rider of all time. Last year Hickman won four races and Brookes describes him as “both the perfect and, potentially, the worst teammate”. If 2022 BSB Superstock runner-up Billy McConnell makes his widely-tipped TT debut with recently signed Jackson Racing Honda teammate David…

WE’VE ALL seen leathers with airbags working in racing formulas like MotoGP. Now Honda wants to go one step further, mounting them on a motorcycle but getting them to activate like airbag-equipped clothing. It has applied for a host of new patents that address the slow take-up from road riders for this type of protective clothing. Similarly, the idea of equipping motorcycles with airbags has failed to gain traction across the industry, even though it’s been well over a decade since Honda introduced this technology on its Goldwing. Now Honda plans to cross the boundary between those two safety strategies, mounting airbags on its bikes but intending them to behave more like airbag-equipped clothing. It is developing an airbag that bursts out of the bike’s seat – either ahead of the rider…

Chinese powerhouse CFMoto is planning a 675cc three-cylinder to complement the proposed 1250cc V-twin streetfighter and 1000cc, 150kW V4 superbike we’ve already reported on (AMCN Vol 72 No 15). This is all part of an aggressive expansion into international markets that also includes significant updates to existing models. Just one of these is the Australian release of its $16,490 (ride away) 800MT Explore, a ‘flagship variant’ that comes with a retuned version of the 799cc parallel-twin engine, eight-inch multimedia interface, stability and traction control, along with blind-spot, lane-change-assist and rear-collision-warning radar as well as six riding modes. MATCHING THE CAPACITY OF THE OLD TRIUMPH 675 MODELS AND MV’S FIRST F3 Behind the scenes CFMoto has quietly filed a patent application describing a three-cylinder engine that, from the illustrations, appears based on the 450cc…

LAST YEAR, CFMoto’s all-electric sub-brand Zeeho showed a maxi-scooter concept dubbed Magnet. Now it looks headed for production with a patent application showing a more real-world version of the machine. Styling and dimensions share key elements with the concept, including the single-sided swingarm, inverted fork and superbike-style dual radial-mount front brake calipers. However, it also has a much more production-style battery pack and rear suspension. A chunky alloy casting doubles as the scooter’s structural centre, with bolt-on tubular subframes front and rear to hold the steering head and seat unit. It’s a solution a growing number of electric bikes are adopting, notably the upcoming LiveWire ‘Arrow’ platform, which debuts with the Del Mar, and in Bombardier’s new range of CanAm electric bikes. CFMoto has also used the same solution for its 300GT-E…