Australasian Dirt Bike Magazine Issue 506

SO I’M TAKING THE NEXT TWO DEADLINES OFF, THAT’S ISSUE #507 AND #508. INDUSTRY LEGEND STEPHEN TUFF HAS AGREED TO FILL IN MY FIRST DAY on ADB was back in late 2009. I had worked as a contributor for nearly a year before being offered a full-time role as Staff Writer with the ADB team. Giving up my job writing news scripts for the Today Show and nightly 6pm news was an easy decision, even if it did mean a pay cut. The money was barely enough to keep the power on in my tiny apartment and the hours were very long but it was my dream job, so I didn’t care. I’d read ADB sinceIwas10years old and the dirtbike bug was well and truly flowing through myveins. ADB was,andstillis, the…

AUSTRALIAN MOTOCROSS SENSATION Jett Lawrence has written his own piece in the moto history books by claiming the AMA Pro Motocross 250cc Championship. Lawrence is the first Australian to do so and he did it in only his second season in the professional ranks. At 18, Lawrence is considered a pup in the dog-eat-dog world of motocross but the charismatic kid got it done, handing Honda a very valuable championship. Incredibly, Jett was joined on the podium by his older brother, HRC Honda teammate and ADB columnist Hunter, who claimed third. The Queenslanders are the first siblings to finish an AMA Pro Motocross Championship in the top three. The 12-round championship was an up-and-down affair for Jett, who started the series with a win at the opening event that set the standard.…

The premier 450cc class played second-fiddle to the Lawrence Bros’ show for us Aussies but the battle in the big boys’ class was thrilling. Star Yamaha Racing and their flying Frenchman Dylan Ferrandis cleaned up the 450cc championship with one round to spare. Last year’s 250MX champion is now the second Frenchman to claim the premier AMA motocross title, after Jean-Michele Bayle won the 500cc and 250cc title back in 1991. Ferrandis was not the name at the top of pre-season championship prediction lists, yet the 27 year-old claimed eight race wins across the 12 rounds. Eli Tomac claimed second place aboard his Kawasaki KX450 thanks to a 4-1 moto score at the final round, leap-frogging Ken Roczen and relegating the Honda HRC star to third. Fan favourite Aaron Plessinger lit up…

IF YOU LOVE the Italian style of motorcycle design, you will want to take a closer look at the Moto Morini X-Cape. Although now owned by the Chinese Zhongneng Vehicle Group, Moto Morini has a rich Italian history and they continue to produce motorcycles from their factory, which is just outside Milan, the fashion capital of the world. The X-Cape features an eight-valve, 649cc liquid-cooled, twin-cylinder engine fed by an 18-litre tank. The X-Cape weighs 213kg dry and had 19/17-inch wheels, 175mm of ground clearance and a seat height of 845mm. There’s no mistaking the look and style as pure Italian but, if you want one, you might have to go to Italy because at this stage, there is no Aussie importer. Any takers?…

ASPIRING ROAD RACERS aged between 11 and 16 can enter the motoChampion competition for the chance of a sponsored ride in next year’s bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup worth over $10,000. The top five motoCHAMPION riders will earn a place in the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup selection event where they will have the chance to qualify for the 2022 season. Using a GoPro on your motorbike, riders can compete on any bike, on tarmac, on any tyres, on a figure-eight layout from anywhere in Australia. Upload a video of your best lap and motoDNA algorithms will analyse your riding, grade your skills compared to the other riders and place you on the motoCHAMPION leaderboards. Visit https://motodna.com/ motochampion/ to learn more, or sign up now. Can we please see it on…

WELL-KNOWN MOTORSPORT presenter Kate Peck has been appointed president of Motorcycling NSW. Peck was quickly into action tasked with replacing the board of directors, stating: “I am determined to create a diverse board of young and old with a variety of experience, balanced in gender and differing backgrounds.” The key roles of the board of directors of MNSW include appointing and managing the performance of the general manager and chief executive officer, formulating and implementing goals and strategic direction, determining policies relevant to the governance and performance management of the business, establishing and determining the function of committees, approving the budget and all major items of capital expenditure, ensuring compliance with legal requirements and ensuring the financial viability of the organisation. If you’d like to learn more or get involved, email…